#Does apple help with that? or is it less expensive to buy a new one

[optichocolate]

My apple pencil just broke how dO I FIX IT?!

Like the tip fell off?? And now there's just that yellowy gold thing. I'm trying to put it back but it just won't stick and even with tape it doesn't work??? I tried watching a video on how to fix it, but it looks like I need to take it apart and knowing me I might just make it worse

[epithet-beloved]

what about Naven comforting a trans reader through a rough dysphoria day?? it can be platonic or romantic, or whatever you think best fits the story you want to tell :))

Naven + Reader with Gender Dysphoria

synopsis… Headcanons on how Naven helps out a reader with gender dysphoria!

ft. Naven Nuknuk

tags… epithet erased spoilers, but only if you squint, platonic, slight hurt/comfort, gender dysphoria, reader identity kept vague, headcanon content

word count… 661

a/n… Naven is so trans to me. Trans masc? Trans fem? No one knows. (I’m personally a genderfluid Naven truther). ((Nyoom/Zapped Apples is actually sapphic if you pretend real hard)). Comfort character writing to ward off the malaise lesgo!! ✧ 🦝

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 Epithet God bless this guy i mean it

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 He feels so deeply for you.  If he could, he’d wipe away any indication in your mind that you had to transition, that you simply are how you identify.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 But, alas, he cannot, even if he really really desired it.  That’s not how life works, he so begrudgingly knows.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 But… that doesn’t mean he can’t try.

“Oh, I love that outfit on you!”  Naven would compliment you as you pass him one day, wearing something you feel particularly brave about for once.  His bright grin is infectious, and you can’t help but feel flattered when he says, “it suits you very well.”

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 I personally headcanon that Naven had a great fascination with the rise of the punk scene and ideology, especially when he was a teenager.  Thus, he always sort of had a loose relationship with his gender, preferring to present himself exactly how he wishes.  As he grew older, he felt it would be more professional to be a bit less brazen, but he still wouldn’t care if you refer to him with she/her or something.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 His experience of transness is a little bit outdated compared to young trans people today, but Naven hopes he can validate you in any way that he can, from the subtler things to the widespread action.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 If you frequent STEM, he’ll push for gender neutral bathrooms, for example.  Actually, considering certain people he’s worked with, I don’t doubt that he already has some in the building!  He does all he can to make things as welcoming as possible.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 On a more personal level, Naven checks in on people face-to-face quite frequently.  If you bring up your gender dysphoria to him, he smiles sadly and tells you that he understands, and sort of guessed, based on your tells.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 He offers you to tell him if there’s literally anything he can do to help.  Your comfort is his priority, after all!!

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 He’s a secret sucker for clothes shopping for others.  If you’re close enough, he’s totally here for shopping with you and buying aaaaannnyything you want (cause let’s be real he’s probably loaded).  He doesn’t care if it’s expensive, he’ll get you that gender euphoria!

“How about this?”  Nave points at a certain belt from your selection of clothes on the fitting room door.  From where he’s seated, he makes a great judge of your new outfits, and he’s always clapping and chittering gladly about how something looks on you. He stands up to pick up the belt and compares it with what you are wearing.  “Yes, this would go great with your style!  Let’s give it a shot, hm?”  You can’t deny his eagerness to see what the belt looks like, as you turn and go back into the changing room.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 If you’re transfem, Naven actually likes to help you with vocal training!  His voice is rather effeminate himself, so he has some tips on how he gets his voice sounding more like a woman’s.  (How does he have this knowledge?  You always forget to ask.)

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 If you’re transmasc, Naven likes giving you jobs that kind of makes you feel more ‘manly,’ as it were.  He’s the teacher that asks “are there any Strong Boys who like to carry these chairs? :)” except he picks out the girls (or repressed trans mascs) to help instead.  He really well and truly is a teacher.

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 If anyone, anyone, were to question whether you “really are” a certain identity… Oh, you should see the glare Naven gives them.  Despite his squinted eyes, his furrowed brow and tight frown really makes your blood run cold.  Trust that person will get a stern talking to later… Maybe a little more. ^^

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 Also entirely separate note if there are any artists out there PLEASE give Naven a cute long skirt i’m on my knees he deserves to be pretty PLEASEEE 🙏🧎

[phoebee2023]

Phoebee's Premium Pure Handbag Collection: Where Luxury Meets Compassion

In today’s fashion world, which is continually developing, Phoebee reflects progressive thinking with its newly released Premium Pure Handbag Collection. It does not just embody luxury but also sustainability which is the new direction that brands are taking in the fashion business.

Phoebee’s Choice of Cruelty-Free Elegance:

As underlined by the name, Phoebee’s Premium Pure handbag collection is fully dedicated to no cruelty, the elimination of which seems to be an ultimate goal today. Recently, Phoebee used the best material that imitates the kind of leather, which is used in luxury products but without using the lifeless animals, thereby showing society that there is beauty in luxury combined with being compassionate. Each handbag in this collection is a testament to the brand's ethos: which in its purity states that fashion should take not only you to the next level in terms of appearance but also in being an ethical person.

Use of Innovative Materials that make Phoebee stand out:

As for the Premium Pure line, one can notice the disclosure of the potential of Phoebee in the usage of a progressive vegan leather. From soft polyurethane to pineapple leaf and apple peel fabrics, these handbags like the previous ones are refined, durable and as stylish and hard-wearing as conventional leather and organic.

Phoebee’s Uncompromising Quality:

However, such handbags are not less gentle to animals whereas providing their owners only the highest quality of the accessories. Each of the elements of the fl pf the Premium Pure collection has to pass various trials in order to meet Phoebee’s requirements. This is true and this is because one cannot help but wonder how the brand has put so much effort in detailing the stitches, curves and even the finishing of all the bags they make and sell – one is thus tempted to argue that ethical fashion does not have to be expensive or unattractive in appearance.

Sustainability at Its Core

First of all, the Premium Pure range, cruelty free handbags, is also an example of Phoebee’s environmental responsibility. Therefore, buying a handbag from the Premium Pure collection is not just a simple buying of a product since it means being a part of the entire Phoebee experience.  

If you own a Phoebee Premium Pure handbag, it means you have chosen to be different and go with the classy and elegant way of life. It is a statement, one that represents your interest in animal welfare more so in fashion, your value for innovation and truth in the fact that luxury does not have to be arrived at through the suffering of innocent animals.

Conclusion:

The new collection of cruelty free handbags by Phoebee symbolizes a whole new direction in luxury fashion where people speak with their wallet as well as their looks. When you go for a Phoebee handbag, you are buying a lifestyle you are a representation of society that cherishes kindness, the finest and sustainability. In a world where everything is predestined, it is for you to level up your style and Choose Phoebee.

[theninjasanctuary]

It's a bit sad how little I've managed to post in May and June, considering I've mostly been having a good time, and it would be good to recap that so I can remember later.

Threw myself a late birthday garden party towards the end of May, when the apple trees were still in bloom, the weather was lovely, as were my friends and fam who showed up, and we had nice food and a good time. This also served as summer garden party season prep, finding all the gear, dusting it off, etc. And so it was pretty easy to set up the solstice celebration garden party yesterday - pretty low-key, but sweet, with lovely weather and lots of blooming peonies. The ones I planted last August are not blooming yet this year, just gaining strength and hopefully growing strong roots in all the good soil, perhaps I can hope for a few blossoms next summer?

Thought to myself that the current year seems to be pretty good to me, all things considered. I'm making decent amounts of money, work is going okay-ish, and I'm not super-stressed about my prospects at the moment, Mom's doing okay, keeping busy, taking care of her place and enjoying life, and can cat-sit when we travel. I'm aware all of this might not last, I'm obviously in line to be the primary caretaker should Mom's health decline, and I cannot be too certain about my career outlook. And, well, apparently my big brother's marriage is in crisis and the drama might spill over even though they live in a different country, so who knows, might not have the peaceful second half of the year I hoped for.

The work trip to NYC and New Haven went kind of well. I didn't get sick, which alone is a massive upgrade compared to the last time I went to the US. The flight experience was so-so; picking a seat yourself is now ridiculously expensive (40+ €, do fuck off with that, Finnair), so I went with randomly assigned seat each direction, and of course they were in the middle 4-seat section of the cabin. On the flight over, had the middle row 4 seats all to myself, which wasn't too bad, but on the way back, the plane was pretty full, and I'd been placed into the extra legroom row in one of the middle seats, and after boarding was completed, a random dude made a beeline for the empty middle seat next to me because of the extra legroom, so then I was sandwiched between him and a hefty lady for the entirety of the flight; I was fuming internally, but also exhausted, and somehow managed to sleep for most of the nearly 9 hours. Another grumble about Finnair, they've cut the meal service so you get one meal for the transatlantic flight, and then a round of coffee or tea with an option of buying snacks - and the selection is really unappealing. On the way over, I had packed a couple of snacks, which helped. The leg back home left 11ish in the evening, and the served a warm meal at midnight NYC time or early morning destination time, and loads of people actually refused that, probably without realizing this would be the only meal on offer, because transatlantic overnight flights always used to serve breakfast before. I woke up enough to eat, although the food was less than impressive. It's a good thing we'd had a decent dinner at a Thai restaurant before leaving for the airport.

I had a work friend on the same flights, staying at the same hotel, which was even better than I expected, since it turns out he's a bit of an alpha dog when it comes to travelling, does his homework, knows exactly where to go, etc. Usually I have to do all of that, so having someone else lead the way was an interesting change. And he's chill, and a foodie, so it was nice to have someone to go to dinner with. We didn't hang out the entire time though. I shopped a little bit and very blandly (this is highly on brand), but mostly spent time diligently visiting art museums. Spent an entire day at the Met, but I think even so I only saw about 70% of their display, and that's with just walking through a lot of the rooms. Overall, more relaxed and less anxious than previous trips to the US have made me. The last time I'd been to NYC was 10 years ago, and it was stressful, with a work friend who I've since confirmed dislikes me, so it felt good to get a do-over with far less worries.

Stayed in three hotels; the NYC one was the smallest and most expensive, but clean, neat and fine, and very conveniently located, I'd gladly go back. At New Haven, the first two nights were at a four-star hotel, and they gave me an upgrade (I'm assuming they were overbooked for standard rooms and had to bump some people up; I'm cute, well spoken and take the trouble to sign up to memberships, which presumably helps). So I had a plush corner room with two walls of windows and a giant bed all to myself, it was bigger than the first apartment the boyf and I rented together. And I ordered room service one night, too, fish tacos with finger limes, I think it was the best thing I ate all trip and my mouth waters just thinking about it. Had to move hotels for the final night to a three-star one, and that was a standard room, but also rather nice. My body was trying to sabotage the entire thing by rescheduling my period, and I actually managed to leak through a tampon & Uniqlo period panties whilst sleeping there - not much, and it was on the sheets, not mattress or duvet, so I had to do some very-early-morning, half-asleep emergency washing in the sink, but hey, an anxious overpacker like me had brought a tiny bottle of stain remover that's very effective against blood stains (it's been in my travel bathroom kit just in case for a while). So that was another example of a dreaded thing actually happening to me, and managing to deal with it and move on.

All three hotels had flattering bathroom mirrors. And then I came home and weighed myself and set a new record. OTL

And it would be nice to get the expenses paid on location refunded to me ASAP (submitting all the paperwork was a hassle, but I hope everything is acceptable).

[fomille]

Things to create Daily life Far More Convenient

At present, our everyday life revolve entirely around benefits. We reside in a time the location where the most recent head lines, song produces, and even our meals are reachable at the touch of a button. Yet still, there are numerous instances through the day when men and women request, “Can this be anymore convenient?”

The great news is it continues to be feasible, in such a way you aren’t conscious of. Better yet, these choices are as readily accessible since the newest year of your respective binge-undefinedseeing craze or possibly a Starbucks frosty produce delivery service.

Just about everyone has been out somewhere and had our phone’s battery die. Who would like to be a individual on public transportation who can’t pay attention to their best song or use their Google charts as their mobile phone battery pack passed away in an unfamiliar position? Easily transportable battery packs are an excellent way to keep your phone powered and much less likely to expire before you get home. Additionally, they’re easy to deal with, bring, and keep they are portable and lightweight, hence they in shape effortlessly within your backpack or wallets.

Make sure to always have a spare upon you so that there are no hiccups with your day-to-day pursuits. Many individuals carry around an The apple company observe battery power alternative answer offering them assurance while they are out contributing to. For instance,Convenient life you can get an increased-undefinedhigh quality battery alternative system at the shop with all the current required equipment.

Though meals are at the hands, it does not require you to buy it all the time. Numerous foods delivery service enterprises include invisible expenses that will make you unclear about what you will be paying for. Even though prepping foods at home looks to be a difficult process, you happen to be actually functioning better, not harder. Cooking in volume level enables you to get ready foods for the whole few days, and window boxes help it become very easy to measure, retail store, and carry your wonderful foods. They’re cooker, micro-wave, and dishwasher secure, are available in bundles, so you’ll not be simple.

Obtaining your secrets taken is an integral part of growing up that everybody should go through at some point in their lifestyles. Several essential essential misplacements are disconcerting, but fully avoidable. So, include keychain hooks inside your comfort collection as they are light in weight but extremely strong and long-undefinedlasting. You will find exams on some keychain hooks that reveal that the spring season clip might be closed or opened up over a thousand periods. With keychain hooks and keyrings, your tactics will no more tumble from your pocket. Make sure they are safe and secure by cutting these to your favorite handbag.

It may seem out from context, but dusting seems to be a simple process at first. That is certainly except if you recognize how dirt will go everywhere and how some items are simpler to clear than some other folks. For those who have window shades in your home, you happen to be surely mindful of this that window blinds and drapes are extremely excellent at getting dusty as well as becoming extremely hard to completely clean properly.

As opposed to losing a valuable dirt cushion or even a paper cloth, consider using a airborne dirt and dust remember to brush, particularly those which are developed especially for washing window shades. A long lasting and dependable duster must be made from great-undefinedlevel polyethylene and get three biceps and triceps which render it simple to take care of and manipulate in order to airborne dirt and dust your window shades one small space at any given time.

Producing your your bed after an stressful working day may seem like an Olympic activity for some people. But, to help make life easier for you, a mattress page band will help you to reduce a few of that anxiety by obtaining your bedding. Pins and fasteners must normally pierce the linens in which to stay spot. As opposed to wrecking your home bedding, merely cover this band over your linens to keep them searching nice and clean. The majority of these bed sheet bands are designed to place across the overall bed furniture. circumference of the mattress bed mattress, so you will will no longer should lift your mattress or group your sheets in the sides and become upset once they eventually tumble for the aspects.

related articles：

Does Modern Technologies Make Existence Easier

Things to help make Existence Far More Convenient

Does Modern Modern technology Make Daily life Less Complicated

[top-3-ipad-pro-issues-and-how-to]

Top 3 iPad Pro Issues and How to Fix Them In Ottawa | RCP-PLUS

Do you have a Mac iPad Expert and need to know how to fix the most well-known issues? You’re in good company. That is the reason we arranged this manual for assist you with settling issues tormenting a ton of iPad Ace clients.

The Mac iPad Star line is Macintosh’s best line of iPads to date. The principal iPad was at that point noteworthy when it turned out in 2010, surprising the world. Macintosh has accomplished something amazing throughout the long term, emerging with new iPads that take customers leap in line to buy the new, progressive elements.

In any case, each new component has its issues and the iPad Ace is the same. While indeed, a profoundly proficient gadget can work like a little PC for essential processing undertakings, it is flawed. We’re making it our obligation to assist you with speeding past the normal issues you could experience with your Mac iPad Expert.

1. The iPad Ace Closes Somewhere around Itself

Your Macintosh iPad Expert closing down without you successfully make it happen could be a consequence of maybe one or two issues. It very well may be on the grounds that the iPad is running excessively hot and is attempting to save itself from harm by having some time off and closing down. Your battery could likewise require supplanting or it very well may be because of different iOS update bugs.

Instructions to Fix It Arrangement 1: Assuming you run requesting applications for extensive stretches of time, it’d be great in the event that you can work some place that is cold to help your iPad Master direct its own temperature without closing down. This doesn’t mean you want to set the indoor regulator to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, simply ensure your iPad isn’t sitting in that frame of mind for a really long time.

While the iPad Genius is fit for running requesting applications when contrasted with other iPads like iPad Little, Air, and iPad, it’s as yet not designed to run weighty burden figuring applications for significant stretches.

Arrangement 2: Have your battery looked at. The most reasonable justification of any battery-controlled device closing somewhere near itself is a broken battery. Luckily, it’s quite easy to get Macintosh to swap your battery for an expense or without charge in the event that your iPad Star is under guarantee. You can likewise contact your nearby auto shop to allow them to really look at your battery for indications of disintegration and have them trade it for you.

