#6O could look at the flowers

[squeaky-potat]

If they ever got to be on the surface…

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 206. brb x oc

a/n: hahahha fluff. cause.....reasons(comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: mentions of surgery

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/

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-

The sounds around her were familiar and soothing, his soft snore, the crickets chirping outside and the gentle ripple of the pool when the wind touched the water’s surface. But Beatrice was wide awake, her back to Rooster and his face nestled in her hair as she stared at the door wide eyed.

She lost sleep, of course she did lose sleep, but she didn’t know why. She had no nightmares, she had nothing of the sort she just…woke up. Beatrice chewed her lower lip, wincing when she accidentally bit a piece of loose skin and regretting seconds after when she tasted metal on her tongue.

Great.

Maybe she should get up and…try to do anything but sleep because it was obviously not going to work. This week was Brad’s last of leave before he got back to work and Beatrice  wanted to be there for him until it was time for him to go. She made a little sound in her throat, then flicked her gaze back at him to see if he woke up only to hear a louder snore from her open mouthed husband, his arms squeezing her closer to him.

She didn’t know why she lost sleep, this was really annoying because it’s not the first time it happened and hell it probably won’t be the last. Carefully she slowly unwrapped his arms from around her so she could sit up on the edge of the mattress and scoot forward as quietly as she could so she wouldn’t wake him up.

She slips on her shark slippers and fixes her pajama pants as she walks out of the bedroom. Her navel was still hurting a bit and she had to stop walking a bit to ease out a breath, clenching her jaw before continuing, only to stop in the middle of the hallway because…what was she going to do?

“Well,” she props her hands on her hips, “That’s a pickle.” and she looks around a bit, it was dark but the outside gave enough light to illuminate her way around so she wouldn’t end up hitting anything. Beatrice chews her lower lip, leaning over the second floor railing to check the living room where Jolene was currently lying on the couch. “Jojo.” she calls softly and the pittie peeks one eye open, tail thumping happily, “I’m coming over, don’t move.”

After carefully descending the stairs, Beatrice made her way to the kitchen, flipping on the light and making Jolene join her immediately. She glanced at the clock on the microwave – 2:23 AM. Sighing softly, she opened the fridge and stared at its contents as if they held the secret to her sleeplessness. A glass of water might help, she thought, so she reached for a glass and filled it up, taking slow sips.

But she felt like her body was electric.

So she started to pace in the kitchen, interlocking her hands behind her nape and repeating the breathing exercises she knew so well ‘smell the flower, blow the candle’ over and over. Once she was done with that, she popped her fingers and rolled her wrists, choosing that she could maybe work on her joints for a bit.

Jolene sits next to her as she drinks her water, still pacing, still trying to understand what made her wake up so late - 2:26 now - and why she was like this. Her navel was still hurting, so she decided to sit down instead and stay put, at least for a little bit, until she could go back to bed.

Beatrice rubbed her eyelids with her fingers, sighing through her nose before looking at the glass of water, seeing it move since she grabbed it a few minutes ago. She holds her head against her interlaced fingers, pressing her knuckles to her forehead, tapping her slippers on the floor while Jolene lies down by her chair, giving her owner a weird look.

“I need to go back to bed.” she mutters, “Maybe I should’ve got milk instead of water…ugh.”

But she felt like her body was electric.

Her thoughts raced like a speeding car down a highway. She had no reason to feel this restless, this anxious, yet the feeling persisted, gnawing at her like an itch she couldn't scratch. Beatrice clenched and unclenched her fingers, trying to redirect her focus, but the unease remained.

A soft whimper from Jolene broke through her reverie, and she looked down at the pittie. Those big, soulful eyes stared back at her, filled with concern and affection. Beatrice smiled weakly, reaching down to scratch behind Jolene's ears.

"You're worried about me, huh?" she murmured, her voice barely audible in the quiet kitchen. Jolene's tail thumped against the floor in response.

Beatrice took a deep breath, trying to center herself. Maybe some warm milk would help soothe her nerves. Pushing herself up from the chair, she put the glass in the sink and moved to the fridge. As she poured milk into a small saucepan, her mind continued to whirl, and she couldn't shake the feeling of restlessness.

The milk warmed on the stove, filling the kitchen with a comforting aroma. Beatrice wrapped her arms around herself, feeling the coolness of the night air against her skin. She glanced at the clock – 2:45 AM. She needed to find a way to calm down and get back to sleep before the sun came up.

Deciding to try a different approach, Beatrice turned off the stove and poured the warm milk into a mug. She added a sprinkle of sugar inside before making her way to the living room. Maybe reading a book or watching something light would distract her mind and help her relax.

Jolene followed her, settling onto the couch with a contented sigh. Beatrice curled up on the couch next to her, the mug of milk cradled in her hands, and turned on the TV. She scrolled through the options, pursing her lips when she chose What We Do In The Shadows instead of Golden girls. She got comfortable, with Jolene’s huge head plopping on her lap as the two watched the show quietly.

Beatrice, however, noticed she couldn’t laugh or else her stitches hurt too much. With an annoyed grunt, she turned the tv off and sat there,with Jolene, in the dark.

The silence enveloped them, broken only by the occasional rustling of the leaves outside and the soft hum of the refrigerator.

She absentmindedly traced her fingers over the rim of the mug, her mind still racing. The warm milk had helped to some extent, but the restlessness remained, stubborn and unyielding. It was as if there was a storm inside her, a tempest of thoughts and emotions that she couldn't quite make sense of.

Jolene's presence was a comfort, her steady breathing and the weight of her head on Beatrice's lap grounding her in the present. She absentmindedly stroked the pittie's soft fur, lost in her thoughts.

The house remained still, the world outside seemingly asleep. Beatrice's restlessness remained…until she moved her gaze to the stairs. She hadn’t seen the twins’ nursery yet, she did just get home yesterday and was too tired to do so…and Bradley was so excited sharing how everyone helped. Maybe she could see it right now, maybe it’d help.

“Jojo,” she whispers, waking the pittie up, “Come with me.” and she stood from the couch, still holding her mug, walking quietly to the stairway and trying her best to make as little noise as possible. Rooster’s snores never wavered or got louder, which meant he was still fast asleep in their bedroom.

Jolene stretched her legs and followed Beatrice with a sleepy wag of her tail. The wooden stairs creaked under their weight, but Beatrice expertly avoided the loudest spots, her steps deliberate and gentle. As they reached the top of the staircase, Beatrice took a moment to listen to the house's silence, that was only broken by her husband’s deep sleep.

She and Jolene padded on the hallway, her nails clicking softly against the hardwood. The nursery was just down the hall, door closed and a few inches away from Nicole’s room.

Pushing the nursery door open, Beatrice stepped inside, her eyes adjusting to the dim light filtering in from the hallway. She opened her mouth in surprise because…it was there. It was all in there.

Beatrice's gaze was drawn to the two cribs nestled against one wall, side by side. Her heart swelled as she looked at them, imagining the twins resting peacefully, their tiny chests rising and falling with each breath. She approached the cribs, her fingers trailing over the soft fabric of the blankets.

Jolene wandered around the room, her tail brushing against the furniture, sniffing everything curiously. Beatrice couldn't help but smile as she watched the pittie explore,before her gaze drifted to a small shelf, where she saw a collection of sea life figurines on it. She smiles softly, then sits down on the rocking chair that sits between the two cribs.

And her body feels tired, her eyes hurt.

She wanted the babies.

And that’s when the blame comes back. With full force.

And her body feels tired, her eyes hurt.

Beatrice's smile faded as a wave of guilt and sadness washed over her. She looked around the nursery, her eyes welling up with tears. She reached out and picked up a small stuffed toy from one of the cribs, her fingers tracing its soft texture as her mind wandered.

She knew they were okay at the hospital, but God, no one told her how much it hurt. She understands her parents now, she does, because she just wants her babies here. Her brain goes crazy, throwing paranoia over paranoia as to why the twins were born so early, was it something she did?

People said it wasn’t, but what if it was and no one knew?

She curls into herself on the rocking chair, hugging the small plushie to her chest, inhaling and exhaling quietly, unaware of the footsteps approaching the nursery.

The door creaked open a little further, and a warm and concerned voice broke through the silence. "Bea?"

Startled, Beatrice looked up to see Rooster standing at the entrance of the nursery, his expression a mix of worry and tenderness. He stepped into the room, concern deepening as he took in her tear-streaked face and huddled form.

"Hey," he murmured, his voice gentle as he knelt down in front of her. Jolene padded over to him, tail wagging slightly, and he absentmindedly reached out to give her a pat. His attention was fully on Beatrice, his eyes searching hers.

Beatrice bit her trembling lip, her gaze dropping to the plushie she held tightly. "I... I didn't mean to wake you," she whispered, her voice shaky.

Rooster's hand reached out, covering hers and the plushie. "You didn't," he said softly, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. "I woke up on my own."

He looked at her with such understanding and compassion that Beatrice felt a fresh wave of tears threatening to spill. She had tried so hard to be strong, to keep her emotions in check, but seeing Rooster there, by her side, offering his unwavering support, broke down the walls she had built.

Without hesitation, Rooster moved closer, pulling her into his arms. Beatrice clung to him, burying her face in his chest as she finally let herself cry. She felt his strong arms wrap around her, providing a safe haven in the storm of her emotions.

"Ssshh, it’s okay.” he coos, kissing the side of her head, “It’s okay,gorgeous.” and he gently lifts her from the rocking chair, trading places  with her so he could sit on the rocking chair instead, keeping her on his lap. Jolene lies by his feet when he rocks back and forth with Beatrice close, hugging her and shielding her from the outside.

She cries a little bit more, wetting his bare chest with her tears before ceasing her crying, only letting out quiet whimpers.. Rooster continues to hold her tightly, his hand gently rubbing her back as they sway in the rocking chair. He whispers soothing words, words of comfort and reassurance, allowing her to let out the emotions that had been building up inside her.

Time seems to slow down as they rock together in the soft glow of the nightlight. Rooster's steady presence is a grounding force, and Beatrice finds herself relaxing in his arms. She takes deep breaths, trying to steady her breathing, and gradually the tight knot of tension in her chest begins to loosen.

As the minutes pass, Beatrice's breathing steadies, and she pulls back slightly to look up at Rooster. Her eyes are still watery, but a sense of calm has settled over her features. She offers him a weak smile, while wiping her face.

"Thank you," she whispers, her voice barely above a whisper.

Rooster smiles back, his fingers gently wiping away the last of her tears. "You don't have to thank me, gorgeous. I'm always here for you, no matter what."

She leans into him again, resting her head against his chest, her heart beating in sync with his. They continue to rock in silence, the rhythm soothing and comforting. Beatrice can feel the tension melting away, replaced by a deep sense of connection and a reminder that she's not alone in her struggles.

After a while, Rooster's movements slow, and he presses a gentle kiss to the top of her head. "What made you cry?” he asks cautiously, still rubbing her back with his palm, “Are you in pain?”

“Not a lot.” she whispers, “It doesn’t hurt that much and I’m not squeezing my stitches…”

“What is it then?” he asks against her hair, “You can tell me, you know that.”

Beatrice hesitates for a moment, her fingers gripping the fabric of her shirt. She takes a deep breath, trying to find the right words to convey the swirl of emotions inside her.

"It's just... I wanted them here," she admits softly, her voice quivering. "I know they're okay, we saw them at the hospital, but... I just want them with us. And I can't help but think, what if it's something I did? What if there's something I could have done differently to keep them from being born so early?"

Her words spill out in a rush, her vulnerability laid bare. Rooster's arms tighten around her, his embrace offering both comfort and reassurance.

"Bea," he says gently, his voice steady, "You didn't do anything wrong. It's not your fault. and there's no one to blame. You did everything you could, and our babies are fighters. They're getting stronger every day."

Beatrice nods, her tears starting to fall again. "I know, I know logically. But sometimes, these thoughts just... they take over, you know? And I feel so helpless."

Rooster pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I know gorgeous.” he whispers,kissing her scalp then, “I know how you feel…we are going to see them tomorrow, before grocery shopping. Hm? How does that sound?”

Beatrice looked up at Rooster, her tear-filled eyes locking onto his with surprise. His words penetrated the haze of her emotions, offering a glimmer of light in the darkness.

"Tomorrow?" she repeated, her voice wavering. "Really?"

Rooster nodded, his lips curving into a soft smile. "Absolutely. We'll go see them tomorrow, spend time with them, and reassure ourselves that they're doing just fine. And you can ask all the questions you want, talk to the doctors, get all the information you need. How does that sound?"

A small smile tugged at the corners of Beatrice's lips as she nodded. "That... that sounds really good. I would love that."

"Good," Rooster murmured, his thumb brushing over her cheek to wipe away the last of her tears. "Don’t worry that sweet heart of yours.”

Her heart was filled with love for him, honestly. She sighed, nestling on his shoulder and letting him hug her close, “...yeah…” she whispers, playing with the ends of her night shirt, “...we could do something before you got back to work.”

“Hm?”

“If you want.”

“I mean I still have…” he thought for a bit, “Three more days. So, we can do something around that time.”

Beatrice's words brought a smile to Rooster's face as he held her close, his chin resting on top of her head. He could feel the weight of her worries and emotions, he heard the soft shakiness of her voice but he was glad to see her smiling.

"I'd love that," Rooster replied, his voice soft. "We'll make the most of these three days, okay? We'll spend time with the twins,Nikki, enjoy each other's company, and just... be together."

Beatrice let out a contented sigh, her tense shoulders relaxing as she melted into his embrace. "That sounds perfect," she whispered. “Any..ideas? I mean,I’m open for anything you might want.”

“Actually.” he smirks, “I might have one.”

[nierly-amazing]

Open the Memory Cage: Chapter 24: Shenanigans

Thank you so so much to jJohn313 for being a huge support and kickstarting me into writing again! This still would be in fic limbo (heh) if not for him!

Summary:

Take two…three…four…seven…eight…

[Read on Ao3]

[Like my work? Support me on ko-fi!]

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Chapter Text

“Don’t you think it’s a little weird to be meddling in someone’s love life like this?” A2 grunted and handed 9S a bag of fruit. “How many picnics have you had so far?”

“We’re not—” 9S snapped. “I mean, we’re trying to—” he slams the lid of the picnic box. “Shut up.”

A2 shrugged and walked off. 

11S rolled toward them on an old office chair. "Let's see. So far you've been to the flower fields, the cool spot by the factory where you got attacked by seagulls, the amusement park where you all nearly got killed by that bunny robot..." He leaned back in his chair which gave a threatening creak. "...the spot by the desert where Jackass was testing her new explosives..."

"Yes, we remember," 9S sighed.

11S continued as if he didn't hear him. "...the entrance to the Forest Kingdom because you remembered 21O and 6O can't reach the library without falling apart, aaand the desert oasis that got hit by a sandstorm."

9S glared.

"Okay, geez." 11S rolled away.

“A2 does have a point,” 2B said. She casually slipped a few sandwiches behind the shelves. “Should we really be doing this?”

“It’s fine, it’s for the greater good!”

“The greater good? What do you mean?”

“Don’t worry about it, let’s go!”

6O dug into the bowl of apples and settled herself on the frayed, vaguely plaid blanket. “Thank you so so much for inviting us to another picnic!” she beamed.

“Of course!” 9S said with a mouthful of PBJLT. He scrunched his face up while swallowing the mess.

The Scanners had gotten more creative with sandwiches for their picnic since the previous attempt was less than impressive. Since they lacked the old recipes for condiments, they had to make do with whatever substitutions they could get their hands on. Plus, the thought of killing an animal to put part of its flesh on some bread when they didn’t need to eat seemed—as 42S put it lightly—pretty fucking disturbing.

9S was skeptical at first at the choice, but 13S and 14S assured him they taste-tested them beforehand. 

I don’t think they know that ‘taste-testing’ means making sure it passes the test. He quickly washed it down with a glass of fresh-squeezed juice. 

At least the drink was good, if a bit chunky.

2B and the Operators each took a sandwich. The Operators quickly tossed theirs behind them when they thought no one was looking but 2B took a few small bites from hers. She made an expression 9S couldn’t decipher and set it back on the plate.

After a bit of idle chit-chat, 9S messaged Anemone to call. Thankfully, it came a lot sooner than before. 

“ Geez , Anemone, why do you have to keep calling during our picnics like that? Can’t it wait?” He faked a heavy sigh.

“What do you mean, this was your id—”

“Right! We’ll be there in ten!” He nearly batted his pod out of the air to close the channel.

The Operators both tilted their heads at him.

“I’m so sorry, Anemone needs us again. It’s so inconvenient!”

“What did she need you for?” 6O asked.

“I dunno but it sounds important.”

21O simply looked at him then at 6O. They shrugged.

9S stood and dusted crumbs off himself before he grabbed 2B and turned on his heels. “We’ll be back ASAP! Bye!” They took off at a brisk pace toward the nearest building, dodged behind it, and waited. And waited. And waited. Again, nothing happened. The Operators kept nibbling on the fruit only and engaged in what seemed like small talk. 

9S sighed louder than he anticipated. 2B gave him a questioning hum.

“Man, I know these things take time and like I’ve said before we just gotta be patient with them but maaaaaaan.”

“Maybe we can stay the whole time next time,” 2B offered as she peeked out at them.

“Well, they definitely won't say anything in front of us.”

“No, I mean,” she paused and leaned back toward him, “I would like to have just one uninterrupted picnic to spend time with all of you.”

9S sat up straight. “Oh.” He shifted his gaze to a trail of ants on the wall. “Ohhh, 2B I’m sorry. I didn’t even think about that. I was so focused, I didn’t—”

“Nines, it’s not that big of a deal,” 2B snorted. 

“You sure? I feel like I’ve been messing up a lot lately.”

“I’m sure. It’s nothing compared to what I’ve—”

“Hey!” 9S put his hand over her mouth. “Don’t talk like that!”

2B whined.

“ 2B ,” he pouted.

“Okay,” she said, muffled through his fingers.

He pulled his hand back and bumped his forehead against hers. She blushed.

After a minute 2B spoke up. “You know, if I can’t say things like that you can’t either.”

“What?”

“You can’t say you’ve messed up like that.”

“But that’s not the same! That—” 2B slapped her hand over his mouth. “Hey!” 

“ Nines, ” she said in the same tone he did.

“Yeah, yeah.”

2B snorted and headbutted him.

9S headbutted her back, pushed her against the wall, and pressed his knee between her legs. Her arms slid up his back as he leaned in for a kiss. 

“I love you, 2B, don’t ever forget that.” He pressed his fingers to her thigh.

“I love you too, Nines. But…” She grabbed his hand.

“Hm?” He leaned back and looked at her with half-lidded eyes.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Oh, right.” He coughed and shifted his legs. “Anyway, you’re right, let’s just have a normal picnic next time!”

---

The next picnic was not, in fact, a normal picnic.

“How was I supposed to know we set up between a moose and her baby?” 9S exclaimed over the ruins of their picnic. “Pod only scans for machines, not wildlife!”

“You still picked the spot, son .” 21O crossed her arms.

“Not sure I like you saying it that way.”

“It’s fine you two!” 6O said while she rubbed her wrist. “The moose didn’t hit me, I just fell! It doesn't hurt that bad. It's not like I have glass bones or paper skin or anything!” 

“Still, we need to be careful,” 21O sighed. She turned back to 9S. “ You need to be more mindful when choosing a location. Might I remind you what happened last time...times.”

“Hey, why are you singling me out? 2B helped pick—” His words caught in his throat.

2B looked at him with a frown.

“Er—sorry, 2B. It’s not anybody’s fault. Let’s just find a new place before the moose decides to come back with reinforcements.”

“Fine,” 21O huffed.

6O sighed. 

2B finished bagging up all the supplies in their muddied picnic blanket and threw it over her shoulders. It hit her back with a loud crunch.

“Oops.”

9S held back a groan.

---

They re-set up at the top of a shrubby hill and dusted off the surviving fruits. 9S nestled himself in 2B’s lap and popped a cherry in her mouth. She bit down a little and her expression softened as the sweet juice flowed into her mouth. And then…

Crunch.

9S sat up. 2B kept crunching but tilted her head at him. He bit his lip.

“Nines?” She swallowed.

“Nothing, it’s fine.” He gave her another cherry.

6O and 21O each took a handful of cherries.

Crunch.

9S cringed. The crunching continued. Inside him a battle waged. He picked up another cherry. He looked to 2B, 6O, and 21O as they happily munched and crunched the stony pits. He looked back to the cherry, shrugged, popped it in his mouth, and bit down.

Crunch. 

Well, at least their teeth weren’t made of chalk or anything. 

“Wow, humans sure had strong teeth to be able to eat lots of these,” 6O mused between crunches.

“...Yeah,” 9S said. “Y’know, I kinda prefer it without the seed.” He spat one out into the grass. He nodded. “Mmm, much better! Try it!”

6O and 21O shrugged and spat theirs out too. 

“Agreed,” 21O said after a moment. 6O nodded, too.

“I like the crunch,” 2B said and popped another in her mouth.

Crunch.

9S bit the inside of his lip.

“Hey, 2B?”

“Hm?”

“I bet I can spit this further than you can!” He aimed and fired a seed into some bushes a few meters away.

2B’s eyes lit up and she immediately shot her seed out further than he could ever dream of, which sprayed him with cherry bits in the process.

