#Her parents appreciate the help with her but sometimes they wish he calmed down | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

rose-colored-glasses671 · 2 years ago

Text

Let The Light In pt. 2

Simon "Ghost Riley" x fem reader

read pt. 1

a/n: yayyyyy! pt. 2 is finally out. After a lot of editing, i'm pretty happy with the final result, and I hope you guys are too. happy reading :)

The smoke from the cigarette billowed out of in front of him, Simon’s nerves relaxing as the nicotine coursed through his veins. This was his one vice that you didn’t like, and especially with the baby on the way, he tried to limit himself as much as he could.

But it was hard sometimes. Most of the time.

The sun peeked up from the horizon and the smell of morning dew wafted over Simon as he took another drag of the cigarette before grinding it out on the ash tray he brought outside.

You looked through the kitchen window, seeing Simon’s broad back to you. He had abruptly woken up while you were getting ready for work and was out of the room before you could ask what was wrong.

You suspected he’d had another nightmare, so you were giving him his space to process it before you went to him. You understood when he needed time to himself, and you didn’t want to smother him. He’d let it be known when he needed you.

Simon stared out at the beautiful array of colors in the sky, contemplating his dream. He had frequent nightmares thanks to his PTSD, but this one was particularly rough. He’d seen visions of Harper, visions he would never wish upon his worst enemy.

Blood, so much blood. Red, red, red. On the walls, on the floor, on his hands. Tears streaking down his face. His little girl’s pleas for help. But he couldn’t do anything. He was utterly helpless.

Simon’s breath grew shaky as he tried to keep his emotions at bay.

He had woken up in a panic at 4:30 am, the visceral nightmare making his breathing choppy. He’d immediately went and checked on Harper, seeing her peacefully asleep in her bed, her chest rising and falling with her soft breaths. His heart calmed at the sight of her safe, but the visions continued to haunt him. Hence the cigarette.

As you gathered your stuff to head to the hospital, Simon walked in through the back door. He looked at you with sleepy yet alert eyes, his hair disheveled from sleep. He walked toward you and you met him halfway, wrapping your arms around his torso in a hug the best you could with your eight months pregnant belly in the way.

“Nightmare?” you questioned, feeling him nod his head as his arms came around you too.

“Wanna talk about it?”

“Not yet,” Simon replied, his voice gruff. He wasn’t ready to rehash the details.

You reluctantly let go of him, running a soothing hand down his arm.

“I can call in and stay with you,” you offered, wanting to be there in case he needed you. “I have a good excuse since my due date’s coming up.”

But Simon shook his head no, giving you a small, reassuring smile.

“Okay, but you’ll call if you need me?”

“Of course,” he said, appreciating that you didn’t press him on the matter.

You and Simon made your way to the door, kissing goodbye before you left on your forty-five-minute drive to work. You lived on a relatively secluded farmhouse in the British countryside, and the nearest town was a good drive away. You didn’t mind, though, as the sights made it worth it.

After your departure, Simon went about his day, preparing for Harper’s teacher to come at 9. She was still getting accustomed to life, so you and Simon had decided to have Harper homeschooled for the time being. You would eventually transition her to a nearby school when she was ready.

It was discovered that Harper was an orphan, her birth parents having died when she was just a baby. When Simon found this out, you and he had a lengthy conversation about the options. Obviously, she would go up for adoption, but Harper was already doing so well with you guys, and you didn’t want to disrupt her life even more by having her put in foster care. So, you decided to adopt her.

The process was still ongoing, even after four months, but you were excited at the prospect of her officially being your daughter—not that you didn’t already think she was. She was, by all means, your child.

Simon turned on the TV, attempting to ease his nerves by catching up on last night’s Manchester United that he had missed. A steaming cup of his favorite tea sat on the coffee table as he tried to shift his focus to the game highlights, but his mind continued to wander to the nightmare.

At fifteen past seven, he heard little footsteps coming down the stairs. Harper walked over to where Simon was seated on the couch, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her hair was a mess and her PJ’s were askew, signaling that she’d had a good night’s rest.

It was something she struggled with when she first started living with you and Simon, but months of therapy was putting her on the right track, and she was having less and less episodes with each passing week.

“Good morning, my sweet girl,” Simon said as Harper approached him, holding his arms open. She crawled into his lap and found a comfortable position before relaxing into him, her cheek resting against his chest in a way that still gave her a view of the TV. She rather enjoyed watching football with her dad, laughing every time Simon groaned at a bad play and cheering with him for every goal.

“Sleep good?” Simon questioned, to which she nodded her head. Harper still had trouble speaking, her therapist telling you she suffered from selective mutism. Your heart ached at the thought of all the trauma she had been through to get to this point, but you were relieved that she was making good progress.

After twenty minutes of mindless TV, Harper looked up at Simon, patting her belly.

“All right then,” Simon said, letting Harper get down before he got to his feet. “Let’s get some food in ya.”

At the hospital, you clocked in for your shift and got about to business, tidying up your desk, which was often scattered with papers and pens due to the craziness of the ER. You chatted with nurses, looked over patient files, treated those in need, and took frequent breaks due to sore feet and a weak bladder.

The day was going by normally, the ER a little quiet today, thankfully. Well, it was going normally until about 1:23 pm. You were heading back to the nurses’ station after checking in on a patient when all of a sudden you were assaulted by a searing pain in your abdomen and lower back. You breathed through it, huffing out short breaths in an attempt to relieve the pressure.

“You okay, Dr. Riley?” Amanda, the charge nurse, asked at the look of pain on your face.

“Oh yeah, nothing of concern,” you reassured, but just as quickly as the pain had subsided, it resurfaced. This time you were left hunched over and feeling nauseous, and not even a minute later, you felt wetness seep through your scrub pants, fluid gathering in a pool underneath you.

You looked at the pool of fluid, dazed and confused. But only for a second, because you quickly realized what was happening.

“Um, actually, Amanda, if you wouldn’t mind bringing me that wheelchair?” you pointed to the corner where the contraption sat. “I think my water just broke.”

Simon was sitting at the kitchen counter, catching up on reports while Harper and her teacher went about their lesson at the dining table, when his phone rang. Your name flashed across the screen.

“It’s time,” your pained voice reverberated across the phone. “The baby’s coming.”

In an instant, Simon was out of his chair. “Right now?”

“Yes, Simon. Right now,” you wailed, before the line went dead.

“Shit,” he muttered, making his way to the dining room.

“We have to go,” he grunted out to the teacher before getting down on a knee in front of Harper. “Mommy’s having the baby now, so we have to go to the hospital.”

You and Simon had sat Harper down a couple weeks ago to let her know how things would go when her sibling was arriving. It helped reduce her anxiety about the situation, and really, it was just good to be prepared.

As Harper’s teacher made her way out of the house, Simon frantically ran around gathering up the go-bags, his excitement and fear skyrocketing through the roof.

It’s time, your voice echoed through his head. His heart beat at a concerning pace, but he busied himself with tasks to keep the panic at bay. He dialed your sister’s number to let her know in case you hadn’t gotten the chance to call her.

“I’m on my way to the hospital right now,” your sister said in lieu of a greeting, understanding how overwhelmed he probably felt right now. She lived in town so she’d get there sooner than he would and would be able to help while Simon drove there.

He blew out a quick breath of relief.

“Thank you.” And then he was out of the house with Harper.

Like a bat out of hell, Simon sped—reasonably—down the winding roads and onto the main highway that would take him to his destination.

He sporadically checked on Harper, only to see her peaceful gaze on the views outside the window. At least she wasn’t panicking. He’d take any win he could get at this point.

Once at the hospital, Simon zoomed into a parking spot and jumped out the vehicle, almost forgetting to turn it off. He grabbed Harper and the bags, and they both ran inside, stopping to a halt at the front desk.

“Maternity ward,” Simon said, more as a demand than a question. The lady at the desk jumped at the sudden intrusion, but let Simon know the floor.

At the ward, Simon inquired about your room with the head nurse, letting her know he was your husband, then went to find your sister.

“Lily!” he practically yelled at the sight of her dark hair in the waiting room, catching her attention.

“Hey,” she replied, frantically approaching the bedraggled duo, holding her daughter’s hand. “I’ll take Harper, you go. It’s room-”

“I know. Thank you.” Simon then turned his attention to his daughter, getting down to her eye level. “Hey, baby girl. Dad’s gonna go look after mum now, okay. You think you can stay with your aunt and cousin for now?” he asked, making sure Harper felt comfortable with her new surroundings. But she barely listened to him as she absentmindedly nodded her head, engrossed in what her cousin Nina was showing her on her iPad.

Simon gave a Harper a quick kiss before turning around and sprinting in the opposite direction.

2408…2410…2412…2414. This is the one.

Although the hallway was in no way quiet, Simon particularly homed in on your pained howls echoing through the closed door. He noticed his hand shaking as he went to open the door, reminding himself to take a deep breath to steady his nerves.

As soon as he entered the hospital room, he was met with the sight of you lying in bed, your face red and in agony. His eyes instantly met yours, as they often did. You could be in a room with a million other people, and somehow, he’d always notice you first.

At the sight of your husband, you broke down. You were so instantly calmed by his presence that it overwhelmed you.

“Are you the dad?” the OB asked sweetly, to which Simon nodded his head. “Perfect! Mom over here was very distressed at your absence.”

He scurried by your side, and as soon as he was in reaching distance, you leaned up a little and wrapped your arms around him. No words were able to leave you, not just because of the pain but also at the relief of him finally being here.

“I got you, my love,” Simon whispered into your ear, slowly easing you back into the bed.

“Okay, so it looks like you’re about 5 cm dilated right now,” the OB said. “I’ll be back to check on you, but at this rate, you should be able to deliver soon.”

The next hour was a whirlwind, nurses traipsing in and out, Simon’s surroundings a blur of wires and beeps and huffing breaths. When it came time for you to finally deliver, you felt your anxiety coming to a head.

“I’m scared,” you cried, gripping onto Simon’s hand like a lifeline.

“I know, my love. I know,” he cooed, keeping his tone a lot more relaxed than he actually felt. “This is scary for me too. But, hey, it’s gonna be over soon, and then we’ll have a little bugger to take home with us.”

You tried to laugh, tried to let the picture of your little baby in your arms calm you down, but the panic overtaking you didn’t allow that. Deep breaths weren’t going to cut it this time.

Simon noticed this, seeing the fear still glowing in your eyes. He pressed a reassuring kiss to your forehead, that sweet smell of vanilla that always seemed to follow you overtaking his senses. He had to make sure you were okay.

“I am with you every step of the way,” Simon said. “You wanna scream? Scream. You wanna squeeze my hand ‘till it breaks…well, you can try,” he joked with a teasing smirk. “Whatever you need, I will give it you. I’ll take care of you.”

You nodded your head, knowing that every word Simon just said was true. He had never once let you down, and he was a man of his words. Your anxiety wouldn’t fade right away, but you’d let your husband’s comfort overtake you until it did. It’s the most you could hope for.

And after an amount of time neither you nor Simon could gauge, you’d finally given birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl. You had cried with the unending happiness and love when you finally got to hold your daughter, Simon right alongside you as he gazed at his daughter’s beautiful face, and then at yours.

When the nurse had taken her away and told you her weight, you and Simon had laughed. At 4.2 kilograms, she was a little bigger than normal, and the irony wasn’t lost on you. She was, after all, Simon Riley’s daughter.

Back in the recovery room, Simon brought Harper in to meet her sister and was pleasantly surprised at how easily she took to her. You let Harper sit on your bed as you cradled your baby, letting her play with her and take in the new addition to the family.

Harper was beyond excited, if not a little nervous, about her baby sister. But she was gentle and immediately took on a big sister role, much to your delight.

This moment was one for the books. For the longest time, you were Simon’s only family, the only one he could trust and confide in. But now, he had more than he ever imagined he could have.

“Baby cousin!” Nina’s shriek echoed through the room, none of you noticing that her and Lily had come in.

“Okay, now. Be gentle. She’s sleeping,” Lily said to her daughter, following after her. At the sight of your newborn baby, Lily let out an adoring sigh, looking at you with tear filled eyes. “She’s so perfect, bee,” she said, using your childhood nickname.

“I know,” you replied, getting just as emotional as her. “I can’t stop looking at her.”

The baby had blonde hair just like Simon’s, and her small button nose and chubby cheeks were the most adorable thing you’d ever seen in your life.

“Takes after Simon, doesn’t she?” Lily remarked.

“Cheeky,” he said, but secretly loving the fact.

“Sure does,” you stated, secretly loving the fact too. She was a perfect little piece of you and Simon, a testament to your love and commitment to each other.

Much of the day passed with family and friends trickling in and out, sharing in this happy moment with you. And although Simon tried not to let any negativity seep into this joyous moment, he couldn’t help but feel the stinging pain of loss at the absence of his own family.

It was often a hard pill to swallow, the fact that his mother, brother, even his nephew, were gone. That they’d never be able to share happy moments with him again.

But when his baby girl had opened her eyes for the first time, they were hazel. A striking, mesmerizing hazel that were so familiar to him, it almost brought him to his knees. Neither you nor Simon had hazel eyes, but obviously it had skipped a generation.

It was like his mother had sent a piece of her down to him, something for him to take solace in and to know that she would always be with him. That was also the moment you had known what you were going to name your daughter.

That night, when darkness kissed the sky and crickets chirped outside the open window, you broached the subject with Simon.

“What if we named her Margaret?” you asked him as he held the baby to his chest, taking in that newborn scent.

Simon paused in his pacing to look at you, seeing the sincerity on your face. His heart burst like a dam, the emotions he had been holding back flooding to the surface.

And you knew the answer just by the sheen in his eyes.

***

Later that night, when you and the baby were fast asleep, Simon didn’t dare to close his eyes. He gazed at your serene face, a little jealous of how your dreams never tormented you, but at the same time relieved that you didn’t have to go through what he did. Visions of his nightmare mixed with the memory of his daughter’s birth and the liveliness of the room as people came to see her.

His tired eyes drooped, and he was happy. He was so goddamn happy, but he was also restless. And scared.

Would he be able to protect all of you? Would he ever feel normal? Would his trauma continue to burden him, and inadvertently put that burden on you?

What Simon didn’t realize was that you were restless too, your anxiety from before morphing into something else. Anxiety about the future, about raising your daughters, about…everything, it felt like.

You opened your eyes, ready to accept that fact that you wouldn’t sleep tonight, when you noticed Simon sitting up on the couch to your right.

“Si?” You sat up in bed, reaching your hand out to call him over. He complied, coming over to you. He sat at the edge of your bed, a hesitant look on his face. “You okay?”

Simon considered lying. Considered telling you he wasn’t plagued with so many negative emotions so close to the miracle that happened today, because they weren’t supposed to. Right?

