#I’ll sit on decision thinking a lil more

[incendiorum]

honestly at this point I think I’m just… trying to decide what I want to do w this blog

[zhenne]

watching from afar | route one : a confrontation

[ intro ]

syn. perhaps it’s time Sylus gives you irrefutable proof of his intentions, and to show you he’s more dependable than that doctor friend of yours thinks.

wc. 3.5k

warnings. smut!! (mdni), i’m gonna just say dubcon bc yea, probably ooc, rough start (i don’t like it tbh), jealousy!, mentions of alcohol, car sex, pet names (sweetie, sweetheart, kitten, baby), cowgirl, clothed sex, bit of dry humping, fingering, making out, sylus comes on your stomach/thighs, he’s a lil nasty (as a treat), teensy bit of begging, face & throat holding (no choking), marking

a/n. ngl i feel like this is pretty rushed, but idk man

now playing : all mine

“I’ll be back soon, have fun.” 

With one final measuring glance at the doctor, Sylus left you in Zayne’s care.

Zayne was a pleasant companion for the remainder of the evening. His dry humor and effortless wit kept your voice breathless with hushed fits of laughter. You were nursing your fourth drink of the evening when you notice Zayne’s relaxed posture shift as an undeniable presence calmly stepped behind you.

Cheerful, and a little tipsy, you turn on your barstool to face Sylus. With warm, rosy cheeks, you beam up at him, ready to explain the comical story Zayne had just finished, “Oh! Sylus, Sylus- you won’t believe-”

“I’m sorry to interrupt your fun, but we’re leaving, Sweetheart.” His firm tone cuts you off. 

You sit up a little bit straighter, brows pinched together, “Did the meeting not go well?”

Sylus’ eyes narrow, looking right past you as they land on the man sat a little too close to you for his liking. Crimson irises flick back to you, studying your slightly flushed appearance. “We can talk in the car.”

Immediately, you knew what that decisive, low utterance dispatched. He was pissed. Seething.

Sliding off your chair, you turn to give Zayne a small bow, smiling as you thank him, “Your company was refreshing, thank you for treating me with your presence.”

—-

The walk to the car was painfully silent. Any tipsy glee you had earlier was gone, replaced by a sobering disquiet. You kept your hands clasped tightly in front of you as you followed just behind Sylus’ striding gait, your own heeled feet barely able to keep up. Your lips were pressed into a thin line. Sylus’ aura radiated quiet fury and your mind careened with thoughts of what must’ve happened during his meeting. 

Did the other man not show up? Maybe he sent a representative Sylus had a previous resentment with? Or did the deal fall through, perhaps? Is it likely that the terms didn’t go in Sylus’ favor-

You’re pulled from your thoughts by your face colliding with a solid wall of muscle. You swallow. The black suit jacket on Sylus’ back obscures your vision, the musk of his cologne invading your senses. He turns to face you, angling his head so that it tilted in a manner that could only be described as penetrative. You wait for him to say something, anything that could hint at the cause of his calloused mood. You get nothing of the sort as he opens the passenger door for you.

To your surprise, he doesn’t slam it after you climb into the seat. If anything, he’s unnervingly silent. There’s something controlled, measured about this anger. And that finding only serves to confound you even more.

You wait until the car is speeding down the freeway to try your luck again. “Wha-”

“Did you have fun?” For an innocent question to be asked in such a forbidding tone, a chill tickles your nape. 

Your fingers nervously pinch the material of your dress, rolling the silk between the pads of your fingertips. Was he upset you didn’t go to the meeting with him? “You know I’m more of a hindrance than a help in those sort of mee-”

“That’s not what I’m asking. Did you have fun with your friend?”

Oh. A piece of this intricate puzzle clicks into your brain. Oh. “You’re jealous.” You don’t even realize you whispered your discovery aloud. 

Sylus chuckles, though it’s void of his usual mirth. “And what was it you introduced me as?...” His eyes narrowed in thought as the car merged onto the road that would take you back to the lawless city of perpetual darkness. “Your colleague, wasn’t it?” You don’t miss the way his jaw clenches. 

There’s a beat of silence, and then, in a moment of brazen stupidity, you mutter, “Is there a problem with my terminology?” Your own challenge, albeit your voice came out far too hesitant to be properly deemed a threat.

The way he looks at you, every ounce of his stare cold and measured, reminded you of your first meeting – reminded you that there was more than one side to the enigma that is the leader of Onychinus. Instantly, you feel regret weighing heavy on your tongue. You want to backpedal, try again at defending yourself.

You don’t get the chance to scramble together some poor excuse before he’s steering the car into the underground garage of a vacant lot. The transmission shifts into parked and the keys are pulled from the ignition as you and Sylus sit in the silent cab of the car, your eyes searching his side profile. The silence is stifling.

“Are you going to talk to me, or just sulk?” You finally murmur with a growing irritation. 

Sylus’ head falls back against the headrest. Finally, his gaze slides to you, the corners of his lips twitch with a frown, and you feel the edges of your frustration slowly ebb away. 

“What did you two discuss during my absence?”

“Hm? Nothing, really..” You hesitate. Sure, Zayne may have asked how you met the enigma that is Sylus, and you may have given a few glossed-over fabrications. And yeah, maybe your childhood friend revealed in passing that perhaps Sylus may not be the best influence, but that would constitute ‘nothing’, right? 

Sylus is nothing if not perceptive. He picks up on your hesitation clear as day. “What did he say?” His voice finds its usual timbre, a gravelly rumble that stirred something within you.

You were backed into a corner, tongue tied as Sylus’ situated his elbow atop the console, his face leaning into your space with acute attention. “Tell me, kitten,” … “Is this ‘Doctor Zayne’ of yours really just your doctor? Because I saw a hint of something that wanted to tell me otherwise.”

Your face warms at the insinuation in Sylus’ perceptive eyes, caught off guard by the sudden accusation. “I.. I mean, we grew up together, but- but it’s not- he wouldn’t-” you take a steadying breath, a futile attempt to quell your rapid heart rate. “Me and Zayne? I-It just doesn’t make any sense-”

“Oh no, I see it – the appeal,” he reaffirms, “he is handsome, well-established, smart.. And seems to care an awful lot..” he trails off, his smirk only growing as your brows pinch together at the open-ended insinuation. 

“But he never has time for you, does he? Dedication to one’s work means less attention to those that really matter.” You’re silent, face hot as you hold your breath, Sylus’ smirk only growing when he sees you ensnared in his provoking web. “You should call me when your ‘friend’ is too occupied to make time for you. I can at least promise not to leave such a pretty girl disappointed.” 

The air in the car feels stifling as you gape up at Sylus, his eyes now shining with a dark gleam. His hand slips into your space, brushing a strand of hair from your cheek before his palm cradles your jaw, forcing you to hold his gaze as he angles his face a breath away from yours. 

Finally, you manage to choke out a whispered retort. “Zayne.. Zayne doesn’t see me like that. He’s just a friend-”

“Just a friend?” He rolls his eyes at your empty logic. “Oh, please.” He practically hums. “He’s so obvious. You’re telling me you didn’t see the way he admired you tonight? Didn’t notice how his eyes practically undressed you, how his hands twitched with the desire to lay claim?” His voice drops an octave, the low rumble of his chest purely seductive as he murmurs, “How he wishes it was his bedroom floor your dress falls to?” You watch with a pulsing heart as Sylus’ eyes flit to your slightly parted lips, the corners of his mouth twitching into a proud smirk at your undoubtedly flustered expression. “I also saw the way those same eyes glared at me, resenting me for taking the one thing he wanted most.”

There’s a self-imposed reticence. You’re frozen in your seat.

“Nothing to say?” He blinks down at you when you fail to form a coherent thought, the cockiness in his tone only making you dizzier. “Perhaps you wanted that too?”

At that, you’re able to manage a weak shake of your head, and it only makes Sylus’ wicked grin grow. “Tell me this at least, are we really just ‘colleagues’ in your eyes?”

You lick your lips, head spinning when you finally let out a shaky breath. “I-.. We…” You feel as though surges of energy are rippling beneath your skin, setting your nerves alight and subsequently frying any semblance of intelligible logic. 

A calloused thumb trails down your jaw before gently grasping your chin, forcing your face up so your lips just barely brushed against his as he whispers, “Just know, regardless of what you say, I’ll still fuck you.” 

Swelling heat thrummed through your veins, catching in your breath and erupting in your stomach. Your thighs squeeze together with a rush of embarrassment as you feel a slick pool of heat stain the thin material of your panties, no doubt soaking through to the seat below. 

Zayne’s words from earlier ring in your deluded mind as Sylus slips a warm hand atop your thigh. ‘Please, be careful with who you trust’, the doctor had muttered in his stoic voice, ‘I wouldn’t want someone corrupting Linkon’s favorite Hunter’. 

You can already picture Zayne’s disappointment, but Sylus tastes like expensive whiskey and tobacco.

It’s possessive, the way Sylus kisses you, like he was afraid you’d slip away should his hands leave you. You shift in your seat as his tongue prods at the seam of your lips. A breathy groan has your cunt fluttering around nothing as he licks his tongue into your mouth, the hand on your jaw cupping your cheek to hold you still. Neither of you shy away as it grows messier, needier. And it’s unbearably hot, the way he grips your thigh, pushing the skirt of your dress up to bunch around your hips. He doesn’t pause the assault on your lips as his fingers tentatively brush over your soaked panties, the thin material made sheer as it clings to your folds. 

Sylus breaks the kiss, chest softly heaving as he looks down at you, his eyes glazed with raw desire. He lets out a low growl, accompanied by the slick click of his fingertip teasing your arousal. "God, Sweetheart..." He murmurs, his voice thick with lust.

Without warning, he’s pulling you over the console, your knees bracketing his hips. His hands roam over your body, tracing the curves of your breast and the dip of your waist before settling on your thighs, spreading them apart to grant himself full access to your cunt.

"Let's see how responsive you are to a real man's touch." He teases, grinding his cock into your slick folds through his slacks. 

Your hand grips his shoulder, desperate for something to stabilize you as the rough material of his pants brush agonizingly perfect against your throbbing clit. “F-Fuck..” you whimper as your other hand gathers your dress, giving both you and Sylus unobstructed view of the lewd performance. It felt sinfully good, as pathetic as it might sound, to be dry humping your (so-called) friend in his car like a couple of horny teenagers. 

This position offered you a front row seat to the debauched expression coloring Sylus’ usually smug face, a sight that only served to fuel your growing desire. He must've felt your peering eyes on him, because not even a moment later, a hand holds your throat, pulling you down for another hungry kiss. This one had no preamble, only a primal mesh of heat and tongue. You whine when he pulls away in favor of trailing searing kisses down the side of your neck, teeth occasionally nipping at the skin before he sucks a mark in the junction of your shoulder. 

You grind your hips downard, circling the hardening bulge in his pants with a breathy gasp, your hand tracing down the muscled panes of his stomach. Eyes roll back into your head when Sylus bucks up into your heat with a chuckle. He parts from your neck, his lips shining with spit as he takes in your disheveled appearance. 

“Would you rather it be your doctor friend making you feel like this?” 

A challenge? A jealous provocation? You aren’t quite sure what fuels it, but you’re unabashed as you whimper, “No.. No.”

Sylus wets his lips, the palm on your throat now holding your face millimeters from his, “Who do you want to fuck you? Whose cock do you want to stretch out your little cunt right now?”

You can barely look at him straight with the way those filthy words slipped so effortlessly from his mouth. “Y-You..” you choke out. “Want your cock, Sy..”

Your eyes blink shut, missing the smug grin that graced Sylus’ reddening features. You're about to drag your hips along the seam of his slacks again when a firm hold on your hips halts you halfway. You’re panting, watching with a lidded gaze as he pulls his cock, red and leaking from his pants. Your mouth nearly waters at the sight of the vein running down the twitching length. 

Your hand begins to reach out, but a larger one gently smacks it away. You find his crimson eyes, your pulse echoing loudly in your ears as the hands on your hips angle you slightly. Your shoulder blades rest against the top of the steering wheel, your back arched, and hands gripping whatever purchase they could find as you finally felt the heat of his dick brush against you.

He barely lifts a finger before a thin wisp of red and inky mist swirl at his touch, shredding through your panties without so much as a sound. You glance down just in time to witness as the ruined garment falls from your body, a mess of your arousal clinging to the maroon material as a string of iridescent slick stretched and snapped. 

It was pornographic, the way Sylus groaned at the sight. “I haven’t even touched you yet..” Your eyes glaze over as two fingers tease your dripping slit, the wet clicking sounds only fueling his exploration. “Fuck..” a husky moaned followed as he slipped the two fingers into your warm, welcoming heat. “F-uck… darling,” he experimentally strokes his fingertips, quickly brushing against the spot that has you panting his name with choked breaths. “Ah..” he breathes out, “There it is..”

His fingertips continue to stroke with a rhythmic press of his palm against your clit. You felt so hot, so unbearably turned on it was starting to hurt. “Please- oh please, Sy- Sylus, please, oh fuck-” you felt like your chest was on fire, burning you from the inside out. 

“Come on my fingers,” he growls against your lips, nose brushing against yours, “show me you pretty you look, let me see how badly you want my cock.” Finally, he brings his thumb to stroke tight circles against your clit.

Your body tenses, muscles taut as your nails threaten to leave crescent scars along his arm. Your head falls back with a wanton moan, thighs trembling as you coat his hand and lap with a pool of your release. You feel dazed, your body still humming with the aftershocks of euphoria he so easily led you to. 

Sylus was far from done with you yet. His leaking red cock stood hard and ready, hot against the wet skin of your thigh. He pulls you in by the column of your throat, planting a languid kiss to your lips, his pace slow and intent on enjoying the feeling of you pliant to his touch. “I’m going to ruin you.”

You barely hear it, let alone hardly make out his muttered promise. It doesn’t click until he breathes out against your swollen lips, his eyes piercing straight through you, “I’m going to show them you already have a lover.” 

Your lashes flutter as his grip tightens, sliding the leaking head of his cock through your dripping folds, just barely teasing your entrance as you whine his name, your own hips stuttering in his hold. Only when he finally – finally – has his fill of teasing you, of seeing you whimpering and clawing at his shoulder with quiet pleas of ‘more, please Sy, fuck me’, does he actually start fucking you like you’ve been craving.

“Fuck.. so fuckin’ tight, baby..” he groans as his thick dick slowly breaches you, the blunt head just barely making it through your tight ring of muscle before you’re keening with a loud, obscene whine. “Relax, kitten,” he drawls out, though he isn’t faring much better. 

You’re little cunt is sucking him in like a vice, and it takes every sliver of self control not to fuck up into your tight heat. His jaw ticks as he peers up at you perched on his lap, quivering and moaning from just the tip of his cock. 

Sylus leans up slightly, catching the breathy gasp that slips from you at the minor shift in angle. Warm lips spur more harmonies to spill from you as he kisses any section of skin he could see. The corner of your mouth, your cheek, jaw, neck and shoulder would all be littered with balmy breaths as he leaves marks sure to linger for days. You feel yourself relax into his hold, eyes threatening to fall shut as he haltingly bottoms out.

Fully sheathed inside your pulsing cunt, you both groan as you search for his lips, mutually swallowing the sounds of unadulterated pleasure when a strong pair of hands gently lift your hips a fraction, testing the waters before they drop you back down, your hips flush with his naval. You’re giddy with bliss, whimpering as your puffy clit drags along his happy trail in a way that has stars bursting in your vision.

“Shit-” you whine, feeling the curve of his cock press deeper into you with each thrust. Your head falls back, nearly resting atop the steering wheel, but Sylus is intent on watching you fall apart. His hand holds your jaw, thumb and finger squishing your cheeks slightly as your glazed eyes meet his, something primal and hungry swirling deep within the crimson depths. 

“Eyes on me, baby.”

You’re close. And you can tell he is too with the way his breathing is growing erratic, his neck flushing a pretty pink to match the tips of his ears. Your eyes flutter, a heavy fever settling in your stomach. The squelching noises become louder, more erotic the hotter this fever becomes, surely soaking into the seat below his lap. Your kiss bitten lips gape in an attempt to warn of your approaching climax, but you can scarcely hold back the choked moans as Sylus shushes you, his grip pulling you closer to his face as he grinds his hips into yours.

You come with a hoarse whine, your hands and thighs trembling as he continues to drag your orgasmic haze out for a few more seconds before you feel him pull out, making quick work with his hand as his cock paints your cunt and thighs a pretty sheen of white. 

You stare down at the mess, a filthy mixture of your own release and his lazily dripping down your skin. He lifts his hips slightly, tucking himself back into his slacks before his hands smooth down the bunched skirt of your dress. Panting softly, you try to steady yourself with a hand on his shoulder. You’re about to climb off his lap to crawl out of the car, but he tsks, holding you still with a hand on your waist. 

Your questioning protest stops short once you see Sylus examining your dress with a scrutinizing frown. His free hand holds up a stretch of the garment, and you can make out the faint blotches of stains darkening the material. He studies the blemished spot with an appraising hum.

“Perhaps I should have you wear this at the next event… That should satiate your friend’s interest, no?”

You swat a hand at his chest, blushing and indignant at the teasing lilt in his voice. If you knew anything about Sylus, his mirth always held some fraction of truth, and the mere thought of wearing a dress sullied with come made your skin crawl.

“You’re disgusting!-”

Sylus catches your wrist before your balled fist could make contact with his chest again, a gleam in his eyes that exudes pure satisfaction. “And you’re mine for the rest of the evening… any objections?”

[edmunsonss]

Love Letters to Future Selves

Pairing: Eddie Munson x GN! Reader

Summary: Eddie finds a letter that he was never supposed to read.

Word Count: 5.4k

Warnings: Swearing, kinda angsty??, it's also overly dramatic and not proofread because I just wrote this in class (sorry professor!).

A/N: I don't know what this is but I had the idea sitting in my lil idea dump, so yeah! I hope you like it :)

•:•.•:•.☾☼☽•:•.•:•.

Air hits your face as you stand there, alone, overlooking the city from your small apartment’s even smaller balcony. Ever since you arrived to New York, standing out on the balcony at night and looking at the lights that illuminate the buildings all around you is something that brought you comfort. Now it’s just a poignant reminder of the decisions that have brought you there.

You still remember the day the letter arrived in the mail. Eddie was there with you, sitting on your bed as you both tried to complete your English Lit assignment. It was one of the first times in your whole High School experience where you could genuinely say homework was enjoyable. Even Eddie seemed to be enjoying it, more involved in a project than you’d ever seen him be.

Your mom called your name, told you there was mail for you, which immediately made you look at Eddie.

“I think I’m going to be sick, Teddy.” You wished it was a joke, but you had genuinely felt your heart fall to your ass at her words. You had been waiting for that letter for months at that point.

“It’s going to be fine,” Eddie reassured, “There’s nothing to worry about, my little valedictorian.”

Eddie had never cared much about school, as demonstrated by the fact that by next fall, he would be a three-time senior at Hawkins High. He would have never imagined that he would end up becoming the biggest nerd in school’s best friend. Life was funny like that sometimes. Now there you were, about to escape Hawkins and go to college while Eddie stayed behind.

“Okay, okay.” You mumbled, anxiously playing with the ring on your finger, “I’ll just go get it before I throw up.”

You ran into the kitchen and basically yanked the letter out of your mother’s grasp. After mumbling out a quick apology, you went back into your room and shut the door behind you.

