#Loid petting him and smiling at him!!

[piracytheorist]

Bond rushing to greet Loid!!

[heyiwrotesomethings]

She’s The Housekeeper Prt9: Bond

Yor Briar/ Forger x She/ Her Reader

A/N: Prt8 Alright, here is the last part for the foreseeable future. The first chapter of this story is still my most popular post to date, and it’s so cool to see 800+ notes on something I’ve written. If you managed to stick with me for this long, thank you for your time and support💜! Word Count: ~5,800

Anya ate her breakfast with an extra vigor that morning because today would be the day Loid would take her to the pet shop to find a cute little dog to take home! She inhaled her food so fast, she nearly choked.

“Hey, careful!” (Y/n) cautioned as she pushed Anya’s glass of water closer to her for the little girl to gulp down, “I know you’re excited, but let’s try to avoid having to go to the hospital instead.”

“The dogs aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. You can take your time.” Loid reminded.

“I’m just as excited to look around as you are Miss Anya!” Yor beamed as she put down the burnt omurice she had made, “but please do be careful.”

Anya downed the water and though she was still eating rather quickly, she was pacing herself better than she had a few moments ago.

“Anya is ready to go now!” She declared, sliding off of her chair to fetch her coat.

“Anya, we’re still eating.” Loid called after her, but Anya kept moving, pulling her coat from the rack. Loid sat back in his chair, letting Anya wait by the door. “Are you joining us, (Y/n)? It shouldn’t take terribly long.”

“I wouldn’t mind tagging along.” (Y/n) decided. Maybe she could influence the decision made of what dog they got. Something that was already house trained would be ideal. One that rarely shedded would also be preferable.

“This is going to be so much fun.” Yor hummed, between bite of crispy rice and egg. She offered (Y/n) a bite, and of course (Y/n) had to take it.

“Definitely an improvement over the last one, well done my dear.” (Y/n) praised before downing her water in just a few gulps.

The food really was one of Yor’s better attempts. It was still vile, but (Y/n) didn’t feel like she was in danger of throwing up. (Y/n) wasn’t absolutely insane like Yor’s dear brother Yuri, if Yor’s food made her feel ill, she would simply excuse herself to the bathroom to take care of it, not smile and try to clear the plate faster than she could vomit. (Y/n) shuddered at the memory. The Briar siblings were not normal.

“Woof! Woof! Woof!” Anya chanted from the hallway. She simply couldn’t wait any longer, they were wasting precious daylight!

“Let us do the dishes at least, then we will go, Anya. Be patient.” Loid began gathering plates while (Y/n) and Yor went to the sink to wash and dry.

Anya felt like she could explode from the anticipation, but finally all three adults had put away the dishes and put on their coats and they were heading out the door.

“Woof! Woof! Woof!” She barked again, swinging Yor’s hand in hers. “Papa,” she asked, turning back to look at Loid, “Do doggies like peanuts?”

“You probably shouldn’t give them too many. It might not be good for them.” He replied, making Anya pout.

“That leaves more peanuts for you, Miss Anya.” (Y/n) provided helpfully, making her smile again.

“Oh, is this the shop right there?” Yor asked.

“That’s it.” Loid confirmed, going ahead of them to open the door for everyone.

Inside were the most fucked up looking dogs that (Y/n) had ever seen. Anya looked severely unsettled and (Y/n) couldn’t say she blamed her.

“Is… is that one flexing?” She asked Yor in a concerned whisper.

“What do you think, Anya?” Loid smiled, “Do you like any of these dogs?”

“No.” Anya wasted no time saying.

“R-really?” Loid’s eye twitched.

“Are you really surprised, Loid? I mean, look at them.” (Y/n) shuddered.

She did have a point… Guess they would have to go to the shelter event instead. A person caught his eye from the back room, flashing him a signal. Now really wasn’t a good time, but if Handler was calling, it must be important.

“Augh!” Loid cried out, clutching his stomach.

“Loid? What’s wrong?” (Y/n) asked, startled by the outburst.

“I, I need to use the restroom! You all can go, I’ll meet you at the shelter.”

“Are you sure you’re alright? We can wait.” Yor offered.

“Papa takes a long time when he goes to the shitter to shit, so we should probably go.” Anya bluntly explained.

“I see…” Yor blushed.

“Eugh, Miss Anya, we didn’t need to know that.” (Y/n) shivered in disgust, “Also, watch your language.”

“Yes, watch your mouth young lady.” Loid echoed before running off to deal with his… ‘problem’.

“Well, guess we should get going then.” (Y/n) decided.

“Yes!” Anya skipped to the door with (Y/n) and Yor following close behind.

Before long, the sidewalks became more congested and the unmistakable sounds of animals flooded the air.

“So this is the adoption event. Wow, it’s even bigger than I imagined!” Yor gushed.

“Yeah, it seems like Loid should’ve brought us here first.” (Y/n) observed.

Puppies, kittens and bunnies! They seemed to have every furry household pet under the sun! Anya ran haphazardly to look into every crate and enclosure she could find.

“Don’t run around Miss Anya, you’ll get lost!” Yor warned.

“Promise us you won’t leave this area with the dogs, okay?” (Y/n) asked.

“Okay…” Anya deflated a bit, but that was fine, there were so many cute doggies to look at and she would get to take one of them home!

The trio walked up to an enclosure together and Yor squeaked with excitement, grabbing (Y/n) by the arm and shaking her around.

“Look at that dachshund’s cute little legs!” She cooed, making (Y/n) smile.

Anya was overwhelmed by all the cuteness. She couldn’t possibly choose just one. They were all so sweet! Standing by the window, something large and white caught her eye, and she turned to see it more clearly, feeling a possible connection with whatever that may be.

(Y/n) and Yor were going over their top picks when one of the ladies working the event approached them offering assistance. (Y/n) and Yor took up the conversation, distracting them from Anya’s sudden disappearance.

“Are there any breeds that are easier to clean up after?” (Y/n) asked.

“Poodles rarely shed, so cleaning up after them is a breeze.” The friendly lady shared.

“You don’t say.” (Y/n) perked up, making Yor smile.

“Or there are smaller breeds, Shih Tzus are very friendly.”

While (Y/n) and Yor were engrossed with the woman’s abundant information, they failed to notice Anya slink outside to follow the shady man and the big white dog she had seen through the window. By the time they had stopped talking with the woman and thanked her for her suggestions, Anya appeared to be long gone. (Y/n) looked up to find her in the crowd, but could not see her anywhere within the dog section and her heart began to rise to her throat.

“Yor,” (Y/n) alerted, grabbing her partner’s arm, anxiety already slipping into her tone, “Do you know where Anya is?”

Yor snapped to attention, scanning all around, a familiar sense of dread pooling in her stomach. She did not like the trend that seemed to be forming every time she let Anya out of her sight or reach for but a few minutes every time they went out in public.

“I- I don’t—“ Yor swallowed thickly, her feet traveled on autopilot, “Miss Anya? Where did you go?!” She called out, a static buzzing growing steadily between her ears.

“I’ll look for her in the kitten section!” (Y/n) yelled after her before running off in a different direction, but she was not heard.

Between the two of them, they must have asked everyone in the event hall if they had seen the little girl, each growing more and more desperate with every shake of a head they received.

Upon getting her latest negative sighting, Yor felt unshed tears burning the corners of her eyes. This was the aquarium all over again, but worse! She turned, expecting to see (Y/n) there, ready to give her a hug and to let her know everything would be alright, but of course she wasn’t there.

Yor had already been so tense and her brain had been so focused on looking for Anya, she had somehow lost her dear (Y/n) along the way! Now she began to really freak out, completely overwhelmed by the crowded venue and the noise pitching around and within her.

Something in her that was already tense, snapped and she jumped up, kicked off of a nearby pillar, and expertly braced herself on the ceiling so she could search from above. Her breathing uneven, she drowned out the noise of the crowd below. She didn’t see Anya. Anya wasn’t there, not even a trace, and that terrified her.

What if she had been eaten by a dog?! No, Yor managed to stop that train of thought. That was unlikely. Someone would surely have noticed something like that. But what if she had been kidnapped again like when they had gone to the aquarium, or when they had gone grocery shopping! What if (Y/n) had been taken too!

An awful image of her beloved and her adopted daughter being carted away by despicable men to be married off to even more vile and cruel men consumed her vision, but then she found a small light, a familiar splash of color, she saw (Y/n) in one of the far corners of the venue, a strange man looming over her.

Without another second of delay, she skillfully swung from the pipes above and dove between them from the ceiling, startling the man enough to make him yelp. Yor prepared to uppercut him into the sun next, to see what kind of sound that would make, but instead (Y/n)’s hand quickly shot out to grasp her bicep and pull her back. Confused, Yor allowed her.

“Where the hell did you come from lady?” The man blinked, bug-eyed, mouth agape.

“She’s the mother. As you can see, she’s worried sick. If you see her little girl, please do not hesitate to let us know.” (Y/n) beseeched, pulling Yor back a bit more to try to knock her out of whatever murder-y thoughts were fogging up her mind.

“Yeah… of course.” The man gave them a weird look then began walking briskly away.

(Y/n) turned to hold both of Yor’s biceps, pressing her thumbs into the fabric of her coat’s sleeves to try to put pressure on the tense muscles beneath.

“Hey, try to breathe, okay? What’s the matter? Besides the obvious.” She cooed.

Yor sobbed, slamming her head hard against (Y/n)’s chest, making a deep thunk sound that rattled (Y/n)’s insides.

“Oof!” (Y/n) winced, but held Yor all the same, rubbing her back comfortingly.

“I- I can’t find Miss Anya! A-and I thought you had gotten taken too!”

“Honey,” (Y/n) murmured, giving a, ‘mind your own business’ smile to anyone who dared curiously look their way, “I told you I would look for Anya over here. You must not have heard me.”

“I guess not.” She sniffed.

“I’m okay. Now take some deep breaths. It’s clear that Anya isn’t in here, we need to go find her, but we can’t be snapping the neck of anyone whose just going about their day.”

Yor made a pitiful sound, but cut herself off halfway through, almost knocking heads with (Y/n) from how quickly she brought her head up.

“What…!” (Y/n) began to ask, but she heard it then too, that sounded like Anya outside!

And she was outside! They could see her through the window! She was barreling down the street… on top of a big, fluffy white dog.

Yor took (Y/n)’s hand and began sprinting in the direction the dog had ran off in. It was a brutal pace, one that (Y/n) couldn’t keep up with and when she tried to communicate to Yor that she would catch up. Yor was having none of it and scooped (Y/n) up into her arms, making quite the spectacle as they zoomed around the people walking by. It hardly mattered to Yor. She wasn’t going to risk losing (Y/n) for real by leaving her behind.

“Down that alley!” (Y/n) pointed.

“Right!”

(Y/n) braced herself, this was the side of her career that she was not trained for, but when they saw a strange man reaching for Anya in the alley, she still let Yor take her by the arms and spin her at a dizzying pace before finally being launched towards Anya.

(Y/n) sailed over the shocked kidnapper’s head, took hold of Anya’s hands, and catapulted her into the air. While Anya was airborne, (Y/n) sprung off of her hands when she hit the ground and flipped into an upright standing position just in time to catch Anya and see Yor smash her foot into the kidnapper’s face.

Yor fell into place beside (Y/n) so that Anya was between them, protected on either side. Anya couldn’t have looked more relieved to see them, looking between them with visible awe and joy.

“You won’t get away with this, Mr. Perverted Kidnapper,” Yor spoke in a measured tone, glaring at the remaining man who had his jaw hanging open, “It is much too early for Miss Anya to get married!”

“Married?” (Y/n) cocked her head to the side. Just what kind of scenarios was Yor imagining?

The gravity of the situation seemed to catch up to Anya then, because she began to cry, grasping onto the coats of both women she wailed,

“Mama! I was so scared!”

“Don’t worry, you’re all right now.” Yor comforted.

“We’ve got you.” (Y/n) assured, wiping Anya’s tears.

Kieth clenched his teeth. Which one was the mother? Ah, it didn’t matter. They’d all have to die if he was going to succeed in his plans.

“Dog! Rip their throats out!” He commanded.

The German Shepherd beside him began to approach, snarling, but then Yor gave one of her most terrifying expressions to date and growled right back with startling ferocity. The dog whimpered pathetically and turned tail, running out of the alley as fast as he could.

“Coward!” Kieth yelled after him.

“Bwah! Mama, I’m scared!” Anya bawled, hiding her face in (Y/n)’s coat, keeping Yor out of her sight.

“Hm? But you’re safe now?” Yor frowned, perhaps not realizing just how frightening her face had been jus a moment before.

“Don’t worry Anya, if that man thinks he can take you from us he has another thing coming!” (Y/n) promised, her mind filled with thoughts of fire and acid.

Yeah, Anya was glad to have those two on her side because they were honestly terrifying.

Voices began to be heard near the mouth of the alley and Keith cursed. All that noise had alerted people from the street, and now they were coming to investigate!

“Come on, come on you stupid mutt!” He hissed at the remaining dog, the big and fluffy white one. He tugged and tugged at the dog’s leash, but he wouldn’t budge.

“Damn worthless beast!” He kicked the dog in anger and fled the scene empty handed.

“He’s getting away!” Yor groaned, but she stood firmly at (Y/n)’s side. There was already one kidnapper she needed to properly detain and she didn’t want to leave (Y/n) and Anya for even a second.

Just how long is Loid going to stay in the bathroom? She mourned internally. His stomach was probably revolting from the breakfast she had made!

“Mr. Dog are you okay?” Anya asked, running up the the dog once (Y/n) put her down.

“Ah, careful Miss Anya! You shouldn’t run up to dogs you don’t know.” (Y/n) warned, trying to stop Anya from going any further.

“Mr. Doggie is no stranger. He saved Anya.” Anya put her hands over her heart, looking over to the dog with gratitude.

“Where did this dog come from, Miss Anya?” Yor asked.

Anya took a deep breath, that question required a very big answer.

“Terrorist bomb dogs?!” Yor blanched.

(Y/n) got on her knees and thoroughly searched the fluffy dog for bombs. Thankfully, there weren’t any. She sighed in relief and gave Yor a shaky thumbs up.

“Anya is sorry for running off without permission…” Anya mumbled, grabbing the hem of her coat between her fingers while she kept her eyes firmly on the ground.

“We’re just glad that you are safe.” (Y/n) knelt to the ground to hug Anya.

“We were so worried about you.” Yor chimed, following her partner to the ground.

“But expect a stern talking to when we get home.” (Y/n) warned.

Anya pouted, but nodded in acceptance and the three, plus the dog, walked out of the alley, tied up kidnapper dragging behind Yor.

