#I really need to think what I'll do with my AU

[fycoren]

Since I literally can't be doing everything I really wanna share my ideas for the Beasts in this mlp AU! Bc they've been in my head since this post!

The Beasts are pretty much all based on villains from mlp! I'll explain choices in more detail under the cut!

Mystic Flour = Changeling* (Chrysalis)

Burning Spice = Centaur (Tirek)

Shadow Milk = Draconequus (Discord)

Eternal Sugar = "Dark" Alicorn (Nightmare Moon/Daybreaker)

Silent Salt = "Dark" Unicorn (Sombra)

Mystic Flour as a Changeling Queen is admittedly my least confident choice here- but what do you think? Idea currently would be to have her be the Queen of a "different breed" of Changelings than those in Chrysalis' hive. First off, they could be more based on spiders, and they could appear more white than dark. And, as Changelings feed on love, perhaps Mystic Flour could feed on Volition or Apathy? Or even Resolution and it causes apathy? (precorrupt could be based on the alternate "good" design for changelings, i'm forgetting what they're called rn tho </3)

Burning Spice being a centaur like Tirek just, makes sense? Both can deal a looot of destruction & all. Alternatively he could be a dragon if you prefer, but there isn't really a villain dragon, & I like the idea of having them based on villains rather than just non-ponies or, beasts- so I'm sticking with centaur here.

Shadow Milk just makes sense as a draconequus. They're literally spirits of chaos that can shape the world around them and mess with ponies' heads. His animal-components are all based on ones seen in his domain, the one thing I'd now add might be white wings (the owl of lies or whatever it was) but he doesnt necessarily need them lol. As Discord turned the mane 6 into the opposite of their elements ("discorded mane 6") that's how Truthless Recluse happens here.

Eternal Sugar makes sense to me as a "Dark" Alicorn with her design and everything seen of her so far (Eternal Rest/Happiness yeah?) though her design would likely look less obviously "evil" than Nightmare Moon & Daybreaker.

Silent Salt is another that could easily change once we hear more about them, but the armor, darkness & war-vibe made me think of Sombra, esp. early in the show where he didn't have much speaking lines either, making for a more silent threat.

If ppl are interested in this AU I'll do a post for the Ancients as well, as I got thoughts for them too~ The Soul Jam are practically the Elements of Harmony :'D

may i interest you in an obligatory mlp AU?

[taeyongdoyoung]

t-t-teach me

summary: college life sucks. but at least you get to study with the hottest guy on campus... pairing: soobin x reader genre: college au, slight angst, smut, colleagues to study buddies to lovers warnings: academic setting, studying, mild allusions to anxiety/insecurities, reader is older than soobin, kissing, praise kink, size kink, handjob, fingering, lots of touching, protected sex (gasp), manipulation if you squint but it's all consensual, some lyrics references as usual author's note: someone on social media commented that soobin's "t-t-teach me" part in love language lowkey sounds like "t-t-touch me" and i couldn't get it out of my head so here we are... word count: 2.2k

Your college life is pretty boring. Study, eat, study some more, eat again, sleep, repeat. So, when your most handsome colleague (in your humble opinion) asks you to help him study for the upcoming exams, you are tempted to agree.

"Pleaseee, Y/N," Soobin begs so cutely. The way his glasses are slightly tilted doesn't help your case. "I can even pay you!"

"I don't want your money, Soobin," you shake your head, determined to play with him a little longer. After all, it is not every day that such a hot guy acknowledges your existence.

"What do you want, then? I'd do anything, I really need to pass, my whole future depends on it."

"Well, shouldn't you have studied throughout the year?" you tease him. "Instead of, I don't know, partying or whatever it is you and your squad do."

"I don't even go to parties. I'm just in my dorm playing games all the time."

"Case in point," you tsk, pretending to be disappointed.

"Okay, I realize I should have taken the courses more seriously, but can you please consider it?"

"What's in it for me?"

"I told you already, the sky is the limit. Just t-t-teach me the material," he stammers sweetly. "When the professors do it, I literally can't focus and understand anything."

"You do realize this isn't an easy task, right? We have less than a month until finals. Even if I do help you study…I can't promise you'll pass."

"Where's your confidence, teacher?" Soobin pouts.

"I haven't agreed yet!"

"Oh, but you just did," Soobin is too adorable to say 'no' to.

So, this is how it starts. Every day, after your lectures end, you go to Soobin's dorm to study. You use every method that has been helpful for you throughout the years. Highlights, flashcards, quizzes, you try everything and anything in order to help Soobin understand the material. At the end of each week you prepare a short test that is meant to aid Soobin in revising the most important information. The first week, his results are disastrous. You honestly don't see any hope but you promised him you'd try your best so you keep modifying the material in order to improve his understanding. The second week, his results are still below average, but slightly better. By the third week, he has definitely reached the expected pass level.

"My God, Soobin, this is amazing progress!" you praise him honestly.

"Really? You think I'd be able to pass?" he asks, still worried about the upcoming exams.

"If you keep up the great work, you surely will," you are confident that he'll make it. "We have one more week until the first exam, I'm sure we'll manage to cover some more ground and revise the essentials."

"Yeah, I think there's still enough time to stick to the plan you made," Soobin nods thoughtfully.

"Here's an idea that might be motivational. If you pass all your exams, I'll reward you."

"Reward me how?" Soobin eyes you curiously.

"However you like."

"What about me paying you back?" Soobin reminds you of the original deal.

"You can just buy me dinner at that sushi place near the university," you suggest simply.

"Sounds good. I'll do my best to pass."

"I know you can do it!" at this point, you genuinely believe in him and are amazed to see how much he's improved.

The exam period starts sooner than you'd like and you now have less time for your study sessions with Soobin, prioritizing individual preparation instead. Honestly, you kind of miss seeing his pretty face every day and explaining things to him. Talking about the material out loud has been helpful for you, as well. The final exams pass by in a flash and now you only have to wait one more week for the results to come out.

"How do you think you did?" you ask Soobin on the phone.

"Ugh, don't ask," he complains. "Even though I felt like we covered all the material, having to explain it in my own words and provide examples was so draining. I have no idea how I did but don't get your hopes up."

"I see," you reply with a sigh.

"I'm not gonna ask how you did, because I'm pretty sure you nailed them," Soobin shuts down any possibility of boasting before it even started.

"Hey, the exams were pretty difficult for me, too," you mumble shyly.

"Yeah, yeah, talk to me again when you flaunt those 100 points."

"Just because I tend to get high results most of the time, doesn't mean I don't struggle," you express your feelings a little harsher than intended.

Soobin is stunned into silence.

"Sorry, that was insensitive of me to say. I guess I never realized how much effort you put into studying."

"It's okay, I'm used to being misunderstood," you answer sheepishly.

"Just because you're used to it, doesn't make it okay. Get some rest. You sure deserve it."

"You too, Soobin."

And with that, the phone call ends. Tensions run high as you anxiously check your email once every two hours for results. You probably care more about this than you should. Only this time your own results are not the only thing on your mind. You really want Soobin to be satisfied with the work he's done. Because you feel like you poured more energy into helping him and you would really hate to see him fail. Not only because you'd feel responsible for it, but because you genuinely like him and want to see him happy.

After what feels like forever, the results are out. Of course, you can only see your own due to privacy reasons. But you know Soobin has also received the same email as every other student. It is only the content that varies. You quickly check your stats and though you didn't get a 100 points everywhere, as Soobin jokingly suggested, you are still pretty proud of yourself. You eagerly grab your phone, meaning to call Soobin when you stop yourself in the last second.

What if he didn't pass all the exams? What if he doesn't want to talk about it? So, instead, you wait until he contacts you first. Luckily, you don't wait long.

"Come over" is the simple message he sends you.

You put on a jacket and practically sprint to his dorm. Is he okay? Is he inviting you over to celebrate or to drink his sorrows away? Your mind races and so do your legs as you near his room. A hesitant knock on his door. A quiet "It's open".

You cautiously enter and study Soobin's expressions in an attempt to read the room. He doesn't look depressed but he doesn't look ecstatic either. What's going on? You just need to know, the uncertainty is killing you.

"Do you want the good news or the bad news first?" Soobin asks you coldly.

"Uh…good news?" you mumble, feeling more nervous about whatever he has to say than about your own results.

"Good news is I passed all my exams. I got between 60 and 75 points on most of them."

"That's…incredible! Congratulations, Soobin!" you exclaim proudly. "I'm really happy for you! Wait…what are the bad news, then?"

"The bad news is…you promised me a reward," he whispers darkly.

"Why is that bad news?" you are utterly confused, as you sit down on the couch next to him. "You deserve to be rewarded, you worked so hard to accomplish this."

"That's true, but…I'm not sure you'll like the way I want to be rewarded."

"Anything is okay," you vow, not knowing what's in store for you. "I'll keep my word."

"Oh, I know you will," Soobin smirks and crashes his lips against yours, shocking you completely. Is this really happening? Did you just…both pass all your exams and are now kissing with the hottest guy in your university to celebrate?

"T-t-touch me," he begs so prettily who are you to reject him?

"Where do you want me to touch you?" you easily agree.

He grabs your hand and slides it under his shirt so that you are now caressing his abs. Fuck, his skin is so smooth and hard.

"You're so pretty," you mutter what you've been thinking every time you see him.

"I try to look my best for you," Soobin admits.

"Shut up," you shake your head in disbelief.

"Yes, teacher," he teases you.

"Don't call me that," you groan.

"What would you prefer? Ma'am?"

"Ugh, no, that makes me feel old," your eyes roll.

"Well, you are older than me. How about noona?" Soobin blinks cutely.

"Oh my God, do you ever shut up?"

"Touch me somewhere else," he doesn't ask this time, he demands. You don't even have the time to ask where he'd like to be touched before he's grabbed your wrist again and moves it right on top of his clothed cock. You're seriously gonna die. You're gonna die right in this moment and you won't even go to that cute sushi place. "Take my jeans off."

Your hands are shaking but you do your best to follow Soobin's orders. All your academic knowledge is completely useless in this moment. What you lack in practice, you try to make up for with enthusiasm. Stroking his length and licking him softly seem to do the trick and Soobin grows harder under your touch.

"Why are you so pretty?" you can't help but marvel.

"It's both a blessing and a curse," Soobin grunts loudly. "Wait, stop."

You immediately halt your movements, letting go of his cock.

"Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you?" you ask nervously, almost getting teary-eyed at the thought.

"What? No, you're doing amazing, I just…didn't want to come yet."

"Oh, I see," you reply, even though you can't see shit. "When do you want to come?"

"Wrong question, teacher," Soobin disregards your preference for not being called that. But in this moment, you no longer care. "Replace the wh-word with another wh-word."

"Hmm," you ponder out loud. "Where do you want to come?"

"Inside you. If you'd let me."

"Erm, I'm not sure…" you try to find a polite say that you are not really interested in getting pregnant at this point of your life.

"Relax, I've got condoms," Soobin laughs at you gently. "We can save the risky activities for after graduation."

He's already thinking that far into the future?

Soobin touches your folds gently, trying to ease your worries.

"Does it feel good?"

"So good, Soobin," you confess.

"Yeah?" he smirks proudly, as his long finger stretches you open. "Bet I can teach you a thing or two myself."

"I believe you," you sigh wistfully, as you near your high.

While Soobin puts on protection, you try to think of a logical solution as to how this will work. Honestly, you are too wet to care but his enormous size is still intimidating. Your brain seems incapable of coming up with a formula, so you give up entirely. Thinking only makes it worse.

When he slides inside of you, the feeling is so overwhelming you need something to keep you from falling apart.

"Talk to me," you beg.

"What do you want me to talk about?" Soobin asks.

"Anything."

"Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax, morphology, phonetics and-"

"Oh my God, really?" you scoff in disbelief. "Exams are over, let's put that behind us."

"What's your love language?" Soobin wants to know.

"Probably words of affirmation. What's yours?"

"Same. Quality time, as well," he responds.

"Oh yeah, definitely," you agree.

"You're taking me so well," Soobin immediately puts the newfound knowledge to use.

"You're fucking me so well," you whisper sincerely.

And this is all it takes for you two burst in each other's arms, experiencing pleasure like never before.

Once you've dutifully helped clean each other up and are cozied up underneath the sheets, the time for a more serious conversation arrives.

"I don't wanna lose this," Soobin gestures in the air between the two of you.

"We can keep studying together," you reply dumbly.

"That's not what I meant," Soobin chuckles. "Wanna spend time with you. We don't have to be studying, we can watch movies and I can teach you how to play games and…other stuff."

"I like the sound of that," you smile warmly.

"Actually, I have a confession to make," Soobin blurts out.

"Oh?"

"Deep down, I knew I'd pass the exams somehow," Soobin whispers. "I just couldn't be bothered to study. Needed an excuse to get close to you."

You can't even be mad at him.

"I have a confession, as well," you say in return. "I agreed to help you because I wanted to know more about you. I could tell you're smart."

"Is it the glasses?" Soobin pouts adorably, tilting his head to the side.

"Nah, you just give off that…sexy nerdy vibe. Glasses or no glasses."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It is. From one nerd to another."

"I can live with that," Soobin flicks your nose playfully.

"You still owe me sushi, by the way. For helping you study."

"Oh, teacher. Sushi is not the only thing you'll be eating tonight."

The End

[spirit-doll]

Hey! I introduce u Beasts from Real Life CRK AU!

(I didn't draw SS because it's important for me to know at least some information about him. Let's imagine that he hasn't reached the portal to the Real World yet.)

ANYWAY!

MF. I decided to get rid of her headdress, but I left Soul Jam so that she would still hold herself in no one's authority. Shuns other Ancients except DC - with him she solved their political problems.

SM. I didn't really change his image, except for Soul Jam (p.s. I took his Soul Jam away from him. I don't need to destroy the apartment.) But he's still so silly.

BS. I already wanted to make him look more chilly. So I made his hair into a bun. I like it when guys do that :) Well, he'll look like a grumpy brother in the morning. He may change normally in my AU.

ES. I can't say anything about her character yet, but according to my assumptions, I think she might like a teenage style (more precisely, one of my styles. I'm 16, I can) . That's why she wears tank tops and short shorts. Maybe I'll get along with her, let's see what kind of character she has.

[avaawritess]

Delicate-by Taylor swift😛

Honorable mentions

18- one direction

Shameless- Camilla Cabello

Aged up college au

Childhood friends to lovers, sunshine x grumpy, female reader,lowkey short

Spotify

Apple Music

Fluff, angst,smut

Warnings: Rough sex, desperate Bakugo, praise kink,overstimulation, pussy drunk Bakugo, missionary,aftercare😁

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃ ⚘᠂

Bakugo had a very huge reputation not in the best way a lot of times. Most it was he was too rough, too cold, too...mean. At least that's how others see it, see him. They don't see the soft, sweet version he rarely shows.

How he gets you your favorite chocolates when your on your period or will go out of his way to get multiple boxes of pads and tampons just because he didn't know which one you used (he got regular and heavy flow and MAXIMUM) what the hell was maximum he thought. "Tch I don't think she needs all this" he mutters to himself as he willingly checks it all out bringing five hundred bags of just stuff you crave and need.

Your eyes lit up and he got the fluttering feeling he grew used to assuming it was happiness to see you happy.

Never understanding that it was because you're genuinely his favorite person to be with.

One time you two were at the fair. He was dragged along but came just to see the bright smile take place on your soft lips. Oh how he adored the way your eyes shone with sparkles which he thought he was hallucinating and grumbled looking away.

You both were walking around as you talked about recent drama at the college and how your friends boyfriends acted and how they made you mad. He really didn't care, he just liked hearing you talk with that sweet melodic tone.

"Hey let's go on that one" you pointed at a large rollercoaster. "No," he said with a straight face. Before a pout took place of that bright smile,"why not?" You asked and he sighed knowing you,"because you'll get sick after the first drop and after I'll have to get you a water and we wouldn't ride anymore rides" he says.

You pout grumbling incoherent words, that was until he let out a reluctant sigh,"fine but if your dumbass gets sick don't complain to me" he grumbles crossing his strong arms, his back muscles flexing in the light.

He was right, obviously. The first drop didn't do you justice your stomach curling uncomfortably with the taste of disgust lingering on the edge of your tongue.

Well he was right to an extent he would definitely help you. He was worried to no end rushing and barking orders to people that you were gonna die (you weren't) and finally he got you water with a cold rag. "Fucking dipshits wouldn't get out of my way acting like their dip n' dots was more important than my... I mean you" he grumble shutting up as he placed the cold rag on your forehead letting you sip from the water.

You both obviously left no more rollercoasters just as he said but he would do anything to see your smile so he'd do anything in a heartbeat even if it was for a second he saw your eyes lighting up in delight.

He dropped you off at your shared apartment with Mina. He carried you bridal style making sure you were okay and whispering comfort words in your ear as he held you and your water bottle in his arms.

Mina opens the door surprised seeing a worried Bakugo holding an almost passed out y/n,"What happened?" She asked opening the door wider. Bakugo stepped in setting you on the couch comfortably pulling blanket over you tenderly. His eyes flashed with care and adoration as he placed your belongings on the side table with your water bottle.

"She got sick at the fair" he said shortly, dryly as if Mina didn't deserve his time. She looked at him deadpanned as an annoyed sigh left her lips. Glancing at you she notices you're asleep so when Bakugo goes to leave she stops him,"you ever gonna confess or what you two are in this push pull type of situation like you should just ask her out" she said seriously a small grin tugging her lips upward as she noticed Bakugo stiffen.

He turned slowly glaring at her with a hushed whisper he talked back,"what the fuck are you on about pinky" he says almost defensively.

"You know you treat her differently than anyone, your softer it's kinda sweet in a way...a weird disgusting hopelessly In love way" she says humming loving the way she got flustered almost proving her theory right.

"Tch just shut up you don't know what you're talking about" he said grumpily before storming away before she could say more to actually get him thinking.

He thought he was safe honestly, that he could keep this whole charade of just friends. But his friends had another idea in mind.

He was so fucked.

A couple weeks later they all sat in the cafeteria chatting and catching up while he texted you since you were in your lecture missing lunch.

