#Cool Blue Pet Carrier

[littlemissferret]

CHRONICLES OF HOUSECATS [ part 1 , part 2 ]

sypnosis: you finally manage an uninterrupted date with isagi

no prns used (reader). established relationship with (loser bf) isagi. 2.2k wc. cw: nothing(?). made them a lot tamer for this (less chaos). kaiser & ness still cats ofc.

Do you remember the feeling of awkward cringe, when you watch third-rate actors on screen put on an act so atrociously bad? The kind of feeling that forces your skin to crawl- a chill sent down your spine while simultaneously warm blood rushes to your face from second hand embarrassment?

“MEOWWWW MRREOWWWWWWWWW”

Yeah, you’re feeling a whole hell of that right now. God, he’s so embarrassing…

You pinch the bridge of your nose, breathing in much needed fresh air to cool down the horrendous headache your darling housecats are causing you right now.

“Enough, Mihya. I told you to save your little theatrics for the talent shows.” You lift up the blue cat carrier to chastise him.

Michael bats his eyes, staring up at you with the eyes of a pitiful, heartbroken widow.

“You’re not fooling anyone with that,” You deadpan at his attempt to win you over. “C’mon, it’s just a spa. You love getting pampered, don’t you? Well, they’re gonna give you lotsss of love and attention there.”

He furthers his meowing and whining at you, pretending he didn’t hear allat. Determined to not drop his act anytime soon.

Isagi walks next to you, this sweet boy has been trying to hold your hands when you were busy arguing with your rebellious cat.

He finally manages to grab onto your hand, a smile blossoming onto his face as he internally celebrates his success.

“Um, will it really be okay for us to just leave them at the spa?” He eyes the magenta cat carrier in his other hand. “I mean, we can do this another time.. It’s not that much of a hassle, really.”

You intertwine your fingers with his, and start swinging your held hands. “It’s fine. Really!” You turn to him with a smile, “I bring them to the spa every two to three months anyway. Mihya usually loves it! He’s just being whiny for attention right now.”

Ignoring the blond cat’s yowls of protests, you continue, “Besides, I’m looking forward to this date with you-” You glance down at the blue carrier, “-without them interrupting this time.”

On your previous romantic dates with Isagi, the two cats had stalked and caught up with you both. Causing a scene every single time, thanks to Michael’s dramatics and Alexis’ surprising animosity towards your sweet boyfriend.

You swear Alexis is usually a good, well-mannered kitty. He never had any problems with strangers. Maybe he just doesn’t like Yoichi’s smell? You oughta talk to him about showing up right after practice in his stinky sweat drenched jersey.

You hum, stepping into the doors of ‘Magic Whiskers Pet Spa & Hotel’. The bell chimes, alerting the workers and other pets in the building of your arrival.

It doesn’t take long until the old manager walks up to greet you. “Hello there, dearie! Michael and Alexis back for their appointment?”

“Hi, gramps. And yeah, the usual, thank you.” Placing the cat carriers onto the counter, you open the locks for them.

Michael huffs, strutting out and stretching his legs, then immediately basks in the old man’s praises at his big boy stretch.

Little bastard giving you the silent treatment.

Alexis walks up to you the moment he’s let out of the cage. Purring as he rubs his head at your waist. Finally, he thinks. Normally he’s comfortable with his carrier but god when Isagi is the one handling him does it make the experience a hundred times less enjoyable.

Oh well, at least he’s in his second favourite place now. Being in the magic themed store slash spa makes him the happiest feline alive.

Great memories were created here in this magical place, after all.

“Good boy, ‘Lexis. You watch over Michael for me, yeah? He’s being a petty prick.” You whisper to the cat. “I’ll stock up on your favourite kibbles when I come back later.”

You scratch at the spot behind his little flicky ears, sinking in his purrs as you stare at Michael’s overgrown blond fur.

“Hmm. You know what, old man? I think you can try something new with them this time.”

The cats stare up at you curiously and the manager only gives you a warm smile.

“I thought you’d never ask. Leave them to me!”

—

“Ahh, some peace and quiet..” You sigh in bliss as you hook your arm with Isagi. You’re both now walking leisurely on the sidewalk. “Soo, what’s the plan, Yoichi?”

Isagi blushes when you turn to look at him, “Ah, right.” He fumbles with his jacket, “Well, I didn’t plan an itinerary or anything. But..”

He lists off the places you both can visit together, rambling off. Occasionally stuttering and tripping over his own feet.

You admire his side profile as he continues his meandering. He’s such a cutie, still so awkward and shy this far into the relationship.

You wonder if you’d get to more sides of him as you both continue to spend more time together.

“-so i think it’s really worth a visit too. You wanna go?”

His dorky smile paired with a soft blush on the apple of his cheeks. How could anyone say no to that?

You’d go anywhere this man brings you to.

“Sure. Anything for you, pretty boy.”

—

The faint smell of clay envelopes the both of you as you step foot into the pottery studio.

“Hello, we booked a session under the name Isagi Yoichi.” You glance around the cozy studio, admiring the array of works displayed. The muted colours of each piece of art blend well in the modernly designed room, adding a spark of personality to the mundane aesthetic.

“Yes, of course. Over here, please.” The receptionist brings you two to your designated workshop.

You place a thumb to your chin as you stare at the unpainted pottery in front of you. You never really had any plans to paint on some clay. Now that you think about it, you jumped at any idea Isagi had suggested- and pottery painting just happened to sound the most romantic to your dear Yoichi right now.

Oh, well. Now that you’re here with him, might as well show-off whatever amount of talent you have for painting.

Yoichi’s hand finds yours, before he quickly releases it to wipe off the sweat that has collected onto his palm.

“Sorry! I- It’s too hot in here, aha..”

Help this poor guy. So many dates into the relationship and he can hardly tell if you’re as excited as he is. Is your heart beating as quick as his right now? Do you feel the immense urge to hold him the same way he wants to hold you?

You choose to reach out for him, intertwining your fingers with his.

“Are you nervous about pottery painting? I’m sure you’ll do great, ‘Ichi.”

Ah, that’s not.. Yoichi sweatdrops. You have trouble reading him too, it seems. At least now he feels better about being unable to read you.

A talent to be reckoned with, really. How you both have been with each other for years and still stuck in the awkward guessing stage whenever you go out together.

But weakass communication skills aside...

Uh oh. What if you think of him as a loser, one that is jittery at the notion of.. painting?

No way! He’ll save this, he thinks. Right, he was good at arts and crafts back when he was in school. He can woo you with his crazy painting skills!

With newfound confidence, Isagi picks up an unpainted mug. A blank canvas- for him to turn into one of his creative works, and sweep you off your feet. He picks up a brush, brainstorming ideas of what he can paint onto the mug.

You browse the options, settling on matching mugs with Yoichi’s. Sitting by his side, you dip your brush into the paint of your choice, and start to draw strokes of what you have in mind onto the delicate surface of the mug.

“Has your season come to an end? You’ve been more free lately,” You ask, just to start a conversation. “As in, you’ve been coming over a lot more.”

Isagi’s mouth forms an ‘o’, “Right. Yeah, it's my off-season right now.” He pauses to think, “I’ll be free until next month, I guess.”

You hum at his answer, “You still practice a lot, even on your holidays.”

“Ah, well. That’s just..” He blushes, feeling a bit shy that you’ve noticed his passionate attitude towards football.

“You don’t have to explain yourself,” You laugh at his embarrassment, “You love football. That much I know of.”

Isagi feels his heart flutter at that. God, you remind him of how much he loves you every time without fail. Doing so much to him while you haven’t even started on pampering him with kisses and sweet words.

He swears you’re perfect- just for him. You fit perfectly, providing all kinds of comfort and support that he never knew he needed. All on your own accord.

You love, care and recognize his dreams. What more could a man ask for?

The world's best lover for the world's best striker. (an overkill but he's delulu like that)

He swallows hard, wanting to let all the bottled up giddy feelings burst out and embrace you. He wants to make sure you know how much he loves and appreciates you.

Maybe he’s not the best with words. The peak of his creativity with verbal finesse is really just spitting flame on the field- something that he secretly hopes you’ll never get to witness.

Most he can do now is to paint what he loves the most- you, and his football of course, onto the mug.

With each delicate stroke of his brush, he carefully fills in the colours with love. Painting a simplified version of your general features, he then adds the football next to you. Ending the piece by tracing a giant frame of heart around both you and the ball.

He checks his work, scanning for any small mistakes then carefully writes ‘World’s #1 Striker’ onto the free space next to his painting.

He smirks proudly at that.

You send him a side-eye then chuckle at his satisfied look, touching up on the details and colours of your own piece of art.

Seems like you both share very similar sentiments in your paintings. You opt to paint what you love the most- your cats, with your lovely boyfriend in between.

Instead of acting up on your ego like him, though, you settled on painting mini hearts to fill out the free space.

Give it a week, and your mugs will be delivered back to you. The previously plain ceramics painted over with a sheen of love, reflecting the experience you both created and the bond you’ve both strengthened over the date.

—

“Meow”

Alexis runs up to you the moment you enter the door. Eagerly pawing up at your legs.

You notice his faded magenta is re-dyed, and his usual pressed down fur is now more fluffed up. The natural caramel brown is now more contrasting with the bright magenta.

“Hi, ‘Lexis. Did you have a good time?” You pick him up and start to kiss him all over his now very soft and fluffy fur. “I missed you too, baby. You look so pretty. Do you feel pretty?”

The now fluffier (re-dyed) magenta cat basks in your attention, lapping his tongue at your chin while purring happily.

The old man walks up to you with Michael strutting along next to him.

“I’ve given this one a whole makeover,” He muses, “Alexis was the one who chose that colour for him.”

Michael glances up at you proudly with his pretty blue eyes- now matching with the new dye he wears on his blond fur: on the top of his ears and the ends of his tail. His fur is noticeably shorter, and a little choppy around his head, framing his usual fluffy face.

It makes him look so silly, to be honest. But he’s so satisfied with it, you decide to not comment on the choppy part.

You do, however, comment on his new dye job.

“What a beautiful shade of blue,” You coo at him, giving into his attempt at flaunting for compliments. “Look at you, my little emperor. So royal.” His fluffy tail stands up high, and wags in approval.

Returning your attention to the old manager, you teasingly ask, “Were they on their best behaviour, old man?”

He chuckles and nods at the two cats now staring at him, “Yup. They’re good alright. I’d say they deserve some new toys and some premium kibbles.”

You smile, satisfied hearing his response. “Well, I did promise to restock Alexis’ favourite kibble.” You pick Michael up along with Alexis, then place them on the seat of a trolley nearby.

Turning to your idle boyfriend (who has been nervously eyeing a certain magenta cat), you ask, “Could you help me get the premium kibbles, ‘Ichi? I’ll bring these two around for them to pick their new toys.”

Isagi smiles crookedly, “Sure, honey.” He tries to shrug off the way the blond cat is narrowing his eyes at him, but mostly at the ominous smile the magenta one is sending him. “Take your time.”

He’ll just have to find a way to counter the two jealous kitties soon.

© littlemissferret 2024 ✦ do not repost, translate or modify .

a barking cat video made me write allat

- im ngl i feel kinda shy writing lovey dovey romance, u can tell its really stiff - probably will resort back to chaos dumping or maybe will try to put myself out there

[blossomwritesthings]

𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝? 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞. | 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬

part one of do you feel my hand? it is there. | part two | part three | part four | part five | part six | part seven | part eight | part nine | part ten | part eleven | part twelve

pairing: minho x fem!reader (afab)

genre: veterinarian!minho (this includes a few of the skz members working in his clinic). client!reader. hurt/comfort. angst. fluff. smut - MDNI, 18+ only. reader pov. strangers to lovers au. slowburn romance. lots of pining.

content & warnings: explicit & strong language. very thematic elements. minho is reader's vet. reader's childhood cat suddenly gets diagnosed with cancer, and she has to make a big decision about what to do. this fanfic includes heavy topics like: pet euthanasia, extreme loss/grief, depression, the problems with pet healthcare, and more. there will be some humor/fluff placed throughout, and also smut somewhere along the way. :))

word count: 7.1k

summary: dr. lee minho is known throughout your area as the city's hottest veterinarian, and he's also the very man that's been taking good care of your two cats for the past three years. but one day, you're thrown down a dark path of heartache when the cat that you've grown up with - nyx - is diagnosed with an acute form of bone cancer. burdened with the hardest decision of your entire life, you come at a crossroads of what to do. and throughout it all, minho is the single most person who continually stays by your side.

a/n: i decided to split this fic up into like, 3-4 separate chapters, since i felt like having 20.k+ words for a single 'long oneshot' was kindaa excessive lmao 😂 anyways, i'm excited for the future of this little series and what it's gonna look like exploring the relationship between minho and y/n~ 😉 also, for anyone that noticed, YES- i changed my entire tumblr theme after like, 4 months of having it be rainbow haha, so you might not recognize me on your dash with my new look. but yeah, this is the 'new me' for the next few months... i was feeling super inspired to do a muted levanter theme, since it's one of my fav albums/songs from skz haha so here we are!! ☺️

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ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ʀᴇᴘᴏsᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ sɪᴛᴇs (ᴛʜɪs ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅᴇs ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴs). ©ʙʟᴏssᴏᴍᴡʀɪᴛᴇsᴛʜɪɴɢs ⤐ ᴀʟʟ ʀɪɢʜᴛs ʀᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ

The clinic was incredibly busy as you stepped through the front doors. Looking around the medium-sized waiting room, you noticed how almost every single seat was taken up by a patient. Because apparently, the hot place to be on a Thursday morning was Starry Skies Veterinary Clinic. 

 You clutched on a little tighter to the carrier at your side, which held your cat Nyx just inside the bassinet. She was an American Shorthair, with a coat as black as midnight and big, ocean-blue eyes. Your parents had gifted you Nyx as a surprise for your sixth birthday, since you had been begging them for a cat all year long. And instantly, the two of you were inseparable. Nyx had been with you for almost every stage of your life - including grade/middle school, high school, and all of university. She was so incredibly affectionate towards everyone, but especially you. She loved curling up alongside you after you’d spent a long, hard day at work and would just cuddle into your skin for hours. 

 Nyx was your stability in everything - she was one of your only friends, even when you were surrounded by other adults your same age at work. And at the ripe age of twenty-four, you couldn’t imagine what your life would be like if she ever left your side.

 But, you weren’t naive, or stupid. 

 And you knew that at some point, Nyx would have to move on from your world and onto a better, and brighter future. 

 Which is why you decided to adopt a female Bengal cat after you graduated from university. Taffy had a brilliant orange-and-brown coat with light green eyes. And because she was so much younger than Nyx, she had a lot more energy. But even still, the two cats got along quite well, despite their huge age gap. Taffy was the troublemaker out of the two and liked to get into mischief with all kinds of things. 

 You took great pride in both of them and the relationship that you had with your two kitties, which is why you regularly took them to the local veterinarian clinic for routine checkups. Usually, you visited every six months, just to make sure that Taffy and Nyx were in perfect health.

 And it’s not like you were complaining about the visits to Starry Skies Veterinary Clinic. It was a beautiful and spacious place, with a friendly bunch of staff and an even better doctor. 

 Doctor Lee Minho had been the continual talk of the town since he had moved into the area three years before, and soon after he set up his practice - which was just a short walk from your quaint apartment - you started going to him for your cat’s regular check-ups. Dr. Lee was incredibly professional with all of his clients, and he had a true knack for animals… but especially, cats. That’s what he prided himself on - knowing the ins and outs of the feisty little beings... since he had three of his own. Some even said that he was a cat himself since he had similar mannerisms to the felines. 

 It also helped that he was insanely handsome. 

 Like, drop-dead gorgeous. 

 You weren’t a fool - you noticed how, every time you visited the clinic, most of the clients were women. And almost every time that you sat in the waiting room, you’d overhear women talking amongst themselves… about how they had dressed up for the occasion, and how Dr. Lee was way too cute for his good. 

 For the most part, all of the comments passed over your head. 

 After all, he was just a veterinarian. He wasn’t anything special… 

 He just took amazing care of the animals that visited his clinic. 

 And he seemed to adore your two cats. 

 And- 

 Perhaps he was kind of, sort of, attractive. 

 If a woman liked the silent, brooding, brown-haired types of guys- then yeah, he was fucking really hot. 

 But, you always tried to push those thoughts out of your mind each time they started to bubble up to the forefront of your mind. You didn’t want to ruin the professional doctor-client relationship that the two of you had been cultivating for over three years. He was an amazing veterinarian with a lot of skill and expertise, and you had a feeling that you taking advantage of your closeness with him, by forcing yourself onto him, would just turn him away. 

 After all, he was always professional and polite with you. Even if he seemed to give you a lot of smiles and laughs each time you had an appointment at the clinic. And even if he seemed overly affectionate with Nyx and Taffy. He was just doing his job, as that’s what was to be expected from a doctor like him. 

 And besides, a guy like him would never go for you. For starters, you had just recently found out that he was five years older than you, landing him at the mature age of twenty-nine. And older guys of that many years never went for you - never stooped that low. Plus, he was a successful doctor and a businessman with his clinic. Whereas you were a struggling woman who was fighting to make ends meet at her low-ranking corporate job. You sat in a small cubicle all day, typing away at a bright computer screen, and Dr. Lee sat in front of patients and animals, actually making a difference in others’ lives. 

 There was also the fact that you were borderline poor- since your job barely paid anything compared to the way that the economy was so expensive. You struggled to pay your bills monthly and lived from paycheck to paycheck. Meanwhile, Dr. Lee rolled up to the clinic in his dark-blue sports car and was always donned in all different kinds of designer dress shirts and slacks. 

 So, yeah, he’d never fall for you. Not in a million years. 

 “Y/N! Good to see you again!” You heard a bright voice call out to you, bringing you out of your daydreams of expensive cars and fancy clothes. 

 Your eyes flitted up to the person sitting behind the front check-in desk of the clinic. Chan, one of the two receptionists of the place, was looking up at you with a soft smile adorning his face. 

 “Oh- hi, Chan… I’m here for Nyx’s check-up.” You mimicked his smile, motioning with a tilt of your head to the carrier where Nyx was situated in. 

