#This is why I write one shots

[elegant-fleuret]

Me: *10,000 words deep into the first chapter of my smut fic, still haven't gotten to the smut and feeling insecure*

Babbo: no one is going to read your fic for the plot, they just want to fuck the raccoon

[baeshijima]

thoughts on being engaged to duke!sunday, the head of the oak family, an incredibly influential figurehead within society, the close subordinate of emperor gopher wood who brought him and his sister in and raised him like his own, and the villain who faces a tragic ending in a novel you recently finished — the very same one you just so happen to find yourself transmigrated into. he is as cunning as he is blinded, a trait which brought ruin to many in the empire, and one which ultimately brought ruin to himself at the hands of the protagonists.

as luck would have it, you became a barely mentioned side character from a marquis family, whose role was to be the villain's wife stuck in a one-sided love who, too, would get caught up in the tragedy alongside him. however, now that it's you who is stuck in this position, you're determined to try any means necessary to deter him from going down that path, all in an effort to escape your predestined doomed fate!

of course, you didn't expect it to be easy. the day of your arrival in this world was already the night before your wedding, so you had little time to prepare yourself for the nonchalance of your supposed family, how they viewed you as but a means — a tool — to boost their influence and prosperity, the dismissive mannerisms of the household servants, and the absolute beauty of a man you will be married to.

(seriously. the novel descriptions did not do him justice. he was like... like... like he was handcrafted by god himself! and not to mention his sister, robin, was the very epitome of an angel! perhaps you're destined to perish by the god-tier visuals instead...)

to say the least, the wedding ceremony went by quickly. safe to say you didn't spend the night; he was cordial and gentlemanly upon letting you know that he won't do anything until you're ready, that you can take this relationship slow, but somehow you ended up feeling a tad insulted. like, who leaves their newly wedded alone in a big cold bed as they walk out on their own? a sick bastard that's who!

well, whatever. it's not like you need nor want to consummate with him! besides, you have bigger things to worry about — things such as your impending death. and, of course, the only way to stop sunday that you can imagine working is by chipping away at his resolve bit by bit, and opening his eyes to reality.

he is a tragic character, one who cares more about the well-being of penacony and its people than anyone else, but was manipulated into getting his hands dirty in the emperor's stead. you knew this. you sobbed over his story, cursed out the protagonists, and even fought internet randos on novel forums about sunday's motivation and how,

no, he is not just a stupid villain. he is a complex character with flaws and humanity and was cruelly taken advantage of by someone he considered family. he was deceived through the suffering the emperor wanted him to see to make him easily manipulated, creating a rift between him and robin to have that prominent separation. you know what? maybe you're just a !%#@ who can't even #@?"% read properly!

and yet you still find yourself at a loss when faced with the walls he has in place. your initial efforts went as well as it possibly could have; you trying to earnestly help him, while he "kindly" dismisses your offers! well, "kindly" being more condescending since you could read between the lines of his mannerisms and amiable demeanour, but that's fine! you expected this! that just means you have to double down on your sincerity, get through to his heart (somehow), and help him realise humanity isn't as weak as he's led to believe!

you have three years until the novel's plot officially starts, and another year after that until your demise. that's plenty of time to get him to warm up to you!

it was easier said than done, but after your valiant effort and abundance of time put into this relationship, which admittedly you could do with some of that lost time back, you could give yourself a pat on the back with the progress you made! while you definitely could have done without a lot of the headaches, it's safe to say sunday has significantly warmed up to you in comparison to your wedding day. he now willingly eats all his meals with you with some real conversation, takes garden strolls with you in the early evenings, invites you out for dinner at a restaurant at least four times a week, hell he's even joked and laughed with you more frequently! but most importantly, he has begun asking for your opinion before finalising any decisions he is required to make. and he actually listens and considers your side! now, that certainly is the best outcome you could hope for after all this time, and it most definitely will help in your endeavour to save you both from the protagonists!

however, you've noticed he's been more... affectionate? well, at the very least he now willingly holds your hand when in private (not just in moments when you're in the public eye and he has to make sure the family's reputation is spotless), sometimes he will hug you out of the blue ("i just need to... recharge. you have a way of calming me down. i hope you don't mind." ...how could you say no to his supreme god-tier face card? that's just a losing battle you won't even bother fighting against.), oftentimes he opts to just gaze wordlessly at you (robin had mentioned over one of your tea times how it almost appears as though there is no one but you in the world when sunday gazes at you with, in her words, "the eyes of a man so deeply in love!" ...whatever that's supposed to mean...), but a more recent development has been his sudden interest in kissing you; well, more specifically giving you a kiss to the back of your hand or on your forehead — certainly not anywhere near the lips! (besides, he's probably just gotten comfortable with you, enough where he can freely act without judgement. nothing more, nothing less.)

well, either way, development is development! soon enough, the time for the main plot to start has arrived. it of course follows what you remember, from the organised balls to the protagonists meeting to the political aspects of it all. the only difference is sunday's less active involvement in all the schemes and the emperor's ploy. rather, he seems more focused on you and the future of your marriage and even displayed a sudden interest in your practically non-existent relationship with one of the foreign diplomats, aventurine— wait...

