#Me: mom I got all A's and 1 B

[sassyhazelowl]

Me @ the local exotic bird fair: I'm way too white for this -- oh *gasp* ITS A CHICKEN *immediately bypasses the emus and parrots to see the modern game bantams and old english games in the back*

[bo0zey]

i’m scFfredscsfed scatsdww scared

[fixomnia-scribble]

Scientists are very serious.

This is a post about science. And soup.

Dr. Elinne Becket, a microbiologist from Cal State University, is in the middle of one of those Fridge Experiments that happens to us all - except in this case, she is uniquely placed to unravel the science down to the microbial level.

While cleaning out her fridge, Dr. Becket found that a tub of family-recipe beef vegetable soup had turned bright blue. “Ok I'm outing myself here,” she tweeted, “but there was forgotten beef soup in our fridge we just cleaned it out and it was BLUE?!?!? Wtf contam would make it blue??? Like BRIGHT blue!!  Even w/ all my years in micro I'm not handling this well.“

Read on for a breathless and ongoing saga of Soup and Science, and the wonderful international community that is Academic Twitter.

Academic Twitter quickly reminded her of her Responsibilities to Scientific Inquiry. (Cue the chanting from around the world of “CLONE THE SOUP! CLONE THE SOUP!”)

“I can’t believe y’all talked me into going back into the trash.” she tweeted in response, over a photo of a puddle of beautiful Mediterranean-sea blue soup in the trash bin, with bits of veg and noodles arising from the depths.

Scientists being scientists, Dr. Becket agreed to take a sample and send it to colleagues for cloning and microbial analysis.This involved getting arms-deep into the trash bin of Old Soup. “I’m never forviging @ATinyGreenCell (genomic biologist Sebastian Cocioba) for this.” Dr. Becket tweeted, with a photo of a properly dipped and snipped and VERY blue q-tip in a small clear plastic tub.

Diving into decomposing soup was not the only hazard. She writes: “My mom (who made the soup for my birthday) came across this thread and now 1) I have to answer for letting her soup spoil and 2) she's worried @ATinyGreenCell will figure out her secret recipe.“

Dr. Becket and Sebastian were able to culture the Blue Goo!

Becket posted a photo of three petri plates of streaked beef bouillon agar at 72 hours incubation, at 37C, room temp and 4C. She writes: “Left the plates where they were for another 2 days, except the 37°C one was brought to RT, which then grew white stuff over the yellow stuff and stinks to high heaven. RT looked the same. 4°C had impressive growth. Restreaked them all onto TECH agar, awaiting results!”

Sebastian, from his lab, tweeted a photo of three more covered petri dishes, with early results: “Great progress on isolating the glowy microbe from our #BlueSoup! It's so fluorescent the streak is GREEN. Still needs another restreak as it seems there is a straggler but should clear up in the next plate. Exciting!”

Then yesterday, Sebastian tweeted out an updated photo of his plates under daylight and blacklight. “Whatever grew on the #BlueSoup colony plates overnight glows under UV, but only on King's Agar B! That particular media is used to tease out fluorescein expression in pseudomonads. What are the chances that the same cell line expresses fluorescent AND blue pigments?“

“Looking closer, there definitely is a handful of different microbes showing distinct phenotypes. Could be that the blue producer and the fluorescent microbes are totally different microbes!”

At which point, Professor Cynthia Whitchurch of Norwich, England, responded: “Consistent with P. fluorescens being at least part of the #BlueSoup community. The fluorescence is due to production of the siderophore pyoverdine which is up-regulated when iron availability is limited. P. aeruginosa produced this too but my guess is you have blue Pf.”

And Australian agricultural researcher @WAJWebster helpfully tweeted a petri dish of ALL KINDS of colourful bacterial colonies from white to yellow to orange to stark black, with a cheerful: “You need bact-o--colours? I got you, fam.”

The best part is that as of today, March 9, 2023, THE BLUE SOUP MYSTERY CONTINUES. WE ARE WATCHING SCIENCE HAPPENING!

A paper is being written. And Dr. Becket’s mum is getting an author credit as the proprietary owner of the #BlueSoup recipe.

Dr. Becket’s Twitter is here: https://twitter.com/bielleogy

Sebastian Cocioba’s Twitter is here: https://twitter.com/ATinyGreenCell

Fun IFLS story is here: https://www.iflscience.com/microbiologist-investigates-after-her-beef-soup-turned-blue-in-the-freezer-67894?fbclid=IwAR0H27KqVZhzzrosnjzzKkxuKASZ-0L0Lt6hGwCRDJK8xvFbbSlyS4JvwlM

[yuujispinkhair]

CollegeBoy!Sukuna accidentally knocking you up – Part 2 A

-> Option A: "I'm not ready to be a mom"

You can read Part 1 here

I decided to write two different versions of Part 2 (both are comforting). Option A: Reader has an abortion Option B: Reader decides to have the baby(s)

Modern!Sukuna x Reader (female). Fluff. Light angst with a happy end. 2K words. Unplanned pregnancy, Reader has a surgical abortion. Everything goes well. Sukuna takes good care of Reader. All characters are of age. Minors don't interact. Divider@/plutism + dollsciples + benkeibear

Finding out that you accidentally got knocked up by your college sweetheart was definitely a shock. And it didn't end there because now you are faced with having to make a decision that has the potential to change your life forever.

You sleep a night over it and spend the next day going on a long walk with Sukuna, hoping the fresh air will help you clear your mind. It's when you sit down on a park bench and lean against Sukuna's biceps when you ask softly,

"So what are we going to do, Kuna?"

And Sukuna wraps his arm around you and pulls you against his side,

"It's your choice, princess. I will be there for you no matter what. I'm man enough to handle both. And ultimately, it's your body, so you should be the one who makes the decision."

It makes you love him even more.

Sukuna is usually a very dominant person, someone who likes to be in control. Seeing him hold back and give you the reins fills you with deep affection.

You have contemplated both options, glad that Sukuna made it clear that he won't run even if you want to have the baby. But in the end, there is one option that feels more right for you at this point in your life.

When you tell Sukuna that you want to terminate the pregnancy, he doesn't comment on whether this is what he would have decided or not but just pulls you into his strong arms and hugs you, tells you again that he will drive you to the hospital and be there for you all the way.

You practically melt into the comfort of his strong arms as you add softly,

"It's not that I don't want a baby with you, Kuna. You know that, right? It has nothing to do with you. I just think we are too young. I am too young. I don't want the stress of having to be a mom while I still go to college and have to study for exams and try to find a good job, etc. It already seems so much, and when I imagine also having to take care of a little baby, I don't think I can manage all of it, even with you by my side."

Sukuna smiles at you, not one of his smug smirks or flirty boyish grins, but a genuine smile, soft and tender, a smile that is only reserved for you.

"I know, princess. Don't worry your pretty head about this."

Sukuna is with you throughout the whole journey. He drives you to your doctor and insists on going up to the waiting room with you because he knows how nervous you are. He sits next to you, holds your hand, caresses your fingers soothingly, and grins reassuringly at you. He makes a flirty comment and winks at you when your name gets called, trying his best to make you laugh and feel less nervous.

But you know that he is nervous too. When you get back twenty minutes later, you can see that Sukuna is still on the same page of the book he started to read when you left. His mind obviously occupied with other things, just as affected by the situation as you are.

It makes you reach out and hug him tightly, comforting him just like he comforts you, even though he would never admit openly that this makes him anxious just as much as you.

"My doctor already made an appointment at the clinic for me to have another examination and to sign all the documents and stuff. But it's when you have training, so you really don't have to come with me."

But Sukuna rolls his eyes and shakes his head,

"What are you saying? Stop it, baby. Of course, I am coming with you. If I can put my dick in you, I can also accompany you to your appointment. After all, it's my apparently super-fertile sperm that got you into that situation in the first place! I'll skip training. It's not important. Nothing is as important as you are to me."

The next four days feel weird. You go to the examination at the clinic. You listen to the doctor explaining the procedure to you. You nod, you smile politely, and you sign several documents before you get sent halfway through the hospital to meet an anesthetic and sign more papers. They send you home with a sheet full of instructions on what to do before and after the surgery.

You spend the days until the surgery in a daze. Everything feels unreal.

But you aren't alone. Sukuna doesn't leave your side. It's almost funny how he follows you around like a puppy. The big bad boy, all sweet and doting.

On the day of the abortion Sukuna drives you to the hospital. He walks with you to the unit where the surgery will take place, and his large hand squeezes your smaller one so tightly it almost hurts.

You can see and feel how reluctant he is to let go of you and how worried he is about you, even though he tries to hide it and play it cool so as not to make you more anxious than you already are. But his hug is even tighter than usual, almost bone-crushing the way his strong arms tighten around you, and he pulls you against his tall, muscular body.

He kisses you, too deep and with too much tongue for the location, but you tilt your head to let him push his tongue even deeper into your mouth, craving his kiss and his love and the reassurance he gives you that way.

You leave towards the room where you are supposed to change, looking back over your shoulder one last time and Sukuna is still standing there in the hallway, his hands shoved into the pockets of his grey sweatpants, looking so cool with his tattoos and the pink hair. But you can see the tenseness in his broad shoulders and the worry on his tattooed face.

It makes your chest feel warm, and you can't help but mouth "I love you" in his direction, smiling when you see him say the words too.

Your surgery goes by without any complications, and the moment you wake up, a nurse is already by your side, bringing you tea and something to eat, and some painkillers. But you are impatient, wanting nothing more than to leave and be in Sukuna's comforting embrace, feel the warmth of his body and inhale his scent and hear his velvety low voice murmuring sweet nothings in your ear.

You're glad when you are finally allowed to get up and get dressed again, promising the nurse that you have someone who will stay with you for the next 24 hours.

When you leave the changing room, you see Sukuna leaning against the wall right next to the reception. His tattooed face is a bit pale, and he is playing nervously with his tongue piercing once again.

His maroon eyes meet yours, and he is by your side in a second, a strong arm wrapping around your waist and carefully pulling you against his side, steadying you, holding you securely, making sure you won't fall. His lips press against your temple, lingering there for a long moment, warm and soft,

"Fuck. I'm glad you're finally out of there."

You can hear the strain in his low voice, can hear every ounce of worry and anxiety he felt during the last hours when he was sitting in his room, waiting for the hospital to call him and tell him, you are ok.

You lean gratefully against him, feeling a bit dizzy from the anesthetics, glad that you have your strong boyfriend to hold you.

"I'm so glad you're here, Sukuna."

"How are you, princess?"

"I'm good. Just a bit wobbly on my feet. And I need something to eat. I'm starving!"

And Sukuna laughs softly, sounding so relieved,

"Well, how lucky you are that your boyfriend spent the last few hours in the kitchen to distract himself and prepare your favorite dishes for you."

And suddenly, your sight becomes blurry as tears well up in your eyes and run down your cheeks without you even knowing why you suddenly start crying now that it's over when, in the days leading up to the abortion, you didn't shed a single tear!

But maybe all the stress and anxiety of the last few days finally caught up with you. The contradictory emotions of feeling a bit wistful about letting go of that fantasy of Sukuna and you having your own little family versus the relief you feel that it's over and that you can live your life the way you planned.

But you suspect that, most of all, it is the overwhelming love you feel for Sukuna right at that moment. You are so touched by how caring he is. How mature he was in this situation. That he didn't run, that he didn't leave you to deal with all of this on your own. He is so worried about you and does so much to make you feel okay. He is so strong all the time, so you have someone to lean on.

A sniffle escapes your trembling lips, and Sukuna's eyes widen. He pulls you against him, burying his face in your hair and murmuring soothingly to you,

"Hey, baby, it's ok. Everything's going to be ok. Don't cry."

Your hands are on Sukuna's broad chest, and you feel the warmth of his skin and the beat of his heart through the soft hoodie he is wearing, comforting and reassuring.

"I'm ok, Kuna, I swear. It's just... I love you so much."

"I love you too."

His voice sounds tender when he says the words, and you snuggle closer to him, lifting your head to look at his beautiful tattooed face. And Sukuna leans down a bit, enough so he can brush his lips over yours.

That's how you end up standing in the middle of the hospital hallway, hugging your boyfriend and kissing him slowly as if the two of you are the only people in this world.

But you make it to the parking lot a few minutes later, walking there with the help of Sukuna's strong arm wrapped around you.

Sukuna is so gentle, so caring. He helps you into the car and puts on your seat belt for you as if you can't do it yourself. He stops at a convenience store to get some pads for you, jogging back to the car as if he is running from a crime scene because he is worried about letting you out of his sight even for a few minutes.

He helps you out of the car again, once you have reached your apartment, picks you up princess-style and carries you up the stairs. He sits you down on the couch, wraps you in a warm blanket and glares at you when you try to get up.

"Don't be a brat! Just stay right here and rest and let me bring you the meal I cooked for you with all my fucking love!"

He brings you the food and plops down next to you, checking if you really eat something, like some super stern nurse, and you can't help but feel warm, knowing that your bad boy is so amazingly sweet and caring when it comes to you.

The moment your face twists in pain, Sukuna is on his knees in front of you, fear in his maroon eyes, his large hands on your thighs, looking up at you with worry written all over his tattooed face.

"What's wrong?"

You grit your teeth and smile shakily at him, reaching out to cup his cheek and caress it tenderly, touched by how worried he is for you.

"It's nothing bad, Kuna. They told me I would get cramps after the surgery. It's perfectly normal! But it feels like really bad period cramps. They gave me some painkillers for that. Can you..."

You can't even finish the sentence before Sukuna is on his feet again, already walking over to your bag,

"I'll get them for you!"

You thank him, and he sits down next to you again, watching you the whole time with narrowed maroon eyes until you chuckle and reach over to ruffle his pink hair,

"I won't drop dead if you stop looking at me for one second, you know, baby? Eat something, too, I know you are hungry!"

"Don't joke about stuff like that, princess. I am just taking my job as your personal nurse seriously."

And he really does. For the next few days, Sukuna barely leaves your side. And even a week later, he is still acting differently around you, and you begin to realize that this is probably how he will always be now. Even more protective. Even more caring.

The unplanned pregnancy and the abortion didn't drive a wedge between the two of you. Instead, it made the two of you grow even closer. You shared a life-altering experience. Because even though you decided not to have the baby, it still will be something you will always carry with you. And you will never forget how Sukuna reacted. How he was there for you. How he respected your decision and how he cared for you.

You learned that Sukuna is more than just the sexy bad boy you can have fun with. He showed you that you can always count on him, that he won't run when real problems occur. You learned that if one day in the future you actually want to have a baby, you have a wonderful man by your side who would be a loving partner and a damn good dad.

You sigh happily as you lie in your bed with Sukuna behind you. He has become more cuddly since accidentally knocking you up. He wants to spend every night at your apartment or asks you to stay at his. As if he needs to hold you every night, keeping you safe and sound, wrapped in his strong arms, his buff body pressing against your back, and his lips trailing lazy kisses over your neck.

The two of you are living your regular lives again, going to classes, studying, going to training, to parties. No one else knows what happened to you. It's a secret between you and Sukuna because you both want it that way. No one else has to know. This is just something the two of you share.

A commercial for baby food starts playing in between two episodes of the crime show you are watching. A young family, mom and dad, and a tiny baby. And even though it's been weeks, it still makes you feel a bit weird to see it.

Sukuna's arm tightens around you. Maybe he felt you tense up, or maybe he had the same thoughts as you when seeing the commercial. Either way, his hand slips down to your belly, caressing it gently, and there's a smile in his low voice when he says,

"You know, it's not the end of it, princess, right? We can still have one.... when we are older. If we want."

You smile and snuggle against Sukuna's warm, muscular body. Your hand lands on top of his larger one, which is resting on your belly now, and you interlace your fingers with his, feeling the weird tension leave your body again.

"If I ever want to have a baby, it will definitely be with you, Sukuna."

I LOVE HIM 💗😭

Thank you so much for all the love on Part 1!! The story wouldn't leave my mind anymore, and after I got several comments and asks where people asked about a possible Part 2, I wanted to continue the story about College sweetheart Sukuna knocking us up and show how Reader and Sukuna deal with both options, so I decided to write two different versions.

I hope you liked Option A and that it could give you comfort.

Option B will be the version where Reader decides to have the baby (or rather babies lol). I plan to post it next week!

Comments and reblogs would be very sweet 💗

You can find Option B here

[diejager]

wondering how doesn't reader get pregnant after a lot of action with both horangi and könig, especially when König prefers to breed reader rather than his wife.

also do they have breeding kink? and what would be reader's reaction if there's a possibility of pregnancy, that would be so dramatic ig coming from reader's mom.

I hope this answered your question! cw: breeding kink, drug replacement?, mention of abortion, forced pregnancy, mention of stalkholm syndrome, tell me if I missed any.

The answer is simple: you either take pills, or got an IUD installed (honestly, that’s what I have since I have so many friends who’ve told me that pills have bothersome side effects and I’m forgetful so I won’t be able to remember to take them every day.).

A) If you take pills, König will replace them with a placebo, he has his ways, relationships built on years of work and alliance. So it wouldn’t be hard for him to find someone who can produce placebos for your birth control. Since he’s made a habit of staying near you whenever he can, seeing as he’s retired, it would be weird if he went out for so long. He has Horangi pick it up, meeting with the agent who’s sent to give them a year worth of box.

B) If you had an IUD installed, he’ll search your room for that little card it comes with when you’re not home, look at the date and he has two options. 1) if he doesn’t want to wait the time, be it a year or two, anything between one and five, he’ll talk to you about taking it out. 2) if he can wait, he’ll use the time to break you in, let you settle with this relationship and get you used to the dynamic they have in mind. Patience is a virtue after all, like a little pet project of theirs.

They definitely have a breeding kink. Ironically enough, they’re family men, a bit rough on the edges and tactile in their ways, very touchy-feely. They like to be hands on, holding you down as they fill you up, fingers bruising your skin with brands, to let people - and you - that you belong to them. König might be fidgety, never being one to sit still and do nothing, but he is patient, like a predator in hiding. Horangi’s a tiger in a hunt, slow and steady steps, certainty exhuming from every decision he takes. They don’t make a decision without telling the other, Horangi and König are a team, they were and always will.

Whichever contraceptive you took, it wouldn’t mater much in the end, you’d end up with morning nausea and a positive on your test. You’re in tears, balling your eyes out and panicking, breathe rapid and shallow, near hysteric as your mind goes through all the different scenarios of what ifs. You might’ve laughed at the ridiculousness of your situation, pregnant with the child of your stepfather or your neighbour. What would your family think? Your mother who’s oblivious and ignores your cries for help; your father who didn’t know where wen after your mom indefinitely cut your contact; or your living grandparents that lives God knows where.

Unlike you, hysteric and frantically searching for a solution to your problem, König is excited, calling Horangi to tell him the great news of your pregnancy. He has a smile on his lips when he finds you, shushing your tears and cooing soft praises. König tells you what a good mother you’d be, what a responsible Stay-at-home mother, with gentle hands and loving lips. When Horangi’s here, he picks you up, holding you in his arms and peppers you in kisses, a few deep, feverish ones, full of passion, and a few wild ones on the corner of yours lips and your cheeks.

Your mother is less frantic than you, worried, but not panicking. As a mother, she’ll ask about the pregnancy, who the father is (knowing you weren’t one to sleep around), and help you. You’re embarrassed at yourself, unable to tell her that the two men in the room are the kid’s father. You’re silent, head bowed down in shame and fidgeting, anxious and terrified, you were in your army 20’s, still in University to finish your bachelor’s degrees and now you’re pregnant. Horangi steps up, telling her that you’ve been having relationships with him - excluding the fact that her husband had a hand in everything as well - in occasions. She’s seen how close you are with Horangi, nearly sitting on his lap at times and often seen in his company.

She’s supportive, ignorent of all the mess in your life. Granted, she’s a bit disappointed, but you’re an adult, she can’t dictate your life like her parents did to her. So all she can do is support you, take l’ombre time off to walk you through the basics of parenthood and the nausea and emotional rollercoaster a pregnancy brought. You want to tear your hair out from the roots down at how oblivious your mother is, but you’re scared of getting an abortion, or if it’s legal at all.

Your angry, stressed and panicked, emotions flaring up with your unfortunate situation with no one to talk to, to turn to, all you want to do is cry. What can you do when you have an ignorant mother and two possessive and criminally wrong men with bloody hands and unrestrained connections.

Tag list: @sae1kie @yeoldedumbslut @tallmanlover @distracteddragoness @vxnilla-hxrddrugs @konigsblog @havoc973

[thebeast-dennis-etcetera]

Interference Part 2

Prompt: You run to your FBI neighbor when you and your boyfriend get into a fight.

Part 1

You shut your laptop with a frustrated sigh and crossed out the last address you had written down on your pad of paper. The last two days you had been searching for a place to rent, only to be turned down due to your bad credit or limited income. You didn’t have the privilege of asking your family for help, most of them had shunned you once you got into your relationship and the few that did still speak with you were in no position to lend you money.

Your phone rang again for the 3rd time in 30 minutes, a blocked number popping up on the screen. You had ignored it the last 2 times for the fear that it was your boyfriend, but he should still be in jail with no chance of making phone calls, right?

Deciding it wouldn’t really hurt to answer it, you slid the call open and instantly regretted it once the familiar devious voice spoke to you.

“Hello bird,” he greeted with fake sincerity, using the pet name he made for you as a jab at your eating habits. The fear shot through you just as hard as the other night, rendering you speechless.

“I’m out baby. I’ll be home soon and we can sit down and talk about everything. Hopefully you were able to get the house cleaned, it was a mess the last time I was there.”

He didn’t get a chance to say anything more before you ended the call. Anxiety and fear began creeping into your body, making you scramble to grab a luggage bag from the closet before shoving some clothes, toiletries, and your laptop in it. Running into the living room, you peeked out of the curtains, hoping to see Aaron’s car in the driveway. No such luck.

So grabbing your keys, you left the house, not even bothering to lock it and threw your luggage into the backseat of your car. You tore out of the driveway and down the street like a bat out hell, unsure exactly how far away your boyfriend was. As reckless as driving 50 in a residential was, you took your chances of being pulled over and put as much distance between you and that house before dialing Aaron’s number at a red light.

“Hotchner,” he answered professionally from the other line.

“Aaron. He got out. I don’t know how, maybe his mom paid his bail. He called me and said he was on his way to me.” Your words were fast and frantic. You would've continued rambling had Aaron not stopped you.

"Y/N. Just take a deep breath for me, alright?"

The light turned green and you did as he instructed, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, it doing very little to calm your frazzled nerves but appreciated it regardless.

"Now do you have anywhere you can go, maybe a friends house or family member? Somewhere you'd be safe?"

"No," you spoke. "I don't have any friends and most of my family disowned me when I got into this stupid relationship. The rest of them live on the West Coast."

There was a pause of silence as you felt him thinking over the phone. Most likely figuring out the easiest way to get rid of you and your problems.

"Alright. I have some down time before my meeting in an hour. Why don't you come by and we can figure out a plan. I'll send you the address, just take the elevator to the 4th floor."

A second later you felt the buzz of your phone from the incoming text message. "Ok. Thank you so much Aaron. And I'm so sorry for taking up your time." Tears threatened to fall but you held them back.

"Don't be sorry, Y/N. I want to help you. Don't worry, we'll get this all sorted out. Just text me when you arrive."

"I will," you replied before you both said goodbye and hung up. You put the address in your navigation and drove mindlessly through traffic, so many thoughts going through your head it made you want to scream.

The address wasn't too far from your own homes, arriving there in less than an hour and heading into the very drab looking building before taking the elevator, texting Aaron that you had arrived on the way up.

You had just made it to the front desk before seeing Aaron headed in your direction, giving the receptionist a small smile. "She's with me Lonnette, thank you."

You waited as Lonnette printed your visitor badge and handed it over with a friendly smile before following Aaron through the floor, passing by glass offices and cubicles. You were quiet, not really in the mood for small talk which you felt he sensed and didn't bother saying anything as he lead you up some stairs to an office that you presumed was his by the gold name plaque on his desk.

"Have a seat, please," he offered politely, closing the door and walking over to his side of the desk. "Would you like something to drink? Water? Coffee?"

You shook your head. "No thank you. I appreciate the offer though."

He unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat down, moving some files to the side. "So I'm genuinely surprised to hear that he's out of jail. You said you think his mother bailed him out?"

"Yeah. I don't think she knows anything about what happened but whenever he asks her for money, she just sends it to him. I think she feels guilty for never being in his life so giving him money when he needs it helps her feel better about it." You rung your hands together, anxious about the whole situation as well as being there, talking with a man that was pretty much a complete stranger, bugging him for help.

"And he called you afterwards, telling you that he was on his way? Did he seem upset?" His tone was curious as if trying to get every piece of puzzle to fit perfectly in order to build an accurate idea of who your boyfriend was. It made sense considering his profession.

"I don't know. He's really good at hiding his anger until he snaps. He was talking like nothing had happened and we were just going to go back to normal." Your head whipped towards the open window blinds where someone was just walking by, Aaron noticing your jumpy behavior immediately.

"You're safe here. No one knows anything about what happened except you and I," he reassured you, making you relax just a little. "I don't think he'll be out of jail for long though, at least until he sees the judge for arraignment. I will personally see to that."

His words brought you a bit of placidity and hope as you still wondered why he would go through such lengths to help you out.

"I do have a small flat not far from here that I use occasionally for late nights at the office when I don't want to drive all the way home. You can stay there for now, until you find a place of your own if you'd like. Completely up to you, I don't want you to feel pressured."

Your eyes looked up from the floor to meet his, surprised by his offer.

"I- uh. I couldn't impose on you like that-

"You wouldn't be. I barely use it anymore, I prefer to be at my home with my son whenever I can."

Son? He has a son. Of course he does. He probably also has a wife or at least a girlfriend since you didn't see a ring on his finger. The thought of him with a son didn't bother you, in fact it only gave you more of a reason to trust him.

"If you're sure you don't mind," you said, trying not to sound too excited, relieved that you wouldn't have to go back to your boyfriends house. "Please let me pay some sort of rent or something though. It's the least I can do."

He shook his head no, his expression soft and nonchalant. "Don't worry about it. You're gonna need the money for your new place. Just promise me that you won't contact him or go back to that house unless you have some sort of escort, preferably by law enforcement."

You could be my escort.

You nodded in agreement, ignoring your thoughts.

“Alright then. I can send you the address and give you the keys now. I'm not sure if the fridge is stocked but feel free to add or throw anything away. There is a washer and dryer there so you can wash the sheets and anything else you need." He pulled his keys from his desk drawer and removed a ring with a single key on it, holding it out for you.

You took it gratefully and stood with him as he buttoned his suit back up and checked his watch.

"Could I at least make you dinner or something?" you blurted, not sure where such confidence came from. "I mean, I just want to do something for you in return for your incredible generosity." You couldn't stop the blush from burning your cheeks, your words successfully embarrassing yourself.

A small smile played at the corner of his mouth, showing off just the slightest sight of dimples. "I'll be with my son tonight but maybe we could grab a coffee sometime tomorrow."

You smiled back, more than satisfied with his offer and followed him out of his office, feeling a few stares from people but avoided eye contact. Aaron walked you back to the receptionist and even had her add you as a contact so visiting would be an easier feat.

"Thank you again Aaron," you spoke, the anxiety you had been feeling for the last few hours, finally beginning to dissipate. He answered with a friendly nod and you entered the elevators. Once the doors closed and you were completely alone, you took in a deep breath. Maybe everything was going to be ok like he said.

[leisureflame]

"I CANT THINK"

If you write, I assure you you have thought that.

Fear no more child, for I have found a solution.

it's called Rapid writing

something we learned when I was in 9th grade drama class and I cannot emphasize enough just how effective it is. Its actually what gave me the idea for my first book.

Stop what you are doing and do what I tell you

go grab either a pencil and paper (or open an empty document)

set a timer for 2 minutes

ask a friend to give you a random sentence. I have a few examples that I myself rapid wrote to: a) I looked around and saw b) the old lady hung from the ceiling and laughed c) purple paint dripped from her long purple fingernails d) there is a hole in my ceiling. e) when I am sad I... f) When you close the door, I... g) there is a wooden door with a gold doorknob

Now the most important thing is not to think of this sentence before you start writing. as soon as you decide which one if you are choosing from my examples (or as soon as you hear it if you are getting if from a friend), start the timer.

start writing the sentence and without hesitating just keep writing. the #1 rule here is to not stop or hesitate for a single second until the 2 minutes are over. you can write nonsense if you want and if you REALLY can't continue then write some random words for a couple of seconds then continue AS LONG AS YOU ARE STILL WRITING.

another rule is that you are not allowed to delete. even if its a spelling error, just ignore it.

after the timer is done, I promise you will have something to work with. now copy the paragraph you wrote and paste it below, here you can start fixing spelling errors and adding things at your own pace because now the creative side of your brain has opened.

don't think about the way you are writing or the words you use, think about the story you are telling. the idea.