 You were on a first-name basis with the entire staff line of the clinic, as you had been visiting it for so many years. Everyone at the clinic was extremely nice, and all of the staff were Dr. Lee’s friends. Soon after you first visited the clinic, he told you about the story of how he had recruited some of his best friends to open the shop with him, and how the rest was history. Even still, you called everyone by their first name except for Dr. Lee - since you decided to keep it professional with him and always address him by his official title well into the beginning of your appointments at the clinic. 

 “Sure thing,” Chan began, tearing his gaze away from you and typing away at his computer. “I see here that Jisung jotted down your concerns for this visit’s file. Has anything changed since you called in a month ago?” 

 You moved your focus onto the carrier at your side, where you saw Nyx resting peacefully just inside it. She had long since gotten used to the clinic and was normally very calm whenever you visited the place. “Yeah, she’s been sleepier than usual, and like- she doesn’t want to eat the food that I’ve been giving her, even though I’ve changed the brand two times already.” 

 Chan’s eyes darted up to you, studying your face silently before they flitted over to the carrier that you had placed atop the counter at your side. “Okay, I’ll add all of that to the notes so that the doctor can take a look,” you noticed how his lips were pressed together in a grim line- like he didn’t like what you had just told him. “You can take a seat, and Yongbok will call you back when they’re ready for you guys.” 

 “Thanks, Chan,” you said, offering him a tiny, weak smile before you headed off to find one of the only available seats left in the waiting room. As soon as you got situated, you gingerly took Nyx out of her crate. She was warm and downy in your hands and purred quietly at the feel of you pressing her furry body against your chest. “It’s gonna be okay, girl, you’ll be alright…” You whispered to her, mouth nuzzling into her silky coat as you placed a gentle kiss against her head. 

 After you placed Nyx back in her crate, you spent the waiting time studying the people around you. Once again, it was mainly women’s faces that your eyes met as you scanned over the entire room. And there were all different types of pets everywhere, from dogs to cats to birds. 

 “Oh, and apparently, Jungmi’s friend saw him out on the streets late at night last week… like, all alone and stuff.” You heard the woman say beside you. She was sitting close to another woman, and their heads were bent at an angle as they gossiped together. “Some girl came out of this one cafe and was hanging all over him, but it didn't seem like he knew her that well.” 

 The other woman snorted lowly, “Well that bitch doesn’t matter, because I’m going to be sure to seduce him this time around. I mean, c’mon- who can resist this shirt?” At her insinuation, you realized that they were talking about Dr. Lee. 

 Even still, you felt the urge to peek over to your side and look at her attire, and when you did, you swallowed down the dryness in your throat. Because holy fuck- she looked like she was about to go to the club. Her shirt had a scoop neckline and was so low, more than half of her tits were hanging out of the loose fabric. It was tight and stretched over her bosom in an alluring kind of way, leaving little to the imagination. 

 Meanwhile, you were dressed in one of your old, baggy hoodies and a pair of loose-fitting denim jeans. Even though it was the beginning of spring, it was still quite chilly out early in the morning. And besides, you weren’t planning on going anywhere else after you visited the clinic, since you had taken the rest of the day off from work, so there was no use in dressing up. Not like you had any nice, sexy clothes like that to begin with, though. 

 In all actuality, you really couldn’t afford to take a day off of work. But, you felt like it was needed after the long week that you had had. After the long year you had had. 

 Suddenly feeling self-conscious while you sat next to Aphrodite herself, your fingers scrambled to yank down the arms of your hoodie as best as you could, trying to let the fabric swallow you up in your seat. 

 Just then, your name was called over the hustle and bustle of the waiting room, and you peered up to see a smiling Yongbok standing in the doorway that lead to the rest of the clinic - where the examining rooms were. 

 In a hurry, you scrambled to pick up your tote bag and hoisted Nyx in her carrier with one arm, following right behind the young vet tech as he lead you through the back rooms of the clinic. The hallway was buzzing with movement, as the other Tech’s, Seungmin and Hyunjin, helped vet assistant Changbin calm down a barking German Shepherd so that they could usher him onto a weighing station that was positioned in a corner of the hallway. Dr. Lee was nowhere to be found… yet. 

 “I haven’t seen you in a while,” Yongbok started, as he motioned to an examining room just off to the right side for you to walk in. You took a seat in the chair that was positioned next to the desk - where the doctor always sat. “Since Hyunjin is almost always the one who first greets you.” The younger man with light blonde hair and big, expressive eyes sighed in an exaggerated kind of way, which forced a quiet giggle out of you. 

 “He’s a good tech though… Taffy especially likes him, I think.” You started, your mind already trailing off to what your younger cat might be doing while being left home alone in your apartment. No doubt tearing into the bag of chips that you had accidentally left atop the kitchen counter. 

 “Mhm- how is she, by the way? I feel like you haven’t brought her in in a while,” Yongbok said, as he slipped on a pair of blue latex gloves. You dragged your eyes away from his form and instead concentrated on unzipping the carrier in your arms, slowly drawing out a lethargic Nyx. 

 “Taffy is good, just being her usual rambunctious self,” you laughed softly, shaking your head as the affection for your other cat took over your thoughts. “She’s definitely very different from my Nyx here, that’s for sure…” 

 Yongok wheeled his chair over to you then, gently taking your old cat from your hands and hoisting her up onto the examination table that was nearby. “I saw in the files that she’s been having problems with eating?” He started, voice growing serious as he began his study of your cat. 

 You nodded slowly, swallowing over the nervous lump that had begun to form in your throat as soon as he placed Nyx on the paper-lined table. You felt your heart beating wildly against your ribcage, and you watched in silence as Yongbok turned Nyx around to thoroughly examine her. “Yeah, and she hasn’t been wanting to play with Taffy either, even though she used to love to.” 

 “How long has this been going on?” 

 “About… four months now?” 

 Yongbok turned to you then, leveling you with a deep frown, “And you’re only bringing her in now?” His tone wasn’t accusatory, but was more on the perplexed side of things, as all of the staff at Starry Skies Veterinary Clinic knew how much you loved your cats and how you adored taking care of them. 

 You shifted uncomfortably in your seat, hating the way that he seemed to question why you hadn’t taken care of Nyx’s symptoms earlier. “I-I didn’t have the money for this appointment until just recently, so that’s why I'm only bringing her in now.” 

 Your gaze snagged on Yongbok’s face, and the way that it instantly melted at your confession... brows furrowing and mouth pressing into a velvety line. The entire clinic must’ve known about your financial situation by now - about how you could barely afford food for yourself, let alone the bills from the clinic - since more oftentimes than not, you’d ask for a grace period from paying for the visits. 

 “I’m sorry, Y/N. I wasn’t trying to insinuate that you’re in the wrong here,” he began, but his slight frown only seemed to deepen as he spoke the words, “It’s just that- these symptoms shouldn’t be ignored for that long.” 

 At that, your heart started beating frantically inside your chest. Your focus landed on Nyx, who was now resting atop the table, with her eyes closed peacefully. “W-What? What do you mean by that? Is something wrong-”

 Yongbok reached over then, giving your shoulder a delicate pat. ��I can’t confirm anything myself, but I’m going to take Nyx back to the X-Ray rooms to examine her better. Then, I’ll give the data to Dr. Lee and he can examine the diagnosis.” He gingerly scooped up Nyx into his arms, pressing her against his chest. 

 “O-Okay, but-” You began, but were soon cut off by the way that Yongbok gave you a slight, reassuring smile. 

 “Don’t worry about it, Y/N. I’m sure Nyx is just fine.” Is the last thing he said, before he was quickly filing out of the room with your cat in his hold, leaving you all alone. 

 And as soon as he shut the door closed, you were a nervous wreck. Your knees bounced up and down, hands turning clammy and breath falling out in shaky gasps as your mind raced a mile a minute with countless thoughts. 

 Would Nyx be okay? 

 Was she sick? 

 What was so wrong with her? 

 The wait time to see the doctor usually wasn’t that long, but this time - this time, it felt different. 

 It felt like each minute stretched out before you in an endless cycle, sending you down a deep and deeper spiral of anguish as you tried to wrack your brain around the entire situation.

 When finally, there was a gentle knock on the door. 

 You had been holding your head in either of your hands, but upon hearing footsteps against the linoleum floors, you peered up to see Dr. Lee closing the door behind him. He was dressed in his usual garb - dress slacks, a simple white button-down, and his white doctor's coat. 

 Dr. Lee was silent, as he wheeled his chair over to you. And only then did you notice that Nyx was missing. That he wasn’t carrying her in his arms- like he usually did when he brought her back from the closed examination room. 

 And you knew the moment that he sat down, that something was wrong. 

 Because usually, when his eyes caught yours as he walked through the examining room’s door, his entire face would light up with one of those brilliant smiles that women gushed over. Usually, he’d be the first one to crack a stupid joke - whether it was something lame about the weather outside, or about the crazy animal that he just had an encounter with before seeing you. 

 But this time? 

 No, this time it was very different. 

 His proud shoulders were slumped low, cheekbones dark with shadows, and plump, red lips pressed together in a firm line. 

 He clenched and unclenched his jaw once, 

 twice, 

 three times.

 Then, and only then, did his eyes meet yours. 

 And they said all you needed to know. 

 Just by the way that his dark, chestnut-brown pupils danced with a myriad of emotions; apprehension, fear, compassion, but most of all… sadness. 

 “What is it?” 

 The words flowed from your lips before you even knew what you were asking, and almost immediately, you were sitting up a little straighter in your chair. 

 Spine going rigid, fists growing tight at your sides. 

 Something swam, cool and deep, inside of you.

 Chilling you to the bone, with tense unease.  

 In the depths of your mind, you felt the pinprick of ominous heartache prodding at the fleshy part of your soul. 

 The part that was weak and emotional and so very tender all of the time. 

 “I’m so sorry.” 

 Was the first thing Dr. Lee said. 

 You already felt the tears flowing, unbidden and unchecked, warming your suddenly freezing cheeks, at the sound of ‘sorry’ leaving his mouth. Because he had never said such a thing to you before. And you never, ever, wanted to hear it come from him again. 

 “What’s wrong?” You prodded again, limbs growing a little shaky in your anxiety. Breath hitching in your chest agonizingly, you could physically feel your heart pushing against your ribs. 

 Aching, 

 Burning, 

 Already seeping with hurt, even though you didn’t quite know what was wrong just yet. 

 Dr. Lee ran a rough hand up and down his face, sighing into his palm, shaking his head once. Then, his fingers were running through his black locks, tugging at the roots just a tiny bit. 

 Almost like, this crushed him just as much as it was about to pain you. 

 “It’s about Nyx.” 

 Swallowing over the huge lump forming in your throat proved very difficult at that moment, but somehow - by some miracle - you did it. 

 Your tongue felt heavy inside of your mouth- like it was made of hard metal. 

 For a few beats, you couldn’t manage to form the right words, but when you did, you already felt the stability seeping out of you. Like you were a hot air balloon that had been poked with a sharp needle, with the scalding air and sanity flooding from you in a single breath. 

 “I’m sorry, Miss. Y/N, I-”

 “Just fucking say it, Dr. Lee!” You suddenly exclaimed, voice straining from your quiet sobs. The fat tears rolled down either of your cheeks, leaving angry wet trails in their wake. 

 He was silent after that, gaze running up and down the length of you slowly. Like you were one of his animals that he assessed daily - like he was testing out your strength and resolve. 

 Then, his eyes snapped back up to meet yours, and they melted into two puddles of grief. 

 “It seems as though Nyx is suffering from an acute form of bone cancer.” 

 And just like, your heart completely stopped. 

 Each breath you took felt garbled and all wrong. 

 Your shaky legs and arms wobbled all around you.  

 The floor crumbled underneath your feet, 

 Breaking, cracking, shattering irrevocably. 

 And in that moment, you wished for nothing more but for it to open up completely, and swallow you whole. 

 Please, 

 Oh, fuck, please- 

 Just swallow me already. 

 Because anything, 

Anything, 

 Would be better than this newfound hell. 

 “No- no, you’re lying.” You said in a low, gravelly voice. You were clutching onto the arms of your chair, holding on for dear life. Like if you squeezed hard enough, you would be able to wake up and all of this would just fade away into a bad dream. 

 “Miss. Y/N, I’m so sorry but-” Dr. Lee started in a calm tone, but his face read everything but calm - as his brows wrinkled with concern and his brown eyes were alight with a certain kind of sadness. 

 “This is a bad dream, it has to be a bad dream,” you cut him off, violently shaking your head from side to side in your disbelief. If you just pinched yourself, maybe then you’d wake up from such a hell. So that’s exactly what you did. 

 Grabbing one of your arms, you frantically pinched at the skin there. 

 Again, 

 And again, 

 And again. 

 The tears blurred your vision so much that it was hard to see what was in front of you - hard to notice the angry red mark that started to bloom out across your flesh at your abuse. 

 Just then, two warm hands took hold of either of yours, fingers sliding between fingers, calloused palms squeezing your own.

 The dark-haired figure was kneeling in front of you then, still holding onto your hands. Your heart felt like it was breaking over and over just beneath your ribcage. With each breath that you took, a new piece of it shattered off to swim in the blood flowing through your veins. 

 “Those symptoms that Nyx has been having are all signs of an acute form of bone cancer, Miss. Y/N. And, they will get worse,” the man said, his low, familiar voice running across your ears and nudging at a tender, warm spot deep inside of you. 

 “B-But she’ll get better, right? You can heal her, right, doctor?” You asked, throat straining from all of the tears. Through your hazy vision, you clutched a little harder at his hands. 

 There was a pause of silence on his end after that, which only made you feel worse. 

 When he finally spoke again, it felt like your world merely crumbled further and further. “Yongbok told me about your… situation, and why you didn’t bring her in earlier. But, because of the wait time, the cancer has developed into an acute case. The only options for helping her at this stage are- amputation and chemotherapy.” 

 It felt like someone took a bucket of ice-cold water and doused your entire form as soon as his words registered in your mind. 

 Because if you hadn’t waited so long to get it checked out, 

 If you hadn’t put it off because you didn’t have the money, 

 If you didn’t have such a low-paying, shitty job,

 Then Nyx never would’ve gotten the cancer in the first place. 

 Instinctually, you ripped your hands out of Dr. Lee’s grasp. It was the first time you had ever had physical contact with him - and the feeling left you feeling both sick to your stomach and also sent anxious butterflies to erupt throughout your system. 

 “Oh fuck- it’s my fault,” you said in an incredulous tone, fingers digging into your scalp and tearing at your roots there. “If I hadn’t waited so long, she never would’ve gotten this and she wouldn’t be-”

 You felt a heavy hand land atop one of your shoulders, nimble fingers pressing into your skin just slightly. Enough to help ground you back to reality. “I know it’s difficult right now, but I promise it’s going to be okay. You just have to take a few deep breaths and-”

 “Where is she?” You asked in a low voice, having the sudden urge to hold your baby in your arms. Maybe, if she just felt you, she’d be healed… “Where is my Nyx, Dr. Lee?” 

 But you didn’t even wait for him to reply, as you tore away from his hold and hurried to the door, grabbing Nyx’s carrier on the way out. Faintly, you registered Dr. Lee calling out to you from behind, but you paid no mind to it and instead ran through the hallway just outside of the examination room.

 “Nyx!” You called out, tone turning desperate. You raced down the hallway, sneakers hitting the concrete at your feet. “Nyx!” The tears clouded your vision, so it was hard to see where you going. But even still, you glimpsed Hyunjin coming out from a room in the back of the clinic, with a black mass of fur laying in his arms. 

 You cried out in relief at the sight of her, and in an instant, you were running forward and scooping her up and into your grasp. Pressing your face into her warm body, you cuddled her close. 

 “Y/N-” Hyunjin began, sympathy heavy in his tone. You felt his eyes travel across your face as you looked down at your sickly cat, with fat tears falling down your cheeks and a rapidly-beating heart. 

 “Let’s go home, my sweet girl…” You whispered so that only Nyx could hear you. And you couldn’t help but notice how light she felt in your arms - she hadn’t had much of an appetite in the last few months, and it pained you so much to know that you hadn’t realized it until it was too late. 

 Then you were turning away from Hyunjin, not even giving him any attention, as you rushed through the hallway and pressed onwards to the front desk area. Faintly, you could hear people calling out your name from somewhere in the back of the clinic. 

 But you couldn’t concentrate on any of that. All you could think of was your beautiful cat, who was peacefully sleeping in your arms. “Just a little bit longer, Nyx, we’re almost home…” 

 The rest of the week passed by in a blur of heartache and tears, as you battled with yourself and your mind to try and come to terms with what was happening. 

 With what you were going to lose. 

 It was hard to focus on anything else besides the impending doom that seemed to be right on your doorstep. You were slacking off at your work, which caused your boss to ream you out the next Monday morning. But you couldn’t help it - every time you tried to think about anything else besides Nyx, and losing her, the stormy feelings just came back tenfold. 

 You had found yourself holed up in your office’s bathroom stalls on more than one occasion already, and by the time it hit a week since you had visited the clinic, it felt like all of the tears had been completely drained from your body. 

 Every time you looked at her, you wanted to cry. You wanted to, but your body just wouldn't let you. So instead, you took to staying up late into the night and researching remedies to alleviate the pain of cancer - because truly, you hadn’t gotten a solid five hours of sleep since the diagnosis. 

 After two weeks, you had tried all of the solutions that you could find online - that ranged from implementing natural, whole foods into Nyx’s diet to rubbing lavender oil all over her limbs to try and soothe the pain from standing. Seeing her slowly start to deteriorate in front of your very eyes was possibly the worst part about it all - and how she’d whine and cry while walking around the house. Even Taffy could sense that something was wrong when her friend no longer had the energy to play with her anymore. 

 Throughout all of it, you avoided the phone calls. And they could be from only one ID - since you didn’t have any friends or family members who cared enough about you to call three times a day. Starry Skies Veterinary Clinic called you without fail, and they were adamant about getting in contact. No doubt Chan was on the other line the whole time, trying to talk some sense into you. 

 But you just couldn’t do it - couldn’t bring yourself to walk through those doors and face the dark road ahead that most-assuredly lead to death. Because you had already extensively researched the therapy for treating Nyx’s kind of cancer, and it was looking quite bleak. The procedures were so fucking expensive, it baffled you how anyone in their right mind could be able to afford such things. 