“No.” He settled on the truth instead. “I mean, yes. But also no, in many ways.”

“Tell me what’s going on,” you said, reaching up to cup his cheek. You ran your thumb across it, the feeling of his slight stubble something you’d never stop loving.

He smiled, leaning down to place a soft kiss on your lips.

“I don’t know,” he sighed, straightening himself. “I feel like I should be happier. I am happy, don’t get me wrong. I’m so happy. But I can’t stop thinking about the nightmare.” He described what he saw to you, how he felt helpless. “I’ll never be enough. Nothing I do will ever be a 100% guarantee that you and Harper and Margaret are safe.”

You stared into Simon’s eyes, feeling the anguish radiating off of him.

“Simon, you are enough. You’re more than enough. You are so much more than your ability to keep us safe. A loving husband, a doting father, and most of all, a human being. You have to give yourself a break.” You slid over on the bed, indicating for him to sit beside you. He did so, maneuvering himself to give you ample space.

You rested your head on his shoulder, closing your eyes and breathing in the subtle scent of his cologne. “It’s okay to feel doubt. God knows I do. It feels like I go through everyday not knowing what the fuck I’m doing. Every moment I spend with Harper is a moment that’s tainted with the fear that I’m doing her more harm than good.”

“You’re amazing with her,” Simon interjected. “You’re exactly the kind of patient and adoring presence she needs.”

“And so are you, Si. Don’t think for a second that you’re not just as patient with her.” You looked up at him to see him already looking at you. “Who’s been the one to guide Harper through her panic attacks, or plan her lessons with her teacher, or take care of her when I’m not home? It’s all been you. You care about her so much, and she sees that. She loves you.”

Simon contemplated, thinking back to a couple weeks ago when Harper had woken up in the middle of night screaming. Both your hearts had stopped, thinking something horrible was happening. As it was, Harper had had a bad dream, not unlike the ones Simon himself experienced. She was shaking like a leaf and refused to let either of you touch her, and Simon had been the one to help her through the panic attack and calm her down.

“A lot of things are out of our control. But what is in our control is what we do and what we say. It’s a lot of faith to put in ourselves, but that’s what we gotta do,” you shrugged. “Everything else is arbitrary.”

Simon relaxed into you, taking in your words. You were right, you rarely ever weren’t.

When Margaret started crying, he brought her to you, and gazed in wonder as you fed and comforted her. You whispered sweet words to her and held her close, and when she finally went back to sleep, Simon decided he would take this newfound joy he felt because of his family and pocket it. Relive that feeling when nothing else made sense. And he would never stop trying his hardest.

#simon riley #cod modern warfare #call of duty modern warfare 2 #call of duty #ghost #simon riley x reader #simon ghost riley #simon ghost riley x reader #simon riley x fem reader #simon ghost riley x fem reader #modern warfare 2 #call of duty modern warfare #cod #mw2 #pregnancy drabble #x female reader #x fem reader

239 notes · View notes

charmingradiobelle · 1 month ago

Note

Okay, so I wanna know what Irene's relationship with her family is like. And by family I mean Charlie, Alastor, Lucifer and Lilith, does she get along with them? What are her favorite activities to do with each of them?

Also since we just got the reveal of the rest of the deadly sins, I'd also like to know which sin she likes from best to least, if that's alright with you.

Omg I am SO GLAD somebody asked this!! I was hoping this topic would come up as I love explaining family dynamics when I make a fan kid OC!!

Beware, big yap session below the cut!

We’ll start off with her parents. Irene is, without a doubt, a daddy’s girl. Alastor spoils her rotten, and he has from the day she was born. Admittedly he was always hesitant at the thought of having a kid of his own, worried his old-fashioned ways of thinking would harm any potential relationship with his child. But one look at the little angel in his wife’s arms that very first day and he just fell in love. He has given her everything she’s wanted and tells her stories about his life before Hell, even telling her about his mother (it breaks his heart that she will never get to meet her granddaughter or even know she has one…)

Now, this isn’t to say he’s a perfect father. There’s no such thing! She and Alastor do have their differences and since she is now in her late teens they don’t always see eye to eye. But even if they argue, no matter how angry he may be, Alastor will always be there for her because she is his little girl and he will be damned if anybody tries to do anything to her. (No seriously if you touch her consider yourself double dead)

While Irene may have a close relationship with her father, a bond between a mother and daughter will always be unique. Charlie’s love for her little angel goes beyond words. Whenever she used to imagine herself as a mom, she would always dream of having a girl. Irene is everything she could want in a daughter, and truthfully speaking, she sometimes envies how confident Irene is compared to her. Of course she is grateful that she doesn’t let mistreatment towards her slide as easily. She wants Irene to have a better life and more respect from their people! She wants Irene to thrive and have everything she wants. It makes Charlie realize that she has become the parent she always needed but never got growing up. It’s a bit sad, but she’s proud of herself for raising such a strong young lady.

Little does Charlie know, she has qualities that Irene admires and envies as well. She wishes she was as cheerful and energetic as her mother, how she isn’t afraid to express herself no matter how many times people have looked down on her for doing so. Irene hides it but she has insecurities just like anybody else. She looks up to her more than Charlie realizes, and she appreciates everything Charlie does for her; guiding her to be a helping hand in a realm full of hateful fiends.

Honestly I could write a whole book about her relationship with her parents (and I just might lol) but I don’t want this post to be too long so let us continue!

Needless to say, of course Lucifer and Lilith ADORE their granddaughter. Like any grandparent ever, they pamper her like no tomorrow and will drop everything just to spend time with her. When she was a baby they would always volunteer to babysit even when it wasn’t necessary. Lucifer loves to play with her and fly her around the city, and as expected he likes showing off his powers in front of her because, ya know, the sin of pride needs to boast about how awesome he is without just saying it. Lilith is much more calm and gentle with her grandbaby, but will play with her if she asks. She keeps pretty much everything Irene gives her even if it’s something she doesn’t like.

She and Lucifer are the type of grandparents to have pictures of her everywhere. And I mean everywhere. Every single wall in the palace, on the shelves, in their wallets, etc. If you even bring up the topic of kids, they’re ready to whip out their phones to show you the 300+ pictures they’ve taken of her in the last month. And no, this does not stop once she becomes an adult. It never ends. Ever.

The sins, oh my gosh they love her!! They were amongst the first to show up the day after she was born with bags of presents for the happy family. They each individually will invite the family or even just Irene to come to their rings to hang out, or sometimes they’ll just show up at the hotel doorstep and let themselves in to spend time with their favorite niece (technically great niece, right? idk lol)

It’s hard to rank which sins Irene likes the best, since they are her family so of course she loves all of them and wouldn’t want to choose favorites. But, in order of who she likes to hang out with most would probably be; Beelzebub, Asmodeus, Leviathan, Satan, Belphegor, and Mammon.

Bee is the coolest and most fun aunt you could ever have, so she is always up for partying with her. Plus she always has the tastiest treats! Ozzie is equally as fun, plus his boyfriend Fizz always makes her laugh so they’re typically the ones she’ll go to when she’s feeling down. As a kid I think Irene would be fascinated by Levi’s two heads and would play games with her and ask questions to see if both heads will answer the same lmao. Now, Satan did used to scare her when she was little so he didn’t get to be around her as much. But when she got a bit older she would get excited to climb onto him and have him carry her around on his shoulder (she still does this as a teen lol). I think she has fun with Bel too but it’s hard to keep her awake the whole time, but Irene doesn’t mind it. They’ll hang out to unwind and cuddle together on the sofa next to a nice cozy fire. As for Mammon, well, he may be an ass but he’s a fun uncle who gives her cash for her birthday sooo she can put up with his corny jokes every now and then.

I would love to go into more detail about each of their dynamics later on, if anyone is interested of course! Irene has a pretty huge family (blood and not) so there’s a lot to cover here!

12 notes · View notes

quailxcrossing · 7 months ago

Text

you're right i was sillybrained and thought my asks were on but they weren't! thank you for tagging me regardless I really appreciate the questions and my brain is WHRRRING

[60] If they were to commit a crime, what kind of crime would it most likely be? WINNIE

As awful as it sounds right off the bat, Winnie's most likely crime would be physical assault </3 she's a very highstrung and defensive person, and when she feels threatened she goes for her physical qualities first- she WILL bite people. this has helped her greatly in the past, when she was in real, high-stress high-danger situations, but now that she's trying to adjust to Normal Life, she's still unlearning that she can't bite people to make them leave her alone!

(i'll do 17 for Runo on a separate ask! just to save typing space :3) [30] What are their most healthy and most unhealthy coping mechanisms? RUNO

Oh Runo LOVES coping mechanisms...he's got a lot....but yes. For healthy, I'd say his most bestest one is letting himself play- he's not really a parent who sits back with a drink and watches his kids from a distance; he loves hanging out with them and playing their games, he lets himself be silly with them and not care about passerbyers! Not only is it just, a lot of fun, but it's helping him experience a lot of childhood he didn't get to, and process how much he needed an engaging parent and now he gets to do all the things he wanted to! Although, at his own slower pace. He's not as high-energy as either of his children, but when he's included it just heals his whole brain. his wife Peony enjoys these family activities too <3

for WORST...okay the worst.......needs a slight trigger warning for s/h --> he bites, sadly not in a silly way, but when he's really feeling it he bites his arms to calm down. sometimes when i draw him without long sleeves, you can see bruises or lacerations on his wrists/hands. he tries to hide this from his family best he can- he doesn't want his kids worrying about him, or picking up the habit. its a form of NSSI which is an autistic trait i relate to heavily but man. man i wish he'd stop doing it :<

[11] What are small things that make them happy? TAI

(this art is by my friend @/foolishly-snowy !) oh man this guy needs some joy in his life. small things....i almost just said his daughter, but that's a pretty big thing, no? small things would be...clever tattoo designs (he loves tats so much, boy i'm begging you to get more of them, he loves fantasizing about the big arm/chest pieces he wants someday) or when he gets to dress up a little fancier than usual (formal work events are his favorite thing, despite unpopular opinion- he just loves a nice clean suit and feeling put together!) and...walnuts? he loves walnuts....his husband Spiro really likes cooking, and it's not uncommon for him to make Tai cinnamon toasted walnuts to take to work which always make the 15-hour shifts so much better when there are walnuts in his bag

[3] What emotion is the hardest for them to deal with? RUSE

RUSE!!! hi ruse hiii ruse hi babygirl....hmmm....all of them? Ruse isn't great with emotions...being raised sheltered, friendless, and ostracized, then she became a squire, then a knight, all while being sheltered, friendless, and ostracized. She tries to keep her emotions in immaculate little boxes, but she is TERRIBLE at this. the hardest emotion to keep in her boxes is guilt, for sure. she feels very guilty to want things, or need things, or desire anything, or take up anyone's time. :( it eats her up. she feels like she must have a purpose for existing- luckily, she's got actual friends around her now, trying to teach her it's okay to breathe and exist and take up space! it's okay to be a soft little mouse.

[2] How does their social personality differ from how they act when they’re alone? BAAREE

oh Baaree you mean the world to me. Baaree was raised in royalty. she was taught to be perfect, and polite, and proper, and quiet. she never had any room for messy emotions or speaking her mind, but she didn't mind it too much. nowadays, she has been cast out from her kingdom for a crime she DID commit, and everyone treats her like dirt, but she keeps her head the same as ever. polite. perfect. proper. she's got a bit of a rude tongue to her though, which is slipping out more and more, the farther she walks from the castle.

when alone, baaree is about the same. polite. proper. but she's unraveling, slowly, from the experiences she's having in public. she's still treading carefully, but she likes to hitch up her dress and run, let herself get messy and dusty, and get angry and hissy and stomp around in private.

[7] Are they a good liar and what would they probably lie about? EVIE

ohhh evie.....she's a pretty moderately bad liar, she doesn't do it often because she doesn't like to lie! she prefers to stay quiet and avoid questions. but what's funny is, the picture i used as her icon, she sorta is lying-

she's silly.....she really is head empty, quite often. so she doesn't have the means to lie extremely complicated or keep up with the lie. she can make up a white lie on the spot, but holding on threads for a long period of time? forget about it! [24] How hard it is for them to not allow their emotions to cloud their judgement? EVIE pretty good, actually? this might have to do with the head empty, no thoughts thing. Evie can be pretty silly and emotional, but she's also good at seeing things as part of a bigger picture- she's pretty logical in that manner! it's her friend Sigourney who has a REALLY hard time not letting her emotions get in the way; Evie often has to clear her mind for her.

[57] What was the most stupid or dangerous thing they have ever done? GOAT

well, if jumping to punch a guy you just force your best friend to stab your arm and kill you on a whim isn't dangerous enough- and then the many, many escapades he's going to go through later down the line, which all involve him jumping headfirst into fighting someone he reeeeally shouldn't fight (may i remind you, he is 4'11'' and twig-shaped)

so maybe this isn't the MOST stupid thing he's ever done, but when he was 16 he stole a sports car from the family he was staying with, took it on a high-speed joyride around the city with his foster sister, and then crashed it Calvin and Hobbes style into a ditch. he didn't have a driver's license btw. never took any tests either. he was winging it and boy was he WINGING it. how they walked away from that laughing their heads off is beyond me

#quail talks #thank you soooo much for the asks Ash again oh my goodness #this was so much fun to write out thank you for thinking about my brain blorbos....

9 notes · View notes

i-have-one-braincell · 1 year ago

Note

Sorry if you have already answered this, but what are your thoughts on the heroes? At the beginning and now. Have you changed your opinion on them?

Don’t worry bout it, I wasn’t asked this question��.

My opinion of the team did somewhat change?? Maybe??

I enjoyed their personalities and how they were introduced and the dynamic with each other, especially of Ava making a bet with the boys that she would clean the restrooms, it was a cute moment to see. It always felt as if they were an actual friend group without Peter around and I sometimes saw Peter as the odd one out of the group (which could’ve been a good storyline imo).

I wish their fears from S1 Ep13 were given more focus in the season and actually saw signs of them with those fears. I kinda didn’t like how Danny was so calm about watching the team’s fears😭😭 I just hoped he gave more emotion watching them and him and Peter speaking with the team privately about their fears. It could’ve shown that they care for the group on a deeper level and shown more of Danny’s stubborn character of wanting to help the group as a peacemaker, a level of trust could’ve been shown between Peter and Danny on a personal level than just Iron Fist and Spider-Man, I wouldn’t have mind an episode of both of them helping the group as Peter and Danny.

I cared for the group in the beginning but often I saw them as background characters who didn’t seem to care for Peter that much, with the exception of Danny since he actually does show appreciation in Peter and wants him to succeed by giving advice.

When S2 came, they were basically the same as S1 and were pretty disrespectful towards Peter by attempting to start a party in the house without his acknowledgment. Whether they meant the party to be from the heart or not, it’s disrespectful to do that to a friend’s house who was kind enough to allow them to stay in the house and they were so easily forgiven after the house came down😭😭. They weren’t likeable at that episode.

