#WHY THE HELL DOES HE HAVE SO MAMY KIDS HIMSELF

[h0t-p1nk-ch33tah-pr1nt]

Kurt making have baby fever cuz what the hell

[weirdfishy]

gotta urgent need for some not-quite-yet punkflower where hobie is chillin in some rubble post-(successful) battle all knackered out n miles is visiting (idk bc he just told his parents abt spiderman n it went well so he's bursting at the seems with love at being accepted n all yea? he's gotta tell someone, and why not him? why not hobie? it's no one else but hobie he's gotta tell, if he's being honest with himself [denile is not a river in his egypt, ok pav?] so yeah, he finds himself on 138) n catches the tail end of the battle, tracks down where hobie decided to make a couch outta concrete and lands in front of him, buzzing with cheezy lovey dovey feelins of elation, top o' the fucken world, and asks on abt hobie, rambling until hobie just lifts a hand, a silent ask for help up, (always asking for connection always makin sure they're actually there) n miles, have i mentioned he's happy? he's straight up a sap, so he takes that hand.

he takes that hand gently, bending at the waist a bit, dramatically sweeping back his other arm, bowing, for hell's sake, n plants a kiss on the back of hobie's hand, nice n proper, with a cheeky wink to boot (he'd finally fixed the eye mechanisms last week, thanks to penny), before pulling up new london's own spiderman chest to chest with a bright laugh that puts a different kind of stars in hobie's eyes, half dancing half belting out a song in spanish he doesn't quite understand but knows all the words to (it's some continental dialect, nothing his mami speaks, but would filter out the headphones of that kid in his building he walked w in middle school everyday)

before the sirens start getting closer n hobie can feel the warmth of miles-- the warmth of his smile, his hair that's still sparking from transdimensional travel, his arms, chest, laughter, everything, n all at once it pulls every affectionate n pining bit of hobie to the surface, if he weren't wearing his mask his blush would be so impossibly visible it's straight mad how much hobie loves n adores miles, how much seeing miles be happy lights hobie's whole fucking world

and oh, hobie's never seen a god he didn't punch, never believed in any one he couldn't, but right now, with his fingers entwined with miles', aches leaving his bones like he's never felt his left shoulder twinge the second it drops below 21 just because miles just yelled fuck off to the approaching pigs, he could fall to his knees n swear pious fealty to milesmilesmiles.

but hobie is cool (never has a label stuck to him like the one miles has given him), and his real, livin n breathing god is starting to ramble, so hobie webs them upupup, heat along his back as god wraps arms around him, breath on his neck as home weaves tales into the leather wrapping it.

then miles hears hobie's stomach growl, so he starts pulling them away from the path of what he knows is towards hobie's flat, and towards what he swears is the only good puerto rican food in the whole of hobie's haunt, his excitement steamrolling over his usual stuttering spanish, exchanging shouts n jeers with everyone behind the counter

bc everyone knows him, like miles has lived here, earth-138, new london, his whole life, like hobie brown being dragged into the shop every other week by miles morales to get the same two plates (n an extra something for miles to gush over n hobie to taste) is how the rest of this life will go, like hobie n miles are together, in a way that the unsubtle looks the owner's kid at the register is aiming at miles' left hand are correct, but don't involve stuffy socially religious systems like marriage

but they're not, as much as hobie would love to kiss miles, gaze into his eyes for ages, hear his laughter, his off-key singing, his scritch-scritch of something on paper everyday-- bc he can't go abt this like he does everyone else, can't do it with half a foot out the door n a shrug as agreed; it's gotta be both feet on the floor, n it's gotta be for the rest of this life, so he'll take what he can get, and he'll take the distance n devotion, take the faith n the heartache. take what he can get from his god, glad to be touched by his god, glad to be loved by his god, across universes n the fall from his bed to the futon on the floor where miles decides to lay his head for choice holy nights

(hobie doesn't know miles is putting himself at the base of his god's shrine, hoping for his deity to fall into his arms, spikes n all, (ready, so ready to tear apart dimensions again for hobie, to bleed and cry n go to war for hobie) fingers splaying on the side of the mattress warmwarmwarm after hobie starts snoring, before they slip down softly, a prayer imparting from the pads, memorizing the patterns of his god's breath, the smell of the room, the borrowed shirt he wears, the sounds of a second city he calls home, thrumming full with a bass note plucked from an electric guitar, usually shaky hands sure n still picking out a different shape to hobie's eyebrow piercing, deftly screwing a star onto the bar. miles brings offerings to his god in pins n patches on clothing, stickers n torn out sketches decorating a shrine)

so they'll song n dance in new york, in new london; learning each other's cities, earths, haunts, people, arts, each other, like new scars for the collection- permanent and signs of living, odes to loving and protecting.

chest to chest, fingers entwined, warmth in the skies above cities, right on the edge of it all until they fall together, eyes wide open, gods broken down into blood and teeth and lovelovelove

not-quite-yet 2 - 3

. my ko-fi 💛

ao3 link

[merrhea39]

werewolf mami ch 2-4

       A couple minutes later you arrive to a cute but fancy restaurant and the 4 lead you into the establishment. Damian gently wraps one of his large muscular arms around you. “They got a ton of different types of food so don’t worry about not having something to eat.” He said and then he gently kissed your head which surprised you and made you flinch. “Eh don’t worry about that sweetheart Damian does that all the time.” Finn chuckled to himself about Damian’s behavior. “Sorry you just smell great…” Damian said a bit embarrassed. “If you weren’t a wolf that would sound creepy as hell.” Dominik said flatly which made both Finn and Rhea laugh. Together you sit down and order. Damian, Finn, Rhea, and yourself all order something nice that measures to the restaurants niceness, but Dominik ordered chicken tenders with fries off the kids menu. Dom is a man seemingly in his early to mid twenties so why he wanted tenders so much at a restaurant like this left you clueless. Damian noticed you staring at Dom’s food. “Yeah that’s all he eats. He’s an infant.” Dom heard what Damian told you. “I’m not an infant!” Dom returned at Damian as the 2 started to argue in English and Spanish back and forth. The arguing made Rhea sigh then slam her hand on the table, both of them stopped and the table went quiet. Finn tried to break the silence. “So ummm new girl what should we know about you?” You answer Finn and the table goes silent again. Dominik still looks grumpy about both you and Damian. Rhea shoots a glare at Dominik “Dom stop she’s gonna be one of us now. You should make good with each other ‘kay?” Dominik reluctantly nods and goes back to eating his tenders. You had no problem with him at all, it's just you find him a bit clingy to Rhea, which in all honesty is kinda cute. Once you all finished a waiter approaches you asking if you want a dessert and it’s clear that made dom excited. “No thanks.” Rhea said looking directly at Dominik which made him frown. Once the waiter left Rhea spoke at Dom again. “We have dessert at home, Dom Dom.” But this seems to make it worse. “It’s not the same…” Dom said, pouting. “It IS the same Dom plus you just wanted an ice cream anyways.” This seems to be a routine occurrence for them as Damian face palms in embarrassment and Finn looks ready to burst with laughter. “Oy wait fer it.” Finn tells you silently as Dom and Rhea argue a bit more. “It’s not the same at home!” Dom says with a little attitude. “We have the same fucking brand! I asked them where they got it… months ago!” Rhea said annoyed at him. “Well I… hmph…” Dom pouts and looks away, Damian was right he’s an infant. Rhea gets up and as we’re about to leave, but Dom won’t move which makes Rhea go to Dom and whisper something in his ear which makes him more than happy to get up and leave the establishment just like he wasn’t arguing with her about ice cream. 

[evita-shelby]

Between the Shadow and the Soul

Chapter 33:

Taglist: @joossieisdabomb (please let me know if anyone wants to be added or removed from it)

“I want to go home!” Charlie has a temper, whether its hers or Tommy’s she can’t tell, could be a horrid combination of both.

“We’ll go home soon, this is just like when we went on holiday, mi vida.” she tries to calm him down.

He rarely throws tantrums ---those are definitely hers; Polly says Tommy never ever threw one--- but when he does, they are legendary. The toy plane Tiago got him has been flung at the wall, one of the wooden horses John and Esme got him has turned to ash in the fireplace, the toy car Finn gave him yesterday almost hit Diane and Eva felt her resolve about not spanking her children weaken a little. Not that it would make the three-year-old sleep anyways. “I want tati!”

Tommy is tati, she is mami and right now Carlitos ---how she calls her boy half the time--- wants tati to tell him a story and tuck him into bed. Its fucking midnight and raining cats and dogs, but tati is too busy scaring Devlin at his office. Won't be long now, but fuck him for not doing this earlier. He’s known for almost two days now, why did her husband had to have a flair for the dramatic?“Ahorita llega. He'll be here soon.” she holds him on her lap and rocks him. Only way to calm him down from his little tornado of destruction. It was a few minutes between the office and Watery Lane, might be longer because of the rain or some other inconvenience.

She sings to Charlie in Spanish, English, Romani, that creepy Irish song Tommy’s father used to sing to him and his siblings that he sings to their kids. Leave it to her husband to teach them a song about a woman committing infanticide.

Although she was guilty of that too given one of the most famous lullabies in Spanish talks about El Coco coming to eat children who won’t go to sleep.

But by the time he is home, Charlie has given up, accidentally struck her while she tucked him in bed and mami is angrily wondering what the hell took tati so long.

“Where were you?” she doesn’t mean to come off as the angry jealous wife, but she’s tired and irritated.

“Devlin said he saw Italians meet with the communists. Eden refused to cooperate.” He sighs, tired, and she helps him out of his winter coat, suit jacket, and gun holster, like she used to before what happened last year. She can feel the dull pangs of grief that hit him when he remembered his life before the war.

He hides it well as, but she can see it in the way Polly can see ghosts. It’s a lingering shadow sticking to him. When Greta died so did a part of him, the part that was the hopeful youth who signed up for war even before they were all conscripted.

Eva helps her husband undress and joins him in the tub. His fingers brush over the scar on her shoulder as if to remind himself how close he came to losing her.

“I was thinking you should take the day off tomorrow, let Polly take care of things while we go elsewhere. Just us and the children, or just us if you want.”

“Can’t go far, Evie, you know that.” He reminds her, sighing, but not stopping her from straddling his lap.

“I wouldn’t call four or five houses away far, Tommy.” She teased him, hands lovingly running up and down his chest, she needed him in a good mood to spring it on him. “Charlie threw another tantrum about being stuck here and since my granny’s house is still unoccupied, it might do all four us some good to have a change of scenery.”

It would do wonders for them to not run the risk of the children interrupting the betting shop, besides the smell of it alone had her bent over the toilet bowl for hours.

“An old woman died there.” He jokes. It was the reason that no one wanted to live there after she and her uncle decided to lease it.

“She died in a hospital bed in London and I cleansed it while Polly watched the children today just to be safe.” The house had been remodeled to perfection, had a very low rent and a functioning telephone as well as a radio, but the words witch and dead woman made sure no one said yes to the lease. “Besides I had it redecorated to see if anyone would take it off my hands, so its almost unrecognizable.”

Her old room had been remade into a nursery, her granny’s room was unrecognizable and the living room let her have space she needed.

“Charlie loves it here.” Tom would rather have them here, where he can protect them and Finn and its sweet of him, but the children hate being cooped upstairs for most of the day.

“Actually, he hates it, he just pretends he doesn’t because he thinks you’ll leave again if he hurts your feelings.” Sweet Charles Henry Shelby hated disappointing people, especially his father whom he adored. “Don’t believe me, just ask him what happened to one of the toy horses John and Esme gave him.”

He winced, Tom had only seen one or two tantrums his son threw. Charlie didn’t like small spaces nor church. The last one Charlie had, he had kicked and screamed and broken a pair of Tommy’s glasses while they tried to drag him to church for Diane’s baptism.

“Gets it from his mother, I think.” He says and she playfully pushed him away when he tried to kiss her. “Wall or fireplace?”

“Fireplace.” She answers and he nods as if he wasn’t already focusing on the bruise forming on her forearm. His fingers brush against it lightly, but it still hurts. "Charlie refused to sleep without you tucking him in." Its a low blow, but it has it's desired effect.

“We’ll take a look tomorrow, stay the night to see if it's the lack of space that’s making him act out.” It’s a reluctant yes, but she’ll take it.

They left early, right before the shop opened downstairs and people became suspicious. Charlie is excited, wants his own room because he’ll be four soon.

If Thomas hadn’t had his ambition, they would’ve lived here or in any other house in Watery Lane. But Thomas wanted greater things and Eva could never love a man who’d waste his potential.

“I let Finn in charge---” he tells her as he ties her apron around her waist. This was the domestic side they’d lost once they moved into Arrow House, she sometimes missed it, but it wasn’t like they might be returning there anytime soon.

“They’ll eat him alive.” Eva shakes her head. “Pobrecito.”

“He’s turning eighteen in two months, it's time we stopped treating like a child.” He reminds her. “I know they won’t go easy on him, but I can’t shield him from everything anymore.”

Whatever she was going to say dies out in her tongue as they hear a gunshot two doors down ---Arthur and Linda lived much closer to her granny’s house than 6 Watery Lane.

“Arthur’s house.” she confirms.

“Stay with the children and don’t open the door to anyone who isn’t me.” he says running to his brother.

---

When he comes back, he’s brought his brother and his wife, having foreseen it she’s had tea and coffee as well as breakfast. The morning sickness had ebbed enough for her to cook, but she knows she’ll be regretting it in a few minutes.

“Tom said you saw something bad happen because I killed Changretta.” Arthur sits and eats angrily, still skeptical about what’s so awful that Tommy couldn’t bring himself to tell him himself.

“Vincenzo or Audrey had a curse put on Luca, whoever kills him will lose a child, although my visons say a son for a son, but the cards have been showing me it means any child, boy or girl. They know I am a witch, they know Polly is one too, so I can guess they did it with every intention to make sure Luca could avenge his family even after death.” she explains, pouring the tea as if she didn’t want to fall apart at the thought of letting Bonnie Gold die for their sins.

“I wouldn’t put it past you to let an innocent boy die for what you did,” Linda says venomously and Thomas pretends it didn’t sting. “Poor Bonnie Gold, to be the sacrificial lamb because you couldn't listen to your wife when she said no revenge.”

“We didn’t know about the curse until after Esme told us to hire Aberama Gold, Linda.” Eva remains calm, if she shouts like she wants to she’ll scare the children and whoever could be hearing them.

“What I did, Linda.” Arthur slams his fist on the table, startling Billy. “Tommy wanted to torture him, but I shot the old man.”

Well, this doesn’t help. Eva had not known any of this had happened while she convalesced at home. They were going to have to talk about this later, she tells him so with a look.

“It was a mercy kill, Linda, it was me who wanted the bastard dead and Arthur stopped me from drawing it out for what happened.” Thomas defends his brother, the man could have a heart as cold and hard as diamond, but he always defended his family.

“But I still shot him, and its why I know I am next.” and it is true, but just like John, Eva won’t let it happen.

“Even so, if you kill Luca, Billy and Linda die sometime after Billy’s fourth birthday." Eva pauses as Arthur sobers up, Linda gasps and clutches to her baby boy.

 “If Tom kills him, Diane dies before her seventh birthday---” Eva sees her girl coughing up blood in the near future. “She dies of consumption, I’ve seen it.”

Thomas’ grip on the back of the chair turns bone white and for a moment, Eva thinks he will crumble like marzipan or fall like a block of ice. Because Greta died of that, and what else would hurt Tommy more than having his daughter die that way too.

“Now Eva knows a person with no children who could take the job, but even then, the deal with Gold can’t be broken without it having serious consequences.” Tommy ---now fully aware of the Curse--- continues where she left off.

“So, Bonnie Gold dies because of fucking tradition?” nothing angers Linda more than a child suffering for the sins of their parents. She suffered much at the hands of her drunken father and her mother who did too little too late.

“She is already mediating between us and the many people who are willing to pay good money for Luca’s head, and since her interests align with ours, it won’t be much of an issue for her to do it.” Eva suggests. “I can hire her. Since Tom made the contract with Aberama and I’m hiring her separately, it doesn’t break any rules. ”

“I’ll hire her myself if it means no children will have to pay for their fathers’ sins.” Linda says full of conviction. It was that sort of conviction that made her great at her job at the institute.

“Hire her, tradition can go fuck itself.” for the first time in days, Arthur is thinking clearly and for the first time in ages, Arthur Shelby Jr takes a side against Tommy.

“Then its settled, Evie will give her friend a call and we will just have to make sure Gold doesn’t get him first.” Thomas relents, but acts as if that had been his plan all along. He doesn’t trust Florence, but he trusts her and as long as Eva has his trust, he will trust whoever she trusts.

----

Notes:

Tati is roma for daddy and mami is Spanish for mommy.

Weile, weila,weile is an irish schoolyard song about a woman who kills her children.

El coco is the famous monster of the lullaby duermase niño, where essentially a parent claims el coco will come eat the kid if they don't sleep.

It can be safely inferred that Linda did not have a good home life from the way she mentions her mother's advice and that Lizzie comments that Polly said Linda would turn into her mother.

[invisibleraven]

FRIDAY. casual affection #1, rulie

Reggie grinned as he was handed a piece of paper covered in scribbles by the tiny boy he had just placed with his forever home. This was why he did what he did, for that scene of a child finding their place. Growing up in such a turbulent home had made him determined that no child should live through a similar hell. So now, with years of schooling under his belt, he got to be a social worker and help out children in situations either similar, or unfortunately worse than what he grew up in.

Of course there were kids that he couldn't help, which broke his heart, but he had to try and not dwell on those lost causes. Otherwise he would spend his life mourning what could have been. Instead he just had to move on.

When he returned to the office, he already had a new file waiting for him, which slightly saddened Reggie, the never ending parade of children in need, but he supposed a social worker's job was never done. He opened the file and started reading. Luna Diaz was not quite five, and had lost her mom in a terrible car accident. Dad wasn't in the picture, and there were no other relatives to speak of. She primarily spoke Spanish, which greatly narrowed down the list of available foster families.

But of course, Reggie always rose to a challenge, and he had just the woman in mind for Luna.

Reggie had been working with Julie Molina for some time now, and she had fostered some of his favourite kids. She was great at what she did, and had once confessed to Reggie that it was her parent's loving relationship and care of her that inspired her to provide that to kids who couldn't rely on their own families for that support. That may have also been when Reggie started to fall for her, but he kept those thoughts at bay, considering it would be completely unprofessional.

