#I should draw more of the fishing trip

[scarymonsters-andsupercreeps]

More FMA stuff I did a while ago feat. palette swap and fishing trip royai

[noras-dc-shenanigans]

Adoption | Learn

“So let me get this straight.”

Danny stared at the group of vigilantes in front of him, a look of utter disbelief etched onto his face.

“Batman had a baby with Catwoman, she hid it from him, gave the baby up for adoption, and that baby is me. And you’re all here because Batman’s other ex also had a hidden pregnancy, but she’s a homicidal maniac who wants to make sure her son is the only blood child because of some weird cult rules?”

If they’d been in a cartoon, there’s be crickets chirping. He continued, voice growing less disbelieving and more angry as he went.

“And because some cult wants to kill me, I have to give up my whole life, cut off all contact with my family and friends, go live in a state 900 miles away, and stay cooped up— for an unknown amount of time— in Bruce Wayne’s mansion, because that’s who Batman really is.”

A stilted silence filled the room of the safe house Danny had been dragged to a few hours ago, sans the unnecessarily long explanation he’d just summarized.

After a few more moments, Nightwing stepped forward and smiled gently at him an oh, that rankled Danny. He did not need whatever kid gloves the guy was about to pull on. Before Bluebell had a chance to open his mouth, Danny channeled his inner Jazz and raised his hand for silence. Nightwing paused, and Danny proceeded to give them all a single, flat, unimpressed look, and then stated factually,

“I’m not leaving, I’m not staying with yet another frootloop billionaire, and I’m not in the least concerned with dying. So. You can all go back to where you belong, I’ll stay here, where I belong, and if any cultist come knocking I’ll deal with them just like I’ve been dealing with every other threat in this town the last six months: alone. Because apparently the entire Justice League is too busy to respond to calls for help about inter-dimensional threats popping in and out of my parents basement on a daily basis.”

… Okay, so Danny may have been yelling a bit by the end, but it was justified! And oh, Danny really wished his life was a cartoon right now, because that cricket chirping would be been perfect. He’s pretty sure he broke a few of them. Nightwing looked ready to cry.

Good. Danny was too tired to deal with this sh*t.

Thanks to the whole Pariah Dark thing last month, Danny was apparently immortal now anyways, so even if the cult people managed to completely destroy his body, he’d just reform in the Zone. Because he was now connected to it, and only another ghost could End him like he had Pariah, because of some weird dimensional rules. Apparently, since humans couldn’t rule the Infinite Realms, they just, like… didn’t qualify to kill him. That went for aliens, demons, gods, and other non-human beings of sentience.

So Danny’s got that going for him at least. About time something useful came outta this whole disaster of a school year.

But he’d gotten off track. Before him stood a truly ridiculous number of vigilantes, and they all looked like he’d just slapped them with a fish and then played violin with it. For a few minutes, Danny just basked in the stuttering and bewildered looks, before he noticed Nightwing drawing himself up in righteous determination and decided that yeah, he was done now.

At this point, being a dramatic a**hole to people (or ghosts) who were annoying him was just second nature, so he straightened to attention, raised his hand in a salute, and then let himself sink through the floor, perfectly stoic.

The stuttering turned to panicked shouts, and Danny’s last view of his apparent siblings was a few people lunging for him and missing, winding up tangled together on the carpet.

‘Ahhhh, yesss, I will treasure that memory always! Ah well, time to get home! Maybe I should scout out for those cult people, mess around with them. Maybe follow them back sometime, meet my half-brother. That could be fun, me and Ellie can make a road trip of it this summer! Maybe by then, the Justice Losers will have gotten their heads out as their butts.’

Meanwhile, back at the safe house, several frantic calls were being made about the dimensional threats and the League of Assassins and the possibly meta human, definitely vigilante brother.

Amity Park was about to get a lot more chaotic.

[kanmom51]

Jikook cuddles - Are you sure?! Jeju

Just a sec before our first Sapporo episode lands, I thought I'd put together a few of the cuddles moments we got in the Jeju episodes.

This first moment here is going to stay in my head for all eternity.

I'm going to go with my word of the show -

BEING.

Cause damn, this moment is the epitome of them BEING.

What's beautiful about this moment is just how natural it feels. One of those everyday things they will do when they just have the opportunity to.

The way JM just goes in for that hug to watch the sunset together. One foot in place the other thrown over JK bear-hugging him. The way JK doesn't flinch, even just a tiny bit.

I'm sorry, I'm getting a little emotional here. Cause this moment here is EVERYTHING. Small, peaceful, soft, and yet everything.

Everything JM ever wanted.

Dreams do come true for JM. He told us so.

JM gets what JM wants. We should know that by now.

And when it comes to the two of them, JM gets it because JK wants to give it to him. Wholeheartedly.

Notice the cut in the editing? Before JM pulls away? Cutting to that second camera? Just like those editors, not letting us know just how long the two just lay there together.

And then, we have the whole cloud discussion. The giggles.😊😊

Another small-calm-soft moment of the two just BEING.

And the whole whale drawing discussion...

Funny how JK was insisting it wasn't a whale...

All while a few days later setting us straight that it was not a fish, but a whale. Last I checked, pigs or even sharks are most definitely not whales.

Same day earlier we got this as well:

More of a hug rather than a cuddle, but still, felt it worthy enough to be shared in this post.

That whole time on the boat, it was really hard to remember that there were actually three of them there. Idk if it was Tae not feeling well or wanting to allow them to just have their alone time (he was well aware, being reminded so time and time again, that this was THEIR trip and he was the interloper). Whatever it was, they got plenty of alone time even when the trip for two became a trip for three. Alone time that we got to see, but also alone time we didn't.

Last but not least we got the morning cuddles.

As mentioned in my Jikook in bed post, the moment was cut off by the editors, not JM or JK. Hence, again, we have no idea just how long the cuddles lasted.

Me every single time I see these moments, the cuddles, the way it feels like they literally mould into each other, it just melts my heart!!

[autisticrosewilson]

What do the other Wilson family members think of Jason?

I assume you're talking about in the context of him being shipped with one of them, I've shipped him with all of them at least once so I'll go down the list! Tell me if you want specifics on a particular ship or au though.

Suggestive content ahead, the Wilson's aren't exactly known for being normal sex havers

If he's dating Slade:

Grant (if he's alive) - Frothing at the mouth mad. He thought Slade was homophobic this whole time. Particularly upset it's Graysons brother. Sidenote: I don't see Slade fighting the Titans without Grant's death as a factor, so Dick would be Grant's nemesis.

Joey (if he's alive) - dating his ex boyfriends brother should be illegal. He used to babysit that little gremlin. Calling his mom to complain. Shaking crying throwing up. Keeps trying to get Jason to find someone else, anyone else.

Rose - HER EX BOYFRIEND ARE YOU BEING REAL. Betrayal on all sides. She gets over it eventually but that doesn't mean she's happy about it. Her brothers - if they're alive - being horrified by it make her warm up to it. She's a menace first and a person second. She's working closely with Dick to break it up though.

Adeline (if she's alive) - Heard about it from Joey, disappointed but not surprised. Sneers at it being a college boy, but after learning more about Red Hood she's mildly interested. She's impressed that anyone would choose to put up with Slade, but as long as he STOPS FUCKING CALLING HER she'll let it be. Could be persuaded into a threesome far, FAR in the future after a couple years with Jason has made Slade more tolerable.

Billy - smug, he TOLD Slade it would be more than just sex but no one ever listens to him. Also extremely tired, part of Slade being more tolerable is that the jobs he's willing to take slim dramatically. He gets huffy about it but he's definitely lowkey salty they haven't asked him to join yet.

If he's dating Rose -

Slade - Canonically their biggest fan. Jason has barely started flirting back with Rose before Slade is acting like he's already Jason's father in law. 50/50 on whether he's genuine or doing it to fuck with people. Shows his approval by challenging Jason to armed combat routinely and inviting him on jobs. Keeps asking when he's getting grandkids.

Grant - over protective but pretends he's not. GRAYSONS LITTLE BROTHER?!? Abhorrent. Is reluctantly bribed by Jason's cooking. Only starts warming up to Jason when he realizes that Jason is like, made of house husband stay at home dad material. Like an hour into a house call informed him that Jason is so hopelessly in love with Rose it's almost pathetic.

Joey - FUCKING FINALLY!! He's been here since day one, plotting, scheming. Carefully manufactured scenarios for them to spend more time together. Best man at the wedding, he wrestled Grant on the ground for it. Video called Dick with TEARS IN HIS EYES to tell him the news.

Billy - Normal father in law. Takes Jason on fishing and hunting trips. Reconnected with Alfred at the wedding and they're both ecstatic. You'd think it would be Slade who'd be gunning for the number one grandpa title and you'd be wrong, Billy is clawing his way to the top of that list.

Addie - Who? What? Oh. Fine. Reluctantly showed up to the wedding. Admittedly charmed by their dynamic. Mildly jealous at the sight of a non failing marriage but she's got enough self awareness not to be upset over it. Leaves the best gift by far, and she does end up trading recipes with Alfred by the end of the night.

If he's dating Grant:

Slade - Not exactly mad, but he is annoyed. He rolls his eyes but looks away when Red X is chasing the second Robin around Gotham, but he draws the LINE at his son giving up mercenary work to be Red Hood's lieutenant. Especially because it looks,,, serious, and serious means he'll be related to the bat sooner rather than later. 98% sure they're doing it to upset him specifically (he's wrong it's only like 25% for that)

Joey - In counter to Dick and Rose, he's actually pretty supportive. He thinks it's cute and he's glad that Grant has a good influence, but he'll be near the front of the line if Grant fucks it up. He's not as supportive about the pining stage they go through, mostly because he's the first person Grant laments to.

Rose - her bestie dating her BROTHER. Disgusted, betrayed, plotting their downfall. Absolutely thinks Jason can do better. She comes around to it faster than Dick only when she's entirely sure she can't do anything about it. Still bullies them both though.

Addie - Well. There are worse options. The real bonus here is her newfound connection with Talia. World's most controlling mother in law, loves Jason like one of her own sons though. Unfortunately that means he gets treated just like her other sons... Quality of the treatment is debatable.

If he's dating Joey -

Slade - Definitely the most upset in this scenario. That's undeniably his favorite kid and Jason... isn't the kind of person he thinks is good enough. Not that he thinks anyone would be. He doesn't go out of his way to drive Jason away per se, but he does put him through the most vigorous "tests". Begrudgingly respects Jason for passing most of them with flying colors.

Addie - Mother hen in law. Planning the wedding since day ONE. What's the equivalent of like, a sister in law but for the mom's of the spouses? Is that a thing? Regardless, she gets very close with Talia very quickly. Bruce Wayne's third biggest hater, she makes his life HELL.