You stood there for a few seconds, back pressed against the door. It felt as if the purple envelope in your grasp was mocking you, like it knew the letter inside of it would change the course of your life.

“Well, open it!” Eddie laughed and secretly wiped the palm of his hand on his ripped jeans, just as nervous as you were.

“Shit, shit, shit.” You went and sat by his side once again.

“NYU.” He whispered. Your dream school ever since you were a little kid, the dream he had seen you chase for years.

You messily ripped the letter open, blinded by pure excitement. Everything went silent for a few minutes, you swore you even stopped hearing the Metallica record that had been playing.

Eddie read the letter with you, slightly craning his neck to look over your shoulder. The next thing he knew, you were screaming out of pure joy. He barely managed to catch the words admitted… Tisch School of the Arts before you threw the piece of paper into the air.

He treated you to a celebratory dinner that night. With the little money Eddie had, he took you to your favorite diner and let you ramble on and on for hours about everything you would do once you were in New York.

When the time came, Eddie was the one who helped you get settled into the apartment you would be sharing with two of your classmates. He helped you decorate your room and stayed the week before school started. You explored the city together and he made sure to take the subway to Tisch with you every morning until you had it perfectly memorized. You also took him to watch West Side Story and insisted on going to George’s for breakfast, just like your family did when they visited the city. It was probably the most magical week of your life.

Back then, you had been afraid of the distance pulling you apart from each other, but Eddie killed your fear with every call he made and letter he sent. You would even visit each other on holidays and it would almost feel as if nothing had ever changed.

You were still living inside that illusion until about an hour ago. You had just gotten back from class and figured it was a good idea to give Eddie a call before his show at the Hideout, craving to hear his voice. Neither of you had been able to talk over the phone that whole week and all you wanted was to hear how your best friend was doing.

You dialed his house number, which you had memorized as well as if it were your own. What you didn’t expect, was for someone else to pick up the phone on the other side.

“Munson residence,” Spoke a sweet voice. You frowned, what the fuck?

It definitely didn’t sound anything like Eddie’s voice, or Wayne’s. It did sound familiar, but you couldn’t put a face to the voice.

“Hello? Anyone there?” She said after a beat of silence had passed. That’s when it dawned on you. It was Emily Richards.

WHAT THE FUCK? Emily was a cheerleader, one of the nicest ones of the bunch, sure, but that still didn’t explain what she was doing at Eddie’s trailer. It surely wasn’t for one of his deals or she wouldn’t have picked up the phone.

“Uh… Ah… Hi,” You mumbled awkwardly as you anxiously toyed with the telephone cord. You told her your name, “I’m Eddie’s friend.”

“Oh! It’s so nice to finally meet you! Eddie always speaks wonders of you. I’m Emily, his girlfriend.”

You felt your jaw go slack at her words. They almost seemed to repeat themselves in slow motion inside your head… His girlfriend. Panic invaded your mind as jealousy crept into your heart and punctured it with a knife, but why?

It was perfectly fine for Eddie to have a girlfriend, right? Right? Millions of questions swarmed your mind, from thinking why he never told you about her, to wondering where this blinding jealousy came from if you were just friends.

“I think Eddie’s in the shower.” She said, abruptly putting a stop to your train of thoughts, “But I can tell him to call you back if you want.”

“Uh, that’s-that’s alright, I’ll just call him another time. Thank you though… It was nice meeting you.”

You hung up immediately after that. You’ve been out in the balcony ever since, sulking for God-knows-what reason. You fish around your pocket for the clove cigar you know you’ve got somewhere, but before you can even find it, your roommate, Tessa, walks into the apartment.

You turn to greet her, only to find she’s already looking at you with eyebrows raised. A sigh almost escapes past your lips at her expression. Tess hasn’t been your roommate for long, yet she seems to pick up on every time you’ve had a shitty day just by taking a look at you. In your opinion, it’s fucking insane… Slightly scary too.

“Don’t look at me like that! It’s not my fault you chose the balcony as your ‘I’m miserable’ spot.” Tess goes over to your tiny kitchen and you can see her shuffling around until she comes across the box of cookies that has become part of every deep conversation you have with her.

You spend most of the night sitting on the couch, talking about Eddie. Tessa is clearly unaware, but when you stir close to the topic of your jealousy she makes you question everything you thought you already knew about where you stood with Eddie. You still think about it as you lie in bed and stare blankly at the ceiling.

“I don’t understand him,” She had said, “Why would he cheat on you?”

“Cheating? Who said anything about cheating? You do know Eddie and I were never dating, right?” You reply. Tessa raises her eyebrows as she shoots you a questioning look.

“Friends with benefits then?”

“No,” You laugh. “We’re just… really close. I mean, we’ve basically known each other our whole lives. Eddie’s my best friend, nothing more, it’s how it’s always been.”

“Babe, I really don’t want to be pushy here but… does Eddie know he’s just your friend? He’s smitten! I swear he looks at you like the sun shines out of your ass.”

She then asked the question that kept you up the rest of the night, “If you feel nothing for him, why are you this upset over him getting a girlfriend? You can lie to me all you want, but you can’t lie to your own heart.”

You teased her for how cheesy her words sounded, but deep down, the question left you with more doubts than you’d like to admit.

You’re more than aware that there was a time where you did have feelings for Eddie, but a long time has passed since then. Back in your freshman year of High School, you had awkwardly tried to shoot your shot on at least three occasions, only to be turned down every single time.

It hurt at first, but you eventually got over it, because your friendship with Eddie was far more important than your romantic feelings. Yet, there seems to be where the lie is, isn’t it? To think you actually got over it. If that is the truth, then your discovery shouldn’t hurt as much as it does.

So, as you lie in bed, staring at the ceiling, you come to the realization that your feelings for Eddie have never gone away. No, you are in love with him. Shit!

The thought startles you out of bed in an instant. A million thoughts buzz around inside your head and you cannot imagine a way in which they will quiet down on their own, so you do what you’re best at, you write.

You sit at your desk for a long time and write out a letter for Eddie. A letter you know he will never read because you find it unfair that you’ve decided to write something like this when it’s already too late. So you just use it to write all the feelings you’ve bottled up for years, then, you bury the letter somewhere inside your closet, never to be found again.

TWO YEARS LATER

Eddie

A smile illuminates Eddie’s face as he listens to the soft purrs of the cat perched on his lap. His fingers comb through her soft fur while his eyes are focused on the TV in front of him.

He’s been trying to keep himself busy until your classes end for the day. There are still a few boxes of stuff waiting to be unpacked, but Eddie wants to get your permission to do so first, knowing the only empty space left in the room is in the closet, which still has some of your stuff.

After Tessa moved out once she graduated and Eddie finished High School, he had moved to New York to help you keep the apartment you loved so much. The salary paid by the bakery wasn’t cutting it anymore and month by month you struggled to gather up enough money to pay rent.

Eddie had gotten himself a job at the bar downtown to help out. You’d insisted on him taking the biggest room and despite his refusal to do so, you had already moved most of your things into Tessa’s old room, claiming it was the least you could do for him after he left so much on pause back in Hawkins just to be with you.

After a while of watching TV, Eddie finally hears you open the door and turns to look at you as you walk in. The cat on his lap jumps down and walks over to you after stretching out her body nonchalantly. Eddie pouts and mumbles a barely audible “Hey… come back.”

Your shoulders sag as you pet her soft fur, then lazily drop your bag by the door and change your shoes. Eddie watches as you head straight for the coffee maker. A big yawm escapes your mouth and you rub your tired eye.

“Hi Teddy,” You turn your attention to him once the coffee starts brewing and offer him a smile, which he gladly returns. He can’t help but think of how adorable you look in your fluffy white sweater and the pair of bunny slipper that are keeping your feet warm. He’s no stranger to this sight, you’ve had more sleepovers than Eddie can count. Yet, the desire to wrap you in his arms and cuddle you is still present.

“I see you’ve met Storm.” You say, looking at the cat brushing her body against your leg.

Eddie straightens up ever so slightly and wiggles his legs like a little kid to stretch them out, “I didn’t know you guys had a cat.”

You laugh, “She’s the neighor’s, actually, but she likes sneaking in through the balcony sometimes. Don’t let her get too close to your hair though, she’ll chew on it.”

“Isn’t that like a sign of love or some shit? Pretty sure Henderson said that once…” You shrug and finally pour yourself a cup of warm coffee.

You cradle the cup on your hands as gently as if it were your most prized possession, “Wouldn’t know, Teddy. Anyway, I’ve got some homework to finish, but feel free to tell me if you need anything. We can go get dinner once I’m done too.”

Eddie hums—basically moans—in delight at the idea of food, already picturing the delicious pizza he’s going to be eating later, “Ugh, yes please. I can’t stop thinking about Joe’s pizza.”

“I told you it was better than Wade’s.”

“Woah! Nothing’s better than Wade’s.”

“Keep lying to yourself. It stopped being good like… years ago, it’s the nostalgia talking.” You argued and picked your backpack back up, making a beeline for your room.

“Hey, sweetheart, before you go. Is it okay if I move some of your stuff out the closet?”

You shrug once more, “Sure, knock yourself out, Eds.”

•:•.•:•.☾☼☽•:•.•:•.

Eddie has spent almost a whole hour organizing the closet and he’s sure it’s only a matter of minutes before he goes utterly insane. He’s never been the biggest fan of cleaning, especially not when the only thing in his mind is what he’ll eat when he’s done.

His dark eyes scan over the next box and he can’t help but let out a deep sigh at what he knows is inside. An “in need of sorting” label is messily written on the side of the cardboard box, which contains some of his records and some things Emily gave him during the months they were together.

It’s been over a year and a half since they broke up and he’s over it, but even then, he isn’t exactly thrilled of having to sort through those things. As much as he likes to deny it, Eddie still feels a slight pang of guilt in his chest when he thinks of her.

He decides to move the last box of your stuff out of the closet instead. It looks small, which makes Eddie assume it mustn't weigh too much, so he picks it up, not putting much care in supporting the box from the bottom.

He quickly realizes his mistake when he picks it up and it is as heavy as if it was filled up with stones. He huffs and watches helplessly as the bottom of the box gives out and all its contents end up scattered on the bedroom floor.

Eddie doesn’t give it much thought before he kneels down and folds de box closed again, securing it with some tape he sees lying around. He starts picking up your stuff and dropping it in the box. It’s mostly school papers, Eddie notices, the weight coming from a few pocket-sized books.

His fingers brush over a folded piece of paper. Eddie doesn’t mean to snoop, but he can’t help but notice that at the top of the pages Dear Eddie is scribbled in your handwriting.

He thinks it’s probably a letter you meant to start but didn’t finish, which wouldn’t be too unusual given how busy you are with school. That’s why it comes as a surprise when he unfolds the paper and sees it’s filled with your writing. The With love at the bottom an indication that you did finish writing it.

Eddie sees no harm in reading it, after all, it’s addressed to him, right? So he plops down on the floor and shimmies around until his back is resting against the bed.

Dear Eddie,

It has always amazed me to think of how much you’ve changed my life. I still remember the day I met you, do you remember it too? You walked into the classroom wearing a shirt that was a few sizes too big for you, fingers tightly holding on to Wayne’s hand. You were so reluctant to let go, but you eventually did and sat on the only empty seat left, which was right next to me. The rest is history.

Eddie smiles as he reads. He remembers that day too. You don’t mention it in your letter, but at the time, you had greeted him with a bright smile, which had reassured him everything would be okay despite everything.

*I hold the memories of every moment we’ve spent together close to my heart. They remind me of how lucky I am to have you in my life. Maybe I’m getting too emotional, but you’ve done so much for me all these years. Like that time I was upset because my parents were going to miss my first play, so you made Wayne, Gareth, Jeff and Grant go with you so I’d have people cheering me on in the audience. Or that other time when I was practically shitting my pants out of nerves a few days before my Tisch interview so you made us go on a road trip to Indianapolis to “*calm my nerves” as you’d said.

There are obviously thousands of other times where you’ve been my knight in shining armor, despite me saying I don’t want one. Truth is, I want one if it’s you behind the armor. Is that a cringy thing to say? Maybe. I don’t know.

I found out about Emily just a few hours ago. I keep wondering why you didn’t tell me about her when I went over to visit for Thanksgiving break. I’m glad you didn’t though, because you can read my expression annoyingly well and I’d be afraid of you finding any traces of dissapointment on it. Keep in mind I’m not disappointed in you for having a girlfriend, it’s great actually! You deserve nothing but happiness because you’re nothing short of an amazing human being, whether you believe it or not. I fear my state of dejection would have been my own fault ‘cause of something I didn’t say.

I feel the need to say it now because I’m stupid and I’m selfish. That’s why I don’t really plan on sending this letter out. I can’t be unfair and burst into your mailbox with my confession right after I’ve found out you have a girlfriend. I just wanted to write this out because I don’t know what else I could possibly do with all this love I feel for you. Which is actually funny if I think about it, because if it were about anything else, I would have already called you so you’d knock some sense into me, but I can’t exactly do that right now, huh? Not when it’s about this. Not when I don’t want you to know.

But yeah, Teddy, I love you. I love you so much more than a friend should. I always share my secrets with you, but I think I’ll keep this one to myself. I’m sure you know already though, I asked you out like three times in freshman year, I wasn’t exactly the most secretive about it back then, huh?

Eddie has to stop reading right then and there, both to collect himself and wonder what the hell it is you’re talking about. Eddie’s sure he’d remember you asking him about because the one thing he’s dreamed of for years is taking you out on a date. He’s always fantasized about how he’d drop you off at home and kiss you on the porch like they did in those boring romance movies you liked. It wasn’t like he hadn’t tried, in fact he had asked you out on several occasions during freshman year too! You rejected him every single time.

Now that he has time to think about it, he comes to the conclusion that all along you’ve just been morons. Two lovesick morons. He figures it’s time to fix it, but first he finishes reading your letter.

Whether you know… or don’t, I’m not sending this letter. Even if I were to, it isn’t cohesive enough, or whatever. My creative writing professor has made me become obsessed with writing everything perfectly, it’s fucking exhausting, not like it matters right now anyway.

I don’t really know what else to say other than: I fucking love you and I hope it’s the only secret I ever keep from you.

With love.

There’s a deep sense of longing in his heart, accompanied by nostalgia as he remembers growing up with you by his side. Eddie wasn’t stupid, he knew just how lucky he was to have you in his life, had never taken it for granted in fact.

In hindsight, a lot of things make sense now that he knows what you felt back them. Eddie can’t help but think of a particular Friday night, the week before Halloween.

Eddie had his eyes on the road, but otherwise, his attention was fully set on you. Hellfire’s yearly Halloween campaign had just finished and, per tradition, he was driving both of you to the trailer so you could have a scary movie marathon.

Ever since the campaign ended, you had been catching him up to what went down during the brief time window where you didn’t see each other that particular day. Much to his dismay, you were telling him about how Christian Adams—some guy from science class—asked you out on a date after first period.

“My first date! Can you believe it?” You shouted over the music playing loudly inside the van, “I’m kinda nervous, Teddy.”

He tapped his fingers on the steering while as he stole a quick glance in your direction, “Who was the date with, again?”

You groan, “Eds! Don’t start falling asleep on me, dude. It’s with Christian Adams, you know-”

“Ah! The idiot who told Harrigan two plus two was five?” A throaty laugh escaped past Eddie’s lips, you rolled your eyes.

“It was stupid, wasn’t it? I thought I’d seen it all when I heard you say Thor was a Greek God.”

“You absolutely cannot compare my honest mistake with that shit! I’m about to be a super senior and even I know basic math.” You guffawed at his comment and shook your head in pure amusement.

Eddie parked the van and you walked into the trailer, still laughing a bit. Wayne, who was sititng on the kitchen counter with a bright blue cup in hand, looked at you.

“Hey, old man,” Eddie greeted his uncle lovingly and gave him a side hug.

“Hi Wayne!” Your best friend gave your hand a gentle tug and gestured to his bedroom.

You playfully swatted his hand away and took a moment to open your backpack and grab the mug that was securely wrapped in layers of newspaper and paper towels. Both men watched with interest as you peeled each layer of paper away to reveal a beautiful mug decorated with a detailed drawing of a deer.

“I got this for you! From Colorado.”

Wayne gave you a small smile, which for someone like him was basically the equivalent of a toothy grin, “Look at that boy, should take notes from them.”

Eddie pouted jokingly at his uncle’s words and turned to look at you, “Where’s my souvenir?”

“It’s in my backpack, Teddy. Shut up.”

“Make me.” You furrowed your brows and turned to look at him, only to find him looking back at you with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“You suck.”

He pulled you towards his bedroom once again and this time you didn’t put up any resistance. Wayne watched it all unfold and sighed, “You kids are going to be the death of me.”

•:•.•:•.☾☼☽•:•.•:•.

You had been in Eddie’s room for almost an hour at that point. Wayne had already gone to work and Eddie was busy writing down something on his DnD notebook.

Your fingers plucked at the strings of his beloved guitar, which you had insisted on not hooking up to the amp.

“So… Why did you say you were nervous for that date?”

“Well, what if he wants to kiss me?!”

“You kiss him back if that’s what you want.”

“I’ve never even kissed anyone before, what if it’s gross? What if I suck?” By that time, you were pacing around the room, Sweetheart long forgotten in Eddie’s bed. This was a topic you had discussed with Eddie countless times, but it was never something that was the cause of actual concern, until that moment.

“I heard somewhere that pretty people are good kissers, so you must be amazing at it.” You stopped dead in your tracks at his words. You knew he was probably kidding, but that didn’t stop you from feeling your cheeks heat up at his compliment.

“Ha. You’re so funny.” You replied in a dry, sarcastic tone. A beat of silence passed before you spoke again, “We could always test that theory though.”

From his expression alone, you knew he couldn’t tell if you were serious—you were… Kinda. You thought that your crush on Eddie wasn’t much of a secret at that point. You’d asked him out when you were younger, but you had never been so direct about it.

There was a glint of mischief in his eyes as he stood up walked towards you. For the first time in years, you felt nervousness crawl into your heart. For as long as you could remember, Eddie had been your safe place, you always found solace in those warm brown eyes of his, yet at that moment, you couldn’t help but wonder if your stupid comment was about to ruin everything.

Eddie’s fingers grazed your face as he cupped your face. He was intimidatingly close by that point. You let your hands wander to the curls that sat right below his shoulders. That naughtiness in his eyes was long gone, replaced by a tender look.

He took that last step needed to close the distance between you. His lips brushed against yours in a timid peck that couldn’t have lasted longer than a few seconds.

The brief contact gave you enough confidence to kiss him one more time. You let him guide you and quickly realized just how correct it felt to have his lips on yours. There was nothing but pure joy in your heart as you enjoyed the feeling of having him close.

Much to your dismay, Eddie eventually pulled away. He said nothing for a few moments that seemed to stretch into eternity. Then, he let out a breathy laugh and spoke, “Well, theory confirmed. That was… wow… you’re totally ready for your date, yup.”

Back then, Eddie had noticed something in your expression shift after the comment he’d made, but you’d left almost immediately after, which left him no time to ask. When you saw him Monday morning, you acted as if nothing had happened and told him all about your date with Christian. He had been hurt, but now he understood how much of an idiot he was for that comment and how he had hurt you too.