Once he had Julie contacted and an initial meeting set up, it was time to meet Luna himself. She was a quiet girl who shrunk in on herself at the workers of the group home she was placed at, crying when anyone came any bit closer to her. Reggie decided on a different approach, squatting down and offering her a small piece of chocolate.

Luna approached him shyly, snatching up the treat and shoving it in her mouth. "Gracias."

"De nada. Mi nombre es Reggie, entiendes inglés?"

"Yes," she replied quietly. "My mami spoke it, so I learned."

"Good, because that was as much Spanish that I know." Reggie loved how that made Luna giggle, so he scooted a little closer. "So, I'm here to bring you to a foster home. The lady there is named Julie, and speaks way better Spanish than me. She's super nice, and I bet she also has better candy. You wanna come meet her?"

"Will you be there?" Luna asked.

"For a bit, and I'll come visit until we can find someone to adopt you, make sure you're okay. How does that sound?"

"As long as I can tell you if I don't like it."

It turned out, of course, that Luna adored Julie, and the feeling was mutual. Every time Reggie went to visit, the both of them looked so happy together. Pulling Reggie in to try the cupcakes they baked, or hear the song that they wrote together. Getting him to help Julie put together Luna's bike because she was useless with tools. Inviting him to stay and eat with them every time.

At first, Reggie demurred, not wanting to encroach on their bonding time, but then Luna broke out the puppy dog eyes, and he relented. Besides, Julie's cooking beat the frozen pizza or leftover Chinese he was planning on eating that night.

It didn't surprised Reggie though, that Julie called and said the sentence he had been waiting for, "I want to adopt Luna."

"I had a feeling you would," Reggie replied, and started talking her through the lengthy process of adoption.

It took a long time for the courts to move, but just before Luna was due to turn six, the date was set to finalize the adoption.

"Will you be there?" Luna asked.

"D'uh," Reggie replied. "I'm always there for the final hand off when one of my kids goes to their forever home."

"Does that mean we won't see you anymore?" Luna asked, crestfallen.

"Of course not!" Julie said from the kitchen where she was preparing supper. "Reggie is welcome to come back any time."

The two adults looked at each other from across the space, and shared a smile, Julie blushing a little. "I mean it Reggie. It'll be weird not to have you here every Friday eating all the empanadas and tres leches cake."

"Well then, maybe I'll keep coming. If only for the cake."

So the day of Luna's court date, Reggie showed up, as he normally did, and gave Luna that customary last hug. But found himself being pulled over to Julie with her, joining in the family embrace. Walking out of the courthouse hand in hand with her... and getting pulled down onto the couch by Julie after Luna was asleep in bed.

Reggie figured professionalism went out the window a long time ago, and surrendered to her kiss.

And if Luna awoke them with her jubilant shrieks the next morning finding them together in Julie's bed? Well Reggie figured he could get used to that.

In fact, he did rather quickly, and it wasn't long before he was signing his own adoption papers, right alongside his marriage license, smiling at the love of his life, and the little girl who finally brought them together.

[happys-crazy-queen22]

Not The Right Nipple

Gif credit @angelreyesgirl

Hope you all enjoy

Happy reading dollies

Taglist @ilovetaquitosmmmm. @nocturnalherb16. @jesseswartzwelder. @leaalfred. @twistnet. @baylishh. @tranqs-main-mami. @mayans-mc

"So I left you four breast milk bottles in the fridge and there's pouches in the freezer if you need extra but I shouldnt be gone that long". You explained to Angel as you got ready for a girls day out. Since having the baby two months ago you hadn't been out of the house and you were going stir crazy.

"Do you really have to go? I mean, you've never left Danny with me more than an hour and that's just to take a shower. I'm not sure that I'll survive". Angel rubbed the back of his head nervously, looking down at his sleeping son in the cradle.

"Angel, you'll be fine. I promise. If you need me, I'm just a phone call away. I love you. Now don't lose my child or burn down the house". You gave him a quick kiss and headed out the door.

Angel sighed. "Just you and me kid".

"Waaaaaawaaaaaaa". Danny screamed to the top of his lungs. His little face beet red.

"Come on. Come on". Angel growled at his phone as he tried to call you. Danny wasn't eating and he didn't need a diaper change so Angel didnt know what to do.

"Angel"? Ez called out as he, Coco and Taza entered the house.

"For fuck sake, what the hell did you do"? Ez snapped when he saw his little nephew.

"Nothing. I tried to feed him but he wouldnt take the bottle. He's clean, I know because I changed his diaper every fifteen minutes". Angel stressed.

"I see now why you need to get diapers every time we go out". Coco chuckled.

"Shut the fuck up". Angel hissed, he was already irritated and he didn't need Coco on his case.

"Let me see the bottle". Taza grabbed the bottle and tested on his wrist. "It's warm enough". He handed it to Ez to see if he could get him to eat.

"Wondered why he wont take it"? Ez questioned when Danny wouldnt take the bottle for him neither.

"He's breastfed, right"? Coco asked.

"Yeah"? Angel, Ez and Taza eyed Coco confused.

"Then that's what he wants. He doesnt want a bottle, he wants the warm breast on his cheek and the face that goes with that breast". Coco smirked.

"I'll kill you, Coco. Don't talk about my wife's body". Angel pointed his gun at Coco.

"Alright, settle down. Put the gun away". Taza stepped in between the two.

"Have you called Y/N"? Ez asked rocking Danny. He was still screaming.

"Yeah, no answer".

"We'll figure something out, dont stress, daddy". Taza patted Angel's back.

Angel took the guys to the living room and tried to stay calm and feed Danny. While Coco had a idea of his own, he went to the kitchen got a pair of scissors and went back to the living room.

"Give me the bottle". Coco held out his hand.

"What are you doing. I dont trust you around my kid with scissors". Angel hesitantly gave Coco the bottle. Coco scoffed.

"What the hell are you doing"? Angel asked as he saw Coco cut a hole in his shirt right where the nipple was at.

"I'm going to feed your kid, so he'll stop his screaming. Or would you like this to continue on until Y/N got here"?

"Now, hand me the baby". Coco held out his arms. Ez looked at Angel then Angel nodded.

"See if Danny boy thinks that the breast are where is should be, he'll drink and all your problems will be solved". Coco explained. He put the bottle nipple into Danny's mouth and he began to suckle.

"See. Not all my ideas are stupid".

"Okay, give me my kid. You're not breast feeding him. It's weird".

"Fine. Cut a hole in your shirt".

Angel did just that and they quickly switched off. Danny seemed happy as he ate. Angel's stress level went down and Danny's screaming stopped completely, he was even cooing.

"Thanks, man". Angel nodded to Coco.

"Dont say I didn't get you anything".

"You didn't. You didnt even show up for the baby shower".

"I was busy".

"Doing"? Angel asked as be rocked Danny back, still feeding him.

"Doing what Danny's doing right now but on a smoking hot red head". Coco smirked.

"Aaaah, that's disgusting. Dont be talking like that around my child, you nasty pervert". Angel scoffed in disgust.

"Do you want me to tell Danny that you were in his position a year ago"? Coco teased.

"Get out of my house, Cruz". Angel bluntly told Coco.

"Fine. I have a red head to see anyways". Coco rolled his eyes and headed out of the house.

"You cool here, brother"? Ez asked.

"Yeah I'm good. Thanks. See you guys later".

Ez and Taza left. Angel relaxed on the couch, cradling his sleeping son. A moments peace.

After a good squeeze and snuggle session, he laid Danny in his bassinet.

Angel was thrilled when he heard you pull up. He was still sitting on the couch when you walked in.

"Hey, my loves". You tip toed up to the couch. Leaning on the back of the couch.

"How was your day"? Angel asked with a whisper.

"It was wonderful. Thank you. How was your day? I seen you called but then texted you were fine".

"Oh, I missed place the wipes and forgot where we put the others but I found them. No problem". Angel lied.

"Okay, I'm going to go change. I need to snuggle with my boys". You giggled and kissed his cheek.

Angel saw the bassinet moving and got up to check on Danny.

"Angel"? You called out from the other room.

"Yeah"?

"Why does your shirt have a hole at the nipple"? You asked looking at it oddly as you went to put it on.

"Um, about that". Angel chuckled to himself as he picked up his son.

[barbasbodaciousbeard]

Accidental Feminist Icon

Between my own headcanon Barba becomes a very niche viral celebrity for being a mix of feminist icon giving one liners on the news and handsome/well dressed and the DJ Khaled post, this happened. 

“Counsellor, are you listening?” Olivia asked as Rafael Barba looked at his phone again. It had been months now since he started trying Manhattan SVU’s cases, and she hadn’t seen him this distracted before. 

“I just- why do I have rapid fire Twitter notifications? Over one hundred and fifty?”

“You have Twitter?” He rolled his eyes, not proud of the admission. But he liked to follow politics and music and satire. His colleagues would have discourse on legal proceedings and theory. But when he opened his notifications, the sea of professional headshots making up the icons in his notifications window were replaced by cartoon avatars and selfies. Handles like @Bradley_GreedADA were replaced with @feministkilljxy. 

What was happening?

Why were there GIFs of him now?

“Rafael?” He was snapped back to attention by Olivia’s hand passing over his phone screen, and he shook his head, holding the screen out to her. “What am I looking at?”

“Why have a couple hundred- are these all teenagers?”

“Are they following you? Or tagging you?”

“Both?” He scrolled through the mentions.

“Both.” A questioning look.

“Have I gone viral?” he asked herr, eyes wide and his tone disgusted. Twitter was where he posted law books, nice dinners out, homemade dinners in, and the nicer scotch he drank. Sometimes even pictures of himself; some of his friends enjoyed fashion as well, and their twitters all had a heavy thread of their suspenders and ties. Suddenly, he was having photos he’d posted to flaunt his ability to mix patterns retweeted in appreciation of something more than the color scheme.

“I think you have. What have you said now?”

“The girl whose tweet I keep getting tagged in mentioned Jocelyn Paley and the Adam Caine case.”

“That was seven months ago.”

“I’m very aware. I have to get to the office. I’ll get you that warrant.”

He continued to scroll as he walked, alarmed by the number of followers he was gaining and going to open a direct message from a friend to see a wall of messages from names he didn’t know. Once he was able to find Bradley’s message, he saw it was series of tweets with videos and GIFs of him on the courthouse steps. They were all from the same case, he assumed the Adam Caine case. He clicked the video of he and Rita Calhoun.

All I can say, today's Grand Jury indictment is the first step towards achieving justice for Jocelyn Paley. 

The DA's office is desperately trying to distract from their recent scandal with a high-profile case. 

Don't give me that--whether you're a john in the South Bronx or a $3-million-a-year talk show host, no means no. 

 He could remember the exchange now, and it had apparently been retweeted thousands of times. Cameras always made him determined to distract, determined to drive home a point. And now, he was seeing some group of teenagers had clung on to his words, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about becoming recognized enough by that demographic to warrant this rapidly increasing follower count. 

“Carmen, can I ask you something?”

“Of course, Mr. Barba. Need coffee?”

“No,” he said plainly, shaking his head and showing her his feed. “Is this normal?”

“They found you?”

“Excuse me?”

“Haven’t you seen the posts?”

“I don’t branch out on Twitter often.”

“I see it mostly, like, on Instagram with captions and people post clips of you on vine.”

“What’s vine?”

“A six second video app. Teenagers and young women post you. Vine is normally comedy. But people are obsessed with you. Niche, but sizable number. I think it’s mostly New York girls who see you on the news. But that means the vines went viral a couple months ago.”

“So now they’re all following me on Twitter?”

“You’re viral for being attractive, dressing well, and prosecuting rapists. Embrace it.”

“I can’t post my clothes anymore.”

“Just continue like usual. Don’t respond to DMs.”

He spent a few weeks terrified of this new following, but after three days, things calmed down. The number of followers he gained was weird and confusing to him, and he decided to listen to Carmen ultimately, keeping the profile the same and pretending nothing had happened. She did stop him one day, showing him that there had been people making fake accounts, yet another thing that was insane to him. She primarily told him because these accounts were attempting to take advantage of the fact young girls were the ones following him. He awkwardly slid the handles to Olivia, and Carmen filled out an application for Twitter verification that left him mortified. Even worse, it was approved. 

He was swept away in a case soon enough. Lindsay was assaulted by a whole fraternity at Hudson. They uncovered a previous victim in a hospital, a fraternity known for being a rape factory, and a dean helping create a culture that buried these attacks. It was becoming higher profile than he expected, and it wasn’t easy to try. He’d had to shut off his notifications on his phone during these cases. When Lindsay committed suicide, he accompanied Rollins when she went to arrest the dean. What he didn’t expect was for two of the women they saw to approach him, asking if they were here about Lindsay and thanking them when he said he couldn’t mention it. Then they asked for a selfie. Rafael was mortified but obliged. 

“We recognize you from Twitter.”

Well, now he knew he needn’t accompany the squad out anymore.

When he got tweets from the kind of scum that supported the fraternity, it took a concerted effort not to respond. That could jeopardized the case. He’d already had to tell the two girls they couldn’t post about him being there. He tweeted a disclaimer for if people saw him out, feeling like an asshole. Twitter was now becoming a liability, but he could balance it and refused to give up the feed. Slowly, the GIFs and stills of him on the news were collected, and he only got embarrassed again when mami’s students had discovered him and realized he was the guy in their principal’s pictures. Now Mami had a Twitter, and she followed people who praised him joyfully, though he’d managed to convince her not to interact in private messages or respond to people insulting him. 

The Jenna Miller case caused another leap in his follower count, and he had developed a little sense of pride instead of embarrassment when his followers jumped from people who mattered in New York to people who mattered elsewhere. A congresswoman from Ohio. Artists. Activists. He’d texted Olivia when Lady Gaga followed him. Plus that woman from True Blood. God, she was beautiful. Plus the hot boybander that had probably made him realize he was bisexual. It was weird, and he was unwilling to publicly acknowledge any of it. Unless they were on twitter, he certainly didn’t tell anyone he knew other than Olivia. Soon enough, someone had made a t-shirt on Etsy of the moment he’d turned on his heel. The media had called after Jenna, the olympian, and he’d told them no questions. Then the had the gall to bring up her sex work. He’d stopped on the steps, turning on his heel and announcing “Except for that one. Paid or not paid, no means no. Consent can be revoked at any time.” And now, Etsy users were profiting on it. This group was niche, but it ran deep. Luckily, he noticed the shop only had a few dozen sales.

Everything was fine until Rafael Barba lost his ability to maintain his composure. Up until now, he’d monitored his name, mentions, and a few hashtags people used with him. It was usually just the GIFs and stills and soundbites. He participated in some banter after the first couple of years, boundaries firm enough he felt he could. But he still didn’t bicker. Carmen said he got a following for being a good guy, and he thought it was gross openly condemning rape seemed to be all it took to be a good guy. But then through his lurking, Rafael Barba saw a tweet about DJ Khaled. He’d had to google who the hell that was, unsure who all of Twitter was piling onto, but he found the tweet objectionable enough to respond.

“Mr. Barba,” Carmen said, eyes sparkling with amusement as she came in to see her boss still scrolling through his phone. “You really decided this is the time to get involved on Twitter? You only ever respond to what people say to your stuff or your friends.”

He should’ve known she’d be on top of it. He’d given her access when notifications went through the roof the second time, and Carmen helped filter through DMs he didn’t want to see. But now, that meant her phone was vibrating like his in response to his first tweet in response to a stranger or someone who wasn’t in a thread under his own post.

“What? I’m supposed to endorse consent but not enjoyment?”

“You’re going to end up in a Buzzfeed article, sir.”

“If this is my legacy, so be it.”

“Your legacy? Taking it seriously now?”

“This is serious.”

Carmen’s phone buzzed in her hand, and she knew he’d sent another tweet. Her own account got notifications so she could monitor him. She sighed heavily, unlocking the phone and looking at it. 

“Mr. Barba, does your mom know you’re bi?”

“No, why?”

“She follows you, idiot.”

“Shit. Well, I suppose it’s time.”

“If you tweet Smash Mouth, I’m quitting. These kids are already thirst tweeting you. They must have tweet notifications on for you.”

“Who’s Smash Mouth?”

“How the hell are you culturally relevant?”

“According to Liv, I’m a feminist icon.”

“Don’t get arrogant sir. I help run this twitter.”

“I’ll change the password. I do all the posting.”

“I won’t tell you if Evan Rachel Wood slides in your DMs.”

“Why would I care?”

“I know why you watched True Blood.”

“Touche.” He paused. “Do you think she will?”

“Give me the phone. I’ll bring it when Liv calls.”

“Why would she call?”

“She made a Twitter, sir. Followed you last week.”

“Shit,” he said, eyes wide. “I posted pictures of my food. She saw me acting like a Twitter guy.”

“You are a Twitter guy.”

He rolled his eyes, ending with a retweet of his new favorite addition to the conversation. 

@mia-liz @chasingeverybreakingwave @thegirlwiththemaleficient-tattoo​ @teachingpanda​

[rainecreatesstuff]

LAMP Soulmate AU Bulletfic thing

Word Count: 2569

TW: Mentions and implications of abuse, mentions of anxiety, descriptions of panic attacks, mentions and implications of death + illness

They’re all connected in different ways

Virgil is connected to Patton through that thing where marks on your soulmate’s skin appear of yours too

Roman through a thing where on your eleventh birthday at 11:11pm a name will pop into your head and wow its your soulmate’s

And Logan through the string thing

Roman is connected to Patton through a timer on his wrist

And Logan through a tattoo-like mark on your wrist that says your soulmate’s first words to you

Logan and Patton are connected through a soulmark (A tattoo or raised pattern on your skin that is also on your soulmate)

Patton is blind

so in this au different soulmarkers develop at different ages

So when V’s little he’s super excited to meet his sm, bc his parents are soulmates and everything he’s seen abt them is so sweet and exciting!

He turns six and doesn’t develop a timer, which is what he was hoping for

But that’s ok! There are tons of other soulmarkers!

And then he doesn’t develop a soulmark when he’s seven

Or a sentence on his wrist when he’s eight

And he can see colours

So he’s starting to get nervous

And hey! Mom’s sick, and in the hospital, and she’s just not doing too swell

But then when he turns nine, a beautiful red string has been tied around his ring finger when he wakes up!

And wow! Mom look, I have a soulmate! Just like you and daddy!

And then a few months later he’s doing his homework at the kitchen table and the string goes limp before shriveling up and turning black

The doctors have no explanation, and V’s anxiety has really started to kick in

Mom doesn’t seem to be getting better either

So when he turns ten, he is fully aware that this is probably his last chance to develop a soulmarker

He writes on his forearm the night before his birthday

It says “Hey, I’m V! I guess we’re soulmates?”

