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recurring-polynya · 4 years ago

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🔆 — obviously they end up married and procreating, but in your headcanon, do you see them expanding their family? Having more kids? Being content with just Ichika? She seems like 2 kids in one kids body. Where do you see the Abarai family in the future?

🔆 do they see themselves together for the long run ? like , getting married , starting a family , and all that jazz ?

So, when I first found out the timing on Ichika, I was honestly pretty upset about it. Part of it is that I think it’s nice for people to be married for a while without kids. We don’t know when Rukia and Renji actually started seeing each other romantically, but my personal preference is that it happened late, possibly during or after the TYBWA. We do know from WDKALY that they had a pretty short engagement, and then conceived Ichika almost immediately following the wedding. It’s kinda depressing to me that they would have this huge separation, followed by two years of slow burn, followed by six months of dating -> engaged -> married and then BAM preggo. Dang.

Secondly, even though she’s been a lieutenant for a year, tops, Rukia is now acting captain of a squad that has just taken enormous losses, one of her top officers has just transferred to Squad 4, and the Soul Society is in ruins. This seems like... a terrible time to have a baby?

On top of all this, Rukia has never struck me as a person who has always dreamed of being a mom or would be particularly delighted to find herself pregnant. I’m not saying she wouldn’t want to be a mom, or that she wouldn’t be a good one (I am not a particularly maternal mom, and to be honest, I think we could use some better representation). I think Renji would both like to be a dad and would be an excellent and intuitive dad, but he loves Rukia for who she is. He would accept not having kids before he would try to talk her into doing something she didn’t want to.

I am a compulsive fix-it person, but within the confines of canon, so I spent a lot of time trying to make sense of all this. In my ongoing, low-burn, canon-spanning fanfic epic, I tried to put in a few earlier scenes where Rukia interacts with some Kuchiki family members who have babies, and starts to feel some stirrings that having babies doesn’t mean quitting your job and your personality. She’s always valued her independence, but she’s also been alone for a really long time, and at the same time she is trying to adjust to the idea of maybe she would like to have a romantic partner, she’s learning the trials and tribulations of having a sibling, and she’s really re-examining her entire concept of family.

I have never been particularly fond, either, of the idea that Ichika is somehow the Kuchiki heir (and I don’t think she is, especially since she has Renji’s name, but we really don’t know for sure and it’s a common enough idea in fanfic), because the entire Kuchiki family is kind of a drag and also they are problematic billionaires and I don’t like Rukia and Renji just blindly assimilating into that. As a compromise, I came up with the idea that maybe Byakuya named Rukia and Renji a branch family to the Kuchiki (his favorite branch family, don’t tell anyone), so they’re part of the family, but pretty far off from the actual succession and they have a lot of freedom to Start Shit and make the other nobles clutch their pearls constantly.

Bringing it all together, I can finally start to make some sense of this. Rukia and Renji get married with the sense that they would like a family, plus they are somewhat obligated to generate an Heir. It’s shitty timing for sure, but the timing is only going to get shittier. I have heard of women who get PhDs and have babies in grad school. On one hand, this is an absolutely bananas thing to do. On the other, if you know that’s what you want, it is entirely rational, because at least most grad students have a flexible schedule and it’s better than having toddlers when you’re trying to get tenure. If you can manage it, this is actually a really effective way to manage a scientific career. So, in other words, they had their (1) baby, and then Rukia got down to brass tacks, training her bankai and getting her squad in shape. I can definitely see Renji in a primary caregiver role (I think they have a nanny, but he scales back at work and takes care of a lot of stuff), and that also partially explains why he’s still a vice-captain. (If any of this is compelling to you, I did write a short story about it once)

Now, I am actually going to get to your question and the answer is: it depends on what happens in a theoretical continuation of Bleach.

Rukia has just been officially been named a captain in the Bleach epilogue. I think that if things continue to be peaceful, and she settles into her role, after a few years, I could definitely see them sitting down at dinner and saying “you wanna have a big family?” Maybe two or even three more. Ichika is practically an adult at this point, but given the longevity of souls in Soul Society, I feel like it’s not uncommon for kids to have even multiple decades between them. I don’t think she would have any bitter feelings about this, she has always appreciated as being an integrated part of their lives, even when it got a little hectic and also she really loves her baby sibs.

On the other hand, if there’s another big war or an extended period of low-level conflict, I don’t think they would have any regrets if Ichika turned out to be an only child. Rukia and Renji have had a tremendous number of awful things happen to them in their life, and I think they have a tendency to focus on what they have instead of what they don’t.

The primary thing that I think would put a crimp in further kid plans is if Renji had to take a captaincy. I don’t think Renji particularly wants to be a captain, although he would be an excellent one. The way the setup of captains is after the timeskip, I cannot imagine anyone retiring, so I can’t see this happening in the peaceful scenario. I have no idea whose place he would even take. In fact, even if some captains got killed in some future conflict, I would think that by that point, Kira or Hinamori, for example, would be more likely to step up and take over their squads than to bring in Renji. Renji certainly wouldn’t take 1, 2, 4, 12 or 13, and they already blew the storyline where Byakuya dies and he takes 6. I suppose he could take one of the other squads if they lost both captain and vice-captain. Renji becoming the new Kenpachi is the spiciest possible take and I would read the shit out of that.

The actually family development I would like to see would be for Byakuya to get married, dude it is your job. Are you guys ready for my dream Byakuya love story that I will never, ever write because I do not ship him with any existing characters and I would die if I had to tag something Byakuya x OC? TOO BAD, here it is anyway: I think Byakuya doesn’t think he could ever fall in love again, and up until the main Bleach storyline, the idea of being remarrying is abhorrent to him. After a few years of being an ancillary part of the Abarai family, though, I think he could finally bring himself to find some suitably noble wife to Bear Him an Heir. In Byakuya fashion, I imagine he would dig through a bunch of genealogy records and find some woman who is the dead end of some old lineage of Great Soul Society Generals or some shit and out-of-the-blue proposes to her. This woman is the Spinster to End All Spinsters. She is like, 400 years older than him. She is not conventionally attractive and wears a lot of sweaters she knits herself. She has a lot of special interests, including carnivorous plants, and is extremely hardcore about her hobbies. She is the Sybil fucking Ramkin of Soul Society. Her spiritual energy is bonkers. She and Byakuya do not get along at all, but that’s okay because they have big plans to ignore one another (aside from procreational intercourse). Rukia is losing her mind. Renji is trying to smooth things over. Nothing is smoothed. Hitsugaya rather likes her and keeps trying to give Byakuya pep talks. Finally, like, Byakuya’s prize orchid almost dies and she saves it and Byakuya goes full heart eyes for her, and he has to be romantic at her. He wears an ill-fitting sweater she makes.

So, to sum up: Rukia and Renji get married, have Ichika. Byakuya gets remarried, makes an heir or three. Twenty to thirty years later, Renji quits to go be the stay-at-home soccer dad he’s always wanted to be. Byakuya Jr. becomes Vice-Captain at the Sixth (or possibly Ichika? That would be fine, too). Rukia eventually becomes head captain. When the younger batch of Abarai kids get old enough, someone convinces Renji to run for office and he becomes the Leslie Knope of the Central 46. Bam. The best timeline.

#otp meme #renruki #i...have thought way too much about this #this was very long and rambly #but you asked!

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coconutknightshade · 5 years ago

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Fanfic Stats Tag Game

Thank you Maddy! @iloveyouthree-thousand You can read her wonderful MasterList of fics here! <3

Author Name: coconutknightshade (I have no idea where I pulled this from but it’s my AO3 name and I wanted to stay consistent lmao)

Fandoms You Write For: Marvel! Exclusively Irondad & Spiderson for the time being. And while it still fits within that realm. I’ve also written Harry Potter and Charmed (1998 series).

Where You Post: I’ve got a few posted on FF.net but all of my Marvel stuff is on AO3 under cocnutknightshade, though I do crosspost all of those fics here on Tumblr as well.

Most Popular One-Shot: So technically it’s The Hoodie™ where Tony shows up at MIT during family week to surprise Peter and overhears Peter tell his roommate that the MIT hoodie he’s wearing is his dads. But I’ve had a handful of requests that it become a series of one-shots that take place during family week, so as inspirations strikes me I’ll be adding more!

Most Popular Multi-Chapter Story: This is kind of funny because most of them are multi-chapter but I’m still working on the final parts. Going by kudos it’s Peter Parker’s Super Secret Snack Stash, in which Peter uses FRIDAY's system to have a conversation with Ned about AP History while he's sneaking into his super secret snack stash in the kitchen. Or in which Peter's spidey senses betray him in the most embarrassing of ways.

Favorite Story You Wrote: Probably definitely Peter Parker’s Super Secret Snack Stash but honestly I enjoyed writing Villain Origin Story so much. Basically the Avengers are embarrassing Peter before his date with MJ and he’s so mortified that he tells them all that the whole thing will be his villain origin story.

Story You Were Nervous to Post: I was really nervous about posting The Itsy Bitsy Spider Protocol. Probably because it’s the one I’m absolutely most excited and passionate about (I could talk about it all day). It focuses heavily on the dynamic between Peter and Tony/Pepper. And while it centers around all three of them, the second chapter is really going to emphasize the relationship Peter has with Pepper. I haven’t seen a lot of Irondad & Spiderson fics that heavily feature Pepper, so I wasn’t sure how interested people would be. But it’s done really well since I posted it a few days ago and it’s already got several hundred subscriptions, more than any of my others, so I’m stoked about sharing more of it!

How Do You Choose Your Titles: I pull lines from the fic that I really think will hook the reader as well as hint at the plot itself (with the exception of The Hoodie, because I wanted the title to really showcase the trope).

How Many of Your Stories Are…

Complete: Three of them. The Hoodie was intended to be a one-shot but may become a series of one-shots. Villain Origin Story is definitely a completed one-shot though. The third one is an old Attack on Titan one, lmao.

In-Progress: Two of them! Snack Stash and Spider Protocol one only have one chapter left. But I want to take a second to talk about the Itsy Bitsy Spider Protocol because while that particular one is nearly complete, it’s actually the first part of what is an outlined 5-6 part series. Each of them are connected to the other and they all heavily include Pepper in the dynamic and plot.

Coming Soon: I’ll list a few of them!! - Peter discovers through a school project that Tony is his biological dad and must now navigate the emotions surrounding that discovery- i.e. whether or not he should tell Tony, who he’s worried will panic and pull away when he finds out. Meanwhile, Tony is trying to find out why the kid is suddenly avoiding him and acting odd when they are together.

- Tony is a sophomore at MIT when, much to his fathers strong disapproval, he finds himself the babysitter of a wicked smart 10 year old who always manages to attract trouble. Not only that, Tony finds himself spending more and more time with the Parker family until ultimately he realizes that he’s stumbled upon a family he didn’t ask for but now never wants to lose. Several years later, lying in an Afghani cave with shrapnel fighting it’s way to his heart, he realizes that being a Stark in name doesn’t protect him from the infamous Parker Luck.(Follows the MCU beyond this point. Peter still becomes Spider-Man and Ben still dies.)

- While in class Peter’s phone blows up with news that Tony Stark has been in an accident. When he arrives at the Tower Tony is out cold and remains as such until late in the night. It just so happens that Peter is sitting alone outside the medbay, unable to sleep, when FRIDAY informs him that Tony is awake. It takes about twenty minutes for Peter to realize his mentor has a serious case of amnesia. Tony, for his part, now mentally back to his playboy persona refuses to be vulnerable and acknowledge to anyone that he has no idea what happened, where he is, or why the hell a fifteen year old (who shit, must be my kid??) is being so attentive to him.

