#THIS IS ABOUT TAMI SO HARD

[leclerc-hs]

a smut where you and Charles aren’t together but he likes you and found out you fucked another driver?

pairing: charles leclerc x fem!reader summary: in which you and your best friend have always been oddly close OR charles fucks you hard on your couch warnings: 18+, smut under the cut!!!, angst??, bad french translation, not proofread!!!! word count: ~3.4k author's note: hi not sure if this is exactly what you wanted but this is what i came up with :) xoxo

“Votre relation n’est pas normale.” Your relationship is not normal. Camille murmured softly as she reached over your shoulder, her fingers grazing the wooden bar as she retrieved her drink.

Confusion etched itself across your face, a tapestry of furrowed brows and wide, searching eyes. “On es tamis depuis tojours.” We’ve been friends since forever. You shrug your shoulders with a small smile. “It’s normal.”

“He’s all over you. Constantly.” You watch her eyes wander over to Charles, seated at the table invested in conversation with the rest of your friends. “Even when he’s not with you, he’s checking on you every second he can.”

Your stomach flutters with a cascade of butterflies at the very mention. Yet, it didn’t matter. You were friends. You let out a soft laugh, brushing off her words as you take a leisurely sip of your drink. 

“It means nothing, Cami.” You state. “Besides, I may or may not have hooked up with Lando last week.”

Camille’s fingers deliver a gentle but affection smack of your shoulder, her eyes sparkling in mischief as she gasps in amusement, the sound of her laughter ringing with a warm, melodic tone.

“Mauvaise fille!” Bad girl!

“We were drunk.”

“Was it any good at least?”

A faint, approving smile tugs at the corners of your lips, a silent acknowledgment of the pleasure you’ve taken. Camille responds with another tender, playful tap to your shoulder. 

“We agreed it was a one time thing only though.” You catch the bartender’s eye behind Camille and give a subtle, practiced nod, signaling for a much-needed refill.

“Qu’est-ce qu’une chose unique?” What’s a one-time thing?

His velvety voice glides through the air from behind you, weaving an almost tangible warmth that sends a cascade of shivers across your skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps to rise and dance over your arms.

Startled by his unexpected presence, you snap around to face him, your eyes widening in alarm. For a moment, the rush of surprise leaves you breathless, but gradually, your nerves settle as you regain your composure.

“Rien.” Nothing. You glance over at the bartender, who has already forgotten about your request for a refill. Charles, noticing your empty glass and the delay, quickly catches the bartender’s eye with a decisive wave. Within moment, he efficiently arranges your drink to be refilled, ensuring its back in your hand in less than a minute.

“All better now, ma lapin?” My bunny. You turn your head to look at him, and a radiant smile spreads across your lips, lighting up your expression with warmth and affection.

Across from you, Camille stifles a snort, her amusement barely contained. The sound prompts you to narrow your eyes at her, a mix of curiosity and mild irritation flickering in your gaze.

Charles casually mentions that he’s heading back to the table, but before he goes, he rests his hand lightly on the small of your back, his touch warm and reassuring. He leans in, his breath tickling your ear as he murmurs softly, “Take it easy tonight, yeah?”

The intimate proximity and his gentle tone sends a soothing shiver down your spine. You nod in acknowledgment, and with a final, lingering look that seems to convey both care and encouragement, he turns and makes his way back to the table.

“He’s so gone for you.”

-

The sun blazes high and fierce, casting a relentless glare over the padel court. The air is thick and stifling, a heavy blanket of heat that wraps around Charles as he steps off the court for a water break.

Charles can feel the sweat beginning to bead on his brow, trickling down his face in steady streams as he grabs a towel to wipe his face.

The players around him, equally drenched and exhausted.

Carlos twists the cap of his water bottle with a soft, satisfying pop, the cool hiss of escaping air mingling with the ambient noise around. As he takes a refreshing swig, he looks over at Charles with a casual yet intrigued expression. His eyes, bright with curiosity, as he casually asks, “What are you doing tonight?”

Charles tosses his sweat-soaked towel onto the bench with a practiced flick, the fabric landing in a damp heap. He then runs his hands down his drenched shirt, attempting to absorb some of the perspiration clinging to his skin. The fabric clings to him, darkened and heavy with sweat, as he wipes his face, the effort evident in every move.

Charles glances at his phone, his eyes catching the sight of two unread messages from you displayed on the lock screen. His gaze flickers to Carlos, who has also noticed the notification, his eyes shifting towards Charles with a curious glint. The brief exchange of glances between them hints at the shared interest in the content of the messages, adding a subtle layer of intrigue to the moment.

“Are you seeing her later?”

“I mean, most likely,” Charles replies with a nonchalant shrug, his attempt to maintain a casual demeanor barely hiding the faint blush creeping up his cheeks. “She’s my best friend.”

“Just a best friend?” Lando then interjects, a gleam of curiosity sparkling in his eyes as he studies Charles.

Charles nods, taking a deep, refreshing gulp from his own water bottle.

“Oh, thank god,” Lando exhales loudly, a wave of relief evident in his voice. “I thought you two might be more than that. I was seriously worried you’d kill me if you found out we hooked up. I mean it was just casual, nothing serious.” 

Charles seemed to freeze in place as soon as the words ‘hooked up’ left Lando’s lips. His demeanor shifted; the casual shrug was replaced by a look of stunned disbelief, his eyes widening slightly. The color in his cheeks deepened, and for a moment, it was as if he had temporarily stopped functioning.

“You did what?” Charles’s voice dropped almost an entire octave, harsh and edged with disbelief. The sudden shift in tone sliced through the air, underscoring the depth of shock and frustration he was feeling inside.

Lando raises his hands in a defensive gesture, his expression a blend of alarm and pleading. His wide eyes and slightly raised eyebrows convey a silent, desperate plea: ‘please don’t kill me’.

Charles could feel the frustration boiling in his chest, an unsettling mix of anger and disbelief churning within him. His mind seemed to short-circuit at the realization that you had slept with Lando; the very thought inconceivable to him. The notion that you, someone so significant to him, had been with someone else—especially Lando—was a stark violation of the sense of ownership and connection he felt. You’re his.

Charles stepped back onto the padel court with a palpable edge, his frustration visibily simmering. As he gripped his racket, each swing was infused with a fierce, almost volatile energy. His movements were sharp and aggressive, the ball smacking hard against the racket with a stinging crack. 

He darted across the court with a tension that made every step seemed charged, his eyes narrowing in concentration and irritation at Lando on the other side of the court. The usual fluidity of his play was replaced by a rigid, almost angry precision, as if he were venting his frustration through every powerful stroke. Each volley and smash seemed to resonate with his internal conflict, the intensity of the game mirroring the brewing annoyance inside of him.

No matter how hard he hit the ball, or how hard he worked his body in the game, the burning sensation in his chest never faded.

-

You were in the midst of pulling dinner out of the oven—roasted chicken with sliced baby potatoes—when you heard the front door of your apartment creak open, its familiar sound echoing through the quiet kitchen. The gentle groan of the hinges punctuated the otherwise peaceful atmosphere, hinting at someone entering. Your ears perked up at the sound, but you weren’t alarmed. A quick glance towards the door confirmed your suspicion: Charles was the only other person with a key to your apartment. 

The rich aromas of rosemary and garlic filled the apartment, their savory scents weaving through the air. Charles inhaled deeply, unable to suppress a soft, appreciative groan at the smell. 

You carefully set the dish atop the oven, the comforting warmth of the meal still radiating from it. With a swift nudge of your hip, you close the oven door, the familiar click of the latch echoing softly. Your attire is simple and cozy—a very large sweatshirt that swallows you in its oversized embrace. Charles can’t help but smile at you, the burning in his chest fading just slightly.

Charles casually drops his phone, wallet, and keys onto the edge of the countertop nearest the kitchen archway. A tired but genuine smile tugs at the corners of his lips as he approaches you. He pulls you into a warm embrace, his chest offering comforting solidity. He’s dressed in a grey pair of sweatpants and a navy t-shirt, his hair still slightly damp from a recent shower. The contrast between his casual, relaxed appearance made your insides feel like goo. 

You can’t help but notice a subtle shift in Charles, his demeanor more reserved than usual. Despite his warm smile and appreciative comments about dinner, and the occasional small talk, there’s an unmistakable quietness about him. His words come more infrequently, and when he does speak his responses are rather brief, lacking the usual depth and enthusiasm. The contrast between his silent moments and typically engaging nature leaves you lingering with a sense of concern as you bury your body under a heap of blankets on the plush couch.

Charles settles beside you on the couch, his feet propped up comfortably on the coffee table. The soft glow of the TV, which is playing a random movie neither of you are really paying attention to, casts a gentle light across the room. The flickering screen illuminates his features in a warm, calming way.

“Il y a quelque chose qui ne va pas?” Is something wrong?

His head immediately turns to you, an unmistakable glint in his eyes. “Hm?” He plays it off, not really sure if he’s ready to have this conversation just yet.

“What’s wrong?” You say again, turning your body to face him now. “You’ve been so quiet tonight.”

He gazes at you for a few moments, his eyes distant and contemplative, as if he’s lost in a deep, lingering thought. The silence between you two stretches, its weight almost palpable, and you can’t help but feel a growing sense of unease.

“You can tell-“ You don’t even get to finish your sentence.

In the blink of an eye, his hands move to the back of your head with sudden, determined force. He pulls you towards him, and before you can fully grasp what’s happening, his lips crash against yours in a fierce, unexpected kiss.

You react almost instinctively, your fingers reaching out and gripping his shoulders not to push him away, but to draw him closer. The urgency and depth of his kiss awakens a surge of emotion, and you pull him towards you, deepening the connection between you. Your hips immediately begin rolling into him, almost an involuntary move.

It takes an even shorter amount of time for his tongue to slip into your mouth, his hands trailing to the back of your knee, grasping it and slipping it over his lap, until you’re fully seated on his lap.

He doesn’t break the kiss. No, for a few minutes it’s just all tongue and teeth clashing. Not even gentle. If he could swallow you whole, he would.

It’s not until you pull back, your lips tingling and swollen, and your breath coming in short, ragged gasps, that you finally meet his gaze. His once vibrant green eyes are now completely darkened, their usual brilliance replaced by an intense, smoldering depth that reflects the fervor of the moment.

He’s insanely hard as you rut against him, your hips involuntarily slowly rolling against him like you have no control of your body.

“That’s it, fuck,” He groans, guiding your hips to grind against him harder. A measly pair of sleep shorts and sweatpants layered between you both. “Such a good girl, yeah?”

Soft whimpers escape your lips, your breath hot on his ear as drop your head forward into the crevice of his neck.

You’re uncertain about what this means for the two of you, but you know you can’t stop. The room is thick with tension, the air charged with unspoken words and electric anticipation. The burning sensation in your stomach intensifies, a fiery knot of emotions. Meanwhile, Charles feels as if his heart might burst from his chest, its rapid beats echoing in the depth of his feelings and raw intensity of the moment.

Your cheeks are scarlet red, and it isn’t until your orgasm approaches that your hips are moving at a feverish pace. No longer able to even fully kiss him as your mouth widens and soft high- pitched moans escape against his own mouth. And he swallows every moan you give him. 

He gives you no time to recover before his large fingers are sprawled across your neck, shoving you down to the couch onto your back and slipping your sleep shorts off. The cool air of your apartment is a stark contrast to your soaked core.

“Please,” You beg, Charles fingers still pressed into the soft skin of your neck, no doubt leaving little marks. 

For a moment, Charles takes in the sight before him. His cock twitches against the band of his sweatpants, he’s so hard that it’s almost painful. 

“What do you need?”

“Charlie please, I really need you to fuck me.” You plead again, breaking Charles out of whatever trance he was in. 

It’s hurried. He reaches behind his head with one hand, grasping a fist full of fabric of his navy t-shirt before pulling it over his head in one fluid motion. A rush of not so smooth moments as he shoves his sweatpants and boxers down. They aren’t even completely off, resting just below his knees because he’s in too much of a hurry to finally be inside of you.

