#One leader to another; Ben

[theconstantsidekick]

klaus got sober, finally got sober but was made a germaphobe. he was ridiculed for finally having his shit together but having weird coping mechanisms for it. then he was made to spiral again and then killed off. he got his life on track, was an exceptional uncle/second parent to his niece and then they made him sell his body for drugs and inevitably killed him off as a junkie.

luther, who was the leader, who was smart enough to be an astronaut could amount to nothing without his powers except from being a stripper. he had absolutely nothing and no one, even sloan was ripped away from him and then he, too was killed off. lonely and unaccomplished.

ben was brought back, finally alive, granted not the same ben but he wore the same face and he had a family who could annoy him into shape but he stayed a dick, became a apocalyptic monster and credited for the destruction of all the branching timelines, and died as a monster that he was so afraid of becoming.

alison got her happy life but couldn’t sustain it. her husband left her but at least she got to have claire and for that i can give credit but she remained codependent on klaus to be her passion project that made her feel better. she never learnt why that was not healthy and then died without her daughter.

diego had this beautiful life, a family that called him their own, three kids and wife who called him darling, and love and then he was made to fuck it all up because of some obsession with the CIA, in service of a romance between his wife and brother because the creator thought an old man needed some romance. he wasn’t even shown saying goodbye to his kids.

lila left behind her assassin ways, she stopped being batshit crazy and ultra suspicious to settle down with a man she genuinely and wholeheartedly loved and trusted, only to throw it all away because his younger (and yet much older) brother found her a timeline with strawberries. she was made to give up her kids, her family, her happy fucking life when all she ever wanted was to not be alone.

viktor got dealt the worst hand, always. he was abused vehemently by his father and ignored and relegated due to no fault of his own. he was made to feel ugly and broken and small but then he realised that his family loved him even if his father didn’t. he got a chance at being normal and he took it, only for it to be stripped away from him so that he could sacrifice his life for a world that was never kind to him. he was made to reconcile with his abusive father and then promptly erased out of existence.

five. my dearest boy, young man, old fool, five. he survived an apocalypse after another. fought tooth and nail to keep his family alive and well and dedicated his entire life to make sure of it. only for all his efforts to be made futile and his snark to be mellowed. he made it his life mission to keep the world safe and his family safe only for all that to be stripped away from his character and made into a lovesick fool who abandoned them during the final battle to mope about his brother’s wife not liking him back.

there were so many character assassinations this season, GoT writers would be proud of dear old steve.

[greensagephase]

Nonviolent Communication - Part One

Pairing: Spider-Man!Miguel O'Hara x Spider-Woman!Reader Summary: You don't show up to a meeting or report for other duties as a Spider Society member because of your period. Your boss shows up to your apartment. Word Count: 5,144 Warning: A little bit of angst?; Mention of death; menstruation, cramps A/N: There's multiple pieces of fan art for this fic. If you'd like to check it out, you can find everything linked in my masterlist! Masterlist Music Inspo (Spotify playlist for the fanfic here) "Nonviolent Communication" - Metro Boomin, James Blake, A$AP Rocky, 21 Savage Next Part

Part One

You were recruited four months ago into the Spider Society. Ever since the beginning, you couldn’t help but gravitate towards the leader and founder of the society. You learned quickly about his past and the way he carried himself these days.

Miguel O’Hara worked day and night. If he wasn’t in his lab working on something, he was out on missions with a select few members or on his own. There were days that you wouldn’t even see him. You wondered if anyone did on those days. You told yourself to mind your business. It’s not like you were friends and you hardly interacted anyway. You were a member of the Spider Society but one of the newest ones. You weren’t part of the most trusted members for Miguel.

And yet… There was something. You felt a need to look after him. You couldn’t understand it. You wanted to chalk it up to interest. Maybe you found his story interesting. How a man had simply replaced a version of himself in another universe to be a father, only to lose her when that universe collapsed. How heartbroken and guilt-filled he was over it. That had to be it, you told yourself. It was just intrigue. 

You figured that if you just gave in to your interest, it would go away eventually. It would fade away… So, you allowed yourself to be interested. You showed up to meetings earlier than anyone else when Miguel scheduled them. You stopped by the cafeteria to pick up coffee cups beforehand and arrived at the meeting earlier. You came in, looking unbothered and uninterested as you placed the cup of coffee in front of him, greeting him.

“The cafeteria staff gave me another cup, and I didn’t know what to do with it,” you’d say as he looked up with an uninterested look on his face.

You’d walk away and take a seat a few chairs away, picking up the nicely done reports he provided at every meeting. You did this every week with a different excuse each time. You didn’t know if he ever wondered why the cafeteria staff gave you so much coffee since that was usually your excuse. You doubted he even cared; you were just another member.

The first few times, you noticed the cup would sit in the same exact spot you’d leave it. Miguel wouldn’t even acknowledge it after looking up at you. You still brought it each week. After some weeks, he wouldn’t even look up when you placed the cup in front of him on the desk but – he started giving you a small grunt of acknowledgement. You’d walk away with a little grin, quickly putting it away when you sat down on your usual seat so he wouldn’t notice it.

Then about two weeks later, you saw it. As he was going over the reports and listening to Ben Reilly ramble on about his past because of some anomaly he caught that week, he picked up the coffee cup and took a sip. You looked away as you felt his gaze about to turn to you. The reports looked very interesting indeed.

All throughout this, you also started showing up to his lab after he and Jessica requested to see you about a mission. You noticed there was quite a mess of gadgets lying around. You offered to organize it, as it is something you enjoy and are good at. You didn’t even know why you offered but Jessica seemed eager about the idea while Miguel frowned.

“Oh, come on, Miguel. Some organization around here wouldn’t hurt, you know? Look at this mess,” Jessica said looking around, pointing at different areas cluttered with all sorts of tech pieces.

“Fine,” Miguel said as he walked away, apparently done with the conversation.

Jessica beamed at you. She seemed to like you a lot since you did your job well and didn’t get into any drama. You were like the perfect pupil. You nodded at her, with a warm smile.

So that’s how you ended up showing up once a week to Miguel’s lab to do some organizing. You show up and organize as he works on something. Sometimes he is up in the air on his platform, going through monitors. You simply greet him as you arrive before you begin organizing and cleaning. Sometimes there is no response, other times there is just a “hmm”.

These visits have led to Lyla taking a liking to you. She often asks you questions as you work while Miguel is there. You don’t know if he pays attention to what Lyla and you talk about. You honestly doubt he even listens. He is always so engrossed in what he is doing.

Lyla definitely makes the time pass faster. It isn’t like you wanted it to but the silence in the lab is… off sometimes. Lyla asks you all sorts of things like whether you have plans for that weekend, if you enjoy a certain activity because other spider members enjoy it, if you like a certain food, or how missions have gone, etc. It is always something different. You respond to her questions as you work. You are fast and efficient.

You never miss a week, and you are never late as you have made it a habit to show up at the same time. Except this week that is. You started your period and this month is kicking your butt with excruciating cramps and lower back pain. You barely make it to your home after patrolling your city, sliding into bed in pain.

You dig through your nightstand, looking for the specific medicine you take to take care of this even if it makes you extremely drowsy and dizzy. You take it and lie down, hoping it will help right away as you groan in pain. You lie in bed, clutching your stomach. The medicine definitely makes you drowsy and dizzy, but it doesn’t seem to help much with the pain. You pass out a few times but wake up again, the pain too much.

You’re so out of it that you don’t notice the time. You don’t remember the day. You don’t notice the sun out behind your closed blinds. You don’t hear a multidimensional portal open in your small apartment living room. You don’t register the heavy footsteps that move through your apartment. Your eyes are closed, hands clutching your stomach, soft groans escaping your lips. You don’t see the large shadow moving through your room until the last second.

“Go away,” you say weakly, thinking someone has broken into your home.

Despite your pain, despite feeling drowsy and dizzy, your mind still has the time to find this funny. The one day you feel like absolute crap is the day someone decides to break into your apartment. And you’re Spider-Woman! How ironic, you think. Let them take whatever they want, you think, as long as they don’t hurt you.

However, you are surprised when you feel a warm and heavy hand pressed to your forehead.

“No fever,” the voice says stating it as a fact.

You continue to clutch your stomach, eyes closed. Unbeknownst to you as you lay in bed in and out of it, a man is in your apartment. His height towers over you in bed.

Miguel O’Hara is in your apartment… Checking on you. He stares down at you as you lay in bed. He sees you clutching your stomach and as he observes carefully, he sees no injury. There is no sight of blood either. His eyebrows furrow in confusion. You are clearly in pain but why? He turns to your nightstand, noticing the bottle of pills. He inspects it. Painkillers…

His eyebrows furrow further as he realizes what it could be. He walks to your bathroom to confirm. His suspicion is confirmed when he takes a look at your garbage can, spotting the plastic wraps of feminine products. His suspicion is further confirmed when he sees a pack of feminine products on the counter, ready for easy access.

“Coño,” he says quietly as he realizes his suspicion is true.

He walks out of your bathroom, looking at your shape in the bed. You are still clutching your stomach and soft groans escape from your lips ever so often. Miguel remembers the days he used to take care of his wife before everything collapsed. It was a long time since he had even thought about doing that for a woman, but his mind started remembering everything he did to ease his wife’s pain each month. He stood there, thinking before he walked out of your bedroom and into the one room that was the kitchen, the living room, and dining room all at once… New York apartments, Miguel thought, as he took in your apartment.

You were organized and clean, but that didn’t surprise Miguel. You did organize the lab each week with such ease despite Lyla peppering you with questions the entire time. Your apartment was warm with its colors. It gave the impression of someone happy and warm. Miguel noticed a bookshelf in the part of the apartment that plays the living room. It is filled with so many books that you have some stacked horizontally over the vertical ones. An avid reader, Miguel thinks before he heads to your kitchen.

It is clean for the most part except for a plate and a cup. Miguel searches through your kitchen, looking for something specific. He returns to your room, looking through your drawers looking for something else. A few minutes later, he returns to your bedroom. You lay still. Seems that you have passed out at last. With ease, Miguel slides some homemade socks with warm rice under your sweatshirt. He places one on your stomach and the other one on your back.

A satisfied hum escapes your lips, letting Miguel know his idea was somewhat successful despite it being homemade. He gives you one more look before heading out to your living room.

He doesn’t even know why he came. All he knows is that you didn’t show up to organize the lab like you did each week. You didn’t show up to the morning meeting either. Jessica hadn’t heard from you in hours and there was no activity from your gizmo.

A few hours later, you wake up from your slumber. You yawn and stretch your body gently. You lay in bed for a few seconds, realizing your pain is gone. Now you just feel the exhaustion that comes from having a period. You sit up in bed slowly, feeling something on your stomach. You look down. Your sweatshirt is tucked into your shorts on both sides. You untuck it and two socks filled with something slide out. You furrow your eyebrows as you lift them up to inspect closer. You bring them to your nose.

“Rice…” you say, recognizing the specific scent of rice. Your eyebrows furrow but you shrug. You don’t even remember getting up to make these, but you thank yourself for doing it despite being out of it. You get up from bed slowly and check the time. It’s already evening. You decide to take a shower to ease your muscles.

Your shower is hot. You fill the bathroom with fog, but it doesn’t matter. It makes you feel like a million bucks when you get into fresh clothes, all shower and fresh. You head out of your bedroom to get something to drink and that’s when you see it. The lamps in the living room are on, there is music playing from your record player. You look confused as you step out further.

“Mierda,” you hear an annoyed male voice, causing you to jump a little.

You turn to the voice, located in the kitchen and find…

“Miguel?” you say slowly but with confusion as you find him with his back to you.

He stands in front of one of your kitchen cabinets, holding it open. There’s a screwdriver in his hand. He turns around at your voice.

“Y/N… You’re awake,” he says turning fully around now.

You take him in. He’s in his suit as always. You’ve wondered many times if he ever just dresses in casual clothes since he’s always in his suit. He stands tall, of course, and you can’t help but think how he makes your already small kitchen look ten times smaller than it is with him standing there. You rub your eyes, making sure this isn’t just some hallucination.

“Um- you are here,” you say looking at him again.

Miguel nods, turning back around to the cabinet. You watch as he uses the screwdriver. You remember then. Your loose cabinet that has been a pain in the butt for months now. You look around the place. There were some dishes in your sink, or at least you remember there being some but now they’re gone. You notice the trash was taken out. Clean dishes were put away. And to your surprise, there’s food on the stove. There’s also a sweet scent lingering in the air that you cannot pinpoint right now.  

“You feel better?” Miguel asks, with his back still to you as he finishes fixing the cabinet.

“Yes. A lot better, actually…” you say as you cross your arms across your chest, finding this situation so strange.

Miguel turns around to face you now. He looks at you before looking down at the screwdriver in his hand. The screwdriver looks like a toy in his hand, you notice.

“Yeah, well…” Miguel starts, looking up at you again. “Jessica was worried about you. She said you didn’t report to the meeting we had this morning. She asked if you had gone to my lab to organize it and when I told her no, she grew worried something had happened to you since she also noticed no activity from your gizmo. She wanted to come herself and check on you, but the baby kept her busy today. She asked me to come in and check for her.”

I nod, realizing that makes perfect sense. Jessica has grown fond of you after all, you just never realized she was that fond of you.

“Well, thank you for checking in on me for her. I’ll be sure to thank her tomorrow,” you say looking around the kitchen again.

“You probably shouldn’t do that,” Miguel says, putting the screwdriver down on the counter. It looks normal sized again. You raised an eyebrow. “She doesn’t like it when people thank for her… caring. If you want to thank her, just get her a coffee and tell her you appreciate her mentorship,” Miguel explains, resting his hands on his hips.

You nod slowly, maybe it was better to just thank her for everything instead of just this act. You sigh.

“I guess you’re right,” you say, scratching your neck softly. “Did she also tell you to fix my cabinet, or did that just bother you so much?”

Miguel’s face remains void of any expression. You wanted to ask about the homemade socks with rice since it became apparent to you that you weren’t responsible for them, but you kept your mouth shut.

“I was looking for – rice when I noticed your loose cabinet and other messed up things around here. You have a shitty landlord or something?” he asks, looking around.

You shrug. “Yeah, but the rent is good.”

“You’re not exactly strapped for cash, are you?”

You shake your head. It was true. You had some money. You could afford to move somewhere else where the landlords were better but…

“Why are you still here then?” Miguel asks.

His question is laced with interest, and you can’t help but think about how this is the longest conversation you’ve had with him since… meeting each other. And even then, that conversation was probably about three minutes long. You avert your gaze from him, looking at the wall nearest to you. Your eyes land on a single picture amongst many.

You lost your Peter three years ago, just like many of your spider colleagues. Losing him has been the hardest thing you have ever experienced. You have been punched till the air was knocked out of you, you have laid in ruble with buildings crushed over you, and you have been on the verge of death many times, but nothing has ever nor will ever compare to the pain and grief of losing Peter.

As you look at the picture of Peter and you, the one you took the first day you moved into this apartment, you think about all the memories in this apartment. It was all the two of you could afford back then but you two loved it. It was your place. It was the first time you were living together, and it didn’t matter much that it was a little rundown. You guys just wanted a place to live together. You two made it what it is now. A warm and happy place where you two could come home after a long day of work. You spent hours thinking of how to decorate it. Choosing the right and most affordable couch, choosing the wallpaper, choosing where the furniture went.

In the end, it had turned into a beautiful apartment. It was a haven for the two of you but what mattered the most was that you shared it with him, your Peter. You sigh, feeling overwhelmed by the loss again. You had moved on, of course. You had to. How else would you live otherwise? And you had promised Peter you would. Your mind is overwhelmed by the sudden memories as he laid in your arms. He had been crushed by ruble during an attack by a villain, his body was weak, his eyes glistened as they looked at you. You remember caressing his face and hair. He loved it when you did that. He always said it was the perfect way to soothe his nerves. The perfect way to get him to relax and nap after a stressful day.

Your own eyes were filled with tears as you saw it. The way his life was slowly leaving his body. What hurt a million times more, if it was even possible to hurt that much, was that you knew he knew. He knew that was it. There was no turning back. There was no miracle. There was no secret medicine or miracle serum that could make him get up and walk away from this unscathed. That was it.

You held him in your arms, rubble all around you. He looked at your eyes, his own hazy, as you caressed his face and hair. He gave you a gentle smile as he reassured you, he was okay.

“You will move on, right, baby?” he asked you, his voice indicating how little time there was left. “You have to… You must promise me you will. This city depends on you.”

You nodded your head and unable to hold them back any longer, your tears spilled down your face. You remember how some of your tears had landed on his pale yet still beautiful face.

“You must promise me, out loud, darling. Please,” he said, struggling more to get his words out.

“I promise. I promise I will try my best…” you said, and he had nodded. He looked satisfied with your response.

“You must continue – you are my hero. You always have been. And you are the love of my life, darling… I only wish we had more time. That I had more time to make you happier… To make you, my wife. Please – promise me you will be open to other loves,” he had gasped out.

You shook your head. That was impossible. How could you fall for someone else when Peter was the love of your life? Peter, noticing your reluctance, lifted his hand weakly to your face. Despite everything, he was still trying to comfort you. You felt something in you break further. He wiped your tears and gave you a weak yet comforting smile.

“Please promise me you will allow yourself to love again… If there is someone out there that makes you feel like that, please promise me you won’t shut them out. Please, love, promise me,” he said, looking at your eyes and cleaning your tears away.

His voice was weaker, and you noticed his chest was beginning to rise slower and slower. The time was running out…

“I promise I will. I will open my heart if someone comes along but I promise I will never stop loving you, Peter,” you had answered, trying to make him happy in his last minutes. He smiled at you, sweetly, and thanked you. You held him close to you, breathing in his scent. You tried to hold on to his warmth desperately. You clung to him, like you could defend him from Death herself. Like you could defy her this one time.

You cried your soul out as his heartbeat ceased to beat. You cried out as his body became limped in your arms. You cried as his chest stopped moving. You cried, cried, and cried as you held him close to you like your tears and grip could bring him back.

You cursed Death.

You often worried about hurting Peter if something happened to you. You never counted on Peter being the one who left too soon.

You inhale shakily. Your vision has become blurred with tears as you continue to stare at the picture on the wall. You turn around, remembering that Miguel is there. You wipe your tears discreetly. You swallow the lump in your throat, trying to force it down. Otherwise, the moment you speak, your tears will flow. You clear your throat.

“It doesn’t really bother me – and besides, I spend a lot of time out,” you finally say, sounding somewhat normal now. Though the ache is there, deep in your chest. It’s like someone stabbed you in the heart with a wooden stick and left a small piece of it stuck. It always hurts, it always aches.

