#adam gets smacked into next week

[atempause-art]

Čerti are here to take bad souls to Hell, yet nothing was done about the corrupt higher ups who are responsible for the shoddy mine collapse and Benzin's death. He sees the demons to be at fault and will hunt them as well - what are they going to do, kill him again? Adam is not safe from a rampage of a man too angry to stay dead.

I actually used refs this time, credits to @adorkastock I posted how I used the refs here

[daycourtofficial]

Cursing my name, wishing I stayed

Pairing: Eris x Rhysand’s sister!reader | WC: 14.7k | warnings: depictions of violence, gore, blood, bodily harm

Summary: your relationship with Rhysand had been icy at best, but your attempts to reconcile are quick to be shot down. A rash decision leads you to endangering your life - can Eris find you in time? Can he save your infant son?

Author’s note: happy Gingerfucker Week to all who celebrate!! My first post has to be the most anticipated gingerfucker fic ever - otherwise I’m sure yall would kill me lmao

“Eris, we’ll be fine. Feyre wouldn’t let anything happen to us. But if it would make you feel better, you may winnow us there.”

The babe in your arms slept softly, the smallest crop of red hair peeking out from his swaddled head. Atlas was so tiny, yet had grown so much in his one month of living. The last babe you remember spending prolonged time with was your younger sister, and even though a baby’s basic needs were the same, caring for a wingless babe felt different, almost unnatural.

Being a young female in Illyria meant spending many hours and nights helping the other females with their young. Atlas was likely the first babe without wings you had ever seen. It still surprised you to rub your hand across his empty back or that you didn’t have to stretch his wings multiple times a day.

Only a quick winnow trip separated you from your nephew, leading your impatience to grow with each moment Eris spent rifling through trunks. You were dying to see the toddler, having missed several months of his life due to your brother’s refusal to see you. Things were still rough between the two of you (not from your lack of trying), but they seemed to be improving. It felt right to spend a few days there - to let your family see Atlas, hold him, spend some time with the three of you. It might be foolish, but a tiny babe is enough to have at least some of the pressure off of your mate.

Your words did little to slow him as he flitted about the room, a cloud of anxiety following him as he searched for something you weren’t entirely sure existed. He moved about the room, opening trunks and moving their contents around before closing the lid in a huff. If you weren’t getting annoyed at the delay, you would be amused by his antics. 

“Er, if it’ll really make you this upset, I can wait until tomorrow when you’re able to stay with us.” The possibility that Eris was purposely stalling wasn’t lost on you. He was less than thrilled about this visit, however he was unlikely to ever stop his mate from getting what she wanted.

“No, no, you were adamant about arriving tonight so you could see Nesta on her birthday and- aha!”

From one of the seemingly thousands of chests around your room, all full of gifts from every High Lord, advisor, and courtier the two of you had ever come into contact it seemed, Eris procured a tiny yellow blanket, one end of it full of stuffing to give the illusion of the head of a duck. He raised it quite proudly as if it were a trophy, gallivanting over to the two of you as if he were a prized mare.

“What is that?”

“It’s Atlas’ favorite blanket.”

You squinted your eyes at him, clutching the babe tighter to your chest. The blanket looked brand new, unmarred by the constant stream of dribble Atlas left everywhere he went. Eris ignored you in favor of situating the blanket into the crook of your elbow, situated next to his son. “He’s three months old, he doesn’t have a favorite blanket.”

“Surely pregnancy has not completely rotted your brain. This is his favorite blanket.” He ignored the glare you sent his way, furthering your annoyance. You gripped Atlas tight in one arm, using your free hand to smack Eris’s bicep. An incredulous look overcame his pale face as he turned back to you. “You’ll wake the babe - set him down before trying to get physical with me.”

“I’ll get real nice and physical when I throttle you.” Your threat was not received as you had intended. Instead of coiling in fear and cowardice, your mate moved about, putting everything back into all of the various chests. “Then you’d be late for dinner and breaking Madja’s rules, and I never took you for a tardy rulebreaker.”

“I can throttle you without breaking Madja’s rules.”

“My love do not pretend if you were to kill me you wouldn’t be riding my cock as you did it.” You gasped, moving to press Atlas further into your chest and covering his other ear with your hand. You hissed his name, sending a barbed spike down the bond in frustration. Eris’s hands met his hips, amusement quickly turning into exasperation. “He’s asleep.”

“He can hear you!”

