#The Practical Book of Built in Furniture

[cdchyld]

Just added to the Vintage shop!

~ “The Practical Book of Built In Furniture” by Heny Lionell Williams (1959)

[aphelionwrotes11]

MDNI 18+ (light dubcon) unedited

Part 3 : Trucker!simon

CW: smut, cunnilingus/fingering, fluff, a little bit of hurt/comfort

1.6k words

Trucker!simon finally takes his bird home

It takes only a month before you’re quitting your job at the shitty truck stop and talking your landlord out of your lease. Simon does all of the heavy lifting when it comes to the moving. Attaches a trailer to the back of his semi cab and uses that to haul your belongings to his private home in the outskirts of the city.

He tells you this is his actual house, the one he’s taken you to before was just the rental he kept to stay in when he was in the city. Just more convenient, closer to the loading dock for the company he works for. It shocks you that he can afford to rent and own a property at the same time, and he does it just because it’s convenient.

It’s a real nice property, large and lush. The long gravel driveway is lined with pines and brush, at the end is a two story home with a large unfenced yard full of green grass and clover. You can’t help the way you gape at the house, So beautiful, and obviously paid for by the money he made in the military and his fat check from long rides in his truck.

He walks you around the entire property as soon as you get there, showing you around inside and out. The house is even more beautiful inside than out, with gorgeous stained glass windows, wooden beams, spiraling stairs, and a kitchen lined with green tile with flower accents. The decor itself is all rather plain, practically a blank canvas, but it just gives you more to work with. There’s a couch where there’s supposed to be one, a coffee table, plates and silverware for two, but not much else.

When you question him on why there’s practically no furniture at all, he just says he’s never needed much. You imagine so, just one man living in a big house. He doesn’t mention that he bought this property not too long after he saw you for the first time, known since the beginning he would have you one way or another.

“Ther’s space in th’back for a garden. Can put whatever ya want in it.” He tells you, and smiles as you grin excitedly, saying that’s great because you’ve always wanted to start up a garden. (He knows, came home and built up some plant beds and bought gardening supplies after you told him that on the first date.)

He spends the next few hours helping you unpack all of your things, which isn’t much. Didn’t exactly have a lot of space for anything other than necessities in your dingy apartment. He takes extra care placing your folded clothes into your shared dresser. Lining your panties beside his boxers. Chuckles as you wave him off, telling him you can do it yourself with a blush on your cheeks. Walks away with a pair of black lace panties tucked in his back pocket, he’s gonna put those in his truck for the next ride out.

The first few weeks are like a dream, the two of you spending nearly every moment together. You weren’t expecting it to feel this easy. You weren’t expecting yourself to wanna be around him so much. You used to call yourself an introvert, preferred your personal time and space over all else. But now you find yourself crawling across the couch to nestle yourself into his arms late at night, or opting to read your books on the bench in the garage as he works on his truck.

The first time he leaves for work isn’t as bad as you thought it would be, he was gone for only 14 hours. Left in the early morning when it was still dark and came home just in time for dinner.

The second time wasn’t so easy, his ride was a full 25 hours away, and you found yourself nervous the entire time he was gone. He told you before hand that he would occasionally have to go on overnight rides, sometimes he’d have to go on rides that would take a week. But he assured you that those were few and far between. Unfortunately he had told you that before holiday season.

And now, as the next week goes by and you find yourself only seeing your boyfriend a few hours a day, your irritation only grows with each passing 24 hours. When he comes back to his lovely bird being sharp and cold, he knows that something has gotta change.

“Whots th’matter, bird? Talk to me.” He says, a tinge of desperation in his voice, only to be met with your frown as you turned back to your book.

When he first picked up this job after retiring from the military, he didn’t mind the ever changing schedule or long rides. Figured it was for the best, something to keep him busy until he’s too old to work anymore. That was until he met you. Suddenly the long rides felt like eternity until he could return to that greasy truck stop to see you again.

And now that he has you all for himself, the long rides and changing hours make him dread waking up in the morning just to leave your beautiful sleeping form all alone. On the third day of your cold shoulder, the next time he goes into work he has a talk with his boss. He’s promised a strict schedule and reduced hours as soon as the holiday season is finished, with all of the other truckers already knee deep in work, it just wasn’t an option to implement his new schedule so soon.

He makes plans to use a couple weeks of his unused PTO by the next month so that he can make up for the lost time.

When he comes home after a particularly rough shift, his skin feels tight and muscles tense, all he can hope for is to pull you into his arms and nestle his face into your neck. But as it’s been for the past few days, you’re cold once he comes home. He can’t help the irritation that builds in his gut as you ignore him when he asks how your day was.

“Alright bird, that’s it.” He says, rising from his seat that the table and getting to you in record time.

You gasp as he lifts you up and lays you on the kitchen island. Ignores your protests as he lifts up your nightgown and pulls down your panties to reveal an already glistening pussy.

“Been so good for you bird, workin’ so hard, gettin’ that shit done just to come home to you all pissy..” he growls, letting out a low groan as he presses a thumb to your swollen clit.

“Whot you so mad at me for? Think you can’t talk to me?” He asks, pressing his index finger into your pussy as you squirm.

“Would rather you yell at me than this shit- fuck-“ he says lowly, bringing his nose down to your lips and sniffing..like a dog. Chuckles as you whine at him.

“Don’t worry birdie, I’ll make you feel better.”

With that, he starts thrusting his fingers into your throbbing cunt as he licks your clit with his thick tongue.

It’s not long before he’s thrusting into you at a godforsaken pace, the only sounds being your moans and mewls, his low groans, and the lewd sound of your wet pussy being finger fucked and sucked on by his drooling mouth.

“Love you bird, y’know I do-“ he mumbles into your pussy, pressing a kiss to your clit.

You feel that familiar coil of pleasure tighten in your core, your toes are curling, your nerves are hot. You choke out a warning, telling him you are so, so close. He doesn’t relent, just carries on.

The orgasm is blinding, your eyes rolling back into your head as you clamp your thighs around his head. He moans into your pussy as you cum, slurping up your juices and rubbing his nose against your clit.

Pushes you to the point of near overstimulation, stops once you start crying that it’s too much. When he pulls away, a string of his spit and your juices is connected to his mouth. His pupils are blown wide and he looks out of it. He’s panting, fingers digging into the fat of your thighs as he presses kisses into the tender skin.

He presses his cheek into your tummy and glances up at you, “feeling better?” He asks with a smirk.

After he’s finished with you (which is when the sun has long since set) and you are snuggled in his warm arms on your shared bed is when he tells you about his conversation with his boss.

“M’sorry. Been neglecting ya, haven’t I birdie? Won’t do it again.” He tells you. But you shush him with your own apologies, telling him you should’ve just talked to him, shouldn’t have ignored him and so on.

“Don’t ever feel ‘fraid of talkin’ to me, bird. I’ll always listen.” He says into your hair.

That night, after a long week of coldness and anger, the two of you lay sound asleep in each others warm embrace, totally peaceful.

Note: hey guys!!! Hope you enjoyed this one!! Had to add in a little bit of sweetness for you all 🩷🩷 as usual this one is unedited so please forgive any mistakes or lack of cohesiveness, I’m planning on coming back and editing a bunch of stuff eventually. But for now I’m just kinda throwing random things out for fun 😆 anyways, next thing I’ll be bringing out will most probably be stalker!simon, that or trucker!john price. Love you all, xoxo 😘

Simon Riley master list

[traveler-at-heart]

Doctor's In - Part 12

Summary: Wanda deals with the aftermath of your breakup.

A/N: This chapter is focused on Wanda. Big thanks to @a-cat-on-titan for an idea that made it on a part of the fic :)

Aint no mountain high enough

Ain’t no valley low enough

“Ain’t no river wiiideee enoough” Wanda dances around the kitchen, singing.

It’s never quiet around the house. There’s always music, or drilling or hammering. Because she’s taken into making (badly built) furniture. And pottery. And yoga.

To anyone else, it may seem like Wanda’s living her best life.

But Pietro’s not just anyone.

His sister is running away from her feelings, keeping herself busy just so she doesn’t have time to miss you.

“Oh, morning. Want anything for breakfast?”

“I’ll make something later, thank you” he refuses the offer, feeling better and finding his movements to be more confident after another month in physical therapuy. “How did you sleep?”

“Children, we’re late for school!” Wanda ignores him. That’s the one thing she can’t do. Sleep. She’ll rest for a few hours, but as soon as everyone’s asleep, Wanda gets too anxious. Her only solution is to put on a pair of headphones and paint or do pottery or anything else until it’s 3 am and she’s too tired to think.

Or dream.

“Billy, where is your soccer bag? You boys have practice after school!” Wanda says, trying to look for it. Kids, always misplacing everything.

“I don’t wanna go to soccer anymore! I already told you” he protests. Pietro looks up, prepared for another argument.

It’s been happening since you left.

“Sweetheart, you love soccer!”

“No, I don’t! I only liked it because Y/N helped me practice during the weekends and it was fun. I’m not going anymore”

With that, he leaves the house and heads straight to the car, slamming the door. Wanda knows he’ll be crying on the way to school and will refuse to hug her goodbye, the same way he’s done every day for the past month.

“Tommy, grab your stuff” the woman says, trying to pretend everything’s fine.

Unfortunately for her, the twins don’t let her pretend, showing how hurt they are and how much they miss you.

It’s just a phase.

“I have a meeting with Laura, I’ll come back later” she says goodbye to Pietro, hoping the car ride can be a bit better.

“Ok” is all he says, frowning.

There’s only one way to fix this. He just hopes his sister will find a way to forgive him after finding out what he did.

—

Laura is waiting with coffee and some biscuits. She’s always looking at Wanda anxiously, waiting for the moment that everything will finally collapse and she’ll feel all the things she’s avoiding.

So far, nothing.

“Hey! Oh, the boys are being so difficult lately. How did you manage with Cooper?” Wanda always walks in with a monologue ready, which never gives Laura the chance to ask her how she’s doing.

“I don’t know. I mean I don’t think that was a difficult age for him” she grimaces, thinking whether or not to tell Wanda this has nothing to do with age, and everything to do with her breakup.

“Is this the book? Oh my God, it looks amazing!” she changes the topic, knowing where the conversation is headed. As she opens to read the first pages, her smile fades. “Well, we need to get rid of that”

That as in, the dedication. The words that were written for you. Because you helped with the book, with taking care of the kids, with encouraging Wanda.

This was supposed to be a gift for you. Like the first book Wanda ever wrote, and she dedicated to the twins. And so on with every one of her family members.

You were the last piece of the puzzle. And she had hoped that someday she’d dedicate the next one to a baby girl. A daughter that looked just like you.

“Wanda…” Laura says, noticing the cracks in her friend’s perfect facade.

“Anyway! I have to go do some grocery shopping. I’m making coq au vin tonight”

“Do the kids eat that?”

“Sure!”

Of course they don’t. But chicken is too fast and she needs to be distracted and have a lot of dishes to clean and keep her mind occupied.

“Well, this is a first prototype. Once I speak with the publishing company we’ll get a date for the release” Laura says. “Hey, are you sure you’re ok?”

“Never been better” Wanda lies. “See you later, Laura”

Of course, the trip to the grocery store is not enough to calm her, not when there’s a woman wearing scrubs, looking exhausted and trying to figure out which baking powder is better.

“This one’s good if you want to bake cookies” she says, finding it hard to look away. “Sorry, you didn’t ask”

“No, that’s fine. Appreciate it” the woman nods, grabbing the one Wanda suggested and walking to another woman that is also wearing scrubs. They chat as they walk to the register.

Now Wanda regrets talking to them. What if they used to work with you? What if they tell everyone they saw her and she was being a weirdo talking to them first?

Worried about running into someone else, she hurries up with the shopping, and practically sprints to her car.

It takes her a few minutes to calm down. She forgets about the radio, until it begins playing.

One of your songs.

Wanda doesn’t have time to change the station, getting a call. She doesn’t really notice who it’s from, wishing nothing more than to disappear.

“Miss Maximoff? This is Tommy’s teacher”

Ok, that will distract her for sure.

“Is he ok? Are he and Billy…?”

“We’re gonna need you to come to the principal’s office, please”

—

A fight.

His sweet, wonderful boy getting into a fight. Well, that was a lie. And no one was going to mess with Wanda’s children.

“Sweetheart?” she approaches her boy, sitting outside the Principal’s office. His clothes are dirty, and his hair is full of weeds. “Who did this to you?”

“Miss Maximoff” Principal Coleman says, ushering her inside. “Please, sit down. I know this is pretty much new to you. Your kids have good grades, the teachers love them… but I’m sorry to tell you Tommy got into a fight today”

“Oh, but… he is the sweetest kid. I just can’t imagine him hurting anyone”

“Well, according to Daniel, Tommy was the one who started it” the Principal says, leaning back in her chair.

“Ok, why don’t we ask Tommy about it? Hear his side of the story”

“I already did but if you’d like to, be my guest” the woman says, standing up to open the door for Tommy. “Go on, tell your mom what you told me”

“I started the fight” Tommy mutters, looking at his feet. “I’m sorry”

“Are you ok? And Daniel?”

“Daniel only got a scratch on his arm. Look, this is a first time incident and Daniel’s parents were very understanding, so I’ll let you take the kids home and figure this out. But if it happens again…”

“Yes, of course. Thank you, Principal Coleman. And you said, to take both kids?”

“Yeah, Billy’s pretty upset about it” the Principal says, opening the door for them. “He’s at the library waiting for you”

Wanda walks next to her son, her mind racing. This has never happened, there must a logical explanation. She tries to keep her cool, but when she sees Billy sitting at the library, pulling nervously at his hair, she feels like a girl again, lost and confused.

She doesn’t know what to do or how to make things better.

“Billy, let’s go home” she says, waiting for him to walk out. The boy avoids her eyes, rushing past them and running straight to the exit.

“Mom” Tommy says, but she’s too overwhelmed.

“Later, Tommy”

The ride home is silent. Wanda doesn’t even play music, holding on to the wheel until her knuckles turn white.

You’d know what to do to make it better.

But now you’re gone.

She barely has time to park before Billy runs out of the car, opening the door and going upstairs.

“Wanna tell me what happened?” Wanda says, still in the driver’s seat. Tommy looks away, shrugging his shoulders.

“Daniel was mean”

“That’s not an excuse to hit someone, you know better than that, Tommy” she scolds him. “You’re grounded, go to your room. We’ll talk about this later”

He steps out, his head down. Wanda is waiting for him to walk inside the house when she sees a woman with short, gray hair inspecting her garden.

“Hello. Can I help you?” Wanda says, clearly on edge. She’s not in the mood for any more surprises today.

And as the woman turns around, her jaw drops.

“Mom!”

“Hello, dear”

“Grandma!” Tommy runs back to her. “It’s you!”