Miguel doesn’t reply as you turn back around, feeling more in control of yourself. However, you can see something in his eyes. Perhaps understanding? You guessed he probably knew to some extent what had happened to you. It was a canon event for all spider-people. To lose someone.

“Have you eaten anything?” Miguel asks suddenly, dropping the apartment conversation probably for your own sake.

You shake your head. It was hours since you had eaten something. Since yesterday, really.

“There’s some food here. Let me…” he says trailing off, turning around to get a plate from a cabinet. You can’t help but feel a little surprised at how fast he learned his way around the kitchen. Then again, it’s not that large you realize. You approach the kitchen island and take a seat on one of the two island chairs as Miguel turns around with a plate of pasta. Your eyebrows raise in surprise. It is one of your comfort foods. Miguel slides it over to you, gently. A fork is already on it, ready for you.

You slide the plate closer, the scent of it making your stomach growl instantly. You’re definitely hungry.

“Thank you,” you say before you dig in. You can’t help but smile with satisfaction. It is amazing. “This is really good.”

Miguel doesn’t say anything, just watches you. You eat some more, feeling a bit self-conscious as you feel his gaze on you, but you ignore it. Or try to.

“So, are you a really great cook or is pasta one of the few things you can cook?” you ask, slowing down on your eating, trying to fill in the silence.

Miguel shrugs. “My mother taught me how to cook when I was a teenager. It stuck.”

You nod, still eating. “Great skill to have, really… It helped me and –“ you pause, realizing you were about to mention Peter. You swallow. “It helped Peter and I when we were in college,” you finish, looking down at your plate.

A hint of a smile forms on your face as you remember Peter and you cooking for the week over the weekends. You guys lived separately but shared groceries to help each other out. It saved you guys a lot of time and money and brought the two of you closer.

“It is a great skill to have,” Miguel agrees quietly as you continue to eat, looking down at your plate.

You nod silently as you finish eating. You look up at Miguel, he’s looking down at the counter. His hands are flat against the counter, and he looks lost in his own thoughts. You can’t help but take this time to look at him. The sight of him in your kitchen is really something. You think about how great he is at these things like looking after a woman when they’re on their period or cooking. You want to facepalm yourself as you realize it’s obvious he would be good at these things. He did have a wife and daughter at one point, you remind yourself. You look down at your plate.

“Oh, I made this for you, too,” Miguel says at last, breaking the silence.

You look up curiously, wondering what else he had made. He turns around towards the stove and you watch carefully as he retrieves a mug from one of the cabinets. Again, you feel surprised seeing how he knows exactly where to find what he’s looking for. It disappears from your view in front of him and you hear him pour something. He turns around again, holding one of your mugs. Whatever it is, is hot as you can see steam from the top. He sets the mug down on the counter and slides it over to you. Again, his movements are gentle. You lean forward and reach for it.

“Careful. It’s hot,” he warns, as you pull the mug towards you gently.

The scent fills your nostrils quickly and you recognize the sweet scent that met you earlier when you exited your bedroom. You look up at him.

“Canelita,” you say, grinning.

Miguel nods. “Growing up, my mom said it helped with cramps. It used to help my…” he trails off.

You nod. “Yeah, my grandma used to say that, too.” You pause as you inhale the sweetness of cinnamon. “Thank you…” you reply, with sincerity, still meeting his eyes.

Miguel only nods. You drink the warm liquid, enjoying the warmth that spreads down your throat, chest, and finally your stomach. As it settles in your stomach, you feel warm and cozy.

Miguel clears his throat then and looks down at his gizmo. “Well – I should get going. I have some things to catch up on,” he says turning his attention back to you.

You nod as you place the mug on the counter gently and get up. He walks out of the kitchen portion and heads to the middle of the room. He starts clicking on his gizmo, presumably starting a multidimensional portal. You walk towards him, leaving some distance, of course. He looks up at you as the portal appears in the middle of your apartment behind him.

You clear your throat. “Hey – I just wanted to say thank you… For everything. I know Jessica asked you to check up on me, but you did much more than that. I truly appreciate it,” you say, hoping that you’re fully expressing how grateful you are.

You can’t help but think about how you’d probably still be in bed right now. Miguel nods.

“It’s no problem…” Miguel replies, though he looks like he wants to say more. You watch, waiting but he just stares back with little emotion until he nods at you and turns around. He starts walking into the portal. The bright lights coming from the portal create shadows in your apartment. You watch wordlessly until he looks behind his shoulder. “Don’t forget – don’t mention it to Jessica. She can be weird about being thanked sometimes.”

You nod. “I won’t bring it up, no worries. Thank you again. Enjoy your night!” you call out and he just nods before he disappears into the portal. The portal disappears a few seconds after him, taking away its shadows with it.

You sigh as you stand there for a few more seconds before taking a seat again on the counter island. You drink more canelita, still cherishing the warm feeling. You look at the stove. Everything is in containers and there’s no sight of dirty pans, pots, or utensils.

“Cooked and washed the dishes…” you say to yourself before taking a sip again.

Your attention turns to the cabinet you found him fixing earlier. You get up and walk towards it. You open it with no issue. You think about all the little nicks this kitchen has. Like the drawer that doesn’t come out fully or the other cabinet door that makes a noise every time you open it. Curiosity gets the best of you because before you know it, you are pulling said drawer. Your lips part in surprise as the drawer fully slides out without issues. You check the other cabinet door. No sound.

You sigh as you look around, your eyes landing on the containers. One of them is full of leftover pasta and the other one contains the canelita. Your thoughts are interrupted as you hear your gizmo go off. You turn in the direction it came from, trying to remember where you left it last night. You are usually very careful with it but last night you barely made it through the door.

You find the gizmo on the console table in the living room section of your apartment. You realize there are a few messages from your colleagues like Hobie, Miles, Ben, and Jessica. You quickly reply to the first three who asked about your whereabouts before you move to Jessica’s. You realize she sent multiple messages all ranging from asking how your last mission went to why you weren’t answering to asking if you were okay. The last one makes you stop. Your eyebrows furrow in confusion as you read it.

“Okay… You haven’t replied to any of my messages. Do I need to send someone to check on you? You’ve been MIA all day. Let me know you’re okay!!”

You look up towards where the portal was opened just minutes ago. You shake your head and reply to Jessica, notifying her about what happened. You leave out Miguel though. You put away your gizmo in its usual spot and look around your apartment, thinking. The lamps in the living room section are still on, the record player has stopped playing, however.

“Hm.”

--------------------------------------------- Translation for italicized words: Coño - fuck (it varies by country) Mierda - Shit Canelita - a tea made out of cinnamon sticks

Next Part

A/N: Might do part two. If it matters, I listened to "Nonviolent Communication" from the ATSV album as inspiration. Such a lovely song for Miguel, I think.

I love Miguel O'Hara. That's all.

[tamamita]

why do zionists always assume its antisemitic to think that zionism a settler colonial idea

Modern Zionists aren't actually well-read into their own history. I could invoke the likes of Theodore Herlz, Ze'ev Jabotinsky, David Ben Gurion, and many other political Zionists and how they were ardent supporters of settler colonialism, yet it wouldn't get through their head, because they genuinely believe the land of Palestine is their right to claim, despite the people inhabitating the area. But to claim that the establishment of the Settler state was necessary due to antisemitism is not correct.

The pogrom of the Jewish people in the Pale of Settlement in Imperial Russia resulted in the mass displacement of Jews. But most Jews did not flee to Palestine, but to the US and Western Europe to live relatively better lives, due to the French revolution and so on. They had no desire whatsoever to move to Palestine due to its harsh climate and environment. Although the repression of Jews in the 19th century added to Zionism's appeal, Zionism did not emerge because of it as is often portrayed.

Jewish historian Michael Stanislawiski explains:

The first expression of this new ideology were published well before the spread of the new anti-semitic ideology and before the pogroms of the ealy 1880s. The fundamental cause of the emergence of modern Jewish nationalism was the rise, on the part of Jews themselves, of new ideologies that applied the basic tenets of modern nationalism to the Jews, and not a response to persecution.

-- Zionism, a short introduction (Stanislawski, 2017)

As was the case for that time, the doctrine of nationalism became prevalent across Europe. Many versions of it gained hold of European intellectuals and the upper-classes. One of these were ethnonationalism, which emphasised common ancestry. Such a view was popular among Germans, Hungarians, Russians, Poles and etc, who saw their "tribes" as being distinct, and therefore needed to be preserved from foreign threats. Zionism would mirror some of these aspects, which was prevalent in Eastern Europe. The founding father of Revisionist Zionism (and the precursor to the Likud party), Ze'ev Jabotinsky stated:

"The creation of a Jewish majority, was the fundamental aim of Zionism, the term "Jewish State", means a Jewish majority and Palestine will become a Jewish country at the moment when it has a Jewish majority".

-- Zionism, and the Arabs, 1882-1948 A study of ideology (Yosef Gorny, 1987)

However, there was another ideology emerging which was far more popular among the oppressed Jewish people, which would propell them to emancipate themselves where they lived. Revolutionary Socialism.

According Ilan Pappe, the doctrine of Zionism was vehemently opposed by Jewish leaders all around Europe on the basis of Talmudic violations, the rise of revolutionary socialism and the rise of Jewish assimilationism. Additionally, in a conference in Frankfurt, rabbis decided to omit the mentioning of "the return" from Jewish prayers as a reaction to Zionism. However, Zionism would face intense opposition from Socialist Jews, especially the Bundists, who openly declared Zionism to be anti-Socialist, opportunistic and reactionary. Zionism was an alien idea, and revolutionary socialism emphasised the importance of the liberation of Jews where they lived, resulting in an ideological feud between the Bundists and Political Zionists. Even the likes of the Chaim Weizmann, the first president of the Settler state, and David Ben Gurion, the first PM of the settler state, would condemn the Bundists for their opposition to Political Zionism.

[exhaslo]

Kinktober Day 3- Feral! Miguel x reader

       Was it weird to want to have sex with a version of Spiderman while you were a Spider-woman? The thought had popped itself several times as you stared at Miguel O'Hara. The leader of the Spider Society; the Spiderman of the future; and the man of your dreams. It was no lie that Miguel was good looking. He was no Peter Parker. Hell, he barely even seemed human at times. His fangs, his strength, his everything was just so...amazing.

        You on the other hand were just another Spider here. You had been working at the Spider Society for almost a year now. From time to time you have bumped into Miguel, but were given the cold shoulder. It was sad, but you had to admire the man from a distance. It seemed like no matter how close to tried to get to him, Miguel would push you away. What were you to do?

        A soft sigh escaped you lips as you sat upside down in the cafeteria. Not many people were at the Spider Society today. Apparently, it was the anniversary for Uncle Ben's death. Only a few Spiders were keeping themselves preoccupied while others went to console their Aunt May. You had your own story. Your own lost ones. You were not a Peter Parker variant of any kind. You were different and special, but apparently not special enough for Miguel to even pay you mind.

"Ugh, what do I have to do?" You whined softly before remembering something, "Ah, since almost everyone is out, maybe he needs help!"

        That lightbulb that appeared above your head was a blessing. You decided to grab an extra empanada from the cafeteria and made you way over to Miguel's large office. Hopefully he would be in a mood to talk today. You were even bringing him a peace offering!

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

        Miguel hovered above his desk, trying to catch his breathe. He was rutting bad. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, Miguel tried to ease his pain by masturbating's, but it was of little help. He needed to be in someone. In you. A soft growl escaped his lips as he tried to picture you under him. How could he ever get close to you when all you ever did was smell so sweet. Miguel had to hold himself back from ravishing you every time you got near him.

        He wanted to fuck your brains out and plant a baby in you. Stroking his dick faster, Miguel tried to imagine your cries of pleasure. Your desperate moans for him to fill you. How dirty these thoughts were when he barely said a full sentence to you most days. The scent of your arousals every time he spoke to you was so tempting. 

"Hello? Miguel?" 

        Miguel halted immediately as something new drifted in the air. He sniffed towards your direction, eyes widening. Now was a horrible time for you to show up. You were ovulating and Miguel could smell it. 

"Is this a bad time?" The drop of your voice was cute.

"Mierda. (Fuck)" Miguel hissed before swinging before you, "You shouldn't have come here," He groaned, his large hands on your shoulders. Your heart skipped a beat,

"Sorry, I just wanted to see if you needed help," You admitted.

        You ignored the twisting feeling of your gut. Your spider senses were tingling, but you had an idea as to why. That look Miguel was giving you was making you wet. His hands moved up to your neck, tossing aside the container in your hand. Oh. You knew where this was going.

"I do need help," His voice was low and needy, "Te voy a follar tanto que no querrás volver a tu mundo. (I'm going to fuck you so much that you won't want to go back to your world.)"

        You inhaled deeply as your body turned to jelly. You understood that. Ohhhhhh, you understood that. Miguel inhaled deeply once more before crash his lips against yours. You did not have time to do anything before his talons ripped your suit. His tongue forced its way into your mouth, causing you to lose air. Miguel was making you dizzy from just his kisses.

        Miguel grabbed your hands as you tried to push his chest. You needed air. He webbed your hands to your back before ripping your panties off. Finally, you gasped. Miguel let you catch your breath as he grinded his hard erection against your cunt. Your heart rate had picked up as you listened to him groan and moan. This man whom you admired and dreamed of fucking, was making such sexy noises. To be fair, moans were coming out of your mouth from the friction he was giving you.

"Ya estás tan mojado para mí. Voy a llenarte. llenarte con mi semilla. (You're so wet for me already. I'm going to fill you up. Fill you up with my seed.)" He panted softly.

        You tried to get a word in, but Miguel had shoved his cock inside your folds. A loud gut wrenching moan escaped your lips as you tried to adjust to the sudden intrusion. He was so large. This was so sudden. Once more, you tried to say something, but Miguel pulled back and slammed himself inside you once more. Then again and again. His cock was bullying your pussy and you were loving every minute of it. He was making you wetter by the second.

        The gushing sounds your pussy made whenever he slammed his hips into yours were delicious. Miguel took your breast in his mouth, finally enjoying those moans he so desperately wanted to hear. Your tight walls sucking him more and more. Each orgasm he gave you, leaving him to want more. He was not going to stop. He needed to feel more.

"Di mi nombre. (Say my name.)" He demanded.

"Miguel! M-Miguel~" You repeated as he hit just the right spot.

        Miguel gripped your waist harshly, his talons threatening to pierce your skin. He brought his fangs to your neck, giving you a small bite. Yes, it would paralyze you, but that was what he wanted. Watching as your body arched for another orgasm, Miguel licked his lips. Your walls gushed around his cock, sucking him in for more. Complying, Miguel groaned as he filled you with his cum. A dark chuckle escaped his lips as he watched you pant for air.

        He laid you on your stomach, entering your throbbing hole once more. Your soft cries were music to his ears. You were begging him to give you a chance to relax, but why would he? Miguel was in heat and he finally got his cure. Pounding you harder than before, Miguel moaned softly as he felt himself twitch inside you. This was what he needed. What he wanted. To fill your womb with his seed. To impregnate you with his child.

"Ah~ Miguel~" You cried out. Miguel brought his fangs to your shoulder,

"No voy a parar pronto. No con lo bueno que estás siendo con mi polla. Tu dulce coño chupándome para obtener más semen. (I'm not stopping anytime soon. Not with how good you're being to my cock. Your sweet pussy sucking me for more of my cum.)" He whispered in your ear. You body shivered in delight,

"T-That's n-"

"I could smell how soaked your panties were every time you spoke to me. Do you know how hard it was to not fuck you each time?" Miguel threaten with a growl, shoving his cock deeper inside to fill you once more.

"Y-You could smell me?!" You squeaked in embarrassment.

        Miguel changed positions once more, placing you on his lap. He freed your hands, allowing you to wrap them around his neck. Miguel noticed that your legs were starting to grow numb. He wasn't sure if it was from his rough sex or the venom from his fangs.

"Si, mi amor. (Yes, my love) And right now, you came to me in heat while ovulating." 

You're burned up once you registered what he said. Realizing that he was determined to get you pregnant, you begged him to wait. Miguel ignored your adorable cries as he thrusted his hips upward. Despite your complaints, you obedienly bounced on his cock. You couldn't help but want to fuck him more. He was too good to stop.

Miguel licked his lips as he took your breasts in his mouth again. You tasted so sweet. Next time he was going to have to taste every part of your body. He had wanted to do it nice and slow, but you came onto him with your scent. Either way, Miguel was enjoying your body melting under his mouth. He watched as he brought out another orgasm from you. Your body laying against his from exhaustion.

"I never said we were done." Miguel smirked.

He laid your back against his desk once more, earning more cries and moans from you. Your body was being overstimulated. Miguel watched as you bit your lower lip, shaking in pleasure from him cumming inside you again. It was cute how you begged him to stop, but made such lewd faces when he filled you.

You on the other hand were so cock drunk to even think anymore. The only thing you can think about anymore was the feeling of Miguel's cock stuffing you full. You could feel your womb full of his cum, yet it still wasn' enough for him. You were seeing stars at this point as he kept bullying his cock into you.

"Hah, perfect fit. Your pussy was made for my cock," Miguel panted heavily, riding out another high. He brought you in for sloppy kiss, "Fuck, I can't wait to finally take you home. Fuck you everyday...hah, finally getting to taste you."

Miguel kept blabbering as he kept fucking you. He was enjoying this after months of denial. You were finally his and his alone.

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

A soft groan escaped your lips as you finally started to come to. Your eyes fluttered opened. It took you a minute to adjust, but once you did, you noticed that you were in a bedroom. It wasn't yours. You attempted to get up, but your body was weak and sore.

"Morning, mi amor." Miguel said as he entered the room with a wet rag. You cooed softly as he placed the rag against your forehead,

"So it wasn't a wet dream," You muffle. Miguel resisted a chuckle, stroking your cheek,

"No."

"How long was I out?"

"..." Miguel furrowed his brows, "Two days," He told you, earning a shocked look.

"Two-Miguel!" Words were caught on your throat. Miguel stole a kiss from you, stroking your cheek,

"I had a small window. I made sure not a single second was wasted during your time." His smirk only grew, "But when you recover, I'm going to properly taste you."

"M-Miguel!"

The stamina this man had was going to make you lose your mind, but you loved it. Trying to hide your embarassment, you covered your face in the blanket.