In his own defense, Eddie was genuinely convinced that you had no other intention behind your comment. He actually thought you wanted to practice kissing for a date! WHAT A FUCKING IDIOT!

Eddie stands up, doubt planted in his heart like a poison, but he isn’t going to let that stop him, not again. He firmly holds the letter in his hand as he walks down the hallway to where your new room is. His hand trembles as he raises it up to knock.

He doesn’t even need to knock again before you open the door, a confused look on your face, “Since when do you knock?”

“Since, uh, now… I guess.”

You smile at him, “Well,that’s a mi—”

The words die down in your throat and your smile vanishes as you notice what he’s holding.

“Oh.” Is the only thing you manage to say before tears start welling up in your eyes.

Eddie can see your temptation to close the door on his face, but before you can do it, he musters up the courage to speak up, “I found it by accident while cleaning out the closet. Why didn’t you send it?”

Your lip trembles as you find a way to answer his question. “How could I? I had no right. I spent years hearing you talk about how you wished someone would give you a chance to show them you’re so much more than stupid town gossip. I wasn’t going to ruin your chances of that happening, not when you had someone so perfect by your side.”

“I always had—still have someone perfect by my side. You.” Eddie watches as you shake your head and tears start falling freely down your face.

“You can’t say that, Teddy. You can’t give me hope.”

Eddie doesn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around your body and pull you close, “I never told you why I broke things off with her, did I?”

You shake your head against his chest, “I broke up with her because I kept comparing her to you. I kept hoping to find at least half of what I have with you. I know it’s wrong, but you’ve changed my life. You know every little thing about me and you’ve never loved me any less for it. You care so much about me, about Wayne. It’s you, always been you and I wish I could have had the courage to say that I love you sooner.”

“You love me?”

He cups your face with the same gentleness as he did that one autumn night, “So much more than words can express.”

“Kiss me then.”

“As you wish,” He says with a lopsided smile and lets his lips meet yours.

Eddie feels a heavy weight lift from his chest at the feeling. The kiss is so tender yet full of so much passion, caused by those bottled up feelings you have shared all this time. The way you hold each other makes him feel like you’re both trying to say every feeling to that single kiss, and it’s truly magical.

When you pull away, Eddie is met by a sweet smile and your kind eyes, “I love you to.”

It’s a funny thing how everything has played out, or at least it is to Eddie. For two people who understand and share things with each other, you’ve sucked at sharing one of the most importat things of all. That you love each other. For this reason, Eddie can’t wait to make up for all the time he didn’t spend showing you how much he loved you.

[fictionalreads]

This Was Never Meant to Be What It Feels Like (Part 3)

A/N: Heeeeeeey...How y'all doing?....I know it's been a couple weeks when I said days but a part of this just did not want to be written! Also, this one is a bit of a beast, just over 5,200 words. This is the final part of this lil mini series, I hope y'all enjoy and the conclusion is satisfying for you guys.

Part 1 Part 2

Pairing: Armando Aretas x Original Female Character

Fandom: Bad Boys Movies

Prompt: Mike gets a couple visits, Shay has some news and Armando makes a decision.

Warnings⚠️: Cussing, Mentions of bad parental relationships, uh.... I think that's it for this one.

Mike Lowrey was no stranger to being called into back rooms for an off the books meeting. What was unusual was the CBI agent waiting for him when last time he checked none of the cases he had been part of lately had anything to warrant federal attention. Well, besides the one with his son but he had been cleared almost a full year ago now and Julie had corroborated his story. Nah, this was something new.

“Officer Lowrey, I’m Agent Garrett with the California Bureau of Investigations. Please have a seat.” She was standing at her full height on the other side of the table while gesturing to one of two chairs in the room, the only one near him. He saw straight through her bullshit tactics to make him feel like she was in charge and had the upper hand.

“It’s Detective Lowrey and think I’ll stand. Now why don’t you cut the shit and tell me what the hell you want.” Her jaw tensed and he just barely managed to hold back a smirk. She wouldn’t get what she wanted by using the same perp tricks he had been using when she was still in diapers. You can’t bullshit the bullshitter.

Coming clean, she began, “I’ve been put in charge of running a task force out in LA, similar to your AMMO squad here. Our goal is to find and stop cartel drug from entering the country, maybe stop a few murders while we’re at it.”

So this was about Armando, just more recently than he thought. Damn son of his was definitely payback for the hell he raised when he was younger. If he was back on his shit, he might not be able to help him this time.

“Sounds like a good idea. I wish you luck,” he stated, feigning ignorance as to what this was really about.

“Your son Armando Aretas has many connections on the west coast that could be useful. Figured I could use him to knock down some of my open cases.”

She clearly had found out their connection, but he still wasn’t sure what she wanted from him. “I don’t know if you’ve been watching the news lately, but my son isn’t here in Miami. He’s been on the run for the better part of a year. I don’t know where he is.”

“You’re his father.” Agent Garrett takes the chair on her side of the table. “If anybody could find him, it’d be you. You’d know where to look right?” The flattery, the subtle leading questions to confirm what she believed and the sitting gave her away.

She was desperate.

If he had to guess, those open case files were all big cases that had her boss breathing down her neck. She’d probably been given an ultimatum with her job on the line and now she was desperate to do anything that would get her back on top, including working with a wanted man.

Mike sat. “What are the terms?”

“Terms?”

“What does Armando get in exchange for helping you?”

She looked at him in disbelief. “Terms are you don’t go to prison for aiding and abetting a murderer and he doesn’t get a bullet in his head immediately. Don’t know if you know this but cops aren’t a big hit in prison and I’m betting that’s especially true for you.”

“Don’t fucking insult me, please. Aiding and abetting implies I know where he is and I’m actively helping him. I’ve already told you I don’t know where he is. But like you said I’m your best shot at finding him. I’m also your best chance at not getting your men killed and losing him again. I’m not doing this shit without some assurances on his end. So I’ll ask again. What does he get for helping you?”

She shook her head. “You know when I came up with this whole thing, I did my my research on you. Figured I should know who I was getting into bed with. Everything I read told me you were one hell of a cop, always got your guy and made Miami just that much safer. Are you, this great cop, really going to bat for a murderer like him?”

That was where her approach was faulty. She was trying to appeal to his cop side, but he was a father first. “No, I, a father, am protecting my son.”

“I can offer him protective custody, knock some time off his sentence depending on how fruitful his tips are.” She offered lightly.

Too lightly. This was her throwaway offer, the one she knew was shit but was hoping he’d take anyway. So he called her bluff.

“He won’t come in for that. He had that deal with me already. All the shit that went down last year? The bodies dropped had to be put on someone and he got ‘em since he was a convicted felon, one that was alive and a part of the mess. Not to mention he ran off and became a fugitive. He’s looking at almost double what his sentence was when I arrested him. You’ll have to do better.”

Agent Garrett seemed to be debating with herself. She let out a heavy breath,”I’ve been authorized to grant him a special deal.”

Now they were getting somewhere.

“What kind of deal?”

“The kind that puts my ass on the line.”

Something about this whole interaction was bugging him. “Tell me something. Why are you willing to put your badge on the line for someone you clearly can’t stand?”

“I don’t trust Aretas. But this isn’t about me. Its about making my city safer. His intel could be the key to shutting down major operations. He has connections everywhere, and that’s what I care about. I’m not putting myself on the line for him, I’m doing it for my city.”

“You sure you’re not doing it for your bosses? They up yo ass about getting shit done?”

“I proposed using Aretas. They were against it. Said we were cleaning up just fine but I’m tired of cleaning up after the fact and only getting low level dealers. I want to cut this thing off at the head.”

“At the end of the day that’s my son. I need to know that somebody has his back. Why should I trust that that’s you?”

“Like I said this is my proposal. My bosses made it clear that if he fails I fail. He gives me the wrong intel, he leads us astray, he turns on us, I’m fired. I’m just as invested in his success because I have something to lose too.”

“What’s the offer?”

❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

“Hi, I’m looking for Mike Lowrey?” Shay swallowed down the feeling of nausea, hoping it was just the nerves making her feel this way.

“He’s not in at the moment, but I’m his wife Christine. Is there anything I can do for you?”

Shay hesitates. Could she do anything? Hell she wasn’t sure what this Mike Lowrey could do for her either. She flew all the way to Miami, and for what? Some detective Armando had left the name of in case she needed help? This was a bad idea. She knew he was a cop, and after looking him up a supposedly good one, but how could she trust him when he socialized with a murderer? Ignoring her own dalliances with the man, she could only think about the fact that Detective Mike Lowrey had sworn to arrest people like Armando, not be someone they trusted.

She felt overwhelmed for the millionth time in the past month and a half and was debating just leaving when Christine offered, “why don’t you come in? Mike should be home soon and you can wait inside for him instead of in the heat.”

She wasn’t sure if it was the heat, Christine's sweet voice coupled with the endearing British accent or the way her face screamed warmth, but she found herself saying, “yeah. Yeah okay.”

Christine opened the door wider for her to enter and Shay marveled at the inside of the house as much as she had the outside. This guy was definitely a dirty cop. There was no way he was able to afford this on a detective’s salary. What the hell was she getting herself into?

“Please have a seat,” she gestured towards the couch.  It looked like it was more for the aesthetic than actual use but she was pleasantly surprised to find it very comfortable. “Would you like something to drink? I have water and that disgusting stuff my husband calls sweet tea,” Christine joked.

“Water is fine,” she replied with a smile. Shay watched as Christine stepped past a wall into what she assumes was the kitchen. The creeping sensation of nausea hit her once more. Digging in her purse and finding a ginger chew, she didn’t see Christine come back in the room with a bottle of water. Almost instantaneously she felt relief, so maybe it was all psychosomatic. Just her nerves going haywire.

“How far along are you?” Shay startled at the question.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.

“It’s okay. What makes you think I’m pregnant?”

“I saw the chew and just assumed.” 

She didn’t believe that for a second. “Some assumption based off just a ginger chew. What if I just like them?”

“Honestly the chew was just the cherry on top for my assumption. You hold yourself the same way my sister held herself when she was pregnant for the first time. A bit unsure, scared definitely, but ready for war all the same.”

Well, damn. She didn’t know she gave off that much with just how she stood.

Ignoring how unexpectedly open she felt, she answered Christine’s question from before.“Thirteen weeks.” Suddenly Shay realized how this could look, a random pregnant woman showing up looking for her husband and not telling her what she wants, so she quickly explained. “It’s not your husband’s!”

Christine laughed brightly, “Oh darling the thought never crossed my mind. Mike may have once been that guy, but he’s not anymore. He’s a good man.” Shay kept her doubts to herself.

“Christine? Who’s car is that out front?” The man she assumed to be Mike Lowrey was juggling a duffle bag and struggling to get his keys out of the door, not once looking in their direction.

Smirking like it was a game, Christine replied, “It’s a rental.”

“Why do we need a rental?” He finally looked up, noticing Shay in the room. She could see his guard go right back up.

“Mike, this is Shay. She was hoping to speak with you,” his wife explained to him.

“Do I know you?” He was blunt but not unkind with his words, something she hoped would continue in their conversation.

“Mike!” Christine admonished before turning to Shay with, “Please, excuse Mike. He can bring his interrogation tactics into other parts of his life sometimes.”

“It’s okay. If a random woman showed up saying she needed to speak to me, I’d probably question it too.” She was hoping her understanding would get her some traction and not immediately thrown out when he found out why she was here.

Mike still held caution in his face. “So…?” He left the obvious question unspoken, wondering who she was and why she was here in his home.

Shay paused. She wasn’t sure how to bring it up and didn’t want to say anything in front of his wife in case she truly had no clue her husband was a dirty cop. She may have been desperate enough to find this guy,  but she wasn’t going to be the one to ruin this poor woman’s marriage.

Luckily Christine picked up on her reluctance to speak in front of an audience and excused herself. “I’m going to head upstairs for a moment, give you two some time to talk.”

While Shay relaxed, Mike tensed. Once Christine was gone, he questioned her. “Who the hell are you and what do you want?”

“I was told if I ever needed anything, I should find you.”

Mike carefully focused his attention on sitting his duffle near the armchair, going to take a seat himself. He might not be looking directly at her anymore, but she knew all of his attention was on her as he spoke. “Who the fuck told you that? Better yet, why my house? Why not meet me in the station?”

Ignoring the second question, she replied, “Armando Aretas.”

Mike’s head snapped back to her. She was almost concerned for his neck with how fast he moved.

Continuing at his silence she said, “I figured you wouldn’t want to discuss him at work.”

“What about him?”

“He was in LA a few months ago.”

He first whispered to himself, “Dumbass don’t listen.” Then he spoke louder, clearly to her this time, “What does this have to do with you and why you’re here?”

She wasn’t sure where to start. How does one tell a dirty cop working for one’s murderer baby daddy that you need him to tell said baby daddy you were pregnant? “We were…together. I’m pregnant now.” She hoped he would catch on without her spelling it out but he didn’t.

Instead, Mike blinked. “What?” A million unidentifiable emotions ran over his face before he carefully shut it down, facing her with no emotion at all now.

“I am with child, in the family way, carrying a bun in the oven, whatever you want to call it.” There was still no response from him so she continued her rant, “look I’m not asking for him to come back or pay for anything. I’m fully prepared to take care of this kid myself, but not even trying to tell him was weighing on my conscience. So I figured if I found you like he said, you could pass on the message for me. I just need to be able to know I did everything I could to let him know.”

She had prepared for a lot of responses to her plea. Anger on Armando’s behalf, a dismissal, hell even laughter at her audacity, but his next words were ones she somehow missed in her spiral. “I’m not in contact with him.”

Shay tried not to be hurt at his response, not for herself, but for her baby. Okay, well a little bit for herself. She was in love with the man-yes, still- and knowing he truly didn’t leave a way to contact him again crushed the little bit of hope his note had left behind. Why would he send her to Mike if it wasn’t a way to get in touch with him? “So why would he tell me to find you?”

A pause.

“Armando’s my son.”

The statement was so far from what she was expecting to hear that she paused. “Wait so you don’t…you don’t work for him? With him? Whatever.”

Mike laughed loudly, “nah, I don’t work in that world. I stand by the badge.”

“So how did he…?” She trailed off, confused.

“Look our situation is…complicated, but if he sent you in my direction I’m gonna help you in any way I can. I mean, I’d love to get to know you and be in my grandchild’s life if you’ll let me.” His words were reminiscent of the night she had asked Armando about his family. He too had called his relationship with his father complicated.

Despite the unknown of it all, his offer was partly the reason she had found Mike. A family for her child, something she never really had. “Yeah. Yeah I’d like that.” It may not be exactly what she was looking for, but she would take what she could get. At least her baby would have some connection to their father’s side of the family. But she still had a question, one that had no answer now that her assumptions were corrected.

“So if you aren’t dirty, how do you afford living like this?”

Mike let out a laugh louder than the one from before. “I’m a trust fund kid. Never really had to work but all I’ve ever wanted was to be a cop.”

“Sounds like one hell of a trust fund,” she scoffed.

Turning serious he impressed, “One that continues to grow from a few investments made along the way. This kid will have that same freedom. They’ll be able to do whatever they want in life and never have to worry about money.”

That statement alone almost made her cry. She didn’t have much growing up, wondering if she and her mother would even be able to eat everyday. When she had found out she was pregnant, despite making more money than her mother did she found herself worrying her child would have those same experiences.

She may not have Armando, a partner she’d hoped to have, but he had made sure she had everything she needed.

❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

Habitual but flexible.

That was Armando’s motto. Habitual in the precautions he took but flexible enough everywhere else to not create patterns. Patterns were how you got caught, and Armando refused to be put in another cage. He always double checked his locks when he left his place, checked his surroundings before leaving and arriving at his place so as not to run into his neighbors. The less people who could identify him the better.

Which is why seeing his door wide open as he turned onto his street was so unsettling.

Normally he would just leave town, dump this alias and start over with another elsewhere, but there were a few things he didn’t want to part with. Upon his first return to Mexico, he had managed to find his mother’s emergency stash and in it was a photo of the two of them before he was forced out of the prison when he turned six. Despite his conflicted feelings on his mother’s choices and the lies she told him, he still loved her and this was all he had left of her.

If she were around she’d chastise his sentimentality.

He also had a letter his father had written him when he left Miami that he kept because even with the complexity of their relationship, he still wished he’d had the opportunity to get to know him. He wished he could have done things differently. That letter may be his only chance to know his father, even a little bit.

The last thing was a photo of Shay. He had taken it one morning before he left on a polaroid camera she had lying around. The sun had been rising and he remembered wishing what they had could be real, that he could stay in bed and wake up with her instead of having to run out and lie all the time. It was the only thing he had left of the only relationship he’d ever have again.

So he weighed his options. Either he went in and fought whoever was there, grabbed his things and hopefully made it out in time to not get caught, or he left now and hoped whoever it was left without calling for backup so he could get his things before leaving town. He either risked his freedom or he risked losing the only items that reminded him of his humanity forever.

He pulled his gun and carefully made his way into the apartment he’d called home for a couple weeks.

“Don’t shoot, it’s just me.”

Armando relaxed, but kept his gun in his hand. “What are you doing here Detective?” His tone was snippy, as though his father speaking to him was a bother. He knew that wasn’t true, but it was like he couldn’t help the animosity that came out when he spoke to his father. No matter how much he’d love to try with the man, he’d just get so angry about it all that it came out confrontational.

“What? A man can’t see his son?” Mike didn’t rise to the obvious bait of his tone, instead trying to lighten the mood with a tease.

Armando simply raised an eyebrow at the deflection. “Not when that man is a decorated detective and his son is a fugitive,” he coldly stated. He needed to know what Mike wanted so he could get on with his life. Who knows how many eyes are on the man, he was risking Armando’s freedom, not that he seemed to care. Irritated at the lack of concern for him, he accused, “you risked the badge once just to let me go, you won’t risk it again, not even for me. It means too much to you.” I don’t mean enough to you went unsaid but not unheard.

“Armando I’d risk everything for you.” The fight left Mike, and he sighed, finding a seat on the edge of the bed. “You’re my son and I know I’m not the best at showing it, but that shit means something to me. Our relationship means something to me. I didn’t have the best relationship with my father so I told myself I wouldn’t have kids cause I didn’t want to repeat the cycle. But then I found out about you. And despite the fact that circumstances made it so it isn’t easy, I still don’t want the cycle to be repeated. I love you man. I’ll do whatever you need me to, to prove that to you. Including walking away if you say no to my proposal.”

There it was. The real reason he was here now, he needed something like always. Armando put his gun away in exasperation. He was so tired of just being used that he couldn’t help but get a jab in. “Whatever man. This don’t mean shit to you. It’s all transactional for you, I’m good enough to help you get what you want and that’s why you come around. So what is it this time?”

“Is that what you think? That I don’t care about you?” What the hell else was he supposed to think?

“If you did, you would have come to see me in prison without needing my help on a case.” He argued before quietly following up with, “I would have been enough of a reason to visit.” He hated when this stupid hurt boy routine flared up. He looked weak, like una puta.

Mike stood and stepped close to Armando. Refusing to back down, Armando met his stare head on, ignoring the way his throat was getting tight and tears were pooling in his eyes. “Armando I never needed you on those cases. I knew that if I could get intel from you and put you down on paper, it would help you out. I was trying to help.” He blinked and a single tear made its way down his face. It was too much now and he had to look away.

Mike placed a hand on his shoulder, continuing, “I love you. Nothing is more real than that. If I had known you would take my help as me using you, I never would’ve asked for your help.”

Facing his father once more, Armando spoke lowly, “Si lo hubieras sabido, ¿te habría importado?” He didn’t explain what he meant, knowing his father understood what he was asking.

“Nada me hubiera importado más.” Mike asserted.

He nodded, finally having an answer to the question that had been burning inside him. He focused on the reason Mike was in front of him, not the emotions his answer stirred in him. “What’s the proposal?” He asked much more calmly this time around.

“LAPD is starting up a team like AMMO. They were hoping to recruit you to be a part of it, use your knowledge to help stop cartel drugs from entering the states.”

“And go back in a cage? No I’m good.” He shook his head, a clear no coming from him.

“You wouldn’t be arrested again, you’d be put up in an apartment. Free to walk the city after an initial probationary period of just work and home. After that, there would be twenty-four hour surveillance, random drug tests and check-ins. Eventually you would become a private citizen.”

It sounded like a trap. “If I don’t give them what they want I get arrested right?”

“Yeah, but I have all the faith you’ll be great at it. Plus I made sure it was as ironclad for you as possible.”

“Why would I agree to this? Sounds like a lot could go wrong and land me back in prison. If that happens I’m never getting out again.”

“You aren’t the killer your mother made you into. You only did any of it because she fueled you with rage and ideas of revenge before she pointed you at a target. If you were really a killer, you would’ve killed me anyway. You live by a code, and only do what’s necessary. No more, no less.”

Sometimes when he was feeling really low he’d think about what his life would have been like if he’d had a normal life. Would he have chosen violence anyway? He’d like to think he’d hav e chosen to protect. Maybe be a firefighter or an EMT cause he was still an adrenaline junkie, but maybe he wouldn’t have to hurt anybody. If his father was saying the same thing he thought, then maybe he could believe it to be true. Before he could think on it, his father spoke once more, shifting his whole world.

“Besides, Shay’s pregnant. We not giving another generation of Lowrey these bullshit daddy issues.”

❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

Six Months Later

“Marcus we ain’t got time for that shit.”

“I just asked the man a question!”

“No, you used the question as a cover to try and buy some damn skittles.”

“Oh so now you the skittle police? I thought we worked narcotics?”

“Yo ass ain’t supposed to have that shit and you know it. Don’t try to make it out like I’m the one that’s going overboard.”

“Aye Mike what would they call the skittle department? The rainbow division? Don’t worry everybody! Mike Lowry is working the rainbow!”

“That’s homophobic.”

“It’s the slogan! What else would it be called Mike?”

“Why the fuck are you here?”

“Man fuck you-“

“Your presence really wasn’t needed-“

“I’m just trying to be a good friend-“

“This is a moment for my family-“

“And now I’m not family to you?!”

“You called my family fucked up remember?”

“Yo son was tryna kill us and his mama was gonna let us burn in a fire!”

“Are you pendejos done?”

“Mike! That mean assholes right?”

“Yeah he just called us assholes. But Imma let it slide cause he got to be high on that new father shit to call me an asshole.”

“Nah I just think he don’t respect you. That’s what you get for not raising him. My boys would never.”

“Marcus!”

Shay knew this could devolve again if she didn’t get their attention. “Guys! Do you want to meet her?”

The men focused their attention on the baby Shay was holding against her chest. Marcus visibly melted at the sight, Mike simply softening his shoulders with a small smile. 

Armando joined Shay, leaning on the bed using a finger to trace down their daughter’s arm. When he spoke, he kept his eyes on his daughter. “This is Amada Rose Lowrey.”

“Lowrey?”Mike coughed.

Armando shrugged. “I wasn’t actually an Aretas, I was supposed to be a Lowrey. Figured she and I could claim our real family name.”

Mike nodded. “That’s cool man. Real cool,” he choked out.

“Awe Mike,” Marcus cried.

“Mm-mm Marcus. Stop it right now.”

“But Mike he’s taking your last name!”

Ignoring his bumbling partner, Mike walks over to Shay, giving her a kiss on the forehead. “How you doing Mama?”

“Extremely sore, but happy.”

“Well you did good, she’s beautiful.”

“You wanna hold her?”

Knowing his father’s aversion to holding babies, he goads hims, “Yeah Papa, wanna hold her?”

Surprising them all, he said, “You know what? I will.”

Shay handed her daughter over to Mike, making sure he supported her head correctly.

Armando joined Shay on the bed and wrapped her in his arms now that she wasn’t holding the baby. He simply watched his father holding and whispering to his baby girl with fond eyes, knowing his daughter would know nothing but love and presence from the man. They would have a real relationship right from the start. He and Mike themselves had been working on things, talking through the lies and anger and getting to a better place.

“How’s work? They give you any time off?” Marcus asked him.

In the end there hadn’t been a choice. He was going to be present in his child’s life, no matter what and sneaking into LA would just get riskier every time he did it. If he didn’t get caught just trying to get to his family, he would’ve gotten caught because if how much he would’ve been there to see them. And he’d be damned if he was raising his child from behind bars so he took Agent Garrett up on her offer.

He turned to face his uncle, replying, “Good, we wrapped a case a day before Shay went into labor. I’ll have about a couple weeks at home with the girls before I’m expected back.” 

It had somewhat surprised him how seriously Marcus had taken to being his uncle. The man was supportive of his new role with the LAPD and called almost as often as his father did, checking in and making sure he was being safe. Seeing him at the hospital now wasn’t a shock at all.

“I’m just glad they gave him any time at all,” Shay interrupted. As his employment with the LAPD wasn’t under normal circumstances, he wasn’t sure if they’d grant him time at home with his girls. Agent Garrett had stuck her neck out for him once again and gotten him twelve days exactly.

Armando leaned down and kissed her, forever grateful for the woman who stood by his side despite his past. She had lost a couple friends when they found out who he was, the ones that stayed had definitely judged her and never truly came around to him as a person. She never wavered though, taking it all with grace and holding his hand as they planed for their future. He couldn’t wait to ask her to marry him.

Amada let out a cry, disrupting his internal debate on the pros and cons of asking her right that moment. He knew it probably meant she was hungry again, so he shifted his hold on Shay so she could get the b baby again and feed her.

“I think that’s a cry for mommy,” Mike chimed as he passed the baby back.

“Yeah Mike you ain’t got the right equipment,” Marcus tossed out.

Mike turned to Marcus incredulously. “Now why would you say some dumb shit like that?”

“You don’t!”

Armando turned his attention from the bickering men, whispering to his little family, “Here they go.”

Honestly, though? He wouldn’t trade his family for nothing.

A/N: Don't forget to leave a comment or reblog/like! What did we think? I have a few other ideas in mind for Armando but I'm not sure how they'll play out, so I'm CAUTIOUSLY open to prompt from you guys for drabbles. Please keep in mind that I can't do smut.😅

Translations:

Una Puta - A bitch

Si lo hubieras sabido, ¿te habría importado? - If you had known, would you have cared?

Nada me hubiera importado más. -Nothing would have mattered to me more.

Pendejos - Assholes

Taglist:

@yeahnohoneybye @bootlegroach @omg-mymelaninisbeautiful

[helluvahusker]

Heyyy I wrote a lil post-mastermind fic for y'all 👉👈

Read on AO3 or under the cut

Stolas had not been sleeping well. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, he was simply too tall for Blitzø’s couch, so besides for his first night on it, when he’d conked straight out due to the stress and exhaustion of almost watching Blitzø get executed, almost getting executed himself, and then instead losing his entire livelihood, powers, and his daughter, he hadn’t been able to catch more than a few unrestful hours a night. 

The New Couch

[Psst! The layout of Blitzø's apartment can be found in this Tumblr post.]

Still, he’d rather die than complain. Blitzø had been relegated to a fucking beanbag chair as his bed and he seemed to be sleeping just fine. He appeared chipper as ever, if a little more subdued and gentler, while Stolas spent all his waking hours struggling to focus through a thick fog. He was taking up Blitzø’s sleeping accommodations and he had nothing to show for it.

It was due to Stolas’s sleep deprivation, that when an enormous crash shook the apartment and he peered over the island to see Blitzø coughing and waving dust out of his face, he was sure that everything must have caught up with him, and he was hallucinating. 

"Ta-da!" Blitzø said proudly, holding his arms open in a dramatic L shape to present his new uh. Couch. It had landed partially on top of the old one, sending splinters and stuffing flying. Well that explained the dust. 

"Why did you get a new couch, Blitz?" Stolas asked, his feathers already ruffling agitatedly. "The one you've already provided me with is fine, I don't wish for you to go into trouble-"

Blitzø waved him off impatiently. "Shut up Stolas, anyone with eyes could see your feet dangling off the edge of that thing. Besides, I was due for an upgrade anyways. I solved the problem by snagging a pullout couch from one of our victim's houses. It has a queen sized mattress all folded up in there, plenty of room for your fancy ass to spread out with room to spare, capiche?"

Stolas capiched. Blitzø had gotten tired of the fact that his bed was not big enough for the two of them and had gotten them one that would be. How silly and rude of Stolas to be accusatory about it.  

“Right,” he said. “That makes sense, yes. But why in Hell wouldn’t you move the old one out of the way first?” 

Blitzø at least had the grace to look sheepish. “Okay, maybe it was more of a spur of the moment decision. I saw the pullout, I thought it would be nice for you. Look, I’m not a genius like you or Moxxie, you can’t expect me to think everything through. That would fuck up my whole-” he flailed his hands some more. “-thing I’ve got going on.” 

Stolas did love Blitzø’s whole “thing” so he refrained from arguing. It was already done, anyways. 

“If I still had my magic I could help move the old couch away,” Stolas lamented. “I’m so sorry, Blitz. You’ve done such a sweet thing for me and I can’t even repay you.” 

“Hey!” Blitzø leapt towards him, vaulting over the room divider and taking Stolas’s dainty hands in his own. “None of that. You don’t owe me anything, alright? It’s okay, Loonie can help me move the couch when she gets home and I’ll portal the old one away, easy peasy no harm no foul.” 

It was rather odd, Blitzø appeared to be… blushing. Stolas blinked. That couldn’t be right. 

The next second Blitzø got distracted, noticing the novel that was placed open face-down on his kitchen table. “Oh hey! You were reading? That- that’s great, Stols.” 

Blitzø smiled at him so disarmingly, that now Stolas was blushing, quite obviously. 

“Yes, you picked a rather good one, actually,” Stolas said. In fact, it was so good that this was the first day he’d felt up to doing anything other than sitting on the couch staring aimlessly at the TV. Lucky thing, too. He glanced down at their hands, which were still joined, and gave Blitzø’s a squeeze. “Thank you for that, Blitz.” 

“Of course,” Blitzø said, and withdrew his hands, definitely blushing. He hesitated, like he wasn’t sure what to do or say next. That was ridiculous, of course. Stolas had never met anyone, imp or otherwise, who always knew exactly what to do or say in any given instance more than Blitzø did. 

“Did you have a good day at work?” Stolas asked, ready to invite Blitzø to sit down with him so that they could talk until Loona returned. 

To his disappointment, Blitzø’s eyes widened. “Oh shit, I was totally in the middle of a hit! I left M&M stranded in the human world! Fuuuuuck me.” He grasped Stolas’s face gently and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll be home soon with Loona, kay? Just hang tight, enjoy your book.” And then with a flash of a portal, he was gone. 

Stolas was left blinking after him stupidly. He raised a shaking hand to his cheek and touched the spot where Blitzø had kissed him. 

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

The second time Blitzø came home, he did in fact have his daughter in tow. Stolas watched, feeling useless, as they worked together to lift the new couch off the wreckage of the old one. He caught Blitzø’s expression of relief as he fished his horse blanket out of the mess, somehow still entirely intact. Once the new couch was clear of all the wood shards and ripped cushions, Blitzø rubbed his crystal and a portal appeared under the old one. They all watched it fall away into an unidentifiable living room, presumably the one Blitzø had gotten this new piece of furniture from, because it was conspicuously missing anywhere to sit. 

“There!” Blitzø clapped his hands together proudly once the portal had closed. “All done, thanks Loony! I’m sure Stolas and I can figure the rest of it out.” 

Loona just shrugged, already halfway through the doorway to her room. 

Blitzø looked up at Stolas, who was hovering awkwardly in the space between the kitchen and living room. “Wanna see if we can figure out how this thing unfolds?” 

It wasn’t too difficult. There was a handle under the seat cushions that, when pulled, somehow expanded out into an entire bed, as promised.  

“I guess we can just leave it out like this all the time, for now,” Blitzø said, rubbing his chin. “Business is picking up. Soon I can probably find us a two bedroom, so you can have your own space. But this’ll do for now, right?” 

It struck Stolas as odd, that Blitzø wasn’t prioritizing his own space. Perhaps he just meant because they were both in the living room. 

“This is more than enough,” Stolas said, realizing he’d almost been silent for too long. This time, he moved forward and took Blitzø’s hand in his own. “Really, Blitz. Thank you.” 

“Oh. Uh.” Stolas couldn’t possibly be imagining, both of Blitzø’s cheeks were turning mismatched shades of pink. The imp swallowed. “Really, Stolas. It’s no problem. It’ll make me feel better if I know you’re getting a good night’s sleep.” 

“That’s so sweet.” Stolas paused. “Darling,” he added, just because he needed to see what would happen. If he was allowed. 

Blitzø’s eyes widened. “I- oh. I- uh. Yeah.” He backed away, pulling his hands in towards himself protectively. “I have to make dinner.” Now he paused, and contemplated Stolas cautiously. “You wanna help?” 

Stolas’s feathers fluffed in astonishment. “Yes!” he said, then tried to tone down the enthusiasm, in case Blitzø found it off putting, like he had so many times before. “Ahem, I mean, I’m afraid I’ll be starting from an almost completely beginner standpoint, but yes, I would love to assist in any way I can.” 

Blitzø threw him an odd look. “Well alright, you didn’t have to use so many words about it. But-” he added, before Stolas could go and get his feelings hurt. “I kinda like that you did. Now get in here and we’ll get choppin’.” 

-----------

Well as it turned out, Stolas wasn’t entirely useless without his powers. He proved to be absolutely average at kitchen-related activities, which seemed to match Blitzø quite well, as he gave Stolas gentle and thorough instructions full of dozens of tips and tricks he’d picked up over the years. 

Still, the imp absolutely bragged to his daughter about how Stolas had helped make the food. 

Even stranger, her reaction had been a borderline-impressed, “Oh shit, not bad,” before retreating to her room.

Stolas beamed at both of them, not because he believed it was anything special but because it genuinely wasn’t bad, and that was good enough right now. He was feeling so proud of his amateur cooking skills that when Blitzø offered for him to come into IMP tomorrow - Stolas had been showing great interest in how his work went, the first real interest he’d felt in days - he almost said yes. Hesitated and thought about it deeply, chewing his lower beak and nearly going cross eyed. 

In the end though, he sighed and looked away and asked for a few more days

Blitzø took one of his hands within his own and held it in his lap until Stolas looked at him. 

“Hey,” Blitzø said gently, “A few days is way sooner than never. I want to make sure you’re really feeling up to it before I drag you into I.M.P.’s mess too. I’m glad you’re starting to feel better, even if it’s not all the way yet. Take the time you need, okay?” 

“Okay,” Stolas whispered, his eyes once again darting away from Blitzø’s. 

Blitzø drew back and started gathering up their empty dinner plates. “You should go change, birdy. Almost time to try out that cozy new bed of yours.” 

“Oh! You don’t want to teach me how to do the dishes too?” Stolas asked, mind short circuiting at the thought of sharing a bed with Blitzø again. But like, in a good way. “I helped make, I should help clean.”

Blitzø considered that. “How about you wipe down the table? Just take a damp rag to it, clean rags are in that drawer over there.” He motioned to the drawer.

While Stolas peered in the drawer, Blitzø got started on the dishes. The actual rule of the house was whoever used a dish cleaned it, but Blitzø usually ended up doing Loona’s anyways due to her dislike of being outside her room. He didn’t mind washing Stolas’s too. 

A long arm snaked around him and Blitzø would have jumped- except he’d been keeping track of exactly where Stolas was, and it felt almost natural as Stolas held his rag under the faucet for a few seconds to dampen it, his stomach feathers brushing the back of Blitzø’s head. No, instead Blitzø found himself frozen, not wanting to disrupt the moment. 

Stolas didn’t seem to notice, stepping away a moment later and turning to wipe the table in long graceful strokes, humming the prettiest little tune Blitzø had ever heard. He spent way longer wiping the table clean than Blitzø would have, but that was probably a good thing. Most of the time Blitzø didn’t even bother wiping the table down until it started grossing him out. 

“What shall I do with the dirty rag?” Stolas asked, his voice barely audible above the rush of running water and the sudsing of soap on dishes as Blitzø scrubbed them. 

“Just leave it, I’ll rinse it and hang it to dry when I’m done,” Blitzø said, glancing over his shoulder. So he caught the look of confusion and then understanding that dawned as Stolas understood that the laundry situation was a whole lot different here than it had been at the palace. 

“Alright.” Stolas’s hand landed feather-light atop Blitzø’s shoulder. “I’ll go get ready for bed, then. See you in a bit, darling.” 

Definitely unrelated to Stolas touching him and calling him sweet things, Blitzø’s hand jerked, and he accidentally sprayed himself with water. Stolas’s hooting little giggles drifted over his spluttered curses as the owl backed away to get ready for bed. 

When he’d finished cleaning everything up and gotten himself into his own pjs, Blitzø tiptoed into the living room, hoping that the new mattress was so comfy Stolas would already be in snoozeland, but no such luck. Instead, it appeared Stolas had deliberately waited up for him. He was sitting up, the edges of his feet still too long and dangling off the edge, and he smiled when Blitzø rounded the couch and entered his line of sight. 

The smile dropped just as quickly as Blitzø headed over to his beanbag chair and curled up in it. 

“What are you doing?” Stolas asked. 

Blitzø looked at him quizzically. “Going to sleep? Why, do you need something?” 

“No! No, I- Well, I…” Stolas seemed to be struggling to find words, frown lines creasing his face unpleasantly. Blitzø’s heart dropped. Fuck, and today had been going so well for him. 

“Is it the new bed?” Blitzø asked. “I’m sorry Stolas, human mattresses are just shorter than you, I wish I could afford a goetia-sized one, but-”

“It’s not that!” Stolas interrupted, louder than he meant to. He just couldn’t tolerate Blitzø being so apologetic, so- ugh. Best to be straightforward about things, even if that hadn’t ended up so well in the past. 

“I just thought that you would be sharing this new bed with me,” Stolas admitted, twisting his fingers tightly in the horseshoe blanket. “I mean, it is big enough. I don’t wish for you to not have a real bed because of me anymore.” 

“That’s really nice, Stolas,” Blitzø said, his voice oddly hoarse, “but I can’t.”

Stolas raised an eyebrow, voice coming out sharper and bitchier than it had in weeks, maybe months. “And why the fuck not?” 

Blitzø shot a nervous glance at Loona’s door before turning a glare on Stolas. “Because I won’t be able to keep my fucking hands off you,” he hissed.

“No one said you had to,” Stolas shot back, lowering his voice to match Blitzø’s out of respect for his daughter. “Besides, you very much haven’t. Why start now?”

The imp’s face went blank. “What do you mean?” 

Stolas made an impatient noise. “Oh come now, we’ve held hands more in the last few days then we did for the entire duration of our arrangement. Earlier today you kissed me on the cheek, and,” Stolas could feel himself blushing, thinking about the vague ghostlike memory of his first night here, “I’m quite certain that wasn’t the first time.” 

A look of regret and longing passed over Blitzø’s face. 

Stolas took it upon himself to draw back the covers invitingly. “Please come to bed with me, darling. We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, we can just cuddle.” 

Blitzø huffed, like this wasn’t something he’d been dreaming about for weeks and struggled out of the beanbag. “Absolutely not,” he said, climbing into the bed, settling beside Stolas and pulling the blanket up to his chin. “If we’re doing this, then we’re gonna talk.” 

“Very well.” Stolas reached under the blanket and tangled their fingers together. “Would you like to start or shall I?” 

“I will.” Blitzø’s voice was definitely not shaking, not even a little bit. “I’m glad you’re here and I don’t want you to leave. That’s all. Anything else you want, it’s yours. We go at your pace. Just-” Blitzø’s hand squeezed Stolas’s. The imp wasn’t looking at him, instead staring straight ahead, like he couldn’t bear to be seen while saying something so vulnerable. “-Keep me in the loop about what you’re thinking, okay? I promise I’ll believe you this time.” 

“I promise I shall try to be understanding and reassuring if you don’t,” Stolas replied, his throat tight. 

He understood better now, had had that month to reflect on Blitzø’s initial reaction that dreadful full moon, and now these precious days in Blitzø’s apartment, learning more about just how much they both hated themselves. 

But not each other. They’d both clearly been wrong about that. 

“I am happy to stay with you,” Stolas continued softly, “for as long as you’ll have me. I’ve known for a while now that you’re it for me, Blitz. As long as you know that, I believe everything will work itself out.”

Funny, how optimistic he felt about it. There was something about being called after desperately during a near-death experience, followed by being wholeheartedly welcomed into someone’s home that just… helped quiet all those pesky voices that were always telling Stolas no one could ever love him. 

He’d been ready to die for Blitzø, and Blitzø had been ready to die for him. 

“You’re it for me too, Stolas,” Blitzø said. He’d clearly been following a similar line of thought, because his next words were, “if you ever try to die for me again, we’re going to have a fucking problem, got it?” 

“I understand,” Stolas answered, because that was something he couldn’t promise. 

But neither of them had died. Blitzø had taken care of him instead, and now maybe Stolas could do the same. At least until the next big problem - and there was sure to be a next big problem, whether that be how to get Octavia back, Andrealphus or Satan seeking them out again, or something else entirely - reared its ugly head. 

“Good,” Blitzø said, aggressively snuggling up to Stolas’s side. “Good talk. Now go to sleep.” 

“Yes dear,” Stolas said lightly. He bent his neck and pecked a tender kiss to the top of Blitzø’s head. “Sweet dreams.” 

When he turned on to his side and curled around Blitzø, drawing his knees up to his stomach, all of him fit perfectly on the mattress. He could feel himself melting quickly into sleep, all that tiredness catching up with him. 

Blitzø buried his face in Stolas’s long-missed chest fluff and threw an arm over him, and a leg for good measure, keeping him close.

The bed could hold them both, and nothing was going to keep them apart now. 

[comp7ex]

ALL FOR ME

summary: in which she needs this one particular girl all to herself again.

paige bueckers x blackfemale!oc

warnings: cursing, a moderate amount of angst and a lil teasing (like super minuscule)

jori hated the club. absolutely despised it. the air was sticky and humid even as the fans blew around the building. her high heels were making her feet ache and the material of her mini dress was extremely itchy. not to mention, she was tipsy as hell as she sat at the crowded bar. despite these factors, her eyes stayed locked on the other side of the room where her once situationship sat.

paige bueckers. the loved and famed uconn guard.

the two met during their freshman year at uconn as jori was an assistant to the student broadcasting team. they became friends fast and found they had a lot in common. the friendship was smooth sailing until late into their junior year, paige began to blur lines that couldn’t be undone, sending the two into a complicated relationship. although jori didn’t mind at first, she loved the attention and affection that paige provided her with. she thought she was in love with paige. that was until the guard started being inconsistent, which came with the famous line of “we’re not together so it dont know why you’re tripping.”

so after almost a year of back and forth, she ended it with paige 2 months ago, leaving her with a long paragraph and no access to the girl whatsover, until today.

jori watched the scene that unfolded in front of her. a random brunette was slung over paige’s lap, her hand wrapped around the girls waist and a drink in the other hand what she could only assume was a dirty shirley temple, laughing with other people in the section. jori could only roll her eyes in anger.

she didn’t understand how paige could sit up with someone else while all jori could think about was her. in the midst of her angry self monologue, someone next to her spilled their drink all down the front of her dress, “what the fuck!!!” she exclaimed. the person barely giving her a second glance. jori hastily got off the barstool, making her way to the bathroom as she tried brush the excess liquid off of her dress but not before making eye contact with the person she had been watching all night. shit.

paige couldn’t believe her eyes. she had to be dreaming right?

“yo p, was that jori?” a friend asked her, who had also seen the girl. paige couldn’t even speak. her eyes couldn’t leave the girl as she made her way through the crowd.

jori saunders. the one girl who almost made paige change her ways.

paige is what most people would call a player. she gets around and doesn’t feel guilty about it. she calls it keeping her options open and that was how she’d always been before the dynamic between her and jori changed.

the girl found herself wanting to be with jori only. she cared about her. the guard craved jori which scared her tremendously because she had never felt that way about someone. her main focus was basketball and that was it until that night her lips touched jori’s. from then on, she was hooked. nonetheless, paige was stuck in her ways and used the girls jealousy and possessiveness as a ploy to get distance between the two which ultimately ended in no contact. paige couldn’t have regretted a decision more in this moment.

feeling slight liquid courage, the girl brushed the brunette aside, setting her drink on the nearby table. “i’ll be back, i’m finna use the bathroom.” she announced to her friends before quickly making a beeline to the bathroom where she could only hope jori was at.

jori stood over the sink, wiping down her red dress with the flimsy paper towel, hoping maybe that it wouldn’t leave a stain the dress she just bought. she could feel a headache coming on and knew it was time to go home. the hinges of the bathroom door squeaked and jori didn’t bother to turn around, thinking that somebody just cracked the seal and had to clear their bladder. what she wasn’t expecting was to hear the voice of the blonde. “jori.” paige said softly, taking cautious steps towards the girl.

“jori.” paige said again, this time less than an arms reach close to her. the girl turned around and for the first time tonight, the two could see each other clearly. paige’s 6’0 frame towered over jori’s 5’4 heeled stature. the taller girls eyes shamelessly raked over her body, taking in all the features that she so dearly missed. jori did the same, her stomach whirling with butterflies as she caught paige’s bright blues locked on her lips. “you should go back out there with your girlfriend, there’s nothing left for you in here.” jori stated boldly, taking paige aback slightly. “she’s not my girlfriend jo, i don’t even like her.” the shorter girl scoffed.

“you have to like something about her, that’s the only reason you keep bitches around anyway, is when they can give you something.” paige just shook her head, not phased by jori’s insults. she knew that jori had a mouth on her when she was angry and especially if she was tipsy.

“she’s cute! and you’re showing her off in public, do you think she looks better than me? what does she have on me paige?” jori questioned, tilting her head.

“you know she doesn’t jori, she doesn’t have shit on you stop.”

“then what is it? does she satisfy you like i did, hm?” jori’s mouth was moving quicker than her brain could think, her manicured hand, grabbing paige’s face, forcing the girl to look at her once again. her other hand slid down the front of the guards exposed boxer, running her fingers across the band, making paige slightly shudder.

“i guess not.” jori pushed the girls face away as she attempted to move past the girl after her statement but paige blocked her every move. “you can say and do all the shit you want, i don’t care. nobody is leaving until we talk.” the uconn guard said sternly, making jori roll her eyes again.

“there’s not shit to talk about, you didn’t care then and you don’t care now, you already got a new bitch and it’s only been two months!.”

“dude don’t start with that shit, i do care! what are you even talking about?” paige exasperated.

“too bad you couldn’t when it really counted.” jori sassed back. “i tried talking to you for months and i watched you flirt and touch other girls and crawl back to me in the dead of night.”

“like do you know how that made me feel? it made me feel like shit! like i wasn’t enough for you even though i was giving you all i had!”

“all i wanted you to was tell me i was the only one and really mean it and you never could, what is there for us to talk about?” paige ran her hand over her face in frustration.

“if you would let me talk, i’m trying to tell you that there’s never been another you jori! nobody has ever made me feel the way you do.”

“i’ll admit, i was scared and i didn’t treat you in the way that you deserve but ill spend however long it takes to fix it. jori i love you and i have for a long time. i wasn’t mature enough to tell you then but fuck-“ the shorter girl attempted to move past her again but paige blocked her in again.

“please… just listen to me.” the taller girl pleaded, her voice wavering.

“let me prove that im worthy of you, that you’re all i see and have ever seen, please. “ the desperation in paige’s voice made the room thick and jori felt trapped under her gaze as the girl searched her eyes for any reciprocation.

after what felt like hours of silence, jori reached up and tucked the stray hairs behind paige’s ear and brushing off the collar of her shirt. “take me home.”

hi, this is my first post here on tumblr, i’m more of a wattpad writer but i just wanted to share some pieces on here!!! i kinda hate this but i was craving some angst, so enjoy!

[train-wrecc]

Champagne Problems 2

marcus baker x female!miller!reader

warnings: mentions of vomit, nausea, mentions of food, panic attacks, i think that’s all… 

fluff with a sprinkle of angst?

word count: 4.5k

italics = sign language

A/N: this will probably be a series bc i wanna add more to this :) i would've posted this earlier but i was struggling to edit the lil collage below 😭 also, i feel like the first one was better but i tried :/ & i will try to dedicate more time to writing bc recently i’ve been gaming a lot more + struggling to write an essay but anyways… try to enjoy?

unedited!

part 1 part 3

。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ

You thought the Baker's reaction to your pregnancy would be worse. However, when both you and Marcus signed the words while simultaneously voicing that you were pregnant, they both wore a look of shock on their face, Max sitting on the couch with a wide grin. She practically threw herself at you and Marcus, pulling you both into a tight embrace. 

“Oh my god, I-I don’t know what to say…” Ellen murmured, causing you to slightly frown, and Marcus to squeeze your hand in reassurance. Clint signed, “Well, at least I’ll be a young Grandpa,” He chuckled. Which caused a slight smile to grow on your face. “I wouldn’t say that this is the most ideal time for a baby, seeing as you both are so young, but just know you have our support, in whatever you choose to do. Being a grandma doesn’t sound too bad, the baby can call me Glamma!” Ellen began to ramble.

After you had told them your decision, they let you know that they’d be there for both of you, every step of the way. You felt the weight being lifted from your shoulders, pulling Marcus into a hug. You knew that you still had a long way to go, and you’d have to figure out how to raise a baby, where to raise your baby, and a lot more, albeit you had Marcus and he had you. 

。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ

You woke up due to nausea causing you to run to your bathroom, and fill the toilet with vomit. You felt a hand holding your hair in a makeshift ponytail, another on your back, rubbing soothingly. You knew immediately that it was your mother. Her presence seemingly relaxed you. “It’s okay, baby, let it out,” She murmured gently, her voice slightly rough due to the fact that she had just woken up. 

Once you were done spilling your guts, you pulled away from the toilet, the horrid smell of vomit hitting your nose, causing you to once again reach for the toilet. After you were finished, you slammed the toilet lid shut, leaning your head against it, a sigh escaping your lips. 

You sat there for a moment, before getting up, your mother helping you up, you quickly rinsed your mouth with mouthwash, following it up by brushing your teeth, as you tried to rid yourself of the taste of bile.

“Come on, why don’t you go get some more rest, darlin’,” Your mom ushered you to your room, tucking you into bed before placing a kiss on your head. You smiled at her before turning to face the window. You reached for your phone, debating on texting Marcus. However, when you saw that it was 4:30 am, you decided against it, not wanting to wake him up. You gazed out your window as you tried to go back to sleep. However, you couldn’t, you tossed and turned, the moonlight shining in your room, seeing as it was still dark out. Suddenly your window was thrown open, and a figure fell onto the wooden flooring of your room. You immediately sat up, slightly frightened before you heard the slight murmur of a “Shit,”. 

You turned your bedside lamp on, “Marcus?” You questioned the boy, “What are you doing here?” You gazed at him curiously. “Georgia told me you were up because of morning sickness, so I thought I’d come over, not only because she practically threatened me but because I wanted to see how you and the baby are doing.” He tiredly smiled, eyes slightly drooping. 

A gargantuan smile broke out on your face, a giggle escaping your lips, before you patted your bed, so he’d come to lay with you. “You didn’t have to come over, but thank you. And excluding the morning sickness, we’re doing just fine.” You responded, your hand finding its way to your flat stomach, which would soon be not-so-flat with a baby bump. Marcus placed his own hand atop yours, “I know, but I wanted to,” He grinned, before gently placing a chaste kiss on your lips. 

His hands found your waist, pulling you impossibly closer to him, cuddling you. “I can’t believe we’re having a baby.” He murmured. “I know,” You said, laying your head in the crook of his neck, breathing in his familiar, comforting scent, you let out a sigh. “What’s wrong?” He questioned. “Nothing, it’s just… I’m just kinda nervous about the appointment tomorrow- well, technically today.” 

One of his hands left your waist, placing it atop your head. “Everything’s gonna go great, we’ve nothing to worry about, alright?” 

“I know, I think it’s just cause, y’know it’s our first appointment…”

“Yeah, well let’s get some more sleep, everything’s gonna be okay, promise.” He smiled, before placing another kiss on your lips, causing you to smile against his lips. You pulled away, turning to shut off your bedside lamp. Out of the corner of his eye, your night light caught Marcus’s attention. He refrained from shutting it off, even though it slightly bothered him because he knew the gradual change of colors helped lull you to sleep, and you and the baby were the most important things in his life.

Marcus had drifted slightly away from you throughout the night- morning, which woke you up not even an hour later. You let out a whine, turning to find him practically at the edge of the bed, you scooted closer to him wrapping an arm and leg around his waist, the contact instantly relaxing you allowing you to drift off to sleep once again. 

Marcus had gotten up a while before you, at around 9:30. Your doctor's appointment was at 12:30, so he figured he’d let you rest for another hour, while he went downstairs to make you a good, nutritional breakfast for you and the baby. He looked online and discovered that he should make you oatmeal, and decided he’d pair it with your favorite fruit and juice. Marcus placed your breakfast on a bed tray, making his way upstairs to your room, before running into Ginny and Austin. “Hey, I made some oatmeal, you guys can go ahead and get some, while I give this to your sister,” They both nodded in response, a small smile on their faces, Austin saying thanks.

Marcus opened the door to your room, placing the bed tray with your nutritious breakfast at the foot of the bed. He made his way toward you, gently rubbing your shoulder to wake you. “Princess, wake up I made you breakfast.” He gently voiced in an attempt to get you up. You grumbled slightly in your sleep, nuzzling your head closer to his hand. “Come on baby, it’s time to get up and eat, we gotta get you ready for your appointment,” He kissed your cheek, caressing the other one. You stirred, eyes slightly opening. Your eyes met Marcus’s brown ones staring at you with nothing but love and pure adoration, a small grin grew on your face.

“Hi, bub.”

“Morning, princess, you sleep well?” He laughed.

“Mhmm, amazing with you beside me.” You smiled at him, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to his lips. You stayed like that for a moment, as he returned the kiss, before quickly pulling away, nausea once again rising in you. “Oh god,” You murmured, getting up and making your way to the bathroom as fast as you could. Marcus was quick on your toes, as you lifted the toilet lid and threw up. Marcus gently held your hair away from your face, caressing your back. 

You pulled away, throat and back aching. “I’m so done with this morning sickness,” You groaned out. “I wish I could make it stop.” Marcus said, to which you responded with, “It’s okay, it’ll all be worth it,” You smiled at him. You went through the process of cleaning your teeth and mouth of the taste of vomit, before pulling Marcus into a tight hug. “I love you. Thank you for being here for me and the baby.” 

“It’s the very least, the minimum I should be doing, you don’t have to thank me, bub.” He replied, arms around your waist. “By the way, I made you oatmeal, so you and the baby can eat before we head to your appointment.” This caused you to smile at his thoughtfulness. 

“It’s the very least, the minimum, I should be doing, you don’t have to thank me, bub. After all, you didn’t impregnate yourself.” He replied with a grin, arms around your waist. “By the way, I made you oatmeal, so you and bub can eat before we head to your appointment.” This caused you to smile at his thoughtfulness.  

“Thank you, love, we appreciate you so much,” You said, your hand gently caressing your stomach which would soon have a bump, a sign of your healthily growing baby.

“Don’t thank me anymore, I’m just doing my part in making sure you and our baby are taken care of,” He insisted.

“Thank you,” You stubbornly insisted, a giggle escaping your lips. Marcus was about to lecture you once again before you shut him up with a kiss.

Marcus returned the kiss, as he pulled you closer to him, both of you melting into the adulation-filled kiss.

He pulled away, a whimper escaping your lips as you chased his own. “One more kiss, please?” You whined.

“You’re lucky you’re so cute.” He muttered, allowing you to press your lips against his own once again.

Once again, you eagerly kissed him, before he pulled away. “Alright, no more kisses until you eat your breakfast, sweetheart.”

“Fine,” you sighed dramatically.

Marcus guided you back to bed where your bowl of oatmeal sat on the breakfast tray, along with your favorite juice.

“Come on, baby, eat your oatmeal before it gets cold or else I’m gonna feed it to you myself.”

You sat down, stubbornly crossing your arms, “I was gonna eat it, but because you said that, now you get to feed it to me yourself.” 

He sat in front of you a laugh escaping his lips, “Fine by me,” He responded.

Marcus grabbed the spoon scooping oatmeal into it before lifting it to your lips. As you were about to eat the oatmeal, Marcus moved his hand, oatmeal getting smeared on your nose.

“Oops, I didn’t mean to do that, love, I’m sorry.” Marcus let out a quiet laugh at the pout on your lips.

“I think I deserve another kiss as compensation,” You murmured, Marcus giving into your wants as per usual.

。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ

Once you finished your oatmeal, you and Marcus got ready to go to your ultrasound. You insisted on doing your makeup because you wanted to look good to see your baby for the first time. 

“Love, you already look amazing,”

“I know, but I wanna look even more amazing,” You said with a small grin.

“Alright, do you want me to braid your hair for you, while you do your makeup?” 

“Pretty please,” 

Marcus had been practicing braiding your hair, along with doing other styles as well, because he refused to be one of those dads that didn’t know how to style their daughter's hair.

Marcus nodded, standing behind you, “Alright, what do you want, French, Dutch?”

(A/N: I think you can dutch braid most hair types like curly, wavy, straight, and really tight curls, so I decided to keep this part in, if you have really short hair I guess this might not apply to you sorry! Imagine whatever braid/style you want!)

“You choose, baby,”

He decided on doing two Dutch braids, liking the way you looked with them. “And… done!” He said tying the end of the braid with a hair tie. “How do they look?”

“Wow, they look really good, bub, thank you,” You smiled at him, looking at the practically perfectly done braids.

