#I just accidentally ate peanuts

[watchyourbuck]

oh I’ve made a mistake 😀

[seoliee]

Married with the LaD Men

Yeah I can't think of a title for this one.

These are just my headcanons on what they would be like as a partner for life. Enjoy!

Oh and no Caleb in this one. Sorry :<

Have you ever wondered what it's like being married to them?

Word Count: 1.5k words

— XAVIER : Adorably Clumsy

• Xavier just got back from a 3 day mission when he was stopped by Captain Jenna herself. At first he thought that perhaps she's about to give him another mission and was ready to decline it, but the thought was quickly demolished when she informed him that you had gotten sick and ordered to stay at home since a day ago.

• Xavier who accidentally slams the bedroom door open and woken you up from your peaceful slumber. You wanted to smack him, but was unable to do so as your body was still far too weak.

• Xavier who gazed down at you with worry, placing a kiss on your forehead and head out of the room.

• Xavier came back holding a tray in his hands. "I made you something." His words were more than enough to send a chill down your spine and force you awake once again.

• Xavier who helped you sit up and sets down a steaming bowl of porridge with chopped chives on top. You looked down on the seemingly normal looking food then went up to look at his innocent and angelic face that waits for you to take a bite. It almost felt like a criminal offense to decline his goodwill.

• Xavier who's face turns into worry as your face almost went stone like after taking one spoonful of the porridge he made. "It's not good... isn't it?" He asks, almost deflated. You on the other hand, shook your head for a 'no' as you felt guilty seeing that he went through the effort of cooking despite not even being out of his hunter uniform yet. So you tried your best to swallow it down despite the salty taste. You were about to take another bite when he took the spoon and bowl away from you. "You don't have to force yourself, Love. You might get even more sick."

• Xavier sets down a plate with four no crusts sandwiches, replacing the salty concoction he made. "I made custard cream sandwiches. Hope you like them more." He sees the twinkle in your eyes upon seeing the sandwiches and watched with great adoration as you gobbled up one piece in no time. It's great to know you have an appetite.

• Xavier who's face becomes mildly pale when you asked about the state of the kitchen. "I'll.. clean it afterwards..." That was all the answer you needed to know. Confirming your hunches that the kitchen is in ruins.

— ZAYNE : Signs

• Zayne although, not an expert in the field, have seen certain signs that peaked his attention. Recently, you've been asking him to buy certain types of sour and sweet treats. You, having a sweet tooth is not new to him, but having a particular taste for sour treats is one.

• Zayne who watches you combine a kiwi fruit with a slab of peanut butter on top and ate it with a delightful expression. He continues to watch as you repeat the process and practically devour half of the kiwi pack and empty the peanut butter jar in half. You finally noticed him, and offer one which he merely shook his head for a no and continues to read his book, still giving you side glances from time to time.

• Zayne who noticed you were beginning to become quite sluggish. Often, refusing to get up from the bed to declining his proposals of going out on a date during his time off. It was all too strange to him as you would usually be always on your feet and is the one who always bugs him to go out despite his busy work schedule.

• Zayne while even at work, his thoughts were filled of you and your strange behavior. A nurse came in to deliver the documents of his patients for the day, and did some small talk with him while gathering the results he have finished to make. He doesn't usually entertain such things in a workspace, but the topic of a fellow nurse's pregnancy caught his attention.

• Zayne asked the nurse about certain signs, but not disclosing it was from you. A flicker of emotion appears in his eyes before returning back to normal as the nurse confirmed that it might be a sign of pregnancy, but added that it would be wiser to take a test.

• Zayne admits to himself that he has hunches that your strange behaviors might be exhibiting signs that you are indeed pregnant. Considering that after being married, the two of you were rather active. He merely needed one more confirmation from a second party about the signs before proceeding to visit a pharmacy on the way back from his lunch break to buy a test.

• Zayne who had come home after a busy day of work. He sees you slouched down on the couch, eating a tub of ice cream. You looked up at him, holding a spoon on your mouth and greeted him with a smile. "Welcome home, honey~"

• Zayne sets down the paper bag with a thud on top of the coffee table and sat down beside her. He places a hand on the exposed part of your thigh and looks at you with the most serious face he ever shown you. You were confused and already forgotten about the ice cream, asking him if something is wrong. After quite some time, he finally told you. "I think you're pregnant." He hands you a pregnancy test box, you took it despite being dumbfounded.

• Zayne who's eyes were slightly wide open upon hearing your next words. "But.. I just got my period..." His lips were parted, now the one who looks so puzzled. He brings up your strange behaviors in which you replied with a laugh. "Oh I see. Sometimes I become like that whenever my period is near."

• Zayne who somewhat felt down and didn't noticed that you reached out to the paper bag and took out its contents. Your eyes softened upon seeing books about pregnancy, taking care of a baby, and parenting. The books were then snatched from you, switching your attention back to him who tried his best to hide his flustered expression with a cough. You thought that he must've felt excited about you being pregnant and had bought these despite not being confirmed yet. You felt bad, and leaned closer to him. "You know that we have all the time in world to try again, right?" Your voice and words was enough to soothe his initial disappointment as a smile finally curls up to his lips. "You're right."

"You know! I heard that doing it while on period has the highest ch—"

"Don't even continue it."

— RAFAYEL : Serene Canvas

• Rafayel who proposed the idea of them spending their valuable time off in doing some painting. Saying that being productive is better than lounging around. You, on the other hand, had no qualms about painting, but not exactly confident with it either.

• Rafayel who already painted a beautiful scenery as the background of his painting while you, have just finished painting the sky and a little bit of nick nacks on the bottom.

• Rafayel who peaked at your painting, and proceeds to say. "Amazing, Amore. Those clouds look like soft marshmallows and the trees are.. um.. uniquely abstract." You, looked at him with the most blank face you could muster and say. "Those trees are supposed to be people..."

• Rafayel who's face goes blank, looking back at the painting, analyzing the 'trees' once more. He could've sworn those looked more like what he described. He looked back at you, taking in the way your hair cascaded your face and looking upset despite trying hard not to.

• Rafayel comes up with a solution and says. "Anyways.. you're doing an amazing job, Amore. Who knew you'd have an artistic side." You, only scowled at him, and out of spite points the red dipped bristles of the paintbrush on his cheek and made a one clean stroke.

• Rafayel blinks in bewilderment, feeling the wet bristles brush against his skin and the red paint trickling down. Soon, you snorted, soon a wholehearted laugh came. The initial annoyance you felt dissipated.

• Rafayel who cannot help, but share a warm chuckle as he gazes down at you with the most softened eyes ever. Though, the little bit of mischief in them is visible. He dipped his paintbrush, and then proceeds to make a clean stroke of blue on your cheek, making you yelp in surprise at the cold sensation. His thin lips curled into a mischievous smirk. "Now, we're even."

• Rafayel who laughs wholeheartedly as both of you take playful jabs of paintbrush towards each other, and practically covering yourselves in paint. While you were trying to reach your paintbrush at him, the stool you've been sitting on went out balance and knock yourself off of it, dragging him with you down on the floor.

• Rafayel who still laughs despite the mess that both of you made on his study. His tall and broad frame hovers above you, gazing at you with love filled eyes. He intertwines his hand with yours, a teasing smirk curls up to his lips. "I think that's enough painting for now..."

"I'd like to explore the canvas underneath me more."

[yelenasdiary]

Yelena taking care of her autistic gf who has gone into sensory overload because of Natasha yelling at her because she accidentally ate the last jar of peanut butter?

Tough Day

Pairing: Yelena Belova x Autistic! Reader 

Summary: Natasha takes her bad day out on you over something small, but Yelena is there to comfort and remind you things are okay.

Angst, Comfort, Fluff.

Warnings: None? If any, please let me know! | 0.8K

Translations: Detka (baby), dorogoy (sweetheart), 

AC: Please note that I am not autistic, nor do I get sensory overload. I write this based off research. If I have written anything that is wrong or offence, please let me know as I do not mean any harm. I also want to thank everybody who helped me with this! You know who you are xx

The room was dark, curtains closed, lights off and you were sat on the floor in your most comfortable clothing trying your best to take deep breaths. You never knew Natasha would get so mad over something so small. After using the last bit of peanut butter for your sandwich, Natasha grunted and took her frustrations out on you. How were you supposed to know it was the last jar? How were you supposed to know that Natasha didn't have a backup jar? She always did.

"Seriously?! The one thing I wanted today, and you had to use the last of it?!" Her words replayed over and over in your head. The raise in her voice sent you into sensory overload, she didn't notice, she just kept dropping comments about her frustrations even stating how you rarely ever go grocery shopping and just expect everybody else to get the things you need. You apologized for your mistake and explained that you didn't realize that it was the last of the peanut butter to which she replied, "of course you didn't you just live in your own little world!" 

Yelena knocked on the bedroom room lightly, careful not to startle you. She'd been worried about you after Natasha stormed back into the gym mumbling something about peanut butter, her gut feeling told her to check on you. 

"Detka? It's me, can I come in?" she asked. You nodded; she could barely see your nod in the darkness, but it didn't take long for her to notice the state you were in. She closed the door as quietly as she could behind her and walked over to sit down beside you. She didn't touch you, she didn't speak in her normal 'inside' voice, instead she whispered. 

"Do you want some ice?" She asked in a whisper, knowing that sometimes in these moments you like to suck on some ice cubes to help remind you of the here and now. You nodded once again while continuing to keep your focus on your breathing. Yelena was gone for a few short minutes before she returned with a bottle of water and a small bowl of ice cubes. She placed them beside you and sat down on the armchair on the other side of the room and waited until you were able to talk to her.

The coldness of the ice on your tongue and the roof of your mouth helped bring some relief to the hotness you felt rushing through your body. You closed your eyes and counted to ten then back down over and over until you felt like you could get up from the floor. Yelena waited patiently, holding your favorite stuffie until she knew you would want it to cuddle with. 

"Sh-she yelled at me" you spoke ever so softly as you slowly got up from the floor and looked at your girlfriend. "Over peanut butter" you added. Yelena saw the confusing yet sadness in your eyes, you couldn't quite understand why Natasha snapped and took her bad day out on you over the empty jar. 

"I'm going to talk to her detka, she overstepped, and I won't let her do that again" Yelena replied as she stood from the armchair to hand you the stuffie. "What do you need right now? Forget about Natasha and the stupid peanut butter, I'll buy her a new jar, okay?" she added. 

"I just wanna get into bed and watch movies" you replied.

"Do you want your weight blanket?" Yelena asked, she always worried about you whenever you went into sensory overload, in fact she worried about you a lot more than she led on. Always made sure you had everything you needed before she would go off on missions, she had Kate keep an eye on you and if you needed anything Kate would be there for you. Yelena tried not to go on the super long missions, sometimes she couldn't avoid it but she always checked in with you when she could. 

"Yes please" you said as you got into the shared bed, grabbing the television remote from your bedside table. Yelena grabbed your weighted blanket from the wardrobe and placed it comfortably over you. "Thank you, Lena" you smiled softly at her, your tired eyes telling her just how exhausted you were. 

"Get some rest detka, I'll go cook your favourite for dinner and bring it up to you when it's dinner time" Yelena replied before placing a soft kiss on your forehead. "Wait" you gently grabbed her arm, "can you stay? Please" you asked, looking up at her. 

Yelena nodded, "of course dorogoy"

You snuggled up to Yelena the moment she got into bed beside you, her arm wrapped around you while you flicked through Netflix to find an easy and comforting movie to watch. Once you found one of your favorite comfort movies, you snuggled more into Yelena, whispering a soft 'thank you' for being there for you. She placed a gentle kiss on the top of your head and held you a little extra tight while you fell asleep in her arms.

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[sylver-star]

⭑.ᐟ

You unlock the door with your spare key, the one he had given you just for emergency. It struck you the wrong way to come to his apartment unannounced at first, but you had your reasons. Loneliness should count as an emergency, right? The door clicks open and you walk in, immediately you're hit with a luxurious smell of something floral that you can't quite place - but it's refreshing nevertheless.

After putting your shoes away on the welcome mat, you finally put your feet on the shiny wooden floors. You can't help but to compare his apartment to yours, which hasn't been this clean since you first got it.

"Minghao?" you call out, but not loud enough so as to accidentally wake him if he happens to be asleep.

There's no answer, so you shrug off your coat and hang it beside his. You carefully smooth out your skirt and look at yourself in the mirror. He might not be home. It wouldn't be strange if he wasn't, he was probably out at a fancy bar somewhere with some important client. Your brain kind of turns off when he starts talking about his work, and you think he's started to notice from the way that he always pauses and smiles before asking about your day. It's not that you don't care, you want to see him happy and well off, but at times the way that he talks about his work just sounds like the grown-ups in the Peanuts cartoons.

You walk into the kitchen, which is just as clean as the rest of the house. Except, there's a pot soaking in the sink. It's been there for long enough to not be able to guess what's been in there. You roll up your sleeves and start washing up. It should feel weird to do his dishes, but you can't help but to feel a little giddy. It feels so domestic. Coming home from a long days work, making dinner for each other while the other one does the dishes. He hasn't actually made dinner for you, but you let yourself daydream.

You shift to stand on one leg, letting the other foot lightly kick up before balancing it on your toe - a flustered tick. With the hot water running, and the scrubbing sounding out loud, you don't hear the soft footsteps coming up behind you. It's only when you feel Minghao's arms wrap around you that you realize that he's there.

"Are you doing my dishes, honey?" he asks in a gentle yet teasing tone.

"You're home!" You turn your chin to look at him over his shoulder.

From what you can see, he has his glasses on and his hair's a mess. It's not what you were expecting, but the look is greatly appreciated. You lean into his warmth, and his arms squeeze your waist.

"This is my apartment," he says.

"I thought you were out on business..." You sigh and turn off the sink to lean further into him. "Are you always this warm?"

He chuckles, and it vibrates through his chest. "You're just cold, honey."

Minghao grabs your hands in his, not caring that they're still wet. His hands are warm and soft, making you smile at the touch. He lets go of you with one hand, spinning you around slowly to face him with the other. You notice he's already in his pajamas. Both of his hands encapsulate yours again.

"I was going to take care of that in the morning." His gaze is focused on your hands as he tries to cover them with his.

"You ate at home tonight?"

"Well, you said you had other plans." He looks at you up and down with a fond look in his eyes. "It certainly looks like you had other plans. Hope you didn't skip them for me, pretty."

"I didn't. I went... I just wanted to see you. Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude on your day off." You try to take your hands away but he won't let you.

"You didn't. I'm glad you're here." He pulls you in for a hug, and it's your turn to wrap your arms around his waist. "I wish you would've notified me... I'd give you the other half of my ramyun, you know?"

You let out a soft giggle, the way you only did when your walls are down - when you're with him. "Missed opportunity."

Minghao hums and presses a kiss to the side of your neck. It's chaste. Sweet. And you feel a wave of the domesticity you felt before. Your hands cling tighter to his shirt as he starts rubbing your back in slow circles.

"Come to bed with me?" he asks, as if there's any other answer than yes.

You hum and nod against his chest. While you want to stay like this forever, Minghao seems eager to go back to bed. He loosens his arms around you, bringing one hand to the small of your back to lead you to his bedroom. And it's all worth it when you're laying down in his bed, newly showered and in the comfy pajamas he bought for you, as his arms are wrapped around you once again. To think that your friends had made fun of you for wanting to leave the party early to go back to "your old man", when this is the most blissful you've been all day.

[roosterforme]

Adult Education Part 2 | Hangman x OC

Summary: Jake wasn't sure what he had done wrong, but the last thing he wanted to do was scare Jessica off. With a little bit of help, he manages to get a few minutes alone with her again. And all she does is effortlessly make him want even more.

Warnings: Fluff, angst, swearing

Length: 2600 words

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Female OC

This story is part of the Beer Boy and Sugar universe but can be read on its own! Adult Education masterlist

Seriously, who let Jake on my masterlist!? Banner by @mak-32

Jake was still perplexed the following afternoon as he listened to Maverick lecture about the efficiency of the modified fuel system in the F/A-18. He couldn't help but think that Dr. Reed would have done a much better job speaking on the topic. And looked cute while doing it. 

He'd spent most of the night thinking about her, trying to determine where exactly he had fucked things up. It seemed like she was into him while they were at the bar. The cheap beers and peanuts at Chippy's let Jake know she would be relaxed enough to hang with his friends. And the way she looked and her PhD in physics let him know she would hold his interest. If he was looking for someone to date, it would be Professor Jessica in a heartbeat.

She was so charming and intelligent. And maybe that was the problem. Maybe it only took her an hour last night to recognize that Jake wouldn't be enough to hold her interest. She really went running for her office as soon as they were outside.

"Damn," he muttered once the aviators were all dismissed for the day. When he unlocked his phone, his browser was still open to the tab of Jessica's profile on the San Diego State University website. That little photo of her wearing her glasses and a blouse with the top buttons undone was really messing with him. He practically had the About Me��section memorized by now, and she'd said nothing about a spouse. He went to close out of it, but he couldn't. 

"Hey, you need a ride again today?" Bradley asked him, checking his own phone.

"Nah, I got my truck back this morning," he replied. "But thanks."

Bradshaw just shrugged and grunted in response, but then he was holding up his phone for Jake to see the screen. "My wife apparently has a message for you."

Sugar: Tell Hangman I ate lunch with Dr. Reed today. And she wanted to know if my sexy aviator husband happened to know another sexy aviator by the name of Jake Seresin.