This freaking sucks she's talking about chemical bonds are super important remember all of them! As if I haven't already who does she think I am stupid?? :(

She's probably mad that a 23 year old is smarter than her 63 year old ass.

Don't call her that >:( but I totally agreee she's so uptight

He smiled softly chuckling to himself, the group turned their heads to him in surprise.

"Did he just laugh?"Denki asked quietly chewing on a snack,"Forget that he's smiling so big I think he's constipated" Kirishima whispers back all of them indulged in the way Bakugo was texting back with so much speed.Mina sat in the corner a smirk plastered on her face cause she knew why he was smiling.

"Our boys in love with his best friend" Mina says loud enough to make Bakugo look up and stiffen the group looked surprised. "YOURE GAY?!!" Denki yelled before Mina hushed him but before Bakugo could speak Kirishima cut him off,"dude you should've told me you liked Midoriya" not knowing it was his other best friend.

Bakugo just groaned telling them to quiet down before he blasts them."No his other best friend y/n" Mina grinned. "I don't like her she's just a friend pinky" Bakugo glared but before Kirishima hooted,"oh no dude your whipped I was confused if it was midoriya but y/n makes more sense your always staring at her like she hung the moon and stars"

He glared fiercely, silently threatening them as they wore shit eating grins snickering like middle school girls.

After that incident he really started to think back, did he really like you?

I mean he did like the way you smiled, they you laughed, the way your eyes twinkled with amusement from a crappy dad joke, the way you'd smile when talking about anything and everything, and it was all for him.

It was his to have.

But he was scared that's what you didn't want that you didn't like him or even see him the same so he did something any stubborn scared person would do.

Push the person they care about the most the farthest away from them to just have space to think correctly.

At first you took it well assuming he was going through something. But the longer it dragged out the more you worried.

Had you have done something?

You're more sure, you don't remember offending him or anything, fuck the last you saw him you both got coffee together like usual.

So what was going on?

Soon it affected your mood and how you dealed with anything and everything. Mina was the first to notice the tension, the drift between you two that was so out of the blue. She noticed how sad and gloomy you were, to how you stopped attending lectures Bakugo would usually scold you for skipping.

She knew you loved him genuinely.

Even though you never voiced it, she knew just how much he meant to you. And how affected you seriously were.

Finally you had enough, after a month of silent treatment and vague conversations. Your heart burned with pain and heartache as you finally gathered the courage to knock two firm knocks on his apartment door.

It was raining outside, cold, gloomy, the raindrops dripping slowly down the window as if trying to hang on to the one surface they could be on.

As if once they fell that was the end, and maybe you were scared that was gonna be you and Bakugo soon.

Like the raindrops, you were scared he was your surface and you were the raindrops. Holding onto something that will never be enough to hold you, to support you.

After some time that felt like long torturous hours,your heart in your throat.

He opened the door, his hair frizzled and down far from his usual spiky proud look. He had intense eye bags, wearing a crumpled up t-shirt and sweatpants that had stains on them. You glanced inside his once clean apartment that held opened cans of soda and food lying around as if he couldn't sleep.

"Are you okay?" You managed to croak, "yes I'll be fine you can go" he says shortly as if too scared to say too much.

He tries to close the door but you stopped in your lip trembling in fear,"did I do something, I'm sorry.....I...I'm so sorry" you said fear taking over as your voice cracked.

He looks up at you eyes wide with suprise as he looks away the fear in your eyes eating him away as he feels so guilty, frustration building.

You mumbled out apologies one after the other as you ramble on about what you could do better and how you'd improve. God, sometimes he hated when you rambled talking down on yourself as if your nothing but a mouse to him.

"Shut up" he says lowly but you kept going and his frustration snapped it at you but himself,"shut up" he said yelling fingers entangled in his hair pulling the roots to bring him pain as if to forget the way his heart aches in sadness for you.

You go silent watching him fight his internal battles inside his head. "I'm not...shit.. I'm not mad at you I'm mad at me" he says his voice croaking going down an octave.

You stood there scared,"Fuck...shitty hair and pinky were right...I fucking like you... like a lot like so fucking much I want to kill every person who looks at you wrong... I hate that stupid smile that you give me and how I get so giddy over your fucking adorable laugh and just how you brighten the room..brighten the world with your smile it makes me feel shit I'm not used to" he says spitting out a confession he never meant to.

"I just used to think it was cause we were child hood friends but I don't do any of this shit for Deku or stupid raccoon eyes" he says.

"But fuck I like you..love you even your the most important person in my life an I...I don't know what'd do without you" he says the words weighing heavily on your shoulders.

The silence ate him apart as he stood there silently.

His heart was laid out, bare, raw, and vulnerable just for you.

"I..love...you too" you said slowly loo trembling a smile taking a hold of your lips. Fuck his heart ramped up seeing it greave your lips like a blessing meant just for him.

He stepped forward looking down at you adoration filling his face with a hint of desire glinting in his eyes. You felt his breath fan over your lips. They parted, heart racing.

"Can I...kiss you?" He asked hungrily. Fuck he would've loved to just devour you right then and there but hearing your consent he was fucking hard from that thought of you trusting and telling him what you want.

Your lips purse together scared before nodding slowly and as you did his lips crashed onto yours, making you le to a sharp gasp he ate with delight.

His fingers dug into your hips while your hands held his face.

He pulled you into his apartment lips never leaving yours as he shut and locked his apartment door pushing you up against it.

"Fuck your beautiful" he said huskily glancing over your flushed features the way your chest heaved up and down from how intense he was. Just from the look you gave him he felt his balls tighten already needing to cum but he'd save that for you.

"Fuck come on gorgeous" he says gently leading you to his bedroom before pushing you up against his door not waiting any longer,lips clashing with yours as if to memorize your mouth.

He presses flush against you making oh squirm from his overwhelming body heat. "Fuck" he groaned against your lips.

"Tell me what you want" he says hoarsely his forehead against yours staring deeply into your eyes. You bite your lip shyly,"u-um I want you" you say. He grins almost teasingly,"well I hope so beautiful but what do you want me to do" he hums patiently.

You grumble embarrassed, "I want you to eat me out" you said glancing away as he grinned proudly, kissing you once more before pushing you lightly on the bed.

He smiles as he left small love bits in your jaw as he helped you undress, finally after years he pulls off of you to see your gorgeous body beneath him,"fuck look at you, so ready for me so beautiful" he says leaving kisses down your neck to your collarbone across your perky breast teasing the area around your nipple before going down your soft stomach and down to the inside of your thigh.

Your legs tried to clench to hide yourself from him as he hummed as if disappointed,"no sweetheart, imma need you to stay open for me" he says.

You whimper embarrassingly as you glanced away from him, he took a long lick of your cunt. "Look at me with those pretty eyes of yours" he demands grinning against your cunt as you listen.

He hums making you squirm from the vibration. He ate you out slowly teasingly, as if to make you beg for something he'd wait to give.

He slowly got faster tounge delving into your slick folds. Earning loud moans and meals from your pretty mouth.

His thumb teased your clit going fast before going slow earnings a frustrated huff from you that almost made him laugh at how needy you were .

He loved seeing you squirm and look at him with those lust-filled eyes begging him for more.

Your hands dug into his head gripping his hair as if to pull you down back to reality. Earning a groan against your wet juicy cunt as he went faster bringing you closer to your climax.

Finally you came but he didn't stop his rough tongue dragging out your orgasm.

He grinned watching your eyes roll back in ecstasy.

He softly laughed lapping up your juices from his chin and around his mouth.

"Fuck beautiful you did so well but come on you can give me another one right?" He hums almost evilly. Forcing tow digits into your sopping wet cunt.

Earning a loud mewl from you. As he slowly fully pulled the out before shoving them back in."Look at you so willing to take my fingers pretty girl" he hums satisfied. Before picking up his pace using his thumb to push down on your clit earning more pleasure from you. He could tell you were close again from the way your velvety walls clinched onto his fingers.

"Fuck princess cum for me, come on my fingers with your pretty cunt"

Once he said that you let out a loud moan he slowly thrusted them in praising you, "how about one more princess" he kissed your temple. It in fact was not one more but three leaving you trembling and overstimulated.

He grinned at his artwork sucking your juices away from his fingers tasting you. Before kissing you so you'd taste yourself.

Tears pooled your eyes from exhaustion and the overstimulation.

"Just one more baby I know your tired but I mean it" he says humming pulling off his pants and his boxer revealing his hard fat cock as it slapped onto your stomach.

Your stomach curled with pleasure at the sight, but too overstimulated to care.

You let out a noise as if to say fine. He hummed happily a teasing smirk plastered on his face.

As he rubbed his dick up and down your folds lubricating it with your juices making you whine and whimper.

Finally he looked at you for the go ahead still wanting you consent not wanting to push boundaries.

You nodded your lip trembling,"hey it's okay sweetheart I'll be slow...that is if you want that"

He said that as he slowly pushed in his breath becoming ragged letting out a grunt of satisfaction as he pushed himself all the way in.

Fuck he loved your pussy it was so sweet and fit him so well.

He waited for your nod before slowly thrusting in and out. Pulling all the way out before slamming himself back in earning loud moans from you.

You let out babbles as you force yourself to say "faster" it came out more strained then you meant.

He nodded before listening to your demand going faster pistoning in and out of your greedy cunt.

He let his head fall back as his hips set a bruising pace against your sensitive hips."Fuck sweetheart your perfect" he grunts while you let out more rambles that fall silent and drool leaves the corners of your mouth.

Finally his thrusts became sloppy and he pulled out dumping his seed all over your stomach before laying on top of you both of your chest heaving sweaty bodies conjoining as one.

"Fuck you did so welll for me" he hums giving you a slow sweet kiss. Before rolling off,"come on let's get you cleaned up" he says dragging you to the bath cleaning both of your dirty bodies off as you two softly tiredly chat earning soft laughter and smiles from one another.

Once you two were finished you layer in his arms as he put on one of your favorite romance movies on,"shit this is fucked yo after we had sex" he groans into your hair as he kisses your head,"but y/n will you be my girlfriend" he asks shyly his ears tinting pink.

You smile softly laughing at his awkwardness,"yes I will" you hum nuzzling closer to him hungry for his warmth.

He grunts,"idiot" he says before softly smiling kissing your head once more.

Maybe he was a rough cold guy but he just needed his own person to love to take down those walls. At least that's what he thought.

Bonus scene

"YOUR TOGETHER" Mina shouts letting the whole campus know as you two sat side by side his arm wrapping around your shoulder pulling you closer.

Bakugo ignores her eating his lunch silently letting the chaos unfold.

"You two fucked didn't you?" Denki asked a shit eating grin plastered on his face. You both stiffened your face red and well Bakugo shot him a glare.

He laughed,"what it's not my fault I can basically feel the pheromones and testosterone in the air, so how was it y/n Bakugo rough in the sheets?" He ask grinning before earning a smack from Bakugo himself.

You were so flustered you groaned and nuzzled your face into Bakugo chest hiding yourself. "Shut up Denki and none of you better tease her or I will fucking blast you into fucking oblivion" he threatens.

"And here I thought he'd change but no" Kirishima said before grinning,"we get it bakubro we're happy for you "he says.

Denki snickers,"yea for growing a pair and listening to us" and before he knew it Bakugo blasted him away from the table.

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃ ⚘᠂

Authors note

Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did writing it.

[lamentationsofalonelypotato]

@zepskies

After reading your comments now I'm even more excited to read the epilogue!

She's a real sweetheart, right? Writing someone who wants to work with little kids, I wanted to write a young woman who isn't without her flaws, but really embodied that kind, nurturing nature that makes for great elementary school teachers. 💗 (And the kind of inner goodness that I think Dean would find endearing too.)

I love hunter!readers, but the soft!readers really have my heart. Not that a hunter!reader couldn't be soft per say, but I just love how cutesy she is.

Buuuuut maybe he should've asked Dean if it was really ok if he pursued the reader before he stepped in. Maybe as his friend, he should've asked Dean what the hell he was doing with Lisa when the reader really needed him right now lol. Maybe that would've been the wake-up call Dean needed to get his shit together and realize he didn't really truly love Lisa. 🤔

You're so right. Benny should have asked more questions!! Benny should have had the talk with Dean and if he is Dean's best friend he should have known. It kinda makes it sadder though. But I'll bet the epilogue kinda explains that a bit too 🥰 But at the same time yes, Benny was a good guy for stepping up and stepping in.

Ahaha yes!! I knew you would catch that! Oh yeah, but that's the kind of mistake a man not used to little kids would make, I feel like 🤣

It really is. I bet that Ben/Soldier Boy would let his kid watch something too soon and then live with the consequences when he can't have sex with the reader for a month because the kid sleeps in the bed with them 🤣

I knowwww I'm sorry I almost killed Dean, but this is the first of many wake-up calls for both Dean and reader. 😭😭

Don't be sorry, near-death experiences that make people realize they love one another is the kind of angst I live for LOL

I tried to do something different with this story and make it feel more realistic, with no real "villain," except that we can hurt the people we love the most unintentionally with our actions and inaction. What we say, and sometimes more importantly, what we don't say.

It really was wonderfully realistic- all the emotions all the drama, it was beautiful! I also think that it resonates more that way- making it about the internal and external struggle with relationships rather than some big-bad to fight. Because sometimes the big-bad is the little voice inside that makes you push everything down or sometimes the big-bad is you? If that makes sense lol.

Oh you saw that, huh? 😂 Yeah, I think you remember that turned into a fun "anonymous" ask in my inbox asking why I was so "defensive" when people criticized my work. I typically have thick skin and was ready to forget the comments entirely, but when that "ask" came in it really annoyed me, not gonna lie. lol I probably should've just ignored the inbox message and deleted it, rather than spend more time and energy on replying to someone whose mind likely isn't going to be changed on how they talk to writers, regardless. 😂 I get that this AU story was "different," and messy with these relationships, but that was kind of the point. Bless you though for your thoughtful and heartwarming feedback regarding the Lisa and Benny storylines! 💗💗💗

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that happened when I was in my two weeks off period 😅 But I don't think it's so much as you not having 'thick skin' or being 'defensive'- I see it more as you being open to the criticism, but them not giving you anything constructive. If someone says 'oh that's stupid' but then don't tell you why, it becomes more about the writer than what they wrote.

But oh yeah no. The fact that they felt the need to also send in an ask criticizing you even more is just uncalled for. I don't blame you for answering it, it would have annoyed me too- especially because lately I feel like the meaner anons think they're helping writers by being super rude?

Yes exactly! The AU is "different!" It's more about the relationships and drama and miscommunication! (slightly mad at you for that last one jkjk 🤣) AU's are supposed to be different, that's literally it- alternate universe. Which is why they didn't like it, because they didn't understand it. 😬

But you're welcome! I really did enjoy it and I'll bet the epilogue is going to be amazing! 💗

IF I STAY - Part 2

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Plus-Sized!Reader

Summary: Your dream is to work with kids as an elementary school teacher. Dean is well on his way to becoming a firefighter, keeping things light and “strings unattached” as he goes. After a one-night stand you never saw coming, you and Dean are forced to deal with the consequences…and figure out if the connection between you is worth fighting for.

AN: Deep breaths Are you ready for a rollercoaster of emotions? 😘❤️

Song Inspo: “I Can’t Help Falling in Love” and “It’s Now or Never” by Elvis

Word Count: 13.1K

Tags/Warnings: Angst, pregnancy feels, hurt/comfort, fluff, time jumps and flashbacks, sexual tension, mutual pining, spice~, and an ending…

❤️‍🔥 If I Stay Masterlist

Part 2: It’s Now or Never

At the doctor’s office, Dean goes in with you for the first trimester ultrasound. There you learn that you’re going to have a boy. Tears well up in your eyes and slip down your cheeks.

Dean wears a look of amazement as he sits on the edge of your bed. He takes up your hand and squeezes gently. He tries to be a strong support, even though he also tries to hide the fear that begins to churn in his gut.

For one of the first times in his life since Sam was born, he feels the weight of responsibility pressing down on him. In a good way. In a fucking scary way.

He looks at you and sees the wonder written across your face while you watch the tiny shape of your baby on the screen. His heartbeat thwaps fast and loud in the speakers.

Dean realizes something else then; the decision you're making is changing the course of your whole damn life…and it’s his fault.

With his weekly hookup rate, in the very back shelves of his mind he knew something like this could happen, even though he thought he'd been careful. (Apparently, condoms are fragile little shits.) But here, in this white wall-to-wall room that smells like hospital antiseptic, that thwap thwap thwap of a heartbeat reverberating in his ears, the reality of this is crashing hard on his shoulders and rattling down to the base of his spine.

Despite his earlier happiness, those thoughts stay with him when you two eventually get back into his car. You have the pictures of the sonogram in your hands. You smile down at them before you put them back in your purse for safekeeping.

However, you notice Dean’s sudden melancholy as he stares out at the road. He’s started the car, but he hasn’t moved to pull out of the parking lot yet.

“Hey, you okay?” you say, resting a gentle hand on his arm.

Dean shakes his head. “Look…I’m sorry for tossing a giant friggin’ monkey wrench into your life. I know this hasn’t been easy for you.”

If possible, your heart softens even more. You slide your hand down to grasp his.

“Dean, this baby wasn’t planned, but he’s not a mistake,” you say. “I don’t regret anything.”

Dean stares back at you, incredulously. He can’t believe you could really say that to him. He doesn’t know what to say. He only knows what’s in his mind, and what he feels compelled to do in that moment.

He leans over and kisses you. It’s a firm meeting of his lips to yours and achingly familiar. But ultimately, it’s chaste. He pulls away and settles back in his seat.

When you blink your eyes back open, your expression is slack in shock.

“I’m sorry,” he says, seeming sheepish, and guilty. “I meant to say thank you. Just didn’t know any other way to say it.”

After a moment, you smile at him. It’s warm and almost shy.

Dean clears his throat, trying to ignore the way his face is heating up. He doesn’t say anything more. He just takes the wheel and shifts gears, pulling the car out of the parking lot. 

You don’t know what possesses you to bake cookies. Dozens and dozens of them, all the chocolate chip cookie recipes you can find. You’re in search of the perfect one. This will be the recipe your son will grow up on, and every time he eats them, he’ll remember how much you loved him.