“Oh, my! Look at you, it’s been forever since I’ve seen you! You’re so tall” the woman says, hugging her grandson. “Where’s your brother? Did you leave school early?”

“Uh… let’s all get inside. Tommy, tell your brother to come back down, please” Wanda interrupts, knowing she’ll get unwanted advice about parenting as soon as her mother knows what happened at school today. “So, how… I mean when…”

“Mama, I hope your flight was good” Pietro walks up to the door, wrapping his mother in a hug.

“You knew she was coming” Wanda says, feeling her blood boiling.

That little Mama’s boy.

“Don’t make a fuss, Wanda” their mother scolds. “I’m just here to help. And I won’t be staying in your house, your neighbor rents a room down the street. Mrs. Davies, you probably know her”

“Yeah, of course I do” she answers, but her mother is already walking inside, inspecting Pietro.

“Now, how’s recovery? You look so thin, bratan. Oh! You got a dog!” the woman exclaims, Sparky running around her.

This is so not how she expected her day to go at all.

—

Wanda’s not allowed in the kitchen while her mother cooks, and she can’t clean either because that was the first thing Ekaterina Maximoff did as soon as she set foot in the house.

The list of things she can do to get distracted is drastically reduced, so she locks herself in her study, pretending to sketch.

But all she can think about is you.

This is exactly why she doesn’t like to have free time. The memories of how you filled every part of the house with laughter and love are just waiting around the corner to remind Wanda how badly she messed up.

She decides to check on the twins, who should be done with their homework around this time.

But only Billy’s in his bed, playing with a Rubik’s cube you gave him.

“Hey” Wanda says, as she opens the door. “Mind if I sit?”

Billy just shrugs his shoulders, eyes focused on the different colors of the puzzle.

“Wanna tell me what happened in school? Did Tommy really start the fight?”

Billy sighs, and then looks up.

“Daniel said some mean things. Like…”

“Like… sweetheart, you can tell me anything, I promise. I just want to understand what happened” Wanda reassures him, squeezing his hand.

“Daniel said he heard his dad talking about you and Y/N. How it wasn’t right that you were with her and that he was happy she was gone. And then… he said maybe now that Y/N wasn’t around I…” Billy covers his eyes, trying to hide the fact he’s crying.

“Come here” Wanda comforts him, her heart breaking. She’s sorry to say this, but she doesn’t blame Tommy for getting into a fight with Daniel, not after he said all those horrible things.

“He said that now that Y/N’s gone I was going to stop being a weirdo”

“My sweet boy, I am so sorry” Wanda says, kissing the top of his head. “What Daniel said is not ok and his father should teach him better. I promise you I will talk to him about it”

“Don’t be mad at Tommy, he was just upset” Billy asks, wiping the tears. “He misses Y/N and so do I”

“It’s ok” Wanda hugs her baby boy, rubbing his back in a soothing motion. She feels Billy relax against her, hugging her like he used to do before you left.

Correction.

Before Wanda kicked you out.

“Do you miss her?” he asks, his voice small. He knows his mother doesn’t want to talk about you. It upsets her too much.

“Of course I do”

“It’s just… it feels like you don’t care, Mama. Like you don’t even remember her at all” Billy says, crying more.

“I know. I’m not the best at this, darling. I guess I just miss her so much it hurts, and I rather not think about it at all. It’s a silly thing grown ups do”

“Do you know if she’s ok?”

“I think so. I hope so”

“Do you think she misses us too?”

“I’m sure she misses you and Tommy and Sparky”

Truth is, Wanda isn’t sure you have any love left for her. Not enough to miss her, at least.

—

The food tastes like home. Like the summers in the country side, or the cold days of winter where Wanda played with Pietro until Mama called them home for a dinner of warm soup and bread.

“Delicious” Pietro comments after the first bite and Wanda nods.

“I can never get the sauce for the Chkmeruli right” Wanda says, trying to figure out the missing ingredient. “Your is so much better, just like grandma’s”

“I’ll teach you how to get it right” Ekaterina promises. “The secret is in the amount of ingredients. And something that we’re not telling anyone else”

“Alright” Wanda nods.

“Now, boys. Tell me all about school. And your hobbies. Do you play videogames?”

Wanda watches her family interact, laughing at certain things, and looking at her mother with fascination.

There’s a certain guilt that takes over when she understands she wasted three years of her life for something that could have been solved with an honest conversation.

One day, her mother will be gone and she’ll regret not having spent more time with her.

There’s also another regret in the back of her mind.

She wishes you had met her mother.

“Excuse me for a moment” she says, standing up from the table and walking to the bathroom. She covers her mouth to stop from sobbing, but there are tears in her eyes and a weight in her stomach that doesn’t let her sleep or eat or live.

Wanda fucked up so badly and now she’ll never see you again.

“Oh, God” she says, trying to breath, and fix her makeup. She can’t let the boys see her like this.

It’s been an overwhelming day, that’s all.

I’m fine.

“Is everyone done? I’m cleaning the kitchen” she says as soon as she comes back, picking up the plates and rushing past her family.

The cleaning keeps her hands busy and mind at ease, but she's still humming a song, just to focus on something that isn’t those awful thoughts she just had.

“I’m sorry” Pietro says, walking with the help of his cane. “I know it feels like an ambush, and I know you don’t wanna talk about it, but you’re not ok. The kids are always fighting with you, you do everything but talk about what happened and Y/N’s stuff are still in the garage. Maybe… fixing things with Mama can give you some perspective. I don’t know. I’m a burden most of the time, without being able to walk or do more around here. I just wanted to help”

Wanda keeps cleaning, never turning around to ackowledge her brother. He sighs, scratching the back of his head and turning to leave the kitchen.

“You’ll never be a burden, Pietro” is all Wanda says, finally turning to look at him. He smiles.

“Try to get some rest”

“You too”

“Oh, and Daniel definitely deserved to get his ass kicked”

“I agree” Wanda laughs. “Don’t tell the kids, though”

Pietro makes a motion, as if sealing his lips.

Their mom walks to hug him, saying goodbye for the day.

“You can sleep in my room, I can take the couch” Wanda offers.

“None of that. Mrs. Davies is excited over her very first guest and I won’t be the one to disappoint that sweet woman. Get some rest. Tomorrow I’m making borsch”

“You don’t have to cook, I can handle it”

“Of course I have to. Your brother needs to gain some weight!” the woman says, kissing her daughter in both cheeks. She says something in Sokovian about her children eating all that American food, walking out to Mrs. Davies house.

Wanda’s done with cleaning, and she goes upstairs to say goodnight to the kids.

“Hey. You’re not grounded. Ok?” Wanda says when Billy falls asleep, looking at Tommy. “Thank you for looking after your brother”

“I am older by ten minutes” he says, like Pietro always does. Wanda smiles, kissing his forehead.

“Sleep well, sweet boy”

And as she walks to her room, that feels so empty ever since that night one month ago, Wanda’s not sure how long she can handle pretending that one day, your abscence won’t hurt as much.

—

She could fix this.

You always fixed things.

Wanda had gotten the message. You disappeared, no calls or texts, not even to let her know where you were staying.

And when she tried to reach out, you never answered.

But now she was worried and scared, and most of all, sorry for the things she had said to you.

Wanda needed to apologize, to tell you how much she loved you.

But even if that was the only thing on her mind, she was standing outside the hospital, trying to gather the courage to come in.

“Wanda” a voice said behind her. Although it was familiar, Wanda was disappointed when she turned around and saw Carol Danvers.

“Hey… I was just… I was looking for Y/N”

“Oh. Uh… you haven’t heard?” Carol stumbled with her words, caught completely off guard.

“Heard what? Is Y/N ok?” Wanda’s heart began to race… maybe you were injured and it was exactly why you hadn’t replied to any of her messages, or answered the phone when she called.

“Yeah, uh… oh, crap” Carol looked over Wanda’s shoulder. “If I were you I’d run back to my car”

“What?” Wanda turned around, her eyes meeting Darcy’s.

“You!” the brunette barked, walking faster. “You’re about to find out why I got banned from lacrosse in college, Maximoff”

“Let’s calm down” Carol asked, stepping between the two of them.

“No! I will not calm down. I hope you’re proud of yourself, Wanda. You told Y/N everything she’s always been afraid of hearing. That you can’t trust her or the 'we’ll be better without you', fucking fantastic, really!”

“Darcy, come on, we should get back inside” Carol said, pleading with Maria to help her. But Darcy was not done.

“All this bullshit of making her move in with you and be a family for what? To kick her out just because you had a shitty day? Because she was saving a life?”

“I just… I know I screwed up, but if I could just talk to her…”

“Well, for that you’d have to get on a plane to Boston. Because Y/N quit” Darcy said, amused at Wanda’s shocked expression. “Yeah, my best friend left without a second thought because of you. Way to screw over everyone, Wanda”

“I didn’t want this to happen”

“That’s not good enough, unfortunately. You got lucky, because Danver’s here. But I’m being serious, if I see you again I’m gonna make an even bigger scene”

Maria went after Darcy, who was clearly pissed off, leaving Carol and Wanda outside of the hospital.

“Do you know if she’s ok?” Wanda asked, looking down.

“She doesn’t answer anyone’s calls or texts, Wanda. All I know is she quit one week ago and got on a plane to Boston”

“Right… Well, I better go” she said, biting her lip. “Thanks for keeping Darcy from killing me”

“Yeah, we’re understaffed with Y/N gone. So I can’t really let Darcy get arrested” Carol joked, though it was also one way of reminding Wanda her actions had impacted a whole group of people outside of her.

“See you” Wanda nodded, walking fast to her car. Chief Fury almost clashed against her, as Wanda was looking anywhere but the path in front of her.

“I’m sorry”

“Bet you are” the man grumbled, walking to the hospital.

Even another man in a motorcycle couldn’t keep from staring at Wanda, his blue eyes cold as ice.

So, Wanda got on her car, and left without lookig back.

She lost you. Forever.

—-

“Morning” a very upbeat voice speaks as Ekaterina walks down the stairs.

“Morning, Mrs. Davies” she says, smiling.

“Oh, please, call me Sharon. Would you like some coffee?”

“I’ll take some tea”

“Of course. Very healthy!” the woman says, getting everything ready. Ekaterina takes a moment to look around, admiring all the plants in the room and the flower wallpaper.

“Are you a gardener?”

“Only for fun” Sharon says, putting some biscuits in a plate. “Can I just say, I love your accent?”

Ekaterina smiles, but keeps from answering that. Though people were nice about it, she knew others had always been critical of her for not learning “proper” English when her family moved to America.

Which is why she was happy to return to Sokovia when things settled. The US was never her home, even if it was for her children.

“Was the family happy to see you?”

“Oh, yes. Especially my daughter” Ekaterina jokes, though it flies over Sharon’s head. Of course she doesn’t know that they have a complicated relationship. “I do hope she has been a good neighbor to you. I raised her to be kind”

“Oh, she’s great. Always baking stuff for everyone, the kids are very polite and well behaved too. She’s a great girl, just as Y/N. They were good together. I hope Y/N is doing ok” Sharon says, pouring every single detail that Ekaterina wanted to know.

Well, seems like it’s gonna be easier than she thought.

“Yes, this Y/N girl. Can you tell me more about her?” she says in a casual tone, and Sharon is happy to talk about you.

“Well, she moved to the neighborhood like two years ago. She’s a surgeon, always working. Honestly, very quiet but very nice. One time I fell in the sidewalk and she slept in the couch just to make sure someone was around in case I needed something”

Very impressive. It was the kind of thing that would make Ekaterina approve of anyone dating her children.

“And she was with Wanda?”

“Well… I’m not sure I should talk about this” Sharon hesitates for the first time.

“I’m just curious, as a mother…”

Ah, the mother card.

It works so well.

“Of course, you’re right! It’s not like I’ll tell you things you can’t figure out on your own” Sharon laughs, thinking of everything she remembers. “Well, Y/N lived across the street from Wanda, which is probably how they started talking. You know, young people understand each other better than us”

“So they were together?”

“Yes, I think Agatha saw them almost a year ago… on a date or something. And then, it was kinda nice to see Y/N around a bit more. Ya know, it was obvious she was spending more time at home, to help with the boys. They adore her. Always running around with her, playing. It was nice to see them all be a family” Sharon’s enthusiasm dies down.

“And then?”

“Humm” she says, sighing. “I honestly don’t know. The last time I saw Y/N she was walking out of the house and she got into her car. She didn’t have any bags or anything, so I just assumed she was going to the hospital… but then she never came back”

“And you have no idea what happened?” Ekaterina pushes forward, curious to check if the woman’s being honest.

“No, I’m sorry”

“Mudak”

“Oh, can I ask what that word means?” Sharon says, smiling. She loves learning new words.

“It means motherfucker” Ekaterina answers, her accent heavy.

“Wow, ok” Sharon giggles nervously. “You know who could have that information? Agatha. Yeah, her girlfriend works at the hospital. She’s kinda scary”

“Agatha or her girlfriend?”

“Both, definitely both”

“How can I speak to them?” Ekaterina says, trying to piece everything together.

She can manage scary. Especially when she’s looking for answers.

—

Billy’s in a mood again. He didn’t want to go to school, and he’s still refusing to go to soccer practice.

“Daniel’s gonna keep annoying me” he mutters.

“I will speak with his father today” Wanda says, driving them both to school. “I’m sure it’s gonna be fine, sweetheart”

“Y/N would kick his ass” Billy says in a low voice, but Wanda still hears.

“Don’t speak like that. And violence is not the answer”

“Yeah, well, Daniel’s a jerk, his dad too and I want to talk to Y/N. She’s the only one that can make everything right again”

“Enough!” Wanda shouts, pulling up to drop them off. “Y/N’s not coming back. You hear me? She’s gone. We don’t need her, we’ve been fine on our own our whole lives”

“You’re lying. I hate you” he says, running out of the car.

Wanda’s speechless.

This is the first time she’s had a fight with her sweet boys. The first time they’ve been mean or said something to hurt her.

She was expecting this as they got old, maybe 13. But now?

“Bye, Mom” Tommy says, walking after his brother. He’s nervous too. He knows he can’t get into any more trouble or he might get suspended, but Daniel’s not the nicest kid.

“Oh, damn it” she looks behind her to notice Billy left his lunch. “Kids!”

“Hey, Wanda” Richard calls for her. “Heard our guys had a little fight. I was hoping we could talk about it. Maybe over dinner?”

She resists the urge to roll her eyes. Is he really flirting right now?

“Yeah, I should actually…”

“No need to apologize, boys will be boys, right?”