Arrangement 3: Stay up with the latest. Apple watches out for normal programming issues and consistently sends programming refreshes for clients. Ensure your iPad is cutting-edge, running the most up to date programming and you ought to have less troubles. Assuming that the issue continues, you’ll need to connect with Apple’s help lines to get individual help.

2. Your iPad Genius Can’t Interface with Wi-Fi Organizations

On the off chance that your iPad Genius can’t associate with Wi-Fi networks at home, in your office, or at collaborating spaces, the issue might accompany the actual gadget and not various switches. In the event that you end up experiencing difficulty associating with Wi-Fi networks anyplace you go, it’s an indication to have your gadget looked at by Mac or your nearby iPad fix specialist co-op.

Sort It Out Going to the specialists is the best arrangement, particularly on the off chance that your Wi-Fi settings aren’t turned gray out and can recognize networks you can’t interface with. This can mean the issue lies with the iPad Ace’s parts, and having it looked at by experts would answer your most squeezing Wi-Fi questions.

3. The iPad Genius Isn’t Charging

Do you end up stopping your lightning link in and out before you hear the particular Apple charging sound? Or on the other hand does your iPad Star take ages to get completely energized? These two things can be the impact of many issues with both your iPad Master and charger.

The Fix Arrangement 1: The most important phase in any investigating is separating the issue. To start with, attempt to utilize various chargers on your iPad Genius. On the off chance that it doesn’t work, your iPad Genius has an issue. Assuming that you’ve attempted various chargers and they work, it’s the link you normally accuse of.

Arrangement 2: Your battery is kicking the bucket. In a real sense. The best way to fix a perishing battery is to get it supplanted with a new one. Assuming that your iPad Master is still under guarantee, you can get your battery traded for less at Macintosh. If not, it very well may be less expensive to get your neighborhood iPad auto shop to supplant your battery.

Last Considerations Unfortunately, you’ve arrived at the finish of our short however keen aide. We trust this assisted you and that you can now distinguish any issues with your iPad Genius. Recall that while Do-It-Yourself projects are fun, it’s ideal to take your iPad Star to your nearby auto shop and have the specialists fix the issue.

[hocotech-rosebay]

How Long Does A Screen Replacement Take For A MacBook? 

Many tech users' first choice is the fast and light MacBook Pro. This kind of device must be handled very carefully when moving from one place to another. The laptops may slip and hit on the ground while causing damage to the screen. The product of Apple, MacBook Pro is considered to be a very expensive product and you may think a lot of money needs to be paid for repair. There are options to replace the MacBook Pro screen that cost you less than buying a new Mac. After getting your screen replaced, your Macbook will look as good as new. 

A high number of repair requests

There are many reputable repair centres which are very much busy and the expert technicians are not always available. Therefore you have to wait for a few hours to get your Macbook back after handling other users’ requests also. Macbook screen replacement in Bondi will be made by the experts after making an appointment. It will help you to skip others and get the screen replaced on time. 

Authentic Apple Screen not available

There may be a situation when the repair centre does not have any genuine Apple screen for replacements. You have to make the pre-order as per your specification for the screen replacement. Laptop screen replacement in Bondi will be possible after receiving the original Apple screen and the repair can begin. Therefore you have to wait until the stock gets to the repair shop. 

Other kinds of damages

There are other types of components present in the MacBook Pro which may also get damaged with the screen. It will be taking a few diagnostic tests for determining any kind of damage before the Macbook screen replacement in Bondi is done. The professionals will provide an estimated cost for the whole repair process of the MacBook Pro. 

Summary:

Most of the MacBook Repair centres take more than 24 hours for the screen replacement. The technicians will inform you about any other damages and how long it will take. A clear understanding of the process to replace the screen in a MacBook becomes a manageable task. The authorised service providers are available to make your years of enjoyment with MacBook pro.

[vapeflavours4]

Elf Bar BC5000 Flavors Disposable Vape Online In India

The Elf Bar BC5000 is the first disposable vape pen to be launched in India. The Elf Bar BC5000 is a disposable e-cigarette with no refills or cartridges to replace. This disposable vape pen is also known as the Elf Bar BC5000 mini Vape Pen. The Elf Bar BC500 has been designed by Bioscience Corporation, USA and manufactured in China. The Elf Bar BC500 is not an e-liquid based device but uses a dry herb cartridge that contains 5% nicotine salt based solution (nicotine level of 0.5mg). The dry herb cartridge can be used with any dry herb vaporizer or electronic cigarette which supports 510 threading. This makes it one of the most versatile vaporizers in India right now.

The elf bar bc5000 flavors disposable vape is a product that consists of a battery and a heating element which looks like a cigarette but it doesn’t have any tobacco or nicotine content. The Elf Bar BC5000 is a disposable vape that uses e-liquid. It comes pre-filled with e-liquid, which means that it’s easy to use and mess-free. You can use it on the go without worrying about spilling liquid everywhere. 

It comes in a variety of flavors and strengths, so you can choose what works best for you. For example, if you want something with more nicotine, then go for the “Strong” version. If you want something with less nicotine, then go for the “Light” version. If you want something fruity, then go for one of the fruit flavors like strawberry or mango! You can even find other options like bubble gum or chocolate!

The Elf Bar BC500 comes in two different flavours - Apple Cinnamon Candy and Vanilla Custard. The Elf Bar BC500 is available only on Amazon India as of now so make sure you grab yours before they run out!  Vaping has become very popular among the youth. People are getting hooked to this new way of enjoying nicotine. The Elf Bar BC5000 flavors Disposable vape Online In India is one such product that is gaining popularity in the market. It is a disposable e-cigarette that comes with five different flavors and may be used by anyone who wants to enjoy vaping but does not want to go through the process of buying and maintaining an e-cigar.

The Elf Bar BC5000 flavors Disposable vape Online In India is an ideal product for people who want to try out vaping but don’t want to spend money on expensive e-cigarettes that need regular maintenance and charging. This disposable e-cigar can be used once before it becomes useless because of its non rechargeable nature and inability to hold charge for long hours. But if you are looking for something cheap and easy then this could be your best choice.

If you are looking for a disposable e-cigarette then you have landed at the right place. We have a wide range of elf bar bc5000 flavors disposable vapes to choose from. Our products are available at affordable prices and come with a 100% money back guarantee in case of any issues with your order.

Happy Trail offers the best quality products at affordable prices. You can choose from a wide range of products including e-cigarettes, dry herb vaporizers, wax pens, and more. The products will help you get rid of smoking habits and get into vaping for good.

[mythiccheroacademia]

Hey!! Could we please get more sugar daddy fics with a black reader ofc 😋 idk if you've done shoto already but that'd be nice or hawks and deku💕

A/N: “wrist on glitter, waist on thinner, imma show you how to bag a eight-figure nigga” 👅💋 I enjoyed this way too much

All characters are 18+

Warnings: it got a lil spicy so imma put the line 

Todoroki Shouto:

this mf has money to burn 

we all know todoroki came out the womb w cash from his hair to his ass 

he’s on some “yes, jeff bezos knows me” type shit so if you’re tryna end up with someone that’s gonna possibly buy you a house, he’s your guy 

he slid into your dms after you posted a pic with your skin moisturized and glistening under golden hour and your body had him wanting to run laps 

he had been plottin on you for a min but never got the motivation to do something about it until then

he’s a no strings attached type of sugar daddy

todoroki is a big name even outside of hero work and he’s well aware of all the people that have tried to use him. so instead of letting that happen, he’s decided to do things on his own terms 

when yall first started talking, he questioned you like this was managerial position at apple 💀 

best believe he ran an in-depth background check and made you sign an NDA 💀💀💀

he was a tough one

but you passed w flying colors and y’all settled on an arrangement

you have a weekly allowance that hits your bank account every saturday with some bonuses that he’ll give you depending on how the week goes

todoroki isnt needy nor is he one to be all up in your business 

it’s actually weird in an endearing kind of way? 

he only wants to have conversations with you 

i mean, dont get me wrong, he’s up for anything you are

todoroki would be a liar if he said he never ended some nights with a picture of you and a hand down his pants 

but that’s not what he’s mainly looking for 

you figure out very quickly that shouto just wants someone to talk to 

he’ll randomly hit up your phone and have a 30 min convo about something like the weather or hero politics, and then he’ll dip

next thing you know, you got $1000 in your cashapp

you kind of panicked bc like...wtf? 

your dumb ass messaged him: “did you mean to send $1000?”

sis, dont put a question mark where God put a period

him: “Yes.”

and that was the end of that

you dont question anymore

he’s not doting in any kind of way, and sometimes you lowkey think he forgets about you, but you still get your allowance 

doesn’t send a lot of gifts unless you explicitly state you want something

he doesnt text back a lot, but he tried to respond when he can

but i do see him liking it when you send him mundane things you do throughout your day, like pics of cookies you baked, or a cool plant you saw at home depot

and he enjoys the times you and him end up just trashing his father for nearly an hour. expect to find flowers, with some expensive ass coats or something at your door the next morning 

he really fucks w your laid back vibe 

sometimes he forgets you guys arent really supposed to be friends 

Takami Kiego (Hawks):

this is not hawks’ first time being a sugar daddy

he’s hot, rich, and one of the most eligible bachelor’s in japan with a life that prevents him from having anything too serious

so, long story short, he’s a veteran at this 

he used to be the type to reach out to instagram baddies but he had a couple bad run-ins and decided to stick with the official sites because it was a lot more secure on both ends 

the funny thing was, you set up your account a long time ago as a joke. though at one point, you did take it seriously, but you came in contact with a lot of super creepy men that sexualized you for your skin and ethnicity. 

you were tired of the “chocolate king/queen” and “amazonian god/dess” comments,so you took a break. you didnt have much activity since

so imagine youre surprise when the #2 hero hit your line talking about some 

“Hey~ I’ll get straight to the point. I think you’re beautiful and I’d like to talk with you about an arrangement” 

you thought this was a fake account, but after he chatting for a little and sending some pictures, you knew he was the real deal 

hawks is your standard tit-for-tat transaction sugar daddy

he’s the type to hit you up at night with a “how ya doing, dove? got any pics for me?”

he’s good about his respect ad won’t do anything out of line

it’s the bare minimum, be he doesnt fetishize you so that’s always nice 

however, he does make you call him daddy, sir, etc. whether it’s through text, call, or when y’all get together for...reasons

ngl his dicc game is fire

he might ghost you for a week or so but he’ll always come back with a nice check to make up for it 

just be careful about catching feelings bc he’s so fucking smooth. he makes you feel like you’ve got his heart, but dont fall for that shit

if you think you can “change him” or fuflfil whatever wattpad romance fantasy lives in your head, he is not your guy. you better get on w your life before you get your heart broken

he’s here to suck, fuck, send pics, do a little phone call here n there, send some money, and go 

if you’re not with all that, you might as well dip 

but if you’re cool with that, rest assured, you’re gonna be living your best mf life with this man in your wallet 

and good news, you might not be his only, but you are his favorite

there’s just something about you that’s got him giving you a few extra thousand than he normally does 

he doesnt take his sugar babies on proper dates bc he’s gotta stay away from media outlets, but he will invite you to his office for a “lunch break”

if you ever surprise him with a cute but sexy hawks cosplay, you won’t have to work for two whole weeks bc you cant walk  

overall, he’s a good sugar daddy. defintely good for your pockets and any other non-romantic desires you want fulfilled

Mirodirya Izuku:  

the way you two met and came to this arrangement was more or less an accident

the life of the number one pro-hero was lonely and stressful 

he’s tried to dip his toes in the water here and there, but it never worked out because not many people could deal with the fact that he’d always put hero work first

he was teetering on the edge of signing up for one of those sugar daddy/baby websites until he met you at some cafe he passed by 

it’s cliche really. you were his server and, honestly? he was hooked on day one 

he watched you intently as you pranced around in your cute uniform. he couldnt stop admiring your brown skin and eyes and how cute your hair was. you spoke with such enthusiasm and cheerfulness that he couldnt help but swoon. and it didn’t hurt that you were very easy on the eyes

he listened to you as you went on a spiel about how college was a fortune and how you stayed up last night for a project bc you had to pick up extra shifts

that’s when he made his decision

by the time the hero is out of the door, you collected the reciept and almost fainted when you realized he left you a $500 tip and his personal number 

“i enjoyed talking to you today and i hope we can continue that...here’s something small to help with your bills. and i hope this isnt too forward but you’re very beautiful. stay safe. deku.”

and what did you do that night?

you called his ass right back

you were nervous as hell bc you still couldnt believe this was real, but after talking on the phone with him for two hours, an arrangement was set

midoriya is the most gentlemen like sugar daddy out there 

you wake up to good morning texts and a few hundred in your bank account almost every two days 

he goes crazy over your insta posts. and if you wear something green? expect a bonus

takes you out shopping unprovoked 

izuku: “are you busy? i saw you were having a rough week and was wondering if you wanted to go to that new outlet mall downtown”

you: 🏃🏾‍♀️💨  

you most certainly had homework due that night but what tf you look like missing out on that offer? 

it’s after so many “dates” that deku realizes that he prefers hanging around you more than he should but he doesnt wanna ruin anything so he keeps that underwraps 

he’s the idiot that goes into this thinking he won’t fall in love

deku defintely has some dirty thoughts about you but he doesnt try to bring it up unless you do first

if you’re comfortable with anything nsfw, you gone see a whole different side to izuku

he’s a giver, giver, giver, but when he recieves, he just about loses it

send him “innocent” pics of yourself matched with a string of filthy texts and he’ll combust 

when you send him pics of yourself in deku-themed lingre, he deadass sends you a whole black card with your name on it as a thank you

you guys get very comfortable with each other very quickly

soon enough, DA’s start turning into y/n stayng over for a week 

you both realize this relatiosnhip runs a lot deeper than an arrangement when he accidentally let it slip that he told his mom about you 

he’s profusely apologizing but you shut him up with a kiss and tell him that you’ve kinda caught feelings yourself 

your next conversation works out well for the both of you 

[weirdthinkingdragon]

Welcome To The Family (4/???)

1/ 2/ 3 here

Note- This festival is a different one than the festival arc.  Sorry if the ending seems kinda sudden. Didn’t really know how to end it. 

--------------------------------------------------------------

I’m unsure what time exactly they will be here. They probably should have told me that before, now that I think about it. Luckily, everyone is passed out by sunrise so that’s not an issue of them seeing who is in the vehicle. My issue is them possibly entering here, so I should probably wait outside. 

On my way to get outside, I run into the mold-quirked male. He’s passed out on the floor in the hall. His really long, oddly-textured white hair sprawled everywhere around him. I’ve never touched it, but just by looking at it, the hair seems weird. It looks like what fuzzy mold possibly feels like if that makes sense. Makes me wonder if his hair IS mold. Gross, no thanks. 

I wonder whether to wake him or let him sleep. I decided to just let him sleep and walk over his body. 

Exiting the building, it was like there was never loud music blaring, or even a party. No mess anywhere. That must be how they get away with it. 

I brought my money with me to play a few games, but nothing extreme. Of course, I should be safe around three heroes, but not taking any chances is still the better option than bringing all of it. 

It only takes a few minutes for the familiar black car to pull up. Being texted they were on their way would have been nice, but beggars can’t be choosers. Hitoshi exits the car for me to get in. 

I’m greeted by the very happy smile of Eri. That will never be a tiring sight to see. I buckle up and lean over since her arms are outstretched for a hug. 

From the view of Aizawa in the front, he’s dressed decently today, and even his hair looks much tidier than I’ve ever seen it. The same for the first time he’s wearing something besides his hero outfit. No doubt Hizashi made him do it, or even more likely he did it for Aizawa himself. He still has that scarf though. I resist the urge to laugh at the thought of him unwillingly being tidied up by Hizashi. 

In speaking of Hizashi, I’ve never seen his hair not standing up before. It’s a good look in the half-bun, but I wonder what it would look like fully down. Nope, don’t think too far into that. That’s kinda weird. 

“Morning Y/N!” Hizashi exclaims. 

“Morning guys! What’s planned first when we get there?”

“Eri wants to get a candy apple. She loves them after last time.”

I look at her. “Candy apples? Why did you never tell me? We could have made those at some point before.” 

“It should be more of a treat than a daily thing,” Aizawa says. 

“Says the one who pretty much lives off jelly pouches,” Hizashi informs.

“Like you’re much better with forgetting sometimes to eat at all.” Aizawa shoots back at him. 

Jelly pouches? How in the world is he still in such great shape then? Obviously fighting and training often helps, but that sounds like multiple deficiencies just waiting to happen. Same with Hizashi. Jeez, these two seem rather irresponsible sometimes. At least they’re focused on their kids since I’ve never heard Eri telling me they forgot to feed her. 

“You know how to make them?” Hitoshi asks. 

I look at him and nod. “Yep. I helped a friend in the past who was in a candy apple tournament with their other friends. Whoever could make the coolest-looking ones wins. They sadly got second place, but to me, galaxy apples look a lot cooler than the tree candy apples that won. You couldn’t even bite the top of the silly things without breaking your teeth!” 