And then, he’ll be ruined for any other chocolate chip cookies that try to grab his taste buds. He’ll say, Blech. Chips Ahoy? These aren’t as good as Mom makes!

…Or something like that.

Yes, these cookies have to be perfect. You’ll even write the ingredients down on a notecard and hide it away, and it’ll become your family secret recipe.

Once you feel like your cookie game is strong enough, you decide to test these babies out. You bring two dozen painstakingly baked confections to Firehouse 83, where Dean works. The man is a bottomless pit, to be sure, but you also want other people’s unbiased opinions. For science.

You park your car on the side of the road, making sure you’re not blocking the driveway where two huge fire trucks are parked. You head inside the firehouse with your big container under your arm and your purse on the other. Now at seven months into your pregnancy, you’ve gotten to the embarrassing “waddle” stage.

You’re still determined to be active though! You plan to keep working until you have the baby. Your parents live a few hours away, but you’re grateful that they want to help out as much as possible.

Even though they weren’t happy to hear about how you got pregnant, by now they've met Dean and begrudgingly admitted to liking him. He's really stepped up to the responsibility of a future father, insisting on baby-proofing your apartment, helping you shop for the essentials, and going with you to as many doctor’s appointments as he can. He’s even agreed to giving you child support payments, even though you hadn’t wanted to ask for it.

You look for him now as you enter the firehouse, trying to push the heavy glass door open with one hand.

“Here, I got you,” says a familiar baritone voice.

You’re pleasantly surprised at the man who helps you inside.

“Benny! It’s good to see you.”

“Yeah, been…a while,” he chuckles, glancing down at the swell of your belly, but he squeezes your shoulder and leans in to hug you gently.

“Dean filled you in?” you ask. You hope so. Having to explain the story to one of his own friends would be embarrassing, especially since this is the man you walked in Sam’s wedding with. It reminds you of that day, and the way you told Dean that news in a glorified closet, with shaking hands and the wrong kind of butterflies.

Thankfully, Benny nods. “That he did…but come on, I’ll show you around. And I see you’ve brought somethin’ special for us?”

He gestures at the container you're holding and offers to take it off your hands. You give it to him, grateful for the help.

“Yeah, and I want you guys to give me your honest opinion.”

Benny tosses you a wink and a smile. “That I can do.”

Your cheeks begin to warm in a blush, but the way he helps you to a comfy couch in the common room earns your smile. There are still good men left in this world, and you’re glad to know that Dean works so well with one.

“You want some coffee, or water? Think we might have some lemonade,” Benny says.

“Water would be great, thank you,” you reply, as you rub your belly. The little man has decided to kick at your liver today. “I stopped drinking coffee for the baby. ”

It's your biggest challenge, to be honest. Try wrangling a group of fifteen to twenty six-year-olds while running on green tea, the fumes of sleep deprivation, reduced bladder control, and as much vim as you can muster.

“Ah, right,” Benny nods. “My sister has two kids. She cut out coffee, pain meds, some dairy stuff. But she claimed cheesecake was all right, ‘cause it’s got cake in the name.”

You giggle. “I see no flaw in her logic.”

Down the hall of the firehouse, Dean is just coming back in from going through a set of drills. He’s still the Candidate—the freshest blood in the house—so they’ve been putting him through his paces for the past several months. He’s eager to learn and to prove himself.

His ears perk up in confusion though. Did he just hear your voice?

Why does it smell like a bakery in here?

When he rounds the corner, he sees you in the common room, smiling and giggling like a teenager at something Benny said to you while he eats a soft baked cookie right out of a Tupperware container. You must’ve brought it for the firehouse.

This cozy little scene kind of annoys Dean somehow, though he doesn’t know why. He does know that it shouldn’t.

“Hey, look who’s here,” Dean says, forcing himself to smile. It becomes easier when you look his way, your eyes brightening at his arrival.

“There you are! Come ‘ere and try these,” you say, pointing at the box Benny holds. “Tell me if our son’s going to have the best PTA mom ever.”

Dean can’t help but grin after trying a big bite of one of your cookies.

“Oh, mah Gah,” he says, holding a hand under his mouth so nothing comes crumbling out.

“Good?” you ask.

“Good friggin’ cookie,” he confirms, after he swallows. “You’re gonna have the other parents frothing at the mouth. Who’s gonna be able to compete with this?”

Benny nods in agreement. When Dean squeezes your shoulder, your sweet, happy smile makes him smile too.

She’s going to be a good mom, he thinks. He can only hope against hope that he can be the man his son needs.

Two months later, the time has finally come. Your water breaks when you’re in the middle of teaching your second graders how to spell exaggerate—and no, Joey, it’s not e-g-g-zagerate.

However, the embarrassment of him pointing out the fluid beginning to stain your slacks is swiftly cut off by your shock. Your first call is to the principal, to have her send someone to cover your class. Your next call is to Dean, telling him to meet you at the hospital.

“Why the hell did he have to bring her,” you mutter to yourself, wiping sweat from your brow. Here you are, gritting your teeth through contraction after contraction in this damn hospital bed, and Dean is outside the room talking to Lisa.

You know you have no real reason to be upset. She’s been trying her best to be your friend in recent months. Hell, she helped Eileen and your mom plan your baby shower. She even brought you flowers when she got to the hospital, but you notice how less than five minutes after she got here, she and Dean became embroiled in yet another argument. It seems to you that all they do is argue, break up for a week or two, and then get back together again.

The sex must be explosive, like the fireworks at goddamn Disney World.

But Dean eventually does come back into the room alone. His support grounds you over the next few hours. He lets you basically break his hand, all while he gives you encouragement (and stands by your shoulder, so he doesn’t see anything you’d rather him not see).

And then, your son is born. Every muscle, every cell in your body is exhausted, but the pain meds have kicked in, and you’re in that blissed out state between abject reality and being entirely entranced by the bundle in your arms. His perfect face is just there, sleeping for the moment after the nurses taught you how to breastfeed.

Dean returns to sit in the chair beside you. He gives you some water and a piece of a protein bar. You’re not that hungry, but he pointed out that you haven’t eaten since before your water broke.

“Sam and Eileen are on their way up,” he says.

You nod in reply. You’re too into your son right now to think of anything else.

Dean shakes his head in wonder as he reaches out with a tentative hand, brushing his fingers over the baby’s downy head. He was born with a little tuft of brown hair.

“Okay, down to business,” Dean says, shooting you a playful look. “I vote for Zeppelin.”

You groan. “Dean, no. Veto. I’m not naming my son after a rock band.”

“Aw, come on. It’s a badass name!”

“What about Aiden?” you suggest.

“Veto,” he snorts. You two agreed to getting five “vetos” each, but this discussion has been more like a battle of wills over the last several months.

“Okay, what about Daniel? That’s strong, classic,” you pose.

Dean considers it with a tilt of his head. “All right, that one’s a maybe.”

Again, he strokes the baby’s soft cheek. You look over at Dean with a small smile.

“You’re going to be a good dad, you know,” you tell him. It earns his gaze. Although he’s trying to stay strong, you read the hidden insecurity there, the worry and fear. You rest a hand on his arm. “You are, Dean. You’re a good man, and you’ve really stepped up these past few months. This obviously isn’t how either of us thought our lives would go, but if this had to happen with someone, I’m glad it’s you.”

Dean’s expression softens. He hesitates, but he lays a hand over yours and squeezes gently.

“Thanks,” he says.

Your eyes meet, and it’s a moment charged with something you can’t even name. It’s not the first time you’ve felt this feeling with him. It both fills your heart with warmth, and makes you ache.

Then the door opens. It’s Lisa, Sam, and Eileen. Dean’s hand slips away from yours as they all pour in to congratulate you and Dean, and of course, meet the baby. There’s a lot of soft cooing and playful shushing.

In that small chaos, your parents call to tell you that they’re finally almost here. It really sucked not having your mom with you, but your parents live far enough away that they were going to take a train and stay with you for at least a week. Their train unfortunately got delayed due to mechanical failure.

It's okay though. Getting through the past several hours has made you realize that you’re stronger and more capable than you think, and even though part of you is still scared to death, you don’t need a husband to be a good mom. You’re going to give this your all, no matter who’s beside you…

And that's no more apparent than when Dean soon has to step out again, leading Lisa out of the room. He saw how her “helpful” suggestion to have a get-together at their apartment to celebrate the baby’s birth was setting you on edge. Really, you just want to sleep for the next 24-hours and not have any more pictures of you taken.

It gets loud enough outside your hospital room that Sam and Eileen feel they have to intervene. Lisa is Eileen’s best friend, and she’s the best equipped to try and deescalate the argument from that end, while Sam deals with Dean. It’s messy, it’s irritating, and it means that even today, you can’t just have a little bit of peace.

You sigh and cradle your still nameless baby close to your chest. He’s all that matters. Already, your heart is so damn full just taking him in.

“What’s your name, my little love?” you whisper. “What am I going to write on your certificate, besides Winchester?”

“How about Benjamin,” comes a Louisiana drawl.

You perk up and smile in surprise. “Benny, hey.”

He greets you with a slightly hesitant kiss on the cheek. He’s brought the baby an adorable teddy bear, and you a beautiful bouquet of white and blue roses, along with a box of chocolates.

“It’s the assorted kind, but they’ve got plenty of the caramel ones you like,” he says, then gazes down at the baby. “Aw, he’s a little charmer. Already got more of you than Dean, that’s for sure.”

You laugh lightly at his teasing. “I don’t know about that.” You hope your son inherits Dean’s strong jaw, and his green eyes.

Benny scratches the back of his head. “Also…sorry if I’m crossing some kind of boundary here. Looks like it’s a bit of a circus outside.”

You shake your head and smile through burgeoning tears. You set the chocolates on the end table where he’s placed the flowers and the teddy bear.

“No, it’s very sweet. Thank you,” you say. You glance out the window of your room to the hallway, where the arguing between Dean, Lisa, Sam, and Eileen seems to finally be calming down. You’re so damn tired, you don’t give a crap about whatever they’re hashing out now.

You look down at your son, and despite your strong thoughts earlier, insecurity begins to creep back into your mind like inky claws.  

“How are you holding up?” Benny asks. His face is kind and concerned when he notes the change in you.

You meet him with a wobbly smile. “Honestly? I’m afraid. I know I have a lot of people who want to support me, and I’m grateful, but…I just have this terrible feeling that we’re going to end up alone, him and me.”

You look down at your son, and you have to wipe away a tear from your eye before it falls on his face.

A large, warm hand rests over yours. Your gaze raises slowly, and Benny smiles at you. He’s serious though.

“Don’t you worry about that,” he says. “You’re not gonna be alone.”

FIVE YEARS LATER... 

For all that changes, there are some things that stay the same.

Dean and Lisa are still the world’s most “off again, on again” couple you’ve ever met. Sam and Eileen are still going strong as the hardworking, driven career couple. Your son is growing more and more every day and just started kindergarten this year.

(You ultimately caved on Dean’s idea to name him Robert, as in Robert Plant, lead singer of Led Zeppelin.)

Oh, yeah, and the “you and Benny” thing? That’s been going well for two years now.

What can you say? The man is persistent, but respectfully so. He’s considerate, reliable, and always calls you when work at the firehouse has him running late.

You haven’t yet invited him to move in with you. That part you’re still hesitant on, mostly because of your son, but Benny helps you drop off Robbie at school and makes breakfast for you all whenever he stays over your apartment. Benny takes an interest in your son’s life and keeps up with all his energy, taking him to the park to run himself ragged before dinner, and helping you tuck him in at night.

Benny is a bit closed off though, the strong stoic type. He’s hard for you to get a read on, and sometimes you wonder if he’s just indulging you when you ramble on about your day or make silly jokes. Even now, sometimes you withhold the first thought that comes to your mind, hoping he doesn’t think you immature or…too much.

But Benny shows his caring in all those little things he does for you. They add up into the big things, and he makes you feel supported. He makes you feel safe.

He even helps you plan your son’s fifth birthday. Robbie wanted to go all out on a dinosaur theme; he’s been hooked on Jurassic Park ever since Benny “accidentally” let him watch it with him on one of your rare nights out with your friends.

So you set up a little party at the park by your apartment. You managed to reserve the biggest gazebo, where there are three picnic tables covered with dinosaur plates, and tablecloths, streamers in different shades of green. You even bought a big dinosaur cake—also in a radioactive green color that you hadn’t been sure about, but your son talked you into. Robbie thinks it’s awesome.

He’s running around on the playground with a few of his friends from school. Their parents (along with Sam, Eileen, and Lisa) are talking amongst themselves at one of the picnic tables while you try to figure out how to get the Bluetooth speaker to connect with your phone.

“Haha! Got it. If you're so smart, Alexa, why don't you connect on the first try?” You fist-pump the air triumphantly, just as Benny comes to your side. He wraps an arm around your waist and kisses your cheek, making you smile.

“How’s it going out there?” you ask, nodding at the kids. Plus Dean, who’s gamely been the one to keep them entertained with different games. Right now, it’s a thrilling game of Cowboys and Outlaws, where Robbie and his friends are the cowboys, and Dean is the outlaw. He’s been hiding under the slide, behind trees and other playground fixtures, while the kids have little squirt guns to pelt him with water every time they find him.

It's pretty damn cute, and you’ve been taking pictures. You smile at the sight of Dean leaping out at Robbie and the kids, catching them off guard.

“You’ll never take me alive, Sheriff!” Dean declares.

“Oh, it’s goin’,” Benny remarks with an amused shake of his head. “Still hard to believe that guy’s about to make it to Lieutenant.”

“Hahaaa, gotcha!!” Dean cackles. He’s grabbed up Robbie and yanked him over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. Robbie screeches with laughter while his dad runs around the playground, being chased by a bunch of five-year-olds with squirt guns.

Your smile threatens to make your cheeks hurt. You know your life is…unconventional, to say the least, but Dean is a good father to your son. He’s also been working hard at his job. He just took the Lieutenant’s test, and even though Benny already occupies that position at Firehouse 83, a spot at another firehouse might open up for Dean to transfer.

“Part of me doesn’t want to,” Dean admitted to you last week, while he was working on fixing your stubborn, leaky sink. “All the guys there, they’re like family, you know?” “I understand,” you nodded. “You have to do what feels best for you, whether that’s staying where you feel comfortable, or moving up in your career somewhere else. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.” He took in your advice with a slow nod. “Yeah, thanks. Guess I have to time to think about it. Lisa had other ideas.” “Of course,” you said with a smile, but it soon dropped. “Why, what did she say?” “Do what I can to move up,” he sighed. “She’s got a point. That title comes with a pay bump, one I could really use right now.” “I get that. Totally valid,” you said. “But I just think it’s important for you to be happy with it too. Especially with what you do, helping people, saving people…I’d imagine being in the right mindset for all that is important, right? Who you work with can be just as important as the money stuff.” Dean considered you with a smile. “Yeah, exactly.”

As you think about it now, you have to admit that he’s grown up a lot.

Dean has to lean against a tree to catch his breath. Am I already getting too old for this crap?

Feels kind of young to have a stitch in his side after a few rounds with these kids, but even he has his limits. Lisa comes to bring him a bottle of ice-cold water, which he appreciates. He’s tempted to dump it over his head like he does after successfully neutralizing a fire. It gets literally hot as hell under that helmet and mask and all his gear underneath.

“Need an iron lung?” Lisa teases.

“Toss in a new pair of knees, thanks,” he wheezes. He downs half the water bottle in one go, but he smiles at seeing his son keep running around with his friends. He’s just got that manic kid energy that goes on for days. But Robbie’s also smart; like Dean, he likes taking things apart and putting them back together in new and ingenious ways.

Dean hopes his son likes the new model car set that’s waiting for him on the picnic table full of presents. In fact, he’s still surprised that you didn’t go with the race car theme he suggested for the party, but apparently, Robbie’s more into dinosaurs now. Dean wishes he knew that before he bought the model car set.

He looks over and catches sight of you and Benny wrapped up in each other. He has his arm around your waist while you fiddle with something, but the way you lean over and whisper near his ear elicits a smile on Benny’s face.

Dean’s good mood diminishes.

“Well, don’t they seem cozy,” he mutters.

Lisa arches a manicured brow. “Yeah, pretty sure he’s getting ready to propose.”

That earns Dean’s attention, his head swiveling back to her in surprise.

“Really?” he asks. “Who told you that?”

“His sister,” she replies. “Meg’s in my intermediate class, remember?”

Dean nods, sipping at his water, even though he’s a bit absent in the eyes. Lisa watches him shrewdly.

“Why do you seem upset about it?” she asks. “Benny’s your friend.”

“I know,” Dean says. He doesn’t need that reminder, or the guilty twinge. It’s not like he’s done anything wrong.

“And she seems happy,” Lisa points out. “Don’t you want the mother of your kid to be with a good man who treats her right?”

He nods, trying to hide his growing annoyance. “‘Course I do. I just…I don’t know. I still don’t see them together, I guess.”

“Well, they’ve been together for like, two years.”

Again, Dean nods his acknowledgement. It’s hard for him to believe that so much time has passed already. He honestly didn’t think you and Benny would be together this long. He’d always felt a little uncomfortable with one of his best friends dating you, but you’d seemed happy about it, so he didn’t discourage it. But he’d never been very supportive, either. At least, not about your relationship.

Lisa sighs and grabs his arm, pulling him aside before he can rejoin the party.

“Listen, we need to talk about something,” she says.

Dean restrains a tired groan. “Can this wait ‘til later?”

“I think we should do this now,” she says. A hallmark Lisa-ism. She’s opinionated and strong-willed, something Dean’s always respected about her. Sometimes though, the timing is damn irritating. He doesn’t want to get into another argument with his girlfriend in public, especially not at his son’s birthday party.

“Speaking of commitment,” she says with a sigh. “I think it’s fair to say that we’ve been on a five-year rollercoaster, you and I. You know why that is?”

“I’m sure you’re gonna tell me,” Dean says, crossing his arms.

“It’s because you’re spread too thin,” she says. “Between the firehouse, construction jobs on the side…not to mention other things.”

“What? What’re you talking about?”

Lisa’s lips purse, before she pointedly gestures over at you with her eyes. “Well, for example. You’re still going to her place after your next shift to fix her fridge, right?”