Rose - Better than Grant. Still not happy, but she accepts it more easily. Maid of honor but she swears up and down they're cringe and she hates it. Complains to Dick about it but they're both secretly fond.

Billy - Never booking a hotel without soundproof walls with them again.

[pix-writes]

outside sex w/ Ford 🫣

Ford & outside sex, tried to make it as gender neutral as possible for this one, hope you enjoy!

(18+ MDNI under cut!) NSFW with lots of fluff on the side 😉

I feel like Ford would actually be really into having sex outside, though I don't think he's the kind of person into voyeurism at all! He wouldn't like to have anyone else looking at you in that way and he certainly wouldn't want to be at high risk of getting caught - it's a turn off!

But he does love nature, he loves being in the woods around the falls and knows lots of beautiful and quiet, largely secluded spots as well as all the magical and dangerous sections of the area to avoid. He would like to take you to such pretty locations as a date activity. He's a romantic deep down 🥰 having a picnic by a smaller lake that was formed off of the bigger lake within gravity falls, not a well known spot, watching as the day grows towards sunset? Hearing people far off on the main lake packing up after a full day of activities, tourism and fishing? Sharing some wine and dessert together should you be so inclined? Wonderful! The perfect place to have both a view and not be interrupted.

It starts off as just cuddling and making out on the grass, as the date progresses, but the intimacy builds to more than that, getting a little heated. Something about it sparks something in Ford, he imagines taking you out to more private places, just you and him alone in tranquil nature, where you won't be seen or have to worry about volume (at least maybe, not as much as when you're in the shack). Maybe you could even go camping.

Ford takes you hiking over the falls and ends up getting himself hot and bothered by the vision of you in front of him 😅 when you're walking in front of him, he gets the best view of your ass 😉

And when you need to break for a few minutes, dewy with sweat and out of breath from exertion, his mind is going to other activities in which he's seen you like that.

When the path becomes steep and treacherous he feels a certain sense of fulfilment/pride (?) that you need his help to traverse it, giving you a hand to pull you up or catch you, that you put your trust in him and his reassurances that you'll be fine and you can cross without falling, is something that helps him to feel useful and more secure. I guess it also feeds a certain masculine role (trope?) in him too (mostly in a pure way rather than a negative/toxic way), in being useful and capable to you in such a physical way. In fact he might even be a bit handsy when he helps you, if he's feeling playful enough or if the trip is tiring you out to try and lift your spirits:

Ford places a hand over your ass as you stumble when he helps you up a high step, drawing you into pressing up against him. "Careful, my dear." 😏

"Stanford Pines, you are a tease!" 😑

"I don't know what you're talking about." 🫠

There's a limit to Ford's patience and you can figure it out, most likely, in this scenario! If he can get you somewhere he considers safe and far away enough from any others who could possibly stumble across you, he'll take you as soon as possible.

Or, I kind of imagine a scenario where you're in the woods adventuring, helping Ford with his research of the anomalies, when things inevitably go wrong and you end up in some moderate dangers in fighting and escaping the latest monster of the week, when you end up coming to a stop to catch your breath, the danger now behind you - the tension is palpable!

Both of your heightened states of emotion mean that one of you runs hands over the other looking to see if they're hurt, almost getting into an argument over the details of how things went wrong or how you managed to come so close to getting hurt, maybe Ford ends up frustrated at you not listening to his instruction and taking a risk, either way that underlying tension snaps. There's tears in his eyes -

"You're so stubborn! How could you put yourself in that position?!"

"I saved you from being hurt! I thought I could've lost you back there!"

You end up being pressed up against a tree as Ford roughly kisses you, feeling under your clothes, squeezing and pinching at your sensitive areas as you moan into his mouth. You know what both of your actions are saying; you care about each other, you felt like you might not have gotten out of this alive, but here you both are.

You don't mind being rough in fact, you want it, you want to feel each other, you want to feel alive. You don't care if you get scratched up by the uncomfortable surfaces, and you are almost certainly going to be scratched up.

No matter who is the instigator here, Ford ends up the one to flip you around and push you up against the tree so he can take you from behind. Neither of you even bothered to undress, clothes pushed up or aside or pulled down just enough to access what you wanted.

And god forbid any forest gnome stumbles across you now, as Ford would probably turn them into ashes if they interrupted you! 🤭😳

Don't worry though, more TLC is applied after, once you manage to get back home, Ford being more gentle and tending to any cuts and bruises.

[musings-of-a-college-dork]

An Odd Request

Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader

Word count: roughly 1K

Steve’s wife goes to the gym and makes an odd request when she arrives home. 

Warnings: sorta NSFW (mdni), use of Y/N, terms of endearment (baby).

Author’s note: This is just fluffy Steve and was written directly after I got home from the gym needing this man and a very specific kind of cuddling so…here it is! Short and sweet and very silly. Hope y’all enjoy! 

It was a quiet Saturday morning in the Harrington household. Steve was the only one home, having a few hours on his own as Y/N went to meet her personal trainer. She had been seeing a trainer for a while as she, quote on quote, wanted “to be able to carry all the groceries in a single trip all by myself.” A noble and worthy cause in Steve’s eyes and yet as long as he was around, she’d never have to lift a finger. He was more than content to show off his own strength for her enjoyment…and yet wished to support her in any and all of her goals so off to the gym she had gone. As such, he had the home to himself for a few hours, a chance to get some work done. 

He had spent most of the morning thus far drinking his coffee and sketching up new basketball drills and formations for the middle school team he coached. He finally understood exactly what Hopper had meant all those years ago about “coffee and contemplation” finding more and more that the man’s wisdom was never ending the older he got. We’ve gotta tighten up their current formations, he thought as the TV played some mindless sitcom in the background while he chewed on the end of his pencil. His mind looked over the squiggles on the paper in front of him trying to decide how to fix this. It had been weeks since they had won a game and morale was dropping fast. Jamie has to pass more but Donovan can’t really shoot…maybe if we move Paul to center and then swap Jordan and Cole we could-

The man wasn’t given another moment to think as he heard the front door open and close with a loud slam, the sound of feet padding their way down the entry hallway. 

“Hey, baby!” Steve called as he continued to focus on the squiggles, drawing a few more lines before erasing them with equally as much vigor, “How was the gym?” A loud groan was all he received in reply as his wife dropped her bag to the ground and kicked off her tennis shoes, not even bothering to put them in the basket where she knew they belonged. The same basket she insisted his shoes lived in but rules didn’t apply to her, at least not right now. I’ll tease her about it later. “That good huh?” He called with a low chuckle as he ran a hand through his hair, “Well your protein shake is in the fridge. Should be cold enough since I put it in when you left.” Oddly enough, the man received no response. He waited a moment before he called again, looking up from his work.

“Bab-” And just like that she was in front of him. He jumped and let out a quiet swear as he clutched a hand to his chest. He hadn’t seen her before she had left and found himself taking a sharp inhale as he looked her up and down. She looked so fucking gorgeous in those tight black leggings that fit her just right, a simple white workout top, hugging her every curve, and the expensive black workout jacket he had saved up to get her for Christmas that she never left for the gym without. Not to mention the way her hair looked post-workout and the glow of sweat that radiated off of her. He was about to open his mouth to make some lewd remark he hoped she’d find charming but-

“Hold my tits.” The man blinked once, then again, his mouth open and gaping like a fish. 

“W-what?” 

“I want your hands on my tits,” Y/N repeated, holding his gaze with complete and utter seriousness, “Please.” 

“Like…you want my…”

“Your hands. On my tits. Now.” When the man continued not to move his wife let out a deep sigh and took the pencil from his hand, laying it down next to his sketch as she replaced it with something much better. She led his large palm gently to her breast, letting out a sigh of relief as she encouraged him to give a little squeeze. Again, Steve didn’t even know what to do, never having seen her like this. Sure, she was usually a little more cuddly and blissed out after the gym as the endorphins ran through her body but this was…new. A good kind of new. 

“So I take it you had a good time at the gym?” The man teased breathlessly as he ushered her around the coffee table to sit beside him on the couch. The woman let out a hum in confirmation as she laid down so they were pressed together, her back to his front, and wrapped his arms around her so his hands could live right where she needed them to. Another chuckle came from Steve as he buried his face into her hair finding-

“Did you put on perfume?” 

“After working out,” she whispered as her eyes closed shut in complete and utter satisfaction, being held just the way she needed to be right now, “Didn’t want to come home smelling only like sweat.”

“I don’t mind,” Steve used his nose to brush the hair from the side of her neck, making her giggle as he pressed mindless kisses there, “I smell like sweat all the time and you still love me.” 

“I do,” Y/N titled her head so he could press a kiss to her lips, one she returned eagerly before laying her head back down on the couch, “Fuck, I’m never doing the Stairmaster ever again.” 

“Y/N, baby, if this,” Steve gave her tits a little squeeze to punctuate his thought, “is what happens after you’re on the Stairmaster, by all means, keep doing it. Any excuse to cuddle with my pretty little wife and hold her boobies is more than fine by me.” 

“Don’t call them that,” Y/N scrunched her nose with a chuckle as she pressed her ass more into him to fit them closer together. 

“What?” The man teased giving another squeeze, “Boobies?” 

“STEVE!” The couple dissolved into a communal fit of giggles as they lay there together, all stress and strain completely forgotten as calm domesticity filled their hearts and home. 

[jessamine-rose]

‧̍̊˚ᵕ⋆ Under the Sea ⋆ᵕ˚‧̍̊

So it turns out that I had more ideas for my Yandere! Mermaid AU. This sequel features more mermaid lore and dark themes. Now why don't we revisit this twisted fairytale??

Characters:: Capitano, Pantalone, Dottore, Pierro

Tw:: yandere, manipulation, coercion, blood, violence, death, Stockholm Syndrome, spice, noncon, animal cruelty, mention of pregnancy

♡ 1.9k words under the cut ♡

Shark! Capitano x Coral Reef Fish! Mermaid

♡ To be fair, there are worse fates in the deep sea. While mermaids and reef fish are getting nerfed by natural selection, you have Capitano to provide for you. Sure, your relationship is far from ordinary nor consensual, but at least you’re safe in his territory. He is still your gentle companion who would never hurt you.

♡ …Yeah, it doesn’t get any easier but he tries to make you comfortable. Pretty sea anemones to decorate your new home. His earnest imitation of your species’ courtship rituals. The considerate adjustments to his own mating behavior as a shark mermaid.

♡ Don’t worry, he’s extremely careful when biting you. His bites are light and harmless, at times pleasurable, so stop struggling unless you want him to accidentally draw blood. He even encourages you to reciprocate the gesture! Your teeth aren’t as sharp as his, but he cherishes the shallow indents you leave on his skin.