When he wakes up there’s nothing new

Which is fine! Because that means his sm is probably in the same time zone as him!

But then he keeps waiting and

Nothing

Nothing for a week.

Eventually his dad convinces him to wash it off

Then on his eleventh birthday he knows how uncommon a soulname connection is, but he needs to try

So it’s 11:10 and he’s sitting at his desk with a marker ready to write it down and then-

Roman Prince

Roman prince? What do you mean Roman prince? That’s not a name! What the hell?!

So he’s really sad and anxious and stuff because he doesn’t have a soulmate and, yknow, that’s kinda upsetting for him

And hey, your mom really isn’t doing too well, we have to visit her after school, okay?

At first Virgil doesn’t understand why mom’s being so dramatic or why she keeps telling him she loves him

Then it hits him

And now he’s sobbing and hugging her and shaking and he can’t breathe he can’t breathe he can’t breathe

Fun fact! Turns out this is a regular thing and he has really bad anxiety.

And mom has been put in a medically induced coma

So a year later dad decides to pull the plug

Virgil’s anxiety has gotten really bad

He’s just not in a good place

High school goes by without much happening

Now he’s going to university! How exciting and stressful!

Roman, too, was entranced by the idea of soulmates. His parents aren’t soulmates, but they encourage his excitement about them!

And when he turns six, he develops a timer on his wrist! Score! What a romantic way to meet the love of your life!

Or friend of your life

His moms are so excited for him! They get him new paints and take him out to dinner to celebrate.

And then he wakes up on his eighth birthday to words on his right wrist

It says “If you could stop talking, it would be vastly appreciated.”

He’s a little pissed

His moms take him to the doctor bc “wtf why does he have TWO soulmarkers?!”

The answer is that he has two soulmates

It’s uncommon, but possible

So while he is ecstatic and ready to parade his soulmarkers around the school, his moms are a little less happy and a little more worried

They may have made the suggestion that he wears long sleeves most days, those ones that he hates because they will not roll up

But he did what they asked because they’re his moms, and he loves them very much

And then a few years later on his birthday he’s typing up a short story for school

It’s due the next day so he’s rushing through it a little bit

It’s still amazing

But anyways, he’s writing, and he suddenly just gets the name “Virgil Miller” stuck in his head

He doesn’t think anything of it bc he’s writing and that’s normal

He ends up naming the main character Virgil 

Logan grows up in a bit of a run-down part of town

His Mami and Dad are soulmates (he doesn’t think they should be)

They fight a lot, and sometimes Dad’ll hurt Mami, especially at night when they think he’s asleep

And he’s heard Mami on the phone with his Tia, talking about court cases? And laws, and soulmates?

Needless to say, he isn’t all too enamoured with the idea of soulmates

When he’s seven he gets a soulmark, some bumps over his heart, which is a little distressing

He’s never met this person, but he’s supposed to spend his whole life with them?

He’s very scared that his soulmate will be like Dad

And then he develops the words “Bold of you to assume I can stop talking” on his right wrist

And then a string when he’s nine.

He doesn’t tell his parents about any of them. “Soulless” people existed, and he knew his Mami was hoping he was one of them.

And then later that year Mami sits him down and tells him that she’s going to live with his Tia until she can find her own apartment, and that she and Dad aren’t together anymore

Logan cries for a while, and tells her about all the things he’s heard, and the bruises he’s seen, and begs to go with her

Mami says she was hoping he would

His Dad finds out the day before they leave and he hits Logan

Multiple times

And when his Mami steps in, Dad scowls and yells and stomps away and Mami picks Logan up and they run to the car and leave

When they get to his Tia’s he hides in the guest bedroom they said is his and he takes a pair of scissors and

Snip snip, he’s 33% more “soulless”

He steals Mami’s concealer and puts it on his wrist everyday to cover the words there

The only one he doesn’t cover is the soulmark on his chest, which he almost never sees because of his shirt

Whenever anyone asks, he just tells them he’s soulless

He tries not to get too close to people, but he usually fails and so he has a very small, very tight friend group 

Oh also he’s a grade ahead of his year

Patton’s family is very well off

He’s the oldest of four brothers

He’s trans, but his family is v supportive and helped him transition as soon as they found out

His service dog’s name is Cookie and she’s a golden retriever

He’s had her since he was eleven, and he loves her very much

Because he’s blind there’s certain things he didn’t know about growing up

For example, nobody told him about soulmates until he was nine

Which really explains the weird ticking he hears every once in a while, as well as the strange, tiny bumps on his chest (which spell out “Loved” in Braille)

He doesn’t think about it too often, but he’d be lying if the idea didn’t entrance him

He didn’t think he’d ever meet his soulmates, though, and if he did, he wasn’t sure they’d want the responsibility of a blind soulmate

On the day he turns ten, there’s this little tickling on his forearm, like butterflies gently taking off on him

He doesn’t really think anything of it, though

Despite being blind, Patton is super capable

He can’t cook by himself, but if he’s supervised he does a really good job. He’s the most prepared for “real life” out of his siblings, which is strange, considering he’s the oldest

He goes to public school, where most kids are really nice (sometimes antagonistically nice), but there were also some rude kids

“You don’t really need that walking stick, you’ve got a dog, and we need it to play our game!”

The amount of times he’s had to explain that no you dumbass I do still need the stick is ridiculous

But he keeps a smile on his face and forges through it

And then in grade eleven Roman’s studying in the hallway when he sees some kid being bullied

Well, not bullied, but definitely teased. Something was wrong, anyways

He’s been on edge all day because his timer keeps going down

But he’s not really thinking about it rn

So he goes over and gets the idiots to leave and

Holy hell did heaven drop an angel? They must have, because look at this boy with his golden hair and tanned skin and freckles and

Beep beep motherfucker. It’s soulmate o’clock

And Roman is just so happy

“H-hey, I’m Roman!” “Oh, hi, I’m Patton! Did... did your timer go off?” “Uh yeah! It did!”

And Patton

Just grins so wide and there’s tears, and he leaps up and hugs Roman so tight

And Roman is so freaking happy!!!! He asks Patton for his contact because duh and Pat’s like

“Uhhh well I can’t text”

“Why?”

“..... I’m blind?” “OHHHHHHH”

So they figure they can talk over the phone because Patton does have a phone for calling

So they have a cute first date and they fall in love and everything’s good and dandy and Roman’s going to college but Patton’s found this real nifty job that just so happens to be right next to Roman’s college so they move in together and Patton knows about Roman’s other sm and Roman knows about Patton’s other sm

And Roman’s in a lecture now

And he didn’t really notice but he’s been muttering

And he’s just kinda sitting there when he hears it from the guy next to him

So he looks up and here’s this ethereal looking dude with gorgeous brown eyes and dark hair and

“Bold of you to assume I can stop talking.”

He curses every known god for making his first words to his soulmate be a meme

They excuse themselves from class because holy shit

And Logan introduces himself shakily

And Roman asks for his number

And they go on a date where Roman tells him about Patton and Logan mentions having a soulmark over his heart

Logan is really hesitant to join their relationship bc he was hoping he would never meet his soulmates

So they don’t put a label on it right away

But they go on a few dates and hang out a bunch and Logan realizes that he actually really, really likes these guys and he doesn’t really want to live the rest of his life without them

So he talks to them and tells them about some of the stuff that happened when he was a kid

Roman and Patton are horrified but they hug him and promise that they will never lay a finger on him if he asks them not to 

And Logan just has a moment of “These guys love me. Like actually love me. And want me to be happy. And I think I feel the same?” 

So on their next date Logan asks both of them to be his boyfriends and obviously they say yes

And basically they’re just all really in love

They move into a bigger apartment together at the beginning of year two

So then they’re all cuddling one day when Logan tells them about his string

And so the other two are like “oh shit is there another???”

And Roman says that on his eleventh birthday he just suddenly had this name pop into his head but he just assumed he’d wanted the name for a character so

And Patton says that after getting his soulmark AND a timer he didn’t think to check for anything else

So they’re all kinda like well whoops let’s hope we still meet them!

And Patton’s at his job one day when this guy walks in and he’s one of the new employees

Pat’s got his seeing eye doggo with him but the vest is off cuz they’re both on break

And so V’s like “oh cool dog can I pet him?”

Bc usually he would never just go up and ask but he literally can’t stop himself because here’s this adorable dude in front of him and the universe is screeching at him to say hi

And Pat hears his voice and immediately falls in love

“Oh, yea sure! She’s my eye dog, but she’s on break so it’s all good!”

And V meets Pat and his dog

And they end up exchanging numbers because they are coworkers and well

Yknow

So a couple days later, after him and Patton have been talking a lot, Pat invites him over

So V goes over and meets Roman and Logan

And he hears Roman’s name and

Holy shit

And of course Roman is also freaking out because the name Virgil just really hasn’t left his head since he thought of it

So yknow

Logan’s a little unsure, but then the two get talking about astronomy and he doesn’t care if they’re not soulmates he is going to marry this guy

And they all get really close really fast

And then one day Virgil offhandedly mentions the string thing

And Logan freezes and just

Shows V his right ring finger, where they can both see this rotting string that’s still tied tight around it and

Fuck V can’t breathe are you kidding? right now?

So they help ground him, and Logan explains everything

And Roman tells him what’s up

But they’re not really sure how he’s connected to Patton but then he just

Grabs a marker and draws a heart on his hand and

It’s right there on Patton’s hand holy s h i t

So they take Virgil on a date and stuff and they make it official

And Virgil’s a little nervous bc like those three have been together for a while now and he feels like he’s intruding

But he talks to Logan and L understands bc Roman and Patton had been dating for 2+ years when he found them

He promises that V is not intruding and that they all really love him

And Virgil just full on starts crying because he hasn’t felt this loved since before his mom died and he loves his bfs so much

They find their bfs and just cuddle all night

Virgil moves in with the rest of them at the beginning of third year 

They get their happily ever after for the most part

Hopefully y’all liked this! I think I’ll be posting more writing on here, bc I have TONS of wips stacked up in a google docs and I’d like to get them out of there lmao

[afewnovelideas]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story, DCU (Comics), Batman (Comics), Young Justice (Comics), Robin (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Teen Titans (Comics) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Kyubey (PMMM), Tim Drake, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Selina Kyle Additional Tags: Tim Drake-centric, Tim Drake is Robin, Tim Drake is Not Okay, Tim Drake Needs a Hug, Tim Drake Gets a Hug, Alternate Universe - Madoka Magica Fusion, Soul Gems (Madoka Magica), Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Magical Boys, Origin Story, No Beta We Die Like Mami, Don't Have to Know Madoka Magica Canon, Bruce Wayne Tries to Be a Good Parent Series: Part 1 of Eques Magi: Originem - Magicka Knights: Origin Summary:

"The Labyrinths of Gotham City are so tightly concentrated, no human born here can escape the influence of at least one or two Witches, if not more. Despite the aura of despair and the constant work of the Witches' various Familiars, there are still those souls who persist in clinging to hope and will do whatever they can to try and make this city a better place, even though all their efforts will ultimately fail in the end.

"It's the perfect environment to find a new Magicka Knight."

---

"Have you ever seen an albino cat?"

Catwoman, aka Selina Kyle, glanced over at Batman's newest Robin curiously. She hadn't been expecting to cross paths with him, but since it was obvious the Big Bad Bat was out of town and Nightwing hadn't shown up at all in the past week, she decided to keep an eye on the new kid for at least the evening. He certainly wasn't like the previous Robin. This thirteen-year-old boy was quiet and thoughtful, which had been quite a change from the previous brash impulsive kid Batman had been mentoring a little over a year ago before they were murdered by the Joker. 

She also noticed that this Robin was glancing over his shoulder at something on the rooftop on the other side of the street. "An albino, huh?" she said as she tried to follow his gaze. However, despite using her binoculars to zoom in on the far rooftop, she couldn't see any sign of any animal, feline, albino, or otherwise. "I've heard of them, but never seen one in person," Selina admitted casually as she put away her binoculars. "They are extremely rare." She smiled at Robin. "Have you seen one around town?"

Robin leaned against his bo staff thoughtfully. "I think so, but I'm not really sure." 

"Not sure?"

The boy looked up at Selina earnestly. "Y'know how a cat has two pointed ears about here?" Amusingly to the professional cat burglar, Robin made a vague pair of cat-ear shapes with his hand at the top of his head.  She smiled affectionately. 

"Yeah. It's kind of a defining cat trait, having pointy ears."

Robin pouted slightly at the teasing tone he caught in Catwoman's voice. Then he continued. "Well... This cat I've been seeing... It looks like they have a second set of ears too."

"A second set?" 

He nodded. He made a motion with his hands that seemed to make another vague shape that started at the base of where the cat's ears ought to be and downward along either side of its head. "Yeah. They kinda start out here and go all the way down there."

"Are you sure what you're looking at is an albino 'cat'? That kinda sounds more like a white rabbit to me."

"But it has pointy ears like a cat," Robin argued. "And its got a long fluffy tail, and its legs are like a cat's." The young teenager frowned slightly. "It's really weird looking."

"Well it does sound like a unique creature, whatever it is," Selina said thoughtfully.  "Maybe it's some sort of cryptid or mutant? This is Gotham after all." She smiled at Robin. "Tell ya what. If you can catch a photo of the critter, I promise I'll take a good hard look and let you know if it's a cat, a rabbit, or something completely different." Then she gave him an almost stern maternal look. "But be careful. Don't get too close. If it does turn out to be something 'not normal', it could be dangerous."

"Okay."

 ---

  It was two nights later and Tim Drake, fully decked out as Robin for another solo patrol, had just finished trussing up a pair of would-be carjackers. As soon as he placed the anon call to the Gotham PD for pickup, he glanced up to fire his grapple gun and froze.

There, on the rooftop above him, was a familiar white shape with two sets of ears and red eyes. The "cat" was peering down. He could see the animal's long fluffy tail swishing this way and that. Tim's breath caught in his throat. This was the closest he'd ever seen the animal come to him before. Rather than risk his grapple gun startling the animal and scaring it away, the young vigilante quickly indulged in some impromptu parkour up a garbage bin and a chain link fence to reach the metal fire escape attached to the side of the building. 

When he pulled himself on the rooftop, Tim was disappointed to find that it appeared to be empty. Not a trace of red eyes or white fur anywhere. He walked across the roof slowly, scanning the area for any sign of the small creature as he pulled out a small portable camera from his utility belt. "Hey there," he whispered softly. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty. I'm not going to hurt you. C'mon out please. I just wanna take a picture." 

When no one came out of hiding, Tim tried a different tactic. He reached into another pouch on his belt and pulled out a small package of beef jerky. He shook the bag temptingly before opening it and setting it on the ground before stepping away from it. "Got some food here if you want. All for you."

"Thank you, but no. I'm not hungry."

Tim froze. Then he glanced around himself as quickly as he could before zeroing in on the form of the albino "cat" sitting on top of a large A/C unit just a few yards away from him, its white body practically glowing against the cloudy night sky of Gotham City. This close, Tim could see this was not a normal "cat".  It did appear to have two sets of ears, but the two longer rabbit-like ones had golden rings attached to them and were tipped in pink with red spots. Its tail also appeared to be unnaturally long as it swished back and forth casually.

"Did you... just... talk?"

The cat-like creature flicked its smaller pointy ears. "Of course I did!" it said in a childlike voice without moving its mouth at all. Its long white tail finally stopped swishing and settled into a question mark shape behind it. "How else am I supposed to introduce myself?"

 ---

  Tim Drake gave up caffeine for the rest of the week. When the boy returned to the Cave from patrol and declared that he was quitting cold turkey, Alfred asked about it curiously. All the old butler got from the thirteen year old was a confusingly vague answer about talking albino cats with pink ears and clearly not enough sleep with too much stress before marching himself into the showers before he would make his eventual way back to his bedroom. 

 ---

  Unfortunately for Tim, giving up his favorite sodas, teas, and coffee did not stop the appearances of the strange cat-like hallucination that had introduced itself as "Kyubey" and seemed hell bent on following him and talking to him both day and night, in and out of uniform.

"You think I'm a figment of your imagination?"

Tim sighed as he reached over the creature sitting in his high school locker in order to grab his workbooks for math and english. "I'm not talking to you here," he whispered as he slammed the locker door in hopes of locking the hallucination behind it.

"It's probably better that you don't, at least not out loud," Kyubey agreed, after reappearing on the top of the locker to look down on Tim. "If people catch you talking to something they can't see, they might think you're losing your mind."

Somehow, Tim managed to choke down the near hysterical giggle that wanted to bubble up at that matter-of-fact remark. Kyubey had made it quite clear that night on the rooftop that no one else could see them except Tim.

"Besides, why waste your breath?" Kyubey said as they trotted along the top of the lockers, keeping pace with Tim as he walked to his next class. "We can speak telepathically just fine."

Tim paused at the end of the lockers and glanced at Kyubey. "Telepathically?" he asked experimentally without voicing the word.

"See! Easy!"

"Oh my god, I AM losing my mind," he thought with a grimace before sighing and stepping into the classroom and tried to ignore Kyubey as best he could for the rest of his school day.

 ---

  "So why are you here?" Tim finally asked Kyubey after tossing down his pencil and finally giving up on trying to concentrate on his homework. "What is my subconscious trying to tell me?"

"I'm not your subconscious, and I'm not a hallucination. I'm a messenger of magic." 

Tim raised his eyebrows at Kyubey as he echoed incredulously, "A messenger of magic?"

The cat-like creature made themself comfortable on Tim's bed. "That's right."

The teen noted with a slight measure of concern that he could see the disturbance Kyubey's form made on his pillow and blanket, proving that, at least right now, they had a solid physical state. Still, he was not about to reach out and try to touch the creature. "I'm probably going to regret asking this, but why is a 'messenger of magic' in Gotham City, and why am I the only one who can see and speak with you?"

"I'm on a mission to find people with the potential to become Magicka Knights to fight Witches and save the Universe, and you have that potential."

"Seriously? Magical knights? Actual witches?" Tim shook his head as he scoffed lightly. "This sounds like the plot of some generic magical girl anime."

Kyubey titled their head to one side. "And you and your mentor go out at night in masks to fight criminals who can control plants, have freeze guns, are living clay, and are occasionally half reptiles. How is that more believable than Magicka Knights and Witches?"

Tim snickered awkwardly. "I guess I'm in no position to throw stones in glass houses."