“Apologize?” Wanda tilts her head, the way she always does when she’s pissed. “I wasn’t planning on doing that. And neither is Tommy”

“Well, he started the fight”

“No, Daniel was repeating the stupid things you say. Like how it’s wrong for two women to date. And he also insulted Billy” Wanda says, crossing her arms. “The way I see it, it’s the proverbial talk shit, get hit”

“Wow, ok, no need to get emotional”

“No, I’m not emotional. I’m just saying, if you ever say anything bad about Y/N or my kids and I get wind of it, I’m running you over with my car. See ya, Dick”

Fucking asshole.

Wanda can practically hear you say those words. Though you’d be a lot scarier, telling him all the ways in which he could get hurt using medical terms he wouldn’t even begin to understand.

You’d never let anything bad happen to your family.

Wanda decides to play the loudest music on the way back home. Yes, death metal from her emo phase -something you’d tease her for relentlessly before-.

As she pulls over in the driveway, her mother knocks on the window, making Wanda jump.

“Why are you still listening to that devil music? I thought that phase was over!”

“Mom!”

“Are you ok?”

“Fine”

“Yeah, I can tell”

“Ok, I don’t have time for this, I need to drive Pietro to rehab. Do you need anything from the store?”

“Yes, many things! Like actual paprikash. I can’t believe you buy US made. That’s why you can’t get the food right”

“Seriously?”

“Settle down, you two” Pietro asks, coming out of the house. It was a fun time, being a teenager and hearing his sister and mother argue over every single thing. They’re too much alike, that’s the only problem.

“Anyways, I will go to store, Sharon is letting me drive her car”

“Ok, does she know about the time you almost destroyed a McDonald’s with Papa’s car?”

“He said drive through, so I did!”

“Yeah, through the wall” Pietro laughs, earning a slap on the back of the head from his mother.

“You, go to your thing. And I’m picking up Billy from school today. He doesn’t want to go do soccer, so we’re going to get ice cream” Ekaterina says casually.

“It’s not optional for him! I’m the mom here”

“Just for a day. I hardly think it will affect him if he doesn’t run around like dog after a ball. Take Sparky instead” the woman says.

Wanda wants to scream into a pillow.

—

Ekaterina comes back from the store, but instead of parking outside of Wanda’s, she leaves the car right outside of Agatha’s home.

The investigation continues.

After a knock, a woman with dark, long hair and piercing blue eyes opens the door.

“You the OG Mrs. Maximoff” she greets, standing aside to let her in.

“I don’t know what those words mean. I’m Wanda and Pietro’s mother”

“Ooh, I love the accent. I love learning languages. My girlfriend is teaching me Spanish”

Before Ekaterina can answer, there’s a frantic knock, and Sharon walks inside the minute Agatha opens the door.

“I hope I’m not too late”

“I didn’t know we were having a party” Agatha says. She doesn’t really like visitors, and Mrs. Davies' enthusiasm and corny jokes are an acquired taste.

“Alright. What do you want to know?” Agatha leans back in her chair, intrigued by the woman.

Why not just ask her own daughter? Though, considering how Wanda’s been acting, she’ll probably refuse to answer any questions about it.

“Why did Y/N leave? Where did she go?”

“Ok, so… I need a minute because Rio was telling me everything in Spanish so I could learn. You know, using gossip as motivation” Agatha massages her temples, trying to remember everything. “Ok, there was a new doctor, something, something, cheating, slapping, break up”

“What?” Ekaterina says. “Are you saying that woman slapped my daughter?”

“No! Well, I don’t think so. Ah, screw it! Amor!” Agatha shouts, calling for Rio. “Ponte ropa y baja a contarles el chisme”

“Está bien” a voice says. A few minutes later, another woman joins them in the living room, wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

“You called?”

“Ok, so I kinda lied when I said I understood everything you said in Spanish. I do remember the name Natasha. And something about a kiss” Agatha smiles, and Rio can’t really stay mad when her girlfriend is looking all cute.

“So, a few months ago, Natasha Romanoff came to the hospital to teach a method developed by her mother. The Romanoffs are a very wealthy, very famous family of doctors. And everyone in the hospital kinda noticed that Natasha was flirting with Y/N”

“Did Y/N flirt back? Was she cheating on my daughter?”

“I meaaan, 50/50. The hospital was split. Some people believed that she was just being nice and others thought there were feelings involved”

“What do you think?” Ekaterina presses.

“I think Y/N was just being flirty but she never meant for anything else to happen. She’s just naturally personable. Even she can manage to make me laugh from time to time. So, I don’t know. There was a rumor that Natasha kissed her once or was trying to talk her into breaking up with Wanda… which, I guess has some truth to it, considering Y/N moved to Boston to work for the Romanoffs”

“I’m sorry, then who slapped who?” Mrs. Davies asks, confused.

“Oh, Y/N’s mother outside the hospital, but that's not related to Wanda. Darcy told me that woman is awful. Used to put Y/N through hell when she was a kid”

“Yeah, I know the feeling” Agatha mumbles and Rio places her hand on her shoulder, comforting her.

“I don’t like this Y/N” Ekaterina decides. “She was weak and got my family hurt”

“I don’t think that’s exactly accurate…” Agatha says, feeling the need to defend you. She knows you, and you’d never do anything to hurt Wanda. Not on purpose. “Look, I was looking for my bunny that night. Little shit likes to escape out of the blue. Wanda was the one who ended things. I heard that loud and clear. And yes, it seems messy, but I don’t think it’s fair to blame it all on someone”

“Yeah, Y/N really loved the kids and took care of Wanda” Sharon insists. Ekaterina sighs, crossing her arms.

“I don’t suppose anyone knows how to get in touch with Y/N”

Agatha, Rio and Sharon share a look.

“I could try” Rio offers, thinking Darcy might be in touch with you.

“Thank you. Now I go to pick up Billy from school. I appreciate your help”

“I actually need the car for a bit” Sharon asks, but the woman is already gone. “Oh, well”

—

True to her word, Ekaterina picked up Billy from school, while Tommy was supposed to ride with Sharon and her kid to soccer.

Wanda wasn’t really looking forward to practice today, in case Richard was there.

Thankfully, it seemed like Daniel was here with his mother, but Wanda’s stomach dropped when Susan walked up to her.

“Wanda, can we talk for a sec?”

“Yeah, sure”

They walked away from the rest of the parents.

“Look, I know what Daniel said and I already talked to him about it. He’ll apologize to Tommy and Billy, but I wanted to tell you personally how asahmed I am. Those awful things are all Richard and I really don’t want Daniel to be like his father”

“Oh… wow. I don’t know what to say” Wanda laughs, relieved. “Your ex had a very different approach to this whole situation”

“I know, he’s an asshole”

Both women laugh at that.

“I was going to say, he can speak to Tommy after practice, but I haven’t seen him today. Or Billy”

“Oh, Billy’s with my mother. But Sharon picked up Tommy…” though when Wanda looks around the field, she doesn’t see her son. Spotting Sharon, she runs up to her. “Hey, Tommy rode with you, right?”

“What? Wanda, he said he was feeling ill and that you were going to pick him up”

“No, that never… I-I don’t have any missed calls. No one from school told me anything. Shit!” she curses, her hands shaking. Her mother takes forever to pick up the phone. “Is Tommy with you? No, I know Billy’s there. What about Tommy? Ok, I don’t have time to explain, meet me at home now”

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t even think to call you” Sharon says.

“No, no. It’s fine. I’m sure it’s fine” Wanda repeats, trying to calm herself.

Her first instinct is to call you.

But then she has to think really hard on what to do, so she calls Pietro to make sure Tommy isn’t home by some weird miracle. Should she call the cops? The fire department?

Clint, he will know what to do.

“Ok, I’ll meet you at your house, it’s gonna be fine” Clint says.

“You good to drive?” Susan says, walking Wanda to the car.

“Yes. I’m sure it’s all a misunderstanding and Tommy’s in his room playing videogames”

“Well, ok, if you need anything here’s my number” the woman says.

Wanda goes over everything that could have happened. Tommy likes to visit the library, the park on Fullton street, the comic book store…

Clint’s already there when she gets home, and Ekaterina parks a second later.

“Billy, come here” Wanda kneels to look at her son. “Did Tommy tell you anything? Was he going somewhere?”

Billy shakes his head no, and Wanda insists.

“Sweetheart, are you sure? I promise I won’t be mad”

“I don’t know, I swear”

“Alright, I just spoke to my friend at the station. They’re gonna start looking for him. Pietro should stay here in case Tommy comes back or someone calls home. The rest of us could split and check places we know he frequents” Clint says.

“Billy, stay with uncle Pietro” Wanda asks. The boy nods, walking up the stairs to meet his uncle, who puts his arm around his shoulders.

“I’ll go to the arcade” Clint offers. “Ask if anyone’s seen him”

“We’ll go to the park” Wanda nods, waiting for her mother to join her in the car. She can’t even begin to understand what’s happening.

Wanda doesn’t know what to do, but she has to remain calm, because her son needs her.

—

Tommy’s begining to think this is a bad idea. He doesn’t have a lot of money and he doesn’t have a clue on what bus will take him to Boston.

He should be at soccer practice now.

He finds a cafeteria not far from school, and goes inside hoping he can get some free water.

“You alone, sweetheart?” the waitress says, concerned.

“No, my mom is in the bathroom” he lies and the woman doesn’t seem entirely convinced. Either way, she leaves him alone. Tommy takes the time to dig in his backpack for some extra coins that might be in there.

Instead he finds a letter and a couple of pins.

After reading it, he walks up to the waitress and finally tells the truth.

“I ran away. Can you help me find my mom?”

“Of course, sweetheart”

—-

“Where should we go?” her mother asks, and Wanda points in the direction of the lake.

“He liked to feed the ducks with Y/N”

“Ok, then”

They walk in silence, Wanda’s thoughts racing until her mother speaks.

“I lost you once. You were four or five, maybe, and we were at the market. While your brother picked out the apples, you decided to run after a chicken. And I was so scared, calling for you in the sea of people”

“Yeah. It’s an awful feeling” Wanda says, wiping away the tears.

They walk around the park for ten minutes before deciding he’s not here. Tommy’s nowhere to be found. He’s a ten year old, for God’s sake, where on Earth could he be?

Before she has time to think it twice, Wanda picks up the phone and dials your number.

“Hello?”

That’s not your voice.

It’s Natasha’s.

Wanda hangs up, and adds this to the list of shitty things that have happened to her in the span of two days.

“Mom, I can’t!” she finally breaks down. “I don’t know how to fix this. I miss her so much and I ruined everything and she’s never coming back. And now my boys hate me and I have nothing. All because I was so stuck in the past. And I lost her”

“Breathe. Breathe for me” Ekaterina pulls her daughter into a hug, while Wanda’s body shakes with the strenght of her sobs. “It’s ok. It will be ok”

“It doesn’t feel like it”

“Trust me” she says, waiting until Wanda calms down. After a few minutes, she wipes her tears and looks at her mother. Wanda’s about to say something else when her phone rings again.

“Oh, it’s Clint. Hello? Yes, where? Ok, send me the address and I’ll be right there” she hangs up, sprinting to the car. “He’s at a cafeteria not far from school”

“Thank God”

It’s only a five minute drive but to Wanda it feels like an eternity. As soon as she parks, she spots Tommy sitting at the counter, drinking a milkshake while a waitress talks to him, trying to ease his nerves.

“Is that your mom?” the woman says when Wanda gets inside. Tommy’s eyes widen, and he runs towards her.

“Mama!”

“Oh, Tommy. I was so worried about you”

“I’m sorry”

“It’s ok. I’m just happy you’re safe. Let’s go home”

—

The kids are safely tucked in bed, and Wanda’s having a glass of wine in the kitchen. She’d drink something stronger if she had anything at all.

Her mind goes back to the fact Natasha picked up your phone.

It doesn’t mean you’re with her. And even if you were, Wanda was the one that broke up with you.

Then why did it hurt so much to think you’d already moved on?

With a sigh, she goes up the stairs. Wanda can’t help but go into her children’s room, just to make sure they’re both safe.

When she asked Tommy what happened, he just said he wanted to go and see you. But then he changed his mind when he found something in his backpack. Though he wouldn’t tell Wanda what it was.

As the woman walks up to her children, she notices a letter tucked under Tommy’s pillow.

Could this be the thing he found?

Billy and Tommy,

Hey kiddos. This isn’t something I’m happy about and I never really wanted to write a letter like this one.

You might not see me anymore. I know it sucks, because I promised I’d take you to the state fair and Universal Studios when the school year was over.

The thing is, sometimes grown ups have a lot of complicated things going on. Sometimes things don’t work out no matter how much we try.

Be good to your mom, ok? If you miss me and want me to be less worried about you, just promise me you’ll love her extra for me. You are her biggest treasure and she’s such a great mom. Don’t forget you’re all each other have.

PS - I’m leaving my lucky pins with you. Please take care of them for me.

Love you three,

Y/N

Of course.

Of course it was you.

Even if you were thousand of miles away, you had found a way to help Wanda and keep her family safe.

Now she won’t be able to sleep at all, so she goes downstairs to the garage, full of boxes with your clothes and books.

For the first time since you left, Wanda allows herself to look at everything you left behind, and everything you did. The smallest things, like how you always forget to wear glasses to read, and you end up with a frown. Sunday’s crossword puzzle, always discarded. It’s not that you don’t finish it, the opposite. You know the answers to everything so fast that writing them is a waste of time.

Wanda pulls out your college sweatshirt, hugging it tight against her chest.

She misses you, so much it hurts.

As she puts on the sweatshirt, Wanda folds the sleeves, slightly long for her shorter arms.

When she’s about to close the box, she sees it.

A small box. For a ring.

An engagement ring.

She let’s out a gasp as she opens it.

You were proposing.

And all Wanda did was question your committment and your love for her and the children.

I’m such an idiot.

She doesn’t have much time to wallow, though. Wanda’s phone rings, and her mouth goes dry when she reads the name on the screen.

You.

Looking between her phone and the ring, Wanda doesn’t know what to do.

Should she tell you she found the ring?

Would it make a difference at all?

[jjenthusee]

Steady Breaths and String Lights

Jason Todd x Reader

A/N: another drabble 😫 i’m really into domestic jason rn so don’t mind me giving yall soft jason content <3 ENJOY and tell me your domestic jason headcanons in the comments if u have any :D

A brand new couch.

It was a deal from a discount furniture store and once you had laid your eyes on it, how could you pass up the deal?

No tears, a good color, the store wanted to get rid of it, so they slapped a large discount tag on it and it came with the decorative pillows. How could you not have it?

One card swipe later, you were the proud owner of this new couch.

The process getting it in your apartment was different. You had no vehicle to haul it, but you managed to convince the company to do one delivery for you.

After your great declaration of strength and independence (and with the help of your neighbors) you moved the couch.

The living room was complete with the new furniture.

You were practically an interior designer.