“He is in a deep sleep from spending nearly an hour on your tit. He’s going to be out for the next hour or two.” Eris felt your frustration through the bond, placing his hands on your shoulders, causing you to look up at him. “Come now, I’ll escort you both to Night, see that you are safely in Feyre and Rhysand’s care, then I’ll come back here until tomorrow.” 

Eris moved past you, grabbing the bags you had packed before putting them across his shoulders. He reached an arm out, taking Atlas from your hands and securing him to his chest. You reached out, already missing the warmth of your babe, a hand pressed to his back to feel his slow breathing. Eris moved his free hand up to your face, fingers soft caressed your cheek.

The world changed around the three of you, Atlas shifting slightly beneath your hand as the orange curtains you recently had hung up on the brown paneled walls were exchanged for the light blues of the foyer of the River House. Atlas didn’t stir, but the sudden change in the world made you slightly dizzy. It had been months since you had last winnowed, a fact more pronounced by the stagger in your stance.

Eris had been writing to Rhysand, requesting special permission for him to winnow directly into their home. In true Rhysand fashion, he turned it into a much bigger spectacle than it was by placing special limitations on it, telling him he’d change the wards when everyone departed at the end of the week. His letter contained an additional note at the end, stating, “I will, however, allow Atlas in through the wards permanently in case he were to be a savant and learn to winnow and his first action be to leave you.” You had sent Rhys a responding scathing letter using words Eris was not entirely certain were real. 

Feyre and Rhysand were waiting in the foyer, Feyre quickly standing off of Rhys’s lap to embrace you. Feyre always treated you differently than the others did, perhaps because she knew how awful it could feel to be as no more than an extension of Rhysand. Or perhaps because she knew what it was like to go to the ends of the earth for your mate. 

You melted in her embrace, her lilac and pear scent a bit flowery but welcome. Her hug was gentle, careful not to squeeze too hard, something the High Lady had to work at perfecting after being turned high fae. It had taken years for her to master her grip strength. That time was not missed, however, the crushed door handles were always a source of amusement.

“Eris,” Feyre smiled, reaching her hands out after untangling herself, shifting to look at the High Lord, “hand over the baby and no one gets hurt.”

You giggled, pushing Eris toward her outstretched arms. She cooed at the bundle as it was put into her arms, her fingers moving the blanket so she could see his face. She made little faces, the Cursebreaker nowhere in sight as the babe reached out for her, gently grabbing her loose hair.

“He looks just like you, Eris.”

“How unfortunate.” Rhys ignored the pointed look he received from Feyre, picking lint from his jacket as he strolled forward. You stayed silent as he wrapped his arms around your body, and you couldn’t help but melt a little in his embrace. He was an asshole, gods was he an asshole, but he was still your brother and you loved him so dearly. You could feel the tension slough off of Rhys’s shoulders in your embrace, hoping this weekend could be a step forward for all of you.

Eris leaned down, kissing Atlas on the forehead before softly rubbing his head. He gurgled in response, causing Feyre to chuckle. 

“I just want to eat his little cheeks! Nyx doesn’t have his chubby cheeks anymore, it’s a real shame.” Her hand gently smoothed over Atlas’s cheeks as she spoke, her heart breaking over realizing just how much her little boy had grown.

“He’s not on the menu tonight, Feyre.” 

“I know, but I just want to eat him! He’s truly adorable.” Feyre continued making faces, certain she could get a tiny giggle from them. She puffed her cheeks and moved her lips a bit, deflating at the indifference Atlas showed her. 

“I trust that your wards are secure enough for the two of them.” Eris cut into the discussion, having noticed the sun moving through the windows. Stacks of papers sat on his desk waiting for his eyes to peruse them in preparation for the next day’s council.

Rhys rolled his eyes, nearly scoffing at the male’s tone. “If they weren’t sufficient, would I allow my mate and son to live in them?”

“Rhysand, I am not in the business of trying to make sense of every decision you make.” Rhys opened his mouth to respond, but Feyre’s voice cut through the growing tension, extinguishing the sparks the two High Lords were sending each other. “That’s enough, thank you Eris for winnowing them here. We’ll be seeing you tomorrow?” 

His amber gaze was glued to the tiny bundle before dropping the bags he was holding. The Autumn High Lord did not want to leave his son. He was still so small and so vulnerable. He remembered all of his brothers at such a size and it never ceased to amaze him how much newborns truly depend upon their parents. He looked back up to his mate, one last confirmation needed. A slight nod was all it took before he cupped her jaw, swiftly kissing her forehead.