Jake perked right up at that. "Mind if I text Dr. Tits myself?" he asked, and Bradley handed over his phone. 

"Just as long as you don't call her Dr. Tits. Jesus, I'm shocked you're still alive."

But he wasn't listening. Rather he was already texting. 

Hey, it's Jake. Did Jessica say anything else? After we had some beers at Chippy's, she kind of ran off. I'd like to see her again, but I'm not so sure she'd want to see me.

Jake sent the message and stared at the screen. "She might not be able to respond right now," Bradshaw was saying. "She's got a late lecture this evening." But the messaging app was telling Jake that she was in fact currently typing. 

"Shh," Jake said, devouring the message as soon as it arrived.

Sugar: I told her I know you. Be thankful that I painted a much, much prettier picture of you than I could have. But she didn't say much else. However... she does have office hours until 7:00 tonight. Just so you know.

Jake groaned and handed the phone back to Bradley. Of course he was relying on help from the woman he had accidentally given a vulgar nickname. He didn't know what he should do. On one hand, he'd love to show up at Jessica's office and pick up where they left off. On the other hand, there was a good chance it would be awkward. But he wanted to know what he did wrong. 

While they were at Chippy's, Jake had been thinking about inviting her to have dinner at his place one night. He thought about making her smile and laugh in his kitchen while he tried to convince her he was smart enough to keep up with the conversation. Imagining how it might feel to press his lips to her elegant neck.

"Yeah, I'm going," he grunted, checking the time. 

"Going where?" Bradshaw asked, looking at him like he had two heads as they finally exited the deserted classroom. 

"Visit your wife at work," Jake replied with a wink. 

He just rolled his eyes in response. "Tell her I'll pick her up at 9."

Jake didn't even bother to change out of his flight suit. He'd only been out on the tarmac for a short period of time today, so the jet fumes didn't seem to be an issue. He grabbed his wallet and keys from his locker and rushed for his truck. It was already after 6 o'clock. Depending on traffic, he might not even make it to campus before Jessica's office hours ended. But what did he have to lose?

"Come on," he complained, merging with the congestion of cars leaving North Island. Everyone was creeping across the bay bridge, and Jake was watching the minutes tick away. When he was finally close to campus, he tried to remember where Bradshaw had parked yesterday. He cut down a side street and came out near the math and science building, but there was nowhere to park. 

"Shit," he said, and then someone was pulling out of a spot further up the block. Somehow he managed to successfully squeeze his truck between two other cars, and he hopped out onto the sidewalk. He tossed his sunglasses onto the front seat before locking his truck, and tried to fix his hair as he walked toward her building. He could see Chippy's across the street, and he briefly wondered if she might head over there if he couldn't find her office in time. 

When he tried to open the door to the math and science building, it was locked. He jiggled all the door hands, but none of them were open. There was a card reader off to one side, but no students in sight. "Fuck," he groaned. The building was probably only left unlocked yesterday for the mini lectures. 

Jake started scrambling for his phone so he could call Bradshaw and get his wife's number. But then he saw her walking down the hallway inside, and he pounded on the door. She turned and looked at him with a cautionary glance until she realized it was him. Then she walked over and pulled the door open for him.

She grinned and said, "Just in time for office hours, I see."

"Thank you," Jake said, and he didn't even call her Dr. Tits. "I owe you one. For the information and for opening the door."

She just pointed him toward the row of elevators and said, "Dr. Reed's office is on the fifth floor, to the left when you exit the elevator."

"Thanks!" he called out as he practically ran to push the little up arrow. And now he was nervous. Why did he think this was a good idea? As the doors slid open, he registered that it wasn't too late to just go back to his truck and drive home. But as they started to close again, he found himself darting inside and pushing the number 5. 

If he got completely shot down, then so be it. And if she was already gone for the day, then maybe he'd consider stopping by Chippy's and running the risk of having her bartender friend give him the third degree. But it would be worth it just in case Jessica wanted to talk to him again. 

Fifth floor. He turned to the left and read all of the names on the doors as he made his way down the long hallway. And then he saw it on the placard on the second to last door on the left. DR. JESSICA REED, PHD.

The door was slightly ajar, and Jake let out a deep breath before he knocked. 

"Come in."

When he pushed the door open and stepped inside her small office, he smiled. Jessica was sitting at her desk, writing something down in that red notebook he saw yesterday, and when her gaze slid up his body, her lips parted in surprise when she met his eyes. "Jake."

"Dr. Reed," he drawled. "I almost missed your office hours."

Her eyes were wide, and she nudged her glasses up higher on her nose with the backs of her fingers. "What are you doing here?"

Jake took a step closer to her desk, and she slowly stood. And hell if she wasn't wearing another cute skirt today. 

She was eyeing him curiously, still waiting for an answer when he said, "You told me I could borrow your copy of the Journal of Propulsion Science. The edition with the information about Super Hornets."

"Oh," she whispered, her face falling a bit. "Right. Of course." She turned away from him and started to search along some shelves that were jammed with books and periodicals. His eyes roamed over the back of her body all the way down to her feet and her high heels. He watched as she pulled a few glossy journals out and turned to hand them to him. "Here's the Propulsion Science journal, and here are a few more that might interest you. I don't need them back. You can keep them."

Jake took them and immediately set them down softly on her desk without looking at them. "Thanks, but that's actually not the only reason why I'm here."

"Why else are you here then?" she asked carefully, and Jake wished there wasn't a large desk between his body and hers. He felt himself starting to hesitate again, but he was already in this deep. Might as well go all the way.

"Listen, Jessica. I was having a pretty great time last night at Chippy's." He was trying to gauge her reaction as he added, "You're beautiful, funny and smart, and hey, I'm only human. And I thought you were maybe feeling what I was feeling? And correct me if I'm wrong here, but I thought we were having fun? And it didn't even seem like you expected me to lay down my usual bullshit, which was really nice."

"Oh," she gasped. She worried at her bottom lip with her teeth before she said, "No. You're not wrong."

He shrugged at her, heart pounding as he asked, "Then what did I do wrong? Why did you run off?"

She laughed softly and looked down at her desk. "I nerded out so hard."

Jake grinned as the sheepish look on her face. "You must have been able to tell I was enjoying myself. God, I could have stayed at Chippy's with you all night long. You know more about my jet than I do, and I have the NATOPS memorized."

She ran her fingers nervously along the top of her desk as she looked at the stack of journals he was meant to take with him. As Jake planted his hands on his hips, she glanced up at him. "It's just too good to be true."

He shook his head slightly. "What's too good to be true?"

"You."

He raised one eyebrow, about to ask what that was supposed to mean when she said, "There's always a catch with the charming, good looking guys, right?"

"A catch?"

She licked her lips and pressed her palms on the desk, leaning a little closer to him. "I've been through this before. There's always someone else. A sexy naval aviator in his uniform shows up to my lecture and then flirts with me? Please. There's always another girl."

Jake was kind of stunned. "I would never do that."

But she still looked apprehensive as she said, "As soon as you started ignoring calls and messages, you said you had to leave."

Bradshaw. He was ignoring calls from Bradshaw who was trying to tell Jake to meet him at the Bronco. And he was only ignoring him because he didn't want to leave her at all.

When he didn't respond right away, she shrugged and said, "Figured it was your girlfriend calling you."

Jake made sure she met his eyes before he said, "I don't have a girlfriend."

She barely hesitated before asking, "Wife?"

"I don't have one of those either."

Jessica slowly pushed off from her desk so she was standing at her full height, lips forming a perfect, kissable pout. She looked a little embarrassed now as she messed with her glasses. "That's all really useful information to have," she muttered, picking up the stack of journals and walking them around her desk. 

Her steps were intentional and deliberate, the little click of her high heels muffled in the small space. Even in those shoes she only came up to his chin, and she didn't stop until she was right in front of him. He could smell her shampoo or perfume. He could see gold flecks in her eyes. This time when she held out the journals, they grazed his flight suit. He took them in one hand and murmured, "Thank you."

"Mmhmm," she hummed, and Jake almost tossed the literature aside and pushed her against her desk when her fingers met the patches on his flight suit. He stood still against his desire to tilt her face up and press his lips to that pout. She looked good, and she smelled good, and Jake was convinced she would taste good, too. Then she glanced up at him, fingers still tracing his patch that said HANGMAN. 

He cleared his throat softly. "What if I decide I want to return the journals after I read them? And what if I have some questions only an expert would be able to answer?"

She smiled and said, "Then I would implore you to find me and avoid Dr. Leeland and the rest of the physics department."

Jake laughed softly, but then she removed her hand from his flight suit, and he started to reach for her. But she was already turning toward her desk, tearing a page out of her red notebook. As she bent at the waist, Jake stifled a groan and rubbed one rough hand over his mouth. Her skirt rode up along her legs, exposing so much skin, he couldn't look away. Perfect, gorgeous skin from her bare thighs down to her ankles and those stupidly high heels. 

He was definitely caught staring after she finished scribbling on the sheet of notebook paper and spun to face him. He wanted to ask her if she wanted another three dollar pint and some peanuts, but she folded the paper in half and handed it to him before he could gather his thoughts into a sentence that actually made sense.

He glanced down and saw that she'd written her office hours in her neat penmanship. 

Dr. Reed's office hours for journal topic discussion:

Tuesdays 5:30 to 7:00

Thursdays 6:00 to 7:30

"I might be willing to stay late again. For you." 

Jake looked up into her pretty eyes and tapped the sheet of paper. "Any chance you'd add your phone number for me, Dr. Reed?"

The soft smile and dreamy look she bestowed on him had him grinning like an idiot, he was certain. He wanted that phone number in the worst way. When Jessica's fingers ghosted along his patch one more time, she said, "Maybe I'll see you on Thursday?"

"Yes." Jake would make it a point to come back on Thursday. 

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

Professor Jessica thought she nerded too close to the sun. And Jake really did give off some of the telltale signs of a man who is up to no good (including but not limited to looking hot in his uniform). Thanks to @beyondthesefourwalls and @mak-32

PART 3

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[vivwritesfics]

Shine A Light Into The Wreckage

Chapter One - Spilled Coffee

Bob Floyd was many things. He was an instructor at Top Gun, a lover of Tolkien books and a huge fan of coffee. But Bob was also clumsy. That was how he bumped into the table, knocking her drink onto her notebook.

He felt bad about it. Bad enough to come back time and time again, in the hopes that she would be there. And, every time, she is. Each time looking a little worse for wear. It doesn't take Bob long to realise he has to save her.

1.9K

Warnings: Abusive relationship! Abusive hair pulling! Abusive slight choking! Forceful sex! Seriously don't read if you're affect by stuff like this

Okay so one day I was reading Stiff Competition by @roosterforme and the next day I was writing this and I haven't stopped since

Series Masterlist

Bob Floyd was a coffee man. It had started at the end of high school, when he used to wake up early to study. It continued on when he joined the navy. 

Through his first stint in Top Gun, Bob would go on regular coffee runs. They took it in turns, always going on their own and challenging each other to carry as many coffees as possible.  

It was a habit that Bob had kicked after Top Gun. He knew it was a bad habit, relying on coffee to wake up. So, he stopped.

But then he was once again at Top Gun. After graduating once, he was back again. And, once again, the coffee runs restarted. Bob redeveloped his habit for a cappuccino with chocolate sprinkles on the top. From the first sip, he couldn't remember why he had given it up.

Even after that mission, Bob stayed in California. The man from Montana stayed at Top Gun, becoming an instructor, along with Natasha Trace and Jake Seresin. Rooster returned to Virginia, said he had a girl out there. The rest of the squad returned home or were stationed overseas. It wasn't the easiest to keep up with. 

The coffee runs continued. This time, with just himself, Nat, and Jake, the coffee runs were a lot easier. Especially when the barista put the takeaway cups with one of those cup holders meant for four. 

The coffee runs changed every day. One day Nat would go. And then Jake would. And then Bob. Always one at a time, always in that order. 

Whenever Bob was on the coffee run, he looked around the café. His eyes moved from table to table, looking at the people sat there. An older couple drinking coffees by the large window, a teenager eating a sandwich with headphones covering his eyes and people on their lunch break. One at the back of the café tapped away at her computer keyboard, periodically taking a break to sip at her drink. The other sat at the table by the door, her bag on the other seat as she scribbled away in her notebook, a full mug of coffee beside it. 

Bob didn't make any other observations as he collected his coffee and turned to leave. He had both hands on the cup holder as he turned to leave the café. 

He wasn’t clumsy. Well, he sort of was. Making a mess at the hard deck while ate peanuts, that time he accidentally hit Bradley in the stomach with the pool cue. 

But Bob couldn’t deny his clumsiness when he hit the edge of her table. Maybe if his hands weren’t full, he could have caught her drink before it fell over. 

A gasp left her lips as it spilled over her notebook, staining the pages brown. The writing on it was indistinguishable beneath the coffee. 

But that wasn't what this young woman cared about, not at first. She stood as she furiously wiped off her pencil skirt. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" He cried, grabbing the napkin that sat under her glass. But the napkin was already soiled. 

Bob jumped into action. He put his coffees down onto her table and rushed to grab the napkin dispenser from the counter. "I'm so sorry!" He cried, grabbing napkins  and helping her to wipe off her skirt. 

But when the water stopped scalding, she stopped wiping at her skirt. Instead she dabbed the napkins at her notebook as a frustrated sigh left her lips. "Let me get you another drink," he said as he threw the used napkins in the bin. 

She shook her head at him. "No, I've got to get back to work," she muttered as she picked up her bag. She slung it over her shoulder and tucked her ruined notebook beneath her arm. 

"I'm sorry!" Bob called as he watched her disappear from the café. 

***

She sat at her desk, inspecting the darker grey patch on her skirt. It had been new, bought just the weekend before. But she didn’t much care about her skirt. That could be replaced. Sure, she'd have to take out money she didn’t have for a new one, but it was just a skirt. 

Her notebook was in front of her computer, months of work stained with coffee. The coffee had smudged her writing, making it unintelligible. It wasn't just the top pages, wasn’t just her most recent piece of writing. It was everything. 

Almost all of her writing was gone. 

Frustration ran through her. Frustration and then sadness. She couldn’t bring herself to be angry at the military man. It hadn't been his fault, really. 

But her writing was gone. It was months, years, of work. Her only way of escape and, within a matter of seconds, it was gone. 

As she sat through her shift, she tried to salvage what she could, making notes of the plot points she could remember. Tomorrow, when she went to the café, she could rebuild. This time she could spend all day there, not needing to run off to her job. 

It wasn’t easy to concentrate on her day job as she wrote down what little she could remember from her stories. But, too soon her day job was over. She still didn’t put her sopping wet, coffee stained notebook in her bag as she got ready to go. "See you Monday," she said to one of her co-worker as she pulled her jacket over her blouse and placed her bag on her shoulder. 

With her notebook on her arm, she took off. She looked down at her shoes as she rode the elevator down to the ground floor of the building she worked in. 

The elevator arrived at the ground floor far too quickly. She sucked in a breath, held her notebook against her chest and walked out of the building. Each step she took was heavy, as if her feet were reluctant to take her home. 

But her apartment building was far too close to her place of work. She opened the door and started up the dimly lit staircase, up to the top floor. Around her the yellow wallpaper was cracked and peeling. 

She missed the step ready to collapse in on itself and avoided the suspicious damp patch on the carpeted top of the stairs and pushed open the door to her apartment. 

"Hey, Ken," she said to her boyfriend, the man she shared her apartment with. Kenneth Johnson hadn't been called Kenneth since he was a boy. He went by Kenny to his friends or more importantly, Ken.

 She placed her notebook on the sofa, her bag on top of it, and hung her jacket on the back of the door. 

"Hey, Barbie," he said in a way she hated. It had been a joke back in high school - his name was Ken so, obviously, she was Barbie. "I cooked you dinner." 

*SERIOUSLY IF YOU'RE AFFECTED BY ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS I'D STOP READING HERE*

She looked at the small, round table in the middle of their kitchen. 'Cooked' wasn’t exactly the word she would have used to describe the half eaten microwave dinner on the table. "Ken, where's the rest of it?" She asked, her voice light. Almost as if she was talking to child. 

The smile dropped from his face as he yanked open the fridge. "Can't you just be grateful, for once?" He growled as he opened his can of something (she didn’t look up, didn't see what he was drinking as she ate what he had left of her dinner). "I make you dinner and you just want more of it."

She ate in silence, finishing her food quickly. When she was done, she cleaned both hers and Ken's plate away. 

As soon as she was standing up and walking to the sink, Ken looked at her up and down. "What the fuck happened to the skirt I just bought for you?" He asked as he clenched his can. His grip was so tight his can crumpled, liquid spilling everywhere. 

"C'mon Ken. It was just a little spill. It's gonna wash out before Monday."

The still full can clattered to the floor, spilling beer everywhere. "It doesn't matter that it will wash out," he said, keeping his voice calm. "What matters is that you're pissing away my hard earned cash!" 

"Ken-"

Suddenly he was in her face, fingers wrapping around her hair and pulling her up. An involuntary cry left her lips and she dropped the dishes back into the sink. "Don't talk back to me," he growled, voice low. His hand snaked around her throat, but he didn't apply pressure. Not yet. "Don't ever talk back to me."

Gulping, she nodded as best she could with the way he held her. And then he let go of her hair, but he didn’t release her neck. "You know I hate doing that, baby," he whispered, stroking her cheek. It didn’t matter how gentle his touch was, it was still searing. 

There was nothing she could do but whimper as he walked her out of the kitchen, leaving the mess of the dishes and the spilt beer.