“Yeah, I mean, should be pretty simple. I’ve just gotta swing by the hardware store and grab this specialty tool I ordered—”

“Dean,” Lisa deadpans. “That’s exactly the kind of thing I’m talking about.”

She heaves a deep breath, running her fingers through her long brown hair.

“I get that navigating this situation hasn’t been easy for you,” she says. “It hasn’t exactly been easy for me either, but look.”

Lisa takes his hands in hers, uncrossing his arms. “I want to get married someday. I want kids too. And I want that kind of life with you…I’m just not sure you want it with me.”

Dean expels a heavy sigh. “Lis—”

“Don’t answer me right now,” she says, but she levels him with a serious look. “You need to decide though, Dean. Five years is long enough. You should know by now if you want to be with me.”

After letting go of his hands, she softens the edges of her words with a gentle kiss on his cheek. Then she turns to join the group now gathered around the picnic table where the food is, all the kids cheering for pizza and cake.

After the party, Sam, Eileen, Lisa, and Benny pack up their cars and yours with the leftover food, party supplies, and presents. Dean helps you clean up the trash, all while keeping an eye on Robbie getting out the last of his sugar-high on the playground swing.

You shake your head tiredly, if with a fond smile. “That kid’s gonna be up all night hype on that radioactive cake.”

Dean chuckles. “You want me to take him tonight?”

“It’s okay. I think he’s going to want to play with his toys,” you reply.

“Well, he could just as easily do that at my place,” he reasons.

You consider it, but you shake your head. “Yeah, but we got him the bike. He’s probably gonna want to try it out for a few minutes before we get him cleaned up.”

“By ‘we,’ you mean you and Benny,” Dean says, his tone becoming surly. “And about that. Don’t you think a bike is something you should run by me? That’s typically a ‘dad’ kind of gift.”

You pause what you’re doing at the sound of his tone. Your brows knit together.

“Sorry, but I feel like a bike isn’t exclusively a dad thing,” you say.

“My dad got me my first bike,” Dean replies. “Spent a whole three days teaching me how to ride.”

You take a minute to think about it. You understand where Dean’s coming from, so you nod.

“Okay, I get it. You want to be there to help teach Robbie? I’m sure he’d love that.” 

Dean tosses a wadded-up ball of frosting-covered napkins and stops, letting his hands fall to his sides in frustration. He draws closer and helps you untie the balloons from the picnic table.

“Yeah, I do, but that’s not the point,” he says. “Why can’t I take him home tonight?”

You blink up at him in confusion. “Well, like I said. The bike—”

“That I should’ve gotten for him,” he snaps. “Which, let me guess, Benny picked out. Right?”

You frown at him in earnest now. “Dean, why are you getting so upset about it? It’s just a bike.”

“Well you know what, it’s not! And it’s not just the damn bike either.” He swipes a hand over his face in annoyance, a telltale sign you’ve come to read well on the man. “Look, I’m missing too much shit, all right? Like, like the dinosaur thing! And the fact that I only get him on the weekends.”

You turn toward him, trying to put a cap on your own annoyance. This isn’t the first time you two have had a conversation like this. 

“We’ve gone over this before, Dean. Your schedule at the firehouse is just too unpredictable,” you say. “Robbie needs as much stability as possible between us. But…okay, if you want to take him tonight, that’s fine. We can bring the bike over to your place and show it to him there.”

You’re trying to be as reasonable as possible, and Dean knows that. Still, anger prickles just under his skin, and he can’t help but push his luck.

“You still should’ve asked be before you got the bike in the first place,” he argues.

Your brows raise high. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

“Look, it’s not like we bought him a Honda Civic. Honestly, Dean, why are you picking a fight with me right now?” you ask. “Did you and Lisa get into it again or something?”

Dean looks away and crosses his arms, giving you all the confirmation you need.

“Yeah, that’s right,” you nod. “I saw you two over there on the playground, looked pretty heated. But do me a favor. Don’t come at me with that energy, because I’m too damn tired of it!”

When you walk away from him, Dean can’t help but stare after you. He knows he fucked that up, just as he knows that you don’t deserve him snapping at you. He’s just too irritated to admit it.

For the entire week that follows, Dean finds himself distracted. He sticks to his word and helps Benny teach his son how to ride a bike in between their shifts at the firehouse, but Dean comes home each night feeling even more frustrated and drained than before. It’s too much, knowing Benny’s slowly but surely carving out a father-figure role in Robbie’s life.

These thoughts follow Dean to work, even while he climbs up the firetruck ladder in the rain. It’s parallel to a busted utility pole that still sparks with electricity, even in this torrential downpour. His task is to get up to the top and grab a large branch that’s tangled in the lines.

Rung after rung, he climbs. His safety mask protects his eyes from the rain, but he wishes they had some mini windshield wipers to keep his vision clear of the droplets pelting him in the face.

He also can’t help thinking of you. If Lisa’s right, then Benny’s about to become a more permanent fixture in Robbie’s life, and yours. 

Okay fine. It’s not like Dean expected you to be single forever, but did you really have to get with one of his best friends? Does it really have to be Benny, who seems so natural with Robbie, and more patient than Dean, and more of a support to you and Robbie than Dean can ever be?

And then there’s Lisa’s little ultimatum. He understands why she’s frustrated with him. Honestly, he’s surprised she’s stuck around this long. He knows she’s not going to wait too much longer for him to get his act together. For him to decide, as she put it.

It’s not that he’s not sure about her, it’s just that…

Just that what? he wonders.

He manages to grab the wily tree branch and maneuver it out of the power lines. 

He just doesn’t realize that his glove doesn’t have quite enough friction on the metal side panel of the ladder. Not only does his hand slip, but he’s forced to let go of the branch while he loses his balance. The branch falls to the sidewalk, far, far down below.

“Dean!” Benny shouts in alarm.

Luckily, the truck itself breaks Dean's fall.

Holding Robbie’s hand tightly in yours is the only thing keeping you steady as you lead him through the hospital. After the receptionist had checked you both in and gave you the room number, you hastened down the hall and up to the right floor. 2005.

Robbie breaks into tears when he finally gets to see his dad, laid up though he is in his hospital bed. Your throat tightens at the sight of Dean hooked up to all those monitors. He has his arm wrapped up and fitted into a sling. He has a thick piece of gauze taped to the side of his face, covering a wide, angry abrasion, but he seems to be resting easy on his back. The bed is at an incline, with most of the overhead lights turned off.

Robbie rushes to the bed before you can stop him. He hesitantly touches Dean’s non-injured right hand. “Daddy?”

“Robbie, wait,” you say, keeping your voice quiet. You quickly go over to the bedside and grab ahold of Robbie’s shoulders, but Dean takes a deep breath. His eyelids crack open.

“Hey, buddy,” he says, attempting a smile. His voice is rough and weak, but at least he’s awake.

Robbie’s lower lip wobbles as tears fill his eyes again.

“Come ‘ere,” Dean says, a little stronger. When he reaches out to his son, the kid hops up onto the bed and buries his face into his father’s chest. Dean holds him as securely as he can, soothing his hand over the boy’s hair and pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

“It’s okay, little man. ‘M okay,” he promises. Robbie nods, but he still continues to cry.

You can’t help but do the same. Tears slip down your cheeks without your consent. Dean beckons you over too, gesturing with his chin and a slight smile. You’re more tentative in the way you sit down at the edge of his bed. You run your fingers through Robbie’s light brown hair to help reassure him. Then, you meet Dean’s gaze and lay a hand on his good shoulder. You don’t know whether you’re steadying him, or yourself.

“How do you feel?” you ask. “The hospital called me. Benny told me what happened.”

The thought reminds you to text your boyfriend. You hadn’t had a chance to tell him you made it here yet. He must be downstairs grabbing a bite to eat, because he’s the one who rode with Dean in the ambulance and has been with him for a while.

“The hospital called you?” Dean notes in slight confusion.

“Eileen told me that Sam is in court right now, so I must’ve been next on the list,” you say. He also must have taken Lisa off his emergency list the last time they broke up for almost a month. He probably forgot to update it again.

You reach out a hand to almost touch the bandage by his temple. Instead, you hesitantly hold the side of his face to see the area better. Dean closes his eyes for a moment. You can see he’s in pain. Your hand lingers on his cheek, but you know, deep down, that it shouldn’t.

Dean doesn’t stop you though. He lets out a deep breath, savoring how nice the gentle touch feels when the rest of his body feels battered to hell.

“Fell off the ladder. Was a stupid rookie move,” he explains, but when he sees that look on your face, he tries to inject a little more joking into a smile. “S’ not so bad.”

“You could’ve broken your head as well as your arm,” you say, more sharply than you mean to.

Robbie whimpers and clings tighter to Dean. You cover your mouth, as if you can trap the words back inside. You don’t want to upset your son more than he already is, so you fall silent. Another tear works its way down your cheek, but you brush it away. Dean shakes his head.

“Hey, I’m okay,” he reassures you too. He manages to smile as he pats Robbie’s back. “Right, buddy?”

The boy’s head perks up. His eyes are still shiny, but he smiles too. He’s not one to speak when he’s upset though, so he just curls up against Dean’s chest and hangs onto him. Dean rests his good arm snugly around him.

You smile and stroke Robbie’s back. Though your hand lowers, resting on Dean’s hand. You take in a deep breath to calm yourself down. Dean’s fingers curl around yours, prompting you to glance up into his eyes. The way he’s watching you is soft, grateful.

Until the door creaks open. Benny steps in with a subtle clearing of his throat. You jolt internally, and you slip your hand away from Dean’s. You offer your boyfriend a wan smile.

“Hey,” you say.

“Hey, baby.” He comes over and greets you with a kiss to the side of your head. He smiles at your son gently. “The gang’s all here.”

“Oh! Let me call Sam, and Lisa too. They still don’t know what’s going on,” you say. You get up from the bed to grab your phone out of your purse. Dean nods in agreement and thanks you, while Robbie plays with his dad's long fingers.

“How you holdin’ up, brother?” Benny asks, after you step out of the room. He settles into the chair near the foot of the bed.

“Ah, you know me. I’m like a cat. Always stick the landing,” Dean says, smiling lazily. The morphine is starting to kick in again.

Benny smirks. “Maybe you do got nine lives, the amount of close calls you like gettin’ yourself into.”

Dean’s good humor fades. He considers his son in his arms, and he shakes his head.

“Yeah, well, no more,” he says. He got a taste of what it would be like to leave his boy behind, and he’s not fucking doing it. He’s not leaving you to raise Robbie by yourself. The mere idea tears a new hole in his heart.

His eyes sting just enough that he has to blink a bit harder, swallowing past a thick well of emotion in his throat. He presses another kiss to the top of Robbie’s head. Then, Dean meets Benny’s gaze.

“Thank you,” he says, and he means it.

Benny nods.

“You got it, brother.”

When Lisa steps off the hospital elevator on the second floor, you happen to be coming out of the bathroom to fix your racoon eyes. You’ve been crying way too much. You attempt to greet Lisa with something reassuring, but she cuts you off. 

“What happened, and why didn’t the hospital call me directly?” she asks.

Her tone is cutting, and it takes you aback.

“Well, Sam and I were listed as his emergency contacts—”

“Why?” she snaps. “You’re not his wife or his girlfriend. I should’ve been listed.”

Jesus Christ. At this point, you can’t help it. You’re too tired and emotionally drained to lasso in your temper with this woman.

“Maybe if you and Dean stayed together longer than five minutes at a time, he’d put you back on the short list,” you sling back. “But the truth is, you’ve never just…been there for Dean. Not without demanding something from him.”

Lisa scoffs incredulously. “Oh, that’s fucking rich coming from you. You’re the reason he can’t commit to anything. You think your little world is the only one that matters, and you call Dean for any little thing! What, don’t you have a boyfriend to help fix your goddamn sink?” 

You open your mouth to retort, but you pause as her words seep into your mind. She might actually have a small point about that one. You realize then just how often you’ve been asking Dean for his help, not just with your apartment, but with your car, and other logistical things that usually have to with Robbie. Dean’s just such a good handyman, and you thought he genuinely liked being able to help…even though Benny did mention once or twice that he’d be just as happy to help you.

“Lisa, this is a lot more than a leaky sink. I just wanted to get here with Robbie and make sure Dean was okay,” you try to explain.

“Good. I’m glad his son was the first person Dean got to see when he woke up,” Lisa says. “But I should’ve been the second.”

She brushes past you before you can even think of what to say. You’re in a state of shock, feeling guilty, incensed, and on the verge of tears all at once.

A familiar voice calls your name, and you turn to Benny just as those tears begin to fall. He gathers you up into his arms and holds you there in the middle of the hallway.

“She shouldn’t talk to you like that, no matter how high tensions are today. I’ll talk to Dean,” Benny says. You shake your head and bury your face in his chest, clenching your fingers in his red flannel shirt. 

“No, it’s okay,” you reply, despite the sob that shudders through you. You’ve lost the will to fight.

Benny shakes his head and presses a kiss to your forehead. “It ain’t okay, baby.”

“Please, don’t bother Dean with this. Especially not right now,” you say. You take a moment to wipe your eyes and get ahold of yourself. “I’m gonna go get Robbie so Dean can rest.”

You can’t shake the feeling that Lisa is right. You do rely on Dean too much. You just don’t want to think about why that is.

Dean makes a full recovery after a few months. He never does hear about what happened in that hallway, but he knows that things need to change. 

He decides to dig out his mom’s engagement ring from a locked box of his parents’ keepsakes, though he’s still waiting on the right time for it. He and Lisa start looking at houses though, for real this time. She hires a realtor and everything. 

He’s making a firm decision, and he thinks it’s the right one. He wants to be there for his son, but he doesn’t want to keep “spreading himself too thin.” He has to figure out how to set some roots, and some boundaries with you while he’s at it. He’ll just have to come to terms with the idea that he won’t get to be there for everything. 

He has to be okay with the fact that you’ll probably marry Benny. You’ll keep making him cookies and cakes, giving him your smile and your time and your body. And Robbie will probably think of Benny as more of a father than his own Weekend Dad. 

Meanwhile, you’ve spent the past few months keeping yourself in check as well. You’ve stopped calling Dean for help whenever something breaks down in your old-ass apartment. You try to keep your conversations less about life and troubles and whatever funny thing your students did that day in class, and more focused on Robbie–strictly about his schedule and his needs.

It’s kind of painful, if you’re honest with yourself. Sam will always be one of your closest friends from college, but in the past five years, Dean has truly become your best friend. Because you’ve told him things. The things that come from sharing a child with someone, like Sunday dinners with your parents, flipping through old yearbooks and childhood pictures—and the details of day-to-day schedules and little stupid things that happen in moments between moments.

Dean also knows the deep cuts. Like being pregnant and scared and breaking down crying on the side of the road. Like sharing the deepest well of your insecurities with someone who knows your body intimately, even if just for one amazing night...a night you’ve never quite been able to put out of your mind.

However, you know that things can’t stay the same. From now on, he just needs to be your son’s father. Nothing more, nothing less. 

So today, on a crisp April 24th, you’re getting ready for a highly anticipated evening with your boyfriend. Robbie is sleeping over your parents’ house, and Benny has been planning something special for your third-year anniversary. 

You slip into your new dress, a deep emerald green, with a pair of black heels you’ve rarely worn since before you got pregnant. Come to think of it, you were wearing these the night of Sam and Eileen’s bachelor-bachelorette party. The night you…well, the night Robbie was conceived. 

You shake your head to rid yourself of those thoughts. You even consider changing. 

You’re being silly, you shake your head. They’re just shoes. 

And yet. Thinking of that time so long ago, it reminds you of a recent Sunday dinner at your parents’ house.

Two Months Ago...

Your parents live modestly, but comfortably in rural Kansas. Their ranch-style home boasts a creek in the backyard, where your dad is teaching your son how to catch minnows. Your mom is inside working on an apple pie, knowing it’s both Dean’s and Robbie’s favorite.

You and Dean have kept close to the house under the shade, sitting on a bench made more comfortable by a pair of old polyester cushions with red, faded flowers.

“How much longer do you have to wear that?” you ask Dean. He glances down at his cast-covered left arm.

“Doc says it’s about ready to come off,” he says.

You nod, allowing yourself a certain smile. “How bad are you itching to grab my mom’s garden shears and cut it off right here?”

“Woman, don’t tempt me,” he says, his lips twitching at a grin. “I’ve been eying those overgrown scissors for the past half hour.”

You laugh and take another sip of your glass. Yours holds sweet tea, while Dean’s has some of your dad’s favorite whiskey. You both raise your heads when Robbie yells across the backyard.

“I caught a minnow!”

“Good job, buddy,” Dean grins. “See if you can catch a marlin!”

“A marlin?” Robbie questions.

“Yeah, like that orange guy in Finding Nemo,” Dean calls back.

Your dad gives Dean the same wry look you do, though yours is tinged with more amusement.

“Dean, that’s a clown fish,” you say. “He’s not gonna find that in the creek.”

“Aw, shit,” he tries to quiet his laugh. “Ah well, should keep him occupied for another twenty minutes.”

You bite your lip to stifle your laughter as well. Though something else occurs to you the longer you watch your son play and explore in the creek. Your dad has the patience of a saint as he puts yet another bait worm on the hook for the kid.

“He’s starting to ask questions, you know,” you tell Dean, in a quieter voice. “‘Why aren’t you and Daddy married? Why can’t we all live together?’”

Dean's brows raise. His good humor dims when he looks over at you.

“What do you tell him?” he asks.

You take in a deep breath, considering your words now as carefully as you did with your son.

“That we care about each other a lot, as friends,” you say, meeting Dean’s eyes. “And we love Robbie very much. Nothing’s going to change that, even if you and I aren’t together like a normal mom and dad.”

Saying it like that makes your heart twinge, for more than one reason. The way Dean’s mouth twitches into a rueful smile just makes it worse, but you try your best to ignore it.

“I never thought about having to explain it to him,” he says, rubbing a hand over his mouth.

It’s that anxious tell of his again. You notice every time he does it.

“I have,” you admit. “I just didn’t know for sure what I was going to say until it was coming out of my mouth.”

