#I'd be exactly the same :sob:

[crheativity]

THIS IS SO CUTE AHFJILDEHLESWHJLGEW

🌊𓈒𓏸Something New𓏸𓈒🌊

SUMMARY: You and Kinich are officially a couple, and despite the awkwardness of the whole thing (since you're both new at relationships), you wanted to get him something to show your appreciation.

NOTES: gn!reader x aroace Kinich, demiromantic/asexual, though neither is actually mentioned. Reader is implied to be a Natlan native. It's assumed you've done the AQ and his SQ, but should be fine to read without doing either

WARNINGS: None, really, just fluff

COMMENTS: I finished Kinich's quest, and fell deeper in love with him than I already was. So I wanted to write a fic in celebration of his release and quest! Though I must say, this is not the fic I intended to write. My brain wanted something else I guess.

Ever since you and Kinich started dating, things between you seemed awkward. It's not like you knew how to be romantic. And clearly, he was the same. You'd still hang out, and talk, and go places, but when it came to anything romantic, you both were hopelessly lost. Not for a lack of trying.

Ajaw would laugh at your every attempt at something romantic, as you failed spectacularly. Though if something got too corny or actually romantic, Ajaw would always become frustrated and leave. It was clear he just wanted to watch you struggle. He hated the lovey-dovey stuff.

You decided to ask your friends and research the subject, in hopes to become better. Your research led to a lot of fiction, which didn't seem like a good source of information to you. Your friends were able to give you some pointers, but they were mostly about flirting, which you thought was less than useful considering you were together already. Still, they at least had some useful tips.

So here you are, at a traveling merchant, looking through their stock. You're looking for something specific, and if anyone in Natlan would have it, it'd be a traveling merchant, since it doesn't grow here. The merchant seems to get a bit irritated, but then you lay your eyes on your prize. A Rainbow Rose. Native to Fontaine, your friends told you it was a symbol of love. Perfect to give to Kinich.

"I'll take one Rainbow Rose, please!" you asked the man.

"That'll be 7 thousand mora." he replied bluntly. 7 thousand?!?! you thought. That seems absurd! For one flower!? But it's not like I have any other options... You'd come all this way, determined to by a Rainbow Rose for him, and it's not like you didn't have the budget... you'd just have to cut out some other things off the list of things to buy.

You sighed. "Alright, I'll take it." Maybe you'd have been better going to Fontaine yourself, though going there probably wouldn't be an option even if you wanted to. You knew you could've tried haggling, but it was never your strong suit, plus this guy seemed pretty big, and you didn't want to anger him or anything. So you just handed over the mora.

"Pleasure doing business!" He seemed really proud of himself as he handed you the single rose. You debated asking for more, but you had only asked for one, and you were certain that's what he'd say back. Still, you had your gift. It was time to head to his house and give it to him. Let's just hope this didn't go horribly wrong...

You made your way to Kinich's home, building up the courage to knock. You wondered if he was even home. There was no way to tell without knocking, so that's what you did. You held the rose behind you, it had to be a surprise after all. You anxiously for an answer, thinking you had been right and he wasn't home. You knocked again just in case.

"Kiniiich! Are you deaf!? Someone's at the door! As a servant to the great K'uhul Ajaw, you oughta be quick to answer it!!!" You could hear Ajaw yell through the door. It was quite clear he wouldn't be the one to answer the door, but that was already assumed. At least you knew Kinich was home now.

"Calm down, Ajaw. If you're really that impatient you could've answered it yourself." You heard Kinich approach the door. Suddenly you were very aware of what you were about to do. Your nerves seemed like the could burst out of you at any moment. Your heart was running a marathon. As your thoughts were running, Kinich opened the door. "Oh, it's you. What brings you here?"

He seemed so calm. He never was really the type to be mushy gushy, and you appreciated that about him. Though it certainly didn't help your nerves. "Well, considering we're... well, partners. I wanted to get you something. To... show my appreciation! And... well... my love for you..." You trailed off in embarrassment, avoiding his gaze.

"Ahh, it's that human again! Well, do you have some entertainment for us? Another way to spectacularly fail?" Ajaw laughed. You and Kinich did not. "Or maybe you have a gift to offer to the Almighty Dragonlord, K'uhul Ajaw! Something to prove your worth?"

"They said it was a gift for me, not you. And don't make fun of us." He glared at Ajaw, and the saurian shut up with a 'hmph'. He mumbled something about disrespect, but you couldn't quite make it out. "Well? What do you have for me?"

You hoped Ajaw wouldn't make fun of you, and hoped Kinich would like it. "Well..." You pulled the rainbow rose out from behind your back, presenting it to him. "It's called a rainbow rose, from Fontaine. It... I heard it was a symbol of love... so I wanted to give you one." You looked at him from the corner or your eyes for his reaction.

"Hmph! I'm glad it's not an offering to us! A symbol of love? Tch. Perfect for you couple of lovebirds." Ajaw remarked

"We're hardly lovebirds, Ajaw. We're not that experienced. Besides, if you hate it so much, why don't you leave?" He queried Ajaw. "This is a lovely gift." He takes the flower from your hands. He didn't smile often, but you could see a small one on his face just then.

Ajaw hmphed away. "You like it?" you asked him, and he quickly nodded in response. "I'm glad." Suddenly, the 7 thousand mora felt entirely worth it. Though knowing Kinich, the next thing he was going to say would be-

"How much did it cost?" You sighed at his predictability.

"I'm not telling you this time. You don't have to pay me back, really." Knowing him, he still wouldn't accept that.

"If you won't tell me, I guess I'll have to find some other way to reimburse you." You knew he'd say something like that. You were also glad he didn't press on the price. Who knows what he'd say if you told him? "Why don't you come inside? I can get this flower in some water and we can... chill together."

"That sounds great." You tried not to seem too excited at the idea, but you couldn't hide your smile as you entered the house at his signal. You sat down on the couch as you watched Kinich pull out a vase, fill it with water, and put the rose in it. Afterwards, he came and sat down next to you on the couch. Once again, things were awkward. At least you got one good moment. Maybe this could be a good moment to loosen up?

"You two really are hopeless. Maybe I need to give you some pointers, because clearly you suck at this!" Ajaw seemed both annoyed, but also prideful, as if he really could teach you something about romance. Could he..?

I might end up making a part two to this, where Ajaw teaches you something, or you naturally learn it, and get more comfortable with Kinich. Idk, if you want to see a part two, let me know!

I also want to make a modern AU fic where you move in with Kinich, so let me know if you want to see that, too.

Also for the rainbow rose part, I want you to know I asked a friend for a number between 1 and 60 (hi friend) and they gave me 7 or 42. With 1 mora being 1 cent, I didn't want the poor reader to actually end up needing to spend $420 on a single rose XD If you're wondering why between 1 and 60, it's because 1,000 mora is the usual price for local specialties. But of course, there's someone in Ritou selling dandelion seeds for 60,000 mora, so that set my range for someone selling outside of a nation. Anyway just fun research stuff I spent too much time doing for little to no impact :) (Also yes that means the rainbow rose was $70 USD, pretty pricey if I do say so myself😬)

If you enjoyed this, feel free to learn more about me and what I do here! You can also see if my requests are open there if you want something yourself!

[hearts4pbaz]

Walked Into Your Love

Pairing: Paige Bueckers x Azzi Fudd

Words: 4.8K

Warnings: mild sexual content, mentions of sex

Synopsis: the covid fic y'all already know

Notes: WE ARE SOOO UP FAM. lowkey didn't mean to drag the release of this on for so long but here we are. this is a lil shorter then i'd like but whatever. tell me what you think, enjoy!

Paige doesn’t know exactly when she became more than friends with Azzi. She thinks the obvious answer would be the summer of 2018, when they were shoved into tiny hotel rooms together while traveling with Team USA. A forced proximity that allowed for tentative kisses and cuddles between the pair, not going any further, both girls too scared, too innocent to cross a larger physical boundary. Or, maybe it was earlier than that, the year prior. Immediate chemistry on and off the court, sparking questions of what could be. 

Whatever the answer is, Paige doesn’t care. Because right now, Azzi’s on top of her—naked—straddling her. And decency-wise, Paige isn’t much better, dressed in only one of Azzi’s hoodies. Shorts and underwear, god knows where.

Azzi leans down to whisper something in Paige’s ear but she doesn’t register it because holy shit, she thinks. She’s about to lose her virginity. To Azzi. Her best friend. Under her parents' roof. The same parents who so graciously let Paige stay with them to train over quarantine.

And, oh my God, she’s about to have sex with Azzi.

Before Paige can overthink anymore, hands start to wander, grasping and kneading at skin, then mouths explore, while soft, breathy gasps escape from them. Limbs tangle together, fumbling through every touch and adjustment.

The whole thing is almost painfully awkward and very much the opposite of graceful or fluid, but Paige doesn’t care one bit. In fact, in her mind, she thinks she actually might have died and gone to heaven. 

At one point, her hand starts to slide down from Azzi’s stomach, and then lower. Azzi sucks in a breath, and then her brows furrow together. Paige notices almost instantly, pulling her hand away, “You okay?” she questions, heat blooming on the back of her neck, thinking she’s done something wrong. 

Azzi doesn’t say anything at first. Just taking Paige’s hand and guiding it back downward, repositioning it, “Like that, a little less pressure, slower.”

Paige follows Azzi’s directions intently, adjusting. And almost immediately, she notices a change; Azzi’s eyes close, her mouth opens slightly, breathing becoming ragged. Paige takes a moment to bask in her pride until Azzi shifts her leg, pressing it upward between Paige’s. And at that, all of Paige’s thoughts evaporate.

Paige inhales sharply, body answering on instinct, hips shuffling down, firmly pressing into the muscle, she forces herself to suppress a moan. Instead, something of a choked gasp leaves her throat—or maybe it’s a sob. Paige doesn’t know. And it doesn’t matter what you call it—it was high-pitched, needy, and a little pathetic. It makes her sound desperate (even if she is). It makes Paige seriously consider how Azzi still finds this whole thing hot. 

Nevertheless, Paige doesn’t have time to ponder because just as she feels herself start to fall into a pit of embarrassment, Azzi moves again, slowly—rhythmically, and Azzi’s head drops down, coming to rest on Paige’s shoulder, allowing Paige to hear every sound that tumbles from Azzi’s lips. And in virtually no time at all, Paige goes from worked up to teetering on the edge. 

Paige has gotten herself to the edge, to release, many times on her own. But not like this, not with the sound of Azzi’s breath in her ear and the warmth of Azzi’s skin on hers. The coil forming low in Paige’s stomach holds a different kind of intensity. And Paige isn’t sure she’ll survive.

The pair’s movements start to grow messy, soft gasps and whispered pleas fill the charged air. And when they both finally topple over the edge, Paige feels the moment crash over her like a wave, every nerve alight. Paige swears she sees God. She honestly didn’t know it was possible to feel that good. But leave it to Azzi to always amaze her.

Azzi collapses onto Paige, nestling her head into the blonde’s chest, just under her chin. Quite a tension still buzzing in the air. Azzi looks up at Paige, giving her a look that nearly makes Paige melt on the spot. The younger girl plants a peck on Paige’s lips before snuggling back into her, closing her eyes.

……………………………………………………………………………

Three days after she had sex with Azzi, Paige feels like she’s going insane. Like, in dire need of medical attention, insane. The thing nobody tells you—or well, maybe just nobody told Paige, about having sex with a girl that you’ve been obsessing over since you were fifteen, is that, after you have sex, the little fluttery feeling you get in your chest and belly when she’s around does not go away. Instead, it grows. It grows a million times larger. It grows like a 14-year-old boy during summer break. And frankly, Paige feels like a 14-year-old boy right now.

Every time Azzi is near her, which is pretty much all the time when you’re stuck inside, she feels like she’s dying. Flashes of that night flood her mind literally 24/7. 

Paige can see it now, her headstone reading: Paige Bueckers 10/20/2001 - 4/28/2020

Death by sudden onset attraction overwelmingization

Right now, though, as she gets ready to turn in for the night, Paige finally gets to have a rare moment to herself. A moment to think about nothing as she steps into the shower, letting the hot cascade of water flow over her skin.

But of course, her mind won’t allow her to spare herself from all her embarrassment. Now flipping to yesterday evening, when they were all eating ice cream out on the deck. Paige was already trying really hard not to look over at Azzi eating her ice cream. But, she only had so much willpower, and the exact moment she flicked her eyes to look at Azzi was also the exact time when a drop of melted mint chip rolled from the younger girl’s cone and down her wrist. And like any normal person without a napkin in reach, Azzi licked up her wrist, capturing the small drop of ice cream with her tongue. 

The sight nearly made Paige choke on a piece of frozen cookie dough. Slamming her bowl down on the table, she quickly ran inside to the bathroom. 

Mid-splashing water on her face, Paige heard a knock at the door, “You okay in there, Paige?” Katie asked sweetly, genuinely worried. 

“Yeah, I’m all good, Katie,” Paige croaked back.

As she finishes replaying her own humiliation, Paige realizes that she’s probably been in the shower for much too long. Turning off the water, she steps out of the shower, dries herself off, and then pulls on an old hoodie and basketball shorts before she makes her way into Azzi’s bedroom.

Azzi is curled up in her bed, waiting for Paige. As Paige tucks in under the covers, she notices the blonde’s stiffness. Azzi turns to look at Paige, “Hey, are you okay? You’ve been weird since we you know…” Azzi says, trailing off, giving Paige a worried look before she begins again, “Did I do something wrong? Did you not like it?” Azzi questions, the beginnings of tears forming in her eyes. “'Cause if I knew having sex would push you away, I would’ve never done it with you. God—”

Before Azzi can finish, Paige interrupts her, “God no, Az, You—you didn’t do anything wrong. At all. I’ve just been an idiot. And honestly, I think I liked sex with you more than I thought I would, and that scared me.” Paige takes a breath before she continues, “Az, I’ve been basically obsessed with you since I was fifteen, and when we had sex that night, I thought that it would be a way for me to avoid confronting my true feelings. That one night of sex would let me release any “too big” feelings I had. Which thinking about it now, that was dumb as fuck for me to believe that.” Paige grabs both of Azzi’s hands before continuing, “And I’m so sorry that I ever made you feel like you were less than perfect.”