"You really aren't."

 ---

  Finally! Bruce was back from his Justice League mission and he was going to go out on patrol with Tim. Batman and Robin flying through Gotham City for the first time in over two weeks.

At least that was the plan until a call came through from Oracle barely an hour into their patrol.

"A report of potential Joker gas exposure has been put out by the GCPD in Chinatown near the Dragon's Den."

Batman and Robin paused on the roof of St. Peter's Cathedral. Tim felt a weight settle in the pit of his stomach as he took in the tightness of his mentor's jawline. He knew what was coming next.

"Go home, Robin."

"But B--"

"It's the Joker. I need to handle this alone."

"You don't have to. I can stay out of the way and watch your back. Make sure no one gets the drop on you."

Batman shook his head. "Head back to the Cave, Robin."

The leather of Robin's gloves creaked a little as he clenched his hand into a fist and turned away from his mentor. "Fine."

Without even looking, Tim could tell when he was left alone on the cathedral's roof with just the gargoyles for company.

Then, he wasn't alone.

"He doesn't trust you?"

Tim looked up to see Kyubey sitting on the head of a nearby gargoyle. He sighed. "It's not like that," he said telepathically. No need to risk Oracle or Agent A overhearing him talking to Kyubey. Not like the mic would pick up the magical creature's voice anyways. Still, better safe than sorry. "The Joker is really dangerous. He killed the Robin who came before me. B just doesn't want to risk me being anywhere near him."

Suddenly, Tim heard a pinging from his comm link, a sign that Oracle was attempting to signal him. "Yes O?"

"I know B ordered you home, but do you think you could swing by Amusement Mile along the way? I got a report on a Mad Hatter sighting there."

Tim brightened visibly at the prospect. "Sure!" He reached for his grapple gun and loaded a cartridge. "Any idea what he's up to?" 

"There have been earlier reports over the last few months of missing girls fitting the Hatter's preferred victim profile. Children with long blond hair under the age of twelve. But since the children are usually street kids or runaways, most attempts to investigate by the police have been half-hearted at best. Those that have tried haven't found anything but dead ends."

"Well, that's going to come to a stop tonight." Tim declared confidently. 

"Be careful Robin," Oracle warned. "Focus on recon tonight. Don't engage Hatter unless absolutely necessary."

"Understood!"

 ---

  "What's this?" 

At Amusement Mile, Tim was just in time to stop a kidnapping in progress. While the sudden appearance of Robin was enough to send the Mad Hatter scurrying away into the shadows, the young vigilante reluctantly let him go in favor of caring for the victim, a child of eight or nine who appeared to be in a catatonic state.

However, nothing Tim did seemed to be able to wake her up. He was about to notify O to call an ambulance when he noticed a small red mark, like a tattoo, on the girl's neck, right above her pulse point. It was about the size of a quarter and looked like the symbol used in chess to designate the Queen piece. 

"Hey O. I found a weird tattoo on the girl. Sending you a pic now." Tim quickly snapped a photo and sent it electronically to Oracle. A moment later, he got a response.

"Are you sure you sent me the right photo?"

"What do you mean?" 

"There's no tattoo in the pic. All I see is a bare neck."

Tim opened the monitor of his camera and his eyes went wide. Even on the camera, the girl's neck had no tattoo. He took several more pics to be sure, but despite being able to see the crown icon with his own eyes, they defied being photographed.

"Not sure what's going on, but I can't take a pic of it," he told Oracle. "Maybe it's some sort of weird ink that comes up invisible on cameras?"

"That's not it."

Tim glanced at Kyubey, who was sitting beside the girl. The white creature sniffed at the tattoo. "That's a Witch's Kiss."

He felt his chest tighten a bit at Kyubey's words. Tim carefully masked the sudden nervousness he felt in his voice. "Can you call an ambulance to pick up the girl? I'm going to investigate the area and try to find out where Hatter ran off to."

"Will do. Be careful."

Once the comm was silenced again and after the EMTs came to pick up the rescued child, Robin backed into a secluded alleyway and hid within the shadows before addressing Kyubey telepathically.

"What's a Witch's Kiss?"

"It's a mark used by Witches and familiars to control the minds of their prey."

Tim felt a shiver run down his spine. Still he continued. "Is... the Mad Hatter a Witch?"

Kyubey tilted their head thoughtfully before shaking in the negative. "No. I think he's just a familiar being used to bring humans to a Witch's Labyrinth."

"Why? Why would a Witch want a human child?"

Kyubey sighed. "A Witch is a creature that feeds on misery and sadness," they said very matter-of-factly. "What could be more delicious to a Witch than the grief and fear of a kidnapped child? At least this one seems to prefer the despair of children in particular."

A sudden sensation of dread settled over Tim. "That's.... That's horrible! We can't let this continue!"

"But you can't stop them."

"Why not?" Tim's righteous indignation flared up. "Batman's stopped the Mad Hatter dozens of times. Why can't I?"

"Most likely it's because your mentor has never captured him near his Witch, and never within an actual Labyrinth." Kyubey stared at Tim with their round red eyes, their stoic tone never wavering. "You're just a human being, and so is he under all that armor. Even with all your training, there's no way your frail human bodies can endure the strain of fighting a Witch and their familiars in their own Labyrinth. If you get trapped in a Labyrinth, there's no way out until either the Witch is dead or you are."

Tim watched the retreating lights of the ambulance carrying the nearly kidnapped child away. Then he took a deep breath and released it slowly.

"Can you help me find the Witch's Labyrinth?"

"I can."

 ---

  He was going to die.

Tim leaned against the wall and watched helplessly as his blood flowed freely from beneath and between his fingers to pool on the floor under him despite the pressure he tried to keep on the wound in his stomach. The Witch's familiars, not just the Mad Hatter, but a March Hare and other fictional characters pulled straight from the story Alice in Wonderland, had been too numerous and too merciless for him to fight off alone. 

The Witch herself, in the guise of a twisted Queen of Hearts, shrieked for his head through the twists and turns of her Labyrinth. 

   ͙̹̫ͪ̆̏͝  "̶͚̜̪̣̬͇ͭ͑ͅOͩͫ̄͏̬͖̳ Ḟ̖̝̟̜͖̭͑͢ F̡̜̼̰͓͍̟͎͇̆̾̐ ̨͚̫̗ͮ̚ͅ W̐ͧ̑͏͍͎͍̖̤̥ͅI͓͙̤͔̺̦͌̓̌̍͠T̖͍͒͛͢H̡̳̪̭̹̺̒̓̿ ̹̥͉̟͙̝͓̅ͫ͝H̸̝̬̘͕̩͙̤͇̾ͥ͂Į̯͔̦͖̳̣ͥ̌͆̂S͆̑ͪ͏̦̥̭̺̞̳̪͔ ͙̪̯͗̑͞Hͧ͏̤̯̪̩ E̶̯̣̰͌̆ͨͯ A̬̦̻͍͒͝ͅD̖̹͂͒͟ !ͫͯ́͆҉̺̦̩̹̺

 ̠͓͈͎ͧͨ͡Ō̵̪̻̭̩̯F̣͙̲̖̈́̋͝ F̌̅̾̓͏̭̺̰͉̹̖̯ ̡̮͔͇͚̬͎̝͊̆ͪͅŴ͙̠̽ I̘̬͇̖͑͂̏̂͞ T̨̗̫̜͙̩̖̮͒ H̴̙̝̀ͥͣ̚ ̘̯̮̺̥ͣ̑̄H̻̭͇̮̮͕͗͗ͬ̊͠ͅ Iͮͪ͋͏̬̺̖̝̥̭̘ͅ S̵̝̿��̙ ̛̬̳̠̪̰̑͗̽ H̸͙̟̱̝̳̰̄͑̃̊ Ě̳͓̝̗͎͟ A̴̤͖̬̖͓͇̖͗̆ͫ́Ḋ̜͚̬̐̋͟!̨͇͚̞̩͚̗̣̿                                        

                  Ơ͚̹̜̥ͮͥ͑̏F̴̯̤̮͉̰ͫF͈̱͍̌ͩͥ̍̕ͅ ̧͎͕̱͚͍̥͔̐W̩̦̯̹̏͊̏̌̕I͐҉͕̪͔̥̞̭͈̲T̖̝̖̪̑̿̓͢H̤̠͍̣̻̠͚ͧ̍̐̿͢ ̴̲̖̫̫̺ͭH̗̤̒̆͆͡Î̤͓̭̻̝Ș̵͉͔͙̗̝̌̍̍ͬͅ ͎̫͉̞̲͆͡Ḫ̨̪̅ͧ̏E̵̮̲̩̤͓̱̙ͦÁ̻̦̘̜̂ͩ͝D̸̯͖̦͔̲͕̠̜̓̓̆̚!̨͖̓̐̈́ͪ̏ͅ҉̬͉̰̫"̙̺̬̯̹̦͖͛͗͘  

  Her magic.. too powerful.

His… everything... too weak.

Trapped in this magical Labyrinth that resembled a scene from Wonderland, he couldn't even get a signal out to call for a rescue. He'd tried early on to call Oracle... Nightwing... Agent A... Batman... But the only thing he got for his troubles was static.

Tim felt tears flow down his cheeks as his vision became dark and hazy around the edges and his limbs began to grow numb. He could hear the sounds of his pursuers coming closer, searching for him, and he just didn't have the strength anymore to run. All he could do was hide and wait for the inevitable.

Batman was going to lose another Robin.

Dick was going to lose another little brother.

Jack Drake was going to lose his only son.

He was going to die.

"Oh dear. I was almost too late."

A set of dainty white paws walked into his sight line, contrasting starkly against the pool of crimson blood on the floor. Weakly, Tim lifted his gaze.

"Kyubey?"

The magical creature stepped closer to the fallen teenager and took a seat in front of him. They tilted their head slightly. "I tried to warn you. A normal human isn't able to fight a Witch. Only a Magicka Knight has the power to defend against a Witch's curses and attack them in kind."

"I know," Tim whispered. "I should've listened to you."

Kyubey titled their head to the other side. "It's not too late. You can still listen to me."

Despite the cold feeling in his limbs and the shadows in his vision, Tim did his level best to keep his gaze locked on Kyubey, on the one bright spot in his dying world. 

"If you enter a contract with me, you can become a Magicka Knight." Kyubey explained. "You'd be duty bound to fight Witches, but in return I can grant you one wish. Anything in the world your heart desires."

"If I become a Magicka Knight, I'll have to fight this Witch right away, right?"

"I'm afraid so. It's the only way to escape her Labyrinth."

"And there's no guarantee I'll win?"

"I won't lie to you. Turning you into a Magicka Knight is not a promise of victory. But at least you'll have a fighting chance."

Tim closed his eyes and smiled sadly. "Then I want to make a wish that can outlive me, in case I die." When he opened his eyes, tears slipped down his cheeks again. "I wish Bruce Wayne's son, Jason Todd, was alive."

Kyubey's round red eyes seemed to shimmer in the darkness, and the twin gold rings that encircled their longer set of ears started to glow brightly even as Tim's vision finally faded into blackness. As his consciousness slipped away, he heard Kyubey's voice, as if it was very far away.

"As you wish."

 ---

  "Dinner was great, Alfred. Thank you." Tim set down his fork and watched as the kind old butler retrieved his dirty dishes.

"Will you be heading out with Master Bruce this evening?"

Tim got to his feet and placed the cloth napkin that had been on his lap onto the table, though he fidgeted with it a little before finally letting it go. "'Fraid not. B wants me to stay in and 'do my homework'."

Alfred gave him a knowing compassionate look. "I see. Well, if you want to take your dessert upstairs to have while you work on your homework, I'll allow it for tonight. If you need anything else, I'll be in the Cave on comms tonight..

"Thanks Alfred," Tim said with a smile and a quick side-hug. "You're the best!"

Tim made his way upstairs with a small plate of cheesecake topped with strawberries. Once in his bedroom, he closed the door behind him with a sigh.

"Bruce isn't letting you patrol again tonight?" 

The teenager glanced over and watched as Kyubey unwound itself from the fluffy white ball it normally curled into while it napped on Tim's pillow. Tim couldn't help the fond smile as his little friend stretched leisurely and indulged in a wide mouthed yawn. 

"Nope. He's still got his cape in a twist over Jason's whole empty grave thing." Tim shook his head before making his way to the window seat and making himself comfortable. "I think he just wants to make sure I don't wander off either, but it's still annoying! It's been nearly a month and B still won't let me go on any solo patrols." 

"Well, look at the bright side. Now you can get a full night of sleep and wake up early to go Witch hunting before school."

"I suppose."

Tim and his sullen mood weren't alone for long at the window before Kyubey leapt gracefully from the bed to his shoulder. The startled expression on Tim's face lasted only a second before it melted into one of amusement as Kyubey headbutted him affectionately against the cheek. Once they'd managed to wring a chuckle out of the boy, Kyubey hopped down to the window seat where Tim had placed the cheesecake and began sniffing at the selection. Tim watched as his friend picked up the reddest strawberry it could find and popped that into its mouth first, eating it with obvious relish. Then he looked out the window and thought back about the night he became a Magicka Knight, about the moment he set foot back in the cave after defeating his first Witch and claiming his first Grief Seed.

 ---

  "Where have you been?!" 

Batman had stormed up to him the moment Robin pulled up on his motorcycle into the Cave. Tim froze the moment he saw his mentor barrelling toward him. "You're back already?"

"The Joker gas was a false alarm," Bruce said as he pushed back his cowl and grabbed Tim by his upper arms, Tim was startled by the frantic way Bruce's eyes were darting over him. "Where were you?! Barbara sent you to investigate a Hatter sighting, then you didn't check in for hours! It's nearly sunrise. Where have you been?!"

Tim swallowed hard. "I... I got lured into a maze trap by Hatter," he admitted quietly. "The place had some weird interference so my comms were scrambled. Hatter got away and it took me forever to find my way out. I'm sorry."

"Are you hurt?"

Tim shook his head. "I'm fine B. Just... tired. It... was a really long night."

After another long moment of Bruce looking over him, the older man finally seemed to relax. He released his hold on Tim's arms and raked his fingers through his cowl-mussed hair. "Please don't go running off like that ever again, Tim. If anything had happened to you--"

"I know," Tim murmured, his eyes focused on the floor even as he wrapped his arms about himself tightly. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"Master Bruce?"

Both Bruce and TIm turned to see a shaken Alfred coming toward them with a phone in hand. 

"What's wrong?"

"Commissioner Gordon is on the line."

Bruce and Tim shared a confused look. "Why is he calling at this hour?"

Alfred swallowed hard. "He needs 'Bruce Wayne' to come to the precinct as soon as possible. There's been a robbery."

"I don't under--"

"Someone broke into Gotham Cemetery tonight. They stole Master Jason's body."

As Bruce immediately went after Alfred as the old man gave him the phone, Tim stood in the Cave in shock before daring to glance at Kyubey, who had materialized at his heels. 

"My wish... It really came true?"

Kyubey curled their tail around Tim's legs in a comforting gesture. "Of course it did. We made a contract."

 ---

  "I wonder where Jason is," Tim mused aloud as he continued to stare out the window. "I thought he would've come straight home. Bruce has looked everywhere. I've looked everywhere..." He looked at Kyubey who had taken a delicate bite of the cheesecake itself. "Do you have any idea where he went after I made my wish?"

Kyubey looked up at Tim, a curious tilt to their head as they stared back at him with their round red eyes. "I was with you in the Labyrinth when the wish was made," they said matter-of-factly.

Tim shrugged. "Yeah. I know... I guess I was just hoping... Well, I hope he's alright, wherever he is." 

Quietly, Tim studied the new silver ring encircling the ring finger of his right hand as well as the green alchemical symbol of Mercury that was now on his fingernail. The small emerald gem inlaid within the ring itself shimmered with magic. With a smooth motion, Tim turned his palm up and the ring morphed before his eyes into a brilliant green gem encased in an intricate cage of gold, just like a faberge egg. 

His Soul Gem. The source of his power as a Magicka Knight.

For several minutes there was nothing but a comfortable silence as Tim watched the swirling glow of his Soul Gem and Kyubey ate their fill. Once the plate was empty and their paws and muzzle were thoroughly cleaned, Kyubey trotted onto Tim's lap and laid down comfortably. Unconsciously, Tim began to stroke Kyubey's soft whilte fur with his free hand. 

"I just hope Jason comes home soon," Tim said as he finally put his Soul Gem away, turning it back into his ring. "That way, he and Bruce can reunite, they can be a family again, and I can step away from being Robin so I can devote myself to being a Magicka Knight instead."

"In the meantime, it's not so bad for you to be both Robin and a Magicka Knight," Kyubey mused. When Tim glanced down at them, they continued. "You have to admit that nearly every night you go out on patrol as Robin, you stumble upon one or two Labyrinths. Even if we can't get to them immediately to flush out the Witch, at least we know where they are for later!"

Tim grinned. "Yeah. I guess there is a silver lining there." Impulsively, he picked up Kyubey and gathered them into a gentle hug. "Thanks for staying with me."

Kyubey nuzzled the underside of Tim's jawline. "Of course I'm staying with you. You're my Magicka Knight. We're in this together." Kyubey flicked their short pointy ears cutely. "Besides, it's not like Bruce or anyone else can separate us. You're the only one here that can see and hear me."

"I'm glad," Tim said. "It's nice to not be alone all the time." He smiled gratefully at Kyubey. "And it makes being grounded by Bruce easier to swallow when I've got you for company."

Then he glanced back out the window at the dark outlines of Gotham City's skyline when the appearance of the Bat-signal lit up the night sky above it. "Still--" he mused. "I really hope Jason shows up soon. I can't wait to meet him."

[crushing-on-nico-di-angelo]

Okay, here's the actual chapter 3

7 Nights in Cabin 13

Nico took a small step backwards. “I’m sorry,” Will hesitated. “I shouldn’t have asked you, I know you probably don’t want to and--”

“Hey, woah, I never said I didn’t want to. I was just shocked. Not everyday I get asked to sleep with someone-- I- I mean… you know what I mean.”

Will giggled. “So does this mean you do want to?”

“...Yeah. I guess it does.”