If Jason wasn’t gone for the week, he would’ve told you that was a stretch, but he had boring taste anyway.

After a good wash and spray, you moved the cushions into place, angling the decorative pillows perfectly and shifting a pristinely folded blanket for a unique touch. It was just like how you saw it in the store.

Then curiosity got the better of you and all the cushions were taken out again, placed at different angles, leaning against one another.

Placing, stabilizing, placing another one.

You grabbed a blanket from your bed, some battery powered string lights, and Jason’s pillow, leaving yours untouched on your side of the bed.

You had made a structurally sound fort, with an organized stack of books, lights hung from edge to edge to give the perfect ambience, comfy blankets and Jason’s pillow that smelled like him.

After admiring your creativity and one final inspection, you crawled into the fort, curling yourself in the safe cocoon.

It was warm and you leaned into his pillow, the scent of his shampoo comforting you until your breaths evened, falling asleep to the excitement of telling Jason about your brand new purchase when he got home.

An hour later, a slight rattle came from the window, cautious steps crawling in, but loudly enough to make a sound to alert whoever was inside.

Jason had got home early and he waited for your head to pop out of some corner.

His armor was heavier on his body that night and he had been away way too long. He just wanted to hear your voice happily welcome him back, passionately hug you, and then crash on the bed holding you near him.

Like routine, he was going to unclip his utility belt and peel off his jacket, but he never heard your voice.

Standing frozen, he kept the protective shiny red helmet on his head until he could physically see you.

There was no movement, no noise.

Jason stood still, pressing his boots into the floorboards as he readied himself. While preventing any sound from his movements, he switched on his infrared scanners, sweeping the entire home before he saw a curled up ball.

In the living room, you were protected by a small cushion fort in front of a couch that magically appeared.

You were sound asleep as his hushed footsteps walked closer to you. He had removed his helmet after he ensured you had a steady heartbeat and even breaths.

He placed his helmet outside the blanket door and removed his boots, placing them neatly next to one another.

He wanted to be a respectful guest in your newly built home.

With bare hands, Jason lifted the flimsy door and there you laid, peacefully drifted off.

Jason exhaled, releasing his previous tension with one glance at you.

He always loved coming home to you.

Carefully, he maneuvered himself through the door. With a surprise, he easily fit. He smiled at the thought that you must have built it with him in mind because the door perfectly fit his shoulders. What an attention to detail.

He crawled in, moving his body by his arms until he was parallel with your face.

Unconsciously, you moved to the new warmth, Rolling your body closer to the new presence.

Jason smiled into your scalp, closing his eyes to the weight of you.

“Sweetheart, I’m home.” Jason whispered, vibrations felt against your cheek.

You incoherently mumbled into his body, barely able to open your mouth.

As you felt the comforting arms rubs and strong arms encircling you, your mind started to slowly wake up. The fog clearing.

You freed one of your hands buried underneath the blanket to match the hands enveloping you.

Then your hand felt a familiar bicep, firm in your palm.

Your eyes shot open as you moved your head out of the crevice of Jason’s neck to see your sleepy vigilante laying next to you.

“Feeling me up in your sleep?” Jason tiredly smirked, teasing you as soon as you woke up.

You slowly blinked before fully registering this wasn’t just another pleasant dream.

It was the real deal in front of you.

“Welcome home.” You softly greeted, kissing his knuckles.

Jason’s body physically relaxed at your words, his smirk morphing into content.

His hands were rough and calloused, but the feeling on your lips have never felt better.

“I got a couch.” You smiled into his hand.

“I see that.” Jason glanced around the inside of the fort. “I got ya something while I was out for the week, but I don’t think I could top a couch.”

“It was nicely decorated before, but I got carried away.” You closed your eyes to nuzzle into Jason’s pillow, holding onto Jason’s hand.

He watched you get comfortable, your silent contentment with his touch and warmth. Loving the skin he hated so damn much.

You yawned, the comfortability of your shared lives relaxing you.

Your hair was a mess from the nap, your lashes laid on your skin, and his hands rubbing at any inch of your face, memorizing every detail he could so even his dreams could also have you.

“No, it’s perfect.” Jason watched you, leaning in to kiss your temple, lips lingering a second longer.

You smiled, feeling complete that your other half was home.

“I’m glad.” You slurred, letting sleep inch closer and closer to you.

The two of you lost to the night, your sleeping forms intertwined and Jason’s legs sticking out of the fort.

And a brand new couch that joined your shared life.

[ihavetoomanyocsdealwithit]

Unexpected things you did that delight them:  

Riddle Rosehearts, Azul Ashengrotto, Trey Clover, Ruggie Bucci, Malleus Draconia

Content: Fluff

You learned proper tea etiquette for Riddle  

It starts out with you just listening to him correct others as they go throughout the various teatimes of Heartslabyul. How it leads to you thrifting a tea set from a local shop is hard to say, and it’s chipped a bit on the plates, but it holds, and the lady gave it to you for a far cheaper price than she should have. But it cleaned up beautifully, you filled in the cracks with some leftover clay and didn’t even have to repaint it! It was already in Ramshackle blue and green.  

It is embarrassing when he finds you quizzing yourself on the different spoons and plates, but the smile that blooms is worth it.  

You have no idea that when you invite him over for a tea party a few weeks after, it’s the first one that he hasn’t hosted himself. He borrows the same book from the library to brush up on his guest etiquette.  

“Prefect, what are you-ah! A lovely set. If you were needing to learn I would be happy to assist! What teas do you prefer? I will bring complimenting savories or sweets.”  

You carry glasses cleaner for Azul  

Assuming you don’t carry it already or if you don’t wear glasses. You and Azul usually spend a lot of time at Octavinelle but occasionally he will come to Ramshackle. He has since seen the work that you put into fixing up the place and the furniture you've built and appreciates it a way that the others can’t. Afterall, many of his own pieces are repaired or thrifted antiques for authenticity.

Lounging on the couch while listening to one of the jazz records he brought, you take the glasses from his hand when he realizes that he forgot his own cleaner.  

“Prefect, why would you have glasses wipes, you don’t wear any. Ah, you carry them for me. How thoughtful of you, my friend! I hope I’m not putting you out any.” 

You baked him a birthday cake for Trey  

Everyone gets nervous when Trey’s birthday comes around. How do you bake for a baker? He got past the disappointed feeling a long time ago though, perfectly prepared to make his own birthday cake.  

What isn’t accounted for you is pushing him out of the kitchen, declaring it against the rules for him to bake his own birthday cake. He could fight you on it, but he’s intrigued at this point on what you will make.  

What he doesn’t anticipate is a simple vanilla cake with a blueberry filling, a light buttercream frosting and candied violets and almonds scattered on the top. It’s simple but delicious and clearly just for him.

“You’ve got some real potential here. Where did you learn to make candied violets? You foraged and learned how just for me? Ah, that was too much for me. Thank you.”  

You clean Ruggie’s ears 

Ruggie does a lot of things to ensure everybody else gets taken care of, which means sometimes he neglects himself a bit. The showers got trashed over at Savanaclaw so he asks to use yours after a particularly messy Spelldrive Practice. As long as Grim can play with the disk in the backyard with the ghosts, it’s a deal for you.  

He comes out fluffy, hair sticking out in all sorts of places, which means you can see inside his ears and see the dirt still stuck in there. Offering to clean them wasn’t a big deal to you, you have to for Grim all the time.  

It gets awkward for a minute when he lays his head in your lap, but as soon as the cotton hits the inside and starts wiping up all the dirt and grim, he’s putty in your hands  

“I swear they weren’t that bad but-oh. Oh that’s nice. I think I can hear colors now. And your heartbeat. What’s got you racing, huh? I didn’t moo. I did not!” 

You got pictures of his family for Malleus  

This man has pictures of himself and his parents up on the walls, but none of the rest of his family. So, you work with the ghost for a long time, getting candid shots and other bit and pieces and slowly pulling them together. When Malleus’s birthday rolls around, you actually feel nervous about it.  

When he opens his present, to see the photo album, he gets unexpectedly quiet and soft, scanning through the quotes and stories written off to the side. You give little tidbits of how you get some shots, especially the times where you were sure that Lilia knew but didn’t say anything.  

Some even had him! Silver putting him in a headlock during some play wrestling, Lilia tapping his nose while playing chess, a rare moment of him and Sebek reading together where the half fae is actually relaxed.  

At the bottom are small, framed photos of what you thought were the best ones. Silver in his armor, surrounded by animals and birds alike, his sword gleaming with sunlight, looking gentle and graceful and alert. Sebek on horseback, wind streaking his hair to his skull and grinning like a madman, his favorite stead racing fearlessly. Lilia leaning against the railing of the balcony of Diasomnia dorm and watching the sunset, eyes fond and pink in the dying light. 

“I can’t think of a single present I have ever received that has been as thoughtful as this one. Your heart truly knows a kindness that is rare, my friend. But you are missing. Let us take one together. A selfie, yes?”  

[girlkisser13]

being married to kento nanami would include

• nanami isn’t someone who falls in love recklessly. if he chose you, it was after careful thought, after he examined every possible angle and still concluded that he wanted you in his life, permanently.

• there’s a deep sense of security in your relationship— he doesn’t play games, doesn’t waver in his feelings, and never gives you a reason to doubt his commitment.

• even in the most chaotic moments of his life, he remains your anchor, ensuring that you never feel like an afterthought.

• his affection is quiet but profound. he isn’t one for excessive pda, but behind closed doors, he’s incredibly tender.

• he’ll kiss your forehead before leaving in the morning, brush his fingers against your wrist as he passes by, and place a warm hand on your lower back whenever you’re standing close.

• he absolutely loves it when you play with his hair. if you run your fingers through it while he’s resting, he’ll close his eyes and melt into your touch.

• if you hug him unexpectedly, he’ll be slightly stiff for a moment before wrapping his arms around you with a quiet sigh, like he’s finally allowing himself to relax.

• he won’t always say "i love you" outright, but he expresses it in other ways— ensuring you’re warm on cold nights, squeezing your hand reassuringly when he senses you’re stressed, or making sure your favorite tea is always stocked.

• he believes in showing love rather than just saying it.

• if you fall asleep at your desk, he’ll drape a blanket over you and place a glass of water nearby.

• if you’re overwhelmed, he’ll silently take care of small tasks for you— handling errands, cooking dinner, or drawing a bath without needing to be asked.

• he takes his role as a husband seriously and sees it as his duty to make your life easier, even in the smallest ways.

• nanami trusts you completely. he never doubts your loyalty or capabilities, and he expects the same in return.

• he isn’t the type to be jealous or possessive. if someone flirts with you, he won’t get insecure— he knows that your love is strong enough to withstand outside attention.

• however, if someone disrespects you, that’s a different story. he won’t make a scene, but the icy way he stares them down is enough to send chills through anyone’s spine.

• nanami thrives on routine, so married life with him is built on quiet stability.

• your mornings together are peaceful— he wakes up early, often before you, and makes coffee or tea. he enjoys reading the news or a book as you slowly wake up beside him.

• evenings are for unwinding together. after long days, he loves nothing more than sitting beside you on the couch, enjoying each other’s presence in silence.

• nanami values good food and insists on cooking whenever he can. he prefers fresh, homemade meals over takeout, though he won’t mind indulging with you on occasion.

• his cooking is precise, well-seasoned, and delicious. if you can’t cook, he’s patient enough to teach you. if you can, he enjoys working in the kitchen together, moving seamlessly around you like a well-rehearsed dance.

• he pays attention to your food preferences— if you have a favorite dish, he perfects it just for you.

• your home with him is a sanctuary. he’s very particular about creating a space that feels peaceful, organized, and comforting.

• he values quality over quantity— expect minimalist but well-chosen furniture, soft lighting, and a kitchen that’s always stocked with essentials.

• the moment he steps through the door, all his worries melt away because being with you is the only place where he truly feels at peace.

• nanami doesn’t like unnecessary conflict. if there’s an issue, he prefers to address it directly and logically.

• he never raises his voice, never speaks in anger, and never belittles your feelings.

• if you’re upset, he listens intently, validates your concerns, and offers practical solutions. he values resolution over winning an argument.

• if he ever hurts your feelings, he doesn’t just say "i’m sorry." he makes it up to you with action.

• he’ll cook your favorite meal, bring you a book you’ve been wanting to read, or simply hold you close and let you vent without interruption.

• he believes that love is about consistency, and he never lets pride get in the way of making things right.

• definitely finds it hard to leave you in the mornings for work, he'd stand by the door just contemplating until you tell him to leave.

• nanami isn’t someone who rushes into things. he takes his time, ensuring that every touch, every kiss, every moment of intimacy is deliberate and deeply felt.

• he’s INCREDIBLELY attentive— he remembers what makes you sigh in contentment, what makes you melt under his touch, and what makes you feel cherished.

• he values emotional intimacy just as much as physical. some of his most intimate moments with you are spent simply talking— long, late-night conversations where he shares things he wouldn’t tell anyone else.

• weekends are sacred to him. no work, no stress, just the two of you.

• whether it’s spending the morning at a quiet café, taking a walk in the park, or staying in with books and classical music, he cherishes these simple, peaceful moments with you.

• despite his serious demeanor, he has a romantic streak that he rarely lets others see.

• every now and then, he leaves small notes for you— tucked inside your book, on the kitchen counter, or slipped into your bag.

• they’re never overly sentimental, just a simple "take care of yourself today." or "remember to eat lunch. i love you."

• nanami worries about you a lot, but he also respects your independence.

• he won’t try to stop you from doing what you love, but he will always make sure you’re safe.

• asks you to help him with his ties every morning even though he 100% knows how to do it.