She walked willingly to the bedroom. But really, how willing is it when you fear so much for your safety?

When Ken told her to strip and get onto the bed, she did just that. "Throw this out, I can’t have you looking like a slob," he said as she stepped out of her skirt. 

"Kenny," she started to say. But, suddenly she was on the bed, laying on her stomach. "Ken, please-"

But Kenneth Johnson wasn't listening to what his girlfriend had to say. He held her body down, hand on the back of her neck as he pulled her underwear down.

He freed himself from his trousers and pushed his cock through her folds. 

There was a time where they weren't like this, a time where they really were in love. Back in high school, back when she didn't mind being Barbie and Ken, he was sweet. He brought flowers and chocolates to her while she worked weekends. He visited her regularly when she went out of state for college and moved with her to San Diego.

It was a few months after they moved to San Diego together that Ken changed. It was a few months after they moved in together that his true colours began showing. 

She didn't cry anymore. There was no point when it didn't get him to stop. 

She laid there until he came and rolled off of her. Kenny laid in the bed and rolled away from her. Still, she didn’t move. She stayed until light snores left his lips. 

Only then did she climb off of the bed. She climbed into the shower that hadn't yet heated up and scrubbed her body. Hidden in an empty tub of body lotion was birth control. Birth control that Kenny wouldn't let her take. But she couldn’t have his baby, she just couldn't.

After cleaning up the mess left in the kitchen and scrubbing at the stain in her shirt, she crawled into bed beside him, but she didn't sleep. 

[iamatinydinosaur]

🍀Clay🍀

I like you

Ever Since Clay found out he liked you, he had been doing everything in his power to understand what Love is. He's never experienced, didnt even dabble. He asked Branch and Bruce about what he should do, he started reading romance novels and even went as far as observing couples without them knowing.

"Hey Y/N!" He exclaimed walking up to you. You turned round. You were busy trying to fix one of the Putt Putt Trolls comforter as your quite skilled in crochet and knitting. "Hey Clay, give me a minute I'm nearly done... There!" You exclaimed standing up and folding the comforter. "Wanna go for a walk." He said as you walked to the Putt Putt Troll's pod. "Hmm sure, where?" You asked knocking on the door. "The forest." He asked as you handed over the comforter. The Troll thanked you, hugging you tightly. You smiled and waved goodbye as you walked away with your tall best friend. "Okay, let me go pack a bag. Wait here." You said before running to your pod. You came back with supplies. You two stopped at Branch's bunker so he could pack his own supplies and then you two set off.

You two walked together discussing possible sad book club books, trips you want to take and just catching up since you guys haven't seen each other that much for the past few days. "Then Poppy and Viva accidentally dropped the glitter bomb and I got covered. It took me 3 hours to get everything completely off." You pouted as Clay chuckled. "It's not funny, I still sometimes sneeze glitter!" You jabbed him in the side, making him wince. You two had been walking for about two hours at this point. You came across a beautiful river.

You sat down and you both pulled out a water bottle. You quickly pulled out a small bag. "I made your favorite cookies yesterday, I was gonna find you today to give them to you. So I thought just to bring them." You smiled down at him, being sat on a higher rock. He smiled brightly. He took out a Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip cookie. He made a moaning noise as he tasted it. Not noticing you blushing from the noise. "They're so good." He smiled offering you one. You took it. Clay looked up. You looked gorgeous today. You wore your hair with some plaits running through it, you wore your favourite floral dress and you smiled while humming. You always did that when you ate something you love.

Clay found your little mannerisms cute. When you tap you foot silently when knitting, when your nose scrunches when your judging someone (mainly his brothers), how your eyes sparkle when you speak about the two sister who are you best friends and how when you are thinking about a problem you have you always chew on the pen you're holding.

You looked up at him noticing him staring. "What have I got something on my face?" You asked brushing at it. Clay's heart rate quickened. Why is it that everything you do is cute? He stood up. He's so tall that he's the same height as you, even though youre on a higher rock. "Yeah lean forward I'll get it." He said. You leant forward waiting for him to get it off. He took you by your face and kissed you gently. He pulled away and placed his forehead on yours. "I like you." He whispered. You smiled and leant forward kissing him again while sliding down the rock onto his. You wrapped your arms around his neck, while he wrapped his around your waist. "I like you too." You mumbled into his lips. He smiled, deepening the kiss.

...

"Wait did I not have something on my face?"

A/N: ehhhhhhh!!! He's so cute. I love him

[hockybish]

An Accident

l west winds au l dad!trevor l masterlist l

I have a feeling people are going to be mad at me for this ... also there are warnings car accidents.

When driving to the game on March 19th things went a little haywire.

Trevor drove separate from Bean because he was planing on going out with some friends after the game to celebrate his birthday the next day.

Bean had picked Zephyr from Mia and Jamie's on her way to the game. It had taken her a little longer because Zephyr wanted her to pick some Reese's peanut butter cups up from the story so he could give one their friend Matt.

"How was school Zeph?" Bean asked as they sat in the car waiting in traffic. Although the drive to Anaheim wasn't very long, but sometimes there was traffic especially on game days making the drive longer.

"Good! We painted pictures, and Jojo said he liked my jersey. I told him it was my daddy jersey!" Zephyr ate his snack and recalled what he all did at the school that day.

Bean smiled listening to all her eldest baby had to say. She felt a little flutter in belly right in the spot where the new baby would be sitting and rubbed the spot.

While she was focused on the road ahead, a car on the opposite side of the road came toward them at a fast speed. The initial hit took her by complete surprise.

But it didn't stop with the one hit, by the time her car stopped getting smashed there were multiple cars involved with the vehicle the mother and son were most likely got the brunt of the impact.

"Mommy" Zephyr cried out for his mother. He had no idea what was going on. There were a lot of loud noises and then it had just stopped and his arm hurt and it was all so scary and confusing for the three year old.

"Zephyr, baby, hey. I'm right here. Mommy's here" Bean called out still in the front seat. Her whole body felt like it was on fire and it was getting hard to breathe. Also it felt like there a few droplets of blood rolling down her face "Zeph? I need you to be really brave right now. okay? Can you do that for mommy?"

She tried to reach her arm around the front seat to reach out for him, but she found she completely pinned in place, she couldn't move. What was worse was that her vision started to get a bit fuzzy and her eyes were heavy. Staying awake was a little bit hard at that moment. She thought maybe the pain would stop if she closed them for a little bit.

Trevor was having an off game to say the least. He was missing passes and easy goals, and looked completely aloof out there when he had accidentally committed a penalty and was forced to sit in the sin bin during the second.

"Dude what's got you so antsy tonight?" Jamie hit Trevor with his gloved hand when he returned to the bench after another shift.

"A funny feeling they aren't here and something's wrong." Trevor bit the inside of his cheek, a habit he picked up whenever he was nervous or anxious, similar to Bean's lip biting.

"Well you better pick it up or you'll get benched again." Jamie warned.

He didn't get any better by the third, but instead of benching they just greatly reduced his time on ice, making him feel worse. The Ducks' ended up losing the game to Minnesota.

After the game was over, the coaches could been seen talking with both Troy and Jamie. They were whispering and looking over at Trevor, making him feel a bit more uneasy.

Someone came over and gave him the news. His girlfriend and son were in a bad car accident. The news alone made him sick. Once he was able to contain himself, Trevor skipped the shower opting to get to the hospital as fast as he could.

"Are you Trevor?" A polite nurse tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. He nodded and followed her as she led him Bean's room.

Zephyr was sitting on Mia's lap, she was keeping him busy with a little hotwheels car, while Bean, who seemed to be asleep, laid in a bed with a couple of machines hooked up to her.

"They got lucky. They both have cuts and bruises, Zephyr has a broken arm and Tallulah has a broken pelvis that will most likely require surgery at some point." Bean's doctor looked over his noted again. "You can go in at anytime"

"What about-"

"The baby?" the doctor had finished his sentence for him. The man sighed, giving him a knowing look. Hearing him speak didn't give Trevor any reassurance everything would be okay in the long run.

It wasn't until later in the day on March 20th that Bean woke up.

She was super confused as opened her eyes and wiped the eye crusts from them. Where was going on. Bean looked over noticing Trevor, who was asleep with his head resting on the bed. She tried reached out for him, her finger tips just able to touch his hair.

"Trevor" Bean coughed, jolting the birthday boy awake.

"Hey Momma" Trevor leaned over to place bunch of kisses all over her face, finally relieved they all were going to be okay. Bean went to push herself up, but was met with major pain.

"Bean don't move. You broke your pelvis in the accident." Bean didn't remember what happened, so Trevor explained everything the accident, injuries and Zephyr the best he could. Her eyes wide running her hand over the bump. "He's okay, he's still there."

"I'm sorry. It's your birthday and we're here." She couldn't help but apologize. She knew this wasn't how he wanted to spend his birthday. Maybe they could get Jamie or Mason to bring in a cake or something.

"Tallulah Bean I don't care where we are. All I care about is that you're okay, Zeph's okay, and the new little dude is okay. I am happy where ever you are. I love you."

[crazylittlejester]

How do you think the Chain would react if they found out one of them had an allergy to a certain food after the hero ate the thing they were allergic to? The allergy can be as severe or as mild as you want it to be, and the hero who has the new found allergy also just found out with the rest of the group.

oooooh, okay okay

so i base Warriors’s food issues and fear of poisoning very much off of my own food allergies, and the reactions he has to said poisons (the way i write them) are based very much off of allergic reactions. So with that being said I think it would take him literally .5 seconds to understand what was happening and how to get someone a life saving potion or a fairy even though their throat is literally closing up. because he could probably recognize the symptoms just by looking at them (because i was able to look at my friend who was in the middle of trying to figure out if they really HAD just eaten an allergen and just know because I recognize those kind of panicked facial expressions and i know why someone might be testing to see if they can swallow okay and if their tongue is swollen. when something that threatens YOUR life is actively starting to threaten your friends, you kinda just know and you recognize the signs even before they start breaking out in hives)

but if Wars DIDNT have knowledge of a similar experience, i think it would take everyone a hot minute to understand the situation. food allergies are fucking weird and also fucking terrifying. sometimes your tongue is just tingling and you’re thinking to yourself “oh haha it must’ve just been spicy” or “ooh the food just has a scratchy texture” and you’re not really thinking “oh huh my life could be in danger right now-“. sometimes the same way eating spicy food makes your tongue feel is exactly how it feels when it’s swelling up because you ate something you weren’t supposed to and it takes a second for you to figure out which one it was

I headcanon Wind has peanut allergies (BECAUSE NO ONE CAN STOP ME 🫶), and if he found that out with the chain I really think it would take himself and everyone else a good minute to figure it out. Like i can see Wild making some dish with peanuts in it and Wind being like “oh this is just spicy or whatever”, and trying to either force himself to think he’s completely fine or maybe he really just doesn’t understand what’s happening to him. and i think he wouldn’t tell the others until he was dizzy and nauseous or his throat was swollen shut, because that’s what would alert him something was SERIOUSLY wrong. I don’t think he’d try to hide it from the others on PURPOSE, i just think if it was his first reaction he’d be so confused as to what was happening to him

at some point tho I think someone would honestly just grab him and try to get a red potion in him, because at some point the visible symptoms would be so obvious to the others. and if it got to a point he couldn’t drink because his throat was so swollen, they have fairies

lmao sorry for rambling and if this was a bit incoherent, i just had spicy food and accidentally freaked myself out 🥺 (<- i am stupid, and also fine, it’s just been a long day lmao). THIS WAS A COOL ASK THO AND IT GAVE ME A CHANCE TO YAP ABOUT A HEADCANON SO THANK YOU, I JUST HOPE IT MAKES SENSE AND ISNT TOO REPETITIVE

[ollycohens]

Would you take a request where s1 Five accidentally takes one of Klaus' drug chocolates and starts talking about Delores and Klaus takes this opportunity to ask him to describe her because he doesn't know she is a mannequin and Five doesn't tell him that so it's also funny.

I LOVED DOING THIS UGGGHH thank you so much <3 sorry it took me a bit! Had to work and couldn't find time to upload this! I hope you like it anyway!!

Co-uploaded on ao3, go give it some love here too!

It happened on a Tuesday morning, ironically. Five was tired, and anxious, still reeling from returning home after forty-five years. He hadn’t quite gotten over reuniting with his siblings yet. Being with them was awkward to him, but he couldn’t say that he hadn’t missed them dearly. 

He was stuck trying to figure out how to stop the apocalypse all on his own instead of being with his siblings. He wanted to hang out with them, catch up and just finally, finally see the people they’ve truly become. But no, here he was, in his room writing equation after equation on what could cause the apocalypse.

“Darling, please go get water. Take a break.”

Five sighed, looking over at Delores, his fingers fidgeting impatiently with the chalk he clutched in his hand.

“I’m onto something here,” he scribbled some lines next to a few numbers, “Maybe after this.” he added.

His stomach rumbled, and his brows furrowed in anger, only suddenly taking in the fact that he was painfully hungry.

He heard Delores chuckle as he decided to head down to the kitchen, upset mumblings coming from him as he went.

When he arrived in the basement kitchen, he looked around. There wasn’t much down here kitchen-wise. It was a rather small area for him to make something other than a sandwich, more an extra living room than an area for food— nonetheless, he decided on a flutternutter.

He opened the fridge, grabbing the peanut butter. He went to close it when he caught whiff of a chocolate scent. He looked down at the full tray of brownies taking up the bottom shelf. Not quite caring whose it was, he grabbed one, letting himself indulge in it before he made an actual meal. 

It tasted normal, if not quite bland and lacking in flavor, but he didn’t care, sweets were sweets.

He finished making his sandwich, deciding to eat it at the table instead of his room. Of course, he still grabbed a notebook and continued his equations while he ate.

Afterall, the apocalypse waited for no one.

Knitting was a chore, Klaus thought. As much as he loved knitting, he often found himself getting tired and antsy after an hour or two of doing it.

“I’m hungry, Ben.” he whined, looking over his shoulder to find that nobody was there. “Oh, you little shit!”

He supposed if he was bored, Ben probably was too. He had no right to tell Ben if he could leave or not, but he was still quite petty about it. Who was to entertain him during these hard and trying times?

A picture of drugs came to mind. “No Benjamin to tell me anything. I deserve good things too!” he talked to himself as he hobbled down the stairs to the kitchen.

He spotted Five at the end of the table, mumbling. “Hey, sport,” he grinned to himself at the name, “Watcha’ doing?”

No response.

“Five?” 

Still nothing. Klaus strolled over to Five, watching him write in his notebook. “Is that what the math you do looks like? It makes me nauseous looking at it!” He joked. Concern tightened at his chest as he studied the writing. It didn’t even look coherent. He’s peeked into Five’s room before, and the math on his wall looked nothing like this.

This notebook just looked like scribbles.

“Heyyy, why don’t we put this down for a little, yeah?” Klaus cautiously grabbed the boy’s pencil, placing it away from him. Klaus sat in the seat next to him, putting his head on the table to look at the boy’s face.

Five looked over at him, a pouting look on his face as his lips thinned slightly. Klaus would’ve missed the tears stuck on his eyelashes had it not been for the way the light hit them. 

His heart pummeled to his stomach, “Five… What’s wrong?” He’d never seen Five cry before. Never in his thirty-four years of life. It was strange, wrong, and most of all, heartbreaking. 

When you see someone, you’ve never seen cry before, it seriously hits you hard— and it was definitely hitting Klaus. He felt horrible. Five also looked like a little boy, so it was especially upsetting. 

“I don’t know.” Five whined, which was weird enough as it was. “I don’t feel great, Klaus.” 

Alarm bells rang in Klaus’s head. He noticed things about Five’s demeaner that he hadn’t earlier. He was twitchy, kind of sluggish, but his shoulders were hunched, like they were trying to cover his ears. His eyes were also bloodshot, and his pupils were large, although he didn’t know if that was Five’s normal pupil size, he never really looked at them that long.

With these things in mind, Klaus got up from his seat and opened the fridge. A brownie was missing. His marijuana brownies. “Nooo, Five. Did you have one of my thingies?” He urgently pointed at the tray, to which Five nodded.

A few emotions flittered across the boy's face as he ultimately ignored Klaus’s concern and focused back onto his notebook— anger, confusion, and then fatigue. “I need her here.”

Klaus felt himself growing protective, like he suddenly became a father to a child. He could feel this caring nature take over him just by watching the tears in Five’s eyes, and listening to the way his voice broke.

“Hm? What do you mean, bud?” 

“Delores?” He said it like Klaus was supposed to know who he was talking about. He racked his mind for people that Five may know. Someone named Delores. 

A memory popped into his head, the time at the prosthetics lab where he pretended to be Five’s dad. He had mentioned someone he was with for thirty years during the apocalypse, but he wasn’t sure if it was this woman the spoke of. 

“Is she the one you were with? During the uh…” he unhelpfully waved his hands around. 

“Mmhm. Yeah, her.” Five didn’t seem to notice the tears in his eyes. They still hadn’t rolled down his cheeks, so he didn’t look wrecked just yet. Klaus sat next to him again, cringing as he carefully wiped Five’s tears with his thumb.

“Do you miss her?” Klaus studied the way Five’s eyes flickered around, chasing something Klaus couldn’t see. Common side effects of marijuana, he reminded himself.

“I do. She helped me with everything. I need her right now. I can’t do this without her…” his voice got higher in pitch the more he spoke, his throat trying to give out from the emotions.

“Hey, hey! It’s okay! You’ve been doing great on your own, old man! I can help! Maybe.”