They called the police on a nearby public phone to explain the situation, during which Anya suddenly grew restless, shaking the dog.

“Anya don’t be rough with the doggie.” Yor scolded lightly before her attention was brought back to the receptionist on the phone.

“Mama, Mama, sorry, Anya just remembered something. Papa forgot to take toilet paper with him to the potty!” The little girl yelled out of the blue.

“Huh?”

“What?”

(Y/n) and Yor stared on, frozen, as Anya leapt onto the dog’s back and urged him into a run.

“He might be in trouble so I have to go get some from home!”

“Anya, wait!” Yor called, reaching out the hand that wasn’t currently cradling the receiver.

“She’s running off again!” (Y/n) yelled in disbelief, finally sprinting after the blob of pink and white as they rounded the corner.

“W-wait! What about the police?” Yor called after her.

“We told them all we could! Just hang up and leave that guy there, he won’t wake up anytime soon! Let’s go before we lose Anya again!”

“Ah, okay!” Yor rose the receiver back to her ear, “I’m leaving the kidnapper by this phone booth! I have to go now, bye!” She hung up the phone and caught up with (Y/n) before she rounded the corner.

They searched every block, every street within half a mile. (Y/n) finally came to a stop, resting heavily on the guardrail of the bridge they had been speed-walking across.

“Darling, are you alright?” Yor’s voice was laced with worry. She could tell that (Y/n) was breathing quite hard.

“I’ll be okay, I just need a minute.” She wheezed. God, cardio sucks.

While (Y/n) tried not to keel over on the bridge, Yor paced back and forth. The only trace that she had been running at all was the light layer of sweat on her rosy face.

“What if she gets found by the terrorists again? I can’t let that happen!” Yor fretted.

“Maybe she went back to the pet shelter?” (Y/n) suggested between breaths. “At the very least, maybe Loid is finally there?”

Before Yor could speak, a loud honk of a horn and a sharp squeal of tires interrupted her. The scent of burnt rubber permeated the air. Looking down from the bridge, the women saw a car speeding recklessly down the road.

The light caught the windshield just right, allowing Yor to see an unwelcomingly familiar face. The other man who tried to kidnap Anya!

“Him again? How dare he try to take Miss Anya and run away! You won’t get away this time!” She declared, then jumped off of the bridge.

“Yor!” (Y/n) yelled. She tried to reach out for her, but she was too slow. Her hands snapped right to her eyes. Covering them from whatever was about to happen. “Pleasebeokaypleasebeokaypleasebeokay—“

An awful crashing noise reverberated within (Y/n)’s ears and she cautiously lifted her face from her hands. Below, she could see that Yor looked unscathed, thank the stars, but the car looked as if it had been t-boned before crashing into a lamppost.

(Y/n) hobbled down the hill to meet Yor on the street and flung her arms around her, a gesture that was always eagerly returned.

“Are you hurt?”

“Nope!” Yor smiled, “Kicking the car did make my leg feel a little tingly though.”

“My indestructible tank, I love you.” (Y/n) sighed, looking back at the crushed car. “We’ll have to call the police… again.”

They quickly relayed the location of the car and hung up before the responder could ask any follow-up questions. Then they were off to continue their search for Anya.

It was near sunset when they saw Loid walking down the sidewalk towards them. They opened their mouths in a rush to tell him that Anya had run off on a dog, but said girl and dog appeared from the alley between them and they instead slumped over each other in relief.

“What are you three doing here?” Loid asked, “I’m surprised to find you so far from the shelter.”

“Anya was coming to give papa toilet paper.”

“Ah.”

“She ran off on us. Twice.” (Y/n) informed, resting most of her weight against Yor. Now that Anya was with them once more, the exhaustion of running around all day was really starting to get to her.

“Did she now…” Loid looked down at Anya disapprovingly, finally truly noticing the dog beside her. “And who is the dog?

“That is actually quite the story.” Yor rubbed at her cheek with a sheepish smile and retold the events of the day. (Y/n) would occasionally chime in, but ultimately she was too tired to try to censor anything Yor was saying. Somewhere in her brain she knew they probably shouldn’t talking about taking down terrorists without much trouble, but again she was too tired to care.

“I’m sorry all that happened while I was in the bathroom.” Loid finally said, a faint blush coloring his cheeks.

“Yeah, you were gone all day. Have you considered seeing a doctor, because that is not at all normal.” (Y/n) spoke in a teasing tone, but there was a notable hint of concern in the way her eyebrows scrunched together.

“It was probably because of what I made for breakfast.” Yor bemoaned.

“It has to be something else. The rest of us survived.”

Loid, wanting to put his day long trip to the ‘bathroom’ behind him, began to address Anya and her penchant for running off.

“How many times do I have to tell you to not run off on your own. You could have been seriously hurt!” He yelled, making Anya flinch.

“Anya is sorry!” She sniffled, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

Loid immediately softened, falling to one knee before her, “I’m sorry for yelling. I was just worried. You aren’t hurt at all though, right?”

Anya shook her head, putting a hand on the fluffy dog beside her. The fur nearly swallowed up her hand.

“Mr. Dog protected me.”

Loid smiled at the dog, petting him gently, “Thank you.”

“Excuse us,”

The family turned to see a woman and a man in suits approaching them from across the street,

“We’re investigating an incident near City Center. We understand that this was one of the dogs involved in the incident.” The woman said. “Please hand him over to us. He’ll be in good hands.”

“Of course. Thank you.” Loid tipped his hat, motioning them towards the dog.

“Now we can go back to looking for a puppy!” Yor beamed excitedly.

“Is the shelter even still open?” (Y/n) almost hoped it wasn’t. She wanted to shower and then spend the next several days in bed. She was already dreading how sore she was going to be tomorrow.

“Come on, Anya. Let’s go take a look.” Loid reached for her hand, but Anya pulled away.

“No! Anya wants Mr. Dog!” She said, stepping between the officers and the dog.

Loid shook his head. “He was owned by bad guys.”

“He saved Anya!” The esper refuted.

“You said you wanted a small dog.” Loid crossed his arms, peering down at his fickle adopted daughter.

“But Anya wants Mr. Dog now, it’s okay that he is big!” Anya continued to argue, hugging the dog close.

“Anya please,” Loid pinched the bridge of his nose, “Stop being so difficult.”

“If papa doesn’t let me have Mr. Dog, Anya will go bad and stop going to school!” Anya’s lip wobbled and then she began to cry.

“Wh— what are you saying?!” Loid sputtered.

“It’s okay, Miss Anya! Please don’t cry!” Yor beseeched.

“There are a lot of nice dogs in the world! I’m sure you’ll find another who is just as sweet…” (Y/n) attempted to console, but she knew that trying to get Anya to change her mind would be impossible at this point. She did just spend the whole day with this dog after all.

“Very well.” The woman conceded, leaving Loid particularly surprised.

“What?!”

The woman chuckled, then couched in front of Anya, a bittersweet smile on her lips.

“The dog itself didn’t cause any harm. If you promise to take good care of him, he’s yours, but we will need to keep him for the night to check his health first.” She explained softly.

“Are you protecting the other doggies too?”

“They are sleeping in the softest of beds and eating warm, yummy food.” She nodded.

“Thank you very much, important lady.”

The woman’s smile tugged a little further, “You’re welcome.” She stood back to her full height, turning to Loid. “We shall make contact with you tomorrow.“

“Thank you. Sorry for the trouble.” Loid bowed his head.

“No trouble at all. Have a good night.”

And so they began their trek home. Anya and Yor were particularly pleased with themselves because of the parts they played in saving the city from terrorists. (Y/n) and Loid on the other hand were exhausted.

“Why do you look like that?” (Y/n) had asked him pointedly. “I know it isn’t easy being… ill, all day, but I’ve been running around the city for hours and I still look better than you.”

“Do you really want to know?” Loid asked with a wry smile, his eye twitching in aggravation. If only they knew what he had really been up to all day!

“No.” (Y/n) shook her head quickly, “No, I really don’t want to know. Forget I said anything.”

After a night of the deepest sleep that any of them had ever experienced, morning soon came, and with it, a large and fluffy white dog.

“So curious!” Yor giggled, watching the dog sniff around the living room.

“Anya wants to stay home to play with Mr. dog today.” Anya said hugging the dog tightly.

“I believe the deal was that you wouldn’t stop going to school if you got this dog.” Loid said after spitting his toothpaste in the sink. “Get ready for school.”

“Does Anya at least get a Stella for helping stop the bad guys?” She asked. That would help put her in a better mood about going to school.

“I’m afraid not, Anya. No one is supposed to know about what was going to happen because it would just cause fear and panic. You have to keep it to yourself or the police might need to come and take you away.”

“Shock!” Anya flinched. She couldn’t let that happen, but it certainly was a disappointment that she couldn’t tell anyone.

“Loid!” (Y/n) gasped from the other room, “Don’t phrase it like that, you’ll scare her!”

Loid rolled his eyes at his reflection in the mirror and Anya began getting ready to go to school, pouting all the while.

“Have a good day at school Miss Anya!” Yor waved. “(Y/n) and I will take good care of Mr. Doggie while you’re away.”

“I’ll do my best.” (Y/n) called from the couch. Even raising her hand to wave goodbye to Anya hurt. Her whole body felt stiff and sore from the whole ordeal yesterday while it appeared to be just another normal day for Yor.

Anya and Loid said their goodbyes and then it was just (Y/n), Yor and the curious new addition to the family.

“Yor, darling, would you make me some ice packs.” (Y/n) groaned while she moved to lay flat on the couch.

“Of course! My poor, sore heart!” Yor cooed. She cupped (Y/n)’s cheek and leaned down to kiss her forehead before heading to the kitchen.

While (Y/n) waited for Yor’s return, the dog took notice of her and began to lumber up to her.

“Hello, getting used to your new home?” (Y/n) asked him.

The dog sniffed her hand, then slowly hoisted himself up onto his hind legs by placing his front paws on the edge of the couch.

“Ah, wait. No, don’t come up here— dog! No! Down! Oof!”

(Y/n) couldn’t stop the dog from laying flat across her sore body. It was a warm, and an almost comforting weight, but in the state (Y/n) was in currently, she didn’t find it entirely enjoyable, but it was kind of cute.

“Honey, did you say something…?” Yor walked back into the room, her arms filled with industrial bags of ice that she got from who-knows-where. Her eyes fell on the dog and she pouted, “That was going to be my spot, Mr. Doggie.”

“Yor, help me get him off. He’s too heavy.”

Yor did as she was asked, dragging the dog back to the floor.

“I apologize, Mr. Doggie, but (Y/n) is sore from running around yesterday. Surely you understand.” Yor then promptly dropped the giant bags of ice onto (Y/n)’s body.

“Not quite what I had in mind, but thah, thank you.” (Y/n) shivered.

The dog was undeterred by the upheaval and soon climbed his way back onto the couch, sinking between the bags of ice.

“My, perhaps he is sore too!” Yor observed. “Poor thing.”

(Y/n) sighed. She couldn’t find it within herself to make Yor push the dog away a second time. Perhaps she should feel special because the dog seemed to like her already, but her body was not appreciative of the extra pressure at this time.

“Would it help for me to massage your calves?” Yor asked thoughtfully. “Mr. Dog isn’t covering those up.”

(Y/n) mulled it over. Typically, a massage from Yor would be nice as long as she didn’t push too hard.

“I think that sounds nice, just be gentle please.”

“I will, I promise!”

And she really was. Yor did a great job, so wonderful in fact, that the combination of the frigid melting ice, the warm, weighted blanket of a dog, and the soothing massage knocked (Y/n) right out.

She was rudely awakened hours later when the dog clumsily leapt off of her to jump into Anya’s arms when she got home from school.

“Welcome home!” Yor smiled, clasping her hands to rest them against her cheek, “Oh my, such good friends already! He must have missed you!”

“Save me! He’s eating me!” Anya gasped while the dog slobbered all over her.

“He seems to have a lot of pent up energy. We should take him for a walk.” Loid suggested. He looked over to (Y/n) laid limply across the couch and smirked, “Care to join us, (Y/n)?”

“Not today.” (Y/n) deadpanned, ever so slowly lifting herself into a sitting position. “You all go on ahead. I’ll start getting dinner ready.”

“Are you sure? I could stay an help.” Yor volunteered.

“I’ll be fine,” (Y/n) assured, “Go have fun at the dog park.”

(Y/n) shuffled through the kitchen like an old woman, slowly preparing dinner. Though she could be prideful at times, she was actually surprised that she had dinner mostly completed before the Forger’s returned home.

“I hope they haven’t ran into anymore trouble.” She murmured to herself as she finished setting the table. She walked to the armchair this time around when she finished her self imposed task. She hissed through clenched teeth as she lowered herself into the plush chair.

She then decided she would never run again, maybe never even walk. She didn’t care if it would look strange, she was going to have Yor carry her everywhere from now on and if she knew anything about her love, she would be happy to do it too.

Finally, the front door opened and the Forger’s piled inside.

Anya ran up to (Y/n) all excited, “Mama, I know what to name Mr. Dog!”

“Do you? What is it?” (Y/n) thought Mr. Dog was the name already, but she was curious to hear what else Anya had come up with.

“Wait just a minute!” Anya asked.

She bounced excitedly when Loid came back from the short trip to his room, a black ribbon of fabric in hand. He deftly tied the fabric around the dog’s neck and once he stepped away, (Y/n) saw he had looped it into a bow tie.

“Behold!” Anya flung her arms out in the direction of the dog happily thumping his tail against the floor. “Bond!”

“Oh, like Bondman.” Loid understood. “That should work just fine.”

“Boof!” Bond leapt at Anya, sending her to the floor in a flurry of licks and wiggly wags that made Anya laugh.

“He seems to like it.” (Y/n) smiled fondly.

“They’re so cute!” Yor cooed.

“Come, Bond! Let me show you around the hideout!”

“Anya, it’s dinner time. And don’t forget you need to study. afterwards.” Loid warned.

“Anya will study later, promise.”

Loid’s eye twitched, but he relented.

After dinner, Anya fed Bond. She filled his bowl to the brim and watched him begin to chow down.

“Try not to give him too much.” Loid cautioned as he walked by, a towel under his arm. “I’m going to take my bath now, but I expect you to be studying by the time I’m done.”

Anya pouted and Loid walked to the bathroom. Curious, Anya took a kibble from Bond’s bowl and nearly popped it into her mouth before (Y/n) called out her name.

“Miss Anya, please don’t eat anything meant for a dog.” (Y/n) shivered in disgust as she scrubbed the dishes nearby.

“I know it must look tempting, but take it from me, it is not as good as it looks.” Yor helpfully added.