"F-Fine, but go easy on me." You muttered. Miguel was taken back for a moment before hovering over you the next second,

"Guess I can't wait afterall. Thanks for the meal,"

[embarrasingmf]

₊˚ෆ | awakening | S.B (4)

SUMMARY: After the fight with Homelander, Ben patches up your injury and realizes how differently he treats you compared to the others.

WORD COUNT: 858.

WARNINGS: s3 spoilers. set after s3 but ben didn’t get put under again, the boys just failed to stop homelander, general fluff towards the end, swearing, very little dialogue; mostly just ben’s thoughts :)

A/N: IM SO SORRY TO THE TWO PEOPLE WHO R ON THE TAGLIST I’VE BEEN SUPER BUSY W/ COLLEGE AND WORK LATELY SO I HAVENT BEEN ABLE TO WORK ON THE SERIES :((

part one! | part two! | part three!

The fight with Homelander was… brutal, to say the least.

You had to take some Temp-V just so you wouldn’t be fucking lasered in half by the blonde man baby that was the leader of The Seven.

Even towards the end, you had sustained a small injury somehow. But it wasn’t life threatening, just very fucking annoying to move around considering you had to limp since said injury was on your thigh.

—————————————————————————

Ben was absolutely seething on the ride back from the Seven tower, he felt like some kind of failure; it reminded him of his childhood. Ben was Butcher’s last resort to defeat Homelander and he failed.

Ben snapped at anyone that tried to reassure him it was okay and that they “always had a second chance.” Except you.

He actually gave you a weak smile when you tried to reassure him. But for the others? He snapped at them to shut the fuck up before he punched their teeth in.

When you guys got back, Frenchie was the first one to notice the crimson red stain seeping through your pants.

Ben immediately dragged you over and sat you down on the raggedy couch that was in the office building.

Considering there weren’t really any rooms that allowed privacy in the building, Ben just decided to tear a small hole near the wound that way you wouldn’t be uncomfortable considering how close the wound was to an intimate part of your body.

Ben carefully grabbed some alcohol that he had grabbed earlier to drown out his anger, but it had luckily came in handy in another way now.

You winced aloud as the burning scotch hit your wound, causing it to bubble up a bit before going back to oozing out the familiar crimson liquid.

Ben — to his own surprise — asked Kimiko to grab him some bandages and gauze that he was sure Butcher had lying around this dump so he could patch you up fully.

While Kimiko swiftly left to get supplies for your injury, Ben was left with his own thoughts.

He looked up at you, noticing how the shitty lighting of the building somehow highlighted your features. Ben found himself entranced, like he could just stare at you for hours on end.

He quickly shook it off, not wanting you to get suspicious of him and his staring. But the thought lingered in his mind.

Ben started to realize that he treated you so much more differently than the others. He treated you kindly.

Hell, he didn’t even do that with Payback back before they betrayed him. Now that he thinks about it; he also never yelled at you.

While he might’ve done so in the beginning, you warmed up to him somewhat quickly and he yelled at you less and less.

You were also allowed to call him Ben. And while Butcher said it too, he always got annoyed and made some vulgar comment about it. But with you, he didn’t do any of that. He actually let you call him by his first name.

Ben didn’t call you any mean nicknames, either. He just called you by your name and threw in some pet names every now and then, but not enough to make you annoyed. Besides, they were mostly used to make lighthearted jabs in your direction.

Ben didn’t even realize that Kimiko was trying to hand him the supplies until your voice piped up.

“Ben. Kimiko’s tryin’ to give you the supplies.” You grunted, glancing down at the gash on your thigh that was slowly starting to stain your jeans and skin even more.

Shaking his head, Ben quickly grabbed the supplies before mumbling, “yeah, sorry.”

Ben meticulously placed the gauze pad over the gash and then placed a firm pressure, ignoring the small pang of guilt that hit him as you groaned at the sudden burst of pain.

Once he placed a firm pressure, Ben carefully wrapped the bandages around your thigh.

After he finished, Ben pulled away, patting your other — and obviously uninjured — thigh before getting up.

“There, all done sweetheart.” He said with a smug grin, obviously proud of his okay-ish medical skills that he just provided for you.

Ben plopped down on the couch next to you, staring lazily at the ceiling.

“Thanks for patching me up.” He heard your quiet appreciation and he patted your shoulder affectionately.

You slowly leaned to the side and placed your head against his shoulder, closing your eyes with a tired sigh.

Ben didnt push you away like he would with anyone else, he instead wrapped an arm around your shoulders and gently pulled you closer against his side.

Ben found himself caught in his thoughts again: did he feel something more with you?

He didn’t think it could be true, he didn’t even truly love Crimson Countess; that was all just some shitty PR stunt for more money and recognition.

But this wasn’t the 80s, this wasn’t some PR stunt that Vought cooked up for money and possibly more movies or merch.

There was no way he was in love with you.. was there?

—————————————————————————

taglist! : @mostlymarvelgirl @anu-piyakya97

[jrswritings]

Tingles and Giggles - Chapter One - Tyler Owens x Reader

Chapter One - Nice Try, Owens

It was the end of the second tornado-chasing season for (Y/n) and the Storm Riders. A couple of years ago a local bar in Oklahoma named the Dust Devil Dive hosted a yearly celebration party for all the storm chasers to relax and share stories from the year's chases. 

Granted, most times it was just your team, a few from Storm Par, another smaller team named Atmosphere Aces, and the Tornado Wranglers. Thankfully when the owners, Kathy and Randy, threw this party they closed the place down to outsiders, which included all of the Tornado Wrangler fans. You and your team got tired of having their fans around constantly just because the leader, if you could call him that, was good-looking and charismatic enough to make any girl who looked at him melt. That man is Tyler Owens. 

While, yes, he is good-looking and a smooth talker, he was also reckless and annoying. There were numerous times you had watched him and Boone drive into the middle of a storm in that old red truck of his and put it in park to then shoot fireworks up into the tornado. You’d have to admit that his bravery and respect for the storm were admirable; driving into the middle of a tornado was not as admirable. 

You smirked to yourself while sitting at the bar while sipping your whiskey and diet coke thinking of all the crazy stunts the Tornado Wranglers have pulled. You turned your barstool slightly to watch the teams intermingle on the dance floor, forgetting about all the turbulence everyone had gone through the last few weeks. 

As Rodney Atkins played throughout the bar, you turned back to the bar and finished your drink hearing everyone sing along at the top of their lungs. 

“If you’re going through hell, keep on going, don’t slow down!” They all sang, “If you’re scared, don’t show it, you might get out ‘fore the devil even knows you’re there!” 

In the corner of your eye, you could see Tyler playing pool with Dexter while trying to teach Ben, a journalist from a city near London. You smirked while watching Ben try to use the cue to hit the white ball on the table which was basically lined up with the seven ball and one of the corner pockets. 

While he took his shot and missed horribly by barely hitting the white ball and almost falling onto the table, you couldn’t help but let out a laugh. That caused Tyler to look up from under his cowboy hat and make eye contact with you. 

For a man you didn’t necessarily enjoy talking with, he sure did something to your brain chemistry. You lifted your new drink and slightly tipped it toward him in a cheers manner. He did the same with his beer bottle, the two of you both took a drink and you turned back to the bar where the bartender was asking if you needed anything else. 

“I’m good, thanks,” you said, placing your glass back on its chintzy bar coaster. You took your phone out of your pocket and scrolled Facebook for a minute or two to catch up on your family's lives that you had been missing for the last few years while out storm chasing. 

“It’s hard for you, too, huh sweetheart?” A voice you knew instantly asked from beside you. 

You glanced over and saw Tyler sitting on the stool while putting his bottle on the bar to signal the bartender for another. 

“I wish I could go back more and- wait. Why am I telling you my sap story of not seeing my family for the last couple of years?” You laughed, putting your phone down and grabbing your drink. 

“Because I’m just another friendly face at the bar?” He said, looking over at you and smiling slightly. 

“I don’t know about friendly, but definitely another face,” you said, stirring your straw around. 

“Ouch, okay, (Y/n)’s in that type of mood tonight,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“I’m in no mood, Tyler,” you stated, “Just stating a fact.” 

“I see how it is,” he chuckled, “And to think I was talking to quite a beautiful face.” 

This statement took you back slightly, you were used to Tyler picking on you and calling you other things like your last name and calling you Salado, which is the town in Texas you’re from that’s about 45 minutes away from Waco, Texas. Salado is a quaint village with what you can call an artistic flair. While your parents were cattle farmers, you did your chores and spent time with a few favorite cows; you also liked going to the heart of the small town and enjoying the artists painting and sculpting in the parks and the numerous bands playing around the town in the little saloons. That’s where you fell in love with music and tried to pursue it as a second job aside from helping out on the farm as that was a full-time job. 

When that fell through, you moved up to Oklahoma to try storm chasing as you had always been in love with storms when you were little. Instead of hiding under the covers or running to your parents, you were at the big picture window in the living room watching the lightning and trees blowing in the wind. 

You were jolted from your thoughts by Tyler nudging your elbow with his. 

“Hmm?” You asked. 

“Dance with me?” He asked, standing up and holding his hand out to you. In the mirror behind the bar, you could see the teams paired up in couples to do their best slow dancing. 

You laughed slightly, “Nice try, Owens.” 

“Please? We’re the only ones not dancing right now,” he said, taking your hand off your glass and pulling you to the dance floor to the tune of ‘Made For You’ by Jake Owen. 

He didn’t give you much of a chance to say no as he pulled you to his chest, his right hand going to your waist and his left finding your hand. You sighed to yourself and put your left on his bicep, which was more muscular feeling than it looked. You figured as long as you were here, you might as well enjoy the dance since the last time you slow danced was with your dad at a friend's wedding. 

You weren’t sure if he was just that intoxicated or if he was fully coherent, but he was rubbing small circles with his thumb on your hip while you both swayed to the music. While your body relaxed you took a deep breath in, smelling the mix of leather, dried rain, an almost musky smell, and a hint of sweat. All of it combined made your heart swoon for this crazy cowboy. 

“Hey (L/n)?” He whispered in your ear, holding his head close to yours. 

“Yeah, Owens?” You whispered back. 

“Think maybe sometime I can take you out?”

You looked up at his blueish green eyes that looked down at you with the most sincere look. 

“Why?” You asked, giggling slightly, “Why would Tyler Owens want to go out with someone like me?”

“Because the girl I’m holding in my arms is the best woman I’ve met in my years of livin’,” he stated, pressing the bridge of his nose to the top of your head. 

“Yeah right, Tyler,” you said, sighing, “Everyone knows you got a thing for Kate.” 

“But she is nothing compared to you,” he said, pulling you closer slightly, “Call me crazy, but I fell in love with you when we first met and I knew I’d have to try and get closer to you somehow. I just hate that it’s taken me this long to finally say somethin.” 

“I guess I don’t believe you?” You said softly, taking in the scent you’ve grown to want more of.

“I mean it, sweetheart,” he said, “It might be, well, I know it’s the beer talkin’, but everything I’m sayin’ is true. You’re one of the smartest and most beautiful girls I’ve seen. And that’s sayin’ a lot since I’ve seen my fair share of gals.” 

“I can’t tell if that last part is an insult or a compliment,” you whispered, Tyler kissing the top of your head softly. 

“Always a compliment when it comes to you, baby girl,” he said, pulling away and twirling you as the song ended and ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ by Luke Combs started. 

You looked back up at him, his eyes looking back at you with happiness sewn in them.

“I suppose one wouldn’t hurt, just no YouTube star Tyler, got it?” You said, walking back to your seat at the bar. You could feel his eyes on you as you walked away. 

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, following you to the bar. 

“You should probably get back to your game of pool before Ben hurts someone,” you giggle, Tyler looking over and seeing Ben almost hit Boone in the gut with the end of the cue. 

“Good call, I’ll be back once we win,” he said while grabbing his beer. 

“If you win,” you state, taking a drink of your now watered-down whiskey coke. 

“Don’t test me, sweetheart,” he mumbled against your head, kissing it before walking back to Dexter and Ben. 

You shook your head and laughed softly. If the tornadoes you chased didn’t do anything to you, this cowboy definitely would. 

Want more? Here's Chapter Two! Masterlist :)

[kromeihl]

🕸️ prev. | next.

“Hey.” Kenji spoke as he entered the kitchen, coming back from school. “I’m making katsu curry tonight.” Aunt Mina spoke as she chopped the ingredients. “You’re serious? Katsu curry?” He mutters as he opens the fridge to grab a drink after glancing at the table.

“Since when don’t you like katsu curry, huh?” His aunt asks, moving the ingredients to the counter placing it on a pan. Kenji slowly moves away and into the sink as aunt Mina looks at his face in surprise. “Oh my God..”

“What’s up?” Kenji glances at his aunt as he asks. “What happened to your face?” She says in concern as Kenji laughs it off, “Oh, I’m all right, I just— I got hit by a baseball in practice.” He waves off, “I’m fine.”

His aunt gives him a look, not buying his excuse. “Kenji— you don’t even play baseball that much anymo—“ she gets cut off as she sees her husband carry a box of trophies. “Ben Sato, don’t you even think about leaving that filthy box in my kitchen. She says with a glare as she wipes her hands with the towel draped on her shoulder.

“These are my.. bowling trophies.” He says, trying to convince her to let him put it there. Kenji smiles as he listens to his aunt and uncle’s banter, chuckling as his lips are placed on the opening of the plastic bottle of juice he’s drinking.

Uncle Ben looks at Kenji, noticing his state. “What happened to you?” He says as he moves down his box of trophies. “He got hit by a baseball. You’re lucky you didn’t get hit by a bat instead.” Aunt mina answers, making Kenji chuckle.

“Well, it would’ve been more interesting.” Ben adds as he winks at Kenji, having fun at riling up his wife. “Ben!” Aunt Mina scolded.

“It’s funny because it’s stupid and dangerous.” He adds, making his wife turn to him as Kenji lets out another hearty laugh, “Remember how we were stupid and dangerous?” “No.” Aunt Mina quickly replies, stirring the food in the pan. “Trust me we were.” Uncle Ben nods, looking at Kenji.

“All right, good to know I’m not the only one.” He smiles, looking down at the wet floor. “Hey, where’s the flood?” He asks, uncle Ben picking his box of trophies again. “Follow me. I’ll show you.” He walks away, barefoot. “You serious?” Kenji asks, “Yeah!” His uncle replies. “All right.” Kenji mutters under his breath, his aunt looking at them both, unamused, as she continued to cook.

Seriously…men.

After Kenji and his uncle talked in the basement while trying to find the leak, his uncle finally starts walking up, Kenji still cleaning up some boxes and organizing them. “Hey, before you come up, see if there’s anything else worth saving.” His uncle speaks as Kenji held a piece of frozen meat on his bruised lip. “Okay.” Kenji replied, still organizing the things inside a box.

He walks away, moving a box from a corner. He puts it down, suddenly noticing a briefcase with the initials, “HS” on top of the lock. He remembers in the car, on their way to this house when he was still a child, his dad had the same bag. Hayao was taking out a folder, with plenty of papers outside.

He blinks the memory stuck in his mind as he slowly picks it up, walking upstairs. His aunt and uncle were heard bickering, Kenji still fixated on the briefcase of his father. He walks and stops into their view, his aunt and uncle staring at him in shock. They look at each other before looking back at Kenji.

“I forgot all about that thing. It was your dad’s.” Uncle Ben speaks up, making Kenji turn his head to him. “Yeah..” He mutters, “He asked us to keep it safe for him.” Kenji felt his eyes tear up at the sight of his father’s belonging. Feeling a sense of nostalgia wash over him. “He saw it in the window of that leader shop in Okinawa. He was 19.”

Uncle Ben sat down on the chair, Kenji placing the leather bag on the table. “What does a 19-year-old kid need with a briefcase?” He jokes. “And guess who sold it to him.” Kenji shrugs, “Your mother.” Kenji glances at him in surprise, “Mom?” He smiles softly, remembering his mother.

Aunt Mina walks towards them, leaning on the wall as her heart clenches at the sight of Kenji smiling sadly. “That’s how they met!” Uncle Ben replies, nodding his head. “Dad asked you to keep this safe?” He glances at the bag before looking at his uncle, “Why? There’s nothing in here.” Aunt Mina smiles, walking a bit near.

“Hayao was a very secretive man, Ken.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” He laughs, remembering his father. He starts opening the bag, feeling paper. He pulls it out of the bag, shock present on his face as he stares at it. “Who’s that? Do you know who this is?” He furrows his brow in confusion as he shows the picture to his aunt and uncle.

“Some guy who worked with your dad, I guess.” Uncle Ben says, acting unsure. Kenji tries to show his aunt, but she doesn’t reply. Ken looks at it, feeling like the answer was incomplete. Aunt Mina suddenly walks towards him, wiping the table. “Okay, put it away from the table. We’re going to eat, and wash your hands, now.” She says sternly, earning a nod from Ken as he puts the picture back inside.

“Go on.” Uncle Ben motions him to move, Ken nods, taking the hint as he walks away. As soon as his figure disappears, uncle ben looks at aunt Mina, a hand falling over her mouth as she looked in disbelief. “Oh dear..” She mutters.

Kenji was in his room, opening the briefcase as he placed the things outside, on the floor, all organized. Pictures, coins, scientific calculator, pens, were all scattered there, even his dad’s ID with the name “ULTRA” printed on the top. Kenji’s eyes slowly move towards the eyeglasses’ case, hand moving to get it.

He pulls out the glasses from its case, staring at it longingly as he remembered his father wearing them.

He slowly walks over to the bathroom, blinking as if to get ready to put on the graded glasses, even if he already had perfect vision. He slowly put it on his face, closing his eyes and opening them as he tries to adjust at the change of view. He slowly looks at the mirror, trying to adjust to his new look. He flashes a smile, poses, and even adjusts his glasses to look cool.

He takes them off, putting it on his shirt as he went back to his room, sitting down on the carpet floor as he grabs his father’s ID. Suddenly a memory flashes in his mind.

“Ken, I need you to be good.” Hayao, pats his son’s shoulder gently. Little Kenji looked taken a back, looking down then back up to his father who was kneeling on his level. “Dad, you’re leaving me?” He said with a voice that almost cracked, his father gently smiles, trying to cheer his son up.

“Just for a little while, Kenji. Your mother and I have something to do, it’s very important.”

Kenji shakes his thoughts off, still staring intently at the ID. He bites his lip, his eyes landing on the word “ULTRA” again, making him sigh as he placed the ID down, grabbing the briefcase that was laid at the center of the floor.

He starts observing it, moving it from side to side. He opens the briefcase again, putting his hand inside as he searches for more, maybe he missed something. He groans, turning the bag to the back as he opens the zipper. And he was right, he did miss something.

