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redroomreflections · 19 hours ago

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Hotel California | Track 13: Part Of Your World

Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader

Summary: Natasha Romanoff, frontwoman of the punk rock band Velvet Rebellion, falls hard for a woman she believes is too good for her. Their intense relationship unfolds in the chaotic world of rock 'n' roll, where they struggle to balance fame, personal demons, and their undeniable passion for each other.

W/c: 8.4k

Chapter 13/18

Masterlist | General Masterlist

Note: This was unnecessarily long.

Themes: love, fame, sex, drugs

The sun was setting below the city horizon when she called for a group meeting. Natasha paced in front of the rest of the band, her eyes scanning the notes on her phone. They were gathered in Tony's Malibu mansion, where the final preparations for the upcoming tour occurred in a flurry of activity. The energy in the room was tense, a mixture of excitement and exhaustion that only came in the final stretch before a major event.

“So, just to recap,” Natasha began, her voice steady but carrying a certain edge of anticipation, “we’re hitting a few smaller cities after the big shows in New York and LA. We need to ensure everything is in place, especially for the merch and the opening acts. I don’t want any last-minute hiccups.”

"You got it, Captain," Tony nodded as he cracked open a Miller lite. He sipped it loudly, grinning as Natasha rolled her eyes. "The merch is all ready. I saw some pretty cool T-shirts with my face on them. I think I look snazzy."

"You're such a narcissist, Tony," Steve snorted, shaking his head. He looked back at Natasha, giving her a nod. "Why aren't we going over this with Mitch?"

"Mitch is busy," Natasha shrugged. "I figured a group session without her expertise would be great."

"Oh," Steve blinked. "We’re good on the setlist, right?"

“Yeah, the setlist is solid,” Natasha answered. “But we need to tighten up a few transitions—especially that acoustic intro with Wanda’s solo. Let’s make sure we get through it a couple more times before the first show. We don’t want it to drag on, and we don’t want it to feel rushed either.”

"I've been working on that part; I'll have it down before you know it," Wanda grinned, leaning against the back of the couch.

"That's what I like to hear," Natasha smirked, returning to the phone. "We're doing a photo shoot with a magazine the day before the first show, so make sure you're in the city by then. But if anyone needs a break from the spotlight, just let me know. We can always switch things up. Any questions?"

"What about the hotel situation?" Bucky asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hotel situation?" Natasha repeated, looking at Bucky. "What hotel situation?"

"Where we're staying," Bucky explained, rolling his eyes. "I hope it's nice. The last time I was in a shitty motel, I came down with a fungus."

"Oh, fuck, that was bad," Tony gagged.

"Our budget is a bit bigger this time, " Wanda said. "We have a tour bus for most of the U.S. Keeping in touch with our roots. Though for the venues with double nights, we have suites booked."

"I don't know why you all like to pretend I'm not rich," Tony shrugged. "I can cover any hotel bills we might incur."

"Thanks, but we don't need your money," Steve smirked, his tone a tad condescending.

"Hey, it's not charity, okay? It's not my fault I'm better than you," Tony replied, his gaze meeting Steve's.

"We're not arguing about this again," Natasha said, pointing at both men. "I don't have the energy, and we don't have the time. We'll talk about hotels later."

"I was just wondering," Bucky grumbled, crossing his arms.

"You don't have to worry, Buck," Steve smiled. "This will be the biggest tour the band has ever done, and I'm sure the hotels will be great."

"You guys can have a whole room if you want," Natasha said.

"I like the sound of that," Tony nodded.

Natasha exhaled, her shoulders loosening slightly as she stood at the head of the coffee table. "Okay, that’s most of it. I think we’re in a good place. We just need to keep the momentum going and stay focused. Remember, we’ve got a long haul ahead. But we can do it."

"Can we talk about other things?" Tony asked with a smirk.

"Sure," Natasha nodded.

"Who's gonna hook up with who first?"

"Tony," Steve sighed.

"What?" Tony scoffed. "C'mon, it's not a bad question."

"No, I don't think so," Steve argued.

"It's an important question," Tony pressed. "We can't have people getting weird and emotional."

"Well, considering three out of five of us are taken," Natasha rolled her eyes. "Besides, aren't you with Pepper?"

"I've been known to stray," Tony chuckled.

"No, I'm pretty sure she'd kill you," Bucky smirked.

"She'd kill you, and then she'd kill me for hooking the two of you up," Steve nodded.

"Okay, maybe," Tony sighed.

"Let's try and have some semblance of professionalism, alright?" Natasha said, her gaze scanning the room.

"But Nat, isn't this supposed to be fun?" Wanda giggled.

"Wanda, please," Natasha shook her head.

"I'm just saying," Wanda shrugged.

"Just because it's fun doesn't mean we shouldn't take it seriously," Steve nodded.

"Oh, c'mon, Steve," Tony groaned. "Don't settle down just yet. Who's going to be my wingman?"

"Not me," Steve replied firmly, folding his arms across his chest. "I’m not interested in being dragged into one of your antics."

"Well, that’s disappointing," Tony sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I thought we were friends."

"We are friends," Steve said. "But I also like my peace of mind."

"You’re no fun," Tony muttered. "What about you, Bucky? Feeling up for a little adventure?"

"Hard pass," Bucky replied, not even looking up from his phone. "You’re on your own, Stark."

Tony threw his hands up in mock exasperation. "What’s the point of being in a band if none of you want to help me live a little?"

"Tony, we’re in the band, not your personal dating service," Natasha said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "And frankly, your idea of 'living a little' usually ends in chaos."

"Chaos makes for great stories," Tony shot back.

"And headlines," Wanda added with a grin, earning a chuckle from Bucky.

"See, Wanda gets it!" Tony said, pointing at her.

"Don't drag me into this," Wanda replied, laughing. "I’m just here to keep the peace."

"Well, at least someone here knows how to have fun," Tony muttered, though his grin showed he wasn’t taking the rejection too seriously.

"Fun doesn’t mean reckless," Natasha interjected, her tone firm. "This tour is important. We’ve worked too hard to let anything—or anyone—jeopardize it."

Tony held his hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright, point taken, boss."

"Good," Natasha said, her gaze sharp. "Now, can we focus?"

"Fine," Tony said with a dramatic sigh. "But when this tour’s over, Steve, you owe me a drink. Non-negotiable."

Steve rolled his eyes but smiled faintly. "We’ll see."

"You should all be so lucky to get a drink with me," Tony huffed.

"Whatever you say, Tony," Natasha smirked, rolling her eyes. "Now, as much as I love your charming company, I have to go meet up with y/n. Her daughter's birthday is tomorrow, and I haven't seen either of them in a week."

"How's that situation going?" Tony asked curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, with her having a kid," Tony elaborated. "I never took you for the stepmom type."

"We're not married," Natasha said a tad defensively.

"Yet," Wanda grinned.

"My money's on the next couple months," Bucky commented.

"I'll raise you to the second tour date," Tony said. They looked over to Steve expectantly to see what he would say.

"I don't get involved in bets, guys," Steve replied, though he was smiling.

"Party pooper," Tony grumbled.

"You guys can't keep betting on my love life," Natasha frowned. "It's rude."

"Rude? Really, Nat?" Tony smirked, though he backed off slightly at her tone. "I thought we were family. Families meddle."

"Not like this," Natasha shot back.

"Alright, let’s dial it down," Steve interjected, his steady tone cutting through the tension. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Tony, Bucky—leave her be. It’s not about bets or jokes."

"Aw, come on, Rogers," Bucky said, though his tone was more teasing than serious. "You can’t tell me you’re not at least curious."

Steve shook his head with a faint smile. "I’m not getting involved in your nonsense, but... I will say this." He turned to Natasha, his expression softening. "Nat, I’ve known you for a long time. Longer than anyone else here. And if there’s anyone who’s got a shot at being the one for you... it’s Y/N."

The room grew quiet at Steve’s words. Even Tony seemed to consider them momentarily, his usual smirk replaced by something more thoughtful.

Natasha blinked, caught off guard by the clarity and sincerity in Steve’s tone. She opened her mouth to respond but found herself at a rare loss for words.

"She’s a good person," Steve continued. "And from what you’ve said, so is her daughter. You wouldn’t be putting in this kind of effort if it didn’t mean something to you."

Natasha swallowed, the lump in her throat forming before she could stop it. She nodded slightly, her eyes fixed on the table. "Yeah," she said quietly. "It does mean something. I've kind of downplayed it to you guys because I've been scared. She's special. Truthfully."

"It's okay to be scared, Nat," Steve said softly. "But sometimes the best things are worth the risk."

Natasha looked up at Steve, his blue eyes full of understanding and support. She gave him a small smile, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Thanks, Steve. That... actually means a lot."

"Well, now we have to go and celebrate our future niece," Tony smiled. "What does she want for her birthday?"

"Honestly, what would you get a kid that has everything?"

"A pony," Wanda replied, shrugging.

"Maybe a dog," Steve suggested.

"Those are both animals," Bucky pointed out. "Many people don't do well with gifts like that."

"Maybe a kitten," Tony suggested.

"That's still an animal," Steve chuckled.

"I'm not getting her an animal," Natasha interjected. "Y/n would kill me. I'm trying to be a good influence, remember?"

"Alright," Wanda smirked. "What about jewelry? Isabella is a little diva. I think she'd appreciate a nice necklace."

"Jewelry is good," Natasha nodded.

"Or a guitar," Steve offered, looking over at her. "That's something that she'd like."

"Yeah, it would," Natasha replied. "Maybe a custom guitar. That way, it's unique."

"Now you're talking," Steve grinned. "That's a solid gift. Maybe I can help you out."

"I'll take the help," Natasha chuckled. "Thank you, Steve. I'll see you guys later."

"See you later," Steve waved.

As she walked to her car, Natasha shoved her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket, Steve’s words bouncing around in her head. Maybe the best things are worth the risk. She hated how simple he made it sound like it wasn’t a minefield waiting to blow up in her face.

Her boots scuffed against the pavement as she walked, the cool evening breeze doing little to settle the heat simmering under her skin. Love wasn’t new to her—she’d been there, done that, and watched it crash and burn. But this? This was something else. With you, it didn’t feel like walking a tightrope. It was steady, calm, and easy in a way that scared the hell out of her. She exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair. Too easy. That’s what kept her up at night. She didn’t trust easily, not after everything she’d been through. Love like this had to come with strings attached, right? Some catch she hadn’t seen yet. It always did.

Still, there was no denying how her chest felt lighter when you laughed, how the world seemed quieter when Isabella would climb onto the couch next to her and chatter about her day. Natasha felt grounded for the first time in longer than she could remember. She wasn’t waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under her—at least, not yet.

Natasha felt it in her spirit—an unfamiliar steadiness that had replaced the restlessness she used to carry like armor. Long gone were the days of being a womanizer, of chasing fleeting connections that filled the silence but left her empty. Back then, she’d convinced herself that love was just another game she could play and win. But now? Now, it wasn’t about the chase, the thrill, or the control.

It was about how you looked at her as if she was more than the sum of her mistakes. It was about the trust in Isabella’s tiny hand when it slipped into hers. It was about the quiet moments she never thought she’d crave, where laughter filled the spaces she once kept guarded.

Natasha hadn’t planned for this—for you. But somehow, you'd carved out a place in her life, so naturally, it was as if you'd been there all along. It wasn’t just love anymore. Something deeper terrified her even as it anchored her in a way she hadn’t known she needed.

**********

She didn’t know what to expect when she pulled into your driveway. Another car was parked in front of your house, and she couldn’t help the flicker of curiosity that crept in. Who had stopped by this time? Not that she had any fundamental right to ask—not officially, anyway. The two of you didn’t live together. She didn’t own a stake in your day-to-day life outside of what you chose to share with her.

Still, the sight of the cars tugged at her. It wasn’t nerves, she told herself, just... curiosity. She exited her vehicle and grabbed the small bag from the passenger seat. She'd picked up crepes and coffee for the three of you, hoping for a quiet brunch. She knew Isabella's birthday would be a big deal, and she wanted to spend time with you without the pressure of guests.

Natasha rang the doorbell, adjusting her jacket and jeans. After a few seconds, the door swung open, but instead of you, Natasha was greeted by a boy—about ten years old, his dark hair cut into a low fade and his expression guarded. He looked up at her, sizing her up with the kind of scrutiny that made Natasha blink.

“Who are you?” the boy asked, his arms crossed over his chest.

Natasha tilted her head, trying to suppress a grin. “I could ask you the same thing,” she replied, her tone light.

“I live here for the weekend,” he said matter-of-factly. “I’m AJ. And you didn’t answer my question.”

Natasha raised an eyebrow. “I’m Natasha. A friend of Y/N’s.”

“A friend?” AJ narrowed his eyes. “What kind of friend?”

“The kind who brings crepes and coffee,” Natasha said, holding the bag.

AJ didn’t look impressed. “That doesn’t mean anything. Lots of people bring stuff when they visit.”

“Hmm.” AJ tapped his chin, clearly trying to decide whether she was trustworthy. “Do you know Isabella’s favorite color?”

“Purple,” Natasha answered without hesitation.

AJ’s eyes narrowed further as if he suspected she’d cheated somehow. “Favorite show?”

“Easy. High School Musical The Musical The Series.” She'd sat through a Friday night binging with Isabella. Thank you very much.

AJ frowned. “Okay, but—”

“Aj!” Your voice cut through the interrogation as you appeared at the door, an amused look on your face. “What are you doing?”

"Grilling the hell out of me, that's what he's doing," Natasha muttered.

"Go play," You shook your head at the young boy. "Come inside."

"But—"

"Inside," You insisted.

"Okay," AJ sighed, turning around and heading back towards the living room.

You let out a small laugh as Natasha stepped inside, the warmth of the house enveloping her.

"Sorry about that," you chuckled. "He's very protective."

"It's fine," Natasha smiled. "Who is he?"

"Sam's nephew," You answered. "They usually spend the night with Isabella before her birthday. Their mom is here doing her hair."

"Oh, cool," Natasha nodded. "I brought crepes."

"You didn't have to do that," You replied, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

"A kiss on the cheek is all I get?" Natasha joked.

"You're right," You laughed. You stepped forward, your kiss light. It could be considered a peck. But it still sent a shiver down her spine. It was over before either of you could savor it. Only neither of you was satisfied with that. A week without seeing each other made you feel deprived.

Your arms wound around her neck, your fingers sinking into the hair at the base of her scalp as your lips parted. Natasha hummed, her free arm pulling you flush against her, the bag forgotten in her hand.

You leaned into her, deepening the kiss. Her tongue was a welcome warmth, and the moan she elicited was enough to make your knees weak. When her hand traveled down to your ass, you pulled back with a giggle.

"I've missed you," You whispered.

"Missed you too," Natasha said, unable to resist planting another kiss on your lips.

The shout pulled you apart instantly. Natasha cleared her throat, a faint blush creeping across her cheeks as she glanced toward the source of the interruption.

“I’m sorry,” you muttered, smoothing your shirt and stepping back. “She’s been a bit of a birthdayzilla these days.”

Natasha chuckled softly. “I’ll survive.”

You led her toward the living room, where Isabella was perched on a chair, her legs swinging happily as a woman—probably the braider you’d mentioned—put the finishing touches on her hair.

“Natasha!” Isabella’s face lit up the second she spotted her. She squirmed in her seat, but the braider gently reminded her to stay still.

“Hey,” Natasha greeted, a warm smile spreading across her face. Her eyes widened slightly as she took in Isabella’s braids—a cute mix of pink and purple stripes woven in, subtle but striking. “Wow, look at you. These are so cool!”

Isabella beamed, clearly thrilled by the compliment. “Do you like them? Pink and purple are my favorite colors!”

“I love them,” Natasha replied, crouching down to get a better look. “You look like a rock star.”

“Like a pop star,” Isabella corrected with a giggle. “But thank you!”

“Big difference,” Natasha teased, giving her a wink.

You smiled at the interaction, leaning against the doorway as you watched them. It was still surreal to see Natasha with Isabella sometimes, how easily she fell into this role that neither of you had planned. Yet here she was, making your daughter feel like the most special person in the world.

“Almost done,” the braider said, securing the last braid with a little pink clip.

“Can I show Natasha my birthday dress after?” Isabella asked excitedly, already bouncing in her seat.

“Of course,” you said with a laugh. “But let Aunt Sarah finish first.”

AJ poked his head into the room, his eyes lighting up as he spotted Natasha.

"You're still here!" He said.

"Yup," Natasha replied, smiling down at him.

"Good," AJ said. "Cause we'll need an extra person for the dance battle."

"Dance battle?" Natasha repeated, her brows arching slightly.

"Yup," AJ grinned. "We're going to have a dance-off for Isabella's birthday."

"Oh really?" Natasha chuckled.

"Yup," AJ nodded, looking over at Isabella. "And we're gonna win! We need a referee. Can you be fair?"

"Well, I can try," Natasha said, unable to hide her smile.

"She's on my team," Isabella said with a giggle.

"Nooo!" AJ said.

"Yes," Isabella replied.

"But, she's the judge," AJ countered.

"And my mom's girlfriend," Isabella argued.

"Girlfriend?" AJ's eyebrows furrowed. "Does Uncle Sam know about this?"

"Boy," Sarah scolded her son.

"For your information, I don't need permission from your uncle Sam to date," You playfully rolled your eyes at the little boy. You knew he was mischievous and didn't take offense to it.

"Alright," Sarah said, clapping her hands. "She's ready."

Isabella hopped out of her chair, her skirt billowing as she rushed over to Natasha.

"I want her on my team," She pouted, her lower lip sticking out.

"Awww, why can't we be on the same team?" AJ whined.

"Because you're mean," Isabella huffed.

"I am not!"

"Are too!"

"I think," Sarah cut in, her hands on her hips. "We can have a boys vs girls competition."

"Okay," Isabella brightened. "Me and Mommy and Natasha!"

"Alright, tomorrow it will be settled," Sarah said. We may have more volunteers.

"Nice save," You grinned as the kids ran to the backyard. It's probably to terrorize Bear. "This is my girlfriend, Natasha. Natasha, this is my ex-sister-in-law, Sarah."

"Ex-sister-in-law," Natasha echoed, tilting her head curiously.

"It has a weird ring when you say it like that," Sarah chuckled. She reached out her hand for Natasha to take. "Nice to meet you, Natasha."

"Likewise," Natasha shook her hand. "You're good at what you do."

"Thank you," Sarah smiled. "The braids were all Isabella's idea. I just do the job."

"She has great taste," Natasha said, her eyes flicking to you.

Natasha glanced between you and Sarah briefly, wondering if it was awkward for her to meet your ex-husband's sister. It had to be strange, right? She hesitated, unsure if she should say anything.

As if sensing the unspoken question, Sarah laughed and waved her hand dismissively. "You’re wondering if this is weird, aren’t you?"

Natasha blinked but nodded slightly. “A little, yeah.”

“It’s not,” Sarah assured her with a warm smile. “Our family’s close enough to know when people need to move on—and to be happy when they do. Life’s too short to hold onto things that don’t work anymore.”

Natasha nodded slowly, appreciating the honesty. “That’s... refreshing to hear.”

“Besides,” Sarah added, glancing at Isabella, who was already halfway to the backyard with AJ on her heels. “As long as Isabella is happy and loved, that’s what matters. And clearly, she adores you.”

Natasha’s lips curved into a soft smile. “I adore her too.”

“She’s easy to adore,” Sarah said with a knowing grin, then looked back to you. “You picked a good one.”

You smiled, your gaze flicking to Natasha. “I know.”

Natasha rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the smile tugging at her lips. The moment felt strange. Comfortable, even. Like Sarah’s words had peeled away the awkwardness Natasha had been bracing for and replaced it with something much simpler: understanding.

"Alright," Sarah said, grabbing her purse. "I've gotta run. I'll be here super early since AJ and Cass are staying here. I'll go and kiss them goodbye. Nice meeting you again, Natasha."

"Nice meeting you," Natasha said.

"See you later, Sarah," You called.

Natasha slipped her hand into yours as the door shut behind her, gently squeezing it.

"Were you nervous?" You asked her softly.

"Not nervous, per se," Natasha shrugged. "Just a little concerned. She's the first ex-family member I've met."

"You handled it well," You chuckled. "She liked you."

"Did she?"

"She wouldn't have given her seal of approval if she didn't," You smiled.

"Her seal of approval," Natasha repeated, her brows arching slightly.

"Yes," You replied. "Now come on. We've got a dance battle to prepare for."

"Right," Natasha chuckled, following you out to the backyard. "A dance battle."

********

Spending the day with three children was even more of a task than Natasha could have ever imagined. She'd grown up with a sibling, always just the two. They had their fights here and there, but nothing held a candle for the three children today. Isabella was the ring leader of the chorus, and her cousins did everything she wanted. Natasha sat back on the couch and watched them go over their routine. It was a little silly, but she was impressed by how quickly they had developed a set. They were quickly reprimanded if they got too rowdy or rough with each other.

She had never seen a more disciplined trio of kids in her life. She had expected chaos from the start, but they'd been very organized instead. She had to commend you for it. You had such a way with them.

Eventually, the night winded down, and you turned to your bedroom to check last-minute emails, your back propped up against the headboard. A yawn threatened to escape, but you stifled it, determined to get through just a few more messages before calling it a night. You'd promised to return to the living room with the rest of the family. Only, you had so much to do.

Natasha stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame.

"Hey," she said, her voice low.

You looked up from your screen, your eyes lingering on her longer than you'd intended. She always looked so calm in moments like this, and you found it grounding in a way you couldn’t explain.

"I thought I would head home now," She gestured to the car. "The kids are almost asleep. Though I think Isabella won't be there for a while."

"Yeah," You smiled. "It's always like that with her cousins."

"Yeah," Natasha laughed. "They're worn out."

"They're going to wake up feeling like zombies," You said.

"Probably," She chuckled.

"So," You put your phone down. "You're leaving?"

"If I don't, I might fall asleep here," She said.

"Would that be so bad?"

"You want me to with the kids in the house?" She questioned.

"I'll lock the door," You grinned.

Natasha smirked. "Well, if you want me to stay."

"I want you to," You admitted.

"Then," She smiled. "I'll stay."

"Good," You whispered. You closed your laptop and placed it on the nightstand. She closed the door behind her and locked it. She threw herself into the bed, crawling slightly until her head rested in your lap.

"Hey," She grinned.

"Hey," You chuckled, your fingers moving through her hair.

"I've missed this," She sighed.

"Yeah," You agreed.

"I've missed us," She added.

"Us?"

"You and me," She said. "Being able to be us without interruptions."

"Well, there's no interruptions here," You said. "You've really missed me during the week. You sure you're not having fun being a hotshot rockstar."

"You're a hotshot too, you know," Natasha joked.

"I guess I am," You said, a small smile on your face. "You look so pretty like this."

"Like what?"

"Here with me," You answered.

"And you," She said. "You're always gorgeous."

"Always, huh," You repeated.

"Even when I'm annoyed with you," She chuckled.

"And when would that be?"