“I don’t want to know if that is coming from a place of experience or not.” (Y/n) said, but the shy laugh Yor gave was damning.

Soon after he finished his meal, Bond began to wiggle uncomfortably and Anya took notice.

“Need to go potty? Here, I’ll show you where to go.” Anya led him to a wide tub lined with newspaper. “When nobody can take you outside, you go in here. If you go anywhere else, mama will get mad cause she like things tidy.”

After business was taken care of, Anya and Bond played all over the apartment. (Y/n) wanted to remind Anya about her studies, but she couldn’t bear to break up the fun. It was Bond’s first day home, and Anya hardly got to see him before she had to go to school. A little more playtime couldn’t hurt.

(Y/n) and Yor watched them play, losing track of time. And when Loid returned from his bath, they showed him the cute little girl and her dog curled up together and fast asleep.

The studying could wait until tomorrow, Loid supposed.

[ironwoman18]

Rather Be - Part 4

Chapter 4: A day out

I think I’m beginning to realize

That every day is yawn-colored,

Changing like the scenes of a movie

By the time I figure out the trick

I’m at odds with the sky above

It was Saturday morning in the Forger's home. Loid was making breakfast while Yor was helping cutting ingredients. Bond and Anya were playing in the living room.

Yor smiled as she was watching them “we should do something today. We had a busy week and it could be fun to go out as family”

“I like that idea” said Loid smiling at her “what do you have in mind?”

Yor thought for a second and smiled “I heard today there would be a new exhibition at the museum, with fossils and recreation of old animals, maybe Anya would like it”

Loid smiled “sounds like a great idea, then we can have a picnic afterwards” he said putting the food on each plate.

“I love that idea” said Yor smiling big and took the plates and glasses to the table then put the rest of the things on the table including the food and they called Anya.

“Anya we thought it would be fun to go to the science museum today and then have a picnic. What do you think?” Ask Loid after eating.

The little girl's eyes sparkled with excitement and nodded “I love it daddy!!”

Loid and Yor laughed softly then he added “ok go get ready while I pack some leftovers I have in the fridge”

Both girls went to their bedrooms and got dressed. Anya picked a light blue summer dress with white sport shoes while Yor picked a blue summer dress with black sport shoes and she put on a hat letting her hair loose.

Then Loid went to get dressed too. He decided to match with his wife and daughter and put on a blue shirt with light brown pants and black shoes, he added a hat.

“Can Bond go too daddy?” Asked Anya.

“No, the museum doesn't accept pets inside and I can't leave him in the car or outside under the summer sun. So maybe after we arrive we can have a long walk” Loid said, rubbing his head softly. The dog barked in agreement so Loid left his bowls full with food and water.

The family left and Loid drove them there. They had fun listening to the latest songs on the radio and when they arrived, Loid parked the car and let everyone get out.

Then they walked to the museum and after pay the ticket they walked in. The animals and dinosaur fossils amazed Anya and she asked lots of questions.

Yor read the information that was out of reach for her and Loid explained others thanks to his multiple missions in museums of this kind or faking to be an expert in animals.

They were having a good time until they reached the section about the history of Ostalia, including the war.

There was, as you could expect, their side of the story and how they attacked Westalia because they made the first move, which was a lie.

There were old uniforms of the soldiers which trigger memories in Loid's mind which came from [Redacted] childhood, how he lost his parents and friends in combat, how he had to join the army then WISE to make sure peace finally became a reality.

Yor could notice how his beautiful and kind blue eyes got darker and filled with anger, she could tell something was off with him. He stopped to talk which was another hint of his discomfort.

Anya without reading his mind she could tell he wasn't alright. When she read it, she knew and got sad that her daddy was so upset by this part of the museum.

I closed up my heart and turned the key

That’s how I’ve been living until now

Then our melodies overlapped.

They looked at each other and Yor without a second thought held his right hand interlocking their fingers for a more firm grip, measuring her strength, of course, while Anya held his left hand.

This somehow brought him back from this dark place. He looked at Yor and Anya in shock, like a deer hit by the light of the sun was lowering, close to the twilight.

Even if it’s smaller than any other light in the city

I wanted a guiding light that I could find, no matter what.

“W-what?” He asked, a little confused.

“You were gone in your thoughts and we got worried” he looked at Yor and smiled kindly.

“Thank you...” He looked at Anya too and smiled at her “you are my way home, always...”

Yor was about to let his hand go but his grip tightened up a little he looked at her shaking his head, Yor understood and held his hand as well as Anya while they continued to watch the museum.

They could hear people saying how cute that family was, walking together like that. Which made them blush a little but continued doing until they walked out of that section.

The rest of the sections were lighter because it was about worldwide history so he released their hands to let them walk around as they pleased.

In the end there was a photo booth with a beautiful poster behind so the family paid for a photo then left to have their picnic.

At the park Yor found the right spot under a tree and they put a blanket on the ground, sat down and ate sandwiches with the leftovers, cheese and ketchup and mustard, Loid packed juice for them too.

Placing a ribbon on each of the scenes my eyes picked out

I continue on my way home, collecting them like souvenirs

The seasons greeted me and I even picked up a few tears

How should I begin to describe this way home you’ve given me?

After eating the couple stayed under the tree while Anya played with some kids. Loid looked at his wife with kind eyes “you touched me today”

“I...” Said a red faced Yor “I did it without thinking, just felt like you need it”

“I did... And I'm not upset or anything. I think it's an improvement for us as a married couple because we need to show more closeness. I don't want to force you because you always seemed uncomfortable and kicked me or punched me so... I hope this incident made you feel better around me”

“As I said, it was out of thought. You looked so out of character and my body reacted” she said looking at him “but I know we need to get relaxed with each other so I will do my best”

“Good” he closed his eyes and smiled kindly but this time it wasn't fake, Twilight was actually smiling at her. He felt at home with those two and he was glad that they brought him back from his dark thoughts.

I'm Walking, I'm walking onward… hurrying sometimes, on this road to you

I'm Running, I'm running onward… ah, maybe I should walk after all, on this road to you.

He had a tough life before he met them, he hardened his heart to not feel, he built this persona with no feelings so he could manage the losses of this life but with Operation Strix, with Yor and Anya, those walls are being destroyed, one by one.

Today he was vulnerable, his past came back to him but they became his anchor and in the process destroyed his insecurities.

Hopefully this operation will bring peace at once and he can't stop lying to those beautiful persons that, without knowing, are destroying Twilight and turning him into a Loid Forger.

After that the family returned home. Anya was asleep so Yor offered to walk Bond while Loid stayed at home. He accepted after that drained out experience he had at the museum and lay down on the sofa.

It seems things are how they’re meant to be

Every day just passes me by

I searched for proof that you were there

And the melody connected us.

While Yor and Bond were out Anya woke up a little, walked to the sofa and laid there next to Loid, like their first week together after her kidnap.

But this time he didn't wake up alarmed, he continued to sleep until Yor arrived and see them like this and smiled in awe by the scene in front of her.

OOooOOooOO

Hope you enjoyed this one. Because I certainly did. I wanted to write a moment where Yor finally touch him without sending him to the afterlife and back.

And the only way is in a situation where there's no other option. The parts in italic are parts of Souvenir, the song of the second opening of the show.

According to some sources on the internet, this one was written with Loid’s POV and after reading it, it became clear to me that it was accurate.

[lpham2525]

To All the Above

***inspired by The Parent Trap (1998) 

[OPERATION STRIX is over. LOID FORGER is “dead”. TWILIGHT receives two messages, one from FRANKY, one from SYLVIA.] 

FRANKY: "I took them safely home. Reach out if you need anything." 

TWILIGHT: *sigh of relief*

TWILIGHT: They’re safe. They’re gone from my life forever...but they’re safe. 

TWILIGHT: *sighs wearily as he reads the message from SYLVIA* 

SYLVIA: "The particulars of your next mission are already waiting for you at the safehouse. Rest up, kid. You’re going to need it for this next mission. It’s going to be the longest one of your life." 

TWILIGHT: Great. I’m beyond exhausted but at least the next mission will take my mind off of... 

[TWILIGHT shakes his head. He doesn’t want to think about them, about what he had to leave behind. With a heavy heart, TWILIGHT heads to the designated safehouse. Once there, he sees a familiar figure sitting at a desk, reading The Daily OST.] 

TWILIGHT: Hey stranger... 

[The reader sets down the newspaper, and TWILIGHT is stunned to find ANYA sitting there.] 

ANYA: Hey, Papa, did you know that if you have an informant on your side, you can get here in half the time? 

TWILIGHT: Yes, I...I've heard that, but...what are you doing here?! 

ANYA: It took us about 30 seconds after you... 

ANYA: *raises her fingers in air quotes* 

ANYA: “Died” for us to realize we didn’t want to lose you again. 

TWILIGHT: We? 

[YOR walks in from another room.] 

YOR: We. 

TWILIGHT: Yor?! 

YOR: I made the mistake of letting you go once, Loid. I’m not going to do it again, no matter how fake this marriage is. 

TWILIGHT: But Franky told me he took you two safely home! He lied to me! He— 

YOR: Loid, he did take us home. YOU’RE our home.  

TWILIGHT: Wuh? 

YOR: Loid, a home isn’t just what we put down as our address. It’s where we feel safe and cared for and accepted. Our home is with you. 

[TWILIGHT replays the messages in his mind and it hits him all at once. He almost collapses from the realization, but somehow, the way YOR is looking at him gives him enough strength to manage the next few sentences.] 

TWILGHT: And I suppose you just expect me to go weak at the knees, and fall into your arms, and cry hysterically, and say we'll just figure this whole thing out. A spy and an assassin raising a daughter surrounded by secrets and danger and...and, you and I just picking up where we left off and growing old together. And... and... C'mon, Yor, what do you expect? To live happily ever after? 

YOR: *cradles his face in her hands* 

YOR: Yes. To all of the above. Except you don't have to cry hysterically. 

LOID: *tears in his eyes* 

LOID: Oh, yes, I do. 

[YOR kisses him and LOID stiffens, then slowly relaxes and melts into her. SYLVIA, FRANKY, and BOND wander in from another room. FRANKY picks up ANYA while SYLVIA pets BOND.] 

ANYA: I can’t believe we actually did it! 

FRANKY: *smiles and hugs her*  

FRANKY: We sure did, kid. We sure did. 

SYLVIA: You know, you were right. They DO make a cute couple.  

BOND: *wags his tail* 

BOND: Borf! 

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1028: Birthday Movie Night (RWBY)

9:43 p.m at The JNPRO'S Residence's Living Room......

Pyrrha: (Looks at Oscar's Mirror Reflection While Fixing up her Hair and Wearing a Wonder Woman Costume) So what kind of scary movie you and Ruby will be watching this evening, Oscar?

Oscar: (Fixing up his Tie as He Wears a Dress Suit Resembling That to Loid Forger) Winnie the Pooh: Blood & Honey.

Jaune: (Walk Past the Duo, Wearing a Link's Breath of the Wild Costume) They made a horror film about Pooh?

Oscar: Yep. Apparently it's about him tracking down Christopher Robin down and kill him for forgetting about him or something.

Ren: (Walks Past the Duo Wearing A Neji Costume) That....somewhat disturbing....

Oscar: Yeah, but Ruby said it already had a cult following for a while now, so we might as well check it out now than later I guess.

Nora: (Stands Behind Oscar With her Hands on her Hips, Wearing a Velma Costume) Well, I hope it doesn't have too much gore and bloodshed. (Hugs Oscar) I don't want you get any nightmares from all of that.

Oscar: (Gently Pats the Top of Nora's Hands) Don't worry. If the movie gets too intense, we could always turn it off and watch something else. Nothing to it.

'Doorbell Ring'

Oscar: Oh. Speaking of which....(Frees Himself From Nora's Arms and Makes his Way to the Door and Opens it) Ruby! Happy Birth-d-day?

Oscar's eyes and mouth begins to widens at the sight of his girlfriend wearing a form-fitting, halter-style black dress, a front skirt, a pair of black thigh-high boots, and black fingerless gloves, resembling that to Loid's "Wife", Yor Forger. All while having a bit of flirtous smirk on her face.

Ruby: (Giggles Softly) Hi, honey~

Oscar: H-Hey.

?????: You call him "Honey"?

Oscar: (Quickly Turns Around to See Jaune Staring at the Couple) Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-

Ruby: (Happily Nodded) That's right! Your boy here called me Dear once on our date, so I figured I returned a favor and give him a pet name of my own. (Pulls Oscar into a Hug) My sweet honey pie~

Jaune: (Starts Smirking at the Lover Boy and Question) You don't say~

Oscar: It was one time and complete accident!

Ruby: But you meant it, right?

Oscar: ('Sighs in Defeat') Yeah, I did....(Smiles a Little) Dear.

Ruby: (Grins Happily with a Giggle)

Jaune: (Chuckles Lightly) Ah man! You guys been dating for a month and a half now and you're already on the pet naming phase?

Pyrrha: (Clasps her Hands Together With a Cutesy Smile on her Face) They're growing up so fast~

Nora: (Leans the Half of her Body the Couple's Direction and Crosses her Arms With a Suspicious, Motherly Like Look on her Face) Uhh-huh....a bit too fast if you ask me. You better not try and do anything risqué with my boy while we're gone, Rose!

Ruby: (Eyes Widened While Blushing) N-Nora! What made you think I would do something like that? You know me!

Nora: True, but my mother instincts could tell exactly how promiscuous you girls are. (Points Two Fingers at her Eyes Before Pointing Them Directly to Ruby) So I got my eyes on you.

Ruby: (Puts on a Deadpinned Look on her Face) Anyone ever tell you that you're taking this whole "Mother Hen" role a tad bit overboard?

Oscar: (Has a Deadpinned Look on his Face as Well) I've been telling her that ever since the day we met.

Jaune: Cut her some slack, you guys. She's only like this because she cares.

Oscar: And I appericate her for that a lot. Doesn't make it any less annoying.....

Jaune: (Rubs the Back of his Head Back and Forth Woth a Sheepish Smile) You do have a point there.....

Nora: (Comically Glares at the Trio in Front of Her) I CAN HEAR YOU THREE, YA KNOW!?

Ren: (Holds Up his Scroll) Guys, I received a text from Sun. The party's about the start in a few minutes

Jaune: (Eyes Widens) Already? Alright, uh...(Turns Back to Oscar and Ruby) The number to the Pizza place is on the fridge, money for it is on top of the fire place, and....(Gently Ruffles Both of Oscar and Ruby's Heads) try not to stay up too late, 'kay? (Males his Way Out the Door)

Pyrrha: We'll bring you back some treats once we come back from the party. (Gives Oscar a Kiss on the Cheek Before Walking Out the Door as Well)

Ren: (Walks By and Gives Oscar Another Gentle Hair Ruffling Before Following Behind the Rest) I'll make sure we get back home safely.