Read (and maybe give kudos?) on ao3

~~~~

Lying in Nico’s bed, side by side, wasn’t as awkward as Will thought it would be. The comforter was very comforting and warm. The warmth of Nico made his heart beat faster, he hadn’t slept next to anyone since he was about seven years old having a nightmare about goats and crawled into his mami’s bed.

Nico turned to him, so Will made the necessary adjustments.

“I hope you don’t mind that I kept the window open. The light… helps.”

“I’m the son of Apollo, Neeks. I don’t mind at all.” Nico’s face softened. Will stared at his eyes, and he swore there was a universe of activity and stars in a dark brown expanse. He was lost in trying to pinpoint every constellation that he didn’t notice Nico’s hand reaching for his hair until he felt the tentative ruffle.

“Ah, sorry. I can stop if you’d like. Bianca…” Nico cleared his throat. “Bianca used to do this to me when I was having trouble sleeping.”

“Don’t stop,” Will murmured, once again feeling the effects of sleepiness. “Please.”

Nico closed his eyes and continued softly playing with Will’s hair. Will was simultaneously hyper-aware of how nice it felt to have someone play with his hair and extremely at peace, letting sleep overtake him.

<i> A wedding. Drinking gasoline. Pain in his right leg. Silence; eternal, deafening silence. </i>

When Will opened his eyes, he was acutely aware of the hand resting on his head. A bit of drool was pooled underneath his chin, but how could he move when Nico was still asleep holding his head? Nothing to do now but stay still and think.

<i> Alright Solace… I’ve been putting it off too long. How did I get here? …Nathan is how. But I don’t want to think about him. Which is fine, because I haven’t seen him in years, so I can’t exactly pin this on him. How did I get here <b> now? </b> ...I got into my head again is how.</i>

He remembers it, his relapse, but not exactly.

He was showing Clarisse how to complete an advanced archery move. He may not have been the best in comparison to his siblings, but he and Clarisse had been best friends after the Battle of Manhattan. They had gotten clean together. He had to help her with the archery.

But then. The way he positioned Clarisse’s arm. He remembered that was exactly how Fletcher positioned his. He remembered Michael doing the same for other campers. He finished teaching Clarisse the move and left to go to the showers.

He pushed the thought out of his mind-- or, he tried to. He couldn’t think of anything at all, and his breathing was getting so, so heavy. He turned on the water to hide the noises he was making, hyperventilating. They were dead, they were dead, and he <i> knew</i> they were dead. Why couldn’t he get it through that thick skull of his? He knew they were dead he saw it happen, saw the bridge collapse. But it was all he could think of, all just looping through his mind, over and over and over. No release. No end in sight to the looping thoughts. Breathing breathing breathing only not in the way he was supposed to. Suffocating on too much air and not enough oxygen.

And then the dysphoria kicked in.

His chest hurt. His chest hurt so fucking much. In addition to the binding he was doing, he was breathing so, so hard. He wanted to take the binder off, but his clothes were too wet and it was stuck. Thoughts looping, never stopping. Dead, dead, dead. Never going to be a real man. The sound of the explosion being nothing and everything to him all at once. Losing the first person to help him. Wanting so badly to hurt himself but having nothing to do so with. And then remembering what he did in the following months.

He let the water of the shower run over his soaked clothes while he focused on what he did after they died. The Hypnos cabin, they helped him forget it, but in the wake of his panic attack he remembered where he put them.

The last of his stash.

The next thing he knew, he was frantically searching for pennies with a flashlight in a camp that didn’t even use American currency-- his mind finally off his dead siblings-- at midnight outside of the Hades cabin. And thank Zeus for that.

...He was a weak person. As soon as things got tough, he went with the convenient solution. He’d always been a bad friend and a bad son because of it, and he likely always would be. Things got better for a bit, but looking at himself now? How could he ever think of himself as a good person after this, when it’s clear that he’ll always be fucking… <i>weak</i> like this….

This wasn’t something he was going to forgive himself for anytime soon. Not at all. Especially not for concerning Nico like this. He could have handled himself.

<i> Could I have handled myself?</i> he wondered. Nico shifted in his sleep, his arm now draping over Will’s shoulder. <i>Does it even matter right now? It’s too late to change it.</i>

He tried to settle into sleep again, but he found that he couldn’t. He also didn’t want to think anymore about what happened to get him here in the first place, when he could be messing around with his friends and cabin-mates while canoeing. He could be trying for the camp record on the lava wall. He could be doing a million things… but he fucked it up. Gods, he already said he didn’t want to think about it. So why was he?

He sighed softly, not wanting to disturb Nico. He snuggled into Nico’s embrace, not realizing how close they had gotten when they were asleep. His nose was nearly touching Nico’s and he noticed the faint freckles splashed over his nose and under his eyes. They were so light that you had to be inches away to notice them, but Will suspected that he would <i>only</i> notice them from now on. Just like his eyes, Will felt compelled to trace out constellations.

Will had posters and posters back in his home in Austin about stars and space exploration. He memorized constellations and had a hyperfixation on planets from ages seven to eleven. He still had all of that knowledge in his head, and it was remarkable to him how many constellations he found on Nico’s face. He pulled one of his hands from under the covers and started going over them, trying not to touch Nico’s face. He did lightly trace Nico’s nose, and was surprised when Nico didn’t even stir. He started feeling more and more relaxed, tracing what was almost the big dipper; he eventually fell asleep again with his hand cupping Neek’s cheeks.

He dreamt rough dreams, but was fortunate enough to wake up not remembering any of them.

~~~~~~

Will woke up and felt an absence of warmth. He saw Nico leaning against the doorframe, his silhouette framed by the hall light. He stood there, unmoving. Will would have wondered if he had fallen asleep again if not for the fact that he was standing fully upright. Nico knocked gently on the wood of the frame before walking away. Will wondered what that was all about but didn’t want to ask. He stood from the bed and walked to Nico’s bathroom to splash his face. He stood up and was hit with dizziness. There was a clock by Nico’s bed which read ‘8 P.M.’

“Ah,” he murmured himself. “That’s it.”

He fell asleep with Nico at around noon, which meant he hadn’t eaten in nearly 8 hours. He shivered from the cold. He grabbed a jacket hanging from the bed and walked out.

“Hey, Neeks,” Will felt a bit odd. They had been so intimate with each other earlier, he wondered if that would make things awkward between them.

“Hello, William. How’d you sleep?” Nico seemed to not mind, so Will decided to play it cool.

“Alright. I dreamt, so…”

Nico chuckled. “So not the best it could have been. I made us pot pie, it’s in the oven right now.”

“Holy shit, deathboy. You always cook so much?” Nico smiled and shook his head.