Eri gasps and puts a hand on her mouth in the thought of breaking her teeth. 

“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t make them even if I could.”

She nods relieved. 

We get to the festival and Hizashi finds somewhere to park the car. 

Walking around, I could swear we passed a few familiar faces to me. The games are rather interesting and pull me towards them, but we can go to them later since Eri wants a candy apple. 

I notice Hizashi and Aizawa refraining from holding hands though they seem to want to. I try to come up with a reason for why that might be. Not very likely they’d be recognized by villains since they look like entirely different people. Hmm… Obviously, Hitoshi and Eri wouldn’t care. 

The only other thing I can think of is their students. Of course, their students might be able to recognize them. Did they not tell their students they’re married or something? I know Midoriya wouldn’t care since I met him, but maybe there are a few in his class that wouldn’t be too open-minded about it? It’s not my place, whatever is the cause. I do feel a little bad though they can’t act normally. 

Hizashi suddenly stops, making the rest of us stop, and pulls out his phone. He reads something with a frown forming on his face. He pockets it and looks at me. “Yo, Y/n? Could ya hang out with Hitoshi and Eri alone for a bit? Sho and I gotta go take care of something that came up.” 

Hero work I’m guessing. Poor guys, they really can’t seem to catch a break. “Of course!” 

They both then run back in the direction we came from. I look at Eri and Hitoshi. “Well, should we continue looking?” 

Eri happily nods.

Hitoshi goes in front of me with Eri, probably leading the way since he seems to know where they are. I stay rather close behind them so no one gets between us and we lose each other from how crowded it seems to be in this area. 

Over the music, I can swear I hear tiny explosions quickly getting louder, and maybe closer? Coming from behind me. I turn around to see people clearing from behind me to show an angry blond coming up incredibly quickly. Explosions crackling from his hands. His feral glaring face was enough to put so much fear in me that I freeze in my place. I clench my eyes closed and wait for an impact that no doubt is going to be painful.

“Kacchan, stop! They’re Eri’s babysitter!!!” A very familiar voice yells to the blond in front of me. 

He stops with one of his hands millimeters from my face. I can hear the sizzling and feel the heat radiating off of it onto my face. I slowly open my eyes to meet his still-glaring ones. 

… Isn’t he one of Aizawa’s and Hizashi’s students? I think he was one farther in the back frowning in the picture I saw on my first day. 

In the blink of an eye, Hitoshi slightly pulls me back, and stands in front of me, preventing the blond from coming close again. Midoriya is running up to us as well. He tries to cheer me up by giving me a kind wave. It does little to help my still-panicked state. 

Eri hugs me by my side in worry. I feel like fainting. 

The blond becomes slightly less tense at realizing she’s hugging me.

“Hah? How the hell was I supposed to know with the way the damn extra was following so closely?”

“Uh… Kacchan, I don’t think Shinsou would be so open for attacks…” 

The blond glares at him like Midoriya is the dumbest person on the planet. He refused to reply, and just storms off. 

Midoriya looks at me and smiles sheepishly with one of his hands behind his head. “So sorry about that! Kacchan can be rather… headstrong when villains might be involved.”

I just shakily nod. “Uh… y-yeah, good first impression.” 

Hitoshi’s face grows into one of great worry, and I think some anger. He puts one of his arms behind my back as a sort of comfort and support. Surprisingly, it helps a little bit. 

“I think I need to sit down for a moment.” 

“There should be some benches not too far from here,” Midoriya informs, and we get there after a bit. Miraculously, one of them was empty. I sit down with Hitoshi to the left of me. Eri sits on my right, clearly struggling in trying to figure out how to help.

Midoriya stands at my right, in front of Eri’s spot. He seems to be in thought for a moment. “Togata has a surprise the next time we come over. He found a new dress he wants you and Eri to judge.”

That sunshine adult makes me end up smiling slightly. Shinsou seems a bit annoyed at the mention of the kind blond. “Aw, that means Eri and I will have to make him another tiara so it will match his new dress.” 

“I hope it’s poofy!” Eri chimes in. 

I smile at her. “What color do you think it will be? Maybe it will be green! We should have one where we all wear green to match your tea set!” 

Her eyes shine in excitement at the idea. 

“I uh, I guess I have that covered,” Midoriya says. 

“You know you don’t HAVE to wear a dress, right? I bet you’d look great in a green suit too! Ooh! You could be the beloved butler!” 

“I think I’ll just stick with the dress I have… It was so awkward telling my mom about it back when I got it. I don’t know if I could ask her to buy something else too.” 

Hitoshi gets a message on his phone and pulls it out. I’m too focused on Midoriya and Eri. Going on that idea of Togata helped calm me down greatly. 

“That’s understandable. Suits can be rather expensive.”

“Midoriya?” Hitoshi suddenly pipes up. 

“Yeah, Shinsou?”

“You might want to run. Ashido knows you’re here and wants to give you more dance lessons.”  

His eyes widen fearfully, and he takes off while looking around. 

“I didn’t get to hug him…” Eri says rather disappointedly. 

“What’s wrong with dance lessons?” I question.

He has a rather large grin on his face. It kind of creeps me out a bit. How can someone be such a perfect combination of two adults that aren’t blood-related to them? “He usually doesn’t mind them, but recently they got struck with a personality-changing quirk. They became sterner than my dad.” It was easy to tell which dad he meant. 

Just thinking of someone even more serious and stern than him is terrifying. I bet Aizawa isn’t too happy to be stuck dealing with that. 

Hitoshi also seems rather relieved Midoriya has left. Wonder what’s up with that. 

I look at Eri. “Well, why don’t we continue to find your candy apple now that things are a little more settled?” 

She nods, and the three of us stand up. 

It doesn’t take long to find them. They look rather unappealing compared to my friend’s homemade, but I’m not going to bring that up.

After Hitoshi gives it to her, she looks at it for a second, then looks at me. “What is your favorite jewel?” That’s an odd question out of nowhere. Then again, maybe the hard shell makes her think of rocks?  

“Why do you want to know?” 

She shrugs. “They’re so pretty. I like the red ones!”

Red like the candy apple? How cute. I tell her my favorite.  

Hitoshi pulls out his phone and texts someone again. “Something is holding our parents up. It might be at least a few hours before they return.” 

I feel rather bad for them for that. Being a hero is something I thank them for daily, but it must be so exhausting not being able to spend time with your family… 

“Okay. What should we do then? I don’t think we should do any rides for now from Eri eating.”

Hitoshi shrugs. “The only thing we really can do is games unless there’s a different food you’re interested in getting here.”

I shake my head in reply. 

Eri gently tugs at my clothes with her free hand. I look at her and she points at a prize in the shooting game. It’s a stuffed animal of my favorite creature. It’s also my favorite color, and even has a rather similar eye color to mine. Huh, what are the chances of that? 

The game seems simple enough. Hitoshi notices what Eri is pointing at, and smirks at me. He crosses his arms. “Are you going to try first?” 

I get the attention of the person behind the counter and pay, having them give me the corks. I load it and take another quick look at Hitoshi with a smirk myself. “Well, what does it look like? And I’m going to be the one that gets it for her!” 

He teasingly huffs with a roll of his eyes. “Sure you will.”

I look back towards the prize and focus my aim. 

… It misses. Not by much, but my aim is a little too high and too far to the right. 

“You missed.” His tone isn’t condescending in any way. 

“Yeah, yeah. I still have two tries.” 

Looking again, I aim slightly down and more to the left. 

… It missed again, but much closer this time. It’s the right height, but now I have it too far to the left. 

“You missed, again.”

“Hush, you.” I don’t even have to look at him to know he has an enormous smirk forming on his face. I’ll show you!

I force my breathing to slow, focus a little longer, move just a tad to the right...

… Yes! I got it! 

The person goes over and grabs it, giving it to me. I then give it to Eri which gives her an enormous smile on her face. 

I give Hitoshi an “I-told-you-so” face. 

“I would have gotten it on my first try.” 

“Sure you would have.” 

“Next time I’ll show you.” 

“Mhm, whatever you say, Hitoshi.”

After that, we did a few more games and ended up going on a few of the rides. It was rather difficult due to Eri being too small for them. She was a little saddened by that, so I told her maybe she will be able to next year.

Hitoshi and I also ended up getting hungry at one point, so we bought some snacks. After taking a bite of what I bought, I look at the time. Surprisingly, about four hours have passed. I don’t think taking care of a villain should take this long, right? Maybe they got ambushed?

Don’t think about it. They’re pros. They should be able to handle anything. 

In speaking of them, a message from Hizashi pops up on my phone. “Just about done here! Was a rather bad ambush, but we’re good! Gotta clear up a few more things, then we’ll be on our way!” 

He put us in a group chat. Hitoshi is in it, and I’m guessing the other is Aizawa. He reads the message as well. 

Eri is still playing around with her new stuffed animal. 

“Should we do the same rides when your parents come?”

He shakes his head. “They will probably be rather tired when they return. Hizashi wanted to ride the Ferris Wheel with all of us more than anything.”

Why does that seem so accurate for him? “Really? The Ferris Wheel out of everything?”

He shrugs. “My other dad doesn’t really care. He’d rather sleep, but we all know Hizashi wouldn’t allow that.” 

I laugh. “He seems like the type.”

A chill suddenly goes down my spine. Why do I feel like someone is watching us? Hitoshi notices my discomfort, and goes on alert, scanning the crowd around us. He doesn’t seem to see anything concerning. He pulls out his phone and quickly texts someone again, constantly glancing around. 

“Don’t mean to be intrusive, but who are you texting?” 

“My dads. I’m telling them to hurry up.” 

Again, I feel bad for the two grown men. “It shouldn’t be too much of a problem. It’s probably just someone thinking they know me or something.” 

He frowns. “Not taking any chances.” 

I guess that makes sense. “If it’s such a problem, why don’t we find Midoriya to be with us again? I’m sure-”

“No.” He cuts me off. He was rather firm on saying it. 

… No? I thought they were on good terms? “Are you two not on the best terms anymore or something? You don’t seem to want him around.”

“If there is someone watching, it would be better for a student in the top class to not be involved. It could make you a bigger target if your feeling of being watched is correct.” 

Didn’t think of that. It still seems kind of like a ridiculous claim though. After all, Hizashi is a very well-known hero, so what difference would that make between Midoriya being with us or an adult?

 I decided to just brush it off. 

---------------------------------------

Whatever Hitoshi told them must have worked, since they arrived and found us at what must have been a record-breaking speed. 

“Hey guys, you got here quick!”

“Well, we couldn’t let you three have all the fun now, could we?” 

“Speak for yourself.” Aizawa tiredly mumbles. They’re wearing the same outfits they did earlier. I wonder if Hizashi was recognized during his fight. I have a feeling they keep their weapons in the trunk of their car just in case they get called. 

I look at Eri and notice her yawn. I then look back up to Aizawa. “Looks like you’re not the only one that’s tired.” 

He looks at her with the tiniest smile as she yawns again. “Fine. Just a few rides, then we go home.” 

We end up on a few of the rides Eri can go on. I still don’t feel comfortable around Aizawa, so I try my best to sit with Hitoshi and Eri. 

Hizashi keeps looking around as we go on a few of the rides. He tries to be more stealthy about it, but he’s failing at it greatly. Aizawa seems like he couldn’t care less. I should have just ignored it since now I feel like I’m ruining the rides for them for the imaginary odd feeling. 

We decided the very last ride to be the Ferris Wheel. “You guys should go ahead. I’ll wait down here for you.” I inform them. Three out of the four of them look at me like I just grew another head. “What? It will be too tight a squeeze otherwise.” Hizashi just shakes his head and grabs me by one of my wrists to come with. 

The feeling multiplied after he grabbed my wrist, making me forcefully stop and look behind me. He stops as well, looking in the same direction.

��That’s another thing! We can’t just leave you alone down here if someone’s watchin’ ya! C’mon!”

He drags me into the line for it with the others. Luckily, there wasn’t much of a wait. I can’t believe it’s sunset already. I also can’t believe I’m stuck going on it with them. 

We all get into the cart, and I try to sit down with Eri and Hitoshi. Hizashi grabs my wrist again, having me sit between him and Aizawa. It’s a rather tight fit with my thighs and sides being pressed on theirs. This is rather uncomfortable, and definitely something I did NOT sign up for as a sitter… 

At least the sight is beautiful to see with the sun shining brightly to the right side of us. Eri leans against Hitoshi and closes her eyes, hugging her new stuffed animal close. It stays quiet between all of us for a bit. Hizashi slips his arm behind my shoulders, making me tense. I decided he must be trying to give us a bit more room. 

“Sorry for not bein’ around much today to hang out with. Tell ya what, why don’t you join us next Sunday for dinner as an apology?” 

My eyes narrow in thought. “An apology for what? You guys couldn’t help it. It happens.”

He shakes his head. “Come on, we already cleared our schedules for it. It would be heartbreaking if you say no!” 

“But I was planning on hanging out with my friends next Sunday… Why not the Sunday after that?” 

“Just go with it. Having him change his mind is impossible.” 

I mentally sigh. “Fine. But the Sunday after, I won’t be coming. I WILL spend my day with them then, so please don’t invite me into anything.” 

I could swear Hizashi frowns disappointingly at the news, but his face becomes a smile before I can put much thought into it. “Great! Be sure to wear somethin’ at least a little fancy, okay? We’re going somewhere special! Oh! And we’ll pick ya up again!” 

“Okay…” was my only reply.

[deliciousangelfestival]

Wicked Romance

Chapter 3

Character : Mob!Steve Rogers x Retired Assassin Female Reader

Summary : Steve was hoping to meet the right one until he met her. But is he ready to be with her? He thought his life already dark because of his job. He wouldn’t able to find a woman that strong enough to face the hardship to stand beside him. Turn out his life is nothing compared to her. 

Warning : No smuts, since I don’t know how to write it. Peace y’all. 

Today (Y/N) drive Peter to his workplace; the business still close, but Wanda wants him to come to discuss which recipe they should use for the grand re-opening.

Usually, Peter use his bike to go to work. But (Y/N) offers to use her car since she’s also going out.

Peter notices a big back on her backseat. “Where are you going?”

“My friend needs my help.”

“Hmm.” He was silent if (Y/N) mention ‘help’ means including guns, explosions, and deadly battle.

“Who’s your friend?”

(Y/N) felt nervous, she bit her lips. “John Wick…??” She answered him with questions because she knew he doesn’t like it when dealing with underworld stuff.

The atmosphere suddenly became quiet.

She felt nervous because he became quiet. “Are you mad? Don’t worry Bambi, I’ll be back before you know it.”

She glanced a bit to see his reaction wondering if he’s mad. Well, she’s right cause Peter’s head is looking out his window and he already put on his earphones. (Y/N) sighed inwardly, she couldn't help it when her former comrade asked for her help.

Their ride was silent until her car stopped at Peter's destination. From her view, she could see the restaurant almost done with the renovation. The worker put in new furniture and chandeliers.

“Have a good day Peter.” (Y/N) rests her on the steering wheels; she smiles sweetly at Peter, but he still give her a cold shoulder.

She doesn’t like it when he ignores her, so when he gets out of the car and closes the door, (Y/N) open the car window and screams, "Bye, I love you!!!"

Honestly, he didn’t play any song to his ears; he only put it on just for show because it’s too early to argue with (Y/N). How shocked he was when he heard her sudden shout. 

Peter was embarrassed because there are many people in front of the store and pedestrians right now. All eyes and giggle are directed to him; he pulled down the hoodie to hide his face.

(Y/N) giggled like a maniac, she shouted again, “Peter, I won’t go until you say it back!!”

Peter huffed before turning around and ran to the car again. “Love you too, don’t get killed and don’t ruin your new carpet with blood this time.” After he said that, he ran into the building. He wishes he could dig a hole and hide right now.

(Y/N) feels satisfied after knowing he’s talking to her again. She drove the car, heading to her battleground.

.

.

.

When Peter stepped inside, he saw his colleague chuckled when they looked at him. He tries to act cool and walks towards Wanda table.

Peter felt a big shadow covering him; it made him stop walking. He glanced through his shoulder and saw his boss, Sam, Steve, and Bucky, looking at him with a weird smile.

“Ehm, can I help you sir?” Peter's shoulder became tense; he has never been this close with them.

Bucky put his arms around Peter’s shoulder. “Have you had breakfast Peter?”

“Yea… Waiitt….” Before Peter could finish his answer, Bucky carried his body like a potato sack.

Peter doesn’t understand why he got treated like this. They enter the private room that is only reserved for the elite patron.

Bucky drops Peter to the seat while Sam offers the kid an apple juice. Steve is standing in front of him.

“That was a nice car Peter.”

A light bulb appears in front of Peter; he could figure out what they will ask him about (Y/N).

Peter is right; three of them are curious even before they heard a woman shout towards Peter.

Why?

Because of the car.