“I know, but I need her help with this— this stuff. She always corrects me if I’m wrong.” Five looked down at his notebook, a stray tear falling onto the page. “Eugh— hey, look at me Five. You’ll be mad later if you get your notebook soggy with tears.” Five glanced at him, his eyes big and shiny. The definition of a puppy. 

His heart broke a little more.

“let’s go to the couch, okay? Tell me about her.” Klaus helped Five to the couch, letting him fall onto the uncomfortable cushions. “What does she look like, hm?” 

“She’s pretty. Always telling me to do things for myself.” the boy smiled, “She’d make me drink water when I forgot, or go to sleep when it gets late, and she’d help me think when I couldn’t.”

“Yeah? How’d you guys meet?” Klaus had questions, and an opportunity to ask them. He understood he was taking advantage of Five, but he could also argue that the kid needed to get her off his chest.

“I found her in the rubble. Her hand was sticking out. I remember it, her skin was clean, and I could still see the color of her skin, unlike every other body I’d found,” he stared into space, lost in his memories, “All torn up, and covered in ash. Everyone I found was gray, down to the clothing and the eyes— It got in their eyes somehow. I don’t even know if it was ash or smoke or—”

“Five.” Klaus interrupted, fighting the way his own eyes burnt with forming tears. He couldn’t stop thinking about the things Five had gone through. All of this and Delores too. Thirty years together just for her to die. He didn’t even know if she died, but either way, Five didn’t bring her back with him. 

“We don’t have to talk about this.”

“I want to.”

They stared at each other, doubt filling the face of one, and confidence but also undermined fear in the other. “Delores was blonde. Her hair was wavy and stopped at her shoulders. She always wears this one blouse, blue and white. The dots were blue, it was a nice texture blouse, thin, but kind of scratchy. She always wears these fun-colored blouses. I’m always the one getting them for her though.”

Klaus nodded, resting his elbow on the back of the couch, confused by the way Five kept switching between talking about her in present and past tense. “Was she not able to get them herself?”

“She couldn’t move.”

Klaus’s head started to hurt a little. He voiced out his confusion.

“She doesn’t have legs. Couldn’t move even if she did have them, though.”

Klaus was incredibly confused. Did Delores have some kind of disorder that debilitated her movement? Did she lose her legs in the apocalypse? How did she survive that? Did she survive that?

“Why not...?”

Five stared at him, irritation starting to cloud in his eyes, before it was replaced with a pleading look, “Can you go get her for me? Please.” 

“Five, bud, I can’t. She’s not with us anymore.” Yikes. Klaus was just assuming she died at this point, he supposed. He shouldn’t have said that. Guilt started to eat at him as he scrunched his face, ready to apologize, or be on the end of some brutal vicious attack from a thirteen-year-old shaped senior citizen. 

Now it was Five’s turn to be confused, it seemed. 

Before the two could continue chatting, the floor of the kitchen creaked. Looking over, Klaus made eye contact with Diego and Luther. The two paused, faces furrowing, cautiously taking in Five’s appearance and Klaus’s sympathetic look. 

“Oh, thank God! Please help.” he hoped he wouldn’t get brutally smashed into a wall for admitting the truth, “He ate my weed brownies!” He brought his hands to his head, aimlessly waving them around. 

“What!?” Luther ran over, Diego cackling as he too made his way to the couch. “Dude, are you serious?” Diego couldn’t help the way his eyes watered from his own grin, clearly finding humor in this.

“Hi, Diego.” Five smiled as he ignored Luther’s attempts to talk to him. 

Klaus could tell by the way Diego’s face dropped that he also felt that caring nature begin to form. It was contagious, apparently. “Hey, man.” Diego was awkward anyway, all things considered.

Klaus knew that he should do the right thing and get Five checked out by Mom now that there were more people here to play sensible adult, but he still had questions, and a serious lack of answers.

He at the least wished to know what happened to this mystery woman. He looked at the other two men.

“Hey guys, who’s Delores?” He whispered to them, trying to lighten his face to make the situation seem lighter than it previously was. He still felt pitiful and upset from the conversation he had with Five. 

Everything was quiet for a minute.

Diego itched at his forehead, “Five’s wife, I guess.”

Klaus gaped, “He told you about her?” 

“We met her.” Luther raised his eyebrows, thinning his lips in a slightly concerned smile.

Klaus’s mouth fell open just as much as it still could. “Isn’t she…? Y’know?”

“A mannequin? Yeah, I know. Weird shit.”

Wait, what? Klaus seriously needed to get high as of right now. Were they talking about the same people? 

“No, no, he met her in the apocalypse, they were in love!” Klaus watched Five giggle at that.

“Yeah. A mannequin, man. That he found in the apocalypse.” Diego shook his head a little, not wanting to have to think about such a topic. He too, found it extremely worrying if he dived into the subject.

Klaus had no clue what to say. He found it kind of humorous and relieving that Five never actually had to deal with the death of his only companion, but also extremely concerning that his companion was a mannequin. A mannequin! There must’ve been a lot of miscommunications going around this morning.

Not only that, but looking back, Klaus realized that Five spoke of her as if she were a real person. That was concerning.

“I just wanted her help with equations.” Five huffed, eyes un-focusing as he shut them, exhaustion taking over. 

“Oh. Oh, what the shit!" He nervously giggled, "I feel betrayed. I felt bad for you Five!” Klaus was practically speaking to a brick wall now. Five was down for the count.

“Let’s get him to Mom.” Luther picked the boy up, the others following behind.

Later that day, Klaus found himself in Five’s room, feeling embarrassed as he stared at Delores. The mannequin. Ben laughed at him for days after the incident, and Five never brought it back up, other than yelling at Klaus for almost being the one to cause the apocalypse due to the brownies taking away an entire day he could’ve used to work. 

All in all, Klaus learnt that this family needed serious counseling, and much better communication skills.

Worst of all, and despite everything, Klaus also learnt that Five's relationship with Delores was probably the healthiest relationship that's occurred in their family, mannequin or not, and that was saying something.

[a-fluffy-dog24]

This is fanart I drew for the fanfic I wrote if you like what you see then please check out this fic.Here is the plot The night after the apocalypse Stan is recovering from amnesia with the help of his family. Ford apologized to Mabel. They all get some much needed food, get clean up and rest .Ford talk to Dipper about his apprenticeship. The kids talk to each other about trauma how will they help Stan get his memories back? Will it be to difficult for them to handle?

August/22/2012 The night after weirdmageddon The Pines Family and Waddles stay with Soos, until Mcgucket and the town folks help fix the shack, they pack up most of their stuff  for the night.Pacifica gives them all new clothes and pj's.

The kids pjs are pink and blue ones with cats on it and one with dogs.Abuela gave the kids Turkey, lettuce and tomato sandwiches and they ate them like two little starved puppies.Since they haven't eaten a whole lot in the last 3 days.And gave the boys some coffee. And offered them a sandwich.Soos let them stay with him like they stayed with him when Gideon took their shack.

6:00 pm "I'm going to take the longest bubble bath ever" she announces Mabel goes to take a bath, Dipper unpack his bag in the living room. Soos set up the boys air mattress for the night."Anything you dudes need just ask me" Soos offered

"will be fine thank you've done so much"Ford said "yea Soos I don't know what we would do without you thank you"Stan told him .Stan and Ford sat on the couch. "Stanley, how are you doing?" "Good I'm starting to remember things I think.", "Ok that's good let me know if you are in any sort of pain please,I'm just concerned that recovering from Bill might be painful".Ford said worriedly

"I will thank you poindexter" "I found some old photos from when we were children, to show you at some point". Ford replied "I hope that will help" "I think it will..you're getting better" Ford hugs him and Stan hugs him back. A unpleasant smell fills the air “Stan did you just fart” Ford Sided. “Whoops must be the coffee” Stan laughed a little Ford ignoring his brother’s shenanigans let a little smile out at least his acting like himself.

When Dipper was done unpacking he said "Grunkle Stan do you want some toffee peanuts" asked Dipper "Umm I think so...sure", Dipper handed him his favorite snack and he ate them happily. "Grunkle Stan do you remember how you fought zombies" "umm no" "remember I rose the dead umm....accidentally","oh yeah that was frustrating "Stan grunted he remembered Dipper doing something he told him not too and he did it anyway "I'm sorry about that, I'm sorry I didn't listen to you and I feel bad for almost killing those Government guys"Dipper apologized.

"It's ok goober don't do that again"Stan rubs Dipper's head " but after we sang and killed zombies"he added " that was fun I liked getting to use my brass knuckles "Stan remembered. Then Mabel came out of the bathroom wearing pink and blue cat pjs. She found some band-aids and put them under her pjs and one on her cheek,She had a brush in her hand and she smelled like strawberries and mangoes.Ford walks over to her and been down to her eye level and put his hand on her shoulder ."Mabel I would like to apologize for how I chose Dipper over you and how I try to take your brother away from you

I'm sorry I didn't spend time getting to know you. I hope you can forgive me and I would love to spend some time together if you want to". She hugged him. He was a bit surprised he didn’t think she would want to show him affection. He picked her up. "I thought you liked Dipper more than me." "Well I'm sorry I did it was rash and mean of me to not show you that I like you,but I promise I'll make it up to you can you forgive me please"."I forgive you Grunkle Ford I would love to color,or I could paint your hand and make a 6 fingers hand turkey, or or I could teach you how to knit your own sweater"." Let's do it tomorrow my dear How was your bath," Ford asked . "I could have filled a whole other bathtub with all the bubbles,it was so warm and soapy". “You didn’t use all the hot water did you” he joked she smiled and shook her head no.

Then Mabel walked over to the couch where Stan,Dipper she sat on Stan’s lap.She handed him the brush and gave him her brown puppy dog eyes.He smiled, took the brush and brushed her, clean wet hair he held her on his lap and she looked very glad. He doesn't mind doing this for her; he can't say no to her. She is so darn cute.She loved this because of the attention.Then Ford went and took a shower. "That felt amazing. I love bubble baths" 'you want to hear a secret I do too", Stan said to her in a whisper. He kisses her cheek and she smiles, "Yea we know" Dipper grumbles”Well at least I don't stink like a wet dog", "yea kid you do stink and have like a sweating problem" Stan teased him. "I don't care …… Grunkle Stan do you remember, the jokes you would tell us" they read out of the uncle jokes book.

"Like why did the skeleton go alone to the dance" Dipper asked "umm Because he had nobody to go with him" Stan answered ,"yay you remember"she cheered "keep reading"They read more and Stan remembered every punch line.After Ford came over to sit on the couch he was wearing green and white plaid pjs, "the bathroom is free" he announced."Ok I'm gonna go wash up" Stan gets up and Mabel and waddles follow him in the hallway

"Grunkle Stan I have to ask you a question", "what is it?" "do you remember when you saved us from dinosaurs''. "What no?""Remember you saved me and waddles, we nap together' waddles sat on his feet ' you taught me how to cheat at cards". She showed him her scrapbook and pictures from that day and it helped," "Oh right I must've taught you well because you bet me.,.thanks for helping me remember ""I just didn't want you to forget me". He picks her up and holds her in his arms "how could I forget you're my pumpkin".

7:00 pm Just then Wendy showed up with 3 pizzas and cookies, "save some pizza for me " he told her "ok" ."Who wants pizza" Wendy announced "me" Mabel shouted "me too"Dipper called, they all ate pizza together she brought pepperoni and cheese.Ford was sitting on a chair Mabel sneaks up behind him she hugs him ,"HUG ATTACK" "ahhh" Ford act scared "Grunkle Ford did I scared you"

"yes come here my dear",he picks her up and puts her on his lap, and put all 12 fingers on her belly and tickles her she giggles and then he sang to her"I've got sunshine on a cloudy day When it's cold outside I've got the month"he rubs her belly "of May I guess you'd say What can make me feel this way? My girl, my girl" he kissed her on the head. "I've got so much honey."she giggles "The bees envy me. I've got a sweeter song Than the birds in the trees. Well I guess you'd say "What can make me feel this way My girl, my girl,"she hugs him.

There is one cookie left and both kids want it "ok dudes who wants the last cookie" ."I do" said Dipper "but you already had 3 cookies"Mabel added "so did you"Dipper argued, "ok but I'm the alpha twin I should have it" she said "what does that happen to do with a cookies",he argued"because I'm older" "BY 5 Minutes" he reminded her "you know what you can have it",she surrendered the cookie "wait what if we split it" "ok sure little brother" they split the cookie. after they were done Mabel said"awkward sibling hug" "ok awkward sibling hug" they hug "pat pat" "pat pat" . Then Stan came and he sat down and ate his pizza, he was wearing red and black plaid pjs.After dinner their bellies were all full then Mabel and Wendy,soos, played a game of go fish."Ok dude go fish" "no I only have two hands", Wendy picked up more cards Mabel is almost close to winning Stan sat on a chair and happily watched the kids play.

7:45 pm Dipper and Ford sat on the couch "Dipper can I have a word with you" "yes" "I think you shouldn't be my apprentice, I don't think I can handle taking care of you by myself.And you are still a child you should enjoy being one. I don't want you to get hurt. I know I haven't done the best job trying to keep you safe. You need to go to school and socialize with kids your own age, and you need to grow up with your sister","ok I understand I was thinking the same thing I would miss my parents and my sister too much",Dipper replied"but when you are older I would love you to be but only if you want to ..I need to stop being your teacher and start being your…umm….Grunkle ". Ford looks at Dipper, he smiles back at him

Dipper itches his head. It looks very greasy, his clothes are dirty, he smells strongly of body odor and pee ." How long has it been since you've bathed?" Ford questioned "I..don't know..a couple, weeks maybe a month or two I guess ". "That's disgusting go shower now ” Ford ordered “no…..you’d have to make me….I don’t want too” he stubbornly said “fine then I will wash you,"Ford told him annoyed . Dipper tries to move away Ford picks him up, and puts him over his shoulder,"you need a bath you have a rancid odor " he insisted Dipper grumbles. Ford scrubs pine scented shampoo in with 6 fingers in his hair softly,he reveals his birthmark . He scrubs his body with strawberries scented soap.Dipper looked up at him annoyed "you wouldn't be in this situation if you bathe properly " Ford displease put more soap on the sponge.

"Come on this isn't that horrible It’s for your own good” Ford rub's and tickles his belly.He giggled Ford smiles at him and he starts to sing."Disco girl coming through that girl is you Ooh-ooh, ooh" ."It's the year 1972 and that girl is you Ooh-ooh-ooh," Dipper sings."You like disco girl too" he ask Ford "yes I had the cassette tape a long time ago” "umm I have it I can give it back to you.I think Mabel put some stickers on it sorry I like it so much I bought the CD" Dipper said "That's my boy No you keep it...Doesn't that feel better than having an unpleasant smell " "yea it does I forgot that feeling" ,"you need to do this every day a shower and deodorant it essential to so you don't get an itchy infection "Ford told him "Yeah, I know that I guess I just need a reminder "Dipper replied. “I understand god knows even I forget to basic human needs from time to time.But working on making it a routine”Ford washed him again.

Then Ford drys him off he looks at the tiny cuts on Dipper's arm. Worriedly thinking that he fell down or something that hopefully that he wasn't hurting himself "that's when Bill possessed me he stabbed my arm with a fork"."Oh my lord that's terrible ..you know you don't have to fear Bill anymore" , "Grunkle Ford are you sure?" "I promise" Ford reassures him and puts some band- aids on the cuts on his arm and some more band-aids on the scrapes on his cheek and leg. Then Ford wasps him up in a white towel puts him on his lap and hugs him tightly. Ford kisses him on his head Dipper thinks that he likes when Grunkle Ford takes care of him. And Ford is thrilled to be a great uncle. He loves doing this kind of stuff for his grand nephew it's more enjoyable than an apprentice could ever be.Then Ford brushes his hair Dipper yawns and puts on his pink and blue dog pjs they finish, brushing their teeth.

8:18 pm Abuela washes all of their clothes and hats Wendy goes home and Soos goes to bed, Mabel fell asleep on a red blanket on the floor,Stan picks up the sleepy girl and tucked her into bed, with a warm orange blanket on the couch waddles got on the couch beside her you can see her blue pjs with pink cats on it she opens her eyes ."Grunkle Stan, I feel bad for causing weirdmaggedon" he can’t remember what had happened a couple days before the war.

“I’m sorry I really don’t remember” he told her “you saved us in the Tower in the sky when bill Conch me and Dipper…but you have to ease your mind…all because I started the weirdmaggedon” she said worrying that it her fault that he’s like this.

He tries hard to remember what she taking about and he doesn’t remember exactly how it happened. But he remembers that his niece would never do something like that on purpose."It was an accident right and I'm ok besides I'll be back to normal before you know it. " he tried to reassure her “is Grunkle Ford still going to make you move out” she asked she heard them arguing it still bothers her he might not have a place to live.

He remember a little bit he didn’t know exactly why his brother would kick him out. But he hopes that will change “probably not don’t worry pumpkin ” “ok I love you" she yawns.

" Yeah you too come on time hit the hay" she looks asleep he pats her head.As she gets comfortable in bed it starts raining hard.Then Ford carried Dipper over to the couch he was wearing, pink pjs with blue dogs on it. Dipper "finally I've waited so long to sleep on a real bed" "get some rest children" Ford said good night"Good night kids,"Stan shouted from his bed. Stan and Ford went to bed " stay on your side of the bed" "how old are you" Ford said sarcastically."I'm younger than you" Stan replied Ford rolls his eyes "right?"he can't remember for sure "Yes, younger by 15 min" Ford reassured him. "How old are we"he asks "65 unfortunately"Ford answered "god we're old men" Stan said then tried to sleep.

