#VERY PROUD OF THIS :))) kept going back and fixing little things i love how it turned out :D

[toadstoolillustrations]

The shipwrights are out shopping!! You just know Franky was the most annoying little brother to do chores with <3

[Image description: A digital drawing of a young Franky and teenage Iceburg from One Piece on a yellow background.

Franky is sitting on Iceburg's shoulders, pointing urgently out of frame, with the other hand resting on Iceburg's head. A large speech bubble is next to his head and shows a bottle of cola, followed by two exclamation marks.

Iceburg has one hand steadying Franky's knee, the other holding up a shopping bag half-filled with oranges. Beside him is a speech bubble with an x-mark, to show his response to Franky's cola demands. His expression is disgruntled and he sweats in reluctance.

They each wear their canon outfits, Franky barefoot in goggles, a patterned shirt and shorts. Iceburg has a bandanna tied on his head, and wears a striped sleeveless purple t-shirt. There are small nicks and scars on both their arms. /End description]

[atrirose]

𝒥 : PLACES THEY LOVE TO KISS — enha

はい bf!enha x f!r . . . 🍵 warning. kissing duh ! + FLUFF ★ seiu msg: wanna get back on to writing stuff soon in the mean time enjoy this! rbs/feedbacks are appreciated

— HEESEUNG LEE

heeseung loves kissing your neck because he knows it gets you hot and bothered, he loves the sudden shocked squeak you let out when he random kisses your neck, he came behind you, gracing his cold lips on your neck “AH what’s wrong with you seung” you turned towards him, your hand on the place he kissed “my lips are cold, i ate ice cream” he said pulling you back “so?”

“so i gotta warm them up” he said as he bit ur neck lightly, kissing it, his breath leaving tingling feels down your spine, something about neck kisses just makes you feel light headed “i know you love it princess” he whispered, his hands roaming around your body as he blabbers like a loser.

— JAY PARK

jay loves kissing your lips, though it very common but for him it is special, he love the feeling of his lips against yours, especially after you put on lipgloss or lipstick “jayyyy i just put it on, look it’s all smeared and on your lips too” you said frustrated as you try to fix your lipstick, “it’s a nice colour i like it on you” he said snaking his hands again around your waist as he turns you around “doesn’t give you an excuse to ruin it, and we have to go or else we will be late to the party” you said resisting his touch as he leaned over again.

“doesn’t matter” he said as his lips moved against yours, his hands around you waist, him teasing your lips by lightly nipping on it, your hands in his hair tousling it.

“we got stuck in the traffic sorry” he said to his friend as you shot him glares, did i forget to tell you that he loves kissing you when you are mad at him? works like a charm, all the anger goes poof.

— JAKE SIM

jake loves to nom on your cheeks , he says it’s like bread. he loves to peck your cheeks at any given moment, or just have his face smooshed by yours, if he could he could live under your skin. jake likes to bite your cheeks while pecking them despite being warned a hundred times to not, but how can you resist his puppy eyes.

sometimes he get this kissing aggression towards you where he just keep on kissing and giggling as you try to escape him “jake too much” you say as he kissed you all over your face, “not enough” he said as he continues smooching your cheeks, biting them “nom, you taste like strawberries” jake hugs you as he calms down, cuddling you.

— SUNGHOON PARK

he loves collarbone kisses, loves to randomly feather kisses around your collarbone while cuddling, exact reason that despite being so tall he like you be a small spoon most of the times, likes to be a princess “hoon it tickles” you said as he pressed kisses, he loves when you wear off shoulder as he gives him easy excess but if not then he just pulls the piece of clothing you are wearing to expose your collarbone, now that has gotten him in trouble when he accidentally rip your clothing’s neckline but that obviously never stopped him.

“i will get you more mmm” he said as he kept kissing you, he loves to inhale the soft and mild scent of your perfume.

— SUNOO KIM

loves to kiss your forehead, to appreciate even the smallest of things you do for him, while that’s very sweet of him and you love it with all your heart, there are times when he likes to annoy you by kissing you after applying your lip tint so now you have kiss mark on your forehead, or kissing it and then telling how small you are.

towers over you sometimes so you look up at him and he can kiss your forehead.

“i got nice scores this time” you told sunoo as he smiles and kisses you forehead “im proud of you love”

— JUNGWON YANG

he likes to kiss your nose, just a little boop to make you laugh, you talking about your day? oh he is so in love, boop, you are cooking? he is drawn in by your beauty, boop, you are just laying around? you look so cute, he can’t believe you are his, boop.

“why do you like kissing my nose so much” he looks at you as he smiles, eyes closing like a cat as he kisses your nose “because you are cute” it’s a way he expresses his love, it’s his way of saying he treasures you and a simple expression of his limitless love for you

— RIKI NISHIMURA

he loves to bury his face in your neck after a long day and kiss your shoulders, just like sunghoon he loves when you wear off shoulder dress or else he just pulls on them, but lucky for him you wear his oversized hoodies all the time so it’s easy to gain excess, sometimes it’s hard to express who he feels, or how much he loves you so he just kisses your shoulder and hope you understand his attempt to say ‘i love you’s’.

“what’s wrong baby” you asked as you played with hair as he buried his face in the crook of your neck “just tired” he said nuzzling “aww poor baby” you said as you kissed his head “you better not tell how act with you” he warned you still kissing your shoulders.

“like a baby? AHH-” your giggles turned into sudden shock as he bites you “oh that left a mark” you smacked him with a pillow as he laughed and dodged it “not tired anymore huh?” you said pouting moving away from him just to get pulled back to his lap “i am” he pecked you “meanie” he snicked at your pouty lips before kissing it.

[ladyelissarose]

Hello! I really loved your miguel o'hara works , and i would like to make a request,about headcanons of miguel with a sweet and shy housewife reader ,like ,she is always in home ,cooking ,cleaning and taking care of the house in general ,and always welcomes miguel saying how proud is of him and his job,if youre comfortable you can include a nsfw part but if you dont want to you can just make the fluff part , i hope its okay and have a nice day!

Miguel O’Hara x housewife reader

Warnings: there’s the SFW & NSFW headcannons!! Fluff and alll…

Authors note: Thank you for your sweet words hun!! I wish you the best!! And of course I added down NSFW! I had to- it’s Miguel we’re talking about!! But yes.. I hope you enjoy and I met your expectations:)

•Ever since the start of your relationship, you knew Miguel was the Spider-Man of Nueva York, after he saved your life and kissed your scared tears away. He instantly felt a connection with you and knew he had to have you.

•You were very shy tho, and kept to yourself. Only had trips to the library and to the flower shop- you were basically a home-body.. not a fan of being around or in large crowds.. but Miguel made you feel safe instantly and he took you safely home through a path that was quiet and not around much people and noise.

•Miguel was gentle and didn’t push you to do more than you wanted too, and he was the first person that made you feel comfortable with yourself. That’s why after countless dates and swinging trips on his back, you’re happily married to him and are kept safe in your guys’ home. Where you live with and for him while he keeps the beautiful city safe.

•Everyday he’d come home with a new book or a bouquet of fresh flowers, showering you with things that made you happy, to earn him your gorgeous, shy smile. He’s seen all of you and loved you entirely, yet he was proud on how he made you blush everytime he brought something home, and he lived for kissing that cute pouty smile you had.

•To make up for all the gifts he gave you- tho he said payback wasn’t necessary because you were his love and life. You still worked to give him the best life in your shared home. It was only fair since he sheltered you and your heart, and kept your city as safe as he possibly could.

•During the time he was gone, you clean up your home, doing the laundry and fixing up his backup suits that got ruined on missions. And you found comfort in doing such, as they all smelled like him, no matter how much you washed them.

•And he liked it that way, he stopped asking Lyla for remakes of his suit when he found out your cute hands fixed his suits perfectly. He always kissed you deeply and called you ‘his good girl’ once he had it on and it was good to go. Your hands also got sweet kisses as he praised you for your work.

•The city was messy and dark all the time, even while saving the world it had its dark places that were messy and particularly smelly, burning Miguel’s nose sometimes. But when he came home, he was met with the aroma of your sweet scent, it smelled like home and it was his favorite. And one of the best things, it was clean and orderly.

•Miguel loved seeing things in order and perfectly clean, and he had asked you if you had a maid to get all done perfectly- to which you said no. And he found out it was true (not that he didn’t believe you) when one night he came home earlier than usual, and you were up dusting all the little trinkets on the shelf ever so delicately and efficiently.

•His favorite thing to do was come up to you quietly, wherever you were cleaning, and sweep you up in his arms, chuckling to himself when he heard your squeals as he held you up kissing your neck. Praising you for your time to keep things nice, but scolding you for not being in bed resting well and keeping the bed warm for him. Or if it was during the day he’d ask why you’re not reading or enjoying the afternoon.

•Oh and when you cook? OH- that makes Miguel the happiest (besides you and everything that involves only ‘you’) He’s always starving after a long mission or day at Alchemax. So when he comes home smelling your homemade meals, he’s falling in love all over again. His heart growing twice it’s size at the sight of you singing lowly and stirring the pot... or kneading the dough for the empanadas.

•He tried telling you a few times that it was ok for take out once in a while, not wanting you to cool all the time, worried that you might think he only wants that from you if not. But you were always happy to make something new or his favorite, it made you proud when Miguel wore a smile while he ate, complementing,

“...mi amor, esto es delicioso.” (My love, this is delicious)

•You always let him know how proud of him you were. In actions or soft words, and he’d beam proudly and smile sheepishly. A tight hug and good kiss made it onto his lips everytime you caught him coming in through the door or fire escape. You wouldn’t let a word escape until you both were out of breath from crashing lips, you was always the first to break to say how much you missed him- but he’d chase your lips like a mad man. Whining,

“Dejame besarte!” (Let me kiss you!)

NSFW!

•He occasionally grew hard at the sight of you doing something that screamed ‘wifey material’. The cleaning, cooking, fixing, even resting on the couch reading a book- just everything about you made him crave you instantly at sight. So he’d take you wherever it was you were, of course if you wanted to- but you’ve yet to say no (I mean who would-)

•Over the couch he’d take you from behind, whispering praises while kissing your neck, after he caught you reading your new book while resting over the armrest. Your little dress was so cute and gave him access to have you right away, pounding into your pussy slowly yet roughly. Letting his love for you sink in deeply. He loved marking your neck and caressing your sides as he did so.

•Since you were quiet and shy most of the time, even around him, he’d do the most open things to make you blush and push your buttons of pleasure to make you moan out loud, as you were shy at first. One day you were painting a picture of you and him, a replica of a photo you two took at the library, but soon- Miguel was digging his face in between your breasts kissing them softly while he fucked you against the incomplete painting, legs wrapped around his waist tightly. And you couldn’t care about the painting- you didn’t like it anyways after you messed it up earlier (after getting distracted by eyeing the picture too closely)

•One of Miguel’s favorite things to do was eat you from behind while you were tip-toeing trying to reach the top shelf to clean it. You hold onto it tightly while you felt his tongue swipe over your pussy and dig into you, making you pull his hair closer to you as he drew your high close right away, not relenting in eating you out like he starved for your taste. He lived for you coming undone on his face. And when he stayed home afterwards he’d kissed you to taste yourself on his lips, or when he had to go to work, he wear his mask over his coated lips with your juices- either way he leave himself full of you.

•And the kitchen was a good place- HIS FAVORITE PLACE TO FUCK YOU RAW. He was excited already to see his gorgeous, sweet and quiet house wife cook his delicious meals. But soon you became a moaning, crying mess, begging for him to fuck you harder as you were laying on the kitchen table, holding onto his shoulders tightly as he fucked you deeply. And you knew he was in to fuck you in the kitchen, when he’d come from behind you and lower the heat on the stove, if not turn it off.

•Let’s just say Miguel found a perfect wife in you, you completed him in every way and made him happy. From keeping his home warm and happy, safe and bright, to his heart held, loved and cherished- and beating wildly while he took you under his spell and ride of pleasure.

•And you? Could never get enough of Miguel, something of him was always on you, around you, and in you.. sometimes he’d leave his cum dripping from your pussy while you finished your things while he was gone. It made you blush crazy to know only he could pull that out of you, but he was your home and made you confident around him.. so why not?

[pretty-blkgirl]

Soul’s Desire [Ch. 28]

-Masterlist-

~~~~|~~~~

You wanted nothing more than to hold onto Changbin’s hand. You wanted him to kiss your forehead, and give you a reassuring smile.

But you’d be damned before your mom found out you had found your soulmates. You wanted to believe she had changed, you really did, but the mother you knew would see your relationship as something she needed to destroy.

She wanted you to believe no one loved you, she was good at doing just that, and you couldn’t lose the boys.

So, you and Changbin walked side by side to the lobby. You saw your mom before she saw you. It had been two years since you had seen her in person. She looked beautiful, as usual.

When she finally spotted you, her eyes lit up and she practically started jumping up and down. You wished you could smile at her supposed excitement, but your frown deepened a little.

“Hello Mom,” You said as soon as you were close enough to her, “Welcome”

“Don’t be so formal, girl” She laughed, “Give your mama a hug”

You two hugged. She squeezed you so tight, nearly suffocating you. To an outsider, this looked like motherly love. It looked like a parent finally reunited with their baby. It looked like a happy moment.

To you, the hug was cold. Calculated. Fake.

When she finally let you go, she looked at Changbin.

“Mom, this is Changbin. He’s-”

He can’t be your boyfriend to her. She’d do anything she could to turn him against you. She can’t know.

“-my best friend. Besides my members, he’s probably the person I’m closest to here”

Your mother nodded and Changbin bowed politely.

“That’s sweet, nice to meet you.” She turned back to you, “I barely ate on my flight, how about we get an early dinner?”

“Okay” You agreed, “I hope you don’t mind Changbin coming with us”

She narrowed her eyes at you, a sign that she was about to start arguing, but she fixed her face and grinned.

“I don’t mind”

The three of you left the company, wearing masks and hats to try to remain as unrecognizable as possible. Your mom kept trying to speak to you, but you didn’t have it in you to give more than short, to-the-point answers.

After a while, Changbin started to talk to your mom a little. He was nothing short of charming, even when he wasn’t trying to be. Your mom took a liking to Changbin by the time you guys reached the restaurant, and that made you a little more at ease.

At the table, she put her attention back on you.

“So, Y/n, tell me about your group members”

You nodded, “There’s Dae, Penny, Yumi, Hana, and then me. I’m the youngest. Dae is our leader and producer, Yumi and Hana are our main singers, and Penny is our dancer”

“What do you do then?” She asked

“Everything” Changbin answered for you, “She’s an ace, in my opinion. She reminds me of someone in my group”

Your mom nodded, “Does the Penny girl not sing?”

“She does, we all sing and dance and stuff, but I guess we all have our specialties” You explained

“I saw your little music videos. You girls aren’t half bad”

“Thank you, mom”

“I didn’t like a lot of your choreography though. It’s too provocative”

Changbin sighed deeply, “If I can give my opinion, I think LUCKY just has a more mature concept. They’re sexy, they’re cool, they’re seductive”

“Y/n isn’t none of those things though” Your mom laughed, “She looks so out of place in those videos.”

“Can we try not to insult me, Mom?” You questioned, low enough to keep other people from hearing you but loud enough to express your anger, “I think our concept fits me well and the group has gotten great feedback. I respect your opinion, but you don’t have to be rude”

There was silence for several moments after that. Changbin was very proud of you, and you didn’t feel too bad for speaking up, but your mom looked noticeably upset.

“I’m sorry,” She said after a long while

“It’s fine. Let’s just eat so we can leave”

The food was great, at the very least, but the evening was awkward. Your mom wanted you to take her on a tour around Korea before she went to her Airbnb, but you declined, stating you “needed to get some work done”

She wouldn’t leave you alone until you promised to make some time to spend with her.

Your guilt grew as she blew kisses at you from the car you called for her, wondering if she was really doing her best and if you weren’t putting in any effort.

Changbin decided to take you back to his place, grabbing your hand as soon as you two reached his complex.

“Don’t feel guilty” He said, “You did nothing wrong”

“She’s trying to change, and I’m just… dismissing her”

“You don’t know what her motives are. Your hesitation is valid and it’s only fair that you keep your guard up around her. If you want to rebuild your relationship with your mom, that’s fine. That doesn’t mean you go back to letting her manipulate and control you”

In the apartment , he gives you a much-needed hug. A few tears left your eyes, but not many. You didn’t feel like crying, and Changbin knew that, so he took you to the couch and put on a show you two had been binging.

As you settled into the couch, you tried your hardest to get your mom out of your mind. However, you had this unsettling feeling that wouldn’t go away.