Sometimes you will get something beautiful and deep like I did here:

When I am sad I go to my blanket, not many people know about it, all they think is happening is that a child likes to cuddle in a blanket, but no. my blanket has a special thing about it, it is a magical blanket, well, not the blanket itself but the embroidery on the blanket, it simply takes my sadness away but it adds the story of my emotions to the embroidery, my blanket is a very pretty one, it is a pastel blue color and it has so much silk embroideries that you just think its patterns, but it isn't, if you look deeper you will find stories every one of those stories came from someones tears... my tears. whenever i cry, i wipe my tears with my blanket and my pain goes but my story stays.

or

there is a wooden door with a gold doorknob on the door there is a painting of you, and there are many locks on the door from top to bottom, when you open the door, there is a mirror. this door is the door to self discovery, from the outside there is a painting of how people think you look like but when you open the door, you get to see what you really are in detail and look at yourself they way you want to, you can smile or cry and the refection on the mirror will change but on the painting, it doesn't show ur emotions, just how people see you usually.

or you can get something so stupid like i did here:

there is a hole in the ceiling in my classroom. everyday a dinosaur would a pear and eat my lunch and i keep coming home hungry but my mom dsays she packed me enough food. so she didn't feed me. i told her a dinasour was eating my lunch but she said that disasours only live in Norway! so i went into the school vents looking for that idino and revenge my food, we met at last, held our weapons, i was holding a subway sandwich and the dino was holding a bana na MY BANANA  i lost it, so i attacked him one hit on the head and the whole species were extinct , people thousand of years from now said dinos got extinct because of a meteorite but i know better, also i am still alive because whoever kills a dino becomes immortal, also i killed my mom for not believing me and let her starve in her grave just like she let made me starve. and then i killed everyone who was a flat earther because i hate them and now i can kill anyone once i tap them with my super subway sandwich 

(by the way, ignore the horrible spelling, the examples i gave were from the unedited version.)

THE POINT IS ITS ACTUALLY SO HELPFUL. you can use it for a new story idea (i used the blanket one as an element in one of my WIPs and it helped the story a lot) or if you get something stupid like the dino one I wrote THATS GOOD THATS FINE because now you have your creativity going.

I challenge you to actually try this and PLEASE share it with me I LOVE reading other peoples rapid writings. have fun <3

tagging @cosmosandcapybaras24 @ajsbookshelf @gloryofdawn, @chaoticharmony93 @deception-united and anyone else who's interested to try this out and share with me!

[ghostbsuter]

Wonder MOM ( part 1 )

Happenings/mentions of:

Child abuse, possible trafficking, kidnapping and blood!

Nothing is explicit.

.・゜-: ✧ :-

Someone was in that cage.

Controlled anger aside, Batman made sure his footsteps were to be heard, speaking slow and calm as he approached and slid off the cloth.

"Everything will be okay now, are you–?"

With the cloth aside, Batman got a good look at the unconscious person inside.

He knows that face.

Thats—!!

"B! B, can you hear me?" Oracle calls, considering no one else seems to talk, he assumes Barbara put them into a private line.

"I'm here, Oracle." He answers easily, hands gripping the lock and fishing out the familiar pick-locking equipment.

"You went silent for a moment there, B, we got worried."

He gives a grunt at that, ripping the cage bars open and carefully checking for a pulse.

It's there, barely.

"Oracle, call Agent a to prepare, I'm bringing someone over."

"Got it. B, be careful, please."

Bringing the teen, the same age as his youngest, out of the cage seemed a bit harder than thought.

With some manoeuvring and carefully placed feet, the big Bat brings them both out in one swoop, tight on his hold.

His head rolls to the side, groggily blinking awake and peering up to Batman.

"Batsy?"

"Sleep, I'm getting you out of here."

"...knew you'd find me." Messy black hair hides the way he squishes his own face into Batman's side.

"Mom's probably very worried..." he gives an awkward laugh, throat dry and burning with the move.

The movement and warmth lulled him into sleep quite easily.

(Batman's expression, even if stony and blank, covered in a dark veil, anyone can see the carefully hidden layer of fury.)

—

Patrol was cut short that night, the boy in Alfred's care, and Bruce didn't hesitate calling Diana immediately after.

"Hello—"

"I found him."

Diana, Wonder Woman, remained silent upon the response, a quite inhale echoing through the call.

"They brought him all the way to Gotham?"

The man nods despite knowing Diana wouldn't see, giving a verbal answer after.

"I have a report of all injuries he has been subjected to. I'll send you the list."

There is a moment of silence before a sharp hiss from Diana comes through.

"They took his blood–?!"

"Not much from what Alfred gathered, but enough to get a running supply for their... plans."

"I'm coming over. Bruce, you and I both know the dangers of his blood in the wrong hands."

"Let's discuss this once you're here, Diana. Safe travels."

With a click and the call ended.

One look, and he has the eyes of most birds and bats on him already.

"The boy. You know him." Damian steps forward, arms crossed and cape off. The others must have come back not long ago and eavesdropped on his conversation.

"I do."

(The fact he doesn't elaborate nor does anyone either speak up is quite hilarious, wasn't it for the situation.)

The silence goes on, eyes sweeping over Stephanie's furrowed, thoughtful expression, Tim's calculating gaze, cass's curious yet open body language, duck's suspicious raised eyebrow and Damian's 'I dare you' scowl.

At least they didn't wake duke with their commotion.

"What's going on?" Jinxed, Duke himself comes down the stairs in his sleeping clothes, yawning.

"Duke, you're supposed to sleep."

"Sorry, sorry, apparently family drama is happening, and they needed more support." He jerks his hand towards the gaggle of vigilante children(1)/teens/one adult that is only an adult because of age laws.

Bruce suppresses a sigh.

There's a giggle to the side which gathers the attention of everyone.

Around the same height of damian, slightly thinner, is the teen B rescued not long ago. And who should not be awake either.

Alfred gives a smile, arm out stretched to support him on his way to the batclan, eyening his form with tapt attention.

"Batsy!" Ignoring the snorts and coos, Bruce nods back.

"Danny." The kid grins broadly, approaching.

He gives a wave to the other, attention solely on Bruce however.

"Is my mom coming?"

"Yes, she is on her way."

"Wonderful!"

He claps, arms bandaged to his throat, sickly pale and absolutely looking like prime adoption bait.

Cass approaches, hands ready to sign the most wnated question of everyone in the room and Bruce is already feeling the words of denial at the tip of his tongue.

'New br—'

"No."

Cass isn't backing down, expression only getting more determined.

'Honorary brother?'

He doesn't stop the sigh escaping, especially when Danny jumps up at the words with glee.

"Yes! Honorary!"

She seems very pleased with that, holding her hand out for a silent request, qnd once approved, gave a nice headpat.

"I'm actually surprised you didn't tell your kids of me, batsy." Danny side eyes the man, grinning mischievous.

"It slipped my mind."

(No, he doesn't break under the gaze of every person's disbelief stare directed at him. He stronger than that.)

(B did avoid meeting anyone's eyes tho.)

"Wait, so who is the moth—"

A green portal opens in the middle of the cave, and it has the most tense and drawing weapons.

Wonder woman stepped through.

"That answers my question then."

"Mom!"

Diana swooped him up, holding him closer and ducking her head into his black hair.

The Lady peers up at Bruce with a smile. "Thank you."

Her attention shifts to the child. "Frostbite will be expecting us, are you doing good enough to walk or should I–"

"I'm okay! I can walk!" Danny puffs his chest to prove it, giving her a reassuring smile.

Diana's brows knit together in worry. "Very well." She accepts, reluctant. She leads him to the still open veil of green, nodding towards pennyworth and both bid their goodbyes.

For now that is.

The portal closes.

"So, how were we originally supposed to know about Diana having a son??"

"HIS MOM IS WONDER WOMAN????"

"I'm so glad this isn't another adoptive brother. Honorary is good enough."

"HOW COULD YOU KEEP THIS FROM US, B!!!"

"Does that mean we have a miniature Trinity of the originals?"

[slut4chriss]

𝚸𝐈𝐒𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝚸𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒

(𝐩𝐭.1)

pairing: bad boy!chris sturniolo x fem!reader

summary: you’ve been a “good girl” all your life and you’re tired of it. so what do you do? you go to the worst kid in your school, chris sturniolo.

warnings: cocky!chris, stoner!chris??, flirty!chris, player!chris, eventual smut, only fluff for this part, suggestive-ish??, kissing at the end, arguing with parents

a/n: this was so fun to write omg! this is gonna be in multiple parts so yea! anyways, i love bad boy chris 😈😈. daddy?!? let me hit it i’m too lazy to color the dialogue sorry. italic are y/ns thoughts btw! proofread

word count: 1,803

you’ve always been a goody goody. perfect grades, perfect record, never done anything. but you’re getting tired of this act. it’s only for your parents anyways. they want you to be perfect and a star student. for a while you wanted to be too but after entering high school and seeing everyone, drinking, smoking and partying you want to too.

there’s this popular-ish boy named chris. chris is a “bad boy”. he’s always in trouble, drinking, smoking, partying. that’s exactly how you want to be. although it maybe be bad you still wanna try.

you wanna try and be friends with chris but you don’t know how that’ll go. what if he’s mean? or what if he doesn’t want to be your friend since you’re a “goody goody”?

it’s monday morning, 6 AM and you’re getting ready for school. today you decided you’re gonna talk to chris. he sits next to you in english so it shouldn’t seem too weird. it’s a hot, summer day and you decide to wear something a bit out of your comfort zone to look good. you put on a little make up and straighten your hair. you’ve never done this much for school but if you’re gonna become “cool” you have to look cool.

you walk downstairs ready to go and your parents both stop you. “what is that outfit, young lady?” your mom yells. you sigh, “i just wanted to look a bit more put together today.” your mom scoffs and your dad raises his voice, “put together?!? you look like a whore.” your eyes widen and no words come out of your mouth. your dad scoffs, “that’s what i though. go put on a jacket.” you sigh and nod, heading back upstairs to put on a jacket that you know will just be taken off. it’s 91 degrees in boston and they expect me to wear a jacket?!

you put on a black hoodie and go back downstairs. you don’t say a word to your parents you just grab your breakfast and head on your walk to school. it’s not a long walk, 2-3 minutes.

you arrive at school and go to first period. your first period is english aka the period where you sit next to chris. you open the classroom door and sit in your seat. the bell rings and your teacher starts teaching.

30 minutes later the door opens. everyones heads turn and you see chris walk through the door with a stupid smirk on his face. “where were you mr.sturniolo?” your teacher questions. he snickers, “the bathroom skipping, but i got caught cause of the fuck ass janitor.” your teacher shakes her head, “sit down, now. and watch your mouth.” chris laughs and sits down next to you.

you feel your cheeks heat up slightly and chris smirks. “what’s wrong, doll? why ya blushing?” you gulp and shake your head, “nothing.” he laughs, “thinking about me?” you sigh and nod, “yes, and how i need your help with something.” chris nods, “ooo some help? with what?” you smile softly, “well i’m tired of being perfect, i wanna be bad. bad like you.”

chris smirks, “oh yea? you wanna be like me, sweetheart?” you nod and he leans over, whispering in your ear. “let me take you out right now and i’ll see what i can do.” your eyes widen, “b- but we’re in school right now.” chris laughs, “you wanna be bad? skip with me.” you take a deep breath, “how? we’re just gonna walk out?” he nods and grabs your hand, “follow me, sweetheart.” you nod.

he stands up, “grab your backpack, let’s go.” you nod and grab your backpack. your teacher realizes what’s going on and yells, “hey, sit down, now! you’re not leaving, christopher. especially not with y/n.” chris scoffs and starts leading you to the door. he yells from the door, “suck my dick! she’s coming with me!” you laugh slightly and follow him out of the class room.

chris moves his hand to the small of your back and leads you to the front of the school. “so first, if you wanna be “bad” we gotta get you a new style.” you nod, “like what?” chris smirks, “like some baggy jeans and a tight top.” you nod again, “where should we go?” chris shrugs, “i bet you can find something in your closet.” you think for a second and smile, “i have an idea! follow me.” chris nods, “where we goin’, pretty girl?” i smile, “my house.” chris smirks, “taking me home with you already? alright.” you roll your eyes and laugh, “shut up.” chris laughs and follows you.

a few minutes later you make it home. luckily both your parents were at work so you could go through the front door. you lead chris to your room. he sits on your bed as you pull out some clothes from your closet. first a pair of baggy blue jeans. you hold them up to you with a smile. “how are these?” chris nods and smiles, “i like ‘em. now, what about that tight black top?” chris smirks and you shake your head, giggling as you grab a tight black top. holding up to you as well. chris nods, “i like it. now, go put it on.”

you smile and head to the bathroom putting on your outfit. a few minutes later you walk out, doing a little twirl for chris. chris’ eyes are glued to you, almost like he’s in a trance. you don’t mind it tho, honestly, you’re starting to like chris. he has a nice vibe and he’s really sweet.

you giggle and sit beside him. “seems like you like it?” you question, knowing the answer. he nods and looks into your eyes, “i love it.” you smile softly, “thank you, chris.” he nods, “no problem. now, let’s go smoke some j’s?”

your eyes widen. smoke?!? no way. you shake your head, “that’s bad for you though, can’t i get sick?” chris laughs, “don’t be a pussy, have some fun.” you sigh and nod, getting up. “fine, just this once.” chris smirks and gets up after you, “good girl, let’s go to the skate park, alright?” good girl?!? did he just really call me that?? i didn’t not like it but.. i- i don’t even know. whatever. you nod, “alright.”

he rests his hand on the small of your back again, leading you out of your house and down to the skate park. you guys sit on the edge of a skate ramp, lighting a j for you guys to share. he takes a big hit and makes it look so easy. he passes it to you and you look at him worried. he smiles and grabs it from you. “just suck in, hold it for a second then blow it out, okay? you got it.” you nod and do as he says. you cough a bit but you get the hang of it quickly.

you guys continue smoking and somehow he ends up with his head in your lap as you’re playing with his hair. i know it hasn’t been long but i love this boy. he’s looking up at you with the most loving eyes ever. he looks away and looks up at the starts above you guys. i can’t believe we’ve been out here so long it’s already dark.

he sits up slightly and smiles. “you wanna stay the night at my place?” he asks. usually you’d say no, especially since you barely know chris but you feel so tied to him, you can’t say no. you nod and smile, “i’d love too but i have no extra clothes.” he laughs and shakes his head, “don’t be stupid, you’re obviously gonna wear some of mine.” your face flushes slightly and you nod, “okay, that’s fine with me.”

he stands up, reaching his hand out to help you. you use his hand to help you up. he smiles and looks down at you, “let me piggyback ride you?” you nod and he squats down so you can jump on his back. you jump on his back and he starts carrying you to his house.

its dark and late. 2AM to be exact. you can’t believe your parents haven’t spammed your phone yet. they probably think you’re asleep in your bed anyway.

after walking for 5 minutes you make it chris’ house. he goes into his house quietly. you see his two brothers on the couch and you smile and wave to them. they wave back to you but don’t say anything. chris leads you to his room and sits you on his bed.

he goes over to his dresser, giving you a hoodie and a pair of matching sweatpants. “the bathroom is right down the hall. i can show you if you’d like.” he smiles softly and you shake your head with a small laugh. “i can find it on my own, i promise.” he nod, “don’t take too long, ill miss that pretty face.” you roll your eyes playfully and head to the bathroom. you quickly put on the clothes. his sweatpants are basically falling off of you but you tighten them the most they can go and it helps. once you’re done you head out. seeing you in his clothes makes him so happy.

when you enter the room he’s laying on his bed, on his phone. he smiles and taps a spot next to him. “come lay with me.” you nod, and lay next to him, leaving a little space to not make him uncomfortable. he laughs and grabs your waist, scooting you closer. “i don’t bite.” you laugh and lay your head on his chest.

he smiles and runs his fingers through your hair. the sensation is making you so tired, it’s crazy. he sees you trying to keep your eyes open and he leans down to whisper in your ear, “go to sleep, it’s okay.” you nod and smile softly, “thank you, i’m sorry.” he shakes his head, “i never wanna hear you apologize for being tired ever again.” you nod, “i’m sorry.” he groans playfully and shakes his head.

he decides to be bold and kiss you to shut you up. your eyes widen slightly but you immediately kiss back. the kiss is gentle and loving. he pulls away after a few seconds with a smirk on his face. “had to shut you up some how.” you snicker and close your eyes, “goodnight, chris.” he smiles and kisses your forehead, “goodnight, sweetheart.”

you close your eyes and find yourself falling into the deepest sleep. you feel like all your worries are gone when you’re with chris. this isn’t about being a “bad girl” anymore, it’s all about chris now. you want chris. you love chris.

a/n: sorry this is a bit long guys! it’s for the plot 🤫🤫. sorry i basically completely went off topic, i promise the next one will be better. the plot just wasnt plotting enough and i got bored and lost track. also chris technically wasn’t even “bad” in this part 😭😭. i just lost track and made it all fluffy i’m sorry. anyways, part 2 will prob be y/ns parents finding out she’s hanging w chris and them being pissed. and then like idk just chris and y/n getting closer! i hope y’all like this! it was so fun to write and yea.. idk! ily💓

[joeys-babe]

Joey B blurbs: Isn’t She Lovely

————————————————————————-

Summary: Joe brings the twins with him to one of his press conferences, but all Miles seems to want is ‘Momma’.

Warnings: Fluff

Pairing: Joe Burrow x reader

Imagine Universe: Into The Mystic

————————————————————————-

*No particular date for this fic!*

(Joe’s pov)

“Joe, my mom’s calling. Can you take the boys with you?” - you

“To my conference??” - Joe

y/n, Tyson, and Miles came over to Paycor today to watch us practice.

Afterward, I and a couple of the other guys stayed back to play football with the kids. The guys made a few jokes after Tyson successfully threw a spiral at two years old. I thought it was accidental, but Ja’marr and Tee swore it was the ‘Burrow gene’.

Now that almost everyone had left the stadium, y/n and the twins were allowed to come into the locker room with me.

y/n got on to me about how messy my locker was. I told her it was fine, but Tee made a ‘Happy wife, happy life’ joke saying I should clean it.

In the end, I knew I would end up doing it anyway to please her because that woman had me wrapped around her finger. She has since high school.

Currently, I was just about to step into the media room when y/n came rushing up to me, the twins behind her, saying that her mom sent a text saying call me ASAP.

Zac had just walked out from his conference, and he heard our conversation.

“You’re allowed to take ‘em in if you want to. I know you would rather be with them than have someone else watch them.” - Zac

“Yeah, okay. Thanks.” - Joe

“No problem, kid.” - Zac walked off

y/n stood in front of me, her phone still ringing, and I made a split-second decision.

“Go ahead, I’ll take ‘em, baby.” - Joe

“Thank you, you're the best, Joe.” - you

She looked around to see if anyone was present, and when there wasn't anyone, she pressed a quick peck to my lips.

I watched her speedwalk down the hall toward the women's bathroom to have some privacy, and I bent down to the twin's level.

“You guys have to go in there with me for my press conference, okay? You know those videos you watch of me with Mommy where the people ask me questions?” - Joe

“Yeh!” - Tyson

“You guys are gonna sit on my lap for one, okay? If you wanna leave at any point tell me.” - Joe

“Ok, Dada.” - Tyson

“What about you Miles? Sound good?” - Joe

“Sound great, Daddy.” - Miles

I stood up and picked them both up, one in each arm, and walked into the media room.

It was kinda funny watching the reporter’s faces turn to shock. They knew I was a reserved, closed-off person, and that I hated the media, so for me to bring my kids in here was surprising to them.

Pulling my chair out, I sat down and situated the boys on my lap. One sat on each leg.

Tyson laid his head on my shoulder while Miles was looking around, trying to figure everything out.

“How’s it goin’.” - Joe

Everything was silent.

“What’s this?” - Reporter 1

“A one-time thing.” - Joe chuckled

Everyone in the room laughed before a reporter spoke up.

“Who are these cuties?” - Reporter 2

“They're my two-year-old twins. Wanna say your names?” - Joe

I almost laughed as Miles immediately lept forward and grabbed the mic.

“I’m Miles.” - Miles

His voice was super loud in the speakers from how close he was to the mic, and I couldn't help but bust out laughing.

Eventually, I pulled Miles back into my lap and nudged Tyson. He silently shook his head.

“This is Tyson. He's my little mini-me and doesn't like the media like his daddy.” - Joe

The room laughed again before I continued talking.

“You guys can interact with the boys for a little bit but I'm here to talk football.” - Joe

For the first time since I walked in, the room fell silent, till Miles spoke up.

“Momma!” - Miles

“Someone wants his momma.” - Reporter 3 laughed

“Yeah. She’s on the phone, which is why I had to bring ‘em in here.” - Joe

“Momma?” - Miles looked up at Joe

“She’s on the phone, buddy. If you guys can't already tell, he's a momma’s boy. He’s more like her than me personality-wise.” - Joe

“So he’s social?” - Reporter 2 jokes

I laughed as I nodded my head, finding his dig at me to be funny.

“Momma!” - Miles whined

“Guys, excuse me, but I'm probably gonna have to call my wife.” - Joe

This was the most unorganized thing I've ever done.

Pulling my phone out to call y/n, she answered pretty fast.

“Hello? Are you still in your conference?” - you

“Yes, but can you come get Miles? He wants you like bad.” - Joe

“Oh yeah, of course. I’ll be right there.” - you

“Okay, good. See you in a sec.” - Joe

“I won't say I love you, so you don't have to say it back. I know you don't want that being picked up on the mic.” - you laughed

“I love you too, bye.” - Joe smiled

“What?!” - you

I hung up just after that, not caring that I said it right into the mic.

“She’s coming to get this one.” - Joe

I nodded at Miles, then realized he was waving directly at a female reporter.

Just a few seconds went by before the media room door opened and y/n walked in.

She looked at me, unsure of what to do, so I flicked my head telling her to come in my direction.

y/n walked up the platform steps and took Miles from my lap, who was smiling from ear to ear.

“Do you wanna go with Momma too?” - Joe

Tyson shook his head no and sat up, now facing the room of seated reporters.

I leaned the mic away from my mouth and whispered to y/n.

“Thanks, Mama. You look beautiful by the way. I'll see you after this is over.” - Joe grinned

She grinned at me, her cheeks flushing as she situated Miles on her hip before waking away.

When I faced the reporters and fixed the mic back to point toward my face, they all had smiles on their faces.

“Did… did you guys hear that?” - Joe

All at once they all said yes, yeah, mhm, yup.

My cheeks turned red from embarrassment, this was an absolute trainwreck.

“So… Tyson, what can you tell us about your daddy? What does he do at home?” - Reporter 3

“Uhm…” - Tyson sighed

All of the reporters laughed, finding it so funny that Tyson just pulled something so characteristically me.

“He is just like you!” - Reporter 1

“What do I do at home, Ty?” - Joe

“Kiss Mommy.” - Tyson giggled

I immediately groaned and covered my face with my hand. Tyson kept on laughing, and so were the reporters.

“I’m getting exposed right now.” - Joe

“We, Uhm, pway foot…ball.” - Tyson

“We do.” - Joe nodded

“That’s it.” - Tyson blabbered

The room laughed once again till a reporter spoke up.

“So all he does is kiss your mom and play football?” - Reporter 3

“Mhm!” - Tyson

“Pretty accurate, not gonna lie.” - Joe

“Joe, you're pretty smitten with your wife, yeah?” - Reporter 5

“Have been since high school. She’s the best though. The best mom, wife, best friend… and so much more. She keeps me grounded. I know I usually keep my personal life separate from football, but I love her more than anything.” - Joe

“More than football?” - Reporter 2

“More than anything.” - Joe reiterated

————————————————————————-

Authors note: though Joe would never do this, let's just imagine he would.

Request for this fic;

Hope you enjoyed! 💕

[konjkitkatty]

So….whats a certain black widow’s thoughts on a realm jumping carpenter ant? Why is shuffled Shamura so drawn in by Sozonius? Is it the fact they are from another universe? Or do they like that Sozonius seems Knowledgeable? Why do they like this sozo? Why don’t they like dating in their own universe?👾🐜👀

ok let’s break this down into two parts bc this ask means everything to me. Its long so itll b under the cut

1) Why is Shuffled Shamura so drawn to Sozonius?

Simple- there is no Sozonius in their own world. There’s a Sozo, and there’s a Helob. There’s a certain novelty that comes with having something no one else can that’s only made more desirable by the fact that Sozonius is basically everything they could ever want in a partner/friend/companion/acquaintance, not even in the purely romantic sense. Sozonius is just the exact type of person Shamura would WANT to be around. He’s a seeker of knowledge (likely possessing a vast amt of knowledge from his own universe AKA knowledge this Shamura DOESN’T have), he’s strong, he’s reliable, he’s RELATABLE, and a complete mystery that they are simply DYING to unravel. They just wanna tear him open and see how he ticks, and by god they will, and to hell with ANYONE who thinks otherwise. If romance happens to blossom, then so be it, but at the end of the day Sozonius is something new and they’ve GOT to at least see what’s up with him.

2) Why don’t they like dating in their own universe?

well, ok, let’s discuss the possible black widow bachelors and bachelorettes that they have in their own world. We have- cannibal ant, cannibal spider, cannibal goat, and the twins’ mom (lots of cannibals, i see…) any other character they would’ve had mild interest in, such as their followers/witnesses, are dead. All of them are either fools of their own volition or fools by unseen circumstances. Sozo is a foolish old kook who eats people, Helob is a foolish spider infected with fungus who ALSO eats people (had he been cured maybe sparks could fly, but as it stands currently, no), Goat is… I don’t think I need to explain that one, and the twins’ mother Lilith is a strong-willed but ultimately foolish woman who simply accepted having her pups taken away. None of them come CLOSE to Sozonius, and the two that DO (Helob and Lilith) either aren’t interested in them or physically CANT be interested due to mushrooms growing out of their cranium.

They mean…. So much to me

@panoffrying for both the classic shamura design above, the sozo design i’ve been using, AND the sozonius in particular i talk about when I say “Shuffled Shamura has the hots for Sozonius”. I’m very normal wdym. no i haven’t been rotting about them. no wdym. my slight lack in activity hasn’t been because they’re all i think abt now.

[sooniebby]

Can I ask for a completely separate fic of Riki and M!reader not in the same universe but just like a non canonical thing of where M!reader begs Riki to try and impregnate him because his stomach is feeling all weird and achy. M!reader doesn’t know it’s his heat all he knows is that he wants his children.

Fic ends with the reader pregnant ofc, breeding mink, biting, dumbification, go crazy on it. If you don’t plan to make any side fic of Riki that aren’t canonical to the main 2 parts then u can ignore this <333

ఌ 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐁𝐎𝐘

꧁ 𝙊𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙭 𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 ꧂

➤ Riki's story (but this isn't canon to the original plot)

Word count › 2.9k

Rating › NSFT

Warnings › you and Riki are morons

Kinks › a/b/o, breeding, biting, lite somno

╭┈─────── ೄྀ࿐ ˊˎ-

╰┈─➤ ＢＥＧＩＮＮＩＮＧ

(Name) had been feeling weird. He woke up tired and his head was hurting. When he went downstairs, he saw his parents and instantly wanted to throw up.

“Mom…”

“What (Name)? I have somewhere to be.” His mother answered, not even sparing him a glance.

You’d think a mother would pay attention to her child. Especially a child that sounded so weak but she focused solely on her phone. (Name) sighed to himself before walking away to the kitchen. She didn’t even try to stop him.

(Name) ignored his father. His father was worse when it came to paying him any mind. He rummaged through the fridge for something but nothing was appealing. If he had to be honest, they all made him feel sick.

His stomach was hungry but not for whatever was in the fridge.

“Dad, I’m not feeling well.” (Name) said. “And everything in the fridge is making me feel sick.”

“And what can I do about that? You’re 18. An adult. Go buy some medicine and food that you want.” His father said, walking away.

