#Matt's face is too good I love this group shot

[revvethasmythh]

when you're a wizard who's usually quite intelligent but there's this fucking gem and it's going to be yours no matter what beleaguered face your dm is making

[incendiobrock]

Drunk Confessions {Chris Sturniolo}

Summary: Chris, Nick, and fem!reader attend the Tara Yummy party and some drunken confessions are made later on in the night.

A/N: I kinda hate how I wrote this but my account is seriously lacking Chris content so hopefully you will enjoy anyways lmao, if it's not too shitty lmk if you might want a part 2

Warnings: drinking, mentions of throwing up, super sweet, fluffy chris 🥹

“Alright, you guys have fun!” Matt said as he dropped you Nick, and Chris off at the front of the building. You could hear the music blasting through the walls as people celebrated Tara. Matt wasn’t really feeling up to going to a party which worked perfectly in your favor knowing you had a reliable DD to pick you up later in the night. Chris and Nick wouldn’t drink either but you would never trust them to safely operate a vehicle so Matt was the best choice for the job.

Nick walked ahead of you as Chris stayed by your side, his right hand lightly touching your lower back as he guided you both inside. You all had smiles etched onto your face as you entered the upbeat atmosphere filled with some of your influencer friends. Tara immediately saw you guys and pulled you into a hug, “Thank you so much for coming!” She shouted over the music.

“We wouldn’t miss it!” You replied, congratulating her on hitting a million subscribers. Your eyes scanned the room noticing the bar, officially deciding that would be your next stop. Chris’s hand never left your lower back as he and Nick continued to talk to Tara. “I’ll be right back,” You said into Chris’s ear, departing the group.

The bar was filled with people trying to order different drinks. A special menu placed in the center with some specific drinks for Tara. You ordered a vodka cran and even got roped into taking a shot with some others that were at the bar. Without your knowledge, Chris kept a close eye on you from across the room. He loved seeing you have fun, especially knowing that you had been stressed with other things the past few weeks.

You needed to let loose and have a little fun, he thought. The liquor burned going down your throat as you took your shot, using a lime wedge as your chaser. Before you knew it, you were a few drinks in, and maybe a couple shots.

You felt like you were floating through the crowd as you made your way back to your friends. You wrapped an arms around both Chris and Nick’s shoulders, standing in between the two. “Heyyyy,” You slurred slightly.

“Where have you been?” Nick chuckled, trying to keep you supported as you swayed slightly into his side. “Yeah, you’ve been all over the place tonight. I saw you over at the bar and then over by the-“ Chris began before you cut him off.

“I wanna dance! Can we please danceee?” You begged, dragging out the end of your sentence. “You guys got this,” Nick said, passing you off to Chris. “Good luck kid.”

You looked up at Chris with big puppy dog eyes, silently restating your request to dance. “Of course, let’s go dance.” He said, placing his hand out for you to take hold of. His fingers interlocked with yours as he pulled you to the crowd of other people dancing. One of your favorite hype songs came on and you felt like you were on top of the world. You were facing Chris with a hand placed on each of his shoulders while his held your waist. You were both jumping around and singing the lyrics to one another. You couldn’t help but admire him as the flashing lights illuminated his face. Maybe it was the alcohol running through your veins but you wanted nothing more than to pull him in for a kiss.

After dancing for a few more songs Chris leaned down to your ear and yelling over the music, “You ready to go? Matt is here to pick us up!” A soft smile played on your face as you nodded, head still spinning from the drinks.

Chris had to practically lift you into your seat as your body stumbled to step up into the vehicle. “Okay- Okay sit still let me buckle you in.” Chris laughed, watching as you immediately started to fill Matt in on the night. The seatbelt buckle latched into place and Chris went to shut your door and hop into the passenger seat. “Chris-“ Your voice comes out in a whine, he glances behind his shoulder looking at you worried. “Are you gonna be sick?”

You shook your head ‘no’, staring into his eyes as he searched your face trying to figure out what was wrong. “Can you sit with me?” Nick agrees and switches seats with his brother, taking over the passenger seat. Chris’s fingers found your hair as he playfully brushed his fingers through it. The drive home was about twenty minutes and you didn’t know if you would make it. Nausea settled in your stomach as the alcohol mixed with the moving car. You ended up rolling down the window to get some fresh, cool air.

As soon as Matt pulled into the garage you were lunging out your door and inside the house. You ran to Chris’s bathroom, not having enough time to shut the door before you were over the toilet bowl. This wasn’t how you were planning on ending the night. Embarrassment started to settle in when you heard footsteps entering the bathroom. “Go awayyy,” you couldn’t lift your head up but you knew who stood in the doorway. The presence was by your side that very next second, “I’m not leaving.” His voice was barely above a whisper, trying to be gentle with you knowing you weren’t feeling well.

“Chris please, this is so embarrassing. I’m okay, I promise.”

“I know you are kid. I brought you some water, do you need anything else?”

“Maybe a shower.” You grumble.

Chris stood up and turned on the hot water for you, letting it heat up before you got in. Delicately, he helped you get out of the outfit you had on as you faced away from him, not wanting to expose yourself. His hand on your bare back as he helped get you into the shower.

Chris stayed right outside the shower, scrolling on his phone but making sure he was readily available if you needed anything. After the shower, you were being dressed in one of his shirts and a pair of his boxers.

Your body collided with his mattress as you pulled the covers over your body. Chris got in bed beside you, laying flat on his back and keeping a healthy distance between you two. “Can we please cuddle?” You whisper. Without any hesitation he pulled you into his chest, wrapping his arms around your torso.

“Thank you, Chris.”

“Don’t mention it kid. It’s no problem.”

Kid. That stupid nickname fell out of his mouth again for the second time tonight. It definitely didn’t feel very nice to hear him say it. You might regret this tomorrow but you were still feeling brave right now.

“Can I tell you something?”

“Yeah, what’s up.” He asked, looking down at your face as it continued to rest on his chest.

“I love you.”

A chuckle escaped past his lips, “I love you too-“

“No Chris. Like, I love you… I have for so long.” You watched as he tried to process the new information, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.

“I was scared to tell you because you’re like my best friend and I didn’t want to ruin that but, it’s true. I love you so much.” You finished your little spiel.

“I feel the same way about you, but please let’s talk about this tomorrow. I want you to be able to remember this.” He was so gentle with you, he always was. You had such a special spot that he held in his heart for you. You were sad that he didn’t want to talk about this right now but you knew he was probably right, he normally was. You wanted to remember this conversation and you weren’t certain that you would remember anything when you woke up the next morning.

“Go to sleepy pretty girl, I will talk to you about this in the morning. I want to be able to kiss you when you’re in the right state of mind.” His lips pressed a soft kiss on your cheek, lulling you to sleep.

[angelic-sturniolos111]

Fresh Love Modeling 🍊

You never guessed that Chris Sturniolo would reach out for you to model his Fresh Love clothing brand. You had been following him on social media a while and definitely had a crush on him. What you didn’t know is that when Chris had seen your modeling portfolio he started crushing too. The two of you end up alone in his dressing room together after the photoshoot and things heat up.

chris sturniolo x fem! reader

entirely in Chris’s POV

warnings: cursing, flirty and smuttyyyyy

author’s note: writing this completely sleep deprived :) did not proofread lolz

I want to sit on his lap so bad in this pic

My Fresh Love brand is super important to me and I am so grateful that it has grown in popularity thanks to my fans. I want to grow this brand and reach out to creators and artists outside of the fandom in hopes that eventually Fresh Love Clothing can be sold in stores nationwide. A big part of Fresh Love, and any clothing brand, is the marketing which I take very seriously. I always want to have a diverse group of models, but ultimately they also should be attractive and have a cool aesthetic to be the face of the brand. I had sent out a model casting call last month, and my friend Tril and I were going through all the applications. Tril truly saw my vision and we were usually on the same page when it came to models we thought would work well for the brand.

Today was definitely a “work day” in the house— Nick was editing our recent car vlog, Matt was brainstorming video ideas, and Tril and I sat on the couch on our laptops going through hundreds of model portfolios together. We had been scrolling through applications for nearly two hours and I was honestly bored out of my mind. Luckily, we found a handful of models we like, but I still felt like one was missing. There was a certain look, a certain vibe, that I was looking for and I wasn’t sure what it was but I knew I’d know the second I saw them.

“Hey take a look at this one. I recognize this girl… I think she follows us on insta or something?” Tril says passing me his laptop. Damn. This girl was beyond fine. I scrolled through her portfolio pictures, and I really liked her modeling style. She didn’t look mainstream, which I liked, but she had a really unique look. “Do you recognize her?” Tril said interrupting my thoughts.

“No. I’d definitely remember her if I had seen her before.” I said. I went to the top of her application page, her name was Y/N.

“I like her portfolio and I think she’s a good fit for the brand.” Tril says.

“Absolutely. I really like her. I’m going to accept her application right now.” I said sending her an acceptance sheet back with the photo shoot information.

***

I laid in bed staring at the ceiling. I couldn’t sleep. I always have trouble falling asleep because I’ll have a thousand creative ideas that I bounce back and forth in my head, but this time I couldn’t sleep because I was thinking of Y/N. Tril said she followed us, right? I grab my phone and open instagram and typed her name in the search bar, and her profile popped up. She was following Tril and I as well as my brothers, our group account, and our podcast account. Nice, she’s a fan! I went through her posts and God, she was stunning. I wanted to follow her, but I knew if fans saw that they’d get all sorts of crazy ideas and make assumptions so I decided I’d wait to follow her until the Fresh Love shoot would be posted so everyone knew who she was. I looked at some modeling shots she posted, laid back pictures with her friends, and I was unapologetically looking for any signs that she was dating anyone which from her profile she appeared to be single. I saw some of her swimsuit modeling shots she had done recently, and I zoomed in on all parts of her body. Her amazing body. She had these thick thighs that contoured perfectly with her cute ass. My thoughts wandered off, thinking of how badly I wanted those thighs wrapped around my head. I got hard at the thought of it. I continued to mindlessly stalk her instagram before I finally fell asleep… dreaming of her.

*** one month later ***

It was Fresh Love photoshoot day, or as I thought of it, the day I finally get to meet Y/N after crushing on her this past month. I got to the studio before any of the models were scheduled to arrive so I could talk with the photographers and mark out the spaces where I wanted to shoot. I get upstairs and see someone siting in a chair outside the photography studio. When they hear me approaching they look up, and my breath hitches in my throat, it was Y/N. My heart immediately started beating faster, but I knew I had to keep it cool both professionally and so I don’t utterly embarrass myself in front of her.

“Chris! Hey, I’m sorry I know the models aren’t supposed to be here for another hour. Honestly I was hoping to catch a moment alone with you before we shoot.” She says nervously with a big, beautiful smile on her face. She wanted to see me? Alone? I hadn’t realize I went silent for a moment while I was caught up in my thoughts until Y/N interrupted.

“Umm I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m just such a huge fan of yours and your brothers, and I wanted to tell you that. Also to tell you I am so grateful and excited to be modeling for Fresh Love. I love your brand and own a few things from it already just from following you for a while now.” She says.

“Oh, no you didn’t scare me! Sorry, I guess I just wasn’t expecting to see anyone this early. I’m happy to hear you’re a fan, and thanks for supporting my brothers and I, it means a lot. I really liked your modeling application and I’ve been looking forward to shooting with you.” I replied. I looked and sounded collected on the outside, but on the inside I was definitely nervous. I’m usually super confident talking to girls, even ones that I like, but Y/N had me acting different. She gave me a sweet smile before we walked into the studio together.

The other models started showing up as I led them to their dressing rooms where their Fresh Love clothing was waiting for them to change into. I stood in front of the backdrop for the first set of pictures and saw as the models rounded the corner all dressed in Fresh Love. Y/N wore the emerald green sweat set, and damn she looked good. The bright color just worked so perfectly with her complexion and brought out the color in her beautiful eyes. Seeing my own brand on her body drove me crazy. Man, this chick has me on a leash.

As time went by the photographers took group shots of all the models together, and some individual shots of each of them. When it came time for Y/N individual shots she was a natural. Her poses were relaxed, but strong and confident at the same time. She really wore the brand well and I was looking forward to seeing the results. She wraps up her individual shots and starts walking over to me.

“So, how did I look?” She says giving me a flirtatious look.

“Really, really great. I was thinking maybe we can get some pictures of just us two together for the Fresh Love instagram.” I said.

“Sounds great!” She says with a smile. She takes a step closer to me and leans in slightly, “Should I go change?” She asks but this time quieter so only I could hear. She makes me so nervous.

“Y-yeah. There’s, um, there’s a pair of joggers and a t-shirt in your dressing room if you want to change into that for me.” I said stuttering.

“Of course, anything for you.” She says confidently flirting with me. I think she can tell she made me nervous, and she was taking advantage of it. That’s so hot.

***

This time I was wearing the black hoodie and jogger set while Y/N wore the gray joggers and blue t-shirt. I sat on the couch we were using for the shoot, and she comes out of her dressing room to join me. She looked really great. I smiled at her and moved over so she could sit on the couch next to me.

“I’m thinking for the first few poses we just sit here kinda relaxed, looking at the camera. Then we do some where you stand behind the couch leaning over it while I sit here in front of you.” I said.

“Yeah sounds good!.” She says, and with that we start posing for the camera. The photographer has us scotch closer together, and I drape my arm behind her on the top of the couch. It was difficult to keep my eyes on the camera because all I wanted to do in the moment was to look at her. She moves off the couch to position herself behind it. “Like this, Chris?” She asks.

I turn around and see her bent over, arms crossed on the back of the couch. Fuck, her ass looks nice bent over like this. “Yeah, looks great.” I smile at her. I turn back around and the camera continues to click. We move around slightly to get different angles. She moves one of her hands to rest on my shoulder. I feel her hand slide up the back of my neck as her fingertips gently play around with my hair. The tension was palpable. I sharply inhale, a chill moving down my spine, I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep my cool much longer.

“Okay how about we call that a wrap for today. Great job everyone thanks so much for being here.” I blurt out getting off the couch, shaking a few of the photographers hands, before I quickly run into my dressing room without turning back.

***

In the dressing room I can hear the photographers packing up their gear and leave. The other models had gone home for the day, and I wasn’t sure if Y/N had left yet either. I found my answer when I hear a slight knock at the door, “Chris?” She says faintly, “Can I come in?” I’m frozen, I don’t answer before she comes into the room still dressed in her Fresh Love fit. “Are you okay? You seemed kinda frantic towards the end there.” She asks sincerely. I seriously debated telling her I liked her, but I knew that wouldn’t be professional of me.

“Yeah, I just get nervous shooting sometimes.” I lied. Y/N scoffs a little.

“You, nervous? I’ve never been more nervous for a photoshoot before. Having THE Chris Sturniolo sitting inches away for me all day long is something I had only ever dreamed of.” She laughs. “You definitely made me nervous today. God, I’m sorry I sound like such a stupid fangirl right now.” She says looking down.

“I never would have thought you were nervous. You seemed super confident today.” I say.

“Maybe. I tried to be confident so I could impress you.”

“Impress me?” I say a little surprised. She looks up and nods her head. I stand up and approach her meeting her in the middle of the room, “You’ve impressed me plenty, pretty girl.” I’m unsure of where this sudden boldness came from, but I could tell Y/N liked it when her body relaxed, and I could see her whole demeanor change. She looked up at me with seductive eyes.

“I’m glad to hear that,” she runs her hand up my arm before resting it on my chest, “I’m sure I can impress you in other ways too.” Her eyes flash from mine down to my noticeable, growing erection, and then back up to my lips. I can’t keep it in any longer. I lean down and kiss her soft lips, her hand meets the side of my face and my lips part for her to deepen the kiss moving her tongue across mine. We step back and my back hits the wall when her lips move from mine down to my neck bitting and sucking ever so gently.

“Fuck.” I moan softly. I feel her smile into my neck, and she moves a hand down to gingerly palm my boner over my pants.

“I’ve been wanting to touch you like this all day.” She says breathlessly as she pulls away from my neck to look me in the eyes.

“Oh yeah? What else have you wanted to do princess?” I ask suggestively. She smiles, and with that she drops to her knees. She hooks her fingers in the band of my sweatpants before pulling them down to my knees. She places soft kisses on my dick through my underwear, and the slight contact made me groan.

“Eager, aren’t we?” She says as she begins to pull my underwear down. My rock hard dick springs up and hits my stomach and her eyes widen while her mouth parts. She looks up at me and I begin to wrap her hair in my hand holding it back for her while the other gripped the chair next to me as I brace myself. She plants tiny kisses on my thighs on either side of my dick, and the teasing had my cock twitching with every kiss.