~~~~|~~~~

Taglist: @chuuyaobsessed @h0rnyp0t @prttyxbby @yukichan67 @hanniemylovelyquokka @xxeiraxx @loveforlee444 @whatdoyouwanttocallmefor @cunninglibrarian @holly-here @galaxy4489 @hyunmikim @yougottobekittenme @hyeon-yi @katsukis1wife @multi-fandom-nightmare @staybabblingbaby @kozumesphone @fuck-you-im-gae @thatonedarkskinnedsiren @just-a-blackthorn-cookie @champagneconfetti

[whos-orion]

Crash

Summary: Omega’s just finished up a mission for the Rebellion. But her ship’s been hit hard, and all systems are failing. As she falls out of Hyperspace, she finds a small bit of comfort in Tech’s goggles, as if he’s there with her.

Word Count: 1203

Notes: Another request from @mantellmix ! I love writing sad stuff. Short one-shot, enjoy!

Tag List: @mantellmix @a-cryptid-called-magetha

Things weren’t going well. They had been, for a while, but not anymore. Omega had just finished another mission for the Rebellion. She was supposed to take out an Imperial factory and get all the workers out. She did that. And may have accidentally taken down a nearby Star Destroyer. But it was fine. Or it was supposed to be. The workers were heading back to their families on the planet, the Empire was down a factory and a Star Destroyer, and Omega’s hyperdrive was in critical failure.

She watched as the blue streaks around her turned orange and pink, as she was thrown out of Hyperspace. Her console was beeping and flashing and sparking, only making the job more stressful. Gonky was in the back of the ship, shut down and being unhelpful. Even some reassurance would be nice. But she was alone.

Omega tried to take control of the ship’s trajectory, flipping on the emergency stabilizers and trying to steer. But it was no use. The ship was crashing down towards a nearby moon, out of control and buying Omega a one-way ticket to a very gruesome death. No, she couldn’t think like that. Yet.

Omega gave up on trying to control the steering and began running around the ship, fixing whatever she saw was sparking. But every time she fixed something, five more systems broke. She looked out the window and saw the ship was entering the atmosphere. She ran to the console and hit her distress signal. She looked up to the window again, seeing the orange and red flames begin appearing around her ship from such a sharp entry. She saw Tech’s goggles on the dashboard. She picked them up and held them tightly in her hands. Did he ever have to deal with a crash like this? He would at least have help. Omega was on her own. With only the reminders of her brothers sitting around.

Would they be proud? How would they even find out? Who would find her? If it was an Imperial, they’d never know. Another rebel? Maybe. She hadn’t told anyone where she was from yet, or who her family was. She hadn’t gotten to know anyone that well yet. Would they know who she was? Would they find her family and tell them?

Omega held Tech’s goggles closer as the ship kept falling. She could nearly see the planet’s surface now. Omega took Tech’s goggles and moved them over her ponytail and onto her neck. She sat down in the pilot’s chair and looked out at the scene before her. The noise of the warning sensors and sparks of the consoles were nothing now. Omega just stared aimlessly. She felt tears welling up as she placed a hand on the goggles. She felt the broken glass between her fingertips as she sighed. She laughed a bit in disbelief and felt the first tear roll down her face.

“I think this is it, Tech.” She spoke to the air. “See you soon.”

Omega closed her eyes and braced for impact. She’d been here before, hadn’t she? On Bora Vio, and her daring escape from Cad Bane. In that tiny flight pod, hands cuffed together. She’d just pushed that tiny droid off her. What was his name? Toto? Todo? It was so many years ago, but it wasn’t an experience easily forgotten. Omega remembered how loyal he was to Bane. But it clearly didn’t go both ways. She felt a little sorry for him. I guess you feel sorry about everything at the end.

She had felt so scared in that pod. She was just a kid. She was scared now. She was no longer a kid. She kept waiting and waiting for everything to stop. She’d thought about death a lot, to be honest. Back when she’d first left Kamino, it was a constant thing. It stopped for a while when Hemlock died, and they got to live on Pabu, but since joining the Rebellion it was back. That excitement. That risk. She’d underestimated it, and now she was paying the price. But she had Tech with her. She had her brother.

Omega kept waiting. But everything was the same. She was still sitting in the pilot seat, still holding Tech’s goggles around her neck, still alive. She finally opened her eyes to see she was being pulled out of the planet’s atmosphere. She looked around in confusion. A button on her console was blinking, one that signaled someone was trying to comm her. She pressed it, hoped it wouldn’t break, and waited. A few moments of silence passed as Omega saw the fiery horizon turn back to the darkness of space, and then a familiar voice came through the comm.

“Got yourself into some trouble, kid?”

Hunter’s voice was the last thing Omega expected to hear, but it was welcome. It was so welcome.

“Hunter?!” Omega exclaimed, her worry gone in a flash. They had come for her. She was safe.

The boarding hatch opened on Omega’s ship as she ran into her brother’s arms. Hunter smiled softly, holding her close. Omega heard a familiar, gravelly laugh coming from the bench on Phee’s ship (which they had arrived on).

“How touching.” Crosshair said, flicking a toothpick onto the floor. Omega ran over and hugged him as well, overjoyed to see her family again. “Only a month into the Rebellion, and we’re already coming to get you.” He snickered, hugging her back. Omega scoffed and pulled away, crossing her arms with a smirk on her face.

“Hardly needed it. Besides, you’re getting too old for this anyways.”

“We’re never too old!” Boomed Wrecker’s voice. Omega went over and hugged him as well. He laughed and held her close. Crosshair smirked, she really hadn’t changed.

“And you’re still a terrible liar.” He said, folding his arms. Hunter was going to make a snarky remark about the state of her ship, but then noticed something else. Something around her neck.

“Are those…Tech’s goggles?” He asked, something in his voice breaking. He hadn’t seen the old, shattered goggles in so long. And Omega was wearing them. Omega stepped away from Wrecker and took the goggles off, examining them in her hands.

“They…are. And you’re right. I did need your help. I got into a…bad situation. In over my head a bit. Ship was failing. Spirit was failing. I…I thought I was going to die. It brought me some comfort, at the very least.” Omega said, smiling fondly at the goggles. “It’s like he’s there with me.” The ship was silent. A silence of remembrance. They never properly talked about losing Tech when it happened. Not like they got the chance. There were conversations over the years, but Omega couldn’t remember a time where they all sat down and actually talked about him, purposefully.

“…he’s always with us. Just like how we’re always with you.” Hunter finally said, smiling warmly at Omega. “We’ll always be there. Burning ship or not. We’re a call away.” He put a hand on her shoulder as she wiped away a tear. “You’re our kid, Omega, like I’ve told you a thousand times. Now come on, let’s fix up your ship.”

[akutasoda]

hi!! It’s me again! Got an idea..how about reader who tries to act all tough but deep down just wants to be loved? They’re this way probably because some type of past trauma. Maybe not getting enough attention as a kid?

-🌀Anon !

you don't ever have to pretend

synopsis - behind your facade is someone that only your lover can know

includes - dazai, yosano, ranpo, akutagawa, ayatsuji

warnings - gn!reader, fluff, slight angst, slight hints towards insecurity, wc - 696

a/n: helloo anon!!

osamu dazai ★↷

↪until you two started dating he didn't look much into it as that was your business and not his. but when you two became a thing he started thinking more about it.

↪he knew that it would have to come from somewhere but he didn't want to pry and instead just shower you in love and compliments.he can get very clingy. especially if you start feeling down.

↪if you ever let those walls down and show that more soft, exposed side of yourself he would be so proud of you for opening up about in your own time.

↪he has his own demons to fight against but you sharing yours with him means he can help you in any way you want. even if that means showering you in love and validating you for the simplest things.

akiko yosano ★↷

↪she would just think that you were tough going originally. until you became closer then she would start seeing slips in that facade but never mentioned it as she wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable.

↪that stayed that way when you two started dating as she knew that topics around that normally were sensitive and she trusted that you would know to tell her if it became an issue.

↪and if that ever did come around she would support you in the best way possible. she may be a doctor but i believe she has her fair share in helping mental issues as well as physical.

↪she would be a great listener and even help you work through it until that confidence was natural. she would never want you to feel down.

ranpo edogawa ★↷

↪wouldn't pry until you two started dating part 2. it was your facade and as long as that didn't affect you it was none of his concern about what it stemmed from.

↪but when you started dating he started paying attention to little slips in that facade and wanting to ask about it but just kept to himself. he knew when you were comfortable enough you would open up about it.

↪and eventually if you do tell him he would be over the moon that you tristed him that much. maybe a bit overbearing at first but he would quickly back off if it made you uncomfortable.

↪he would even look for ways to subtly encourage your confident facade to be natural and encourage you. the ever so prideful detective giving you compliments and encouragement left, right and center was a rare sight. but a welcome one at that.

ryunosuke akutagawa ★↷

↪absolutely wouldn't care about how you acted at first. you were just another person who acted tough. but as you two became closer i still think he would take long to realise its a facade ir he simply wouldn't show that he knew.

↪but saying that he probably would realise when you two became partners but again wouldn't pry. you clearly didn't tell him because it's a sensitive subject and therefore he respects that.

↪if eventually you did tell him he would be very good at listening but a bit awkward for comforting. he's trying his best! and that's all you really need. the little compliments or simply trying better to be more honest with his feelings.

↪just the little things he does to give you slightly more attention that you're both comfortable with.

yukito ayatsuji ★↷

↪wouldn't pry until you two started dating part 3. he respects the fact that you're not open with it, relationship or not. but in a relationship he would be simply more wanting to subtly try to fix it without being too overbearing.

↪and that would include doung stuff that looked both like him being a caring supportive partner and a subtle boost in his public affection. of course within your boundaries the last thing he wants to do is make you uncomfortable.

↪and eventually if you tell him why he would only offer his undying support. you had that before but it seemed to increase tenfold somehow. maybe even starrt leaving you little notes with supportive messages.

↪would be willing to talk about anything with you, being open and honest is a good thing if you're comfortable with it!

[burningdaybreak]

Rekindle the flame Pre-Event Thoughts

Hello everyone, it's been a little while. First of all I wanted to say that I'm sorry for going on a small hiatus; I've had a full essay pretty much ready to post for a while now, with just a few things to fix, but I lost motivation for a few weeks and when I regained the motivation to fix it, Akito5 was already very close, so it may have become outdated pretty quickly. And so I'll leave to post it for after this event's done. Akito5, or rather, Rekindle the flame, was announced today, and I wanted to give my thoughts and predictions on the story before it starts, and then write a proper essay about it after the event (I will be tiering so it's unlikely I post it during the event). I will try to get back into writing essays again starting from here! Thank you to everyone who supports me and likes the things I write. (Disclaimer: I haven't proofread this much, sorry if there's any mistakes.)

[Event Summary]

After surpassing RAD WEEKEND, the members of Vivid BAD SQUAD are now striving for their next goal: to take over the world. While each member is slowly moving forward towards their goal, Akito, on the other hand, seems to have something on his mind...

Translation by: Project Sekai ENG (Unofficial) (@pjsekai_eng on Twitter)!

1. Event Thoughts

The story seems to be pretty much what everybody expected: Akito feeling lost or even burnt out after surpassing RAD WEEKEND, and thinking about what comes next. Akito is someone who exclusively focused on his dream of surpassing RAD WEEKEND, not giving much thought to the future and what would come after that. His thoughts about the future were pretty much limited to focusing on how he could still improve more, and how his current skill level wasn't enough. Pushing forward, recklessly and without giving it much thought, never stopping to think what's next, Akito has always focused on just keeping going ahead. He doesn't really think twice and just follows his heart. However, now that RAD WEEKEND, the one thing he was chasing after, the thing that kept the fire in him alive, that made his heart start moving again, etc., has been reached and even surpassed... the fire in him has been burnt out. He has achieved his dream, so what's next? As mentioned, this direction for Akito's character was quite expected. The feeling of thinking "well, now what?", feeling completely lost and empty, after accomplishing something you've been trying to reach for years is something I understand very well and a very real thing.

Even though he should be proud and happy of how far he has come and what he has achieved, and deep down he is, he has also lost the thing that was giving his life a meaning. He needs a new goal in life, something that will light up the fire in him again. While he loves music, and singing with his teammates and especially his partner, and "taking over the world" is definitely the new goal he'll chase after, Akito most likely wants a more personal dream, something that is truly meant for him.

Personally, as a big fan of Akito and Touya's relationship and a big believer of aiboulove, I would think that the direction of the story would be Akito realizing that this new "goal" of his is Touya: realizing that he wants to forever sing with him, always wanting to be by his side, and so on. While this isn't exactly a new thing, in this event Akito would realize that, even though his dream has been reached, and he may not be able to find a new dream just yet, there is something that will never change: his partner. With mutual feelings of love, and wanting to stay together and sing together and reach their dreams — that's right, together, Akito doesn't have to think that hard about what comes next, because, as long as Touya is with him, Akito will always have something to look forward to — his one and only partner. This isn't to discredit his relationship with Kohane and An though, he's happy to have teammates that support him and will sing with him even when he's not sure of where to go next, but the bond with your partner just goes beyond that. That may have been a bit confusing, so my idea for the story is more or less like this: Akito realizing that it doesn't matter what he does next, as long as Touya (and the rest of his team) is by his side and singing with him, he doesn't have to worry that much about the future. He loves music, his teammates, and his partner, and as long as he has that, he'll just keep moving forward. Or perhaps I am wrong and Akito does find a new goal, and it's barely related to Touya, but considering we haven't had BAD DOGS-centered content in years and their relationship progress mostly having been established things (like the flashback in Len's World Link chapter) or minor stuff, with An and Kohane's relationship having gotten big development earlier this year, I think it makes sense to think the story will be centered on Akito and Touya's relationship. (Or in a more crude way, we're quite due for a true aibouyaoi bomb) The event could also not be centered on Akito and Touya's relationship, and I'm really too yaoipilled (lol), but it's hard to imagine what else it could be centered on in the sense of what could give Akito a "reason to live" once again; although maybe it's related to that mysterious new NPC at the end of OVER RAD SQUAD!!? And I can't really predict that much, haha. Looking forward to how they'll surprise me.

Another thing to mention is Akito and Kohane's card names: Vaguely translated, Kohane's card name is "To be worthy"; This gives some things to think about. Similar to Touya and An until Whip the wimp girl!!, Akito and Kohane haven't had a meaningful interaction... well, ever (which is a bit wild, considering we just celebrated the fourth anniversary). The most one could think of is the Vivid BAD SQUAD main story part of Akito barking at Kohane. There is parallels between Akito and Kohane the same way there is between Touya and An — Akito and Kohane have always been the two characters who pushed forward in VBS without doubting themselves, mainly being positive about their goal and singing, while Touya and An are the two characters that doubted themselves and their abilities and ran away and avoided confrontation with their partners. This parallel can kind of be seen in their World Link cards, with Akito and Kohane getting cards with a "positive" vibe and a cartoony art style, while An and Touya were more "negative", a more realistic style, and darker vibe? In WTWG, Touya was able to help An since he related to how An felt about Kohane; so, likewise, Kohane could help Akito with the trouble he is going through. The card name "To be worthy" leads me to think that, now that Akito's doubting himself, or rather is feeling lost and burnt out and without a purpose, Kohane may talk with him and push him in the right direction, once again, making him realize things. While I would like for Akito's issue's resolution to be related to Touya, and it'd be a good parallel to Touya and An's talk about Kohane, I would be fine with anything, really.

Then, we have Akito's card, vaguely translated as "Smoldering Feelings". This is a fun name because, once again, as expected of him, Akito is related to the concept of fire. Smoldering means something that is burning slowly; with smoke but no flame — really driving home the point that Akito is going through a sort of burnout, the fire in him having been kind of extinguished. In the card itself, he's sitting on a chair, looking down pensive and even sad, thinking about things. "When your hyperfixation wears off", as my good buddy artemis jokingly said. While it's not in the frame, I've seen people suggest he may be watching something on his phone — maybe footage of RAD WEEKEND or RAD BLAST, in order to feel something again. "Smoldering" really ties in with Akito's thoughts in OVER RAD SQUAD!!, during his final performance:

🥞 — It doesn't matter if it's god, or buddha, or whatever else. 🥞 Once this is over, I'll give all of myself up. 🥞 But just for today, just in this moment — give it to me. 🥞 The strength to sing until all that's left are my ashes—!

He burnt everything at the end of his journey in order to reach his goal, and now, only smoke and ashes remain, ... but he will light up the fire again, because that's what he always does: push forward, no matter what.