(Name) didn’t even feel sad. He knew what type of answer he was going to get. The sound of the door slamming was music to (Name)’s ears. He loved whenever they left. But he didn’t feel happy right now.

His stomach was cramping. And he didn’t know what it was.

Maybe he should’ve paid more attention to anatomy lessons for omegas and alphas. Now that he was an omega and all.

The only thing on his mind, besides his killer headache, was to go see Riki. His inner omega was whining for it. But he wasn’t sure why. Maybe he just needed some comfort. Yeah, getting some cuddles sounded great right now.

With that, (Name) sluggishly got ready to go see his alpha. The bus ride felt odd. People kept staring at him. He wasn’t used to the stares. Being a beta since he was a child, most people ignored him.

He wondered if his scent was finally coming in. Did it smell bad? He didn’t think too much of it when he finally reached Riki’s house. It was smaller than his own but still cozy the last time he visited.

(Name) rang the doorbell, feeling himself sweat into his shirt. It was sticking to his skin now. But the sun was hardly out. It looked as if it would rain in an hour or so. (Name) wanted to take a cold shower.

The door opened showing a sleepy Riki. Wow, he was still asleep this late? It had to be almost 1 pm now. Riki seemed to wake up a bit when he realized it was (Name). He pulled him inside quickly and held him close, leaning down to scent him.

(Name) still didn’t feel much from scenting. But he allowed Riki to do so. He knew Riki’s alpha loved doing it. (Name) closed the door behind himself as Riki pulled him over to the living room.

They plopped down onto the couch as Riki moved (Name) around to sit on his lap. Riki’s voice was muffled as he muttered something before focusing on scenting his omega. (Name) simply nipped at Riki’s mating bond, not knowing how to fully scent someone yet.

“You feel warm.” Riki said.

“I think I have a fever…”

“Oh, did you take anything?”

(Name) shook his head. Riki huffed before standing up, ignoring (Name)’s shriek as he quickly wrapped his legs around his waist to not fall. Riki only had to use one hand to hold (Name) up as he brought him to his room, laying him down on the bed.

“Sleep. I’ll make some porridge.”

(Name) hummed as Riki left his room. Having been in his room before, (Name) didn’t care too much to look around. He mainly focused on stripping his clothes off and moving the sheets around to make a makeshift nest.

He wasn’t sure how he knew how to make one. It was probably just an omega instinct. With just his boxers on, (Name) finally felt cool. His stomach was still cramping—getting more painful by the minute.

Was it something he ate last night? (Name) sighed as he took off his glasses and placed them on the nightstand. He wanted to just sleep the pain away. Getting comfortable, (Name) hugged a pillow to his chest and drifted off to a dreamless slumber.

But it wasn’t fully dreamless. In passing, he dreamt of Riki’s neck. An odd dream. What was so sexy about a neck? A few other times, he dreamt of what Riki would look like shirtless.

A groan left (Name) as he tried to dream of something other than being horny. But it didn’t work. Anytime he dreamt of something more wholesome with Riki, it ended with Riki pulling off his clothes. (Name) was beginning to feel hot again.

His skin was burning that even the fan that was turned on didn’t do anything to calm him down. The sheets felt too warm but whenever he pushed them away, he felt panicked. Like he couldn’t part with it for some odd reason.

“(Name)…”

A cool hand brushed his forehead as he sighed in relief. Finally, he felt himself cool down. The hand moved to his neck, feeling around before pulling away. (Name) whined at the lost.

“Your fever as gotten worse. Let me call my mom.” Riki’s distant voice was heard.

That only made (Name)’s stomach clench tightly, causing him to scream out. Riki didn’t get far as he quickly grasped (Name)’s arm, trying to shake him awake.

But (Name) didn’t scream again. His face that was twisted into one of agony was calm. Riki sighed in relief and moved his hand away only for (Name) to cry again.

Riki decided to test something. He touched (Name), noticing how calm he was before pulling away. Like clockwork, (Name) began to whine at the lost.

This didn’t make much sense to Riki. What type of fever worked like this? None that he knew. Riki glanced at the porridge on his desk. He’d force (Name) to eat it later. Riki gently pushed (Name) further on the bed before joining him, keeping a hand on his skin.

The first hour or so was fine. Riki even fell back asleep. (Name) work up with a start, wondering where he was. He didn’t even remember waking up. He glanced around the room before noticing Riki snuggled close to him.

Oh. When did he get here? (Name) hummed as he rubbed his stomach. It was still cramping but it didn’t hurt as much. It felt more like a very light burn. But it didn’t feel like hunger.

He should’ve been hungry since he didn’t eat this morning. (Name) sat up, wanting to go get something to eat before feeling something wet. He didn’t even notice he was naked. Well he still had his boxers on but it was wet.

(Name) pulled off his boxers, tossing them across the room as he looked down at the bed sheets. It was also wet but how? He gently touched it. It was sticky. He frowned.

What did he pee glue? What the fuck was this?

“Riki.”

Riki didn’t wake up.

(Name) groaned. He felt sticky, hot, and uncomfortable. A bath would be nice but he didn’t feel comfortable just using Riki’s shower without asking. They may be mates but they haven’t known each past a month yet.

They hadn’t even had sex yet.

(Name) was ready to just shake Riki awake when he felt his spine tingle. He gasped, feeling something wet gush out of his asshole. Slick?! Why was he producing slick? (Name) reached down to confirm, feeling the slimy wet slick that he produced the day Riki had bit his scent gland.

Was he going into heat? No way. His doctor said he had two weeks before it started. So his body can ready itself for it. (Name) sighed to himself. He must’ve been horny due to those weird dreams he had.

Riki wouldn’t mind him masturbating, right…?

(Name) easily slipped in one finger inside of his asshole, groaning at the sudden gush of slick. Why was he feeling like this? He thought having something inside would feel better but that only caused his stomach to ache. As if it wasn’t what it wanted.

He glanced over at Riki, looking down at his boxers. (Name) felt his inner omega purr at the sight of Riki. He thought about waking him up. His body wasn’t liking his fingers. It wanted his alpha.

In his head, the thought of being knotted slipped in. (Name) felt his hole clench around his finger. He liked the thought of that. To be knotted by his mate.

(Name) moved to straddle Riki, sitting himself on top of his boner. Riki didn’t even flinch. He really was a deep sleeper. (Name) knew how to wake him up. He gripped Riki’s boxers and pulled them down, allowing his cock to pop out freely. It rested against Riki’s stomach, twitching slightly.

Riki had a large cock. No denying that. But it wasn’t too surprising. Most alphas had large cocks. Riki’s cock was thick as well. He wanted it inside, quickly.

Yeah, that’s what his stomach needed. He needed to be breed. (Name) felt himself shudder at the thought of being stuffed full with Riki’s come. The idea of having pups.

(Name) grasped Riki’s cock and positioned it at his awaiting hole. He slowly lowered down, gasping at the burn. His slick worked overtime to make it less painful.

“(Name).”

“Huh?!” (Name) shrieked, accidentally slamming himself down onto Riki’s cock. He cried at the feeling, his cock cumming. Riki simply hummed, reaching to grab (Name)’s hand.

“You couldn’t wake me up?”

“Sorry…”

“It’s fine. I’m your alpha right? So my cock is yours to use,” Riki grinned. He had actually been awake ever since (Name) flung his boxers off. The boxers had actually ended up on his face instead of where (Name) had imagined.

His moves were way too sluggish to actually fling something. Riki had woken up due to the slick directly in his nostrils. He pushed it away and was about to call out to (Name) until he noticed (Name) fingering himself.

He wanted to watch, so what? Only an idiot wouldn’t like to see someone they liked masturbate.

“I feel so weird.”

“Your fever?”

Watanabe Riki was a dumbass. As well as Tanaka (Name). Only total idiots couldn’t tell the signs of a heat. But only idiots would bond themselves to the other after knowing each other for a total of two weeks.

“Maybe you should eat.”

“No. I wanna have sex.” (Name) hummed.

“Alright. You’ll eat after.” Riki said, easily flipping (Name) over to lay on his back. (Name) watched in glee as Riki grasped his legs and pushed them forward, to (Name)’s ears. Riki’s thrusts at first were slow and calculated.

It made sense. To him, (Name) was sick. He didn’t want to go too harsh. He focused on mainly rubbing against (Name)’s prostate—enjoying the soft moans he got. The sound of slick was filling be room, making (Name) feel embarrassed.

He didn’t know why he was dripping so much slick. But it wasn’t enough. It felt nice but it wasn’t what his omega was craving.

“Riki, faster.”

“No.”

“Please.”

“No.”

(Name) whined, hoping his puppy eyes would persuade his mate. Riki only leaned down and nipped at his pouting lips.

“Cute.”

“Riki….! C’mon!!”

“Why do you want it so rough?” Riki asked, picking up his pace. It was still slow but at least it wasn’t too slow. (Name)’s inner omega purred in delight.

“My body wants it rough. An omega thing.”

“Really?”

No, it wasn’t. (Name) was just talking out of his ass. And Riki was a bit stupid to not notice. He was pretty horny himself and didn’t like his pace either. But (Name)’s comfort mattered more to him.

“I can handle it. I’ll tell you to stop.” (Name) wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling him close. Riki hummed. He still wasn’t too sure. But the tight wet heat of (Name)’s ass felt good.

He really wanted to cum. And no way could he cum from these piss poor thrusts. Riki leaned back, grasping (Name)’s legs tightly and began to pick up his pace.

His thrusts were harsh and fast, repeatedly aiming for (Name)’s prostate. (Name) cried out, clawing at Riki’s shoulders. He arched his back at the feeling.

“(Name), it’s my first time… is it yours?”

(Name) shook his head. “No…”

Riki’s thrusting stopped. “Huh?”

“Riki, why’d you stop?”

“Who was it?”

(Name) glared at him. “It was two years ago! C’mon, don’t stop.”

Riki growled. “Did you enjoy it?” He began ti thrust again, his grip on (Name)’s legs harsh. (Name) stared up at him in confusion. Why did he care so much?

He was mated to him. He belonged to him.

“No. We were both betas…”

Any sort of anger within Riki quickly disappeared. A smile appeared on his lips. “You should’ve said so. No beta can compare to an alpha.” His cock dragged against (Name)’s wet walls, aiming continuously at his prostate.

(Name) mewled. “Why’s, ngh, that?”

Riki smirked. He maneuvered (Name) to lay on his side and have one of his leg’s on his shoulder. This position gave total control to Riki as he seemed to reach even deeper inside of him. It felt as if he was even reaching his stomach, judging by the small bulge in his stomach.

“No beta can knot their omega. Give them pups.” Riki grabbed (Name)’s right arm and brought it to his lips, biting down at the skin. It hurt, his canines digging into his skin. But (Name)’s inner omega jumped for joy. An alpha biting your skin with their canines meant you were truly theirs.

And (Name) really did belong to Riki. Riki left multiple sharp bites on (Name)’s arm, a few stringing out small amount of blood.

“No beta can make an omega dumb off their cock.” Riki suddenly said, slamming his cock deep inside (Name). (Name) cried out, his cock once again cumming on his stomach. He didn’t think he could handle much more.

At least his cock couldn’t. But his hole, his inner omega?

Oh, it could go all night.

And Riki seemed to know that.

“Do you want my knot, Omega?”

“Won’t I… hngh! Won’t I get pregnant?”

“You shouldn’t. I’m not in my rut.” Riki gently bit the leg on his shoulder, glancing down at (Name)’s shaking form. (Name)’s eyes were dilated. He truly felt gone mentally at this point.

All he could think about was being knotted.

And if Riki was right, he wanted it badly. But a small side of him felt disappointed. He wanted to get pregnant. His rational side was screaming at him not to but his omega side purred at the idea of being filled with pups.

“Inside, Alpha. Please, knot me with your cum.”

Riki grunted, flipping (Name) over again to rest on his knees, face on the pillow. (Name) cried at this, not wanting to face the headboard. He wanted to look at his mate but when Riki slammed back inside, he clenched down tightly around his cock.

This position was the best out of the other two. Riki’s cock kissed his stomach (womb) with ease. His prostate was constantly brushed against—earning cries from him with ease.

Riki gripped his waist tightly, holding him close once his knot began to swell. (Name) mewled at the knot brushing against his prostate. Riki leaned down to rest on (Name)’s back as he bit his scent gland, using his canines. (Name) felt himself black out at the pleasure, a scream off his lips.

As (Name) felt himself get tired, Riki slammed in one last time, right against his prostate. His knot released, filling (Name)’s hole with his cum. It felt warm inside. But it wasn’t a small load. It seemed Riki’s load was pretty big.

(Name) felt overwhelmed. He didn’t think an alpha could cum so much. It also didn’t help that the knot was rested nicely against his prostate. Whenever the knot swelled to release another batch of cum, it stimulated his prostate.

He mewled each time, gripping the bed sheets underneath him. Riki sighed as he left small bite marks on his back. He was tired. He wanted to fall back asleep but knew if he did that, he’d crush (Name) beneath him.

Riki moved to lay on his side, holding (Name) close. His cock had finally stopped cumming but his knot was still swelled. It’d take a minute for it to go down. This was mainly for the cum to stay inside, making sure the omega’s womb took every last drop.

But (Name)’s womb wasn’t ready for pregnancy yet, anyway. At least the doctor said so.

(Name) hummed. The cramps he was feeling was long gone. Who knew sex could help so much. He glanced down at his stomach to see a small bulge there. It looked to be from the cum. He felt himself purr at the thought.

He didn’t know why he suddenly felt excited at the thought of being breed so full.

The two idiots fell asleep, holding the other close.

But six weeks later, when (Name) felt nauseous, Riki was swiftly slapped by his mother and was called an idiot. Yeah, (Name) was pregnant.

He guess he should start looking online for baby names. It felt as if it wasn’t about to be one pup.

(Name) just wasn’t sure how to tell his parents.

╭┈─────── ೄྀ࿐ ˊˎ-

╰┈─➤ ＥＮＤ

Riki’s a bad boy, not a smart boy :/

It was so fun writing fluff for Riki tho since the original story isn’t there yet

Thx for the request!!

Tag list: @the-ultimate-librarian @mello-life69 @chill-guy-but-cooler @kiiyoooo @nakedtoasterr

(Ask to be added to the tag list/you’ll be tagged in every fic I post)

[fanfictilltheend]

❤️‍🔥Violent Heart Part 1: ♪All I've ever learned from love was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you ♫ (or the VERY DARK Stepdad!Mechanic!Covict!Joel x Afab!you one)❤️‍🔥

A/n: It's here!!!!!! 18+ Only. This took me 7 freaking months so you mofos better like, reblog, and comment. This is both my most and least personal fic I've ever written and it is dark and relies heavily on plot (no smut until part 2 but i swear it's worth the backstory!!!!) READ ALL OF THE TAGS DO NOT COME FOR ME UNLESS YOU DID THIS FR FR. This ones for my dark joel fangirlies(guys and NBies) and the daddy issues fam ily ❤️‍🔥 (also not me naming my fic in part after hallelujah by leonard cohen but there is a reason!!!!!!!!!!)

Summary: The story starts with Part 1 where afab!Y/N is a child and Joel is her new stepdad and this story explores their relationship. Themes of abusive family, domestic violence, child abuse, daddy issues, physical violence, murder, stepcest (kinda b/c he is divorced from her mom technically but she grew up with him as her stepdad), infidelity, age gap, and more are explored throughout the fic. PLEASE READ SPECIFIC TAGS (part 2 tags will be added with the release of part 2). Part 2 picks up with Y/N at age 20 and how her relationship with Joel has changed and gets steamier. NOTHING SEXUAL OCCURS BETWEEN Y/N and JOEL until Y/N is 20!!!!!!! Also check out this playlist of music that's in the fic!!!!

Tags (PLEASE READ): Afab!you, stepdad!joel, mechanic!joel, convict!joel, no apocalypse au, Mentions of sex (little detail), mentions of male masturbation, infidelity, domestic abuse/violence, sibling abuse/violence (no one ever talks about sibling abuse but it’s very real), physical child abuse, neglect, allusions to past domestic violence, cursing, brief mention of pedophilia and kidnapping (David), allusions to committing future pedophilia (David), threats, cancer mention, Sarah death discussion, Tommy death mention, murder, prison, mentions of god and religion, fights, general violence, alcohol consumption, using music lyrics to move the plot, daddy issues, use of y/n

Word Count: ~15k

PART 2 (coming soon)

Ao3 Link

Violent Heart Masterlist

Full Masterlist of all my work

Joel Miller is not a good man, that he knows like the backs of his calloused hands. 

He knows loss too, feels it burrowed in the hollow cavity of his chest. Sees it in the face of every little girl he meets. 

The memories sting. 

He knows pain, deep in the depths of his character, down to the fundamentals of what makes him something that resembles a human being. The belts, the bigger hands, the harsh words, and then the grief. The recent Bring back my babygirl! The ancient ¡Basta, Papí, por favor, no Tommy, no Mamá! ¡Por favor no esta noche! The indignity of begging, always reduced to begging to a cruel man, an indifferent doctor, a cruel universe. 

He knows hard work, how to work with his hands. He knows the grit and grease of labor. Sees the cogs turning in the engines he fixes, relates to them. Feels like he knows them intimately because he is one too, chugging along day after endless day. But no one dares fix Joel Miller.

Until…

Her name is Erica and she’d like her front bumper replaced, please. She has long eyelashes and a soothing voice. And she has money too, at least more than he, who is almost broke from the cost of Sarah’s medical bills. She comes with baggage, Joel can tell from looking into her eyes, but then again so does he. And he hasn’t been laid in god knows how long. 

She takes him on a date and he lets her. She reveals she has two kids, but Joel doesn’t care. They fuck at her place while the kids are at school and she wants it soft, like her hands, and that’s how Joel gives it to her. 

A week later, Joel has moved in, which is good because his rent was due and he couldn’t pay it. He still hasn’t met the children.

***

It’s Joel’s day off and he’s sitting on the couch in his new home. His back hurts, but that’s nothing new. He’s got an excellent view of their nice, big backyard with a wooden fence. The kind of home he would have liked to have given Sarah. He sighs. Technically, nothing is wrong.

Then he sees it. It takes him a second to realize what is going on. It’s a whirlwind. He sees the back gate open and two tumbling forms fall over the threshold onto the manicured grass. One form is bigger, a boy of about twelve or thirteen beating the shit out of a much smaller form, fists flying. The other form is a little girl, no more than eight, defending herself like her life depends on it. Perhaps it does with the way he’s going at her. 

This must be the son, Aiden, and the daughter, Y/N. 

He’s a good boy, really, but he has anger issues sometimes. He’s been through a lot. That’s what Erica said, but Joel does not see a good boy. He sees a bully. A disproportionately violent one at that. Nothing that tiny girl could have possibly done could warrant the brutality he sees before him. 

Anger is something else Joel knows intimately, and that is what he greets when he runs outside to end the fray.

“Stop that!” he roars, pulling Aiden off of Y/N.

“Who the fuck are you!?” the boy screams, fury and hatred radiating off of his entire being. 

He continues thrashing and punching at nothing as Joel restrains him.

“I’m gonna kill her!” he screams, his eyes bulging.

“What the hell happened?” Joel growls, still holding onto the livid boy–verging on young man. 

“She ripped up my paper!” he bellows. “For no fucking reason! I worked hard on it!”

“It was a lie,” she says with so much conviction Joel almost flinches.

He looks down at the little girl, her nose bleeding, her right eye turning purple. She has tears streaked down her face, but she is not crying. Her shirt is ripped. The first thing he thinks of when he sees her is Sarah. Of course it’s Sarah, how could he not think of her? But this little girl is different, has a different look in her eye. This look is much harder and feels like she’s lived a thousand lifetimes. He thanks god Sarah never looked that way, but somehow he wants to hear about everything this little girl has experienced. Something twangs in Joel’s chest that he has not felt in what feels like an eternity. 

“It was not a lie, you stupid bitch whore!” Aiden shouts angrily, still fighting back against Joel’s unrelenting grip. “Take that back!”  

“No, you take it back! Dad is not a hero. You could’ve picked anyone to write about and you choose him? After everything he’s done?” she screams herself.

The sound of her voice is powerful but desperate. Joel feels himself needing to know more and bury himself deep inside her experiences.

“SHUT UP!” Aiden yells, finally ceasing his movements. 

A tear falls from his cheek. 

“If I let you go, will you stop whooping your sister?” Joel snaps firmly.

“Get away from me, you stupid cuck!” Aiden curses, turning his energy to Joel. “Who the hell are you to me? Fuck you! I’m out of here!”

He wriggles out of Joel’s grasp and Joel lets him go and Aiden storms back out the rear gate, slamming it behind him.

“You alright?” he asks Y/N.

Joel crawls over on his knees, still upright, closer to her. 

“Had worse,” she shrugs, running a hand through her messed-up hair. 

She wipes the tears and blood from her cheeks.

Joel shudders to imagine what she means.

“He always like that?”

“Yeah,” she nods. “So you Mom’s new boyfriend?”

“Something like that,” he nods back. ”’M Joel. Joel Miller.”

“I’m Y/N,” she says a bit mournfully. “Here,” she continues suddenly, reaching out a small hand to his cheek. She wipes blood (hers) gently off his stubbly face. “Didn’t mean to get ya dirty.”

Joel is nothing short of touched. He wasn’t even aware he could still have such a feeling. His cheeks go rosy pink. His heart pulses. He stares at her delicate hands and notices a long, thin scar on her left middle finger. 

“‘S no trouble, sweetheart,” he hears himself reassuring her. “Let’s get you cleaned up. Could even mend your shirt if ya want. Know how to sew and all.”

He reaches out a large hand, but she flinches at the sudden movement. A dull ache wells up in Joel’s chest. 

“Not gonna hurt you, honey. Swear it.” 

He wants with every fiber of his being for her to believe him, for it to be true. 

She takes his hand.

***

That evening Erica is still not home, working late Joel supposes. It is nine o’clock when Aiden slinks back into the house.

Joel stops him from making his way up the stairs. He is more than familiar with the art of creeping.

“Think you oughta apologize to your sister,” he says as gently as possible. Maybe he can impart some manners onto this unruly child now that he’s calmed down some. “You beat her real bad. You’re much bigger than her.”

“I’d do it again,” Aiden hisses, his eyes cold. “It makes me feel better.”

And then, to Joel, the answer is simple. What do you do with a bully who won’t repent? Fight him back. Show him who’s boss, who’s bigger.

He grabs Aiden by the arm in a flash of anger and drags him up the stairs. The boy screams and flails, but that doesn’t deter Joel. He brings him to the room he assumes is his, the walls covered in sports posters and memorabilia.

“Take off your shirt,” he growls, a familiar fury pounding inside his chest.

When Aiden protests, Joel does it for him, ripping the kid’s shirt nearly in half. Rage floods through Joel’s veins and he can’t exactly place why, but the feeling is very real and bouldering through him at an alarming speed. He knows this feeling, feels strangely at home there.

He undoes his belt and brings the leather end down on Aiden’s back, not the buckle like his father used to do. Joel does have some decency buried deep in his chest. And then he loses himself to the unyielding anger.

“You get ten,” he snarls. “Don’t you lay a hand on your sister again. Is that understood? Now you answer to me.”

No response except for a scream.

“I said , do you understand?” Joel roars, bringing down the belt.

Rage consumes him like a drug. He barely registers what he’s doing. The belt goes down again and again. And somehow, through the screaming and the pain, and the intoxicating feeling of being completely in control for once, Joel’s line of vision wanders to the bedroom door. In all the excitement, it was left ajar and out in the hallway, sitting on her knees is Y/N. Joel immediately expects fear, despair, revulsion. When Tommy would watch him take a beating his face would betray the most acute sense of hopelessness and terror and the waterworks would begin. But Y/N just stares at him unflinchingly, at what he’s doing. She doesn’t cry, she simply sees. Too much for a child, and yet, she watches. She does not intervene, doesn’t even try to. And for the tiniest moment, her and Joel’s eyes connect, and he feels a sense of calm, of comprehension, of recognition in that uncannily knowing gaze. Her irises sparkle and Joel feels…something that he cannot entirely articulate. Seen? Accepted? Understood? Joel knows logically what he is doing is an ugly, vile thing — he has never claimed to be a good man. Practical maybe, but never good. And yet, Y/N sees it — sees him — and she doesn’t look away. She cocks her head slightly, and images of Tommy grimacing in revulsion and fear as Joel mercilessly beat up their childhood neighborhood bullies to the point of unconsciousness pop into his mind, of the haunting look in his brother’s eyes. Even Sarah could not stomach his violent heart when she witnessed him beat up some pervert with a camera that had looked at her funny at the mall. Even though it was for her — to keep her safe. She had stared at him in disgust and pity. She had not seen him then at all.

But now, looking at Y/N, for the briefest moment, Joel can swear he sees something resembling a smile flicker over her serious face. And though it goes as quickly as it comes, he feels the familiar sensation gnawing at the bottom of his stomach: primal and untameable, soft and vulnerable, but fierce and loud at the same time. He feels an inexorable, inescapable sense of care and devotion to this child. But most of all, because she sees him, truly sees him, and does not turn away in disgust, Joel Miller feels the gut-wrenching, unquenchable sensation of love deep in his chest. For the first time since Sarah died on that hospital bed, weak and unwell from the chemo he could not afford, he feels alive . 

***

Things fall into a tentative routine. Every morning, Joel wakes up in bed beside Erica. They fuck the night before more often than not, but always in that same slow way that doesn’t do much for Joel. It’s enough to get off, sure, she isn’t an unattractive woman, but he’s mostly there for the meal ticket and roof over his head. He goes to work at the auto-body repair shop, Erica goes to her job at her law firm. The kids ride the bus to school. He gets home in the evenings before Erica and spends time coexisting with the children. Usually, he kicks back on the sofa, rubbing his sore back, and watches television, minding his own business. Aiden mostly avoids him, doing god knows what in his room. He bullies his sister cruelly and Joel punishes him when he sees fit. Erica knows what he does to Aiden and either doesn’t care or approves. He never lays a hand on Y/N though. She warms up to him slowly, cautiously. Most evenings she sits on the far end of the couch and Joel on the other, but as she gets used to him and sees that he’s not a threat, at least to her, she scoots closer. 

The children’s father is no longer in their lives from what Joel can tell, which is perfectly fine with him. When Joel’s heart does not feel full of lead, he plays the guitar. Y/N sits and watches him. She is a quiet child, but unrelentingly brave. When Joel lets the TV blare, he rarely cares to pay much attention these days, she stays and watches with him, no matter what is on and never complains or asks to change the channel. Blockbuster zombie apocalypse movie? She watches. News special on America’s most dangerous serial killers? She watches. Documentary on venomous snakes? She watches. Should Joel be letting her watch this crap? Who the fuck knows? He isn’t her father. And plus, he won’t admit this to anyone, hardly even himself, but he likes having some company. It makes everything feel…less. And he likes that she doesn’t try to make him speak. Sometimes there are no words and he thinks Y/N understands this. Unlike Erica who yaps every second of the day. But Joel stays polite and plays along. He has to.

But he will not lie, Aiden gets on his very last nerve. There is something that Joel cannot quite place that makes him feel like he has known this boy his whole life even though they are as familiar as perfect strangers. All siblings fight and rough-house. That is normal. Hell, he and Tommy used to fight rough and tumble all the time. But the way Aiden bullies Y/N is something else entirely. And most times, it is unprovoked. And he is so much bigger than she is, growing bigger by the day. 

Joel’s beatings have not stopped Aiden’s anger and sadistic attitudes, but they do make sure that he takes some kind of physical consequence for his crimes. It makes Joel feel better and he thinks it makes Y/N feel better too. And some days he gets so fucking mad at Aiden that he thinks not even god could stop his wrath even if the boy turned into Mother Theresa herself! Okay, maybe that’s extreme, but another part of Joel thinks maybe it’s not. The truth is, though he is loathe to admit it, some days, he is not in control of his anger. Some days he punches so hard, his knuckles bleed and he has to stop for a second to come back to himself. Others he goes so roughly on Aiden that he causes the kid to become bloody and he feels ashamed of what he’s done. But there are other days, very dark days, where he wishes he could do it over and over again. He convinces himself he’s doing it for Y/N and not some other sinister ulterior motive he does not care to dwell on…

One night, a few months into Joel’s new living arrangements, he walks through the upstairs hallway to his and Erica’s bedroom, passing the closed door to the bathroom that the kids share. He has done this what feels like a thousand times before and doesn’t think anything of it until he stops and realizes he hears Y/N singing. 