“Please, Y/N, please stop teasing.” I sigh. She runs her tongue from the base of my cock on the underside of my dick to the tip where she licks the precum from the slit. She swirls her tongue around my head a few times before pulling away and spitting into her hand. She spreads the wetness on my length as she pumps me a few times before wrapping her lips around my head and pushing her head forward. I let out a moan when I feel my dick hit the back of her throat. She keeps one hand tight at the base of my cock, pumping and twisting it as she bobs her head up and down on it. I’m a whimpering mess. My grip tightens in her hair as I help move her head at a steady pace. Her hand lets go of my shaft as she moves her head all the way forward, taking my full length into her mouth gagging slightly. I look down to see her already looking up at me with tears forming in her eyes. I felt my dick twitch in her mouth as I was close to cumming, but I tugged her hair and pulled her off my length before I could do so.

I move the chair I had been grabbing onto with one hand as my other reached for her chin and guided her to stand.

“Sit.” I demanded. She obliged and sat in the chair as I got to my knees and started pulling the sweatpants off of her. I caress her thighs with my big hands before pulling her thong off and I stare at her dripping wet cunt.

“Did I make you this wet?” I ask, and all she can do is shake her head. “I want you to use your words pretty girl.”

“Yes.” She whines out. “You always make me this wet.”

“Always?” I question. “Do you think about me when you touch yourself?” I ask. She nods her head again.

“Yes.” She says.

“Do you use your fingers when you touch yourself, princess?”

“Yes” she says. My fingertips move agonizingly slow up and down her folds spreading the wetness around.

“And who’s fingers do you imagine are pumping inside of you when you’re touching yourself baby.”

“Yours Chris. Always yours.” She moans out. Without warning I shove two of my fingers deep into her cunt eliciting a sweet moan from her lips. I pump my fingers in and out of her at a fast pace causing her to grip the back of my head roughly, my hair tight in between her fingers. I kitty lick her clit and curl my fingers inside her.

“F-fuck Chris.” She moans out. I continue moving my fingers in and out of her while I lay my tongue flat licking up and down her clit, sucking on it for a few seconds at a time. She pants, trying to catch her breath as she breathes heavier.

“Chris. CHRIS— I’m gonna cum.” With that I immediately pull my fingers out of her and raise my head.

“Not yet, princess. I want you to cum all over my cock for me baby.” I wrap my arms under her thighs and lift her off of the seat carrying her over to the makeup vanity counter across the room. I place her down and she stands facing me.

She reaches for the hem of her shirt to take it off, and I abruptly stop her grabbing her wrist tightly.

“Leave it on princess. I want to watch myself fucking you while you wear my clothes.”

My hands reach her waist and turn her around roughly pushing down on her upper back to bend her over across the counter. I look in the mirror to see her flushed face and eyes blown with lust. I had never been so sex hungry before. I ripped my hoodie off, and began to align my dick at her entrance. I slid the head of my dick in between her folds getting it nice and wet before I pushed in slowly making me groan loudly. Y/N gasps as I enter her, not ready for my size. I bottom out and stand still, letting her adjust to my length. Suddenly, without warning she begins to lean forward and back moving herself on my cock.

“Please move, Chris.” She begged. I smiled at her in the mirror. I started moving in and out of her with slow, hard thrusts. Her walls were warm and tight around my cock. We moaned together as I kept the steady pace.

“Chris?” She says.

“What is it princess?” I look at her in the mirror, half of her now messy hair covering her flushed pink face. She adjusts her arms to grab the front of the countertop. She lifts her chest up slightly, and the FRESH on her shirt is now visible in the mirror.

“Fuck me. Harder.” She pleads, and that was all I needed to hear. I went absolutely feral. I grabbed her hair with one hand making sure to pull her up enough that I could see her Fresh Love shirt in the mirror. My other hand laid flat just above her ass, pushing down so I could balance myself as I relentlessly thrust in and out of her tight pussy.

“Fuck. Fuck, Y/N! You feel so good pretty girl.”

“Chris, I’m gonna cum…” She whines breathlessly.

“Good girl. I want you to cum all over my cock for me.” I say back. We make eye contact in the mirror and I feel her walls clench around me sending a pulsating sensation through my cock, and I knew I was close too. Her face scrunches and she repeatedly moans my name. I feel her cunt tighten and relax around me as she comes all over my cock, and we maintain eye contact as she does.

Seeing her face while she came on my dick was what I needed. My thrusts got harder and sloppier as I felt my dick twitch inside her.

“I’m gonna cum, Y/N! Oh, FUCK.” I moan loudly as I feel myself release my big load into her pussy, my cum coating her walls. I thrust a few more times riding out my high before pulling out seeing our orgasms drip out of her cunt. Y/N turns to face me, and tries to stand but fails as her knees wobble and she grabs the countertop as to not fall down. My hands grab her sides to help balance her.

“You’re amazing, princess.” I say to her. “Let’s get you cleaned up.” I place a gentle kiss on her lips before moving my hands to the bottom of her shirt pulling it up. She raises her arms up as I lift the Fresh Love tee over her head. I crouch down and gently begin wiping her clean with the t-shirt.

“Chris! Not the Fresh Love shirt!” Y/N says surprised and in a concerned tone of voice.

“Baby, it’s my brand. I can do whatever the fuck I want with it.” I smirk, earning a cute giggle from her.

**********

This was my first time writing smut and I think it’s kinda trash but lmk what your thoughts are.

- Kay 🖤

[thewulf]

Gorgeous || Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Summary: Request - So I was wondering if you could do a Jake Seresin x reader based on the song gorgeous by Taylor Swift. I just love flirty Jake and reader with lots of slow burn

A/N: Natasha’s sister moves to town and catches the eye of your favorite blonde pilot. 3 x 1 with each verse of Gorgeous by Taylor Swift angsty and flirty. The three times you flirt desperately with Jake and the one time he does something about it.

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Y/N Trace

Word Count: 4.7k +

One – The Party

“Everyone, this is my sister, Y/N. She’s a biologist. Decided to move downstate to be closer to me.” Nat grinned squeezing your side knowing it’d irritate you. She knew exactly how to do that, had it down to a literal science.

You rolled your eyes, “Or a job transfer happened to land me here.” You corrected her not having much time to spare her much of glance as a new voice interrupted the two of you.

“Thank the Good Lord for job transfers.” A blonde pilot shot you a rather confident wink cheersing the guys and few women around him making his presence known.

Nat swatted his beer down from the table the group was using, “Don’t even think about it Seresin. She has a boyfriend anyway.” Your sister shook her head eyeing him carefully.

You looked over at Nat with an annoyed expression crossing your face. She didn’t know you and your boyfriend, Matt, were on thin ice about the job transfer. He was pretty damn adamant that he wasn’t leaving Los Angeles to move down to San Diego with you. You didn’t know how committed you were to making that drive every other weekend either. To say the relationship was rocky was a bit of an understatement. It was teetering towards the edge and didn’t have much hope for survival.

Jake shrugged, “For now.”

Your eyes looked back to him in curiosity. You weren’t sure if he was just playing around and fucking with your sister or if he was being serious and found you just as interesting as you did him but you sure as hell were going to figure it out, that was for damn sure.

He gave you the up and down after seeing your curious gaze. With a sly smile he took a step towards you. You would’ve let him, but your sister had other plans, “May I remind you. She has a boyfriend Jake.” You smiled up at him, he looked like a Jake.

He shrugged loving how worked up his coworker was getting over this, “Doesn’t mean I can’t make a friend Natasha.”

You bit back an even bigger smile not wanting to hear it from her later, not in the slightest, “Yeah Natasha, a friend.” You nodded playing along with him. You liked to work her up just as much, if not more than he did.

Her nose scrunched as she took your hand, “I don’t want to hear it from you, piccolo merda.”

You rolled your eyes at her Italian nickname for you, little shit, how original. The two of you were fluent in Italian, thanks to your father. He always said if he couldn’t raise you in Italy you were damn sure going to be speaking Italian inside the home. And so, you did.

It wasn’t two hours later you found yourself searching for the blonde pilot. You’d successfully ditched your sister after getting her a little too drunk. To be fair, you might’ve been a little too drunk for your own good. When you spotted him getting a drink from the keg you didn’t hesitate to walk right on up to him with a no-good smile right on your own face. Thank God for liquid courage.

When he spotted you walking too him he didn’t hesitate for a moment either, “Little Trace. Where’s your big sister?” He smirked while teasing you turning his body towards you leaning his side against the island counter.

You shrugged looking around, “She’s somewhere. Didn’t think I had to keep track of her.” Mimicking him you leaned against it too.

He shook his head, “I think it’s the other way around sweetheart.” His southern accent came out the more he drank. And he’d drank quite a bit leading to a thick Texas accent coming out of the woodwork.

You couldn’t help but to giggle, the draw that came off his mouth was so foreign to the prim and proper people of Northern California you’d called home your entire life.

His eyes shot to your lips hearing you laugh so sweetly. He couldn’t help that he was truly enamored with the sound that captured him so effortlessly, “What are you laughing at?” He quipped, far too curious for his own good.

You shook your head quickly, “Nothing.”

He took a step closer eyeing you up and down forgetting you were his co-workers sister for a second, “I don’t believe you for a second darlin’.”

You were ever so thankful for the beer in your hand giving you something to put your eyes on, “I wasn’t expecting that accent, is all.” You giggled once more feeling the effects of drinking one too many beers.

You’d officially piqued his interest. His eyebrows raised in amusement, taking a step closer. He was far closer to you than Nat would appreciate, and he knew it. But it really was your fault. He couldn’t resist that cute little laugh and pretty little eyes batting right at him.

“You’re drunk.” He grinned noticing your swaying and gentle grip on the kitchen countertop

You shrugged, “So? Isn’t that the point of a party?” It was then that you noticed just how close the two of you really were. One more step and you’d be on top of him. You couldn’t have stopped the blush that spread across your cheeks even if you tried.

His smile only made your stupid, traitorous heart hammer in your chest once more, “Your absolutely right sweetheart.” His answer caught your eyes. When he winked you were sure your knees would buckle had your sister not swooped in eyeing Jake with venom you hadn’t seen from her in a long time.

“There you are Y/N.” She grabbed your arm gently, “I’ve been looking for you. I want to introduce you to a few people.”

You nodded grabbing the beer Jake had poured for you, “See you around Jake.” You waved as your sister dragged you off.

He nodded, “You sure will darlin’.”

Two – The Hard Deck

The mission tonight was simple. Avoid Jake Seresin at all costs. It wasn’t worth the damn headache that came from Natasha. She reamed you out the night after the house party saying you had a commitment. That’s when it all spilled out, just how unhappy you were in your current relationship.

To your surprise it was Natasha that convinced you to break up with him, so you did. You felt that sense of clarity once he simply just accepted the fate destined rather than fighting for you. Instead of wallowing you felt at peace. Like you were free from a trap you wanted so desperately to get out from. You were able to do whatever you wanted. The only problem you had now was going to be Jake. You were drawn to him, so utterly drawn to him. Nat tried to warn you, but every story only made you more interested. She stopped when she realized what she was doing.

You knew it was only a matter of time before you were going to be so casually controlled by the man. So, you’d avoid him. It was easy at first. But got a lot harder as the night wore on and his eyes were on you for a majority of it. That and your eyes kept finding his more and more the night progressed and the more intoxicated you became.

You were all but successful in your avoidance until you felt a hand brush against your own as you walked across the bar. You stopped locking eyes with the man you were attempting to avoid.

“Hey sweetheart.” He smirked knowing he had your attention now.

“Jake.” You pulled your jaw up from your shocked expression attempting to smile sweetly at the man you’d been able to avoid for the majority of the night, until now.

“Little Trace, you’ve been avoiding me.” He grabbed for your hand. You should’ve pulled away. Kept the conversation short and simple between the two of you. But you couldn’t. Not with him. He had you fair and square now. The mission was failed, successfully.

You tried to play coy. Key word, tried. The creeping blush might’ve given you away though, “I’ve been busy.”

“Avoiding me.” A lopsided grin spread across his face as he played with your hand absentmindedly stepping towards you. He too was utterly drawn towards you just as you were to him. It was only a matter of time between the two of you.

“It’s not all about you Jake. I have obligations from Natasha.” You grinned feeling a shiver rip up your arm from the tracing he was doing along your thumb. He noticed, because of course he did.

He shook his head looking right at you. Hazel green eyes, staring in yours. Your heart felt like it just might explode from that look alone, “See that’s where your wrong sweetheart. It’s all about me.”

You laughed throwing your head backwards. It’d been a while since you felt such joy in the utter shameless flirting that was going on between the two of you, “Maybe in your world Jake Seresin.” You gave his hand a squeeze in your own.

“That’s where your wrong again. In my world it’s all about you.” Jake looked all too proud of himself with that line.

You let him have the win. You let out a another loud laugh letting him know you were all too interested in him even though everybody around you seemed to be rooting against whatever the hell it was between the two of you. It was just a simple flirtationship that you so desperately wanted to progress.

“That was too smooth Jake.”

He let out a soft breath debating what to say next. Like he knew he would screw up if he went down his usual route. He didn’t want to just sleep with you. You were different. He knew if he started something with you he had to commit. You were too special not to. That and Nat would kick his ass to high heaven if he fucked around with your feelings.

“You make it easy, Y/N. It’s so easy with you. I hardly know you, but I feel like I can tell you anything. Does that make any sense?” He let out. Almost afraid it was too much for literal strangers.

You nodded quickly, “I know what you mean. Like I trust you. Could tell you anything and you’d keep it a secret. I get it.” You affirmed him bobbing your head up and down in the overcrowded bar packed to the brim on a busy Saturday night.

He let out the breath he was holding in giving your hand a gentle squeeze in return, “I knew you’d get it Little Trace.”

“Can you I ask you something?” You asked, needing to change the subject feeling all too vulnerable all too quickly.

“Shoot sweetheart.” He nodded letting you know anything was fair game.

You looked him right in the eyes, “Why does my sister want me to avoid you so desperately? Why does everybody?” You asked not sure if you really wanted to real answer.

He let out a soft sigh, “That’s a really long story I’ll tell you another day.” He nodded along, “Long story short, they don’t want you around Hangman.”

You nodded along. That must’ve been his callsign, “Is Hangman a dickhead?” You asked unashamed. Half the alcohol, half you speaking.

This time he threw his head back in laughter. You caught him in surprise, and he wasn’t afraid to show it, “Hangman is a really big dickhead.”

You smiled loving this side of him you were sure didn’t come out all too often, “Well I’m glad I’m getting to know Jake, not Hangman.”

He nodded finally dropping you hand, “Jake only. Now, your sister is shooting me evil glances. Go make sure she doesn’t murder me later, yeah?”

You turned your head waving your sister off, “I promise she won’t murder you.”

“I’m going to hold you to it. Or I’m haunting your ass.”

You grinned deciding to grab his hand this time, “It’s a deal, Jake Seresin.”

He gave your hand a squeeze, “It’s a deal then, Y/N Trace.”

Three – The Football Game

“Jesus Christ.” You groaned sitting down at the picnic table witnessing the men in all their shirtless sweaty glory.

Penny nodded, “I know.”

“That’s just not fair. I don’t know how Nat does it.” You sighed tuning away from the shirtless group playing dogfight football on the beach, whatever that was. You couldn’t focus on trying to figure it out either. Jake looked too fucking good glistening, sweaty in the sun. What a cruel joke Nat was playing on you right now.

Penny smiled seeing you trying to avoid a certain blonde pilot playing football opposite your sister, “They’re more like brothers to her now.”

You nodded feeling your cheeks redden under her gaze, “What?” You asked trying to dodge her eyes.

“You like Jake?” She asked knowing all about his reputation. She knew it wasn’t her place to say a word. She was sure you’d heard everything about the pilot.

You just looked at her trying to come up with something, “I uhm, I think he’s quite cute.” You admitted feeling your already red cheeks deepen even further.

“Your sister said he talks about you a lot.” She told you.

You looked at her skeptically, “Really?” Being a bartender had its perks and one of those was learning about everybody’s business.

“Yeah. She told me the other night. She’s worried he’ll hurt you.” Penny admitted wanting to give you one warning. That was her motherly instinct kicking in for you.

You smiled, “She forgets we grew up in the same household. She forgets I’d kick his ass before he gets the chance at mine.”

“You should tell her that.” Penny laughed loving your confidence. You reminded her of Nat with that mini outburst right there. Penny loved getting to know the pilots that frequented her bar. Especially those who came back multiple times, your sister and Jake being just a few of them.

“Trust me, I try. She doesn’t listen to me. I’m just her dumb, stupid younger sister.” You sighed letting your frustration with your sister out. You loved her more than anything, but she treated you like a damn porcelain doll all the time. Like you’d shatter at any moment. It would’ve been sweet had she not tried to stop you from failing, something you needed.

“Incoming.” Penny smiled knocking you out of your thoughts. She stood from her seat across from you. She walked off towards Pete just in time for Jake to sit down next to you.

“Hey pretty girl.” He smiled so effortlessly while you felt like you were fighting for your damn life. Like the oxygen was suddenly getting sucked out of all the air.