2. Conclusion

In summary, Rekindle the flame is an event about Akito lighting up the flame inside him once again (as the event name very well puts), now that he accomplished his dream in life. As someone who has always pushed forward without thinking about the future, it makes sense he's going through a burnout period, a moment where he's lost on what's next. Although he definitely has a new goal he wants to chase after (to take over the world), and he still loves music, his partner, and his teammates, I imagine Akito wants something that is truly for him — something that belongs to him, that will make his heart start moving, once again. Personally, I think that, perhaps, he won't exactly find a goal of his own just yet, but he will realize there is already things that he can chase after, forever... something that will always be with him, by his side, and even chasing after dreams with him... someone he has helped before; and so, now it's his turn to help Akito find a way out... (thats cheesy)

... So, in those times where you've hit a wall... rely on me more!

While I may be being a bit delusional here, I would love if the story took that direction, but I am fine with them surprising me with something else! And even if the story is not akty focused, there's always aibou content in some form. We always win.

3. Afterword

I'm very excited for this event... though it's also a bit scary because I have expectations for the story, and I hope I'm not disappointed when they turn out wrong, which could very well happen. Oh shit I forgot to mention his room. We're finally seeing his room after four years? That's great. (coughs) Sorry. Anyways, thank you for reading! I'll try to write a proper essay for this event once I'm done reading it. As I said at the start, I will be tiering, so unsure if I'll be able to release it while the event's ongoing...! But look forward to something new soon!

[dean-winchester-is-a-warrior]

The Quicksilver Princess Chapter 6

Series summary: A fantasy AU in which Dean is part of a long line of warriors who protect the kingdom. What happens when his rescue of the little princess with the quicksilver eyes gets him a possible future bride?

Series Warnings: Nothing major. Show typical violence. Fantasy violence. Smut. Angst. Fluff. Each chapter will have its own specific warnings. So, watch for those.

Chapter Warnings: None really. A bit of magical violence. A kiss. Some angst.

Pairings: Dean Winchester x OFC (Melissande)

Word Count: 7,907

A/N: First of all - I'm so sorry for the length of this chapter. There was a lot to get through. 😁🫣 Secondly, I'm so unbelievably happy that I FINALLY got to give this story an ending! I've loved writing it, but fantasy is tough! Lol! But I'm happy and proud of the story as a whole, so I sure hope you enjoy this final chapter. And to those of you who've read the story and encouraged me to continue, thank you so much for your patience.

I know OFC's aren't most people's favourites, but I encourage you to give the story a shot, and I hope you enjoy it. ❤️

Series Master List || Main Master List || Tag Lists

Melissande strained against the chains that held her immobile on the cold, stone table, even though she knew her struggles were pointless. She wasn’t nearly strong enough to break the iron binding her.

Layo’ita began to gather things from around the room, filling the pockets of the long black cloak she wore over her royal finery. She wore no elaborate headdress or hairstyle now, instead the wide hood of the cloak kept her face slightly in shadow. 

She gathered plants and herbs, potions, many colorful crystals, and a small silver dagger, preparing everything, and going about her evil plan while she spoke.

“You have no idea how patient I’ve had to be, how meticulous with every detail.” She looked back to where Yasa stood slumped weakly against the wall. Melissande was terrified by his increased pallor. He raised his head slightly to watch Layo’ita as she continued.

“It would have been much easier if you weren’t such a nosy, troublesome thing.” She said to Yasa, her tone annoyed. “I hadn’t planned on duplicating you until this one turned eighteen.” 

She waved dismissively towards Melissande. “But you just had to galavant off to your beloved Winchesters and try to outsmart me.”

Her smile was shadowed. “I took care of them without much trouble. But their meddling forced me to enact my plan much earlier than I’d wanted. It takes a lot of power and strength to hold on to a Duplicate, to make them seem natural and believable. I certainly wasn’t planning on having to keep it up for a dozen years!” 

She huffed out a breath, clearly feeling put upon. “The difficulty with a Duplicate is that they give a sense, after a while at least, that something isn’t quite right. The smell begins to cause doubt and there can be no contact because of their cold skin. So, on top of everything else I had to take care of, I had to work at changing your reputation, sending out whispers that your brush with assassination had made you afraid and nervous to be around people.” 

Sha laughed lightly. “No one seemed to miss the real you very much, or push to see you. Fooling people got easier as your reputation as kind of a recluse spread.”

She shook her head. “I’ve tried so often to fix the issues with the Duplicates, but I simply couldn’t manage it. It is very frustrating.” She claimed in an annoyed tone. “But it’s why I knew early on that I needed to make you to say goodbye to your visits with this brat and whore wife number four. If you’d kept visiting, they’d have known you too well and recognized the differences very quickly.”

Layo’ita pushed back her hood to reveal another ghoulish grin. “So, I convinced you that my heart was broken, made you believe I actually cared where you spent your nights or how many bastards you fathered.” 

She snickered and looked at Melissande. “It was surprisingly easy to convince him to walk away from you and Hera. Hardly more than a few tears.”

Yasa shook his head. “That’s not true.” He said weakly, looking at Melissande. “It’s not true, poppet. I was just trying to do the right thing.” His body sagged further down the wall. “I’m sorry.”

Melissande shook her head. “I know, Papa, I know. It’s alright, we’re together now; that’s all that matters.”

Layo’ita cackled. “Oh, yes, yes! Together again - but not for long.”

Yasa’s breathing was short and slightly labored, as though standing for so long had sapped him of what little strength he had. His voice was thin, but it held a note of steel as he spoke again.

“Layo, I don’t understand. Where does this hate for me come from? We were friends once, weren’t we? I always tried to afford you the respect and care you deserved. Is this simply because I couldn’t love you? The heart pays little attention to anything but its own tune, you must know that. I did everything I could to honor my duty to you and our son.”

Layo’ita scoffed as she began to chop up some of the plants, along with what looked to Melissande to be a human tongue, tossing them all into a large, gold bowl.

“I couldn’t have cared less whether you loved me or didn’t.” 

Melissande heard a flicker of something in the First Queen’s voice that told her that she did care, much more than she admitted.

“I don’t hate you." She continued. "In fact, I don’t care about you at all, except that you’re in my way. I’ve always known I was born for something great, that the old gods fashioned me for power. But instead, my whole life was simply about learning to be your wife, a mother to future kings who would rule. But never me.”

She stopped chopping and set down the knife, walking closer to Yasa. “I didn’t want you to honor me as the ‘First Queen’ and I never wanted to be your ‘True Wife��.”

Layo’ita shook her head. “My whole life I was taught to stand beside power.” Her voice dipped low. “But I knew I was born to wield it.”

She looked over to Melissande. “But it wasn’t until this bouncing baby brat came into the world that I finally realized just how to make that power mine.”

She went to the small fireplace set into the southern wall and tossed some more of the plants onto the flames. They gave off an acrid scent that made Melissande’s eyes water a little. The Queen stirred them into the low burning flames, watching the plants burn up.

“I didn’t know what she was right away, but I knew she’d be special. I’d heard the legends of course of other Coll family members and ancestors who’d had the quicksilver eyes, but she was the first one in a very long time. And I just knew something like that had to come from magic. So, I began digging into the history of the family.” She paused to look back at Yasa with a smile. “Your aunt would have been proud at how well I learned my lessons from her.”

She shrugged. “It didn’t take long for me to realize you were descended from fairies, and that’s when I knew how to rid myself of you, and take on the power of the crown all for myself.”

Yasa attempted a laugh that came out as a cough. “Come on Layo, you don’t actually believe that nonsense, do you? Do we look like fairies? It’s just an old, silly legend, made up by one of my ancestors, no doubt, to try and make the Coll family seem even more suited and destined for the throne.”

Layo’ita just shook her head with a mysterious smile. “You’re wrong, Yasa. You’ve always underestimated magic. You shouldn’t.”

Melissande heard her father’s words and the strangest feeling came over her; it was like something deep in her soul was shouting out a denial of what he was saying. It wasn’t a legend; it was real. She knew it like she knew how to breathe; it was instinctual, automatic. It was an odd feeling when just the day before she’d had almost the exact same reaction as her father when Rowena told her she was part fey. 

But there was something about being in this place, so completely submerged in magic, that made the reality of her lineage very apparent to her. Something inside was screaming at her to believe, to soak up the magic surrounding her and allow it to flow through her.

Layo’ita stabbed at the fire with a poker until the logs and plants burned together into embers, and then into ash which she scooped up into a smaller silver bowl. She brought it over to the table where Melissande lay, and from inside her pocket she withdrew the silver dagger. She chanted something and then sliced a small, but fairly deep cut in Melissande’s left arm, making her gasp at the sting.

The First Queen rested the silver bowl beneath her arm, collecting her blood as it leaked from her veins. She took the bowl away, allowing the blood to trail down Melissande’s arm and onto the table. Then using the dagger, she mixed the ash and blood together, continuing to chant as she spread the sticky paste that it made, over Melissande’s feet and across her forehead.

The chants turned into a slow, soft song, as Layo’ita began to arrange the plethora of crystals she carried, around the outline of Melissande’s body. When she was done, Melissande felt the crystals warming her up in the cold chamber, each brightly colored stone giving off ripples of heat.

Layo’ita picked up the silver dagger again and approached Yasa. “Duplicating you, keeping the kingdom from knowing the truth, has been exhausting for these last twelve years. Every day, I’ve worried that this would be the day someone figured it out. I simply can’t go on like this forever.”

She shrugged. “So, my answer is to soak up your essence to put into my Duplicate, so he looks real and right. No more traces of sulfur, no more cold skin. But still very much under my control." She smiled. "I've found my solution at last."

She sighed. “Unfortunately, the only way to collect your essence,” she raised the dagger, “is to cut it out of you.”

“No!” Melissande shouted.

Yasa’s pallid face looked defiant and proud as he stood to his full height, in spite of the way his legs shook with exhaustion. Layo’ita looked slightly amused at his pride and defiance.

“You forget yourself, Layo. Do you not recall that you gave me a son, an heir. You can strike me down, but one day he will come  to claim his crown and avenge me in the process.”

The Queen cackled again. “Oh my dear, I would be surprised if he even remembers you. I’ve been assured that he’s quite happy governing in The Lands Beyond and holding on to his own little piece of the world.”

She shrugged again. “But, if the babe I birthed tries to come and claim what I have taken, well, then he’ll meet your same fate.”

The First Queen lifted the dagger, aiming it at Yasa’s heart and Melissande saw it flash in the light of the dying fire as she screamed out her horror.

***

Four more Winchesters had joined Dean’s ranks before they set off from King’s Town, and as it turned out, sixteen experienced and well-trained Winchesters were more than capable of taking down the Guardsmen. 

At the witching hour, under the cover of night, the Winchesters blended into the darkness and silently approached the castle. They split into four groups of four, and each team was charged with securing one of the North, East, South, and West facing entrances. 

They’d agreed at the outset to do everything they could to not kill the guardsmen. Despite their extreme dislike of the order, and the grudge they held against the usurping guardsmen, they all begrudgingly agreed that the soldiers were just doing their duty in protecting the castle. So, they would do all they could to spare them.

But in the end, some of the guards fought bravely and gave the Winchesters a real challenge, but a great many of the guardsmen surrendered as soon as they saw the Winchesters fighting like the Warriors they were. 

Dean, Robert, Jody, and Ketch made up one team, going through the North-facing entrance. There were approximately thirty soldiers at that entrance, and only six of them put up a fight, battling hard. But the Warriors still won handily, with only a broken nose for Ketch and two broken fingers for Jody. 

After they’d been subdued, Dean grabbed one of the more cowardly looking guardsmen and demanded that he take him to Mellie.

“Now!” Dean shouted and the man trembled as he rushed to obey. Dean had to shake his head a little. How on earth had the kingdom stayed safe with these guardsmen as its protectors?

Jody and Ketch stayed to watch over the guards left behind, and to coordinate with the other Warriors to make sure everything was going smoothly in the other battles. Dean and Robert followed the guard down endless flights of stone steps until they came upon the dungeon in the bowels of the castle. 

They left the guard tied up at the entrance to the row of dungeon cells, and proceeded down to the last cell where the guard said Mellie was being held.

They slowed as they approached it, taking extra care with their surroundings, looking for booby traps, or something that would keep them from reaching her at the last minute. 

But nothing appeared to attack them, and they approached the cell. Dean wanted to let out a whoop of relief as he saw Mellie behind the bars, lying on the hard ground.

She’s alive. He thought with cascading relief. 

She was dirty and she shivered slightly in her sleep, but she was alive. Her brow puckered as though she was having bad dreams, but she was alive. Dean approached the bars as he sent Robert back to the guard. 

“Get the key.” He told the older man, who raced off to find it. Dean called softly through the bars.

“Mellie, sweetheart, wake up. Wake up, I’m gonna get you out of here.”

Mellie’s eyes flickered open, and confusion filled her expression for a moment as she sat up. But then she saw Dean and she gave a cry of surprise and happiness.

“Dean!” She jumped to her feet. “Oh Dean, you came! I knew you would.”

She approached the bars slowly, hesitatingly and Dean smiled at her warmly to let her know she was safe. As she drew nearer a slightly foul odor hit his nose, something like rotten eggs, and it made him want to take a step back. But he gave himself a mental shake.

Gods, man, he thought to himself, she’s been snatched up and thrown in a dungeon. What were you expecting her to smell like, roses?

He smiled at her again. “Robert’s gone to get the key, then we’ll get you out of here, somewhere safe, with a couple of Warriors to protect you and Robert and I will stay and demand to speak with your father, and try to find out what’s going on here.”

Mellie nodded. “Please be careful.”

Before he could respond, Robert was back with the key. Dean took it from him and pushed it into the rusted lock, unlocking the cell and pulling open the squeaking door. He rushed inside and ran up to Mellie, taking her upper arms in his hands, intending to pull her close. But when he touched her he was surprised.

“Mellie, you’re like ice.” He said with a frown, chafing her arms. “Robert, see if you can find a blanket somewhere.”

Robert nodded and set off. Dean took Mellie’s icy hand in his, intending to lead her out of the cell. But as her hand slipped into his, a sense of something dark slithered down his spine and suddenly his instincts were screaming at him, warning him. 

He turned to look down at the woman walking beside him, and he was somehow sure something was off. For one thing, Mellie was never this quiet. She should be asking him a thousand questions about how they got in and who was with him. She should be saying “I told you so.” because the Winchesters had listened to him as she’d said they would.

He dropped her hand and stepped back from her. She looked slightly confused and a little hurt. “Dean, what is it?”

Dean shook his head, more sure than ever. He jerked his chin towards her. “I have no idea what you are, sweetheart, but you sure as hell aren’t Mellie.”

Remembering suddenly, Dean reached into the pouch on his hip and pulled out one of Rowena’s magic-revealing bags, and it glowed bright purple. Grabbing a matchbox from the same pouch, he quickly lit a match and then set the bundle ablaze. 

In slight horror, Dean watched as “Mellie” went stone silent and unmoving before she went up in a literal puff of smoke. The air around him radiated the purple color as it thinned to a trail that led towards the back wall.

“Robert!” He called and the elder Warrior ran in, clearly confused by the still settling smoke and the purple air around them.

“It wasn’t her.” Dean said succinctly. “I don’t know what kind of illusion that was, but it was obviously meant to keep us from finding the real Mellie, and to keep us distracted until it’s too late.”

He pointed to the purple path in front of them and how it disappeared into the wall. “This is a protection bag from Rowena.”

Robert rolled his eyes. “You went to one witch to save you from another? What are the chances that she isn’t helping her?”

Dean shook his head. “No, trust me, we can trust her. On this at least. The bag glows purple in the presence of magic, and when it’s burned it reveals the magic that’s been used. This magic seems to be in the very air around us, and it seems to be leading us there.” He said, pointing.

“Into a wall.” Robert said, deadpan. 

Dean nodded. “I wonder what’s on the other side.”

Robert nodded. “Alright, how do we break through?”

It took them far longer than Dean wanted to find equipment to try to chip away at the stone. His stomach was once again in his throat as he realized the eclipse was approaching fast. 

But once they had pickaxes, they began pounding away at the stone and put a hole in the wall mercifully quickly. Once there was a small opening, the men tore at it with their bare hands, loosening rock and shoving it aside until there was a hole big enough for them to squeeze through. 

When they were on the other side they saw they were standing on a landing at the top of a very long staircase. The stairs went on for so long, and went so deep beneath the castle, that they couldn’t make out the bottom of the steps; it ended in sheer darkness. 

Though it was starting to fade, they still had the purple light in the air to follow, and it led them straight down the stairs. 

It seemed to take forever to reach the bottom, and eventually the purple light disappeared completely, forcing Dean to strike match after match in an attempt to keep them from pitching headfirst down the increasingly damp stairs. 

Finally, they reached the bottom, and followed a very pale light that was burning in the one and only cell. There was no one inside, and Dean wondered why the light still burned inside the cell.

Finally, he decided to burn the other bag, and see where the purple air would take them next. It had them continue down a very long corridor, until they finally reached a small, oval, wooden door. They were in the process of trying to find a way through, when Dean heard Mellie scream in terror and without hesitation, he smashed his body through the door.