Today (Y/N) drove using her car of the day, which is a Lamborghini Aventador.

Even the sound of the car engine made everyone turn their head to see it—no exception for Steve, Bucky, and Sam.

####

Before Peter arrived.

Steve, Bucky and Sam, are already at the restaurant to supervise the working progress. They were heading out after making sure everything was fine until they heard a loud engine sound.

How surprised they were when they saw Peter step out from the car. Steve could see it was a woman who drove the car.

“Hmm, Peter usually drove a bike here.” Said Pietro, who joined them.

“He acts like a poor kid turned out he’s rich.”

They are still looking outside, trying to see who the driver is. Lucky for them the car window rolled down.

Steve almost popped out his eyes when he saw the woman he was longing to meet is the car owner.

“Hmm is that Miss Lilly?” Pietro recognised his favourite customer. His hunch was correct all this time; Peter and she knew each other.

“Bye, I love you!!!”

The adult male gasped when they heard her shout towards Peter.

“Oh my god, Peter is a sugar baby and Miss Lily is his sugar mama.” Pietro gasped.

Steve knocked the bartender's head lightly. “Go help your sister.” Pietro rolled his eyes and left to help Wanda.

Bucky looked at Steve, who had a jealous expression on his face. “Ask the kid.” He knew his friend had been looking for the mysterious girl for weeks, but they found nothing. It turns out the one who gives them the information is here.

.

.

.

“Thank you, it belongs to my sister.”

How relieved Steve was when the word ‘sister’ came out of Peter's mouth.

"You never mention you have older siblings. "

"Step sibling actually."

"Hmm."

"So her name is Lily Parker?" Bucky opened his notebook and put her name in the database. He thought they could find something, but they didn't.

Peter raised his eyebrow.

"Come on Peter, you know what we do. Our boss here is interested in your older sister."

“We didn’t share a last name. Her name is Lily Belcher.”

Bucky immediately types the last name. He smiled after they finally found what they’re looking “Steve, come and take a look at this.”

Steve looks at the screen; he could see her occupation as Special Project Analyst, skills in archery, karate, and Muay Thai.

“In which industries she’s working?” Steve asked Peter.

“Automotive.”

Steve can’t be fooled; this is must be fake info of her. There’s no way an analyst hide a dagger under her dress. There’s a lot of question in his head right now, but he needs to wait until everything is ready.

.

.

.

Peter and others are having lunch together until Vision turn up the TV volume. Usually, they let it on without any voice. But today, breaking news is different because they could see a camera moving and show Brock and his lackey are asleep on the plane runway.

“Today in the middle of the city, there’s a guy riding a horse and shooting a certain group and some witnesses said a female helping him. Then a private jet that belongs to Mr Rumlow got stolen by them. The culprit put the passenger to sleep as you can see.”

The big bosses are laughing out loud in the office; they could hear it from outside.

“Hahaha, who is this guy? Who ever did this to Brock, I owe him a drink.” Bucky has the loudest laugh. 

While they were laughing, Peter almost choked to death. He was drinking water when he heard the news—only one brave enough to steal in daylight.

#####

Inside the stolen private jet, a woman treats a wounded male with blood everywhere on his body.

“Does it really necessary to steal from him? There’s a lot of empy jet that we could use.” John Wick is lying on the small couch while closing his eyes because (Y/N) stitching his open injury.

(Y/N) answer while trying to finish her job. “That guys annoyed me, because of him my tea time got ruined.”

John chuckled, hearing her childish reason. “Remind me not to get on your bad side (Y/N).”

Another day, 

Another challenge.

Finally, Steve business re-opened again. He and his friends are welcoming their guest together. But secretly, he’s nervous, thinking if she will come or not. He kept dreaming about her.

“Punk, your girl is here.” Bucky alerts his friend.

Steve turns his head to the entrance. He became dumbfounded at one moment when he saw her step into the building. She was beautiful, and when not smiling, she looked more dazzling, her presence hypnotising her spectators.

“Great party Rogers.” (Y/N) compliment the host party while handed him liquor as a gift.

Steve was surprised when she gave him a gift. “You don’t have too.” He prepared to decline in the polite matter, but Pietro grabs the bottle.

“The Dalmore 62??!!” He almost screamed when he saw the label. Because of his job, he knew a lot of expensive liquor. The one he’s holding is costly. Even with his salary, there’s no way he could buy this drink.

“Thank you Miss Lily.” Pietro looks at Steve with a big smile. “I’ll put this into your collection boss.”

Steve rolled his eyes to his childish bartender, he felt annoyed, but he became less tense when he heard her giggle. He ordered a drink from Pietro assistant for both of them.

The beautiful couple talks like it’s only them who inside the room.

"Lily Belcher is not your real name right?" Steve twirl the whiskey glass in his hand.

"Maybe, why do you think that?"

"Can I know your real name?"

"What are you gonna do about it?"

Steve smirked; he lowered his head to get closer to her ear and whispered something that made her giggle.

"That sounds fun."

"How about a bet? If you win I will tell you my real name."

"But if you win?"

"I'll get free food everytime I come here."

Steve chuckled, then he let out a big laugh. He never thought a girl like her would ask this from him. Somewhat refreshing actually; well, he won't mind if he lost because he could see her every time she came here.

"Deal."

Steve hug her waist intimately. "What exactly is the challenge?"

"How many spies we could find in your party."

Steve looked at her face with a big question mark.

(Y/N) rolled her eyes and act playfully in front of him. "Ah, come on Steve I know this grand party also a silent announcement that this place is neutral. Like where the law enforcement and mobsters could enjoy their drink and food together."

Steve was impressed with her judgment.

"My guts tell me you already figure who it is."

She tapped her lips"Yeah, not the police cause they don't want to deal with mobster. My guess is…" She whispers to him, "C.I.A."

Steve gripped his wine glass; he felt annoyed he got an uninvited guest tonight.

"They won't target you tonight. I assure that."

"I fell safe already cause an angel like you guarding me." Steve responded.

(Y/N) laugh bitterly that's what man calls her like love, baby, and another sweet nickname, but after they break up, she gets called bitch, or satan.

"Who could figure who the spies the most won."

"Deal."

(Y/n) is walking away from Steve, but he holds her waist. "Let's do it together." Since he doesn't want to let her wander around, other males will try to flirt with her. Nope, not on his watch.

“I forgot to tell you, there’s a time limit.” (Y/N) move away from his embrace; she taps her watch. “We have 30 minutes. Time is ticking Rogers.”

Steve’s hand felt empty when she stepped away, but he more determined to finish their bet. "Okay."

####

Bucky, Sam, are looking at Steve, who acts like a lovesick puppy. They could tolerate Steve for leaving them to attend to their guest. Since the main reason for today party is to impress her. It seems like the plan is a success. Steve and she are inseparable.

Sarah and Joseph Rogers enter the party together. Usually, Steve would welcome them immediately, but they didn’t see a glimpse of their son.

Sarah approach her son best friend to ask, “Where’s Steve?”

Bucky smiled at her. “He’s with a special guest tonight.”

Joseph smirked since he understands what Bucky just said: “I would like to meet her.”

.

.

.

(Y/N) use her skill to seduce the spies; most of them were unprepared for a beautiful lady like her to approach them. They are here to get information. Her method was quiet; she put sleeping pills into their drinks. One by one, the spies excuse themselves to the bathroom to wash their face. That’s where (Y/N) knocked them down.

While Steve uses his status as the host party. He is a proper host; he gave a warm welcome to the spies. The spies knew they are done. They want to refute, but they are already in the wrong since they fake the invitation. Steve is considerate and doesn’t want to make a scene asking them to go back to their car.

When Steve walks behind the spies, he sees her already standing leaning to the car.

“20 minutes, not bad. How many that you found?”

“Three.” Her finger pointed to the three male who fell asleep.

Steve smirked. “Four.”

“No way.”

“Look like I won.”

(Y/N) clicked her tongue. “How?”

“I have the upper hand from the beginning since I’m the owner. I knew who the guests were and the people who work under me.”

“Ah, I haven’t checked the kitchen. My dress-code won’t allow me to enter.”

Steve nodded. “There’s one waiter who I've never seen before, he works alongside Pietro, your favourite bartender.”

The spies felt like a light bulb for the couple; they excuse themselves quietly by dragging their team, who fell asleep, back into their car and drive away. They bet the couple doesn’t notice nor seem to care about their presence. It’s uncomfortable watching the mob boss flirting.

They were right; the couple doesn’t care at all. They went back to the building where Steve takes her to the terrace; he already arranged it to be beautiful; he requests to make the light illuminate the flower perfectly.

“So my mysterious guest would you tell me your name?”

Under the light, Steve saw her beautiful smile “(Y/N) Parker. I’m pretty sure you already know about me and Peter.”

Steve nodded. “He’s lucky to have a beautiful sister like you and your name sounds perfect to my ear.”

He put his arm around her waist and leaned his head near her ear. She could feel his breath kinda tickle her neck. “(Y/N), what kind of reward will you give me since I successfully redecorated this place and won the bet today?”

She always likes a straightforward person like Steve. She doesn’t mind his aggressive touch. This time it (Y/N) turns to whisper in his ear. What she said almost made Steve’s leg become jelly. If he didn’t maintain his self-esteem, he would lose at this moment.

“Oh, I’m sorry I thought this place is empty.” A guest interrupted. 

Steve sighed; another one tries to disturb their private moment. He asked her if she wants to come to his house, to which she immediately agreed.

“Not saying goodbye to your brother?”

(Y/N) doesn’t worried about Peter since she taught him lethal self-defence. There’s a lot of sharp weapons if someone tries to hurt him. “He’s fine.”

Both of them get into the car; Steve drives back to his place.

When they headed to their destination, they got attacked again. (Y/N) and Steve’s make-out session got disturbed.

‘BANG’

Both of them knew it’s a bullet that hit Steve’s car. He already prepared for this kind of attack, all of his car already modified with bulletproof.

Guess who? Brock, he’s made a fuss since he didn’t get the invitation.

Steve felt guilty looking at his date, but his worries are all gone when he saw her look excited.

“Keep driving.”

“What?”

(Y/N) hand move to touch Steve blazer that made him shocked because of her hand touching his abs.

“(Y/N) now is not the time.” Steve hold his breath.

(Y/N) she laughed because Steve seemed misunderstood; she didn’t say anything that made him more frustrated. If the situation is different, he wouldn’t mind.

Her finger found Steve’s gun that attached to his belt. “I’m going to borrow this for a moment.”

“That’s dangerous, let’s stop here.”

Before he stops the car, (Y/N) opens the window; her body still stays on the seat; she puts out her right that holds the gun. She saw her target through the car window.

“Drive to the left a little bit Steve.”

“What?”

“Now.”

Steve does as she told. It gave her a clear shot at Brock's car.

‘BOOM.’

Steve gasped, his head kept turning back, looking at the scene; with just one shot Brock’s car tire got shot that made them lose control and hit the concrete barrier.

He finally able to stop his car. “That was a big crash.”

(Y/N) felt proud with just one bullet, she able to ruin the car chase. “If they die, that’s on them.”

“You’re amazing.” Steve grabbed her cheeks and brought her head closer to him so he could kiss her. It’s been a long time since he gets excited like this.

‘I never met a woman like you.’ 

They only been together for hours but Steve already felt the connection. And tonight even though there’s a lot of distraction, he could be himself when she stay beside him. 

He hope she would be the last one. 

So they drive back to his place and do the deeds. 

(BANG! BANG! BANG!)

.

.

.

While the couple is enjoying their intimate moment, the atmosphere quite different in C.I.A HQ.

‘THUD’ The sound of a pile of document being smashed to the table made the people who stand fidget a bit. They put their head down since they too scared looking at their boss.

“DAMN IT!!!”

“It was perfect, but all of you failed the mission. How?”

The person who just punched the table and screamed at her subordinate is Peggy Carter, also Steve ex-girlfriend. They were together in the military, but they broke up after Steve decided to work with his father.

She is pissed that her plan to get her people to be the informant for the mob, using the party tonight, has failed.

C.I.A has trying to get dirt from Steve group; they even use Peggy to fool Steve since they had a history together. Peggy uses this mission to make Steve quit being a mobster boss, but it’s such a difficult task to change his mind. Her mission was failed when Natasha found out.

Peggy knew she’s finished when Natasha confronted her.

Her betrayal hurt Steve, and he banned her from stepping into his territory.

“Who found you?”

“The big boss.”

“Argh, that even worse.”

“And there’s one more that is helping him. She’s the one who put the other three to sleep.”

“She?” Peggy raised her eyebrows.

“Yeah and a pretty one. This is the first time we've seen her with Rogers.”

“Have you found out who it is?”

“We use facial recognition, her name is Lilly Belcher.” One of the agents gives her a document.

She read the file “She looks innocent to be with Steve.”

‘and beautiful’

Peggy clenched her fist when she looked at the photo. The break-up left bitterness in her heart. From the story, she heard from her agents, seems like this woman is strong and doesn't mind playing along with Steve. The totally opposite of their relationship.

'Perhaps he found his right partner.'

Peggy doesn't like that idea “I won’t let you have a happy ending Steve.”

>>>CHAPTER 4 IS HERE.

A/N: uUHH... Steve has a bitter ex. 

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[starlight-writes-stuff]

gotta keep my draco simps fed - have a smut blurb i wrote in my phone in the car 🥴 lowkey love the way this one turned out , lmk what you think . xoxoxo , starlight 

AYO LOOK AT THESE : (1.2k wc) smut - softdom!draco , use of a toy , i think thats it ?? enjoy >:)

reblogs are always appreciated ! <3

taking care of you

it was the third time that month that it had happened .

you knew that it wasn’t your fault - MUCH less draco’s- but that didn’t help you to feel any better. it was the medication you were on; it had robbed you of the ability to cum at your boyfriend’s hands without at least an hour of build up. you weren’t going to make him do that.

but draco had other ideas.

the blonde boy practically sauntered in, an air of cockiness twining together with his usual arrogance. the combination was downright deadly, and draco knew it, too. his confidence was one of the first things that had attracted you- it was dizzying, the way he carried himself as if he was above the general population. something about it made you weak and wanting and desperately willful. you wanted to jump on the boy the minute he’d entered the room, a black bag dangling from his skilled fingers. 

“doll,” he mused, greeting you warmly. his voice was like a sweet honeycrisp apple, sending a warm tingling all over your body. reflexively, your eyes drifted shut; draco was using a tone that only came out in the bedroom and it melted you like candle wax. 

“dray.”

the pale boy water no time approaching you, wrapping one of his large hands under your jaw. his soft fingertips dug into your skin, your heart thumping in your chest. you’d slipped into an altered state in record time, dracos aroma filling your head with a hazy fog. the cold silver of his rings but into your warm skin, a pleasant sort of sting, and his eyes were heavy lidded as he ran his gaze up and down your body.

draco said nothing as his eyes snapped back to yours, only tightening his grip the slightest bit more as he dropped his mouth to the exposed skin of your collarbones. he peppered the flesh with featherlight kisses, his tongue dancing over you teasingly. “brought you something.”

“hmm?” you hummed, lifting the pitch of your voice as if it was a question. draco was no stranger to bringing gifts- he did it quite often. however, you could tell that today’s present was something different.

“gonna make you feel good, okay?” 

you pressed your thighs together, the soft fabric of your skirt crumpling. pulling your lower lip between your teeth, you drew yourself out of the desire-filled mindset you’d settled into and backed away from the green eyed boy. a sense of shame flooded your system as you placed gentle hands on the crisp, white fabric of draco’s button up. he knew you didn’t like addressing your... issue. the two of you had had one chagrin-filled exchange as you explained the side effects to him, and you’d made him promise that he wouldn’t bring it up again. it was humiliating, almost dehumanizing. before you could even open your mouth to speak, draco pressed a finger to the soft, pink flesh of your lips, tracing their outline.

“hush, bun. i got you, okay? i want to.”

you quirked a brow at him, frustration still coursing through your veins. “draco, you know that... sex isn’t working- i cant-“you stuttered, but the look in his eyes quickly shut you up. 

“not going to fuck you, bunny. gotta new trick up my sleeve, okay?”

you teetered for a moment. you trusted draco more than anything, but what if you still... couldn’t?

“get out of your own head, y/n. promise i’ll  take care of you.” 

you nodded as the words rolled off his tongue. draco looked elated at your permission- you could tell he’d been wanting to do this for a while. quickly, draco undid the velvet bag, producing a small, black device. you looked at him, confusion furrowing your brow; you were unsure of what he’d gotten. however, all your perplexity melted away as draco turned the top of the object. a low, buzzing noise filled the room. 

you were bewildered as you looked up to meet dracos eyes. you’d never used toys before- he’d always been enough for you. but with the way that desire seemed to fill every inch of the boys being, you realized he truly wanted to make you feel good; he wanted to make you cum in any way possible. 

