#The holiday season is very much over now. I have so much cleaning to do holy shit

[satans-knitwear]

Behold! An enormous snugglebeast.

It has cookie flavoured lipbalm on its head now.

[thebearer]

making the bed |carmen berzatto x reader| part one

prompt: carmen's stressed. food critics, a newborn baby, balancing work life and married life and now dad life; he's bound to break, everyone knows it. but no one ever thought he'd lash out on you.

or, part one of the devastation fic. based off this ask from the other day. two more parts to come.

contains: mega angst. mega angst, with no resolution in this part. hurt, no comfort (in this chapter, will be later in part 3). mean!carmen, very mean. mom!reader x dad!carmen with newborn teddy. fighting, language, carmen says mean stuff he doesn't mean. past mentions of trauma, family trauma, mikey mentioned. very angsty and a little heavy, please read at your own discretion. word count- 3.5k+.

"Are you ok?"

Carmen now understood why that phrase used to send Donna into such a blind rage, lips pursing and jaw clenching more and more every time he heard it. First at work, then with you, it felt never ending.

It was beginning to feel like critic season with how many were coming in, snooty and demanding to be impressed. It couldn't have come at a worst time, right in the middle of busy season with the start of the holidays. Days at The Bear were filled with frantic panic, running around, making sure everything was perfect, accounted for, and Carmen always had the sinking feeling it wasn't- that he'd forgotten something, messed something up. 

It wasn't rare for him to work himself up like this, a normal that you always warned him about, but he'd always had a solitude. As long as he'd known you, he'd had a place to go, to unwind, to let himself rest and reset with you. And he still did, it was just shared now with a newborn.

Dorothea Michelle. Teddy, for short. The light of his life, yours too. Nearly two months old with a set of lungs that sounded much louder, much more developed than that. Nights were long, sleepless, spent trying to lull Teddy back to sleep, awake even if he wasn't up with her. Carmen couldn't allow himself the selfishness to relax, to rewind, to "take it easy" like everyone told him to. At work, he was the boss; at home, he was a dad.

"Fuck, fuck," Carmen's sleepy stare was broken by a lick of bubbling heat, the lamb's roux popping with the high heat, splashing all over Carmen's chef whites.

"Jeff, c'mon," Tina clicked, shaking her head, moving the pan to lower heat. "What're you doin'?"

Carmen grit his teeth, snatching a rag off the stainless steel counter tops, scrubbing the burgundy stain, huffing when it only spread the stain.

"What happened?" Sydney turned, looking from the burnt sauce to Carmen's stained chef shirt. "Oh,"

"Do we have a spare coat?" Carmen huffed, throwing the rag down with a firm smack against the counter.

"I don't think so, Carm." Sydney shook her head. "You took the last ones home with you two days ago. The wine-"

"-I know, Chef, I know." Carmen snapped, running a hand through his hair. "Fuck, I-I can't fuckin' serve the critics lookin' like this. With shit all over me- fuck."

"Hey, easy, easy," Richie turned the corner, his hands held up. "What's goin' on?"

"Jeff got sauce over him. He doesn't have any clean clothes." Tina muttered, irritated that she had to fix his mess, more irritated that he wasn't taking care of himself. You have a baby, Jeff, you need to rest and take some time, she'd told him. Carmen only waved her off.

"Okay, okay, hey, that's no problem." Richie's voice raised, lifting over Carmen's. "You go home and change, get your spare, check on my beautiful goddaughter, and then come back with your A game. Yes?"

Carmen didn't even humor him with a snarky remark, yanking his coat off and stomping towards the office to grab his things. Richie and Tina looked at each other, shaking their head gently.

"Kids runnin' thin, T." Richie muttered with a sigh. "He's gonna break. It's gonna be bad."

"Yeah, he is. Gonna wear himself out before then." Tina shook her head. "Jeff needs a vacation." They both jumped at the slamming of the backdoor, Carmen's angry exit shaking the foundation.

"Needs to be fuckin' medicated. Fuckin' lunatic." Richie scoffed, rolling his eyes at Carmen's dramatics.

The drive home was filled with silence, Carmen's iron grip on the wheel, tearing through the traffic towards the house- his house, his home. 

Home, but it didn't provide the same comfort that it usually did. Carmen's shoulders still stayed tense, buzzing with rage, not dissipating when he thought of you, or of Teddy, knowing you'd both be there, excited to see him. 

You jumped at the sound of the car door slamming, peeking out the window to see Carmen's parked next to yours, furiously stomping up the front steps. You frowned, grabbing the baby monitor, walking towards the front door.

Carmen nearly hit you with how fiercely he flung the door open. "Woah," You reached for the door, stopping it before he could flick it shut. "Carm, don't slam it. Teddy's asleep. I just got her down." You frowned at him, shutting it slowly.

Carmen looked at you but didn't speak, looking through you with a rage that had your spine tingling before he finally broke his gaze, stomping towards the laundry room. "Carm? What’re you doing home? Don’t you have dinner soon?" You hesitated slightly, lingering in the doorway with an uncertainty you hadn’t felt with Carmen before. 

Carmen didn’t answer, his jaw still ground tight while he rummaged through the clean clothes, carelessly unfolding and shifting the folded clothes.

"Carmen," You said more firmly, caching his gaze. He didn't speak still, just stared at you- through you. "Are you ok?" You lifted a brow, features softening in worry.

Carmen paused, eyes closing, shoulders tensing in agitation. Are you ok? His ears rang, a familiar rage that he hadn't felt in years bubbling up deep in his chest. Frustrated and blinding and rampant, heat rushing through his veins, pulling himself further and further from reality into someplace different- someplace darker in his mind. 

"What's wrong?" You pressed, he could barely hear it, ears ringing at your question. "Did something happen? Did the critic come-"

"-Where's my chef whites?" Carmen barked, cutting you off, his chest tightening more and more with every heavy heave of his chest. You flinched at his tone.

"Uh, I-I haven't seen the whites. I washed your white tee-"

“-You what? Y-You what?” Carmen spat, eye widening with a wild, raged glint in his eye. Your stomach flipped and fell with fear, stepping back instinctively. 

“I-I washed your tee, Carm, that’s all that you left in the laundry basket-” 

"-Are you fucking kidding me?" Carmen boomed, his head spinning, body buzzing with rage. Your breath hitched, frozen in fear at the anger in his tone, the roar of his voice bouncing off the walls, echoing through your ears in a painful drum. 

Carmen moved, snatching the dirty clothes basket, dumping it into the ground with a shake until the dirty chef coat fell on top. He gripped the basket, flinging it across the room with a hard throw. The final push to his bad mood that sent him right over the edge, crashing into a pit of blinding fury, aggravation, breaking him from the inside out.

"Fuck!" Carmen roared, his voice shaking the walls, your breath leaving your lungs in a trembling exhale of fear. “Fuck, fuck, fuck! This is- This is- Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me?” 

You tensed in shock, gripping the baby monitor in fear, maybe surprise, as it started to buzz to life with Teddy's startled whimpers. Her small cries pulled you out of your frozen state, something deeper than fear replacing the ache in your stomach. 

"Carmen-" You gaped, voice wobbling with uncertainty, taking slow shuffled steps towards the stairs. “Carmen, calm-calm down. Ok? Calm down.” 

“Calm down? You want me to fuckin’ calm down?” Carmen sneered, an angry red flush blossoming in splotchy deep hues up his neck, towards his cheeks. “You don’t do shit, nothin’ that I fuckin’ ask for! Just sit around all fuckin’ day an-and I’m supposed to calm down?” 

“Carmen,” Your voice wobbled, throat tight with tears, hurt and fear strangling your words. “I-You didn’t ask me to wash them. I-I didn’t know. They weren’t in the hamper-” 

“-I shouldn’t have to ask you to wash them!” Carmen roared, eyes so wide you thought they might pop right out of his head, neck vein protruding on exemplifying his rage. “You know what I’m going through! You know how much fuckin’ stress I’m under! I go to that-that shit hole, an-and work my fuckin’ ass off so you don’t have to! Then I come home, and I-I can’t even get a second of peace!” 

“Stop,” You hiss, finally regaining your composure, his words fully sinking into you  now, feeling the full effect of them. “I-I just had a baby. I’m still on maternity leave taking care of a baby- our baby, and I’m tired too. But I’m not yelling at you-” 

“-Oh, right. Right.” Carmen laughs sarcastically, humorless as he runs his hand down his face. It felt mocking, left you feeling small and too vulnerable for your liking. “Because in between your napping an-and feeding, you couldn’t stick a fucking jacket in the wash, right? You’re so busy.”  

“What is wrong with you?” You snap, hoping he can’t hear the tears in your voice, the way your voice shakes with emotion. 

“What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with me?” Carmen scoffs, throwing his hands out. “I get no fuckin' sleep, go work my fuckin' ass off, a-and then I come home so I can go back and work my ass off some more, and-and you can’t do one simple fuckin’ thing? You can’t help me out? And then you wanna know what’s wrong with me? When you sit on your ass all fuckin’ day-” 

Teddy’s piercing wail pulls you out of your shocked trance, nose and throat burning with hurt filled tears you refuse to shed. Instead, you turn, climbing the stairs on shaky legs, the sound of Teddy’s cries growing louder and louder. Anchovy watches you from the top of the stairs, sensing the tension, your upset, sliding against your leg as if to comfort you. 

Carmen scoffs, hands buzzing and trembling with rage, the ringing in his ears growing louder and louder with each of your footsteps on the stairs and down the hall. He can barely hear Teddy’s sobs, hands threading through his hair, pulling at his scalp. He sees you walk towards the bedroom, quickly, hugging Teddy to your chest. 

“Oh, don’t go fuckin’ do it now!” Carmen roared, your ignoring him only infuriating him further. “It won’t be ready in time now. I’ll just look like a fuckin’ idiot for the critic tonight! Not that you care! Why would you, huh? I-I mean just our livelihood, just our fuckin’ income!” 

You swallowed back your tears, head tilting towards the ceiling, hands shaking with every shove of your things into the overnight bag. Just enough to get you through the night, the next day. A few essentials, Teddy’s spare onesies, a charger, your wallet- you stopped mid-shove of your items into the weekender bag, the sun’s rays catching in your wedding ring. Your heart fell, more and more, you weren’t sure how that was even possible. 

Carmen’s furious voice was still booming from downstairs, ringing and shaking in his furious fit. Richie and Sugar both warned you about Carmen’s tantrums, brought them up to embarrass him, tease him about it until he was red faced and hissing hushed threats at them. You never, never in your wildest dreams thought you’d be on the receiving end of one. 

You jumped, another slam of something Carmen had thrown, maybe hit in a fit of rage, causing Teddy to wail louder, Anchovy skittering nervously away. Tears leaked out of your eyes, twisting the ring off your finger, setting it on Carmen’s bedside table. Pulling the carrier out of the closet, Anchovy got in much easier than usual, which you were thankful for. 

Carmen was gripping the marble of the countertop when he heard you again, walking from the bottom of the stairs, quick steps towards the door to the garage, Teddy’s voice nearly hoarse from her crying. You kept your head high, tunnel-visioned towards your car, ignoring his heavy breathing and frantic pacing. 

“Wha-What are you doin’?” Carmen’s voice was softer now, still with a jagged edge that was cutting and harsh. The car door opened, the baby carrier hooked into the car seat. 

“Hey, wha- what are you- where’re you goin’? What’re you doin’?” Carmen’s heart dropped in a damning rush of hour, stumbling on heavy legs towards the garage. You ignored him, shushing Teddy gently, running a calming hand over her wet cheek, trying to coax her paci into her mouth. 