You felt your eyes want to look down, but you knew you couldn’t. He was shirtless and you knew your eyes would betray you if they got a look any further below than his neck, “Hey Jake.” You felt your voice quiver as you looked away from him. It was like he had sucked all the confidence you once had and took it all himself.

“You look really pretty this afternoon.” He complimented you loving the way you looked in that dress far too much. Far too much for somebody who was just friends. He wanted you more than that and he was starting to get tired of waiting. He knew he was going to go for it the second he got back from the mission. It didn’t mean he couldn’t shamelessly flirt with you now though. Just to let you know how he really felt.

“You look… good yourself.” You kept your eyes forward trying not to give away just how damn attracted to him you really were.

He cracked a grin seeing you struggle under the conditions. He knew he had to make it just a bit harder for you, “Oh yeah? You think so sweetheart?”

“Mhmm.” You nodded.

He nodded slowly trying his best to get you to look down at his bare chest, “Well thank you darlin’.” He edged closer. And that was all it took to get you to break. You cursed yourself as you looked down at instinct to the subtle movement. He looked good. Better than good. Damn amazing. Gorgeous. He too looked oh so fucking gorgeous.

He smirked seeing that was what it took to get you to break, “As much as I’d like to tease you sweetheart your sister is walking over, and I don’t care for an earful. I’ll talk to you later?” He asked leaning closer to you.

“Yeah, later.” You smiled.

What took you by surprise was the quick peck on the cheek he gave you before running off. Not even having time to react to him before he was gone Nat stood where he was just moments ago, “What was that about?” She asked eyeing you skeptically.

You shook your head, “Nothing. Just Jake being Jake.” You smiled knowing it was over for you. You liked him far more than you really should’ve. Far more than he liked you. What you didn’t know was just how much he really did like you too. How slowly over the last few weeks you’d captured his every thought that wasn’t consumed by the mission. You had him smitten beyond his wild dreams.

Four – Return From the Mission

When you spotted her the tears sprung from your eyes immediately. You knew she was okay, she called to tell you. But seeing her was another story, “Oh, thank God.” You mumbled before walking as close as you could before you had to wait before they were dismissed.

Your eyes were glued on your sisters, but another pair was glued right on you. You didn’t see Jake watching you and only you. He didn’t have any family there to greet him. He hadn’t invited anybody. Not many people had. He couldn’t help but to feel a little twinge of jealousy seeing your eyes glued on somebody else. Knowing it was irrational he tried to keep his head on straight. How could he be jealous of your sister? A sister he’d grown to love dearly, in a different sense. Now that the mission was over he could focus on you, solely you now. If he had to stand behind your sister so be it, he’d do it.

The second you heard the dismissal call you were running towards your sister. You heard her grunt once you through your arms around her torso bringing her in for a bone crushing hug, “Natty, you’re okay.”

She laughed patting your shoulder. As much as you loved her she wasn’t one for much physical affection. Hugs made your sister rather uncomfortable, and you knew it. But you didn’t really care. You needed to hug her. To remind yourself that she was okay. She was living and breathing in front of you.

“Like I told you on the phone.” She smiled giving you one single squeeze back.

Rolling your eyes, you reluctantly pulled apart from her, “You said you were fine. Who knows what that actually means. You could’ve been wheeled off the ship for all I know.” Crossing your arms over your chest you feigned a pout.

“You’re so dramatic.” She laughed

Shaking your head at her you smiled, “I’m dramatic? Last time you walked off the ship with a concussion and a broken arm. You said you were good. You’re not dramatic enough!” You countered earning a full-on laugh from your sister.

“As fun as this is. Jake is shooting me daggers for talking to you for so long. Why don’t you go talk to him and I’ll go find something else to do.” She said so nonchalantly you weren’t sure if you’d heard her right or not. Jake Seresin? The one you were supposed to avoid

You turned around connecting eyes with the blonde pilot that had captured your heart so effortlessly. Biting your lip slightly you gave him a quick wave before turning back to your sister, “What? You’re okay with this now?”

She shrugged, “He’s not that bad.”

You cocked your head to the side curiously. What the hell happened on the mission? She was usually an open book, “You’re not telling me something Nat.”

She shook her head pushing you away, “Go ask Jake then.”

Odd. Your eyes stitched together in utter curiosity. Where was this push coming from? She waved you off when you gave her a look of confusion. Turning back around you walked over to him, far less enthusiastic and far more confused than when you started your day.

When you made it to him he waited on you to speak first. A soft smile was tracing his lips as he studied your face once more. Thankful he was given the chance to look you over again. That was the first real life at stakes mission he’d been on, and it had him a little more thankful for the return to American soil he normally took for granted.

“Welcome home Lieutenant.”

His smile alone was enough to ignore any of the confusion your sister left you with moments prior, “It’s good to be home.” He paused unsure of himself. It wasn’t like him to be so cautious with somebody, but you were different. He realized that the second he laid his eyes on you a month ago. If you were anybody else he would’ve already wooed you and gotten you to sleep with him. But you weren’t just anybody else. You were you, Y/N. He was determined to do this right. For the first time in his life, he wanted something more, something serious. A woman he could show off to his friend and family. Somebody he could love and cherish. A partner to build a life with. And you, you would slide into that role so perfectly. He knew it.

He caught your eyes quickly giving him the up and down in the Navy Whites, your favorite return home uniform. They just made everybody look so polished. They made Jake look even better than he normally did. If that was even possible.

A cocky grin spread across his face knowing you felt the same way about him. Natasha all but confirmed it on the ship after everybody returned safely. You all but confirmed it with the way your eyes dragged all over his body and with the way you could hardly hold his gaze. He decided there was no time like the present to finally win you over.

“You look beautiful by the way. A true sight for sore eyes.” He brushed a lose strand of hair out of your face knowing exactly what he was doing to you.

A small laugh escaped your lips, “You’re just saying that because you’ve been stuck on a boat for three weeks with the same people.” Accepting compliments never came easy. Accepting them from the most gorgeous man standing in front of you? Impossible.

He shook his head quickly, “Trust me Y/N.” He inched closer so he was almost on top of you. If you couldn’t use your words before they weren’t going to come any quicker now. The scent of his musky cologne wafted into your nose and before you knew it your brain seemed to be short circuiting. How this man went from complete stranger to now blew your mind.

He leaned down seeing your starry gaze. Turns out he had nothing to be jealous over. You were just as smitten as he was. The evidence was written right across your love-struck expression. With a sly smile he leaned down whispering into your ear, “I thought you were drop dead gorgeous the moment I laid eyes on you back at that house party. But now that I’ve gotten to know you? You’re the most beautiful woman in the world Y/N Trace.”

Your jaw literally dropped when your brain decided to process his words, “Jake…” Your eyes shot straight to his lips before looking back into his eyes. He caught that. He caught every subtle move you decided to make. He was absolutely enamored with everything you did.

“Yes?” He asked once he reluctantly pulled away from your ear. He also noticed you shaking off the shiver that his actions delivered. He was enjoying this far too much. He could do practically anything and get a reaction out of you.

You sucked in a breath finding the courage to look him in the eyes once more, “Do you mean that?”

Without skipping a beat, he answered you, “Absolutely sweetheart.”

The smile that spread across your face could’ve cured a thousand diseases. Jake had decided. His own face spread into a big goofy grin feeling so damn good getting that one off his chest, “Nat isn’t going to be very happy.”

“Oh yeah? Tell me pretty girl, why’s that?” He inched just a step closer daring to rest a gentle hand on your hip. You let him, leaning into his touch softly.

You nodded quickly, “Because I think you’re fucking gorgeous Jake Seresin.”

The language paired with the delicate dress and sweet face would’ve sent him over the edge had they not been in such a public place with more than a few pairs of curious eyes on them, “Got a mouth on ya sweetheart, don’t you?” He shot you a wink.

“You know my sister right? She’s been like that her whole life. I think we came out of the womb cussing.” You grinned leaning into it. Maybe it wasn’t something to be so proud of, but you didn’t really give a damn. It meant survival in your crazy, chaotic Italian family.

He gave you one long look before whispering once more, “You don’t know just how bad I want kiss you right now. But your sister is staring right at the two of us, so I’ll spare you the lecture.”

You giggled feeling a rush of euphoria course through every vein in your body. Damn how did do that?

Pulling back once more he brushed his hand along the back of your arm making sure to keep you close, “Instead I’ll settle on this instead. Y/N, would you go on a date with me?”

“Absolutely.” You would’ve been embarrassed with how quickly you answered him but the smile that spread across his face spared you from that.

“Busy tonight?” He asked gauging your reaction.

“Tonight?” You didn’t want to admit just how quickly you liked

He nodded, “If you’re free.”

“I’d love to.” You agreed knowing that you’d be able to kiss him tonight. That certainly wasn’t in your plans today, but you were more than happy to change course for him.

He gave your hip a gentle squeeze, “I’ll pick you up at 7.”

“What should I wear?”

“That. Don’t change. You look beautiful as ever sweetheart.” He reached for a hand wanting to hold it for a quick second while Nat turned away conversing with Bradshaw. By the rate she was speaking she didn’t look too thrilled with what was going down between the two of you. She couldn’t be that upset though, she did just throw the two of you together.

“You flatter me Jake.” You laughed softly trying to play it cool.

He gave your hand a soft squeeze before dropping it, “That’s my job.”

You shook your head with ease, “I’ll see you at 7?” You asked before turning away from him, ending the emotion fueled conversation.

“That you will.”

“Oh, and Jake? One more thing.” You smiled up at him.

“Yeah?”

You gave him one long look over, “You really are gorgeous. I wasn’t kidding when I said that earlier.”

Was that a blush that you managed to give him? It looked like it and man did it make him look even more handsome than ever. That was your new mission. Get Jake to blush whenever possible. You just knew you might be getting yourself into the most fun thing that crossed your life’s path to date.

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[sunflowersandsapphires]

An Unfortunate Coincidence

In All The World, Chapter 1.1

Series Masterlist         Next Chapter

pairing: Matt Murdock x fem!reader 

summary: Frank Castle is just trying to focus on his stakeout and avoid thinking about his past. However, his plans are abandoned when he spots a familiar face approaching your apartment.

warnings: swearing, Frank and Matt being little shits, brief descriptions of Matt's labyrinth of internalized guilt, very short semi-smut scene (as always, MINORS DNI)

a/n: Ahhhh I was so excited to begin this new series that I accidentally wrote almost 7k for it (and it's not even done). Here is the first chapter that accidentally became a three-shot. I really hope you all like it! Please let me know if there's anything you wanna see in this verse!

w/c: 4k

“In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world, there is no love for you like mine.” — Maya Angelou

Crouched on the damp gravel roof of some rundown apartment building, Frank tilted his head to stretch the muscles in his neck. After a few hours peering into his scope, it was starting to ache like hell. Roughly pinching the back of his neck between two fingers, he kneaded circles into it, attempting to alleviate the pain without changing his position. It wasn’t an optimal night for thwarting an armed robbery, given the shitty weather and lousy visibility, but he was determined to disband this particular troop once and for all. 

The cocky fuckers had been one step ahead of him for weeks and he’d finally found the next bank they planned to hit—at least, he hoped that would be the case. 

It wasn’t quite raining, but Manhattan was draped with a patchy fog and the condensation was enough to mist Frank’s face as he lay in wait. While the lack of a clear night would help conceal him and his guns, it also meant he had to get much closer to the site than he would have liked. More distance meant more time to pack up before he had cops on his ass. 

This particular location was especially irritating because the angle of his scope ran directly past your apartment. 

Seeing a warm yellow light in the window nearly left him a distracted, guilty mess. You were clearly home from work. Maybe cooking dinner? Or lounging on the couch he’d crashed on more than he wished to admit. He should probably send you a text to let you know he was still alive—but the thought of that made his body go rigid. 

Despite his lacking communication, and your profound exasperation for that specific trait of his, you never seemed to be out of patience for him. You were reliable, compassionate, and far too good for him to fuck up your life more than he already had. You were the only family he had left, and he was determined to keep a far enough distance to keep you safe.

Which is why his line of sight was currently positioned just past the edge of your apartment window—simultaneously shoving all his remorse deep down where it didn’t need to be acknowledged. Taking down a group of dangerous scumbags with a sniper rifle would be hard enough without being plagued with childhood memories and regret.

Normally, repression was a simple solution to this issue—they do say that practice makes perfect after all. However, mental gymnastics can only do so much to combat adrenaline. Hypervigilance had broadened his peripheral vision, his gaze sweeping the horizon automatically like a prowling animal, pupils blown wide as he absorbed every movement around him. Each flicker of a lamp bulb or ripple in the fog made his grip tighten, eyes flitting between the stimuli as if he was watching a ping pong ball bounce between players. Each motion only held his focus for a moment, his subconscious analyzing them for possible threats within a flash of a synapse before his attention returned to the task at hand.

Through the viscous haze draped over the city, another movement captured his interest. A dark form gliding over rooftops, diving over the beams of moonlight scattered across the vapor without a trace. Scoffing lightly, Frank rolled his eyes. Leave it to Red to show off without even knowing he had an audience. Fuckin' prick.

Chuckling to himself at the idea of firing a blank to give Altar Boy a scare, his laughter quickly faded as the Devil of Hell's Kitchen circled around, headed his way. Frank knew the guy had a freaky mechanism that allowed him to navigate without sight, but there was no way he'd picked up on Frank's presence from nearly a dozen blocks away, right? It wasn't likely that his bloodhound nose was THAT good at picking up the scent of gunpowder.

Skin crawling with unease, Frank's fingers traced over the worn handle of the blade tucked in his belt. After a few weeks being blue-balled by low lives, he wasn't necessarily opposed to a rooftop spat with the personification of Catholic Guilt. Fundamental differences aside, the kid could fight. And it wasn't like Frank had a line up of sparring partners these days. He was beginning to feel a bit rusty. 

To his dismay, the glorified-pajama-clad vigilante never reached him. Instead, he leapt onto the roof of a nearby building and began clambering down the fire escape.

With each of Red's steps, Frank's heart rate climbed, his ear drums ringing alongside his pulse. A shudder shot through him as he followed the other man's path, his body suddenly overtaken with malaise as he inched his scope towards the location he'd been trying so hard to ignore.

There was no way.

Red vaulted over a railing and down a story, his graceful trek slowing in pace.

There was no fuckin' way. It was an unfortunate coincidence. A stroke of Frank's continued bad luck, nothing more.

He was on your story now, close enough that Frank could see his haughty smirk, aimed in the direction of the glimmer Frank had successfully avoided all night.

“Keep movin', Red.” Frank muttered, muscles tensing with dread as he watched the masked lawyer hurdle over a balcony with a twist of his body, tactical shoes perching steadily on the edge of your cement outcropping. “No, no, no. Absolutely not, you asshole.”

Basking in the glow of your apartment window, Murdock broke into a roguish grin leaning backwards against the barrier, a few inches of synthetic stone between him and a twenty story fall. A shadow fluttered into Frank's vision, settling comfortably over Murdock's proud stance as a resident approached the terrace.

Sliding the window open with delicate fingers, your torso tilted out of the safety of your apartment, your beaming smile ever-present as Red posed for you. Strutting forward at a snail's pace, Frank could imagine the laugh that tumbled out of your mouth as you snatched him by the wrist and tugged him against the frame of the window. Time had seemingly slowed, Frank fixated on Matt's smug expression as he tipped his face towards yours.

As your lips met, Frank's vision flashed crimson, rage bubbling in his veins. Grinding his teeth furiously, Frank shoved himself out of his crouch, hefting his rifle onto an open canvas bag and stomping off.

“Oh, don't start with me.” You scolded gently as the lightbulb above your stove quivered uncertainly. Swiping a finger over the switch in a dramatic motion, the bulb sparked on the second try, sapping energy from the weak electrical current and illuminating your kitchenette with a soft warm light.

Flexing your sock-covered feet on the prehistoric checkerboard tile, you raised your arms above your head, arching your back into the stretch with a pleased groan. You'd done a lot of sitting today, hunched over stacks of papers scrambling to understand the new curriculum requirements sent out by your district in the humid closet-of-a-classroom you adored.

Pulling out your trusty, slightly crooked frying pan, you held it a few inches above the burner as you cranked the knob. Once the gas had lit properly, you positioned the pan just so and bustled about, readying the ingredients for a simple meal. Smacking the faucet handle, you tapped your foot to the beat of the song playing softly from your cheap speaker, letting the water run clear before rinsing a fistful of veggies in the feeble stream. Some of the produce was tossed straight into the hot oil, the rest you needed to chop first.

Thankfully, you were only making dinner for two, which meant preparation only took a few minutes. Once your vegetables were cooked and your noodles were boiling, you whipped up a simple sauce and brushed your hands together. Now came the tough part–waiting.