“wanna try, bun?”

draco had lead you to his sitting room, and you knew why before you’d even gotten there. the blonde had undressed you hastily, situating your body in his lap- in front of the wall length mirror. there was a beautiful soft of contrast painted in the reflective glass; your bare form slinked over draco’s well dressed body. he’d pressed the toy to your clit without any hesitation, a sinful smirk ghosting over his lips as a moan was drawn from your throat. the vibrations seemed to wash in waves over your nervous system, arousal coating the black device within a matter of minutes.

“how does that feel, doll?”

your back arched at the tone of his voice, goosebumps covering your bare flesh as you wrapped an arm around dracos shoulders, your fingers carding through his hair. 

“feels. so good-“ you explained, the statement broken up by uneven moans tearing through your throat. you hummed as draco removed his arm from around your waist, bringing king fingers up to tweak and tease at your chest. you felt something, some sort of sensation start to pool in your lower belly, absolute bliss spilling from your lips. the feeling was so foreign and yet incredibly familiar, a sensitivity beginning to ebb away at your nerve endings.

your eyes rolled back into your head as draco began pressing kisses and gentle bites into the soft flesh of your neck, his hot breath fanning over the sensitive skin only adding to your pleasure. he rasped filthy praises into your ear, his voice low and rough and filled with lust. he couldn’t rip his eyes from the reflection of you in the mirror, legs spread and beginning to tremble. you looked like a piece of artwork, the most expensive painting money would buy. he watched aptly as your face shifted with his movements- gauging your reactions, measuring how to make you feel best. he found your sensitive spots with ease, bringing you closer and closer to your high.

“doing so good for me, doll,” he murmured in your ear, the praise filling you with a sense of tranquility. you turned your brain off as euphoria infiltrated every centimeter of your being- you panted and whined, pulling at draco’s hair. 

“so close, dray,” you breathed, the pleasure taking your ability to speak correctly. you felt dracos lips curve into a wicked smile against your skin. 

“let go for me, sweet thing. want you to cum for me.”

your entire body racked with a sweet sort of satisfaction, your orgasm rolling over you in waves each more intense than the last. draco softened his pressure on your sex slightly, allowing you to buck your hips against the vibratory, riding out your high.

your eyes fluttered open as you came down, bliss running through your veins as draco dropped tender kisses to your temple, your hair. 

“did so good, bunny, so good for me.”

[werealljustwinginit]

Tell us about what skincare ingredients and products you love!

Okay, so I LOVE TALKING SKINCARE. This is a huge topic for me and I often write up a blog post once a year where i recommend skin care products. So here is this year’s recommendation! An insanelyyyyy long and detailed post nobody asked for!! HERE WE GO: 

I am a long time skincare advocate...before it really blew up and people started really getting to know more about their products and ingredients. I’ve just always had very acne-prone skin so I’ve had to pay attention to what products and ingredients I was using and how their formulas worked for me. As a result, over the years I tried A SHIT TON of products. Many expensive, fancy, high end, etc. But now I have my skincare routine down to a much more manageable and quality ingredient list. Obviously everyone’s skin is different...but this is what I use on a regular basis these days:

Serums:

- Krave Beauty’s Great Barrier Relief Serum: Honestly, this is THE SHIT. My favorite moisturizing serum to really help balance your skins hydration barrier and stay hydrated. It’s thicker and almost feels like a moisturizer. It’s so great.  - The Ordinary’s Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Drops: Niacinamide is an amazing ingredient for your skin and can help a tremendous amount with clearing the skin, resurfacing, fading scars, and more. This really does a good job helping with my acne, so i really recommend to anyone. And I am pretty sure it’s like $5 cause it’s from the ordinary.

Moisturizers:

- CeraVe Moisturizing Cream: It’s a very cheap drug store moisturizer that has good, clean ingredients. After using fancy moisturizers for years, I finally gave into my dermatologist’s recommended lotion. LOL. They do have a lotion that is lighter, but my skin tends to be dryer, especially in the winter so I use the cream not the lotion. It’s thicker. (For high end junkies--it’s like comparing Drunk Elephant’s LaLa Retro to their Protini cream). I also sometimes throw in drops of a marula oil into this cream if I am really dry. Make myself a little face smoothie. 

Eye/Lip Creams:

- Mario Badescu Ceramide Herbal Eye Cream: Now honestly, I still haven’t found my perfect eye cream yet...but I have used this one for a few years now. It moisturizes well and is cheap to buy. It’s probs not the most effective but at least I am moisturizing my eye area. One day I will take on more eye creams that target certain things, but that is one day when I have money to spend lmao. -Glossier Bubblewrap Lip/Eye Cream: This is a very unique moisturizing product that is meant for sensitive skin like your eye area and lips. It does say it plumps a bit, which I don’t ever feel a plumping effect, but I do love to use it on my lips. It’s so moisturizing and is kind of like using a primer before you apply chapstick or lipstick. 

Exfoliators:

- Glossier Solution: The OG chemical exfoliant I tried and loved. These types of products aren’t great for everyone, and may have to be used less or more depending on skin type, but as an acne-prone human, I love a chemical exfoliant. This works and lasts a long while.

- Krave Beauty’s Kale-Lalu_AHA: Another chemical exfoliant. I recently tried this one because I do believe Krave Beauty uses better ingredients than Glossier Skin typically does (no shade tho). They were close in price, so I made the switch and have enjoyed the results so far. The packaging is also beautiful.

- Dr. Brant Microdermabrasion Exfoliant: This is NOT a chemical peel, this has aluminum oxyde crystals in it to polish the skin like a normal exfoliant would. It also has a lot of ingredients that help renew and refresh the skin while exfoliating. Now this product is HELLA expensive...I only have it because I once bought it for way cheaper when I had a subscription box. I don’t know if I would spend the full $80 bucks on it, but your skin does feel smooth.

- Tatcha The Deep Polish: This is an enzyme powder that you mix with water and exfoliate fro there. It is from when I used to buy the highest end products in hopes it would help my skin. It is pricey, but again does leave your skin feeling soft. So I rotate it in from time to time.

Masks: 

- The Ordinary’s AHA 30% BHA 2% Peeling Solution: AKA THE BLOOD MASK. Now hugely popular on social media, the “blood mask” is a chemical mask that peels off dead skin and essentially works to eliminate the top layers of your skin and begin rejuvenating a fresher layer for softer, healthier, plumper skin. I do this once a week and it is way cheap. I can compare it to Drunk Elephant’s Sukari Babyfacial and it definitely beats that expensive version.

- Glow Recipe’s Avocado Melt Sleeping Mask: This is an overnight moisturizing mask that you simply wash off in the morning. It really helps lock in moisture and feels nice on the skin. I use this when I am feeling really dry. 

- Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Mask: This one you have to mix the dry clay mixture with water and apple cider vinegar to create a goo that you can then let dry on your face. It may be intense for some, but I find it really helps dry out my acne spots and reduce redness in my skin. It’s always a fun one to do with other people too because you do have to prepare it. Good sleepover activity. 

- GlamGlow Bubble Sheet Mask:  This one is honestly more so used for when I am traveling and want to keep a mask on hand or when I am having a fun girls night or something. It’s a bubble mask--so to me that just means fun. I typically avoid sheet masks (unless I am traveling) because I think you end up throwing a way a lot of product you are paying for. But this one is fun, it’s cute, it’s different. I don’t notice a huge change in my skin tbh, but it is a fun activity for girls night. 

Honorable Mention/Random Products:

- Youth to the People’s Kale and Green Tea Superfood Cleanser: I stayed away from this one for a long time because it’s expensive and I could rationalize buying such an expensive cleanser, but I got a gift card to Sephora and finally decided to try it. And ya know what?? I guess I am fancy now because I really love it. It does not overly strip your skin at all, and for the first time in my life I really know what that means. It’s so great, it smells so good. Ugh. Can’t get enough of this bougie bitch of a face wash.

- The Inkey List Retinol Cream: A recent purchase, but I have enjoyed seeing the results. Everyone imo should be using an eye cream and a retinol. This is a nice introduction to retinol, so I recommend to those looking for one.

- Glossier Mint Balm Dot Com Chapstick: THIS AGAIN--IS THE SHIT. Many will say they would never spend more than two bucks but one tube of their’s is seven bucks and it is WORTH IT. I buy the three pack once a year and i’m good. This is the best chapstick you will literally ever use. Fucking buy it. If I could tell you only three products that are a must from this list this would be one of them. (the other two would be great barrier relief and the kale cleanser)

- Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask: I like this lip mask, it’s not needed everynight, but I do like to use a lip exfoliant (made or buy one, whatever) and then use this to really retextures my lips. 

- Bag Balm: Now this is a very unusual product to recommend lmaooo. Originally, bag balm is used for chapped cow udders on farms--which is how I discovered it. Farmers eventually noticed that it helped your skin retain moisture and repair cracked skin in their hands. So now it is known as a good thick ass cream for hands and feet. Now this shit is again--used on cows originally, so the formula feels thick and greasy. I like putting it on at night and letting it soak in for a while as I lay on my phone. It really works--I swear to you. 

- Sagely CBD Cream: I use their relief and recovery crea which smells like lavender and has a cooling effect when applied to the skin (kinda like biofreeze or icyhot would). This is only a 50mg CBD lotion, but I do like it. 

- Mad Ritual CBD Muscle Recovery Balm: Now this is thick and definitely a balm, not a cream. It is much higher strength though, so I break it out when needed and a little goes a long way. This one is 200mg of CBD. 

- Mario Badescu Drying Lotion: This drying lotion is now so popular but has been a staple of mine for at least a decade now. You leave it on over night and it really does dry up and reduce zit size. Helps a lot. There must be a reason why super models are told to use this shit before a runway show. 

- Tatcha The Essence: Essences are a new and kind of weird thing, kinda like priming the skin to allow for better absorption of a product. Now this product I received as a Christmas gift one year, but I am pretty sure it’s like $100...breaking the bank as always, tatcha. Anyway, it does allow for better absorption of products and feels light and refreshing on the skin. One bottle has lasted me two years now. I don’t know if I would recommend it, but I do use it somewhat regularly and it does make you feel like a bougie bitch. 

AND THAT IS THE END. Sorry that was soooo long. But like I said, I do a write up once a year of my skincare products anyway. So there you guys have it!! If you have any questions at all about your skin or skincare routine , honestly hit me up. Over the years I have slowly has friends come to me. Once I collect all of the I will have all of the infinity stones lmao. 

[petersasteria]

168 Hours - Haz Osterfield (15)

Pairing: Haz x Reader

Haz Osterfield Masterlist ||  Ultimate Masterlist || 168 Hours Masterlist

DISCLAIMER:  *This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.*

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: In which your son’s wish comes true and it turns horrible. Now, he has to fix it in 168 hours.

Special thanks to: @blueleatherbag​ and @croissantwriting​ for being so helpful

Congrats on guessing it right, @hollands-weasley​! Have fun thinking of a plot for my next soc med au x

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 stays quiet and Tom's smirk grew wider when no one said a thing. 

"I object." Y/N says. Everyone gasps and Tom's jaw drops. Bradley's eyes widen in shock and pats Tom's back, a subtle way of letting him know that he's there for him. Amadis smiles to himself and says a silent 'thank you' to God.

"Wha-Why?!" Tom asks with confusion written all over his face.

Y/N takes a deep breath and looks in Tom's eyes. Those brown eyes she once loved are now replaced with blue eyes owned by the new man she loves.

"You're just having cold feet, love." Tom desperately tries to change Y/N's mind.

"I'm so sorry, Tom." Y/N cries. "I don't love you anymore and I realized that I can't marry you while pretending to love you. It wouldn't be fair to you."

"I also know what happened in Prague. I know you slept with someone else. I just acted like I didn't know, but I can't stay with you and let you think I'm stupid and that I wouldn't know or find out. It hurts a lot, Tom." She adds.

Y/N turns to look at Bradley and says, "You knew about him sleeping with someone else and you never had the decency to tell me. I treated you like a friend and you couldn't even do the right thing."

Bradley just looks down in shame.

She turns back to Tom, "You and I know that our relationship hasn't been the best lately. It's been falling apart and we don't even know each other anymore. Tom, you're a great man and you're so much more than what the public portrays you. Sleeping around is just your way of dealing with things and you have to change that, because one day you'll meet someone who's more than enough for you. I promise you that. That 'someone' isn't me and I'm sorry.

"I care about you so much and it sucks because even after what you did, I still wish you the best. I sincerely do and I mean it from the bottom of my heart. I tried everything I could to love you again, but I couldn't anymore. I'm sorry."

With that, she takes her purse from Saoirse and runs away. Amadis, who's seated at the back, runs after her. It was now time for fate to step in.

Tom just stands there with tears streaming down his face. He feels humiliated and he feels bad for being so insensitive to what Y/N was feeling. It's too late now. Tom wished he could turn back time, but it was impossible. Not even all his money could fix the damage. All he had to do was keep moving forward.

Y/N's father looks at Tom and shakes his head.

"Y/N, wait up!" Amadis shouts as he runs after her. Despite her heavy down, she still manages to outrun the angel. Y/N glances behind her and slows down when she sees Amadis catching up to her. Once she comes to a full stop, Amadis reaches her. He slightly bends over with his hands on his knees as he catches his breath.

"Where are you going?" Amadis asks as his breathing turns normal.

"I don't know." Y/N sighs. "I don't even know what I'm doing. I don't know if I made the right decision back there. Maybe Tom's right; maybe it's just cold feet. Should I go back there?"

"What? No!" Amadis says and shakes his head. "What you did back there was super brave, actually. Some people wouldn't even do that and they'd just accept their fate; they'd marry a terrible person."

"Tom's not THAT bad." Y/N defends. "He's got some good points, but at the same time, I like someone else. I think I love them already."

"It sounds like you're confused. Who's the other person?" Amadis asks even though he already knew.

Y/N looks at him and sighs, "It's Harrison. He's just such a great guy, y'know? He's such a gentleman and he's so kind and funny and chill. He's not arrogant and he's simple. I love him."

"If you love him, the logical thing to do is to go to him already." Amadis says.

"But then there's Tom. I kinda still feel something for him." Y/N admits.

"You're in a pickle. Let me help you." Amadis says. "I can help you decide really quick."

"Okay." Y/N nods.

"Texts or handwritten letters?" Amadis asks.

"What does that have to do with my situation?" Y/N questions.

"Just answer it! Trust me." Amadis says.

"Okay, um, handwritten letters." Y/N answers.

"Harry Potter or Star Wars?"

"Y/Choice"

"Natural hair color or dyed hair?"

"Dyed."

"Expensive or cheap?"

"Cheap."

"Tom or Harrison?"

"Harrison."

"There you go! You finally decided." Amadis smiles to himself. "Let's go find him!"

"Wait, that's so clever!" Y/N exclaims in shock.

"Thank you. Let's talk about that later, okay? Harrison is doing his errands with Harley, so he's out buying stuff. He's around in town somewhere. Let's go get your man!" Amadis grins. Y/N smiles and both of them run to the street where there are a lot of stores.

𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐄, 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐘 𝐑𝐔𝐍 𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒...

"We've been walking around for ages!" Harley groans. Harley didn't like shopping. He would get bored and his feet would hurt. Plus, he didn't like it when his mum would ask him about clothes that he could care less about.

"I know, buddy. I'm so sorry, but I'm the only one available to run errands today. Timmy has work." Harrison gives him a sad smile before turning his attention back to the apples. Harrison picks ten apples and puts it in the cart. Harrison goes to the next aisle with Harley pushing the cart next to him.

"Why don't you and Timmy just go shopping when both of you are free?" Harley whines. As much as he likes spending time with Harrison, he's still the same ten year old who gets easily bored.

"Harley, if I didn't shop today, Timmy and I will starve for the next three days because Timmy will be free by then." Harrison chuckles. "Relax, okay? I'll buy you a little something later. You name it."

Harley groans as they continue to shop for food. Harley's mind wanders to how Amadis is doing on the mission. If he recalls correctly, their mission will end soon and he won't see Amadis ever again.

Not seeing Amadis ever again is something he's not ready for, but he knows that it's inevitable. Harley got so used to seeing Amadis that he wouldn't know how to go on his day without him.

After thirty minutes of going from aisle to aisle, Harrison finally finishes grocery shopping. Harley helps Harrison put the items on the checkout conveyor belt and waits at the other side of the counter to get the bags. After paying, Harrison carries two paper bags and Harley carries one. They exit the grocery store and move on to the next errand. 

"Where to next?" Harley asks.

"I figured we should go to mine and Timmy's first to drop off these things and then we'll go out again to pick a decent dishwasher. Is that okay?" Harrison asks. Harley's comfort has been his number priority recently and he didn't even know why.

"Okay." Harley says. The two of them walked to the apartment and immediately went to the unit to put away the groceries.

"How do you think Y/N's wedding is coming along?" Harley asks as he puts the eggs in the fridge. Harrison glances at him before putting the flour in the cupboard.