“Your welcome, love, are you ready now?”

“Yup,” 

“Alright, let’s start heading downstairs.”

You both made your way downstairs, running into Austin and Ginny in the living room, ever since you booked your ultrasound, they’d been begging to go with you and Marcus, and you just couldn’t say no to them.

“You guys ready?” You questioned them, and they both jumped up practically buzzing with excitement as soon as they heard your voice. “Yeah, we’ve been waiting for you two to hurry up!” Ginny exclaimed. “Alright… where’s Mom?” You asked. “Dunno,” Austin shrugged.

You let out a small sigh, before calling out for Georgia. “I’m comin’!” 

“Mom, we gotta go before we're late!” You called back. You heard footsteps on the stairs, before your mom, Georgia, appeared on the landing looking extra as ever, as per usual. Suddenly Max barged in, “Oh my gosh, guys, this is it, is everyone ready?! I’m so excited, let’s go, go!” 

Max and Ginny ended up riding with Georgia, and Austin insisted on riding with you and Marcus. 

。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ

Everyone sat cramped in the small appointment room, with you sitting on the examination table, Marcus holding your hand, as he stood next to you. Everyone was talking about everything and nothing at all at the same time, however, as soon as the ultrasound tech walked in everyone went silent. 

“Wow, it looks like we have a party in here!” She laughed, in an attempt to break the silence.

“Yeah, everyone really wanted to come with us.” You replied, giving a small smile to the woman.

“Well, it’s no problem at all, now, why don’t we get started? I assume you’re the father?” She gestured to Marcus, this prompted Max to pipe in, “Oh him? That’s so funny!” She laughed, “No, no, I’m the father.” She nodded seriously causing you to giggle quietly.

“Oh, uh…alright, we do get a lot of interesting couples in here.” The woman chuckled awkwardly.

“She-she’s kidding that’s- I’m the father.” Marcus nodded.

“Oh, okay…” She quietly answered.

“Alright, if you could just lay down for me, and lift your shirt a little just to expose your stomach, so I can apply the gel.” You nodded, doing as she said.

“Okay, it’s gonna feel a little cold,” She murmured before she applied the gel, “Now, this just helps the machine produce a clearer image as well as sound,” You slightly shivered as the cool gel met your skin.

(A/N: Idk what I’m saying tbh, just go with it…)

“Alrighty,” She grabbed the ultrasound probe, placing it on the skin where the gel had just been placed, “This can take a few moments to produce an image of the fetus,” She explained, moving the probe back and forth.

You simply nodded, as everyone intensely gazed at the ultrasound screen, just waiting for something to pop up. “So, it looks like you’re around 10 weeks pregnant, does that sound about right?”

You and Marcus nodded before she continued on, “So, because this is your first pregnancy, your bump can take a while to start showing, but you should start showing at around 12 weeks,”

“Now, I can’t seem to find- ah, there they are, oh my-”

“What, i-is something wrong?” You blurted out, beginning to sit up, worry immediately filling you as you gazed at the image displayed on the screen of the machine, Marcus’s grip on your hand tightened.

“Oh, no, no, nothing like that honey, it’s just- congratulations, you’re having twins!” She grinned.

“Twins?” Everyone exclaimed.

“Oh my god, we're having twins,” Marcus exclaimed, turning to you, he couldn’t stop himself from pressing a chaste kiss to your lips. You both pulled away, tears in your eyes.

“So, I’m seeing two placentas, this just means the twins are fraternal, not identical, right now the babies are about the size of a strawberry, now let me see if I can find their heartbeats,” She once again moved the ultrasound probe back and forth. 

“Aww, there just two little twin strawberries hanging out in your uterus,” Max exclaimed in the background, causing Georgia to laugh and Austin to question what a uterus was. Ginny attempted to explain it to the young boy without explaining too much, resulting in Austin understanding that a uterus was your tummy. “I have oatmeal in my uterus,” He told Ginny. Which prompted everyone to burst out laughing. “I’ll just explain it when you’re older,” Ginny murmured. 

A small yet strong thumping began emitting from the machine. “There they are, so far so good, the heartbeats sound nice and strong, the placentas seem to be forming properly, and everyone appears to be nice and healthy.” She smiled as tears escaped your eyes as you listened to the sound of your baby’s heartbeat, “Sorry,” You gave a teary-eyed smile to the woman in apology, Marcus gently wiped your tears with his thumb, before pressing a kiss to your cheek.

You were so happy your babies were healthy, but never in a million years did you think you’d be having twins. That was twice the crying, twice the cost, twice the feeding, and bathing. You tried not to show it but you were stressed. You and Marcus were going to raise not just one baby, but two small innocent humans, who were dependent on both of you. 

“Don’t worry, almost every single parent cries when they first see their baby, in your case babies,” She grinned, grabbing an antiseptic wipe to remove the gel from your stomach. “Well, I’m gonna print the sonogram images for you, before I forget to mention it on your way out don’t forget to schedule you’re next appointment, we recommend you come in at least every 4 weeks.” 

“Yes, we will do that, thank you,” You responded, pulling your shirt down, to its normal resting place now that the sonogram was over. 

You sat up from your lying position, “I-I’m gonna go use the restroom,” You hurriedly murmured, before walking out of the room. You let out a breath, searching for the restroom, once you spotted it you quickly made your way to it. You slammed the door shut, locking it, taking a few more deep breaths in an attempt to not panic. 

Albeit all you could think about was the twins in your uterus. Which caused you to slightly panic and spiral. But you were carrying twins you can’t panic, that’s not good for the baby. Before you knew it you were sitting on the restroom floor, having a panic attack. “I c-an’t do… t-this,” You quietly stuttered out through your tears, as they continued to cascade down your face. You tried to calm yourself down again but failed. 

Suddenly a knock sounded from the other side of the door, “Bub, are you okay in there?” You heard Marcus question. “Mhm,” You managed to get out, a whimper escaping, as you tried to hide your sobs. “Baby, let me in, I can tell you’re not okay, please,” He quietly said through the door, his head leaning against it.

“Okay,” You sniffled as you stood up, unlocking the door, and allowing Marcus to walk in. 

He immediately pulled you into a hug at the sight of you in distress. “What’s wrong, love?” He asked as you clung to him, tears rolling down your cheeks still. You attempted to get the words out, however, you’re breathing was too quick and uneven for you to get anything out. “Baby, you need to calm down okay? Listen to my heartbeat, and just follow my breathing, okay?” He told you in a questioning manner, pulling you in tighter, wanting to somehow squeeze out whatever was causing your tears.

You nodded, your head pressed against his chest as you listened to his calm heartbeat. Somehow listening to his relaxed heartbeat and being in his arms soothed you, following as he took a deep breath in and exhaled. Both of you stood there for a moment, a comforting silence enveloping you. 

“I’m sorry,” You whispered.

Marcus shook his head, “You have nothing to apologize for baby, just please tell me what’s wrong?” 

“It’s just- we’re having twins, Marcus, I mean, I was scared shitless when I found out I was pregnant with a baby, but now we’re gonna have two. I mean we’re barely gonna graduate, and I mean- how can we afford two babies!? I know you have your job, but- this is two babies, not just one anymore! And where are we gonna live? With my mom? Your parents? A-and what about college? I-I don’t know how you’re not freaking out, w-why aren’t you freaking out?” 

Marcus simply smiled at you, “Because I love you, Y/n Miller, and I know no matter what, as long as I have you, and our families, we’re gonna be alright. We’ll figure everything out, I promise you,” He said his hands now gently holding your face in his hands, so you could look at him. “Just please don’t stress about this, it’s not good for you, or our precious cargo,” He grinned. 

“You’re crazy.” You stared at him and all his calmness, causing him to laugh.

“Crazy in love with you? Yes, very much.” 

“I probably look a mess now,” You said with a slight hint of sadness, as you fell into his arms once again. 

“Well, if you look like a mess, then you’re the most beautiful mess I’ve ever laid my eyes on.”

“Hey!”

“What? It’s a compliment, come on,” He said, pulling you toward the mirror.

“See, still stunning, as always.” He told you, placing a kiss on the top of your head.

“Wow, my makeup looks pretty good still…” You said, grabbing a paper towel and patting the tear tracks away.

“That’s all you baby,”

“No, I think it’s that new setting spray I got.” You smiled lightly.

Another knock echoed off the restroom walls interrupting you, followed by Ginny’s voice, “Y/n/n are you okay in there? You’ve been gone a while… Marcus was supposed to come get you but he probably got lost, he’s kinda an idiot-” she was interrupted by a squeaky voice speaking up, “Hey, that’s not a nice thing to say, Ginny.” Austin said.

“I mean, is she lying though?” Max questioned.

“Honey, you alright?” Your mom called out after, as you and Marcus tried to contain your laughs.

“Maybe she’s not in there,” Max murmured.

You opened the door, being met with your family huddled around the door, “I’m fine guys, just a little worried, and hormonal, but besides that, fine.” You gave them a reassuring smile. 

“Well, come on then, we gotta set up you’re next appointment,” Georgia said, nodding toward the front desk. 

You all began walking toward the desk as you overheard Marcus, “Thanks for sticking up for me bud,”

Austin nodded, “You’re welcome, Ginny’s just a big old grump.” 

“You’re right about that, Max too,” He replied teasingly, causing both girls to roll their eyes as you laughed at the conversation taking place. 

。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ

You texted Padma images of the ultrasound seeing as she wasn’t able to make it. She congratulated you, her messages filled with love and excitement. Seeing as it was Saturday, the rest of the day was spent with your families, Clint and Ellen joining everyone at your house. They both sat in amazement as they stared at the sonogram images of your little strawberry twins.

“Wow, two healthy babies! We’re gonna have our hands full, again!” Clint signed.

“I know, I wonder if it’s because you and Maxine are twins Marcus,” Ellen murmured.

“Actually the ultrasound tech said something about it affecting ovulation, so Max would be twice as likely to have twins than me, or if one of our babies is a girl, she’d be more likely too. We just got lucky, I guess,” Marcus explained to his parents.

“Alright, remind me to never try for kids then, we don’t need two pairs of twins running around. That’s chaos is what that is.” Max laughed.

“I mean I’m sure you guys will be fine though,” She smiled awkwardly.

“Well, I can’t just wait to meet our little twins!” Georgia spoke, as you were all lounging around in the living room.

“Were they able to tell if they’re gonna be identical or fraternal? I don’t remember how many weeks I was when they were able to tell us, with Max and Marcus.” Ellen asked, Clint nodding in support of the question.

“They’re fraternal, thankfully, I don’t know how we would do it if they were identical. I mean we’d probably mix them up while they’re babies…” You answered while signing.

“There are actually a few tricks to tell them apart when they’re babies, like name bracelets or, painting their toenail a certain color, stuff like that,” Ellen responded.

“Yeah, and you guys might need to use some of those tricks, I mean, Max and Marcus looked almost identical when they were babies,” Clint informed you.

“Well then,” You smiled nervously, leaning into Marcus's arms even more. He rested his chin on the top of your head, as you sighed into his neck, beginning to feel slightly tired.

“You feel alright?”

“Mhm, just a little tired…”

“Wanna go nap for a little bit?”

“No, it’s okay, we can hang out down here a little longer if you want.”

“Y/n/n don’t make me drag you upstairs, if you’re tired, go nap,” Ginny said seriously. 

“Yes, ma’am, I guess I’ll see everyone later,” You said, before Marcus helped you up and to your room. He closed your curtains to block the evening sun, before pulling the sheets back, allowing you to get into bed. You lay down, letting out a sigh in comfort, patting beside you for Marcus to join you.

He gladly obliged, cuddling you once he laid down. You nuzzled your head into the crook of his neck, breathing in his calming and comforting scent. “You feel a little bit better about having twins?”

“Yeah, especially since your parents have experience in that department, I still can’t believe it.”

“I know, we’re having twins,” He murmured.

“Yup, I wonder what gender they’ll be…” You mumbled.

“Me too, but as long as they’re healthy, that’s all that matters.” He said as he caressed your back with his hands, rubbing it soothingly. 

“Mhmm,” You hummed, you’re breathing slowing as you began to fall asleep.

“Love you, bub,” You sleepily muttered.

“I love you too,” Marcus responded before placing a gentle kiss on your lips, “Sweet dreams, baby.” He whispered as you drifted off.

He pulled you closer to him as he began to drift off as well. Your favorite place was in his arms and his favorite place was you.

。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ

A/N: there are alot of like nicknames in this, lmk which one y'all think marcus would call the reader bc i really am unsure, also how do we feel about "princess" i think it's cute but ik it gives some ppl the ick... anyways have a great rest of your day/night/morning! 💞

[anikaluv]

Can I request a short drabble with miles reaction to finding out abt myles and reader dating? No problem if you can't! I really enjoyed the second part <333

STICK TOGETHER —

❤︎︎ pairing: Miles (e!42) × fem!reader

❤︎︎ genre: fluff

❤︎︎ cw: Miles being a lil sad :( , happy ending though

❤︎︎ summary: Miles learning that you and Myles are dating

❤︎︎ w/c: 600

❤︎︎ a/n: I had no planning of making a part three to this, but I’ll do it for you anon <3

PART ONE PART TWO

You and Myles had been dating for a few weeks now, secretly, and that was becoming a challenge. You both knew why you kept it hidden; if you didn't, there was a chance that Miles would find out. However, both of you were tired of sneaking around. You wanted to love each other openly without worrying about who might see.

The decision was made – it was time to tell Miles the truth.

Planning this conversation took some time, considering your busy schedules as Myles and Miles handled their respective prowler and Spiderman duties. But eventually, the moment arrived when you all found an opportunity to sit down and talk things through. The atmosphere was a mix of anticipation and nervousness as you three walked into the Morales home to begin the conversation.

You and Myles sat in Miles' room on his bed, holding hands, while Miles sat on his desk chair, looking at the two of you. He wondered why there was this sudden talk you both needed to have with him, and he hoped to get an answer to why you were brushing off every time he brought up having a second chance to go on a date with you.

Myles, being Miles' twin and knowing him best, took the lead in explaining the situation. He carefully explained the feelings you both had for each other and how difficult it had been to keep it a secret. You nodded in agreement, affirming his words.

As Myles spoke, you could see the surprise and emotions playing across Miles' face. He listened intently, processing the information. You were anxious, not knowing how he would react, but you knew you couldn’t lie to your best friend anymore.

After a moment of silence, Miles finally spoke, "So, you two have been dating this whole time?" You nodded your head, confirming his shock. His tone held a touch of disappointment, and you felt a pang of guilt; you could tell he was disappointed. You reached out and rubbed Miles on his knee. "We wanted to tell you, but we were scared you would think we betrayed you. We're sorry."

Miles hummed, taking everything in. You were scared. What if you were about to lose your best friend? But then, Miles turned from you and looked dead into Myles' eyes, with a serious demeanor.

"Do you make her happy?" His tone was deep, serious. Miles leaned forward in his chair, awaiting Myles' answer, studying his moves. Myles looked back at him with the same face, speaking back with the same tone. "Damn right I do," he smirked at you, making you blush.

Miles grinned at seeing your face light up like that. He relaxed back in his chair. "Then just keep her happy, man, and we won't have any problems," he said nonchalantly. You and Myles exchanged glances, still slightly suspicious. Was that all?

"Oh, and one more thing," Myles started, looking back between the two of you, going back to the same serious demeanor. "Whatever you two do, make sure you stick together, okay? Last thing I need is my two favorite people hating each other," he joked.

Miles laughed as you giggled. You both looked at each other for a while coming to a silent agreement and smiled brightly, an understanding passing between both of you. Then, turning back to Miles, you both spoke in unison.

"I think we can do that."

ENDING A/N: Some people were wondering how Miles would react to the two of you dating. I felt he would be kinda bummed out at first, but ya'll are two of the most important people in his life; so if you'd make eachother happy, he'd be okay with it.

TAGLIST: @janaeby @bellstwd @nmgstuff @axeoverblade @zaddyskye69 @agstuffsworld @spidrstar @laylasbunbunny @missusmorales @popeheywardssecretgf @lumineliax

TAGS:

[kinkandkreep]

Yandere!Ao Bing Headcanons- Ancient and Modern verse

So, what can you expect with both Ancient and Modern Ao Bing as your yandere “lover”?

Ancient Ao Bing

Lots of clinginess- Ao Bing is extremely clingy. Like, I cannot stress this point enough, he will essentially be your other half, and not necessarily in a romantic way. He loves to be near you, but even being in the same space as you isn’t quite enough. No, he needs to be like, beside you, sitting in your lap, draped over your back near you. 

Lots of cuddles and affection- Along with the first point, Ao Bing will absolutely drown you in cuddles and affection, every opportunity to do so he gets. He just adores you so, so, so much, and he wants to express it all the time. 

Lots of supervision- Ao Bing (at least in my opinion) always has this look of apprehension on his face, and that makes me think that, as it relates to you, the cause of this look is the fear that any number of things can and will harm you. Because of this, Ao Bing barely lets you step foot outside of y’alls home without him being right there to supervise and make sure nothing untoward happens.

Lots of uncertainty- To somewhat accompany the last point, Ao Bing is a person who is very dependent on the thoughts and opinions of others. Now as time passes and he matures, others affect him less and less, but the need never fully abandons him. And he especially cares about your opinion. With this being the case, you’ll find that Bing Bong can rarely make decisions when you’re around without your input. So, essentially, never. And though he won’t ever ask for it outright, he’ll almost always need you to reassure and comfort him whenever he’s feeling not so confident. 

Extremely mild, almost nonexistent punishments- Ancient!Ao Bing has a godly amount of patience. For most things, but especially for you. This being the case, once he abducts you (and in all likelihood, he will be abducting you at some point) he'll be very forthcoming and understanding of your frustration at your newfound situation. Even still, he knows he can't just let you throw fits and isolate yourself/ignore him, so if, and depending on your constitution, when he punishes you, he does so very gently (and admittedly, probably with a fair amount of tears 🙃). 

Modern!Ao Bing 

A fair amount of sadism- Just from looking at modern day Ao Bing, I can tell he's a bit (or maybe more than a bit 🙃) of a sadist. I could get all into psychoanalyzing why that is but for the sake of brevity, I won't. Just know that he maybe sorta kinda likes to see you in pain, and he also maybe sorta kinda likes to be the cause of it. 

A good amount of spoilage- This may come as a surprise, but Modern!Ao Bing actually really likes to shower you with gifts. From expensive jewelry to precious gems and the finest clothes and dining, if you ask, and even if you don't, he will provide. (You may have to bribe him a lil' with a kiss or two on occasion, but usually he's pretty good about just gifting you things without an ultimatum.) 

Constant supervision- Ao Bing is terrified of losing you. There, I said it. With this being the case, he will always have someone keeping track of you, to 1.) make sure you can't escape and 2.) make sure no hurt, harm or danger has befallen you (😂).

Some sporadic at best- but more severe than his ancient counterpart’s, punishments- Modern!Ao Bing is not shy about the fact that if you step out of line, he will punish you. Not too too severely, but depending on how heinous the offense, you can end up with some bruises not gone hold you. 🤷🏾‍♀️ That said, it’s not often that Modern!Ao Bing can be bothered to actually take the time out of his life to punish you physically, so most times he’ll just throw some scathing words or a dark glance your way and call it a day. 