Azzi’s looking up at Paige now, eyes squinted in admiration, “You’re so stupid. I thought I suck or something,” she says before leaning over to kiss Paige. 

When Paige ultimately breaks the kiss she says, “You definitely didn’t suck,” smirk plastered on her face.

Azzi hums in response, before leaning back in, “Shut up,” she says, then deepening the kiss as she throws a leg over Paige's hips.

……………………………………………………………………………

The ice now broken, Paige feels free. Like she’s floating on a cloud with no worries in the world, she has never been more thankful for her own mind for thinking of staying with the Fudds a month ago. Living with your best friend is great—amazing even, but what is even more great, more amazing is living with your best friend and also getting the perks of having sex with said wonderful, amazing, so-fucking-hot best friend as well. Paige wonders if this is how people become sex addicts. Honestly, Paige thinks she wouldn’t mind being a sex addict if it meant being with Azzi.  

As it turns out, when you're stuck in the house with your best friend that you also happen to be sleeping with, doing things becomes sort of a pastime—a hobby if you will. It’s been almost a week and a half since Paige and Azzi’s conversation that night, and Paige has gained at least 6 new hickeys, all of them hidden away, covered by clothing. 

Something that surprised Paige, though, was how eager Azzi was. Someone who Paige previously thought of as soft, innocent, even, had a surprisingly high libido. 

One evening, two nights ago, just before dinner, both girls were finishing up their final pieces of school work (online school coming to an end). When Azzi finished, she shut her computer, rolling over to Paige. Azzi then pushed up the fabric of the blonde’s shirt and started to suck marks onto the pale skin of Paige’s lower stomach. But before anything could go further, they were interrupted by the sound of Katie’s footsteps thumping down the stairs, calling the pair up for dinner. Both girls jumped away from each other in fear of what Azzi’s mother might walk in on them doing. They both adjusted themselves before making their way upstairs.

Paige sat at the table looking as if she’d been struck by lightning for the entirety of dinner. 

They haven’t actually had sex during the day yet, always waiting for the rest of the house to be asleep. Until now. Katie and Tim had gone out on a very necessary Costco run, and Jon and Jose had somehow convinced them to come along on the basis of “acclimating back into the real world.” Taking advantage of the empty house, clothes are now strewn around Azzi’s room, and Paige is finding a lazy rhythm between the brunette's legs.

Paige is listening to the sounds spilling from Azzi's lips. And she thinks there isn’t anything that could bring her down from her high right now. Until something indeed sends her plummeting from the metaphorical cloud she was on. The unmistakable sound of Azzi’s door swinging open, then Katie’s voice saying, “Hey girls—oh shit.” Then the sound of Azzi’s scream, followed by the bang of the door being slammed closed.

Paige doesn’t even have time to process what just happened before Azzi is yanking the covers over both of them. Paige quickly rolls to the side, climbing up from out of the blankets as she looks at Azzi, stunned. Paige locks eyes with Azzi and immediately clocks that the younger girl is freaking out. 

“Ohmygodohmygodohmygod, Paige! Fuck—” Azzi gasps, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Hey, hey, it’s gonna be okay, Az, just breathe,” Paige reassures, pulling Azzi into her arms. Paige is trying to keep a calm facade for Azzi’s sake but internally, she’s freaking out just as much. Mortification doesn’t cut it.

“No! It’s not! They weren’t supposed to be home for another hour. My dad is gonna kill me!” Azzi sobs into Paige’s chest.

“Shhh, Az, it’s gonna be alright, I swear, I won’t let anything happen to you. Also, when have your parents ever given you the impression that they’d love you less for anything you did?”

Paige asks in an attempt to calm Azzi down.

They stay like that until Azzi is able to calm down some. Her head still resting on Paige’s chest, listening to the shallow sounds of the blonde’s breathing. The sound of her phone buzzing on her nightstand makes Azzi turn her head. Reaching over to grab her phone, Azzi’s heart rate picked up. And as she suspected, there was a text from her mom at the bottom of the screen. 

It read:

Mom 🩷: Can you come upstairs? I want to talk, just you and me.

Azzi looks up from her phone at Paige. The look on Azzi’s face makes Paige’s heart her, with an obvious look of fear behind her glassy brown eyes. “It’ll be okay, I promise,” Paige reassures before giving Azzi a peck on the lips before continuing, “Just start with the truth, you didn’t do anything wrong. She’s your mom, and she loves you. I’ll be here waiting for you.”

Azzi stares at Paige for a moment, then exhales hard through her nose. She nods, though she looks far from convinced. Slowly, she swings her legs over the side of the bed. She threw on her previously discarded pajama shorts and shirt. Before padding over to the door, slipping out of her room, leaving Paige in silence.

Azzi climbs the stairs like she’s headed to her own execution. Each step heavier than the last, her heart is still threatening to beat out of her chest. She feels physically ill. When she reaches the top of the stairs, she sees her parents' door cracked. She closes her eyes for a moment before taking one final deep breath, as she goes to knock gently on the door frame.

Her mom’s voice floats out, calm but not readable, “Come in, sweetie.”

Timidly, “Azzi steps inside, suddenly feeling like she’s 8 years old again, having gotten caught doing something she shouldn’t. And maybe that’s what happened, she did get caught doing something she shouldn’t.

Katie is sitting on the edge of the bed, legs crossed, hands folded in her lap. Her expression was soft, but still serious. Not angry, though. That gives Azzi a morsel of hope, still hovering awkwardly in the door frame.

Her mom pats the space beside her, “Sit.”

Hesitantly, Azzi obliges, making her way over to the bed, avoiding eye contact as she sits down.

There’s a pause as Katie studies her daughter, “You okay?” she asks gently.

Azzi swallows, “Not really,” she says weakly.

Katie hums in response like she expected that answer, “I’m not gonna ask what you two were doing,” she says. “I think we all know.” 

Azzi’s face burns. She looks down at the rug on the floor and wishes it would come alive and swallow her whole. “I’m sorry.”

Katie’s voice stays steady, “Azzi, you don’t have to be sorry.”

Azzi blinks. She looks up.

Katie meets her eyes for the first time. “Surprised?”

“A little,” Azzi admits, her coming out small. “I thought you were gonna yell. Or cry. Or—I don’t know…” she trails off. “Tell me I disappointed you.”

Katie reaches out and takes one of Azzi’s fidgeting hands in hers. “I was surprised,” she says. “Yes, I didn’t expect to walk in on that. But Azzi, I need you to know that I’ll never be disappointed in you for being who you are.”

Azzi feels her throat tighten. “So you’re not mad?”

Katie gives her a tired smile. “No, of course not. I am mad at myself for not knocking, though,” she says, laughing lightly. 

And that forces a laugh out of Azzi, too. It’s a small, watery thing, but nonetheless, it’s still a laugh.

Azzi’s mom speaks again, “However, I do have to ask… how long has this thing been going on for? Between you and Paige.”

Azzi looks down again. “Umm, the physical stuff,” she cringes before continuing, “Like two weeks maybe? I don’t know. But if I’m being honest, I think our dynamic changed a long time ago.”

Katie hums again, “I figured that was the case. I just didn’t know how far you two had gotten.” 

There’s a beat of silence, then Katie continues, “So, you and Paige? Are you guys official or…? What’s the deal?”

“Uhh, we haven’t really put a label on anything yet. But I know that I like her, like a lot, like so much. And I think she really likes me too. So, yeah.”

“Okay,” Katie replies. “Because I’m your mom, though, I just want to tell you that intimacy is a big step. A powerful one. And I just want to make sure you’re safe. That you’re not feeling pressured for any reason. That’s something you wanted.”

Azzi nods quickly. “I did. I do. Paige would never—”

“I believe you,” Katie says. There’s another pause. “I love you, Azzi. That doesn’t change because of who you love. Or what you do behind closed doors. But next time, maybe make sure the doors are locked.”

Azzi lets out another teary laugh, covering her face with her hands, “Oh my God, Mom.”

Katie laughs, reaching to pull her daughter into a hug, “Sorry, sorry.”

They sit like that for a while, tension finally dissipating. Katie smooths Azzi’s curls down like she did when she was little. Eventually, Katie speaks up again, “When you go back down, can you call up Paige for me? I want to talk to her too.”

Azzi lifts her head. “Yeah, just try not to give her a heart attack.”

Katie chuckles, “No promises.”

The entire time Azzi was upstairs, Paige was planning her escape. Was she able to make it to the airport and get back to Minnesota? Or maybe she could hitchhike to Storrs early. Either way, Paige felt like her stomach was in her throat and her throat was in her stomach.

Just as Paige decides to give up her basketball dreams to work at a surf shack in Jamaica, Azzi rents her room. Paige snaps her head up. “How’d it go? Do I need to flee to the North Pole?” 

Azzi makes her way over to the bed, sitting down. “I’ll talk to you about it later. She wants to talk to you first.”

“Umm, what?” Paige responds nervously. “Are you sure she won’t behead me while I’m up there?”

“No, Paige, I promise, just go up there.”

Paige gulps before slowly making her way out of Azzi’s room and up the stairs.

Paige climbs the stairs, slower than she’s ever done anything in her life. Her palms are sweaty, her legs feel like gelatin, and she’s suddenly reminded she’s wearing Azzi’s hoodie. Great.

The door to Azzi’s parents’ bedroom is still cracked open. Paige stares at it for a beat, as if she dares to enter, she might not return. 

She raises a shaky hand to knock on the door frame, and before her fist can even make contact with the wood, Katie’s voice calls out, “Come in, Paige.”

Paige’s stomach does ten backflips. She steps inside like a student being summoned to the principal’s office. Except this is worse. Way worse. Paige would take anything over this, sprints, five miles running—hell, she’d even drink that nasty immunity booster for breakfast, lunch, and dinner over this.

Katie is seated on the edge of the bed. Her posture straight, composed. She gestures to the spot on the bed beside her. “Sit down.”

Paige obeys, sitting down still and silent. She folds her hands in her lap, fidgeting with her fingers. She doesn’t make eye contact. “I’m so sorry,” she blurts out before Katie can even speak. “What happened earlier, it shouldn’t have happened. Not here. Not in your house. That was so beyond disrespectful of me, and I—I knew better. I know better.”

Katie says nothing yet, just listens. Paige continues, words tumbling so fast that if she stops, she’s afraid she’ll never be able to say them again. 

“You’ve done nothing but welcome me in, feed me, and make me feel like I belong from the very beginning. This house is like—it’s safe. It's yours. And I went and ruined that by starting something selfish. Impulsive Stupid. I crossed a line with your daughter; I never should’ve crossed under your roof. And I’m so, so sorry.”

Finally, Paige dares to look up, her voice cracking, “I don’t want you to think I take any of what you do for me for granted. Or that I take Azzi for granted. I don’t. I never have and never will.”  

Her hands are clasped tightly in her lap, now knuckles white. “She means the world to me,” Paige says. “And so do you. And I hate that this time, the first time, and the other times happened in the home of someone who feels like a second mom to me. It makes me sick to my stomach. I shouldn’t have let it happen the first time, here, and I shouldn’t have let it continue.”

Paige swallows hard, forcing herself to stop before she spirals into full-blown tears.

Katie lets Paige’s words hang in the air for a moment. She studies her—this girl who is clearly unraveling, who looks ready to self-destruct just from the weight of her own conscience. Finally, she speaks, gently, “Paige… honey. Take a breath.”

Paige does, shaky and shallow.

Katie softens, her voice warm but firm. “I’m not going to sit here and pretend I wasn’t shocked out of my mind earlier. That’s just the truth. But I’m also not gonna punish you for loving someone. Especially not when it’s Azzi, and especially not when it’s this clear how much you care.”

Paige’s eyes drop again.

“And for the record,” Katie adds, tilting her head. “You didn’t ruin anything. Sure, the where was not ideal. I could’ve gone my whole life without walking in on that. But what happened does not make this house less safe. Or make you less welcome.”

Paige blinks hard, nodding once, trying to keep her chin from wobbling.

Katie leans back on her hands slightly. “I know that wasn’t easy to say. But I’m glad you did.”

There’s a short beat of silence, and then Katie exhales, “So… has anyone ever actually talked to you about sex?’

Paige chokes, she feels her eyebrows literally fly off her face, “What!?”

Katie laughed a little, “I mean like… the actual talk, not scare tactics or weird metaphors about flowers.”

“Oh my God,” Paige mumbles, flopping down on the bed, covering her face with her hands. “Like no…My dad, as much as he’s great, gave me a pamphlet and told me not to get pregnant. And that was it.”

Katie winces.

Paige groans again, dragging her hands down her face, “Please tell me this isn’t happening.”

“I promise to keep it short,” Katie says with a smile.

Paige lets out a strangled noise, something rivaling a laugh, “Fantastic.”

Katie’s tone turns a little more serious, “Look. I’m not here to judge you for having sex. It’s normal, it’s a part of relationships—especially when there’s real love involved. But it is a big deal. Emotionally. Physically. It’s easy to forget that when you’re in the moment, but it changes things.”

Paige nods slowly. “It already has,” she says quietly.

Katie watches her for a second. “And it sounds like the first time really mattered to you. Which is good. It should matter. But if you want this to work long-term, for real… you’ve gotta keep checking in with each other. Are you both ready for the next step? Do things still feel right? Are you still on the same page?”

“I think we are,” Paige says quietly, ‘But… I know we’ve been kinda skating around stuff. Trying not to mess it up. And that’s probably not sustainable.”

Katie nods. “Exactly. You don’t need to have everything figured out today. But if you’re going to keep exploring this with Azzi, you need to be honest with her and with yourself. And what you want, and what you need, and what scares you.”

Paige shifts on the bed, inching to get back to Azzi. “I will, I promise.”

Katie smiles gently, “Good. Because she loves you, Paige. I see it. And she’s figuring it all out, too. But if you’re careful with each other—if you communicate—you’ll be okay.” There’s a long pause. “Now,” Katie adds, standing up, “I think we’ve traumatized each other enough for one day. I have to get started on dinner.”

Paige laughs softly, standing too. “Fair.”

Katie gives her a light, one-armed hug and says, “Please don’t run away to Minnesota in the middle of the night.”

Paige pulls back just enough to say, “I actually had landed on Jamaica.”

Katie grins. “Let’s keep it within state lines, yeah?”

Paige nods. “Yeah.”