“I will see you all tomorrow, then.”

-

Feyre had left quickly after Eris’s departure, returning Atlas to your arms before checking on Nyx. Truthfully your sister in law looked exhausted, and you were sure she was taking any opportunity that Nyx slept to take a nap of her own. She had written to you just last week that Nyx was in a sleep regression and she and Rhys were not having a great time. You had offered to reschedule your visit, but Feyre insisted you come and outright demanded to see the babe. She had said Nyx had lost his baby smell ages ago and she was convinced smelling it on Atlas could get her through this sleep regression.

You sat in Rhys’s study, Atlas sleeping on your chest after having just fed and changed him. Before running off, Feyre had given you one of Nyx’s old onesies, the pale babe in your arms looked so out of place in the black fabric. It felt so strange to be back in Rhys’s study - it must have been at least two years since you had last been in this room. It looked exactly the same - the massive portrait of Feyre looming over the two of you. So much had changed the past few years, and yet nothing had. Rhys looked exactly the same sitting across from you. If you placed Atlas down, it would be as if you had never left.

“Watch out for Cassian.”

Rhys’s words confused you. You waited for further explanation, looking up to find Rhys’s gaze on Atlas. Deciding he likely won’t tell you, you asked, “why?”

Rhys leaned back in his chair, the leather groaning from the shift in weight. “He followed Feyre around for months, asking to try some of her milk.” He laughed at your grimace but continued. “Someone told him the health benefits of breastmilk and he’s more than determined to get his grubby hands on some.”

“Eris will be thrilled to hear that.”

You could hear his retort clear as a bell in your mind. “A bastard so desperate for a mother’s love he’d suck random teets to get it.” You decided it was best kept to yourself.

You ignored Rhys’s scowl at the mention of your mate. “Do you think he’s trying to convince Nesta to have a babe so he can take the milk for himself?”

“I’m absolutely sure of it. Nesta kicked him out of the house for a few days because he wouldn’t stop trying to make everything into a deal to impregnate her.” Rhys was smiling at the memory of a downtrodden Cassian slipping into the River House one night, Feyre passing him as he grumbled about her sister. You laughed softly at Cassian’s antics. 

It felt strange to be back here - in the Night Court, in the River House. As if you hadn’t left, your family continued on. Their lives continued with or without you. Your heart felt a slight twinge at the realization. You would choose Eris again and again, but you did miss the everyday antics of your family.

“Have I told you that Eris’s hounds detest Lucien? He visited a week prior and two of them worked together, one in front and one in back, to table top him into some mud- what is that face for?” Rhysand tried to recover the earlier smile, his mouth slowly forming into a grimace. It was impossible not to notice - he looked as if he smelled something terrible.

“Nothing. Just remembering something I have to do.” A lie. Your blood was heating beneath your skin. It annoyed you to no end whenever Rhys lied to you, something you hadn’t been able to shake since childhood. It made you irrationally upset, hormones raging through you.

“No, it’s because I was talking to you about Autumn, wasn’t it? Can’t you at least pretend to care about my life?”

“I do care.” He leaned back in his chair, trying to give off an air of nonchalance, but his eyes remained sharp.

You stood slowly, ensuring your feet were steady as you rose with Atlas. “I won’t sit here and listen to you lie to me, Rhys. I thought we were past this, I thought things were different now.”

“They are different.” His curt responses caused your nostrils to flare, your jaw tightening with every word.

“Because I made them different?”

“Your words, not mine.” You groaned, feeling like a little girl before him. He looked like he were dealing with a petulant child, his gaze only adding more fuel to your anger.

“You are so..” you trailed off, not knowing where to start. Pigheaded, brainless, annoying, condescending.

Rhys’s mouth turned into a snarl. “Think any harder, why don’t you?”

“Oh, you’re such an asshole!” You cradled Atlas’s head closer to your chest, placing a hand over his ears. “You’re such a dick, Rhysand. You can’t stand that I have a life away from you and this court.”

“I tolerate it.”

Your jaw dropped as his words tried to take shape in your mind. “You tolerate it? What the fuck does that mean? I’m trying to open up to you about my life, Rhys. About my home. I’m trying to fix things.”

“Fix the things you broke? Why don’t you just go back to your new home, then, if Night is so inferior you have to cross courts for cock.”

You stilled, slowly turning towards your brother, head cocked. The tension had reached its boiling point but you weren’t shying away from it. “Is that all you think of me then? Someone who gave up her title, her name for love. That I did it all for a quick fuck?”