She covered her mouth. “Sorry!”

9S snorted and wiped his face. He began to laugh. He grabbed another cherry and shot its seed after 2B’s, much further than before but nowhere near hers. He coughed on a bit of juice and tried again, still laughing.

6O joined in, then 2B; they took more cherries and shot the pits out over and over. A warm feeling grew inside him and he leaned against 2B. She hummed and leaned back but only until she got another cherry. She angled her head with laser precision and launched the seed.

“Come on, 21O!” 6O nudged her. “Join us!”

“I don’t see wh—” She rolled a cherry between her fingers and looked at the others smiling like dorks. A small smile grew on her face. “Oh hell, why not?” She popped the cherry in her mouth and with a deep breath launched the whole thing a few meters away. A small bird sitting in the brush nearby pounced and flew off with the treat.

“Good enough,” 9S chuckled. He leaned against 2B once more and hooked his arm around her for support. 21O huffed and tried again. 

9S felt something welling up in his chest. “I’m really glad you came back to us,” he hummed. “I missed this.”

21O raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? We’ve never done this before.”

“I mean like…” He pinched his chin. “I don’t know how to explain it. I know we haven’t done anything like this but it feels right. Like in another universe, this would have been a normal experience for us.”

“Yeah, I feel that,” 6O nodded. “Despite being so distanced from each other back with YorHa, there was still that feeling of…family.” She looked at 21O but looked away when she returned her gaze.

2B pulled 9S closer to her. She didn’t speak but the look on her face made 9S feel warm. 

“Despite everything,” 9S murmured, “the four of us still managed to get out of this alive. More or less.”

21O wiped her eyes and nodded. “Despite everything, we’re still here.”

---

How was the picnic?

It was great!

We shot cherry seeds from our mouths.

Ah. Ok. Did they confess finally?

No. But we might be getting close. Maybe.

You gotta invite us next time.

Yeah, we’re kinda jealous. You have all that good food all to yourselves.

Well, there is a lot of food, yes.

You’ve had six picnics and never with ussssssssss!

What’s stopping you from having your own?

…Good point.

We’re gonna need more supplies.

Easy peasy! I’m a pro at these things now!

Anyway! They’re gonna start getting suspicious about you leaving all the time if they haven’t already.

Do you think it’s time?

For the ultimate romantic getaway?

The what? Oh, the Lunar Tears?

Yeah, why haven’t you gone there already? That’s like the easy way to get a confession from at least one of them.

True, but I’m worried if that doesn’t work then nothing will.

Maybe just leave them be after this.

Nobody asked you.

Knock it off. 

Hmph.

She’s right though. If this doesn’t work then give them a break for a while and see what happens.

I guess. Well, let’s make sure this is The One.

We’re gonna need some candles and the best sandwiches we can create!

Just fruit is fine.

[yourfaveplaysstardewvalley]

A2 (Nier: Automata) discovered the file to Stardew Valley while in The Tower library. She didn't think anything of it--just some strange relic of humanity. There was no time to play it, of course.

But in a universe that she could have, she would have found humor in human relationships and the portrayal of a different world. After that moment of humor, though, she would have switched over to thinking it was dumb again.

9S would have loved the game for similar reasons--a look into the oddities of humanity. Something to marvel over and laugh. He would try to get 2B to play multiplayer.

6O would have loved the game and planted tons and tons of flowers. Her farm would be completely covered in plants and animals to the point of struggling to have enough daylight in game to finish tasks.

2B wouldn't have cared for the game until she saw how much joy it gave 6O and 9S. However, she would end up enjoying it.

21O would be annoyed to hear about it all.

[meetthetank]

Peccatum chapter 5: Army of White

goddamnit I keep forgetting to post updates here I apologize

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14454675/chapters/38075438

a NieR Automata: Fantasy AU

For 2B, traveling with a platoon of strangers is a stressful endeavor. The wary stares of armed and armored soldiers put her on edge, even as she stays close to 9S. She writes it off as making sure he’s managing his injuries well, which isn’t a complete lie. There are times where his pace slows and 2B can hear him struggle to breathe, but those are few and far between. For the entirety of the last leg of the journey, 9S stays information behind the lieutenant, Jackass, with 2B beside him. The other soldiers file in line after them, their eyes rarely leaving the strange newcomer attached at the hip to the young scout.

9S tries to make conversation with her, but he doesn’t press her for much of anything this time. His hand curls around his pendant occasionally and he refuses to meet her gaze at all really. Each time one of their brief conversations ends, he casts his eyes down to the earth almost shamefully and hides his pendant beneath his thin coat. Why he feels the need to hide from her, 2B doesn’t quite understand. She had given him the charm back, that should have told him enough about her opinion of him. Humans, or hybrids in this case, sure were strange creatures.

Though 2B is curious as to what exactly the other side of 9S’ bloodline is, it strikes her as exceedingly rude to ask, especially when he seems so ashamed of it. With her limited knowledge of the vast variety of demons, it makes it difficult for her to take a guess. He definitely wasn’t any of the ones comprised of bone and tar, or the shadow hounds or the strange rider and horse. 2B has no idea which species have the capability to breed with humans as well. Perhaps some of the stronger varieties, the ones that lead the legions and give orders? She feels as if she has the right to know but now is not the time. There are too many strangers watching her every move.

Jackass, the lieutenant, occasionally tosses some short questions back at 9S, mainly to ask if he’s holding up. There’s an electric glint in the eyes of the androgynous lieutenant that sets her on edge a bit. It’s a similar feeling to how she first felt around 9S, but different. More potent in a way. The piercing blue eyes linger on 2B just a little too long for comfort, not to mention the fact that she can’t read her expression at all. It’s almost analytical, scrutinizing and dissecting every part of 2B. Between her, Jackass, and 9S, the air of distrust is almost palpable.

The smells of metal, mud, and humans hit 2B the moment a small complex of tents comes into view. Nestled among rolling hills and surrounded by thick woods is a sprawling camp populated with countless soldiers bustling about. Some brandishing a once pristine white armor with deep blue accents, others in common attire move back and forth between tents carrying crates of supplies. 2B tenses up at the thought of being surrounded by even more strangers. Maybe coming to the aid of 9S was a bad idea…

“Alright, you lot are dismissed. Go clean up and get something to eat.” Jackass says with a dismissive wave of her hand, “9S, you and your new friend come with me for debrief.”

“Yessir,” 9S responds dutifully, yet quietly. His posture turns a bit more upright.

The soil beneath them turns to well-worn grass and patches of mud, the smell of fresh rain dampening the scents of human activity. Jackass’ squadron disperses in various directions as the three pass by certain tents. Hushed whispers and pointed stares follow 2B, who simply ignores all but 9S and Jackass. If she tries to place all of the sounds and smells, she’ll be overwhelmed in an instant. For someone with senses heightened beyond what a typical human is capable of, a busy military camp is a nightmare.

Despite her focus, something familiar breaks through 2B’s concentration. A light breeze carries the delicate scent of exotic flowers and a feminine voice.

“2B?”

Her head whips around at the sound of her name, immediately set on edge. At least until she sees exactly who called her.

“2B is that you?!”

The soft padding of bare feet on mud rushes towards her. A mass of green cloth and blonde hair launches herself at 2B, who just barely manages to catch her in time. Thin arms wrap around 2B’s shoulders, and while she’s too stunned to reciprocate at first, she returns the excited embrace of her old friend. The various trinkets and charms that adorn 6O clink and jingle as she bounces on the balls of her feet.

“6O? What are you doing here?”

She giggles a bit, “I joined up a while ago, I never thought I’d see you here!! How are you? What are you doing out this far from your village? Or from the Weald for that matter?”

“Uh…” 9S approaches the two women and clears his throat, “6O, you know her?”

"9S! You're back safe!" She reaches out with the long, gnarled staff she holds and pulls him into her other arm, squeezing the both of them tightly. 9S winces in pain but pushes it down before she notices. "I was starting to worry. But you're ok! And you know 2B too? She's an old friend of mine, we met aaaages ago. It's kind of a long story."

She lets go of the two of them, luckily for 9S. He brushes some dust and dirt from his clothes as a way to mask his slightly labored breathing. If 6O noticed that he was still nursing an injury she’d never leave him alone.

“Well...I helped her, then she got me out of a jam and then we started traveling together.” He casts a quick look at 2B, who nods in confirmation, “I thought that we might help her get a lead on her lost sibling.”

6O’s smile falls slightly, “You’re looking for A2? But doesn’t that mean-”

“9S!” Jackass shouts from a yard or so away, “Not the time for chatter, the Commander’s waiting!”

“Coming!” he answers, then cuts himself off mid-stride, “Um...2B I don’t think you-...”

“Don’t worry,” 6O pipes up grabbing onto 2B’s hand with a wide smile, “2B and I have a lot of catching up to do. I’ll show her around camp.”

9S nods, “Okay, I’ll meet you two in mess tent when I’m done.”

With one last goodbye and a concerned glance at a very bewildered 2B, 9S trots over to Jackass’ side.

“Sorry, I didn’t want to leave her unsupervised,” he mutters to his superior.

“Eh, good idea. Don’t want a confused Coatyl wandering around a military camp.”

9S responds with a quiet hum and spares another quick look back at 6O chatting excitedly at 2B. He takes great pride in his job, of course. He’s one of the best scouts in this small army and as such he gets to report directly to the Commander, but there’s an immense pressure on him to present his findings perfectly because from his findings the Commander devises the next move of the entire army.

They approach one of the larger tents at the center of camp. Two soldiers in the army’s signature white and deep navy blue armor snap to attention as Jackass and 9S push past the flaps without announcing themselves.

“Joanna-...Lieutenant.” the commander rises to her full height, towering over 9S and Jackass both. Her blonde hair is pulled back into a tight bun, accenting the piercing steely grey eyes that bore into 9S with an intensity that would make a lesser man cower, “9S. Glad to see you both returned safely.”

“White.” Jackass greets with a sly upward tick of her lips which grows in response to the Commander’s scowl. She straightens up slightly as she claps 9S on the shoulder, “Go on with your reports.”

9S clears his throat, meeting the stern gaze of the commander, “I patrolled along the northern coastline, visiting small villages and scouring the surrounding woods for signs of demonic activity. There were wandering bands of Medullum, which the common folk have taken to calling ‘bonemen’, hiding out in a cave system deep in the forests. More troubling than that, however, are the Hounds and Houndmaster Jackass and I encountered we believe to be raiding parties.”

Commander White nods as 9S points to the locations of the razed villages and demon camps on a map that sprawls across the table. There are a lot more towns and villages marked with a red X than he recalls. In fact, the whole area to the north is crossed off…

“...What about the other scouting parties? Did they find anything?”

The Commander sighs, “Nothing beyond burnt farmlands and corpses.”

“Oh…And the missing scouts?”

“Still no word from any of the parties sent to the northwest of the coast. You’re the only one sent there to return.” Her head lowers a bit, “We...have to assume the worst at this point.”

9S bites back the small lump forming in his throat. He considered the other scouts his friends, and now a handful of faces are gone. He knows he should be used to people dying by now, but the toll has gotten so much worse as the war has dragged on.

“...In regards to what I’ve observed…” he says after taking a deep breath to steady himself, “And from what I can gather from the map, it looks like the demons are forcing the population to the coasts. I came across people fleeing the razed villages in droves,” 9S brings out a small leatherbound pad of parchment, “Many of them said they were heading to Vigo.”

“We think they might be trying to hop a trade ship.” Jackass interjects, “But if there’s a heavy demon presence in the surrounding area, sea traffic is going to stop and they’re going to be stuck.”

“Which is exactly what the demons would want, I think.” 9S states, running his finger along his notes, “They could wipe out the population in one ambush. They’d have nowhere to run.”

“I see…” White mutters as she scribbles something on her own sheet of parchment,

“There’s also, um…” 9S falters for a moment, “There’s one other thing I need to mention.”

White raises an eyebrow, “What is it.”

“I...Well, I met someone, a Coatyl.”

“A Coatyl?”

“Yes. Her name is 2B.”

“And she was alone?”

"Yes?"

"And she's here?"

“Y-yes?”

The Commander levels her steely gaze at 9S, “Do you realize how dangerous that is?”

“I...I did not.” he stammers and swallows hard, “Sorry, I’m not too familiar with Coatyls.”

White looks to Jackass, “Well?”

“From what I’ve seen, she has no love of demons, that's for sure. She hasn’t done anything to warrant concern on my end. She’s mentioned looking for her lost sibling as well. Doesn’t dissuade the other concerns I have about a lone Coatyl in a military camp.”

“She’s saved my life and I’ve saved hers in turn.” 9S adds, “I don’t think she’ll be a problem, and I don’t think she’ll be around for very long. She’s just looking for a direction to go in.”

The Commander looks back and forth between her Lieutenant and 9S, “...If this Coatyl is to stay in my camp, you’re going to be responsible for her behavior. Am I clear, 9S.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

“Pardon me,” a young soldier says before entering the tent, “Sorry to interrupt, but 21O is looking for 9S.”

“Go ahead,” Commander White says with a wave of her hand, “Dismissed.”

As 9S exits the tent, the Commander calls for Jackass to stay behind. Normally he’d linger around the tent to try and get some juicy information, but today was already too hectic to pull that kind of stunt again. Besides, he had gotten busted last time and did not want to end up on latrine duty for the fourth week in a row. Still, the temptation of hearing what the Commander herself has to say to the chief information officer is strong enough for him to slow his pace just a tad. Unfortunately for him, their voices are kept so low that they’re muffled by the thick fabric of the tent.

It’s a short walk through the camp to the aviary since most of the activity in camp seems to be winding down for the evening. Everyone who isn’t busy is probably in the mess tent for dinner or washing up after the day. A scout taking a couple horses out to graze waves idly to 9S as he passes by, which he returns with a small smile.

The agitated croaking of ravens echoes from one of the larger tents on the outskirts of camp as 9S approaches it. Worried that 21O might need some help with whatever is bothering the birds, he shoves his way through the flaps of the tent.

“Mom? What's wrong with the-”

Immediately he’s greeted by the sight of 2B in the middle of the aviary surrounded by a flock of ravens hissing and croaking at the perceived threat. She stands stiff, her eyes darting around the room, hissing in a low tone when one bird hops a little too close for her comfort. She’s so distracted she doesn’t notice 9S enter the tent.

“9S who is this.”

21O storms over to 9S, her feather patterned cloak fluttering behind her. He jumps at her sudden appearance and interrogation.

“Uh, her name-”

“6O left her here while she went to take care of something. She’s upsetting my birds.”

“Her name is 2B. She and I-”

“9S,” 2B jogs over to his side, causing the ravens to all scatter and scream.

“Mom wait let me-”

“She’s your mother?”

“Yes, but-”

9S rushes over to help 21O calm the flock of startled birds with a small device that he clicks and follows up with a treat.

“Here, 2B.” he takes her hand and places a small chunk of meat in her palm, then holds it out to one of the birds, “They’re still nervous around you. This’ll help them calm down.”

21O watches with cautious eyes as her raven snatches the meat from this strange woman’s hand. With 9S’ assistance, she repeats the process until the flock is calmed down enough for them continue with their conversation.

“Okay…” 9S begins. He recounts past events, retelling how he found 2B struggling to swim in the ocean, how she rescued him from the Medullum in the caves, their travels together ultimately meeting up with Jackass and her personal squadron. He’s taken aback in the middle of his story of how much has happened between the two of them in the short time they’ve known each other.

“...So you brought a female Coatyl you found alone into the middle of a military camp. Am I understanding this correctly.”

“Well, when you put it like that-”

“What on the god’s green earth were you thinking?” she accuses, “Do you have any idea how much danger you put yourself in?”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?!”

“I’m looking for my sibling.” 2B interjects, just barely hiding an indignant glare, “They left our home months ago to hunt demons. If what 9S told me about this army is true, then I might be able to find them here. I will move on once I have some sort of lead on their whereabouts.”

21O signs and pinches the bridge of her nose, “...And your commanding officer approved this?” she asks 9S.

“Yes, the Commander said that I’m held accountable for her.”

She stares at the two of them, this oddity of a pair. 9S seems genuine about helping her, which isn’t out of the ordinary for him at all. Yet there’s a lingering fear that makes the raven master hesitate. Of course, she trusts her boy’s judgment, but at the same time, there’s that little voice in the back of her mind that warns her to be cautious around this strange new woman. Especially one that seems so close to her son already.

But that’s a conversation for her and 9S alone.

“She’s not dangerous.” 9S says a bit definitely, “She’s not going to hurt you, or me, or your birds, or anyone.”

9S’ pale blue eyes bore into 21O. She can’t remember the last time he was so adamant about anything. Maybe when he would try to get an extra sweet for dessert when he was little, but this has more repercussions than a stomach ache if something were to go wrong.

“...I suppose the decision has been made already, then.” she sighs.

An awkward silence passes between 9S and 21O, neither one having to say much more to the other in the presence of the newcomer.

“Come on, 2B.,” he says, pulling her by the hand to leave the aviary, “Let’s go back to 6O.”

[this-wandering-lamb]

[G]ravesite

The world surprised 2B with its beauty, even after the devastation of war. It hadn't been something she considered in the past. She’d never given it much thought after all. It was pointless and unnecessary to admire the scenery. The purpose of knowing the environment was all about tactical positioning, understanding the terrain and knowing how to utilize one’s surroundings to their advantage during combat.

Yet...

From the derelict city ruins, overgrown with foliage and sprawling tree roots that weaved into the old skeletons of buildings, to the desert— golden and shimmering with dry heat in its ever-shifting undulating sand dunes; the vast ocean, swallowing structures whole, the evergreen forest, lush and humid and even the rundown amusement park, 2B found herself instilled with a sense of quiet wonder at how the Earth persisted even when all else had fallen to ruin.

She and 9S had been visiting these areas one at a time, patrolling for any suspicious activities and helping the remaining resistance members collect materials for supplies. With the Bunker gone, it was all they could do to keep up with maintenance and repairs. They’d rested now in the flooded city, fishing on the top of a collapsed building with the cold, briny breeze tousling their hair.

The tip of 2B’s boot brushed against something and she glanced down. It was a white flower with luminescent petals.

“This flower. It looks familiar.”

On cue, her tactical support unit, Pod 042 spoke. “Analysis: It is a rare plant known as a Lunar Tear.”

Ah, 2B remembered now. She and 9S had helped Emil track down the locations of these flowers a long time ago. He’d led them to an underground cavern where they bloomed by the hundreds, lighting up the darkness with their soft luminous glow.

Her heart felt heavy and swollen in her chest. 6O would have liked to see it.

As if reading her thoughts, her Pod intoned, “Proposal: Unit 2B should visit the area beneath the shopping mall."

Her gaze lingered on the flower. “And why is that?” she asked.

“Hypothesis: Unit 2B has been visiting several locations of interest. It would be beneficial to visit all of them to ensure a proper investigation is carried out.”

2B was quiet for a bit. Then she said, “Pod, mark down the location of the cavern.”

“Affirmative. Marking on map.”

“Wait, you're going all the way there? Why?” 9S looked up from his fishing in surprise.

“I want to see the Lunar Tears,” she replied simply.

“Oh, er, couldn’t you just look at the one that’s already here?”

She glanced at him beside her. “No.”

“Oh, okay.” A pause. “Uh, are you sure?”

2B stood up and dusted down her skirt. “You don’t have to come along, 9S. I can travel just fine on my own.”

“No, I’ll come!” His frantic outburst startled 2B just a little. “I mean, I’d like to come. It’s just that with the Bunker gone and the transporters not working, it seems like a lot of trouble for nothing, you know?” he finished lamely.

2B watched him shuffle his feet, skimming the ground with his soles. “I see.”

And so, the pair travelled in silence, with 9S being uncharacteristically quiet. 2B’s heels kicked up loose dirt and grass as her long legs pounded a steady rhythm. 9S followed close behind, jogging a little faster to keep up with her. When they finally crossed the bridge and into the commercial facility, 9S continued to look distant. 2B glanced at him running beside her. He was still behaving oddly. She knew him to be positively garrulous, often filling their journeys with his incessant chatter. ...not that she minded.

“Is something the matter, 9S?” she asked after a while. When he didn't respond, 2B frowned slightly. “9S?”

9S jolted and almost stumbled on a tree root. “Oh, huh? Yeah, ah, sorry 2B, I was just um, thinking.”

9S was usually generous with his information but this time he didn’t provide more and 2B found herself in the peculiar position of prodding him for details. “What about?”

“Oh, er, I just thought it’s funny how the war has ended and everything but I still can’t buy you a T-shirt like I promised.” He laughed. “Maybe we should make our own?”

T-shirts? Was that really what he was concerned about? It felt like such a trivial and minuscule thing to occupy 9S’ mind. Still, 2B offered him a small smile. “Whenever you’re ready, I'm all for it.”

9S flashed her a warm grin in return but fell silent again when they entered the elevator. 2B suspected he had more on his mind besides T-shirts, but she didn’t know how to bring it up and remained quiet too. They both listened to the ancient rattle of the elevator as they began their descent into the cavern.