Matt's nightly routine typically made it difficult for you to spend the evenings together—not that it bothered you. Your evenings were typically spent shoving handfuls of chips into your mouth as you watched brainless TV or taking short naps to recover from the day. You were happy to continue those habits and feel truly rested when your boyfriend was finished being a hero for the day. This week was an odd one though, with late staff and board meetings pushing your normally-early supper back a few hours.

When you'd originally mentioned this change to Matt, his face had lit up, inspiring a smile of your own. After a minute of your pestering, he'd finally revealed his idea.

“What if I stay at yours this week?” His expression was soft, his attempt at a smug tone failing to conceal the jagged edge of his unvoiced worry that you'd decline, that he was being clingy—two insecurities you'd been steadily chipping away over the course of your eight month relationship.

Nearly tackling him with a hug, you had peppered his face with kisses, making him laugh. “Is that a yes?”

“That sounds perfect, Matty! I'll be dying to see you after sitting at conference tables all day.” You'd lamented, trailing a finger over his chest as it shook with a rumble of a chuckle.

“So you're saying I shouldn't practice my opening arguments for you? Detail the intricacies of mutual acquiescence and how it was displayed by the adverse parties?”

“Despite your attempts to confuse me with made up legal-sounding words,” Hooking your arms around Matt's neck as he laughed, you'd begun swaying slightly, rocking the two of you from side-to-side as you spoke. ”I'd happily listen to you talk about anything, love. You could describe the process of paint drying to me and I'd still enjoy our time together.“

Flushing slightly pink, Matt turned his face away from you with a scoff. ”Hmm, maybe I'll bring some of my old law textbooks by sometime and we can test that theory.“

Curling a finger around his chin, you gently pulled Matt's face back to yours so you could kiss him. “I mean it, Matthew. You can make anything interesting—it's one of your many gifts. And you've worked hard on this case! I'm happy to be your guinea pig.”

And you'd meant every word. Sitting here in front of your stove, you couldn't think of a better way to spend your evening than watching Matt in his element. As you stirred everything together in a pot over a low flame, your mind began to wander. Matt was wonderful, and attractive for many reasons, but the voice he used when addressing a courtroom? The thought of it alone brought heat to your cheeks. He didn't need to worry about keeping your attention, that was for sure.

The light rapping of a knuckle on your balcony window made you jump, your nose crinkling with slight embarrassment as you realized you were no longer alone—and Matt could probably tell where your mind was detouring from behind your fingerprint-smudged window. Scurrying to grant him entry, you couldn't help the excited smile on your face as you shoved the thick glass off of its sill.

Matt looked phenomenal, draped in black woven fabric that was just tight enough to accent his bulging muscles. Lines of off-white rope were coiled around his hands, trailing up his forearms like a thin pair of serpents. Though he was breathing heavily, he was smiling and didn't appear to be bleeding out or gravely injured.

“Am I allowed to come inside, or am I supposed to stand here so you can ogle me all night?” Matt asked gleefully, stretching his hips so his abs swelled against the long sleeve black tee he was wearing.

“Hmm, see I would let you in, but you'd make such a beautiful decoration..” You jested, grin only growing wider as the light from your apartment revealed Matt's blush. You loved watching his cheeks flush pink when you complimented him—his smug exterior faltering as he became slightly bashful. Deciding to cut his hammering heart some slack, you moved on from the praise. ”You're early, love.“

With a deep chuckle, Matt gave a one-armed shrug, striding towards you. ”I had a date.“

Scoffing out a laugh, you reached an arm out of your apartment, the cool outside air curling around your skin and raising the fine hair along it. As water vapor made contact with your skin, the tiniest drops of condensation beaded against your warm flesh. You reached for Matt, who was still a victim of the pitiful rain storm out on your terrace. Fingertips closing around his wrist, you pulled him towards you—other hand coming up to scratch at the base of his scalp when he was within range. “Matthew, we talked about this. You don't need to cut your deviling short to please me. I won't be upset if you—“

Cutting of your gentle chastising with a kiss, Matt knocked his forehead against yours, hands leaving the embrace to cradle your jaw. The dense fibers of the cords around his hands prickled against your skin, a much rougher feeling than the soft fabric of his mask against the bridge of your nose. His breath drifted over your lips as he spoke. “It's been slow. Promise.”

Nuzzling into his touch as his thumb traced over your cheek, your smile softly returned. “Ok, that's good. Hungry?”

As one of Matt's hands slid from your jaw toward your nape, the ropes rolled over your skin, scratching lightly against it. Fingers pushing into your flesh with a tad more heat, Matt smirked—his lips brushing over yours. “Starving.”

Matt nipped lightly at your chin and you stifled a giggle, kissing him sweetly before stepping back into your apartment. “I meant literally, Matt. C'mon, I need some food in me before you pin me down to mark me up.”

Towing Matt through your window with both hands clamped around one of his steady arms, you squealed as he lept over the threshold, gathering you into his arms in one fluid movement. Mashing his face into the side of yours, a low rumble sounded from the back of Matt's throat, as if he was purring. The tip of his nose was chilled, barely covered by the mask as he galavanted around in the unusually cool night air. He nestled you against his chest, burying his nose in your hairline just above your ear.

“I think we both know how much you want me to do just that, sweetheart. Are you sure you want to wait until after dinner?” His teasing voice was pitched down, sounding more like the Devil of Hell's Kitchen than Matt Murdock. A shudder crept down your spine, an exhale falling from your lips at the suggestion.

“Mmmm, I, uh, I thought I was. Now, I'm not so sure.” You murmured, warmth flooding between your thighs as Matt's teeth scraped the shell of your ear.

Chuckling darkly, Matt's hand splayed against the small of your back, his lips planting a kiss on your temple. “We'll have to see where the night takes us then. What did you make? It smells good.”

Matt broke his hold on you, taking a seat at your dinette without even acknowledging how aroused he'd just made you. His ability to trip your brain up with a few well-placed touches was dangerous, dammit.

Blowing out a slightly exasperated breath, you let your hand drift over Matt's shoulders before you lifted the pot from the stove. Using the pair of tongs you'd used to toss the vegetables, you plated two servings of the meal you'd thrown together. “Those peanut noodles you liked so much. I was craving them. But don't worry, I only gave you broccoli and edamame this time.” 

A few weeks ago, when you’d first found this recipe, Matt had enjoyed it—but only after you’d stopped him from choking down the mushrooms and bok choy mixed into the dish. The poor man was stifling gags as he bit into the vegetables, later explaining that they were on the list of “textures Matt can barely tolerate”. He had apologized profusely, not understanding why you weren’t upset with him for not enjoying the food without alterations. This time, you’d planned ahead. 

Clearly also thinking of your last attempt at this meal, Matt wrinkled his nose with a grimace. “Thank you. I'm sorry to be difficult.”

Rolling your eyes, you slid one of the bowls in front of him, using one finger to delicately lift the mask from the top half of his face. As you peeled the sweaty fabric off of his head, it revealed his mussed hair—the strands sticking out in little tufts after being mashed beneath the cotton for a few hours. You bit your lip to stifle a giggle, bringing your fingers up to smooth the mess. “You're not difficult, you're just human. And you have some impressive helmet-hair tonight.”

“Thank you, sweetheart. I heard this was how the kids were wearing it these days. Am I pulling it off?” He grinned at you, hands landing on your waist as you kicked a leg over his lap to straddle him.

“You look a bit like a newly-hatched chick in an incubator.” You snickered, humming appreciatively as he tightened his grip on you, pulling you flush against his chest.

“Darn. I was hoping to change up my style to something more modern.” Matt quipped, instinctively tilting his head up as you scratched at his overgrown stubble with your nails.

“I never said it looked bad, handsome.” You explained, nose rubbing against his as you moved in for a kiss. “You look as gorgeous as always.”

With a greedy noise, Matt's hands dug into the soft flesh of your stomach. His lips were relaxed, happily letting you slide your tongue between them. His skin was warm with exertion and want, his touches grappling and desperate as he pulled you impossibly closer.

Dropping your arms to rest on his shoulders, you threaded a hand into his hair, tugging lightly at it as he kissed you. Matt moaned softly, his movements halting like a cat who'd been scruffed. You felt a rush of pride as Matt went lax against you. Tipping your weight into him, the force shoved his spine against the back of the chair, the wood creaking in protest.

It hadn't even been a week since you'd last seen him, last felt him–but it was as though he'd been away for years. Each time he held you against him, expression soft with affection, butterflies swarmed your stomach. To the rest of the city, he was a ruthlessly fearsome vigilante. But with you, he showed his underbelly. Trusting you enough to be soft, and to want softness in return. It made you giddy, being one of a chosen few to know the secret truth about Daredevil. And you were immensely fond of the man behind the mask. 

With a gasp, you began to lose your train of thought as the building heat in your core grew uncomfortable. Rocking your hips against Matt, he tensed his thigh as you ground down on it, letting you take what you needed from him. Moaning softly while the friction from Matt’s leg rubbed pleasantly against your clit, you circulated your hips, swinging them upward with the intention of using gravity to help you ride Matt’s statuesque thigh–but the world had other plans.

A pounding knock startled you out of your passionate stupor. Flying backwards in surprise, you collided with the solid wooden edge of your dining table. Grunting quietly at the impact, you swiveled your head towards the door when the banging continued, your heart pumping furiously as your concern built. Matt's hands slipped between you and the injurous furniture, shielding you from worsening the inevitable bruising the sideswipe had caused.

Though his head was cocked, his eyes blankly trailing along your torso, searching for any damage you'd done, he was wearing a resigned expression.

“Who—” You started to ask, but a brusque deep voice called for you through the door.

“I know you're in there.” The cause of the disturbance was no longer a stranger, but that didn't fix the sinking feeling threatening to drag you through the creaky floor.

”One second, Frank.“ You grimaced, swinging yourself off of Matt's lap to open the door.

As your weight lifted off of him, Matt chuckled humorlessly. “Took him long enough.”

Hands flying to your hips as you spun on your heel, you narrowed your eyes at Matt. “You KNEW?”

Shrugging noncommitally, Matt pinched one of the abandoned forks between his fingers, tugging the bowl of noodles closer to him and stabbing the utensil into it. “I had a feeling.”

Scoffing incredulously, you shook your head as he popped a forkful of tepid pasta into his mouth. “How can you look like you're enjoying yourself right now?”

Matt smirked at you. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had the luxury of bearing witness to dinner and a show.” Attacking his dinner ravenously, Matt didn't explain himself further.

Sighing loudly in response to Matt's unprecedented ambivalence, you jogged to the door--opening it to reveal your VERY pissed off cousin. He must've been camped out somewhere for a while, given the rivulets of water dripping off of his face and clothes. The droplets trailed over his scowl, getting tangled in his beard on the way to the ground.

”Hi Frank.“ You greeted politely, arm shooting out to grasp the door frame as he took a deliberate step past you, eyes locked onto Matt's frame in the middle of your apartment. You might've been smaller than both of them, but you weren't feeble. Your well-placed grip held strong against the burly ex-marine, his glare pivoting to bore into you as you stopped him from storming into the apartment.

”Move aside,“ Frank ground out your name, eyes dark with rage.

”And let you bludgeon someone to death in my apartment? I'll pass.“ You snarked, your own anger over Frank's absence and the overwhelming stench of testosterone now shrouding your space coating your words.

Matt scoffed from behind you, making a sound of protest but you held up a single finger on your free hand. ”Don't you dare.“

Matt closed his mouth, turning his attention back to his dinner with a pout.

Nostrils flaring, Frank's chest was still poking into your forearm as he shook his head. ”I can't believe this. Him? C'mon kid, you're smarter than that. You can't shack up with this asshole.“

”I can do whatever I damn well please, Castle. In case you've forgotten over your period of absence, I am an adult who is capable of making her own decisions.“

A muscle in Frank's cheek twitched but he said nothing. Jabbing a finger into his shoulder, you pulled a stern look straight from your bag of teacher tricks, staring him down. ”I will let you through this door to talk but if either of you start brawling in my home, you're out on the street, got it?“

Confidence wavering, Frank's posture relaxed ever so slightly, looking like an attack dog who had been given a hold command--frustrated and miffed, but no longer snarling. He nodded once, stepping back to allow you to retract your arm.

”Matthew?“ You asked over your shoulder, still blocking the doorway as you waited for both parties to agree.

“I'm sorry, sweetheart. What was the question?“ You didn't need to crane your neck to see Matt's proud expression, feigning innocence as he silently challenged Frank from afar.

You and Frank both snorted in disbelief. Frank's lips opened but you beat him to the punch. ”Try again, Murdock.“

With a displeased grumble, Matt muttered his assent. ”Fine.”

Ha. Teacher voice: 1, unruly vigilantes: 0.

Nodding in approval, you finally released your rigid stance, standing on your tiptoes to peck Frank on his damp cheek. “C'mon in. I'll grab you a towel.”

Taglist: @marytheweefrenchie @cheshirecat484 @siampie @gracethyomen @xxdrixx

[1-800-local-slut]

Sapphic Secrets

Morgan thinks Elle has a boyfriend. He missed the mark just a bit.

Elle Greenaway x Black! Fem! SSA! Reader

This takes place before the last one shot I wrote about Elle, you can read it here!

Warnings: Elle gets teased a bit, this is short because I'm literally half asleep right now but I wanted to do this, I'm working on something for Reid sent around this same time so I kinda tease it here, Elle is head over heels for reader, I think for Elle I'm gonna make the BAU readers its own thing if that makes any sense, reader and Elle kiss at work, fluff, not proof-read, we die like men

(I'm so in love with this woman it's unhealthy, like I can't explain. I can't believe she isn't in the show but she's like so...aughhhh I need her biblically. I'm literally about to become an Elle page 😭)

༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻

"You got a boyfriend?" Elle rolled her eyes at the question, smiling at the message that she just finished reading.

'I packed lunch for you this morning, left it in the fridge in the break room. Make sure you heat it up properly.'

"What?" She asked, her neck snapping away from her phone.

"Elle has a boyfriend." Morgan chuckled to Spencer, who was sliding his lanky self into his desk chair.

"What's your proof?" Elle found herself challenging. It wasn't a lie, she didn't have a boyfriend. She had something else, something (or someone, but she kept that to herself) way better.

"You're smiling at your phone. I've never seen you smile so hard." Elle raised a brow in a chuckle. If it was any other day she would have had a meaner remark. Today though, she was in a good mood.

"That's your proof? Please, what type of profiling is this?" She laughed and glanced over at Reid. Elle grinned at Reid who smiled down at his desk. Reid seemed pretty pleased himself lately. It seemed like love was in the air for the BAU. Like Cupid shot all of his arrows and struck all of them square in the chest.

Gideon was overheard ordering a gift for a lady friend, Hotchner and Haley seemed closer than ever, Derek was being Derek, Spencer basically skipped in on cloud nine earlier this week, JJ was talking to a sexy barista, and Garcia was in a very committed and happy relationship with herself. Maybe the mutual happiness the team shared wasn't permanent, but Elle was sure to relish in it.

The sound of a heels clacking broke Elle from her thoughts. Turning, she saw her standing behind Elle's desk. Hands behind her back, her curls were styled into a high puff. Her edges were slicked down perfectly. Her lashes were full, her new mascara that she told her about worked perfectly. Her lips were a deep, matte red as well. Elle wanted to test if it was kiss proof.

Would it smudge if Elle pressed her lips to hers thousands of times? Would it stain Elle's face, messing up her own carefully done makeup in the process?

"A boyfriend? I hope he doesn't distract you from your work, Agent Greenaway." Elle rolled her eyes, hearing the playful lit in her girlfriends voice.

"You too?" Elle asked, taking a sip of her coffee with a raised brow. Her girlfriend nodded down at her.

"See? I'm not alone here." Derek doubled down playfully.

"Your basis is that I grinned! Gideon would find better proof and there isn't any to be found." She couldn't stop laughing. Not just because of some light teasing from her good friend. No, because the source of her happiness for the past few months was standing right behind her.

She wanted to blush and giggle with her the way she did a few weeks ago. Sadly, she was at work. Not in her apartment eating maroons that they got from their little trip to New York.

A shuffling noise was heard, and Elle saw her girlfriend holding a brown folder. Holding it up, she shook it gently. Even a new case couldn't kill her good mood.

Reid and Morgan got up at the same time, the group making their way towards the briefing room. Elle noticed a bright grin on Spencer's face, quickly tapping away at his cell phone and it made her happy for him. It was good that Reid was maybe talking to someone. Or maybe it was his mom, who knows? Either way she was happy to see the young man smiling.

Then Elle felt a slight tug on her sleeve and she turned, letting Morgan and Reid pass her bye. Pulling her to the side, Elle blinked trying to meet her girlfriends eyes. Instead, she saw her girl was scanning the room for something.

"JJ, can you take this to the briefing room for me? I need Elle's help with something real fast." The woman called the blonde, who was fixing her headband into place as she walked to the briefing room.

"Sure, are you two alright?" JJ smiled, taking the folder out of her hands.