***

It all happened so quickly; one moment the Queen was a breath away from murdering her father right in front of her, and the next moment there was a massive crash as the door splintered and Dean came charging through it. 

Instantly Melissande’s eyes were filled with tears. “Dean.” She whispered. 

Before she could do more than blink away the tears however, Dean and another man ran at Layo’ita, swords raised. With a blast of blue light from the center of her palms she threw the men back, spinning them through the air to land in a heap on the floor. 

Dean got to his hands and knees and took cover behind a shelf full of tiny vials of potion. The older man sought cover as well, but didn’t find it quick enough and Layo’ita blasted him again, sending him crashing into the wall this time and knocking him out cold.

The Queen slowly walked towards the shelf Dean was hiding behind, shaking her head. “Now, now, hunter, you failed spectacularly at the mission I sent you on. But if you’re very good, I’ll let you stay alive for the show. As the sun rises, the moon will usurp its place in the sky, and the world will go dark. Then I will make my mark upon this land, and then the next kingdom, and the next and next, until all the world is held in the palm of my hand.”

Dean’s voice was deeply sardonic as he spoke. “Wow, it seems to me, like maybe you need a new pastime. You know, something else to focus on besides the whole, world conquering insanity. Cause, I mean, let’s be honest. Who the hell are you to claim ownership of the entire living world?”

Melissande could hear the rage in the Queen’s voice as she shouted at him. “I am born of the old gods, crafted by them, my destiny set down by them, written into the turning pages of time, before the world began. I am chosen among all the-”

“Got it!” Dean interrupted her. “You’re the very bestest and the gods really, really like you. That’s great, but I suppose that means I’m gonna make those old guys pretty angry when I put my sword through your black heart.”

Melissande could see the way Layo’ita’s face contorted in fury. “How dare you? You know you don’t stand a chance against me, boy! You mock the old gods, but they’re at my back, they guide me and give me power.”

She walked to one side of the shelf, creeping slowly, hiding her approach, but as she swept around to the back, Dean charged out from the other side, swinging his sword in a downward arc, coming within a hair’s breadth of taking off the queen’s head. But she jumped back just in time, and fired a bolt of magical power at him, tossing him aside, into the wall beside her father.

He rose again quickly, but not fast enough. Chains snaked out of the wall to wrap around Dean’s chest and thighs, pinning him in place. When he was completely immobilized, the Queen waved her hand and another set of chains wrapped themselves around Robert where he lay, still unconscious.

She approached Dean, wearing a smug smile. She reached out towards him, and used magic to pry his hand open and let his sword clatter to the ground. 

Dean gave a frustrated growl through clenched teeth as the Queen reached him. She raised her hand up to run it down his cheek, and Dean turned his head, trying to jerk it away from her. But there was nowhere to move to.

Melissande watched his jaw flex tightly as Layo’ita ran her fingers from his cheek, down over his neck, and then across his broad chest.

The Queen sighed slightly. “You know, you certainly are a beautiful man. I might have to keep you. When the world is mine, I might need a pet, someone to keep me…entertained.” She moved her fingertips to his mouth and traced his bottom lip.

Dean turned cold eyes her way. “Yeah, good luck with that, sweetheart. Cause trust me, I bite.” He snapped his teeth at her fingers, and she just barely got them out of the way in time. She laughed, clearly exhilarated. 

She practically purred at him. “Yes, I must find a place for you in my bedroom.”

“Get away from him!” Melissande shouted at her. She felt sick seeing Dean chained up and at the mercy of this fiendish madwoman. She’d brought this on him.

Layo’ita turned laughing eyes her way. “Oh, little princess, does it bother you to see him with someone else? Did you imagine he was in love with you just because he married you.” 

When Melissande’s eyes grew wide, Layo’ita smirked. “Did you think I wasn’t aware of that pathetic attempt at trickery? But you won’t have to worry about that much longer. In fact,” she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, “soon you won’t have to worry about much of anything."

She looked up at the ceiling. “The sun is rising.”

There were no windows in the chamber, but somehow Melissande knew she was right; it was as if she could feel it on her skin. 

The Queen returned to Melissande’s side, pressing her hand to her forehead as though she was checking Melissande for a fever. But she chanted softly, effectively ignoring the woman beneath her hand as she continued the ritual she’d been planning for nineteen years.

When her chant ended, she seemed to be almost in a trance, and she wandered back towards Dean and Yasa. The King seemed so faint now he could barely hold his head up. Layo’ita bent to pick up the dagger she’d dropped when Dean smashed through the door, and tilted her head to look at Yasa, studying him.

But then she raised the dagger in her hand again, and again Melissande screamed out in terror. “Papa!” As her scream crescendoed, something happened that hadn’t happened the first time. 

One of the crystals on the stone table, the orange one beside her shoulder, cracked into shards and the pieces sailed across the room towards the Queen. The sharp splinters of rock sliced into her cheek and she screamed in pain and surprise. 

She whipped around to see Melissande’s shocked expression as she felt something churning inside her. Something that felt as though it rose up from the bottom of her soul and the very tips of her toes. Without conscious thought, two more crystals splintered and hurled themselves at Layo’ita, making the woman scream at Melissande in frustration.

“What do you think you’re doing you little brat? Who do you think you are?”

Words swam up into Melissande’s mind, Rowena’s words, and she spoke them outloud.

“I am the direct descendant of Queen Caryn'se, Ruler of the Fae and these ancient lands from the time the world began.” She shook her head. “You think the old gods created you to be a force of power and tyranny, but I think you’re wrong.”

With almost no effort, Melissande snapped the iron links that bound her, sitting up and grasping two more crystals in her hands. The Queen shot a bolt of power at her, but it sparked out and died like a fizzled candle before it could touch the Princess.

Melissande felt her body begin to buzz with an inexplicable energy, powerful and potent. But it didn’t scare her, it excited her, and it cradled her, protected her as she stepped down from the table and faced Layo’ita as she continued.

“I believe that when the old gods crafted me, they fashioned my veins and filled them with the blood of the fey, the blood of Caryn’se.” She held up the crystals in her palms. “They gave me the protection of the earth, the protection of Sanso’ye itself. The land of the silver-eyed people belongs to my ancestors, and we will not allow you to make our people suffer any longer!” 

Melissande’s voice was vibrating with power, and she could see the white light that surrounded her, emanating from her entire body. As the Queen tried to bombard her with more and more flashes of dark magic, Melissande looked to where her father and Dean stood chained. Their eyes were wide with disbelief, but then Dean smiled as she caught his eye. It was a warm smile, and it even looked a little proud. 

Melissande sent another crystal flying towards Dean. The gem barely touched his chains, but they quickly fell away. As soon as he was free, he immediately leapt for his sword. 

Layo'ita spun to face him, hand raised to throw more magic at him, and the chains had started reaching out for him again.

But Melissande shook her head. “No.” She said softly and four crystals broke apart and shot through the air to stab into the Queen’s skin, causing her to screech in pain.

Her scream was short-lived, however as Dean got ahold of his sword and swung it true, following through on his promise, and plunging it through her heart. 

The Queen’s face, skull-like and imobile, nevertheless wore a look of unbelievable shock as she fell backwards off of Dean’s sword and landed in a heap on the ground. Blood plumed across her chest, and as her last breath rattled out of her lungs, the Queen reached towards Melissande, as though, even in her last moments of life, she was desperately trying to grasp onto power.

After the Queen's death rattle, silence reigned for a moment, and Melissande could feel the power that had surged through her, begin to ebb, slowly melting away until she was just herself again, just a girl standing on very shaky legs.

Dean dropped his sword and ran to her, grasping her cheeks; his eyes flicked over her face quickly, taking inventory. Then without a word he claimed her lips in a stunning kiss, sweeping his tongue into her mouth and stamping her with it. He swallowed down her surprised cry, turning his head so he could slot his mouth over hers again and again.

They might have stayed like that forever if not for the King softly clearing his throat.

They nearly leapt away from each other as they were interrupted. They looked over to where Yasa stood, still weak and leaning against the wall, but also free from the chains. Melissande’s eyes widened.

“How did you get out of the chains?” 

The king pointed to where Robert was stirring slightly, his chains were also broken and laying on the floor. Yasa shrugged. “The magic died with her, I suppose.”

He smiled and raised an eyebrow. “I hate to pull you apart, but I do believe we should get out of this vile place.”

Dean sprang into action. “Yes, of course, Your Majesty.” He looked at the man’s spindly limbs and bit his lip. “I mean no disrespect, Your Grace, but there are many, many stairs to climb in order to get out of here. Will you allow me to carry you out?”

Yasa nodded. “Thank you Winchester.” As Dean moved to pick him up though, the King put a hand on his arm. “I owe you my life, and my kingdom and I want you to know, it wasn’t truly me who…who ordered your father’s death and your brother’s imprisonment. John and Sam were incredibly decent and loyal men, and I will make immediate moves to see to it your brother is released and your father is pardoned of all false crimes. I’m so sorry that I ever called on them for help.”

Dean’s jaw ticked and he swallowed sharply, but he shook his head. “No, Sir. You have nothing to apologize for. My father died trying to protect his King, as he’d vowed. And now that people will know that, he can rest peacefully and honorably.”

Dean swallowed tightly again. “But I’m very grateful to have my little brother back as soon as possible.”

The King nodded. “It shall be done.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.” Dean said before he easily picked up the stick thin man.

Melissande felt her heart constrict as she imagined the joy waiting for Dean when Sam was finally freed at last. But she shook her head at her father. “Yes, we’ll do it all, but first, I believe I promised you warm soup and warm blankets.”

***

Two months later:

In the time that followed there was much rejoicing and reuniting; the kingdom learned slowly about all that had happened at the castle, both twelve years ago and at the equinox. Astonishment was high, but as time moved forward, the astonishment turned into great joy. A huge celebration was planned and many, many people were invited. 

All the King’s children had been called back home for a time, the invitation extended to their families as well. Yasa was determined to reconnect with his children, explain what had happened, and meet his grandchildren. He was slowly gaining weight, and color had returned to his skin, so he was more than ready to receive the rest of his family.

Melissande was slightly nervous about seeing her siblings again, or in the case of her eldest brother, seeing him for the very first time. But mostly she was excited, and she was happy that her father had survived to see his children all gathered under one roof.

Queen Hera had been given a place of honor for her eternal resting place. She'd been buried within the King’s Castle graveyard where Yasa could go put flowers on her grave easily while he recuperated. Melissande had caught him talking to her a few times when she came to pay her respects. Her father had been embarrassed at first, but she shook her head.

“No, Papa, don’t be ashamed. I talk to her all the time.” Tears filled her eyes. “I miss her very much, but I think she listens to us and it makes her happy to hear from us.”

Yasa nodded and kissed the crown of his daughter’s head. “You have your mother’s gentle spirit, and kind, loving heart.” He chucked her chin and winked at her. “But I’m gonna take credit for providing you with the fierce, unimaginable power you wield like a sword on behalf of your people.”

Melissande laughed. “I think that part comes along with these.” She said, pointing to her silver eyes and giving a shrug. “So, it probably does come from your side.”

When it came to her powers, she was still a little daunted by them, but with Rowena’s help she was beginning to learn about them, and how to manage them. 

There was some pushback from the church as the Kingdom made moves towards embracing the old gods and magic once again. But the King told them simply that this had always been a realm of magic, and when you repressed it, or left only a few to practice it, you ended up with power-hungry rivals for the throne and no one to check them.

There was a lot of grumbling at first, but those on different sides of the issue were starting to come together and at least work towards peace and harmony.

One of the happiest moments for Melissande in the months after escaping from the Queen’s wrath, had been when the prisoners were freed from the mines. It wasn’t only Sam that had been wrongly imprisoned. There were many that Layo’ita had sent to the mines simply for questioning her or for stating their opinion.

When they’d returned, seeing families reunited had brought on many happy tears. Watching Dean and Sam crush each other as they embraced for the first time in over a decade, had made her sob noisily into her handkerchief.

While the kingdom was being set to rights and the Warriors were returned to their former place of honor within the kingdom (some of the guardsmen who’d defended the castle so stoutly were taking the vow as Winchesters), it was easy to stay busy and distracted.

But as the celebration approached, and preparations fell into the capable hands of their craftsmen and artisans, Melissande found herself with a lot of time on her hands, and she began to contemplate what the future was going to look like for her and Dean.

She knew he’d only married her to keep her safe. So, now that she was, what would he do? He’d been reinstated as a First Line Warrior and had returned to his duties at the Winchester Keep. He was at the castle fairly frequently, helping the King set his defenses in order and shore up security around the kingdom since it had been allowed to become incredibly lax under a Queen who didn’t care about the people.

So, Melissande saw him fairly regularly, but they never spoke about their situation. It was always just polite conversation in which he addressed her formally as “Your Highness” or “Princess Melissande”. He never called her Mellie anymore and she missed the sound of it on his lips.

She also missed his lips, and his hands, and so many other parts of him. She missed the way she always felt so safe with him nearby, missed the way he teased her, or purposely tried to bait her. She just missed him, and she was starting to think that now that his duty was done, he was no longer interested in anything to do with her. 

But she thought about him all the time. She thought a lot about the wedding night that they never really had; she dreamed about it too.

Then one day a messenger arrived with a package for her. She saw that it came from Dean and she ripped it open excitedly. But when she saw what was inside her heart stopped beating and then plummeted to her stomach.

Inside were papers that had already been drawn up by the church and signed by Dean, papers that officially annulled their marriage, and set them free of one another. Dean had included a note at the bottom that said simply:

Have your father sign these as well, and it will be official, and you’ll be rid of me at last.

Melissande heard the teasing in the written words, could easily imagine the way his green eyes would sparkle, and the way they would crinkle at the corners as he smiled.

Her heart was broken and she ran to talk to the one person she knew would listen and not judge her for loving a man who didn’t want her. She knelt at her mother’s grave, rearranging the old flowers around her new ones.

“I don’t know what to do, Mama. I just love him. He’s so brave and strong and true. I know that sounds like the words of a lovesick fool, and I suppose I am. But they’re also the truth. He’s so honorable and chivalrous and…oh, Mama he’s so handsome. I think about him all the time, about…well about him kissing me or…well I just think about him. His voice and his laugh and…”

Her tears streaked her cheeks. “But he’s dissolving the contract between us, making it as though it never was.”

She wiped her cheeks and sniffled. “I suppose it’s fair. He only married me to keep me safe and to do the noble thing. Now that I’m safe, the kind thing to do would be to let him out of his obligation.”

She took a shuddery breath. “Yes, it’s the honorable thing to do.”

***

Dean walked into the King’s private antechamber, expecting to be discussing training for the new Warriors, and how the Keeps would be updated to accommodate the new men and women. But as he entered, the King waved at a seat beside him, bidding him to sit down. 

It was highly unusual. Generally he met with the King and a few members of his new Council. So being here alone was already strange, but also, Warriors stood during meetings, and they were certainly never invited by the King to sit beside him.

But not wishing to disobey his King, he perched on the edge of the seat and nodded at the sovereign awkwardly. “So, would you like me to list the supplies we’ll need to improve and expand the Keeps?”

But Yasa was shaking his head. “No, no. This isn’t a formal visit. I had some questions to ask you.”

Dean felt his heart beat a little faster. “Alright, Your Majesty. I’d be happy to try and answer them.”

The King was quiet for a moment before he turned inquisitive eyes on Dean. “Why did you marry my daughter?” 

Dean felt his stomach twist into a knot. Why the hell was the King talking to him about this? He and Mellie had already explained how and why the wedding had taken place, and Yasa had seemed fine with it at the time, maybe even a little grateful for Dean’s help.

So, what had changed; why did he want to discuss this now? Was this because of the annulment papers? Were there things he needed clarified?

Dean cleared his throat. “Well, as we told you, Your Grace, at the time, not knowing the full plans of the First Queen, it seemed like…”

Dean trailed off as the King waved at him. “No, no. I know the official reason, I know you meant to keep her safe, and I’m very grateful for that. But I suppose I meant to ask, was that the only reason? Or…is there a way you could see yourself staying married to her now that she’s safe?”

“I’m afraid…” Dean cleared his throat again. “Sire, I’m afraid I don’t…I mean, I’m not sure what you’re asking. I…of course I never dreamed of keeping her shackled to a mere Warrior. She no longer requires the protection of my name or my sword, so as any good subject would do, I’m removing the obligation of our vows.”

Yasa nodded. “I see…so…you don’t love her?”

Dean’s heart began to beat triple time. “I’m…Your Grace…I don’t…my feelings don’t matter one way or another. I’m a Warrior, Melissande is a Princess, I have no right to feel any way towards her. I’m all too aware that I am not worthy of her hand.”