When the doors creaked open, 2B was greeted with a beautiful sight. The cavern was just as she remembered it. Star-shaped flowers carpeted the ground, covering every inch and filling the cavern with a soft, ethereal light. A dilapidated shack from the Old World stood at the side all in its lonesome, lovingly preserved and untouched. Though she could not explain it, 2B felt an inexplicable draw to this place. There was a quiet serenity that emanated within the hollow, filling her senses with a pervading sense of peace.

It was beautiful.

With a sharp twinge of regret, 2B wondered why she hadn’t thought to send Operator 6O a photograph of this place before. Now it was too late.

Amongst the field of flowers however, stood something unfamiliar — a single wooden stake, washed pale by the light of the flowers. At its tip fluttered a long black cloth, wrapped neatly around. Something about it looked oddly familiar though 2B couldn’t quite place why. “Was this here before?” she murmured.

Pod 042 promptly responded to her question. “Negative. Hypothesis: Structure was added recently.”

She felt the dark fabric between her fingers, and it suddenly it hit her why it had looked so familiar. “This is my old battle visor. What is it doing here?”

“Unknown”

“That’s strange,” she turned to look at 9S. Like before, he was unusually quiet during this exchange. Usually, he would be the first to leap at the opportunity to investigate anything new or amiss, such was his folly. He was a Scanner-type model after all. Yet right now, he seemed perfectly content to stay where he was, hovering close to the entrance. “9S, did you know about this?”

9S shifted uneasily. “Uh, no. Not really.”

To her surprise, 9S’ Pod spoke up: “Negative. Correction: Unit 9S placed said marker on current location approximately 37 days ago. Query: Why is Unit 9S denying his involvement?”

Bewildered, 2B turned her attention back to 9S. “9S?” she asked.

He shuffled around sheepishly, running his foot through the field of luminous petals, kicking at the grass. They all watched him squirm uncomfortably for a moment longer before he finally responded. “A...a resistance member once told me how humans had rituals to mourn their dead,” 9S explained, his voice soft and faraway. “They would lay their fallen with flowers and wish peace on their souls.”

While 9S spoke, 2B couldn't help but notice that he didn't meet her gaze. Even stranger was the faint blush that tinged his cheeks.

Very quietly he continued, “After what happened, after you were...gone.” 9S’ voice grew tight. “I..I hoped that you would find peace and rest too. Or something...something close to it. So I did this.” He gestured to the grave marker. “Maybe it’s stupid, but I felt like I had to. Or wanted to. I-I don't really remember the full details now. My head was really...fuzzy then.”

2B was stupefied. Had he really done all that, just for her? She was about to speak when 9S’ pod interrupted her. “Correction: Unit 9S has left out a crucial detail.”

“Oh really? I. Don’t. Remember,” he said through gritted teeth, glaring at his Pod.

“Affirmative. Fortunately, this unit is programmed with recording capabilities. Initiating playback.”

“W-wait, don—”

“2B,” 9S’s voice came through the soft static fuzz. There was a hollow tiredness to his voice. “I'm not quite sure what it means to mourn or even to have a soul to concern ourselves with. But I hope you're at rest, 2B. Sweet dreams. I'll be with you before long. End playback.”

“No,” 9S groaned, covering his face with his hand, clearly mortified. “No, why did you do that?”

“Unit 9S mentioned that he did not remember. I simply provided assista—”

“No, nevermind. Pod 153, please shut up.” 9S practically looked like he was caving in on himself, shying away from 2B.

“9S…” He was willing to end his life over her? 2B wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but her stomach clenched unpleasantly. At first she didn't understand why he was acting so strangely, but then she remembered her last message to him — hastily recorded in her final moments of desperation as her flight unit plummeted to the ground — and her face suddenly felt hot. She thought that perhaps she now understood because suddenly, she too, found it hard to meet his gaze. This act of his... A long time ago, she had dismissed the notion of gifts to be pointless and rude. 9S had argued that it was the feelings behind the gifts that mattered instead. 2B thought that maybe, she finally understood what he meant.

"Thank you, 9S,” she said. "Perhaps gifts are not such useless rituals after all." The feeling behind it, the gesture — it touched her.

He looked at her, visibly stunned and gave her a thin, watery smile. "You like it when I erect a grave for you?" He laughed weakly. "You're so weird, 2B."

2B took mild offence to this but decided to let it slide. "The feelings behind the gesture is...acceptable." It was her turn to feel embarrassed. “Appreciated, even.”

9S had an incredulous look on his face. “I can make you other things, you know? Not just graves.” He laughed a sad laugh that brought a lump to 2B’s throat.

“Like T-shirts?”

At that, 9S broke into a tiny grin. “Yeah, like T-shirts.”

For a moment, no one spoke and the quiet hush of the cavern fell upon them, dark and intimate.

“Hey, 2B?” 9S said suddenly. “I'm really glad you're here now.” He swallowed audibly and masked it with a shaky laugh. “Like really, really glad, you know? It was horrible without you around. It was truly horrible.”

His words gnawed at her chest, sharp and painful. It was strange to see 9S so subdued and meek instead of capering around with his usual tireless energy, full of curiosity and reckless abandon. He looked so small and forlorn. So...vulnerable. 2B’s fingers twitched involuntarily — muscle memory ghosting through her bones and the thought came unbidden and unwelcome:

It would be so easy to kill him right now. To snap his neck where he stood; defenseless and vulnerable.

She could make it end swiftly — a blade to the head, to the chest, to the base of his neck — there was a multitude of ways to get the job done and 2B hated that it all came so easily, almost unthinkingly. How many times over had she considered the swiftest, most painless way to do so? She couldn’t help it. At his most vulnerable, it was all she could think of.

A tight lump rose in her throat and she clenched her fists. No, she reminded herself. There's no need. Not any more. With YorHa gone, she didn’t have to follow her orders. She didn’t have orders to follow.

But now that it was all over for good, something deep in her chest hurt; it squeezed so tight she could hardly breathe. Her hands were dirty with innocent blood. His innocent blood. She'd never let guilt bother her before — or at least, she tried not to. How could she afford to if she were to go through with her mission over and over without end? How many times did she have to kill him? It’s been an eternity and she'd long lost count. She dared not voice her thoughts lest her Pod told her just how many times.

She swallowed hard and let out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding. Was this really alright? This whole time, acting and pretending like nothing ever happened. Could she really spend time with him like this? She wondered if he could ever forgive her. Surely he hated her?

“2B?” 9S asked hesitantly. She had let the silence drag on long enough. “Are you alright?”

Despite the tightness of her chest, she felt a sudden fondness bloom warm and true. She felt deeply for him. Emotions were no longer prohibited with the collapse of YoRHa. There was no longer a need to heed protocol. So perhaps...perhaps she could allow herself this one, previously illicit indulgence, long snuffed out and buried under the weight of her sins. To be free from her duty. To be free from her burden.

For once, perhaps she could finally get to truly know him.

As 9S continued to fidget, unbeknownst to either of them, 2B’s gaze softened behind her visor. Unthinkingly, she raised a gloved hand and rested it gently on his head, brushing his bangs aside with gentle fingers.

9S stilled beneath her hand, stiffening. He looked up at her and asked again, his voice soft and tinged with concern. “2B?”

Startled, 2B removed her hand. "I— I’m,” She jerked her hand close to her chest and turned her face away, feeling it burn. “Let's go, Nines."

With her back turned, 2B failed to see the surprise on 9S’ face melt into a small, happy smile. He nodded his head. “…yeah!”

[dawnasiler]

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beautifulwithbrains.com

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Is Epionce Lytic Tx Retexturizing Lotion The Gentlest Way To Get Rid Of Blackheads? syndicated from beautifulwithbrains.com

[floralharjuku]

Ad Hominem

The sight of so much pure white for the first time in three-fourths of a century is enough to give him pause, an involuntary impulse flipping the trigger deep with in his memory unit. Memories flood him unbidden, memories of unholy crucifixion at the hands of a humanoid machine, of the Tower that rose from the earth, a burning flare of mental anguish that ate away at him every step he took closer to the death he so craved, memories of a castle in the sky, its white walls hiding secrets that damned them all, memories of a sword, gleaming, brilliant white, jammed to the hilt in his chest as he couldn’t even let out a scream of pain, just a strained gurgle.

It’s near unnoticeable, but…

He tremors. His bare hands shake over the neatly folded clothing, his pulse rate climbing with each beat of his artificial heart, which was less romantic of a notion as a “heart” and more of a glorified pump system.

Calm down…He shakes his head and grasps his right wrist with his left hand, holding it steady. It’s okay.

Taking a long swallow, he manages to finally touch the garments, ghosting his fingers over the Resistance handy work.

They truly had done so much for him, first by allowing himself and 2B to remain with them even after revealing that YoRHa and what little they had to fight for was all a fabrication to keep them placated, and then by doing this…

They owed the Resistance their lives. Truly, without them, they would have long perished alone in the grand scheme of things.

His fingers massaged the embroidery of the garment as he carefully dressed. They had managed to capture it down to the slightest detail, even down to the slight curvature in the stitching. He expected no less from an android, but he mostly reserved this kind of skill for practical purposes, such as repairing a tent or patching the frayed fabric of someone’s work pants. According to the records, humans wore these kinds of garments only once and wearing them now, he could see why.

He hadn’t worn his YoRHa uniform for quite some time, the very thought sending him into a panic he couldn’t calm despite the soothing words from 2B or his Pod. Sometimes, he would simply bore his eyes into the crumbling concrete walls of their room, lost in memories of anguish and anger.

But this uniform was different. Instead of the stoic black of the YoRHa, he was clad head to toe in the soft, creamy white of marriage. He flexed his fingers, testing the new leather of the gloves. They fit well, almost as well as he remembers his own, which are buried in the deepest part of a box he keeps underneath his bed.

He’s not shaking anymore, he notices as he ties the blindfold over his eyes. He’s forgotten how it used to feel, having abandoned that practice with her years ago, but the symbolism of this moment doesn’t belong to them; it belongs to cultures long since dead and forgotten, relics of the past they deemed worth reviving. At the very least, they wanted something that was uniquely theirs and theirs alone.

•••

She studies the flowers and knows that the voice of a chipper and chatty Operator will soon follow as it is dragged, kicking and screaming, from her memories.

It’s painful, to think about 6O and YoRHa even so long into the past they were. Despite her programming, she still has moments where she believed that 6O was calling her for another one-sided chat, only to remember her death in graphic detail.

The stems of the flowers have been bound together with repurposed cables, the blossoms carefully arranged in the bouquet of hydrangeas, lilies and other flowers scavenged from the hillsides. The voluminous flowers weren’t her idea or to her taste, but 9S had liked them. As a compromise between them saw the inclusion of scattered Lunar Tears, a gift from the rolling shop himself.

He also supplied the veil that currently rests atop her head, a light fabric she didn’t know the name of flowing past her shoulders and down her back. She wasn’t sure why she needed to cover her face — the meaning of this tradition was lost on her — but Emil seemed to have a well of old world knowledge he could dig into despite the fractures in his memories.

She stood, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Old yet new collided to create a dress that made a strange amalgamation of sadness, fury and joy rise in her. Following the pattern of YoRHa standard dresses, this fit well against her body, feeling as natural to wear as a second skin. However, unlike the YoRHa issued clothing, these were white with soft gold embroidery; clearly, these were not made for war, but as the universal sign for surrender, for peace.

In her fingers, she clutched her visor, this too white and gold. It was non-functional, more for aesthetics and private symbolism than anything. This was the last piece holding them back and once this was done, they would leave YoRHa behind and begin again.

The thought of the future, a future with Nines, spurred her to action. She gently brushed the veil to the side and tied the blindfold over her eyes.

•••

He was blind to their presence, but he knew exactly who they were just based off of the sounds they made. The Resistance took up much of the space with their mismatched voices rising above each other as they spoke, filling the empty space with their chatter. He picks out the excited tone of 4S, his fellow Scanner. He’s recording the entire process to study later on, focusing on each new experience for about a second before whipping around to record something else. But one voice in particular stood out, her voice clearly hesitant and unsure if she should even be here due to her history with the pair.

A2…so she had decided to accept the invitation after all… He was both happy and a bit nervous that she had decided to come. They’ve tried to mend the best they could, but even now, a part of him still hates her, still wants to hunt her down.

9S shifts from foot to foot out of nervous habit, anxiety building in him for an unknown reason and his Pod notices right away.

“Pulse rate palpitations detected in unit 9S,” it never really did lose that unsettling monotone, never quite finding the emotional range that the androids possessed. “Perhaps you should breathe.”

His laugh comes out shaky and quiet, tinkling like shards of broken glass in a dryer. He doesn’t know why the sudden outburst happens, but it does in high-stress moments like this and he can’t stop it. He’s glad that they’re too busy talking to hear or notice his brief moment of madness because he doesn’t want to explain the unexplainable processes in his addled brain.

“I’ll remember that,” he says quietly to his Pod, wishing that he could actually seeher instead of a dark silhouette against the white of the blindfold. But he doesn’t want to look yet, lest he catch a glimpse of 2B before the proper time.

They’ve been separated for more than makes him comfortable and it’s eating at him. In the normal span of a day, he’s never more than shouting distance away from her, most times closely clutching her hand in his.

Maybe he’s clingy. Maybe they both are.

The voices fall silent one by one, a sort of reverent and hushed awe hanging in the air where noise once was. He turns his head before remembering that he can’t see what they do, but now he can hear her footsteps against the concrete.

The urge to look is strong. He wants to see her, to feel what they feel and he wonders if she has the same thoughts about seeing him.

She’s unsure in her steps but follows the path led by her Pod. Sometimes, she sways to the right but a simple correction given by her support and she is centered again.

He’s waiting for her just thirty steps ahead, standing off to the left, probably in the same anxious throes as herself. They’re blind, the moment when they meet will be the first time they see each other and cast away the blindfolds forever. It’s a form of symbolic closure, something only they will understand and therefore the perfect inclusion to this ceremony.

Perhaps it’s only a symbol and they never will escape these memoirs of their past. Perhaps closure is something they don’t deserve. Perhaps they don’t deserve love or happiness or each other.

But…she’s reached him now and stands across from him, her hands tightening around the flowers. Carefully, she reaches up with one hand and mimics the gesture of his silhouette, removing the fabric from around her eyes.

They deserve this, and in that moment when their eyes finally meet, they deserve each other.

•••

It’s a celebratory occasion, and A2 has never been much for celebration. It unnerves her, sets her teeth on edge.

She’s not even sure she should be here, basking in their happiness, their joy, because she knows she’s always holding them back. She’s that dark spot on their white clothing, a stain too stubborn to be scrubbed away. She’s the personification of their nightmares, the ones she knows they have, the ones where she is the murderer of his only reason for living. 2B and herself have already come to terms with the fact that 9S will never fully accept her existence, so when she received the invitation she was wondering if it was a mistake or a shill.

Still, she had dragged herself here, reconsidering it halfway through her journey.

The white-clad pair seemed frozen in place as they finally got to look at each other, eyes roaming over their partner. The lovestruck idiots…if they ever thought they were being discreet, they seriously had some problems.

Her Pod takes the flowers from her, floating with the bouquet obscuring much of the light grey rectangle.

A2 is lost in the whole process, this ceremony having been dragged out of obscurity and altered slightly to more fit an android couple. Certain things changed.

They didn’t need to eat so why would they create a…“cake” was it? Most of these old partnering ceremonies included worship to some sort of God, a thing they didn’t believe in. Anemone tried her best to fill in the blanks but they all knew that something was missing from this moment. It felt incomplete and thus something they, the androids, couldn’t fully adopt.

Perhaps in a few years, as this practice became more common among the lovebirds, they would discover what was missing.

The strange thing was, 9S and 2B didn’t seem to care. Perhaps that what was missing. A2 couldn’t understand the point of this process, but for some reason it mattered so much to them. And, she guessed, maybe that was the point. It didn’t matter if she or anyone in the Resistance understood. At the end, it was about them and what stupid shit they wanted.

Huh, maybe that was the point.

9S trembled as he took 2B’s hands, slowly interlocking their fingers together. They promised each other eternity, something as androids they could easily give to each other (but she chose to not point that out), promised each other faith and honesty. It was the sentimental bullcrap that she had to put up with when she was quasi-traveling with them, but she never commented on it outside of sitting on the outskirts of camp whenever they were being, ehem, overly affectionate. She supposed they deserved it; however, and it never really bothered her outside of leaving a strong feeling of pain in her chest.

The more she watched them, the more that idea was cemented: the idea that they deserved some peace and to be these lovestruck fools who didn’t have to murder each other for the sake of a false mission with no goal other than morale. For the greater good, their torment mattering nothing to their creators. They all deserved a moment to be obnoxious with their happiness.

Applause startled her out of her thoughts and, hurriedly, she brought her hands together, hoping no one noticed her late start.

•••

Anemone was perhaps the only person she felt comfortable around, considering their history together and the cool-headed demeanor of the Resistance leader. “I don’t really get this whole celebration.“ A2 muttered to the darker-skinned android as they leaned against the wall.

“They don’t either,” Anemone chuckled softly as her eyes trailed over to the white pair as they swayed awkwardly to soft music Emil played over his speaker. When A2 had approached him, he seemed excited about the whole thing (of course his face didn’t show it but his voice dripped with energy) and zoomed off to…somewhere before she could prod further.

A2 raised an eyebrow, following her gaze. “So what’s the point?” 9S seemed to be muttering something into 2B’s ear, which left her face unreadable as she nodded stiffly. “I know we don’t have to live by structure anymore but…”

Anemone ran her nails down the back of her opposite arm. She was lost in her processes, mulling over her words carefully before parting her lips and saying softly, “it may well be the last time these two experience anything.” When A2 visibly recoiled, Anemone continued, “I forgot you’ve been disconnected from the Resistance server for a while. But…they offered to be the test subjects for the Gestalt process.”

A2 bit the inside of her cheek at the mere mention of the selfsame project that single-handedly ended the human race. “…you guys are really trying that, huh?” She shook her head. “I can’t say I can see it working.”

Anemone’s voice was laced with passion. “There’s been success in smaller, less complex subjects. We’ve exhausted those trials and it’s only natural that we advance to the next step.” She applauded with the group as the song came to an end, 9S and 2B unfurling from their tight embrace. “They’ve decided they would help us take that step, but they wanted to take it together.”

“And you’re just gonna let them?”

“I can tell you; I tried to convince them otherwise. Nothing I could say could sway them.”

The two were joined on the floor by others who wanted to join in the “dancing” or whatever they wanted to call it. “So…what’s going to happen to them?”

Anemone sighed, running a hand through her bangs. “In all honesty, I have no idea. We’re tampering with a Black Box. We’ve had success with deactivated models, but…” She trailed off. Clearly, she was just as hesitant as A2 but more set in her conviction. “We have to try.”

“Last time I checked, there’s no more ‘have to.’” A2 crossed her arms and shifted on her feet.

“I know what you’re thinking.”

“It’s a stupid choice.”

Anemone smiled. “But we have the freedom to make those stupid choices, don’t we?”

•••

He lay to her right, running his thumb over her hand as he studied the sensation one last time. Muscle fibers and circuitry rested underneath the surface of soft artificial skin, her carbonate skeleton dense and reinforced yet flexible. Yet it felt absolutely natural to him.

Would…would that change in a human body? Would it no longer feel the same? Would he never be comforted by her touch, but rather disgusted by the sensation so alien? Doubt swirled in his mind, leaving him with a pit deep in his heart.

Fear. It was crawling it’s way up again, threatening to derail everything they had worked for and promised each other. Their eternity was in this moment and…he was so unsure if life would be awaiting him at the end…

Her voice was low in volume, soft in pitch and gentle in tone, but she was demanding he look at her.

“Nines.” He slowly lifts his head to meet her eyes. She takes his other hand, trailing her fingers along.

Her voice is…minuscule when she says, "I’m scared too.”

In that moment, he knows he’s been selfish. He’s been so trapped in his own fear, his own reservations, his own thoughts that he hasn’t even considered hers.

It’s always been like that: she doesn’t voice her suffering so he simply doesn’t think it exists. Even when they were caught in the dance of life, death and duty, he never once thought of her and her needs because she was 2B and she didn’t need anything.

But she’s just as broken and naked as he is, pieces of herself cut off and tossed into the void. She can never be whole, never be without the fear of waking up with him not by her side, never be safe without a weapon nearby, never be herself again because there never was a “self” to tear out. They had to create those on their own, formulating love and purpose where there should be none after the losses they incurred.

And yet, here she was, holding his hands and preparing for the unknown with him.

He grasped her hands a little tighter, so afraid of letting go. “I…I love you.”

She smiled softly, and, with great reluctance, pulled their hands apart. “I love you too, Nines.”

“Are you ready?” Jackass asked, her eyes on the Black Boxes, dense cubes of compressed matter and energy and the closest thing to an android heart.

The two nodded and felt the wave of a forced shutdown overtake them. Before he fell asleep, 9S could hear Jackass mutter to herself a reaffirmation: “it’s for science. It’s what they want.”

So it seemed they weren’t the only ones with hesi—

[Unit 9S Black Box signal offline.]

[Unit 2B Black Box signal offline.]

[Death confirmed]

[rumbutt]

Non-Essential Data

9S and 21O get frustrated with the fact that 2B and 6O won’t ask each other out.  Dating: HACKED.