He slowly moves his finger from the start to the end of the zipper. His finger gently moves across as it stops in the end, flicking it as the part of the border opened. He finds a folder.

Before he lets it out fully, he quickly stands up a bit to close the door and clicks a device that he created which locks his door. He then sat back down, grabbing the folder like notebook and opening it.

He traces his fingers softly against the paper, eyebrows furrowing as he bites his lip, studying the notes and equations his father had written down. “What the heck, dad? You’re some genius..” He mutters, still studying the writings intently. His eyes falls to a sentence, an equation at the bottom of the paper, with the title “ØØ Decay Rate Algorithm.” He mutters the words written. “Zero, zero, decay rate algorithm.”

Suddenly his thoughts were cut off as someone knocks on the door, making him rush to keep the things out of the way. “Wait! One sec.” He says while moving it around. He finally sits back at his chair, placing his arms on the desk as he moves his hand around the computer. “You can come in now.” He replies, moving his long fingers around the mouse.

Uncle Ben looks at him, hand on the door knob. “You okay, Ken?” Kenji nods, “Oh, yeah I’m okay. What’s up?” Ken nods his head, acting cool. Uncle Ben raises a brow, his eyes falling to the glasses hanging on his shirt. “Is that..?” Before uncle Ben could further ask, Kenji puts the glasses on, blinking once in a while to try and adjust to the grade again.

“Yeah, it’s dad’s.” Uncle Ben smiles, giving him a nod, “Well, you look just like Hayao.” Kenji gives a small smile at the comment, “Can I come in?” Kenji nods at his uncle’s request.

Uncle Ben nods, closing the door behind him as he grabs a rubik’s cube from Kenji’s desk as he walks. “Well, uhm.. Listen.” He starts. “I don’t have much education. You know that, Ken.” Uncle Ben, sits down on his bed, fidgeting with the rubik’s cube as Kenji turns his head to look at him.

“Like, damn, I stopped being able to help with your homework when you were ten. Don’t even mention the fact that I don’t know how baseball works.” He sighs, “What I’m trying to say is, I know it’s been rough for you without your dad.” He looks at Kenji, who had looked down. “And I know we don’t talk much about them.”

“No, uncle it’s all right.”

“No, it’s not all right, Ken. I know that. I wish I could change it, but I can’t.” He sighs.

“Onda Hakase.” Kenji’s uncle said, making Ken look at him seriously and with curiosity. “That’s the name of the guy in the picture with your dad. They worked together for years and they were close. But after that night we never saw him again. He never called.” Kenji felt shock as he takes in the information, but hiding it with a nod.

“Not once.” Uncle Ben nods back, looking down at the rubik’s cube, “Go figure.” He mutters, looking back up again, his eyes trail to the computer, with a picture of you. “She’s pretty.” He points his head to the picture making Kenji’s smile falter as he turns his head back to the monitor. It was a photo of [Name], the one he had taken when she was so serious into reading that book. Kenji felt his face heat up slightly, feeling embarrassed that he was caught with his monitor screen with you on it.

“Uncle Ben.” Kenji calls out before his uncle was about to leave, “You’re a pretty great dad.” He smiles, making uncle Ben feel a pang of warmth engulfing his heart at the comment.

It was a few seconds after uncle Ben had left, Ken staring at the monitor screen, it was still you on it. He places his chin on his hand, his elbow resting on his desk as he zooms in into the book you were reading. “All about Kaijus.” He snorts as he mutters out the title of the book, raising a brow. He had sworn he heard that name before, it just wasn’t clear to him anymore.

His eyes slowly move to your face, observing your features. The background didn’t matter to him at all, he was just starstruck at the sight of you. He quickly snaps his thoughts off, moving his mouse to move the tab to the side and search the internet.

He remembers the name of the guy that his uncle mentioned, swiftly typing on his keyboard. “Hayao Sato and Onda Hakase.” He quickly clicks on a link after it popped up, his eyes slightly widening as he reads.

“𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒

𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭?”

His father and Onda Hakase were beside each other, a picture also displayed on the screen as he continued to scroll relentlessly. Pictures were shown. “𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐦𝐢𝐤𝐨 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐨.” His eyes slightly widened, knowing that his parents had already died wasn’t such a shock to him, it was just a really bad memory.

He searches again, “Dr. Onda Hasake.” Tapping on another link that says, “A World Without Weakness.” His eyes slowly scan Dr. Onda’s statement, tapping into even more links to get more information as he studies all of them. His eyes then slowly fall into an Intern Enrollment, which was now closed. His cursor slowly move to the picture of a building, the ULTRA.

He furrows his brows as he continued to do a little more research on it, making a plan to meet Dr. Onda. He sighs, exiting the tab and seeing the picture of you in his screen again. He smiles, “Uncle Ben’s right.” He turns his attention back to his plan, sighing.

This is just the start.

Hi lovies! I know what you’re thinking about, there’s less interaction of reader and ken together here but the next part will take a big turn👀 Just wanted to make y’all wait ‘cause patience is a must (or I just like playin’ with y’all.) I’m working on two stories, (one that pays up and this one on tumblr!) So sorry if I haven’t reached your expectations this time..😞

Thank you so much for the support and being patient. I’ve been busy lately, with much love 💕

This series will be under this tag— if you’re having difficulty finding other parts, check this: #ameijamsspiderken🕸️

taglist: @luneariaa @lovingyeet @aishallnotbefound @harperwasstaken1 @onlysarang @thewifeoflevi @mochminnie @zayai

[the20thangel]

The Dragon and The Raven

Chapter 5: The Dragon Princess and Her Raven Lord.

Chapter Summary: Jacaerys did not believe that the Lord of House Blackwood was the best for his beloved sister. It is too bad that Aemma has fallen deeply for the Lord of Raventree Hall, and nothing will stop her from getting her way.

Please let me know your thoughts :)

Keep track of the story: masterlist

Word count: 3215

Jacaerys looked at the lord, to whom his sister insisted on being betrothed. Lord Blackwood looked like he had just come out of a duel. Sweat dripped down his face, his hair was messy, and his clothes were wrinkled and muddy. Benjicot knew that even though he had Prince Daemon’s blessing, getting Prince Jacaerys' approval was just as important. 

Benjicot bowed and addressed the prince, “Prince Jacaerys, let me be the one to welcome you to the Riverlands and Harrenhall.” 

As Lord Blackwood made his statement, all the men from House Blackwood followed their lord in bowing, leading the North and the Vale men to bow as well. Grinding his teeth, Jace couldn’t help but admit that the lord was respectful and was a natural leader. Not wanting to seem rude but also not wanting to give the impression of approval, Jace merely nodded his head. When this happened, Princess Aemma was frowning; she did not need a Daemon 2.0 to try to intimate her betrothed. Aemma turned to Baela, who winked while shaking her head. Ugh, Men, they both thought.  Thankfully, before another awkward moment passed, Daemon cleared his throat. 

“Jace, Baela, come, first unpack your things at the tents before we start making any…foolish decisions.” Commanded Daemon as Jace frowned at his stepfather, but he knew better than to argue with the Rouge Prince and followed him to the tents where they would be staying. 

As people began to leave, Aemma walked to Benji, smiling at him. She took his arm and kissed his cheek. Benji returned the smile as he led them towards his tent. 

“Your brother doesn’t seem to like me…” stated Benji, as they entered his tent, leading the princess towards the bed. 

“Jacaerys is a dragon, and dragons are very overprotective with what they love, but he will come around, I'm sure of it,” stated Aemma as she unraveled her braids. 

Benji hummed as he decided to sit next to her and help the princess undo her braids. Aemma couldn't help but close her eyes. His fingers were like magic, easing the tension she had. Before she could stop herself, a slight moan slipped from her lips as she whispered.

“ You truly have a talent with your fingers…” Aemma stiffened, as did Benji once those words were spoken. The phrases had two meanings, and Aemma didn’t want him or anybody who might have heard them to misinterpret them. 

Benji huffed with laughter as he finished undoing her braids and kissing the top of her head. Which in turn made Aemma huff and turned to glare at him. 

“It is not funny, Ben!” she exclaimed as she lightly slapped his chest. 

Benji laughed even louder as he pulled the princess to his chest and brought them down on his bed. 

“Oh, I thought it was hilarious, my dear Aemma.” 

Aemma leaned on his chest, staring at his eyes as she playfully glared at him. Benji looked down and could not help but feel warm inside. He never thought his life would be played out like this, being betrothed and falling desperately fast in love with a dragonriding princess. Aemma sighed and placed her head on his chest, drawing small circles on his chest, the two peacefully enjoying their silent company. Soon, all the events that had happened the last few days finally caught up with them as they lulled themselves to sleep with the sound of breathing. 

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

Once Jace set himself up with his tent, he quickly checked on Baela, who told him she wanted to take a quick bath because she reeked of a dragon. Then he went to his sister’s tent only to find it empty. Before he continued his way to look for her, he was summoned by Daemon. Walking into the tent, Jace saw his stepfather sitting behind a desk, reading some letters with a cup of wine. Daemon looked at the restless boy, giving him an unimpressed brow as he waited for Jace to sit. Once Jacaerys noted that his father would not speak until he took a seat before him, he sighed, sat on the chair, and tried to raise a brow back. 

Daemon chuckled, “Now, son, what brings you to Harrenhall and away from your beloved mother’s side? Hmm.” 

Jace blistered, “I came here to convince my sister out of her foolish decision to get engaged.” 

Daemon shook his head; his little dragons were an overprotective bunch, each taking the creed of his father Baleon and protecting each other fiercely, sometimes a little too much. Which was more than he could say his brother Viserys ever did for him. Daemon took a swing of the cup before answering his stepson. 

 “Our Aemma can be many things, but she has never been the one to make foolish decisions. The boy is a fierce fighter, and his armies will greatly benefit your mother’s fight for the iron throne,” explained Daemon, watching Jace's face turn sour with each word. 

Jace knew this path would be long, especially since his stepfather seemed to approve of the Lord of Raventree Hall. It would be harder to separate Aemma from him because whatever Aemma wanted, Daemon provided. 

Jace sighed. As he stood, he faced his father. “I will see for myself, but if I don’t like him, my mother has permitted me to break the betrothal if I am not impressed.” Jace bowed before turning to leave, only pausing once he heard Daemon call out. 

“Do what you must, but remember never at the expense of potentially harming your sister.” 

Jace nodded as he continued walking, determined to find his sister even more. Daemon sighed as he rubbed his face. His children would be his death. 

Jace continued walking, looking through the sea of gray, red, and black, trying to find a princess and lord but having no luck. While wandering, he found Cregan Stark as he was speaking to a woman wearing House Blackwood colors. When both noticed his presence, they paused and gave a quick bow. Jacaerys laughed and hugged Cregan, who was like a brother to him. 

“Cregan, it's good to see you again. How was your journey south?” Jace asked as he grinned at the Wolf of Winterfell. 

“Long and humid Jace. I’m sorry, lady Aly, but the Riverlands are much too humid for my taste,” stated Cregan as he stared at Aly Blackwood, who laughed. 

“No harm done, Lord Stark. I sometimes find the Riverlands too much. Good day, Prince Jacaerys. I’m Alysanne Blackwood, but you may call me Aly.” Aly introduced herself to the dragon prince. 

Who in turn smiled, wondering how close she was to Benjcot Blackwood. 

“Yes, it is pretty humid for my taste as well; I prefer Dragonstone’s winds to this,” Jace answered before turning to Aly. “Well Met, Lady Aly Blackwood, pray tell me who you might be to the Lord of House Blackwood?” questioned Jace. 

“I am his lady aunt, my prince,” explained Aly, confused about where the conversation would go. 

Jace nodded and looked around again, searching for a sign of his sister, but again, to no avail. Cregan and Aly turned to each other, guessing who he was looking for. Jace noticed their questioning stare. 

“Have you both seen either the Lord of Raventree Hall or the Crown Princess?” questioned Jace, staring at the two. 

Cregan and Aly shared a secret look, both shaking their heads no, 

“No, but let me look for them, my prince; I will bring them to you once I have found them,” replied Aly as she turned and walked away from the prince. 

Alyssanne walked towards the main Blackwood tent, chuckling at the sight before her: her nephew and the princess warmly embraced. As much as she hated to wake them, she knew Prince Jacaerys would blow a fuse at the current sight. Aly walked to them and quietly shook the princess awake. 

“My princess, you must wake up quickly….please, princess,” Aly loudly whispered, feeling relieved once the princess opened her violet eyes. 

Aemma sharply gasped, seeing Aly in her face, and accidentally dug her elbow into Benji’s stomach, causing the young lord to groan and wake from his slumber, then also sitting up, noticing his aunt. 

Aly shook her head; these two would be the death of her. “Princess, you need to go to your tent. Your brother is looking for you both and will not be pleased seeing what I saw. Go on now quickly from the back.” 

Aemma nodded as she stood, quickly pecking Benji in the space between his cheek and lips, and walked out. Benji sighed, fully waking up as his aunt glared at him. 

“I would rather not have my nephew turn into dragon food, Ben; you must impress Prince Jacaerys as much as you did with her father.” Explained Aly as she asked a maid for a bath to be ready. Alysanne walked towards the entrance before turning to her nephew. “Take a quick bath and meet us outside, please.’” 

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

Aemma quickly walked toward her tent, making sure no one noticed her, when Baela walked out of her tent, giving her a mischievous grin.

“Well, well, dearest sister, where are you coming from in a hurry? Hmm, from a certain lord who happens to wear a house color similar to ours?” taunted Baela. 

Aemma playfully rolled her eyes, pushing her away and walking to a steaming bath awaiting her. Aemma turned to her sister in thanks as she began to undress and walk in the tub, sighing as she felt the boiling water ease her sore muscles.  Baela sat behind her and began to wash her hair. 

“Jace was looking for you..” started Baela as she reached for the perfumes. 

“Yes, so I have been told,” whispered Aemma as she began to wash her body. 

“You need to be more careful, sister. Our father may have given his blessing, but Jace has special permission from your mother to reject the union if he doesn’t like Lord Blackwood. He already has a closed mindset, thinking that you should marry Lord Stark instead.” carefully explained Baela as she finished washing Aemma’s hair and walked to the main room to take out a beautiful, lightweight red dress with black accents. 

Once Aemma came out, she took the dress from Baela and began to dress herself, letting her sister tighten the corset laces. Baela paused, analyzing her sister. Luke’s death took a toll on everyone but more on Aemma and Rhaenyra; both women had dark circles under their eyes. But now, Aemma looked glowing, her skin and hair shining, bringing out the true Valyrian beauty bards loved to sing about. 

“So tell me of Lord Blackwood, what did this lord do that many others couldn’t?” asked Baela, noticing Aemma’s blush. 

As Aemma spun her tale from the first meeting at his hall to Sliverwing, allowing him to fly on her and the duel, Baela began to see that her sister was falling for the young lord. 

“You are falling in love with him…” stated Baela as she went in front of Aemma. 

Aemma sighed wistfully, “Earlier this week, I would have denied it, but now, I truly believe I have fallen, and he is with me.”  

Baela was glad that, as much as this union would be best for their family, having Aemma find love in it was the best outcome. Baela embraced her sister. 

“I’m glad… Jace will try to find faults, but I can tell there are none. I will support you in enlightening him.” Aemma grinned but noticed Baela wanting to say more. 

“Have you told him about you and Aegon?” 

Aemma inhaled sharply at the words, walking away from Baela.

“There is nothing to tell; it was a stupid promise two naive children made, nothing more; Benji has nothing to worry about.” 

Baela sighed; she knew bringing up Aegon would upset Aemma, but she also knew how far the greens would risk believing in their delusions. 

“ I still think you should tell him. You know how cruel Aegon is, and he will probably try to cause a stir once he finds out about your relationship,” explained Baela, taking hold of Aemma’s hand. 

Aemma sighed; she knew what Baela had said was true, but she did not want to worry Benji. Young Aemma didn’t know about the vipers of the court or what kind of monster her uncle would have become. She couldn’t love someone who enjoyed tormenting servants and her poor aunt Heleana. Furthermore, she definitely couldn’t love someone who celebrated her brother’s death. The Aegon that Aemma made a promise to was an illusion, an idea, and not reality. Benjicot was ten times the man that Aegon could only hope to be, and truth be told, Aegon never had her whole body sing like when she was with Benji. 

“I’ll think about a way to explain it to him; for now, I need to focus on Jace accepting Benji and making sure our betrothal continues.” Aemma decided as she and Baela walked to the feast hall. 

Everyone stood when they noticed the two princesses walking in, Baela sitting between her father and Jacaerys. Jacaerys had Cregan next to him, and a spot opened next to Cregan. Aemma noticed this and rolled her eyes at her brother’s blatant plan for her to sit next to the Stark. Noticing Benji farther down with his aunt, Aemma grinned and walked towards them. Jace, in confusion, watched as his sister whispered something to Alysanne who then stood and walked towards Cregan and took the seat next to the winter wolf. Aemma turned, smirking at her brother, and sat next to Benjicot, keeping eye contact as she kissed the Blackwood lord's cheek. Jace huffed in annoyance, much to the amusement of everyone else.

 As the feast continued and more wine was consumed, people joked around and made numerous toasts. The hall quieted once a brave and drunk Blackwood knight stood, swaying a little as he raised his cup. 

“A toast to the Sea Dragon Princess, The realm’s pearl, Crown Princess Aemma, for nearly beating our lord and showing us the true power of the dragon. Our House will thrive under you and our lord’s rule!”

All the men started cheering, whistling, and cracking jokes as the princess blushed at the words spoken to her. Benji smirked and whispered something into her ear that had caused the princess's blush to darken. Jace sniffed at the sight and was surprised once he saw Cregan stand up, raising his cup. 

Cregan grinned at the couple making the toast, “The greens will have a hard time with the likes of Princess Aemma and Lord Blackwood on our side. A toast to the Dragon Princess and her Raven lord; may they strike fear into our enemies' hearts!” 

Everyone cheered at the words of the Winter Wolf as Jace stared at his friend in shock. As the feast ended, everyone went on their way. Jace, noticing his sister leaving with the young lord, followed them, asking Cregan to accompany him. Aemma led her betrothed to where the dragons were resting, wanting to spend time with Sliverwing. As Jace watched, he was surprised to see how welcoming the she-dragon was to the lord. 

Cregan looked at Jace and sighed, “Jace, I think you should give it a rest; Benjicot is a good lad, and he will make a fine husband to your sister.” 

Jace glared, “So would you, Cregan; my sister should have at least considered you before making her rash decision. 

A joyous laugh broke their conversation as both turned to see Aemma laughing and trying to move Sliverwings' snout from Benjicot’s chest, who was laughing on the ground and being knocked down. 

“I love Aemma but only as a sister. Besides, Benjicot has expressed how much he will give up for her. Your sister runs too hot for my taste, and I don’t enjoy my feet leaving off the ground. While I run too cold for your sister, she loves to soar far too much to be stuck on the cold floors of the north. Benjicot fits with your sister; he doesn’t get burned from her heat but welcomes it; he took flight like his ravens. There is no better man for her than him.” explained Cregan, hoping Jace saw what he saw. 

Jace, staring at his sister, knew Cregan was right, but still, “We could have been brothers had you married my sister.” 

Cregan shook his head, chuckling,” We are brothers. We made the blood pack, and nothing can change that, but forcing marriage on your sister would not bring us closer. Give your sister your blessing and let her marry her lord.” Cregan clapped his hand on Jace’s shoulder as he returned to his tent. 

Jace sighed; he knew everything everyone had said was true; as Baela made her way to him, he kissed her hand and walked towards his sister. Aemma, noticing her brother, quickly helped Benjicot stand. 

“Brother, I hope you are not here to sour my mood,” questioned Aemma as she raised her eyebrow. 

Jace shook his head, “Not at all, dear sister, Lord Blackwood, I want to express my blessing to my sister's hand. I will send a raven to my mother, letting her know my decision, and expect her in a week for your wedding.”

Aemma was shocked, “a week? I’m not complaining, but isn’t it way too fast?” 

Jace explained what their mother said: because of the war, it was better to have a fast wedding just to be safe. Aemma nodded while taking Benji’s hand and leaning into his side. Jace stated that Baela and, hopefully, Lady Alysanne would help with the maiden and marriage cloaks. He also noted that the day would have three separate ceremonies: One in front of a weirwood tree in the ways of the north, one of the faith, and the last being a Valyrian one. Aemma scoffed at the faith ceremony but knew it had to be done. They could not risk the Greens declaring her marriage invalid. As the group separated, Aemma and Benjicot walked to the princess’s tent, stopping at the entrance. 

“As much as I wish for you to stay with me, I don’t want to risk the ire of my brother or father,” whispered Aemma as she stared into her betrothed eyes. 

Benji smiled, understanding; Jacaerys barely gave his blessing, so it was best not to push it. 

Aemma reached up to give a sweet kiss before asking, “Are you truly fine in marrying me in a week?” 

Benji caressed his beloved's face as he returned the kiss before placing his forehead onto hers. “I would be willing to marry you tonight. You have taken my heart, and I don’t wish you to return it.” 

Aemma’s heart felt like it would explode because of how much love she felt. “And you have mine, my love, my raven.” She whispered, kissing him once more, letting him feel all her love through the kiss. She separated herself from him, wishing a goodnight as she entered her tent. 

“Sweet dreams, my dragon,” whispered Benji as he stood outside her tent for a while before walking to his tent, hoping to dream of a loving princess.

[girlactionfigure]

Why are there Palestinian refugees?

In the months before the British abandoned its mandate & Israel declared independence, civil war raged as Arab factions tried to prevent the Jewish state from being born.

Of course, had the Arabs agreed to the UN's partition plan, they would have had yet another state & there would have been no war in 1948. 

But their goal was not another Arab state; it was to ensure there would be no Jewish state. 

Meanwhile, 5 #Arab armies amassed on the borders & waited for the British to leave so they could push the Jews into the #Mediterranean Sea.

As Secretary-General of the Arab League Azzam Pasha put it on the day of the Arab #invasion: 

"This will be a war of extermination & momentous massacre, which will be spoken of like the Mongolian massacres and the Crusades."

Or as the then war #criminal & fugitive #Nazi Grand Mufti Amin al-Husseini put it during the invasion:

"Murder the #Jews. Murder them all!"

But before the invasion began, & starting as early as Dec 1947, Arab officers began ordering Arab residents of specific villages to flee. 

Their reasoning? Arab citizens not involved in active fighting could only: (1) "treacherously" abide the creation of a the Jewish state &/or even become citizens of same; or (2) be in the way of Arab #military deployments & potentially get caught in the crossfire.

And so, for example, on this day (March 8) in 1948, the Arab Higher Committee ordered all Arab women, children & elderly to leave Jerusalem. The order continued, "Any opposition to this order ... is an obstacle to the holy war ... & will hamper the operations of the fighters in these districts.” 

In fact, the Arab Higher Committee ordered the evacuation of dozens of Arab villages between April & July of 1948 (see photo of Arab citizens fleeing below).

Meanwhile, on April 19, 1948, Jewish forces secured Tiberias, which had a population of ~6,000 #Arabs - all of whom chose to leave. In fact, they left under British military supervision.

The Jewish Community Council immediately issued a statement regarding Tiberias' Arabs: 

"We did not dispossess them; they themselves chose this course ... Let no citizen touch their property."

At around this same time, in early & mid-April of 1948, an Arab faction led by Fawzi al-Qawukji was attacking Haifa & attempting to take the city. Then, rumors spread among Haifa's Arab community that Arab air forces were about to bomb the city & ~25,000 of Haifa's Arabs fled.

As U.S. Consul-General in Haifa Aubrey Lippincott noted on April 22, 1948: "local mufti-dominated Arab leaders ... [urged] all Arabs to leave the city, & large numbers did so."

On April 23, 1948, however, #Jewish forces fought back the Arab attack & retook Haifa.

Three days later, on April 26, 1948, a British police report from Haifa noted: 

"[E]very effort is being made by the Jews to persuade the Arab populace to stay and carry on with their normal lives, to get their shops and businesses open and to be assured that their lives and interests will be safe."

What were some of those "efforts?"

Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, sent future Prime Minister Golda Meir to Haifa with the direct instructions to "persuade the Arabs to stay." 

Ms. Meir was unsuccessful, however, as Haifa's Arabs told her they feared that if they stayed, they would be branded "#traitors." 

And so, another ~25,000 of Haifa's Arabs fled. 

Stop me if you've heard this one before, but despite facts on the ground, Arab leaders at the #UN began demanding the end to a fake "#massacre." 

Specifically, #Syria's UN Ambassador Faris al-Kouri, said the Jewish victory at Haifa was a "massacre" that provided "evidence that the '#Zionist program' is to annihilate Arabs within the Jewish state if partition is effected."

The #British were still on the ground, however, & the British Ambassador to the UN, Sir Alexander Cadogan, told the UN the very next day both that the fighting in Haifa had only begun as a result of "continuous attacks by Arabs against Jews" & that the "reports of massacres & deportations [were] erroneous." 

Meanwhile, after Israel declared its independence & was invaded by five Arab armies, the newly established #IDF issued an Order on July 6, 1948, making it clear that non-combatant Arab civilians were not to be harassed or expelled, nor their villages touched. 

But the Arabs were being given a very different message.

#Iraqi #PrimeMinister Nuri Said announced:

"We will smash the country with our guns & obliterate every place the Jews seek shelter in. The Arabs should conduct their wives & children to safe areas until the fighting has died down."

This used to be known. In fact, Arab leaders for years after the war had no qualms about repeating it.

For example, Syrian Prime Minister Haled al Azm later wrote:

"Since 1948, we have been demanding the return of the #refugees to their homes. But we ourselves are the ones who encouraged them to leave. Only a few months separated our call to them to leave & our appeal to the UN to resolve on their return."

Similarly, #Jordan's King Abdullah wrote: 

"The tragedy of the #Palestinians was that most of their leaders had paralyzed them with false & unsubstantiated promises that they were not alone; that 80 million Arabs & 400 million #Muslims would instantly & miraculously come to their rescue."

Similarly, Edward Atiyah, Secretary of the Arab League Office in #London wrote: 

"This wholesale #exodus was due partly to the belief of the Arabs, encouraged by the boastings of an unrealistic #Arabic press & the irresponsible utterances of some of the Arab leaders that it could be only a matter of weeks before the Jews were defeated by the armies of the Arab States & the #Palestinian Arabs enabled to re­enter & retake possession of their country.”

Even as the war still raged on Aug 16, 1948, the Arab #Greek Orthodox Catholic Bishop of the Galilee told #Beirut newspaper Sada al-Janub: 

“The refugees were confident their absence would not last long, & that they would return within a week or two ... Their leaders had promised them that the Arab Armies would crush the ’Zionist gangs’ very quickly & that there was no need for panic or fear of a long exile.”

A few months later, on Feb 19, 1949, the Jordanian newspaper Filastin confirmed: 

"The Arab States encouraged the Palestine Arabs to leave their homes temporarily in order to be out of the way of the Arab invasion armies."

Even many of the Palestinian Arab refugees themselves admitted their reasons for leaving.

For example, on June 8, 1951, Habib Issa admitted to #NewYork Lebanese newspaper Al Hoda:

"Azzam Pasha assured the Arab peoples that the #occupation of Palestine & #TelAviv would be ... simple ... He pointed out that they were already on the frontiers & that all the millions the Jews had spent on land & economic development would be easy booty, for it would be a simple matter to throw Jews into the Mediterranean ... Arabs of Palestine [were told] to leave their land, homes & property & to stay temporarily in neighboring fraternal states, lest the guns of the invading Arab armies mow them down.”

Similarly, Asmaa Jabir Balasimah recalled being told by Arab leaders to "evacuate the village & return after the battle is over," & that she & others in her village left all their possessions behind "based on the assumption that we would return after a few hours." 

Again, however (& most importantly), had the Arabs agreed to Partition or even agreed to negotiate different borders with Zionist leaders who begged Azzam Pasha to make any counteroffer instead of invading with #genocidal intent, there would never have been a single Palestinian #refugee.

[lila-lou]

✨ His only exception - Pt. 32/? ✨

Summary: 12 months ago, Butcher went above and beyond to have you join his team. You had a simple office job at Supe Affairs. The same thing every day, working from 9 to 5 and watching Butcher and his team defeat one renegade after another. One evening, however, something changed.

Pairing: Soldier Boy x Reader

Warnings: 18+ only! Smut, Language, soft Ben

Word Count: 6894

A/N: This is part 32 of “His only exception”.

English isn’t my first language, so please be lenient. 💙✨

His admission hung heavy in the air between you, the tension palpable as you processed the weight of his words. A flush of heat crept up your cheeks as you realized the effect your moans had on him, igniting a spark of desire that mirrored his own.

With a shaky breath, Ben tried to regain his composure, his hand still resting gently against your back as he fought to suppress the overwhelming urge to give in to his desires.

Feeling the heat of desire coursing through your veins, you bit your lip nervously as you glanced up at Ben, your heart pounding with anticipation. With a boldness fueled by desire, your hand found its way to his crotch, the unexpected sensation of his hardness beneath the fabric sending a thrill of excitement coursing through you.

As your fingers brushed against the outline of his arousal, Ben's breath caught in his throat, his body tensing with the intensity of sensation. His dick throbbed painfully against the constriction of his boxers, trapped beneath his sweatpants, as desire surged through.

As Ben felt your hand cupping his hard dick through his sweatpants, a low growl rumbled in the back of his throat, his body thrumming with desire. "Stop that", he muttered, his voice strained. "The doctor said you need to rest".

Despite his words, the sensation of your touch sent a surge of electricity coursing through him.

But as your hand continued to explore the hardness beneath his sweatpants, Ben's resolve began to crumble, his self-control slipping away with each passing moment. His breath came in ragged gasps as he struggled to contain the overwhelming urge to give in to the pleasure that beckoned him.

With a trembling hand, Ben reached for yours, gently guiding it away from his dick as he tried to regain his composure.

As Ben denied your touch, the fire of desire within you burned even hotter, your arousal reaching a fever pitch as you straddled his crotch, feeling the undeniable hardness of his erection pressing against your already wet pussy.

"Please", you begged, your voice trembling with desperation and need. "I need you, Ben. I need you so badly".

Your words hung heavy in the air between you, the intensity of your desire mirrored in the depths of your gaze as you pleaded with him to give in.

But despite the overwhelming temptation that beckoned him, Ben remained steadfast in his resolve.

Ben reached for you, his touch gentle yet firm as he tried to guide you off his lap. "No", he murmured. "Not like this. Not when you need to rest".

But you resisted, refusing to move as you felt the intense need for him. Ignoring his attempts to pull away, you boldly pulled your shirt over your head, revealing your nakedness beneath, clad only in a lace thong that left little to the imagination.

The sight of you, bare and vulnerable before him, made his his breath catching in his throat.

As you sat straddling his lap, your gaze locked with his, Ben didn't know whether he was annoyed or turned on by your stubbornness.

Ben´s touch was tentative yet filled with longing as he trailed his fingers along the curve of your spine. His heart pounded in his chest as he struggled to contain the overwhelming urge to give in.

The weight of the week's tension and longing bore down upon you. The sight of Ben in his supe suit, playing the role of the powerful and commanding leader, certainly didn't help. Each passing day had brought you closer to the brink of madness, the ache of longing for him becoming almost unbearable.

You needed him, desperately, with an intensity that bordered on obsession. The thought of his touch, his scent, his taste consumed your every waking moment, leaving you yearning for him in ways that defied reason.

And now, as you sat straddling his lap, your bodies pressed close together, the heat of his hard dick radiating against you, you knew that there was no turning back. The hunger and longing that had plagued you all week had finally reached its breaking point, and you were powerless to resist.

While you held Ben's gaze, you allowed your hand to trail down your belly. Your fingers trembled as they dipped beneath the waistband of your lace thong, tracing over the sensitive skin of your lower abdomen before coming to rest between your thighs.

A sharp intake of breath escaped your lips as your fingers found their mark, the slick wetness of your arousal coating your fingertips. The sensation sent a jolt of pleasure coursing through you, your body responding eagerly to the touch, your clit throbbing with need.

Beneath you, Ben's erection pulsed with intensity. His breath came in ragged gasps as he watched you, his eyes dark with desire as he struggled to hold back.

You bit your lip, knowing exactly what you were doing. As your fingers working their magic on your clit, you felt Ben’s hands fall gently on your hips, his touch making you shiver.

“You’re fucking killing me right now, Sweetheart”, he murmured, his voice thick with need. His fingers tightened their grip on your hips.

As a soft moan escaped your lips, Ben's gaze dropped to your hand working its magic between your thighs. His heartbeat quickened, his arousal reaching new heights as he watched you pleasuring yourself before him.

"I need you", you pleaded, your voice thick with desire as you begged him to touch you.

"I want nothing more", he confessed, his voice rough with longing as he fought to maintain his composure. "But we can't risk anything happening to you or the baby".

Despite his words, the hunger and longing in his gaze betrayed his true desires, his body trembling with the intensity of his arousal.

Your voice pleaded with desperation. "Please, Ben", you whispered. "Just go slow, be careful".

Ben's struggle was evident, his resolve crumbling. His cock throbbed painfully against his pants, his eyes fixed on your glistening pussy as he pulled your panties aside.

His fingers trembled as he reached out to touch you, the heat of your arousal sending a jolt of pleasure coursing through him. But even as his desire raged within him, he hesitated, torn between his need to protect you and his overwhelming longing to give in to your begging.

With desperation coursing through your veins, you guided Ben's hand to your breast, pressing his palm against the soft flesh and urging him to squeeze.

"Please, Ben", you whispered. "I need you. I need to feel you".

Ben's eyes closed in surrender, his head falling back as he let out a ragged breath, his fingers tightening around your breast.

As you closed your eyes, surrendering to the intoxicating rush of pleasure that washed over you, Ben's eyes opened, his gaze fixed on your face as he twirled your hardened nipple between his fingers. A deep moan escaped his lips, the sound echoing through the room as he lost himself in the sensation.

Ben's grip on your nipple tightened, his fingers pinching the sensitive flesh with a force that sent a jolt of pain and pleasure shooting through you. A sharp scream escaped your lips, the sound echoing through the room as waves of sensation crashed over you. The mixture of pain and pleasure overwhelmed your senses, sending sparks of electricity coursing through your body.

With a surge of urgency, you leaned forward, pressing your lips against his in a desperate kiss, your body pressing harder against his.

And as you ground your hips against his, feeling the hard length of his cock pressing harder against your throbbing pussy, you knew that you needed him now more than ever. With each desperate thrust of your hips, you sought to merge with him completely.

Your hands moved with a sense of urgency, fingers trembling as they tugged at his shirt, desperate to feel the warmth of his skin against yours.

"Please, Ben", you pleaded once more.

With his Shirt off, revealing the expanse of his chest, you couldn't help but be drawn to him with an almost magnetic force. Your hands trailed over his skin, fingers tracing the contours of his muscles as you pulled him closer.

"Please", you whispered, your voice barely audible over the pounding of your heart.

With your hands roaming over his broad shoulders, you leaned down to press kisses along his chest. Ben sucked in a sharp breath, his hands tightened around your waist, pulling you closer to him with a hint of urgency.

"Easy there", he murmured, his voice husky with desire as he guided you down onto the couch.

The intensity in his gaze held a mixture of longing and restraint as he hovered above you, his touch both gentle and possessive. He couldn't resist the allure of your pleas any longer.

Without any more hesitation, he lowered his face between your legs, spreading them wide apart as he settled himself between them.

As Ben's tongue delved between your slick folds, the sensation sent shivers coursing through your body. With each languid stroke, he explored every inch of your wetness, his movements alternating between gentle licks and firm pressure.

His tongue teased your swollen clit, circling it with precise movements that made your breath catch in your throat.

With each flick and swirl of his tongue, he brought you closer to the edge, his movements skillful and deliberate as he worshipped your body with a fervent devotion.

As Ben sensed you were ready, he carefully pulled you back onto his hips, lifting you with ease. You wrapped your legs around his waist as he carried you towards the bedroom. The tension between you two was palpable, a mix of desire and urgency.

"You just couldn't let it go, could you?", Ben grumbled, his voice low and rough with a hint of frustration. "Had to keep begging me to fuck you, even though you know you shouldn't".

He pushed open the bedroom door with his foot, the movement swift and practiced, and laid you down gently on the bed. His eyes roamed over your body, the hunger in his gaze making your pulse quicken.

"You're such a stubborn little thing", he muttered, while getting undressed. "But you got what you wanted".

Naked by now, Ben's powerful form hovered over you, his muscles taut with anticipation. His hand gripped the base of his thick cock, positioning the head against your wet slit. He teased you, rubbing it slowly back and forth, the sensation making you arch your back in desperate need.

"Is this what you wanted?", he growled, his voice a low rumble as he looked down at you, eyes dark with desire.