Back on the couch "Dipper do you feel bad for the weirdmaggedon stuff" "yeah a little, do you" she nodded her head. "I'm sorry… I gave Bill the rift" she started to cry. He looked a little surprised.

"I stayed in the time bubble he made.I was scared of weirdmaggedon happening outside ,and worst of all WE ALMOST DIED and it's ALL MY FAULT " Mabel sobbed.Waddles licked her tears away "Hey it's not your fault it's Bill's fault he tricked you, you didn't know what the rift was.

I'm sorry when we had our fight I didn't think about how my decision would affect you"He rubs her back slowly. "And the time bubble you were scared of growing up and you couldn't leave if you wanted to. But it's over, we're still here safe and sound.

He hugged her "And I promise that we'll never have to go through that again .Maybe you can talk to a therapist about it when we get home" " thank you bro bro I feel better I can't wait to talk to someone .""I think I might want to talk to a therapist too, like when I almost killed those Government guys and I didn't do anything about it or when Bill possessed me and was too scared to sleep. And he said he threatened to throw my body off  the water tower and WE COULD DIE today " Dipper admitted he cried a little. She hugged him more "Bill died he can't hurt you any more I will never let you be hurt, like that again.. I love you "" I love you too". Just then they heard the loud thunder that scared her. She hugged him tighter and said "You want to go sleep in their bed" he nodded his head then they walked over to the boys bed.

"Grunkle Stan can we sleep with you guys PLEASEEE" she begged "Fine" Stan picked them up. He pats Dipper head let him kown he's good kid "Come over here my boy" Dipper crawls over to Ford's side he tells her "Mabel your a good girl it was a mistake" he reassures her that the reason.The rift broke was because he didn't trust to tell her about it.She understood that she shouldn't have gave it away but it not her fault it's bill's. "Are you scared?" Ford asks Dipper "no….maybe…..yes ".Ford tucked him in "I'm scared too" she blurted out "I've got you pumpkin I'm not going to let Bill hurt you" she hugs him. It was nice and warm under the covers much better than outside where it's cold and dark,wet.You can see the summer rain rolling down the window.Ford put his arm around Stan's shoulder Stan smiled at him tired.

Stan tucked Mabel in and cuddled her as she fell asleep. "I love you sweetie" he kisses her on the head, and listens to the sound of her breathing peacefully. He can smell her sweet scent of strawberries and mangoes. Then he sleeps too she sleeps tucked under the warm blanket on his belly with his arms cuddling her.Ford runs his 6 fingers through Dipper's hair as he falls asleep, "you're safe now I love you" Ford said and hears Dipper purring, like a kitten. Ford smells his scent of pine trees and strawberries, he sleeps close to Ford's chest.And he cuddled him. Ford tried not to fall asleep and he fails.

Mabel reaches out for Dipper's hand; they hold hands as an instinct like they would've as babies to protect each other and to know that the other one is there and is safe in their sleep. They were tucked in a warm blanket. All you can hear is the peaceful breathing and the pitter patter of the rain. The rain helps put out the small fires in the woods. They sleep peacefully through the night knowing that they can relax and they are safe and sound from evil.

August/25 A couple days later the shack is rebuilt and the Pines move back in.Stan is starting to remember more Ford tell him about their past.Ford starts at their childhoods and he apologizes for his mistakes.For shunning Stan for accidentally pushing him into the portal and Ford holding a grudge for so long. Then Ford had to ease Stan's mind. Ford sadly thought about all the years of pain .He had put him through emotional and physical pain like all the punches and the burn on his shoulder. Ford thought what kind of brother is and that He didn't even thank Stan for all the things he did to help him."You saved me you saved the world watching you I couldn't believe how calm you were I just wish you could remember ". Ford said as he started crying thinking that he started this mess with bill and now Stanley can't remember anything because of him

"I'm sorry for all the pain I put you through and I hope you can remember to forgive me " he mumble but it was Stanley that pay the price."Hey it ok thats in the past I forgive you and I love you "Stan hugs him Stan was able to forgive him because he had missed him for 30 years and he wants his brother back. He was remembering things and he kept hugging Ford and he calmed down. "Thank you Stanley,I love you too. I promise to do better,I have some old film reel of us when we were kids.

”Do you want to see" "yeah ". Ford got some popcorn and sat by Stan's chair. The clips and pictures were of them when they were little playing with paintbrush and getting paint all over themself on the beach.And goofing around at the dinner table,falling asleep on the couch and playing in the pawn shop, dressing as explorers in oversized helmets.Trying to find the Jersey Devil they do this all, in the afternoon they are so exhausted. They fall asleep together.August/28 That day Dipper and Pacifica went on an adventure,to save Mabel's face from M.r what's his Face.Dipper has a better understanding of what Pacifica is going through.

And Pacifica is able to stand up to her parent's rules and have fun,she saves the twins.And the three of them are able to become friends.Mabel asks Dipper to braid her hair, he braid terribly they have a good laugh about it.pIn the afternoon Stanley and StanFord go to the DMV to get their names and financials under the right names. After dinner the twins take their showers the Pines and Soos,Wendy gets a big couch and they have pizza and movie night they fall asleep together.

August/29 Soos finds the journals and Dipper got to write in it one last time. They ask Ford what they should do with them Ford wrote in it too. But it was Mabel who suggested throwing them in the bottomless pit. So they can be enjoyed by other people. Grunkle Stan Dipper go to the grocery store. Dipper sees some cookies and he begs Stan to get them both cookies.Stan has a double chocolate cookie and Dipper has chocolate chip cookie. They got home and sit on the porch. Well they eat their Stan talk about his childhood and they laugh. Dipper Dipper wrote in a notebook it a story he’s been writing. He tells Stan about it and how he trying to end it he sees interested and they think of things to add and they draw some pictures and have fun together.Stan takes the twins fishing in the river,one last time.

Mabel plays some music in the living room. She is wearing her new troll doll sweater it is blue,purple,green and pink. Grunkle Ford sees her and he picks out one of his old records, the song my girl plays. And she dances he’s nervous to dance. She holds his hands he starts to move a little bit then he twirls her around.She laughs and they dance together until dinner time. After they eat dinner the kids washed up then they took all of the Bill cipher stuff and put it in the campfire. They all sat by the fire and ate s’mores tell stories,until the sun came up. But the kids don’t make it past midnight, the boys picked up the twins and carried them and tucked them into bed.

August/30 Mabel nits a pink sweater for Stan and she got Dipper his own journal for his birthday a day early. It's blue and has a pine tree on it.Dipper got Mabel lots of stickers and candy a day early.After they go home the kids play on the tire swing.Mabel sat in it and Dipper swung her around, then Dipper sat in it and she swung him around. His hat flies off and ends up on her head. They laugh. Kids and Stan sit on the grass,eat ice cream,After the boys watch tv Stan and Dipper,Ford,Soos where watching some car fighting show.

Mabel meets Wendy on the rooftop and they talk about school,life Wendy talks about her mom passing and Mabel Comfort her they drink soda and watch the sunset.Ford makes amends with Fiddleford Mcgucket then the twins pack up their room.They all eat dinner together after Mabel takes a bubble bath and Dipper takes a shower .Then the boys tucked them in. Stan kiss Mabel on the cheek she falls asleep Ford kiss Dipper head he falls asleep.Stan kiss Dipper cheek and Ford kiss Mabel on the head.The kids sleep knowing that this is the last night they're be 12 years old and tomorrow they leave their childhood behind somewhat.. And they will be turning into teenagers and starting the next chapter of their lives.The boys look at them sleeping soundly knowing they will be able to get through as long as the kids have each other they close the door.

August/31 The next day Dipper and Mabel celebrate their 13th birthday they excitedly run down the stairs and wake up their Grunkles. Drag them out of bed they have pancakes for breakfast and then they open their presents from the boys .Mabel got candy rainbow yarn, a sketchbook and colored pencils and. Dipper got pens, candy and mystery novels and a camera.Then their parents call to wish them a happy birthday and they will see them later.After they get dressed then the townfork through a surprise party for Dipper and Mabel. They ate cake and opened presents, Mabel has a paper for Dipper and she has everyone sign it. The boys packed up their stuff and prepared to be sealed out to sea.And Soos moved in and the kids tried to hug Grunkle Ford goodbye. But he takes his coat and scoops them up in a hug he smiles, the kids laugh. He's going to miss them so much.

2:00 in the afternoon the bus came to take them home. They said goodbye to everyone, Wendy gave Dipper her hat and she has his hat and the kids hug Grunkle Stan for the last time this summer.The mystery twins learn Dipper can't force someone to love him.And he learns to put others needs before him own.Mabel learned to be less obsessed with crushs.Also to be less of an people pleaser.And that they have to grow up and take on new responsibilities,When they get home it   late it's

9:00 pm at night their parents see them asleep on the bus Michael takes Waddles and their stuff he wonders what it will be like to have a pet pig. They stop at a fast food place the kids eat then go back to sleep. And Catherine takes her tired babies and puts them into bed together. She knows that they are 13 now but they always will be her little babies.She takes off Dipper's new hat and shoes she thinks the hat might be pretty special if he doesn't have his old lucky brown hat. And she takes off Mabel's shoes.

She finally got the pet she had been begging for years.She Tugged them in with a blue blanket. She loves that her kids are back home. She knows they would do whatever it took.To keep each other safe and to stay together.The parents can't wait to see what they're kids . Have been doing this for the past 3 months. They got their letters in the mail but for now they let them sleep. Then they talk at breakfast about the fun things they did and the adventures they went on and learning to grow up. Their parents are impressed by how much they are growing up and how much they can handle each other in dangerous situations. Their parents decide to send them to therapy to help with the trauma and to help them sleep better.Mabel tell them about their new great uncle. Their parents will be having a discussion with Grunkle Stan later. Dipper and Mabel open their birthday presents .A couple days later the twins go back to school shopping clothes backpacks and hair cuts.Mabel goes to the orthodontist and she gets her braces taken off after 5 years she supper happy.Michael suggest that they start going to therapy together every Wednesday and it help.The kids also call their Grunkles and talk to them about their sea adventures as a September wind blows by.And summer has come to an end.

[toast-in-a-cowboy-hat]

The whole debacle with the Felix Remix of biscuits and gravy is equal parts hilarious and unfortunate for me, in particular, because like, ya know, yeah, Oreos in beef granules, Oreos & Beef, that sounds bad.

To most folks at least, probably.

I, tragically, am haunted by the presence of, in my opinion, a much worse sounding execution of that general concept.

That beast being the Oreo Stuffed Cheeseburger.

Which is something I have seen, irl, at both local restaurants and fair grounds, and, as you might could guess from the name, is where they take a beef patty, put Oreos in the middle of said patty, and then follow it up with the rest of the steps one might take to produce a cheeseburger.

And it's been a while since I seen it, so I'm not entirely sure but I think they also put either icing, crushed oreos, or both, on top of the patty with the rest of the condiments.

I've seen another version too, the Deep Fried Oreo Cheeseburger, which is a cheeseburger with deep fried oreos on top, and then again I think the icing and maybe crushed oreos.

And who knows, maybe that actually sounds good to y'all, idk, but that seems worse to me. Like Felix's thing just got beef and oreo, cookie and sauce, these you have the beef and the oreo, but theres also cheese, mustard, onion, etc, etc... all along with a bunch more oreos, and none of those things are something I'd want near an oreo to begin with so.

Sounds bad!

But people eat and enjoy all of these things, I had people tell me that they thought it sounded bad, but it was actually surprisingly good!

And so! It's very funny to me because like, that means Felix is not entirely wrong! Oreo and beef is a flavor combo people enjoy, people would like his biscuits and gravy, there's places you can buy this sort of thing from out there in the world, right now.

There's even been kinda similar concepts served widespread via chain store like, you ever thought your cheeseburger wasn't sticky enough? Well, you're in luck, there was a point you could buy the Peanut Butter Bacon Cheeseburger, and also the Peanut Butter Bacon Milkshake, which yes, had real bacon chunks in it like Look at these things

People ate these People enjoyed these

To me that sounds awful, but a whole lotta people really liked them

And so between that and the Oreo Cheeseburger, I think Felix's true calling in life was to have some sort of food truck. Like, he should be at a state fair, making concoctions of questionable edibility that people are either disgusted by or adore, and instead, alas, he was British.

This man is gonna end up visiting Outlaw in Texas one day and accidentally start a trend, like, he's gonna invent the Brown Gravy Oreo Cheeseburger or some shit like that. We're gonna end up with Cowboy Felix where that's what he does now, no more assisting with horrific medical experiments, he's making his own, in the culinary field!

Let him have fun with strange food combinations, he deserves it

[from-memphis-with-love]

Songbird - Ch. 3 - Dinner and a Show

Summary: Valerie and Elvis grow closer. Note: Okay, so there is controversy over whether Elvis actually ate peanut butter and bacon on sandwiches. Some people say he ate peanut butter, bacon, and banana sandwiches all the time. Others say it was just peanut butter and banana. And some (Ginger Alden) said he didn't eat them at all. You decide. Nevertheless, I wanted to include him eating peanut butter and bacon on sesame rolls here just as a fun little Elvis tidbit for the story. Suspend your disbelief, everyone! Word count: 7,800 Warnings: Infidelity; subtle references to sex

My eyes snapped open, heart pounding like a jackhammer. Remnants of last night's fever dream clung to my skin—searing touches, smoky whispers, the ghost of a kiss that almost met my lips. Holy mother of God, did that really happen?

I fumbled for my nightstand, nearly knocking over the glass of water I never got around to drinking. There it was. The ticket to his midnight show. Glossy and real and indisputable proof that I, Valerie Pedretti, professional nobody, had somehow captured the attention of the most famous man on the planet.

Equal parts giddy thrill and sheer pants-shitting terror. Good lord, what was I thinking, playing pattycake with Elvis freaking Presley? A very much married Elvis freaking Presley. I groaned into my pillow. I needed to call Deena pronto before having a complete meltdown.

The phone only rang twice before she picked up, voice fuzzy with sleep. "Val, hon, it's ass o'clock in the morning. This better be good—"

"Trust me, Dee, it is.” I took a deep breath, suddenly unsure of where to start. “I’m not coming home just yet. I’ve decided to extend my stay here for a little while.”

That woke her up. I could practically hear her sitting bolt upright in bed, her curiosity piqued. "Oh? You get a callback for that Sinatra gig?"

I hesitated, biting my lip. Fuck it, no use lying now. 

“I maybe kind of sort of accidentally seduced a celebrity last night."

Dead. Silence. Then an earth-shattering shriek. "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"

I winced, holding the receiver at arm's length. "Yep. I'm in deep doo-doo, Dee."

"Deep doo-doo?! More like the motherlode! Valerie, you little minx! How'd you manage a thing like that? I want every lurid detail. Emphasis on lurid."

I laughed, flopping back against the pillows. Leave it to Deena to skip straight to the good stuff. "I can't give you all the details yet. But let's just say he's someone we've both heard of. I'll give you three clues. Very famous, very talented, and very, very handsome."

And very married. I of course neglected that little tidbit. If Deena knew, she’d blow her top. Understandably so.

She made a sound like a teakettle boiling over. "You're killing me! You can't just drop a bombshell like that and not give me a name! Landing a whale like that..." She paused, thinking. "Wait... is it Sinatra? Dean Martin? Joey Bishop? Oh honey, please don’t tell me it’s Liberace. You know he doesn't go for—"

"Sorry, Dee, my lips are sealed," I said, trying for coy and mysterious but probably missing the mark by a country mile. "Loose lips sink ships and all that jazz. And I don’t wanna jinx this. I can’t be too... eager."

Deena huffed out an exaggerated sigh. "Fine, keep your secrets, you incorrigible tease. But I'm telling you, Val, when an opportunity like this falls into your lap, you gotta strike while the iron's hot, if you know what I mean."

I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing. "Why Deena Jane Lovelace, are you trying to corrupt me? I feel like I should be clutching my pearls."

"I’m serious Val, you deserve to let loose and have some fun for once in your life. Live a little! Sow some wild oats! Ride that stallion till you break the saddle!"

"Deena!" I mock-gasped, giggling like a loon. "You're terrible!"

"You mean I'm right," she shot back, a smile in her voice. "I know you. You've got a bad habit of getting in your own way when it comes to men. Always overthinking, always holding back. Always tying yourself down to some jerk who isn’t good enough for you..."

I stopped laughing and chewed my lip. 

Deena's voice gentled. "Oh honey. Are you worried about that chump again? Because I will fly to Vegas and smack you upside the head myself. That boy is staler than last week's bread and you know it."

Oof. Andy. 

In the midst of all the Elvis-induced giddiness, I'd almost forgotten about my on-again-off-again boyfriend. Luckily, right now we happened to be more off-again, which meant I was technically free to do whatever this was that I was doing. 

Unbidden, an image of him popped into my head. Sweet, goofy, going-nowhere-fast Andy. If I squinted, his Arby's visor almost looked like a crown. Almost. Andy was... well, he was Andy. A burger-flipping, belch-ripping goofball who could always make me laugh, even when I wanted to strangle him. He was comfortable, familiar, uncomplicated. As exciting as a lukewarm bath.

She wasn't wrong. Ugh.

But Elvis… Elvis was pure electricity. He made me feel reckless, alive, like I could conquer the world in heels and a push-up bra. When a man like that looks at you like you're the only woman in the room, it does things to a girl. Things that don't involve overthinking or holding back.