“Baby, no-no, no. Hey, no, I-I- What-” Carmen’s chest felt tight, mind numbing and racing, stuttering nervously. You reached for your bag, his hand reaching to grab the strap. “Whe-Where’re you-”

“-Don’t touch me.” You hissed, teeth bared, eyes shining with tears. Carmen flinched, pulling his hand back like he’d touched a hot stove. “Don’t you dare fucking touch me.” You sneered, pinning him with a watery glare that had his stomach turning in sickening fear. 

“Baby, hey, w-wait-C’mon, d-don’t-You don’t, you don’t need to do this, ok? I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Carmen choked out the words, frantic and unsure, his hands shaking when they ghosted over you back just for a moment. Wanting to touch you, to hold you, to grab you and keep you from leaving, but too scared to. Instead, he grabbed the car door you flung open, holding it when you tried to yank it closed. 

“Let go.” You hissed, sniffling back wet, snotty tears of fury and hurt. 

“Please, don’t-do-don’t do this. Please, baby, I-I’m sorry.” Carmen begged, blue eyes deepening with the burning red hues of tears, bloodshot and lashes wet. “Don’t-Don’t do this-” 

“-I didn’t do this.” You sneered, leaving Carmen flinching at your words. “Don’t you dare try to say this was me. After how you just talked to me? The shit you said to me in there? You think I’m going to stay?” Your voice cracked with emotion, lips pressing together to keep a cry in. 

“No, no, no, no, no, baby, please. Please, ju-just come inside. Come inside, please? Please, don’t-” 

“You don’t get to talk to me like that. To say that kinda stuff to me. That hurt, Carmen. That was mean.” You glared at him, tears leaking out of the corner of his eyes. “I don’t care if you’re stressed. I don’t care what’s going on- nothing, and I mean nothing, warrants you talking to me like that. Just because you fucked up, because you forgot to ask me to do it, because you’re stressed out- I don’t care what it is. You don’t talk to me like that, say those things when I’ve been home all day taking care of my ch- our child.” You nod back towards the sniffling baby, whimpering and crying half heartedly, her little eyelids drooping with sleep that was interrupted. 

Carmen felt sick, his knees tightening in fear, he was sure they might give out, that he might fall to the ground right there. Looking at the tiny baby, lip jutted and shaking in the mirror hooked on the back of the seat, then back at you, eyes red-rimmed and glaring at him with a hurt filled anger. 

“Don’t-” Carmen’s chest shook, a white-knuckled grip on the door. 

Your own hand curled around the door’s inner handle, yanking it away from him. “Move,” You hissed, pulling again. 

Carmen wasn’t sure why he let it go, why he let you shut it, locking the door in case he tried to open it again. Why he let you pull out of the driveway, why he didn’t stop you, why he didn’t run after you, only taking soft shuffles down the drive like a zombie as you drove away. Standing in the drive, Carmen swallowed down the spit that pooled in his mouth, stomach churning, sure he was going to be sick. 

He managed to trudge back to the garage, mind racing and far away, the ringing in his ears dulling but still deafening. It felt like he was in a dream- a nightmare, a hallucinating trance that felt like a sick, sick dream- Carmen was hoping it was. That he’d wake up and find you next to him asleep. That he could hug you, pull you into him, nose buried in your neck, still warm from your slumber. 

As the sun began to sink low into the sky, minutes turning into hours that Carmen sat motionless in the garage, staring in a trancelike state, he realized that this wasn’t a dream or a nightmare. No this was his reality, a horrific reality that he’d made into his own. Carmen sat, eyes trained on the concrete of the garage, voice racing and blending in his mind- his words, yours, Teddy’s cries, Natalie and Richie’s, flashbacks of his mother screaming fits. 

He didn’t move, frozen in chilling, eerie fear. What ifs and terrifying possible scenarios, consequences to his own actions that left him feeling sick, hands trembling. A spiraling of fears that only drug him deeper and deeper with every haunting replay of his outburst. Even the flashing of headlights turning into the driveway, filling the garage with light, didn’t pull him from his trance. 

“The fuck is he- Cousin!” Richie roared, laying on the horn. Carmen didn’t move, didn’t acknowledge that he heard it, only stared. Richie frowned, turning the car off, throwing the door open. 

“Cousin? Carm? What-What are you doin’? Dinner service started an hour ago. Syd is freakin’ the fuck out.” Richie threw his hands up, walking towards the man who still didn’t move. Richie’s heart skipped, flashbacks of Mikey flooding into his vision, parallels of the two brothers blurring before him. 

“Yo, Carm, you-you good?” Richie stepped into the garage, his spine tingling with icy fear. It was quiet, an eerie, unsettling quiet. “Cousin, hey, what-what’s wrong?” 

Carmen's chest rose and fell, tighter and tighter. He was suffocating, head spinning and mind racing so fast he felt light headed. He could barely hear Richie’s voice over the noise in his head, Richie’s hand shaking his shoulder finally breaking his trance enough to meet his eyes, rounded in fear filled question. 

“Carmen, what’s wrong? Is it- Don’t fuckin’ tell me it’s the baby. What the fuck is goin’ on-” 

“-She left.” Carmen’s voice shook, raspy and scared. His tongue still felt too thick, head still spinning. He wasn’t even sure he said it, Richie’s widening eyes the only thing confirming that he had said it. 

“What? Who-Who left? Who?” Richie looked around, like the clues might be there, sure that Carmen wasn’t talking about you. No, he wouldn’t- he couldn’t. Not you. 

Carmen’s breath hitched, a strangling of a sob caught in his throat, running his hand over his face. Richie didn’t miss the way it trembled, shaking even as it rested over his eyes. Your car was gone, the house too quiet, no baby Teddy crying, nothing but silence was left. 

Richie’s heartbeat crawled into a rapid, scared pace. “Why? Wh-Why would she-” Richie looked at Carmen, eyes wide but still, reading his expression. “No. No, Cousin, no. What-What did you do? Carmen,” Richie grabbed both his shoulders, shaking him lightly until he met his gaze. “What did you do?” 

Carmen’s face began to crack, behind his eyes, Richie could see flashbacks of something- something he didn’t know what, but whatever it was, it was painful. That was evident by the fear that glossed over Carmen’s eyes, realization and horror. Carmen’s shoulders shook, frame rocking with a sob he tried to swallow, but couldn’t. Deep cries, guttural sobs breaking out of his frame, heels of his hands pressed to his eyes, fingers curled and clenched around his greasy curls in agony. 

The damning realization flooded over him, that you’d left. 

You’d left, you’d taken Teddy, taken Anchovy- you’d left because he’d driven you away. His angry outburst, petulant, mean, hurtful- he’d been so cruel to you. You. His wife, the love of his life, mother of his child, the one person who loved him endlessly without stipulations or boundaries, the one person who truly understood him. 

And he’d driven you away. 

He wished he could blame his mom, his dad, his family for fucking him up so severely, maybe Mikey, even, for leaving him the shit show that was the restaurant, making his anxieties worse and fuse shorter. But sitting in the empty garage, Richie standing above him in silent shock, his sobs and angry sniffles echoing off the cement floor, Carmen knew he had no one to blame but himself. 

He’d fucked up. Really fucked up. Fucked up in a way that made all the other times look obsolete. 

Carmen had fucked up, and for once, he didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t avoid it, ignore it, deflect it like other times. Half hearted apologies and promises of change wouldn’t work, you weren’t here for him to even try to give them to you, and he didn’t know where you went. 

Carmen wasn’t sure where you went, how to fix this, why he’d done what he did, and a million other things that raced through his mind. What he did know, sitting in the too quiet garage, chest stuttering with heaving cries, was that he’d do anything. 

Anything, to get you back home. To make it right. To fix this and make it up to you. 

He wasn’t sure how, but he’d give up everything. Anything. His restaurant, his dreams, his hopes, his life, at this point, to make it up to you. 

[logicalpearl]

Next Mrs. Hughes...

synopsis: y/n and Quinn spend time at the lake house. she overhears Quinn's plans for the future

warnings: making out, descriptions of sex, slight breeding kink, MINORS DNI, 18+

wc: 1.5k

This could be read as a part two to this

*not my gif*

You and Quinn have been dating for 10 months now. This means you are officially invited to the Hughes’ lake house over the summer. 2 months of just soaking up the sun and spending unlimited time with Quinn, his family, and your numerous friends. Finally, getting Quinn’s almost undivided attention since the season is now over and he can relax before training starts. 

Your relationship with Quinn has progressed rapidly. Being together for almost a year will do that, you are now looking at moving in with Quinn once your lease is over in August. You have already started moving some of your things to his apartment since you spend so much time there. His family has welcomed you with open arms, especially after seeing how well you handle Quinn, even when he’s cranky. You also were very good at wrangling all of the boys when they got too rowdy or if it was dinner time. 

Like now, you are attempting to get all of the boys off the boat and up to the house to help you set the table. Quinn and you have been in the kitchen for a good chunk of the afternoon prepping a huge meal for everyone. After finally getting the boys to calm down a little and get ready for dinner you walk back inside to check on Quinn. As you are rounding the corner you hear Quinn’s hushed voice along with Ellen’s. You halt in your tracks, not trying to eavesdrop but also not wanting to interrupt the moment. What you hear though makes all of the blood rush to your cheeks.

“Mom, I’m going to marry her and she’s going to make a great Mom one day,” you hear Quinn whisper. Your heart flutters, you knew that the relationship was serious and while you had known Quinn was it for you, neither of you had fully voiced your opinions about marriage and kids just yet. You could hear Ellen clap her hands together before replying, “Oh, Quinn! That makes me so happy to hear. Do you need any help from me? Have you bought a ring? When are you going to ask? Does she-” 

Quinn cuts off his mom’s rambling with a quiet chuckle, “Slow down, Mom, I have a ring in mind and I’m not thinking of asking until Halloween time, that is her favorite holiday after all,” you can hear Quinn walking around the kitchen and realize you need to make yourself known before you are caught. You quickly open and shut the sliding door louder than before and walk into the kitchen. After walking in you notice that Quinn’s cheeks are slightly pink and Ellen is wearing a dopey smile on her face as she looks at you.

You walk up to Quinn, grabbing his hand, before looking up at him, “Everything going okay in here, handsome? Do you need me to do anything else for you?” You round out your eyes to appear as innocent as possible, Quinn clears his throat before replying, “Uh- No, angel. The food is almost done, if you and Mom want to grab some of the salads and bring them outside that would be great. I will meet you out there with the main stuff in just a few minutes,” You nod your head at Quinn, reaching up to place a kiss on his cheek before turning to grab the salads and take them outside. 

You and Ellen head out to set everything on the table. The boys profusely thanked you both as they were absolutely famished after drinking and being on the boat all day. Quinn came out shortly after with the main dish and everyone quickly dug in. You sat quietly next to Quinn with a hand on his thigh while you ate. Listening to all of the boys tell stories from previous summers that had your stomach hurting from laughing so hard. 

After dinner, the boys were quick to grab all of the plates, Jack walking over and placing a kiss on the top of your head, telling you they would handle all of the clean up since you did so much for the meal. Jack and Luke had been especially sweet on you after finding out you were dating Quinn. The three of you just clicked and Quinn couldn’t be happier that you got along so well with his brothers. 

Once the table was cleaned up the boys decided to head back out on the boat with Ellen and Jim. You had told Quinn you were going to read and relax in your room and he decided to stay with you. You knew he was going to do this, and this meant you would have the whole house to yourselves for at least two hours. After hearing Quinn talk about marriage and kids earlier it had you riled up, you had to do something about it.