Dean smirks a little. “Yeah, that sounds like you.”

You roll your eyes and sip your drink, crossing your arms as well. Dean considers you then, looking at you in a way that makes you raise a brow in question.

“What?” you ask.

“Nothing, it’s just…” He sits back against the bench and rubs his hands down his jean-clad thighs. “For the record, I did try to ask you out once.”

“What?” you scoff incredulously. “No, you’ve been with Lisa since the beginning.”

“Before Lisa,” Dean says.

He isn’t joking. He isn’t teasing. He’s serious as he stares back at you with those green eyes of his. Your brows furrow as you wrack your brain. Did he drunkenly leave you a voicemail on one of those “off again” episodes between him and Lisa? No. You know you’d remember something like that.

“It was a few weeks after the bachelor party,” Dean says. “I called you up, remember?”

Your eyes widen. Finally, that jogs your memory.

“So I just thought maybe you and I could do something again. Maybe you wanna come over my place this time.” And there it is. You deflate at his words, shoulders sagging. The "convenient booty call" proposition.

You have to laugh, shaking your head in disbelief.

“Dean, you did not ask me out,” you say. “You wanted to hook up. There’s a distinct difference.”

Dean frowns at you. “No, I was. I invited you over—”

“For essentially some Netflix and chill,” you retort.

“Hey, I offered to make you dinner,” he argues. “I didn’t say anything about hooking up.”

You pause at that. His earnest denial makes you actually think back to what you remember about that conversation on the phone.

“So I just thought maybe you and I could do something again. Maybe you wanna come over my place this time.” And there it is. You deflate at his words, shoulders sagging. The "convenient booty call" proposition. “I could make us some burgers, toss in a couple of beers and a movie night,” he adds.

You cover your lips with your fingers as you begin to realize…

“That was you asking me out?” you ask incredulously.

Dean’s brows furrow and he throws his hands up. “What? Who doesn’t like a little movie night?”

“Dean,” you huff another laugh. “You could’ve made it sound more like a date.”

“Well, ‘scuse me. Sorry I couldn’t afford the Ritz at the time,” he grumbles.

You sigh. “That’s not what I meant.”

The more you think about it, the more you just shake your head at yourself. Why did you have to overthink it, like you do everything?

“Wow,” you say, softer and more contrite. “I honestly never thought…”

“Yeah,” he says. He shifts his gaze out ahead.

You glance over at him, now more unsure of yourself. He wouldn’t have any regrets, you think. He has Lisa. As much as they go at it, they always inevitably get back together. And now you know they hired a realtor. They’re about to start making solid steps forward.

But Dean surprises you with another question.

“Do you think if…”

He doesn’t finish it, but you think you know what he’s asking. You hesitate, your fingers flexing around your glass that beads with condensation. You set the glass down beside you. 

Just as you open your mouth to reply—

“All right, pie is cooling and dinner is served!” your mom calls out. Her head pokes out of the sliding glass door to the backyard. You offer a smile, trying to hide how you jolted in your seat.

“Okay, thanks, Mom,” you nod.

You turn back to Dean, who also hesitates. His eyes meet yours, but all too soon, he locks the moment away.

Bracing his hands on his knees, he rocks to his feet and goes out to get Robbie and help your dad bring in the fishing gear.

You grab Dean’s whiskey along with your tea on your way back inside the house. You consider the amber liquid disturbed in his glass, and you down the rest yourself. The burn down your throat is a good distraction. If he asks about it, you’ll say you got the glasses confused.

You know you’ll have to leave that conversation unfinished at the foot of the bench.

Now...

Benny comes by your apartment and helps you into the passenger side of his pickup truck, like the gentleman he is. He takes you to a nice restaurant in downtown, much nicer than the usual sports bar or kid-friendly restaurant. You're very much looking forward to eating at a restaurant that doesn't feature chicken fingers or "kiddie" corn dogs.

“This is gonna be really expensive,” you whisper to him, after he hands his keys over to the valet. 

Benny squeezes your hand in his, leaning over to kiss your temple. 

“Don’t you worry about that. We both deserve a night out.” His blue eyes gleam with amusement. However, his gaze gentles, becoming more sincere. “You work hard, carin’ for everybody around you. How about you let me take care of you for once.”

Your eyes begin to water, your throat constricting with emotion. You rub his arm gratefully.

“Thank you,” you say. “You don’t know how much I appreciate that.” 

It’s always easy with Benny. Nice and simple and easy. Nice, supportive, and considerate.

Nice and safe.

That thought follows you while you and Benny walk into to the restaurant. He’s reserved great seats in the back corner, overlooking a beautiful courtyard. It’s decorated with hydrangeas and light wood dining tables, all framed with a rod iron archway as the sun begins to set just so. After holding your chair out for you before he sits himself, Benny orders a bottle of champagne to kick things off.

He turns to you with a somewhat nervous look in his eyes, like he's steeling himself. It’s uncharacteristic of Benny, who’s always so calm and charming and sure of himself. It makes a zing of anticipation run down your spine, and…a dash of fear. You don’t know why, and you don’t know how to beat the feeling down as you fidget in your seat.

He subtly clears his throat, then takes your hand. “Sweetheart, I know I’m not all that good at the words you’re supposed to say. But I can say that the past three years with you and Robbie, it’s come to mean the world to me.”

Your smile softens. He brushes his thumb over the back of your hand, encouraged by your reaction.

“So I think it’s time I made it clear where I stand, and how much I want to be the man in your life,” he says.

Your eyes begin to widen in shock, but not for the reason he thinks.

“Dean,” you gasp.

Benny’s expression slackens. “What?”

You point over his shoulder, and Benny turns to follow your line of vision. Dean and Lisa have just walked into the restaurant. They notice you pointing their way, and they both pause in surprise as well. Lisa is beautiful as usual in a slinky black dress, completely backless (something you feel you could never pull off, unless you had an invisible bra to keep the girls perked up).

Dean is…well, you’ve very rarely seen him in a suit, but charcoal gray works for him. The open collar and white buttoned-down works for him, as do the three top buttons he’s left undone, showing a tantalizing strip of tanned skin. He stares back at you like he forgot you live in the same time zone, let alone the same zip code.

“Uh, hey!” he casts out an awkward wave, before he makes his way over to you and Benny. Lisa is less than enthused.

“We shouldn’t interrupt their night,” you catch her whisper to him, but Dean doesn’t seem to hear her.

“What’s up, party people! Of all the gin joints in all the world, huh?” Dean says, a little too loudly when he thumps Benny on the back. Benny grunts, giving a bit of a forced chuckle.

“Dean,” he greets. “I think I told you about this particular gin joint. Good to see you can actually clean up once in a while.”

“Ah, you know what, this monkey suit ain’t too bad,” Dean says, pulling at his collar.

You smirk in amusement. “Yeah, I remember how much you complained about wearing a simple tie for Robbie’s Christmas pageant.”

He smirks down at you. “Hey, ties still might not be my thing, but nothing wrong with a sharp collar.”

He pops his for emphasis. You don’t know why it makes you laugh, but it does. Maybe it’s just his face and the silly, endearing expression he makes when he pouts his lips in a “blue steel.”

“So, is this just a night out, or you guys celebrating something special?” Dean asks, gesturing at the champagne bottle and your full glasses of bubbly.

Benny gives his friend a certain look. “Yeah, as a matter of fact. Today’s three years.”

He takes your hand and kisses your knuckles. You smile back at him, though you’re a bit self-conscious at the way both he and Dean, and even Lisa have their attention on you.

“We should let you guys get back to it then,” Lisa says.

Honestly, it’s a relief. You and Benny nod, wishing them a goodnight.

For some reason, you notice how Dean’s smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes. But he goes with Lisa, laying a hand on the small of her back. You force yourself to tear your eyes away from them and refocus on Benny. You take up your champagne glass and raise it in offering.

“All right, where were we?” you ask, if with a nervous trill in your belly.

Benny smiles. He takes up his glass and clinks it with yours.

Lisa nearly sighs. She and Dean are back in line at the front of the restaurant, waiting to be seated. The second time she catches Dean glancing over at the table where you and Benny sit, she shakes her head and digs into her purse for the valet card. She’s done with this.

“I think maybe we should go to a different restaurant,” she says.

That finally earns Dean’s attention, mostly confused. “What, why?”

She just gives him a long look.

He realizes that whatever her reasons are, it’s easier to just give in than to fight her on it. He’s learning when to pick his battles. Or is he just giving up?

Also, if tonight’s “the night” he thinks it is for you and Benny, maybe he doesn’t want to stick around after all. Three years, huh?

“All right, fine. Let’s go,” he agrees.

Dean and Lisa wait for the valet to bring the Impala around. The minute he gets behind the wheel and turns the key into the ignition, she changes her mind.

“Look, let’s just go home,” she says. “I don’t really feel like eating out anymore.”

Dean’s brows raise. “What? Aw, come on. We’re already dressed and everything. You look great, Lis. Just tell me where you wanna eat.”

Lisa remains firm, with a small shake of her head. “Please, Dean, just take me home.”

After a moment of indecision, Dean sighs. He revs the ignition and does as she says.

It’s only a fifteen-minute drive back to their apartment, but in that stifling silence, it seems to drag on for a small eternity. He glances at her a couple of times. Lisa has her arms crossed as she stares out the window, watching the other restaurants and mom-and-pops shops and forest trees and old houses of Lebanon, Kansas go by.

Dean counts it a blessing when they’re finally home. He walks up the few short steps up to their ground-floor apartment and unlocks the door. He flicks on the lights inside, and she breezes past him to toss her purse onto the couch.

Dean takes off his blazer and begins to undo the buttons on his cuffs. He watches her all the while, knowing that a storm is brewing. She shucks off her heels and slowly paces the living room on bare feet, like her whirling thoughts are fueling every step.

“All right, I give. What’s going on?” Dean asks. “What’d I do this time?”

She pauses, with her back turned to him.

Shit, he thinks. He shouldn’t have said it like that.

He prepares for the inevitable blow up, but it never comes. Lisa just heaves a sigh. Slowly she turns, and Dean’s shocked and dismayed to see the tears welling up in her deep brown eyes. He makes quick strides toward her, but she raises a hand to keep him at bay.

“Dean, when you picture yourself happy, truly happy,” she says. “Is it with me? Can you imagine yourself marrying me? Buying the house, having kids, growing old together?”

If Dean was thrown for a loop before, he’s even more stunned by her question. “Lis…”

“Just be honest, for once,” she pleads. Her tears begin to brim over, but she blinks, somehow keeping them at bay.

It’s a bit too long before Dean realizes that he can’t give her an answer. At least, not the one he knows she wants to hear.

When he thinks of that picture in his mind, of course he sees his son. But the only other person Dean can imagine there beside him is…

“I…” He wills his mouth to work, but nothing else comes out.

The only face he can conjure is yours. Your eyes are warm and welcoming, your smile as bright and contagious as your laugh.

The only voice he can hear is yours, gentle and strong at the same time.

The only one he can see is you.

He knows the shampoo you use and the perfume you like to wear, how the sweet and floral scents mix together and linger in your hair and on your skin.

Even now he remembers the contours of your body, and how it could fit so well against his. He knows that you used to try and hide your shape under loose, baggy shirts and cargo pants that did nothing for you. He knows how much courage it took you to wear that red dress to his brother’s party, because you told him once, at one of those Sunday dinners at your parents’ house.

Come to think of it, there’s not a whole lot that Dean doesn’t know about you, except maybe what you see when you look at him.

“You love her,” Lisa finishes for him. “I think you always have.”

Dean’s throat tightens. Somehow he swallows anyway, and he shakes his head. 

“Lisa, I loved you.”

“Maybe you did, in your own way,” she says, laughing a little through her tears as she wipes them away. “But you already have a family, Dean. Go fight for it.” 

Dean doesn’t know what to say, but he knows what he can do.

He goes to her and kisses her cheek. 

“I’m so sorry,” he says. 

Lisa merely nods, wiping her face dry. She watches Dean Winchester walk out of her apartment, and out of her life for good this time. 

Dean calls your cell, but it goes to voicemail. He drives all the way back to the restaurant and doesn’t find you or Benny there. 

Dean realizes that what he’s doing, what he plans to do, is not fucking cool. He wouldn’t blame you or even Benny for being severely pissed when Dean shows up. He also knows that he can’t let another day pass where he keeps lying to you, and himself. 

He eventually finds you at home. What’s weird is that Benny’s truck isn’t in the driveway—just your car. He knocks on your door, and he waits.

He unconsciously holds his breath while he waits in that terrible existence of limbo. However, his heart thrums back to life when he hears your footsteps drawing closer to the door. Anticipation, excitement, dread, it all roils together inside him like a bad cocktail as the door swings open.

And he’s once again rendered a bit breathless at the sight of you in that dress. The color alone appeals to him, let alone the way it accentuates your every curve, from full breasts to the swell of your hips, the softer slope of your thighs, and bare toes painted. You’re fucking delectable, every curve, and a temptation without you even meaning to be. 

You’re just…you’re still so goddamn beautiful, like the night he first saw you. Even now, he can almost feel the give of your thighs under his hands, his fingers pressed to supple flesh. 

But then he’s drawn to your face, and your wide eyes full of surprise. Your mascara is a bit smudged though. Your eyes are red too, like you’ve been crying. His brows furrow in concern.

“Dean, what’re you doing here?” you ask.

“I need to talk to you, but uh…did something happen?” he asks. “You okay?”

You’re reluctant to tell him. Did Benny say something to upset you? Or was it something he did?

“Yeah, I’m okay,” you say.

Instinctively, Dean knows it’s a lie.

“This isn’t a good time though,” you say, after clearing your throat. “Can we do this tomorrow, maybe?”

Dean leans a hand on the doorframe.

“Please, it’s important,” he says. His eyes implore you harder than his words. Please.

That does it. A sigh passes through your lips, but you let him in. He knows Robbie is with your parents for the night, which actually makes this easier.

Once he steps inside the apartment, Dean does notice that your bedroom door is open. Half the drawers to your dresser are open too, and empty. Certain frames that used to be on your coffee table are no longer there, like the one of you, Benny, and Robbie on a camping trip. 

“You want some coffee, or soda?” you ask. 

Dean declines and grasps your arm before you can busy yourself into “hostess” mode. He leads you to the couch, where you both sit down together.

“What happened tonight?” he asks. “Where’s Benny?”

Your lower lip wobbles, the beginning of your telltale cry face. Dean knows his son gets it from you, and it always breaks his heart. He squeezes your arm gently, trying to ground you.

“Benny proposed to me tonight,” you confess, taking in a sharp breath. “He proposed, and I couldn’t give him an answer.” 

You shake your head as the tears sting hot in your eyes. 

“He got so upset, he just—he left!” You throw your hands up. “But honestly, I don’t blame him.”

Dean tries to comfort you as you try and fail to wipe at your face. He wraps an arm around your shoulders, cupping your cheek to brush the tears away himself. 

“Why couldn’t you answer him?” he asks. 

You look up at Dean, and you finally notice the shine of hope in his eyes. Dean touches your cheek more tenderly. 

“Does it mean I have a chance here?” he asks.

Despite what your eyes tell you, you still gape at him in shock. “What? But…what about Lisa?”

“It’s over. For good this time,” Dean shakes his head. “I realized what I wanted for my life, and where my heart is…”

And he chuckles weakly. “Truth is, you’ve had it the whole time, sweetheart.”

You begin to crumble all over again. You pull away from him and his touch, because you can’t believe it. You cover your face with your hands, sniffling as you try to make sense of his words, his touch, and the warm flutter threatening to brim happiness in your heart.

“God, Dean. You can't just..."

"I mean it," he insists.

You're still reluctant to take him seriously...no matter how much you want to. It's a conflicting realization that hurts, and makes you feel stupid for taking so long to figure it out, and makes you hate yourself for hoping his words are true.

"Come the morning, you’re going to change your mind,” you reason, without looking at him. “Like you’ve done with Lisa a thousand times.”

“No,” Dean says firmly. He shifts closer and prompts you to look at him, really look at him.

“Not about this, and you know it,” he says, catching and holding your gaze. “That’s why you couldn’t say yes to Benny. Because you know what we’ve got. It’s the real deal.”

You still look uncertain, even though you can’t bring yourself to pull away this time. Dean has always had this way of looking into the very depths of you, like he can actually see every thought as it passes through your mind.  

“I should’ve said yes,” you say. “I can rely on Benny. I know he would stay by my side, and…and I know he won’t hurt me.”

Not like I’ve just hurt him, you think. Guilt still pricks at your heart. The last thing you ever wanted to do was lead him on, and yet, that’s what you’d done, wasn’t it? You thought you had loved him. You’re sure that you did, but maybe it just wasn’t the kind of love that could reach down deep and grab you, set your blood on fire, and make you ache when the burn was gone.

That spark licks across your skin when Dean takes your hands.  

“What if I want to be that guy for you,” he says.

You allow yourself to look at him. Really look at him.

You know Dean. When he gets an idea in his head, it inhabits every bone and shred of muscle in his body. There’s no mistaking his resolve, or the steady grip of his hands over yours.

“If you let me, I’ll stay. I won’t leave you,” he says. In his eyes, there’s a firm promise. “I can be the guy you rely on. The man you can trust. The man who’s gonna love you, come whatever. Because now I know what it means. I know how it feels.”

You bite your lower lip against the smile that wants to surface.

“Are you sure?” you ask.

Dean smiles for you. “If you wanna know the truth, I’m pretty sure I’ve been loving you since the day I heard Robbie’s heartbeat for the first time.” 

Your tears flow harder at that. A shaky breath escapes you, though it does nothing to steady you. Dean strokes your cheek gently with his thumb. 

“Please, just give me this one chance,” he asks. Begs, really. 

He doesn’t have to though. You nod, just a little. 

“Okay,” you agree. “Let’s try.”

Dean's smile spreads slow, but warm across his face. It’s your favorite kind, the kind that crinkles his eyes. 

He leans in and claims your lips with his own. The passion of it is familiar, but you don't think it’s the same as five years ago. Now, there’s an underlying note of tenderness in his touch and each new way he tastes you deeper. He holds nothing back this time, and neither do you. 

Your fingers tangle in his shirt, and then in his hair as you moan into his mouth. “Dean.”