"When you're doing your work thing and don't let me distract you," She said.

"You distract me just fine," You laughed.

"I'm sure I do," She smirked.

"Mhmm," You hummed. "We should probably head to sleep."

"Probably," She agreed, though neither of you moved.

"Or," You suggested.

"Or?"

"Or, we can stay here a little while longer."

"Sounds like a plan," She whispered.

"I have a few last-minute things to pick up for Bella's birthday. I think I'll have Monica do them instead." You began.

"You're a good mom," Natasha hummed.

"Sometimes," You said. "I only say sometimes because I can't give her what she's wanted the most for the past few years. A sibling. She won't let it go."

Natasha's smirk softened into something more tender as she watched you, her hand lazily tracing small circles on your belly. She could tell there was something more behind your words, a weight lingering in your voice.

"Do you want more kids?" Natasha asked, her voice careful, almost hesitant.

You shrugged, your fingers idly toying with the hem of her tank top. "I don't know," you admitted. "My first pregnancy... I was so young, Nat. Terrified. I didn’t know what I was doing. Half the time, I still don’t feel like I do."

"You’re doing amazing," she said quickly, her sincerity evident.

"Thanks," you murmured, your lips twitching into a faint smile. "But if I did have another, I’d want it to be different. I’d want to feel ready and enjoy it instead of being scared out of my mind every second."

"Makes sense," Natasha nodded, her hand sliding down to intertwine with yours. She was quiet momentarily as if weighing something over in her mind.

"What about you?" you asked, tilting your head. "Isabella grilling you on our Facetime call told me enough."

"I'd like kids," Natasha shrugged.

"With me?"

"Of course, with you," She laughed. "Tell me about your pregnancy. What was it like? Something good."

"Oh," You chuckled. "Well, there was a point when I was craving the strangest food."

"And what would that be?" She asked, a small smile on her lips.

"Pickle ice cream."

"Pickle ice cream," Natasha repeated.

"And chocolate syrup," You added.

"That's the oddest combination," She said.

"It was what she wanted," You laughed. "Also, I couldn't eat meat for about four months. I would just puke it all up."

"Was she a picky eater?" Natasha asked.

"Sometimes," You replied. "She's still picky."

"That's not surprising," Natasha smiled. "And what about her birth?"

"That part," You chuckled. "I don't remember much. I know the pain was excruciating."

"Really?"

"Yeah," You nodded. "I kind of dissociated after. I do remember just being so in love with her. Holding her. She was so tiny."

"Wow," Natasha whispered, her hand still tracing lazy circles.

"She was so beautiful," You whispered, a fond smile spreading across your lips.

"Did I ever tell you how much motherhood suits you?" Natasha questioned.

"Well, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're trying to get me pregnant." You joked.

"If I could, you would be," Natasha said in such a tone that you believe her.

"Oh yeah?" You chuckled.

"I can't imagine anything more beautiful than a mini version of us running around," She continued. "Not to mention, the practice would be kind of fun."

"Yeah," You sighed.

"And," Natasha sat up. "I'd be right here with you through the whole thing. From morning sickness to picking out the most god-awful maternity clothes. Every single step. I'd be with you."

"Really?"

"Really," She whispered.

You took a deep breath. "You talk a good game, Natasha Romanoff."

"I'm a woman of my word."

"Oh, I'm aware." You kissed her.

"So," Natasha whispered. "Does that mean you'll have a kid with me?"

"Maybe," You murmured.

"Maybe?" She frowned.

"Yes," You laughed.

"That's a yes, then," Natasha said.

"Well, not right now," You laughed. "In the words of Beyonce... you have to put a ring on it."

"That's the rule, huh?" Natasha grinned.

"Yup," You said. "No baby, unless there's a ring."

"So," She leaned in, her lips a breath away. "If I put a ring on it, you'll have my kid."

"Well, not just that," You replied.

"Then what?"

"You're also going to be my wife," You whispered.

"Your wife," She echoed, her tongue clicking against the roof of her mouth. "Hmmm, sounds perfect."

"You sound pretty sure," You teased.

"Well, I know I'll marry you," Natasha smirked.

"And why's that?"

"Because," She said, her lips brushing against yours. "We belong together."

"So cheesy," You whispered.

Before Natasha could deepen the kiss, a soft knock sounded at the door. You barely had time to pull back before Isabella pushed it open, standing there with her hands on her hips and a pout on her lips.

"Mama," she whined, her voice tinged with frustration. "The boys are trying to watch scary movies, and I’m not down for it."

You exchanged a glance with Natasha, biting back a laugh at her dramatic delivery. Natasha leaned back against the headboard, her arms crossed, the picture of casual amusement.

"Scary movies, huh?" Natasha asked.

"Yeah! AJ said I’d get nightmares and cry," Isabella huffed, crossing her arms.

"That doesn’t sound very nice," you said, patting the bed beside you. "Come here, birthday girl."

Isabella climbed onto the bed, squeezing herself between you and Natasha. She leaned into your side, her tiny arms wrapping around your waist.

"You can stay with us," Natasha offered.

"Really?" Isabella’s eyes lit up, her earlier frustration forgotten.

"Of course," Natasha grinned. "We were just talking about super important stuff like... pancakes for breakfast tomorrow."

Isabella giggled, her nose scrunching up. "Pancakes aren’t important!"

"Excuse me," Natasha feigned offense, holding a hand to her chest. "Pancakes are very important."

"She’s right," you said, kissing Isabella’s head. "And maybe we’ll make them extra special since it’s your birthday weekend."

"With whipped cream and sprinkles?" Isabella asked, her voice hopeful.

"Absolutely," Natasha said without hesitation, making Isabella delightfully squeal.

As the three of you settled in, Isabella leaned into Natasha, chatting animatedly about everything she wanted to do tomorrow. And though the moment had shifted, you couldn’t help but smile, your heart full as you watched Natasha listen attentively to your daughter, already fitting into your little family as if she belonged there all along.

*****

Natasha whistled softly as she stepped out of the car, taking in the sheer size of Sam's house. She thought your place was impressive, but this? This was something else. Despite its grandeur, the sprawling two-story home had a warm, inviting charm, and the massive backyard—already filled with decorations—was a whole world of its own.

The scene in the backyard was almost magical. Mini tents were set up, each acting as a spa station with its themes—manicures, pedicures, facials, and even a hair-braiding corner. The kids were running around in coordinated pink, gold, and ivory outfits, looking like miniature royalty as they giggled and chased each other.

"Wow," Natasha muttered as she adjusted the gift bag.

You caught her staring and smiled, nudging her shoulder. "Told you, Sam goes all out. He doesn't know how to do small parties."

"Clearly," Natasha said with a chuckle. "This looks like something out of a Pinterest board on steroids."

"Right?" you laughed. "Isabella's been talking about this for weeks. She even picked out a special outfit just for today."

As if on cue, Isabella came running over, her pink and gold dress flouncing as she moved. Her braids were styled in two neat buns, each adorned with little golden clips that sparkled in the sun. She was practically glowing with excitement.

"Natasha! Mama! Look at everything!" she squealed, grabbing both of your hands and pulling you toward the tents.

"Wow," Natasha said, crouching slightly to meet Isabella's eyes. "You look like a princess. That dress is amazing."

"Thanks, it's custom-made," She beamed. "My shoes, too."

"Your whole outfit is custom-made?" Natasha gaped.

"Of course," Isabella smiled. "Auntie Kate is the best. She makes all my clothes and does the alterations. Do you want me to show you how she does it?"

"You know how to sew?" Natasha asked.

"Not yet," Isabella shrugged. "But I'm learning."

"She's a busy kid," You shrugged. You leaned down to kiss her as you hadn't seen her since Sam picked her up after breakfast. "Hi, Bella."

"Hey, Mommy," She grinned.

"Is that my niece?!" Kate called.

"Hey, Auntie," Isabella ran over and hugged her.

"Happy Birthday, Princess," Kate cooed. "Go play; the party's just getting started."

"Okay," She rushed off to join her friends.

"You do make the cutest things," You said, wrapping Kate in a hug. "The dress turned out so good."

"You're not wrong about that," Kate grinned, pulling back from your hug. "Isabella has the taste of a fashion mogul already. I’ll be working for her in no time."

Before you could respond, a familiar voice called out, breaking through the hum of laughter and music.

"Am I interrupting a love fest?" Sam strolled over with a wide grin and a beer in hand. His tailored shirt and casual slacks gave him a polished but laid-back look, typical Sam.

"Always," you teased, stepping back. "Natasha, you remember Sam."

"I do," Natasha said with a slight nod and a polite but firm smile.

"And, of course, I remember you," Sam said, his smile widening as he addressed Natasha. "Nice to see you again, Natasha. Thanks for coming. Isabella's been talking nonstop about you being here."

"I'm glad I could make it," Natasha replied smoothly.

Sam's grin grew as he shifted his gaze between you. "So, how's it going with this one?" he asked Natasha, motioning toward you with a mischievous glint.

You rolled your eyes, already prepared for his antics. "Sam..."

"What?" Sam held up his hands in mock innocence. "Just curious. I like to keep tabs on who’s keeping you on your toes."

Natasha smirked, folding her arms. "I’d say we’re doing pretty well. She keeps me on my toes, too, though."

"Good," Sam said, nodding approvingly. "You need that. Trust me."

"Alright, cool it," you interjected, shaking your head but unable to hide your smile. "You’ve met her before, Sam. No need to grill her again."

"Hey, I'm just being a responsible ex-husband-slash-friend," Sam quipped, sipping his beer. "Besides, it’s nice to see you happy."

Natasha raised an eyebrow, watching the banter with interest. She could see it now—the ease with which you and Sam interacted, the unspoken understanding between you two. There was no tension, no bitterness. Just the comfort of people who’d once been something else but had figured out how to be something better for Isabella’s sake.

"How about you?" Natasha asked, surprising Sam. "You happy?"

Sam blinked, then let out a low chuckle. "I like her," he said, glancing at you. "Smart and straightforward. I can see why you’re with her."

"Don’t dodge the question," Natasha pressed, her smirk deepening.

"Fair enough," Sam said with a shrug. "Yeah, I’m happy. Life’s good. Got a great kid, a solid job, and I still get to hang out with my favorite ex-wife."

"Favorite?" you teased. "How many do you have?"

"Just the one, but you’re still the best," Sam shot back, making Natasha laugh softly.

"Well, I'm glad you two get along," You smiled. "I was a little worried."

"No need to worry," Sam said, his gaze shifting over your shoulder. "Here comes the birthday girl."

Natasha turned and watched as Isabella made her way over, followed closely by her cousins.

"Daddy, what color should I get my nails? AJ said pink is too girly." Isabella asked.

"AJ is a punk, and you know it," Sam said, a serious look on his face.

"Sam!" You scolded. "He's your nephew."

"Sorry," He said.

"You can get any color you want," Natasha offered.

"Any color?" Isabella looked at her.

"Any," Natasha repeated.

"Even black?"

"Black would be an interesting choice, but yes," You nodded.

"Can I get them with glitter?" She asked.

"Definitely," You laughed. "Go have fun. I'll get some snacks in a few."

"Thanks, Mama," She rushed off, her cousins behind her.

"They have a lot of energy," Natasha commented.

"You don't know the half of it," Sam sighed. "Those three could run a marathon. Now, Natasha, how much do you know about grilling?"

"Uh, a little," Natasha answered, slightly confused by the abrupt question.

"Great," Sam handed her his beer and started toward the grill. "I could use a little help over here."

"Okay, then," Natasha glanced at you with amusement.

You grinned and shrugged. "Good luck," you said, waving them off.

"The ex and the new girlfriend," Monica teased as she stepped up to you. "You, Sam, and another woman. Now, where have I seen that before?"

"In your grave, if you don't be quiet," You rolled your eyes at her.

"I'm not dead," Monica laughed.

"Not yet."

"Oh, come on, Y/N," Monica said. "Live a little."

"I've lived a lot already," You sighed. "This party planning drained me. Thanks for picking up the balloons."

"Anything for my goddaughter," Monica said. "Besides, it was on my way."

"It wasn't, but whatever," You smiled.

"Mama!" Isabella called. "Come pick a tent."

"Duty calls," You shook your head. You followed Isabella into a tent where she would be getting her pedicure. You sat to her left while Lenny sat to her right. "So, do you like this party better than the spa we planned?"

"It's way better," Isabella grinned.

"What about the boys?"

"They're being dumb," She rolled her eyes. "But, the dance battle should be fun."

"Indeed it will be," You said as you chose a color.

*********

Natasha stood by the grill, the warm sun overhead and the aroma of sizzling meat filling the air. Sam was expertly flipping burgers, his demeanor relaxed and friendly. A few of his old football teammates stood nearby, chatting and laughing loudly. Natasha could tell they were sizing her up, even if subtly. It didn’t bother her; she’d been in enough social situations to roll with it.

"Natasha, this is my buddy Jordan," Sam said, nodding toward a tall guy with broad shoulders and a grin too charming for his good. "We played together back in college."

"Hey," Natasha said, giving Jordan a polite nod.

"And that's Chris," Sam added, pointing to a stocky man with a buzz cut and a hearty laugh.

"Nice to meet you," Natasha said, shaking his hand.

"And over there is Keith," Sam finished, motioning to a lanky guy with a lazy smile.

"Big fan of your band," Keith said, extending a hand. "I saw you play in Austin a few years ago. You crushed it."

"Thanks," Natasha replied, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Austin was a fun gig."

"So, Sam tells us you’re a rockstar," Jordan said, leaning on the counter of the grill station. "What’s that like?"

"Chaotic, but in the best way," Natasha said. "I get to travel, make music, and meet people. Can’t complain."

"Well, you’re in good company," Sam interjected, handing her a pair of tongs. "Think you can handle flipping some burgers, Rockstar?"

Natasha raised an eyebrow, accepting the tongs. "I think I can manage."

"Here’s the trick," Sam said, pointing closer at the grill. "You press down lightly on the patties, just enough to sear them but not too much—you don’t want to lose the juices."

Natasha mimicked his movements, flipping a burger with precision. "Like this?"

"Perfect," Sam said with a nod. He leaned back against the grill station, watching her work. "So, you’re really into this whole music thing, huh?"

"Yeah," Natasha said, glancing at him with amusement. "Is this your way of scoping me out?"

Sam laughed, shaking his head. "Nah, not really. If Y/N trusts you, that’s enough for me. She’s got good instincts."

Natasha tilted her head, studying him for a moment. "You two seem close. That’s rare for exes."

Sam shrugged, flipping another burger. "We’re a team when it comes to Isabella. She deserves the best from both of us. Besides, Y/N is one of my favorite people. It’d be dumb not to keep her in my life."

"That’s fair," Natasha admitted, handing the tongs back to him. "For the record, she’s pretty incredible."

"Don’t I know it," Sam said, a playful smirk on his face. "But, hey, don’t let me intimidate you. I’m rooting for you, Rockstar."

"Good to know," Natasha said, her tone light but her eyes sharp. She liked that Sam didn’t play games.

"Alright, let’s see if you’re as good with hot dogs as you are with burgers," Sam said, sliding a tray of sausages toward her.

"Bring it on," Natasha replied, rolling up her sleeves.

"So, y/n tells me you're going on tour," Sam began.

"Yes, it's June through October," Natasha nodded. "We start here in LA, go through the us and UK, and then end in Madison Square Garden."

"That's a pretty long time," He replied.

"Yeah, it'll be nice," She nodded.

"When does the tour start?"

"Next week," Natasha said.

"So," He paused. "Y/n won't be able to visit."

"Well, it's hard when we're touring," Natasha nodded. "Oh, she's coming with me. I figured she and Isabella could come to certain cities in the summer. Maybe even ride in the tour bus."

Sam raised an eyebrow, his tongs hovering over the grill as he flipped a burger. "The tour bus, huh? With a bunch of rockstars?"

Natasha smirked, picking up on his subtle unease. "It's not as chaotic as it sounds. We're pretty organized. And the bus is comfortable—lots of space, no wild parties with a kid around."

"Still," Sam said, rubbing the back of his neck, "having Bella on the road... That could be tough. She's got her routine—school, activities, seeing her friends. It’s not just about her, you know? Y/n too. I don’t want her feeling stretched thin trying to juggle everything."

Natasha tilted her head, acknowledging his concern. "I get it. It's a big adjustment, but it’s not like they'll be on the road the whole time. Just a few cities here and there during the summer when school’s out. Y/n’s already thought through the logistics."

Sam exhaled, his jaw tightening as he pressed on a patty with his spatula. "I’m not saying no. I know Y/n will figure it out—she’s always been good at that. I just... worry, you know? Bella needs stability. And if something goes sideways, I’d hate for her to feel stuck in the middle."

Natasha watched him for a moment, appreciating the protective edge in his voice. "I understand where you’re coming from," she said carefully. "And I know you’re looking out for her, which is good. But I also know Y/n. She wouldn’t agree to this if she didn’t think it was what was best for Bella, too. It's not my place to tell you how to parent, but I think it would be a great opportunity for her."

"I hear you," Sam said, the tension in his shoulders easing a bit. "But, I mean, a rockstar, right? That's kind of a big deal."

"It is," Natasha nodded. "But she's met everyone in the band. They all adore her and Bella. I'd never let anything bad happen to either of them."

Sam paused, studying her for a moment. "I like you Romanoff. You can flip a good burger."

Natasha knew it was the end of the conversation for the time being. Sam flipped a burger with practiced ease, his jaw tight as he stayed quiet for a beat too long. Natasha could sense his unease simmering beneath the surface, even as he kept his town.

“Look, it’s not like I don’t think Y/n’s thought this through,” he said finally, eyes fixed on the grill. “But Bella’s... she’s still a kid. And being on the road, in and out of hotels, buses—it’s not exactly a routine.”

Natasha adjusted her stance, leaning casually against the counter to match his energy. “It’s not a nine-to-five,” she agreed, keeping her tone neutral. “But it’s not like she’d be on her own. Y/n planned everything to ensure Bella’s comfort—schooling, downtime, and even the other band members. Everyone’s on board.”

Sam nodded slightly but didn’t look at her. “Yeah, well, it’s easy for everyone to be on board when it’s not their kid. I’m just saying... this is a lot to ask of her.”

Natasha resisted the urge to bristle. Instead, she tried to meet him halfway. “I get it,” she said softly. “You’re protective. You should be. But Y/n isn’t making this decision lightly. She’d never put Bella in a situation where she didn’t feel safe or secure.”

Sam flipped another patty, his movements sharp. “It’s not about Y/n. I trust her. It’s... it’s the whole thing. Bella deserves stability.”

“And she’ll have it,” Natasha said firmly, holding his gaze when he finally glanced at her. “Even on the road, she’ll have her mom, a schedule, and a whole group of people who care about her. Stability doesn’t always look the same for every family.”

Sam exhaled through his nose, clearly turning her words over in his mind. “I guess.” He paused, staring down at the grill. “Just... Y/n should’ve brought this up with me first. I feel like I’m hearing about it after it’s already decided.”

Natasha nodded, her tone softening. “That’s fair. If this hasn’t been fully talked through, you deserve that conversation. I’m not trying to overstep here. I just wanted you to know I’m in this too—for both of them.”

Sam gave her a long look, his expression unreadable. “You care about them, huh?”

“More than anything,” Natasha said simply.

He nodded, his grip on the spatula loosening. Sam nodded, picking up the spatula again. “Alright, Romanoff. I’ll talk to Y/n to ensure we’re all on the same page. But don’t expect me to go easy on you just because you flip a decent burger.”

Natasha chuckled, picking up her spatula. "Wouldn't dream of it."

***

The dance-off had been a success. Isabella and her cousins were exhausted but beaming with pride as the last notes faded. The party continued with food, laughter, and joy. The kids were excited to play in the bouncy house, and the parents were having a blast. Steve, Wanda, and the rest of the band came to celebrate, and it was a joyous occasion. Everyone coming together to celebrate Bella was beautiful, and you were grateful for your family.

It was time for you to make a small speech before you sang happy birthday to her. It was a tradition you'd started when she was little, and it was just the three of you.

You stood before all the guests and ignored the photographer buzzing around you. These pictures and videos would only be for family mostly.

"It's Isabella's tenth birthday," You began. "I know it may seem dramatic for us to give speeches, but this is a big one. Our baby is growing up. But I am so proud of her. She's kind, smart, talented, and so much fun. We have a special girl." You motioned for Isabella to stand next to you.

"Mommy and Daddy love you so much. You are so special," Sam continued.

"We love you, princess," You grinned. "Happy birthday."

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," Sam echoed.

Everyone clapped as the birthday song was sung.

"You ready for your cake?" Sam asked.

"Yes," Isabella beamed.

"Okay," You laughed. You leaned over, taking a moment to swipe a piece of icing to tap on her nose. "I love you, baby girl." You kissed her cheek as Sam kissed the other side.

"Love you, Bella," Sam added.

"Love you, Daddy," Isabella giggled. "Love you, Mama."

"Okay, let's get this show on the road," You clapped.

The rest of the party went off without a hitch. Isabella opened her presents and was thrilled. She loved everything she'd received, which was so special to watch. Her cousins and friends stayed over to enjoy the bouncy house, and all the parents were having a blast. You had your arm around Natasha's waist as you watched Isabella continue to bounce. It was a great way to end the night.

--->

#natasha romanoff #black reader #natasha x reader #black widow x reader #black widow x female reader #natasha romanov #natasha x you #hotelcaliforniaau

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crossfandomskylines · 2 days ago

Text

In the Space Between: Chapter 20

OTHER CHAPTERS:

Chapter 1 I Chapter 2 I Chapter 3 I Chapter 4 I Chapter 5

Chapter 6 I Chapter 7 I Chapter 8 I Chapter 9 I Chapter 10

Chapter 11 I Chapter 12 I Chapter 13 I Chapter 14 I Chapter 15

Chapter 16 I Chapter 17 I Chapter 18 I Chapter 19 I Chapter 20

Pairing: Glen Powell x OC

Summary: Glen and Gabby enjoy a laid-back evening together, starting with burgers from a cozy local spot near Gabby’s apartment. Their casual dinner transitions into an intimate at-home date night filled with easy conversation and quiet moments of connection that deepen their bond. However, the peaceful night takes an unsettling turn when Gabby receives a late-night phone call from an ex.

Word Count: 7.1k

Warnings: Mild Language (words like "dammit" and other mild profanities), Themes of Emotional Distress (feelings of unease and discomfort related to previous relationships), Discussions of Safety and Boundaries (includes mentions of possible stalking or unwanted contact, which might be sensitive to some readers), Protective Behavior: Glen’s reaction, while supportive, includes heightened emotions and protectiveness that may feel intense for some readers.

A/N: Hey guys! So this chapter has a lot of upbeat, happy moments, and I do love that for Gabby but I also feel like real life and real relationships always have a few bumps so this chapter includes a bump for Gabby and Glen. This chapter does include a slightly different side of Glen than we've seen, but I think I did okay with conveying what he may be thinking or feeling in this situation. As always please let me know what you think with Hearts, Comments, and Reblogs. I love seeing your thoughts on this story as it progresses!