Quinn held your hand as you both walked up to your shared room. Quinn walked in first and you shut and locked the door behind you before leaning your back on it. Quinn gave you a confused look as you hadn’t walked further into the room. You looked at him through slightly hooded eyes before speaking up, “I overheard what you were saying to your mom in the kitchen, handsome. That you want to make me your wife, to let me have your babies…” You trailed off while biting your lip. 

Quinn wore a slightly shocked expression before it was quickly overtaken by lust. You could see his eyes darken before he walked over to you. His hands settled on your hips while he came close enough that your noses brushed, “D’you like the idea of that, Angel? You want me to make you the next Mrs. Hughes? Fuck you full of my babies? Oh, of course you do, just look at the way you’re clenching your pretty thighs for me,” Quinn clicked his tongue at you before capturing your lips in a bruising kiss. 

Your eyes fluttered shut as you lost yourself in the feel of him. He moved closer to push you harder into the door, hips flush as he moaned into your mouth. He pulled away only to whisper a single command, “Jump.” You were quick to wrap your legs around his hips, arms tangling around his neck as he carried you to bed. He set you down gently before climbing over you. Quinn was always so gentle with you, making sure you were comfortable before continuing. 

Quinn knew you were on birth control and that actually getting you pregnant now was not part of the plan, but he couldn’t stop himself from wanting it. He wanted to stuff you full, make sure the only thing you could feel was him. It was overwhelming, these feelings the both of you had, it was carnal. 

Clothes came off quickly and before you knew it, Quinn’s cock was fully seated inside of you. He let you adjust to the stretch of him before setting a consistent rhythm. One that hit the deepest spots within you, making you writhe beneath him. He pinned your hips to the mattress as his thrusts sped up, slowly losing his resolve. You knew he was close and so were you. Leaning up you whispered in his ear knowing it would send him over the edge, “Quinn, let me make you a daddy” You breathy moan in his ear along with your words caused his thrusts to falter. He groaned, burying his head in your neck, and thrusting as deep in you as he could. You could feel the warmth of his release mixing with yours. 

He stayed inside of you for a little bit longer before slowly pulling out. Both of you winced at the feeling before Quinn looked down between your legs. He looked mesmerized at his cum leaking out of you. Before he could stop himself he reached down and stuffed two fingers inside of you, pushing his cum back in. You moaned at the sensitivity and grabbed his wrist. Quinn looked up at you with wide eyes, “Shit- Sorry, princess, I couldn’t help myself, gotta make sure it takes. I gotta keep you full of me, baby.”

Your eyes slightly rolled back at that, pulling him down to kiss you. He eventually pulled his fingers out from between your thighs and you were quick to lick them clean. Quinn chuckled and laid down next to you, hauling you into his arms and taking deep breaths. Neither of you expected that this was how your night was going to end, but you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Quinn kissed your forehead, “I cannot wait to make you my wife, or for us to start our own family when we are ready, I want forever with you.” Your eyes closed as you basked in the moment, tears gathering on your waterline because of the immense amount of love you felt for Quinn. All you could do was nod and mutter, “Me too, I love you so much.” After that you and Quinn fell asleep completely content and so in love.

[katsu2ji]

mha boys + their fav thing to do with you (or for you) during the holiday season

a/n: it's my favorite time of the year <3 merry christmas to those who celebrate!! posting this on christmas eve, i hope everyone has the best day <3 ily!

izuku: baking christmas cookies

izuku makes the BEST deserts. his mother taught him when he was young and although he was reluctant to learn at first ("mom, i’m sorry but learning how to make the perfect pie is not my biggest concern right now..."), it's now a skill he's come to appreciate—especially when you're involved. one of his favorite things to do with you, at any point in the year but especially during christmas, is baking cookies—or rather, he's doing most of the baking while you're sitting on the countertop watching him do so. there's christmas jazz playing through the space as you both talk about your days, laughing and making a mess that neither of you are too worried about cleaning in the moment. he gives you the spoons to lick when he's finished with them, smiling when you nod your approval of the taste. while they're in the oven, you two dance in the low kitchen light; it's not graceful, by any means, but it's silly and stupid and makes you both feel as though you're the only ones in the world. this warm, love filled kitchen on a cold winter's night, just for the two of you.

katsuki: decorating with you

katsuki would never admit it, but he takes his christmas decorating very seriously. he insists that if you're going to decorate for the holidays, you might as well make it look nice. you ask him to take down the christmas decorations from storage and while he pretends to find the task annoying, he actually is looking forward to doing this with you. he loves seeing how excited you get when he plugs in the lights on the tree and watch as they light up the dark living room, or how much you love the small task of switching out the normal pillows on the couch for the winter themed ones. his favorite part about it all, however, is putting up the ornaments; together you've collected a few over the years, some more heartfelt while others are silly inside jokes between the two of you. he teases you when you put one in a spot he doesn't agree with ("why the fuck did you put it there, that's ugly." "katsuki, no it's not!" "yes the hell it is, move it over here.") and you know it's all lighthearted as you laugh at the faces he makes about your "questionable" placements. this is all such a temporary thing, he knows—the decorations will only be up for about a month and a half, if that. but it's special for him. a time where he can forget about the rest of the world; where he only has to focus on you and your terrible (but endearing) tree decorating skills.

shoto: christmas shopping

when you two go out shopping together, he takes note of anything that you point out and like. later, he comes back after a patrol shift; he tells you he's picking up dinner, and while that's not a total lie and he is going to bring home something, he also needed to make time to pick up your gifts. he has never felt as though he's very good with words, but gifts he can do. and he never stops at one, of course—he makes sure you have a lot. he fills the space under the tree with them, all addressed to you; just when you think there couldn't be any more, you come home to find another two of three presents has been added. he starts his gift shopping earlier in the year, getting things here and there when he can. by december 1st, he's gotten pretty much everything he's been looking for, and he asks fuyumi and his mom to help him wrap them nicely for you (wrapping gifts is unfortunately NOT his strong suit). he's even particular about the wrapping paper he uses, not caring that it's more expensive than others on the market or that it's going to be ripped; these are gifts for you, for christ's sake. he's going to make sure that everything is perfect—that you have the best christmas, every christmas.

eijiro: walking out in the snow

eijiro loves the snow, and he loves the holiday season even more. he loves how magical everything is this time of year, how carefree life feels. when the first snowfall comes one evening, he's making sure both your puffer jacket and his is zipped up all the way and that you're nice and toasty, before practically running outside. you two go for a walk through the city, admiring the way the snow blankets everything around you and makes the world seem softer, lighter. when a breeze comes by, he huddles impossibly closer to you, grabbing your hands and holding them in his coat pocket to warm you up. you two stop at the windows of decorated shops, watching the little toy trains and miniature christmas towns on display in the stores. he looks at your reflection in the window and grins, happy and content, even as the frigid air makes him feel as though he wants to sit in a furnace. he loves moments like these. it's a simple and mundane thing, taking a walk, but something about doing it with you, in an atmosphere that looks as though you've both stepped right into a christmas town in a fairytale, makes him wish for a white christmas every year.

hanta: watching christmas movies

before he met you, hanta had never made it a point to watch christmas movies, really. now, however, it's his favorite tradition. he looks forward to the evenings when the two of you change into your matching christmas-themed pajama pants, having bought them just for the occasion. you go into the kitchen to make hot chocolate while he scrolls through the movie selection, attempting to put on the corniest, dumbest, most cliche hallmark holiday movie he can find. the whole time you both are cuddled on the couch, leaning against each other as you watch the movie together, making fun of the bad acting, the overdone movie tropes, and every other menial detail. you laugh at all the jokes he makes, all the small things he notices and points out to you. the first movie ends, and before either of you can stop yourselves, you've both fallen asleep together on the couch halfway through the third. it's a quiet night, the only sounds being the quiet noise of the still-playing movie and the soft snores of the two of you. when he wakes up first, he doesn't make any effort to wake you immediately, instead opting to watch you sleep peacefully against him. "this is what the holidays are about" he thought, as cheesy as it sounds. he didn't need anything more; he wasn't sure it could be any better than this.

katsu2ji © 2024. please don't copy, modify, or do anything of the sort with my work! i work very hard and you simply do not have my permission.

[fairestwriting]

Hey, hello, would it be possible to request the first years with a crush or s/o who's constantly very warm so they can basically act as a human heating pad but despite this they're very touch starved and basically melt into hugs and cuddles, gender neutral pronouns would be great, thank you very much and merry (probably late) Christmas if you do this and same to you even if you don't!

another oldie (Visibly. im so sorry anon. i hope an awesome holiday season) i just had to take...... in the name of all my fellow human space heaters

Ace Trappola

One day, his hands got cold, and you were nearby, neck fully exposed, and Ace did what he would obviously do in this situation. Except it turned out he was the one shocked by how warm you are, even though he did make you jump a bit.

He's a fan of the physical affection. He doesn't fluster easily and likes showing you off all smug, linking your arms together or putting his over your shoulder while you're with your friends. The warmth is a great bonus.

When you cuddle up in a hot day, he whines about how you're gonna cook him alive and will jokingly "attempt" to push you off while giggling, then turning on the AC of his room or dragging you both somewhere cooler.

Deuce Spade

The first time you hug, Deuce gets spooked because he thinks you have a fever. He fusses over you for a few good minutes before you can explain anything. Then gets embarrassed of his reaction.

Being Deuce, he'll randomly revisit this worry, but mostly he just eases into it rather easily. He's a little shy, whether you're in public or not, but you can tell he feels comfortable with the way he leans into you.

Feels so bad if you're holding hands and his gets sweaty. Apologizes a billion times while wiping it clean on his shirt. Nevermind that it'd happen even if you weren't so warm, he just doesn't want you to ever feel awkward when touching him.

Jack Howl

Also really warm because of his wolf beastman genes, also surprisingly touchy. It's hard to tell which one of you is warmer, actually? Which in the end just means you end up comfortably cuddled up very oftwn.

...whenever you're away from others, of course. It's not that Jack hates the thought of PDA, but he "prefers to take it slow" (Read: Makes him blush way too easy)

Commiserates in the summer and celebrates in the winter if you're not very tolerant to heat like him. Sometimes he talks about his family's trips to the north with a voice softer than usual, hinting just a little bit that he'd really love it if you came along one day.

Epel Felmier

He's also on the warmer side temperature wise, but he's small, so he ends up getting cold surprisingly easily.

At first he's a bit spooked with the touchyness, really just because it's his first relationship, but it grows on him. A lot.

Epel thinks him getting cold easy-ish is embarrassing, so he really feels like he won the lottery here. Now he gets to put his arm around your waist to stay warm and look cool with you by his side, boy's on top of the world.

Sebek Zigvolt

Runs very cold. The first time your hand is anywhere on him he jumps a bit. The situation's like the inverse of someone who gets startled by their friend's cold hands pressed to their neck.

He briefly questions if you're really human, stammering something about how only beastmen are so warm. He's too distracted by how nice your warmth feels to make much sense.

He's so easily flustered every time you get cuddly, but if he even tries to push you off (Which he mostly just does if you're in public) it comes out all feeble. Even if he's trying to keep up with etiquette and you two actually have to step away from each other, it's all over his face that he misses the coziness.

if you wanna support my work, you can buy me a ko-fi or commission me!

[softxsuki]

Happy new year!! I hope your holiday season was amazing!!