"[name]," he calls your name out so sweetly you nearly disregarded it as someone else he was talking to. well, perhaps you would have done had he not suddenly appeared before you, a tight-lipped smile tugging the corners of his lips as he steadily approaches you.

oh. he doesn't seem very happy, if his tense figure is anything to go by. you wonder if one of the nobles grated his nerves a little too much this time?

sunday comes to a halt a step away from you. "i don't like that... gambler being so close to you. it... it brings me a rather unpleasant feeling." there's a slight, trembling pause. not a moment later does he close the gap between you, one knee on the ground as he matches your seated height on the fountain rim, your hands gently enclosed in both of his.

you idly wonder if this is what robin meant by the so-called "eyes of a man so deeply in love" she constantly gushed about, for the way in which he gazes up at you is enough to render you breathless.

"tell me, [name]," he begins once more. there is an underlying desperation woven within his tone, one which has your head spinning and heart thumping wildly as his trembling gaze holds you in place. "tell me, what am i to do with this fervent love and overwhelming adoration i hold for you?"

oh.

...oh.

perhaps your impending doom should be the least of your concerns when you now find yourself in the arms of a clingy husband...

(though, it's safe to say you did, in fact, manage to prevent him from succumbing to his tragic fate! you just gained a loving, yet slight slightly emotionally challenged husband along the way.

well, you can help him work through it; you have the rest of your lives now to figure it out, after all.)

[lomltrentarnold]

he is your best friend… — jude bellingham₊˚ෆ

🍓 hana’s notes: hi babies 🫂 this is very sudden but i just felt like writing, i am so rusty but i have more time bc my exams are over so i will try to write more for us hihi

🌟main masterlist!

jude is just your best friend so he always texts you. after he leaves his practice, when his mom cooks amazing dinner, even when he works out. he also texts you every single time he sees the moon. telling you he’s reminded of you.

jude is just your best friend so of course your families know each other. his mother loves you and the family teases that you and jude would be the perfect couple.

jude is just your best friend so he knows all of your favourites. he knows you like chocolate, the colour purple, your coffee order and apple flavoured candy. he also has all of this written in his notepad on his phone.

jude is just your best friend so he admires you with his whole being. you're a good person, you have his back no matter what and call him out when he's being an asshole. you keep him in check.

jude is just your best friend but he always stays over. even though he has a mansion for a house, he always finds a way to sleepover at yours. he cuddles you until he sleeps and leave a forehead kiss when you're dozing off.

jude is just your best friend but he always feels butterflies around you. he thinks its normal because you have always been pretty. it's normal for him to think that you are the most breathtaking person he has ever laid his eyes on...right?

jude is just your best friend but always insisted on you wearing his jersey at his games. he is loud and proud when you're cheering for him,

jude is just your best friend but he always flexes his muscles just to get your attention. it started off as a joke but when he noticed how long you would stare at his biceps, he couldn't help himself.

jude is just your best friend but he likes to rest his hands around your hips and snuggle his nose in the crook of your and he says that its just because you always smell good.

jude is just your best friend but he stares at you a lot. from your eyes to your lips. he swears it's on accident. but sometimes when you ramble, he just wants to pull you in by your neck and kiss you dizzy.

jude is just your best friend but he doesn't like it when guys flirt with you. he said that its just because he's protective and doesn't want anything bad happening to you. but he can't help the gnawing feeling wrapping around his heart when you flirt with them back.

jude is just your best friend but you still feel jealous when girls fall to his feet. he is jude bellingham, the football star, golden boy, everyone either wants to be him or be with him.

jude is just your best friend but he wishes to wake up by your side and make you breakfast every morning.

jude is just your best friend but everyone says that you guys are a perfect couple.

jude is just your best friend but thinks you and him work perfectly together.

jude is just your best friend but he can imagine spending the rest of his life by your side.

jude is just your best friend but you want him to be yours and yours only.

jude is just your best friend and he wishes he can be more.

reblog for a kiss!

[stealingyourbones]

Out of all of the people The Ghost King Phantom expected to relate to, it definitely wasn’t the scrawny red headed photographer of the Daily Planet. Jimmy Olsen has gotten so many temporary superpowers over his time being Superman’s friend. Hell, he once gained a 4th dimensional being’s reality warping abilities when he was given said dimensional being’s powers during a fight. Sure there’s a dozen or so heroes with the same amount of powers he has, but none as suddenly granted to them as a all powerful god that can relate to a teenager.

[corrodedcoughin]

eddie going in to scoops ahoy dressed as a pirate and saying he’s here to ‘plunder scoops’ treasure chest of ice cream yarhar’ only he gets to the counter and it’s Steve serving, not Robin. He was expecting Robin. What comes out of his mouth is ‘I’m here for your pleasure chest’. Cue eddie turning on his heel, walking out of scoops and sitting himself down in the fountain of the food court, hugging his knees while the corroded coffin boys throw pennies at him.

[geraskierfanficprompts]

When Jaskier's angry or upset, it's always "Don't touch me!" "Get away!" "Hands off!" And then the bard will be gone for hours or days until he calms down.

Now, Geralt understands this kind of reaction. He himself doesn't want to talk to/be around others when he's angry. Much less let anyone touch him. The thing is...Jaskier acting that way never fails to make Geralt feel like shit. Jaskier is usually so affectionate that the sudden cut off is jarring. The first few times it happened, Geralt had been sure that Jaskier was fed up with him and leaving for good.