“Hmm…” The King stroked his chin and then reached over to pull some papers off the table beside him. Dean recognized the annulment papers, but on top of them was a letter in neat, slanting handwriting. The King held it up. 

“This is a letter from Hera that she sent to me on Melissande’s eighteenth birthday. Of course, having been trapped in a dungeon, I only just got around to reading it. The letter talks about what an amazing woman Melissande has become, but then she goes on to talk about you.”

Dean frowned. “Me?”

Yasa smiled. “Yes, lad, you. She explains how you saved Melissande when she was just a little girl.” A shadow passed over his features. “Somehow that information never made it to me either, and I wasn’t in a dungeon then.” He sighed. “I have a lot to make amends for.”

He shook his head and continued. “In the letter, Hera says that when you saved her, she offered you Melissande’s hand when she came of age, but you said then too, that you were not worthy. But,” he lifted the letter, “she thought you were. In fact, she knew you were. And I would have to agree.”

Dean shook his head. “Your Majesty -”

Yasa cut him off. “You’ve now saved my daughter’s life twice. You saved me, and the kingdom.”

Dean scrubbed the back of his neck with his hand and stared at the floor. “With an awful lot of help from your daughter.”

The King smiled. “Yes, she was remarkable. But you fought to get to us and you stabbed that wicked witch through the heart so she could never again threaten our kingdom.” His voice became more impassioned. “Your father gave his life, and your brother gave his freedom in defense of our kingdom. Now, if that doesn’t label you as worthy, I don’t know what would.”

At a complete loss for words, Dean could only fidget on the chair and look anywhere but at his King.

Yasa’s voice was soft as he continued. “But worthy or not, I won’t let you be with her if you don't love her. She deserves all the tenderness that was denied to her and her mother because of Layo’ita…and me.”

Dean felt his mind cloud with visions of Mellie, the visions he fought against day and night - her laughter and its musicality, but also the way her eyes sparked when she was mad; her bravery and her vulnerability; the way she clung to him sometimes, and the way she bossed him around. He thought about the very real possibility the King was presenting to him - a life with Mellie at his side, maybe children in the future and a life lived with purpose and meaning.

He hardly believed it could be real. But he took a chance and spoke quietly, his voice slightly hoarse. “Yes, I love her. I love her very much.”

Dean actually jumped in his seat as the door burst open and Mellie thundered in. Her cheeks were flushed, and tears sparkled in her beautiful quicksilver eyes; her skin glowed slightly as the magic of her soul lit up her body.

“Really Winchester?” She said, swallowing harshly and trying to hide her beaming smile. “You told my father before you told me?”

Dean felt the King stand and walk towards the door, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of Mellie to look. The King paused at her side and kissed the top of her head.

“Go easy on him, poppet. He really loves you.” He gave a soft smile and left, thrilled with this development and off to tell Hera all about it.

As he left the room, Mellie walked up to where Dean still sat in the chair. “So?” She said, tapping her foot against the wooden floors.

Dean felt his chest expand as it began to dawn on him that he really was married to this spitfire princess with her shifting silver eyes, and miracle of miracles, she seemed to love him back, which meant he got to stay married to her.

He smiled widely and his eyes were teasing as he reached up to grab her hand and yank her down onto his lap. She let out a small squeal as he spoke.

“And if I did speak to your father before you, wife? What of it? I am your husband after all, so you have to obey me.”

She elbowed him in the ribs and he exhaled sharply. “Oof.” 

Mellie’s eyes glowed bright silver and Dean let his heart fill with awe as she spoke. 

“Not likely, my Winchester Warrior. I am the Princess Melissande, pride of my mother Queen Hera, descendant of the fairy Queen Caryn’se, daughter of the Fae, and the honored child of King Yasa of Sanso’ye.” She flicked her hair back over her shoulder. “I obey no one.”

Dean’s smile was soft as he brushed his lips softly against hers and cupped her cheek in his palm before conceding happily and running his thumb along her cheekbone. “Alright, my Mellie, I suppose the obedience part is negotiable.”

He kissed her as she laughed, and reveled in the sound, and in the way her body felt, pressed close to him.

He caught her chin with his thumb and forefinger and stared into her eyes. “Marry me, princess?”

She chuckled. “That part’s already done.” She gave him an impish grin. “But I’ll wed you all over again, happily, if you promise that this time, we get a wedding night.”

Dean’s eyes flared with heat and he kissed her long and deep, living for the sighs and whimpers that bubbled up from inside her. He pulled back when he was dizzy for air, and he was panting as he spoke.

“You know, sweetheart, technically we are already married, and I bet Rowena would let us stay a night in that big, beautiful bedroom of hers. If I offer her a big enough trade she might even take herself and Bernard away for the night.”

Mellie’s smile was blinding. “Send a messenger.”

@lyarr24 @lacilou @deans-spinster-witch @globetrotter28 @suckitands33

@alwaystiredandconfused @jzackles @jackles010378 @impala67rollingthroughtown @krazykelly

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@mishkatelwarriorgoddess @avanatural @mrsjenniferwinchester @all-alone-he-turns-to-stone @deangirl96

@stoneyggirl2 @fanfic-n-tabulous @traiitorjoe

[sequinsmile-x]

Fourth - Chapter 4 - Three Months Old

Emily and Aaron get through the newborn stage, also known as the 'fourth trimester', together.

NOTE: Because of the time consuming nature of it, and tumblr being tumblr, instead of a tag list, going forward I would just encourage those who want to know when I'm posting to turn on post notifications <3

-x-

Hi friends,

Thank you so much for the love on this fic <3 I've enjoyed exploring the reality of having a tiny little baby with these two, and I'm so glad you've enjoyed it.

Please let me know what you think of this last part!

-x-

Warnings: List of tags can be found on the Master List

Words: 2.7k (okay I broke my '2k or less' rule for this fic but it was bound to happen xo)

Read over on Ao3, or below the cut

She huffs as she steps back to look at her own reflection, swallowing thickly when she barely recognises the woman looking back at her. 

The jeans were new. She’d bought them last week, Lucas asleep against her chest in the wrap that had quickly become her favourite baby item, her focus on the weight of her son against her, rather than the fact the jeans were two sizes bigger than she used to need. Aaron kept assuring her that she looked beautiful, his expression and embrace as earnest as ever in their rare moments alone, but she struggled to believe him. 

When she looked in the mirror she didn’t see the sexy confident woman she had once been, the person she’d clawed back from the abyss when she got used to her body again after her injuries from Ian. Even when she was pregnant, she’d loved how she looked. The proof of her and Aaron’s love growing beneath her skin, her body changing and adapting to keep her little boy safe as she made him from scratch. Aaron had loved it too, his hand always pressed against her new curves, admiring the changes to her body in real-time. 

The further away from giving birth she got, the more she was struggling with how she looked. Her body no longer felt like her own. She was nursing her little boy and unable to eat everything she wanted to, his poor tummy sensitive to an increasing list of things, and too busy and tired to even think about working out. It was impossible not to feel inadequate when she looked at JJ, when she thought of how quickly she’d bounced back, and not just physically. How from the outside it had always seemed like she had it all together.  

She looks at herself from the side, grimacing as she pulls on the belt loops of the jeans, adjusting them around her hips, her critical gaze fixed on how the material gathered around her still soft belly. Emily groans as she turns so she’s facing the mirror head on again, her gaze drifting from the fit of her jeans to her hairline, one side of it noticeably, at least to her, thinner than the other.

“As if everything else isn’t bad enough my hair is falling out,” she grumbles, turning to look at Lucas sitting behind her in his bouncy chair. He smiles, his gums on proud display as he chirps at her, and she feels happiness she would have once thought impossible wash over her, “You, mister,” she says as she walks over, unbuckling him from his chair and lifting him into her arms. “Are very lucky you’re so fucking cute.” He squeals, again, and rubs his face against her chest, his tiny fingers tangling in her hair, “It’s just about time for your nap, huh?” 

She almost walks straight into Aaron in the hallway, smiling as their eyes meet, his hand briefly on her hip as she slips past him, “Everyone is on their way.” 

She hums at him before she blows out a breath, adjusting her hold on Lucas, “Good, that’s good.” 

Dave was the one who’d brought up the idea of having a barbecue, but as the ones with the youngest child, they ended up hosting. Now it was here, the grill clean and out in the backyard, an enormous amount of burgers and hotdogs stuffed in their fridge, she felt uneasy. She loved her friends. She missed spending time with them like she once had, missed when it felt easy, but she no longer felt like that person anymore, her priorities permanently shifted. 

“Em, are you okay?” Aaron asks, his brow furrowing as he steps closer, a smile flitting across his face as Lucas snuggles in deeper to Emily’s side, “If you want me to tell them we have to reschedule-”

“No, it’s okay,” she says, shaking her head as she cuts him off, “I’ll have fun when they get here. I’m just being silly.” 

He leans forward and kisses her temple and then Lucas’s head before he pulls back, “You’ve never been silly a day in your life.”

She smiles, love for him blooming in her chest, the flowers of it pressing against her lungs, “You’re sweet,” she says, leaning in to kiss him, her hand on the back of Lucas’s head to protect him from getting squished between them, “I’ll be okay, I promise,” she says, kissing him one more time before she steps back, “Do I look okay?” She asks, insecurity she hadn’t felt since she was a teenage girl getting used to long limbs that came out of nowhere washing over her, “The jeans are new.” 

“You look beautiful,” he says, winking at her, “Maybe if we get the baby down later I can show you how beautiful.” 

They’d had sex only a couple of times since the doctor had given her the all clear. The first time had hurt and it had put them both off, his insistence that he didn’t want to ever hurt her stopping him from ever going any further than flirting and suggestive comments. She knew that was the reason but it was hard to separate it from her own feelings of self-consciousness, a cruel voice in the back of her mind telling her it was because he no longer liked what he saw either. 

She smiles shyly at him and gasps in fake outrage to cover the flash of anxiety, “Mr Hotchner,” she says, rubbing her hand up and down Lucas’s back when he fusses, “I should feed Luke before he falls asleep before I have the chance.” 

Aaron nods and she can feel him watch her go, his eyes fixed on her until she disappears into the nursery.

“Alright, Lukey,” she says, kissing the side of his head as she settles into the rocking chair, holding him expertly in one arm so she can undo her shirt and bra, “Let’s get you settled.” 

She sighs contentedly as she nurses him, her knuckles trailing lightly over his soft hair, a smile breaking out across her face as his hand comes to rest on her breast. Impossibly tiny fingers skimming the edge of the brand mark left by a man who had once tried to claim her as his. She rocks them back and forth, listening idly as the team starts to arrive, thankfully following their instructions to knock and not ring the bell. Eventually, Lucas falls asleep, unlatching as he does so, and love for him that always seemed as big as it could get gets bigger. She rearranges her clothing and rubs Lucas’s back until he burps. She kisses his forehead and lays him down in his crib with the same care she would an active bomb and quietly leaves the room, grabbing the monitor on the way past. 

She’s barely halfway down the stairs when she hears a knock on the front door, the flair of it letting her know it’s Penelope, and she walks over, almost immediately overwhelmed by her friend as she opens the door. 

“Where is that precious tiny baby of yours?” Penelope asks enthusiastically as she steps past Emily into the house, barely casting a glance at her.

“Nice to see you too, Pen,” she replies sarcastically, raising her eyebrow at her friend, holding up the baby monitor in her hand and showing the grainy image of the sleeping baby in his crib, “He’s asleep.” 

“Sorry, Peaches. It’s good to see you, I miss your gorgeous face at work,” she says, squeezing her in a hug for a moment before she pulls back, “Am I the last one here?” 

Emily nods and links her arm through Penelope’s as they walk through the house, “I think everyone else is out back,” she says, her smile soft and relaxed in a way it never was anywhere other than right here in her home, “Aaron has the grill out. Derek, Will and Dave are probably all observing,” she chuckles, “And I’d put money on Spence playing with Jack and Henry.” 

“Not a bad way to end your maternity leave.” 

Emily hums, her heart stuttering in her chest at the thought of it, her skin tingling at the idea of leaving her 3-month-old in the care of someone else, “Yeah,” she chokes out, “Not bad at all.” 

She was struggling with the idea of going back to work. She didn’t feel ready yet. Most days she barely felt like a person, let alone an FBI agent who had to focus to make sure she stayed safe. The idea of leaving Lucas in daycare, no matter how good a daycare it was, made her chest tight, anxiety she’d never felt before overwhelming her. She was trying not to think about it, but she knew that tactic would only get her so far, that she had to speak to her husband about her doubts about going back to work like they’d planned. 

“Are those jeans new?” Penelope asks, a spark close to conspiratory in her eyes, “They look amazing.” 

Emily narrows her eyes at her as they step out onto the back porch, her gaze flicking between her friend and her husband, still standing at the grill with a spatula in his hand. She crosses her arms as she looks at Penelope again. 

“Did Aaron text you and tell you to say something?”  

The way the other woman’s eyes go wide, no matter how briefly before she covers her reaction, tells Emily all she needs to know.

She looks back at Aaron and lovingly shakes her head at her stupid, amazing, loving man. 

___

“You’re swaying again.” 

She looks over at her husband, her brow furrowed as he joins her in the living room, a cup of tea in hand intended for her, “What?” 

He smiles, stamping a kiss against her forehead as he passes her the tea, “You’re swaying.” 

It’s only then it registers, when she realises she’s swaying on the spot, standing up needlessly in the middle of their living room even though Lucas was asleep in the bassinet upstairs on her side of the bed. She clears her throat, her cheeks as warm with embarrassment as the cup of tea against her palms. 

“I didn’t even notice,” she says as she sits down, only realising how tired she is when she settles onto the couch. 

“You have spent most of the last 3 months with a baby who hates standing still glued to you,” he says as he sits next to her, his arm looped around her shoulder as he tugs her to his side, “And apparently, I do it too.” 

She smiles at the memory from that afternoon, how Derek had teased Aaron for swaying back and forth on the spot when he was holding a plate of burgers, holding the food with the same level of care he did their infant son. Derek had caught Emily out doing the same thing only a few minutes later, his tone teasing but the look in his eyes soft, his happiness that his friends had found peace like this after everything written across his face. 

“I almost don’t know what to do when he’s sleeping,” Emily says, sipping her tea before she places it down on the table, curling into Aaron’s side, “It feels weird.” 

Aaron kisses the top of her head and trails his hand up and down her arm, “How are you feeling after today? I know you were worried about it.” 

She huffs out a breath and tilts her head up to look at him, “It was fine, just like I knew it would be,” she says, rolling her eyes at herself, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but ever since I had Luke I feel…not myself. Not necessarily in a bad way, but like I’m a completely different person,” she laughs wryly as she shakes her head, “That probably doesn’t any make sense. It’s not like being a mom is new to me, Jack’s called me mom for well over a year.” 

“It makes sense, sweetheart,” he says, tucking some of her hair behind her ear, letting his touch linger on her cheek, “You were already a mom to Jack, but you’d never had a baby before. That’s life-changing in so many ways, and you’re doing an amazing job at being a mom to both of them,” his smile gets wider when she beams at the praise, her lips pressed together as she tries and fails to contain it, “You’ll get used to being this new you,” he kisses her, “And just know I love every version of you, no matter what.” 

She bites her lip and shakes her head at him, briefly resting her forehead against his temple as she basks in his unwavering affection, something she still wasn’t entirely sure she deserved even after all this time.

“You’re a sap,” she says, pulling back to look at him, her hand on his cheek as she pulls him in for a kiss, “I love you.” 

“I love you too,” he says, kissing her once more before she settles back into his side. He smiles when she pulls her phone out of her pocket and taps the screen, bringing it to life so they can look at the picture she’d taken a couple of days ago of Jack and Lucas, “It’s so strange to think he’s already 3 months old.” 

She hums, stroking her finger over the picture, somehow missing her son even though he was only upstairs, “It feels like no time at all and like he’s always been here all at once.” 

“I know,” he kisses her temple, “I can’t believe you’ll be back at work soon.”

She tenses before she can stop it from happening, her shoulders tight in his embrace, “Yeah.”

He’s pulling back to look at her before she can even think about covering up her reaction, and when she looks up at him she knows she doesn’t want to, that she wants to talk this through with him. 

“I…” she clears her throat, “I’m not sure I’m ready to go back. I don’t really want to be away from him yet, and it’s not like we need the money if I do go back,” she swallows thickly, everything she’d been thinking for weeks suddenly spilling out of her, “I’m not saying I want to never go back, I know I want to eventually, just not…now.” 

He waits for her to come to a stop, nodding when he’s sure she’s done, and he places his hand on her thigh, his palm warm and heavy through her jeans, “Okay.” 

She frowns, her eyebrows creasing together, “Okay? That’s it?” 