"Um... I think it's great." Harrison answers. He wasn't sure how to answer Harley's question. "I mean, Tom Holland is rich and all, so she probably got her dream wedding."

Harley nods as they continue putting things away in silence. Five minutes later, everything is neatly stocked away and the two make their way out of the apartment again to buy a dishwasher.

They walk out of the apartment building and when they turn a corner, they bump into Amadis and Y/N.

"I'm so- Y/N?! Amadis?! What are you guys doing here? Especially you, Y/N." Harrison says in shock as he holds Y/N by the arms to prevent her from falling.

She looks at him and smiles, "Harrison!"

"Aren't you supposed to get married?" Harrison lightly chuckles.

Y/N stands up properly and fixes her dress. She shakes her head, cups his face and smiles, "I left him."

Harrison's eyes widened in shock upon hearing what she just said. Amadis and Harley watch the scene unfold. Harley whispers, "How many hours do we have left?"

Amadis looks at his watch.

𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒.

"We only have fifteen minutes left." Amadis whispers sadly.

"Oh." Harley says.

"Why did you leave him?" Harrison asks.

"I don't love him anymore. I stopped loving him a long time ago." She tells him. "I love you, Harrison. I really do and anything you say and do can't stop that."

"You love me?" He asks and she just nods. "I'm not him, though. I can't give you everything you want and I can't take you to different places every weekend and-"

"Yes, you're not him. You're not him and that's what makes you different and it's better. I want you and I want to stay with you." She says in all honesty.

"I'd love that." Harrison smiles. "Oh, and I love you too."

They stare at each other and Amadis rolls his eyes, "Just kiss already!"

They look at Amadis shyly before looking at each other.

"I kinda forgot they were there." Harrison whispers.

"Same here." Y/N says, grinning. They lean in and close the gap with a sweet kiss. Amadis and Harley smile at each other and give each other a well deserved high-five.

"We did it! They're together!" Harley exclaims in glee. Y/N and Harrison pull away from each other and they look at Harley in confusion.

"What?" Y/N asks.

"We have ten minutes left." Amadis says after quickly glancing at his watch. He looks at Harley and nods, "Let's just tell them."

"Tell us what?" Harrison questions. "What's going on?"

Harley takes a deep breath and sighs. He looks at Harrison and Y/N; his parents. Well, in the timeline's future. This past week, he really got to know his parents on a different level and on a different point of view. He's going to miss it, truly. He got to hang out with his parents the way he used to and he knew that when he goes back to the future, he won't experience it again.

"I'm from the future." Harley confesses and looks at Harrison. "I wasn't lying when I told you that I'm your son."

"Both of you are my parents and I did something wrong that brought me back here; to the past. I had a week to make things right and I got some help from Amadis. He's literally an heaven sent from Heaven and those people in the apartment we were staying at? They're all angels and saints." Harley says.

Harrison and Y/N didn't say anything, so Harley continued talking.

"My mission was to get you two together, so that the future doesn't get messed up. Amadis and I came up with plans to set you two up and as a way to get both of you two to feel something for each other. Oh and the Prague thing? Amadis went there to check on Tom."

"Did Tom really cheat on me? Or was it part of your plan too?" Y/N asks.

Amadis shakes his head, "No. That really happened. If it were part of the plan, I won't ever go back to Heaven."

"Okay, then." Y/N says.

"Today's the last of the mission and now that you guys kissed, the mission's over. I'm going back to the future now and our family will be alright." Harley says with a smile.

“Family? What family?” Y/N asks.

“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” Harrison challenges. “How do we know that you’re not some crazy kid?”

Just when Harley is giving up, Amadis tells Harley to check his pocket. Harley looks confused, but he checks it anyway. His eyes widen when he pulls out their family picture with everyone reappearing again. Harley quickly shows Y/N and Harrison and they’re surprised to see it. They didn’t really expect actual proof.

“Everything makes sense now.” Harrison whispers as he smiles at Harley. “That’s why I feel so attached to you. I’m your father!”

Harley smiles and nods before walking towards him and hugs him. Harrison hugs back and Y/N smiles at the sight.

“This is so much to take in, but we have so little time.” Y/N tears up. She looks at Harrison and says, “I can’t believe we have three beautiful kids! Now, I can’t imagine my life if I pushed through in marrying Tom. I’m glad I left or we wouldn’t have them, especially Harley.”

Harley pulls away from Harrison and turns to Y/N. She moves his hair out of the way to see her son’s beautiful face.

“In case future me didn’t tell you, you're so talented and smart for your age. I’m so proud of you and I know that you’ll do amazing things. As much as I want you to stay here, you have to go back. I enjoyed spending time with you and I’ll truly miss it.” Y/N tells him and Harley cries. They give each other a hug and Harley says, “Thanks, mum.”

“Is it early to say ‘I love you’? Because I really want to say it before you leave.” She chuckles lightly and pulls away.

“No, it’s not too early.” Harley smiles and wipes his tears.

“I love you.” Y/N says with a smile. She holds Harrison’s hand. “We love you.”

Amadis clears his throat, “Harley, we need to go now.”

Harley frowns and says, “I love you both, okay? I’ll see you later.”

An unexpected rain started to pour and all of them looked surprised except for Amadis. He knew it was going to happen. He just didn’t say anything because if he did, then saying goodbye would be real even though he didn’t want it to be.

“That’s odd. It was sunny just a minute ago.” Harrison says with a jacket over his head, Harley’s head and Y/N’s.

“Harley, it’s time.” Amadis says before turning to Harrison and Y/N. “It was so lovely meeting you! Both of you will have a wonderful life. Trust me, I know. The rain will wash away your memories of me and Harley. Not only you, but also the people who interacted with me or Harley for the past few days.”

“What? Why?” Y/N asks.

“It’s part of keeping the timeline intact.” Amadis says sadly. “Something will go wrong if you won;t let your memories of us wash off. We can’t go back to the places we belong.”

Harley understands and turns to his parents, “I’ll see you guys later, anyway. We can just create new memories.”

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Harrison says with a smile and ruffles Harley’s hair. He glances at Y/N, “Ready to get the memories of our son washed away?”

“I think so.” Y/N replies. She kisses Harley’s forehead before saying, “I just want him to go back and we can hang out with him again. I’m ready.”

Harrison puts down his jacket as both he and Y/N get soaked by the rain. The rain poured harder and before they knew it, their memories of Amadis and Harley were gone. They look at each other in confusion as to why they’re standing in the rain.

“My apartment is closer. We can get dry there?” Harrison suggests.

“Sure! I just want to wear something warm.” Y/N giggles and they ran hand-in-hand to Harrison’s shared apartment with Timmy.

Harley turns to Amadis and says, “Now what?”

“We have three minutes left and it’s time for our goodbye.” Amadis steps forward and embraces Harley. “You know, I don’t like kids, but you’re an exception. You’re a pretty cool 10 year old.”

“Thanks and you’re the coolest angel ever!” Harley smiles and pulls away.

“Be good, okay? No more bad wishes.” Amadis says sternly. “You better promise that, Harley.”

“I promise!” Harley exclaims. “Can you at least give me a sign that you’re watching me whenever I look up at the sky?”

“I’ll think about it.” Amadis says and Harley pouts. “Literally. I have to think about it because I don’t know what sign to send.”

“Just keep it simple.” Harley says.

“Okay, then. If it’s during the day, the sign is a cloud. If it’s at night, the sign is a star.” Amadis decides.

“How will I know it’s you?” Harley asks. “There are so many clouds and stars!”

“Trust me, you’ll know.” Amadis says and glances at his watch only to see that they have one minute left.

“Amadis, you’re fading away.” Harley states.

“Yeah and you’re fading too. It’s okay, we’ll be fine. This is our way of transport.” Amadis chuckles lightly. “I don’t want to say goodbye yet.”

“Same here.” Harley says. “I read a quote somewhere and it’s from Winnie the Pooh. I think it fits us right now.”

“Let’s hear it.” Amadis smiles.

“We didn’t realize we were making memories. We just knew we were having fun.” Harley recites with a small smile.

“And that’s true.” Amadis nods and sees that they only have five seconds left.

𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄

“Five seconds left.” Amdis says. “I wish I could hug you, but we obviously can’t because we’re basically spirits now.”

“I wish we could hug too.” Harley says.

𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑

“I’ll start praying to God, so that I could deliver a message to you, okay?” Harley says. “I just hope you could hear it.”

“I hang outside the prayer room to eavesdrop. I’ll definitely hear your prayers.” Amadis chuckles lightly.

𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄

“I love you, Amadis. You’re like an older brother that I never had.” Harley smiles sweetly.

“I love you too, lil’ guy.” Amadis says. “I’ll watch over you, okay? I’ll also send in some angels when you’re hurt or something.”

“I’d love that. Thank you.” Harley says with tears in his eyes.

𝐓𝐖𝐎

“I’ll miss you.” Harley says. “I loved meeting you.”

𝐎𝐍𝐄

“It was nice meeting you. It was an honor to be with you on my first Earthly mission. Goodbye. Take care, Harley.” Amadis tears up before completely fading away.

“Amadis!” Harley shouts as he fades away too.

The rainy street is now occupied by a few people who were oblivious to the whole exchange. Y/N and Harrison are enjoying a cup of tea, Amadis is back in Heaven, and Harley is going back to his rightful place in time.

“Harley.”

“Harley.”

“Harley!”

Harley quickly sits up on his bed and sees Harrison. He looks around and he’s back in his room. He rubs his eyes as Harrison opens the curtains to let the sun’s rays enter Harley’s room through the window.

“You have to wake up now if you want to hang out with your uncle Tom.” Harrison says as he picks up the mess on Harley’s bedroom floor.

“I love you, dad.” Harley blurts out which makes Harrison stop what he’s doing.

“What?” Harrison says.

“I love you and I’m sorry about what I said a week ago after my talent show. I’m sure you had your reasons and I’m sorry for not hearing you out and for saying that I wished uncle Tom to be my dad. I don’t want him to-”

“Buddy, slow down.” Harrison says. “What do you mean a week ago? Your talent show was last night.”

“What?” Harley’s confused.”I was gone for one week!”

“Nope.” Harrison shakes his head. “You must’ve had an intense dream. Tell me all about it when you come downstairs for breakfast. Your uncle Tom will pick you up in two hours, so take a shower and I’ll meet you downstairs. Okay?”

“Okay.” Harley says.

Harrison leans down to kiss the top of Harley’s head and says, “I forgive you and I love you too. I’m sorry I don’t show it enough.”

Harrison takes Harley’s laundry basket and leaves the room. As soon as the door closes, Harley gets out of bed and quickly walks to his window to look up at the sky. He looks at every cloud to search for Amadis' sign and his eyes stop at the cloud that’s shaped like an Apple watch.

“He sees me.” Harley whispers to himself and waves at the Apple watch-shaped cloud.

“Harley! If you’re not taking a shower now, at least come down for breakfast!” Harrison shouts from downstairs.

Harley stops waving at the cloud and shouts back, “I’m coming!”

He rushes out of his room and goes downstairs to eat his breakfast. Harley feels different; a good kind of different. He didn’t know what that means, but he’s sure that starting from this day onwards, things will be different and he’s excited for it.

* * * *

𝐇𝐀𝐙 𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐈𝐄𝐋𝐃 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: @abrielleholland​ @silencetheslaves​ @imeanlifesabitshit​ @joyleenl​ @hjoficrecs​ @blueleatherbag​ @poguesholland​ @harryismysunflower​ @lonikje​ @lizzyosterfield​ @turtoix​ @badreputationlove​ @starlight-starks​ @swiftmind​ @sovereignparker​ @pearce14​ @justanamesstuff​ @chewymoustachio​ @cocoamoonmalfoy​ @hotforharrison​ @euphorichxlland​ @givebuckyhisplumsnow​

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: @marvelousell​ @justasmisunderstoodasloki​ @rubberducky-jrr​ @allyz​ @osterfieldnholland​ @miraclesoflove​ @god-knows-what-am-i-doing​ @drie-the-derp​ @hollands-weasley​ @itstaskeen​ @call-me-baby-gir1​ @the-panwitch​ @iamaunicorn4704​ @geminiparkers​ @holland-styles​ @calltothewild​ @fancyxparker​ @herbatkazmiloscia @whatthefuckimbisexual​ @justanothermarvelmaniac​ @unsaidholland​ @musicalkeys​ @lost-in-the-stars03​ @hufflepuffprincess24​ @hollanddolanfangirl​ @parkerpeter24​ @bellelittleoff​ @agentnataliahofferson​ @aqiise​ @lexirv​ @blairscott​ @hi-im-maddie​ @xfirstfemale-marauderx​

[vegetalass]

RDR2 Boys Grocery Shopping

Arthur 

Arthur can do a lot of things quickly, but shopping is not one of them. 

He’s totally happy to do it, but he takes his time looking at everything really carefully and thinking about what to get

Usually just ends up buying the store brand because it’s the most affordable, but if you specify a brand you like he’s willing to get it 

He’s also willing to spend more on things that are better when higher quality, though, like beer and meat

That being said, definitely prefers local stores and small businesses because they aren’t corporate and are usually less busy 

If he gets to choose the snacks, he chooses boring stuff like plain tortilla and potato chips

Always really nice to the cashiers, and has fun talking to them about whatever he’s buying. Good at conversing about simple things like that.

Despite this, will make a comment about how expensive everything is

If you go shopping with him, he’ll buy you guys a snack to share on the way home 

John 

Not awful at shopping… But not fantastic at it, either. 

If you send him in for six items, he’ll most likely come back with five or seven things

Refuses to buy anything other than store brand because “it’s just as good” 

Will absolutely not break this rule unless he’s with someone who forces him to, and even then he complains

Jack has never had Froot Loops because of this, since John always buys the Tooty Frooty O’s instead

Abigail has given up

If he’s buying for himself, his shopping list is like “Juice, jerky, snacks” 

Never remembers where anything is so it’s likely he’s going around in circles trying to find something

Bad at asking for help, but always spends a lot of time talking to the meat and seafood guys… 

Honestly, he’s just a guy being a dude at the grocery store

Charles 

Not a vegan, but likes vegan snacks and always spends a lot of time thinking about what to get and trying new things. 

He’s a pretty quick shopper though, just because he does all this thinking in advance

Arthur’s always like “How do you shop so quickly?” And Charles is like “Internet.” 

Also budgets very well and still manages to buy a lot. 

He comes home and the gang is like, “You got all of that for $50?” And Charles is like “Um, yes?” 

Probably has to buy more than he normally would just because he the gang is always eating his stuff

That being said, they don’t always like it and often complain about what he buys (and it’s literally just Hummus or something)

The girls are happy though because he’s the only one (other than Hosea) who buys vegetables 

He has snacks that you can touch and snacks that you shouldn’t 

Probably shops exclusively at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods tbh 

King of tote bags (Arthur is jealous) 

Micah 

Good luck trying to give this man a shopping list. He walks in with a vague idea of what he needs and walks out with practically none of it. 

Mostly goes shopping for the fun of it and only buys things he likes

Decides on the spot about whether or not he’s getting something and is 100% the type of person to just leave the things he doesn’t want in random places

If you try to put anything in the cart when he’s around, he thinks he gets a deciding vote on whether or not you actually buy it

Just watch him be like “WTF do we need toilet paper for?” 

If he’s buying something for himself, he buys the most expensive one. If he’s buying anything for the gang, he buys the cheapest. 

Also, even if he’s only supposed to do shopping for the gang, he always ends up buying himself a bunch of stuff that he doesn’t plan on sharing. 

It’s like… “And here’s your ground beef, Pearson! Also, I got this ribeye for me.” 

Hosea 

Literally only shops at Costco. You cannot make him shop anywhere else. He buys everything there

Gets everyone’s snacks at Costco, gets everyone’s shampoo and conditioner at Costco, and even probably gets everyone’s winter coat and boots at Costco. 

If you complain about it, he’ll tell you to do the shopping yourself

Being lent his Costco membership card is a PRIVILEGE. Only Charles, Lenny, and Arthur (as well as most of the girls) have ever received it. 

(Pearson and Ms. Grimshaw probably have their own)

You have to beg him to buy you a hot dog combo and yogurt, but he’ll do it if you persist

Puts relish on his because he’s old

Buys a bunch of random old man stuff. Always buying nuts and dried fruit and apple sauce in bulk. 

Always buys off-brand, too. Everyone is disappointed but not surprised when he brings home weird snacks that are all the wrong brand

You have to make special requests for anything else, and even then, he selectively remembers what people want

Dutch 

King of trying to make the employees “check in the back” 

King of having a bunch of random coupons for things no one likes 

King of taking forever, not because he’s shopping, but because he’s making friends with everyone at customer service and distracting people by asking for opinions on what to buy

Always forgets what he came for, even though he swears to Hosea that he’ll remember

Also impulse buys a bunch of stuff… cake mixes, random kitchen tools, avocados, you name it. He always has some weird justification as to why he thinks it will get eaten/used

Don’t let him go shopping with anyone because he’ll buy whatever they ask for

“How much could one banana cost? Seven dollars?” 