"Yes, we'll be there in a few moments." Elle nodded, feeling the heat of her girlfriends body. She just realized how closely behind her she was standing and it made her heart flutter.

"Alright, see you two in minute. Don't take too long, Hotchners gonna want his coroner there." Examining the folder, she took off. Her eyes quickly flooded the pages and absorbing as much information as she could.

Without a word, the taller woman started to walk down the hall. For some reason, she gave Elle small glances only but mostly kept her eyes focused. The two stopped at an empty conference room and with a click the door flew open for the two.

"Is something wrong?" Elle asked, shutting the door behind them. Her heart jumped a bit, anxiety building. No way she was actually jealous. It was all jokes, nothing serious.

"So, a boyfriend?" She asked teasingly, leaning against the table. There was a beat of silence, and then they broke out into a fit of laughs.

She was over here worrying like she didn't know nothing could crack her level headed girlfriend. She was always even tempered, even face down with the weirdest unsubs. Her work persona at least. She was a lot more animated at home.

"Really? I was here worrying you were mad at me!" Elle exclaimed, swatting her on her shoulder, only for her hand to be caught. She was pulled into a tight but comforting grasp.

One arm wrapped around her waist and the other holding her hand they were almost dancing. Oh God, she didn't want to deal with a murderer right now. She wanted to return to her apartment with her and spend the day cuddling amongst other things.

"Here I was scared I was the side piece. So who is he? Is he cute?" Her voice low and teasing, before she pressed a kiss to Elle's nose.

"He's so handsome, you wouldn't believe it. He even has a nice ass." Elle teased before using her free hand to pinch her soft, plump backside.

"Man, I'll have to kick his ass."

"Gross, you sound like a dude."

A soft hum was her response before her lips were enveloped in a passionate kiss. For twenty seconds their lips were pressed together before they pulled apart.

"So what was this all about?" Elle asked, pushing her hair out of her eyes. Her girlfriends eyes rolled up to the sky as if she was deep in thought. Elle tilted her head in confusions while she waited for some sort of response.

"You look good, I wanted to kiss you." With a shrug, she smiled down at her as if it was basic knowledge.

"Funny. I had the same thought." Seizing her by her shirt collar, she went in for kiss number two.

Work be damned, this was her number one priority at the moment.

[2kverrr]

MATT TAYLOR - Dating Headcanons

UNTIL DAWN || Matt Taylor x Reader

like every other year, the washington family open up their lodge to their teenagers for the winter. everybody had been waiting for this time of year, booze all week long, no rules, only friends, snowfights, blasting music in the middle of nowhere - to put it shortly, it's haven.

big movie nights on the big projector with hot chocolates and lots and lots of booze

you and matt had been plotting activities since summer, dodgeball in the main living area - come on, it's massive. what else are you meant to do in a room that big?

sledding - even if it meant falling off the edge of a cliff, its all apart of the fun.

matt loved making plans with you, you've never been too sure why, because you're not very punctual, you're an extremely dangerous driver and quite forgetful.

he's an attractive guy, sporty and in shape, really kind; it was a mystery to you why he was still single. it's not like girls actually go for brains anymore - you don't think so anyway.

secretly the group were rooting for the two of you, you oblivious of course, but matt had planned this all out, all fun and games but then you 'accidentally' trip or 'accidentally' fall and in desperate need of a knight in shining armour, then that's where he comes in, heroic and masculine, you are immediately in love with him, you get married, move to fiji and have 4 kids (the first of the bunch HAD to be called matt. jr). it's pretty specific.

it's the day of the winter break we'd all been waiting for, mike had already prepped matt for this big breakthrough. mike slaps his hand onto his face and slowly drags it drown with a grown, "bro, stop being such a pussy - worst she can say is no. no?" the two continue to stroll towards the lodge, slightly unsure where they were headed in the snowy atmosphere. “yeah, i get that,” he replied, his voice barely above a whisper, “but what if she laughs at me?” the thought made his stomach twist uneasily, and he shot mike a frantic glance. you knew matt's used to being the object of jealousy, he's much like mike in that sense, he doesn't have to do much to be adored by people. “dude, she’s not some goddess in a tower,” mike said, rolling his eyes. “she's just a girl! think about it. you’ve spent half your life being friends, spilling deepest and darkest secrets, spending the majority of your time together - hell even your distant family have nicknames for him. "god damn it man! you know her better than anyone, so you should be first to know how she'd react.” matt shoved his hands into his pockets, trying to portray an air of confidence he didn’t truly feel. “just be yourself. you’ve got this.” he whispers, spotting you exiting from the ski lift, patting matt on the shoulder and leaving him with you.

the walk up was oddly awkward, in fact the first 3 days were uncomfortable with the curly-headed boy.

of course, that did not stop you from getting black out drunk every night. day drinking faded into beer pong, then faded into shot competitions, then another cheeky drink when you woke up to prevent any hangover.

matt tried his hardest to get you to lay off the drink, but automatically josh would interrupt and tempt you even more.

it had to be past midnight at this rate, ashley fell asleep on the couch with chris, beth gently placing a blanket over the two of them. sam was attempting to defuse a row between mike and emily as hannah observed hopefully, while josh was falling asleep mid-conversation with jess - embarrassing. all while you were basically fighting matt to grab the bottle out of his hands. “give!” you reach out, but just like every other time, matts long arms push at your shoulder to keep your distance. you huff, stumbling back with half closed eyes, “cocksucker. i’ll find something else. hell - i’d eat crack if josh had any.” you remark with flailing arms. you had promised yourself a good time, a good time that didn’t involve battling your best friend for a taste of liquor. "come on, how about we go find the biggest bed for you to sleep in, i'm sure emily won't notice." his eyebrows raise, awaiting your drunken response. your mouth drops in a shocked manor and your eyebrows furrow as though your offended, "wow - matt, nice going." you try to cross your arms but you end up stumbling into the counter, the boy's hands immediately reach out to stabilise you. "it'd take a lot more than that to take me to bed, thank you very much, mr taylor." you scold, trying to inject a sense of indignation into your slurred words. the room felt like it was swaying gently; perhaps it was the alcohol or maybe just your overwhelming desire to keep your balance. you glared at matt, half-heartedly trying to regain your composure, but the corners of your mouth couldn't help but twitch into a smirk.

you couldn't remember much after that, besides the blinding light bursting through the curtains beaming into your eyes, only a single silhouette there to block it.

you're quite used to getting black out drunk, in fact you've got a casual routine, wake up, hole into your head until you stumble towards the cabinet wherever you are, managing to grab some sort of pill. lie in the bath - this is a crucial step. no water besides from when you awkwardly attempt to drink some from the tap. eventually you throw up the pills you'd taken, so you take a few more. at this point you should be okay to get up and carry on with your day.

you tell yourself this is how it’s meant to be; the routine is as much a part of your identity as the lingering pallor in your cheeks. you’ll put on a brave face, mask the chaos with a smile, and carry on with your day, ever-so-slightly hopeful that today might be different.

though you're not so used to going on a three day bender, every drink you consume having at least a drop of some form of alcohol. so your routine didn't exactly apply.

"hey," a voice whispers, slowly placing a cold cloth on your head, “you okay?” it’s light and gentle, a contrast to the erratic thrum inside your skull.

you squint against the light and the silhouette shifts, revealing matt, but this time with a softer expression, worry etched into the corners of his eyes. “you were insane last night,” he says, half-smiling, half-concerned. matt takes a deep breath, the worry still lingering in his eyes, and leans back in his chair, allowing you some space.

“seriously, what were you thinking?” he asks, his tone shifting to something more serious.

“you can’t just push yourself like that, especially when you know you haven’t slept in days.” the warmth of his concern wraps around you, thick and palpable, grounding you even as the room spins slightly.

"shit, " you roll over, while trying to sit yourself up, "i'm really sorry" your hands slowly and deeply massage your face, "can't remember a thing."

matt softly chuckles, placing his hands onto the arm rests, “well, where to begin? you were fighting me for a drink. scolded me for tying to sleep with you, which was the opposite of what i was doing. you searched the house for cigarettes and eventually gave up and tried to uber 3 bricks of coke to the lodge. erm… you threw up in the hot tub, on the counter, on emily, on me and i think a bit of miles show when you threw up on emily for the second time.”

you suppress a groan, sinking back into the chair as matt’s words cascade over you, each one accompanied by an embarrassing flashback that jolts through your mind like electric shocks.

"what?" it was all you could say. frozen and still in your own embarrassment.

“oh! and let’s not forget the part where you tried to convince jessica that she was actually a mystical mermaid forced on earth to enchant her way into human hearts."

you open your mouth to speak but the curly-haired boy continues.

“-not quite done yet, darling. you couldn’t let go of this ‘mermaid theory’, convinced you could see jess’s scales. so you flung your drink at her and then yelled ‘be free, my aquatic queen’ right in her face.”

you wince, burying your head in your hands. “for fuck's sake, please tell me you're lying,” you let out a muffled groan. matt's infectious laughter rings in your ears, despite your mortification and god awful pain you're in.

matt leans forward, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “and after your mermaid debacle, you decided to perform a dramatic interpretation of 'under the Sea' from The Little Mermaid for the whole living room."

you immediately butt in, "liar!" you rarely ever laugh in front of your friends, never mind whatever this is.

"i swear I’ve never seen sam laugh and cry at the same time.” he shakes his head, barely able to contain his amusement as he gestures broadly, “you were flapping your arms like a fish out of water, and the way you-“

you roll your eyes, “enough!” you raise your voice, a slight anger in your tone as your embarrassment begins to ebb. you immediately feel bad for the once giddy boy, "sorry, i don't usually tend to have hangovers this bad…" you say, a hand attempting to tame the pounding in you heard, you put the boy at ease with a smile, "…did i at least have a good audience?"

"an audience of friends who might never look at you the same way again,” he teases, but his smile is warm and understanding. “but hey, that’s what makes us family, right? You do something outrageous, and we love you for it. maybe not jess… or emily. but the rest of us do. i love you.” his words hang in the air, unsure of their stance, good bad? neither of you knew.

“you love me?” you manage to say, half teasing and half genuinely astonished, heart fluttering uncomfortably in your chest.

he briefly fixes his posture, shuffling in his seat, “maybe. even thought you can be a bitch and you have a slight alcohol issue, you’re still lovable.”

you take a moment to take a note of reality, the mess on the floor, presumably caused by you. your hair was unspeakable, makeup smudged, deep and heavy eye bags, one of your lashes hanging off your cheek while your other was probably exploring the outside, it’s definitely… a look.

“even after all this?” you wave down your body and across the room

he leans forward, fiddling with his thumbs, eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that makes your heart race. “that’s exactly it,” he says gently, “you’re unpredictable, messy and unapologetically you, and i think it’s fucking awesome. you’re so… so, so, so real.”

his sincerity makes the room feel smaller, as it the weight of his words could encircle you both in an element of quiet intimacy. you can throw but smile, your heart swelling. “so, what does this mean for us?” you query hopefully.

“maybe it’s the start of something new.”

you made the bold decision to lay off of the drink for your own sake (also because it took you the rest of the week to recover) - instead you’d accompany matt in whatever he was up to.

mike felt a bit disappointed that his pep talk was wasted on a sappy conversation rather than a manly knight in shining armour act.

jess eventually forgave you, insuring you tell her everything about the two of you. emily would occasionally listen in nonchalantly as she clearly hadn’t forgave you for the sick-tuation (get it? i’m so sorry)

matt takes pride in waking you up with a drink or some food, it’s a bit difficult when your only options are out of the washingtons’ sparse cabinets.

you had to make a slight change in your ‘how you got together’ story when meeting his parents, either way they loved you, and thought you were a great reason for matt to take his laser focus off of football.

speaking of football, you’re at every game wearing some old spare shirt he had laying around.

when he first met your parents, god it was something you should’ve prevented. matt sides with your mum’s every word, dishes, staying out too late, waking up too early. honestly everything and anything.

he’s easily the most caring, you’re always on his mind, your wants, your needs, what you’re doing, how you’re doing.

in return you help him study, you’re not much smarter, but with matt, you find fun in the coursework.

[alittlextrathatway]

Line: "I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home." Location: a friend's wedding.

Let’s go with rom-com style AU meet cute.

***

Destination weddings are awkward. At least Sylvie thinks so. She doesn’t know many of Joe’s friends. Joe and Otis have been like her brothers since college. They were there for her in a pinch after Harrison kicked her out of their apartment and the three of them have looked out for each other ever since.

They don’t see each other in person as often as they want, but they make time for group FaceTimes at least once a week. Joe’s soon-to-be wife has become one of Sylvie’s best friends. Chloe is amazing and perfect for Joe. Otis thinks so too. She’s been a refreshing addition to their weekly calls.

Sylvie’s excited to hang out with her in person. As a bridesmaid, she’ll have plenty of opportunity. Her plane hits the ground and stops at the jetway. She immediately stands, opening the overhead compartment to retrieve her garment bag. Sacrificing checking a bag for her dress was a no brainer. Everything in her luggage can be replaced. The dress cannot.

As she turns toward the aisle to deplane, there’s a guy across from her who motions for her to go ahead. He’s also holding a garment bag.

“Thanks,” she says, smiling as she adjusts the shoulder strap on her tote.

“Sure,” he replies, nodding toward her garment bag and grinning. “I’m guessing you’re here for a wedding too?”

She chuckles, looking over her shoulder at him as she ambles forward. “Bridesmaid.”

“Groomsmen.”

“How many weddings do you think happen in Hawaii on any given day?” She asks. As she looks back at him again she finally takes a moment to catalogue his features.

He’s cute. Too cute. Dark blonde hair, blue eyes, well defined jaw. Adorable crinkles at the corners of his eyes when he smiles. There’s a fluttering in her stomach as his stare holds hers. He seems to be feeling it too, judging by the way his lips part and his breathing hitches. Getting caught up in him is easy. There’s no stopping it. She doesn’t even notice she’s stopped walking until the older lady behind her new crush clears her throat.

They break the eye contact at the sound and he finally answers her joking question. “At least a couple dozen. I’d be shocked at anything less than that.”

She steps further down the aisle as she responds. “That’s a lot of weddings.”

“It’s paradise. Who doesn’t want to get married in paradise?”

“Fair point.”

Once they’re back in the airport and there’s no risk of them holding anyone up, they stop to face each other.

“I’m Matt,” he says holding out his hand for a shake.

She accepts, squeezing gently. Her hand fits perfectly in his. She doesn’t remember ever noticing how her hand fit with anyone else’s before, but she notices with Matt. “Sylvie.”

Reluctantly, they release hands. At least she can be sure she’s not the only one feeling whatever is they’re feeling. “Nice to meet you, Sylvie. You mind if I walk with you to baggage claim?”

“Don’t mind at all.”

“So, where did you fly in from?” He asks as they walk.

“Wisconsin. You?”

“Chicago.”

“Oh, I love Chicago,” she tells him, hopping slightly in her next step. “I’ve always wanted to live there.”

In fact, Joe and Otis are trying to help her do just that. There’s an open paramedic position in the CFD. She applied for it yesterday. It’s a long shot, but Milwaukee was never where she saw herself in the long term. It was just her only guaranteed way to avoid moving back home after college. She loves her family, but back then she wouldn’t have been able to handle being that close to Harrison again.

“Have you ever visited?” Matt asks.

“No, but I plan to. My best friends live there. They’ve been promising me a tour for years.”

“It’s a great town. My favorite town, actually.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you live there then.”

Matt laughs, Sylvie loves the sound of his laugh. She can’t explain it, but she gets the impression he’s not the type to laugh often enough. If she were in his life, she’d make sure he laughed at least once a day.

They make it to baggage claim, where chaos awaits them. Their bags showed up at the carousel early and there’s already a mad scramble for bags and cabs. There’s no more time to chat but they try to help each other spot their bags. Matt’s never comes around. She would wait with him, but Chloe’s expecting her for a brunch with the other bridesmaids.

She’s not ready to say goodbye yet, but they don’t seem to have much of a choice.

“I should go talk to the airline about my bag.” He sounds frustrated. It should be because of his suitcase, but for some reason she’s not sure that’s why.

“Of course. I should get going anyway. I’ve got a lunch I can’t be late for.” She bites back a disappointed sigh as she rests her hand on the handle of her rolling bag. “I hope they find your suitcase.”

“Me too.” He steps closer, meeting her eyes. There’s a pause and his lips move as if he wants to say more. The words that come out of his mouth, don’t match the yearning look on his face. “It was nice to meet you, Sylvie. You made even the stress of lost luggage a little bit better.”

She chuckles and blushes slightly. “I’m not sure that’s true. But thank you.”

She waits for him to ask for her number or give her any sign he wants to stay in touch, but as the silence stretches on awkwardness descends. Matt fidgets and clears his throat. A clear sign the moment is over.

Oh well, it was a fun fantasy while it lasted. She waves, unable to stop her sadness from effecting the gesture, and then turns her back on him and walks away.