He leans his full weight into you, slipping his cock into you slowly. The burning sensation feels too good that you can’t help but bite your lips to refrain from moaning too loudly.

It’s not until he’s fully bottomed out inside of you that he tilts his head forward with a brutal moan, the chords in his neck prominent as your walls clench tightly around him.

“Fuck,” He mutters, not moving his hips yet. “You’re a tight little thing, aren’t you?”

You were shaking at this point. At how much he filled you. His cock was pressed up deliciously against your walls. He could feel your walls trembling against him, and he hadn’t even moved yet.

He rests with both arms at the sides of your head now, one more rested on his elbow while the other was locked straight as he begins rolling his hips into her, not even full strokes yet as he lets your body adjust to him.

Your eyes sparkle up at him with a smile tugged on your lips, and he swears his heart might beat out of his chest.

It’s not until his hand slips under the back of your knee again, guiding it up until its pressed to your chest that he picks up the pace of his hips. His fingers grip your leg tightly, his full body weight leaning into the pressure of his grip on your leg.

You couldn’t handle the way he was staring at you. A smirk toyed on his lips. 

For a flash of a moment, the image of you and Lando flickers into his mind. Driving him crazy.

He was ruthless. Fucking you deep and hard into the cushions of the couch. Your fingers gripped his arms, digging your nails into the skin of his biceps.

Your pussy flutters around his cock. “Do that again,” He groans. So you do. “Fuck, just like that.”

You’re not sure how it was possible, but he begins to pump his length into you at a deeper and more intense angle.

His breaths were jagged in heavy in your ear as he drops down, his chest now pressed to yours. “Open up, baby.” His voice is hushed, deep breaths in between each word like he’s struggling.

You don’t even need to ask, opening your mouth he lets the spit of his mouth fall into yours in a stringy mess. “Oh, God.” You groan at the sensation of his spit in your mouth.

It only takes a few more minutes before you’re shoving your head deep into the cushions, your head lolled back in pure pleasure as your orgasm crashes into you, throbbing and shaking around his cock. You cried out shamelessly, unable to stop your body from shaking.

“Fill me up, please” You beg. “Need you inside of me.”

Charles can feel his resolve slipping. “Yeah?”

You nod feverishly as Charles slows the pace of his hips, still hitting in harsh and calculated strokes. He came with a loud groan, his face pressed into the crevice of your neck as he loses all senses of strength and collapses on top of you.

For a few moments, you just lay there with him on top of you, paying attention to the heavy even breaths you both share. Eventually, you both move in silence. Charles making sure to clean you up with the care and concern he always has for you. Your heart lurches in your chest as he removes the wet cloth from you, all cleaned up now.

“Are you okay?” You ask with slight concern. “That was-“

He cuts you off. “Did you really fuck Lando?”

His words have you caught completely off guard, your cheeks reddening almost instantly. “Where did you hear that?” You feel the panic form in your throat.

“Where did I hear that?” He repeats, his tone sharp. “That’s all you have to say?”

“No,” you say, your fingers gently playing with the delicate baby hairs at the nape of Charles’s neck. “I mean, yes.” You take a deep breath and come clean. “Does it matter?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Why?” He scoffs slightly, his hands finding a comfortable grip on the flesh of your hips, the hem of your sweatshirt bunched around them.

“God, you really don’t know do you?” He adds, his head falling back against the couch cushions. A deep breath escaping his chest as he shuts his eyes momentarily, his frustration and weariness palpable.

“Know what?” You ask, feeling your heartbeat quicken. A swarm of nerves knots in your stomach as his fingers grip and release your hips in a rhythmic, anxious pattern. 

“That I love you.” He lifts his head, locking his gaze with yours, his eyes intense and sincere as he enunciates each word with a deliberate clarity. “That I’m in love with you.” The weight of the confession hangs in the air, his voice steady but filled with emotion.

“Charlie,” You whisper, feeling an overwhelming rush of emotion. You lean forward, your body naturally collapsing into his chest as his arms slide up your back, enveloping you in a sweet embrace. His hold tightens, drawing you closer, and you nestle against him, the warmth and solidity of his presence providing a comforting anchor. 

“You’re mine,” He says, as if he’s talking to himself. Reminding himself. “You’ve always been mine.”

“My Charlie,” You smile softly. “I love you too.”

[gallaghersgal]

just started s10 when tami is pregnant asf so now i’m thinking about lip with a lovey needy pregnant gf 🧸🩷 ((not edited + been awake 24hrs+))

“good morning baby,” you croon, watching lip come sleepily down the stairs. he runs a hand through soft, messy curls and waves to franny, who had started giggling the moment she saw him. you sat at the table with her while debbie was in the shower, filing out your crossword and letting franny ask you questions she had about her new baby cousin in your tummy.

“what uh-, fuck, what time is it? how long’ve you been up?” lip asks, rifling through the cabinet for a half-eaten, half-stale box of cereal. he’s tired, you can see the dark circles from across the room. you’d made the decision to let him sleep in, leaving him in the morning with a sweet kiss on his cheek before drawing the curtains and shutting the door.

you shrug, “about noon… been down here since seven. this baby sure is a gallagher, ‘cause he’s real hard headed and stubborn,” you say, playfully pointed at your baby bump.

“baby gallagher,” he mumbles, almost in awe as he pours two bowls of cereal.

you stand, one hand on your back to ease the constant weight of your pregnancy belly, and make your way over to lip. he smiles knowingly as you hold out the fruit basket to him, and takes a banana to cut up in your cheerios. just the way you like it.

he’s thoughtful in that way, knowing what you wanted, what you needed, understanding you in a way no one has before. while lost in thought you feel his arms wrap around your middle, hands resting gently on your baby bump. then, you feel your son kick right under lip’s hand. sure, there’s discomfort attached, but it’s all worth it when you look back at the sweet smile on your boyfriend’s face.

“hey buddy, how ya doin’ in there? hm?” he murmurs down toward your tummy.

“he’s been rowdy this morning,” you confess. you’d barely slept because of your son’s constant kicking. “i think he’s ready to be outta there, aren’t you little man?”

lip laughs softly at that, moving to finish slicing up the banana for your cereal. “you should’ve woke me up. i could’a helped try and get ya comfortable or somethin’,” he tells you, turning his head towards you with concerned eyes.

you just shake your head with a dismissive smile. “you needed the rest, lip. i let you sleep in.”

“hey, look at me will ya?” he says, reaching a hand out to guide your cheek. you meet his eyes, seeing him softly search your face. “you gotta rest too, mama.”

you shrug him off, but fall in at his side as grabs the milk from the fridge. “baby keeps me up, then i think about all the shit i gotta do and-“

“nuh uh, none of that, we’re in this together yeah?” he says bluntly, cocking an eyebrow at you.

“of course,” you respond with a kiss to his cheek. his skin is still warm from sleep, and you breathe in the scent of tobacco and cologne.

lip nods, satisfied. “there we go, end of discussion. you wake me up next time, you hear me?” he says playfully. he turns around to grab the shaker of cinnamon but you reach out and catch his sleeve, pulling him in so your faces are nearly touching.

“thank you,” you murmur to him, hand coming up to stroke his cheek. “and i love you. so, so much.”

you can feel lip heat up at your words, but he kisses you softly instead. the two of you are so close together, the world falling silent as you lived in this brief, shared moment.

“yeah, yeah,” he murmurs, laughing softly, but after a moment his shifts into a genuine expression as he adds, “love you too mama.”

end.

[fictionalcharactersaremypassion]

Bailing Out The Brother-In-Law

It's not important to the story but Ian and Mickey are in their apartment

///

Ian’s cell phone was buzzing. 

The fucker just had to leave his brightness up on high so now it lit up the whole damn room. Being a light sleeper, it woke Mickey up almost immediately, grumbling as soon as he was semi coherent and figured out what it was. 

“Ian.” There was no answer. His husband slept soundly beside him. “Fuck, man. Answer the damn phone.” 

He was out like a light, these new meds he was put on the other day really hitting him hard with the drowsiness. When the buzz stopped, the light went out. Mickey relaxed. Least he wouldn’t have to get outta the bed to check. S’probably nothing anyway. Ian was in that stupid Gallagher group chat that Mickey was also technically included in but he’d frequently take himself out of. 

But then it lit up again, this time it was a text. 

“Jesus Christ,” Mickey threw his blanket off, stalking around the side of the bed to read it. They didn’t make it a habit of using each other’s phones but they knew the passwords incase of an emergency or whatnot. 

The missed call was the first notification that popped up. Mickey’s interest rose, his eyebrows flying up to his hairline. He was very familiar with that number- it was the local jail. 

As for the text or rather texts, Tami spammed Ian’s cell with five messages. She was at home with baby Fred and didn’t want to wake him up after he’d been so difficult to put down for the night. She added that Lip got himself arrested somehow and if Ian would go bail him out using the money she sent him, she’d appreciate it. 

With his sleep-addled brain, Mickey took this all in. Now, he could have woken Ian up, made him go out there in the middle of the night to fetch his dumbass brother and go back to bed for some much needed sleep. 

A smirk grew on Mickey’s face. 

But that would have been too fucking good of an opportunity to waste. 

*

Mickey threw on a pair of jeans and a zip-up jacket. He slipped some shoes on, wrote a note for his husband should he wake up before he returned and out the door he went. 

It was different to be in the ambulance without Ian. The radio was on to give him some noise but it was nothing like his husband, who filled any and all silence with useless facts or innuendos or other goofy ass shit. 

At least the traffic was light this time of night.

As he sat at a red light, Mickey wondered what the boy-genius had done to get himself arrested. He didn’t have the guts to do the hardcore stuff, even though he’d disagree and go off to sulk like a little bitch. Mickey knew what he was talking about. Hell, he wouldn’t have believed that floppy-haired, doe eyed, all American boy scout looking kid Ian had been at fifteen woulda gone to prison and lasted. 

Because Mickey wasn’t a dumbass himself, he didn’t park the stolen ambulance in front of the police station. He was a block or so down, walking the rest of the way. 

“Ay,” he said to the front clerk when he got inside. “I’m here for Lip- Phillip Gallagher.” 

“Okay,” the chick at the desk said. She typed into a computer, pulling up a file. “He has a bail of two thousand dollars. Are you able to pay that now?”

Mickey held a comment on that, his curiosity mounting because of the amount. The fuck did Lip do? “Yeah,” he handed over Ian’s card, his hand shoved back down into his jeans pocket. 

When it was all done and processed, he was given a receipt to take back. Had to go through the metal decor too, reminded him that it was a damn good thing he’d taken his knife outta his jacket pocket yesterday so the thing could be washed. 

“He’s through these doors,” an officer came to escort him. 

“Yeah, okay,” Mickey then had an idea. “Ay, can I have a few minutes with him before you release him?” 

“Knock yourself out,” the officer didn’t object. He led Mickey through the doors, directed him to where Lip’s holding cell was and then went to sit back down. “Just tell me when you’re done.” 

“‘Kay,” Mickey saw his brother-in-law sitting down on the bench, eyes closed, head leaning back against the wall. Whatever happened, he didn’t look to ruffled, just fucking tired. “Well, well, well,” he drawled. Lip’s head whipped around to face him, and he groaned loudly. “Look like what we have here. Didn’t think I’d be seeing you on the other side, Phillip.” 

“What are you doing here?” Lip was back on his feet, standing right at the bars. “I asked for Ian to come.” 

“And you’re out of luck. He’s sleepin’.” 

“Great,” Lip grumbled. 

Mickey smirked. “How’s it like in there? Anybody made you their bitch yet?” 

Lip wasn’t amused. “I’ve been in this cell the whole time, Mickey. I haven’t seen anyone else.” Then it seemed to register to him what’d been said. “Hold the fuck up. What makes you think I’d be anyone’s bitch?” 