• if you ever find yourself in danger, he’s terrifyingly efficient in protecting you— no hesitation, no mercy for anyone who tries to harm you. <33

[peapodbond]

that was us

abby tears her rotator cuff and doesn't get her range of motion back after the surgery and rehab. she quits swimming.

one of her friends is going through med school and they go out together sometimes, and there's a rotating group of first responders who come out with the residents because they've gotten to know each other at the hospital.

she's not really in a partying mood, and sometimes she can drift to the back of the group and talk with the tall firefighter who looks as awkward as she feels. they spend an entire evening dissecting love actually and debating if die hard can be seen as the sequel where alan rickman's character finally gets what he deserves.

she tries training other swimmers. but some of them are the people she competed with, the rest are babies, and other than "you really shouldn't exceed the coach's orders on practice time" and "maybe don't go to a roller rink when you're not great on rollerskates", she doesn't have much to teach them. they've already got their forms down, and while she can hold their arms in the proper positions, she can't show it to them in the pool without aching for the rest of practice. the doctors warn her that if she keeps trying she might end up with more damage.

she gets a receptionist position. it's fine. it's boring. she learns how to balance a company's books and how to direct visitors to the correct office.

she and the firefighter (tommy) spend two months at the bar debating the 1995 bbc pride and prejudice.

she quits her job. abby says she wants to do something that means something. a friend of her friend looks at abby and suggests she tries dispatch. what the hell. it's three months of training. it's not like she's getting roped into eight years of med school.

the first time she's able to help someone at dispatch it feels like winning a race.

she asks tommy if he wants to grab a coffee.

it's really easy to talk to tommy. they recommend books to each other, go to the movies a lot. they date casually. abby's not sure she wants something serious right now. they spend weeks hitting up every small hole in the wall they can find.

abby offers to bring tommy lunch at the fire house. his face does something complicated and he admits that his captain isn't a great guy. tommy would rather keep abby away from him.

she tells him if it gets worse he should try and switch houses.

tommy finishes his probationary year and takes abby out to the fanciest restaurant she's ever been to. they both hate it and end up grabbing a burger on the way home.

they're not living together but they are spending almost every night together. abby gets a lead on a gorgeous apartment fifteen minutes away from dispatch. tommy and his friend sal help her move all her furniture in. tommy's lease was renewed before she found out about the apartment, but he's over so much it barely matters.

the family introduction goes well. he charms her mother and her brother thinks he's pretty great, choices in sports teams aside. three months after she moves into her new place, tommy makes her dinner and proposes.

(it's so much better than the fancy restaurant.)

she catches him looking at houses. it's just a thought he has, finding a place that needs to be fixed up. maybe he keeps it, maybe he sells it later, but there are so many places around town that just need a little love to be good again.

the housing market crashes in the recession and tommy finds a small two-storey place that's closer to the harbor station, which is when abby finds out that tommy wants to fly again, he's just waiting for a spot to open.

she thinks that's much safer than running into burning buildings, but she doesn't say that out loud.

he signs for the house the next day, and abby starts looking at paint chips. she's not much for do it yourself, but she knows how to paint a mean wall. it's an older house and she does research about what colours were common when they were built, knows that tommy wants to preserve the original house as much as possible.

she's priming the newly drywalled living room when there's a loud curse from down the hall and the sledgehammer tommy is using to tear down the kitchen crashes into the wall.

his captain tanked tommy's transfer to harbor.

tommy's miserable. she doesn't know what to say to make it better, because there is no way to make that better.

abby knows what's coming when he sits her down a few weeks later. (if he hadn't, she was going to.) she leaves the ring on the kitchen island. it's the only thing that survived the sledgehammer. part of her wants to ask for updates on the house. the rest of her knows a clean break is better.

"i really hope you get what you need."

and that's that.

part two

[imtrashraccoon]

Nightmare Cuddles 2: Electric Boogaloo... Side note, 'member when Axe gave Reader the soul talk? I 'member...

@owl-bones

First Day, Previous Day, & Next Day.

Bad Sansuary: Nightmare - Frozen

Word Count: 1,512

You were in another dream, or at least, you thought you were. This time, you were in the middle of the woods with no indication of where you were. To top it all off, you were also stranded in a fierce blizzard. You weren't dressed for the weather at all, but even if the wind wasn't blowing snow all over the place, you'd still be freezing cold. Even just standing here for a few minutes and your exposed skin was already starting to feel tingly and painful.

"Hello? Anyone?" you called out. The whistling of the wind seemed to steal your words away as soon as they'd left your lips.

But nobody came...

You started to walk, although your feet sank halfway into the snow and halfway up your calves with each step. You were shivering by now and your teeth were badly chattering as well. You had to find shelter and you had to find it now.

Just when you were beginning to lose hope, the thick trees seemed to part and you spotted a small log cabin up ahead. The roof was covered in a thick layer of snow and the wind had blown massive drifts against the walls, but there was light shining from within and smoke lazily drifting out of the chimney. The mere thought of being warm again was enough to spur you onwards and the forest almost melted away as you zeroed in on your goal.

You managed to reach the door and to your immense relief, it was actually unlocked. You practically stumbled over your feet in your haste to get inside. It didn't help that you couldn't feel your toes anymore.

The temperature change was instantaneous. While you were still shivering, your body was already feeling the benefits of the warm air and shelter from the wind.

The cabin was very simply furnished with rough hewn furniture and the whole room seemed to have been built around a large, stone fireplace. There were thick quilts on the bed and furs nailed to the walls, possibly for insulation or decor? The only thing that seemed slightly out of place though, was the plush couch that had been seemingly dropped in front of the roaring fireplace.

It was also where Nightmare was currently lounging. He lazily looked over when you approached and a smile stretched across his skull, the warmth of which, seemed to rival the warmth in the air.

"Ah, there you are. I'm glad you made it," he said softly.

"I nearly didn't..." You shuddered and wrapped your arms around yourself in an attempt to get some feeling back into your muscles.

"I had faith that you would." There was a slightly mischievous glint in his cyan eyelight that seemed to suggest ulterior motives but you couldn't be sure what those were. Well, until he motioned for you to come closer that is.

"Would you care to sit with me, dear?" he nearly purred in that velvety tone of voice that never failed to make your heart do a flip. It should be illegal to sound half as enchanting as he did...

You weren't complaining though. He could read the phone book out loud and you would still swoon over him. With a weak nod, you approached the couch but it felt like you were in a haze as you did so. It was probably just the effects of early hypothermia though...

You felt him drape a very soft quilt over your shoulders and another one over your legs when you sank into the couch cushions. The heat from the fire felt heavenly to your chilled body and you stretched out your hands to warm them up again. There was nothing quite like sitting in front of a warm fire to make you feel better after being out in the cold like that.

You were momentarily shocked out of the clouds your mind had taken up residence in when two of Nightmare's tentacles snaked behind your back. He not so subtly pulled you even closer until he could rest his skull on the top of your head if he wanted to.

The interesting part was that his tentacles were rather warm to the touch instead of cool like they naturally were. You suspected it was because of the black ooze coating them that naturally absorbed the heat from the roaring fire. The rest of him also felt quite warm to the touch and it was effectively chasing the chill away from your bones.

This was nice. It almost felt domestic in a way...if you ignored the sheer power imbalance and the fact that this was only a dream. Still, it was turning out to be another nice one.

Neither of you said anything for several minutes and just enjoyed the warmth of the fire as well as each other's company. Eventually though, you broke the silence first.

"I don't know if I've mentioned this yet, but you've been far kinder than I initially expected. In fact, compared to my first few interactions with Dust and Killer, you've been downright nice."

Nightmare let out a low chuckle at that. "I'm not a nice person," he responded quietly. "I merely treat people how they deserve to be treated. Since you've been respectful and have managed to get along with all of my henchmen, I have deemed you worthy of kindness, even if it's only what little I'm capable of giving."

You turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow. "If you consider our previous interactions as you only showing a little bit of kindness, than you're already better than most people I've met."

He seemed a little taken aback by your words and his normally passive expression faltered into something more of a concerned one. His cyan eyelight scanned your face for several long seconds before he slowly shook his skull.

"Either you've only met people that are truly despicable or you don't know what true kindness is," he murmured.

"Maybe a bit of both?"

He started to nod but paused and gave you a bit of a weird look. "I thought your soul trait was Kindness...?"

You shrugged, "I have no idea honestly. Axe once told me I might be a variation of Kindness but I have no idea if that's true or not."

"Axe has good intuition. I am surprised neither of the other two ever drew you into an Encounter though. They aren't usually the types to hold back..." He trailed off and got a bit of a thoughtful expression now.

"Huh, I guess it never really came up? Although I don't even think they really saw me as much of a threat in the first place."

"Perhaps," Nightmare mused. "However they are smart enough to know that looks can be deceiving."

"I am really curious what my soul trait actually is though..."

He chuckled and lightly patted you on the head. "I'm afraid I can't actually draw you into an Encounter in this place, but I do not mind showing you some other time."

He fixed you with a more serious look and added, "Showing one's own soul to another is generally a very personal and sometimes intimate affair. So please consider it carefully, as by letting me see your soul, I'll be able to see even your deepest secrets. I should also mention that once secrets are revealed, they can never be truly hidden again..."

You nodded solemnly and stared into the dancing flames. You knew very well how serious it was. While you didn't know a lot about magic or souls, you'd seen how excited human-monster couples got at the prospect of sharing their souls with each other. It was never something you'd imagined to experience for yourself though.

You weren't special. You weren't rich, or very attractive, or particularly skilled. There was no reason for a monster to give you a second glance...

Nightmare had a good point though. You had known him for barely four days and you weren't exactly sure if you wanted him to know everything about you. Frankly, you didn't know if you wanted any of the boys to know about some of your deepest secrets. You were still curious though...

"Hey Nightmare?" you asked.

He hummed and tilted his skull in a questioning way.

"This dream seems reminiscent of you."

"Whatever do you mean by that?"

You couldn't help but smile at what you were about to tell him. "Well, outside it's absolutely frigid, but there's a small kernel of warmth on the inside. You seem much the same in my opinion."

His permanent smile widened considerably in clear amusement. "That's an...interesting way of putting it, dear..." He used his tentacles to lightly squeeze you and his gaze seemed almost affectionate for a brief moment.

After that, you eventually fell asleep next to him and the dream ended pleasantly. Despite everything, you felt content knowing that he seemingly cared about you, even if he hadn't acknowledged it out loud. Why else would he even be bothering to spend his time with you lately?

[vidavalor]

Jim's Bedroom

I'm really still not over the dollhouse bed in "Jim's Bedroom"-- a bed and a room that seem to exist basically for the possibility that the higher up angels ever show up and demand an embassy tour. Especially Sandalphon and ones like him.

In tone, Aziraphale would be like yes and here's my fake, human-like bedroom, which I never really use, of course, because I'm an angel-- why would I ever need it? It's mainly in case some human has a fainting spell in the shop and needs to lie down. Must be practical and look normal to the humans to maintain my bookselling human cover, of course!

Speaking of human-sized people, this bed is rather tiny, don't you all think? SO VERY TINY! Even beds back in the day weren't all this tiny! Doesn't even fit a human-sized adult human-shaped being! If I sneezed, I'd fall out of it, haha! It definitely couldn't fit, say, a red-headed demon who is six feet something of legs! He's even too long for this thing in snake form-- I mean, I imagine! For sure, it definitely could not fit *both* of us-- why would you even think such a thing?!

No time for lovers, me-- and *never* a demon, that's absurd! Especially that wily one! I live to thwart him, as you can see! Just out here, doing the good work of spreading the ineffable lunacy of The Lord! There is definitely not a room in this shop-- like, say, the one next door at the more convenient spot of the top of the stairs-- that is *actually* my bedroom and which contains a bed that very comfortably fits two adult-sized human-shaped supernatural entities-- why would you even ask?!

Right, down we go, kindly make a right around the back side of the bookshelves that hide the theatrical curtains and practice space for my secret human magic hobby... oh, that room in the back?

That's one of our gigantic storage closets of a room where Crowley and I have been stockpiling furniture and other material objects we like for years out of hope that one day we might have our own home that isn't a bookshop hiding an embassy hiding a house... our little pipe dream, never you mind... and, now we're back at the front door! Kindly hopefully continue to not realize that I designed this place so that you can't see Crowley's couch or our dining table from the entry space in front of the cashwrap threshold and have a heavenly day!

Humorous aspects to this aside? Jim's Bedroom is psychologically really interesting...

With all of Aziraphale's Heavenly angst, it's easy to wonder if he doesn't actually use the room sometimes, either in past nights alone or in that time between Crowley leaving and the sun coming up.

Style-wise, it's extremely unlikely that the oak wall unit against the wall on the left was ever first Aziraphale's; it more than likely was in Crowley's flat at one point. It doesn't go at all with the cherry mahogany bureau pushed up in front of it, which either of them could have owned. The bureau is positioned to block the part of the oak wall unit where a tv would go and just keep open the bookshelves, which is also how Aziraphale is using the shelf space on the wall between the oak unit and the desk. While Aziraphale watches tv, this room isn't built for that kind of cozy lounging, so there's no need for that side of the tv cabinet-- but he always has need for more book storage so that he's using the space for that makes the room feel a little more thought-through and lived-in than it might otherwise. Yet, at the same time? None of this matches the way the downstairs does and it's all just sort of clumped together, indicating he also doesn't value it as much as other spaces in the bookshop.

Since Aziraphale wears the same outer outfit everyday, he needs a bureau more than he needs a closet-- though there is a little closet to the right of the bed. Probably keeps some shirts in there. There's the reddish reading chair and lamp by the window that Crowley moves to when he and Gabriel talk about Gabriel's memory. They are probably used more than the bed. The bed is also small enough that the blanket over it could be used like a throw in the chair without a lot of fuss.

It kind of feels like maybe, on nights when on his own or after Crowley leaves sometime before dawn, Aziraphale might find his real bedroom hard to be in alone and, if feeling a bit angsty, will come into this room to use the fake bedroom as his real bedroom for awhile. I'm not sure that Jim could have made the cluttered mess on the desk that we see in so short a time and the room being painted Crowley's Eyes Yellow and the bed blanket being red and like the pattern of his desk chair downstairs makes it kind of seem that Aziraphale wanted to feel wrapped up in some Crowley in the space to make it more comforting to him, since "Jim's Bedroom"-- part of the shop that Aziraphale himself designed-- represents a lot of conflict for him.

Is Aziraphale coming into this room a lot in the time before dawn when it's dark enough that Crowley has left but not yet light enough that he can pretend it's morning? When it's too hard to stay in his real bed because it feels too big when Crowley's gone and is just a reminder of what Aziraphale tells himself is his failure to come up with anything better than the bookshop compromise for a way for them to be safe and together? Is the dollhouse bed also a subconscious form of self-punishment in a way? How much time does he spend in here in the pre-dawn hours, telling himself he'll get in some reading time or update his journal or take a little nap in the bed, only to feel more anxious by the minute in there and relieved when it becomes light enough that he feels he can don his daytime house sweater, make his morning tea, and start his day?