Your breath hitched as you felt him push just the head inside, the stretch sending a shiver of pleasure through your body. "Yeah", you whispered, your voice trembling with need.

He smirked at you. "Then take it", he murmured, his voice dripping with possessiveness. "Every inch. And don't you dare back down now".

With that, he began to push deeper, the thickness of him stretching you in a way that made you gasp. His hands gripped your hips, steadying you as he moved, his eyes never leaving your face, watching every reaction.

"Fuck", you moaned, your voice breathless and needy. "Ben… please, more".

He gritted his teeth, his restraint visible as he fought against his primal urge to take you hard and fast. "You think you can handle more, huh?", he growled. "You’ve got no idea how hard it is for me to hold back. You’re lucky I don’t fuck you the way you’ve been begging for".

Despite his harsh words, his movements remained careful, each thrust deep but controlled. He knew you couldn't handle too much right now, and despite his instincts screaming at him to let go, he maintained his pace. His grip on your hips was firm, almost possessive, but he was mindful not to hurt you.

"You’re so fucking tight", he murmured, his voice a strained whisper. "Gonna take care of you. Make sure you don’t break".

His words sent shivers down your spine, and you arched your back, pushing your hips to meet his thrusts. "I need you", you panted, your hands clutching at his shoulders. "Please, Ben, don’t stop".

He leaned down, his breath hot against your ear. "Don’t worry, baby. I’m not stopping until you’re screaming my name", he promised, his voice a deep rumble.

Each thrust was a battle between his desire and his need to be careful, but he managed to find a rhythm that had you gasping and moaning beneath him. His control was slipping, but he held on, determined to give you the pleasure you craved without pushing you too far.

As the hours passed, the intensity between you and Ben only grew, each moment filled with passion and desire that seemed to ignite the air around you. Despite his initial reluctance, Ben had unleashed his pent-up longing with a ferocity that left you breathless and wanting more.

You lost track of time as wave after wave of pleasure washed over you, each orgasm more intense than the last.

For Ben, the past week without sex had been torture, and now that he had you in his arms, he was determined to make up for lost time.

Ben's gaze swept over your trembling legs, a flicker of concern crossing his features as he noted the exhaustion etched into every line of your body. With a determined grunt, he swiftly shifted positions, effortlessly flipping you onto your back as he took control once again.

"You've had enough, sweetheart", he murmured as he positioned himself between your thighs. "Let me take care of you now".

His words carried a hint of condescension, a reflection of his belief that he knew what was best for you.

Your breaths came in ragged gasps as you finally admitted, "I can't take it anymore".

A cocky grin tugged at the corners of Ben's lips as he heard your words, a sense of satisfaction washing over him. "That's what I wanted to hear, sweetheart", he replied. "Give me two more minutes".

With a sense of urgency, Ben pressed his lips against yours in a heated kiss.

With one final, deep thrust, Ben drew another orgasm from you. As he reached the pinnacle of his own pleasure, he buried his face in the crook of your neck, his breath hot against your skin as he released himself inside you.

As the warmth of his breath caressed your skin, Ben mumbled a deep "I love you", against your neck, the words sending a flutter through your heart even in your exhausted state. A sense of contentment washed over you as you melted into his embrace, knowing that in this moment, you were exactly where you were meant to be.

As another week passed, you found yourself growing weaker with each passing day, yet you did your best to hide your deteriorating state from Ben. Despite the overwhelming fatigue and discomfort, you pushed yourself to maintain a facade of strength, unwilling to burden him with your struggles.

Despite Ben's reluctance to spend more time away from you, his duties at the tower demanded his attention, leaving you alone for longer stretches of time. Recognizing the need for some friends, you made the decision to text Annie, finally feeling ready to give her another chance.

As you sat with Annie in the living room, a slight shadow of fatigue evident beneath your eyes, she looked around. "I'm almost afraid to sit down on this couch, knowing Ben", she joked, a playful twinkle in her eyes. "I can only imagine he's been… keeping you busy all over the house".

Blushing slightly at Annie's teasing remark, you reached for your tea, grateful for the distraction. "Oh, uh, well, you know how it is", you replied with a nervous chuckle, trying to brush off her comment. "He's been… attentive, to say the least".

Annie chuckled, her gaze warm as she regarded you. "Well, that's good to hear", she remarked with a knowing smile. "You both seem.. actually really happy together".

You nodded, a small smile playing at your lips. "Yeah, we are", you admitted, your voice soft with affection. "Despite everything, Ben's been amazing throughout all of this".

Annie took a sip of her tea before turning her gaze back to you, concern evident in her eyes. "But you look absolutely exhausted", she commented softly, her voice filled with genuine worry.

You tried to play it down with a weak smile. "I'm managing", you replied, attempting to brush off her concern.

But Annie wasn't having it. "You need to look out for yourself, (Y/N)", she insisted firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Especially now". Annie's curiosity got the better of her as she leaned in, her eyes reflecting genuine interest. "How's the pregnancy going so far?", she inquired softly. "I mean, it's the first time someone's pregnant with a supe baby, so it's all new territory, right?".

You hesitated, your gaze drifting downward as you pondered Annie's question. "It's… it's been challenging", you admitted reluctantly, your voice tinged with uncertainty. "There have been some complications, but we're taking it one day at a time".

After a lot of catch up, Annie's gaze shifted towards you again, her expression thoughtful as she broached a new topic. "So, has Ben already set up a room for the baby?", she inquired, her tone gentle yet curious. "He seems really eager for the baby".

You smiled slightly, gesturing towards the stairs as you rose from the couch. "It's not much yet", you admitted, leading Annie towards the staircase. "But a couple of days ago, Ben painted the walls himself. Soft grey, it's quite nice".

Annie held your wrist gently, her expression filled with concern as she searched your eyes for any sign of hesitation. "Does Ben really treat you right?", she asked softly, her tone gentle yet probing.

You rolled your eyes at Annie's question, a weary smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "Ben's not exactly the easiest person to deal with, as everyone knows", you admitted, your voice tinged with resignation. "But with me, he's trying. He loves me, Annie, and he's doing his best to prove it every single day".

As you spoke, you led Annie into the nursery, gesturing towards the freshly painted walls and the crib that Ben had assembled with meticulous care. "See?", you said, a note of pride in your voice as you surveyed the room. "He's been working so hard to get everything ready for the baby".

Annie studied the room, her expression thoughtful as she took in the sight before her. After a moment, she turned to you, her gaze softening slightly. "I can see that", she acknowledged, a hint of warmth in her voice. "He really does care about the two of you".

You nodded, feeling a swell of gratitude towards Annie for her words of validation. Despite everything that had happened between you, it meant a lot to know that she could see the effort Ben was putting in to make things right.

As Annie walked slowly over to the crib, she picked up the little green and brown plush eagle, her brow furrowing slightly as she examined it. The resemblance to the eagle on Ben's supe suit was unmistakable. It was a subtle yet cocky nod to his persona as a supe, a reflection of his confidence and pride in his abilities.

With a raised eyebrow, Annie held up the plush eagle, a teasing smirk playing on her lips. "Really? An eagle? Ben sure knows how to make a statement", she teased, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Is he planning on dressing the baby in a tiny supe suit next?".

You chuckled, a warm smile spreading across your face. "He probably will", you mumbled, shaking your head slightly. "But, you have to admit, the eagle is actually pretty cute". You reached out and gently took the plush from Annie, your fingers brushing against the soft fabric. "Ben has his moments", you added softly, a hint of affection in your voice as you looked down at the toy.

Annie looked around the room, her gaze taking in the careful details Ben had put into the nursery so far. She sighed softly, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "Yeah", she mumbled, almost to herself, "it seems like he does". She glanced back at you, her eyes softening. "He really is trying, isn't he?".

You nodded, feeling a swell of emotion at the realization that, despite everything, Ben was doing his best to make this work. "He is", you said quietly.

You took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "Annie", you began, your voice earnest, "Ben isn't a bad guy. He just has a bad temper sometimes. But he's working on it. He's trying so hard to be better, for me and for the baby".

Annie listened, her expression thoughtful as she weighed your words. "I know he's done some terrible things", you continued, "but I've seen a different side of him. A side that cares deeply, that wants to protect and provide. He loves me, and he's trying to show it every day".

Annie sighed, nodding slowly. "I want to believe that", she said softly, her eyes meeting yours. "I really do. I just worry about you. I don't want to see you get hurt".

You smiled faintly, reaching out to squeeze her hand. "I know", you replied. "And I appreciate that. But I need you to trust me on this. I see the good in him, even when others can't".

Annie shifted the conversation, clearly trying to lighten the mood. “So, do you know the gender yet?”, she asked with a small smile. “I bet Ben’s hoping for a boy. Probably being all about having a mini version of himself running around”.

You laughed, shaking your head. "That's exactly what he wants", you said, a fond smile playing on your lips. "He's already talking about all the things he wants to teach him. How to throw a punch, how to stand tall, all that stuff".

Annie grinned. "Of course he is. I can just picture it. But what about you? Do you have a preference?".

You shook your head. "Not really. I just want the baby to be healthy. Boy or girl, they're going to be loved and spoiled rotten".

Annie nodded. "I can see that. And hey, if it's a girl, she might surprise him. She could end up being even tougher than he is".

You both laughed at the thought, the tension from earlier easing into a more comfortable. It felt good to have this moment of normalcy.

As the evening wore on, you and Annie found yourselves engrossed in conversation, the hours slipping away unnoticed as you shared stories and laughter. To your surprise, you hadn't experienced any bouts of nausea the entire day, a welcome relief from the relentless sickness that had plagued you for weeks.

Now, as the two of you sat across from each other on the couch, Annie leaned in close, her brow furrowing with concentration as she focused her super hearing on your belly. You held your breath, anticipation coursing through your veins as you waited to hear the telltale sound of your baby's heartbeat echoing through the room.

After a few moments of intense listening, Annie's eyes widened in excitement as she looked up at you. "I hear it", she exclaimed, her voice filled with awe and wonder. "It's faint, but it's definitely there".

Ben entered the room with a puzzled expression, his shield clanging softly as he set it down by the door. His brow furrowed in confusion as he took in the scene before him, Annie pressing her ear against your belly with a look of intense concentration.

"What the fuck are you two doing?", Ben grumbled and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked equal parts amused and annoyed by the sight before him, his eyes darting between you and Annie in search of an explanation. He raised an eyebrow in mock suspicion. "Is this some lesbian shit going on that I should know about?", he quipped.

Annie rolled her eyes, chuckling at Ben's comment as she straightened up, her expression amused. "Please, Ben", she retorted, shaking her head in amusement. "We were just trying to hear the baby's heartbeat. No heavy lesbian shit involved".

You glanced at Ben, a playful glint in your eyes as you reminded him once again, "Boots", using the familiar signal to let him know he needed to take off his boots before stepping inside. It was a routine you went through every day, but somehow it never seemed to stick with him.

Ben shot you a deadpan glance, muttering under his breath as he kicked off his boots and shed his vest before making his way to the kitchen. You couldn't help but stifle a chuckle at his predictable reaction, exchanging a knowing look with Annie before continuing your conversation.

From the kitchen, Ben's voice echoed through the house, his tone laced with impatience. "How much fucking longer is the intruder staying? I'm hungry, and not just for food", he shouted, his frustration palpable even from a distance.

Annie glanced at you with a wry smile, clearly amused by Ben's gruff demeanor. "Looks like someone's not a fan of sharing his… territory", she remarked, her tone teasing as she leaned back against the couch.

You raised a brow at Annie's comment, a chuckle escaping your lips. "Are you really surprised?", you asked with a playful grin, shaking your head in amusement.

Ben emerged from the kitchen with a beer in hand, his demeanor slightly less grumpy now as he plopped down beside you, flipping on the TV with a flick of the remote.

Annie straightened in her seat, her gaze shifting to Ben with a raised eyebrow, while you also glanced at him, noticing the absence of his usual greeting kiss. Of course he was hesitant to display affection in front of Annie.

"What?", Ben asked, his tone tinged with annoyance, his attention focused on the TV screen.

You exchanged a quick glance with Annie before responding, "Nothing, just surprised you didn't greet me with a kiss".

Annie's chuckle filled the room as Ben shot you another deadpan glance, silently questioning why you would bring up such a thing in front of someone else.

You shrugged innocently in response to Ben's unspoken inquiry, a mischievous glint in your eyes as you exchanged a knowing look with Annie.

Annie stood up, straightening her jacket as she prepared to leave. "Thanks for the talk", she said to you with a genuine smile, her tone filled with warmth. "I really hope we can rebuild our friendship again".

Ben grumbled under his breath, taking another sip of his beer. "Yeah, until you and the other cocksucker trying to kill me again", he muttered. You elbowed Ben gently before rising to your feet and stepping towards Annie, wrapping her in a warm hug.

As you embraced Annie, the warmth of her hug seemed to melt away some of the lingering tension. "Thank you for coming", you whispered, your voice soft yet sincere. "I really do hope so too".

Annie squeezed you tightly before stepping back, a gentle smile on her face. "Take care of yourself, alright? And the little one", she said.

Ben, watching the exchange with a slightly grumpy expression, grumbled under his breath but didn't interrupt.

Annie nodded to Ben, her tone respectful despite the tension. "Take care, Ben". Ben merely raised his beer in a half-hearted salute, muttering, "Yeah, you too".

As the door closed behind Annie, you turned to Ben, your eyes meeting his. The flicker of annoyance in his eyes softened as he took in your expression. He reached out, pulling you gently into his lap. "You really think we can trust her again?", he asked, his voice low and thoughtful.

You nodded, your fingers brushing through his hair. "I do. It's not going to be easy, but I think it's worth trying".

Ben sighed, his arms tightening around you. "For you, I'll try", he murmured, his lips brushing your forehead. "But if she pulls any shit again…".

"She won't", you assured him, your voice firm.

Ben nodded, his face relaxing slightly. "Alright. Now, let's get you to bed. You need rest", he said, standing up with you still in his arms.

You chuckled softly, resting your head against his shoulder as he carried you upstairs. "And here I thought you were hungry for something else".

Ben's eyes sparkled with a mixture of amusement and desire. "Oh, I'm still hungry", he murmured, his voice a low rumble. "But first, you need to rest. Doctor's orders, remember?".

With that, Ben carefully laid you on the bed, his movements surprisingly gentle given his usual demeanor. He hovered over you, his face just inches away, his eyes searching yours. The intensity of his gaze made your heart flutter. His fingers brushed a stray lock of hair away from your face.

You smiled up at him, your hand resting lightly on his cheek. "It's hard to rest when you're this close", you teased, your voice barely above a whisper.

A slow, lazy grin spread across Ben's face, his eyes twinkling with a mix of affection and desire. "You're impossible, you know that?", he murmured, his breath warm against your lips.

You chuckled softly, your fingers tracing the line of his jaw. "Maybe, but you love me anyway".

Ben's grin widened, and he dipped his head to capture your lips in a slow, lingering kiss. When he finally pulled back, his eyes were dark with emotion. "More than anything", he whispered, his voice raw with sincerity.

He shifted slightly, easing down beside you on the bed and pulling you close against his chest. The steady beat of his heart under your ear was soothing, the rhythm a comforting reminder of his presence.

"Get some sleep", he murmured, his lips brushing against your temple. "I'll be right here".

You nestled closer, the warmth of his body a comforting cocoon around you. As your eyes drifted shut, the last thing you felt was the gentle pressure of his hand resting protectively on your belly.

After you fell asleep, Ben carefully extricated himself from your embrace, making sure not to disturb you. He watched you for a moment, his gaze softening as he observed your peaceful expression. With a quiet sigh, he got up and headed to the bathroom.

The sound of the water running was a soothing backdrop as he stripped off his clothes and stepped into the shower. The hot water cascaded over his body, washing away the tension and grime of the day. He leaned his head back, letting the water run over his face, his thoughts swirling.

It had been a tough week, and the stress of balancing his responsibilities at the tower with his concern for you had taken its toll. As the steam filled the bathroom, he tried to clear his mind, focusing on the present moment.

After a few minutes, he turned off the water and stepped out, grabbing a towel. He dried off quickly, his movements efficient and purposeful. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he glanced at his reflection in the mirror, his eyes dark and serious.

He headed back to the bedroom, moving quietly so as not to wake you. You were still asleep, curled up in the blankets, your breathing soft and even. Ben smiled faintly, his heart swelling with a mix of love and protectiveness.

He dressed quickly in a pair of sweatpants, then walked over to the bed. He bent down, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead before slipping under the covers beside you. You stirred slightly, but didn't wake, your body instinctively moving closer to his for warmth.

Ben wrapped his arm around you, pulling you against his chest. He rested his chin on top of your head, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath. The scent of your hair, the warmth of your body, and the steady rhythm of your breathing lulled him into a state of calm.

As he held you close, he felt the weight of his worries start to lift. He finally allowed himself to relax, the tension in his muscles slowly dissipating.

Ben's breathing evened out, matching yours, as he drifted into a deep, restful sleep, holding you securely in his arms.

Another week passed, and you found yourself standing in the bathroom, staring at your reflection in the mirror. The familiar sight of your face greeted you, but there were noticeable changes. The dark circles under your eyes had deepened, and despite your efforts to hide it from Ben, your weight loss was becoming more apparent. Your belly, however, stood out more prominently, a bittersweet reminder of the life growing inside you.

You ran a hand over your stomach, feeling the slight curve. The contrast between your shrinking frame and the growing bump was stark, making you worry about the toll the pregnancy was taking on your body. Despite everything, you couldn't help but smile softly, feeling a small flutter of movement beneath your palm.

Just then, the bathroom door creaked open, and Ben stepped inside, concern etched on his face. He'd been spending more time at home recently, determined to support you through the pregnancy.

"You okay?", he asked, his voice filled with worry as he approached you.

You nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah, just… taking it all in".

Ben's eyes scanned your face, then dropped to your belly. He reached out, placing a hand over yours. "You've lost more weight", he said quietly, his tone tinged with frustration and concern. "We need to get you eating more, making sure you're getting the nutrients you need".

You sighed, leaning into his touch. "I know. I'm trying, Ben. It's just… harder than I thought it would be".

He pulled you into a gentle hug, his arms wrapping around you protectively.

"Have you talked to the doctor about it?", he asked, pulling back slightly to look into your eyes.

You hesitated, then shook your head. "Not yet. But I will. I promise".

Ben's jaw tightened, but he nodded. "Good. I want you to be okay, not just the baby".

He leaned down, pressing a tender kiss to your forehead. "Come on, let's get you some breakfast", he said, guiding you out of the bathroom.

Ben had taken it upon himself to make breakfast for the two of you all week. While his efforts had gradually improved, he still wasn't quite a chef. This morning was no exception.

You sat on the kitchen counter, chuckling softly as you watched him battle with the stove. The smell of burning eggs filled the air, and you couldn't help but smile at his determined expression.

"Fucking shit!", Ben cursed, flipping the charred eggs with a frustrated sigh. "Why the fuck can't I get this fucking bullshit right?".

You laughed, the sound light and soothing. "You're doing better than last time, at least", you teased, giving him an encouraging smile.

He shot you a deadass glare, but you could see the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Oh, really? So, burning them slightly less is an improvement?", he grumbled, scraping the pan.

"Absolutely", you replied, your eyes sparkling with amusement. "And besides, it's the effort that counts".

Ben sighed, tossing the pan aside and turning to face you. "I just want to make sure you're eating properly", he said, his voice softer now. "You've been losing weight, and it's fucking worrying me".

You reached out, taking his hand in yours. "I know, Ben".

He squeezed your hand gently, his eyes searching yours. "Maybe we should stick to something simpler for now. How about some cereal?".

You chuckled, nodding. "Sounds like a plan".

While standing beside you, Ben handed you a bowl of cereal and leaned against the counter, the two of you eating in comfortable silence. The simplicity of the moment felt peaceful, a stark contrast to the chaos that often surrounded your lives.

After a few bites, you glanced up at him. "Do you need to head to the tower today?", you asked, trying to keep your tone casual.

Ben looked down at his cereal, his jaw tightening slightly. "Yeah", he admitted, his voice tinged with reluctance. "There's some shit I need to handle. But I’ll be back as soon as I can".

You nodded, understanding the weight of his responsibilities. "I know you have a lot on your plate, but make sure to take care of yourself too", you said gently.

Ben’s expression softened as he looked at you."And you take it easy today, okay? Rest up… and fucking eat". You smiled, appreciating his concern. "I will".

"I'll call to check on you".

You nodded, feeling a little reassured by his words. "I'll be fine, Ben. Just go do what you need to do. And come back to me".

He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. "Always", he murmured against your skin before pulling back, his eyes lingering on you for a moment longer.

You watched as Ben zipped up his vest, the powerful image of him in his supe suit never failing to leave you in awe. His muscles rippled under the tight fabric, and the confident, commanding aura he exuded was both intimidating and irresistibly attractive.

As he caught you biting your lip, a smirk spread across his face. “You like what you see, huh?”, he teased, his voice low and playful.

You felt your cheeks heat up, but you met his gaze with a smile. “Maybe a little too much”, you admitted.

Ben chuckled, stepping closer to you. “Careful, sweetheart”, he murmured, his eyes darkening with a mix of amusement and desire. “You keep looking at me like that, and I might have to cancel my plans for the day”.

You laughed softly. “As tempting as that sounds, you have a job to do, Mr. Badass Supe”, you replied, your fingers lingering on his Arms for a moment.

Ben's smirk grew as he spun you around, pressing you gently but firmly against the wall. His body enveloped yours, the heat of his presence making your breath hitch. The sudden proximity and the intensity of his gaze made your heart race, each beat echoing in your ears.

"You have no idea what you do to me", he murmured, his lips brushing against your ear. His voice was a low, rumbling whisper, sending shivers down your spine.

You felt his hands slide down your sides, stopping at your hips as he pulled you closer, the hardness of his body pressing into yours. Your breath came in short, ragged gasps as you tried to steady yourself, the anticipation building between you.

"Ben", you breathed, your voice barely a whisper, as you tilted your head to meet his gaze. The hunger in his eyes mirrored your own, and you could feel the tension crackling in the air between you.

"I should really get going", he said, though his actions betrayed his words as he leaned in, capturing your lips in a searing kiss. It was a kiss filled with all the unspoken desire and longing you both felt, leaving you dizzy and craving more.

As he pulled back, his forehead resting against yours, he let out a deep sigh. "Fuck, you make it so hard to leave", he grumbled, his breath hot against your skin.

You chuckled softly, reaching up to run your fingers through his hair. "Then don't", you whispered, your voice laced with a mix of teasing and sincerity.

Ben's grip on your hips tightened for a moment before he reluctantly stepped back, creating a small distance between you. "I can't, but I'll make it up to you later", he promised, before he leaned down and kissed your belly softly, whispering something so quiet you couldn't hear it.

You watched him turn and head for the door. "I'll hold you to that", you called after him, a smile playing on your lips.

As the door closed behind him, the room felt suddenly quiet, the intensity of the moment lingering in the air. You sighed, trying to steady your racing heart, already counting down the hours until he would return.

———————————

A/N: Please let me know what you think.🥰 I have to say that this is one of my favorite chapters. I hope you like it too. Here again in advance, the next chapter is going to be... well, a lot. That's it for peace kids, time for drama.

-

Part 33

-

Taglist: @deangirl96, @thatgirljayy, @suckitands33, @deans-spinster-witch@mimaria420@kaz11283@uncle-eggy@jackles010378@vxnilla-hxrddrugs @meowmeowyoongles@sarahgracej @zemosdarling228 @leila22rogers @mostlymarvelgirl@emily-winchester @blacknoirr @onlyangel-444@seasonofthenerd@staple-your-mouth@artemys-ackles@selfdestructionandrhum@mystic-mara @kat-nee @samanddeaninatrenchcoat @star-yawnznn @me1501 @CheyNovaK @faephoria

[pepi1989]

Tangled in Love

Pairing: Ben Shelton x F!Reader

Warnings: None

The house buzzed with energy as you walked through the front door, greeted by the familiar sounds of family chatter and kids' laughter bouncing off the walls. You could already hear Ben’s voice carrying from the living room, mixed in with the playful shrieks of his nieces and nephews. A smile tugged at your lips these family gatherings always had a way of feeling like home, no matter how chaotic they got.

As you rounded the corner, you stopped in your tracks, the scene in front of you too precious to disturb. Ben was sprawled out on the floor, totally surrendered to the chaos of four tiny bodies piling on top of him. He was laughing so hard his eyes were squeezed shut, his arms pinned to the ground by one particularly determined little girl. His hair was a mess of curls, half of it falling across his forehead as he tried, and failed,to shake off his captors.

“Hey!” His eyes flickered open when he spotted you, still grinning even with a five-year-old perched on his chest. “A little help here?”

You leaned against the doorway, crossing your arms with a playful smirk. “No way, you’re on your own. You look like you’ve got it handled.”

The tallest of the kids, Ben’s nephew, who took his role as “team leader” very seriously, jumped to his feet. “We need reinforcements!” He looked straight at you, eyes wide with purpose. “Auntie, help us! We have to take him down!”

You laughed, already being pulled by the hand into the fray. “Oh no, I don’t think this is fair. You’ve got him pretty cornered already,” you teased, but before you knew it, you were kneeling beside them, part of the tangle of arms and legs.

Ben shot you a look of pure betrayal. “Traitor!” He groaned dramatically, but you could see the affection in his eyes, the way his smile softened when he looked at you.

It was moments like this that reminded you why you adored him so much, not just because he could charm his way through any conversation or light up the court, but because he was just so good with his family. He was patient, playful, and every bit the big kid when he needed to be.

One of the younger girls, with the cutest little pigtails, suddenly declared, “We win! Uncle Ben is squished!” She flopped down onto his chest, giggling uncontrollably.

Ben groaned again, rolling his eyes in mock defeat. “Alright, alright, you got me. I surrender.”

You let out a breathless laugh, collapsing onto the floor beside him. The kids started to disperse, distracted by another game across the room, leaving you two in a heap. Ben turned his head to look at you, still catching his breath from all the wrestling. “You know,” he said quietly, “if I had known they’d get you on their team, I would’ve trained harder.”

“Please,” you snorted. “You didn’t stand a chance.”

His eyes softened, a tender smile curling at the corners of his mouth. “I like seeing you like this,” he murmured, his voice lower now, more serious than the playful banter from moments before. “With my family. It feels… right.”

Your heart did a little flip at his words. Before you could say anything, one of the kids yelled from across the room, “Uncle Ben, come play hide and seek!” And just like that, the moment was gone, his playful grin reappearing as he got to his feet, offering you a hand.

“Better go defend my honor,” he said with a wink before jogging off to join them.

You stayed there for a moment, watching as he dove right back into the chaos. Your chest swelled with a familiar warmth, knowing that this right here, in the middle of his family, surrounded by laughter and love was exactly where you belonged.

[dovesdreaming]

Lost in the tide

Summary: You and Harry were best friends til you took your chance at a new beginning on the isle. When reunited he finds his forgiveness in a passionate kiss.

Request

Masterlist

-

The Isle of the Lost had always been your home. It was dark, gritty, and full of danger, but you never cared about any of that, not when you had Harry Hook by your side. Harry had been your best friend for as long as you could remember. From sneaking around the Isle, plotting mischief and laughing at the chaos you caused, to watching the waves crash against the shore in rare, quiet moments, he had been your anchor in a world that didn’t offer much comfort. Being the daughter of Maleficent and sister to Mal came with its own set of challenges. Expectations weighed heavily on you, and while Mal embraced her role as a leader on the Isle, you had always felt a different pull, something that made you long for more than what the Isle could give. You and Harry had often talked about escaping, about breaking free from the chains that bound you to this place. But when the time came for one of you to leave, when Auradon came calling, you took your chance. And Harry had never forgiven you.

Now, years later, your heart pounded as you stepped off the boat, the familiar sights and smells of the Isle hitting you all at once. The air was thick with the scent of salt and grime, the streets bustling with the same chaos you had left behind. It was as if time hadn’t moved at all. Yet, everything had changed. Especially you. You were back on the Isle for one reason: to save Ben from Uma and her crew. But despite the mission’s urgency, your mind was consumed with only one thought, Harry. The boy who had once been your best friend, the one who had stood by your side through it all. The boy you left behind. The one whose anger still haunted you. “You alright?” Mal asked from beside you, sensing your unease. “Yeah, I’m fine” you lied, giving her a quick nod. “Let’s get this over with”. But as your group made its way toward the docks where Ben was being held, your heart raced faster with each step. And then, as if summoned by your thoughts, there he was.

Harry Hook stood near the edge of the dock, leaning casually against a post, his ever-present hook twirling in his hand. His eyes, sharp and glinting like shards of ice, were locked on you the moment you came into view. He hadn’t moved, but the intensity in his gaze was enough to make your heart skip a beat. The years apart had changed him, he was taller, broader, his features sharper and his demeanor even more dangerous but those familiar blue eyes, filled with a mix of anger and something else, were the same. And just like that, it felt like no time had passed at all.

“Well, well” Harry drawled, pushing off from where he’d been standing and taking a step toward you. His lips curled into a smirk, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Look who decided to grace us with her presence. The prodigal daughter returns”. You swallowed, trying to keep your composure. “Harry...” “Don’t” he snapped, his voice cold as he cut you off. “Ye don’t get to say my name like that anymore. Not after ye left”. His words hit harder than you expected, a sharp pang in your chest. You’d known he would be angry, but hearing it, feeling the bitterness in his voice, was worse than you imagined. “I didn’t have a choice” you said softly, meeting his gaze.

Harry’s eyes darkened, and he took another step closer, the space between you shrinking. “There’s always a choice, lass. Ye just didn’t choose me”. The hurt in his voice was undeniable, and you flinched at the rawness of it. He’d always been so strong, so confident, but now, standing in front of you, there was vulnerability there, a crack in the armor. You glanced down, your fingers curling into fists at your sides. “I didn’t want to leave you, Harry. But Auradon… it was an opportunity, a chance for something different. You know that”. “Auradon” Harry spat, his voice filled with venom as he stepped even closer. He was right in front of you now, his breath hot against your skin as he stared down at you with an intensity that made your knees weak. “Ye got your perfect life, didn’t ye? While I was stuck here, rotting on this godforsaken Isle”.

“I didn’t have a choice” you repeated, your voice cracking. “I had to go, Harry. You don’t know how hard it was-“ “Ye left me” he interrupted again, this time his voice softer but no less fierce. His hand came up, the metal of his hook gleaming in the dim light as he pointed it at you. “Ye left me here alone”. You bit your lip, your heart aching at the pain in his voice. You wanted to reach out to him, to touch him, to tell him everything you had never been able to say. “I never wanted to leave you behind” you whispered, your voice trembling. “You were all I thought about”. Something flickered in his eyes at that. Surprise, maybe, or disbelief, but he didn’t move, his body still rigid with anger. For a long, agonizing moment, neither of you spoke, the silence heavy with everything that had been left unsaid over the years. “I didn’t hate ye, ye know” Harry finally said, his voice rough with emotion. His eyes softened slightly as he studied your face, and he let out a harsh breath. “I thought I did, but..I was just jealous. Jealous ye got out. That ye left me”.

You reached out tentatively, your hand brushing lightly against his chest. “I never stopped thinking about you, Harry. Never”. His breath hitched at your touch, his body tensing beneath your fingers. His free hand, the one not gripping his hook, came up to catch your wrist, holding it in place as his eyes bore into yours. “Do ye mean that?” he asked, his voice low and raw. You nodded, your heart pounding in your chest. “I mean it”.

For a moment, neither of you moved. You could feel the warmth of his hand on your skin, the way his chest rose and fell with each shaky breath. And then, with a growl of frustration, Harry closed the distance between you, crashing his lips against yours in a kiss that was as desperate as it was fierce. You gasped into the kiss, your hands flying up to tangle in his hair as you kissed him back just as eagerly. Years of pent-up emotion and unresolved tension poured into that kiss, the heat between you building with every second. Harry’s arms wrapped tightly around you, pulling you flush against his body, and you could feel the rapid thrum of his heartbeat as his lips moved against yours, hungry and demanding.

He backed you up against one of the wooden posts of the dock, pressing his body into yours as his lips trailed down the side of your neck, nipping at your skin with a wicked grin. “Ye don’t get to leave again” he murmured against your throat, his breath hot and teasing. “Not without me”. You shivered, your fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as you tugged him closer. “I’m not going anywhere”. “Good” he growled, his lips finding yours again in a searing kiss that left you breathless. His hook brushed lightly against your side, the cold metal sending a thrill through you as he tilted your chin up with his free hand. “Because I’ve spent too long thinkin’ about this, about ye”.

Your pulse raced as his lips hovered just above yours, his voice dropping to a low, seductive whisper. “And now that I’ve got ye… I’m not lettin’ go”. The mission to save Ben could wait, just for a little longer. For now, all that mattered was the heat of Harry’s touch and the way he made you feel like you had finally come home. And this time, you weren’t going to let him go.

-

Thank you for reading!

[vadersassistant]

Hiiii

wo dering if you could do an enemies to lover anakin imagine. kind of like friends to enemies to lovers or something like that and it ends in them making out o whatever you are comfortable with.

Anyways thank youuu

Denial One Shot (Darth Vader x Reader)

Summary: After venturing into a Sith Temple to try and find an edge on the current war, (Y/N) meets her enemy, Lord Vader, the man who killed her best friend and secret lover. He has been hunting both her and her alias down for months, following her across the galaxy, but little does she know, he has no plans to kill her. Takes place in the temple seen in the Star Wars Rebels season two finale. Reader was previously a Jedi and is in hiding due to order 66.

Warnings: Make out session

A/N: (Y/N) does not know Vader is Anakin, and Vader does not know (Y/N) is the Fugitive he has been searching for. This is once again a mix of suited Vader and nightfall Vader. In which, Vader wears the suit and mask, but he can take it off and looks like the Anakin we know and love.

The temple was eerie, an odd feeling passing by with each step you took. It was the opposite of the one I grew up in, representing everything I was told to dislike, and yet I was here anyways. I had made up my mind to fight instead of continuing to run from the problem. I wasn’t a rebel, but I wasn’t an imperial either. I was the middle ground, a former Jedi with a new identity, a mask to shield my face so that I could live freely, but the saber still gave it away. I was good, too good to be a civilian having fun with an old relic, even though some still used them publicly. Some, as in him.

The Jedi fell and Lord Vader rose out of thin air. There was no preface, no foreshadowing, he just came, and everyone bowed their heads.

To outsiders he was a military leader trained in combat, who happened to use an imaginary power. To force users, like Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and I, he was a Sith. We all knew it the second he began hunting us down. He wanted the Jedi dead and made it clear when he began searching for my alias as well. Everyone knew who she was, I was put on every single imperial security watch available, but I evaded it all I could. I forged a new saber, so that they couldn’t track me that way, and told people about how the female jedi on the Holonets from the clone wars died. The only people who truly knew were Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, since they too had done something similar. He was Ben, she was Ashla, and I gained the name Fugitive, a mask being the only way to keep track of my identity.

I couldn’t count how many storm-troopers I had killed by now, just that I did. I was forced to, to keep myself alive, because he wanted me turned in. I was always told to run, to flee from Vader because of what he’s done, but all I wanted was for the man to wind up dead. A lust for revenge had developed ever since I learned what he did to my best friend, Anakin Skywalker.

I don’t even know how he could have killed a warrior like him, but he did and now he’s gone. Slaughtered like any other while trying to save people in the temple, something someone with his character would have done naturally. The worst part is that everyone he was trying to save is dead too, and that he could have escaped with us, had he not done what he did. He had a wife, Senator Amidala, a good friend of mine, who also died that night, although I wasn’t sure if they ended on good terms.

The two had been arguing for a while, he believed she was cheating on him with Obi Wan, although she continued to deny it along with everyone else. I was the only one who he talked to about his problems willingly, even Kenobi would have to go through reading his mind to talk about personal issues. It was only when Anakin died that the truth came out, that being that Anakin was right, and she was seeing Kenobi.

I hadn’t recognized him after that point. I knew he was afraid he would be kicked out of the Jedi order if we found out he was dating another woman. Even further, the fact he knowingly was allowing the affair to happen, but it occurred anyways, and he lost everything with it. That was consequence enough, he didn’t need me to yell at him any further for going that far.

Still, I was angry, because I cared about Anakin.

And also loved him.

I denied it for years, the helpless prodding’s from Ahsoka when the two of us would spend hours upon hours with each other. We carried out the entire war effort, working extremely close together on missions. It was no surprise that I liked him, he had even mentioned subtly what things would be like if he hadn’t met her. It sounded like he regretted it, but I had no clue, due to us being force users.

I now stood in front of the man who took him away, the one that gutted him in the chest like a fish with no care whatsoever. The man that had been hunting me down under both my names since the night of the fall, the one that was known for murdering everyone in his path. I don’t know how he found me, I had a feeling we were being followed, but I didn’t care. We needed the Holocron inside of the temple, and Ahsoka now had it in hand. I could sense their distraught, both behind me looking at the Sith in front of us. They didn’t want to fight him; they were afraid to fight him. I felt differently, looking at his mask through the visors of my own.