This was too fucking funny to Mickey. He snorted. “Like you’d be takin’ anybody down. They’d have your college ass before you could start shootin’ out useless shit like you always do.” 

“Fuck you.” 

“Think Ian would object to that,” a devilish grin grew on Mickey’s face. “He railed me for hours last night.” 

As predicted, Lip was disgusted. “I don’t want to hear about your sex life, Mickey.” 

“Ain’t like you got anything else to do,” Mickey shrugged. 

Lip’s scowl that appeared suddenly vanished, but he was still visibly annoyed. “Wait a minute. Where’s the guy that’s supposed to let me out? You paid for the bail, right?” 

Mickey was deliberately silent, arching his brow. Lip asked more aggressively, 

“Right?” 

Mickey chose not to say anything just to fuck with him. 

“Mickey, I swear to God-” 

“Take the tampon out of your ass and chill your fucking tits, man. I did the damn thing.”

Lip was still glaring at him. “Then why hasn’t anyone released me yet?” 

His question was ignored. “You gonna explain what you did to get yourself thrown in here?” 

“It’s not important,” Lip muttered, averting his gaze. 

“Whatever, man. I got all night.” 

“No, you don’t,” Lip tried to argue. “Ian-” 

“-can be on his own for a while,” Mickey finished. 

Lip was frustrated. “Fuck, why can’t you just get me out of here? I told Tami I’d be back soon.” 

“Your baby mama will understand,” Mickey said uncaringly. “Just tell me what ya did and I’ll tell the guy to get you out.” 

“You don’t even care!” Lip exclaimed. 

“I do when I get to see self-righteous ass finally get put in your place,” Mickey said smugly.  

Lip looked to be two seconds away from tearing his own hair out. 

Personally, Mickey would pay to see it. 

Resigned to the fact that he wasn’t getting out there anytime soon, at least without giving in to Mickey’s demand, he sighed. “I met a guy online-” 

“I fucking knew that ninety-six percent straight was bullshit!  Good for Tami, though. Always thought she could do better than you.” 

Lip gave Mickey a withering look. “He’s part of some neighborhood group for parents, helping them get supplies and shit.” 

“And?” 

“We started talking because Fred’s going through diapers faster than Tami and I can buy. The guy said he could get us a few boxes.Should’ve known they were stolen.” He sighed. “He told me where to go to get them, cops came and he ran so they arrested me.”

“That’s gotta be the stupidest fucking thing to get arrested for.”

“I know,” Lip said shortly. He dragged a hand down his face. “I’ve always been able to spot scams. I don’t know what happened.” 

Nobody spoke for a moment. 

“Not surprised it was you, though.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lip said sharply. 

 Mickey shrugged. “Figured it wasn’t anything hardcore, you know?” 

“It could’ve been.” There was a touch of defensiveness to Lip’s voice. Riling up his brother-in-law was a favorite pastime of his. Ian had long learned to stop trying to get him to quit doing it. 

“Nah, man,” Mickey said dismissively. “You ain’t cut out for that shit.” 

“You don’t get to decide that!” Lip was getting angry. Fuck, this was too easy. 

“Boo fucking hoo. Go cry to your baby mama.” 

“Well, maybe I would if I wasn’t fucking stuck here!” 

“Probably got a point there,” Mickey said nonchalantly. 

Lip looked murderous. “Mickey, go get someone to let me out.” 

“Hang on a sec,” Mickey took out his phone, snapping a quick picture. He showed Lip just to be a little shit. “Ay, see. That’s group chat worthy. Not you askin’ bout shit nobody cares about.” 

“Don’t send that-” 

“Too late,” Mickey said with a grin. 

Lip clenched his jaw. 

His phone pinged. Mickey glanced at it. “Your beard wants to know if you’re coming home soon.” 

“Well, I’d like to know that too - Tami’s not my beard!” 

“Whatever,” Mickey shrugged. “I don’t give a shit. I’m gonna go take a piss. Wait here.” 

He snickered to himself after that last part. 

“I’m gonna fucking kill you for this, Mickey!” Lip shouted as he strolled away. He smiled sheepishly when a couple of officers looked his way, quickly looking as far as he could see but by that point, Mickey was no longer in sight. “Mickey, get back here! I swear to God....”

[vulgrados-best]

OFFSCREEN POST

Angel of Death - Part 1

An inane situation that Miguel can only summarize as ‘some secondary location bullshit.’ A single cell tower ping after Maple had apparently been gone for 2 fucking weeks. Thankfully Z had managed to triangulate it or something, probably to do with satellite handshakes like the pings they got from that missing plane that went into the ocean. Mental tangents everywhere! Yippee! Whatever. Miguel doesn’t pretend to understand cell towers and how it can literally just ping once. Wouldn’t that imply the phone had been intentionally turned on? Or did it just finally get signal for a moment?

The details don’t matter but it was a ping that came from the middle of nowhere and here they are in some fuckass ruins.

They find Maple towards the center of the… fuck what even was this place before it became like this? They’ll have to ask Jaime later. Maple is laying on some ruins and next to her is some… deeply unsettling old man. What catches Miguel’s attention is the fact that Tami is… also there. What is going on?

The old man doesn’t turn to face the group of teens who’ve come to get their friend, instead just continuing to look down at Maple. They give no indication they even realize everyone’s arrived, although Tami is already looking directly at them. 

The absol’s gaze trails across the entire group, stopping to stare at Esper– causing the girl to nervously scooch closer to Victoria— before she softens and turns to look at the unconscious Maple as well. 

It’s hard to tell what Z was thinking behind the grey mask and hexagonal glasses that obscured her face, but the furrow of her brow was unmistakable. Hands shaking, she looked to the others for some sort of reassurance.

Beside her, Jaime caught her hesitation and offered a gloved hand to her. She silently took it into her own and nodded, holding it tightly. 

“So,” Jaime speaks out to the man. His expression seems unwaveringly determined, without a hint of fear in his voice. Miguel wondered how much of that was him suppressing it behind a brave face. “We finally meet face-to-face.”

“I suppose we are face to face, in a sense,” the man says, still not turning to look at the group as they brush some hair off of Maple’s face with a wrinkled hand, causing Miguel to tense. “There is much for us to talk about. Where should I begin?” 

Why was Tami being… So calm? A stirring familiarity blossoms in Miguel’s chest… What does this remind them of?

Esper shifts uncomfortably in place, her hands fiddling with her cane as she piped up, “Pr– Preferably from the beginning? Or where ever would be best for us to... understand whatever you wish to tell us?”

Flynn casts a glance over to Miguel, a deep frown on his face before turning his attention back to the old man.

Miguel catches Flynn’s eyes and gives a small nod, an acknowledgement of the strangeness of the situation. Something is wrong here. Why is there a sinking dread with a taste of home? Why do they feel like they’re 13 all over again?

Aspen swallows, gnawing on his bottom lip for a few moments. His eyes are trained on Maple until he rips his gaze away from her, forcing it to sweep across the rest of their little gang. His foot continues to tap restlessly, and he returns his focus to the old man.

“Right. The beginning… Well, the beginning of it all was quite a long time ago. Are you sure you’d like to start there?” The old man finally looks out towards the group. His eyes are blue, entirely so except for bright white pupils, an eerie glow illuminating every wrinkle of his aged face. 

It is at that moment where Miguel realizes exactly who this old man is. A scene they have replayed in their head over and over. Maple asleep in her bed, Miguel unable to sleep, a stranger at the window, the wilted flowers, and those goddamn eyes. All of it clicks into place and Miguel feels all at once like they’re going to throw up and like they’re gonna need to break something. That damn spectre.

Sitting in front of the group after so long of existing behind the mask of a screen is Anjo Da Morte.

Esper stumbles over her words as she tries to maintain eye contact with the man, “Ah– Well… Start… Start where you think is best?”

“Why don’t we start with why you’re here.” Miguel growls out, hands curled into fists at their side. “Did you decide to check up on your prey?” 

Victoria eyes the teen at her side. “Calm yourself, Caldeira.”

Miguel’s mind floods with a storm of thoughts, none of them entirely coherent. They figure that Victoria must be able to hear it, the outpour of visceral images. Their nightmares play layered on top of one another. Vullaby, Blue Eyes, Rot. A garden decimated by an unknown disease, a man at the window, the taste of blood. Sensory input with no clear sense that repeats itself in a whirlwind, like a record that keeps skipping, like a scab that is torn open again and again never allowed to heal, like a snake eating its own tail. Where does it stop? Where does it end? Where does it begin? 

“Careful with the demands, Miguel,” Anjo Da Morte says, laughing as if they’re teasing a friend. “You’re always so hostile. Don’t you know that aggressive dogs get muzzled?”

Their mind goes a sharp blinding blank, like a muzzle flare from a gun. “You son of a bitch!” Miguel can’t help themself, not after what happened this last autumn. They launch themself at Anjo Da Morte, even as their instincts tell them that it's a stupid thing to do. Their fist the bullet of the mishandled weapon. 

But when Miguel’s knuckles make contact something is… something is… Within the space of their own head, Miguel collapses. It’s like they shut down. Zacian takes control as a thick feeling of dread chokes them. This is not a man. This is not anything like a man, it feels like punching a bag of sand. And maybe Miguel already knew that this thing wasn’t right, but to have it confirmed like this was… Lach it’s bad.

Anjo Da Morte slumps backwards, almost unnaturally so, like a mannequin left without any support. They don’t move, they don’t even breathe, almost like a humanoid doll. 

Esper slaps her hands over her mouth as she stares at both Miguel and the man in horror, her eyes darting between the two.

Flynn opens his mouth to speak before closing it, opening it, and then closing it again at a loss for words.

Again, it’s hard to tell what Z is thinking behind the mask. The grip on Jaime’s hand tightens.

“Anjo da Morte, it’s an honor.” Zacian’s posture straightens like a swordsman preparing for a duel, as they spit out feigned respect.

Until it's not anymore. 

There’s a moment of silence before Anjo Da Morte sits up. It’s loose, like a stuffed toy being propped up. They don’t move like a person. They still don’t breathe, yet despite that, they laugh. Their lungs don’t move, it doesn’t come out of their body, but Anjo Da Morte still laughs. It echoes impossibly throughout everyone’s skulls.

Anjo Da Morte sits completely still. Completely lifeless. 

The figure of the old man twists and shifts until it’s something entirely new. A new form busting its way through a mockery of human flesh, feathers pushing through skin like a butterfly breaking its cocoon. Finally, in the chaos, a new form slowly emerges, until what stands in the ruins is no longer a man, but the form of a legendary pokemon instead. 

How much difference is there between a god and an angel, anyways? 

“Aw, hell no—” Z squawks out, “We ain’t fuckin’ doin’ this.” She tries to pull Jaime’s arm back, but he doesn’t budge. Keeping her eyes on the legendary Pokemon, she lets go of his hand and begins to slowly back away. 

Jaime, meanwhile, locks eyes with the angel of death, frozen in place in a mix of fear, awe, and reverence.

Flynn audibly swears, his hands shaking as takes a step back, glancing between the others and the being before them.

In the sea of emerging chaos Zacian’s body shakes. Every bit of self preservation tells him that there is no surviving something like this. That pure, unfiltered dread threatens to drowns even him.

Yveltal lets out a loud screech, shaking the ruins and causing small rocks to fall from their walls. As if a command, Maple’s body suddenly shoots up, standing like a soldier in front of the god. Though it is Maple’s body, Yveltal is clearly in control, her eye shines the exact same unnatural blue.

Victoria’s hardened gaze rises from the puppeted Maple to the rearing head of the deity before her. Her brother instinctively steps in front of her, holding out his other arm protectively. 

Esper freezes, her face growing impossibly pale as tears begin to well up in her eyes– her entire body quivering like a leaf.

Should someone do something? What can be done? This feels like the worst outcome.