“Yeah, sweetheart?” he answers against your lips, though he doesn’t give you much room to keep talking.

You haven’t heard him call you sweetheart in a long time. You feel your heart knitting back together, stitch by stitch. Tears sting in your eyes anew, but you squeeze your eyes shut against them.

“I…”

You can’t even continue the breathless thought. You hold his face desperately between your hands, pressing your forehead to his for a moment as you both catch your breath. But this man is like the sweetest, most seductive vice. Now that you’ve gotten another hit, you can’t resist. You no longer want to.

His arms wrap around you more securely, and he leans in to lure you back into his kiss. His tongue breaches past your lips to curl along yours with tantalizing strokes. His hands slowly move down your back and along your waist.

“Mmm, missed the hell outta this,” he groans into your mouth. Your heart flutters again at the way he holds you, the way his big hands squeeze you and feel you.

You let him guide you down onto the sofa cushions. He slots himself between your bare thighs and runs his hand up familiar smooth skin, bunching the skirt of your dress higher as he goes. He aims to get himself reacquainted with every soft part of you that welcomes him back.

For once, the gates around your hearts swing free. 

Dean never imagined that his own son would hand him the ring he gives to his wife, but today, it just feels like symmetry. He grins and winks at Robbie.

“Thanks, buddy,” Dean says.

His son’s beaming grin is wide and toothy, but the boy takes his job very seriously and delivers the other ring to you. You smile brightly and caress his cheek after you take the shining, white gold band from him. It matches the thinner band that Dean has for you; it'll soon join the engagement ring that once belonged to his mother.

Robbie had liked Benny a lot, but he loves his dad. He’s probably the happiest person in the room to see his parents take each other’s hands in front of the minister. 

Benny is understandably absent in the chapel today. You had met with him after that night of your botched anniversary to apologize to him, and so had Dean. Benny understood. He’d admitted that in the back of his mind, he feared this might happen.

“I wouldn’t blame you for being angry with me,” you said to him. “You can even hate me if you want.” Benny gave you a wry, melancholy sort of smile. “Part of me’s still mad at you, I won’t lie…but there’s no use in it. Not even hating you.”

Even though Benny bowed out, carrying his hurt and his grief on those broad shoulders, letting you go meant letting go of a friend too. He put in his paperwork to transfer out of Firehouse 83.

As he’d told Dean himself that day, and in fact, the last words Benny said to him…

“There you go, Lieutenant. A spot’s just opened up.”

Dean didn’t want to get promoted this way. He felt guilty enough as it was, and not just for Benny leaving the firehouse. Benny recommended Dean to the Chief himself though, saying that if they were going to give someone a Lieutenant’s badge, it may as well be the guy who got a perfect score on his test, and had the natural leadership skills to boot.

To the end, Benny was a gentleman.

Now, Sam beckons his nephew over. Robbie quickly goes to his uncle’s side and puffs his little chest out as he stands proud behind his dad. 

Dean is able to take you in, your beautiful white dress, and everything about you that makes him smile…including the way you smile back at him.

Man and wife is all he hears. It’s all he needs to hear, before he’s pulling you closer by your newly anointed hand. He dips you for a thorough kiss in front of all your family and friends. 

You squeal in surprise, making Dean smile hard enough for his cheeks to hurt. Giggling hard enough to make you tremble, you raise a hand to caress his cheek. But you give him another real kiss after he guides you back up to your feet.

“I love you,” you whisper against his lips. The words are just for him to hear. Dean pulls back enough to see the truth shining in your eyes. Beautiful.

“Can’t help it, right?” he teases. 

You smile in amusement, but you grab his chin and shake it. 

“You got me,” you reply. “I really, really can’t.”

Your beaming smile softens. Even though the entire room is clapping and hooting and hollering in celebration, in that moment, all you really see is Dean. 

Here in his arms, you know that this is where you were meant to end up. From now on, it’s where you’re meant to be.

AN: From Lisa and Benny to Robbie and everything in between. Dean and the reader certainly aren't perfect in this, but what do you think about how their story unfolded? I truly hope you guys enjoy this one, because I've had so much fun with it. 🥰❤️❤️‍🔥

So please let me know what you thought! 😘

⋆˙⟡ Keep Reading: The Epilogue

"Shall I stay? Would it be a sin, if I can't help falling in love with you?"

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[manheeiim]

problem solved - rafe cameron au

It'd been maybe a month and a half since Rafe and you started dating and your car was already on his last nerve. Sure, he did have low patience in general, but this was particularly bothersome for him.

He could already tell it was a shitty car from the way it looked and he thought any girl that was dating him deserved better, especially you. Honestly, it was kind of an embarrassment to him that you were driving that thing when you had him; someone who wasn't exactly hard up.

Then, recently, you were on the couch at Tannyhill with him after just driving over and you started to complain about your car.

"Rafe." You say as you look up from your phone. He's also preoccupied on his own phone, specifically with a text conversation between Barry and him as he's trying to get some more coke- something you didn't know about at this point in your relationship.

He looks up from his phone, "Yeah?"

"My car's been being weird lately." You say.

"Oh, yeah? What's it been doin'?" Rafe asks, shutting his phone off.

"Like, I don't know how to describe it right but... like my brakes have been squeaky and I've been needing to put a lot of pressure on them for them to do anything, if that makes sense." You start. Okay, so you needed new brakes, Rafe thought. "But, also, I've been needing to put a lot of pressure into accelerating and when I do it makes like noise and my car like shakes and then it doesn't even go that fast. I don't know if that makes sense." You add. "It also does the shaking thing when I'm like at a light or something." You tell him.

He furrows his eyebrows, "How long has this been goin' on?" Rafe asks because with the way you were talking, this didn't seem like something new.

"Um, a few weeks." You tell him.

"And you didn't bother to mention it to me?" Rafe says, his voice a little firm. "You know I know stuff about cars."

"I'm sorry, Rafe. I just.. I don't know. I didn't think about it really until now with all this different stuff going on.." You honestly say.

Rafe just sighs, "Alright, I'll... I'll check it out sometime this week."

"Thank you." You smile a little as you cuddle up against him.

"Yeah, whatever." Rafe says, though he smiles a little.

Rafe did go and check out your car it ended up being that you needed brakes and a new catalytic converter. Sure, the catalytic converter was expensive but not for him and he would probably just change it for you if you had a car worth it but you didn't. He didn't like your car, he felt it was unreliable, which it kind of was, and that it wasn't good enough for you or for him.

He went back inside after checking it that day and let you know what was wrong with it but he knew you didn't know a thing about cars so he didn't expect you to really get it. All he said was that he'd take care of it.

Take care of it he did. Two weeks later, you were in his truck with him after he picked you up from your shift at your part-time job, and he was driving you back to your place. It was expected to be simply a normal day for you but that changed when you pulled into the driveway of your house and saw your dream car.

You gasped, "Rafe..." You say as he pulls in and parks his car.

"You like it?" He asked, a proud smile on his face.

"Yes!" You squeal as you kiss his cheek before getting out of his truck and running over to the light blue Ford Bronco Sport. "Oh my gosh." You exclaim as he comes over and hands you the keys he'd had in his pocket the whole time.

You take them and open the car, hoping inside the drivers seat. It was so much nicer than your car you had now and you loved it. Rafe stood by where you sat since the door was open as you turned the car on so you can see all the features.

"It's even got Apple CarPlay and I know you really like that." Rafe added, since your old car didn't have it.

"Oh my gosh. Rafe. I can't believe you did this." You smile. "You're the best. I love you." You say, and maybe it was still kind of early in the relationship to say that but you both knew you loved each other.

Rafe leans in and kisses you, "I love you too, baby." He responds.

Sure, buying a car for someone only about two months into dating was kind of fast but most things in your relationship happened fast and at the end of the day, you got your dream car and you were beyond happy. Rafe, well he was happy you were happy but also, he finally could be done with that goddamn car he hated and you also finally had a car that fit not only you but him better.

𓇼 rafe cameron au masterlist

[libraryofgage]

Harlequin Prince 5

Debbie and Fester Addams One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six Rick and Evelyn O'Connell One | Two | Three Harley Quinn One | Two | Three | Four | Five (you're here!) 10th Doctor and Rose One | Two Scooby Gang One Jedidiah and Octavius (from Night at the Museum) One | Two Queen Clarisse Renaldi One | Two | Three | Four Leverage Crew One

Today? I bring you a cliffhanger for Harley Quinn AU Steve. Tomorrow? Who knows, probably not much given my current rate of writing lmao

Anyway, have fun reading and if you see any typos, no you didn't <3

-----

“I want to be a Robin.”

The batcave goes near silent save the sound of Bruce choking on his coffee. He swallows it down, clears his throat, and carefully sets the coffee on the console in front of him. Then, he looks at Steve. “I think I misheard you,” he says, voice rough and cheeks still flushed from coughing.

“Make me a Robin.”

“Ah,” Bruce says, a frown tugging at his lips. “No.”

Steve blinks. He didn't think it would take much convincing, but maybe this is a test. He stands from the computer he'd been using to watch Tim and Damien patrol and walks over to Bruce. His computer is showing complicated schematics of a new Batmobile feature promising extra airbags and multiple first aid kits.

“Can I be a Robin?” Steve asks, thinking his approach might have been the issue. Bruce is constantly harping on him about etiquette, even though his mother says none of that really matters as long as he isn’t an asshole.

Bruce frowns deeper. “It takes more than asking, Steve.”

“Isn't that what Tim did?”

“Tim also managed to figure out my secret identity with almost no clues.”

“So, he can solve a puzzle. So can I.”

“You're missing the point, Steve.”

“I can do gymnastics, I know Gotham like the back of my hand, I'm not scared of getting hurt, and I want to stop bad guys. Hell, I've even got daddy issues, if that's a requirement!”

Even though Bruce is looking up at him, literally shorter because he's still sitting, his gaze makes Steve feel small. It’s not fair, the way he makes Steve fight the urge to find a blanket to hide under. He doesn't feel seen, exactly, but he feels studied. Bruce is practically wearing a lab coat and taking notes with the way his head tilts.

“What's this about?” Bruce finally asks, his voice soft and patient and that's somehow worse. He has experience with this. Bruce has a whole gaggle of traumatized kids that he's managed to keep alive (sort of, mostly, kind of) to pull from.

Steve holds strong for three seconds before deflating. He leans against the console, carefully avoiding any buttons that could set off missiles laced with kryptonite. He's seen Duke do that before; he'd rather not repeat the incident. “I just….I need to be good.”

“You're already good.”

“I'm not good enough!” Steve shouts, grimacing as his voice echoes through the cave. He takes a deep breath, slowly letting it out. “I think…I think I know who my dad is. And I just…I never want to be like him. I need to be good and make Mom proud and keep her safe. Isn't that what being a Robin is about? Keeping people safe? Please, Uncle Bruce, just let me try.”

A few beats of tense silence pass. Steve almost starts to think Bruce is going to reject him again when he says, “I understand.”

“You do?”

“I do,” Bruce says, nodding as he stands. He gestures for Steve to follow him as he walks deeper into the cave. Steve hurries after, practically stepping on the man's heels. “I can't promise you'll be a Robin, but you can at least start training like one.”

“What kind of training?”

“Combat, first aid, crisis management, parkour, and a weapon of choice.”

Steve mulls this over for a second, considering what lies ahead. “And I'll be good if I do this?” he asks.

A warm hand on his shoulder stops Steve in his tracks. He looks up to find Bruce staring down at him. “You're already good, Steve. Being good is about showing people you care. Saving them is one way, sure, but you could also just take care of them. Make breakfast, wash the dishes without being asked, always have their favorite snack on hand. Learn what makes people happy and do that. It's the small stuff that really counts.”

“Not the big stuff?”

“Sure, a big gesture once in a while is nice, but it doesn't add up the same. Small things show you listen and remember. That's all people really want, and that's all that being good is about.”

Steve chews on the inside of his cheek, thinking about how relieved and happy his mother looked the one time he did the dishes without being asked. “This doesn't sound like the kinda advice you would give,” he finally says.

“It shouldn’t,” Bruce says, “I learned it from my father, and he learned it from Alfred.”

Yeah, that makes much more sense.

-------

“Hey, I know we're already, like, here and all, but don't you think going inside the abandoned lab for supposed evil is a pretty dangerous idea?”

Steve glances at Robin, taking in her frown as she stares at the building in front of them. “I've been in, like, eight of these before,” he says, flashing a grin when she looks at him. “Don't worry, we’ll be fine.”

“Unless it's funnier if we're not,” Robin mutters. 

Her words make Steve grimace, because he knows exactly what's going to happen now. She's set the scene. Robin has pointed out the gun on the mantle, and now it's going to go off. Because the universe loves a cruel joke every once in a while.

“We’ll be fine,” Eddie says, unaware that he’s hammering nails into their coffin with each word. “We’re just here to explore, right?”

“Yeah,” Steve says, flashing a grin before leading their doomed group into the abandoned lab.

The inside is dusty and chaotic. Furniture is turned over, potted plants are spilling dirt across the floors, and there’s a large stain on the floor that Steve immediately recognizes as blood. Based on the shade, he’d clock the stain as three weeks old. One of the doors across the room is hanging on by a single hinge, leaning dangerously to the side and rendering the ID scanner by it pointless. 

“I thought they just ran out of funding,” Robin says, shifting closer to Steve to avoid stepping on the blood stain. She grabs the edge of his shirt as they slip through, careful to avoid disturbing the door.

“I heard they accidentally blew up the basement,” Eddie says, his voice low and conspiratorial like they’re sharing secrets at a sleepover. He leans even closer, hand on Steve’s shoulder for balance. “Some of the baseball team were around the night it happened. They heard explosions and screaming, something like a monster wailing through the trees. Maybe it’s still here, waiting for its next meal.”

Robin glares at him. “Don’t be such an asshole, Munson.”

“Well, he’s probably right about the monster thing,” Steve says.

“Wait, you were serious about that?” Robin asks.

Steve pauses. “You thought I wasn’t?” he asks in return.

“I mean, yeah? Hawkins has seen some weird shit recently, sure, but monsters are a little unbelievable.”

“He’s literally from Gotham,” Eddie says, gesturing at Steve. “Like, Gotham Gotham. Of Batman fame. They’ve got Poison Ivy and The Riddler and King Shark, sometimes, I think.”

“He’s in the Pacific right now,” Steve says, vaguely remembering the last postcard he got from King Shark about running into an ex on some island getaway. 

“That’s Gotham,” Robin says, “Hawkins doesn’t have shit like that. We just have kids that disappear and malls that explode sometimes.”

“Your mall exploded?”

“Yeah, they said it was a busted gas pipe or something.”

Well, that sounds suspicious. Steve is just about to say as much when Eddie nudges him and points out an elevator. “Think it works?” he asks.

“This whole building has been cut off from the grid for nearly two years. Why the fuck would the elevator work?” Robin asks.

Steve considers this for a moment before grinning and leading them closer. “I mean, it’d be pretty funny if it did, don’t you think?” he asks, looking at both of them as he presses the button.

A resounding ding echoes around them, followed by the whir of cables pulling the elevator. Eddie and Robin stare as it comes to a stop and the doors open. Steve takes a step inside, inspecting for safety. The light is flickering inside and glass covers the floor, but the elevator is otherwise intact. Steve kicks the glass aside and gestures for Eddie and Robin to join him.

The doors slide shut after them, and Steve looks over the buttons before choosing the one for the basement. Tinny, garbled elevator music begins to play as it jolts and starts to descend. “So, uh, speaking of Gotham,” Robin says, fingers tapping against the side of her thigh, “what’s that place like?”

“It’s just a city,” Steve replies, shrugging.

“But have you seen Batman? Oh, what about Harley Quinn?” Eddie asks.

“I’ve heard she’s twelve pounds of crazy in a three pound bag,” Robin says, grinning widely, “And she’s hot.”

Steve grimaces, trying desperately to erase from his brain the connection between his mother and the word “hot.” He knows she’s pretty, of course, but that’s still his mom. He’d rather hear someone say Bruce Wayne is a total knock-out than his mother.

“Bruce Wayne is pretty fucking smoking, too,” Eddie says, waggling his eyebrows like that will suddenly turn Robin straight long enough to agree with his assessment. 

When Steve tries to think about Bruce in that context, all his mind can offer is Bruce hunched over, squinting at a computer screen, three days without a shower, and running solely on coffee and protein bars. 

Smoking, though? Well, Steve has seen Bruce on fire more than once, so it’s with complete confidence that he says, “He smolders, too, sometimes.”

“Ugh, gross,” Robin mutters, rolling her eyes as the elevator comes to a jolting stop. 

The doors screech as they open, making Eddie and Robin wince. Steve just frowns, taking a step forward so he’s the first thing that can be seen from the other side.

The hallway ahead of them has a few flickering lights and a dim red glow at the end, but it’s dark otherwise. Vines creep along the walls, crowding around the elevator, overlapping and competing for space. Something is dripping in the distance, and the smell of petrichor is wrong.

Steve knows what petrichor is supposed to smell like, especially in the presence of plants. It’s earthy and almost clinging. It lingers like mist after the rain. It hugs the streets and people of Gotham like it’s scared something will happen if it goes away.

This, though? This petrichor is overwhelming. It invades and smothers and nearly chokes. It puts Steve on edge.

“What are we waiting for?” Robin asks, peeking around Steve.

He holds an arm out, blocking her path. “Stay behind me,” he says, the sudden seriousness in his tone enough to make both of them listen without questioning. 

Steve walks down the hall carefully, studying the ground to make sure he doesn’t accidentally tread on any vines. Their footsteps echo with the drip, but nothing else can be heard. “This is kinda creepy,” Eddie whispers, shuffling behind Steve until he’s close enough for Steve to feel the heat from his body.

“Yeah, no shit, Munson,” Robin whispers back. “Also, why are we whispering?”

“Seems like the kinda place you whisper.”

They reach the end of the hall before Robin can respond. Steve motions for both of them to be quiet as he sticks close to the wall and looks around the corner. 

The vines are thicker at the dead end of the new hall. They all shoot out from a large opening in the wall, clinging to brick as they grow. That dim glow is coming from the opening itself. Whatever it leads to, a thick fog fills the space between it and the hall. The red dances across the walls and floors, the vines creating shadows large and small. 