As Paige heads back downstairs, she feels a little lighter. Sure, she’s still definitely scarred and probably will be for the rest of her life but at least she knows she didn’t royally fuck up and doesn’t have to flee the country.

Meeting Azzi’s door, Paige slowly pushes it open, stepping back into Azzi’s room. Azzi’s in bed, curled up under the covers. When she hears Paige by the door, she snaps her head up and smiles, “Hey, look who made it out alive.” Paige pads her way over to the bed, lifting the covers and settling in beside Azzi. “How was it?” Azzi asks. 

“Humiliating, I honestly wish she’d actually killed me during some parts. She gave me The Talk,” Paige replies, cringing at the too-fresh memory.

Azzi’s eyes widened, jaw dropping slightly. “No, she didn’t.”

“Trust me, I wish she hadn’t.”

Azzi lets out a baffled laugh, “Oh my God, I might kill her.”

Paige chuckles in response, “But she did bring up something we should probably talk about.”

Azzi’s brow furrows in curiosity, “And that is?” 

Paige meets Azzi’s eyes, taking a breath before continuing, “Az, I think we both know that we need to figure things out in terms of what we are before we continue what we’re doing in any way. I don’t know if you want things to be official or what. Or if you want to keep things casual, because I know I have to leave for college in a few weeks. And I just want you to know that I really like you, Az, like a lot, like so much so sometimes I scare myself a little. But whatever you want this to be, I’m okay with it ‘cause I just want to see you happy.” Paige takes in another breath as she finishes. The last part is somewhat of a lie; she always wants to see Azzi happy, of course, but if she’s being really honest with herself, she also wants to be Azzi’s, to be loved by her, claimed by her, she wants to be Azzi’s girl. And she wants Azzi to be hers as well.

“Paige, you have no idea how long I’ve spent wanting you. Like it’s an embarrassingly long time,” Azzi laughs, then continues, “When I finally got to have a piece of you, I was kinda terrified how much I wanted all of you. I think for a long time I was scared to take things further because I thought it meant risking losing you, but you being here with me—with my family, has proved to me that you’ll never leave. And I don’t give a shit about you leaving, you could live on Mars and I still want to be with you. I want to be yours, Paige.” 

By now, both girls are a little teary-eyed, and Paige is almost stunned. “I love you so fucking much Azzi,” Paige says before grasping the younger girl’s face, kissing her. The kiss is sloppy, emotionally charged, and a little too wet, but it’s perfect, Paige thinks. Because doing anything with Azzi is better than doing it without her.

When the kiss is finally broken, Paige tugs both of them down, laying on the bed, pulling Azzi into her chest. A wave of sleep from the much too stressful day, falls over them.

Later, when dinner is finally ready, Katie makes her way downstairs to call both girls up. She pauses at Azzi’s door, knocking, and when she gets no response, she knocks again. Still nothing. “Hey, Az, Paige? Dinner’s ready.” Silence is all she’s met with. So, Katie makes the ever-brave decision to walk into the unknown. What she is met with is not anything traumatizing, Thank God. But instead, she sees her daughter curled into Paige’s side, the blonde’s arm slung around Azzi’s shoulders. Katie decides that they can have dinner later.

This time, she’s just happy that she walked into their love.

[fancyfeathers]

Hello Fancy! I'd like to request yandere Tim Drake/Red Robin with a nursing student darling who patches him up when she finds him injured. Maybe he's a little out of it and asks her out/proposes and she doesn't take him seriously but he means it (kinda like Orpheus and Eurydice's first meeting in Hadestown).

Darling doesn't want any involvement with any vigilantes so she just hands Tim over to the first vigilante who finds him and thinks thats the end of it while Tim is desperately trying to find darling, who he did not get the name of and whose face is very blurry in his memory.

Hope this request made sense, and is ok

Come Home With Me

(Yandere!Tim Drake/Red Robin x Reader)

Oh my god I adore Hadestown, I went to go see it earlier this year and it was amazing, I cried, I absolutely sobbed. It is a show I would recommend everyone to see if they get the chance or at least listen to it.

But I definitely get Orpheus vibes from my interpretation of Yandere!Tim Drake, a little delusional and very obsessed

Gotham was not always an awful place to live, rent was never high and no one really cared to bother you after all no criminal would really try to kidnap, harm, or blackmail a university student who lived off of the university campus in a studio apartment with no ties to anyone in the city. You were a nursing major at the university that bore the same name of the city it was located in, Gotham University. You had originally lived in Metropolis, born to adoring parents but with their own finances to worry about you had applied to Gotham University without their knowledge and got accepted, the school was good though the tuition was cheaper due to the extreme crime rate, plus a scholarship would cover the cost and getting an apartment was cheaper than living on campus. Your parents told you not to go and that they would cover everything but you wanted to be on your own and for them to not worry about you, but turns out that was not exactly a smart choice.

So here you found yourself about to head home from a night class, things near the university tend to be a bit calmer, you guessed the criminals of the city really do not have much motivation to go after teenagers and young adults who do not have a bone of self preservation in their bodies. Poison Ivy tends to leave the school alone because of the strict green policy on campus and the biology and botany majors taking care of the campus and grounds. Actually you had heard rumors about some of the more infamous names being graduates from the school, Harley Quinn, the Scarecrow, and you think Two Face attended there for his undergraduate, but you could be definitely misremembering that-

“God… fuck, that hurts…” A young masculine voice caught your attention as you walked out the nursing school building. You had decided to take the back entrance since you did not have a car like your friends and classmates and this was a short cut. You glanced toward where the voice came from, there was a little alcove where there were bike racks that were rarely used by the door and there you saw a young man resting against the brick building. You gasped as your mind recognized the man in his red and black suit, yellow gear, and that black domino mask you saw a lot of the vigilantes around here wearing.

This was Red Robin…

And judging by that gash on his leg, he was badly injured.

He was barely able to move from how much pain he was in. You thought about running to go get your professors, but they could leak his identity. After all, who wouldn’t want to know the face behind the mask? Besides he looked too messed up to wait for help and your professors were probably gone, then there was that one Nightingale Vow you had to remember for graduation.

Heal and do no harm.

You certainly would be breaking those vows if you left him here, and you have worked far too hard for that nursing license. You knelt down besides him, taking his left arm and looping it around your shoulders while your right arm wrapped around his back and under his right arm to support his weight as you tried to stand him up to get him inside. Your instincts from working on the floors of the hospital as a nurse appreciated kicked in as you pushed open the door with the shoulder that was not supporting his weight. As a nursing student in Gotham you had to deal with victims of all sorts and your mind went back to when you had to comfort a teenage boy who got caught in Scarecrow’s fear toxin. “You’re going to be alright, you’re safe now.”

“T-thank-“

“Save your strength, don’t strain yourself.” You cut him off as you turned the knob of one of the lab rooms, it was not a perfect hospital setting but it had what you would need. You helped lay him down on the table in the room, which was probably last used by a cadaver during an anatomy class. You went to rummage through the cabinets in the room, pulling out whatever you could use, latex gloves, syringe, bottles of liquid painkillers, bandages, and goss, they did have any equipment for stitches so this would have to be done. You opened the paper packaging the syringe was in, grabbed the needle to attach to it before opening the lid of the liquid painkiller and pushed the needle tip inside and watched as the needle filled up with the clear yellowish liquid. “Do you have a tracker or anyway to contact anyone, you will need stitches and X-rays for any broken bones-“

“Bats… he… he is on his way…” Your heart skipped a beat in worry at the mention of the Batman showing up in the nursing hall. You pushed down the growing fear and walked back over to him, pushing the needle into some exposed skin on his leg where the suit was ripped and pushed down on the syringe as he hissed in pain which was followed by a chuckle, probably half out if from blood loss. “You’re a lot… a lot gentler than-“

“Don’t tell me, I don’t want to get dragged into anything.” You replied as you walked back to the counter to grab the rest of your supplies to at least try to patch him up. “Sorry… that was rude…”

“It’s alright…” He leaned his head back on the table, closing his eyes from the pure exhaustion he was feeling along with the pain medication starting to kick in and making him a bit more loopy than before. “…I think I would want to marry you one day.”

“W-what?” You were caught off guard for a moment, pausing as you began to lift up his injured leg in order to wrap it up. “I-I am sorry but, I d-don’t even know who you are.”

“The man who is going to marry you.”

The response was so quick and confident that you wondered if he was actually serious or just out of it, there is no possible way for him to be serious… right?

“I-I… Are you always like this?”

“Ignore him.” A voice from behind you, in the doorway, nearly made you scream and you would have jumped and bumped his wound if it was not for Red Robin grabbing your hand a little too tightly as if he was afraid to let go, if he were to let go then you would disappear. You turned your head around to see a man who definitely was not Batman, but with the blue bird-like symbol on the chest of his black suit he was just as recognizable, Nightwing. The new vigilante patted you on the shoulder and looked over at Red Robin on the table. “You just keep working, we’ll get him back safely.”

“We?”

“The Bat is keeping watch outside.”

Oh… oh god… that was not a terrifying thought at all.

“A-alright…” Your voice clearly cracked as you looked back at the other vigilante on your table, you grabbed a bottle of disinfectant and cloth from the counter and you wet the cloth with the strong scented liquid before you dabbed it against his wound which made him hiss in pain as the painkillers did not stop everything but you tuned it out and kept working. You glanced at Nightwing who was resting against the wall, watching you work. “Elevate his leg for me while I get the bandages over it, he will need stitches after this, but this will keep him from losing a substantial amount of blood and prevent infection until then.”

“Whatever you need.” The vigilante pushed himself off of the wall and towards the table that Red Robin laid on, he grabbed the young man’s leg by the upper calf and lifted up from the table, the other vigilante too high on painkillers at this point to even react. You began to wrap the gauze around his leg first, making sure it covered the area of the wound before moving towards the roll bandages, following the same steps as the gauze. You snipped the bandage off of the roll when you were finished and stepped away from the table and towards the sink, turning on the hot water and washing the blood from your hands under the faucet, and drying them off with one of the paper towels you ripped from the dispenser by the sink. “I know you all are vigilantes or heroes or something, but get him to an actual doctor, just tell them it was an accident when he was on his bike or skateboard or something. He should not be walking on that leg for one and a half to two weeks, at least.”

“Noted, and thank you.” You nodded in response to Nightwing as he expressed his gratitude and handed you your backpack from where you threw it on the ground. As you put it on, Nightwing helped Red Robin up from the table, throwing his arm around his shoulder and supporting his weight, carrying him just like how you did when you brought him in, though it looked easier for him than it was for you. “I would take the front entrance of the school out, the Scarecrow it out tonight and if I were you I would not want to get caught by us. Just get back to your place, lock the doors and turn off the lights and you’ll be fine.”

“I will, thank you Nightwing.”

_______________________________

It has been about a week and a half, almost two weeks since the incident with the vigilantes of Gotham, with Red Robin, and like always nothing changed, life went on. You sat on your bed in your apartment, everything you had was fairly simple, the budget of a university student. A simple metal bed frame and mattress that your old man picked out for you before you left home. You had your laptop on your lap and your lower back pressed against your pillows and your legs hidden under your weighted blanket. It was really late, probably one or two in the morning and you had made the mistake of being the designated driver for your friends when they wanted to go drinking, so now after they were done and you had to drive them all home which only made you get home even later than you wanted to be, but alas you had work to finish.

You drummed your fingers next to the mouse sensor on your keyboard, over the sticky notes that were filled with all sorts of reminders…

Call mom after classes…

Pick up groceries on Friday…

Go to the gym on Saturday….

All of them were slightly smudged, the ink having smeared when you pressed them down to stick them to your laptop. So much to do in so little time…

As if fate always hated you, your current computer page crashed, showing up with that little message to let you know that you had lost internet connection. You groaned and set your laptop down and pulled the blanket aside, getting out of bed and walking to the router on the other side of your small apartment, placed in a blind spot that you can’t see from your bed, the small black box being placed on the windowsill by your front door…

You paused in your tracks as you saw the vigilante you saved that night on the stairs of your apartment’s fire escape outside of your window, Red Robin. The black haired young man gave you a small smile, as if embarrassed at being spotted outside, before he waved his hand, as if gesturing you to come outside and talk to him. You rolled your eyes with a heavy sigh and walked towards the window, grabbing your shoes from right by your front door and you struggled to put them on as you unlocked the window and you let him take care of the rest, pushing up the stiff glass pane as if it was nothing. He held out his free hand to help you down as you crawled out of the window and your feet landed on the metal fire escape next to him.

“I needed to see you again-“

“I told you I didn’t want to get involved with-“

“That can’t be true because otherwise you would have never helped me that night.” He cut you off just like you cut him off before. “Why did you want to become a nurse?”

“Because I want to help people.”

“Then that is something we have in common-“

“So did you shut off my internet?”

“…I needed to talk to you.” He gave you a smile before revealing his other hand which he had kept hidden behind his back this entire time, he revealed a bouquet of red carnations. He reached them out to you for you to take even if you were quite shocked by the gesture. “I got you these, a peace offering if you want them.”

“Um… okay.” You took the bouquet from him, holding it in both hands to keep your hands occupied in this awkward situation. “…look if that’s all I have to go, it’s getting late and I have to pick up groceries tomorrow- oh my god!”

He interrupted you without words, quite literally getting on a knee and pulling out a gold and diamond ring which would probably cost more than everything you have owned, your parents have ever owned, sell all of your organs on top of that and you still would not be able to afford it.

“Come home with me.”

“I-I… I don’t even know you are!”

“The man who wants to marry you.” He stood up straight and you watched in horror as he took you by the shoulder, spinning you around so your back was against your window and his back was to the city of Gotham, he peeled back his black mask from his eyes and your lips fell agape at seeing the identity of the vigilante, you have seen the magazines, you knew who he was, Timothy Drake, a single child of a wealthy family who only got more rich when he was adopted by the richest man in Gotham, Bruce Wayne, when his own father and mother passed on. He seemed to catch onto your reaction or recognition and just smiled as he pressed the mask back onto his face. He looked back down at the ring, a fond smile on his lips. “This was my mother’s ring…”

“It’s beautiful but I am not… I can’t marry you, I don’t know you.” Your words trailed off as you head turned slightly to glance at the internet router in your window and a sudden realization came across you. “I never gave you my name… you have been stalking me, haven’t you?”