The Legendary pokemon begins to take to the sky, dust and debris sent flying by each powerful wing beat, yet despite the force of the wind the body of Maple stands completely still. Yveltal lets out another loud screech, and begins to speak through Maple’s voice. 

“Si la violence est votre langage, je le parlerai,” she says, utterly calm, before the stillness is broken as she rushes towards Jaime, dragging the group into a fight. 

Continued in Part 2

[atthedugouts]

List of Fics I Wrote This Year

It's hard to improve my writing if I don't get any feedback so please leave comments if you are able. Even if the constructive criticism isn't so constructive, I promise I won't get offended. 💜

We Take Care of Each Other  My first fic. Basically a way to get all my feelings about season 5 out. I really like the chapter Blustery which just has Colin and Iggy in it.

Get Me to the Church on Time (title is a song from My Fair Lady)  My version of the wedding if, you know, everyone actually went. This has Fiona and Milkoviches and others attending the wedding.

Lip the Tutor My least read fic, probably because it's not Gallavich but it's super cute. It's a 5 and 1 of Lip helping his siblings with their homework and the one time he gets help.

Getting to Know You  (Title is a song from The King and I) Season 1. What was going on in the Milkovich house when Ian came over to see Mickey? We get some Laura Milkovich content with this one.

Keeping Up With Mandy Mandy was gone but not forgotten. These are 5 text conversations she had when she left Chicago and the one that made her come back.

Surprise Visit More Laura Milkovich. What happens when she shows up at The Alibi one day? Svetlana is going to force everyone to a family dinner is what's going to happen.

The Flower Shop Mandy should have been at the wedding! Here she is tagging along to the florist.

Always the third Wheel What happens when everyone in Mandy's family keeps dating her friends?

Good Party Bro This was a request by an anon for an Iggy story. This is the famous coming out scene but from the point of view from our Iggothy.

Milkoviches Do Not Hug Another anon request. 4 times the Milkovich siblings hug someone and the one time they think about hugging each other

Where Tami Finds Out about Gallavich  This was a fun one to write. Tami is such the perfect character for an outsider's look at Gallavich. This is an AU where Mickey is still around but didn't go to prison with Ian. Mickey is trying to find Ian after he is released from prison and Tami misunderstands and thinks Mickey wants to kill Ian. Basically, Lip hasn't explained anything to Tami about Ian.

I Dreamed a Dream (Title is a song from Les Miserables) Season 7 and beyond. What if Svetlana and his siblings helped Mickey with his escape from prison.

When I See an Elephant Fly (Title is from Dumbo) Season 6 AU. This explores Mickey's time in prison by the visitors he gets.

Another Way I think this was based off a comment I left somewhere on Tumblr. What if Mandy forced Mickey and Ian to talk after the wedding? Starts off at the famous bedroom scene and Mandy shuts the door on them forcing them to talk.

Typical South Side Family Never ending collection of short fics about the lives of our favorite ghetto family. It's Svetlana and her gay husband and her gay husband's boyfriend and the little boy they're raising.

I've Seen About Everything (Title is from Dumbo) Sequel to When I See An Elephant Fly. Mickey's life after prison but we also have a storyline for Mandy as she's living back in the southside too.

When We Meet Again An AU, Ian is working as an EMT and hasn't seen Mickey in two years until he runs into him at the hospital

[soloroomies]

lifemate (Chapter 4/ Sakusa x f!reader)

summary: talking about the details of your arrangement with Kiyoomi word count. 2.4k cw. marriage pact au, mature content, suggestive a/n. it's here!! the marriage is happening!!(＞0＜；；；) Masterlist

When you step inside your apartment, your heart starts to pound hard. The full realization dawns on you quickly. The fuck. You can't be like this. You fan your face, feeling the heat rising to your cheeks. You kind of feel like screaming. “You can't be like this,” you repeat the words loudly to yourself.

Why do you feel this way, though? You despise yourself for it. Maybe the idea of tying the knot with someone is really getting to you. You walk to your kitchen and gulp down some cold water to hydrate your throat. You need to be logical about this. Gosh, you need your best friend, Tami, right now. But she’s probably asleep already; it’s almost 1 am. So, you send some urgent texts to her, telling her that you’ll meet Sakusa tomorrow. You also send her a message that says something like, “The marriage plan is happening!! I’m gonna make a list of things that I need to discuss w him. Please give me ideas for some important topics!:( Love u.” You know your best friend can at least give you some pointers, especially since she's been married for four years.

You start to clean yourself up, changing your clothes, removing your makeup, brushing your teeth, washing your face, and doing a quick skincare routine. Now that you’re more comfortable, you might think more clearly. You check the time on your phone and lie down on your bed. Okay. You’ll make a few points yourself first.

You try to think hard, but nothing substantial comes up. So, you search for it on Google. You click on some articles and jot down notes in your notes app. You can't write much because you find some topics aren't relatable to your situation. Some of them are too real couple things. For example: "How to spend the right time together?" or "What happens if you feel like you’re drifting apart?" type of questions. That’s totally not relatable, right? A few topics that you’ve written down are: finances (how will you split the bill?), where you will live, personal space, and how you will divide the chores. Before you know it, your eyes start to close as you drift off to sleep.

When you wake up, it's because of the constant vibration from your phone. You check it and see that it’s still around 7 am. The vibration is from Tami’s texts. You quickly check her responses.

She lists a few topics, some of which are already written in your notes app. Then, there are some you haven't listed before:

1. Who is allowed to know about this pact? Damn, she’s right. You'll need to create your version of a love story either way.

2. How would this marriage be? Can each of you date other people, or do you want to be exclusive? Oh. Right. You’ve thought about this before, too. This is important.

3. The wedding. How big should it be? Yup, you still need to talk about this.

4. Physical intimacy? (P.S. Please talk about this, girl! You’re stupid if you’re not getting that dick) 

You roll your eyes. This is so her. But then you start to reflect on yourself. Sex? Of course, you're no virgin. You’re sure he’s not either. But, to be honest, you can’t really remember the last time you had sex. Damn! You think it was years ago with your last situationship. Yes, you’ve had your share of one-night stands, but that was in your early 20s. You just know that those kinds of activities are not that safe. Not that you judge anyone who does it, but for you, you usually do it with someone you trust pretty well. And there aren't a lot of men that you can trust to do that. Plus, the act is often disappointing. So, sex isn’t your top priority nowadays. Yes, you have your needs, but you could always take care of yourself. So far, so good. It’s manageable. You’re not sure how to bring this topic up to Kiyoomi, though. It feels wrong too to imagine stuff like that with him. You huff. You won't bring this up.

5. Children? Hmm, you haven’t really thought about this topic. 

Do you want children? Yes, you do, but it's not like you really want them. You guess it’s just because of an image of a perfect family you had in your head since you were little. This discussion will also complicate some financial topics. And you don’t know whether Kiyoomi wants children or not. So, you might skip this part. This is not something you considered when agreeing to this anyway.

6. Deal breakers? You can’t really think of what this would relate to in your relationship right now. Since there’s no romance involved, right? You might as well skip this part.

You type your thanks profusely to Tami and then start your Sunday morning by snacking on your energy bar. You'll have your breakfast with Sakusa. Then, you take a shower and get ready. After you finish getting ready, you check your phone and see some messages from Sakusa saying he’s on his way to your apartment. His trip to your place usually takes about 20 minutes. So, you sit on your couch and continue watching the series you haven’t finished.

A few minutes later, your phone vibrates. It's a text from Sakusa saying he’s arrived. You quickly respond and make your way downstairs. Spotting his car, you knock on the passenger seat window. He opens the door, and you slide in.

"Hey," you greet him.

"Hey," he replies. "Where do you want to eat?"

You suggest a restaurant not too far from your apartment that serves good avocado toast and truffle mushroom benedict. He agrees and starts to drive there.

As he drives, you take a moment to look at him. He's wearing a dark green corduroy jacket over a white shirt and black shorts. He’s not wearing his mask, but you notice the mask box between your seats. He smells good, a pleasant combination of his shampoo, soap, and cologne. He always smells good, you realize.

The car ride is quiet but comfortable, the kind of silence that feels natural rather than awkward. As you approach the restaurant, you feel a mix of anticipation and nervousness about the conversation that awaits.

As soon as you arrive, both of you order avocado toast and coffee. You finish your breakfast first, then you start the discussion. “So? Where do we start from here? Do you have anything in mind?” you ask.

Sakusa nods. “I do. Do you?”

“Yes,” you reply. Then you start to run through your list. For the financial topics, Sakusa insists on paying all the bills related to your living place: housing, electricity, and water. But you're confused. “Then, what should I pay for?” you ask.

“Some of the groceries, I guess.” Sakusa replies.

“What? No. I can’t. At least let me pay for the water or something, too?” you protest.

“Please. Just let me pay for that,” he insists.

You have never seen him plead before, but seeing his face now, you think this might be as close to pleading as he gets. “I’ve told you, you can leave some of your jobs if you’d like. It’s better for your health, too, I guess…” you can hear a hint of concern in his voice.

You're silent for a moment but then accept his offer, albeit reluctantly. Maybe you should try to relax a bit more. Isn't that one of the perks of this marriage pact? You then move to the next part, which is the living place. He suggests you move into his apartment, and you think it's more reasonable since he has three rooms in his apartment, allowing you to have one as your own room.

“How about personal space?” you ask.

“What about it?” Sakusa responds.

“Do you have a room or place that you won’t allow other people, like me, to enter?”

He’s silent for a bit. “My room.”

You nod your head. You’re no stranger to his need for personal space. In fact, you remember some of his past girlfriends complaining about it. He's the type of person who’s quite rigid about his boundaries. You'll try your best not to cross any of them. You express this concern to him, asking him to please let you know if you ever step over any boundaries. He answers with a simple "okay."

Next, you start to discuss the chores. You both conclude that he’ll be the one who cleans around the house, and you offer to be the chef. You’re not the best cook, but you’re also not bad. You'll do this since you'll have more spare time after letting go of some of your side jobs. Laundry will be done alternately each week.

Then, you start to discuss the topic list that Tami has given you. You both agree that the only ones who will know about this pact are the two of you, Komori, and Tami. You already told him that you shared this with her, and he’s understanding about that. He tells you that he already informed Komori about this plan as well. You’re a bit surprised, wondering whether Komori has known since the New Year party or before that. If he knew, he seemed nonchalant about it. But, he will definitely tease you about this.

The love story for both of you will be simple. You know each other since high school, secretly liked each other, and have been secretly dating for a year before deciding to get married. That’s just perfect. Your parents also know each other, and your mom has teased you about him before. Quite early in your friendship, even though you clearly stated to her that you considered him just a friend. Well, she might be quite shocked and cocky, having her “I told you so” moment upon hearing this wedding news. It’s okay; you’ll just have to deal with it for a bit.

You then mention the wedding and tell him that you actually want to have an intimate one. He agrees and chimes in that he needs to inform his manager as well since there will likely be some media coverage for an athlete's wedding. You nod, remembering Komori’s wedding. You hope there will be no big commotion from the public. You know he has some persistent fangirls and just hope they won’t give you threats or anything. Fingers crossed, you sigh. This is for Kiyoomi’s benefit too. You remember he always says he struggles with rejecting gifts and random confessions; maybe this marriage will reduce those kinds of things.

“How would this marriage be? Can each of us date another person, or do we want to be exclusive?” you read from your notes. He stares at you. “I think it’s up to you.”

You nod at his statement, understanding that it’s also up to him. It’s reasonable. Why would this marriage stop him from getting any girl he wants? You don’t know much about his hook-up activities, never inquiring about them either. He’s very private about that. You sigh mentally, feeling a tinge of insecurity, which you think is stupid. You can’t be unfair to him. “Yeah, let’s just be careful about it. We can’t let people know, though. It’ll look bad on us,” you respond, staring down at your phone.

You don’t hear his response and see the notes on your app, deciding to skip some of the topics that you're not sure how to bring up. “Is there anything you want to add?” you ask him.

“Will you take my family name?” he asks.