He smiles and squeezes her thigh, “Em, sweetheart, I want you to do whatever is right for you. If you don’t want to go back yet, you don’t have to go back,” he smiles and rubs soothing circles on her leg, “And I think its fair to say your boss is fond of you so I don’t see him having an issue with it.” 

A relieved laugh escapes her as she places her hand over his on her leg, “He’d better be fond of me,” she says, linking their fingers together, “He is my baby daddy.” 

He sighs and raises his eyebrows, “Please stop calling me your baby daddy,” he deadpans, fighting a smile as she leans in to kiss him, “I’m your husband.” 

She smiles into another kiss, sighing when she pulls back at the sound of Lucas crying, “Duty calls.” 

“I can go.” 

She shakes her head, patting his cheek before she stands up, “It’s okay, he’s probably hungry,” she leans down to kiss him, “I’ll go.” 

“I’ll bring up your tea,” he says, smiling at her when she turns to look at him, already in the doorway, “And a snack.” 

She smiles gratefully, her hand against the doorframe, “Thanks, honey,” she turns to leave, but stops herself, looking over at him, “Aaron?” 

He looks up at her, his hair delightfully rumpled, a soft smile on his face that he’d passed on to both of their sons, “Yes, sweetheart?” 

“I’m so happy you’re the person I get to do all of this with.” 

He smiles, his dimples carved deep into his cheeks, his love for her, for their family, seeping out of every pore, “I’m happy you’re the person I get to do this with too.” 

-x-

As always, let me know what you think <3

-x-

[muse-write]

Flufftober Alternate Prompt: “Wait you love me?” “I always have.”

This doesn’t quite fit the prompt, but it works for the characters a little more. I was consumed with the urge for Royai fluff, so here it is:

The evening it was announced that General Roy Mustang had been elected Fuhrer of Amestris, he sat in his apartment with a pinch of what could only be called pining.

Falman and Havoc, Breda, and Fuery had trickled out the door in varying stages of drunken good spirits and cheers to their new Fuhrer, but Riza had stayed to quietly pour herself another mug of tea. He had expected it. It was her habit to putter around the kitchen on nights like these, once their team had left, and savor his company for as long as possible until she, too, had to go. He leaned back in his chair and watched her as she lingered over her tea, sipping it slowly, and ached to ask her to stay. To celebrate. To climb into his bed and just hold him, to let him breathe in the presence of his oldest friend, to be simply Roy and Riza.

He would not actually ask. If he did, he knew she would say yes, and it had been a late night, and tomorrow would be a very long day, filled with press interviews and paperwork and letters.

Still, he sat and looked at her; at the glimmering strands of silver touching her temples, at the lines of weariness and stress and joy around her mouth and nose, at the sharp blue eyes gazing thoughtfully into her tea, at her long calloused fingers tracing the peeling logo on her mug.

It had been over a decade since he had made his plan to rise to the top. A long, slow rise it had been. “It’s all because of you, Lieutenant,” he said into the comfortable silence, knowing she would be able to track his thoughts.

She raised an eyebrow, but still looked a little distracted. “You’d better call me the whole title, sir. I could claim you were being disrespectful of my status.”

He made a face. “Lieutenant Colonel is such a mouthful to say every time.”

Her expression softened and she reached forward to grab his hand. “Roy…I’m so proud of you.” She traced the alchemy scars still puckering the skin on the back of his right hand. “Amestris will be in good hands.”

For the time being, Roy thought a little grimly. But that was a good thing, too. No more dictatorships to plunge their country into war and order alchemy to be used for destruction. No more murderous hands snuffing out the lives of innocent people as easily as sparking a flame. He clenched Riza’s hand, and the smile she gave him was soft and tender and one of the most beautiful expressions he had ever seen on her.

“And Roy…” She rubbed her thumb along his knuckles absently. “I thought you should know, tonight of all nights, how much I love you.”

He felt himself freeze in place, the shock of hearing those words out loud pinning him to his chair. The words themselves were not surprising in the least—how many times had Riza stood at his shoulder as he walked into hell? How many times had she met his eyes and hefted her gun and shown him that she would do anything for him? And there had been one time, in a tunnel, as she had raised that gun to his head with a shaking voice and said that she could kill him, but then she would kill herself, and that had made any inkling of doubt left in him flee forever.

No, it was not the confession that made his blood run cold. Why had she said it tonight? “What are you saying?” The law still held, would still hold, he had discussed nothing about changing it—

Riza moved from her chair to kneel by his side. Her hair was loose, and longer than he’d ever seen it before. Her eyes shone in the flickering bulb that he kept reminding himself to fix. “I mean that this is the night we have spent our careers working toward. You are the Fuhrer, and I am a Lieutenant Colonel. But, Roy, there’s no way I’m going to let you lead this country without my gun at your side. We’ve come too far for me to allow a slipshod assassin to sneak a lucky shot in simply because I wasn’t there to stop it. I’ll be beside you in this as I have been in all else. If I become your bodyguard—“

“Become my First Lady!” Roy blurted out. Riza hummed thoughtfully, and gestured for him to continue. Roy forced his exhausted, suddenly quite giddy brain to comply. “Technically, as a Lieutenant Colonel, you’re not under my direct supervision, no more so than any other minor officer in a military state. We could easily make a case for marriage being perfectly legal, if any difficulties came up. As the First Lady, you could double as my bodyguard.”

He watched her expression shift as she thought it through; he had always thought she would make an excellent alchemist had she been at all interested in becoming one, with her analytical brain that surveyed and inspected, circled a problem and poked holes in it. His hand still wrapped around hers, and on a sudden impulse he lifted it to press his lips against her knuckles, unable to bear the rejection he knew was coming.

“That sounds suitable.”

His head shot up. “It does?”

Her free hand came up to trace his jaw. “Being First Lady puts me closer to you in every aspect of life, Roy. If that’s the case, why wouldn’t it be suitable? The fraternization laws don’t cover the Fuhrer’s involvement with anyone under the rank of Brigadier General, so there wouldn’t be a case against us. Yes,” she said with a firm nod that sent her hair falling over her shoulder. “It is quite suitable.”

Roy breathed out a sigh and pressed another kiss to her hand, and then another, simply because her hand was there. He could barely believe it had been so easy—or that he hadn’t thought of it years ago. “Imagine,” he grumbled, “all I had to do was become Fuhrer.” He had never let himself imagine marrying Riza, except on some of his darkest, loneliest nights, and he had long ago given up all hope of ever being with her in anything resembling a normal relationship. Moments in an office and glances on the battlefield were all they could have.

Riza laughed, looking happier than he had seen her in a long time. The stress of rising through the ranks had put a strain on her as well, and Roy reached forward to pull her into a proper kiss—not their first, but the first they’d shared free of guilt for a long time. “I love you, too, Riza,” Roy whispered into her hair. “I always have.”

[newkatzkafe2023]

Kid scenarios gender bent and regular. Really liked the idea. If possible and when you have time.

Oh goodness let the madness continue

(S/N)=son name

(D/N)= Daughter name

(Lmk Wukong) You couldn't believe that. You will never expect your life to end up the way it was. You were once a palace Warrior Guarding the peaches of immortality and now you've got kidnapped by the one who kept stealing those peaches. And now you're her husband Mildly sick of her affection for you and quietly hitting the bottle whenever she leaves. This was not what you signed up for as you were by yourself again drinking bourbon. You were soon attacked by a tiny figure.

(???) Baba! I found baba!

You look down to see a tiny monkey girl. Who looks exactly Like your wife and that Already scares you. And then you heard other tiny little voices

BABA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh God

Meanwhile with Sunny Wukong She's been pretty down lately. She came back from another date with you. But it seems like you are more annoyed than ever when you got back. She brushes her fur quietly with tears in a corner of her eyes. She knows your marriage has been in a rough patch lately. But she really wants to fix things up with you. But it just seems like you hate her The more she tries.

Monkey (S/N) Are you thinking about him again???

Wukong Looks up to see a little boy sitting on a Nimbus cloud. He look exactly like you but with her sunny disposition.

Monkey (S/N) I would have thought by now that you would know when he's really feeling and when that's just his face

Wukong was confused Who is this tiny cub? Where did he come from? and dad? Was he talking about you?

(Lmk Wukong) As a matter of fact I am He's been loving me a lot less lately and I don't know what to do. Why does my husband hate me😥

The mysterious club look towards his mother. It was no brainer that his father was a tough nut to crack, not mention very anti social. But there is one thing he disagrees with her about

Monkey (S/N) He doesn't hate you

(Lmk Wukong) How would you know???

The younger monkey thought to himself

Monkey (S/N) Follow me please

If the monkey queen was confused but dead what she was asked And followed the cab to a remote location of the island and There the two saw something incredible. It was you sitting in the middle of a lot of little girl. Cubs that look exactly like her. Some were hugging you,others were climbing on Your back. There were two that was talking your ear off and a tiny little one sleeping on your lap. And you know what's the crazy part you're a smiling. You are smiling at all these little girls.

Monkey (S/N) Dad doesn't hate you mom otherwise you wouldn't have all of us

Tears appeared back and the monkey queen's eyes as she feels a lot more hopeful for you and her future

(HIB Wukong) It's Happened again. You and your wife got into yet another argument and she stormed off. Leaving you laying where you were. Why doesn't she get it? You're tired of watching her tire herself apart for other people's approval. And for what her appearance you like her face I should be enough for her. You are proud of everything she does and achieved. Even if she failed, you're happy to know she tried, and that is enough for you. Why can't she understand that.

Monkey (M/N) What a drag😒

(???) We totally get it

That's when you look up to see a pair of Twin teenager Girls who Interesting enough Is looked exactly like your wife but was just as exhausted as you.

Meanwhile, your wife was stopping around brooding to herself when she smacked into a smaller figure.

(???) Watch were you going you hag!

(HIB Wukong) The hell did you call me?!

That's when she turns to see a grouchy Little boy glaring up at her, interesting enough he exactly like you But he was grouchy like her.

Back with you and the two girls You tiredly told them the issues between you and your wife. The two quietly listened to what you had to say before sharing their Thoughts on the matter

1p Monkey (D/N) Mother isn't trying to get the world's approval

2p Monkey (D/N) She's trying to get yours

This confuses you, You thought your wife knew about how You felt about her why is she So Paranoid now

1p Monkey (D/N) You are the only one who treated mom with some kind of decency

2p Monkey (D/N) You were with mama since the very beginning you are her greatest treasure. She loves what she has with you and she doesn't want to lose that.

1p Monkey (D/N) If she has to change some part herself Even if it's a slight adjustment, that means she'll have less of a chance to lose you.

Your stone heart breaks in two as you thought about the twins's words.

With Sunny Wukong she is stopping in the woods back to you next to the boy She bumped into earlier

(HIB Wukong) Ugh Why are you still following me?

Monkey (???) Don't flatter yourself hag. I'm simply trying to find my sisters so we can go home

Wukong did Not like the attitude of this little boy. But it seems to be familiar

Monkey (???) Aren't you the monkey queen?

(HIB Wukong) Yes I am

Monkey (???) What happened to your lazy husband?

That's When will Wukong stopped First of all, who is this kid to insult her husband and second. She should really be getting back to, but she's a little nervous. You could still be angry with her and wouldn't want to talk to her.

(HIB Wukong) Not that you would care of anything but We had a disagreement

Monkey (???) Is that right my old man and The woman always getting into a fight. She would storm off and the old Geezer would stay at home and brood But in the end, the old hag always runs back to him.

(HIB Wukong) Sounds exhausting

Monkey (???) Well that's how their relationship always worked. They would Argue almost every day She could be screaming at him and he could just be giving underhand Insults. But she would always come back home and demand cuddles from him. Dad would tirely hug mom before they give their silent apologies. It may be toxic to the outside world. But that's the only way they're relationships going to work.

Wukong Was suffering a bit of deja vu, That sounds exactly like you and her not that She will ever admit that but that was Dangerously similar. Then it hits her

(HIB Wukong) Hey I think I may know where your sisters are

Monkey (???) I think I know too

The two walk back Is to the cottage just to find you sitting there with the twins. The little boy runs out to his sisters and hugs them, as they returned his affection You and Wukong Is walk towards each other in silence

Monkey (M/N) There seems to be some things we need to discuss together

(HIB Wukong) It seems You're right

You told them hug each other as the Is chids watched the two of you

Monkey (S/N): Man the old hag and that geezer really don't change🤮

Monkey Twins: And we wouldn't have it any other way☺️☺️

(Mk Reborn Wukong) This is war. Tensions were high as you and your wife were on A chinese standoff against what seems to be your kids from the future. Your son was glaring into your soul standing right in front of his mother while you did the same. Your daughter and wife were having a hissy match mini cat fight Trying to display dominance over the other as Your little girl hung from your shoulder. It was a hot freaking mess and Neither master tang or the pilgrims knew what to do in this situation at all. But all I can say is that everybody's possessive Instincts have punched a hole in the ceiling As the family of four afford for their respective Parents and children.

Monkey (S/N) Mama is mine😡

Monkey (M/N) Well I had your mama first 😡

Monkey(S/N) Why??? is not like you wanted her in the first place

Monkey (M/N) Between you and me, I didn't want her. But that doesn't mean anybody else can have Her especially you

You and your son continued to glare at each other and while you're Wife and daughter would just Hissing at each other till one of you submits.

(NR Wukong) You're not sure how this came to be. First of all you're sitting next year's son who Says he's from the future and one of your daughters who is Taking a nap while clinging on To you as you watch your two oldest twins, gossip and chat with their mom as they do each other's make up I'm brushing there fur. Out of all the bizarre things that your wife has caused you to be part of this has to be the The final straw.

(S/N): Dad why is this happening to us aren't we good monkeys😥😢

Monkey (M/N) Well, you are, I clearly did something to the universe to p*** it off. And now i'm married to An immortal crackhead who Exploited my love For alcohol.

Monkey (S/N) I feel sorry for you😔

Monkey (S/N) I pity you the same kid😮‍💨

(Netflix Wukong) It was complete chaos down at the village. The monkey queen and her son From the future apparently Are running to The Town square as the villagers ran in the opposite directions. Not only were they under attack by some demon gang but Her husband and her daughter choose this as an excuse to finally bite the collor off. They flew off the hinges, When the two finally arrived The demon invaders were running for their dear lives. As a little girl, no older than 4 was hanging off One of them while throwing makeshift grenades at them. And then there was her husband running around the battlefield. Chopping heads off left and right it was a bloodbath.

(Netflix Wukong) I gave birth to that?!?😨

Monkey (S/N): You did I was as shocked as you are but dad was pretty stoked so

Wukong Was at a loss for words as she stood next to her son

Monkey (S/N) Although now they're looking at some of these Bodies This would be very good for my taxidermy hobby

Wukong Slowly turned her head to face her son

Monkey (S/N) Don't worry mom I usually wait until they're already dead i'm not A monster

Oh god is this what is like to be the only sane one?😥😥

FEEL FREE TO REBLOG

[cuddlepilefics]

“I’m not okay” - juneofdoom

Fandom: Enhypen

Sickies: Enhypen

Caregivers: Enhypen

Tw: blood

@juneofdoom

No one’s POV.:

The group was just heading to the airport to fly back home after their most recent tour. Though they were exhausted, from travelling and performing multiple times a week, the members were in high spirits. Their tour had been a success and they were overwhelmed by just how many people came to cheer for them. The frequent flights and changes in weather between the different locations had left most of the members a little sniffly. Sunoo seemed to have been hit the worst, losing his voice during the last performance of their tour. He had immediately been put on vocal rest and now tiredly trudged through the airport hall flanked by Jay and one of their managers. Jake and Niki, though a little stuffed up themselves, had made it their mission to cheer their friend up. It might have done Sunoo more harm than good because it mostly ended with him muffling a strained cough into the large, fluffy scarf he had been made to wear.

Sunghoon too had been incredibly quiet the past few days, despite the proud smile lingering on his lips. They had made it. Thinking back to how they had fought their way through i-Land and seeing the crowds that had come for them and them alone never failed to make Sunghoon’s heart swell. He couldn’t deny that he would’ve loved for less people to come to see them off at the airport though. Pulling down his hood and fixing his mask, he managed to conceal how pale his skin had become lately. He always needed to watch his diet and sleep closely to make sure he got the nutrients and rest his body needed, so his anemia wouldn’t get out of hand. On tour, he doubted he had gotten enough of either, so it was hard to tell whether the headache and occasional dizzy spells were due to that or if he too was slowly coming down with the cold being passed around between the members and staff.

Heeseung had linked his arm with Sunghoon, having already kept a close eye on the younger when they had left for the airport despite nursing a headache of his own. The eldest really didn’t want a repetition of the boy collapsing within a crowd of people though he apparently didn’t need to worry. With his voice sounding tired and a little scratchy, Sunghoon still pulled the occasional joke, barely loud enough for Heeseung to hear but the older knew that Sunghoon would be fine and he could start worrying once the other lost his humor.

Jungwon mostly flew under the members radar, walking next to a manager. As the leader, there were things he’d have to see to only a couple of days after returning home, while the others would get a few more days off. He wasn’t bitter about it though, already grateful for the few days of rest he’d get. Meeting Engene had left him ecstatic, enough so that he had barely felt how he was slowly running himself into the ground. That didn’t mean that he had any regrets about the effort and hard work all of them had put in, oh hell no, but the lack of sleep, hours of travelling and jetlag were slowly catching up to him. Jungwon’s muscles were sore, his tired body aching all over, and he really wasn’t looking forward to such a long flight back to Korea but the promise of sleeping in his own bed again after so long made the discomfort worth it.

Since he had always been the sneeziest member of the group, him catching a cold wasn’t as obvious as it was in Sunoo. Jay too was very obviously down with it, barely able to go a few minutes without coughing, though he seemed to be fine aside from that and the members didn’t worry about him much because they knew he could take care of himself. He also seemed in control of the situation, still taking care of his dongsaengs as if he wasn’t sick as well. Jungwon wished he could be like him some day. As the leader, he felt like he should be the one taking care of the members the most. At the same time, his hyungs seemed to have it handled perfectly fine, so he wasn’t even sure what else he could do. Maybe he’d be able to think of something helpful if only his minds wasn’t so clouded by exhaustion.

“Do you want some coffee or are you going to try and sleep through the flight?”, Jake asked, startling Jungwon. How long had the Aussie been standing next to him?! Chuckling at the leader’s shocked expression, Jake smiled: “We’re going to grab something to drink while we wait to board the plane. Jay-hyung will get tea for himself and Sunoo, Heeseung-hyung is planning to buy more cough drops for them, so I’ll get coffee for him and I. You look like you have a headache, should I buy you some coke? Maybe the sugar and caffeine will make you feel better.”

Wow, apparently, Jungwon hadn’t been flying under the radar as much as he had been expecting though he wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not. He didn’t want to worry his group when none of them were on top of their game. Rubbing his face, Jungwon sniffled: “It’s a sinus headache, so I don’t think caffeine will do much. I’d rather just sleep on the plane. Thanks for the offer though. What are the others up to?” – “Sure. We could get you tea too. You’ve been sneezing a lot, even for your standards, so I’m not surprised. Sunghoon’s going to lay down in the waiting area, manager-nim and Sunoo will stay with him and I think Niki-yah wants to grab some snacks”, Jake offered with a sympathetic smile. The younger waved him off, muttering something about going to check on Sunghoon and Sunoo.

Jake relayed the message to Heeseung, Jay and Niki before they split up. Worried about what the altitude changes might do to Jungwon’s already swollen sinuses, Heeseung picked up some nasal spray for his dongsaeng while Jay bought a third cup of tea despite the leader not asking for it. When the group reunited, Sunghoon sat up and rested his head on Niki’s shoulder. They shared some snacks and the older was relieved to feel a little more alive after that. Sunoo shot Jay a cute smile as thanks before quietly sipping his tea and Jungwon too was grateful for the tea after all. The steam made his nose run like crazy and the members giggled when he caught a wet sneeze in his hand, excusing himself to the restroom with an embarrassed flush on his cheeks.

Jungwon’s sneezing increased after that, so he was glad that all of them carried multiple travel packs of tissues. The only upside to all of them being sick was all of them having some supplies in their carry-on bags. Heeseung tapped Jungwon’s shoulder and wordlessly handed him the nasal spray he had bought. There was no need for the eldest to point out that he needed it, that much was obvious and Jungwon was glad that his hyung didn’t push the topic because the other members were already teasing him for how much he was sneezing. That wasn’t anything out of the ordinary and Jungwon usually didn’t mind because him having a sensitive nose that could be set off by anything was a commonly known fact within the group. Right now, he wasn’t in the mood for it though. His sinuses ached and it was difficult to breathe well, despite his frequent attempts at blowing his nose, hoping to clear some of the congestion.

Trying to pass the time till boarding, the members had started to reminisce about the moments they had enjoyed most about the tour. Niki was truly hyped, rambling on and on, barely noticing how he occasionally slipped in a few Japanese words as the languages blended together in his sleepy mind. The members didn’t point it out, merely chuckling at the way his voice cracked every once in a while. Though he teased the maknae about being pubertal, Jake made sure the youngest had some water to sip on. Jungwon barely witnessed the boy’s embarrassment though, his nose already tingling again.

Already descending into another itchy sneezing fit, Jungwon turned away from the group, hands clamped tightly over the lower half of his face. Tired of being the target of the groups teasing for his voice cracks, Niki made a teasing comment about Jungwon’s sneezes and turned the group’s focus on their leader. Jungwon desperately shook his head, his breath hitching as he forced out: “I- hih ‘m not hiihhh- I’m ndot okay hih- H’iKTsh!’ H-’khSHt’NGsT!” That was when Heeseung spotted a small trickle of blood running from between his dongsaeng’s fingers. Cursing under his breath, the eldest pulled out a few more tissues and thrust them into Jungwon’s hand before helping the leader up and guiding him to the bathroom.

Jay was hot on their heels, running some paper towels under cold water and draping them across Jungwon’s neck. “Don’t tell me you sneezed so hard that you gave yourself a nosebleed”, Jay frowned, glancing at his watch to see how much time they’d have till their flight. The younger barely glanced up at him with watering eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to slow the bleeding. Helplessly rubbing Jungwon’s back, Heeseung worried: “It rarely happens just once a day. Once you get a nosebleed it usually starts back up multiple times a day. What are we going to do about the flight?” He made eye contact with Jay, who was also aware of their dongsaeng’s tendency to get multiple nose bleeds a day. “We got loads of tissues, right? I’ll also stuff some of these paper towels into my pockets, so you’ll be okay, Wonnie”, Jay promised, combing the leader’s hair out of his face, “Take off and touch down are probably the most problematic due to the pressure changes but aside from that, I don’t think the air-conditioning will do more harm than it already has.”

“Ow”, Jungwon rasped, slowly removing his hands from his face now that the bleeding had almost stopped. Handing the boy more paper towels, so he could clean his face up, Heeseung comforted: “The worst thing that could possibly happen would be making a mess but there’s nothing that can’t be cleaned one way or another, so don’t worry.” – “This timing sucks”, Jungwon mumbled, dabbing at the last remaining droplets of blood. Jay hummed in confirmation and wrapped his arm around the younger’s shoulder. “Let’s get back to the others. It should be about time to go on the plane”, Jay whispered as he guided his dongsaeng back into the waiting area.

Patting the space beside him, Sunghoon invited the leader to sit down for another minute and offered: “Do you want some Vaseline? The skin around your nostrils is red and raw from how much you’ve been rubbing at it. Bad enough if the inside of your nose is bleeding, let’s not let it bleed on the outside too.” Jungwon thanked him quietly and dabbed some of the offered Vaseline on the chapped skin. They both leant into each other’s side, tiredly waiting till their flight was called. It was really time for them to get home

[perplexingluciddreams]

Today is Mum's birthday!!

Sister is home from uni and she brought me my snack! (And she came into my room yesterday to say hello but I was stuck in my focus so I couldn't make myself look at her or give much attention ☹️). I got a hug!! 😊🥰 She is very cool with an awesome t-shirt and nose ring and beautiful hair. She always looks so put together and lovely. I love her so much.

I have settled into routine of wearing AFO braces on non-bath days. It is too much to do it every day, but I really want to do it... and the only way it is possible to keep up with is if it fits in my routine. So I told Mum all that and she suggested that I only wear them on non-bath days (because bath is very tiring and requires resting afterwards that whole day).

Mum got me new knee-high black socks! (for under braces). They are bamboo and completely seamless (necessary for sensory). They feel super soft and wonderful. I have major sensory issues with socks and shoes, but these socks is the best feelings socks I have maybe ever worn. And that is saying really a lot from me!

The velcro bits (for the elastic strap going over the top of my foot) kept falling off. Dad tried to fix it once but the glue didn't stick because the plastic of the braces is too smooth - it just popped right off again. He has fixed it better now and hopefully 🤞🏻 they will stay now!

I have been trying very hard with something else new - wearing sports bra. I need help with putting it on, but because it is "post surgery bra" with zip at the front, I can wiggle it off without taking t-shirt off (which means I don't need help for that!).

My chest is large and heavy. Causes a lot of pain and discomfort (both sensory and physical muscle pain). I am trying to make this less bad by spreading out the weight of my chest using sports bra. It is sensory very hard, and my ribs really really complain about the pressure of the band. But overall I think it is helping.

I am also looking online for other bras that could help... but finding any that fit my sensory needs as well as the size of my chest and the amount of support I need... it is fucking tricky, I'll say that. Also, any other ones that I see that look semi-promising, I would need much more help getting on and off.

I am used to getting help, and it is fine. I don't care about Mum seeing my boobs - she already helps me bathe and dress and sees me fully naked every other day (and half-naked all the days in-between) and all of that. Privacy is not the main "issue" here. And it is not really a huge "issue" at all.

But sometimes it is nice to have small little things that I have a wee bit independence with. It might not seem like much of anything to most people, but the fact that I can undo the zip on my bra, under my t-shirt, and have the motor planning and dexterity to pull my arms inside the t-shirt to wriggle out of the bra and then put arms back through the right holes - that is pretty huge for me!

It makes me feel more confident and capable. I don't have much confidence or self-belief. In part due to being as disabled as I am, and becoming more and more aware of my impairments and things I can't do, as I have gotten older.

So when there is added in a new thing in my routine, that requires more help... I just have feelings about it, I think. Especially because the gender stuff and dysphoria complicates things. And because it is yet another thing I am asking Mum to do, and I sometimes feel guilty and shameful about that. I don't really know what I am trying to say.

Regardless of the ramble above ^, I am very proud of how hard I am trying with these two new things. They are things that I can already feel the positive effect of, even though it is difficult to tolerate and takes so much brain capacity. I am really putting in so much effort to do good things for my body.

It is hard when something doesn't feel good or nice in the moment, but I know it will have positive later effect. I have trouble brain connecting the future effect with the current present unpleasantness. But I am doing it anyway, and for that I am proud and impressed with myself.

[darsynia]

Just Right | Ch 1

(Steve Rogers/F!Reader, post-Ultron multi-chapter)

gif by @dailystevegifs

Summary:

You've been in love with Steve Rogers for at least a year, but he treats you the same way he treats every other member of the team-- with respect, but nothing more. It takes an inter-dimensional mistake and a whole second, more assertive, actually interested Steve for you to realize that you don't want just any version of Steve Rogers-- you want the one you've been pining for all this time.

Length: 2,998

FIC MASTERLIST | NEXT CHAPTER | MCU MASTERLIST

Ok so the thing is, I adore @ronearoundblindly, and I decided to write her this. The idea I got also very happily fits with my Avengers Bingo square of 'Is it permanent?' It's not my first Steve fic, but it is my first Steve/Reader! I hope you like it Ro.

Reader's nickname 'Dine is pronounced 'Dean.'

Chapter One

You simply can’t believe this is happening.

Fifteen minutes ago, while you were going over proposed alterations to Sam Wilson’s Falcon suit, a person who looked exactly like Steve Rogers walked through the wall right beside you.

“Oh my God!” you’d immediately said. “Do not tell me that Stark created some kind of matter splitter that lets a person walk through walls, please? I live here. I don’t want to put alarm lasers in my bathroom, but I’ll do it!”

Steve had looked behind him at the solid wall and seemed surprised. “I’m sorry miss, but just a second ago, that was a doorway.”

“If you two are trying to distract me out of noticing that the controls for Redwing are different, it’s not going to work!” Sam said, his focus remaining on the sketch you’d mocked up for him.

You’d looked back over to Steve, and that’s when you noticed that something was… off. First of all, you hadn’t designed that uniform, but he did have a few vintage ones still floating around. Second of all, his hair was longer than it had been the previous day at the monthly midday meeting.

The third difference was the way he was looking at you. Admiringly. Something he’d never done before-- you would have noticed. 

Sam asked a question about one of the altered features, and as you went through your explanation, you’d kept an eye on the way Steve was wandering through the large room. He seemed to be growing more and more confused, picking up an item to frown at it, walking around one of the free-standing computer terminals, and generally seeming lost. More than once, you’d caught him looking over at you in confusion.

With alarm bells going off in your head, you had made a decision. “You know what, Sam, I think I just caught a problem with this. Can I fix that and have you go back over it tonight, after the dinner thing?”

“Sure, ‘Dine. How many wings did you sign up for?” Sam had said challengingly.

“Oh no you don’t! That’s confidential information. Not as many as you, that’s all I’ll say.”

“You know it. See ya, Steve,” he’d said on his way out. You’d walked along with him, and once Sam was through the door, you hit a very specific button on the panel next to it.

“I think you know I could probably break through any one of these walls,” Not-Quite-Steve said from across the room. He sounded regretful.

“I mean, you could try, but this room is fortified. We test prototypes here, and not every invention behaves as expected,” you’d replied, a little proud of your deliberate double meaning. The button had sent an alert to just Stark, for now, but it also turned on a live recording of the whole room, displayed in certain spaces all throughout the complex.

“That’s why there are no windows,” Faux-Steve observed calmly. “Basement of the tower?”

You had willed yourself not to react to that. After the disaster with Ultron, after losing Bruce to fury and almost losing Stark to guilt, they’d all moved upstate, away from the bad memories. Was this Steve from their past or a whole other future? Was he really Steve at all?

“What were you doing right before you came here?” you asked, walking slowly over to the locker area. You’d probably fit into a few of the things there, if you had to.

“Arguing with Tony over something I thought he shouldn’t be doing.” He’d offered her a thin smile and slipped his hands into his pockets, like that would make him seem less dangerous. You knew better. “Look, whatever it was, it sent me here, and this ‘here’ isn’t my here.”

Natasha had taught you never to give too much away. “Oh?”

“My ‘here’ doesn’t have--” 

Before Fake Steve could finish his sentence, Stark burst into the room completely suited up, and things had gotten chaotic from there. 

You’re on your way up to one of the open office rooms to write down everything you can remember, but as you get closer to the correct floor, you slow down. You have a bit of a dilemma, and no amount of reassuring yourself is helping.

The sticking point is how you realized something was wrong, what first made you recognize a discrepancy. The longer hair thing will probably be enough, but it isn’t the whole truth. You don’t want to reveal the whole truth, because the whole truth involves something you’ve kept to yourself for over a year.

The real truth is you are head over heels in love with Steve Rogers. Your Steve Rogers, except he isn’t yours. He’s never looked at you the way this one just did.

You haven’t let that be a problem, of course. You’re in your dream job; after being in armor fabrication and development at Stark Industries for years, you’d been recruited by Tony Stark himself to work with the Avengers. It’s been a genuine pleasure creating individual designs that are tailored to each fighter’s strengths and weaknesses, instead of the mass-produced stuff you’d worked on for Stark Industries. 

You��d tried hard not to let yourself show any favoritism, after you’d realized your crush on Steve wasn’t going away. You don’t even call him Steve, except in your own head-- but all of that is at risk right now. You’re tuned to indifference, and the open interest you’d caught a glimpse of today is sending your senses reeling.

“Hey, ‘Dine. Tony sent me up to make sure you’re okay, said you looked a little shaken up.” It’s Natasha, and she’s coming your way down the hall. Now you’re even more shaken, because if Stark noticed, Nat sure as hell will.

“I need to write this shit down, but yeah, a little bit,” you admit. “It’s like if instead of Vision, the model in the cradle was Rogers, and they got him 95% right.” With a 5% ‘thinks I’m cute’ flaw, you don’t say aloud.

Nat follows you inside and stands waiting as you busy yourself with finding an incident report and the exact right pen. You handle it right up until you start writing your name and her shadow darkens the rest of the paper.

“Something you need?”

“You’re freaked out.”

“Well, yeah. If an interdimensional version of St-- Rogers is able to stroll into our test room, we’re going to need some equally interdimensional protections for this place, not to mention a thousand thousand other important locations all across the country!” You’d just picked something out of midair to bluff her, but it’s the truth, and now you’re even more worried. You set down the pen and look up at Natasha. “What if they need him, Nat? What if we can’t send him back?”

“If it’s something Tony built, Tony can build it,” she says pragmatically. “One worry at a time.”

“There she is!”

You’re late to the gathering, and you’re going to have to make up an excuse, because the forty-five minutes you spent dithering over your clothing choices had everything to do with the image you wanted to present tonight. You ended up going with something casual, dressed-down, because as much as you’d felt a little thrill at the way Alternate Steve had looked at you, it had been disconcerting and alien. No way did you want to foster more of that.