♡ You’re forbidden from leaving his territory without him. Since your abduction, Capitano is more protective over you. He scares away nearby sea creatures, hunts down humans on sight, and threatens his fellow predator mermaids for joking about your “tasty” appearance. You attract a lot of curiosity for your interspecies relationship but he doesn’t mind the rumors.

♡ It’s a confusing situation, really. Just as you somewhat understand Capitano’s twisted love, you can’t shake off your previous camaraderie. For every predator he kills for you, you steer him away from manmade fish traps. By now, he’s stopped inquiring about your familiarity with these devices. Instead, he softly touches your scars and promises that no more violence will taint you.

♡ With that, your boiling point shouldn’t be a surprise. It is a usual day in captivity: Capitano returns to your shared cavern with another batch of sea anemone, and you silently accept his gift. What shakes your passive resistance is the sight of his wounded hands. Are those anemone stings?

♡ All this time, you’d forgotten that only reef fish are immune to sea anemone. You immediately tell Capitano to stop picking it for you, but he insists that the pain is nothing. Setting your gift aside, you treat his wounds and tell him that if he won’t stop, he should let you accompany him. You can’t allow your mate to hurt himself for you.

♡ For a few seconds, Capitano is silent. Only after he accepts your proposal do you realize the words which slipped out. Before you can take it back, he kisses you and leaves for another hunting trip. Unable to follow him, you can only await his return and question your sanity.

♡ Meanwhile, your mate is mulling over your first lover’s spat. For you to be so concerned that you’d willingly spend more time with him…perhaps you have begun to accept your new life. He does feel guilty for worrying you, but make no mistake: What would be the point of his strength if not for your sake?

Jellyfish! Pantalone x Exotic Pet! Mermaid

♡ Despite his desire to own court you, there are times when Pantalone questions his decision. Until now, you struggle to adapt to the deep sea due to your sheltered upbringing and weaker biology. But when he is with you, he can almost believe that he isn’t heartless—at least in a figurative sense.

♡ Your background is useful for his side job as the top trader of human treasures. Just forget the time you informed him that his precious “dinglehopper” is actually an eating utensil. He talked about subjective value afterwards, but you could tell he was just trying to repair his pride.

♡ Likewise, you are humbled by the brutality of mermaid culture. It’s common for beauties like Pantalone to lure humans into the sea to kill them and steal their valuables. And who can forget the time you adopted a shimmery fish as a pet, only for Pantalone to tear off its scales for his nail art? Don’t be afraid, darling, he’d never be this cruel with you.

♡ For all it’s worth, his attraction is mutual. There is some friction at the start of his courtship when you initially reject Pantalone’s advances. You go on a tangent about purebreds, selective breeding, arranged partners, all that nonsense taught by your human breeders.

♡ Pantalone is offended. Are you implying that he isn’t valuable enough for you? Darling, in the wild, what matters most is not your imagined worth but your survivability. He isn’t even courting you for your potential offspring, assuming you can have any with him. And he's smart enough not to subject any hybrid children to a difficult life in an improper habitat.

♡ That conversation is what changes your mindset. Compared to humans, Pantalone treats you so differently. Rather than show you off to his peers, he prefers to keep you safe by his side. That time you got badly injured by a predator, he prioritized your health over your damaged scales. The only reason he purchased a scar-healing potion was to appease your distress. See, you should have listened to him. Do you know how much this cost him?

♡ He even protects you in a way that no caretaker would! Swimming after you when you get swept up by the currents, putting himself in harm’s way to save you from predators, even sharing his treasures with you. So what is the point of your biological differences? You already live together and find each other attractive.

♡ Yes, he is the perfect mate. You still have a lot to learn about the deep sea, and he will teach you everything there is to know. Between your domestication and his manipulation, you can be confident in one truth: That out of all the fish in the sea, Pantalone chose to love you.

Octopus! Dottore x Artificial! Mermaid

♡ He understands that you are mad at him. It is a natural reaction after being forcibly drowned, kissed, and transformed into a mermaid. Yet despite your silent treatment, Dottore refuses to shut up. He isn’t a talkative person, but he’s so excited to properly communicate with you. Think of all the personal and scientific conversations!

♡ Good luck trying to escape from him. The deep sea is no place for an inexperienced mermaid; and among your favorite sea creatures, Dottore picked a species weaker than him. Not to mention that transformation potions can only be custom-made under his guidance.

♡ You should also give up on seeking help. Do you honestly believe that your former brethren won’t use your body for scientific research? On the other hand, mermaid society shuns you for your human origins and association with Dottore. You’re essentially an outcast like him.

♡ Don’t cry, darling, he will always be here for you. He is an attentive mate in the first months of your courtship—teaching you how to swim, helping you hunt and gather food, overseeing your adjustment therapy. He is neither strict nor overbearing in that regard.

♡ You do realize why he is feared by his peers. During your tour of his territory, you are horrified to come across the skeletons of humans and mermaids. Worry not, these are no different from the experiments conducted by your kind. Be grateful that he went with magic and not surgery for your transformation.

♡ Because of his research, Dottore is also known as the Sea Witch. Every so often, he accepts potion commissions in exchange for knowledge, human relics, or mermaid DNA. He prefers the last payment since it’s less easy to obtain by force. It’s especially true for the orca blood and jellyfish stingers provided by two of his important clients.

♡ Despite your situation, you can’t help but be fascinated with your new circumstances. Humans tend to view mermaids as inferior animals, and even sympathetic marine biologists are hindered by the language barrier. Thanks to Dottore, you’ve gained a better understanding of his kind. And as a fellow researcher, you are morbidly impressed by his scientific accomplishments.

♡ It helps that he has a soft spot for you, though he’s more…touchy now that you’re his mate. He likes to wrap his tentacles around you in what he claims is an innocent hug. He marks you with his suckers and comments on the taste of your skin. He also teases you with camouflaged jumpscares; it’s especially scary during your escape attempts.

♡ A part of you hopes this is all a dream, a nightmare you can wake up from. As much as you love exploring the sea, you can’t enjoy the newly accessible knowledge when you are trapped in Dottore’s grasp. Sadly, your life is now in his hands and he will take great joy in seeing how your relationship develops.

Orca! Pierro x Artificial Orca! Mermaid

♡ In the end, Pierro decides to turn you into a mermaid. He makes the most out of your final days on land—cooking your meals, using your species’ technology…and indulging in human copulation. With your injured leg, there is little you can do to resist him.

♡ On the last day, he carries you to the sea and force-feeds you a potion. The last thing you feel before passing out is cold seawater, strong arms wrapped around you, a familiar tail intertwined with yours. Back in his true form, Pierro brings you to his new territory and admires your orca features.

♡ The first week could've been better. You’re already tense with Pierro, but he tries to reciprocate your hospitality. His territory is larger than your house with a furnished cavern, a private reef, and the primitive technology created by orca mermaid society. The two of you share a comfy bed of seagrass.

♡ You are also subjected to a checkup with the Sea Witch. As scary as Dottore is, you eagerly listen to his story about Pierro’s human transformation. How he stumbled during his first steps, how pathetic yet determined he looked, how—he stops talking after Pierro darkly inquires about the regenerative abilities of octopus mermaids.

♡ Pierro is a doting, protective mate…to an extreme extent. You aren’t allowed to leave his territory, learn how to hunt, or even interact with other mermaids and animals. After everything he’s been through, he can’t lose another loved one to the cruelty of the world.

♡ Not that any sea creature would approach you. The first time you watch Pierro hunt, you are traumatized by his species’ methods. To him, it’s normal to brutally tail-slap seals and stingrays to death—and justified in the case of passing humans. So that is what he means by "playing with your food"...

♡ He also helps you adjust to your aquatic diet. There are various ways to prepare raw fish and hopefully, you like sashimi. If you miss human cuisine, the two of you may occasionally visit a deserted island to roast your food over a fire. He does miss your cooking.

♡ At some point, you ask him why you were turned into an orca mermaid. According to Dottore, Pierro had to give away more blood to make you the same species as him. Why did he put himself through that? That is when your mate brings out a fertility potion, one that will ensure pregnancy even if your body is incapable of bearing a child.

♡ Calm yourself, darling. You already know that orcas aren’t solitary creatures; and while your company is a blessing, wouldn’t it be nice to raise a few baby mermaids? Never fear, Pierro will take good care of your pod. Together, you will live a peaceful life under the sea.

♡

Welp what a lovely way to use my zoology knowledge. I had a lot of fun writing this and I hope y’all enjoyed this dark continuation. I didn’t expect so many ppl to like my Yandere Mermaid AU, and thank you so much for your feedback (♡˙︶˙♡)

I’d also like to thank @diodellet for peer-reviewing this and @gum-iie for giving me more ideas!! Once again, this is an AU of my Yandere! Harbinger longfic series for those who found the couples and stories familiar~

Tag a Harbinger enjoyer!! @leftdestiny-posts @nicebonescomrades @harmonysanreads @ansy-tea @thescribeoflostmemories @kocherry @oofasleep @crypticbibliophile @lcveaesop @frogchiro @theinnerunderrain @surveyycorps @jinkicake @lucidasara @ghostluu @gxmblinqueen @verdictionist @springtidewaves

[ashleyeveerson]

✨ THE DAN AND PHIL LORE pt. 3✨

CHECK OUT PART 2: https://www.tumblr.com/ashleyeveerson/760707933651746816?source=share

Phil ALSO comes out! (yeah no i'm not crying what? not them feeling comfortable enough to be themselves yeah). 2019 also brings us the adoption of a fish named Norman (a cutie) AND they also post pictures about their recent trip to Japan [the photo of Phil looking up to Dan behind the camera? yeah i am so normal about it, i swear]. There is hope in the horizon still for a Dan and Phil comeback...

BAM! A certain virus runs wild and forces everyone to stay at home. Phil continues to upload solo videos which distracted so many of us during these dark times. Dan, however is AWOL and the only pic we have of him is a shitty screenshot of him in glasses and a mask helping Phil rescue an injured pigeon (lockdown was WILD).