If it’s no harm (you can ignore this if need!) could I request sanji, law or ace surprising the reader for their birthday? Thou has aged today and was wondering if that was okay:]

(Also I really love your work it’s very edible)

Sanji, Law, and Ace Surprise Reader For Their Birthday

| Pairings: Sanji x Gn!Reader, Law x Gn!Reader, Ace x Gn!Reader | Genre: Fluff | Post-Type: Headcanons | Word Count: 460 |

Warnings: none :)

Note: Happy New Year! I had a pretty great holiday, and so far I'm on track with everything I need to do. I hope you had a great holiday season! But I hope you had a great birthday (it's probably already past January 2 where you are, but Happy Birthday anyway!) It's not much, but I hope you enjoy it <3

Sanji:

It’s a given that Sanji is always affectionate and attentive towards you

But now that it’s your birthday, that affection multiplies

He spends all day in the kitchen cooking up your favorite foods and sweet treats, making sure Luffy doesn’t sneak any bites of food

It’s your special day, so you get first choice on everything

His surprise for you aside from his huge feast, is breakfast in bed

You’re truly treated like royalty from the moment you wake up, and that won’t end until the day is over

Works his butt off to ensure you have a great birthday

After cleaning up later at night, he’d spend some quality time with you, showering you in all the gifts he bought for you from some of the islands the crew stopped at on their journey

Law:

Omg this man is so shy

He wanted to so something special after learning it was your birthday, but he chooses to act like he doesn’t know it’s your birthday, so he can plan everything out and have it be a huge surprise later on

Law insists on doing everything himself, as he claims it would make it more special, so the rest of the crew is tasked with keeping you occupied so you don’t ruin your surprise

When the time comes for them to lead you to the designated area Law was using, he’s just standing there with a red face

He’s not used to this, he’s a tough looking guy on the outside, but he has a huge heart (so fitting for mr doctor over here lol)

But it’s all worth it to see the look of surprise on your face when you see everything he planned–he’s relieved 

Ace:

Ace’s surprise for you is a bit different form the guys above

He doesn't cook food for you or decorate a space for a celebration for you and the crew

But he decides he wants to make something for you, a hand threaded bracelet; one for you and one for him to match

Yet he struggles with his large thick fingers, and it ends up taking him a majority of the day to finish, but he’s happy with it

On the day of your birthday as the Whitebeard pirate wish you a happy birthday, eating the food that was prepared as everyone sings in celebration having a good time, Ace pulls you aside

He’s a little embarrassed that it isn’t much, but I just feel like handmade gifts mean so much more than buying something for someone because you know he took the time and effort to do that for you

Probably even tries and sneak you away from the rowdy bunch on deck so he can spend some quality time with you alone

Posted: 1/2/2024

[lilyflowerstories]

A Veil of White | 2

Pairings: Sirius x Remus, Sirius x Reader, Wolfstar x Reader

| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 coming soon

Warnings for the series: light violence, angst, light smut

Word Count: 2.8k

Synopsis: 15 years ago you fell through the veil. A little less than 15 years later, Sirius followed. He expected death. No one returned from the veil so that was the only logical conclusion. What he didn't expect was to meet you again.

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“Hey, when’s your birthday?” Sirius asked as he came downstairs in a band tee and corduroys. He wasn’t sure yet but the Bowie shirt felt way more comfortable than what he’s been wearing for the past few weeks. 

It was nearing the end of the year and he wasn’t sure if he was going to be staying much longer, feeling a lot better than when he first arrived. But he did want to at least stay for your birthday. He would make a cake, send some invites to your few American and French friends, and have a nice little party before going to start a new life in London. That city in particular felt like it was calling Sirius’ name. Maybe he used to come from there or went to school there. Either way, he was moving to London some time next year. 

“I don’t know,” you admitted. “First name, age, vague sense of nationality, and magic seem to be the only things most of us remember.” 

Sirius nodded. The more he thought about it, he could only remember his age as well. He pulled the calendar off the wall and brought it to the kitchen island along with a pen. The two of you flipped through and starred two random dates that looked nice to each of you. Sirius stared at the date, memorizing your birthday until he was sure he knew it. A summer birthday was nice. You guys could have the party outside. 

“What should we do for Christmas?” he asked as you two loaded up the cart. 

The hours at the market were longer as you moved into the holiday season. The longer you stayed out now then the longer winter break you would get. Sirius was getting good at selling to customers. You were helping him think about jobs to apply for, teaching him everything you knew about baking in case he wanted to work at a bakery. So far he was thinking of being a baker, a record shop worker, or a bartender. He was a really good bartender. You two learned that from all the different drinks he’s been very successful at making. 

“Gingerbread house and Christmas movies is what I do every year.” 

“Sounds like a plan.” 

You two set up the stand, sitting on matching stools and waited for customers. Sirius groaned as you reminded him that tomorrow was cleaning day. Even though the cottage wasn’t big and magic made cleaning a breeze, he still hated it. He would do it for you but that didn’t mean he had to like it. 

The Christmas movie in the background provided great ambience as you two dusted and cleaned. Sirius took in a big whiff as the broom swept by him. You had introduced him to the concept of simmer pots. He was finding he absolutely loved what you deemed the scent of Christmas. Apples, pine, cinnamon, rosemary, cranberries, and allspice. It started off faint but soon the entire cottage smelled like Christmas by the time you two sat down on the couch. 

You pulled two blankets from the basket, handing one to him. Not quite cuddling, but closer than before, you and Sirius sat next to each other and watched the movie properly.  You tried not to laugh when his feet poked out from his blanket. He had started wearing lots of dress pants mixed with leather jackets and band tees or fancy button downs. Usually black or muted colors but his socks were always bright and colorful. 

You got more comfortable as he floated over two oversized mugs of hot chocolate. The smell of chocolate graced your nose, making you all warm inside before you even took a sip. Maybe it was too forward to say but this was one of the best Christmases you had in awhile. Something about Sirius was just easy. He didn’t tiptoe like other guests. He wasn’t afraid of truly living in the cottage as if you were just a school friend letting him crash on your couch for a few months. The place felt equally his. 

“That actor isn’t even playing,” Sirius said as you watched the main character attempt to serenade his love interest. 

You snorted. “How would you know?” 

“Look.” He pointed. 

You leaned in a little bit so you could follow his eye line. Sirius talked in great length about how the notes didn’t match up to the speed of fingers. Sometimes, the entire wrong key was played. After the scene changed, the two of you just paused. The understanding that Sirius shouldn’t know how to play the piano rang out in both of your minds. 

He leaned back against the couch, running a hand through his hands. “Do the memories normally come back that fast?” 

“They normally don’t come back at all. Not this strongly. Sirius, this is a big deal. We need to buy you a piano tomorrow. Maybe if you play, more memories will return.” 

Sirius wasn’t exactly sure on that plan but his fingers were itching to play the piano for some reason so he gave in. The two of you went to several second hand stores in the muggle world, knowing a broken piano can be fixed with magic relatively easily. He settled on a small brown piano that had definitely seen better days. 

“I promise to pay you back,” Sirius said as you two arranged the living room so the piano would fit properly in the space. 

“No need. This thing wasn’t exactly pricey.” 

He barked out a laugh. “I’m pretty sure that old man was two seconds away from paying us to take the thing away.” 

He cracked his neck before sitting down at the refurbished piano bench. You got back on the couch and just listened to him play. The melodies were soft and complex in their sound. Sirius didn’t sound like he recently learned how to play. There was a sort of experience that could only come from years and years of practice. Maybe even childhood. You closed your eyes and let the sound take over you for a moment. This had always been your favorite song to hear Sirius play as you curled up by the fire and wrote feet of parchment for homework. 

You practically shot up, eyes piercing into the man’s back. He sat up straighter to play but didn’t turn around. Trying to relax, there was nothing you could do but continue to stare at him. You knew Sirius. You had even gone to school with him. Quickly, your eyes closed again. But nothing else seemed to come through to provide more detail to your memory. 

“I know you,” you whispered, going stiff when the music stopped. 

You didn’t think he had heard you. Slowly, he turned around. It was absolutely silent in the small cottage as the two of you stared at each other for a moment. Through various stutters, Sirius asked you to repeat what you just said so he could confirm it. You did what he asked. Both of you took in deep breaths. 

“You remember parchment?” Sirius asked as he ran a hand through his hair. 

You nodded. 

“We must know each other from school… Maybe I’ve been looking in the wrong places?” 

“Hmm?” 

“I figured because I had to learn French that I must have been British. But you speak perfect French, even in your sleep, a—” 

“I talk in my sleep?” 

“I hear the murmurs any time I get up to use the bathroom.” 

Sirius shot up from the piano bench, making you jump out of your skin. He grabbed all the potion books from your shelf and began immediately making a mess in the kitchen. You slowly strolled over and peered around him to see the page opened up to the Pepper-Up Potion. 

“Maybe I’ve said something in my sleep. Some subconscious memory that can’t come to the surface. Sorry to do this to you, love, but you are the only other person here and I do have to fall asleep in order for this to be effective.” 

“If this helps us at all then I don’t mind.” 

For the first time since the initial six months after you fell through the veil, you had hope. You didn’t even need your own memories back anymore. You knew Sirius from school. Everyone he knew, at least up until adulthood, you must have known as well. Just to prepare, you went to go take a long nap on the couch. Sirius stopped his potion-making long enough to throw a blanket over you and light the fireplace. He kept looking over occasionally as he stirred and bottled various potions. 

Gently, he shook your shoulder when the sun went down. You changed into your own pajamas, despite the fact that you wouldn’t be getting any sleep before meeting Sirius in his room. A chuckle almost escaped you as you stood in the doorway and watched him fluff up one side of the bed, adding a bunch of pillows. 

“I can feel you laughing.” 

“I’m not.” 

“Sound more believable. Alright, get in here.” 

Sirius made sure you were sitting very comfortably on your side of the bed before flicking off every light aside from the lamp on the bedside table. The night started off perfectly normal. There were little mutters that you recorded here and there but not much else. For a while, you just watched Sirius’ face as you took a second cup of Pepper-Up Potion. He was both beautiful and classically handsome. Unfair that he still looked good even in his sleep. You got back to work the moment he began to whisper again. 

The two of you translated the sleeptalking in the morning, finding nothing truly helpful aside from the name Padfoot which must stand for something. You two weren’t sure what it meant yet but you noted it the next night when he repeated the word amongst other things.

This routine went on past the new year. You’d stay up to record Sirius’ words at night, retreat to your room for a quick nap before you two went to market, come home and nap again while he did all the prep work for the next day’s market, and then stay up to repeat the whole process. Each night, the raven-haired man moved a little closer to you as he slept. 

The soft yelp that came from you, woke Sirius up in the middle of the night. He snuggled further into his pillow before realizing that it was your pajama covered thighs. 

“Sorry,” he said as he started to lift up. 

“It’s fine, just surprised me is all. I don’t mind.” 

Tentatively, he lowered his head back down. “Maybe we should just stop, love. Nothing new has come out of this. The memories can’t be forced, I guess… Where are you going?” 

“Sirius, you just said we should stop. I’m going to bed now.” 

His grip on you loosened but he didn’t let go completely. “You can stay here if you want.” 

“A-alright.” 

You settled comfortably into his hold. He sighed as you curled up against him, both of you figuring out the best way to sleep while still cuddling. You momentarily shivered when a cold hand slipped under your shirt before it warmed up against your skin. 

“This is nice,” you murmured. 

“Better than nice.” 

The two of you began spending most nights in each other’s bed. Fragments of memories seemed to come back each time but none ever painted a clear picture. At least something was there. Perhaps something more than memories, although neither of you were quite ready to say that outloud. But you both knew. Sirius knew it every time he caught you looking at him or whenever he caught himself seeking you out in the cottage. You knew it every time he got a little too close to your mouth when speaking or whenever he doted on you even if you didn’t need it. Like how he had barely let you get up off the couch or from the bed for the past few days.  

“Love, sit down,” he said, shoving a thermos into your hands. “I’ve been handling customers for months. I can do this. You just relax. Are you sure about ice skating?” 