I did enjoy their solo episodes but I like Ava’s episode the most, out of all of them, we recieved the most lore from her and having Peter relate to her and supporting her. We get to actually see more of her character unlike other episodes and saw the boys showing concern of her behavior.

I expected the same treatment to be given to the others but it sucked to be honest 😭. Sam’s episode wasn’t even about him, his family, why he behaves the way that he does, how he got his powers, it felt more like sponsoring the Guardians of the Galaxy than it being a solo episode of Sam.

Danny’s episode is mainly about Peter more than Danny. It could’ve shown a sense of determination in Danny of still participating in the race against Scorpion and hate having to rely on Peter to do the race for him as a sign of insecurity mentioned in S1 Ep13. It could’ve been another episode of both of them revealing their self doubt of themselves and learn from each other such as Peter did for Ava. (Also it could’ve been a cuter spideyfist moment for my heart).

Luke’s solo episode was alright. I don’t like the idea of his parents being SHIELD agents and how he got his powers but it was fine. I would’ve liked it if they gave Luke’s origin the same in the comics of being involved in a gang and being abandoned by his dad and brother after his mom died. It could’ve tied back to his fear in S1 Ep13 of the need to protect everyone and Peter finds it admirable and both can connect about it.

They were more likable in the second season but the next seasons, we never saw them that much anymore💀💀

Spider-Man left the Avengers for them and yet we don’t see them together the next 2 seasons until they became classmates in SHIELD Academy.

I cared immensely for them enough to the point of begging to see them appear again as a team so I was pretty disappointed.

Writing them now, I care heavily for them. I just wish we were given more moments of them as teenagers than as heroes in the show.

#the team had great potential for storylines with them and peter #shame we didnt recieve much #they deserved better #asks

4 notes · View notes

sims-half-crazy · 1 year ago

Text

Lena didn't say anything for another week. She wanted to make sure. She honestly didn't know how Gordon was going to take the news of another baby. She wasn't sure she was sure how she was taking the news. They were bursting at the seams of their apartment as it was, and now with another baby they were definitely going to be crowded. She invited him out for a walk. They did this quite frequently as they both enjoyed staying trim, and the exercise helped her hypertension and alleviated his migraines. They left Frank in charge, but told him that Norman should be going down soon, and all he needed to do was read him a story and tuck him in.

The strolled along the tree lined sidewalk in contented silence. They walked towards the grocer and a Fitz Motor Car dealer as the sun set the sky ablaze with hues of violet and tangerine. "You know, when the sky looks as colorful as this it reminds me of all the sunsets over the bay in Springhaven. It really was a beautiful place to grow up. My father took steps to keep it beautiful, and I appreciate that now."

"I don't remember anything of my homeland, but I remember my mother telling me about times during the night when the sky would be painted in blues and greens. Almost like someone was painting it with watercolors. I wish I could have seen it, but Mother told me about it so often that I can imagine it." Gordon loved it when she spoke of her family and history. Her voice took on a lilt to it that made him want to listen to her forever. "My mother would be at a loss of words to see the world now. She'd be muttering about all these horseless carriages. I wish she could have met you and the boys."

"I wish you'd been able to meet my parents, as well. They would've loved you from the start. They'd probably have loved you so well that you would've turned and run away. They had a habit of enveloping people into their sphere and once you were there, you were stuck. They were good, decent people though. They cared about many things. My last favorite memory of them is when they came all the way down here to help me after Evie left. My mother was this force of gentle stubbornness that would leave you completely incapable of saying no to anything she suggested or did. My father was a great speaker and he would talk to you like he'd known you your whole life. They came in and helped me with the twins. I think about them often, and it's eased the pain of losing Everett. I imagine them looking after him for us."

"I think about him often, too. I look at Norman, especially after he's destroyed something again, and ask Everett to curb his wildness. Sometimes Norman calms right down or he'll stop what he's doing and just play quietly. I always thank Everett for his helping hand. I know it sounds silly, but it makes me feel better. I wonder if he'll help with the new one?" A new Fitz Deluxe Deuce Coupe sat in the window behind them. The shiny paint and glimmering chrome distracted Gordon for a moment as he realized what she'd said.

"New one? Lena? Are you? Are we? Again?!" Gordon put his hand on his head in slightly exaggerated surprise. He'd suspected because Lena had been a little fuller in certain favorite areas of his, but he wasn't about to say anything. He liked to remain alive, after all.

"Yes, I'm certain now. I've known for a little while, but was still trying to figure out how I felt. I think I'm happy but we're going to have to find a new place to live. We can't fit another person in our current place." She turned fully towards and placed her hands on his chest, fiddling with his lapels. He loved that she still did that. He put his arms around her, public sidewalk be damned.

"Oh sweetheart!" Gordon was so exuberant that he pulled her in for a kiss. "I do believe, I know a place that's just gone up for sale," he said as he turned them around back towards their building. "It's the redbrick flat just down the road there. The bottom flat has just come on the market. Josiah mentioned it when I saw him last at the barbershop. I'll make an inquiry tomorrow."

#Gosnoll Ancestry #ts4 decades challenge #sims4 #sims 4 historical #ts4 historical #decades challenge #sims 4 #sims 4 screenshots #simerican #GA Gen 4 #Gordon Gosnoll #Lena Lewandowski #GA 1930s

12 notes · View notes

purewhitewolf · 2 years ago

Text

How the Predecessors would advise others (or their comments in general) [pt. 1]

To Xander

Katherine: Young man, you are academically gifted. All you need is to roar with courage. It is good to be humble, but do not let others toy with you like a pet. Companions teasing, sure. Domestic enemies and foreign powers mocking, no."

Tyrant: Stand tall and speak up! You're a dragon for Heaven's sake! You have the intelligence, but not the spine. You don't have to follow your uncle's word like some puppet. You don't have to be a meathead like Achille either! You know what needs fixing in your kingdom, so stop bending over to others that halt your progress! Bend for your husband, not for Samuel or your predecessors!"

Hag: Why not stay in your dragon form more often? It is so beautiful, and you look less stiff. No wonder you're so stressed. You are cramped in that human shell. You probably should ease on the coffee too, dearie."

To Past

Katherine: You are a lovely woman with a wise mind. Keep that genuine kindness and love for others. You are a wonderful support to Kaitlyn and your children. Do not fret on being flawed. There are no perfect parents or spouses. Only those who do their best and those who do not try. You are the glue that's keeping them all calm and together. I'll offer more specific suggestions if you wish. Just let me know what it is you struggle with most."

Tyrant: You are submissive and breedable towards Kaitlyn. That's good enough for me. ...However, our successor seems to prefer when you speak your mind. For her sake, stand firm and challenge her or anyone else for that matter. Show no fear and treat no one as master."

Hag: Aren't you an adorable wolfy hybrid?~ I could just pinch your cheeks and scratch your ears~ Keep true to yourself. Heehe and between you and me, it's good that you have an aura that soothes our successor. Tyrant would never admit to it, but her favorite 'pet' had a similar calming effect on her. Though she was slain because of her dropped guard, deep down, Tyrant doesn't really regret having someone who made her feel happier and loved. She still appreciates those lighter feelings to this day. I think all Shadow Queens deserve to have a little 'light' in their hearts. I only wish... that you were there during my time. Maybe... it would've gone differently. Please... please do not let Kaitlyn go down my path into madness."

To Brooke

Katherine: You may not be as feral as you once were, but you still have the power to speak out boldly. You should use it for the benefit of others. Consider Kaitlyn an ally. She'll help you change the laws. She will vote with you, have courage."

Tyrant: If you were still fertile, I would've broken and violated that defiant spirit in front of the other slaves to prove a point... and for fun. You're lucky that Kaitlyn is too nice and represses her instinct around you. If I were you, I would choose my battles carefully. And your taste in men will get you killed or leave you miserable. Though, aside from Colton, perhaps Shadow is the best choice from other options..... if you don't mind knowing that he's just a piece of Kaitlyn. You are being bedded by Kaitlyn. There is no way around it. But... that also means you are in good hands. She's even willing to gift you a family lifestyle through Shadow and magic if thy desires it. Our successor loves to spoil you for some reason...."

Hag: ...Eh, not the most interesting half breed combination I've seen. Advice? The future is not always as it appears. Whatever glimpse you see might not always have a straightforward journey. Sometimes, the steps we take to avoid an outcome ....only make it become a true reality. A self-fulfilling prophecy. Such hilarious irony, isn't it? That's how I came to be.... They feared I would become a 'traitor' and go completely mad because what those future seers predicted! ...Their forceful attempts to avoid said outcome only pushed me quicker to it. Regardless of what is to come, face it head-on. Whatever you may see that may be terrible, be careful not to be the one to make it a reality. ...Especially if it involves our successor."

To John

Katherine: You are a wonderful man like my own beloved Henry. I admire your hard-working spirit, but do not fear relying on others. Do not lose your heart to the secrets you keep."

Tyrant: I despise all humans... yet you are just as submissive and breedable as your female counterpart. You both remind me of my favorite unusually kind slave, so I'll be generous this once and reveal something to you. Both Past and Kaitlyn know you have a crush on Past. Kaitlyn knows you two are soulmates, and that's why she only lets you get cuddly with her wife. My successor is also very fond of you in a romantic sense because you are so similar to her beloved wife... and her first loving husband of the same name. You don't have to accept those feelings, I'm just telling you that you help my successor be calm and full of light. Please remain her closest friend... she needs that light to fight her own darkness."

Hag: ...A nearly ageless human... how fascinating. Not as intriguing as your openness with the unusual and compassion... If I was alive and youthful... maybe... just maybe I wouldn't have despised so many people. Maybe you would've helped me stay on the right path... and sane. I would've likely asked you to be my king. *sighs* But there's no use dwelling on what ifs and could haves. Just please... do what needs to be done, but do not sacrifice your values... Please, do not let loyalty blind you to what's truly important."

@tweetiepea-rps

#purewhitewolf #the shadow queen

3 notes · View notes

lightvsdark18 · 2 years ago

Text

Born As The Other in Twisted Wonderland

If Night Raven College was an all-girl school and Alice was Andrew. (I see a lot of the names as unisex, so that's not changing.)

Andrew is a quiet and chill young man, less of a jokester and energetic than Alice. He kept his distance from all of the students since he's an adult man in an all-girl school, so talking and befriending the students was a slow process for him. The trust from the professors and headmage also took time, seeing him responsible and dependable to keep the students (the brain cell trio) out of trouble.

Grim: The relationship started as two people being forced to live under the roof and annoy each other slightly. However, slowly over time and spending their time together, Grim began to see him as a big brother and him seeing her as a little sister.

Riddle: She grew to look up to him from his gentle and caring personality, seeing him as a positive male figure. The two act like siblings and enjoy drinking tea together.

Trey: The two don't really talk to one another and see each other as acquaintances, but both agree they act like the parents to their friend group from being the calm and responsible ones.

Deuce: They seemed to get along and understand each other instantly. They often support and hype each other up when the other is nervous or anxious about something.

Cater: He's the person she goes to for help with her Magicam photos and to eat the cafe sweets she ordered. She also takes a lot of pictures of him make her feed blow-up because "look at this pretty boy I befriended!"

Ace: They annoy each other playfully and act like siblings from how much they tease and joke around with one another. She acts hates it when he praises her.

Leona: She didn't care for the young man, slightly annoyed by his blank and disinterest expression, but at seeing his personality and how charming he can be, she got intrigued. She's straightforward and blunt about her desires than her male counterpart, being more flirtatious. However, something she shares with her counterpart is not liking getting the taste of her own medicine.

Ruggie: The two were on mutual grounds with each other, sometimes talking and running errands together, but didn't really hangout or grow close. However, she grew to appreciate and cling onto him when he started inviting her to have dinner with him and Grim.

Jack: The two started to really talk when she was dragged into the friend group by the other three. The two are chill and she often drags him into working out with her.

Azul: Picks her up and place her down in front of her room as his passion aggressive way of telling her to stop working and sleep. She was curious about the man after what happened with the golden scrolls and how to use his weaknesses against him, but accidentally gained a big brother.

Jade: Intrigued by the man by his blank glances and wishes to understand him better, maybe find out some weaknesses, just to get a mushroom coin purse and a headpat. Joined in on bothering him with Floyd and dragging him along the hiking paths in the mountains.

Floyd: She likes being carried by him. She's always bothering him to get a rise out of him since he's always staring blankly into the void. But he just tiredly signs instead of giving her an reaction. Also likes headpats.

Kalim: She likes hugging him, especially giving him surprise hugs. He became a big broher to her and taught her how to take care of herself after what happened with Jamil. She often asked questions and listened to whatever knowledge he wished to share.

Jamil: She didn't trust him and just stayed away. Andrew didn't have a problem with the judging glares and just attended the party he was invited to. Jamil only grew comfortable around him when he showed at Land of Grief to save her and the others.

Vil: Just like their counterparts, they started off not liking one another. Andrew often just stared with disappointment and annoyance towards Vil unlike Alice who annoyed Vil by her actions. Eventually, they moved pass their pettiness and slowly got to know the other.

Rook: Like her male counterpart, praising and commenting his impressive features and how the sun makes his skin shine like the stars. He's cautious around her from her hunter's comments and unease vibe she radiates.

Epel: He made her feel validated when she said she wanted to be stronger than those who saw her as weak and fragile. He encouraged her to work hard but to not hurt herself by going overboard. Drags him to workout together.

Idia: She felt intimidated by his beauty and often hid away from him because why would he want to genuinely hangout with her? He was patient with her and waited for her to grow comfortable around him.

Ortho: Big brother! Ortho approached him out of curiosity because he was a different world and wished to learn different aspects of his world. He talked to her often before Book 6 happened.

Malleus: Their relationship started as a slow burn from being strangers getting to know each other to close friends. Andrew has the same open-minded values as Alice, making the same meaningful validation Alice did with the prince. The gothic princess grew charmed by the young man.

Lilia: She likes teasing him and commenting on how cute he is, and also randomly cling onto his back to which he just shrugs it off and continues walking. She gives him advice and encouragement when she can tell he's not feeling the greatest. (Adopted him somewhat)

Silver: The two didn't talk much, but when they do they retell stories they heard. Sometimes, they just enjoy the sounds of nature together and share their monotone stares. (Andrew finds it funny them scare people.)

Sebek: He didn't like her from her yelling and insulting, so he stayed away from her at any chance he got. However, she started to depend on him for guide on making friends and being okay with her human side.

(Their relationship was literally whatever popped into my head. I tried.)