Also, my boy Dan post a cryptic tweet that leads to the announcement of a self-help book named YOU WILL GET THROUGH THIS NIGHT (because you will <3). Nah but I can't count how many times I've sobbed reading it, just him trying to help out others who have also struggled with mental health... istg i love this man

Hey so THEY BUY THEIR FOREVER PHOUSE TOGETHER they're gonna kill me one day istg. "Dan and Phil just decided to pay a mortgage together", top 10 sentences that would kill a 2016 phan. They are slaying, they are glowing... also rip Norman the fish you will not be forgotten

So during 2014 the fates (aka a random youtuber) foretold that Dan and Phil would be married in 2022. Since that clearly didn't happen the meme PHIVORCE united the phandom once more. ALSO Dan is out there shitting on youtube (as he should) and going on his solo tour WE'RE ALL DOOMED! Which i love with all my heart and also Phil being there for him every step of the way... AHHHHHHHH

Anyways a certain video called Dan and Phil finally tell the truth hits the internet and let's just say GOD DAMN. This also starts a wonderful trend amongst Dan and Phil in which they make fun of their audience (we deserve it ngl) and absolutley SHOCK US with new information about bonkers shit from their past [apparently they were offered a threesome MULTIPLE TIMES???]

It's the end. They've decided to give up their channel "Dan and Phil Games" forever... let's take a moment and silent and mourn with a compilation of Heart eyes Howell

...

SIKE! We're back baby and we're better than ever!!! The goodbye video turned out the be an ANNOUNCEMENT of their comeback. They are back, Dil Howlter is here and Phil confesses to having dyed everything green in the house when Dan went on tour bc he missed him (OH GOD). Also, the Halloween baking video introduced us to the icon that is.... *drumroll please*

SISTER DANIEL, the queen of making everyone reconsider their sexuality... she is the moment, she is an icon and she is serving astronomical levels of cunt at all time [jokes aside, Dan being comfortable enough to do drag in public, fuck they've come so far i'm so proud of them <3].

And here we are in the future, it's present day and they are queerer and happier than ever. THE PICTURES I CAN'T ISTG. Also Dan's Birthday stream is beyond iconic. First of all my unproblematic kings make it a charity stream to donate to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund (using their public influence for good hell yeah)... And how did they raise the money you ask? WELL BY HITTING IS WHERE WE'RE WEAKEST. Sister Daniel makes a spectacular comeback, FATHER PHIL is introduced and Dan even dyes his hair red to be more Good Omens coded... which timeline are we living in again? like how is any of this real?

Also them drawing the PINOF whiskers on their faces again... they're literally growing old together I'm gonna go sob in a corner. Also the fake apology video bc they have no fashion sense in the Sims 4 is hilarious as fuck. HOW CAN THEY POSSIBLY BE SO MUCH HOTTER ON THEIR THIRTIES EXPLAIN??

anyways the phandom is still speculating wether they're erasing "i love you's" at the end of their text when they show them on videos... guess some things never change. Nah but the vibes are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT NOW, they are more open than they've ever been and participate on the phan culture FULLY to the point that they're the ones terrorizing us now.

QUICK DETOUR TO TALK ABOUT PHIL'S FAMOUS BAD LUCK (and then they wonder why he's always dying in the fanfics). Nah but my poor man has had his fair share of medical problems, the most recent being...

OH GOD WHY WOULD YOU ANNOUNCE SOMETHING LIKE THAT THIS WAY?? nah like using humor as a coping mechanism and all but do they wanna gives a heart attack?! iconic i fear however

So yeah the video where they talk about it is WILD (funniest shit about the whole ordeal is that a nurse mistook Dan as Phil's son). Also I saw a tweet speculating about Phil having a hickey like... first of all what is it? 2009? Second of all IT'S MOST LIKELY A POPPED VESSEL FROM LOSING ALL THAT BLOOD YOU KNOW

They still were able to go on their vacation (aka the rodent boy summer) which gifted us with this iconic pics... ALSO they dropped a new Dan and Phil beats for summer go check out the names of the tracks istg they wanna kill their fans.

Nothing is sacred anymore, they've infiltrated twtphan, they're actively reposting memes and writing fanfiction about themselves. It's the wild west, everytime you get a notification is like playing Russian Rulet. Cringe is dead and Dan and Phil ARE COMING NEAR YOUR CITY on a tour named "Terrible Influence" where Phil's spent 300€ on silicone. It's a wonderful time to be a phan.

OKAY SO here's some stuff that didn't make the cut but that i find too hilarious to not mention. In no apparent order: DAN DRESSING UP AS A CATBOY, Dan and Phil playing technicians 1 and 2 on Big Hero 6 and two brothers on the Lion King (wtf was that also they gave the gorilas matching fringes), Dan dressing up as a golden pig (my boy has RANGE) and finally Dan being too embarassed to admit he stalked Phil and telling a reporter he was only asking for "editing tips" if you know what i mean

Also a short compilation of Dan and Phil losing the idgaf war against eachother THEY ARE SO THOUGHTFUL ABOUT EVERYTHING. Special mention to Daniel's 🧡 when Phil praised "We're all doomed!" and Dan's ranch metaphor to describe their relationship (just go watch the mukkbang video OH LORD)

SO, in conclusion... Dan and Phil's refusal to belittle their past and instead embrace it as part of their story while actively moving into the future alongside the phandom YEAH THAT SHIT MEANS SOMETHING. They're simultaneously healing our inner child while embracing us as the adults we've become i have many feelings about them

So what are they?

They're just Dan and Phil.

[redsea8me]

It’s literally Mermay and here I am nearly FORGETTING my mermaid Soundchet centric AU…

Alright, for starters, Ratchet in this AU is the only one (besides the pre-existing human characters) that didn’t get mermaided bc I had other plans for her

fun fact, the first piece I have here is actually Ratchet and SW firsts meeting and what happened is essentially Ratchet, somewhere in medschool went on a boat trip w/ friends (Jasper in this AU is a beachside town bc I said so) and she FALLS OFF and is dramatically saved by Soundwave and taken back to shore (missing one of her shoes but that’s okay) and after a few more chance meetings that turn into purposeful meetings they fall in love ooo and get secret married (this is all before the war starts btw)

okay, so the war a lot of the premise stays pretty much the same except everyone is mermaids now, and the Decepticons reside much deeper in the ocean while the Autobots reside in a flooded military base (you should look up photos of flooded nuclear bases those things are awesome) bc yahoo Agent Fowler is still w/ us but this time his issue is mermaids instead of aliens

The human kids met the Autobots definitely bc Miko toook them to check out the old abandoned base and then it totally wasn’t abandoned anymore

June and Ratchet (Rosamonde in this AU ig) are old friends and coworkers, w/ Ratchet totally being her sort of mentor earlier on when June started nursing, but as close as they are June is still a bit unnerved by her totally normal husband, Soundwave (he’s not a fish I promise)

Soundwave, sometime in the beginning of the war very much found the stress of dying and knowing Ratchet could never possibly known what would’ve happened to him totally a bummer so he broke into what the Hall of Records and stole one of the relics (aka the magic human necklace) and has been parading around as human for like, 9 years

Soundwave has also definitely figured out that kids are in cahoots w/ the Autobots (he has told Ratchet this fact) and he’s sort of keeping an eye on them

God… I promise I will draw more for this 🙏

[saccharineomens]

Laimay Day 24: Selkie AU

I didn’t finish my drawing for this prompt, but I did write a little fic for it! (~1.6k words)

—

Laios had been kicking himself all morning. How could he have been so careless as to forget his notebook on the beach the night before? He’d been half-asleep by the time he’d dragged himself off to his van, but that book was his *lifeblood*. It was more important to him than his next meal, or his parents, or his *sister*.

Well, that was a lie. Nothing was more important to him than his sister. Still, inside that notebook were all the coordinates of sightings, details on all the local legends, contact information of the park ranger, and various jokes and theories he had about the habits of different Cryptids. He couldn’t *believe* he’d been so careless with it, and Laios nearly tripped in his hurry down the rocky cliff side. The tide had come in last night, and with just his luck, it would have waterlogged the notebook if not pull it out to sea. He should have invested in waterproof paper, he *knew* he should have, but working odd jobs every other month didn’t pad his pockets as much as he’d like. 

His camera thudded against his ribs and gravel scattered as he hopped down a boulder and straightened, looking around desperately. He was right in this area last night, observing the bioluminescent algae that washed ashore. Laios caught his breath as he took note of his surroundings. Ahead, the water stretched out endlessly, the waves shallower after the tide had receded. Off to the north, a herd of seals were bathing in the sun-warmed rocks. Laios leaned to look into the reeds beside the path, searching for a glimpse of the tattered yellow cover of his book, but there was nothing but some littered chip bags and a broken beer bottle. 

“*Come on*,” he muttered, eyes sweeping the rocky shoreline as he walked further out to the water’s edge. The boulders were smoother and more damp, here, and his pace slowed. A few seagulls circled overhead, and to the south some were pecking away at something. A glimmer of hope flickered in his ribs as he picked up speed, jogging to where the birds huddled, but as one cawed irritably at him and took off, it revealed they were picking at nothing more than a dead fish. Laios’ stomach sank, heat draining from his face, and he swayed. *No, no.* No despair yet. Laios swallowed and looked back out at the ocean. *Think, Laios, think!* Maybe he’d dropped it on his way to the van, and it was on the trail somewhere? Maybe he’d passed it on his hurry to get back here. 

Laios’ thoughts were interrupted by a dark shape breaking the waves, and he instinctively grabbed for his camera. He hadn’t turned it on yet — *stupid* — and had to take his eyes off the water to find the button with his finger. The screen lit up, and Laios quickly removed the lens cap and stowed it in his bag before lifting his head.

A brown seal was coming up the beach at an alarming pace, round body lunging forward and flippers splashing with every landing. It…seemed like it was coming right towards Laios. Angling the camera, he took one quick photo before stepping aside to keep some distance between him and the animal. Seals could be nasty, and as cool as it would be to see one up close, their sharp teeth was much less friendly than their round, adorable faces. Laios wasn’t expecting the seal to change course, rounding toward him again, and his heart skipped in fear. He started backing up, trying to keep an eye on the beast, but the rocks beneath his feet shifted unevenly. He caught a weird movement from the seal in his periphery, almost like it was going on it’s hind legs like a dog, it’s flipper moving to a shoulder — *seals can’t do that* — and when it pulled away it revealed a pale flash of bare flesh. A blonde head rose, green eyes fixed on his, Laios’ heel caught on a stone and the world spun as he crashed backwards, his shout of pain echoing when his skull banged against cold rock, but he *had to look, he needed to see*—

Laios’ vision swam, he must be hallucinating, because the seal had become a woman — a *naked* woman — scrambling up the shore with eyes wide. Laios kicked at the rock below him, trying to get back to his feet, to run, or attack, or *something*. 

“Hey, you! You, human!” A voice? From the woman. Who was much closer now and *startlingly* nude, a seal’s skin folded over her arm and breasts swaying in her excitement — he quickly averted his eyes to focus on the swift movement of her arm as she shoved something into his face. “This is yours, right?!”