Honestly, other than Micah, one of the most likely people to complain about something stupid to staff 

Also, the only one (besides Micah *cough*) who doesn’t use reusable bags 

Still shops at BevMo! cause he’s a freak

Kieran 

He’s a good shopper. Definitely does his best to follow the list 

That being said, isn’t very good at budgeting, but will at least get you everything you need

His only flaw is that he’s also probably not very good at putting things back in the right spots (not for lack of trying, though)

The only person in the gang who buys the on-brand, quality snacks you asked for AND is willing to share

Everyone goes nuts when he brings home REAL Oreos, Cheetos, and Lucky Charms after weeks of healthy versions or knock-offs

Yes, there is probably fighting

But it’s worth it because Jack loves him forever after this

When he does buy food for himself, it’s honestly probably boring stuff like Raisin Bran and veggie chips (Hosea is pleased) 

Pays for everything in cash and is one of those weird people that always asks for $10 in quarters when he’s getting change

Make sure you specify which store he should go to, though, because if you don’t, he’s 100% going to Walmart (and doesn’t know what’s wrong with it)

Javier 

He’s happy to do the shopping, but he isn’t going to follow a list

Even if all of the food is for the gang, he’s like “nah” and just gets what he wants to eat

Example: he buys everyone snacks but it’s just a bunch of random things he thinks sound good

That being said, unlike Micah, he’s not doing it to be mean

Just like Charles buys the veggies, Javier buys the fruit. 

While he mostly shops at ethnic grocery stores, you can still catch him at Costco sometimes because the deals are just too good

And in the spring and summer, he shops at the the farmer’s market (with Charles and Arthur, of course)

Honestly, the fun of shopping for him is the drive there and back

He uses reusable bags but they’re all just old shopping bags Dutch never threw away 

One word: Kombucha

[chickensarentcheap]

Never Gonna Be Alone:  Chapter 1

Warnings: none

Tagging: @innerpaperexpertcloud, @c-a-v-a-l-r-y, @alievans007, @tragiclyhip

His flight lands at JFK shortly before two in the afternoon. He’d slept for the better part of it; worn out from the lengthy hikes in the oppressive heat. Something to eat and a shower had done him some good. Easing the majority of tightness in his back and shoulders and tackling some of the swelling and pain in his right knee. It remains the proverbial thorn in his side; first replacement failing after only a year and a half and then having lengthy and painful recovery issues following the second one. He’ll never be able to fully straighten that leg or go a day without some swelling or pain. The surgeons had done the best they could under the circumstances; warning him of excessive and irreparable damage done to the surrounding ligaments and tendons and preparing him for a third surgery before he hits sixty.

While miserable and hobbling at times, it’s still nowhere near as agonizing as what he’d been living with before. Ninety percent of his nights are spent sleeping straight through; very rarely is he woken by pain, nor does he have to resort to the alternating of hot and cold showers in effort of relieving some of the suffering. And there’s been no nightmares. Two and a half years of NOT having his rest disrupted by vivid and terrifying recollections of his times in Dhaka. THAT’S more of relief than the absence of pain; the troubles with his mind finally giving him reprieve thanks to a strict regime of medications and therapies. There’s been no manic or severely depressive moments; moods managed relatively well and healthy coping mechanisms long ago replacing the damaging and dangerous behaviours he’d once turned to.

It helps to have a support system. Knowing there’s someone in your corner that will constantly cheer you on; never letting you get discouraged or allowing you to give up on yourself. Oftentimes...when things get particularly bad...willingly carrying some of the burden and despair themselves. Had it not been for her, he would have surrendered a long time ago. He would have easily resorted back to the booze and the drugs; his life empty and meaningless and not worth the effort and the oxygen it took to stay alive.

He woke an hour before landing and placed two calls. The first to Dylan’s Candy Bar; a favourite destination of the kids every time they make a trip to the Big Apple. It’s one of the places they insist on visiting at least twice. Shamelessly dropping nearly all their spending money given to them by their parents; filling their shopping bags to the brim with sweet treats and various trinkets. The order was simple; seven plastic buckets -each adorned with the kids’ favourite cartoon character or superhero- filled with their candy and chocolate of choice and gift certificates for the sundae bar. The second call is placed to the ‘go to’ local florist. Two dozen long stemmed sweetheart roses; white, pink, and purple. It makes him happy; being able to both surprise and spoil her. The latter always launches a protest on her behalf; reminding him that she isn’t a materialistic person and most certainly doesn’t expect or need expensive gifts. But he can’t help himself. While they live remarkably simple and low key in the grand scheme of things, it’s no secret that money is no longer an issue; their bank account will never run dry and there will always be cash -BIG cash- rolling in. And he feels she deserves to be spoiled and treated like a queen. Not only giving him seven kids in as many years, but staying by his side through thick and thin; never giving up on him -or the- even when things were their darkest and direst.

She’s been with him from the humblest of beginnings; when he had absolutely nothing to offer her. Money had been scarce. Nearly all their combined savings used up on a mountain of medical bills; his long and painful recovery from Dhaka making any and all employment impossible. It was worrisome; wondering how the hell he’d keep a roof over her head and food in her pregnant belly. If he couldn’t manage THAT, how was he going to be able to properly care for a kid? They hadn’t had much back then; that tiny apartment outside of Sydney filled with used and mismatched furniture and barely any clothes in their closets. But she’d hung in there. Agreeing to marry him even though he couldn’t even afford to give her a ring, let alone a proper wedding. Loving him with every fibre of her being and always looking at him as if he was the most incredible man on earth; declaring that he made her feel safe and protected and that she’d never...EVER...felt that way before.

And that’s why he does. All of that blind faith and love and trust that she’s always possessed. The chances she’s given to him; forgiving him for all the broken promises and all the lies he told -never maliciously, only as a means of keeping her safe- and the times he fell off the wagon and went back to the booze and drugs. So many times she could have walked away; taken the kids and fled the country and made sure that he would never find them. But she never did. She never let it...HIM...break them. No matter how hard it got, no matter tears she shed, no matter how volatile the arguments or how many holes he punched in the walls, she never gave up. Even when she did kick him out, it hadn’t been a sign of defeat. It had been a warning; telling him that she wouldn’t allow someone like him in her children’s lives and he needed to clean up his act. He’s still ashamed that it took as long as it had. Six months spent wallowing in his self pity and despair; twenty four weeks away from his family because he was too scared and too weak to face his problems head on and try to solve them. And she’d taken him back; a tearful phone call in the middle of the night begging him to come home. They’d stayed up until dawn; having the calm and rational heart to heart that they should have indulged in months..if not YEARS...ago. And finally he’d been ready to change; crying and begging for forgiveness and promising to do whatever it took to make things right again.

To make THEM right again.

Although Anil had arranged for a private car to take him home, he opts for a taxi instead. While he appreciates Anil's continued generosity, it’s far too ‘flashy’ for him; a black Lincoln with tinted windows pulling up into Gramercy Park will only draw attention from the neighbours. While everyone residing there is just as wealthy -if not more- things are still relatively low key; North American made SUVs and sedans in place of luxury models from overseas, no outward displays of disgusting riches and pompous attitudes. He knows he and his family are an enigma of sorts; nine of them from Australia showing up out of the blue and dropping huge cash -especially for what’s considered a young family- on a place that'd been on the market for nearly two years. Then spending an exorbitant amount of money transforming the three story townhome into exactly what they wanted. Adding a private and secluded back deck complete with a wet bar and a hot tub and an area for outdoor food prep and grilling. Blowing the one wall out in TJ and Tanner’s room; removing would have been a study in favour of turning it into built in queen sized bunk beds and enormous walk in closets with enough space for clothes and toys. And a home gym stocked with the best equipment money can buy and a top of the line sound system; ; an addition off the kitchen that had been a last minute decision. It had taken two years and a dozen trips to and from Australia and New York CIty to get everything just right. Finding joy in seeing just what all the hard work and seemingly endless shedding of blood, sweat, and tears, could actually bring to their family.

When he’s two blocks away he texts his wife, letting her know he’s mere minutes from their front gate. The three littlest love that final stretch; kneeling on the couch and pressing their noses against the living room window as they impatiently await his arrival. She’ll try to get boots and coats on them in time; more often than not chasing them out the front door with winter apparel in hand, shouting about the dangers of frostbite and hypothermia and how they don’t want to spend their entire Christmas break stuck in bed with the flu. It’s been an adventure; raising seven children. Definitely not for the faint of heart or those lacking in patience. There’s the frustrating moments; two or three throwing temper tantrums in unison, an often mouthy and rebellious pre-teen girl that makes her mother her primary target, a ten year old boy that has absolutely no fear; who indulges -and excels- in even the most aggressive of sports and gets bored and irritable if he isn’t keeping himself moving. It’s chaotic and it’s noisy. School mornings are a whirlwind of activity; breakfast for a family of nine, the oldest helping finish and pack lunches, mom and dad working on getting the less independent kiddos ready and out the door. But there’s a lot of fun under that roof; an endless supply of giggles and little arms always ready and willing to wrap you in a hug. The great times far out number the trying and exhausting ones; rewarded with kisses and cuddles and those crinkly eyed smiles.

And there’s a lot of love in that house. If the pain and the worry and the fear that his brush with death had five years ago had taught him anything, it’s that they truly are capable of getting through even the toughest of times. They ARE stronger together than they are apart; fighting through all the pain and all the tears and coming out the other side relatively unscathed. And they’ve become stronger; as individuals AND as a couple. Their marriage has never been healthier. Rational and calm discussions taking the place of often volatile arguments and taking every opportunity presented to them for ‘one on one time’; whether it be date nights or their evening walks along the beach or coffee out on the deck while the sun rises. Seamlessly and effortlessly working as a team when it comes to raising their children, but never forgetting how important it is to acknowledge the bond that exists between them. Not just as spouses and two people that made babies together, but as best friends and lovers and each other’s biggest supporters and most loyal confidants. Marriage therapy has turned out to be the best thing they ever could have agreed to; able to acknowledge their weaknesses as both a couple and as individuals. Opening their eyes to the little things that annoyed and often -unintentionally- hurt one another and tested the limits of their patience.

Things aren’t perfect. But most days they seem damn close to it.

****

Clad in a cumbersome ski jacket and a pair of heavy and clunky winter boots, five year old Takota scrambles onto the living room couch. Leaning stomach first against the back cushion, he places his elbows along the top and heaves a long, forlorn sigh. “He’s late.”

Beside him -and already bundled into her own cold weather gear- Addie casts a glance towards the clock that graces the nearby fireplace mantle. “It’s only been eight minutes.”

“Mummy said he’d be here in FIVE minutes.”

“Maybe the traffic is bad. Maybe the cabbie is a really slow driver. I’m sure he’ll be here soon.”

“I hope so.” Another dramatic sigh. “I wonder why daddy had to go away in the first place?”

Addie twirls one of the braided tassels on her knitted hat around her index finger. “‘Cause Kota, he’s the boss and sometimes bosses have to go and boss people around. In person. Not just on the phone and through the computer.”

“Maybe he had to go and yell at them,” Takota suggests, and pushes his beanie towards the back of his head, then uses a forearm to clear beads of sweat from his brow. “His voice is REALLY loud when he yells. I bet he scared them . Do you think they cried?”

“I would cry if he yelled at me.”

“Daddy never yells at us. He doesn’t need to. He just gives us the stink eye. You know, ‘the look’.”

“The look is scarier than when he yells, I think. He yells at Millie sometimes.”

“That’s ‘cause she deserves it. We don’t. We’re just little. She’s big and mean. And bad. Really bad.”

“Who’s bad?” Brooklyn asks, soles of her boots loud against the laminate flooring as she clomps into the living room, then squeezes her tall and slender frame between the window and the back of the couch.

“Millie,” her twin replies. “All the time.”

“That’s ‘cause she’s almost a teenager,” Brooklyn reasons. “All teenagers are bad.”

“I think it’s ‘cause she’s just a big bitch,” Addie declares.

Voices -especially high pitched little ones that don’t come with a volume switch or understand the meaning of the word ‘whisper’- travel easily through the main floor. Particularly through the open concept design that seamlessly combines living room and kitchen; high ceilings and easy to clean carpet free flooring. A definite must have with seven kids and two dogs. And as she stands at the kitchen island nursing a mug of tea, Esme’s eyebrows arch as she catches the profanity that slips from her soon to be six year old’s mouth.

“Hey!” she calls, and drops her chin to her chest and narrows her eyes. “Language. Please.”

“Sorry,” Addie gives a sheepish grin, then turns back towards the window. “It’s true though.”

“Mum,” Takota turns to face the back of the couch; a pout on his lips and his arms crossed over his chest. “You said he’d be here in five minutes. It’s been an hour.”

“It’s been ten minutes,” she informs him. “It’s snowing out. People forget how to drive when it’s snowing. Traffic is probably bad. Patience, young sir.”

“I don’t have any patience. I’m five, remember? Why did daddy have to go away again?”

“He had some business to take care of. Far away.”

“He’s been gone for like a year.”

“I know it seems that way, but he’s only been gone for four days. Five if you count the night he left.”

“Why’s he leave when we’re sleeping?” Brooklyn inquires, as she traces a fingertip along the edges of the paper snowflakes -done in various colours and sizes- that she and her siblings had created and taped to the glass the evening before. “Why doesn’t he wait to say bye to us?”

“Because most of the flights leave at night. It’s not personal.”

“He should at least wake us up,” Takota says. “I hate not getting to say bye to him.”

“I don’t know, I’m kinda of glad that he DOESN’T say bye,” Addie pipes up. “I’d cry for sure. It’s better if he goes when I’m asleep. So I don’t ugly cry.”

Their chatter turns to plans to build snowmen in the small expanse of backyard, hopes of going sledding, and excitement over the buckets of candy that had been delivered only thirty minutes earlier. The bouquet of flowers sits in the middle of the dining table; a stunning arrangement of long stemmed sweetheart roses in her favourite colours and accompanied by a card that simply reads: I LOVE YOU. While not a fan of grand romantic gestures, over the past five years he’s shown an increased propensity for these ‘out of the blue’ moments. It can be simple yet thoughtful and personal things. Her favourite cupcakes from the local bakery back home, flowers being delivered to the bookstore in the middle of the day, or him taking a break from seemingly endless hours of ‘in office’ work and showing up with lunch for the both of them. Just taking the time to be with her is what matters most to her; the affection he gives and effort he puts into making sure she realizes just how often she’s on his mind. And how much he appreciates her and loves her and truly can’t imagine his life without her.

Then there’s the bigger and more elaborate things; the desire to spoil her every chance he gets, claiming it makes him happy to do so. She always protests. Reminding him that that’s NOT why she fell in love with him; marrying him when they both had very little yet their lives somehow seeming simpler and less stressful. But it just goes in one ear and out the other. his persistence and stubbornness always getting the upper hand. Showering her with jewelry and designer clothing and accessories; surprising with spa appointments and ‘girls weekends’ away with her sister. And then there’s the twice yearly ‘mommy and daddy only’ trips he insists they take. One always to their favorite getaway in Phuket, Thailand, and the other destination always kept a secret until they actually land. He says it makes him happy; being able to just randomly treat her to things they’d never been able to really afford before. Truly believing that she deserves to be spoiled; wanting a way to show how much he appreciates her and how grateful he is for the life she’s given him. A chance to prove he CAN be a good husband and father and that his past mistakes in no way to define who he truly is. And he always talks about how fortunate he is that he found a strong woman; someone that stuck around during even the hardest and darkest of times. Always loyal and faithful. Loving him when he didn’t make it easy to.

He’s come a long way in five years. THEY’VE come a long way. Both separately and as a couple. Therapy has made a world of difference; helping them get to the bottom of both individual issues and those causing friction and tension in their marriage. It had taken him a while to accept the idea of couples counselling; afraid that needing it was a sign that things were far worse than he thought they were Slowing coming around to the realization that it wasn’t because they had serious problems that had to be addressed, but because they needed to find ways to keep those issues from cropping up in the first place. Both had needed to be reminded that their roles in each other’s lives went far beyond just being spouses and raising children together. That the bond that existed between them surpassed what most normal couples could lay claim to. Best friends. Lovers. Each other’s most trusted confidants and most loyal and steadfast supporters. Once they began taking time out to spend together, they soon learned how to nourish those very different roles in each other’s lives. Their marriage started to see the benefits almost immediately; becoming stronger and their appreciation, gratitude, and love for another growing beyond anything either of them could imagine.

“Momma?” Takota appears on the other side of the island, having to stand on his tiptoes to see over the countertop. Like his Tanner and Addie, he’s on the small side; not blessed with the tall and lanky genes that the others -including his twin sister- had been given. And like Tanner, he is soft spoken and serious; loving to spend time outdoors, yet preferring quieter pursuits. Very creative; indulging in painting and drawing and any form of craft that he can get his hands on.