[merriclo]

Tips on Accessorizing for Cheap !!

this has been said to death already, but find the cheapest second-hand or thrift store you can in your area, and become a fiend. there’s a lot of great jewelry that’s hidden in there

furthermore, lots of thrift stores will have auctions to get rid of what doesn’t sell. here, you can get actual buckets of things for like,, $5 USD. you can ask the staff if they host these, and they’ll let you know! in my experience, you either have to be 18+ or be accompanied by someone who is, so if you’re young, grab your favorite trusted adult and go get some shit for dirt cheap. (this doesn’t stop at accessories, actually, i got all of my dishes and some furniture and books this way. just make sure to clean it !!)

if you’re interested in using chains and such for accessories, get them at a hardware store!! they’ll be sturdy and last you a good amount of time, while also being much cheaper than anything you’d find at a store.

ask around!! see if anyone you know has things they want to get rid of that you can snatch up

follow tutorials from punks. the entire subculture is built on rebellion, and thus relies very little on consumption. i’ve seen punks use the waistbands of old jeans as bracelets before, and look sick as fuck while doing it. even if that’s not the style you’re aiming for, you can still take the principles and practices and apply it to your own style.

get versatile!! i’ve used necklaces as pseudo-belts and bracelets before, and have wrapped bracelets around hair-ties. scarves can be ribbons or belts or hair-ties, too!! everything has a second, secret usage

things that aren’t accessories can also very easily become accessories if you try hard enough. bottle tabs can be tied together to make shapes and charms (many tutorials and patterns can be found on Pinterest!) and random pieces of thread can become charms if you learn how to tie certain knots.

diy and crafts!! save bottle caps and turn them into pins, spare ribbons as bracelets or earring charms. dollar stores and walmarts and such have supplies to craft your own jewelry, too! lobster hooks, thread, beads, earring hooks, etc.! you can even bypass this by buying sturdy enough wire and making the earring hook yourself, if that’s your only option. tie buttons together, and you end up with a bracelet, tie even more and you have a necklace or a belt or whatever the hell you want.

if you get some bobby pins and then hot glue charms or whatever onto them, you get hair clips!! just try and make sure the charm isn’t too heavy so it’ll stay in your hair.

libraries and other public services might have jewelry making or knitting or crocheting nights where you can learn how to craft and take what you create back home for free!! check that out (and also support your local library. get a library card i beg of you.)

you can prolong cheaply made jewelry (especially rings) by coating it in a layer of clear nail polish. it’ll stop it from turning your fingers green, and provide a protective layer between the metal and any sweat or water it might come into contact with

kids sections of stores. i am not even playing right now, go get yourself some hair clips meant for 6 year olds. if you figure out how to style it, it’ll be perfect.

remember that you can use and do literally whatever the fuck you want, so long as you like how you look. loop dental floss through buttons and wrap it around your wrist, or make a charm out of knots and hang it on the zipper of your jacket, or cut off the straps off of an old unusable bag and make it a choker. have fun with it

i’m American, so some of these might not translate well to other countries. if you have any advice to add, please do!!

[dreamy-jaeger]

I Know the End | Ch. 2

Zombie Apocalypse!Au, Older!Grumpy!Eren x Sunshine!Reader

Content: Reluctant traveling companions to lovers, Slight age gap, found family, eventual smut so Minors - DO NOT INTERACT.

Chapter Summary: As the night continues, everyone gets to know each other just a little bit more. 

Masterlist

A/N: omg chapter 2 is here!!! idk if I’m going to be able to keep up with a weekly release so don’t get too comfortable hehehehe, but i had this chapter all ready to go so i thought, why not post it! I hope you enjoy!! I want to thank the beautiful wonderful fantastic @emepe​ for beta reading this (as she does for literally everything i write) she is a genius so if you haven’t already please check out her wonderful blog :)))

chapter 2

Eren’s P.O.V

The cabin was quiet. Not suspiciously quiet. But it was the first quiet afternoon that Eren had witnessed in years. These days you were lucky to go even one minute without hearing the horrors of this world. And now here Eren sat, getting whole hours filled with those sweet, silent minutes. Save the interruptions that were gifted from the crackling fire he had started up in the stone fireplace and the occasional creak of the floorboards that filtered in through the kitchen door, no doubt coming from the stranger that had infiltrated their refuge.

It was safe to say that Eren was reluctant to let this woman stay the night. Which was the nice way of putting how he felt about it. He was so close to ending her life. To rid himself of yet another burden. But something stirring deep in his stomach forced him to hold back. Maybe it was the idea of murdering a woman who did nothing more than help them. Or maybe it was the words she used. Or the way she felt under his arms…

Or maybe, he didn’t want to be stuck with her damn dog if he did kill her. Surely Gabby would’ve made him keep the thing, not wanting her to be without an owner. And no matter how many different endings to this encounter he had thought through, whether the woman stayed alive or not, he knew that the dog was now a nuisance in his life. At least for the time being. Confirmed by the way the dog sat up straight, posted in front of the door, her eyes trained on him from the other side of the room.

“Fucking creepy ass dog.” He muttered under his breath as he stared back from his spot on the couch. His arm outstretched on the back of the furniture, his knees spread, giving barely any room if someone had wanted to sit next to him.

“What was that?” Gabby asked, her eyes flicking up from the comic book in her hands, her legs dangling off the side of the plush armchair that she had perched on the moment that Eren gave her the signal that they were in the clear.

“Nothing.” Eren told her. The young girl narrowed her eyes at him. Surely knowing he had more to say about the situation they found themselves in. All these months together, from the moment he found her abandoned by her own group, she had found a way to read through the rough interior he had built up over the years. She opened her mouth to call him out on his bullshit, something she had a knack of doing, but before any snarky words could leave her lips the kitchen door swung open.

“Good news, Eleanor, these people had a dog.” Y/N grinned as she practically skipped into the living room, various cans collected in the crooks of her arms.

Ellie finally stopped her staring contest with Eren, bounding up to her owner and jumping at the sight of food. 

“Nothing for humans unfortunately.” She told the rest of the room, setting the cans she collected onto the dining room table that sat in front of the window overlooking the meadow. “I think someone might’ve broken in through a window or something. Raided through this place and took all the good stuff”

“That’s fine.” Eren said, “We have our own rations.”

“Good, ‘cause Ellie doesn’t like to share.” She teased, turning towards the backpack she discarded by the front door, procuring a metal dog bowl from its confines. Eren rolled his eyes as Gabby snickered into the pages of her comic book. 

A flash of silver glinted throughout the room, Y/N’s knife reflecting light gifted by the fire as she punctured the can of dog food. Scooping out the entirety of its contents, the sludge plopped into the bowl, sounding completely unappetizing to anyone who wasn’t a dog.

“Eat up, sweet girl.” Y/N cooed softly as she pushed the bowl closer to her companion, who dug into the food without hesitation. Eren didn’t even realize he was watching her until she spoke again. He quickly averted his gaze to the fire, not looking up until he felt her presence shift into the empty armchair that sat directly in front of the couch. He chanced another look at her. Luckily she was preoccupied with another can she must’ve gotten from her backpack, the label advertising the Sweetest Peach You’ll Ever Eat.

“Do you want some?”

Eren stared too long. She held up the can with a raised eyebrow, as if that was what caught his attention.

“No.” He said curtly, looking back at the fire.

“How about you?” The woman turned her attention towards the kid. 

“Are those peaches?” Gabby sat up straight, her interest piqued. Comic forgotten as it slid to the floor.

“They sure are.” She laughed, “You interested?”

“Fuck yeah!” Gabby exclaimed, greedily snatching the can from Y/N’s outstretched hand. She didn’t bat an eye at Gabby’s abrasiveness. She simply laughed, sitting back in her seat as she watched the teenager indulge herself. Eren had to give her props. He definitely wasn’t as forgiving when he first met her. 

“Don’t fucking swear.” Eren grunted towards the girl.

“Such a double standard.” She said through a mouthful of peaches, passing the can back to Y/N and rolling her eyes in the process. “And you know how I get around peaches.”

“You like them?” Y/N asked, interrupting any snide remark Eren had, tilting the can towards her lips so she could have a taste herself.

“They’re my favorite.” Gabby told her, crossing her legs beneath her, the leather surface of the chair squeaking as she did.

“Mine too.” Y/N smiled at the girl after she swallowed. “I have a couple of cans if you wanna take one.”

Gabby’s eyes lit up, her mouth opening to express some form of gratitude. Eren interrupted her before she could.

“Are you sure you wanna give up your supply like that?” He asked her, eyes narrowed. Y/N raised a shoulder in a half shrug.

“Why not?” She responded, “I have plenty where that came from. It’ll lighten my load.”

“You don’t have to do that.” Gabby piped up, seemingly remembering her manners in a matter of seconds and perhaps finding fault in her eagerness to take someone else’s rations from Eren’s question, “Food is a hot commodity these days.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Y/N assured her, “Besides with any luck I won’t have to worry about food for much longer.”

“What, are you planning some sort of suicide?” Eren deadpanned. Gabby’s jaw dropped, her eyes widening at him in disbelief. He didn’t notice her warning stare, his eyes trained on the woman in front of him. 

“I was thinking murder-suicide.” The woman smirked without batting an eye, “Much more classy, don't you think?”

“She’s kidding.” Gabby laughed nervously as she noticed Eren’s jaw clench, and then in a hushed tone towards Y/N, “You’re kidding right?”

“I’d be dead if I weren’t, wouldn’t I?” She responded, nodding towards Eren’s hand, which hadn’t moved from the gun that sat on his waist the minute he had sat down. “I think your friend might have a sense of humor, after all.” 

“I wouldn’t be so sure.” Eren murmured, flexing his hand over his gun, making sure the woman noticed.

“Aren’t you just a ray of sunshine?” Y/N articulated, sarcasm dripping from her words.

“As opposed to your cynicism?” Eren retorted. “You know I’m surprised that you made it this far, with an attitude like that.”

“Oh and you survived on what?” Y/N questioned, “The stick up your ass?”

“Okay!” Gabby interrupted, jumping up from her seat, garnering the attention from everyone in the room before a full on shootout transpired in the small cabin, “Let’s change the subject.”

“Why won’t you be needing your food?” Gabby then asked, sitting back down on the chair, her feet planted properly on the floor this time, just in case she needed a quick getaway.

“It’s where I’m headed.” Y/N explained, “I heard there’s a safe zone in Shiganshina. They have food, walls… everything.”

“You really believe that?” Eren scoffed, crossing his arms, “Every government sanctioned safe zone was torn apart within a week of this starting. You’re not going to find anything.”

“That's the thing, it's not the government.” Y/N replied, making it a point to ignore the rudeness in his tone. “This one was made by people. People just like you or me. Remember what I told you? The best things that happen are when we come to work together. It’s the best chance of survival.”

“How do you know this place even exists?” It was Gabby’s turn to question her, though she had far less skepticism in her voice than her older counterpart. It even sounded like there was a hint of hope in her question. 

“Word of mouth.” Y/N said, a tad too vaguely for Eren’s liking. She seemed to have noticed his disinclination when she continued on. “It’s not much to go off of but it’s better than just wandering around out there trying to find new ways not to die.”

Silence fell over the room at her unexpectedly morbid choice of words, a contradiction to the usual carefree demeanor that they had gotten used to during the short amount of time they had spent together. Y/N was the first to speak up again.

“I think that safe zone might be the only chance to actually have a future.” She said softly. “If you want to join me?”

Gabby looked at Eren, something flickering behind her eyes that gave him an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. 

“We’ll take our chances.” He said simply, hoping that the finality of his words would end the conversation.

“You really want her to grow up like this?” Y/N asked, taking Eren by surprise. His eyebrows knitted together, letting the question hang in the air. He was a little pissed off that she was acting like she knew what was best for the kid, as if she had any right to put in her two-cents. But what ticked him off even more was that she might be onto something.

Sure, the two of them had made it this far. They were used to the lifestyle, coming and going and never truly having a place to call home. Surviving was second nature. And Eren seemed to have a certain knack for it. But even he knew that their luck would eventually run out. And he couldn’t keep both the girl and himself alive forever. Maybe this offer that was being handed to him so effortlessly, was something worth taking.

“Like I said, there's a future there for her.'' The woman spoke up, pulling Eren away from his thoughts. Then added, with a teasing tone, “And who knows, maybe there’s one for you too, old-timer.”

“Old-timer?” Eren scoffed through Gabby’s laughter that pierced the room. Though he was slightly grateful for the distraction from making any big decisions. “I’m not that much older than you.”

“I’d say you’re at least a decade older than me.” Y/N said, trying to hide her grin. “Give or take a few years.”

“I’m thirty-two.” Eren snapped, weirdly becoming defensive over his age. Something that he had never felt the need to do before. It was as though he needed to prove something to this woman, who was now staring at him with an amused expression.

Y/N clicked her tongue in feigned disappointment, “Four years off.”

“How old are you?” Gabby asked, clearly too lazy to do the math. Even if Eren had been taking the time to teach her throughout the quiet moments of their journey. Though, she did always hate when he forced her to answer complicated math questions while they traveled through the countryside. She would complain about why she would ever have the need to know multiplications when they should be focused on surviving. Eren always argued that it was best to keep a sharp mind.

“Twenty-six.” Eren answered for her. 

“You must’ve been young when this whole thing started.” Gabby said, thoughtfully.

“I was eighteen.” Y/N shrugged, “Not as young as you were, I’m sure.” 

“I was six.” Gabby confirmed, her voice small, her gaze finding its home on the toes of her boots.

Eren watched as Y/N’s eyes softened towards the young girl. It was obvious what she must have been thinking. That six was far too young for anyone to survive in this world. That there must be some unimaginable horrors that she must have seen for her to be alive today. A subject Eren knows all too much about since getting to know the girl. Though he found that all out by happenstance and context clues. He wasn’t the type of man to pry into someone else’s backstory. And it seemed that Y/N was the same way. Any question she might’ve had was kept to herself as she glanced over at Eren, their eyes meeting. An unspoken sense of understanding bouncing between their irises.

They were interrupted by the sound of Ellie’s claws clicking against the wooden floor. 

“Finished eating?” Y/N said to her dog, reaching out her hand to pet her head as she expected Ellie to stop at her side. Strangely enough, the dog barely glanced her way, she just padded along, not stopping until she jumped on the couch, turned in a circle to find the most comfortable position and then slumped down with a huff next to Eren, who stiffened at the dog’s presence.

“Traitor.” Y/N scoffed, shaking her head. Though she seemed unsurprised when Ellie chose to sit by a stranger they just met rather than her.

“I think she likes you.” Gabby laughed.

“The feeling is not mutual.” Eren asserted, his voice low like he was being acquainted with his worst enemy. Both Y/N and Gabby laughed, not realizing he was serious. Or maybe they did and that’s what made it so funny.

“She’s always been like that.” Y/N told them, turning back to her forgotten peaches.

“Like what?” 

“She finds the person who likes her the least in the room and then sticks to them like glue.” Y/N explained, “She was like that with my dad.”

“Your dad didn’t like her?” 

Y/N’s lips turned up in a small smile. “Nah, he only pretended to hate her. Deep down I think he really loved her. He was secretly a big old softie. I think Ellie can sense stuff like that.”

“If you are insinuating that I’m a ‘softie’...”

“I don’t know, I think she might be onto something.” Gabby giggled.

“Don’t worry, I’m not insinuating anything.” Y/N said, lifting her hands up in reassurance, “Though the dog is never wrong…”

“Okay, I’m done with this.” Eren chided, standing up from his seat on the couch, Ellie’s head lifting up in curiosity as he did. “I’m going to check for potential points of entry. You two would be smart to find something useful to do.”