Laios blinked. The woman waited patiently for him to respond, but her grin lit the grey sky. A human woman from a seal. A selkie? *No way.* Laios’ head felt like seaweed in a current, trying to process what was in front of his face. The blonde, pretty!, woman was holding something white five inches from his eyes, and when he squinted he could make out his own handwriting.

“My notebook?”

“Yes, the thing you’ve been writing in this whole time.” The seal woman shuffled forward again and Laios felt his face get hot before she just sat back on her feet, flipping through the notebook with great interest. “You left it out here yesterday. You’re a writer! You’re a, a, what’s the word, a scientist?”

Laios wanted to laugh. He’d dropped out of college before he got anywhere near his degree. “Not exactly.”

“You’ve been studying us, right? You have that thing.” She pointed at his camera. “Humans always have those, but they aren’t like you. They usually take ‘pictures’ and leave, but you’ve been here two weeks.” She lifted the book and pointed at it. “Look. Not a lot of humans come here for *us*.”

It was his page on selkies. “You can read?”

She huffed. “That’s not the point!” She was right. The woman tossed the notebook at him and it hit his stomach with a wet little *plop*. “Look, the way I see it, we can help each other out. *I* l want to learn more about human technology, and *you* want to learn more about *us*, right? We can help each other out!”

Her long blonde hair was plastered to her skin, her pupils weren’t as large as Laios had hypothesized, and she didn’t seem to feel the cold air at all. Laios’ brain finally felt like it was returning to his body, checking the numbers and booting up the right programs to function. The seal’s pelt draped over her arm was fascinating, and had most of his interest, but she turned her body to tuck it behind her as a look of suspicion pursed her lips. 

“Look, do we have a deal?”

Laios hummed and picked up his notebook. The pages were soaked, but the ink was still legible in most places. If he dried it out right, he might be able to salvage most of it. “Why me?” He wasn’t normally one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but curiosity got the best of him.

“You don’t seem as dumb as the other humans,” the woman said, tilting her head thoughtfully. “Your notebook was right about some things. You call them ‘Bigfoot’, but they don’t come to the ocean if they can avoid it. They don’t speak like we do, they aren’t as good at mimicking humans.”

Laios’ eyes bulged. “So you aren’t human at all? And—Bigfoot’s *real*? You’ve met him—them? Them, *multiple*? Where do they nest?! Do they have family groups like apes do? Can you introduce me to one of—“

“*Shhh!*” The woman’s forefinger pressed to his mouth, and he froze. She was smiling mischievously, like she knew something he didn’t, which he supposed she did. “Does that mean you’re going to take the deal? You help me, I help you?”

Laios nodded enthusiastically, and the woman removed her finger with a satisfied smile. “What use does a seal have for human technology, though?”

Her expression soured in suspicion and she shifted away from him again, hand going to her sealskin. “That’s not really any of your business,” she said haughtily. Now that it appeared he wasn’t going to run she seemed to relax more, pulling her hair over her shoulder and starting to comb her fingers through it. “I’m not usually so careless, but when I saw you had come back to the shore I knew I had to hurry before you left again. My name’s Marcille, by the way.”

“Laios,” he responded, and it was hard to know where to look at her. She wasn’t human, according to her, but she still *looked* like any woman off the street at first glance. How did the evolution of selkies that passed as human compare to the evolution of humans themselves? Did selkies come first? Did that pelt of hers look just like a normal skin, or was it visibly magical in some way? Laios sat up, but Marcille froze and she scowled at him, so he raised his hands in supplication. “Can I look at your skin?” When he tentatively reached for it she smacked his arm away.

“Rude! Don’t you know to work your way up to those sorts of questions?!” Her eyes sparked with anger, and Laios rubbed star-struck at his arm where it stung. 

“I can do that,” he grinned. He wrote all his questions in his notebook, but he wouldn’t even need it at this point. Were selkies obligate carnivores, or omnivores? Did it depend on what form they were in? “Why don’t we start with dinner? That’s a common way for humans to get to know each other.” He offered a hand out to her, and after a moment of consideration she smiled and took it.

“Sounds good. Great to meet you, Laios.”

[ageingfangirl2]

A Reason To Come Back! Shanks (OPLA) Part 2

Reader is a mermaid who washed up close to death in Luffy's village and made a home for themselves. Shanks comes back and tries to convince y/n to join his crew. Shanks x Female Reader.

Part 1

Y/N

'Then join my crew!' Shanks said in a carefree manner.

That was four months ago, you didn't quite believe Shanks would go through with his promise, so you said yes.

After that first meeting, you went back to the tavern with Shanks to meet the rest of his crew, after stopping at your house to get some dry clothes. Shanks had so many questions about mermaids just like Luffy did and you tried to answer all of them. Maybe Luffy was right about him being a good guy, he gave off the vibe of someone you could trust but wouldn't want to cross.

You were nervous meeting the rest of his crew since pirates were primarily male, but they quickly put you at ease and were amazed at just how much booze you could put away, turns out that was a pro of being a mermaid. One of the newer crew tried to hit on you and it was then you revealed apparently what Shanks suspected when he heard you laugh, and that was your ability to compel. Let's just say the rest of the crew would never let the guy live down the humiliation you put him through.

Before he went to bed Shanks told Luffy of the promise he'd made to you. At first, the boy was upset that you wouldn't be joining his crew but was happy you'd both be pirates one day.

It did feel nice to let loose, laugh and have fun around others. And Shanks kept his eye on you the whole night. Maybe returning to the sea one day might just happen for you. You sketched a rough drawing of the jolly roger you'd seen during your escape, and it turned out Shanks and his crew didn't like that crew already so were all on board to help you.

During those four months, you kept yourself busy, fishing, helping around the village and keeping an eye on Luffy. You also had started putting things aside in case Shanks kept his promise and you had to join his crew which didn't seem that bad.

Today you'd just finished swimming and were returning to your house when you saw a familiar red-haired pirate sitting on your porch.

'SHANKS!' you call out.

SHANKS

I should have known y/n wouldn't be at home. They weren't in town when we arrived so I assumed they were swimming in the cove. Other than Luffy and myself no one else had been to the cove to see her mermaid form, it was her private space.

'SHANKS!' y/n calls out.

I look up to see the red-haired girl walking up the path towards me smiling and dripping wet. It was very unusual to see someone with the same hair colour as myself but y/n explained mermaids either got the colour from their mother or father or could get a mixture of both but y/n got her mother's red hair and tail.

I stand up and embrace y/n, who hugs me back. She was a lot smaller than me, but that didn't mean you should underestimate her, 'I told you I'd come back. You get younger each time I see you.'

y/n blushes at the compliment and playfully shoves me back, 'How old do you think I am Shanks?'

My face drops, this was a trap women liked to set to trip men up, 'err I don't know maybe early twenties.'

y/n grins, 'Such a charmer, we're the same age Shanks, mermaids just age slower and appear more youthful.'

I was shocked by her answer but also relieved. I said the early twenties to not sound awful when y/n could easily pass for eighteen or nineteen. At least we wouldn't have a kid on the crew with us.

'I didn't come to ask your age y/n, I came because I have something for you.'

y/n tilts their head and their eyes widen, 'what do you have for me? How's the arm by the way? Still getting used to only having one?'

Before leaving last time I'd lost my arm rescuing Luffy. I had no regrets and would do it again. It was tough but I was slowly adapting.

'Some days are harder than others but it will take time,' I reply honestly.

I reach behind me and under my cloak pull a wrapped-up piece of black fabric before handing it to y/n. y/n slowly unwraps the fabric and gasps loudly.

'You did it Shanks...this is the jolly roger I saw...thank you...' y/n stumbles over their words, tears pricking their eyes, 'what happened?'

It warmed my heart to see her get happy and emotional staring at the flag belonging to the ship that killed her family, 'they had a lot of enemies, and my crew simply pinned them against each other until they were no more. You're free to return to the sea y/n.'

y/n puts the flag down and throws themselves at me, causing me to grunt at the sudden impact but y/n wasn't that heavy so I was able to catch her as she hugged and clung onto me, 'you kept your end up so I'll keep mine, looks like I'm joining your crew Shanks.'

I laugh and put y/n down, 'Welcome to The Red Hair Pirates. I think you'll fit in nicely.'

It turned out that y/n was already packed, ready for the day to arrive. The rest of the crew and Luffy were waiting at the tavern, so we headed down there with y/n's belongings.

'I'M GOING TO MISS YOU SO MUCH Y/N!' Luffy shouts in y/n's face as soon as we enter the tavern, but y/n simply smiles and ruffles his hair not fazed by the loudness.

'I'm going to miss you more,' y/n replies and squeezes his cheek.

I clear my throat behind them and they both look up at me, 'What about me Luffy, won't you miss me?'

Luffy grins like an idiot, 'Of course, I'll miss you Shanks, you made me want to become a pirate but how many mermaids am I going to meet in my life?'

y/n sniggers, 'and since I'm now a pirate mermaid I guess you're number two in his eyes Shanks or should I say, captain.'

I roll my eyes but embrace the situation. Things were going to be a lot more interesting with y/n on the crew.

[lightshiningforth]

Maybe the way to have saved the world was to stay in the 1960s at the end of season 2. After the last battle, the Hargreeves all slip away and live quiet lives. Yes, they’re wanted criminals… but it’s also prior to a lot of technology that would make them easy to track. They could skip town, change their names, lay low.

What real reason is there to go back to 2019? Five believes that if they go back, the original apocalypse will not happen, but there’s no basis for that other than the Handler’s word, and the Handler is untrustworthy. The Commission wants them to go back, since they don’t belong in the 1960s, but they just defeated the Commission in battle. They’ve already mucked up the timeline, anyway - they met Hargreeves before any of them were born and told him things he wouldn’t have known, otherwise. They’ve also caused several national incidents. Going back to 2019 will NOT bring them back to the 2019 they knew. Five, of all people, should know that (and it always bothered me that he didn’t, and that everyone was shocked to find a new reality in season 3). They’ve changed history. It’s too late.

So, why not exist in this timeline? I think it would be hard for Allison, who would have to give up on the possibility of ever seeing Claire again. But this time, she would have Ray with her. This time, she would be able to mourn safely, and wouldn’t spiral.

Luther would find a new job, move on from his unhealthy fixation with Allison, come to care for her in a normal brotherly way and love Ray as his brother in law. Maybe he and Diego would live together as chaotic roommates.

Diego would get twitchy trying not to do things that draw attention to himself. Maybe he’d be a vigilante again. Maybe he’d be a small town cop. But when Lila comes back (and she will come back, there’s no reason she couldn’t try her trick with Stan in the 1960s), they work things out and build a life together.