#twisted wonderland #andrew #born as the other #universes

4 notes · View notes

mystery-star · 1 year ago

Text

Whumptober 2023 – Day 29 | Troubled Past Resurfacing

Pairing: John Biebe x fem!OC

Warnings: domestic violence, mentions of child abuse & bullying

Words: 4056

A/N: Day 29 for Whumptober: Today’s prompt (alternate): Troubled Past Resurfacing.

May 1982

Had John not been her boyfriend she was certain she would not even have attended his birthday party. At least not once he told her that he had invited their whole class, which were mostly people she disliked. Which also were the ones that bullied her. But like this she wanted at least to go and celebrate his 18th birthday and if it got too much for her she would just leave. For that reason – and also because she didn’t have a present for him – she offered to come earlier and help him get ready for the party. John appreciated the help and they had a real fun time together and Bee was certain she would never forget how he’d just went to the store to buy some juice and non-fizzy drinks for her after she told him that somehow she could not stand carbonated drinks since it made her feel very weird and uncomfortable in her mouth. When he unpacked the new bottles, explaining they were for her she couldn’t help but hug him tightly with a warm feeling of gratitude.

But her mood had changed once the other guests came. Her only friend from class, Charlie, wasn’t coming and she wasn’t looking forward to meet any of the others. Even in the first second of seeing her comments fell about why John had to invite her, what she was doing here or if the judge had condemned him to ‘fuck his daughter too as part of his community service’. Apparently, they didn’t know that she was his girlfriend, even though they had been to prom together some days ago. And of course the revelation set off new remarks about whether John was sure about this and if he didn’t want someone better and that they didn’t even give them a month.

After that start however, it started to get slightly better, more like a normal day of school where they ignored her, make a little comment every now and then but not actively harass her. And for some part Bee was happy to sometimes leave to the kitchen to get more snacks to have a few moments on her own and get away, even though it made others joke that John had gotten himself a maid. Then Edward, John’s older brother, returned and instantly most of the guests were asking for alcohol, knowing that being 21, Edward could get them some and he agreed, returning with some bottles of beer and whiskey. Somehow Bee was glad that John didn’t drink either, having sworn after his nightly drinking with friends which eventually got him condemned to 100 hours community service that he would not touch alcohol until he was 21, although most people started drinking at some point earlier here in Mystery and no one seemed to care. Bee too had sworn herself not to drink again until she was 25 because some pupils had spiked the punch at prom that got her drunk with an even worse hangover the next day and more troubles.

Unfortunately, John’s parents returned a while later and that was when the whole situation got even more uncomfortable. Robert Biebe started to yell at his younger son about the kitchen and the living room being a mess and who he thought would put everything away. John’s reassurement that he’d take care of it after his friends were gone didn’t calm him down. Then he saw the alcohol they were drinking and of course he thought that it was John’s idea, starting to blame him and yell at him even more. Bee tried to hide in her chair, feeling weird and wishing Mr. Biebe would just shut up and leave.

“John can’t even get alcohol because he only just turned 18. Besides it was not his idea” she piped up, hoping to help him but his father didn’t listen, going on about how he’d always known John was trouble and that that last punishment for the nightly drinking obviously hadn’t been enough. Before anyone could even do something Robert Biebe grabbed one of the newspapers lying around, rolling it up and using it to hit his son over and over again, while continuing to shout at him. Bee’s jaw dropped and she was too shocked to say anything and no one else did either. Except for Margaret Biebe who was crying in the doorframe. Bee clung to her glass as if her life depended on it, not sure what she even could do. “Stop it” she finally yelled but of course it had no effect. For some reason she turned to Ryan who was next to her “Do something!” she had no idea how long it went on but finally Mr. Biebe seemed to get tired or have enough because he lowered his arm and simply gave him a hard last push.

“Get out of my sight” he growled and for a while no one made a move, then John turned and ran off. Bee stared after him feeling very bad for him all the while she was glad that now Robert Biebe finally left.

“Well,” Edward said with a shrug, taking another sip “Newspaper 1, Johnny 0” the others laughed but Bee kept on staring in the direction her boyfriend had vanished. But she snapped out of it when the others seemed to have caught themselves and started talking about what just happened and how embarrassing that was and it would have been funny otherwise or even made fun of John (Edward even started telling embarrassing stories of John’s childhood days). With a feeling of anger Bee, got up and while a part of her just wanted to go home now that John seemed gone, she brought her glass to the kitchen, hoping no one would talk to her and then slowly trotted to John’s door, hesitating before knocking. There was no answer and he didn’t react to the second knock either that she slowly pushed the door open. Soon she saw why he hadn’t reacted; he had his headphones on and probably was listening to music. Not sure what to do, she got closer, closing the door and sat down on the edge of the bed. Now her boyfriend shot up and Bee almost let out a gasp when she saw that he was crying. Unsure what to do, she rubbed her hands together and looked down. From the corner of her eye she saw how he took off the headphones and wiped the tears away.

“I can go if you want to be alone” she said quietly “I just… I’m not sure why I came. Guess I wanted to check on you”

“It’s okay” he said “You can stay if you want” she gave a nod while he slowly sat up and only then did she look at him, hesitatingly moving closer.

“Does it hurt much?”

“Not that much” she nodded, running her thumb over her forefinger

“So you haven’t been crying because of the pain?”

“No”

“I’m sorry”

“What for?” she gave a shrug

“Everything. That he hit you and everything”

“It happens. You know how it is” she tilted her head

“Know what?”

“You mean your Dad… never hit you?”

“No! Of course not” just the thought of it made her feel weird. “No he never did. He hit no one. Though he sometimes slams down his fist on the table or shouts if someone talks back to him. Or just send Birdie or me to our rooms. But that’s it” it was silent for a while “Does that mean that wasn’t the first time your father did this?”

“I had hoped he would stop when I was 18…” involuntarily, Bee moved closer and not knowing if he would like a hug, she put an arm around his shoulder like her mother often did with her. John leant against her, pulling her close and into a hug. For a while they stayed like this, then they lay down on their sides, facing each other.

“Why didn’t you tell your father that it wasn’t your fault with the alcohol?”

“Would have been of no use. It’s like… no matter what happened in that house it’s always me that got punished”

“How so?” she cleared her throat “if you want to tell”

“I don’t know… I’ve never told anyone”

“No? Not even your friends?”

“No. They would have laughed at me”

“Maybe” Bee replied with a shrug, she would calculate with Ryan doing that even to his friend. “But… why didn’t you tell someone?”

“There was no one”

“No one?” somehow she couldn’t believe this. She felt like John was very popular in school. Then again, except for Charlie and her almost everyone had been. At least from their year. “That must have been horrible. I mean… I could always talk to my parents because my problems usually only happened in school. But some things I didn’t even tell them. The really bad ones out of fear that they might come to school and try to do something that only ends in me getting bullied even harder” she sighed.

“I see. But I mean I don’t even know if Ryan and Zach are my friends”

“Really? But you hang out every day”

“I know. But it wasn’t always that way” he paused “When I started school, I wasn’t even that bad in school. Was really good actually and proud of it. But everyone made fun of me for it. Well, except for Charlie. Then, one day I decided I wanted friends and instead of learning for school, I studied hockey and practiced and slowly started to get closer to Ryan and Zach” he shrugged “They didn’t fully accept me ‘til fifth year though. Not until you came and they had someone new they could make fun of. I mean… I kind of was glad they left me alone and started hanging out with me. I only recently realized how it must have been for you and how mean it’s been of me to never help you or stop them but I was scared they would just dump me if I said something”

“Oh…” she didn’t know what to say.

“But anyways, my father didn’t like the fact that my grades got worse and that’s when the real trouble started. At least what I remember. From that day on it was like everything that happened was my fault. Even if Ed was the one who did it and Dad actually wanted to punish him first it was usually me who got the blows in the end”

“What?” she clenched her fists.

“Yeah well, when Dad tried to hurt Edward, Mom would hurl out and throw herself at Ed, so he couldn’t get to him… so Dad turned to me instead and then Mom just sobbed, begged him not to do it but would not really lift a finger to help me”

“Like standing in the doorframe and crying” Bee asked, remembering what she’d seen today

“Yeah, like that”

“But that’s horrible! I mean… hasn’t your mother once done the same for you?”

“Don’t think so. Also Ed’s been blaming me for some things he did. At least for a while, he stopped that a few years ago” he gave a shrug.

“Why didn’t you ever speak up for yourself?”

“I tried to but it only made matters worse… Probably they just like him better than me”

“Oh… But why do you think?”

“I just know. They promise to do something for me and then don’t. After Ed finished high school, Mom often forgot to make me a lunchbox, so I did them myself the past years. But she still prepares his breakfast every morning while telling me that ‘I’m old enough to do it myself’ Or whenever she needs help with something she never calls him. It’s always me. Sometimes Dad tells us to go help and Ed just refuses and so Dad gets angry at me even though I said I’d come right away. Or no matter what I do, it’s never good enough while my brother gets praised all the time. And when we were younger and he hurt me, I couldn’t tell Mom because she’d get mad at me for claiming something like that. But then when I accidentally hurt him, I was the one that got in trouble. I just… felt like they never took anything I had serious while Mom runs if Ed as much as finds anything slightly inconvenient. And she forgot my birthday a couple of times. That year too.” He took a deep breath and although Bee wanted to say something and tell him how unfair that was and it made her angry, she didn’t not sure if he wanted to tell even more. “And now Dad already started about how he wants that the money I earn from my job should go to his bank account since I still live at home. Does Ed pay anything? No of course he doesn’t. So when I asked why that was Dad got angry and said that Ed refused and since he won’t pay at least I should. But why should I pay for both of us? I earn the money, I don’t want to go ask Dad for money if I need something. It’s the same with the car! Ed kept using our car and so they bought him his own and when I use it they get mad and tell me to buy one myself. Which I wanted as soon as I got my money but now I’m not even getting it! I mean don’t get me wrong, Dad just hates everyone and gets mad at everyone who just breathes the wrong way. Mom’s the one who mostly makes me feel like they don’t like me”

“That sounds horrible! I don’t know what to say. I mean… did you ever try to tell them how you feel? Maybe they’re not really aware?”

“No... I mean I once asked Mom why she does so much for Ed but won’t do it for me and she told me not to be silly and that she did everything for me too. And if I talk to Dad he’d just get mad at me for claiming something like that. Even if I just told him that I think my Mom does it. I once asked Ed but he just thought I was making jokes and started joking that he could get why they don’t like me”

“Hmm, what if you tell them that you need to save the money because you’re moving out? I mean you could pay just a tiny bit for living there and then save and be gone in a couple of months.”

“Had that discussion already. Mom started crying ‘cause she didn’t want me to move out. And I don’t wanna live alone either, honestly”

“Yeah, I get that. I’m really sorry about all this. I just always thought you’re living such a good life and everything. But it sounds like you had troubles at home and school, wasn’t perfect either. I mean for me school was terrible but at least things were okay at home” he gave a little shrug

“Yeah, I can imagine school wasn’t easy for you”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to talk about me and my problems. I mean not that you think I don’t think what you told me doesn’t bother me. It does and I wish I could do something to help” she took his hand and gave it a squeeze.

“Didn’t want to make you feel bad” they were silent for a while “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Well, you said school was terrible for you… Is there something that you want to get out?” she let out a snort, flicking her fingers

“Too much. I just felt like everyone always hated me, even the teachers. I could already read and write quite a bit when I started first grade so when we had to practice letters I was bored and the teacher just called my parents telling them I was dumb for doodling on the papers instead of practicing letters. Well, after that got sorted out I skipped first grade and was in second. That’s when it got even worse. My old classmates kind of hated me for it and the older ones didn’t accept me. So I was kinda glad when I moved up once again from fourth to fifth grade. But that made it all just worse. This class was way worse. I mean, you know Ryan and Zach. And Julia too. My God, she is such a bitch. She always told me to get lost when I tried to talk to her and the other girls. Or they would just stop talking altogether or move away. Charlie was the only one who even talked to me. But he can be so annoying at times. Or when he just abandoned me when he was dating Donna? He just left me alone all these months until she broke up with him! I mean it’s sad for him but I really was glad because that one and half a year were so bad. I felt like I lost my only friend even though I don’t even know if he was a real friend. He once got a seat in the lunchroom and I wanted to sit with him and he sent me off because he wanted to be alone with Donna. Or that one time my team lost in PE and we had to tidy up the room while the others could just leave and everyone from my team just left too, leaving me all alone? Mr. Mills was furious at me! And when I got to the changing room I saw that the other girls emptied my bags into the showers making my clothes and books all wet. Then I was late for the lesson and Mr. Walker was mad too and wouldn’t believe me. So he asked everyone in the class what they had seen and my team claimed they stayed and even Charlie lied telling that he hadn’t seen everyone leave when did in fact! Of course he didn’t believe me. And even worse, my parents didn’t either.”

“I remember that. Everyone was telling you not to make a scene. I mean… don’t get me wrong, you did but you were only trying to defend yourself.”

“I got told ‘not to make a scene’ all the time. And yeah I have been pretty aggressive as a young child and would tell the teachers about anything anyone did that did not comply with the rules and was very bossy but I learned to hide that and not always say what I think. But as soon as I stopped trying to defend myself everything just got worse and they were stomping on me even more. Remember the time I hurt my knee, which by the way also was because Zach pushed me, and had to use crutches for some weeks? I don’t think there was a single day where no one touched my crutches or would kick or toss them away or even trip me. And how Mr. Walker insisted I had to keep them by the door because Julia complained they were in her way if she wanted to move through the class room. He wouldn’t even let me change seats so I could sit near the wall and leave them there! I had to leave them outside and hobble to the door. And the whole lunchbox stuff where they either emptied it, stole it or spat in it. I mean why? Just because I for once managed to get a seat in the lunchroom? Not having food just made the rest of the day so much worse. And no one even said a thing. That’s why I often just took it to the toilet to eat it there and in peace. I totally don’t get how they found it funny to just toss my stuff around all the time or slap it out of my hands so I had to get it back. Like that phase where they would hide my jacket every day”

“I’m sorry ‘bout that. Guess the jacket thing even was my fault”

“What?”

“Well, it started when we left for break once and I accidentally made your jacket fall and wanted to pick it back up and Ryan asked what I was doing and told me to come. I think you just saw me running off with your jacket because I didn’t remember still holding it and when I did, I just didn’t know what else to do and dropped it. Guess they must have found your indignant look so funny they made a game out of it. But I didn’t do it on purpose, I swear. And I didn’t even find the things they did funny and didn’t want them to do it but was scared they would dump me if I said something or helped you. Just… not that you think I approved of the things they did”

“I know that” she smiled, softly stroking his cheek “I wouldn’t be lying here if I thought you’d be just as bad as them” he leant closer to peck her forehead.