She finds a car and makes it to her hotel just in time to change for lunch. As she’s heading out the door, Chloe calls to tell her they’ve had a slight change in plan. The morning has been difficult and Chloe needs a little time to distress so they’re combining the bridesmaid’s brunch with the groomsmen’s late lunch.

Fine by Sylvie, she’d like to destress too. Maybe find some fancy Hawaiian sweets to drown her disproportionate sadness in. She doesn’t even know Matt so why does she care that he didn’t ask for her number? She’s never going to see him again. Why is she so bummed?

A couple of hours later, she meets the bridal party in the restaurant, determined to erase Matt from her memory.

Besides, being reunited with Joe and Otis is more important anyway. They see her as she walks into the dining room and come running. She squeals as they sandwich her in bear hugs, lifting her off the ground.

“You’re here!” Otis exclaims.

Joe yanks her away from Otis for his own solo hug. “Thank god. I need someone to use as a buffer for his geek speak.”

“Hey!” Otis says, glaring at him as he links his arm through Sylvie’s and pulls her out of Joe’s arms. “Don’t be that guy who can’t let people enjoy things!”

“Boys!” Chloe yells. “Chill. Give the woman a minute to get a word in.”

“Believe me,” Sylvie tells Chloe as she leaves her best friend’s behind to hug the bride. “I’m used to it. Congrats! I’m so happy the wedding is finally here!”

“Oh my god, me too. I’m ready to have it over and done,” Chloe confesses. “Also, I am dying to introduce you to some of the guy’s from Joe’s firehouse. There’s one in particular that I am certain you’re gonna hit it off with—“

“Chloe,” Joe said sternly.

“Don’t ‘Chloe’ me. I’m right and you know I’m right.” Chloe’s grip on Sylvie’s hand tightens as the door to the restaurant can be heard swinging open behind them. “Oh my god, speak of the devil! Casey! You made it!”

“By the skin of my teeth,” the familiar voice says with a huff. “My suitcase is officially a lost cause.”

Sylvie tenses, eyes widening to the size of saucers. She turns slowly, knowing exactly who she’ll find in when she stops.

He freezes too, grinning slowly as he recognizes her. The relief in his eyes is crystal clear, as is the apology on his face. She wonders what he intends to apologize for exactly.

“Casey, meet Sylvie. She’s Joe and Otis’s college roommate.”

“Casey?” Sylvie asks warily.

“My last name,” he explains. “But feel free to call me Matt.”

“Wow, first name basis already,” Chloe says. “I knew you two would hit it off. That’s why I paired you to walk down the aisle together. It’s gonna be great.”

“Yeah,” Matt says, sweeping his gaze over the length of her. “I think so too.”

Oh, she’s in so much trouble.

Joe, Otis, and Chloe walk back toward their tables and leave Sylvie and Matt to chat.

Matt immediately hands her his phone. “I forgot to ask you for your number earlier. I’m sorry. You won’t believe how stupid I felt after you walked away. It should’ve been the first thing I did once we got off that plane.”

At his apology, her sadness from earlier vanishes. She knew she wasn’t misreading him! He does like her!

She beams at him and nods her agreement as she takes his phone and starts to create a contact for herself. “Yeah, you screwed that one up for sure.”

He laughs nervously and runs a hand through his hair. “Sorry again. I’ll find some way to make it up to you. I promise.”

For some reason, she believes him. He really will make it up to her.

[choasuqeen]

(Ooh, ooh) I thought that fire with fire would burn the problem quicker (ooh, ooh) nightwing and nia meet, the others come in But all this good advice, his hair just grows back thicker (ooh, ooh!) the guards come in and trixi kills one And if I take my own advice the worst just gets here quicker (ooh, ooh!) the others talk to Arrio and Peter about fighting So what's it all supposed to do? the voice's first appearance This fire eats fire and the fire's in you nias shots at the boys And I have nothing here for you maddox recoginzes strike All this water's gone and you everyone arguing over whos going to marinas You've done nothing here for me, except I know that I can't breathe nia backing up and panicking after the force thing And we were talkin' all weekend, I guess I'm mad because I am! various shots of arrio and peter And I've tried this all before, just in my head I'm in control the voices second appearance Which is why the music died arrios flames And we're living out our lives in this hope one day our lives will straighten out! the french in their room And we'll leave town everyone walking into town And we'll get down to business now, will someone tell me who I am? various shots of Maddox trying to lead It's always been a little hard, I wish that you could meet her trixi glaring, and nia nudging her This woman that you have become, you know that she's a keeper maddox explaining to strike who he is and how he knows her Except you keep her under wraps in case someone should break her the scene where arrio tells the others about nias secret It's dirty in this world, it's true christine pulling arrio behind her I wish I could and she does too raoul crying, then him sleeping in christines lap And I have nothing here for you matt talking to peter All this water's gone and you nia hugging sploto in the forest You've done nothing here for me, except I know that I can't breathe maddoxs nightmares And we were talkin' all weekend, I guess I'm mad because I am! trixi punching maddox in the stomach And I've tried this all before, just in my head I'm in control matt listening to everyones heartbeats Which is why the music died nia shooting matt We're living out our lives in this hope one day our lives will straighten out! strike and maddox in their room And we'll leave town nightwing falling asleep And we'll get down to business now, will someone tell me who I am? the group hug I believe the good wore out and pain does have it's purpose trixi and matt sparring It seems a little silly now, that you would just desert us the kids all saying they trust each other I know that everything you do, things happen for a reason nia suggesting doing what the voice says But give me something good, a sign, I need something to believe in! maddox hoping on the force And I have nothing here for you raoul saying its his fault to christine All this water's gone and you nia offering cookies to everyone You've done nothing here for me, except I know that I can't breathe peter and strike hugging, then peter saying hes scared And we were talkin' all weekend, I guess I'm mad because I am! raoul yelling about secrets And I've tried this all before, just in my head I'm in control random scenes of nightwing, from beginning to now Which is why the music died maddox saying the guards head is empty We're living out our lives in this hope one day our love will straighten out! shots of trixi holding nia And we'll leave town arrio arguing that he should stay on the mission to marinas And we'll get down to business now, will someone tell me who I am? shots of everyones faces looking scared, a final shot of the sky

a fake amv plan for the song Fire With Fire for chrumblr rp

[magicalqueennightmare]

Sins & Amends Chapter 47

Billy Russo x Female Reader (60 part story)

This follows pre- the punisher into the storyline of daredevil, punisher season 1 and beyond

This is NOT Canon Billy. This is decent human being Billy left with bad options over worse decisions

This was also posted to A03 under: WaywardGaPeach. That account and this one is the only place you'll see me post this. If you see it on any other platform/account know it's not me.

Chapter Summary/Warnings: Everyone slowly starts to adjust to Billy being home

Waking up the next morning after Billy met Adi was one of the most surreal things you'd ever experienced. You half expected it to be a dream but the missing photo from her birthday you'd given him and the fact that "Daddy" was every other word out of her mouth told you it had actually happened. 

"Daddy started working today with Uncle Frank, Uncle Curt and Uncle David. He'll be busy but I'll call and see if he can stop by later ok?" You told her while the two of you rode the elevator down. Sarah had texted you when she pulled up so you wanted to get downstairs before any meter maids came around. You didn't want to tell her no that she couldn't see him but you also knew you couldn't handle diving in head first and seeing Billy daily quite yet. 

You spotted Sarah standing next to her van just outside the door of your apartment building and smiled. Adi's safety seat was strapped in behind the passenger side so you picked her up to put her in it.

"Yet again thank you for watching her so much Sarah. It means the world to me to be able to leave her with someone I trust" you spoke over your shoulder after checking the straps twice. She smiled "I enjoy having a little one around again. Perks of being aunt instead of mom is I get to spoil" 

Adi's face brightened up a half second before she said "I met daddy" Sarah who you knew had been side stepping talking about it for your benefit smiled big "You did baby? Did you show him the Lions and coco?" She nodded "I did!" "that's great sweet girl" Sarah shot you a look and you shrugged then mouthed "went ok considering" she gave an understanding smile then said "Well Adi let's let mommy get going so she's not late ok?" 

You leaned into the van and kissed Adi's forehead "I love you babygirl. Be good for aunt Sarah" "love you" she said with a wide grin then plucked Coco up from her side and started telling her a story. You slid the door shut then turned to Sarah "needless to say yesterday was interesting and she may talk about Billy a lot today or at least until you put a disney movie in" 

She laughed then her face fell a bit "No problem but how are you handling it?" You shrugged again "I don't know honestly. I mean he showed up early so it went kind of like bam you're a father!" She grimaced and said "Did it get better?" You thought about the question for a moment then finally nodded "Yeah. We talked a little. He knows all I want is for Adi to have every person who will love her in her life. He's already head over heels for her but I guess one step at a time right?" 

"All you can do. Remember if you ever need to talk I'll listen too. I know you and Karen are closer but I love you girls too" you smiled and pulled her into a hug "I know Sarah. You're all family to us too" you checked your phone and made a face at the time "I gotta get going. I'll see you tonight when I get off. Call if you need me before then" 

You watched them pull away from the curb before you turned around to walk the few blocks to the EMS station. Sarah would've given you a ride but as long as the day was clear you liked the walk besides some nights after pulling a longer shift it was too late to ask anyone to come out and pick you up.

Of course Frank would show up to walk with you or Matt and if Curtis couldn't come give you a ride home he'd send Candance or one of the vets you knew from group. You really needed to go ahead and buy a car because after the incident when you'd first went back to squad after having Adi none of them were keen on taking chance as far as you were concerned. 

You imagined Frank getting someone to drop him off so he could ride to your building with you and make sure you got inside safe and that caused a laugh to escape your lips.

Your day pretty much went by without incident. Yeah you responded to two overdoses and a stabbing before lunch but hell that was a normal day on squad.

Your thoughts kept circling back around to the fact of how the hell you were supposed to keep the routine you'd laid in place for yourself and Adi but somehow fit Billy into it. Alice caught you just staring into a cup of coffee and pushed your feet down off the chair you'd propped them up on when she walked up so she could take the chair. 

"So how are we doing?" You cut your eyes up at her and she snickered in that way only she could "That well huh? Well how did Billy take the news? Is he a proud papa or was it a knock down?" You leaned back in your chair to stare at the ceiling making a mental note to let next shift that had taller people on schedule know that the roof seriously needed to be cleaned. 

"Well he showed up before Karen picked up Adi so I sort of answered the door assuming he was Karen so we were standing there staring at each other when Adi screamed mommy from her room"

She grimaced much the same way Sarah had "and how did that go over?" You ran a hand over your face then finally met her eyes "Oh Adi recognized him as daddy. She dove into his arms and they hugged about five minutes before I suggested she go get Coco to show him. That bought long enough for him to ask her name and a few words to get passed between us" "and then?" she asked.

 "Then she took him on a tour of her room while I had a mini freak out in the hallway and Karen calmed me down. Then Adi got us to sit down and watch Lion King with her and fell asleep then once I put her down we talked some more. He's got a place a couple blocks from mine.

Something that was furnished until he gets back on his feet and Curt got him a cell phone plus it's after one and he's been working in the same building as Frank and we haven't got a call to respond so that's a plus" 

She laughed and patted your leg "See told ya it'll all work out" and ducked before you could swing at her shoulder. "Remind me why I have had you as a partner this long?" You teased and she grinned "Cause you fucking love me! That's why" 

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

You were throwing everything back in your bag to head home when your phone rang. You glanced down at it to see it was Frank "Hey Frank. Something wrong?" You answered and heard him laugh gruffly "No sweetheart nothing's wrong. Was just wondering if you wanted to grab a cup of coffee before you head home. Karen said she'll meet Sarah at your place to get Adi" he didn't sound like anything was too wrong so you said "sure I'm actually packing up now" 

"I figured. Karen's been at your place for ten minutes and the cab just dropped me off out front. I'll be waiting by the door" he replied then hung up. You shook your head then grabbed your bag and headed out.

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

Alice was climbing into Kenzie's passenger seat when she spotted you "Hey who's meeting you?" She hollered across the parking lot then saw Frank walk up next to you and waved at him "Glad she's in good hands! Night you two!"

Once they pulled off you looked back at Frank "Diner?" He nodded "lead the way" the two of you walked in silence most of the way until he finally said "How'd he take it? Yeah I've been around him all day and didn't ask" you hadn't expected any deep heartfelt conversations between him and Billy but it surprised you he hadn't asked about something where Adi was concerned.

At the look on your face he added "I just ain't ready to talk to him outside of work shit yet. I asked Curt what he thought but I'd rather hear it from you" you ran down what happened once again leaving the more emotional parts out. 

By the time you got to the diner Frank asked "So he's gonna step up right?" You nodded "Yeah I think so" "Good then maybe I made the right call by going along with this" You walked into the diner first and headed for a corner booth giving Frank the seat with the wall at his back so he'd be more comfortable.

"What's working with him like so far?" You asked after taking a sip of coffee. Frank grunted then said "I barely saw him today. Nelson was there helping to finalize a lot of shit. Tomorrow we'll probably start working closer" you nodded then barely glanced at Frank before asking "are you sure you're ok with all this?" 

He went quiet for a few moments then finally said "Only way to know is to give him enough rope to hang himself. I just know he better act right where little bit is concerned" you smiled at his protective tone and said "I'm hoping he does. She was happy to meet him"

"She deserves anyone who'll love her being in her life" he agreed then raised an eyebrow "How are you handling it?" You laughed then admitted "in stride, pretty much like I do everything"

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

The two of you were almost back to your place when your phone went off with a text alert so you dug it out while you walked and clicked to read it. It was from the number you'd saved for Billy and read "Not gonna ask if i can come over again tonight. Don't want to crowd you but please give Adi a goodnight kiss from me and tell her daddy loves her"

You smiled and replied "I will definitely do that and thank you for being understanding. Maybe tomorrow night? She'll be at Frank and Karen's place, I have a twenty four hour shift. This change in routine is gonna take some getting used to for everyone"

You started to slide your phone back into your pocket considering the two of you were coming up to your apartment building but it went off again so you checked it to see it was another text from Billy "I've had a lot more distance and time between me and someone I love. Anything worth having is worth the effort right? I'll call tomorrow before I come to make sure it's ok. Good night Y/N" 

You took a deep breath and texted back "good night Billy"  then slid your phone into your pocket and followed Frank inside.

Billy sat staring at his phone after you'd sent him a good night text. He didn't know how to handle all of this. He was out in the free world, working for Homeland security of all places and a father.

Most of his day had been spent in a conference room surrounded by lawyers and agents. Nelson was good at what he did and a friend of yours to boot so he listened to what he had to say but all day his mind kept wandering. What were you doing? What was Adi doing? Just seeing you again had been shock enough then finding out about her had been so far out the realm of what he ever thought would've been a possibility.

"Billy? You good man?" Curtis asked as he sat down across from him and glanced at the phone he still held in his hand. He nodded and finally laid the phone down on the table next to him "Yeah just asked Y/N to give Adi a goodnight kiss for me and tell her I love her" "She already did that every night since Adi's been old enough to understand what she's saying" Curt said with a shrug then glanced back towards the tv where some random show was playing. 

Billy hadn't exactly kept up on stuff like that. "Why did you agree to the deal? Any of you. Why is she letting me be a part of our daughter's life? I don't deserve any of this" Billy glanced around the small living room they were sitting in. 

It wasn't the most luxurious apartment by any means but he had what he needed. It'd came furnished and Curtis had somehow ended up with his clothes from his old place or some of them anyways so he wasn't in need of anything material anyways.

"What you just said proves you deserve a second chance. She loves you man whether she admits it to anyone, even if she doesn't admit it to herself. Her feelings for you might have changed some but they're just as strong as they've always been. Adi deserves everyone who will love her. As for Homeland and all of us? Your skills add to the team. Frank is apprehensive which is understandable but he's trying a new start with Karen so that means trying to move forward. Give it time" 

Billy shook his head with a smirk. Even outside of meetings Curt still talked the same. Always being the most level headed in a group and born to help people. Had Billy been more like him what would've happened differently? "Your girl ok with you being here?" He asked after a minute and Curtis nodded "Her words were make sure him and Frank are good if not I'd hate to see Y/N take your fake leg and beat them both with it for fighting near Adi"

Billy almost choked on the sip of water he'd just drank "Yeah she would do it too. She's an amazing mom" "You'll be a good dad. You already got the love for her after a day" he knew Curtis was trying to assure him but he still felt so lost. 

Frank was the only person he knew that had ever had kids and he damn sure couldn't reach out to him for questions.He glanced over at Curtis before asking "If I have questions would you ask Frank?" "Why can't you?" He asked then rolled his eyes at the look Billy gave him "Yeah I'll ask him but he's gonna know they're coming from you. Any I can help you with?"