 Everything changed though, when on one Saturday night, you arrived home late from running errands and found Nyx sprawled out on your living room’s small, rickety couch. You scurried over to her side and shook her awake. But she wouldn’t open her eyes. And it seemed like she was hardly breathing. You called out to her again and again, startling Taffy of your presence. 

 When finally, Nyx awoke. After much pleading and crying, she opened her eyes lazily and stretched. 

 And so it was decided right then and there, that you’d go into the clinic that night. 

 You couldn’t afford to put it off any longer, and frankly, you had the feeling that Nyx couldn’t either. It was getting close to eight o’clock in the evening, and the clinic closed its doors for the weekend right at eight, so you made quick haste out of your dingy hell-hole-of-an-apartment. 

 When you arrived at Starry Skies Veterinary Clinic, the entire place was dark. You peeked through the windows and noticed the empty waiting room. “No, no- no…” You muttered to yourself, checking the time on your phone and reading that it was a little past eight. 

 You quickly looked around the street, noticing how most of the shops were already closed up for the weekend. Feeling the panic rising inside of you, you began to furiously knock on the glass door of the clinic. If someone was back there, maybe you could get ahold of Dr. Lee and- 

 “Miss. Y/N?” You heard a friendly, faint voice say from somewhere to your side. Turning around to the sound of it, you came face-to-face with Dr. Lee himself. He had his doctor’s coat off and was dressed in his usual work clothes of slacks and a dress shirt. “What are you-”

 You pressed your hands against your chest, trying to calm your heart that was painfully beating against your ribcage. “Dr. Lee- please, it’s… it’s Nyx.” 

 His brown eyes flashed across the length of your form, the fading sunset coloring his skin in an orange and pink kind of glow. “Come inside, it’s too cold out to be standing around like this.” He said, already moving to unlock the front door of the clinic. After all, it was early spring and the nights tended to grow on the cooler side of things once the sun dipped below the horizon.

 “Okay, thanks,” you whispered, following behind him as the two of you shifted through the clinic. Dr. Lee made his way over to a cluster of chairs in the corner of the waiting room.  

 “Please, sit.” He pointed to the nearest chair and waited for you to get situated before taking the seat just beside you. “So, tell me what’s going on.” 

 And suddenly, you realized the gravity of the situation. You realized that it was just the two of you - Dr. Lee and you - sitting inside the clinic, alone. There weren’t any other clients around, there wasn’t Chan or Jeongin, or Yongbok. And all at once, it felt rather… intimate. 

 You squirmed in your seat, your shaking hands beginning to play with the worn hemline of your oversized hoodie. Taking a deep breath, you gathered up all of your courage and leveled your gaze on the nearby front desk that was placed in the center of the large waiting room. “Well, I-I got home today from running some errands, and I found Nyx lying on my couch. But it didn’t seem like she was napping like she normally does… and she, she wouldn’t wake up. I kept trying and trying and-” Your words came out all rushed and garbled, as the tears began to crest over your eyes and you felt your cheeks heating with the flush of emotion. 

 “Hey- hey, it’s okay… don’t push yourself, yeah?” Dr. Lee’s smooth voice did something to the broken part inside of you - caused something to stir and yet settle at the same time. “That must’ve been a very scary experience for you, so it’s understandable that you would be shaken up about it.” 

 And just like that, the guilt piled on even higher. 

 Because Dr. Lee had always been incredibly nice to you and your cats. He had always been there for you guys, through the ups and downs of life, and you felt so horrible for ignoring the clinic’s calls. Because you knew that the team at Starry Skies Veterinary Clinic only wanted the very best for you and your cats… and especially, Dr. Lee. 

 “I’m so sorry for ignoring the clinic’s calls,” you suddenly blurted out, feeling the blush rise and pool in your ears at the feeling of Dr. Lee’s gaze landing on you - assessing your nervous state. Your thumbs continued to fiddle with the fabric at your waist, pulling and pulling. “I-I just didn’t know what to do, and I didn’t want to face the issue. But, I now realize how stupid that was- how stupid I’ve been about this whole thing-” 

 “Don’t ever say that again, Y/N. You’re not stupid, and Nyx having cancer isn’t your fault. This was something that was inevitable and nothing you could do was going to stop it.” Dr. Lee cut through your words. You tried to comprehend what he was saying, but instead, your brain was only repeating the same phrase over and over again. 

 Y/N, 

 Y/N- 

 Y/N. 

 He had used your name, without putting ‘miss’ before it. He had never done such a thing in the past. He had always kept things professional and addressed you by your proper title - just like you had done for him. 

 But all at once, you realized that perhaps you didn’t mind it at all. And perhaps, his dropping the honorifics wasn’t so bad. 

“Still, I’m sorry for not answering the calls,” you said, shaking your head slowly in defeat. You were desperately trying to battle the furious blush that was slinking up your neck at the way that he had said your name. It sounded so perfect and beautiful on his tongue, like- 

 “I was the one making all of those calls, and I can assure you that I didn’t take your silence to heart. I understand what you’re going through right now because I’ve experienced something similar in the past with one of my passed cats.” 

 At that, your eyes tore away from the front desk and landed on Dr. Lee. Your gazes locked, and inside his chestnut-brown eyes, you found so many different emotions there… compassion and gentleness. There was a certain kind of faded light there, as you stared at him. 

 “I… I didn’t know. I just assumed that it was Chan or Jisung…” 

 Dr. Lee shrugged his proud shoulders nonchalantly, like him calling you three times a day to try and work out a treatment plan for Nyx wasn’t that big of a deal. 

 When in actuality, 

 No one in your entire life had ever tried so frantically to get ahold of you. 

 And the fact that it was him- behind the phone, waiting for you to pick up, hearing your voicemail click on every time the dial failed… just made you feel even worse. 

“But that’s all in the past now, so don’t worry about it anymore,” Dr. Lee began, waving a hand in the air to seemingly try and clear your thoughts away. You watched in silence, then, as his hand slid away from his lap and hovered over yours. In a single beat, his fingers were threading through yours, palm against palm. And his hand was so incredibly warm and familiar. “Now, let’s instead focus on Nyx’s treatment, yeah? The sooner we can give her the help she needs, the better.” 

 For a few seconds, the thoughts of your dying childhood best friend had vanished from your mind and were instead replaced with the feeling of Dr. Lee’s hand holding yours and the way that his tongue formed your name, and the way he smelled - sitting so close to you - of warm chamomile and sweet cookies. 

 Immediately, at the mention of Nyx, you felt the tears prick at the corners of your eyes once more. “I-I don’t have the money.” 

 Silence filled the space around the two of you after that, and you felt Dr. Lee’s gaze studying your form, as you squeezed your eyes shut in embarrassment. “You mean for her treatment?” 

 “Y-Yeah… I, I don’t make that much. I can barely afford her and Taffy’s regular bills as it is. But, having to pay for the cancer treatment on top of everything else? I-I just don’t think I can manage that.” 

 You felt Dr. Lee shift in his seat beside you, making your eyes spring open as you watched the pained expression cast over his entire face. It darkened his cheekbones, shooting a look of pity through his eyes. 

 “The treatment is really expensive, I’m afraid.” 

 The hiccups started then, as the tears traced down your cheeks faster. Your entire body shook with the cries, “This is why I didn’t want to come here again… I didn’t want to hear the news that nothing else could be done except- except that.” 

 It was like the fucking jumbo-sized elephant in the room… 

 The fact that- the only other solution to Nyx’s cancer would be to put her down. 

 To euthanize her. 

 Gone, forever. 

 Just like that. 

 And even though you weren’t naïve enough to think that your cat would live forever, saying goodbye to her in such a way just felt downright… cruel, after everything that the two of you had been through together. But... what other choice did you have? It's not like anyone else was going to pay for the expensive treatment, and your insurance sure as hell didn't cover pet fees. And on top of all that, you couldn't expect Dr. Lee to drop his prices exponentially just for your specific case. That'd just be downright cruel to his other customers that paid the exact amount. 

“I’m afraid you’re right,” Dr. Lee’s words cut through your stormy thoughts. A sharp pain coursed through your broken heart, as you were forced to come to terms with the problem at hand. “If you can’t afford the treatment, then the only other alternative is… euthanasia.”

 You found yourself clutching onto his hand desperately, squeezing his fingers to death between yours, as you peered up at him through glassy eyes. “P-Please… just… just tell me you’ll do it. Because I-I don’t think I can handle it if-” Your voice seized in your chest at the thought of some stranger doing such a thing to your precious Nyx. It was already going to be extremely hard for you, but the thought of some other vet doing it just ripped your heart in two even more. 

 “We offer ethical euthanasia here, so, of course, I’ll do it,” Dr. Lee clutched a little harder on your hand, and the way that his warm, slender digits felt against yours did something to calm a rattling part inside of you. “Do you feel my hand? It is there, Y/N. And it will continue to be there throughout this entire process.” 

 The breath caught in your throat, forming a large lump there, as your eyes widened his way. Because there it was again, him calling you by your first name… with no ‘miss’ in front of it. 

 “T-Thank you… so much. I seriously don’t know what I’d do right now if it wasn’t for you and this wonderful clinic and all of the amazing staff here…” Your voice trailed off, as you felt the warmth of a flush creeping up into your cheeks. 

 “Yeah, well, that’s what we’re here for… to give as much support as we can to our clients.” Dr. Lee’s tone came out soft and quiet, it ghosted over the shell of your ear like an angel’s sweet whisper. 

 “I like it.” 

 You heard Dr. Lee take in a sharp breath at your disjointed words, but before he could ask the meaning behind them, you were talking again. 

 “You calling me by my first name, I mean… I like it, a lot, Dr. Lee.” Your eyes found him in the dim lighting of the room, and for a split second, you could’ve sworn that you saw… something flash deep in those chestnut-brown pupils. 

 But then all at once, it vanished, and he was giving you an easy smile, pearly white teeth on display. And pink, rosebud lips tugging up- wait, why were you thinking about his mouth? 

“Me too,” he said in that delicate way of his, just as he squeezed your palm once more, “I really like it… Y/N.” 

To be continued...

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©ʙʟᴏssᴏᴍᴡʀɪᴛᴇsᴛʜɪɴɢs⤐ ᴀʟʟ ʀɪɢʜᴛs ʀᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ

[chilling-seavey]

Winter Warmers: Day 22 — Presents

↳ Summary: Your little family is due for another addition

↳ Word Count: 925

↳ Winter Warmers Prompt List | The Way It Goes Masterlist

It wasn’t unknown that George was a dog person; he had spoken about it in interviews, listed them as his favourite animal in Grill the Grid episodes, and often would stop on walks to ask to pet a stranger’s dog. Getting a dog was always something he pushed to the back burner though: he had to focus on his career first, then he had to focus on his relationship with you, and then you started having a family and finding a balance between all three was a bit of a task in itself. There was just never a right time. George was sure it was going to happen eventually, and soon the time came where the two of you were discussing getting a pet. 

And then your daughter—at the ripe age of five—discovered cats. Everything became cats. Her bed was covered in cat stuffed animals, her kindergarten backpack had cartoon cats on it, every game of pretend involved cats, and on the daily she begged for a real kitten of her very own. There was no escaping it. George tried to get her to like dogs just as much but she was having none of it. It was cats or bust. He even took her to a cat café and everything just to see if she could get it out of her system but it ended with her emotionally attaching herself to one of the cats and begging and begging and begging to take it home with them.

There was no way he could justify getting a dog now…not until her obsession cooled off a bit or he would be deemed as public enemy #1 in his beloved daughter’s eyes. So, honestly, George wasn’t quite sure how it happened; ending up standing beside you in the pet store in front of the wall of kittens while the employee was talking to you both about a few of the best choices for a family with young kids. You asked all the right questions but George was hardly paying attention. He leaned in towards one of the kennels where a little grey kitten was peering up at him with big blue eyes. They stared at each other. 

George reached out a finger towards the glass and the kitten tried to jump at his finger to play but bonked her head off the glass and toppled backwards. George’s soft laugh had you glancing over at him. 

“Did you find one?” you asked him with a small knowing smile. 

George straightened up, looking between you and the employee, “Oh, no…I don’t think.”

“She’s a good option too.” the employee told you, smiling at the excitable kitten who was still trying to play with George no matter how many times she ran into the glass. “Very playful which would be good for young kids.”

“I think she’s a good option.” you then looked to George for his opinion. 

He sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets, eyes lingering on the little kitten in the kennel who stared right back at him. He really did just want a dog…but the thought of your daughter’s reaction when getting a real cat for Christmas outweighed his personal disappointment. Finally, he nodded, and looked back at you, “Yeah, this one’s a good option.”

Keeping the kitten a surprise until Christmas was work and a half. George somehow managed to get his parents to agree to keep an eye on her until Christmas Eve, a week later, when he came by to pick her up. With you at home with the unsuspecting and fast asleep kids, George drove 30 minutes with the kitten in the passenger seat meowing her little lungs out wanting to escape her carrier. He had to admit…despite the noise, she was very cute. 

The kitten stayed in your room during the night and into the morning, waiting as your little family opened presents downstairs in the living room. Finally, when it was time, your children were sat on the couch for their last Christmas gift while George went upstairs to get it. They were nearly vibrating with excitement at the concept that they had a special gift that wasn’t even under the tree. With George upstairs, you cleared off the coffee table free of empty mugs and scrapped wrapping paper and gifts to give him a place to set the box when he returned. 

Soon, the children were faced with a sizable box wrapped in festive paper, too young and excited to even notice the little holes poked in the side. 

“Be gentle.” you told them as they started to rip open the paper like little maniacs.

Your son opened the top flaps of the cardboard box and the two of them peeked inside. One glance at the little grey kitten inside and your daughter was screaming.

“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” she shrieked, nearly throwing herself over the side of the box to grab the kitten. “It’s a kitty!”

“Gentle!” you and George warned at the same time with matching grins at the excitement of your children. 

“Is it for us?!” your son asked, his eyes wide with awe as his little sister scooped up the tiny grey kitten.

You smiled lightly, “Yes, it’s for you. Well, for our family.”

“I love it! Thank you, thank you!” your daughter shouted excitedly, holding up the squirmy kitten in her little hands, the biggest grin on her face, “You’re the best Mommy and Daddy ever!”

And suddenly, from that moment on, George swore he was a cat person all along.

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[babiepupp]

Hi there! Do you take requests? If you do

Could I get a fic for a caregiver Neuvilette and sensitive/timid Agere/Petre reader (Sometimes I pet regress into an otter :) specifically the leisurely otter you see in genshin, I age regress as well). when I regress I’m a lot more sensitive to rejection and other things people say :) For another detail, my age regression range is *usually* 1-5

I hope that’s not too much! ~ Kindly, the @jellyfish-nursery

I absolutely adore this request! This was super fun to make! I hope you enjoy ^-^ ✩ also I apologise if it’s on the slightly shorter side!

⋆୨୧˚ My, aren’t you charming? ˚୨୧⋆

Caregiver Neuvilette x Timid Otter regressor reader!

Neuvilette had always found you.. quite adorable, the way you’d cling to a felt shell whenever you could, protecting it with your life. The way you’d make yourself a den made out of anything you could find, blankets, sticks.. Neuvilette’s belongings even. Neuvilette had always found it amusing, a gentle smile always gracing his features whenever you would slip into that headspace.

Today had felt rather special, you had both had breakfast together, walked around the hustle and bustle of Fontaine for a while, stocking up on baby powder and some yummy snacks. Once he had noticed that you had begun to slip into your pet headspace, he chuckled, ruffling your hair and gently moving you out the way of the busy crowd.

“Come along, petite loutre. I thought we could go swimming today if that’s something you would like? I have brought along your swimming gear should you wish to do so.” He spoke gently, his cane tapping against the floor as he walked with you, his other hand gently holding onto your own- he wouldn’t want to accidentally lose you after all.

His smile grew warmer when he saw you nod, taking a turn to the right as he led you down to where the ocean lapped softly at the gray Fontanian stone. He smiled, swiftly getting into his own swimming attire before helping you get into yours, chuckling when you somehow ended up with your head in one of the arm-holes.

“Such a silly thing, allow me to help you.” He said endearingly, taking a step back once you had both finished. He snapped his fingers, his cane vanishing with a flurry of blue sparkles before he took your hand once again, leading you towards the shallows, wading into the crystalline blue waters. He chuckled softly as you adjusted to the coolness of the water, before hesitantly swimming around, not wanting to stray too far from Neuvilette.

He made sure to keep an eye on you, his arms open to hold you steady should you need it.

“You’re doing well, petite loutre- I’m right here if you need anything.” He encouraged, his voice as gentle as the waters of Fontaine, still.. tranquil. He hummed for a second before diving down, emerging a minute or so later holding a scalloped shell, it was rather beautiful- a gentle lavender, with just a tinge of pink, it was the colour of a beautiful sunset.

The water was lovely, not too cold, but not too warm- it was perfect for a sunny day like this! The hours passed quickly, the sun turning from a pale blue into a stunning mix of orange, purple and pink- quite like the shell Neuvilette had given you. With a gentle touch, Neuvilette lifted the little otter out of the water, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead.

“As much as I would love to swim with you for hours and hours, we need to get some dinner in that tummy of yours.” The Iudex chuckled, watching as you clung to him, your arms wrapping around his shoulders. You let out a squeak of protest but it only resulted in a pat on the head before Neuvilette began drying you off.

“Oh don’t look at me like that dear.. we can always come back tomorrow.” He said, putting the towel back into the carrier bag he had brought with him to carry the goods from earlier on before carrying you back up the riverbank.

“Tell you what, I’ll get you dinner of your choice tonight. Anything you’d like, I’ll get it for you.” He offered, chuckling as you perked up at the offer before nodding enthusiastically.

This otter was certainly adorable.. they made Neuvilette’s heart warm, they made him feel.. happy. And he’d do whatever it took to protect that fuzzy feeling.

[theoceanoasis]

I would love to see more Carrier Peceptor looking after baby Hot Rod!

"Come on!"

His sparkling pulled on his arm as he tried to run outside bouncing in excitement.

"Carrier hurry up."

He scooped his sparkling up and carried him outside where a race was taking place.

Sitting on the sidelines he let his sparkling jump around in excitement.

"Look it's Blurr."