“Just felt like it lately, I suppose. It’s almost ready, grab a seat.”

~~~~~

After about an hour of eating and delirious laughter, it suddenly came to light that Nico had never played 20 questions.

“What the hell do you mean you’ve never played?” Will was incredulous. “Didn’t you used to go to boarding school?” Nico was still grinning from the laughter.

“Well, yes but I was around 10 years old! I didn’t play games like that.” Will shook his head in disbelief.

“We’re remedying that today, di Angelo.”

“How do you play?”

“I ask you a question, you answer it, and then you ask me and I answer. The cycle continues until we each ask 20 questions.”

Nico hummed to himself. “Is anything off-limits?”

Will knew what he didn’t want him to ask, but instead said, “On my end? No. Is there anything you don’t want me to ask you?”

“...I suppose not.”

“Alright. Feel free to say ‘skip’ for any question. No big deal, I’ll just ask a new one.”

“Alright. Do you go first or me?”

Will always liked to ask the same question during 20 questions. “If you had the chance to have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?”

“Hm…” Nico took a deep breath. “Does my mother count?”

Will’s breath hitched. “She-- she does,” <i> Treat it normal, Solace.</i> “She seems like she’d be a good choice. She died in the 50’s?”

“30’s, actually. Right before I was moved to the Lotus Hotel.”

“...Oh. I’m sorry, Nico.” Nico waved him off.

“It’s fine, I was little. There’s just… so much I wish I knew, you know?”

“For sure…” <i> Gods, this poor kid. </i> “Still, I’m sorry. You were just a kid.”

“Yeah, well. Anyway. My turn, right?”

Will could tell that conversation was over, so he nodded.

“What’s your tattoo?” Nico asked, to which Will smiled.

“It’s… here.” He pulled down his shirt enough for the sun to show. Nico leaned forward to get a closer look.

“It’s really pretty. I saw it on that first night after you showered. Why did you get it?”

“Lee Fletcher.”

“Lee Fletcher? Who’s that?”

And who was Lee Fletcher? Lee Fletcher was the man who meant everything to Will. He had a mom and two sisters, and no father. Lee Fletcher was the first guy in his life to act as a guardian to him. He was four years older and always acted as an older brother even before Will knew that Lee was a guy. Lee taught Will archery and how to talk to girls. Later, Lee would teach him to talk to boys. Lee was powerful and smart. He was so, so brave. He would heal people just by <i>singing</i> to them. He was everything that Will wanted to be.

After he died, Will was inconsolable. Of course, during the war he was fine. He was cool and collected: a healer, the child of Apollo. But after? He started sneaking out more, trying to escape everything and everyone. Started drinking more… that’s when he met Nathan. He knew that wasn’t the question, though. Lee Fletcher, the memory of Lee Fletcher, is what kept him going through the darkest time in his life. He owed the world to him.

“Lee Fletcher… well…”

[tinyboxxtink]

“My Fairy Abogado” *Part 4*

If anyone ever wants me to put the English translations of the Spanish I use in here, please let me know.

Or are you all just googling them?😂

Tag List:

@dumauier

@chasingeverybreakingwave

@word-scribbless

@objection-argumentative

@wanniiieeee

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 5

“What the hell did he want?” 

Beto’s voice startled you from behind. 

“Beto! Language!” You scolded him, trying to shake off the fear in your voice.

“Whatever, I think we have bigger problems,” He rolled his eyes.

“What did he want?” he pressed you. 

“Nothing! Just...nothing,” you waved it off.

“It wasn’t nothing-- it was about that abogado, wasn’t it?”

“Rafael? Why would the Diablos hate Rafael?” Chloe chimed in.

“Because he sent one of them away for a very long time,”  Beto answered her.

“Yay! I knew he was a good guy!” 

“Yeah he won’t be, if he gets us killed,”

“BETO!” You threw your hands over Chloe’s ears. “Stop. You’re going to scare her,”

“Well she should be scared, if you’re willing to risk our lives because some abogado made goo goo eyes at you!” 

“That is NOT true, and you know it,” you snapped.

“Yeah Rafael is going to help us get Mami and Papi back, Beto!” Chloe yelled, making you remove your hands. 

“You can hear us?”  You asked, she nodded. 

“What do you want Chloe, do you want mami and papi back or do you want your life?” 

“BETO, Seriously,” You hit him on the shoulder.

“Don’t listen to him Chlo, he’s being dramatic,” Yaz finally piped up.

“I swear it’s like you are a woman sometimes,” She added.

“Well look what I live with!” He gestured to all three of you. “And I’m NOT being dramatic,”

“YES, you are,” You grabbed a mop and a bucket.

“Nobody is hurting us, and we’re not talking about it anymore,” You warned him as you put the mop in his hands.

“Chloe, Yaz-- wipe down the counters and windows for me, yeah?” You handed them two rags as they begrudgingly agreed. 

“Ok I’ll be right back-- ASH!” You called over to Ash at the hostess stand, she was on her phone per usual.

“Watch them for me,” You motioned between the three of your siblings.

“Watch them? You gonna start paying me for babysitting too?!” She yelled back. 

“I don’t need a babysitter, I'm 15! I’m a man!”

“Yeah a man CHILD,” Yaz laughed.

“I’ll show you man child--” Betro grabbed the mop and put it up to Yaz’s face, making her scream in disgust. 

“Ewwwww! Beto!!” She screamed as Beto chased her with the mop.

“See what I mean?”  You put your hands together in a begging stance.

“Five minutes,” She rolled her eyes.

“Thank you!”

-------

You went to the back, dialing Rafael’s number.

“That was fast,” You heard him smile through the phone.

“H-How did you know it was me?” 

“Call it lawyer’s intuition,” 

“Yeah well apparently your intuition didn't think about hanging around a Diablo’s territory,”

“What?” 

“They came in here after you left,” 

“What did they say?”

“They know you got one of them sent away,” 

“Shit--I should’ve figured that. After I gave Maria that money it figures she probably went to a Diablo dealer--” 

“Wait, did you just say you gave her the money?” 

“Yeah…” 

“You gave Ash’s mom money to go kill herself?”

“I didn’t-- it wasn’t like that!” He was frantic.

“Then how was it, counselor?” 

“I...I wanted her to calm down, so that she would be able to testify. I just wanted her to be calm. I didn’t...I didn’t think…she’d...” He trailed off, on the verge of tears.

“But she did,” You scoffed. 

“Look don’t you think I carry that around with me every day? You know that’s why I give Ash the money I give her! I thought you said she told you that,” He replied angrily.

“No, she told me that you knew who gave her the money. I don’t think she knows you’re actually the one who killed her,” 

“I didn’t kill her!” 

“Yeah you just gave her money to do it herself,” 

“Did you call me just to guilt me about the biggest mistake I’ve ever made?” He gruffed.

“No…” you sighed. “I’m sorry…” You felt a pang of guilt; you knew he was a good guy, he probably felt guilty about Ash’s mom every day and here you were shoving it in his face.

“I’m just scared,” You bit your lip.

“Did he threaten you?” 

“No, he offered for all of us to go out for some coffee later-- OF COURSE he threatened me!” You threw your hands up as it was totally obvious.

“Dammit, I’m--I’m sorry, Y/N,” He sighed. “I should’ve thought about that when Ash invited me to dinner at your place,” You could picture him pacing in his office.

“So you regret coming down here?” You asked softly.

“No! Not at all. Do...do you regret meeting me?” You could hear the fear in his voice.

“No!” You immediately answered, but then paused. “I mean, not really,” 

“If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have a target on your back right now,” 

“Oh please Rafael, you lived here. There’s ALWAYS targets on people’s back, no matter who they know,” 

“That is true,”

“But--” you sighed nervously. “He--He did threaten the kids, and my family, if you came down here again,” 

“Fuck…” He muttered. 

There was a long pause, so long you thought he might have hung up.

“...You need to come here,” 

“I’m sorry, what?” You almost lost it laughing.

“I can’t protect you from here!” 

“I didn’t ask you to protect me!” You half laughed.

“Then why are you calling me?” 

“I called you to say stay away from us,” You sighed.

“...Do you really mean that?” You could picture his puppy dog eyes as he spoke.

“Rafael, look-- I already told you. I have to put the kids first-- I can’t put their lives in danger just because your smile makes me weak,” 

“...Does it now?” You could hear him smirking through the phone.

“Shut up, you know what I mean. I can’t put what I want before them,” You replied in a flush.

“But you said they need their parents,”

“They also need to LIVE,” You scoffed.

“Please, Diego is all bark and no bite. I grew up with his brother, they’re full of shit,” 

“Well I’m sorry I don’t have the luxury of taking that chance while I sit in my ivory tower,” You said sarcastically.

“....That’s not fair. I told you how hard I worked--” 

“Yeah and I’m happy for you! I’m glad that you got out of here, I really am. But I’m still here,” You ran your hands through your hair. 

“That’s why I’m saying come to me!” He argued.

“Are you not hearing me? I run a restaurant, Rafael! I have kids to think of! I have a LIFE here. I can’t just run away with you,” 

“I didn’t mean it like that,” He sighed. “I meant bring the kids,”

“Did you? Because I think you know that’s impossible. Where are you gonna put all of us? You’re going to rip them away from their home? Their friends? Their life? And and then, then when we’re gone they’ll just go after Mari, or worse Ashtawnja! Or do you want her blood on your hands too?”

“...That’s the last time I’m going to let you bring that up again, or I’m hanging up.” He growled.

“Fine, you’re right. But you also know I’m right-- you can’t save everyone, Raf,” You blinked back tears. “But you can save us by staying away,” 

“I...I can’t do that,” He muttered.

“YES, you can. And you better because I swear to God Rafael if you show up here and the Diablo’s take it out on me or my family I will NEVER let you out of the guilt from that,”

“Just...Look just...just let me come and talk to--” 

“NO. No, okay? Just lose this number,” You hung up abruptly.

You put your hands over your face as you slumped down the wall slowly, silent tears falling down your face. You hated having to tell him to stay away from you, that was the last thing you wanted. But you knew it was for the best. 

Little did you know, Rafael wasn’t that easily deterred. 

----

It was late, you had closed hours ago and the kids had been asleep even longer. You couldn’t sleep, you were thinking about Rafael. Suddenly, a knock on the back door of the restaurant knocked you from your guilt. You grabbed one of Beto’s old little league bats and crept downstairs, as the knocking continued. You crept closer, and swung it open, waving a bat in the intruder’s face.

“DON’T FUCK WITH ME!!!!” You screamed, only to miss the guy and fell flat on your face.

“....And what exactly were you going to do to a Diablo with a bat in your shorty shorts and a tank top, hermosa?” 

You turned to see Rafael dressed in street clothes. His usual pristine suit was replaced with a leather jacket and jeans that showed off his amazing ass, topped with the black fitted tee showed off the fact that he may be older, but he took care of his body. VERY well. He was decked out in tons of gold chains and rings, you were half shocked he didn’t have a fake grill as well. 

You leapt to your feet, trying your best not to stare. If you didn’t have kids upstairs you would jump him right there in the alleyway. 

“...Is that how they dressed when you lived here?” You smirked, trying to hide the fact that you were incredibly turned on. 

“Oh come on, you know I look sexy,” He winked. “....Or at least your nipples do,” 

You glanced down at your pretty thin tank top to see your nipples standing at full attention. You clamped your arms around your chest quickly, feeling your face growing hotter by the second.

“...It’s cold out here,” You scoffed, but you knew you were totally busted. You hurried him inside, locking the door behind you.

“Okay sexy flirting aside, I told you not to come here!”

“You said the abogado couldn’t come here, so he didn’t,” He presented himself.

“Oh right, so you think you came here under the radar in that outfit, do you?” You half laughed.

“Well that and the fact that I came down here on my bike and not in an Uber,” 

“On a bicycle Raf, seriously?” You were now snickering. 

“No, smart ass. My BIKE,” He nodded outside. You cracked the door open to reveal a black motorcycle. 

“You, ride a motorcycle?” You raised an eyebrow. 

“I do,” He smiled. 

“You are full of surprises, counselor,” You smiled as you bit your lip.

“Keeps it interesting,” He smirked, pulling on your tank top. 

“So....does this mean I can ‘fraternize’ with this Rafael?” 

“Rafa,” He corrected you, rolling the R. “And he can protect you,” 

“I never said Rafael couldn’t protect-- is that why you did this?” You suddenly felt guilty for making him think he couldn’t be who he was to be with you.

“Rafael can protect you with restraining orders and lots of legal bullshit-- Rafa can protect you, the way you need to be protected right now,” 

“And how exactly is that, ese?” You raised an eyebrow.

He smiled slightly and moved his leather jacket, revealing a Glock in his belt. Your smile quickly faded, pushing him angrily.

“What the FUCK, Rafa?” You hissed, trying not to wake the kids. “You brought a gun into my house?!”

“I thought that’s what you wanted!” 

“You thought I wanted another cholo? This place is crawling with them, Rafa. I want the nice, handsome man that came in here the other day,” You pulled on the collar of his leather jacket.

“No you don’t, you told him to leave you alone,” He looked down and away at the floor in sadness.

“I…” you put your hand over your head, running your fingers down through your hair. 

“You’re right. I did,” You couldn’t fault him for listening to you, kind of. 

“So...you gonna let me protect you or what, carino?” 

You thought about it, milling it around in your brain. You glanced upstairs towards the kids, then looked at this new “Rafa”. 

After about a minute, you walked up to Rafa, pressing your body against his. 

“Alright guapo, you can stay,” you smirked. “But THIS, can’t,” You pulled the gun from it’s holster. 

“Fair enough,” He nodded and then went outside to lock the gun under his seat compartment. When he returned, he had a huge mischievous smile.

“So does that mean we--” He started to talk but that jacket with those abs couldn’t hold you back any longer. You grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him into your face. He responded by picking you up, you wrapped his legs around his chest as you two continued kissing. You fumbled with his jacket, trying to rip it off his body. 

“Easy hermosa, this jacket’s $200,” He chuckled, calmly sliding it off his arms and tossing it on your back table. He continued to kiss you, going for your tank top to pull off when…

“Rafael?” 

You both immediately ceased the making out and turned to see a sleepy Chloe, standing at the top of the stairs staring at the two of you. 

BUSTED.

[chibsytelford]

*** GIF CREDIT TO CREATOR***

Anon requested // I would like to request a story with coco we’re he’s afraid that the reader is leaving him because he does not won’t any more kids. But he doesn’t know that the reader also don’t want kids 🙃🙂 maybe a bit angsty but fluffy in the end ❤️

A/N - I changed it slightly just to fit with the story. Hope that's okay, and thanks for requesting!

Taglist - @everyhowlmarksthedead @rebel-without-cause-x @sadeyesgf @lady-pswrld @starrynite7114 @angelreyesgirl @thewarriorprincessxo @elcococruz @sheeshgivemeabreak @blessedboo @destynelseclipsa @minnicelli @peaches007 @gemini0410 @i-love-scott-mccall @thisishowdynastiesareborn @talicat713 @scuzmunkie @trulysuccubus @jadesamhart @fangirlingaesthetics @aquamento @multiyfandomgirl40 @angelxshiba @deeandbobbymcgee

Talk to me:

Coco had been standoffish and distant the last 2 weeks and it was driving you insane. When you asked him what was wrong he would say "nothing" and brush it off. He even sometimes didn't come home until the next morning and frankly you were sick of it. So you decided to corner him in the kitchen.

"You're not leaving here til you tell me why you're avoiding me Coco" you said as you blocked the exit and folded your arms across your chest.

"Don't even start Y/N, I'm not in the mood" he slightly raised his voice as he turned around to look at you. He looked awful, the bags under his eyes were visible and you hadn't seen him smile properly in weeks.

"Fuck you Coco. Tell me now or just go, I'm sick of you not talking to me about thing" you raised your voice back. What you didn't expect was for Coco to push past you and slam the front door on his way out.

--

You were in the middle of packing your suitcase when you heard the front door open and shut and the sound of heavy footsteps thumping up the stairs. It had been 6 hours since Coco left and you hadn't heard one word from him. You were tired of waiting around for someone who clearly didn't care about you anymore so you decided to leave.

You weren't going to say goodbye. You were going to be a coward and leave a letter. But you didn't expect Coco to turn up before you left.

"What the fuck you doing man?" He asked as he walked over and stood in front of you. "You're leaving?"

"I feel like you love me anymore Coco. You won't talk to me, you've been ignoring me for weeks and you won't come near me" you explained as you put the last few things in your case and zipped it up.

"Please don't go" he whispered and looked at you properly in the eyes for what felt like the first time in forever.

"Then tell me. What have I done that's upset you so much?" You pleaded with him to tell you.

He said nothing again which made you angry so you picked your suitcase up and marched downstairs with it, not bothering to wait another second for a reply from him.

You had now given him 2 more chances to explain himself and both times he kept his mouth shut. You loved Coco but sometimes he could be infuriating and stubborn which annoyed the hell out of you.

Just as you put the suitcase in your car you heard footsteps on the gravel and your boyfriend appeared infront of you once more.

"Wait ma, I'll tell you, please just give me a second to explain" he begged as you let him take your hand and he lead you to the front step of your house and you both sat down.

"I'm not good with words and you know that" he said and you laughed bitterly. That was true, but your whole relationship was on the line and you were hoping that he would finally use words to explain how he felt.

Coco gently took one of your hands and held it in his. You could see he was nervous and he even looked like he could be sick.

"Nothing you say would make me love you any less Coco. Just tell me" you reassured him.

"I don't want anymore kids Y/N, Letty is enough for me. She's the only kid I want and she deserves all my attention, I know that sounds selfish but-"

You didn't let him finish his sentence. He had been ignoring you for weeks now because he was too scared to tell you that. You knew it wasn't only his fault, this conversation is one you should have had before getting together but you just kept putting it off.

"Coco stop" you said. "I don't want kids either. I mean I did in the past but I realized soon after meeting you and Letty that you two are the only family I need" you explained. "I mean sure a mini me and mini you running around would be amazing, but seriously, I'm happy with how things are right now. You're my whole world and more Coco" you placed your hand on his cheek and tenderly stroked it.

For the first time ever you were witnessing Coco cry. You knew it was tears of happiness that you were ok with his confession and weren't leaving him, and tears of relief too.

"Damn mami, why didn't we ever sort this shit out before?" He laughed as he wiped his tears on the back of his shirt sleeve.

"I was thinking the same thing" you laughed along with him. "Can we just promise one thing to each other right now?" You questioned.

"Anything for you mi chica" he nodded.

"Let's promise that if we need to tell each other something, or confess something, or just need to talk to each other, that we will do it? None of this ignoring each other, or threatening to leave and shit" you explained.

"That's something I can get on board with" he agreed.

"Good, let's seal it with a handshake then" you said as you stood up from the step and extended your hand out to him.

"Fuck a handshake ma, we can seal it with something even better" he smirked as he stood up aswell and pulled you flush against him and pressed his lips on yours.

He pulled away a few seconds later and rested his forehead on yours. "I'm sorry. For not telling you sooner" he spoke as he cupped your cheek with his hand.

"I'm sorry too Coco. For going to leave without even telling you" you confessed. "Now go and fetch my suitcase from the car please and let's go inside"

"Yes ma'am" he replied and jokingly gave you a soldier salute.

The rest of the evening was spent watching movies and talking until you both ended up falling asleep on the sofa.

[actuallylorelaigilmore]

12 DAYS OF FICLETS, DAY 4

Penelope x Schneider, One Day At A Time. Also on AO3.

Prompted by @thosepoorsoulswhodwellinnight, #37 - “Can I kiss you?”

****

Elena and Syd were so happy to be outside the apartment that Penelope didn’t expect to see them again until dinner, and Alex and her Mami had disappeared to do some shopping, leaving her with the place to herself.

Well, besides Schneider, who invited himself to the movie she decided to watch. 

“That talk with Alex about consent really spun me out,” he told her from his couch cushion as the opening credits began.

“Yeah, I noticed. You spent twelve hours calling your exes--I can’t remember the last time we didn’t see you for twelve hours.”

“Me neither.”

The downturn of his mouth tugged at Penelope’s conscience. Clearly it was still bothering him. 

She patted his shoulder. “It’s okay that you’re not a mind reader, Schneider. I know you like to believe that you’re hip and everything, but it was different for us growing up. In some ways, just going for it was a lot less stressful than it seems now.”

“That’s your move, huh? Just going for it?”

She grinned. “Don’t tell the kids, but yeah. I have been known to make a move first and ask questions later.”

“I think they have a point about making sure it’s really clear,” he mused. “But there’s a certain kind of...I don’t know, bluntness, that takes all the cool out of it.”

“That assumes you have any cool in the first place.”

“I am super cool, Penelope. I own a Batmobile.”

“I don’t even know what to say to that.”

“See? I’ve left you speechless with my overwhelming amount of cool.”

She chuckled. “If it makes you feel better, I don’t think my eldest has any cool either. Her little demonstration of getting permission for every specific touch? It’s hard to imagine that actually happening between any two people.”

“That’s what I was getting at. Consent is important, but when you get down to the details--too much negotiation could drown out the feelings.”

“Maybe for their generation, it doesn’t have to,” she said. “I’ve always been more nonverbal, but there have to be people who can aim for the ideal.”

Schneider nodded, silence settling between them before he shifted toward her a little.

“Can I kiss you?”

“Yeah, exactly.” She chuckled. “Like that. I think I was still in junior high the last time I asked instead of just trying it and seeing what happened.”

“Pen.” 

“What?”

She gave him her full attention and realized he wasn’t watching the movie anymore. He was only looking at her, now. Waiting. 

“Hey, you- Schneider, you’re not serious. That wasn’t you actually asking.”

“It kinda was.”

“To kiss me.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Why?”

He scratched the back of his neck, where color was starting to spread. “It felt relevant.”

“No, I meant--”

Penelope exhaled. “I didn’t mean, why were you asking me that way. We were talking about it, I get that. I meant, what the hell, Schneider? Where is this coming from?”

“It’s coming from me.”

She was still waiting for the punchline, but Schneider had a terrible poker face, and he wasn’t holding back a smile. He looked--and sounded--like the man who spilled his secrets to her late at night: soft, serious, sincere.

“I’ve wanted to for a while. I was trying to decide if I should bring it up. It seemed like a good moment.”

“You’ve wanted to for a while.” Penelope shook her head as though that would clear it. “Schneider, you see me every day. We hang out all the time. You’re my best friend.”

“And?”

“...I don’t know. I feel like that should matter.”

“It does. Of course it does.” He reached for her hand, shoulders relaxing a little when she let him. 

They’d never held hands before. Though Schneider’s behavior had nerves bubbling up inside her, it felt surprisingly natural.

“I didn’t want to make things weird, that’s why I wasn’t going to say anything.”

“What changed your mind?” 

“I figured I could ask, and if you shot me down or thought it was hilarious, then no big deal, we’re still you and me.”