“Pod, what data do you have on this?” 2B's voice seemed normal enough, or it would've if 9S hadn't been working with her long enough to recognize the slight hint of excitement in her voice.

“This species of plant was commonly referred to as 'lilac' by humanity,” came Pod 042's monotone reply. 9S couldn't help but attribute a degree of amusement to the Pod's response, though he knew he was imagining it.

“Take an image and transmit the data to 6O.”

“Working... data transmission complete.”

9S sighed, “How many is that now?”

“Unit 2B has cataloged and transmitted visual data on 179 flowering plant species to Operator 6O,” Pod 153 responded.

“It was a rhetorical question Pod.” 9S shook his head. “2B?”

The android turned to her partner, the slight upward curve of her lips quickly replaced by a look of concern.  “What is it?”

“You've been sending 6O a lot of pictures of flowers... are you ever gonna--”

“Going to what?”

“Y'know...” 9S paused, “ask her out?

2B recoiled as if burned.  “What?! No... of course not.  I couldn't. I'm just...”

“...sending her pictures of every flower we come across?”

2B scoffed, her usual emotionless mask slipping back into place. “It's important to ensure that my operator's morale is high in order to maintain mission effectiveness.”

“Yeah, yeah... morale... mission effectiveness.  Got it.”

“21Oooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!”

21O made a practiced step to the side as 6O came barreling down the corridor of the bunker with her arms outstretched, narrowly avoiding the incoming hug and causing 6O to stumble briefly before she righted herself. “What is it, 6O?”

“Look at this,” 6O bubbled as she transferred data to 21O's visual centers.  21O obliged her exuberant colleague and opened the packet. “2B sent it to me!  It's called a lilac, isn't it pretty?”

“I suppose someone might find it aesthetically pleasing,” 21O carefully kept her face neutral as she replied, suppressing a bit of annoyance at herself that she had nearly smiled.

“I wish I could have the real thing, or go down and see it in person,” 6O looked down for a moment. “But 2B sends me so many pictures it's almost as good!” She seemed to swoon, if any android could it was 6O, and then leaned against the wall to support herself, a dreamy expression painted on her face as she stared off into space. “2B is soooooo nice, don't you think 21O?”

21O clenched her fist, struggling to keep her face neutral.  “She does seem to go out of her way to provide you with non-essential data. Have you considered inviting her to take part in recreational activities with you?”

6O lept into the air, startled, and waved her hands wildly in front of her. “Oh, nononononono I couldn't. 2B wouldn't want to take time away from her missions for me,” 6O protested. “She definitely doesn't feel that way. She's just... being nice. That's all.”

“Of course,” 21O nodded in feigned agreement.  “She is very friendly and outgoing, after all.”

6O looked confused for moment, and 21O hoped that she might actually take the hint... but no, she nodded, gave a cheery “Yeah, she IS!” and proceeded to bounce away.  21O found herself placing her hand on her face in frustration, even though she shouldn't be displaying emotion.

They'd now transmitted data on 226 flowers to 6O.  Several times 2B had scolded 9S for not pointing out flowers that she could send photos of to 6O.  She'd even begun transmitting new photos of flowers that she'd already sent data for.  And she wouldn't ask 6O out.  Her excuses bordered on the ridiculous and led 9S to one conclusion. She was scared.  In fact, this was probably the only thing 2B had ever been scared of, certainly the only thing she'd been afraid of since 9S had known her.

“Operator 21O to 9S, it's time for your regularly scheduled contact.”

“Hey Operator, 9S here,” he responded over the radio. “Nothing to report. Except flowers, of course.” 9S flinched, anticipating a scolding from 21O over transmission of “non-mission critical information,” instead...

“Acknowledged,” 21O sighed, “I wish they'd just go out already. Er, I mean, 21O out.”

The operator cut the connection off sharply, leaving 9S stunned. Not at the cut-off, that was pretty common with 21O, but at the content of the call.  It sounded like she was just as frustrated with this never ending dance as he was... Maybe they could do something about it.

She'd had enough. 21O was tired of 6O being a blind, insecure idiot and she knew just what to do.  2B was very clearly infatuated, but 6O couldn't see it, so 21O would have to take care of it for her.  She sat down on her bunk and scanned through her data, looking for one thing in particular.  After a few moments, she found it.

She took a moment to admire the images of 6O.  While she would never admit it to anyone else, she found such things very pleasing, at least when she had complete privacy.  21O supposed that ethically it had been a little questionable for her to keep copies, after she'd helped 6O by erasing the data from the servers before anyone else found it, but it had paid off.  It was the perfect material to break 2B and 6O out of their silly stalemate.

She hacked into the server and spoofed 6O's address, and then composed an email to 2B.  That was the hardest part.  She needed to match 6O's bubbly, frivolous tone, which was the most unnatural thing in the world to her.  She finally managed though, and sent the email with the image data attached.  Now all she had to do was wait for 2B to check her mail, and then inevitably contact 6O.  She allowed herself the pleasure of a small smile as she deleted the images from her personal data.  It would've felt wrong to keep them now that she had put them to good use.

“What are you doing, 9S?”

9S disconnected from the access point.  He had finished, sending an email from 2B's account with a short amount of video data attached. He hadn't even bothered to write out a message, since the video would speak for itself.  He felt nervous, even though he knew there was no way for 2B to look over his shoulder to see what he was working on.

“Oh nothing, just reading some mail from the bunker.”

“Good call, I should check mine too.” 2B interfaced with the access point. “Oh, there's something from 6O...”

“That was quick,” 9S muttered.

“What?”

“Nothing, I was just saying we should make it quick,” 9S covered.  “You ready, 2B?”

2B didn't respond.  9S swung around to see 2B speechless with a stunned look on her face and... was she blushing?

Whatever 21O had expected, it wasn't this.  6O had received some kind of message, literally squeaked and then bolted to her room. Which 21O now found herself standing outside of, talking to a very flustered 6O through the door.

“6O, what's the matter?”

“Nothing's the matter... I mean... things are very, very, very good!  Like, waaaaaayyyyy too good... which I guess is what's the matter...” 6O was babbling. “21O, I don't know how to deal with this, okay?”

“Deal with what 6O? You're not making any sense.”

“Uh... well... 2B... uh, she... sent me... something...”

“That must be one hell of a flower,” 21O snorted.

“It's... notaflower.”

“Oh?” 21O was intrigued.  “What is it then?”

“It's...” there was a long pause.  That just kept getting longer.

“6--”

“IT'SHERBUTT”

“Oh-- wait, what?!”

“It's a video of her butt 21O and it is... very, very nice.”

21O couldn't help a slight chuckle. “That was fast.”

The door slid open and 21O was confronted with 6O staring her in the face.  “What was fast?”

“Ummmmm...”

6O stuck a finger into her chest. “What. Was. Fast. 21O?”

21O quickly determined there was no getting out of this.  “Well, you know those images you took of yourself when you used that unauthorized supplement...?”

6O managed to blush even harder, though it hardly seemed physically possible. “You mean the e-drug... the ones with me wearing the... uh...”

“Lingerie,” 21O finished for her.

“The ones...” 6O's blush shifted from embarrassment to anger. “That you promised to delete?!”

“I did,” 21O actually gulped, “I did delete them.  Off the public server.  But it seemed a shame to... uhh...”

“To what?”

“To completely destroy something so... beautiful. So I kept a copy,” 21O admitted, hanging her head.  “And I sent it to 2B using your email... to help move things along.”

“Oh. Um... is that why she...” 6O made a vague, helpless gesture.

“I'd assume so.”

6O's eyes hardened again. “Do you still--”

“No,” 21O exclaimed, holding up her hands defensively. “I deleted my copy after I sent it.”

6O stared at her a moment longer than sighed.  “I shouldn't trust you, but I do.  And, thanks, I guess.”

2B was blushing furiously.  9S hadn't even known she could blush.

“2B to Operator, come in Operator.”

“2B? 6O here.  Um. Uh. How are you?”

“I'm fine 6O.  Did you... um,” 2B stuttered slightly.

“Yes, 2B?”

“Thanks for the... images, 6O.”

“Do you... like them, 2B?”

“YES,” 2B blurted, covering her mouth in embarrassment. “I mean... you're very,” she gestured helplessly, trying to find the words.

“I'm glad you enjoyed them 2B!” 6O beamed. “I liked what you sent me too!”

“What I sent you...” 2B was confused for a moment. “You mean the flowers...?”

“No, silly,” 6O giggled.  “I mean... y'know... you.”

“Me?” 2B turned and took in the guilty look on 9S's face. “6O, I'm going to call you right back and then we can talk about... maybe going on a date?”

“Really, 2B?!”

“Yeah, I just have to... deal with something really quick, first.”

“Okay! Talk to you soon 2B!”

2B smiled as she ended the call and raced to catch up with the already running 9S.

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 174. brb x oc

a/n: i have no idea what im doing so if it makes no sense blame google cause well 8) (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!! they make my nights they really do<3)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: n o n e. but expect some angst next chapter. NOTHING SERIOUS

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

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/148/149/150/151/152/153/154/155/156/157/158/159/160/161/162/163/164/165/166/167/168/169/170/171/172/173

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

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-

One month apart,first trimester, 12:12,San Diego CA.

They were getting bigger.

It’s obvious when she turns her body and when she looks at her reflection, she was getting more…oval. Oval? Would that be the right shape? She gives herself another look, running her hands through her hair before she turns her body partially around, smiling at how the dress looked on her body.

Marcus is a magic man, he’s the Wizard of Oz of fashion because this is just so beautiful. This dress is crafted from an almost ethereal, lightweight fabric that gracefully drapes and flows with every movement. It is a seamless blend of enchantment and comfort, which is exactly what she adores.

The dress has an off-the-shoulder neckline that delicately frames her collarbones and shoulders and the bodice is designed to offer gentle support to the growing belly, and that she was pretty sure was somehow added before he handed the dress over to her.

Again, wizard of OZ.

The flowing skirt starts from just below the bust, allowing ample room for the baby bump. It cascades down in layers of soft, translucent lilac colored fabric, creating a mesmerizing and dreamy effect as it catches the light . The length of the skirt is more of a tea-length which is really comfortable, and it’s not too tight.

And it had a stretchy, adjustable waistline, “God,I love Marcus so much.” she says, still admiring herself in the mirror and cupping the bottom of her rounded stomach with both hands, “I look like those…renaissance paintings. Oh it’s so lovely!” she stops looking to herself when her phone pings with the alarm. She quickly grabs it to check the time, “Oh boy. Time to go,Nikki.” her daughter was peacefully sitting on the bed, surrounded by her toys and only looking up when her mother refers to her.

“Aa?”

“Yes, we need to go to auntie Evelyn’s party!” she coos, picking her up, “Auntie Shells is picking us up-even though I could easily drive us there she just doesn’t want me to get hurt.” she doesn’t sound that happy but she does shake her head while slapping on a smile, “Anyway, let’s go. You look so cute!”

It was just a miniature version of her dress only it had princess sleeves that made Nicole look like a little pixie. The flower headband fell a bit forward so Beatrice quickly adjusted it backwards so it wouldn’t land on Nicole’s eyes but honestly her daughter was too busy playing with the flower appliques on her mother’s bust, “I know right? It’s pretty!”

“Peety!”

“Yes! Pretty!” she grins, kissing her cheek and grabbing both the gift and her bag before walking out of the bedroom. The dogs all looked up when they heard her footsteps, with Jolene standing up at the bottom of the stairs, “Jojo.” she begins, “I’m going to be out of the house for a few hours, I’ll probably bring something for you guys too- I know there’s going to be some doggy friendly treats for you.” Eleanor whines from the corner and Beatrice lowers her brows, “I know,I know, but Evelyn said some of her relatives will bring their dogs over and they can be…hard to befriend, if that wasn’t the case you’d all come with us too!”

“Baaaabes!”

“Oh God.”

“Babes!” followed by a series of honking, “Come out here!Come on!” more honking.

“I swear to God.” she whispers to herself, bringing Nicole up to her chest, “One of these days she’s going to get arrested while here- bye guys. Say bye,Nikki.” Nicole already knew how to wave, so she did just that as they walked to the front door, saying ‘bye bye!’ to the dogs until they were no longer in her view.

Shells was leaning against the front of her Buick with her arms crossed. She was wearing a dress, but it was green, tight at the waist with a halter top bust, “Ohhh!” she smiles as Beatrice locks the front door, “You two look adorable!’

Beatrice returns the smile, approaching Shells once everything is locked tight. She adjusts Nicole in her arms, making sure her daughter is comfortable and secure. "Thank you, Shells! And you look stunning as always," Beatrice says, genuinely admiring her friend's outfit.

Shells uncrosses her arms and opens them for a hug. Beatrice leans in, careful not to squish Nicole between them, and they embrace for a moment. "Are you ready for the party?" Shells asks, pulling away from the hug but keeping her hands on Beatrice's shoulders.

"Absolutely! I can't wait to celebrate with Evelyn and everyone," Beatrice replies with enthusiasm. "Is she excited?”

Shells gives her a half shrug, “She’s kinda annoyed she had to change the date because of the people. But you know, she’s managing how she can,I don’t think she murdered anyone with her eyes yet.”

“It’s still early.”

Shells nods while laughing, opening the back door for Beatrice, “Go on ahead.” she says while gesturing towards Nicole’s seat in there. Beatrice wastes no time in latching Nicole comfortably tight, then stretching her arms above her head once she’s back to her standing position, ‘Oh my God, now I can see it?”

Beatrice blinks, holding both hands on top of her head before turning her eyes to Shells, “Hm?”

“The twins!” she points to her friend’s stomach, “Look at that! Now it’s obvious they are there, god damn,Bea, they’ll be so big once they pop out.”

Beatrice follows Shells' gesture and looks down at her own rounded belly, laughing softly. She gently places a hand on her stomach, feeling the weight and presence of her unborn twins.

"You're right, Shells. They are getting bigger," Beatrice says, her voice filled with awe and wonder. "I can't believe how much they've grown. It's both exciting and a little overwhelming."

Shells leans against the car, a soft smile playing on her lips. "I mean, are they kicking yet?"

“Not yet, but they will soon.”

“Just wait until Rooster sees you like that. He’ll freak out.” she says much to her friend’s confusion, “Girl,we are going to take some pictures!You look too pretty to not share with others!”

Beatrice blushes at the compliment and rolled her eyes, but she is very happy. "Thank you, Shells. Your support means the world to me."

“That’s why I’m here,babes. Now, get in the car or else Evelyn will have a freakout. She needs our support more than you know.”

“Both of her parents are there?”

“Just her mom, her father will be there later…cause work.” Shells mutters,”And her mother is hounding her a lot, sooo…”

Beatrice nods understandingly, realizing the importance of their presence at the party for Evelyn. She takes a deep breath, gathering her composure, and climbs into the car. Once seated, she fastens her seatbelt and adjusts herself to find a comfortable position, mindful of her growing belly “Ow.”

Shells snaps her head in Beatrice’s direction so fast she was sure something cracked, “What? What happened? Is Rooster going to kill me?”

Beatrice didn’t look amused, “No,” she sighs, “Just pinched the side of my leg with the seatbelt. Nothing to worry.”

“Ah, well,alright.” Shells starts the car and begins driving towards Evelyn's parents house. When asked the reason for doing that there and not at her penthouse the answer was ‘I am already doing more than enough, plus my parents have a huge backyard and I don’t trust my uncle Tom when he’s drunk.’. Beatrice steals a glance at Nicole, who is quietly observing the passing scenery through the window, seemingly lost in her own little world, babbling quietly.

Sometimes she could hear certain words, like ‘okay’ and ‘hello!’ coming out of her daughter’s mouth and it was so adorable. Better than music if she was honest.

She leans back in her seat, feeling the gentle sway of the car as it moves through the streets. They are getting to a residential area - after Shells stops and checks her gps at least twice- and they see it.

It’s an impressive house that looks like it was built in the 1980s. It was situated on a spacious lot,where they see a well-manicured front yard and a charming entryway adorned with mature trees and colorful landscaping. The exterior of the house showcases the distinct characteristics of the 1980s design, featuring a combination of stucco and brick siding, along with large windows that allow plenty of natural light to filter through.

And there were a lot of cars.

And Evelyn, right by the door.

She widens her eyes then relaxes, looking back over her shoulder then at the car as it rolls into a park, “Took you guys long enough,” she murmurs, stepping back when Beatrice opens the door. The two share a look before hugging, Evelyn squeezes her friend a little bit and Beatrice feels how tense she was.

“You okay?”

“I am now.” she replies quietly, ‘Jake’s family just got here.” she looks back to the front door, letting go of Bea so she could pick Nicole up and Shells was up to her friend instead, hugging Evelyn just as tightly. 

“So,” Shells smiles once she leans back, “What are we expecting?”

“My family being a nightmare.” Evelyn says softly, “They are behaving, which is good but…no promises. My aunts and cousins might hound you,Bea,” the brunette looks up in surprise once Nicole is in her arms, “Since,well,” she waves her hand from Nicole to the growing bump, with a grimace, “Y’know?”

“Oh.” Bea laughs nervously, bouncing Nikki in her arms, “It’s okay, it’ll be fine.I can handle it. They can’t be worse than some of my relatives.”

Evelyn,while clearly not comforted by that sentence, just gave her a little smile, turning on her heel to go back inside, “Come on in.”

Upon entering, they step into a grand foyer with soaring ceilings, showcasing a dramatic staircase that adds a touch of elegance to the space. Both women stare, wide eyed and slack jawed at the view.The layout of the house is spacious, with multiple levels that offer versatility and room for various activities, including a pool table in the corner of one of the rooms.

The living room is adorned with large windows, allowing for panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, while the adjacent dining area provides an inviting space for formal meals or casual get-togethers. And that’s where most of the gifts were, and there were a lot of gifts. So many that neither of the girls knew how to place their own bags there, “Here.” Evelyn just pushed a large amount to the side of the table - and they didn’t fall! - “Sorry about that, there was a lot of stuff and…well, some of the gifts ended up inside.”

Some??

Evelyn,noticing their shocked stare, just sighed, “Not my fault,my parents just told everyone to…uh, go crazy.”

Beatrice and Shells exchange amused glances, with the brunette especially understanding the chaotic nature of family gatherings and the tendency for gift-giving to go overboard. They follow Evelyn into the kitchen, carefully maneuvering more gifts before reaching the backyard where everyone was.

Beatrice can't help but admire the decorations and attention to detail once they get outside, Nicole even reaching out to tug some of the ribbons that hang low enough for her little hand to grab. The area is tastefully adorned with festive colors and elegant centerpieces, creating a warm and inviting ambiance. From the corner they could see Evelyn’s mother talking to people

"I must say, Evelyn, your parents really went all out for this party," Beatrice comments, a hint of awe in her voice.

Evelyn chuckles, almost confusedly. "You have no idea.” she exhales “They love hosting and showing off their home. I tried to rein them in, but they insisted on going big."

“They do?”

“I know,Shells.” Evelyn replies, sounding so tired, “I can’t believe it either since they are both…so…social.” and her eyebrow flicks with annoyance, “Anyway, let me introduce you guys to everyone.”

-

One month apart,first trimester,21:12, unspecified location.

‘Is that your third or second?”

Rooster looks up from his files to see Hangman at the door, holding his own cup of coffee. Rooster flicks his eyes to his mug, checking the contents before pursing his lips, “Fourth,actually.”

“Ah,well, I was close,wasn’t I?” the blonde pilot looks back, where Coyote’s form is approaching, “You called us?”

“I did.” Rooster groans, rubbing his eyes, “Sit down.” and his arms went up to his head, one hand holding his wrist and his vision turned to the several maps and notes he made during the past…three hours, “Dude,my back.” he begins, “It’s like, tiny little mice are stabbing every nerve I have with tiny swords.”

Coyote makes a face, ‘Weird sentence,but okay.”Hangman and Coyote exchange amused glances before taking a seat across from Rooster. Hangman leans back in his chair, sipping his coffee, while Coyote leans forward, resting his elbows on the table.

"Well, Rooster, you look like you've been deep in thought," Coyote says, eyeing the maps and notes scattered all over. "What's on your mind?"

Rooster sighs, massaging his temples. "Well, remember how we thought we knew what we were expecting? When we figured out the old factory was being used as a stronghold?"

Hangman nods, his expression serious. "Yeah, I remember. What about it?"

Rooster taps a specific area on one of the maps. "Intelligence reports suggest that the enemy has significantly reinforced their defenses in that area. They've brought in heavy artillery and increased their troop presence. It's going to be a lot tougher than we initially anticipated."

Coyote's brow furrows as he studies the map. "Damn, that complicates things. We can't afford any surprises when we fly in."

"Exactly," Rooster replies, his tone filled with frustration. "And I don’t plan on losing anyone on this mission so, we need to come up with a solid plan to neutralize their defenses.." he mumbles, “You two are going to join me at the first surveillance round, we can’t get too close, they have heavy shit waiting for the first bird they see…and we are going to bring some of the recruits.”

Hangman makes a face then  takes a thoughtful sip of his coffee before speaking up. "If it smells like shit it probably is, what exactly can we expect? Since what we knew went down the drain?"