You think for a moment and nod. “I will.” Then, you start to repeat your name with ‘Sakusa’ in front of it in your head. You kind of want to laugh, thinking that you used to call him by his family name during your early years of friendship. Now, that name will be yours too.

After that, you delve into detailing the aspects of your wedding. You had stated earlier that you wanted an intimate ceremony, so you emphasize making the wedding small and estimating the budget, aiming to keep it as economical as possible and split it 50/50. Sakusa interjects again, insisting he’ll just pay it all. You don’t mind the budget since it’s much cheaper compared to what some of your friends usually spend. You also have enough savings for it. After a bit of disagreement, you settle on an 80/20 split.

Your wedding will be held in mid-February with a garden party theme, which you suggest. All the preparations will be handled by a wedding organizer that you both found together. Sakusa is actually very cooperative, offering to contact the wedding organizer and jotting down some of the information you discuss together on his phone’s notes. You thought he’d be bored with such detailed discussions, but he had even done a lot of research beforehand and gave you insights about the wedding experiences of his relatives and friends. You heard from some of your friends that their partners didn’t really put in the effort and handed it all over to the woman. So, you’re very glad he’s not like that. After all, marriage takes two people to make it work.

You both then decide that everything sounds good and finalize the plans. As you’re about to stand up, he suddenly grabs your hand. You look at him and see him hesitating a bit. 

“What? Is there something wrong?” you ask.

He then pulls you down, prompting you to sit again beside him. You stare at him curiously as his hand moves inside his jacket pocket, taking out something. It’s a box. A ring box! You realize, flabbergasted by his action. Your mouth falls open.

“Wait, wait. What?” you stammer, staring at the navy velvet ring box. 

He proceeds to open it, showing a silver ring. You notice that the ring features a row of detailed Forget-Me-Not flowers running into delicate leaves on either side of the band. You’re totally speechless. You didn’t expect him to give you a ring right now. You thought you could just buy some matching rings together that simply show “Yeah, we’re married.” But this ring in front of you looks expensive as hell.

“I know this kind of marriage is something you never expected. I know this is not something you dreamed of either. But let me make this a bit proper. I want you to have this,” Sakusa says.

You feel like crying, touched by his sentiment. He then slides the ring onto your finger, and you can’t help but thank him and hug him, driven by your emotions. You widen your eyes, taken aback, and mumble a quick apology, afraid that you’ve invaded his personal space or something. But he hugs you back.

It seems like this marriage pact isn’t so bad, after all.

[storiesbyjes2g]

3.206 Snow bros

We sauntered into the kitchen, and I asked what we should make. Desi suggested scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon. Simple, just like her mom. I gathered all the ingredients from the fridge and showed her how to crack and scramble the eggs, but she seemed more keen on being my cheerleader rather than actually helping. It's all good, though. I'll get her cooking one of these days.

When I finished, she started to run out of the room, saying she was going to wake Sophia, but I caught her before she got too far. Her mommy had quite the night and needs the rest, heh. We ate pretty quickly but lingered at the table in hopes Sophia would join us. I hadn't talked to Dub in a while, so I called for a quick chat and to wish him an early Merry Winterfest.

Life has been kinda crazy for him, too. Tami started school, his father-in-law moved in next door, and now their cat died. Tami is taking it pretty hard. Maia too, since it was hers. I gave our pets age-down treats a while ago to avoid that pain while grieving my parents, but I know we can't escape it forever. I can only hope, when the time comes, my Desi will be strong. When things calm down, I'll have to ask him how he handled it with Tami.

Sophia finally got up and joined us just as I wrapped up my phone call. Desiree bolted out of her chair and lunged toward Sophia.

"Mommy, I made breakfast!!"

Sophia gasped.

"You did? That's wonderful, sweetie! It looks soooo good."

"Thank yoooou!"

I side eyed her so hard.

"Are you for real?"

She was overcome with a fit of giggles, and I could do nothing but laugh and shake my head at her.

She may not have helped me cook, but she washed the dishes, which I thoroughly thanked her for.

I checked the weather forecast for the day, and the temperature concerned me. It was much too cold to go hiking, and who knows how much colder it'll be on the mountain, so I decided we'd stay inside and enjoy the house today. Sophia was definitely onto something with all her luxury rental choices. I always said she was smarter than me.

Desiree ran off to the living room to watch cartoons, and Sophia hopped in the shower, so I went upstairs to see if my non-existent art skills had improved at all. I tried painting for the first time with Maira at the romance festival and quickly realized I did not inherit gammy's skills. But I had nowhere to go and not much else to do, so I gave it a shot. Who knows... I could have inherited her skills and they've just been dormant until now, heh.

My painting was looking pretty damn good, if I may say so. Maybe there was something to these alleged dormant skills. Even if it's not true, I really enjoyed doing it. Something about starting with an empty space and watching something come together was really nice. I even enjoyed the sound of the brush strokes sweeping across the canvas. The whole situation was rather soothing. No wonder gammy loved it so much. I might continue doing this for my own well being.

Desi's hurried footsteps echoed in the stairwell, and I knew my relaxation was about to come to an end.

"Are we going to the mountain today?"

"I don't think so, hon. It's super cold out there."

"But-"

Sophia's presence interrupted us.

"Oh...you paint now?"

"No? I have no clue. I'm just trying it."

"It looks good."

"Yeah, it surprised me, too."

"Why can't we go to the mountain?" Desiree asked.

"I told you," I said. "It's too cold."

"But it was cold when we went to the park, too!"

"What park?" Sophia asked.

"When I took them to the football thing in Copperdale."

"I mean, you had to know it was gonna be cold when you visit Mt. Komorebi in winter," Sophia said.

Of course I knew that. I'm not a dunce. I just... Frankly, I wasn't even thinking about the weather. I had hiking and snowboarding and sledding with my child on the brain.

"We can get snowsuits," she added. "If we don't go today, we're gonna be forced to forgo one of our activities on the last day."

They both made good points, and we all know my rationale was rubbish, so I agreed to a day of snow fun. We all got dressed and stopped by the vacation gear kiosk in Senbamachi on the way. Sophia and Desiree got matching purple snow suits, and they were so adorable. If I had a son, would he want to dress like me? Or is that a girl thing? Neither I nor Desiree wanted to wear helmets, but Sophia insisted we be safe. I told her we were going to stay on the bunny slope where the babies go sledding. Still, she insisted. Since nothing would change her mind, I made sure my outfit was on point even though I'd still look like goober in a helmet on the bunny slope.

Sophia wasn't keen on sledding, so Desi and I trekked up the hill to get in line. When it was our turn, we walked toward a lane. Desi tugged on my coat.

"Daddy, I wanna go fast!"

Sophia will have our heads if we tried anything dangerous. But what's the point of coming all the way to Mt. Komorebi without having a little adventure? We've got the helmets. Let's live a little!

"I got you," I said to her.

I skipped over the lane we were about to go down and opted for one with obvious bumps in it. Nothing too crazy, but it would definitely spice things up a bit.

"Hold on very tight," I said.

"Let's go, Daddy! I wanna go!"

I kicked us off slowly so we wouldn't have crazy momentum when we hit the bump. When we got there, we hit it ever so slightly, and our sled went flying. Desiree's exhilarated screams filled the air. Unfortunately, it also got Sophia's attention, and I saw her panicking at the bottom of the hill.

Our flight lasted a little longer than we anticipated, however, and gravity caught up with us. The sled fell from under us, and Desi wasn't holding on. She screamed, and I panicked. I thought for sure we'd end up crashing.

But, as gravity does, we eventually dropped back down onto the sled as it made its final descent before it made contact again. We recovered and realized it wasn't scary at all.

We continued barreling down the hill without anymore incidents and got off the sled.

"You okay?" I asked.

"That was awesome!"

[swiftfootedachilles]

honestly i was so mad when i watched that orgy scene in s11 and at the whole monogamy situation bc wdym they're not already monogamous without having to talk about it? as if they're not borderline obsessed with each other and also jealous asf and they constantly was being pulled apart from each other through the whole show, how can ian or mickey want somebody else after all shit they went through? i just hope that they didn't actually fuck anyone and just banged in the bathroom or smth😭also when i see fics with gallavich/omc? 💀 saw this from a popular writer and i was like hell nah im not reading ts

no for fucking real those 2 are the most jealous men to ever walk the planet

on one hand i get it. they both had insecurities that made them feel like the other wouldnt want to only sleep with them for the rest of their lives. ian is the only guy mickey canonically dates and has sex with multiple times. mickey felt like ian would eventually leave him like he had in the past also multiple times.

so in the first episode the monagamy conversation seemed normal to me. they literally both specifically say "i dont want you to fuck anyone else" and mickey was obviously just waiting to see ians answer because he wanted to do whatever ian wanted. if he did write down "open relationship," it wouldve been because he thought thats what ian wanted. personally i think he didnt write anything down because he was still trying to grasp the concept of him and ian being a "normal" married couple that communicated heathily and didnt run away and flirt with/fuck other people when they got scared.... plus he actually cant spell monogamy hes a dyslexic with an 8th grade education

so that episode was fine on its own. if they wouldve left it at that, it wouldve been a silly cute moment in their bumpy marriage. but then the writers had to make that stupid ass orgy episode. first of all why the shit would they NEED to be friends with other gay men, and WHY ARE THE ONLY OPTIONS TO EITHER BE THEIR FRIENDS OR FUCK THEM??? IT LITERALLY MAKES NO SENSE. DID THEY NOT JUST DECIDE IN EPISODE ONE THAT THEY WERE GONNA BE MONOGAMOUS?

i actually cannot stand how the writers (and the fandom by extension) cant let gay characters have their boundaries and be left alone. why the fuck do they have to be open to straight sex and orgies and nonmonogamy and being verse WHY CANT GAY PEOPLE HAVE BOUNDARIES. CAN YOU IMAGINE IF THERE WAS RANDOMLY A SCENE IN SEASON 11 WHERE TAMI ASKED LIP 'HOW DO YOU KNOW YOURE STRAIGHT IF YOUVE NEVER GOT FUCKED IN THE ASS BY A GUY?' AND THEN HE ACTUALLY WENT OUT AND DID IT??? YOU CANT IMAGINE IT BECAUSE IT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN THEY ONLY DO THIS SHIT WITH GAY CHARACTERS!!!!

the inability to understand that gay people can also have preferences and hard limits actually blows my mind. and if you dont like it youre somehow a prude or dont understand the characters. actually i fear i understand the characters more than the writers do.

and im okay with showing characters experiment! but its very telling that in Shameless, it only happens with queer characters who are pretty fucking firm in their sexual identity and boundaries. why did debbie have to fuck a gay guy in season 11. why do ian and mickey have to be verse why do ian and mickey have to be polyamorous. why did ian have to fuck a woman to "truly know" hes gay. why did svetlana have to all but announce shes a lesbian but still date kev instead of just date vee. why does this only happen to gay characters!!!

the trope of queer men specifically being easy and dtf is why the AIDS crisis was so deadly. because queer men are so open to sharing sex fantasies and sharing partners and sharing needles, right? its just a gay problem, and its better for all of us if theyre dead anyway, so lets ignore it until it goes away

maybe not every queer man needs to be written as a polyamorous verse switch bisexual-under-the-right-circumstances only-married-for-tax-reasons-not-because-they-love-their-life-partner idk! this is a haters only area so if you dont like me hating why are you here⁉️

[mysimsloveaffair]

Part 1 (Collaboration with @igglemouse)

Drake swims a few laps in the pool. He’s glad that Dub invited him on this trip. Traveling and seeing more of the Sim world has always been on his to-do list, but a big part of him wishes he had more time to prepare.

Drake steps out of the pool to take a new selfie for his Cupid’s Corner profile. If Dub’s invitation wasn’t at the last minute, he could have made an appointment with his stylist to add some color to his hair - a bold purple this time and perhaps that same purple for his nails. Instead, he has to begin this vacation looking…regular.