“Back to business.” Gabby grumbled, rolling her eyes as he crossed the floor. His heavy footfalls caused the cabin to creak and groan under his boots.

“I saw that.” Eren snapped before disappearing into one of the random doors that led to rooms unknown.

Y/N’s P.O.V

“Is he always like that?” Y/N asked, nodding her head to the door that Eren just left through. Gabby looked towards the direction in which she gestured, an indignant sigh escaping her lips.

“Pretty much.” Gabby responded, slumping in her seat, not at all taking Eren’s orders seriously.

“How can you deal with all that?” Y/N questioned, holding out the can of peaches towards the younger girl. Gabby looked at her apprehensively, as if she was unsure if she should take more of the woman's dinner.

“I’m full.” Y/N reassured, “You can finish them.”

“Well I wouldn’t want to waste any food.” Gabby rationalized, causing a chuckle to fall from Y/N’s lips as she eagerly grabbed the can from her. Wasting no time to tip the sweet fruit onto her tongue. Any decorum lost as she spoke through a full mouth, “And, don't get me wrong, there are some days where he annoys the hell out of me… but he’s a good guy.”

She swallowed at her food thickly. Y/N almost thought she was going to choke. But that wasn’t the case. Maybe it was just hard for the girl to admit. Which was proven to Y/N when Gabby’s demeanor shifted into something more serious.

“He’s kept me alive. Which is saying a lot since I annoy him most of the time too. I’m surprised he hasn’t ditched me.”

“You guys aren’t related?” Y/N asked, but she was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

“No.” She explained, and Y/N would have been fine if she stopped at that, she wouldn’t want to force the kid to talk about things that made her uncomfortable. But maybe something about the older woman had gotten Gabby to trust her, it took Y/N by surprise when she kept speaking.

“I was— I had… gotten separated from my group. I was alone for maybe a week or two when Eren found me in an abandoned warehouse. I didn’t have much food so I was practically dying of starvation, I couldn’t put up much of a fight. He could’ve killed me… or at least kept walking. But he decided to help.” 

“You must not annoy him that much then.” Y/N offered. Gabby blew air out of her nose in silent laughter.

“Trust me I do.” Gabby said, “I make a point of it.”

Y/N laughed at that. “Good, it’ll keep him on his toes.”

A grin was shared between the two of them. A moment noticed where they had found a kindred soul. It was strange for Y/N. It had been a long time since she had made a friend. And she never would have expected that her first friend in years would be a teenage girl. But she could already tell that they would get along just fine. Maybe she could get along with Eren too, if this girl was his saving grace.  

“It’s obvious that he cares about you a lot.” Y/N observed.

“Really?” Gabby asked, almost as if she didn’t believe it. Y/N wondered if she would even believe that he had a knife to her throat only a couple of hours before, in the name of her protection. She obviously wouldn’t disclose that information with the girl, knowing it might upset her. But Y/N couldn’t hold a grudge against Eren for his actions. She understood exactly what brought him to do it. Y/N nodded with a soft smile.

“Yeah.” Y/N replied, “I can tell he’s a good guy.”

“I was under the impression that you didn’t really like him.”

“I don’t.” Y/N admitted,  “But like I said— the dog is never wrong.” 

Eren’s P.O.V.

He had walked into a bathroom. Though it seemed his exit had ended with a dignified resolution (or a dramatic flourish as Gabby would put it), he felt foolish as he stood there, barely anywhere to move in the small tiled-room. The closer the walls were the bigger his ego felt. And Eren hated it. 

But since he didn’t want to admit defeat and go back into the living room, he decided that there might be something useful in here. So he pushed away any frustration he felt from the previous conversation and pressed on. 

The metal of the faucet lever was cold on his fingers as he flicked it on. Nothing came out. Which wasn’t a surprise, clean, drinkable water hadn’t been easy to come by during these times. But Eren still had hope that one day, in one of these abandoned houses, his luck would change. Looked like it wasn’t today. 

Next was the cabinet behind the mirror, picked through from the looks of it, the only thing that was left were some stray cotton swabs. An annoyed sigh fell from his lips as he let the cabinet door swing shut, the mirror rattling a bit as it fell back into place. His eyes met his own in the reflection.

It’s been a long time since he observed his own features. Vanity was one thing that had to be quickly forgotten if you wanted to survive. He never cared much for his looks, but damn, he has seen some better days. Now it made sense why Y/N thought he was so much older. He looked so tired and… angry. And the few stray gray hairs that were strewn throughout his hair did not help. Nor did the five o'clock shadow. He ran a hand over his mouth, feeling the rough skin under his palm.

Eren examined himself for only a second longer, before shaking his head and crouching down to see if there was anything under the sink. There wasn’t much there either, save for some gauze (which he pocketed) and a box way in the back, tucked behind the piping. 

When he pulled the box free from its hiding spot he found it was a box of tampons. Heat rushed to his cheeks as he thought of the mortifying situation of having to hand this over to Gabby. But he knew these were a gold mine for her. And if he had to be traveling with a teenage girl he might as well make the ride easier for him. Maybe he could find a way to sneak it into her backpack. The box found its home next to the gauze in his pocket. 

As Eren stood to take one more glance around the room, a loud bang sounded out from the other side of the door. In one swift moment his gun was back in his hands, the door slamming against the wall from how quickly he exited the bathroom. His heart was beating loudly in his chest. Please let the kid be alive.

He expected to find blood, a body, or any other horrifying thing his mind could come up with. What he saw instead, was a mattress in the middle of the room, the furniture spread out, and the two girls huffing from exertion. Ellie was still on the couch, her tail thumping against the leather in a form of contentment. 

“That thing was heavier than I expected.” Y/N said, placing her hands on her hips. Gabby nodded in agreement before flopping down on the mattress, her limbs sprawled out across the plush surface.

“What are you doing?” Eren asked, placing his gun back in its holster.

“Sleeping arrangements.” Gabby answered, propping herself up to look at Eren, “It was Y/N’s idea. She said it would be like a ‘slumber party.’”

“I used to do this with my friends freshman year of college— Well the only year of college…” Y/N trailed off, and a glimpse of who this woman was before this hell broke out flashed before Eren's eyes. He shifted awkwardly on his feet.

“Anyways, you get the picture.” Y/N waved off, “It’ll be fun.”

“Fun isn’t something we can afford these days.” Eren countered, stepping further into the room.

“Don’t worry, there’s something in it for you too.” She replied, that teasing tone hinting through her words once more. “You can keep an eye on her and the traitorous murderer you think that I am all at the same time. If that isn’t what you consider fun, then I got you pegged all wrong.”

Eren’s jaw clenched and unclenched as he stared at her. She held her ground as he did, her smile not once faltering. 

“Fine.” He said gruffly, after a minute of chewing it over. Y/N’s smile shifted into a grin at his response, Gabby exhaled an excited ‘yes!’ from the bed.

“Then it’s settled.” She grinned, “I’ll get the rest of the blankets.” 

“You do that.” Eren breathed, as he moved to find his spot back on the couch. He rubbed at his eyes, already exhausted from this woman’s added energy. 

“Psst.” He heard from the floor. He moved his hand to look at Gabby. Though she must’ve thought her first attempt at garnering his attention fell flat, as a throw pillow came flying at his face. It bounced off his forearm, which he lifted in defense just in time. 

“What?” He hissed.

“I like her.” She whispered. Eren paused, taking in the hopeful features of the teenager in front of him. 

“Don’t get attached.” He said simply. 

“Why not?” Gabby argued, still in her hushed tone. “She could make us stronger. Help us out, you know?”

Eren considered this. It was true, this woman seemed to know what she was doing when it came to surviving. And there was strength in numbers. But she would be another mouth to feed. Another person to keep alive. Plus her stupid dog. 

“We’ll talk about it in the morning.” Eren decided, not wanting to go back and forth on the pros and cons list. “Get some sleep, kid.”

“Ugh, fine.” Gabby groaned, flopping back down on the mattress.

Their conversation had ended just in time as Y/N returned to the room, her arms stuffed with more pillows and blankets. 

“I haven't slept in a real bed like this in months.” She told them as she dumped the blankets onto Gabby. 

“I don’t think I ever slept in a bed like this.” Gabby responded, sitting up from under the pile, pillows falling pathetically onto the floor. “This thing is huge.”

“It’s a king. These people were probably rich.” Y/N agreed, lifting up one of the blankets, and kicking the rest of them onto the floor. Gabby took her cue and got up and watched as Y/N started making the bed. She flicked the edge of a sheet so it floated above their heads before fitting nicely over the mattress. As she did the same with the rest of the blankets, Gabby would help to make sure each one was spread evenly.

“What about you?” Y/N asked as they did so. 

“What about me?” Eren replied, assuming she was talking to him by the way she nodded at him when she asked.

“When was the last time you slept in a bed like this?”

Eren looked down at the now nicely made bed, Gabby placing down the pillows at the top, everything looking so much more expensive than anything he had owned in his previous life.

“Never.” He answered honestly. 

“Then you should try it out.” Y/N responded, her words seemingly genuine, “I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“Not a chance.” Eren scoffed. “I’ll keep watch.”

“You’re going to stay up all night?” 

The look he gave her must have answered Y/N’s question. Her lips pursed in a thin line, almost like she was unhappy. But she didn’t argue with him, which came as a surprise. He was bizarrely grateful. It had been a long day and he didn’t have the energy. It seemed that she didn’t either.

“Is it alright if I share this with you?” She then asked Gabby. Eren opened his mouth to protest, still untrusting of this woman, but like always he was late to the punch.

“Of course.” Gabby answered, way more trusting than Eren ever would be. “This thing is huge, I’d feel bad if you’d have to sleep on the floor.”

“Thank you.” Y/N smiled at her, grabbing a pillow and placing it at the other end of the bed, apparently still considering the space that should be kept between strangers.

Those were the last words that were spoken for the night. Soon shoes were tugged off, heads were on pillows and the sounds of soft, steady breathing filtered into the room. Slowly but surely. 

Eren’s eyes stayed wide open, his gaze fixed on the dying embers of the fire.

~

Eren was running. Razor sharp branches reached out from either side of him, cutting up the skin of his arms and legs. He heard the moans and groans grow louder and louder behind his back, knowing they were gaining on him. His heart was pounding in his ears, his legs were killing him. Somewhere through the growling and his panicked breathing he heard a voice, someone calling to him. Hope sparked deep in his stomach and he knew that if he could only get to where that voice was coming from, only then would he be safe. He reached a hand out. His foot caught on a root. He was falling to the ground and then—

He was awake. He startled up straight in his seat, a quilt slipping off of his chest as he did. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion at the fabric that was crumpled across his legs.

“Are you okay?” 

It was Y/N. His eyes found her at the other end of the couch, her features illuminated by the moonlight streaming in through the windows, the fire now completely out. Her fingers smoothing over Ellie’s head which was resting in her lap. He put two and two together, realizing that she must have been the culprit behind the blanket. Huh.

Eren looked around the room, trying to catch his bearings. Snores emanated from the curled up figure on the bed he knew to be Gabby. Everything else was quiet. There was nothing coming.

“How long was I out?” He asked, ignoring her first question. 

“I’m not sure.” Y/N shrugged, “You were asleep when I woke up. Decided to take over the watch since you were… preoccupied.”

“Did anything happen?” 

“Nothing of note.” She responded. Eren let out a deep sigh, his body visibly relaxing into the couch. He let his head fall back against the edge of the furniture, adam’s apple bobbing in his throat as he swallowed at nothing.

“Bad dream?”  Y/N inquired, shifting in her seat to face him. Ellie huffed, obviously annoyed at having to remove herself from her previous comfortable position. She curled up closer to Eren. Y/N didn’t seem to mind. And strangely neither did he. 

He stole a look at her sideways. “Is it that obvious?”

“I doubt anyone’s having any good dreams these days.” She replied. He nodded in agreement.

“What was it about?” 

Silence fell over the cabin once more as Eren contemplated her question. He was never really the type to indulge in these types of conversations, but she was here and she was asking, so why wouldn’t he? If only for tonight.

“The usual.” Eren sighed, “Running away from those horrible things… Not making it in time.”

It was Y/N’s turn to nod, only this time in understanding. “Yeah, that’s what woke me up too.”

“What was yours about?”

The subtle surprise that flitted across the girl's face matched how Eren felt when the words tumbled out of his lips. He wasn’t even sure if he really cared for the answer. But as he waited for her response it sort of felt like he did. Maybe it was something about what she had said earlier. He wanted to get to know her. 

“It’s the same every night.” She said, her voice turning into a soft hush, “I lose her every single time.”

Eren watched as Y/N’s hand dropped onto her dog, her fingers intertwining through the black fur.

He knew those kinds of dreams all too well. If he doesn’t wake up before the initial fall, that’s when he realizes he’s all alone, surrounded by those monsters. He had failed. The one thing he promised her. He didn’t protect her. 

His eyes rose up from her hand, meeting her irises. It was dark, so he couldn’t be sure, but he swore that her eyes were shining with unshed tears, reflected by the small bit of moonlight. The beating heart in his chest stirred in a way that made him slightly uncomfortable. He never knew how to deal with other people's emotions. Though the one thing he did know, was that behind those tears was genuine fear. Fear of loss. Fear of being left alone in this world. Fear of failure. It was the exact same feeling that hid behind his own teal eyes. It was what he saw in the mirror in that tiny bathroom. An epiphany hit him in the dark of the night. 

He drew in a breath.