Klaus would struggle for a while, absolutely. No Ben. No Dave. Freshly relapsed. But he would come out of it, too. Maybe Diego would help him, like he does in the first season. Or Allison would, like she does in the fourth. But he won’t be alone again. Perhaps Dave survives the war - don’t we see him join a different military branch at the end of the season? Perhaps Klaus changes the timeline just enough that he lives. Perhaps they meet again, by chance. Perhaps they hit it off.

Or perhaps not. Maybe that’s too much of a paradox (if Dave joins a different branch and never meets Klaus and lives, then how can Klaus have met him and lost him and gone back to warn him?). That wouldn’t stop Klaus from meeting another nice young man and living together as “roommates.” He still remembers his relationship with Dave. That’s real, that matters, he mourns it. But he moves on and he’s happy.

Five retires. Sure, he’s twitchy for awhile. Still waiting for the other shoe to drop. But finally he relaxes, puts on the retiree hat he does in season 3. Goes fishing and road tripping. Jumps in to see his family whenever he wants. He and Lila hate each other, but they agree not to kill each other for Diego’s sake. Hate eventually morphs into begrudging respect.

Ben is gone. It’s tragic. But he saves Vanya, and he crosses over. He’s at peace.

Vanya, Sissy, and Harlan would run away together. Vanya would become Viktor, making them all the more difficult to track. They would realize Harlan has powers, but it wouldn’t ruin his life with Viktor there to help him manage. He’d also help him cope with the guilt of having caused the death of his abusive father - who knows more about destruction and guilt than Viktor Hargreeves? Maybe Viktor would even remove the powers, and let Harlan be a normal little boy who grows up to be an ordinary man.

Now for the fun part. Since Harlan isn’t out of control in this reality, he’s not going to accidentally kill the mothers. So, all seven Umbrellas will still be born. Now what? Five is adamant that they don’t meet each other, but when have the others ever listened to Five?

The real question… will Reginald Hargreeves adopt the Umbrellas, or will he adopt the Sparrows? If he adopts the Sparrows, there’s the difficulty of watching another superhero team (plus Ben! A Ben who looks just like their brother!) go through their traumatic childhood. Plus wondering how their other childhood selves are doing out there. But if Reginald adopts the Umbrellas… oh boy. Now the clock is ticking on another apocalypse.

Imagine the Umbrellas, old now, trying to stop their younger selves from causing an apocalypse. When do they intervene? Do they try to stop Five from leaving? Save Ben? Tell little Vanya that she has powers? Threaten Reginald into being a better father? Or is it Leonard they try to stop? Or each other - does Viktor talk down Vanya, does Luther talk down Luther, etc.? Is this now another potential paradox - for if they prevent the apocalypse, then these versions of themselves won’t jump back in time, so how are they now here and elderly and preventing the apocalypse?

Anyway. This would be fascinating to me. And I’d like it more than whatever season 4 was.

[erikahenningsen]

Janis and Regina as camp counsellors?

I.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven—

Janis is missing a camper.

"Lizzie!" she calls, but she gets no response. She scans the field where they've just finished a game of kickball, but sees the child nowhere.

She does see Regina standing off to the side, looking at her fingernails.

Regina, her "co-counselor," the bane of her existence.

"Regina, where's Lizzie?" Janis asks.

Regina looks up and shrugs. "I dunno."

Janis stares at her incredulously. "You were supposed to be watching them while I put away the equipment."

"Okay, well you were gone for, like, two minutes, so she couldn't have gone far," Regina says, looking completely and totally unconcerned.

It definitely took her longer than that, and the first stirrings of panic ignite in Janis's stomach.

"Lizzie!" she shouts again. "I can't believe you," she hisses at Regina. "You're gonna get us fired."

Regina rolls her eyes. "You are being so dramatic right now."

"Oooh," a couple of the kids say, giggling, picking up on the tension and apparently finding it amusing.

"LIZZIE! LIZ—"

"What?"

The child in question emerges from the wooded path that leads away from the field.

"Oh my god," Janis says in relief. "Where were you?"

"I had to go to the bathroom," Lizzie says.

"You know you're not supposed to go alone," Janis scolds, sending a harsh look Regina's way.

"Sorry," Lizzie says, and she seems sufficiently apologetic, so Janis lets it go.

"She could have gotten hurt," Janis tells Regina as the group leaves the field.

"Okay, well, she didn't, so..." Regina widens her eyes, like Janis is the one in the wrong here.

It takes all of her willpower, but Janis does not smack Regina over the head with her clipboard.

II.

Janis is walking a couple of campers back from the bathroom when she hears a shriek coming from the direction of the basketball court, where her group is playing four-square and drawing with chalk.

The shriek turns into loud crying, and when Janis reaches the blacktop, she sees one of her campers sitting on the ground, holding her leg. Regina is standing over her, expression pinched.

"It hurts," wails the camper. There's a scrape on her knee that's bleeding a little—nothing a band-aid can't fix, but kids that age see one drop of blood and think they're dying.

"Well, then you shouldn't run with your shoe untied," Regina says unsympathetically.

Janis frowns. "What's going on?"

"She tripped," Regina says with a roll of her eyes.

"So give her a band-aid," Janis says as she kneels next to the camper. "Hey, you're gonna be fine," she says. "It's not that bad."

"It's not?" the camper says, sniffling, and Janis shakes her head.

"I don't have a band-aid," Regina says.

Janis looks to Regina's waist, where the red first-aid fanny pack should be. Each group is supposed to have one. "Where's the first aid kit?"

Regina wrinkles her nose. "In the cabin. That thing is so ugly."

Janis stares at her in disbelief. "Well go get it!" she nearly shouts. One of the kids has an Epi-Pen in there that should be with them at all times.

"Jeez, relax," Regina says, holding up a hand. "You could have carried it, too."

"I already carry half this group's bags," Janis says indignantly. Their tiny arms and shoulders get tired so easily.

"Those things weigh, like, two pounds, but fine, I'll go get it," Regina says with a sigh, like she's doing Janis some huge favor. She turns on her heel and heads off in the direction of the cabins.

Janis fishes a tissue out of her pocket and presses it against the camper's knee in the meantime.

At least Regina will be out of her hair for fifteen minutes.

III.

Janis blinks awake to the distinct smell of weed.

She sits up as her eyes adjust to the dark. They're out in the middle of nowhere—it's either an older camper or someone who works here. She slips on her shoes and creeps out the door.

If it's a staff member—and it probably is—she is more than fine to mind her own business, but for her own conscience, Janis wants to make sure it isn't a camper.

Several feet away, Janis spots an orange glow off to the side of the cabin. When she approaches, she sees that it's—

Regina.

"You've got to be kidding me," Janis whispers as loud as she dares.

"Oh, hey," Regina says, unbothered.

"You're supposed to be inside," Janis snaps, abandoning minding her own business.

"They're asleep. What's the worst that could happen?" Regina says. She holds the joint out to Janis. "You really need to relax."

Janis glares at her. "Why are you even here? You obviously don't give a shit about the kids."

She stares at the joint for a moment before begrudgingly taking it. Free weed is free weed.

Regina exhales, smoke wafting around her. "My dad owns this camp, and he said I had to work here for a summer if he was going to pay for me to study abroad next semester."

Janis starts coughing, but not from the smoke. "Wait," she gasps out. "Your dad owns this camp?"

"Yeah," Regina says, like it should have been obvious. "What, did you think I was working here because I wanted to?"

Well, Regina certainly doesn't act like she wants to be here, so Janis guesses that makes sense. Then it dawns on her that this could actually be to her advantage.

"So, the next time you don't watch the kids, or a kid gets hurt, I can just go to your dad and say you're not doing your job?" Janis asks, casual tone veiling her threat.

To her surprise, Regina just laughs as she takes the joint back.

"Of course not," she says, then takes a final drag before dropping it in the dirt and crushing it with her shoe. "Nothing is ever my fault. If a parent complains, he'll fire you, not me."

Regina pats Janis on the cheek with a serene smile and walks back to the cabin. Janis stands there for a moment in disbelief, then reaches down and picks up the butt and throws it into the woods so no kids find it. Her cheek tingles where Regina had touched her.

Maybe she should just quit.

[luxheroica]

I wrote Wyll/Karlach, inspired by this art. I have been shipping them hard for months and knew I needed to contribute to the ship in some way. Also on AO3.

Tonight the camp is drunk on success and copious amounts of wine. There is still hardship and danger on the road ahead, not least for those who still bear the tadpoles in their heads. For tonight the goblins are gone and the druids ritual halted, the wine is sweet and the fire bright and that is enough to banish thoughts of darkness ahead. 

The bard Alfira has struck up a string of country dances on her lute, the kind of songs played at festivals and weddings for all to join. Wyll, in good humor and more than incidentally tipsy, joins the first one– a circle dance that has him linking arms with Lia on his left and Zorru on his right as they careen faster and faster around the roaring bonfire. 

There is something liberatory about dancing among the tieflings. None of them stare at his horns (still heavy on his head) or his strange eyes, instead taking them in stride. 

Wyll is the only one among the group that he has privately begun to think of as ‘companions’ to join the dance. Tav snuck off some time ago to find a private tent with Gale. Astarion is skulking around somewhere with a bottle of wine. Lae’zel scorned the idea of any revelry and has gone to bed, and Shadowheart in rare sympatico with the gith has also retired early. 

He is surprised not to see Karlach among the party– until he turns and sees her at the edge of the firelight, drinking out of a flask and watching the dancing, her feet tapping along with the music. 

The song comes to an end with a repetition that is so fast it nearly has all of them tripping over their own feet. Wyll has to catch his breath when at last the lute sings out its last note, and the gathered tieflings break out in applause. 

He excuses himself from the fireside and finds Karlach, who tips her drink at him and nods when he approaches. 

“You don’t wish to join the dancing?”

“Oh, ah,” Karlach shifts on her feet. She’s always in motion, he’s noticed, whether she’s fidgeting or pacing around the camp. “I don’t really feel like setting anybody on fire tonight. Plus I don’t know any of the dances.” As if sensing she’s brought the mood down she grins at Wyll. “You looked like you were having fun though.” 

“It was quite fun,” Wyll says, eyeing Karlach, who is watching the firelight circle with half an eye. “Most of these dances don’t have complicated steps– they’re easy to learn, if you follow what everyone else is doing you’re more than halfway there.” 

“Doesn’t solve the problem of me turning that whole line dance into kindling.” 

She’s keeping her tone light, joking and grinning, like she doesn’t really care that she can’t ever touch anyone without harming them. 

Wyll follows her lead in this. “I’ve got a nice sturdy pair of leather gloves,” he cajoles, pushing her just a little. “And Mizora’s present should make me at least a little resistant to infernal fire.” 