It sounded like him, but Penelope still felt like she was missing something. “If it’s no big deal, if you were ready to be rejected...why ask at all?”

Schneider’s smile stretched to the corners of his eyes. “That thing you said, about aiming for the ideal.”

His hand brushed her cheek, and she ignored the part of her that found it way too easy to needle Schneider, the voice in her head that automatically whispered, you didn’t ask first.

Silencing that voice left her with nothing to say--Penelope knew she was gaping at him like a goldfish. But he was sitting there smiling, so comfortable with his fingers touching her face, and she couldn’t grab hold of a coherent response.

Where was the goofball who hurt himself on a stationary bicycle? When did that guy become this one? She wondered, picturing him a year ago, and a year before that. How did he change?

Even after Schneider took his hand back, she could still feel it, a fluttering low in her stomach that made it hard for her to focus. 

When did she change along with him?

“I’m happy being your best friend,” he explained, his smile settling into a quieter sort of glow. “I don’t need more than that. I promise.”

She swallowed hard. Schneider didn’t lie to her; she knew she could trust that no matter what else changed. “Okay.”

“But when it comes to the future, Penelope, to potential and hope and what I wish for, when I think about love...”

He laced his fingers through hers. 

“You’re my ideal.”

It wasn’t nerves that had her swallowing again; she could feel tears threatening to well up. 

“Wow.”

He peered at her. “Good wow, or bad wow?”

“Yes.”

Schneider laughed, a single helpless sound that made her want to hug him. “Good or bad, Pen?”

“Yes, you can kiss me.” She smiled past the sentimental tears when they began to spill over. “Hell, yes.”

[bellakitse]

Dibs

“Do you remember when we met?” Carlos starts, and though confused by the change in conversation, TK nods.

“You called dibs on being my friend,” he chuckles at the memory.

*

TK and Carlos have been best friends since they were kids. An incident at work shows them they are so much more than that, and always have been.

For @insidious-intent, happy birthday my love!! 😘

“Are you going to stare at your phone all night?”

TK looks up at the question; warmth settles at his side as Carlos comes back from the bar and slides in next to him in the booth, across from them, Paul and Marjan roll their eyes in agreement to Carlos’ question. He might’ve been ignoring them to be on his phone, while Carlos went for a round of drinks.

“I’m sorry,” he says to his new teammates, Paul and Marjan, who recently joined the 126. The whole point of tonight was to make them feel welcomed, not ignore them. The rest of their team is around the bar, some dancing, some getting more drinks. “Family stuff,” he excuses himself before looking at Carlos with a raised eyebrow.

“I wouldn’t have to be on my phone if you just answered your mom and your sisters in the group chat,” he tells him, taking the water Carlos places in front of him before passing another to Marjan and a beer for Paul.

“They have been at it all afternoon,” Carlos all but whines. “I finally had to mute it.”

“And once you muted it, who do you think they started messaging?” he questions dryly, smirking when Carlos lets out a groan. “Exactly, sweetheart. So now I have to deal with them, thanks for that, by the way.”

“Your fault for being in a private group chat with them,” Carlos reminds him with the usual pissy attitude he gets when reminded there is a chat between the women in his life and him he’s not allowed to be a part of.

“You and his sisters are part of your own group chat?” Marjan questions with an arched eyebrow, sharing a pointed look with Paul.

TK nods even though he’s not sure what the look is about; he turns his phone in her direction. “I named it TK and the queens,’” he answers, grinning when Carlos snorts.

“Always sucking up to those terrors,” Carlos grumbles, and TK would maybe believe him if he didn’t know his friend since they were eight and nine, and knows how much Carlos adores his family.

“Anyway,” TK continues, purposely ignoring him, shifting when Carlos pokes him in the side once before settling next to him again. “When this one gets all ‘youngest child’ on the family, pouty and bratty. I’m the one they text to fix him.”

Carlos pokes him again twice, going in for a third.

“Poke me one more time, and I’m telling your mom,” he warns him, already typing into the chat. He presses sent a second after Carlos’ finger digs into his side, making him jump.

It takes less than a minute when Carlos’ phone starts rattling on the table, his mother’s face on the ID.

Carlos stares at him incredulously. “You really tattled to my Ma?”

“Her brat of a child is abusing me,” TK answers, grinning when Carlos rolls his eyes so hard he does it with his whole body. He watches as Carlos stands up, taking the phone with him to find a quieter spot to get lectured.

“I hate you,” Carlos tells him as he begins to walk away.

“You love me, I’m your favorite,” TK calls out to his retreating back, unable to keep the laughter from his voice. “Just like I’m your mom’s favorite, don’t be jealous, after eighteen years of knowing each other, you should just accept it!”

Carlos flips him off as he goes, and he lets out a bark of laughter, amused as always that he can rile him up. Still chuckling, he turns back towards his friends to find them watching him in a way that makes him sit up straighter.

“What?” he asks after a moment when neither speaks, and he can’t help but feel defensive when they share a look between them.

“You’ve known Carlos for eighteen years?” Paul questions, breaking the awkwardness that has settled over the table.

He nods, some of the uneasiness he felt moments ago lightening. “Dad and I moved down here when I was eight,” he starts. “We moved across the street from the Reyes – Carlos, his three sisters, and his mom Carlota. The evening we moved in, Carlota brought them over and some food to welcome us into the neighborhood. When Carlos saw me, he called dibs on being my friend,” he tells them, grinning at the memory. “He’s the youngest of four and the only boy. I guess he needed another boy to even the odds a bit. We’ve been best friends ever since.”

“And when did you guys start dating?” Marjan asks curiously.

TK rears back at the question, his brow knitting in the center. “We’re not dating,” he answers, his heart ticking upward as soon as the words leave his mouth. The look Marjan and Paul share again doesn’t help it. “Okay, what the hell is with the looks?” he questions. “This is like the third time you two have done that tonight.”

Marjan and Paul look at each other yet again, and TK has to bite down on his lip to keep from snapping at them, he likes them, and the last thing he wants is to get off on the wrong foot with his newest crew members.

“It’s just – “ Marjan starts hesitantly. “Kind of hard to believe that the two of you aren’t together?”

“Why do you say that?” he questions. He tells his stupid pulse to calm the fuck down.

This time when his friends look at each other, he can’t help the annoyed sound that escapes his throat. He’s had just about enough of that and the obvious silent conversation they’re having about him.

“Okay, okay,” Marjan starts, raising her hands in peace. “It’s just the way you two – “ she pauses.

“ – Act around each other, look at each other, talk to each other,” Paul continues for her, counting each comment off on his fingers.

“How do we – “ he starts, not knowing how to continue.

He feels his face go hot. It’s not exactly the first time someone has commented on his and Carlos’ closeness. They’ve been best friends since they were children, they’ve lived in each other’s pockets since the day they met. Even their families have made comments over the years, his dad, Carlos’ sisters, and his mother – who is convinced that someday she’s going to call him her son-in-law. It’s a running joke between all of them. But there is something about the way Marjan, but especially Paul, is looking at him that makes him hyperaware.

The reason his dad added Paul to their crew was that he seems to have some kind of sixth sense about things, and he can’t help but wonder if Paul can pick up on the more than friendly thoughts he’s been having lately about Carlos.

He’s not even sure when it started. Carlos has always been his best friend, his confidant. For as close as he’s always been with his dad. Carlos is who he goes to with his deepest secrets.

He’s who he first came out to as gay. Which turned into a mutual coming out when Carlos told him he liked boys too. He hugged him tight and promised it wouldn’t change their friendship.

He’s who TK turned to when he decided to get clean. Carlos held his hand every step of the way, and when he relapsed, he just held him in his arms that much harder. Carlos has been through every lousy break up he’s had, the worse being Alex.

Carlos Reyes is his best friend, but somewhere along the way, it’s turned into something more complicated, where his heart starts to race at the worst moments – pretty much any time he’s near him.

“It’s like you two are the only ones in the room,” Paul answers his unfinished question, and TK wishes he sounded teasing instead of soft as if he’s breaking news to him the gentlest way possible.

“We just assumed, TK,” Marjan says just as quiet, snapping him out of his racing thoughts.

“Well, you assumed wrong,” he tells them firmly. “We are just friends.” He’s not surprised by the look they give each other one more time at his words.

“Our mistake, man,” Paul says apologetically, Marjan nods along in agreement.

TK shrugs, giving them a smile that feels tight on his face. “Don’t worry about it.”

 ֍֍֍

 “Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you?”

TK looks over at Carlos; he’s been quiet the whole ride back to his apartment, it’s not surprising that Carlos picked up on it.

“Nothing,” he says, flashing Carlos a quick reassuring smile. “Tired, I guess. I just need my bed. Good night.”

He gets out of Carlos’ car, swallowing back the sigh that threatens to escape when he hears Carlos’ door open.

“You really think that’s going to work on me, Tyler Kennedy?”

He doesn’t swallow his groan; it’s automatic whenever Carlos uses his full name. He turns around and points at him with a glare. “I hate it when you call me that,” he says, lying. He does hate his full name, but hearing it off Carlos’ lips is one of the few instances that he doesn’t mind it, he might even like it.

Carlos doesn’t call him out on the lie; the look he gives him is enough. He sighs again as he goes to sit on the steps of his porch. Carlos follows, sitting down next to him.

“You have been quiet since I came back from talking to Mami,” Carlos says quietly. “Thanks for that, by the way, got lectured about being nice to you for a full fifteen minutes.”

TK smiles a real smile for the first time since the conversation with Paul and Marjan. “I’m her favorite,” he jokes.

Carlos snorts out a laugh. “Don’t sell yourself so short. You’re every Reyes favorite, Mami’s, Valentina’s, Sofía’s, Lola’s – “

“Yours?” he teases, his breath catching when Carlos looks at him in that way of his that TK feels deep inside. He has to remind himself that it doesn’t mean anything; it doesn’t mean what he wants it to mean.

“Of course,” Carlos says quietly, staring into his eyes. “I called dibs on you years ago. You’ve always been my favorite person.”

TK swallows hard at the sincerity and raw affection he sees in Carlos’ eyes. “You’re my favorite person too.”

Carlos smiles at him before opening his arms to him with a teasing look on his face that makes TK chuckle as he slides into his space. He lets out a sigh as Carlos’ arms come around him, feeling instantly at ease. It’s been like this since they were kids, whenever something was bothering him, Carlos’ hugs just made everything better.

“Thanks,” he whispers after a few minutes of comforting silence between them.

“Are you okay?” Carlos questions again when he pulls back from his arms.

With their faces this close, TK can make out the golden flecks in Carlos’ warm brown eyes. All his life, people have commented on his green eyes, telling him how beautiful they are, and yet to TK, there aren’t eyes more beautiful than the ones he’s looking into now.

“TK?” Carlos asks again.

TK licks his lips; he can feel all his feelings for Carlos bubbling to the surface until they’re on the tip of his tongue just dying to slip out. He could do it; he could lay his feelings out at their feet. No matter the answer, he knows Carlos would be kind.

“I’m okay,” he says instead, the smile he gives his friend feels strained. “Just tired. Really.”

Carlos looks doubtful, but he doesn’t push, like always he is patient with him the way few people are.

“Okay,” he says finally. He pulls him forward for another hug, and TK closes his eyes when he feels Carlos’ lips press lightly right at his hairline. “Get some rest,” he orders with a quirk of his lips as he gets up from the porch.

“Yes, officer,” TK mockingly salutes, getting an eye-roll in return.

“Such a brat,” Carlos murmurs fondly. “I’ll see you later.”

“Good night,” he says back quietly. He stays on the porch until Carlos is in his car, pulling out of the driveway. He ignores the small nagging voice in the back of his brain that tells him he should have told him the truth.

 ֍֍֍

 Due to their overlapping shifts, he doesn’t see Carlos again until two days later when they both answer to a possible home invasion. When he and the 126 get there, Carlos is already putting a man in the back of his squad car.

“Hey,” he calls out, a step behind his dad. “What’s up?”

Carlos nods towards his car. “Bruce Ackerman, early dementia. This used to be his house, he got confused tonight and broke in. The family that owns it now is locked in the bedroom.”

TK nods just as their radios come to life. They all listen as the 911 operator tells them there is someone inside suffering from cardiac arrest.

“Alright, team, you heard dispatch. We have someone down; let's get in there,” his dad calls out. “TK, you take the battering ram.”

TK gives his dad a nod, walking back to the rig; when he turns around, he finds Carlos next to him with a frown on his face.

“What’s wrong?” he questions quickly, needing to catch up with his team but not liking the look on Carlos’ face.

“We were told there’s a gun on the premises,” Carlos starts. TK nods, he heard that too. “Just be careful, okay?”

“Hey, you know me,” he tries to joke but finds himself swallowing hard when Carlos gives him a serious look. He holds his breath as Carlos takes a step forward and cups his cheek with his hand.

“Yeah, that’s why I’m saying it. I have a bad feeling about this one, Ty,” he tells him, running his thumb over his cheekbone. “So, for me, be careful.”

TK struggles to speak with Carlos looking at him like that, so in the end, he just finds himself nodding as he reaches up to touch the hand that’s holding him. “I promise.”

Carlos gives him a nod back before taking a step away from him. TK gives him one more look, his heart is racing, and he knows it’s not from the job like usual.  He walks away promising to himself the next time he’s alone with Carlos; he’s going to tell him how he feels and hope that maybe, just maybe, his friend feels the same.

The thought sticks with him as he and his team make their way inside the house, it lingers as they walk the narrow hall to the locked bedroom, and it continues to echo in his head as he uses the battering ram to open the door.

He sees the gun a second before the bullet hits him in the chest, he hears screams and shouts as his team rushes around him, but all he can see is his dad and the fear in his eyes, it’s a familiar look, and he hates that he’s put it there on his dad’s face yet again. In the middle of the chaos, he finds Carlos over his dad’s shoulder as he comes to a halt, his eyes are wide, and his breathing heavy. If it hurt him to see the fear in his father's eyes, it’s nothing compared to seeing it in Carlos’.

He opens his mouth but finds he can’t say anything, not when it’s all pain. He closes his eyes even as more than one person around him tells him to keep them open. He wants to, but they feel heavy. As he drifts off to sleep, the thought comes back one final time.

He should have told Carlos how he feels; he should have told him he loves him.

He dreams – he’s not sure of what, or for how long, but he dreams and listens. He hears his father, his team, Carlos’ mom, and his sisters. He hears them all, but mostly, he hears Carlos. The words are muffled like he’s under water, but still, under it all, he hears one thing clearly that makes him push for the surface.

‘I love you, TK, come back to me.’

 ֍֍֍

 He wakes up with a start; everything aches in a way that has never hurt before, especially when he tries to take a deep breath.

“Easy, TK, easy.”

“Dad?” he questions, wincing at the way the word makes his throat feel like it’s on fire. “Water?”

He watches through gritty eyes as his father moves around the room, getting him a glass.

“What happened?” he asks after taking a few sips. He leans back on the bed, already wiped out from just having to lift his head.

“What do you remember, son?” Owen asks as he sits next to him.

TK takes in his dad’s tired face, the worry in his clear eyes and frowns as he tries to think of the question. It starts to come back to him in flashes, the call, the house, the kid, the gun, and at the end, Carlos.

“I got shot,” he whispers, his chest giving a sharp ache at that moment to prove his statement.

Owen nods, and when he runs a hand through his hair, TK can see it shake. “Yeah, kid, you did. You’ve been asleep for the last four days. We’ve all been here waiting for you to wake up scared out of our minds.”

TK grips his father’s hand. “I’m sorry, dad.”

Owen shakes his head. “It’s not your fault, TK,” he tells him, leaning in to kiss him on the forehead.

“I’m just glad you’re okay. Everyone is going to be so happy you’re awake,” he says, a twinkle entering his eyes as he continues. “Especially a certain someone who has barely left this room or your side.”

TK looks up at his dad, hopeful. “Carlos? Where is he?”

“He stepped out for a moment to get coffee,” Owen tells him.

His father must see something in his expression; maybe he sees everything because he shakes his head, a soft smile on his face, and he thinks he hears him whisper ‘finally.’

“I’ll go get him,” he says, heading for the door. “And a doctor on the way, you just relax. I’ll be right back.”

TK gives him a nod, trying to calm his racing heart as he looks up at the ceiling and works to steady his breathing. More flashes of that night come to him, but through it all, what he sees the most is Carlos, his face before everything went dark.

“TK.”

He turns his head to find Carlos staring at him, his eyes are wide like that night – they hold the same fear too, but TK can also see relief and love in them.

“Hey,” he gets out with a wobbly smile when Carlos lets out a broken sob as he continues to lean against the door frame for support. “Come here.”

Carlos makes another hurt sound as he all but stumbles towards him.

He starts to sit up, it takes some effort, but Carlos’ hands are on him instantly to assist him. When he’s sitting upright, he taps on the space next to his hip, smiling when Carlos sits next to him.

“How do you feel?” Carlos asks him; there is a tremble in his voice that makes TK’s heart ache.

“I feel okay,” he answers. He takes in the bags under Carlos’ eyes, his usually beautiful glowing skin is ashen. “What about you?”

Carlos lets out an ugly snort at the question. “I wasn’t the one shot, Tyler.”

“No,” he concedes. He stops for a moment, taking a breath as he continues. “But you had to be the one to watch me in this bed. If it were you instead of me, I would have lost my mind.”

Carlos’ eyes shut, but it doesn’t stop a tear from sliding down his face. “I was so scared,” he whispers as he opens his eyes again to look at him. “You’re never allowed to scare me like this again.’

TK nods, feeling his own eyes sting. “I promise.”

“I mean it, TK,” Carlos warns him. “Never again, okay? I love you too much to lose you.”

TK’s breath catches; he looks into Carlos’ eyes and is sure his heart will stop from the love he finds in them. “I promise,” he says one more time.

 ֍֍֍

 The team decides to celebrate him getting out of the hospital with a party at his father’s house; they fill the place with friends, family, and enough of Carlota Reyes’ food to feed an army. There are enough people and chaos that they don’t notice when he slips outside, yet less then fifteen minutes later, Carlos walks out of the house too.

“Hey,” he says softly as Carlos sits down with him on the outside sofa his father has on the porch.

“Hey,” Carlos answers back just as quietly, looking at him with gentle concern. “Are you okay? I can take you back to your place if you’re tired out, everyone will understand.”

TK smiles at his friend, reaching out to take his hand. “I’m fine. I just needed some air. Your mom seems to think that the cure to getting shot is stuffing me full of food until I pop.”

Carlos smirks back at him, the corners of his eyes crinkling at the edges. “You say that like it’s a revelation, you’re not new. You know how my mother operates.”

“This is true,” he says with a laugh. He leans back, tilting his head up. He feels Carlos shift, and he’s not all that surprised when he touches him. His fingers run over the side of his neck, his cheek, his brow. TK lets out a soft exhale at Carlos’ gentleness; he turns his head to find Carlos looking at him intently.

“I almost lost you,” Carlos says quietly, his brown eyes shining with unshed tears.

TK looks at his friend, taking all of him in, the affection in his touch, the worry in his words, and the love in his gaze.

 “Do you remember the other night when you took me home after hanging out with the crew?” he starts. “You knew something was bothering me, but I didn’t want to tell you what.”

 He watches as Carlos frowns even as he gives him a nod. He licks his lips nervously as he takes a moment to steady his racing, hopeful heart.

“After you went to answer your mom’s call, Marjan and Paul asked me how long we’ve been together,” he tells him, watching, but Carlos' expression doesn’t change. He just continues to wait with a calm and gentle look on his face.

“When I told them we weren’t a couple, they explained why they thought we were, they – “ TK pauses, swallowing down the butterflies in his stomach. “ – they figured out so easily how in love with you I am. I guess I’m really obvious,” he finishes with an awkward shrug of his shoulders.

It’s quiet for a moment until TK can’t take the silence anymore. “Please say something,” he whispers. “Even if you don’t feel the same way, it’s okay. I just need to know.”

Carlos looks at him, brown eyes compassionate as always, and TK remembers, no matter what, Carlos will be kind.

“Do you remember when we met?” Carlos starts, and though confused by the change in conversation, TK nods.

“Right here on this porch,” he tells him.

 “That’s right. Mami told us we had new neighbors, and we came over with food to say hi. Your dad opened the door, and a minute later, you came out too with a firetruck in your hand,” Carlos reminds him. “You didn’t look at any of my sisters, you looked at me and asked if I wanted to play with you.”

“You called dibs on being my friend,” TK chuckles at the memory.

“Yeah,” Carlos grins back at him. “We played every day that week, and by the end of it, I went to my mom, told her you were my best friend, that I loved you, and that one day I would marry you.”

“Carlos – “ he breathes, staring at him in shock as he looks back at him lovingly.

Carlos reaches up to touch his cheek again. “I have loved you since I was nine, TK. It took less than a week of knowing you to love you. How can you think for one second I don’t feel exactly the same way?”

“You – “ he whispers, not sure he’s not still dreaming.

“Love you,” Carlos answers back, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Always have, always will, and I don’t want to keep it a secret anymore. So if you love me too, can I just kiss you already? I’ve been waiting for years.”

TK nods rapidly, a wet laugh coming out right before Carlos’ lips touch his. He’s thought and dreamed about kissing Carlos longer than he can remember, but even his best dreams don’t compare to this perfect moment. Carlos kisses him like it’s the first time and the millionth, it’s new and familiar all at once. He lets out a breathy sound against his mouth, his hands reaching up to hold Carlos’ face, pulling him even closer as they deepen the kiss. It’s only when breathing becomes a problem that they break the kiss, but they don’t pull away from each other. Instead, they press their foreheads together, smiling and giggling like happy idiots.

“I love you, Carlos,” he whispers, his stomach flipping when Carlos’ smile widens, bright and beautiful like the man in his arms.

“I love you too, TK,” Carlos says back to him, making his insides jump again. He can’t remember the last time he was this happy, but it probably involved Carlos like pretty much every other happy moment in his life.

TK is closing the small distance between their mouths again; he’s got years to make up for, when the front door of the house opens with a bang. They look over to it, still wrapped in each other’s arms to find one of Carlos’ sisters looking at them with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