“I wanted to protect you, people cold come after you for helping me and I didn’t want you to get hurt.” His voice was starting to sound slightly annoyed but not annoyed enough to sound upset with you. “I was trying to make sure you were safe, please understand-“

“I don’t… I won’t understand.” You turned you to your open window, turning your back on him. “You stalked me, probably broke into my house while I was asleep, didn’t you? Actually I don’t want to hear it, it’s best if you leave and don’t come back.”

You stepped up onto the windowsill, your hands coming to grab the sides of the windows to pull yourself up and in process you dropped the flowers onto the metal ground up the firescape and the soft sound of the petals hitting the iron somehow covered the sound of him stepping towards you and his arms reaching out so his forearms pushed down on your windpipe, it was in a way that would not be painful or bruise unless you squirmed around and you certainly did.

It only took less than a second for him to yank you back, his arms putting pressure on your neck as he laid you down on the fire escape as you struggled against him and you tried to scream but nothing was able to come out as he only hushed you as if you were a colecy child.

“Shh, it’s okay, go to sleep.” You could see your vision darken at the corners of your eyes as you struggled for breath but none came into your lungs. “I’ve got you, you’re okay… you’re okay.”

Those were the last words you heard before you fell limp in his arms, out completely cold. The young vigilante made quick work of taking your phone from your pocket and setting it inside your apartment, in the windowsill before reaching up and closing it. He would be able to come back later for anything you would need, he just did not have time to grab it right now because it would not be long before someone could potentially spot him. He took the bouquet of flowers and slid their stems into a loop on his utility belt. Then he took the ring and took your limp hand, sliding the ring onto your finger.

A perfect fit.

He picked you up in his arms, holding your body on his hip with one arm, holding you like a child and leaving the other free to hold onto the grappling line. He did not have to go far, just needed to get a hold of Bruce and get you home, he would understand, he has to, after all he is doing this all to protect you and just to be with you…. Of course he’ll understand.

[womanofwords]

Darling Demon (Part 9)

Yandere!batfam x betrothed!neglected!male!reader x yandere!demon!spouse

TW: yandere behaviour.

Dick was all over you when you came downstairs for breakfast, on the very first day of Azrir leaving you alone. "Little wing! Want big brother to make you your breakfast?" Dick asked.

"Um . . . I can totally do that myself." You went to get yourself toast, but Dick hugged you tightly.

"You're going to have all the love you missed out on, my little prince," Dick said. "And I'm going to get you waffles."

"But I wanted toast."

"Waffles are better than toast."

You ate waffles you didn't ask for as your brother beamed with pride. "What a good little boy," Dick cooed. "Our sweet little brother. So proud of you, little baby bird."

That made you feel nauseous. Baby bird? You weren't a baby. You were an adult, and had the lustful (yet respectful) demon spouse to prove it.

"Where is my brother?" Damian asked.

"I'm right here, Damian," Dick said.

"Not you, Y/N. He needs me. I need him. We need each other," Damian said. Arms wrapped around you. An assassination attempt? Forcing you to the floor? Strangulation that moved towards your neck?

Oh. It was a hug.

"Damian, you might want to get away from Y/N," Tim said.

"What's wrong with him?" Damian asked.

"He looks like he's going to faint," Dick said. "Want me to look after you?"

"Huh?" Damian let go, and you went for some water to wash down your waffles. Your hands shook as you went for a glass. "I'll get you your water, Y/N," he offered.

"No, please!" You ran for your room, barricading the door behind you.

"Y/N, wait!" Damian tried to grab you, but you had already left. "I just wanted to get you some water."

"Not surprised, brat," Dick snarked. "You were a monster to poor Y/N. No wonder he wanted to get away from you."

"You weren't exactly brother of the year either!" Damian spluttered, running to your room. "Y/N, come out! I will not harm you, I swear it!"

"Go away!" you sobbed. "You're mean and I don't like you! You're a horrible brother!"

Damian hammered on the door. "Please, Y/N, tell me what you want!"

"I want you to leave!" You bawled, hugging your pillow as you sobbed out your wishes. "I want a father that talks to me and remembers who my mother is! I want kind siblings that won't forget about me or hurt me! And I want Azrir!"

The manor ground to a halt. One word from you had caught everyone's attention. The one they had banished with a strategic trade.

Azrir.

"Y/N, Azrir is dangerous. They could eat you for dinner," Damian said.

"Azrir can do what they like with me," you sighed. Damian gagged, running off to puke.

Within their pocket dimension and watching you from a crystal ball, Azrir cheered. You were fantasizing about them! Absence did make the heart grow fonder!

"Oh, my little war bounty, it pains me that you're not in my arms," Azrir said, as they made a note of what your favourite books were. "Lusting over me when you should be eating breakfast. Poor baby. Chained by your own chastity."

"My clothes feel off. I'm going to lock the door and strip," you decided. Azrir grinned as you secured the door to your room and removed your clothing.

"I didn't even tell you to do that," Azrir said, quietly proud as you gave them quite the view. "If you'll do this every day I'm apart from you, then I'll be quite happy with our absence. It would be nice if you posed again."

"Oh, Y/N?" Bruce knocked on your door. "Alfred wants to know if you'd like to make your birthday cake with him."

"Oh, yes, I would!" You scrambled to put your clothes back on. "Tell Alfred I'll be down in a minute!"

As you baked with Alfred, Azrir watched with pride. "On your next birthday, I will make your birthday cake with you," Azrir said.

Your siblings were thinking the same thing. "I'd be a great baking assistant," Dick sniffled.

"You'd contaminate the batter with your tears," Jason scoffed. "Grow up."

"I could have helped Y/N with alternative ingredient replacements," Tim said.

"Y/N needs his blood siblings, not you," Damian snapped.

"Oh, please. Like you're his favourite," Steph snarked.

"Your family is getting very . . . defensive about you," Alfred said. "It appears they would like to be your favourites, Master Y/N. To the point of fighting each other for your affections."

"Azrir has a higher chance of being my favourite, and they have a bed in hell waiting for me," you snarked.

"I . . . would recommend not disclosing that to your siblings. And definitely not your father."

"I know. But a boy can dream, can't he?" You smiled as you cut up apples and strawberries to put into the cake batter.

"Of course." Alfred looked at you with large eyes full of concern. "There's nothing that says that you can't."

"That's nice to know," you said, smiling as you mixed the cake batter thoroughly.

You daydreamed about Azrir as you waited for your birthday cake to bake. "My siblings are going to be too close, Alfred," you said. "What do I do?"

"They are trying, albeit clumsily, to bond with you. You should still be firm with them if they go too far."

"OK."

Your siblings crowded you, expecting you to crave affection from them. "Your brother is here, Y/N!" Dick warbled.

"Which one? I have five and I asked for . . . zero," you snarked.

"Your super-cool wild card big brother is here," Jason said, shoving Dick out of the way. "If you want any of them to leave, just say so."

"You aren't taking this time from me!" Dick got to his feet and punched Jason, who kicked him. Their brawl hit Tim and Stephanie, who also got involved. It was a cartoonish tornado of flailing arms and legs, a tumbleweed of violence. You backed yourself into a corner, holding your birthday cake tightly.

Cassandra shoved you out of the way to grab a broom, intending to use it on Tim. That was what unbalanced you, sending you crashing face-first onto the floor. Your cake crushed itself into the floor, ending its short stint of being airborne depressingly quickly. That was what got everyone's attention.

"It hurts," you groaned. Cass gasped and picked you up off the floor, rocking you tightly. Everyone held you tightly, as if you would escape if their hold was too loose. Only Azrir was gentle with you.

"Y/N!" Damian yelled out. "Cain, what did you do to my brother?"

I was just trying to get a broom, Cass signed.

"Brother, did she hurt you?" Damian ignored Cassandra, snuggling you like he was a normal little brother. Him wriggling closer to you felt like a slithering snake.

"My face hurts," you moaned. "And my cake's ruined."

"You are going to be OK," Damian said. "I promise. And I doubt your cake is actually ruined."

You pointed at your 'birthday' cake, now on the floor. Damian looked at it in horror.

"You idiots! Look what you've done to Y/N! Can't be trusted with anything." Damian scoffed at his adoptive siblings. "There, there, Y/N, I'll fix it."

"No, you can't." You got up, holding your face as if it would fall off. "You guys were so preoccupied fighting each other that you ended up hitting me and my cake got thrown onto the ground. I just wanted you to actually notice me, and you didn't. I'm going to clean this up, get myself an ice pack, and go to my room. If any of you try to talk to me, I will kill you."

"Y/N, we could help you make another cake," Tim said.

"I don't want to. I wanted to eat that one, and I'm so tired now after making it," you said. "I don't trust you to make it yourself, and I don't trust you to leave it unscathed. I can't believe I spent all that time actually wanting you to eat my birthday cake with me."

You cleaned up your birthday cake, your siblings not daring to help. Once the last crumbs were deposited into the trash and an ice pack was given to you by Alfred, you took yourself into your room.

Contrary to what your siblings thought, you did not cry into your pillow. You did hug Fluffy, though, thinking of Azrir as you did so. They were so kind to you. Their voice, the way they put you on their knee, the way they took control in a way that made you flustered, but not terrified. And they brought Fluffy back for you, and made your bed more comfortable for you. They were so considerate of you.

"It's only been the first day, and I already want this fortnight to be over. My family is suffocating me," you moaned.

Taglist: @tinybrie, @bunniotomia, @c4xcocoa, @darkmoka, @fightmebissh, @bloobewy, @chi1lllb, @cqerrz, @heart-cream, @noone1233nobody, @type-ink.

First

Previous

Next

[kykyonthemoon]

Rain and Tears

You once said that people liked being under the rain because no one could see them cry. Zayne caught you under the rain one day.

୨ৎ. Zayne x Reader (MC)

୨ৎ. Tags: hurt/comfort, fluff, emotional hurt, no y/n.

୨ৎ. Word count: 707.

୨ৎ. Requested by PAL.

୨ৎ. Masterlist ♡ Request a fic (read more for current status)

As you stepped out of Akso Hospital gate, it began to rain. You looked up, to where the sky was as gray as your mood. The cold, clear drops cut into your skin. And you realized you were crying. 

The warm beads that spilled from your eyelids became frigid. Slowly, strolled down the sidewalk in your Hunter outfit, which was slightly tattered and blood-stained. In the distance, a column of black smoke rose on the horizon, marking the location of the surprise attack right in the city of Linkon.

Upon receiving the news, you rushed to the scene. But no matter how hard you fought against the Wanderers, you could not ensure the protection of all residents. Among those who were transported to the hospital, a little girl could not make it.

You understood that it was not your fault, and the doctors at Akso Hospital did their best. Yet you couldn't stop thinking that if you had run just a little faster, if you had been just a little stronger, things may not have turned out this way.

You waited in the hospital corridor for many hours. Then the physicians emerged from the emergency room with dreadful news.

You reassured Zayne you were alright and could walk home on your own, but every step you took was unsteady and exhausting. The mental and physical burden was overwhelming. At last, unable to move any further, you dropped down on the sidewalk and burst into tears.

The rain became very heavy. You let your feelings dissolve into the chillness of the rain. You lose track of time while sitting there. Once you had calmed down, you raised your head and saw an umbrella covering above. 

Dr. Zayne was standing there. The umbrella provided just enough coverage for you, so his casual clothes' shoulders were somewhat damp. You hurriedly wiped away the tears and tried to rise up, but it seemed like there was no strength left in your body.

Zayne leaned down in front of you. He placed his warm palm on your cheek and softly caressed it. He said:

“Is this how you get home by yourself?”

You forced a smile. Zayne must have felt it was fake too.

“I was just going home… I just…” You tried to keep your voice from trembling, but you left the sentence unfinished. Zayne stroked your face and said:

“You once said that people liked being under the rain because no one could see them cry. Is that why you’re sitting here alone?”

You knew that sacrifices were inevitable in every battle, just as Zayne knew that he could not save everyone. You realized that you were both going through the same thing. If you blamed yourself for not being able to save that little girl, then he was also suffering by witnessing his little patient pass away. Perhaps the only difference was that you could simply sit here and cry, but Zayne would not.

"What about you?…" You grasped Zayne's hand. "When you feel stuck due to circumstances beyond your control... What would you do?"

On such a dreary day, Zayne’s eyes brought rays of warmth. He understood exactly what you were saying and why you were sobbing in the first place.

"I'd do what I can control," Zayne replied. "I'll keep working and researching, so that when I come across the same situation, I can handle it."

“That’s truly something Doctor Zayne would say…” You remarked. No matter what, you could always count on his steadfastness and rely on him.

“So you will continue working now?” You asked, then received a shake of his head from him.

“My shift has just ended. For now, I have a special patient to take care of.”

Zayne leaned towards you. His warmth enveloped you and raised you up. He lifted you up with one arm, resting you on his shoulder while the other hand held onto the umbrella.

“Let me take you home.”

You did not protest. Your arms wrapped around Zayne’s neck to maintain balance. You leaned against him, who had always been steady enough to keep you from falling. Thanks to Zayne, you knew you did not need to hide your tears in the rain alone any longer.

[the-modern-typewriter]

Who did this to you trope and revenge! M/M

"Go on, then. Yell at me."

"Why would I yell at you?" the hero asked.

"You normally yell at me when I kill people."

"Yes, well." A mirthless smile crossed the hero's lips. "Thank you."

The villain swallowed, clearly caught off guard, and unsure what to do with the new reality that he was faced with. The hero wasn't sure either. All he knew was that there was no horror, at what the villain had marched off to do some few hours ago to do, and no surprise.

He knew, after all, exactly what would happen if he gave the villain names. Or, at least, the dark shape of it. He wasn't stupid.

The villain seemed to come to that realisation too, belatedly. His head tilted, and he wet his lips, eyes still vengeful intent upon the hero's face. Something shifted behind the surface. Some of the uncertainty slipped away into the bottomless abyss of what the villain was and out of sight.

Perhaps it should have been frightening, after everything. The villain was a frightening thing, after all.

The hero was not frightened.

Not of him.

"Well, they suffered terribly," the villain said. His voice was soft and vicious. He moved closer to the bed, as if drawn by an invisible lure, until he was standing by the hero's side. "Do you want the details?"

In the absence of surprise and uncertainty, was a complete lack of judgement, was the same twisting fury that the hero could feel clawing inside his guts. It felt like a monstrous thing, with too many limbs and too many teeth, but right then that was okay. The hero could be a monster, just so long as he wasn't back there. Wasn't the victim. Wasn't hurting and scared and alone.