Karlach grins again, softening a little this time. “Don’t worry about me, soldier– I’m all left feet, you get me out there I’ll just careen into everything. Get out there and enjoy yourself.” 

Wyll doesn’t believe that– well, he does believe the part about her careening, she seems like the type to careen– but he doesn’t believe that she truly wants him to leave her to go enjoy dancing. Karlach puts up a good front, but were he in her shoes he would want nothing more than the simple things that had been so long denied him. 

He fishes in his pouch and draws out his pair of sturdy leather gloves which he slides over his hands, like a courtier drawing on his silk gloves so that he might offer a hand to a lady, then bends at the waist in his very best courtly bow. That it is a little out of practice he thinks she will forgive, especially when an irrepressible laugh burbles up out of her. 

Wyll winks, and Karlach laughs again. 

“Well, my lady?” Wyll asks. “May I have this dance.” 

She’s grinning truthfully now, as she takes his hand. There’s a bit of heat, like he might feel pulling a pan from the oven, but it’s shielded by the leather. “You may,” Karlach says, a laugh still at the back of her throat. 

Wyll pulls her towards the firelight. Careful to give her enough space that any careening won’t be a danger, but still within the flickering orange glow of it. A few of the tieflings look at them and grin when they join. There’s a new tune starting up– he knows this one, a sprightly hop meant to be danced with a single partner. 

“This one isn’t complicated, just follow my steps,” Wyll murmurs to Karlach as he begins twirling her around the fire. At first she is clumsy, all left feet as she said, but after a few turns she starts to anticipate the little skip-hop on the third beat. Wyll smiles. “There, you’re getting it.” 

Karlach shakes her head, still grinning. “You’re playing with fire, you know that right?” 

Wyll meets her eyes. Grins right back. “Wouldn’t be the first time.” He sends her out in a spin, and her laugh echoes all the way to the sky above. 

They whirl around the bonfire, until the flames become embers and the music slows and they all at last stumble off drunk and sleepy to bed. Wyll’s thick leather gloves are covered in scorch marks, but he considers it worth the sacrifice to see Karlach’s soft smile when at last the dancing finishes for the night. 

There will be danger on the morrow, but for tonight his heart is warm. 

[kahvilahuhut]

one sunny afternoon

(see the whole drawing on my art blog)

summary: Klara & Toby decided to spend part of their summer vacation at Klara's brother's farm. Here we have Toby go tell Klara that the dinner is ready, but then they end up talking about completely different things. :3

no content warnings

"Hey! Enjoying the weather?"

Klara turned around and saw Tobias waving his hand, holding a tea cup in his other, wearing a light yellow sweater and purple-ish overalls. Not something it usually wears but, man, looking incredible. "Hey! Yeah, it's very sunny with little clouds. Went for a swim, too," she said, a smile on her face, "Uh, by the way, what's with the outfit?"

"Oh, this? Um," Tobias laughed, "I dropped a strawberry jam sandwich on my fish sweater. Måns was going to the town and asked if I want to go to the store with him. Ended up finding these in the local thrift shop. I kinda like them, I guess? The overalls are really comfortable."

"You look amazing in them."

It smiled widely, "Heh, thank you so much!" Tobias looked at her for a moment. "Oh, um! Have a nice swim?"

Klara nodded. "The water's surprisingly warm. Though, now I have sand all over my legs."

"Sounds fun."

"Sure is! I was thinking about going there again, wanna join?"

"I, well, I don't know. I mean-" Tobias looked at the beach, and the dark water. "It's not too deep, is it?"

"No, no, don't worry."

"Okay, well. Hmm... It's not that I don't know how to swim, I do, it's really fun, but, well... I'm scared of water where I can't see the botton, you know? Be it a swimming pool, I'd be completely fine. But, well..."

"Honey, it's okay. Don't worry," Klara smiles and kissed its forehead. "You don't have to do thing you're not into."

"You're the best," Tobias smiled back and looked at his hands. "Oh! Just remembered. I brought you this," it gave her the cup of tea it was holding the whole time.

"Thank you!" Klara took a sip, "Didn't know you took the tea box on the trip."

"I bought it in the local town's store! They have surprisingly large quantity of different teas," he said while climbing up to sit on the gazebo's wall. Hands tightly gripping the wood to stop wobbling on it and not to fall, Tobias continued, "I do hope their quality is as good as quantity," it chuckled.

"It's really good, wanna try?"

"Mmh, maybe one sip," Klara watched him slightly lean down to take a sip from the cup she was holding, "Okay, yea, really good!"

"All thanks to you."

"God, don't be ridiculous, it's the tea quality that's more important."

"Mmhmm, but it's you who made it and also brought the cup here for me to enjoy after cold water."

"You said it was warm."

"You get the idea."

They both laughed and looked at each other for a moment, with wide smiles on their faces.

"By the way, um, I've been meaning to ask," Tobias began, "Is everything okay? I mean, um, how should I say this... It feels like you're, well, anxious, jittery, lately? I don't know how to explain it. Especially when we're alone here in the orchards or something," he paused and looked st Klara, "I hope I didn't, well, do anything wrong? Or-"

"Sunshine, relax, everything is fine," she leaned closer to hug it, "It's just, well, uh. It's about something I was planning to do. And then I didn't. And now I'm annoyed because I couldn't do it."

"Oh, um. Can I help?"

"No, no. Unless you can teleport to San Francisco."

Tobias smirked, "Well, no, sadly can't do that," it touched Klara's back gently and smiled, "Can you tell me what you were going to do? Maybe that will help?"

"I'm- ugh. It was supposed to be a surprise for you, kinda. I was going to-" she paused and glanced at the beach, took a deep breath and turned back to face Tobias. "I was going to, um, propose to you. But I thought that Måns had the ring I was going to use, and instead found out that he left it at family house."

"Oh! Um. Well. That's totally okay, don't worry about it," it smiled, "I can wait, if you want. But, um, just know that I don't need any rings to say yes. The answer's definitely yes."

"Wh- Are you sure?"

"Yes! Yes, of course! I don't think I've been more sure about something as much as about this."

"Man, you are too adorable," she hugged it tight, burying her face in its neck, "I love you so much."

"I love you too, honey," Tobias murmured and kissed her head. "By the way, I think one of Måns's partners has a license to officiate marriages. That is, if you want to do something that involves some kind of rings."

"You know what? Why not, why wait. Who is it?"

"I don't remember. We can ask on the dinner if you want. Because I totally just realized that the reason I originally came here - along with the tea - was to tell you that dinner is almost ready. Oops."

"God, why are you always so cute," Klara picked up the empty tea cup in one hand and held Tobias's hand with the other, "Let's go then."

"Mmhmm. Oh, and," it smirked, "we could also go swimming again , later. If you can hold my hand like that there, too."

"Sunshine, I can hold you even closer if you want to."

"Damn, now that's a tempting proposal~"

[jen-with-a-pen]

ALL TIED UP - THREE

Previous ⊹ Series

summary: Steve already feels like a fish out of water at the gym. An encounter with a girl and Bucky leaves him gasping for air and grasping for what the hell is going on behind Bucky's frat boy facade. At least he gets some sweet relief, some coffee, and some courage, when he see his favorite barista.

pairings: Art Student!Frat Brother!Steve Rogers x Film Student!Sorority Sister!Reader

word count: 2.5k

warnings: implied misogyny (Bucky and Sam really are Frat Bros™), gym gains + weight mention, Steve's just trying his best, fake crying, possessiveness + demanding obedience, Steve should try to listen to his gut more, successful attempts at flirting

a/n: i'm pleased to be able to finally introduce our reader from steve's pov! i can't wait until i can share her side of the story with you all ♥ enjoy! also a just-in-case thank you to those who have been patient with my posting. i know my masterlist currently has a schedule, but after an abrupt work trip and conference following, i got thrown off by a week. shoulda known better 😅

The most specialest of special thanks to two of my loves @vonalyn and @lunarbuck for helping me flesh out this idea and enable me in my destruction ♥ i owe you both a beefy alpha soon

gif by @/paliaphrodite | additional graphics + dividers by me ♥

my ao3 | my masterlist | all tied up masterlist Read this fic HERE on ao3! ♥Reblogs and comments are highly appreciated as always♥

Last Tuesday.

Sweat drips down Steve’s neck as he finishes out his bench presses. Endorphins and dopamine ooze into his bloodstream as his face flushes, driving him to push one more time to beat his personal record. His heart races from excitement as his arms extend, biceps bulging under the 210-pound barbell, pushing it up for the final rep of his set. At last, he reracks the weights and a proud smile spreads easily across his lips.

Going from 175 lbs to 225 lbs in the span of only a month was the last thing Steve expected upon coming to Richards. He wasn’t scrawny by any means before– in fact, as his mother consistently had to remind him, puberty had been exceptionally kind to him, going from five-foot-eight to a cool six-foot-two in just the last two years of high school– but, thanks to the daily regimens Bucky and Sam personalized for each of the brothers, Steve began to see real gains. Real changes. For the better, even he would admit. His jaw became sharper. His chest grew broader. His arms were now just a tad too tight for his own t-shirts. 

“‘s all thanks to those prime Sigma genes!” Sam once told Steve while spotting him during one of the first sessions of the semester. Steve couldn’t tell if he was joking about their greek letters or not, so he shook the comment off and chalked it up to ‘Sam being Sam.’ Him and Bucky constantly preached the superiority of ‘Sigma Males,’ regardless if anyone was listening. 

Steve never believed in that bullshit. His Ma would keel over if he ever even thought  about that kind of concept. 

Steve sits up, grabbing his sweat rag and water bottle next to the bench. Taking a long drink, his mind flips through through the schedule for the day: Drawing, then Astronomy and Art History back to back; a mandatory check in with his advisor; lunch or dinner somewhere in between; finally, some sports event-party-thing that Bucky and Sam were adamant the entire house hosts. On a Tuesday. 

Steve huffs, rising from the bench and mopping the beads of hot sweat trailing down his temples. He needs to shower quickly in order to make it to class on time, especially if he wants to stop for coffee in the quad. 

Not that the coffee is worth the detour on the way to class, in all honesty, but the comforting sight of the usual barista behind the counter is. 

Since his first day on campus, something about her has drawn him to the cafe as often as possible. Eventually, they began small talk– well, she started the small talk. Gradually, they started chatting about more than just the weather. Then it became ‘what’d you get on the calc test?’ or ‘hey are you going to the football game?’. Her voice, her laugh, her quiet humming as she prepares orders regularly echoes in Steve’s mind. Her soft, kind eyes and warm smile is burned so deeply into his memory that he’s started drawing her. He doodles in the corner of his notes, sketches on napkins and newspapers, paints watercolor daydreams covering certain pages of his sketchbooks. All of them are her. 