Nora: We're gonna miss you....(Picks Oscar Up and Hugs Him Lovingly) Soooooo much!~

Oscar: (Chuckles Lightly) Gonna miss you guys too, Nora~ Just try and have fun out there without me, alright?

Nora: ('Sigh') I'll try~ (Gives Oscar Three Kisses on his Cheek Before Putting him Down and Pointing her Fingers at Ruby Again) Watching you....

Ruby: (Giggles a Bot While Rolling her Eyes) I got the message the first time, Momma Nora.

Nora: (Went Back to Smiling Brightly) 'Kay, just making sure. (Walks Out of the Door Before Turning Around and Waving Goodbye to the Couple) Have a good date night, you two!~ Ruby, if you break my baby's heart, I'll break your leeeeeegs!~

Ruby: (Slowly Waves Goodbye Back to Nora While Chuckling Nervously) Yeah.....Fully noted....(Closes the Door Before Letting Out a Sigh) Oh geez.....

Oscar: Okay, I need to ask this: has Nora ever broken anyone's legs before you met me or no?

Ruby: (Grabs her Chin While Thinking) Uhhhh.....Does a giant, four legged Grimm counts as anyone?

Oscar: (Shrugs) Eh. I guess.

An Hour or Two Later in the Living Room

TV Screen: I'M SORRY, POOH! I-I didn't mean to leave you or forget about you, I- ('Roaring Chainsaw Noises')

Ruby: (Holds a Plate of Pizza in her Hand While the Side of her Head is Leaned Towards Oscar's Shoulder) You know, it's kind of surreal seeing something as cute and cuddly as Pooh be starred in a horror movie of all things. (Takes a Bite Off her Slice of Pizza)

Oscar: Tell me about it. I'm surprised the company who made him, didn't sue the film director yet.....

Ruby: Right? Ooh! (Gets Up From Oscar's Shoulder, Picks her Scroll Up From the Coffee Tea In Front of Her and Ues it to Find Something) Speaking of cute and cuddly, guess who else dressed up for Halloween?~

Ruby shows Oscar a picture of her pet dog, Zwei, dressed up as Loid and Yor's adopted daughter, Anya Forger.

Oscar: (Chuckles Lightly) Awww~ He looks so cute in that costume.

Ruby: (Happily Nodded in Agreement) The cutest!~ I wanted to bring him along here with us, but my dad said he needed him to help pass out the candy to everyone. (Starts Giggling a Little) Check this one out~

Ruby shows Oscar another picture of Zwei making a troll-like smile on his face, resembling that to look Anya is well known for making.

Oscar: (Starts Snickering) You actually got him to do that face?

Ruby: (Happily Nodded Some More) Mmhmm~ I taught him how to do that myself. (Puts her Head Down For a Brief Second Before Raising it Back Up and Showing Off the Anya Troll Face of her Own) See?~

Oscar: (Chuckles Lightly) Not too shabby there, birthday girl. Speaking of which, guess who's getting a present tonight?~

Ruby: ('GASPS') Meeeeee!?~

Oscar: Yep! Now close your eyes.

Ruby: (Immediately Drops her Smile in Place of a Pouty Look) Seriously?

Oscar: (Shrugs) Hey, it wouldn't be a special if I just give it to you upright. Nothing to it than that, right?

Ruby: (Stares at Oscar For a Brief Second Before Sighing in Defeat) Fiiiiine. I'll go along with the ordeal.....(Closes her Eyes Before Pointing at her Boyfriend) You owe me cuddles after this, mister!

Oscar: (Chuckles Lightly) Whatever you say, Ruby~ You can see it riiiiiiiiiiiiight..... (Takes Out a Small, Black Box From his Pocket, Opens it, and Hands it in Front of Ruby's Face) Now.

As Ruby finally begins to open her eyes, they slowly widens and sparkles at the sight of her birthday present in front of her.

Ruby: Oscar.......You got me a necklace? Of my last name?

Oscar: Yeah. (Rubs the Back of his Head Back and Forth With a Sheepish Smile on his Face) It wasn't the first option for a gift though. I thought about getting you a new video game at first, 'tIll I found out how expensive most of them really are. Then, I thought about buying ypu a weapon polish equipment for your Crescent Rose, but I figured you'd probably have one your own, so.....that plan was scrapped immediately. I couldn't find any shoes you would like to wear, I didn't think you would be into fashion in general, and I already made you batches of cookies this month. And no! You are still not allowed to know what the secret recipe for them are, no matter how many times you beg.

Ruby crosses her arms while pouting again.and making a 'Hmph' sound under her breath.

Oscar: So after that, I was planning on giving up and call the gift shopping quest quits for the day, till something in my mind told me to give the jewelry store a shot.

Ruby: (Starts Smirking Slightly) The Holy Ghost of the Ozpin?~

Oscar: ('Heh') Probably. But anyways, I went over to the jewelry store, look around for a few minutes or so until I finally stumbled upon the necklace in front of you. It might not be as fancy or exquisite as the others, I knew here and there that it would look perfect on you. So I paid it with a reasonable price and viola! Your birthday gift! I.....(Looks Away Shyly) hope you like it.....

Ruby: Like it? (Looks Back at her Boyfriend) Oscar, are you kidding? (Immediately Pulls Oscar into a Very Loving Hug) I. LOVE IT!!~ (Rock Herself and Oscar Back and Forth in her Arms) I love it, I love it, I love it so freaking much, thank you!~ (Starts Kissing Oscar Multiple Times on the Cheek)

Oscar: (Giggles Ticklishly by Each Kisses He Receives) Yeah~ No problem. Was not expecting to get alot of kisses on Halloween of all holidays.

Ruby: Yeah? Well, believe it, honey pie, cause I'm the woman here to deliver~ (Gives Oscar One Final Kiss on the Nose Before Smiling Softly at Him) But seriously though, Oscar, thank you. Again. It means so much that you went out of your way to do this for me. (Puts on a Determined Smile on her Face) And trust me, once your birthday comes around, I'll do whatever it takes to give you the best present ever!....Which (Starts TwiddlingherFingersa Little)...means I have to grind a little harder in the Huntress business more than usual, but no worries! I'll push through!....Somehow.

Oscar: (Chuckles Lightly) Don't I know it. But to be honest, I probably wouldn't want anything too grand or spectacular.

Ruby: You don't?

Oscar: Yeah. I'm a simple man. (Starts Rubbing The Back of his Head Back and Forth While Looking Away a Bit) Plus, having you in my life is already a great enough gift to ever ask for, so.....

Ruby: (Snickers a Bit) Cheesy~

Oscar: (Playfully Shrugs) Well, it's true, isn't it? You got me fallen for you.

Ruby: True, true~ (Gently Grab Both of Oscar's Hands) Having you in my life just so happens to be the best birthday wish I've ever wanted~

Oscar: Really.

Ruby: Really, really~ I love you, Oscar~

Oscar: I love you too, Rubes~

As the young couple stares at each other for a brief second before slowly moving their heads towards each other to the romantic kiss, a loud, sharp scream and the roaring sound of a chainsaw Immediately snapped them out of their trance and turn their heads back towards the TV.

Ruby: Huh. He caught him. (Turns Back to Oscar) Is this movie scaring you at all so far or.....

Oscar: Honestly, I....don't think it is. You?

Ruby: (Shrugs) Eh. I've seen a lot scarer stuff than this. (Uses the Remote to Turn the Movie Off) Let's watch something else. (Gasps as She Comes Up With a Brilliant Idea) Like Scary Goodmother specials!~

Oscar: (Raises an Eyebrow) Scary Goodmother? As in one of those children Halloween books? They actually made a TV special based around that?

Ruby: Yeah, two of them!~ A long time ago to be exact. Where have you been all that time?

Oscar: Raised in a farm, Ruby. Where the only thing we have for technology are the tractors and a radio.

Ruby: (Giggles a Bit Awkwardly) Oh. Right. Well, no worries!~ (Grabs her Scroll From the Coffee Table Before Scooching Close to Oscar and Wrapping a Blanket Around the Both of Themselves) Your cute and lovable girlfriend is here to relive the glory that is my lovely childhood~ (Snuggles Onto her Garm Boi Affectionately) Woth some love and cuddles here and there, of course~

Oscar: (Chuckles Lightly Once More) It's your birthday.

Happy Birthday, Ruby Rose and Happy Halloween to You All!!

@keyenuta

@cyber-wildcat

@caleb13frede

@ma-lemons

@albion-93

@maripr

@miki-13

[yorprincess]

Headcanon: Affection

Yor is a fairly affectionate person with those closest to her, which for a long time was only Yuri. She loved giving her brother hugs, though she had to stop because she broke his ribs when they were children. Since then she expresses her love for him in gentle touches - patting his hair, a small back rub, a kiss on the cheek occasionally.

And Yuri was always affectionate in return, but everyone else kept their distance, essentially starving her of touch.

So when she first met Anya, holding the girl's hand for the first time was a huge deal to her. For once, someone was reaching out to hold her and it was amazing, even if brief. From then on, she usually waits for Anya to initiate physical affection, though there are times when she can't restrain herself - like after Anya got a Stella or when she was nearly kidnapped twice on Yor's watch.

If she could, she would hug and cuddle the girl she calls daughter all the time.

Affection with other adults, though, is another story entirely. Both of her professions require some degree of physicality, but neither is affectionate. Not to mention the arrangement she has with Loid Forger.

Married couples are affectionate , but Mr. and Mrs. Forger aren't a normal couple. And while they don't usually engage in physical affection, Yor is verbally affectionate towards her husband of convenience. Offering words of encouragement, advice when Anya is a handful, a warm smile when he is loving on his daughter, etc. Maybe a day will come when she'll be able to be physically affectionate with Loid, but that depends on the verse.

Other verses:

Rose in Pink (modified) - Yor loves to pet and snuggle with the Kitty Loid brought home one day. Though with the woman Yor knows as Loid's cousin Eclipsa, she is a bit more distantly physically affectionate - holding arms, occasional hugs of greeting, etc.

Rose in Blood - Yor Briar and Yui are friends, they link arms, hug, high five, etc. And Yor absolutely loves it, regardless of her being a vampire.

Rose in Rage - (w/twiloid) Yor has grown bold. She'll reach out and touch Loid after finding him again - hug, hold his face, etc. If she's allowed to stay with her family, she wouldn't mind loving her husband the way a wife really would.

[saetoru]

Loid who loses his cool when he sees some guy trying to hit on you and is so flirty and charming…..he wonders if he could make you feel shy like that….make you have that sweet doe eyed look in your eye…..not knowing of course how smitten you are with him already- so he finds out by having your panties around your ankle later and two fingers inside you while he murmurs sweet nothings into your ear until you’re whimpering his name 🥺🥺💘

#𝐉𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐘 !! — 𝐋𝐎𝐈𝐃 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐑.

tags: nsfw 18+, fem! reader, fingering, praise, jealous loid, pet names (pretty lady + pretty girl)

notes: MOANS THANK YOU GRAY BABY FOR THIS

in all his years of being a spy, loid likes to think he’s a rather calm man—he likes to pride himself in the way he pushes his emotions back and handles things rationally.

except right now, there’s a rather irrational itch in his hand to form a fist and punch the young baker in front of you right in the jaw, just to wipe the sly grin off his face.

“it’s on the house,” the man murmurs, handing you the slice of cake for anya, winking at the little girl as she stares at him with wide eyes. and then loid can’t help but clench his fists, narrowing his eyes at the stranger who thinks they’re doing his wife and his daughter a favor—never mind the fact that you’re not really his wife and she’s not really his daughter (or that he even wanted either in the first place.)

and loid forger isn’t really a man who faces threats he doesn’t think he can handle, but sweet talking and honeyed words and fragile smiles aren’t exactly his forte—and then he wonders…is that what you look for in a man? he’s not quite sure why it even matters, but there’s a sick feeling that pools in his gut, and now he feels like there’s something he’s got to prove.

and maybe his smile is a little tight lipped, and his words are a bit blunt natured, and his eyes aren’t as soft as they wink so smoothly (he doesn’t even wink at people—it’s a bit corny, he thinks), but he also doesn’t flirt with married women or bribe children with sweets—and he’d say that makes him a better man by default.

“oh, i don’t know if i can accept that,” you say shyly, shaking your head and staring at the baker with a doe eyed expression.

“c’mon,” the man chuckles, reaching over to pinch anya’s cheek from her spot in your arms, “i make plenty of cakes every day. but i don’t get to give a pretty lady and her cute little daughter one too often,” he says smoothly. and it doesn’t take a trained spy with years of experience to know that if loid felt your face right now, it’d be hot to the touch, and his eye twitches just a little at the corner.

and then you giggle—though a tad bit nervously—and loid simply can’t watch anymore of this.

“excuse me,” he clears his throat, gathering your attention back to him as the baker turns to look over at loid.

“oh, i’m sorry sir, do you know what you’d like—”

“actually we’re here together,” loid gestures between you and him, “the two of us.” there’s a little extra emphasis on the last part, and there’s a little twinkle in anya’s eyes that makes him wonder if she can see right through him (though he always finds himself wondering that.)

he hates to admit there’s a slight satisfaction at the way the man’s shoulders tense and his jaw tightens, and out of a purely bold and in-the-moment decision, he wraps his arm around your waist, pulling your figure flush against his side.

“well, thank you for the free cake. my daughter loves sweets,” he smiles tightly, “have a good day now.”

and before you can even get a word out, you’re pulled out of the bakery with a tug to your wrist, and a very quiet and very tense loid for the rest of the trip home.

——————————————————————————————

“loid, you’ve been a bit—oh,” you’re cut off by your back hitting the mattress, loid hovering over your with furrowed brows and a clenched jaw.

“you’re pretty,” he says simply, and you almost think he’s staring into your soul waiting for your response.

“oh, th-thank you,” you squeak, unsure of what else to say. you hope he doesn’t hover any closer, otherwise he might just hear the faint thumping of your heartbeat as it increases in rate.

“i think you’re quite lovely,” he adds, just for safe measure, “really, i do.” and then you register the small hint of desperation in his voice, almost like he’s begging you to understand what he’s trying to say, and you think back to the way he practically shoved you out of the bakery—and suddenly it makes sense. your hand cups his cheek, eyes softening in that precious little way that makes his cheeks dust over with a rosy hue.