"What Adi's favorite color? Her favorite bed time story? I missed so much and yesterday we didn't get far past disney movies and her stuffed wolf" Curtis nodded and started mulling over every small detail he knew about Adi from her favorite fish at the aquarium to her favorite type of ice cream. "But she's only fourteen months. You still have a lot of firsts you can be there for" 

"I'm not fucking up this chance Curt. I love Y/N more than I ever thought I could love someone. Even in the hospital she was the only thing clear in all the fucking wreckage in my brain. I could remember us being together and happy. I could remember how she'd write me when we were deployed and how she kissed me when we got back. Now to know that we're parents? I never knew I could love someone I just met but when Adi called me Daddy and threw herself into my arms I've never felt anything like it" 

Curtis grinned at him and said "Sounds like you're on a good path brother. Just stay on it"

"What has Frank said? I mean about Billy and all this?" You asked Karen balancing your phone between your ear and shoulder while you walked to your bunk in the station house. You were exhausted and had pulled two double shifts back to back. 

You'd been home long enough to see Adi and grab a shower which had actually made things easier for you because it meant Billy and Adi got to see each other more without you having to be in the middle but it'd also meant Billy having to go to Frank's place to see her.

"I don't know really. I mean he sees Billy trying. He's doing good at work. He's keeping up with seeing Adi when he's supposed to and he's giving you a wide enough berth to let you catch your breath. Frank is Frank you've known him longer than I have. He's good with you regardless and I think eventually the two of them may be ok. They both love Adi and you so they have neutral ground at least" you groaned slightly but didn't let it show in your voice when you said "Have I mentioned I love you Page?" 

Her laugh sounded like she'd let out a breath she'd been holding before she said "Daily. Just know I love you too and we'll get through this. It's already been a week and no big blow ups yet so that's good. Get some rest and have a safe rest of your shift. I'll see you in the morning. I'll bring babygirl and coffee" "Night Karen" "Goodnight Y/N"

You laid the phone down between your bunk and Alice's where you both kept a charging pad for electronics. Maybe you could get a little sleep before the alarms chimed again. 

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

You felt like you'd just closed your eyes when the alarm rang out. You were pulling your jacket on about the time Alice stepped to the door "C'mon partner. Let's get on it"

Billy stood in front of Frank and Karen's door trying to get enough nerve to knock. He knew Karen didn't mind him coming to see Adi but him and Frank were still at the point that if the conversation didn't include work they didn't speak. This would be his third time coming here.

He raised his hand to knock about the time the door opened and Frank was standing there looking at him "Bill..were you planning to knock?" "I was working up to it" he said with a half smirk and Frank stepped back to let him in "Adi's in the living room. She's waiting to see you" 

"Thanks Frankie" he said it without thinking and saw Frank's jaw tense. "Don't Frankie me. I do what I do for her and Y/N" Billy knew he should let it go but he also knew Frank needed to get it out. 

"Frank you have every right to hate me. You have every right to want to finish what you started yet instead of putting a bullet in my head you've gave me copies of her favorite bedtime stories even if they came through Curt. Why?"

Frank nodded then leaned back in the door "Karen we'll be inside in a second" "Ok" she called back so he shut the door then turned back to Billy and threw a hard punch. Billy staggered a bit then rubbed his jaw as Frank asked "Did that knock some sense into you cause I need you to listen good" 

A small sense of relief washed over Billy. Maybe if they could get everything out moving forward would be easier "Yeah I'm listening" Frank walked closer to him to the point they were nearly nose to nose "I promised Y/N the day she found out she was pregnant she wouldn't ever be alone in it. That little girl in there that looks so much like you she deserves the world. Thing is I know for a fact you don't want her making the mistakes you've made any more than I do. She needs all of us and I'll be damned if she isn't going to get it. Now we're nowhere near where we were but you're doing right by her and not pushing Y/N so we're as good as we're gonna get for now. It's only been a week man. So do you want to go inside and see your babygirl or go home and wallow in whatever self pity shit you got going on?"

Billy bit back a grin and said "I wanna see my babygirl" "Well come on then" Frank opened the door and waved him inside.

When Karen saw the two of them walk inside along with the mark on Billy's jaw she knew something had blew up between them but considering they both walked in the living room where Adi was playing with her stuffed animals she figured it had come to a halfway peaceful solution. 

The next morning you had just stepped out the bathroom from showering when you heard a knock on your door. "Coming!" You hollered and half ran half slid to the door thanks to socked feet on hardwood floor.

You were laughing when you opened the door to find Karen and Adi giggling themselves. "Good morning girls!" You greeted as Adi ran into your arms "Missed you mommy!" you swung her around hugging her tight "I missed you babygirl!"

You sat her back down and she grabbed coco from Karen before hugging her "Love you" "Love you too baby" the two of you watched her toddle off then you glanced back at Karen "Do you have time for coffee?" She smiled and said "Of course"

You headed for the kitchen to start coffee while she sat down at the table. 

"So has Billy coming by been going ok?" "Yeah but um I'm fairly certain Frank may have punched him last night" you had to scramble to not spill coffee all over the floor "What now? What happened?"

She shrugged "Honestly I have no idea but they sat and played with Adi for an hour afterwards so maybe whatever happened needed to?" You shook your head and finished starting the coffee then sat across from her. She watched you for a second before a smirk slipped onto her face "Do you realize how much you still feel for him?" 

You felt your cheeks warm with a blush and averted your eyes from her gaze "I can't Karen. That's water under the bridge at this point. I don't even know what he wants" "Maybe he wants that water high enough to save the bridge before it burns completely" you shook your head with a hollow laugh "Can you ever turn the reporter off? I swear you should be a motivational speaker at times" she laughed at that and shrugged "Admit it or not you know I'm right Y/N" 

"We're miles away from that. I've barely been in the same room as him" you half muttered and she reached across to grab your hand "so invite him to dinner when we're all here. See how it goes" "and Frank will be ok with that?" You asked and she smiled "Yeah he'll be ok with that"

@intothesoul

@weallhaveadestiny

[darkerknowledge]

OPEN DND ONE SHOT ON DISCORD

Hello, I’m planning on running ‘Prisoner 13′ from the upcoming dnd book ‘Keys from the Golden Vault’ on Friday the 17th of February at 6:30 PM CST. I will be the DM. I’m looking for 4-5 people to join me as adventurers! If you are interested, there’s more information below the cut.

How does dnd on discord work? It’s a lot like in person play, I will narrate, you will interact with your fellow party members during exploration/roleplaying. Combat is the only thing different since we won’t have physical battle maps and minis to use.  How will combat work?  I will have a hand drawn map that I will stream via webcam. I don’t paint minis, so it’s a lot of ‘this is a dragon, this is you, what happens?’ Do I have to show my face on discord to a bunch of strangers?  Nope! I won’t be. Are you LGBTQ+ friendly? Yes! Will this be a good space for women? Also yes! Age requirement?  18+ preferred, not out of any explicit reasons, but when everyone is over 18 it makes it easier. If you are younger, let me know as we will talk about it and mention it to the table so nothing inappropriate happens. How much does this cost?  A whopping 0 dollars! Are you a good DM? I had a dnd show for awhile, I wrote content for dnd as a freelancer for a third party publisher for awhile, and I’ve been DMing for four years this summer! I’ve had players stick around long enough to finish 3 campaigns, and that number keeps climbing! I’m not very experienced, is that okay? Sure, as long as your familiar enough with the terminology, we can work together. If you’ve watched a dnd show like Critical Role or Dimension 20, you should be good. I am newbie friendly!  Why are you blazing a post for a one shot?  I want to meet cool dnd friends, and I’m hoping after a trial run of one shots, if we all like each other, it’ll turn into a weekly or biweekly campaign! How long will the game be?  I’m not sure, there’s all sorts of ways the game could be short or go longer. I’ll confer with everyone on how long they can stay, and find a good stopping place if it goes on too long. Then we will do a part 2 if you all want to. You needn’t worry about having to go to bed and the rest of us playing. Will there be a session 0?  Yes and no. For a one shot, I don’t think we need to meet up beforehand, but there will be safety tools in place (such as lines and veils) and what I call ‘hard-no’s’.  What is a hard-no? There are a few things that I as a DM am uncomfortable with running, and therefore won’t. For example, explicit roleplay. This will be covered by a ‘fade to black’ if it even comes up (it probably won’t.) If you had to rate your content like a movie what rating would it be? Pg-13 that allows you to say ‘fuck’ more often than just once. I cuss a lot, but less out of anger and more filling in my sentences.  Can I play homebrew?  Not for a one shot. The limit is officially published classes/subclasses/species/subspecies with stuff Matt Mercer made by approval.  Is there anything banned? Yeah, Silvery Barbs and bigotry. 

What if I want to play the one shot but not the campaign you’re looking to start? Yeah, that’s fine. This isn’t a contract.  Can I talk with the other players to build a better team composition?  If you all are the type of players to want to build a group together, you are more than welcome. However, you should be able to go through the one shot playing whatever you like. I will balance for the party rather than the last person who joins getting pushed to healer if there isn’t one already. Your fun is important! If you want to be a tiefling warlock and we have 2 other warlocks, then who cares? ELDRITCH BLAST FOR DAYS, YO! Can my friend join? Yeah, if there’s room.  What if I really want to play and miss an open slot?  The more the merrier, I say. I’m also building a discord server for dnd nerds to have fun, so you could join that one and play something else! What are your inspirations? I love horror, but this isn’t a horror game. What I like about the fantasy genre is how cinematic it can be. It’s fun to narrate, like jumping in the air and bringing an axe down on the dragon’s head while it tries to shake you off, but you hold on! That’s epic! I love that, but I also love down to earth character moments, too. Your party slayed the ancient dragon and now have its hoard. Do you keep it and run? Do you pay off your debt to the Thieves’ Guild? Or are you Robin Hood types? What happens when all three of those are in the same party? Nicholas Eames, writer of Kings of the Wyld and Bloody Rose, is pretty similar to how my games feel, but with a lot less wink-wink-nudge-nudge third wall breaking.  What if my question wasn’t answered here? I’m here to answer questions. My ask box and my direct messages are open! 

[blueberrypancakesworld]

can you please write a sam x femreader fic?? it can be either fluff or smut pleasee

So dear anon I hope you like it and I hope it was the right Sam from Until Dawn because I really wasn't sure if you meant. If it's another Sam I'm sorry I'll write a new one-shot for you. If it is right I hope you like it and the others too

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

Climbing and sun

warning : fluff

Sam x fem reader

masterlist

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

The winter was seemingly all the time on the mountain and did not seem to want to let go of this. The mountain with the white snow and the snowflakes that lay on seemingly everything. However, the group that normally consisted of the three Washington siblings as well as Emily , Mike , Chris , Jess , Matt , Ashley and Y/n was considerably smaller this time. It was not an official reunion at least not yet.

It was semester break for Sam and her girlfriend Y/n. Only Josh and his sisters as well as Sam and Y/n were on the hut. Respectively they were not even really Sam and Y/n had only used the opportunity to come with them to the mountain to do some sports. The blonde sporty was skiing almost too boring to the chagrin of her friend Y/n who actually just wanted to spend a nice time among friends.

Before fireplace with stories a cocoa drink and maybe something cuddly under blankets. ,,Are you sure you don't just want to have a cup of cocoa?" Y/n tried one last time with Sam. She, however, playfully rolled her eyes. ,,Come on, you grumpy, do your beloved a favor. You can cuddle with her all the time," Josh said, handing her her cap. ,,Hannah, do either of you want to go mountain climbing?" she asked, ignoring the boy, but the two girls demonstratively took a step back into the warmth. ,,You go ahead, we'll make you some cocoa with extra marshmallows," Beth said, and Hannah lifted the bag of marshmallows.

,,Come on you snowflake" called Sam who was already waiting outside. ,,Have fun snowflake" joked Josh who closed the door in her face so she had no chance. Sighing she pushed the cap on her head before she went to Sam and the two walked hand in hand side by side to their destination. ,,Thanks for coming with me," she heard Sam say as it slowly began to snow and stroked her gloved hand. ,,Hey, it's all good, you bravely accompanied me to my pottery class last week," Y/n said, seeing the contrite expression on her face. ,,I'll honor your attempted bowl, I promise," she said quickly and saw Sam smiling.

Together they continued to walk through the light snow. As the flakes fell on them, Sam kept looking at her beloved. How she looked at Sam and they both felt only love for each other. It was a perfect moment. But then came the climb up the cold snow-covered stone. ,,Come on, you can do it!" called Sam, who was already over halfway down and looking down at her friend. I can do it she thought to herself and grabbed another stone. Pulling herself up with strength and again setting the bolt and the pick in the ice, they both made their way further up.

On and on until she finally saw Sam at the top. ,,Come on, I got you," Sam said and held out her hand. With a jerk and a moment later she had reached Sam at the top. Laughing, the two lay in the snow about how they were grabbed by the snow. ,,You are truly a cute snowman," Sam said and rolled over to her friend. Y/n saw Sam brushing snow off her hat. ,,But you melt my heart despite the cold," Sam purred in a seductive voice. ,,I'm your girlfriend thats my job," the younger girl replied giggling and gave Sam a soft kiss on the lips.

It was a kiss of devotion that showed there love , but they broke away. Instead, they sat down, leaning against each other and holding hands, enjoying the view. The sun was just coming out from behind the clouds and bathed the landscape in a beautiful bright light.

The snow glistened and the ice melted slowly. While the couple looked at this spectacle they enjoyed each other. ,,I'm glad I went climbing," Y/n said, leaning her head on Sam's shoulder. ,,And I'm glad I insisted," Sam said with a smile. And Y/n couldn't help but giggle either. It was a beautiful moment. And both knew that there would be more climbing.

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

[nochi-quinn]

campaign 3 episode 38: dice burning party in the parking lot

let's see if I can stay awake this week! 8D

oh matt's gonna be the death of me

"the moment you've all been waiting for" don't speak for me

"my mutant superpower is not knowing what I'm doing" same

I genuinely cannot judge how good or bad matt's accent is, I don't think I've ever heard a good non-native version

excited to see how much of these costumes survive to the end of the episode

especially the gloves, those aren't lasting (or maybe I have second-hand sensory hell)

pike's voice with the gambit eyes sdlkfjsl

matt u should have oiled ur coat

"I'm pretty good at what I do" baking?

alright "what happens if laudna breaks away from delilah" betting pool get ready

I'm gonna cryyyyy

SAM

she does have a pretty good track record, doesn't she

YUP there went the visor off liam

aaand travis' mask

"you deserve to be more than a footnote in delilah's story"

sam

I would have prefered ashton but here we are

"and you loved imogen" sam with the shipper stick

I'm. not okay with this.

sam's characters have a running thread of mental manipulation and I've been cooling on fcg for a while bc of the Enforced Therapy aspect (I don't love the bonded character mechanic either) and just. hnrgh.

I wrote that before the nat 1, too, I just Dislike

[holds a knife on anyone trying to make a joke about laudna's holes]

yeah, LETTERS

ah hell

klsdjflsk

PERCUSSIVE MAINTENANCE

gonna fight matt in a parking lot

CRIES

bonus content for any jean/rogue shippers

vex: get fenthras'd, idiot

oh poor laudna she doesn't know any of these people :(

skdjfslkd trying to use the tablet with the gloves

chetney: GOD WOOD???

o. oh.

chetney

travis

PIKE

"you were just Dead"

you are not immune to vex'ahlia de rolo

percival

calm your SHIT percy jesus christ

lays in the floor

I see you wiping your face travis

TREE

would laudna have been one of the ones that thought percy abandoned them or was she too young to have Opinions

or would she have like. heard stuff from her parents. I know what I'm trying to say

"fight with obann" wrong campaign matt

"this gets to be real now" lays in the floor harder

she just starts whaling on the tree

crIES

this child for new party member

"there are kids who are never gonna know" I AM ALREADY CRYING YOU CAN STOP NOW

let laudna talk to the tree

THIS WORKS TOO

laudna 🤝 keyleth

tree aesthetic

I'm gonna stuff this man in a locker istg

I love her

A Keyleth Thing

keyleth is canonically their crunchy granola friend

group hug at the sun tree

chetney

sun tree: consent please

DO IT

orym: it's weird, none of us really understand

percy we will make you admit you love your friends if it kills all of us

percy: they're YOUR guests

laura and marisha are killing me

orym is likking me

FEARNE DO NOT PICKPOCKET THE CLERIC

they get chased out of whitestone and have to wait three in-game days to go back

…I just remembered Pike's cousins, this is not new to her

fcg has a flesh nose now

YESSS I was hoping for this

YEAH YEAH HELL YEAH

YEAH YEAH YEAH

permapate

"exposure therapy" dsklfjs

the newly refurbished chamber that was once Briarwood

why do I feel like we just heard part of every pitch meeting travis and sam had with the cartoon

percy shut the fuck up you never liked any of them

DOTYYYYYY

doty my beloved

MAKE LITTLE MISTER A GUN

a 21 HAS to do it

"this is how planet of the apes started"

scattershit

manners my beloved

fond flashbacks to dariax rubbing it on his gums

I just keep being distracted by how fking pretty laura is

where's scanlan, get your ioun ass in here

SAM

the pleather claps sdklfjs

okay look this is a very niche intersection of my interests but I'm picturing percy rolling up to the cerberus assembly like old bruce in batman beyond when he was getting his company back from derek powers

"how are you holding up?" "with a cane."

one shot that's just sam being tary and fcg

no dm only torment

scanlan shows up too

ashton

no one hates percy more than taliesin

"I just feel bad for him"

"thank you never mind go to bed"

chetNEY

oh I'm gonna CRY

I know a full Vox Machina Plot Rundown is impractical but part of me wants them to explain things to laudna

WAIT

IS IT

CRIES FOREVER???

f e a r n e

"get down here" "nO-"

"I start to give him a noogie but it hurts"

I love these fucking dorks so fucking much

they all react to the lights every time, I love it

I just noticed sam has veth's tattoo drawn on

57 things caught fire during break, I just got back

everybody's coats and gloves are off but liam's visor is back on

"we're on the moon, bitch"

wait until they find out what keyleth did UNDER the sun tree

do iiiiit

gay

oh there goes the visor again

Lady Laudna

"are you really doing this"

MCCOUGHNATREE LET'S GO

that voice + matt's getup is. something.

fearne: come here often?

trAVIS

"when they put up a new moon"

sun tree consent CANON

"I mean not the LORD" fuck you sam I was drinking soup

FUCK YOU MATT

LIKE JUST IN GENERAL

quick bring dorian back and install him in eshteross' place

NOT THAT HE'S DEAD

WE DON'T KNOW HE COULD JUST BE A SLOW START IN THE MORNING

"my face can't move!"

sdklfjsl matt flicking a card at sam

HORSE

"if you wind it the wrong way it DOES explode"

whats-his-face de rolo

laura fully distracted by the horse (valid)

OH YEAH rip podcast listeners

GILMORE?

fcg fuck off I want to see gilmore

taliesin's latent percy ego

do I get to hear matt gilmore again???