He can’t recall for the life of him how it came to be this way. It all happened so suddenly, so gradually.

Over the last few weeks, Steve found himself walking just a touch faster, leaving just a couple minutes earlier, to make sure he can stop by and see her before class. To him, she’s a breath of fresh air, a break from the cloud of testosterone and stress the frat house always keeps him in.

No matter what, she always makes his day just a little bit brighter.

She knows his order before he even makes it to the counter. She knows which classes to ask him about and on what days. She knows writing his name with a smiley face on his cup will make him tip just a little extra, just because she drew it. 

She knows him.

Yet, he can’t exactly say the same about her.

Steve bites his lip, so incredibly caught up in thoughts of his coffee shop crush, he doesn’t realize where he’s walking until he runs smack into another body. Hard.

“Oof–Hey!” 

The girl in front of him falls to the floor, dropping her phone, rag, and water bottle. Her headphones slip off her head, landing amongst the scattered remains of what she’d been holding. 

“What the fuck–!”

“Oh, shit! I-I’m so sorry, lemme–” Steve bends down, offering her a free hand and genuine concern on his face. The girl’s eyes widen and she freezes when she looks up at him. The next thing Steve knows, she’s opening her mouth and getting ready to scream. Panic surges through him and he, too, becomes frozen in place, unsure of what else to do when there’s a soon-to-be-screaming girl in the middle of a crowded gym of frat bros.

Before her scream spills out of her throat, Steve hears a familiar voice behind him.

“Shay? What the hell happened?” Bucky appears, jogging from a machine around the corner. The moment he sees Steve bent over her– Shay, apparently– there’s a darkness that falls over his face as he approaches them. 

“He–he–!” Shay hiccups from the ground, bottom lip stuck out in a pout and trembling ever so slightly. Her jacket hangs off her shoulder, half-zipped and barely covering her tanned and toned stomach, and her neat, platinum blonde hair remains in tidy braids plaited down to her shoulders. It’s as if she merely tripped on a rogue water bottle or an untied shoelace. Steve’s throat tightens.  

“Bucky, I-I bumped into her, it was an accident, I was just helpin’ her up, I–”

Bucky stops. His shoulders are heaving, chest puffed out, and hands balled into tight fists at his sides. His dark expression makes him look terrifying. Steve’s never seen him like this before. 

Steve swears he hears Bucky growl. 

It takes a moment, but upon finally realizing it’s only Steve, Bucky backs down and calms almost instantly. His expression neutralizes into his usual suave smirk as he runs a hand through his cropped hair. 

“Shay,” Bucky turns his focus to the girl still splayed on the floor. There’s a commanding undertone in his voice, something more dominant, more forceful, than Steve’s ever heard.

“B-but h-he,” Shay babbles on, “he pushed me!” Her cheeks are dry, eyes white without bloodshot or fresh tears. Her lip stays pouting, mimicking a stubborn toddler as she blubbers to Bucky. 

“No, he didn’t. He didn’t do anything other than bump into you.” Bucky takes a step forward. “Right, Stevie?” His hand clamps onto Steve’s shoulder. His grip digs deep, tighter than usual. Steve nods quickly.

“Y-yeah, I, uh, wasn’t lookin’ where I was goin’ and I-I just didn’t, uh, see her.” 

Bucky gives him a once over, his vice-like grip weighing on Steve like a two-ton barbell. He slowly nods to himself and takes his eyes off Steve, turning to Shay. Steve holds his gaze on Bucky, however, studying him for a second more. He notices the extremely subtle way Bucky is almost looking down on her. Something about Bucky’s eyes, the shift in his jaw, sends a phantom chill up Steve’s spine.

“C’mon, Shay. Get up.”

“But! But, Bucky! He–!”

“You heard me. Get. Up.”

Shay sucks her lip back in and reluctantly obeys as she collects her things and stands. Even with his eyes closed, Steve realizes he wouldn’t have been able to notice Shay’s petite, five-foot-something frame standing in front of him. She barely came up to the middle of his chest. How had he not seen her in his way? 

“Now,” Bucky continues, “apologize to Steve.” 

Shay scoffs, breaking her show of obedience. She gives Steve a not-so-subtle once-over. Her nose ring wrinkles in the crevice of her nostril as her lips curl into a snarl. She crosses her arms, cocking a hip and copping an attitude.

“Why should I–”

Bucky abruptly lets go of Steve’s shoulder and moves swiftly to stand directly behind Shay. His large hands snake around her waist and Steve can tell he squeezes her, hard, by the sudden, sharp inhale she takes. Her smug, bratty expression disappears immediately as Bucky leans down to the cusp of her ear, lips brushing against the silver rings and studs of piercings littering her cartilage.

“Steve is a brother, Shay. Now, apologize so we can let him leave and we can start your workout.” Bucky’s hands dig tighter into her waist. Steve’s stomach churns. 

“I,” Shay sucks in another sharp breath and plasters on a forced smile. “I’m sorry, Steve.” 

Bucky releases Shay and steps in front of her. Her hands fold around her stomach to cover the fingerprint marks bruising the sides of her stomach, gaze turning down to the floor at Bucky’s feet. Steve can see over Bucky’s shoulder that her lip is trembling. Genuinely, this time.

“Hey.”

Bucky’s tone snaps Steve’s focus back to him. Steve feels like a deer caught in front of a stopped car as Bucky studies him. The corners of his tight smile twitch into a smirk.

“I’ll see ya tonight, right, Stevie? Don’t forget, it’s baseball night.”

“Erm, yeah. Right. I’ll be there, Buck.”

Bucky winks at him, confirming some undisclosed agreement between them. Steve’s stomach backflips again.

Steve turns to finally leave, quickly making his way to the locker rooms, desperately wanting to shower off the uncomfortable ick clinging to him after whatever the hell that interaction was.

◌ ◌ ◌ ◌ ◌ ◌ ◌ ◌ ◌ 

The door to the café chimes as Steve swings it open. The short line of customers turn to face him along with the barista at the counter. Steve stops mid-stride, panting from his sprint over from the gym. Sure, he’s got class in ten minutes, and it’s a fifteen minute walk to the art school, but he’s convinced himself he needs coffee and his daily dose of sunshine before continuing on with his day– especially after the whole ordeal in the gym earlier. 

The barista grins at Steve. She mouths a ‘hi’ as she scribbles down the name for the current customer’s cup. Steve sighs, waving back and taking his place in line.

Admittedly, he was more worried than he thought about catching his favorite barista today. He chalks the anxiety up to the weird encounter with Bucky and Shay– the whole thing felt so wrong, so off. Everything about the way Bucky treated her, talked to her, how she acted before versus after Bucky got behind her– it rubbed Steve wrong in so many ways. He’s never seen or heard Bucky talk like that to anyone before. Not to Sam, not to Tony, or Clint, or even any of the random girls that show face at parties. He doesn’t know if he’s ever seen Shay around before, either. Something about the way she stood after, the stark contrast in her behavior, the way she tried to blame Steve for something he didn’t do. 

“Can I help ya, stranger?” 

The familiar voice brings Steve back from his clouded thoughts. She smiles warmly at him and he melts on the spot. 

“I, uh–”

She giggles. 

“I know your order already, silly. Is there anything else you’d like today?”

“N-no, uh, I’m good,” he stammers, sliding his card into the chip reader. “I just, uh–”

She cocks a brow, looking up at him from writing his name on the cup. Steve clears his throat, unsure why he’s suddenly stuttering at someone he sees everyday.

“Just, ah, needed to see you, honestly.”

He feels his cheeks automatically burn as he fumbles to put his card back in his wallet. He pulls out a couple ones and drops them in the tip jar for extra brownie points. 

The barista’s eyes sparkle, holding her gaze on Steve. It’s a nice change, to see warmth instead of ulterior motives behind someone else’s gaze. He can tell she’s biting back a smile of her own as she finishes writing on his cup. 

“Well, the feeling is mutual,” she says. “I honestly was beginning to think you weren’t comin’ in today.”

A fake pout crosses her lips before returning to a soft smile. She moves to the espresso machine and begins to make him a double shot. Steve scoffs a laugh, cheeks still burning. He shoves his hands in his pockets. 

His heart skips, flips, in his chest.

“Ha, I, uh, got caught up at the gym.”

“Ah, so you’re one of those meathead gym bros, huh?”

Steve places a hand over his heart, jokingly wounded.

“Ouch! Wow, you’re really hittin’ where it hurts this mornin’, huh?”

She giggles, prepping the milk for his drink. “I kid, I kid. I respect the grind! Especially when steroids are in such high demand these days.” She flashes him a knowing smirk as she continues to move about the coffee bar. 

Steve grins, shaking his head. He can’t believe her. He can’t get enough of her– her laugh, her voice, the way she looks at him. He stares at her for a moment, admiring the focus in her eyes as she meticulously finishes his drink, the curve of her lips when she’s satisfied with her work. 

Steve is still staring when she appears at the counter to give him his drink. 

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”

Steve flushes again and presses his lips together, muttering an embarrassed apologizing. Before she turns to go, before he’s forced to continue on with his day until he sees her again tomorrow, a thought pops into the forefront of his mind. Before he knows it, his voice is working faster than his brain can. 

“Hey, my-my frat is throwing a party this weekend at, uh, our house,” he starts, mouth instantly going dry. “Would, um, you like to maybe come?” 

She stops. Her brow arches, mouth opening and closing without a word. She looks at Steve, really looks at him, studying him as an answer brews on her tongue. 

Steve panics. “I-if not that’s totally fine, I, um, I just thought that–”

“Yes.”

Steve’s train of thought instantaneously derails.

“You–you… yes?” He repeats. She scoffs a laugh and nods. 

“No promises, but yes. I’ll try to be there.”

Steve’s face hurts from smiling. 

“Awesome! Great! I, uh, yes!” Steve confirms again. 

Before he can say ‘yes’ for the tenth time, she pulls a marker out of her apron pocket and grabs his cup again, scribbling something on the backside. As she turns back to the coffee bar, Steve picks up his cup and turns it over. His eyes land on a smudged phone number followed by a tiny, smudged heart. He looks up, finding her gaze again, and melts as she bites her lip.

“Text me, meathead.”

Steve beams. Any and all words he’s ever known disappear from his mind. 

“I can do that.”

As Steve leaves the cafe, he doesn’t care about being late to class as he enters her number into his phone. He doesn’t care about what the brothers will say come Friday when he introduces the first girl– the first person– he’s ever brought to a party. 

He sips his drink, smiling to himself, knowing it’s the best damn cup of coffee he’s ever had.