♪“ Someday, my pain / Someday, my pain will mark / You…”♫ she sings softly.

He can barely hear it over the crash of the water from her shower, but her voice is beautiful. It pulls at Joel’s shrunken heart, deep inside his long-dead chest. Her voice has an eerie quality to it too, almost haunting. He’s not sure of what song it is, but he finds himself wanting to know. Eventually, she stops, and Joel goes to bed, but her voice echoes in his mind for hours as he lies awake in the dark.

The next day, Joel is sitting on the couch when the kids get home from school. Y/N joins him on the other side of the sofa as usual. They watch reruns of some unfunny family sitcom.

“Heard you singing last night,” he finally grunts unceremoniously.

Y/N goes very still.

“Sorry,” she mumbles, avoiding his gaze. “I’ll be quieter next time.”

Joel looks over at her. He realizes she looks terrified.

“Ain’t no problem with it,” he tries to explain, confused. “Thought you sounded nice is all.”

“You tryna trick me?” she stammers, tears collecting in her shimmering eyes.

“What? Trick you? What you crying for, honey? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Joel is genuinely flabbergasted. 

Tears trickle down her cheeks. What has he done this time? he wonders. But he is concerned more than anything. Hell, he hasn’t seen her cry like this since the day they met. Not even last week when Aiden slammed her head into the metal oven in the kitchen (luckily it was off or Joel would have really killed him that time).  

She sniffles, looking conflicted, then collects herself as best she can manage.

“M-my dad didn’t like when I would sing. ‘Specially if he was in a depo…I forget the word…deponition? Deposition? When he was on the phone for work, I mean. If I was being too loud. Or too shrill. He didn’t like that one bit. He’d get mad…” she trails off. 

“The way Aiden gets mad?” Joel asks very slowly, not truly wanting to know the answer.

“Yeah,” she nods after a while. “Except he’s a lot bigger. And stronger. He…he broke my arm once. But it was on accident I think. He got me ice cream after.”

Anger, red and hot, pulses through Joel’s veins. What hadn’t this child endured at the hands of angry men? 

“What did your mother do?” he bites out, almost unnaturally calm from trying to control himself.

“Well, most of the time he’d kinda like hit her around, I guess? But the time he broke my arm was the time she made him leave for good and they got a divorce and all. Aiden says it’s my fault he won’t come around anymore. He was so mad. He loves Dad so much. I don’t understand it though because even though Dad likes him a lot more than me, Dad would still be so mean to him sometimes. Mom says I don’t even know all of it...Promise I won’t bother you with singing though, okay?”

“Sweetheart,” Joel says as softly as his blinding rage will permit. Somehow, when he’s with Y/N, he finds he can control himself better. “I’ll never get mad at you for singing. Or being too loud. Or anything. Never gonna put my hands on you. I’m sorry if what I do to Aiden scares you or made you think that I would ever do such a thing to you.”

“It doesn’t scare me,” she shakes her head. “When you get rough with Aiden, you do it because he did really bad, to protect me. It’s like with you there’s rules that make sense. Aiden chooses to be mean and violent so you choose it back to him. With my dad, it was different. It was like I could breathe wrong and I’d get in trouble. Get in trouble for things I couldn’t control or help. Sometimes I did bad, I know I did, but I also know there were other times where I wasn’t hurting anyone and he’d still hurt me so badly. My dad never got mad at Aiden for hurting me though. He thought it was funny, I think. Sometimes he’d kinda like sick him on me. Kinda how you could a dog.”

Joel doesn’t know how to respond, doesn’t know the right words. He figures he can only show her with his actions who he is and she will just have to learn to trust him. If her father ever enters the house though, he will wring his neck. That’s for certain. Thank God he doesn’t come around for his sake, Joel’s, and the family’s.

“I was just thinking,” Joel finally says. “If ya want, I could learn how to play that song you were singing on my guitar and maybe you could sing it for me sometime?”

“M-maybe we could sing it together?” Y/N asks tentatively, her eyes wide. “Singing in front of other people is kinda scary.”

“I haven’t sung in a while,” Joel sighs. “Might be rusty.” 

“That’s okay,” she grins hopefully. 

Joel wants to take a photo of that rare sight and keep it close for as long as he lives, torn in his pocket or snug in his wallet, he doesn’t care. 

“Joel?” she asks a little cautiously, breaking him from his thoughts. “Can I ask you something?”

“‘Course, kiddo,” he says as gently as he knows how.

“Who’s Sarah?”

His heart stops. His blood runs cold. 

“What? How did you–”

“You were talking. In your sleep yesterday,” she says, shrinking away a little and Joel feels sorry for scaring her again. “When we were watching Dexter . Well, you fell asleep right before. You were snoring and all, but you were also talking and mumbling that name. You sounded sad and scared.”

Joel should definitely not have allowed her to watch that! But that is hardly the point right now. 

His heart squeezes so tight it burns. What was there to say about Sarah – the entire reason his life had had any purpose? His perfect babygirl? The light of his life? 

He could lie. So easily too and Y/N would never know. He could say nothing at all. Hasn’t even told Erica about her yet. Hardly ever speaks to anyone about her these days.

And yet…

“She was my daughter,” he hears himself say softly. “She…got sick. Died of leukemia a while back. She was twelve.”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the wallet he was just thinking about. Inside is a tiny school photo of Sarah – the last one she ever took. It’s faded a little, but she’s still smiling so big she could block out the sun. He shows it to Y/N.

“I’m sorry, Joel,” she says and she really does look sorry. 

Not the way his co-workers and customers say it – almost as a reflex – to fill the void in the conversation. Her eyes are shimmering.  

“Nothin’ to do about it now,” he shrugs, running his thumb over the photo paper, softened with age. “But she was so damn special. My whole world.”

He has learned to repress the tears, not to show weakness, that is not hard. Not anymore. But the anger that broils up inside him – the injustice of it all – how he was unable to help her. Unable to save her. He feels almost like a child again, powerless in an unforgiving, unrelenting world. He wants to fight back!

He is so angry he begins to shake and his hands clench into fists. 

He wants to flip over the fucking coffee table – fling it across the room! He wants to punch in the glass of the flickering TV screen until his fist is broken! He wants to–He wants–

He just wants his babygirl back…

A sob, small and foreign rises in his throat, but he pushes it down. 

He thinks Y/N knows though. Can see the vulnerability in his eyes.

She reaches out a small hand and touches his fist, pushes it down gently into the soft fabric of the couch so he’ll stop shaking. It doesn’t entirely work, but he thinks he appreciates the effort.

“I don’t know if this is the right thing to say,” she begins a bit skittishly, still not entirely trusting the hulking, raging man above her. “But I think I would have liked to have been her friend.”

And for the first time since Sarah died, Joel sobs . 

Y/N pops up from the couch and Joel’s heart cries out louder in his chest for her to come back, don’t leave me too as he tries to suck the tears back in. It doesn’t work though and liquid gushes down his cheeks. He doesn’t think he can take the rejection, the loss of her. But thankfully, she returns just as quickly as she went with a handful of tissues stuffed into her small fist. 

“Here, Joel,” she offers. “Here. Don’t cry.”

Joel does cry though. He’s ashamed he’s broken down in front of this literal child, and he doesn’t let out much noise, but he doesn’t take the tissues either. He can’t. 

She’s so sweet though, or maybe it’s because she is truly afraid of him now, of his wrath, he’ll never really know, but she frowns and reaches out a little hand, the one with the scar on the middle finger, and tries to wipe up the tears.

The paper of the tissue tickles his cheeks.

“Shouldn’t havta…” he tries.

“Didn’t mean to make you…” she answers.

A pause.

“You didn’t, honey. That was all me,” he assures her finally.

She lets out a sigh of relief and soaks up the last of the salt water from his face, brushes the tissue gently against his nose. It tickles, causes him to snort. He smirks a little.

She smiles back shyly, she can’t help it, he can tell. 

“You know,” he says thoughtfully after a few moments of silence, sighing deeply. “I reckon she would’ve wanted to be your friend too…”

***

A few months roll by. Things are virtually the same except Y/N seems more comfortable around him now. Maybe it’s because she saw his weakness up close and personal, his Achilles heel —— knows how to coax it out of him now if she has to. Or maybe it’s because she truly trusts him. Whatever the case, she sits closer to him on the couch now, still giving him a respectful foot of distance though of course. 

Once in a blue moon, she sings for him and he tries to keep up with the lilting sound of her high voice. She says she likes his low, deep voice just fine, it’s just she still gets nervous singing in front of other people so it’s still a rare occasion. His favorite is when she sings solo and he gets to strum along for her and really listen. Sometimes her voice cracks in a very specific way that some might find to be a flaw, but Joel would never. 

Aiden makes fun of them and calls them the ‘Von Trapp Family Singers.’ Are they a family? Joel wonders.

One day after work, Joel goes to the library to find some sheet music for a song Y/N likes. She treasures the photo-copied paper like a gift as Joel deciphers the notes he can actually read for her. She color-codes each one carefully in magic marker so she can remember the differences between them. 

The next day, Aiden burns it up with a lighter he has acquired from God knows where. Joel confiscates it – the last thing he needs is this particular child setting fires – and It doesn’t end well for Aiden. He limps for damn near a week. But some days, when Aiden is calm, he joins Y/N and Joel in front of the TV if a sports game is on. He doesn’t sit on the couch though, just the floor. He doesn’t say much to them but does get invested in the good and bad plays of each game, gets sore if his team is losing. On one particularly good day, when the Rangers hit a grand slam, and Joel was actually paying attention, he and Aiden actually high-five.  

Things are going…well? Is that the right word? It is a foreign concept for Joel. For Christmas, he gets Y/N guitar, Aiden a book on boxing so maybe he will redirect his anger into somewhere productive, and Erica a spa-day kit for 20% off that he saw at CVS (he never claimed to know what women want). Aiden is neutral, surprised, he thinks, that Joel even got him a present. Erica is actually appreciative and returns the favor with some new socks and underwear. 

“A practical gift for a practical man,” she says, kissing him on the forehead. 

Joel supposes he appreciates the gesture. 

Y/N, though, is thrilled.

“Thank you, Joel! Got you something too,” she says excitedly, bouncing up and down in her red and white pajamas.

“That’s not necessary,” Joel chides, leaning over to pick up the wrapping paper that was strewn across the living room floor. 

But secretly he is curious. He didn’t think she even had any money of her own…

Aiden opens the cover of the boxing book with disinterest, eyeing the new guitar distastefully. 

Y/N jumps up, leaves the room, and returns with a small plastic baggie in her hands. Inside are little, different bits of colored plastic clumsily and haphazardly cut into tiny, sharp-looking, badge-shaped pieces. One he recognizes is from the top of a yogurt container he put into the recycling the other day, another one from the top of a Gatorade bottle. 

“Here ya go!” 

She shoves the plastic bag into his large hands enthusiastically.

“Thank you,” Joel responds, still unsure what he was given.

It reminds him of when Sarah was young and would come home with some sort of abstract macaroni painting from kindergarten and he would nod and smile knowingly when she explained that of course it was Two dinosaurs getting married, Dad. Duh!

“You could try one on my new guitar,” she offers, a little disappointed when he doesn’t have more of a reaction. “You said you lost most of yours…”

Joel immediately feels guilty and then it clicks. She tried to make him guitar picks! His heart clenches with emotion he can not quite identify. 

He pulls a little orange one out of the bag and accidentally nicks the edge of his finger. Because of the way it was cut, no doubt with uncoordinated child’s hands and a pair of scissors, the edges are much too sharp to serve as an actual guitar pick without damaging guitar strings or apparently Joel’s finger. Dumb kid. But he’s beyond honored anyone would take the time to do such a thoughtful thing for him. 

He hisses softly and sucks the blood off his finger.

“Oops,” she says, horrified. “Shoot. Sorry, I–”

“‘S no trouble,” he interjects dismissively. “Love ‘em. Was my fault anyway. I’mma be honest with you though, sweetheart; don’t think the guitar strings can handle these babies.”

“Oh,” she says softly, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. “Oh, yeah, okay...”

She deflates, looking down at the carpet.

Joel selfishly lets her be sad for a beat before swooping back in to be the one to save the day.

“But here’s what I’ll do…”

She looks back up at him with an intoxicating kind of hope in her eyes.

He takes his wallet out of his back pocket and slips the orange pick into the photo slot next to the picture of Sarah. He returns the wallet back into his pants. 

Y/N positively beams. Brighter than the sun, even, Joel thinks.

Aiden yawns purposefully loudly and rolls his eyes. Erica looks touched and maybe even a little proud of her choice in men. But Joel didn’t do it for them. The only reaction in the world he cares about is hers.

Y/N is still grinning, bouncing on the balls of her feet again. But then she does something new: she leans in and hugs him, wrapping her little arms around his waist, burying her face in his flannel shirt, pressing against his tummy.

The world stops for Joel. 

At first, he just hangs there limply, awkwardly. Literally forgets what one is supposed to do in such a situation, but then instinct kicks in and he wraps his arms around her too and squeezes ever so slightly. It’s a more cautious hug than Sarah would have given him – she would have squeezed him half to death – but Y/N is still holding him. Someone small and warm is holding onto him for the first time in what feels like an eternity. And just like that his past is rhyming with his present and it is the most beautiful sound Joel Miller has ever heard. 

Joel Miller is not a good man, no, but maybe, just maybe, he thinks he could be one for Y/N. 

***

Joel tries to be good. He does. His first order of business is stop beating on Aiden – especially in front of Y/N. No amount of violence towards the kid seems to do any good anyway – he still hurts her. And Joel is sick of bandaging her up and wiping the blood from her cheeks; something has to change. Not that he wouldn’t do it a thousand times if he had to. He’d do anything for the girl, that he is sure of. And the truth is, Aiden is close to getting big enough to really fight back. And Joel knows if Aiden really lays a hand on him, he’s not sure he will be able to control himself enough to not inflict permanent damage. And he doesn’t want that. Truly.

So at first, Joel thinks about having Erica send him away to a wilderness camp for troubled children or some such program he sees mentioned on reruns of Dr. Phil. She has the money to do it too. But she won’t send him away. She refuses, loves him too much. Protecting Y/N seems as far down on her list of priorities as ever. She is useless at disciplining him, always has been, so it is up to Joel to find another solution. So the next thing he tries is to set the boy up in boxing classes. This is risky since it might just teach him new ways to hurt Y/N, but at least it will be a place to direct his anger.

It works for a while, to his and Y/N’s immense relief, but that leaves Joel nowhere to take out his anger. He tries to ignore it at first and shove it down, but it starts to come out in little ways. At work, he barks at a customer who locks his keys in the car he’s trying to fix. At home, he shouts at Erica for missing Y/N’s school play. The rage leaks out of him, pours off his entire being. He tries jerking off more to increasingly violent porno magazines to calm himself down since Erica is sure not satisfying him. It doesn’t do enough though, not really. Finally, he tries boxing at the local gym himself, but it is not enough either. Boxing has rules. The first sorry sucker he gets in the ring with, he beats to the point of unconsciousness. Two men have to pull him off to get him to stop. They kick him out immediately.

So Joel tries going to the bar after work with the guys from the shop and drinking a little to take the edge off. That actually helps somewhat. He’s careful about it, never comes home drunk, never drinks in front of Erica or the kids. But what helps the most are the bar fights. He’s careful about that too. Only fights the assholes, which there are many of. Switches up the bars he goes to. But some motherfucker slaps a girl's ass without permission? Joel’s on him in seconds, watching like a predator from the shadows. Some dude throws a drink in the bartender’s face? Joel clobbers him half to death. And sometimes? People in the bar applaud him, even cheer him on. It’s probably because they’re intoxicated, but that’s how he justifies it to himself like he’s some kind of goddamn vigilante. Deep down he knows he is something much, much uglier. But at least he’s not doing it to Aiden, a child. And more importantly, at least it is away from Y/N.

***

One day, Y/N falls sick. It starts out as what seems like a cold with a nasty cough. Kids are little germ factories, Joel knows that. He tells himself it is nothing to worry about – that all kids get sick sometimes. The first few days she lies on the couch like a zombie, coughing incessantly into her elbow and sleeping a lot. She snores ever so slightly which he finds charming. Joel stays home from work with her because Erica has to be in court and they watch lots of nature documentaries and daytime talk shows. 

Then the coughing gets worse and Joel’s brain stops functioning properly and he has trouble explaining why. He feels more on edge, more agitated. Erica takes Y/N to the doctor and comes back with a diagnosis: walking pneumonia. Nothing too serious, lots of kids get it. She is prescribed antibiotics and is supposed to drink lots of fluids and wait it out. But when Erica tells Joel the news of what the doctor told her he is holding a glass of water and it shatters in his large hand, cutting the skin of his middle finger.

“Fuck!” he yells. 

And he cannot articulate precisely why, but he feels good that there is a justified reason to yell. 

Erica wipes his hand and cleans the glass up.

“Gotta go to court again today, honey,” she says like everything is fine and normal. “Can you look after her today? Call in sick? She’s in bed. Going through it.”

Joel nods and she is gone like this whole thing is nothing. Like her precious, living breathing child is not suffering in the room above his head.

He climbs the stairs and enters Y/N’s room. He doesn’t often spend much time there. The walls are painted pink and differently shaped dolls and stuffed animals line the white vanity across from her canopied bed. He does not think he has ever seen Y/N play with any of those specific toys, come to think of it, or express any interest in the color pink (no doubt Erica’s secret passion for interior design rearing its ugly head). He vows silently, one day, to paint the walls any color she wants. 

But there she is, sprawled out in her bed coughing a nasty cough. Something shifts inside Joel at the sound. She looks unwell and weak and so small. 

“Hey, honey,” he says softly, almost robotically. 

Something is not right. He sits on the edge of her bed, feels her burning forehead. He takes her temperature gently with the thermometer that goes in her ear. He feels that weird sensation like he’s been here before even though he has hardly ever entered her bedroom. One hundred and four degrees Fahrenheit it reads when it beeps. Joel swallows a lump in his throat that he didn’t realize was there.  

She coughs pathetically. She looks out of it, her eyes far away. Joel’s heart throbs painfully.

Y/N is mumbling something incoherent now. Joel leans a little closer so he can decipher the words.

He makes out something like: No, Dad. Don’t. Stop, please. Please, not tonight. 

Joel stops breathing. 

She must be delirious from the fever. 

And then she’s crying. Quietly, but crying all the less. And this time, unlike every time he has seen her tears before, she sobs. Actually makes noise, her chest wracked with it. 

Then she coughs so hard she starts to wheeze and it hits Joel so ferociously he practically loses his grip on reality.

When Sarah was sick she had leukemia, a blood cancer. And cancer requires treatment. Expensive treatment. But of course, Joel hadn’t cared. He would have sold every item he owned to save his child, would have traveled to the ends of the earth if he had to, done literally any and everything in his power to protect her. So he paid for most of her chemotherapy with high hopes. Desperate hopes, but high ones. It had been her best shot at getting better according to the doctors. And the thing about chemo is, the side effects can literally be deadly. Joel is not a man of science, but the doctor explained that those drugs kill the bad cells that make up the cancer, but also the good ones. It fucks with your immune system, weakens you. Makes you lose your hair, vomit, and or be so weak you can barely walk. All that happened to Sarah. Joel felt like a traitor taking her to those treatments. Logically, he knew they were necessary, but he always felt like he was the one doing those awful things to her. It eviscerated him, left him raw and empty, and helpless like a child.

But in the end, it was the pneumonia that killed her. Her body couldn’t fight it off. She’d died in a hospital bed, Joel at her side, holding her hand, unable to do a single damned thing except scream .

Y/N coughs again, simultaneously pulling him from his thoughts and throwing him back into them. His heart is pounding in his chest to Do something! But there is nothing to be done, nothing he can do! Why can’t he ever seem to protect her?

She looks up just then, notices him for the first time since he entered the room, still crying feebly.

“He hurt me,” she whispers up at him, her eyes glazed over and glistening with tears. She reaches out for a handful of his dark blue work shirt and pulls it tightly to her. “He hurt me. And I couldn’t–I c-couldn’t…”

And then he is holding her, not quite sure how, but he is holding her trembling body to his chest and he will not let her go. Not for the world, not for anyone. He will not lose this child. He wraps his arms around her, holds tight. He will keep her safe, no matter the cost. 

“It’s okay, babygirl,” he whispers. “I got you.”

***

Joel and Erica get married that spring. They agree on a private ceremony in front of a judge with only Y/N and Aiden in attendance. When Aiden hears the news, he throws a fit, He breaks dishes and punches a hole in the TV set which sets Joel’s teeth on edge. But Y/N is overjoyed. In the end, he and Joel adorn what Joel considers monkey suits and Erica wears a beautiful white dress that accentuates her figure. Y/N wears a frilly pink dress and carries a basket of pink roses. Joel never thought he’d be a married man and yet here he is. He imagines Sarah in attendance too and his heart aches. This is his life now. 

He refuses to wear a ring.

***

Time passes. Long stretches of time where things feel–dare he think it–normal.

 Aiden doesn’t beat Y/N, but begins to get into fights at school. Joel saves his violence for the bar scene which he begins frequenting more often. 

Erica starts working later, gets promoted in her job. Fucks Joel less and less, not that he cares very much. 

Joel goes to back-to-school nights and family cookouts. He teaches Y/N to play the guitar and how to fix car motors. In both these activities, she is no natural, but she tries her best and listens well. She smiles more than he’s ever seen. He drives her to sleepovers and Aiden to boxing practice. He paints her bedroom walls orange.

Things feel stable.

Two Christmases pass.

And then things take a downturn.

***

One evening, Joel returns home from work later than usual. When he arrives home in his truck, he notices an expensive sports car in the driveway. Erica has affluent friends, sure, but he’s never seen this particular car before. Something about that doesn’t sit right with him.

He opens the front door with a creak and Erica intercepts him before he can make it to the dining room table for dinner. She presses a hand to his forearm bulking with muscle.

“Don’t freak out,” she whispers urgently. 

Joel stops and hears the sounds of people eating dinner and a man’s raspy voice speaking.

“Freak out about what?”

He makes his way past her to the dining room. He sees a man he does not immediately recognize sitting at the head of the table, Y/N is flanking one side of the table next to him and Aiden the other. He is conventionally handsome and wearing an expensive pinstripe suit. When he looks up, he smirks at Joel. Joel thinks he looks kind of like Aiden if you were to squint. And then he understands who he is.

“The fuck are you doing in my house?” he growls, lunging forward.

“ Your house?” the man smirks again, unflinching. 

He looks Joel over, examining his mechanic’s uniform, the grease stain on Joel’s cheek. 

Erica grabs Joel. She pulls him back out into the hallway.

“Tell him he’s not welcome here,” Joel snarls, trying to get a look at the man over Erica’s shoulder. 

She pushes him backward gently. Instantly, he is worried for Y/N, for all intents and purposes alone in there with the man who abused her and this entire goddamn family for that matter. He catches a glance at her and she looks terrified . Aiden, conversely, Joel sees, looks like he just won the lottery, staring up at his dad in adoration. Joel doesn’t think he has ever seen him look so happy.

“This is important to them,” Erica snaps quietly. “That’s their father. He has a right–”

“Get him out of here or I’ll kill him,” Joel says deadly quietly. “He what? Doesn’t show up for over three years and you think that–”

“I know that he has a right to speak to them. I am their mother and they need a sense of closure. Aiden needs this. So you will sit down at that table and have an amicable dinner or so help me God, Joel.”

Erica never speaks to him like this. He is shocked.

“Fine,” he snarls after a while, his chest heaving. 

He can hardly think straight while Y/N is in there alone with that excuse for a man. Better he be close to protect her instead of thrown out of the house.

He walks back in with Erica, who sits next to Y/N, leaving Joel nowhere to go but next to Aiden.

“I’m Derek,” the children’s father says, leaning over the food Erica has prepared to shake Joel’s hand. 

Joel doesn’t take it.

“And you must be Joe? The new husband.”

“Joel,” he replies shortly.

He looks over at Y/N who is trying to be brave, he can tell, but deep in her eyes, looks petrified.

They eat dinner in tense silence until Derek breaks it and begins bragging about his golf club record, the latest client he’s been representing, his new girlfriend, Sylvia.

“See, she’s helping me become a better man,” Derek insists with a forkful of steak. “I know I haven’t always been…the greatest of fathers or partners, but she really convinced me coming here would be a good thing. That it would be healing. You guys will meet someday, I’m sure.”

Joel leans forward toward Derek, reeling at the idea that this man could possibly be back in the picture of his family’s life, but Erica reaches under the table and squeezes his knee in a death grip and Joel holds himself back.

Aiden hangs on his father’s every word. Erica looks somewhat intrigued after she lets go of her husband’s leg. Y/N screams silently at Joel, who tries his best to communicate without words that he will keep her safe.

“And I know I’ve missed quite a bit,” Derek continues. “Which is why I brought these. Sylvia’s idea, really.”

He reaches down toward his feet and pulls out a fancy golden gift bag and takes out two presents. He hands one to Aiden and the other one to Y/N. Aiden rips his open excitedly. Inside is a hunting knife with a red handle. 

Great, Joel thinks.

Y/N doesn’t move though, stopped like a deer in the headlights.

“Open it, girl,” Derek sneers.

She looks over at Joel. 

“Go on, baby,” he says softly, heat pumping through his blood.

She unwraps the pink wrapping paper and finds a Barbie doll in a clear plastic box. Joel has never seen her play with dolls at all come to think of it. 

“Isn’t that thoughtful?” Erica smiles cautiously.

“Thanks, Dad,” Aiden says enthusiastically. “Can’t wait to show the guys at ROTC.”

“Good for you, son,” Derek grins. “Serving our country is the highest of honors.”

Joel suddenly tries not to think about Tommy blasted to bits halfway across the world in Afghanistan, his body in such bad condition all that he got left of his baby brother was a finger and two bent dog tags.  

Aiden beams.

“Well,” Derek barks, eyeing Y/N distastefully. “Aren’t you going to say anything?” he taunts. 

Joel sees where Aiden gets it from. This arrogant, bullying behavior. He shifts in his seat, ready to strike if necessary.

“Thanks,” she says very quietly. 

Derek grins in a kind of satisfaction that makes Joel want to go over there and punch his daylights out. He almost does too until Erica kicks his shin beneath the table and he controls himself. 

Y/N frowns. She looks over at Joel, then back at her father. Something ripples across her face, but it goes so quickly Joel cannot assign any meaning to it. But she looks ever so less scared somehow, more angry almost, but not quite.

And then after about ten minutes of somewhat peaceful eating and Derek making Aiden and Erica laugh with stupid anecdotes from his court cases while Joel and Y/N exchange looks, it happens.

Y/N’s hand reaches forward and knocks against her glass of coke. It goes flying over in Derek’s direction and drenches him in the sticky liquid, staining his suit.

“Sorry, Dad!” she squeaks immediately. “Oh my god, I–”

“You little slut!” he roars in response, almost like a reflex, backhanding Y/N across the face with lightning speed and accuracy. “Do you know how much this fucking suit cost!?”

The force of the blow is so strong it knocks Y/N from her chair onto the ground.

Before a coherent thought can even go through Joel’s head he is on the other man, slamming him up against the wall behind him by the throat.

“Joel, don’t you dare!” Erica yells, but it is too late.

Joel sees red and can’t exactly recall what he does next, but it goes something like this:

He squeezes around Derek’s throat and bangs his head backward against the wall a few times. The other man tries to get a punch in, but Joel ducks and kicks him in the balls. Derek crumples to the ground and Joel gives his chest another hard kick. He whines pathetically. 

Aiden gets up then, but Erica uses all of her strength to pull him back before he can get involved in the mix. He resists, shouts something that Joel cannot make out, but Erica manages to keep him from the two men with a great amount of effort and struggle. 

Derek is on the floor now and Joel is straddling him, landing punch after ruthless punch down onto his head. His nose begins to bleed, but Joel keeps punching. 

“HOW DARE YOU?” he roars down at the trembling, gushing man on the floor.

There is so much blood splurting all over his face, dripping down onto his expensive stained suit, and the floor that Derek almost stops looking like Derek. Joel sees Aiden’s face in his features. And then there is so much blood that it could be anyone’s face screaming back at him for mercy. It could be those creepy, asshole men at the bar. It could be the much bigger kid who always used to beat up Tommy every day in the schoolyard. It could be that damned head doctor who let his babygirl die. It could even be his no-good, bastard, alcoholic papá . 