“I didn’t even know the girls bothered you too that much”

“Oh they did. Or talked about me badly. Or all the time they clamed to have made a ‘girls night with all the girls from class’? I didn’t even know it was happening. Or was invited to anything. Only one single time. Although that turned out to have been a trick where they told me they’d meet at the school and then never showed up. Instead your friends and you did and pushed me into that snow pile. Or well toss was more like it. He even lifted me up! I was so angry at everyone except you the next day and Julia was just laughing because she already knew what had happened while I waited for them. In a way I was even glad that I didn’t need to go to school sometime later when I got the pneumonia…”

“Have you never considered to ask your parents about changing school or getting schooled at home?”

“They wouldn’t do it at home and I didn’t want to go to another school in another place. I don’t know. It wasn’t even that bad every day. Most of the days weren’t that terrible but I don’t think there was a day I really liked.” she chuckled “One of the reasons I’m glad I skipped a grade twice so I didn’t need to spend twelve years in school but only ten” she gave a shrug “And the last two months weren’t too bad because everyone was focused on the finals anyway and didn’t seem to have time to bother me. And then I had you too. Even tough we didn’t talk much during school I kinda felt good for knowing I wasn’t all alone anymore” his hand came to her hair

“I’m glad to hear that. And also how it all turned out in the end. Not just ‘cause you helped me with learning and probably saved my ass during finals too like that. But I’ll only get to know at graduation if it was enough”

“It sure was! I hope it”

“Anyways, I also wanted to tell you that I did feel bad when they bullied or hurt you and often wanted to help but was scared what they might say. Maybe I should have just done it. I even told them that your father ordered me to bring you all the homework to make amends. Not that I wanted to” he moved closer “From now on, I’ll have your back. All the time” he leant his forehead against hers

“And I have yours” she got up and he lifted his head to look at her “Starting by going out there and telling your ‘friends’ what kind of shits they are for leaving you all alone after what just happened and even make fun of it” John nodded and got up

“Guess I’ll even just send them home right away. At least Julia and Ryan. Don’t want them making any more comments about you”

#whumptober 2023 #no.29 #troubled past resurfacing #mystery alaska #fic #bullying tw #abuse tw #domestic violence tw #child abuse #john biebe #john biebe x oc #bee burns #bee burns chronicles

0 notes

perksofbeingamaineiac · 1 year ago

Text

October 11, 2023

I had to take last night to watch shows and relax. I am having to take this morning to do my Sunday routine.

I had a great weekend. Ate great food, and spent time with Braeden and his family. I do wish I got to spend more time with my extended family.

We were at B's grandparents and something smelt like my nonna's cooking, which I haven't had since her eye started bugging her and it made me really miss it.

I keep picturing Braden at the wedding. standing with the green field behind him smiling. I think about how I could walk down an aisle to that image and person. I think about how far we have come in 4 months. I never want to forget it's been 4 months. I want to enjoy every moment and not take them for granted. I keep thinking back to our first date. How he caught me off guard and how I felt comfortable with him so quickly. How horny he made me. Our second date was tacos and a movie. I never went home that night. I confessed more than I should have. We woke up that morning went to get brunch on the motorcycle and then went for a walk and kept talking about what I confessed. Our third date was a plant nursery, Japanese food, and an impromptu backyard cider picnic. After that, everything starts blurring. Our texting conversation and phone calls filled every gap when we didn't see one another and everything just flows. We talk everyday and we still learn about one another. I try and talk to him about things that make me uncomfortable, I always want to learn more about him.

I keep thinking back to the ex in August. We talked about where we were at dinner, which was exciting. Then when it was game time, I felt weird, I wanted to play my own games and the one game I wanted to play we walked away from because the girl running it was rude. I remember being in the ferris wheel and he was rocking it to try and get a reaction out of me. I remember leaving feeling slightly confused. I knew I liked him, but was what I was feeling something that I was only feeling because of the past. I couldn't help but compare it to the last. I was trying so hard not to follow the same trajectory but at the same time was pushing it that way. I don't know how I got over that day, but my feelings kept growing and he surprised me with the stuffy I wanted from the game I wanted to play. Avo. It made me realize that I don't need to rush and I don't need everything now. We will figure it out in the end. That gesture meant so much to me and I wouldn't have got to experience that if I made a big deal about playing a stupid game.

I need to take a step back sometimes and really ask myself why I want the things I want and if I would be okay with missing it. I am having this debate with the pumpkin patch. Were supposed to go Saturday morning. It's now supposed to rain. I did originally have a rain date, but planned B's bday stuff that day, plus I have an eye appointment in the AM. I am trying to be calm and know we will figure it out. It is something we have done every year and I love a good tradition. I also need to think will I be truly upset if we don't go? No, I will be a little disappointed, but what can we do instead? Can we change the tradition so maybe next year we continue it, but add something we do this year? I really hope the weather will clear up, but if we need to problem-solve together, we will.

Before I go get ready for work - which maybe I should touch on too.

I just want to say I really do like his family. They have welcomed me with open arms and I appreciate it so much. I love that he's family-oriented, and I think that was a big piece of the puzzle that was missing in the past. As much as I bitch and complain about my family, I am used to always being around family and I want to build my own family with someone who has similar values to mine.

On Monday, when we were driving back from his grandparents we were talking about family and siblings and what we would do differently if we were in our parent's shoes. We had a really good conversation about it. He said "I feel like were on the same page" and it really made me realize how in line we really are.

There was a lot of talk about ex's this weekend. There were times when maybe I should have let the conversation die, but I just wanted to establish things. We all have a past and that's okay. I just want to learn and understand.

On another note, work feels like a shit show. I really want to find a way to alter my thought process on it so enjoy it right now. All I feel is pressure and like I don't fit in.

0 notes

mypoisonedvine · 2 years ago

Text

𝙼𝙴𝙴𝚃 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙼𝚄𝙽𝚂𝙾𝙽𝚂 - chapter 6: manic monday.

𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝

𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢 - eddie tags along for a day in the life of a real adult: college, then work. and later, he lets you tag along for a night in the life of a starving artist.

𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝 - 5.8k

𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 - sexual conversation/talking about sex acts, more deceased parent discussions, vague description/mention of nude pictures, drug use mentions, really just fluff

Things were different after that— quieter. Part of you couldn’t help but imagine it was the calm before the storm; mostly, you hoped it was the beginning of a new phase in your relationship with Eddie. That phase being tolerance, maybe even a hint of friendliness.

You decided not to bring up what happened in Eddie’s van on the way home from school that day… because nothing actually happened. How do you talk about something that didn’t even happen, anyways? You could talk about what almost happened, if you actually were sure what that was. It felt like, for a second, you were about to kiss— but every time you thought about it again, you convinced yourself that you were just misreading things. Because he would never— and you would never—

You heard the door shut and straightened up, as if you were about to get caught, but on the outside all you were doing was eating your cereal.

“Morning,” Eddie greeted as he sauntered into the kitchen, shirtless and rubbing his eyes with his fist. With a mouthful of Grape-Nuts, all you could offer was a quick nod in his direction.

It was dark for how late it was in the morning, since it was overcast outside, and the whole kitchen was a bit gray as a result. Eddie stood out in some way, seeming to be more colorful and lively than everything else— but then again, he was the only living thing you were looking at, except for technically the daisies on the counter in the white ceramic vase. Wayne had started bringing your mom flowers as often as he could get away with, and she kept them in the kitchen. See how they just brighten everything up? she’d beam as she finished arranging them for display on the bar. And you loved the way she smiled at them and tilted her head while she fluffed the petals up again.

Eddie was like that— he brightened up everything. Even if he drove you up the wall sometimes, you could at least appreciate that.

He stood in the middle of the floor for a second, glancing around.

“Where’s your mom?” he wondered.

“She had an errand to run,” you recalled, “something with… taxes… or something…”

He snorted. “Grown-up stuff,” he shrugged.

“Yep,” you agreed.

“What are you eating?” he asked. You had to swallow another bite to answer.

“Grape-Nuts,” you replied, and he grimaced.

“You can eat that stuff?” He shuddered when you nodded. “You’re tougher than me. I need my Lucky Charms— gives me my luck and my charm.”

You smirked a little and looked down at your bowl, stirring what was left around with the tip of your spoon. You looked at him again when he reached up to the top shelf of the pantry to get the box of cereal— and as he did, you could finally make out the name on his ribs: Barbara. "Who is she?" you blurted out.

"Huh?"

You pointed to his ribcage, and he looked down as if he forgot he had the tattoo there.

"Oh— that's my mom. Barbara Rose Broussard."

You felt guilty for almost being jealous before, having assumed it was a former lover or something. "That's a nice way to remember her."

"I've got this for her, too," he explained as he extended his left arm out to you, showing you the long-stemmed rose inked into the skin there, extending from the inside of his elbow to about halfway down his forearm. The pointed end of the stem reminded you of a needle; it was nestled right over the vein, too, and you wondered if that was intentional.

"I wish I had your pain tolerance," you smiled. "Then again, I think the best thing I could do to honor my dad is not get any tattoos. Or piercings. Or boyfriends. Ever."

Eddie snorted, grabbing the cereal and sitting down with the box at the table. "He was strict, huh?"

"Sort of."

"No wonder you're such a goody two-shoes," he smirked, shoving his hand straight in and shoveling the chex and marshmallows into his mouth by the fistful. "Still daddy's little girl, huh?"

“Aren’t you gonna use a bowl? And a spoon?” you sneered. “And milk?”

“Answer my question first,” he insisted.

You chewed your lip for a second. "I guess so."

He kept smiling at you. "I don’t like milk. And I’m using nature’s spoons.”

“Nature’s unwashed, disease-ridden spoons,” you mumbled, sighing.

“Hey, they’re washed,” he defended just as he shoved his forearm back into the box, the motion accompanied by the loud crinkling of plastic and the rustling of the cereal. “Think I’m walkin’ around with dirty hands?”

“Probably,” you raised an eyebrow.

“Nope,” he denied. “Just a dirty mind.”

He winked at you just before he tossed back another handful of cereal, and you cleared your throat as you looked down at your own bowl, now empty. "U-um, so, there's no school today, right?"

"Not for me," he smiled, "but you've got classes, right?"

"Just one," you corrected, "and then work."

"Take me with you, please? I'm gonna be so fucking bored today."

“Bored?” you repeated incredulously. “Figured you’d be planning your campaign or jamming with the band.”

“Jeff, robotics camp, remember?” he prompted.

“Right,” you nodded. “I mean, I guess it would be kinda fucked up to make you drive me but then not let you come…”

He perked up.

“So I’ll take the bus,” you finished.

“Pleeeeeaase?” he whined. “I mean, don’t you think I could use the education?”

It wasn’t a bad argument, actually; you glanced to the side. “Well, my class is having a field day,” you remembered, chewing your lip as you considered it.

“They have field day in college?” he asked excitedly.

“No, like, my photography class is going in the field to take pictures,” you explained.

“Which field?”

“Not a literal field, Eddie,” you sighed, “we’re just going outside.”

It was exactly one hour later that he made you eat those words while you held your camera and watched your fellow classmates step through the tall grass in search of their perfect shot.

“I dunno, this looks like a field to me,” he noticed as he raised his arms, gesturing to the wide open clearing that Professor Hill had brought you all to.

“I didn’t think he’d actually make us photograph somewhere like this,” you defended, speaking quietly in case the professor heard you questioning his methods.

It was hot out— those ruthless Indiana summers were just around the corner— and you wiped your forehead with the back of your hand as you searched for something worthy of your camera’s attention. In a landscape as empty as this, there wasn’t much to focus on… and whatever there was had already been snatched up by your classmates, and you were still hoping to come up with something original to shoot.

Eddie said he would help you look, too, but he had no idea what to look for. In a couple minutes he seemed to be in his own daydream anyways, smiling to himself, swinging his legs a bit as he walked. And then he was going in a big circle, trying to step in the exact same shoe print he’d left the last time around, making psh, psh sounds every time he placed his foot on the grass. You rolled your eyes and ignored him, finding a torn leaf on the ground and reluctantly squaring up your camera to shoot it— no, it was hardly worth the film it would waste, but it was something.

You both turned when you heard someone coming up towards you, seeing your professor approaching Eddie; you stood up straight.

“You must be Edward,” Professor Hill smiled, extending a hand towards Eddie, who shook it eagerly.

“I knew it, she talks about me all the time,” Eddie joked with a grin.

“You were an excellent subject for her photograph series— such an expressive face!”

Eddie froze when the professor suddenly grabbed his face, leaning in closely and staring at him.

“These eyes!” he exclaimed. "Like a turbulent storm on the sea at golden hour! It's like I can see your troubled past, your hopes and dreams, just by looking into them!"

Eddie smiled nervously as he glanced at you. "Is he always like this?"

You laughed and shrugged. Eddie breathed a sigh of relief as the professor let him go and stepped back. “A talented young photographer and a natural muse! What a perfect couple you make,” Professor Hill smiled coyly.

You and Eddie simultaneously began awkwardly laughing and stammering through several replies.

"Oh— we're not—" Eddie started.

"No, nonono," you choked.

"It's not like that," Eddie assured.

"Technically we're related!" you continued.

"Except not actually," he jumped in.

"But we aren't—" you continued.

"I mean, her?" Eddie scoffed. "Never."

"He's— he's a freak!" you rushed.

You couldn't be sure how much of that Professor Hill had actually understood, considering you'd said it all at once, but he raised his hands up in relent. "Okay, okay! You're not a couple! Got it."

As the professor turned on his heel and walked away to check on other students, you chewed your lip and Eddie played mindlessly with his hair.

"Let's, uh, find something to take some pictures of," you suggested, and Eddie nodded.

You both trudged through the grass as you looked for inspiration— all the grass and trees seemed the same, you weren't sure where to start. It was probably some weird challenge that Professor Hill had come up with, to find inspiration in as bland a place as this.

"Heeeeeyyy, check this out," Eddie announced after a few minutes of searching with a grin, "these grasshoppers are totally doing it!"

You glanced where he was pointing in the grass to see two bright green insects on a stalk of grass together, joined at the end, and you grimaced. "Real mature," you sighed.

"You should take a picture of this," he suggested.

"Yeah, I think I can do a little better than bug fucking."

George appeared suddenly, leaning in to speak softly to the two of you. "You know, the female will eat the male after they're done mating."

"Thanks for the tidbit, George," Eddie offered sarcastically, shuddering as the other man disappeared to get back to his own photography.

"That's funny," you smirked, "'cause in the human world, the female is lucky if the male eats her at all."

Eddie cleared his throat, and when you looked at him, he was looking a little flushed. Maybe it was just the heat? Sweat was making his hair stick to his forehead, after all— but maybe you finally got to him. You smiled proudly to yourself at the thought.

“Niiice,” Eddie crooned with a nod when he saw you in your work uniform for the first time. It was just a red vest with a nametag, but it still managed to be the most unflattering thing any person could wear, and you crossed your arms self-consciously as you frowned.