Sensing my hesitation, Deena gentled her voice. "Look, I'm not saying you gotta marry the guy. But would it kill you to have a little fling? To let yourself get swept off your feet, even if it's just for a little while?"

I bit my lip, considering. Maybe Deena was right. Maybe it was time to stop being so buttoned-up and boring. To take a chance on something wild and wonderful, consequences be damned. I mean, when a choice between an Andy and an Elvis falls into your lap, you'd be six kinds of stupid not to go for the Elvis, right?

"Okay, okay, you've twisted my arm," I said at last, grinning so hard my cheeks hurt. "Operation Ride That Stallion is a go. But if I end up with saddle sores, I'm blaming you."

Deena's cackle was loud and wicked. "Atta girl! You just remember every gory detail so you can replay the highlight reel for me later. And Val?"

"Yeah, Dee?"

"Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do."

“But you’d do everything…”

“That’s my point!”

After promising to give her a full debriefing later, I hung up and started tearing through my suitcase. I needed to put together an outfit that wouldn't get me laughed out of the VIP section. What does Elvis like? I wondered as I pulled out everything I owned, frowning at my decidedly lacking duds. I'd have to go full Cinderella somehow—find some fairy godmother to zap me a gown, pronto.

But before I could do that, I had to at least shower. I spent the next few hours getting dolled up like my life depended on it. Which, considering who my "date" was with, it kinda did. I took my sweet time shaving, lotioning, spritzing myself with my best perfume. Just as I was about to return to the matter of what to wear, the doorbell rung.

I opened the door—only to pratfall over a fancy box from Suzy Creamcheese, the hottest boutique in town. What in the... 

I snatched it up. There was a card taped to the top, my name scrawled across it in scratchy, masculine handwriting. My eyes widened as I scanned the short, devastating message.

"Songbird, let's make beautiful music together. Wear this tonight. I'll be the one in black. Yours, Jon Burrows"

Jon Burrows. The alias he'd used last night. Hoo boy. Hands shaking, I lifted the lid off the box and promptly forgot how to breathe.

Inside was a dress that probably cost more than my entire life savings. Glimmering, body-skimming, hotter than a fresh sin. Draped in hand beading and fashioned of the finest silk imaginable. The kind of outfit that would've given Deena an aneurysm if she knew who sent it. In all honesty, Elvis had probably bought a million dresses just like it for a million and one little chippies. Suddenly, my stomach hurt. 

But I couldn’t help but notice, nestled right next to the dress, a pair of matching stilettos, the slim spike heels flashing like a dare. 

Eh, maybe I could take a Tums.

The dress slid over my curves like liquid sin, the slinky fabric doing favors for my figure I didn't even know were possible.

I twirled in front of the mirror, admiring the way the hem flirted with my thighs. With my chestnut curls artfully tousled and my eyes rimmed in black, I hardly recognized the minx staring back at me. If Elvis's jaw didn't hit the floor when he saw me in this getup, I'd eat my hat.

Still, a niggle of guilt squirmed in my gut as I dabbed on a pat of lip gloss. I couldn't quite shake the feeling that I was pulling a fast one on Deena. She'd blow her top if she knew who I was really running off to see. Not because of the fame, of course, but because of the ring on his finger.

But then again, maybe it was better to beg forgiveness than ask permission. Especially when permission involved a certain married megastar. What Deena didn't know wouldn't hurt her, right?

Right. Confidence bolstered, I sashayed out the door.

*

With a little more than an hour to kill before the show, I tottered down to the casino floor, the click-clack of my stilettos drawing more than a few appraising glances. 

Suddenly feeling lucky, I made a pit stop at the blackjack table. Nothing like a good old fashioned game of chance to settle the nerves. I was just doubling down when I noticed a guy giving me the hairy eyeball.

He looked to be in his fifties, paunchy and balding, with a pinky ring the size of a doorknob. A real high-roller type. And he was staring straight at me, a lewd grin stretching his thin lips.

"What's a pretty little thing like you doing all by her lonesome?"

I shifted uncomfortably, wishing I'd worn a tent instead of a curve-hugging sheath. "Just playing a little cards before the big show," I muttered, looking everywhere but his face.

"Ah, you must be one of those Elvis girls," he said, nodding knowingly. "Fresh meat. Figures."

My stomach lurched. I was just opening my mouth to tell him where he could stick his fresh meat when a firm hand clamped down on my shoulder.

"Darlin', there you are! Been lookin' all over for you."

I whipped around to find a tall, gangly older man in a ten-gallon hat grinning down at me. He had a kind, pleasantly weathered face, the type of face you instantly trusted.

"Play along, sugar," he whispered, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Looked like you could use a white knight."

I almost collapsed with relief. "Oh! Yes, of course. So sorry, I got a little turned around..." I let him steer me away from the blackjack table, offering a silent prayer of thanks for chivalrous cowboys.

"Chick, at your service," he said once we were out of earshot, doffing an imaginary cap. "I’m with the International. And unless I miss my guess, you must be Miss Valerie?"

My eyes widened. "How did you...?"

Chick chuckled, shaking his head. "Let's just say, ah, Mr. Burrows ain't exactly subtle when he's sweet on a girl. I was instructed to find you and bring you to his dressing room before the show. Reckon that dress is gonna give him the vapors but good."

A pleased flush crept up my neck. Elvis had specifically summoned for me? Maybe this was more than a passing fancy to him. Maybe I wasn't just the flavor of the week...

No. Stop that. Don't go getting attached, you ninny. He's married, remember?

Chick must've noticed my wilting expression, because he gave my elbow a fatherly pat. 

"Chin up, darlin'. I know this whole thing has you tied up in knots, but trust me—that boy thinks the sun rises and sets on your pretty little head. I ain't never seen him so gaga."

I managed a wobbly smile, even as my heart squeezed. Chick was sweet to say so, but he didn't know the half of it. Falling for Elvis was a one-way ticket to heartache city.

We snaked through a labyrinth of hallways and then reached the dressing room door. Chick gave a jaunty salute. "This is where I leave you. You take a deep breath and remember—if he’s foolish enough to let you slip through his fingers, I'll be waitin' in the wings to snatch you up my own self."

I giggled in spite of myself, some of the tension easing from my shoulders. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the rescue, Chick."

"Anytime, darlin'." With a last wink, he disappeared into the bowels of the theater, leaving me to find my seat on shaky legs.

*

I took a deep breath, smoothed my dress, and knocked on the door, my heart hammering in my throat. This was it. The moment of truth.

The door swung open, and there he was. Elvis, looking surprisingly human in a plain white collared shirt and black slacks. His blue eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled at me, a genuine, almost shy thing that made my insides flutter. He looked oddly nervous, a far cry from the swaggering sex god I'd expected. It was strangely endearing.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite good luck charm!" he said, ushering me inside with a flourish. "Get in here, darlin', before someone sees you and starts a scandal. I can see the headlines now: 'Elvis Presley Corrupts Young Songstress, Film at Eleven.'"

I laughed, feeling some of my nervousness melt away in the face of his playful warmth. "I think you're overestimating my ability to cause a scandal," I said, plopping down on the couch. "The most exciting thing that's ever happened to me was winning a pie-eating contest when I was twelve."

Elvis clutched his heart, staggering back in mock-amazement. "Be still my beating heart! A pie-eating champion in my very dressing room? I'm not worthy!"

He dropped to his knees in front of me, clasping my hands in his. "Tell me, o great and powerful pie queen, what's your secret? Inquiring minds want to know!"

His antics were so unexpected, so at odds with his slick public persona, that I found myself relaxing in spite of the surreality of the situation. This was just Elvis. Just a man. A ridiculously handsome, heart-stoppingly talented man, but a man nonetheless.

We plopped down on the couch, close but not quite touching. Elvis ran a hand through his hair, tousling it even further. I giggled, swatting at him. "Stop it, you goof! You're going to make me ruin my mascara from laughing too hard."

Elvis grinned, unrepentant. "Can't have that, can we? I need you looking your absolute best out there tonight. Gotta show all those other fellas what they're missing." His appraising gaze was warm an appreciative as it swept over me. “And you do look beautiful, by the way. That dress is a knockout on you.”

I ducked my head, feeling a pleased flush creep up my neck. "You shouldn’t have, Elvis. I’m not used to such nice things.” I looked down, tapping my feet in the maroon stilettos he gifted me. Suddenly, I found myself saying things out loud I didn’t want to admit. “When I put it on, I was hoping you’d like me in it."

"Well, mission accomplished." Elvis's smile turned rueful. "Can I let you in on a little secret, Valerie?" he said, glancing at me sidelong. At my nod, he blew out a breath. "I'm nervous as all get-out about this show tonight. Like, shakin' in my boots nervous."

“You get stage fright?”

"That isn’t even the half of it," Elvis barked out a laugh, but there was an undercurrent of tension in it. "Honey, I'm about ready to shake out of my skin. I haven't played a venue this big in years, and I keep thinking I'm going to get out there and just... forget everything. Forget how to sing, forget how to move, forget my own damn name."

My heart squeezed at the very real fear in his voice. I scooted closer. "You? Nervous? But you've played hundreds of shows for thousands of people. You're a pro!"

He chuckled, but it sounded a little forced. "Yeah, well, that was before. Haven't exactly been doing a lotta live performing lately. Feels like I'm starting from scratch."

His knee started bouncing, fingers drumming a restless beat on his thigh. "Truth is, I keep thinkin' I'm gonna get out there and just... blank. Disappoint everyone. Forget all the words, miss all my cues. Make a damn fool of myself in front of everyone." His gaze cut to me, suddenly vulnerable. "In front of you."

Oh. Oh, Elvis.

"Hey," I said softly, daring to lay my hand over his. "You are not going to make a fool of yourself. You know how I know?"

His fingers curled around mine, warm and strong. "How?"

“Because I’ve seen you dance. Even if you forget the words, just do that little hips-swivel thing and no one will care what's coming out of your mouth."

Elvis stared at me for a beat, his brow furrowed, mouth hanging open. Then, like a dam bursting, he threw his head back and guffawed, the sound rich and unrestrained.

"Lordy, woman!" he managed between wheezing breaths, clutching his stomach. "You really are somethin' else, you know that?"

I grinned, inordinately pleased with myself for cracking him up. "I’m serious! Those things are lethal weapons."

He snorted, shaking his head. "You're a mess, girl. An absolute mess." But his eyes were soft, affectionate.

“No, for real. You’ll do great,” I said, giving his knee a squeeze. "The second you step out there and see all those adoring faces, all those people who love you... it's gonna click. You're gonna remember exactly who you are and why you do this."

Elvis stared at me for a long moment, something raw and vulnerable flickering in his eyes. "You really believe that, don't you?" he said quietly. "You really think I've still got it."

"I know you've still got it," I said firmly. "You're going to go out there and give the performance of a lifetime, and I'm going to be right there in the front row, cheering you on."

Elvis's throat worked as he swallowed hard, his eyes suspiciously bright. "What did I ever do to deserve a gal like you in my corner?" he wondered, shaking his head. "I must've been a saint in a past life."

"Well, I don't know about sainthood, but you definitely rocked a mean pair of blue suede shoes," I teased, trying to lighten the mood.

It worked. Elvis threw his head back and laughed, the rich, honeyed sound wrapping around me like an embrace.

"Aw, baby, you're just too much!" He grinned at me, wide and boyish and utterly charming. "Stick with me, kid, and I'll show you a thing or two about rocking more than just shoes."

I felt my cheeks heat at the implicit promise in his words. "I'm going to hold you to that, Mr. Presley."

"You better, Miss Pedretti."

Elvis glanced at the clock and sighed, some of the laughter fading from his eyes. "Guess I better start getting into my glad rags. Show's about to start, and I've got a whole lot of hearts to break." 

I elbowed him playfully. He stood, hauling me up with him. "Walk me to the stage door?" he asked, a hint of vulnerability creeping back into his voice. "It'd mean a lot to have you there, sending me off."

I wanted to. With every fiber of my being, naturally. But good sense won out. “I don’t think it’s the best idea, Elvis. I’m sure there’ll be photographers and—”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Elvis sighed. “Good looking out.” There was a genuine sadness in his voice.

I squeezed his hand, holding his gaze. "I'll be with you every step of the way," I promised. "In spirit, if not in body."

Elvis lifted my hand to his mouth, grazing my knuckles with a kiss that sent sparks shooting up my arm. "Knowing that's going to make all the difference, honey. You'll be my guiding light out there."

I felt like I could happily drown in those bottomless blue eyes, spend the rest of my days mapping the planes and angles of that impossibly handsome face. Emboldened, I reached up to straighten his collar, letting my fingers linger on the warm, taut skin of his neck. Elvis growled, a low, throaty sound that reverberated through my bones. He tugged me closer, until I could feel the heat of him, smell the spicy, expensive scent of his cologne. "Y’know, I've half a mind to cancel this show and..."

My pulse kicked into overdrive, desire threading through me in hot, urgent pulses. It would be so easy to let him do just that, to surrender myself to the dark promise in his eyes, propriety and common sense be damned...

A sharp knock at the door shattered the charged silence, making me jump like a scared cat. Elvis muttered a curse, his fingers flexing on my hips.

"Thirty minutes to curtain, boss," a voice called through the door.

Elvis blew out a harsh breath, his eyes never leaving mine. "Guess that's my cue," he said ruefully. He leaned in, his lips grazing my ear. "To be continued. You can bet on that."

Then, with one last scorching look, he turned on his heel and strode out, leaving me weak-kneed and panting in his wake.

*

The house lights dimmed and the band struck up a familiar chord, and the audience went nuts. Shrieks and whistles drowned out the opening bars as a lone spotlight pierced the dark.

And there he was.

Elvis swaggered onstage in a black gi-style jumpsuit, his raven hair gleaming under the lights, guitar slung low around his chest. The crowd surged to its feet, but Elvis only had eyes for me. He caught my gaze and grinned, a private, knee-weakening thing that set every nerve ending aflame.

Sweet mercy. Maybe Chick hadn't been exaggerating after all.

The show was a dizzying carousel of hip-swiveling, high energy dancing, and electrifying eye contact. Elvis shimmied and crooned and thrust like his life depended on it, but every so often, he'd throw a smoldering glance my way, those bedroom eyes promising wicked, unspeakable things. The same eyes that looked over every inch of my body in his dressing room. 

During "Love Me Tender," he changed one of the lyrics ever so slightly, singing "for my songbird" instead of "for my darling." It was so subtle, I almost thought I'd imagined it. But then he caught my eye and winked, and I nearly combusted on the spot.

I spent the whole show riding a knife's edge of exhilaration and anxiety, every cell in my body attuned to Elvis's sly overtures. He was flirting with me, signaling me, making it clear I was his girl of the moment. And Lord help me, I ate it up like a starving dog.

In the back of my mind, a niggling voice of reason piped up, sounding suspiciously like Deena. "He does this with all the girls, dummy. You aren’t special. He's MARRIED, remember?"

I told the voice to can it. For one night, I just wanted to pretend this was real, that Elvis's heated promises were mine and mine alone. That maybe he really did in fact like my company. Was that so wrong?

By the time Elvis launched into “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” I was thoroughly hot and bothered, my skin humming with anticipation. Elvis took his bows, blowing kisses and reaching out to the sea of grasping hands. My own hands were stinging from clapping so hard, my face aching from grinning like a fool. He'd done it. He'd absolutely slayed. This was it. If he asked me to, I was going to go all the way. I was so keyed up, I barely noticed Joe until he materialized at my elbow, grinning like a fox in the henhouse.

Giddy and practically vibrating out of my skin, I let myself be ushered to Elvis’ suite by a cadre of burly security guards. It was already packed to the gills, a whirlwind of chatter and clinking glasses and backslapping laughter.

I recognized some of the faces from my earlier introduction to Elvis's inner circle—Red and Sonny and all the others from the Memphis Mafia, Colonel Parker looking like the cat who ate the canary, a gaggle of International execs in expensive suits. But there were plenty of new players too—starlets and hangers-on and a surprising number of little old ladies in their Sunday best, clutching Elvis albums to their heaving bosoms.

I felt a moment of panic, a minnow swimming with sharks, but then Jerry caught my eye across the room and waved me over with a wink.

"There she is!" he crowed, slinging an arm around my shoulders. "Didn't our boy knock 'em dead tonight?"

I grinned up at him, letting his easy camaraderie settle my nerves. "He sure did. I've never seen anything like it. I thought that one gal in the front row was gonna faint when he smiled at her."

"Aw, that ain't nothing!" Red chimed in, swiping a flute of champagne off a passing tray. "Back in '56, we had girls dropping like flies every time he so much as moved a finger. Quite a time to be alive, let me tell you!"

We laughed and joked and traded Elvis stories, the boys folding me into their ranks like I'd always been there. It was a heady feeling, being on the inside of something so exclusive, so legendary. Even if it was just for one night.

Speaking of the man himself, Elvis was holding court on the other side of the room, surrounded by a gaggle of suits and coiffed heads. He caught my eye over their shoulders and shot me a wink, his grin electric even from a distance.

I felt that zip of connection like a physical touch, and had to duck my head to hide my flush. Good grief, the man could spark a fire in my belly from clear across a crowded room. I was in trouble.

As if drawn by some invisible thread, I drifted towards him, skirting the edges of his adoring throng. I didn't want to interrupt, but I couldn't quite keep away either.