However, Jaskier always returns. They make amends, and the bard resumes his touchy, affectionate ways.

One day though, they have their worst argument yet. And although he had always come back before, Geralt is certain that this is the time Jaskier will leave forever. If Jaskier walks out that door, Geralt is sure he will never see him again.

So, unthinkingly, Geralt catches the bard's wrist.

Jaskier's eyes widen, panic replaces anger. "Geralt! Let me go! Let me go right now!"

Geralt loosens his grip reflexively in response to Jaskier's panic. Did the bard think the witcher would force him to stay?

He opens his mouth to try to explain.

Only, the world is...spinning? And Geralt's tongue is heavy. And everything is warm. Oh, he feels like he’s going to hurl.

Then, he passes out.

An unknown amount of time later, Geralt wakes. He feels kind of hungover but is otherwise fine. To his relief, Jaskier is sitting at his bedside.

When the bard notices Geralt is awake, he inquires after his health. At Geralt's reassurance that he is fine, Jaskier launched into a tirade about the number of times he had told Geralt "NOT TO TOUCH ME WHEN I’M MAD! AND THAT INCLUDES RIGHT NOW, YOU SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH, YOU BASTARD!!!"

Geralt is a bit confused about how Jaskier being mad and his fainting spell are connected.

Two things are revealed:

1) Jaskier is part fae.

2) Some fae become toxic to touch when they are angry or upset. It is a magical trait, so it fades when the anger does. However, it can still be deadly.

This puts some things into perspective. Like how Jaskier, who seems to feel entitled to his emotions/reactions no matter how inappropriate they may be, is very skilled at cooling his temper. Or how, when he does become angry, he chooses verbal slander over physical violence. Or how when there IS a physical fight Jaskier wraps his hands in cloth and tries to use blunt instruments.

Bonus: Geralt tells all of the witchers not to touch Jaskier when he's mad, and Lambert takes that as a challenge.

I LOVE THIS!!!!!! OH MY GOODDDDDD!!! You take the things we spoke about and add onto it like putting glitter on a macaroni art craft, it's beautiful, It's so beautiful, oh my god! Poor Geralt thought his bard was leaving and poor Jaskier has to watch his stupid idiot Witcher touch him, gAH I love it! I want to read a 5k oneshot about it

[whinesandwhimpers]

gaz spanking you while scolding you for being a brat, making you promise to be a good girl, all with that smooth fucking voice UGHHH

[pastelaspirations]

I’ll never forget you babes 😭💔😔🥺

I finally come back to tumblr and t h i s is what I see. That's it, I'm done, I'm uninstalling tumblr. Bye everyone, it's Honey's fault-

[hanzajesthanza]

(Adam Dudaczyk) The fact that vampires drink blood to get that *meaningful hand-neck gesture* - you made that up? (Andrzej Sapkowski) Yes, I didn't model myself on anyone here, I don't know anyone who wrote before me about the fact that vampires drink blood not to satisfy their hunger, but to satisfy their thirst for… entertainment. Texts: the guys sent me to get blood, I was flying drunk… The fun was great.

as i reread this i couldn't stop thinking of this meme

[dandelion-roots]

[ID: a digital drawing of Riz Gukgak from D20 fantasy high from the waist up. He looks like he's holding onto sanity by a thread and is covered in blood as he attempts to sew a finger back onto Biz's hand and says, ha ha, oopsie! End ID]

Damn man being 14 sure is tough... It's all just pimples this, brutally shooting off a classmate's fingers before figuring out he wasn't the mastermind and then immediately regretting it that...

[whumpty-dumpty-doo]

Late night mush-brained I-really-need-to-edit-this-draft-because-this-is-probably-all-way-too-much-irrelevant-information late night thoughts

[gooperts-gunk]

im so crazy over the tragedy of everything q!bbh does being under a demon pretense even though he's a fallen angel.

do u think he just accepts the demon label because it's easier. do u think he believes it too, and catches himself in his thoughts with "oh, right. im not exactly that". and maybe he believes that he did this to himself? do u think what he did was to protect himself or someone? no matter the fall, he still has so much kindness to give and his brain just isn't wired the way a natural-born demon would be, he can't hold back instincts when time demands it, maybe that's why he fell in the first place.

and when he's finally bad, not good, it's treated like the end of the world, without empathy on why he would act out. do you think this keeps happening? the same scenario, multiple times, every timeline? he has to be used to it. so he has to take it in stride. he's good until he lashes out under extreme pressure, and suddenly he's called demon. and once again he's what heaven made him out to be. what he made himself to be, his brain would ruthlessly provide...

i don't think he wants to be that, though he hides secrets behind secrets of which neither identity is a home... but i don't think he wants to have to change, either. and i don't think that's wrong of him.

...you collapse atlantis ONE TIME and all of a sudden YOU'RE the bad guy and SURE it was FUN but REALLY now,--

[seradyn]

*spoilers for Sylus myth*

…..Do you guys think that…the reason Sylus’s horns and tail look so misshapen and disfigured (his horns being so bumpy and uneven and his tail having different segments/textures)….is because he mutilated himself by trying to cut them off 😩😩😩😩

I’ll go cry now

[charmingradiobelle]

A Promise in the Dead of Night

“I’m scared…”

Her voice is but a whisper, that Alastor barely registers her words at first. When he does, he feels himself tightening his arms around her, his mind already preparing to shield her from danger that he’s not made aware of.