“Don’t act as if you gave it all up for him.”

“You forced me to!”

“I have never forced you to do anything you didn’t want to.” He rose to his feet, his hands slapping on his desk accenting his words. The air went cold at his words, the insinuation lingering.

“That’s rich, Rhysand. You spout off about choices, but really it’s always ‘option A: what Rhys wants’ or ‘option B: perilous death and despair’.”

“Maybe it’s because if I don’t guide you, you make stupid decisions.” His eyes flickered to Atlas, and your blood boiled beneath your skin. You took a step forward, jaw clenched as you snapped at him. 

“Are you insinuating that Atlas was a stupid decision?”

“I’d never insinuate what I can convey with words.”

Tears stung in your eyes, one landing on the tiny head in your arms. The room was too stifling, too suffocating. You had to go anywhere but here.

“Well, if insinuations are out the window, listen to me loud and clear: fuck. you. Fuck you, Rhys. Sorry I don’t fall into line with the path you planned out for me. Sorry for making my own choices. Sorry that the Mother made plans for me and didn’t ask for your input. And I am terribly sorry for Feyre because you are an asshole!” 

You couldn’t take it anymore. You winnowed into the void. If you heard Rhysand’s voice for one second longer, you’d say something horrible. Irredeemable. Anger simmered at his words, claws desperate to come out and stoop to his level. He never understood your choices, never tried. No matter how many times he had promised to listen, Rhys had never tried to fix the walls he had put up between the two of you. 

The world shifted as you thought about your home in Autumn, the brilliant leaves of the forests, the warm spices of the kitchen, your mate’s touch. A blur of colors passed and your throat tightened as shame washed over you. Eris was right - you shouldn’t have come. You needed more time. Rhys needed more time. You clutched Atlas tighter, taking comfort that you had him, at least. 

Mind hazy, you moved through the courts, the world flashing with sunshine, the rush of an ocean, and the patter of rain until your magic unraveled, and the two of you fell from the air onto your back into a wooded area. At the impact, Atlas sniffed and then whined as he rubbed his face against your shoulder.

You took in your surroundings, opening your eyes to the bright afternoon sun peeking through the trees. Your eyes darted the area, looking for any signs of life as you laid still. Atlas moved in your arms as you maneuvered the two of you, trying to sit up to lean against a tree for better sight. Once you were certain no one else was around, you pulled Atlas away from you, unwrapping him from his swaddle to assess him for any injuries. His wailing was piercing through the woods, a sure cry to any creatures that were here.

You shushed him as you checked him, content that his worst injury was being woken from a nap. His cries were lacerations on your heart, each tiny inhale causing so much distress. It nearly cracked you in half, deep breaths a half hearted attempt at self-soothing.

The land was unfamiliar, nothing about it gave you any information about where you could be. The two of you were surrounded by trees, none any species which were familiar. The green leaves blocked out most of the sun, occasional streaks of light passing through. This didn’t feel like any of the solar courts - did you winnow past the mountain? If you had, you would have landed in Winter, or if you veered off course in Summer. Maybe you overshot and ended up in Spring?

The two of you moved about the area, your feet crunching on dry leaves as you went. You hadn’t made it very far before stumbling over a large root, some how hidden beneath your skirts. You barely caught yourself, the jerking motion causing another round of screams to come from Atlas. His little face was so red from crying. You looked back to the spot you had landed, hoping to sit back against that tree once more, but the land behind you wasn’t what it had been. In its place was a swampy scape, several inches of water that would have made your trek impossible. You clutched Atlas tighter to your chest, tucking his head beneath your neck.

You swiveled your head around, breathing labored as you realized you were somewhere you haven’t been in centuries. Where the land was nonsensical and ever changing, where horror stories began and ended. The land above the mountain where atrocities occurred in the caverns and tunnels beneath it. 

The two of you were somewhere in The Middle. A land no court wanted for themselves, the tireless mazes too much for any fae to justify living in.

A land no one wanted to be lost in.

-

Pumpkin wandered into Eris’ room, the small pup clearly lost without Atlas to follow around. Eris ignored the whimpering from the hound, the beast having grown incredibly close to his son in a short span of time. It was sweet the way the hound trailed behind him when he was carrying Atlas, shushing and singing him to sleep. Eris was especially happy to see Pumpkin and Clover standing on high alert whenever Atlas was being fed. It soothed some part of him to know even in moments he had to step away from, his family was well guarded, even if just from his brothers.