As they wrapped up their leisurely walk through the park, Gabby’s stomach gave a soft, audible grumble, making her cheeks flush in embarrassment.

Glen, ever attuned to her, chuckled and said, “We should probably eat. Skipping lunch for... other activities wasn’t the most sustainable plan.” His teasing tone made Gabby’s face heat even more, and she swatted playfully at his arm.

“I wasn’t the one who suggested skipping lunch,” she shot back, her lips curling into a smirk despite herself.

Glen raised a brow, a grin appearing on his face. “Didn’t hear you complaining earlier when I was-”

Gabby groaned, covering her face with one hand as Glen laughed. “Alright, fine,” she said, peeking at him through her fingers. “I know a great burger place nearby. It’s become one of my favorite spots since moving here.”

“Burgers, huh?” Glen drawled, falling into step beside her as they exited the park. “Sounds perfect!”

“Are you sure…” Gabby teased, tilting her head as if considering something.

Glen grinned and then said "What?" with a chuckle.

"I mean have you seen your abs? Do you even eat burgers?”

He let out an exaggerated gasp this time, clutching his chest as if mortally wounded. “Now that’s just plain insulting. I’ll have you know I’m very experienced in the fine art of burger eating. Greasy hands and all.”

Gabby giggled, shaking her head at his theatrics. But as they reached the edge of the park and started down the sidewalk, she froze mid-step. “Oh. I forgot my purse back at the apartment.”

“It’s fine,” Glen said with a casual shrug. “I’ve got it.”

“No, no,” Gabby protested quickly, spinning on her heel to head back toward her place. “It’s my turn to buy. We’ll just swing by my place and grab it.”

But before she could take more than a few steps, Glen grabbed her hand, tugging her back toward the direction of the restaurant.

“Not happening,” he said firmly, his southern drawl soft but resolute.

“Glen—”

“Gabby,” he interrupted, his tone gentle yet teasing as he gave her hand a tug. “I’m covering it. End of discussion.”

“But—”

He shot her a knowing look, his hand tightening around hers as he started leading her down the street. “You can fight me on this all you want, sweetheart, but you’re not going back to the apartment just to grab your purse. Besides, what kind of gentleman would I be if I let you pay?”

Gabby groaned, dragging her feet just enough to make a point, though her heart did a little flip at the way he called her sweetheart. “You’re insufferable, you know that?”

“Maybe,” Glen replied with a wide grin. “But you love it.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue, letting him steer her toward the burger joint as her heart warmed at the thoughtfulness behind his insistence.

When they turned the corner onto the street where the burger place was, Gabby groaned softly. Despite the fact it was barely past four in the afternoon, a line had already formed outside, snaking down the sidewalk.

Glen raised an eyebrow as he took in the scene. “Popular spot, huh?”

“Yeah,” Gabby said with a sheepish smile. “I wasn’t kidding when I said it’s a favorite of mine. It’s a local gem, but word must’ve gotten out. It’s not usually this packed.”

As they got closer, Glen glanced around, his posture shifting ever so slightly. Gabby followed his gaze and noticed a few people in line turning to look in their direction. Most didn’t say anything, but their glances lingered just a little too long, brows furrowing as if trying to place where they’d seen him before.

“Maybe we should get it to go,” Glen suggested, his voice low and calm. “Take it back to your place. Fewer people. Fewer eyes.”

Gabby didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, that works for me.”

But just as she finished speaking, a young woman broke away from the line and walked toward them, her phone already in hand. She was in her early twenties, wearing an oversized sweatshirt and sneakers, her eyes wide with excitement.

“Oh my God, are you Glen Powell?” she asked, her voice tinged with nervous energy.

Glen offered a polite smile, the kind that came so naturally to him. “I am. Hi.”

“Can I… can I get a picture with you? I’m such a big fan,” she gushed, holding up her phone.

“Of course,” Glen said smoothly, already stepping a little to the side so she could position herself next to him.

Gabby, feeling a bit like an intruder, took a step back, giving them space. The fan snapped a selfie, her face practically glowing as she thanked him profusely.

As she walked back to the line, Glen turned to Gabby, pulling his wallet from his back pocket. He slipped a credit card into her hand, his fingers brushing hers for just a moment.

“Go ahead and order for us while I handle this,” he said, nodding toward the growing cluster of people who had now started to edge closer, their expressions filled with recognition.

“Are you sure?” Gabby asked, glancing at the credit card and then back at him.

“Yeah,” he said, flashing her a quick grin. “Double burger, no cheese, with everything else, and fries. I’ll meet you inside if I can, or back at your place if I can’t.”

Slipping inside the restaurant, Gabby took a steadying breath. The warm smell of burgers and fries hit her instantly, a comforting contrast to the whirlwind of activity outside. She stepped up to the counter, placed their order, and then stood off to the side, watching through the window as Glen patiently interacted with his fans.

Even as she admired his kindness and easy charm, a small part of her couldn’t help but think about how different her life would look if she stayed in his world. It was thrilling in some ways, but also overwhelming.

As Gabby moved to the side with their order receipt in hand, she glanced out the window again. Glen was surrounded now, a small crowd forming around him as if he were a magnet. His smile never wavered, and he seemed at ease, laughing and chatting with his fans as he signed autographs and posed for photos.

Gabby shifted her gaze, focusing on the cheerful chaos of the restaurant instead. The sizzle of burgers on the griddle and the chatter of diners filled the air, grounding her in the moment. She leaned against the counter, her fingers absentmindedly fidgeting with the corner of the receipt.

She was happy for Glen’s success, for the way he connected with people, but moments like this also reminded her of the unique challenges that came with being close to someone like him.

Before she could dwell on it further, the cashier called her name, sliding a bag of food and two cups across the counter. Gabby grabbed them and headed toward the door, taking one last glance at Glen through the glass.

As Gabby pushed the door open, the warm air greeted her, along with the low murmur of voices blending with the hum of the city. Glen’s unmistakable figure was still surrounded, his broad shoulders towering above most of the fans who had gathered. She lingered just outside the restaurant, holding the bag of food in one hand and balancing the two drinks in the other.

Glen spotted her almost immediately. His eyes softened when they met hers, and for a moment, his signature grin was reserved just for her. He quickly returned his attention to the fans, posing for another picture and signing the back of someone’s phone case.

“Alright, guys,” Glen said, his southern drawl cutting through the chatter. “I hate to run, but I’ve gotta go.”

The crowd let out a mix of disappointed sighs and understanding smiles. “Thank you so much for stopping and saying hi,” he added, his charm in full effect. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get to everyone, but maybe next time.”

With a few more quick waves and apologies, Glen excused himself and began making his way toward Gabby. She watched him weave through the small crowd with an effortless ease that never failed to amaze her.

When he reached her, Glen immediately took the two drinks from her hands. “Let me get those,” he said, his voice soft as if they were the only two people on the street.

“Thanks,” she replied, handing them over gratefully.

He glanced at the bag in her other hand. “Got everything?”

Gabby nodded. “Yep, burgers, fries, the works. Just hope it lives up to the hype I gave it.”

They walked in comfortable silence for a moment, the buzz of the city fading into the background. Glen shifted the drinks to one hand and reached for her free one with the other, his fingers intertwining with hers as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“You didn’t have to cut them off, you know,” Gabby said after a moment, glancing at him.

Glen shrugged, his thumb brushing lightly over her knuckles. “I didn’t want to keep you waiting. Besides, I don’t mind signing a few things or taking pictures, but I’d rather spend my time with you.”

Gabby’s cheeks warmed at his words, and she squeezed his hand gently. Glen grinned down at her, his expression so genuine it made her chest tighten.

Back at Gabby’s apartment, the comforting smell of grilled burgers and salty fries filled the air as they unpacked their to-go order. Gabby grabbed some napkins from the kitchen while Glen set the drinks down on the coffee table. The cozy familiarity of the space wrapped around them, a quiet sanctuary far from the prying eyes of the world.

She plopped down onto the couch, cross-legged, balancing her burger and fries in her lap. Glen joined her, sitting close enough that their knees brushed. He opened his own burger, the wrapper crinkling in the quiet apartment. For a moment, the only sounds were their contented sighs and the occasional clink of an ice cube in their drinks.

“This is nice,” Gabby said between bites, gesturing vaguely at the room.

Glen chuckled. “A burger on a couch?”

She nudged him playfully with her foot. “Hey, don’t knock it. You’re the one who said this would live up to the hype.”

“And you weren’t wrong,” he admitted, holding up his burger like a toast. “It’s good.”

They ate in comfortable silence for a while before Glen set his food aside and leaned back against the couch, his gaze flickering toward her. “You know,” he began, his voice soft, “I’m sorry we don’t get to go on more...real dates.”

Gabby looked up from her fries, her expression thoughtful. “Real dates? Like fancy restaurants and candlelit dinners?”

Glen nodded, a small, sheepish smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah, something like that. Something...normal.”

She tilted her head, considering his words. “Honestly? I kind of like this better.”

He raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. “Sitting on your couch eating burgers?”

“Exactly.” Gabby smiled, her tone warm. “It’s just...us. No cameras, no crowds, no worrying about what we’re supposed to wear or how we’re supposed to act. Just you, me, and a really good burger.”

Glen leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he studied her. “You really mean that?”

“Of course I do,” she replied, her smile softening. “Don’t get me wrong, the idea of you surprising me with some romantic, sweeping date is nice. And we'll get there. Eventually people will find out about us and then we can go out and do stuff together. But this? This feels real. It feels...right. At least for right now.”

A genuine grin spread across Glen’s face, his eyes lighting up. “You’re something else, you know that?”

Gabby shrugged, popping a fry into her mouth. “Yeah, but you like me anyway.”

Glen leaned back against the couch, a laugh rumbling low in his chest. “That I do,” he said, his grin lingering as he glanced at Gabby.

For a moment, he simply watched her. The way she picked up another fry and twirled it idly in her fingers, the light catching the soft curve of her smile, the way her eyes crinkled at the corners when she looked at him. How had he ever gotten so lucky? She was smart and funny, quick with a teasing remark but always knowing when to be gentle. She challenged him in ways that made him want to be better, and somehow, she fit into his life so seamlessly—getting along with his family, handling his whirlwind schedule, and being unbothered by the chaos that came with dating someone like him.

Glen wasn’t sure how long he’d been staring, lost in his thoughts, when Gabby caught his gaze. Her brow furrowed slightly as she tilted her head.

“What?” she asked, reaching for a napkin and swiping it across her mouth. “Do I have ketchup on my face or something?”

That broke his trance, and he chuckled softly, shaking his head. “No, nothing like that.”

“Then why are you looking at me like that?” she pressed, her tone light but curious as she crumpled the napkin in her hand.

Glen hesitated for a second, feeling a flush of vulnerability rise in his chest, but then he decided to just say it. “I was just thinking about how perfect you are.”

Gabby froze, the fry halfway to her mouth, her eyes widening. “What?”

“You’re perfect,” Glen said, his smile turning softer. “For me, anyway. You’re smart, funny, way too patient with me and my crazy life,” he added with a teasing grin.

Gabby blinked, her face turning a shade pinker as she shifted uncomfortably on the couch. She glanced down at the food in her lap, fiddling with the edge of the wrapper. “I... I don’t know what to say to that,” she admitted, her voice quieter now.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Glen assured her, leaning closer and nudging her knee with his. “I just wanted you to know.”

She lifted her gaze back to his, her lips twitching into a small, shy smile. “I’m not really good at... taking compliments like that,” she confessed.

“I’ve noticed,” Glen said, his tone teasing but fond. He reached out and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “But I’ll keep giving them anyway.”

Gabby’s cheeks flushed deeper, but the warmth in his voice settled something inside her. “You’re impossible, you know that?” she said, trying to cover her shyness with humor.

“Yeah,” Glen replied, leaning back with a grin. “But you like me anyway.” He added, mocking her earlier words just minutes before.

Her soft laugh filled the space between them, and for a moment, the world felt small and perfect. Just them, a couple of burgers, and a quiet evening in the only place they both wanted to be.

By the time they finished their burgers, the golden light of early evening was spilling through the windows of Gabby’s apartment. Glen stretched his legs out in front of him, his socked feet propped up on the edge of her coffee table. Gabby stood, gathering up their empty wrappers and drink cups, and he couldn’t help but watch her again, this time admiring the ease with which they fit together, even in such an ordinary moment.

“So,” she said as she walked back from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel before tossing it onto the counter. “What now?”

Glen grinned, pulling her down onto the couch beside him. “Now, we watch a movie.”

Gabby raised a brow, settling into the crook of his arm. “Oh yeah? And what cinematic masterpiece are you gracing me with tonight?”

“Masterpiece is a strong word,” Glen teased, reaching for the remote. “But I’ve got one in mind. It’s a classic.”

“Classic as in ‘actual classic,’ or classic as in ‘one of those movies guys insist everyone has to see?’” Gabby asked, her lips quirking into a smirk.

Glen shot her a mock-offended look. “Hey, I have great taste. You’ll thank me for this one.”

Gabby laughed, curling her legs beneath her as Glen pulled up the movie. Her curiosity piqued as the title appeared on the screen. “Wait, you’re kidding,” she said, glancing up at him. “You’ve been telling me to watch this for how long now?”

“Too long,” Glen replied, pressing play. “It’s about time you finally listened to me, and watched it.”

Gabby rolled her eyes playfully but leaned into his side, her head resting against his shoulder as the opening credits began to roll. “This better be good,” she teased, though the warmth in her voice made it clear she was just happy to be there with him.

Glen smiled, draping his arm around her and pulling her closer. “Trust me,” he said softly.

As the movie began, Gabby shifted, trying to find a comfortable position. She tucked her feet beneath her, her knee brushing against Glen’s thigh. He didn’t seem to mind—in fact, he glanced down at her with a soft smile and adjusted his arm around her shoulders to give her more space.

A few minutes in, Gabby felt Glen’s hand begin to absentmindedly trace patterns along her arm. The motion was slow, soothing, and entirely distracting. She tried to focus on the screen, but the warmth of his touch sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. She glanced up at him, and he gave her a small, knowing smile, as if he was perfectly aware of the effect he was having on her.

“Am I supposed to be watching the movie or getting distracted by you?” she teased, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Can’t it be both?” he murmured, his thumb brushing over the curve of her shoulder.

Gabby rolled her eyes but didn’t pull away. Instead, she nestled closer, letting her head rest against his chest. His heartbeat was steady beneath her ear, and she let the rhythm lull her into a state of utter contentment.

At some point during a particularly tense scene, Gabby shifted again, wrapping her arm around Glen’s middle. His hand slid from her arm to her waist, pulling her a fraction closer. She felt the press of his lips against her hair—gentle and fleeting, but enough to send her heart fluttering.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice soft.

“Mm-hmm,” she murmured, tilting her head to glance up at him. “Just getting comfortable.”

As the movie played on, Gabby found herself more focused on the little things—like the way Glen’s fingers never stopped moving, tracing idle patterns against her skin, or the way he’d glance down at her with a contented smile whenever she laughed at a particularly funny line.

At one point, when a suspenseful scene had her gripping his shirt without realizing it, he leaned down and whispered, “Relax, sweetheart. It’s just a movie.”

During the two hours of the movie, time slipped away. The movie played on, but for Glen, it wasn’t just about the story on the screen. It was about moments like this—Gabby’s quiet laughter at the funny parts, the way she tensed during the suspenseful scenes, and the little comments she whispered, keeping up her running commentary.

As the credits began to roll, Gabby looked up at him with a satisfied smile. “Okay, I’ll admit it. That was pretty good.”

“Pretty good?” Glen echoed, feigning insult. “That’s all you’ve got?”

“Don’t push it, cowboy,” Gabby teased, patting his chest.

Glen chuckled, dropping a kiss onto the top of her head. “Fine. I’ll take pretty good,” he murmured, his voice low and content.

For a moment, they stayed like that, the world outside quiet and still, as if time had slowed just for them.

The soft glow of the TV illuminated the living room as they lingered on the couch, neither in a rush to move. Outside, the sky had deepened to an inky black, dotted with stars visible even from the city. Gabby sighed contentedly, still leaning against Glen’s chest.

“It’s getting late,” she murmured, tilting her head back to look at him.

“Mm,” Glen agreed, his hand brushing up and down her arm. “Guess I should let you get some rest.”

Gabby hesitated for a beat, her fingers playing with the hem of his shirt. “You don’t have to go,” she said softly, her voice tentative but hopeful.

Glen stilled, his gaze locking with hers. “You want me to stay?”

She nodded, her cheeks warming slightly. “Yeah, I’d like that. If you don’t mind.”

“Gabby,” he said, his voice soft but firm, “there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Her smile widened at his words, and she pushed herself up off the couch, holding out her hand to him. “Come on then,” she said, tugging him to his feet.

Glen followed her down the hall to her bedroom, the space cozy and familiar, just like the rest of her apartment. She flipped on a lamp, casting the room in a warm, golden light.

Gabby opened a drawer and pulled out a spare toothbrush, handing it to Glen with a small smile. “Figured you might need this,” she said, her tone light.

He chuckled, accepting it. “Always so thoughtful.”

They moved through the small routines of getting ready for bed with an ease that surprised Gabby. They stood side by side at the sink, brushing their teeth in companionable silence, the quiet intimacy of the moment grounding them both. Glen caught her gaze in the mirror and wiggled his eyebrows, earning a laugh that made her spit toothpaste into the sink.

She wasn’t used to sharing these intimate, quiet moments with someone else, but with Glen, it felt natural. By the time she returned to the bedroom, he was already there, pulling back the covers on her bed.

“Make yourself at home, why don’t you,” she teased, crossing her arms as she leaned against the doorframe.

He smirked, tossing her a playful look. “Don’t mind if I do.”

Gabby rolled her eyes, but her heart swelled at how effortlessly he fit into her space. She slid into bed beside him, pulling the blanket up over her shoulders. Glen turned off the lamp, plunging the room into darkness save for the faint glow from the streetlights outside the window.

As they settled, Glen wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close against his chest. She rested her head on his shoulder, her hand splayed across his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breaths.

“Thanks for letting me stay,” he murmured, his voice low in the quiet room.

Gabby tilted her head up to look at him, her expression soft. “Thanks for wanting to.”

Glen pressed a kiss to her forehead, his lips lingering for a moment. “Always,” he said simply.

The stillness of the night wrapped around them as they lay there, their breaths evening out in sync. And for the first time in a long while, Gabby felt completely and utterly at peace.

* * * * *

Gabby stirred at the faint vibration of her phone on the nightstand, its soft buzz slicing through the stillness of the room. She blinked, her mind groggy as she reached for it, squinting at the sudden glow of the screen.

Her chest tightened when she saw the words No Caller ID.

She didn’t need to guess. She already knew.

Her thumb hovered over the screen, a cold knot forming in her stomach. She glanced at the time—11:47 p.m.—and sighed, the familiar sinking feeling taking hold. It was late back in Iowa. 2:47 to be exact.

It was Luke, her ex-boyfriend who she had been with for just under two years.

Luke’s late-night drunk calls had started a month after their breakup. They continued for another month before Gabby moved to Los Angeles, and now, six months after the breakup, they were still happening. It had been a few weeks, since the last time he'd called her, but the timing and reason for the call hadn’t changed.

He was drunk—he had to be. He wouldn’t be calling otherwise.

She could practically hear the slur in his voice before she even answered, the overconfident drawl that somehow still got under her skin.

Gabby’s jaw clenched, her body tense as she stared at the screen. She should let it go to voicemail. She knew she should. There was no reason to answer, not anymore. And yet…

Her thumb twitched.

Part of her wanted to pick up, even though she hated herself for it. There was a pull she couldn’t quite explain, like some small, destructive part of her still craved the chaos he brought into her life. Dammit. He always knew when to strike—when she was starting to find her footing, when she was beginning to move on. It was like he could sense it, somehow.

And now, of all times. Just when she’d finally found someone. Not just someone. Glen. Glen, who was still sleeping soundly behind her, his arm draped loosely over her waist, warm and grounding. Glen, who was the polar opposite of the man calling her right now. A stand-up guy who made her feel seen, cared for, safe.

Her heart twisted at the thought. Her ex knew nothing about Glen, but it didn’t matter. It was like he could somehow feel her happiness from a distance and just had to insert himself into it.

The phone buzzed again, insistent and unrelenting. He knew she’d pick up—he was sure of it. And the worst part? He was probably right.

Gabby glanced over her shoulder at Glen, still deeply asleep, his face relaxed in the faint moonlight. Her chest tightened with guilt as she carefully slid out from under his arm, moving as slowly and silently as possible. He shifted slightly but didn’t wake.

Phone in hand, she tiptoed out of the bedroom, closing the door softly behind her. The living room was dim, the faint glow of streetlights casting long shadows across the walls. She stood there for a moment, staring at the screen.

Her thumb hovered over the green button. She shouldn’t do this. She knew better. But as much as she hated it, a part of her still needed to hear whatever excuse he had this time. Maybe it was closure. Maybe it was habit.

Or maybe it was just him, always knowing exactly how to pull her back in.

Gabby took a deep breath and answered, lifting the phone to her ear. “Hello?”

Gabby pressed the phone to her ear, her heart pounding in the silence. For a moment, she thought he might have hung up. But then she heard it—his voice, low and slurred, dragging her back to a place she never wanted to revisit.

“Gabby.”

It wasn’t a question, just her name, drawn out like a plea.

Her throat tightened. “Why are you calling me at three in the morning?”

There was a pause, a long, heavy silence where she could almost hear him piecing together an answer. Then came the half-hearted, slurred response she’d been expecting. “Sorry.”

It wasn’t sincere. It never was.

Before she could say anything, he kept going, his voice softening, slipping into the tone that used to make her believe him. “I just… I’ve been thinking about you. How’ve you been?”

Her stomach churned. She could already see where this was heading, the same road they’d gone down too many times before. She swallowed hard, gripping the phone tighter. “I’ve been fine,” she said, keeping her voice steady.

“I miss you.” The words hit her like a weight, heavy and unwelcome.

Gabby closed her eyes, a bitter laugh caught in her throat. Of course, he did. He always missed her when he was drunk and alone, when it was convenient for him. She stayed silent, and when he spoke again, his voice cracked just slightly. “When are you coming home?”

Home. The word used to mean something when it came from him, but not anymore.

Her gaze drifted to the bedroom door, just a few feet away. She thought of Glen, his warmth, his patience, the way he looked at her like she was the only thing that mattered in the world. A man who truly made her feel like she was home when she was with him.

And just like that, she felt it—the weight of all the years she’d wasted on a man who never deserved her. The tether he’d always had on her finally snapped.

“I’m not,” she said, her voice firmer than she expected.

There was a pause, and she could almost hear him processing her words. “What do you mean?”

“I mean I’m not coming back,” Gabby said, her resolve hardening. “My life is here now. In California. And I’m happy.”

Another silence, this one shorter, sharper. Then he asked, his tone shifting, edged with suspicion, “Are you seeing someone?”

Gabby’s chest tightened. She hesitated, just for a moment, but it was long enough for him to pounce.

“You are, aren’t you?” His voice was rising now, slurred anger bubbling to the surface. “I knew it. You’re lying, Gabby. You’ve got someone else.”

Her grip tightened on the phone as she stared at the closed door, her heart aching with both frustration and determination. Glen didn’t deserve to be dragged into this mess.

A part of her wanted to tell Luke about him—about the man who treated her with care and respect, who made her feel safe and loved in ways Luke never could. She wanted Luke to know that she wasn’t his to control anymore, that she was falling asleep next to someone else, waking up next to someone else, living a life he had no part in.

But she couldn’t. Luke couldn’t find out about Glen—not because she was afraid of Luke, but because of who Glen was. The moment Luke found out that Glen Powell was her boyfriend, he’d latch onto it, twisting it into a storm of anger and jealousy, a storm Glen didn’t deserve to weather. And she wouldn’t let Luke drag him into that chaos.

Glen had given her a new kind of peace, and she wasn’t going to let anyone take it away—not even Luke.

"No. There's no one else," she said sharply, cutting him off with the lie. "I'm just done, Luke."

Saying his name felt like a final step, severing the last thread between them.

He started to speak again, but she didn’t let him. “Don’t call me anymore. I mean it.”

Gabby ended the call with a quiet click, lowering the phone to her lap as the silence of the apartment closed in around her. Her heart was still racing, her mind tangled in a web of thoughts she didn’t want to examine too closely.

Luke’s voice lingered in her ears, even though she wished it wouldn’t. Why now? Why tonight? It was like he knew, somehow, that she’d finally moved on, that she’d finally found someone who treated her the way she’d always deserved.

Glen. Her chest tightened at the thought of him, still asleep in her bed, blissfully unaware of the storm that had just passed through her mind. She didn’t want to disturb him with this, didn’t want Luke’s presence to creep into the sanctuary she was building with Glen.

All she wanted to do was crawl back into the sanctuary of his arms, go back to sleep, and try to forget about Luke. But as much as she wanted to push it all away, Gabby knew she wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep. Not yet. She needed to clear her head first.

Sliding off the couch, she set her phone on the coffee table and grabbed a textbook from the nearby shelf. It wasn’t the most exciting option, but it was something. Something to focus on, something to fill the silence and the space in her mind where Luke’s words had tried to settle.

She flicked on the lamp next to the couch, its soft glow cutting through the darkness, and sat back down. Opening the book to a random page, she tried to focus on the words in front of her. But her thoughts kept wandering back to Luke.

It wasn’t the first time he’d called her like this, and she doubted it would be the last. He somehow always knew how to worm his way back in, to find her weakest moments and exploit them. For a while she had. She’d let him call her and she would talk to him for awhile each time, convincing herself that his late-night calls meant something. That he missed her. That he cared.

But tonight felt different. Tonight, she hadn’t felt the old pull, the old ache to answer his questions and ease his loneliness. Instead, she’d felt… anger. Frustration. Even a little pity.

And when she’d told him she wasn’t coming back, she’d meant it.

Gabby let out a slow breath, leaning her head back against the couch. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was taking control. Like she was finally closing a door she should have shut a long time ago.

The creak of the bedroom door pulled Gabby from her spiraling thoughts. She looked up as Glen appeared, his hair sticking up in soft tufts from sleep and his shirt rumpled from lying in bed. He rubbed at his eyes as he shuffled toward her, concern already etching into his features when he saw the lamp on and Gabby sitting on the couch.

“Hey,” he murmured, his voice husky from sleep. “What’re you doing out here?”

Gabby straightened, quickly closing the textbook and placing it on the coffee table. “Oh, uh, nothing. Just couldn’t sleep.”

Glen’s gaze flicked to her phone on the table, the screen dark now but still holding weight in the silence. “You okay? Did something wake you up?”

She hesitated, then forced a small smile. “Just a spam call. You know how annoying those can be.”

Glen frowned, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her. She was avoiding his gaze, her hands fidgeting with the corner of the textbook, and her teeth were tugging at her lower lip—a habit he’d learned she only fell into when she was deep in thought.

“Spam call, huh?” he said, moving to sit beside her. His voice was calm, but there was a note of skepticism in it. “At midnight?”

Gabby glanced at him, then back at her phone, as if debating what to say next. “Yeah. Weird timing, I know.”

Glen tilted his head, watching her carefully. “Gabby.” He reached out, gently placing his hand over hers to still her fidgeting. “What’s going on? Really.”

She sighed, her shoulders sinking under the weight of the question. “It’s nothing…” She trailed off, her voice faltering.

Glen waited, his thumb brushing lightly over her knuckles.

When she didn’t continue, he pressed gently, his tone soft but firm. “It doesn’t seem like nothing. You’re biting your lip, you’re avoiding looking at me, and you’re way too awake for someone who’s ‘just fine.’ Talk to me.”

Gabby hesitated for a long moment, then finally relented, her voice barely above a whisper. “It was… Luke.”

“Who is Luke?”

“My ex.”

Glen’s brow furrowed. “Your ex called you? At midnight?”

She nodded, her gaze fixed on the coffee table. “Yeah. He’s… drunk, I’m sure. He always is when he calls this late.”

Glen sat back slightly, processing her words. “How often does this happen?”

Gabby shrugged, her tone too casual, too dismissive. “I don’t know. Once in a while. It’s not a big deal.”

But Glen wasn’t convinced. “Gabby.” His voice was sharper this time, not with anger but with concern. “How often is ‘once in a while’? Is this the first time? The second? The tenth?”

She sighed again, crossing her arms over her chest. “It doesn’t matter. He’s just… being drunk and stupid. He does this sometimes, but it’s harmless. I don’t answer most of the time.”

Glen’s jaw tightened. “And when you do answer?”

“This time I told him I’m not coming back to Iowa,” Gabby said simply, her voice steady but her gaze distant. “I told him my life is here now.”

Glen exhaled sharply through his nose, his jaw tightening. “Okay, but what if he doesn’t get the message? What if he keeps calling? Or worse—what if he shows up here?”

Gabby shook her head, her tone soft but resolute. “He won’t. He’s not… like that.”

“How do you know that?” Glen asked, his voice dropping to a low, measured tone that carried an edge of barely-contained tension. He reached up and ran a hand through his hair as he stood and began to pace in front of her couch.

Gabby frowned, watching him. “Glen—”

“No.” He turned to her, his expression serious, almost angry, but not at her—never at her. “This isn’t okay. Him calling you in the middle of the night like this. It’s not normal.”

She bit her lip, unsure how to respond, but Glen wasn’t finished. He took a step closer, his voice still steady but tinged with urgency. “What if he’s not just calling? What if he decides to come out here and try to talk to you in person? Do you know how easily that could happen? Or what he might do if you don’t give him the answer he wants?”

“Glen, he’s not like that,” she insisted softly, though even she didn’t sound entirely convinced. "He wouldn't hurt me."

“You don’t know that,” Glen said firmly, his eyes locking onto hers. “You don’t know what someone’s capable of when they think they’re losing control. And the fact that you didn’t tell me this has been happening before tonight?” He shook his head, his frustration clear, though his voice softened as he added, “I wish you would’ve told me sooner, Gabby.”

Her defenses faltered under the weight of his concern. She crossed her arms, hugging herself as she looked down. “I know. I should’ve. I just… I didn’t want to make it a big deal. I thought I could handle it on my own.”

Glen’s shoulders rose and fell with a deep breath, and when he spoke again, his tone was gentler but no less resolute. “You shouldn’t have to handle this on your own. You don’t have to handle this on your own.”

She finally looked up at him, her voice barely above a whisper. “I know.”

Glen stepped closer, his hands resting on her knees as he kneeled down in front of her. “Gabby, this… this is serious.”

Her breath caught, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I don’t want you to worry about me, Glen.”

“That’s not how it works,” he said, his voice softening even more. “When you care about someone, you worry about them. And I care about you, Gabby. More than I can even put into words.”

For a moment, the weight of his words hung in the air between them. Then, he gently cupped her face, his thumbs brushing lightly along her cheeks. “Please block his number. Tonight. Promise me.”

She nodded, leaning into his touch. “Okay. I promise.”

Glen exhaled, some of the tension easing from his shoulders as he kissed her forehead. “Thank you. And if he tries to contact you again—anything at all—you tell me. No more keeping this to yourself, okay?”

“Okay,” she whispered, her voice steady but her heart full.

Glen pulled back slightly, just enough to look into her eyes, and then he stood up, holding a hand out to her. “Come here,” he said softly.

Gabby hesitated for only a second before placing her hand in his. He gently tugged her to her feet and into his arms, wrapping them securely around her. The tension that had been simmering between them seemed to melt away as he held her close, one hand resting on the small of her back while the other cradled the back of her head. He kissed the top of her head, lingering there for a moment, and she leaned into him, her head resting against his chest as she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.

“I’m sorry for getting upset,” Glen murmured, his voice low and filled with sincerity. “I didn’t mean to come off like that. I just… I care about you so much, Gabby. More than I can explain. And the thought of something happening to you—it drives me crazy.”

Her arms tightened around him in response, and she tilted her head just enough to look up at him. “I know. And I get it, Glen. I really do.”

Gabby closed her eyes and let herself relax completely in his arms, letting the warmth of his words and the strength of his embrace settle the unease that Luke’s call had stirred in her. For the first time since the call had woken her up, she felt a sense of peace she hadn’t realized she was craving—a peace that only Glen seemed to bring her.

#Glen Powell #Glen Powell Fic #Glen Powell Fanfic #Glen Powell Fanfiction #Glen Powell Series #Glen Powell x OC #Glen Powell x Original Character

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greenwitchfromthewoods · 5 hours ago

Text

stitches. l Joel Miller

before Jackson

Summary: the moment Joel thought he might lose you

Warnings: angst, blood, weapons, Ellie is in on it, tears, rough night for Joel, some swearing

A/N: this is before they appear in Jackson. the idea for this chapter was given by the wonderful @underneath-the-sky-again . thank you so much! i hope you like it, sweetie. ❤️

your feedback is very important to me and I thank you for all the reblogs, comments and likes. 🖤 sorry for all the mistakes

short stories from life. [masterlist]

"Take Ellie and try to get out of here."

You looked at him with fear but also determination in your eyes. He had expected the words that left your lips "I won't leave you, Joel."

"But you have to, if you want Ellie to be safe." You nodded "I'll find you. We'll meet outside the city. Remember that red brick building? We'll meet there."

You didn't ask any more questions, just grabbed Ellie by the arm and led her out the back door. Once again, for a moment, you turned to look at Joel.

"Go. Now."

He should have been less harsh. He should have done a lot of things, and he definitely shouldn't have led you there. The road through the city was definitely shorter, and you could find the supplies you needed for the rest of the journey.

You were all tired, and Ellie was grumpy. She was tired of sleeping under the stars, and when you got soaked one night, she was even grumpier than Joel.

"Something warm, a piece of dry floor. That's the basics!" she said and finally Joel gave in.

These people were probably thinking the same thing. They knew someone was in the building, but they didn't know how many people were there or whether they were armed, that was to your advantage.

Joel reloaded his gun. Maybe you could get out without being noticed? But he had to distract these people, let them think you left the city a different way. His thoughts ran to you and Ellie once more, he knew you'd be fine.

The moment he entered the red brick building on the outskirts of town he knew something was wrong. It was already dark when he entered and secured the door.

"Ellie?" he called out in a muffled voice "Ellie!"

He almost had a heart attack when the girl appeared at the end of the corridor with a flashlight in her hands. Her eyes were wide, she was shaking.

"Are you okay?" he asked, quickly approaching her "W-What is it? Blood?"

Ellie's hands were covered in blood, some of it smeared on her cheek. She was pale as a sheet. Your name barely escaped her lips, and Joel felt as if his legs were giving out under him.

"That guy appeared out of nowhere!" the girl gasped, "She's bleeding terribly."

Joel rushed into the room after her. He knew one thing, he would never forget this sight. You were lying on the floor. Ellie had somehow managed to take off your jacket, but your shirt was soaked in blood on one side. The old towel that Ellie used as a dressing was already covered in blood.

"Fuck!" Joel hissed, falling to the floor next to you. "What happened?"

"There was a guy..." you replied quietly, you were breathing as if you were fighting for every breath, your eyelids seemed so weak. "A few streets away..."

"And you made it all the way here? In this condition?!"

"What was I supposed to do?!" Ellie groaned, sitting on her heels on the other side of you. "She didn't say anything. It wasn't until we left the city..."

Joel's hands easily removed yours, he lifted the towel and uncovered your side. The red mark from the knife ran almost from your hip to your bra. The wound was bleeding badly, although not as intensely since you moved less and pressed the towel that Ellie gave you.

"She'll be fine, right?" the girl's quiet voice focused Joel's scattered thoughts. "Hey! I'm asking you something!"

He nodded. That was all he could do, because he was afraid his lips would betray him. They would betray his fear, worries and uncertainty about you. It looked like you had lost a lot of blood. How much? He wasn't sure.

Focus! Focus!

"There's water in my backpack. Give it to me!" he ordered.

Ellie quickly rushed towards the backpack and after a moment pressed a bottle into his hand. He poured it over your side to clean it a bit.

"Joel? Joel..." you sighed.

"I know, give me a moment." he mumbled, but your hand lightly grabbed his. "My backpack... Ellie knows."

He looked at you, confused, and then at the girl. She didn't wait. She ran to your backpack lying against the wall and started looking through it, finally pulling out something that looked like a makeshift first aid kit. She threw it towards Joel.

A small bottle of alcohol, some bandages, antibiotics that had long since passed their expiration date. It looked bad, but it was all he had.

"I'd have to stitch the wound up." He said more to you than as if he was planning on actually doing it.

You nodded. Your eyes were closed, your breathing shallow. Despite everything, when he poured the alcohol on your side, you hissed loudly in pain.

"Fuck! I'm sorry, darling. I'm sorry..."

"It hurts her." Ellie groaned, her voice shaking as she sat down next to Joel.

"I know, but it'll hurt more."

Ellie's small hands pressed a spool of thread and a needle into his palm. Without a word, she walked to where your head was, took your hands, and squeezed them tightly. She knew what had to be done, and so did you. She laced her small fingers with yours and nodded at Joel.

He couldn't remember the last time he was so scared.

Joel opened his eyes and lifted his head. He shouldn't have fallen asleep. He couldn't.

It was starting to dawn. Ellie was curled up next to you, her bloody fingers still tangled with yours. She had spent the whole night watching over you and it was only a few hours ago that he had finally managed to convince her to go to sleep. The night watch belonged to him.

After you had passed out while he was stitching your body, you hadn't opened your eyes yet. Joel knew that this night would haunt him for a very long time.

Ellie's pale face, her tears running down her cheeks, your blood on his and her hands. He only hoped that he had done everything right. He couldn't lose you, not now, not ever.

Ellie stirred and rubbed her eyelids.

"She's not awake yet?"

Joel shook his head. "You should still be asleep, kiddo." he muttered.

She sat up and rubbed her face with her hand. Her eyes were puffy with tears.

"Do you think she'll wake up?" she asked.

God, she has to!

"If she doesn't wake up on her own, your talking will do the trick" he said, relieved to see the shadow of a smile on Ellie's lips. "You were brave, you know. If it wasn't for you..."

"You sewed her up like a rag doll." she said. "I wouldn't know what to do."

"You would know. You knew she had a first aid kit with her. Good job."

"Yeah, she showed it to me a while ago. She said it was just in case." Ellie stood up and stretched. "I need to find the bathroom. Will you watch her?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She smiled and quietly left the room. Joel leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. His whole body ached. Warm coffee would be something he would give a lot for.

A thought flashed through his mind - how long will you have to stay here? Is this place even safe enough for another night? What if he did something wrong?

"J-Joel..."

It was quieter than a whisper, but he still heard it. He opened his eyes and saw you looking at him, your eyelids still heavy, but you fought them.

"Hi, darling." he greeted and stood up to crouch next to you. "How are you feeling?"

"Ughh...horrible..." you sighed.

His hand touched your cheek and forehead. You saw the worry written on his face combined with the sleepless night.

"You had a small fever last night. I gave you antibiotics."

"Shit..." you groaned. "You wasted it on me?"

"Best decision ever."

You wanted to smile, but the muscles in your face were strangely numb. Meanwhile, Joel lifted the jacket you were wearing and glanced at your side. The wound was still red, but it wasn't anything to worry about. The most important thing was that you weren't bleeding. And you were conscious.

"Where's Ellie?" you asked.

"She's looking for the bathroom. She sat with you all night." He looked at you with sympathy and worry. "How did you manage to get here? When I showed up, you looked terrible."

"Yeah... That guy, I wasn't expecting him. I didn't want to shoot... That would draw attention."

He nodded. Damn, he knew you were strong and resilient, but he was still full of worries about you.

Your presence was soothing to him, and the relationship you had with Ellie... The girl would break down if something happened to you. So did he, although he didn't want to admit it.

You, on the other hand, twitched strangely, making a movement as if you wanted to get up.

"What the hell are you doing?" Joel covered you with his jacket again "You're staying like this."

"We can't stay here. These people..."

"We'll stay another night, or as long as we have to." he declared. "You won't be able to move around yet."

Footsteps in the hallway distracted you, because you clearly wanted to argue with him. Ellie's face lit up when she saw you and a moment later she was sitting next to you.

"Fuck! You scared us so much." she said. "Joel almost had a heart attack!"

The man threw her a look and shook his head. He listened to her babble as she told you in detail about the night, about everything that had happened. He smiled the moment he felt your fingers clumsily find his and squeeze them lightly.

A quiet "Thank you," that he appreciated more than anything. You were alive. Still. Soon you would move on. Slowly, but still, the three of you.

☆☆☆☆

Thank you for your time.

taglist, i think: @picketniffler @orcasoul @bbyanarchist @o-sacra-virgo-laudes-tibi

#pedro pascal #joel miller #the last of us #joel miller x reader #joel miller x f!reader #short stories from life

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lena-thinks-too-much · 18 hours ago

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Some post death Jason things that fanon gets wrong

1. Talia kidnaps a catatonic Jason from the hospital (or in some versions his dead body)

While generally speaking this isn't that big of a difference, I recently read Red Hood: Lost Days and the way Jason ends up with Talia is actually really interesting.

Jason claws his way out of his grave, which is public and unmarked and wanders out of the grave yard. He's catatonic due to the brain damage from what joker did and kinda just wanders along the highway trying to make it back home. Meanwhile whoever's security at the cemetery find Jason's grave, assume it was caused by grave robbers and decide that they'd rather cover it up instead of get in trouble for letting it happen. While this is happening Jason get's hit by a car on the road and police are called. Because he's legally dead he they fail to id him and he's admitted to a hospital as a John Doe. He's in a coma for some time and once he wakes up, he promptly runs away and begins living on the streets in crime alley. At some point some big guy tries to pick a fight with Jason and his training kicks in. Jason does a flip and someone recognizes the move as Robin. This leads to Talia finding out that Jason is alive and that's how she ends up taking him to the league of assassins.

2. Ra's was involved with Jason's training

Ra's wasn't really for doing anything with Jason. Even less so when they realized he was catatonic. He kinda let Talia do whatever she felt like but after a few months of no improvement from Jason, he insisted she called the whole thing off because it was a waste of league resources. This is what spurs Talia into shoving Jason into a lazarus pit. Which just pisses off Ra's.

3. Jason's revenge plan was due to Talia's manipulation

While Talia did tell jason that he "remains unavenged" she also told him to "not seek him out". I've always assumed the antecedent to "him" was Bruce.

In fact Jason's little revenge arc is something Talia was super against. He does the whole bomb under the batmobile thing soon after getting out of the pit but he fails to actually go through with it. Because Talia doesn't actually want Bruce dead she decides to distract Jason by sending him to specialists around the world.

I'm not 100% sure why she later shows him the pictures of Tim. Because that's the point where she sleeps with Jason (which is already a weird choice), leaves him the helmet, and seems to know Jason's going to go back to Gotham with this information.

But generally Talia was trying to keep Jason away from Bruce until he calmed down - which, considering dude kept killing his teachers was definitely going to be a bit.

4. Jason and Damian met in the league

Okay I'll start this one off by saying I love the fics that do this, but there seem to be a lot of people who genuinely believe this happened. Sorry to burst your bubble guys, but outside of the young justice universe, it's quite literally impossible.

Jason was being sent to instructors around the world after coming out of the pit. In fact he was technically being hunted by Ra's for daring to use the pit. Talia herself barely interacted with Jason. Damian certainly didn't.

The argument could be made that Damian and Jason met before the pit but Jason clearly has memories from when he was catatonic and from what I know, he doesn't recognize damian when he meets him later on.

5. Pit madness

Look, there's nothing quite as tasty as a Titan's Tower AU where Jason's stalking through the tower hopped up on pit rage with glowing green eyes only to fully lose his anger at seeing Tim Drake being a disaster of a human. Literally my favorite trope of all time. I highly doubt there's a fic under this tag that I haven't read yet.

That being said pit rage or pit madness quite literally doesn't exist. The closest thing we get in the comics is a temporary burst of madness immediately following exposure to the lazarus pit. But it doesn't last. Definitely not as long as some people seem to believe.

Jason isn't the only person to use the pits in the comics. The Al Ghul's obviously but also bruce takes his own swim later on. But Jason's the only one people think have pit madness (and also Ra's Al Ghul but he doesn't count because there's no way you survive 7 centuries without going insane). The closest thing we see to pit madness in the comics is when Nyssa tortures Talia with her personal lazarus pit (that she experimented on) by repeatedly kiled and revived her until she quite literally breaks Talia's mind.

The pit madness that people attribute to Jason, however, most closely resembles the kind of bloodlust and animalistic behavior we see from people who use the lazarus pits in the Arrowverse, and no one is ever going to accuse that of being canon. So yeah these are just some things that while I actually quite enjoy reading in fanfics, they aren't actually true and it genuinely astounds me, how many people think it's canon and not fanon.

let me know if I missed any or got something wrong because I'm mostly working off my memorie for the red hood lost days references.

disclaimer: I'm fully aware that fanon ≠ canon. However these are things that I see a lot of fans treating as fact and that just generally irks me. Like I'm all for cherry picking the timelines and details that you like and adding your headcanons into the mix. It's the best part of fandom. But also I think it's important to at least be aware of what's canonical (although with DC that does generally turns into a mess)

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anonymousewrites · 10 hours ago

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Apple of My Eye Chapter Sixteen

Harry Hook x Child of Snow White! Reader

Chapter Sixteen: Zero to Hero

Summary: Truths and lies are revealed as the struggle against Audrey continues.

The Find Ben group walked up to Evie’s castle. The doors were thrown open, and Mal ran towards Ben the moment she saw him. They hugged each other tightly.

“Are you okay?” said Ben.

“Yeah,” said Mal. “I’m so much better right now. Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” said Ben.

“(Y/N),” said Evie in relief, hugging them.

“Evie,” said (Y/N), smiling. When they stepped back, they raised an eyebrow. “I see Doug is awake.” They smirked. “I thought he was under a sleeping spell.”

Evie turned red and smiled giddily. “There’s a solution to that.”

“I told you,” said (Y/N). “You guys have True Love.”

“You were right,” said Evie. “I don’t know why I doubted it. I knew he was right.” She smiled.

“Congratulations,” said (Y/N).

“Uma,” said Ben as everyone greeted one another. “I always knew you’d be part of the solution.”

Uma shrugged. “I guess (Y/N) had a point.”

“What’s this?” said Mal, looking at Ben’s beard.

“You like it?” said Ben.

“I love it,” said Mal.

“What about those?” teased Uma, pointing at his teeth.

“No,” laughed Mal.

“I like them,” said Ben.

Mal rolled her eyes before getting to the point. “Okay, so, we all think that Audrey could be at Fairy Cottage. We have no idea where that is.”

“I do,” said (Y/N). Everyone looked at her. “Our moms would set us up for playdates when we were kids.” They shrugged.

Ben nodded and sighed. “Audrey brought me there every Fairy Godmother’s Day.” He frowned. “Where is Fairy Godmother when you need her?”

“I wish I knew,” said Jane.

Carlos squeezed her hand supportively and pulled her aside. He wasn’t able to give her much comfort, but he could at least give her his birthday gift to cheer her up.

“Doug, go with Jane,” said Ben. “We need to find Fairy Godmother.”

“They might need some muscle,” said Uma.

“Hey,” said Doug, sighing. (He knew it was true that he wasn’t the buffest man there).

“Well, I’ll go,” offered Gil.

“Yeah, actually, I would feel better, too,” said Carlos. He wanted someone strong to protect Jane.

“I would, too,” said Evie.

“Me, too,” said (Y/N).

“I would feel better, too,” said Mal.

“Actually…I would, too,” agreed Doug.

“Alright, man. Let’s do it,” said Gil, smiling.

“Let’s go, Jane,” said Doug.

“Okay,” said Jane.

“Be careful, okay?” said Carlos.

“I will,” said Jane, smiling.

The three headed out. The rest were left to head towards Fairy Cottage.

By the time they arrived at Fairy Cottage, it was dark. Night had fallen, and they used the cover to avoid being spotted. They made it to the cottage silently without Audrey noticing them, and Ben pushed the gate open. They snuck to the door, and (Y/N) pushed it open, stepping in carefully. No one was in the room within. Jay ran upstairs to check for signs of Audrey, but (Y/N) didn’t think there were any.

“She’s not upstairs,” confirmed Jay.

Bam! Bam!

Someone hit a door, trying to get their attention. Ben looked inside and pulled the door open. Chad sat on the floor, quivering and holding his knees.

“Chad?” said Ben.

“I want my mommy,” said Chad, voice shaking.

Ben knelt to help him up.

“Oh, Chad,” said (Y/N), grimacing. Obviously, he tried to get on Audrey’s good side, and it had, as usual, gone poorly for him.

“It’s okay,” said Ben, helping him up gently. “What happened, buddy?”

Chad stuck his head out of the closet. Skittishly, he looked around at them.

“Ben,” he said as if finally recognizing him. “Ben!” He hugged Ben. “Your face…” He looked around himself again. “She’s gone, huh? The door is open. I’m free. Freedom! Oh!” He pushed past Ben and ran out of the cottage. “Freedom!” His voice echoed through the forest.

Harry giggled as he watched him go. (Y/N) elbowed him, and he just grinned.

Mal sighed and walked out of Fairy Cottage. Audrey wasn’t there, so they needed to figure out their next plan of attack.

“Alright, let’s get this Audrey chick taken care of already,” said Uma. She grinned. “What do you say?” She fist-bumped Mal.

(Y/N) smiled at Evie, who winked. The two groups of VKs had slowly begun to get along and trust one another. It was wonderful to see.

“You know,” said Ben, smiling at Mal and Uma. “Someday, you’re gonna have to tell me how you guys all got teamed up.”

“Actually, Mal promised to let all the kids off the Isle once this is over,” said Evie proudly.

“Everyone is going to get the chance they deserve,” said (Y/N), smiling. Evie grinned at them.

“Mal?” Ben frowned.

Mal slowed, and her smile fell. She cleared her throat and shifted awkwardly. “I have to tell you guys something. Um.” She faced them and cleared her throat, though she avoided eye contact. “I lied to you. The kids won’t be coming off the Isle.”

Everyone’s eyes widened. Except for Ben’s. His went to the ground shamefully.

“What do you mean?” said Jay.

“The program is shut down,” said Mal.

“What?” said (Y/N), not believing it. Ben had worked so hard for this. Mal had. Evie had. Carlos and Jay had. They had.

“And the barrier…will be closed for good,” said Mal, swallowing hard. “For Auradon’s safety.”

Harry let out a growl and took a deep, frustrated breath. Carlos and Jay deflated. Evie stared, heartbroken, at Mal. Celia’s eyes were wide and horrified. (Y/N) looked at Ben in disappointment, and he avoided their gaze.

Uma’s gaze hardened, and she stepped angrily towards Mal. “So we’re saving your precious people and your behinds for a lie.” She swallowed. “I knew it was a mistake to trust you. You’re always out for yourself.”

“And you, King Benny,” hissed Harry, stepping aggressively towards Ben. He glared at him, and in a moment, his anger fell away to sadness. “You’re probably just gonna throw us all back inside.”

“No…” breathed (Y/N).

(Y/N) looked between Ben and Mal. “You can’t do this. What, Hades almost gets out and we’re going to punish every VK still on the Isle? That’s exactly what has been tearing Auradon and Isle kids apart for years. You can’t continue it. It’s not fair.”

“It’s for Auradon’s safety—”

(Y/N) glared at Ben. “Auradon’s safety? We’ve been saved by the VKs multiple times. And we’re being threatened by Audrey, a princess, the daughter Sleeping Beauty. Good and evil aren’t separated by inside the barrier and out. Closing it doesn’t do anything but hurt people who don’t deserve it.”

“(Y/N), it’s a hard decision, but—”

(Y/N) held up a hand. “I don’t want to hear it, Mal. I’m not going to help you hurt people who don’t deserve it.”

“What about Auradon?” said Mal, eyes wide.

“I’ll let you know if I see Audrey,” said (Y/N) coldly, turning and walking away. They would always try to save Auradon, but they couldn’t stand by the kids on the Isle being left behind. (Y/N) had to stand up for what they believed in.

(Y/N) walked until they couldn’t hear Mal and her lies anymore. Dejectedly, they sat down on a log and buried their head in their hands. Mal was going to leave all those kids behind. All the royals were going to be fine with abandoning the Isle because of one man almost escaping, but they weren’t even able to admit one of their own was wreaking havoc. (Y/N) couldn’t believe it.

“What’s the matter?”

(Y/N) jumped up and whirled. Audrey stood behind them with a grin.

“All alone? Abandoned by the villains?” sneered Audrey. “I told you all that I would be the best queen Auradon has seen, but you all chose a villain. And now see what’s happened.”

“Audrey, none of the Isle kids have hurt Auradon,” said (Y/N). “You can’t blame them for your…insecurities! It’s wrong!”

“Wrong? Wrong? What’s wrong is me losing everything I worked for!” shouted Audrey. “How can you defend them? They are villains, and they will always be villains.”

“They’re my friends, and they’re good people,” said (Y/N) fiercely.

“Oh, really?” Audrey held up Maleficent’s staff, and it glowed. “Let’s see if your villains will come and save you, then.”

Pink smoke swirled up around (Y/N), and they gasped.

(Y/N) stumbled to the ground as the smoke cleared. They held onto the wall near them, and their eyes widened. They were on the highest tower of Auradon Prep, and Audrey stood in front of her.

“Oh, Mal!” sang Audrey challengingly at the heartbroken and alone girl below. “Come and say ‘hi!’ ” She grabbed (Y/N)’s arm and shoved them against the wall.

“Mal!” said (Y/N), eyes wide as they braced themself to not fall.

“(Y/N)!” cried Mal.

“Come on, Mal, try to be the hero if you can!” jeered Audrey.

Mal narrowed her eyes. They glowed green, and in a puff of purple smoke, she transformed into her dragon form. She roared and flew up above the tower. She breathed fire, but Audrey blocked the flames with the scepter. She laughed and sent a bolt of evil magic at Mal. The dragon swooped and dodged. She roared, and Audrey narrowed her eyes.

She grabbed (Y/N) and held the scepter up. (Y/N) flinched as they felt the sizzle of dark magic against their skin. Mal came up short, not daring to attack while (Y/N) was in danger.

Below Mal, Harry and Uma ran onto the grounds of Auradon Prep. They had been tracking down Gil to leave, but, instead, they had found the battle. Harry looked up, and he let out a breath as he saw (Y/N) held hostage by Audrey.

“Highness,” he breathed.

His heart thumped in panic against his chest. He couldn’t help it. He couldn’t help but care for (Y/N). They had stood up to him and Uma, spoken to them with honesty and without fear from the beginning. They had stood up for the kids of the Isle, unwilling to abandon them. (Y/N) was brave and kind and attractive and witty and everything Harry could ever want. His heart beat for them.

He had to help them.

“Uma,” said Harry, looking at her.

Uma watched Mal try to light the ember in her claws. Her dragon fire was impressive and powerful, but Hades’s ember, doused by Celia and her anger at Mal’s betrayal, wouldn’t ignite. Uma looked at Harry as he spoke.

“She doesn’t stand a chance without the ember,” said Uma grimly.

“Help her save (Y/N),” said Harry. “Please, Cap’n.”

Uma looked at him and his expression. She nodded. “Let’s get that fire going.” She pulled her conch shell from her shirt and held it tightly. “Mal!” she shouted. “We’re stronger together!” The shell glowed. “We’re stronger together.” Mal flapped her wings as she tried to keep going. “I’m right here, Mal! Regain your might and ignite. I’m right here, girl. I’m right here! Regain your might and ignite!”

Mal gazed at Uma and then the ember. With a final burst of fire, she blew the ember to life. The combined magic of Mal and Uma brought its light back, and a blue glow fell over the grounds of Auradon Prep.

“Yes!” said Uma.

“Yes!” said Harry, grinning.

“Mal!” said (Y/N) in relief, seeing the ember glowing.

Audrey growled, and Mal flew up at her, holding the ember tightly. Audrey sent pink lightning at Mal, and Mal sent blue energy back at her. The beams of light collided as each pushed all their power and heart into their attack. And Mal’s heart was stronger. She had a soul for magic, and she was fueled by love. Audrey faltered, eyes widening. Her anger was not equal to Mal’s love.

“Go, Mal!” said (Y/N).

“Come on, Mal!” said Harry. Save (Y/N).

“You got this! Let’s go, Mal!” shouted Uma desperately.

Mal roared, and the blue energy blasted towards Audrey. It hit Maleficent’s scepter, and it exploded with light. (Y/N) closed their eyes and covered their eyes at the light. Audrey slumped to the ground.

“Yes!” shouted Harry, laughing wildly in relief.

“Yeah!” cheered Uma, breathing a long sigh of relief.

(Y/N) stood from where they’d fallen. Mal landed and transformed into her human form.

“(Y/N),” said Mal, hugging them. “I’m so sorry. Are you alright?”

(Y/N) swallowed and nodded. They hugged Mal back in relief.

The door of the room banged open, and Uma and Harry ran out.

“Is she down?” said Uma.

“She’s defeated,” confirmed Mal.

“You’re okay?” said Harry, looking at (Y/N) intensely. His hand almost touched their face to look at them more carefully, but he held himself back.

(Y/N) nodded. “I am. Thank you for helping. I know you had no reason to.”

“You deserve it,” said Harry.

“None of this was your fault,” said Uma.

Mal’s gaze fell.

“What are we going to do with her?” said Uma, crossing her arms.

They looked down at where Audrey had fallen. Her outfit had returned to its regular pink instead of the corrupting black of Maleficent’s scepter. Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing steadily and softly.

(Y/N) frowned. They stepped towards Audrey and knelt. “Audrey?” They let out a breath and looked up at Mal. “Her magic turned back on her. She’s asleep.”

Mal’s eyes widened. “Oh, no.”

“Can you wake her with the ember? It’s her own spell—”

“No,” said Mal. “I can’t—I can’t use it like Hades can.” She swallowed. “Audrey is cursed.”

Taglist:

@neenieweenie

@hampterfae

@american-idiot-jpg

@lunalixya

@roo024

@unholycheesesnack

@paastaboi

@lbee13

@rory-cakes

@theeghosted

@newttheglue250

@bridkesby

@yappydoo

@echoheartza

@pain-in-the-ashe

@sugarrush-blush

@sanaxo-o

@ara-theo

@zomb-1-egutzz

@simpy-simpin

#apple of my eye #x reader #gn reader #nb reader #x gn reader #x nb reader #harry hook x reader #descendants harry #harry hook #evie descendants #carlos descendants #descendants 3 #disney descendants #descendants #descendants x reader #disney x reader #jay descendants #mal descendants

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miffy-00 · 1 day ago

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i literally cannot stop thinking about jean being the epitome of getting no play despite being so fine

like his friend literally clown on him so hard for like being one of the finest guys in their fg but once he starts opening his mouth he repels girls 😭😭 i picture eren and connie being the meanest.

“tbh he’s wasted genetics” “what are you good for bro..” eren is his biggest hater hes like “talking about girls won’t get you a girl man you need to talk to them” and “i can try help you but it would just be a waste of my time” and ITS MESSING HIM UPPP LMAOO WHY AM I BEING SO MEAN TO MY BBY. okay anyways yeah he just gets even more in his head about talking to girls

i don’t even think jean is THAT bad when talking to girls like he’s not rude or gross but more so just SOOOO awkward. like he’s confident bc he knows he is fine but he is also soooo unsure of who he REALLY is and it shows iwl. like he just covers everything he says with sarcasm as a way to avoid being deep and personal. bc jean is so emotional and can really see eachothers emotions and feelings but i think it’s hard for him to be open. it really comes out when he’s talking with girls though he’s like yes i’m so ready to talk to her but he just misses the mark. every. single. time.

“you’re cute, but i know that so it doesn’t even matter”

and bless him bc he’s so happy with himself. but it makes no sense. you’re so puzzled and he’s just looking at your adorable face but then he’s repeating it under his breath bc you look so confused.

“you’re..cute..but..i..know….i..know..?” then the light bulb comes and “oh shit, i meant that you’re cute but you know that so there’s um..no point in me talking to you” and he’s so embarrassed bc it’s equally as shit the og way. but he’s rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding eye contact.

but yk you’re patient you wait it out. you giggle and he’s just becoming more attracted to you bc why wouldn’t he be ! and you lean in to him making him more comfortable and say “it’s nice to be complimented. thank you” and he’s just so happy like he would never admit it but he loves when a girl takes the lead ! your head is slightly tilted you’re looking up at him through your lashes your glossy lips are curving into a smile like he can feel your body and energy next to him and it’s driving him cray cray !

“youre jean right?” you smile “it’s crazy you really do live up to the rumours” you start to giggle again. jean is giggling too just because you are and is ignoring what you just said. until he clocks it and he’s like oh fuck

“my rumours…i have rumours…what..rumours?” rubbing his neck again is clearly a habit for him when he’s nervous. internally, jean is worrying so bad like rumours RUMOURS ?!?! i think jean knows his reputation is a bit um yk divided let’s say ! but he’s genuinely feeling something with you so whatever bad flirting story it is he is literally praying that you still like him.

“that you can’t flirt. for shit. if a gun was pointed at your head you’d break down and tell your family you’ll miss them bc yk you’re going to die“ and jean is relieved there was too many stories that could be used against him but a simple “you can’t flirt” he could live with that.

“oh..yeah..it’s true ! i’m fine but the f in fine doesn’t stand for flirting with girls” he joked, desperately wanting for your approval “who told you you’re fine ? hmm? maybe i just can’t see it ?” you tease but he starts scrambling “i was just um joking mb mb” throwing his hand up and rubbing his neck AGAIN you have him sick lol. “ i was just playin with you jean.. you’re fine…but yk that though so we don’t need to talk”

he shakes his head and starts laughing. you two are a giggly mess. you’re matching his energy PERFECTLY and he’s so down with it “if we can’t talk right now.. can i get your number..” he’s PRAYING on this on you because seriously you match his energy so well and there’s just something so magnetic about you and he just wants more. like he can’t even look at you he is down BAD he’s never waited so anxiously for something in his life

“pass your phone…” he’s fumbling around in all his pockets his hands are sweaty and he’s like juggling his phone just to not drop it. he hands he phone and even if it’s just for a second his hand touch’s yours and you guys are smiling like idiots at eachother. his heart is pounding he’s so nervous around you. “anddd..done…bye bye jean” you chastely kiss his cheek and walk away with a grin plastered all over your face. and as you walk away eren and connie walk in.

“you good man?” and he’s just in shock jaw is wide open hand covering his mouth and he is gripping his phone. he’s just staring at his phone thinking maybe i can flirt… he’s full on reflecting on himself and thinking what the fuck i did it i really did it.. and eren and connie are just shaking him and slapping his face to like break him out of his comatose state LMAOO

but when he starts speaking again and reveals what happened theyre like “I KNEW YOU COULD DO THAT SHIT! lowkey we’ve been sleeping on you man !” and “about fucking time man well done” and the hug that men do follows and there’s even more hyping up after they find out it’s you that he pulled “NAH I DONT BELIEVE IT I DONT BELIEVE IT” connie legit starts jumping up and down he’s hyped and eren he’s like a dad or something patting him on the back and saying “good job” 😭

that was the day jean flirting worked successfully

a/n: gulp this is so scary !! first post..but tell me what you think i’m open to literally any feedback and i hope you enjoyy

#miffy-00 #𝜗𝜚 #aot #jean #jean kirstein #jean x reader #drabble #he’s so whipped in this i’m dying #i hope you guys enjoyed it #it was so fun writing #eren jaeger #connie springer #i love how you can just say anything in the tags #its so liberating

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verpineshatterrifle · 10 hours ago

Text

ABSOLUTELY thank you for asking, this post is barely going to answer your question, sorry in advance

so my problems are mostly nitpicking narrative decisions and how characters act. i have my complaints about things on the organizational and aesthetic levels (fives and echo becoming ARCs but not actually ARCs, ahsoka being a 14 year old in a tube top) but i'm going to try and limit myself to writing decisions because i think that's a way bigger issue than if they're using the term 'ARC trooper' correctly

and instead of just running my mouth about a show i haven't watched in years, i'm going to watch S1E5: Rookies (aka the rishi outpost episode) and talk about stuff as it comes up. this is one of my favorite episodes so surely i can't find that much to complain about, right? (haha. sorry in advance)

the intro is good. it's established that the rishi outpost is manned largely by clones who were deployed early. character introductions, the sergeant tells everybody to get ready for some officers who are coming to inspect the base. anakin is disregarding his personal well-being because he's obsessed with finding grievous.

we make it a full 4:30 in before i have a significant complaint. there's a meteor shower, and under cover of the meteor shower, a huge droid infiltration ship lands and begins to take over the outpost. the single sentry outside is overpowered by the droids who apparently fuckin teleport there from where they landed? the droids get into the base with basically no resistance. did you guys have, idk, proximity alarms? external cameras beyond the doorbell? y'all have some kind of radar, has this droid ship been camping out in the vicinity waiting for a meteor shower to use as cover? I HAVE LOGISTICAL QUESTIONS AND I KNOW I'M NOT GONNA GET ANSWERS

the droids are in the base. one of the clones attempts to 'sound the alarm' and finds 'they've disabled the beacon.' what? the droids clearly haven't totally cut power to the station, we have lights and atmosphere and stuff. how did they specifically turn off JUST the alarm system without actually having taken over the base yet?

ok fine whatever. on we go

the sergeant is killed, telling the boys to get a message to the fleet and warn them. the droids begin to cut through the door, and now we have grown ass men in the conveniently-grown-ass-men-sized vents. by the way at NO point in this entire episode are long range communications even mentioned. 'lets radio the fleet' is not a possibility that is touched on even once, not even in a 'dammit the droids are jamming our signal' kind of way

the droids immediately know four clones escaped, and the droid commander says they dont matter. why. why. were their orders not to kill everyone on the base? is there a number of clones droids consider trivial? why have THAT dialogue instead of having the droids believe they've killed everyone if you want them to not pursue our boys? OKAY WHATEVER

hard cut to general grievous' ship where general grievous tells the droids to keep rishi outpost sending an 'all clear' signal so nobody will notice the enemy fleet approaching the kamino system. and ventress is already on kamino as a spy.

PULLS OUT SOME MAPS. OKAY. SO.

here's the kamino system, here's the rishi system, right. the rishi outpost is on a moon in the rishi system but is SUPPOSED to be capable of detecting any threat coming towards kamino? with the radar system that DIDNT NOTICE A HUGE ASS DROID SHIP LANDING BECAUSE OF A METEOR SHOWER? that outpost is supposed to pick up on a fleet of ships OUTSIDE OF THE SYSTEM heading for A DIFFERENT SYSTEM? OKAY WHATEVER

at this point i'm beginning to think up a different version of this episode where the rishi outpost is a highly specialized astronomical observation station with like scientists and shit, owned by the rishii government (who are an avian species so that's cool), and they have a contract with the republic involving a clone detachment protecting the system in exchange for the outpost's monitoring capabilities. or something.

BACK TO VENTRESS BEING ON KAMINO AS A SPY- i have so many questions, such as, how the fuck did she get in unnoticed, how the fuck has she REMAINED unnoticed, and WHAT THE FUCK IS SHE DOING THERE. 'all the preparations for your invasion are in order' SABOTAGE? WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? general grievous like 'we are almost at the rendezvous point' WHO ARE YOU RENDEZVOUSING WITH. GIVE ME SOME CONCRETE INFORMATION INSTEAD OF THROWING AROUND OMINOUS MILITARY WORDS

k fine. back to the clones. cody and rex (who are running around doing inspections instead of leading their respective units? huh?) are coming into rishi station and a droid puts on a clone helmet and does a voice and tries to convince them to go away. when they control the station and could very easily just like, let them land and then go kill them with the huge number of droids that has already wiped out everybody on the station except for four troopers. whatever it's a setup for later fine. the droid signs off with 'roger roger' and rex's response is 'something's not right here' no shit man, perhaps the GIANT DROID INFILTRATION SHIP PARKED ON THE LAWN WILL FURTHER CLUE YOU IN

anyways cutup gets eaten by an eel and the general reaction is 'well damn. that's why we don't go outside i guess. lets slowly meander thisaways- oh hey look commander cody (were never told who the officers that would be arriving were)'

the droids allow cody and rex to land and approach the door, a droid comes out and tries to convince them to just leave. these droids have the programming to imitate a clone voice and wear armor but have no higher social programming than 'everything is fine, you can leave now!' okay. okay fine. the boys shoot a flare, rex shoots the commando droid, cody is surprised by this, finally the droids attack the two clones after easily overpowering roughly a dozen clones earlier

the droids do something that actually makes sense- blow up cody and rex's ship so they can't retreat and alert the rest of the GAR. good move droids. the droids then don't pursue cody and rex, assuming they got 'pulverized' in the explosion?? you fucking morons??

now we find out the rishi moon has a totally breathable atmosphere as cody and rex meet echo, fives, and hevy, and demand they take their helmets off. whatever its star wars everything has a breathable atmosphere. uhg. (the troopers hesitate over a direct order given to them by an officer they know of and respect who is pointing a blaster at them. okay.)

rex single-shots an eel right in the eye and introduces himself as 'the name's rex, but you'll call me captain, or sir' FINALLY SOME GOOD ASS MILITARY DECORUM AROUND HERE. now pUT YOUR FUCKING HELMET BACK ON. WHY ARE WE ALL TAKING OUR HELMETS OFF. STOP IT. echo gets a rishi eel blood handprint from rex, that's neat

cut to obiwan and anakin

we're just gonna go ahead and establish in episode 5 that anakin can't follow orders, that this tendency tends to rub off on others around him, and that he's derisive about SOPs and protocol. okay. great. i cannot stand this fuckin dude.

then rex impersonates a droid impersonating a clone which i won't complain about because it's funny

hey do you remember how minutes ago rex and cody couldn't beat the commando droids because their armor is too strong and their blasters weren't doing anything? no? neither do the writers i guess. they proceed to totally overpower yet more droids, one-shot-kills, twisting their heads off, generally blowing them to pieces with minimal trouble despite being unable to kill a single one earlier. ALSO PUT YOUR FUCKING HELMETS BACK ON I SWEAR TO GOD

'it looks like a separatist fleet!' echo says, conveniently spotting grievous' fleet right outside the window of this moon with his helmet binocs as they pass directly by this one moon on their way to a totally separate system

'we cant protect the outpost long against that army of clankers' the 2 dozen B-1s and 8 SBDs? after you guys totally demolished like 6 brand new commando droids? while you're defending and they're attacking? this outpost is shit if you have an easier time fighting your way in than defending it

'then we'll destroy the outpost instead' the entire thing? not just the console sending the all clear signal that you need to disrupt? the entire outpost? IF YOU. INSIST. I GUESS. 'EVERY THERMAL DETONATOR IN THE INVENTORY'?? CANISTERS OF HIGHLY EXPLOSIVE FUEL? WHAT ABOUT A HAMMER? YOU JUST NEED TO STOP THE ALL-CLEAR SIGNAL, NOT MAKE A NEW CRATER

(inhales) okay fine we're destroying the outpost

inspirational speech from rex where kamino is referred to as 'home' and not The Torment Nexus but 'kamino sucks and i dont understand why the clones in tcw and tbb are downright patriotic about it' is a topic for another time

they open the doors and immediately hose a huge amount of droids (why did you guys open the door? of your questionably-defendable outpost? you could have just not opened the door???? you could have used the huge amount of explosive you're packing into your own outpost on the ship- okay fine it looks cool i guess)

back with obiwan, who has still not received a transmission from cody, but states that this is fine because the base is still transmitting an all-clear signal and 'if something were wrong, cody would contact us' YOU ARE AN IDIOT SANDWICH

the droids begin to move into the outpost (how'd they open the front door again? don't ask me, or the writers, but the clones probably opened it again to chuck more grenades at them)

and then oh no, technical difficulties with the bomb. everybody else leaves through those conveniently-man-sized-tunnels, letting hevy stay behind solo to try and troubleshoot the bluetooth bomb's connection issues

meanwhile the droids (that they could have just left standing on the landing pad) are advancing through the base, and arrive at the supposedly abandoned operations center, and fully ignore the huge bomb on the floor

hevy ends up in a firefight, takes down an admirable amount of droids, and admittedly the line 'do we take prisoners?' 'i don't.' (detonates the bomb) goes really hard but how we got here is unfathomably stupid

pause to cry for hevy

now that the all-clear signal has stopped transmitting, the republic fleet teleports directly there within seconds, like before grievous has time to say 'oh shit lets get out of here,' seriously were they in orbit, how the fuck did they get here so fast

yaaayy the day is saved, fives and echo are heroes, personally recognized by generals kenobi and skywalker, with a medal ceremony and everything, rex recruits them both to the 501st, roll credits. i'm exhausted

long story short, even in one of my favorite episodes, everyone is a huge dumbass, nothing actually makes sense, power scales of the good guys vs the bad guys are fully at the whim of the plot, if you question anything you're going to have a bad time

the rishi outpost episode could make a REALLY good book, i just want it written like Hard Contact, where logistics are a focus and not just hand-waved as fits the plot

BUT AGAIN I KNOW THIS IS A SHOW FOR CHILDREN. I KNOW. I PROMISE I KNOW THAT. it's not really SUPPOSED to be military fiction

so what would i change about tcw? scrap the writer team, hire some people who know about military fiction, change the entire genre, age up the intended audience to like, young adult at least

here is my biggest complaint about the animated star wars shows (the clone wars and the bad batch, no comment on rebels)

before i even get started, i know these are kids shows told in 20 minute episodes, and that the reason for my beef is because the 2008 clone wars show was focusing primarily on the jedi, and didnt have the time/wasnt interested in treating the GAR as an actual military and needed to appeal to a young audience. i get that. i do. now with that out of the way im going to bitch and moan unapologetically about how X Thing Ruined Star Wars, because that's the fandom's national sport, ok?

the shows treat the GAR like a high school. everyone is somewhat childish (to appeal to the young audience). disobeying orders is something cool heroes do. (ANAKIN.) improvisation is treated as a fun and cool tactic that generally works out after a whacky adventure, not something you do as a last resort when your actual plan fails. main character's competency is primarily shown through their enemies (and sometimes their minor character allies) suddenly becoming inexplicably stupid.

'good soldiers follow orders' becomes a terrifying signal that a character has lost their agency. 'when have we ever followed orders?' becomes a rallying cry and heroic last words.

when youve written a military THAT badly, how are you supposed to force your beloved characters to follow Order 66? well, you're kind of stuck with mind control.

it didnt have to be this way 😭😭

#verp talks #negative #tcw negative #the clone wars negative #godddd this is way too long im sorry #i am the fucking worst to watch tcw or tbb with #so yeah of course they couldnt do anything but mind control for order 66 #thats extremely logistics heavy and you just cant pull that off if youre going to play calvinball with your logistics constantly

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runningincircl3s · 1 day ago

Text

Nothing Ever After

Noah Sebastian x Reader x Vinny Mauro

Chapter Twenty-Two

chapter warnings: none? :)

I'M SO SORRY THIS IS A WEEK LATE!!! i'm finally home and i've been reunited with my laptop at last <3 i've gone over and edited this a few times before i left but i want to get this posted now as i'm currently sat here covered in hair dye ready to go out tomorrow?? (i kinda regret making new years plans) so if i don't come on here before, happy new year everyone!! :)

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

You woke up to the sound of Folio whistling some song in the bathroom of the bus as he shaved the stubble from his face. Nicholas- who was in the bunk opposite yours- was still asleep, or so you assumed since his curtains were still pulled shut. You reached for your phone, wondering what the time was, but as you picked it up you noticed you had several messages in the night from Vinny?

He had sent you a bunch of random posts on instagram, dancing cats and stupid memes.

You shook your head, smiling and sending just a question mark in reply. You finally got up from your bunk and stretched, knocking on the bathroom door to ask Folio if he was going to be long, you needed to pee.

“Oh, y/n, do you have a moment?” Matt asked, and you spot him stood reaching into his bunk, retrieving something from his bag.

“Sure, what’s-”

“Can we maybe… Get off the bus first?”

“Okay.” You laugh in confusion, slipping on a pair of sliders and a hoodie of Noah's before following him off the bus.

You were already parked up outside today’s venue, and you watched as Bryan, Jolly and Noah already began unloading the equipment and gear from the vans. You gave Noah a quick smile as you caught his eye, and he smirked as he saw you had stolen his hoodie.

The Motionless guys bus was parked opposite yours, and you watched as Ricky, Vinny and Justin got off. You gave them a quick wave, which Rick and Vin returned, but Justin shouted out a good morning.

“Where’s Shae?” You asked, and Justin sighed.

“The hotel down the street, getting princess treatment when I had to put up with Rick's sleep talking all night.”

“Couldn’t convince her to share a bunk?” Matt snickered, and he shook his head.

“Anyway, what’s up?” You asked, diverting the two of you back to the reason you came out here in the first place. Matt wanted to ask you something.

“It’s kinda weird, and pretty random-"

“I’m sure I’ve heard worse.” You chuckle, and you see Matt smile, looking down at the ground. Was he nervous? “Just go for it.”

Matt took a deep breath.

“I want to ask Alyson to marry me, it's stupid I know.”

Your eyes lit up in excitement as the corners of your mouth turned up into a grin.

“Oh my god! That's the least stupid thing I've heard ever! I thought you two were already engaged?”

“No,” he shook his head, “You’re the first person I’ve spoken to about this-”

“Really?” You laugh, “Why me?”

“Because I wanted to ask you… how do you think I should do it? How would you want to be proposed to?… I’ve looked online and googled things but they all seem so cringey, I really love her and I want to make it super special.”

“I don't think I can speak for your girlfriend," you smiled ,"When are you planning on asking her?”

“Next month. She’s coming to a couple shows when we’re closer to home. I was thinking of doing it at a show maybe… But that would be impossible so I don’t know.”

“Maybe keep the ring on you at all times whilst she’s here so you can be prepared for any moment.” You smile, “I think it’ll be best if you don’t plan a moment, just let it happen naturally.”

“Matt! We could do with some help here!” You hear Bry call from the van.

“Thanks, I will” Matt patted your shoulder, before calling back out to the guys, “I’m coming!”

You make your way into the venue, still in your pyjamas, to use the bathroom. You notice as you pass by that the Motionless guys had already began setting up- and messing about. This was the biggest venue of the tour so far, and backstage there appeared to be a mini gym.

As you walked in, you spotted Vinny and Ryan over dramatically lifting weights. Whilst Ricky filmed for his vlog.

“I’m getting fucking swole!” Vinny’s eyes drifted over to you as you stood by the door, giving you a small smirk before putting the weights down.

“Y/n!” Ricky turned the camera on to you, “Anything to say to the people?”

“Yeah, those muscles aren’t fooling anyone, I’d kick Vin’s butt at arm wrestling!”

“Pfft! Wanna bet?” You heard Vin scoff from the other side of the room, where he had found a basketball.

"Fuck," Ryan groaned, appearing beside you, "I was hoping those two wouldn't notice this place."

"Why?" You chuckled, as you both watched Vinny and Rick play with the ball.

All of a sudden, you heard Vin shout "Y/n catch!" as he pretended to throw the ball at you, making you shriek.

All the guys found amusement in your reaction, especially Rick who had pointed the camera at you.

“Vincenzo!” You laughed, chasing him around the room, “You’re such a prick!”

"Woah! What's happening here?" Chris laughed, walking in with Justin, watching the two of you.

"Young love." Ryan smirked.

"You really think those two...?" Justin didn't finish his sentence.

"I mean they seem pretty into each other... Maybe we need to give them a push!" Chris smiled mischievously.

"I'll push him," Rick chuckled, joining the others, "I dunno, if we're being serious I'd say she's more in Noah's lane. They just seem like friends-"

"Yeah, me too, definitely, that's just what I thought." Justin interrupts, "I mean... from what I've heard!"

"What have you heard?" Ryan asked, noticing the change of Justin's attitude.

"Oh, uh... I probably shouldn't say, Shae told me and I don't think y/n would appreciate-"

"You can't just say you've heard something and then not tell us!" Rick frowned.

"It's called being respectful, Richard." Chris crossed his arms, "But in this case I think you should tell us... It's not like we'll blurt anything out in an interview or online, right?"

Ricky and Ryan both shook their heads.

"Fuck." Justin sighed, "So Shae said that-"

However, they never found out what was said as Folio walked through the doors, full of more energy than usual this morning, and exclaimed with joy.

"Holy shit there's a gym?"

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Later on, you came back from lunch with Shae and Angela to find Noah, Folio and Ruffilo in the greenroom. They greet you as you sit down beside Noah, finally getting to work on the photos from the last few nights.

“It’s the Sumerian party tomorrow," Noah said, looking up from his phone, "I can't remember if I reminded you. Also, all the guys are coming too, it wasn’t only me who was invited.”

“Oh that’s great!” You smiled, “What’s the dress code?”

Noah shrugged.

“I dunno. Formal I guess?”

“Well what are you gonna wear?” You chuckled. “A suit?”

“Oh, no,” he laughed, “I might just wear something similar to the stage outfits.”

“Really?” You furrow your eyebrows, as if to say is that it? “Well, I might have a dress or something laying around.”

“You’re coming too?” Folio’s eyebrows raised.

“Yeah, she’s my plus one.” Noah announced, and you smiled proudly.

“Is this gonna be you guys hard launching then or…?” Ruffilo asked, looking up from his phone, a hopeful look in his eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“You guys are not going to get away with saying you’re just friends after this.”

Your smile faltered as you scoffed.

“We are though.”

"I think we can tell them, Ruffilo's my best friend and I trust Folio like nobody else." Noah said under his breath.

"Tell them what?" You couldn't believe what just come out of his mouth.

"Yeah," Nicholas said, "What's going on?"

"We... Uh... You see we aren't together, we're not a couple, but... We aren't just friends."

"I fucking knew it!" Folio laughed.

"Noah what the fuck?" You screwed your face up, but before anymore could be said, the rest of the guys began to fill the room.

"When it gets cold outside and you got nobody to love!" Vinny sang along to whatever song he was listening to as he walked into the room, singing to his phone which appeared to be his 'microphone'.

"Does he ever fucking shut up." You heard Noah mumble, giving Vin a dirty look as he continued singing along, everybody else seemed to used to it at this point.

"Noah!" You side eyed him.

"...Hoping somebody someday will do you like I did!" He was super into the song, screwing his eyes shut as he sung, before stopping quite abruptly. "Sorry guys, that's a banger. Actually I take that back, yeah I'm not sorry."

You looked over at Noah, who still seemed pissed off.

"C'mon," you groaned, standing up, "We need to talk."

Noah nodded, seeing as most of the guys were now doing their own thing, and followed you out of the room.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, pulling the door up behind him so the others wouldn't listen in.

“What’s wrong is you thinking you can just tell the guys about us without asking me first!”

“Y/n, it’s just Ruffilo and Nick, it’s not like I just broadcast it to the whole world.” He scoffed, crossing his arms, “What’s gotten into you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You just snapped, has something happened, or..?”

“No,” you let go of a breath you didn’t know you were holding, “I just… I don’t want to risk anyone finding out. I’ve told you before, I don’t want this to ruin my career before it even starts!”

Noah’s brow furrowed, and a sudden wave of guilt hit you.

“You’ve never said that to me before.”

Shit.

That must’ve been Vinny.

“I haven’t?”

“What the hell is going on here?” He raises his voice, and you shake your head, desperately trying to come up with an excuse.

“I must’ve just thought about saying it to you!” You defend yourself.

"No," Noah said, his tone firm as he stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "I mean there’s something more going on here. I can feel it."

You scoff.

“Okay, tell me. What can you feel, then?”

“You’re hiding something from me.”

“I am?” Your chest tightened, “Why do you-”

“Tell me I’m lying.” He persisted, “There’s something you’re not telling me, isn’t there?”

“No!” You raised your voice, “I swear!”

“Who is it? Who else are you-”

“Hey, if I remember right, we are not exclusive, so whatever I do or don’t do, is none of your fucking business!” You laugh at how entitled he felt.

“It's Vin, isn't it?”

“No!” You shouted, “And I saw the way you looked at him back in there, are you just jealous?"

"Of course not!" He scoffed, "Why would I be jealous of him?"

"I don't know, Noah..." You sighed, "But I don't like the way you look at him, or the things you say behind his back. If you got to know him you two would probably get al-"

"You're trying to get me to befriend your 'boyfriend'? So that's why you didn't want me telling Nick and Ruff-"

"It's not him!" You cry, resting your head in your hands, coming up with the perfect cover up, "I’ve... I slept with one of Angela's friends behind your back, but why should I even need to tell you?! You wouldn’t tell me if you were with anyone else-”

“That’s because I don’t want anyone else!” He snapped, running his hand over his face as he took a deep breath, “Can’t you see?”

“What?”

“It’s you, y/n. It’s only ever been you.”

“Noah-”

“No, I see exactly how it is.”

“You could’ve at least told me this is how you felt! I didn’t think it was ever that serious?”

“Oh yeah?” He scoffed, “I thought it was pretty obvious, y/n.”

“I’m sorry.” Your voice was small, you swallowed before looking back up at him, “I’m so sorry.”

“For what?” He asked after a moment of silence.

“I’m just scared, I’m sorry.”

His demeanour shifted, his voice became softer as he gently shook his head.

“What… What do you mean?”

“I just don’t think I could ever do it, Noah.” You confess. "It's not your fault, I'm just not strong enough, I'm sorry."

“You’re going to need to explain that a little further, y/n.” He chuckled softly, his thumb gently wiping a tear off your cheek.

“I’m scared, I mean if anyone finds out about us I will literally get killed.”

“I think that’s an exaggeration.” He smiled.

“It’s not!” You huffed, “If we ever were an official couple, or even when we’re seen at the party tomorrow, there’s going to be some crazy parasocial fans that hate me because-”

“Stop right there,” he told you, “Who is the one I take to my room when we’re in a hotel? If I remember rightly, it’s only ever been you. Don’t let them get to you, angel. You always come first, okay? Never put your happiness on hold because you’re worried about what people might say or think, that’ll ruin you. Believe me I've been there.”

“I know.” You feel your bottom lip quiver, “I’m sorry.”

“If you apologise again, I swear…” Noah smirked, but his tone was light.

Before you could respond, Chris walked by, pausing when he saw your tear-streaked face.

“Everything okay out here?” He asked gently.

“Pre-show nerves.” You chuckle, brushing it off with a forced smile. “I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?” He looks between you and Noah, “You can always talk to me if you need someone, y’know. I don’t bite.”

You smile, shaking your head.

“Thanks, Chris,” you turn away from Noah and follow Chris back into the room, “I appreciate it.”

“No problem.” He smiled.

“Hey,” Noah reached out for your hand before you walked back into the room, “We’ll figure this out, okay?”

“Yeah,” you nod your head, “I know we will.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

After the show, you sat on the wall outside looking through the photos you took tonight. Vin was stood by your side, typing on his phone.

You had spoken to him earlier, telling him about the conversation you had with Noah earlier, and that to save his skin he should probably keep his distance from you when Noah's about. Although you saw a touch of sadness in his eyes, he agreed, knowing it would save a lot of arguments and uncomfortable conversations.

"Do you know what's next for you? After this tour I mean?" Vin asks, tucking his phone back into his pocket as he turns to look at you.

"Nothing yet," you sighed, "I'm posting more than ever on my socials to try and get the attention of bands or anybody that could book me."

"Y'know... I could always talk with Chr-" Vin spotted Noah out of the corner of his eye, leaving the venue and heading to the buses, "Well, I guess that's my cue." He sighed.

"Vin-"

"No, I know," he shook his head, pulling his hood up, "I'm keeping my distance."

You frowned, knowing it shouldn't have to be like this. But until the two of them (or at least Noah) talks, this is how you'll get through it.

"Thank you," you said with a soft smile, "I won't be about this weekend, I've got this... thing... to go to. But I heard the guys were talking about going to play golf?"

"Yeah," he nods, looking down at his feet, "Y'know, you should come if you're back in time."

"I will." You said, giving him one last smile. "Goodnight, Vin."

"Night."

You picked your camera and phone back up before following Noah's footsteps, heading to the bus.

You assumed he was the first one to the bus, as he was putting in the code to unlock the door. That, and all the lights were switched off.

"Hey." You said from behind him, unable to hold back a giggle as you made him jump.

"Shit," he laughed, "Hey."

You followed him onto the bus, setting your things down on the table as he reached for something in the fridge.

"Is nobody else here yet?" You asked, the bus seemed suspiciously quiet.

"Uh, I don't think so."

"Good," you smiled, "I want to apologise for earlier-"

"Hey, don't apologise. I overstepped a boundary and you were just telling me how you felt."

You couldn't think of any words to say to that, you were taken back by his respect- not that you would expect any less from Noah. You swallowed hard before you smiled and managed to whisper.

"Thank you."

He smiled back, stepping closer to you, tucking a piece of hair behind your ear.

"Y'know... We've probably got the bus to ourselves for a while..."

"What are you suggesting, Noah?" You smirk.

He pressed his lips together, taking your hand and sitting down on the couch, pulling you down on top of him, straddling him. You grin, your hand coming up to his face, cupping his cheek before your lips finally met.

Meanwhile, Vinny stepped onto the Motionless bus, letting out a long sigh as he sat down beside Ryan who was currently playing Halo with Ricky.

"Do you know where Chris is? I thought he'd be here already." Vin asked, over the sound of shooting.

"He went back into the venue, I think he's helping pack away the merch." Said Rick, not taking his eyes off the screen.

Vin sighed, getting up again, pulling his hood back up as he walks back into the venue.

"Hey, uh... Chris?" Vin began, catching his attention as he helped pack the merch boxes back up.

"I thought you'd be with the others by now, doing some weed." Chris chuckled, crossing his arms on top of one of the boxes, "What's up?"

"Do you remember that song we got sent by Illenium?"

"Oh fuck!" Chris' face lit up, "Yeah I forgot about that track, I haven't had time to work on the lyrics-"

"That's what I wanted to talk about," Vinny nodded, "I've been writing down some lyrics every now and then, I think I might have something."

Chris's eyes widened, and he set the box he was holding down, placing his hands on his hips.

"Really? Real lyrics?"

"Yeah... I was just wondering if you could send me the track so I could start piecing things together? If you're okay with this of course."

"Yeah absolutely!" Chris grinned, "Send me the lyrics too and we can work on this tomorrow if you're not busy."

"That'd be great," Vin nodded, noticing how many boxes were still sat around, "Do you need any help loading these into the van?"

"Please!"

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

@rumoured-whispers @collisionofyourkissmakesitsohard @lma1986 @thisbicc @dominuslunae @miss570 @miamore0570 @jilliemiw86 @itsyaboinoah @discocowgirly @rainy-darling

#nothing ever after <3 #noah sebastian x reader #vinny mauro x reader #vinny mauro fanfic #noah sebastian fanfic #bad omens fanfic #motionless in white fanfic #vinny mauro #noah sebastian

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adoremattsturns · 2 days ago

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how did fratboy!chris and shy!reader meet?

warnings: blood, slight crying

not completely proofread!!

it was a warm friday evening. you enjoyed studying on the bleachers by the lacrosse field since it had an amazing view of the sunset. you were studying for one of your important tests for your nursing major. chris was also there, playing a non-serious game of lacrosse with nate and matt.

they were usually there every friday but the never bothered you. every now and then the small white ball would land beside you, you never dared to touch it for some reason. you thought you would just embarrass yourself trying to throw it or something. they were always laughing and chris seemed somewhat mean. but who knows. all you knew was that you were never going to talk to him.

today was different. you were sitting on the bleachers typing and writing on baby pink sticky notes. your wired headphones playing "Glory of the Snow" by Clairo. you kept getting unimportant messages from your study group chat, so you went on dnd.

you couldn't hear it but matt shouted, "watch out!" as the little ball flew towards you. it didn't land beside you, in fact it hit you right in the nose. all three boys winced as it hit you, since it slipped from the net of chris's lacrosse stick. he was fooling around, of course when he was trying to hit matt, but he was facing the same direction as you.

the hit stung which made your eyes water. you were not one to cry for everything, but this actually hurt. chris an up to you to see if you were okay, seeing you slightly crying made him feel really bad. nervous, he asked "hey, are you good?" slightly bending his knees to see your face. "uhm, y-yeah. all good." you murmured. you didn't even realize but you were beginning to bleed. both of you never knew a small ball could hurt that bad.

you noticed a small drop of blood dripping on your sticky note, now feeling embarrassed. your cheeks flushed a light pink when he asked, "do you need any help?" he said, just now realizing you were bleeding when you looked up at him. "o-oh my- okay come on. matt! nate!" he called them. they dropped their things and ran up to you and chris. "oh- are you okay?" nate asked first when he saw you. "yes, thank you." you replied quickly since you didn't want the metallic taste of blood in your mouth. chris quietly chuckled at that. "guys clean up her stuff, i'm taking this one to the bathroom." matt and nate nodded as chris helped you up and took you to the restroom. as you guys went, he finally realized that he couldn't go into the woman's bathroom. "well, shit." he chuckled which make you smile.

"i mean, no one's gonna know I went in right? i mean unless another girls in there, obviously." he huffed, "okay whatever let's go." he said gently grabbing your wrist and pulling you inside. you were completely embarrassed by what's happening right now. "can you sit on the counter?" he asked, you nodded as you jumped and used your arms to sit up. "im sorry we had to meet this way, what's your name?" he asked.

"y/n" you replied shyly. "y/n..." he tried it out on his tongue, "I like it. my names chris." he said wetting paper towels and dabbing them on your face. you flinched and squeezed your eyes shut. "i know. i forgot to say this was gonna hurt, sorry." he continued, gently holding your jaw and tapping/wiping the paper on your face.

once you were all cleaned up, there was a purple mark on the bridge of your nose. you looked in the mirror, "oh god..." you groaned. "its not that bad. im sure makeup could cover it...... uhh, right?" you chuckled slightly. "yeah, lots of it" you said feeling slightly bolder.

suddenly, a girl in your class named molly entered the restroom, she let out a slight gasp when she saw chris. she then saw you, giving a confused look. "w-what's going on here?" she asked. "my friend here got hurt, i'm helping her. obviously." "we're friends now?" you quietly asked. someone has never just "claimed" you to be their friend. "yes. now come on friend. have a good day ma'am" he said to molly as he placed a hand on your lower back, pushing you out of the restroom.

you thanked chris for his help, excessively. "don't worry about it, friend." he chuckled as he took your backpack from matt and gave it to you. "thank you." you smiled, blushing for some odd reason.

chris felt attracted to you. but not because you were pretty, because you seemed so…. pure. it seemed like you were an innocent, smart, and responsible woman. everything he was the opposite of. you just thought he was funny and pretty good looking.

he asked for your number, scratching the back of his neck embarrassed. you made a small huffed laugh and he gave you his phone. you typed your number and called yourself. giving him his phone back. you both said goodbye and went separate ways.

you had made a new found “friend” from one simple mistake.

hiii! here is the introduction for these two and i actually really like itt. i hope to get to write more before i start school again!! love you guys and thank you for following!! 🫶🏼

#adoremattsturns #chris sturniolo #matt sturniolo #nick sturniolo #sturniolo triplets #christopher sturniolo #nicolas sturniolo #sturniolo #sturniolo triplets fanfic #sturniolo triplets smut

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astranauticus · 1 year ago

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btw now that ive gotten set me free out of my system womxnly by jolin tsai has become my new cpop translation white whale like not because the song itself is that impossible to translate but because i cannot think of any way for me to make a post about that song without getting completely sidetracked into a deranged rant about chinese pop culture's unceasing efforts to try and act as if that song's message about overcoming adversity and discrimination can be applicable to everyone and that it is not, in fact, explicitly a song about homophobic/transphobic violence

#asto speaks #i have. so many. extremely unhappy thoughts about this song and the way it gets used in chinese pop culture #like people want soooo bad for it to just be another anti bullying/anti haters song #the way (presumably) cishets keep flocking to this song like 'i was bullied in middle school i Get It' no you dont get the fuck out of here #i feel like i might be overreacting but also as a trans person just let me have this one thing okay. get off my lawn #also as much as i love the man. i blame zhou shen for contributing to this. btw #cuz he and gai sang a cover of it on some music show or another and they completely rewrote all the lyrics to be like #actually what the cishets want it to be. like just an anti haters song #AND ITS LIKE. i kinda get it cuz the original lyrics are like 5 different kinds of unairable on national television BUT ALSO #LIKE. THANKS FOR THE ERASURE I GUESS MY GUY #like if you havent heard the song like for an idea of how. fucked up it is to rewrite the damn lyrics #THE WORD SEXUALITY WAS IN THE SONG #like there is no like. debate about what the original lyrics are about the straights just cant read #like they only kept the really iconic lyrics that dont reference ye yung-chih or the VERY OBVIOUS QUEER CONTENT of the original song #oh and they had the gall to keep '玫瑰少年在我心里' WHICH 玫瑰少年. WHO IS HE. LOOK IN MY EYES AND TELL ME #IF YOU DARE #wow i never realised how angry i actually am about this cover JKSDFHKJDHS

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silverselfshippingchaos · 2 years ago

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his birthday means that we are g.ladio posting like hell today

#oh man when i tell you this man is so fine-#i was not prepared for him to have his hair up post-timeskip #s/i has her hair differently as well (and some facial scars too!) but ahem #the ponytail looks really reaaly good on him 😳#ash rambles 💚#ash likes to tie it up for him and give him a kiss on the top of the head while shes at it #they spend almost all of the time during the timeskip together <3 it's not an easy time for them since... you know... everything that #happens in canon- but they are together! lots of quiet moments of holding each other after fighting daemons together like the badass power #couple that they are #oh also. ash has a pet chocobo named sage!#sage is a green chocobo and she's a sweetheart! she loves everyone except for g.ladio-#luckily post timeskip sage can now hang out with g.ladio without wanting to bite him-#g.ladio does get a pretty nasty cut on her arm from sage biting him though. it fades a bit over time + his arms are covered in tattoos but #it's there! sage bit him like that when ash comes back. so okay let's talk f.f13 s/i because i feel like i don't do that enough #she almost dies in altissia. g.ladio watches her get shot and cut up (facial scars!) and fall into the ocean and he's powerless to save her #it's pretty sad. anyways r.avus saves her (the boys have some interesting feelings about that-) and ash comes back eventually. g.ladio #apologizes to sage for not being able to save her. a while later ash comes back and sage is kinda heated- and she also doesn't mind a good #excuse to bite him. she's a good bird! really speedy and energetic! ash rides her around whenever she's not travelling with the guys #which is pretty often tbh. she spends a lot of time off on her own protecting the people from monsters and all that. but she does wear a #glaive uniform after the timeskip. man... her last words to n.octis always make me so sad. just her crying and having a hand over her heart #'thank you n.oct. i'm so happy i met you. you've been an amazing friend and...'#she looks down at the ground #'and it has been an honor to serve you my king.'#yeah. she's a pretty cool s/i! one day i'll go off about f.f13 s/i.. she's comedic relief in the first game and then boom the second game!#she's almost 50 and has a grown ass son and is a totally different person and has some very interesting thoughts about the other characters #anyways. back to g.ladiolus. his hair like that... oh man. it was ash's idea for him to tie it up in the first place and um #ma'am. thank you for your service. he looks so good- many birthday kisses for him #what a guy 😍#i think I might have a crush on him or something LMAO (<- has been in love with him and his gf for a long ass time now)#send (cup) noods tonight 🍜

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kavehater · 9 months ago

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Genuinely gonna cry cause I saw the most disgusting thing ( literally what’s new I get new traumas at least once a day LMAO )

#I’d rather watch gore #than see this #SOB SOB SOBBBB #ik I was saying stuff like girl kaveh we are married bla bla bla etc redacted + etc for good measure but today I realise I don’t mean that #because I feel like crying #I think I proved to myself none of this is very comfy no matter the gender LMAO anyways me and girl kaveh are still married I’ll just cry #as much if kaveh was a boy too as well as if he’s a girl 🤷‍♀️#astaghfirAllah I’m so annoying this makes no sense to you guys but I am in shambles 😭#dora daily #the “you guys” are the guests in my head the voices 😔🖤🥀⛓️💔#I was like in the past I might’ve been a tad fruity but turns out I was just traumatised and also I hate everyone equally #THIS REMINDS ME today my grandpa (😾) answered my dads call and I rolled my eyes so far back I saw my optic nerve #so cue covering my face as my dad was shoving the phone on my face while I was being verbally harassed into saying hi (I don’t wanna say hi)#so then my dad explains that I’m not an affectionate person and I dislike love because I don’t kiss him (firstly even if he was a normal man #I wouldn’t do it) and he went on to say I don’t even let my mum kiss me etc etc because I hate it #not only that it’s just I’m so sick of them all man 😭 I’m okay with hugs it’s just nothing I feel particularly inclined to #like I’ll do it if it’s expected but I’m like I dunno I wouldn’t feel an undying urge to ???#and then my grandpa was like the shocked pikachu face #yeah like I am never kissing anyone on the cheek all I want is to be left alone 😭#my dads shock when he realises I do in fact hate love when I’m 50 and unmarried #I can’t believe he as a man knowing what men are like expects me to want a guy #barf #and don’t get me started on how men talk about women like they’re in a cult and women are trading cards #like do they not get jealous 😭 whyre they like good on you bro you scored etc etc #I’m not explaining this right but I hope y’all get what I’m trying to say #damn fellas this one was a touch long #my apologies

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soleilapproves · 2 months ago

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The one where Toji gets a buzz cut.

Masterlist

-•-

You dropped the grocery bags on the ground when you were greeted by your boyfriend.

But not out of excitement or happiness.

“No! Your glorious hair!” You dramatically walked to him so you could take a closer look at the damage. Toji, being the evil man he was, laughed at your response. “What d’ya think? I hated my hair covering my eyes while I was on missions so I tried something new.”

“Something new? You look like a felon!” You groaned as your hands roamed around his scalp, hoping for a miracle that would grow his hair back.

“Alright, that’s too far. I thought chicks dug this look.”

“Not on you! Maybe some weirdo that doesn’t look like an assassin for hire.”

“But I am one.”

“That’s besides the point, Toji. You’ve hurt me. By cutting off your hair you’ve also cut off any ties you had with me.” You sulk.

Toji was starting to feel self conscious even when he knew the adjustment phase would go away. “Do I really look that bad, doll?”

“No, but-“

“There’s a but? Okay, that’s it, I’m not touching you from now on. Since I look so bad, you can come to me when you find me attractive.” Okay this was turned into a real argument and you started to get agitated too.

“Fine! Let’s see who’ll last longer.”

Toji simply scoffed and walked back into his man cave.

Who knows how long you guys were planning to do this for?

-•-

A long time. You both can go without touching each other for a long time. It had been a week and a half without any physical intimacy but the relationship was normal, you both spoke about anything and everything. Neither of you were showing signs of caving in (or were just that good at hiding it).

It was a quiet afternoon. Toji was out buying some last minute ingredients for dinner and you were starting to miss him. And as much you hated to admit, the buzz cut was growing on you. Just the other day you had to fan yourself when you saw Toji doing pushups where he looked like an underground fighter prepping for his next match.

To distract yourself you decided to spend your time calling your friend instead. You put her on speaker while you organized your closet.

“Girl, what do you mean it’s ugly? It’s all the rage right now.”

“I know. I hated it when he first got it and now all I can think about is pouncing on him. Ugh, I hate myself.”

“You live together. Just go touch him, you fool.”

“No, I’ll lose and I can’t lose to him. He’s always winning bets between the two of us.”

The conversation went on for a few more minutes until your friend had some urgent business to attend to.

You turned around to grab the rest of clothes and shrieked when you saw a tall figure standing in the door way.

It was Toji. “Did you hear everything?”

“I’ve been here since you admitted that my haircut was hot. Do what you will with that info.”

You sighed as you sat down on the bed. “I guess that means you win.” He could tell you were pouting even when you were turned away from him. He smiled at your childishness and gathered you in his arms and made you lay on top of him as he laid down on the bed. “There, you won.”

“No, it doesn’t work like that. I admitted that I wanted you first so you’re still the winner.”

“Then you’ll be happy to know I’ve been thinking about pouncing on you since the day I got my haircut. I wanted to do it out of spite cause I knew you’d cave in but then we made that stupid bet.”

“Ugh, I’m so stupid. You do not look bad at all, Toji. In fact, you look like a hot felon. The type of felon that has a girlfriend who visits him.” You mumbled as you played with the collar of his t-shirt.

“Uhuh, and does she do overnight visits?” He then started attacking your face with kisses as you start giggling.

It was you and your hot felon against the world.

#toji fushiguro #jjk toji #toji zenin #toji x reader #jujutsu toji #toji x you #jujutsu kaisen toji #toji x y/n #toji fluff #jjk #jjk x y/n #jjk x reader #jjk x you

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neo-nomatrix · 6 months ago

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HAWK TUAH !

jjk men during a bl0w!e

MULTIPLE X READER

-> GOJO, SUKUNA, CHOSO, GETO, NANAMI, TOJI

cw: bj stuff. cum play (kinda idk) rough characters. dirty talk. degradation. choking

GOJO SATORU AKA HEAD PUSHER

Soooo needy it’s insane. He’s so desperate to feel every inch of your soft warm mouth. he promises to let you do your thing but as soon as you wrap your lips around the tip his hands fly to your head and his hips snap. he’s muttering apologize as he pushes you down until your nose touches his skin. he throws his head back and moans open mouthed like a slut.

he’ll get so caught up in the moment he keep you down there for like 30 seconds just grinding his hips into your mouth. let’s you up when you pinch his thigh. you will be coughing and your face will be covered in spit by the end. he lovess facials and always rubs the cum in using his tip. he keeps a photo of you with his cock on your face and cum in your mouth as his wallpaper.

“s-shit baby… deeper, little more”

“you can take it, i know you can baby”

“just make me feel good okay?”

RYOMEN SUKUNA AKA THROAT DESTROYER

uhm yeah… what did you expect. does not give a shit about you when his cock is in your mouth. keeps you at the edge of the bed with your head hanging off and his fucking your mouth like a fleshlight. goes so deep his cock is showing in your throat. your gags make him want to go another round. plugs your nose when you’re deep throating so you can’t breath.

“until my jaw locks” yeah he took that as a challenge. loves tying you up with a low vibrator on your clit while he fucks that mouth as torture. you honestly don’t know if you love it or hate it. Sukuna loves it though, that’s for sure. cums deep in your throat, every time. will face fuck you again if he sees you didn’t swallow it all.

“fuck gag on that dick, bitch”

“i can see my cock in your throat! but who’s surprised?”

“you better swallow my seed… it’ll probably reach your stomach with how deep i am”

CHOSO KAMO AKA WHINY B!TCH

again, who’s surprised. he thought handjobs were great… but this? whole different level. you start but sucking on the tip until he’s sensitive. then you lick stripes up and down his veins. you use soo much spit and he loves it. he loves it when you press kisses to his cock and then deep throat it.

hes mesmerized by the way your head moves, the way your lips look. he has to force himself to not throw his head back so he can see you. one time he got ahead of himself and snapped his hips up and you choked on him, best day of his life. when he found out your throat felt like that? no going back. he begs you to deep throat him all the time.

“more… more more more. please baby!”

“remember how good i eat you out? please treat me good”

“i know it’s too deep! im sorry i can’t stop baby”

SUGURU GETO AKA NICE N SLOW

just into good old fashioned blowjobs. your hand kept at the base and your lips move up and down his shaft. he wants your tongue swirling over it like a lollipop. he brushes your hair out of your face to see your expressions. he’s so gentle and nice when it comes to blowjobs.

let’s you grind on his leg while you suck him off. mostly uses it as foreplay and not a main way to get off. likes for your spit to act as lube for him to slide in. if he was gonna cum from a bj it would be on your tits. he loves that.

“fuck keep that up and i’ll cum”

“let it get hard in your mouth… that’s right”

“don’t give me those innocent eyes, slut”

NANAMI KENTO AKA UNDER THE DESK

oh you’ll support your working man, from under the desk. he’s so stressed about work these days and you have just the solution! you showed up to his home office in skimpy lingerie and without saying a word you crawl under his desk and get to work. he gets so flustered so fast, blushing and stuttering about how his report is due.

grips the chair so tight when you start working your magic. he doesn’t want to thrust up because he knows he’ll bruise your throat. uses his belt to wrap around your neck and guide you instead. pulls your hair an insane amount. cums in your mouth but likes to watch it pour out onto your body.

“i’m working baby… you’ll get me too distracted”

“wrap that belt around your neck, be a good assistant”

“is this you saying thank you for being my sugar daddy?”

TOJI FUSHIGURO AKA TWO HANDS

he’s so big you need to use your hands or else he might pop out on the other side of your neck. you’re moving your hands and your mouth at a similar pace. he definitely teaches you how he wants it. he guides your head to a good rhythm and then lets you do your thing.

maybe he’ll have a cigarette hanging out his mouth when you suck it. blowing smoke in your face to tease you. definitely makes fun of the fact that you can’t take all of him. your jaw has to be open so wide to get him in. cums everywhere, your face, throat, tits. doesn’t matter, if it’s you he’ll cum there.

“don’t just move your hands up and down baby, turn em”

“your face looks so fucking small next to my dick!”

“c’mon, try harder to take it or else i’ll force you to”

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blindedbystars · 1 year ago

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i reached too many tags so im writing the rest of my thoughts here hope you dont mind!

i loved the confrontation between heaven and tommy - like i said its born out of worry and comes from a good place initially but also because she's too unpredictable tommy can't control her the way he can everything else and that's one reason he doesn't like her

but also tommy believes himself cursed and maybe she represents that part of himself tommy is afraid of and her mentioning his son i know she's trying to help him but tommy is so untrusting it won't come across as anything other than a threat

and i know i keep saying this but i do like the little bits and pieces of her backstory she's such an intriguing character im looking forward to reading more about her

"you're here" / "told you id come back" 🥺😭😭 and "please tell me you're not scared of your arthur" this beauty and the beast situation but where they both think they're the beast "you look pretty with blood all on your face" so real girl i hear you

love that they both are same level of crazy for eahcother they want to eat eachother so bad love it

Heaven in Your Eyes || Arthur Shelby x Reader!OC

Summary: This is when things seem to get better with the Shelby family —at least with Polly— that a drunk client crosses the line with you at the Garrison. Haunted by his past insecurities and his burning jealousy, Arthur snaps. And he snaps very bad. For the first time since you've met, he reveals the beast he hides inside... And Tommy obviously uses the incident to blame you.

Words: 5k

TW: Angst, Obsessive behavior, extreme jealousy, graphic depiction of violence, murder, lot of blood, canonical violence, witch trial, allusions to smut, allusions to blood!kink, Arthur being an emotional and slightly psychotic mess

Notes:

✞ I don't condone Arthur's behavior. Also, keep in mind that Heaven is certainly a bit twisted too.

✞ Heaven is OP's original character but written with the use of « you » (Moodboard here).

PREVIOUS CHAPTER || Masterlist || NEXT

The sound of your heels hammering the cold pavement of Small Heath echoed in the nocturnal streets as you walked to the Garrison. Even though the expansion of the Shelby Company led the family’s interests away from the pub, they still hold the place dear to their hearts and sometimes they liked gathering there for old times' sake. Especially Arthur. Hence, rather than staying at home, reading in front of the fireplace, and dwelling on Polly’s odd behavior at the last family gathering, you decided to occupy your buzzing mind by surprising Arthur at the pub. A raven flew above your head and cawed, its presence stirring interest in you for he had followed you from the moment you had left your house. As you walked to the Garrison, you took a quick glance at the black bird’s silhouette, which was perched on a roof a few houses away.

"Silly boy, want to tell me something?" You told to it, amused. The animal, dressed with dark feathers, replied with another caw. You chuckled and kept walking.

The white dress and fur coat you were wearing contrasted so well with the dull night that the few people you passed were not sure what they had just seen. Indeed, the moon's glow reflected its light on your porcelain skin, adorning your frail body with an almost supernatural aura. That was why some of them thought they had caught sight of an angel, just like Arthur did the first time you and he met.

When the dark wooden door of the Garrison opened, its noise overcoming the laughter, chatting, and sounds of glasses clinking against each other, a soft wave of warmth caressed your cold face. You had barely stepped inside when people almost all turned around, many pairs of eyes weighing on you. Curious and dumbstruck gazes looked at you, wondering what such a holy-looking creature was doing here — but you did not really care. Your petrifying aquamarine iris swept the room to become familiar with the place before you headed to the counter behind which you saw Arthur’s tall frame. The man was back to you, talking with his little boss-brother Thomas. Awesome, you thought, little King Shelby is here. Sarcasm filled your head at the mere sight of him. To be true, you were well aware that Thomas was always doing his best to avoid you, but it did not annoy you. Quite the contrary, you were more than satisfied with never seeing him — you still did not come to terms with him trying to strangle you after all. Nevertheless, you leaned over the counter, arms resting on its varnished wooden surface, and parted your juicy lips to speak.

“Good evening, Mister Shelby. Care to serve me a drink?”

Arthur’s whole being shivered with delight as soon as he recognized the enchanting and oh-so-peculiar tone of your voice — the same voice that had led him to you one bleak and sleepless night. Shaken to the core by your presence, he forgot about Tommy the moment you had started to speak and turned around to face you, the corner of his lips stretching in a genuine and blissed smile. Each time his steel blue eyes fell on you, it was as if God's grace struck him — even though you were living together. The thrills you gave him never left.

“Good evening, love. What is such a delicious little Angel like you doing here? It’s a bad town for such a pretty face ye know.” He almost cooed with his hoarse voice, his hands on the bar and his eyes sparkling with a teasing gleam.

“Fell from the sky and got lost in these streets, so I just followed the light.” Your fingers grazed the back of his hand and went up its skin, leaving pleasant tingles in their trail, until they reached one of the many rings he was wearing. The simple gesture, barely touching him, lit up a blazing fire in his soul. Thomas looked at Arthur and quickly understood that no matter what he would say or do, he held no power over his older brother anymore, “Evening, Tommy.” You said, finally acknowledging him.

“Thomas. It’s Thomas.” He retorted with a voice as cold as an arctic blizzard that could freeze Hell’s inferno itself. He stubbed out his cigarette in the nearest ashtray and left without any single word, his shadow disappearing in the streets as he left the Garrison, for your sole presence seemed to bother him. Well, at least his opinion about you did not change. However, the lack of peculiar reaction from him reassured you: Polly had not told him what happened to the tea party yet.

“Don’t mind him eh,”

You did not.

“I should probably give you one hell of a strong drink if you fell from Eden… Miss?”

“Heaven Lavey.” You winked, enjoying his silly way of hitting on you as if it was the first time you met, “A glass of red wine would do the trick… And the barman’s heart.” Your teasing grin widened, unveiling perfect white teeth. Arthur let out a long exhale through his nostrils, enraptured by your whole being. From your smile to your bratty pout, you got him on his knees. Each time he would dive his eyes into yours, his heart would quicken in his chest and dopamine would rush through his veins — who would want to keep taking drugs after tasting you? Not even himself. He was already high enough by your presence in his life and God knew he never wanted to sober up from you.

“As you wish.” He leaned over the counter to lay a tender kiss on your forehead. The way his mustache gently tickled your skin made you chuckle. How sweet he was, not afraid to lavish you with sweetness even in front of other people. Then, he gathered all his strength to pull away from you and take care of your order — which was nearly impossible to do, for you were both attracted to each other like two powerful magnets. But still, he did and then poured the finest red wine the Garrison had in a glass before putting it in front of you. Then, he leaned a second time over the counter to bring his face close to yours again, “as for my heart,” he paused, his eyes abandoning yours to drop on your full lips he watched with utmost desire, “You already snatched it, angel.”

“You’re incorrigible, Arthur Shelby.” You could not help but laugh when you noticed that, as you spoke, his focus was still fiercely anchored to your lips. The urge he had to devour them was almost palpable, electrifying the air around him. Yet, you resisted the need to kiss him, rather bringing your small hands to his neck to fix his bow tie with indescribable tenderness. The pair of eyes that were watching you since your arrival could not believe that you had managed to tame the brutal Arthur Shelby — how he behaved with you was so different from the way he was with the others it almost scared them, “I hope you like this little surprise.”

“You can’t imagine how much I do.” He purred, grabbing your hands and putting them on his cheeks. How he loved feeling your cold skin against his. You cupped his face, looking right into his fair eyes with a never-ending love, and he instantly melted. His eyelids half-closed, for you had brought peace to his scorching soul again, “Lemme clean a few things and we’ll go back home eh.”

“Take your time. Je t’attends mon amour — I’ll wait for you my love —“

“Yer comfy here?”

“Arthur,” Your eyes rolled, amused.

“Want a cushion to sit on? Want to wait in a quieter room?”

“That’s okay.”

“Mmm’kay”

You freed his face from your sweet grip, leaving him lingering for more. When he reopened his eyes he could not hold the little growl that escaped his lips for you had not kissed him. He blinked several times, trying to chase away the charm you had cast on him with your sole presence, and reluctantly left you. Stars still danced in front of his eyes because of your intoxicating beauty — so hypnotizing he struggled to come back to what he was doing before.

Waiting did not bother you. In fact, you preferred to wait for hours here, in the comforting warmth of the pub and its hullabaloo, rather than being left alone with your thoughts in the quietness of your house. Sipping on your red wine, you were minding your own business when a man sat next to you, his body collapsing on the stool as if walking had been quite a struggle for him. Which was probably the case considering he was drunk. Only a few people were still at the Garrison, the others went home stumbling or dragged away by a fellow friend. The suffocating smell of whiskey and sweat that was emanating from the newcomer made you wrinkled your nose.

“Hey doll, all alone by yourself? ” The man said, bringing the whiskey glass to his chapped lips to gulp what was left in it. You glanced at him and simply nodded, not really wanting to do any kind of conversation, “Your glass is almost empty. Lemme buy you another one.”

“I really appreciate it but that’s fine.” You answered with a polite smile — but even when doing the bare minimum your angelic traits never failed to captivate your audience. The man noticed your strong accent and saw the opportunity to carry on with the conversation.

“You come from France eh? I fought in France! Bloody hell, still got the mud of this country under my nails!”

Maybe he talked a little bit too loud, or maybe Arthur’s senses were as sharp as a wolf’s, but the fact remains he immediately raised his eyes from what he was doing to watch over you. His steel blue iris shifted their attention from you only to cast their furious fire on the drunk man that was talking to you. His woman.

“You know, I always thought it was kind of sad that all the people here only link France with the war. This is a beautiful country.” You answered, taking another sip of red wine. Somehow, you allowed yourself to talk with the man. At least time would probably fly faster that way.

“If France’s as beautiful as ya, I’ll rush back to it by tomorrow, doll. The name’s Jim.”

You silently replied to him with a light smile, gently shaking your head at the fella’s attempt to compliment you.

You smiled at Jim — And Arthur broke the glass he was holding in his hand. It had been crushed by the pressure with which he had tightened his grip around it until it shattered into bits. Sharp pieces of glass had pierced Arthur’s flesh, blood dripping from his palm, but the tormenting anger that was building within him was so overwhelming he did not even feel the pain. As seconds passed, his face contorted with rage and his eyes darkened with jealousy. You. Smiled. At. Him.

That was definitely not okay — the man did not deserve your blissful smile.

Deafened by the sound of his own heart pounding in his tight chest, Arthur swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat in a vain attempt to keep control. To not let his anger issue show. The rational part of his mind was telling him to keep calm, for he knew you loved him and only him. You had told him plenty of times, after all. And he trusted you, really. But the other part, led by his insecurities and his mental instability, whispered foul insinuations to his ear.

Why would she stay with such a criminal like you? You’re sick. You’re old. You’re broken — and no one loves broken men.

You’re stupid, far less clever and charming than Tommy. HE is a real man.

You either scare or repel women. Linda told you. You don’t deserve Heaven.

Useless. So useless… Broken. Crazy, you’re fucking crazy. She’ll see what you are. A monster. Monster. Monster.

Arthur’s jaw clenched as his mind spiraled into a never-ending maze of whipping thoughts and insufferable feelings. Self-loathing was becoming too much to bear — so messy it had started to drown him. He felt his sanity slowly slipping through the cracks of his skull and the only thing he could to do make it stop was to break things. And by things he meant Jim.

“Listen, Jim. I think you should go back home and rest. This is the whiskey talking.” You stated.

“Only if you come home with me, doll.” He ought to say, his grin widening.

Breathless with rage, Arthur felt the heat pooling in his face. A few drops of sweat beaded on his forehead as he shook his wounded hand to clear his flesh from the shards of glass.

“You really should —“

“Come home with me and I’ll make you beg.” He cut off before you had time to turn his invitation down , bringing his hand on one of your thighs to strengthen his point.

Destructive anger flowed through his veins like lava, exploding at the moment the man laid a finger upon you. Agile like a wild cat, Arthur jumped over the counter and rushed toward you, his shoulders tensed and his arms swinging as he walked. Earth shook under his feet, opening the gates of Hell more and more at each of his steps.

“AL-FUCKING-RIGHT THEN,” He blurted out, standing fiercely behind Jim. Arthur’s thundering voice almost made him jump — and it was enough for him to take his hand off your thigh and turned around to meet the Devil’s eyes. You froze on your stool, astounded by your man’s anger.

His face distorted with both fear and confusion at the sight of Arthur Shelby, green with jealousy and maddened with fury, “What the fookin hell did ya say, pal? WHAT THE FOOK DID YOU SAY TO ME WOMAN?” He roared, blue eyes shining with a threatening glow. At this point, Arthur was almost choking with rage.

“Oh my God Arthur, I did not know she was your woman. I’m sorry! I really did not —“ Jim could not finish his sentence for Arthur had grabbed him by the neck and dragged him away from you in front of the few last clients' terrified looks.

“You TOUCHED her! You bloody touched her, ME ANGEL. ME HEAVEN. I can’t fucking believe it,” He spat, his words coated with bitter venom. Swirling in the chaotic vortex of his own fury, he did not hear the man’s bargains. And somehow, he did not care. There was nothing he could say to stop him anymore. Jim tried to utter another apology.

He had barely opened his mouth when Arthur’s fist crushed his nose with such a violent blow the sound of broken bones echoed through the Garrison. The man, almost knocked out by the uppercut, crashed on the wooden floor, a jet of blood gushing from his face, “Oi! Thought you fought in France. Come on, bastard! Fight me!” He snarled, teeth bared like a wild animal.

He’s going to kill him. That was what crossed your mind when you came back to your senses, overcoming the shock of seeing Arthur in such a frenzy state. You got up from your stool, “Arthur… Stop it please.” You called him, trying to be as soft as possible not to fan the flames of his anger.

“I AM NOT GONNA STOP!” He barked, looking at you.

He looked at you

and you saw the Hell in his eyes.

“Heard how he dared to talk to ye? Ah, you wanted to make me angel beg eh?” Arthur kneeled over the whimpering man, almost straddling his quivering body, to grab him by the collar of his coat, “Yeah that’s what you said right. But trust me, you sonofabitch, I’m the one who’ll make you beg!” He yelled, sending another powerful blast to the man’s face with his fists as sole weapons, adorned with thick silver rings. “BEG, YOU BASTARD!”

“P-please—“

Another disgusting sound of torn flesh and cracking skull filled the room. “By order —“ A third punch. Breaking teeth. Jim spat three of them at your feet. “Of the —“ Fourth. Fifth. His knuckles bruised and split under the strength of his blows but Arthur could not care less. All he wanted was to reduce Jim’s face to an unidentifiable slop of flesh. “Peaky —“ Dislocated jaw hanging loosely. The horrible sight was accompanied by the cacophony of bloody gurgles. “Fookin — “ Jim had lost count of the punches that rained down on him. All he knew was that his body was giving up. At one point Arthur Shelby had stopped beating him, only to unstrapped the combat knife he kept in his holster, “BLINDERS!”

“ARTHUR NO!!!” Running to the scene and falling on your knees, you managed to grab his hands and keep him from stabbing the drunk man, “Don’t do that, please I need you. Please, please stop it.”

Please.

Your voice, like a light piercing the thick veil of his darkness, snatched him from his murderous craze. Waking up by the smell of blood mixed with your sweet spring-like perfume, Arthur stopped in the midst of what he was doing and realized he was holding a knife above his head, ready to plunge it into a man’s chest. He took a look at you, noticing the shocked expression on your holy face, and all his anger disappeared into a void. His fingers loosened around the knife, which fell on the wooden floor with a metallic noise, “please Arthur, calm down… Call down, Mon amour.” You whispered, begging him with your eyes. Silence fell on the Garrison, as well as in his mind. The maddening voices had stopped and the buzzing hatred had vanished. Arthur left the unconscious man and collapsed in your arms, panting and shaking. Adrenaline made you shiver too, but you gently hugged his frame, one hand stroking his hair, “That’s okay… I’m here …” You repeated just like a healing chant as a few men grabbed the severely injured victim and took him away from the pub.

“I’m … I’m sorry— Heaven, oh my god —“ Arthur stuttered, slowly realizing what he just did. He buried his face in your breasts, for comfort as well as to hide the blood that had splattered on him. He barely dared to hug your frail body for fear of breaking you. Sometimes, he swore he had hell in his hands and he did not want to bring you down in the flames with him.

“Shhhh… Breathe in. Breathe out. You can do it.” You said with a soothing tone. With divine softness, you ran your fingers through his hair, not minding the blood he smeared on your clothes and bosom, “that’s okay, you’re a good boy..” But as you were trying to chase away your man’s demons, a far too familiar voice echoed in the room.

“What the fuck is this mess?!” Thomas Shelby exclaimed for he had just entered the Garrison, John by his side. His freezing blue eyes looked at you from above. The king was here and he hated what he saw.

“John, bring Arthur home. Everyone OUT.”

This was all it took to empty the Garrison from its remaining clients. When John gently put his hand on his older brother’s shoulder, Arthur’s embrace tightened around your tiny silhouette for he did not want to leave you. “No,” he managed to beg between two heartbreaking sobs. His face still hidden, not daring to look at you for fear of seeing disgust and anger in your eyes, Arthur refused to let you go. Somehow, he was convinced you would not go back home — why would you after what you had just witnessed? “Don’t take me away from her!” He said, a bit more fiercely, which resulted in John taking a few steps back and looking at you, silently begging you to help him. In the midst of the chaos, only you could bring him back to his senses. A brief sigh escaped from your lips before you gently forced Arthur to look at you.

“Listen, chéri. I need you to go back home and calm down. I’ll be very quick.”

“No, no, you won’t come back.”

“ I’ll do,” You wiped away his tears with your thumbs, accidentally smearing more blood on his face doing so, “and when I do, I’ll take care of you alright? I’ll keep you warm and loved.” Punctuating your sentence with affection, you slicked his hair back with a frail but oh-so-loving grin on your face. He finally accepted.

When he left alongside John, your smile vanished and you got up from the floor, legs still slightly shaking. Thomas was still standing in the middle of the pub, towering you with all his height, and looking at you with his cold eyes. His chilling stare followed your movements as you walked to the bar and poured yourself another glass of wine.

“I told you to keep a low profile,” He began. Thomas Shelby’s voice was dressed in an apparent quiet, but something in his tone was threatening — and even though he did not display any sign of emotion, you knew his blood was boiling.

“Oh come on Thomas, all I wanted was to make a surprise to Arthur.” You took a mouthful of wine — the much-needed alcohol calming your anxiety.

Thomas closed his eyes for a few seconds and pinched the bridge of his nose to stop his dawning headache, “ A surprise… I hope you like the result then,” He retorted, before shifting his eyes back to you,

“Listen, I know you don’t like me but — ”

“He nearly killed someone for you. What the fuck are you doing to my brother, eh?” Tommy slightly tilted his head to the side, a spark of resentment lightening up his icy iris. You remained silent, still not believing Thomas was really blaming you for Arthur’s outburst. Of course, you had not reacted immediately, but the shock had petrified you for a few long minutes — but was it your fault if he had beaten the man? Certainly not. At this point, Tommy was just lashing out at you for all the issues his family was facing. It was far easier than admitting his own flaws and responsibility. Visibly infuriated by your silence, Tommy walked to you and stopped only a few inches from you, trapping your body between the counter and his own strong frame. He was close — so close your breasts were almost pressed against his chest, “Look me in the eyes when I fucking talk to you, Heaven.” He spat your name with disgust, as if he had just bitten into an apple filled with maggots.

“Get my pretty name out of your mouth,” You looked dagger at him, anger rushing through your veins at such an unwanted proximity. Yet you did not flicker.

“You fucking white Devil,” He hissed through his teeth, his low voice still calm in spite of his blooming hatred, “Are you happy to spread chaos in our life? What do you want from us ey?” He leaned over you, bringing his face closer to yours. With his brows slightly furrowed, Tommy’s sky blue eyes were probing yours, trying to understand the mystery they hid behind their aquamarine wonders, ”What do you want from me?! After Arthur is this me you want to control??” He growled. Your heart raced in your chest — shivers ran down your spine, and goosebumps appeared on your porcelain skin, for his unpredictable behavior was starting to worry you.

“I don’t want anything from you Thomas Shelby. Whether you like it or not I’m being honest with your brother. You know Arthur’s emotional, you can’t blame me for that. You take away his meds, turn him into a killer, and now you’re surprised he snaps?? How. Fucking. Unbelievable! Do you know what I think? Well, I think you need me to be your scapegoat . You need to blame me for your sins. For everyone’s sins.”

“Fucking burn in hell,” He spat again but could not find something to retort properly. It seemed like the skies gave you the gift of shutting Thomas Shelby's mouth. Instead, one of his hands grabbed you by the neck and forced your face to get closer to his. His breath fanned over your skin, as burning as a dragon’s fire.

“Be careful with the Rule of Three, Thomas. For each spell you cast always returns to you three times stronger.” You whispered. Then you gathered all your remaining strength to push him away from you, his musky and peculiar perfume almost making your head spin. Not wanting to stay here any longer — and also longing for a hot shower to wash away the blood from your skin —, you headed to the Garrison’s door. Obviously, Tommy’s eyes followed you but he did not say anything, muted by his resentment. Admittedly, he was torn between the urge to bounce on you and the desire to see you leave. You were about to disappear, the cold breeze of the night jumping at your face and rushing into the pub as you opened the wooden door. But your instincts kicked in. After a few seconds of hesitation, you finally decided to warn little king Shelby.

“By the way..." You looked at Thomas from above your shoulder.

"You should keep an eye on Charles. You really should.”

He froze. Confused and infuriated.

You left. Hurt and bitter.

When you came back home, you crossed your reflection in the corridor’s mirror. Your body refused to work anymore and forced you to stop in front of it. Facing your own person was something you hated. With trembling fingers, you brushed the blood stain Arthur had left on one of your cheeks.

Mom! Mom, no!!

I’ll fucking kill you all!!

You clenched your jaw at the memory it triggered, but still, you kept looking at your tainted ivory skin as if you were slowly learning to come to terms with what you did and what you were. Your fingers trailed down your throat until they grazed the top of your bosom, where the blood had accumulated the most. Another painful memory assaulted your mind, replaying the aching, almost inhuman screams of your little sister when her flesh had been eaten alive by the hungry tongues of the pyre’s flames.

Only God knew how you managed to keep your mind from spiraling into the darkest pits of your trauma, but you did — maybe that was because Arthur needed you. That protective instinct was stronger than your own pain. That was why you tricked your body into moving away from the mirror and went upstairs to take a hot shower before joining your man in bed. John had probably managed to convince him to sleep. Or his body had collapsed on the mattress, exhausted by the energy poured in his latest outburst.

As the running water of the shower was filling the bathroom with its regular and soothing noise, you slowly let your white dress slip along your body until it fell on the floor, as well as your lace panties. You stepped over the pile of clothes and, without waiting any longer, you hopped under the shower and welcomed its warm water with utter joy. A sigh of relief escaped from your lips as you tilted your head back, water hugging your body and raining down on your long white mane that cascaded down your lower back. You almost managed to empty your mind when, suddenly, one gentle calloused hand brushed your hip. Jumping in surprise, you turn around and saw that Arthur had joined you under the shower. His hands, arms, and face were still splattered with half-dried blood he had not cleaned. To be true, he had been too busy curling up on the bedroom floor, panicking about at the idea of you leaving him after what you had witnessed.

“You’re here…” His gravel voice said, water falling on his naked body whose millions of freckles drew magnificent constellations on his skin.

“Told you I’d come back.”

He smiled, softly. His steel blue had stopped avoiding you and was now firmly anchored in yours.

He took a step toward you.

You stepped back in response until your bare body met the cold shower wall.

Your pulse quickened, fascinated by the way Arthur looked. He had something in his eyes — a mix of limerence and pure madness who, combined with the crimson stains on his face, made your legs weak. His breath was slow but yours soon became erratic, even though he had barely touched you yet.

“You ain’t scared, love? Please, tell me you ain’t scared of your Arthur…” He said, his lower lip trembling as his body perfectly interlocked with yours. A small growl escaped from his throat at the intoxicating sensation of yours curves pressed against his skin. But despite his inextinguible desire, he still looked at you with hesitation and genuine guilt — his puppy eyes would surely break anyone’s heart.

“No, I’m not scared,” You replied, not shifting your gaze from him. The corner of your juicy and honey lips stretched in a small grin, “You…” You paused, bringing one hand to his stained cheek, “you look pretty with blood all over your face.”

Arthur’s eyes lightened with both surprise and ravaging desire, for you had witnessed the beast’s violence but still thought he was attractive. A twisted wave of arousal shook you to the core when he bared his teeth in a vaguely dangerous but oh-so-seductive smirk.

“Oh bloody hell, angel…” Not finishing his sentence, his lips captured yours in a fury kiss for he could not wait any longer. The need to possess you, to feel you, was too devastatingly strong to resist. At first, his lustful kiss surprised you, and even though you burnt for him l, a part of you felt it was wrong to feel this kind of twisted attraction. Last thing Arthur needed was someone encouraging his violence — but your brain soon shut down at the thought he did it for you. Only you. Your arms locked up around his neck to deepen the waltz of your tongues, sending fireworks in your loins. It was far than enough to turn Arthur on who, all of sudden, lifted you from the ground as if you weighted nothing.

You instinctively wrapped your legs around his waist, already suffocating with the hungry way he devoured your mouth and the shower’s steam accumulating around you.

As water rained down on your two intertwined bodies, it washed away the blood from your skins. The tainted liquid disappeared down the drain, leaving pale red stains on the bathtub's immaculate marble.

You kissed him harder. Rougher. Until his flesh dived into yours in an explosion of pleasure and shooting stars.

For you had seen the Hell in his eyes, and loved it anyway.

Any comment, review, reblog, or constructive criticism is welcome. Your reactions really motivate me and keep me alive, so please don't be shy. English is not my first language.

Each chapter of this series can be read as stand-alones but I advise you to read everything if you want a better understanding of details.

Tagging those who might be interested: @areyenotfondofmelobster @meowtastick @babayaga67 @sired-to-hybrid @shelbyssins @kxnnxyasdfg @adaydreamaway08

#first off sorry i love that gif sorry if its weird #what is it about a man covered in blood #im with heaven on this crows are friends not bad omens leave them alone theyre just silly little guys #heaven is braver than me if i walked into a pub full of men and they all turned and stared as i walked in i would turn tf around #or just combust there on the spot eeewwwww dont look at me #little king shelby is such a cute name its like if tommy was one of the scrappy little dogs #i can only imagine them flirting like this and everyone else at the bar just starts staring off in other directions #two are looking down at the same pint ones counting the cracks in the wall one is just straight turned around #“ thomas its thomas ” bitch😒#you let billy kimber call you a tart and alfie called you a silly little boy but she cant call you tommy bitch #their back and forth banter is so cute and silly and soppy #it suits arthur is a funny way #“ want a cushion to sit on ” hes so cute like i can imagine him walking around trying to find the best!! pillow #as soon as that man sat down i just KNEW what was coming omg its like these people dont live here #“ i fought in france ” if arthur wasnt so angry hed walk over in a sarcastic voice like “ wE aLl FoUgHT iN fRaNCe ”#still got the mud under me nails is not a flex bro wash or something #arthur smashing the glass (me reading) here we go...#heaven: youre the most jealous man i know arthur: you know other men?!#the fact hes trying to keep himself calm is progress! b4 arthur would have just fucked the guys head off the man #and then bottled him for good measure #arthur mate shes clearly soooooooo into you like *squidward voice* we fuck monsters here sir #love how you describe his anger and how it affects him! i do think a lot of arthurs anger is internalised insecurity #arthurs anger is explosive and all consuming #but comes as quick as it goes and hes left weighed down by everything that hurts him thats hiding under his anger #“ thats okay youre a good boy ” .........😳.......no comment on that *clears throat*...moving on #arthur begging not to be separated from her 😭😭😭#tommy thinks what hes doing is for the best because its born from worry and him wanting to protect them #especially with their upbringing #and arthur despite being the eldest is arguably the easiest influenced #and vulnerable

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