"I wasn't gonna let this not happen" thank you for your service taliesin

;-;

dangit I thought it was at least the husband

no I want a shopping episode

"shaun or nothin"

there's a WHOLE HOUR left what in hell

not the full name dlkfjsl

MATT

"what if he gets hurt?" "I can bring him back!" "no, don't!"

chetney phases through the door

matt

matthew

why blood odd

something something tf2 dead ringer

I need a tweest

what is the tweest

FINALLY

THIS BITCH

don't squish him!!

"how bad can it be" sunken tomb

"it opens" "and I die"

don't read that man's mail

(I know they're gonna have to read the mail)

;-;

TRAVIS

SIR

taliesin: hide that shit right now

BODEH

I feel like this is the least respectful major NPC death ever

thank you for ignoring the button travis

NOW get dorian

at least TELL dorian

[nancypullen]

Where Do I Start?

What a fabulous birthday weekend! My family, my friends, the fun, even the weather! I don’t know where to start.  I feel truly celebrated and after 59 trips around the sun, that’s a mighty good feeling.  To every person who offered up a message, a card, or a call - thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I’m always a little overwhelmed at the amount of kindness directed toward me, I’m not worthy!  So before I boohoo over all of the love, let’s talk about the weather!  It. was. gorgeous.  Like, windows-in-my-craft-room-open-and-Vivaldi-filling-the-house-with-sounds-of-Autumn gorgeous.

That alone was enough to put a dreamy smile on my face, but there were delightful surprises ahead - too many to name! I will, however, share some of the fun...

The mister made an appointment for us on Saturday to visit Work Horse Farm.  It’s a family business about ten minutes from us that rescues animals.  They have everything from camels to sloths, zebras to kangaroos, chickens to porcupines...you get the idea.  Best of all, you can feed and pet ALL of them!  I know I’m a grandma, but the child in me was THRILLED.  I cuddled a sloth, fed and stroked a capybara, petted kangaroos (ohmygosh, the softest, most velvety fur ever), bonded with a camel named Henry, and so much more.  I admit, there was a part of me wondering if there’d be a creepy Tiger King vibe and if I’d regret going - but there wasn’t!  It’s truly a family devoted to caring for rescues and educating folks about both exotic and domestic animals. That’s why they’re not open to the public but they’ll take appointments and form a small tour, they also let school groups visit.  The animals were obviously healthy and happy, and not afraid to ask for a snack.  When you’re giving a capybara a snack and a wallaby sneaks up behind you, you know you’re having a great day.  There was even a big Canadian goose who has joined their flock of domestic geese and refuses to leave.  His family still spends part of their year at a pond on the property, but when they migrate I guess he just waves as they fly over.  Here’s a shot of the emus and camels coming to check out the visitors.

I never knew how much I wanted a camel until I nuzzled noses with this one.

And look at these gorgeous babies!

Our group had around eight people in it and we were all so excited to have a chance to feed and touch these beautiful animals.  I mean, look at this little kangaroo enjoying a belly scratch!

I was especially eager to meet the sloth (my spirit animal) and he didn’t disappoint. He’s in his own little house now that temps have cooled off. The owner said he needs to be in an environment 80 degrees or warmer to be comfortable.  So we were allowed to enter his house and pet him. The only warning was to “keep your fingers away from his mouth”, which I had no problem doing.  Mickey apparently forgot that rule and stroked the sloth’s cheek, causing the sloth to slowwwwwwwwwly turn his head and slowwwwwwly open his mouth. No danger of being snapped at by a sloth.  

I commented that I’d expected the hair to be coarse, but he was silky soft.  The owner replied that in the wild his hair probably would be more coarse but he’s quite pampered at their place.  His outdoor area was lovely - loads of trees, hammocks, food stations, etc.  I wondered if he’s lonely for other sloths but apparently they live quite solitary lives. Besides, he’s surrounded by other animals just like he’d be in the canopy of a tropical forest.  Okay, okay - I could fill this blog with photos of the fun we had at Work Horse Farm, but I’ll just stick their website here and let you see more if you choose.

https://work-horse-farm-rescue-and-exotics.business.site/ After waving goodbye to my new love, Henry the camel, we drove down the road to Easton where I picked out a fancy schmancy new light fixture for my feminine artsy-craftsy room.  Behold!

Isn’t she sparkly and pretty?  That bit of fabulous was courtesy of Matt’s gift card.  And as if that wasn’t enough, as we were leaving I spotted YEWS!  I have a long love affair with yews.  They delight me.  They grow nicely, they stay healthy, they don’t have ouchy spikes like hollies and other shrubs, and they’re pleasing all year, every season.  That was my wish for greenery along the front porch but I hadn’t been able to find any all summer. Lo and behold, the birthday gods put them in my path - a gift from the universe. And now I have three dark green spreading yews.  Perfect timing because two of the super cheap Japanese Hollies that I bought at the Denton Walmart in May are on life support.  Go figure.   WAIT!  I didn’t mention that before we went to Work Horse Farm we made a quick stop at Ball Greenhouses - another place just a few miles from our front door.  I found the kale, pansies, mini mums, and little pumpkins I needed for my porch containers.  They even had bundles of cornstalks for just $4!  So that was a carload of happy. You can see the joy all over his face.

Anyywayyyy - on the way home from Easton we decided to just pick up Chinese food for dinner which didn’t hurt my feelings one bit.  I didn’t cook or clean the whole day. It was pure fun.  And that wasn’t even my birthday! Late, late that night, actually the wee hours of my birthday, I woke to the sound of rain on the roof.  Another birthday wish granted. On Sunday Mickey woke me up with a delicious breakfast sandwich from Earth Tones Cafe.  A veggie and egg sandwich (thick slabs of perfect avocado!) of their house-made sourdough bread.  Good morning!  I’d already told him that I didn’t want him to hang around if he had photos to take.  He’s doing a lot of that for the county and it seems like every weekend there’s another festival, hoedown, bazaar, concert, or something.  He said he might run off to snap a few things, which he did, so I got my ducks in a row.  I knew I’d put him to work when he came home because he’d promised to help me put up outdoor fall decor and he wanted to go out for a birthday dinner but I wanted to stay home and just grill something.  That means he’d be manning the grill.  Poor fella, bet this weekend wore him out.  My choice of birthday meal was chicken-spinach-feta burgers on whole grain buns. He came through and they were delicious. YUM.     Anyway, I’d spent a couple of days earlier in the week putting together a fall garland to put over the front door.  As usual I tried to do it as cheaply as possible and that was probably a mistake. I bought a bunch of inexpensive floral stems and decided to wing it. It turned out fine, but my sister was getting messages like this.

 I had flowers and wire spread out, trying to make sense of it all.

It did get finished, I was happy with it, and you-know-who ended up on a ladder attaching it to the door frame.

I put together the porch containers and hung them on the railing. 

It’s looking like fall, y’all! Try to imagine how happy all of this made me.  If this is what turning 59 feels like, I don’t mind it one bit.  But my sweet guys had more in store.  I will not tick off a list of gifts because that feels tacky.  I do, however, want to share something that the Pullen men pulled together and surprised me with...

Pardon my crooked pic, but LOOK!!!!  Those are the Royal Stafford Haunted House dishes that I mooned over! I would never, ever have asked for or expected a set!  I was perfectly content to have my little witch bowl for my veggies eggs every morning.  I truly was.  I hope they don’t think I’m going to save these and use them just once a year - the 31st of every month will be a fine time to use them, as well as the entire period between my birthday and November 1st.  And maybe every other day of the year. They’re so stinkin’ perfect! What a perfect blend of my dish fetish and my unhealthy obsession with Halloween. Check out the windows on the dinner plate.

And I’ve already shared the delightful bowl pattern, here’s the salad/sandwich plate - it’s the same pattern!

Is it weird to just want to gaze at dishes and sigh?  I know it is, I just don’t care. There was FaceTiming, phone calls, cake, more gifts, and lots and lots of laughter.  I feel more celebrated and loved than I have a right to, honestly.  I always feel so undeserving on my birthday - the people I love really do make me feel special.  Wait until you see what my sister made, it deserves its own post.  I don’t deserve any of it and I’m choked up just thinking about how very, very grateful I am. How on Earth did I get so lucky? How did all of these wonderful people end up in my little life?  I can’t explain it but I will be forever thankful. Now I think I’ll go have a good cry over it.  Every card, every message, every gift was hugged to my heart. The Pullen men spoil me and I hope that’s because they know that they’re my whole life.  The beat of my heart. And that’s what 59 trips around the sun will do to you, turn you to mush.  I’m going to pull myself together and get some dinner on the table for Mickey.  Tomorrow I’ll snap some photos of our pretty fall porch and share them here.  There’s still a bit left to do, but it’s coming together. I’m in full autumn mode - I’m ready for chowders and gingersnaps. Sweaters! Socks! Flannel nightgowns! Bring it on! Thank you for slogging through this post as words ping-ponged in my brain and fell out onto the keyboard.  I know it’s a mess. At least it’s a cheerful mess. Sending out some pumpkin-spiced love today! Stay safe, stay well.

Nancy     

[lindajenni]

jan 18

i have decided

"if anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." matt 16:24 and now as paul harvey used to say... the rest of the story.  the true story behind the hymn "i have decided to follow Jesus."  the song is based on the last words of nokseng, a man from garo tribe of assam.  it is today the song of the garo people.  it is a christian hymn originating from india.  the lyrics are based on the last words of a man in garo, assam. about 150 years ago, there was a great revival in wales.  as a result of this, many missionaries came to northeast india to spread the gospel.  the region known as assam was comprised of hundreds of tribes who were primitive and aggressive head-hunters. into these hostile and aggressive communities, came a group of missionaries from the american baptist missions (those good old bible preaching baptist) spreading the message of love, peace and hope in Jesus Christ.  naturally, they were not welcomed.  one missionary succeeded in converting a man, his wife, and two children.  this man’s faith proved contagious and many villagers began to accept christianity. angry, the village chief summoned all the villagers.  he then called the family who had first converted to renounce their faith in public or face execution.  moved by the Holy Spirit, the man instantly composed a song which became famous down the years.  he sang: "i have decided to follow Jesus.  i have decided to follow Jesus.  i have decided to follow Jesus.  no turning back, no turning back." enraged at the refusal of the man, the chief ordered his archers to arrow down the two children.  as both boys lay twitching on the floor, the chief asked, "will you deny your faith?  you have lost both your children.  you will lose your wife too." but the man sang these words in reply: "though no one joins me, still i will follow.  though no one joins me, still i will follow.  though no one joins me, still i will follow.  no turning back, no turning back.” the chief was beside himself with fury and ordered his wife to be arrowed down.  in a moment she joined her two children in death.  now he asked for the last time, “i will give you one more opportunity to deny your faith and live.”  in the face of death the man sang the final memorable lines: “the cross before me, the world behind me.  the cross before me, the world behind me.  the cross before me, the world behind me.  no turning back, no turning back.” he was shot dead like the rest of his family.  but with their deaths, a miracle took place.  the chief who had ordered the killings was moved by the faith of the man.  he wondered, “why should this man, his wife and two children die for a Man who lived in a far-away land on another continent some 2,000 years ago?  there must be some remarkable power behind the family’s faith, and i too want to taste that faith.” in a spontaneous confession of faith, he declared, “i too belong to Jesus Christ!”  when the crowd heard this from the mouth of their chief, the whole village accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. believers in india are often shunned, unjustly arrested, attacked—even killed—because they choose to follow Jesus and not hinduism or the local religion.  our indian family needs the prayers of the global church to stand strong in the midst of persecution — and to remain a light for Christ in the world’s second-most populated country. have you made a decision yet and are you willing to follow no matter what?  no turning back!  no turning back!

[sunflowersandsapphires]

Matt Murdock x Autistic!Reader x Frank Castle Headcanons!

I’ve been feeling incredibly AuDHD this week so here are some headcanons for how Matt and Frank would treat their autistic partner :) 

If anyone wants to see drabbles/one-shots with an autistic!reader based on my own experiences, let me know!!

I am certain that both Matt and Frank would be so loving and devoted to their autistic partner. It might take a bit of time to work out some things but they’d be so good to you. 

Something that I really struggle with is expressing romantic love while also having pretty intense sensory issues? I am not touch averse, and usually crave touch, but if I’ve spent too much energy on other things, touch is usually the first thing to overwhelm me. 

If you struggle with touch or being held, or you’re even just having a bad day, Matt and Frank would be so understanding because they, of all people, definitely understand what that’s like. 

While Frank probably has more experience with tactical planning, both a legal and a military background require incredible attention to detail which would come in handy with both setting routines and going over the plan for something. 

My inability to read social cues has led to intense social anxiety, especially where there’s crowds. One way that I prepare for going to events is by creating a detailed plan on my head of how I will get to and leave the event. 

Matt and Frank’s combined attention to detail would be so helpful for talking through what an activity would look like, who would be there, where it was taking place, when you’d need to leave by. 

Because Matt is incredibly social, and incredibly sweet, I think that he would be over the moon to help you bypass your social anxiety at functions. 

He would go out of his way to make you feel comfortable. Whether that means speaking for you if you can’t, or bringing up a topic that you’re interested in so you feel more at ease with a group. 

I think everyone is in agreement (myself included) that Matt would be perfect if you needed help because you were overstimulated. He has heightened senses and experiences that stuff himself, so it wouldn’t be too hard for him to take care of you in that situation. 

But I also think Frank would excel at that. He’s a man of few words and he wouldn’t overwhelm you with questions or suggestions. He would listen to what you needed or what Matt proposed and take action. For example, if you were having a bad sensory day and were on the verge of a meltdown so you couldn’t do the dishes you planned on doing, there’s no doubt Frank would have them done by the time you were ready to socialize again. 

This man would keep a strict inventory of comfy clothes and blankets and fidgets for you, making sure to keep everything relatively orderly so that you had what you needed if you weren’t in the mood to go looking. (Because let’s be honest, some days we are all a lost sock away from a mental breakdown.) 

Another issue that I face is being seen as too honest or blunt? I often overexplain why I am phrasing something the way that I am so it’s not seen as rude or ignorant. 

I think Matt and Frank would really appreciate someone being honest with them, especially Matt. Given that he can tell when people are lying, I think it would be a nice change of pace for him to have a partner who doesn’t really do the whole “white lie” thing. 

I also think expressing the reasoning behind why you’re asking something or saying something a certain way would bring him peace because he knows exactly how to interpret it. This man has self-esteem issues of his own, he doesn’t need open ended or slightly ominous questions to make him spiral. 

Also, I firmly believe that Frank would crack up at some of the stuff that comes out of an unfiltered mouth. I think he would adore how embarrassed you get trying to apologize for being rude because you said something without thinking. He would simply tell you there was no reason to apologize because whatever you said was hilarious. 

anyway, this is heavily based on my own experiences but I hope you enjoyed! Please let me know if you’d like to see more headcanons and feel free to request.