“We’ll go with you.” 

~~~

A/N: omg!!! so he decided to tag along with Y/N (like we didn’t all see that coming 🙄) I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!! please don’t be afraid to message me too! I’d love to talk to you guys about this fic (or anything for that matter!) ILY ALL!!! (oh also i promise I’ll make a masterlist post for this soon i’m just very lazy)

Taglist: @large-juice @dududubebo @jaegersdiary​ (message me or comment if you want to be added!)

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[corvidares]

okay, so i just finished re-reading Any Way the Wind Blows and this feels so blatant as to be smacking me in the face: simon is disabled.

now, the reason why that makes itself even clearer in this book than in wayward son (where he, of course, also has the wings + tail) is because simon is once again in the world of mages - despite doing his best to leave it behind. compared to wayward son, where hes basically and literally in the wild west. where theres magical beings everywhere, where simon practically fits in because he is one.

but ill get back to that.

ive seen a lot of really interesting points about what simon's wings represent and mean, and i'm not disagreeing with those. but in a very literal sense, they are a disability.

think about it like this: the world of mages (and Normals) is not built for humanoids who have giant webbed wings and a tail. simon constantly struggles with controlling these limbs, and their size makes it ten times harder. spaces are too small, furniture and objects are broken when he spreads them, and many a shirt or jacket are ruined.

he struggles to find a good way to deal with this - spell them away? wear them out by cutting holes in things? fold them extremely painfully into his shirt? even though this last one is treated like a solution for a little while, its far from ideal. who is simon doing this for? himself, or everyone around him? yes, of course Normals cant see them. and yeah, hes expressed discomfort about baz and penny spelling them hidden. but thats not the point. even with this botch job of a way to "wear" his wings, which succeeds at hiding them from Normals, simon still states a couple times that he knows people stare at him and his seeming hunchback. i mean, thats blatant.

(he eventually, with shepard's help, realizes a good way to work around this - zippers or buckles on shirtbacks - which very much feels like an aha! disability aid moment)

im not saying disability is based in how people look at you, or it only being a societal thing. (as in, when he wasnt in the world of mages, he wasnt suddenly 'not disabled at all') disability is a huge spectrum. but those things absolutely can be a part of the disabled experience.

but all of that doesnt even get to my main point: simon has no magic anymore. and in the world of mages, thats a huge deal. magic is like living and breathing, especially for baz and penny. its not something they question or have to worry about not being able to call upon. hell, even before simon lost his magic he was disabled, just to a different extent.

before awtwb, we dont hear much about mages whose magic is weak. but they come to the forefront now - which just solidifies that solid magical ability = able bodiedness.

smith is promising a miracle cure. a cure. think of it like bullshit orgs such as aut!sm spe@ks, wanting to "cure" autism - he wants to cure people. (and hes just as full of shit) why? because weak magic is seen as a disease, a problem, even subhuman.

take daphne, baz's stepmom. her quality of life is fine, great. her weaker magic doesnt seem to put her at a disadvantage. she manages her disability well. but in comparison to the norm, to what is expected of the average mage, shes got nothing. less than nothing. she feels shame over what she cant do.

smith's case becomes even more blatant when we see, at the end of awtwb, that he wants to essentially cull weak magicians. that they're holding back society. that theyre better off as powerless as Normals - who are blatantly seen as subhuman - than as weak mages. much like how ableist rhetoric puts forward that disability is a fate worse than death.

which brings us back to simon. he insists hes a Normal, now or always has been. baz insists hes the most powerful magician to exist. both of them are wrong.

and right. and right and wrong.

simon is some third thing - not a mage, not a Normal. akin to how disability is its own minority aside from race or ethnicity he has a foot in each world, and he always has. but now he cant achieve blending into either.

this is why the increasing presence and humanization of other magical beings beside mages is so important (thank you shephard!) how mages tend to seem magical beings is very ableist. theyre subhuman, theyre not to be trusted, theyre freaks, theyre dirty, etc. except oops, how can you keep thinking that penny, when this very nice one works at a cafe and helped you translate shephard's engagement terms?

even baz and the events of wayward son play into this - yeah, some vampires are horrible people. but plenty, like baz, are just people. with a range of experiences and morals and ways of living life. (take nicodemus) (i could make a point about how simon's stalwart acceptance of baz's vampirism helps baz comes to terms with it and how this is also super disability coded, but thats another essay)

in the beginning of awtwb, he decides to go to the extreme opposite of his chosen one powered life - to live as a Normal, and the second step (after cutting himself off from baz and penny) is getting his wings removed.

except he cant do it. and even having his wings touched is horribly uncomfortable. now, this partly has to do with how much theyre sensual parts of his body - same as his tail. but its also, separately, very intimate. theyre treated very clinically, like a fascinating specimen to pore over. im not trying to give niamh shit here, just saying what i saw.

but theyre part of him. people with disabilities often deal with being stared at and poked and prodded by the medical field (if theyre not ignored or waved off. maybe both.). even every day folks feel the right to touch disabled folks, or their mobility aids.

for a lot of people, mobility aids are a part of them - its like a stranger touching your face and thinking theyre doing you a favor. when instead theyre being weird as fuck.

simon's status as previous chosen one even plays into this sort of thing - people see him more as a figurehead, for what he can and cant do (including his wings!) than a person. hes a tragedy, hes a hero. hes inspirational, hes to be pitied. sound familiar?

the end of awtwb doesnt spell out whether simon ends up deciding to keep his wings (frustratingly). but they spell out that he would absolutely would, in my opinion.

simon increasingly treats them as a natural extension of his body. think of the scene where he flies about the watford goats. how he expresses his feelings with his wings and tail. and of course, how he learns to let baz loves each and every part of him: including his dragon limbs.

baz loves him, and loves them, not in a fetishistic way, but because its simon, and he loves everything simon is. not just what he represents or can or cant do.

[josephine-iverson]

SUNSET COURTS. CORCOVADO. §30,000.00 MONTHLY.

Josephine’s place is a tiny loft-style unit that feels like a step down from her old life in Beulah Hill, where spacious rooms and her mother’s careful decorating once made everything feel possible. Here, she’s carved out what home she can in the confined space—a bed tucked into the loft area, a worn couch below that’s seen better days but still offers comfort after long café shifts. The walls hold echoes of happier times—photos from when they were still a proper family. Her father’s broad smile as he holds her on his shoulders at the beach. Her mother in her pristine chef’s whites on Small Talk’s opening day. These memories watch over a space that’s sparse by necessity rather than choice. Her clothes occupy maybe a quarter of the narrow closet, mostly practical pieces for work or home. The rest still holds some of her mother’s old blouses and scarves that Josephine can’t bring herself to give away. The kitchenette is a little more than a hotplate and mini-fridge thanks to her persistence in having home-cooked meals (despite rarely actually cooking), but still worlds away from their old family kitchen where her mother tested recipes late into the night. Josephine kept her mother’s treasured spice rack mounted on the wall, even if she rarely cooks anymore beyond heating up leftovers from the café. A small window seat offers her one true luxury—a place to read her books and watch Coronado wake up before her early morning shifts. She’s lined it with pillows salvaged from their old house, the fabric faded but still soft with memories. Everything here feels borrowed from her past life—hand-me-down furniture, childhood keepsakes, her mother’s cooking utensils, dinnerware, and even clothes. There’s little that speaks to who Josephine is now, at thirty, because she hasn’t had the time or mental space to figure that out between managing the café and juggling her father’s debts. But she’s made this tiny space her sanctuary nonetheless, even if it’s built from other people’s leavings. In its own way, it’s home—not the home she imagined having at this age, but a home that shelters her from Coronado’s complexities, where she can let her guard down and simply be.

[4rainynite]

EAH Dorm Rooms Headcanon pt 14

Sparrow

He's an obnoxious rockstar with a bad boy streak.

Unlike the other students at Ever After High School, Sparrow lives by himself in a treehouse in the Enchanted Forest.

My headcanon is that during Freedom Year (Freshmen Year) Sparrow annoyed his roommate and the entire boys and girls dorm so much Headmaster Grimm got many complaints about Sparrow. I can see Sparrow complaining to his mom about not having any space and the roommate problem, so before the last day of school Maid Marian and Sparrow had a talk with Headmaster Grimm. Maid Marian suggested that Sparrow should have his own dorm room for Legacy Year, only from Headmaster Grimm to counter that Sparrow rooming alone won't stop the noise problem. As Maid Marian and Headmaster Grimm discuss Sparrow's arrangement, Sparrow stares out of a window to see the Enchanted Forest and gets an idea- he can live in the Enchanted Forest during the school year. Headmaster Grimm was reluctant to allow a student to live off-campus until they made a deal that Sparrow had to arrive on campus every day before breakfast.

It was actually stated in 'Truth or Hair' that:

Like the other Ever After High students, Sparrow Hood had a dormitory room on campus, but he mostly hung out in his special tree house, on the outskirts of campus. Sometimes he even crashed there. Holly guessed that the headmaster had approved this living arrangement because it fit with Sparrow’s destiny to be an outsider, living in the woods, just as it fit with her destiny to sleep in a tower. Most everyone was happy that Sparrow spent a lot of time out there. If he’d been in the dorm, his late-night practice sessions would have kept most of the students awake.

Despite being the son of two heroic figures (yes, Maid Marian is heroic) Sparrow has more of a - I don't want to say villainous- more of an annoying conman. Sparrow would rather be a musician than a hero, the only thing he has in common with his father is that they are thieves.

The only time we get to see Sparrow's treehouse is in 'True Hearts Day Part 3', and we get a good description of the treehouse in 'Next Top Villian' & 'Truth or Hair'.

In the books Sparrow’s treehouse is described as:

And there it was, a tree house like no other she’d seen, perched at the tops of two massive fir trees. It had been built from a hodgepodge of materials—old doors and window frames, leftover siding from barns and cabins. There was even a hull from an old boat. Duchess began to climb the wooden staircase that wound around and around one of the trunks. Sparrow didn’t live in the dormitory with the other boy students. He’d claimed this space as his own. He was an outsider who didn’t seem to care about fitting in. A bow and a quiver of arrows hung from a hook at the entry.

Sparrow was standing on a small stage, a microphone perched on a stand. His guitar was plugged into an amp.

The decor was what some might call rocker. She would never want to live in such a mess. The beanbag chairs were patched and faded, and the old couch leaked stuffing. Soda cans and latte cups lay everywhere, as did a thick coat of dust. Sparrow desperately needed an army of cleaning fairies.

The interior wasn’t as delightful, and was badly in need of a professional decorator. A faded rug covered some of the patchwork floor. The furniture consisted of beanbag chairs, an old stained couch, and a bunch of mismatched pillows. A stage had been set up in the back half of the room, with all the Merry Men’s equipment. Soda cans and chips bags littered almost every surface.

From the descriptions Sparrow is a messy person (bet he gives the Wonderlanders' rooms a run for their money).

In the books Sparrow has a kitchen in the treehouse to feed himself and his bandmates. He would also have a bathroom with a toilet and shower, and for some weird reason it's covered in bathroom graffiti that he and his bandmates did for the rocker look.

Sparrow said that students can download his songs so he must have an audio studio to produce his music.

Sparrow has a huge collection of guitars and bows and arrows on one of his walls.

Sparrow's Merry Men not only practice in his treehouse, but sometimes crash there during late night sessions.

I believe like Holly & Poppy's dorm, Sparrow's treehouse is divided in two: the bottom half is where he practices and chills with friends and upstairs is his sleeping quarters.

I can see his bedroom just as littered as his downstairs section. With a mattress in the middle of the floor or a hammock, posters all over the walls & ceiling, and a special case for his guitar.

There was an artist on Tumblr who was a huge Duchess/Sparrow shipper and actual drew Sparrow's tree house. Sadly, they left Tumblr and after looking through multiple EAH accounts I can't find it. If someone knows where to find it, please send me a link.

Images from EAHWIKI & ROYALREBELWIKI

[germanpostwarmodern]

Arguably the most significant Dutch contribution to the postwar architectural discourse was Structuralism, a frontal attack at the stiffness and dogmatism of the CIAM-infused postwar architecture and town planning prominently led by Aldo van Eyck in the late 1950s. A lesser-known but no less interesting exponent of the movement was Joop van Stigt (1934-2011): Van Stigt, before establishing his own practice together with his brother André in 1963, worked for Aldo van Eyck and Gert Boon, two members of the „Forum Group“ that decisively influenced the architectural discourse of the 1960s and 1970s in the Netherlands. In 2014 Marinke Steenhuis published her monograph „Joop van Stigt, architect. Werken vanuit een flexibele structuur 1960-1985“ with Stichting Dogon Onderwijs, the first comprehensive study of van Stigt’s major structuralist works. These are relatively few but include key designs like the canteen of Twente University, the Willibrorduskerk in Amsterdam or the faculty buildings for Leiden University, designs that in keeping with the fundamentals of Structuralism are flexible and adaptable. In her introduction to the architect’s life and work Steenhuis paints a vivid picture of van Stigt and his quest for new architectural solutions that culminated in the development of a three-dimensional construction system designed to integrate prefab components. Further context and anecdotes are provided by a number of interviews the author conducted with collaborators like his brother that emphasize van Stigt’s passion for details and skilled craftsmanship. The latter surely relates to him being a trained carpenter who took pleasure in designing and building his own furniture which is also featured in the back of the book.

Marinke Steenhuis’s book is a brief but nevertheless important first overview of the work of one the most interesting architects of Dutch postwar architecture: juxtaposing biography, oral history and built work the author provides a lively account of van Stigt’s multifaceted work that in later years also included restorations and projects in Africa. Its sole downside is the fact that it again is a Dutch-only publication.

[thebennettdiaries]

Inspired by this post

She contemplates finding a bucket of paint and laying a strip down the middle of their version of Mystic Falls.  It seems like the easiest solution (albeit time consuming).  

It is bad enough knowing that she is sharing this space with him --- she does not need him stopping by whenever he likes. 

(which is nearly daily at this point) 

Bonnie should probably thank her lucky stars that she is a witch.  Magic got them in this mess, magic will get them out.  He needs her alive and since she can’t kill him without hurting her friends, they are at a standstill.  He knows this and therefore he delights in visiting.

She can only slam the door in his face so many times before he threatens to rip it off the hinges.

“You do know that this...” She indicates the space (or lack there of) between them.  “...is not conducive to me figuring out how to get us the hell out of this place, right?  I can’t do anything with you breathing down my neck.”

“Because I intimidate you?” He practically preens.

“The word is irritate,” she corrects. 

He glowers. 

Still, she has delivered a blow to his pride and he actually avoids her for a few days.  She gets a chance to breathe, to take stock of their situation, to actually think without looking over her shoulder at the same time.  It is kind of nice.  For the first time in a long time, she isn’t in a constant state of worry. Oh, she knows it is not far off but at least she is getting a break from feeling like her heart is in her throat. 

(part of her wonders if she had been here alone would she have just embraced the relative peace instead of trying to scramble for a way out)

By the fourth day, she feels the frustration creep in.  She has gathered all the grimoires she can find and poured over them.  Nothing.  She is going a bit cross eyed and realizes she hasn’t slept in awhile.  When she opens a new book and the words appear to the dance on the page, she realizes something.

Two heads are better than one.

Groaning, she gathers up a few of the books and stuffs them in a bag.  Each step she makes helps her frustration build.  She hates that she has to do this.  She hates that it is him of all people but beggars can’t be choosers.  

She finds Klaus in the biggest house in this town.  Since his self built monstrosity doesn’t seem to exist here, it is the Lockwood mansion.  She thinks there is something supremely wrong with him lounging on the furniture of a woman he killed but that is a conversation for another day.  She pushes past her reservations, walks into the living room and ignores the way he smiles at her presence.  Instead she drops the books on the floor, letting the echo fade before she speaks.

“Okay, let’s get one thing straight.  There are a million other people I would rather be stuck here with but since it’s you, you are going to help,” she tells him firmly and he sits up, smug look intact.  “We are in this together.”

He stands, his head tilting in just such a way that she wishes she could knock it off his shoulders.  “Together.”