I was just debating the merits of "accidentally" bumping into him when I felt a gnarled hand clamp onto my wrist. I turned to find myself nose to nose with a diminutive old woman in a pink pillbox hat, her rheumy eyes squinting up at me.

"Priscilla, dear, is that you?" she cooed, her voice warbling with age. "Oh, honey, I just have to tell you how much I admire you! The way you've stood by your man all these years, through thick and thin... it's an inspiration to us all!"

My stomach plummeted. She thought I was Elvis's wife. His very real, very married wife.

"Oh, no, I'm not—" I stammered, my face heating. But she was already barreling on, clutching my hand in her paper-dry grip.

"You know, my Albert and I have been married for 53 years, and I like to think we've weathered our share of storms. But you and Elvis, bless your hearts, you've been through the wringer and back! The army, those awful Hollywood starlets, all those months on the road... it's a wonder you've made it work as well as you have!"

I opened my mouth, desperate to correct her, to distance myself from the comparison. But something in her earnest, careworn face stopped me. Who was I to shatter her illusions? What harm was there in letting her believe, just for a moment, that I was his dutiful wife?

So I simply smiled and patted her hand, murmuring something about the power of commitment. She beamed at me, misty-eyed, and tottered off to accost someone else with her marital wisdom.

I sagged against the wall, feeling vaguely guilty. Borrowing Priscilla's halo, even for a few minutes, left a sour taste in my mouth. What kind of person was I, playacting at being Elvis's devoted wife when the real deal was at home, probably wondering where her husband was and who he was with? And why wasn’t she here on opening night, anyway?

Suddenly, the dressing room felt too hot, too close. I needed air. I needed space. I needed...

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you, Valley cat."

I turned to find Elvis striding towards me, his face alight with post-show elation. His jacket was gone, his shirt half-unbuttoned, his hair damp with sweat. He looked utterly edible.

I pasted on a smile, trying to shake off my guilt like a dog shedding water. This was supposed to be a magical night, remember? My one chance to live like a star, to be Elvis's girl, if only in the shadows.

"Hey," I said, hoping my voice didn't betray my inner turmoil. "If it isn't the man of the hour himself. I'd ask how it feels to kill it, but something tells me you already know."

He laughed, low and throaty, and caught my hand in his. My pulse leapt at the casual intimacy of the gesture. "Careful with the compliments, hon, or my head won't fit through the door. Then where would we be?"

"Oh, I'm not worried," I shot back, finding my footing again. "If your head gets too big, I'll just deflate it with a few choice pinpricks. I'm handy like that."

"A real Jill of all trades, aren't ya?" he drawled, tugging me closer. I stumbled a bit, thrown by his nearness, the play of muscle beneath his shirt as he steadied me with hands on my hips.

His eyes danced with mischief and something hotter, headier. "Stick around long enough and maybe you'll get to show me just how handy you can be."

Oh. Oh my. Was he implying...

Before I could parse his words, he leaned in close, his lips a hairsbreadth from my ear. "The fellas are gonna clear out the stragglers. Why don't you hang back a while, keep me company?"

My pulse thudded heavy in my throat. "O-okay," I murmured, cursing my stammer. "If you're sure I won't be imposing..."

He pulled back just far enough to meet my eyes, something softening in his gaze. "Valerie, trust me. There is nowhere else I'd rather be than right here with you. Okay?"

I nodded shakily, thunderstruck by his sincerity. 

The next hour passed in a whirlwind of farewells and a few more furtive winks from Elvis as he played gracious host. The stragglers trickled out in twos and threes, some of the drunker ones being gently but firmly escorted by bulky security guards. Soon, it was just Elvis, the core crew, and me.

I perched on the arm of a velvet sofa, trying to blend into the scenery as the guys swapped tour stories and ribbed each other mercilessly. Elvis, sprawled in an adjacent chair with a tumbler of something amber and expensive, kept sneaking me these scorching sidelong glances that made me feel like I was the only girl in the room. Maybe the only girl in the world.

Eventually, Red gave a jaw-cracking yawn and hoisted himself up off the couch. "Welp, I'm about ready to hit the hay. These old bones ain't what they used to be." He shot Elvis a significant look. "Reckon y'all got things handled in here?"

Elvis's lips twitched, his eyes never leaving mine. "Yeah, man. I think we're good. Y'all head on to bed now. Me and Valerie here will just... clean up a bit."

There was a loaded pause, a crackle of unspoken communication between them. Then, with a chorus of goodnights and a few winks sent my way, the guys filed out.

And then there were two.

Elvis drained his glass and set it aside, unfolding from his chair like a jungle cat waking from a nap. All coiled grace and barely restrained power. I tracked his approach with my heart in my throat, my skin prickling with anticipation.

He stopped in front of me, close enough that I could smell his cologne, the warm musk of his skin beneath the sharper tang of sweat. Close enough to touch.

He held out a hand, eyes molten in the low light. "C'mon, darlin'. Let's go somewhere a little more private, hmm?"

I slid my hand into his, letting him tug me to my feet and into the circle of his arms. I had to tip my head back to meet his gaze, my hands braced on the solid wall of his chest.

"Private sounds perfect," I breathed. "Lead the way."

His grin flashed, sharp and white in the dimness. He laced his fingers through mine and led me through a side door I hadn't even noticed, into a wood-paneled hallway lined with identical doors.

We stopped in front of one. Elvis produced a key from his pocket and unlocked it, gesturing for me to precede him. I stepped inside and stopped short, blinking in the sudden brightness. It was a suite, as lushly appointed as any I'd seen—all plush carpets and gleaming dark wood and what looked suspiciously like a gilded ceiling.

In the center of the room, a table had been set with a crisp white cloth, gleaming silver, a bottle of champagne sweating gently in a gilded ice bucket. Two place settings. Candles.

My heart did a funny little flip. He'd planned this. Planned a private, romantic dinner for two. For us.

I turned to him, stunned. "Elvis, this is... I mean, you didn't have to go to all this trouble..."

He shrugged, looking almost bashful. "It wasn't any trouble. I just thought it'd be nice to have some time, just you and me. No screaming crowds, no prying eyes." His mouth quirked. "Plus, I figured you'd probably be starving after all that excitement. I know I am."

As if on cue, my stomach rumbled loudly. We both looked down at it, then at each other, and promptly burst out laughing.

"Well, I reckon that's my answer!" Elvis wheezed, clutching his side. "C'mon, let's feed that beast before it stages a revolt."

Still snickering, he pulled out my chair with a flourish. I sank into it, expecting him to ring for room service, or maybe a harried-looking assistant to come scurrying out with silver platters.

But no. To my shocked delight, Elvis ducked into the adjoining kitchenette and returned with... a greasy paper sack?

At my raised eyebrow, he grinned. "What, did you think it'd be all caviar and champagne? Nah, that ain't my style."

He upended the sack, sending a cascade of foil-wrapped burgers and fries skittering across the fine china. The commingled scents of grease and salt and ketchup wafted up to me, and my mouth instantly watered.

"I sent Sonny out for these," Elvis said, sliding into the seat across from me. "Knew I'd be craving some post-show grease. And I figured, what's better than sharing a little taste of home with my songbird?"

Songbird. Oh. There were those damned butterflies again.

"You figured right," I managed, plucking up a fry. "There's nothing better than burgers after midnight. Although..." I squinted at the foil peeking out from beneath a sesame bun. "Is that... peanut butter?"

He flashed me a guilty grin. "Ah, you caught me. Peanut butter and bacon. A little trick I picked up in the army. It sounds crazy, but trust me, it's a revelation."

We dug into our burgers, the silence broken only by appreciative moans and the rustling of wrappers. I had to admit, the combination of peanut butter and bacon was strangely appealing. Not that I'd ever tell Elvis that. His ego was healthy enough as it was.

"So," I said, dabbing a bit of ketchup from my chin. "You were in the army?"

Elvis paused mid-bite, his eyes widening slightly. He swallowed, setting his burger down. "You really didn’t know?"

“Well,” I said, chewing carefully. “I, uh. How do I say this? I never really followed you that closely. I mean, of course, I know your music and all. But the details of your life? I didn't want to pry.” 

He stared at me for a long moment, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. Then, slowly, a grin spread across his face.

"Hey, what’s so funny?”

“You mean to tell me I found the only girl around who doesn’t already know everything about me?”

I felt my cheeks heat. "What do you mean?"

He leaned back in his chair, studying me with a newfound intensity. "I mean, you're the first girl I've met in a long time who hasn't tried to impress me with how much she knows about me. Who hasn't been hanging on my every word, ready to agree with whatever I say just to get in my good graces."

I blinked, taken aback. "Really? That's... that's kind of sad, actually."

"Sad?" He cocked his head, curious. "How so?"

I waved a hand, trying to find the right words. "I just mean... you're a person. A real, flesh and blood man with thoughts and feelings and experiences that go beyond what the magazines print. It's sad that so few people seem to want to get to know that side of you. The real you." I paused, considering whether or not to continue. “It must be really weird meeting new people and feeling like they already know everything about you.”

“Well, what they think they know at least.” His expression softened, something warm and vulnerable stealing into his gaze. "You really mean that, don't you? You actually want to know me. Not Elvis the star, but just... Elvis."

"‘Course I do," I said softly. "You think I’d be eating burgers at 4 am with just anybody I meet? I promise you I am not that kind of girl,” I winked. 

As our appetites gave way to pleasant, sleepy fullness, our conversation turned to lighter things—favorite movies (his: The Way of All Flesh, mine: anything historical), craziest fan encounters (had to give it to Elvis on that one, though my tale of a particularly persistent flasher in Boise nearly made him snort soda out of his nose), best practical jokes played on unsuspecting bandmates (we were both particularly proud of our skills with a whoopee cushion).

We grinned at each other, the air between us crackling with something warm and bright. I felt like I could happily drown in those bottomless blue eyes, spend the rest of my days mapping the planes and angles of that impossibly handsome face.

But as the laughter died down and the food dwindled to crumbs, a tension crept into the air between us. An unspoken question, hovering like a ghost at the table.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. "Elvis, I... I have to ask. And feel free to tell me to mind my own business, but... what about your wife?"

He stiffened, his jaw tightening. For a moment, I thought he might shut down, might retreat behind the impenetrable wall of his public persona.

But then he sighed, his shoulders slumping as if under a great weight. "Priscilla and I... it's complicated."

I bit my lip, my stomach knotting. "You still love her?"

A long, heavy beat of silence. Then, softly: "I'll always care for Priscilla. She's been a part of my life for a long time. But love?" He shook his head, his eyes distant. "No. I don't think I do. Not anymore."

My breath caught, hope and trepidation warring in my chest. "What happened?"

He scrubbed a hand over his face, looking suddenly exhausted. "We grew apart. Wanted different things. For a while now, we've been living separate lives, barely even speaking except when necessary. I think we both know it's over. That it has been for a long time."

I reached out, covering his hand with my own. "Elvis, I'm so sorry. That must be incredibly painful."

He turned his hand over, lacing his fingers through mine. "It was, at first. But now? Now it just feels... inevitable. Like we were always meant to end up here, no matter how hard we tried to make it work."

As the night wore on and the conversation lulled, I felt my eyelids growing heavy. A glance at the clock told me it was just before six in the morning. Stifling a yawn, I turned to Elvis. "I hate to say it, but I think I should be heading back to my room. It's been an amazing night."

Elvis reached over and took my hand, his eyes searching mine. "Will you come back tomorrow? I feel like we've barely scratched the surface. There's so much more I want to talk to you about."

I smiled, my heart fluttering at the thought of spending more time with him. "I'd love to."

"Great. How about—"

I held up a hand, stopping him mid-sentence. "Why don't you call me and invite me? Properly, I mean."

His lip curled in amusement, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Etiquette, huh? Alright, I'll play by your rules. I'll call you tomorrow night, say, around five-thirty? Room 2806, right?"

I nodded, unable to suppress my grin. "I'll be waiting."

"Lamar," Elvis called out. "Would you be so kind as to walk Valerie back to her room?"

With a final squeeze of my hand and a promise to call, Elvis bid me goodnight.

The next day seemed to drag on forever. I couldn't bring myself to leave my room, afraid I might miss his call if I stepped out even for a moment. As five-thirty approached, my nerves were wound tighter than a coiled spring. When the phone finally rang, I took a deep breath before picking up the receiver.

"Hello?" I answered, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Could I please speak with Valerie?" The unmistakable drawl sent my pulse racing.

I couldn't resist playing coy. "Who is this?"

"Elvis."

"Elvis who?"

There was a beat of silence, followed by a low chuckle. "You're a bonehead."

The playful exchange was just what I needed to ease my nerves. Elvis proceeded to explain the arrangements he'd made—a ticket for the late show and another dinner together afterward. I hung up the phone, my heart soaring with anticipation.

Maybe staying in Vegas a little while longer wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Taglist: @whositmcwhatsit  @ellie-24  @arrolyn1114 @missmaywemeetagain  @be-my-ally  @vintageshanny  @prompted-wordsmith @precious-little-scoundrel @peskybedtime @lookingforrainbows @austinbutlersgirl67@lala1267 @thatbanditqueen @dontcrydaddy @lovingdilfs @elvispresleygf @plasticfantasticl0ver @ab4eva @presleysweetheart @chasingwildflowers @elvispresleywife @uh-all-shook-up @xxquinnxx @edgeofrealitys-blog@velvetprvsley @woundmetender @avengen @richardslady121 @presleyhearted @kendralavon7 @18lkpeters@lookingforrainbows @elvisalltheway101 @sissylittlefeather @eliseinmemphis@tacozebra051 @thetaoofzoe @peskybedtime @shakerattlescroll @crash-and-cure @ccab @i-r-i-n-a-a @devilsflowerr@dirtyelvisfant4sy @elvislittleone @foreverdolly @getyourpresleyfix@gayforelvis @headfullofpresley @h0unds-of-h3ll @hipshakingkingcreole @p0lksaladannie @doll-elvis @tacozebra051 @richardslady121 @jaqueline19997 @myradiaz@livelaughelvis @deke-rivers-1957

[phagogenetic]

🍪 the lambs' favorite cookies :) 🍪

sylvester -- chocolate chip! i personally headcanon that sy really likes chocolate. (and sugary sweets in general! he's just scared to have them around helen.)

jamie -- peanut butter! they have a nice flavor and jamie appreciated that. he also likes raisin cookies but mrs earles doesn't allow him to keep them in his dorm anymore bc sy accidentally ate one thinking it was chocolate chip and threw up on their rug

helen -- sugar cookies duh. loads of energy in every bite

lillian -- gingerbread, and she likes decorating them with mary. mary doesn't like cookies very much but she takes decorating them very seriously

gordon -- raisin cookies. he thinks the texture is really nice! (sy makes gross faces at him whenever he eats one but he doesn't mind.)

[roosterforme]

The Younger Kind Part 30 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: You and Noah were the same. The way you missed Bradley together gave you comfort but also made everything harder. In your desire to move in with them, you started to organize the attic with your things. But who would have known you could be so hurt by the ghost of something that was left behind?

Warnings: Angst, swearing, fluff, smut, and age gap (18+)

Length: 3600 words

Pairing: Single dad!Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x babysitter!female reader

Check out my masterlist for more! The Younger Kind masterlist.

Once Noah was in bed for the night, you started counting down the time until you would both be awake the next morning. It was like that every evening. And you usually ended up sitting alone on the couch with some Skittles, stressing about starting your new job and missing Bradley so much you occasionally thought you might cry. 

Before he left, he told you he wasn't sure if or when he'd be able to communicate with you from the aircraft carrier. He told you he knew you were smart and strong and could handle everything without him. He promised he would be back home before you knew it. You laughed softly as you sprawled out on the couch and chewed on a purple Skittle. He didn't know what he was talking about. 

Tears stung at your eyes again. He had only been gone about a week, and when Noah was asleep or at daycare, you started to dread the feeling of loneliness that you knew would come. Starting your job would help, hopefully. You should really take the time to get the rest of your stuff from your rental, not that there was much left. Just some textbooks, clothing, and kitchen gadgets. But you already decided that when Bradley got home, you would have all of your stuff here with you. You'd tell him you were completely moved in when you picked him up. 

"Princess?" Noah called from the hallway, and you jumped up from the couch so quickly, Skittles went flying. 

"What's wrong?" you asked, rushing to him. You scooped him up into your arms and examined his face, but he looked fine.

"When's Daddy coming home?" He buried his face against your neck and whined softly. "I miss him."

"Soon," you lied, carrying him out to the couch, accidentally smashing some Skittles into the area rug on the way. "He won't be gone very long. But we've been having a lot of fun together, right?"

You sat with him on your lap, and he nodded as you wiped a tear away. Now you couldn't tell if you missed Bradley more or if Noah did. "Yeah," he agreed, hugging you around your neck. 

"Just look at us," you whispered with a soft laugh. "We're the same." You held him close as he snuggled against you. "I have an idea for tomorrow. We can go for a hike around the block and then go grocery shopping. And I have a fun treat I can make for you."

"Ants on logs?" he asked with a yawn. 

"Even more exciting. I'll make you some peanut butter snails."

Noah nodded without any further questions, and soon he was sound asleep with his chubby cheek pressed to your shoulder. His soft, even breathing and the little puffs of his breath against your skin made you feel a lot better, and you held him on the couch for a long time.

The next morning, it felt like you had barely slept when your alarm went off to wake you up so you could take Noah to daycare. Mornings were a lot easier when Bradley was home and you didn't have to worry about doing everything by yourself. 