He pointed at the blue speedster and Hot Rod waved yelling his name. Blurr looked over and waved back. Before focusing on the race ahead. Another speedster came over and his little one gasped in excitement.

"Hi Hot Rod."

"Drift!"

His sparkling jumped into his arms and gave him a big hug.

"I would think you'd be part of this race."

Drift shook his head pointing at his leg.

"Ratchet would have my aft."

He gave him a look and Drift looked sheepish.

"Sorry."

Hot Rod crawled over to his seat and clapped his hands as the race began.

Blurr immediately pushed ahead and stayed in the lead. Causing Hot Rod to cheer for his fellow wrecker. He grabbed him keeping him from falling when he stood up.

"Be careful."

Hot Rod didn't listen his optics focused on the race in front of him, spoiler fluttering in excitement. When the race ended Blurr walked over looking proud. Hot Rod jumped into his arms and Blurr pet his head.

"How's my favorite fan?"

"That was so cool. You were so fast they didn't even have a chance."

"Of course. I am the fastest Cybertronian alive."

"I don't know... I n a few more years Hot Rod might catch up to you."

Drift teased.

"Of course. I have struggled to beat him in a race before."

He rolled his optics knowing they were teasing. Although Hot Rod seemed happy.

His sparkling yawned his excitement catching up to him. He took his sparkling saying goodbye and went back to their room.

"Did you have fun?"

His sparkling nodded head pressed against his chest.

Rubbing his back he carried him to bed.

"Can I have a bedtime story?"

"Of course."

Perceptor kissed his forehead as the two of them snuggled together. He was happy they were on Earth. Although there was still a war going on it was a lot more peaceful and Hot Rod could finally be a sparkling.

[nexo-nex]

Been thinking about the EAH x Selfridges merch Mattel did around 2013... It's certainly something that existed. I never see people bring them up on here, so why not write a long post about it? A little thread below about this rather obscure collaboration:

The EAH x Selfridges was a rather limited time edition designer collaboration that was made for the Frieze Art Fair, which was held in London on October 15th 2013. They created a total of 8 exclusive items: 3 shirts, 4 bags and 1 doll.

Let's take a look at the shirts first. They made only 3 white shirts with Raven, Apple and the main core cast girls using watercolor paintings made by Princess Julia. They costed $30 each. More info about this can be found on Princess Julia's Blogspot.

(Apple and Maddie being mishmashed together on that 3rd shirt is kinda cursed ngl)

There were also carrier bags with these same paintings that were given away around the time of the event.

There was also these bags. According to the little info available about it, they costed around $250 each, and were made by four different designers in the Selfridges team: Claire Barrow, Ashley Williams, Ryan Lo and Bobby Abley, which were all inspired by EAH characters:

The first one with the racoon bag was created by designer Ashley Williams inspired by... Apple White? This is what Williams said about the design choice:

"I was inspired by Apple White who is the daughter of Snow White," said Williams. "I thought it would be cute for her to have a woodland creature as her pet, so the handbag I've designed is in the shape of a raccoon as I thought its stripy tail would be cool in multicolour." Source: Vogue

The shattered mirror looking one is inspired by Raven Queen and was created by Claire Barrow, whom quoted:

"I've been inspired by the daughter of The Evil Queen in Snow White. I wanted to do something with a smashed mirror to show rebellion against her past and against the traditional norms of beauty."  Source: Vogue

We also got these three tea bags designed by Ryan Lo and who were inspired by Madeline Hatter (mostly based on her color pallete)

And last we have this bear-bag designed by Bobby Abley, and which it was inspired by Blondie Lockes.

(Personal opinion: I think it was a rather weird design choice to make this bag's colors red and white. Aside from the bear theme going on, It doesn't bear much resemblance to Blondie's design, I think it would have looked better if they gave it a Blue/Yellow scheme to it, but this is just my opinion lmao)

And last but not least, we also got this ""Blondie Lockes"" exclusive doll (let's be real that's not Blondie that's an Apple doll ffs) which was also made by Bobby Abley. According to the very first pic in the thread, the doll was sold for $120 (apparently).

(Also I've never seen anyone with this doll in their collection, it's so obscure that not even pictures of her doll box are available online, very interesting indeed).

Like I said before, there is not much information about this collaboration online, and I could not find any pictures or posts of people owning these merch, aside from the ones that were took in the aforementioned Frieze Art Fair, like the ones below:

Source: Wonderland Magazine

More pictures from the art fair, including the last two can be found on this link. (I didn't want to include all photos of the event cause it'll make the post even more longer than it already is oops)

Anyways! I think this was a really interesting collaboration, and I wanted more EAH fans to know about it, cause again I feel that it's not really brought up much (and I can see why, there's not much info about it online) I hope this thread was worth the read :)

[air-razor]

Oh fledgling of Mine

Air Razor had dreamed of it. The moment where she would pass this from Carrier, to Fledgling. From her own carrier to her, and now to her own fledgling femme. Tomorrow was the day she'd give her the necklace of her nest, and declare her the Flame of Eukaris- Her beautiful little fledgling- Her fussing had woken her up. So she had risen from berth, leaving her mate to rest. Collecting the chick from her incubator to hold her close. Walking with her slowly to try and hush her crying with love.

She carried the black and white bands of her sire, her dear little chick. It made Razor think fondly of the elegant colors of her own sire, who once carried a similar color. But her large optics were Air Razor, bright yellow, as was the little spark of fire and light in her beak as she cried. Her fussing lighting the ember in her little chest and spark. :: Wandering child of the earth Eukaris Do you know just how much you're worth? You have walked this path since your birth You were destined for more ::

She lifts her daughter fledgling into her arms. Nuzzling into her protofur, no feathers? Her Feathers and swaying with her slowly. Clicking her glossa against her denta. Her voice carries through the ornate nursery fledgling suite. :: There are those who'll tell you you're wrong They will try to to silence your song But right here is where you belong So don't search anymore :: She isn't sure what she is singing. But she sings as she paces ever so slowly. Petting down her solid softly feathered little wings. They flutter and flare as little talons clutch at her. She presses a kiss to the top of her little helm. :: You are the dawn of a new day that's waking A masterpiece still in the making The blue in an ocean of grey You are right where you need to be Poised to inspire and to succeed You'll look back and you'll realize one day :: Her tail feathers sway with her song. Her wings spread wide oh how they hurt why would they hurt? - as she dances carefully. Talons click on the concrete tile of the hab. The colors on the walls are the beautiful forest of- of -

:: In your eyes optics there is doubt As you try to figure it out But that's not what life is about So have faith there's a way:: The river running of course. The mist that rises in the day. The cool splash of it as she flies through it with joy. One day she would carry her into the mist on her back. She would know that joy, that delightful refreshing cool under the hot sun as the humans cheer what are humans? - And her dark black armor would shine under the sparkles... :: Though the world may try to define you It can't take the light that's inside you So don't you dare try to hide Let your fears fade away :: Her fledgling's Dark blue armor shifts under Razor's talons. She looks down, and a little lavender shaded femme with bright red optics chirps. Her dark claws cling as her little leathery tail sways. Her equally little helm rests over the metal on her breast. Little golden yellow optics starting to grow heavy. Her striped black and white tail curls around Air Razor's wrist. :: You are the dawn of a new day that's waking A masterpiece still in the making The blue in an ocean of grey You are right where you need to be Poised to inspire and to succeed You'll look back and you'll realize one day :: Air Razor slowly walks towards the swaying cradle under the pale silver moon outside the window. Laying the little fledgling in bronze and gold and white into the bassinet. Touching the little aching spot on the fussing fleglings wing. But the little beak clicks quietly. And the bright optics dim and shut. :: You are the dawn of a new day that's waking A masterpiece still in the making The blue in an ocean of grey You are right where you need to be Poised to inspire and to succeed Soon you'll finally find your own way ::

Her claws brush over the delicate helm, and draw the blanket over the now still form. A tear slips down her cheek, and her helm lifts, turning towards the moon- She blinks- And her optics look at the steel and concrete of the hangar. The moonlight streaming down over her helm from one of the high narrow windows above. She stays there, in her beast form with her wings tucked to her sides. She watches the moon, humming softly- And she does not think of dreams or bassinets or homes... And there is no one to see the tears that fall like ephemeral pearls over bronze metal feathers. Made beautiful by silver moon rays.

[tentacletournament]

Between them there is… silence.

Not the silence of a quieted battlefield, littered with gunmetal grey frames and fading sparklight blue in chassis torn asunder, but a silence of… what?

Acceptance? Peace? Companionship?

The last Soundwave is more or less acquainted with. He knows sparkdeep that the silence of mutual care and company is precious, something to be valued (and he knows, too, the silence in the absence of those you loved). But acceptance? And peace?

He had thought such notions beyond himself and the Decepticon cause, especially as their planet had gone cold- died- before his very optics. Yet, despite this, Soundwave lays in the hazy half-offline state of almost-recharge. His frame is cushioned and cooled by the Rot about him, curling about the living metal comprising him and cradling him with a gentleness he does not remember ever knowing.

It’s nice, he thinks, and what a wild thought that is? It’s nice- something is nice after all this time, after vorns spent in an endless war.

That in mind, however… Soundwave- and Laserbeak, safe, there, bond bright and lively- he feels a trepidation despite himself. He’s no care for ‘tradition’ and what would be ‘accepted’ but he was- still is, his sole Minicon reminds him- a carrier unit. Even if he can cope without a bonded spark, what if the Rot requires something similar? Something that, like how it bears no spark to be his Conjunx, Soundwave does not biologically possess?

He does not keen at the misery the thought inspires- it very hard to break the habit of not making a sound- but curls in on himself. The Rot, though it cannot comprehend the staticky fission of the Con’s field in his upset, coils all the tighter. It’s like a comforting squeeze and Soundwave, for the spark of him, cannot recall the last time someone had offered him comfort so physically (he can, his processor replays it to him without being asked, and his misery dips further at the reminder of Rumble and Frenzy).

As the Rot pets at the crown of his visor with the tentative and careful caress of purely biological tendrils, Soundwave spark settles some. They will cope- both of them- and find a way.

LOVE WINS AHAHAHAHAHAHA

IM SCREAMINGGGGG LOVE WINS

[artphage]

[imagine-this-fandom]

The Rescue: BNHA x Fem! Reader- Dusty Chinchilla

The rescue intro: here

You laughed as she led you back into the main section of the store, weaving through cages and various animal supplies. She quickly deposited her bunny into a glass enclosure before ducking out of view. She popped up a moment later as she scanned the cages in front of her for something specific. While she looked, you wandered the store. There were so many enclosures with fascinating animals in them. You had made your way to the rodent section when the fairly quiet chattering of the animals kicked up a notch accompanied by a high pitched barking noise. The tank that housed the seemingly angry animal was pushed towards the back, away from the other animals. You were a bit concerned about the noise and Inko's nonreaction to it, so you decided to check it out. Just in case there was something that needed to be dealt with.

You were quite surprised to find the animal that was making the noise was a Chinchilla. He was screaming across the aisle at what looked to be a black snake. He was looking directly at the tank across the way and making irritated barking noises, pressed against the glass. He was really cute, a kind of grey-blue color, and besides that, he was the fluffiest animal you had ever seen. But man could you tell he was angry about something.

You knelt in front of the glass, shivering lightly as the thin material of your work pants did little to shield you as your knees met the cold tile of the floor. A small smile tugged on the corner of your lips as you observed him. The animal was quick to notice you, his curiously red eyes zeroing in on you as he went dead silent. You pouted and tilted your head as you looked him over.

"Aww, did I interrupt your tantrum?"

Your teasing words were met with silence for a beat before the rodent's little hands found their way to his neck, scratching in an aggravated way that immediately made you wince.

"aww, no honey, don't do that. That can't be good for you." You sprang up and waved Inko over, concerned about the little animal.

Inko pulled her phone away from her ear for a beat to acknowledge you before hurriedly hanging up and heading your way.

"what's wrong dear?"

You gestured to the angry chinchilla with distress.

"He's so stressed out! Is there anything we can do for him?"

Inko bit her lip, staring at the animal with pity but also a fair amount of annoyance.

"Tomura does that. I could get him a cone in order to stop, but he'll work himself into a tizzy trying to get it off. Not to mention he hates being handled. Come, I'll take you to see the other pets."

You paused as she began to walk away, leaving him just not sitting well with you. Glancing back at the angry creature, you couldn't help the wave of concerned curiosity that swept over you.

"If I walk away now, is there much hope someone will take him?"

Inko looked back at you, wringing her hands nervously as she thought it over.

"He's temperamental. It would be difficult to place him."

A beat of silence passed as you pondered her words.

"I'll take him." As you said the words, you saw the Chinchilla stop scratching from your peripheral vision.

Inko grimaced before taking a deep breath and offering you a gentle smile.

"You have a lot of compassion. I should have known you'd be interested in our more troubled pets. Let me make a call and get you some supplies. It's the least I can do.  I'll be right back."

As she turned to find the supplies you'd need, you focused back on the tank.

Tomura, as Inko had called him, was watching you with an intensity that made you fidget in place a little.  His tiny hands had stopped their scratching and were frozen against his neck. He didn't move until you stepped closer to the tank, eyes now level with him as red met (e/c).

"Hey little guy, everything's going to be alright now. I'm busting you out of this joint!"

He was scowling. You didn't know rodents could scowl, but that's definitely the vibe you were picking up from him.

Tomura was confused, absolutely seething, but also confused. Not only was he trapped in this ridiculous body, but now he was being treated like a common animal, a pet to be owned! This was nowhere near what his sensei had planned for him and he couldn't enact his plans in this form. It was utterly infuriating. He decided he would do whatever was in his power to make you regret taking pity on him. How dare you make fun of him! Were you actually trying to play hero with him. think you could save him from being left behind? How naive.

While he was throwing a mental temper tantrum, you were watching with amusement. His anger couldn't help but be a little funny to you, especially now that he wasn't scratching anymore. What did a Chinchilla have to be angry about?  You wanted to reach in and reassure him, but you had a good feeling he'd bite you if you put your hand anywhere near him. You'd have to work your way up to that in time.

"Don't be too upset, I'll make sure to take good care of you. Also, you won't have to fight with that snake again! He'll be far away."

Tomura seemed to pause to think about your words. He supposed that at least one good thing would come from this arrangement. The ability to talk to the other humans affected by the quirk that had caused the animal mishap was both a blessing and a curse. Dabi taunted him constantly, taking immense pleasure from his annoyance. While some of the heroes had attempted conversations, he was quick to shut them down. However, that didn't stop the thin golden retriever from checking on him daily, which he'd be glad to be away from. Perhaps he could find a way to escape once he was out of the store? Maybe this ordeal could be a good thing. This train of thought calmed him considerably.

All too quickly for Shigaraki's liking, Mrs. Midoriya was back with a cage and several supplies as well as a carrier. Your eyes widened at the wagon she had loaded for you. Chinchillas needed quite a few things to keep them healthy, you noted. You would have to do some research before bed. You narrowed your eyes in concentration as Inko went to get Shigaraki, wanting to copy her method so you didn't hurt him accidentally.

The kind shopkeeper was surprised when the usually volatile rodent stayed calm and still as she moved him from the tank to a carrier. Once the door was securely shut, she offered the wagon to you. This worried her slightly, but her quick call with Nezu assured her that things would work out.

"There you go, dear. This should be everything you need for now. Hopefully, he doesn't give you much trouble. He's an angry little rascal, but I'm sure he just needs a little extra love and care. I think you're up to the challenge."

You nodded excitedly and cradled the carrier close to your chest, briefly peeking in to smile at your new pet.

"Are you sure you can give me all this? How much do I owe you?" You were struck with sudden concern. All these supplies must be expensive.

Inko simply laughed and waived your concerns.

"It's alright. On the house. It's the least we can do considering you're taking care of Tomura for us."

You nodded and adjusted your grip, shielding the carrier with your coat as you exited the store. It wasn't until you were half a block away that you realized she had said we.

You decided it wasn't a thought worth exploring right now, especially because you had to get Tomura somewhere warm soon. He did have the fluffiest fur you'd ever seen, but you wouldn't wish this cold on anyone. You hugged his carrier to your chest, stubbornly plodding on, wagon handle cold in your other hand. You quickly regretted rushing out without gloves that morning.

Any complaints died on your tongue when your apartment building came into view. Excitement was the main emotion filling you when you remembered that the heater would be on when you entered. When the door slid open, you gave a sigh of relief as a wave of warm air hugged you. Pulling the wagon inside, you shut the door and carefully placed the carrier on the coffee table. You shed your jacket and sat criss-cross on the floor, elbows resting on the table and chin in your hands as you gazed into the carrier.

"Sorry about the bumpy ride, but we're home now. I'll get your cage set up in a jiffy! I want to get you settled so you can relax. No more anxious scratching, okay?"

Tomura simply narrowed his eyes at you from the corner of the carrier where he had retreated when he felt the cage level out. He didn't care what you did, so long as he would be left alone. He had plans to make in order to escape, and that meant you needed to leave him alone.

Tilting your head, you smiled and blew him a kiss before hopping up to paw through the supplies you had been given. The wagon was well stocked. A box rested at the bottom that held all the pieces you needed for the cage. Also included was a bag of timothy hay, pellets, bedding, some treats, food and water bowls, and exercise wheel, a little structure for him to hide in, wood and mineral chews, a bag of dust, a cool little bowl for the dust bath, and a variety of toys that you hoped he enjoyed. It looked like Mrs. Midoriya had really thought of everything!

You focused on setting up, humming to yourself as you worked. Cycling through a variety of video game themes, you jumped as you heard the door rattling on the carrier. You turned back to look just as Tomura retreated further into the cage. Apparently, he had gotten closer to the door and accidentally jostled it in the process.

"I'll be done with your cage soon, dusty boy. Then you can stretch your legs to your heart's content."

He watched you get back to work, not realizing that it was the humming that had drawn his attention. Tomura didn't have a high opinion of most people, but he liked video games. And apparently so did you. His opinion of you had risen. Not by much, but a tiny bit.

Once the cage was done, you were faced with the difficult task of transferring your new pet into it. Hopefully, he would be as calm getting taken out of the carrier as he was being put into it. As luck would have it, it was as easy as putting the entrance of the cage against the opening of the carrier with both doors open. It didn't take long for Shigaraki to scurry inside and hide in the little structure that was there specifically for that purpose.