You look up and smile weakly at Sam-- until you remember something. “Shit, Sam, your thing! I’m so sorry, I didn’t go back in the room after--”

He comes over and slings an arm around your shoulders, comfort bred by familiarity. “No, I get it. Don’t worry, manufacture isn’t set for another week.”

You relax into the hug, slip a hand around his waist and squeeze before both of you let go. “It’s just that I promised--” This time it’s Sam’s expression that interrupts you.

“You know you design this stuff, you don’t have to act like armor yourself, right? You sensed something right away, didn’t you? And you got me out of the room.”

Stark’s loud, defensive voice cuts through your mumbled explanation.

“-veryone’s giving me shit over this, but I’m not the one who screwed up! And I’m the one who’s going to fix it, so lay blame on the correct Stark! Who is, for once, not me.” He’s been making his way over to you to thrust your favorite beer in your hand without asking. You look around for Sam, but he’s gone. “If anyone should be mad, it’s ‘Dine,” he shouts over his shoulder. In a quieter voice he adds, “Don’t tell them I said this, Brigandine, but I apologize on behalf of my bumbling alternate universe counterpart. Who knows what kind of weird traits IMPOST-Steve has that our version doesn’t!”

You already feel sick, and you haven’t drunk or eaten anything yet.

Stark drags you over to the catered wings and fills a plate for you without paying much attention to the cues you’re trying to give him, which is tipsy-typical. Honestly, you’re kind of grateful; with a plate piled high you’ll have every excuse to focus on your meal instead of the cluster around the Steves. Your gregarious boss at least carries it for you, and you indicate the farthest table. This earns you a bit of a concerned look, but you just clink your beer against his and tell him to shoo.

It’s interesting watching the seemingly identical men holding position, holding court, really, as the various Avengers and associated staff ebb and flow around them. It takes a good hour (and half of your plate) for each person to get some time with the newcomer, after which the lights dim a bit, along with everyone’s senses. This is the open-bar payment for the all-hands monthly midday meeting of the day before. Not all the attendees actually live at the compound; you only see the whole team once a month.

With the lights down low, your corner is practically dark, but when a familiar figure approaches, you know who it has to be.

“Have they settled on a name for you yet?”

“Tony seems to favor ‘Major America,’ which is better than I would have expected,” Not-Steve says as he pulls out a chair and settles into it. He turns his head toward you and smiles, the relaxed, almost-flirty kind you’ve always wanted from him. “I get the feeling that if it weren’t for the contrast in uniforms, most of these people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.”

You make a non-committal noise and finish off your beer. It takes a few gulps, but he just watches, like there’s anything more to see than an anxious, embarrassed woman incredibly out of her depth.

“What about you?” you ask, afterwards.

“Well, we don’t have this complex, which I think I gave away when we met the first time. Tony asked me not to go too deep into the changes--”

“No, no, I get it,” you interrupt. “There could be something we don’t know about yet.”

“And vice versa, yeah. It might have taken longer for me to figure things out if it weren’t for one of the biggest differences. I’ve never seen you before.”

The half-bottle of alcohol hits you just as he says that, and you stare at him.

“Yeah, seeing Sam so comfortable with a complete stranger in a room that strangers probably shouldn’t be allowed in ticked some ‘danger’ boxes for me,” AU Steve says. 

The light from the only nearby lamp edges his profile in yellow, and you decide to call him Gold Steve in your head, because ‘AU’ is the periodic table symbol for gold, and that’s what passes for clever for you right now. You’re so proud of this that you miss the next thing he says, and have to ask him to repeat it.

“I said, how did you know? You knew right away.”

“Your hair is longer,” you say, a little too quickly.

Gold Steve tips his head sideways and regards you with a look that amplifies your blood alcohol content to dangerous levels. “It’s a subtle difference. You noticed that?”

“For all you know, it’s my job to keep everyone up to regs,” you joke. 

His slow, easy smile is familiar enough, but for the fact that you’re alone together in a dark corner. “I wouldn’t mind that at all,” he says warmly.

It’s time to get out of here before your lost dignity is your only legacy here at the Avengers compound. Already the tipsy feeling is fading, but the Steve Proximity Alarm is blaring at full volume.

You didn’t actually know how accurate the thought was until Gold Steve stands and gallantly (bafflingly) offers his arm, and you hear a second familiar voice behind you.

“I don’t think that’s necessary, is it? She just had the one beer.”

Gold Steve reaches up to rub the back of his neck, clearly chastened. “No, of course. Just instinct, I guess.”

“This is above my pay grade,” you squeak, and set off toward the door. You’d been looking forward to talking to Clint while he’s here. There’s a containment idea you’d had for some of his more dangerous arrows-- but there’s no way in hell you’re staying around to watch Steve Rogers talk Steve Rogers out of paying attention to you.

As you slip through the door, you hear one of them call out, “‘Dine, wait!” but you have no idea which one of them it is.

The next day brings with it a more detailed plan of what to do with Gold Steve. You’re on the periphery and busy with the planned upgrades to Sam and Clint’s gear, so you only hear about it at lunch. 

From Gold Steve himself.

You hadn’t even planned to go to the cafeteria area, but as always, your minifridge is sadly devoid of take-out when it really matters. The kitchen looks safe when you get there at two PM, late as usual, but in your defense, you were really caught up in the creative process. 

One of the things you love about the Avengers Compound is the random thoughtfulness scattered everywhere. In the cavernous freezer, there’s always a supply of various frozen meals, almost as if you were living back at home and digging in your mom’s fridge to find something she’d made two months ago. They’re made biweekly but eaten any old time, and you score a hit on the back bottom shelf: your very favorite hearty soup.

You’re mid-microwave with it when Gold Steve walks in to rinse out his bowl. Seems he’d made the same exact thing. You wonder who helped him, where that person is now, and why Stark had thought it necessary to design a kitchen with only one way in or out. Hasn’t he ever seen Jurassic Park?

“Oh, hello,” Gold Steve says. You aren’t looking over at him, but you can hear the smile in his voice. You don’t answer right away (because your brain is running through a fragmented list of things to say, and every time you grab one it’s garbled. ‘Soup is for the winter,’ is right out. ‘It’s nice to not expecting to see you here’ makes you nearly abandon the kitchen and push past him out of sheer desperation), and he fills the silence for you. “Oh, that smells familiar, is it the soup?”

You nod, hoping like hell that his version of Tony Stark hasn’t designed telepathy.

“Maybe it’s bad form to joke about it, but I wouldn’t mind taking that recipe back with me. If we figure out how to send me, of course.”

If this was your Steve you would have said something like, ‘I imagine we’d just write it down and put the notecard in your pocket.’ You do joke with the guy, it’s not like you never interact. It’s just that those interactions are as platonic as two houseplants sitting on the same indoor windowsill.

The microwave dings, and you excuse yourself to grab the spoon over near where Gold Steve is standing. After a stir and a taste determines it needs more time, you grit your teeth and start the timer for another minute.

“I’m sorry I make you so uncomfortable, if you don’t mind my saying.”

“You don’t!” you lie, but Gold Steve’s crossed arms lay on the guilt too much to ignore. “I’m… not used to the attention,” you say delicately. His brows furrow, and somehow there are still forty more seconds on the timer before you can be saved by the bell. “She who is seen and not heard?”

“I don’t believe that for a second. Sam Wilson hugged you at that thing last night, you don’t get there by being seen and not heard.”

“Yeah, well, I’m one of the only people who love Redwing as much as he does,” you mutter.

To your delight and horror, Gold Steve comes over and rests a heavy hand on the microwave door, inches away from you. “I cannot imagine being in a room with you and not seeing you,” he says.

The traitorous microwave beeps loudly, startling you sideways into his arm for one shocking second. You back away, saying the first thing that comes to your head.

“Why?” You close your eyes tightly as you realize you’re basically asking for a run-down of compliments from the guy, rushing to say, “I don’t mean that. I mean, I do, but I’m just--” 

You hear the sounds of the microwave being operated, and confused, you just stand there with one hand clapped over your mouth, eyes closed. After two loud beeps and the start button, the microwave runs for a few seconds, beeping loudly again. It’s so unexpected that you open your eyes and see Gold Steve with an encouraging look on his face, one hand held out placatingly in your direction.

“Can we start over?” he asks.

Next chapter...

[whchenlvr]

Hello!, I see that the request is open. May I ask how the union and eunjang would act upon meeting their partner's family?

Sorry for my poor english, I'm still learning. 😔🥲

pls, your english is better than mine! 💞🫶

meeting your family ;

weak hero x gn!reader

gray yeon

➤ he’s actually pretty chill about it

➤ you and gray both know that he’s a model student and would make the perfect son-in-law, but you’re a bit worried his lack of expression may unease your parents

➤ to your surprise, after about three minutes with your parents, gray had a smile on his face

➤ your parents found him very respectful and showered him with compliments. you think he may have needed that more than he thought

➤ your mother made you promise to bring him over more often, and gray was more than happy to take her offer

ben park

➤ ben tells you he isn’t nervous, but you know he’s lying by the way he constantly fixes his hair or straightens his outfit

➤ “you look great,” you keep telling him, trying to calm him, but it’s like he doesn’t hear you as the two of you wait for your parents to open their door

➤ from the moment the two of you walked in, your mom absolutely adored him. “oh, y/n, why didn’t you tell us how handsome he is!”

➤ it’s funny watching ben get so flustered over every little thing, basically begging your mom to do the dishes and help out with dinner despite telling him he didn’t have to

➤ by the time the night comes to an end, your parents are already making plans for the next time you have dinner

alex go

➤ man is shitting bricks he’s so nervous

➤ you have to keep adjusting his jacket since he won’t stop fiddling with the zipper

➤ “alex, calm down. they’re not that bad. it’ll be fine!”

➤ it was not fine, but it wasn’t alex’s fault! you were helping your mom in the kitchen while your dad laughed at your boyfriend’s jokes and got so distracted watching them bond that you burned dinner

➤ “if i were you, alex,” you hear your dad tell your boyfriend as you and your mom put a small fire out. “i’d run away from that one while i still can.” “dad!”

gerard jin

➤ your parents are so excited to meet him, simply because of how much you tell them about him

➤ honestly, you’re the anxious one. so anxious, in fact, that you forgot that your parents were babysitting your young nephew and niece while your sister was out of town

➤ you weren’t nervous in a bad way, though, just shaky about the whole situation. before gerard, no one you’d dated had ever met your family

➤ gerard kept a hand on your back or shoulder the whole time, doing a pretty good job and keeping conversation as you silently analyzed everyone’s facial expressions and body language

➤ as he played with your niece and nephew, your dad pulled you away to let you know that you picked correctly with this one

donald na

➤ to your surprise, he’s really worried about the impression he’ll give off to your family

➤ “hey, don’t be nervous! you’re amazing, and my feelings for you aren’t going to change no matter what they think.”

➤ that calms him a bit since his biggest worry was you viewing him in a different light. he doesn’t have the best history with parents or adults in general, so he just wants to make you proud

➤ you won’t lie, your parents weren’t sold at first. your sister, on the other hand (a tattoo artist), absolutely loved donald and his vibe. “bro, next time you want some ink, ask y/n to take you to my shop. on the house.”

➤ donald was pretty discouraged after leaving, since your parents kept the farewell’s brief. you make sure to cover his hands and face in kisses, and once you were home, your mom texted you a quick “he’s so in love with you. happy y/n happy in laws!”

jake ji

➤ you know your family is going to embarrass you, so you’re more afraid of what jake will think of you after than what your parents think of him

➤ as expected, your mom waited a whole six and a half minutes before pulling out the photo book

➤ “look! this was the day y/n fell down the stairs and put a hole in the wall!” “mom!”

➤ no matter how embarrassing, jake laughs along with your family. though, he’ll keep a hand on your knee or thigh so you know he isn’t laughing at you and finds you adorable

➤ when all is said and done, your mom tells you that if you don’t marry jake, she’ll disown you. jk… jk

wolf keum

➤ you’re not worried about your parents will react to him, you’re worried about how he’ll react to them

➤ “they’re boring, okay, but if they start, i don’t know, acting weird? just ignore them? please?”

➤ “y/n… i will be on my best behavior.”

➤ and he would be! though, when your mom asks about his bandages or what he does in his free time, wolf has to clench his jaw and force a smile. thankfully, you’re there to cover :)

➤ still, your parents don’t mind him. they’re happy as long as you are, but wouldn’t be heartbroken if you break up

[mable-stitchpunk]

Dazed and Amused- TADC fic- Teaser

It was a typical day in the Digital Circus.

Everyone had just gotten finished unclogging the pipe maze of an infestation of surprisingly aggressive gummy worms. A fantastic adventure that was clearly just Caine giving them busy work that he didn’t want to do himself.

“Excellent job in snaking those drains! And in record time too! You should allll be proud of yourselves. Look at Bubble, he’s thrilled! He’s so happy! He’s… Bubble, goodness me, STOP. Whatever you’re doing, please!"

Bubble turned to face a cringing Caine with a mouth overflowing in half-chewed gummy worms. Them slowly sliding out of his mouth as he replied.

“Sowwy boss.”

“Ahem, in any case…” Caine turned back to the others with a little spin of his cane. “I think you all deserve a just reward and a day out, soooo… We’re going to the DIGITAL CARNIVAL!”

There were some mixed reactions amongst the group, but one was very vocal.

“Really?! Hurray!” Gangle cheered, clapping her ribbons. Her comedy mask still stuck firmly to her face. It was a wonder with how lost she had gotten during their excursion.

As a matter of fact, it was the longest Gangle had gone in a while without breaking that mask. So, instead of her typically sulking self, she was overflowing with excitement, bouncing in place.

And it was all because Jax too had gotten lost in that stupid maze. He gave the masked tangle of ribbons a slightly irritated look.

“Ugh,” he groaned in exaggeration.

He made a show of it but, much to his continued displeasure, Gangle took absolutely no notice of it. Someone else did though, the ragdoll standing directly to his right who quickly chimed in.

“Well, you’re the one who’s always claiming that everyone’s too gloomy. You should be happy she’s happy,” Ragatha whispered to him.

“I said she was being a drag. I didn’t say I wanted her to become annoying,” Jax clarified.

Ragatha rolled her eyes from him to Pomni. Giving her a ‘are you hearing this?’ sort of look.

Pomni looked back with a visibly uneasy look replacing her tired one from a few moments ago. That was right, Ragatha realized. Pomni hadn’t gotten a chance to go to the Digital Carnival, and she could only be wary at Caine’s enthusiasm.

“Don’t worry, Pomni. This is going to be fun! The Digital Carnival is great, really,” Ragatha assured.

Before Pomni could even reply, Caine literally inserted himself into the conversation by popping up in between them. It made Pomni jump and even Ragatha took a partial step back in surprise.

“And now it is even better!” he proclaimed. “I have updated it with more rides, more attractions, more prizes, and plenty more bug fixes!”

“Bugs?” Kinger snapped his head over with a confused blink.

“Oh yes! The, erm, minor issues from last time are a thing of the past! For example, the roller coaster- the cars no longer fly off the track!”

“Aww, but Caine, that was the best part! Coming down at breakneck speeds and then fl-ying off at the turn and breaking our necks,” Jax mockingly complained.

“I’m sorry, Jax. I know you like the thrills, but safety is this park’s number one concern!” Caine insisted, Jax’s shtick flying right over his head. Caine then leaned in and whispered behind his hand- loudly, mind you- “We also have a tunnel of looove~.” He winked.  

“Oh that’s…” Ragatha said back with an awkward smile. She stole a look to Jax and saw the absolute look of offense and disbelief that was now on his face. She squeezed her hands together. “That’s great.”

Jax looked at her with just straight-up disbelief now.

“It is! Especially for any love birds tweeting about,” Caine hinted. If that wasn’t obvious enough, he then nudged Pomni repeatedly until he was sure she got it too.

Ragatha only kept smiling to cover her embarrassment.

“I think you’re tweeting outta your- Wait, if we’re going… Shotgun!” Jax suddenly cried. He thrust an arm up in the air as his face broke into an eager smile.

Ragatha pursed her lips as she realized what she had inadvertently let happen again.

“Why, you eager beaver you! Of course you can drive, Jax! I appreciate the initiative,” Caine complemented.

The others weren’t nearly as thrilled. Gangle was making sure to hold her mask on, Kinger got a downright dazed look, and Zooble gave a loud groan.

“God, Jax, didn’t feel like giving anyone else a chance?” Zooble asked.

“Nope! You snooze you lose, Picasso,” Jax said, strutting by.

“What just happened?” Pomni asked for clarification.

“Jax is driving again,” Ragatha sighed. She rubbed her arm. “He’s… a little bit of a leadfoot.”

“…Wait, we have a car?!”

Ragatha laughed a little. “You could call it that… but I wouldn’t.”

“…That doesn’t bode well!” Pomni said with a tense smile.