“thank you, loid,” you hum, tracing over his cheekbone with your thumb.

you stare at each other for a moment—and then you will yourself to fight your nerves and lean in to close the gap, your lips planting themselves onto his.

it’s instantaneous, his response, the way he grunts against your lips, leaning in and pressing his own firmer against yours, hands gripping your waist tightly as his tongue explores your mouth. you gasp against his lips, and he feels an ache build between his legs, cock twitching as a tent forms in his pants.

“nobody should ever call you a pretty lady but me,” he growls against the shell of your ear, hand traveling to pull your pants and your underwear down until they pool at your ankles. you gasp as his digits just barely slide up and down against your folds, and he smirks at the way you’re already wet. “nobody gets to see all the pretty parts of you, do they?”

you whimper as he sinks his fingers past your folds, curling them to hit your sweet spot just right—and almost instantly, your lips part as a pretty little whine rips from your throat.

“do they?” he growls, stilling his fingers as he stares at you with a raised brow, waiting for your answer. shaking your head vigorously, you stare up at him with those same doe eyes—except they’re for him now, and he feels a wave of satisfaction hit him.

“n-no, only you,” you whine, “only you, loid.” rolling your hips, you try desperately to chase the friction from earlier. he chuckles lowly, and he’s almost surprised with himself as he plants a sweet, gentle little kiss to your forehead.

“that’s right,” he hums, fingers picking back up their movements, thrusting in and out of you as his palm glides over your clit. you moan, wrapping your arms around his neck, clinging to him tightly as your eyes squeeze shut in pleasure. “only me, isn’t that right? only ever look this adorable for me. bet that baker wishes he could see you like this,” he whispers against your ear, smiling smugly to himself as you shiver slightly, “already a mess on my fingers. how cute.”

“l-loid, please—”

“please what? want me to go faster?” you can only nod, wanton moans spilling past your lips as his fingers sink deeper into your walls, making him groan lowly at the way you squeeze around him. “no fun in that,” he chuckles, “look so perfect when i take my time with you. so perfect,” he presses one more kiss to the shell of your ear before leaving a trail of them down your neck.

“fuck—loid,” you whine, “f-feels good.”

“yeah? you look good too,” he murmurs. a small, petty (and quite frankly, still jealous) part of him almost wants to take you back to the bakery, wants to press your against the door of the bathroom and see how loud he can make you scream his name with his fingers alone, just so that baker knows who you’ve got eyes for.

but then again, he doesn’t think he wants anyone’s ears but his own the hear the sweet melody of your moans.

his fingers sink in and out of you, angling to hit the parts he’s learned in a matter of moments that make your thighs quake and your eyes roll back, and then his thumb rubs circles over your clit and you whine louder, voice cracking as you cry out his name.

“that’s it,” he encourages, “go ahead and let go, cum on my fingers, pretty girl.” the words are enough to send you over the edge, your voice lilting to a high pitched whine as you gush on his fingers, and loid feels his hardened cock strain against the material of his boxers as he feels you squeeze around his digits. he can’t help but wonder how you’d feel around him, how you’d look so much prettier when youre fucked out as you take his length instead—and suddenly, he wonders why he was ever jealous in the first place.

he doesn’t need sweet and charming words to make you fall apart, doesn’t even need to try before you’re dripping for him.

“‘m cumming—fuck, loid,” you gasp, and he presses tender kisses along your jaw, meeting your lips before he drinks in your whimpers.

“i know,” he grins against your lips, pecking them gently as you finish, panting to catch your breath, “you’ll cum again for me, right? look even prettier this time when you cum around my cock?”

and when you nod, hands desperately making their way to unbuckle his pants, he thinks maybe he has his own little charm—and he thinks he has you wrapped rather tightly around his finger.

god he makes me SO ILL. i want him SO BAD

we will also go ahead and assume anya wasn't around when this happened before anyone starts asking :,)

[diorzs]

# LOID’S SICK DAY

pairing(s) — sick!loid x fem!reader

genre(s) — fluff

cw. mentions of medicine ( ibuprofen, advil, tylenol ), mentions of death, kinda ooc loid ?? ( he’s just a softie )

masterlist. note : this is written in 2nd person, and is kinda cheesy at the end

you awoke to the sound of grunting early in the morning. you pushed the hand from your waist and turned around, gazing at your husband’s face. “jesus, what happened to you?” you asked him, frantically getting up from your shared bed.

loid was flushed, his face becoming hotter as you stared at him. he peered at you through his, almost, closed eyes, smiling softly when he watched you soak a towel in cool water.

you placed the cloth on his forehead gingerly, as you mumbled something to him softly. “i’ll be going to the pharmacy nearby, don’t die while i’m there,” you joked, snickering as you quickly got yourself ready.

once you said your goodbye’s to loid and kissed him on the cheek, you woke up anya. she murmured and groaned, before finally opening her eyes. “would you like to go to the medicine store with me, anya? papa’s sick,” you whispered, trying your hardest not to disturb loid ( due to the walls being thin ). she nodded excitedly, and quickly changed out of her pj’s.

once you and anya had arrived at the pharmacy, you quickly grabbed some medication, checking off your ( mental ) list that you had made. ‘ibuprofen, check, advil, check, tylenol, check’ you let anya hold a medication or two as she had insisted. “mama! let’s grab a gift for papa!” you chuckled and shook your head, but didn’t reject the offer. anya swiftly grabbed a few chocolates, and a ‘get well soon’ card. you smiled softly at the six year old, as the two of you made your way to the counter.

back at home, loid was barely awake. he had tried sitting up slowly before he received a pounding headache. “what the…” he mumbled, then laid back down. he reached out for you, before remembering you had gone out. he groaned in annoyance, and in replacement of you, he hugged a pillow. soon, he had fallen asleep.

you laughed, watching as anya had a pout on her face, trying to write ‘get well soon papa!’ on her recently bought card. you began laughing even harder when she showed you the writing. she sniffled dramatically, turning her head away from you, and looking out the window. you glanced at her from your rear-view mirror, suppressing a giggle as you started driving once more to head back home.

you opened the door, greeted with bond, who loudly barked, and nearly knocked you down. you took off your shoes and motioned anya, who was petting bond, to come upstairs with you to give your gifts to loid.

loid had woken up when he heard bond bark and you talking. by the time he had registered you were there, you had opened the door with a wide smile. “hi loid!” “hi papa!” he looked out of it for a moment before making eye contact with you. “hi girls” he greeted with a raspy voice. you kissed his cheek tenderly, then felt his forehead with the back of your hand. you breathed a sigh of relief once you noticed his temperature had decreased. you took the towel from loid’s head, and assisted him in sitting up.

from the bathroom, you could hear anya happily chatting with loid, you smiled fondly as you continued listening in. “and anya made this card for you! and she bought these chocolates! well mama did” you giggled, and wrung out most of the water from the cloth, before walking out of the bathroom.

the sight before you tugged at your heartstrings, anya was sitting on loid’s lap, and using her hands to illustrate a scene. you admired the scene before you, as loid cocked his head to you, diverting his attention from anya. he tapped the space near him, motioning for you to sit. you sat down, and placed the towel on his forehead again, then maneuvered his body to lay back down. you took anya into your arms, who was still talking, and set her down on the floor.

“anya, i’ll put on spy wars, but don’t be too loud, papa’s still sick” you whispered in her ear before following her into the hallway, and turning on the tv. “don’t forget to feed bond!” you noted to the pinkette, and walked back into you and loid’s shared bedroom.

you sat down next to loid, who was peeking at you through his half-shut eyes. “i missed you..” loid muttered, as you laid next to him. you softly chuckled, before grabbing one of the over-the-counter medicines. you took out two of the tylenols from the cup and placed them in your hand while motioning for loid to drink some water. loid groaned dramatically with a cheeky smile, but proceeded to drink the water. you dropped the tylenols in his mouth, and waited for him to swallow the drug. you put the medication away as loid grabbed your waist and pulled you down under the covers.

“i love you” loid confessed, you gazed at him, kissing him gently. “i love you too” you whispered.

posted — 5 / 17 / 22

© diorzs all rights reserved 2022

[itsmaferart]

Free SpyxFamily Fanfics Ideas xD

I come up with ideas, but I'm lousy at writing. So I hope some creative I hope this idea inspires, maybe the #Twiyorweek

Good parents and good neighbors:

One weekend at the Forger house, Becky invites Anya to her house to let her pets know each other. So Loid and Yor are left alone on their respective days off, when they appear to be doing household activities, one of the neighbors appears at their door with a baby in her arms. Twilight immediately assumes his alert stance, while Yor has a warm look. The neighbor, somewhat impertinent, tells them that they both look like "excellent parents" because of the joy their daughter sees.

In the end, the unusual visit was to ask them to take care of their baby while the mother went out on her own earrings. Delivering the baby into Yor's hands, and the diaper to Loid

When the killer and the spy reacted, the woman fled in a blink. Vaguely promising to return at night for the baby. Leaving them baffled

Obviously, caring for a baby is not the same as a girl (4) 6 years old.

However, in the midst of some stumbles both/( false) parents turn out to be a good team. Yor is amazing cleaning, changing diapers, and lulling the baby. While Loid, he is very good at preparing his bottle, and making efficient action plans to deal with the task. Even though he sometimes exasperates the sudden crying of babies.

When Yor carries the baby in her arms, they both thank each other and praise each other. But Twilight gets caught up in the beautiful image of Yor being mom of a (hypothetical) baby of bothy.

That thought is fleeting and ephemeral, but it shakes him from head to toe.

It makes he think if in a different line of their lives, they were ordinary civilians: they both fall in love, get married, adopt Anya as a couple who wants to give a better life to a girl, and have their own baby

This causes a facial movement. He was smiling at the idea. But his mind asked him to return to composure and discard such an idea as if it were a wrinkled paper.

After babysitting, the mother comes looking for her baby. When this question if they can do the same next weekend, Loid smiles politely, proceeds to close the door on his face like a resounding "no" between lines

At the end of the day, with Anya at home Loid feels grateful to have her. At the end of the day, with Anya at home Loid feels grateful to have them, even if it is not real (in his mind)

[piracytheorist]

Macabre Theme and Variations (15/15)

Fandom: Spy x Family Word count: 1.9k for this chapter | 66k in total Rating: T Warnings: Non-permanent character deaths, graphic violence

Summary: Twilight wakes up. He works on his mission. He dies. He comes back and does it all over again. Each time a little different. (Inspired by the film Happy Death Day)

AO3 Read from the beginning: Tumblr | AO3

~

Chapter 15: Finale

~

BORF!

Pulled from sleep, Loid squeezes his eyes tighter.

No, no, not again! I solved it! I caught him–

Wait, didn't that borf sound a little louder than usual?

He hears a low yawn from his left, and then a small hand rests on his arm.

He opens his eyes.

They're there. Anya and Yor, lying next to him. Yor scrunches her face as she stretches her shoulders.

Bond is also on the bed, resting down with his head up.

Loid sits up with a gasp.

He did it. Tomorrow is here.

Then what's wrong with him? He feels happy, relieved. Why are tears streaming down his face? Why does he feel a sob make its way up his throat?

“Loid?” Yor asks as she sits up as well.

Anya rubs at her eyes as she opens them, immediate worry on her face.

“I—I don't know what—” he starts, words cut off from the sob that finally escapes. “I made it. I'm so happy, but...”

“It's okay,” Yor whispers, resting her hand on his back.

“Mama told me that sometimes you can be so happy you cry,” Anya says, in a voice that sounds too sleepy for the weight of her words.

He leans in on himself. More sobs come, and he finds himself unable to say anything else. They hold him, and Bond lies down, resting his head on Loid’s knees.

This can’t be a dream. He can not be imagining this.

He opens his eyes and looks at the alarm clock. Quarter past seven. He looks away then back again. Quarter past seven.

“It’s real…” he whispers through trembling lips. He leans his head sideways and onto Yor’s shoulder. A wave of warmth spreads through his limbs when he feels her leave a soft kiss at the top of his head, then brush her fingers through his hair.

Anya picks up his hand and kisses the back of it. His lips pull up in a shaky smile as he thinks that she probably also wanted to show her love.

Love. He’s loved.

He sighs and sniffles. “Thank you, both of you,” he says. “I don't know what I would have done if the day had reset again. Thank you for being here.” Anya nestles her face against his side, and he takes her hand in his, petting Bond’s head with the other. “Thank you too, Bond.”

Bond makes a soft, almost humming borf.

They stay with him as he calms down. It’s Anya who breaks the silence with a “Papa?”

“Hmm?”

“Anya has to go potty.”

Both Loid and Yor laugh quietly, and they pull back so she can climb down the bed. Loid watches her as she walks out into the hall and he half expects her to bump into the wall.

He smiles when he only hears the bathroom door open and close. He wipes the tear trails off his cheeks and sighs again. He looks at Yor.

The smile on her face feels like a bright, warm light that reaches right into his core. His lips part as she slowly leans towards him.

Her lips touch his and he closes his eyes, the warmth now spreading all inside him. He’s almost too scared to move, to break the moment, to abuse the trust she’s so freely giving him.

She pulls back too soon. He could stay kissing her like that forever.

Her hand caresses his cheek. He opens his eyes and he notices her cheekbones rise with a smile.

“Can you stay?” she says. “With us, I mean.”

He purses his lips. “I… I can try. I want to.” He pulls back to look at her, and her hand follows him. “It will be easier now that you know, but if something happens and I am compromised…”

“I can try helping you again.”

“Yor…”

“I don’t want to lose this, all right? I don’t want Anya to lose you.”

“I already feel selfish for wanting to stay. It could put you both in danger and I feel reckless for ignoring that possibility.”

“You don’t have to worry about me. And I can protect Anya as well.”

“But…” He sighs. “None of you deserve this.”

“Let me decide what I deserve for my own. As for Anya… we do what? Give her up?”

A lump forms in his throat at the idea. “You’ll stay with her, if I have to leave?”

“Of course I will. But if you leave… will you be able to contact us?”

“I don’t know. I can’t promise anything. I always consider the worst case scenario, always with the thought that I may get arrested or killed at any moment.” He grunts. “I now have to get used to being back on guard. The loop was quite successful in making me lower my defenses.” He looks at her and rests his hand over hers on his cheek. “If my cover is blown, they’ll interrogate you to no end.”

“I know.”

“And? You’re just accepting this?”

She doesn’t reply.

“What exactly did you talk about with Anya yesterday?”

She lowers her gaze and moves her hand, only to take his in both of hers. “If we’re to make this work, I need you to not worry about me and my decisions.”

“Well, if we are to do this, you should know that I have a sore spot for ignorance. The need to know everything about the situation I’m in is trained in me, and not knowing makes me anxious. You don’t have to tell me your secrets, but I want to know what you base this confidence on.”