Rooster leans back in his chair, a weary expression on his face and one of his hands against his mouth . "Well, based on the latest intel, we can expect fortified barricades, manned checkpoints, and increased patrols around the perimeter.” and he pulls every single file that contains such information “ The enemy has brought in additional firepower, including anti-aircraft weapons and armored vehicles. They're taking this shit seriously."

Coyote interjects, after a minimal amount of silence. "So, they're ready for us. It's not going to be a walk in the park,huh?"

Rooster nods grimly. "Never is. We need to be cautious and precise in our approach. Our primary objective is to gather as much information as possible without alerting them to our presence. So I suggest we divide our teams already. That way, we can cover more ground and gather information from multiple vantage points. It'll also make it harder for the enemy to detect us."

Hangman nods in agreement. "Good idea. We'll assign specific sectors to each team and maintain constant communication. We need to be aware of any changes in enemy movements or reinforcements." he purses his lips, “Which means more training.”

“Yep.”

“No wonder they said we’d be here for six months.” Coyote murmurs, leaning into his chair, “That is…intense.”

“Yeah.” Rooster laughs breathily,shaking his head and rubbing his eyelids, inhaling against his palms, “But that was it for right now, next week we’ll…have a lot to do.”

Hangman glances at his watch and raises an eyebrow. "Next week? You mean we're not going in immediately?"

Rooster lets out a tired sigh, of course he’d say that. "No, we need some time to analyze the new information, and fine-tune our plan. We can't rush into this blindly. It's better to be prepared than to walk into a trap." he groans, “Not to mention the kids need to be aware of this now.”

Coyote leans forward, his curiosity piqued, ignoring Hangman’s sour expression. "So what's the plan? How are we going to gather information without alerting the enemy?"

Rooster leans forward, hovering his hand above the papers, his eyes scanning the maps once again. "We'll have four teams. I want you two to lead one team to conduct aerial reconnaissance. We'll gather as much visual intel as possible, identifying enemy positions, defenses, and any potential weak points." he begins, “We can’t get too close, so it’ll be hard but we can do it.”

Hangman nods, his expression determined. "Understood. I'll coordinate with the kids pilots and make sure we have everything."

“Bob will help you too.”

“Bob?”

Rooster then turns his attention to the map, ignoring Hangman’s displeased shout. "And then I go in.” Silence takes over, both men look at him in surprise and he raises his brow, “I’m not going to stay here, twiddling my thumbs while you go all out. Mav will handle everything while I’m gone.” he inhales shakily, the claw of fear squeezing his stomach, “Once we get everything, once we are aware of it…I’ll go in and we’ll lead the aerial assault.”

Hangman and Coyote exchange glances, their surprise evident. Hangman is the first to respond, but his words break the obvious nervous atmosphere. "Of course you will,why am I surprised."

Rooster looks up from the map, flicking his brow with nothing but amusement shining in his eyes. "You can stay here instead, you know, staring at the snow. If that’s what you want.” Hangman rolled his eyes, throwing his hands up in defense before looking away, “I’ll meet with the others in a few, then we’ll debrief to the new recruits and separate the teams. You guys know they’ll be the new co-pilots,right?”

“Sure,” Coyote nods, “We’re playing babysitter.”

“They aren’t that bad.” Rooster chuckles as he organizes everything on the table, “They have talent,they are just…you know, like Hangman.” his friend snaps his gaze at him, “You know, annoying.”

“Hey.”

“And stubborn.” Coyote adds.

“Hey!”

“And don’t forget: full of himself.”

“Hey!I’m right here!”

Rooster,while nervous by the sudden change of events, just laughs.He’s at least glad they could share some humor in such somber circumstances…and he couldn’t help but get nervous. He led missions before, he sure did, but this one felt different because the unknowns were past the common ground.

He didn’t like to be in the dark. He didn’t like to not know what was going on…but he had to make sure everyone got back home intact…him included. He inhales shakily one last time, “Dismissed.” he mutters, “...thanks guys.” the break of professionalism wasn’t necessary but in his opinion was needed.

Sure,he was leading the mission, but they were his friends. He needed that familiarity. “Ah,Hangman,” the blonde pilot stops and stares back at him, “You should check your phone.” 

“My phone-” his blue eyes widened, “Oh my God. Oh my God.” and he runs off, leaving Rooster and Coyote staring at his retreating back, the taller officer just chuckles from his desk, walking around it to turn off the lights and close the door behind him.

Beatrice talked to him about the party, it was still going back in California since it was early so Rooster could just imagine what else was planned for that day…and she looked beautiful. She always does…fuck he missed them so much, he just wanted this mission to go right.

He needed this to go right.

No mistakes.

No doubts.

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 162. brb x oc

a/n: hello i still feel like...something and I'm not proud of this chapter. not really my favorite. *shrugs * (reblogs and comments are super encouraged <3)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none, just fluff.

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/

116/117/118/119/120/121/122/123/124/125/126/127/128/129/130/131/132/133/134/135/136/137/138/139/140/141/142/143/144/145/146/147

/148/149/150/151/152/153/154/155/156/157/158/159/160/161

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

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@peachiicherries @mak-32 @lizziespidiepridie @roosterswifey @ollyoxenfrees @piceous21 @sqrlgrl22 @hofficoffi @lexhalstead3 @lorilane33 @legendarydreamersharkparty @luckyladycreator2

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-

The sun cast a warm glow on the quiet suburban neighborhood, its golden rays painting the houses in shades of amber and illuminating the few flowers that lined the streets. It was a picturesque scene, a scene that Beatrice loved to see every time she woke up.

Their neighborhood was nice, it was calm and it had the obvious ‘american dream’ feeling to it. She found it strange to not hear music during the weekends or loud voices on the street, unlike the ones she heard while growing up.

As she sips her morning…cocoa, because she couldn’t have coffee, she takes a quick look on her phone to check the time, she’d visit her dad in a few minutes, she just had to wait for Rooster to go to work. She taps her nails on the porcelain cup, chewing her lower lip because she was worried, albeit she shouldn’t be. She knew what his job was about, she had these thoughts many,many times before, she mentally prepared many times before…so why was she scared?

Why was she nervous?

She hears his footsteps going down the stairs, turning her torso in time to see his broad frame appear on the threshold, one arm stretched as he adjusted his watch on his wrist, looking up only when he noticed Beatrice staring at him, “Gorgeous,” he whispers, “So this is where you’ve been.”

“Well,I was preparing breakfast.” she laughs softly, nodding to the fresh toasts, tapping her fingers on the porcelain cup, “And um…I couldn’t sleep that well, so…”

“Again?” she nods quietly, “Oh,baby…” he wastes no time in walking up to her and kissing her forehead, “It’s okay, do you think you can nap at the hospital?”

“I think so,I’ll ask um, Bri to take Nikki out for a bit so I can sleep.” she rubs her eyes, the movement preventing her from saying how she ‘wasn’t sleepy at all’ when in fact she was really sleepy, “I’m okay though,it could be much worse.” she shrugs weakly, giving him a small smile, “I…I just…you know, life is–”

He hates when she rambles because of her anxiety, because he knows her brain is confused and her heart is about to burst. He could see the slight tremble on her fingers from sleep deprivation, “How long were you up?”

“Hm?”

“How long?”

She parts her lips, looking at the side guiltily.”I don’t know, it was still dark when I woke up.”

Rooster's concern deepens as he observes Beatrice's fatigue and the toll it's taking on her, gently taking the mug from her hands to set it aside, his wife makes a confused noise but stops when  his hand reaches out to gently cup her face, his touch warm and comforting. "You need to take care of yourself, Bea," he says softly, his voice filled with genuine worry. "I know it's hard, but you can't keep pushing yourself like this. Your well-being is important."

Beatrice leans into Rooster's touch, closing her eyes. She takes a shaky breath, her voice filled with a mix of exhaustion and determination. "I know," she admits, her eyes welling up with tears. "But I feel guilty when I rest, especially with everything that's going on. I want to be there for Dad, for Nikki, for you."

Rooster's gaze softens, his thumb gently wiping away a tear that escapes her eye. "Bea…”

“I know.I know.I shouldn’t feel guilty,” she groans, “I know it’s my self doubt and my fear of disappointment being louder than normal and taking control of me, but…I-I can’t help it. I’m worried about my dad,I’m…trying to handle how I’ll be when you leave, and-and like I am pregnant and I can’t have these thoughts.”

Rooster's heart aches as Beatrice blurts out those words, they appear heavier than normal. He pulls her into a tight embrace, propping his chin on the top of her head. "You're allowed to have these thoughts, Bea," he says gently, “You know that very well.”

Beatrice clings to Rooster, seeking comfort in his strong arms. She sniffles softly, her voice muffled against his chest. "I know, but it's hard not to let the fear consume me sometimes," she admits, her voice trembling. "I know you said I don’t burden you but sometimes I still get these flashbacks and I can’t help it.”

Rooster pulls back slightly, his hands cupping Beatrice's face, his eyes locked with hers. "Ah,I forgive you.” he chuckles and she joins him seconds after, her cheeks reddening “ We're a team, remember? That's what being a couple is all about. Or did you just think I was just marrying you because you have an amazing ass?”

Beatrice’s eyes widen and she sputters a laugh, playfully shoving his shoulder, “Shut up!” 

Rooster grins, the familiar lightness returning to his expression as he enjoys Beatrice's laughter. He wraps his arms around her once again, pulling her close. "Mmmmmmmmake me.," he purrs to her ear, playfully biting the curve of her jawline, his voice filled with affection. "You can try, we both know how that will go.”

Beatrice's laughter subsides, and she looks up at Rooster, leaning back onto his chest, “Do we?”

“We do.” Rooster's smile softens, and he brushes his thumb gently across Beatrice's cheek. "We both know it can be…interesting." he says, his voice filled with tenderness, hearing her quiet ‘mhm’ "But hey, we’ll be alright, you know that.”

Beatrice nods, finding solace in Rooster's words and the warmth of his embrace. She takes a deep breath, allowing herself to relax in his arms. "Yeah, we'll be alright," she whispers, her voice filled with a mix of relief and gratitude, giggling when he smacks her cheek with a wet kiss before backing away to get his morning coffee. "So what’s going to happen today?" she asks with her arms crossed, “You uh, will talk to someone else about the deployment or…”

Rooster pours himself some coffee, blowing the steam before he takes a short sip, only answering her when he swallows, “Pretty much,I’ll also talk to new pilots,I need uh…a debrief, basically, since I’ll lead the whole thing.” he takes another sip of the warm beverage, allowing it to hit his stomach and heat him up from the inside, “And then we need to get ready to leave.”

“...right.” she quickly waves her hands when he looks back at her with worry in his eyes, “N-No, no it’s fine. I’m just,well I’ll just miss you…but I know you’ll be okay.” she smiles, waving her hands to break the tense atmosphere, “I swear I’ll be fine. I swear…do you think you’ll be able to call us?”

“I’d break the rules to do so.”

“Rooster.” she admonishes, but then smiles, “...you don’t have to break the rules to call us.”

��True,I don’t.” he laughs, “But even if I’m tired,I’d still call you.” he leans his lower back against the counter, holding himself upright with his hands so he could keep his eyes on her, “But I’d love to hear from you when I’m away…helps me sleep.”

“Mhm.”

“What about you?” he questions, tilting his head, “What are your plans today besides visiting your dad?”

“I think…those are the plans I’ll have.” she whispers, shrugging at him,”Then I’ll come back home and enjoy the night off…I appreciate Penny letting me stay home.She’s an amazing boss.” she smiles as she drinks more of her cocoa, “Maybe I’ll…take Nikki to the park,I don’t know.”

Rooster's eyes soften as he listens to Beatrice's plans for the day. He walks over to her, setting his coffee aside and taking her hand in his. "That sounds like a good plan," he says, his voice gentle. "Spending time with your dad and taking Nikki to the park will be wonderful. And don't forget to take care of yourself too, okay?"

Beatrice nods, intertwining her fingers with Rooster's. "I will," she assures him, her voice filled with determination. "I'll make sure to rest when I need to and take care of our little ones." She looks down at her belly, a loving smile on her face. "They're counting on me, after all."

Rooster's gaze shifts to Beatrice's belly, “So am I,gorgeous.” he says sweetly, then looks at his watch with a groan, “I gotta go.” his lips meet hers in a gentle kiss "I love you," he whispers, “Walk me to the door?"

Beatrice’s cheeks hurt from smiling, “Of course.” she does check on Nicole via the video app and she’s happy to see their little girl is still asleep, “I’ll give you a call,alright?” she tells him once they walk to the garage, her arms crossing over her bust to protect her front from the chilly winds, “Oohh it’s cold today.”

“A little.”

“You do know what cold is,Virginia Boy.”

Rooster laughs, he’s honestly so happy to see her joking and laughing, it was a nice break from the tense atmosphere from these past days. He watches as the garage door slowly rolls up and he drops his shades over his eyes, “I do.” he smirks, “But I also know how to warm my wife up if she so desires.”

“Stop.” she’s blushing,trying to hide her smile with her hand, “Go to work.”

“One more kiss and then I’ll go.” he smirks,pursing his lips, “I’m waitin’.”

Beatrice playfully rolls her eyes, but she can't deny the warmth that spreads through her at Rooster's words. She steps closer to him, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Alright, just one more," she teases, leaning in to press her lips against his, cupping his cheeks so their lips would meet.

Rooster deepens the kiss for a moment, savoring the connection before reluctantly pulling away, his lips curving into a satisfied smile. "Alright, now I really have to go," he says, sliding his lower lip into his mouth, almost savoring her taste one more time, “I love you.” He gives her a quick wink before turning to head towards the Bronco.

“I love you too.” Beatrice watches him go, a soft smile on her face. She wraps her arms around herself, shivering slightly in the cold, but her heart feels warm. She knows it won't be easy to say goodbye, but she takes comfort that she’ll still have a few hours with him before he leaves for real. 

As Rooster gets into his truck, he rolls down the window and leans over, his eyes fixed on Beatrice. "Take care of yourself, Bea," he says, “And sleep a little too,gorgeous.”

"I will," Beatrice replies,”Take care of yourself too, handsome. I’ll be waiting for you."

Rooster nods, his eyes lingering on Beatrice for a moment longer before he starts the engine. "I will," he promises,  giving her a two finger salute that turned into a wave, he drives away, leaving Beatrice standing in the chilly morning air, watching him go.

Beatrice takes a deep breath, her hand gently resting on her belly as she walks towards the sidewalk. She should’ve grabbed a jacket or one of her cardigans, because that wind made her regret walking out immediately. She turns back around in a hurry, meeting Jolene’s huge head peeking out of the door, “Inside Jojo! It’s too cold!”

The pitbull however waits for the brunette to close the garage and finally walk into the warm comfort of their home. Beatrice sighed, leaning her back against the door and slowly sliding to the floor, bringing her knees up to prop her arms on it, and then cup her face in her hands as she stares ahead.

She was okay.

Sort of.

As Beatrice sits on the floor, Jolene taps closer, flopping next to her with her head on her lap and those honey colored eyes giving her the biggest and cutest puppy dog eyes ever, “...thanks Jojo.” she smiles, her body begging to rest but she couldn’t. Hell she might call Michael to pick her up, she couldn’t drive. Her head feels so heavy. “...I’m scared,Jojo.” she whispers to the dog, scratching her behind the ears “...I…I am scared,” and the tears pool on the corners of her eyes, “I didn’t want him to go.”. 

Jolene whines, still looking up at her human only to see Beatrice wiping her eyes with her fingertips, “Augh,I hate-” she sniffles, wiping her face with her sleeping shirt, “The hormones. I’ve been crying so much these past days.” with good reason, a voice in her head replies, “God I just…I…I don’t know if it’s my dad’s hospitalization plus Rooster’s deployment, but something feels so off.” 

Jolene senses Beatrice's distress and presses herself closer, offering comfort in her own way. The pitbull's warm presence brings a small measure of solace to Beatrice as she continues to wrestle with her emotions. Tears stream down her face as she blows an angry raspberry out of frustration with…everything.

But after a while Beatrice takes a deep, shuddering breath, trying to steady herself. She knows she can't let her fears consume her completely. She reminds herself that it's normal to feel scared and overwhelmed in the face of such significant challenges, repeating it to herself over and over because she knows it’s true.Everything going on is undoubtedly taking a toll on her emotional well-being.

Resting her head against the door, Beatrice lets out a shaky sigh. "I just...I wish things were different," she whispers, her voice filled with longing. "I wish my dad didn't have to go through this, and I wish Rooster didn't have to leave." Her words hang in the air, her own voice coming back to her ears.

Jolene nudged Beatrice's hand with her snout, so it landed on top of her head and so Jolene could protect the growing bump with her massive frame. Beatrice takes comfort in the pittie’s presence, laughing tiredly, “I’m sorry Jojo…I’m a broken record sometimes.” she says, chewing the inside of her cheek as she looks back to the sink, where both of their mugs were. Hers was still steaming, “...you know,maybe I should take on a new hobby with Rooster gone,maybe it’ll help me.”

Jolene stays close to Beatrice, the little dot brows moving with interest at her owner’s suggestion. “I don’t know…anything.Really,anything...to make this whole thing stop.” she gestures to her head and then covers her eyes with her hands, “...nevermind,I need to call Mike so he can pick me up.” she gently moves Jolene’s head away, not before kissing the pittie’s snout in thanks, “So I can sleep in the hospital, for a little bit.”

Jolene reluctantly moves her head away,standing up only to stretch her whole body as Beatrice walks upstairs to make the call. She does stop by Nicole’s door when she sees Eleanor and Jack up, their tails wagging and noses pointed to the crib, where a sleepy looking Nicole sat, squinting her eyes at nothing.

Beatrice smiles softly as she watches Eleanor and Jack, eagerly gathered around Nicole's crib. She walks over to them, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten as she takes in the adorable scene. "Hey there, little sleepyhead," Beatrice coos, reaching down to gently scoop up Nicole in her arms. "Did you have a good nap?"

Nicole blinks up at Beatrice, her tiny hand reaching out to grab onto one of Beatrice's fingers only to change target and move towards her eyes, rubbing her face instead. Beatrice's heart swells with love as she gazes down at her daughter, fixing the little onesie collar around her neck. "You're growing so fast," she whispers, pressing a gentle kiss to Nicole's forehead.

  A sudden weird and dark thought shows up in her brain, making Beatrice still as if she was    being hunted by something, and that something was inside her brain. She clenches her eyes, shaking her head “No, not this. Not now– come on Nikki, let’s call uncle Mike and…go visit your nonno.” she had to ease her mind, especially after that.

And she hated how her heart felt cold when that happened.

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 161. brb x oc

a/n: hewwo it is me. also is the masterlist working for everyone? I am still checking this new style 8) (reblogs and comments are super encouraged <3)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none, just fluff.

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/

116/117/118/119/120/121/122/123/124/125/126/127/128/129/130/131/132/133/134/135/136/137/138/139/140/141/142/143/144/145/146/147

/148/149/150/151/152/153/154/155/156/157/158/159/160

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

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-

Beatrice blinks when she sees the blue Bronco rolling to a park in front of the hospital, fixing her shoulder strap as she stands up from the bench with Nicole holding onto her neck, “Look,Nikki, it’s dada!”

Nicole stopped chewing on her teething ring to snap her head in Rooster’s direction, the toy slipping from her hold - but Beatrice caught it before it hit the floor - and she squealed happily, stretching her arms to Rooster. Beatrice smiles up at him, her brows furrowing just a bit when he walked up with his hand behind his back, ‘Whatcha got in there?” she asks, tilting her head just a bit.

Rooster grins mischievously as he approaches Beatrice and Nicole. He reveals his hidden hand, holding a small bouquet of flowers, their vibrant colors contrasting against the neutral of his uniform. "I figured I could surprise my two favorite people in the whole wide world," he says, his voice filled with warmth, his smile widening at his wife’s expression.

Beatrice's eyes widen in surprise, a soft gasp escaping her lips as she looks at the beautiful bouquet. "Oh, Bradley, they're stunning," she says, her voice filled with genuine appreciation, clearly not expecting such a gift. "Thank you."

Rooster leans in to give Beatrice a quick kiss on the lips before turning his attention to Nicole, who's reaching out for him with excitement. He scoops her up into his arms, their daughter giggling and squirming in delight. "Hey there, my little princess," he coos, pressing a gentle kiss on her forehead, bouncing her a bit on his arms, “This is the first of many flowers dada will give you- can she sniff flowers?”

“I think so.” Beatrice says as she gently thumbs each soft petal with her fingers, “She does that sometimes when we’re out at the garden, so I don’t see why she couldn’t.”

“Alright,” he kissed Nicole’s cheek before grabbing Beatrice’s bag from her shoulder, “...how’s your dad?”

Beatrice crosses her arms, the tiny bouquet tucked under her arm as she shrugs,"He's hanging in there," Beatrice replies, her expression growing more somber. "The doctors are doing their best, he’s sleeping right now."

Rooster's eyes reflect concern as he listens, his grip tightening slightly on Beatrice's bag. "I know baby, at least he’s sleeping. Is Michael going to stay there now." he asks as he leads them to the Bronco.

“Leo is, Cyn is going to stay with mom alongside Bri and the girls. Bibi is…taking a hard time understanding what’s going on from what Leo told me. So he thinks it’d be better if Cyn stays at the house, away from the hospital.” she thanks him when he opens the door for her, but she waits until he puts Nicole on her seat to enter the car.

Their little daughter just smiles as her mother places the vibrant bouquet next to the seat, kicking her tiny legs with excitement because of the colors!!! Beatrice laughs at Nicole’s joy, kissing her forehead and leaning back so Rooster could close the back door.

Beatrice reaches out and places a comforting hand on Rooster's arm, the hand slides around his bicep and her other arm joins the hold, with her cheek pressed against his shoulder as she closes her eyes while she hugs him. He doesn’t say anything, he just lets her do that as he stands by,”You are warm.”

“Well I did just get out of work.” he smiles, kissing her head, “That’s probably why.” Rooster waits until she’s ready to let go of his arm to enter the car, all the while keeping his eyes on her. She looked exhausted, absolutely tired and ready to fall on her face at any second, maybe she should take a short nap when they got home since she didn’t have to work that night.

As Beatrice gets inside and he soon follows suit, he keeps his eyes on her after latching on the seatbelt. She was leaning her head back on the seat, eyes closed, hands on her lap and her whole form was tense, “Baby.”

Her brow flicks in his direction but her eyes remain closed, “Yeah?”

“Why don’t we order tonight?” he asks as he turns the car on, “What are you feeling?”

She opens her eyes after a few seconds, then focuses on him, “...I want tacos. I’ve been thinking about having tacos ever since this morning, can we?”

“We can do a Mexican feast.” he smiles, using his palm’s heel to turn the wheel on the road so they could go back home. “I never say no to Mexican food.” her smile is relieved when he says it and her eyes don’t stay open for long after that. He lets her sleep on the passenger side, head tilted against the window and her hair falling over her face like a shield from the outside.

He rubbed his chin before propping his elbow against the window as he drove away, thinking on how he was going to break to Beatrice he was leaving in three days. He knew Rafael wasn’t going to be out of the hospital for a while, he couldn’t answer how long it’d take…so he had to prepare Bea. He hated it. He truly did.

Rooster drives the Bronco quietly, his eyes flicking from the road to Nicole on the back seat, their little girl was just as sleep as her mother, big green eyes hidden under the lids with her head tilted to the opposite side that Beatrice’s was. He steals glances at Beatrice, making sure she’s still asleep before he drops his hand on top of hers, squeezing it briefly.

They arrive home, and Rooster gently unbuckles Beatrice's seatbelt, which in turn makes her wake up, “Hm?” She jumps as soon as she hears the click, relaxing when she notices they are inside the garage, body slumping back on her seat with one hand coming up to rub her eyes, “Oh…we’re home.”

“We are, sorry for waking you.”

She smiles sleepily, gently rubbing the side of his face, “Don’t be. I’m-” a yawn distorts her words, “Glad you did.”

“You should take a nap now,” he says, stepping out of the car to unbuckle Nicole from the booster seat, Beatrice follows him to take the seven months old from his hold. She was still asleep when Beatrice snuggles her to her chest, ‘It’d be good for you.”

“I’m okay.” her husband just arches his brow, “I swear.”

“Uh-huh. Baby you look tired, you really do. I know you slept terribly and I think you should stay in bed.” he says as he unlocks the door, the dogs already scratching the wood and boofing in excitement, hurrying out of the house as the pilot pushes the door open, keeping an eye on the large canines as they surround Beatrice, curiously sniffing her shoes and clothes.

“Sorry guys,” she whispers, petting Eleanor on the head, “I probably smell like the hospital, ugh.” she runs her free hand through her hair, smiling at Rooster when he lets her step into the house first, taking the bag from her hand and closing the door behind them as soon as the dogs got back inside, “I should take a shower after bathing Nikki.”

Rooster,however,gently takes Nicole from Beatrice's arms, cradling their daughter close to his chest much to his wife’s surprise.

"You go ahead and take that shower,gorgeous." Rooster suggests, his voice filled with warmth. "I’ll bathe Nikki and set her in her crib, then join you in the bedroom.”

Beatrice blinked at him, “You sure?”

“More than anything.”

Beatrice nods appreciatively, giving him a tired but grateful smile followed by a soft breathy laugh. She heads upstairs to the bathroom, leaving Rooster and a sleeping Nicole alone. He sighs, looking down at their baby girl who just clung onto his uniform…much to his absolute horror because what sort of things could be clinging in there, “Oh,no,no, Nikki, come on.” the baby wakes up and blinks at him confusedly, “You have to clean up too.”

“Aa? Dada?”

“Dada isn’t as clean, well no,I am clean,” he discusses it with Nicole, who is just seven months old and clearly has no idea what he’s talking about, “But it’s not clean enough for you.” he opens the bathroom’s door with his shoulder, cursing because how is he going to change Nicole if he didn’t pick up her clothes. He turns on his heel and hurriedly makes his way to the nursery, opening the dresser and grabbing an onesie at random. “Sorry,Nikki. Okay.” he nods with certainty, “Time to get clean up.”

-

Beatrice does fall asleep after her shower and Rooster couldn’t bring himself to wake her up. He just watches from the door with his head leaning against the door frame, a gentle smile on his face as his arms cross over his chest. He hears a voice coming from the bed, which makes his smile drop and eyebrows furl, craning his neck to check what’s going on.

He shouldn’t be surprised she was watching something on her phone and fell asleep during it. He tsks softly, walking around the bed to end whatever show she was watching, crouching by the edge so he could place her phone on the nightstand. Her phone was also running out of battery, so he was quick to latch it up with her charger before it went to zero.

Rooster stared at the scene being played, however, Addam’s Family, one of her favorite movies. More specifically the scene where Gomez is watching Morticia as she sleeps.

Look at her,I would die for her. I would kill for her…either way, what bliss.

Rooster’s eyes slowly turned upwards towards Beatrice's sleeping face, those words hitting harder that night, he had to admit. “...yeah,Gomez.” he chuckles, “I feel you,man.” he finally plugs her phone and places it within her reach, turning the volume only for messages and calls, knowing she wouldn’t like to be disrupted by anything else that didn’t involve her father right now.

He pushes himself to his feet, about to turn around when a soft hand takes hold of his, “Roos…” 

He turns his torso towards her, eyes softening, “Hey…did I wake you up?”

“...no…” she mumbles, eyes still closed and the pillow - his pillow- pushed up to her face, “...stay with me?”

Bradley’s smile was so filled with love he couldn’t say no,”Always.” he whispers, carefully crawling over her so he could stay by her side, spooning Beatrice. She decided they’d spoon considering she draped his arm over her body and pushed her back to his front, “Hmmmm…you are so warm.” she says, “...I really like how warm you always are.”

“I’m a furnace.” he chuckles, “It doesn’t bother you at all.”

“Never did.” she replies, her head touching his lips so he couldn’t help but kiss the crown of her scalp, “‘Cause it’s safe.”

Rooster's heart swells with affection as he listens to Beatrice's words, chuckling almost embarrassedly and burying his face in the brown tresses. He hugs her closer, inhaling her comforting scent as her body once again relaxes...but she doesn’t sleep yet. 

Beatrice sighs contentedly, “Is Nikki asleep?” her fingers trail up and down the hairs on his arm, creating a trail that disappears every time she moves her digit back towards his wrist.

“Like a rock.” he smiles, his free arm carefully moving from underneath her and joining its twin in a shield like pose, protecting her stomach, “She was kinda falling asleep in the bath too.”

“Yea?”

“Yeah,I…” he sucks air through his teeth, “Kinda woke her up so she’d be clean. I think she was a bit grumpy. But she didn’t take too long to fall asleep.”

“Hmmm…that’s good.’

Rooster ran his fingers over the edge of her sleeping shirt, following the bump of her stomach and smiling at how prominent it was getting. Slowly but surely.

As Rooster's fingers trace the curve of Beatrice's growing belly, he feels a mixture of awe and tenderness.  His touch lingers on her belly,he can’t feel anything yet but he knows they will soon enough. He leans in and places a soft kiss on the back of Beatrice's neck, his voice barely above a whisper. "Can you believe there’s two of them in there?”

Beatrice's fingers continue their gentle movements on his arm, her touch soothing and a laugh escape her lips when he says that. "Sometimes I can’t…then I remember they are there." she replies, her voice filled with a mix of anticipation and happiness. "I think that’ll be enough for a while,right?”

“Yeah.” he mutters,kissing her skin, “...baby. I…” better say it now, “I’m getting deployed in three days. Her fingers stop the movements on his arm and he immediately feels guilty.

Beatrice's body tenses, and she slowly turns to face Rooster, but she doesn’t appear surprised, a bit sad, but not surprised. She searches his face, trying to understand the weight of his words. "We knew it’d happen." she whispers, her voice barely above a whisper. "For how long?"

Rooster's gaze meets hers,clicking his tongue against his teeth. "It's a six-month deployment," he replies, pulling one of the arms from under her to hold his head upright " Cyclone talked to me this week. I didn't want to tell you earlier because of everything going on with your dad, but I thought it was better to be honest now."

Beatrice's heart sinks, but she does the best to not show it. She takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "I understand," she says, her voice trembling, breaking a bit of the strong persona she put up. "You have your duty, and I'm proud of you, Bradley. But...it's going to be hard. Especially with the twins coming."

Rooster nods, his hand reaching up to cup Beatrice's cheek, his thumb caressing her skin gently. "I know it's going to be tough, baby," he says softly. "And I'm sorry for adding more to your plate. But I'll do everything I can to support you from afar. We'll make it through this together."

Tears well up in Beatrice's eyes, and she leans into Rooster's touch, seeking comfort and reassurance. "I know.," she whispers, her voice filled with a mix of love and vulnerability. Her own hand came up to rub his cheek "You never broke a promise to me yet."

Rooster's expression softens, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “And I never will.” he says, rubbing her chin,voice filled with conviction. "I am a man of my word.”

“You are.” she says softly, running her fingers over his mustache,”You really are. I don’t think I’ve met someone as honest and open as you,Roos.”

A tender smile spreads across Rooster's face, his heart swelling with love for Beatrice. He leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Well," he murmurs, his voice filled with a gentleness she can’t escape from. "You make me the better version of myself. And then Nikki came along…and now the twins."

“So you have a lot of incentive.”

“I do, yeah.”

Beatrice's lips curve into a small smile despite the tears in her eyes. She wraps her arms around Rooster, holding him close, "It’s going to be hard in the first months, I know it will…but I’ll manage it.," she whispers, her voice filled with determination. "I don’t want you to feel guilty for leaving.”

God bless her heart.

Rooster tightens his embrace around Beatrice, kissing the curve of her jaw. "I’ll try. I’ve talked to Mav about it already. He helped me a bit but it does make me feel good hearing it from you.," he says, his words filled with gratitude. 

Beatrice rests her head against Rooster's chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. She takes a deep breath, inhaling his scent, committing it to memory. "I love you, Bradley," she whispers, her voice filled with unwavering devotion. "You mean everything to me. Please come back safe."

They share a silent understanding with their eyes only. Rooster rubs the curve of her cheek with his smile slowly widening, “...I will.”

Tears stream down Beatrice's face as she looks up at Rooster, her heart filled with a mix of emotions. She nods, accepting his words and nuzzling close to him. “...can I ask about the mission?” 

He props his chin on top of her head, hugging her close, “You can, but I can’t say much because I don’t know much.”

“Is it normal to have such…hush hush missions?”

He chuckles softly, rubbing the back of her head, “Sometimes,gorgeous. We can’t really ask much about it until we get there,” he says, trying his best to explain the situation in a way she’d understand, “It’s uh…I don’t know, it’s not often, but it does happen.”

Beatrice listens attentively, her curiosity mingled with concern. “And Mav is going with you?” he nods, and she smiles, “Well, at least you won’t be there alone…the guys are going too,right?”

“Yeah, but I’ll lead the mission.” he says, “We are going to ‘tutor’ the new pilots per se. Mav will stay on the ground and I’ll have a new co-pilot.”

“Really?”

“Yep. I don’t know who it’ll be yet.”

Beatrice looks away and a smile slowly forms on her face, “...maybe one of your fanboys.” he sighs heavily, trying his best to bite back his grin by looking away, “Aw come on, they are adorable…and they treat you like a rockstar.”

“Gorgeous-”

“You never did that? To anyone?” she furrows her brows, “There had to be someone who you admired a lot.”

Rooster's grip on Beatrice tightens, his eyes looking away from her "My dad…Mav- but don’t tell him that,” she makes a ‘locking’ motion over her lips. His eyes narrow because he can see she’s trying to hold back her laughter, “...don’t.”

“I’m not! I’d never share such news with my husband’s godfather because I think it’s adorable.” she looks at him impishly, pursing her lips to a smile, a smile that slowly turned into a giggle. Bradley was just happy that she was laughing, his heart light because while everything that was happening wasn’t…ideal, seeing Beatrice like that did make his heart feel at ease.

“Uh-huh…anyway, you going back to sleep?” she snuggled closer to him as an answer, wrapping her leg on his hip and clinging to him like a spider monkey, “I take that as a yes.”

“You are a very noisy pillow.” she says softly, “...thank you,Brad.”

His gaze turns warm and he hugs her close, kissing the top of her head with his whole body enveloping her, “...you are welcome,gorgeous.”

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 110. brb x oc

a/n: good god we got to 110 chapters.......what the fuck am i doing.....and yet WE ARE NOT DONE HAH * laughs nervously *

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none. pure fluff

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/

50/51/52/53/54/55/56/57/58/59/60/61/62/63/64/65/66/67/68/69/70/71/72/73/74/75/76/77/78/79/80/81/82/83/84/85/86/87/88

/89/90/91/92/93/94/95/96/97/98/99/100/101/102/103/104/105

/106/107/108/109

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

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-

“I can’t believe we’re having cherry pie at midnight.” Beatrice says, her legs resting on top of his thighs as the two sit on the couch, “And watching Peaky Blinders.” the gunshot that echoed from the tv didn’t even phase them, “And you got me flowers.”

“It’s been a while since I got you some.” he smirks, chewing his forkful as he rubs her calf, “How’s it though? Good?”

Beatrice stares at him as if he asked the dumbest question ever, “Good?You know, when you told me you could bake I thought ‘wow,he’s husband material alright.’.” she finishes her sentence with a giggle, moving her calf back and forth on his hold because she was so relaxed.

“And I am,aren’t I?”

“Of course you are.” she pokes his side with her foot, squeaking when he just grabs her ankle and traps her there, “You are the best husband that ever existed.”

Rooster’s cheeks flushed a soft red and he scratched the bridge of his nose sheepishly, avoiding her eyes for a second, “Anyway,” he says as he clears his throat, ‘How was work? Did Evelyn stay long?”

‘Honestly,” she gestures with her fork, looking at the ceiling, “It was so crazy, like, the amount of people,Roos. It’s like it tripled in a matter of months! It really was wild because me,Shells and Jessie had to switch spots every now and again while Penny stayed behind the counter! But it was really fun…oh! And Ev stayed for about…half an hour? Maybe, she didn’t plan on staying long to be honest, she just wanted to see everyone because she missed us…and to tell Jake she was fine, he kept messaging her.”

“Honestly that’s how I felt when I was away.” he murmured, rubbing her calf again, “I worried so much,gorgeous.”

Beatrice’s eyes softened as she looked at him, placing the empty plate on the coffee table - far enough from Jolene so she wouldn’t snatch a bite - and pushing herself to her knees. He already knew what was going after, so he set his plate aside as well and leaned back so she could sit on his lap, his sigh of relief once she does makes her smile, “You like me sitting on your lap?”

“Or on my face.” she gasps in shock, cheeks turning red, “Both are great for me.”

“Rooster.”

“Bea.”

They stare at each other for a few seconds, eventually breaking into quiet laughter before their foreheads met, “...I know you worry about me.” she whispered, “And that you were even more worried because you were far away from me.” her hands gently cup his cheeks and brush her thumbs over his cheekbones, “I admit I was really nervous, I really was…but at least you came back soon and saw Nikki’s birth.”

His smile widens, “I did. It was the most magical thing ever.” he pauses “And the most terrifying one, seeing you passed out…was fucking scary, but at least everything went well.”

“And you were with me as Nikki grew into a healthy six months old baby.” she says, “...she’s six months old,Roos. Can you believe it? She’ll be one year old next year. Like…in a matter of months!”

“And I’ll be thirty nine.” he frowns a bit, “...Jesus.”

“You look great for a thirty nine years old man.” she counters, gently brushing her fingers on his temples, “You still look handsome as the first time I saw you…and you’ll get even better as you get older.” he huffs out a disbelieved laugh, but Beatrice is serious, “I swear, Roos you are so handsome. And you look at least in your early thirties.”

“Watch until I get my first gray hairs.”

‘You’ll be a silver fox.” she grins when he laughs, unabashedly and loud, his hands caressing her hips and down her thighs, “You know that. You know you’ll be absolutely handsome when you get older.”

Bradley’s smile softened because his wife was so incredibly sweet without even trying to. He leans up to meet her lips in a lazy kiss, one that was sweet and full of promise at the same time, “Thank you,gorgeous.” he smirks, “You’ll look even better too.”

Beatrice giggles, nuzzling his neck and letting him hug her waist, both of them going quiet after a while, the silence only breaking because of the gentle sound of rain coming from the outside. Beatrice loved this serenity and calmness whenever they were together, it was one of her favorite moments: just enjoying each other, with or without Nikki present, was amazing.

Whenever Nicole was around, their daughter liked to be almost sandwiched between them, gurgling giggles and wriggling against them, loving the attention from both of her parents. “...you know,Evelyn will be three months pregnant.” she muttered, “She might do a baby shower.”

Rooster blinked in surprise, “Evelyn? A baby shower? Really?”

“I know I couldn’t believe myself.” she laughs, “But it has something to do with her family coming over, especially both of her grandmas. She said it’ll be fun…she hopes.” Beatrice drops her head on his shoulder as his hand moves up and down her spine, following the line that went up to her neck then back down to her tailbone with the tips of his finger, “We didn’t do one for Nicole,did we?”

He arches his eyebrows with his eyes still on the tv, “We didn’t have to, people just gave us things without us even asking.”

“True.” she turns to watch the tv as well, seeing Tommy Shelby scream at someone who she couldn’t identify, “Would you want something like that?”

“Hm?”

“For our future kids? Like…a baby shower?” Beatrice’s question was hesitant, so much that Rooster tilted his head to look at her, arching his brow, “Well…we talked about having more.” and she felt stupid for thinking he’d be upset, or he’d tell her to ‘not think about that now’

It was Rooster for god’s sake.

“Do you want to? I mean,” he laughs softly, scratching his jaw, ‘Considering how everything went with Nicole, do we even need to?” 

“Well,good point.” she laughs, dropping her head on his chest as thunder rumbled above them, the rain gaining more force outside, “Maybe not,huh?”

“Think about it,” he begins while still rubbing her back, “We can use some of Nicole’s old clothes to the new kids.” he shrugs, “Recycling, reusing, I mean most of her clothes are gender neutral too, we don’t have to worry about that.”

Beatrice’s smile widened as she looked at his chest, her body feeling so light because of his words. Rooster was an incredible partner, almost unreal sometimes, and she felt he was feeling that more and more as time went by. Maybe he stopped blaming himself so much - finally- maybe he noticed he deserves to have the good things in his life without fearing the worst.

“I like that.” she murmurs, smelling his cologne as she buries her face into his shirt, “I really like that.”

“Are you sleepy?”

Was she? The yawn she tried to hold back was enough of an answer, making her laughter appear distorted when she managed to giggle at him, “A little.” she whispers, “I’m full and happy and warm…and I don’t really want to move.”

“Wanna sleep on the couch?” he suggests and she has to look at him to see if he was serious, “It could fit both of us. Back pain be damned.” Beatrice laughs, still holding onto him only to prop her chin onto his pectorals.

“Hmmm…tempting,but I do like our bed.” she says, “And I want to take a shower before we go…and,” another yawn and a shake of her head, “And I’m getting too tired to form sentences,Roos.”

“Well,” he turns on the tv, “You know what that means,” she hears him placing the plate on top of the other, “I gotta carry you upstairs.”

‘You don’t have to-!” she squeaked because of course he’d just ignore her and pick her up like she weighed less than Nicole. Beatrice laughs, dropping her face on his neck as he walks up the stairs with Jojo following them.

“I’m sorry,” he grins, “Did you say something?” and he adjusts her body in his grasp by bouncing her up, cupping her ass cheeks perfectly as he walks into their bedroom, only setting her down after kissing her forehead and humming against her skin, ‘Because I couldn’t hear it.”

Beatrice smiles, meeting his lips in a sweet kiss, breaking away with a gentle smack with her eyes soft and sleepy, “I didn’t say anything.” she grins, kissing the three scars on his chin before she steps away from him, “I’m going to take a quick shower, okay? Won’t take too long.” she’s already kicking off her shoes and unbuttoning her pants, walking her sock covered feet to the bathroom and disappearing from his view.

Rooster just smiles hearing her soft yawn coming from the bathroom, “I’ll clean everything downstairs.” he says, “Won’t take too long either.”

Beatrice let out a positive hum, probably because she was brushing her teeth and he took that as his cue to leave. He pet Jolene in the hallway, whistling so she’d follow him back downstairs just to keep him some company. 

He gathered the plates and the pie - after eating another part of the crust and closing his eyes because good God he was so good at this - placing the now room temperature dessert inside the fridge, closing the door with his elbow and licking his fingers clean, ‘I’m a great baker.” he turns to Jolene who’s now sitting patiently next to him as he approaches the sink, “I might bake something for you guys, you know? It’d be pretty good, something safe for dogs.”

The pittie whines in her throat, tapping her paws excitedly on the tiled floor “You’d like that,huh?” he asks while washing the plates and then putting them in the cabinets once they were dry. He pauses for a second, his hand resting on the lower side of the cabinet as he notices how domestic their life was.

He remembers when he was younger, just starting in the Navy, how some of his friends couldn’t imagine domesticity. A partner? Yes, but some - if not most - dreaded the idea of domesticity because it sounded so boring. Rooster didn’t hate it, in fact he wanted domesticity but couldn’t imagine himself getting it so soon in his life.

Most of his days were spent alone but he imagined what it’d be like…what it’d be like to have someone to come home to. He didn’t have anyone, so in reality the idea of coming back to his small apartment back then was almost dreadful, but what could he do? So now, these little things - baking for his wife, washing dishes, spending time with Nicole - were so important to him.

As important as his job was if he was honest.

This downtime that some officers didn’t seem to like, not all of them thankfully, but some of them. Amazingly the same ones who always complained about their wives and how they couldn’t wait to be deployed again.

Shit people they were.

“Hey.” he looks up when he hears her voice, her hair just a bit damp because of the steam and the long shirt - another one that belonged to him, this one simply had SIERRA NEVADA on it - that touched her thighs and hugged on her hips, feet bare, “I was going to help you clean up.”

He smiles, dropping his head a bit, “Ah,gorgeous, you don’t have to.” he says, “I thought you were going to wait for me in bed.”

Beatrice hummed, the soft ‘tap tap’ of her soles hitting the cold tiles only signaled she was approaching him, eventually standing on his side and hugging his muddle. Her ear was right on top of his heart and his arm wrapped around her shoulders, “Not the same without you.” 

He clenched his eyes with a pained smile because she kept being too cute for his own good. He closes the cabinet with a flick of his hand, dropping little kisses to her scalp as they stand in front of the sink, “Not the same,huh?” she shakes her head against his chest, “Gotta admit it’s very similar to how I feel when I’m gone.”

Her eyes blinked open and her head tilted upwards, propping her chin on his chest, trying her best to stay awake, “You miss me a lot.” she says as if she just found out he had a crush on her, her sleepy state made her giggle like a schoolgirl, “You do~”

“I do.” he smirks,”Now come on, do you want me to carry you up the stairs?”

“Yesss…” he laughs at her response, “Can you carry me bridal style?”

Bradley answered by scooping her up with ease, kissing her cheek, “Can I?” he grins, “Just turn the lights off for me,gorgeous. My hands are busy.” he carries her to the light switch so she could click on it, leaving them both in the dark, the only light source coming from the lights outside and their bedroom upstairs.

Beatrice snuggles close to him, her legs moving happily as he carries her up to their bedroom once more, this time gently setting her on the bed. His laugh when she immediately burrows herself under the covers, leaving only the upper part of her head and her hair out was adorable, “I’m a mole.” he hears her say, watching her face disappear under the covers, “I live in the darkness.”

His smile turns fond, “Yep, yep you do.” she peeks from under the covers at him, then pulls half of the blanket they kept on the edge up to her shoulder, “Baby, are you really that cold?”

“Yes.”

“You sure?”

“I could be warm but my husband is taking his sweet time to get in here.”

“Ah, my apologies ma’am.” he throws his hands up in defense, “I’ll just change and then I’ll be right there with you.”

Thankfully all he had to do was remove his shirt and adjust his sweatpants after brushing his teeth, nothing more. He left the bathroom to see Beatrice’s eyes following him, more specifically the way his hips moved - and in turn the elastic got a liiitle bit lower every time, exposing his Adonis lines and the happy trail that was darker than his hair - slowly climbing into the bed, under the covers and opening his arms, “C’mere.’ she just scoots over, wrapping herself around him like a spider monkey.

He smiles when her body relaxes and her cheek is pressed to his chest, “Comfortable?”

“Yes. Are you?”

“Always.”

They stay quiet for a few seconds and Rooster knows she’s about to ask something because of how he feels her wriggling a bit, “What’s happening,gorgeous?”

She moves a bit against him, then tilts her head upwards, licking her lips, “...nothing. I just was thinking about you.’ she smiles, pressing her cheek on his bicep, “And how incredible you are and how sweet too, and how much of a great father you are as well.”

Rooster just looked down at her, a gentle curl of his lips as she spoke, so he didn’t stop her, “...you are doing great,Roos.” she says, “You are doing incredibly great.”

‘So are you,gorgeous.”

“Hey,come on,” she playfully shoves his shoulder, gently, “I’m complimenting you right now.”

“Oh so I can’t compliment right back?”

“Nope.” she pops the ‘p’ with a giggle, a giggle that only intensified when he moved his head closer and pressed their noses together. “...I’m just really happy.” she whispers, her minty fresh breath hitting his mouth, “That I have you and Nikki and the dogs…and the house. And that I’m getting better little by little and that you are getting better as well.”

“I try.”

“You do, and it shows.” she says, rubbing his cheek, “You are incredible,Roos.”

He could lie and say he didn’t want nor care about compliments, but he did. And he loved hearing them, especially from Beatrice. He chose to just smile back, then kiss the tip of her nose instead of throwing it under the rug with a compliment towards her, “Thank you,gorgeous.” he says, smiling even more when she snuggled closer to him, “Anyway,what are the plans for tomorrow?”

“Besides the usual?” she asks, hugging his torso, “Getting the christmas things out, setting everything up before we go to Marcus this Saturday.”

“You think we’ll be able to do it?”

“Absolutely.” she smiles, “We can be pretty fast.” Beatrice’s hand is still touching his face, her eyes soft and sleepy, “I’m glad you are here…for Christmas.”

‘So am I.”

“...we’ll make it very special,Roos.’ she smiles, “I promise, the holidays will be the most amazing ones you’ll ever have.”

He believes her.

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 63. brb x oc

a/n: oh my god we reached 63 chapters holy sHIT i swear i am just.........speechless...wow thank you guys so much for the constant support! Mean so much to me!!!

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none, Rooster being in love with Bea and missing being a dad uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17/18/19/20/21/22/23/24/

25/26/27/28/29/30/31/32/33/34/35/36/37/38/39/40/41/42/43/44

45/46/47/48/49/50/51/52/53/54/55/56/57/58/59/60/61/62

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!! )

taglist: @mirandastuckinthe80s @roosterschanelslut @wiipes @lcahwriter @shrimping-for-all @gretagerwigsmuse @frenchtoastix

@lizzie-rdj @fanboyluvr @atarmychick007 @comebacktoearthpls

@peachiicherries @mak-32 @lizziespidiepridie @roosterswifey @ollyoxenfrees @piceous21 @sqrlgrl22 @hofficoffi @lexhalstead3 @lorilane33 @legendarydreamersharkparty @luckyladycreator2

@emilybradshaw @j-6o @louisahale @leobabbyyy @kulicny @winter-run @ktjmac @graciereads @bigpoppajes @taytaylala12

@caitsymichelle13 @becks-things @caatheeriinee07 @dhwanishah09 @jesfreedark @katiemcrae @lilmonstrjedi @hobiismyhopeu @teacupsandtopgun @insominac23

-

Bradley missed them so much already. It was almost painful how much he missed Beatrice’s smile and Nicole’s little squealed laughs, and the dogs. God he missed the dogs too. He couldn’t say how long he stayed looking at his phone where several pictures of Bea and Nicole were, pictures he took without her knowing.

Like the one where she was sitting on the floor with her hair up in a bun, Nicole sleeping on her chest and the dogs lying around them, Beatrice’s eyes on the tv as she watched a documentary he couldn’t remember what it was about now.

Or the one where she’s outside with Nicole, sitting on one of the lounge chairs they bought looking at a few birds that made  their nest in Beatrice’s birdhouse, the one she made months ago. And he lied on his bunk looking at the pictures for God knows how long, smiling at every single one he saw and hoping his girls were okay.

Which they were,if that wasn’t the case surely he’d know about it already.

But he couldn’t help but remember Cyclone’s words, how he said Nicole was going to question his absence,question why he had to leave,question why he was gone for so long…he hated how that made him feel. Of course his daughter was too young to actually know what was happening but she was also very smart for an infant considering how she was already vocalizing and giving people the stinky eye.

Bradley sighs heavily, dropping his head on the pillow,reaching down in his bag to grab the scent pouch Beatrice made him. It was still fragrant albeit the fabric of the pouch itself was a bit frail in the middle because of his constant touching and rubbing, just like he was doing now. He didn’t want it to rip open so he had to be extra careful with it right now. He looked at the dry flowers inside, moving them about for a few seconds and then groaning with his hands coming up to his eyes.

“Fuck,I miss her so bad.” he mumbled, damn him for having such a soft heart when it came to Beatrice. He knew this wouldn’t change anything in his job besides the constant earning of having Beatrice back considering that the second he stepped out of his bunk and into the jet his focus was on getting the job done so he could go back to Bea and Nikki.

He didn’t want to do it, but he was looking it up online to see how big a four months old baby would be. Nicole was already a big infant so he assumed she’d spurt up quite quickly by the time he returned. When he saw the pictures his heart clenched because it was like he was missing so much already.

“I can’t be thinking like this.” And yet he was “Bea is going to update me with pictures of Nikki, it’s going to be fine. I don’t have to worry so much about it after all, it wasn’t like it’s the end of the world.”

And yet.

Bradley huffed out a sigh, dropping his phone on his chest as he looked at the top bunk above him. This time there was no snoring Fanboy like usual, it was Payback who was there instead and he slept like a rock. Like a big,silent rock, he was the one person no one minded sharing a bunk with since he was so quiet all the time. 

And while Rooster appreciated it, he kind of missed the noise from Fanboy because his thoughts were getting too loud. He knew it was late here but he couldn’t sleep, so he grabbed his phone and quickly typed a message to Bea

Rooster (23:33)

Hey gorgeous, I know it’s only been a week since I was gone but…I really miss you. And I miss Nikki and the dogs. how have you been? I know it’s probably late there so you don’t have to reply yet,I just wanted to hear from you <3

Amazingly, the chat bubble popped up seconds after he sent it.

Bea (23:35)

Roos! It’s okay :) me and Nikki are watching the Golden Girls. We are fine, she’s been fine too, the dogs as well. We are managing everything! We miss you too so much but we both know you’ll come back soon :3 oh let me show you something.

He waits by rereading her words again and his stomach is warm with butterflies, no matter how long their relationship was he still had the same feelings from the first time they got together. That’s the power of being with someone who is your soulmate. He blinks when he sees it’s a video, so he hurries to grab his air pods to not wake Payback up, peeking at the other pilot only to see that he was facing the wall.

He gets comfortable, with the air pods on and press play on the video.

The first thing he sees it’s Nicole’s big green eyes staring back at him, she’s lying on top of Beatrice’s thighs and her hands are trying to take hold of the phone “Nikki,no,hold on!” her laughter sounds magical to his ears and he sees she’s holding the phone a bit higher to show Nicole’s outfit “So,this is one of Marcus’ gifts for Nikki,” the shirt was white with tiny birds drawn on the fabric, all of them in different shades of orange and red “And I thought it’d be nice to- Nikki, no,mommy needs the phone.”

Cue to Nicole reaching for the phone one more time and eventually taking hold of it “Oh,okay, okay,I was just showing daddy your outfit!” Nicole’s eye was huge as she pushed it up against the lens, moving around curiously with the vocalization of ‘ah,ah,ah’, holding it back to then press her mouth against it, “No!Nikki, don’t bite it,” cue to their daughter continuous gummy chewing, “No,no, honey you can’t chew it,Okay, give it to me. Thank you.”

“Anyway,” she lifts the phone again “It’s something I wanted to show you because I thought you’d like it. Because Nicole looks so cute,” she tickles Nicole’s tummy making the little girl gurgle out a laugh “Oh!Another thing,Jake and Bob showed up and Jake said he is the best uncle. I know you’ll probably have something to say about that, but you know, it’s something to think about..oh! And he gave Nikki, uh…” there’s the sound of ruffling in the background while he still has Nicole looking up at him “Found it! Look.”

It’s a chick hair clip. It’s an actual chick hair clip.

“He said he saw it and thought of her. I’ve tried on her head and she didn’t hate it so,” cue to Nicole’s eyes moving to the hair clip, trying to grab the largest part - the chick - of it only for Beatrice to move it away, turning the camera to her face this time, “So,yeah! That’s what’s been happening and- the dogs are fine too by the way! They are fine! We all are.” she smiles down at the phone, “Anyway,I think I recorded too much so I’m going to end this here! Say bye to daddy,Nikki!”

Nicole just ‘ah’s’ trying to grab the phone again, so Beatrice grabs the arm reaching up to give the camera a little wave “Bye,daddy! I love you so much!” and the recording is done.

When the video is over he’s immediately reminded of the time he lurked in Beatrice’s Instagram and saw her video with Bianca - who was probably two or three by that time - and how that just latched into his brain for so long. Maybe it was the one thing that made him fall in love with her back then without him even knowing.

Because Beatrice was normally so guarded and shy while at the bar, seeing her having fun,smiling, holding her little niece like that just showed that under that shield protecting herself was someone who was fun and sweet and who he wanted to talk so badly. He was more than happy to have this update, it meant a lot to him considering his thoughts from earlier…Beatrice was right, there was nothing to worry about especially because she’d always message him about Nikki.

Roos (23:55)

Gorgeous, thanks for the video. I loved it and she looks adorable as always…and tell Jake to fuck off about being the best uncle, I’d never allow that.

Bea (23:55)

Roos.

Roos (23:56)

Okay,maybe I’ll allow a little bit just because the gift he got Nikki is super cute and it’ll only make our girl look even cuter than she already is…but you sound tired,gorgeous. have you been sleeping well?

Bea (23:59)

Ah, you noticed that. I’m fine,I’m sleeping normally it’s just that the bar is so packed that I’m…waking up more tired than normal lol. But I promise you I’m fine.

Roos (00:00)

Hm,if you say so,pretty girl.

Bea (00:00)

I promise…Oh! There’s um, there’s another video I’ll send you…later. Just,well,maybe I’ll send it to you via email. We’ll see.

Roos (00:01)

Oh? Gorgeous, what are you planning?

Bea (00:02)

Nothing! Just…something I can’t tell you much yet. :3 

His heart felt at peace just by this conversation, the blue light of his phone illuminated his face and the curve of his smile as he reread her texts over and over. The pang in his heart was still present but much less, he knew he’d go home soon and safe, he knew that his girls would be okay and he knew they wouldn’t be alone.

Neither Jake nor Bob messaged him these past weeks, the group chat barely active since they were out of the country right now so he just accepted the obvious: they’d be fine. 

He’d be up for more time but his eyes started to droop, the tension from moments before dissipated into nothing as the words on the screen blurred together into unknown blobs of color.  He just woke up more when he felt it vibrate in his hand with another message from Beatrice.

Bea (00:10)

Roos? Are you asleep? If you are, ignore this!!

He chuckled quietly,”You are so cute.” he whispered, “Cutest thing in the whole fuckin’ world,I swear.”

Roos (00:10)

Blacked out for a second gorgeous, nothing more. But I should sleep right now.

Bea (00:11)

Oh no! Am I keeping you awake? :( I’m sorry!

Roos (00:11)

Baby, of course not, you aren’t doing anything wrong. I promise you.

Bea (00:12)

Well,if you are tired Roos, pls sleep. I want you to have a good night of sleep and be alert for whatever is thrown at you!

Roos (00:13)

Ugh, you are so cute.I love you so much…but you are right,I’m going to hit the hay now…talk to you soon okay? I love you, please kiss Nikki for me.

Bea (00:13)

<3 I love you too,Roos. Stay safe and I will!!

Rooster smiled at his phone for a few more seconds before he dropped it back inside his bag, turning it off to save battery for the next few days. Once he did that and the whole area was darkened and silent, he turned on his side to have his left hand close to his face. The lack of light only made it harder for him to see his wedding ring but he didn’t mind, he turned it around his finger with his thumb for a few seconds until his eyes fluttered closed and he finally fell asleep.

-

There was always the weird feeling of waking up and not seeing Rooster and panicking for a brief second only to remember he was deployed. Beatrice sighs while on the bed, dropping her palm over her eyes with a groan as she rubs her face. She keeps her hands on her cheeks after rubbing the sleep off her eyes, only to keep her vision on the ceiling because she’s still one thread away from dreamland.

She was so happy to hear from Rooster, she knew he was busy and never complained how long it took for him to reply to her messages as long as he did so. Beatrice sighs, one of her hands reaching over to her phone to check the time “Yep, still five in the morning,” she mutters, yawning quietly before pushing herself to a sitting position to check the baby monitor app in Nicole’s room.

Her daughter was asleep still, thankfully, with a perfect starfish pose inside her crib with Ellie and Jack keeping her company lying by her crib. Beatrice smiles, closing the app and then checking her phone since she’d be busy with Nikki in a few minutes. There were no messages from Rooster, but she had one from Marcus who asked her how she was and apologized about the time since he had just returned from Greece and was getting used to the California time zone again.

Beatrice just typed a message back to him saying that he shouldn’t worry. Her cousins also got quiet, they didn’t block her but they were eerily silent since her outburst in their mother’s house, “Good, let’s keep it that way.” 

She also checked the weather, thinking it’d be nice to take Nikki out that morning if the time was nice enough. From what she checked it wasn’t going to rain until late in the afternoon so she decided that after breakfast they could go out with the dogs to a park and enjoy themselves.

Beatrice furrows her brows however when she sees a message from Hannah. While the two weren’t on bad terms anymore it was strange to have her messaging suddenly, they weren’t that close after all.

Hey, can we meet up today? To talk?

Weird.

But Beatrice replied with “What time? I have to take care of my daughter so my time is limited.” she added an emoji at the end…then noticed that the message was sent seven hours ago and it was obvious that Hannah was asleep, “Sorry! I just saw the time you sent it! Ooops!” she hoped it wouldn’t bring anything bad out of her because of that mistake.

While on Instagram she saw that there were, again, more anon accounts and she couldn’t really bother trying to block them anymore since they always showed up no matter what.

While looking down at the gray icon she just…felt this anger. Why is this still happening and there was no resolution? No matter what they always come back, it’s been…about three years now? Almost four years since this has been happening, ever since she and Rooster got together.

Beatrice narrowed her eyes at the account, opening the dms to send them a message until the baby monitor app popped up on the screen to let her know that ‘NICOLE is awake!’ with a small video of Nikki wriggling her little arms as she breaks out of her slumber. Beatrice pauses, looking from the video to the account and sighs, “There are better things in my mind.” she says before blocking this account as well.

She just kicks the covers off, deciding to make them after breakfast, and marches to Nicole’s room. Eleanor and Jack are already up and about, with the youngest of the twins marching out of the room so his sister is the one in there with Beatrice until Jolene joins them as well, “Hi,Nikki,” she coos, seeing her daughter’s scrunched up face. She gasps softly seeing that the expression is identical to Rooster when he wakes up: squinty eyes, pursed lips and hair a mess. “Hi,sweetie, good morning.”

Nicole rubs her fists against her face in a feeble attempt to clean her eyes, “Okay,come on, up you go, let’s check you out and then give you breakfast yeah?” Nicole hums, much like Rooster did while waking up too, “God, you are so much like him already.”

After changing and cleaning Nicole and giving her the breakfast - which she was very eager to have - they walked downstairs to where the dogs were,lying next to the bouncer as usual. She greeted them after putting Nicole down and getting ready to prepare her own breakfast which she had no idea what it’d be.

Pancakes wouldn’t hurt but she feared it’d only make her miss Rooster way too much.

Thinking about him made a smile appear on her face though, because their conversation from yesterday was so fun and helped her own fears disappear. She felt a bit bad about lying to him that Nicole was okay with his absence, she wasn’t, not really but it has gotten better these past days and she’s not crying that much.

Staying with her nonni helped a lot too, her parents always made sure to give Nicole enough attention so she wouldn’t be so upset.

That and Rooster’s shirt that she left by the crib, that’s been helping Nikki too. 

“Ah,Nikki,” she begins as she cracks two eggs in a bowl, “You have no idea how much you and your dad are similar, expression like, you know? I mean it’s like looking at a mirror when I look at you.”

And the fact that she had seen Bradley’s baby pictures and the similarity was on the nose.

Nicole babbled a bit, kicking her little legs as she tried to reach the mobile yet again but instead touched Eleanor’s pink snout when she sniffed her hand. Her daughter’s eyes were locked on Eleanor and she gurgled a giggle, this time gently touching the dog’s face, “And you love dogs too, just like him….and well, me too.” Beatrice grins, pouring some milk in her omelet before mixing a bit more, “...I just hope he gets home soon…and safe…he worries so much in his job. And it’s a dangerous one too.”

More babbling from Nicole.

“I mean, he’s also so good at what he does.” Beatrice smiles as the pan sizzles, “And he’s so smart and funny and sweet and–” and the dreamy sigh that escapes her mouth was enough to make her cheeks turn red, “And he still makes me feel like I’m floating everytime we talk.” she bites her lower lip, “It’s a shame we won’t be able to celebrate our anniversary though,I know he was so excited for it.” but she had something planned for the time their anniversary came up at least, so she could be excited for that.

Nicole babbles again, ‘ah’s’ and ‘oh’s’ followed by the constant gurgling only made Beatrice smile, “I agree,Nikki, your daddy needs to have something fun to come back to…and you’ll be a pretty big baby-well more than you already are- when he comes back.” she says, looking back at Nicole only to see her legs kicking and moving more, “Oh, before I forget we need to get you to your check up, we can take uncle Mikey with us! I just need to check with the clinic and make sure it’s scheduled.”

As she said that she heard her phone ping from upstairs and she couldn’t really leave the kitchen to get it - and for someone to send a message so early in the morning? Must’ve been important.- “Ellie, can you get my phone for me?” the white dog tilts her head at Beatrice, “The phone, you know?” she holds out her pinky and thumb to her ear, “This thing? You got my bag before but I need my phone now.”

Eleanor stares at her for a few more seconds before sprinting up the stairs to retrieve the phone. And she does retrieve the phone much to Beatrice’s surprise! It’s slobbery all over and the phone case has some dents because of Eleanor’s teeth but it’s working. “Thank you,Ellie!”

She wipes her phone the best she could and furrows her brows when sees that Marcus was the one who messaged her.

Marcus (06:15)

Darling! Can you come over by the studio today? I’d love to see you so we can discuss the new collection!

Bea (06:15)

Marcus, oh my god did you even sleep? 

Marcus (06:16)

Of course! I am fine, my darling! But can you come over? Around morning?

Bea (06:16)

Well…I don’t know I…I have my baby with me and Rooster is deployed so I don’t know if that would be possible?

Marcus (06:17)

Darling! Bring the little one over!I want to meet her! :) plus she’ll have a little spot prepared just for her in any case. It’s just to sit down with you a bit.

Bea (06:18)

Sit down with me? But the last time we did this you didn’t have to sit me down?

Marcus (06:18)

Exactly,darling! :) can you come?

Bea (06:19)

Hmmm…okay, I think I can show up quickly. I can’t stay too long though.”

But Marcus was just glad to hear a ‘yes’ from Beatrice…even if the brunette was confused as to why he needed to see her so soon. “Well,” she says out loud, “Looks like you are meeting Marcus today,Nikki.”

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 17. brb x oc

i love FINDING NEW GIFS IN THE TAG WOOOOOOOOO

a/n: can you believe I wrote this whole chapter in two hours??? yeah man me neither ( also as someone whose family is also as cray cray as Bea's is, this chapter kinda hit hard uwu )

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: fluff, bea still has doubts and yet again rooster shows everyone why he is the husband of the century,

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!! )

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@caitsymichelle13 @becks-things

-

Beatrice remembers that as a child, her nonna used to make these “scent baggies’ as she liked to call it: she’d put try flowers and maybe scented wax and spices inside a small baggie - about the size of the tip of her thumb- and would keep it in certain areas of her house like drawers, wardrobes, even the bathroom.

It’s something she also gifted people with, something that would ward off evil spirits and make whatever it touched smell good. She remembers how it lasted for months and the smell remained for almost a year in certain places, there were areas in her parents’ house that still smelled like daisies.

Her favorite one was, obviously, lavender. She’d have two: one for her wardrobe and one for her backpack. It brought a sense of comfort,especially after her nonna passed away and she wondered if she could do something like that for Rooster. He said he liked how she smelled and he missed her a lot while he was gone…could she do that? Would that be legal?

It’s not like it was drugs. It was just a tiny thing with pressed flowers. Shells noticed her friend looked way too worried, more than normal, and lowered the box of supplies she was carrying to watch Bea sweep the same spot on the bar at least twice, “Ahem.” the brunette blinks, looking up at the other woman, “What’s gotten you extra sweeping today?”

“I’m just thinking.”

“Yes,” Shells smirks, crossing her arms, “I know, that’s why I’m asking,babes. What are you thinking about?”

Beatrice parts her lips to explain, then leans the broom against the wall as she turns to Shells, “I want to give Roos something, something small that he can take with when he’s gone and…you know it’ll remind him of me.”

“Your underwear?”

‘My under-NO!” Shells cackling was loud enough that people outside the bar could hear it, thankfully her aunt left for a bit or else Beatrice would die. Her cheeks turned bright red and she glared at the blonde, “No, not my underwear. Something small and,you know, that he can put in his things or his pocket if he misses me. I gave him my ring once, but I don’t know, I could add something else. And my nonna used to make these um…these tiny baggies with dried flowers and herbs that made everything smell amazing.”

Shells arches her eyebrows with her lips pursed, “Nice, and you plan on doing that?”

“...maybe, I don’t know, is that even legal?”

“I mean…unless you are planning on using the good ol’ Mary Jane, I don’t think it’s illegal, Bea.” the blonde crosses her arms with a smile, leaning her back against the bar counter, “I mean, I don’t think it is, never heard of someone being kicked out of the Navy because of fucking flowers.”

Beatrice lets out a worried noise and bites her lower lip repeatedly, “I just don’t want to get him into trouble.” she explains, “You know? It’s just…something.” Beatrice sighs, flopping down on the stool with her legs dangling, “I don’t know, maybe I should get him a keychain or something.”

Shells hums, walking closer to her friend and sitting down on the stool next to hers, “Well why don’t you make it a keychain?” Beatrice blinks up at her with confusion, “Think about it, he can dangle it over his bags and such, then he could put it inside if he worries it’ll rip or something, you know?”

She had a point, Beatrice hums while thinking about it and then chews the inside of her cheek “Maybe you are right,” she ignored Shells’ “obviously “ and stood to her feet “I just need some help from my aunt, she knows how to make these…scent baggies better than I do, so I might show up later…do you want to come with?”

Shells leaned on her elbow, looking at Beatrice before turning to look at her phone “Well we’ll be done here in about fifteen minutes so we wait for aunt Penny to come back and then we can go, I think I just met your aunt at the wedding, is she the really tall one that looks like Demi Moore?”

“Oh she’ll love that you said that,” Beatrice giggles “But yes, that’s her. She might have some ideas I can use, she knows so much about nature and whatnot.”  She did feel a bit more at peace after that conversation, her heart feeling lighter and her smile no longer nervous. 

It doesn’t take too long for Penny to come back, and since the bar was already clean all the girl had to do was tell her where they were going and they wouldn’t take too long, after all it was just a chat with her aunt, just to know some instructions. And she had a feeling, since Shells had no idea where her aunt lived that she’d be a bit starstruck about it.

She knew her aunt had some money but Bea didn’t tell Shells what she did exactly because she knew her friend would be…intense once she found out about it. Hence why when they arrived at Martha’s gated community, Shells was already looking around with amazement.

“Wait, your aunt lives here?”

“Well, yeah!”

“Why wasn’t I never told???”

Beatrice opens her mouth, then closes and offers her friend a shrug, “Oh I just…I didn’t want you to freak out too much,” more than normal that is. And the blonde woman just stared at Beatrice in pure disbelief, leaning back on her seat and looking out at the immense houses with beautiful Halloween decorations hanging from the roof and on their front yards.

She does a few turns until she finally reaches her aunt’s house, not being able to hold back her smile at Shells’ “Holy shit! Look at the size of this place!”

“Shells, come on.”

Shells just makes a series of noises, gesturing to the huge house once they step out of the jeep, “I mean, what do you want me to do? Look at this!! It’s huge!” the blonde was too busy admiring the whole structure to notice she almost stepped on Martha’s garden and Beatrice gently held her by the crook of her elbow, pulling her back with a small grin.

Yep, definitely awestruck.

Beatrice takes in a deep breath, about to ring the doorbell only for her aunt to open it with a smile on her face, ‘Hello Beatrice, and Michelle.” she says, “Come on in,I have iced tea in the fridge.” both women stare at Martha’s retreating back as she walks deeper into the house, looks back at them then spreads an arm as if to say they should get inside. 

Shells is tugged inside by her brunette friend, who also closes the door behind them. Once they are inside, she lets go of Shells’ arm and the blonde tilts her head back, turning her body in a full circle to take everything from the house in, “Holy shit.” is whispered yet again. Beatrice thinks Shells will be okay by now, so she takes the time to talk to her aunt.

Surprisingly, her dog isn’t at home, yapping about at the newcomers, but like always her aunt answers her unasked question once she enters the kitchen, “Luna took him for a walk with the kids.” she explains, pouring iced tea in tall glasses, garnishing them with peppermint leaves, “They’ll be back later, now,” she turns, holding both glasses up with a grin, “Thirsty?”

“Oh, uh, yea, thanks auntie.” she turns to Shells after grabbing her glass, then turns back around to her aunt,”Shells…she’s going to take a while.”

“Is that Madonna??!”

Martha smiles kindly when she hears Shells’ voice, reassuring her niece it’d be fine, “Is there a reason you came over, dear? I hope your married life has been treating you well.”

“Oh,no no, it is.” Beatrice says with a smile, following her aunt in the kitchen as she pours some tea for herself, pouring a generous amount of honey inside. “I just…uh, do you remember the baggies nonna used to make? With the flowers?”

“I do, yes.”

“Do you know how to make them?”

Martha lowers her iced tea to give her niece a small smile, one that just screamed ‘I know why you want this.’ before she leans her arm on the kitchen counter, “I do, what sort of flowers are you thinking of?”

Beatrice pursed her lips in thought, then shrugs, “Uh…lavender mostly? I mean, I’d want to have them done this weekend so Roos can take it with him once he leaves? But I don’t know if it’ll be enough to dry them all.”

Martha, who once again smiled like the witch who was ready to cure all the ailments you’d have if you lived in the 16th century, just looked at her backyard, “I have a drying station, Beatrice.” she says, “Sometimes, we experiment with some dry herbs with the wine and that’s how I do it.”

Of course she did. “Oh.” Beatrice laughs softly, “Okay. So…um…can you help me?”

“Of course, follow me, Bea.” she makes her way to the double doors, only to stop and look back at where Shells was, “Will your friend be okay?”

Beatrice faces Shells again, the blonde is too busy checking the record collection hanging on the wall, then the many pictures of celebrities who enjoyed her aunt’s wine with her mouth hanging open, “Yeah, she’ll be fine.” she says and both finally leave the kitchen, “She’s just a bit…surprised I guess.”

Martha grins, lifting the ends of her dress to kick off her sandals, “Take off your shoes, preziosa, enjoy the grass.” Beatrice blinks but kicks off her sneakers and socks, letting out a soft yelp when the cold grass touches the soles of her feet, following her aunt down to a small guest house they had out in the poolside. Usually, people used these houses as a guest room or at best somewhere they can put random things in, but her aunt was always full of surprises.

There were several flowers and herbs on racks and on top of tables right outside the guest house and the smell was incredible. Beatrice looked with pure amazement at the now dehydrated flowers that still held some of the vibrance from when they were fresh, she didn’t know how her aunt did it, but again she was basically a witch. “Now,” Martha begins,”What would this trinket be used for?”

“Protection,” she says immediately, “And strength, calmness too.”

Martha takes in her words, looking back at the flowers she had on and then smiles, “And his birthday month is June, correct?” Beatrice nods, “Ah, rose and honeysuckle. Love and pure happiness.”

Beatrice had no idea those were his month flowers but they made so much sense to her. “Yeah…” she smiles shyly, turning the wedding band on her finger with her cheeks turning red, “I…I am open for more options, auntie. If you have any.”

“Mmm…” Martha hovers her hands over each herb and flower, letting out an ‘aha!’ when she finds something, “Malva flower, for extra protection. I know you worry about him when he’s away and it wouldn’t hurt.” Beatrice only nods with the same smile, “Now, I cannot do this, the intention is yours, so, you must pick every herb and flower for him. There is fabric inside the top drawers of this table if you need it.”

Beatrice sets the iced tea aside, wiping her damp hands on the soft fabric of her shorts before stepping in front of the table, “I don’t want it being too big, auntie. I want him to have it as a keychain of some sort, you know?” 

“Then you must choose the small ones, preziosa. Do take your time, I’ll check on your friend while you are busy.”

“Oh!Okay!” Beatrice turns her head to watch her aunt walk back up to the house with the wind moving her long dress. The breeze wafted more of the fragrances surrounding her, the windchimes dangling by the corner of the guest house tinkled serenely and Beatrice looked down at her options, moving her eyes at every little flower and leaf, trying to focus on what she wanted.

Beatrice chewed her lower lip, grabbing a bit of everything: lavender, honeysuckle,malva flowers and rose petals. While arranging the little baggie, she immediately stopped moving, hovering her hands above the dry plants with her brows furrowed, “...what if he thinks it’s weird?” he hadn’t yet, but what if this was the point he wouldn’t handle? What if he could handle the unborn child voices but the flowers for protection.

She clenched her eyes, hating how every time she’d want to do something for him she’d have second thoughts, she’d always worry that this would be the moment he’d notice her family is just crazy and will back away…and yet…he had proven time and time again he didn’t. He didn’t leave, he endured whatever brand of weird her family is and he did not mind it, not at all.

But Beatrice was still unsure, “I don’t even know if he can have these.” she says to no one but the flowers on the table, tapping her fingernails on the dark wood as she sighed, dropping her weight to her elbows so they could support her face as she rubbed it up and down with her hands, interlacing her fingers in front of her mouth. She looked down at the flowers, the tiny dried flowers that smelled amazing and she frowned the more she thought about it, “What if people make fun of him? What if they just…don’t get it?...I-I I shouldn’t do this, it’s weird.”

But she didn’t step away, she just bit her lower lip harder, groaning against her palms and hitting her forehead against her fingers gently, “I fucking hate this.” she tried to hold back the insults she’d throw at herself for still having these thoughts, still worrying that she wasn’t good enough, “We’re married, god damn it.” she growls, hitting the table gently with her fist and then throwing her head back with a loud sigh, “I shouldn’t feel like this, it’s like I don’t trust Rooster. Which I do, I trust him so much. I love him! And…” she frowns, “And I’m talking to myself again, expecting the wind to bring me an answer.”

A soft breeze touched her arm but she ignored it, “...I just want to show him how much I care, that’s all…maybe…maybe I’ll keep this hidden, yeah, okay, I’ll keep this hidden and then on Sunday I’ll bring it up, if he doesn’t want it or it’s not legal, that’s fine! That’s totally fine!” she puts every tiny piece of flower inside a thin fabric, the scent already getting even more prominent as she folds it into a small square, tying it tightly with a thin cord at least twice so it wouldn’t break apart.

She moves it a bit, then spins it to check if she tied it tight enough. Thankfully, she did because nothing seemed out of place or flew off when she did so. The smell was amazing, she couldn’t help but bring the small package to her nose to take a whiff, smiling with her eyes fluttering closed, “I think this is good enough.” she whispers, holding the tiny square with both hands, “...I hope I’m not being weird again.” and Beatrice keeps it in her hand as she walks back up to the house, not daring to put it in her pocket so it breaks apart.

Beatrice hears noise from inside, something that weirdly reminded her of crying and her brows furrow, speeding up her step until she reached the glass doors, wiping her feet on the colorful rug her aunt had outside to not bring a trail of grass inside the house. She furrowed her brows even more when she noticed that the person crying was no one other than Shells.

She finally stepped in, her quick steps leading her to where the crying got louder and Beatrice stopped a few feet away, eyes wide, when she sees Shells holding something in her arms, “What’s going on??!”

Shells, who looked like she’s been crying for hours, can’t come up with a full sentence, so her aunt who appeared as if out of thin air by Beatrice’s side, explained, “I offered your friend a Kylie Minogue VIP ticket, she’s going to have a concert by the end of the month and I don’t plan on doing, so I thought she’d like that.”

“...oh.” Shells is still crying, “Auntie, you didn’t have to-”

“Shush!! Don’t ruin this for me,Bea!”

Beatrice closes her mouth because she knows how much Kylie meant to Shells, so she just accepted it in silence, “Okay. Um…thanks auntie,” Martha just grins, her eyes moving to the tiny square she had dangling from her fingers, “Oh, ah, I finished it.”

“So I see.” Martha smiles, clasping her hands together in front of her stomach, “And you still look doubtful about it.”

How does she do this?!

“Um…a little I guess, I– can we talk in your kitchen? Shells I’ll be right back just…” her friend moved her teary eyes to her, hiccuping in response, “Uh, stay…here.” and Beatrice hurried back into the kitchen with her aunt not far behind, Martha’s smile just widened as her niece held the tiny flower baggie in her hands.

The only sound they could hear were the birds chirping outside and Shells’ sniffles coming from the living room as Beatrice tries to voice her worries, opening her mouth to finally explain after minutes of silence only for her aunt to say, “He loves you.” she cuts her niece off with a serene smile, “He loves you more than you know.”

“I–...how do you–”

“He will like it.” Martha steps closer, holding the tiny flower square between her fingers and then placing it into Beatrice’s palm, curling her fingers over it, “He will treasure it. Like anything that you do for him, preziosa.”

“What if–” her aunt just touches her cheek, gives her a small smile and leans closer to peck her forehead, “...okay. Thank you zia. I better um…go now and take care of Shells before she floods your house.”

Cue to the blonde’s crying getting even louder.

-

When Rooster comes home she’s sitting on the couch with her legs crossed by the ankles and a sleepy Jolene immediately standing to her four legs to greet him by the door. Beatrice smiles, hearing his voice baby talking the pitbull and his footsteps approaching the living room, stopping by the doorframe.

She turns her head to meet his gaze, then stands to her full height as well, approaching him with a huge grin, “Hi,” she coos, draping her arms around his neck, pressing a soft kiss to his lips, “How was your day?”

“Tiring, a lot of paperwork, been missing you most of it.” he smirks, “The usual. How about you?”

“Oh, well,” she shrugs,”Helped around the bar, and then…visited my aunt for a bit.” she chews her lower lip, “I…have something to give you.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, but…okay,I better do it before I chicken out again.” her voice gets fainter the more she walks away from him, leaving her tall husband furrowing his eyebrows as she disappears into the kitchen only to come back with her hands folded on top of her chest, eyes wide and filled with worry “...my nonna used to um…make these little things, I call them baggies but,I have no idea what they are called, for you know, her family and loved ones.”

She reveals the tiny square, wrapped tightly with a thin cord but he could see the faint colors of flowers and leaves pressed inside of it. And he could smell the lavender already, with hints of the other plants mixed in, “And, my aunt knows how to do it and I wanted to– I mean…I…I know my family is weird, Roos.” his brows furrow again, and he recoils in surprise, “I know…they are unusual, and a bit cryptic with some stuff and I know I joke about how some of my family being witches and whatnot but– w-what I’m trying to say is…I did this, for you.”

She offers him the little trinket and he could see she’s shaking. The thin string wobbles we she tries to keep her hold steady, “It has lavender, roses, honeysuckles and malva flowers. It’s for you to remember me by and for um…protection….I don’t know if you can have this, I can just give you my ring and you know, let that happen-”

“Bea.”

“--but I-I really thought about it because you said you loved how I smelled like lavender and a hair tie isn’t going to help and I thought why not do this, but you don’t have to take it if it’s illegal or if it’s…I-I don’t know, not what you can have, or if you don’t want to!That’s fine!”

“Bea.”

“Because I don’t want to force you to have–” and he kisses her lips to stop her rambling, pulling back with a soft smack and leaving Bea with her lips pursed in surprise. He cups her trembling hands in his own, rubbing her palms with his thumbs, surrounding the tiny square.

“...you made this for me?” she nods after the shock passes, chewing her lower lip “...fuck,Bea-”

“It’s weird, I know-”

“It’s fucking amazing.” he says immediately, making his wife’s green eyes turn up to his almost guiltily, “You did this for me. Fuck, baby…of course I want it. Of course I do. Are you kidding? And it smells great. Everyone will be fucking jealous of me.”

“...are you serious?”

Rooster’s eyes softened, “I’m always serious when it comes to you, gorgeous.” he reassures her and the goblin voice that growled in her brain slowly slithered back to the deepest parts of her mind, leaving only his voice. “Hey, remember when we stood in front of each other, recited vows and cried a lot? Remember when I slid the ring on your finger?” her cheeks redden but she nods, “It’s for life, baby.”

And Beatrice had to hold back the soft gasp and the tears that brimmed on her eyelids, only letting out a soft laugh with her eyes on him, “...okay.” she whispers, placing the tiny fragrant packet in his hand, watching how tiny it looked. Even tinier when he picked it up and brought it to his nose, “I…I’m glad you like it.”

“I love it.” he turned it in his hands, his smile broadening, “It’s incredible, thank you for this, gorgeous. I’ll make sure to keep it safe.”

Beatrice’s heart fluttered even more over his words, her cheeks warming to the point she could probably boil water on them but she was happy and relieved “I know Roos. Um,” she clears her throat, “I’m going to take a shower, so we can go to the bar.”

“I’ll go later.” she walks around him but he holds her wrist, stopping her, “Hey, I love you, pretty girl.”

Beatrice’s soft gasp leaves with another laugh, her eyes shining, “...I love you too,Roos.” and he slowly lets go of her hand so she could go ahead, fingers gently tracing her palms and a wave of warmth darting from them.