After shutting the cage, you allowed yourself to stretch. Rolling your neck yielded quiet cracks as the tension of the day caught up to you. You gave the cage a tired smile before standing.

"Sleep well Tomura. Tomorrow is a new day."

With that, you turned off the light and retreated to your bedroom. Once you finished your nightly routine, you settled into bed. For a while, you thought about how best to care for Tomura. He would be difficult to get to open up, but you were determined to love him and make him feel cared for. The anger he carried might be from a past owner, and you were determined to help him. Consumed by a fluffy comforter and assortment of pillows, you let sleep carry you away from consciousness.

~~~~~ The first few weeks were frustrating for all involved. It was definitely a learning curve when it came to caring for Shigaraki. He was antisocial at best and antagonistic at worst. Not to mention he was too smart for his own good in your opinion. He was quick to figure out the doors on the cage, despite his lack of opposable thumbs. This led to quite a few frantic searches on your part. To his dismay though, doors and windows were absolutely beyond his capabilities in this form. That is the predicament he was currently facing when you found him in the morning when you had been getting ready for work.

"Tomu! What on Earth are you doing on the window sill! You're going to get hurt, silly boy!"

Swooping in, you deftly lifted his squirming body into your arms. You gave him a peck on the forehead and he froze. He was never sure how to respond to your affection, so he simply malfunctioned. Error 417, Tenko.exe is unable to meet the requirements for this emotion. You giggled at his reaction and peppered his soft little head with more kisses before carefully placing him back in his cage. Once he was back inside, he put as much distance between the two of you as he was allowed before furiously scratching at his neck with agitation.

You pouted in distress, far from happy about his reaction. You were giving him lots of attention, but it was a slow process to get him to trust you, still the freeze-ups were better than him outright pulling away.

"Tomu, stop that. That's not good for you! You're going to hurt yourself."

His little paws twitched but slowed. Your voice distracted him simply because of the tone you were using. The habit didn't seem to annoy or disgust you as others would often say. Instead, your voice was filled with distress, as if the thought of harm coming to him hurt you as well. This was not a sentiment Shigaraki was used to in the slightest, nor did he know what to do with it.

It took him some time to notice you had left for work. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed your departure. He was unnerved to discover this bothered him. He wasn't sure why, but he had grown used to your overly affectionate presence. It was infuriating, but he was more content when you were around. Having someone to interact with who purposefully sought him out was nice, even if he told himself it was annoying. The door to the cage slid open with practiced ease. He was irritated by his own reaction, but he didn't want to think about what that meant. The best course of action in his mind was to find a distraction.

As a human, he found himself drawn to video games. He was quite put out to discover your lack of gaming supplies, especially after all the tunes he heard from you that were popular games he enjoyed. Still,  considering his minuscule form, there was no way he could have indulged anyway, controllers are made for human-sized hands after all. Wandering the apartment, he allowed himself to take in your decorations. This was the first time he had escaped from the cage without the intent to find a way to escape the apartment. Now he was able to take everything in without distraction. You had few decorations, almost as if you were scared to make the place your own. He had experienced that many times when he shuffled from hideout to hideout. Not that he had many possessions of his own anyway, his most prized possession was his computer, as it was his escape. Sensei allowed for his gaming habit, purely because of the strategy it taught. For Tomura, it was less of a strategic play than it was a chance to be someone else. Someone people trusted and would treat with respect. The more noticeable and stronger he was in the virtual world, the more people paid him attention. No one would ignore him then.

He shook himself out of his thoughts, continuing to explore. Once he reached your room, he let out a disgusted sound. Of course, you were a hero supporter. He was tempted to see if he could reach the Allmight poster on your wall so he could shred it to pieces. Unfortunately, it was too high of a goal, so he contented himself with chewing a hole in your Allmight hoodie instead when he found it unattended in the livingroom.

That was how you found him when you came back from work. The long day had clearly worn you down. Your hair was messy from where you had run your fingers through it too many times. Hanging your jacket by the door, you placed a small package on the counter before collapsing onto the sofa next to him. Pausing in his attempt to massacre the article of clothing, he was surprised to see you hadn't noticed him. Your eyes were closed and you were clearly exhausted. A groan of weariness and pain escaped from your lips before you finally turned your attention to him. The look on your face was supposed to make him feel smug. Instead, he felt something akin to pain, a raw sort of scraping feeling in the pit of his stomach that made him feel smaller than he'd ever been. He hated it. He never wanted to see that expression on you again if it made him feel like this.

"Tomu, how could you... That's one of my favorites. " Your tone was quiet and disappointed like you wanted to be angry but just didn't have the energy. You took the hoodie from him and pulled him into your lap, setting the jacket aside. It surprised both of you when he let it happen. There was something about you today that he despised. This isn't how you usually acted. You were supposed to be mad! You were supposed to scold him and then make a joke about not knowing what to do with him. He didn't like your quiet, it wasn't you and it wasn't right. His paws rose to his neck as his confused thoughts roared.

A choked sort of whimper came from your chest, all the stress from your day and the concern for him coming together in one pitiful noise. He froze at the sound. Your fingers carefully gripped his paws and moved them away from his neck.

"You stop that. Everything's alright, you're safe here and I won't let anything hurt you, even if it's you. "

To say you had a bad day was an understatement. The cafe had been severely understaffed and you were worked ragged. Most of the customers were not understanding and having worked another hard shift the day before, you were at the end of your rope. When you had finally been allowed to leave for the night, you had been exhausted and dead on your feet. Stopping at a bakery on the way home, you allowed yourself a small indulgence in the form of a single cupcake.  On your way to the apartment, you had almost been involved in a quirk incident by some thief nearby. All this and when you finally were able to get home and relax, your pet had put a pretty noticeable hole in your favorite hoodie. It was one of the first things you had purchased for yourself since you had moved to Japan so it was incredibly important to you. You nearly cried when you saw the damage that had been done. You wanted to scream and rant, but looking down at Tomura, you knew you couldn't be upset with him, not really. He was acting out becuase you weren't home. You were fairly sure he had some separation anxiety. Any anger or hard scolding would do more harm than good. Instead, you focused on what you could do to help him instead. Poor thing was obviously stressed about something. Maybe he could learn from this and not act out to get your attention.

After you were sure he was done scratching, you put his paws down. He was calmer, but you still wanted to be sure he was okay. You carefully ran your fingers through his fur, offering what comfort you could through your touch. He let himself get lost in the sensation, the yelling in his mind quieting to whispers. You were singing now, words washing over him as your voice lilted, a distraction for you as much as for him. He vaguely recognized the tune from a videogame but didn't let his thoughts linger on it, rather enjoying the soft quiet that had come over him.

It was a slow realization, one that took quite some time to get through his thick skull, but that night Tomura realized that he didn't hate you. Far from it. He had grown fond of you without realizing it. He didn't like when you were upset, especially when he was the cause. If he could stop you from ever looking so sad and tired and pained, he would do it in a heartbeat. He told himself it was because your face made him feel strange, but he never stopped to wonder why he was upset that you were upset. Still, this was the start of something that would only grow over the time spent together.

You fell asleep on the couch that night, comforted by the soft fur under your fingertips and the repetitive motion that came with petting him. The stress of the day piled up on your shoulders and the weight buried you so much that gentle waves of exhaustion flooded your mind. Sleep overtook you with little hesitation.

The next day, you awoke with a crick in your neck and pleasant warmth in your lap.  Looking down at Tomura, you couldn't help the fond smile that insisted it makes itself known on your face. He had never willingly let you hold him until last night. And he had stayed. That spoke volumes about how he felt. Your fingers carefully caressed the top of his head as those pretty red eyes slowly opened.  

"Good morning, my sweet dusty boy. Did you sleep alright?"

Shigaraki knew he should get up, but he pushed those thoughts aside. Sensei wasn't here right now to scold him, and he was tired. He could let himself rest in the lap of the pretty lady for just a little while longer and let you call him yours. You made him feel safe and cared for, something he craved. There was this foreign warmth in his chest that he had never had before. But oddly, he wasn't concerned about it. Perhaps it was a powerup he hadn't encountered before. His senses were dulled by the warmth and he didn't feel like moving, the sensation too pleasant to give up. Once your fingers found the fur on this head, his eyes quickly slipped shut again in bliss.

No one had ever done this for him. Physical touch was always some form of discipline, he didn't understand what others gained from it when it was displayed in his dating sim games. But now, he was hooked. Your fingers were so gentle, he didn't know humans could be so gentle. Idly he wondered what your fingers would feel like against his human skin. Would you still be this gentle? Would you still handle him like he was something precious?

would you be scared of him?

His eyes snapped open when he realized where he let his thoughts wander. He couldn't allow thoughts like that, sensei had drilled into him that thoughts like that were a weakness. But still... he burned to know the answers.

"What's got you so quiet, pretty boy?"

Humming, you stood, Tomura securely in your arms. As you headed to his cage, you noticed the box from the bakery you had abandoned on the counter. Switching directions you carefully placed him on the island.

"Want to know a secret?"

The chinchilla curiously smelled the air, whiskers twitching as he smelled the sweet treat you had opened. You gave him a conspiratorial smile before sticking a single candle into the dessert and lighting it.

"It was my birthday yesterday. The first one I've spent alone. Well, you're here, so I guess it wasn't actually spent alone. Thanks for being here for me when no one else was."

Shigaraki felt that scraping feeling in his stomach again. Birthdays weren't things he considered important, but in games, they were treated like great occasions. He had upset you on a day you were supposed to be happiest. This didn't sit well with him, but your words.... they were important. He was here for you. He liked the sound of that.

"Thanks for yesterday, Tomu. I know you don't like being handled, but you let me pet you. I kind of needed that after the day I had. Even though you put a hole in my hoodie, I'm still so so grateful to have you."

Your smile was one of the loveliest things he had ever seen. The warmth from earlier was back and fiercer than ever, overcoming the bitter feeling from before. Even with all the stupid and mean things he had done while under your care, you refused to hate him. In fact, it seems you did the opposite. These thoughts rested heavily on his mind but he let them settle, not wanting to disturb the growing warmth that only you had ever triggered.

Singing softly to yourself, you wished yourself a happy birthday and blew out the candle. Shigaraki took a mental screenshot of that moment, where your smile made all the stress fade away and you were simply happy to be there with him.