That’s all I got for ya boi Bing Bong for now y’all! I’m positive I’ll have more in the future, so be on the lookout for that (also, the way I been had these in my drafts for I kid you not like a year and a half at least, is crazy. 🙃) And if you haven’t already and are curious, check out Ne Zha on Netflix to see both Ao Bing’s in action! 👋🏾

[markberries]

television romance ﹒ km [preview]

synopsis﹕ being a self made singer was not simple, nor was it handed to you on a silver platter. a decision between your management and those at pledis ent. to have you date kim mingyu was not making your life any easier.

genre + ﹕ fluff, angst, idol au, fem reader, bit of wonu x reader in the FUTURE (what do u expect i'm a wonwoorideul.) y/n is a girl boss 🤞🏻

wc ﹕ 691

warnings ﹕ none

note ﹕ a lil something ive been working on! enjoy!

“you have got to be kidding me.”

you look between your personal manager and the ceo of the company you were signed at, dream records. they purse their lips, your manager looking down awkwardly.

“i don’t need to have a fake boyfriend for more traction, my last album did well without it,” you try your best to reason with them.

“yes, that is true, but more sales is always good!” your manager, junho explains with emphasis on the sales aspect.

ever since you were a mere teenager, you craved being onstage. you wanted to sing in front of crowds, change people’s lives, and hopefully make a difference.

you got signed to the dream record label when you were eighteen, fresh out of high school. before that, you were making cover videos on youtube in your tiny bedroom. your record label wasn’t huge, the only reason you joined was to assist one of your friends who was a producer.

you were fairly popular now, mostly in the west when it came to your pop punk sound of music. you worked hard to get where you are, and you thought that it was enough for the company you were under.

“i was doing okay without any pr stunts, i’m sure i’ll be alright without one now,” you huff, sinking into the black leather chair.

“i’ll talk to her,” junho states apologetically to the ceo. he pushes you by your shoulders outside of the office into the brightly lit hallway, and as soon as you’re out of earshot of the ceo, you turn to junho with a glare on your face.

“i don’t want to fake date anyone,” you grumble, placing your hands on your hips, “you’re one of my closest friends but i wouldn’t do this for anybody.”

“y/n, just think about it! yes, you’re doing great, no one is discrediting you for that, but you could always do better,” junho reasons with you. you roll your eyes, walking away but he follows you.

you weren’t a difficult or mean person, but what they were asking of you was just unbelievable. you’ve been working here for years, and you were their main money maker. you’ve given up so much for the sake of this company, and now they were asking you to give up the freedom of choosing your own relationships.

“i’m just frustrated, and the fact that you didn’t consult me before talking to the other party in this business deal irritates me too, this guy could be a complete weirdo!” you exclaim, pacing towards your studio.

“he’s not, i promise, he’s actually quite nice.”

you look at junho with an unimpressed expression, “how do you know that?”

“i.. met him..”

“you’ve even met him before me! junho, you know i trust you with my life. i’d do anything for you but listen to what you’re asking me to do,” you open the black door to your studio, flipping the light switch on your left. you’re greeted by your soft lights and awards sitting on your shelves.

“then trust me when i tell you this is good for you,” junho plops down on your black leather couch, the short man leaning back into the cushions. “his name is mingyu, and when we met he seemed very kind. he already signed the contract.”

your face contorts into a grimace while taking a seat in your comfortable office chair, still not even a bit convinced to go along with this agreement. you aimlessly begin spinning the chair, tapping your fingers against the arm rest.

“would you like to meet him?”

your head snaps towards your manager’s direction, eyes squinting with suspicion.

“why are you asking me this?”

junho shrugs his shoulders, “maybe if you two got along you wouldn’t mind it as much. you’ve probably heard of him anyway, he’s in the kpop industry.”

you weren’t unfamiliar when it came to kpop groups, you had quite a lot of songs in your playlists. you just weren’t an avid fan of it, probably only listening to title tracks and you didn’t know that many groups.

“hm, what group?” you ask out of curiosity.

“seventeen.”

[exactlypinkavenue]

She has a sister P3

angst and fluff to come. Please do not copy this.

(James potter has always been Lily Evans. But what if lily’s sister, Rose Evans, was obsessed with James)

Remus POV:

I haven’t been able to sleep well lately. I worry James is going to make a bad decision that will affect not only him but a kind girl that I’ve come to know amongst the years. Rose Evans, she is the polar opposite from Lily. While Lily fights fire with fire, Rose prefers to turn the other cheek. While Lily often takes on leadership roles, Rose prefers to be an observer. But our peers are wrong about Rose. She has something in her, tucked away yes, but it’s there. And when I look in her eyes I know she hides the beast on purpose. But this is not what I wanted to talk about. I feel James thinks that since Lily rejected him, he’ll go for the sister and have atleast some form of Lily. I know this doesn’t sound good and you might be thinking “oh, James is an awful person” but who here hasn’t thought “oh, they have a brother/sister.” So please let’s not judge to quickly. But he can’t do this to Rose. I won’t allow it, I CANNOT ALLOW IT. Rose is such a kind person that does not deserve this. I know I sound repetitive but I can not think and have not thought of anything else. I don’t know what to do, though. And it scares me.

Rose POV:

Ever since James had talked to me at dinner on Tuesday night, he has started to notice me more. In the halls he says hello to me, during class he responds when I tap him for an extra quill, and he actually invited me to sit with him and the maurders. Although, they kinda just had their own conversations and talked over me whenever I tried to add something BUT.. but he still asked me to sit with him. I am so happy, do you think we might get married? I mean this is what married couples do they say hello, lend each other quills, and most importantly sit together at lunch. Just you wait soon enough I’ll be Rose Potter.

Lily POV:

“is Rose sitting with James?” “Um, I think so, yeah it looks like it Lils” Thomas agreed “do you want me to go get her” “No, it only call unwanted attention” I replied. When lunch was over I basically sprinted out of the Great Hall. James and his smug friends were taking their sweet time but if I wanted to be discreet I had to meet them at the entrance hallway to divination. “JAMES” I yelled when the finally arrived. I saw his friend, Sirius black, whisper something into James’s ear before entering the classroom. “Evans, have you reconsidered” “No, you twat, I’m here to set something straight.” “Oh and that is” “you are no longer allowed to be near or interact with my sister” “frankly I don’t think that’s your decision Lily” “it’s my decision if I know you have wrong intentions” “I believe Rosey-poo has a good enough judgment to decide for herself if my intentions are ill minded.” “You asshole, James potter” just as I was about to lunge I felt a pair of strong arms pull me back “it’s okay lils, he’s not worth it. Just leave it” it was Thomas. “Listen Potter, you heard her stay away from Rose or you’ll have me to deal with” “I’m not afraid of you Thomas, as I said Rosey can make her own decisions so until she tells me to back off, I won’t” then he just walked away. He walked straight into the classroom without another single word. I felt like ripping him apart, the only thing that was keeping me grounded was Thomas’s comforting presence.

James POV:

“Are you alright mate” Sirius asked. “Yeah, Lily was just yelling at me, telling me to leave her alone, can you believe that” “I agree with her” “what, what do you mean Remus” “you don’t have any actual interest in Rose. Be honest James, you’re just using her as a substitute for Lily” “so?” “SO… SO? Are you that cruel. YOU DO NOT DESERVE HER” “and you do?” Sirius asked, atleast someone was defending me. “FUCK YOU, ALL OF YOU. BUNCH OF PRICKS” “WHY ARE YOU BEING LIKE THIS REMUS, YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE MY FRIEND” “NO, I don’t want to be friends with people who can’t see how wrong this” he declared with so much venom it made my heart hurt. “ forget you Remus” Sirius said. Remus then walked away to the other side of the classroom and did not speak to us for the rest of the day. The next morning, Remus was already down way before the lot of was awake. I guess, he really didn’t want to see us. When we arrived for breakfast, we saw that Remus wasn’t sitting our usual spot. He was sitting with Rose. Fine, he chose his side, they all chose their side, I’m not stopping. “Why is Remus sitting with Rose” asked Peter. “I don’t know Peter, I don’t know” we decided to just forget about him and sit like we usually do. Like Sirius said who needs him.

Rose POV:

“Remus, not that I mind but why are you sitting her. Don’t you usually sit with your friends” “well I decided to sit with my other friends” “were friends?” “Of course we’re friends. We’ve always been friends, haven’t we?” “Yeah we have!” For the first time in a long time, I feel seen. “Good morning my little rosey- poo” “oh hello James” “Rosey-poo (Remus scoffs) what kind of name is that” James then turns his focus to Remus and replies “the nickname I have chosen for Rose” “why do you not like it Remus” “I don’t actually” “well why don’t I make one for you, my friend” I noticed that he changed his tone while saying friend. Do you think something is wrong with their relationship? Oh yes of course there is, that’s why Remus decided to sit with me he was no longer welcome at his table. While I was lost in my thoughts the argument had escalated. I Had to stop this “you’re no longer a maurder, Remus” “well-“ “ STOP” “rose” “No Remus it’s my turn to speak” “ all this bla bla about Remus betrayal and you both no longer being friends, needs to end” “well, the reason that remus and I are no longer talking is becuase he said I should no longer talk to you.” Remus said James should no longer talk to me. Remus is not mean for fun. He must have a reason to say this, but why James is harmless. He likes me. “Remus thank you for looking out for me all these year but I need you to know that I can take care of myself” “I know” “okay” “ okay” Remus solemnly said. “(James cleared his throat) Rose darling, I was wondering if you wanted to go on a date with me, Saturday, at hogsmeade.” “Sure, yes james I would love that” “okay, how about we meet up at 6 pm and we make the walk together from the commen room” “yeah, okay” “okay, until then” “until then” with that he turned on his heel and walked back to his seat. “Did you see that Remus. I landed a date with James Potter.” “I saw but I think you’re making a mistake” “Remus, please stop I don’t want to talk about this” “I mean, don’t you think it’s a little weird how right after Lily dumps him he starts to show interest in you” “maybe he saw how nice of a person I was and gained interest” “that fast, look all I’m saying is it’s probable that he is using you as a substitute for-“ “NO.. no that’s not true. James likes me for me. Right?” Remus answered with silence. I felt sick to my stomach. Tears started welling in my eyes, I couldn’t blink them away no matter how hard I tried. “Excuse me” I couldn’t stand to be there for another second. I had to get out.

[mostlymaudlin]

#8 for the fic writing ask 🖤

i just answered this but ill do another !!

i've always wanted to put andrew in a time loop

hold on tw suicide a lil bit lmfao

BUT i just kinda think that andrew's will to live is such a tentative thing but you can't kill yourself in a time loop lmfao. at least not in a way that lasts. but that's kind of the ethos of why i want to put andrew in a time loop because i think it would force him to find more reasons to live! my original idea around this was actually just a normal day post-canon so he does have reasons to live but he's still so wrapped up in his duties to others, and the loop would just inherently isolate him from his people which would be excruciating -- and also he would have no one to put up fronts for. i think that level of independence and shamelessness would be really interesting to explore with him. and also he would kill himself so many times sdkjngksjn

i'm also fascinated by how neil would react in the repeating timelines, because he's so attuned to andrew's moods and up in his business. once i actually wrote a lil bit of this kind of thing but from neil's pov. the idea was that andrew is pretty far into the loops and he just doesnt care abt anything. so he tries to spend the day in bed. but to neil, andrew is just rly depressed out of nowhere!! and ofc neil always always always tries to take care of andrew...

i'm not sure if i'll ever write the big andrew pov version, but here's the lil snip of neil pov:

Neil doesn’t know what to do when Andrew doesn’t get out of bed. 

He leaves him be at first, trusting him to make decisions for himself. But they’re really going to be late for practice, so Neil crouches on the floor next to Andrew’s bed. He’s awake — Andrew never sleeps through this level of movement and noise. 

“Hey,” Neil says. Andrew, facing the wall, does not react. “Are you coming to practice?”

Nothing. 

Neil looks to Kevin, who stands in the bedroom doorway, but he looks as lost as Neil feels. 

Andrew’s head is not an easy place to be. The evidence is on his skin. But still, Neil has never seen him shut down quite like this before. Regardless of how wound up or closed off Andrew gets, he always gets up. He might move through the day stone-faced and silent, or irritable and violent, but he moves. Something is very wrong. 

Neil grimaces. “Get a ride with Matt and tell Coach we’re sick. I’ll call him later.”

Kevin tries to argue, but Neil shakes his head firmly. Kevin snaps his mouth shut with a look toward Andrew’s blanketed figure, then stomps out the door. Neil waits for the slam that signifies Kevin’s exit, then turns back to Andrew. He watches the subtle rise and fall of Andrew’s back for a few breaths.

“It’s just me now,” Neil whispers. “What’s wrong?”

Still no reaction. Neil sighs, then gets to his feet. In the kitchen, he pours the last of the coffee into a mug and makes a bowl of cereal, carrying both to the bedroom. He sets them on the floor near Andrew’s bed, then sits down next to them.

“Will you eat?” Neil asks, this time expecting the non-response, though it doesn’t ease the churning worry at his core. “If you want me to go, I need at least one sign that your brain hasn’t turned into a vegetable.”

Neil decides to give Andrew five more minutes before he starts considering seeking outside help. He sets his forearms on the edge of Andrew’s mattress, resting his cheek against one arm as he stares at the silky, sleep-mussed hair at the back of Andrew’s head. It’s been four minutes when Andrew finally rolls over. 

The action puts their faces only inches apart, but Andrew’s stare is distant. Still, the movement is a relief. 

“Hi,” Neil whispers. “What do you need?”

Andrew closes his eyes. 

“It doesn’t matter,” he rasps. “Go to practice.”

“You want me to leave?”

Andrew looks at him again, and this time his gaze is more focused. “No.”

Neil exhales. He reaches out a hand toward Andrew’s face, waiting for a subtle nod before he brushes Andrew’s hair off his forehead. 

“Breakfast?” Neil asks softly. Andrew shakes his head. 

“Kuefsteinstraße,” he says. 

Neil’s eyebrows shoot up.

“The street you lived on,” Andrew says. “In St. Pölten. You said it was the nicest place you lived in Europe, and that you’d believe me if I mentioned it.”

Neil swallows, racking his memory. “I don’t remember telling you about St. Pölten. I haven’t thought about that place in years.”

Andrew closes his eyes again. “You wouldn’t remember.”

“I don’t understand.”

Andrew slides back on the mattress until he’s pressed against the wall.

i'm not really sure where it goes from here other than andrew would tell neil he's in a time loop and neil would believe him! i don't think neil could help him get out of the loop, but having him believe him would at least give andrew comfort. and andrew would probably only tell neil in loops where he really needed that 😭

[autisticbokutoenthusiast]

tracking nuthphop through music: ep 4 and 5

*warning that songs and timestamps may not be 100% accurate, i tried by best tho. also i tried to descirbe the emotions of some of the songs but im not great at naming emotions so sorry in advance*

Ep 4

first nuthphop scene where phop is streaming.

- (kenji-ooyy 2:00) at the beginning of ep 4 their first contact is nuth private messaging phop while he’s live, the music is digital and in my sleepy state i’ll describe it as uptempo rock guitars with a lil hip hop influence. it’s exciting and sits closer to dark than light.

-(couldnt find the track 2:50) we then change to just nuth and phop messaging and the music is this like quick pulsating suspense synth and kick drum that to me sounds a bit like a beating heart.

- (couldnt find the track 3:20) then it switches to a 4 on the floor disco edm type sound.

- (machine vs machine - dream cave 3:50) when nuths payment comes through we go to dark and heavy synth sounds to me it almost sounds like a battle scene.

- (inverted - hampus naeselius 5:03) when nuth gets blocked we go back to quick pulse beats that sound like it’s misc digital percussion with some haunting higher pitched synths pulsing in and out

Phop agreeing to film with nuth

- (32:23 drifting emotions howard harper-barnes) this song starts right after the keen and phop moment where they have to stop because keen refused to wear a condom, it plays during phops narration about sex work and ends when he checks a message from nuth [the "im so sad you blocked me" one]

- (34:26 ambivalent thoughts- magnus ringblom) their messaging convo is silent until nuth sends a deposit and phop starts seriously considering meeting up with him again. it’s a sentimental piano ballad.

Nuth on the phone with mystery guy (i suspect jason lee) aka my beloved invisible hand scene

- (couldn’t find the track 37:57) it’s silent as the camera zooms in on nuth looking at his bank account. then at his trophy/plaque. when he makes the decision to call to ask to sell drugs [for daddy jason lee??] again theirs a heartbeat like bass drum and various reverbed and echoy percussion sounds that come in and out

- (39:11 cry- johannes bornlôf) another sad piano song. this plays as nuth finishes the phone call. i think it’s interesting that we get sad piano ballads for the phop/nuthphop/nuth scenes because they don’t [typically] repeat songs despite choosing ones that sound very similar…

the filming

- (couldn’t find the track 48:22) phop arrives at the filming location to a hip hop drum beat.

- (colds- guß 48:50) this sorta upbeat while still being lowkey electro instrumental plays when nuth tells phop to relax and they begin to set up

- (49:25 feelin ma self- push n glide) during the test lines this more uptempo and confident beat plays, specifically when nuths camera changes from just filming phop to filming him is a sexual way? idk how i want to explain it but yeah the song changes when the camera nuth is holding changes the way it views phop. [sidenote hihats in this one lowkey hit, idk what the gun shot sounds doing here tho].

- (50:22 kenji- ooyy) then we have an upbeat synth and electric guitar based hip hop beat when nuth says he’ll start revealing the acts he wants phop to do and what he’ll pay for them. This is the same song they play during our very first nuthphop moment so its like full circle for them in terms of their journey this ep (i think this may represent the fact that they begin and end with nuth paying phop to perform on camera for him) [side note the beat drops when nuth says he’ll wear a condom]

- i will also mention a trap beat plays at the end of the ep but it plays over all the characters so i’m not really counting it as a nuthphop song

ep 5

nuth and phop are chilling high on the bacony with nuth teasing and recording phop.

- (30:35 kobicha- arden forest) a sad? low piano solo plays while nuth watches fondly as phop tries to lick his own elbow.

- (31:24 yoiyami- sayuri hayashi egnell) a different piano solo (brighter and a bit pluckier) plays as phop begins reading nuths new script. this song continues playing through the “people like us can’t make porn that gets seen as art or wins awards, ours only gets seen as obscene” scene. it stops when nuth starts looking sad and phop changes the subject to having to leave and go to work.

- (32:50 ambivalent thoughts- magnus ringblom) this is the song that played last ep when nuth asked phop to consider filming with him and sends a deposit. this starts playing as nuth carries phop out on his back and then as hes shaving him. it stops abruptly with a high pitched noise when phop refers to nuth as his client and nuth points out he can only pay with drugs and not cash. there’s not music playing as nuth asks phop not to leave him to go work.

- (34:15 scared of water - kikoru) this eerie string piece plays as nuth stares down at phop with the shaving blade in his hand, it continues throughout them kissing and the pan down to nants necklace on the floor

artsy nuthphop scene

- (45:40 yoiyami- sayuri hayashi egnell) [notice this played earlier] it begins during the convo where aob rejects puen and then carries into the scene where the camera is all shaky and nuth and phop are under a purplish spotlight in a room that is dark. as nuth says “im hallucinating i can hear his voice” phop suddenly appears next to him and says “im physically here” and the music stops abruptly. i will say because of where it played earlier in the ep this song feels like it represents nuths hopeless feelings.