But Dub has invited him here to serve as a glorified babysitter anyway, so none of that matters. This trip isn’t about him. He’s here to help his brother out. So that’s what he’ll do. While Dub and Maia are upstairs getting ready for their big date, Drake takes his niece Tambara to the nearby park. At least he’ll be able to see some of the city that way. 

The park is pleasant and seems a favorite among the locals and tourists. Several couples sit on the benches chatting, eating lunch, or staring at the clouds. Drake ignores them all and takes Tami to the toddler slides, which she seems to enjoy. After a few times down the slide, Tami comes up with another suggestion.

Tambara: We make caso, Unco Da. 

Drake: *chuckles* It’s uncle Dray…not Da. 

Tambara: *insistent tone* Unco Da, caso!

Drake: Caso? What’s a caso?

Tambara: San caso! We make san caso! 

It takes a minute, but when Drake thinks about it, he realizes what Tami is trying to say. 

Drake: You want to build a sandcastle? 

Tami nods with enthusiasm, practically banging her chin on her chest.

Drake: Okay, but you’d better hope we find some sand.

Dub didn’t warn him that Tami doesn’t like to be carried. Drake learns that the hard way when he picks her up and transports her in his arms around the park in search of a sandpit while she whines and struggles to be put down. 

Eventually, Drake takes the hint and puts her back on her feet in the sand. Tami is in her happy place and quickly forgives him. She grabs a bucket and uses a shovel to fill it, only to dump it all out again after it’s about half full. 

Tambara: *giggling* You build caso too! 

Tami isn’t content with him just watching. He’s going to have to get down in the sand with her. Maybe it’s a good thing he didn’t get his nails done after all.

[em-harlsnow]

I wanted to do another speed write, so here it is.

They're sitting in the living room, and for once they're all together.

Together, except not, because each of them is off in their own bubble and it feels like when they were kids. When they could just be around each other without reason or need to talk or have a purpose to be there for.

Ian and Mickey are beside each other on the couch, watching something from Ian's phone. Debbie absentmindedly braids Franny's hair as she watches some documentary which is playing. Carl is playing a seemingly very intense game of draughts with Lip across the living room table. Liam pours over his homework on the other end. Tami is messaging one of her coworkers in the armchair.

The only one missing is Fiona, and the loss is acute but bearable.

Lip cheers as he manoeuvres his piece to take three of Carl's at once. Carl huffs and rolls his eyes, clearly losing but choosing to continue playing anyway.

It's then that Liam closes his maths book and opens up his backpack, placing the completed homework inside and pulling out a coloured cube.

"Lip." Liam states, tiredly.

"Mhm." He's focussed on the board, trying to absolutely annihilate his brother.

"Can you solve this?" He asks, holding up the Rubik's cube in one hand, staring at it like an enemy.

Lip turns and looks at it, frowning. "No. Why?"

Liam sighs. "If I can bring it in solved my teacher said she'd give me extra credit. We all got one."

"Just move the stickers around." Lip advises.

"I already thought of that. It doesn't have stickers, the colours are just on each piece. It's a fancy one."

"Liam, your teacher's scamming you. Those things are impossible. The only people who can solve them are magicians or just really lucky." Lip tells him.

"They're not impossible." Mickey snarks, rolling his eyes. "Give it here." He makes a gesture at Liam.

"Why?" The boy asks skeptically.

"I can solve it." He explains, like it's obvious.

"Really, Mick?" Lip says with a voice full of doubt.

"Yes, asshole. Now hand it over."

Lip raises his eyebrows but Liam tosses it to Mickey.

"You can solve a Rubik's cube?" Ian questions.

"Yes." Mickey replies as he starts shifting the sides and the middles, turning it around in his palms to figure out the patterns. His tongue pokes out of his cheek as he focusses. "It's been a while, I'm rusty. So it might take a minute."

Lip snorts. "Just admit it's impossible."

"Shut the fuck up, dick."

The rest of the room goes back to their own devices, momentarily entertained by the conversation but ultimately disinterested. Only Ian continues to watch as Mickey plays around with the colours, slowly building the cube to completion. Even Liam turns away, choosing to start on his English homework instead of watching something he doesn't think will yield results.

It's clear no one thinks he'll actually be able to do it.

Ten minutes of clicking pieces ensue, and Ian returns to his phone.

After another ten minutes, the cube is slammed onto the table, six perfectly neat and completed sides displayed clearly.

Ian glances up to see it, and has to double take. Lip looks stunned, and Liam looks at the cube like it's his greatest enemy.

"Woah." Carl states.

"How did you do that?" The youngest Gallagher rages. "I've been trying all day!"

"I learnt ages ago. Found one of 'em in the back of a car we stole. Got bored and used YouTube to learn it. I could probably do it in less time now that I've figured it out again." Mickey shrugs, and Ian looks fucking awed.

"There's no fucking way you just solved that. You didn't mix it right, Liam. I'll make it really messed up, then I bet he can't." Lip challenges, messing up the solved puzzle again.

Mickey shrugs again. "It ain't about how 'hard' you make it, Phillip. It's a system."

Lip ignores him, then presents him with a thoroughly scrambled product a few moments later.

"Solve that." He says, smugly.

"Easy, bitch." Mickey smirks, then starts again.

Ian watches with extreme interest, this time and the rest of the Gallaghers are just as transfixed.

He completes the white side first, slowly building the red, green, blue and orange, then working on the yellow. At a point, it looks almost done, only the yellow corners are out of place. Then, Mickey messes it all up.

"Don't do that!" Ian shouts. "You're messing it up again."

Mickey's attention never leaves the coloured squares. "Fuck off, I know what I'm doing." And he keeps turning the faces until suddenly it all comes together again. "See, Lip. Doesn't fucking matter."

Lip looks horrified. "There's no way."

"That's cool, Mickey." Debbie chirps, grinning at Lip's reaction.

"That's so cool." Carl's eyes are sparkling. "Even Lip isn't smart enough to do that."

"Shut up, Carl." Lip rolls his eyes, kicking at his brother playfully. "It's a kids game."

"Yeah, a kids game you can't do." And then the two are tussling light heartedly.

But Ian's attention is completely on Mickey, who seems absolutely calm about the whole thing.

Later on, they're lying in bed together and Ian won't stop staring at him.

"I can feel you looking at me, man. What's up with you?" Mickey asks, thoroughly unimpressed.

"Solve it again." Ian orders without explaining, extracting Liam's (again messed up) cube from the nightstand to his husband.

"Why? You don't believe I can do it?" Mickey counters, prepared to prove him wrong.

"No, I think you can. But-" Ian leans in to whisper into his ear, "-I wanna see you do it again."

Mickey raises his eyebrows. "Coloured squares turn you on, Gallagher?"

"Mmm. Hot husbands who know how to solve the coloured squares turn me on." Ian grins down at him salaciously.

Mickey laughs and Ian shoves at his hands where they're clutched around the cube.

"I'll suck you off while you do it." Ian tells him, moving down his body.

"I like the sound of that." Mickey drawls and starts moving the pieces hurriedly.

Ian smiles.

Okay, I don't know what happened to this, it wasn't meant to get smutty but my brain went to kink and I obey my brain.

Either way, I hope you enjoyed.

This may or may not have anything to do with how proud I am that I can solve a Rubik's cube.

[callivich]

Hi Calli! How about #20 and #26 for the winter asks?

Hi Kat! 💖❄️

20. Who would win in a snowball fight?

I think Ian is great at making really good snowballs, really quickly. Mickey is great at throwing them really hard though. I think Ian is trying to play fairly (only throwing at Mickey’s body) and Mickey is the first one to play dirty (like throwing snowballs at Ian’s face or perhaps even another sensitive area…..) and once he starts doing this, Ian decides to play dirty too. I’m not sure there ends up being a clear winner, I feel like the snowball fight ends when they tackle each other and start shoving snow down each other’s pants. OR maybe they have so many snowball fights that they have to keep a running tally of who has won the most fights. Not sure what the winner eventually gets but it’s something dirty 😅

I also have another idea….maybe season 1? Where Mickey keeps stalking Ian around the neighbourhood, hiding and throwing snowballs at him. And Ian is so confused and pissed off at this mystery person who keeps throwing snowballs at him. But eventually he catches Mickey before he can duck down out of sight and he should be angry because this has been going on for weeks but he can’t be and they end up having an epic snowball fight.

26. Do either of them ever get roped into dressing up as Santa for Franny and Freddie? How does this go?

I think if anyone tried to get Mickey to do it, he’d tell them to fuck off. I don’t think Ian needs to be roped in, tbh. I can see him suggesting it post-canon. Maybe he’s feeling a little disconnected from the family, now that he and Mickey don’t live with them. They’re all going to spend Christmas Day together which is great! But Ian wants to do something a little extra, so he suggests dressing up as Santa and surprising Freddie and then Franny on Christmas Eve (maybe they’re all living in different places so Santa will be travelling around the South Side!) Lip, Tami and Debbie all think it’s a great idea. So, yeah, it’s Ian and he’s great at it. He does a silly voice and dresses up and brings the kids candy (probably too much candy if the disapproving looks from the adults are anything to go by, but it’s Christmas!) The kids have the best time and Ian feels really happy. Maybe it becomes a yearly tradition until they’re too old to believe in Santa anymore.

Mickey also loves Ian in the Santa suit for entirely different reasons e.g. my Christmas roleplay fic and @whatthebodygraspsnot’s magical Santa Comes Early fic.

[lyricailove]

Thinking about Mickey's reaction to Terry's death. How conflicted his feelings were. On one hand, he's sad that his dad is gone and on the other, he's relieved that Terry can no longer hurt him anymore.

And then I think about the Gallaghers. How Frank's passing might affect them. How each one would take it.

I think that by the time Fiona left she'd already made peace with the fact that Frank wouldn't be around much longer. I think she'd had those thoughts for a very long time and any year that Frank had felt like a bonus at that point. She'll be sad, mourning the father-daughter relationship that never was. But she won't be broken up over it.

I'd say Lip will be the most apathetic. There's always been no love lost between him and Frank. He's actually the one who sees it as a moment of healing. No more Frank means no more ways he can ruin things for them.

Ian for all that he and Frank never got along, is still a sentimental person at heart. He's relieved to be rid of Frank but he's still gonna mourn the loss of the only dad he's ever known. A terrible and abusive dad, but his dad nonetheless.

Debbie is broken. She tries not to let it show at first but it hurts so bad and she's not sure she can talk about it. By the end, she hated Frank like everyone else but there was still that part of her that wanted a father to dote on her and treat her like a princess. It's how she saw Frank in s1 and s2. She's sad that Franny doesn't have either of her grandparents around and if Lip does go through with the sale of the house, all of her aunts and uncles will live away from her. Debbie wants a big family unit and it simply won't be that anymore. It takes a while for Debbie to get over Frank.

Carl has never been one to share his feelings openly. He's hurt by Frank's passing but he'll never say it out loud. Those are the feelings he lets out alone at night when no one is around. It's how he's always handled things. By holding it in and playing the ditzy role like he's used to. No one will ask what he's feeling because he doesn't allow people to know that he's feeling anything at all.

Liam is at the point that Debbie and Carl were in s1. He's too young for Frank to have really pissed him off yet. He still had hope that Frank could be a dad if he tried. Everything has changed so much in the last few years and Liam feels alone in all of it. No one even realized that he'd be homeless until the last minute. Will Lip and Tami even notice his grief? Maybe, maybe not. It's not until Liam explodes that anyone knows how hard he's taking Frank's passing. But when they do, they make sure to check in with him. Even if it's to try and get his mind off it. Liam is and will always be the baby of the family, after all.

[yveltalreal]

Offscreen Post

Hunting Party

tws: use of tobacco/smoking, discussions of missing persons

Ivy paced around in a circle in front of the table her remaining family sat at. Most of her relatives had left and gone off to who knows where so that her mother could hold a little “council meeting” to decide what to do with the sad excuse for information the kids had given them.

The dinner was over. Maple’s friends had all left. They’d barely told them ANYTHING about where her son was. All they did was say they knew where Maple was but they couldn’t tell her family anything! Don’t worry, though! They’ll find Maple themself! And her mother did NOTHING to stop them! She just let them leave peacefully so that the Hounds could talk about it. Talk. As if they’d actually gotten real information. 

At Ivy’s feet, Tami followed her, the absol walking in the same circles she did. 

“You seem stressed…” her sister said, carefully, like she expected Ivy to explode if anyone said anything to her. To her credit, she was right. Ivy was not in the mood for a peaceful conversation after still not knowing shit nor fuck about what was going on with her fucking kid! 

“I seem stressed because I FUCKING AM, ACORN!” Ivy yelled, a growl rising from her throat as she whipped around and slammed her hands on the table right next to where her sister sat. Acorn flinched back in her seat at the loud noise and frowned at Ivy. Behind her, Ivy was vaguely aware that Tami had jumped in surprise as well.  

“I’m just trying to comfort you! I know this is hard-” 

“I don’t want comfort!” Ivy snapped, cutting off her sister. “I want to know Maple is safe!” It was FINE when she didn’t ever see Maple and only got the occasional updates on her! At least she knew Maple was FINE! Venus kept an eye on her…

She turned to to face Venus

“HOW THE FUCK DID YOU LET THIS HAPPEN!?” from his spot at the table, her friend seemed surprised that she’d suddenly pivot to yell at him over their missing son.

“I was in Area Zero for a month?” Venus said, clearly worried for her. “Ivy you’re lashing out right now, calm down-” 

“I AM CALM-” 

Other voices began to rise up, arguing, trying to get Ivy to take a seat and calm down. Even Tami began to yowl, making noise just to emulate the humans. 

“I thought we were supposed to be discussing things like sane adults?” Ryoko’s voice cut through the rest, silencing the group, absol included. Her mother waited a moment to make sure everyone was silent, taking a puff off of a cigar and slowly letting the smoke escape from her mouth. 

“We’ve all calmed down?” Ryoko asked, but it wasn’t a question, more a command for them all to behave. “Good. Ivy, take a seat.” 

“But-” Ivy’s protest was quickly silenced by her mother. 

“No ‘buts’. Take the seat across from me. If you have a point to make, you’ll make it like an adult, not like a scared dog or a child throwing a fit” Ryoko gestured at the seat with her cigar before taking another puff. 

A quiet, frustrated growl rumbled through Ivy, but she did as she was told and sat across from her mother. Tami followed soon after, settling at her feet, while her houndoom, Marrow, made its way over from across the room to sit beside her and rest its head on her lap. Ryoko watched this before speaking again. 

“So, what did we learn from this?” her mother asked, looking around the group. 

“The kids supposedly know whe-” Phlox began, but Ivy cut her brother off before he could finish. 

“We learned nothing! NOTHING!” She wanted to stand back up again, she wanted to yell until it felt like her family actually took her seriously. Somewhere through the anger there was a small voice that reminded Ivy that her family DID take her seriously, but she was far too emotional to think rationally right now and they just wanted her to calm down a little. Unfortunately, being far too emotional to think rationally also stopped Ivy from listening to that small voice. 

“Ryoko, could you imagine if you acted like this when Ivy went missing?” Ivy heard her auntie say softly with a little laugh.

“We’d be missing half the cities in Hoenn if she did!” her Uncle chimed in, equally amused by the little joke. It was just the gentle teasing that family was good at, a little joke to take the edge off, but in that moment, Ivy felt like her family didn’t give a single fuck about Maple or her. Was she insane? Was she in the wrong for being this concerned?

Beside her Venus cleared his throat. “Can we please actually discuss our missing kid?” Phlox and Acorn soon joined in, requesting for the conversation to get back on track, clearly picking up on Ivy’s ever growing frustration over it all. 

“Fine. The kids are hiding things from us. They’re going to do something stupid, and we should follow them,” Ryoko finally said bluntly. No more bullshit or dancing around the actual point. Ivy’s mother had actually said something worth listening to. 

The rest of the people in the room immediately jumped into questions and arguments. Ivy stayed silent. 

“Why do we need to follow them? Surely their family will know where they are!” Ivy’s uncle said, being the first to disagree with the plan.

“They aren’t telling us where they’re going, and we’re the ones with the missing child. What makes you think they plan to tell their families what they’re doing? If they don’t trust us with the information about where Maple supposedly is and the way to find her, why would they tell their families?” Ryoko responded, blowing out more smoke. 

“Well they only just left the dinner! We probably have time to convince them before they leave, no need to follow,” Acorn argued. 

“They’ve probably already left,” Phlox joined the argument, countering their sister. “Miguel left with the rest of them, and they live here. They could be well on their way to Kalos by now if they took the train, and we wouldn’t know.” 

“Then we just have to let them do something stupid! It’s too dangerous to follow them!” Ivy’s Uncle chimed in again, slamming his fist on the table. 

Ivy heard Venus speak up from beside her. “And it’s not dangerous for them to go alone?” 

“If they go missing after Maple, it’s suspicious, but we’re not,” her uncle began, “If some of us go missing at the same time as the other kids, their families will all look at The Hounds.” By now Ivy could tell he had made his choice, and likely wouldn’t change his mind. 

“He’s right,” Acorn Agreed with her uncle. “We could be putting the family in danger by following them. After everything with Lucian, the Wyrmwoods have become extremely protective over those kids.” Ivy didn’t like how her sister seemed to be against this idea. How she seemed to be content to just let Maple stay who knows where for who knows how long. 

“The Wyrmwoods wouldn’t go after us,” Ivy said firmly, finally joining the argument. 

“What about the Velascos then? We have a much less positive relationship with them!” Acorn shot back.

“The Velasco’s know better than to try with us. They know damn well we know how to kill a psychic,” their aunt replied, making her distaste for the family clear in both tone and body language.

“This isn’t a conversation about killing psychics!” Ivy’s brother jumped in, trying to steer it back towards the discussion on if they should follow the teens or not. 

“If you follow them it might have to become one, though,” her aunt argued

“The Wyrmwoods and Velascos won’t think we’re at fault! Maple’s missing too!” Phlox crossed his arm as he gave his rebuttal. At least one of her siblings seemed to want to help, Ivy thought. 

“And what if they think Maple’s only missing because we decided we were done waiting for her to come back to us?” Ivy’s Uncle jumped back in, coming up with a new what if to add to the scenario as an argument against his sister’s plan to follow the kids. “If they begin to think we’re at fault, all logic will be thrown out! Our genuine concern will start to look like an elaborate show in order to draw suspicion elsewhere!”

Acorn continued to bring up the other families, which as far as Ivy was concerned, was the opposite of contributing to this conversation meaningfully. “We’re focusing too much on Wyrmwoods and Velascos. What about the other families? What about the Delgados?”

“If they’re as passive as Reina’s boytoy is, then they’re irrelevant to this conversation,” Ivy responded quickly. 

“Miguel’s family?” Acorn tried again.

“They’d understand if Ivy and I explained it to them,” Venus replied. Ivy nodded her head in agreement. 

“One of Nihilego Boy’s parents is in law. Do you think he’s good enough to win?”

“I think he’s smart enough to be quiet if push comes to shove,” Ivy’s aunt responded. 

“Auntie, can you stop coming up with solutions that involve threatening their parents?” Phlox asked, clearly wanting this conversation to stop being about the other families. 

“She’s right. Keahi, stop coming up with solutions that involve threatening their parents,” Ryoko stepped in, chastising her sister. “Aspen seems like he has reasonable parents anyways” 

“I just… I don’t think this is a good idea! What if the kids don’t even actually know anything and lead us on a wild swanna chase!” Acorn leaned her head on one hand propped up on the table. Why was Acorn so good at making Ivy feel so bitter about her? Did she know she was doing it? Did she know she was the sibling who always had the least struggle? She was clearly pissing Phlox off too. 

“Then we go on a wild swanna chase! I would have torn up all of Spikemuth if I had to in order to find my kids after the Darkest Day, and honestly I think it’s only fair that we let Ivy follow them to her kid!” 

“This is different than the aftermath of The Darkest Day!” Acorn argued, stumbling into a fight like an idiot. “How!?” 

The Hounds began to descend into chaotic arguing again, everyone with different ideas on how things should be handled and why. Ivy ignored the loudness as best she can, focusing on the houndoom begging for pets and the absol laying across her feet. 

Maybe the stress of it all was getting to more than just Ivy. She couldn’t remember the last time a discussion like this had gone so off rails so many times.

The arguing got louder and louder until Ivy was pretty sure they were all arguing about completely different things, when Ryoko finally made the choice to silence them all again.

“All of you! Quiet! We’re done arguing!” Ryoko had put her cigar out and stood up, towering over the people sitting at the table. “We’ve wasted enough time tonight. We’re putting this to a vote. Whatever wins out among the seven of us is our final decision. Is this clear?” All around Ivy she saw her family nod. 

“Good.” 

Ivy sat silently as her mother went around the circle, staring down at her hands as she pet her Marrow to try and calm down. Ryoko gave her own vote before taking the votes of the others. By the time everyone but Ivy had voted, it was an even split. Her sister, her aunt, and her uncle had all voted to just sit back and let it play out without getting involved, while her brother, her friend, and her mother all voted to follow the kids. 

Ivy felt her mother’s gaze on her. Ryoko said nothing. She didn’t have to. Ivy knew she got to make the choice on what they did. She stood up, Tami and Marrow moving aside in response to let her. 

“I’m going to follow them myself.” 

[fictionalcharactersaremypassion]

Yev's Question

Ian had long ago learned to find peace within the chaos. It was the only way to survive living in the Gallagher household. 

That also included right now, with his husband bickering back and forth with Lip. 

His brother was still working on the house, trying to remodel it. He and Tami had forgoed their idea of selling it, but she’d been adamant on fixing it up for them and any other children they might have in the future. 

Everything had gone smoothly when they first arrived. Ian was with Yev and Franny in the living room while they watched some cartoons. In the kitchen, Lip was repainting the walls, and had been before they even arrived. 

Halfway through the show, Mickey grumbled about needing a beer. No sooner had he gone in there did they start in on each other. 

“The fuck kind of color is ivory cream?” 

“Tami bought it.” 

“Shoulda known that one.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lip demanded, instantly offended. 

Ian bit back a sigh, taking a long drink of his beer. 

Yev, who’d been laying on his stomach on the floor beside his cousin, decided to come up with Ian on the couch, snuggling in his side. 

“Ian,” he said, looking up with those big blue eyes of his. 

“Hmm?” 

“Daddy fights with Uncle Lip a lot,” he said seriously. 

“Yeah, he does,” Ian agreed. He thought it would be the end of it. 

It wasn’t. 

Yev’s face was screwed like he was trying to concentrate. “He fights with you a lot too.” 

“We’re only playing around, Yev,” Ian explained gently so he wouldn't get the wrong idea. “We’re not mad at each other when we do that. It’s just something we do because we love each other.” 

The little boy nodded. “So...so that means Uncle Lip and Daddy love each other too?” 

Well....that was a bit of a stretch. But for the sake of the boy who he saw as practically his own son, Ian said, “Yeah, something like that.” 

“Does that mean Uncle Lip and Daddy are getting married too?” He asked, delighted. 

The question was loud enough that it stopped the arguing happening in the next room over. Ian hadn’t been expecting that, so it kind of caught him off guard. 

“Yev, no-” 

But Yev was relaying this information to Franny anyway. “Uncle Lip and Daddy are gonna get married!” 

Franny gasped. “Really?” 

“Yeah, they’re in love!” 

“The fuck is he talking about?” Mickey demanded, having appeared in the doorway. 

Ian pressed his lips together, laughing bubbling up. 

“Ian said you and Uncle Lip are in love!” Yev exclaimed excitedly. 

Mickey actually sputtered, looking at Ian like he was fucking insane. 

“That’s not what I said,” Ian tried to explain. It was kind of hard, what between his own laughter and the kids being excited about it. 

“Is there gonna be another wedding?” Franny jumped to her feet. 

“No!” Mickey barked. 

“What the fuck is going on?” Lip came out, bewildered. "Who's getting married?"

“You and Daddy fight like Daddy fights with Ian,” Yev said, seemingly proud of this, “so that means you love each other!” 

Mickey and Lip grimaced at the same time. 

“No,” Lip was shaking his head. “No, Buddy. That’s...that’s not it.” 

“Fuck off,” Mickey snapped at Ian, who was laughing so hard there were tears in his eyes. 

Oh, man. This really made up for the dull afternoon they’d been having so far. 

[dragonclawzzz]

Work was shit again. Ignore the long rant ahead.

Melissa complained about "all" the things she has to do and again, was insinuating that I'm not doing anything. I honestly just have to find this hilarious since I'm actually doing more than what SHE was doing just a few weeks ago. Multiple times today she was asking me what I was doing.

But she was talking shit at the end of the day to Tami.

After the last lunch is done being served, there are some kids that stay in the cafeteria instead of going out for recess. We push them all to the last two rows of tables. Before the job switch she would clean two rows and I would clean two rows, then when all the kids left the lunch room we'd each clean a row. Now I changed it so I clean all 4 rows myself- because she is supposed to be cleaning the serving area and I always thought it was dumb I had to stop and clean these tables when she easily could and then go back and finish cleaning that area and then come back out again. So I said, just come clean that last row when you're done in the serving area. She threw the biggest fit- being like why can't you just clean them it doesn't make any sense for me to come out and clean this last row.

I took everything out of a la carte that I had put up or kept in that area and texted Tami that I want to go back to serving, I don't want to deal with Melissa for the next several months making me feel badly for the job I do. Tami called me and was like, if that's honestly what you want to do then we can do it but I want you to do what you want because you're the one that has busted your butt for me and you're the one I can count on and I will do whatever it takes to keep you happy because you're a hard worker. She said if we do go back to original tasks she's re-writing Melissa's shit because she's sick of seeing her sitting around and not doing anything.

So on one hand I just want to go back to serving- I am so bored at a la carte. On the other hand, I don't want Melissa to feel like she's "won" in this whole thing. That she essentially bullied me into giving her this other job back.

And there's this whole other layer of sadness about this whole thing because I really thought Melissa was like, a friend. And this whole thing has shown me how not nice she is and that makes me sad. Like why would you treat me like this? Why couldn't she say- wow I can't believe you were doing all these tasks alone, I don't know if I can do all this do you think you could help me by doing some of them? Instead she's just made me feel like I'm being a lazy piece of shit for forcing her to do them all while I sit on my ass.

It's frustrating. I don't want to be this worked up about this job because none of it is hard. I could do my job and Melissa's, and I have for several weeks. It isn't worth my energy. I don't want to care.

I told Tami I'd decide about if I want to go back or not by Monday.

But I know I just won't be able to work with Melissa like I used to and that makes me sad. We have a really small group that all works closely and like, this is bad blood now. Ruining the dynamics.

[mjonthetrack]

R3

Tamika stepped into the Fatu residence, it

was Saturday around noon, for years Tamika

showed up to meet with Talisua after the

older woman went to church. “My daughter,

you look so beautiful, I’m so happy you’ve

stopped by,” the older woman yelled out

in her native tongue, suddenly Jey was jogging

down the steps from his old room,” Mama

what is it?” Talisua smacked his arm,” act

right, we’ve got a guest, Tamika I wasn’t

sure if you knew Jey is back.” The mother

of the Fatu family was well aware of the

pairs bumping heads and her sons feelings,

considering the young woman a daughter.

Sitting on the island in the kitchen Tamika

avoided his eyes folding her arms, the

man stood eyeing the woman his mom

had called for a guest had come by, when

he saw Tami flaunting her body in some more

tight clothes in his mama house he was

ready to set her straight but the sound of

his mother clearing her throat staring with

the look he recieved growing up, nodding her

head at the direction of the woman sat up

silently. “Hey Mika,” he said picking at his nail

his eyes up at the ceiling find the calmness

he found disappearing when she didn’t respond.

Talisua shook her head swatting at the pair, she

cut a slice of her new cake putting it between

the pair,” you two not leaving this kitchen til

you can learn to act your age and share this

cake, if I come back to arguing ima put my

hands on ya,” the woman said firmly

disappearing down the hall. “Save some for

me damn greedy,” Tamika glared at his side

profile as he had snatched the plate up taking a

big forkful,”nah you wanna come in here like it’s

a club dressed like that you not getting no damn

cake.” The woman laughed incredulously, she

slid off the counter yanking the plate away and

eating the rest of the cake on the plate

slamming the dish in his hands,” what I wear

is my choice, just like you chose to stay away.”

Jey felt his patience diminish at the attitude

in her voice, he had her over her shoulder

heading to his old room throwing her on the

bed,” don’t think cause we in this house

I won’t set you straight with that fucking mouth

of yours what I tell you about that bullshit.”

Tamika rolled her eyes sitting up on the bed

her eyes wandered around the room, it was

like a capsule. Jey watched her carefully,” I

don’t like this new Mika, why you acting so

hard Tami?” Tamika felt angry tears betray her

otherwise calm disposition,” it’s all your fucking

fault Joshua, I wasn’t supposed to get stuck

here by my self!” Jey hummed feeling her

anger at him, he sat down sighing pulling her

close to him he found himself kissing her

forehead,” I’m sorry baby, I couldn’t stay they

was looking for us and we had to flee.” Jey

swallowed his own frustration down rubbing

the woman’s arm,”I didn’t want to leave you,

if it was up to me I would’ve stayed right here,

woulda took you to prom, woulda been by

your side through this all.” Tamika quietly

cried bitterly clinging to him as he spoke she

listened,”I know it don’t change nothing but I

am here now, nothing is gonna take me away

from you this time I promise you baby.” Tamika

lifted her head finding him being serious, she

shook her head,” ion know Jey, I can’t do that

again.” Jey’s warm hand cupped her cheek,”

what do you want me to do Tamika, tell me

and I’ll do it.” She couldn’t believe the words

coming from her mouth,” move in with me, the

house is quiet and it would be good having

someone else around when everyone’s out.”

Jey couldn’t believe what he heard, his eyes

searched hers,” I had some stuff brought here

when we moved back we were just gonna crash

here while figuring out these new roles we

got.” Jey felt her grasp his hand,” please boo

I don’t want to do it alone anymore, I’m tired,”

her uncertain tone broke him down a bit,” you

never have to beg to have me around,” he went

to swoop his duffle bag up,” I didn’t pack much,

we can head that way if ya want, I can stay in

the guest room.” Tamika shook her head, the

woman’s voice was quiet,” I still have the

dreams, their bodies haunt my dreams even

now,” Jey sighed at the woman’s admittance

the night terrors that were the reason she snuck

to him as kids and vice versa were still there

and it hurt him. “What do you want me to

do Tami, it’s your choice,” he opened the door

with the woman following him out not seeing

the mother dip into her room from

eavesdropping. “Can you bunk with me, like

old times?,” the words rang in his brain,”like old

times,”he responded calling out to his moms he

was leaving.

The pair arrived at the Diggs home ignoring

the shocked looks of Zilla, Trin and Jimmy who

were on the couch watching football, Jacob

was in the kitchen fixing some lunch eyeing

the pair curiously,”am I tripping or did the

terror twins just walk in?” Jimmy shook his

head,” it’s real that’s my brother and Mika-,” a

smack from his now girlfriend Trin made him

groan rubbing the back of his head. Trinity

smiled brightly,” it’s about time you two made

up, I was tired of seeing yall sour ass attitudes

like you didn’t both miss each other.” Tamika

shot her friend a look to shut up, the woman

took Jey’s bag to her room making Zilla whistle

lowly,” it’s like that, damn cuz I didn’t think

you’d hit so soon.” Jey’s eyes widened he

smacked his cousin,” shut the fuck up reptar,”

the twin followed the woman up the stairs to

the master suite. “Woah you killed the set up

in the house, it looks great Mika,” he

encouraged checking out the space. Tamika

cursed,” I wasn’t thinking, how are we gonna

run two families out one house.” Jey flopped

down on the huge king bed groaning at how

comfy it was,” this shit nice as fuck, and don’t

worry about that, we cross bridges as they

come, don’t be stressing baby, you know I

told you I got you, there’s no more balancing

this shit on your own, let me lead and help

you with your load.” Tamika swatted at him,”

boy get up, no outside clothes on my duvet!” Jey laughed at the expression shift to shock

as he removed his shirt tossing it then his

sweats, plopping back down on the bed he

tucked an arm behind his head then started

working the tv remote as if he hadn’t seen her

eye fucking his tattooed body, something that

stroked his ego in the right way. Tamika

felt her cheeks heat at the sight of his

carved abs and the way his tattoos looked on

his warm skin, she felt herself moisten the

thoughts she began to have confused her, this

was hey child hood friend the fuck was wrong

with her. “You still skinny,” she said matter of

factly lightening the tension making Jey

grin, he patted his abs,” what would you

prefer me to be fat?” Tamika moved to

sit by his side not stopping her intrusive

thoughts that led her fingers to trace the

outlines of his tattoos, the action had Jey

shiver trying to imagine horror movies to

avoid the hardening from his boxers. His hand

grasped her wandering one kissing her palm

wordlessly, then patting his chest the woman

adjusted herself to lay her head over his chest

listening to his heart feeling a forgotten

sense of ease. Jey took a pic of them to her

ignorance setting it as his Home Screen he

smirked,” suck my dick East,” he grumbled to

himself pleased with the way things were

going. It wasn’t thirty minutes later her bedroom

door flung open,”T, we gotta go it’s Zilla - he’s

been shot,” Jacob alerted the woman who’s

guard immediately went up and shot up shoving

a glock in her waist band, Jey stood,”that’s my

fucking cousin, what happened?!,” Jacob shook

his head,” we don’t have time, he’s at central

getting seen but we got eyes on the car who did

it.” Tamika shook her head,” I don’t understand

he was just here what happened?” Jacob

frustratingly sighed a gun in his waistband and

blood on his basketball jersey,” we ain’t got

time T come on!” Jey was already stepping,” if

you know who did it let me in that’s family Uce,”

Jacob nodded his head to Tamika’s surprise.

The trio was out the door once Talisua

messaged she was at the hospital for Zilla,

for them to get the lick back.

“It was a blue classic, green rims,” the

sound of the voice from the other end made

the woman go rigid,”there’s got to be some

sort of mistake, check again?!.” Jacob growled

out,”I’m not fucking blind T it was ya boys

car that had my bullets in the tail lights.” Jey

sat up hearing Tamika standing in her bathroom

talking to what sounded like his cousin,”Ayo

what’s wrong Uce?” The phone hung up and Jey

answered his phone, Tamika was already out

the bathroom looking uneasy,”Jey- it can’t be

right.” Jey’s tongue prodded the inside of

his cheek and a dark chuckle escaped,”yeah Uce

you got it, bring him to me.” “He wouldn’t-,” Jey

whirled around,” why the fuck are you still

tryna side for that dude, his car was the one

responsible for my cousin getting shot, and

I know you not tryna call Jacob no liar

he saw what happened, if he confesses to

shooting my blood I’m gone scrap him.” Tamika felt hot tears in her eye not sure

what to think, East was her boy, there’s no

way he would do this, would he ? Jey gripped

her jawline,” You better not be fucking crying

Mika, I swear to god you fuck on a dude a

few times and this is what happens?!” Jey’s

head swings to the side as the sting of her

hand on his cheek. Seeing the woman standing

in the door way he growls,” get out of my way

Tamika,” the woman stepped to the side

watching her old best friend storm down the

stairs.