He turns his head ever so slightly while still delivering punches. Erica has Aiden in a bear hug. She is screaming for Joel to stop. Aiden is bellowing something that sounds like, You bastard, I’ll kill you! Get off of him! I’ll kill you! And then Joel sees Y/N still on the floor from where she was knocked. Her face is still turned in the same direction it was slapped into, but she is not crying or screaming. Her eyes are dancing.

They connect with Joel’s. 

He knows he is supposed to be a good man for her, but she doesn’t seem to mind his deviant behavior. He stops then, though, because otherwise he thinks he will kill the man and he doesn’t want Y/N to experience that. He steals a glance at her again and she looks ever so slightly disappointed, but her wide-eyed expression tells Joel that Christmas has come early this year. She sends him a look of gratitude and Joel thinks that maybe he did act like a good man for her after all in the case of this vile, pathetic person who is supposed to be her father. 

 Finally, Joel stands up. He walks over and reaches out a bloody hand to Y/N and pulls her gently from the ground. Even after she’s standing upright she doesn’t let go of him.

Derek gets up after a while, wiping his sleeve over his face to try to tame the excess blood. Joel thinks that maybe he broke the man’s nose. He feels not a shred of remorse. The other man spits on the ground at Joel’s feet and leaves without saying goodbye to his ex-wife or children, slamming the front door behind him.  

Erica is not pleased with Joel’s behavior. Aiden is shouting and screaming. He breaks a plate by throwing it onto the floor with a loud crash. Joel leans over and grabs the knife his father gave him and sticks it in his front pocket so Aiden doesn’t feel tempted to use it. Y/N’s small hand is still in his. 

When Aiden is coherent enough to listen to instructions and all screamed out, Erica sends the children upstairs to bed. 

Joel tries to walk Y/N up to bed to tuck her in, but Erica stops him.

“ Not you,” she growls at Joel. 

She is livid in a way Joel has never seen before. For a moment, he seriously wonders if this is the end of their relationship. 

The kids scamper upstairs and Erica yells at Joel for ages. 

At a certain point, he stops listening. He doesn’t try to argue back. Doesn’t care to. He is actually calm now, though his chest is still heaving from the exertion, more calm than he’s been in ages. He knows that she will never understand why he had to do what he did to Derek. She lives in another reality where his violence is not acceptable if she has to bear witness to it. She doesn’t care about Y/N the way she is supposed to. Never has. Doesn’t know or see her. Not the way Joel does. Has too big a soft spot for Aiden. Tolerated Joel’s violence toward him though like a coward. Maybe deep down she knew he needed some kind of discipline? But when Joel lays a hand on her scumbag of an ex-husband that’s what’s too far? When he hurt her own daughter? When Joel himself was responsible for hurting her own precious son? Where was her outrage then? 

But he voices none of this. Pushes it down. He cannot lose her. Not this house, not the kids, not the financial security. Never Y/N. 

Erica banishes him to the couch for the first time in their relationship. Joel doesn’t mind. 

Hours later, late into the night, he hears soft footsteps walking down the stairs. He rolls over on the sofa to see who is approaching. He wonders if it is Erica there to apologize because he knows her well enough to know by now that she will forgive him eventually. She will forgive anything it seems. But it is not Erica at all.

“Joel?” a little voice asks quietly. “You up?”

“Yeah, baby,” he replies. “You okay? I’m so sorry he pulled that shit on you.”

Y/N shrugs. 

“Sorry I…I didn’t stop it before it happened,” he admits like a secret. 

She shrugs again.

“‘M sorry she made you sleep on the couch and all,” she replies.

“‘S no trouble. I don’t mind.”

“But it’s my fault you got in trouble in the first place.”

“Y/N, you ain’t done nothing wrong,” Joel tells her seriously. 

It’s hard to see her in the dark, but he thinks she’s grimacing guiltily. 

“I just wanted to say…” she begins hesitantly. “Thanks for like sticking up for me and all that. You…you’re the only one who does.”

Joel hides a smile from his babygirl. Something inside him likes being that person for her, he cannot lie to himself. Likes being the one she can count on. 

“You were like some MMA fighter,” she continues. “But then all the blood was like in The Shining .”

One day, not long ago, Joel had fallen asleep on the couch when The Shining came on and Y/N had watched the entire thing out of her own free will. That movie had frightened the shit out of him as a kid!

“I’m sorry if I scared you, sweetheart.”  

“You didn��t,” Y/N replies matter-of-factly.  “I wasn’t scared of what you did for a second…I know that’s messed up, but I kinda wanted you to…” 

She trails off.

Joel understands. 

“I kinda, please don’t get mad, but I sorta knocked the cup over on purpose,” she admits.

Joel’s eyebrows go way up on his forehead in surprise.

“It’s just,” she babbles quickly in self-defense. “Mom and Aiden were like giggling and hanging onto every dumb thing he said and it scared me. I thought they might let him keep coming around and start liking him again. And I also knew he hadn’t changed too. I could tell on account of how he was looking at me in that same mean way he always did. And I also knew you’d save me like you always do and you had this angry look in your eyes. I knew what you would do. I could feel it in my gut…”

“You little shit!” Joel smirks. 

He has to give her credit where credit was due – that was incredibly shrewd. Dangerous, but oh so clever. She played everyone in that room like a fiddle. Joel is honestly kind of proud.

“You mad?” she asks tentatively, biting her bottom lip.

“Nah,” Joel grins. “At you? Never. You shouldn’t have had to let him hurt you to get him away from you, but you protected yourself and that’s the most important thing. If I had to do it over, I would.”

Y/N smiles. 

She’s a fucked up little girl, but Joel is a fucked up man, and they both live in a fucked up world.

“Got your back,” he grunts. “Remember that. Now scurry along back to bed and get some rest.”

“G’night, Joel.”

*** 

Time passes. 

Erica forgives Joel of course and Derek never comes around again. 

Y/N and Aiden grow bigger. 

They go on camping trips and Joel teaches Y/N and Aiden how to fish. Never thought he would see the day where Aiden was willingly listening to his instructions, but the day comes anyway. Of course, the boy’s favorite part is cutting up the bloody fish guts like Joel’s used to be as a child. Y/N likes the part where you wait for the fish to bite. She sits next to Joel on the grassy river bank, the sun shining down on the lazy lake they are camping by, and smiles softly to herself.

Another two Christmases pass.

All the while, Joel is visiting the bar more and not necessarily to drink. His violent streak is getting worse somehow. He thinks, though he’s no goddamn shrink, that it might have something to do with the fact that he and Erica are not having any sex. Their relationship is still amicable and she is still sweet to him, and he tries his best to be to her too, but in the bedroom is mostly crickets. Joel jerks off, of course he does, but his fist is no substitute for a warm body. 

Joel causes such a scene at the bar he frequents the most, that the cops have to be called. He ditches the place before he can get arrested, but he’s getting worried about his behavior. Something must change.

So then come the women. They practically throw themselves at him. Never has he thought he was that attractive until women literally offer themselves up to him on a silver platter after saving them from some drunken creep. Joel had always declined until now. But Joel is only a man. He fucks them rough and dirty (with their permission of course – Joel is not a good man, and a lot of things, but he isn’t a fucking rapist) in the bathroom stalls, in the alleyways. In the moment it feels good and helps him let off some steam, but after he feels guilty. And it doesn’t satisfy him much more than with Erica if he really thinks about it. One thing that Erica has over these women who let him act out his violent self is the look of devotion in her eyes. That’s always the thing that gets Joel to cum in the end when he does get to fuck her.

 He would leave her, she isn’t that special to him if he’s honest, but she offers him a twofold sense of stability he has never known in his life. The first fold is the financial stability that has evaded him all of his days. The second is the feeling of family . Something so mundane and normal. And despite her flaws, she treats him so well – better than Sarah’s mother ever did. And most importantly, he doesn’t think he could leave Y/N. Not now. Not when she looks at him like he is the universe. Not even Aiden whom Joel has (begrudgingly) begun to see the traces of himself in. 

***

This particular muggy, summer day begins normally. Joel goes to work, fixes a Chevy Impala’s fluid tank. And then he walks in with an old, beat-up Honda Accord. 

His name is David, and Joel has heard of him through murmurings and bar stories and whispers at community barbeques. He’s a notorious neighborhood legend, whose house kids cross the street to avoid. He is the boogeyman at the end of the cul-de-sac. 

The story is, though through the many versions Joel has heard some of the details get muddled, that he kidnapped and raped a twelve-year-old girl (that part all versions agree on). Some say he was supposed to have ten years in prison, others say twenty, but whatever the number he got out in one for “good behavior.” In jail, he supposedly devoted his life to God and became a preacher.

Joel doesn’t want to help him, but his boss hisses at him that money is money and he’s going to serve the man whether Joel likes it or not. 

There’s something wrong with the exhaust pipe, so Joel bends down and takes a look at it. He opens the trunk and sees a box of Bibles next to a plastic bag of zip ties. His blood runs cold.

“The fuck is this shit doing in your car?” he growls, referring to the zip ties.

“The Bible is the word of God, Mr. Miller,” David replies, eyeing Joel’s nametag. “Would you like one? I’m always trying to spread The Good Word.” 

“You know that’s not what I’m talking about,” he spits, looking over to make sure his boss is not watching. 

“If you must know, though it’s none of your business, those zip ties are for my garden to help hold up my plants. They are remarkably useful,” David smiles sickeningly politely. 

And that’s when Joel loses it just a little.

He picks up the ties and pockets them.

“Listen here, you pedophile piece of shit,” he snarls. “If I hear about you stepping one goddamned pinky-toe out of line–”

“Hey, Joel!” A little voice calls.

The breath is knocked from Joel’s lungs.

Y/N bounds up to them holding a brown paper bag out of nowhere. 

“You forgot your lunch! Mom dropped me off so you could have it. It’s tuna though. I hate hate tuna. But you’ll eat anything so I hope it’s good for you at least,” she babbles.

“Baby,” Joel says very quietly, his heart thrumming in his ribcage. “Right now’s not a great time. Why don’t you go on home and I’ll catch up with you later?”

Then she notices David. By the fact that she doesn’t immediately leave, Joel determines she has no clue who he is.

“Hello, young lady,” David smiles, eyeing Joel knowingly. “I’m Pastor David.”

“Uh, hi,” she says.

Joel thinks he might actually kill him.

“Would you like something to take home with you?” he asks.

Y/N blinks in confusion as Joel steps in front of her.

“She’ll be going now, won’t you Y/N?” Joel suggests dangerously.

“Here,” David says before she can respond.

He hands her a black-covered bible.

Y/N takes it, looks at the cover, and laughs. Joel and David both look down at her in surprise.

“No offense, ‘Pastor David,”’ she smirks. “But I don’t believe in that shit. Here, you can have it back,” she offers.

He takes back the book somewhat defeatedly. And Joel grins internally.

“Bye, Joel,” she tells him, still smirking. 

She side-hugs him quickly and returns to Erica’s car. 

“How dare you even look at her–” Joel booms at the sad, pathetic excuse for a man once she is out of earshot. 

His hands are clenched into fists and they are shaking. Every part of him is on fire. 

“I think I’ll be going now,” David interjects lightly. “I can see my business isn’t welcome here. You have a beautiful daughter, Mr. Miller. Quite a mouth on her. Shame if something were to happen to her…Oh, the things someone like me could make her believe…”

Joel reaches back his fist to punch, to pummel, to kill, but suddenly, another hand grabs his and holds it in place. Joel’s boss has materialized behind him and is holding him back. Good thing too. It’s probably the only thing that saves Joel’s career and David’s life. 

David winks and drives away as the boss begins to reprimand Joel who is still shaking and fuming.

All he knows is this: If anyone touches his babygirl he will not hesitate to put them six feet under, no matter the cost to himself. He will not hesitate to get blood on his calloused hands. He will not hesitate to kill. And this time? His baby will not sustain a single scratch . He will not wait for her to get hurt before he acts. 

***

Joel wants nothing more than to go home and spend time with his babygirl and wife and even his step-son if he will allow, but there is blood popping and oozing and broiling and churning under his skin like billowing, bubbling lava. If he doesn’t do something about it soon he will explode worse than a volcanic eruption so he heads to the seediest bar he can think of. He makes his way inside and sits right up at the bar, already occupied by a few people. He orders a drink (his usual: whiskey on the rocks) and waits for the impending opportunity for violence he is sure is lying in wait.

He cannot believe the shit that came out of ‘Pastor-fucking-David’s’ sick, perverted mouth and that he almost lost his job over it. He lets that thought charge him up into a rage, his fists clenched so tightly they are beginning to ache in the joints. He cannot believe that disgusting little fucker had the audacity to say that horrible scummy bullshit in his presence when he would do anything to protect that innocent child. He takes a drink of his whiskey and knocks it back in one gulp. He would do anything , ‘Lord’ only knows. He snickers to himself sinisterly. 

And while he’s on the topic, fuck God! When had He ever done a single damn good thing for Joel his entire miserable life except maybe to give him Sarah and then take her away like she was nothing and not the entire light of the universe wrapped into a small, vulnerable person? Joel doesn’t know much about the bible, truth be told, but he remembers a few things from his Sunday school days. He remembers that people are created in the image of God and the stories he remembers most are from the Old Testament which heavily featured a God of absolute rage. Maybe that is the way he is god-like, built of anger and revenge and wrath and the sick, pathetic hunger for power that lurks inside most people. 

But he also remembers Jesus being meek and mild. Joel never understood that desire until he had Sarah and then Y/N in his care. If Joel could snap his fingers and make himself some fundamentally kind and caring man he would, but he can’t. Joel Miller is not a good man. He tried to be for Y/N, he truly did, but look at everything he’s done in the time he’s known her: he used Erica to get financial stability and roof over his head, he’s cheated on her numerous times, he beat Aiden, a child, and everyday the weight of that guilt grows greater as he begins to truly understand how wrong that was, and he beat his babygirl’s pathetic excuse for a father (but still her father) in front of her. He also beat people in bar fights and that time at the gym. And the thing is: is he even a little bit sorry about any of it – except for maybe what he did to Aiden? No, not even a little. And he’d do all of it again if it could mean getting to spend time with his babygirl, Y/N, again. His babygirl who FUCKING DAVID tried to threaten!

And the problem is: who knows what that fucker is capable of? The police and the judicial system let him out after one year which can only be described as a colossal moral failure and a massive miscarriage of justice. It wouldn’t take much for David to really figure out where they lived and grab Y/N and throw her in his trunk like he did that poor other little girl. Maybe that’s paranoid, but Joel knows better than most that when a man wants to do a dark thing he will find a way to do it. Joel does not want to live his life constantly looking over his shoulder as some horrendous pedophile lives freely. 

And then he turns his head to look down at the rest of the fairly busy bar and he sees him . None other than David himself, drinking a beer. Joel cannot believe his luck. It is like all of the light in heaven has aligned to give him such a gift. A part of him is screaming to not engage because Joel is sure he could kill him for what he said about Y/N. But the rest of him is already standing up and grabbing David by the shoulder and–

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get the fuck out of here now ,” he snarls. “Almost lost my job because of you, you sick fuck. You’re lucky I give you a warning and don’t wring your neck on the fucking spot.”  

David turns around, Joel’s fingers digging into his shoulder.

“Proverbs 24:1 and 2,” he quotes calmly. “‘Do not envy wicked men or desire their company; for their hearts devise violence, and their lips declare trouble.’”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“It means perhaps I will be leaving. I don’t care to spend my time with wicked men such as yourself. And I have many preparations to make for what is to come. How is your daughter doing since we last met?”

Joel’s heart runs cold. 

“Get my baby’s name out of your goddamned mouth .” 

“Hope we run into each other soon,” David grins as he gets off the barstool and dislodges himself from Joel’s grip. “There is a lot I could teach her.”

He turns to leave. Disgusting coward, Joel thinks. He could let the man go. But then what? Live in fear of him? Let his precious Y/N live in fear of him? Joel is tired of living in fear, of resigning to a cruel man in a cruel world, and he will never do that or let Y/N do that ever again. 

And then David leans in so close that Joel can smell the alcohol on his breath and the sweat on his skin.

“Can’t stop thinking about her pretty little hands around my–”

Joel doesn’t let him finish. In that moment he knows what will transpire. He picked this seedy-ass bar for a reason: so that no one will bother to stop him.

He lands the first punch with ease, doesn’t even feel the pain till minutes later. The force of the blow to David’s head is so strong he slams down into the ground. It is so violent that David’s eyelid starts to bleed and the skin around the impact spot becomes puffy and dark. 

David shouts for help, but no one in this place gives a fuck and even if they did everybody knows who he is and what he did so they don’t give a shit two times over. 

Joel continues the assault. Punch after punch reigns down on the other man as blood begins to coat his features. David tries to get a punch or two into Joel’s stomach, but Joel straddles each of his biceps and holds him down so he can continue hitting. The longer Joel hits, the better he feels. This time is different. This time he does not see the features of every man he’s ever hated in the face of his victim. This time he sees only David’s disgusting smirk in his mind’s eye. This time he only thinks about how he is saving Y/N from a lifetime of fear and cruelty. This time Joel will not let his adversary get a strike in first. This time he will be the one to stop the fate of impending devastation that lies in the palms of David’s shaking and broken hands. This time he can save her . 

When Joel is done with his hands, he is panting heavily. He moves on to his feet, kicking the man’s gut sadistically, his trembling hands, his face. Crunch , goes David’s skull. And then he is not moving or breathing.

Joel stops.

A lick of fear trails against the inside of his stomach, but the rage, always the rage warms his stomach like a rush of flames.

So he keeps going. He bends back down and squeezes the man’s throat just to make sure. It’s good he did too because David’s bloodshot, viens-having-burst eyes snap open and David makes a pathetic little squealing noise and Joel squeezes harder, rougher, with more conviction.

In the end, it takes longer than he thought it would. 

Joel only stops when he hears sirens blaring in the distance. He looks up for the first time since the assault started and sees all of the patrons staring at him in revulsion and fear. The bartender actually has the phone in her hand. Joel guesses she was the one to finally call the cops. He guesses he was so sadistic and violent that even this shitty place had seen enough. He thinks to run, briefly, but where would he run to? Everything he has ever wanted in life is now going to be closed off to him. But he saved Y/N and that makes everything worth it. It has to have been worth it.

Joel puts two scarred, calloused fingers to David’s pulse point, as blood (his and David’s) drips down from his knuckle onto the wooden floor and feels nothing.

When the cops handcuff him and take him away, he doesn’t resist. He comes quietly. He cannot ever really be a good man for Y/N, he understands that now, but at least now she and he may know some peace of mind after what he’s done.

***

The time leading up to the trial is a blur. 

Erica pays for an excellent lawyer, but divorces him on the spot. It seems there are some things even she will not forgive, and apparently murder is one of them. She allows the children to see him one last time in cold, sterile police interrogation room. A court-appointed child advocate social worker must be present. They allow him to have his handcuffs taken off for the first time since he was arrested. The kids are told he accidentally killed someone in a bar fight and for legal reasons he leans into the “accidental” part. 

Aiden comes in first. He knew who David was and tells Joel he did the right thing. Joel is surprised. He reaches out a limp hand, dirt caked under his fingernails, and shakes Joel’s for the first time since they’ve known each other and they part ways on good terms.

“You’re not my dad,” Aiden tells him quietly. “But you always put up a good fight to be there.”

And he leaves.

Joel is more touched than he wants to believe.

Y/N’s visit is much more difficult.

“How could you!?” she screams, standing by the door the second she sees him as he sits at the interrogation table, his chair turned toward her. 

At first Joel thinks she means how could he killl another human being. Y/N didn’t seem to know who David was after all. But that’s not what she is mad about.

“How could you leave me!?” she shouts, tears in her eyes. “You’re going to be taken away from me! Mom is leaving you because of this and that means you aren’t like my dad anymore. You’re going to forget all about me and never get to see me again because you killed some dumb man who tried to give me a bible?”

“He was not a good man,” is all Joel can say. 

He can’t be the one to tell her more, hasn’t told anyone how David had threatened her. Not even his lawyer. He doesn’t want to scare her, doesn’t want to admit to anyone he let those words even get to leave that shit stain’s mouth. 

“I don’t care!” she shouts again. “I want you!”

And then she bursts into tears and runs into his chest and Joel holds her against his orange jumpsuit and starts to feel tears trickling down his own cheeks.

“Never gonna forget about you,” he nearly scolds her into hair. “How could you ever think that, baby? You’re my babygirl. I’ll get out one day and come right back to you, understand?”

“But Mom–”

“You’ll be grown by the time I get out and won’t have to worry about what she says. But I’ll tell you this: you might feel different about me by the time your grown up and however you feel I want you to know I’ll respect that. But I ain’t gonna forget about you. Not ever.” 

“Your time is up,” the court-appointed social worker states. 

“No!” Y/N shouts, burying herself deeper into Joel’s embrace. “NO! I’m not leaving! I won’t leave you!”

Joel hugs her back tightly, crying into the top of her head as she sobs softly into his chest. 

In the end, the social worker has to pull her away as she screams.

“I love you, Y/N!” he calls to her as the social worker drags her from him. “Never gonna forget you, babygirl. Remember that.”

All Joel can hear back is a broken wail.

***

Erica attends the trial; the kids are forbidden. Joel’s defense claims it was a drunken accident and goes for manslaughter. Because he killed a known child molester he has no trouble while he waits in jail. He is even considered a hero by some. No one tries to fuck with him and that’s how Joel would prefer it since if he gets into too many fights it will just add to his sentence and he must get out and get back to his babygirl if she’ll still have him. His lawyer tells him not to mention the threats that David made toward Y/N because it will look like more of a reason that Joel would have had to intentionally kill him as opposed to accidentally like the manslaughter plea would have the court believe. Joel listens. He does exactly what he’s told because this lawyer is good and he needs to get out someday for christ sake.

In the end, he gets ten years and his lawyer tells him he could get eight for good behavior.

Eight years, if Joel can manage it.

They take him away to prison in handcuffs. Erica sobs. It is the last time he sees her.

***

Joel always wondered if his temper would land him in prison. Now that he’s here things go surpringly well. He gets a reputation for being the murderer of a child molestor and people respect him, listen to him when he bothers to speak. He keeps things in order and people start to refer to him as the “pod boss.” He also reads a lot in his cell, tries to help people with their cases and appeals if he can. And if someone steps out of line, Joel is more than happy to put them in their place so long as he can avoid attention from the guards, who he actually mostly gets along with to their faces, but behind their backs beats people to a pulp. No one ever dares to snitch on him and he is considered on the right track to get out for good behavior early. 

Time passes — painfully long stretches of time.

He has a lot of time to think, to read. He reads every book in the prison library over the time he is incarcerated. He reads parenting books, self-help books, books on trauma, books on abuse, books on anger management, books on meditation, books on spirituality (nothing sticks in that regard though, he is still furious like God, but less so these days). Somehow his anger has started to simmer down a notch.   

But he worries his babygirl will forget about him, or worse grow to hate him. He’s not sure he’ll survive that.    

Luckily, or he might have withered away and died, somehow Y/N convinces Erica to let her write him a letter once a month and have one call with him on Christmas. 

Christmases quickly become his favorite day of the year. 

Y/N writes him religiously. She talks about how angry she is at him, how she misses him, how she finally fixed the motor on Joel’s old pickup truck, how some boy gave her a love letter on Valentine’s Day, how she thinks of him every day.

Joel never tells her what David said about her, lets her believe he is just some violent, drunken idiot. He writes back how much he misses her, how he read a new book this week, how prison food is shit, how he’d probably greet that boy with a shotgun if he thinks he’s getting anywhere with his babygirl, how his whole heart beats for her.

She’s allowed to send him one photo a year, her most current school photo, and Joel hangs them on the wall of his cell so he can see her beaming at him at his highest and lowest moments along with the tiny picture of Sarah he managed to save from his wallet. 

Aiden even sends him a card each Father’s Day. It never has anything written in it except for whatever stupid pun or text the card came with, but Joel reads between the lines with that one. Each one seems to whisper to him louder and louder, I love you and I forgive you. Joel writes him back, “Thanks, kiddo. -Joel” He hope that conveys the thousands of sorrys he wants to scream from the rooftops and say straight to the boy’s face. He will someday when he gets out. He makes himself promise. He hears from Y/N when Aiden joins the marines. 

When Joel gets to actually hear Y/N’s voice on the old prison phone it’s like the most beautiful sound he has ever heard except for maybe Sarah’s voice. She babbles away about her life and what’s she’s up to and he hangs on every word like gospel. He barely gets a word in, but prefers it that way. Wishes he could hear her singing. Once, when she’s sixteen, and sounds so woefully grown up it hurts Joel’s entire heart, she hums a little absentmindedly and he can’t get the sweet sound out of his head. Her love for him never seems to waver and that is a blessing that Joel will never forget, the only thing he would thank this cruel God for. And of course, his love for her never wavers either. She is the only beacon of light for him in this dark and mundane existence. She is his everything.

***

When Y/N is eighteen and no longer under her mother’s control, she comes to visit him in person. This is the first time they have seen each other in six years. Despite their loving correspondence, Joel is nervous to see her for the first time since her childhood. He worries about how awkward it might be.

When he sees her walking into the dinky little family meeting room, his entire mode of existence changes.

She looks so beautiful, so grown-up. Sure she had always been a cute little kid, Joel always thought that, but now she is a woman. Tears come to Joel’s eyes. When her eyes connect with his, he feels so seen .

He tries to get a word out, but before he can she is running to him, into his arms and Joel has never felt something so perfect in his entire life. He knows he has never felt a love like this before. Not even with Sarah…something about this is different somehow? Joel is not too in touch with his feelings, but he’s trying to be more attentive to them these days with nothing left to do but read about such topics as “emotional regulation” and “mindfulness.” He’ll come back to this thought later though…

Y/N begins to babble into his ear, something about missing him and not wanting it to be awkward, but this is the furthest from awkward Joel has ever felt.

Joel has never been a man of many words so all he can think to say is,

“Missed you, babygirl.”

She grins at that, brighter than all the suns of all the planets in the universe (Joel has been reading about those too) and he laughs for the first time in what feels like a lifetime.

She laughs too, wipes tears from her eyes, and says,

“Missed you too, Joel. More than you know.”

Joel thinks that can’t possibly be true for that is all he has known for the last six years and possibly his entire life: missing her.

She comes once a month, drives an hour just to see him, and she tells him about college and later her very own shitty apartment. Her mother has thrown herself into her work and Aiden is serving his second tour. She makes good grades and has a stable boyfriend that treats her well, she swears. Joel couldn’t be happier for her, except the boyfriend business does make him want to crush that little fucker’s head in for some reason.

***

The last time Y/N comes to visit before his release (eight years to the day for good behavior) (she is 20 damn years old already!) something feels different to Joel. When he hugs her to greet her, he’s suddenly very aware of her body, the curves of it, her softness. Her hair smells so good, he doesn’t want to let go of her and then to his intense dismay and shock he feels himself getting a little excited down south. Immediately, he lets go of her, feeling like a pervert, praying she didn’t and doesn’t notice. He doesn’t see any obvious signs from her and the two sit down (Joel rather quickly) at the flimsy, nailed-down table and they talk of Joel’s impending release. All the while, Joel is trying to stay calm. He convinces himself it was just an accident and that he hadn’t been around any women in what felt like an eternity and that’s what  led him to get worked up. But when Y/N leaves to go home he feels a kind of dull longing in the bottom of his gut. A different kind of longing then what he had felt for a younger Y/N. Joel tells himself not to repress for the first goddamn time in his life and let himself feel. And he does. He feels butterflies and yearning and need, a great big need inside himself. And then he knows what else he feels: the gut-wrenching, unquenchable sensation of love and beneath that, primal, base, and self-loathing: desire . 

In his solo cell (that he has acquired because he is the pod boss and respected) he jerks off to those thoughts, touches himself to those feelings. When he cums unusually hard, he feels an overwhelming amount of shame. Of this, Joel knows, he will never ever tell another soul. Joel also knows he will not hurt his babygirl any more than he already has, intentionally or not, not ever. But then again, being a good, upstanding man has never really quite been in his arsenal, has it?

Tags (LMK if you wanna be tagged!): @toxicanonymity @motelprincess444 @epicrainbowsheep @anama-cara @sheepdogchick3

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PART 2

Violent Heart Masterlist

Full Masterlist of all my work

[jedi-luca]

Avenger Lane Chapter 13 PT 1: Ignite The Love

Summary: You and your wife Quinn move your family outside of New York City to Avenger Lane; a small private suburbia. There you face your toughest obstacle of your marriage. Will your marriage with Quinn be strong enough when a certain redheaded beauty captures your attention? 