~~~~~

Since your birthday, you were pleased to find your little dusty gremlin was warming up to you. It had started slow. He was aloof tentative with you before he softened again. Now he let you hold him all the time and even actively searched you out. Spending time with him was easy and coming home to him was the highlight of your day. Long shifts at your stupid job were going to be the death of you, but it was worth it for those moments spent with Tomura. You had taken to talking with him as if he could actually understand you. Lying on the floor or the couch, you would tell him about your day, absently petting him as dreams and trials alike spilled from your lips. Sometimes, he even gave you reactions that were so human that you had to stop and point it out with a giggle. He hated when you called him cute, but he didn't get all snippy like when you had first gotten him. Now it was just a little annoyed huff and he was back to listening intently. You treasured this time with him and he seemed to look forward to it too, even when you talked about heroes and how much you looked up to them.

~~~~

You had long since given up trying to keep Shigaraki in his cage. The doors were now left open so he could roam as he pleased. He waited for you in the living room, excited to see you after a long day. He had noticed you had been working more hours recently and always came home tired. The way your eyes lit up when you would enter the room and see him made that pleasant warmth glow brighter.  He had given up denying it at this point. The only logical explanation was that he cared about you. Without his noticing, you had raised his affection points, and now... He was hooked. He would do anything for you to make you happy. Sensei would call it a weakness, but Tomura saw it as strength. Adding you to his party as his second in command, his player 2, would benefit both of you. Still, he wasn't human anymore, something he was becoming more and more bitter about as days passed.

He perked up from his thoughts at the sound of your key in the lock at the door. It was late, he noticed. How rude of you to keep him waiting for so long. Crossing the room quickly, he waited impatiently for the smile you always greeted him with. Unfortunately, it was absent as you trudged inside. One of your coworkers told the boss you would cover her shift without confirming it with you first. This led to a frantic text in the morning saying you were late. Because of this, you had gotten chewed out at work because of course, he believed your coworker over you.

You were too wrapped up in your thoughts to even offer Tomura a greeting as you trudged past him. You made sure he had fresh food and water in his cage before throwing yourself on the couch, not having the energy to make it to your room.

Shigaraki quickly scurried over, face set in annoyance by your attitude. He wondered what on Earth had happened to make you ignore him. Going through a mental checklist, he was positive it wasn't something that he had done, so it must have been something that happened while you were out.

Your gaze found his as he peeked over the seat of the couch at you and the tears you had been holding back started to slip. His ears flattened in alarm. Tears? Were you hurt? Hopping up onto the couch beside you, he nosed around your torso, looking for the source of pain. Your arms found his body and you gently curled yourself around him for comfort.

"I don't know what I'm going to do, Tomu. They fired me today."

He stiffened at your words. Even he could see the stress you put on yourself to keep your stupid job. You had no support from family, lived alone, and worked to make sure he was taken care of. You couldn't afford to lose your source of income. It pained him that he could do nothing to help.  Instead of wiping your tears away like he longed to do, he nuzzled against you, a reminder that he was there and you weren't alone, he wasn't going anywhere. Emotions were confusing, and while he still didn't know how to react, he knew that sometimes you had just had to get all the emotions out before anything could get better.

"I'll make sure you're taken care of Tomu. I promise I won't let anything happen to you."

Your breathing slowed gradually after your declaration, energy all but gone as you surrendered to sleep. Shigaraki was in awe of you nonetheless. All this time, you were upset about the possibility of losing him. He was important to you and that mattered to him.

He carefully freed himself from your grip to attempt to drag a blanket over you. Hopping onto the floor, he looked back at your sleeping face. His heart ached to see the dried tear tracks on your face, but he was pleased to see you looked more peacefull now. The warmth he usually felt around you seemed to grow in strength, normally a warm glow, it was turning into an inferno that spread out from his chest. The sensation of liquid fire filling his veins was vaguely uncomfortable and was accompanied by a tinging that turned to pinpricks of static. When he felt like he couldn't take the feeling anymore, it disappeared with a barely heard pop sound.  His limbs felt heavy and as the disorientation faded, he came to an important realization. He was human again. He quickly brought his hands up to his face, he winced at the dry texture under his eyes and the stinging pain that came with the smile that formed. He was back to normal.

A sudden light distracted him from his thoughts.. Your phone lit up with a message displayed on an Allmight lock screen that made him roll his eyes.  He was careful to keep his pinky up as he grabbed your phone from where it  had fallen on the floor. The message displayed was one that set his teeth on edge.

'You left some of your things in the office. You have until tomorrow at 4 to get them or I throw them away. And make sure you have someone cover your shift for tomorrow. Just because you're fired, doesn't mean you get to screw us with your shifts. '

Few things made Tomura as angry as the message from your exboss did. How dare they treat you as if you had inconveinienced them by being fired! His player 2 was levels above this, this slime. How dare he talk to you like that? White hot anger filled his veins as emotions overpowered him. His fingers twitched as he resisted the urge to scratch his neck. He decided what his first quest should be with his body back.

He didn't notice your wide eyes peering at his back from your spot on the couch. You had noticed his warmth leave you earlier and watched his transformation with stunned shock. You quickly snapped your eyes shut when he started to turn back to you, coaching your expression into one of false sleep.  A blanket was carefully tucked around you. His fingers ghosted over your cheek, gently brushing the hair from your face with a featherlight touch. You only allowed yourself to open your eyes again when you heard your bedroom door shut. Your pet... He was a man. Not only that, but he was a famous villain. You could barely process this. Your gaze jumped up when he exited your room, donning your largest pair of sweatpants and a black tank top that rode high on his hips. He grabbed the closest jacket, the allmight hoodie you were so fond of, and he slipped out the front door.

There was no way you were letting him get away so easily. He was going to get himself caught out there! You grabbed your phone and hurriedly put on shoes before following him as quickly as you could. It was a miracle you were able to keep up. The man may be skinny and barefoot, but man did he have long legs. It took a while to notice, but you were surprised to see the route was quite familiar to you. Originally, you had thought he'd be headed to a hide out, but instead he led you to your workplace.

Shigaraki looked up at the cafe with distaste. You had worked here a given your all, yet they somehow had the audacity to fire you. It appeared he was right on time. The owner was exiting the building, having finished closing for the night. A dark grin spread over Tomura's face as he closed in on the man, hand extended with full intent to dust the man who had caused his player 2 to be upset. What he wasn't expecting was a hug from behind, effictively halting him from moving forward. He glanced down with irritation before grabbing a wrist from the interlocked hands around his waist. Whoever dared to stop him was a very unlucky soul. He dragged them into an allyway out of sight and whipped around to face them. He froze almost comically when he saw you staring back at him with anxious eyes.

"(y/n)? What are you doing here? " He pulled away from you as if he had been stung, fingers leaving your skin with lightning speed. He could have hurt you, one more finger and you would have been gone. The horror of what he could have done left  his fingers twitching for his neck.

You looked over the man, taking in his pale hair, the red eyes you always thought were so pretty, and the thin frame hidden in an oversized hoodie. You had seen him on tv and in news reports, but they didn't do him justice. He may be a villain, but he was yours. The pieces came together and you let a soft smile form.

"You were after my boss, right?"

He gawked at you. He had almost killed you, and that was what you were concerned about?

"Are you an idiot, girl? You could very likely die by my hands any second. Now is not the time to worry about that insignificant man you just sacrificed yourself for."

You shook your head, hands up in a placating gesture.

"Tomura... calm down. I know you wouldn't hurt me. Sorry for startling you, but as nice as the sentiment is, i'd prefer you didn't murder anyone for me."

He narrowed his eyes.

"You know who I am... You think you could take on a villain by yourself? So arrogant. "

He knew he was self sabotaging, but he had to prove a point. Your reckless behavior could have gotten you killed. Had it been any other villain.. you'd be dead. He needed you to realize the danger you were in. Sure, all he wanted to do in that moment was pull you into his arms, but you should be afraid.

"I do know who you are. I know exactly who you are. You..."

You took a step forward. With each move forward he took a hesitant step back, until it was him with his back against the wall.

"You, are my sweet dusty boy. You are there for me when I'm lowest."

You reach up, one hand moving to cup his cheek as he watches you with wide, uncertain eyes.

"You are mine, and you wouldn't hurt me. Couldn't hurt me."

As you hold his face, you can feel the tension, but your last words to him break something in him. He leans into your touch, letting himself be held in his true form for the first time.

"I know what your quirk does Tomura, but you don't have to worry."

Confusion pools in those ruby eyes before your other hand finds his, all five fingers finding his. A moment of horror filled panic fills his eyes at the touch before he flinches back.

You stepped back and calmly held up your hand for him to see.

"I basically consider myself quirkless, but... I do have one ability. Other people's quirks don't work on me."

You were expecting his relieved expression. What you weren't expecting was the sudden kiss now desperately pressed against your lips. You melted into it, hands going to hold him back as he crushed you to him like a lifeline.

He only relinquished his hold once the need for oxygen demanded it. You looked up at him with that smile that made him so happy.

"Hey, I promised it would be okay, remember? I wouldn't break my promise to you. "

Taglist:

@witch-o-memes

@nightlygiggless

@ravensfeatheruniverse

[remmushound]

Bay/rise 19!! @brightlotusmoon @errorfreak88

Ten minutes should have been more than enough. Then ten turned to fifteen and Splinter started to worry. When sirens started to sound off in the streets below, he could felt as if he had swallowed his heart and it was still beating while still in his stomach. His being churned with a cold nausea as scenarios ran his mind into a painful war zone.

“April…?” Splinter peered over the wall, his twitching nose betraying his anxiety. It stopped just in front of a pizzeria and the rescuers ran in with a stretcher. Then like a speeding bullet, out they came with an unconscious young girl held on the carrier between them. “APRIL!”

His immediate reaction was to run out to his daughter's aid. He had slung almost the entirety of his body over the wall before his mind could catch up to the actions of his body. There were so many people down there. New Yorkers watching and whispering as they watched the poor girl be taken away into the wailing vehicle. Splinter watched helplessly as it drove away. 

Slow as if he were made of stone, he pulled himself to hide behind the wall once more and curled into a tight ball to hide in the shadow. It was barely big enough to hide him anymore and quickly being eaten away by the sun, but it was enough for now. He couldn’t catch up. Even if he gage it his all and ran himself to the ground. He was old. He wasn’t Yoshi anymore, and this definitely wasn’t a movie.

She was going to a hospital. She was going to get help there and return to him when she was better. But she couldn’t do that if she didn’t know where he was! That’s how he justified him laying there helpless and silently brewing in his hurricane of self-hatred. He just had to hide and wait, like he’d done for fourteen years. Why, then, did this time feel so agonizingly impossible?

The sun hurt. It stung his eyes and almost seemed to burn his sensitive pink skin. He felt uncomfortable in the very fur covering his body. In all of fourteen years in this body, he could count the amount of times he’d been exposed to direct sunlight on two paws. He would be able to move a lot faster come night, without the sun to burn and blind him. If she didn’t returned by then, he told himself that he would go find her. It couldn’t be so hard, and he’d certainly had similar trials of difficult endeavors. For now, however, he was so tired mentally and physically that he just wanted to sleep. His family would be okay… they were okay… they were okay…

He couldn’t have been in that state for very long before he heard a faint, familiar hum. He rubbed his ears and silently cursed tinnitus before sliding his paws to his eyes for additional shelter. A second of thought later, he recognized that it wasn’t tinnitus— it was familiar to him in a different way.

“Blue…?” He lifted his paws from his muzzle and squinted up at two shadows staring down at him.

“Pops!”

Splinter grunted as the smaller of the shadows ran and scooped him up, powerful arms crushing him in a hug.

“Orange!” Hugged the box turtle in turn, “Blue!”

Splinter closed his eyes and gave a content sigh as Blue hugged both him and Orange.

“Dad. You okay?”

“Yes, I am fine. Oh, my boys…” Splinter teared up as he brought his paws to both of his sons’ cheeks and stroked them gently. 

Blue let his cheek be pet a moment longer before taking Splinter’s paw in his hand with gentle rubs of his thumb on the rat's palm. 

“Dad— where’s April? We thought she’d be with you.”

Splinter’s ears perked up slightly, but then quickly fell in response to the question. “I… she was. I don’t know what happened…”

“Do you know where she is?” Blue asked, his voice still happy and calm as he addressed the old rat, “I mean, she’s probably better off than us in the city, you know with this whole… situation.” 

“She… went to get food.” Splinter explained softly, then quickly changed the subject. “Where are your brothers? Where are Red and Purple?”

“Relax. They’re safe I promise.” Blue reassured with a pat to Splinter’s shoulder. “They’re… in the sewer. And Raph’s all patched up. We can go meet them after April gets back.”

“Did she just leave her bat here…?” Orange picked open the engraved bat and frowned as he turned it around in his hand. “She never leaves her bat… she loves this thing!”

“Not like she could bring it into a sushi bar, Miguel. Not even a skeevy burger joint would let her bring in a weapon! Probably safer to leave it here with dad anyway. When do you think she’ll be back? Cause we got a quad squad of angry Shrek’s on our shell that mean business and are even uglier than Raph.”

“What?” Splinter said sharply. “What Shrek’s?”

Blue hummed while he considered his words, and then said, “Eh, long story. So April?”

“She… I don’t know what happened. The ambulance took her…”

“What?” Blue’s cheery voice quickly shifted down an octave and Blue’s grip on his fathers shoulder tightened.

“Omigosh!”

“Is she okay?”

“I don’t know— she was fine when she left here.”

“How long ago?” Blue interjected sharply, “How long ago did they take her?”

“I don’t know, maybe twenty minutes?” Splinter estimated. 

“Then she’d be at the hospital right now…” Blue put his odachi to his forehead to keep the sun out of his eyes as he looked around the city, “Closest hospital is… that one!” He pointed to a distant building that Splinter could barely make out. “I think. You stay here, pops. Mikey and I will go check on April.”

“None of you are going anywhere.”

At the new voice, Splinter felt his fur stand on end. He tried to push past Blue and Orange to put himself between them and whatever the massive four yokai were— big like Red, with an odd assortment of trinkets hanging from them like Orange usually had. Splinter see the outlines of shells— big, bulky shells. Kappa maybe? They were a bit oversized from the ones he was used to seeing in the Hidden City…

“Oh come on! Not these guys again!” Orange groaned. “I thought we gots rid of you!

“Pops, it's cool.” Blue said quickly, drawing Splinter from his thoughts of monsters. “They’re just egotistical show offs. Dad, meet the other turtles. Other turtles, my dad.”

One of the shorter shadows crouched down and offered a three-fingered hand. “Sorry to startle you, but your sons here have caused me and my brothers some trouble.”

As Splinter focused on the yokai’s face, he could start to make out the color of a blue mask and green skin. Other turtles? Splinter grunted, but accepted the hand. It was rough and callused from years of hard training and blistering skin, and the grip itself was firm.

“So, if you don’t mind, you and your sons really need to come with us.”

[literate-lamb]

Man of the House | two

Sam Wilson/fem!Reader, future dark!Bucky Barnes/fem!Reader | 18+

You take the cat in, or did it take you in? And what is that god-awful screech?

► warnings(!): slow burn. eventual dubcon/noncon, eventual choking in future chapters. this is a dark fic.

|| Series Masterlist ||

a/n: more slowburn. I swear it picks up by next chapter! Sorry for the late update, work has been kicking me. taglists still open.

𝔻𝕒𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖

Tap. Tap. Tap. The click of kitten heels resounded as you walked, coffee cup in hand, its heat warming your cold fingers. The temperature was getting chillier as the days passed on. The once lush green foliage now no more, their hues of orange turning darker with time. The drab sky and the autumn wind didn’t make it easier, chilling you as they hung above and passed by.

Approaching the porch, you saw the white feline lounging on the steps. Its tail gave the occasional flicker, eyes imploring, as if it has been awaiting for your arrival.

“Mmreow.”

“Why, hello there!” you cooed, bending at the waist as you looked at the cat. “Have you been waiting for me?”

It gave a low murmur in return, rubbing and butting its head between your legs as a reply, leaving fine hairs on your slacks. Looks like you’ve made a new friend in the neighbourhood. A fur-riend, if you will.

“Lucky for you, I’ve brought some stuff,” you shook the bag of cat food in your other hand, smirking as you tempted the feline.

Sniffing the bag, the cat immediately became hyper, running towards the door with its tail swishing in excitement. Frustrated at your lack of movement, it mewled uncontrollably, yelling at you. Snickering, you stepped foot on the porch and set down the bag, fishing for the keys in your pocket. “Okay okay, you’re so demanding. Calm down.”

It zoomed in as soon as you unlocked the door. The fluffball looked like it knew its way around as it never once hesitated, long tail swishing as it went. It might’ve had history with previous tenants if it has been here long enough, including Mr Rogers.

Sensing your lack of presence, it stopped at the end of the hall, looked back and meowed, telling you to hurry up.

“Okay okay, sheesh, I’m coming!”

Entering the kitchen, you prepared the cat food in a bowl. The feline was almost ravenous, clawing at your slacks like it hasn’t eaten for days. That could be the case for strays, you mulled as you set down the bowl.

The house fell silent once more. Only the munching and grunting emanating from the small body the occasional interruption. You relaxed, back facing the countertop behind. Grabbing the nearest fruit bowl, you picked a peach, washed, and munched.

Slumping, you stared ahead, the antique mirror on the opposite wall occupied your vision. It was one of many, inhabiting your house in its intricate frame.

From your position, you could see the window of the back door reflected in the mirror, showcasing a small area of the yard. You felt yourself relax as you observed the fluttering of grass, dancing as they’re caressed by the autumn wind.

Sam had left in the morning, his work and apartment calling him, before you could be reunited at the end of the week. You missed him, but you enjoyed your solitude when it came, which wasn’t often. For now, it seemed you had a new companion to keep you company.

Munching on a peach, you divert your attention to the cat, watching as it ate eagerly. Humming, you had an idea.

“How about we call you Peaches?” you threw it out loud, “What do you think?”

The cat continued munching, not a care in the world. Well, you weren’t expecting much reply from a cat anyway.

“Peaches, it is then,” you hummed. Reaching down, you scratched it by the scruff. It had an immaculate coat for a stray, especially for a white cat. You found it surprising. “Let’s get you microchipped and vaccinated tomorrow, hmm?”

Leaving the feline to its own devices, you headed upstairs, dying for a post-work shower.

The blue bathroom tiles greeted your feet with their coolness. Natural light basked in through the lone window,  bouncing on the walls as they illuminated the space. The clawfoot bathtub caught your eyes, its sight calling towards your fatigue body, demanding you take a dip.

Towel in hand, you stepped further into the bathroom and shut the door, shedding your clothes as you went. As you were busy pulling at your socks, something caught your attention.

The toilet seat was left up. This irritated you, terribly. You’ve always reminded Sam to put it down after he was done, and he was getting the hang of it too. Seemed like he needed another reminder.

You huffed as you shut the lid, unaware of the passing shadow beneath the door.

𝔻𝕒𝕪 𝔽𝕠𝕦𝕣

“Mrreow mrreow.”

“Yes yes, we’ll get back soon,” you replied, eyes on the road. “I need to get a few stuff for dinner.”

Peaches had been whining throughout the entire car ride back and forth. In the morning, she seemed hyper yet nervous being in a moving vehicle for the first time. She wouldn’t stop chittering at everything she saw, pawing at the windows as the scenery flew by. The ride back was far more peaceful as she was confined in a cat carrier bought at the clinic. That didn’t stop her chittering though, Peaches was a talkative cat.

A day at the clinic proved fruitful as you administered Peaches her first vaccine. She whined, but didn’t retaliate, taking it like a champ. A general checkup showed she was fit as a fiddle. Further checking revealed she wasn’t microchipped, proving her a stray of the area. You were more than happy to call her yours.

Putting the gear into park, you exited the car, leaving a smidge of space on the passenger window for Peaches.

“I won’t be long,” you reassured her, tapping the window.

The mini market was located among the row of shops in the quaint town, a five minutes drive from the house. It was a cozy family establishment nestled in the corner next to a hardware store, small but sufficient for the tiny population.

The shift in temperature was apparent when you stepped inside. An elder woman greeted you from behind the counter, her smile warm, clashing with the cold fall weather. Beside her, a teenager sat at the cash register, absent-mindedly flipping through a magazine. You returned the greeting with a smile and took a basket. This would mark your first appearance after the move into the neighbourhood.

Inside, the aisles were stocked but they were devoid of customers other than yourself. It seemed like a slow day.

Taking your time in the produce aisle, you took what you needed for tonight’s dinner, thinking of a few easy stir-fry recipes at the top of your head. You passed by the pet food area, taking a few snacks for Peaches. She deserved a treat after an exhausting day.

Bringing your basket to the counter, the teen started ringing up your items, face impassive, bored with the mundane task.

“Would you like some plastic bags?” the cashier asked, her voice drawls.

“Yes, please.”

Eyes downcast, you swayed on the heel of your boot as you waited for your groceries. The rhythmic tapping calmed you. Tap . Tap . Tap .

“Are you new here, dear?” a soft voice chimed.

Looking up, you saw the older lady had approached the front, facing you. She was a short woman, grey hair fixed neatly in a bun, with oval glasses perched on her nose. Her smile never wavered, motherly in a sense.

“Yes, I just moved here a few days ago,” you answered, straightened. “I live on Gardenia Street, in the old white house further down.”

Your answer shocked the cashier, halting her movement, unbeknownst to the two of you. She immediately composed herself and resumed before anyone could take notice.

“Oh, old Steve Rogers’ place? That’s a lovely house,” the elder beamed, a faraway look on her face. “I remember when he and his wife used to host dinner parties back in the day. Peggy was always a magnificent host, and Steve was equally charming in a silent way. They never had children, those two. It was always just them.”

“When Peggy passed, it hit him hard,” she continued, her eyes turned somber. “Living in a large house by himself, it was probably difficult. I hope he found peace by moving away.”

You didn’t know how to answer, her latter statement left a heavy atmosphere hanging. It was sad to know Mr Rogers’ reason for not living in the house, at the same time it felt you were intruding into your landlord’s personal matters.

Trying to escape the unease, you tried steering the conversation away, awkwardly, “He’s a very attentive landlord, I’m glad to have gotten him as one, honestly. He’s really nice.”

That seemed to do it, for a small smile returned to her face.

“I’m glad to hear it, dearie,” she said, handing your groceries from the cashier. “Stay safe, and if you hear any rumours, just know that the youngsters here like to pull pranks all the time,” she laughed.

Curious, but not wanting to press, you took your bags and paid. You bid the old lady a farewell and rushed to your car, remembering Peaches was still inside.

“Mrrreow.”

“Yeah yeah, I’m here,” you greeted, turning the ignition.  “Sorry it took awhile, bought you some treats to make up for it.”

Before you could reverse out of the parking lot, a series of knocks came on your window. Looking to your left, you saw it was the teen cashier. She gestured for you to roll down your window, her hands frantic.

“Did I leave something behind?” you asked, rolling down the window a bit.

“No, nothing, it’s all fine. I’m just here to warn you,” she said, peering through the small gap you rolled down, eyes frenzied. “You should get out of that house while you still can.”

Ah, this must be what the elder woman meant. Another one of those spooky stories.

“My grandma thinks it’s all crap, but trust me, that house ain’t what you think it is,” she finished, her eyes turning into slits.

“No, thank you. I like that house, thank you very much.”

Brows furrowed, she scoffed, “Last Halloween, me and a couple of friends went there as a dare. I swear to God, we saw a man walking through the house in the dark. I’m not making this shit up!”

“I’m sure you did,” you replied tersely. “Now, is that all? I have somewhere to be.”

Moving away from your vehicle, the teen glared at you, eyes hard. You reversed out of the parking space, watching the girl in the rearview mirror get smaller and smaller as you drove away. She never ceased her gaze, staring until your car disappeared.

Watching you drive away, she whispered beneath her breath, voice carrying into the wind.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

—

This afternoon’s interaction left you weirded out. You heeded the older woman’s advice, shutting down any outrageous stories concerning your new home. Especially from kids who trespass other people’s property in the name of dares.

Downing the last bit of tea —courtesy of your landlord— you headed upstairs, getting ready for bed.

Turning in, you shut the bedside lamp off, plunging the room in semi-darkness; the moonlight from the balcony was the only source of luminance.

Forgetting about the day’s events, you closed your eyes, falling into a dreamless slumber.

...

Screeeech!

A sudden noise awoke you. Loud and clear, like nails on a chalkboard. Like a high-pitched shriek, before fading away into nothing.

With bleary eyes, you snatched your phone from the bedside table. It read 3:25AM. Too early.

Too exhausted to comprehend, you fell asleep once more, deafened to the outside world.

𝔻𝕒𝕪 𝔽𝕚𝕧𝕖

The blaring of the phone’s alarm woke you up, its buzzing reverberating. Groggy, you sat up, feeling sated yet still sleepy. Either yesterday’s events were really draining, or the tea really did its trick.

Eyes still heavy, something caught your senses. You sniffed a few times, detecting a scent. Woody, sooty. The scent of a burnt wick perhaps, except it clouded every part of the room. It was familiar.

Taking in the room, nothing seemed amiss. Nothing seemed burnt, nor faulty. No chewed up wires. No spilled perfumes. Yours sat neatly on the vanity, not a single drop vanished.

The closet was the same, nothing seemed burnt as you checked. The bedside lamps and sockets were working well, no burnt fuses. You were beginning to think something might’ve happened when you awoke last night. You were starting to get paranoid.

Opening the bedroom door, nothing seemed different in the hall. Only, the scent stopped there, confined to only the bedroom. Going back in, you threw the balcony door open, hoping to air out the scent. Pleased, you left to get ready.

As soon as you left the bathroom, Peaches was in the bedroom, sat by the foot of the bed. Blue eyes clear and imploring, watching as you dressed. You wondered what goes on in her head at times.

“Come on, let’s eat,” you called, closing the balcony doors before leaving the room. Peaches trotted behind, not before giving one last glance towards the bed, or rather, what was beneath it.

—

A surprise came for you after work in the form of Sam Wilson. A bouquet of white roses and baby breaths in hand, he whooshed into the clinic dramatically with his signature toothy smile. Acting as if he was the hero of a rom-com, confessing to the heroine in front of an audience to demonstrate his undying love. To prove your point, you swore you heard the receptionist sigh.

“Dr Hottie, I presume?”

Amused, you decided to play along. “O Samuel, wherefore art thou Samuel?”

“A surprise for milady,” he proclaimed. “As payment, I require one kiss from thee.” Receiving the bouquet, you sealed the deal with a peck.

Embarrassed by the numerous pair of eyes, you took Sam’s elbow and steered him towards the entrance. This wasn’t his first surprise visit here, but you preferred the affection without the attention.

“Samuel, where is thy chariot?”

“Tony drove me here, I took the bus to work today,” he explained. “He asked if you wanted to back out of the bet, said he’ll understand.”

You grinned, tossing Sam your keys. “Tell him I’m not about being a sore loser.”

You both drove off, with Norah Jones soft falsetto accompanying in the background. The passing scenery lulling you both, soaking in each other’s presence.

As minutes passed, you began to think about yesterday’s events and what they entail. The older woman and her teenage grandchild. The teen whose stare pierced, never wavering. Her tale, which when you think about it, could’ve held some truth. The supernatural seemed like a far reach, but it didn’t mean there weren’t other possible explanations for the truth.

The more you dwelled on it, the more it didn’t make sense. Until you thought about what awoke you last night. It sounded like a high-pitched scream but at the same time it wasn’t.

Glancing towards Sam, you thought about how to bring it up to him. It could be nothing, and you hoped it was nothing.

“Hey baby,” you started. “Can I ask your opinion on something?”

“What is it?” he hummed, giving you a glimpse.

“Last night I heard something like a high-pitched shriek? It was like ‘eeeeh!’, like a firework before it goes off,” you described, gesturing. “It woke me up, but I don’t think it happened inside, it sounded distant. Do you have any ideas what it might be?”

Giving a low hum, he started tapping the wheel, thinking. “Your house has a speed bump in front, right?”

“Huh-uh,” you confirmed, confused.

“Some old cars when they hit the brakes, they produce this loud screeching sound,” he explained. “Here, let me demonstrate.”

Approaching a speed bump on the road, Sam slowed down and pressed the brakes. A loud squeal was emitted, short yet piercing. It went by fast as it came.

“Like that, except it could be louder for cars without maintenance.”

You nodded. In your heart you knew it wasn’t the same, but you let it go.

𝔻𝕒𝕪 𝕊𝕚𝕩

“Baby!” Sam hollered from across the hall. “Have you seen my razor?”

Pausing your mascara, you called out, “No, I haven’t! Did you check the cabinets?”

Sam had stayed the night, accompanying you. He held you through the night, limbs tangled in the sheets. He could never keep away for long. Always coming back.

“I did, I swore I left it on the sink last time,” he said, standing by the door with his arms crossed, a towel the only garment protecting his dignity. “Maybe, just maybe… It’s the ghosts! Wooo,” he booed, lips exaggerated in an ‘o’, fingers wiggling in the air. You rolled your eyes at his antics.

“Hurry up, I have to drop you off at the bus stop or you’ll be late,” you grumbled, returning to the task at hand. Sam cackled.

—

Friday nights were always movie nights at your abode. It was a sacred tradition between you both, unless prior engagements were made.

Sam would come over with take-out and drinks while you prepared the popcorn and blankets. Tonight, you both decided to take it up a notch; a blanket fort in the parlour with rose petals scattered, courtesy of Sam.

Your boyfriend had brought his speakers, setting them up beside the coffee table the laptop was perched. Both the chesterfield sofas were brought closer, acting as the foundation for your canopy. It was quite the set-up.

“Caramel or salted?” you got up, moving towards the entryway of the dining room.

“Caramel baby,” he replied, making a face. “Who eats salted? Those are nasty.”

Too used to his antics, you moved to the kitchen to heat up the kernels. While waiting, you began hearing faint scratching. You turned to check. It became distinct when you entered the hallway, slowly creeping, ultimately leading you to the basement.

Feeling a sense of familiarity, you pushed the black door. What greeted you was Peaches in the inky darkness.

“How did you end up in here again?” you grumbled, exasperated. This was becoming a recurring occurrence. “What do you have in your mouth?”

Trotting up the steps, exiting the basement, Peaches dropped an item by your feet before scurrying away. You heard a hiss, followed by Sam’s screech. Peaches must’ve found him.

You leaned down to check what she brought up. It was Sam’s razor.

—

That night, as you lay next to Sam under the canopy of the fort, a distant rumbling stirred you. Followed by a loud screech. It lasted for a second, but it was enough to arouse you.

“Sam, did you hear that?” you whispered, shaking your partner.

“What what?” he mumbled, still sleep laden.

“The screeching sound.”

Sam never opened his eyes, he only snuggled closer. “T’was probably cars. Go to sleep,” he mumbled, dozing off once more.

You didn’t have the energy to wake him again, knowing it was futile. Silencing all your doubts, you closed your eyes and let sleep take you. With the lingering thoughts of how the noise sounded nearer, pushed to the back of your consciousness.

[hopelikethemoon]

Beach Day (Javier x Reader) {MTMF}

Title: Beach Day  Rating: PG Length: 2000 Warnings: None Notes: You can find everything about Maybe Today, Maybe Forever here. Set in the Summer of 1998. Summary: Reader spends a day at the beach with her family.

@grapemama @seawhisperer @huliabitch @pedropascalito @rogrsnbarnes @thewallpapergoesorido @twomoonstwosuns @gooddaykate @livasaurasrex @ham4arrow @plexflexico @readsalot73 @hdlynn @lokiaddicted @randomness501 @fioccodineveautunnale  @roxypeanut @snivellusim @lukesrighthand @historynerd04 @mrsparknuts @synystersilenceinblacknwhite @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead @exrebelshocktrooper @awesomefandomsunited @ah-callie @swhiskeys @lady-tano @beskar-droids @space-floozy @cable-kenobi @cool-ultra-nerd @himbopoes @findhimfives @pedrosdoll @frietiemeloen @arrowswithwifi @random066 @uncomicalhumour @heather-lynn @domino-oh-damn @cyarikaaa @ahopelessromanticwritersworld @im-still-a-pieceofgarbage @ksgeekgirl  @yabby-girl @xqueenofthecraziesx @punkass-potato @coredrive​ @pascalesque​ @theduchessofkirkcaldy​ @queenquazar​ @sabinemorans​ @buckstaposition @holkaskrosnou​ @yespolkadotkitty @fleetwoodmactshirt​

Javier let out a low wolf whistle as you walked ahead of him, keeping up with Stevie as she bounded ahead on her leash. She was usually pretty good about not pulling, but the promise of the beach had her tugging at her lead. 

In response, ‘fuck off’ danced on the tip of your tongue, but Josie was hot on your heels and you were really trying to avoid ‘fuck’ being one of Sofía’s first words. Instead, you reached behind your back and flipped him off, which earned you a throaty laugh from him. 

You had been looking forward to today for the past week. Javier had taken the girls to the beach a couple times, but you had been trapped at work — missing out on the joys of summer with your family. Monica and Nadia had been planning to join you, but Nadia’s family was having a get together and her grandmother had been amenable to inviting Monica over. How could you argue with that? 

“How’s it going back there, old man?” You questioned, hand on your hip as you paused to let Stevie sniff at something that had caught her interest. 

“My back will probably have complaints tonight,” Javier remarked as he lugged the small portable wagon that held towels, chairs, a cooler, and the colorful umbrella that would hopefully provide a little shade to the four of you. 

“At least you look good while struggling.” You quipped, raking your eyes over him before you were off again with the dog and Josie. He really did look good. Sofía was strapped to his back in a carrier and he’d already shucked off his shirt after unloading the car. His swim shorts had slid down low on his hips and you tried to keep your mind from thinking too hard about that line of dark hair that was partially hidden beneath the waistband. 

“Mommy, look at the seagulls!” Josie shouted, running ahead after a flock of seagulls who took flight when she got too close to them. Stevie barked excitedly and you let go of her lead and let her go chasing after Josie.

You waited for Javier to catch up with you, keeping one eye on the child-and-dog duo as they went running down the sandbank after another flock of seagulls. “It’s the little things in life that make them happy.” 

Javier nodded in agreement, switching hands on the wagon so he could reach over and slot his fingers in between yours. “They get that from me.” 

“Yeah?” You laughed softly, “Even the dog gets that from you?”

He shrugged a shoulder, “Seems about right.”

You walked alongside him, “Remember when we used to rag on Steve for wanting to move back to Miami?”

“It was a near-constant thing.” Javier recalled. “I know it was Connie wanting to leave, but fuck — he was dying to get his ass back on a beach.” 

“I think I get it,” You remarked, squeezing his hand three times. “And trust me, I never pictured that Miami would become my home.” 

“What was your plan?” Javier questioned lightly, “If things hadn’t worked out.”

You chewed on your bottom lip as you thought back on what your plans had been. “Well, if they’d terminated me, I was going to come back to the states.” You shook your head slowly. “Probably try to beg my way back into a job in Atlanta or crash in Philly again.” You made a face, “This is the much better alternative.”

Javier nodded his head in agreement, squeezing your hand right. “I guess we can thank Steve for some things.”

“Oh, you mean like Josie?” You teased as you headed down the beach towards where she and Stevie were bounding around in the sand. 

“Definitely, Josie.” He chuckled, letting go of your hand as he moved to unpack the wagon. Sofía was chilling on his back, content with her little perched view over his shoulder. She’d even managed to keep both her sunglasses and her floppy hat on. 

“Josie!” You called out, “Come help us unpack!”

Josie came running back with Stevie trudging along beside her. Both of them were already covered in sand. You leaned down to pet the dog’s head, scratching behind her ear as she wiggled her butt in response.

“Do me!” Josie told you, tilting her head to the side so you could tickle behind her ear. She giggled like a fiend, wiggling in response. “Did you see that, daddy? I wagged my tail like Stevie.” 

“I did see that!” He said, passing her beach towel to her. “Are you turning into a puppy now?”

“Maaaaaybe.” She said with an impish grin as she neatly draped her blanket over her purple gold chair. “Are we going in the ocean?”

“We are!” You told her, pulling the umbrella out of the wagon and setting it up. You angled it just right, making sure the shadow was cast over the chairs for shade. “But first we’re going to get settled.”

“Okay.” She shrugged and flopped into her chair, pushing her sunglasses up her nose in a very familiar fashion. 

“Is she becoming me?”

Javier snorted, “She’s got every bit of your fire, baby. It’s like running around all week with your mini-me.”

“Odds are our grumpy baby takes after someone we all know and love.” You said lightly, reaching over to rub your hand over Sofía’s back as she pressed her cheek against his shoulder. “It’s uncanny.”

You rose up on your toes and pressed a kiss to Javier’s cheek. “Do you want to eat before we let them get in the water?”

Javier nodded, “Works for me.” He answered as he unstrapped the baby carrier so he could sink down in his chair with her. 

You knelt down in the sand, opening the cooler and pulling out the plastic bags. “We’ve got a pimento cheese sandwich on white.” You remarked, passing the bag to Javier. 

“Thanks, baby.”

“And a Lunchable for a certain princess.” You passed the box to Josie. 

“JoJo, let me open that.” 

Josie pouted a little, passing the yellow box to her father so he could prep it for her. She was unsurprisingly still obsessed with chicken nuggets and with the advent of barbecue shake-up chicken nuggets — she was thrilled. 

They had been a lifesaver for Javier’s on-the-go lifestyle with them this summer. You were only a little jealous. But at the same time, you wanted her to experience these memories with her father that you would’ve killed to have as a child. Not to mention, it was your own small way to make up for so much he’d missed out on in Colombia. 

“And what’s on the menu for you?” Javier questioned as he passed Josie’s lunch back to her and tore into his own sandwich bag. 

“Same as you. Without the crust.” You winked, sinking down into your chair beside his. “Lemme take her.” You offered, reaching out for Sofía.

She fussed a little at first, but was easily convinced to recline back and chill. 

Javier leaned down to dig in the cooler, passing you a Kool-Aid burst, “You’ve gotta try one of these.”

“I’m skeptical of blue drinks.” You teased, popping off the top of the plastic bottle and taking a sip. “That’s… not half bad.”

“We were out of water during our last outing,” He explained. “I had to resort to JoJo drinks.”

“It’s very sweet. I see why it’s named JoJo.”

“Mommmmy!” Josie giggled around her dramatic way of chewing the chicken. 

“This is nice.” You admitted, taking your sunglasses off and tucking them into the front of your swimsuit. “I need more of this “

“How much PTO do you have?”

“A week and a half. I was trying to save it up for when she starts school.”

Javier stared at you while he ate a bite of his lunch, “You really should look into teaching. You’d have more time at home and—“

“I do like the idea of working with you.”

He grinned at you, “Thought that would be a highlight.” Javier clicked his tongue against his teeth. “And then next summer — it’ll be all this all the time.”

“I’ll think about it.” And you would. You weren’t entirely certain if teaching was your calling, but you weren’t feeling the 9 to 5 thing you had going on currently. 

Especially with Steve’s plans to start up his own consulting firm? You could still keep one foot in the field while teaching. It was definitely worth putting some thought into. 

 ——

 Sofía was out cold laying on your chest. She’d had her fill of toddling around on the beach between you and Javier, playing in the water, and knocking down her sister’s attempts at sandcastles. 

Javier was currently letting JoJo try to bury him in the sand, beneath an attempt at a mermaid tail constructed from sand. His first mistake had been laying down and falling asleep — his second mistake had been continuing to pretend to be asleep once Josie started giggling like a goofball as she packed more sand over his legs.

“Are we going to have to leave daddy on the beach?” You questioned, nudging his shoulder with your foot. “You’ve turned him into a merman! How can we take him home?”

Josie looked up at you with wide eyes. “But daddy has to go home with us!” 

“Well, what could fix this?”

Josie tapped her chin thoughtfully. “A kiss!” 

“A kiss?” You grinned at your daughter. You tapped your finger against your lips, before tugging lightly on Stevie’s leash. She roused from her own nap, moseying over towards Josie.

“Kiss daddy” Josie urged in a poor attempt at a whisper. 

Stevie was thrilled to obey, licking excitedly at Javier’s face. He startled with a laugh, kicking his feet out of the sand. 

He swiftly scooped up Josie, pulling her into his chest as he pressed kisses to the top of her wet and curly head. Stevie barked excitedly at their laughter — jumping onto Javier’s lap. 

“I’d get down there and join in on the lovefest, but…” You gestured to your sleeping daughter. 

“You ready to head home, baby?”

“Probably for the best,” You sighed, dragging your teeth over your bottom lip. “Though I could watch the view  all day.” You wiggled your brows, eyes slowly wandering over him as he stood up. 

“And you flipped me off earlier for enjoying my view.” Javier leaned down and pressed a kiss to your lips, they still tasted like the blue Kool-Aid you’d both drank. 

“You would’ve been disappointed if I hadn’t flipped you off.” You whispered, brushing your nose against his before you sank back in your seat. “Take JoJo down to the water one more time and then we’ll pack up and head home.”

Javier gave your leg a squeeze before he turned back, hands on his hips as he looked down at Josie. “Last one to the ocean is a rotten egg.”

“Daddy’s a rotten egg!” Josie screamed as she took tearing off down the beach with Stevie right behind her. 

“Why aren’t you running, rotten egg?” You questioned, nudging the back of his calf with your foot. 

“She likes winning.” He told you, his lips curving upwards into a lazy smirk. “And I just wanted a moment alone to tell you, you’re the goddamn hottest woman on this fucking beach today.”

You felt your cheeks warm from his praise and not just the sun. “Go chase your daughter, you sap!” You laughed. 

Javier stole one more kiss before he went jogging down the beach to join Josie and Stevie at the coastline. 

His back was definitely going to be killing him tonight, but you had a feeling he’d consider it worth every single ache a day like today came with. 

[liamloveslarry]

Baker! Harry & Primary School Teacher! Louis

so, a couple of weeks ago i made a little post about how i’d love for people to send me prompts/writing ideas and the lovely @louistsbravery sent me one based off her moodboard she so kindly made, here!

my brain kind of ran away with me and so i hope you like this, i tried to stick to the theme as best i could, enjoy! :)

Harry eyes the man from behind the counter. 

He watches him as his eyes scan the board above from where he’s standing, sleepy blue orbs blinking tiredly behind the square glasses perched upon his nose. 

His heart thumps something fierce when he notices the tufts of brown hair sticking out slightly from behind his ear, a noticeable trait he assumes from lack of sleep and too many early mornings.

It’s 6 o’clock in the morning and the sun is barely edging over cobbled streets and tall buildings, its shimmering waves casting a pale glow over puddles on the pavement and bouncing off lampposts. 

‘Babs Bakery’ is nestled between a small row of shops along the Northern Quarter. Its quaint, rustic exterior leads itself into a small tea room and peaceful eating area. Potted plants line the windowsill outside while the smell of fresh baked scones and coffee beans pulse and weave through the air, an atmosphere Harry’s prone to taking naps in.

He’s been here for about a year now, taking over from his Nana when she’d gotten too old to carry on the business, but he hadn’t changed a thing. It might be slightly old fashioned but it reminds him of his grandparents and how he used to sit at the table in the corner by the window with his colouring book and jumbo crayons, while being served hot vimto and iced fingers.

A small cough nudges Harry from his stupor and he blinks, realising he’s been staring. The man is smiling slightly, the last traces of sleep pull at his lips as he lifts his hand to cover his mouth while he lets out a yawn.

“Morning.” He says, his Northern twang is raspy and gentle, a higher pitched lilt whispering through words.

Harry wipes his clammy hands on his apron and steps forward, fingertips drumming along the counters edge. He can see the man’s wearing a light blue button up underneath a soft, grey jumper. Pale pink tie burrowed in between. A shoulder bag is situated over his left arm and there are textbooks, papers and pens bursting through the zip.

“Hey. G’morning.” He replies, fingers aching to touch him. “Find anything you like?”

The man squints one more time at the blackboard, eyes moving over loopy words and today’s specials.

“I think,” he says, dragging out the ‘I’. Harry finds it that endearing he has to grip the countertop and remind himself to keep breathing. “I think I’m gonna go for a latte and a cheese and ham toastie, please. Is that alright?” 

Harry nods and reaches for a paper cup. “Is that to go or stay in?” He asks.

“To go, please. Need to make sure I get to work before the little monsters. If I time it right, the caffeine rush lasts all day.” The man responds, smirking a little. “I swear I love my job, but sometimes they can be a handful.”

Harry nods and spins on the spot, turning the face the coffee machine and placing the cup underneath the metal nozzle. There’s a spurt and a groan before hot milk starts to pour into the cup.

“Am I right in assuming you’re talking about children, not animals, right?”

The man laughs and Harry blinks up towards the ceiling, whispering a quiet ‘fuck’ as his knees buckle. 

“Yep! Early years. I work at the Primary School just down the road. The only animal I have is Eden here, and she’s still asleep the lucky buggar.”

“Eden?” Harry asks, as he places the cheese and meat on top of the bread baked only this morning, crumbing bits of pepper on top and drizzling balsamic vinegar over the sharp cheddar. 

He places it into the small oven and turns the timer on.

“Yeah, heh. Sorry. She’s my pet rabbit and the kids go crazy when I bring her in. I hope you don’t mind me bringing her in here? She’s in her carrier so she can’t escape.” Louis looks sheepish, and he rubs the back of his neck while he flicks his eyes up to meet Harry’s; but the look is quickly dissolved when Harry dashes around the counter and asks if he can see her.

Louis nods and steps aside, giving view to the medium sized carrier sat next to his feet.

Harry crouches and sees through the bars, a small golden rabbit, tufts of white fur peeking through the strands. Her nose twitches in sleep and her soft whiskers brush Harry’s fingertips lightly where he’s resting against the metal bars. 

“Oh my, she’s so cute.” He whispers, not wanting to wake the sleeping animal. 

He peers up at the man from where he’s situated on the floor and realises he’s eye level with the fly of his work pants. He flushes and bends his knees, standing up. 

This only makes things worse as he’s now directly facing him, no counter in between their bodies. If Harry were to inch his fingers out, he’d feel just how soft his jumper is. He flexes his knuckles and reminds himself not to think about if his skin is as soft as his voice.

He coughs into his fist and steps back.

“Sorry – uh. I just love animals. And I don’t mind them in the shop,” he nods his head to where a small tank rests next to the till. “I have one of my own to keep me company, too.”

A plump goldfish swims happily from rock to rock, bobbing his tiny mouth as he scoops up the remaining pieces of fish food Harry had sprinkled in earlier.

Louis spins to face the tiny morsel, but only after his eyes drop down to where Harry’s biting his lip, a small bridge of pink scattered over his nose and cheeks.

“Nice.” He says, smiling at Harry once more. “What’s its name?” 

Harry walks back around the counter and scoops the cup from underneath the machine and presses the button on the timer, stopping the chirps that are signalling the food is ready. 

He places the items down in front of the man and bends to rest his elbows on the counter, reaching one finger out to follow the fish through the glass.

“Phillip.” He huffs, the sound sculpting into an embarrassed laugh. 

Louis looks at him with his eyebrows raised, a small grin quirking his lips.

Harry groans quietly and rolls his eyes.

“Please don’t ask – my niece named him and I couldn’t say no.”

Louis laughs and reaches a hand into his pants pocket, pulling out his wallet and sliding his card out of the slot. 

“Mate, you don’t need to explain anything to me.” He says. “I deal with 15 of them on a daily basis, why d’ya think I bought a bloody bunny?” 

He smirks as he places the card into the reader and enters his pin, and Harry stares at the way the sun is peeking its way in through the windows, causing the man’s hair to shine, highlighting his cheekbones and lightly freckled skin.

He stands there for another couple of seconds before the reader beeps and he pulls his card out. 

“Cool, well - I think that’s me.” The man says, slipping his wallet back into his pocket and gathering the items in his hands. “I guess I’ll see you around, uh?” he looks a little expectantly at Harry and smiles, a tiny quirk of his top lip.

“Harry.”

“Louis,” he replies. “Well, I guess I’ll see you around then, Harry.” 

Harry manages a wave before the man is out the door, smiling at him through the window one last time before he disappears down the street.

-

It isn’t until Harry’s shutting up shop and wiping down the counters that he spots a small folded piece of paper, wedged in underneath the till.

He frowns and drops the cloth, peeling open the sharp edges until scrawled black writing looks back at him, reading:

“Nice Buns!” 

Harry stares at the letters and the scribbly, rushed image of two iced buns smiling and feels a flush work its way from the top of his head to the bottom of his toes.

The thing is, is that Harry doesn’t know who could’ve done this. 

The bakery’s been busy non-stop all day and plenty of customers have been in and out over the last eight or so hours, and so he’s confused as to who left him the note.

He pockets the piece of paper and picks up his cloth, continuing to clean.

This time with a small smile etched onto his face.

-

The notes keep appearing after that. 

Once a day, in the same spot as before. 

Usually, Harry only notices them at the end of his shift, treating them as little surprises after his busy schedule.

Some days there are short sentences, wishing him a good day, and other days there are lyrics from songs that make him smile, every now and then there’s a cheeky one liner that makes him blush.

There’s a small glass jar that sits beside the toaster where he keeps them, day in, day out, the glass gets fuller. Sometimes Harry, after a bad day, will twist the top off and read through them one by one, curling up on the chair by the window and instantly feeling the stress of the day melt from his shoulders, sated happiness washing over him.

He hasn’t yet managed to find the person on the other end of the notes, always too busy to stop and look. And anyway, what would he say if he found out? Yes? Maybe? ‘No Jonathan, if this is you, I’m not into threesomes so stop asking me?’

He kind of likes there being an air of mysteriousness to them. 

But he guesses, it wouldn’t be so bad if it turned out to be a certain someone, now would it?

-

It’s after an unusually busy day that has Harry rushing around on his feet and trying to serve a long line of customers that seems never ending, flour dusted through his hair and balancing both dishing out food and cleaning up after people, that come 5 o’clock, he’s exhausted and practically dead on his feet.

He slumps against the counter and rests his head down between his shoulder blades, having a minute to himself and heaving a big sigh, when he hears the telltale sign of footsteps approaching him, shuffling he thinks, a little slowly.

“Hey.”

He whips his head up and sees Louis. 

His hair is a mess and there’s a line of purple felt tip staining his cheek. His tie is skewed and the top button of his shirt is undone, Adam’s apple bobbing slightly as he swallows, lightly dusted with midnight scruff. 

“Sorry, I know you’re uh-technically closing soon,” he says, “I just wanted to pop in really quick for one of those chocolate chip muffins? My sister’s coming up for a few days and I need something sweet to get me through, long day ‘n all. Which I’m sure you can relate to.”

Harry huffs a laugh and nods his head, turning to face the cabinet full of pastries and frowns when he realises there aren’t any in there. He closes his eyes and sighs.

“Ah, sorry. It looks like we’re out, I have a fresh batch of blueberry in the back if that’s okay?”

Louis nods and smiles and Harry wanders into the back, letting the smell of bread and cookies sprinkle over him as he pulls out one of the trays and picks a particularly plump muffin, bouncy slightly in texture.

He finds Louis in the same spot as he was before, only this time he’s rubbing his eye with his fist, looking even more tired than when he first padded in. 

He waves the muffin at Louis who grins in response, arm falling back to his side and walking closer to the counter.

“Let me just wrap this up for you.” Harry says, and places the muffin in a small decorative box, closing the lid and taping it with a sticker.

When Louis’ walking towards the door a couple of minutes later, he looks over his shoulder and says,

“You might wanna check something over there,” nodding his head to a small counter display full of flapjacks, where a piece of paper looks to be slotted in between, sticking up as if waiting to be plucked, “looks like you missed something.”

And then with one last smile that’s bordering on slightly nervous, he’s gone.

-

Ten seconds later when Harry unpicks the paper, the words ‘you bake me crazy, wanna grab a drink sometime?’ look back at him.

He thinks back to the other day and presses his lips together, suppressing a smile and biting his lip.

He knows just what to say.

-

And then, three years later when he stares down at the ring and card with two pieces of bread on the front and reads, ‘I loaf you very much, shall we grow mould together?’

And he looks into teary blue eyes.

He knows just what to say then too.

[mimssides]

Life on Crow Avenue: Part 2

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___

“And you haven’t acted in front of an audience in years?” Celia asked Roman amazed.

Roman shrugged nonchalantly and told her: “No, I haven’t had the time. But apparently, I haven’t lost my edge. I’d hope I’d get to act some scenes with you the next time, so I could impress you a bit more and see how talented you are yourself.”

The middle-aged woman giggled and her friend in the background rolled her eyes, as she waited for her to finally get to her, so they could go home.

“Oh, you rascals, you! You embarrass me!” Celia said and Roman winked at her.

She then finally bid him goodbye and Roman waved her and the others who were leaving. He had promised to stay back and help to clean the place up. With him it was only Rodriguez, the owner of the little room they could rehearse and meet in, Samantha, the group leader, and Jay.

Why exactly Jay had stayed though, Roman was a little confused about. The man, probably around thirty, had a rather heavy limp on his left leg and needed a stick to get around. But then again, Roman would not go and complain about him staying here. He watched them from the side, while making snarky remarks and banter with Samantha, who answered just as snarkily.

Roman almost dropped the chairs he was carrying as he heard Samantha gasp offendedly after Jay said: “No, of course your recital of Tamara’s monologue was so much more inventive than Jane’s! I mean who else would be able to butcher her lines filled with wit with such a graceful off-beat delivery but you? Definitively, not Jane.”

Grasping, Roman set the chairs down as Samantha appalled herself. He clutched his hand in front of his mouth to stop himself to laugh out loud at the exchange and the sass these two displayed. The dryness and dripping sarcasm in Jay’s words really did it for Roman. Also, it probably didn’t help that he found himself drawn towards the expressive face of his. There was happening so much at once; slight movements of his eyebrows, a little tremble from his lips there and then and the quick darting of his eyes.

So, when they had eventually finished to clean everything up, Roman was not unhappy to find himself left alone in the company of Jay, as Rodriguez and Samantha bid them good night.

With a smile Roman eyed Jay from the side. His attire was simple, black shirt, black slacks and black shoes. And a black bowler hat, which had quite some flair. As of now, he sat on the little wall next to the stairs, holding the top of his cane with both hands. He had slender shoulders and love handles, and Roman assumed that he was about half a foot smaller than him. Maybe a little less, but since he hadn’t seen him standing straight it was hard to guess correctly.

“Like what you see there, Mr. Superstar Actor?” Jay suddenly asked with edge in his voice.

Roman’s eyebrows shot up for a second. He had been caught staring, hadn’t he? Quick he caught himself, put on a smirk and replied: “I can’t say I wouldn’t enjoy it. But I suppose I should leave a little of the astonishing view for the others, huh? Can’t be too greedy, can I?”

Jay’s mouth opened a little and he just looked at Roman for a second, before he closed his mouth with a little chuckle and looked to the side.

“You are a terrible flirt, Mr. Roman. Just terrible,” he commented glancing over to him with a grin he didn’t bother to hide.

Roman wiggled his eyebrows and leaned against the wall next to the entrance door. Jay’s eyes followed him and he liked the attention the man gave him. It felt a little like dancing, acting even.

“You would not believe, but people have told me that before,” Roman said grinning and watched Jay turn his attention to his hands.

“No, really? After seeing you talking so humbly with Celia, I would never have guessed,” Jay said with a sarcastic eye roll, as he reviewed his fingernails with great detail.

Roman felt his lip twitch but managed to keep up a smile, before he answered in a more sincere tone: “I figured she was having fun talking to a younger guy like me. So, I played along. I mean that is what we come to do here, right? Act and have some fun. Not be yourself for a few hours.”

A layer disappeared for a moment. Jay’s oak brown eyes drifted away before they landed on Roman again. A lot reflected in that short look of his, too much for Roman to register, before it had evaporated and coolness took its place.

“Not be yourself for a few hours? Who are you then but an actor?” Jay asked and Roman tilted his head from one side to the other.

“I think, I like it better for you to not know that. Otherwise you had to tell me who you are, if you are not here, and I kinda like you better with a flair of mystery draped around you.”

“Me? Mysterious? Why would you think that?” Jay asked with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

Eloquently Roman stepped away from the wall towards Jay, who observed him curiously. Quick Roman joined his hand behind his back and leaned forwards, just slightly overstepping the edge of Jay’s personal space. Stiff Jay looked into Roman’s eyes and for a split fragment of eternity they lost their train of thoughts. They lost the hold on their masks and lost themselves in the other’s eyes.

Then Roman batted his lashes and smiled smugly.

“Because I like to imagine that I entered the part of my story, where a mysterious man in black, with a stylish cane and bowler hat came to show me a new way of life. An adventure I would never have dreamt of,” Roman said and stepped back beginning to walk backwards down the stairs.

Jay laughed and held his hand over his stomach as he did so. It almost sounded a little like a cartoon villain but Roman caught himself thinking that it was simply endearing.

“And what will your story be? A tragedy or a comedy?” Jay asked as Roman stood on the lowest step and leaned his hand against the pillar by the wall.

A shrug. Roman’s smile faded a little. Turned into something more sincere. More vulnerable. But Jay was too far away to see and Roman grinned again as he answered: “That only time will tell. So, stay tuned! I’m looking forward seeing you again in two weeks! So long Jay!”

Theatrical he bowed and walked away towards his car, hearing the man sputter something behind him. It might have been a Goodbye or a swear for simply walking away. Roman grinned and was happy to find out at their next meeting.

“¡He vuelto!” Roman announced as he entered their apartment over their store and closed the door behind himself.

As usual, there was no immediate response and Roman put his stuff aside before he walked down the hallway. The door to Remus’s room was open and the light was turned on. Relaxed Roman looked inside and found quite the surprise.

Remus sat on his bed, a pile of books sitting in front of him on which he had placed a hand mirror. Next to that strange set up was the little vanity box, which was opened and several brushes and powder puffs were scattered around Remus, who was currently applying a layer of lilac eyeshadow around his eyes.

Roman stared at him with big eyes. He also wore a neon yellow tank top, over it a pine green shirt with funky pink, purple and orange spirals and zigzag patterns on it, which he hadn’t buttoned but tied the bottom part together. And to add to the eccentrics, he also wore the pale blue pair of dungarees, the carriers not put over his shoulders but letting them hanging by his sides.

Finally, something reminded Roman of the fact that he himself was in fact alive and he should probably ask his brother what all of this meant. He shook himself out of the trance, reached for the light switch next to the doorframe and pressed it twice to get Remus’s attention. Remus let his brush sink down and looked over to Roman.

“Oh, you’re back from practice?” Remus asked and looked at him intently.

“Yes!?” Roman said and signed giving him a poising look. “And you’re putting make up on?”

“Obviously. Also, you need to get changed. We’re going out tonight. I’ve put something out for you,” Remus said unimpressed and motioned for him to get into his room and start getting ready.

“We’re what!?” Roman signed looking absolutely thrilled if though confused.

Remus sighed and rolled his eyes. A little too shyly for his brother to not be suspicious he answered: “The guy from the tattoo studio next to us came by and invited us to go to the jazz club down the street. The bookworm is also there and apparently the pet store dude plays in the band there? I don’t know. Something like that.”

Roman marched in with the most shit-eating grin and let himself drop down onto Remus’s bed. Teasingly he wiggled his eyebrows and signed: “This guy from the tattoo studio wouldn’t happen to be astoundingly hot, huh?”

Annoyed Remus shoved Roman to which Roman only giggled and led to Remus shoving him even harder so he actually fell from the bed. But Roman only laughed louder and Remus had to kick him to the shin to stop his laughing.

“Hey!” Roman cried out, which in return made Remus laugh and his brother pout miserably.

“Don’t make that face! You knew that I’d do that if you’re just being a little brat,” Remus defended himself and let his legs dangle from the bed side.

Roman rubbed his shin, pouted a little more but then gave in and signed: “Fine, but is this actually about him? And what’s his name? And what in gods name do you want me to wear?”

Remus circled his shoulders and jumped to his feet. He stretched his hand out to Roman, helped him up and motioned him to follow him, while explaining: “The name’s Patton. Pastel punk. The guy has cyan hair and it looks kinda rad. Also, he blushes very hard and that makes him a fun target to mess with.”

Remus stopped in front of Roman’s door and let him enter first, curiously waiting for his brother’s reaction. Roman walked inside and before he could inquire more about the blush-y, kinda rad guy, he spied the clothes on his bed and clicked his tongue. White t-shirt, his favourite red jacket and black slim fit jeans. While the top part was fine, he was not so sure about the jeans.

He just shot a look back to Remus, who immediately rolled his eyes and gesticulated avidly nagging: “Don’t look at me like this! They fit you very well and they are not too small. Just put them on.”

“But I’ll look fat!”

Remus let his shoulders slump and pinched the bridge of his nose. He wished he didn’t have to have this conversation as often as they did, but here they were.

“Ro, you are fat,” Remus began for the zillionth time as gently as his tense nerves allowed it, “and that is fine. It’s nothing bad. Stop telling yourself that it’s bad. And those jeans will not make you look any bigger than you are. They’ll just compliment your legs and backside and hide the zones you want to hide.”

Roman still looked unsure and Remus sighed and put his hand on Roman’s shoulder. Gave it a squeeze and made sure that he looked into his eyes before he spoke again.

“Do I look like I want you to embarrass me in front of the possibly most attractive pastel punk I’ve ever met?”

A chuckle spurted out of Roman’s mouth. Remus knew now that he would try. That he would be fine.

Yes, Roman would be fine and tonight they would have some fun, with a pastel punk, a bookworm and the jazz playing pet store guy.

___

@aprincehasgotoslay

@varthandi

@sickeningly-deceitful

@sammy-is-obsessed / @exhaustedfander

@unoriginalgayboyalex

@alexisrealgay

@softie-sushi

@wolfs-feder

@just-a-neoclassical-painting

For this fic: @frawkeye, @arodynamic-enby, @espepspes, @ladysuperheros, @bullet-tothefeels, @fukindork, @shadeofadye, @magic-but-its-green, @liv-is-a-fander