Something’s been off about Charlie’s behavior and he hasn’t been able to determine the reason. From the moment she stepped in his room, he’s known she hasn’t been in her usual perky mood. It’s not unlike her to pay him a visit in the dead of night. Hell, it’s practically become routine for them. If he doesn’t end up falling asleep with her in her own bed, he can expect to find her hours later in his room, quietly requesting that she stay. And he never refuses. How could he possibly turn down such a request from the radiant, smiling princess of Hell?

But tonight, that gorgeous smile of hers that normally greets him when she enters a room was absent from her face. Her piercing eyes that could read all the secrets of his soul were puffy from tears she must have dried before coming to see him. She hasn’t uttered a word until now. She simply opened the door and walked over to join him on the sofa he sits on and crawled her way into his arms. He hasn’t questioned her, but he finds it odd that she had been so quiet. Not even a laugh, or even a breath. Has she been holding her breath the whole time?

Alastor brings his hand up to the back of her head that lays against his chest, raking his long claws through the soft strands of her golden hair. “Of what, dear?” He asks, his voice only slightly louder than hers.

She doesn’t answer. Not with words, at least. Instead she just further nuzzles her head against him, burying her face into the fabric of his coat like she’s trying to hide from something. Alastor swears he hears a faint whimper escape her—a sound that not only catches him off-guard, but fills him with rage. Several thoughts run through his mind like a herd of deer. What could have happened to her that would send her into such a fragile state? Who hurt her…?

Before jumping to conclusions, he decides to continue with his gentle approach. He shifts slightly, taking her chin between his fingers to lift her head away from his chest, her gaze instinctively meeting his. He’s met with the most heartbreaking look of vulnerability she’s ever displayed. He doesn’t like it one bit.

“What’s troubling you, my darling?” He questions her again, his thumb tenderly caressing the soft, milky skin of her face.

Charlie sniffles and briefly shifts her gaze downward as she struggles to answer in a way that makes sense. “I.. I don’t know.” She sighs shakily. She knows it’s a pathetic response, but she doesn’t know how to explain the hell-storm wreaking havoc in her mind.

Alastor stays quiet, only giving her a look that urges her to go on. And when she looks at him again, she does, however reluctantly.

“Oh Al.. I don’t know why, but I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach and no matter what I do, it won’t leave me alone.” Charlie lets out a small hiccup of a breath, leaning her head forward slightly, longing to lay on his chest again. “I keep having these horrible dreams. They play out differently, but they all end the same way…something bad happens, or someone attacks us, and one way or another, you get taken away from me. I don’t know what happens to you after. I always wake up before I can find out, but I’m afraid that it means you were…”

She pauses, not wanting to actually finish the thought aloud. She knows she doesn’t need to, anyway. Alastor can easily fill in the blank.

His signature smile, sealed by his lips at the moment, tightens at the corners. Charlie doesn’t see it, but his blinking eyes go wide for just a moment. It may be just a coincidence, it had to be. But what are the odds that they were both struggling with bad dreams about losing the other to some unknown force of darkness? Alastor hasn’t let it affect him like Charlie clearly has, because to him it shouldn’t have meant anything.

But to know that his princess was facing the exact same troubling phenomenon…that was a cause for alarm.

He doesn’t tell her of this. No, he refuses to worry her any more than she already has been. It’s his job to ease her worries, not increase them. It’s a burden he’ll bear for them both. What’s one more, anyway?

He pulls her in close to him as she snuggles into his arms. “Oh Charlie, you must not fret over something like night terrors.” He assures in a calming tone, trailing his hand up and down the length of her back. “They’re just dreams, after all. They cannot hurt us.”

“That’s the thing. What if they’re not just dreams?” Charlie argues, her body growing slightly tense at this thought she only just now realizes she has. “What if..it’s a warning?”

Alastor doesn’t even want to entertain the idea. He doesn’t want to imagine that that’s the reason behind their shared unconscious terrors. No, he won’t give into the fear. It will only consume them, and then they will be doomed to face it.

“You shouldn’t think like that, dear.” He says, leaning his head down, resting his chin atop of her head. “It will do you no good. You mustn’t let your fear control you.”

Charlie closes her eyes, her voice reverting back to its pitiful hushed tone. “I can’t stop it.”

There’s a brief moment of stillness between them. Neither dares to move from the warmth of the other’s touch. The air grows quiet, with only the cackling flames of the fireplace providing any source of sound. That is, until Alastor slowly lifts his head and pulls her back to face her again. The look in his eyes takes her aback. His grin is as wide as always, but there’s a subtle glimmer of sadness in his gaze that she’s never quite seen before. She’s not sure if she should feel touched that he’s grown so comfortable to express such vulnerability in front of her, or horrified of the meaning behind it…

“Then tell me what I can do to make it go away.” He raises his finger up to brush her bangs away from her forehead, before resting his hand against the side of her face, cupping her face in his palm. “Whatever it is, it will be done. Just name it.”

Charlie frowns softly, staring at him quietly for the longest minute. She’s not sure there’s anything he can do to make this all disappear. Alastor may be a powerful overlord, wielding immense power that has left even her impressed. But sadly, he can’t just snap his fingers and rid her of her fears like he wishes. Miracles like that weren’t possible down here in Hell.