Do You Accept Prompts: Fuck yeah! I’ve got 5 of them sitting in my inbox right now that I really need to get to

Upcoming Story You Are Most Excited to Write: My IronFam one! One of the parts consists of Pepper making Tony and Peter take care of one of those baby simulator dolls and it goes about as well as you would expect it to lol. I actually have a dialogue blip of it posts on my blog! After that one, I’m really stoked about the DNA results one

Tag Five Fanfic Authors to Answer These Questions: So I’ve seen a lot of these floating around and honestly all of the people I can think to tag have already done it! D: @ironfamjam (I'm sure has been tagged like a million times, their stuff is phenomenal) @loubuttons (Probably also already done it, but we’ll wing it) @kitcat992 (Same lmao) @hailing-stars (I know for fact you’ve already done it but ily and I’m adding you anyways) @ladynerdynerd!!! <3

@softhairbarnes!!

#tag game #text #sorry for the wall #irondad #spiderson #ironfam #iron family #peter parker #tony stark #pepper potts #pepperony

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thefanficmistress · 6 years ago

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Because, I Love You: Requested ☆

Requested by @deepestfirefun - I love you soooooo damn much. My soul sister across the pond. Requested: You have broken up with your fiancé because you found out he was a total womanizer and it was quite the nasty break up too. You left your apartment, only took what you needed without looking back. Richard, your good friend heard about it while he was filming the Ocean´s 8 and without a second thought took you under his wings. You were an utter mess emotionally but spending time with Richard started to heal your wounded heart although you didn´t feel like trusting men ever again, except for Richard. He was furious to your ex-fiancé when he learned what had happened, he had been always very caring and protective of you. And while Richard did everything to make you feel better, you started to wonder if it had been Richard all along who you should have started a relationship with.

Warnings: Fluff, Swearing, Smut Pairing: Richard Armitage x Reader, Richard Armitage x Female Character, Richard Armitage x OC Context © me _______________ TAG LIST: @deepestfirefun @shikin83 @catthefearless @patanghill17 @aelinninielelain @xxbyimm @nowiloveandwilllove @nellindreams @hails270105 @armitages-gisborne @jassy2101 @abiwim @anemiechen @nelswp @vaneaustation @fizzyxcustard @purplerain85 @armitageadoration @princecami @princess-of-erebor1992 @leah-halliwell92 @vaneaustin @nelswp @nellindreams @raindrops-on-roses142 Please let me know if you would like to be tagged.

_______________

Current Requests: JANUARY - Closed @purplerain85 ( A Kiss in the Wild ) - RA Request : Release 1/6/2019 @deepestfirefun ( Because I love you ) - RA Request - Release date : 1/13/2019 @nowiloveandwilllove ( My Friend, My Beloved ) - RA Request - Release date: 1/20/2019 @deepestfirefun ( WORKING TITLE ) RA Request - Release Date :1/27/2019

Current Requests: FEBRUARY - OPEN

2/3/2019 - @purplerain85 ( WORKING TITLE ) - RA Request 2/10/2019 - @deepestfirefun ( WORKING TITLE ) - RA Request 2/17/2019 - Open 2/24/2019 - Open

Message me if you would like a FanFic Sunday Request. ________________ “What did you just say?” You questioned, almost dropping your phone in your lap. “Move in with me. At least until you get back on your feet.” He proposed. “I can’t ask you to do that. Not for me!” You exclaimed. “Yes you can! I’m offering. Happily, might I add.” Richard cooed on the other side of the phone, with a hint of a smile in his tone. Sitting in your car, with your hand on the steering wheel, you thumbed your thumb against the leather coating. You thought about his offer. He lived only a few minutes from your office, near central park, and the best thing was, he would be there. He was currently out of town but assured you that he would be back in a few days to continue filming Ocean’s 8 and he would make sure to take you out to get your mind off of things. After a break up, it’s best to be around family and friends. Richard was definitely a great friend to be around. He’s kind, and generous, a bit of goofball, but he always found a way to make things up to you or put a smile on your face. “I haven’t seen you in months, and I hate to tell you this, but I’m not taking no for an answer.” He added. “Richard, I honestly can’t do this. I need to be by myself.” “I’m not going to let that happen. I’m rather vexed at the entire matter, and if he shows up, I will have him thrown out or arrested.” His voice went very deep. A side of him you hadn’t heard before. Was that protection and anger in his voice? He wasn’t lying. Since you started dating Ethan, Richard and you had a hard time seeing each other. He was always out of town or too busy to actually spend proper time; he did however meet you for those 1-2 hr lunches before leaving or sent presents to you loft to apologize for not being able to make it. Also, to make matters worse, despite the fact that Richard was always so kind, and polite to your fiancée, Ethan didn’t like Richard. It showed in how possessive he was, not allowing Richard to be alone with you, be next to you, or even on the phone with you for a long period of time. Maybe Ethan could sense that under your guise as a friend, you did have feelings for Richard. You at one point convinced yourself that you were in love with him, and you needed to tell him. But with his schedule, you saw how difficult it was, and then realized it’s you. Richard wouldn’t be into you when he had many women around him. You had to back off in order to try to make the new relationship work. So, you put a lid on your feelings and said nothing. You were friends. Just friends. Ethan on the other hand… “Where are you right now?” He asked. “Siting in my car outside of The Hyatt.” You replied looking around at your surroundings. The Hyatt was a stunningly. Beautiful hotel in New York, and you were outside at the valet parking deciding on if you should go in or not. The streets were still busy for 3am, but it was The Big Apple, and this place never sleeps. It had rained earlier, and the streets glistened with the glow and flickering of the traffic lights. Restaurants and bars still open along the strip, and people gathered hand in hand walking and laughing. You wish you could laugh, but Ethan stole that from you months ago, and now you sit here alone, in your car in your flat shoes, and night gown. You had to pack a bag with enough clothes to last you a few days. Ethan was leaving for Hong Kong for work, and that would be the best time to get your belongings, and never see him again. “Please don’t sleep there, just go to my penthouse, we will figure out the rest.” He insisted. You knew that doing this, moving in with Richard, no matter how long you would be there, would piss Ethan off. And you honestly wanted to hurt him. Maybe not the same way he hurt you, but still hurt him nonetheless. “Are you sure about this?” “Very.” “Okay!” You conceded, “Thank you.” “Anything for you dove.” “Anything?” You sang sweetly, with hit of a smile on your face. “Absolutely anything.” He gushed over the phone. You pulled at a piece of thread on your nightgown, and blushed hard. Even from thousands of miles away, he knew how to make you swoon with just his voice and words. If he was in front of you and said that, it would have taken the force of an army to hold you back from kissing him. The way those words came out of his mouth stirred something inside of you that hadn’t been touched in months, but you could focus on that right now. You needed to get out of this car. “Head on over, I’ll call ahead, and make sure everything is taken care of.” “Thank you again, Richard.” “No need to thank me. I need you safe, and sound in our flat. I’ll see you in a few days, yeh?” He stated. “Yea ok. You said your goodbyes and headed over to his flat. After pulling into the Richards visitor spot under his flat building, you gather your things, and end upstairs to the 21st floor. Once you exit the elevator you are thrown off by the very large gift basket sitting in front of the door. You put your bag down and kneel to read the note left on top. *** To: The most beautiful woman in the world. From: The luckiest man in the world to have you in his life <3 Get some rest and enjoy the basket. You deserve it, and if I have to, I will send you more to keep a smile on your face until I get there. Yours always, Richard *** You smiled so hard, and pulled the note to your chest for a moment, as if you wanted to absorb the words into your very heart. You see another little baggy with the keycode to get into his flat, and you make your way in taking the bag and basket inside.

You flick on the light upon entering the foyer, a grand entertaining gallery opens into a living room and formal dining room with raised ceilings, accentuated by a dramatic glass skylight. You decided to look around the penthouse to get used to the surroundings. The room has been decorated to the highest standards with custom doors, wood-work cabinetry, and beveled glass to enhance the breathtaking views. A custom-carved stairway, wood-paneled elevator, beautifully-appointed powder room, and spacious closets are located just off the gallery. Adjacent to the formal dining room and located along Central Park is a tastefully designed eat-in kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances.

The 21st floor featured a luxurious master suite with a fireplace, terrace, and large sitting room. A magnificent master bathroom with bookmarked slabs of marble, two showers, two private water closets and two separate vanity sinks complete this space. The suite also included multiple fitted closets and a whimsical loggia with a wet bar along the terrace. Two additional south-facing bedrooms, two redesigned en-suite baths, an elegant study with terrace access and an automated Crestron system for lighting, shades and music. The 21st floor included a service entrance which you came in through seeing that Richard had the key to the main entrance elevator. “No wonder he doesn’t go out. He has everything he needs here.” You said to yourself, as you made your way back to the door to gather your things. You walked into the master bedroom and placed the basket on the bed. You finally opened the clear wrapping and started to pull out each item. Bath bombs, candles, wine, scented lotions, and oils. There was a silken pink night gown, with matching sleeping mask. Then a box of assorted chocolates, and your favorite box of perfume. A little while later, after a hot shower, and two glasses of wine, you climb into Richards bed, and cover yourself with the thick black blanket. Your phone buzzed, and you picked it up to see that Richard sent you a photo and text. he sent you a gif of his face smiling, and blowing you a kiss, then saying goodnight. You send him a text back saying goodnight and thanking him again before you placed it back on the nightstand. As you fell asleep your mind thought of pleasant things. Such as now being able to start your life over without Ethan. Perhaps with someone great. Someone like Richard. “Why am I not with you?” Was the last words that slipped from your lips before passing out. _____ See, this wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. You were supposed to find a guy, fall in love, get married, have children and live out your lives together. Old, holding hands and maybe, just maybe dying together in your sleep. But your life didn’t work out so luck that way. Time after time you had to fight for what you wanted, and when you thought you had it, life kicked you down again. Here you sat on the cold tile floor in the bathroom, in the dark holding your fiancés phone. The painful reality that he wasn’t who you thought. Your jaw clinched, the burning in your eyes began, and you turned the phone on. You had to know. You read every single one of the texts that he sent them. Every detail about what he wanted to do to them, and what he wanted them to do to him. How he couldn’t stop thinking of them, and how they were the only thing he ever wanted. He even said I love you to a few of them. They begged for him to dump you, and he said that he would, but he was waiting for the right time. He couldn’t even bother changing up his texts, they were the same lines, repeatedly. The same dick pics and fantasy. The only thing that seemed to change was the location to meet them for dinner, or the hotel room he would rent out for the day for his “Client Meetings” You turned the phone off and gripped your chest, right at your heart. You dug your nails into your skin until it hurt, but it would never compare to the pain you felt that spread through your body like a raging fire. It scorched every nerve in your body, and you began to shake. Your eyes burned and when you could hold on no longer you let out a scream that could have cracked glass, and you threw his phone against the wall. It shattered. Once that first tear broke free, the rest followed in an unbroken stream. You bent forward, pressed your palms to the floor, you began to cry with the force of a person vomiting on all fours.

You heard footsteps running up to the door.