Steve narrows his eyes. When he looks close enough, he can see the glint of metal just under the vines around the opening. He traces the brief glints of metal until he lands on what must be a switch in the wall. It, too, is flickering gently, a nearly-imperceptible green drowned under vines and darkness.

“What are we looking at?” Robin whispers.

“A portal,” Eddie replies.

“One we can close,” Steve adds, gesturing to the switch and pointing out the metal beneath the vines. “Whatever they were looking for, they had the sense to make something they could close. We hit that button, the door closes, and we go get pizza.”

“I don’t know if you noticed,” Robin says, “but those vines are in the way.”

“We just need to cut them.”

“Oh, and I suppose you carry a fucking sword around for just this occasion?” Robin hisses.

With such a perfect set up, how could Steve not follow through?

He grins brightly, places a hand on his hip like he’s grabbing the hilt of a sword, and fluidly pulls one out of nowhere. It’s black and red, covered in clubs and spades like one of his mom’s old costumes. With a glance, he can tell it’s a broadsword, huge and unwieldy but perfect for cutting through thick vines.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Robin asks.

“You’re the one who made it possible,” Steve tells her, shrugging as he steps around the corner. “Wait here.”

As he walks away, he barely hears Eddie mutter under his breath about boys with impossible swords. A smile tugs at Steve’s lips, and he twirls the broadsword in his hand just to show off. It’s not nearly as heavy as it looks, but that’s only because he thinks it’s funnier that way. 

A faint humming starts to sound in his ears as he nears the portal. He studies it carefully, adjusts his grip on the hilt of his sword, and slashes through the vines at the bottom. A pained screech echoes through the hallway, and he hears Robin and Eddie yelp.

Steve tenses, waiting for something to attack, but nothing does. He chances a look over his shoulder to see Eddie and Robin catching their breaths. “You okay?” he calls.

“That scared the shit outta us,” Eddie says, placing a hand on Robin’s shoulder and wheezing just to be dramatic.

With a nod, Steve turns back to the vines. He swings his sword again. The vines screech again.

And so it continues for ten minutes as Steve hacks and slices and saws away the vines stretching from the portal. The entire time, he keeps an ear open for any other sounds. Any step, any growl, any shift that doesn’t come from Robin and Eddie, and he’ll turn around swinging.

Nothing happens, though. He clears away the vines, including the ones covering the switch, and takes one last look around before slamming his hand against the thing. Like a rope has snapped, the metal door comes crashing down, cutting off the portal and the little bit of steady light that had been illuminating the hallway.

“Huh, that was easier than I thought,” Robin says, hands on her hips like she’s almost disappointed.

“Yeah, no kidding. I was expecting more, you know, danger,” Eddie adds.

Steve, because he can feel the universe turning and twisting around to get a good look at the show, braces himself. He takes a deep breath before saying, “See, I told you we’d be just fine.”

He was the last to speak on purpose, because then the universe will target him, and he can bounce back from anything. Hopefully, the searing pain of something lancing straight through his stomach is included in that anything. 

Steve hears Eddie and Robin scream as he looks down, a clawed, monstrous hand sticking out of him just below his sternum. A monstrous scream drowns out his friends, making his ears ring as putrid air rolls over him. 

It hurts. Of course it fucking hurts, but adrenaline is rushing through Steve like never before. It keeps him standing long enough to twist around to see the monster currently feeling up his insides without permission. It looks like a person-shaped version of those demodogs from a few days ago, tall and gangly and utterly inhuman.

The thing starts to pull its arm out, raising the other at the same time. Instinct and the voice of Alfred telling him that he should never remove what impales him has Steve swinging his sword around. It cuts through the monster’s forearm, allowing Steve to jerk a few steps away and spin around. 

“RUN!” Eddie shouts, the only word Steve can process before the monster shrieks again. 

It charges at Steve, blood dripping from its stump. Steve takes a moment to spit out his own blood that’s been pooling behind his teeth. He adjusts his grip on the sword, crouching slightly to brace himself. When the monster is close enough, Steve swings the sword in a large arch, swiftly cutting the monster in two across its torso.

He quickly retreats as the monster freezes. A second passes before its top half slides to the ground and the bottom half falls forward. Silence echoes, broken by Steve dropping his sword on the ground and coughing.

The world is spinning, black spots dancing along the edges of his vision as he turns to Eddie and Robin. They’re both staring at him with wide eyes and gaping mouths. “I bet someone found that hilarious,” he wheezes before his knees give out.

He’s barely hit the floor when he feels arms wrap around him. Frantic words fill the air above his head and panicked heartbeats echo in his ears. “Don’t worry,” he says, drawing in a painful breath. “I won’t die. Wouldn’t be funny.”

With that, Steve passes out, knowing his mother and Jason would appreciate his dramatics.

-------

Tag list (there's definitely still room, so please let me know if you'd like to be tagged!)

@nectandra, @y4r3luv, @just-a-tiny-void, @dotdot-wierdlife

@midwestharpy,

@bxnghy,

@twilitdragoneye, @disrespectedgoatman, @lawrencebshoggoth, @gunsknivesandplaid, @sadisticaltarts

Anyway, me rn:

[bigboybird]

Fuc...

Ok first thing, I wanted to apologize to the people I tagged in this post.

Hi, it's me again, I honestly don't even know what to say, and I think the best thing to say is sorry

I'm sorry for always doing this, deleting and creating another blog over and over again, I know I should stop with this habit, I always do it when I feel something is wrong, whenever I feel sad or when something bad happens to me, it's a vicious circle that I should stop, and sorry for always saying that I'm going to take a break or pause and then post something new, I think I should really take a break from my head and try to improve, but I always want to come back because I like being part of the community.

I love the Pizza Tower community and I've always loved it since 2023, when I started I didn't expect to get to where I am, I met a lot of cool people who helped me a lot it also happened that artists that I followed and still follow started following me() and that made me and still makes me very happy.

I still want to continue posting on Tumblr, posting my AUs and arts, but I think I still really need to stop with these habits and start trying to improve my mental health for now, thank you very much to everyone, I'll be fine, I swear this time I'll take some time and really try to get better.

@samovar225 , @okura-woag , @sacasone , @mattplatonic , @onelittleornotthing , @neocrash1101 , @pizzatowet13 , @lunar-dal , @p34rl-irl, @mrfellsans @helluva-hynas158 , @jav-animations-archive , @simplefanatic , @brunofakepeppino1745 , @decastop , @justkrin , @pizzarink , @firfirov , @the-cosmic-cowbo-y @luigigirl12, @gggiiidd, @sunny-ismyname, @alextydaisuda123, @gl1tchy-4rt, @radaverse

@phantomdoofer, @alice-the-demon, @cutechan555 , @jeweledstone, @oneshotgremlin @m3lon-c, @thatweirdanchpvy, @chaotichyperfixations @misdreavusplush, @onionstree, @snowycalzone, @brulos-bedtime, @marclef @eyeballdrawer @moon9931, @moonflower-pies, @creat0rstudi0, @noir-ish-bee, @idiotspage, @paras1t1c-squ1dd, @bellagrimfox,

@eldrtichbatlady, @fakepepsinour21563, @la-parpa, @sometiredfreak @thepuppett

[cozzzynook]

Can I offer some hurt / comfort for the TfOne Momatron au?

He really should have seen this coming but it still caught him by surprise. Taking in a deep vents Megatron turned his attention back down at Hot Rod who was standing at his pedes with wide optics and a tiny smile.

"Why do you want to know where sparklings come from?" Megatron grumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose bracing himself.

"Uhm...because I uh.." The little speedster lowered his gaze for a moment as he tweedled his thumbs. "Because I want a little sibling"

Megatron could feel his processor stall as he slowly kneeled down on one knee to better gaze Hot Rod in the optic. "You want a little sibling, why?"

Hot Rod's face scrunched up in a mix of guilt and worry while his spoiler fins slowly fell flat along his spine. Megatron could feel a faint wave as his sparklings EM field slowly clamped down closer to his frame, trying to hide from his carriers. After a few minutes of silence Hot Rod spoke. "Because I still feel Sire's spark bond and its rather lonely being the only sparkling..."

That shouldn't be possible, he purposely kept Hot Rod away from his Sire and anything that could trigger a bond. Pits he even broke his own bond when he was banished but it seemed it wasn't enough, Primus why wasn't it enough? Flatting his own plating Megatron reached out carefully cupping Hot Rod's shoulder. "How long have you felt your Sire's bond, little blaze?"

"For a few weeks" The little speedster chirped.

"Does it feel angry or mean?"

Hot Rod shook his helm. "No, just sad and worried. Sire seems to be always sad...I never feel them happy"

A flash of anger coiled itself in Megatron's spark, how dare that mech put such a burden on his sparkling! Letting out a gritted sigh Megatron would pull Hot Rod closer before gently nuzzling his helm. "I see, well you don't have to worry about your Sire anymore. I'll take care of that"

"But how do I stop feeling Sire's sadness?" Hot Rod blinked worry still on his face. Primus it hurt Megatron's spark.

"Try and ignore it for now my little blaze" Megatron gave another nuzzle this time drawing a soft giggle from the sparkling. "When your a little bigger I'll teach you how to block out spark bonds you don't want to feel"

Hot Rod nodded happily his small smile returning back onto his face. "What about my little sibling?" Mischief quickly found itself back in those bright blue optics.

Megatron shut his optics shaking his helm. "I'll think about it, now run along I still have a few thing I need to finish" He opened his arms to allow the speedster to move freely.

"Aww okay" Hot Rod chirped as he turned away already seeking some trouble he can get himself into. As he watched the sparkling hurry away a frown quickly returned to Megatron's face as he turned back to the stack of data pads on his desk already dreading the paper work.

------

Meanwhile inside what once was Sentinels' tower Optimus paced back and forth in front of one of many windows over looking Iacon. He still hasn't told the others the full truth of what he knew, then again he had no idea himself until he asked what the strange feeling in his spark was. Now he completing on what to do as until recently he didn't know that he was Hot Rod's sire. Letting out a sigh Optimus finally sat down as while one servo ran down his face as he could more stress, guilt and worry fill his burdened spark. Primus give him strength, as he was so very very lost on what to do now.

^.^

I LOVE this! Thank you!!!

Explicit warning

If in this au b-127 doesn’t exist yet i can see meg & op having a battle where the two are alone & it ends in Optimus having his spike buried deep in Megatrons valve as Meggy sheds tears while conflicted, angry for still wanting Optimus, conflicted, horny & needing this more than ever while Optimus holds him close. Gripping Megatron so tight he leaves dents and billows constant exhaust from his pipes.

Optimus undoes the banishment in a moment of longing weakness and seals the decision when he feels Megatrons spark vibrating within him for just a nanosecond.

Optimus chooses his first and only selfish act and that is keeping his family and Megatron.

No matter how much work will now need to be done.

Be it B-127/bumblebee or another new mech/character. Hot rod now has a sibling and he gets to meet his sire for the first time.

And Momatron is definitely grumbly and big angry scary mom to literally everyone but his sparklings and stupid conjunx who is too lovestruck over his new frame and having him back

[summercreolefanfictioner]

are u going to continue ur fanfic would you like to find out? i really really like it!

yes yes yes

would you like to find out pt. 3 (diabolik lovers modern college au)

Yui was beyond exhausted after the whole Ayato-Sakamaki-appearing-outside-her-classroom-claiming-he's-her-boyfriend situation. She slumped her head on the university cafe's table, groaning aloud as she looked back on everything that happened. Basically, she had to drag Ayato away from unnecessary attention until she settled for talking with him in an empty science lab.

"Can't believe you just forget we didn't happen that night," Ayato remarked, musing at Yui who was looking at her wits' ends. "I must say you hurt me, Chichinashi."

Yui blushed at the familiar nickname. "I have a name, you know! It's—"

"I know," the redhead interjected. "It's Komori Yui from the Bible Studies course."

The blonde girl was flustered, refusing to look at him because if she dismd, she won't be able to resist him. After all, Sakamaki Ayato will not be the famous IT boy of Ryoutei University for nothing. With his boyish yet charming looks and killer smile (plus the smooth and deep voice), he can get away with stealing her heart—

No, NO! Yui, focus. Focus. FOCUS. FOCUS.

"L-Look, I'm sorry about what I did," she started, hoping this will all end in a good turn. "Can we just... you know... forget what I said? I got caught up in a mood, and you did too. That's why—"

The next thing, Ayato was pinning her against the wall, his face void of any expression as he looked down on her. Yui felt scared at his behavior, looking away as she fiddled with her fingers. He was beyond mad, but not livid. Ayato had an inkling Yui will tell him her suggestion, but what can a man do?

It's simple.

Ayato smirked wickedly. "Oh? Ordering me now, are you?"

"It's not like that!"

He inched his face closer, and Yui wished the ground could swallow her whole.

"How brazen, Yui. You think you can make me give up after a few words."

I wish you would just give up. Please.

Afterward, Ayato ruffled her blonde hair and chuckled, letting her go but not without saying, "I asked if you would like to find out what it feels like to date, and you said yes," he pointed. "We have nowhere to go back now, Chichinashi."

He got her. He fucking got her under his palm.

"W-Wha—Ayato-kun!"

Ayato opened the door.

"I'll see you around, Chichinashi. Take a look at your pocket for starters."

And then he left her. Just like that. He just swept her feet in a few minutes and reminded her of their deal. Oh my gosh, she thought. What do I do now?!

Yui searched in her pocket and found a small piece of paper with Ayato's number written on it.

Back to present, Yui groaned again and slammed her fists on the table, alerting a few of the customers in the university cafe. She wanted to just disappear from the world. This is all my fault. If I just thought carefully of everything and refrained myself from falling with a handsome guy just because he was so nice, things would've—

"That's quite a face you're making there, Yui-chan," a feminine voice noticed.

Yui sat up straight, a startled expression on her face as she saw Maya serve her the usual strawberry parfait she orders at the cafe. Maya had been Yui's friend ever since she became her study buddy in the library. Despite Maya sounding so robotic and looking a bit cold, Yui actually found her presence soothing.

"S-Sorry," she mumbled shyly.

Maya sat in front of her. "The manager told me about you, so I had to take a break. What's up?"

Yui contemplated telling her. It was true enough that being involved with Ayato could lead to baseless rumors, and sure enough she might have one or a few tomorrow. But... she needed help.

"Maya-chan, can I ask something?"

"Hm?"

"Do you know someone named Sakamaki Ayato?"

Maya stilled. She knew the guy, but not because he's popular. It's because... of a certain someone she didn't want to name or else she'll complicate things.

"I know him," Maya answered. I know him all too well, to the point I don't want to talk to him. "Why?"

"The thing is," Yui hesitated. What would Maya think? That she's some promiscuous girl who opened herself up just because she fell instantly for someone in just a night? She hoped not. "I..." she leaned in to whisper. "Something happened between us."

"What do you mean?" Maya inquired, confused about her statement.

The black-haired girl observed Yui fidgeting in her seat and blushing. It took her a few seconds before finally deducing things.

"So you had sex with him," she concluded nonchalantly, sending Yui in full embarrassment.

"M-MAYA-CHAN!"

"What? Yui-chan, doing it is not something you should worry about." Unless Ayato did something nasty after then I will punch his face.

The blonde sighed in relief. "Well, the thing is we were in the moment and I casually told him I want to know what it feels like to have a boyfriend... or something like that," she narrated. "I thought he wouldn't think anything of it, but he did."

Maya frowned. Well, what did Yui expect? She had known the triplets ever since she was young, and Ayato had always displayed determination in achieving what he always wanted. No, that's a lie. The triplets have always known that they get what they want no matter when or where or what the consequences are. They're simple-minded like that.

"I like him, of course," Yui admitted, "but I have no confidence and for me, this is just a mere crush. What if things don't work out?"

And for this specific reason, Maya felt for her. There's the Sakamaki name to worry about, and the fact that dating for women can be hard as it is. She sighed, clapping her hands to gain Yui's attention.

"I have known Ayato-san ever since we were kids, and it's not all bad honestly," Maya started. "I think... you should find out for yourself where this situation will lead you and see if everything works out or not in the end."

"Are you sure, Maya-chan?" Yui asked, still having doubts about goung after Ayato.

Maya nodded. "Besides, there's no need to rush, Yui-chan. I am sure Ayato-san will have your best interest at heart. He's that type of guy, after all."

That night, Ayato was chilling with Laito and Kanato, playing a video game they rented from their favorite video shop when he received a message. When he opened the message, he grinned.

"Hello, Ayato-kun. This is Komori Yui. Please take care of me, okay?"

He typed his reply, sent the message, and went back into gaming.

"I'll give you the best time of your life, Chichinashi."

EXTRA:

Maya frowned. This is why she deliberately chose the morning shift at the university cafe, slightly glaring at the person who specifically requested her presence along with an order of an iced latte and takoyaki. And said person had the nerve to smirk at her like she's not mad at him for disturbing during her working hours.

"Ayato-san, for the last time, I am not—"

"I know, I know." Ayato held up his hands in defense. "You told me there is no way you are going to confess to Kanato, but that's not what I am here for."

Maya raised a brow while Ayato scrolled through his phone and showed a picture of Yui.

"You know her, right?" He wanted to confirm. "I asked around and they said you two are friends."

"And?"

"I want to know what kind of guy she likes."

Is she hearing things right? Ayato? Wanting to find out Yui's type in a guy? Normally, she wouldn't give any information, but this was Ayato, and knowing Ayato, he's as stubborn as a rock.

"Do you like her?" Maya asked curiously. Yui is her friend, and there is no way she will give him details if he had no intention of pursuing a serious relationship with her friend.

"So what?" Ayato didn't deny, which was a relief. "Is it wrong for me to like your friend? You like my brother, so can't I do that?"

Maya gave him a look that said, "Please stop mentioning your brother or someone will hear you," to which the redhead apologized.

Nonetheless...

"There's no need for you to know about that, Ayato-san. I am sure Yui-chan will like you."

"You think so? You're not bluffing?"

"You should go for her and treat her right, okay?"

"Sure."

Ah, thank goodness.