“I don’t even know why they make me wear this thing, I’m almost never at the counter.”

“Where are you usually?” he asked.

“The darkroom,” you explained, “but today I’m covering the register for a half hour until Kevin gets here.”

“Kevin, your coworker?”

“No, Kevin the President of Zimbabwe— yes, he’s my coworker,” you sighed, unlocking the register and opening the tray, counting the money before you officially clocked in.

Of course, you weren’t exactly supposed to have friends (or step-family) loitering around the counter with you when you were working— and the darkroom was strictly employees only. But you let him do both, because it was a slow day and it turns out people are willing to pay to have their pictures developed whether or not some weird kid is sitting on the back counter, swinging his feet and eating candy he took from the shelves and didn’t pay for.

The first customer wanted a whole roll of film in eight-by-tens— her son’s birthday party; the second was a professional turning in wedding photos. Then there was a half hour of nothing, and you read your book while Eddie threw Red Hots in the air to try to catch them in his mouth.

You glanced up from your book, watching him open his mouth wide and lean to the side only for the candy to hit his cheek and land on the dark green carpet. “You look ridiculous,” you mumbled to him as you shook your head.

“You want one?” he offered, holding his hand up like he was about to throw it at you— you ducked instinctively even though he never let go of it.

“No,” you frowned, making him shrug and toss the candy up for himself (and he caught it that time). “Didn’t you want to come with me so you wouldn’t be bored at home?”

“Yeah,” he answered flatly as he chewed on the candy— his teeth were starting to turn red.

“How’s that working out for you?” you asked sarcastically, but his answer was totally genuine.

“Great!” he beamed.

“How?!” you yelped. “We’re not even doing anything.”

He shrugged again. “We don’t have to.”

You didn’t quite know what he meant by that, but thankfully your time at the counter ended just ten minutes later, after one more customer came in to pick up their prints that had been developed yesterday. That was when you got to properly break the rules and show Eddie the darkroom.

“Woah,” he noticed as he walked in behind you. “Kinda spooky in here.”

“You get used to it,” you assured.

“I know this is a stupid thing to say but, uh,” he said as he looked around, “it’s really dark.”

“Yeah, it’s stupid,” you agreed, “but I get what you mean.”

You were already setting up the chemical bins while he was still exploring, though there really wasn’t much to see. There wasn't anywhere to go either, the small room was really meant for just one person at a time. It wasn’t awkwardly cramped, except when Eddie wanted to see what you were working on and had to squeeze between the two tables of bins— forcing him to press up to your back to fit. “So, what’s all this?” he asked quietly.

“Well, this is the developer,” you explained as you motioned to one bin filled with semi-clear liquid, pointing at each one as you went, “that’s the soft bath, aaaaand that’s fixer.”

“Cool, cool,” he nodded thoughtfully. “And, what does that mean?”

You snorted. “You put the blank picture in the developer, and that makes it start, well, developing. You put it in the stop bath to make it stop so it doesn’t over develop. And the fixer sort of, like, seals it so it won’t be affected by light anymore— once it dries, that is.”

“Okay, that actually makes some sense,” Eddie agreed.

“So, we’re gonna pop open all these canisters and load the film onto the reel,” you explained.

“Then what?”

“Then,” you continued, sighing slightly as you exerted some force on the plastic containers to get the film out, “that goes in that tank.”

Eddie looked at where you were motioning with your head.

“And after that, well, you’ll see,” you decided, tiring of the explanations.

He leaned in over you to get a closer look at the strip of negatives as you unraveled it. You turned and stared at his profile for a second; by the dark red light, Eddie looked different— it seemed to show off the angle of his jaw more, but you couldn’t see the color of his eyes like usual.

“It’s kinda crazy,” he noticed, “you get to have a glimpse into these people’s lives, you get to make their moments last forever.”

“Taking the picture makes it last forever,” you corrected. “I’m just the one that makes it look decent.”

You couldn’t see details while the negatives were this small, but when you leaned in close, you could get the gist— a kid in a bathing suit with floaties on their arms, a dog running through the sprinklers.

It all looked pretty typical, so you loaded it onto the reel and opened the next canister.

“What kind of weird stuff do you see come through here?” he wondered.

“I mean, mostly it’s just—”

"Somebody's mom's homemade Playboy shots?" he assumed with a laugh.

You sighed. "You joke, but that's a lot of my job."

"Nice," he grinned.

"Not at all," you rolled your eyes. "If people wanna take dirty pictures, can't they have the decency to do it on instant film?"

"Hey, you've got a Land camera," he remembered with a grin, "you ever taken any little naughties on that?"

"Of course not," you scoffed. "Do I seem like someone who would do that?"

"No, that's why it would be hotter if you did," he explained. "It's never the ones you expect, anyway."

"How would you know?" you challenged. "Nobody's ever given you one, have they?"

"Well, no…"

As he trailed off, you smiled and held up a strip of film, dangling it in the air. "I think we've got a live one here, if you wanna take a peek," you offered.

He should've known not to fall for that. "Oh god!” he grimaced as soon as he leaned in to look at the negatives. “So much hair!"

"This guy is relentless," you laughed. "I can't tell if someone else is taking them for him or if he sets up a timer or what, but he has a roll of film developed almost monthly— and they’re all like this.”

“So he comes here and makes some innocent college kid develop his full frontal shots?” Eddie realized. “That’s messed up. Get your ya-ya’s however you want, but don't inflict it on the poor employees of the Rite Aid photo counter…"

“Oh look! He’s doing lunges in this one,” you tried to move the negative closer to his face, but Eddie tilted his chin up and looked at the ceiling.

“I’m already scarred for life, thanks.”

“Just wait til the ones where he bends over and—”

“AAAHH,” Eddie yelled and plugged his ears with his fingers.

“Okay, okay! I’m loading it on the reel, you’re safe,” you promised, and he calmed down. “I didn’t know you were so squeamish.”

“Listen, there are worse things to look at than a naked dude,” Eddie decided, crossing his arms, “but I guess I forgot that it’s not only good-looking people who take pictures of themselves in the buff.”

“It… very rarely is,” you promised. “I guess if you’re someone people want to see naked, you don’t need to do DIY nudie shoots. You can have them done by the professionals.”

“Well, if you ever feel like switching careers, that probably pays better than this,” Eddie offered, and you chuckled awkwardly.

“I’ll stay on this side of the camera, thanks,” you decided, “and I don’t think there would be much of an audience for that.”

“C’mon, would you quit saying stuff like that?” he groaned. “I don’t know if chicks think pretending not to know they’re hot is attractive or something—”

“Eddie, I’m not pretending,” you insisted, “I’m not— I don’t look like that.”

“Like a porn star? No, you don’t,” he laughed, “that doesn’t mean you’re not hot.”

“Isn’t that what every guy really wants, though?” you shrugged.

“I mean, I would be remiss to speak for every guy… but I think most guys just want a normal girl— you know, pretty, but real,” he explained. “The perfect girl doesn’t look like a porn star… she just acts like one.”

You snorted; “So, she fucks the pizza boy?”

“So you have seen porn!”

“What?! I—” you stammered. “I’ve just heard about it.”

“Uh huh, sure,” he replied disbelievingly. “You never rented a dirty movie?”

“Not even once,” you shook your head.

“Never even saw one somebody else rented?”

“Why are we talking about this?”

“I knew it!” he clapped his hand, making you jump. “You’re not that innocent.”

“I never said I was innocent,” you shrugged, suddenly feeling more aware of Eddie standing just behind you.

“Did you watch it at a sleepover or something?” he interrogated.

“Yeah,” you rolled your eyes, “me and my five hottest friends all got together and watched it in our skimpy little PJ’s, then we had a pillow fight and the losing team had to make out with each other as punishment.”

“My brain knows you’re being sarcastic,” he sighed, “but my heart wants to believe you so much.”

You just laughed and loaded up another reel for the tank.

“And my dick already believes you.”

“Ew! Eddie, I don’t wanna know anything about your dick,” you lied.

“So, what’s the real story?” he wondered. “Gary talked you into watching it, didn’t he?”

You nodded, more focused on the work you were trying to get done.

“Babysitter and pizza delivery boy?” he continued.

“Actually, she was just a regular college student,” you remembered.

“But she ordered it with extra sausage?”

“Yup.”

“And the pizza wasn’t the only thing that didn’t get eaten?” he assumed.

“No, she—”

“Not her,” he corrected, voice lowering slightly, “you.”

“That’s none of your business,” you snapped.

“You were talking about it before! With the grasshoppers!”

“Yeah, well, that’s only ‘cause George set me up,” you explained, “I don’t normally go advertising that kind of stuff.”

“I’m just saying, if Gary Thompson wasn’t absolutely horrible in bed, I’ll eat my shoe,” he announced.

“What makes you so sure?”

“Well, for one, he just has that look about him,” he listed, “and second off, you’re too uptight for me to believe somebody was givin’ it to you right.”

You sharply shot your elbow back into his gut, making him groan and keel over partially.

“Okay, okay, outta line,” he choked out an apology.

“Gary wasn’t bad,” you answered. “No, it wasn’t like the romance novels— I don’t think it’s ever like that, anyways— there weren’t, like, fireworks or anything… but he wasn’t bad. And you should go.”

“Aw, come on—” he began to protest.

“You can drive yourself home, and I’ll get a ride with Kevin.”

“Wait, please,” he whined, “I’m sorry— I shouldn’t have asked you personal stuff. I don’t want you to be mad at me.”

“I’m not mad at you!” you said in that tone that made it impossible to believe. “You’re not supposed to be in here, it’s employees only— just leave now while the reels are in the tank and it’s still okay to open the door and let the light in—”

“I’m sorry,” he pouted, resting his chin on your shoulder, which made you freeze. “Don’t make me leave, please? We were having fun…”

“No, you were having fun,” you corrected, shutting the film tank a little more forcefully than you needed, “by pissing me off on purpose.”

“Okay, what’s your idea of having fun with me?” he asked.

You cleared your throat, because you didn’t like your first instinct when he asked that question. “I dunno,” you stalled, “me slapping you around for a while?”

“Mm, I can get into that,” he agreed lowly.

“See? You’re doing it again. I can’t even say anything around you ‘cause you make it weird.”

“It’s only ‘cause you set me up,” he returned, making you shiver slightly as he turned his face to speak into your ear— he was so close, you could almost feel his lips against your skin when he whispered: “I wish you wouldn’t pretend that you hate me.”

Though it took more bravery than you thought you had, you turned to look at him, too— and you’d never seen him this up close before. “I wish you wouldn’t pretend that it’s not obvious how I feel about you,” you challenged with a venomous smile.

But he just smiled back at you— much sweeter than your own. “Oh, it’s obvious,” he agreed.

Swallowing, you turned back to your work and he stood up straight again. You knew he wouldn’t leave unless you made him, and honestly, you just didn’t feel like it. You kept working, and he kept standing there.

“What… what do you do now?” he asked hesitantly after a couple minutes of silence, like he was afraid you’d kick him out if you remembered he was standing here.

“I put it in the developer, like I said,” you sighed; he was lucky that opening the door now would ruin the photos.

You let him stay, and thankfully he was much less irritating after that, simply watching you do your job and asking the occasional questions. He was even impressed when you hung the photos up to try and he could start to see the image coming through. “Wow, it just… shows up?”

You nodded.

“That’s cool.”

It might seem small, but someone giving half a fuck about your interest felt really nice. Most people could appreciate a decent photo, but nobody ever cared about the work that went into it, least of all working in a darkroom which you’d been told many times was terminally geeky.

Guess it takes someone with interests as uncool as metal and D&D to show some respect for photography.

“Thanks,” you said quietly.

The next day, when you came home from class (you’d gotten a ride from Pete, which you decided not to mention to Eddie), you heard the music coming from your room before you even shut the front door.

“All your life you had to stand in line, still you're standing on your feet,” you heard Eddie singing, not entirely on key as his acoustic guitar provided the chords. He started the line over, and hit the note this time: “All your life you had to stand in line, still you’re standing on your feet, all your choices made you change your mind…”

You tried to quietly shut the door so he wouldn’t hear you, and therefore wouldn’t stop, before delicately creeping up to the half-open door.

“Don't wait for answers, just take your chances, don't ask me why…”

There was a brief guitar interlude, a pretty good adaptation of what was originally a piano solo, and you set your backpack down on the ground slowly as you propped yourself up with one hand on the wall.

“You can say the human heart is only make believe, and I am only fighting fire with fire,” you heard his voice get a little louder as you leaned by the doorway, “but you are still a victim of the accidents you leave, sure as I’m a victim of a desire…”

You bit your lip, for some reason remembering when Eddie drove you home again, your heart twisting as you convinced yourself again that what you thought maybe might have happened wasn’t about to happen.

“Yesterday you were an only child,” he sang softly, “now your ghosts have gone away—”

You leaned the wrong way and the floorboard under the carpet creaked; you winced, hearing Eddie stop.

“You out there, sis?” he called to you.

“I still don’t want you to call me that,” you replied back in an awkward mumble, stepping into his view with your arms crossed.

“I know,” he smiled.

“That’s a good album,” you nodded. “Glass Houses— kinda nostalgic for me.” You smiled to yourself as you remembered being twelve and thinking you were so mature and subversive for knowing that Sometimes a Fantasy was about phone sex.

“Well, I noticed you own it,” he gestured to your records shelf, which was still overstuffed now that it had to accommodate his collection as well.

“Didn’t peg you for a Billy Joel fan, though,” you noticed.

“I mean, I dunno about fan, but I think his lyrics are kinda funny,” he smiled. “And this album is his best work— even though it’s far too quiet for my tastes. All for Leyna would rock so hard if it weren’t for all the keyboards.”

“Only you would complain about Billy Joel songs having too much piano,” you sighed and rolled your eyes. “Let me guess— Louis Armstrong should ditch the trumpet, too?”

“I didn’t know you knew Jonathan Byers,” Eddie blurted out suddenly, and you knitted your eyebrows together. “You mentioned him, when the Hellfire guys came over.”

“Right,” you hummed, wondering what made him bring that up now. “Well, it was a friendship borne of necessity. He was the only other photography geek at Hawkins High— he was a year behind me so we didn’t see each other that much, but yeah, we hung out.”

“So you weren’t very close?” he pressed, and you shook your head. “Well, that’s a shame— he seemed alright, I guess.”

“You knew him?”

“I mean, know is a strong word, but… I sold to him once or twice.”

“Ah,” you nodded. “You know, I think he told me that.”

“You never smoked with him?”

“No,” you answered.

“Darn,” he snapped his fingers, “would’ve been kinda funny if you smoked my stuff way back when. But it’s not too late—”

“Ed, I’m not a stoner,” you insisted.

“Right, right,” he relented, “I’m just saying, we could get high together sometime…”

“Together? That’s even worse,” you frowned.