“(y/n) are you ok? What was that noise?” A male voice said on the other side. “Just go away” you said, the words slipping from your lips so softly that only you could have heard it, but you secretly wish he did. You continued to cry, your fingers digging into the black cloth of the bathmat. You felt sick to your stomach. The ache in your heart was too much to bare. “(y/n) answer me!! What is going on? I am beginning to worry!” The voice said again, wiggling the door knob a few times. “Go the fuck away!” You managed to raise your head up and yelled. “Just leave, get out! I don’t want you here anymore!” You turned your body to the toilet now, lifting the lid, and prepared yourself for what was about to come up. “(y/n) What?! What are you talking about? “He yelled back, banging on the door. “Open up! What happened?” he pressed again, his voice very concerned and urgently searching for a reason why you would react this way. “I hate you.” You said softly into the toilet. You shook your head because you knew you had to throw up, and the rage that was building in your gut was making its way to your chest. The kind of rage that was instant and all you needed was the final push. The door knob started to shake violently, and then the door started to bang as if something was being pushed against it. With a loud BANG the door was forcefully opened, and Ethan came stumbling in, the wall across from the door catching him. He looked around the bathroom and saw his phone on the ground, and then looked up at you. “What is going on? It’s 4 o’clock in the morning, and you’re screaming.” He said as he bent down and picked up his phone examining the broken pieces. “I had work and clients on here, and you break it?” “Right! Work and clients “You quoted with your fingers. “I am sure your clients needed a picture of your fucking dick for their legal troubles. I guess you’re a full-service kind of lawyer. “you proclaimed, as you rose to your feet. You took a few steps closer to him. His face went completely white and he swallowed hard. His eyes shifted over to the right of you unable to look in your eyes and there it was. The shame or was it guilt. Either way he knew that this was it for him. “(Y/N)” He started, but you cut him off. “Who is Emily?” You shoved him back “Rhonda?” You shoved him again. “Dianna?” You asked pushing him one last time, this time harder and he was backed into the corner and could see his jaw tighten. “Oh, and my favorite, your fucking secretary Bridgette.” You smiled and shook your head. “I knew it. I knew it.” You stressed, your voice starting to shake with the buildup of anger, and more tears. “They mean nothing to me. Not like you. “Ethan said calmly to you. His eye contact making his words seem sincere. Was he telling the truth? Maybe, but it was too late. That trust had already been destroyed. “You’re a fucking liar.” You walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom you shared. You walked to the other side of the room to get away from him. It was too much. You always had a feeling that something was right about him, but you couldn’t put your finger on it. You grabbed your bag from the closet, and started throwing clothes in them, cussing and yelling as you stuffed many items in it. You weren’t even sure what it all was, but the more that you put in that bag was the more you were close to getting out of there. Ethan tried to grab you to talk things out. Grabbing your arm, you pulled it away, he grabbed both of your wrists to calm you and to pull you into his chest, but you pushed him away repeatedly You took a shirt and hit him with it and he held his hands up grabbing the fabric in the air, twisting it around his hand and yanked you close to him. “Please calm down, we can talk about this.” He held you firmly to him, looking at you dead in your eyes, not even blinking. Was he terrified of losing you? Was he scared of what his life would be like without you? You fought more against his grip. “Would you stop! He yelled, “and fucking listen to me! They mean nothing to me! I want to marry you and be with you!” You looked closer into his eyes and saw that they were glazing over. Was he about to cry? Was he actually upset that he hurt you? For a brief moment, you settled down, and lowered your guard for a moment.

“I love you.” He said, releasing the grip on your wrist since he must have felt your nerves calm. “There is nothing to freak out about. My heart belongs to only you.” He said, leaning in closer to your face. “I want to kiss only you…” Ba-dum

The sound of your heart echoed in your ears as he spoke those words… “ I want to marry only you..”

Ba -dum But it wasn’t the words you wanted to hear. It was the wrong words. “I am going to marry you (Y/N).” he whispered right before his lips touched yours. Those were the wrong words…. “The hell you are!” You yelled as you pushed him back, but he still held one of your wrists. “What makes you think that I would even marry you?” You questioned as you finally yanked yourself free from his grasp. You turn and walk to the other side of the bed, snatching up your phone. Your fingers unlocked it and you started to search through it. You started muttering to yourself. “Great! I guess you’re going to call him now. Complain about me?” He gestured with his arms, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. “Call who?” You questioned, going through your contacts. Richards name slowly scrolled down, and your thumb landed on his name, but Ethan had caught your attention and you looked up from the phone. “Who do you think? Richard for fuck sake. You can’t seem to just let him the fuck go can you!” Ethan said, yanking up a shirt from the side chair, and putting it on, followed by a pair of mint green pants. You always hated those pants. “He has nothing to do with this. You did this! “You proclaimed. Snatching up your keys and walking over to the night stand to grab a few more things, shoving them into the bag. “Whatever you need to tell yourself (y/n) You’re probably acting like this because you slept with him, and now you are turning a tiny indiscretion of mine into this mountain of guilt.” He gestured with is hands and body movement. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?! Are you trying to turn this around on me? You gestured pointing to yourself.

“I’m just stating the facts. You couldn’t have him, so you had to get me. You were too weak to tell him how you felt, and he didn’t care enough about you to notice you. Why would he want you? He’s famous now and can have any woman he wants and you —“ SMASH! The vase you threw at his head shattered near him. He guarded his face and moved aside and looked at you. “WHAT THE FUCK!?!? Have you lost your mind?” He yelled as he moved around the broken pieces by his feet to a clearer spot. Then you looked down to continue to pack, grabbing everything that could fit into this large duffle bag. After stuffing what you could in it, you make your way to the door. “I had to settle for a piece of shit like you.” You added onto his statement, your voice was so calm, still, but the tears filled your eyes and burned as you looked at him without blinking. “I had to lower my standards to a pathetic man child who had to feed on someone else’s insecurities to make himself feel better.” “(Y/n) wait, I didn’t mean…” he said starting to walk towards you but when he saw that you straightened your back and took a more dominate stance, he paused. “You meant every word. And I shouldn’t have said yes to marrying you when in my heart I really didn’t want to. But my family, and your family pressured me. Especially when…” You paused for a moment and looked around the room and then back at him. “When I knew I would never love you the way I love him.” Those words flew from your mouth so fast. You never thought that you would think it, let alone say it out loud. You knew instantly from the look in his eyes that they’d hit their mark. In that instant your relationship shattered into glassy shards. Nothing would ever be the same again. “We’re over!” You completed as you walked out of the door. ______ The next day you remained in the protection of your dear friend penthouse. You closed the blinds, and the curtains. You brewed some coffee, with cream, and added some caramel into the mixture as you lazily walked back to his room. You hadn’t slept so well after dreaming about the fight you had with Ethan. It was so fresh in your heart and mind. You placed the mug on the night stand and crawled back into bed. Tucking yourself into the big red and white pillows and pulled the black duck down comforter over yourself. You leaned back against the pillowed backboard, reached for the remote, twitched on the TV and flipped through the channels until you landed on the TV show FRIENDS. Tossing the remote beside you, you tried to focus on the screen before you, but your phone went off again. You struggled with the decision to pick it up. Looking from the TV back to the phone, and then back to the TV again. Then back at the phone when it went off. You reached over and picked it up. You fingered through the unlock and brought up your phone log. 14 MISSED CALLS – Ethan Hawthorne Then you saw the notifications on your iMessages. You opened it. _______________________________ ETHAN {Please pick up the phone….. } ETHAN {We need to talk!!!} ETHAN {I’m not giving up on us! I don’t care how many times I have to call you or text you! } ETHAN {Why are you acting like this? Can we just please talk?! } ________________________________ You took a deep breath and hovered your finger over delete. For a moment you thought how freeing it would be to clear these, and never reply to him, but then again, what if you did reply. What if you told him to never call or message you again? Is saying nothing, really louder than saying anything at all? Without a second thought you deleted it. You closed your eyes, and put the phone on the nightstand, but before you could fully come to terms with what you just did, you heard a knock on the door. You were expecting anyone, but when you walked to the door, you looked through the hole, and saw a bouquet of flowers. You pulled back and took a step back from the door. Maybe you shouldn’t open it, maybe you should. Ethan was smart, sending you flowers so early. You bit your bottom lip, and then another knock came to the door. “Who is it?” You shouted. “I have a delivery for a Miss (Y/N).” the man said. “Can you leave it by the door?” You asked, walking closer to the door, and placed your hands on the wood. “I was instructed to hand it directly to her. You know….my job.” He replied. “Ok.” You sigh and open the door. As you open it, the bouquet was in full bloom in front of you. Bright red roses petals, with lush green stems. It was so large it covered the delivery guys face. “Do I need to sign for it or something?” you ask waiting with your arms crossed in front of you. “Not really, but if you would like to pay in the form of a hug. I wouldn’t object.” He said, as his American accent changed over to the floating melody of a British purr, and as the flowers came down, it revealed the most beautiful man you had ever seen. Richard stood before you with a big smile on his face. His eyes were sparkling, and his cheeks were flushed. He was so excited to see you. You weren’t sure what came over you when you lunged forward and flung your arms around his neck, pulling him into an embrace. He chuckled and leaned down to hug you back. He squeezed you and buried he face in your hair. You heard him take a deep breath, and you could have sworn you felt the thumping of his heart against your chest. It was racing. Or was it yours? At the moment you couldn’t tell, all you knew it he was here with you. You pulled back, but held onto his shirt, while he in return placed his hand on your cheek. You leaned into the warmth of his hand smiling. Your faith in men had left you, but you knew that Richard would heal it. Someone how. Starting by showing up earlier than he said, and now pulling this stun, in his own penthouse. “I can’t tell you how happy I am that you are here.” You stated excitedly. “But where are my manners, please come in.” you walked back over the threshold, and moved a side so that he could come in. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you, and in my penthouse no less.” He chimed back. Richard walked into the kitchen and placed the vase of roses on the counter top. He turned to look at you and removed his black coat and tossed it on the back of the counter. He looked around the room and shook his head. “What?” “Why is it so dark in here?” “I didn’t want any daylight in here.” “Why? A little daylight would be good for you (Y/N).” he stated as he walked across the room and to the window, he tossed the curtains opened, and the living room was flooded with golden light. He could have pushed the button that does it for him, but he was always the kind of guy to do things himself. You blocked your eyes for a moment, and then put your hands down to see Richard standing before the window with a halo of light around his head. The light caught in his beard, and he turned to look at you with glowing blue eyes. He wore a plaid shirt and dark blue jeans. A trimmed beard, and his hair combed over to one side. He looked good. Gorgeous. “Is that why you’re here? To open my blinds? You turn to Richard and hold up a cup. “Want some?” He walked over to the counter and sat down on the stool. He leaned forward and closed his hands together.

“Are you going to tell me what happened, or am I going to have to guess?” he sounded irritated, so his voice became a bit deeper. “Richard….” you sighed as you put the first mug into place on the Keurig, you put the K-Cup in the machine, and pulled the lever down, and hit BREW. You turned, and leaned back on the counter, with your hands on both sides of you along the counter top. “Don’t make me.” “What do you want me to say? He cheated. Cheated, a lot, and I was the dumb one who fell for his shit.” You said. The buzzer went off and you turned to remove the first cup, put another in its place, and a new K-Cup, and hit BREW again. You gently placed the cup in front of Richard, and reached over to hand him sugar, and creamer. “You’re not dumb, don’t say that. He cheated, yes, but that isn’t your fault.” Richard said has he put both hands on the sides of the cup. “Not my fault!?” You chuckle just saying those words. But you always thought that it was. Maybe it was in a way. You never really fully expressed yourself or showed that you were completely into the planning of your wedding, or him even. You were just there, going through the motions, while he was there, with other women. To be honest, he wasn’t the one you wanted. You lowered your head and started to cry. You heard the stool shift across the floor and in an instant Richards hands were on you, turning you. He crouched a bit to look at you, and tilted your head up to look at him, and when you did, he straightened himself. “Open your eyes.” he said softly. His hands cupped both sides of your face, his thumbs wiping away the tears from your face. “Look at me (Y/N).” he kindly stressed. So you did, and he was looking at you with such hope, and longing that it killed you. How can he be so calm at a time like this. How had you been so clam the past night? “I can’t do this anymore.” You weeped. “Do what?” “Love anyone again. How an I supposed to trust someone after this?” You asked, gripping his shirt. “It’s not going to be easy dove, but I’m here to show you that you can.” You looked up at him, and then to his lips. You always wondered what it would be like to kiss him. You lean in close to him, and place your forehead to his chin. He lowers his head to place a kiss on it. You didn’t want to bottle up your emotions. Sadness, obsessing, and full-blown crying fits was your way to deal with emotional upheaval, and pretending you were fine when you were not will have the same effect as a pressure cooker. So, you called out of work for the next few days, to let all your pent-up feelings loose, whether it was on your own with Celine Dion on full blast, with a box of tissues or with your best friend after two bottles of wine. And your best friend was here now, so here came the tears, and wine.

Sometime later, Richard gently rouses you from a deep slumber after you pasted out in his bed. Richard had to pick you up from the couch after the first bottle of wine. You drank the majority and like a gentlemen he let you. He tucked you in, and he settled in next to you, arm around you, and he just let you cry and cry. You complained about everything under the sun when it came to Ethan. The stupid pants he wore, to his cologne, how he said certain words, and how horrible he treated Richard. He sat at the edge of the bed, gently stroking your hair, and shaking you awake. As you woke, it felt as though your spirit returned to your body, and you felt heavy again, but warm under the blankets. You opened your eyes to see Richard sitting there, smiling down at you. “Good morning.” He said softly, as to not shock you with his presence. “Richard?” You said, as you slowly moved the blanket from your face rubbing the sleep from your eyes. “Yes, It’s me, you’re not dreaming.” He joked, rubbing your arm. “You’re here!” you cooed sleepily. “Yes, I live here. Did you drink so much you forgot?” “I know that.” Richard smiled and looked at you for a moment. His hand moved from your arm, to move a few strands of hair from your face. His index finger grazed your cheek, and you smiled. He tilted his head a bit and studied your face. “I jumped on the first flight I could.” You moved the blanket down, and stretched your arms wide, awaiting a hug you desperately needed. He smiled and leaned in to hug you. His arms slipped under you, and he pulled you into his arms. Practically pulling you up from the bed. You buried your face in his neck, and he squeezed you in return. You relaxed in his arms, and didn’t plan on letting him go, but you wanted to reveal in his warmth and scent. You take in a deep breath and then release it slowly. “I’m just happy you’re here.” “Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” He asked, as one of his hands stroked your back. “Because of your job.” “(Y/N)? Do you really think that would keep me away from you?” he asks, as he releases you and cups your face. “You know what I mean.” You say sweetly, placing your hands on his own. “Your friends break up doesn’t fall on the important spectrum when it comes to your career.” He chuckles and lets go of your face and stands up. “It’s not my career that makes all the decisions, but my heart. Time with you is all I always want, like air to a dying man.” He says, as he heads towards the bedroom door. “Which is to say that nothing would keep me from you. As selfish as that may sound.” “Richard…” you started, but he interrupts. “Now out of bed. You need to eat.” He walks out of the door. “I kind of like it here! Your bed is amazing!” You shout after him. “Then I guess I’ll bring your breakfast to you! He shouts back. You laugh to yourself and fall back into the large pillows. Your arms stretched out at your sides. The sound of breakfast for dinner sounded exciting to you. You remembered Richard’s cooking it for you whenever you both would get drunk, it was always delicious, and he always ate with you. You closed your eyes and several minutes later, you could smell the aroma coming from the kitchen. An hour later, Richard brought you the works. Freshly squeezed juice, toast with grape jam, eggs, bacon, and a bowl of grapes and honey dew. He placed it on his bed, with a giant tray, and there was enough for two people. You turned the TV on just for background noise while you both spoke, He told you the story about how after he got your call, he called his assistant and requested the next flight out of Los Angeles to New York that there was. He called ahead to the front desk and requested that you be let in, but it would have to be the servant’s entrance as he had locked the elevator to his floor. He called his other assistant in New York to find the best relaxation basket he could, and to make sure there was a sweet message from him for you. He wanted you to know that he would take care of you. When it was time for him to leave, he didn’t even pack any clothes. He grabbed his keys, phone, and wallet, and left. He didn’t have time to think, his instincts told him that you needed him, and you needed him now. On the plane he was anxious to see you, and he couldn’t wait to get out of the airport, and into the taxi to get home to you. “You didn’t have to do all of that. Did you even get any sleep?” You asked as you held the toast in your hand, looked at him. He looked at you and reached over to wipe a piece of jam from your lips. “No. I’d been up for about 24 hrs, I believe? There was no time to think about myself. I was worried about you.” He said as he went back to eating. You sat there staring at him and you lowered the toast to your lap. Your eyes started to burn and glaze over. “Why would you do that for me? Why do anything of it?” Your voice started to shake, and you honestly tried to hold back the tears. You hated crying in front of him, and you didn’t want him to think you were a cry baby, but damn it. He was always so sweet and kind to you. Why couldn’t you be with someone like him? Why couldn’t you have been the one in this bed for years, waiting for him to come home to you. You knew that you loved him, but just the thought of him flying across country, not sleeping until you were taken care of, and happy before taking care of himself hit you hard. Richard put his food down, cleaned his mouth, and swallowed the remaining food. He looks down for a moment nodding slightly to himself, as if he was talking to himself. Like the moment you get when you are building yourself up to finally say something. “Do you really have to ask?” He said, still looking down at nothing in particular. “After all this.” He looks at you. “I did it because….I love you, (Y/N).” You new that it would take time, but with those words you felt the break in your heart start to heal. END.

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lilaswordsandthings · 6 years ago

Text

That’s What Friends Are For Ch.2

A/N: It looks like this fic is going to end up being longer than I initially thought, and that is ok with me. *If You Like This Fic, Please reblog it/comment. We Fanfic writers need to help each other out. I’m Tagging all the usual suspects

@illegalcerebral @dontshootmespence @reid-effect @stunudo @ultrarebelheart

Chapter 2: A Thousand Questions

A new case came in a few hours after Reid and JJ left for the airport. As Matt, Tara, Alvez, and Rossi filed into the conference room they couldn’t help but notice that two of their teammates were conspicuously missing.

“Ok, now that everybody’s here, let’s get started,” Emily said.

“Wait a minute, we’re not all here.” Tara pointed out.

“Yeah, she’s right.” Matt agreed. “Where are Reid and JJ?”

“They won’t be joining us. Reid was just notified of the death of an old friend, also the fact that this friend gave birth shortly before her death. It’s a long story and I promise I’ll explain everything to you guys later but right now, we need to get started.”

“First the fiasco a few years ago, then he was abducted and almost sacrificed by a cult, now this…” Tata said.

“Yeah… that’s why I sent JJ with him. I didn’t think it was a good idea for him to go alone. That’s said, it’s important that the rest of us hold down the fort while they’re gone, so let’s get started.”

Sensing that was her cue, Garcia grabbed the remote, stood, and began the briefing.

“Alright my pretties, this time you’re jetting to Beatty Nevada. It’s a smaller city about two hours northwest of Las Vegas. In the last two weeks, three women, all with dark hair in their early twenties to mid-thirties, were found. They were all stripped naked, bound, strangled, severely beaten, and sexually assaulted. They were all dumped on side streets or in allies, basically lightly traveled public places. It’s still pretty early out there so the latest victim was only found a half hour ago.”

“And as soon as they were sure she was connected to the others, they called us,” Emily added.

“Right off the bat, it’s pretty obvious we’re looking for a male offender. Men get off on this kind of violence, women don’t.” Tara said.

“He could’ve chopped them up and/or buried them, even just dumped them in more isolated areas. It wouldn’t be hard in a city surrounded by desert, but he chose not to. It’s important to him that they’re found quickly, and in as compromising a state as possible. He’s getting off, not just on the violence, but on humiliating these women” Rossi theorized.

“And once and Unsub like this gets started, it only gets worse. Wheels up in twenty.”

***

Meanwhile, JJ and Reid were in the air, flying to Las Vegas. Reid was sitting by the window, JJ was in the seat to his right. She watched as he stared hopelessly out the window. JJ could only imagine what must be running through his mind.

“Spence, it’s gonna be ok.” She said.

“How JJ? How, when we don’t even know how Becca died?” He asked.

JJ couldn’t think of what to say, so she just looked at him, trying to appear reassuring. Finally, she asked: “How close were the two of you?”

“We were best friends, she was pretty much the best friend I ever had outside of our team. What I don’t understand is why she never told me she was in trouble you know? The social worker said that based on the letter, Becca knew she was dying, but I talked to her the night before. She seemed fine. She didn’t mention anything about being in trouble, or that she’d just had a baby. I had no idea she was even pregnant. Now all of a sudden, when it’s already too late to help her, she asks me to raise her daughter? None of this makes sense.”

“Well, I don’t know her, but I do know you. The fact that she chose you to adopt her baby, Spence, mothers, especially mothers of newborns, she’s trusting you with the one thing, the one person she loved more than life itself. She asked you to do this for her, for a reason. So I have to believe that whatever was going on, there’s a reason she didn’t want you to know but it wasn’t that she didn’t trust you.”

“I just… I need to know what happened, and I need to make sure that nothing happens to Becca’s daughter.” He replied

Just like that, his mind drifted back to the last time he’d seen her.

3 years earlier

When Spencer walked into the dimly lit dining room of Thompson’s Restaurant Grill, it looked empty at first. The sign on the door had said open but there didn’t seem to be anyone there.

“Hello? Becca?” He called out.

Suddenly, Becca popped out from beneath the bar. She was wearing a red tank top with a black, sleeveless leather vest over it. Her black hair was cut at shoulder-length and heavily layered, and her blue eyes were framed by thick black eyeliner. She had a glass in one hand, and a dishtowel in the other.

“Well, if it isn’t one of my favorite people.” She said with a smile. She walked out from behind the bar and wrapped him in a tight embrace. “Where have you been? It’s been forever! We miss you around here…” she told him as she squeezed before letting him go.

“Becca, I’m pretty sure you’re the only one who still lives here who actually misses me.” He replied.

“Dude, if I’m your only friend, that’s just sad. I don’t say that to insult you, I mean if that’s true, then that just proves what I’ve thought for years, that ninety-five percent of the human race sucks.”

He chuckled. “You might be right about Las Vegas, but fortunately you’re far from my only friend.”

“Good. I was about to ask you whose butts I need to kick.” She said as she set the glass down on the counter with a thud. “So what brings you back to town anyway? Your mom?”

“Yeah, actually I’m in the process of moving her to a different facility. I came down to get the rest of her stuff. I thought I’d come say ‘hi’, before I left town.”

“Well, I’m glad you did, want something to eat?”

“Sure.”

“Let me guess, the usual?”

“How’d you know that?”

“Spencer, I’ve known you since I was four. You’ve ordered the exact same meal every single time you’ve come in here for the last twenty years. You, my friend, are a creature of habit if there ever was one. The only variation is whether you want a soda or something with alcohol.”

“How about water?” He asked.

“Really? Are you changing things around just to disprove my theory?”

“…Maybe…”

She smiled. “Alright, coming right up, do want an orange slice?”

“Isn’t it usually lemon?”

“Not here. My house, my rules, and the first rule is…” she paused for dramatic effect, “weirdness is a good thing.”

He smiled.“Alright then. Yes, put an orange in it.”

“Way ahead of you.” She replied, filling a tall glass with ice water and getting an orange out of the cooler to her left. Before slicing it she turned to the kitchen door behind her, opened it a crack, and yelled into the kitchen. “Hey Pop, I need a turkey club with fries, extra sauce no cheese.” Then she finished what she was doing and handed Spencer his water.

“So, how’s everything going?” He asked.

“Great, I’m teaching graphic design as an adjunct professor at Alta. I only still moonlight here to help Pop out, since Mama can’t.”

“That’s great!” he exclaimed. “I know you loved it when you were a student there.”

“I did indeed.” She said. “Don’t think I don’t know the real reason you’re asking Spencer. It’s better now that I have my own place. I’m only here about twenty hours a week, almost all of which is spent down here and not up in our old apartment so, I hardly ever see her these days.”

“You just told me that things are great, but you just said that like it’s a bad thing.” He pointed out.

She sighed. “I guess, if I’m honest with myself, I kinda feel guilty about how much happier I am not being here as much.”

Present Day

“Spence? You ok?” JJ asked, drawing him back to the present.

“Y-heah, I’m fine. W-why do you ask?”

“You’ve been staring into space for the last half hour like you were somewhere else. What were you thinking about?”

“The last time I saw her. It was when I was moving my mom from Bennington to Houston. I went to look for her at her family’s restaurant. Even after she graduated from college, she still worked there part time helping her dad out. She was there, we talked, I had dinner. She seemed fine, happier than I’d ever seen her. Actually, it was like the life she wanted was finally coming together. Now I’m just wondering what changed.” He said, glancing over to meet JJ’s eye.

She knew that look. Help me understand.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“I mean, she’s fine, her career’s finally headed where she’s always wanted it to go, she’s cut almost all ties with her abusive mother and then…this… Even with the letter, social services wouldn’t have even notified me about the baby if they knew who the father was, so she either didn’t know herself, or doesn’t want him in daughter’s her life for some reason. I’m guessing it’s the latter. Becca was… a little rough around the edges but sleeping with and getting pregnant by someone she didn’t know just doesn’t fit. Then she gives birth, immediately abandons her child, and dies suddenly of no apparent cause on the steps of a church? None of it makes any sense to me.”

“I asked Garcia to look into the last few years of your friend’s life so we can try to figure out what happened to her,” JJ told him. “We should have some answers by the time we land.”

“Thanks for coming with me JJ.” He said.

“Of course.”

“Really…I… I don’t know how I’d get through this without you…”

“I’m right here Spence. Whatever happens, I’m always on your side.”

“You’re the best.” He replied, smiling for the first time since hearing the news.

“So, you think she knew who the baby’s father is?” JJ asked.

“Yes. Which means there must be another reason why social service can’t find him, I don’t think she wanted whoever he is to know about the baby.”

#Criminal Minds #Criminal Minds Fanfiction #fanfiction #fanfic #spencer reid #jj #emily prentiss #Penelope Garcia #Matt Simmons #tara lewis #family #mystery #adoption #season 14 #finale re-write

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twotwinks · 6 years ago

Note

benthan for 001, and benji for 002

I hope you realize what you’ve unleashed here- It’s so ungodly long that I’m adding a cut to save your dashes.

001 | Benthan

When I Started Shipping Them

So I went back through my posts because I very vividly remember when I realized I’d fallen for this ship. I first mentioned that I might have started shipping them in the tags of a post on September 15, 2018, and after I acknowledged it, I was sold on it. So I’ve shipped these precious soft boys for just a little shy of two months!

My Thoughts

This is so vague and mean, I don’t even know where to begin… I just… I love them a lot. I don’t think I’ve ever really felt this strongly for a ship before. I mean, I’ve had OTPs before, but never an OTP that actively made me want to rip my heart out because I just can’t handle the emotions it causes, positive or negative. It’s also the first ship I’ve ever written fic for, and it honestly just feels so natural, it’s so easy to write romantic stuff for them and virtually impossible to write something platonic. Plus, without this ship, I never would’ve made any tumblr friends. I’d still just be sitting on the outskirts, randomly reblogging stuff and trying desperately to come up with decent content for my fandom blog. Now I know Ruth and Cassidy and Stanislas and everybody else, and I have so much fun seeing everyone’s posts and participating when I’m brave enough (even though I still sometimes wonder if I fit in, and even if I don’t, I’m just grateful everyone still plays along with me) and honestly it’s one of the brightest parts of my life right now. I see a note or a message or someone tags me in something and sometimes it makes me want to cry because people are thinking about me. So I love this ship even more for that.

What Makes Me Happy About Them

There’s just so much. There’s so much to be happy about them. I love the way they smile at each other. I love how loyal they are to each other. I feel like they fit the “I’d follow you to the ends of the earth with only mild complaining” better than anyone else, because they would, they’d do anything for each other. And even if you look at their relationship as platonic, that’s an incredibly strong friendship, and it just warms my heart.

What Makes Me Sad About Them

The fact that one day one of them is probably going to end up dying trying to save the other one. I’d really like for them to leave fieldwork so they can live happy and safe together for the rest of their days, but I know that Ethan would never be able to live like that. Fallout told us that much. And you can bet that as long as Ethan is in the field, Benji’s going to be right by his side.

Things Done in Fanfic that Annoy Me

I dunno, really. Most of the Benthan fic we’ve got is pretty solid. Some of the smut’s a little weak, but I only occasionally venture there, so it’s not too big of a deal. One thing that does sometimes bug me, even though it’s literally the most nonsensical and ridiculous thing to be bothered by, is when they’re referred to as boyfriends or use terms of endearment on each other. I have no idea why it bothers me, it’s such a perfectly reasonable thing!!! I guess maybe I feel like they’ve just been friends with each other for so long and they know each other so well that they wouldn’t bother labeling it. At the end of the day, they’re still just Ethan and Benji, just like they’ve always been. I don’t know. I know it’s stupid, but it can still sometimes throw off the whole vibe of the fic for me. Which is ridiculous. I’m ridiculous.

Things I Look for in Fanfic

Good characterization. That’s such a big thing for me, especially now that Ethan and Benji have been my daydreaming muses for so long now. Their voices are so strong in my head, especially Benji’s. So a fic has to have really good characterization for me to love it. I also really like reading (and writing!) anything that deals with Benji’s trauma and hurt/comfort with Benji as the victim. He just deserves to be taken care of. Poor guy’s earned a hug or ten.

Who I’d be Comfortable Them Ending Up With, If Not Each Other

I suppose I’d be okay if Ethan and Ilsa ended up together. I really don’t want Ilsa to be demoted to the love interest, though. She’s such a good character, and Fallout already did her so dirty. But she’s the only other person I could see Ethan having a chance of being happy with. As for Benji, well… I think I’d just prefer him to stay a Single Pringle. If Ethan (or I!) can’t have him, no one can! I know Benji/Brandt is also a pretty popular ship, but it’s honestly just not my cup of tea. I can’t see it (or maybe I’m just too blinded by shipping Benthan so strongly).

My Happily Ever After for Them

Preferably for them to never ever set foot in the field again and buy a little house together where they host cozy holiday dinners and snuggle together on the couch after long days of training new agents and teaching them about the importance of the team dynamic. But, as I explained earlier, that’s unrealistic for these two. So, if they must remain in fieldwork, I pray that either they both manage to last long enough that they’re forced to retire (and then Benji will have to help Ethan cope with not being able to prevent bad things, so not exactly ideal) or that they both die together in the field, at the same time, so that neither of them will have to live with the guilt of losing the other (again, not ideal because then they’ll be DEAD).

Who is the Big Spoon/Little Spoon

Benji is the little spoon I don’t care if he’s taller I WILL FIGHT YOU ON THIS. Benji likes being held. It makes him feel safe after all he’s been through. Grounds him, you know? Gives him a sense of security. And Ethan likes holding Benji, because he knows that no one can hurt Benji when he’s there in Ethan’s arms, and even if Benji has nightmares, Ethan’s already right there to help him.

What is Their Favorite Non-sexual Activity

They are cuddlebugs. They snuggle everywhere, every chance they get. I don’t know if cuddling counts as an activity, though. I think they also like reading to each other. While cuddling. Because I can’t imagine a scenario where they could reasonably be in physical contact and yet wouldn’t be. So yeah. They like to cuddle.

002 | Benji

How I Feel About This Character

I… I love him. So much. Probably more than I should. Rogue Nation was the first M:I movie I saw, and I’d been kinda passively watching it until the high speed chase scene. I’d looked up from my crochet enough to notice Simon Pegg (who, at the time, was still just Scotty to me – can you believe that???), but then he started screaming during the chase, and I started paying attention, because hey, that’s exactly what I’d probably do in that situation, I like this guy. And then by the end of it Benji owned my heart, because Simon Pegg is a phenomenal actor and made me feel all of the emotions when Benji was strapped to the bomb. Mostly because Simon’s eyes are incredibly expressive, something I first noticed towards the end of Star Trek Into Darkness and still notice in most of his films. Then I went back and watched all the films, and I made small involuntary happy noises when he showed up in M:I:III. And he was so cute in Ghost Protocol. I nearly had a breakdown in the theater towards the end of Fallout (you know when I mean!) because I’m so attached to him. I actually legitimately said “Oh thank god” in the theater when it all worked out. I might have even cried a little. I was so worked up that I didn’t even fall for the bait-and-switch at the end. I didn’t have the emotional capacity to even process it as a possibility. So yeah, I think I’m unhealthily obsessed with Benji Dunn.

All the People I Ship Romantically with This Character

Ethan. It’s literally just Ethan. Ethan or bust.

My Non-romantic OTP for This Character

Benji and Ilsa are bros. Fire-forged friends. They’ve both gone against each other once or twice, but now they know where their loyalties lie, and they’ll help each other out when they need it. Total bros.

My Unpopular Opinion About This Character

I don’t know if I have one, really. Although I always kinda imagined Benji as a really good baker, or that he at least enjoys baking in his free time, but then I discovered that apparently a lot of people headcanon him as an awful cook? So maybe that’s one.

One Thing I Wish Would Happen/Had Happened with This Character in Canon

I just want his trauma to be addressed. He tries to talk about it in Ghost Protocol, and Jane and Ethan both look kinda worried, but then Brandt just jumps in and SHUTS HIM DOWN, and nothing more is said about it. And he’s been through much worse since then. Even if it’s just a simple, “Hey, you okay?” from LITERALLY ANYBODY. I’d take it. (I’d prefer it even more if Benji got a hug out of the deal. He needs a hug, poor baby.)

My OTP

Benthan. In case you haven’t figured it out by now.

My Crossover Ship

I have never actually considered this. And I’m not sure I will. I’m just so invested in Benthan, I don’t think I have the capacity to ship Benji with anybody else. I can’t even think of anyone he’d click so well with. (I’ve always been bad at the crackship thing anyway.) Maybe a lone Nick Frost character somewhere. Those always make for good ships, right?

A Headcanon Fact

Hmm… I’m really bad at this stuff, aren’t I? I either give away my answers way ahead of time or can’t come up with anything. Well, outside of Benji being a baker and my fun-to-think-about idea that all Simon Pegg characters are actually related to each other, I usually headcanon Benji as a pretty panicky sort. When I write his internal monologues, I usually get going with these long, looping, drawn-out sentences that all circle back and compound on each other and just make everything so much worse for him. He’s a worst-case-scenario kind of person. Even when things work out, he drives himself mad constantly running through the what-ifs. That’s probably me just projecting onto him a little, but I feel like it’s worked out okay in the few fics I’ve written. I also headcanon that he’s a big-time stargazer, especially when he feels overwhelmed, something that I originally chucked into a fic because I needed something for Benji to do (and also as a I’m-probably-the-only-one-who-got-it nod to Star Trek) but now I firmly stand by it as something he does.

There. That’s that. I started this two hours ago. I probably should’ve been in bed an hour and a half ago. This is ridiculously long. I hope someone finds my obsessive ramblings enjoyable instead of just irritating.

Thank you for giving me the chance to gush like this, Ruth! It feels like I never get to talk about the things I love often enough. At least not to people who actually want to hear me gush about them!

#character ask #mt answers #benthan #benji dunn #mission: impossible #ruth

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nihilnovisubsole · 6 years ago

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oh hey it’s a shipping meme

kamibanani tagged me in this over a month ago, and i’ve been meaning to do it ever since, oops. time to take a stroll around the fandom block again

warning in advance, this is very long. i’ve contained the chaos under the cut!

1. Ultimate OTP

i already know this is a cop-out, but i really couldn’t pick one, because all the ships i’ve written have filled important roles in different parts of my life

nancy and butch were the first ship i let myself ship “in earnest,” instead of doing ship art and fanfic while loathing myself for it. in the same way, oleg and rosie went a long way toward getting rid of my sense of shame about doing shippy/romantic creative work. they’re an inherently ridiculous couple in an inherently ridiculous story, so i took it as a given that it was silly and pressed on.

zaeed and irina are kind of a reminder to myself that you have to let yourself be human to be in a relationship. you can’t be a marble statue. you have to be vulnerable. your partner will see you with no makeup, and find out what turns you on. they’re also in some ways about being embarrassed about who you’re attracted to, and struggling to reconcile who you are with who you think you should be. tgoed was another big, messy meatloaf about my relationship with men - how i love them but struggle with my fear of them hurting me, which makes jo snarky and dominant and sad and lonely all at once.

i can already tell this is going to be a monster of a post, so i’d better move on, oops

2. A ship you’ll always love

i still don’t want to make myself try to pick one, so it’s more a question of what relationship models i like

i like battle couples, i like snarky couples who play fight, i like couples who are understated about their affections for each other. any DINK couples will end up at least somewhere up there on my list, for many sappy reasons that i won’t bore you with. most of all, i like couples who know they don’t need each other, but they want to be with each other anyway, because it makes life that much better.

i also like when characters have a flaw that they’re able to overcome with love, because even if it’s not always realistic, it’s really satisfying to read. we may not be responsible for “fixing” our partners, but isn’t it nice when a relationship is a positive influence on someone? isn’t it nice to think that one character could bring out the best in another, and make the other want to do the same for them? again, i’m getting too deep here.

3. Your current obsession

hands down, marcus and livia, my favorite rogue girl and strong-eyebrowed boy. i’ve spent two years working with them for dangerous crowns and i still haven’t gotten tired of them.

i was talking to my mother about this over dinner the other night: marcus and livia know they’re at their best when they’re combined. marcus is the trope of the great general who’s bad at politics. i’ve said that before - he’s a shrewd tactician, but a blunt object at court. he’s also gotten everything in life by playing by the rules, so he’s squeamish about breaking them - and when he tries, the results can be unpredictable. livia, on the other hand, has enough guile for both of them. she can play courtiers like a fiddle, and has decades of spy skills to get her out of trouble. however, if she’s not careful, she gets too vigilante sometimes. she’s used to street justice, and marcus has to talk her down from some of her more drastic instincts.

neither one of them would be able to save histria by themselves. but together, they’re a serious threat, because they shield each other’s weak spots. and when things get dark and they do find themselves tilting toward a moral cliff, it’s their love for each other that pulls them back from the edge.

you know me, i could talk about marcus and livia all day. i don’t want to make the story out to be more than it is, but i put a lot of thought into them.

4. A ship you never thought you’d like

to be honest, i never saw myself getting into dragon age at all, in part because none of the love interests jumped out at me. and then i was like, “oh, who am i kidding? i write ships with unromanceable characters all the time.”

so, uh, congratulations, varric and carmine! you got me into a whole IP. sure, both my halfway-developed dragon age characters ended up being companion OCs instead of wardens, hawkes, or inquisitors, but whatever. since when have i enjoyed a game the way it was meant to be enjoyed

5. A ship you liked but don’t anymore

well, there was that kaidan/irina thing a few years ago. i know, i’m sorry, it’s the one i bring up every time.

kaidan and irina had the problem of being nice on paper, but thoroughly incompatible. kaidan is open with his affections. irina’s embarrassed by that. kaidan is casual. irina is formal to an infuriating fault. kaidan wants to keep the line of communication open at all times - he wants to talk about feelings, he wants you to be vulnerable so he can help. irina turns inward. she wants to suffer in private and come back in her own time. that would make kaidan pry further, which would make irina hide more, et cetera.

zaeed is more distant. that doesn’t sound healthy for her, but it’s actually what irina is more comfortable with. zaeed has been around enough to realize that she needs space, and also to know that her relationship demons have nothing to do with him. not how she needs to be perfect, not the shame she feels about sex, none of it. it’s not that he doesn’t care. it’s just that he knows better than to ask. zaeed has seen the weirdest, most strung-out parts of the galaxy. a woman who has trouble expressing her feelings is not that big a deal.

i feel bad for kaidan fans every time i talk about this one. i really don’t dislike him, the ship was just a bad fit. sometimes you write something thinking it’s going to be great, but the more you dig into it, the more you realize it doesn’t work.

6. A ship you think should be canon

i hate to admit it, but i prefer it when the few non-OC ships i like are never "confirmed onscreen,” and stay in the realm of unresolved tension. the payoff rarely satisfies me as much as what fans come up with. i think it’s the same principle people talk about with “showing the monster” in horror movies - the audience’s imagination is more effective than anything you can show them. [i’ve heard this attributed to hitchcock, but i can’t be sure it’s him.]

the ideal for me is when creators leave characters’ love lives blank, so i can smoosh an OC against them and thoroughly run away with it. my city now! my city now!! ｍｙｃｉｔｙｎｏｗ！！！

7. A canon ship you hate

bold of you to assume i’m actually going to say anything negative about the [various, but rare] canon ships i dislike that much

8. A ship you’ve shipped for years

at some point or other, i always come back to 47 and diana, mainly because they seem to pull through whatever challenges their franchise throws at them. i’ve already talked way too much about why i like their dynamic, so i’ll just link back to this post instead of putting you through another round of it!

9. A ship everyone loves but you don’t care about

going back to question 7, “a canon ship you hate,” this is what happens with like, almost every popular ship i see. it takes a lot of awfulness for me to sit up and go, “oh god, that ship.” either that, or it has to involve one of the tropes on my instant-kill list. even when a canon/canon ship is good - maybe even great! - i’m so used to “cooking my own food,” it has to really jump out at me for me to get attached to it.

99 times out of 100, ships float by me like a gentle breeze. it’s like that meme of the video game dad:

10. Favorite rare-pair

oh, come on, look at who you’re talking to 😂 this entire meme is rarepairs, i don’t know how to ship anything else!

#long post #like EXTREMELY long post #looks like i still have a lot of feelings about ships apparently #shipping meme #shitpost

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ask-readyplayergaymers · 7 years ago

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((Mod post!! Gonna answer some questions for me that have been sitting around for a while, sorry the response is so late ;w;

Everything’s under the cut to save space 0w0 ))

Anonymous said: Okay but totally loving the concept of Michael as Gil and Jeremy as Oz??? Like, freaking Alice is Christine (even tho its totally a personality clash apart from the childish aspect but shhhh) and just yes

YEAH MAN...any type of PH crossover is good hhh but GOSH imagine Michael like. After growing up and spending ten years looking for Jeremy like Gil did ahh my heart aches!! And Jeremy coming back pouting like “You’re taller than me now that’s totally not fair, M” Christine would make a really cute Alice I think, just seeing her dress up like Alice and having her kick ass as the B-Rabbit?! Hell yeah!

zekromztk2 said: Out of all of the Pandora Hearts characters, who is your favorite? Mine is... probably either Alice or Oz

HELL I LOVE GILBERT I’D DIE FOR THAT MAN LEGIT;; I love Oz and Break a lot too and! RUFUS BARMA AS WELL I ADORE HIM

Anonymous said: did I hear Harry Potter?

Ye man talk to me about the Marauder days any time I love talking about Sirius, James and Remus getting into shenanigans at Hogwarts hoo boy

Anonymous said: (Hey mod, so basically Jake and Rich are just gonna be background characters with kind of their own stories?)

Yes! Jeremy and Michael are the main focus here, but Jake and Rich sort of have their own thing going on in the background as more minor characters to the overall blog! I want to make a more developed backstory for the treasure hunter girls and Christine as well, so we’ll see how that goes~

Anonymous said: Thank you so much for introducing the novel this AU is based on to me!! Now that I've finished reading, I understand a lot more about this AU and now I want to ask... Would you consider Mr. Heere/Reyes as Morrow?

You’re very welcome, it’s a great novel so! I’m glad more people are reading it after having run into this blog, I must spread the pureness that is Aech to all of humanity //shakes fists And yes! Mr. Reyes is Morrow, I can imagine him sort of contributing to the hunt with lots of theater related things, which Christine specializes in! Book!Squip is Halliday, and there’s actually a little more about that and his relationship with Jeremy that I want to get into later.

Anonymous said: ((I had literally never heard of ready player one but I lov this blog so much I actually went out and bought it. Consider me murdled dead))

Yeah man like;; I didn’t read the novel until this past summer and after that I just got so into it and BMC at the same time so? I combined the two and here we are! Aaah I’m so glad!! Like I’ve said before I love it when people come tell me they went out to buy the novel and read it because of me, it makes me so happy :’) Hjrhjd please don’t die lol

emibeani said: ((I just finished reading Ready Player One, and thank you so much for this blog.))

I’m glad to hear it!! And you’re very welcome, I honestly didn’t expect so many people to get into but I’m super appreciative of all the interest you guys have shown so far so?? Thank you!!

Anonymous said: THIS IS NOT A ASK, BUT, OMG, THIS AU IS FUCKING PERFECT.

Glad you like it, ty! ;D

aslyn-is-artsy said: Your art is absolutely amazing

Hrhrhgfh I’m blushing thank you wow;;

aslyn-is-artsy said: Thank you so much for showing me this amazing book. I now aspire to become the real version of Art3mis. Just with short blonde hair instead. ;)

No problem!! It’s such a fantastic read and I was honestly blown away by it, so yeah...! Haha yeah I love Arty! She’s such a badass character and she doesn’t put up with any of Wade’s shit, which is great, she’s so empowered and I adore her

theitalianscribe said :I don't remember if this was answered, but is Michael trans male in this au?

Nope! I mean if you want to headcanon him that way that’s fine, I won’t stop you! I’m not going to endorse that since I myself don’t see him being that way, but you all are entitled to your own opinions so! And even if he were trans that wouldn’t be the main point of the blog anyway, I’m focusing more on their actual relationship, not their sexuality or gender or anything like that ^^

Anonymous said:i checked the book Ready Player One out from the library just because of this blog! are there any other books you recommend? (i havent finished the book but i like it so far i think!)

Oh nice!! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Ahhh hmm well if you like supernatural teen stories, there’s a series called Darkest Powers by Kelley Armstrong about this girl named Chloe who finds out she’s a necromancer after being sent to a “troubled teens” home, and she meets these boys named Simon and Derek who also have special abilities and then all sorts of crazy things happen! I first read it back in high school and I still love it a lot, so yeah it’s a trilogy and all of the characters are really great so! (I looooove Simon like. So much.) Check it out if you have the time, it’s a good read!

kitikat101 said: Random potential song parodies: I Love the OASIS (I Love Play Rehearsal), Find That Egg (Be More Chill, pts. 1 and 2), Two-Player Game (but with Joust), Oases In My Head (Voices In My Head)

Kit can I say how much I adore these song titles they fit so well I’m really tempted to make parodies for all of them, absolutely brilliant

geeklychic1012 said: So are we allowed to send in fanfics based on this blog? (Cuz I submitted one but my wifi is shit and I think Tumblr might have eaten it haha)

YES!! Please do I’d highly enjoy reading stuff from you guys! And yes I saw and it breaks my heart like. Why. I’ll post it soon for everyone else to see too! They must all suffer as I have hfhdjhgjg

Anonymous said: Who would be I-r0k in this au? Or would I-r0k still be his normal jerk self?

I’m actually...not sure :0 There aren’t enough characters in BMC to properly cross over with all the rest of the RPO characters so;; I might have to go through the BMC novel and find some obscure background character to sneak in as I-r0k lol, because I would like to have all of the RPO characters replaced by BMC counterparts, if that makes sense!

theitalianscribe said: Does someone else take Halliday's place in this au? Also, do the gunters have a shared obsession with pop culture from a certain time period? What time period?

Yeah, I mentioned that up above! But Book!Squip takes over the role of Halliday, and musical Squip is Sorrento, of course~ Honestly I’d say like, probably the early 2000s, since that was when I was growing up and I can actually make references back to that time lol? I mean I love the 80s as well, just as it is in the book, but I feel as if I don’t know enough about that time period to actually. Make proper references and constantly. (I mean I could ask my parents who lived during that time too but;; haha.) Most of the stuff on here are me self-projecting, like with video games, books, and anime, that’s all me lol

Anonymous said: " “You don’t need to sell me on anything, Wade,” she said. “You’re my best friend. My favorite person.” With what appeared to be some effort, she looked me in the eye. “I’ve really missed you, you know that?”My heart felt like it was on fire. I took a moment to work up my courage; then I reached out and took her hand." aka perfect au is perfect how does it fit S O well

!!! yEAH MY DUDE I LOVED THAT PART and just imagining Michael saying that to Jeremy I wanted to cry;; I don’t even know but the INSTANT Aech was introduced I was like “Ohhh man. I’m getting major BMC vibes here” and bam, a week later this blog was born lol

Anonymous said:Would you be okay with cosplay of your character designs? I can't do one anytime soon, but they look really cool (and jerm's hair honestly looks fun to do)

YES!! OH MY GOD I’d probably die of sheer happiness if you guys cosplayed these dorks! If you want I could draw a character ref sheet so you actually get a proper look at their outfits! But yes I’d highly enjoy that;; like the cosplay doesn’t even have to be accurate I’d still love it anyway, and doing things like acting out some of the asks here (I’ve seen it be done before and it’s so cute!) would be totally okay too! But yeah as always TAG ME or submit it here so I can see it aaaa I’d love love LOVE that! ^^

Anonymous said: SPECIAL BOY SPECIAL BOY SPECIAL BOY SPECIAL BOY SPECIAL B

YEEEEEAAAAA IT’S ABOUT TIME I MADE AN OUTFIT FOR RICH RIGHT I LOVE HIM SM

maysurprisedyou said: Hi! This isn't quite an ask, but!! I started reading Ready Player One because of this blog and it's really interesting so far so thank you!! All of your posts seem to make my day ahah <3

Oooh I’m happy you’re liking it so far, I’m glad my blog inspired you to read it! And aaAAAA that’s so sweet I’m?? Hhhhfh thank you! :’)

#The mod speaks #OOC #The final boss makes an entrance #Long post #Whew!! That was a lot of asks to get through #Thanks all of you for your interest and support! Ily #The mod answers

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ignis-scientia-estrogen-brigade · 8 years ago

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~(Someone help me with a title pls)~ [Pre-Road Trip Fic; 3900 Words]

I just want to give a big thanks for everyone who has started following this blog—I didn’t expect it to gain nearly the traction it did, and nothing makes me happier than seeing all the Ignis trash out there coalesce into one giant pile of garbage and share in the love of everyone’s favorite strategist! I wanted to do something special like drawing a picture of Iggy in honor of surpassing a hundred followers, but everything I doodled sucked monkey balls, so I decided to bequeath you all instead with a longer, naughtier Specs fic (as in, you might need a cigarette after reading this).

This story is peak meta (Ignis-ception? Fanfic-ception?), because the female protagonist originated from a single line in one of my early headcanons, and was more fully-fleshed out in an Ask prompt I received later (the poor girl still doesn’t have a name haha). The idea for this particular fic actually came from the last headcanon I wrote; honestly, I could have expanded on any of those scenarios because gd I want to read more about Gladio having sex in the shower, but as this is an Ignis-oriented blog, I felt it was only natural to have the strategist be the focus of this story.

I have to tell you, one of my favorite things to do is read the hashtags of your reblogs; the funnier, the better. So keep it up if you want to hear about me snorting my morning coffee! Real life has been a bit of a grind lately, so I might be posting more sporadically over the next several weeks, but I still have a few Asks in my inbox I fully intend to answer, so keep your ideas coming!

Tagging @karouyamisaki for… reasons. (Do you still have those dentures I gave you?) Hiiiiiiighly NSFW

“Is it me, or is the table lower than it was yesterday?”

Two spectacled eyes peer out above a Crown City Chronicle at the redhead seated across the breakfast table. “Is it?”

“I think it is.” As a matter of fact, she knows it is; he wouldn’t be entertaining her company if she wasn’t perceptive about these things. It was exactly the type of acumen that had originally caught Ignis’ attention in the first place—that, and the clipped regional accent they both shared, although their mutual love of caffeinated beverages might’ve helped her cause more than a little.

He sips at his Ebony and resumes perusing the current events section of his newspaper. “How peculiar.”

“Indeed. Quite peculiar.” The miraculously diminishing table wasn’t the only thing of notable peculiarity that morning; the way his hand lingered on hers when he brought out her own mug of Ebony seemed rather unusual for the habitually aloof Crownsguard, since about the only time Ignis Scientia dared to ever lay an affectionate finger on her was when she had him cornered in the bedroom with his trousers already around his ankles.

She polishes off her breakfast before pushing her plate aside. “Was it to your liking?” he inquires from behind his paper. “I fear the Regaltrice eggs weren’t as fresh as the shopkeeper at the farmer’s market claimed they were.”

“It was delicious, thank you.” She then reaches for her cup of coffee and hesitates, swirling the last remnants of dark liquid around the bottom of it. “Remind me again, Darling—when did you say you set out for Altissia?”

His emerald eyes dart across the table for the briefest of moments before returning to his paper. “Three weeks.”

“And how long will you be away?”

“It depends. Could be months.”

“Ah. I see.”

“Is that a problem?”

She suppresses the urge to sigh, and instead drains the last of her Ebony to conceal the grimace on her face. “Of course not.”

Finally, he sets his newspaper down on the table and looks over at her in earnest. “Speak your mind. It’s best not to keep secrets.”

Her cheek twitches, and a tendril of bitterness licks the inside of her throat. “Isn’t that what we’re good at?”

His features remain impassive. “Are you unhappy with our arrangement?”

Of course, their arrangement. It was hardly fair of her to be resentful about it; she was the one, after all, who had originally laid down the parameters of their accordance when they began their tryst. No intimate contact outside of the previously agreed upon hours of midnight and four, no affectionate monikers or diminutive terms of endearment, and—perhaps most importantly—no falling in love. Feelings would only compromise the benefits of their affair, since the man might die at any given moment; they both could, for that matter, if the rumors of ulterior motives surrounding the Imperial peace talks were to be believed.

But somewhere along the way, something had changed. Somewhere between that first lustful night together and the present day, they had taken to calling each other Darling; even now, she was bending her own rules by remaining at his apartment this late into the morning, sampling his new omelet recipe and ruminating over the significance of his lingering touch.

Ultimately, somewhere along the way she had grown rather fond of the strategist. “My apologies,” she says sullenly. “I didn’t mean to complicate the matter. I’m sure you have much and more on your mind right now.”

He stares at her blankly for a long moment, and then suddenly glances out the kitchen window. “It’s rather quiet this morning, wouldn’t you say?”

It’s a diversion tactic, and she knows it; it wouldn’t be the first time he’s used it against her to his advantage, although generally it comes in the form of a cheeky I could go for an Ebony about now comment when he’s parrying her lance in the Citadel’s fitness center. “I hadn’t noticed.”

“I wonder if the city is diverting traffic in anticipation of the Imperial detail.” He pushes back from the table and rises from his seat. “Another cuppa?”

“Please.” She sets her empty mug aside and swallows the last of her antipathy; three weeks is not a long time, and choosing to stay irritable at him will only make it pass by more quickly.

He nods once and disappears into the kitchen; her attention drifts out the window and she narrows her eyes. “Now that you mention it, it is rather quiet. Almost too quiet.”

“Most intriguing,” his voice calls out from the other room.

“It’s awfully early to be rerouting the highways. The chancellor isn’t even expected to arrive until the day of the talks—what was his name again?”

His isn’t gone but a heartbeat; then he is back by her side and refilling her cup with freshly brewed Ebony. “I don’t recall.”

But she isn’t looking at him, and instead her eyes remain fixed outside the window. It’s only after she gives up trying to resolve the paradox of the ominously silent roads that she finally peers up at him; when she does, it takes her mind half a second to register that he is standing before her wearing absolutely nothing at all.

It’s a good thing she hadn’t taken a sip of her coffee before processing that fact, lest she spurt hot brown liquid all over the breakfast table. “Goodness,” she breathes.

There are some within the palace walls who whisper that Ignis Scientia was born without a fundamental understanding of humor; the redhead would argue that most people simply haven’t spent enough time around him to witness his masterful skills in the art of deadpan. “Something troubling you, Darling?” he asks, the faintest of grins touching his lips.

As hard as she tries, she is unable to contain her smile. “And what, might I inquire, is the meaning of this little exhibition?”

He sets the coffee pot down on the the kitchen counter and leans over for a chaste kiss. “You seem preoccupied with the details of my excursion. Thought maybe I could offer to help take your mind off things.”

She can’t quite stop herself from ogling at the eyeful of naked flesh hovering inches from her face. “How in the world did you get out of your clothes so quickly? I didn’t even hear your keys jingle in your pocket.”

“It’s a mystery, isn’t it?” He then reaches over and moves to unfasten the buttons of her blouse. “Speaking of, I daresay you appear to be wearing far too many articles yourself.”

His fingers move swiftly, and soon he is liberating her of her garment and discarding it on the window sill. “Don’t be absurd,” she says, but the sensation of his lips brushing against the crook of her neck leaves her hoarse. “If you aren’t planning on kicking me out of your apartment anytime soon, let’s at least move into the bedroom.”

“What for?” He stops his light caresses briefly to pluck her mug of Ebony from her hand before drawing her upright out of her chair and guiding her body against the breakfast table. “There’s a perfectly flat surface here we can use.”

“Be serious,” she admonishes, as he pushes his bare chest to hers. “This table won’t hold my weight, let alone both of ours.”

“Of course it will. I reinforced the brackets last night when I lowered the legs.”

“Lowered the…?” Confusion clouds her mind, but the gentle way he rakes his teeth along her sternum causes her to lose her train of thought entirely. One strong hand encircles her back and tackles the clasp of her undergarment with the precision of an expert locksmith, and suddenly both of their torsos are free from obstruction and his lips are pressed against hers.

“Is this all right?” he whispers, his fingers gliding lightly over her left breast. “You know how I hate to be a bother.”

Her eyelids flutter shut when he replaces his fingers with his tongue. “Does it look like I’m bothered?”

“In a sense.”

“Do you always talk this much in the mornings?”

He snorts softly against her nipple before kneeling, and resumes his slow journey down toward her hips. “Point taken.”

He then traces the waistband of her pants with inquisitive curiosity, coaxing the button loose and tugging gently on her slacks until she is free from the constraining accoutrement and is sitting on the breakfast table with her toes dangling off the floor. There is still the matter of her underwear in need of tending to, but the strategist is nothing if not strategic in his approach; with a finesse only an authority in the field of daggers could master, Ignis manages to strip her of her smallclothes while simultaneously throwing her legs over each of his shoulders.

Her hands immediately move to clutch at his tawny hair, and she lets out a gasp as he nuzzles the tip of his nose against the most private and intimate part of herself. But he doesn’t linger in one spot for long, and instead teases the insides of her thighs with light kisses interspersed with gentle nips of his teeth. When her trembling fingers reach for his face and knock his spectacles askew, he pauses a moment to readjust them.

“Leave them off,” she says. “I like you better without them.”

“I can hardly see a thing even with them on,” he replies, and continues his exploration.

She grips the edge of the table hard and silently curses the Six when his tongue strokes grow positively agonizing. “There’s nothing down there worth looking at. I can’t believe you’re willing to subject yourself to the view in such… anatomical detail.”

“On the contrary,” he murmurs. “It’d be a shame to lose what’s left of my sight when the scenery is as breathtaking as this.”

She laughs aloud at his attempts at flattery, but in truth, the sentiment warms her heart; he never once showed the slightest ounce of timidness around her body, and was clearly more than a little experienced at pleasuring a woman, if the magical fingers he was now pressing inside of her were any indication. She may not have even been his only paramour at the moment—exclusivity was never explicitly touched upon in their agreement—but it doesn’t matter, because her breath is growing ragged with each achingly slow lap of his tongue.

“Darling,” she pants, her eyes pressed closed, her fingernails digging into the taut muscles of his shoulders. “I don’t think I can take much more of this.”

He ignores her appeals for leniency and maintains a steady and rhythmic cadence; his fingers are moving faster now, his thumb rigid against her nub, shifting away for the briefest of instants only to be replaced by his strong tongue. She can no longer suppress the moans clawing their way up her throat as the pressure in her abdomen builds, and she bites down on the inside of her cheek so hard she can taste blood.

“Please,” she begs, her legs tightening around his neck. “You have to stop—“

But he doesn’t stop, and instead doggedly presses onward; he has his free hand gripped around her thigh, feeling her tendons clenching, sensing her heartbeat quickening, because she knows that as a strategist he is intimately aware of even the slightest changes in her body chemistry, and won’t yield to her request until he has pushed her to the other side of ecstasy.

She doesn’t have to wait long for him to conclude the torture. The first crest of her orgasm is already firing through every nerve ending of her body, and a cry escapes her lips with each subsequent wave. For a long moment, the only thing she can hear is the sound of her pulse screaming in her own ears; as the pounding in her heart subsides, and the blood returns to the knuckles she has flexed tightly around his arms, she opens her eyes to the image of Ignis drawing himself up to his full height.

Another, more arrogant lover might pat himself on the back and make some wry quip about successfully bringing her to climax; Ignis, on the other hand, is evidently content to leave his ego in check, because his only reaction to her trembling is to cover her slightly parted lips with his own. The flavor of her herself on his tongue sends her mind reeling and drives her to deepen their kiss, her hands gripping urgently at his spine and her legs wrapped tighter than Malboro tentacles around his slender hips.

But he appears to be in no hurry to indulge in his own pleasure, and instead tilts her back gently against the table’s surface before moving down to drag his mouth over the curves of her abdomen. Her hand reaches for his face only to get tangled up in his lenses again; this time, he finally discards his spectacles once and for all, tossing them over his shoulder without nary a second glance.

“Don’t be so flippant,” she scolds, although with the way his caresses are causing her back to arch upward, her reprimanding doesn’t quite meet her voice. “I should hate to be the reason you broke your glasses.”

“I’ve got another pair,” he says, his hot breath utterly electrifying against her skin.

It’s only when he leans into the table that she realizes why exactly he lowered it in the first place; her body immediately begins to ache when she feels his erection pressed against just the right spot between her thighs, and were she in a more coherent state of mind, she might’ve complimented him on his impressive ingenuity. But her brain is mired in the nebula of her own desire, and the singular reoccurring thought currently consuming her attention is the longing to feel his warmth inside of her.

If she hoped her sensual agony would end with her own climax, however, she is sorely mistaken; the strategist simply bides his time, nipping tenderly at her belly, tracing the outline of her breasts leisurely with his tongue, grasping the back of her knees firmly as her body begins to writhe beneath him. When she is forced to press her hand to her mouth to stifle her moans, he pries her fingers gently away from her face and laces them in his own.

“You best let go,” she says in a low voice, “unless you enjoy hearing me shout loud enough to alert the neighbors.”

“Music to my ears,” he purrs.

So she concedes to his restraints, because if Ignis Scientia wants to listen to the sounds of her euphoria, then she is more than happy to oblige. His lips are at her neck now, the stippled texture of his freshly-shaven jaw brushing up against her collarbone and eliciting a sharp hiss from her lungs. Her legs clench around his waist, but he resists being drawn in any closer, for this is a test of wills: her urgency to be fulfilled against the stalwart discipline that has come to define him.

She breaks first. “Ignis,” she whispers, “don’t make me beg for this.”

It is, perhaps, rather unfair of her to resort to such unsophisticated tactics; there are far more clever ways of getting him to do her bidding, but the man has so few weaknesses, and she knows that the mere hint of his name on her lips will impair the rational side of his brain long enough for primal instinct to take over. And besides—if he teases this out any longer, he’ll have a permanent stain of her fluids on the surface of his breakfast table to deal with afterward.

Her imploring has its desired effect; his previously tranquil expression flickers for a moment, and his hands tighten around her fingers. She watches as the wheels turn in his mind, turning, turning, always turning, always in control, until his features abruptly darken and she can see in his eyes that the urge to give has now been replaced by the impulse to take.

He doesn’t speak a word; he simply presses his mouth hard against hers, and moves to pin her wrists above her head with one hand. His other is already between both their legs, testing her readiness, testing his readiness, before suddenly and without warning he is plunging his searing heat into the folds of her warm flesh.

She says his name again, but it’s not a whisper like before; this time, it’s a cry of elation, loud enough for the neighbors to hear, loud enough for King Regis seated on his throne behind the palace walls two miles away to hear, loud enough for the Astrals themselves to look down from their omniscient plane of existence and take note. For there is no feeling in all of Eos quite like two bodies joining to become one, and no rapture greater—in this world or the next—than that offered by one Ignis Scientia.

His response is more reserved than hers, for she knows Ignis is a quiet lover; the flexing of his hand against her wrists and the lowering of his forehead to her chest is the only indication that there is a battle raging on inside his mind. Lose himself in her warmth, and this brief moment of exaltation will pass; wait too long, and he’ll begin to overthink things. The line they dance along is razor-thin, but they’ve done it together a hundred times or more, and she tilts her hips up against his to signal the beginning of their lascivious waltz.

He finally releases her wrists and drops his hands to her waist, burying himself ever deeper into her walls. She follows his lead and braces herself against his movements, stretching back and relishing in her newfound freedom by raking a loving hand through his feathery hair. His eyes are closed in concentration and his lips never leaves hers, except to suppress a carnal growl every now and again. Their bodies find a mutual harmony—just as they always do—and the only rational thought she is able to formulate in her mind in between bouts of pleasure is just how much time he must have spent last night reinforcing the table brackets to have them hold up as well as they are.

But even in her heightened state of arousal, she is perceptive to the nuanced changes in his behavior; he is working harder now, his brow furrowed, his thrusts more deliberate. She can sense his heart pounding in his ribcage, can feel the shortening of his breath against her throat, can even hear the silent gasps of ecstasy he tries so hard to conceal from her. She does what she can to temper his fervor and draw out this symphony of theirs, but the threads of her resolve have already frayed nearly beyond repair; her hands move without thinking, clutching at his lower back, urging his hips ever onward, scratching at the perfect porcelain skin that bears the scars of the royal onus bequeathed upon him.

Another change occurs; his quiet pants no longer leave his mouth, and instead he is is exhaling forcefully through his nose, like a beast of burden struggling under the weight of a heavy load. His movements grow more erratic as well, and his fingers have returned to her hands—not to pin them down against her will, but to clutch at her palms in desperation. He is close—she can feel it—and his mouth parts slightly as a single word escapes his lips. “I—”

She knows he will slow down if she lets him, so she doesn’t let him, because she wants his heat inside of her, wants his body to fill every inch of her own; the thought of losing everything they have built together in this moment is a betrayal the likes of which even the Infernian would not lower himself to. So she silences his reticence with a kiss, his waist captured between her legs in a vice grip, and lets her own cries of exhilaration work their wicked magic in his ears.

She can’t read his thoughts, but she can decipher the clues he leaves behind on the planes of his chiseled face; his jaw is clenched, his brow glistening with the efforts of his exertion, his eyes moving rapidly beneath his closed eyelids. And she can feel his warmth spreading inside of her just below her abdomen with each final drive of his hips, until the twitching in his muscles eventually subsides altogether and his he leans to rest his cheek upon her breasts. She holds his head in her arms and gazes down at his peaceful form; even in his state of utter exhaustion, she notices him shift his weight to his forearms so as not to crush her under the mass of his own body.

Silence falls over the apartment once more; a moment passes before he pushes himself upright from the table and offers her a hand. She sits up slowly and waits for the dizziness in her head to pass, then slides off the table and into the nearest chair before her knees have the chance to give out from under her.

She doesn’t even have to look up at him to know he has reverted back to his usual, aloof self; she simply takes the blouse he is holding out to her, reaches for her pants that have long since been discarded on the floor, and dresses herself quietly. This is how it always is; brief instances of passion smothered between long bouts of cordial formality. His remoteness could be downright suffocating at times, but it’s the bargain she’s made with him, the price she must pay for a small sliver of happiness.

The strategist retrieves his Crown City Chronicle from the table and resumes his seat across from her, Ebony in hand. She half-expects to glance over and see him already dressed—perhaps the ability the Lucian prince has bestowed upon him to summon weapons out of thin air extends to his wardrobe—but with the exception of his glasses that have once again taken up occupancy on his face, he is, notably, still sans clothing.

“What ever did happen to your clothes?” she asks, frowning as she buttons her tunic.

He crosses one knee over the other and sips nonchalantly at his Ebony, as if reading the morning paper and drinking coffee in the nude is as unremarkable as breathing. “I told you, it’s a mystery. Even to me.”

She can’t resist indulging in a smile; parting ways with him is always bittersweet, but she welcomes his effort at making light of things. “Well, you better find them before your trip. I’m sure Gladio won’t appreciate your naked physique quite the same way I do.”

“Indeed,” he says, his attention buried in his newspaper.

As she pulls on her trousers, she pauses. “Ignis?”

“Yes?”

“I know we have an agreement in place, but…”

“Go on. Spit it out.”

“I think I might miss you, is all.”

He raises an eyebrow behind his spectacles and holds her gaze for a long moment; then he shrugs and lifts his newspaper again to his nose. “Never fear, Darling. I’m sure everything will go quite smoothly in Altissia. I’ll be back in Insomnia before you know it.”

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