- (46:49 i can’t find this song for shit yall im sorry like it’s making me insane i cannot find this fucking song) phop says “i miss you” and nuth says “me or the drugs?” when phop says “both” a new song starts and plays while they have sex it’s upbeat and with strings and digital percussion and have lyrics that give like love against the odds vibes or like love at the end of the world. this is while they have sex and theres also random shots of a field of grain? and cowboys hugging?

- (49:08 incomplete- gavin luke) after they wake up and are staring at eachother a new piano song plays it’s kinda sad not in a i’m sad way but in a feeling lowkey CALM calm is the word but also light

- (50:00 last level part 2- hey son) this song plays briefly when phop picks up and shows nuth the N necklace. and nuth has a flashback.

- (50:40 hope will prevail- ecobel) this piano part that leads into like edm ish lowkey beats plays when phop asks it he can keep the necklace to remind him of nuth. the beat drops when they kiss.

this was really interesting imo. like how in ep 4 they begin and end the ep with the same song, how when they're being honest about emotions and feelings they get piano ballads but they have different flavours, etc. im excited to do the next eps

ep 6

[ladyknightellen]

I would love to hear more about The One Where Henry's Metaphor Is Not A Metaphor or read a snippet from it!

Okay so, little summary of sorts, then I'll give a lil snippet!

-Henry was born with his heart partially outside his body along with some other issues that go along with that condition (the actual condition is called Pentalogy of Cantrell in case you're curious)

-For the most part, it follows canon, but deals mainly with Henry's struggle to find a balance between his genuine medical needs, and the safety precautions that have been imposed on him by his family. Basically Mary is being awful in new and horrifying ways, and Catherine stopped fighting her and became a bit of a helicopter mom after Arthur died.

The party is loud and bright and everything Henry would normally hate since he can’t dance or drink, but the moment he sees Alex, he doesn't really care anymore. The suit he’s wearing makes him look like he stepped off a runway, and Henry is sure his mouth is hanging open.

He can tell that Alex wants to dance, but he stays with Henry and talks with him about anything and everything. When the songs change to some early 2000s hip hop however, Alex can’t seem to help himself and he doesn’t resist when Nora comes and starts pulling him up.

“Come on Henry!” She yells over the music “You come too!”

“Oh no, it’s–” Alex trails off, like he’s trying to decide how to explain things to Nora without actually explaining it to her. He looks at Henry with a look that says ‘help’ and ‘sorry’ and Henry makes a decision that he knows he’s going to regret.

“I’ll join you!” Alex studies him with a concerned expression, and as they walk towards the dance floor, he pulls him aside and gives him a concerned look.

“Are you sure about this? I don’t want you to…umm…” He trails off, and Henry finds it painfully endearing how worried he looks.

“I’ll be fine Alex, remember how I told you that I don’t like people treating me like I’m made of glass?”

“Oh, right, sorry.”

Henry only makes it through one song before he starts feeling dizzy, and Alex follows him when he wades back through the crowd of bodies to find somewhere to sit down.

“Don’t bite my head off for asking this, but seriously, are you alright?” Alex asks. Henry doesn’t try to answer out loud, but he manages a weak nod that does nothing to help the dizziness and pounding headache.

“Do you want me to leave?” Alex asks “Because I don’t think I should, but I’m not gonna hover if you don’t want me to.”

“Stay” Henry says as he leans back against the wall and closes his eyes, willing his body to take in deeper breaths. “I’ll be good– In a second.”

“I’ll believe you when you say something without gasping for air.” Henry cracks one eyelid open and gives Alex a look.

“I told you, I don’t– need you to treat me like– I’m made of glass.”

“Well call me crazy, but I feel like there’s a pretty big gap between treating you like you’re made of glass and just making sure you don’t pass out in the middle of a crowded ballroom.” He’s right, and Henry knows it, and he doesn’t have the energy at the moment to even attempt to protest, so he just nods and waits for the episode to pass.

When Henry opens his eyes this time, Alex is sitting in a chair next to him instead of hovering over him, but he’s still glaring at Henry with an expression that is a mix of worry and exasperation.

“I’m fine now Alex, I promise.” He says, sitting up fully again.

“Okay, see, now I believe you.”

“You can go back to dancing now, I’m fine.”

“No no it’s fine, I don’t mind hanging out with you, I’m sorry Nora dragged you out there.”

“Alex, please, just go back and enjoy your party. You don’t have to sit here with me the whole time, I know you want to dance and have fun. You don’t have to reign yourself in on my account, and don’t say you’re fine and you don’t care, because you are currently bouncing halfway out of your seat to the rhythm of the music. Go enjoy yourself, I’m fine. I promise.” The words come out a bit more forceful than he intended, and Alex looks almost hurt, but after a few more seconds, he stands up and gives Henry an awkward little wave before rejoining the mass of people on the dance floor.

Henry watches him for the next three songs until the DJ starts counting down to midnight. He sees Nora wrap her arms around Alex’s neck as he puts his hands on her waist and pulls her in for a kiss just as everyone screams

“Happy New Year!”

For the second time that night, Henry feels like his chest is on fire, but for an entirely different reason. He’s not sure how he gets outside, but when the cold hits his face, he stops and reaches out to grab hold of the first thing he can find to steady himself. The bark of the tree is rough on the palm of his hand and it’s oddly comforting and grounding.

“Sir, are you alright?” Shaan’s voice startles him, and when he turns around so fast he nearly collapses.

“I–” He starts to say he’s ‘fine’ but he knows Shaan wouldn’t believe that for a second. The only problem is; there’s not much Shaan can do about what’s currently making him ‘not fine.’ “I’m not in need of assistance at the moment.” He says finally.

“Are you certain of that Sir?” Shaan asks, and there’s something in his tone that tells Henry that he’s picked up on what’s going on, or at least grasped that it’s not a medical emergency that’s got him gasping and holding on to a tree for dear life.

“Not really, but there’s nothing that would be in your power to do about my current predicament.”

“Ah, I see.” Shaan says, then waits for a moment, probably assessing if he should stay or go. “I’ll return to the room then Sir, if you don’t require anything from me.”

“Yes, thank you Shaan.”

Once Shaan has left him alone again, Henry rests his back against the tree and slides down to the ground to sit. He tilts his head up to stare at the night sky, the distant fireworks flickering in the edge of his vision, and he wonders, as he often does, if his father is watching him from somewhere in the great beyond.

“Hey dad” He says, feeling slightly foolish talking to the sky, but the words keep coming and he couldn’t stop them if he tried.

[maxthefryingpan12]

My Starlight…//Levi Ackerman x titan shifter! Reader

Summary: Y/N almost dies protecting what Erwin believes is the best course of action and in what would’ve been their final moments they confessed to Levi that they had feelings for him. Levi saves them and as they’re passed out from exhaustion he remembers the exact moment he started falling and the little intimate moments that they had had behind closed doors.

Warnings: angst with fluff

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Erwin is crazy.

That’s what others are saying.

The government is crazy.

Is what I say.

Erwin would never have someone murdered. Or stage Eren and Historia’s kidnapping. Erwin would never do what they’re accusing him of. But that’s the least of my worries. If Erwin’s plan is to work I need to avoid capture at all costs. Not only is Erwin counting on it, but my siblings, and all of humanity as well.

Eight years ago Erwin brought me and two of my little siblings inside the walls to integrate into human society. He took care of us until we were found a new home. For that I am forever in Erwin’s debt. I trust him with all I am and will be.

As for Levi, my captain, he has proven that I can trust him. It’s been more than once that he’s helped me through an issue. I, like most in my Cadet Core, am 18. But I am not like most of the others, I am a titan shifter. Levi never cared about that, he always made sure that at the end of the day I was safe, alive, and semi-taken care of. A lot of the other cadets think it’s unfair of Levi for him to treat us like this. I think he was more than generous with his treatment.

But then again, that’s just me. I lived outside the walls for the first ten years of my life, my father raised me to slay titans and to be a good soldier, I lived in Trost five years ago, I lived in the same filth that Eren, Mikasa, and Armin did, I’ve been protecting Eren as long as I’ve known him, and I was part of the Cadets that battled for wall Maria. I guess I’m just used to what would be considered “poor treatment”. But other than that Levi has helped me heal some trauma, one night he even helped me finally begin the mourning process over my brother who died twelve years ago.

Levi isn’t a bad guy, he’s just choosing with who he trusts and cares about. I respect that.

Right now I’m waiting for word from the Commander. I sit high in the trees and watch my surroundings diligently.

A snap of a twig caught my attention and my head snapped in it’s direction.

“Cadet! Orders from Erwin.” Hange called.

I jumped down from the branch.

“What are his orders, Section Commander Hange?” I saluted.

“He told me to have you start plan 34-C. Now, prey tell, what is this plan?” Hange asked.

“I’m sorry Commander, Erwin has told me to withhold that information from everyone until it is ongoing.” I replied.

Plan 34-C, code for: Hunt down the perpetrator and bring them to light, or if I have to, kill them. Meaning Erwin is in trouble and he needs me to be the bloodhound. It’s all part of his plan that doesn’t have a plan B.

“I have to go.” I told Hange, running off after Kenny Ackerman.

I found him pretty quickly. For a guy who has all this hype over being hard to beat he sure was easy to find.

“You can either come with me, or I can kill you and deliver your body to the government.” I spoke from the roof.

“Hah! Dainty lil thing like you can’t kill me!” Kenny called back.

“You wanna test that theory?” I put my hands on my swords.

“Heh, sure Sweetheart. I’ll test it.” He zoomed off with his ODM gear.

I smiled and decided the best course of action was to take him to the king’s court without him knowing that it wasn’t his decision.

I went around a building and cut him off, he went the way I wanted him to.

The chase lasted until I shoved Kenny through the window to the king’s court. I rounded and flew in to the room, landing right on top of Kenny as he was trying to get up.

“Y/N! Detain! Not kill!” Erwin barked.

I looked at him and nodded in agreement before pinning Kenny to the ground.

“I knew you didn’t have the heart to kill me.” Kenny said, it was slightly strained from my form pressing into his.

“The only reason you’re alive is because you are of more use to us that way.” I replied.

“Then here, let me egg you on to kill me.” He placed the barrel of his gun to my ribs and pulled the trigger.

Nothing vital, but it hurt like a bitch. I cried out through clenched teeth and held Kenny down harder, digging the heels of my hands into his collarbones.

“Damn, sweetheart, if you look this good in pain I wonder how good you’d look on my—” he cried out in pain as my nails dug into the meat of his shoulders so hard it drew blood.

“I thought you weren’t supposed to kill me!?” Kenny yelled.

“I may not be allowed to kill you, but I can fuck you up with my bare hands.” I hissed.

My ribs and right lung were on fire, stinging pain shooting through my body because of the bullet lodged in my right side.

Right then the doors flew open and a woman said to the room that wall rose had been breached.

No!

My siblings were there. This can’t be real!

One of the nobles said to close the gates and let no refugees enter this wall. I just about kicked his teeth in. I looked at Erwin, he sent me look as if telling me, “it’ll be alright, your siblings are safe.” I was confused but didn’t last long as I was shot once more, I was shot through the heart.

I cried out in pain and my grip tightened on Kenny’s shoulders.

“Y/N!” Erwin yelped, worried.

“I’m fine, Commander.” I reassured him.

A few minutes later I’m pulled off Kenny as my vision starts to go hazy. I was rushed to the hospital wing. I passed out as soon as I was laid on the bed.

Hours of fading in and out of consciousness later and my hazy vision falls on the door swinging open to reveal my higher-ups and some of my fellow cadets.

Levi was unfazed until his eyes fell upon my form struggling to stay awake.

Erwin was smiling until he saw the bullet wound still open.

“Why haven’t they been given medical attention yet?!” Erwin yelled at the nurse.

“They’re healing themself. I can see the titan steam.” She was unfazed.

“I can’t fully heal… the bullets would stay stuck in my body… cause more issues… I’m doing everything I can to stop the bullet in my back from entering my heart…” I explained.

“That’s a lie.” The nurse just left.

Erwin went after her, Levi rushed to my side, Hange went to wash her hands.

“Y/N, how are you feeling?” Levi asked, concern on his face.

“In an immense amount of pain, exhausted, but I’m at peace.” I told him, giving him a small smile.

“All of you go.” Levi barked at my fellow cadets. “Don’t give me that shit, Cadet. You’re not at peace.” Levi began tearing up.

“Yes I am, Captain. This isn’t a bad way to go. But I’d be lying if I said I have to do one more thing before I go…” I replied.

“What do you need?” Levi grabbed my hand.

“I need to tell someone how I feel… I’d be at peace in the afterlife if I would just be able to tell him…” I answered.

Did I mention that I caught feelings for Levi?

“Who? I’ll bring them in.” Levi said, tears threatening to break.

“You, Captain. I love you. I know I shouldn’t, but humor a dying person?” I pleaded.

“I don’t have to humor you, I love you too. And I’ll be damned if I have to live in this world without you again. I’ll be damned if you do see the outside world again.” Tears fell from Levi’s eyes.

“Don’t cry, Captain. We all die one day. Just do me a favor and tell Erwin to take care of my siblings for me.” I smiled at him.

“Say my name. Not ‘Captain’ my real name, please.” He pleaded with me.

“I love you, Levi…” I said weakly, slowly becoming unconscious once more.

“I love you to, My Starlight…” was all I heard before blacking out again.

The nickname reminded me of a poem I found on his desk a few weeks ago.

Darkness.

That’s all I’ve seen for most of my life.

No light.

I could only see myself.

Then I found you.

You lit up the darkness high above me.

You gave the sky beauty.

The darkness was less consuming.

I couldn’t stop staring at the sky.

At the bright lights in the sky,

That broke the darkness.

The bright lights that never faded even if you weren’t around.

Your beauty is the sky,

And the color dusting it your soul.

I couldn’t stop staring at you,

For you are the sky and everything in it.

The stars are your imprint on my soul,

The colors in the sky are your soul revealing itself to me,

The moon is your smile shining light on my dark world,

And the darkness behind the lights is what remains from before.

You never once tried to change me,

You just tried to bring joy to my darkness.

And joy you brought.

I’ve fallen for my starry sky,

I’ve fallen for the light in my darkness,

I’ve fallen for you,

My Starlight.

I woke once more, but I wasn’t in pain. No, I felt relaxed. I felt a hand holding one of mine and a soft weight in my lap. I looked down at my lap and my eyes widened. Levi was holding my hand and sleeping with his head in my lap.

Butterflies erupted in my stomach. My other hand came up to massage his scalp.

Levi stirred from his slumber, opening his eyes and beginning to lift his head.

“I’m sorry, Sir. I didn’t mean to wake you.” I apologized, pulling my hand away.

He stared at me with eyes like he was seeing a ghost. “You’re awake.” His free hand cupped my cheek.

“Yeah, where am I?” I asked the brunette.

“The medical wing in the king’s castle. You’ve been here asleep for the last two days.” Levi responded.

Everything came back to me.

“Did it work? The plan?” I sat up.

“Yes, now rest, Starlight. We need you for another mission.” Levi squeezed my hand.

“Captain…” I was speechless.

“Call me Levi when we’re alone, Starlight.” Levi’s thumb rubbed my cheek.

“A-alright, Levi.” I didn’t know what to say.

“I’m glad you’re alright, Starlight.” He smiled gently at me.

“I thought that part was all a dream…” I whispered quietly.

“It wasn’t, I’m glad Hange was able to get the bullets out in time for your body to go into overdrive and save your life. I’m glad I get to hold your hand and talk to you even if it is one last time.” Levi spoke.

“I’m glad too, Levi…” I replied, tears threatening to spill across my cheeks.

“Don’t cry, I’m here now, Starlight. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.” Levi moved from the chair beside the bed to sitting next to me on the side. He had drawn his hand from my cheek making it feel cold.

“Levi?” I whispered.

“Yes, Starlight?” Levi responded softly.

“What are we now?” I asked softly.

“Well what do you want us to be?” Levi started drawing circles on my hand clasped in his.

“I’d really like to be yours.” I looked deep into his eyes.

“Mine?” He spoke softly, also looking deep into my eyes.

“Yes. Very much so…” I murmured.

Levi smiled. “I’d like that too. Can I kiss you?”

“Please do.” I breathed.

Without any hesitation he pressed his lips gently against mine.

The kiss was soft and sweet. Levi pulled away a few seconds later.

“Was that alright?” Levi asked me.

“Yes. Another?” I requested.

Levi smiled again, “Of course, my love.”

Butterflies erupted in my stomach at the nickname.

Levi leaned back in for another kiss. This time it was slow, romantic. He must’ve been testing the waters before.

His tongue swiped across my bottom lip. Taking the que, I opened my mouth and he slipped his tongue in. The wet muscle explored my mouth and danced with my tongue. My free hand found its way into Levi’s hair.

When we pulled away I was breathless. “I love you, Levi.” I breathed.

“I love you too, Starlight.”

[palettepainter]

I keep meaning to ask you about this: you stated that Anne took in Dr. Teeth when he was really little, and that's led me to believe that Teeth's parents are no longer around. What happened to Dr. Teeth's parents?

Ive been trying to think of a good idea to fill in this gap in the story, but I didn’t wanna make Teeth’s bio parents straight up horrible, who just dumped Teeth’s on Anastasia’s doorstep. I’m still not 100% sure with this idea but here’s a potential explanation:

So Teeth is a rockstar and him and the band often make hasty decisions based on emotions, unlike Kermit they don’t really tend to think things through - Teeth, being the bands leader, sometimes thinks stuff through but more often then not he’d a go with the flow type of character. Teeth’s mum was the same 

I don’t know if I’ll draw her out at any point but I had the idea that Anastasia would name her daughter Melody, since Anastasia and Arthur (her late husband) have always been very musical people. Melody is Anne’s daughter and she too had a very go with the flow attitude. Melody didn’t have magic unlike Anne, but regardless strived for big things and big money out in the world - she’d been cooking up get-rich-quick-schemes since she was 7. She ended up leaving home at 18 and hitting the road for Vegas and then maybe gets a good gig as a singer, where she later down the line meets Teeth’s father. The two where together for a short while, but Melody had big plans for herself and didn’t want to risk a relationship tying her down, so she broke things off

Here enters Teeth (I like the idea he’s actually named Leon or John but I’ll refer to him as Teeth to keep it simple). Melody returns home for a short while with Teeth, to her very surprised but supporting parents. Melody wasn’t a bad parent, just inexperienced and a bit scared, she still had a job back in Vegas and missed the stage - Melody and her parents fell into a routine of Anne and Arthur watching Teeth for a few months, then Melody returning home to see him for a little while, before work would call and she’d be off again. Melody meant the best for Teeth, but she just didn’t really know how to be a good parent, so more often then not ended up leaving him in the care of her own parents who - though loved their lil grandson - where getting tired of Melody disappearing for months on end for work when she had a kid

I imagine after this Anne and Arthur either sit Melody down and have a serious talk with her about Teeth. Melody ending up more tearful then she thought but ultimately agreeing that Anastasia and Arthur would take care of Teeth, Melody sends Anastasia and Arthur a cutt of the money she gets to help with the care and she makes time to visit when she can (she missed Teeth more then she thought she would) before she eventually passes 

Or - this one is unlikely to actually be cannon cuz it’s kinda dark - Melody gets into some kind of accident while in Vegas and Anastasia and Arthur take their grandson in