“Myself,” she says simply. “I’ve learned that when knowledge doesn’t suffice, trust can make up for it.” She looks into his eyes. “If we’re not just assets to your mission anymore, we’re going to need you to trust us, alright?”

He swallows hard. Even when it comes to fellow spies, he never fails to consider the possibility of having to depend on his very own. “It’s not that I think you’re not properly equipped to deal with this. I just don’t want you to deal with this in the first place.”

“And why is that?”

She has a small smile on that gives a different tone to her voice; it makes him think her question is rhetorical.

She brings her body a little closer to his. “I can learn to trust you, if you can learn to trust in me. Can we make this work?”

He sighs, wrapping his arms around her. His head moves almost on its own as it leans on the side of Yor’s head. “We can try.”

“Hardest assignment we’ve ever gotten, right?” He hears the smile in her voice.

He smiles back, but he turns at the familiar feeling of being watched. At the same time Yor pulls back as well, and they both look at Anya, peeking at them through the open door.

Anya steps innocently to stand by the door frame. “Anya is hungry.”

Yor turns to him. “Let’s get this new day started then, shall we?” She gives him a quick peck and stands up.

He’s just about ready to lie back down and bask in the afterglow of what he’s just experienced, until he realizes he’d better not leave Yor alone in the kitchen.

He’s halfway into beating the eggs for an omelette when the phone suddenly rings.

They all turn to look at it; it’s half past seven on a Saturday morning. A shiver runs down his spine and his jaw drops slightly.

Yor looks at him with concern, as if asking him if they should even answer.

Loid puts the bowl down and walks to the phone. His hand is rigid when it reaches for the receiver.

“Hello, Forger residence.”

“Good morning! My name is Theodora Jester, I’m calling from Allora Inc. Can you spare five minutes of your time for a poll on favourite cereal flavours?” the Handler’s voice says. What it means is “Agent Twilight, confirm your identity.”

“Positive,” he says simply. There’s no need to hide anymore.

“YOU’RE ALIVE?” the voice screams in his ear so suddenly he cringes back, pulling the speaker away.

“Should I not be?” he says as the corners of his lips pull up.

“Would you care to explain why Headquarters are picking up continuous signals that say you’re dead?!”

His jaw clenches. Of course Pollux would have planned a posthumous message boasting about his win.

“Let me guess. The signals are from a former agent?”

“They’re—what?! What do you know? And again, how did you get all that intel you sent us yesterday?”

“Check the safe houses for bugs. The perpetrator is dead, but better remove them as soon as possible.”

“They’re requesting an emergency briefing. Today. Now.”

“Oh, good morning, Yor,” he says, turning to her and winking. He can practically hear the Handler grit her teeth through the speaker.

“Find an excuse and come to safe house B ASAP.”

Oh, come on. Is that how easily they think he’d betray them?

“Papa!” Anya shouts then bangs her fists on the wall next to him. She smiles at him, then starts fake crying.

He can barely bite back the laughter before the Handler hears it.

“What. Is. Going. On?!”

He cringes back as he turns away from a fake-crying Anya. It’s not often the Handler loses her patience.

“Give me an hour. I’ll be there, all right?”

“You’d better be.”

He can sense the impatience even in the sound her speaker makes as it’s hung up.

“Duty calls?” Yor asks, approaching him.

“Some long explanations are due,” he says and sighs deeply. As if spending almost the entire previous day explaining everything to Yor wasn’t enough.

She places a hand on his shoulder. It starts rubbing but the moment he stiffens from how painful it is, she gasps and snatches it back. “Sorry,” she says.

He looks at her and reaches for the hand that just touched him. His thumb caresses her fingers, as he thinks that the only person she’s been close enough to be physically affectionate with for most of her life was Yuri… and her physical touch was all Yuri had too, for years, so he’s used to it.

“Don’t be,” he says. “I appreciate it.” He smiles, and a cautious smile spreads on her lips as well.

“Just don’t kill him, Mama,” Anya offers.

“Don’t worry,” he says. “I can handle it… I think.” He brings the hand to his lips and kisses it. “I meant that too, what I’d said about your strength.”

She sighs in relief, her eyes glowing as they bear into his. She looks ready to kiss him again, but then her eyes drift to Anya and she retreats with a smile.

“Let’s finish breakfast, shall we?”

He watches them move into the kitchen, Anya blabbering about all the things she wants to put in her omelette – honey and chocolate sprinkles and cheese and, of course, peanuts – and Yor carefully putting a frying pan on the stove as she listens to her.

A new routine. One he cannot predict anymore, but that feels comforting to his soul nevertheless.

They have a ton of issues to sort out through. He’ll have to tread carefully with WISE, but if he could lie to civilians for the protection of peace… what’s some diplomacy with his agency for the protection of his family life?

He’s still smiling when he walks into the kitchen, picking Anya up and letting her sit on the counter opposite from the stove. He pours the beaten eggs into the frying pan and settles into the family morning.

~

~

Final author's notes:

*Franky didn’t appear in this chapter cause he went out drinking the previous night to celebrate winning the lottery, and he’s now sleeping in. He’ll come by in the afternoon to treat the Forgers to lunch!*

And thus, my longest fic to date, a beast 4k words away from being considered a novel, is complete! I cannot tell you how happy I am that I managed to write it and publish it in full. Writing it was an experience of itself, sharing it with you every week and seeing your reactions to each chapter is something I’ll never forget!

Thank you for making that experience unforgettable, and I hope the ending felt fulfilling and satisfying.

Thank you for following my story, thank you for all your lovely feedback, thank you for reading through my frantically typed words and making me feel they were worth the effort of editing and posting them!

Grand thanks to my beta, Jak_the_ATAT/@samatedeansbroccoli, for being there with help and support when I plagued them with questions about the story and for turning my nonsensical words into sensible sentences. Even when I had procrastinated asking them my questions and needed answers NOW, they were there and words will never be enough to show my gratitude <3

About the people commenting, my god, I don’t think I’ll ever forget the experience of posting a chapter, then opening my inbox a few hours later to see more and more comments the more chapters I posted. Seeing such a positive and immediate reaction to my posting literally made my day(s), thank you so much. I may not have the courage to reply to every single one of you, but consider this a reply to all of them, present and future comments: Thank you <3

If you followed the story while it was being posted, I love you. If you gave kudos, I love you. If you read through the whole thing after the story was completed, I love you. I know I’ve said it too much, but thank you. I wrote this story for myself, but seeing this positive response on it made me feel I belong. So, thank you. I love you.

P.S. I kept a tag on my blog where I posted about the (chaotic) process of writing this fic, along with a few relevant reblogs. You can check it out here, if you’re interested!

[sofya-fanfics]

The Cruise

My Sicktember 2022 contribution for the prompt : Sick on vacation.

I’m sorry for the mistakes, English is not my native language. I hope you like it.

Summary : Loid, Yor and Anya went on the liner. Yor and Anya looked around, fascinated. It was their first time on a cruise. Loid had already went on a liner for one of his missions. But this time, he was part of the passengers and not the crew.

Disclaimer : Spy x Family belongs to Tatsuya Endo.

@sicktember​​​

AO3 / FF.NET

Loid, Yor and Anya went on the liner. Yor and Anya looked around, fascinated. It was their first time on a cruise. Loid had already went on a liner for one of his missions. But this time, he was part of the passengers and not the crew.

A month ago while the Forgers went shopping, Anya insisted on participating to a lottery and won the first prize, a cruise to the islands that surround the country. Anya and Yor had been so happy that Loid could not refuse to take vacation. It was difficult for Anya to accept that Bond could not come with them, because pets were not allowed on the ship. But Loid told her that Bond would not be left alone and that Franky would stay with him. The little girl made him promise to take good care of their dog. The Forger family could finally enjoy their first prize.

After the captain welcomed them, the Forgers discovered their cabin. Anya ran into the room and looked around in wonder. She saw her bed and jumped for joy.

“Chichi, Haha, my bed is so huge !” She said happily.

Loid and Yor looked at the bed they had to share and blushed. For everyone, they were married, so it was normal for them to sleep in the same bed. Loid scanned the room for a solution and saw the couch.

“Don't… don't worry Yor,” he stammered, his cheeks still flushed. “I'm going to sleep on the couch.”

“No. I can't let you do this.”

“I'll be fine,” he smiled.

One of the crew members knocked on the door to tell them that a welcome dinner would be organized for the cruise participants. Once the family was ready, they went to the great dining room. They sat down at a round table and the captain got on the platform that had been set up so that everyone could enjoy shows during the trip. The captain welcomed them all. He delivered his speech with eloquence and enthusiasm. He made everyone feel comfortable and made sure they had a good time.

After a few minutes, Loid noticed that Yor had not said a word. He looked at her and saw she was motionless. She was pursing her lips and narrowing her eyes. She was taking long breaths and Loid could not tell if she was angry or if she smelled an unpleasant smell.

“Is everything okay Yor ?”

She blinked and smiled. But Loid could tell it was a forced, almost a contorted smile.

“Yes, I am fine.”

She looked ahead again. Once again, she pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. She's angry, Loid thought. But why ? Was she mad at him ? He thought about everything that had happened since they got on the liner. Did he say or do something that upset her ? He thought of every word he had said, every move he had made, but he found nothing.

“Haha, you're green,” Anya said.

Loid watched Yor's face. Anya was exaggerating, she was not green but she was much paler than usual. Loid understood what was happening to her. He got confirmation when a waiter arrived and put a plate of seafood in front of her. She clapped her hand over her mouth, stood up and rushed out the room.

“Haha !” Anya called, rising abruptly from her chair. “Chichi, we have to follow Haha !”

She took Loid's hand to make him stand up faster. They hurried off the room and headed for their cabin. They saw Yor come out of the bathroom. She was paler and was trying to hold herself back from throwing up again. She managed to lay down on the bed and moaned.

“I've never felt so sick,” she said.

Anya rushed toward Yor. She looked at Loid with tears in her eyes.

“Chichi, I don't want Haha to die.”

Loid could see how worried she was. He approached her and stroked her hair. He smiled to reassure her.

“Don't worry. Yor is not going to die. She gets seasick. It happens to a lot of people. But everything will be alright once she get back to dry land.”

Yor took Anya's hand and squeezed it.

“I'm sorry to worry you Anya. But I'll be fine soon.”

Anya sniffled loudly and wiped away her tears.

“I'll take care of you until you get better,” she said forcefully.

Loid could not help being proud of Anya. He glanced at Yor and told himself that he could not leave her like this. He left the cabin telling them that he was coming back in a few minutes and he went in search of the sick bay. Once he explained the situation to the nurse, she gave him medicine to relieve the seasickness.

He went back to the cabin and he saw Anya in the bed, snuggled up in Yor's arms. Both were sound asleep. Loid smiled. He put the medicine on the nightstand, he would give it to Yor once she woke up. He pulled the blanket over both of them, took a chair, put it next to the bed and sat down. He would watch over his family all night if necessary.

The end

[tare-anime]

Inspired by this ^^

Manga is currently at chp 56. (AO3)

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

It was such a rare weekend where Loid got some free time to spend with his family. 

Scratch that. This was just another mission. Because Handler specifically told him to “go and have fun like a normal family.”

Yeah, didn’t he already tell her that things like this are more exhausting than a normal mission?

But of course, the Handler would never listen to him.

And so Loid took Anya and Yor to roam around the city with their Trabant. 

Took a picnic at the park (with loads of delicious homemade lunch by chef Loid obviously)

Roaming around on a boat in the nearby lake (Loid: Woah! Yor! Row carefully please!! This is not a speedboat!)

Visiting the zoo (Loid: Anya! Don’t pet the Giraffe! And not the Gorilla too!)

Overall it was a fun experience for Anya and Yor (and a tiring one for Loid, as always)

When the night come, they visited the mall and had dinner at one of the food stalls.

Suddenly a crowd catch Anya’s attention, and the kid pulled her parents to see what was the commotion about. 

Turned out, it was a new game attraction. 

The kid would be hanged with a special vest so that they were hanging horizontally, and more or less act as a human ‘claw machine’. The parent will move the contraption following the kid’s lead and at a certain point, they had to press the button, so the kid would be lowered, and they could grab the snacks as much as they could, before being lifted and returned to their previous position. 

“What the…..??” Loid raised his brows.

“Woah!! So cool!!” Anya exclaimed

“You know, the trick is to spread your arms and legs, then pulled them as closely as possible to your body,” Yor calmly analyzed the attraction.

“Really??” The green eyes sparkled, “Papa? Please?? Let me try? Please… please… please….”

“That is ridiculous! I will just buy you the snacks!” Loid refused. 

“But Papa! Those are so cool! Just like Bondman!” Anya once again tried to reason with her dad.

“Which part of that is just like Bondman?”

“The wires and such! And the position! And the mission!”

“What? That’s not…..”

“Loid, why not just let her try?” Yor cut the argument between father and daughter.

Seeing that the situation has turned to 2 versus 1, Loid then sighed and admit his defeat. The father then bought the ticket, and when it was Anya’s turn, he stood at the controlling panel.

“I could buy more snacks with that amount of money,” He grumbled.

“But where’s the fun in that?” Yor giggled. 

Loid glanced at his wife, and then she pointed at the daughter who now was trying her best to grab as many snacks as possible, “The snacks might be overpriced, but aren’t that smile adorable?”

The blond man sighed and finally smiled, “Well, I can’t argue with that.”

His wife just smiled brightly at that, “Today really was fun! Spending time like this truly is the best! We should do it again sometimes.”

Loid's smile got wider, “Yeah….”

“All right, Papa!! One more time!!”

Immediately Loid’s smile turned into a groan. 

Well, at least the family fun day mission is a success!

[softlimefluff]

(A little AriHan mini fluff fic to celebrate the start of Spy x Family!)

“Ah, it’s starting Ari!!! Quick!!”

Rohan grinned, grabbing the remote and hopping onto the couch, turning on the tv as I sat next to him, holding Ellie in my arms. Today was the first episode of Spy x Family and we had been following the manga for a while, excited for the first cour!

Holding Ellie up on my lap, Rohan and I leaned forward, watching as the first episode began and sharing a grin between us. During the episode, Ellie watched too, fascinated as the characters came on screen and different locations appeared. Whenever Anya came on screen she clapped a little and kicked her legs. During the ad breaks we taught her to say “Anya,” which came out like “Ah-Ah” instead.

Rohan grinned down, ruffling her hair and holding her tiny hand. We could tell she was learning so fast, only around a month away from being a year old. Looking up at me, he smiled. “We’re kind of like the Forgers huh? Our little family.”

Giggling, I nodded. “Only we’re not spies.” I sighed dramatically, winking. “That I know of~”

Leaning in to steal a kiss, Rohan smiled, pulling away when Ellie yelled “AhAh!”