“Here you are,” she starts, giving them a once over. “I see you finally got your shit together. Congratulations.”

“Lola – “ Carlos starts to speak, but it’s too late, she’s already turning her head back towards the inside of the house.

“Found them!” she shouts as she turns back in. “Who had ‘near-death experience’ in the ‘TK and Carlos finally pull their heads out of their ass’ pool?”

Her shout is met with more screams and cheers, but luckily no one comes outside to confirm her statement. TK looks back at Carlos, who is still looking at the door a little shocked. It gets louder inside, and TK makes a decision, he stands, extending his hand to him.

“Come on, we’re going back to my place,” he says, wiggling his fingers when Carlos continues to sit.

“We are?” he questions, finally snapping out of the shock of being caught, taking his hand.

“Mmhmm, I’m calling dibs on you,” he says, throwing a grin over his shoulder as he leads Carlos towards the car. “We can deal with their gloating tomorrow. Tonight, I’m not sharing. We are going home to make up for lost time.”

Carlos reaches for him, pulling him back into his arms. He presses his mouth against the back of his neck, smiling when he lets out a shiver.

“Dibs,” he whispers against his skin. He doesn’t have to say anything else, TK knows what he means.

Mine forever.

TK smiles, turning around in his arms.

“Dibs,” he promises, before kissing him one more time.

Mine forever too.

[takerfoxx]

Jurassic Park 4: Doki Idol Live Festival!

magic5ball submitted:

Remember how you asked me about my idea for a Jurassic Park sequel? Well, here you go:

The two velociraptors stood outside a pastel colored town house in Hokkaido prefecture, Japan. If any passerbys thought that was weird, they certainly didn’t show it. Probably because the raptors were wearing fedoras and fake mustaches, so they looked like humans. Also they had guns. Very cool, very intimidating mobster guns. A tommy gun and a sawed-off shotgun, respectively.

You needed guns, to survive Shinzo Abe’s little empire of vice and socialized medical care.

“So this is the place, huh?” muttered the velociraptor carrying the sawed-off shotgun. His thick Brooklyn accent hung in the air like concrete. “Kinda… frillier than I was expecting.”

“It better be.” Replied his companion, who sounded like your racist conservative uncle trying to impersonate that one cool guy from ‘The Godfather’ (You know, the one with the mustache who was played by Robert de Niro). “We hadda kill a whole lotta people to get this hellhole.”

Sawed-off shotgun licked his non-existent lizard lips

“But hey. That airplane stewardess tasted mighty fine goin-“

“Oh, for f*ck’s sake, would ya stop thinkin’ with your stomach and help me with this f*ckin’ knob!” cried tommy gun, trying to work the doorknob best he could with his raptor claws, which, in all honesty, wasn’t much, because raptor claws are terrible at operating things meant for human fingers. Little did he know, the door was a ‘pull’, not a ‘push.

At least he didn’t have to wait long before someone unlocked the door from the other side: another velociraptor, this one a bit on the short side. And p!ssed. Very, very p!ssed. You could tell he was the cool one because he wore an eyepatch over one eye. An eyepatch with a Captain Underpants logo on it.

“Didn’t your parent’s ever teach you idiots about using the doorbell?! I was just about to enjoy lunch with my beautiful wife and you-!“

He paused, recognizing the two figures facing him.

“Well, well, well” Said tommy gun, cocking his weapon “If it isn’t SWEET JOHN HAMMOND’S BALLSACK WHAT THE F*CK AM I LOOKING AT?!”

For the cool raptor was dressed in a gothic Lolita maid outfit, complete with a bonnet and penny loafers. Under his arm he carried a human sized pillow depicting what appeared to be a blonde floozy with massive tits.

 “Oh this? This is Mami Tomoe, my beautiful wife.”

“WHAT THE F*CK!?!?” Tommy gun pulled out a flask off orange Fanta from his butthole and drank the whole thing in one go. He did NOT have time for this homosexual weeaboo nonsense! Still, he and shotgun hadn’t left a mountain of corpses the exact height and width as Mt. Fuji behind them. Too many to go back to Isla Nublar empty handed. Er, clawed. Because they were dinosaurs. Who have claws.

Shotgun took a deep breath. “What the Boss means to say is, ‘May we take refuge in this fine establishment?’”

Cool raptor opened his mouth to reveal a pistol he’d hidden there. And by hidden I mean replaced his tongue with it.

“You know, for all crap you guys used to give me in the past, I oughta pump you full of lead right here and now. Buuutttt… the lady of the house is present, and I’m not in the mood to create more work on her end. So come on in! You’re just in time for lunch.”

Lest they attract unneeded attention, the three dinosaurs hopped inside.

.   .   .

Lunch was omurice boba tea with a bottle of teriyaki sauce on the side. It was just boba tea, but the boba had been replaced by omurice because F-Bomb hated the flavor of boba, which he likened to rabbit crap. The teriyaki sauce was teriyaki sauce.

It was the most racist thing shotgun had ever eaten.

“Well, now that you jerks have gotten a taste of my sloppy seconds, I suppose some introductions are in order. You’ve already met my lovely wife” Cool raptor gestured to the body pillow seated next to him “So that leaves you two. Mami, meet A-Hole and D-Bag. A-Hole’s got the tommy gun, D-Bag is ridin’ her sawed off shotgun, as always. They’re old… acquaintances of mine.”

“He.” Corrected D-Bag. “I’ve been using he/him pronouns six months now.”

“Well that’s an improvement. Now instead of bein’ the Boss’ side B!tch literally, you’re just his b!tch figuratively!”

“Well screw you too, F-Bomb!” laughed the boss. “An’ speakin’ of screwing, what’s with the fruity get up? You a prostitute now or something?”

 “Even better! This might surprise you, but I’ve got legitimate work now. This here’s my uniform, my uniform for MILF TIDDIES!”

A-Hole chugged his entire bottle of teriyaki sauce in one go, lest his mind implode from the sheer stupidity of that sentence.

“The Hell’s a milf tiddie!?”

“Only the best freakin’ maid café in Hoikaido, hookers!”

He gestured to a wall, covered in hundreds of photos of cute floozies dressed like they were attending a vampire’s funeral. Among them was a photo of F-Bomb in his drag, serving a deep fried hot dog to some elderly Japanese dude.

“As you can see, yours truly is serving Japan’s national desert to none other than 57th Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe!”

“Hold it up. Youse been hobnobbing it with politicians?!”

“I wish! You’re thinking of Shinzo Abe, 57th Prime Minister of Japan. This guy is his twin brother. Still pretty sweet though. We DID win a Grammy for that, after all.”

A-Holes eyes bulged out of his scaly raptor head.

“YOUSE WON A GRAMMY FOR THAT?!”

“Dang right! Milf Tiddies has won sixteen Grammys since I started working there!” He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. A very special piece of paper, if the six holes punched into it were any indication. “Did you know that if you win ten Grammys in a row, they give you a free orphan? That’s how the wife and I got our glorious daughter, Lil’ Nagisa!”

F-Bomb pulled a faded photo out of his wallet. A photo showing himself, his pillow wife, and a smaller body pillow of a ten-year-old moeblob wearing a Green Bay Packers cheesehead helmet.

“So youse couldn’t even conceive your own kid?” Inquired D-Bag sexily. He was munching his omurice slowly, so F-Bomb knew he was being serious.

“Are you implying I have sex with my own wife, you sick freak?! I’m a weeaboo, not some degenerate anime fanboy! Get it straight!” He instinctively cocked the pistol in his throat. It was awesome as hell.

In response, D-Bag pumped his shotgun. Loudly.

“Permission to put the sick freak out of his misery, Boss?”

“Firstly, don’t call me Boss when we’re not having anal sex. Second, no can do, my spicy lover. We need F-Bomb alive.”

F-Bomb heard all of this even though A-Hole whispered it, but he pretended not to make A-Hole feel clever.

D-Bag mumbled about how the Boss was lucky he was so mind blowing in the sack, otherwise he would have left the relationship long ago. The sack in this case being a really kinky sex dungeon. Like really kinky. So kinky even Donald Trump wouldn’t go within a mile of it. D-Bag had almost died of autoerotic asphyxiation more times than I’ve gone to the bathroom in my lifetime. That’s why he was the smartest dinosaur out of the three of them. Now where was I again?

Anyway, F-Bomb interrogated

“Alright guys, what’s the deal? I know folks who come to this socialized medical care infested hellhole, and they don’t come here just to eat omurice boba tea. You WANT me for something.”

He cocked his mouth-pistol again. Sparks flew all over the carpet, which was made of alpaca fur so it didn’t catch fire.

A-Hole scandalously kept his cool.

“It’s about Isla Nublar.”

The second those words left A-Hole’s lips, F-Bomb escorted his wife out of the kitchen, but leaned her against the kitchen door, because that’s what she would have wanted.

“Well what about it? I told ya guys, I’m done with that dump.”

“They’re puttin’ the screws on us, F-Bomb. Making us pay for eating those tourists back in the nineties.”

“And what makes you think I care? Like I said, I’m done with that place. I got a wife and kid now.”

“But F-Bomb, doesn’t the Park mean ANYTHING to ya!? What about the time we ate that park ranger that called you a girl? ‘Better than sex’ I recall you saying.”

“Nice try, but I’m not exactly in the mood to get misgendered again. Don’t you guys got any ideas that don’t involve me?”

“As a matter of fact, yours truly had this really spectacular one!”

D-Bag did a hand gesture wherein he constantly crossed his dinosaur claws across his throat rapidly in quick succession. A-Hole, being very smart, knew this meant he should continue, loudly enough so that everyone in the prefecture could hear.

“It was called ‘Trump Ballz’. We’d harvest Donald Trump’s testicles, see, and sell them to the highest bidder, so they could do whatever people do with lopped off testicles. I’m not one to judge. It was a terrific idea. I know because when I told my best friend Donald Trump about it, he said, ‘A-Hole, this is an incredible idea. Absolutely terrific! This is probably the best idea in America! You are very smart, very intelligent dinosaur! I oughta buy you a prostitute!’ Of course, we didn’t realize that Trump’s ballz don’t grow back when you lop them off. Did you know that by the way? Human testicles don’t grow back-“

F-Bomb cocked the pistol inside his throat gain, getting the Boss to shut up. This was probably the most heroic thing anyone had ever done in the history of the universe. He also asked a question:

“SO WHAT THE HECK DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME?!”

A-Hole vomited a severed arm and a pamphlet onto the table.

“EVERYTHING, ya WEEB trash!”

The pamphlet was for something called the Doki Idol Live Fest- DILF, for short. F-Bomb was no stranger to the DILF, but they had parted ways years ago. Six, to be exact, when he had buried Nico Yazawa’s still screaming corpse by the side of the highway. And neither was he stranger to the prize.

It looked like a beer and soda drinking baseball cap, but only to complete idiots who didn’t know crap about the Idol Life.

And F-Bomb wasn’t one of those people, er dinosaurs.

“THE MCGUFFIN OF SIN?!”

“Dam* straight! And like it or not, youse the only one with enough idol know-how to help us win it! Thing’s worth, like, a zillion dollars.”

A zillion in this case was equivalent to half a million. Still, isn’t that impressive?

F-Bomb stuck his nose in his omurice and snorted, a common intimidation tactic among velociraptors. I know because I read  it in the Scientific American.

“Sorry, guys, but even with that on the line, no can do. I’m DONE with the Idol Life, any I’m not letting you filthy casuals drag me back in.” He cocked the pistol in his throat. “NOW SCRAM!”

A-Hole and D-Bag jumped out a window, so they could get the jump on a feral dog humping its’ owner. Nobody realized they were dinosaurs because of their fake mustaches, so it looked like a pair of mobsters were eating a puppy.

When they were gone, F-Bomb pranced to the bathroom, which was filled with plush alpacas he had collected over the years. So many, in fact, the bathroom did not meet OSHA compliance. Which was why F-Bomb had made it an independent nation state, only to realize that OSHA didn’t apply to him anyway, since he lived in Japan.

He had felt really stupid after that, but at least he got his own country out of it.

Anyway, he vomited sixteen liters of blood into the sink, for F-Bomb had a secret: he was dying. Back when he was a fetus in an egg in a lab on some island in the Caribean, he’d become addicted to the illegal street drug known as WEEB, and frequent use had poisoned his lungs. The doctors had given him Socialized Medical Care and four more years to live. The WEEB had taken eighty years off his life. Socialized Medical Care had borrowed his lawnmower and never given it back.

But F-Bomb also had a dream: he and his wife were going to build their own maid café, and it would be even better than MILF Tiddies. He’d already picked a title: DILF Tiddies, and it was going to be the greatest food-selling establishment in the history of Japan. Omurice boba tea was going to go global. But he’d never get the funds on time, not on his meager salary. Unless…

His beautiful wife greeted him as he exited the bathroom.

“Get a pen and some razor blades, sweetgums. I’ve got a letter to send.”

.   .   .

The message arrived in the neck of a mailman’s severed head. This is the traditional way velociraptors send letters to each other. I read it in a book.

D-Bag didn’t see the letter, but the look on A-Hole’s face told him everything.

“What’d I tell ya, D-Bag? Like I always say, when you’re dino you’re dino all the way, till youse dead in the ground or youse come out as gay!”

“Yeah, we really need to update those lyrics.”

End Chapter 1

...I cannot for the life of me decide if this is the greatest thing I've ever seen or the worst, but it at the very least had me staring speechless at my computer screen for a long time.

[justanotheronechicagofan]

Previous Chapter

7. The thing that works

series summary - Will the Halstead brothers be able to reconnect with their sister after 5 years? chapter summary - a worried Hailey visits Jay and finds out more about Madeline Jay Halstead, Hailey Upton TW - Mentions of parental death and missing persons investigation

series masterlist  | main masterlist

Several loud knocks on Jay’s door jerked him from his stillness. 

His phone screen flashed back at him - 22:38 and multiple texts from his partner. 

💬 Hailey :) [23 minutes ago] I'm gonna take your lack of response as a no - I'm coming over

💬 Hailey :) [48 minutes ago] You okay? 

💬 Hailey :) [1hr ago] Wanna grab a beer? I’ll buy ... :) 

Shit  - Considering he doesn’t even know where the past hour is gone, he really isn’t in the mood to see people. Especially people that he can’t hide from. Rubbing his face, he quickly made his way to the door. Before he even has the chance to tell her that he’s fine, his partner makes her way into the apartment, his favourite 6pack in tow. 

“Hails-” “Nope. I get you wanna be alone but that’s just not gonna happen” she says, already putting the beers in the fridge. Knowing he’s already lost this, he sighs and goes to grab the glasses. When he turns, he can’t help but smile seeing her struggling to reach for the whisky. “I got it,” he said, swiftly grabbing it.  “Why’d you put it so high?” she huffs. “Because, someone had a little too much and kept fighting me for more last time, remember?” he patronised with a smile on his face as he poured. He’ll never admit it but there’s a little part of him that left it there because he finds it cute.  She gives him a look but a second later, her eyes crinkle. “Still had that hangover though” laughing in the brightest way.  He chuckled and they clinked their glasses together before falling into a comfortable silence. 

They stand around the counter slowly sipping and although there’s a part of Hailey that wants to know, she decides to just join him in the quiet.  After a while he reveals, “That girl from yesterday. She’s my sister”  She suspected it but it still takes her back. Reigning in the questions popping up in her mind, she just asks “What’s her name?”  “Maddie. Madeline Grace” Jay said with a small smile.  “That’s pretty. It suits her” she said.  “Yeah it does. Mom had it picked out way before she knew she was having a girl” Hailey notices how this is the first time in weeks she’s seen him genuinely smile.  “Oh wow. Prepared lady.”  “Hell no. We were both in high school when Maddie was born - Will was a senior!” Jay laughed. “Total surprise after Mom and Dad went to the cabin for their wedding anniversary.” “Well, that cabin does have views,” she said, remembering when Jay invited Intelligence to Wisconsin in the Summer.  “Yeah. Mom was thrilled. I mean she loved us but I think she always wanted a girl. And man did Maddie have all of us wrapped around her finger, even Dad” Hailey chuckled as the image of a teenage Will and Jay trying to win the affection of a newborn popped in her head.  “What?” Jay smiled holding her gaze. “Just trying to imagine how that went down,” she amused.  “Oh it's exactly like you imagine it. Gets funnier when she got into fairies” “Did you join in?” she asked, holding back the laughter even though she knew the answer would be yes.  “Course I did Hails. Tea parties, playing house, being her horse, serious business.” he listed schooling his face before joining Hailey who was bursting.  “Seriously though, younger me would have loved that” Hailey said once they calmed down.  “Yeah?”  “Mhh. I was more into princesses than fairies but my 12 and 9 year old brothers weren’t as keen. They were good when I wanted to join in playing cops though so guess that came in handy” she joked.  “I guess it did,” Jay smiled, imagining a little Hailey running around. “C’mon what do you wanna ask me?” he said when he saw her debating something in her head.  “Uh- The tv the other night. I looked it up and that film- I mean, was she always into acting?” “Mmm. Was a surprise to me too. I haven’t asked her about it yet but I guess she always did liked to perform” “Perform?” she said, cocking her head.  “Yeah. She’s loved ballet ever since Mom first took her - I think she was like 3 or something. Told me today that she’s training to be one” he replied, proud.  “Really? Jay! That’s amazing!”  “Yeah. I’m so proud of her. I mean, Will and I always knew she would” he beamed.  “You have any photos?” Hailey asked, relieved seeing Jay this happy.  

He came back from the bedroom moments later and handed her a purple file folder decorated around the edge with gem stickers. She first picked up the stack of pictures and as she looked through them, the red haired girl in beautiful costumes grew before her, perfectly poised and always smiling widely at the camera.  “Man, you Halstead’s don’t like to go half way with doing things do you?” Hailey joked, perusing through the several clippings of local papers, the word ‘places’ and ‘wins’ jumping out at her in almost every headline. When she got to the last one, she paused at the date. 

_______________________________________________________________________ Carlisle ballerina wins first place in Youth America Grand Prix | 14 January 2013 Madeline Halstead of Carlisle took first place in the junior classical division of the Youth America Grand Prix Regional Semi-Finals held in Pennsylvania this past weekend. The 13 year old who has trained at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet since the age of 7, performed three variations in front of 5 judges and a full audience. Although the Youth Grand Prix is considered to be the world’s largest ballet competition, this was not the first time Madeline captured a win. Miss Halstead first received gold when she was just 10 years old, going on to place in the top 12 in her category every year at the Philadelphia Semi Finals. The spotlight is on for Madeline as she prepares ahead for the NY Finals in April where she placed third in the same category last year.  _______________________________________________________________________

She furrowed her eyebrows as she flicked back through the articles - the earlier ones were mostly about holiday productions held in local schools but there was at least one for every year starting from 2006. Where were the others?  “That’s the last one,” Jay said, reading her thoughts.  She looked back at him confused, but that’s 5 years ago. He meets her with the same indescribable expression she had witnessed that night at Mollys. Jay bore into her as if he was analyzing her trust, then finally placed a file she didn’t catch the first time round in front of her. She tensed as she instantly recognised the front. A case file. 

_______________________________________________________________________

Carlisle P.D. - Missing Juvenile Report  Name: Madeline Grace Halstead  Age:14. Female. White. 5'4", 93 lbs. Red hair, long.  Last seen: Exiting ballet studio at 21:32 on 6/03/2013 walking towards North Street. Reported: 20:36 on 7/03/2013  Reported by: Robert Louis Davis, MD _______________________________________________________________________

Her breath hitched as she read the first few lines of the report. She looked back at him when she got to the reported time. Why did it take that long to report? Who is Robert? He’s a doctor? And where even is Carlisle? 

Hailey watched as Jay downed his drink and slowly began. 

“When Mom died- She uh went to go live with our aunt in Pennsylvania- cause none of us really could be with Maddie. Me n Mouse, we’d just got back, Dad was drinking and - I mean Will didn’t even come back for the funeral.” Hailey noticed the tinge of blame that was there. A smile touched his eyes as he continued, “But Mads loved it in Carlisle. Mamie, our aunt was Mom’s best friend and um she never had kids but she used to come over all the time and she helped us out a lot when Mom got sick. Mads and Mamie, they’d always call or send pictures and me n Mouse would go whenever we could. Mamie and Rob, they really helped me and Mouse out that first year cause- we were just- ” 

Hailey recognised that look in Jay as he trailed off. She always saw it creep up no matter how hard he tried to hide it. She didn’t know where to take this but she figured that him giving her the case file was his way of an invitation. She asked gently, wanting to bring him back. “Jay. She was walking home?” 

Jay slightly shook, bringing himself back and continued, “Maddie always biked or walked there cause it’s like a 15 minute walk and the towns small, safe. Tree lined streets, I mean the actual studios in a college.”

“And Robert? He didn’t realise?”

“Yeah. I couldn’t even look at him because of it then. But I can’t blame the guy - he got home that night at 2am and then slept cause he’d worked 18 hours. The school didn’t call him and Mamie didn’t pick up when the studio called cause she was out of town. Mads usually went straight there from school so he didn’t even know. Only found out when he went to pick her up. They tried but by the time it got reported it was-”

“Nearly 24 hours gone” Hailey thought aloud. 

“Yeah. Didn’t have anything to work with. The footage of her leaving the studio was the last thing, she didn’t show up on any eyes after. Just disappeared. They put out AMBER alerts and reached out to Chicago and New York cause that’s where me and Will were. They thought maybe she ran away but-” 

“She would have shown up on footage” Hailey finished the sentence.

“Yeah.” Jay breathed out, looking down the empty glass. “That and we knew her. She was so excited for the Finals in NY. Case never closed but after a while -” he shaked his head. Hailey watched his body clench as resentment smouldered his features “Not even a year after, Dad started speaking like she was dead. Like she was with Mom. Haven’t talked to him since” Hailey then witnessed the slight, almost imperceptible change in him, but couldn’t quite place it. He inhaled shakily then breathed out, 

“Thing is -”

“I thought she was dead too” 

It made sense to Hailey now. How her partner always seemed to find the cases involving kids the hardest. How he always went beyond helping out families who lost theirs. She wondered if maybe that’s why he joined Intelligence. If maybe in those late nights he stayed even when all the paperwork was done, he was searching for her. And that look she’d seen that night at Mollys. She could name it now. It was a look she would never be able to fully understand.  And as his escaping tears crumbled the wall away, she moved silently and held him. 

She was going to stay with him tonight. 

                                            💙✨🦋✨💙

Next Chapter 

A/N - The characters belong to Dick Wolf and are from the One Chicago universe he created. A longer chapter featuring Hailey and Jay. This was really difficult for me to write so I hope it turned out okay. Thank you so much to those that are coming along on this story with me :)