“It was foretold that you would be here, our long-awaited meeting has come at last."

“This meeting is over,” Ahsoka said.

“Are you so sure?” the Sith questioned through the modulated voice his mask provided him, as I stepped forward.

“What are you doing?” Obi-Wan asked me, his breath becoming short.

“Leave."

“No," he shook his head. "Don’t do this."

“Leave. Now.”

I looked up at the temple’s ceiling as the walls started to drop down. It was collapsing on itself, since the Holocron had been taken from the Obelisk. There wasn’t much to do, but I knew I didn’t want to pull them into this. I turned around and outstretched a hand.  

Ahsoka screamed as I force pushed both her and Obi-Wan back while the temple’s walls crashed down. I saw her figure fly back just before the drop and felt her gently land. There was a ship, they could leave, I would worry about myself after I killed him.

“We’re finishing this here,” I said. "I know you've been hunting me for the past months."

“You are courageous, unlike your friends,” the Sith mused. “Hateful.”

“You killed my best friend," I pointed out. "I want you to experience that same pain."

“Revenge is not the Jedi way,” he reminded. "Your confidence dilutes your ability to make rational decisions."

“I am no Jedi.”

“Then who are you? Your saber is unlike any I have ever seen, an identity successfully hidden behind a helm.”

“That’s none of your business, why have you been hunting me?” I asked. I felt the pressure of the Dark Side creeping against my mind's barriers, he was trying to invade.

“You would make a wonderful apprentice in the dark side,” Vader said. "You have already abandoned your training as a Jedi."

“I don’t side with murderers.”

“And yet you are one. I have seen your way of fighting Fugitive; you have killed countless of our troops and inquisitors.”

“Your Inquisitorious is an embarrassment, and I will never join you, not after what you did,” I called my saber to my hand, igniting it.

“Then you will die.”

There was this feeling of fear that attempted to wash over me, like he was attempting to throw me off, but I wasn't thinking about it anymore.

I ran full speed at him, force pushing myself up off the ground and into the air to try and put myself on the offensive. My blade met his right over his helmet, as he angled me back and I landed behind him. My automatic response was to try and swing for his legs, a move he evaded but had been surprised by. I knew I needed to be careful with how I played things. He would try and tire me out by just playing the defensive, but I also didn’t get that tired frow much stamina I built up during the war. Vader was also bigger, and stronger, meaning I’d need to use his weight to my advantage. I was quick, less stable, and grounded, and more agile in my movements.

We continued to take shots at each other, as he seemingly began to test me. It was a constant switch from the right to the left, bashing at each other from different angles and walking along with it. It was something Anakin and I always did, and it almost felt familiar. For whatever reason, I could feel myself getting into the rhythm Skywalker and I got into when we would train every day. After a certain point I would always switch my grip and force him to back off, and I did it purely out of muscle memory, shoving the Sith back.

“Your anger focuses you,” he commented. “Join me and I can enhance that power.”

“You killed him, the man I loved, do you truly believe I would ever consider that?”

“He is gone for a reason,” Vader said.

“He was the chosen one!” I shouted, interlocking lightsabers in a pursuit for power over the other. "You know why he lost his life?! Because he was trying to save everyone else, instead of actually caring for himself for once."

“(Y/N)."

I stumbled back immediately, hearing that name leave his mouth,

"What?"

My eyes widened beneath the visors, letting my guard down for just a moment.

It was all he needed.

I felt his immense force break through my walls and invade my mind, clawing through my memories and thoughts like a file. Not only that, but he immediately took me to the ground. It was quick, as he now straddled me, muscular thighs resting over my lower waist. Both my arms were pinned to either side with by the force, my saber in his hand.

I grunted, struggling under him and thrusting against his cod piece hoping it would make him budge but it barely made a difference. I couldn’t do a thing, as the Sith reached for my mask and pressed down on the sides. I felt it depressurize, as his gloved digits lifted it off my head, and I looked into his mask with my own eyes.

"How do you know my name?" I asked angrily as I fought underneath him to free myself.

There was no way of telling what he truly felt in that moment, holding the helm silently, breathing being the only indication he was still alive. I continued to try and do everything to get out of his grasp, but the Sith only sat there and took me in, his body heat lingering over my own. I felt like a mess, wondering where Ahsoka and Obi-Wan might be right now, realizing why Anakin lost his life to this man. I didn’t know how he knew my name, my real name, the one that no one had called me in months. I was fully pinned down, not giving up until I saw him reach for his own helmet.

"What are you do—"

My throat ran dry, amber eyes piercing through my body like a blade.

"Anakin."

It was him, with brown hair that held golden streaks just above his armor.

"(Y/N)."

Hearing his voice sent a shiver down my entire back, as I shuddered underneath him.

“I thought you died—they said Vader killed you—" there were tears welling up in my eyes, looking up at him.

“I am alive."

“Why did you turn?"

“The Jedi council was using us, Obi-Wan lied to me about Padme (Y/N), they were having an affair. But you know that already.”

“Obi Wan told us,” I trailed off.

“I know.”

“Do you plan to kill me?”

“No, that was never my intent," he emphasized lowly.

“So, what will you do?” I questioned.

“After separating myself from the order, I reflected much upon it,” Anakin started. "And came to terms with several of my mistakes."

“What mistakes?”

Still straddling me Anakin leaned down, placing his hands by either sides of my head and lowering himself to my ear.

“I was blindly dating filthy senator, when I had the love of my life right next to me the entire time."

"What do you mean?" I emphasized each word, my abdomen tensing as he got so close to me.

"There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think of my future and imagine you by my side. I told myself it was our strong bond causing me to think of you constantly, due to the amount of time we spent together, but now, I feel completely different."

"Anakin," my heart was racing, as he continued to whisper into my ear.

"Maker, I missed you so much."

He was just trying to be friendly, that's all this was.

"Now, I know you are not that naive," he let out a deep chuckle, reading my mind.

"Is this your way of coercing me into joining the dark side?" I said softly, trying to play it off.

"There is no need to coerce you (Y/N), your heart is already doing all the work," Anakin told me. "All there is to do is to make up for lost time."

"No.."

"Continuing to deny it is only stalling the inevitable," he spoke in a playful way. "Your hatred towards the one you believed to be my killer only proves it more."

"I—" I cut myself off, as Anakin moved his head, now right over mine.

"What is it?" he asked me, his golden eyes flicking from my lips up to my eyes in quick fashion.

I gave in, nodding to his silent question and feeling the force lift off my hands.

Anakin pressed his lips to mine as I lifted my head up and met him midway. His robotic hand came down to my waist, the other combing through my hair as he helped hold my head steady. It was delicate and prepared, goosebumps crawling over my skin as his weight pressed me onto the cold temple floors. He was an expert in the way he worked around my mouth, the first time I had ever kissed anyone to begin with.

To think such a sacred place would be ruined due to our own shenanigans.

A Jedi and a Sith, making out in a temple with no care for sentiment.

His lips were chapped yet soft, and the more breaths we took between kissing the more swollen they became. Anakin didn’t seem to care though, continuing to go down on my neck allowing me to breath. He wasn’t going too far, but it was enough for the occasion, leaving marks I that wouldn’t leave for days.

It was madness.

Everything around us screamed in pleasure, the force happily chiming along with the two sides agreeing on something, even if it wasn’t an argument. Anakin had changed, and I couldn’t decide if it was for better or for worse.

If only those two could see me now, making love to the man that we had been running from for months. The copious amounts of rage had turned to attraction in a blink of an eye, rejoicing in his presence as my hand pressed against his tunic and I felt his abdomen underneath the fabric. He was such light and yet the darkness itself, drowning me in it as we sunk into a pool of ecstasy.

The cold stone floors were soon heated, as the temple grew humid and we both simultaneously agreed to take our tops off. It was the definition of multitasking, as I took off his armor and tunic, leaving behind a black pair of pants, and his boots. With the force he slipped my top off, gaining access to my collar bone and gracing it with his mouth. There was a possessive feeling in the air, as he took in my body for the first time with his own eyes as I did to him.

"You are so beautiful, it is intoxicating."

I felt myself smiling, sitting up and wrapping my arms around his neck, the both of us kissing deeply. This was it, holding our breath as we enjoyed one another, but the force was warning the both of us.

The temple shook, I almost forgot it was collapsing.

"We need to escape before we become trapped inside," Anakin said. "My ship is outside."

"And you assume I'm coming?"

"I know you are."

I laughed, acknowledging his foresight. We put on our clothes hurriedly yet thoroughly, as someone trained to handle life or death would. In truth, that was what we stood for, as Jedi and Sith both came together as one, in ways that would be frowned upon.

Except we didn't care.

We weren't denying it any longer.

Back in business since the recent Ahsoka episode. Hope you all enjoyed!

[crushedsweets]

FANTASY AU

ok basically. janes next in line for the crown, but shes 17 and has forever until her parents die, so she's just doing her princessly duties (receiving love letters from one of her maids and looking pretty). until jeff and his barbarian army completely and utterly raid her kingdom and set fire to most of it . both her parents died in the attack and suddenly, jane has the crown and has to rebuild her broken kingdom at a very young age. very sad !

jeff is a pretty shitty leader of his own army.. its not a kingdom by any means and he just likes the power, but he has a certain magical lady in his corner(ninaaaa) keeping anybody from overthrowing/disobeying him .

bens a fairy/elf (i dunno yet) that got stuck in the reflection of an enchanted lake bc he got trolled by another fae. sallys a little peasant girl that got killed for practicing magic, so now she's a sorta witch-ghost-girl. she ends up finding ben stuck in the lake and tries to get him out.. but she only gets him from the reflection of the lake, to the reflection of a mirror. LOL. eventually she actually gets him out to the real world.

ben and sally end up under janes good grace and gets toby to protect them. ill do proxy + ej +nina stuff in a diff post . i dunno if ill even include slenderman/the operator but if i do itll prob just be like. them being gods that ppl worship or smth

i might make like actual refs for designs or smth later with better explanations.. there are some actual species and stuff that i wanna assign them cuz i was chatting with it about someone who actually knows dnd terms BUT ill actually like 'finalize' that stuff if i do refs. otherwise its just general vibes LOL

none of this is set in stone obv im just um Yeah .

[starguardianniom]

Billy and Lighter

I love their dynamic so much.

Freaking Lighter of all people sees Billy as his worthy rival.

Ngl but I legit think it's because Billy is the only one he can fight without being afraid of passing out.

Given Lighter faints at the sight of blood and that Billy is an android, if Billy gets hurt he will probably leak oil, but no blood, which is perfect for Lighter.

I honestly, half-seriously thinks that's the sole reason Lighter considers Billy is rival, because he won't risk embarassing himself if he manages to hurt Billy while fighting as Billy has no blood for him to faint to.

But he also does respect him given he thinks highly of him and actually likes him like a brother too.

They playfully tease one another but you can also clearly see that Lighter has a high opinion of Billy and is also happy for him to have found happiness somewhere else too, and that's so wholesome, my heart.

I was pratically screaming of joy in my head the entire time yesterday when I speedrun the chapter (I had the day off lucky me so I used it to clear out chapter 4 entirely yeah!).

I took so many pictures, will upload them this weekend, now I need to go do that certification exam to get my people to level 50, given I need to level up pretty much everyone I have right now (Billy, Anby, Nicole, Corin, Soukaku, Ben, Anton, Seth, Jane and Lucy are the characters I currently have the game refuses me Piper and just sended me a lil army of Corins, Anby and Soukaku, now I have Anby and Soukaku to M4 and Corin to M3, though it gave me Billy M2 and Seth M2 thank god) I'll be at it for a while.

But honestly I expected Lighter to be a bit more mean toward Billy and feeling superior to him but it seems like I was worried for nothing, Lighter loves Billy and Billy loves him back, though I'm pretty sure Billy also thinks that he wasn't able to escape Lighter entirely given he now has Anby around. XD Lighter keeps forgetting things and Anby keeps forgetting the line between fiction and reality, I imagine Billy must be used to Anby because he had to spend half his time reminding Lighter of stuff all the time. XD

I swear Billy had it better than Lighter back then, given he was the Champion that means he was the strongest of the Sons of Calydon, which means he's stronger than Big Daddy, and Big Daddy is most likely the one who raised and taught Caesar how to fight, so if she didn't get the title of Champion back then, then Billy was most likely strong enough to beat her too and Big Daddy. But then he left. But he also got to meet Lighter before that, but Lighter is weaker than Caesar but still has the title for some reason, so it's a bit murky there as to why they needed 2 champions.

I think Billy wanted to leave or something happened that made him leave and then Big Daddy brought in Lighter to pick up his title but Billy sticked around long enough to make sure Lighter was up for the job given they have a good brotherly friendly rivalry relationship together so once Billy thought Lighter was ready he gave him his title and left. And then Caesar got to be the new boss of the Sons of Calydon when Big Daddy retired, and was strong enough that she was able to beat Lighter apparently.

But the title of Champion is basically being the number 2 of the gang, so if the leader isn't around it's most likely the champion calling the shots and making sure everything is alright and settling disputes and what nots, but since Lighter is pretty scatterbrained, most of the duties went to Lucy while Lighter is just now extra muscles, since Lucy is pretty much the one making sure everything is alright and being the brains of the Sons, but she clearly doesn't have the strenght to be the Champion because Lighter is the one with that title.

So I imagine Billy used to handle negotiations and relations and other stuff with Big Daddy before he left and probably used to be deadly efficient, in some parts of the story he is a lot more aware and shrewd than he presents himself most of the time, such as asking us about the H.D.D and asking why we'd bother to be proxies when we could have done so much more and get a much more lucrative job, or when he was ready to sell us out to PubSec to save the Cunning Hares and himself pointing out that the Cunning Hares could get their record cleaned if they reported a proxy, which was a very smart way of thinking given their situation back then. He is also knowledgeable about the Outer Ring, so he is way much smarter than he acts too.

I do feel like Billy is seen as a superior predecessor to Lighter and while Lighter doesn't resent Billy at all for it he also feels the need to prove himself to him in some way to live up to his "brother's" legacy.

Lucy probably didn't have much to do until Billy left and Big Daddy retired. Then she basically became the second half of the Champion title in the Sons of Calydon, being the brain to Lighter's brawn, but Billy before them had the title on his own to the point that he is still feared today by other people in the Outer Ring.

It does beg the question of what was Billy like back then, probably less happy and more brutal and having the mindset of a weapon maybe, but he was still cared for a lot.

I also like to think that Big Daddy called him Billy Kid because he honestly saw Billy as "his" kid when he bought him from a group of drifters, now I really want the whole story, if they release Big Daddy and Lighter, give them more content with Billy, I need more, Hoyo!

[raythekiller]

🗒 ❛ Personality Headcanons ༉‧₊˚✧

Featuring: Jeff The Killer, Ben Drowned, Ticci Toby, Eyeless Jack, Masky, Hoodie

#Notes: just my general take on the creeps. hope y'all enjoy! requests open :)

˗ˏˋ back to navigation ´ˎ˗

꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Jeff The Killer

He's a total fucking prick, for a lack of better word. He doesn't care about other's feelings, he thinks he's better than everyone so he's "allowed" to treat people badly, and he has anger issues to top that. Protesting against his bad treatment is gonna earn you some screaming at best and some blood spilled at worst, depending entirely on his mood.

He has the potential to be a good friend and person in general, he just doesn't want to. However, you might catch him trying to awkwardly comfort Toby or Ben when they have mental breakdowns. Well, not as much "comfort" but more of a shy pat on the back and a "Stop being a little bitch" comment, but that's his way of showing that he cares. Take it or leave.

꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Ben Drowned

Generally a pretty chill guy. He's not an extrovert, but he's still fairly outgoing when it comes to meeting new people (when he does leave his room, that is. He's kind of a shut in). Since he died when he was about twelve, I think he's forever stuck into the pre-pubescent boy mentality, so he can be quite the little shit.

That means he's also kind of a pervert and just immature in general. The type to play certain games just to gawk at the female character's slutty outfits and make fart jokes. He can also be very sarcastic and witty when he wants to, just a total smartass. Also, he's a pothead.

꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Ticci Toby

Probably one of, if not the nicest creep in the manor. Very upbeat and cheerful, at least most of the time. As someone that has bipolar disorder, it personally doesn't make me very violent and as unstable as Toby is canonically said to be. What does make me does things though is my BPD, so I headcanon he has that as well. He's all sunshine and rainbows until someone says something in a slightly off tone and suddenly he's screaming and throwing his hatchets at the fucking wall.

That also means he's extremely clingy. He wants every last bit of attention he can get and is extremely possessive of people he likes. And, while he is nice most of the time, when he's having an episode he's probably the most cold and cruel person you'll ever met.

꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Eyeless Jack

One of the most chill creeps. He's not aggressive and kills only when he needs to eat, and tries to make it quick and painless for the victim. He eats any organs, not just kidneys. Also, he's a fucking great cook, Hannibal Lecter style. He really likes reading and is extremely intelligent, probably knows two or more languages, and is probably the most mature member of the manor after Slenderman.

He's not actually blind, but he's not not blind either. He sees the temperature of things instead of the actual object. He hates drama and argument and loud noises, so he normally stays away from the other creeps (especially our favorite trio, Jeff, Ben and Toby), but he gets along really well with Jane.

꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Masky

Another prick, though a more reserved one than Jeff. He's a perfectionist and natural leader, so he expects everyone to obey him without questions and no mistakes allowed. He has this rivalry going on with Toby because, even though he's the leader and Slenderman's right hand, he feels the tall guy has a certain favoritism or soft spot when it comes to Toby (which is true).

He gets very aggressive after missions and just wants to be left alone for at least a few hours, just until he calms down a little. After he's rested, he's actually pretty decent to be around, becoming less defensive and more accepting of others.

꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Hoodie

The coolest guy ever. He's calm but great to be around and is always willing to listen to others when they need to vent. He's kind of the manor's therapist and gives great advice. He's mute, so he talks either through sign language or writing down on paper. He also plays guitar and likes to write his own songs sometimes. Ben and Sally really look up to him as a kind of cool uncle.

Since he's so level headed, he's always the one to calm Masky down when he's being a bit much. Toby really appreciates this, since he's normally getting the short end of Masky's bad moods. As mentioned, he's great with the younger members of the manor and just kids in general and they all love him. The type of uncle to give them candy while saying "Don't tell your parents" playfully.