You rolled your eyes. “Sirius, I’m fine now.” 

He poked at your still slightly red nose. “Fine. But if I catch a single sneeze from you, we’re coming straight home.” 

You both froze. He had never called the cottage home. He was technically still a guest like everyone else. It was your home not his. But the word slipped out so smoothly. You tied a scarf around his neck, smiling slightly. 

“We’ll come home if I don’t feel good?” 

“Yeah, yeah. We’ll come home.” 

Sirius took your hand. He found himself smiling slightly when you didn’t pull away. The two of you began to pack up shop after serving the last customers. You rolled into a secluded alley so you could shrink the cart to fit in your purse before walking in the vague direction of the outdoor ice skating rink that was still open for a few more weeks. Neither one of you actually bothered to check the proper address of the rink. You were just aware of the relative location and hoped you were heading in the right direction. 

It was on the wizard side of town. You and Sirius wanted to get reacclimated. Especially you. It had dawned on you the other day that you had actually been avoiding quite a lot of the wizarding world aside from your neighborhood and occasional reunion at the French hotel.   

Sirius laughed as you pulled him down another street, still refusing to ask for directions. He passed by the cigarettes in a window display and another memory slowly hit him. It was barely a memory, more like a flash. He was on some balcony somewhere, holding a little cigarette in one hand and a pack of them in another. Sirius shook his head and continued on his way. That was one way to quit smoking he figured. At least he didn’t have to go through all the painful withdrawal symptoms. 

His head whipped around lightning fast. “I heard a sneeze.” 

“No, you didn’t… But I can’t find the rink and I want hot chocolate so let’s go home.” 

Another smile tugged at his lips as he squeezed your hand. “I’m too old to play games, love. I want you badly.” 

“I do too.” 

“So you don’t mind if I don’t move out next week?” 

You kissed the corner of his mouth. “I’d love for you to stay.” 

“Let’s go home,” Sirius whispered, almost afraid of ruining the moment. 

The two of you felt like schoolchildren, giddy and overzealous. You barely made it inside the house before the clothes started coming off. The perks of no other guests was a blessing. You guys didn’t make it farther than the living room. Sirius smirked as your eyes raked down his body, memorizing every little tattoo. 

“You’re very fit.” 

“And you’re beautiful,” he said breathlessly before capturing your lips with his. 

His lips were soft against yours despite the rhythm he set being anything but. The two of you didn’t move from the living room, setting up a pallet of blankets on the floor. Sirius pulled off all the couch cushions and summoned pillows from both of your rooms. You put on a romcom that neither one of you were paying much attention to, still absorbed in each other. You lifted your head from his chest when a small pecking noise started at your kitchen window. 

“I’ve got it.” Sirius wrapped a blanket around his waist and stood up to go grab whatever package an owl had delivered. “It’s from Malcolm.” 

“Oh, he said he would send a postcard soon. How is he doing… Sirius?” 

He slowly made his way over to you, scanning the lines of the postcard multiple times. “He remembers everything.” 

“What?” 

You practically ripped the postcard out of his hand to read the words for yourself. Malcolm had taken a break in his search for his parents to focus on some holiday work at his internship when he bumped right into them at the MACUSA headquarters. The bump triggered everything. The problem with the veil was that he couldn’t remember who needed to run into. But once he did, he remembered exactly who he was. 

“But why don’t we?” you asked as you set the postcard in a special keepsake box. 

“Maybe because we both went through the veil? It’s not like the memories aren’t coming back. They just aren’t strong. Probably because we both have been affected by the magic.” 

“So we need to find someone else we know. Preferably someone who hasn’t been through the veil.” 

You and Sirius stayed up late compiling all the details from your memories. There still wasn’t much but you had enough to make a plan. First, you two were going to prepare the cottage for any new arrivals before moving to the heart of London together. Then, you were going to figure who or what this mysterious Padfoot was.

| next part coming soon |

TAGLIST:

@sunflowerscloudydays @alohastitch0626

[ghost-proofbaby]

wishing you a festive period that is kind to you. I think about 24hours eddie and reader constantly - all the things and occasions he would want to make up for, having missed out spending them with reader. you know how this time of year can feel very nostalgic and a time for guilt and reflection to creep in.. sigh - I know they’d both want to make up for it 🖤

thank you, nonnie <3 i am wishing you the very same.

it truly would be. something in the december air is just naturally laced with guilt and eddie would be so far from being immune to it.

the first holiday season would be the worst, as everyone in the group just knows what to get you for gifts, but he realizes he doesn't know as much as they do about you. he'd have to ask about your favorite show, your favorite movies, your favorite albums. he can't just casually buy you a cute pullover for your favorite franchise like robin has - he didn't even know that that had been your favorite franchise until she'd excitedly showed him. not only that, but then there's the aspect of not only hearing now about traditions set in stone between you and the others, but watching them set into motion. movie nights that were apparently your favorite part of the season, a specific flavor of coffee from your favorite coffee shop that was seasonal only and he'd never caught on to. regardless of the holiday you celebrate, he wouldn't know; he wouldn't know if you preferred white christmas lights or colored, he wouldn't know what day of the year you burn yule logs, he wouldn't know the story behind your menorah gifted to you in your youth that you treat as fragile as crumbling ashes. all the little things, all the big things, and he's just lost.

he might ignore you at first without meaning to. start to recede into himself, lash out when he doesn't mean it, pick arguments without knowing the root of his sour mood. but when you finally confront him? when the two of you do what you do best, and have a truthful conversation?

oh.

oh it all clicks into place for him.

"who cares if you know those things?" you'd ask with a scrunched nose, carrying over trying to extravagantly wrap argyle's gift in a fashion that the shape completely derails him from actually guessing what you had gotten him.

"i care," and god. he'd sound desperate. broken. and it'd make you look up, a bit shocked, not expecting to find a broken eddie munson looking back at you, "i... fuck, i care about those things. i should know those things. if i hadn't been such a dick, i would know tho-"

and you'd interrupt him, so quickly, so fierce to stop him from going down that pathway, "parks and recreation."

he'd stand there so confused, blank face that slowly contorts into sheer befuddlement. "what?"

"my favorite show," you'd double down, "parks and rec. i also have a soft spot for gilmore girls, if we're keeping score. don't tell steve though. he spent weeks trying to convince me to secretly watch it with him, only to go and watch it with some chick he met on an app, so to get revenge i was hate watching it only to end up loving it."

and in one clean sweep, you've managed to accomplish two things he'd yearned for: knowledge of a basic fact, and a secret just between you two.

from there, it just avalanches.

you do away with the gift for now, giving him your full attention, sitting on the floor of the apartment and exchanging all those missed details. he tells you stories about holidays with wayne, you finally explain that god awful pair of faux diamond earrings you never wear but will never, ever get rid of. the two of you talk about the gifts you've wanted in the past but never received. talk about the favorite gifts you've been given. your favorite year for the holidays, when you were children and the magic was still there. maybe you let it slip how you miss that magic; the feeling of being a little kid and everything being more about the love and electricity in the air rather than the stress and pressure of the holidays.

"i want to wake up on christmas morning," you'd say, leaning back your head wistfully against the couch you'd sat up in front of, "and for it to feel like the movies again. you know? being giddy and oblivious and- i don't know. is that stupid?"

he'd shake his head, smiling softly, sharing that same sentiment.

"no, i get it. just... missing the magic."

naturally, eddie goes out of his way to give you the greatest gift of all - somehow, against all odds, he'd bring back the magic.

small things. when you bring up wanting to go out and see lights on the neighborhood lights, he's bundling you up in one of his sweaters and loading the two of you onto his bike to go slow crawl through the twinkling streets. even gives you his only pair of riding gloves, despite his hands freezing to the point of cherry red, just to let you enjoy it all comfortably. when there's a baking recipe you're interested in, he buys the ingredients on his way home, and you get so excited you cancel plans with the group to stay in with him and fail at it miserably. flour across both your cheeks, but it doesn't matter, because you're too busy laughing to notice the imperfections. you both try to say that milk helps the burnt cookies - it doesn't, but the softness in his eyes when he watches you embarrassingly snort on your glass at how terrible the taste is does. more home-cooked meals than the two of you have had in years, some tasting as divine as you remembered, and others being put away in a "better left alone" envelope.

in the end, it doesn't matter that robin was the one to get you the pullover, or that steve has tasted your family's 'award-winning' pie recipe before him. eddie's the one making you laugh as the clock strikes midnight, scolding you about being quiet or else the elves or some shit will hear you, as you just cackle louder and smack his chest, shutting him up with a kiss.

december air is a little bit sweeter after that year. a little less guilty, and a little bit more magical.

[catzz089]

“Omg could you imagine how terrifying it would be if your just having fun matting with your friends then suddenly an F1 driver pulled up??”

No, I couldn’t. I’m shit at imagining.

I Like writing though

“Charles, please. We are going to be late if you don’t hurry up.” Max called through the door to their bedroom.

“I’m almost done!” Charles screamed back, still rifling through something in their bedroom, causing an overflow of mess that Max would somehow be coerced into cleaning up.

Max sighed, how come this happens every single time Max tries to plan something nice for them both, he really just needs to let Charles stick with the planning.

Charles slammed the bedroom door open, waltzing up to him and spinning, throwing his arms out,

“How do I look?”

What idiot stares at Max with the most gorgeous looking face known in history, and a perfectky accentuating outfit and then has the gall to ask how he looks?

Well, aside from Max’s idiot bug that’s a conversation for another time.

“Gorgeous, get in the car.”

He sighed dramatically, “it’s like you don’t even love me anymore, baby.”

“That’s because I don’t,” Max deadpanned, “Now please get going, we are cutting it way too close right now.”

Charles grabbed his hand, and began walking outside, “We’ll be fine mom cœur, you’ve left us ages of time, stop stressing.” He brought their hands up, planting a delicate kiss on Max’s hand.

Max pouted, “you can’t just kiss me and expect me to forgive you for taking literal hours ti get ready.”

“Yes, I can. Now hop in.”

“Wait I thought I was driving?”

Charles opened the passenger door, forcing him down inside.

“Nope,” he said, popping the p, “you thought wrong. You’ve done too much, let me drive.” He began doing the belt on Max’s seat.

Which was entirely unnecessary.

But quite sweet.

Not that Max would ever admit it, Charles would get far too big a head.

Charles jumped into the drivers seat, resting a hand on Max’s thigh and high-tailing the car out of their, knocking over their own bin as he did.

“Seriously? If your going to destroy property, at least make it someone else’s, I don’t want to deal with that.”

“Then pay someone to deal with it, I’m pretty sure you have the money for that.”

Max sighed, leaning back in his seat and gripping onto the car door, it probably wouldn’t save his life but security was security when you’re in a car with Charles Leclerc.

By the time they reached the track, they very much were late, only by 10 minutes or so, but still.

Late.

Max grabbed at Charles’ hand, running off to the changing rooms and dragging him behind.

“Max! Come on,” he whined, “Slow down, I haven’t gone for a run this entire off season, I’m going to get a stitch.”

“Your not that unfit, Schat, I want to get in the track, hurry up!”

“Maxie,” he complained, again, “we are on the track like every weekend, why are you so desperate to go back, it’s our holiday.”

Max just huffed, shoving on his race suit- Redbull, obviously, he’s not wearing some rental- and dashing down to the karts.

Charles groaned, running after him.

There was already an array of kids, all around 6-14 years old already down there and driving.

Charles had the pleasure of watching first hand as their jaws dropped, and nothing but pure terror filled their eyes.

His oblivious little boyfriend however, was far too focused on finding one of the remaining karts with the best tires and bagging that for himself to notice the kids trying to escape the track.