Parings: Quinn Fabray x Reader / eventual Natasha x Reader

Warnings: Reader has a Penis

Previous Chapter

“Santana what the fuck?!” Quinn yelped, holding her cheek.

“You lying cheating bitch! You let your mother ruin Y/N’s career and got with Berry?!”

“I- I tried to stop her-“

“Stop lying Fabray or I swear I’ll punch you and knock out those perfect teeth.”

“She wanted me to go to Yale, and she knew if Y/N went to MIT they would leave me and Beth.”

“You should know Y/N wouldn’t have just dropped you both. Especially Beth. You’re blaming your mom because you secretly wanted that too! You know what Fabray you’re a sorry excuse for a person. I can’t believe you did this to Y/N. B we’re leaving.”

Santana muttered in Spanish as she walked out of the house. 

“If you’re looking for Y/N they’re next door.” 

The two wives looked over to see Wanda.

“Pretty sure they need clothes.”

“B go pack a bag for Y/N I already stormed off I can’t go back in there without smacking Fabgay around again.”

Normally Brittany would roll her eyes playfully her wife and Quinn would fight all the time, but this was different. The blonde walked back inside.

“I’m getting Y/N some clothes.” 

“I’ll help you, I know they’re favorites.” Quinn muttered. She stood walking upstairs with Brittany. Quinn set your toiletries aside and packed your clothes thought not too many she did want to see you again soon.

“Why?” Brittany couldn’t help but ask.

Quinn began crying as she zipped the bag. “Because I’m a selfish bitch who keeps self sabotaging.”

“Y/N is one of the kindest sweetest people and you hurt them so much for so long.”

Quinn inhaled trying not to sob.

“Why Rachel?”

“I don’t know…”

“You seriously need help Quinn. You need to answer for your actions.”

“I can’t lose, Y/N.”

“You already did… you need to let them go. Let Y/N move on before this gets worse. Think of the girls.”

“I am thinking of them! They- We can’t lose Y/N.”

“Then you need to do some soul work and pray that Y/N gives you another chance.”

With that Brittany took the suitcase full of your things and made her way outside.

Quinn knew Brittany was right; she can’t just sit and cry about it. She needs to figure out how to win you back.

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“I’m sorry Y/N.” Santana said softly as you placed some shorts and a hoodie on.

“Don’t be, you didn’t ruin my marriage.” You grumbled. “Hell wouldn’t be surprised if she poked a hole in the condom.”

You didn't really think that but to be honest you don’t know what to believe anymore.

“Want me to beat Berry up?” Santana offered.

You chuckled and shook your head. “Nah.”

“What are you going to do?” Brittany asked softly.

“I- I don’t know… a part of me wants to take the girls and go back home…but I can’t do that. It’ll

crush my parents if they find out what she did.” you rub your head and groan you really wanted your mother.

Suddenly Leho jumped up and on your lap purring, getting you to pet her.

“If you want to go home you can and if not you can stay here for as long as you’d like. You have a lot to digest.” Natasha rubbed your arm trying to be of some comfort. Santana caught the way you squeezed her hand. She doesn’t know when but she knows in her heart you and Natasha will be together one day. She kind of hopes it happens.

Her focus went to her wife who nudged her. 

‘Tell them.’ She mouthed.

“It was- her mother that put the idea in her head.”

“Judy?” Your head snapped up looking at your friends for confirmation. 

“Quinn just admitted it.” Santana added.

“What a witch.” Natasha muttered.

You are so angry you don’t even know what to do anymore. You really wanna get so fucked up the whole day will be a blur, but you know you shouldn’t. You know that’s a slippery slope. 

“Thank you for telling me.” You mutter.

“If we knew we would have told you a long time ago.” Santana says softly.

You nod and turn to Brittany. “Did you happen to get my gym clothes?”

“Yes.” She says opting out that Quinn packed it.

“Thank you both but I think I’m going to go for a run and just the gym I need to let this out in a more constructive way.”

“Don’t overdo it like in high school Y/L/N.”

“Y/N ran themselves into exhaustion and passed out on the bleachers when they found out about Quinn’s first pregnancy.” Brittany explained.

“I’ll call you later and you better answer me.” Santana warned as she stood with Brittany they each hugged you goodbye. “Thanks big Red for taking care of Y/N.”

“Of course.” Natasha couldn’t help but let out a little chuckle.

Brittany hugs Natasha speaking near her ear. “I know you like Y/N but I wouldn’t try anything until the divorce is final. Quinn will stop at nothing to win them back.”

Natasha, stunned, nods her head as the blonde takes her wife’s hand as they walk out hand in hand.

You quickly shove your gym shoes on when a note falls out. You sigh angrily as you read it.

‘I know you need to be away from me but please come back soon. We can work through this. I love you - Q’

You roll your eyes as you stand up.

“I can come with you? Or meet you at the gym?”

“I think I need to be alone with my thoughts.”

“Of course.” She nods in understanding.

“Thank you Natasha for everything.” 

With that you shut the door and began jogging towards the gym.

Natasha sighs before taking your suitcase upstairs to the guest room. She sets it down on the bed before taking it out it’s contents. She set your toiletries in the bathroom, and began sorting your clothes in the drawers when she ran across a note from Quinn.

I’m sorry please come home baby we can work through this. Please don’t give up on me.

Natasha rolls her eyes and stuffs the note in her pocket. She’s more than sure you wouldn’t want to see it. Natasha makes her way back downstairs to the kitchen. She knows you’ll probably be starving by the time you come back.

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You were punching the heavy bag when your watch dinged.

‘If you’re ass is still at the gym I will call Natasha to drag you out!’ - Santana

You sigh it’s been at least 4 hours you need to call it before you can’t move.

“Hey Y/N.” Korg smiled, handing you a smoothie.

You reach for it but hiss in pain as you try to lift your arm.

“Yeaaaah, you’ve been punching that bag for an hours now. I figured that would happen.”

He led you to the ice baths and helped you in. You hissed sitting down in the tub. Once you’ve

gotten settled. He helped you drink from the straw.

“So cold.” Your teeth chattered.

“Yeah cold drink and an ice bath probably don't mix.”

“Uh huh.” You nodded, shivering, feeling the strain in your muscles fade away.

“So wanna taco bout it?” He asked. 

“Not really.” You shook your head.

“Okay, but you should probably talk about it with someone. Working out for 4 hours is probably not too good for the body. Just 30 more seconds and we’ll get you out.”

Once your time was up you got in some Revenger Bod sweats and a hoodie and Korg took you back to Natasha’s in the golf cart.

“Thanks Korg.” You say before getting out.

“Of course bruv remember to heat and ice your shoulders.”

You nod and make your way up the driveway to Natasha’s house.

You don’t even knock before she opens the door bringing you in a hug.

“I was getting so worried.” She said squeezing you. “You’re shivering.” She said looking you over. “Come on.”

You feel her lead you towards the kitchen table before disappearing and popping back inside with a blanket.

“Thank you.” You say softly as she wraps it around you. Leho jumps on your lap.

“Let me heat up your food.” She replies.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?” Her brows are furrowed as she heats your food up.

“Worrying you, bringing this drama to your doorstep.”

“Don’t apologize, I don't want it nor need it.” She brings your plate over, setting down one of your favorite comfort meals.

“You made-“

“I figured something comforting is what you needed.”

You couldn’t hold back your tears anymore you brought her against you crying against her taut stomach. She ran her fingers through your hair as the other rubbed the middle of your back.

“It’s okay detka.” She says softly as you squeeze her tightly. “Shhh don’t cry over her anymore. She doesn’t deserve your tears.” She grabs the cloth napkin wiping your tears away, and moves a chair right next to you.

She kisses your temple softly before whispering for you to eat.

You try to move your arms and they wobble as you try to use the silverware.

“Y/N please don’t do this to yourself again.” She says softly, taking your hands, noticing how red and slightly bloody they are. She walks over to the sink heating up a couple of clean rags. She rang them out before walking back over to you.

She wrapped them around your knuckles and began to feed you.

“Natasha please I can-“

“Y/N.” She warned, giving you a glare. You shut up and let her feed you. 

Once you ate and drank a couple glasses of water she led you to your guest room.

“Wanna get some rest? I know it’s still early, but I could put something on maybe-“

“Stay with me?”

“Okay.” She smiled and you both got in bed while she played one of your favorite comfort movies.

Soon you were lightly snoring away. She paused the movie about to leave you in your slumber when you wrapped an arm around her. “Please don’t go.”

“I’ll stay as long as you want me too.” She whispered as you pulled her close. She pecked your forehead before turning in your arms.

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Natasha woke in the middle of the night to your head on her stomach. She chuckled lightly seeing your feet off the bed. You seemed to be somewhat of a crazy sleeper. She lightly placed a pillow under your head before slipping out of bed and into the bathroom. 

When she walked in the bedroom she spotted you against the headboard.

“Hey.” She smiled making her way to the bed. “Did I wake you?”

“Hmhm.” You shook your head.

She raised her brow.

“Okay maybe a bit. Mainly my muscles they’re so sore it hurts.” 

“I’ll be right back.” She nods.

A few minutes later she walks in with a glass of water and some aspirin.

“Here this should help a bit.”

“Thank you.” You reply by taking the medicine when she pats a spot in the middle of the bed.

“Sit here for me.”

You comply scooching over when she hands you the remote. You can feel her sit behind you as you put on a nature show. “Ohhh fuck that’s good.” You groan as she begins massaging your shoulders and arms with some tiger balm.

She smirks hearing you moan in approval. She bites her lip feeling your muscles beneath her hands. She briefly imagines running her fingers down your back while you’re on top of her hitting her special spot.

“Your hands are magic.”

She smiles and begins working every knot and sore from your neck to your shoulders, arms and hands. 

“Lay down.” She says softly near your ear. 

It makes your abs twitch a bit. You quickly grab a pillow and lie down when you feel her hands on your calves.

“Ohhhh fuuuuuuck!” You shake under her fingers as she massages the soreness away. She works for a while on your muscled calves when she straddles your legs and begins working up your thighs.

“Ooooh God that’s good.” You moan against the pillow and you know you’re definitely got a semi right now. It’s hard not to have one when you have full body chills from this massage.

“Want me to work on your glutes?”

“Would it be weird if I said yes?” You chuckled looking back at her.

“No.” She smirked before grabbing your two cheeks. Soooo tight and firm she thinks to herself.

Your moan is so high pitched she asks if you’re okay.

“Yes sorry that spot just- you get it.” You clear your throat and she uses both hands to rub the spot on your ass that’s been killing you for ages. “Ohhh Natasha!” You moan jolting under her hands. You’re officially bricked and hope to God she won’t notice. You’re member feels very

smushed you can’t help, but reach below and try to rearrange yourself. 

“You okay need me to stop?”

“No, don't stop, I'm good just getting comfortable.” You respond.

She smirks knowing you were adjusting your large package. “Is it annoying sometimes having to arrange yourself all the time.”

You let out a deep chuckle that makes her twitch. “Kind of… especially in the summer.” You look up at a lioness mauling a buffalo hoping that will help your hard on go away.

She works on your back using her elbow to get that spot under your shoulder blade. After a few minutes you feel yourself start to doze off.

“Thank you, Nat.” You say half asleep. “You’re amazing.”

“Feel better?”

“Hmhm.”

“Ready to go back to sleep.”

You nod and move back to your spot. 

She can’t help but notice the slight outline on your shorts. Natasha quickly averts her eyes, biting her lip.

“I should probably use the bathroom real quick.” You mutter making your way in. You quickly pee and feel your staff soften.

Natasha chuckles lying down as she hears the faucet running. Placing a hand against her aching pussy she rubs herself hard a couple times to relieve the ache between her thighs just a bit until she hears the water stop.

You walk to the bed and lay down next to Natasha who curls up next to you but only her feet touch you. You lightly rub her foot before speaking. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”

“I’d do it again.” She says softly pushing your hair back and away from your face. “Now sleep.”

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You wake up to Natasha’s forehead and knees against your back, her arm loosely around you.

You sleepily move on your back and she automatically cuddles against you. “Hmmm Y/N.” She hums in her sleep.

Your brow raises looking down at her as she smiles in her sleep. She’s probably just as exhausted as you are. Normally you’d wanna get up and move around but you let yourself lay still as she sleeps.

A couple hours later Natasha wakes up to find you reading up on divorce steps on your phone and Leho meowing on the bed.

“Sorry.” She mumbles sleepily.

“Don’t be sorry.” You smile, setting it aside. “How’d you sleep?”

“Really well actually.” She yawns as she stretches, catching a glimpse of her abs. Her stomach grumbles and you can’t help but laugh.

“Want me to make breakfast?”

“You don’t have to I-“

“Nat. Let me. Please? I’ll feed Leho.”

“Okay.” She smiles, still waking up watching her cat run after you.

You were making your way downstairs when your phone rang.

You answered seeing it was Mike.

“Dude you and Quinn are separated and you didn’t call me?!”

“This all just happened yesterday. I haven't even really wrapped my head around it.”

“I had to hear it from Santana, Y/N, Santana!”

“I’m sorry man I just have kind of been out of it.”

“Santana mentioned you’re at Natasha’s?”

“Yeah she just took me in…. What?”

“Nothing, it's nice of her.”

“I feel like you have more to say?”

“I mean I don’t agree with Quinn whatsoever but was she far off from the truth?”

“What are you trying to say Michael?”

“Nothing nevermind. You’re upset.”

“Say it.”

“You think maybe you two are into one another? No one would fault you. Quinn is a terrible human being. Natasha is beautiful and she seems really into you.”

“I can’t think about that stuff right now Mike. I need to focus on my separation first.”

“And that’s great but maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to test the waters? You’ve been with Quinn since you were 16. I’m not saying to jump into bed. Just maybe see how compatible you two are.”

“I better go, I'm making her breakfast, and she’s going to come down soon.”

“Talk later?”

“I’ll call you.” You agree.

“Let me know if you need any chonese you can borrow mine.” Mike smirked.

“You are not even close to my size Mike.” You chuckle.

“Rude. I’m a grower not a show-er.”

“Bye Mike.”

“Talk to you soon.” He responds.

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“Momma, where's papa?” Finley asked as she ate her breakfast.

Quinn felt her heart ache. She was just glad Val kept Beth for another day. “Daddy has some things to do today.”

“Aw.” Finley pouted. “I miss papa.”

Quinn shot you off a text.

Meanwhile next door

You sighed reading the text. 

‘Fin is asking about you… please come home. We can talk about everything. We can work through this, I'm begging you.’

“She texting you?” Natasha asked as she ate her breakfast you made her.

“Yup.”

“I know this might be a little soon but you should use the divorce lawyer Bruce and I used she just so happens to be Bruce’s cousin. Her name is Jennifer Walters she does everything. She made it very easy.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, if you want I can see if she’d see you today?” 

“Please?”

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“Okay Y/N this is gonna hurt a bit.” Jennifer cringes as she sets an affidavit down. “New York state law has a no fault clause which means you have to be separated for at least a year, but if I have enough evidence of clear irretrievable breakdown of a marriage which I believe we have then you’ll only have to be separated for at least 6 months, see a couples therapist, annnnd Quinn has to agree to it. Do you have kids together?”

“Yes, two little girls.” You answer.

“Then you’ll have to also have discussions of custody, visitation, and child support. Which seeing as you haven’t had a job in a very long time shows she will most likely get custody. I feel I could get you full custody being as you were the full time parent as she was at work most of if not all of the time. Which would also grant you spousal and child support.”

“I don’t need spousal support, we may need child support but I can get a job.”

“We’re going to get it regardless, especially after cheating and taking away your chance at M.I.T., but I do think it’s a great idea to get a job. It’ll show the judge you can take care of yourself and your girls. I also suggest getting a place of your own, but we’ll get to that when we

get there. One step at a time it’s a grueling process and sometimes can get very ugly.”

“I really don’t want this to be messy or ugly.”

“No one ever does but it happens, I just don’t want you going into this thinking she’s just going to sign. 90% of the time they don’t. She could drag this on for years if she wanted.” Jennifer cringes.

“So what’s the first step?” You ask looking at the stack of papers.

“I’m going to draw up divorce papers, and custody agreements papers. I’ll need you to send in everything you want from the divorce via email, and I’ll work it in the papers. In the meantime I would suggest staying separated.”

You nod as she stands to take your hand.

“It’s going to be a helluva ride Y/N.”

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Natasha was driving you both to her house when she broke the silence. “How’d it go?”

You sighed, rubbing your head. “It all sounds so tedious. I need to talk to Tony about that job and maybe see about finding a place nearby but it’s so hard because our kids are involved. They’re gonna be broken up about it. Children of divorce.” You groaned holding your head feeling a headache coming on.

Natasha pulled over in a parking lot and turned towards you, placing a hand on yours.

“I’ll be here for you through it all. Anything you need. If  you want, you can live with me? I have room and the girls are right next door. You wouldn’t have to worry about rent; the house is paid off.”

“Really? You’d let me stay?”

“Of course.” She smiled with a light chuckle.

“I’m really lucky to have you here.”

“Stop it.” She blushed. “How’s take out sound?”

“Sounds good.”

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After eating you got a text from Quinn. 

‘Fin wants to talk to you… can I let her call you?’

‘Yes.’ You respond.

The phone rings and you hear your daughter.

“Hi papa!”

“Hi sweetheart!”

“Whatcha doin?”

“I just had some dinner. What about you?”

“Mama made me take a bath.”

“That’s good you don’t wanna be a stinky baby.”

“Nooo stinky baby papa!” Fin giggled.

“Did you have dinner?”

“Yes mama made sghetti.”

“Yummm.”

“Papa, where are you?”

“…I had to come visit your grandma and grandpa I’ll be home in a few days Finny.”

“Ohhh.” Fin sighs. “I miss you papa.”

You feel yourself wanting to cry. “I miss you too Fin.”

“I see you soon papa?”

“Soon my love.”

“Night papa.”

“Good night Fin.”

“You okay?” Natasha asked as she dried her hair.

“I miss my kids.” You say clearing your throat.

“I know.” She whispers, taking your hand. “Why don’t you pick a movie and I’ll get the popcorn?”

You nod and stand up making your way to the living room. You mindlessly chose as you thought about how to get custody of your kids. You need to talk to Tony first to get that job he’s been offering you. Start saving money you already had a good amount from Burt’s Garage back in Lima you were going to use that money for Beth and Fin’s college fund but you may need to use some of it for what’s to come.

A few minutes later Natasha walked in with a bowl of popcorn and a couple of drinks.

“Thank you.” You say snapping out of your head.

“Uhhh you chose a horror movie?”

“Oh yeah…” you smirked. “You're not a big scary movie fan?”

“Uhhh I mean I’m good if you are.” She muttered.

“Nat it’s okay I’m here. I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”

She gave you a half smile remembering you saving her not that long ago. “I know… I just have bad dreams is all.”

“Gotcha. What’s something you would want to watch?”

“How about The Notebook or Fried Green Tomatoes?”

“Ugh sad romance movies? Gross.”

Natasha laughed, throwing popcorn on you.

“How about your favorite movie?”

“What if one of those is my favorite?” The redheaded challenges.

“Those aren’t your favorite.” You smirked, catching a piece of popcorn in your mouth.

“Oh and what is my favorite?”

“We've been over this 007: Moonraker.”

She grinned as you put the movie on.

“You get romance and I get some action….. annnnnd I just realized how that sounds.” You chuckled, making her slap your chest.

“Shut up and start the movie.” She huffed.

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You kept secretly watching Natasha as she mouthed the words in the scenes.

She only caught you a couple times.

“Stop it!” She giggled, her face flushed in the glow of the tv.

“It’s cute!” You argued. She kicked you as she laid down her legs now in your lap making Leho jump off. “Rude.” You chuckled.

“She had her turn.” Natasha chuckled.

You returned to watching the movie as you rubbed her legs. Soon you felt goose bumps on her legs. You reached behind you grabbing the blanket on the sofa and placing it over her body.

“Thank you.” She said she wiggled her foot.

You chuckled and began rubbing her feet.

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When the credits rolled Natasha stretched and said “I still believe I’d make a great spy.”

“Oh I believe it.”

“Yeah?” She grinned looking over at you.

“Yeah you’d be the Ballerina to my John Wick.”

She chuckled as she scrolled through the movies. 

“I am John Wick, you killed my dog and stole the gift my dead wife gave me. Prepare to die.” You growled.

She cackled at you and you turned to her with finger guns. “dos vidaniya.” You smirked.

She laughed even harder sitting up. “It's do svidaniya you idiot.”

“Alright fine miss KGB you do it!” You huffed.

Natasha sat up straightening her back. “I am Natalia Romanoff. Thank you for your cooperation. Prepare to die. do svidaniya”

“Chills. Literal chills.” You chuckle. “Wow, have you been hiding that accent?”

Natasha laughed and smacked your arm.

“No seriously, do you hide it?”

“I feel like I lost it… I definitely watched movies and shows to have an American accent because kids thought I was weird, but if I’m around my family it comes back.”

“I’m not gonna lie if I met you in school and you had that accent I would totally wanna be your friend.” You nodded.

She smiled. “Too bad we were an hour apart.”

“Hmm, I think things would have been a lot different.”

“How so?” She asks. 

“I think you would have kept me from making a lot of stupid decisions back then.”

“I definitely would have.” She chuckled. 

You also think it would have been Natasha you went after, not Quinn. That thought made you pause.

You were now deep in thought when you felt Natasha tickle your side.

“What are you- are you trying to tickle me?!” You laughed.

“What is wrong with you, why aren’t you ticklish?!” She huffed.

“Oh I’m not ticklish but now I know you are.” You smirked and she took off running. You bolted after her upstairs. She was laughing and screaming as she tried to get away from you. You stopped the door from closing and she ran on the other side of her bed.

“Oh my God Y/N stop.” She warned as you began to corner her.

She squealed as she tried to hop over the bed but you caught her.

“No!” She laughed as you pinned her down, tickling her sides. “No! Stop! Oh my gosh!” She cackled even snorting as she lost her breath.

“Oh Nat, you shouldn’t have tried to tickle me.” You laughed. “You showed your hand.”

“Okay! Okay! I give! I give!” She laughed.

You stopped and quickly realized your positions here she is beneath you her chest heaving as she catches her breath occasionally giggling.

You reach down gently, moving her red locks out of her face. Her eyes are twinkling and her plump lips are parted. You look into her eyes and lower yourself gently rubbing her nose against yours. Her hand locks behind your neck and just as your lips meet the doorbell rings jolting you off of her.

Natasha clears her throat and looks over at her security pad as the doorbell continues to ring. “It’s my sister.” She says softly.

You nod, touch your lips and you can still feel her breath against them.

“I’m going to kill her.” She mutters as she rushes out the room. “Stop ringing the fucking bell!” She shouts to Yelena.

You snap out of your haze and make your way downstairs as she opens the door.

“Hey sis!” Yelena giggles.

“Hi Nat!” Kate grins lazily.

“Are you two drunk?”

“Maybe.” Kate squinted.

“We went back to the apartment and had some mac and cheese but Kate burnt it.”

“I said I was sorry!”

“Anyways then I remembered those amazing piroshkis you used to make. Can you make them?”

“Yelena it’s like 12 AM! No I can’t!”

“Ohhh hello.” Kate waved to you slyly.

“Y/N? Ohh we’re we interrupting an affair?” Yelena smirked looking at you.

“No!” You and Natasha said in unison.

“Hmhm.” Kate smirked.

“Both of you shut up and just go eat our leftovers.”

“Hm, I am hungry and a bit tipsy but I wanna know what is going on over here.” Yelena smirked, pointing between the two of you.

“Nothing is happening I’m separated with my wife right now-“

“And you thought you’d just shack up with my sister?” Yelena raised her brow.

“Whoa no that’s not-“

“Listen up Y/N Y/L/N. I can do a lot with a knife so I’d tread lightly if I were you. No one hurts my sister.” Yelena pointed her knife that she had somehow taken out and into your chest lightly.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” You say pushing away her knife gently.

“Yelena, give me that now!!” Natasha yelled. 

Yelena huffed and whined before giving it to her sister.

“Kate!”

“Yes ma’am?”

“Take her to the kitchen and eat something.”

Kate pulled Yelena in the kitchen, Leho trailing after them.

“Y/N, I am so, so sorry!”

“I’m okay.” You chuckled.

“Really because she poked a hole into your shirt.”

You looked down and Natasha flicked your nose.

“Wooooow. Nice. The Romanoff’s are straight up bullies.” You grin.

“I am really sorry though.”

“Don’t be, I wish I had a sibling like that.”

“You do; her name is Santana.” Natasha smirked.

You chuckled with a nod.

“I’m sorry she’s eating our leftovers. I know you were excited about them tomorrow.” Natasha takes your hand.

“Don't be they need to eat something. I’m gonna go to bed. I'm pretty tired actually.”

“Okay.” She nods sort of wanting to know what that almost kiss meant as she looks at your hand.

You leaned down and kissed her cheek softly. “I’ll see you in the morning.” 

She nodded letting your hand go as she watches you walk up the stairs.

“Hmm nothings going on my ass.” Yelena chortled.

“Stop. There really isn’t.”

“Eh, that didn’t look like anything. Kate?”

“That was definitely a ‘we’ll fuck later kiss on the cheek’” Kate muttered.

“Okay I just wanted you to say that definitely looked like something not that gross Kate. She’s my sister, show some respect.”

“Sorry Nat.”

“Well wanna tell me why a married person with kids is in your house?”

“It’s kind of a long story.” Natasha sighed as she poured herself a shot of vodka.

“We’ve got time.” Yelena raised her brow.

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“Wow.” Yelena sat back.

“Wow is an understatement.” Kate muttered.

“What a fucking cun-“

“Yelena.” Natasha grit pointing upstairs.

“But it’s true!” She whispered harshly.

“Well yeah but we can’t say it when Y/N is right upstairs. What if they get back together?” Kate shrugs.

“They’re not going too… Y/N is clearly into my sister. They’re going to get together, get married and give me more nieces and nephews.” Yelena smiled lovingly.

“Yelena, it’s not that simple.” Natasha sighed.

“How? Y/N is going to get divorced then you two can finally be together.”

“Lena divorces take a very long time. Especially if you have children.”

“Kate, stop being logical and help me keep Nat delulu! You totally like Y/N right?”

“Sooooo much.” Natasha groaned, laying her head against the table.

“If it’s meant to be it will be.” Kate shrugged. “Ow!” She huffed after Yelena smacked her arm.

“Cestra I’m telling you the way Y/N looks at you says everything. They clearly want you too.”

“One of Y/N’s best friends told me they knew we liked each other but that I needed to wait until the divorce is final. That Quinn is relentless and always wins.”

“Maybe, but she hasn't been against you.” Yelena smirks.

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Natasha woke up to laughter coming from downstairs. Her eyes widened realizing you were probably alone with her sister. She quickly got up brushing her teeth and changing before rushing downstairs.

“Well there she is sleeping beauty herself.” You grinned spatula in hand.

“Cestra you didn’t tell me Y/N can cook!” Yelena smiled, eating her breakfast you made her.

“Oh my God it’s so good.” Kate moaned.

“I got yours right here.” You winked.

“Some nice sausage.” Yelena smirked, earning a glare from her sister.

“Take a seat, I'll make you a cup of coffee.” You nod towards the table.

Natasha nodded dumbly and sat down as you brought her a mug and her breakfast. “Thank you.” She said softly. You gently squeezed her shoulder before going back to the stove.

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“No way.” Yelena chuckled.

“Yes wayyy.” You smirked.

“Prove it!” Kate hounded.

“How? There’s no space for the Jubie Slide.”

“I think you may be forgetting a certain new dance studio.” Natasha smirked from behind her mug.

“Wait what?!” Yelena gasped.

“It was supposed to be a surprise but this is to good to pass up. I spoke with Thor and Val they’re letting me teach ballet at the gym.”

“Cestra that’s fucking great!”

“You never said when you can move in.” You add.

“Pause!” Yelena held up her hand. “You knew?!”

“Well yeah.”

“Y/N is the one that made me talk to Thor and Val.”

“Wow you told Y/N but not me.” Yelena shook her head.

“I told you it was supposed to be a surprise. I wanted to fix it up first.”

“Well let’s go look at it.” Kate smiled.

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“Oh hey Nat!” Thor waved as he helped a scrawny string bean squat lift.

“Thor!” The man huffed, falling the barbell nearly hitting his foot. “You idiot that almost got me!”

“It’s just the barbell stopping being such a baby Loki!” Thor rolled his eyes and walked towards you guys. 

“Oh I didn’t mean for you to leave him.” Nat chuckled.

“Oh don’t worry about him, he's just my brother.” He laughed.

“I take it you’re here to check out your new studio?” He grinned playfully.

“You got me.” Natasha chuckled.

“Come on, I'll show you the way.” 

He led the way towards the other side of the gym leading down a hallway to the locked door.

Natasha opened it only to find the room full of dust, and old gym equipment.

“It’s perfect right?” Thor beamed.

“Uhh yeah I’m trying to picture it.”

“Thor, what about all this old equipment?” You asked, walking inside gesturing around.

“Right… well the new equipment we bought from the manufacturer didn’t want to take the old equipment back so we just stored it in here.”

“So it’s trash?”

“Well- yeah… yes it’s trash. I just haven’t gotten rid of it yet.”

You and the girls raised your brows.

“I’ll do it now.” Thor said carefully before rushing off. “Loki! Korg! Help me clear this room out.”

“I’ll help him.” You muttered looking at all the crap laying around. “Might call a friend to help us.”

“Same if we all pitch in the faster we can prove you can’t dance.” Yelena smirked.

“Psh.” You scoffed dialing your best friend's number.. “I can dance.”

‘Hey Y/N!’

“Suuuure!” Yelena smirked.

“Mike, I need your help. Also tell these girls I know how to dance!” You whined.

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After an hour of cleaning everything out of the room you all were really taking in the space.

“What do you think Nat? Can you vision it?” You grinned, waving your arms.

“I can! The mirrors will be here on this side, and I want rails as well for stretching.”

“Oh you need a shoe box!” Yelena smiled pointing to the front of the room.

“I can do all of that and polish the floors.”

“You don’t have to Y/N I can-“ Natasha smiled at you.

“I want to.”

“Well then I’m helping you.” She grinned.

“Couldn’t have asked for a better helper.”

“Wow, I came all the way down here.” Mike huffed.

Natasha smiled watching you measure the walls, and telling Mike as he typed the notes in your phone and took photos.

“Okay that’s actually very hot.” Kate whispered towards Natasha.

“Back off my future in law.” Yelena hissed.

“Let's check out the supply house.” You grin.

“Ugh that place is so boring Y/N!” Mike whined.

“I’ll buy you those hotdogs you like out front.”

“Fine but hotdogs first.” Mike pointed, handing you the keys to your truck.

“Was Quinn-“

“Asking me a billion questions? Yes.”

“Did you get to see the girls?”

“I only saw Fin, Beth was at school.”

“She said they miss you and I said you miss them too but that you need some more time.”

“Thank you Mike.”

“Of course.” 

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After eating a couple chili dogs and eating a handful of mints you were now walking around with Natasha as the girls ran to the garden section with Mike.

“I think this would look perfect with the hardwood floors.” You said pointing to the plank.

“I trust you.” Natasha smiled.

“Hi congratulations on your new home! Need any help getting some paint samples?” One of the employees asked happily.

“No thank you.” Natasha smiled

“Okay but might I say you two are just so beautiful together, absolutely beautiful! Congratulations and please let me know if you need anything I’ll see if I can knock off a few bucks.” The employee winked.

You put your arm around Natasha. “Thank you so much we definitely will!”

The employee walked off and you and Natasha chuckled as you let her go.

“That’s not nice.” Natasha smirked.

“Hey I’m helping you save money.” You smirked.

“Hmhm.”

“Oh by the way Mike gave me a number for his mirror guy so I already sent off the measurements. Should get them in a couple days. Also said he’d hook you up with some speakers.

“Mike has a mirror guy?”

“Yeah he and Britt have their own dance studio back in Brooklyn.”

“Seriously?!”

“Oh yeah Mike is killer on the dance floor.”

“You never said how you knew how to dance.”

“Well when we were kids we were obsessed with You Got Served and mimicking dances on music videos. Then Glee club happened and we got to dance everyday with our friends. Brittany is probably the best dancer out of all of us. She danced on tour with Beyonce right out of high school.”

“Wow! I never would have guessed that I mean she has a dancer's body. I just never put two and two together.” 

“Yeah Britt and Mike were the best I'd say Santana, Quinn, and myself were just behind them.” You moved up in line.

You rented out a floor polisher as you ordered the polls of wood.

“Oh great we’re done here?” Mike asked, relieved when you nodded.

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After finally giving the studio a deep clean

You and Mike finally did the Jubie Slide.

“Pay up.” You smirked at the girls.

“Okay you got me I didn’t think you could do it. Kate pay Y/N.” Yelena cackled. 

“Here’s $20 bucks.” Kate muttered.

“Nice.” You grinned before Jubie sliding around the trio.

“I’ll take that for my labor today.” Mike smirked, snatching the $20.

“Wooooow.” You glared. “I bought you 2 hotdogs, nachos, and 2 sodas!” 

“This is intrist.”

“Okay you’ve gotta teach me that.” Kate asked.

You stood next to her as you instructed her on the first step with Mike.

“I like this one.” Yelena nodded towards you.

“Same.” Natasha winked towards her.

“So are you going to tell them?”

“I don’t know. I want too and I’m more than sure Y/N knows but-“

“Y/N is still married.”

The redhead nodded.

“Yelena look! I’m doing it!” Kate giggled.

“Not even close, Kate.” Yelena replied.

“Practice makes perfect.” You chuckled.

“What other moves do you know?” Natasha smirked.

“Oh I know a lot of moves.” You smirked.

“What’s your favorite one?!” Kate asked.

“Mike let’s show’em how it’s done.” You chuckled.

“Oohhhhh here we go.” He chuckled while putting on his old playlist.

Sirens began wailing from the speakers.

“Ohhhhhhh!” You grinned as you and Mike began dancing Shmoney.

“Running through these checks 'til I pass out (pass out) And shorty give me neck 'til I pass out (pass out) I swear to God, all I do is cash out (all I do) And if you ain't a ho, get up out my trap house!”

“About a week ago! Week ago!” You and Mike clapped hands before the next clip began. That old familiar sound of the steel pan.

“Soulja Boy off in this, oh, Watch me crank it, watch me roll, Watch me crank that Soulja Boy, Then super man that, oh, Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy), Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy), Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy), Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)”

“I think I know this one!” Kate pointed just as the playlist switched songs.

“But aye do me a favor call me jerk one more time(your a jerk!)

I know, You're a jerk! (I know), You're a jerk! (I know), You're a jerk! (I know), You're a jerk! (I know), You're a jerk! (I know), You're a jerk! (I know)”

“Y/N is always throwing me curve balls.” Natasha muttered with a smirk on her face.

“They be like smooth (what?)

Can you teach me how to dougie?

You know why? Cause all da bitches love me (aye) All I need is a beat that's super bumpin' And for you, you, you to back it up and dougie!”

You laughed as the next song started.

“Come on ladies you gotta know this one!” Mike laughed.

You waved Natasha over showing her the steps as Mike taught Yelena and Kate.

“Wobble baby, wobble baby, wobble baby, wobble (yeah), Wobble baby, wobble baby, wobble baby, wobble (yeah), Wobble baby, wobble baby, wobble baby, wobble (yeah), Wobble baby, wobble baby, wobble baby, wobble (yeah)”

“Alright Y/L/N you can dance.” Yelena chuckled as you and Mike kept going.

“One more!” Mike begged.

“Alright alright.” You chuckled.

“At night I think of you, I want to be your lady, maybe. If your game is on, give me a call Boo. If your lovin's strong, gonna give my all to you. At night I think of you, I want to be your lady, maybe. If your game is on, give me a call Boo. If your lovin's strong, gonna give my all to you”

“So Y/N can fix things, cook, and dance?” Kate looked at Natasha. “I don’t know how you haven’t immediately jumped their bones”

“Ugh Kate!” Yelena huffed.

Natasha smiled at you as you danced with your best friend.

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“We definitely need to have a dance party like we used too.” Mike grinned as you both chatted by his car.

“Oh for sure Brittany is going to school the hell out of us

“Always.” Mike chuckled watching you look over at Natasha who spoke with her sister. “I think you should go for it by the way.”

“Huh?” You asked looking back at him.

“Natasha… she’s obviously into you pretty sure she has been since you’ve met.”

“I like her Mike… a lot, but I feel like it’s just too soon. I’m not divorced yet I feel like any move I make will be refuted.”

“Well you are separated, granted you probably need to move out but there’s no harm in having some fun.”

“Natasha’s not that kind of girl and I’m not that kind of person. Especially with her. She’s the type to marry and whisk away, and I don’t know if I can do that again. I trusted Quinn for so long and she completely broke my heart time and time again.”

“Then I’d tread very lightly or just tell her how you feel and see if she’d wait? I don’t know I’m not the best at relationship advice.”

You chuckled and hugged him goodbye with the promise of reaching out to him more.

You walked over as Yelena was saying goodnight to her sister. “Thanks for everything you do for my sister Y/N.” Yelena smiled, giving you a side hug.

As you and Natasha head inside the house you finally feel exhausted.

You yawned as you walked through the threshold.

“Tired yourself out?” Natasha smirked.

“I’m beat.” You smiled sleepily.

“Well you did feed my sister, Kate, myself and you. Then cleaned the studio, polished and waxed the floors and gave us a show. Thank you Y/N for all your help.”

“Of course it’s the least I could do.” You shrug.

Natasha went in for a hug but you stopped her. 

“I am very gross and sweaty. I should probably hop in the shower.”

“Well I wasn’t going to say anything.” Natasha cringed.

“Wooooow! Burn on me!” You chuckled before heading upstairs. “I’ll see you in the morning, Nat.” You smiled down at her.

“Goodnight, I’ll see you in the morning.” She smiled watching you walk in your room Leho purring against her leg.

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Even though both you and Natasha were exhausted from the previous day you both woke up to a wet dream at the same time.

“Ohhh fuck!” Natasha moaned, waking up to her fingers against her swollen bean.

“Fuck.” You sighed tiredly feeling your cock soften. You grumbled as you got out of bed to wash up. You looked at yourself in the mirror feeling guilty and lost. You have never wanted another woman so badly in your life until now. You rubbed your head wondering how much longer you and Natasha can go on tip toeing around these unspoken feelings. You’re so over the wet dreams and the almost kisses. 

You were walking out of the room just as Natasha was walked out of hers.

“Morning.” “Hi.” 

You both chuckle.

“I was just about to start breakfast.”

“Stop, you've done enough. Let me.” Natasha smiled before heading downstairs. “How’d you sleep?”

“Uh good.” You gulp hoping you weren’t moaning in your sleep. “You?”

“Good.” She nods also hoping you didn’t hear her moaning. “Sooo I was thinking maybe we should take it easy today. You did so much yesterday, maybe we could just relax?”

“But your studio?”

“It can wait another day.” She said softly, "You worked so hard yesterday, let's just relax today.”

“You sure? The wood is ready.”

“The mirrors will be in tomorrow we can do it then.”

“Alright if you insist.” You chuckled.

“I do, now, do you wanna make the coffee and I’ll make breakfast? She asked and you nodded.

Leho meowed.

“Yes, I’ll make yours too.” Natasha smiled, petting Leho’s head.

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“That was so good.” You say standing up to collect her plate taking it to the dishwasher.

“Thank you.” She stands taking your hand as she leads you upstairs to her room.

You hadn’t been in here since your kiss.

“Figured we could watch something in bed.” She spoke turning on the tv.

You stretched a bit before rubbing your lower back.

“Your back still hurting?”

“Yeah it’s an old football injury I flare up from time to time.”

“Well yesterday didn’t help. Massage?” Natasha smirked.

“Maybe? If you don’t mind?”

“Turn around.” 

“Yes!” You grinded and turned over.

Natasha climbed on top of you and began massaging your back.

“Ahhhhh yeah!” You groaned.

She giggled and continued massaging your back. She stopped and said: “Take your shirt off, I'll rub this oil on your back.” She moved to grab some soothing oils and you took off your shirt.

“Ready?” She gulped seeing the veins leading down your waistband.

“So ready.” You smirked lying down on your stomach.

Natasha poured some of the oil on the spots you said were hurting and began massaging you.

“Your hands are magic.” You mumble against the pillow seeing her in the mirror of her dresser.

She chuckled, moving to your neck and shoulders. Admiring the muscles you have that make you look like you were carved out of marble by a Greek God.

“What happened to you? From the football injury?”

“I got tackled pretty hard in the end zone in my last year. I ended up in the hospital for the night, nothing too bad but I fractured my lower spine. So I get flare ups every now and then.”

Natasha could only imagine how scary that must have been for your parents. Even for Quinn. Natasha on the other hand probably would have killed the player that hit you in the first place.

She could imagine herself now seeing you on your back ball in hand in sheer pain. She would have rushed to your side.

“That must have been scary.”

“At first I remember just seeing him in my face saying something and the next thing I knew I was in so much pain. I could hear Finn and some other guys fighting in the field. Quinn was by my side and then I saw my parents. I remember crying and then feeling the paramedics take me to the hospital.”

“Did the player that tackled you get in trouble?”

“He did cause I already made the touchdown. I think the guys got him pretty good too if memory serves correctly. He ended up in the room next to me with a broken knee cap and some broken ribs.”

“Sheesh.”

“Yeah there were a couple bullies on my team that didn’t take kindly to what happened to me.” You chuckled.

“I think if I had known you during that time I probably would’ve done the same thing.” She chuckles.

“You would have been at my games?” You asked looking back.

“Every single one of them.” Natasha replies, booping your nose.

You smiled holding the pillow imagining what it would have been like seeing her cheer you on. Even better what winning would have been like after the game.

“Would you have taken me out for a victory beer or ice cream?”

“Excuse you Y/L/N I was a good girl in high school. No drinking, no drugs, no sex-“

“No sex?” You asked flabbergasted.

“No!” She huffed.

“Wow.”

“I was too busy trying to make ends meet with the Maximoffs to be a bad girl.”

“Bad girl.” You chuckled. “Alright I get it.”

“Is that what you did?”

“Not all the time I had Beth at 16 remember?”

“I always forget you were a teen parent.”

“Hmhm.”

“So you didn’t really party?”

“Neh not really, sometimes my parents would have mercy on us, and take care of Beth on Friday nights.”

“That’s nice of them.”

“Yeah it really was.”

Suddenly you flipped your positions causing her to help as you laid her down.

“You’re turn.” 

“Oh you don’t have- wow… Oh that’s good.” She muttered as you worked on her back. She arched her back as you massaged her spot. “Fuuuck that’s good!” She groaned unintentionally arching her backside into your pelvis.

“Damn Nat you’re so tight.” You sighed and gulped realizing what you said. You could feel yourself growing.

You bit your lip feeling her ass raise against your bulge.

“Can you do my shoulders?” She asked sweetly.

“Uh sure of course.” You gulped realizing your cock is definitely getting harder with every sigh, groan, and moan she lets out. You leaned over her, reaching for her shoulders.

Natasha’s eyes opened feeling your bulge pressed against her cheeks. She smirks, wanting to laugh feeling like a tease. She really wants to drive you crazy she knows you have to like her after the brief kiss. She sort of wants to drive you to the point of ripping her clothes off and turning her into a pillow princess.

Little did she know that’s exactly what you wanted to do as images of her pussy came to mind. 

“Ohh Y/N that’s sooo good!” She moaned, feeling you completely harden. ‘Easy.’ She smirked

She reached out for the headboard.

You left one hand around the back of her neck as the other rubbed her lower back. Her gasps are making you impossibly horny. You desperately needed to touch yourself. You let go of her back and began moving your cock you felt so dirty for it but fuck you just need it out of the way. 

“Can you go lower?” She asks innocently.

“Yeah like lower back or lower legs.”

“I was thinking more of my glutes.” She smiled.

“Yeah.” You gulped she pushed back a bit causing you to straddle her legs as you massaged her ass.

“Ohhh that’s good.” She moaned.

‘Fuck.’ You bit your lips this was torture in the best fucking way. You finally get to touch her ass and God was it glorious.

“Like this?” You asked, watching as your hands massaged her ass.

“Just like that.” She sighed.

You worked on the same spot for a few minutes before pulling a bold; very bold move. First you began rubbing her area where her thighs meet her glutes. Her little shorts barely hid little to the imagination. You rubbed up and up until your thumbs were dangerously close to her pussy.

“Hmmm.” She hummed practically vibrating. Are you finally going to do it? God she was so wet for you she began to grow frustrated.

Your thumbs slightly rubbed beneath those damp little panties.

“Y/N please.” She sighed, pushing her ass into your hands.

And so again you took that as a sign to push forward.

Your thumb pushed inside gently earning a mouth watering moan from the redhead beneath you.

“Ohhh fuck you’re so wet.” You groaned, falling forward against her back as your thumb began to move inside of her.

She turned rubbing your nose against hers when you took your thumb out bringing it in your mouth.

“You taste so good I need to really taste you.”  You mutter.

She nods and you both meet in an embracing kiss as you dry hump her ass. You couldn’t help but bite your lip imaging what your covered cock with look like sheathed inside of her. Fuck just being able to dry hump Natasha Romanoff was almost enough to get you to cream your boxers.

She turned over beneath you to bring you down against her.

“Fuck I want you Natasha. I want you soooo fucking bad.”

“Take me!” She groans as you rip her shirt off and tug her shorts down along with her panties. 

“I’ve wanted to taste you for so long now.” You breathed her in, making her whimper from the

soft kisses you left on her thighs. The fact that you had been aching to taste her made her want you even more. You were a little surprised at how bare she was. You were so excited to see tuffs of ginger. Now you know. Natasha likes it smooth.

“You are such a sight to see.” You say kiss her bud lightly causing her to jolt. “It’s alright baby girl, trust daddy.” You smirk.

“Ohhhh Y/NNNNN!” She moans as you begin licking from her tight hole to her bud.

“You taste soooooo fucking good dollface.”

Your hands roam her body as her eyes are locked on the sight of you licking her cunt. Her fingers run through your hair tugging you right where she wants you. No one had ever made her feel this way.

“That’s it daddy right there. Oh God, don’t stop, ohhhh yesss Y/NNnnn!” She groans her abs flexing as she feels a burn in her core.

You hum feeling her juices run down your chin. You can’t believe this is really happening as you play with her nipples.

“I’ve wanted this for so long.” She mewed. “Just like this. I can’t wait until you’re inside of me.” She spoke breathlessly her eyes drooping but always staying on you.

Your tongue is working overtime swiping left and right and up and down until she presses your face against her pussy as she cums.

“Ohhhh fuck! Ohhh fuck! Ohhhhhh!” She groans loudly and you lift her ass up a bit letting your tongue like the very very tight hole beneath her vagina, and let your fingers take care of her rosy bud and aching pussy.

“Ohhhhh my fucking God! Ohhhhh!” She moans and gasps feeling completely filled. “Yesssssss! Yesssss! Yesss daddy fuckkkk!” She moaned meeting your fingers with every pump.

“That’s it baby you’re so close let go.” You say feeling the burn in your forearm before diving back in.

Suddenly she gasps as her walls clamp down around your fingers. Her pelvis humping your hand and face as she cums. You can’t help but moan against her bud looking at the sight of her chest heaving trying to catch her breath.

“Oh fuck that was sooooo good.” She sighs.

You wipe your mouth before kissing up to her neck and smooching those pouty lips.

She mews against your lips tangling your legs.

“Daddy’s just getting started.” You smirk against her lips.

She bit her lip pushing your hair back.

“You taste so good Natasha I wanna taste you again.” You go back down but she tugs you up.

“What if I wanna taste you?”

You groaned as she palmed your hard on.

“Off.” She demanded as she snapped the waistband of your shorts.

“Yes ma’am.” You grinned, shoving them off letting your cock finally breathe.

“Fuck you’re making my mouth water.” She took in the length and girth of your member. “Lay down.” 

You laid next to her bringing her in a kiss.

“You really don’t have to do anything. This can only be about you. I’d go down on you all day if I could.” You say lightly running your fingers down her spine.

“I’ve been wanting you for so long now, and I want you in every way.” She husks, reaching down and wrapping her hand around you. “Don’t you want my mouth daddy?”

“Hmpf.” You grunt feeling her warm soft hand wrap around your dick. She kisses you once more as she pumps you lightly in her hand. “I can’t wait until you’re inside of me, but first I want you inside of my mouth, maybe down my throat. I wanna gobble you and swallow you whole.”

“Oh fuck.” You whisper as she moves wrapping both her hands around you.

“You’re so big daddy I can barely wrap my hands around you and just two isn’t enough you’re the size of my forearm.” She’s a little glad you can’t notice the fact that she’s drooling just a bit and her eyes have become crossed eyed.

But you can see her pussy it makes you twitch seeing her juices dripping down her thighs.

You can’t help but reach out and palming her peach. She smirks looking back at you.

“I can’t keep my hands to myself.” You admit.

She chuckles her breath hitting the tip of your cock. Natasha watches as more precum seeps out. Of your member. She leans over more laying her tongue down against your head licking up your honey. 

You moan just as she wraps her lips around the tip. You can feel her tongue swirling around as she begins to choke you down. 

Her breath hitches feeling your fingers playing with her pussy. She breathes through her nose as she makes it half way down before bobbing her head.

“Oh baby.” You whisper feeling her hand rotating as she sucks your cock. Her other hand is playing with your sack. “That’s so good baby. Can you go deeper?” You ask as you sit up slightly to hold her hair back.

She nods against your cock pulling her mouth off of you so she can breathe before engulfing you in her mouth descending down past her gag reflex to the base of your cock.

“Fuuuuuuuck that’s it baby girl.” Your abs tighten, she moves her throat like she is swallowing you down. “Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!” You groan it’s honestly not gonna take long at this rate. She hums letting the vibrations of her throat tingle your cock.

“Oh shit oh baby! Natasha!” You moan. “Ohhh I’m gonna cum where do you want it?”

She sucks you even hard, her tears running down her face. Her pussy is throbbing when she feels you move your hand away from her hair back to her ass as you rub her ass. She moans feeling some relief and you moan finally shooting your cum down her throat. 

“Fuck!!!!” You grunt as your cock twitches in her mouth she lets go and you gasp for air as she pumps your ropes of honey down her throat.

“Oh my God.” You say breathlessly seeing her red hair sticking to her sides of her face due to saliva and sweat.

You sit up pushing her hair back, wiping her mouth. “You’re a fuckin sight to be hold Natasha.” You say before pulling her on top of you kissing her roughly.

“Was that good?” She asks, pulling back from your kiss.

“Was that good?” You chuckle in disbelief. “That was the best head I’ve ever had.”

She smiles shyly and you roll her to the other side of the bed beneath your body. She instantly spreads her legs for you to fit between them.

The redheaded beauty can feel your cock harden against her pussy as you kiss her softly with no hurry to be inside of her. She said she’s wanted this for so long, and though you have questions you really wanna live up to her imagination.

Your hands begin to wander lowering from her nape to her thighs running your fingers up and

down sending chills down her spine.

You steal one last kiss before leaving a trail of open kisses down her chilled body before you get to your target. You inhale her pussy before tasting her again.

“Y/N.” She sighs feeling your tongue swiping up and down as you savor her. Her pussy is soaked and throbbing for you and only you.

You sit up getting between her legs you let your cock play with her pussy a bit biting your lip at the feel of her hot cunt against your cock. You lean over and reach for the nightstand grabbing your wallet to take out a condom. She reaches out to stop you. “You don’t need that.” She says softly. “I haven’t been with anyone and I can’t have…” she gulps.

And you toss the condom laying down against her body you kiss her softly. “It’s okay baby.” You whisper. “Do you want to stop?”

“No.” She shakes her head. “Do you?”

“Not if you don’t.” You whisper back.

You kiss her once more. Letting your staff slide against her wetness. “You’re so wet baby.”

“Only for you.” She responds.

You sit up and she reaches out rubbing a hand over your abs memorizing the creases of your six pack down to your cock.

You rub your tip up and down gathering her wetness before slowly pushing the tip in. She sighs gripping the sheets and you grip her hips gently and slowly pushing the rest of the way inside of her.

“Relax baby daddy’s got you.”

She moaned loudly and you felt more wetness come through. “Yeah that’s it. Hmm…You are so fucking tight.” You whispered, feeling her walls clamping down around you. You stayed still for a minute peppering her with soft kisses as she adjusted to your girth.

“You’re so big daddy.” She sighed, opening her eyes. She pushed your hair back bringing you down to kiss her. She whimpered as her hips bucked into you giving you the go ahead.

You slowly pumped in and out hearing her whining grow.

“Oh my God!” She moaned out as your lips left hers to nibble on her neck. She shook in your arms cuming around your cock.

“Naughty girl cuming without daddy.” You tsked.

“I’m sorry daddy.” She twitched from an after shock as you continued your strokes.

“That’s alright Angel I’ll let that one go.” You smirked, kissing her softly.

“You just feel sooooo good daddy.” She hummed letting her nails take down your back.

“You’re doing so well.” You groaned out as you continued your rhythm as she whimpered beneath you. Your eyes fluttered closed as you paused your motions pushing in deeper. “I never thought this would happen.” You sigh feeling your abs twitch.

“I hoped it would.” She admits before gasping at your cock stretching her out.

“Look at my cock baby.” You run your hand over the bulge and she gasps.

“Oh my God.” She whimpered. “I need you closer.” She says and you obliged gently lying down against her body one arm holding you up and the other caressing her cheek.

“You are the most gorgeous woman to ever walk this Earth.” You say studying her features.

She brings you all the way down in a kiss, her arms wrapping around you.

“I’m gonna move now a little harder and faster now baby is that okay?”

“Please do.” She gasps as you back to pump in and out.

You begin nibbling her neck and she wraps her legs around you.

“Natasha you feel soooo good baby.” You groaned.

She whines as she claws your back. “I’m so full daddy.” She husks.

“Oh fuck.” You groan thrusting harder. 

She bites and sucks on your neck causing you to thrust a little faster. She is determined to mark your body and stake her new claim.

“Oh daddy you’re dick is big it’s so good baby it’s so fucking good inside of me!” She moans in your ear. As she meets your every stroke.

You both keep the rhythm going, occasionally locking eyes before locking lips once more.

“You feel sooo good.” You say gazing into her emerald eyes. 

“I can say the same.” She brings you down in a kiss bringing your weight down on top of her.

Her moans are growing as you pick up the pace. Her velvety walls are clamped so tight around you that you can barely pump in and out.

“Fuck you are so tight I can’t move!” You kiss her once more before sitting up. Looking at her red hair splayed across the pillows. Her breasts bouncing and the way her hands can’t not be touching you as she grips your arms.

“Choke me.” Natasha moans.

You use one hand to wrap around her throat as you thrust harder and faster.

She grips your arm, her face turning a blushing red as she feels herself getting higher and higher.

“Fuck Natasha! God damn!”

She gasps and you reach below rubbing her swollen little bud.

“Fuuuuuuuuuck!” She moans as the bed creaks and, the headboard bangs against the wall. Her pussy is squelching with every stroke just as her hips are meeting your every motion. “Cum with me daddy!” She pants.

You throw your head back afraid to cum before her but her hands pull you back to her. “I’m cumming! Fuuuck I’m cumming!” She whines as her cunt twitches and clamps around you. It's a wonder how you're hitting her spot.

“Arggghh auhhh!” You grunt pulling out half way feeling your seed shoot out. “Ohhhh fuck!” You both moan as you pull out your creams spilling against your twitching cock.

“Hmmm.” She hums watching you use your staff to pick up the cum spilling on you and lathering it against her pussy before entering her once more.

“That’s it baby that’s it.” She says softly as you pepper kisses around her face. She kisses you lazily, her fingers trailing your jaw as you continue your strokes.

You kiss her fingers softly as she groans in appreciation.

“Yessss daddy yess yesss.” Her accent is coming through her sex hazed mind. You lift her legs against your shoulders, and you begin to hump up halfway hitting her spot over, and over again, and again. 

*Hisss ahhh hisss ahh* Her moaning grew. Natasha could feel a deep coil inside of her ready to burst at any moment.

You grinned lazily seeing your second head bulge in her stomach with every stroke up.

“Natasha darling; how are you feeling?” You ask as you continue.

She all but moans in response, her hands reaching for your forearms.

You thrust a little faster until she’s quivering. You smirk as she cums again and finally you feel that rush of pressure you were aiming for.

“There it is.” You thrust even faster making her twitch and wiggle against your cock as her orgasm shakes her to her core, and finally when your cock is being pushed out you pull out.

“Oh my-!!! daddy daddy- YYYYY/NNNNNNNN!!!!!!!” your name spills out as a booming moan, her pussy is spasming as a rush of liquid squirts against your abs and cock.

You slowly enter her once more once the squirting stops, kissing the sides of her legs against your shoulders as she catches her breath. “That was so good baby you did so fucking good for daddy.” 

“Oh my God.” she moans, making grabby hands so you bend her legs slowly until she’s filled to the brim and your abs are against hers. She kisses you with so much passion she almost utters those three little words. “What? How? That’s never happened before.” She says in shock.

“Well not to toot my own horn but baby you didn’t have daddy.” You bite her lip before pulling out once more, gently lowering her legs.

She giggles as you kiss her belly inhaling her pussy once more. 

“Fuck, I can’t get enough of you. I love this pussy.”

You open wide and begin eating her out.

“Ohhhhh fuck! No daddy, I'm sensitive.” She moans with a smile.

“Turn around for daddy then baby let me eat that ass like groceries.”

She bites her lip rolling over on her belly before going into child’s pose. Stretching her back out.

“Oh that’s it. I can’t wait to play with you more. See how flexible you really are.” 

She looks behind at you and smirks as she twerks her ass. You grab ahold of her spreading her cheeks as you lick her little hole.

“Fuuuck that feels so good daddy!” She groans, stretching her arms out.

You slap her ass cheek and sit back up as you align your cock with her tight cunt.

“Fuck, I’ve been dreaming about this moment.” You slowly enter her. “Having you bent over for me just like this.” You bit your bottom lip moaning loudly as you pushed all the way in. “Fuck yes!”

“Now you have me.” She husked sitting up wrapping her arms around your neck from behind.  

“Hmmm.” You hum kissing her as your body’s move together. “Yeah that’s it Natasha…. You’re so fuckin’ sexy baby.” You say cupping her cunt and rubbing her clit.

She moans moving back down on the bed as you thrust into her from behind.

“Gorgeous.” You sigh letting your hands wander her back. Your hands grip her butt massaging her before slapping it again.

Your thrusts were fast and rough hearing her groan against the pillow. You groan hearing the sounds of the room. The head board banging once again you may have to fix it later but it’s worth it. The sounds of her soaked pussy and of course moans you were bringing out of her.

“Yesssssss daddy fuuuuck that’s so good!” Her voice was muffled. She lifted her head when you slapped her cheek.

“That’s it use my dick baby.” You say as she pushes back against you. “Aag fuck I’m close.” You flex and hold your hands behind your head as Natasha fucks herself on your staff.

“Me too daddy.” 

“Let go baby!”

Your body flexes as you stop her and thrust faster and harder you can feel the spring being ready to pop. 

She whines and moans not being able to wait without you she’s cuming around your cock.

You let her enjoy herself for as long as you can until you abruptly stop deep inside of her and pull right out pumping your load against her back.

You hiss as your dick convulses. “Natasha.” You groan as she looks back at the cum falling down her spine.

“Feed it to me daddy.” She smirks seeing your cock twitch.

You swipe your fingers down her back gathering your seed and lean over to feed it to her. You groan as she sucks on your fingers.

“Delicious.” She smirks. 

Your eyes roll back as you bite your lip and move to lay beside her.

She immediately snuggles up to you kissing your cheek.

“Wow.” You breathe out letting your arm wrap around her with your hand on her upper thigh.

“I don’t think I’ve ever orgasmed that many times in my life.” She said softly.

You smirked eyes now closed.

“Yeah you get to get away with that smirk Y/L/N.”

“I love your accent by the way.” You smile peeking down at her, rubbing her ass.

“You do?”

“Very much so.” You sigh. “My Russian mommy.”

She leans up kissing your lips softly.

“Princess Romanoff.”

“I’m not Anastasia.”

“You could be.” 

“Baby they were brutally murdered. They were stabbed with bayonets.”

“Aww let me have this.” You frowned with your bottom lip out.

“Fine.” She sighed. “Anything for you… daddy.” She smirked feeling you twitch against her knee.

“Stop playing with fire Natasha.” Your voice is raspy.

“I like playing with your fire.”

You chuckle and she pecks your chest letting her nails graze your abs. Your fingers trailed up her thighs massaging her beautiful luscious mound of an ass.

Her nails send chills around your body luring you to sleep.

[thewritergx]

Truth or Dare Part 1: JJ MaybankxF!Reader

Part 2

Summary: The group decides to play a game of truth or dare, pushing JJ and y/n over the edge. Word Count: 4K

Warnings: Drug and alcohol use, mentions of sex, kissing. No smut in this part. Decided to make this two part because I kind of got carried away with the word count.

Word Count: 4K

Please feel free to like and repost. Click here if you’d like more stories from me

“God, it's hot”, sweat pooled around the bottom of my hair as I placed it in a tight bun. The AC went out days ago. With John still fending for himself, he couldn't exactly afford to get it fixed. I was just thankful he was letting me crash here. My mom was out on a bender, and told me to get the hell out. She did this periodically,  never even giving me time to pack or gather a few days of clothes. 

“Sorry, trying to save up to get it looked at in a few days.” John was in the kitchen, his head stuck in thawled out on the floor in front of us, rolling a blunt with a grape swisher. My favorite. JJ was sprawled out on the floor in front of us, rolling a blunt with a grape swisher. My favorite. I admired the way his fingers rolled it, the way his tongue lightly licked the paper to stick both sides together. He looked good even in the heat, his hair sweaty and skin sticky. JJ wore a loose gray cut-off shirt, his toned shoulders exposed. With every moment I could see the subtle veins in his muscles move and flex. His hat was backwards, like often, and he was sticking the tip of his tongue out a bit, focusing on his rolling. 

He looked up, locking eyes on me. “What, you feenin’ that bad?” JJ smiled. 

I laughed, embarrassed he caught me staring. I annoyingly started crushing on JJ this past summer.It had gotten stronger this past month as JJ started staying at the chateau more and more. After everything that happened with JJ's dad and my mom kicking me out of the house all the time, we understood each other pretty well. John B welcomed us at his house. He always mentioned how quiet it was without his dad here. Most nights, JJ and I slept on a blow-up mattress or the couch. There were nights JJtried to go home, give his dad a chance. Most of those nights he showed up at 3AM, lightly tapping on the window for me to let him in. John B had basically tuned his hose into a homeless shelter. 

Sometimes, I thought I would catch JJ eyes lingering on me as I sat across the room or when I was wearing something a bit revealing, but I could never really catch him. There was tension in the air some nights, but JJ never acted on it. I thought about mentioning my crush to him a few times but I knew he was loyal to the rules. No pogue on pogue macking being one of the few. It might have sounded stupid now, especially after Pope and Kie worked out so well together. There was no drama with them, no fights causing tension with the group. The rule just sounded dumb now. 

“I was watching the way you roll, can never get mine that tight,” I lied. Weed. A good distraction for JJ. 

“Here, let me show you,” JJ patted the ground next to him, moving a few things so I would have space to sit. I took a seat in a criss-cross-apple-sauce position, our shoulda lightly brushed and I tried to ignore how hot and smooth his skin felt against mine.

“Here take this one”, JJ handed me a swisher, the tobacco thrown on a plate in front of us. He grabbed my fingers gently, instructing me on how to rub up and down in a quick delicate motion. I felt my face get as he held my hands in his. “Oh, yeah. See, that looks great. Good job” JJ smiled, pressing his shoulder a bit more into mine. 

I laughed “Thank you, Professor Maybank. Outstanding lesson”. I handed the fresh blunt to JJ and he took out a baby blue lighter. 

“Hey, you lighter thief. That's mine.” I scolded him. “I've been looking for that.”

He laughed again. “Yeah well, wanted to carry you with me.” 

A gentle knock on the door followed as Pope and Kiara walked in, carrying a pack of beer and popsicles.

I sprung up. “Dear god, give me one of those.” I geeked excitedly. My mouth was so dry. 

Kiara laughed, handing me a red colored cherry popsicle. I undid the wrapper, and licked it slowly. 

I took my seat down to my JJ again. It was so hot the popsicle was melting on my hand already. I sucked off the juice, bringing my fingers to my mouth. JJ finally lit the perfect blunt, and took a short hit. He motioned to me and brought it to my mouth, the b, unt between two fingers. I attempted not to make eye contact as I breathed in, but I couldn't pull my eyes away from him. We stayed like this for a second before I blew the smoke gently towards him. Of course, I had to start coughing, my throat on fire. 

“Alright, just breathe.” JJ padded my back. I nodded my head and sucked in the hot air, trying to breathe the smoke feeling away. 

JJ grabbed the blunt, passing it over to Kie and Pope. Pope surprisingly hit it, something we didn't see him do often. He made a sore, sour face when he finished, immediately grabbing for water.

My lungs had finally stopped burning and I licked the popsicle a few times, the cold ice beating the dryness of my tongue. I let out a low slow moan at the chillness. Cherry was always my favorite. Bright, hot, red. I sucked a bit at the tip, juice filling my mouth. 

JJ, looked over. I could tell by his shifting and clenched jaw he was uncomfortable. Maybe the weed got him nervous or something. I grabbed his shoulder, the room slightly spinning. I was always light weight and JJ always had the strongest shit.

“J’ you okay?” I asked, taking a small bite off the top of the popsicle. 

JJ smirked a bit, his head tilted slightly to the side. “I’m doing just fine, y/n”, he spoke.

Sarah took a small hit, almost gagging. She was still getting used to our life, but she was open to trying as many new things as possible. I remember the first time she smoked. She stayed up all night counting the stars. She kept messing up and having to start over again. She handles it a lot better now.

We each passed it around a few more times, I stopped after three hits. It's all I could take before becoming a puddle on the carpet. It was getting dark out now and since it was our last weekend before school I knew the group would get a bit crazy.

“Come on, let's go take a dip in the hot tub,” Kiara exclaimed. She undid her shorts and t-shirt, leaving her in a light purple bikini. It complemented her skin tone beautifully.

“Bet, gotta change first.” In a corner of the living room, JJ's and I’s clothes were thrown in cheap dollar store bins. Most of my stuff was left at my mom’s house. All I really had here were the clothes I was wearing and things Kiara and Sarah let me steal. Mostly stuff they didn't wear or was gifted to them.

I dug around in the bin, looking for a swimsuit I was pretty sure Sarah threw in. Hopefully, it actually fits. I was a bit thicker than the two girls, so some things were a smidge too tight. 

I finally found the top and bottom pieces. It was a dark cheetah print pattern and honestly very sexy. But, it absolutely didn't match Sarah's clean girl aesthetic. I held it up to the room. “Okay, this is what I got.” JJ, let out a low whisper and I rolled my eyes. Maybe I'd just wear shorts and a crop top.

“Wow, I bought that for Sarah. Can't believe she won't wear it”, John B laughed as he stood in the doorway, his face a bit red.

“I have plenty of swimsuits, John. That was just the one I thought y/n would like the most. Fits her ‘bad girl’ look, don't yall think?” Sarah smiled, walking me to the bathroom so we could both change.

It was a small dim lit room with a slightly crusty mirror. One of my goals while staying here was to help John clean it up a bit. JJ was surprisingly a big help, always trying to assist with the small cores around the house. I washed the dishes, he dried them. I put clothes in the washing machine, and he folded them. It was sweet of him, especially since I never asked.

“You're going to look so good girl. Here, turn so I can tie the straps”. Sarah grabbed the two thin straps and tied them in a cute bow behind my neck, holding my tits at a great height. 

The bottoms fit me really well too. I was a bit surprised at how much I liked it. Usually I would dress more modestly. Most of my bikini covered my chest pretty well and I usually opted for something less cheeky. It was a bit tight around my hips, but the thong style made my ass look amazing. Sarah gave me a light tap on one of my ass cheeks. 

“Oh yeah y/n. You need to wear that to the next beach party, take a new man home with that thing.” I laughed and Sarah fixed my hair, pulling it down my back. 

“I don’t know. It’s kinda… a lot.” I laughed. 

“Oh come on, you need to embrace that body you got.” Sarah rushed me out of the bathroom before I got a chance to reply. Honestly I was thankful. Sometimes I needed a light push. 

By the time we walked out, everyone else was in the hot tub. I grabbed a few towels from the tub and the case of beer Pope brought. I was a bit nervous about what the guys would say to be honest. They always hit on us girls, but mostly they remained playful. I just didn't want them to get carried away. 

I met JJ’s eyes as we walked outside to the hot tub, a hot blush spread across my cheeks. I heard Pope mumble a “goddamn” and Kie slap him across his bare chest. 

“You look so good, y/n.” Kie yelled, her voice honest and pure. 

JJ remained quiet but he watched closely as I sat across from him. I felt tense but the hot water washed away any anxiety I was feeling. I silently handed JJ a bear as he sifted around slowly. His face back to that uncomfortable feeling. 

“Thanks,” he pretty much whispered inaudibly. He had ditched his shirt and hat, his upper body completely exposed. I tried not to focus on it too much and opted instead to close my eyes. I let the water engulf me, take my body to a place of pure relaxation. I let my eyes focus on the classic rock music JJ played in the background. He had good taste. 

“Okay, have an idea,” Pope spoke up. “Let's play Truth or Dare.” 

“That’s kinda cringe”, Kie laughed. 

“Oh, come on. I've never played.” Pope’s smile fainted a bit. Sometimes I forget how innocent he used to be. So much has changed this summer. 

“Yeah, sure Pope. That sounds fun to me.” I lied. To be honest, it did sound cringe. But Pope never brings stuff like this up and I could tell he was having a good time.

“Alright fine, I’ll play”. Kie low-key rolled her eyes but wore a fake smile.

“Okay, then I'll go first”, Pope said. “John, truth or dare?”

John B looked a bit spooked. “Pope, I don't trust how mischievous you look right now. I’m goin’ truth.”

“Okay, scaredy cat”, Sarah light-heartedly joked.

“Hmmm…I got it. What is the first thing you’ll do when you find the gold?” Pope asked.

“Oh, starting deep,” JJ mumbled. He was shifting around a bit. I could tell something was off.

“I don't know. I mean, I never even thought about it. Maybe just clean up this place. Build a house big enough to fit all the homeless friends I have.” John’s face was in wonder as he fantasized about the future. It was sweet. His first thought was all of us. Sarah let out a faint “awww”.

“Okay, guess I’ll pick someone…Sarah. Truth or Dare?” John B wore an obvious smirk.

“John, why?” Sarah shook her hair softly. “I guess dare but only cuz I'm not a chicken like you.” She joked again.

“Fine, I dare you to let me give you a hickey. Anywhere you like”, John’s smile was wide now.

“John, you know I hate those.” She frowned. Sarah was still breaking out of her shell. Never too loud or obvious about the sexual relationship her and John shared.  

“Dare is a dare,” John stated confidently. Sarah let out a deep sigh and moved closer to John B. 

“Fine, you can put one on my neck. A small one.” She huffed. She moved her hair to free the base of her neck. She laughed a bit but was still slightly angry as John B lightly sucked on her neck. To be honest it was a bit awkward. Especially because I was close enough to hear the little groans John B let out. 

I looked at JJ. He paid close attention to the two, a bit too much. His cheeks were a bit red, his jaw tight and lips closed. I think he noticed by gaze because he quickly made eye contact with me before dropping his eyes to the water. 

“Okay, okay. Get off me” Sarah chuckled. “That tickles”.

“This was a great idea, Pope.” John B wore the smile of a champion like he was seeing his family for the first time after a long battle. We all laughed a bit, except JJ who sat eerily quiet.

“Y/N truth or dare?” Sarah questioned excitedly. 

“Um, I guess I'll go with truth.” I answered. 

“Okay… Tell us about a crush you have. If you do have one.” It was a fairly innocent question but it held a lot of weight.

“Oh um.. Okay. Yeah, I do kinda have one. I guess. He’s really smart, more than people give him credit for. Funny, always smells really good. Also, super strong. He's got like a sleeper build where you can't tell how much muscles he has until he uses them”. I rambled, probably embarrassing myself.

“Aww, that's so nice. Any guy would be so lucky” Sarah responded. 

“Wait, oh my god. I know who you're talking about. That guy you work with? Is his name Chris?” Kie was genuinely excited. I didn't talk about boys often, mostly because the one I wanted was sitting right here with us. I didn't have the heart to tell her that 1. Chris is gay, and 2. He was nothing like what I just described.

“How’d you know”. I tried to play it cool, change the subject as soon as possible.

“Y/n, I hate to break it to you but that man does play on your field. If you know what I mean.” JJ finally spoke up. His face was in a slight frown and his eyebrows were tight. He looked mad but I could tell at what. 

“Okay mister, gaydar. Your turn” I spoke quickly. 

“Dare me,” He shot back just as fast. 

“Okay, you were quick with that. Let me think. How about…you race me in shotgunning one of these beers?” JJ loved competitions. I thought maybe another drink would loosen him up more. 

“Oh, sweetheart. You're going down, you know that right?” I ignored his pet name, trying not to linger on it for more than a moment. JJ finally had a smile and I was confident my theory had proved successful. I grabbed two beers out of the case. Might as well drink them since Pope went through the trouble of stealing from the gas station. JJ grabbed his pocket knife he kept on the edge of the hot tub, perfect for moments like this. He poked holes in the bottoms of each can. I grabbed one, holding it at a side angle. Then, I fetched into position, my finger hovering just over the tab. I swear he was staring me down, his eyes digging daggers into me. 

“Okay. Ready. Set. Go.” Kie counted down fast. 

I brought the can to my mouth immediately, pulling the tab and suckling at the whole. I tried my hardest to get as much down as I could. JJ clearly was in no playing mood. By the time I took three swallows he was already done. He crushed the can, throwing it over his shoulder behind the hot tub. 

“Told ya, can't beat me.” He had definitely perked back up. The group laughed and I finished my beer. It tasted like shit but I tried to play it cool. Beer had run down my chest, signing the crease between my breasts. JJ quickly looked them up and down and shifted a bit more angrily. I don't understand. He literally just won. 

“Kie, truth or dare?” JJ finally turned away from me, breaking his eye contact and looking towards Kie. 

“You know I'm always gonna pick dare.” Kie was wrapped under Pope’s arm. They looked comfy.

“I dare you and Pope to show us your favorite sex position.” JJ laughed. He knew they would hate this. Pope was still so shy when it came to sex and Kie was just a private person overall.

“That’s it?” Kie raised an eyebrow. “So easy”. Kie, stood for a moment, positioning Pope so that he was bent on his knees. Then he hovered her ass just above his pelvis. “Doggy, but kinda closer. That way we can still kiss and I don't feel so gross after”. Pope’s face was as blushed as I'd ever seen it. He grabbed Kie’s hips and brought them up and down slightly. 

“Okay, okay. Don't show them all of my girl’s moves.” Pope mumbled. 

“We should try that,” John motioned to Sarah. 

“Okay, Pope’s got the moves. I am satisfied. JJ smirked. 

“Hmm, who should I pick? I guess me and Pope technically just went. Y/N I'll choose you. Truth or dare.” She asked.

“Well, I just picked the truth. So I'll go with a dare”. I was honestly a bit nervous. Kie knew how to stir the pot. I think she was low-key picking up on the crush I developed. She sometimes shot looks at me if JJ and I were alone or a bit closer to each other than the rest of the group. 

“Ooh, good choice. I dare you to sit in JJ’s lap until I say to stop or until we get tired of playing.” Her face was serious. She did know, that just confirmed it. 

I thought about it for a moment and it didn't seem too crazy. I mean I sat next to him everyday and sometimes I had to sit in his lap if we took Pope’s truck. It wasn't completely new. I looked at JJ. Great. He looks pissed again. Was sitting that close to me so bad, I thought to myself.

I felt my own smile drop a bit.

“Okay, yeah. I guess”. I moved across the hot tub, fixing the string of my bikini that had moved just a bit too far up my ass cheeks. I turned my back to JJ and sat my legs between one of his. He let out a soft breath. He shifted a bit, trying to get comfortable as I set down. 

“You’re light”, he spoke plainly. No hint of any emotion in his voice. 

“John, truth or dare?” I smiled. Please pick dare. 

“Since my girlfriend made fun of me last time, I’ll pick a dare”. John had a fake sarcastic tone. 

Yes. “John, I dare you to give us the best rendition of a Broadway dance you possibly can.” I was relying not to laugh too much, imagining his awkward moves. 

John got out of the tub, standing in the dirt and grass next to us. I played the only broadway song I knew, something from Hamilton. The Whole group watched him, letting out high pitched yays and laughs. 

I tried to stay still as I watched John’s moves but the water made JJ’s thighs too slippery. His shorts gave a bit of resistance but not enough to keep me balanced. Each time I got comfortable I would slide down a bit, causing me to move around even more. 

“Quit moving,” He whispered. His voice was dark.

“Sorry, the water is slippery. It's kinda hard to stay balanced.” I tried not to make our struggle obvious to the group who had begun to watch John B try to do the perfect cartwheel. JJ let out another sigh. This time deeper with a bit more annoyance. He brought one arm across my waist, holding me up tightly into him. His forearms were toned, that sleeper build I mentioned earlier. 

“That better?” He asked. 

“Yeah, thanks.” I mumbled. His fingers lightly grazed my side, sending a tingling sensation throughout my entire body. I tried to shake it off, focus on anything else. He was warm against me, his chest pressed into my also bare back. The only thing between us was the thin straps holding up my top. 

As time went on, and John’s dance ended, I felt JJ become more and more stir-crazy. He bounced the leg I was straddling lightly. I tried my hardest not to grind on him, the soft tapping motion on my core was driving me crazy. His shorts rubbed against my thigh and exposed ass. The thong allowing me to feel every fiber under me. I wanted to run for the hills but I knew I wouldn't. He gripped me tighter like he thought I might actually really runway the second he let go. Then he started making slow up-and-down strokes against my side with his thumb. I swear he was teasing me, trying to see just how much of him I could take before I actually did anything.

The group praised John B. “An excellent performance”, I laughed. He breathed heavily as he got back into the water, taking his seat next to Sarah agin. 

“Alright y/n, I’m out for revenge now’. John smirked. “Pope, truth or dare?” John’s chest rose and fell softly, clearly still a bit tired. 

“Truth,” Pope responded. 

JOhn B asked Pope some question about losing his virginity. Pope went on a long rant and the group listened as he described a girl he met during summer break his sophomore year. 

JJ shifted a few times as he listened to the story. My blood ran hot as he moved his free hand and placed a tight grip on my thigh. “Sorry, felt like you were slipping still”. He mumbled into my neck, closer now than he was before. 

“It’s cool”, I played it off but my cheeks were bright red. I hoped the rest of the group didn't notice how obviously turned on I was by him. I let myself relax a but more into him, snuggling more against his chest. I tried to ignore the obvious poking sensation I felt at the base of my back. Clearly JJ was trying to stay as calm as possible too. 

Pope finally finished his story, Kie looking a bit surprised at the new learned information. That could be a problem later, I thought. “JJ, your turn. Truth or dare?” 

“Hit me with your worst, bro. Can’t scare me.” JJ’s voice was loud in my ear, “dare.”

“I was hoping you’d pick that. I felt JJ’s chest vibrate against me as he took a deep breath. “Clearly something is going on there”, Pope motioned to our closeness. “I dare you to kiss, y/n. Nothing too much, just whatever your feeling” 

Everyone in the group goes quiet. I feel a rush of cold wind hit my face. Why, why, why is all I could think. I wasn't even sure if JJ even really wanted to do this or if it was beer and weed making him so reactive to my touch. 

“Pope, really?” JJ’s face was angry, his voice hot as metal left out in the summer sun. 

“Well. you don't have to but that does make you the loser.” Pope smirked.

“I aint no pussy bro, and I definitely aint a loser.” I felt JJ turn me a little, pulling my face closer to his. I stayed quiet, a chill running through me as I met his eyes. JJ met my gaze for what seemed to be minutes. He finally broke away, looking down at my lips. He moved his hand from my thigh and placed it softly on my chin, bringing my lips at the perfect angle for him to finally place his. He leaned in softly, his lips soft and plump. It felt like heaven and i didnt want to stop. I could tell he didn't either/ The kiss grew a bit heavier. To be honest I forgot the whole group was staring at us. JJ let out a deep groan, moving his hand down my back, arching it a bit to add more force. 

I hear someone clear their throat, making me rip away suddenly. It was clear the energy has changed amongst us. JJ looked a bit spooked, like he could tell if what just happened was real or not. 

“I think that calls it. I'm going to bed”, John Spoke out. 

“Yeah, I should probably be heading home. Parents ya know,” Pope laughed. 

The group made their separate ways, leaving me and JJ hot and gasping for air. We sat obviously still, both of us too afraid to move. Too afraid to speak. 

[starlight-bread-blog]

It's Zutara Month 2024 So I'm Gonna Discuss (See: Fangirl) Them and Emotional Labor

Katara cooks, sews, but most of all: she gives unconditional emotional support for her brother, and later the rest of the Gaang.

Illustrated after Appa was stolen, the Gaang got stuck in a desert without much water, food or any means of transportation besides their legs. Katara gave everyone her bending water, without drinking any herself, responded to everyone with compassion, and by the end she helped bring Aang back to himself while he was out of control in the Avatar State.

Even after the episode is over, next episode and she helps delivering a baby, and still makes sure to look after Aang.

Sokka too testified that Katara did a lot of labor for him:

Sokka: Actually, in a way, I rely on [Katara's bossiness].

Toph: I don't understand.

Sokka: When our mom died, that was the hardest time in my life. Our family was a mess, but Katara, she had so much strength. She stepped up and took on so much responsibility. She helpwd fill the void that was left by our mom.

Toph: I guess I never thought about that.

And appropriately, Katara is the one doing the vast majority of the emotional labor in her relationships. She takes care everyone, comfrots them, and protects them. Take "The Deserter" as an example: Aang was being extremely careless with his new found fire bending ability, to the point where he accidently burns Katara's hands.

Katara herself never express her anger at him, she ends up healing her own wounds. Sokka does the scolding. A\ang felt incredibly guilty, but still – by the end, Katara is the one comfroting Aang when he wants to give up on fire bending.

Katara takes care of everyone in the Gaang, making sure they're well, helping them heal their scars. Moreover, Katara often brings up her own grief to empthize with other people's loss. It's a pattern of sorts:

1) A character talks about their past with the Fire Nation

Haru: Yeah. Problem is ... [Close-up, earthbends two stones in a circle above his hand.] the only way I can feel close to my father now is when I practice my bending. He taught me everything I know.

Jet: The Fire Nation killed my parents. I was only eight years old. That day changed me forever.

Hama: I'm sorry. It's too painful to talk about anymore.

2) Katara brings up her own grief, sympathizing with their loss

Katara (to Haru): See this necklace? My mother gave it to me.

Katara (to Jet): Sokka and I lost our mother to the Fire Nation.

Katara (to Hama): We completely understand. We lost our mother in a raid.

A\ang is a bit of an exception, given that she brought up her grief to prepare him for the loss of his people. (Ad they all respond sympathetically). Still, she brings it up to sympathize and help. There is nothing wrong with that, of course. but here is how it went with Zuko:

1) A character talks about their past with the Fire Nation

Katara: You have no idea what this war has put me through! Me personally! The Fire Nation took my mother away from me.

2) Katara brings up her own grief, sympathizing with their loss

Zuko: I'm sorry. That's something we have in common.

It's Zuko who responds to her grief this time. It's him empathizing with her. It's him doing the emotional labor for her. And it's this sympathy is their first real civil conversation, establishing that in their relationship, Zuko will do some of the labor needed of him.

In The Southern Raiders, Katara opens up to Zuko, compleyely unprompted, while she is yet to forgive him, about the precise events that led to her mother's death.

A thing she has never done with anyone, and is doing now with someone she considers untrust worthy. Zuko responds with "your mother was a brave women". She, once again, is on the reciving end of the emotional labor – and in a way that is deeper than any other intance of her in the show.

In rest of the episode, Zuko is the one thinking of her and taking care of her.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Exhibit C:

Katara takes care of everyone, but it is with Zuko that she recives the help she deserves.

She put herself in danger to help A\ang, she helpped him after he'd burnt her, and she stepped up when her mother died. But with Zuko, he is the one reaching out. He's the one taking care of her needs.