Eris reviewed his notes, annoyance simmering beneath his skin at the distance between him and his family. He’d never deny you anything, but if you had had any doubts about spending a night without him, he wouldn’t complain about your presence in Autumn for one more night.

Pumpkin whined once more, Eris’s pen dropping at the sound. His chest felt hot with anger, something he’s unsurprised by. Any visit with Rhys often left the two of you fighting, your anger flaring through his veins as you fought. Your own feelings were compounding his own, utter annoyance at the meeting that kept him away from his mate. 

Eris felt a sharp tug in his chest, nearly pulling him from his seat. Everything inside of him was pinging, his chest felt heavy with fear and uncertainty. What was happening over there? He waited a moment, trying to parse out each emotion. The anger in his chest subsided, every instinct inside of him urging him to go. He abandoned his notes, watching the brown hues of his study swirl and churn into black and blues.

-

Feyre looked about the office, confusion crossing her blue gray eyes as she didn’t find who she was looking for. “Rhys, where’s your sister?” Feyre’s voice echoed across the room as Rhysand took another sip from his glass of whiskey, slumped in his chair.

“Autumn.”

Feyre looked around, as if he were lying, covering up her hiding somewhere in the room to surprise her. “What do you mean she’s in Autumn? She was supposed to stay here for a week so we could spend time with her and Atlas.” Rhys shrugged, his eyes unable to meet Feyre’s, “she left.”

Feyre’s eyes were skeptical, certain that her mate was leaving pieces out. Things had been tense, but surely it didn’t take her mate three hours to scare off his sister?

“Did Eris take her back? Change his mind about his mate being here?”

Rhys gritted his teeth at his brother in law’s name, sinking into his chair slightly, “no.”

Feyre ticked her jaw, determination flooding her to understand her mate’s standoffishness. “Was she upset by our accommodations?”

“No.”

“Did Cassian annoy her into leaving?”

“No.” It came out as a growl, causing Feyre’s eyebrows to raise. “Just cut to the chase, Feyre. Ask what you really want to know.”

“What did you do?”

He sucked in a breath, as if the question were shocking. “Words were exchanged.”

That was all Rhys was able to get out before the doors to the room burst open, the wood hitting the walls as all of the heat was sucked out of the room, everything going cold as the High Lord of the Autumn Court stormed in, his rage palpable. Cassian trailed behind him, trying and failing to hold him back, unable to stop his path.

The redhead looked around the room before he stalked over to Rhys, grabbing the collar of his tunic before his hand connected directly with his eye, spitting out, “where is my mate?”

Rhys wrapped his hands around Eris’ wrists, trying to get him to stop. Cassian’s hands wrapped around Eris’ biceps before quickly pulling them away, his hands smoldering.

“Stay back, pigeon, if I find out you had a hand in this I’ll burn more than just your hands.”

Eris was a blazing storm inside of the house - his flames were erupting over the surface, turning the room red with heat. Dark tendrils of shadow coated the flames, attempting to extinguish them. The flames burned a bright blue in response, whirling around the tendrils, burning them up.

“Did my sister come to her senses and leave you? Ran off with one of your more capable brothers?” Rhysand’s smirk dropped as Eris hauled him from the chair, pressing his back to the wall. Eris’ long fingers dug into the lapel of Rhys’ dark coat, the fabric singing as the redhead pressed him into the wall. 

“Watch your tongue, Rhysand. It would be a remarkable mount on my wall.”

The two males snarled at each other, Rhys moving his leg out to get Eris off balance. He faltered just enough for Rhys to get momentum, swinging his fist into Eris’s face.

Feyre and Cassian were scrambling as the two continued their brawl, both High Lords successfully bruising the other.

“Where is she, Rhys? Have you locked her away in a tower, thinking I wouldn’t notice?”

Rhys pushed Eris off of him, hands moving to straighten his jacket to find his lapels singed off. 

“Perhaps you need to hone your abilities at hide and seek before Atlas is older.” Rhysand’s nonchalance caused Eris’s anger to burn brighter, certain the day was going to end with the Night Court in ashes.

“Why can’t I find my fucking mate but I can feel her desperation and fear in my chest?” Eris’s words clanged through the room, everyone stopping to take in his words. Feyre moved closer to him, her voice soft. “What do you mean, Eris?”

“I mean,” he snarled in Rhys’s direction, “something's very wrong. She has never felt like this in my chest before. Not even during labor. She’s panicking, I have never- never felt this from her before.”