It’s not like they were even going to be racing strangers, just eachother.

Yeah, sure, they may just happen to be driving in the exact same track at the exact same track, but neither of them would ever dare to cause an accident.

Hopefully.

When the started their karts, Max bolted it into the track, making some poor 10 year old serve his car out of the way to maintain a good distance away, Charles screamed an apology behind him and followed in quick pursuit.

Their two hour session lasted a lot like that.

Charles ramming his kart into Max, subsequently banging into another kid

Max screaming in delight at overtaking Charles, scaring the child in front, making her flinch so badly she binned it into the wall.

Charles realising that the kart he thought was Max’s, was in fact a slightly older kid, so yelling “I beat you!” Into his face as he crossed the start line a millimetre in front was NOT the flex he thought it was.

In Charles’ defence, Max was arguably far worse than him, deliberately falling behind Charles to beat into him one too many times that he too, forgot the difference between a monegasque F1 driver, and a teenager, swerving his car into hers, knocking them both out of the track.

It was the most fun either of them had felt in a long while.

Neither of them were allowed back.

[dollypopup]

We need to talk about misogyny in the lukola fandom, and how it originated in the rampant misogyny in the Polin fandom and just continued to grow, because unfortunately, the two deeply intersect, and there's been such a lack of nuance in so many discussions

interestingly enough, this is actually being exhibited in a lot of Luke Newton discourse. Not toward him necessarily, but to the women around him, in comparison to him, for better or worse, including Nicola. There's been a lot of discourse especially around Luke being 'jobless' in contrast to Nicola being 'booked and busy'. and even in rejection of that discussion, the defense becomes that she is an exception, because she is exceptional, and that of course others look less ambitious in comparison. And at first, I'm sure this LOOKS like it's praising a woman for her hard work and dunking on a man for what we imagine isn't.

but has anyone ever asked why Nicola is booked and busy, especially? does she want to be? or does she *have* to be?

I want you to think about just how many women over the age of 40 are getting major roles. How many love scenes you've seen that feature more mature women. How in Queen Charlotte, the focus was on a younger actress, how Violet's and Danbury's and Portia's and QCs actresses don't even have a kiss scripted.

How much of that is by design in the entertainment industry

Nicola, in many ways, is creating a recipe for burn out, but she works alongside wonderful actresses who are incredibly talented- and do not get the opportunities they SHOULD. Roles in the entertainment industry are largely written for young women in their 20s, young, conventional women. And Nicola KNOWS this. She's a businesswoman, and her craft IS her business. The clock is, unfortunately, ticking. This is a very insidious aspect of the misogynistic entertainment machine. Yes, Nicola is booked and busy right now- she's building her brand and trying to break out of the awful cycle of female actors getting a few big roles, and then get relegated to side characters or mum number 3. Should the entertainment industry write more roles for women over 40? YES!!! They should be major roles with poignant narratives!! But it isn't the reality we live in. She is actively fighting against the sexism of the industry she is living in, she cannot take a vacation.

Luke Newton, however, *can*. He has privilege as a man to take his time. Whilst Nicola's career is in danger of a downswing, Luke's is, by most statistics? Just beginning. Men continue to get major roles deep into their 30s, 40s, 50s. In fact, I think MOST male actors only build notoriety as they age. So Luke Newton has the privilege of TIME.

And let me very clear: I'm happy he can. And I wish Nicola could, too. Grinding ourselves to dust in the pursuit of the perfect capitalistic darling is only going to breed misery. The fandom is SO caught up in saying 'oh, look at how great it is that xyz has this role!' and 'booo he's unemployed and jobless etc. etc.' that we don't take the time to ask. . .why is it NECESSARY and in fact praise worthy to lick clean the boot of grind culture? Are we not all tired? Do we not all want downtime? Holiday? Vacation?

Luke Newton is doing what is healthy: he's pushing away from Social Media, didn't spend too much time promoting, disengaged from the fandom in online spaces but is still generous with his time in person, poured himself into his craft, did a hell of a promotion tour, and in the time between fitting and costumes and learning lines for Bridgerton Season 4? He's resting.

As. He. Should.

As *Nicola* should. Because she also pushed to continue engaging with a fanbase who she hopes will act as security for her as she ages out of the roles writers are pushing into the world. Nicola SHOULD BE ALLOWED HER REST!!! She should NOT be booked and busy!! She should NOT be grinding herself to dust for the sake of keeping herself in good light to become one of the few women who continue to be big names beyond her 40s.

She, however, can't. Not because of anything Luke Newton has done, he is not, as many people want to believe, a problem. He benefits from the system ALL his male coworkers do, and does his best to uplift the women around him, likely understanding the struggles of such having been raised surrounded by so many women, but he is not perpetuating the system or creating it. Instead of directing our criticism on Luke Newton, we SHOULD be directing it to the entertainment industry. So Luke Newton is on a break from a serial successful production he has a guaranteed role for: so what? He is afforded that privilege. Having downtime is not the death knell of his career as doomsayers are insisting.

The average age of an Academy Award Winner who is an actor is almost 50. The average age of an Academy Award Winner who is an actress is 37. (source)

Should we be mad? Yes.

Is this something to be mad at Luke Newton for specifically? NO. Many male actors take breaks and time in their career trajectory, because they know they have longevity. The discussion in this fandom is misplaced, and the root of that misplacement is twofold: sexism and capitalist worship. It isn't that Luke Newton lacks ambition and should be working harder- I argue he's doing what is best for him and most people in the long term. This is self care, and it's important.

No, the discussion is that Nicola is forced to work in a pressure pot because of the industry, and the fandom continues to praise her for it, all whilst turning noses up at those who don't or do not have to, and continuing to uphold the narrative that women must be a beacon of exceptionalism in order to curry respect. They continue to uphold her grind as a virtue- look how great it is that she's constantly posting, constantly engaging with the fandom, always auditioning, booked and busy- have you not asked if she would LIKE a vacation? she deserves one, same as Luke Newton.

What you're mad at is NOT Luke himself- but the patriarchy. What you're mad at is that women must be held to standards of near unreachable excellence. But instead of working together as women and having any actual discussion about it that's meaningful, it turns into a crock of shit that then shoves everyone in the backspray, especially other women.

The slutshaming misogyny that has been directed at Luke Newton's girlfriend- *yikes*.

Oh, A is a hanger on. She's 'poptart', she's portrayed with an ant emoji, she's 'toilet twerker', she's 'controlling him' or HE should control HER, she 'should be reigned in', she's jobless, she's an infant who needs her big strong boyfriend to take her social media away, she's not been 'claimed' (like luggage, like a THING), look at him, he doesn't feel ANYTHING toward her- not like Nicola.

Our good, darling Nicola versus that awful whore Antonia/Jade/Any Woman in Luke Newton's Circle.

This sexism is deep and pervasive- being angry he's dating her 'because she's thin'. Insisting she's a villain and everything she does is to 'rile up the fandom' or 'stir up trouble' or that she 'hates Nicola'.

You all do NOT know this woman. And I don't either!!! Maybe she IS a shit stirrer, maybe she is thriving in the drama.

But aren't most of y'all, too?

Polin fandom built so much off of putting down other women to uphold Penelope: Marina is a bitch who was TRICKING Colin and Penelope was just doing what she had to do!!! Of course she kept her secret from him, she was SCARED!!! Eloise is a privileged brat breaking the rules and putting herself in danger but Penelope is a rebel who is building her own success off of taking necessary risks!!!

Our good, Darling Penelope versus that evil whore Marina/Eloise/Cressida/Any Other Woman.

This fandom is predominately female. Most of us identify as women. And a lot of us are *mean* to other women. We uphold sexism in our fandoms, uncontested, as often as we please. But we frame it in criticism of a man and so that's okay- as if that in and of itself is somehow uplifting women, being tied to a feminist cause- but putting down other women in conspiracy theories and bullying them, as occurred to Jade, under the guise of 'oh I'm just criticizing Luke!' is disingenuous. It's an excuse. 'I'm mad at him for-' not being your fantasy.

And Nicola isn't, either.

The truth is, the people in this fandom don't have respect for EITHER of them, just in different ways. A pedestal is a pedestal is a pedestal, and no matter what, any human being will fall from it eventually. And this fandom has proven that when that happens, it will NOT be met with empathy.

Now think about who that will actually hurt in the long term.

A lot of people in this fandom have soul searching to do.

[lovelytsunoda]

the end of an era (and the start of a new one) (iv) // platonic! mercedes amg

summary: toto gives y/n the final verdict on her future with mercedes amg, and the results are better than she ever could have imagined.

pairing: platonic! mercedes amg petronas x female reader

warnings: this is actually the first installment of the series that doesn’t have any wow look at that-

author's note: here's a quick little chapter checking up on baby merc! this may seem like the end, but i promise it's not. im going to try my hardest to continue baby merc's story <3

the bowling alley was loud, and y/n had already broken a nail twice.

not that she minded, because for all she knew, this could be the last team outing that she was ever invited on. her field placement was coming to a close, and toto had never given her a final answer on where she was going next.

or if she was going anywhere at all. in a perfect world, she'd be staying with these people that she now called family. in the real world, life wasn't that simple.

but she could hope.

"george, you slimy cheating bastard!" she laughed, watching the briton score another strike. "come on, there's no way you're winning with that strong a lead."

"read it and weep, baby merc!" george laughed, taking a dramatic bow.

bowling had been lewis' idea. typically, taking the team bowling was something he did in japan. but with all the people leaving mercedes at the end of this season, he wanted to make sure they all got to be included in the team bonding ritual.

"every day you surprise me more and more." peter bonnington chuckled. "y/n, it's your go!"

"how am i supposed to match up to mr. posh spice over there?" she laughed, pointing at george before walking over to the ball machine. "i sacrificed a wonderful home manicure for this."

she bowled, taking half the pins out in one go, and all but two in the second. bowling had never been her strong suit, and normally she would have complained. but she found that her friendship with the team had grown and fostered so much that they could make even cleaning a bathroom a more enjoyable task.

she'd be really upset if she needed to let them go, that's for sure.

games finished (george had won, of course), the team sat around a big metal table (she felt like a character in a john hughes movie, but without the romantic interest. olli had texted her a few times since the holiday party, but she had continued to shoot him down), baskets of french fries, chicken tenders and a large salad for lewis in front of them.

it was bittersweet, with so many people leaving the team, and toto was the first to say so when he got up to give a speech.

"it's been a long season. the car was shit, but we made it work. we're also losing some valued members of this team. angela. nyck. james. you will forever be remembered, and know that you always have a home at mercedes if you want it."

the table started clapping as toto finished. y/n was going to miss nyck, but he'd still be around. just at a different team. she'd miss angela, but the physiotherapist would always be one phone call away if she needed her.

the three in question sat on one side of the table, teary eyed and grateful for the send-off.

"additionally, we have some new faces joining us for 2023 that i am very excited for you to meet." toto grinned. "i'd like to welcome our new reserve driver, mick schumacher."

next to y/n, mick blushed, trying to hide as the table cheererd for him, a tina turner song playing over the stereo as y/n laughed, pulling him in for a side hug.

"and, this comes as no surprise to any of us, on behalf of the mercedes amg petronas f1 team, i would like to formally offer our new intern, y/n y/l/n a permanent spot on the team for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. if you'll have us."

if the cheers for mick were loud, the cheers for y/n were louder. she was frozen, halfway to tears before she snapped out of it, lewis' hand on her shoulder as he congratulated her.

"we knew you could do it."

"thanks, lew." she beamed, giving the world champion a proper hug. "i love you guys. tahnks for letting me stay."