“We might have to find a plush of Anya’s toy or make one. Seems like Ellie likes Anya a lot.”

I agreed. “I’ll look and see if they made any for the new merch, but we can design one if not!”

Scooting closer, Rohan put his arm around me, snuggling into my shoulder and settling in for the rest of the episode. After the credits and post credit scene, Rohan and I watched Ellie, yawning and sleepy as she tried her best to stay awake.

“Time for bed, kiddo.”

Ellie shook her head emphatically with a “Noooooo!!!” but leaned backwards, resting her head against my stomach. Petting her hair softly, I scooped her up and handed her to Rohan, standing so we could put her to bed.

Rohan held her on his shoulder, looking at her a little softer after the first episode. “We’re lucky to have her, aren’t we Ari?”

“Yeah, we are. She sure is something…”

Starting up the stairs, Rohan stepped quietly, walking to Ellie’s room and getting her safely under the covers as she half woke up, then fell asleep again. Walking up behind Rohan, I slipped my arms around his waist and leaned on his back, speaking in a whisper. “Tonight was so fun.”

Turning to face me, Rohan brushed a thumb over my cheek, pulling me out of the room to let Ellie sleep. “They really did such a good job with the design and music and character dynamics. The pacing was well done too.”

“And the way they put the cute Loid panel in the after credits!! It’s one of my favorites.”

Rohan smirked, raising an eyebrow. “Should I be jealous?”

“No!!!…” I stood quiet for a moment then added a shy, “Maybe...”

Play pouting, Rohan crossed his arms.

“He’s cute is all!” Looking up as Rohan kissed my forehead, I softened.

“He is handsome~” Rohan whispered against my skin. “Plus we get to see Yor next week~”

“We doooooo.” I said, sleep lacing through my voice. “She’s gorgeous.”

“Bedtime now, though~ There’s a lot of week and deadlines between now and next episode.”

Taking his hand, I nodded and led him into our room. “Right now we have plenty of time though~”

Laughing, Rohan walked with me, shutting the door behind us as we finally made it to bed.

[ask-the-forgers]

For the parents: how's the marriage going? Anything that the other does that maybe considered annoying to you?

Anya: would you like other pets in the future?

[Yor smiles, shaking her head]

Loid-san is an amazing husband. He's never annoying in anyway! In fact, he always makes sure I and Anya are comfortable and helps take care of many things..like cooking. I hope to be the vest wife for him, he deserves that much.

[Loid blushes slightly]

Ah, Yor-san..you give me too much credit. Thank you. There's nothing more that Yor-san could offer than being an amazing mother for Anya, and that she has done and more. I couldn't wish for a better person to help me take care of my daughter, and Anya loves her very much. I'm grateful to have someone like Yor-san in my life.

[Anya looks at them, giggling, then smiles]

Hmm, Anya would love to have a koala..Becky told me about koalas at school! But I don't need a koala because Mama and Papa hug me all the time!

[lacrow]

Forger Spookfest Preview

I realized it’d be dumb of me to try and organize a Halloween event without having anything to show for it (gotta drum up the hype somehow!), so here’s the intro to one of my fics I’ll be posting October 1st!

Title: Silver Forks and Twilight Werewolves

Rating: G (ish)

Genre: Slice-of-life, Comedy

Papa'd had a long weekend.

Anya hadn't seen him much the past few days. From the moment she left for school Friday morning, he had been in a hurry to get to work. Mama assumed something had come up at the clinic (mostly because papa had told her as much), but Anya knew it was really his boss lady making him go on another mission. She merely shrugged before climbing onto the bus and assumed he'd be home for dinner, although she found out later that wouldn't be the case. He ended up getting home after she fell asleep; passed out on the couch with her mouth wide open, she waited up as long as she could for him. At least he was the one who carried her to bed. Mama had told her as much the following morning, since papa wasn't around to relay the information himself. Another morning. Another mission.

And another. Three missions, back-to-back, had kept her from seeing her papa all weekend. From the moment he woke up (which was early) to when he got home late at night, Anya was always asleep when he was home. Mama assured her that he was just very busy, which she knew; it's just that Anya worried that papa might be getting all pooped out again. His boss lady seemed nice, but she had a bad habit of throwing more secret missions at him on his days off. She supposed that was all part of being the greatest spy in the world, but she wanted to spend some time with him, too.

At least he was getting home at a reasonable time that Sunday afternoon. Anya peeked her head from out behind the curtains after Bond suddenly perked for no reason. His head popped up and he looked towards the door, a sure sign that papa was on his way. Anya couldn't see him from the street, which must have meant he was in the building. Sure enough, a moment later and the familiar jingle of keys came from the other side of the door. Anya's face lit up as the door opened. She made a mad dash to go see her papa for the first time in days, threw her arms out big and wide to hug is leg, and-

-Paused.

Anya looked up at her papa and blinked.

He looked tired, but then again he always looked tired. The rest of him was about the same as usual, too; suit and tie, hat, gloves, suitcase. The only thing different about him was his face. Papa looked...scruffy, like Scruffy. Anya blinked again, rubbed her eyes, and refocused, as if the hair that lined his cheeks and jaw would suddenly disappear like a bad dream. That didn't end up being the case. Papa sighed as he shed his hat and coat, but not before offering his daughter a tired hello. Anya said nothing back. All she did was stand there and stare. She'd never seen her papa like this before.

"Loid, you're home!" mama's voice called out from the hallway. Anya looked over her shoulder to find Yor walking up towards them. "How was work?"

"Busy," Loid shook his head. He dropped his suitcase by the coat rack and left it there; he'd mess with it later. "I'll get to work on dinner after I take a shower."

"There's no need, I was planning on calling out for delivery," Yor revealed. "I figured you'd be out late again, so I was just waiting until you got home."

Loid sighed in relief. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, thank you." No need to cook and no Yor Forger originals, either. A true blessing.

Yor smiled at the realization that she'd made the right call. She continued to watch her husband as he fiddled with his gloves, and as the seconds ticked by her smile was soon accompanied by a poorly stifled giggle. Loid tilted his head and looked back up at her and his daughter. The latter was still awestruck, while the former made no effort to hide her obvious amusement at something.

"Yes?" Loid blinked. Had he done something funny?

"Oh, nothing," Yor teased. She covered her mouth to hide her smile.

Loid raised a brow. Now he really wanted to know. "Was it something I said?"

"No," Yor shook her head. "It's just that I've never seen you with this much stubble before."

Loid cringed. He suddenly became very aware of his own hygiene. With a reluctant scratch of his scruff, Loid confirmed his shaving situation firsthand. He shook his head and sighed as his wife giggled some more at the display; he hadn't had much time to get ready in the morning the past few days. That included trimming his whiskers, a routine he practiced almost religiously every day. The more he felt it himself, the more Loid shook his head. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a beard, or at least one that wasn't part of a disguise he threw together, anyway.

"You're turning into quite the wolf-man, Loid! And so close to Halloween, too!" Yor teased some more. Her smile grew even bigger.

At first, Loid sighed. Upon taking a second look at his wife's amusement, however, he relented. "Yes, I suppose I am."

It was at that point Anya suddenly came back to life. Her frozen self de-thawed on a dime, and she looked up at her papa incredulously. She was too hung up on what her mama and papa had just said to notice or care about the soft looks on either of their faces; the blatant admission of something so mind-bendingly horrific that her little body failed to contain the sheer terror that swept up her spine. She couldn't believe it. She refused to believe it. But as her parents' words slowly sunk in, it became apparent to the little girl that she could deny it no longer.

Papa had caught lycan...lycanthrow...werewolf disease from one of his missions!

That explained it! Somewhere along the weekend he'd become infected, and now he was starting to sprout fur all over his body like Bond! Anya's jaw dropped. She looked over to her otherwise faithful hound and found him sniffing her papa up and down. Double confirmed. Clearly Bond was welcoming papa into the league of doggies! Anya shuddered and took several steps back. No, no, no! Papa couldn't be a werewolf! Papa was papa and mama was mama. Without one or the other, her family just wouldn't be complete anymore! Besides, Anya already had a dog; she didn't need two. A million different things all ran through her head, and nearly half of them carried with them the image of her having to take a hairy papa out on walks to go poop. A more frightening idea, there was not.

Neither Loid nor Yor noticed her internal dilemma. They eventually went their separate ways; Yor to the kitchen to grab plates for dinner, and Loid to the bathroom to go shower. They left their daughter there alone in her silent stupor. Anya continued to stare at the spot where papa had just been, while Bond came up to inquisitively lick her face. The smallest Forger devoted a bit more time to panicking before slowly reeling herself back in. Terror eventually gave way to trepidation, trepidation to realization, and finally realization to determination. Anya knew what she had to do.

"Bond, we've gotta cure papa!" Anya looked to her pet. The latter titled his head, while the former steeled her gaze. "We can't let him turn into a doggie person!"

[petaldancing]

fic: this’ll do for now

fandom: spy x family characters: anya, loid and yor summary: Four times Anya receives a toy, and one time she asks for something else. 4k words. read: on AO3 or below

notes: written for yuletide 2019 for penguinzero! i was inspired by a fan observation that Anya has quite a number of toys that appear throughout the different chapters (from a post by batneko on tumblr!) the toys referenced here all appear in the manga, but there are only overt references made to Chapter 8.5 (Extra Mission!) if you're wary of spoilers.

-----

1. 

“What are you doing, Anya?”

Papa’s using that tone again, the one where he’s trying to understand what she’s thinking. Too bad he’s not a mind reader. Heh.

Anya lets go of his hand to run up to the storefront and press her face to the wide window. Her gaze is fixed on the toys splayed across the polished shelves. There are puppets, and porcelain dolls, and even toy cars, but she won’t be distracted. She points a decisive finger to the glass and shouts: “I want that!”

Her chosen subject is a round, yellow chicken-looking doll that’s half-hidden behind a big teddy bear. It’s ugly and she already loves it.

Papa stands next to her and leans forward to get a better look at it. “You already have a doll, don’t you? Why would you need another one?” This question is accompanied by a clear and crisp thought, ‘What did those parenting books say? If you give into your children’s demands easily, they may come to disregard your authority and lose respect.’

“I respect you, Papa," Anya responds immediately, nodding so as to reassure him. “If you buy me that toy, I’ll respect you even more and listen to what you say.”

Papa raises an eyebrow, not in surprise, but in doubt.

Anya's finger remains glued to the window even though her feet are starting to hurt from tip toeing to peek through the storefront. She's determined to make a good case for ownership of the ugly chicken: "I need it to protect me when I get scared at night. It looks tough, it’ll be able to fight off any assa- assassi...”

“Assassins?” Papa corrects her. “You’ve been watching too much of your spy cartoon. People like assassins and hitmen don’t exist. You don’t have anything to be worried about.”

Papa’s being a bad liar again.

Before Anya can tell him he’s wrong, she notices him reaching into his pocket to pull out his wallet and her eyes widen with hope.

“I suppose I could get it for you. You’ve been working hard to prepare for the academy’s entrance exams, after all,” he explains as he enters the toy store, the old wooden door creaking.

While Papa pays at the counter, Anya bounces over to Chicky (yes, she’s just given it a name) and pulls it into her arms, snuggling into the sweet-smelling fabric of its body. She starts to sing the Bondman theme song, already imagining the life-threatening missions she’ll have with Chicky as her sidekick.

As they walk out the store and down the street leading back home, Anya’s singing fades into the sound of the city bustling around them. She picks up the worry in Papa’s thoughts and goes quiet to listen.

‘I mustn’t make this a habit. If Anya keeps getting what she wants, she’ll end up taking these things for granted.’ It is sharp and pointed and makes her flinch.  

Anya stops just then, standing in the middle of the sidewalk. It's late in the day and there aren't many people walking about, but those that do walk pass look between her and Papa with curiosity and concern.

"What is it now, Anya?"

She hugs Chicky close to herself. It’s all soft and smooth and new, and smells like fresh flowers. She doesn’t remember having anything like this in the orphanage. It makes her happy yet lonely.

“This is Papa’s first gift for me. I’ll always treasure it!”

She waits, and when Papa doesn't say anything, she screws her eyes shut and tries to hear the words inside his brain.

Nothing—it's blank for once.

When she opens her eyes, she sees that he's stretched out his empty hand to her.

“Alright, Anya. Come now, Yor is probably waiting for us to have dinner,” he says as she takes his hand. They resume their journey down the familiar street, passing the baker’s and the tailor’s and the post office, all the places she's come to recognise as part of her new home.

As they cross the road and catch the orange sun setting behind the town hall, she hears Papa’s thoughts stir. Faintly , she catches his mind echoing: ‘Mustn’t make this a habit.’

It is a warm and soft thing now, like the feeling of her hand curled in his.

2.

Anya doesn’t remember what happened. Now, she’s crying and crying in the middle of the living room as Chimera droops in her hands, the beans inside it spilling out onto the floor around her. She’d been playing spy and villain with Chimera (she was obviously playing the part of the world’s Top Spy) and spun her around and now there was a torn hole in her side!  

“Anya has blood on her hands now,” she hisses through hot tears, remembering that this is what the person on TV said in a similar situation.

Mama runs over from the balcony where she was hanging out the clothes to dry. “Anya, you’re not hurt are you?” She squats down to put a gentle hand against Anya’s wet cheek.

"I want a new Chimera!" Anya wails, letting go of the toy to bury her face into Mama’s blouse and rub her snot against her. Chimera is old and tattered from getting thrown around by other kids in the orphanage, but it was also there, buried under a pile of trash, that Anya found her. She knows Chimera is special, that she can’t just go to the toy store and buy a new one, but what else is she going to do now?

As Mama wraps her arms around her and pats her head, Anya begins to calm down. Her tears subside into controlled sniffs.

"Now, now, Anya. There's no need for a new friend. We just need to mend her and she'll be as good as new,” Mama says as she stands, hoisting Anya into her arms.

Anya rubs her puffy eyes. "You can fix her?"

“Of course! Needlework is something I can proudly say I’m an expert at.” Mama smiles. ‘I have a lot of experience stitching myself up. Stitching a doll shouldn’t be much different. Perhaps it’ll be easier.’

Anya thinks that Mama can be just as cool as Papa sometimes.

And so, they carefully pick up Chimera’s insides from the floor and collect them in a rice bowl. When this is done, Mama goes into her room looking for needles and thread. As Anya sits on the sofa, she can hear Mama rummaging through her weapons in her closet, and through the wall, her thoughts: ‘Needles… needles… Ah, there we go. Have I sterilised these yet? I’ll just make sure Anya doesn’t touch them, just in case.’