“But you’re still coming to my show tonight, right?”

Yes, there was one part of that drive home you still talked about— when he invited you to see his band play. You took him up on it, because apparently you had some kind of self-destructive instinct and weren’t satisfied enough with the hearing damage you’d received just from hearing Eddie rehearse alone (when he was on the Warlock, that is; you didn’t mind the acoustic, hence your eavesdropping).

Unfortunately, catching a ride to the show with Eddie meant having to get there extra early for the set-up process. Poor Gareth seemed to have an infinite supply of drums he had to unload from his parents’ trunk; and Eddie just seemed to have way more pedals than you expected.

You got through two cranberry juices while they were still only getting ready— at a certain point you wondered if they were just trying to act like they were setting up to play, because how many cords do you need to unravel when there are only three electric instruments?! And then there was the tuning, dear god the tuning, it went on for ages. Did none of them think to tune before arriving?

Finally, Eddie tapped the microphone, and you sighed as you adjusted in the uncomfortable wooden chair. “Check one two, check one two… a Slovakian hooker and a Czech one too—”

You tried not to snort at that, because it wasn’t funny, but you were desperate for any sort of entertainment after waiting that long.

“Okay, uh, hi everybody,” Eddie greeted, still fiddling with his guitar’s dials as he spoke, the mic ringing with a touch of feedback at first. “We’re glad you could make it out…”

You looked around the ‘crowd’, which is a very generous word for six middle-aged men scattered around the tables, not even looking over their shoulders to see the band playing— plus you, right in the middle-front of the room, looking up at the ‘stage’, which is a very generous word for a half-step up covered in old dirty rugs.

“Anyways, uh…” Eddie cleared his throat. “This first song is about drugs!”

Although that got a couple people to clap semi-sarcastically, that was all the attention they got as they started to play. You recognized the lead guitar part as something Eddie had been working on for a while, but it sounded better with all the other instruments behind it. The bassist, Greg, was really good, too— not that any of them were bad, but he stood out considering you’d never heard him play before.

Gareth tried to spin his drumsticks a few times and always dropped them, which made you suppress a laugh; Jeff started to sweat when harder parts of the song were coming up.

Only Eddie looked completely in his element like this. The other three were working, but Eddie looked like he was oddly relaxed. Some of those songs, when he played them, seemed to take him somewhere else.

You dutifully clapped after each one finished, even offering the occasional half-hearted woo!, but it was more awkward when no one else was doing it.

“Okay, this is our last song,” he announced after they’d finished playing your favorite one so far, apparently titled Devil Woman and more literal than you expected with a name like that. Usually the women in songs were proverbial devils, but considering the line about what he wanted her to do with her long red tail, it seemed a little more than just a metaphor.

You were more disappointed than you expected to find out they were only playing six songs— but hopefully this final one would be a good cap to the night, and then you could go home and go to sleep.

“Well, this one’s actually not our song,” he admitted, “and it’s also not our style. Or our taste. At all.”

You quirked an eyebrow, but waited for more.

“But it goes out to the only person who’s here to see us and not just to get trashed,” Eddie finished his preamble. That was you, right? He was talking about you.

Gareth counted them off, and when Eddie and Jeff started playing the riff, you recognized it, but you couldn’t place it. Only when Eddie returned to the mic and started singing did you know what song they were playing.

“Friday night I crashed your party,” he sang with a little smirk on his face, “Saturday I said I’m sorry, Sunday came and trashed me out again…”

You know, if he’d asked first, you would’ve told him a Billy Joel cover by a crappy metal band would be horrible… but it actually almost worked? Funny enough, it engaged the rest of the crowd more than what they’d played before— which sort of made sense, considering the look of the patrons here.

“And you told me not to drive, but I made it home alive, and you said that only proves that I’m insane.”

Jeff had come up to the microphone to sing harmonizing vocals, and while he didn’t have a beautiful voice per se (let’s be real, neither did Eddie), they were both smiling and it just made you smile, too.

“Remember how I found you there, alone in your electric chair— I told you dirty jokes until you smiled,” he went on, “you were lonely for a man, I said take me as I am, ‘cause you might enjoy some madness for a while—”

You found yourself singing along under your breath, and bouncing your leg to the beat. You noticed some similar energy from the men at the bar, even the ones who had looked the most disinterested at first.

“If I’m crazy then it’s true, that it’s all because a’you, and you wouldn’t want me any other way…”

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson series #stepbrother!eddie munson x reader #eddie munson slow burn

2K notes · View notes

tomholland1996simp · 2 years ago

Note

Holland x reader where she is in a bad mood and gets angry at her brother and maybe swears at him (age 5-6)?

Bad words || Holland sister

Summary: Y/N has been having a bad day not being in the best of moods. The boys tease her and start to annoy her making her snap. But instead of just shouting she says words she knows are bad and that she’s not allowed to say

Y/N hadn’t been herself today and everyone had noticed this as soon as she walked out of her room. The little 5 year old hadn’t had the best night sleep, this meaning she was in a bad mood due to being tired. But what was really making her bad mood worse was her brothers.The Holland brothers had been in the house all day spending time together and trying to find out what was wrong with their only baby sister.

“Someone work up on the wrong side of the bed” Tom joked as he saw his sisters face when she had walked down the stairs, going straight onto the sofa not bothering to say her usual excited ‘good morning’ to everyone.

“Y/n, you wanna come eat at the table?” Dom asked his daughter from the kitchen, hearing no reply after.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” Nikki approached her daughter, seeing her cuddling Tessa. No one was used to this, normally y/n was full of lots of energy she was happy in the mornings. Y/n loved waking up, going to eat breakfast with her family and most importantly her brothers.

“I’m not hungry” The small girl muttered her face hiding behind Tessa’s body. Today was just not the day for her and she wanted to be left alone..

“Not hungry! Never heard that before” Sam laughed from the kitchen.

“Okay, just let me know when you are” Nikki smiled as she rubbed y/n’s back, choosing to leave her alone for a little while.

Of course her mood didn’t get any better as the day went on. Her brothers wouldn’t leave her alone and were talking and laughing to loud for her liking. She left to go into her room for a little while to play with her toys.

“No,no. NOOO!” She screamed as tears threaten to fall from her eyes. Her new doll had been stepped on, it’s head falling off. “M-my favourite one!” She cried, already wishing the day would end. Now she was really angry, she ran down the stairs going to the bin and throwing the doll harshly into it, making a thud noise.

Tom and all his brothers were in the kitchen when they saw her run into the room, going over to the bin and throwing something inside. Tom had noticed the tears streaming down her face, seeing a angry look written across it.

“Someone’s angry” Harry laughed, Paddy slapping him across the head.

“What happened, darling-why’d you throw that in the bin” Tom asked looking into the bin seeing the new doll he had just brought her when he got back from filming.

Y/n crossed her arm over her chest after wiping her tears now angry. “Someone stepped on it! Clewrly not looking where they was going!” She stomped her foot down.

Everyone knew never to mess with the girls toys.

“I’m sure it was an accident-“ Tom tired to comfort his sister, placing a hand on her arm as he crouched down to her height.

What he didn’t expect was to see her slap his hand away harshly, “Shut up! Don’t touch me!” She shouted.

“Y/n calm down, you know your not meant to speak to people like that when they are trying to help you” Harry butted in, only making things worse.

“I don’t care!” Y/n yelled, anger taking over her. She had never been this rude to her brothers, she hasn’t even really shouted at them before.

“We’ll get you a new one, stop being a brat” Harry scoffed, to him it wasn’t a big deal but to her she loved the doll Tom had got her. Any present anyone could get her was really special. The girl was only 5, but was really kind and appreciated everything.

“Fuck you Harry!” The words flew out of her mouth, her not realising what she had said until she said it. Y/n knew them words were bad. Her parents had always told her not to use them, that’s why they had told the older boys not to swear around you. Sometimes things did come out between their sons, these words being a couple of days ago when Sam and Harry had a fight.

The boys eyes widen as the words hit them, Harry feeling a bit upset that you had said it to him. “Y/N! YOU KNOW YOUR NOT MEANT TO USE THEM WORDS!” Tom shouted, fuming with his little sister, being a bit too loud making her flinch a little.

“I-I’m sorry-I-I didn’t mean to…H-I” She sobbed before running up the stairs, shutting her door behind her. Y/n didn’t mean to be rude to her brothers, she’s been having a bad day and she took it out on them.

The five year old went under her covers crying her eyes out. Eventually she had fallen asleep not long after. Dried up tears still stained on her face. She only slept for about two hours and as she woke up she felt an arm around her holding her close.

At first she didn’t know who it was until she heard his voice. “I’m so sorry, darling” Tom spoke softly, pulling his sister closer to him.

“I-i’m sorry too, Tommy” She turned around looking at his face, using his nick name she always called him.

“Hey, don’t cry. It’s okay.” He soothed her as she shakes in his arms. “You just know your not meant to say them words, bad words. Harry is a bit upset, he didn’t mean to make you that mad. He fixed the doll though” He said making the girl feel guilty straight away.

“He did?” She asked with a little smile.

“Yeah, wanna go downstairs and apologise?” Tom asked, y/n nodding straight away moving some hair out of her face. “Just remember no more bad words”

“Yes, No more bad words” She excitedly got out of the bed going to apologise to her brother, Harry.

185 notes · View notes

heartshapedwords · 3 years ago

Text

Different Recipes II Fezco x Pie Girl

>> Pairing: Fezco x Female Reader >> Plot: Pie girl and Ash bond. Fez meets the parents (or at least the dad). Our lovebirds talk about the future. >> Part 1 II Part 2 >> Warnings: Slight mention of Euphoria typical themes. Mostly just cute fluff. >> A/N: English is not my first language so cut me some slack ;) Comments, reblogs and likes are much appreciated ♥

I swear I had a request about reader and Ash baking a bunch of pies together but I can not find it anymore. So whoever sent it in, thank you! It partially inspired this part. ♥

The soft melody of a 60s folk-rock song echoes through the halls of the diner. While out front they are mostly drowned out by the voices of the patrons, back in her little corner of the expansive kitchen, (Y/N) feels herself get lost in the music for a moment.

Her fingers knead the dough as the pecan Pie in front of her is just waiting to be covered in intricate woven braids of sweet flaky dough.

Life is calm here and safe and quiet.

… that's until her dad's voice speaks up from beside her, a mix of confusion and amusement clouding his words.

"There is a child by the counter asking for the pie girl. A child with face tattoos. "

A smile pulls the corner of her lips upward at her father's words.

"I'm assuming he means you. Which has me a little worried. Why are you hanging out with kids who, I have to mention it again, have actual real face tattoos?"

"He's a good kid, dad," she laughs as she wipes her hands on the yellow frilly apron that's wrapped around her frame. "That's Ash, he's Fezco's brother."

"They name one kind Fezco and give the other a normal name like Ash? What's his full name, like Ashton or Asher or something?"

Another chuckle falls from her lips "or something."

Ash is leaning against the counter, an ever-present scowl on his face. He looks out of place, like he always does except those few fleeting moments in his own home, on his own couch. It fascinates (Y/N) and it also makes a deep sadness settle in the pit of her stomach.

He should be a kid. If only life had ever let him be one.

She sees the same sadness in Fez sometimes. He doesn't talk a lot about his childhood but he doesn't have to. It's in the way he is.

If she can do her tiny little part in making that sadness go away for just a moment, that's all she ever wants to do. For the both of them.

"Look who it is! What's up, Ash. Heard you're asking for me."

"What," he scoffs and regards her with sharp eyes. Always alert even around the people he knows. If he doesn't fully trust you yet, he's always keeping his eyes on you. Ready to strike any minute. "Can I not come around to get some pie or something?"

"I bring you pie every day. What's really up?"

He takes a breath, letting his gaze trail down to the floor. For a second (Y/N) can see a spark of the kid he is, the kid he should be. Bashful and timid and soft. She wishes she could see more of this. Wishes he'd let himself be like this more often.

"Fezco sent me over. I need help with school shit."

"Hope we're not talking about math cause I'm shit at that myself."

"Nah it's nothing like that. I uh -" he stammers then slowly lifts his eyes to look at her shyly through his lashes. "We got this bake sale shit happening tomorrow. I wasn't gonna participate but the money goes to funding some new things around school and whoever helps raise the money gets some extra credit and man I could use some of that. Not that I care 'bout it but uh - Fez does. And I don't want to disappoint him."

This is probably the most she's ever heard Ash talk at once. Like his brother, he is a man of few words. Though where Fez makes em count because he's of the belief that words spoken without meaning are wasted, (Y/N) has the feeling that Ash just can't seem to find the right ones sometimes.

"Ash," she says and rests her arms on the counter across from him. "You're not gonna disappoint him, as long as you try. Fez loves you so much. I can't think of a single thing that would ever make him be disappointed in you. You are his whole world. You know that right?"

He's silent for a moment and she lets him be. She lets him find the words, lets him figure out his own feelings.

And when he's ready he looks back at her and grants her a tiny smile, hardly there but she can see it. "Me n' you now."

She thinks her heart might burst.

"So how many do you need?" She asks Ash as she secures the apron around his frame.

"They didn't give a specific number but the more I bring the more they can sell and maybe that'll earn me some extra points."

"Smart kid," (Y/N) exclaims, which earns her a sour look from the boy. He hates being called a kid, it's partially why she likes saying it so much.

"Well good for you I'm already two pies ahead. So you can have those."

"Nah, I can't do that. You were gonna sell those. I ain't taking away your income."

He's sweet. He's so sweet. She knows he'd hate to hear it but there's such a divine sweetness about this boy who has been so hardened by life. The same sweetness she sees every time she looks into his older brother's eyes.

"No worries. Those weren't for sale anyway. Just me testing out stuff. I would have probably brought them over to your place anyway."

"I see how it is," Ash jokes as his lip pulls up into a cheeky smirk. "We your guinea pigs huh? One of these days you're gonna fucking poison us accidentally."

"You want me to stop bringing you pie?"

"Fuck no!"

"That's what I thought. Now I have a few easy and quick pies in mind we can bake. Kitchen is gonna empty out in a bit as we close early on Thursdays so we'll have the whole place for ourselves. Well, us and my dad and his 60s music."

"Yo I was about to ask, man."

"It'll grow on you."

"I doubt it. But well, thanks for doing this."

She nudges his shoulder with hers before pulling out the ingredients for the first pie.

"No big deal. I do want something in return though."

"Fuck I knew it. What is it? If you want me to hook you up with my brother, that ship has sailed long time ago. Dude's absolutely whipped for you. Like he doesn't talk about anything else but his Sweets."

Though he says it with a sense of annoyance, the smirk on his face cracks the tough exterior. There's a sense of appreciation and approval swinging along with his words. It makes her cheeks grow warm. The fact that Fez is so enchanted by her, and the fact that Ash doesn't think having her around is all that bad. It means the world to her.