"don't thank us." nyck laughed. "thank toto. he's the one who made the final decision. but it was a no-brainer. you were going to stay anyways."

getting out of her chair, y/n crossed the table to throw her arms around toto wolff. the man was shocked at first, but eased into it, wrapping the younger girl in his arms.

"thank you, toto."

"welcome to the family, y/n." toto laughed. "we're lucky to have you."

and that's when she knew she found it. the family that she had always been looking for.

and she knew that she was going to be okay. for real, this time.

because true family are the friends that you make along the way.

[eschergirls]

Dec. 2024 Update & Patreon Thank You!

Hi everyone!  November is over, so it's time for our monthly Escher Girls site update and to thank all our wonderful Patreon subscribers & others who have supported us!

No major updates this month, I've been dealing with a health thing, so major site changes were paused a little, but as a reminder, I have improved the submission page for those who don't want to submit or Tumblr or don't want to link their Tumblr to their submission. As a reminder, if you don't click that it is okay for me to reply to your email address, you won't get a reply if there's something wrong with your submission or I otherwise don't post it for not fitting criteria reasons/not being able to find a source.

As usual, I've spent a lot of time this month fixing up old broken posts, cleaning them up to fix formatting errors, adding sources to them, and adding screenreader descriptions to all the images. I've also fixed up the Tumblr versions of those posts, and linked them to and from the EscherGirls.com posts.

Some of the highlights that of what I've fixed up this month that people might want to check out are:

The cover of Spider-Woman pregnant and also in a Tetris/centaur pose from Spider-Woman vol. 6 #1

This screenshot from a knock-off "Barbie" dress-up doll game with an equally horrifying pregnant "Barbie" (and a creepy Ken)

Yet Another Unfortunate Avengelyne Cover from Avengelyne vol. 4 #3

A white-washed Tiger Lily in a painful boobs and butt pose from Grimm Fairy Tales: Neverland - Hook #3

Two Tetris girls washing a car from Grimm Fairy Tales: The Dreameater Saga part 1

Yet More Psylocke from Marvel Age #104

Boobs and butt Alice from Alice in the Country of Diamond

And two pictures from Dragon's Crown of the Sorceress and the Amazon

All the posts should be cross-linked between the Tumblr and the main site if you want to check out what the comments on the other site were, etc...

And now I want to give a big thank you to Escher Girls' Patreon subscribers for November! I really appreciate the support, especially during these times that are rough for everybody. Your support helps me pay for web-hosting, keeping the domain name, and for site upgrades and updates, as well as just helping me keep the site going in general. It also allows me to keep Escher Girls up even if something happens to Tumblr or their policies change again, so I really appreciate it. <3

So without further delay, thank you SO much to:

Anne Adler Cat Mara Chris McKenzie Em Bardon First Time Trek Greg Sepelak Karrius Ken Trosaurus Kevin Carson Kim Wincen Leak  Manuel Dalton Mary Kuhner Max Schwarz Miriam Pody Morgan McEvoy randomisedmongoose Rebecca Breu Ringoko  Ryan Gerber Sam Mikes Sean Sea SpecialRandomCast  Thomas 

And a very very special thank you to JohnnyBob8 again for buying me another coffee on Ko-Fi!!!

And also a big thank you to everybody who reads and interacts with the blog in general! Your comments, feedback and interactions like with the caption contest are really a highlight of my day every day, especially this month when I've been having a rough time irl. You're the reason this site is still going :3

Thank you and I hope everybody has a great holiday season,

Ami

PS: As a reminder, we added a button that links to the Escher Girls Tumblr and to our RSS feed for those who want to follow that way. (For newbies, RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and is basically a feed you can read using an RSS reader. Simply copy and paste https://eschergirls.com/rss.xml into an RSS reader and it will keep you up to date on Escher Girls!)

Make sure it is eschergirls.com and not eschergirls.tumblr.com, as that is Tumblr, and not the self-hosted site.

If you have any issues with the site or suggestions to improve it, please do not hesitate to contact me and let me know!

If you wish to support Escher Girls, you can subscribe to our Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/ami_angelwings or donate through Ko-Fi at: https://ko-fi.com/amiangelwings.

[bekaterrier]

Happy Audio Drama Sunday! My new job starts tomorrow so it's been deep cleaning time around my place. I've been re-listening to some favourites so this one's a little long!

@storiesfromylelmore Episode 210 - Check Up: More Keryth backstory! We're finally learning more about the vague references she's made to a hospital stay. That must have been a scary time for her family! I'm glad she didn't have a bad experience there, and she was so cute over the walkie-talkie. Fruit Snack Day is absolutely wild. Poor Rion. And Elas has learned more about themself! They have an aptitude for magic! That's so cool! 🏥

@forgedbondspod Chapters 1-4: This is one that I've been waiting for, and the first episode came out just before the holidays. It's a retelling of the story of Aphrodite and Hephaestus, and I am loving it so far. I absolutely adore the friendships between Ares and Aphrodite, and Hephaestus and Dionysus. And I also wanted to punch Zeus in the face, even though I love Alasdair Stuart (that man is everywhere!) I'm very excited to see where the story goes and how Aphrodite and Hephaestus' relationship develops. 💍

@monkeymanproductions MTO Phases - Story 1 - Roger: We're getting more Moonbase Theta, Out content!! As a Patreon supporter, I've had the privilege of reading these short stories over the past year, getting a little look at what some of our favourite characters have been doing following the conclusion of the series. Also, some characters that we never got to know so well. When I found out that Cass (voice of Michell L'Anglois) would be putting together an audio version of the stories, I flipped out! I'd already heard that he did character voices to fill in for missing actors during rehearsals and recording sessions, so I'm even more stoked to get to hear some of those impressions. 🌘

The first of these recording, which was released this week, started us off strong! Of course it had to be Roger, and I love how it was essentially a continuation of his scene from the epilogue. I love the baby ACs too, and Cass's accent choice for Gammie was spot on (inspired by the lovely Reception Bot). Their conversation was so sweet, and the image of Gammie and Uncle Roger discussing poetry (and perhaps writing their own poems) is now forever in my mind. 📖

@monkeymanproductions Waiting For October S1 Episode 3.5 - Auncle Lantern: This episode is so beautiful. I love the way we got to hear both Auncle Lantern's clacking sign-language as well as xir inner monologue. Xir description of how the denizens of October have grown and made their place in their world and ours is so moving. We should all be taking Auncle Lantern's advice to keep growing, keep revising the story. 🎃

@electromancypodcast S1&2: I loved Electromancy S1 but wasn't in the right brain space to listen to S2 when it was released at the end of 2023. I'm very glad to have listened now though! The world and the plot keep building, but there's still so much more the learn. Trust was a big theme of S2, how hard it is to build and how easy it is to break. Now just what did the Dean see inside Jenna's mind? ⚡

@woodenovercoats re-listen: Continuing my cleaning/re-listening, I returned to Piffling Vale and enjoyed it all over again! I love all of these characters so much, and I love hearing their journies over the 4 seasons. Remember, other people are all there is. Also, you are the most important person in the world, and so am I. ⚰️

@ameliapodcast S3 Part 1: There's so much going on this season and I love it! I've been enjoying having Amelia as part of the team, and getting even more Alvina. But where did our Italians go? What about Kozlowski? Also, how old is the Interviewer? Is he immortal? Thing are getting pretty wild, between Russia and Panaragua! And now they're going to have to work at cross purposes!? ☕

[atlafan]

Wow that other prompt/blurb you did was so good and quick! What about a holiday blurb with softrry and friends to lovers theme during the holiday season mixed with a snow storm somehow haha

a/n: this was a cute prompt, thanks for sending it in!

Warning: fluff, smut-ish

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

This can't be happening. Why right now? This is unbelievable! Of course Y/N's power went out right when she was about to pop brisket in the oven. It takes eight hours to bake because it needs to cook slowly. She's fucked, absolutely fucked. She just had to volunteer to make the main dish for her family's holiday celebration. On top of that, she volunteered to make two kugels, latkes, and bark. She's fucked.

She hates asking people for help, but when she sees her neighbor's lights are still on, she slips her boots onto her feet and heads outside. She nearly slips and falls since there's a sheet of ice underneath the snow that's coming down. Some of it blows back in her face because of the wind. By the time she gets down her own stoop and walks up her neighbor's, she just knows she's going to look like an icicle. She rings the bell a couple of times, and smiles softly when Harry's face appears in the small window the door has.

"Y/N, hi." He knuckles at his eye and yawns.

"I'm so sorry to bother you so early on a Saturday, but my power went out and I was just about to put my brisket in the oven, and now I'm fucked. And I don't feel safe driving to my mom's in this weather. I was wondering if it would be a terrible imposition if I cooked here. I can pay for any of the extra electric or gas or whatever I use."

Harry blinks at her and closes the door in her face. Rude. Harry's never rude to her. He's a very soft and sweet guy. He's a great neighbor. She wouldn't call them close friends, but they're friendly enough that they've hung out and shared a bottle of wine here and there. Just as she's about to start crying, the door opens back up and Harry's got his jacket and boots on.

"Let's go get your stuff." He smiles softly.

"Oh, thank you so much!" She throws her arms around him and gives him a squeeze. He just barely gets his arms around her waist by the time she's pulling away.

He follows her out and into her house. It takes several trips to get all of her things over to Harry's and into his kitchen. She keeps apologizing for needing to take over his kitchen, and she apologizes for the various smells of meat and oil that's about to consume his entire house. He assures her it's fine and offers to help cook.

Harry has a huge crush on Y/N. Ever since she moved in next door six months ago, she's made his heart race. She makes his palms sweat and his knees buckle and his dick hard.

Y/N has a crush on Harry too, but she's much less nervous around him. She figured if he liked her back he would have made a move at this point, so she doesn't let the crush consume her the way it consumes Harry.

"I really appreciate this, Har." She says as she gets the over preheated. How come your power isn't out? You'd think the whole neighborhood would have been affected."

"I have a generator in the basement as a backup since I work from home. I need to be able to stay online to do my job."

"I should really invest in one of those. Do you know how long this snow storm is supposed to last? The street cleaners barely cleaned up the sidewalks from the last one."

"I think it's supposed to snow all day and into the night."

"Fuck. That means the plows will barely be out."

"When do you need to bring all this food to your family?"

"Not until tomorrow night. We're doing a combined Hanukkah and Christmas thing with all our in-laws and stuff. So, I'm not the only one making a fuck ton of food, but still."

"Well, I have snow tires on my car, so I can always give you a lift if you want."

"I couldn't ask you to do that."

"You're not asking." He takes a step towards her. "I'm offering. You can pay me in potato pancakes."

"That seems like a fair compensation to me." She smiles. "I strongly recommend closing your bedroom door."

"Why?"

"Because this brisket has to bake for eight hours, which means your entire house is going to smell like meat. Not to mention, once I get the oil going for the latkes...the place will smell like meat and fried potatoes. It can be kind of a lot."

"Right, I'll go close some doors. What else do you need to make?"

"Kugel, latkes, and bark. The brisket is already dressed and ready to go into the oven."

"Can I help make anything? I'm pretty good at peeling potatoes."

"You're already doing so much. I'm ruining your weekend."

"Y/N," he places his hands on her shoulders, "you aren't ruining my weekend, I promise. I like when we get to hang out. It's not like we haven't cooked together before. It'll be like when we made those homemade pizzas."

"Okay." She sighs with relief. "Then I'd love your help peeling potatoes."

Harry goes upstairs to close the bathroom and bedroom doors, then comes down and makes sure to close his office door as well. He comes back to the kitchen and smiles at Y/N fondly. She's got her apron on and she's mixing ingredient together into a mixing bowl. He washes his hands in the sink before putting his own apron on and grabbing his peeler.