Anya does not offer to help Mama when she comes back out, holding a short needle in her hand along with a spool of thread, and a bag of cotton wool.

Mama takes the rice bowl and what’s left of Chimera to the dining table, where she sits and begins work. Anya hovers next to her and watches as she threads the needle with skill and quickly sows up the huge hole. When the hole becomes a small tear, she pours the beads back into Chimera’s body with Anya’s help. Anya holds onto Chimera while Mama does the finishing touches, including stuffing her with more cotton wool so that she stands taller now.

“Tadah!” Mama grins when the operation is over. “She’s as good as new now.”

Anya receives Chimera with a big hug. “Thank you Mama!”

“Chimera is one of a kind, so we’ll take good care of her. If she gets hurt again, just bring her to me and I’ll fix her up,” Mama says as she packs up her first aid kit for dolls. “And Anya, don’t think about throwing away things even if they may be a bit broken. Sometimes, all they need is a little love.”

‘This is what Loid would do, right? Try to make life lessons out of everyday incidents,’ Mama’s thought bubbles in the air.    

Anya blinks twice before asking: “Are you trying to teach me good values like Papa?”

“Ah…. you'r always so sharp,” Mama concedes with a laugh. At this moment, the front door opens and in steps Papa, holding that briefcase he carries just for show.  

“What’s all this? I heard Anya talking about me,” he asks as he closes the door behind him and removes his hat.

“Chimera had a little accident, but I’ve fixed her and even added a little extra stuffing.” Mama holds up the needle and cotton to show him.  

“Ah,” Papa hums. ‘Hm. The cotton she’s using it’s the sort that’s particularly good at absorbing blood. Do they sell this high quality stuff at the pharmacy now?’  

“What is it, Loid?”

A practiced smile appears on Papa’s face. “I was thinking how great it is that you could help solve Anya’s problem.”

“Yes, I want to be someone Anya can rely on too, you know.” Mama pulls at her fingers nervously. “I’m always worried about whether I’m playing my part well enough.”

Before Papa can open his mouth, Anya interrupts by holding Chimera up to her face and cheering in a squeaky voice: “Mama is strong and fast and good with needles! I feel safe when she’s around!”

“There you have it.” The corner of Papa’s lips crooks up slightly.

“There you have it,” Mama repeats, and her hands, which she’d been gripping tightly, loosen just so.

3.

For some reason, there are always bad guys to fight whenever Anya goes out with Mama and Papa. Today, they went to the aquarium and stopped a villain from stealing an important penguin. Even on day-offs, Papa has to work.

Then again, bringing her out to the aquarium to look at fishies and talk to the neighbours—that’s work too, isn’t it? It’s his job to make sure they’re an ordinary family, so even Sundays are work days. Mama and her had lots of fun today watching the dolphin show and petting the stingrays and looking how sharp and pointy the shark’s teeth were (Mama really liked that), but all Anya could hear was Papa thinking about his next mission.

It’s the end of the day now, and she should be in bed, but Anya wriggles out from under her covers and pokes her head out of her room. The hallway is really dark and only from the far, far end, can she see a small crack of light coming from underneath Papa’s door. She decides to bring new recruit Penguin along with her, just in case she gets ambushed.

She tries to stealthily creep up to Papa’s door, but it’s a bit hard since Penguin is much less graceful. Before she can even peek into Papa’s room, he notices.

“Anya? It’s always polite to knock before entering someone’s room.”

She puffs up her cheeks and does as she’s told.

“Yes, come in.”

She pushes the door open and steps into Papa’s room, tugging Penguin in behind her. It’s a very normal-looking room. She frowns at this. Where are all the fancy spy gadgets? He must have hidden them somewhere.

“Did you have a bad dream?” Papa puts his book aside and straightens his posture in his armchair, resting a hand on his knee.

“No… I couldn’t sleep because I was thinking.” Anya twiddles her thumbs. “Papa, are you tired from work?”

“What are you talking about? I had a day off today with you and Yor, didn’t I?” he says with hesitation.

“Well, you were tired from work and you still said to go out with us,” Anya tries a different approach.

Papa thinks, ‘Which was also part of Operation Strix to begin with, and ended up crossing with another mission. Work never does end,’ but says, “Which was a good way for me to take a break from work.”

Anya sways on the spot, trying to process the same voice speaking two different things.

“You don’t need to be worried about me, Anya. I’m an adult. I can take care of myself.” Papa stands up and opens his room door, gesturing for her to follow him back to her room. She pulls Penguin along as they walk back, and the distance feels much shorter now with Papa now walking beside her.

“Would… would you quit your job if it gets too tiring?” Anya finally works up the courage to ask as he lifts her back into bed and tucks her in. Penguin gets the same treatment shortly after.

“You know, Anya, just because something is tiring doesn’t mean it isn’t worth doing,” Papa answers. He’s sitting on the edge of her bed, chin tucked and eyes looking down. ‘I chose to do this. I’ll see it through till the end, so good people like Yor and Anya can live in a peaceful society. As for what happens after...’

Papa suddenly turns to look at her. “Is this about your homework? You need to stop lazing around or you’ll get another Tonitrus. I’ll help you with it tomorrow.”

Anya nods slowly, feeling better to know that Papa will be around, at least, until he completes his mission. “I’ll do my best, Papa. Just like you.”

Instead of thinking about how lonely it’ll be when Papa finally completes his mission, Anya focuses on how cool he is.

He stays with her, not saying anything else, until she finally drifts off to sleep.

4.

“Anya, are you getting tired?”

Mama extends an open hand down, offering to take the shopping bag Anya is dragging against the pavement. They’ve just finished a shopping trips at the market and Anya had volunteered to help carry some of the groceries home. Mainly a big bag of peanuts. Mama’s getting better at buying stuff now. She’s been observing what Papa cooks for dinner and memorising how the packaging looks like.

“My feet and arms are tired,” Anya says, her knees wobbling a bit. The sun is especially hot today.

“It must be from all the punching training we did today, huh?” Mama remarks cheerfully. She points to a bus stop up ahead where a couple of people are standing. “Let’s take a bus back home then.”

As they walk under the shelter hand-in-hand, Anya thinks back to their training session this morning. Mama’s trying to teach her how to block punches and dodge attacks now. She could only do it for fifteen minutes and had to take a nap after that, only to wake up just in time to accompany Mama out.

Anya stares at her hands and makes them shake for dramatic effect. “Am I a weakling, Mama?”

“Of course not!” Mama pauses to think. ‘Though I don’t remember it being so difficult to learn self defense when I was her age. Maybe it’s because I had to pick it up under different circumstances.’

“But I’m not getting stronger,” Anya mumbles.

“You’re getting good scores for your tests and quizzes, aren’t you? It’s not just about brute strength. Being smart is a strength too.”

Well, that’s because she’s figured out which students in class are good at what subjects. And because Papa’s new rule is that she can only watch TV after she does a bit of studying on weekends.

Mama raises an arm to flag the approaching bus. As it rumbles to a halt at the bus stop, Anya catches the colourful advertisement painted on the side. It’s for a new toy that she’s never seen before. A robot! And it looks exactly like the ones that appear in Bondman.

“Look! Look at that!” She grabs a fistful of Mama’s skirt to get her attention.

Mama tilts her head to the side, staring at it as they line up to board the bus. “Do you want that toy?”

“Yeah. What do I need to do to get it?” Anya asks as she hops onto the metal steps of the bus door and rushes to get a seat next to the bus window. She’s learned, from when she used to be stuck in the lab, how she always got a reward for doing something the grown-ups wanted. The outside world didn’t seem that much different from the lab in some way.

Mama sits down next to her after paying for the bus fare. “What do you mean, Anya?”

“Can I get Mr Robot if I get a Stella?”

‘Wouldn’t that be a long ways off?’ Mama doesn’t say this aloud, but Anya narrows her eyes and frowns when she hears this complete lack of belief.

Mama doesn’t notice. She adjusts the groceries in her lap and cranes her neck to look out the window, checking where they are on the bus route. “Well, we could get off near the toy store now and see if they have Mr Robot there already.”

Anya opens her mouth in surprise. “But I didn’t do anything to get it!”

“Well, I don’t think I need a reason to make you happy,” Mama answers simply, a kind smile touching her lips.

"R-really?" Anya asks again, just to make sure.

Mama pauses and think: ‘Loid might nag at me for spoiling Anya. But if it’s something that can cheer her up, I’m sure he’ll understand. She's been less energetic these days, and he's noticed too.’

"Your Papa likes to give you rewards for working hard, but I don't want you to feel as though you need to do something in order to get what you want. Or do something just because you think that's what someone else wants." At this, Mama's expression shifts. She continues to look outside, but her eyes seem far off, like she's thinking about deeply about something. But just like that one time with Papa, Anya can't read anything from her mind. It's a quiet stillness. All Anya can hear are the thoughts of the old granny at the back of the bus, worrying about whether she left the stove on.

It's after two zebra crossings and one traffic light before Mama turns to her. "I want you to be able to be who you are,  not what others want you to be," she whispers as she brushes Anya's hair back, taking care to avoid her horns. And when Anya works up the courage to listen out for Mama's thoughts, she hears her say: 'I didn't have that choice, but at least, this is a role that I've grown to like more than I thought I would.'

“Mama… I think having a good heart is a strength too. Maybe that’s what I should try to be good at,” Anya says in soft realisation.

Mama gives her a smile just then, and she looks radiant under the rays of the sun shining into the bus.

“You’re absolutely right.”

5.

"Chimera, Chicky, Penguin and Mr Robot all reporting for duty!"

Anya throws them all onto her bed and salutes them. Outside, the evening rain is falling hard and the only thing she can see from her window are the raindrops splattering against it.

"Listen up agents, we're up against a diabo.. diablo.. diabolic enemy today. It's—"

A flash of lightning suddenly appears in the window, followed by a deafening crash of thunder that rocks the air. Anya dives under her covers with a loud yelp. The movement causes Chimera to roll off the bed. Anya is too busy shivering under her blanket to pick her up.

She hears the door of her room slam open, and two pairs of footsteps rushing in. When she pokes her head out from beneath her hiding spot, Papa and Mama are standing next to her bed. Mama’s hands are crossed behind her back and her eyebrows her knotted in concern. Papa scans the room with a quick snap of his head.

“Are you okay, Anya? It sounded like…” Papa begins. ‘No, I was overreacting. Anya is safe. Probably just scared from the thunder.’  

“Like something bad happened,” Mama completes his sentence. ‘Oh thank goodness, now I just need to keep my knives without Loid or Anya noticing.’ Her arms remain glued to her sides, twitching slightly as she tries to adjust the hidden weapons behind her nightgown.

Anya pulls the blanket off her head and raises an accusing finger to the window. “Yes! It’s that!” She casts a glance at all her toys on the bed and clears her throat to say, “They’re all… they’re all scared.”

“They’re scared?” Papa asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, they’re not used to dangerous situations.” Anya folds her arms across herself and nods sagely.

“Well, then they could come and stay with me for the night,” Mama offers, which makes Anya’s eyes widen. Her mouth gapes as she thinks of what to say next, without making it obvious that she’d be jealous if Penguin got to sleep next to Mama instead of her.

Another lightning strike appears in the window and Anya’s shout is one second faster than the ensuing thunder. Her body immediately jumps off the bed and flies into Papa and Mama, hugging them around their knees.

"I'm scared,” Anya reluctantly admits, her cheeks squished between their legs.

“Rain and thunder and lightning are all normal, torrential weather conditions, Anya,” Papa explains. “You’ll be safe as long as you stay indoors, I promise.” As he pauses, he thinks, ‘I definitely won’t let her go out on her own in such weather. Even if she doesn’t get struck by lightning, there’s a high chance a tree could and if that were to fall on Anya...’

“I don’t want to be shocked or squished!!” Anya wails out and clutches onto them even tighter.

“That won’t ever happen,” Mama says in a calming voice. ‘I’d redirect that lightning strike in a jiffy. It shouldn’t be too hard.’

As awesome as that sounds, Anya jumps as she hears another boom of thunder outside and she continues crying. “But I’m scared!”

“Okay, okay. What can we do to make you less scared?” Papa lowers himself onto his knees and holds out his handkerchief for Anya to blow her nose into.

As soon as she's done wiping her face against the cloth, she comes up with a great idea. She raises her eyes to look at both of them. “I want Papa and Mama to stay with me tonight."

It’s Papa and Mama’s turn to widen their eyes. They exchange shocked looks with each other.

“Wouldn’t it be alright if it was just me?” Mama points at herself.

Anya holds her right palm up to Mama’s face. “No.”

“Alright, Yor. You can head to bed. I’ll stay with Anya,” Papa sighs.

Anya holds up her left palm up to Papa’s face. “No.”

While their faces balk with insult and confusion, Anya stands up on her bed and claps her hands together. “I won’t be able to go to sleep without both Mama and Papa!” she declares.

‘The last time I slept next to someone was with Yuri when we were still children. I miss those times,’ Mama thinks fondly. ‘Oh, but Loid is different from Yuri, he’s…’ Her face goes a little red.

‘This is still part of Operation Strix, isn’t it? Keeping Anya happy and safe so that she’ll continue to do well in school. Come on, Twilight. It’s not a difficult request. Yor is...’  

Anya pats the empty space on both sides of her bed, looking at both Mama and Papa expectantly. Mama steps forward first, even as Papa raises a hand to stop her.

“I’m fine, Loid. To tell you the truth, I’ve always found it comforting to sleep with family. I’m sure that’s all Anya needs right now.” Mama uses her hands to flatten the material of her nightgown before lying down next to Anya. Anya doesn’t know where Mama's weapons have disappeared to. She tries not to think so much about it.

‘Comforting?’ Papa thinks. ‘Twilight never experienced anything like that growing up.'

Anya stares at him, and her shoulders begin to droop when he doesn't move.

Sometimes, Papa is too cool.

She turns away from him to lie on her side and close her eyes.

'But... Loid Forger must know what that’s like. He's supposed to be the perfect family man. He is.'

The next moment, Anya feels the mattress sink as Papa sits down on the bed. He doesn't relax quite as much as Mama, but allows his back to lean into one of Anya’s fluffy pillows.

When the next thunderclap rolls around, Anya hunches into Papa’s side and feels Mama’s hand soothing her back. She breathes in the smell of Papa’s shampoo and Mama’s handsoap. The last thing she hears before she falls asleep is a soft song humming in her ear. It makes the thunder seem like a small noise in comparison.

----

When Anya wakes up the next day, she knows that she is safe, like she's been wrapped up warm and toasty and no one can hurt her ever again. She cracks her eyes open to see Mama and Papa's arms curled over her, barely touching.

‘This’ll do for now,’ she thinks before falling back asleep.