"Let's get you dressed," you muttered, yanking Noah's shirt on and pulling it into place. "And brush your teeth," you added, hauling him into the bathroom. You managed to brush your teeth as well, and while he ate some fruit and cereal, you got dressed in Bradley's gray sweatpants and an old shirt of his. 

You looked like a mess, but you also knew that you'd be late for dropoff if you took too much longer. Since you'd been driving the Bronco around all week, you took Noah by the hand and led him outside and into the backseat. You liked driving it, and it smelled like Bradley. His favorite radio station came on when you turned the key in the ignition, and you hummed along to oldies as you drove down your street. Your street. 

Oh. Well that was a thought. You really hadn't considered the street with your little rental as your home in a while. You'd hardly been there at all for the past few months. And now the urge to sell your few pieces of furniture and call your landlord about your lease was making you excited. 

"What are peanut butter snails?" Noah asked from the back as you pulled into the daycare parking lot. 

"Hey, I thought you fell asleep last night when I mentioned those!" you said, tickling him as you scooped him out of his carseat. "They are made out of apples, and you're going to absolutely love them."

When you carried him inside, there was a girl your age who you'd never seen before working at the checkin area. "Hey, Noah," she said sweetly as she appraised you. "Where's your daddy? I was hoping to see him."

You smirked at her, fighting the urge to laugh. You wondered if this girl tried to flirt with Bradley when he walked Noah in. Maybe she thought his charming old man tendency of writing checks to the daycare was cute. You wondered how long she'd had an obvious crush on him, because she looked pretty damn annoyed to see you here today.

Oh, the things that came to your mind about your boyfriend as you stood there were absolutely indecent. If he knew this girl had a crush on him, he'd probably try to laugh it off before fucking you into the mattress after Noah went to sleep for the night.

You were weighing your words carefully, trying to decide how to respond when Noah said, "This is my babysitter. She sleeps in my Daddy's bed. And she calls him Daddy, too!" His smile was bright as he slung his arms around your neck and hugged you. 

A startled laugh escaped your lips, and the girl in front of you abruptly stopped grinning. "Oh. Well, that's nice," she mumbled. 

"It is," you agreed. "It's very nice. Have a great day, Noah." You kissed him goodbye and let him walk into the playroom. 

When the other girl picked up a clipboard and handed it to you to sign, she said, "I'm just used to Lieutenant Bradshaw in the morning."

"Mmm," you hummed as you signed your name next on the line that said Noah Bradshaw. "And I'm used to him all day long."

This time she scowled. "Don't forget, you'll need to be on the list and have your photo ID to sign him out later."

You bestowed your kindest smile on her. "Perfect. See you this afternoon."

And then you swung by your rental on your way back home.

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

Every day was the same on the aircraft carrier, and there were no days off. Lectures and flight training were pretty much it. Bradley had no idea how things were going at home, and he hadn't had the opportunity to talk to you at all. A few short emails had been exchanged, in which he'd been able to make sure you and Noah were okay, but that was the extent of things. 

He didn't have any friends on this deployment, and he didn't really feel like making any either. The other aviators were all from Lemoore and seemed chummy with each other. His bunkmate, Carl, was usually out of the room, too. It didn't matter though, he just spent his free time working out and looking at the collection of polaroids you packed in his bag along with a note. 

Daddy,

I love this old camera I found in your attic. I'd love it even more if you were the one taking the photos instead of me. When you get home, maybe I can model for you? Let you take some new photos before you fuck me? 

I love you,

Princess

Bradley groaned every time he took the note out and read it. Things were so bad at times, he started to get hard just looking at your handwriting. And then he'd think about you, posing for him in some of your cute underwear or nothing at all. And then he'd spread the photos out on his bunk, unzip his uniform pants and take matters into his own hands. 

One night after dinner, he intended to go to the gym, but he ended up here again, next to his bunk with his pants unzipped. "Fuck," he grunted, holding the photo of you that he favored the most. You were laying in his four poster bed, and he could see your purple crown hanging from one of the corners. Your pretty tits were on display, and your hand was tastefully covering your pussy. But he already knew how every inch of you looked and tasted and smelled, and he loved using his imagination. 

He jerked off thinking about how he was going to make you squirt on his face as soon as he got back home. He thought about the way you gripped him so tight when he was fucking you from behind. And he looked at that photo and the sweet, faux innocence on your face. "Come on, baby," he groaned, stroking himself faster now. 

Then he heard a key in the door, and he shouted, "Shit! Wait a minute!"

He came in his own hand and on the undershirt that was on his bed. It felt so fucking good to get off, but now he was scrambling to clean everything up. Fucking Carl, that fucking asshole. Bradley hastily put his photos away and dumped the undershirt in with the rest of his dirty clothes. He would have to work on his laundry tomorrow anyway. 

His cheeks felt flushed and he was uncomfortable as he zipped up his pants, but he forced himself to open the door and face Carl. "Hey," Bradley grunted, letting the other man inside. "I'm heading out."

"Cool," Carl returned with a smirk. Bradley slipped past him and went to walk a lap around the ship, hoping the mixed feeling of embarrassment and arousal would dissipate soon. 

Just a few more weeks of this. Hopefully.

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

Tomorrow was your first day of work, and you were so ready to go. But you decided to use this last day to really get organized. Noah was at daycare, and you had a plethora of fruit and vegetables lined up on the counter along with raisins and some peanut butter. You and he were going to spend the whole evening making different animals out of the food. You even bought some celery, although you had your doubts that Noah would eat it.

But for now, you were shuttling your textbooks all neatly organized in crates up to the attic. After a few trips, you were sweating a lot. You left your water downstairs, so you just decided to chill for a minute next to one of the boxes of Noah's baby items. You'd spend so much time cleaning and organizing the mess up here, you'd probably be able to locate things faster than Bradley could. 

"Adorable," you whispered as you opened the box and pulled out some baby clothes. There was a onesie with an airplane print, and pajamas that said I Love Daddy. Actually, most of the tiny clothing had an aviation theme or gave a shout out to dad. Bradley must have purged everything else, and that thought made you smile. There were some photo albums that you flipped through that made you squeal with delight. 

Baby Noah was even chubbier and cuter than you could have imagined. Now you were curious if there were any baby photos of Bradley around. If you and he had a child together, would they be as sweet and cute as Noah? Your mind was swirling with the possibilities as you dug deeper. There was another small photo album, Noah's first birthday shirt, and a soft blanket. All that was left in the bottom of the box was a rattle that was shaped like a puppy and two USB flash drives.

You shook the rattle a few times before tossing it back inside the box, and when you stood to go back downstairs and get your water, you took the USB drives with you. Now that all of your textbooks and other random things were tucked away in the front corner of the attic, you took a minute to make a sandwich.

Convinced the blue and yellow flash drives had more cute Noah photos on them, you turned on Bradley's laptop while you ate lunch at the kitchen table. Once it booted up, you selected the yellow one and inserted it. And you were right. There were hundreds of photos here, all organized into folders. You knew Bradley must have taken the time to do this, although there were a handful of pictures that had Meredith in them. 

You cringed when you looked at her. She didn't even look as excited for tiny, sweet Noah as Bradley did. Because in every single image you scrolled through, Bradley's face was lit up by a huge smile. He was impossibly handsome, and he clearly loved being a dad. 

You knew he wanted another baby while Noah was still young. He wasn't shy about telling you that. You wanted it, too. It was hard not to think about raising Noah together along with another little one. Bradley wanted to spoil you and Noah both, and he did so at every opportunity you gave him. A credit card, access to his whole house, free reign to do whatever you wanted. He even offered to help you pay back your student loans. But you were just starting out in your career now, and maybe it wasn't the right time. 

But you could still picture a baby here with the three of you so easily, and you loved thinking about it. The idea lingered as you removed the yellow USB drive and replaced it with the blue one. This time you found a video and a collection of photos. The first image made your stomach turn. It was a selfie of Meredith with Bradley's arm around her that must have been at least five years old. Bradley looked younger, the touch of wrinkles around his eyes and mouth was missing. But he looked happy. And you couldn't help yourself. You opened another photo thumbnail. 

You gasped. Bradley must have taken this one. Meredith sprawled out in the bed you now slept in. She was naked and touching herself, looking right at the camera. Looking right at you. Her fingers were on her breast and closely trimmed pubic hair. She was stunning. Older. She looked more comfortable in her skin than you thought you ever could. She looked confident, and you felt jealous and sick and upset. 

But you clicked on the icon for the video anyway. 

Of course the volume on the laptop was turned way up since you'd never bothered to lower it after listening to music yesterday. So you got to hear loud and clear all those noises you were so used to from Bradley. But it was Meredith making him feel good. Not you.

"Oh, fuck," he groaned in the video, adjusting the camera to show Meredith in bed with her lips wrapped around his cock. You could see the pleasure on his face before the camera turned back to her, and she looked all too happy to be sucking him off. 

She giggled, and it sounded revolting. Your stomach churned as she whispered, "Do you like it? Does it feel so good?"

You covered your mouth with both hands as you made a pathetic noise. Because Bradley in the video was all perfect, flexing muscles and beautiful scars as he propped the phone up and pushed Meredith onto her back. You wanted to close the computer or break it in half, but you couldn't remove your fingers from your mouth. You watched Bradley fuck Meredith, her back arched as he wrapped his hands around her waist. You watched his body that you knew so well bring her pleasure. 

He leaned down to kiss her, and she gripped his biceps until it looked like she was going to break his skin with her nails. "Bradley," she whined, and you thought you were going to be sick right here.

Then Bradley fucked her harder and grunted, "Oh, Babe. I love you."

Bile was rising up to your throat as you finally yanked the USB drive from the computer and let it clatter to the floor. And you barely made it to the toilet before you threw up your sandwich.

You were shaking as you curled up on the cold tile floor. It felt good against the burn of your skin and your hot embarrassment. That wasn't meant for you, and you knew it. You had every opportunity to turn it off, but you didn't. Meredith was sexy and sophisticated looking, and even though you knew that happened years ago, you had nothing to compare it to. You felt like a little kid right now, with only your previous relationship with Greyson to show for yourself. 

And all you could see in your mind was Bradley fucking Meredith and telling her he loved her. She left him and Noah in the dust, and then she tried to take Noah away from him. But he had actually at one time loved her.

An hour later, you took your photo ID in with you to pick Noah up, but the girl from earlier wasn't there. An older woman matched up the name on your driver's license with her list, and then she brought Noah out to you. The sick feeling from earlier persisted, and you were hoping that as soon as you saw Noah, it would start to get better. But it got worse, and tears stung your eyes. 

"Hey, sweet Noah," you whispered as he made a beeline for your open arms, and you held him because you knew that's what he expected. He only knew love from you, and you never wanted that to change. You never wanted to be like Meredith. 

But intrusive thoughts took over your mind as you drove him home to all of the produce on the kitchen counter. You turned the apples into snails and the bananas into boats, and Noah even tried some celery as he laughed. You tried to put on a playlist to keep your mind at ease, but you couldn't help it. You could still picture the video. And you should have known Bradley and Meredith used to be in love, but the idea never really stuck in your mind until you heard him say it. 

You were standing there feeling like a knockoff version of what Bradley really wanted when Noah turned and looked up at you from the stool he was standing on. "Want one?" he asked, handing you an apple wedge covered in peanut butter and some coconut flakes. 

"Thanks," you whispered, kissing the top of his head as you took the apple and nibbled on it. 

But he was still looking up at you with his big, curious brown eyes. "Are you my mommy now?"

You fumbled the apple slice and it landed on the counter. Your lips parted wordlessly, but he was waiting for an answer. This child literally had no mother at all. Not anymore. But you wanted more than anything to become his mom. You already loved him, and taking care of him was one of the highlights of your day. 

"Hopefully someday," you whispered, "because I love you, Noah."

He picked up the apple and handed it to you once more. "I know. And I want you to be my mommy."

You couldn't get another word out as you chewed up the apple and tried not to cry, so you just hugged him tight. 

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

Bradley hated being away from home now that you were there. If this is how deployments were going to be if you and he married or had another kid, he didn't know how he was going to manage it. He felt a little on edge. If he were home, he'd put Noah in bed and share a bottle of wine and some Skittles with you on the couch. 

You always tried to tell him which flavor of the candy went with which type of wine. As he walked back to his bunk from the gym, he could practically hear you telling him that red Skittles went with merlot. He couldn't remember if you said yellow went with chardonnay or pinot grigio, but he was certain that purple went with pinot noir. He fucking missed you so much. Just you and Noah, on his mind, all the time. 

He would go back to his bunk, get his polaroids out and jerk it before he took a shower and went to bed, dreaming of your voice. After he made sure the door was locked, he spread the photos out on his bunk and untied his gym shorts. It didn't take long before he started to get hard, but then he realized his favorite photo was missing. That one of you in bed. 

"The fuck?" he asked out loud, turning to look at Carl's empty bunk. There was no way. He secured his gym shorts again before rooting around in his own belongings for a few minutes. He checked under the beds and inside all of his drawers. But he came up short. He didn't really want to have to threaten Carl, but he knew he was going to have to. Because that would be beyond fucked up.

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

Ouch. And what the fuck did Carl do? Hope you enjoy your fic, @beyondthesefourwalls And thank you @mak-32 !

PART 31

@hotch-meeeeeuppppp

@swthxrry

@chassy21

@yaboid19

@solacestyles

@avoirlecoupdefoudre

@daisyhollyxox

@throwinsauce

@awesomebooklover17

@wintercap89

@whosyourgnomie4

@rosesinmars

@blog-name6996

@bcon24

@wishfulwithwine

@backinwonderl4nd

@tetragonia

@gingerbreadandpaper

@emptyloverofmine

@chaoticassidy

@missmirandafe

@changlingkhat

@sugarcoated-lame

@avada-kedavra-bitch-187

@katiebby04

@marantha

@averyhotchner

@abaker74

@heli991113

@k-k0129

@noz4a2

@tallyovie

@shanimallina87

@teddyluvs2sing

@little-wiseone

@ccbb2222

@lilyevanswhore

@o-the-o-grim-o-reaper-o

@xoxabs88xox

[bye-shou]

𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵… ୨୧

꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦ ♪ ꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦

☾ ✒ winter with you ~ ❅

⌕ ✒ fluff ~ ꕥ

☀︎ ✒ ship : luca kaneshiro × gn!reader ~ ᰔᩚ

☁︎ ✒ side/mentioned characters : n/a ~ ꨄ

⚠︎ ✒ warnings : n/a (I think) ~ ✮

✧ ✒ summary : it's a cold winter day and you decided to spend the day just cuddling with your boyfriend. ~ ∘•∘

✉ ✒ notes : ik it's not winter yet/anymore buut ~ ⌨︎︎

⇚ ↺ ⇛

you were having a nice dream when suddenly, your alarm clock woke you up.

you groaned, while reaching out to find where the alarm clock is and press the button to turn it off.

you got up from bed, and started stretching.

you then made your way to the kitchen to look for something to eat.

as a college student, you didn't have much in your pantry, so you just took out some bread & peanut butter along with some jelly to make a simple pb&j.

you decided to toast the bread because why not? and you also didn't want to have stale bread which was refrigerated.

when you finished making it, you ate it. what else were you gonna do with it? c'mon, ada anak di afrika yg kelaperan tuh, jgn boros makanan!!

then, you went to the bathroom to get ready. you thought of what to wear, however, before you could even decide, there was a message from the group from the secretary.

she said that class was cancelled because it was snowing pretty hard that day and the teacher and some other students reported to be unable to go to class.

you hadn't really noticed it, but the snow outside could reach up to your knees. wait, is that even possible?

well, class was cancelled, so you just changed into some comfortable clothes.

when you got outside, it was very chilly. you decided to just stay inside and keep yourself warm in your blankets.

you just sat on your bed and opened your phone. you saw a good morning text from your golden retriever boyfriend, luca.

you sent him a good morning text back, because how could you not?

right after, you heard a notification from him. he asked if he could come over.

you wanted to stop him because it was snowing pretty hard, but at the same time, you could really have someone to cuddle with you and warm you up.

however, you didn't get a chance to answer when you received a text from him that said “oops nvm I accidentally walked out the door and started walking to your house lol”.

you couldn't help but smile at your endearing boyfriend's personality! gosh, why is he so cute?

after a bit, you heard a knock at the door. when you opened it, you were met with the sight of your boyfriend, standing infront of your doorway.

he immediately went to hug you. it's been a bit since you guys met, because you two were in different classes as he was a year older than you.

“pog, I missed you!” luca says, hugging you tightly. you hugged him back, answering with a “I missed you too.”.

you invited him in, and he joyfully entered your house. you told him to make himself at home while you went to prepare snacks.

he said you didn't need to, but you just *had* to, because it's your boyfriend! you wouldn't let him stay at your house without any form of hospitality.

you came back with some snacks, ones that you could find, and some hot cocoa you both could drink to warm up.

luca thought of watching a movie while cuddling, and you couldn't say no to that, so of course, you agreed.

after thinking about what to watch, you finally agreed on one and started watching it while embracing the warmth of each other's body heat.

when the movie finished, you looked at luca. he looked at you back, smiling.

“how was the movie?” he asked, taking a sip on his hot cocoa, decorated with some cute small marshmallows.

“it was great, and interesting!” you answered, taking a biscuit and eating it.

“I'm glad.” he looks at you with a content smile.

you two spend the rest of the day just cuddling, enjoying each other's warmth.

⇚ ↺ ⇛

✉ ✒ notes : kinda short but it's okk ~ ☏

꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦ ♪ ꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦

୨୧ 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯.