#Like yeah my dad works overseas too but he at least talks and visits

[donkeys-waffles]

I love how Hori made Inko the second coming of the Virgin Mary. Because there is absolutely no way Hisashi exists if we don't see him by the end of the manga.

I really think that the fandom made WAY too many deadbeat dad jokes and now Hori is like "yeah bet." No sir, that joke hasn't been funny since 2020, stop it. At least let me watch the messy ass divorce between Inko and Hisashi (possibly AFO) because we all know it's gonna happen. That or Hisashi's dead body is gonna be floating down a river somewhere.

[kileaderie]

Migraine: Part 8

∙↬ Pairing: CEO!Seonghwa x Doctor!Reader

∙↬ Genre: Angst, Fluff

∙↬ AU Selected: Arranged Marriage

∙↬ Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4 || Part 5 ||

Part 6 || Part 7 || Part 8

Word Count: 5.9K+ Words.

Summary: It went well at first, but then.. everything takes a wild turn. Afterward, Seonghwa took you out for a drink, maybe a couple of shots.. or more.

Author’s Note: I’m truly sorry for the long wait, my laptop was under repair because I accidentally broke it, lol. Hopefully, the tags are working and if there’s anyone wanted to be on the taglist, just tell me. Anyway, enjoy!

Taglists: @treasure-hwa​��� @lmhmh01​​ @cipheress-to-k-pop​​

"Run faster, hyung!" Jaehun shrieked and Seonghwa complied, laughing as he runs faster.

"Yah, Jaehun-ie, I'm tired!" Seonghwa panted.

"I see a bench there, hyung-ie can rest there!" He pointed and Seonghwa tiredly walking towards the bench.

He lowers himself so Jaehun could get off of him and lets him take a seat first. Seonghwa sighs and grunts as he sits beside him, leaning back against the bench. Then he looks at Jaehun, seeing him eyeing another child his age walking with two elders. Seonghwa then wondered where his family went, why would no one visit him, and what has happened that only his mother came to visit him. Seonghwa's eyes locked on the family, just then he heard him speaks.

"That looks fun." He mutters. "Sorry?" Seonghwa leaned closer.

"A happy family, that looks fun," Jaehun repeated. "Oh.. Yeah, that's fun.."

"Umm, if you wouldn't mind me asking this but, where's your other family members?" Jaehun smiles, fidgeting with his fingers.

"My dad, he went overseas for work, my older brother is studying abroad, both of them left me and mom here. Well, at least my dad helped us by sending us money for my medical bills, of course. He said he'll be back one day, but only if he's not busy. I've waited and waited for months and then years, still, he didn't come back. Mom said he's busy, I guess." He shrugged, rubbing his thighs with his palms.

"Well, at least I'm happy here, since noona and I became close, my life changed. Even though I'm jealous about other kids here, having their family with them, all the chatters and laughter I've heard, she'll always keep me company. Making me feel as if she's one of my family members even she's not. That's why I appreciate her, more than anyone." Jaehun smiles.

"I gotta agree," Seonghwa speaks up. "She's special." Seonghwa snickered.

"Oh? Seems like hyung has changed from the last time we've met." He teased, softly throwing a punch on Seonghwa's arm.

He scoffed, lightly shaking his head. "I'm glad I've changed."

"Well, in my opinion, you're special too." "Oh, really?" Seonghwa playfully raised a brow.

"Want me to show you?" He whispers and Seonghwa chuckles. "Sure."

"Carry me again and head over to those bushes." He pointed and Seonghwa groans, slumping in his seat.

He then got up, crouching afterward. "Alright, hop on."

You stepped back, pulling your surgeon cap and dirtied gloves off, and threw them into the nearest bin. You untied the hospital mask from behind your ear, sighing in relief. You can't believe it, you've saved him. Smiling, you stare at your palms, clenching them tightly as a sign of how proud you are. Then, a hand was placed on your shoulder, you tilted your head to the side and saw Doctor Kang's pleased smile. You couldn't hear it clearly but you're sure that he was muttering something before he left the room, leaving the other team to take care of the rest.

You turn around, patiently staring at Jaehun before leaving too. You walked outside and noticed him again, talking to Mrs. Jung. Probably telling her about how the surgery went. You let out a harsh breath, feeling exhausted after spending hours focusing on the operation. You'd walked to your office, sitting in your chair, and spun around. You then took your phone that was on the desk, started to send texts to Seonghwa. Looks like he didn't read your message from earlier, probably his phone has died.

<You>

- You'd probably be in the shower or sleeping, I don't know.

- But, the surgery was a success. :)

- I'll see you soon, honey.

You huffed and were about to put down your phone but then it buzzes. You raised a brow when Seonghwa texts back, saying he'll come to the hospital to meet you as soon as possible. Then, he sent a tiny reminder that he was just about to get into the shower, making you laughed. You reply with a short 'Okay' and put down your phone. You'd leaned back, eyes on the ceiling once again. Your eyelids began to flutter, opening and closing, the pauses between each step growing longer and longer until they refused to open up again.

"Doctor Yoo!" Someone shouted, banging on the door.

Your eyes shot open, quickly getting up from your chair and wobbly rush to open the door. You then saw Wooyoung's wide eyes, mouthing the word 'Jaehun'. Your body shivered, feeling the goosebumps as he said his name. You didn't even think twice, immediately sprints to Jaehun's room. Wooyoung let out a frustrated sigh, feeling tired from running to get you, and now he has to run again to the same place he was at before. You run as fast as you could, passing by the huge and not-so-crowded lobby.

Just then, Seonghwa saw you and Wooyoung, who's slowly jogging from behind. He was confused, but when he saw the expression you hold as you run, he knew something's not right. He'd then followed you, but instead of using the elevator, he used the stairs. Panting heavily, he pushes himself to catch up to you. Once the elevator door has opened, you quickly get out, leaving Wooyoung behind. He takes a deep breath once again with wide eyes open before he starts to jog again.

"Jung Jaehun, can you hear me?" You whisper as you watched the heart monitor rapidly increasing.

"Jaehun, take a deep breath!" You call out, helping to put on the mechanical ventilation on him.

"Jung Jaehun!" You cry out, seeing blood covering your right palm.

Your eyes went round when you saw blood dripping in a straight line on his forehead, down to his cheek. Jaehun's heart rate keep decreases until it went to a straight line. His hand that was once on the side rail dropped onto the mattress. The room was quiet, only the long beeping sound can be heard throughout the room. Seonghwa sees it all, staring at you with eyes flooded with tears, threatening to fall.

"Jaehun-ie?.." You murmur. "H-hey, wake up, come on, look at me." You pleaded, your voice rising as he continued to be unresponsive.

"Doctor Yoo.. He's.." Wooyoung pauses, biting his lower lip.

"No.. Not yet!" "Doctor Yoo-" "He's not yet gone, w-we can-" Tears rapidly rolled down your cheeks. "We can.." Your back harshly hit the wall behind you.

"Jaehun-yah!" You yelled his name, your voice was heartbreaking, making the people in the room shed tears as if they could feel your pain just by watching you.

"Time of death, 7:26 p.m." Doctor Kang announced, writing it on his clipboard shakily.

Your hands curling into fists as you slowly slid down to the floor, chanting 'Please don't go' as if it could return him alive. Seonghwa couldn't hold it anymore, seeing you like that makes his heart shattered. He backs away, hiding behind a wall, and secretly cries. He drew in a long breath before poking his head out, seeing you wiping your tears as you stand outside, watching them turning off the machines and pulls the sheets to cover Jaehun's body, from his toes until the top of his head.

You try to be professional again, holding back your tears as you discuss with the surgeons. After that, you walk away, using the elevator to get down, heading towards your office. How can I let this happen? I swear everything went well, but where did I go wrong? Those thoughts linger in your mind for far too long, poisoning you mentally. You gaze at your trembling hands and clamps them, nails digging in your palms.

"I failed." You mutter to yourself as you cover your face in your hands.

"The dead flower theory is true.. I can't save you even if I attempted to, fuck.." You sighed, slamming your palms on your desk.

Since your shift has ended, you were getting ready to go home. Taking your phone and putting it inside of your sling bag and left the room. You shook your head and quickly walk away, heading towards the restroom first. You wash your hands and splash some water onto your face to get a hold of yourself. You stare at the reflection of yours and hardly punched the wall multiple times before leaving the restroom. You spotted Seonghwa spacing out while sitting in the lobby and once he notices your presence as you got closer to him, he immediately stood up, pulling you into a tight hug. His eyes were closed as he rested his chin on your right shoulder.

"I'm sorry for your loss." He whispered.

You held your breath while he tightens the hugs as he finished his sentence. "I'm also hurt, I know how you feel and I'm so hurt.." He continues.

"It's going to be okay.." He gently rocks your body with his.

He then squeezes your body one more time and then slowly lets you go from his embrace. He'd then place his hands on your shoulders, trying to see the look in your eyes. But you lowered your head, feeling quite sensitive at the moment. He'd raised your chin using his thumb and index finger to have a good look at your face and he sadly smiles. Your eyes and cheeks were quite red from crying before. He'd carefully use his thumb to caress your cheeks. You sigh and softly pushing his hands away, giving him a faint smile.

"I just want to go home now." He nodded and gently wrapped an arm around your waist, guiding you to walk outside.

He opens the door for you and motions you to get in. "But I need my car to go to work tomorrow." "I can send you to work, don't worry." He reassures you.

"For now, just rest while I drive." He closes the door after you got in, securing your seatbelt for you.

You were laying back against the seat and watched everything flash by outside of the window. You gripped onto the seatbelt, admiring the moon shines brightly. You stretch out an arm and let your palm pressed flat against the window. You sighed, pulling away and let your arms rest on your lap and think for a second while fiddling your fingers with the hem of your shirt. You clear your throat, gazing at Seonghwa's side profile. He noticed you were staring at him for quite a while now and he snickered. He then decided to ask you with a small smile on his face.

"Need anything, baby?" "Uh? No, nothing.." You then look away.

"Are you hungry? You haven't eaten anything yet, am I right?"

"Yeah.. But it's okay.. I'm not-"

"Barbeque and a few drinks? That's a good idea, let me find a good place."

He completely ignores your words and stopped his car on the side of the road. He pulls out his phone and begins his search for a restaurant. You try to tell him that it's fine and you wanted to go home and rest but then he beamed as he founded a place.

Eagerly, he showed you the location that is not so far from where you are now, only about 50 meters away. You sigh and just nodded at him. He smiles at you once more before continuing driving. He took a turn to the left and you sink in your seat. Your eyes were focused outside the window, waiting until you've arrived.

After what feels like an eternity, he parked nicely and undo his seatbelt. You stretch out your limbs and squint your eyes, looking at the restaurant in front of you. You were about to open the door but you got scared when Seonghwa suddenly opened the door for you. He quickly apologized and told you to come out. You nodded and took your sling bag with you before exiting the car. You look around, observing your surrounding.

He nervously smiled, seeing your reaction made him feel anxious with his decision. He could've just driven both of you home instead of going there. He shyly offered his hand for you to hold which you gladly took it but you winched, sensing quite a pain as he accidentally squeezes your knuckles. You hastily yank your hand away and nervously chuckles. Seonghwa furrowed his eyebrows, bringing his hand to take a look at your hand again but you hide your hands behind your back.

"Yoo Y/n, let me see your hand." He urges you with a pair of fierce eyes glaring at you.

You shook your head, telling him no. He exhaled, he doesn't take no as an answer when you're in some sort of pain. He insists to make you revealed your hands but you whined in protest, telling him to just let it go and saying you're starving as an excuse. He rubbed his eyes and nodded, walking in first and you sigh in relief, following him from behind. He then suddenly turns around, grabbing your wrist, and examines your bruised knuckles. He softly brushed his thumbs on your knuckles before he realized something is missing.

"Where is your ring?" He asked and he furrowed his eyebrows as his eyes bored into yours.

"Ah, it's in the ring box which is in my bag here. I can't wear it while performing any surgeries and I don't want to lose it." You explain and he nodded, releasing your hands.

"Can I see the box, please?" "Uh, sure." You quickly rummaging through your bag and give it to him once you've found it.

He opened the box and took the ring. Then, he took your hand gently and slipped the ring onto your ring finger. He smiled, seeing how beautiful your finger was adorned with the ring. Unbeknownst to you, he brought your hand to his lips and then he kissed your knuckles delicately. You look at him in awe but he keeps that genuine smile on while he looks at you.

"From now on, whenever you're with me, you have to wear our wedding ring, okay?" You look at your finger and you smiled, nodding a bit.

He then handed you the box and you put it back inside of your bag.

"Also, you can get inside first, I'll be right back." "Wait, where are you going?"

"I saw a pharmacy nearby, I'm going to buy some things to treat those bruised knuckles." "Honey, you don't have to-"

"It's okay, it'll only take a few minutes, and I'll be right back." With that, he went off.

You sigh, staring at your hands, and shook your head. You then entered the restaurant and being greeted by the workers. You take a seat near the window so it's easier for Seonghwa to notice you and ordered once you call the waiter. You waited until you saw your colleagues entered the restaurant, which is Wooyoung and Doctor Kang. Wooyoung was the first to notice you and he raised his arm, waving at you. You smiled, slightly waving at him and he quickly went towards you, followed by his company.

"You came here to release your tension too, Doctor Yoo?" He asked.

"Not really, my husband brought me here because I was hungry." You awkwardly laugh.

"Mr. Park is here!? Where is he?!" He quickly looks around and groans when Doctor Kang smacked his shoulder.

Just then, Seonghwa stepped inside the restaurant, walking towards your table, and furrowed his eyebrows when he saw you're talking with your colleagues. He went closer and they instantly turn around once you pointed at him. They bowed and Seonghwa did the same, putting down the plastic bag on the table. He looks at you in confusion and Doctor Kang noticed it.

"Oh yeah, sorry to interrupt you both." He bowed once again and dragged Wooyoung to an empty table. He then ignores his ranting and continues to order.

"What are they doing here?" Seonghwa asks, taking a seat beside you.

"Release their tension, I guess?" He just nodded. "Oh, okay."

"Anyway, lend me your hands, please. I need to put some cream on them."

"Oh, okay.." He softly took your hand in his and he smiled as he carefully rubbed your knuckles with the cream.

You watch him tenderly taking care of you, seeing his tongue poking his inner cheek while focusing. He then blew on your knuckles before he mumbles.

"Alright, done." "Thank you." You wanted to place your hands on your lap but he doesn't let go of them.

"Hey, can you promise me that you'll never do this again, please? Jaehun's watching and he would be extremely unhappy if he understands what you're doing to yourself and it also broke my heart when I saw you like this. So, please. Never hurt yourself again, okay?" He speaks sweetly with his doe eyes and you smiled and nodded.

"That's my precious wife." He spoke as he booped your nose.

Then, he suddenly tickling your neck and on both sides of your waist, making you giggled. Meanwhile, at the other side of the table, Wooyoung and Doctor Kang were watching you both. They had their chins resting on their palms while their eyes locked on the both of you, whispering afterward.

"I feel jealous with their relationship," Wooyoung whispered. "You, jealous? Then how about me? I'm getting older and I still don't have a date."

"That's because you're picky about hm... Basically everything."

"I- you got a point," Wooyoung smirked. "Told ya."

"Whatever, the drinks are coming and you'll be grilling the meat."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Wooyoung sighs in defeat.

It was just a couple of shots, you didn't plan on getting drunk tonight. But then again, that once bottle full of soju has become almost empty. Once you finished your shots and proclaimed it wasn't enough, you would pour yourself another glass, knocking back shot after shot after shot. Seonghwa was practically watching you drinking from your first glass until it's almost your tenth. He tried to stop you but all you said was 'one more drink'. Famous last words all over the world. In actual fact, you had more than 'one' drink, lots more.

At first, he was worried but then he shrugged it off, continue to eat the meat he had grilled. You've been feeling tipsy enough but you still wanted to go for another sip. You had taken a shot too big, and some of the liquid had spilled and was now shining on your chin. Seonghwa followed its course down to your neck and... god, he had to remind himself that he's in public.

He shifted in his seat and downed his own shot. Unaware of this, you licked your lips and winced as it stung your throat. You muttered such incoherent words and went to pour some once more only to find the bottle was already empty. You blinked a few times, trying to fully regain your vision, and then you tugged on Seonghwa's sleeve, shaking the empty bottle in front of his face.

"Can I get one more..?" Seonghwa sighs, shaking his head as a no.

"You'll get a huge headache in the next morning if I let you drink more." He clarifies and shoves a piece of meat into his mouth.

"So, no." He mumbles while chewing.

"Oh, okay.." You placed the bottle back on the table and stare at it blankly.

Your head then felt heavy as it was swaying side to side. Your eyelids look like they could not stay open any longer. Just after you stifled a yawn, your head fell on Seonghwa's shoulder and you were fast to close your eyes. He lowly chuckled, feeling your cheek pressing onto his shoulder. He couldn't blame you for being tired as he could feel exhaustion beginning to creep into his system as well. He felt your breath playing over his neck. You were still a little shaky and he smiles, putting down his chopsticks so he can softly stroke your hair so you can rest well.

He will watch over you, he keeps an eye on you as you sleep, he is worried, of course, but he also finds it incredibly calming to watch you sleep. Your arm slackens a little as sleep finally takes full hold and he smiles at your soft sigh as you nuzzle closer. You were sleeping confidently at last and you seem happier when you sleep, a slight smile pulling at your lips before they soften again. He smiles, stroking your hair again, finding himself captivated by you.

He has always loved you deeply, but to see you so relaxed and happy, especially after such a long and rough day, is a blessing. He can't help but feel a little pride that you have learned that you can tell him anything and you can always find your comfort in his arms. He reached around carefully to tuck your loose hair out of your face, fingers lingering against the soft skin of your neck, eliciting a deep blush and awkward chirp he was thankful you couldn't see or hear.

A string of curses left his lips as he retreated too quickly, causing you to stir against him, and leaving him frantically praying you wouldn't wake up just yet. He sighed audibly when you snuggled further into his side, erupting in a wide, toothy grin. Seonghwa proudly took on the role of your guardian, back undeniably aching from his seated position which catered to your comfort, lovingly glancing at you while keeping your head steady against his shoulder.

The feel of you tucked into his side was warm, but different from his natural warmth. It was comforting, endearing, it felt like home. He then picked up his chopsticks again and continued to finish the rest of the food while letting you sleep a bit more.

"Baby, wake up, I need to go pay now," Seonghwa whispered, lightly patting your cheek.

You furrowed your eyebrows, snuggling closer while wrapping your arms around his torso and burying your face in the crook of his neck. He groans, trying to wiggle out of your embrace but you hugged him tighter, not letting him go by any chance. Seonghwa rolled his eyes and was ready to scold you but then he heard you whimpering.

"D-don't leave me too.." His lips were parted for a second before he clears his throat.

"I won't leave you. So you don't have to worry." He whispers and a tiny smile crept up your face.

He sighs in relief. "Alright, I have to go pay-"

Just then, Doctor Kang placed the receipt on the table, making Seonghwa looks at him in wonder. He then reaches for the small paper and reads the total at the bottom. He tries to get his wallet out of his pocket but Doctor Kang stopped him. Telling him that it's on him tonight. Seonghwa nodded hesitantly and thanked him but he felt a little suspicious with him.

"Right, let me introduce myself properly. I'm Kang Yeosang, but my colleague used to call me, Doctor Kang. But again, please just call me Yeosang. Nice to finally meet you in person, Mr. Park." He smiled, bowing his head afterward.

"I see.. Well, please, just call me Seonghwa. You don't have to be formal with me." Doctor Kang nodded. "If you say so, may I talk with you for a while, Seonghwa?"

"Sure, I supposed, but didn't you come here with a friend? Where is he now?"

"Oh, he's right there, sleeping as he had a lot of drinks." He said, pointing at Wooyoung, whose head rested in a way where he was looking up and his mouth was slightly opened.

"It appears that I have to drop him off at his house and give him a lift tomorrow." He'd sigh.

"Oh, seems like we're in the same situation." Seonghwa chuckles as he glances at your sleeping figure.

"Looks like it." Doctor Kang scoffed as he shook his head.

"Oh right, have a seat." Seonghwa gestured the empty seat in front of him and he sat down.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" "Well, first of all..." He begins.

Time had run away with them, and before they both knew it one of the waiters had told them it was closing time. Seonghwa and Doctor Kang hadn't noticed that almost all of the customers had left a good half an hour ago. Both of them nodded and Doctor Kang stands up first, saying goodbye before heading to harshly waking up his friend.

Seonghwa shifts his gaze from them to you, teasingly shrugging his shoulder until it made your head slipped off, jolting you awake. You squint your eyes as you glare at nothing, absentmindedly staring at what's in front of you. You slowly turn to the side and instantly met with Seonghwa's soft eyes and his precious smile.

"Who.. Who are you?" You tilted your head in confusion and he snorted.

"You don't remember me? You don't remember this face?" He asked, pointing at his face while raising his eyebrows.

"No?" "Then, take a guess." A playful smile tugging on his lips as he watched you struggle to memorize.

"A friend?" He shook his head. "Boyfriend?" He shook his head again, laughing a bit.

"Look at your left hand." He told and you did, gasping.

"It's getting late, and the restaurant is closing. Let's go home, my wife." He smiled as he stood up.

You'd yawn, shaking your head, and slapped your cheeks lightly after you stood up. Seonghwa finds it entertaining to watch you in your drunken state. You became more clingy and sticking to him like glue as both of you walk out of the restaurant. Your arm linking with his as you slowly ambling towards the car.

Abruptly, you deliver a tight hug before getting in and sit in the passenger seat. Holding his hand while he drives, silently fiddling with his fingers. You're just being too adorable for him to deal with but he loves it, seeing this new side of yours and he'll make sure to save it as valuable memories in his mind.

Seonghwa chuckled to himself as you drunkenly groaned from your position on his back, your head resting right up against his with your chin on his shoulder. He could feel the tickle of a few curls on his face, he could smell the liquor on your breath mingling with your usual scent of rose. One arm wrapped around his neck while the other hanging on the other side of his shoulder.

"My husband is handsome.. He's strong enough to carry me.."

He giggled at your sudden, slurred words as he hitched you up higher on his back for the umpteenth time, shifting his hands to get a more stable grip on your thighs as you swing your legs back and forth in the carefree manner of a child. He'd had to stop walking every once in a while to hitch you up into a more secure position on his back since the alcohol apparently affected your ability to stay put and you would begin sliding dangerously low.

"Hey~ why would you marry me, huh? Just look at me, I'm a mess, surely no one would want to walk down the aisle with a woman like me."

You'd raised a hand, meaning to softly pat his chest, but in the state that you were in now, it was more like you're smacking him. He winced but chuckled again at your confident yet ridiculous answer to your own question. His smile was teasing as he glanced sideways at you, grinning at the little pout that you gave him. He keeps quiet, gradually walking again.

"Why aren't you answering me~?" You kick your legs back and forth, making Seonghwa almost lose his balance that he had to stop walking for a moment.

"I don't remember why I marry you, can you guess?" He retorts, his tone was taunting with a smirk on his face.

"Ooh, I know! Because you love me~" You respond.

His grip on your thighs almost faltered as you turned your head and practically drawled your accusation directly into his ear. You giggled after a moment of silence, seeming pleased with yourself that you were able to catch him off guard. He blinked and turned his head to look into your eyes but he found them closed, your head lolling to one side while a content smile spread across your face. You looked so at peace that it made him smile in return, slowly making his way towards the elevator.

"Well yes, that's the perfect answer. I love you." You hummed quietly, moving your head to rest against his again.

It was a moment of silence and you tightened your arms around his neck and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, completely catching him off guard yet again. He grinned and shook his head at you, idly hoping that he'd catch you drunk more often if this was how you would be. The uninhibited affection from you had him soaring and he had to remind himself of the current circumstance. With a quiet sigh, he trekked on until he enters the elevator, and slowly reaching to press button number 8.

"I love you too, you know? You look like a very nice guy and have a pretty face.. A good proposition, posture.. Head shape, smile.. Everything, especially your voice! So soothing.."

You were quietly rambling now as you nuzzled into his neck, your words fading into barely coherent mumbles. He tried not to enjoy the sensation too much, the feeling of your warm breath and your nose trailing sloppy circles against the skin of his neck was almost maddening, but he didn't want to take advantage of you in this state. Maybe one day he'll ask your permission to...

He had to suppress a groan as his thoughts took on a life of their own, his large hands tightening around your soft thighs seemingly unconsciously. He'd thought you would be too out of it to notice but you'd put your lips right next to his ear and let out a low, soft moan. It very nearly made him lose his grip on his sanity. As if that wasn't enough, your previously dangling legs wrapped tightly around his waist as you pressed yourself into his back.

"Y/n, you're killing me here." He mumbled as he gritted his teeth.

You giggled and only pressed yourself into him more. The doors are open and with a sigh, he stepped out. Finally reaching the apartment door, he struggles to put in the code as the electronic lock kept sounding off with an embarrassingly loud beeping sound as his finger keeps pressing the wrong button numerous times.

Once he successfully put in the code, he let out a frustrated sigh. Walking in the dark and almost fallen upon trying to take off his shoes. He then made his way to your bedroom and turned to lower you down onto the queen-sized bed. The intention was to sit on the bed before slowly releasing your legs and arms, to gently lay you down, but you seemed to have your own plans.

Before he got the chance, you loosened your arms around his neck and unfolded your legs from his waist, falling to the bed with a soft thump, a squeak of bedsprings, and a comically surprised can be heard. You were laughing to yourself when he spun around to check that you were alright, the sound of your pealing laughter making him scoffed in return.

"Having fun, huh?"

You were still in a fit of giggles as he moved to the side of the bed and helped you take your sneakers off but soon quieted down as he took your sling bag out of you and pulled the covers up over you. Taking a step back and surveying the scene before him made a slow smile melt into his features. Moonlight filtered in through the gap in the curtains and gave the dim room a soft, almost ethereal glow.

You curled up comfortably, eyes closed, the quiet punctuated by your slow, rhythmic breathing. It was downright serene, the perfect mental image for him to take his leave with. As he turned to leave he was halted by the sudden tug of his hand. The touch was soft and, though it seemed hesitant, conveyed a sense of urgency somehow. Seonghwa glanced over his shoulder at you, your eyes locked onto his, drowsy but pleading.

"Stay."

The single word came out in a whisper, so low that he'd barely heard it. He leaned closer and you mumble. In that single whisper, he finally heard what you wanted to say. You needed him, maybe not in the way that he hoped at the moment, but you needed him there with you. With a small smile across his face, he shrugged off his coat and hang it nicely on your desk chair, you then slid over to make room for him to settle in.

"Oh, wait." You watched him through half-open eyes as he left the room.

If you had not been quickly losing your grip on consciousness, you would have heard him rummaging around in the kitchen. He was back in no time and placed one bottled water and a small bottle of painkillers on the bedside table before carefully slipping under the covers next to you. He could hear the soft hum that left you as he pulled you into his embrace. He could feel your warm breath against his skin as you released a sigh of contentment and nuzzled into his chest.

The feeling of having you in his arms like this felt so right. It was completely and utterly perfect and he did not doubt in his mind that this is where you belonged, with him, in your own private corner of the world. With a content sigh of his own, he tightened his arms around you and gently kissed the top of your head.

"I love you, so as Jaehun." His voice was quiet, not even above a whisper, and you seemed to have already slipped into the world of dreams. "Good night, love."

He was pleasantly surprised just after a momentary pause, you answered with a voice that matched his.

"Good night.. I love, you both too.."

[kuroopaisen]

cause & effect || 8

➵ your work friend, kuroo, has a tiny favour to ask. unfortunately, that favour includes convincing his family that you’re very much in love with him and have been for a while now. let’s just say it’s easier than you’d assumed.

warnings: f!reader, discussion of divorce

wc: 2.2k

m.list | ch. 7 ↞ ch. 8 ↠ ch. 9

“Tetsurou!” His mother calls as he’s a few steps away from the safety of the car.

“Hm?” He only half turns around, not willing to commit to the concept of walking back towards his mother’s house.

“Don’t forget to call.”

“Don’t worry,” you call out, “I’ll remind him.”

She smiles at you, raising a hand. “Thank you, dear.”

You’re rushed into the car before you know it, buckled in next to an exceedingly stressed Kuroo.

The two of you are already leaving later than he would’ve liked, and you can tell he’s desperate to get back to Tokyo.

So are you, honestly. It feels like you didn’t get enough sleep last night, even though you certifiably did.

His mother’s words keep playing over in your head. ‘No chemistry.’ ‘She’s no Ritsuko.’ What did that even mean? 

Sure, you might not be his real girlfriend, but you’re kind of pissed that you’re expected to live up to a set of standards you don’t even know about. Maybe you’re a bit too ticked off by the chemistry comment, but ‘no chemistry’ meant you weren’t playing your role well.

And if you were going to do anything during this whole stupid pantomime, it would be playing your part exceptionally.

“You know,” Kuroo begins, clearing his throat and stirring you from your thoughts, “I don’t think I said thank you properly last night.”

You smile, shaking your head. “It’s fine.”

“No, I…��� There’s a creak in Kuroo’s voice, an uncertainty. Once, you might have found it unusual. After last night, not anymore. “I really appreciate you listening to me.”

You turn your head towards him, your smile softening.

Kuroo takes a deep breath, his fingers tensing around the steering wheel. He’s not looking at you (rightfully so – his attention should be focused on the road), but his brow is furrowed and his bottom lip juts out ever so slightly.

“I know it sounds dumb,” he says quietly, voice barely louder than the humming of the car, “since they split ages ago, but… I’ve had a hard time believing that… that if I fell in love with someone, it’d last.”

It hurts. Deep and true and harsh.

You know that pain. You’ve felt it.

“That doesn’t sound dumb at all,” you murmur, voice soft as cotton.

“Thanks,” Kuroo chuckles.

Silence falls once more. You let it. If Kuroo needs time, you’re willing to give out. Trying to force things out of someone never did them any good. You wait patiently, watching the road.

“I just…” He sighs after a while, sitting up a little straight. “I don’t know how to let someone in. Not in the way they want, anyway. I just…”

He chews on his lip, brow furrowed as he searches for his next words.  

“Because your parents split up?” You offer.

“Mhm,” he nods slowly. “I don’t begrudge them for it or anything… and I know it’s better than forcing themselves to stay in the relationship.”

Ah, the bargaining. You know it well.  

You tell yourself that what happened is better than nothing changing at all. But in the process, you forget you’re allowed to grieve. Allowed to be hurt. You push it away, cover it with a tatty veil, tell yourself that it’s wrong to feel anything mildly negative about it.

But that’s how it builds. That’s how it spreads like moss over a stone wall, slow and deliberate and hard to notice at first. But then it’s in all of you – in how you see yourself, in how you see others, in how you love.

“But it’s affected you more than you realised, right?” You ask gently.

Kuroo nods again. He glances at you out the corner of his eye, vaguely suspicious.

“Yeah,” he swallows. “I’ve only begun unpacking it recently.”

“It can take a long time to work through something like that,” you murmur, fiddling with your fingers as you gaze down at your lap.

You’re not sure if you’ve even worked through it all. There are still days when the thought of ‘family’ makes you want to throw up, where the bitterness swallows you whole. Bitterness for them, bitterness towards a society that places filial piety as a key virtue. How are you supposed to fulfil your ‘duty’ as a daughter when you still haven’t forgiven them for leaving you among the wreckage?

Maybe it’s time.

You take a deep breath, lifting your head to gaze out the window. “My parents are divorced, too.”

It’s a half-whispered confession. One you’re not sure if you should make.

You don’t know why it’s so hard to say that. It’s a simple fact – one that’s been written in stone since you were fourteen. And it’s not like Kuroo would judge you for it.

But it’s still difficult. It still feels like a stain that won’t come out.

“Wait, really?” Kuroo’s eyes go wide, glancing between you and the road. “I’m so sorry—”

“What’re you apologising for?” You giggle.

Kuroo opens and closes his mouth like a goldfish. “Well I—I’ve been sitting here complaining about it, and—”

You wave a hand at him.

“It’s fine,” you smile. “I’m not close with either parent, so…”

The mood shifts. Have you made a mistake?

“I’m sorry,” Kuroo says. There’s a painful sincerity in his voice – evidence that he doesn’t know what that’s like.

You’re happy for him. Through it all, at least, he had his dad’s side of the family. It’s something to be grateful for; and while the abandoned child in you feels bitterly jealous at the thought of someone else getting support, you know better than to admonish a parent doing their best to keep their son above water.

“It’s fine,” you say, pressing your lips together and shaking your head. “They’re both overseas for the holidays, actually.”

That’s the real reason you’re able to actually do this whole thing. There’re no parents to visit, no family to make merry with. There are friends you’d like to see, but most of their time was taken up by their own family festivities.

“Wait, really?”

“Mhm,” you nod. “Dad’s gone to Europe with his new partner, and mum’s visiting her new husband’s family in Australia.”

You know that they didn’t need to ask you if you wanted to spend the holidays together. And you don’t expect it. Sometimes weeks go by with no contact, and it’s your fault as much as theirs.

But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. Being along during the holidays is always a reminder that things aren’t as they should be – you don’t have that nice little nuclear family you’re told to want, with parents who love (or at least, tolerate) each other so they can love you.

“I see…” Kuroo murmurs.

“So, you needing someone to stick their neck out for you ended up being pretty convenient,” you grin, trying to lighten the frankly dour atmosphere in the car.

“Where will you be during New Years?” He asks softly. There’s a certain melancholy to his face.

“Alone, at this rate.” You have friends to see, of course, but you know they can’t dedicate all their free time to you – and you’d never ask for that.

But you can’t reason your way out of loneliness, no matter how hard you try. Maybe you weren’t trying hard enough. All you can do is remind yourself that it wouldn’t be forever; the holidays would pass, things would return back to normal, and you won’t be lonely again for another year.

“You can stay with us, if you’d like.”

Kuroo’s voice is so soft. So kind.

It’s enough to make your chest feel all light and funny. Why, you don’t know.

“Thanks,” you murmur.

You’re not sure if you’ll take him up on the offer; you wouldn’t want to impose, and it wasn’t part of your agreement. Not that you’re really sure what’s covered by your agreement. You’re just coasting along, hoping for the best. Hoping you’re helpful.

Silence. A silence that weighs on your shoulders.

Did Kuroo feel… awkward, now he knew you came from a similar situation? Did he feel that he had no right to talk about it the way he was?

That wasn’t what you’d been trying to do at all. You didn’t want to rob him of his voice.

You take a deep breath, clutching your jacket with your hands. “I’m just saying that… I know where you’re coming from,” you swallow. “Kind of.”

Kuroo glances at you out the corner of his eye.

“It’s okay to take your time to work through these sorts of things,” you smile. “God knows I still am.”

He chuckles lightly. A good sign.

“It’s not easy,” you continue, “and I spent a lot of my teen years believing it didn’t affect me, that it hadn’t had that big of an impact, but…” One deep breath. “I used to besmirch the idea of family.”

It feels strange, admitting it out loud. You’d never done that before; not to someone outside of a therapeutic context. Not even your closest friends knew this was how you really felt.

“I didn’t believe in it,” you swallow, “And now I know that’s because of how my parents treated each other.”

Fights. Pointless bickering. Nothing ever got physical, but bitterness has a way of twisting people up on the inside, leaving them all tattered and miserable. A place where there’s no love at all, only two people running through the tired motions of affection, is no place to raise a child – let alone teach them how to love.

And something else.

“And… and because of how they treated me through the divorce,” you sigh.

It sounds worse when you phrase it like that.

“If you don’t mind me asking…” Kuroo speaks slowly, each word careful and cautious, “what happened?”

You chew on your lip. “Well, there’s the two of them trying to pit me against the other.”

Kuroo groans.

“And I… I don’t know, I felt very neglected,” you swallow, doing your best to ignore the pressure in your chest, the lump in your throat, the way your gut twists. “They were both so focused on sorting themselves out that I got left behind in a lot of ways.”

“How old were you?”

“Oh, I was like… thirteen? Fourteen?” You can’t remember exactly. It’s been so long.

“Shit.”

You laugh. “Yeah, it really wasn’t a good time for it. But… I think that contributed to why I feel a bit distant from my family.”

You sigh, closing your eyes for a moment.

This wasn’t how you’d wanted this conversation to go. This was supposed to be about Kuroo, helping him feel more at peace with what’d happened to him. It wasn’t supposed to be your sob fest.

You open your eyes, looking straight at him. “Look, Tetsurou, it’s okay to take your time. And it’s good that you’re able to identify the causes of your troubles. That’s a great start.” you say as your heart races. Would he find this preachy? Nagging?

He just chuckles, shaking his head. “I just wish I could deal with them.”

“I think you’re doing better than you think you are,” you murmur, resisting the urge to reach out and place a hand on his shoulder. “And… if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here.”

Your heart feels like it’s running a damn marathon as he slows to a stop at the red traffic light. Have you overstepped? Are you being annoying? Worse yet, were you being invasive?

Kuroo turns to look at you properly for the first time on the drive.

He’s graced with the softest of smiles, his features much gentler than you’ve ever seen them. You’d almost believe there’s genuine affection in his eyes.

“Thanks,” he murmurs, reaching over to ruffle your hair.

You pout at him reflexively. You haven’t had your hair ruffled in years.

✧ ✧ ✧

The rest of the drive is quiet. Pleasantly so. Enough’s been said, and you feel no need to fill the silence.

Kuroo doesn’t either.

It’s nice to exist comfortably like this, the car’s heater working overtime as you trundle your way back to Tokyo. You drift in and out of a light sleep, bundled up in your jacket and your coat.

By the time Kuroo parks on your street, you’re ready to crawl into bed and hibernate for the rest of the month.

“Well,” Kuroo sighs. “Thanks again.”

You yawn, stretching your arms as far as the car will let you. “No problem.”

Kuroo wastes no time in getting out of the car and opening your door for you. You grimace as the cold air hits you; maybe you will crawl straight into bed. What better way to spend your day off?

You grab your things and slowly walk yourself to the front of your apartment building. Kuroo accompanies you the whole way.

“I’ll see you soon,” he nods to you as you turn around.

“I look forward to it,” you smile. God forbid, you’re actually excited.

Kuroos eyes light up for a moment. Are his cheeks red from the cold, or something else?

A bubble in your gut and you’re desperate to get inside, away from this confounding, stupidly charming man. You give what you intend to be your final nod, turning to open the door, but—

“Oh,” Kuroo says. “One more thing.”

You turn and tilt your head at him.

Somehow, he makes the stark winter light suit him. He grins. It’s brilliant enough to make you blush.

“Thanks for opening up to me,” he smiles, “I really appreciate it.”

[chemist-ana]

Chapter 13 The Morning After— Sams POV

Book: The Nanny Affair

Characters: Sam, Ana Schuyler (MC), Vivan and Mason Dalton

Pairing: Sam Dalton (male) x Ana Schuyler (MC)

Rating: 18+

Content Warning: NSFW, Sexual Language, Adult Language, Sexual Situations

A/N I know there are a lot of people that do not like Sam Dalton- that being said, this chapter was especially difficult for me to write, because I am trying to give him a redeeming character arc. As a person that is involved with the family business, I can understand to a degree where he is coming from with the guilt and what he chooses some of the decisions he does. BUT please do not forgot that MC is culpable and definitely at fault as well. There are definitely some cringe worthy things in this chapter- but I hope y'all love it! Also a super big thank you for @txemrn for talking me through some of these ideas and for being the queen of angst. Love you p.

Summary: In the cold light of day, will you and Ana be able to face the consequences of your actions?

Word Count: 5800

Tag List:  @txemrn @secretaryunpaid @lifeaskim @aussieez @pixie88 @thefrenchiemama @sfb123 @mainstreetreader @shewillreadyou @khoicesbyk @lady-calypso @choicesficwriterscreations @somersetmummy @melalicious8383 @chrissythadon @shannonwrote @jerzwriter

The sound of my footsteps, my labored breathing, and the early morning traffic are the only sounds in my ears, as I push my legs faster through Central Park. I reach up and wipe at the sweat that is beading on my brow, silently cursing the wretched New York, humid, summer mornings.

I usually run with music blasting in my ears… but I decided this morning to torture myself, and I can’t decide whether its working. The sounds of Ana’s moans echo through my mind, as steady as my heart beats. I see a gorgeous blonde running towards me and I give her a crooked smile as our eyes connect. She just about trips on the pavement before composing herself mid stride and continues past me, avoiding my gaze.

Well that didn’t help.

I push myself harder in the last few hundred yards of my run, and when my building finally comes into view, I slow down to a walk, reaching my arms up to catch my breath.

“Good morning, Mr. Dalton.” The morning doorman greets as he opens the door to the lobby for me.

“Thanks, Felix.” I nod as I breeze past him, waving my keycard at the scanner to my penthouse elevator.

When the door dings open, I hold my breath as I walk quietly through the still living room, everyone is still sleeping. I stop outside of Ana’s door. Resting my hands on her door frame and closing my eyes. I take a deep breath, what the fuck happened last night… I walk into my master bathroom, turning the shower water on cold.

My brain delves into the guilt that is sitting heavy on my shoulders. The guilt that I have for the years I spent fucking off in college instead of setting myself up for my future. The guilt I have for losing Eva. The guilt I have for hiring Ana… And now to add more… the guilt that I have for fucking her last night. What the fuck were you thinking? I tilt my head up into the cold water, letting the shock send a shudder down my spine.

My life has revolved around this family business… watching the countless hours my father has spent building it from nothing into this global conglomerate. The knowledge that one day, this would all be mine. The endless chiding from my father to fit into his mold of what the perfect CEO would be. Married with children. I have truly never been in control of my life… even when I married Eva. I thought she was the one… but now that I have Ana… stop it you fool, you don’t have Ana… she deserves better than your spineless tricks. Fuck, fuck, fuck, what am i doing? I reach up and rest my hands on the shower wall, letting my head lull forward.

What the fuck happens next?

***

“Good morning.” I greet the twins and Ana as I round the corner into the kitchen.

“Morning, dad.” The boys look at me with defeated looks, I’m guessing it has something to do with the beige mush in their bowls.

I cast a quick glance at Ana as a blush creeps up her neck.

“Ana? Are you alright?”

She shakes her head slightly before looking at me.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking about last night.” Her eyes linger on mine.

The all too clear memory of her moans and the feel of her body come flooding back into my mind again, but I quickly shove them away as I stare back at her.

“Yeah! Carter said you went to that fancy party thing with Dad!” My eyes flick to Mason as he sets his spoon down.

“Did you pull any pranks?” Mickey asks with a smile.

“Not this time. Maybe we just needed someone to show us how it’s done.” I look between them.

“I’d rather stay home and eat pizza, thanks!” Mickey’s eyes grow wide as he takes another bite of his mush, god that doesn’t look good at all.

I grab a cup of coffee and turn to walk towards my office.

“Can we talk later?” Ana whispers as she leans in close to me.

My stomach drops and I feel my body stiffen. I don’t spare her a glance before answering. “… Yes. Later.”

Without another word I head to my home office, leaving a stunned Ana behind. I can feel her gaze as I round the corner and close the door quietly behind me.

I don't know what to say to you yet, Ana…

I sit down in my Wegner chair, switching the Tiffany Lamp on. I rub my hands down my face with a sigh. The silence is broken by the ringing of my cell phone, I glance down and my fathers name is flashing on the screen.

“Hey, dad.” I set my phone on my desk and turned it on speaker.

“Sam, things in Italy are not clearing up. I need you there to fix this mess.”

I let out a sharp exhale through my teeth and pinch the bridge of my nose.

“This is pretty short notice.”

“After what happened in Milan, LEMA is having some hesitations as to our abilities to run a company that handles sensitive medical information. I don't think I need to tell you how important this deal is. We need to take care of this ourselves, unless you want me to send Robin?” I can hear the challenge in his voice as my chest constricts.

“How long do you think I will be there?” I ask, avoiding his antagonizing, my mind flashing to the boys… and then to Ana..

“Does it matter, Sam? As long as it takes. I already spoke with Sofia, she is going to go with you. I have some briefs and copies of all the contracts being sent to your office now. You will need to read them all to get caught up. I also scheduled you the jet for tomorrow morning.”

My head falls back as I close my eyes.

“Sam?”

“Yeah, yeah, dad, I heard you. I will be there soon.”

“I’ll be in your office at noon.” He ends the call.

I glance down at my watch, it's already 11.  FUCK.

I look at my office door, time to do whatever needs to be done.

I walk quietly through the penthouse, running over the words in my head. I hear the twins in their room, and I decide to start with them. When I see Ana putting their laundry away, my breath gets caught in my throat. At least you only have to say this once…

“I’m about to go into the office, but I wanted to talk to you first.” I say as I walk into their room.

I watch out of the corner of my eye as Ana turns towards me. I move further into the twins room and take a seat on the edge of the lower bunk bed. Mason and Mickey stand in front of me.

“What’s wrong, Dad? You look sad…” Mason’s face drops when he notices my crestfallen expression.

“I’m not… sad. I just know you’re not going to like what I have to say.” I take a deep breath and clear my throat.

“Then you gotta just rip it off. Like a Band-Aid.” Mickey smiles.

“Right, like a Band-Aid.” I keep my eyes fixed on the twins but I can feel the heat from Ana’s gaze. “I have to go to Italy for a business trip… as soon as possible.”

A silence settles over the room as the twins look between themselves..

“What? You’re fleeing the country, just like that?” Ana breaks the palpable silence.

“I wouldn’t call it ‘fleeing’. Dalton Enterprises has been in negotiations for months, and after the Milan breach… well my dad just doesn’t trust anyone else to handle it.”

“What about us?” Mason murmurs sadly.

“Aunt Sofia isn’t staying here, is she?” Mickey's eyes are wide.

“No, she’ll be in Naples with me. But don’t worry, you won’t be alone. You’ll have Ana.” I turn to  face Ana and her gaze is focused on the twins, but I can see the hurt in her emerald eyes.

“Let’s not overreact here. It’s just a flight and some meetings, right? I bet your dad will be back before you know it.” A smile trains on the corners on her lips as she tries to brighten the mood.

I wish that was all…

“Actually… depending on the negotiations, I could be gone a couple months.”

“A couple months?” Mickey shouts.

“But… that’s the rest of summer.”  I look at Mason and see only one thing: disappointment.

“Seriously, Sam? That’s so long! For the boys I mean.” Her eyes fall to the floor.

“My parents were often overseas for months at a time when I was younger. They’ll survive.” I hate the words as they leave my lips.

“But don't you want them to do more than just survive?” She looks up at me in concern.

“I’m trying to not let emotions cloud my judgement here. I don't have a choice in the matter.” I clench my jaw.

“You always have a choice, Sam.” Her eyes hold mine.

I take a deep breath turning my attention back to the twins.

“Can we at least come visit you while you’re gone?” Mason is picking at a piece of string that is fraying from his blanket.

“Of course, buddy. I’m sure we can work something out. In the meantime, why doesn’t Ana take you two out for the day?” I rest my hands on the twins' shoulders. “I’ve got to prepare for my trip, but we’ll have a special dinner tonight before I go. Promise.” I wrap my arms around them and bring them tight to my sides. I wish I didn't have to leave you… someday you will understand. I hope.

I walk out of the twins room, avoiding the heat from Ana’s gaze as she watches me.

***

The words all run together as I sit at my desk and try to read the briefs from Italy. My office door opens and my eyes meet my fathers’s as he strolls in and sits in the leather chair in front of me.

“Did you read all of those?” He asks gruffly, his eyes flicking down to the papers that are strewn across my desk.

I collect all of them into a stack as I avoid his gaze. “I got the jist.”

A silence settles between us and I can feel his eyes trained on me. When I finally raise my gaze, he narrows his eyes and his mouth sets in a thin line. “What’s going on with you, Sam?”

“Nothing, Dad, I’m just tired. Didn’t sleep well last night.”

“Don’t insult me, I know you better than that. You are distracted, you have been since your mother and I got back from Italy. Have you been drinking too much again?”

I raise my brow at him incredulously. “Dad.”

“Is it that pretty nanny of yours?” He says mockingly.

My eyes fall to the stack of papers.

“Oh, son. Really?”

“No, dad, it-it’s not her.” Boy that wasn't very convincing.

“Yes it is. I know that look.” A long silence stretches and I avoid his gaze. “Remember Pam?”

I meet his eyes.  “Aunt Pam, your old secretary?”

He purses his lips and nods. He takes a deep breath, clearly warring with what he wants to say next. “It only lasted a few months, and your mother knows nothing about this.”

“Wait, you had an affair?”

“It’s not something I am proud of. But let me tell you something. Women like her, and your nanny…” He waves his hand dismissively. “Are only good for one thing, son.” He leans forward in his chair and arches his brow. “And it’s not making you the man that you need to be to run this company.” He leans back, steepling his fingers on his knees. “Now, a woman like Sofia, that is who is going to take you far in life, and bring you where you need to be.”

I’m fucking speechless. I can’t defend my honor, or Ana’s.  Because what if he’s right?

***

My phone dings with a text, Ana.

Ana: Heading back, ETA 20 min

Ana: You need us to pick anything up on our way?

Ana: Or do you have the special dinner all planned out?

Fuck. I’m not getting out of here for at least another hour.

Sam: About that…

Ana: Why am I not surprised? This is becoming your MO.

I clench my jaw.

Sam: What’s that supposed to mean?

Ana: You’re a smart man. Figure it out.

I whisper a quiet fuck and I see Robin’s head snap up.

“Trouble at home?” He asks, as a cocky smile spreads across his face.

I ignore him.

Sam: Ana…

Ana: I’ll take care of dinner for the boys sake. But you’d better come up with an AMAZING apology dessert for them.

Sam: I am sorry to bail on this

Sam: I will bring something home for dessert.

Sam: Okay?

She doesn't respond, and I pinch my eyes closed in frustration.

I turn back to the final pages of the contract with LEMA before sighing and throwing it to the table.

“Find anything?” Robin asks.

“No. And I need to go home. I need to spend what little time I have left in the city with the boys.”

“Go, I will make sure all of this makes it onto the jet tomorrow morning.” Robin leans back in his chair. “You know dad wants me with you tomorrow, right?”

I stop in my tracks and slowly turn to him. “No. I was not aware of that.”

He shrugs his shoulders and crosses his leg over his knee. “Now you do.”

I bite the inside of my cheek, and decide against saying anything else. Can just one thing go my way today? I grab my keys and phone, stuffing them into my pocket. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“See ya.” He waves as I walk out of the door.

***

I walk into the foyer with my suitcase, setting it next to the elevator doors just as they ding open and Ana, Mason, and Mickey step out.

“Welcome back. Did you three have fun at the museum?” My eyes are locked on Ana, sadness filling her emerald eyes. My chest constricts as my thoughts are haunted by my fathers confession.

“The museum was alright but dinner was even better! We stopped at a food truck festival on the way home.” Mickey chimes.

“I tried a poke bowl!” Mason is vibrating with excitement.

“Really? Did you like it?” I ask him, surprised.

“It was amazing!” Mason cheered as he pushed his glasses up his nose.

“And we got something for you!” Mickey gestures to the bag in Ana’s hands.

“That was thoughtful of you.” I look at Ana as she hands me the bag, not meeting my gaze.

“It was their idea.” She murmurs looking down at the boys.

I look inside of the paper bag, Kung Pao… god it's my favorite. “I love Kung Pao. How did you know?”

“Just a lucky guess.” Her tone is even and neutral. Distant.

“Right.” I take a breath, clearing my throat and turning back to the boys.

“Why don’t you two wash your hands, then head into the kitchen for your special dessert?” The boy's eyes widened.

“On it!” They race toward the bathroom, leaving Ana and I alone in the hallway. Still avoiding my eyes, she breezes past me into the kitchen. I follow her slowly, watching the soft sway of her hips.

“Ana.” She stops in her tracks and I see her shoulders tense.

“Yes?” She slowly turns towards me.

“Thank you for dinner, for both me and the boys. I shouldn’t have backed out of my promise to have a special meal with them.” My apology comes out even and measured as I watch her carefully.

“No, you shouldn’t have.” She says matter of factly, her eyes finally rising to mine. She sighs softly. “And you’re welcome.”

“It really looks delicious.” I set the container on the counter, taking a big bite with a fork. My eyes are trained on hers and I can see her face soften.

“You’ve got a little…” She grabs a napkin, stepping up slowly and reaching up to wipe at my lip.

The smell of jasmine and Ana fill my senses as our breath mixes in the air between us.

“Oh…” I whisper in surprise at the intimate gesture.

“... All better.” She smiles softly up at me, her emerald eyes piercing. An electric charge lingering in the space between us.

The moment is broken when we hear the boys running towards us in the kitchen. She takes a step back, turning away from me.

“Dessert time!” Mickey cheers as he slides into the kitchen.

“What’re we having?” Mason shifts from foot to foot.

“I thought you’d like to make some s’mores…” I know they are your favorite.

“With the mega-big marshmallows?” Mickey’s eyes grow wide. God, I am going to miss these kids…

“Of course.” I match his smile and gesture towards the platter of s’mores supplies laid out on the counter.

“I’ll, uh, leave you three to it.” Ana says softly as she slowly backs out of the kitchen.

“Where are you going? You haven’t even had s'mores yet!” Mason turns to Ana.

“I don’t want to intrude on father-son bonding time with your last night together.” She smiles softly at Mason.

“You wouldn’t be intruding.” I say hopefully. Please stay…

“Still… you should have some privacy.” She holds my eyes for a moment longer before turning and walking out of the room. What have I done?

***

I am sitting in the dim lighting of my office. My fingers wrapped around a glass of Eagle Rare Bourbon as I gaze out of the window. My thoughts are a jumbled mess as I bring the tumbler to my lips.  I hear the door open slowly and I glance over to see Ana enter quietly, clicking the door shut behind her.

“I thought I might see you again tonight.” I say as I turn my focus back towards the city lights outside.

“Sam, we need to talk about us.”

I can sense the sadness behind her words.

“Ana…” I sigh as I look at her with regret.

I see her shoulders tense as she balls her hands up into fists at her side. Red hot color rising on her cheeks.

“You owe me this, Sam. Don’t pretend like you don’t.” Anger drips from her every word.

I take a deep breath and give her a small nod, but I have no words. I get lost in my own thoughts again... You’re right… but I have no idea what to say to you. There is nothing I can do about this fucked up situation I put us in… I am so sorry that I dragged you into this mess. I am a selfish man that longs to be with you… but I have no control.

“We had sex last night, Sam.” Her voice cracks.

My chest tightens.

“I haven’t forgotten.” My eyes still trained on the city lights outside.

“It feels like you want to. In fact, it feels like you’re running halfway around the world because of it.”

My breathing gets shallow as she takes a step towards me, the anger rolling off of her in waves.

“You’re a lot of things, Sam, but I never took you for a coward.” Her voice laced with contempt as she stepped in front of me.

My eyes flick to hers as a new emotion bubbles to the surface: anger.

“A coward?” I whisper as I lift to my feet and we stand face-to-face.

“You heard me.” She tips her nose in the air. “You could have walked away last night.”

I can't help the humorless laugh that escapes my lips. How does she not understand that I cannot control myself around her?

“I wish that were true.” It would make my life a whole hell of a lot easier. God help me, I can’t resist you.I reach up and run my fingertips down her cheek, watching her shudder at my touch, but her expression remains guarded and angry.. “I’ve been trying to walk away from you since the moment we met. Yet somehow… I always end up back here.”

She steps back out of my reach, crossing her arms in front of her chest. My eyes scan down the length of her body.

“That’s not good enough, Sam.” Her eyes bore into mine.

God Dammit woman.

“Let’s get one thing straight here, Ana. The timing of this trip may seem suspicious to you, but I don’t want to go. I have to go.” I take a step toward her, narrowing my eyes. “And every time I look at you, it’s a reminder of what I’m leaving behind.”

Her eyes widen as her anger starts to slip. “Really? You aren’t relieved to have an escape?”

“No! This is so much worse.” I take a deep breath, trying to reign in my anger. My urge to control her and have her bare before me is making my cock twitch.  I watch as Ana turns and steps to the window. The war inside of my head battles on before I finally give in. I step up behind her, running my nose along the sensitive skin below her ear before grabbing her hips and pulling her against me. I feel her body melt into mine. She turns to face me, and I place my hands on either side of her head, the cold glass a welcome reprieve from the heat coursing through my veins. I press my desire against her and I watch as her eyes darken.

“Sam, you should fire me now.” She whispers. “Neither one of us has the strength to resist. Stopping cold turkey is the only answer. You go to Italy, conquer the business world, marry Sofia. I’ll move out and find something else. We both walk away, hands clean. Well… as clean as they can be.”

I can see it in her eyes that she doesn’t believe the words she is saying, but it doesn't stop them from stinging my heart.

“My hands aren’t clean, Ana. How can they be, when I think about you every time I touch myself?” My eyes flick down to her plump, pink lips. “Or when I want to murder the next man who touches you?”

“Then what’s the endgame here? What do you want?” She pleads, her eyes shining in the dim light.

“I want you, dammit.” I confess.

She grabs the lapels of my suit and pulls me even closer to her curves,

“Prove it.” She challenges, her eyes dark.

She brings her lips to mine and our lips ignite into a frenzy of heat and frustration. I bring my arms around to her lower back and pull her hips snug to mine. A sudden feeling of regret passes through my mind and I pull back, a question in my eyes.

“Ana…” I warn.

“Don’t think. Just feel.” She purrs as she pushes my jacket off of my shoulders. She runs her fingernails across the back of my neck softly before pulling my lips down to hers again. I grab her hips, spinning her around and pinning her back against the cold glass of the window. She gasps at the sensation as I grab her wrists and pin them over her head. I use my free hand to roam the planes of her curves, her body igniting under my touch.

“Sam...” She moans as her eyes flutter shut.

I find the hem of her shirt and dive underneath, finding the lace of her bra, I run my fingers along the gentle curve of her breasts. Her chest heaving and pushing her perfect body into my eager hands.

“Has it really only been a day since I last touched you like this?” I whisper against her lips. “Already feels like a lifetime ago…”

She arches her back, pressing deeper into me as I let out an involuntary moan. God the things this woman does to me…

“Can you really go the rest of the summer without this?” I can feel her smile against my lips.

“I can’t even go the next five minutes without it.” I admit as my cock hardens uncomfortably in my pants.

I reach down and cup her ass, picking her up and carrying her to my desk. I sweep everything off of my desk and lay her down. Her emerald eyes dark with desire as she watches me remove every article of her clothing, throwing them haphazardly around the room. Her chest rises and falls, and her lips are swollen with our kisses. I kiss each piece of newly exposed flesh, the soft moans coming from her lips a sound of pleasure and surrender.

“God, I want to eat you up…” I say against her hip. She looks down at me and takes her bottom lip between her teeth.

“You’ve gotta earn that privilege.” A challenge in her eyes as she sits up and places her hands on my chest, pushing me away from her. Her nearly naked body glowing in the colored light from the Tiffany Lamp.

“Ana?” I ask.

“You’ve been a naughty boy, Sam.” She purrs. “And you know what that means, I’m going to tie you up.”

“Fuck.” I whisper and her words send another surge of heat and desire through me. I watch as she gracefully slides off of the desk, motioning for me to sit down in my chair.

“Wait. Undress first.”  She leans in and skims her fingers across my chest, then tugs lightly on the flap of my shirt. “I don't want to have to deal with this later.”

You naughty, fucking minx.

I quickly strip off my clothes, my eyes never leaving hers as I take a seat in my chair, resting my arms on the armrests. I watch her carefully as she digs through a drawer in my desk, pulling two spare computer cords out. I watch as her steady hands tie my forearms and wrists to the chair. My eyes travel across her barely clothed body and I think of all the things I wish to do to her perfect ass.

She steps back, a look of pride flashing across her eyes.

“Aren’t you a sight?” She smiles as she looks at me hungrily.

“Ana…” I murmur.

I tried to move my arms, but she did a damn good job tying me down.

“This isn’t fair. I want to touch you.”

“Oh… You want to talk about not fair?” She clenches her jaw as she saunters up to me, the movement of her hips accentuated by the delicate fabric. “Everything that’s happened today hasn’t been fair.” Her eyes narrow at me as she leans towards me. She is careful not to touch me but I can feel the electricity crackling between us. Her perfect breasts are right in front of my face and I know she can feel my hot breath against them. “And now you’re being punished for it.”  She stands up and gracefully hops back up onto my desk.

She leans back, spreading her legs wide open, revealing every single perfect inch of her perfect body to me. I watch her fingers slide down her curves until they come to rest between her legs, slipping underneath her panties to rub at her center.

Fuck me.

“Ohmygod…” I moan as my cock hardens more than I even thought possible. The throbbing is almost unbearable as I watch her fingers spread the moisture that is pooling in between her legs. Her head lulls back as moans escape her lips.

“Ohh, YES!” She cries out, her body tensing.

My eyes are trained on her perfect cunt as she worships it with her fingers. My breathing is growing labored as I think about all the things I want to do. Her hips are bucking as she nears her edge.

“Ana, please…. Let me touch you.” I beg, my voice husky. I can’t help but lick my lips as I think about her sweetness.

Her eyes open and her fingers slow as she considers me.

“I don't know… Have you been punished enough yet?” She smiles.

“No… but I can’t make it up to you properly unless you let me touch you. Please.” I am not above begging at this point.

She leans forward, and I watch her untie the cords from my wrists. As soon as I can tell that I am free, I reach up, grabbing her body and hauling it into mine. I bring my lips to hers and kiss her deeply, tasting her, reveling in the feel of our tongues together. I stand up, pressing her back down on the desk and I grab the delicate lace of her panties and push them down her thighs.

“I haven't been able to think about anything else all day…” I whisper against her lips. I can feel her smile. “You drive me to distraction even when you aren’t spread out in front of me…”

“And now?” She asks as she arches her back up off the desk.

I trace a delicate line up her bare legs, slowly teasing my way to her center.

“And now… I can barely control myself. I want to devour you.” I growl.

She leans back and spreads her legs wider.

I stand up and run my eyes slowly over every single piece of her exposed flesh, she blushes that delicious color.

The most beautiful thing I have ever fucking scene.

“Yes… I love seeing you open like this for me.” I murmur as my eyes scan her body over and over again, lingering on her exposed cunt.

I drop to my knees, and lower my mouth between her thighs as I lap up her pooling moisture. I watch as her eyes flutter closed, her eyelashes laying like fans across her cheeks. Her breathing intensities and her moans echo around the room. She calls out my name in ecstasy.

“If you want me to make this up to you properly, then you can’t come yet.” I challenge her. “Can you do that, Ana? Can you hold back until I tell you?” I punctuate my question with a devilish twirl of my tongue and she gasps.

“Yes! Sam… bring it on. I can take whatever you have to give. Don’t hold back.” She is panting and her perfect cunt is dripping for me. Her eyes find mine and I can see the challenge accepted. Good girl.

I trail kisses back to her center, dipping and tasting her pooling wetness. So fucking sweet. Her body shivers as I continue to flick my tongue against her. I reach down and grab my aching cock, running my hand up and down the throbbing shaft.

“Oh god… I’m gonna…” Her body starts to tense and my pumping increases.

“Already? I thought you said you could take it.” I say, my lips moving against her.

I feel her body tremble as she moans.

“Ohmygod, that feels… Sam, don’t stop.”

Never, beautiful. I will never stop doing this to you.

I groan out her name as the pleasure in my body nears the edge, my tongue continuing to flick at her exposed flesh. I call out her name as I find my release and I feel her body tense as she cries out mine. We ride out each other's orgasm, ecstasy blinding me.

Eventually her body sags against the desk, her breathing rapid. I stand up and wrap my arms around her body, bringing her tight to me as our breathing slows.

I untangle myself from her and we both stand and get dressed in a silence that is thick with tension.

The reality of what just happened hits me hard as I watch her button up her silk blouse.

Fuck. Again. No fucking control, Dalton, you total fuck up.

Without a word she moves towards the door, lingering with her hand on the door knob.

“Sam, I-”

“I’m sorry, Ana. I didn't mean to get so carried away. It won’t happen again.” I interrupt her, saying the only thing I can think of at this moment… words I regret as soon as they escape my lips.

I watch as confusion spreads across her face and she gives me a silent nod.

“My flight leaves early. I’ll be gone before you wake up…” I say softly.

“Oh. I see. I guess this is… goodbye.” She looks down at the floor, her fingers playing at the hem of her shirt. She wraps her arms around herself and slowly begins to slip out of the door.

“I shouldn’t have dragged you into this mess. You deserve so much better than me.”

My words halt her in her tracks. She looks over her shoulder at me, and I see her eyes shining.

“I can decide what I ‘deserve’ for myself.” She walks out of the room without another word, and I am left even more pissed with myself than I was this morning. I sit down at my desk and run my hands through my hair.

She’s right… you are being a coward. I am avoiding this shit storm I created for myself by running away…

I sip another glass of bourbon as I come to the only solution I can think of: postpone my trip to Italy, and even though it will probably bite me in the ass… Ana and the boys have to come with me. My stomach sours at the thought of Robin getting a hand on this before me… but I shove the thought aside.

That's it.

***

I nurse my second cup of coffee as I watch the sunrise through the windows. I hear soft footsteps walking down the hallway and I swallow my nerves. Ana rounds the corner and stops short when she sees me, a glimmer of hope and surprise flashing through her eyes.

“Sam?! What’re you going here? I heard you leave this morning…”

“I did a lot of thinking last night, but I didn’t come to a conclusion in time to cancel my car earlier.” I try to control my excitement.

“What conclusion?” She asks carefully.

“That you were right. I was being a coward and running away from my problems. I sent Robin ahead and postponed my meetings to next week so I could do this right. I’m turning this business trip into a family vacation for all of us.” Her face lit up.

“You mean…” A smile playing on her lips.

“Pack your bags, Ana. You’re coming with me to Italy.”

[missgarnet]

Baby Daddies Chapter 2

Pairing: ot7 x reader

Word count:1.4k (it’s a little small)

Genre: fluff, and a little bit of chaos

Summary:  So... no one tells you what to expect when you and your friends with benefits are about to have a child. (All plans are thrown out the window when your 7 closest friends find out they're going to become dads.)

Warnings: Jin is still the ultimate mom friend, pregnancy

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 

Link to ao3

Somehow you weren’t surprised to find Seokjin waiting for you once you got home the next week. Even after an 8 hour shift he still had more than enough energy to take over the kitchen and start bossing Yoongi around on helping with dinner. 

“Hey Yoongi, remind me to take away Jin’s spare key.”

Jin rolls his eyes as he starts digging through your kitchen cabinets, “You already took my spare key, and the ones I had to borrow from Namjoon and Tae. Besides, I don’t see anything wrong with me wanting to come over and make sure you’re all taken care of.”

“So you broke into my apartment.”

“No, I was just talking to your lovely neighbor and she was kind enough to let us in.”

“And by that you mean you were hitting on my neighbor so she would lend you her key. You know, someday you’re not going to be able to flirt your problems away. It doesn’t work on everyone.”

“With this handsome face I can solve any problem.” He said, blowing a kiss. “Who could say no to my good looks and charms?”

You rolled your eyes knowing this happens at least once a day, “Me, get out of my apartment.”

A face peeked out from behind the couch, “Does that mean we have to leave too?”

Making your way to where Jimin had just popped up from, you took a seat on the couch and looked down at them hiding behind the furniture. Next to Jimin, Hobi was hunched over a stack of wooden furniture pieces and Taehyung was holding a set of instructions upside down as they tried to figure out how everything fit together. 

“Yoongi said you were overwhelmed, so we wanted to help.” Hoseok said. “But someone ordered from an overseas company again and none of us can read the instructions.”

The someone in question wasn’t in the room to defend himself, “Where is Namjoon anyway?”

“He’s at the store trying to find a really nice journal. I was with him when Yoongi called and told us that you said something about getting one for all this.” Taehyung said, looking up from the instructions.

The muttering in the kitchen seemed to grow louder as Yoongi took the spoon away from Jin. It didn't sound like either of them were angry, but they were definitely bickering about something. From what you could hear it seemed like Jin was about to start another dish and Yoongi just wanted to have dinner already. 

Jin had made far too much food, even for all of you combined. It seemed as though every inch of the table had been covered by some kind of dish that he insisted on adding to your plate. You kept telling him that it was enough, but it had become a sort of game between you two. 

“So, how far along are you?” Tae asked as all of you sat down.

“The doctor said I was around ten weeks, so it probably happened when we all went on that weekend trip.” You said right before seeing Jimin and Tae high fiving across the table, almost knocking their plates over. Jin started shaking his head as he passed a small handful of cash to Yoongi. “Do I want to ask?”

“Probably not,” Yoongi said, pocketing the cash.

“Jin owes him money because he overestimated how far along you were, and Yoongi was the closest.” Jungkook chimed in from the end of the table. 

“Oh really?” You asked, turning to the maknae, “And how many weeks did Jin guess?”

Jungkook seemed oblivious to the rest of the guys shaking their heads at him as he paused between bites. “He said you had to be at least 3 months, but then he thought you might be closer to 4 months.”

“Interesting” you said, staring Jin down from across the table as he avoided looking at you. 

Jin’s ears started turning red from embarrassment, but he was given an escape as the door clattered open. Somehow the sight of Namjoon stumbling through the door and dropping a torn grocery bag had grown so familiar that it no longer surprised you. He started gathering the dropped books as he joined all of you at the table.

Yoongi pinched the bridge of his nose, “I thought you were just getting one notebook.”

“I was, but then I thought it might be better for all of us to have our own journal.” Namjoon said placing one of them before each of you. “This way we can keep track of everything and add our own thoughts.”

You could tell he’d put a lot of thought into this, picking one that fit each of you perfectly. As the maknaes began helping clean up the dinner mess, you took the time to examine the journals and notice the perfect writing on each front page announcing who it belonged to. The black journal had obviously been for Yoongi, pink for Jin,blue for Namjoon, green for Tae, and purple for Jungkook. But the ones that caught your eye the most were Jimin’s and Hobi’s, the first one had intricate golden designs printed onto the cover while the other was bright red with bold patterns clashing against one another. Only Namjoon would pay attention to that kind of detail on such a small purchase, he really knew each of you better than anyone else.

 “Hey Y/N, can we talk?” Hoseok asked, pulling your attention away from the oversized journals. Something felt off and he seemed uncharacteristically serious. He wasn’t always all bright and sunny, but this was more than just being tired or even a small problem kind of tone.

“Yeah Hobi, what’s up?”

“I just wanted to ask if you’re doing ok. Yoongi said you were overwhelmed and I wanted to make sure that nothing was too much. We’re here for you if anything feels too difficult to do on your own. And if you want to share anything you can but you don’t have to.” Hoseok was trying to sound reassuring, but the way he kept emphasizing two was telling you more than what he was actually saying.

“Which one of them told you?” You could see Hobi trying to come up with an excuse as you waited for him to answer. “Hoseok, you know you’re not a good liar and I’m not mad.”

“Jungkook, he was kinda freaked out by all of it. I asked if he was okay and he just spilled everything.” He started grinning at the memory. “I’m happy I wasn’t at the appointment when I found out, but I was kinda wondering if I could see.”

“Of course, they’re yours just as much as the other guys. Maybe you could spend the night like old times, before you moved in with Yoongi.”

After everyone else had headed home, you found yourself laying in bed curled up in Hoseok’s arms as you started up the computer. Clicking on the video, you realized you were really watching it for the first time. You hadn’t been paying much attention during the visit, overwhelmed by everything going on. But sitting in your room, being held by Hobi gave you enough space and comfort to fully take in the video.

 It was a little blurry when you hit play, but you could see the fuzzy little blobs on the screen where each child was. When the volume resumed you could see Hobi’s eyes light up as he reached toward the screen tracing each tiny figure. “They’re perfect.”

You smiled up at him, “they are, aren’t they?”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”

“Hobi, you have always been there for me and everyone else. It’s okay to take a break, even if it’s just a small one.” You wished he wouldn't be so hard on himself all the time, being cheerful and reassuring was great for everyone around him but you couldn't help but worry about it being too much for him at times. 

He smiled softly, reaching towards the colorful journal to his side. Leaning over you could see him writing on it’s pages and adding little hearts around the words. 

Week Eleven: I saw the twins for the first time today. I haven’t even met them yet, but I already love them so much!

[sj-thefan]

Welcome Home - Legacy (Tony Stark x daughter!reader)

Masterlist Series Masterlist

Previous --

Y/n Stark was a secret. She had been one since before she could remember and she loved it. It made her feel special, like it was a privilege for people to know her. She had close relationships with the few people who knew her and she treasured them deeply. She liked pretending to be a spy, sneaking around the house and avoiding being seen by anyone she didn’t know. It was fun, almost like a game.

Of course there were some downsides of being a secret too. She had to stay on the property, which meant no public school and no outings with her father, although Happy and Pepper would sometimes sneak her out for supper. She also didn’t have many friends her age, but she didn’t mind that as she didn’t play as much as other kids, preferring to learn or build stuff with her dad.

The worst part was that Tony often had to travel for work, visiting army bases and attending galas around the world, meaning Y/n would be alone. When Tony would travel overseas, Happy would stay behind and watch Y/n. Other times, when he was traveling within the US, Pepper would stay with Y/n. Every now and then, Y/n would get lonely, but her dad never missed her calls and he always told her when he would be back. At least, until now.

It had been three months since Tony was supposed to return to the United States. Three months since he was supposed to be home. Three months of his daughter not knowing how her father was.

Pepper had got the call that morning. It was her week at the Stark mansion but Happy and her had decided to take Y/n out for breakfast, so he was already there. They were just waiting for Y/n to put her shoes on when Pepper’s phone rang.

“Pepper Potts,” Pepper said as she picked up the phone.

--

Y/n waited patiently in the car. She was lucky that she had even been allowed to come; she never got to go to public places. This was too important. They had found Tony Stark. No one could tell her to stay home. That would have been heartless. So, after a brief talk with Pepper about staying in the car, Y/n hurriedly followed Happy to the vehicle with Pepper trailing behind.

When they got to the army base, Happy and Pepper stood outside the car. Y/n was thankful to be left alone. She didn’t like being anxious, especially around other people, and her nerves were definitely getting the best of her. She chewed on her lip as she scanned the skies for the plane that was carrying her dad.

When the plane finally arrived, Y/n felt the butterflies in her stomach lift to her throat. Her hands clutched into tiny fists as the plane’s ramp slowly opened. As soon as she could see him, her eyes filled with tears. He was home. He was safe.

Tony knew she wouldn’t be there—she wasn’t supposed to leave their home—but all he wanted to do was see his daughter. He smiled at Pepper as Rhodey helped him off the plane, pausing to shoo away a medical team with a gurney.

“Your eyes are red.” He stopped in front of Pepper. “A few tears for your long lost boss?”

“Tears of joy,” Pepper replied, trying to keep her happiness at seeing him out of her voice. “I hate job hunting.”

“Yeah, vacation’s over.” His smile faded from his face. “How’s Y/n?”

Pepper was quick to direct him to the car, climbing in after him.

As soon as he saw her, Tony grabbed Y/n and placed her on his lap in a tight hug. Her face was red and she was crying, but she gladly accepted his hug and tried to return it with as much force as she could muster.

“I’m sorry, Daddy,” Y/n cried into Tony’s suit.

Tony pulled back so he could look at his daughter’s face. He pushed some hair away from her face, but she refused to meet his eyes. He sniffled as he spoke. “Why are you apologizing, Pumpkin? You’ve done nothing wrong.”

Y/n mumbled her response. “I wanted to run and see you as soon as you came out  of the plane, but I didn’t want all the people to see me. I missed you so much!” She collapsed back into his chest, holding tightly.

He smiled slightly at the little girl. He didn’t want her to apologize for her feelings. If anything, he was the one at fault. “I’m so sorry, Y/n. So sorry. I’m not leaving you for a long time.”

When the crying had calmed slightly, and everyone was in their seats (except Y/n who was still sitting on her father’s lap), Happy spoke up.

“Where to, sir?”

Pepper was quick to direct him to the hospital, but Tony interrupted. “No.”

"No? Tony, you have to-"

"No is a complete answer."

"-go to the hospital. The doctor has to look at you."

"I don't have to do anything." Tony's voice rang out loud and clear. He turned to face Pepper. "I've been in captivity for three months. There are three things I want to do. I want to spend some time with my daughter," he glanced down at Y/n. "I want an American cheeseburger, and the other..."

"That's enough of that," Pepper interrupted.

"...is not what you think. I want you to call for a press conference now."

"Call for a press conference?"

"Yeah."

"What on earth for?"

He ignored the question, instructing Happy to drive. "Hogan, drive. Cheeseburger first."

Pepper let out a sigh, before picking up her phone and calling to arrange the conference.

Tony leaned down to whisper to his daughter, "Tonight, Pumpkin, it's just you, me, and Frodo Baggins."

Y/n smiled as she cuddled further into her father’s chest.

--

After the press conference, Tony and Y/n went to the Stark Industries Arc Reactor. He had needed to think for a bit and he was certain that that building would be empty and he could bring Y/n in with him.

Y/n was very excited to visit the arc reactor. Her eyes quickly widened as they took in the size of the energy source. “It’s so big, Daddy.”

He chuckled lightly as he leaned against the safety railing. Y/n joined him in staring at the machine.

After a few minutes of silence, Y/n asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Tony wasn’t a sugar-coat type of parent. He told Y/n the straight-up answer to everything she wanted to know, even if it wasn’t kid appropriate to some people. Still, despite his usual attitude towards her questions, he wasn’t quite sure how to answer this one.

“What did they tell you about what happened to me?”

Y/n tilted her head in thought as she recalled the research she did as she tried to figure out what had happened. “Happy and Pepper told me you were missing, Uncle Rhodey said you were taken, and Uncle Obadiah said he didn’t know what happened.” Tony nodded at her response, knowing that he would have to tell her the details he would rather forget in order for her to get an accurate response. “But, I did my own research. The news had many different theories, but I thought the most likely one was that you were captured by a terrorist group that wanted your money. But, I think they took you because they knew how smart you are and they wanted you on their side. I knew you wouldn’t agree to that, so I thought then they might kill you. But you escaped and now you’re here.” She paused. “At least, that’s what I thought.”

Tony smirked as he stared at the arc reactor. He was proud of his daughter for figuring out the truth for herself and not accepting the first response she got. She was quite accurate.

“That’s my girl.” Y/n smiled to herself, returning her gaze to the machine. “You’ve got it almost all right.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “They’re called the Ten Rings. And you’re right, they did want me on their side. They wanted me to build weapons for them, and when I told them no, they tortured me. I almost died when they took me; a bomb went off just a little bit away from me and I got a lot of shrapnel in my chest. Another prisoner, his name was Yinsen, saved me, and when I got better, I helped him build a little version of this,” he gestured to the arc reactor, “and we put it in my chest,” he tapped his chest,” to prevent the shrapnel that he couldn’t get from killing me.”

Y/n glanced at her dad. “Wow. That must be scary.” She paused. “What happened to Yinsen?”

Tony sighed. “He died, so that I could get free and come home to you.”

“I hope he knows I am very grateful for him.” She leaned her head against Tony. “He gave me my Daddy back.”

Tony rested his hand on her head, rubbing it playfully. “He knows, Pumpkin. His last words were ‘don’t waste it. Don’t waste your life.’ I’m just trying to figure out what I should do next. I can’t be responsible for killing innocent people.”

Y/n’s head jerked up. “You haven’t killed anyone!”

He smiled down at her. “Not directly. But Stark Industries weapons were used to capture me. They’re being used to kill the people I wanted to protect.”

Y/n thought about his words. “So you’re thinking about how you can protect people without hurting them?”

“Yeah, pumpkin.”

A few minutes of silence later, Obadiah came in to talk with Tony.

-- Next

[maskyartist]

when im sad i just infodump about my kins so u know what yall gettin that Clover dump I talked about in my Oobleck dump

- Clover is actually from Mantle, and grew up with a mom who got sick easy, a dad who worked in the mines, and 4 other little siblings, Clover being the eldest. 2 brothers and 2 sisters.

- Since Mantle is a place close to the sea, meats like pork or beef are often really expensive since it’s shipped overseas. As such, Clover used to work on fishing boats to try and provide for his family. He’d get paid a little bit and sent home with whatever fish he managed to catch that day.

- He never knew what his Semblance was since I’d imagine actually getting that tested properly and labeled was difficult when you had a passive Semblance. It was only when he managed to get into Atlas Academy on a scholarship that he was able to learn he had the power of Good Luck on his side.

- Clover became the Ace Ops leader thanks to Ironwood himself handpicking him out of his class of other would-be Huntsmen. Luck strikes once again, and that is why Clover says he trusts Ironwood with his life. Because he feels he owes him that trust for getting him this position in the first place.

- U know those mining songs? Or sea shanties? Yeah, Clover knows A LOT of those thanks to his time working with the fishermen or going to visit his dad during lunch breaks and joining the other miners in song to keep spirits high. He ended up accidentally teaching the other Ace Ops a few songs so now they sing those on long rides to missions. To keep spirits high.

- To backpeddle off the last one, Clover can sing. And sing like...REALLY well too. This man has some serious cords on him and can do loud and energetic to soft and gentle real easy. He used to sing his siblings to sleep every single night.

- Part of his paycheck, every single month, goes to his family in Mistral to help them pay for rent and such. He can’t visit a lot, so Clover always sends a letter with the check so his siblings know he’s doing okay. Anytime he’s in Mistral for a mission he tries to drop by and at least say hi.

- Clover’s parents are both dead, with Clover’s dad having died in a mining accident and Clover actually having to sit by his mother’s bedside and hold her hand and watch as she died from a sickness they couldn’t afford to cure. Because of this, his siblings had to move in with their uncles. It’s not bad, they’re good people and Clover certainly trusts them with his siblings, it’s just...a memory you never forget.

- His biggest reason for wanting to go to Atlas? To try and bring change to the world. If he made it to the General somehow, maybe he could convince him to bring more resources or money to Mantle and help the people that way.

- Clover’s biggest regret, to his bitter end, was turning his back on his own home and people. He didn’t want to abandon Mantle, but...He did it anyways. All because he trusted the General with his life. Which costed him that life he entrusted to Ironwood.

- Tortuga’s death took a toll on everyone, but Clover took it the hardest. He was his leader, and he feels his actions caused Tortuga to die. That was the first time he took time off to just...grieve.

- However, even with that being said, Clover was the first to properly accept Marrow into the Ace Ops. He offered the newbie kindness and a sort of grounding you would expect from a leader, and even a friend after getting to know him a little better. Clover was Marrow’s first friend in Atlas, and Clover wouldn’t ask for a better one.

- On the OPPOSITE ends of things, he and Harriet are known for butting heads easily. Harriet wanted to be leader herself, but James picked Clover, and she feels cheated in a way. Feels like the only reason Clover got picked was because of his Semblance. Because he was lucky. Clover, even if he won’t say it, feels shes right, but doesn’t regret taking this position. He’s done and gone through too much to consider backing down from his position as Leader.

- Clover absolutely started out as that lanky skinny kid you usually see before puberty just hit him like a semitruck. This man just grew the fuck up after he got to Atlas and got an actual diet in him that wasn’t fish n whatever semblance of a side dish he and his mother could scrape together.

- Clover is trans and we love him for that shit. He worked hard for those beefy arms and that masc figure hell yeah he’s gonna show it off best he can.

- The badge he wears is a gift from his father, one he got before he died. It was a sort of omen, a sign that no matter what, Lady Luck would always follow him. And boy did she ever.

- The rabbits foot he wears on his belt was actually a gift from Marrow! He gave it to him in hopes of “increasing his Luck” and Clover didn’t have the heart to tell him that’s not how his Semblance works. Plus, it’s a nice lil gesture. He can appreciate it. He thinks it’s cute.

not saying i ship Wishbone but like if y’all get sad me again ur gonna get ship headcanons just sayin just sayin

[logicheartsoul]

Just coz of the nature of some of the stuff, I’m gonna put it under the cut, and it might get long so I don’t wanna spam your dashes with length

There have been new people who’ve followed my blog recently, so probably don’t know this, but for awhile I’ve gotten back to living with my folks. And usually that’s not a bad thing, except in February, my parents went overseas to be with family and friends (like my mom for example had a planned high school reunion and I actually helped with a t-shirt design for it), and since they’re both retired and staying with family, they stay a long time. Like, normally, they would come back in the summer, and things would be fine.

Except, back in mid-February, I got the news that my grandma died. I haven’t really talked about her here much but she raised me and also was someone I was very very close to. It took a lot out of me. I’m still kinda coping with her loss, better than before, but I’m grateful my mom was able to actually have a proper funeral with her siblings because if she died during the pandemic, I’d be more wrought to be honest. I was really upset that my passport expired and I couldn’t fly back to see her (even though my aunt managed that and somehow came back in march just a couple of days before the shutdown, talk about luck). (The hooplah with all of that was a mess but I do have a new valid passport.)

The last time I saw any of my friends, or family really, was back in late Feb/early March. The amount of actual time in the year 2020 I saw any of my family or friends is basically a total of 2.5 months.

My dad called and told me that their flights won’t be until November, so I basically have been alone for over 9 months (or will be). I barely have seen my sister during most of these times because she is an essential worker and so when the rates get higher, she doesn’t go to see me in order to protect me. My other remaining family members who are around are mostly in high risk situations so also one of those ‘staying out for safety’ thing and it just.

I’m really surprised my mental health hasn’t gotten as fucked up as it was. I mean, I know I went through a period, just trying to deal with staying shut in like a recluse due to the mandated shutdown, plus dealing with grief, plus literally not having any social interaction, and it wasn’t until my friend chanced a potentially safe hang out last week that I actually started to feel better (my friend works but her brother, who she lives with, is an amazon warehouse worker...and we all know how they treat employees so at any time there’s a chance he could catch it, which is why we’ve only been messaging a lot and not seeing each other in person) for my mental health that I actually could get up to do things.

The only things that kept me going in the 7 months of not seeing people and not having many people visit or getting real platonic physical affection from people, is basically my online friends and fandom, but still.

Oh, it also doesn’t help plenty of my family members who I’m close to are nurses and doctors. So uh. Yeah.

I guess it’s a miracle I can actually get out of bed and do basic stuff like making food and sleeping and checking the mail and taking out trash. Some days it’s even hard to do that. And my parents told me originally they were gonna be back next week over a month ago and now I have to withstand yet again being alone for awhile more.

I’d go out of my house to walk in the neighborhood except lots of people are always out and SO MANY OF THEM do not wear masks and there’s no WAY of being able to get out of the way coz the sidewalks are too small and there’s people driving on the roads. Not fun. (That and heat, who wants to deal with Texas heat? Not me.)

I’m just tired. I’m surprised I haven’t had more breakdowns (coz I did have a few these last few months). Pretty sure I lost weight just by stress (even though I make sure to eat 3 meals a day and try to sleep at least 7 hours a night). And any kind of inspired writing or gifsets is just like the basic rush of serotonin keeping my brain from not going down a bad spiral and I never know when that ever hits.

Anyway, I guess that’s the summarized catching up of ‘what’s been happening in A-Chan’s life since February’. Coz god I am so tired of just. Worrying about my family even if they take as many precautions as possible. I’m tired of being alone, I’m tired of not being able to see my friends, I’m just sick of it. And like, I know I feel like most days I’m not grieving so hard about my grandma anymore until from February to like...June but only because maybe this damn pandemic has forced me to push it aside for all the other crappy things happening around right now.

I guess it’s not surprising that now after 7 months I feel at least a little bit of a human only if because 1) I got out of my neighborhood for the first time in literal months and 2) I hung out with my friend for 4 hours doing something we normally usually did before the pandemic at least twice or more a month, and thus made my mental health better. I wish I felt this better sooner.

I guess better late than never.

[sporadic-writer]

Welcome to the neighborhood

Warnings: swearing, mentions of drugs (just weed, I smoke responsibly sorry if reading about it bothers you), as always stop reading if you don't like it.

Note: idk which twin has the girlfriend, Sam or Harry. So let me know. Also, let me know who you guys want this to be about (Tom or Harrison). Another thing is that I wrote this before my country fully flushed itself down the shitter in chaos and injustice. So let’s all read this to escape a tad and for some metal rest. BLM!

The teaser I wrote to start is here

°•○•°○•°○•°○•°○•°

"Yeah mom.. no I'm fine! Really! Haha promise! They tested me and told me since it's negative then they will add me into the adjusted hours group. They said I can get at least 2 full days a week in rotating with the other keepers. I just gotta fill some paperwork out first." You walked around your back deck and tended to plants while speaking on the phone to your mom back home in Iowa.

"Y/N are you sure? You being in another country during all this makes me so nervous. It's so easy to get sick sometimes." You rolled your eyes at the dramatics.

"I'm set here! I still have a job, a place to live thanks to Renee's husband, and no coronavirus. I'd say I'm alright." Talking to your mom despite her worries did put s smile on your face. The sun was shining and the air was finally not cold as hell in England. You finally felt settled now that you had more time to move into your new home. Your mother kept talking and soon got called that dinner was ready. "Ok mom love you too. Tell dad I said hi!"

After hanging up you looked for the head you noticed peaking at you earlier while you talked. There was nothing, but you did hear the guys who lived next door talking about your cousin's husband as 'old pool guy' and wanting to use the hot tub. It made you laugh and you made a mental note to find them later and invite them since they wanted to hang out so badly.

You didn't know much about them other than it was just guys. They all seemed to know each other for a while and at least 2 of them were brothers. That is all you gathered from some occasional eavesdropping. Downside of social distancing starting right after moving into the cute little place given as a congrats at your first real job. You never saw everyone's faces to distinguish each guy. Your cousin’s husband had the place outside London and never really lived there anymore, and rather than sell it he gave it to you. Easier than finding a shitty apartment with way too high rent. Plus, Renee would not let you say no. So you didn't. Thanks Xander!

After finishing checking the water level on the pool and tub to round out the to do list, you were about to go inside to finish new employment paperwork when a soccer ball got sent over into your yard. It came from the boy's yard. No time like the present to break the ice you thought as walked to get said ball.

Smiling and laughing to yourself you heard exclamations happening among the group of men. You popped your head up by standing on your deck railing and they looked to you. They apologized over nothing and you thought it was sweet. Plus, it was nice to actually get a proper look at their faces. You still didn't really know their names, but at least now they were coming over around 8 for hot tub time and drinks.

TIME SKIP

"Thanks for letting us come over! Though, sorry for talking about your family and place without even properly meeting you." The man speaking, Tom as you learned, smiled as you handed him a drink.

You shook your head in protest. "Really it's fine. This is my cousin Xander's place. I just got a job at the London zoo and this was a congrats gift. Sorta to take out the struggle of finding a shitty apartment. Plus, I've been busy over there so that's why you have not seen me much. Still working out my schedule, plus a virus." While talking you lifted the cover off the hot tub. "Now, I believe there was a purpose to this visit?"

"Despite my brother's lack of tact before, that wasn't why we actually wanted to hang out with you. We wanted to meet you as well." Tom's smile made you do the same in return. You looked to the guys on your deck and chuckled.

"Then why did you come in swim trunks if that wasn't the objective?" You caught them and knew it based off the blush on Harry's face. "I'm teasing. It's totally fine. You guys get comfy, jet buttons are on the side, I'm gonna change and grab some more beers and such." You let them be as you changed into your suit in your room. You made sure you were all set and presentable. It was quick and you put your hair in a pony tail while walking to your fridge. Grabbing some bottles you made your way back to the group.

Passing them around you spoke, "Sorry if these suck. I'm still figuring out which beers here I like. I had American ones but finished those. So I don't know fully what does and doesn't suck."

They took their bottles and Tuwaine smiled at you. "There are English equivalents I can tell you. Now I gotta ask, and don't take offense. But why does it smell like perfume and weed out here Y/N?"

"Yeah I smelled that too! Thought it was the chemicals from the tub or something.." The man learned to be Harrison looked at the hot tub he sat in in reference. You blushed at being caught. Eyes went wide slightly as well. Then you mentally scolded yourself after turning and seeing your ash tray and formally lit joint on the deck table.

"Haha yeah you caught me. The perfume is Chanel, put that on before you came, and the pot is well.. pot! Smoked that before you came... Y'all aren't narcs are you? If you're chill I'll share." You didn't need things to go sour first time hanging out with neighbors. You needed friends your age here outside of work!

Tom laughed and smiled. "Relax darling, it's fine." He watched you let out a breath of relief. None of them were ones to judge someone on what they do casually in their free time. "Maybe another time on the sharing though, I'm set. Just tell us about yourself."

"Well offer stands and I will finish that in a bit full disclosure. But me, 22, recently employed keeper at the London zoo, umm I'm from Boise, Idaho, mom and dad are back there, very easy going, and a big fan of nature and having fun! I got my degree from University of Wisconsin and this is my first time being overseas, only been to Canada in regards to international travel. Any specific questions?" They all took in your short backstory as you climbed in with them in the tub; instantly relaxing in the hot water, eyes closing as you drank your beer. Harrison was quickly taking in the details of your face. A few ear piercings, long eyelashes coated in pretty mascara, nice jewelry on too. He got the sense you were chill and put together. Plus, you seemed to know how to have a good time regardless of the situation.

"Boyfriend?" Harry's question led to a glare from his brother and a small smile from you.

You shook your head no. "Nope, we ended things a little before I moved here. Mutual thing, he is working on his masters back home. Even if I stayed that would've ended things because it becomes your whole world really."

"You have your masters?" Tom noticed you shaking your head no and listened as you explained you took a job here instead.

"I need money more than another degree. So I'm here kickin' it in a hot tub with 5 fun Brits instead!" Your smile was contagious to the guys. Soon more drinks were had and stories were shared. They all really took a liking to you. “Now tell me about yourselves!”

°•○•°○•°○•°○•°○•°

I am gonna make this a series, length not decided. And for real let me know to have the main love interest be Tom or Harrison. I don’t care either way. 

As always, like and reblog! Feedback is appreciated as well!

Taglist: (message me to be added or removed, sorry if I forgot someone)

@jillanaholland @averyfosterthoughts

[hms-chill]

A Channel of Your Peace

Summary: Following Henry being outed, the election, and the end of the book, Henry and Philip slowly start to fix their relationship. There’s blood that can’t be unshed, but there’s also a chance that things could get better.

Chapter 1: Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace

Chapter 2: Where There is Hatred, Let Me Sow Love

Chapter 3: Where There is Offense, Let Me Bring Pardon

Alex arrives just before the state dinner, giving them only the time from Heathrow to Buckingham to really be alone. They make the most of it, a mix of making sure the other is actually alright and using their mouths for more exciting things. When they get close to Buckingham, Henry pulls back to fix Alex's hair before they have to step out of the car and into Henry's world. He's not thrilled to belong here, but Alex is by his side, both of them smiling as they walk into the palace and the dinner. It helps to know that Alex doesn't mind these events, especially when they're open to heads of global states. He may still roll his eyes a bit at someone called Basil or Dorian or Bartholomew, but he'll find an interesting conversation somewhere. There's a good chance he'll spend that night telling Henry what he's learned about the differences between American and French immigration law or what steps queer activists are taking in Italy. He thrives here in a way Henry never has, and Henry's just glad to know he'll be happy enough, and that he's not dragging Alex to somewhere he'll be miserable.

They sit beside each other for dinner, even if they're in different conversations, but they drift a bit as they're sharing drinks and finger foods with guests afterward. Henry sees Alex talking to someone he thinks might be a diplomat from South Africa, and Alex looks happy and engaged. He's stuck as a third wheel in a conversation between politicians from Scotland and Finland, smiling and nodding without actually contributing anything, when he feels a hand on his shoulder and turns to see Martha. She looks a bit pale, but she's smiling.

"Henry, darling, could I borrow you a moment?"

"Of course. If you two gentlemen will excuse me." He's not even sure they notice as he takes a few steps away, smiling at Martha as she leads him to an emptier corner of the room. "Thank you so much. How are you feeling? How was the trip from Anmer?"

"I'm alright, and the trip went well. And this doesn't have to take too long, if you'd like to go find Alex or talk to someone else, but I just wanted to ask you something, and I'm not sure I'll have a chance before I go back tomorrow. It's... it's something Pip is too nervous to ask you or Bea, but he--" she stops, a hand on her stomach. She's at least a shade paler than she was a moment before.

"Are you alright?" Henry reaches out to take her arm, and she grabs his with an iron claw. There's a slight sheen of sweat peeking through her setting powder, and she takes what looks like a forced a deep breath before answering.

"I'm... I'm going to be sick." Her eyes dart toward the door at the front of the room, but Henry knows that's not the place to go. It opens into a wide hall and a series of entertaining rooms, and there is a toilet, but it's not a good toilet to be sick in. Bea had gone there with the flu once when they were growing up, and he remembers everyone at dinner trying to ignore it as the sounds of her being sick echoed around the empty rooms.

"Follow me." She looks worried as he guides her toward the back of the room, but he promises it'll be alright as he pushes open a small door and through a short maze of servant's quarters to the nearest private toilet. Between the insulation in the walls and the sheer number of turns they took to get here, any noise should be muffled.

Her grip on his arm has tightened, but she has her other hand over her mouth. Her eyes are wide over it, and she barely makes it to the toilet before a sludge of dinner comes back up. Henry kneels beside her, gathering her hair in one hand and texting Alex with his other. Philip won't check his phone, not at an event like this, but Alex will. Henry just hopes Alex will be on good enough terms with Philip to be able to get him here.

When the text is sent, Henry pulls Martha's hair into a loose braid and rubs her back gently until she's done being sick, then gets her a cup of water when she sits up. She looks like she's planning to go back to the dinner like nothing's happened, but she looks tired and she's still a bit pale, so Henry sits on the floor with his back against the wall and says, "let's just wait here for a bit, okay? Philip's... I texted Alex to get Philip, so he should be here soon."

She nods, sitting on the floor next to him and leaning back with a yawn. "I'm sorry. I've... I've just been so tired recently."

"Philip said you've been working a lot."

"Yes, well, that's sort of what I wanted to speak to you about. Pip and I, well. We... we've been thinking of opening a charity as well. It would be focused on helping military families, especially ones separated by overseas deployment. He... being gone while your father was ill was hard for him, even if he won't necessarily talk about it a lot. He wants to help keep families closer together, and try to find ways to keep them connected more even when deployment takes people away from the people they love, but he's afraid that you and Bea will be upset or think he's stealing your ideas. I've tried to tell him that I don't think you'll be upset, but he... I think he's just afraid to upset you both again."

"I don't think either of us could be upset about that; it's a great idea. I think Bea would, too, especially since we both saw how much being away while Dad was sick."

--

In the after-dinner mingling, Alex has just noticed Henry's missing when he feels his phone buzz. He manages to sneak a look, and when it's Henry, he slips to the edge of the room to actually read it.

He can barely believe he's doing this, but a minute later, he's fining Philip to ask, "your highness, could I have a minute?" Philip looks confused as he turns, but Alex says, "Martha's sick; Henry had to take her to a bathroom."

Philip is moving even before Alex is done telling him what's happening, turning to ask, "did he say where they are?"

So Alex has no choice but to follow him, shooting off a text to Henry asking where they are as he follows Philip out into a wide entrance room.

--

"I know the RAF is important to him, and he does really love it. He just... it was hard for him to be there instead of being able to grieve with all of you. So if he could put together something to fund flights home for members of the RAF who need to go home but can't afford it, or to fly families to visit people who are deployed, that--" she stops, a hand going to her mouth for a moment before the nausea seems to pass.

"If you were ill, you didn't have to come tonight. We would have understood," Henry says gently. Martha sighs, looking suddenly exhausted.

"I honestly felt fine. It's... I don't feel ill, not really. I'm tired, but then this nausea, it... it just comes out of nowhere. You saw; one moment I'm fine and the next, it's bad enough that I'll be sick."

"Have you considered seeing a doctor?"

--

Philip goes straight to a bathroom, but it's empty. Alex texts Henry again, asking where they are as Philip leads the way through a series of incredibly fancy, disappointingly empty bathrooms. He's starting to get more and more worried as they go, his shoulders tensing and his mouth tightening in an expression Alex recognizes from Henry's most stressed moments. By their fourth empty bathroom, Alex grabs him by the shoulders.

"Hey. Calm down; it's going to be alright. Take a deep breath. Yeah, that's good; take another. We'll find them. I promise." Philip takes another deep breath, finally meeting Alex's eyes. For a moment, he doesn't feel like the Philip who's hurt Henry and Bea so much over the past five years. He's just a scared person, and Alex knows all too well what it feels like to be so worried about someone he loves. After a bit, Alex says, "they wouldn't have come this far if Martha was going to throw up. Is there another way out of that room, or a closer bathroom? We both know Henry; we can figure out where he took her."

--

"I've considered it, but it's only been happening for a week or two. I... I'm just not sure it's anything, and I don't want to make too much of an issue about it."

"If you're not feeling well, though, it would be worth it to see a doctor. We all want you to be healthy."

"I suppose. Really, it... I think it might just be that time of the month. I'm not sure; it shouldn't be, but maybe that's it. The nausea and tiredness are things that aren't uncommon, even if I don't usually get them."

"Have you... I'm sorry if this is forward, but have you considered the idea that you might be pregnant?"

--

Philip takes a deep breath, closing his eyes for a second. When he opens them again, he looks horrified. "There's... there's a back door. Oh my god, of course he took her out the back door. There's a more private bathroom there and everything. That's where they are, but I... I can't get through that bloody room without having to talk to people. I'll be there all night before I can get to her."

"I'll get you through. I... I can cause a distraction. Is there a $75,000 cake in there?"

--

"I hadn't considered it, but I... I suppose maybe..." Martha looks worried, and Henry can all but hear her mind working. "Can I... How would I even go about getting a test; if I buy one anywhere someone will say something, and it'll be everywhere."

"One second. Bea and I... we made them put tests in every bathroom here as a sort of... I don't know, a sort of prank on Gran, I guess. It was sort of daft; I was drunk and she was ranting, and Nora thought it was funny. One second..." he rummages around in a cabinet for a minute, pulling out a few pads and tampons before he finds the pregnancy tests and holds one out for Martha. "You... you don't have to, but if you want, I could step out."

Martha's hand is shaking a bit as she nods, taking the test. Henry steps out, closing the door behind him, and he looks down the hall just in time to see Philip turn the corner, looking incredibly relieved. A moment later, Alex appears, drenched to the bone in something that smells suspiciously like champagne. Philip is ready to rush into the bathroom, but Henry convinces him to wait until they hear a flush, and when Martha opens the door a bit Philip is there to fret over her. Alex can't help but notice the similarities to Henry as Philip cups Martha's face and gets them both inside the door.

Henry smiles a bit, then turns to Alex and immediately has to hold him back to keep from getting drenched in whatever Alex is drenched in.

"Do I want to know why it took you so long, or why you're covered in champagne?"

"Well, we went the wrong way, and then Philip needed to get through the dinner without anyone stopping him, so I... caused a distraction."

"What kind of distraction?"

"Well, since there wasn't a $75,000 cake to fall into, I settled for a champagne fountain. What? Don't give me that look; it was to help your brother! I've fallen into two different expensive things for y'all; be grateful." Henry rolls his eyes, but he is grateful. At least tomorrow's tabloids will be more interested in Alex's distraction than the fact that Henry and Martha had left the party early.

On AO3

Notes: 

Nothing like a little disaster to bring people together, am I right?

Want to support the Hannah Makes Art Fund? You can tip me in ko-fi here!

[avengerscompound]

Snapshots - Three

Snapshots: A Bucky Barnes Fanfic

Series Masterlist PREVIOUS //

Buy me a ☕ Character Pairing:  Bucky Barnes x  F!Reader

Word Count:  1897

Rating:  M

Square filled: @buckybarnesbingo, C3 Free Space

Warnings:  sex talk, smut on the series.

Synopsis:  Before Bucky Barnes became the Winter Soldier he had a life and plans for the future.  A lot of them involving you.

During an art lesson you, Bucky and Steve find out about the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  Bucky and Steve go to enlist in the army.

Three

Bucky had been making faces at you for half the art class.  It was distracting, to say the least.  The little quirks of his eyebrow as he whispered to the boys around him.  Occasionally he’d bite his bottom lip as he gazed in your direction and then start actually doing his work.  You were about to start up an actual paint war in the classroom so you could cover that smug look on his face.

Only just when you were about to snap, a boy came in.  “Japan just bombed Pearl Harbor!”  He announced loudly.

The room broke out in chaos, everyone talking at once.  Bucky and Steve huddled together whispering and when the teacher dismissed the class, they grabbed their stuff and rushed out.  Normally it was impossible to get Steve or Bucky out of art class.  Steve always had one more thing he wanted to add to whatever he was working on and Bucky would hang around flirting with any girls still around.  Today they couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

You packed your bag and headed out.  You expected to see them somewhere during your trip home but they were nowhere to be seen.

It wasn’t until the next day that you saw him again.  He showed up at your apartment a little after midday, knocking on the door like the place was on fire.

“Is your dad here?”  He asked when you opened the door to him.

“No.  He’s gone out for the day.”  You said.

“Can we talk?”

You nodded and led him down to the living room.  He sat down on the sofa chair, perched on the edge and tapping his hands impatiently on his thighs.  “What’s going on?”  You asked as you took a seat.

“I enlisted in the army yesterday.”  He said.

“You what?  Why?”  You said, shocked.  There was so little time before the end of school, and he was smart.  You’d gotten into Barnard and were starting the following year and he’d always had similar marks to you.

He sighed and collapsed back into the couch.  “I kinda thought I might anyway.  I got into college but… I can’t afford it.  If I served then it’s a job, I might even be able to study.”

“There are other ways.  Scholarships.”  You said.  “I have a scholarship.”

“I was looking into it.  It was a long shot.  I always knew that. That’s why I was boxin’.  I was putting my winnings aside.  But, darlin’,”  He rubbed his eyes with the balls of his hands.  “I can’t just sit here and do nothin’ while the world is falling apart.  Steve and I went to enlist after school.”

“Steve enlisted?”  You asked dumbfounded.

“Yeah.  I mean… he tried.  He was 4F.  He was obviously going to be 4F.”

He sat up again and looked at you as you stared at him, not even sure what to say.  You weren’t even sure exactly why he’d come to tell you.  You were friends, but not exactly the closest of friends.  You most just studied with him and Steve once a week and maybe you’d see them on weekends.

“I go on Monday.”  He said.  “They're sending me to Wisconsin.”

“James!”  You gasped.  “Why… why didn’t you wait until school ended?”

“It pretty much has.”  He said with a shrug.

“Oh, James.”  You sighed, patting your chest.  “I don’t… I don’t know why you’d just put yourself in harm's way like this.”

He sat forward and put his hand on your knee.  “Yes, you do.”  He said.

You nodded and frowned a little.  “I guess so.”

He moved beside you and took your hand, playing with your fingers, quietly while you leaned against him.  Neither of you wanted to say it, but you knew you were both thinking about the fact that there was a strong chance he might never come back if they sent him overseas to fight.  “I want you to do some things for me.”  He said, finally breaking the silence.

“What are they?”  You asked.

“Well, first, I don’t want you to let anyone stop you from doing something amazing with your life.  Get your degree and do something with it.  You were right not to ever say yes to me.  Don’t get fooled by smarter boys because they have degrees or fancy cars.”  He said.

You felt tears prick your eyes and you shook your head.  “Don’t talk like this is going to be the last time you see me.”

He chuckled.  “Don’t worry, darlin’.”  He said, putting your hand against his chest.  “I’ll be back.  It’s just training first anyway.  Besides, I told you I was gonna marry you.  You gotta be my rich scientist wife so I can be your pretty toyboy, right?”

You snorted and he wrapped his arm around you.  “In your dreams.”

“That’s right.”  He said.  “I will be dreaming about it.”

A tear escaped and he cupped your jaw and wiped it away with his thumb.  “What else did you want me to do?”

“Keep an eye on Stevie.  Since his ma died he only agreed to live with me and my folks ‘cause I begged him to.  I don’t think he’ll stick around when I’m gone.  He’s mad about being rejected by the army too.  I know what he’s like and he’s gonna start picking fights with everyone.  I know you’re going to be in Manhattan, but I don’t know.  Just check up on him from time to time.  Make sure he doesn’t do anything too dumb.  He doesn’t have anyone else.”  Bucky said.

You nodded.  “I can try.”

“Thanks, doll.”  He said.  “My folks are having a going-away dinner, thing, tomorrow.  Will you come?”

“Sure, Buck.”  You said.

The following night you had dressed up.  Putting on the nicest dress you owned and spending that little bit longer perfecting your hair and makeup.

The event was a strange and surreal mix of somber and excited.  His dad was extremely proud of his boy and kept going on about how many of this or that person he was gonna end up killing while he ruffled Bucky’s hair and put him in a headlock.  It was a little morbid how he kept going on about it.

His mother, on the other hand, looked like she was attending a funeral.  She kept bursting into tears and needing to be reassured by Bucky that everything was going to be fine.

Despite the fact Bucky had been having dinner at your place every week for a year now, you’d actually never met his parents before.  It was weird doing it under these circumstances.  They both definitely seemed to be under the impression that you were dating or something.  His mother kept telling you, that the two of you would have to look after each other while he was gone and his father had very quickly thrown out that there was a chance you could organize the wedding before he was deployed.   You hadn’t wanted to argue with them.  Not under the circumstances at the very least.  Thankfully Bucky was at least smart enough to look embarrassed when it happened.

His siblings were mostly fine though his youngest sister, Rebecca wouldn’t let go of Bucky’s hand for anything and ended up falling asleep in his lap.  Steve kept to himself most of the night and was a little surly when engaged.

“I just want a chance to do what everyone else gets to.  People are out there risking their lives and I’m stuck here watching.”  Steve scowled as you sat beside him.  “Bucky taught me how to fight.  I know how to fight.”

“I know, Steve.  But it’s better this way.  You don’t actually want to be there.”  You said.

“Don’t tell me what I want!”  Steve shouted.

Everyone turned and looked at him.  He puffed out his chest and stood up storming off to the bedroom he shared with Bucky.  Bucky sighed and went after him.  You sat awkwardly with your drink.  He emerged a little later and smiled at you.  “That kinda put a damper on the whole thing.”  He said.  “It’s late, can I walk you home?”

You nodded and stood up.  “Thank you for having me.”  You said.

“Of course, dear.  It was lovely to finally meet you.”  His mother said getting up and coming over to hug you.

“Don’t smother her, ma.”  Bucky teased.

“You’ll visit while James is away?”  She asked.

“Of course, ma’am.”  You said.

“Good.  That’s good.”  She said.

She followed you both to the door and you waved when you got to the bottom of the steps.  When you were sure she was back inside you elbowed Bucky.  “What have you been telling your family?”

“Just the truth.”  He teased.  “About how you were my future wife.”

You couldn’t help but laugh and you elbowed him again.  “You are incorrigible.”

“Sorry about Steve.”  He said.

You shrugged.  “My fault.  He obviously has strong feelings about going.”

Bucky nodded.  “He doesn’t like bullies.”  He said.  “He’s gonna get in trouble.”

“Can’t be worse than the trouble you’ve gotten yourself into.”  You said.

“No.  You’re probably right about that.”  He said.  “I’ll be okay.”

You reached over and took his hand, linking your fingers with his.  He looked over at you and smiled.  “What’s this?  Pity handhold.”

You shook your head but you wouldn’t look at him.  The truth was, you had started to wonder why you had kept rejecting him.  You weren’t some notch on his belt he was waiting to carve.  You had been important to him.  Why could you only just see that now?

He stopped walking and turned you to face him.  “I will be okay.”

You nodded and his hand went to your chin, tilting your face up to look at him.  “I will.”

“Yeah, you will.”  You said.  More for him than yourself.

“I’ll be back soon enough.  We can explore whatever this is before I ship out if you like.”  He said.

You let out a soft breath.  “This is a momentary lapse of judgment.”

“Oh, I see,”  Bucky said.  “Well, I should take advantage while I can.”

He leaned into you, his lips slightly parted.  You bridged the distance, bringing your lips to his.  He kissed you slowly and tenderly.  There was nothing lewd about it.  He kept his hands on your arms, they didn’t roam or try to take any more from you.  He pulled back slowly and you chased his lips for a moment before opening your eyes, to see his blue ones twinkling down at you.

“We’ll definitely explore that more when I get back.”  He said.

You shook your head.  “I’ll be in my right mind by then.”

He chuckled and put his arm around your waist and continued the short walk to your door.  “Thanks for coming tonight, doll.  I’m glad you were there.”

“Of course, Buck.  Travel safe tomorrow.”   You said.

“It’s not the travel I’m worried about.”  He said and kissed your cheek.  “If you wanted to wait for me, I’d be okay with that.”

You smiled and rubbed his arm.  “Might have to if your ma is going to be planning our wedding.”

He chuckled and you headed inside, a tight feeling in your chest.  You knew he’d be back, but nothing about this felt good to you at all.

// NEXT

[purplesurveys]

1063

survey by pinkchocolate

Have you done any of the same things as me this year? (2020 edition)

Planned a shopping spree with a friend?

Visited a shopping centre/mall? Malls are extremely commonplace here and honestly they already serve as the main tourist attractions if you find yourself in Manila, which is why Manila has never been a popular tourist destination itself (foreign tourists usually head to neighboring provinces, which is smart on their end). I’ve been to malls at least 20-30 times this year, but that’s only because of the pandemic. I probably go close to 50-70 times in a normal year.

Had lunch with a friend? Yeah I caught lunch with Angela a couple times at the start of the year. I had a one-photo-a-day gimmick on Instagram, and I’m pretty sure I have a photo of her in there during one of our lunch dates.

Ordered pizza at a restaurant? Again, at the start of the year. Gab and I loved Italian restaurants so we definitely ordered pizza several times.

Been in a department store? I needed to briefly enter one a couple of weeks ago to look for gift wrappers.

Bought pretty new lingerie?

Had coffee with a friend? Yeah Gab and I had study dates at coffee shops every single week. Now, obviously, I just take myself.

Bought DVDs?

Had a cold?

Bought toiletries as a gift for someone else?

Had dinner in a restaurant with your family? Yeah I’m fairly certain we did this at least a couple of times between January and early March. The last time I dined in anywhere was a month ago, but I was only with my parents and my siblings didn’t come along.

Had one of your kitchen appliances break? Our plumbing is a little fucked in general and sometimes we’ll have minor leaks on the floor. My dad’s knives have also gotten a bit dull, so I got him a new knife set for Christmas. But no damage to appliances.

Watched a movie at the cinema?

Struggled for food when the panic buying began? We struggled in that it was a bitch to enter the groceries at first. My dad did the grocieries for us during that time and that was back when they strictly enforced the number of people allowed in the supermarket at one time; and no matter how early he queued, there was always already a line that got there before him. He’d wait around three hours and once he was finally let in, a bunch of alleys or sections in the grocery would already be empty or at least close to becoming empty. We never went hungry or had to skip meals or anything like that, but I do remember having to make do with lesser-known brands we never used before because sometimes those would be the only options left at the grocery.

Wanted to hug a friend, but didn't because you had to social distance? I hugged Angela when I saw her a couple of days ago, and I also hugged Gab when we were still together. 

Felt afraid of Covid? My fears over it have tamed over the year, to be honest; but I’m still wary, of course. I hate it when people stand near me and I follow the safety protocols everywhere I go.

Felt afraid to leave the house? Only during the peak of the virus, from March to around May or June. Nowadays I kinda have to go out every now and then for the sake of my sanity.

Deliberately avoided watching the news because it made you feel upset? I mean I took up journ lol so I always watch the news, no matter how upsetting it can get. The one and only time I remember asking my sister to switch the channel was when there was a report on animal abuse.

Had to cancel plans for your birthday? I didn’t have plans for it in the first place, or at least I didn’t have the chance to make them yet, so I’m glad there was nothing to cancel.

Spent your birthday at home? This was the only choice I had. My birthday fell on the most serious and strictest phase of the quarantine, and this was back when nothing was open yet.

Collected a parcel from your doorstep? Online shopping is a norm for me now, lol. I used to not trust it, but now I probably buy at least one item a week.

Eaten an entire box of chocolates in one day? I don’t even like chocolate that much. That sounds so uncomfortably sweet.

Drank fruit flavoured cider?

Eaten birthday cake? Sure, we had cake for my mom’s, my aunt’s, and my cousin’s/godson’s birthdays.

Had a grandparent move into long-term care? My remaining grandparents are all fortunately still very healthy.

Kept a journal of your thoughts and feelings during lockdown? This is technically it, whether’s there’s a lockdown or not. I tried starting a journal after my breakup, but I couldn’t keep it up because my wrist strains easily from handwriting now, hahaha. I find that doing surveys suffice.

Had distressing dreams/nightmares related to the pandemic? No, but about other pressing events in my life.

Felt concerned about your financial situation? Not mine but my family’s.

Returned to a social platform that you took a break from? I left Facebook for a few months after the breakup. I’m back on it again because I had missed the memes, but I also want to permanently delete that account for good, open a new one, and just add the people I want to keep having in my circle. Like I love Gabie’s family to death but I don’t see the point in being Facebook friends with them still, and it actually feels kinda awkward now still seeing them on my list. Idk. We’ll see. I might keep my account or start a new one altogether.

Missed a past hobby or interest? I mean I missed going to malls and bars and going out with my friends, if that counts as an interest. I had to do much less of that this year.

Started a new hobby? I started doing embroidery about a month ago, and a few days ago I started working out. My body is as sore as all fuck, but at least it makes me feel good about myself. For the new year, I also plan on starting a skincare routine after 22 years of not doing anything with my face lol and maybeeee start experimenting with coffee and buy different kinds of beans just because?? Idk, I have a lot of cute hobbies planned out for next year haha I’m excited to see how it goes.

Joined some new Facebook groups? Both for work and personal purposes, yep.

Made some new friends online? I definitely like that I’ve become closer and more familiar with the survey community here. I feel like I barely interacted with anyone pre-Covid, when real life was still a bit more hectic and when it was more difficult to find time to relax and sit down and read everyone’s answers. I also became friends with Justine, Angel, and Bianca when I started as an intern at my workplace.

Felt annoyed because you saw someone without a mask? Everyone wears a mask in public, and there are always people assigned to monitor and lightly scold those stubborn enough to take their masks off. So this isn’t the case, but what I do find annoying is when people stand or walk too close to you. Just last week at the grocery this lady was close enough to be breathing down my neck when I was lining up at the cashier; being non-confrontational for the most part, it felt like being in the deepest pit of hell.

Felt like people were staring at you when you wore a mask? I feel like people are more likely to stare at people who DON’T have a mask. 

Bought new stationery? My sister has tons of stationery in her room for whatever reason; when I need one to write short notes or letters, I just ask for some from her. 

Video-called your extended family and friends? For sure. We did this a lot especially during the earlier parts of the year.

Written a letter to someone you missed?

Disagreed with the behaviour of a friend?

Felt surprised when someone wanted to be your friend? No one directly said it to me; but as an intern on my first day of the job, it was a really pleasant surprise to find that the co-interns I was going to be with weren’t boring, unemotional cogs who just aimed to do work. They were HILARIOUS from the get-go, was confused as fuck about work, and I could see they just wanted to make our tiny intern family a close-knit and happy group, to which I gladly agreed and went along with.

Bought a new pair of shoes? I got new shoes meant for my first job interview, but I haven’t gotten any brand new sneakers in a while :(

Replaced some toiletries that you ran out of during lockdown? I guess? Toiletries are necessities, so.

Bought some new books? I read new ones, but I didn’t buy them. Some I saw copies of on the internet; one was given as a gift to me.

Bought new cosmetics? I don’t use those.

Received a belated birthday present?

Received a present from a friend overseas?

Discovered a new author that you liked?

Felt like you were drifting away from people you were once close to? *A person. Yeah, well.

Found out that someone you knew had contracted Covid?  She’s a mutual friend from my high school days. We aren’t close but we’ve kept in touch by still following each other on social media. She wrote about her experience with Covid on a blog entry.

Realised you had formed a deep connection with someone? I got a lot closer with Andi both because we had to work together for our thesis and because they were there for me, unconditionally and untiringly, when I was coping with my breakup and was in rough shape.

Worried about the financial situation of someone close to you? Of my family, like I said, yes. We had to sell the Vitara because the money that pours into the household monthly isn’t enough to keep paying for it. To be fair, that car was a very big impulse buy by my dad, so we didn’t and don’t feel too bad about losing it hahaha. 

Let your guard down to someone? I don’t think so. I was on red alert this year since Gab increasingly broke my trust.

Had an issue with something on social media? Yeah, but I don’t want to get into it. That was such a long time ago and is so irrelevant now.

Felt disconnected from others? I deliberately did so three months ago, so much so that I had acquaintances I barely talked to since graduating talk to Andi and ask where I’ve been.

Changed your internet provider? We’ve had the same one for like 8-9 years now. It works pretty okay for five people who stream videos all day, so we haven’t felt the need to switch.

Felt fortunate/thankful? I mean I’m here, scar-less, and happy with myself on December 31, 2020, right?

Tried some new foods that you enjoyed? Baked sushi is so fucking good.

Re-read a book that you loved? Crazy Is My Superpower by AJ Mendez (aka my favorite girl wrestler, AJ Lee) is always a good read to come back to.

[stronglyobsessed]

Hartwin father/son Fathers Day - Eggsy and eggsy’s little one give Harry a grandpa present for Father’s Day

Okay! So this turned out A LOT longer than I thought! It is 2.5K and I hope you enjoy!!!

Thank you SO much for such a cute prompt!

*It’s long so located under*

Here is the link for it on AO3!

Manners Maketh Grandfather

“Daddy!” A small voice called beside his ear. Eggsy rolled toward the sound, one eye cracked open to see a crystal blue set staring at him. “Happy Father’s Day!” Caleb claimed happily.

Before Eggsy could properly thank his four year old, a homemade card with ‘Happy Father’s Day’ written in his wife’s beautiful cursive on the front was thrust into view. Although the little hearts, cupcakes, flowers and stick figure form of what could only be Eggsy and Caleb, were clearly his son’s work. Behind him Tilde stood holding a plate that contained a generous stack of pancakes, eggs and bacon. She was immaculate, of course, with her blonde hair tossed in a messy bun. A tired smile lit her face, as her other palm mindlessly rubbed her protruding stomach.

“Thank you!” Eggsy leaned over the side to collect his son, bringing him under the sheets to cuddle him close. Caleb went without complaint, as always, and instinctively curled against Eggsy’s chest. He made sure to take the construction paper card and place it on the nightstand; he’d look at it later, right now he wanted a snuggle.

Caleb stayed put for a whole five minutes before he scurried back out, taking Eggsy’s card with eager hands. “I made this for you, Daddy!”

Eggsy beamed happily at his boy, Tilde now moved to sit next to them while Eggsy sat propped against the headboard. Caleb clambered to rest between his legs, giving Eggsy his card to read.

“Mama helped me with the words.” But Eggsy could see where his son tried to write his name. “But I told her what to say!”

“You did,” Tilde confirmed. She reached out to brush blonde wayward strands from their son’s forehead. “And he even helped me make breakfast!”

“I love it!” Eggsy promised after he read it aloud and dropped a loving kiss to the crown of Caleb’s head. “And I can’t wait to eat what you’ve made! Helping Mama cook, you’re getting so big!” His heart hurt at the reality. Their first baby wasn’t such a baby, and next fall he’d start nursery school just as they’d welcome their daughter.

“How's my princess doing?” Eggsy reached forward to rub where his girl resided. There was a soft kick against his palm. “Hello my love, good morning, Daddy loves you,” he cooed, just as he always did every day.

“She’s right as rain, sitting on my bladder and using it as her personal trampoline.” Tilde covered his hand with hers. She gave a quick squeeze before letting go, and took the tray to place over Eggsy’s lap, which also covered Caleb’s. “Happy Father’s Day, darling.” She murmured, lips hovered his skin before she pressed a tender kiss to his forehead.

Eggsy tipped his face, a hand cradled her cheek to guide into a full, delicate kiss. “Thank you. I love you.”

“I love you too.” She promised with an elated grin as Caleb made a face.

“Stop kissing! Daddy has to eat now!” Both parents laughed.

Eggsy tucked in as his son instructed, his son assisted in the consumption of his pancakes. It was perfect, a little noisy as Caleb romped around the bed with JB, but one of the best Father’s Day. Although Eggsy found himself saying that each year since becoming a dad.

“Come my little love. Time for a wash up and proper clothes.” Tilde herded Caleb off the bed. “Remember we have to finish the surprise for Grandpa, yes?” She added, just as Caleb began to make his ‘I’m going to have a strop’ face.

Thankfully the mention of Grandpa had a smile on his face and rushing to toddle beside his mother. Eggsy watched with fond eyes as they left so he could get himself ready as well. He sent a quick text to confirm their meeting, of course he was reminded to be punctual. Which was fucking hilarious, because the man had little regard for punctuality in his career.

“Are we ready?” Eggsy held Caleb’s black peacoat for him to slip his little arms into. “You sure you’re okay here, babe?” He worried as Caleb plucked small feet into trainers identical to Eggsy’s. But today he wore a casual pair of dark grey trousers, a hunter green button down and a freshly shined pair of oxfords.

Caleb was dressed just as nicely, but refused to wear the oxfords his Grandpa had bought him. “Ready!” He proclaimed. “Mama, I can carry it!” Caleb made grabby hands for the box that contained what he and Tilde had made.

“I’m fine, Eggsy.” She assured him. “Don’t run with them, okay?” Tilde carefully placed it into Caleb’s waiting arms. “And be good for daddy, make sure to give Grandpa my love.” She lay a soft kiss to his hairline. “I love you.”

“Love you too, Mama! Bye!”

Eggsy placed a hand on the top of the eager one's head; Caleb ready to bolt out the door. “Hold it bud. Daddy has to say goodbye too!” He cupped Tilde’s face with his freehand, coaxing her in for a tender sweep of lips. “Take care of my girl.” He touched her tummy, where their daughter danced against his palm. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She promised, and they were off.

The drive to the Mews was short from the small home he lived in now. After Tilde renounced her title as Princess, and stepped away from the crown, they moved back to London. Eggsy continued to work for Kingsman, but on more local missions and the occasional overseas recon assignments. Nothing ever as risky as when he’d first become an agent. After the whole Golden Circle scare, and the loss of so many, they found the world a little less littered with insane, psychopathic villains...at least for now.

“We’re here!” Eggsy announced. Caleb cheered from his car seat, as if he didn’t have weekly visits here, or Sunday dinners at Grandpa’s. He collected his son, the homemade gifts and a box Eggsy had stowed away in the boot, and made their way to the door.

“I can press the button, Daddy?”

“Sure.” It was work to hold Caleb and juggle their offerings so that a tiny finger could press the doorbell. “Ah ah!” Eggsy cautioned when he started to push it again. “Let’s give him a minute, yeah?”

“Okay,” Caleb sighed mournfully. He’d end up spamming his grandfather with a string of chimes, if Eggsy allowed it.

He started to lose his grip on Caleb as he wiggled, getting restless that he couldn’t make the doorbell ring again, but just as Eggsy repositioned Caleb he heard precise footsteps approach the door. Caleb let out an ear shattering cheer when the door was opened, and Harry caught the small body that lunged toward his person.

“Caleb!” Eggsy hissed. “That is not polite!” But it appeared every ounce of manners, polite behavior and lessons to be a proper gentleman went out the window as Harry swung the boy onto a hip and hugged him.

Sometimes it was hard for Eggsy to separate Arthur and Harry at home. The man was a bit different since he’d ‘died’ and come back to life.

“Happy Father’s Day!” Caleb crowed. “We brought presents!”

Harry’s smile was soft, the softest Eggsy had ever seen it, and only for his son. “That was very generous of you, Caleb, but shouldn’t you be spending the day with your Daddy?” Eggsy kept Caleb’s presence a secret, but it looked like the older man enjoyed it quite a bit.

“Daddy’s here!” Caleb pointed out, with a face that could only be inherited from Eggsy.

“Yes, I am here. May I come in?” Eggsy grinned cheekily as Harry stepped aside, his arms filled with his boy, and the sight was something Eggsy would never tire of. “Happy Father’s Day.” He was finally able to wish Harry, giving him a half hug because Caleb dominated the other side, and pressed a loving kiss to Harry’s weathered cheek.

“Thank you, Eggsy.” He could hear the emotion stuck in Harry’s throat, as his remaining eye watered a bit. “Now.” Harry turned back to Caleb. Much like every time Caleb was in Harry’s presence, Eggsy took a back seat, and it’d been that way since the day his son was born; he didn’t mind a whit. “Shall we have tea, young man?”

“And open presents?!” Both men laughed at his excitement.

“We can.” Harry threaded fingers through Caleb’s blond strands. “Come. I have a full set in the sitting room. I think I even have a few biscuits for you.”

Eggsy wanted to argue that it wasn’t even lunchtime, but the words died on his lips when Caleb tightened small arms around Harry’s neck and a loud, wet kiss was slammed against his cheek. He wouldn’t deny his child, or the man he considered a father for over ten years, the simple joys that they seemed to bring one another.

They settled in, cuppas poured, and Eggsy sat watching two of his favorite men talk adamantly to one another. Though the conversation was led primarily by Caleb, who told Grandpa all of the neat things he’d done at home with his mother, and the mention of Tilde resulted in a thoughtful gaze from Harry.

“She’s good.” Eggsy reassured. “Trudging along with our little lady growing. Both are healthy and safe.” He was bloody excited for their daughter to be born.

“Good, I’m glad to hear that. Please pass on my love and well wishes to both ladies.”

“I will.”

That was about all Eggsy was able to get in before his son monopolized Harry’s time. Though it didn’t seem like the man minded at all. He never pegged Harry to be a kid person, but as soon as Caleb entered the world, Harry was determined to be the best pseudo grandfather. Eggsy and Tilde had formally asked him to be when he visited hospital, and Eggsy wouldn’t speak to a soul that Harry had wept a little.

“Caleb,” Eggsy said after an hour. “I know you really like talking to Grandpa, but how about we let him open what we brought?” The reminder caused his boy to hop up, darting off of the sofa and collected all that his small hands could hold.

“For you!” Caleb shoved them in Harry’s lap, and crawled to sit beside Harry once more. “I made mine. Daddy didn’t!”

Harry bit his lip, an amused glint in his eye. “Well, I’m sure your Daddy put a lot of thought into it as well, hm?” Caleb nodded enthusiastically. “This is a charming card. You made it all by yourself?” Harry held a piece of construction paper similar to Eggsy’s.

“Yep! Mama helped with the words!”

“Well done,” he praised Caleb. And much like his father the boy preened, always willing to receive compliments and praise for his work. “Now what have we in the box?” Harry waited with all the patience any grandparent would have, as Caleb grabbed said blue, white striped box and handed it to Harry. “Is this your handy work as well?” Harry wondered as he opened the top.

“Yeah! But Mama used the oven. I can’t.” Caleb sounded displeased by that. “I mixed and helped pour the batter in. Then we frosted them!”

Inside were a dozen chocolate raspberry cupcakes; Harry’s absolute favorites. Leave it to Tilde to ensure Harry got precisely what he enjoyed, instead of the vanilla and buttercream frosted ones Caleb would have suggested.

“Now isn’t this a treat.” There was clear restraint in Harry’s brown eye as he stared at the sweets. “I will be sure to have one after supper.” He nodded, closing the lid and set them aside like he wouldn’t dig right into them once they left.

“Do you like them?” Just as the question was spoken, Harry scooped Caleb into his lap to give a big, full armed hug.

“I love them so much. Thank you, Caleb.” Harry dropped a soft kiss to Caleb’s head.

“Good!” Caleb crowed, wrapping his little arms around Harry, or as near as he could. “Daddy.” He turned to Eggsy. “You have to give Grandpa your presents now.” Eggsy nodded as he collected the long, thin box he had beside him.

It was wrapped in shiny silver paper with an equally shiny blue bow on top.

“Here you are.” Eggsy handed it over with a soft smile. He had a lot more patience than his son when it came to gratitude and praise for gifts. And he supposed that had to do with being thirty five, though Harry would argue the patience wasn’t extended to work; he was right.

“Oh, Eggsy,” Harry breathed. A hand swept over the polished wood handle of the rainmaker, as the other curved to cradle the taffeta canopy and lifted it out. “This is gorgeous.” The awe in Harry’s voice was well deserved. It was the newest model Kingsman had to offer.

“Comes with all the bells and whistles.” Eggsy promised, even as his son scrunched his nose; clearly unimpressed with something so mundane. “There’s a message engraved, too.”

Harry smiled tenderly as he turned it to read the inscription. “Manners Maketh Man.” He gave a whispered chuckle. “Thank you.” Eggsy heard the emotion beneath two simple words.

He marveled at it for a moment longer before Harry stood to wrap Eggsy in a warm, tight embrace. Eggsy returned the affection in kind, tipping his face to give a delicate kiss against Harry’s wet cheek; a few tears slipped despite his saying so.

Harry cleared his throat, swiping at his face to get rid of the moisture. “This has been lovely. You both have outdone yourselves.”

This time, both Caleb and Eggsy gave identical sheepish grins. After the paper and rubbish was cleared away, they enjoyed another cuppa and helped Harry tidy up. Just as Eggsy loaded the last plate into the dishwasher, his phone pinged with a text from Tilde.

“Hey.” Eggsy got Harry’s attention. He gestured to the front door and said, “You feel like joining us for dinner? Tild is making Beef Wellington.” Harry’s eye lit up. “We would have plenty,” Eggsy promised before Harry could ask.

“Yeah! You have to come, Grandpa!” Caleb already bombarded Harry before he could even speak a word. “And you can tell me a story before bed.” He shifted pleading blue eyes toward Eggsy. “Right, Daddy?”

“Of course! Grandpa is more than welcome to take over tuck in time. If he’d like.”

Harry scoffed, clearly offended there was even a question. “I really don’t want to be trouble. It is Father’s Day, and you should spend it with your family.” It was Eggsy’s turn to feel insulted.

“Dad,” Eggsy murmured, a name he used on and off in the recent years. The way Harry’s breath caught tugged at Eggsy’s heart; Harry was not used to hearing it still. Eggsy took Harry’s hand and held it. “You are family, and we’d be honored if you came.”

It only took a second for Harry to compose himself, evident that Eggsy’s declaration of his spot in the family caught him off guard, but it turned out in the best possible way.

“I’ll get my coat.”

Eggsy’s ears were filled with Caleb’s cheering and the quiet sound of Harry sniffling as he donned his jacket.

As Eggsy thought earlier, it was the best Father’s Day ever.

[igottoomuchwriting]

Unconventional Dates

Series: Part One/Previous Part/Next Part

Klaus was so bored. 

Klaus and Dave both had today off so they had planned to spend the day with just the two of them. Then Dave got a text that his friend’s car was starting to freak out in his driveway and he didn’t know if he had the money to get a tow truck to take it to a mechanic. Dave was going to tell him that he was busy today, and Klaus really wanted him too. It had been awhile since he and Dave had some complete time to themselves or to do something as simple as going on a date.

Klaus also knows that Dave loves helping people and he would feel bad if he forced Dave leave a friend to fend for himself. Klaus had told Dave that he was okay if they went over there to fix his friends car because he couldn’t just sit there with his boyfriend while said man was worrying deep in the back of his mind.

So now he was sitting in the lawn of said friend’s yard with nothing to do. Staring at your muscular boyfriend in a dirty tank top can only entertain you for so long.

He should have brought something to do. Dave had said it was going to be quick because he had a feeling he knew what the problem was. Klaus realized when they got there that a mechanic’s definition for quick was different than his. 

Klaus let out a grown and threw himself onto the grass, spreading his arms and legs as far as they would go.

“You okay, babe?” Dave called.

“Just bored,” Klaus answered honestly.

“You didn’t have to come,” Dave called, guilt twisted deep in his voice. “I should have warned you that there wouldn’t be a lot to do.”

Why is he so perfect.

“No, don’t worry!” Klaus cheered. He pushed himself up back on his arms so he could look Dave in the eyes. Dave gave him a small smile that Klaus knew meant he didn’t believe Klaus before turning back to look back at the car. 

Klaus watched with a sense of curiosity. When he was growing up, his dad didn’t own his own car. He would pay a driver and they would pick up the children when they had to go to a mission or they would walk. Klaus was pretty sure the only mode of transportation that Sir Reginald owned was a private jet for when they had missions overseas. Other than that, Klaus has never been around vehicles and never really knew what to do if they broke down.

It was a huge shock when he would visit Dave at work to either bring him food, tell him plans, or he just missed Dave’s face and there would be cars and parts everywhere. Dave worked in a small shop, so it was a mess, but there was something homey about it. There was always at least three cars in the shop and two outside and mechanics would be working or examining them constantly. This was a thing about adult life that Klaus never thought about or even heard about. The closest was Diego’s car, but Klaus was either too high or too tired to give a shit about what happened to Diego’s car.

Klaus walked over to Dave. Dave gave him a side glance but said nothing. He knew that sometimes Klaus would just walk around places and explore and during those times, he didn’t really want to be bothered.

“What are you checking?” Klaus asked as Dave pulled out some sort of metal stick and wiped it on the rag he had thrown over his shoulder.

“I’m checking the oil.”

“Oil?” Dave raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah? You know, the lubricant to keep the engine running?”

“Okay.” Obviously this was something that was common knowledge. Klaus wasn’t going to stand here and admit to his boyfriend—his boyfriend who is a mechanic—that he doesn’t know what the oil in a car is used for. 

“Klaus,” Dave reprimanded. Klaus winced. Of course Dave would be able to tell that he is trying to hide his ignorance. “Do you not know what oil is?”

“Of course I do!” he lied. “Obviously is something that the car….” Fuck. There was no way he was going to be able to pass this off.

“It’s okay if you don’t know.” Dave put the metal stick back where he had it and wiped off his hands as he turned towards Klaus. “I know you weren’t taught the correct curriculum growing up, and I doubt your Dad took the time to teach you about cars.”

Klaus looked down at the ground in defeat. “Okay, fine. I don’t know a thing about cars.”

“Do you want to learn?” Klaus glanced up at Dave. 

Dave’s face showed nothing but faith and care. He knew that being ignorant to subjects drove Klaus crazy but he also knew that Klaus would never ask someone to explain. He never wanted to come off as the dumb druggie who never went to school, even if that’s exactly what he is.

“Learn how much?” he cautiously asked.

“For now I can teach you how to change the oil. It’s not the only thing his car needs fixed, but it’s the best I can do right now.” Dave grabbed Klaus’s waist and gently pulled him closer. Klaus gratefully accepted the affection. “I don’t wanna overwhelm you with mumbo-jumbo.”

“I wouldn’t mind hearing you talk about mumbo-jumbo,” Klaus purred. Dave let out a bright laugh and Klaus beamed back. “But okay, you can teach me about oil.”

He trusted Dave. He knew that Dave wouldn’t mock him, judge him, or purposely extort the fact that he doesn’t know about cars or anything else. He knew that Klaus was raised vastly different and that he spent most of his adult life too high to remember the difference between left and right. 

“Great!” Dave pulled away from Klaus and turned back to the car with Klaus’s gaze following. “First you want to check the level of the oil. This here—” He points to where Klaus had watched him pull out the metal stick. “—is the dipstick. You take that out to check the levels, and you always want to do it when the car is still warm. Oil will condense once it’s cold so it’s harder to get an accurate measure.”

He pulled the dipstick out and wiped it off again and showed Klaus where the line was. He explained when it was too full, when it was too low, how the oil should look if it needs changed and how it should look when you just change and filter it through. Klaus took it all in with the eagerness that one could match to a toddler.

“We know the oil needs to be changed so now we need to locate the oil drain.”

“Is that when we get to roll under the car?” Klaus asked. He would always see Dave do that but Klaus never had any idea why he was under there. 

Dave beamed. “Yeah!” He motioned over to the plate that Klaus has seen a lot at Dave’s mechanic shop. “Can you grab me the creeper?”

“That’s what it’s called?” Klaus gaped. Dave let out a deep sigh as if the truth upset him.

“Yeah. I wish it wasn’t.”

“So every day, for five days a week, you work with a creeper?” Dave shot Klaus a look that truly showed the pain and suffering he felt from the joke and Klaus lost it.

“Can you please get it?” Dave finally pleaded. Klaus walked over to the creeper while still laughing at his stupid joke.

He rolled the creeper over to Dave and skipped behind it. Dave stopped the creeper while watching Klaus with a fond smile.

“A creeper for my favorite mechanic,” Klaus purred. Dave rolled his eyes in fake annoyance, but the smile on his face never left.

“Alright. This part will be hard to show you, as I have to go under the car. I’ll try to point out the catch while you…?” he trailed off, trying to think of something Klaus could do.

“I can just lay on the ground and look at what you’re pointing at?” 

“That should work.” Dave position the creeper for where it needed to go and carefully laid down. It took him  a moment to find the catch.

It took a bit longer to drain the oil. Dave would have to roll back out from the car to help Klaus find the wrench he was looking for, or to roll out to help point out where the catch was and what he was doing from Klaus’s view. 

Klaus was actually enjoying himself. He never was interested in learning about cars, mathematics, engineering, anything like that — never mind the fact that he never focused on normal life with ghosts following him constantly or was too high to even remember his own name. Being with Dave and doing something that Dave enjoys doing really makes staring at the inside of a car much more enjoyable.

The rest of it went by quicker than Klaus thought it would. Soon enough, Dave was rolling out from the bottom of the car to finish changing the oil. He explained what to do next, walking Klaus through the steps thoroughly as if Klaus was taking over his job for the week and everything needed to be done to a certain standard. Klaus would never doubt that Dave would do anything less.

“And, that’s it!” Dave cheered. Klaus tried shaking as much leftover oil from the bottle into the car before turning back to Dave.

“That’s it?” he asked.

“Yep!” Dave reached past Klaus to grab the cover to close the oil and gave him a quick kiss before he pulled back. “Oil was the only thing that I could fix without anything from the shop, so this should be good.”

“You do this stuff every day at work?” 

“Almost.” Klaus was shocked. He honestly thought being a mechanic would be a lot more heavy lifting. Of course, Klaus took a look over his boyfriend’s muscles and all of the car he and Dave didn’t even bother to look at today. Maybe it is harder.

“Well,” Klaus drew out. He pressed his body up against Dave’s, wrapping his arms around his neck with a smile. “I had a great time helping your buddy out, but I would love if we could go home and spend the rest of our day off alone.”

“I should be done here soon,” Dave agreed. He wrapped his arm around Klaus’s waist, leaning down and placing a kiss on his nose. “I just need to clean everything up and text my buddy.”

“And then we can continue our date at home?” The teasing in his tone was impossible to miss. “I have a few… ideas of what we could do.”

Dave smiled and pulled Klaus impossibly closer, leaning down so they were meer inches from kissing.

“Oh yeah?” he hummed. “And what would those ideas be?”

“I could show you how to draw!” Dave leaned back with a shocked look. It took all of Klaus’s power to not burst out laughing at the man. Rarely does he ever trick Dave into thinking something sexual, but when he does, it’s always entertaining.

“Oh… I, uh, I don’t think—That’s not a good idea, babe,” Dave stuttered out. Klaus let out a groan of annoyance.

“Why not!” he whined.

“Because I can barely draw anything more than a stick figure.”

“That’s why I want to teach you!” Dave heaved a deep breath. If his hands weren’t busy holding Klaus close to him, he would be trying to hide behind his hands. “Dave, please? You taught me how to change the oil in a car, so I want to return the favor.”

There were a few moments of silence that worried Klaus. Dave usually never gets this upset about something that Klaus wants to do. The only times Klaus has seen him this upset was when he started asking about some of his scars and got progressively more upset the more stories that he heard Klaus casually tell.

“Okay,” he finally heaved. “Okay, yeah. We can go home and draw.”

“We don’t have to,” Klaus immediately backtracked. He knew that he had a habit of being pushy until he got what he wanted after years of growing up with his father and trying to hide from the ghosts that hid from his vision everyday. He would push for drugs, push for alcohol, push for his Dad to get so mad that he stopped putting him in the mausoleum, push for anything. He didn’t want to push Dave, though. “You obviously don’t want to, so we can easily go home and watch a movie. Or I wouldn’t be opposed to—”

“Klaus, stop,” Dave interrupted. “It’s okay. I would love for you to teach me to draw. I just haven’t drawn anything since middle school and I didn’t want you to make fun of me.”

“But I would never—” Klaus quickly tried defending before Dave interrupted him, this time with a kiss. 

“I know,” he said when they pulled away. “That’s why I’m saying it’s okay that you teach me how to draw.” Klaus smiled brightly. Dave actually trusted him to not hurt him with something he is obviously insecure about. His siblings wouldn’t even trust him with holding—well, anything. It was nice that he was trusted and was a safe spot for Dave.

“Alright, clean up sir.” Klaus placed another kiss on Dave’s lips before pulling away to go back to the grass. “I will entertain myself until we have to leave.”

---

Klaus was anxiously running around the apartment, trying to tidy everything up. 

He and Dave had to push back their second date because as soon as they got home from fixing his friend’s car, Dave decided he had other plans. He was interested in something other than drawing with his boyfriend, and when has Klaus ever denied his boyfriend such a simple request?