"Wanna listen to some music?" He asks her.

"That would be great. Can we listen to holiday music?"

"Alexa, play my holiday mix on Spotify." Harry tells the Echo.

"Playing Harry's Holiday Mix on Spotify." The device responds.

"That's so cute, you have your own playlist." She teases him, bumping her hip to his.

"Laugh all you want, but some holiday songs are really fucking annoying. I prefer the old classics."

"I completely agree. I hate new songs by artists who are clearly just trying to make some extra money. I think Baby, It's Cold Outside is one of my favorites."

"It's one of my favorites too."

The two work in a comfortable silence, humming and whistling along to the songs that come in through the speaker. Having help is proving to take a lot of stress away from Y/N. Thanks to Harry, she's able to make the latkes in half the time it usually takes her. They clean all of the dishes up before Y/N takes out everything she wants to use for the bark.

"Okay, I've got dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. Those will be the bases. I have marshmallows, graham crackers, candy canes, almonds, and mint extract."

"I'd also like to be paid in bark. I have a horrible sweet tooth."

"Done and done."

Making bark is like a dirty job. It's messy and sticky, and your hands always get covered in chocolate. Y/N explained it's easier to swirl the fixings in with her fingers.

"Do you have enough room in your freezer for all of this? We need to lay it flat."

"Yup, plenty of room." Harry opens the freezer door and helps Y/N had the bark, that's spread out on wax paper, inside.

"Ugh, my hands are a mess." She looks down at them, then takes a finger into her mouth to suck on. "God, I love chocolate."

"Yeah." Harry blushes, wishing he could suck on Y/N's fingers.

"Thank you so much for all your help. You're like my hero today."

"Oh, I was happy to help. It was fun cooking with you. Um...now that we're done and the kugels are still in the over with the meat, would you want to hang out and watch holiday movies?"

"That sounds great. I'd love to."

"Cool." He smiles.

Y/N gets cozy on Harry's sectional and snuggles up under one of his blankets as he queues up a movie. They decide on Home Alone. Harry sits by Y/N, but not too close. He doesn't want to make her uncomfortable.

"Come closer so we can share the blanket." She suggests. "You know, if you want. I mean, I'm sure you have other blankets, but-"

Harry's already moving and spreading the blanket over his legs. He puts an arm around Y/N's shoulders pulls her in closer to his side.

"Shh, the movie's starting." He smirks down at her.

The two stay cozy and giggle as they watch the movie.

"You're good at cuddling." She tells him randomly. "You're like a furnace, it's nice."

"Glad you think so." He swallows thickly. "Can I confess something to you?"

"Sure." She looks up at him.

"I've wanted to do this with you for a while..."

"What, watch Home Alone?"

"No, be this close to you, like, cuddle."

"Oh." Her cheeks flush. "Really?"

"Yeah. I...I don't want to make things weird between us because I like being your friend, but...I sort of like you more than that."

"You do?" She sits up a little more.

"It's totally fine if you don't like me as more-"

"Harry, shut up for a second." She smiles big at him. "I like you as more than a friend too."

Y/N wraps her arms around Harry's neck and tackles him down on the couch before kissing him. He kisses her back, smiling as he does so, making it a little hard to kiss. They both giggle and Y/N pulls back just a hair.

"Was that okay? I probably should have asked to kiss you first." She says.

"It was more than okay." His hands slide down to her hips. "You helped take the edge off. You make me so nervous."

"Aww." She pouts. "You're so cute." She leans in to kiss him again, giving his bottom lip a small suck. "Would you like to come with me tomorrow night? Like, come inside and enjoy the festivities?"

"I'd love to."

Y/N slots her mouth back over Harry's, and licks inside. Their tongues mold together, and they moan against one another. Y/N rolls her hips down, grinding against Harry's crotch.

"I should've known you liked me. You were so devious for wearing grey sweatpants around me."

"I didn't do anything on purpose." His hands slide down to her ass, giving her cheeks a squeeze.

"Mhm." She rolls her eyes playfully. She kisses on his neck and rubs herself against Harry again, this time getting a better feel of his erection. They move their hips in circles against one another.

"Y/N?"

"Yeah?"

"This is really fun, but we shouldn't move too fast...physically."

"Did you think I was going to let you take my pants off?" She laughs. "Baby, our clothes are staying on today. But...I wouldn't be mad if you made me come in my pants."

"I wouldn't be mad if you made me come in mine either."

[hearts4youz]

The Captain's Daughter Chapter 17

A/N: I've actually had the motivation to write lately!? plus I haven't been so busy, so that's probably a factor... As always, thank you guys soooo sooo much for reading! :)

Word count: 1k

Taglist: @abbiesxox @n30n-j3lly @weird-katthing @kayoyamamegame @kroowonderemporium @astro-ghoul99

Reader pov:

In the weeks that followed, the weather was starting to look more like that of the holiday season. It was late December now, Christmas had recently passed and all of the soldiers were excited to ring in the new year. All except for Ghost, who earned himself the nickname "Grinch" during this time of year. You were becoming increasingly worried about him, he stayed in his quarters all day, only coming out for mealtimes and training. Originally, you had decided to leave him alone, thinking he would become more social again after the Christmas festivities had ended and everyone who had gone on leave had come back. But the decorations were coming down and people were returning well fed and rested, Simon was still nowhere to be seen.

"Give 'em time, he's like this every year," Soap tried to reassure you.

"But why? Do the holidays upset him," You ask.

"Somthin' like that, I guess," Soap shrugged.

"I wouldn't try talkin to him though, he gets awful nasty this time of year," he continues.

You thank Soap for the information but ignore his advice to avoid the Lieutenant. You planned to get him out of his slump. You made your way over to the barracks and found the room assigned to Simon. Your heart thumped in your chest as you gave the door a hearty knock. Footsteps thudded across the tile floor as the occupant of the room got closer to the door. You drew in a breath when the door creaked open.

Simon stood in the door frame, a tired and faraway look in his eyes as he looked down at you.

"Sergeant?" He addressed you by your title.

You took in his appearance, his shoulders drooped. His eyebrows were furrowed, which was one of his only exposed facial features. He looked like he was struggling, hurting even, despite his ever rigid appearance.

"Sir..." you kept the formalities, not wanting to upset him or make him uncomfortable while in this state. "I noticed you haven't been around much lately... I just wanted to check up on you, this time of year is hard for a lot of us."

Ghost pov:

If that was anyone else I would have slammed the door in their face.

But it was Y/N.

I stayed in the doorway, not knowing what to say to her.

She looked up at me with her lovely eyes, "May I come in?"

"Uh... yeah, sure"

Why am I letting her in

I become very aware of the state of my living space as I step aside to let her in. It's messy to say the least. I pick up some of the clothes that are strewn about on the floor and toss them into a corner.

"Sorry, haven't got around to cleaning up in here in a minute."

She looks around as the disorder of the room. "Ghost, you mean to tell me you've been locked up in here for over a week and haven't had time to clean. You hardly leave this place," she says questioningly.

"I've got a lot on my plate right now," I mumble.

Her eyes soften as she looks at me. "Simon, why don't you just tell me what's on your mind."

"It's nothing, Y/N... nothing for you to worry about." I try my best to remain dismissive and closed off from her, but the way she looks at me with that soft gaze just makes me want to pour my heart out to her.

"Simon..." her use of my real name makes me tense up. "You're my Lieutenant, Your always there to help me... in your own, strict and commanding way. You took me in as a transfer and made me stronger, a better soldier. It's my turn to return the favor, something tells me that you don't have someone you can go to for times like this, let me be that person for you."

My heart melts at her kind words.

She really wants to help me.

"I'm just... not big on the holidays you know," I hope that this explanation will suffice, but Y/N just stands there, waiting for me to say something else. I begin to feel awkward, so I fill the silence again. "Everyone's just so... happy... and disorderly... this place doesn't feel like a military base during this time of year."

"I see that, what makes you think of this as a bad thing?"

She's starting to sound like a therapist, and its getting on my nerves. I continue to answer her questions, just to make her happy so she'll stay longer.

"I just... I don't understand it. Why is everyone so happy just because of a holiday?"

She purses her lips, thinking of an answer.

"Well, I guess the festivities here remind them of home... what do you like about being home for the holidays?"

"I don't," I snort.

"Oh, Simon... I'm so sorry"

I do something that I haven't done in awhile, something charged by watching everyone's stupid traditions and being wished "Merry Christmas" by far too many people.

"If your so sorry, then why don't you leave!" I yell at her, not caring who could hear me through the thick walls. Whoever had the room next to mine was probably out partying or on duty anyway.

Her eyes fill with hurt, but I feel no regret. She inches towards the door, her sad eyes still on me.

"And who told you that you could call me Simon!? its LIEUTENANT, or GHOST." I can feel my face getting hot with rage, I must look so menacing to Y/N right now, but i'm too pissed to care.

She makes her way towards the door, her fingers grazing the handle. She looks back at me once more, her teary eyes getting red. I say nothing as she steps into the hall leaving me alone again. The room is filled with silence. I stare at the doorway where Y/N once stood. I bit my lip, part of me wished she was still here, that I allowed her to help me.

I hate the holidays, because the joy of being surrounded by a happy family is something that I'll never have.

[cryingpariah]

Monty yawning and rubbing his sunglasses-obscured eyes as he goes down the stairs to the living room in the morning only for it to dawn on him that something is very, very wrong. And he doesn't even need his scanners to determine what it is.

The Christmas tree

Is

GONE.

They've been robbed! And not just their family either, nobody in town has their tree up! Monty even saw some of them in the trash! How could somebody throw out a Christmas tree like some sort of dead plant???

He asks the other Seraphim and their trees are all gone too. Apparently Christmas trees aren't an all-year thing. Which makes Monty remember that his parents said something last night about taking the tree down but he was too distracted by Sora Warrior of the Sea to really process what they were saying. And really why would you plant a tree in your house if you weren't going to commit to it for the long haul.

Gabe and Gryphon were the only ones whose tree was still standing. Or at least it was until they accidentally set the whole thing on fire with their back flames while running around the main tent that morning (the ornaments were fine, Mihawk chopped all the branches containing them and caught them before they hit the ground bc of course he did, it's Mihawk).

I can just hear the wails of confusion. What do you mean the Christmas trees are only for Christmas?? Why wouldn’t you want something so beautiful and bright in your house all the time?! What happened to proper home decor?? Having your own personal style?? Does Feng Shui mean nothing to you people?!?!

All the Seraphims get explanations but only Jimmy really seems to accept it! Bonney? Not so much. Monty is marching around the house demanding the reinstatement of the tree! Thea is fully going on strike and is taking Hestia and all her pretty gems with her! Ashken is hard at working trying to make his own Christmas tree out of just about anything Perona hasn’t taken out of reach! And Jinta!….he actually just misses the shining and sparkly lights. Nemo was pretty torn up about the whole thing which Crocodile quickly notice and snuck him off some ornaments which has worked pretty well so far.

The tree at Karai Bari stands as their last bastion of holiday hope, Gabe and Gryphon are gonna protect at all costs! They consider the tree their treasure and no pirate worth his salt, sugar or any spice would let someone take their treasure! They constantly circle the tree, pout-glaring at any and all suspicious activity until that little accident occurs. They’re very distressed about it and tearfully wonder if Santa is gonna hate them for hurting the tree but Mihawk quickly reassures them that they’re children. Their job is to make messes and mischief wherever they roam and Old Saint Nick of all people would understand that.

They cheer up after that and head off to go clean off, leaving Mihawk with the sudden realization that with the holiday season now truly over and done with, the boys will quickly be consumed by how dull January can be.

“Oh dear…”