There’s one thing he can do, though. As simple as it may be, it’s what she needs him to do.

Charlie leans her face into his palm, bringing her own hand up to hold his wrist as she looks deep into his eyes. “Just..promise me that no matter what happens, if anything happens, that nothing will tear us apart from each other.” She says, her voice trembling more and more with each word. “Whether these are just stupid dreams or not, I cannot lose you, Alastor. So please.. promise me now.”

Alastor gives her an incredulous look, raising his brow a little, just before he leans in, inching his face closer to hers.

“Charlie..my princess,” He speaks firmly, his voice lacking any static or filter that it normally carries, “I swear on my damned life, I will never let anything take you away from me. Not Heaven. Not Hell. Nothing is ever going to keep us apart. Do you understand?”

She nods slowly, and as she blinks the tears she’s been fighting back threaten to burst like a broken dam. Alastor kisses her, the tender touch of his lips bringing her a warm sense of comfort. He then pulls her back into his reassuring embrace, and at last the woman crumbles down. She cries into his shoulder, clinging onto him like she may lose him for good if she even thinks of letting go. He doesn’t say anything, knowing he’s said all he can to bring her solace and all he can do now is simply be here with her.

But they both know his words held nothing but truth to them. Charlie’s been the one good thing to ever happen to him in a long, long time. And he would sooner die again than ever let something rip that away from his grasp. He will hold onto her and use everything in his power to fight for her, and he will do it all with a smile on his face.

It’s alright, my love. Is his immediate thought when he hears that dreadful sound of her sobbing. He hugs her as close as he possibly can, letting his eyes fall shut as his face presses onto the mess of hair on her head. The shadow that resembles his shape looms over the pair, hovering its claws protectively over the woman in Alastor’s arms.

Anyone who tries to take you from me will be faced with a fate worse than death…

[arliedraws]

My favorite thing about reading fic is that all the writer must do is say, “Yeah, this character lived instead of dying” and explain nothing else, but successfully suspends my disbelief because of how intensely I just want to read This Scenario. It does not matter how implausible this scenario is.

So if I, as a reader, don’t care how this alternate universe came to be, why is it that I, as a fic writer, need to set up The Most Logical Sequence of Events to Have Led to this Implausible and/or Unlikely Scenario?

[secretficblogs]

"Nicki Minaj once said" Dominique Luca x Trans! Fem! Reader

Summary: Youre nervous to meet Lucas found family, and somehow even more nervous to see how they react to you.

What to expect: 4K+ words, angst/comfort, angst to fluff, transphobic comments, talk of unsupportive families, team is supportive and has your back, light drinking

A/N: I am a trans man so I pray I wrote the trans fem reader well! Feedback and interactions are gratefully appreciated! Also, help i love reader so much

You shuffled around your apartment in your long lilac dress. The silk material prevented you from running, and you cursed yourself for wearing such a long dress. You grabbed your lip gloss and loaded your things into the deep purple clutch you picked to accompany you for the night. You made your way back over to your closet and heard the front door unlock behind you. My date must be here, You thought as you kept walking. You grabbed a pair of black heels and made your way back into the living room to put them on. 

Your man stood in the middle of the entryway, dressed in a deep gray suit with a lilac tie, a perfect match to your dress. He had insisted on coordinating outfits, and it didn't take you long to cave. You paused to take in the sight of Luca, grinning wildly at you. 

“You look amazing.” You watched his eyes make their way down your body, memorizing the way your elegant silk dress hugged you in all the right places. You blushed and got closer to him, straightening his tie. 

“I look better next to you.” You stood on your toes to give him a quick kiss. He grabbed your waist, wanting to deepen your exchange. However, you pulled back and leaned against the back of your couch.

“Tsk, tsk. We're already running late.” You struggled to balance while trying to put your heels on. Luckily your prince charming was there to help. He kneeled in front of you helping you with the buckle on the side of the ankle. He stood up and pulled you up from your spot on the back of the couch. 

“Then let's get going, gorgeous.” He led you out of your relatively empty apartment and took the liberty of locking the door behind him. He helped you into his truck, and just like that you were off into the evening LA traffic.

Before long you found yourself leaving the truck with Luca. You walked up the stairs to the rooftop bar, your arm linked with your boyfriend. The LA sunset always made you feel so free. You loved the icy wasteland you were raised in, but you were getting used to this. 

You were anxious. You and Luca had begun dating two months ago, and you loved every second you spent with him. However, the idea of meeting his team kept you up at night. You knew you weren't the picture-perfect girlfriend anyone had in mind for Luca, especially not his cop coworkers. 

Luca urged you to relax. Times were changing, and he knew his team would love you. It had taken you a couple of dates to tell Luca about your transition. He was shocked. 

“I wouldn't have known if you hadn't told me,” Luca said. Years of therapy had taught you that you saw yourself more masculine than anyone else did, but the idea of everyone knowing still haunted you. You fought hard to make it here, even leaving your awfully conservative town to find a new family in LA. You hated the idea of being perceived as anything other than a woman, and Luca hated the fact that you were worried his team would be anything other than respectful.

He knew you well. He sat with you as you cried. He defended you at the supermarket. He helped with picking up your hormones. He knew what he signed up for by continuing to date you, but he didn't care. He wanted all of you, even the parts you didn't care for. After a lengthy discussion, you asked Luca to let his team know you were trans. You wanted them to know ahead of time, as opposed to finding out on the spot.

 Luca was able to casually sprinkle the fact in while he was going on one of many tangents about you. The team understood why you'd want that mentioned beforehand, and took it as a sign you trusted them. The two of you reached the top of the stairs, and you saw a large crowd of people dressed to the nines.

“I love how they go all out for these charity events,” Luca broke the silence between the two of you, squeezing your hand. You looked over at his irresistible smile. You could never worry with a man like him beside you.  “You ready to meet my family?” He couldn't help but do one final check-in.

“Yeah. I think I am.” You said quietly, tucking a stray lock of hair behind your ear. He just grinned again and led you over to a corner of the bar, where a group of people awaited you. He stepped away from you to grab onto two men's shoulders. They turned around, laughing, and pulled Luca into a hug. 

You stood anxiously, not knowing what to do with yourself. The man you identified as Hondo, was the first to make eye contact with you. “You must be the infamous (Y/N)!” He walked closer to you and pulled you into a hug. Luca silently thanked him for being so forward. He knew you were far too nervous to interject. 

You hugged him back, eventually giving his whole squad hugs. Luca told you so much about each of them, which helped. You were able to build a mental profile on each of his team members. You guys settled into a nice talk, allowing you to properly introduce yourself, and talk more about Luca. 

“Luca would not stop talking about you. It's nice to finally put a pretty face to an equally pretty name.” Street elbowed Luca, making the group laugh again. After a little while longer of talking, Luca excused himself to grab you and him drinks, leaving you to mingle more with his coworkers. You got really close with Chris, and Street. Chris revealed how she was bisexual, and told you which officers and coworkers you might want to steer away from. It was nice to know she cared and did not want to see anyone causing problems. 

Hondo, overhearing butted in, “(Y/N), if anyone here gives you any problems you tell one of us. You dating family, makes you family. Some of these assholes take cheap shots, and you don't need to be at the end of their awful jokes.” You solemnly nodded, and they must have been able to read how scared you truly were. 

Chris put her hand on your shoulder and went to say something but was cut off by Luca bumping into your side, holding two drinks. 

“(Y/F/D) for you, and a beer for me.” He passed you your go-to drink, and you grinned. He seemed like he had taken a shot while he was getting drinks, which didn't go unnoticed by his team. 

“Luca, it's not even dark yet and you're already slurring!” Tan punched his shoulder. 

Deacon chimed in, “He is not gonna make it to when the auction winners are announced.” The team roared with laughter and you continued talking with the team. They asked you more about your work, allowing you to geek out about your beloved job. Eventually, you met Annie, Deacon's wife. It's safe to say everyone was nervous about her response to you, given her past spouts with Chris. However, the group was pleasantly surprised with her reaction. If she had an issue with you, she didn't make it known.

After another hour of chatting, Chris excused herself to the restroom with you in tow. The guys threw out some comment about girls going to the bathroom together as you walked off. It was a single bathroom, so while Chris was inside you sat on a bench nearby. You took this time to pull out your compact mirror, checking your meticulously done makeup. 

While you were re-applying your lip gloss, an officer walked down the hallway, presumably to the men's restroom. 

“All the makeup in the world wouldn't be enough.” You heard him mumble as he passed you. You glanced up from your mirror to see he was one of the officers Chris and Street warned you about. You could have walked away, and been fine. However, that would mean this asshole would walk away too.

“I'm sorry?” You closed your mirror. 

“Apology accepted. Next time you get lost, just remember the men's bathroom is down further.” He put a great deal of emphasis on “men’s” and seemed content with your reaction. 

“Hmm,” You placed your mirror, and your lip gloss in your clutch, before standing up. “No, this is my restroom. It's alright though, I know people at your age tend to get confused.” You snapped back. Being raised in a transphobic part of the US helped you get tough skin, especially when talking to nobody’s. You could see the anger boil in his face. He got close to you, closer than you'd like.

“Listen here-”

“I don't want to hear a word, officer… Smith? I honestly wonder what Commander Hicks would think of one of his officers harassing someone attending a charity event. Seems like someone doesn't care about raising money. Seems like an awful representation of SWAT.” His initial reaction was to reach for you but once he saw the face behind you he backed off. Chris placed her hand on your shoulder. 

“Smith, are we going to have a problem? I would hate for this to be your third strike, man.” Chris grinned at him. The man scrambled through an apology before storming off again, leaving you and Chris to look at each other. She asked if you were okay, but the words didn't really register. You muttered something about meeting her with the rest of the team, before walking into the bathroom and locking yourself inside. 

You leaned your back against the door, staring at the tiles on the floor. The luxurious bathroom wasn't enough to make you feel safe. You were brought back to a dark place, one you were familiar with. You were used to being ridiculed for being yourself. However, everywhere you went you hoped things would be different. The only place you truly felt at peace was with Luca. He was always too quick to drown out your self-deprecating thoughts and the awful comments made by others.

You made your way over to the sink and placed your hands on either side. You looked at yourself, you made sure you looked perfect before Luca picked you up from your apartment, and now your tears pulled the black pigment from your mascara down your face. You sighed, grabbing a nearby tissue to blot your eyes dry. 

You weren't crying, just tearing up. Every time your eyes looked somewhat dry, you would sniffle or notice the redness appearing around your eyes tear up all over again. Eventually, you just had to allow the tears to fall and focus on breathing to compose yourself. After a couple of minutes, you were able to successfully touch up your makeup, and slip out of the bathroom.

Luca was standing right outside the door, waiting for you. He always knew when to give you space, which you appreciated. The only thing he did was stretch his arms outward, urging you to hug him. You happily obliged, being careful not to get any makeup on his suit. You held onto each other for a second, before he pulled you away. He looked into your eyes, clearly concerned. 

“Are you alright, dear?” You felt a calloused thumb brush along your cheekbone. 

“Yeah, Chris told you? She had my back, that was nice.” He threw a sad smile your way.

“I told you they would! Don't worry, Chris and I are already planning on talking to Hicks first thing Monday morning.”

“You don't need to do that..” You looked down at your shoes.

“And yet we are. Cant have shitty cops like him getting away with talking to beautiful women that way.” He kissed your temple. You laughed and leaned into his touch.

“You flirt. Let's go back to the team.” You grabbed his hand and led him back to the table. When you make your way back you notice Chris’ back is turned to you guys. She's telling the group what went down between you and the officer. 

“No, it was crazy! She threatened to go to Hicks, and how he shouldn't be an officer! Totally showed that asshole up.” Her hand gestures and excitement captivated the rest of the SWAT team. 

“Smith totally deserved it. He's had so many run-ins with the board.” Hondo sighed, not surprised by how out of line the officer was. 

“It's a miracle he's been on SWAT this long, let alone in the LAPD.” Deacon crossed his arms. They fell into a somber silence which was only broken when Luca cleared his throat and led you closer to the table. The group looked up and tried to avoid talking about the recent altercation. 

It was easy to find other things to talk about with the team. They are interested in all things you, and that you don't solely ask questions about the job. They ask you more about how you and Luca meant, and about where you're from. 

“Ah, I’m actually from Wyoming.” You nodded, ready for the influx of questions. 

“What is in Wyoming? Like actually.” Street deadpanned you, leaving the group to laugh.

“Nothing! That's why my parents picked it. It was away from everything and it sucked,” You continued, “I liked the cold, but honestly, I really like LA. It's nice to actually have a sunset. I remember, during winter there was no inbetween. It was either day or night. It got dark at 4 pm.” You explained, looking in the distance at the brightly colored sunset. 

The night continued without a hitch. Everyone drank and laughed, and throughout the night Luca got closer and closer to you. His arm snaked around your shoulder. Whenever someone was mid-story you felt his other hand rest on your thigh. You looked over at him, only to see him already looking at you. You guys stared at each other, smiling dumbfounded by each other. It wasn't until Street and Tan started ooo-ing and throwing out comments about the lovebirds that you broke your eye contact, 

You and Luca couldn't help but laugh, knowing you two had gotten caught. After everyone had settled down the conversation naturally shifted to something else. Luca squeezed your hand and moved to whisper in your ear.

“You ready to head out, sweetheart?” He moved back to look at you. You gave him a small nod. You two waited a little longer, finding the right time to excuse yourselves. When that time came, Luca stood up and helped you up from your chair. 

“Well, I think we're going to head out. Thank you guys. I’m so glad you guys all got to meet. It's nice to see the most important people in my life get together.” Luca allowed himself to get a little mushy, earning a hoard of awe’s from the group.

“Yeah yeah. I think I speak for everyone when I say she's got our stamp of approval.” Hondo chimes in.

“You've got yourself a catch, Luca,” Tan adds, with nods from the rest of the team.

“You get your girl home safe!” Hondo affectionately punched Lucas' arm. The next few minutes are spent saying goodbye and planning another time where you could meet the team again. Finally, though, you and Luca make your way back down the stairs to his truck. He helped you into your seat before walking around to the other side of the vehicle. 

“I'm sorry about Smith.” He broke the silence that had settled between you during the drive home. 

“It's not your fault, babe. I’m glad Chris stood up for me.” You said, calmly.

“She made it sound like you had it handled.” Luca shot a glance your way.

“Yeah, I almost didn't say anything. I don't know how he would have reacted had Chris not been there.” You looked down at your hands, fumbling with your painted nails. 

“I hate that you have to worry about all of that. You don't deserve any of it.” Luca grabs your hand. Your instinct is to pull his callous hand up to your mouth and kiss the back of his hand.

“I know. I don't like it either, but what more can you do? Shitty people like him only make me enjoy my time spent with people like you more,” Lucas' heart swelled. “I get less harmful comments here than in Wyoming.” You reminded him.

“Still makes me so damn frustrated. You're the best person I've ever met. The best woman I've had the pleasure of taking out on dates.” He gushed. You knew he was rambling, but you could see the obvious anger and confusion in his face. You thought back to his history, and some of the awful cases he had told you about. He had witnessed so many people at their lowest, and so many people plagued with hate. Yet, he was still the most pure and caring person you knew. You didn't tell him that enough. 

Before you knew it he parked his truck in the driveway and led you into his house. He locked the door behind the two of you and loosened his tie. “Those events are fun, and I enjoy dressing up for a bit, but god I hate ties.” He threw it onto the coffee table, and you sat down on a nearby couch. 

You went to take off your earrings, as he made his way into the kitchen. While placing your earrings into your purse you heard him call for your drink order.

“Rum and Coke?” You shouted back. He threw a “Yes Ma’am” your way before getting to work. Eventually, he made his way into the living room with both of your drinks. You snuggled into his side and he threw on some quiet music in the background. 

“I was surprised you didn't want to get on the dance floor,” Luca said as he looked down at you on his chest. 

“That's because it's still too early for me to upstage your coworkers with my dancing skills.” This earned you a hearty laugh from your boyfriend. You wanted to hear that sound for the rest of your life. 

“Well, the night is still young, I'm pretty sure Nicki Minaj said that” He squeezed your shoulder. It was your turn to laugh at him, not expecting his comment.

“So you're saying Nicki Minaj wants us to dance? Right now?” You sat up to look at him. He grinned and stood up, pulling you with him. He let go of you to push the coffee table side, almost a little too eagerly. He turned toward you, as another light jazz song began playing over the Bluetooth speaker. You closed the distance between the two of you and began swaying. He had his hand on the small of your back and you had your hands on his shoulders. 

After some light gliding around the living room, he spun you to face away from him. You felt his chin land on your shoulder, and his hands wrap around your waist. Your cheeks began to hurt from smiling for so long, but it was just impossible to not smile with Luca. 

“You know you make everything better, right? I wouldn't be here without you.” You placed your hands over his, continuing to rock from side to side with him. 

“Sometimes I worry I hold you back by being on SWAT.” You couldn't tell if he had been thinking about this for some time or if it was a moment of tipsy honesty. You leaned back, letting your head hit his shoulder. 

“Hold me back? What do you mean?”

“The long nights, the rainchecks, the risk of it all. It’s a lot for significant others of SWAT members to handle. That's why I'm so keen on you getting close to my coworkers and their partners. I want you to have the same support system that the other girls have. You deserve it.” You took a second to mull over what he was saying. 

He was right, you really didn't have anyone close by other than Luca. You moved to LA on a whim, just eager to leave your hometown. You had coworkers and acquaintances, but you struggled to get close to anyone. Luca knew that. You worried about him a lot, and you tried to keep the thought of him getting hurt out of your head. 

“I want you to know you can always call HQ or any of the teammates. I put your name as one of my emergency contacts, so if anything happens to me you'll be contacted. But, sometimes that's not enough. I want you to be able to reach out to Hondo or Chris with any concern.” He turned you in his arms to face him, rambling now that you weren't giving him a response. 

“Was that too quickly? I know I should have waited to put you on the list, but I just needed to know they could reach out if anythi-” He paused when you grabbed his hands and brought them to your lips to kiss his knuckles. You looked up at him, and spared a kiss for his mouth too. 

“It wasn't too quick. I appreciate you doing that. I haven't dated someone in as much danger as you, so I really don't have anything to compare it to.” You began, maintaining eye contact with your worried boyfriend. “I didn't realize how worried I would get when you go to work,” You chuckled and shook your head. He pulled you back towards the couch, his worry dissolving. “I don't know how Annie does it. Especially with kids.”

“It’ll get easier. Annie and Deac have a good process down, I think.” He stroked your hair.

“But we're not Annie and Deacon, are we?” You looked to the floor, your encounter with Smith coming back to mind.

“No, were not. Do we need to be though?” He placed his hand over your cheek turning your head to look at him. “I like what we have, (Y/N). You're special to me, and no cis couple or rude officers will make me think otherwise.” You felt tears threaten to fall. He must have noticed too, because he pulled you closer to him, allowing you to let your emotions bubble over. 

You cried for some time, with Luca's arms holding you tightly. Luca let you cry, knowing you probably needed to release the tension from the whole ordeal before talking through things. He held you for an hour or two, just holding onto you, and occasionally whispering kind words in your ear. 

You wanted to scream, you felt out of place like you were aimlessly floating around in the wrong body. You tried your best to love your body and form, But it was impossible with constant reminders of what you used to be. Of who you used to be. Especially with Smith’s implication that no matter what you do, people will still see right through you.

“I-... I just hate that Smith could immediately tell.” You forced the words out before dropping your head again. 

“Honey, Smith is SWAT solely because he was a piss-poor detective. He wouldn't have just known without someone telling him. He heard it from somewhere, and just sat with it until you were there for him to bully.” Luca rubbed your back. “You are the most captivating and mesmerizing depiction of femininity I have ever witnessed. After our first date, I was in awe. I went home and wasn't even able to form a proper sentence to tell Street how it went. I’m starstruck by you.” He cupped your face again, leading you to look up at him with a sniffle.

Your eyes were puffy and your makeup streaked down your face, your lipgloss having worn off completely. Your carefully done hair had fallen into your eyes and stuck to your face. You were a mess, you and Luca both could see that. “Yeah?” you said in a broken whisper.

“Definitely. Even now as you're crying, you're still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I know Smiths words wont leave your head, but maybe I can help cancel them out by showing you exactly how much I love you. All of you.” Luca leaned in and kissed you, not caring to move your hair, clinging to your wet face. 

Between the kissing and the touching Luca managed to pick up a quiet, “I’d like that.” He hooked one arm underneath your knees and the other held your back. As he picked you up, you couldn't help but giggle. “Oh, Luca. You treat me like a princess.” You stroked the side of his face. He carried you towards his room and angled himself to not whack your head on his doorframe.

“Like the princess you are.”