She glances up from the copy of the New York Times open in front of her. “What’s up, buttercup?”

“Do you think daddy went away because he had to kill someone?”

“What?” She gives a startled chuckle. “Why would you…?”

“TJ said that daddy used to kill people. Before he became a boss. That he was a mer...mer…”

“Mercenary,” she finishes for him, then pushes the sleeves of her sweater up to her elbows and moves to the stove; stirring the contents of a simmering pot. One of Tanner’s many culinary creations; a rather creative mixture of chicken, taco seasons, and various vegetables. It’s his newfound passion; cooking and baking. And he insisted that some of that day’s lunch be left over so daddy could try it when he got home.

The little things go both ways. She’s found her own ways of spoiling him and showing her gratitude and appreciation. Today it’s a warm meal and fresh, hot coffee and the hot tub on the back deck already bubbling; relief for what she knows will be an aching and weary body.

“Is it true? That he used to kill people? When he was one of those? A mercenrie?”

“Mercenary,” she slowly repeats. “And yeah, sometimes. Sometimes he DID have to.”

“Because they were bad people?”

“Very bad people.”

“Is that why he had to go away? To kill bad people?”

“I don’t know why. I didn’t ask for details. He just had to go away for a few days.” It isn’t entirely true. He did in fact head to Laos and Cambodia to do just THAT; two high profile drug and weapons smugglers with enormous price tags on their heads and lengthy lists of enemies. But he’d also said that there was ‘more to it’; things that she didn’t need to know. Details that made HIM extremely unsettled. Something THAT bad? He preferred not to place it upon her shoulders.

“Is he going to go to hell? Because he killed people?”

“No.” She scoops some of the soup from the pot and holds it to her lips; aggressively blowing on it and then checking the temperature with the tip of her tongue before offering it to her son.

Takota eagerly accepts the ‘snack’. “Are the people he killed going to hell?”

“How about we NOT talk about this? If you want to know those kinds of things, you ask daddy. He’ll be able to answer your questions a lot better than I will.”

“I think you’re just throwing him under the bus. Setting him up for failure. We BOTH know he won’t tell me.”

“You are way too smart for five. Taste good? The soup?”

“Really good. Tanner could be a really famous chef one day, I bet. I’m gonna be a lion tamer.”

Grinning, she moves back to the island and snags her mug; heating the tea with some of the remains sitting in the pot she had made earlier. “You are, are you?”

“Daddy said I could be whatever I want to be when I grow up. And I want to be a lion tamer. And maybe a dentist.”

“Both at the same time?”

“I can’t tame lions and fix teeth at the same time. That’s just weird.”

“Mum!” Brooklyn bellows from the living room, then begins pounding her palm against the window. “That weird guy is back again!”

“He’s talking to TJ,” Addie chimes in. “I think TJ is going to tell him off. TJ doesn’t like him. He thinks the guy’s an asshole.”

“Adeline! Language!” she scolds, and then turns the burner on the stove to the nearest possible setting and heads through the kitchen and out into the living room, Takota hot on her heels.

“Why is he back?” Brooklyn unlocks the latch on the window and aggressively shoves it open. “Why are you back, weirdo?! You already shovelled the sidewalk! It hasn’t snowed enough yet! Go away! Mum…” both brows are arched as she glances over her shoulder. “...TJ is going to flip out. The weirdo is asking if you’re here. He called you pretty. I heard him! TJ is pissed!”

“Hey! Hey you!” Addie yells out the window. “My brother is going to kick your ass!”

“No one is kicking anyone’s ass,” Esme says, and shoves her feet into a pair of Crocs by the front door and snags one of the many coats from the hall closet; a snowboarding jacket that belongs to her husband and is monstrous on her tiny frame. And she barely manages to get the front door open; the three littles rushing past her and out onto the freshly shovelled porch and half completed steps.

“Why don’t you just go away!” TJ is barking at the ‘hired help’; a neighbourhood kid that she’d hired three years ago to handle the sidewalk IF Tyler was away. TJ had willingly taken on the responsibility of snow cleaning their first Christmas in Gramercy Park. Happy to be in charge of keeping the walk, stairs, and porch clean, but knowing that anything past the front gate is off limits. “You already did the sidewalk! It doesn’t need done again!”

“What’s going on?” Esme wraps an arm around her son’s shoulders and pulls him tightly into her. He’s tall for only ten; less than an inch away from squeaking past her in height. Still slim yet not as lanky and awkward looking; shoulders broader and muscles in his upper body already forming and becoming defined. A direct result of his love for sports and the kid friendly workouts in the gym that his dad let’s him partake in.

“This guy…” TJ nods in the teenager’s direction. “...wants to talk to you. He called you pretty. He asked ‘where’s your pretty little mom?'. I don’t like the way he said it. And dad wouldn’t like it either.”

“Is there a fight?” Tanner inquires, as he and Declan emerge from the side of the house; hearing the shouting from the backyard where they’d been keeping an eye on the dogs and building ‘snow fortresses’. “Who’s fighting?”

“No one is fighting,” Esme replies. “Just a misunderstanding between your brother and Jacobi. I’m sure it’s nothing, TJ. Go back to what you were doing. Daddy will be home soon. It’ll be a nice surprise for him; seeing everything shovelled off.”

“I don’t like this drongo,” TJ declares, and gestures towards the teenager with the end of the shovel. “He called you pretty. No one calls my mum pretty. Even if she is.”

“Beat him up,” Delcan suggests. “Daddy would.”

“Daddy would NOT beat someone up for no reason,” Esme informs him. “Especially not a teenager. Jacobi,” she turns to the teen in question. He’s a senior at the high school only three blocks away; a nice enough kid from an upper middle class home, constantly clad in backwards ball caps, baggy jeans, a varsity football jacket. “Now is NOT a good time. My wallet’s inside and I have no cash on me and my husband’s going to be home any second and it’s going to get really crazy around here. And loud. Very loud.”

“You don’t have to pay me until next time. I was just going to ask you if…”

TJ steps in front of Esme, forming a protective barrier between her and the unwanted visitor. “My mum’s married,” he snarls. “To my dad. Leave her alone! My dad is big and he’s strong and he can hurt people. With one hand. And if he finds out you’re mackin’ on my mom…”

“Tyler..” she places her hands on his shoulders. “...enough. No one is ‘macking’ on anyone. Jacobi is just being friendly. He shovels the sidewalk for us when dad isn’t here. And takes the garbage to the curb. He’s just trying to be friends.”

“My mom doesn’t need any more friends. Especially GUY friends. Seriously, my dad will kill you. Trying to get with my mom? Yeah, my dad will lose his shit. And you don’t want him to lose his shit. He’ll break you half. With his bare hands.”

“He’s very protective,” Esme explains to the teen, and gives an apologetic smile. “When dad leaves, he takes the role of ‘man of the house’ very seriously. You’re more than welcome to come back later; you can come in and have some hot chocolate or you can stay for dinner.”

“Oh now he’s coming to dinner?!” TJ huffs. “He just wants to try and get in your pants, mum. It’s obvious.”

“You’re ten. You don't know what's obvious when it comes to those things. You need to settle down. Jacobi is harmless. He’s just trying to be friends. Wouldn’t that be nice? To have friends here? It’s always nice to have friends.”

“I have friends back home. I don’t need them here. I got Tanny and Declan. What do I need HIM for?”

“Daddy!” Addie shrieks, as she stands on the lower rung of the wrought iron fence that borders their slice of property. One mitten clad hand wrapped around one of the posts while the other frantically waves at the yellow cab that pulls up to the curb. “Daddy! Daddy’s home!”

******

Chaos erupts; the gate being thrown open and a stampede of six human bodies and two dogs trying to steamroll their way through. The pure joy on those little faces and the excitement in their voices enough to cause a lump of emotion to settle square in his throat and tears to prick at his eyes; the latter hidden behind the lenses of his sunglasses. It had taken work to get past the feelings of inadequacy. The self hate and guilt and shame that had been telling him for years that he didn’t deserve the life he’d been given; a second chance at being a husband and father. Therapy has helped him get past that; helping him learn how to forgive himself and look at everything he DOES have instead of constantly questioning WHY he does. Now all he thinks about is how damn lucky he is; to have created seven human beings and to know how much they love him and how much they need him in their lives.

He barely gets a foot on the curb before the three littlest are on top of him. Shrieking and squealing with happiness and grabbing at the legs of his jeans; all three chattering at once, anxious for his undivided attention and begging to be picked up. He opts to dropping to one knee; not caring about the snow and the slush that soaks his leg or dirties the fabric. All that matters is those kids; three sets of arms wrapping tightly around his neck and those and those tiny voices giggling and happily screeching in his ears. And he gives each one the same attention; laying on the back of their heads and pressing kisses to their lips and cheeks.

“Daddy!” Addie climbs onto his thigh and squeezes his neck even tighter. “I missed you! I missed you so much!”

“I missed you too, Peanut. Every second of every day. I missed ALL of you.”

“But me the most, right? You missed me more than anyone, right?”

“ALL of you. I don’t have favourites.”

“Yes, you do. I know it’s me, daddy. Everyone knows it’s me.”

“Maybe I’ve got a little soft spot for you. But you know who my absolute favourite is? My most favourite human in the whole world?”

“Mummy.”

“Exactly.” He gives her a final squeeze and peck on the cheek, gently sliding her off of his thigh and then standing; wincing at the discomfort in his right knee and the tightness in his shoulder when he slings his piece of luggage -a simple backpack often used during hiking and camping excursions with the family- up onto it. “Hey little red,” he greets Declan, and affectionately ruffles both the winter hat and the shock of red hair underneath. “What happened? Grow another foot while I’m gone? You look taller.”

“I’m going to be a giant like you, dad,” Declan declares, then stands on his tiptoes with his lips pursed for a kiss. “Mum says I might even be BIGGER than you.”

“Guess I better watch my step, huh? Treat her right? Or you’ll be kicking my ass when you’re older. What about guys?” He addresses the oldest twins, clapping a hand on the back on the back of TJ’s neck and pressing a kiss on his cheek.

Tanner...and his needs...are different. He’s the more sensitive of the two; so much like his mother when it comes to a near constant need to show and receive affection. And since his Autism diagnosis almost five years ago -high functioning, as the developmental pediatrician had called it, a term that Tyler finds gets under his skin and leaves a foul taste in his mouth- they’ve all learned just WHAT Tanner needs. Whether it be ‘sensory breaks’ when feeling overwhelmed or anxious or more one on one interaction. Today it’s deep pressure. Tyler feels his son’s need for it the second Tanner’s arms wrap around his waist. He’s struggling emotionally; likely missing him the most out of all the kids and having a hard time adjusting to being away from home and not having his usual routine. It’s been difficult to adjust to; trying to find that balance between giving Tanner what he so desperately needs and craves yet not alienating or neglecting the needs of the others.

“Hey, mate.” He presses a kiss to Tanner’s temple, then wraps both arms around his petite frame. Knowing the exact amount of pressure he needs to put into the embrace. It will last longer than what he’d shared with the others. Long ago getting used to Tanner’s ‘signs’; knowing it’s better for his son’s mental state if he allows Tanner to be the one to break contact.

The ten year old’s demeanour begins to change almost instantly; tension releasing from his body and his heart rate slowing down and the head to toe tremors disappearing. And he holds on until Tanner is good and ready to pull away, then places his hands on his son’s shoulders and crouches down to make them eye level. Smiling when his sunglasses are gently and carefully pulled off his face. That contact again; Tanner needing to be able to read the emotions and even the thoughts that he always says is ‘written in daddy’s eyes’.

“You good?”

Finally a smile. One that crinkles the corners of his eyes and creases the bridge of his nose. “I’m good, dad.”

“Good,” he leans in and presses a kiss to Tanner’s lips. “Miss me?”

The ten year old nods.

“How much?”

“Lots.”

“Just lots?”

The smile broadens. “Tons.”

“I knew it. I missed you too. Tons. I brought you something. From Vietnam. Remember how when I told you where I was going, you did all that research? Especially about the animals? What was your favorite one?”

“The sun bear.”

“Look what I found.” Reaching into the pocket of his navy wool pea coat, he pulls out a small porcelain statue of a sun bear. It had taken him two hours of scouring various markets near his hotel and in surrounding areas, but he’d managed to find one. Tanner’s obsession with studying countries and their native wildlife is no secret; postcards and other trinkets constantly pouring in from Koen and Rata and some of the other guys on staff.

Tanner’s eyes widen, and he gingerly “Just for me?”

“Just for you. I told you I’d do my best to find you something. You can add that to your collection.”

“Mum!” He excitedly turns to Esme as she joins them, cradling his gift in both palms. “Look what daddy found! Look what he got me!”

“That’s awesome nugget. Daddy never disappoints, does he.”

“Never. Thank you, daddy,” Tanner curls his arms around Tyler’s neck and presses a kiss to his cheek. “I missed you. I love you.”

“I missed you too, mate. And I love you,” he places his lips against his son’s temple. “So much.”

“Why don’t you go put that inside,” Esme suggests. “In your room. So it doesn’t get broken. You can come back out to play if you want. If not, dry socks please. Your feet are probably soaked.”

“And put my boots on the mat by the door and all wet stuff in the sink in the laundry room.”

“You got it.” She playfully tugs on the braided ties dangling from his head, then taps a fingertip against the end of the nose before he rushes off. “Hey, handsome,” she greets Tyler with a brilliant smile; one that’s a testament to immense relief his return brings. “Long time no see. Already upping your ‘best daddy in the world’ game, huh?”

“Couldn’t let him down, could I?”

“You never do. How was your flight?”

“It was alright.” He shrugs his bag further up onto his shoulders and reaches up to cup the back of her head in his palm, other hand falling on the small of her back and pulling her tightly into him. Despite the enormous difference in both weight and height, their bodies have always felt perfect together; easily and effortlessly melding into one another. He’d felt it that first day; 13 years ago in that rundown hotel room in Dhaka. She had felt amazing; soft skin and curves in all the right places, body warm and responding so eagerly and willingly to his. Everything it...about her...had felt good. It had felt right. And still does.

“I missed you.” Esme says, and perches herself on her tiptoes; the soles and heels of her bare feet lifting out her Crocs as she curls her arms around his neck.

“I missed you too. You have no idea how much.”

They both feel the stress and the worry immediately lift; her body leaning into his and her eyes closing, his hand gently pressing her head into his chest, his forearm sliding just under her ass. For minutes they stand in silence simply embracing one another and enjoying the reunion; snowflakes gathering in their hair and on the shoulders of their jackets. And when she eventually pulls away, he leans down to kiss her; long and soft and slow, palm moving from the back of her head to her cheek.

Tyler glances down, a grin playing on his lips. “What’s up with that outfit?”

“It’s a long story.” She reaches up to trace her fingertips over a handful of fresh scratches and gouges mar his face and forehead. “What’s up with these?”

“Those are also a long story. We’re missing one. There’s only six spawn. What happened? Finally have enough? Is she buried in the backyard?”

“I did FINALLY crack but she’s very much alive. She went to Alannah’s last night; for a sleepover. Alannah’s mom took them out today; for lunch and a movie and to do some Christmas shopping.” Alannah is one of the many friends Millie has managed to make during their trips to New York City; the daughter of a Korean diplomat and a former Rockette.

“She’s been THAT bad?”

“Let’s put it this way; she’s lucky she’s still breathing and I’m lucky I'm still sober.”

“Yikes. Not what I wanted to hear. Guess we’ll be talking about that later.”

“It can wait. No rush. She’ll be home for dinner. I’m sure she’ll still be in a mood.”

“I’ll handle it if she is.”

“And then I’ll get blamed for turning daddy against her.”

“Well, she’s got to learn. No one disrespects my wife. Not someone we know, not a complete stranger, not my own kids.”

“Always the protective husband. You hungry?”

“I could eat.”

“Tanner made some amazing soup yesterday and he insisted we save you some. And there’s fresh coffee AND the hot tub is already.”

“Best wife EVER.”

“I try. To keep my man happy.”

Smiling, he smoothes her hair away from her hair and loops errant strands behind her ears. “You do a very good job at that. And later, I’ll make YOU very happy.”

Esme grins. “Is that a promise?”

“That’s a promise.” He kisses her once more; her face cradled in both hands and her body more melting into his his.

Her smile is softer; eyes sparkling with a mixture of relief and happiness. And love. There’s always love there. And he's certain there always will be.

“I missed you,” he says yet again, and leans down to place a kiss on her temple and nuzzles the tip of his nose against her ear.

Pulling back to look at him, her hand once more moves to his face. Knuckles skimming along his jaw before her palm cups his cheek, her eyes never leaving his as two of her fingertips glide over his lips. She allows the the bottom of his chin to rest in the curve between thumb and forefinger, then softly and briefly brushes her mouth against his

“Welcome home, baby,” she whispers against his lips, then takes his hand in hers and leads the way inside.