The hero could breathe, when the villain was in the room. He could scream and snarl and rage and sob and it was nothing, everything, to the villain.

Everyone else had so many ideas about what a good survivor should look like.

"Yes," the hero said. It came out rough, less like a captive's plea and more like a lover's. "What did you do to them?"

The villain sat down on the edge of the bed. He took the hero's bruised and broken hands in his, so tenderly, as he spoke of shattered fingers and needles beneath nails. All the ways to wound someone without killing them.

"And?"

The villain pressed a kiss to the hero's swollen face, as he spoke of peeled skin and bones chiselled while the meat around it was still alive and begging for mercy.

"And?"

"And it wasn't enough," the villain said, "to make up for what they did to you. I'd do a thousand times worse if I could."

"And?"

"And you are so angry," the villain said. "So I kept one alive for you. If you want."

It was the hero's turn to swallow. Terror prickled through him, for once not for what he might do, but all that had been done. He looked down.

"I can't," the hero said. "My hands."

"No pressure." The villain wrapped an arm around him, held him close, safe and gentle. "They'll keep."

"I shouldn't."

"You don't have to." The villain shrugged, light and deceptively careless, and bestowed a kiss atop the hero's head. "It would be my absolute pleasure."

And, for the first time since they escaped, the hero laughed.

They finally, finally, felt safe.

[rottenpumpkin13]

So what are the SOLDIER's doin' for April fools?

The "Who Can Prank Sephiroth First" War That Ended In A Murder, A Heart Attack, And A Broken Leg

• April 1st is absolute pandemonium at Shinra HQ. The security team has responded to fourteen false fire alarms, three executives were trapped in elevators for hours due to "maintenance issues," and someone replaced all the fire extinguishers in the building with ones that sprayed whipped cream—all three were Reno's doing.

• April 1st is so unhinged on the SOLDIER floor in particular that Director Lazard has elected to always be "one step ahead" of all his operatives, namely Zack. He expects Zack. He's waiting for Zack, and this year, he won't be fooled.

*Lazard steps off the elevator at 0700 hours, armed with a bucket of water, eyes darting around for Zack's inevitable ambush*

Zack: Director! You need—

*Lazard, fueled by paranoia, yeets the entire bucket of water at Zack with the force of a vengeful god. Zack shrieks*

Lazard: HA! HA! TAKE THAT, YOU FOOL! WHO'S LAUGHING NOW?! YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD OUTSMART ME? YOU THOUGHT—HAHAHAHA, THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!

*Tseng rounds the corner, arms crossed, radiating disappointment*

Tseng: I came to request a few SOLDIER operatives for a mission. I did not expect to witness such a revolting display.

*Lazard is standing in the puddle, mouth agape. Zack is sobbing*

Zack, clutching Tseng: He bullies me constantly!

Tseng, putting a comforting arm around Zack: You should be ashamed of yourself, Director. Come, Zack, let's get you dry and away from this lunatic

*Tseng leads Zack away. Zack peeks over his shoulder to stick his tongue out at Lazard*

Lazard: ASJHDJKGHDSKJHGSK—

• Meanwhile, Genesis strolls into Angeal's office, where Sephiroth is reviewing mission reports. He dramatically places a positive pregnancy test on the desk.

Angeal: ….?

Genesis: :)

Angeal: Gen, the "i'm pregnant" prank doesn't work if I know you don't have the biology for it.

Genesis: How do you know I didn't get someone else pregnant :)

Angeal: DID YOU??

Sephiroth: Again with these juvenile attempts? Angeal, it's so obviously a ploy to get you to react. You two fall for pranks far too easily.

Genesis: Oh, please. Me? Fall for pranks? As if I'd ever—ACK

*Genesis sits down, and the chair collapses underneath him. He flails violently before hitting the ground. Angeal is wheezing with laughter, Sephiroth is unimpressed*

Sephiroth: You know what? I've had enough. Every year it's the same charade with you two pranking each other. Now if you'll excuse me, I have mission logistics to review. You know, actual work because I'm an adult.

*He leaves*

Genesis, rubbing his bruised dignity: Sephiroth should be our next victim.

Angeal: Good luck with that. Trying to prank Sephiroth is like trying to put a Tonberry in a tutu. Zack tried once and got a concussion.

Genesis: That's because Zack is an amateur. We're Sephiroth's best friends. If anyone can prank him, it's us.

Angeal: Alright then, challenge accepted.

Genesis: May the best man win.

• One hour later, Genesis crouches behind a cart of training materia in the training facility, smirking as Sephiroth prepares to spar against an opponent. Kunsel walks up and crouches beside him.

Kunsel: Sir, what exactly are you doing?

Genesis: Waiting for the show to commence. I replaced Masamune with a replica that will break on the first strike.

Kunsel, concerned: Do you not value your life, sir?? Counseling is available in the medical wing if you need it!

Genesis: …

Genesis: NO. This will be glorious. Sephiroth will lose a spar for the first time in his life and be humiliated! Aren't I a genius?

*Kunsel sighs and takes out his phone to dial emergency services in advance*

*Sephiroth steps onto the mat. He swings the replica blade. It holds firm until the last blow. He obliterates his opponent. The audience erupts into applause. Then, as if by divine punishment, a stray chunk of the shattered sword flies directly at Genesis' head, knocking him out cold*

Kunsel: Damn.

Sephiroth: What happened to him?

Kunsel: Overcome with jealousy and admiration for your prowess, sir.

Sephiroth: I always knew he harbored such feelings.

*Just then, Zack bursts into the room, screaming, pursued by Lazard wielding a chainsaw*

Lazard: I KNOW YOU'RE PLANNING SOMETHING YOU EVIL BASTARD, TELL ME WHAT IT IS!

*Zack throws himself into Sephiroth's arms*

Zack, sobbing: Sephiroth, he's been bullying me all day!

Sephiroth: Lazard, have you no shame? Zack is innocent in all things.

Kunsel: For shame, Director.

*Zack gives Lazard the finger when they're not looking*

Lazard: ASDJFKLJGFDG—

• Later, at lunch, Genesis is nursing his head with an ice pack when Angeal sits down with a tray of food, looking smug.

Angeal: Prepare to lose the war. I got Sephiroth pumpkin soup, his favorite. I also spiked it with a potion that should turn him into a frog. He'll eat it happily and not know what's coming.

Genesis: Hm. Riveting.

Angeal: Don't you mean ribbiting?

*Angeal starts laughing uncontrollably at his own joke. Genesis stares in disgust*

Genesis: I need to get you a social life.

*Sephiroth arrives and sits down*

Angeal: Here, Seph, I got you pumpkin soup! Enjoy it while it's hot!

Sephiroth: How thoughtful of you, Angeal.

*Sephiroth eats a spoonful of the soup and nothing happens*

Angeal: ??!!??!?

*Sephiroth eats more—still, nothing happens*

Angeal: Don't you feel any different??

Sephiroth: I do ! I feel loved now that you gave me pumpkin soup. But I have to go now, I have an assignment.

*Sephiroth leaves, Angeal drops his head on the table*

Angeal: He's unprankable. How did he eat that and not transform?! Does he have a resistance equipped?! Is he just that lucky?! HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?!

*Angeal picks up the empty bowl to stack it. The second he touches it—POOF—he turns into a frog*

Genesis: OH!

*Lazard walks by and SCREAMS upon seeing the frog*

Lazard: I KNEW IT. ZACK BROUGHT THIS VILE CREATURE HERE TO TRANSFORM ME! BEGONE, DEMON!

*Lazard grabs the frog and chucks it into the distance, Genesis flies out of his seat*

Genesis: ANGEAL!

• The rest of the day does not go well. Genesis tries to prank Sephiroth by replacing his shampoo with purple hair dye, but it only makes Sephiroth's hair shinier and more silver. Angeal attempts another prank by sending a fake email from Heidegger about Sephiroth's poor performance, only to receive a reply filled with expletives he didn't even know Sephiroth knew. In desperation, they consult Zack.

Zack: I can't believe you guys are struggling with this. It's so obvious what needs to be done to prank Sephiroth!

Angeal: Oh yeah? Then why haven't you done it yet?

Zack: Because Sephiroth is an easy target. I'm going for true prank satisfaction by using psychological warfare against Lazard. For example, I paid Kunsel 50 gil to play a loop of my voice in the air vents. Lazard is currently barricaded in his office, convinced I live in the walls.

Angeal: My god. I'm raising a war criminal.

Genesis: Wait….psychology….Zack, you're a genius. I know exactly what to do now! Angeal, my friend, consider yourself defeated. I have won this prank war.

• That night, Genesis lounges smugly in the SOLDIER common room, swirling wine in a glass with utter, decadent satisfaction. Angeal walks in, suspicious.

Angeal: What did you do?

Genesis: Oh, nothing major. Just left a note on Sephiroth's desk from Hojo, asking him to come to the lab and "settle their differences like men."

Angeal: …You just set Sephiroth up for an uncomfortable one-on-one with Hojo?

Genesis: Oh, yes. The most cursed conversation imaginable. Sephiroth gets chewed out by Hojo for insubordination, he comes back looking confused and feeling stupid, We bask in the greatest prank known to man, and I win.

*Sephiroth walks in, shirtless, covered in blood*

Genesis: WHAT THE FUCK

Angeal: WHO'S BLOOD IS THAT?

Sephiroth: Well, gentlemen. That was an eventful evening.

Angeal, visibly shaking: Sephiroth. SEPHIROTH. TELL ME YOU DIDN'T HURT ANYBODY!

*Genesis pulls out his phone and starts consulting plane tickets to flee the continent*

Sephiroth: I went up to see Hojo, but the conversation was so uncomfortable. He had the audacity to act as if he had no idea why I was there. Hojo just kept talking, and talking, so I grew irritated.

Genesis: ANGEAL? ANGEAL? SEPHIROTH HE CAN'T BREATHE!

Sephiroth: Neither could Hojo the moment I snapped and wrapped my hands around his neck.

*Angeal is gasping like he's going into cardiac arrest*

Sephiroth: And suddenly, my sword was in my hand, and he was screaming, and there was blood everywhere and, well, Hojo won't be a problem anymore.

Angeal: HELP

*Genesis is checking SOLDIER benefits for witness protection options*

Sephiroth: I don't see why this is a problem. After all, it was he who called me up to his office to, quote, "settle things like men."

Genesis: OH MY GODDESS I'M GOING TO JAIL

Angeal: I'M DYING!

*Angeal collapses, Genesis screams and immediately tries to revive him. Sephiroth just laughs*

Sephiroth: I'm kidding, that was just a prank.

Genesis: WHAT?

*Sephiroth wipes a hand over his face and smears the red liquid*

Sephiroth: It's fake blood. I got you both, didn't I?

*Angeal is still passes out, Genesis is now having an existential crisis*

Genesis: I need a vacation. I need to move away. I need to go to Wutai and become a monk.

Sephiroth: Pranking other people is fun. What a shame I don't know the sensation of being pranked.

Genesis: …….This day cannot possibly get any worse.

*Lazard crashes through the ceiling from the air vents and lands on top of Genesis, raising dust and debris everywhere*

Genesis, 100% done: FABULOUS. I BROKE MY LEG.

Lazard: IS HE HERE? IS HE? WHERE'S ZACK? I KNOW HE WAS IN THE VENTS TRYING TO TORMENT ME!

*Just then, Zack strolls in, leading President Shinra and a group of high-ranking executives on a tour of the SOLDIER floor, all smiles and professionalism*

Zack: As you can see, sir, we at SOLDIER don't even indulge in April Fools. We don't participate in such childish antics. Strict discipline, no pranks, absolute professionalism.

*President Shinra surveys the scene: Sephiroth drenched in blood (unclear if it's his), Angeal potentially dead on the floor, Genesis nursing a very broken leg, Lazard coated head to toe in debris, and a fresh, gaping hole in the ceiling*

Zack: Oh! Director, is this a bad time? :(

*Lazard, twitching, shrieks like a banshee and launches himself at Zack with all the fury of a man who has lost everything*

[darlingdaisyfarm]

Hun I have way too many insecurities about my smarts because of my family and some mental illnesses so if I could spend just one evening with soft praises and candles with Ford I think I'd make a blood sacrifice for it

I want him to touch me so reverently I don't even have to talk, just letting him guide the whole thing and compliment me

But I also want to destroy him to the point he talk Latin instead of English or the other way I want to forget how to curse in English

- 🎩 anon

oh my god you know what... same. that’s why i mostly include Ford complimenting reader or calling his partner “clever girl” it’s my damn weakness. i want this man who has twelve phds to tell me i’m smart and clever

but oh god NO. HE WOULD LOVE YOU SO BAD, BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY THAT. hold my hand and repeat after me: Ford loves you. Ford adores your brain. he wants to study it under a microscope and write down every single note about it. he wants to know how your mind works because he finds you to be a very unique person.

did you say it out loud? good. now and only now are you allowed to read the rest of this message <3

okay i’ll go a bit nsfw with this but hell yeah i want Ford to literally talk through the whole process and explain it. it doesn’t even matter if you’re a virgin or already had sex, he will gladly tell you why your body reacts a certain way, why exactly this angle makes you sob, and how kids are made

he would also be sooooooo happy if you got curious and innocently asked him to explain some things about your body <33 FUCK HE'D GLOW “oh? id be honored to help you understand yourself better” shut up nerd I HATE YOU SO MUCH (I LOVE HIM GUYS I CANT DO IT ANYMORE) “well, the region you're pointing to is particularly sensitive due to the nerve clusters just beneath the surface....” and you’re just squirming in his lap already ahhhhh. you’d barely need to speak. he’d tell you what to feel and breathe. he'd talk you through it all, kissing your temple in between anatomical terms. blah blah blah ”this angle stimulates more pressure near your anterior wall, which is why you’re so sensitive right here” yeah i know baby you're sooo smart <3

imagine him asking for your opinion on a research question, saying “you always approach things from an angle i don’t consider” and writing down your response in his journal. if you ever say smth insightful in a group setting he’ll be like “wait, did everyone hear that? can you say it again, darling? that was brilliant!”

also, non-smut praise from Ford will be DAILY REMINDERS about how smart and clever his partner is <3 you’d get little murmurs like

“you always think of angles i haven’t considered”

“you’re astonishing. i don’t know how you make such complex logic sound so easy”

“you don’t give yourself nearly enough credit” (im cryingggg)

“you just solved a puzzle ive been stuck on for three days, darling.”

and fuck. i’m sorry. i’m feeling so fucking lovely about this. like, for example, if the pines family is planning some outdoors activity, Ford always says something like “wait!! let’s ask y/n!” and turns to you with a proud smile, saying “you always have the most creative ideas” i would simply disintegrate from shyness

then when you two are alone, you shake your head, quietly saying “you know, ive never been someone people listen to like that“ he’d hold your face, answering “they should’ve. you’re remarkable.”

[a-simple-imagine]

Winter (K)nights

Requested by anonymous: “van and reader in the wilderness!! maybe something with what just happened about the dynamic of van rigging cards/hurt/comfort about winter being there again”

Pairing: teen!van palmer x reader

Words: 3.6k+

WARNINGS - mentions of the wilderness and the horrors that come with it

It was getting colder. Each passing day brought a fresh layer of frost. A heavy layer. It used to be easier to pretend. When you had settled into the idea that this was home so you had to make the best of it. The sun shone brighter then. There were animals to provide. The nights were warm. And for a moment, as you sat around and listened to tales of triumph, everything felt okay. Even after what happened to coach, there was still a way to make everything okay. You may not know what happened to the cabin; or who truly burnt it down. There was no way to prove it was coach, but he was the most likely candidate. Taissa made a strong case. You answered the wilderness's call with your own song and dance. Honoured to have provided. To appease. The merry dance of the yellowjackets was so rudely interrupted. And with strangers came the crushing reality of your situation. Lottie said the Wilderness did not want them here. That they didn't belong. You agreed, but not for the same reason. Why couldn't they have just stayed away? Left you all to your make-believe. Instead, their arrival brought you all something you hadn't felt for a very long time. Hope. Hope that was so quickly shattered by Lottie, Tai and worst of all, Shauna.

"Hey, you've been in here all day." This morning, you were woken up by shrill cries of despair. The kind that you hear in horror movies. The type of scream that jerks you violently. Van had dragged you out of the hut to inspect alongside just about everyone else at camp. Dragging your feet as you approach the animal pen to find Akliah hunched over a small goat, sobbing. You couldn't believe it. Every animal lay motionless. Dead. The animals that were supposed to help you survive the upcoming winter. A step closer to Van, she takes your hand. Sensing your uneasiness. It was in this instance that it was decided that you would have another hunt. According to Lottie, the wilderness was unhappy. It demands sacrifice. True sacrifice. Shauna agreed. Nobody else really got a say. Not like you used to. You returned to the hut and haven't left again since. Watching the shadows as they pass. Trapped in your own thoughts. "Are you okay?"

"What's the first thing you wanted to do when we got home?" You wonder. Thoughts of home have consumed most of your waking moments. It couldn't have changed much in the last year, and yet it feels like a distant land. Do your parents still think about you? Is your room exactly how you left it? Do your teachers see empty seats and think about the girls lost in the wilderness? Van lingers by the opening.

"Honestly? I miss my bed," She comments as she passes over the threshold. "I just want to bury myself under fresh, warm sheets and sleep for like a week." Your eyes flicker up as she comes to stand over you. "What about you?"

"I wanna take you out on a date. A proper date." You admit, offering a small smile before your gaze falls once more. It seemed like a childish admission. You're only desire right now is more time with Van, but she's been the most consistent thing in your life the past year. You couldn't have done this without her. There were so many things you wanted to do with Van that you never could before and possibly never will. Senior year stolen away by this grim reality. "We'd go to the movies to see whatevers playing and I'd get us a large popcorn to share. Maybe sour gummies," You know Van loves sour candy. "And we wouldn't have to think about anything else for like two hours. You'd deliberately reach for the popcorn every time I do so our hands brush and I tell you to stop it, but actually think it's really cute. Then we drive around because neither of us wanna go home yet, and I listen to you tell me everything you liked or didn't like about the movie."

"Damn," Van responds. "Can I change my answer?"

It makes you chuckle lightly. She'd always been able to break through the darkness even if it was just for a moment. "No." You answer. "Be true to yourself." She deserved as much. It is no surprise that softness is what she seeks most. Comfort. Van had been through so much out here. If you could give her even half the safety she sought, you would. You'd do anything. But you have nothing to offer.

"What else would we do?" Van asks, taking a seat beside you. You take a moment to think as if you're nightly thoughts aren't filled with a future entwined with Van. As if you haven't already thought of all the silly things you could do together. Finally, tell your parents that she's not just your best friend. "Whatever you want. Maybe we go... rollerskating and you keep falling over. Either because you're clumsy or just because it makes me laugh, I offer to hold your hand. Maybe that was the plan all along. And we skate around together, giggling and just having fun. We get food after, something greasy like pizza or a big bag of fries. Oh, and milkshakes for sure."

"What I wouldn't give for fries and a shake right now,"

"Or there's the arcade. You keep denying it, but you let me win at all the games because you just wanna see me happy. You love how excited I get. You try to show off and win something. Maybe you do, maybe you don't. I'm trying to encourage you from the sidelines. If you do win, obviously you give it to me and say something real dumb like 'for you m'lady'."

"I'm such a good boyfriend." Your relationship with Van had started way before you'd gotten stranded out in the wilderness. You had been friends for years. Your parents knew her quite well. The whole dating thing was a newer development. Started the summer before senior year as you sat in the park. Van plucking pieces of grass out of the ground. The sun setting in the distance. She had been so nervous. You knew something was up immediately. A stolen kiss. Brief. Light. Hardly worthy of a headline. She told you she fancies girls. One girl in particular. Had been expecting the worst but she felt confessing both things together took some of the pressure off. You hadn't know what to say at first. Van got flustered. Started brushing it off like some kind of joke. You could have responded better. It didn't matter now. You glance at Van, a small smile forming.

"Yeah," You nod a little. "You are."

"Do you think about that stuff a lot?" Was she referring to herself or just the future?

"More frequently after everything that happened," You shrug. "But yes. More so, what we’re missing out on."

"That'll drive you crazy," Like you hadn't all lost your minds a long time ago.

"Probably." A heavy sigh. "Would you have asked me?"

"huh?"

"To Prom- do you think, you would have asked me?"

Oh uh..." A shrug. "I would have liked to. We wouldn't have gone together though." That would have meant coming out to everyone. You may have shown up together, but should anyone ask, you would have had to say you were flying solo. Out here, you didn't hide that part of yourself. Everyone knew about you and Van. It had been so simple. Makes you wish you had done it sooner. "It's weird to think about." Yeah. Yeah, it was. You get the feeling that Van isn't the type to dwell on the loss of the last year. She was so focused on the here and now. Keeping everyone going. You admired that. Wished for a similar strength instead of a burden.

"Van,"

"Yeah?"

You take a deep breath like it will settle the nerves rattling in your chest. "I can't do this,"

"Do what?" Her response is unhurried. Without a care.

"Everything," You tell her, turning to her. She's staring straight ahead. Wrapped up in multiple layers of clothes with animal skin over the top. It was already so cold and it was just gonna get worse. "I can't go through another winter out here."

"We have to," She tells you. A small quick nod. "It'll be okay."

How could she be so sure? You know she hasn't forgotten what happened last winter. The cold. The way you all nearly starved to death. Jackie. Javi. Stories of grandeur may have blinded you from the harsh realities of the past. You can keep telling yourself it was a necessity. It was a matter of survival. You wouldn't have made it this far if you hadn't... But maybe you never should have. Maybe death was the least you all deserved. The hunt tomorrow morning was a step backwards. A descent back into the chaos. Was it truly just a matter of survival when the chance for rescue had been right there? You could have gone home. Left this all behind. Escaped. This was a choice. One forced upon you but still. None of you stood up to Shauna. There's more of you than her. Even with Tai and Lottie's support, there were still more of you who had wanted to leave. "We could have gone home. We had the chance to leave."

"I know." Van refuses to look at you. You can tell. It just means she doesn't really believe what she's saying otherwise she'd be looking at you while pleading her case. Didn't even have to work all that hard, you usually allowed yourself too much comfort out here. "But we're here."

"Van-"

"We're here," She interrupts firmly. It surprises you. It's rare Van snaps at you. "We have to make the best of it. Rescue will... come again," You weren't so sure. It'd been nearly a year before the frog scientists stumbled across your soccer team. A moment of chance because they followed the sound of your song. Who knows if you'll get that lucky again? And this little game could only last so long. You can't just ... hunt everyone. Would the wilderness just keep demanding sacrifices until there was no one left? A lone survivor. At this rate that'd be Shauna.

"What if that was our only shot?"

"It's not- just... trust me, okay?" Van reassures, she looks at you now. Meeting your eyes but you look away. You can't stand that look of hope right now. You fall into a somewhat awkward silence. Both in completely different head spaces. You wonder how it's possible for Van to remain so hopeful. Where was she getting the motivation? You watch her hands fiddle with the deck of cards that seal your fate. The red queen sits atop. Would it really be so bad if you picked that card out tomorrow? If it's what the wilderness wants, maybe it's what you deserve. A punishment for how weak you've been. Indulged in delusions.

"I hope it's me," You admit. It sounds weird coming from your mouth.

"Which?"

You're almost too scared to say it again. Like you would put it out into the universe. Reaching over you pluck the queen from Van's grip. Feeling it between your fingers. An old ratty queen of hearts would decide who dies. Maybe this was right? As much as your stomach churns and bubbles in fear at least it'd all be over. At least you will have provided for your team. "Tomorrow." You can feel Van's eyes on you. You're not sure if it's shock or she just takes a moment to realise but there's a moment of pause before she speaks up.

"No," Firm. Simple. Your fingertips press into the card.

"I do."

"Don't say that." Her voice is louder. Louder than it had been for the rest of the conversation. She snatches the card back as if just holding it was somehow sealing your fate. You're about to plead your case when a cough sounds from across the hut. Taissa stands at the entrance; and walks in without an invitation.

"Hey, can we talk?" You know she means Van. You didn't have a terrible relationship with Taissa by any means but lately, she just seems different. You stay out of her way.

"Sure," Van replies, getting up onto her feet. Brushing herself off. Tai's eyes flicker to you still sitting on the floor.

"Do you need to be here?" She questions. Your brow furrows. This was your hut that she barged into.

"We were in the middle of a conversation," You express, with no intention of leaving.

"Yeah quite loudly. If you're gonna undermine Shauna's leadership maybe do it a little quieter."

"That's not what was happening-"

"She's staying," Van interrupts. "It's fine. What did you want?" Tai gives you a look you can't quite figure out before turning to Van.

"The hunt tomorrow,"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"What if," Tai's eyes flicker to you before looking towards the entrance. "What if we help the wilderness with its decision?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been practicing with the cards right?" Tai's voice is calm and quiet. Like she's been practising her pitch. "You've done it before."

"What are you asking here, Tai?"

You look between the two girls. Was Taissa suggesting what you think she is? Card draws become the easiest and fairest way to make decisions about who does what. You didn't only use it for hunts but to decide who does the tasks nobody wants to do. With Van being in charge of the deck she'd gotten good at messing with cards so she could decide who got the queen. "like with Crystal," you say aloud. Tai looks to you with a nod, and Van's eyes follow. "you made sure she got the queen, right?"

"Yeah but that was just for shit bucket duty," Van responds. "You're asking me to... choose who dies. These are our friends. Our teammates."

"Not all of them," Tai clarifies.

"Hannah," Her name slips from your lips as easily as she pops into your head. The only person she could be referring to is Hannah. She was one of three scientists to arrive at camp. The only one still alive. After she stabbed her companion in the eye during an escape attempt, she had been welcomed into the fold. Allowed her own degree of freedom. She was a nice enough woman. You had spoken a few times while doing chores.

"You can't honestly trust her? We'd have to do something about her eventually anyway," Tai shrugs. The reason Tai had said she wanted to stay was because she didn't trust the scientists. They left her with a bad feeling. She insisted the rest of you were just so blinded by your desire to go home that you couldn't see it. We have to stay and figure out a story to tell everyone. You knew going home was never gonna be easy. You'd done awful things out here that you'd have to explain.

"You want me to give Hannah the queen," Van states, looking at the cards in her hand. The queen of hearts still sits prettily on the top.

"Think about it. She's a complete stranger," Tai answers.

"I thought the point was that the wilderness decides?" You express.

"Maybe it's Hannah or maybe it's one of us- maybe it's them." Tai points at you and you suddenly feel so small. You knew what she was doing and the conflicted look on Van's face suggested it was working. "Are we really gonna be congratulating ourselves when one of us ends up dead?"

"I guess not," Van responds softly.

"Think about it," And with that, Taissa exits your hut and leaves the tension behind. Neither of you make a move. Sitting with the idea. If Van rigs the cards to get rid of Hannah then your friends get to live. You and Van get to live. But how long until the wilderness demands sacrifice once again?  The burden would continuously fall upon Van to do this over and over again.

"Van," You say softly. She doesn't respond but her eyes flicker to you. You reach up ushering her closer. She takes a few steps and your hand finds hers. "Talk to me."

"What do you think I should do?" She asks. Small and quiet. You can't comprehend the predicament that's going on in her head right now. It's selfish but you're glad it's not you. There is so much you would do for Van but you're not sure you could do that. Sentence someone to death.

"I... don't know," You sigh softly, squeezing her hand. You wish you had the answer here. That you could make this easier for her. "Whatever you think is best."

"Wow so helpful," Van sighs. Her normal sarcastic tone makes a reappearance. It makes you smile a little if only for a moment before reality sets back in. "I just... I don't know if I can do it."

"Then don't," You tell her. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to. Just let the wilderness decide." Van takes a step closer so she's almost looming over you. So much conflict behind those pretty eyes. You just look up. Still holding her hand, you start to sway it a little between the two of you. You know Taissa only mentioned you to make the decision harder. It was a smart idea on her part. It was clearly working.

“Would that make you feel better?”

"Baby," you say softly, running your thumb over the back of her hand. Van's little story times while entertaining also had another purpose. A desire to make everything okay. Anything can be twisted into a hero's tale. She has put herself into a role that's now acting as a cage. "You're not responsible for everyone."

"Maybe," said quietly. Her other hand falls to her side, a card slipping to the floor. The queen of hearts sits face up mocking the both of you. One stupid little card the source of so much anguish. "What if it's you though?"

"Then it's me," You shrug. What were you supposed to say? What was she expecting here? “It’ll be the will of the wilderness.”

Van's eyes now shimmer with the threat of tears. It tugs at your heart. You pull on her hand and she practically collapses into you. Wrapping her arms around your shoulders pulling you tight. It's a little startling. Unlike her. But you soon relax, putting your arms around her too. She was so warm. “I can't let it be you,” whispered into the curve of your neck. A tight squeeze. “I won’t let them.”

“You don't have to do that,” You never imagined Van’s desire would outweigh her morals. This decision will probably haunt her. You don't want that. Don't wanna be the cause of her future regrets. It wasn't fair to her. She pulls back, a little sniffle. Oh, Van. Heat floods your face, that peppery feeling before you’re about to cry.

“I do,” She confirmed.

“No.”

“Tai’s right. It's one of us or it's her, at least this way I keep our friends alive. I keep you alive,” Guess Taissa’s plan worked like a charm. Like some medieval sense of honour and duty outweighed her sense. It was stupid but it was also endearing. You've never had someone care about you so much.

“Van,” You sigh softly. “You know I wouldn't blame you, right? Nobody would but if you do this… there's no coming back.”

“I know but I need you more,” You look at her for a long moment. Taking her in. The wild edge to her long red hair. The glossy shine of her blue eyes. The sprinkling of freckles. Deep red scars that’ll never allow her to escape this place. “I need you,” she repeats quietly as if to make sure you heard her. To stress your importance in her life. Your heart twists. Your forehead falls to rest against hers. You stay like this for a minute before leaning in to connect your lips. It's short but slow. Ghostly.

“I need you too,” you admit against her lips.

“Lay down for me,” She tells you. “On your stomach.”

“Why?”

“Just do it,” Your brow furrows a little but you do as instructed. Menovering to lay down as comfortably as possible. Even with a blanket, it was rough. Sharp. “Can I touch you?” You nod a little before laying your head on your crossed arms out in front of you. A moment later you feel her push your shirt up. Your mind goes to the most obvious place but it seems like a one-eighty from your conversation. You're not really in that kinda mood but you don't stop her as you feel her fingertips apply light pressure against your back before sliding down until her palms hit your skin. Oh. This made a lot more sense. A soft hum of approval. Van always did this to help you calm down. Soothe you in stressful moments. She says she likes it too. Can't resist getting her hands on you in whatever way she can. Sometimes you’d do it to her too. And other times you play a game where you form words with your fingers and have to guess what the other is writing. It was nice. Helped pass the time. You overhear Van sigh. Random shapes she was drawing on your back now begin to form letters. 'I', followed by a heart and 'Y' 'O' 'U'. Typical Van. It makes you smile to yourself. Your eyes drifting closed. "I’m gonna protect you,"

[macarxncito]

Thoughts on KARMA (ALNST) (Part 3)

<< Part 1, Part 2

Almost finished gang... promise...

!!!! MAJOR ALNST SPOILERS BELOW !!!!

~~~

Sorry gang but Luka is SO dead, I know that poster seems promising but I personally believe that's one of Luka's clones and that our Luka perished in the explosion, I wholeheartedly believe Luka laid himself down to die beside his beloved Hyuna

Also I refuse to believe that that’s a man pushing 40 /hj

As for Mizi... I think she's still out there :3 just my personal opinion based on no evidence in the slightest lmao

~~~

TILL IS CAKED UP BRUH WHAT THE HELLLLLL

But in all seriousness I think it's very fitting that Till would join the resistance and I'm happy he gets to live a life where he finally has the freedom he's always sought <3 the timeskip is a little strange though, what the hell happened in those seven years :O

Also glad that Ivan’s sacrifice was never in vain after all <3

~~~

Mute Till!!!!!! Communicating through drawings!!!!!!! This made me really happy as a person with a tendency to go mute myself <3 obviously the reasons are different (his being physical and mine being mental) but nonetheless it made me happy as someone who heavily relates to Till and sees a lot of myself in him <3

Shameless/slightly shameful self promo but I actually recently posted a couple fanfics focusing on mute Till before he even became canon :3

I've also seen people theorizing that the map he shows the child is the same escape plan that Ivan showed him when they attempted their own escape during the meteor shower, I know it's much more likely that this is just an escape plan devised by the resistance that Till uses now that he's a rebel himself but I like to believe that theory anyway <3

~~~

Ok this shit is BONKERS, genetically spliced children?????

If my assumptions are correct that's a HyunaTill child, TillSua child, IvanMizi child, HyunaLuka child, and LukaSua child

(Update: someone pointed out that the children are based on the song covers!!!!!! That’s so cool omg I never would’ve noticed :O so it’s actually a HyunaTill child for All-In, MiziTill child for Unknown (Till the End…), IvanMizi child for Black Sorrow, HyunaLukaSua child for Ruler of my Heart, and LukaSua child for Sweet Dream)

This is... just disturbing as hell lmao and I'd like to tie it into my discussion of the alnst museum

I think the genetically spliced children are supposed to be attempted recreations of the people involved in the "alnst tragedy" so that those that go to the museum can get an idea of what they looked like

My first thought was that it's somewhat grotesque for them to make a whole museum over this tragedy where so many innocent people suffered and died and even have some of their own belongings (as well as literal children) on display but then I considered that even in real life we have museums surrounding actual real-life tragedies (Holocaust museums, 9/11 museum in New York, etc.) so I guess it's just that same kind of thing :O

~~~

Till smiles at the child that's a recreation of the two people he loved most in his life <3

Also the cut in his ear is exactly the same as the one Io had

This clip is a whole love letter to Till and the people he loved <3 excuse me while I sob my eyes out

OMG ALSO ALMOST FORGOT wanted to point out that Till's name brand is completely gone now :O

~~~

This is completely pointless but while reading the credits I noticed that Rubyeye doesn't voice Mizi's spoken lines and I'm kinda just wondering why lmao

Also AKUGETSU being credited for the two or three grunts and gasps that Till illicited is so funny to me lmao thank you king <3

~~~

For my final thoughts I'm going to be slightly negative so I apologize

I did not expect alnst to end yet and I'll admit that I'm slightly unsatisfied with the ending entirely because the story still feels unfinished to me, this final episode and recent comics have certainly answered some questions but there's still so much we don't know so I anticipate more content in the future despite the main story being completed

That being said, very few pieces of media have left such an impression on me like alnst <3 it's such a work of creative genius and such a tragic and beautiful exploration of love, pain, justice, and humanity and I hold it so close to my heart, this story has inspired me and my own desire to create in so many ways and I've met some very dear friends through it too so I'm forever grateful for its existence <3 I patiently await whatever vivimeng will create in the future <3

Thank you, Alien Stage! <3

<< Part 1, Part 2

[cabinwritesmatt]

all for show

slight cheating + angst + happy ending

｡ ˚ ︶︶✩︶︶‌ ₊ ˚ ︶︶✩︶︶‌ ｡˚

You hadn’t even made it through the front door when the texts started flooding in.

“Did you see this?” “Is this real?” “Are you and Chris okay???”

Chris went out tonight to an influencer party. I didn't go because both of us want to keep our relationship a secret.

Confused and already a little anxious, you opened your phone, only to have your stomach drop.

Your eyes scanned all the messages you were getting before landing on paparazzi photos.

Chris laughing with some girl.

Chris sitting next to same girl.

Chris posing for a photo with same girl.

Chris and this same girl leaving the party together.

Your eyes begin to well up with tears as your mind runs wild. He's cheating on me with some other infuencer.

as if on queue he messages you

chris<3: don't look at ur phone.

Too late. You try to wipe your eyes that are now spilling over with tears and put your phone down.

he starts calling you.

You scoff and immediately decline it. You can't even bring myself to listen to his excuse.

You press the side button on your phone, locking the screen as if that would somehow make all of it go away.

Another text lights it up.

chris<3: “Please. Y/N. Just talk to me.”

Then another call.

chris<3: baby please. you know i'd never hurt you

And another. You silence it again with shaky fingers.

Your chest feels tight, like your lungs don’t know how to work properly. You try to remind yourself to breathe, but all you can see is that girl. All you can picture is her smile next to his. Her hand on his arm. The way he looked so comfortable. So happy.

instead of thinking you press the block button on Chris contact. Maybe he has an excuse. Maybe he doesn't. you just know you can't listen to it right now.

--------

Hours have passed and your still crying on your couch.

articles continue to surface about Chris and his "new girl"

You drop your phone onto the couch and wipe your eyes with the sleeve of your sweatshirt, frustration boiling in your chest. You can’t tell if you’re more heartbroken or furious.

Then it rings again.

But this time, it’s not Chris.

Nick.

Your heart skips. Confused, you answer. “Hello?”

Nick’s voice comes through, panicked. “Y/N? What the hell is going on with Chris?”

You freeze. “What?”

“He’s at the house losing it. Like full-on sobbing. I’ve never seen him like this. I tried asking him what was wrong and he just kept saying your name over and over again. Then he got up and said he was going to your place and ran out the door.”

Your breath catches.

Nick keeps going. “He looked like he was gonna throw up. I thought maybe something happened to you—but now I’m guessing it’s about whatever that internet thing is?”

You sink down onto the couch, silent.

“He didn’t cheat on you, Y/N,” Nick says, voice lower now. “He’s not that guy. I don’t know what happened exactly, but I know my brother. He’d rather burn everything down than lose you.”

Your eyes fill up again—this time not just from the photos, but from the image of Chris sobbing and saying your name. What am i supposed to believe?

“I gotta go,” you whisper.

You hang up before Nick can say more.

And that’s when you hear the knock.

Soft at first. Then more desperate.

You don’t need to look. You know it’s him.

“Y/N,” Chris’s voice comes through, cracking immediately. “Please open the door.”

You don’t move.

“I know what it looked like. I know how bad it looks. But just let me explain. Let me fix it.....angel please.”

You slowly get up, every part of you trembling from ur previous crying, and walk toward the door—but you don’t open it. You just stand there. Fists clenched. Jaw tight.

“I saw the photos,” you say, voice hoarse. “I saw everything, Chris.”

There’s a pause. A sharp breath from the other side.

"ill explain everything I-.....I really need to see you" Chris pleading from the other side of the door shatters your heart more. With your heart still cracked wide open, you reach for the doorknob with shaking fingers and slowly twist it open.

Chris is a mess.

His eyes are bloodshot, his hair a mess, and tears pour out of his eyes. You almost give in.

you watch him examine your face and slowly break down more.

"God baby i'm so sorry, I never want to hurt you like this"

You watch him try to reach out to you but you step back. His face falls more.

You didn’t say anything. You just stepped aside.

He walked in slowly, like he wasn’t sure he deserved to. Then he turned to face you.

“They told me to sit with her. To smile. To be seen leaving together. For press. For some fake relationship stunt to get attention. I didn’t want to do it, I swear. But I felt like I didn’t have a choice.”

You crossed your arms, trying to hold yourself together. “You always have a choice, Chris.”

“I know,” he choked out. “I know. And I made the wrong one. I should’ve told them no. I should’ve told you. I just… I didn’t want to scare you off. We’ve been keeping things quiet and I thought—I thought maybe if I didn’t involve you, you wouldn’t have to deal with the mess.”

He stepped closer, eyes glossy.

“But I hurt you. And that’s the opposite of what I ever wanted.”

You said nothing, lips trembling as you tried to process it all.

“I didn’t kiss her. I didn’t touch her. I left that party alone, came straight here. And I’ve been freaking out ever since.”

He swallowed hard, then said it—barely above a whisper:

“Please don’t leave me.”

You watched him slowly crouch down to his knees in front of you. gripping onto your legs for support.

You looked down at him, voice quiet but steady. “You broke my trust.”

Chris nodded slowly, tears slipping down his cheeks now. “I know. And I’ll do whatever it takes to earn it back. I’ll never let them use me like that again. I’ll go public with us, I’ll post your name everywhere if you want me to. Just—please, Y/N. I can’t lose you over something fake. Because what we have… it’s real.”

You took a shaky breath, torn, aching—but deep down, part of you could see the truth in his eyes. The pain. The regret. The love.

You didn’t say anything.

But you crouched down to him.

you slow caressed his face, wiping his tears with the pad of your thumb. Chris let out a breath and closed his eyes, pressing his forehead to yours.

"i wont hurt you again, baby. Just don't leave me" he whispered.

You take a breath and nod.

And that was enough—for now.

He pulled you in his arms on the floor and held you like he never wanted to let go again. Whispering he was sorry over and over.

｡ ˚ ︶︶✩︶︶‌ ₊ ˚ ︶︶✩︶︶‌ ｡˚

I wrote this for @espressqe hope you enjoy!! <3

[sirxlla]

Take Me Home

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

Warnings: fluff

Prompt: Yelena's pregnant

Notes: female reader, italics are actions and thoughts.

Requests are open btw.

-With that said, it's all under the cut-

She had gotten pregnant maybe a few weeks before the two of you got together. Supposedly, all that was taken out in the Red Room, but it turns out that's not the case. She's about four months pregnant, and she and the baby boy she has inside her are both incredibly healthy. Living at your house here in Ohio.

Yelena had come back to the same state she spent her childhood, she didn't necessarily know she wanted to stay here when she got back here, but here we are.

"Ah, Ah, Ah! Lena! The doctor said No coffee." You laugh as you try to get your cup of coffee back from her.

"It is just one sip I promise." She says all nonchalant as she drinks down the dark brown liquid.

"That's not even remotely a sip!" You finally get the cup from her, but it's entirely empty. Your mouth hangs open as you try not to laugh and smile at her poor decision-making and craving for coffee.

"What? You know, some people drink and do hard drugs while they're pregnant. As long as I am not doing that, an occasional cup of coffee won't hurt me, My Love...Come on, you can not be mad at me. I'm pregnant." She gestures to her belly. Yelena's been using the "I'm pregnant" excuse as much as she can. She wants to pick the movie, and you should let her, cause she's pregnant. She wants to get a dog, and you should let her, cause she's pregnant. Every excuse, and of course, you'd let her, she's your world.

Her comment about people doing worse things whilst they're pregnant makes you laugh, as long as she's around you'll probably always have a smile on your face.

"Alright, occasional. Not every morning, Lena." You say as you reach out and massage her belly with one hand, the other gently caressing her cheek before you peck her on the lips.

She pulls you closer, this isn't exactly what she imagined for her life but so much better. She buries her face in your neck as tears come to her eyes. Finally, she has someone who wants her no matter what: Family.

You hug her closely, moving a hand to the back of her head and the other to her back. She's been understandably emotional. Her mind is filled with hope for the future for once, images of what might be flash in her mind. You, her, and her baby boy.

"I never thought I'd make it to this age, let alone have a girlfriend and a child. I never thought anyone would want to stay." She lets out a sob into your shoulder, shaking a bit.

"Oh, Baby." You pull her closer. "You're never gonna get rid of me. I love you, I'm gonna be here every step of the way, Sweetheart...Did you fart?"

"....No...." She mumbles into your neck before she farts again, this time its audible.

"Oh, my god! You did. You're so nasty!" You laugh, pulling her away from the stink bomb she just let out in the kitchen. She smiles and rubs the small of your back.

"It was clearly not me, it was the dog." She murmurs into your neck, the vibrations of her voice moving through the surface of your skin.

"We don't have a dog." You laugh again, pulling her closer, massaging the back of her neck down between her shoulder blades.

"Not yet, we don't," Yelena says, which prompts a bigger smile on your face as you shake your head. "You should get me a dog cause I'm pregnant."

-> Masterlist

-> Send me requests/prompts if you'd like

[theglidingbat]

Another one of My Ghostbat headcanons that I'm adopting now is that Bruce probably let out the most blood curdling scream of anguish because his heart was broken once again-

Like I know majority of us are in agreement of the fact that Bruce's heartbreak was NOT only because of his parents's death- it's also been mentioned SO MANY TIMES how minhkhoa broke his heart

Also not to mention- I'm pretty sure Bruce being the paranoid fuck he is genuinely thought that Minhkhoa was going to die- also the mentions of love and heartbreak that keep on appearing after the first fight.... I'm ill.

Just the fact that Minhkhoa Khan is one of the few people that had managed to crawl their way into Bruce's heart and yet break it as terribly as the day his PARENTS FUCKING DIED.

He saw Minhkhoa at gunpoint and literally lost all composure to the point he started crying and SHOT SOMEONE. FOR MINHKHOA. Even if it was just to disarm it's pretty obvious that the whole thing was so terrifying and horrible for him as is. Only for Minhkhoa to turn around and kill Luka infront of him and well...we all know what happens next :))

Also Khoa isn't really fooling anybody here his heart is just not in it- bro is trying to smile through the pain trying to look smug and to prove that he truly doesn't care about anything but his mission and art also trying to convince Bruce that he ISN'T a monster and that he's still Bruce's friend.

Anyways after all that I'd be surprised if Bruce didn't scream and sob his heart out near that tree- without the energy to get up. Or just gagging and suppressing the urge to puke when he sees his old master's corpse nearby. Also officially having another reason to just hate guns.

Also one point I agree with Bruce on (obviously no matter how much I hated the hypocritical asshole that is Luka Jungo like the dude still killed a lot of people and then is trying to preach not killing and act like a saint by TRYING TO KILL MINHKHOA-) is that Minhkhoa did NOT have to shoot him- I'm positive Bruce didn't believe Luka's bullshit anyways as well about Khoa being a monster, defending Minhkhoa and repeating the fact that he may be rough around the edges but still he cared and he wasn't all bad. And if minhkhoa didn't kill him I'm pretty sure Bruce would've just left with Minhkhoa and they would've fucked off to train with someone else.

But also this is the moment that Minhkhoa realised Bruce doesn't exactly have the same motive and that his is more sentimental which pissed him off so here we are now....

TLDR: Your honor they are Gay and so definitely canon just look at these fruit loops (also Minhkhoa broke Bruce's heart pretty bad and vice versa)

[holdmedownfillmeup]

If I met you in person I'd take you out on a date and spike your drink while you were distracted. Then when you fell asleep while I was driving you home it would be so easy to tie you up and take you to a remote cabin in the woods. I would wait for the drugs to wear off before I'd start raping you though. I want you to remember exactly how you're feeling when I rape you and knock you up for the first time. I'd keep you there for months slowly conditioning you to love me. We'd be far enough away from anywhere populated that nobody could find you, and because you don't know the area you'd never be able to escape. I'd keep you pregnant all the time and rape you whenever I got bored. Eventually once you were fully broken I would drive you back into town and have you help me find and catch your replacement.

I hope you encourage me to drink a lot too, so the alcohol and the roofie knock me out faster! I'd be so scared, I'd beg you to do the decent thing, to let me go—I won't tell anyone about it, I promise, I swear

But we both know how much my begging makes your cock get hard, so as I plead for mercy, you start to throb until you can't take it—you rip my skirt and panties off of me, force my legs open and shove your thick throbbing rapist cock deep inside me. I scream and beg you to stop, but you just don't listen, you rape me—for hours, fucking my tight pussy and listening to me scream and cry and beg until you blow a huge load of cum into my pussy.

You rape me every night—it doesn't matter when I'm sobbing and begging you to let me go, or when I'm starting to throw up and missed my period because your rapist cum knocked me up, or that my belly starts swelling with a baby I never wanted. It doesn't even matter when I'm hugely pregnant—no, seeing my womb and tits swollen because your rapebaby makes you rape me harder and longer. I'm too pregnant to do anything about it—I can only lay there and cry until you rape me into labor and make me push out a huge rape bastard in the same bed "we" made them...

and as I'm screaming out your firstborn, you're already thinking about getting me pregnant again 😍

[goths4gambit]

Hi! Could you possibly write a Bg3 fanfic where Tav comes out as a trans male to the rest of the party? (Astarion, Gale, Halsin, ect.) Preferably he was already fully transitioned and tells them about his past. Maybe someone in town calls Tav by his deadname and the party is confused so Tav explains and it’s slightly angsty at first but ends super fluffy?

Sorry if that’s too much to work with, lol

Hello! I'm so sorry this is so late. :( I have been insanely busy, plus some not-so-awesome stuff happened! But I can get to my requests now! I hope this is what you were hoping for!

(Im also trans, so kinda writing this from a POV of how I feel after this happens.) 

(The main scenario in this will be the same, but the character's reactions will be different)

(Also very sorry if this wasn’t exactly what was wanted:’])

Triggers: Transphobia (But comfort and fluff at the end!!)

Pairings: BG3 Male Companions x reader 

It was supposed to be a normal day in Baldur's Gate, a typical, simple day in Baldur's Gate to restock supplies, so why did it have to turn out like this? Hearing his dead name yelled at him in the middle of the day while they were walking around, how did they even recognize him like this? The walls felt like they were closing in, but he had to just play it off. he felt the curious glances from his companions, but they didn’t outright say anything at that moment until they got to camp…

ASTARION:

“Well... I'd say that was an eventful outing, hm?” he spoke, setting down a few of the things they had bought beside his bedroll. He was trying to keep a light mood in the air; however, when his eyes landed on your quiet and tense form, his smile fell, “Do you… Want to get something off your chest?” 

Silence was what his words were met with until he snapped you out of it again with a concerned look and genuine care in his eyes, “Darling, if you’re worried we’ll judge you, you don’t need to worry about that, look at the group of weirdos we all are.” He spoke softly without his normal teasing tone.

“I don’t know” he replied to Astarion in such a quiet voice, “I feel like I need to explain but I don’t know where to start either” He looked down at his feet quietly, Astarion sat quietly beside him with a soft sigh, “Listen, I can’t begin to act like I understand what you’re going through darling but you must realize im here for you, and as much as I don’t wish to admit it,” he paused for a moment, “I love you.”, he glanced at astarion quietly and just silently leaned into him. That night, they both just enjoyed a moment together of silence and comfort, even if he didn’t fully explain what Astarion understood.

GALE: 

When they got back to camp, Gale was talking about some books he found in town that day, he knew something was off with reader even before they got back, however distraction he thought was the best solution until he suddenly saw the silent tears falling down his face, he immediately went quiet and walked over. 

“My love?” he spoke, his voice filled with concern, and he gently sat beside him in the tent, when no response came from his lips, Gale gently cupped his hands around the other man’s face. 

“My love, please speak to me.” A choked sob escaped his lips at Gale’s words, but he finally managed to stumble out the words, “Im sorry..- I just- I didn’t want that to come out like that, and now im just I-” He paused when another sob escaped his lips.

Gale quietly listened to the anxiety-ridden words falling from his mouth, but then he silently hugged him. “My love, I don’t care..I don’t care who you used to be, I care about you now.”

WYLL: 

I couldn’t do it anymore, I stumbled back to camp, everything felt too overwhelming, it was all too much, why did that have to happen? I managed to keep it so secret, I managed to not let anyone know, and now- 

“I know that look, lover, nobody in this camp views you any differently.” he gently took his hand into his own and spun him gently,

He subconsciously leaned into Wyll, just needing the support after what happened in town. 

“Wyll- thank you,” he spoke softly, and Wyll flashed him a gentle smile,

“No need to thank me, I want you to know im here no matter what, no matter who you are.” 

The rest of the night was spent with kind words, and gentle touches of comfort.

HALSIN:

Disappearing into the woods right after getting back into camp was not supposed to be the plan, however after everything that happened it was all too overwhelming and too much for him, so he disappeared not knowing a certain druid followed him, the walk through the forest to the stream was relaxing enough but all he could think about was the stares from his companions he knew they weren’t negative stares, but they still didn’t feel good. He sat silently beside the stream's edge on a rock until he heard a branch snap behind him. He jolted to look behind him, but was greeted by the sight of a bear. Not thinking much, he just sighed and looked back down at the stream until he heard the familiar voice,

“My heart, is everything alright..? Shadowheart told me you ran off in this direction.”

Not looking up, he just curled closer into himself, “No..im fine- I don’t know why she is so concerned..” he whispered. he felt Halsin sit down and gently grab his hand. He looked at their hands intertwined, and something in that moment just broke; he couldn’t stop the tears that fell down his face silently. 

“I-I don’t know anymore, I wish that didn’t happen- and I just-” He stopped talking to try and catch his breath, but it was all so overwhelming, Halsin didn’t need any more words and just silently took him into his arms.

[oscquinn]

Maggie, my lovey I come with another request for you!

The second chance romance trope, x my husband, Carmy.

Ok so walk with me here 🚶🏻‍♀️,

Carmy had one time forgotten about his anniversary with r, & she of course got very upset & sad about it. So he made sure the next day (without letting her find out) to go to the florist and place a standing order for flowers on their anniversary every year so she would never be able to tell if he forgot again.

Alright so flash forward years later, they break up. They both are pining for eachother / miss eachother a lot but Carmy was the one who called things off so R doesn’t try to contact him and Carmy is Carmy.

Their anniversary comes around and Carmy forgets of course because since they broke up he’s been even more of an animal in the kitchen but the flowers get delivered to R and of course it has the same note she got every year ‘Happy Anniversary baby, I love you always, xx- Bear’ at first she’s confused but then she is hopeful it was him reaching out to try and reconcile so she bites the bullet and calls him and is like “you still love me?” And mentally he’s like

*fffffuuuuuuuuuuck*

& has to explain that he placed a standing order so she could never be mad at him for forgetting again but he really does miss her

I’ll leave it up to you if r gets back together with him or if you want it to be pure angst!

(🤞fingers crossed it sends this time)

my dear capri, i love the exposition you've dropped in my inbox!!! here's the aftermath of receiving the flowers :(( warnings; angst, no happy ending, and swearing. also, here's the playlist i listened to while writing

from this trope list. part of my 1,500 follower celebration. masterlist -> here!

there are flowers at your door.

you've been fighting back tears the whole day. work was hell, your irritability heightened by the fact you'd barely eaten breakfast, not even bothering with lunch. it was harder now without carmen around. you've been angry all day, heels clicking in obnoxious stomps, your stomach burning and head pounding, and there are flowers at your door.

you kneel down to read the card, your heart clenching at the words. 'happy anniversary beautiful girl, i love you always. love, your carmen' a shaking hand comes to your mouth, you fumble with your keys to make it inside before you lose it entirely. he still loves you?

you dial carmen's number, hearing it ring twice before he picks up. "you sent me flowers?"

"o-oh, uh. t-that's a funny story, actually-"

your stomach twists in a knot. "i'd love to hear exactly how this is funny, carmen."

"well, forever ago, when i forgot our anniversary? i placed a standing order. so- so that way you'd always have flowers."

your heart sinks. he couldn't even bother to remember the date himself. worse, he didn't remember to cancel them. "you're fucking joking," you spit out.

"i-i'm not. baby-"

"don't call me that," you snap at him, your living room suddenly feeling claustrophobic. you push your window open to take a deep breath of the fresh air, turning your back to the wall and sinking down next to the plant he'd gifted you, moved inside to avoid the recent cold snap. a hand over your mouth muffles your sobs, your heart breaking all over again at this new information. "i can't believe you."

"i'm.. i'm s-sorry-"

"no! you don't get to apologize, that doesn't fix shit." you're practically yelling at him now, and you can hear the tears in his voice. but you don't care. it's about time you gave him a piece of your mind, hurting him the way he'd hurt you. "i thought for one goddamn second that maybe you still loved me. but- but you're just self-fucking-centered. so lost in your head you couldn't even remember to cancel flowers for the girl who's heart you snapped in two."

the silence on the other end tells you everything you need to know. you don't let him even try to continue, snapping at him, "lose my number, carmen."

there's a muffled noise on the other end, but you hang up without the chance to process it. your phone falls to the tile floor with a loud thud that echoes through your empty apartment. you flinch, then let out a noise somewhere between a scream and a sob.

the sound finds its way through your window, falling down to the street below, to the ears of the man repeating your name into his phone. "b-baby," he pleads, his voice breaking. but you've hung up now. he can't believe he forgot those stupid fucking flowers.

at least it showed him how you truly felt. that it would've been stupid to go through with it. stupid to walk up to your door with nothing but a barely planned apology to mend your broken heart.

carmen looks up to see your open window, balcony distinctly missing the potted plant he'd gifted you a year ago. a shaky hand lights a cigarette and he takes a hit but the smoke does nothing to soothe him as he draws his eyes away, turning away from your building for the final time.