"Glad to hear it but no, not that. I want you to tattoo me."

He drops the whisk he previously played around with and regards her with eyes wide in shock. "You want me to what?"

"You did those yourself, right?" (Y/N) questions and points to the ink on his face.

"Yeah…"

"So I know you can do it. I want you to tattoo me."

"Where?"

"Like my ankle maybe, or my wrist."

"What do you want? And don't go telling me you want my brother's name or initials or some shit like that. I ain't doing that. "

The seriousness and determination in his voice make her laugh. He sounds a bit like a father scolding his kid for making stupid decisions, and maybe he's right. Maybe it is stupid and impulsive. But what's life without a few bad decisions and a little chaos?

"I want a sunflower."

"A sunflower?"

"Yeah, just the head, kinda small. But a sunflower. Can you do that?"

He looks at her for a moment, eyes scrunched together in consideration.

"That something to do with Fez? The sunflower?"

She nods bashfully as she thinks back to the night at this very diner where their pining had finally ended and that marked the beginning of something she only ever thought existed in books and movies and songs.

"He gave them to me when we kissed for the first time."

"Okay, fucking cheesy but I'll do it."

“ How very generous of you.”

“ Yo, you better be nice,” Ash laughs and jokingly points his finger in her direction “or I’ll tattoo a dick on you or something.”

“ Hey! I’m helping you. Anyway, enough joking around let's get baking. “

And though he scoffs at her lackluster attempt of sounding like the host of some cheesy baking tv show, Ash still smiles. And making Ash smile is always a win in her books.

“ The fuck. How come you’re so good at this and mine looks like — that? “

Ash looks down at his pie, with his nose scrunched up in disapproval. It’s bumpy and uneven and chaotic but (Y/N) thinks there’s a certain charm to it.

“ I’ve been doing this for years, Ash. This is your first actual pie. We can’t be good at something immediately. “

“ Yeah, I don’t got the patience to learn this though. Don’t think you gonna see me braiding dough at home anytime soon. It’s driving me crazy, why do you like this so much? “ She has to think for a moment. It’s fun, that’s the obvious answer but it goes so much deeper.

“ It makes me feel calm. My head is so chaotic and loud and I overthink everything, all the time. When I bake, I can focus on the recipe and the batter, and the filling. I get some time away from my own intrusive thoughts. I think that is what really makes me love it so much.”

Ash isn’t much of a talker. He’s a listener though, and a good one at that. He noticed the little things, the in-between-the-lines things. Maybe it comes with the job, with the life. Or maybe it’s just the kind of person he is. But whatever it is, he makes for a good listener. And maybe, (Y/N) thinks, being vulnerable with him shows him that it’s okay.

“ Your head gets loud? “

“ Mmmh. “

“ Yeah, mine too. “

“ So what do you do? “

He glances at her from the corner of his eyes then quickly back at the dough “either I get angry and do something stupid or I put on a movie and hang out with Fez. Dude’s so mellow he gets everyone to calm down. “

She wonders if Fez knows just how much Ash adores him. Just how much he means to his little brother. He is so much more than a business partner. He is a brother. A friend. A hero. A dad.

“ Yeah he’s good at that, isn’t he.”

A comfortable silence falls upon them as they continue working on their respective pies before Ash speaks up again.

“ I’m glad he has you. I think — man I dunno how to say it. But Fez never got to have a good thing without worrying about other shit. He’s so busy taking care of grandma and the shop and the drugs and me, don’t think he ever stopped and took care of himself. I try to do it sometimes but it’s hard. ‘s good to have you around. “

She doesn’t know what to say to that. Those words take her heart from her chest and cradle it in soft, gentle waves. To hear anyone say that, but especially Ash, means everything.

“ Now don’t start crying or something. I can’t deal with crying girls. “

“ No?,” (Y/N) laughs trying desperately to keep the tears at bay “ well how you dealin’ with this?”

Before he can react, before he even knows what’s happening, she throws a hand of flour at him, dusting him in the white powder.

“What the fuck? “

“ Oh no, it’s a ghost. We have a ghost in the kitchen. “

“ I’ll show you ghosts”

In a matter of seconds, a flour fight breaks out. All the other cooks are long gone and it’s only the two of them. Running around the room, hiding behind counters while throwing hands full of flour at the other.

Sometimes life feels heavy and exhausting and like all it seeks to do, is push you down and break you. And other times, you feel like this. Other times you run around a kitchen throwing flour, laughing like a little kid, and wondering why life can’t be this way forever. Light and easy and — happy.

It’s already dark out when Fez steps into the diner. Some song he doesn’t recognize plays through the overhead speakers and (Y/N)’s dad sits by the counter writing something down on a notepad.

What really stands out though, what immediately sends a bolt of emotions through his chest, is the laughter ringing through the halls. Ash’s laughter. Sweets’ laughter.

There’s something indescribably powerful about this moment. Something that grabs him and doesn’t let him go. All he’s ever wanted in life was to take care of and protect those he loves most. He’s not sure how good of a job he’s doing but at that moment he thinks he might not be doing too bad. At least not when it comes to Ash and (Y/N).

“ They’ve been goofing around for a while now, not sure they’ll get any pies baked. “

(Y/N)’s dad is looking at Fez with kind eyes and a welcoming smile. It makes Fez feel a little uneasy. Not because he thinks there’s any malice there or that he doesn’t trust her dad. Fez is just not used to this. Parents usually aren’t his biggest fans. They don’t care why he does what he does. They don’t want to hear his reasoning. And this is not just any parent, it’s his girlfriend’s dad. That’s a terrifying situation in the best of cases. And his case has hardly ever been good.

“ Uh, hi. I’m Fezco. “

“ I know who you are. Kid doesn’t stop talking about you. “ her dad laughs as he shakes Fez’s hand. They’ve seen each other before in passing but never like this. Never one on one without anyone around to take away the awkwardness of the whole situation.

"Come sit down, man. Let's have a talk."

He'd rather do anything else than this, but what could he possibly say? No? Never. Sweets loves her parents, especially her dad, and anyway, Fez has been raised better than to disrespect the man who raised the girl he loves most.

He doesn't let himself dream often but sometimes, the very rare times it happens, he sees her. She and him and Ash. A life without drugs, without violence and pain and fear. If that future is to ever become a reality, that will include her parents too, to some extent. As she becomes part of his family, maybe he and Ash can become part of hers too.

Fez feels a wave of anxiety crash upon him as he sits down next to her dad. He seems nice enough but that don't mean shit.

"It's good to properly meet you. Been wondering when we'd finally get to. She's been talking about you non-stop."

Fez can't really believe that. He knows she appreciates him. Knows she's in love with him. But there ain't much he can see in himself that's worth talking about. Especially to her parents. He'd be lying though, if he said it didn't send his heart into a frenzy.

"She has?"

"Oh yeah. She'll kill me if she finds out I'm telling you this though so maybe let's keep it between us."

"Sure thing man, I ain't no snitch."

Her dad takes a sip from his coffee mug, one that says "Best Dad. Decent Boss." and pushes his glasses up a little before turning back towards Fez.

"She said you own a corner store? "

" Yeah. Used to be my grandma's but she got — she got sick. So I'm looking after the store 'n taking care of her."

"You own a store, take care of your sick grandma and raise your brother? "

"Yes, sir."

"All by yourself?"

There is no judgment in his voice. Just surprise. Maybe a little admiration. Respect even. Fez is not used to this but damn if it doesn't feel good.

"Yeah."

Her dad places a warm comforting hand on Fez's shoulder for a second.

"That's admirable. You're doing a good job. You should be proud of yourself. Glad my girl has someone like you."

"I don't know," Fez admits and shrugs his shoulders. "Think she could do better than a high school dropout. Don't think I can give her all she deserves.”

“Hey, Fezco. Man, don’t say stuff like that. You make her happy and that’s all that matters. She doesn’t care about the rest and quite honestly neither do I or her mom. We want her to be happy and that’s what she is. I’ve never seen her this happy before and you play a really big part in that happiness. I know it’s sometimes hard to accept these things when life has been rough. I did not have the best childhood and I made mistakes in my life and it took me a long time to realize that despite everything, I do deserve happiness and I do deserve good things. You’ve been dealt shitty cards, I assume. But hey, you did the best you could. I think you deserve to be proud of that. We’re all just trying to get by even if we don’t all get the same privileges. Same dough, different recipes. “

It means a lot to hear him say that. To hear this man, who knows hardly anything about Fez, tell him to be proud of where he is, of what he accomplished. Not the drugs or the shop even, but himself. Be proud of the man he is. Soft despite life being nothing but rough and ruthless.

“ Yo, that sounds a lot like something Sweets would say.”

“ Oh you live with that girl for a while and you start talking in pie metaphors. You just wait. “

The two of them share a laugh and it’s not just a laugh. It’s a silent agreement. A thank you.

"Hey dad, can you — Fez?"

She's covered in flour as she steps out of the kitchen and into the main room of the diner. Her hair, her face, the front of her apron. Everything is dusted in a coating of white flour. But her smile though. Her smile rivals the sun. It's big and bright and Fez thinks it's truly the best thing he ever had the privilege to look at. He loves this girl.

Fuck, he really loves this girl.

"You fell into the mixing bowl?" Fez asks, a smile taking over his face now too. There's something contagious about her smile, about her happiness. You want to capture it. Hold onto it for yourself. If only for a moment.

"Hah, no. Very funny. Oh god, dad are you interrogating Fez?"

"I'm doing no such thing!" Her dad exclaims and throws his hands up in mock innocence.

"Did he interrogate you?"

"Nah," Fez replies and shakes his head " we was talkin' about you actually."

"Me? Oh god, nothing embarrassing I hope."

"Only the embarrassing shit, Sweets."

Fez and her dad share a laugh at that and though she faces them with a discontent pout, there's a twinkle in her eyes and it lets Fez know that she appreciates him trying to bond with her dad. Maybe there is a future for him and his Sweets after all.

The pies are stored safe and secure in the fridge and Ash is sound asleep in his room. There’s an old movie playing on tv but quite honestly, Fez hasn’t paid attention to it since like 2 minutes in.

He’s too occupied looking at the girl in his arms. She’s resting on his chest, legs tangled with his. She’s wearing his shirt, smelling of his body wash and shampoo. He’s leaving marks on her life, no matter how small they are, and for a man who always felt like a silent observer watching his own life go by, that means everything. To be welcomed into someone else's life so enthusiastically and wholly. It’s a new feeling. It’s a wonderful feeling.

“ Yo, Sweets? “ he softly speaks up as his fingers rub gentle circles into her arm.

“ Hmm? “

“Thanks for helping Ash out. It means a lot. “

“ Oh for sure,” she answers and buries her nose in the fabric of his shirt before placing a quick kiss on his chest. “He’s your family and you’re my man. It’s what a good girlfriend does. “

“Your man, huh? Like the sound of that.”

“ Yeah? Well, you are. Thanks for hanging out with my dad, I know he can be a lot. “

“ Nah,” Fez exclaims and cups her face in his hand. “Your dad’s a good man. “

“ ‘s what he said about you too.”

He still doesn’t fully believe in all of this. In the sentiment of him being a good man. But if they see it in him, who is he to call them a bluff. Maybe they are right. Maybe they see all that life and society and pain ever made him foolishly believe wasn’t there.

“ So he likes me? “

He never cared much about a parent liking him. Then again, there never was a parent to impress as there had never been a girl. Not like her. He’s never felt this deeply for a girl before.

“Yeah, he does. How could he not, Fez? You’re kind and reliable and smart. “

He lets out a mix between a scoff and a chuckle at that.

“Ain’t smart.”

“ Yes, you are! You taught me math, remember? You are so smart. You’re just too humble to admit it.”

Sometimes he still doesn’t know how to respond when she tells him things like this. Not because he doesn’t believe that is what she sees in him, but because there are no words grand enough to really express what it means to him to hear her say that.

So he kisses her instead and hopes she can feel all he wants to say in his kiss.

“And you’re a pretty great kisser too, by the way, “ she mumbles against his lips as she pulls away slightly.

“Ah yeah bet that is why your dad likes me.”

“Totally. That must be what sold him.”

The two descend into a fit of giggles and Fez lets himself dream again. Of more nights like this where his heart feels light and he gets to be silly and careless and free. With his girl. His family.

“I’m glad he likes me, ya know. Wanna meet your mom too. “

“You do? “

“Yeah, feel like it’s the right thing to do. ‘n I wanna do right by you. Think if we have a future, then that’s the next step, right? “

She looks up at him with those damn eyes. The ones that he’s sure hold every answer to every question on earth. The ones that can cause wars and end them. The eyes that are home to him.

“You think so? “

“Think what?”

“That we have a future.”

“ Yeah for sure. I like to think so. Ain’t much sense in doing this if I didn’t think we had one. ‘s what I want for sure.”

She places soft little kisses up and down his neck and on his cheek. Everything feels so light. Like this is what life is meant to be. No pain. No fear. No guilt. Just softness and hearts full of joy.

“ You think about it often? The future I mean. “

“ All the time, Sweets. All the fucking time. “

“ So what do you see? “

He shrugs his shoulder and if he were to look at himself right now, Fez is sure he’s blushing. Never has he told anyone about those dreams before. About all he wants his future to be. Sharing those ideas, those dreams, makes them feel a little more real. Makes him scared that life will throw some more shit his way and take them from him. Sheltering them in his heart was safe, secure. But some dreams, he thinks, might be worth sharing. At least with her.

“ Dunno. You’ll take over the diner, that’s for sure. I’ll sell the shop, take the money to buy a little farmhouse outside of the city. Grow some fruits, strawberries and apples, and shit. We can even have cows and chickens. Then you can use the milk and eggs and fruit to make your pies. I’ll be done with the drugs. Sometime along the way we get married for sure. Have a few kids. “

“ Can we have a dog? “

“ One? We can have a bunch of dogs. Cats too. Ash will have a little house next to us for when he finds someone and starts a family. And we’ll be one chaotic bunch but we’ll be good. Life will be good. “

She covers his face in kisses. Sweet and gentle like her. His eyelids, his cheeks, his nose. And then she kisses his lips and though she says not a single word, he can feel everything she wants to say. Sometimes a kiss is so much more than a kiss.

“ That sound good? “

“ That sounds pretty amazing. Marriage and kids, huh? Very traditional.”

“ I’m all about the fairytale romance, baby. You know it.”

And as she lays her head back to rest above his chest, and her fingers lazily play with his, a thought sparks in Fez’s head and lights up his mind like a sparkler in a dark new year's night.

“ Hey, Sweets? “ he says, voice shaking slightly with anxiety.

“ Hmm? “ she murmurs into his shirt.

“D’you wanna move in with us?”

383 notes · View notes