They decided the next day off Dave had would be the best. Life got in the way even more when they realized they were out of many essentials they needed in the house, and with Peter working his sixth day in a row, it was up to Dave to go get the things that they needed.

Klaus had decided he would stay back so that he could set up all of the things they needed to draw, even if it would only take him a few seconds to do so. They weren’t doing anything extravagant anyway. All they needed was a piece of paper and a pencil.

Then Klaus started freaking out. He thought back to when he suggested the idea to Dave and how his boyfriend reacted. Klaus couldn’t get it out of his head that Dave has never reacted that negatively to anything Klaus suggested. Was Dave just doing this so that Klaus felt better? Did he actually want to do this?

Klaus had the thought of just putting it away, tell Dave that they didn’t have the supplies that they needed, distract him so that they don’t have to do this. He doesn’t want to make Dave do anything he would be uncomfortable with.

Before he could pick up the pencils to throw them back in the drawer, the front door swung open. Dave stumbled into the house, arms full of groceries and face bright red.

“Klaus, can you grab some of these?” he asked, holding out an arm. Klaus rushed over to quickly take the heavy load off of Dave’s arms. As soon as Dave set the groceries down in the kitchen, he let out a deep sigh of relief.

“Why do you always take it in one trip?” Klaus laughed. “You know you can do more than one trip.”

“Doing more than one trip is for losers.” Dave filled a cup up with water, gulping down half of it before continuing. “Did you take more than one trip when you were younger?”

“We never helped with groceries. Dad always hired someone to get groceries after my mom made the list.” Dave shot Klaus a confused look.

“Why didn’t she just go?”

“Daddy dearest wouldn’t let her leave the house. We honestly don’t know why he wouldn’t let her leave, but we assume it’s so that she couldn’t see how well children were treated by their actual parents and fight back to protect us.”

A horrified look morphed over Dave’s face. At this point, Klaus just thought it was amusing.

“Okay, we are talking about that more in the future. And taking your mom out for lunch because Jesus Christ, your Dad was a shit person.” 

Klaus was both amused and touched. He was touched because Dave offered to take his Mom—who was a robot—out to lunch without a second thought. He was also amused because the cursed to other religions ‘God’ because his Dad was such a shit person.

How did Klaus find this man?

“Do we want to put groceries away, or do we just want to start our date now?” Dave asked, walking back towards Klaus. 

Klaus took in a deep breath, staring at the living room with anxiety deep in his soul.

“Well, we could just… not do our date?” Klaus offered. Dave gave him a confused look.

“Do you not want to anymore?” 

“No! No, I do!” he reassured.

“Then why...?” he trailed off. Klaus let out a sigh.

“I thought you didn’t actually want to do this because you reacted negatively when I told you so I was thinking that we should just call off this ‘date’ and just do something else that you wanna do.” Klaus admitted. Dave pulled Klaus into a tight hug to which Klaus melted into.

“I only reacted negatively because I didn’t want to embarrass myself by drawing in front of my boyfriend who has amazing art. I didn’t mean to make you think that I didn’t actually want to do this date with you.”

“It’s not your fault,” Klaus mumbled. 

“Yes, Klaus, it is my fault,” Dave argued. He has been forcing Klaus to stop brushing off everything that Dave does that upsets him and making him understand that it is okay to say that something is Dave’s fault when it really is. Klaus still wasn’t comfortable with it, still afraid that if he blamed Dave for something, Dave would get mad and leave. “Just because I did it on accident does not mean I shouldn’t own up to my mistakes.”

“I know, I know.” Klaus looked Dave in the eyes, trying not to show that his heart definitely did not melt at the loving look that Dave was giving him. “Let’s just stop talking about it. I want to see what drawing skills you have!”

“I can tell you that it is zero,” Dave laughed. Klaus ignored him and made his way into the living room.

Klaus had pushed the table away from the couch, leaving room for Klaus and Dave to sit down on the floor.

“Is there anything that you want to draw?” Klaus asked as he set up the papers in front of them.

“A cat,” Dave said immediately. Klaus was shocked. He didn’t think that Dave would know what he wanted to draw right off the bat. Hell, when Klaus is in a mood to draw, he doesn’t know what he wants to draw.

“How in the fuck do you already know what you want to draw?” Klaus asked.

“Like I said, I’ve been excited for this date.”

“So excited that you already knew what you wanted to draw?”

“And I just really like cats,” Dave mumbled, face flushed red with embarrassment. Klaus’ heart melted at the sight. Klaus knew that at a glance, Dave was a hunk of meat that every person in the world would love to get a piece of, but Klaus was the one who got to see him on a daily basis. He was the one who got to see Dave flushed like this.

Before he could get carried away, Klaus changed to subject. “Okay, let’s get started!”

Attempting to ask Dave to draw a cat from a memory didn’t turn out that well. Dave had drawn multiple stick figure cats, and when Klaus got into his shading of his cat’s paws, drawn a small family. (Klaus had a sneaking suspicion that it was supposed to be him and Dave in the future which did not make Klaus want to cry.) Klaus setup Dave’s phone with a picture of a simple cartoon cat to use as a reference.

Everytime Klaus looked over at Dave, he was so focused on his drawing. There were a lot of faded lines where Dave tried to erase his mistakes, as well as smears of lead where he would run his hand over one spot multiple times. It wasn’t the cleanest drawing, and Klaus never expected that, but Dave was trying. He was trying as hard as he could to understand Klaus’ passion.

“Klaus!” Klaus snapped back to the present. 

“Yeah?”

“You okay?” Dave asked. 

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Are the ghosts bothering you?” There was no mockery, no hurtful tone in his voice. There was only love and concern, and God. Klaus has no idea how he was able to catch a man like this, someone who actually cared about him. 

“I’m great!” Klaus assured, for once being truthful. “I’m just admiring your drawing.”

Dave laughed and looked down at his cat, obviously insecure. 

“It’s, uh, it’s alright.”

“It’s great!” Klaus cheered. “It’s a start.” 

Klaus watched as Dave glanced from his paper to Klaus’, judgement in his eyes. Klaus didn’t know a lot about what to do when someone was beating themselves up. Usually Klaus was the one doing the self deprecating talk and Ben was the only one who would ever talk back.

“I’ve been drawing longer,” Klaus started. They’ve been here longer than you, Klaus he remembers Ben saying when Klaus actually tried getting better at rehab. No one expects you to be better right away. “Rehab would get boring a lot, so I’ve had the time to dabble in doodles and paintings in order to fight my cravings. Don’t expect to be amazing right away.”

Dave stared at Klaus, studying his boyfriend before he let out a smile.

“You’re right. I shouldn’t be so hard on myself.” Klaus beamed. 

He leaned over and placed a kiss on Dave’s cheek, rewarding his boyfriend for fighting against those negative thoughts so easily.

“Let’s color this pussy,” Klaus cheered, falling back to his spot. Dave stared at him with a horrified look.

“Klaus, don’t say that!”

“Too late now, Davey!”

[ask-marc-anthony]

Marc-Anthony Origins Part 1

I’m not exactly sure where to start in this ever long, twisting hellish corridor that I can comfortably call my life. Hell, I don’t know if anyone will even believe me because it seems like something out of a Stefan King novel. But, you’re here and I’m here, ready to tell my not so cute little fairytale. Anyways, here goes. To start off my name is Marc-Anthony. If I look familiar, you probably have seen my dad or at least have heard of him. The infamous Caius Volturi. A vampire who ruthlessly hunted down the children of the moon simply because he was almost bested by one. A man who’s looks supposedly could swoon even the most loyal of hearts to commit adultery. A sadistic, unforgiving king of the secret society of vampires.

Well, I’m his offspring. No, no, darling Athenodora isn’t my biological mother, though, I wouldn’t mind if she was. How anything so beautifully angelic like her could be with such a disgusting form of a man like my DNA donor is beyond comprehensible. But, love is silly like that, no? One cannot help the chemical reaction our brain fires off when we fall head over heels for someone.

I’m getting sidetracked here. I’ll speak more about those two in a bit, first I need to back up my story a bit because right now it looks as though you are staring at me in disbelief that the man who personally wanted the cullens to die for the very same act, could even have a hybrid. Now, let me just state that you are hearing this story from a person who possibly couldn’t know these things for I was not born when all of this went down. Instead you are hearing what I've collected my entire life through a series of stories from the coven I have been legally held prison in.

Let's start from before I was even conceived. My mother. I don’t know her name. Mom. Mommy. Mum. Madre. Whatever. She was a modern woman with a love for history. At the same time she loved all things science and art. She was apparently very forward and believed in equality for all. Just started her second year in college studying abroad in - you guessed it- Italy. Tuscany. Volterra of all places.

So, the story goes something like….

~*~*~

“Camera?”

“Check.”

“Wallet?”

“Check.”

“Pepper spray? Taser?”

“Oh my lort. You worry too much.” a short woman who looked no older than nineteen with long raven waves spilling all around her pale, chubby frame chirped, turning towards her brother. Her green irises only amplified by her overall appearance dazzled with a glint of playful mischievousness to them as they gazed at her older brother who returned the same mischievous grin to his younger sister. Unlike his little sister, the brother was tall, in perfect shape, with messy auburn hair and a constant five o'clock shadow. His complexion was slightly darker due to his time spent under the unforgiving rays of the sun. They only similarity between them was their emerald orbs that could charm even the most wildest of beasts.

With a lazy shrug of the older brother's shoulders, he spoke. “One can never be too careful. Especially with all these missing people in Italy. Tourist. And b’sides we are the only family we got in this world.” The raven-haired girl stuck out a lower lip, her shoulders slumped slightly, gazing off to the side to focus on anything else but him. He was right. They had no family to speak of other than each other. They never knew their parents. Left on the doorstep of a church. Classic. They grew up together dodging yardsticks, holy water and confinement time and when the church had enough, they were thrown out onto the streets. Her brother says he remembers their parents. He never spoke highly of them. “It was like two trashbags who decided to have children despite their inability to care about anyone else but themselves.”

“I know, Remy. Look I’ll be safe. We always land on our feet, yeah?”

“Damn right we do, Pepper. Now, let us keep going down the checklist. “Taser?”

“Oh my goood.” With that, the siblings worked side by side going through Peppers bags to make sure she had everything she needed for her year away from home. Remy would be lying if he said he wasn’t going to miss her. But, damned if he wasn’t proud of the accomplishments she achieved. Even if she didn’t see it. He did. From what they came from, she had damn sure surpassed him and every stereotype about orphans. He couldn’t say the same for himself. But, that was a story for another time. It didn’t bother him too much. His best friend loved him and he never missed a meal. Not too bad of a life. Right?

A week later, Remy awoke to the smell of pancakes. A smell he and his sister had the same kind of love for. Running a calloused hand through knotted auburn hair, the male pushed his frame from his bed, covers crumpling to the floor. Squinted green irises gazed through the illuminated house as he made his way to the heavenly smell.

“Mooooorning sleepy head! I made breakfast!” Pepper was in an excited mood for sure. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be up this early. She was the one who valued sleep. Too much sleep even. The kind of person who would wake up and go into the living room to take a nap immediately after.

“It is four-thirty in the morning..” Remy retorted in a groggy tone taking a seat at the small kitchen table. His sister placing down a cup of joe next to him. Elbows resting upon the table, his cheek against his knuckles, the elder brother fought to stay awake. “Didn’t get much sleep. Was up half the night tossing and turning-”

“And the other half playing games with your friends?” The younger of the two added without skipping a beat. Hard not to hear him when their team won an online game. Remy’s face flushed in embarrassment at being called out on his actions his free hand reaching out to grasp the ceramic cup’s handle, taking a sip of the bitter liquid. It was evident on the brother's face that he was nervous about his sister being overseas for an entire year. With limited money, he couldn’t exactly just come and see her.. And then there was the criminal background that prevented him from crossing the borders so easily. “Everything will be okay. I’ll keep in touch. I’ll call you as much as I can. This year will fly by so fast, you’ll want me back out of the house when I returned. It’ll be like I never left.” Remy smiled into his cup, forgoing breakfast she made for now. His stomach was in knots and he feared that if he attempted to put anything in him, that it would end up coming back out. Instead, he just nursed his cup of much-needed energy while his sister sat across from him seemingly vibrating in her seat as she excitedly talked about all the places she wanted to visit while she was there; Pancake particles flying out of her mouth and onto the table.

The drive there seemed too short since there were minimal cars on the freeway. Each streetlamp illuminating the car for the briefest of moments which was perfect for Pepper since she was going through her ‘list of things to get, do and finish before this semester.’ Pepper was always high strung about the littlest things. She needed to have a plan before any action was taken. Remy was only like that when it came to gigs, otherwise, it was more go with the flow for him which of course caused friction between the two at times.  So, it was no surprise that she had a plan for each and every move before she had even stepped foot on the new land.

“Alright.. Try to call me at least once a month. If not more. I know school is busy but, without me being in the same area as you.. It’s-” Remy was cut off abruptly by a little frame throwing herself on him giving one of the biggest hugs he had ever received. His eyes stung as he returned his little sister's hug with his own. He didn’t want to let go. But, he knew she had a flight to catch.

“I will call you as much as I can. Don’t worry. Like I said, this year will fly by so fast.” Pale fingertips pressed into soft cheeks as white teeth flashed a playful grin at the auburn-haired male. “Try to remember how I look now because I’ll look waaay different when I come back!”

“Pep.. you’ve looked the same for the last five years.”

“Shut up. Butt munch. I love you. I’ll call you when I get settled in. I promise. Now, promise me you’ll stay out of trouble and you’ll take care of yourself. Okay?” Pepper scolded the other like a mother would her child, pressing one fist to her hip, her other arm outstretched accompanied by an index finger that pointed directly at him.

Lifting his hands defensively, returning her grin with his own shit-eating one his voice chuckled out. “Look, I can promise the last part, but the first part is asking too much of me. You know I am a troublemaker. Or at least trouble always seems to find me.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I love you too, Pepper. I’ll talk to you when you land and I’ll see you in a year.”

“Bye brother~” Pepper sang as she turned on her heel bouncing off in the direction of TSA.

“No, goodbye makes it sound like I’ll never see you again. It’s see you later.” Remy called out at the bouncing figure who placed her bags onto the X-ray machine. Before she boarded the plane Pepper glanced over her shoulder back at her best friend, flashing him one last smile and giving him one last wave before disappearing into the hall that connected to the plane. Remy couldn’t help but notice how the little girl before him seemed to grow into a woman in a blink of an eye. Returning a wave, his heart hurt and a tear finally escaped out of his eye, sliding down his cheek. “See you in a year, kiddo..” he sighed, taking a seat and watching the plane take off into the nighttime sky. If only he knew that this would be the last time he had ever seen her..

[merlin-wolfgang-trades-hale]

Steve was teasing Danny about how off he was today, which started with him getting to work late. Danny wanted to avoid telling Steve why, but rather than be suspicious he was teasing Danny about how he was getting older. 

When the arrived at Danny’s place Steve was about to make another remark when a nearly naked, muscled, good looking and rugged, hairy, beautiful, younger man appeared. He seemed to have woken up from a nap by the sleepy look on his face but didn’t seem to be too bothered by Danny or Steve’s arrival. 

Steve himself wanted to reach for his weapon after the shook of the other’s beauty wore off and he realized there was a sexy stranger in Danny’s home. But Danny didn’t seem bothered. He rolled his eyes and scoffed, “What have I told you about wearing clothes?”

“It’s hot.” The other growled, voice deep naturally but more so from sleep. The man yawned before he headed into the kitchen. “Breakfast?”

“It’s 3 in the afternoon Der-bear.” Danny deadpanned. 

“Very late brunch then?” 

“Sure.” Danny said before turning to Steve, “You’re gonna be late for your governor’s meeting.” 

Steve wanted to protest. He never found himself at a loss for words but this was...completely unexpected. So for once...he did what he was told without complaint. 

The next day though, he was in a very foul mood. Danny never mentioned having someone new, or someone come to visit. And, okay no Danny didn’t need to tell him everything but Steve deserved when a very hot, younger, musclier, hairier man was sleeping in Danny’s home. 

Though he knew he should talk about it with Danny first he couldn’t help but text Grace to see how serious it was. 

Do you know your dad’s current houseguest?- SM 

Derek? Yeah, dad’s mentioned him. We get Christmas and Birthday cards and stuff. Usually sends me $100 for my B-day.- GW

Not the answer he was looking for or wanted. Worse still was when Danny forgot something at home and asked Derek to come to drop it off for him. He wasn’t in just his boxers anymore but he was in some shorts and a tank top. The whole team watched as Danny and him had a quiet conversation, Danny smiled and laughing all the while. The last thing he heard was Derek say ‘I’ll come to pick you up at five. Reservations are at six.’

“Damn Danny, how much did he cost?” Tani asked with a smirk. 

“Far more than you can afford.” Danny joked. But Steve didn’t take it as a joke and might have been a bit unfair to both Danny and Tani in retaliation. Danny ended up leaving sooner than expected because he was just kinda mad at Steve. 

----

“What happened?” Derek asked as they gave their drink order to the waiter. 

Danny sighed, “Steve’s being an ass for some reason.”

“Hmm...you know it might be worth mentioning that I’m married.” Derek said as he looked over the menu. 

“Why would that matter?” Danny asked. 

Derek rolled his eyes. “Danny...Steve is your Stiles.”

It was all Derek had to say. Danny froze but didn’t argue. They gave their order when the waiter came back, before Danny asked, “How is Stiles?”

“As far as he can say, he’s good. Safe at least...for now.” Derek said with slight annoyance. 

Danny could understand. Derek was powerful and a werewolf, but his husband and mate was in the FBI, asked to join a task force overseas. Derek had to stay home, unable to help. It’s why he dove hard into his own work, which is why he came to Hawaii. 

“He’s the most clever and cunning guy I know, Der. And he loves you...and his dad.  He won’t do anything stupid.” 

“I know...I know. But I also know he’s got a hero complex as big as Jupiter...he may not mean to, but in that split second of trouble he might...” 

Danny reached over and grabbed Derek’s hand to console him. “He’ll come home.” Danny reassured him. 

Derek offered him a small smile in thanks. They then discussed lighter things. How Derek’s job on the island was going and Danny’s kids. 

--------------- “Don’t you trust me?” was the first thing Steve asked when he saw Danny the next day. 

“What?”

“Don’t. You. Trust. Me?” Steve repeated, punctuating each word. 

“I’m insulted that you ask, but mind enlightening why you think so?” Danny demanded. 

“You have a boyfriend. You met someone...a man...and you...you didn’t tell me...” Steve said hurt. 

Danny sighed. His talk with Derek helped and this did too, if he was reading it right. “Derek’s not my boyfriend. He’s married to a good friend of mine from the mainland. We met a few years before Grace was born. We’ve kept in touch with snail mail, postcards, random calls and texts...Derek is very much in love with Stiles...if you misread his comfortableness of his body, that’s just a Derek thing. He doesn’t do well with heat.” He can’t explain to Steve why, so he hopes he takes it at face value. 

“Where’s his husband then?” Steve asked with his arms crossed. 

“Stiles is FBI. He was asked to join a temporary task force overseas. Derek’s not allowed much information, as you may know, so he’s doing his best to keep busy. He’s in town for a job. He buys and sells art to rich people. ” 

“Doesn’t that mean he’s got the money for a hotel?” Steve couldn’t help but ask. 

“He does but he doesn’t like to stay in hotels. He’s not that much of a people person. Loves nature. He would have camped out in the woods, caught his own food...he’s a survivalist at heart.” Danny explained. “I owed it to Stiles to let him stay with me.” “Ah...I see...” Steve muttered. Now he felt awkward.

“Yeah. Yesterday he took me out to eat as a thank you for housing him. We talked about any Stiles’s updates he had to give and I caught him up about the kids...and...”

“And?” Steve coaxed. 

“He said he’d kick my ass if I don’t get off of it and ask you out.” Danny said as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. 

“What?” 

“Frankly I’m sure I could take him.” It was a lie. Derek knew how to fight and also had unfair werewolf strength. “But...best to not risk it...for Stiles sake. So?”

“Uh....”

“He’s made reservations. Pretty swanky place...paid for. So you either say yes or I’ll have a father/daughter date with Grace, either way I’m dining like the rich tonight.” 

“You’ll have to find something else to do with Grace...cos I accept.” 

“You do?” Danny asked, a bit surprised. 

“Yeah...but uh...is it too soon to offer to book a hotel for Derek anyway?” Steve asked with a sheepish smile. 

Danny smirked, “Save your money...he’s only here for another week. And he can be as stubborn as you.”

“Then do you wanna come and stay at my place for the next 7 days?” Steve tried instead. 

Danny rolled his eyes. “Are you gonna be this jealous in our relationship?”

“Probably. Maybe. Yes.”

Danny chuckled as he leaned in and kissed Steve lightly on the lips, “Make sure it stays on the cute side, babe. And maybe I’ll consider it.”