"If we work things out, I'll help you with Kanato."

Maya sighed in frustration.

Not this again.

[theredcuyo]

More of the au with Sqq deciding that he's had Xie Lian for a few months but if anything happens to him he's killing everyone in heaven and then Jun Wu

"Ah, so you did like the new robe we got the other day!" Xie Lian was rather embarassed on this kind of topic, but really, it had been a gesture of good will and Sqq was just so happy to see him wear it "Yes, it's rather beautiful, Shen-Ge"

"Isn't that right? The butterfly motif really brings it out, it's good that we got that spell that keeps it from getting dirty, it would be a shame if not, don't you think?" It would surely sound normal, if Sqq wasn't glaring daggers at every single official they came across from behind his fan while he said it

"It's good it'll stay like this but i still think Shen-ge shouldn't brother himself with things like this" Xie Lian, appreciated the gesture, he really did, but this much for his sake wasn't necessary "Nonsense! Our A-Lian is so pretty, he should be allowed to shine even brighter, ah, but it is true that even if something happened we will be able to clean it up perfectly, not a trace left, i'm sure Chengzu would know what to do even if i didn't"

Covering his face with his hands, Xie Lian didn't know wheter to laugh or cry with such a direct treat to everyone else "Shen-Ge, please..."

"Fine, fine, i'll stop" Sqq conceided, happy to see the other officials squirm on their places and quickly run away. "After all, i wouldn't want A-Lian to get mad at me and sent me away, ah, what would i do then? I would get so worried about A-Lian"

"Shen-Ge..." Xie Lian had to look away, although he knew it was a joke it reminded him of old things, but well, Sqq patted his head again, like he did everytime he was feeling down "I know, i know, our A-Lian has a kind heart, there's almost nothing he could get angry at and if there is, it's surely deserved"

Xie Lian hadn't told him about that person, and didn't plan on doing it anytime soon, little did he know, there was no need, for his brother in law knew already and had experience dealing with abandonment issues, and had also, decided he was to be protected since he reminded him so much of a white lotus he had once helped bloom and decay "But still, even if A-Lian got angry at me and told me to leave, i wouldn't"

"Huh?"

"Ah, i mean, that wouldn't work, i would get too worried about you, so i would stick around and wait so we could solve it out" Xie Lian kept his gaze down, a memory catched on his throat. "After all, if i did something to anger A-Lian, then i should find a way to apologize and make amends, since i care about you, i would much prefer that you feel happy"

"Even if you didn't do anything wrong?" Sqq sighed, what was with him having this heart to heart conversations lately? Ah, really, married life was making him into an emotional old man "Then A-Lian is not mad at me, and i should help him out, you know? My Binghe wasn't at his best before either, when i died, and it took me a while to understand that. That kind of pain, really, i wouldn't wish it on anyone, much less if i can help"

"But... What if i hurt Shen-Ge?"

Sqq opened his fan, the faint memory of Binghe's face in the roof flashing before him "... I don't think A-Lian is the person to do it without reason, whatever it could be"

Not for the first time, Sqq lamented the lack of modern psicology advancements, he wasn't exactly a psycologist and all he knew came from his sister's rants about it "And... if it was a bad reason?"

"Everyone makes mistakes" Xie Lian thought it was probably easier for him to say it, not knowing what he had done, and much less knowing of the regrets Sqq couldn't possibly tell him about "And we learn from them, we fix what can be fixed"

For the first time in a while, Xie Lian lifted up his head, and just for a second, he found that in Shen Qingqiu's gaze was an all familiar guilt "... Is there something Shen-Ge regrets?"

Sqq's hand around his fan tightened "...many things, A-Lian, maybe not enough"

Ah, so it was like that. Maybe it wasn't the same, and they're really weren't the same, but at the same time, he felt like perhaps, there was someone who did understand, as those were thoughts he often had too.

And so, they kept on walking, a topic much softer came, while Sqq hoped that the intention of derailing their path to walk by certain generals' palaces was worth something, he might not like them too much, but Xie Lian deserved friends, friends who could share things with him, that he could not with them, a friend from the same Hometown was a rare gift. "Ah, Shen-Ge i've been meaning to ask... Did ah... Shang Qinghua use to be a heavenly official?"

Sqq huffed. "Someone like him could only wish such thing"

"Ah, then it wasn't a secret inmortal language he was talking in?" Xie Lian had never been one to interact with other inmortals, or even heavenly officials back in his first ascension, so, of course he wouldn't know, or so thought Sqq, but he didn't know either, or he hoped for Airplane's sake that he didn't "Perhaps it's a foreign language? May i know what he said?"

"He said uh... Something like 'buddy, you're awakening Cucumber-bro's daddy instincts, or is it mommy instincts since he takes the heavenly pillar back there?, is he a milf now?, you made Cucumber-bro into a milf' i think...?" Xie Lian's broken try at English didn't make the words less clear on Sqq's brain "Ah, i see, didn't you ask him what it mean?"

"He said it was something about a deal he was working on" Xie Lian's innocent smile didn't betray that he had conveyed this information on purpose, for he hadn't ignored the path they had been walking on, he didn't really know what it meant tho "A-Lian cover your ears"

"Ah... Shen-Ge-"

"Cover. Your. Ears." And Xie Lian did, because those eyes reminded him a little bit too much of Guoshi, when he sent him to copy the sutrhas for a whole night.

The heavens were shaken, just enough for Ling Wen to wonder if someone had ascended again.

Shang Qinghua, on the northen palace, sneezed and felt a sudden urge to hide under Mobei-Jun's bed.

--

Lil' extra on Wwx's imput on this, because Sqq is not leaving him out of seudo group therapy:

"Wuxian, may i ask you something?" Sqq asked when the three of them were drinking tea, as they recounted the latest heavenly gossip for Wwx "Yes, Shen-Ge?"

"... Do you have something You regret?" Wwx kept his smile, and waved his hand around his body, of course, he'd rather joke "What do you think Shen-ge? Do i?"

Sqq sighed "You know that's not what i meant, do you remember that which you regret?"

Wwx kept his smile as he scratched his head "Aiyah, well, my memory is never been that good, you know! I couldn't even remember my own little radish and the love of my life, how could i remember that?"

Sqq and Xl blushed a little at his wording, really, only Wuxian would be capable of saying 'Love of his Life' with such a straight face, even if that was the only straight thing about him. Xie Lian tho, could feel in his smile something familiar "Wei-Ge... I know you said that now you stay for Wangji and Sizhui-er but..."

Wei Wuxian, who had not long ago convinced Xie Lian to call him ge, was still a little bit weak to it. "I know, i know, but there are things that can't be fixed, right, Shen-Ge?"

Sqq sighed, it was like they were birds of the same feather, and he knew that, but still he didn't want such a sad face into someone he cared for, so he reached out to pat Wwx's head, and he, who had been expecting to get hit with the fan again, froze "We fix what can be fixed, but sometimes when we want to put back together a bowl, we get cut with the pieces, so we should also bandage ourselves and not just think about the bowl"

"I..."

"Since you're a mess, i'll bandage it for you if you wanted to" Wuxian huffed something similar to a laugh "And My Binghe would try to heal you with his blood, again"

"Shen-Ge, i think San Lang's butterflies work well for those too" Xie Lian smiled at both of them, a supporting hand on Wwx's shoulder "Ah, but i also know some ways! Rouyue wouldn't mind helping you too, Wei-ge!"

Hearing its name, Rouye popped up from Xie Lian's sleeve, rolling itself friendly on Wwx's hand "Ah, but, you know, A-Lian? I think Wuxian would much rather have Wangji kissing it better"

At that, Wwx actually laughed, his usual shamelesness back with him "Aiyah! Shen-Ge knows me too well, Lan Zhan's kisses are truly magical even when he makes a fuss about it!"

-------

I think the metaphors are pretty on the nose for this one? And not me again considering to write a damn fic already, tbf, i wanted this one to be short, it didn't ask me when it decided to keep on going

Sqq deciding he's going to protect the others because they're his family now is my second favorite thing about this au, the first one is Hua Cheng having a family that loves him-

[thezombieprostitute]

Royal Mess: Almost Perfect

Summary: Jonathan Pine has had a perfect career, except for you, a maid whose klutzy nature makes things more difficult.

A/N: Reader is plus sized and female. No other descriptors used.

Warnings: Injury, Work stress. Please let me know if I missed any!

Part of the Royal Vows AU.

Jonathan had been a butler in the service of King Rogers for almost his entire career. He'd gotten the role after serving alongside Prince Ari during his required military service. He'd impressed the Prince so much that, when Jonathan asked for employment at the palace, it was immediately granted. Since that time, he worked his way up to becoming the greatest butler in multiple kingdoms, if the royal guests were to be believed.

He's appreciated by the royals he serves and even the staff he employs. He's never been too good to roll up his sleeves and help out where needed. He pays attention to the staff and their needs and is often generous with praise. Work at the palace pays very well and Jonathan knows how to motivate employees to do their best.

But right now his face is in his hand as he tries to keep calm about the broken 100 year old vase on his desk. You'd cleaned up the mess but brought him the pieces in the hopes he knew some way it could be repaired. It probably could, but that was beside the point.

"This is the third item this month," he states in a tone that makes your face drop in embarrassment. "At the very least, I can say that's an improvement from the last month. I think keeping you out of the Garden and Ground floors has worked well."

"Thank you, Mr. Pine," you mumble, not trusting yourself to say more.

"What happened this time?"

"I was vacuuming the guest suite, as you ordered. Getting it nice and clean for the Princess of Carga. I...I tripped over the vacuum cord and reached out to catch my fall but...I...I ended up grabbing the cloth the vase was on."

Tears start forming at the corner of your eyes as you recall. You really didn't mean to break anything. You never do. It's been your one saving grace with Mr. Pine. He knows you're not malicious and that you really need the work. Some items can be repaired but always at a cost you can't afford.

He sighs heavily, "are you certain there is no other employment available to you?"

The tears start pouring. "I promise, Mr. Pine, I promise I've looked. But no one else can pay enough for me and my mother unless I spend years either going to school or building a skill with an apprenticeship."

"But that would be years without a steady income," he nods in understanding. "Well, as I said, only three priceless items broken in a month is an improvement." You shrink further into yourself at the reminder of how precious the items you've broken are. "And you are very diligent in your work, not everyone is so dedicated to getting every nook and cranny. So do not worry about your employment at this time."

You let out a sob of relief. "Thank you, Mr. Pine. I promise to keep improving."

He gives a curt nod. "Just please remember to treat every item in the palace as if it were as fragile as a butterfly wing?"

"Oh, that's a good way to think about it, Sir. Each piece is so beautiful but so fragile. I promise I'll get that to work!"

He simply nods again and gestures for you to leave. Thankfully he doesn't comment when you almost trip over your own feet.

It's all hands on deck for the Princess's arrival. Jonathan has been working overtime to make sure the Royal Family doesn't have to worry about any of it. Every member of his staff has their part to play and he's on alert for things going wrong. While it may not be humanly possible to achieve perfection, he will get it as close as he can.

Knowing you don't do well in fast paced, high stress environments Jonathan assigned you to the rooms where the Princess's servants would be staying. You were part of the team helping them settle in and showing them where things are.

The team lead, Arne, was not a fan. He's repeatedly told Mr. Pine that he should fire you and seemed to go out of his way to remind you of everything you've ever broken. When you found out he was leading the team, you gulped and made yourself as small as possible.

When the Princess and her ensemble arrive, Arne directs your team to the servants' entrance where you stand in a line and wait for a box to carry inside.

Your heart drops when Arne hands you one of the bigger boxes with a huff. You almost drop it immediately because of how heavy it is.

"Careful!" he yells as you struggle. "And hurry up. Gotta make sure everyone does their share of the work."

"Yes, Sir," you mumble, finally getting a firm grip on the box.

Trying to hurry without rushing only adds to the difficulty of the task. If you rush, you're more likely to make a mistake but if you're too slow, Arne will yell and make more trouble for Mr. Pine.

You're so focused on your task you forget about the small threshold between the top of the stairs and guest rooms. As you feel yourself start to fall you know you can't drop this box! Not just for the Princess but for Mr. Pine as well! You can't embarrass him!

You're not sure how you manage it but you twist yourself so that the heavy box lands on top of you instead of the other way around. You get the wind knocked out of you but you didn't hear anything break! Well, at least not from the box. You're definitely going to be bruised from this. But you don't let that damper your mood. You saved it!

"Keep it moving!" Arne yells from the bottom of the stairs. "Ain't paying you to rest your fat ass!"

Getting up you try to respond but you breathing is still not easy so you focus on getting the box moved. It's much more of a struggle than before but you're determined.

"Here, let me help," Max, one of your team members steps up. "That had to hurt. Maybe you should sit?"

"No rest!" Arne barks, now at the top of the stairs. "If she can't keep up, she shouldn't be here. Besides, she's got plenty of cushion to pad her fall."

"Sir, it landed on top of her!"

"Well it's about time she learned how to not break anything important."

Trying to ignore the argument you try to get back to work carrying the heavy box. Your lungs are on fire and your vision is getting blurry but you're determined to prove yourself. To not embarrass Mr. Pine. To do your part.

As soon as the box is in place you work your way back down to the truck. Max walks with you, continually asking if you're ok. When Arne tries to give you another of the big, heavy boxes, Max grabs it for you.

"Please, sir, I really think she needs to rest," he implores.

"If she needs a rest after tripping over her own feet, she should be docked her pay!"

"That's not for you to decide," you hear Mr. Pine say. All three of you look to his direction. "Today is supposed to go perfectly but I'm already getting wind of complaints from Her Majesty's staff, concerned about the working conditions of the King's staff."

He pointedly looks at Arne who turns red in the face. "There were concerns about a hurt servant being forced to continue working under threat of losing employment. Which is strange to me because, last I checked, I'm the one who makes those decisions. And I have not threatened anyone. Yet."

"She's not able to carry the damn thing, so why should she be here?"

"Mr. Pine, if I may?" Max approaches. Mr. Pine gives a nod and he continues. "She was given a box that was recommended for two people to carry for safety's sake. She got it up there on her own, after tripping in such a way that the thing landed on her. I think she's earned some rest, if not a visit to the hospital."

Mr. Pine looks to you and finally notices your breathing is off and you look faint. He rushes over to you and starts making mental note of symptoms.

"You will sit," he orders you, walking you over to one of the lawn chairs.

"Please, Mr. Pine," you say between gasps. "I can still work. Don't want to ruin today."

"You have done nothing wrong," he asserts. "If anything--"

His words are cut off as you blackout.

Tagging: @alicedopey; @delicatebarness; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @irishhappiness; @kmc1989; @lokislady82; @peaches1958; @ronearoundblindly

[cheralith]

Hiii hope you're having a good day/evening, please ignore this if it makes you uncomfortable. I’m still in love with your cannibal au and thank you so much for feeding us with hiori content.

My heads bin so stuck on karasu as of late (also one of my best boys) after your cannibal au head canons. I can’t stop imagining karasu forcing his readers head into the nape of his neck and making her drink his blood to get her to calm down.

I might be projecting as a shy person that loves someone taking care of me when I don’t realize I need it. But do you think this is something he would actually do?

🍡 - anon

cw: mild violence, blood, cannibalism!au, cannibal!reader

oh very much so . VERY MUCH SO. the entire dynamic between karasu and his reader vs. kaiser and his is almost the weird mirroring of themselves, but also almost a foil (more on karasu and ksr!reader's end rather than the cannibals)? if that makes sense; i'll explore more of them later.

karasu's reader has a harder time trying to adjust—as most new cannibals do. they even refuse to eat even the small, dried pieces of meat that karasu provides for them to relieve their hunger in place of a medication that he's still trying to gather all the ingredients for.

it's not like karasu doesn't want them to resist, that's the main goal of his rehab after all. but he's doing it in the way where they build resistance against their instincts while still being in sync with their nature. reader does it in a way that's basically torturing themself and not allowing their new self solace, thinking that if they resist against it enough, they could maybe... just maybe go back to their normal life.

but in the way of life, nothing good comes from denying yourself life in the way you're supposed to live it. so when reader goes completely feral one day during meat training, breaking out of the restraints and chair and leaping towards karasu with their teeth bared, eyes a fiery red, and saliva dripping from your chin, he thinks he's really in for it.

he's a strong guy—he puts up a good fight and manages to tackle you down, the impact of your head hitting a wall so hard it makes you regain your consciousness. at the sight of a rugged-breath karasu whose shirt is tattered from your nails with a couple of scratches and bruises here and there, along with how wet your own shirt was from your saliva, it doesn't take you too long to understand what happened.

so you cry. you sob and wail and blubber apologies at what you've done (or nearly did), finally coming to an epiphany that nothing will be the same as it was before you attacked that poor high schooler after your brother's funeral, the grief you felt back then now coming back to you tenfold.

karasu worries that you might spiral back again, especially since you've been so depleted of a food source to stabilize you, so he shoves your head down into the crook of his neck where the blood is most succulent and tells you to bite down and drink his blood. you argue and resist at first, but he's insistent and tells you to do it before he sedates you.

"it's just the blood," he commands, hand gripping your hair tightly, but not painfully. just to keep you in place. "it'll help—ya gotta trust me."

he can feel the hesitation from your breath when you open your mouth, teeth shyly gripping his skin before they sink down enough where blood from underneath the layers begins to draw. he hisses at the feeling, fighting his own instincts to push you away, and groans when your tongue glides over the pierced skin, lapping up his blood.

and you and him just stay there for awhile; you on top of him, eyes closed and relaxed for the first time in weeks, breaths steady. karasu stares up at the dim light, hand still cradling your head, and trying to understand what to do with you to distract himself from the pain.

[third-thepeacock]

Welcome to the playroom!

[thekittyokat]

you ever just have a lot, a LOT of feelings all at once about a character and not even remotely enough words or brainpower to FORM the words to describe everything you're feeling. so it feels like you may explode. yeah

[daily-odile]

AUGH I’d love to see more time looping odile if possible,,,,, how do you think she’d like; “devolve” over each of the acts as compared to Siffrin over time :O

ok im gonna be honest i did like portrait edits months ago and just never finished them. so here you go

act 3:

act 5: