#And like…. To be super on the nose… the fact that my family had two patriarchs (my mom and dad both pursuing capitalistic success)…

[please-picturemeintheweeds]

all the conversations on my dash about marriage are soooo interesting to me!! I talked to my partner’s mom last night about my intention to propose to her son this week and one of the things we talked about was how there’s this really insidious aspect of white feminism that convinces us that marriage and family are shameful or stupid to want because the real things in life are outside the home (ie. working under capitalism). That belief has historical roots in anti blackness and the split between white feminists and black feminists back in the 60s/70s. And idk it’s just so interesting to see how my mom, who raised me with a very strong foundation of second wave feminism, influenced my perception of pursuing my own happiness in ways that feel authentic to me! I love hard! And I want to be surrounded by love for the rest of my life! But in the back of my head, the entire six years of my relationship, her voice has been saying “you don’t need a man, marriage is not something to aspire to because it makes you weak and dependent.” Which is just so interesting bc she’s never said those exact words, but that’s the messaging that we get from second wave/white feminism. The thing is that I DO need other people! Nobody is actually independent, and it is a myth created by capitalism to fracture communities so that every single person is financially motivated to secure their own safety/basic needs without ever needing to rely on anyone else! Everybody needs their own personal house, car, furniture, dishes, electronics, etc because sharing is inherently “undeveloped”.

I was talking to my therapist about this recently and I brought up New Romantics, and how being a young adult in a cultural setting informed strongly by second wave feminism really convinced me (and a lot of people) that the Liberated way to be a woman was to not care about seeking that life-long stability in a partner. That to be free meant never opening yourself up to the vulnerability of a marital commitment. Which then leads into the lavender haze thinking of “the only kind of girl they see is a one night or a wife” which, by self-gaslighting, devalues marriage (she’s valid for this! We should not be put in boxes like that!).

Idk I just have been thinking a lot about the right to legally unite families, and how much power that union can have, and that there is in fact nothing Wrong with wanting to exercise the political right to choose your family. And I know, having worked with hundreds if not thousands of domestic violence survivors, how dangerous marriage can be. Being legally and financially bound to someone, especially if you haven’t been working outside the home during your marriage, can truly fuck up a person’s life and their ability to leave a situation. Idk I’m just thinking out loud, but to tie this all back into the conversations on here the last few days about Taylor and Travis, I just think that for some people, the reflexive horror at her potentially being engaged could be coming from a similar place of devaluing the pursuit of family/love in the context of a white feminist capitalist culture, which harms us all.

The revolution starts at home! And that doesn’t mean that nobody should be making commitments to each other ever!! And nobody should be forced or coerced into lifelong commitments, either. Pursuing and entering a marriage with someone who respects you, empowers you, wants to work together towards a shared vision of the future, listens to you, and shares responsibilities with you is an AMAZING thing! And as my partner’s mom said so simply to me last night: it deserves to be celebrated!!

[queenie-ofthe-void]

A follow-up to my Hanahaki Platonic Stobin drabble

Platonic Stobin, Steddie, past Stancy || rating: T || wc: 2.7k || tags: dialogue heavy, VERY excessive use of italics, fluff and flirting and humor, no beta

~~~

His sides are ripped to shreds, insides only kept inside because of the torn, dirty scrap of sweater Nancy wrapped around him. Steve’s been downplaying it as much as possible, mostly to keep Munson calm, but Robin knows better.

What’s wrong with your back?

Steve sighs, trying to mute his thoughts into a scramble like they’ve practiced so well over the past nine months, but the scorching pain on his shoulder blades, feet, and arms makes it rather difficult.

Don’t you dare ignore me Steve Harrington.

She glares back at him from her spot next to Nancy. They’ve been walking for miles, every rock and crack in the ground digging into his feet with every step. Munson’s next him, going on about something like bats, or metal music. Steve’s not sure, he’s having a hell of a time focusing.

But the guy crowds into Steve’s space, dipping in and out of orbit like he can’t help being as close as possible. Eddie keeps looking at him. Steve’s never been great with eye contact, but can’t help it when Eddie starts saying things like “the kid worships you, dude” and “insists on the matter, in fact.”

Told you the kid loves you even though he has another older adult male friend.

Steve can practically hear her giggling, but she’s just balancing her out-loud conversation with their mind-reading conversation. She’s better at it than he is, talking to two people at once. Hell, sometimes Steve has a hard enough time keeping track of just one conversation.

Their new super powers had been a learning curve, to say the least. It’d taken them months to learn how to tune each other out when needed, which was more often than not. Working Family Video shed a new light on how absolutely down-bad horny Steve was for almost every mildly attractive woman who walked through the front door. Including Joyce Byers, to Robin’s horror.

Steve was cursed with Robin’s almost near-constant thoughts about her newest crush, Vickie. He’s never met her before, doesn’t remember her from school, but could describe what she looks like down to the small, rust colored freckle on the corner of her left eye, just below the lash line. 

But even with the extensive learning curve, they discovered some severe consequences of their powers almost immediately. 

The first day Robin came over, bloodied and crying, with him no better off, Steve was so shaky he’d dropped a mug, slicing his hand as he scooped up the pieces. She rushed over, said she heard his pain more than felt it, like loud static. 

So, no sharing physical sensations, just mind-reading. Which is great for me, considering how slutty you are. She’d laughed when he lightly knocked her on the shoulder, but she’d thought it with such fondness that he couldn’t be mad if he tried.

The worst of their situation came to light when Robin’s parents called her home, said a weekend away after Star Court was more than enough. So she’d left him alone in that big, empty house, suffering from a severe concussion and dizzy spells.

Which only grew worse the longer they were apart.

Steve didn’t have anywhere to go, now jobless with the mall gone, and none of the kids came to visit. So he’d holed himself up in his room. The headaches grew worse, handfuls of pills doing nothing to help.

By the fifth day, he was vomiting again, shaking and crying, head throbbing, nose bleeding into the toilet bowl all over again when there was a knock on the door. The knock might as well have been inside his skull, but he couldn’t move, could barely see past the haze clouding his periphery like it had after his fight with Billy. He cried as the knocking grew louder, more persistent, until it finally stopped.

He slumped forward, pressed his head into the cool porcelain. Lifting his hand to flush, he noticed a small, vibrant white petal floating amidst the red and black water, all of which, presumably, came out of him.

–can’t find it. Must be… rock. The mat?

Robin?

There was a click, then the sound of his front door opening. Slow, heavy footsteps up the stairs.

Dingus where the hell are you? Not in the bedroom… Please, Steve, I need help.

That got his attention, but as he’d gone to move, the bathroom door opened to a bloodstained Robin, eyes rimmed red, hair a mess, pale and gaunt like a ghost. She dropped to the ground next to him, practically draped herself over his back. And just like before, the pain receded so violently he vomited one last time. A full, yet slightly crumpled, flower floated amidst the yuck inside the toilet. 

It was a daisy.

“Daisies are my favorite,” Robin whispered. She held out her hand to him, dirty and covered in the same green stains as the ones on her shirt, and handed him a very small, miniature sunflower. “So I’m guessing–”

My favorite.

Eventually they’d figured out what works and what doesn’t. Talking on the phone everyday never helped, back to throwing up flowers after only a week. He’d started to pull the daisies out to dry, which Robin said was gross. She took them home with her anyways. 

But he’d borrowed Robin a sweatshirt that she took home with her, and by the fourth day, she was in better shape than he was, only a slight headache instead of Steve’s encroaching migraine. So they started exchanging clothes and quickly learned it wasn’t necessarily their clothes or possessions, but their scents. 

You smell kind of like sunflowers

“Robin, sunflowers don’t have a smell.”

She was face first in his pillow, day seventeen after a two-week family vacation to Key West, returning his comforter, and a myriad of t-shirts. They’d both gotten migraines, but no vomit-soaked flowers or bloody noses. So it was an improvement, overall.

I know they don’t. It’s more like, I don’t know, sunshine. Or fresh grass. A warm rain… like summer.

He’d jumped on her then, smothered her into his mattress until she was tickling him to get off her.

“What do I smell like?” she’d asked, casual but not quite casual enough. He smiled.

Like daisies. An open field full of wildflowers. A new song, or driving with the windows down. 

She smiled back at him, wide and genuine, packed full of love. And he knew, in that moment, he was happy to spend the rest of his life with her.

“Harrington,” Eddie cuts through his reminiscing. The guy looks like he’s trying not to be annoyed, which makes sense considering he’s attempting to be nice and Steve’s completely zoned out. 

Do you have another concussion? Is it rabies?

He sighs, quiet enough that hopefully Eddie doesn’t assume it’s aimed at him. No, Robs. Just a normal dingus-where-did-you-go zone out. Relax.

She shoots him another glare over her shoulder, but ultimately lets it go.

“Harrington, you still with us?” Eddie laughs it off like a joke, but his eyes are wide, and he’s pressing in close again.

He’s warm, and without thinking, Steve finds himself leaning towards him, too– like magnets.

What magnets?

Never mind, Robs, shut up.

“Yeah Munson, I’m still here.” Steve chuckles, and Eddie relaxes a tad. “Can’t get rid of me that easy. I’ve dealt with worse.”

“Worse than an under-water tentacle monster dragging you through hell on your bare-back and almost choking you to death?”

When Eddie puts it like that, Steve really does have to think about it. “What about throwing fireworks at a giant, mind-controlling flesh monster and getting tortured under Star Court by Russian spies who shot me and Robin up with mystery drugs?”

DINGUS! If we haven’t told the Party about our super powers you can’t tell a goddamn stranger like Munson!

Eddie’s eyes are wide and dark again. He chuckles a little too loud, almost deranged. “Yeah, you know what, Harrington, that might be worse.”

They continue to walk in silence. Well, Steve’s silent. He lets Eddie ramble, talking about Dustin, something called a Munson doctrine. He calls Steve a ‘good dude’ at which Steve hopes the sky is dark enough to hide his embarrassed flush.

Eddie says something about the girls jumping in to save him, but he leans in again when he says it, and all Steve can think about is how close he is, the light brush of Eddie’s knuckles against the back of his hand–

What…?

– and the comfort that settles over Steve when he catches Eddie smiling at him. They stop in unison, Eddie leans in close to whisper like it’s a secret.

“But Wheeler, right there, she didn’t waste a second. Not one second. She just dove right in.”

Eddie’s barely shorter than him, just enough that he looks up at Steve through his dark lashes, big, brown, puppy-dog eyes hooked onto his own. He knows guys can be handsome, but he thinks Eddie might be more pretty than handsome.

I’m sorry? What the fuck is happening back there!

“Now, I don’t know what happened between you two,” Eddie says, low and slow. His voice full of honey that soaks into Steve’s brain, the actual words lost in the overwhelming sweetness of everything that is Eddie. “But if I were you, I would get her back. ‘Cause that was as unambiguous a sign of true love as these cynical eyes have ever seen.”

Steve can’t stop staring at his lips. They’re so pink and fluffy and biteable, so he leans in, like instinct tells him. Eddie looks surprised, but brushes his finger tips against Steve’s own. He whispers, “Steve…?” like it’s more revelation than question. Eddie’s so close that Steve just–

“Are you fucking kidding me, Steven?” Robin shouts, incredulous and much too loud. Eddie flinches away from him, hides behind his hair like a turtle shrinking back into its shell. Steve’s shoulders droop in disappointment.

Disappointment? Wait. Did I almost just kiss–

“Eddie Munson?” Robin finishes his not-out-loud sentence.

“Buckley?” Eddie asks, nervous as the girl marches towards them, her eyes locked on Steve.

“Yes, Dingus!” Robin completely ignores Eddie’s response in favor of barreling up to Steve, finger so close to his face he goes cross-eyed. “Yes, you were, and oh my god I can’t believe you!”

Robs, I’m kind of freaking out right now. Can you please relax?

“You’re freaking out?” she shouts. Nancy shushes her, but it goes unnoticed. “I’m freaking out! After all this time, after Tammy fucking Thompson, this is happening right now? With– with– ” Robin wildly gestures to Munson. “Goddamn, Steve, you reek of sunflowers right now, oh my god! Just like when Joyce came into the store.”

It’s as dark as it always is, but a flash of red lighting illuminates the red painted across Eddie’s cheeks as he bites on his lip, looking nervous yet almost bashful as he pulls another larger strand of hair across his face.

“Sunflowers? What’s happening right now,” he whispers to Nancy, who shrugs. She answers with a casual, “I’m not sure, they do this a lot.”

“That’s not fair!” Steve quietly shouts back at her. “What’s wrong with–” he glances at Eddie, who flushes again. He’s so pale I bet he’s red down to his…

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Robin throws her hands over her ears and pinches her eyes closed.

Steve forces a smile to cover his gay panic. Shit, am I gay?

“No!” Robin slaps both her hands on either side of his head, mushing his cheeks together. “You’re not g–” she mushes her mouth shut, catching her slip-up just before it tumbled out of her. “And that’s not what that kind of panic means, so don’t call it that.”

“Panic?” Eddie asks, stepping towards them. His eyes are trained on Steve, flashing down to his lips, then back up to catch his gaze. Steve sees something like hope buried beneath Eddie’s tough guy demeanor. “But I thought–” he glances at Nancy before quickly looking away.

Robin rolls her eyes at him, and Eddie backs off a bit. Except his look doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Me?” Nancy asks. “What about me?”

Robin, don’t–

But it’s too late, because at that question, everyone turns to look at Steve.

Over the past few months, Steve’s started growing out his hair. It’s not really in style, but he’s seen a few guys with long hair, and they looked really good. Right now, he wishes it was long enough so he could hide behind it like Eddie. But, then again, he’d also tried growing a mustache, since Freddy Mercury had amazing style– Steve’s always like Queen.

Except my mustache never looked as good as his, so I bet long hair wouldn’t either. Maybe the short hair helps highlight it, like his cheekbones.

Jesus Christ, you’re so obvious. I can crack Russian spy code phrases enough to break into an underground military base but apparently I can’t spot a bisexual within five feet of me.

Steve sighs, dragging his hands down his face at Robin’s inside-mind rambling. Nancy, however, takes it to mean something much different. “Oh, Steve, no.” Her voice is pitying and too nice and it reminds him painfully of the last few months of their relationship. Like she’s talking to a child. “Steve, I’m so sorry, but– I still love Jonathan.”

“I know, Nance, that’s not–”

“Are you kidding me, Wheeler?” Eddie screeches. Steve really doesn’t understand how they’re so lucky that they haven’t been hunted down and eaten by now. 

Eddie’s thrown his hands up in the air, all theatrics as he gawks at her. She backs off, surprised, but quickly recovers and squints her eyes at him, crossing her arms as he continues to ramble. 

“After everything that’s happened? Steve ripping off his sweater, jumping out of the boat and beating a bat to death, then biting its head off, all while soaking wet. I mean, the way he spit that blood out.” Nancy cringes, and yeah, Steve feels the same way, knows he'll be tasting that black sludge in his nightmares. 

Now that’s gay panic.

I thought that’s not what that means, Rob

Ugh, I regret teaching you things.

Eddie’s still on a roll. “He was so… I mean,” Eddie throws his arms out towards Steve, showing him off like he’s a prized cow, “look at him, Wheeler! And you’re picking Byers?”

To Steve’s surprise, the glowering ferocity in Nancy’s face morphs into a coy smile, eyebrows raised in question to an answer she’s already figured out. Because that’s how Nancy Wheeler, journalist extraordinaire, gets her story. She reads people.

Before Eddie well and truly freaks out at the turn in Nancy’s demeanor, she winks at Steve out of the corner of her eye. “Joyce Byers?” She giggles and rolls her eyes. 

Then, in a mortifying turn of events, Nancy pulls a strand of her brown, curly hair in front of her face, forces her eyes open, doe-eyed and almost brown under the dark sky, looking up at him through her lashes, then darts her gaze to Eddie. 

Ha! You have a type! Wait, how did Nancy clock you faster than–

“Okay!” It bursts from Steve’s chest, loud enough it shocks the rest of them. They stand quiet, listening to the mundane noises around them, and breathe a sigh of relief at the resounding silence. “This has been fun, really, but why don’t we all just keep going so we can get the hell out of here and go find my– I mean our– no, the little shits.”

This is why they call you mom.

“I’m not a goddamn mom, Robin, how many damn times do I have to tell you guys that?”

“If you’re mommy, does that mean I’m daddy?” The words slip through Eddie’s mouth and, unfortunately, bury themselves into Steve’s brain. Now Steve’s not sure who’s blush is hotter, his or Eddie’s. He’d guess maybe Eddie’s, judging by the way the man grabs Nancy’s arm and hauls her away at a half sprint. 

She laughs at him, lighthearted, and slings her arm through his as they walk side by side. Steve watches as she leans her head towards Eddie’s whispering something into his ear that finally has the man’s shoulder’s relaxing. He bumps his shoulder against hers, and she returns the gesture.

Robin turns to look at Steve, really look, with sad, concerned eyes and a twist to her mouth.

I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have freaked out like that. It just caught me off guard I guess.

Steve places a light kiss on her dirty forehead. She smiles, grabs his hand in hers, and squeezes once.

“I love you too, Rob.”

[aliciastarkeyy]

Fools gold

Summary ᯓ★ uncool, typically ‘nerdy’ and unseen by most, your life on the island is pretty simple. Until Rafe Cameron begins to pay attention to you.

Warnings ᯓ★ swearing, the motions of a ‘bet’ being made, wagers, fake love, one sided love, fighting, eventual smut. ! not proofread !

Authors note ᯓ★ title is inspired by ‘Fools Gold’, specifically the version by Niall Horan ♡ this will be a series, hopefully! I don’t want to cram everything into one part ✮⋆˙

Word count ᯓ★ 4,867

part2⟡ part3⟡ part4⟡

Ruth’s bookshop goes unnoticed by many who pass on the boardwalk of figure eight. The quiet, quaint little shop filled to the brim with all different genres, so much so that some are piled on the floor- is a beautiful place to work.

You love it. There’s plants in any places that they would fit, soft Melodic music fluttering around.

And the smell. Gods, you loved the smell. This place is your version of heaven, and the fact that you get paid to organise the books, read them, and serve the occasional customer as they come and go is amazing.

Willow, the bookshop cat, a tiny tabby, is also an extra. She makes for great company when it stretches hours between customers, or when Ruth isn’t in the shop- which admittedly, isn’t often anymore. She leaves you alone to run the shop most of the time, off spending time with her family.

You don’t mind spending most of your time here. After college, a gruelling four years studying literature in California, you welcomed the salty sea air of Outer Banks with open arms. A break, you’d called it.

But since you’d started working in the bookshop, the break had become a little more… permanent. To the displeasure of your parents of course.

‘You can’t work in a bookshop for the rest of your life,” or ‘I spent all my money on your degree and this is what you do with it?’

Your parents weren’t exactly the best, or the most supportive. Years upon years of them barely paying attention to you, shoving you into the arms of a nanny and trying to buy you off with expensive things, college tuition included, did them no favours.

Maybe this was you rebelling. A big ‘fuck you’ to your mom and dad, for feeling like you only existed to them when it was beneficial. Here’s what I’m going to do with my degree: nothing.

Today is an exceptionally slow day, aircon on full blast as willow rolls around on the counter looking for love. You’re nose deep in a book about nature cycles, patting the cat every so often as she rolls her head to the side for your scratches.

You reckon you’ve had around five customers, and the slowness on days like this sometimes makes you wonder how Ruth keeps the shop going. It serves as a gentle reminder that she’s rich, just like your own parents, when she stops by the shop sometimes, adorned in expensive clothing and accessories.

Sometimes you wish she were your mother. She’s always super nice to you, acting in ways your own mother couldn’t.

The bell above the door chimes as it opens and you perk up, eyes over the edge of the book. Willow hips off the counter to see what’s happening, rubbing up against some of the shelves. You see nothing but a tall mess of brown locks disappear behind one of the shelves, and you let your eyes fall back to your book.

If they need you, they’ll ask. The book you’re reading is getting particularly interesting, anyway. You can hear the slight patter of willows feet following whoever is in the store, and they’re getting closer to the counter.

“S’cuse me,” A voice interrupts your reading. It sounds oddly familiar, and you bookmark your page before placing your own book on the counter. A smile traces your lips at the sight of the books placed on the counter.

As long as the lemon trees grow and The Nightingale. Two utterly moving books, ones that had made you cry. A little.

A glance up at their purchaser has you doing a slight double take internally. The guy stood in front of you- of whom you knew you recognised, briefly, now you think about it, is Rafe Cameron.

He was in your year in school for most of the high school life until he suddenly just stopped turning up. And as you look at him now, he looks exactly as you remember. Floppy curtain bangs, piercing blue eyes that you’re sure you’d caught across the canteen a few times- kakis and a polo with a fleece.

Same guy. He grins lopsidedly, head slightly tilting to the left. “Done observing me? Can I pay for my books?”

Your cheeks nod and you grasp for the books, turning them over and fumbling with the scanner. You sure as hell weren’t one to judge but these did not seem like his type of book.

To be honest, he looked like he’d never read a book in his entire life. The memories of being sat in the library and listening to countless tutors trying to teach him simple scholarly lessons flashes for a second as you scan the second book, and you conclude. These are not Rafe Cameron books.

“Your total is fifteen dollars today,” you reply, letting the sentence linger in the air as he searches for his wallet. He picks a twenty dollar bill out, crisp as the day it was printed, and places it on the counter.

“Keep the change,” you nod and push the twenty into the cash register, watching as he picks up his books and begins to walk away. Just like that. One of your weirder experiences with a former class mate, but you’d take the short interaction over a stupendously awkward one anyday.

“Have a nice day,” you call out as he reaches the door, and he hesitates. Your fingers furl around the hard cover of your book as he turns and you immediately regret saying anything. Fuck customer service.

“Yeah, I think I will.” The door bell chimes as he steps out into the heat of the boardwalk, and you’re confused as ever. Certainly an interaction at least.

Ruth messages you at about three o’clock asking how many customers you’ve had. When you respond with six, she tells you close up shop and go and enjoy your day.

How ironic, considering the rest of your day that you’d planned consisted of going home and curling up in bed for a nice nap. You wrap up closing, leaving the till draw in the safe and locking the back room. Willow meanders by the front door, knowing exactly what time it is.

Usually, she’ll follow you all the way home, almost like she’s making sure you get home safe, before wandering off to presumably join her friends. When you open up on a morning she’s sat on the front step of the shop, waiting to be let in and fed.

She meows at you as you do your final once over of the shop, before joining her at the door and crouching down to her.

A scratching behind her ears makes her purr. “You’re excited to go see your friends, huh?” Her eyes glint as if agreeing and you laugh to yourself, standing straight and opening the door. Willow filters out onto the path. You flip the open sign around to say closed and grasp your keys, shutting the door and locking it.

An exasperated sigh leaves someone behind you. You turn, pulling the key out of the lock.

Rafe Cameron. He’s got that cheesy grin on his face again, books held under one arm as the other is reaching back, scratching at the back of his neck.

“Closing?” He asks, as if it isn’t the most obvious thing in the world. You quirk an eyebrow, jingling the keys in your hand.

“Yeah. You’ll have to come back tomorrow. Returning them already?” You query, causing him to laugh, breathily.

“Uhhhh, no actually, I just forgot one,” his arm falls to his side, waiting. Like you’ll open the store for him again just for one book.

“What, those two very complex and thick books won’t still you over until tomorrow?” The annunciation on the words makes him flinch, despite his best efforts to not show so. You see.

“Okay, okay, no need. They’re actually not for me, they’re for my sister,” he tuts, looking to the side, down the board walk. “You know, it doesn’t matter, I’ll come back tomorrow.”

He turns. Slowly. Like he’s waiting.

“Okay! Bye,” willow meows as you begin to walk in the opposite direction towards your house, and you hear him stutter.

“What? You’ll won’t even open back up for one book?” He sounds incredulous. It makes you giggle, dropping the shop keys into your bag. You glance over your shoulder, to see him a few feet from you, obviously having moved.

“No. It’s not worth the effort of reopening everything. You can come back tomorrow.” Your hands reach up to readjust your toe bag strap on your shoulder, setting a slow pace down the board walk with willow. She pads inbetween your legs, purring and rubbing up against each leg.

Your house is empty when you arrive home. No surprise there. The high ceilings and white marble of the front foyer mimic something of a liminal space, to you at least. There’s pictures on the wall, the few that your parents had taken with you and of you to make the place feel more homey.

It was far from. Since you grew out of the age of needing a nanny, it was mostly just you in the house. The occasional times your parents would be home, they’d be in their bedroom sleeping, or in their offices working.

There was no family here. Your room, in your opinion, was the only room of the house to have any life, any character. Most of the walls were lined with bookshelves, of course, and your messy bed that you hadn’t made this morning sat in the center of the room. There’s two big bay windows right across from the bed, overlooking the beach and ocean that had convinced your parents to buy the house in the first place. It’s a mixture of greens, all walls and carpets and beddings- the only colour in the house.

It was your space. You drop your bag into your desk chair, huffing a strand of hair out of your face as you loosen it from the claw clip you’d had it in all day. Sinking into your bed, it doesn’t take long for you to fall asleep.

The days evens play back in your mind as you drift off.

Your phone rings again and despite your best efforts to silence it, the noise does not cease. A groan falls from your lips as you lift your head from the pillow, hands grasping around the edges of your phone, eyes squinting to adjust to the brightness of the screen.

Maysilee.

She’s ringing, for what feels like the fiftieth time, and you roll your eyes before swiping to answer and bringing your phone to your ear.

“Hiiiiii! What’re you doing right now?” Her sweet, high pitched voice trails through the phone and you pull it away from your ear for a second, before bringing it back.

“I was asleep,” her tut is immediate. Despite being your best friend, the two of you could not be anymore different. She liked parties and shopping and looking like she belonged in money all the time and you liked books, sleeping and pretending you didn’t exist to the world.

“Why sleep when you can come to my house for this get together?”

“Maysi, no. You know I don’t like stuff like that.” A tut again.

“Cmon, you never come! It’s only a few people I promise.” You can hear her manicured nails tapping against a glassy surface of some sort, and that she’s in one of those moods where she won’t take no for an answer.

If you did say no, she’d turn up at your house. That’s just the type of person she is.

“May…”

“Look, no ifs or buts. You don’t even have to drink. Just come and hang out with me.”

You weigh out your options. If you say no, you’re going. If you say yes, you’re going. It’s a lose- lose on your end no matter what.

Reluctantly, you sit up in bed, checking the time on your phone before bringing it back to your ear. “Okay, sure. I’ll be there in half an hour.”

The squeal she makes is enough to shatter glass. “Finally! See you soon babe, love you.” She hangs up almost immediately, giving you no time to change your mind.

Half an hour from now would be seven. Clambering out of bed in the same clothes you fell asleep in, you trudge over to your closet. You weren’t exactly the type to be flashy with your clothes. Or revealing. The most you’d wear is a skirt, but even then it’s a decent length and you have tights on.

You opt for a brown sweater and black skirt, knowing if you turn up in anything else Maysi will be directing your straight to her own closet and forcing you to change.

Once you’re changed, you re clip your hair up and out of your face before slipping into your shoes that you usually wear, a pair of Mary Jane’s. It’s now fifteen minutes until you said you’d show up, and you debate changing your mind and just not going at all.

Maysi would kill you. Like she knows you all too well, a text from her pings on your phone reminding you to turn up or else. A threat. A promise of threatening actions.

Maysilee is not someone to fuck with. The air is slightly colder when you step out of your front door, a breeze sweeping through the trees and bushes that adorn your front garden.

You’re suddenly thankful that Maysi lives a few houses down. When you arrive, there’s a few more cars outside than you expected and a ‘few’ people lingering out on the front garden.

A little get together. You should have known.

Maysi’s house is warm. In the sense that she has lots and lots of family memories around, and the house looks like it’s lived in. It makes you envious. Maysi greets you in the foyer, pulling you through her house to the kitchen, the island in the middle simply stacked to the brim with different types of alcohol.

“Now, I know you said no drinks, but how about one?” She grins at you and beckons towards the extensive array of drinks.

“Maysi, no. I’ll just have some lemonade or something.”

“Boo. You’re boring. You’re lucky I love you though.” She boops your nose with one manicured nail, arm wrapping around your shoulder as she leads you to the soft drinks section of the island.

One lemonade later and an abandonment by Maysilee, you find yourself out in the back garden. There’s a lot less people out here than in the front garden and the house itself, the conversation quiet and mulling along the same level as the best of the music in the house.

You know this garden like the back of your hand, Maysi’s mum loving her garden like a child. It’s full of flowers, and ornaments, and you know there’s a secret little seating area hidden behind the gazebo that you can’t see thanks to the wall of trees.

It makes a perfect place to hide out until it’s an acceptable time to go home.

“I’m telling you man, she’s gonna go right for it. He’s got this irresistible charm with women,” a male voice, slightly chopped through the trees. The guy is stood in the gazebo, and you can see the top of another head stood close by.

It feels wrong to eavesdrop, but you’re not really, if you think about it. They’re having a conversation in a public space and you just so happen to be nearby. And interested.

“Nah man, I don’t think so. From what he’s told me about today, she’s got some wit about her. I don’t reckon she’ll fall so fast.” The other guy responds. You wonder what, or who, they’re talking about.

“You reckon? Well, we know what I’ve bet on,” poor girl. Whoever these guys were, and the mystery third guy who seemed to be playing with some poor girls feelings- you felt bad.

Another third voice calls the two guys away from the gazebo and you wrinkle your nose as they begin yelling, quietening as they further away from the gazebo.

The stars are out tonight. It’s easy to see them here when there’s no light pollution, and they’re beautiful. Having lots of time to read books means you’re quite clued in on a lot of things, and constellations are no exception.

“Pretty cool aren’t they?” You recognise the voice. Rafe stands at the edge of the little seating area, looking upwards too. He’s dressed in jeans and a simple brown shirt, hair seemingly groomed into neat side bangs instead of the unruly ones you’d seen him in earlier.

You take a sip of your lemonade. “They’re not so bad, I suppose.”

Rafe smiles, hands finding home in his front pockets. “Say, do you know any names of those… star configurations?”

You splutter on your lemonade. “Star configurations?”

“Yeah, can’t remember the word.” He quips, moving to one of the seats near your own.

“Constellations, That’s what they’re called.”

“Yeah right. That word. Do you know any?” He grins, pulling a bottle of beer from seemingly thin air.

You point upwards, at a set of stars that look slightly like a sand timer. “That one that looks like a sand timer is Orion. Named after the hunter from Greek mythology.” Rafe leans towards your side slightly, looking for the area you’re pointing towards. A small ‘ohhh’ escapes his lips when he notices it.

“Cassiopeia is that weird ‘W’ looking one. Named after the mother of Andromeda.” You point towards another.

Rafe nods. “Guess you’ve got a lot of free time in that book shop huh?”

You blush, a little. You’re thankful for the guise of nighttime to hide the fact that you’re blushing to begin with.

“Yeah, I guess.”

He takes a swig from his bottle, slightly turning towards you. You notice how much closer he’s really got, and shuffle back on your seat.

“So what’re you doing here? Doesn’t really seem like your kind of place,” you scoff. If only. Why else would you be sat outside on your own?

“It’s not. Maysilee forced me to come.”

“Ah. Makes sense, she’s a.. character, that one.”

A snort slips from you and you cover your mouth of sheer embarrassment. Rafe chuckles, one hand rubbing up and down his thigh.

“You’re half telling me, she’s my best friend. I get that twenty four seven.”

“My condolences.” Rafe expresses, holding a hand over his heart. It makes you giggle, hiding it behind a sip of your lemonade.

“Thanks Rafe, but don’t you have better places to be?”

“No better place than the present.”

You raise an eyebrow. “Are you sure those books aren’t for you?”

Rafe raises his hands like he’s been caught. “Got me. Just trying to impress the pretty lady at the bookshop.”

Your heart stutters. Stops, if you must. Your cheeks heat again, and you’re sure if you couldn’t feel the thrum of your pulse in your neck you’d be dead.

You don’t know what to say.

The awkwardness of the situation has you pulling at the cuffs of your jumper, lemonade cup long forgotten on the seat next to you. Like he can sense your discomfort, Rafe backtracks.

“Sorry, sorry. Too forward. I won’t take it back though, cos’ it’s true.” He stands from the seat, chugging the rest of his beer. From where he’s stood now, you can see the glint in his eyes.

Like there’s something else there. The same glint you used to see when you’d catch his eye in high school. When he was doing something he shouldn’t be.

“See you tomorrow, bookshop.” The pet name grates the back of your throat. You’re stuck the suspended silence of the downhill run of the end of the conversation even when you reach your own home, and your room.

Sleep does not come so easy tonight.

Authors note pt2 ᯓ★ phew ౨ৎ⋆˚｡⋆ really enjoyed writing this, did it in one sitting. Hoping to churn this series out I have so much planned pls let me know what you think/ if you like mwah ꩜⋆

[jeanbie]

BABY (YOU'RE MY LULLABY) PT.1 ★ masterlist.

pairing: jake x reader

warnings: na'vi!fem!reader, pregnancy, domestic fluff/bliss, tsu'tey lives because i said so, "jakesully" for a while, pre!atwow | wc: 7.4k | ♬

note: inspired by @fluloa's post on jake being the baby daddy with his unmated partner, and i kinda took a spin on that and created this -- not exactly the same as fluloa's post, but definitely inspired by it! i recommend <33 and i've felt super uninspired with smut lately, but i do plan for nsfw jake with this story, depending on overall reception :) lmk what u all think ^__^

⏤ part one | part two

⏤ One thing you love about Jakesully now that he's a part of your clan is that he does not ask difficult questions. He doesn't pry about who the hell knocked you up - he's just more than happy to step up and be the baby's father if it means making you happy.

When the Sky People left Pandora and Jakesully became one of the People, it was a while before you understood what everybody loved about him. 

The cost of the war between the Na’vi and the colonisers had been great, and as far as you were aware, he had been part of that problem once, part of the infection of humans spreading across the lands you called home. 

But Jakesully’s place among the People was not misguided — Eywa had made her call, and you had heard it. Eventually, the things she saw in him came to light, in ways you never imagined or ever expected, but manifesting into reality all the same.

In actual fact, you realised after many months of Jakesully being part of the clan, that you, too, loved many things about him. 

For one, he pulled his weight. He avoided being useless like the plague, taking on roles that other clan members turned their noses up at, and completed them all with no complaints. He was also a man of all trades, from fishing, to hunting, to building. Word had it that Jakesully was particularly talented with his fingers in the beading department, and even nimbler when crafting. 

But, one of Jakesully’s more loveable attributes was his kindness, his compassion. It was a tremendous compliment to be a ‘good’ man or woman, and Jakesully fit the bill with perfect accuracy. It had amazed you how loving he was, how genuine and thoughtful and loyal an outsider could be. His efforts in the war had earned him his place as an Omatikaya, but his strong heart was what won everyone’s favour, including your own.

One of the things you really loved about Jakesully in particular was that he did not always ask unnecessary questions. His days of clumsiness felt worlds apart from the man he had become after the war, and you found it suited him, that maturity, the self-awareness to know when to speak and when to be silent.

If Jakesully knew that asking a question would lead him to no answers, he simply did not ask. And today was one of those days.

For four weeks now, you have been filled with an uneasy weight of dread. There is no doubt in your mind, no degree of uncertainty: you know that you are pregnant. And you cannot believe how stupid you feel.

It is one thing to be unmated and pregnant; it happened occasionally in the village, but was never met with hostility. When the Omatikaya were so used to functioning as a family, the question of parents never felt like a problem, so long as the child was raised with love. A mated pair was not necessary for this, although encouraged. 

But it is another thing to be unmated and pregnant with the child of a much older clan member, a clan member who was well respected, held no interest in you, and had just mated without your knowledge with somebody else.

Glaring into the wading river, you sift your fingers through the current and work in silence, hoping that the monotonous routine of washing bowls will force your thoughts elsewhere. But they keep pulling back to the same pressing concern, the same overwhelming fear of what is growing inside of you. How are you ever going to explain this to the Tsahìk?

There was no option of telling the father. It would be a challenge in itself trying to convince him to even look at you — he hadn’t done so since the night you conceived the wonder inside your stomach, not since he stood up for the clan to hear a few days later and announced his union with a much prettier, much more suited clan member, Tsu’sley. 

And the Tsahìk is no idiot — the child has come from somewhere, so from where and whom?

The soft tread of footsteps behind you barely registers until they are directly behind, your tail whipping the ankles of the approaching Na’vi. You turn, startled, and see Jakesully drop into view on his haunches, a smile on his face.

He knows to find you here in the mornings, after months of figuring out where you’ll be. At first, you had been somewhat of an enigma to him. He hadn’t even known your name until Neytiri told him. 

From what Neytiri had said, you were a gentle thing, very loveable. Although he’d never personally met your family, Jakesully had heard through the grapevine that your father died when Kelutral, your Hometree, came down, and since then, your face became a stolen wonder in the village, your light extinguished and presence muted. 

His friendship had come as a surprise to you, considering there was nothing in his life gravitating him towards where you chose to work or lounge. But after showing his face once, you found it impossible to avoid him again. 

“Hey, you.” 

Like always, his foreign drawl makes you blink in surprise. Though Jakesully has become incredibly adept with speaking Na’vi, you supposed that what he liked about spending time with you was that he seldom needed to use it. You had been one of Grace’s more advanced students when her school was up and running — just another surprise for him to discover whilst trying to get to know you.

“Hello,” you mutter in reply, and almost immediately, Jakesully’s smile falls and his tail flicks from side to side uncertainly. Your eyes shift back to the water.

For a moment, he looks at you funny, his eyebrows pinched together. Then, he nudges his elbow against yours gently, the frown making his entire mouth slide down into a sad curve. 

“What’s up, sweet?” he asks. 

“I am fine,” you reply, voice low, hands tense beneath the water. Jakesully shifts on his feet slightly, as though trying to get a good look at your face, but you remain earnest in glaring at the river, hoping one of your problems might wash away with the grime on the bowls. “Do not stare at me.”

“…You’re being weird,” Jakesully observes, his voice seriously low and confused. “What happened?”

“Nothing happened. I am fine.”

“You sure?” He gently shifts his arm to yours and takes a hold of you. His grip is nowhere near firm enough to pull you away, but you look at him all the same, feeling your heart tug two ways.

The village loved Jakesully to no end — he was honest, he was kind, and he was a friend to many. And he was also your friend, and part of you knew that there was no way he would ever betray your trust. 

As you stare at him quietly, your eyes shift across his face, finding only his drawn expression of concern. His eyes are round and warm, all of his features noticeably upturned while he waits for your answer.

Jakesully is not an untrustworthy man. And more than anything, you want a friend you can rely on right now.

Still, you can’t will yourself to speak. Once you speak what you know into the world, it becomes real, and although you are fairly certain that you are pregnant, there is a small part of your heart that longs for it to not be true.

The wiry, thin lines of hair on Jakesully’s forehead rise to his hairline as you shift from his hands, glancing back at the current of the river. No part of you actually believes that he would tell people with malicious intent. You are confident that Jakesully has no malicious bones in his body, and yet, you just can’t take the risk.

First, before you tell anybody at all, you need to figure out what you’re going to do.

“I have much to do today,” you tell him, as his eyes run a risk assessment on your body as though he doesn’t believe you one bit. “I heard you are joining the tarpongu on a hunt today.” For a brief moment, you glance sideways to where Jakesully is still haunched, his expression pulled inwards with a thoughtful grimace. “You should not be late.”

“I’ve got time,” he replies.

It wasn’t the answer you were looking for, and the expectant widening of his eyes tells you that he knows it once you rise to your feet while scooping up the bowls.

“No time,” you tell him. He’s not stupid — you know that you should be trying harder to convince him that you’re fine, but even being near Jakesully right now, plagued by the overwhelming urge to confide in him, feels impossible. 

You slip past his arm as he stands to follow you, quick on your heels. “Go.”

“Look, I just wanna know that you’re okay—”

“Yes,” you hiss, turning to him sharply. He doesn’t blanch or flinch. He keeps his eyes firm on yours, desperately trying to figure you out before you vanish into the village. “Please. Go.”

Anything Jakesully might want to say to you is cut short with your quick strides out of the riverbank and back into the village. It is particularly buzzed today, flush full with villagers tending to their daily chores or readying for the upcoming hunt. Not only will the Olo’eyktan’s hunt grant you peace and quiet from Jakesully’s pestering concern, but it will also eliminate the possibility of Tsu’tey or Neytiri coaxing the truth out of you first. 

Your heart is hammering inside of your chest as you scurry past the growing party, their pa’li kicking their hooves across the dirt impatiently whilst the hunters prepare their gear. Passing by them without catching someone’s eye is the hardest part, but luckily, you evade notice and make your way back to your kelku, trying to keep your breathing in check as you go.

Then, as soon as the thick, waxy leaves surrounding your kelku from the clan fall into place and the chatter of outside muffles, you sink to the woven floor and bring your knees to your chest. Now, the panic can really begin to sink in.

Eywa has given you a gift, although it does not feel like it. Since the war, since so many lives were lost to the tawtute’s and their metal monsters, you are well aware of how valued a child is to the clan, how important it is to repopulate the Omatikaya. If it had been with anybody else, the child inside of your stomach would be cherished and loved without conditions, without fear. 

But to endure a nine month long suffering with a child you did not prepare for, alone, with no father to speak for them? Stupid is the only word to define how you feel. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

The tarpongu come and go before night has settled, and beyond your kelku, the dazzling fire from dinner crackles with life, the ceremonious laughter of the villagers a wonderful tune to hear. And yet you remain camped in your kelku like a prisoner, feeling your stomach churning at the mere smell of meat over the flames. 

You can no longer bear it — this secret is consuming you. Just thinking about having to tell the Tsahìk and your Olo’eyktan fills you with a sizzling dread, and before you can even sit and think of a reasonable course of action, your feet are moving on their own outside of your kelku and out towards the tree line, whatever you have to throw up making its way from your stomach to your throat and to the floor.

It feels like the world is caving in on you as you empty your stomach, a high ringing in your ears dulling your senses. There is an ache rippling through your back as you hunch over on your knees, forced to stare down at the regret that has presented itself as a pile of bile-ish puke. 

How could you have let this happen? You’re nowhere near comfortable with finding your way in the village, have no idea where to put yourself and with who. As if it wasn’t humiliating enough, falling into bed with a much older, well respected, incredibly handsome clan member and being dumped indirectly; you just had to go and make it ten times worse by having his baby.

Thinking of him makes the tingling reemerge under your jaw and out you heave more pools of vomit. It’s a wonder that there’s anything to even bring up, considering you passed up on showing your face at dinner tonight.

By not doing so, you should have realistically expected somebody to come looking for you, but for some reason, it had been the very last thing on your mind. It is still of little significance even when you feel a hand settling down between your shoulder blades, another brushing back the braids of hair falling across your face as you bow your chest over the floor, coughing up the last chunks of bile and breakfast. 

“Uh-oh, there we go.”

Shuddering out a breath, you heave in a lungful of air and look to the right, catching sight of Jakesully’s eyes sweeping over your face and body, a look of sincerity like a mask over his features. Of course it’s him — who else would come looking for you?

“It’s okay, get it out,” Jakesully says, practically coos, as he rubs his hand down your spine like you’re a fragile thing. 

You’d be embarrassed to be throwing up in front of him if you weren’t by all miracles relieved that it’s him and nobody else. There’s no way anybody else would still be hunched by your side in a silence of solidarity. 

You go to say something to him, the words catching in your throat suddenly and coming out an incoherent babble. Jakesully’s eyebrows pinch together with worry.

“Hey, hey. Take it easy,” he murmurs, brushing his hand across your forehead while the other settles on your lower back. “Just breathe, alright?”

Everything inside of you wants to protest, but instead, you nod your head with a pitiful blubber. Jakesully has never seen you like this before, and you hate it. Showing him a moment of weakness is nothing short of humiliating, another thing to berate yourself over. 

Though, he looks far from put off. If anything, Jakesully looks frantic and anxious, which somehow makes you feel worse.

“Alright,” Jakesully says quietly, once you’ve managed to gather yourself again and are breathing normally. You fall back on your behind with a shaky sob, tail curled low on the floor, meanwhile Jakesully fidgets until he’s managed to successfully angle your body away from the vomit and towards him. 

He dips his head to find your eyes, locked firmly on the weedy grass between your bodies, and once he’s found you, he smooths his hands around your face in a cradle and frowns. 

“You sick, or somethin’?”

It would be a great lie. A natural lie, perfectly timed. But you shake your head, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand as you desperately try to keep a cry stored in there. It’s bad enough that Jakesully has seen all that he has — the very least your body could do is grant you a second of grace.

“Maybe you ate something bad,” he suggests, mostly thinking out loud. “You okay, honey?”

Your head continues to shake, so much so that Jakesully assumes you’re tapping out of the conversation to cry again, but his ears prick as you sniffle and dig the heels of your palms into your eyes, shutting the image of him out entirely.

“I am scared, Jakesully,” you confess. Once the words leave your mouth, a weight eases off your shoulders.

He cocks his head questioningly, hands falling to your wrists to free your eyes. 

“Why?” he asks, voice so quiet it tells you he’s doing his best to keep this private. Dinner should be ending soon with the way the noise has become more scattered, and you’re grateful of Jakesully’s loyalty more than ever in that moment.

You steady your breathing and peer at him. Telling him would be so easy, so freeing. His face has hardened into a look of intense worry — you haven’t seen him look so on edge since Tsu’tey’s awakening after the war. 

Dropping your gaze to his hands, you take a breath and take the risk. Sooner or later, someone will have to know. Why not tell someone you like and trust first?

“I am with child, Jakesully,” you tell him very slowly. “It is very bad.”

His thumbs cease in their little circular movements on your wrists and you watch his body stiffen immediately. 

Well. At least it’s out.

“You’re pregnant?” he whispers, shocked in a way you did not expect. For some reason, perhaps morbid curiosity, you look up at his face and refrain from sobbing at the look you see on it — a look of pure, blatant surprise. 

Of course he’s surprised. Who wouldn’t be? You are an unmated, single woman in the clan, and Jakesully spends a more than fair chunk of his time following your shadow around. It had been a literal miracle that you had even found the time to be alone with someone without Jakesully finding out about it.

Until now, in the wake of his confusion, it hadn’t felt personal. The look on his eyes, however, tells you that he might be thinking differently.

For a while, Jakesully says nothing, and neither do you. The intensity of his gaze eventually becomes too much and you look away, feeling the tears lining your eyes with a belittling sting, but just as you try to pull your hands free from his, Jakesully’s hands tighten around yours and all at once, you’re looking back into his eyes.

“…Are you seeing someone?” is what he decides to ask. He frowns when you shake your head. “Did somebody hurt you?” His hands tighten, and you wince slightly.

“No, Jakesully.”

He deflates with a sigh of relief. “Okay.” 

You wonder what he might be thinking as he assesses you, his eyes helplessly flicking down to your stomach. To any ordinary person, you look fine. Healthy, if he had to be extremely analytical about it. Of course, the first person to notice any real difference was you, the curve of your tummy barely visible, but noticeable all the same.

“Well…” Jakesully starts cautiously, thinking, and you grimace back with shock when he smiles genuinely and says in a breathlessly affectionate tone, “well, that’s great news, sweetheart.”

“No, Jakesully,” you tell him, shaking your head so violently he’s worried you might end up puking again. “This child has no father to speak for them. This is terrible news.”

Suddenly, his eyes narrow into slits. “The father has refused you both?”

“He does not know,” you breathe, feeling your lungs tighten, “and he never will.”

To be honest, you were expecting Jakesully to say something regarding that, but nothing comes. Instead, he opts for staring at you thoughtfully, his grip loosening around your wrists once he remembers how hard he’s holding onto you. 

Giving it some thought, you have to suspect that Jakesully probably doesn’t know what to say. As far as you’re aware, he’s never had children of his own, never made plans for a family. He probably doesn’t know what to say to make you feel better, which is why he’s so silent.

“Have you told anyone?” Jakesully asks after a while.

“No. Only you, Jakesully.”

He frowns. “You don’t have to call me that, you know. Just Jake is fine.”

“...You cannot tell anyone about this,” you blurt, frantic now what he’s asked has sunk in. 

He moves, bristles slightly as he weighs his options. His eyes flicker as you reach for him by his forearms.

“Please, Jake!”

“Well, we gotta make sure you’re all good in there,” he explains. He seems to have perked from the graduation from Jakesully to Jake in your vocabulary, but there’s little time to broach the subject, not when he can think of so many other things that take precedence. “Mo’at will need to check you over. And your chores have gotta change, too, eventually, and you’ll need—”

“It is my choice, Jake,” you urge, so frantic your fingers are pressing deeply into his arms, the dark shade of his blue skin going milky white. His frown deepens. “Please. Please, say nothing. I need to think.”

It is painfully obvious how difficult Jake finds agreeing to what you’re asking of him. His brows curve inwards as he stares at you, and you feel your heart clenching with fear when he bows his head and sighs, mostly to himself, and gently squeezes his hands around your arms.

“Okay,” he mutters, with reluctance. You know his reluctance comes from a place of concern rather than spite, but the fact that he’s promised his silence is all that matters, and you instantly relax. 

Jake was right, in a way. Eventually, there would be no question of having to tell people. The bump would give it away before you did, and accommodations would need to be made. But, before any of that can happen, you at least want to feel prepared for it.

You send Jake off to his own kelku before it gets too late, and miraculously, what worries you as he trudges away is not the possibility of him sharing your secret. Instead, it is the fear of Jake changing how he feels about it. 

He has seen you so openly, so transparently, and for the first time since you met him, you feel the panicked rush of fear for losing him. Your only true friend, your single ally.

A few days pass from that moment spent hurling up your worries into the mud, and your run-ins with your People have become sparing.

The village moves on with a pulse of energy, the villagers preparing for the upcoming Weytelempongu of this eclipse cycle in a few weeks time; the hunters gather and gallop across the forests every other day, and the weavers and crafters sit on their mats making beaded wraps and necklaces, trinkets for the festivities — all while you remain at home, trying to come up with a plan.

Across your four days of self-imposed exile, there have been curious visitors. First, your mother, anxious in your absence and overbearingly fussy. Then, Neytiri, frowning for your uselessness as of late, though those weren’t her exact words. Then, your close friends from the water banks, the elderly healer who shadowed Mo’at assessing your paled form with beady eyes, before finally, the person you’ve been most anxious and desperate to see stumbles through your kelku with an armful of cloths, and an arrangement of moss and vines tangled over his shoulder.

“Hey,” Jake says quietly, dropping the gifts he’s brought with him to the floor with an ungracious thud. You curl your legs up to your chest as the moss untangles by your feet, and Jake crouches to pile it all together as he continues with, “how’re you feeling today?”

Since making Jake promise not to tell anybody about your recent…affliction, he has met your face with a strain. You almost felt guilty about it at one point, the drawn look of worry on his face so deep and strong that it had been the single cause of another cough of vomit. He’d schooled his features into relaxing, muttering something about straining your stomach with retching, before he patted your shoulders and sighed. 

What’s important, though, is that he has kept his promise. Courageously, too, because you know that after being accepted by the village for the second time after the war, lying became a rejected habit of Jake’s. 

“Better,” you tell him honestly. “I have not had sickness today.”

“That’s good,” Jake replies, smiling instantly. “Real good. I brought you some stuff — we gotta baby-proof this place.”

“Baby-proof?” you frown.

Jake unravels the cloths and steps around you, setting them down on the small ditch you’ve made your bed. It is already comfortable for you, smothered in woven blankets and carpets of moss, but you have to admit that once Jake has arranged the new cloths and moss around your mattress of comforts, it does look more inviting.

“I see,” you say, admiring his handiwork, “thank you, Jake.”

Jake’s smile widens. “No problem.” Then, he begins to fidget. It is so oddly reminiscent of the first time you met Jake that you have to blink back the fond memories just to make sense of it. He looks suddenly awkward. 

“Listen,” he begins, falling to his knees before your curled body, “I won’t ask you any questions. I don’t wanna cause you any stress or discomfort. But I wanna help you through this. You don’t need to ask for anything in return, and I’m not doing it to offend you or upset you.” 

Jake’s hands twitch until he finds the confidence to grab your hands. He’s done this before many times, but now, the touch of his skin sends a jolt through your body like a fork of lightning. On his face is the most serious expression you’ve seen him wear since he stood in front of the Vitraya Ramunong and declared war. 

“You’re my strongest friend,” Jake says, his eyes boring into yours. You fight the urge to squirm from the intensity of it. “My best friend. And watching you suffer is literally so painful for me. I don’t care what you need or what you ask, I’ll do anything. Just, please, don’t shut me out. Let me help you.”

You’re not quite sure if the tears springing to your eyes are because of Jake or the pent-up feelings brewing inside of you, but regardless, the pearls of tears tumble from your eyes without warning, and before Jake can even try to reach to wipe them away, you surge forward and throw your arms around his neck, pressing your face deep. 

Jake smells like the forest — an almost sickening concoction of ferns and berries and salted butter from his morning bathe. The powders on his skin are chalky against your cheek, but you inhale his scent, his assurance of safety, and warm when he slides his arms around your waist and holds you tight against his body. 

“Are you—are you crying?” he asks, bewildered.

You sniffle, “No.”

Beneath your chest, you feel his body bouncing with quiet laughter, but you can’t will yourself to chide his teasing. After all, you’re so hopelessly happy that Jake is here, that he’s so kind and caring and open to guiding you through what you think might be the worst thing to happen to you since your father died.

“I am happy,” you mutter against him, hoping to reassure him. 

“That’s what I was hoping,” he replies, his lips brushing over your shoulder sweetly. 

Jake holds you there for as long as you want him to, which happens to be a while. The village vibrates with noise outside of your kelku; the Weytelempongu is weeks away, but there is still much to be done in preparation for it. 

When Jake finally feels you stirring and loosens his hold to look at your face, he keeps his smile level as he watches every twitch or fall on your face.

“Jake,” you start, and his attention piques. “I would like to ask you something.”

His eyes widen in acknowledgment, his smile lifting. “Anything you want.”

Asking feels so frightening — it means putting your reality into motion, letting the world know your hardest secret to keep. You look at Jake thoughtfully for a second, heart hammering so loudly in your chest you have to glance down to see that it’s not pressing against your body, trying to break free.

“I would like to visit the Tsahìk,” you tell him. He relaxes. It’s not such a hard request, he’d barely have to do anything to make it happen, either. Then you add, “And I would like it if you came with me to see her, Jake.”

You can’t speak on his behalf, but the air around you goes so still that you hold your breath anxiously. 

There’s nothing inherently wrong with Jake going with you to see the Tsahìk; for one, it would put you at ease knowing you are not alone, that a friend isn’t far away. But on top of that, he can be someone to come to your defence, should the Tsahìk feel a certain way about your unexpected pregnancy. Which you’re honestly expecting.

Fortunately, Jake barely flinches. He blinks, as if processing your request, before curling his lip in that boyish way he does and says, “Sure thing, sweetheart. Wanna go now, or later?”

You catch your jaw before it can fall to the ground. His reply came so easily that it surprises you. Even more surprising is the eagerness in his eyes — you might’ve once thought of Jake’s strange interest in your pregnancy to be bothersome. You certainly didn’t feel eager to watch your stomach bulge and ankles swell. But now, it’s as if a foggy haze has cleared and you can see him clearer than you ever have before.

Jake is worried for you. Worried for his friend — and another wave of guilt hits you. Before you is a man who wants the best for you, and you’ve been busy trying to pick apart his concern and twist it into something awful.

“Now,” you suggest meekly. “Only if you are not busy.”

Jake’s already pulling at your hands to stand. “This is way more important than anything else I could be doing, trust me.”

You ought to remind Jake that his daily routine as of late has been built according to the urgency of each task, but you keep your lips sealed tight as he pretty much pulls you from your kelku and, with grace and care, leads you like a bodyguard across the village and towards the Tsahìk’s Hut.

Fragrant oils fill the air warding the Tsahìk’s Hut from the main pavilion of the village; aromas heavy with salt and spices, cinnamon and burnt barks fill your nose, and squeezing Jake’s hand is the only thing keeping you from reeling with nausea. Jake’s fingers tighten around yours slightly, his voice tight yet kind as he greets passing villagers.

Eyes are pointed on you from every direction. Most likely because Jakesully is leading the village’s enigma to the Tsahìk’s Hut by her hand. The grass flattens with a yellow tinge the closer you get to the hut, and a grey billow of smoke pours from the doorway menacingly.

You’ve never enjoyed coming here, even when you were a child. Mo’at’s tent was a dark wonder of smells and sights, scary incantations and prayers that felt nightmarish at a time. Even now, Mo’at’s incoherent mumbling sends chills up your arms as the doorway widens into view.

Jake stands in the middle, his gaze fixing inside the hut, where more than Mo’at can be seen. Framing the Tsahìk is her daughter, Neytiri, her gaze low on a bowl of red powder, and, perhaps the biggest surprise of all, Tsu’tey. His head is between his shoulders, lulled back, while Mo’at mutters and presses into his muscles with her long fingers. He hisses in pain, the muscles swollen and hard, and Jake gives you a silent glance over your shoulder.

Before you can even do anything, Neytiri’s eyes flicker up to where Jake is standing and her hands pause. The Tsahìk stops, her eyes shifting to her daughter before swiftly sweeping to the door. She bristles, looks at Jake in confusion, and silently stares as you shuffle behind his wide back and into view, a cautious hand on his waist.

“Jakesully,” she calls. She looks at you closely, says your name like a prophecy, and moves her hands from Tsu’tey’s sore joints. The Olo’eyktan looks up, too, his gaze drawn to your name. “What brings you to me?”

Jake drops your hand quietly. “Tsahìk. Olo’eyktan. Neytiri. Forgive us, I didn’t know you had company.”

Mo’at raises her hand weakly, “It is forgiven, Jakesully. Now tell me.”

The party make room for you and Jake to usher inside; Tsu’tey clears the floor by standing, his body tense as he looms over his place, meanwhile Neytiri shifts the bowls and stands by his side, gently touching his back with her hand.

Jake offers you an encouraging glance and says, in Na’vi as if to please Mo’at further, “I am not here for me, Tsahìk.” Once Mo’at is made clear that you are her intended patient, her eyes turn scrutinising as she looks you up and down, “She is…sick, Tsahìk.”

“Yes,” she replies bluntly, beckoning you forward. “Come to me, child. Come.” Her waving becomes bossy, and you silently step in front of her and feel Jake’s hand brush past your kuru warmly.

Mo’at has been a friend of your family since before you were even born, a fact known by all in the village. There is nothing she hasn’t seen with you, no grievance or illness uncured.

You had almost died once when the unknown illness spread and ravaged the villagers, and Mo’at had gone to great lengths to nurse you back to health. So, it is safe to say that she misses nothing when you appear before her in the sunlight beaming down from the roof.

Her gaze is so heavy and probing that you know with complete certainty that she already knows. Still, Mo’at looks at you with her typical unimpressed expression and demands to know what is wrong.

You glance nervously to the left. Both your Olo’eyktan and his wife are standing close by. You’ve been dreading telling each person in this tent other than Jake about your pregnancy — having all three present at once feels like both a blessing and a curse.

“…I am…” you start, feeling your chest constrict nervously. The nerves are powerfully overwhelming, and you stumble, lightheaded, and catch yourself on your knees before your Tsahìk. She drops, too, to meet your gaze, and out the corner of your eye you see Neytiri and Tsu’tey creeping closer in worry on their haunches.

“It is okay, child. Speak with me.”

You inhale. Feel your lungs fill with air tightly. Think about Jake standing behind you so loyally, so fiercely. Exhale, and then tell her in the simplest way you can, “I am with child, Tsahìk.”

There is a beat of silence before Neytiri gasps in shock. Tsu’tey’s head jerks back with surprise, his eyes wide and braids clinking together, but your gaze is held low on the space between you and Mo’at. She simply hums in a low tone.

“I thought so,” she says after a moment, sounding incredibly unaffected. 

There is a lump so big in your throat that it’s difficult to swallow back your tears. The mat beneath your feet turns blurry as your eyes fill, though they only fall once you feel Jake’s hand falling on the space between your shoulder blades, his body crouching next to you.

“Tsmuke…” Neytiri starts, but the words trail off. 

“Yes. It is true,” Mo’at affirms after a few seconds of examining your stomach and fondling the slight swell of your breasts. After a minute, however, she sighs. “Oh, ‘itesyìp... Who is the father?”

That’s when you pause. The noise in the tent rushes out like the ocean calling back the waves, a silence ringing loudly in your ears. They might be talking around you, but you can’t be sure. All you can focus on is how the world feels like it’s rolling over, and you’re about to slide off into the endless void around it.

The image of him conjures in your mind. A man so strong, so commanding, so respected; a man who did nothing but disrespect you, a man who has ruined your life and broken your heart.

The lump worsens in your throat, and like breaking free from the waves, the noise rises into recognition around you in time for you to hear Jake say three words that will change your life:

“I am, Tsahìk.”

Your head whirls to stare at him in shock. As does Moat’s, Neytiri’s, and Tsu’tey’s, each with varying degrees of expression. 

“You are?” Mo’at repeats, looking at you imploringly. “Is it true?”

Saying yes will ruin Jake’s life — you know it. To claim a child that is not yours for a woman you do not love? To condemn yourself to a life you never intended to live? All for what, the sake of a friend in need? Your heart squeezes painfully.

On the other hand, saying no will lead to even more chaos, even more unnecessary agony. It would mean being honest; exposing the man who lay you down by the lake, exposing Jake as a liar…

Jake’s face is hard and sure when you look at him, hoping he might do something to spare you the decision. When he looks at you and says nothing, you fear your heart might speed up too fast and simply give up beating.

“…Yes, Tsahìk,” you manage out eventually. “It is true.”

She barely misses a beat, “And so, this union has been made before Eywa herself?”

You suck in a deep breath at that. She’s gone and done it — mentioned Eywa knowing you are forbidden from lying about her or to her.

“It has not, Tsahìk,” Jake says quietly. His eyes shift to Mo’at’s face for a second, and when you join him, you immediately wish you hadn’t.

You’ve never seen Mo’at look so affronted, so lost for words. You wonder what is shocking her more: the fact that you are pregnant or that Jakesully is saying he is the father. 

Jakesully, once an outsider, a Dreamwalker, an enemy, going around and knocking up the daughter of a loved and missed clan member without Eywa’s blessing. If she weren’t Tsahìk, she’d need a seat to process the information.

Across the hut, Neytiri’s face twists angrily. Her whole body drops to a crouch, surging forward to hiss in Jake’s face, her arm in front of you protectively. The whole ordeal is simply astonishing, but Jake barely flinches, just blinks and looks at her blankly.

“You skxawng!” she practically screams, her eyes full of golden fire. “Stupid, stupid! I told you to leave her alone! You…” Neytiri trails off, breathless and infuriated. 

Tsu’tey reaches for her shoulder and reigns her back in with a gentle grunt. Though she looks far from finished; her chest rises and falls with a degree of rage you’ve never seen on her before, not even when you watched the village strap Jake and Grace to a pole before Hometree came crashing down.

Helplessly, you look at Jake. He looks completely normal, unbothered, taking Neytiri’s words with stride. You feel endlessly guilty. None of this is his fault, all of it is yours. 

Without thinking, you reach for Jake’s hand and clamp yours around it, gaze sliding away when his eyes jump towards you.

He has sacrificed his life to be here with you, for you. The very least you could do is show him just how grateful you are for it.

“It is done,” you say quietly. “Jakesully is not at fault, tsmuke. He is a good man. He will be a great father. I know this.”

She growls again, like an angry animal. Mo’at raises her hand flatly to silence her.

“Lucky, your Olo’eyktan is here,” Mo’at says after a tense pause. “You may ask his blessing.”

Yes — blessings. In your mind, there have been a lack of them as of late, though, your chest tightens with another bout of anxiety when you peer over in Tsu’tey’s direction. 

Like always, his expression is unreadable, tight and flat. After Jake’s selfless efforts in the war, Tsu’tey has learned to love Jake like any other villager, but even he turns to Jake with a soured look of disappointment over his features. 

Tsu’tey sighs heavily. “Jakesully, you are a strong warrior. And you led the People to a great victory against the Sky People. This, I cannot ignore.” His eyes study Jake intently, occasionally bouncing in your direction as a frown deepens over his lips. “There are no rules in this clan against unmated families. But, your chosen woman is special to these People.”

Though you’re inclined to believe that Tsu’tey might be overselling you, you have to wince and admit that he’s right, in a way. The wound created by losing your father in the fall of Hometree has festered and become an ugly sore, a grief that Neytiri and Mo’at feel like their own. Many innocent lives were lost — losing so many elders, so many leaders… 

Your family have been one of the hands holding up the Omatikaya for years. Though reluctant to admit it, Tsu’tey is far from wrong — the Omatikaya people look to you for an example. And what a poor job you’re currently doing.

Jake doesn’t even falter; he blinks at Tsu’tey and nods firmly. “I understand, brother. And I agree.”

“Then you must understand to treat her well,” Tsu’tey finishes without missing a beat, looking so serious that if it weren’t for the heavy tension in the hut, you might’ve laughed. “Better than any other woman. And…your family becomes your fortress. I do not understand Sky People’s indifference to family—” This he delivers with a bristle; the story he heard from Jake about families torn apart, mothers and fathers separated, children without parents, they were unfathomable and simply unheard of for the Omatikaya, “—and it is not our way. Do not forget this. Jakesully, tsmuke…” 

Tsu’tey sighs again,  “You have my blessing.”

It takes everything not to go limp at Tsu’tey’s feet and sob; you keep your eyes firmly pinned to Tsu’tey’s feet, trying to keep your tears from surfacing, your hand tightening around Jake’s like a vice. His thumb brushes over your knuckles softly, but he remains looking at Tsu’tey determinedly. 

After a while of fussing from Mo’at and conspiratory whispering from Neytiri, you shuffle to your feet with Jake in tow — Neytiri’s heart is in the right place, of course; although she trusts Jake, you know that her protectiveness comes from a good place. After Sylwanin’s death, you suppose you fell into place in Neytiri’s family, becoming the sister she missed, becoming the person she needed to pretend was her older sister, her rock.

The air clears immediately once you step free from Mo’at’s hut, and after a few steps down the trodden path and towards the village, you let out a ginormous breath and let your eyes flutter closed. The world is spinning beneath your feet rapidly, the surrounding forest spiralling. Your hand immediately grabs Jake’s arm for support, and he stops, his gaze heavy on your face.

When you open your eyes and the world shifts back into focus, you find his look of concern and feel your bottom lip curl into a pout. In a way, you cannot believe it took getting pregnant to realise just how insanely perfect Jake really is. The memory of him coming to your side, holding your body whilst claiming the child you thought would be born unwanted is enough to make your eyes water again. You’re content in blaming your hormones for the amount of times you’ve cried in front of Jake lately, too.

Stepping into his arms is the easiest thing in the world, and he welcomes you instantly, curling his hands around your back and letting you rest your forehead against his shoulder. His heart is thumping out of place in his chest — you can feel it pulsing through his entire body in a rush.

“Thank you,” you mumble. “I owe you a great—”

“You owe me nothing,” Jake interrupts firmly, his voice still low and deep above the shell of your ear. “Nothing at all. M’kay?”

“But… What you have done for me today, I—”

Jake pushes you away slightly, creating a gap wide enough for him to look at you with a disapproving frown. “Hey. I’d do anything if it would make your life easier. You’re not gonna do this alone, I swear.”

Nodding, you stare at his face, half-expecting him to crack into a smile and claim it all a huge hoax. But he doesn’t, of course. All Jake does is smile and brush a thumb over your cheek as a tear slips from your eye.

“What now?” Jake asks quietly. You pause — what now, indeed?

Mulling the question over in your head, you stand in front of him for a second and think. Then, it’s as if someone is setting stones down in your stomach, a new wave of nausea rising.

“Now…” you start. Shudder. Grimace. Jake’s head leans back in alarm when you toss Jake a very unhappy look and say, “We must prepare to have a baby.”

Oh. Yes.

Jake blinks. Nods. Blinks.

Shit.

[magicalqueennightmare]

First Date

Bucky Barnes x Reader (Nicknamed Belle)

You and Bucky have your first date

After the cleanup from Marlowe life got back to normal fairly quickly. As a matter of fact the only new occurrence was a few elderly people you knew had asked a time or two if Bucky was your “fella” as they put it. Every time you’d feel your face warm and would shake your head. He was just your friend. 

“You know he is one hundred and nine” Sarah told you as you and her walked down the docks towards the boat. You nodded “I know that” she cut her eyes at you with a grin “He was drafted into the war in the forties then from there being kidnapped and brainwashed by Hydra the man isn’t really up to date on dating culture” you raised an eyebrow “Sarah, what are you on about?” she grinned “Why don’t and here me out here Belle..why don’t you ask him out?”

You shook your head “Nope, nu uh” she groaned “Why not? I see the way you look at him!” you ducked your head “We’re just friends” she scoffed “I’ve watched that super soldier almost snap his neck because he heard your laugh and wanted to see why you were laughing but yeah keep telling yourself that”  “And if it doesn’t work out with him and Sam pretty much being partners?” you asked and she shrugged “And what happens if it does? What happens if something good comes out of it? Look what happened during the storm. You were scared and sought comfort in him, never realizing that by doing so you were giving him the comfort he needed and didn’t know how to ask for. Do you realize how unbelievably sweet that is?”

“I really like Bucky but..” she cut you off “But what! Belle he isn’t some asshole! He’s a good man, even if Sam gives him hell it’s because he likes him. You know that’s saying something” you grinned “Ma’am lets just go clean the boat like we intended. We’ll tackle my love life or lack there of later” 

You locked up the general store and headed out to your jeep. The boys were out of school today so you hadn’t picked them up for Sarah. You were going to go by her house and see if she needed anything before heading home.

____________________

You turned down her driveway and was surprised to see Sam’s truck parked next to her car. He wasn’t supposed to be back from this most recent mission for another two days. You hoped that was a good thing that it wrapped early and not a bad thing. 

You parked behind his truck and got out of your jeep, slamming the door to make sure it was closed. A couple days before you hadn’t slammed it all the way when you’d gone home and a family of raccoons had attempted to bed down in the backseat by the next morning.

When you walked up onto the porch you could hear Sam’s voice and your heart flipped when you heard Bucky’s too. You figured he would have gone home to D.C. not back here. You tapped on the door as you were opening. “Sarah, honey I’m home!”

“Kitchen!” she called out and you walked around the corner to see her standing at the island while Sam and Bucky both sat at it. You could tell just from their posture they were both hurt. “How bad?” you asked and Sam turned. He had some butterfly stitches and a bruise blossoming on his cheek. “Anything I can’t see?” he flinched “Side is sore but they said my ribs are fine” you shook your head “Cap, you don’t have the serum” he grinned and nodded towards Bucky “He still caught it even with the serum” 

Your eyes flew towards Bucky and they got big. He had a slice across his nose, what looked like a line of staples in his hairline and a large bruise covering half his jaw and was favoring his right side. “What the hell?” you dropped your bag on the counter and went to his side. You gently took his chin in your hand, turning his head to look at it “What did you fight? The fucking hulk?” 

“Red one” Sam clarified and you looked back over at him and slowly nodded “Christ have mercy. Ok” then looked back at Bucky “I thought the serum was supposed to make you hard to hurt” he was staring at you while you lightly traced the bruise on his jaw “It is doll. I’ll be fine in a day or two. Why do you think I look like this and he looks like that? I try to take the harder hits”

You felt your heart jump at that. He took the harder hits because he knew he had the serum and Sam didn’t. He risked his body to keep Sam safe. “Bucky” you whispered and he smiled slightly “I’m ok Belle, promise” Sam laughed “I think he got hurt on purpose just to get you looking at him like that” 

You cut your eyes at Sam and he winked at you. You shook your head “Well your medic did a shit. Your staples still have blood in them. Hold still and I’ll get the first aid kit and clean it up. Super soldier or not infections aren’t fun” Bucky nodded. 

Sarah passed you the first aid kit as she handed Sam his pain meds. Bucky couldn’t be prescribed anything due to his metabolism, he’d just burn off anything short of iv morphine. Sarah and Sam started talking while you moved to stand between Bucky’s legs where he sat on the bar stool. “This may be cold” you cautioned and he nodded “It’ll be fine”

You leaned up, bracing your left hand on his shoulder to keep your balance as you gently cleaned the blood from in between his staples. “Not that I’m complaining but why are you back in Louisiana instead of home in D.C. or New York?” you asked and he cut his eyes up at you “Neither of those places really feel like home” and you felt your face warm. You finished cleaning his head then looked back at him “Bucky?” he smiled “Yeah doll?”

“Do you think you may possibly want to go out with me sometime? Like on a date?” your heart was pounding in your ears by that point and both Sarah and Sam had also chosen that moment to go silent and add to it. “What?” he asked, a small smile slipping onto his face. You shrugged  “I mean if you don’t want to that’s fine but..” “He does!” Sam damn near hollered.

You and Bucky both looked at him and he shrugged “I am so sick of hearing oh Belle so beautiful, Belle so sweet, Belle so this…Yes he wants to go out with you” Sarah smacked him behind the head then pulled him off the barstool “And at that I’m taking him to the living room and give you two a moment to talk” you laughed as Sarah pulled Sam out of the room then turned back around to look at Bucky who was already staring at you “He is right ya know” 

You laughed “Well in that case, are you gonna be in town day after tomorrow?” he nodded “Definitely” “Then just let me handle it Barnes” he raised an eyebrow “Now, it’s been a while but doesn’t the man handle the date?” you leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek “Not anymore Bucky. Us women can do it nowadays. Just trust me” 

He had a light blush gracing his cheeks when you looked back at him and it made your heart flip because this was a man capable of fighting demigods, aliens and everything in between. A man that had gone through over seventy years of hell and had come out the other side and he just blushed from you kissing his cheek.  “I’m gonna go say goodnight to the boys then head home. I’ll see you day after tomorrow if not before, ok?” he nodded “Ok”

You totally were not on the verge of cancelling your date with Bucky because you’d had time to think about it and was second guessing everything from what you’d planned to do, how you’d planned to wear your hair and what you planned to wear. You’d avoided him the following day after asking him, using the fact that it was thursday and you had stuff to do at the general store and since the boys were out of school you’d taken Cass with you to make it a little easier on Sarah.

Now it was Friday and you felt like an idiot. “Don’t do this” Sarah cautioned as you stared at your phone. It was up to Bucky’s number. “Why?” she pushed off the wall where she’d been standing to watch your melt down “Because that man has lived through hell and if half of what Sam has said is true he really likes you Belle. Don’t let insecurities stop you from finding happiness. I’ve seen you with him. You’re smiling and laughing. You fell asleep during a hurricane, during a blackout! You have never done that! You did it because you were up against him! He makes you feel safe and happy. That is a rare combination”

You sighed “I just feel silly. I mean, a picnic at the waterfront?” she grinned “He’ll love it and this damn baby blue sundress you picked out?” she made a motion with her finger for you to do a spin and when you did she laughed lightly “I hope his heart is strong because it would be hell for you to kill that old man on the first date” you felt your face warm “I do really like him” she nodded “Then finish getting ready, go back to my house where he’s waiting and take him on the damn date you spent the last two days planning!”

___________________________

“Calm down man” Sam had told Bucky that maybe four times already. “Maybe she changed her mind?” he’d been stressed since you called Sarah and she left about an hour beforehand and neither of you had made it back, especially considering your place was three minutes by car. 

“She did not change her mind. She looks like roger rabbit with the big heart eyes popping out every time she sees you. Belle has dated, she has exes but she’s never been like that with anyone. For some reason she likes you enough that she feels safe to show her entire personality. She’s been herself with you like she’s only ever been with me and Sarah, so that says a lot. So quit whining. They’ll be back soon. Where the hell is that swag Steve always used to swear you had? All I’m seeing is you acting like a whipped puppy”

About the time Sam got through talking they heard two vehicles pull up followed by the telltale sign that it was you when they heard the slamming of your jeep door. Sam waved a hand “There ya go beast, beauty has arrived” and Bucky rolled his eyes.

“Bucky, I’m sorry I’m late” you hollered as you came through the front door and stopped the moment you did. Damn you looked gorgeous. Your hair was down loose, you had a baby blue sundress on that hugged your curves in a way that made parts of his brain turn on that he was fairly certain had been turned off for years and god when you smiled at him? He’d do anything you asked of him for one of those smiles. “You look good” you told him and he laughed “You look amazing”

Sarah shook her head “And you two have got to get going”

_____________________

Those same insecurities flashed through your head. How the hell did he look that good in just jeans, a shirt and a black leather jacket? You wanted to pull the sweater you’d thrown on over your dress tighter around you just looking at him.

Then when he told you that you looked amazing? You were fairly certain you melted on the damn floor. You didn’t know what it was about Mr James Buchanan Barnes but you knew why you’d never been able to make it work with any of your exes if he was making you feel like this just going on a first date. “Let’s get going,” you whispered.

You parked at the docks and cut your eyes at Bucky “Promise not to laugh at me?”  “Why would I laugh at you Belle?”

You rolled your bottom lip between your teeth and nodded to the backseat before saying  “I packed a picnic and thought we could just have it here at the waterfront because we both seem relaxed here and I didn’t think you would be too comfortable in a crowded restaurant or movie theater with other people and now that I’m saying it outloud I’m feeling dumber by the moment and now you’re staring at me like I’ve lost my mind…”

You were cut off by his right hand gently grabbing your chin right before his lips met yours. The kiss was gentle, tentative but damn it took your breath away. When he pulled away you smiled “Wow” he laughed lightly “Guess I haven’t completely lost my touch then”

You shook your head “I’d say not but what was that for?” he motioned to the water “For doing this for me. You thought about me, thought about doing something to spend time with me and took my comfort level into it. Thank you doll” you nodded slowly “Of course” he smiled and pressed another kiss to your lips. When he pulled away he gently traced the side of your face with his fingers “You’re so damn beautiful”

You laughed breathlessly “You’re not so bad yourself there Barnes” a light blush graced his cheeks “I’ll carry the food. Show me where we’re going”

Somehow after the two of you had eaten you’d ended up curled up against Bucky’s side, both of you just watching the water. He had his arm around you and when you shivered lightly he glanced down “Do you want to get doing sweetheart? I don’t want you getting sick” you shook your head “I want to stay a little longer, please”

He nodded “Lean up, just a minute” you leaned up and he pulled his leather jacket off and slipped it over your shoulders. It smelled just like him, the aftershave he used working its way around you like a hug. You nuzzled into the jacket and he smiled “That better?” you nodded “What about you?” he shrugged “Serum doll. I run hot” you raised an eyebrow “Well I know you’re hot no need to announce it”

He started laughing “You really are something doll” you grinned and tucked yourself back into his side “I really like you Bucky” he kissed the top of your head “Good, because I really like you too” 

____________________

You pulled up to Sarah’s and walked up on the porch with Bucky. He rubbed his hand along the back of his neck “This is kind of backwards to what I’m used to, gotta admit” you shrugged “Is that bad?” he shook his head “No, just different” you stepped closer to him, putting your hands on his chest as his hands went to your hips.

His right hand came up to brush your hair back from your face “So um, are you my girl Belle?” you nodded with a small smile “I’d like to be. That make you my guy then?” he nodded “If you want me”  “Of course I do” you replied. 

His eyes went from your eyes to your lips back up so you laughed “Bucky, being your girl means you can pretty much kiss me whenever you want” he grinned “Yes ma’am” and leaned down to brush his lips against yours. The kiss was gentle but claiming, making your head spin. Damn could he kiss. When he pulled away you swallowed hard before saying “Are you sure you want me?” he raised an eyebrow “Are you just trying to get me to kiss you again doll?” you grinned “Well I mean you are one helluva kisser” he laughed “Then just ask” and crashed his lips against yours.

The porch light flashing back you both separate. You looked over to see Sam in the window wagging his finger. You shook your head with a laugh and waved then turned back to Bucky “I’ll see you tomorrow if you’re still here?” he nodded “Can I call you to see you before I leave if we have to?” you smiled “I’d like that” and leaned up to press another quick kiss to his lips before walking down the doorsteps.

Bucky waited on the porch until you were in your jeep and backing up before he went inside. You couldn’t stop smiling. You really freaking liked Bucky.

__________________

Bucky walked inside and Sam was leaning against the wall “Making out on the front porch. Really man?” Bucky glared at him and he grinned “So you and Belle huh? Beauty and the beast right in front of my eyes” 

Bucky shook his head “Look Sam, I know she’s pretty much your sister but know I like her. I really do” Sam smiled “I know man. I got eyes. Just treat her good. All I ask. She’ll be home in about five minutes. Call her and tell her goodnight” Bucky nodded “Ok” 

___________________

You had just made it inside your place and locked the door when your phone rang. You glanced down to see Bucky’s name so you answered it. “Well hello Mr Barnes” “Hey doll, you make it home safe?” you laughed lightly “I’m home and the door is locked” “Good, I had a good time tonight Belle. I’ll see you tomorrow” “Ok Bucky. Sweet dreams” “You too”

You told each other goodbye and hung up. You practically squealed before realizing you were still wearing Bucky’s jacket. You’d give it back to him tomorrow. He hadn’t mentioned it but you knew he’d want it mainly for the cover of his left arm. Bucky was your boyfriend. Yeah maybe you did squeal at that thought, just a little. 

@desimarie12

@julesandgems

[animeredhead101]

Dad Hood DP x DC Crossover

Completed

The Devil Wore a T-Shirt by DisillusionedDanny :

After a one-night stand, Danny finds himself pregnant with Red Hood's kid. Now he finds himself as a dad to a small child with an important decision to make. Does he tell Red Hood he has a child? Or does Danny raise the kid by himself? Word Count: 24,778 Completed

Nothing But The Dead And Dying (back in my little town) by Umei_no_Mai :

Dan has just been rescued and is feeling a bit shorter than usual. Jason Todd has just been petitioned like he's a feudal warlord, which has never happened before but he could maybe get used to. They can probably make this work so long as Batman doesn't stick his nose in. Yeah, like that'll happen. Word Count: 123,925 Completed

my boy, my son by DisillusionedDanny :

In desperate need of a vacation, Danny has Clockwork turn him into a five year old so that he can have the childhood he never got. Soon, five year old Danny finds himself running wild in Gotham only to be kidnapped by some weird teenager in a costume who decides that Danny is going to be his son. What's Danny to do but accept this new weird guy as his new dad and become a super cool crime fighting vigilante with his new adopted family who have no clue he's a two thousand year old ghost king? Word Count: 18,210

Dad Hood by JaxinKH :

After a wish gone wrong, Danny has reverted to a child and sent to Gotham. Jason doesn't know how the kid ended up in his appartement, but he is now stuck looking after him. How hard could it be?

Word Count: 18,236

On-going

It's Not Sugar by ConspiracyCrows :

Ellie is destabilized and nearly killed by Vlad while trying to make another, "better", clone of Danny. In order to stabilize her she was de-aged to about 7, and now has chronic issues balancing her ecto the same way a type one diabetic has issues balancing blood sugars. In fact that's the cover story the pair use when Danny enrolls Ellie at Gotham Academy. The one favor he will allow Vlad to do for them. While Vlad seems to have finally come to his senses about Ellie, Danny won't let him anywhere near her ever again. Which is why they moved to Gotham in the first place, Vlad won't step foot there. It also helps that Lady Gotham is more than happy to have the Realms' Ambassador to the Living in her streets. They settle into Crime Alley, and Danny may or may not have forgotten to introduce himself to the Haunt owner, assuming Gotham would handle the niceties as he gets Ellie settled, and handles the pressing issues of the negotiations between the city, the realms, and those denizens of both who want or need one thing or other. Word Count: 23,052 On-going

Imprint by Hashtag_DriveBy :

He screwed his eyes shut, held his breath, desperately wished that he was back in his safehouse, alone and blissfully unaware. But the weight in his hands remained, and when he opened his eyes, it was to the bean-shaped 'fuck you' the Lazarus Pit had kindly bestowed upon him, arms and legs folded up against his front beneath off-white muslin while tiny lips smacked softly.

What the fuck.

What the hell was Jason supposed to do now?

Word Count: 119,791 On-going

If you find a vigilante in the dumpster by lunamugetsu :

The plan was simple, Jazz and her now de aged brother would go lay low in Gotham, act as a mother-son duo. Wait as Danny heals up by absorbing the ambient ectoplasm leaking from the city and Vlad gives the green light that he has a safe place they could stay. Plus with the blessing from the Ghost of Gotham and knowing that even the GIW wouldn't dare to encroach on Batman's territory, it was a pretty safe plan. That was until a certain vigilante just keeps on finding himself in their dumpster. / / It was a normal night of patrol for Jason. Beating up a bunch of criminals. Shooting them with bullets (they're rubber bullets Bruce! Calm down!) Get stabbed by them. Pass out from blood loss in the place he was taking refuge in Wake up in an apartment, his wounds bandaged and all. And to a black haired blue eyed kid staring at him. "I found you in the garbage!" Word Count: 120,002 On-going

Please Don't Take My Sunshine Away by FearlessHades :

After escaping from the GIW, Danny crash lands in Gotham. He's six years old, his entire life has burned behind him, and one of the Gotham vigilantes is running around with a stifled Core. What's a kid to do?

A Jason Adopts Danny fic featuring De-aged!Danny, family feels, and Jason's Grand Master Plan going completely off the rails.

Word Count: 53,233

The (Un)Living Weapon by Anonymous :

They had only planned on raiding the facility. They hadn't expected it to be barren. Apart from a kid, chained and muzzled. With eyes of Lazarus water. Jason didn't intend on getting a kid out of the whole ordeal, but unlike Bruce, he is ready to kill to keep him safe. Word Count: 47,483

Mending a Family by Katelover98 :

Sequel to Creating a Family.

I decided to write this after getting such a good response on that fic. However, I wrote this new fic here instead of updating it in case anyone liked the open ending and didn't want more to spoil the way I left it. There won't be an overarching plot but a bunch of one-shots that show how Jason went from no family to a family that would kill and die for him.

This fic won't have a set schedule so I'll update when inspiration hits. That means one week I might update daily and other times it might take a while. It'll depend

Fair warning, I don't know much about Roy Harper, but I've done a bit of research so when he shows up, hopefully, he'll be well-written.

Word Count: 45,852

Visitant Lights by Shynnohwen for Cielle_Noire, AcesAndSpades72, foldingfacets :

After a run in with Vlad that left the entire Fenton family turned into little children and a subsequential kidnapping by what they think are ninjas the Fenton family escape to Gotham to lay low and figure out how to reverse their ages as Sam and Tucker help where they can, growing sense of dread as months goes by and they are no closer to fixing this. Danny, frustrated at lack of progress and tiny body, runs into the Red Hood while stealing his wheel to replace the one he broke. This results in Jason and the Pit Madness co-parenting, Dick mistaken for a stripper, Tucker unknowingly becoming Oracle's archnemesis, Sam believing the local coffee addict is a serial killer, Damian taking on an apprentice, various members of the Rogue Gallery becoming self-appointed uncles and aunts, Amity Park becoming a hellhole full of supernaturally powerful people trying to survive, Damian trying to get a certain Fenton adopted into his family, and Joker developing severe and crippling phasmophobia. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now has a TV Tropes! https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/VisitantLights Word Count : 82,890

[loganwritesprobably]

Planning a Future With You

This didn't do very well on the poll I posted a while back but this is my blog and I do what I want. Also introducing Niji for the first time on this blog

Content/Warnings: Crocodile, Niji and Law headcanons, GN!Reader, talk of marriage and children (both positive and negative), both canon-compliant and "de-programmed" Niji mentioned

Crocodile has always been a future plans kind of guy

He likes to plan ahead, and know what his next steps are, at all times

When you begin to date, he doesn't factor you in initially, assuming your relationship won't last more than six months

And then it does

He begins to factor you into his plans slowly, over time, until eventually you're irreversibly woven into everything

He tells you none of this of course

But in his mind, his future would be wrong without you

He wants to marry you, eventually, with a grand ceremony, all of the bells and whistles included

Nothing but the best for you

Neither of you have actually asked the other about these sorts of things, but it will happen when you're both ready

Already, Crocodile knows what sort of ring he wants to propose with, and how he wants to propose

Crocodile hasn't thought of children

He had a rough childhood, and he's not the most pleasant man and he knows it

It's hard to raise a child, and whether he's cut out for that is pretty up in the air

He'd consider it, if that was something you wanted

Maybe you could adopt an older child, he thinks that would be more his speed if anything

Niji thinks marriage is a given between you

He's a prince, getting married is a non-negotiable, and he likes you more than most. You're not as irritating as a lot of people he'd considered pursuing in the past

And someone has to continue the Germa bloodline, who better than him?

If you were to date a de-programmed Niji though, things would be different

Kids, for him, would be an absolute no

Even with how much his personality has changed, he still finds kids super grating and he couldn't raise a "snot nosed brat"

If you disagreed on this, it'd be a pretty big issue, it isn't a topic up for discussion

Double income no kids lifestyle for Niji

He's not super sold on weddings either, but that's something he's more willing to discuss

Niji wouldn't want something incredibly extravagant, rather he'd prefer a more intimate ceremony

He doesn't actually want to be a perfect Prince of Germa and having a large elaborate wedding would remind him of that

A smaller ceremony, with his siblings, your family if you want them there, and all your friends is more suited to him

Though he'd absolutely brag about being married to you after the fact if you did get married

Because you're the best thing that's ever happened to him

For Law, pretty much everything is up for discussion

He's far more hesitant about kids than marriage

He's still not convinced the two of you are in it for the long haul - how could you want to be with him for that long?

If you were to get married, he'd absolutely leave all the planning and decisions to you. Tell him when you need him to have an opinion, and when to be there

He'd still get a little teary at the sight of you in your getup, no matter how neutral he is on the entire thing

For him, kids is hard

He had good parents as a young boy, and the thought of providing that is nice, warms his little cold heart

But he's also intimately familiar with how cruel the world can be, and he isn't sure he likes the thought of bringing a child into it

But some children are already in that world, and alone

All that to say, he's unsure, and very unfecided

For him, it would heavily depend on what you wanted, and there would be a lot of lengthy discussions to be had on the topic

Requests are open! See below links for my other works, and how to leave requests. I write both canon/canon and canon/reader requests for your enjoyment

AO3 | Fanfic Masterlist | Request Rules | Fic Trades Guide | WIPs

Tags: @claryeverlarkf @uselessboots

[whalesforhands]

Did you u know twins can have different biological fathers?

The specific ask about, if reader was gonna have bio kids got me thinking, what if twins but different fathers?

And then fact checked, and apparently it's very rare, but possible!!!

my theory on this matter is that you have to make love, instead of a quick nut for something like this to happen.

Sorry for ranting, it's 4 in the morning in my side of the world, and all i can think is about Satosugu, ahhhh i need sleep!!!!

GAHAHAH THAT’S SO CUTE

masterlist

gojo satoru & geto suguru getting more kids, and the fact that they’re having another set of twins has the nanamimi duo absolutely losing it, jumping around and squealing

the girls are absolutely defending you fiercely during the time you’re starting to show, shooing off gojo for even breathing too hard near you, gripping onto geto’s shirt and stretching the fabric whilst trying to drag him off of you when he goes in for a hug, holding your hands to walk you to the bedroom, running to tsumiki when you mention a small food craving and trying to figure out how to make it via the internet when their fathers aren’t home yet, because “we’re older and can totally help out!”

megumi is the most intrigued, never having had a sibling younger than him before. so he’s the one putting his head against your tummy the most to really listen to the lives growing inside you, looking up at you with wide eyes every time he hears a kick

since he and the twins are the same age, it’s often wondered if they were triplets everytime the family ate out.

(nanamimi have crowned him an honorary triplet. tsumiki approves. gives more of a reason for him to join them on their tea parties.)

satosugu refuse to let you out the house. initially it was already super hard to leave in the first place for the most menial of chores like getting more lightbulbs or more milk without their chaperoning. now it’s close to impossible even if you just want to get ice cream at the convenience store with tsumiki.

no. don’t go outside. there’s bad air, germs on every surface, curses at every lurking corner. please sit down, look pretty, give them a kiss and what you’re craving will be in your hands in an instant.

you look gorgeous pregnant. period.

now imagine when they pop out of you, only for them to look like actual carbon copies of their fathers, much to everyone’s shock. like, i’m not even kidding.

maybe there’s a small hint of your features in the curve of the nose, the shape of the earlobes… but overall the twins look exactly like their paternal counterparts, down to the exact same personalities and little traits

and that means their clinginess to you. the men already have it bad enough that the 4 kids are constantly hanging around and off of you, following you around the home like hatchlings to a mother duck, now the two extra little copycats are taking every bit of your spare, leftover attention meant for them

crying in the middle of the night and not settling down when either of the men are the ones hushing and cradling them, smacking their chins whenever they try to bottlefeed, crying even more if it’s not your face being the first one they see in the morning…

why are you so adorably popular?

they don’t regret having kids with you, but they do realise how fortunate they were to be able to skip the infant stage with the first 4

KOFI twins extra

masterlist

[starhvney]

Hello! I would like to go with PDH Zane, Gene, Dante and Travis. Tea is my favorite so I would like that too. Oh! And with some cream and a delicious jelly donut 😋

Just to give you an idea of what I want, they take the reader to somewhere special that they only shown to the reader! I think it would be really cute. Thank you, and I hope you have a wonderful day 🤭

𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝟎𝟐: 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫!!

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬: romantic tension, fluff, hidden location

𝐚/𝐧: it was, in fact, super cute! thanks for the request! i had fun writing this hehe. have a wonderful day as well!!

𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ☆ 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓

𝐙𝐀𝐍𝐄

“How long have you been coming here?” you whisper, warily glancing across the silent graveyard for any grieving visitors that you might be intruding on.

There wasn’t another soul around in sight though, at least not in your sight. You suppose no one comes here around this time of day, as the sun set and set an even colder chill in the bones of anyone who was still outside.

Zane was quiet for a moment, instead focusing on making sure the stone bench you’ve both stopped at wasn’t going to soak into your pants and really make you cold. He sits after a second, nodding for you to sit as he rests his elbows on his knees.

You don’t talk again, instead waiting for him to respond as you take the spot next to him. He’d been acting so different lately—actually getting into bad stuff and rebelling instead of just being all talk when he looked up to Gene back in freshman year. It worried you, but you didn’t feel like arguing about it in this peaceful moment between you two.

Despite the eeriness, you couldn’t deny it was pretty peaceful here. There were no voices, no expectations placed on you. Perhaps this is why he liked this place so much. Not that he’d admit it out loud, of course, but you’re sure a deep part of him just wants to be acknowledged for who he is.

A cold breeze rushes through the tall cypress trees as they sway above your heads, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake and making you shiver.

“Since middle school,” he finally admits, the thick layer of the outer coat he brought landing over your shoulders. “I like the quiet. Used to sneak out when I was annoyed by my family. No one else but you knows about it.”

You nod slowly, glancing over at him from the corner of your eye as you gratefully pull the jacket over you. A part of you wanted to question why he wanted to take you here, but you think maybe you already know when he glances back at you, his eye drifting up and down your face with a reserved susceptibility in it.

Yeah, he may have been trying damn hard to toughen himself, but you know damn well that emo dork is still in there wanting approval; especially from you.

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄

A distant creak from the hall behind you makes you jump, your hand clutching onto Gene’s sleeve as your head whips around the empty room. A vine that had grown down from the stained ceiling tile

“Are you sure there aren’t squatters here or something…?” You whisper, legs tense and ready to make a run for it—whether the punk calls you a wimp for it later or not.

A scoff echoes against the broken tile beneath your feet, and the arm you were clinging to suddenly wraps around your shoulder, tugging you into his side. The smell of cologne and cigarette smoke hits your nose, but something about it is a bit comforting—especially compared to the musty building you were in.

“You’re gonna be just fine, kitty. You really think I’d let something happen to you?” he says, not bothering to lower his voice like you did.

“Well if a murderous crackhead comes busting through a door? Then what?”

He cackles, seeming highly amused by a pretty valid worry you have. “I come here all the time. Not even they know about this place.”

You swallow, trying to reassure yourself by the fact he had to help you navigate through overgrown shrubbery to even see this place. As your eyes trail along a deep crack in the wall his fingers suddenly pinch your cheek, forcing you to look at him as a disgruntled whine leaves your lips.

“Hey, you look cute with your eyes all wide like that, but I don’t want you to actually be scared.” he glances over your face, briefly licking his lips as his eyes linger lowly. “Are you really scared? You trust me don’t you?”

Not completely. But regardless you nod, the butterflies in your stomach fighting against your instinct. He hums approvingly, a smirk tugging at his lips as he squeezes your shoulder.

“Good. We’re here.”

A wave of cold, fresh air washes over your face, clearing your head and the wild thoughts that had started

“Look. You can see the whole city from here through the trees, but they can’t see us.” he says, his husky voice brushing against your ear. You’re glad the cold wind rushing past the two of you through the broken window gives a good excuse for the way your shoulders tremble. “Pretty, huh?”

“Mhm…”

A chuckle brushes against your hair. “Cute.”

𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄

“C’mon. I promise it’s not as far of a jump as it looks,” Dante gestures with his hands for you to leap forward, encouragingly leaning forward over the creek. “I’ll catch you, sweetie. Promise.”

You raise an eyebrow at his blatant flirtatious nickname, but knowing he wouldn’t relent you instead focus on the task at hand. He was right, you probably could make this jump, but damn is the water cold and deep enough to soak your shoes through.

Shaking your head, you decide to go for it, backing up a few paces before taking the leap of faith. His hands catch onto you and tug you the rest of the way onto dry land, though a splash still meets your ears when you see Dante’s eyes widen and shoulders get thrown off kilter.

“Damn!” He yelps. “That’s cold!”

Looking down, his foot is now soaked as he lifts it out of the running creek, his face gritting into a “whoops” expression. His shoe, likely his socks, and his jean leg are dripping with the icy cold water. He doesn’t seem upset, but you feel partially guilty for the boy’s misfortune.

“Sorry…”

“Ah, it’s okay. It’s not like you threw me in. C’mon,” he waves it off, taking another moment to shake off his foot before guiding you forward again, slinging an arm around your shoulder. “We’re almost there.”

You stumble at first as he drags you along, but it only takes a second for you to accept your fate and fall into step with him. All you can focus on as the two of you walk is his warm arm around your shoulder and the scent of his rather strong cologne and deodorant. Honestly, despite it being a little overpowering, it was better than him smelling like some of the other guys in the high school, that’s for sure.

Over broken roots and dead leaves crunching under your feet, the boy lightly squeezes your shoulder as you come to a stop.

“Here we are.”

Up ahead is a tall, thick tree, the roots gnarled and twisting out from the ground. It held up huge branches that were weighed down by their own weight, drooping across a large expanse that overpowered the younger trees around it. Around the trunk is a fort made of long sticks, a ladder coming out from the top and reaching up to a platform of random old planks that were patched together.

“This was a fort Gene and I made when we were younger,” he says, sounding a bit nostalgic and proud. “He doesn’t uh… ever come here with me anymore but I still come here to make sure it doesn’t fall apart and to chill for a little bit.”

“Woah.” Is all you can return, eyes wide as you take in the rather elaborate fort for it being built by young boys. “This is really cool…”

“Thanks.” He grins, taking his arm off from your shoulder to grab your hand instead, sending a wink your way as he drags you to the entrance. “Why don’t we picnic here as a first date?”

𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐒

“How do you even find a place like this?”

Travis looks back to give a braced tooth grin at you, waggling his brows as he gestures at the old—likely highly out of regulation play set. Old mulch is overgrown by weeds and bushes, even some vines climbing up onto the slide and across the monkey bars. It wasn’t the right season right now, but you’re sure it would be even more beautiful with the spring and summer wildflowers.

“Ah, I didn’t have many friends except for Dante in middle school. So when I couldn’t hang with him I’d get pretty bored,” he explains sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Anyways, I ended up going out wandering while trying to learn how to skateboard and after busting my kneecaps twenty times I just… found this place.”

“Well, now you have more than just Dante as a friend, you have me!” you chirp, walking closer to the metal playscape.

“I wish… we… more…” he murmurs, just out of your earshot as you kick at some rotten wood chips.

“Hm? What was that?”

“What? I said… I wish uh…” Nervous chuckles suddenly burst from his mouth as he looks around, before pointing at the old merry-go-round to your right. “I wish we could try out that thing!”

You blink, looking at the hunk of metal with raised eyebrows. With a shrug, the two of you dash over to it, a sudden mischievousness forming on your faces.

“Wanna see how fast it spins?”

“Hell yeah.”

On either side, the two of you grab onto the rusted handles, the squeaky metal groaning in protest as you begin to push against it. As soon as you gain enough momentum, you both hop on, your mingled laughter overpowering the unpleasant sound of the squeaking and scratching beneath you.

Travis must’ve let his foot down to keep pushing, because soon your head feels like it’s spinning as fast as the contraption, everything around you melting into simple colors rushing by—with Travis’s grinning face in the center of your vision.

Before you know it, your side meets the mulch, and the teen boy responsible for your wood-chip demises can only continue to laugh, his head landing next to yours as you both try to regain your vision.

“I’m still spinning!” He cackles, eyes trained on the sky as the clouds above him likely swirl and mesh together like they are in yours.

You can’t help but laugh along, his stupidly contagious cheerfulness hard to be irritated at, even if you feel a little sick to your stomach now.

“That was kinda fun,” you smile.

Travis stares at you wide-eyed as you continue to giggle, his chest heaving with a big contented sigh.

“Wanna go again?”

“Hell nah!”

©starhvney 2024. do not plagiarize, feed to any AI, or repost my works to any sites.

taglist: @wasting-away-on-the-internet @angelhyperfixates @valentique @arienic @dazedbydeath @theaquaticplant @starsbrightly @kalegrinch @izzybella1807 @marst4rz

[acewithapaintbrush]

A gift for @emthimofnight who's Sonadow fankid Stellar has stolen my heart. Inspired by this comic and my firm believe that Sonic is a little shit who would definitely hold something like that over Shadows head forever

🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔

“Should I… leave?”

Stellar jerks her head around and stops rummaging through the cupboards. She doubts she'll find the shoes she is looking for anyway. They had grown a bit tight the last time she'd worn them and her Papa had given her a suspicious side eye when she'd still refused to get rid of them. 

He hates clutter. Says her Dad is messy enough for all three of them. 

And anyway! The shoes are pretty much immediately forgotten the moment her friend's words reach Stellar’s ears. 

“Why?” she asks. “I thought we'd spent the day together?”

Camellia only spares her a quick glance before she looks away again. She is wringing her hands the way she does when she is nervous about something. Stellar wonders what could have caused that and follows her gaze. She tilts her head with a frown. All she can see are her parents being… well. Her parents. 

“I mean,” Cam gestures helplessly at the other couple, keeping her voice low. “This is obviously a bad time.”

Stellar joins her side and keeps looking between her friend and her parents. She has no clue what has gotten into Cam. 

Across the room her Dad crosses his arms behind his head and taps one foot up and down. His grin is playful, much like Stellar’s own when she is in the mood to tease but his voice has an edge to it. 

“You know I'm right, Shads! Just admit it!”

Her Papa scoffs and crosses his arms in front of his chest, a perfect imperfect mirror of his partner. Sometimes Stellar marvels at the fact that two hedgehogs can be so similar and so different at the same time. 

“You? Being right? Haven't seen any pigs fly lately.”

“Oh. That comeback was almost witty. Have you been practicing?”

Ah. They are arguing. Again. Or maybe still? She vaguely remembers a friendly conversation over breakfast about an old mission or something slowly turning into a heated debate about who took down more Badniks. Are they still on about that? 

She sighs. Seems like it's going to be one of those days, huh? Stellar ignores her parents and smirks at her flustered friend. She is so uptight sometimes. Kinda cute. 

“They are just squabbling. Don't tell me your parents never do that.”

Cam blinks, surprised, before she sniffs a little, nose in the air and all. “My parents never argue. Certainly not in front of guests.”

“Yeah, sure. The hedgehog with the giant hammer and temper issues and the literal cat with fire powers never argue.” Before Camellia can swipe at her arm Stellar continues “And anyway, you are not a guest, you are practically family.”

Her friend's face is suddenly as red as a tomato and she turns away to delicately cough into her hand. Stellar raises an eyebrow. Cam is acting super weird today. 

Her parents have kept arguing meanwhile. It's pretty much just white noise to their daughter after all these years. Stellar tunes back in just in time to hear Papa insult Dad’s memory which has obviously suffered from too many hits during fights. 

And Stellar knows that glint that enters her Dad's eyes, the way his smirk grows deceptively soft. She can do nothing but groan and slap a hand against her forehead as the blue hedgehog sighs and saunters over to the mantelpiece. She has seen this song and dance one too many times to think she can stop what's coming next. 

He picks up one of her baby pictures and presses it against his chest. “Maybe you are right. Maybe my memory isn't as good as it used to be.”

Stellar is as always reluctantly impressed with the way her Dad is able to put so much emotion into utter bullshit. He sounds like he is on the verge of crying and Stella can hear Cam gasp softly in dismay.

Maybe they should have left after all. 

“The memories begin to fade,” he laments and are those tears in the corners of his eyes? Ugh. “But you know what memory will never fade? My most precious one?”

Papa grits his teeth. She thinks it might take all his strength to not jump across the room and do something he might (a very slight might) regret. 

“How Stellar called me Dada first.”

It's a favorite story of his and he pulls it out every time Papa annoys him or he feels like he is losing an argument. 

And her Papa is smart and strong and level headed and cool. But he is also super bad at hiding how much that ‘betrayal’ still eats at him. 

“You are never letting this go, are you? You are pathetic!”

“Pot meet kettle. And why should I? One of her precious first milestones and it was all for moi!”

“I taught her how to walk.”

“And I taught her how to ride a bicycle, which is even more difficult.”

“I taught her how to swim, something you actually need for survival.”

“Oh yeah, if you call throwing her into the deep end and telling her ‘to figure it out’ teaching.”

“That's not how it happened!” Papa turns to Stellar proving once and for all that both are aware of their audience and don't care. They probably enjoy embarrassing her in front of her friend, the sadists. “That didn't happen!” 

She rolls her eyes. “I know, Papa.”

“Oh right!” Dad cuts in, outraged. “That was me! Your beloved husband!” 

“We are not married.”

“For good reason!”

Stellar does her best to ignore the two of them. Camellia still looks bewildered but there is a reluctant smile blossoming on her face, as if she can't help but be amused despite the awkwardness. 

“Now I know where you get it from.”

Stellar gasps and clutches her chest. “How dare you!” She pauses and her pretend outrage turns a bit more genuine. “Wait! What do you mean? Get what?”

Cam has the audacity to snicker at her and it is not a beautiful sound to Stellar’s ears, nope, not at all! “Oh. You know.”

She doesn't. She totally doesn't. 

She is about to demand some answers when the expression on Cam’s face stops her cold. She turns back to her parents and… oh no. 

Why is she even surprised anymore?

Papa has crossed the distance and has the back of Dad's neck in a tight grip. He is growling and flashing his teeth. 

“I think it's time for you to shut your mouth.”

Dad just leers and leans closer, pressing his chest against the other hedgehog, tangling his hand in black and red quills. 

“Why don't you make me?”

Stellar grabs Camellia’s hand and pulls her out of the room as fast as she can. 

“Oh-Kay. That's our cue to go. Go go go! Don't look back!”

“Wait what? Why? Shouldn't we stop them? What if they hurt-?”

“Nope! You do not want to get between them right now.” She shudders and quickens her steps. “Trust me!”

There is the sound of a muffled crash behind her, like two bodies falling to the floor, her Papa saying something triumphant, her Dad laughing. 

Stellar loves her parents. But God! They can be so embarrassing!

**********

They are the worst, I love them! This was supposed to be really short and grew into this... Hope you like it❤️

[cinnaleaf]

「 Fall For You | A Very Merry Footballer Ficmas 」

summary: your crush takes you to santa’s hometown where he falls for you on a skating rink – literally.

warnings: really, really cheesy fluff, dominican slang, language 🎅🏾: even the best gifts come with a little falling | pt 5 of my ficmas series wc: ~2.7k

You weren’t sure why you agreed to coming to a Christmas themed village to ice skate with Alejandro. It could’ve been the way his eyes lit up when he suggested it, or the fact that he was really good at convincing you to do things you wouldn’t normally do because of his dazzling smile. Either way, you were here now – lacing up your skates and standing on the edge of an ice rink that looked like it was a set piece to a Christmas movie.

The two of you were visiting Rovaniemi for the weekend as a last minute trip he planned to escape Barcelona during the holiday break. The snow fell lazily and settled on wooden poles that were glowing with Christmas lights crisscrossing above the rink. There were families and couples circling the rink with all different levels of skill. Some were gliding around like ice fairies while the others were wiping out everytime the skate touched the ice. The stalls on the sides of the market sold mugs of mulled wine, spiced gingerbread, and waffles slathered in chocolate. It smelled like the epitome of Christmas – cinnamon, sugar, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, and frosty air biting at your nose.

Alejandro stood beside you, fumbling to pull his knit beanie lower over his ears. He stared at the ice curiously. “You know I’ve never done this before, right?” he asked, side eyeing you with a small smile that didn’t really mask the nerves he was trying to hide.

“That makes two of us then” you replied, nudging him with your elbow. “You wanted to come here though. Don’t back down now.”

Alejandro rolled his eyes and muttered something in spanish that you didn’t catch because you were too distracted by a little girl skating on the ice. She wore a pink beanie with a fuzzy pom pom on top paired with a pink glittery scarf as she zipped through the ice. She did a little spin and grinned at both of you, then skated off before you could process the type of skill she had for such a tiny body.

“Oh, she’s showing off” Alejandro said while shoving his hands in his coat pockets.

“Maybe..but it can’t be that hard to skate on solid ice.”

“If you say so....”

The rink wasn’t super big, it was cozy enough to feel magical, even if you lacked the skating ability threatening to ruin the picture perfect postcard illusion. You heard chatters of a group of older women handing out skates while sipping mugs of hot chocolate as you entered the rink.

“Do you think they have insurance...like if someone breaks a leg or something?” you asked.

Alejandro snorted and grabbed your hand while both of you shuffled to the edge of the rink. “Only one way to find out.”

Alejandro stepped on the ice first, still gripping your hand like it could save him from falling. You followed shortly after, gripping onto the rail with your free hand as your skates wobbled underneath you.  The moment his skate touched the icy surface his body jolted forward and he froze, flailing his arms out to balance himself. He looked over his shoulder at you with wide eyes like he was betrayed.

“So...they don’t do balance conditioning in training I guess…” you joked, stepping onto the ice with what you hoped was a lot more confidence than what you felt. The ice was...solid. But it was also slick and unforgiving to anyone who didn’t know to coordinate properly with the slipperiness of it. Your ankles wobbled instantly, and Alejandro tightened his fingers around yours.

“Don’t make any sudden movements” you said, mostly to yourself because you were too scared to move.

Alejandro laughed. “Are you the police? It’s just a skating rink.”

“No. This is a disaster waiting to happen. Look at us.”

The two of you inched forward and Alejandro’s free hand gripped the rail so hard his hands were cramping. A younger boy skated past, showing off as he hopped to one leg, making Alejandro’s hand twitch in response.

“You better not” you warned, knowing exactly how competitive he was.

“I wasn’t going to do anything” he lied while side eying the showoff who couldn’t have been older than 10 years old.

The snow picked up and flurries brushed up against your cheek while also settling onto his beanie. He looked over at you, grinning despite the chaos of neither of you knowing how to ice skate. “This is fun though...right?”

“Yeah. If you have a humiliation kink.”

Alejandro’s laugh echoed across the rink. “You’re so dramatic.”

Before you could reply, his skate slid out from under him and he instinctively reached out for you in the process – meaning both of you went down like a pair of dominos. The ice was cold and wet against your knees when you landed on the ground. You were mortified, yet Alejandro thought it was hilarious.

“Are you good down there?” an older man called out in a thick Finnish accent from off to the side. “That one looks like it hurt!”

“We’re fine!” Alejandro yelled while waving the man off, his other hand was still gripping yours as you both tried to regain a semblance of dignity. “Ay coño (oh damn), are we really that bad at this?”

He started laughing so hard he couldn’t breathe, tipping his head back as he sprawled on the ice in a snow angel position. You weren’t doing much better. Your hands were pressed against the freezing surface and your knees were tucked as you tried to push yourself up. But every time you moved, your skates fell under you and sent you sliding sideways.

“I swear you’re useless” you huffed, but you were slightly smiling.

“Me?” he shot back, propping up on his elbows. “What did I do?”

“You dragged us here knowing damn well neither of us know how to skate.”

“I thought it was a good idea.” he said between chuckles while still trying to get off the icy floor. “We’re bonding. It’s romantic.”

“This is not romantic” you argued, flopping back onto the ice as your legs wobbled again when you tried to get back up. “We look dumb. No one else here is struggling this much! I can’t even get up!”

Just then, the pink scarf girl gracefully spun past you, twirling on her skates like she was a ballerina on ice. Alejandro scoffed, not believing his eyes. “Yeah, she’s doing that on purpose. That little girl is a paid actor.”

You rolled your eyes, trying to ignore the blooming warmth in your chest from how handsome he looked, even if he couldn’t skate and looked like Bambi right now. His beanie was crooked and there were snowflakes dusting over part of his curls that weren’t covered. 

Alejandro shifted to sit up just as the girl executed another flawless spin. “She’s pissing me off” he jerked his chin toward the little girl. “Is she practising for the winter olympics or what?”

“She’s like 8 years old” you contested, wiping your damp hands on your coat while glaring at the skates as if it wasn’t your terrible coordination keeping you on the ground. “You’re beefing with a literal child.”

“I’m not beefing” he answered way too defensively for someone not beefing. “She’s just making us look bad.”

“Um, no. We’re making ourselves look bad” you deadpanned, bracing your hand on the ice to try and stand up again. That was a mistake. A big one. The moment you shifted to move, the skate slid out and you went down again with a dramatic thud. Alejandro started laughing so hard he started wheezing and rolling on his side like it was the funniest thing he ever saw. “You’re not as graceful with your falls like I am.”

“Shut up and help me!” you snapped, but you really wanted to laugh too.

“Alright! Chill out on me, don’t yell.” He got up and scooted toward you in a penguin shuffle type movement. “I’m coming to the rescue.” He reached out again, tightening his fingers around yours like he was about to get it right this time around. For a second you thought it may actually work....until his other skate slid and gravity pulled both of you down again. You both hit the ice with a thud, tangled together in an awkward mess.

“You are sooo bad at this” you wheezed, clutching your stomach because you couldn’t stop laughing.

“Me?” Alejandro’s head shot up with a grin full of teeth and mischief. “You keep bringing me down every time!”

“You literally dragged me down first” you shot back, swatting at his arm playfully.

“You could’ve stayed up!” he argued, gesturing wildly. “There’s railing all over. You’re supposed to hang on to that and be my support system!”

You squinted at him, trying to hold back your laughter and failing miserably. “How am I supposed to support you when you can’t even stay upright for 5 seconds?”

Alejandro’s jaw dropped and he shook his head. “That’s not true. I’m athletic.”

“Maybe on the pitch but definitely not on ice.”

Alejandro side eyed at you, offended. “Tu si hablas mierda (you’re chatting shit)” he muttered under his breath while shaking his head.

“Say it again louder so I can hear it” you challenged, sitting back on the ice like you had all the time in the world.

“Nah” he said while grinning. “You don’t need to hear it but it’s the truth. You’re talking nonsense.”

You rolled your eyes and let out a groan. “Ale..you’ve been on the ice for less than 20 minutes and you’ve been on the ground for most of them.”

“Damn” He placed a hand on his chest like he was so hurt. “Tu ves? (kinda like ‘oh yeah?’) This is why I can’t take you anywhere. Always coming for me.”

“You dragged me here! I wanted to do the reindeer safari instead!”

“Yeah but I thought this would be cuter” He gestured toward the snow falling gently around you. “The lights and the snow...it’s romantic, no?”

“No. We literally look like two penguins who’ve never been on ice before.” you scoffed, trying to shuffle back onto your knees but it was no use, you were failing miserably.

Alejandro threw his head back and started laughing at you. “Nah, chill. Penguins are elegant. We’re a lot worse. We look like those inflatable things at car dealerships.”

“Well...you’re not wrong about that” you bit back your grin as he reached out for your hand to try and help you up, but you didn’t trust him at all.

“If you make me fall again I swear…” you warned while eyeing him suspiciously.

“Relaxxx. I got you. De verdad. (forreal)”

You reluctantly let him pull you up to your knees and it seemed like you may actually be able to get up for once, but then he lost his footing again and he yelped, toppling forward to take you down with him again. Alejandro groaned dramatically, sprawled on top of you like he was so done with life. “Maldita sea, pero esta vaina me quiere matar! (damn this shit is trying to kill me)” he muttered while shaking his head.

“Aww” you giggled while trying to pull him off, but he was too busy pouting about his latest fall. “Are you okay?” You were trying to sound serious and be helpful but the fact that he literally couldn’t get up without falling over again had you in stitches. 

“No.” he grumbled, lifting his head just enough to glare at you while also pouting like a child. “This shit hurts.”

You rolled your eyes and brushed some snow that had accumulated on his curls due to his beanie falling off in the process of the fall. “Awww pobrecito (poor baby). Sana sana colita de rana (heal heal little frog)” you started a nursery rhyme meant for children when they got hurt in a teasing tone, rubbing your hand over his shoulder like you were fixing his imaginary injury.

“Yo stop. That’s for little kids. You’re making it worse!”

You ignored him, finishing the nursery rhyme just to piss him off. “Si no sanas hoy, sanaras mañana (if you dont heal today you’ll heal tomorrow).” you sang softly while still rubbing his imaginary wounds, though it was mostly his pride that was injured.

He smirked at you as his pout twisted into a smile. “Tu ere mala loco (you’re crazy). You know that, right?”

“I’m helping!” you gasped in shock.

“Nah tu ta pasa (you’re doing too much). You’re embarrassing me.”

You kissed your teeth at his dramatics, poking his shoulder dramatically. “No. You’re embarrassing yourself and I’m trying to soften the blow. You’ve been on the ground more than you’ve been on your feet. Just get up without thinking about it too much.”

Alejandro huffed and braced his hands on the ice as if he was preparing to get up, but he was still very clearly thinking about it too much. “Aight. I’m about to get up this time. No overthinking.”

“And probably no balance either.” you teased, reaching out to brush your hands over the earring in his ear. “How can you dribble in rain during a match but not manage a single step on ice?”

“Different terrains. And grass isn’t this slippery.” he contested, tilting his head a little so your fingers would brush against his skin.

“Mmm..sounds like an excuse to me but okay,” you muttered while still playing with his earring.

“Keep playing with my ear like that and I’m staying down here on purpose.”

“Don’t tempt me” you replied, smirking while giving his earring a flick.

The corners of his eyes turned into a smize as he widely grinned at you. “Nah you’re a distraction.” He shifted around to push himself up again. “Watch this. I’m about to–”

He fell again. No grace, no coordination or balance at all. He came crashing down right back onto you and you bursted out laughing again.

“You’re so bad at this. The reindeer safari was a safer option.”

“This ice is just plotting against me” he complained, but he wasn’t all that mad judging by the grin on his face.

“No..that’s all you.” You wiped away the water from the melted ice on his face, but this time he leaned into your touch a little more. Neither of you said anything else as the skates whizzed past and the laughter from the rink carried through. The only thing you were focused on in that moment was how close your faces were and the sight of your breaths in the cold, frosty air. Alejandro’s eyes flicked to yours, meeting your gaze.

“You have snow on your lashes” he murmured, reaching up to gently brush the flakes away with his thumb.

“So do you” you whispered back.

A single snowflake drifted down from the sky and landed directly on your bottom lip. Alejandro’s gaze followed it, his breath visible in the cold as he leaned in.

“I got it,” he said softly. His lips brushed against yours, melting the snowflake while also stealing the breath from your lungs. The kiss wasn’t anything awkward or rushed, it was perfect and warmed you in the best way despite the cutting chill of the finnish air. Alejandro pulled back just slightly, licking over his lips but still close enough to steal another kiss if he really wanted to. He was widely grinning now. “Dime princesa (tell me)” he murmured in a teasing voice. “Is this romantic enough for you now?”

You giggled softly, shaking your head as your fingers brushed over his cheeks, still damp from the melting ice. “I think you made your point.” Your cheeks were hurting from all the laughter and smiles but you couldn’t deny this was sort of romantic...in a really bad, cheesy rom com sort of way. “But do a little research next time so we can have romance without all the bruises.”

Alejandro chuckled as he shifted to lay back on the ice, neither of you getting up as you both stared at the snow fall from the sky. There were a lot more skaters circling around you now as they zipped past in their own little world.

“Alright. Reindeer safari next time. But you have to admit this was worth it for the kiss..”

You smiled, flicking a bit of snow off his nose. “Maybe…. but you really should work on staying upright though.”

Alejandro smirked, leaning in to melt away another snowflake that landed on your lips. “Nah. I’m okay with falling. Especially if it’s for you.”

[little-diable]

One day you're gone – Tommy Shelby

Let's just ignore the fact that songs are my biggest inspiration, ok? Alright. Inspired by "one day you're gone" by "gavn!". I know this is super angsty, but I think it's a beautiful fic, so please give it a chance. Please like and reblog if you enjoyed reading this, your comments keep us writers motivated! Enjoy my loves. xxx

Summary: She died years ago, and yet he still dreams of her, forced to relive their moments together every single night

Warnings: 18+, smut, piv, loss of his wife (sorry for killing us off), this is sad, like really

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x fem!reader (1.3k words)

One day you're here and one day you're gone, you beat to the drum but you keep movin' on, ain't nobody knows when the next name's called, ‘cause one day you're here and one day you're gone

He dreamt of her, hands trembling from feeling his fingers interlaced with hers just moments before waking, heart racing from clinging to her like a blanket made to protect his shuddering body, lips tingling from kissing her breathless, at least in his dream. 

Those were the nights where Tommy woke with a cry, unable to wipe away the tears clinging to his cheeks as he choked on his gasps. Ever since he had been a little boy, he had been forced to let go of people, a dull pain Tommy had slowly adapted to. Until (y/n) had been ripped from his side, leaving him and the life they had begun to build together. 

He dreamt of her nightly, of their moments together, from childhood memories, to their wedding day. He saw it all so clearly as if he was watching recordings, though not in black and white and without sound, but full of colour. A bright splash of life like she had been, the light in his darkness, the colour in his grey life, the guiding hand that was now one with the soil he still felt clinging to his fingers. 

“Today we mourn the loss of our (y/n), daughter, friend, wife.” Tears blurred Tommy’s vision as he stood near the coffin, hands interlaced in front of himself to try and stop his hands from trembling. He, Arthur, some of their friend’s and (y/n)’s father had carried the coffin up to the grave, unable to speak as the weight of their sadness weighed them down. 

“Thomas.” The bucket filled with soil was reached out for him to take, forcing his eyes to find the dark ones of their pastor. With a shaky exhale leaving him, he let his fingers disappear in the cold soil, taking just enough to throw it down onto her coffin, covering a small part of the dark wood. 

“How could you do this to me?” His voice carried exhaustion, speaking to those who were listening, the holy Father promising to protect those finding his way to him, people like (y/n) who had been ripped from this life too early. 

Tommy rose to his feet as his fingers found a cigarette, alighting it before making his way out his empty bedroom. One of the places that held too many memories. One of the places he couldn’t part from just yet because his nose could still pick up on the scent of her perfume, because his eyes could still see her soft frame lying next to him, even though it had been years. 

“Oh, Tommy.” She had her back arched off the mattress, legs wrapped around his middle. The two had gotten married hours ago, saying yes to one another in the company of their families and friends, finally reunited after the war. Tears had been shed that day, tears that were falling now once again, though these tears were urged on by desperation, by love, by lust. 

His hips met hers with every thrust, drawing moans from (y/n) as his cock nudged her sweet spot. Tommy couldn’t rip his eyes from her features, the beautiful face he had thought of in France, clinging to his memories as if they were the oxygen he needed to survive. 

“My beautiful wife,” his words left (y/n) moaning, walls fluttering around his cock. The scent of her perfume wrapped itself around Tommy, luring him even further into the grasp she had on his body and soul, a promise made to last for eternity, a promise broken in only a few months time. 

“I love you, Thomas, I always will.” 

Rain was pouring from the sky, as if nature was sharing Tommy’s pain, missing the one who had spent most of her time in their garden, the one who had talked to the flowers as if they were her friends, the one who had watched birds pick up the seeds she had left for them as if they were pilgrims sharing her path. A kind hearted soul who had paid the price for a life Tommy hadn’t been able to protect her from. 

Tommy didn’t know how to make it through life without (y/n) by his side, he hadn’t lived a single day without her being part of his closest circle, glued together from birth, brought together by their mothers who had been friends for years. Ever since their first days together, Tommy had loved her, first as a friend, then as a lover, then as a husband, and now as a widower. 

“Can I kiss you?” Tommy’s voice filled the evening, forcing her wide eyes towards his bright ones. 

“What?” Nervous chuckles bubbled out of the young girl. She struggled to hold eye contact with Tommy, shifting her weight from one leg to the other, unable to rip herself away from the boy. It was Tommy’s fourteenth birthday, celebrating his day with (y/n) glued to his side, chasing him through the streets both knew like the back of their hands. 

“It’s my birthday wish.” Heat flushed through her as Tommy carefully cupped her cheek. She knew that he had kissed other girls before, locking lips with those she envied, but not once had she been kissed, waiting for Tommy to finally give in. 

“Do it.” His lips were on hers in an instant, drawing a surprised gasp from (y/n). It was a clumsy kiss both had to adjust to, but once her nerves finally let go of her, allowing the young girl to get used to the new sensation, she found herself enjoying the new feeling. 

With a sigh rumbling through Tommy, he plopped down on the stairs leading up to their house, stairs she had walked with naked feet whenever she had finished her garden work. The garden had withered away with her passing as Tommy hadn’t found the strength to step foot on the grass she had cared for. 

Whatever it was that now spurred him on, it forced Tommy back to his feet. The cigarette was long forgotten as he stepped foot on the wet grass, his shirt and underwear instantly soaked through by the pouring rain. He had his bright eyes focused on the weathered flowers, coming to a halt in front of one of many flowerbeds. 

His hands started working, reaching for the dead flowers to rip them from the lifeless soil. And for the first time in years, he felt connected to (y/n), clinging to what she had once planted. Tears once again ran down Tommy’s cheeks as he kept working, only halting his movements as his glassy eyes found the rising sun painting the sky orange and pink. 

“I’m sorry it took me this long, love.” The words were whispered, eyes unable to leave the sky as he made plans to revitalise their garden. He’d never be able to bring her back, but at least he could keep the memory of his loving wife alive. 

Broken bones, you live and learn, ‘cause we don't know that a good thing ends, but someday I hope that it'll all make sense, one day you're here and one day you're gone

[dream-with-a-fever]

but i’m a fire and i’ll keep your brittle heart warm (snippet)

by dream-with-a-fever (me) / societysgot (ao3)

harry/ginny, oneshot, canon compliant, missing moments during OotP

“So, I take it that cave in the mountains outside Hogsmeade wouldn’t work as a meeting place with Sirius?” She said, bringing them back to their conversation in the library.

Harry shook his head. “Definitely not — how did you know about that?”

“I’m really into mountain hiking,” She replied, without missing a beat.

Harry gave her a quizzical look before her face broke out into a smile, and she laughed.

“I’m joking - I've never done it,” She said, with a snort, “Hermione mentioned doing it with her family once — no, Sirius told me about it over the summer, back at Grimmauld place.”

“You and Sirius talked?”

For some reason he hadn’t even considered the fact that the Weasleys had been staying there for several weeks before Harry’s arrival. Jealousy bubbled in him momentarily, at the thought of them all spending their summer together, while he was stuck in privet drive. They had probably shared meals, swapped stories, made jokes. He vaguely remembered the youngest Weasley holding court up one end of the table on a particular evening, chatting animatedly with Remus, Tonks and Sirius. She had almost seemed like one of the crew. He just hadn't given it much thought until now.

She gave him a quizzical look, and he realised he must’ve been silent for a beat too long.

“Yeah, is that… alright with you?”

He forced out a laugh. “Yeah- erm, of course. I just didn’t think — I don’t know.”

“Well, he’s cool. Got a great muggle music collection. You’d probably know some of ‘em? There’s one band — super good called The Beatle and—”

“The Beatles.”

“What?”

Harry suppressed a smile. “Never mind.”

“They're really good. But, he mainly talks about you, you know,” She said, after a beat, “Raves about you actually.”

Harry sighed, like this was a real inconvenience.

"Oh, I am sorry," said Harry, fighting back a grin.

"I told him, I said Sirius, I haven't got all day - but the man's relentless. Wanted to know everything."

“That must’ve been terribly boring.”

“Very," She hummed, noncommittally. "You know, Harry Potter — famously boring.”

“Glad you agree.”

“Well, we can’t have everyone inflating your ego now, can we?”

Harry spluttered for a moment, before she continued.

“Not that a bit more arrogance on your part would be bad. You could be a lot worse. Look at Percy.”

“Thanks, Ginny.”

“Very welcome,” She said, breezily before clapping her hands together, “Anyway — if the cave isn’t an option, and all the fires are being guarded…”

“Well…not all of them,” Harry said, a look of realisation crossing his face.

When he looked up she was grinning widely at him, eyebrows raised. It was then that he looked around, and realised they were outside the Gryffindor common room — the trek from the library was like muscle memory to him now, and still their arrival had come as a shock to him.

The fat lady was chatting animatedly with her friend Violet from another portrait when they approached; both shrieking with laughter like a couple of hyenas, passing a bottle back and forth of some kind of mead that most certainly was not from the fat lady’s portrait. They were completely obvious to the two students stood outside.

“I’m sorry for interrupting your study session,” Ginny suddenly said, scrunching up her nose, looking rather guilty, “I know you need all the time you can get, you know, with the OWLs coming up so soon.”

His eyebrows furrowed. “Have a lot of faith in my academic ability then, do you?”

She choked out a laugh, whipping her auburn hair out of her eyes. “Not what I meant and you know it. Though if you hanging around Ron every minute of every day is any indication of your intelligence…”

“Pretty sure you spend more time with him than me,” Harry replied, looking aghast.

“Yeah — because he’s my brother - I'm stuck with him, aren't I? But you voluntarily spend every waking moment with him. I mean, think of all the brain cells you must have lost already…”

“See, that’s—”

“But there’s still time to save yourself from ruin, I reckon. Just gotta get back to the books.”

“Well, that’ll be hard, seeing as you got me banned from going back into the library ever again…”

She elbowed him hard in the side, and Harry looked up, surprised at the contact. But Ginny seemed unfazed - like this was nothing out of the ordinary.

“I think I’ll take that chocolate egg back then,” She demanded, flicking a curtain of red hair behind her.

Harry scoffed. “Pretty sure you already ate most of it—”

And that earned him his second jab in the ribs. He glanced down at his feet, suppressing a grin.

Their slight cofuffle had caught the attention of the fat lady who now, having finally noticed their presence, began to complain at their frankly insulting dawdling (‘I don’t have all day, you two!’)

They parted ways in the common room; Crookshanks trotting over to the youngest Weasley the second she had stepped through the door; Harry making his way up to the boys’ dormitories.

He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

(Unbeknownst to Harry, it was the best sleep he had had in weeks.)

[wambsgansshoelaces]

heyy love, i love your fics so muchhh!! if ur requests are open, i was wondering if you could write this fun lil oneshot i thought of<3

(didn't really think much of the details but i imagined something like the episode with the pierce family, or u could change to what feels nice to u)

reader is like super hot/crazy attractive and the siblings are instantly interested. kendall and roman, being their idiot selves, start competing for her attention and trying to get her to accept going out etc. turns out, at the end of the day, shiv gets the girl, as she was the one reader wanted all along (gagged them)

Girls Get Girls

Siobhan Roy x fem!Reader

not gonna lie anon I feel like I didn’t do this too well so I’m so so sorry :( I still hope you enjoy even though I don’t really deliver x

btw I literally love you anon keep requesting

im so gay

Word Count: 2.893k

Mergers, acquisitions, stock, trade, liquidation. You couldn’t give a shit about any of it.

You’re not in the financial field at all, much to your parents’ disappointment. It’d brought you out of favor with them, brought your siblings closer to each other.

You usually don’t come to these things, but tonight it talk of selling the entire company. Leaving it all behind, cashing in the lotto, and fucking off. Your family had convinced you to come- despite your clear dislike for everything finance and business, you still hold stock and stake in the company. You were also going to get a pretty penny from your inheritance, so it would be wise to judge your potential buyer alongside your family.

You’re getting ready in your childhood bedroom, pacing the carpet as you put the finishing touches on your outfit. Your father had made it very clear: your job was to root out intention, then act accordingly. Regardless of whether you thought the Roys were worthy of the company or not is irrelevant at this moment. You need to be intimidating.

Intimidating, but also hot. Just for yourself.

A soft knock sounds at your door. “It’s me,” your cousin calls from the hall.

“Come in,” you call back.

She waltzes in, her blouse billowing behind her as she deposits herself on your bed. “Dad’s going to have an aneurysm.”

Even though you already know the answer, you ask, “Why?” You lean against your desk, facing her.

She snorts, knowing you’re trying to push her buttons. “He wants the company, dipshit. I still think all if this is to get on our nerves.”

“A chimp would do better as CEO than any of you,” you say, scoffing. What had started out as what you thought was joking was turning into something else.

“So why won’t you do it, then?” she asks, bitterly. “I don’t see why it has to be either you or someone out of the family entirely.”

“I’m not doing it because I don’t want to. My siblings also just… have no interest. We’re all off to bigger, better things.”

The two of you stare at each other until your father’s yelling draws you both from your trance.

“Up and at ’em,” he’s saying, pretty much to himself, once you’re downstairs. You brush imaginary dust from your sleeves as you make the awkward walk to the helipad. You and your brother share an exasperated look. Despite the fact that you’d been wedged apart over the years, you and your siblings share a lot of the same views and opinions.

“All this peacocking is fucking insane,” he mutters to you once you’re stopped a safe distance away from the pad.

“Just wait until you see them,” you mutter back.

Even though you weren’t involved in the business side of the company, you’d still been involved. You’d gone to dinners, conferences, galas. You were a bit of an outside source, as you held no real position in the company, but you knew you were vital.

At almost every event where someone with your last name was required to attend, there was also a Roy. You’d only ever seen them, never spoken to them

You hear the helicopter before you see it. Sunglasses perched on your nose, you look up. As it descends, your hair and jacket are blown vigorously back, and your hand goes to your scalp. The generated wind is aggressive, slicing over your skin, your clothing. The sound is now deafening, and you notice your sister clamping her hands over her ears. Your father gives her a look, something along the lines of don’t look weak, and your sister rolls her eyes in response, mouthing fuck you.

You have to suppress your smile. The helicopter’s landed, and people are starting to pile out.

“Logan, old friend,” your dad bellows jovially. While the two families had never met, never been close, you know your father and Logan Roy were actually the best of friends. You don’t know how they met. Your father spoke of Logan from as far back as undergrad university.

Your father steps forward, meeting Logan halfway as he leads the rest of his family towards yours. They envelope each other in a hug, and your brother snorts. He’s the only one who’s ever interacted with the Roys.

“It’s like he has a multiple personality disorder,” he’d told you the other day, talking about the enigma that was the head of the other family. “One second he’s laughing, then the minute Dad’s out the room, the guy’s raging over his kids or the people not doing enough work or whatever the fuck else is wrong with that stupid fucking company.”

He turns from your father to your mother, murmuring a warm greeting, then to the row of you, your sister, and your brother.

“Oh, look at the three of you! All grown and radiant,” he says heartily. So far, he doesn’t seem like the demon your younger brother had described him to be. But you know well enough that looks can be deceiving. He opens his arms out to you first, since you’re the eldest of the three. You give him an awkward hug, his hand clapping over your back in a friendly manner. “If only any of my children had the sense to get with you,” he mutters conspiratorially, earning a chuckle from you. He pats your shoulder, before moving on to your brother.

Logan’s wife is next. “Marcia,” she murmurs softly to you, taking you by the shoulders and air-kissing both your cheeks. You return the gesture as she does it, making sure to stay smiling. It’s all a flurry of names you’re sure you’re going to forget the second you need them. Connor, Gerri, Willa, Frank, Rhea. It’s really all just a bunch of letters bouncing around in your head.

Who you’re sure you will remember, though, are the siblings. The younger three. The important ones, your dad liked to call them.

As all of the ‘adults’ convened to chat amongst themselves, like they did when you were children, you and your sister are having a quiet conversation about your work. She’s in the middle of asking you to come out to her office to help you with something when you feel a hand settle on your shoulder. You turn, coming eye to eye with Kendall Roy.

“Hi,” he says carefully, small smile playing on his lips. “I don’t think we’ve met?”

“No, we haven’t,” you say back. “Y/N.” You offer him your hand to shake, like your father expects you to do with everyone.

“Kendall.”

“Yeah, I know,” you say awkwardly. He manages a laugh, withdrawing his hand, his eyes flitting over your face.

“I’m sorry it’s taken me this long, then, to, uh, put your name to your face.”

You’re not really sure what he means, but you don’t think you care that much.

“Move over, Kendall, you’re boring the shit out of her.” His brother comes over, bumping him with his hip. You have to stifle a laugh. “Roman.” You shake hands, offering him a polite smile. “He’s right, though. You’re a bit of a mystery to everyone.”

“Am I?” you ask, laughter seeping into your voice.

“Not to me.” Her voice is firm, clear. “I’m Shiv. I was at the conference you gave the Ethics presentation to. I know your work. My brothers are just stupid.”

You laugh for real this time. “Nice to meet you, Shiv. I’m familiar with your work, too. I’m just not so deep into the political sphere like you are.”

“I can help with that, you know,” she says, expression surprisingly soft. “I’ve been looking for someone that shares my opinions and… moral compass to work with. You need your rock, you know?”

The conglomerate of people slowly transitions inside. Roman and Kendall get roped into other conversations, your sister disappearing off to who knows where. You mill about in the dimly lit sitting room, watching everyone interact. Shiv’s still by your side.

“No offense, but I hate these things,” she says quietly, coming closer to you so you can hear.

You laugh lightly. “None taken.” You glance over at her to find that her eyes are already glued to you. You feel your face heat, her gaze flickering down your body before coming back up to your face. She has a sly smile on, but it’s quickly melting into one of real, soft emotion. You open your mouth to offer her something you’ll probably regret later, but are interrupted by your father clapping his hands together and waving everyone into the dining room. Instead, you give her an exasperated smile and follow the crowd.

Your father eyes you and your siblings as you all slip into your strategically chosen seats, making it so you’d all be surrounded by Roys. Your brother makes a face at you from the other side of the table. You ignore him, instead looking up at Shiv, who hovers by the chair at your left hand.

Almost shyly, she asks, “May I?”

“Please.”

A giddy smile spreads across her face as she sits, and you can’t help but mirror her expression. You look down into your plate, catching your sister’s gaze on you. Kendall takes the seat on your other side, Logan sitting directly across from you, right by your dad.

Roman and your brother are laughing over something as you get served the appetizer, your sister staring off into space while Connor talks at her rather than to her. Your mother speaks quietly with Marcia, and of course, your father and Logan are the loudest at the table, laughing and gesturing around.

Your cousin is on Kendall’s other side, overly-focused on her food. The conversation suddenly involves the entire table, Logan leaving forward. “What is it you do again, Y/N?”

You shrug lightly. “I work in media and risk analysis. Dabble a bit in economics.”

“So like Shiv?”

“Not really,” you and her say at the same time. You gesture with your fork, letting her continue.

“Our work certainly overlaps, and I’m glad it does,” she says, “but I’m more… political, she’s more… corporate.”

“If you dabbled in economics,” your cousin manages through gritted teeth, “we wouldn’t be here.”

“Neither would we if you did,” you retort calmly.

She scoffs. “I still don’t see why all of this is happening,” she says back, barely loud enough for everyone to hear. You look to your father, praying he’ll deal with it himself before she goes on some tirade, scaring off the buyer, but he makes no move. He simply glances at you, his gaze loaded.

Do it yourself.

You wait for a few moments, letting the tension strain the room. Maybe she’ll back off.

She doesn’t.

“The company is leaving family hands because of you, Y/N. It’s going to crash and burn because you refuse to fucking see what’s sitting in front of you.”

Logan’s lips press together into a thin line, and you know you have to recover. “I don’t want the company. Neither of my siblings want it. Don’t you think it’s a little telling you’re the only one lusting after it so loudly?”

“I don’t see what that has to say about me.”

“You want it, and you’re not getting it,” you say firmly. “You’re incompetent. The Roy name is not.”

Dinner is only silent for so much longer. Your brother, at his breaking point, asks loudly, “Why are you even here? You blew the Pierce deal. Fuck off.” Your father hisses something into your brother’s ear. He scoffs in response. “I’m sick of it, Dad. The three of us bust our asses to get this to go well for you and she gets to waltz in, do whatever the fuck she wants whenever the fuck she wants.” He quickly pushes back his chair from the table and makes his way out of the dining room.

Clearly, this is deeper than one stupid comment made at the dinner table. You throw a questioning glance at your sister. She gives a minute shake of her head. She doesn’t know.

Dramatically, your cousin follows your brother out. Roman is trying not to laugh, and all of a sudden, your father and Logan aren’t in the mood they were before.

You turn to Shiv, exasperated. She’s also stuffing a laugh down, and it’s contagious. “Is my juvenile family drama amusing to you?” you murmur to her questioningly, the soft clink of silverware and terse chatter filling the room.

“Yeah,” she says, nearly choking on a laugh. “This is so fucking stupid. How do you deal with it?”

“I never stay home.” You down the rest of the water in your glass.

“Hey, uh, Y/N,” Kendall begins, leaning towards you as you turn to face him. “I just wanted to say, I get how it feels.” He gestures vaguely around. “So if you want to, um, get some air after, I’d love to join you.”

You thank him sincerely, giving him a soft smile. Dessert finally comes out. You’re almost there. You turn back to Shiv, but she’s conversing with whoever’s on her other side, to your disappointment. You eat your cheesecake in silence, Roman catching your eye and giving you a wink. You didn’t know people actually did that, but he pulled it off nicely, you think.

When your father finally gets up, ushering everyone into the sitting room for drinks and chatter, you heave a sigh of relief. You trail behind the crowd, hoping to be able to slip away on your own.

You succeed. You sigh up at the high vaulted ceiling, padding towards the grand staircase up to your room.

“Hey, where’re you going?” comes a soft voice. You turn, Shiv, hurrying after you.

“Escaping,” you say jokingly, pausing on the stairs, letting her catch up to you.

“Can I come?”

“Yeah. You can.”

The sight of her sitting cross-legged on your bed does something to you. It sucks all the air from your body. But maybe that was just the sight of her.

"Your brother okay?" she asks, looking up at you.

"He'll be fine. Everyone's just a bit tense."

"Just so you know, your cousin's temper tantrum doesn't change anything."

"I'd hope it didn't."

"What would change things though," she tells you, "is whether you want to come on once we buy the company."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. I was serious when I was talking about how I need someone in my corner."

"What do you mean?"

"It's me. The company gets handed to me."

"Congratulations, Shiv. But really, I want nothing to do with it."

"I'd be running things. You'd just be my right hand woman. The very attractive right hand woman that I see every day."

You laugh, unable to suppress the grin splitting your face.

“My cousin’ll murder me,” you manage to say.

“So? Let her try. Not like you’ll go down or anything.” She smiles up at you. “I think that’s hot. You’re hot.”

Silence stretches between the two of you, both of you grinning at each other.

“You’re really pretty,” you breathe, believing she followed you for a reason.

“I’m glad you think so.” Her hands come to cup your jaw in the few instances it takes you to cross the room, slide onto your bed, and kiss her. “God, you’re so… so fucking gorgeous.”

“Yeah?” you ask against her lips, peppering gentle kisses onto them. “Stay the night.”

“I told everyone I went home,” she says, giggling.

Your hand flits to her hip, rubbing soothingly. Your kisses are slow, tender. You’re both enjoying yourselves. It feels so real. It feels like something more.

You slide off of her, off the bed, eliciting a whine from her pretty mouth. “Just locking the door, baby.”

You wake up, head buried in her chest. She’d borrowed some pajamas of yours, the shirt a soft cotton. Her breathing is light and airy, and it’s music to your ears. Her fingers are threaded in the hair at your scalp, her arm thrown over your back.

You drift in and out of consciousness until she wakes up, pressing kisses along your forehead. Shiv sits up, letting you stay settled in her lap. You press a hot kiss to her bare thigh, shorts hiked up her legs.

“You know,” she says, after a short while of silence, “Ken and Roman were drooling over you all night.”

You snort. “Were they?”

“I know them. They were. And here I am,” she says, satisfied with herself.

You let out an airy laugh. “Here you are.”

“I was drooling, too,” she admits.

“Can we stop talking about saliva?”

She pinches your ass, to which you don’t dignify with a reaction, instead smiling into her thigh. “I wanna keep seeing you.”

“I have to fly out to Italy for some work. Maybe I want you to come with me.”

“God, I love women.” Her hand cards through your hair. “Mind if I take a picture? I want to send it to my brothers.”

“Perv,” you mutter, but nod anyway. You smile at the camera from her thigh, pressing a searing kiss to the place where her leg meets her hip the moment she hits the button.

It captures her beautiful face in an ecstatic smile, yours in soft affection as you look up at her, not the camera.

[ghcstao3]

what about werewolf!ghost x vampire!soap 👀

hope you don’t mind me using the occasion to revive the rileys for an awkward family dinner

-

Being brought home to meet Ghost’s family is probably one of the more interesting moments of Soap’s (unbearably long) life.

And not only because he’s never properly dated someone as long as he has Ghost before—it’s also because said family isn’t human, and is more than aware of the fact that he drinks blood to keep himself alive.

So. Interesting is where he stands.

Soap is lured in with a false sense of security from two things—the first being Ghost’s insistence that his mother, brother, and sister-in-law are all nicer than him. The second being the warm smile Mrs. Riley offers him at the front door, entirely friendly and sincere, not like the brandishing of sharp canines that Ghost has flashed Soap with once or twice.

She’s pleasant to talk with, already siding with him when it comes to her son’s tendencies, and she even goes so far as to pour him a glass of pig’s blood she’d purchased just for the occasion. And being that it’s so nice, Soap doesn’t have the heart to tell her that he can only tolerate the stuff at best, especially now that he only ever takes from a specific source these days.

It’s through this lovely conversation with Ghost’s mum and the general sense of domesticity that has Soap believing that he shouldn’t encounter any problems when Beth and Tommy arrive.

But how wrong he was.

Beth at least tries to be polite, though Soap doesn’t miss the distasteful scrunch of her nose once she obviously catches scent of what Ghost so lovingly calls the wrongness of vampirism. Tommy, on the other hand, doesn’t so much as bother trying to hide his disdain.

(Thank God Soap finds out later that it’s mostly just the whole protective older brother act, but still. It hurts Soap’s feelings, just a bit.)

Dinner is absolutely stifling when all but Soap are eating what Ghost’s mum has made, all chatter dying off much too quickly in what little bouts Ghost, of all people, tries to initiate. Soap traces his finger around the rim of his barely-touched glass all while he tries to ignore Tommy’s pointed looks like Soap had done something to personally offend him.

Maybe he had.

“You’re sure about this, Simon?” Tommy eventually, finally asks after nothing but pressing silence. Though the question is asked to Soap’s left, he still feels golden eyes near identical to Ghost’s bearing down on him.

Ghost drops his fork onto his plate, his frustration palpable, emanating in waves. “Do you have to be such a prick, Tom?”

“Boys,” Mrs. Riley scolds from her end of the table. “We have a guest.”

“Yeah, and that guest’s a vampire, Mum,” Tommy spits, throwing out his hand in gesture to Soap. “He eats people.”

“Tom,” Beth hisses.

“Common misconception,” Soap mumbles. He feels all attention shift to him, as if they all remembered he was present—right, super-hearing. He clears his throat, raising his voice, “Only the… bad ones do that.”

“Besides,” Ghost is adding, and Soap is a little fearful of where he plans to take this, “he only feeds off me.”

A tense silence blankets the table. Soap wants to sink into the floor.

“…What?”

“It was my idea,” Ghost attempts to amend, but it’s already much too late. This is already a disaster, beyond disaster, and maybe Soap should’ve stuck to his guns about not meeting a family of werewolves as a vampire.

“Doesn’t matter, Simon!” Tommy exclaims his disbelief.

Ghost rolls his eyes. Soap had not at all imagined this to be where the night would lead. It’s what he desperately wished wouldn’t happen. Because he loves Ghost, and Ghost loves his family—so Soap had felt he needed to be in their good graces.

There goes that idea.

“I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t trust him, Tommy,” Ghost says slowly, challenging. “Is how I feel about him not good enough?”

This finally seems to stun Tommy into some form of submission. Soap doesn't miss Beth reaching out to flick Tommy's ear.

"S'pose it is," Tommy grumbles.

"Good." Ghost sits back in his chair, and resumes eating with a smug self-satisfaction poised in his broad shoulders.

There's a kick under the table delivered to Tommy, though Soap can't tell by who. He only knows its recipient by the muttered sorry, John, that follows.

Soap supposes he can be content with that for now. He gives Tommy a close-lipped smile, fearing that any show of fangs might provoke him.

All things considered, things could be worse. Even his military training wouldn't give him a considerable upper-hand against a natural-born werewolf.

He'll have to talk to Ghost about it later. Maybe when the werewolf is shifted, and Soap can dig cold fingers through thick fur. Then again another time, when Ghost can respond with more than huffs and whines and low growls.

They'll figure it out—they've already done it once before with just each other.

But they definitely have to smooth things over sooner rather than later, or else it's going to be real awkward when Soap finally gets the courage to pull out the ring that's been weighing his pocket down for little over a month, now.

It's fine. Everything will be fine. Soap can manage interesting.

[aealzx]

Letting the drape over the infirmary entrance drop closed to muffle some of the external noises, Don made his way to the kitchen to finally oblige Mikey’s demand to feed everyone. It was normal to have a commotion coming from the room, so he wasn’t surprised at the noise of boisterous chatter filtering out from the entrance. Especially since it looked like Casey and Mom April were there early, already seated at the table and asking questions.

“Actually, the Donnie is the feisty one.”

Don reached the kitchen entrance as Raphael responded to Casey’s comment, Raphael’s voice saturated with amusement at the fact. Don hadn’t caught what Casey said before, but it was easy to hear him now.

“What? You gotta be kidding. Don is the hot head in their family?” Casey gawked, looking over at Don in disbelief.

“Not a hot head, just aggressive. Kid totally bit through someone’s arm and broke the bone. It was awesome, if not for the fact it was some scientist treating him like a lab experiment,” Raphael corrected, folding his arms. If it weren’t for the situation Donnie and Lil Mikey had been in many of their feats would have been subject of quite the boastful conversation.

“You’re kidding!” Casey gawked again.

“Not even. We saw it on camera. He was completely restrained and then just chomped down on some lady’s arm and didn’t let go even though she punched him in the nose. It was impressive,” Mikey chimed in, semi miming some of the actions. “They’re both crazy strong. AND the Leo. He showed up a little while ago, and get this, the kid can teleport.”

“Okay I don’t believe that. They’re not superheroes Mikey,” Casey retorted, wrinkling his nose a little. Teleporting mutant turtles? That sounded like something that would be from the Justice Force, not the sewers of another world.

“‘Course they aren’t. Lil me said they’re actually super soldiers. Like Cap’n America and Winter Soldier. Sick, right? The lil guy can totally fling those giant mechas around like they’re baseballs,” Mikey countered, hopping up to lean across the table with a huge grin.

“Are they alright?” Mom April asked yet again as Casey took Mikey’s taunting bait and jumped up to tackle him. She was looking up from where she was helping Junior with some mash Mikey always had on hand these days, and seemed more concerned about the visiting groups’ health than their abilities.

Giving a bit of a sigh that was a mix between amused and exasperated, Raphael looked over to Don, gesturing a hand at him to answer. Maybe if the doctor of the house answered she would finally be reassured that the kids were going to be fine. “They’re alright,” Don assured confidently. “They’re all sleeping now, I don’t think they got much lately. But their wounds have been taken care of, and they seem comfortable. All four of them are here, and they even have their version of you with them too.”

“Me?” Mom April sputtered slightly, having not thought about the possibility. She was definitely more assured of their state now that Don gave her an answer along with the others, making room as he took a seat on the other side of Junior as her.

“Yeah, she’s nothing like you either,” Raphael laughed, rocking back on two chair legs after Leo chased Mikey and Casey out of the kitchen before they broke something.. “She’s a spunky lil gal. Fresh out of highschool it seems, and could probably crack my skull if she wanted to. I almost thought she was an alternate Angel instead.”

“It seems to run in the group. They’re all a lot more… brazen than I would expect. They don’t seem to have much discipline,” Leo commented, noting that many of the comments so far about their guests had been about how rambunctious they were.

“What makes you say that?” Mom April asked. She knew Leo had always been the one of the brothers that was more strict about discipline, following Master Splinter’s teachings the closest. But over the years he’d become less prone to associate an abundance of energy with lack of discipline.

“We fought their Leo a bit when he first came here – there was a misunderstanding that got cleared up – but his movements aren’t refined. It’s almost as though he was self taught,” Leo pointed out, having to quickly reassure Mom April that there hadn’t been too bad of a skirmish.

“You noticed it too, huh,” Don voiced his agreement. “We all had Master Splinter training us since we were kids, but Leon seems to only recently be getting some sort of structured tutelage for his martial arts.”

“He fights like he learned from watching movies,” Raphael huffed, amused at the thought. “It’s surprising he’s figured out how to make it work.”

“He does seem to learn fast though. I wonder what he would have done if you had actually shoved him off,” Don added, his mind wandering off to consider the possibilities.

“You let him catch you?” Leo’s incredulous voice snapped as he rounded on Raphael, a scolding lecture quickly rising.

“Duh,” Raphael snorted, narrowing his eyes at Leo and leaning away from him. “The kid’s a toothpick. You really think he could keep me pinned like that?”

The retort only served to rile Leo up more though, and he smacked his hands on the table to lean over Raph. “Oh, that’s great. So what was your plan if he actually slit your throa-”

The words were interrupted by a piece of chicken from Mikey’s stew smacking him in the side of the head. As both Raphael and Leo blinked in surprise they broke off their conversation to look towards the source of the launched food only to see Don giving them a pointed stare. He didn’t have to say anything. They’d had this lecture from him many times before. Walking them through their word choice barrier that only caused fights instead of helped. It caused Leo to shrink down in his usual embarrassed retreat as he forced himself to reanalyze his distress and word it in a way that Raphael would understand better.

“.............. You scared me,” Leo finally muttered, keeping his gaze elsewhere. “I thought…. I didn’t want to see you gushing blood from your neck.”

Oh. So that’s what it was. Like always Raphael didn’t see how the previous lecture connected to what Leo admitted, but he still understood by now that this was just the way Leo reacted. Blinking as the dots connected in his own brain, it was Raphael’s turn to shrink in mild sheepishness as he fully realized what could have happened. Sure, Don could have taken care of the injury if it had happened. But was it worth the mental and emotional distress he would have caused the others? “...My b-.... Sorry,” he responded, equally muttering and switching for words he knew Leo took to heart better. “I guess I was just more focused on getting the kid to stop moving and calm down.”

It made sense, and Leo let out a sigh as the tension from that fight finally eased away into his normal pool of anxiety over possibilities and not actualities. Letting himself droop forward a bit, Leo awkwardly knocked his forehead against Raphael’s shoulder to let him know he accepted the apology and reasoning. As Raphael raised a hand to roughly pat the back of Leo’s head, Don exchanged a soft chuckle with Mom April over the interaction while Master Splinter hid a smile with his teacup. With the bubbling argument abated, Don pulled them back to thoughts that had returned to his mind after one of Raphael’s comments

“Speaking of getting Leon calmed down,” Don spoke up, grabbing their attention. “I think Leon suffers from traumatic flashbacks.”

The sudden shift into a more sensitive topic caused the others in the room to still, and Leo quietly pulled a seat over to settle in. Raphael shifted uneasily, making an uncertain connection that he had to clarify. “...Like the waking dreams Leo sometimes had after Shredder’s men put him in a coma?” he asked, feeling a little bad for mentioning it when Leo fidgeted.

“Yes, but I think they’re worse,” Don answered, forgetting his half eaten meal in front of him for now as he started to explain his reasoning. “When he was attacking us it was calculated at first, but I noticed at some point something happened and he got… frantic. His attacks had more force behind them and were less structured. Almost like a panicked fight response to keep from freezing up. I thought it was weird at the time, but it wasn’t until he was with Lil Mikey that I had the thought he may have had a flashback. It was quiet, but I heard Lil Mikey asked Leon ‘are you here?’ And when I mentioned everyone’s concern about a secondary mutation I noticed he was using a grounding technique while April answered. Pressing his fingers into his arm to distract himself.”

The revelation caused an uncomfortable silence to fall over the room. But Don remained quiet as well to give them time with their thoughts. There was no rush anyway, they had time. 

“....... So… what? We can’t exactly ship him off to the Ancient One like we did with Leo,” Raphael was the first to speak up, having already run through his own thoughts and not finding an answer to why Don was bringing this all up.

Don had to give a bittersweet chuckle at the thought, and shook his head. “Nothing serious. I just wanted you guys to be aware of it. I know we don’t know them very well, so it’ll be a little hard to tell if he’s not acting like himself. But, if he suddenly gets violent again for no apparent reason I just want you to realize he probably doesn’t recognize it’s you.”

“.... Fair enough,” Leo agreed, still trying to figure out how he felt about the whole topic. He didn’t think the same ‘fix’ for his own issues would work with Leon. But he also didn’t think it was appropriate for them to ask why he was having flashbacks either. There was a question that bubbled up in his mind that he ended up asking though. “...Are any of the others affected as well?”

Don seemed mildly surprised at the question, and had to pause when Raphael voiced his own thoughts that had sprung up with the question. “Mikey said the scars on Donnie’s back were also from their version of Shredder. You don’t think it was caused by the same dude, do ya?”

It was an unexpected fact to hear, but Don just switched his surprised expression for a soft smile. “Not unless Shredder has been harassing them until just recently,” he admitted. “The scars on Donnie’s back are a few years old already. But the ones on the other three; the scars on Leon’s legs, the crack in Leon’s shell, the piece missing from Raph’s shell, his scarred eye, and the… rather odd burn scars on Lil Mikey’s arms are all only a few months old. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were from the same event… And I also wouldn’t be surprised if the others were similarly affected in their mentality. We’re already seen how protective they are of each other.”

Hearing that the scars the teens had were almost all fairly recent gave Raphael a bitter taste in his mouth. While one part of his mind argued that they had seen similar injuries when they were teens, the other part of his mind argued that it didn’t matter, they were still way too young to have to go through something like that. “...The little guy did deliberately avoid talking about his arms when I asked,” he commented, not sure if that was support for or against the possibility of Lil Mikey having trauma like Leon. And he ended up giving a frustrated sigh and rubbed his head. “Man, I feel like I’m gonna have to walk on eggshells around them now. So what? Am I not allowed to ask anything to them now?”

This time Master Splinter was the one who answered, setting his empty cup down and rising to walk over and place a hand on Raphael’s shoulder. “You have always been instinctually aware of the nuances of childrens’ emotions. Trust your instincts, don’t overthink it, and I’m sure you’ll be fine. And remember, an uncomfortable emotion is not necessarily one to be avoided,” he assured, giving Raphael a pat when Raphael’s shoulders relaxed and he gave Master Splinter a reassured smile.

Then Master Splinter turned to Leo, resting a hand on his shoulder as well. “And my advice for you is to have patience. Continue to allow them to come to you instead of you running to and chasing them, as you described to me before.” And then his gaze shifted to Don. “Donatello, be careful with your vast, and wonderful knowledge. Remember that the mind cannot often be treated overnight. Try not to overwhelm them.” Don hadn’t been expecting to be given his own warning. But after Master Splinter mentioned it, he realized that he very easily could have ended up stressing the kids out by unloading too much information on them to try to help. As he sheepishly scratched his cheek Master Splinter looked to Mom April as well. “For our dear April, I suggest giving them their space when they need it. Affection can sometimes be the perfect medicine, but from a stranger sometimes it can only serve to cause distress instead of comfort.”

“...Thanks Master Splinter,” Mom April responded, also appreciating the caution she hadn’t even considered she’d needed.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me I’m going to make sure those two hooligans haven’t destroyed any furniture or bones. There has been enough surgery for one night,” Master Splinter sighed slightly, giving Leo another pat before he shuffled out of the room, walking stick thumping against the tile.

The three sons chimed in with their own vocal gratitude and well wishes, and after Master Splinter was out of sight Raphael heaved a sigh and flopped onto the table. “Man. Thirty years and he still somehow has the best advice.”

“You said it,” Leo agreed, feeling a mix of relief and also chagrined by what felt like having his flaw called out before he’d even made a mistake.

“Mhmm,” Don chimed with a hum and a nod, returning to the rest of his dinner turned breakfast. “...Do we still have orange juice?”

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Huuuuaaaaagh why does time pass so freaking fast sometimes =<= I totally got caught up in 2 new projects |D that's why the longer delay this time. Wys got me into trying to make a doll of my OCs, and then I started designing a cosplay outfit to try out.....

Anyway 8'D enjoy a little 03 fam only section. Baby Jones having red hair was picked by Wys not knowing what she was choosing between red or black for X'D He's also wearing a dinosaur onsie, compliments of Don.