Feyre turned to Rhys, her eyes wild with concern. Eris was quick to interject, his voice echoing through the room. “No, don’t do this. Don’t be communicating where I can’t hear it. This is about my mate, I deserve to hear it.”

“You don’t deserve-” Feyre’s arm on Rhys’s bicep stops him. “Rhys, where is she? Where’s Atlas?”

The High Lord of the Night Court’s chest was heaving with each breath, certain a rib or two was broken. “They went back to Autumn.”

“They haven’t arrived in Autumn.”

Rhys went pale, concern taking over his features. “They must be. They winnowed away ages ago - did she go straight to bed?”

The words fueled his rage once more, his voice on the edge of despair. “She is nowhere in Autumn.”

-

Trudging through the forest, you weren’t certain which way you were headed. You tried to feel for that bond with Eris in your chest, trying to pull it taut to receive some direction but whatever cord it created merely tugged you in over a dozen directions, the strength of each pull ebbing and flowing with your breath. You felt Eris’ concern grow as you stood, looking in all directions.

The trees were too tall for you to see the sun - it would give you some indication of which direction to head. Autumn laid in the southeast of The Middle, but navigating through its woods would still be impossible even with the sun’s guidance.

You cursed your hothead, annoyed you couldn’t just run out of Rhys’s study and go hide in your room until Eris came back. Surely you could have tried to mend things with Rhys, not just going on the defensive?

You spun in a circle, nearly tripping over more roots before deciding to just pick a direction and go. Atlas remained calm in your arms, what little power you have going to soothe him. Your breaths were slow and deliberate, trying to keep yourself calm. It was working enough to soothe Atlas and to keep a level head, and that was all that mattered.

You would need a source of water soon. It felt like you were moving on a downward slope, keeping your eyes peeled for any creeks or streams nearby. Sweat collected at the nape of your neck, sticking to the hair that covered it. It was oppressively muggy, the air feeling heavy with humidity. 

Time was hard to track in the Middle, every moment stretching endlessly as you continued to walk a path that seemed to never change. Each tree looked the same as the last, no distinguishing characteristics to help you track any sort of progress. 

Perhaps you were stuck in an endless loop, circling the same bit of land over and over until you collapsed from exhaustion.

“Running from something?”

A high pitched voice caused you to stop mid stride. A sinister tilt to the question that caused you to secure Atlas to your chest before your feet went flying without turning to look at the source.

-

Eris paced across their floor, a thin layer of fire coating his skin and clothes, a small trail of flames followed his path on the floor. 

“I would prefer if you didn’t leave scorch marks on my floor.” Rhysand’s voice was buzzing in Eris’s ears, much like the annoying pests of Summer.

“And I would prefer my mate to have a better family, preferably one who doesn’t allow her to leave unattended so soon after giving birth.”

Eris was itching to unleash his anger, desperate for some fight to break out to let out a fraction of the rage that had nestled in his gut.

“My sister’s been strong-willed since she was born, anything she gets her mind on she does.” Rhys strode closer to Eris, looking down at the new High Lord. It hadn’t even been two full years since the magic had chosen him. The newfound power that thrummed within him was an adjustment, but he had quickly taken the reins of it. Now he felt like nothing more than a vessel for the well of magic inside him, set to erupt any moment.

“And yet, she’s not foolish enough to believe she could winnow across Prythian unless she felt she had no other option.”

“What are you insinuating, Eris?”

“I’m not insinuating anything, Rhysand. I’m speaking directly. I apologize if my language is too complex for your pigeon brain to understand.” Something in Eris snapped before he pushed Rhysand up against the wall, his head thumping against the wall as flames licked around Rhys’s skin, not burning, but restricting. “My mate felt so unsafe she took our babe and her chances of going anywhere but here.” 

Every other word was enunciated with Eris shoving him into the wall, “and now you better pray to the Mother we find them both unharmed or your mate will rule this court alone.”

Rhys snarled at the threat, a rebuttal dying on his tongue as someone pulled Eris off of him, shoving him into a chair. Eris’ snarl died as he met the eyes of the eldest Archeron, the only person in this court he truly tolerated. 

“Killing Rhysand can wait. Unfortunately, he may be helpful in finding her.” Nesta’s voice was a pleasant surprise for Rhys, probably for the first and last time. He took in a deep breath, the flames gone from his neck, before he straightened his jacket, moving toward the maps Azriel and Cassian had been looking over. The two Illyrians had been having a discussion of their own while Eris and Rhys fought, both too caught up in plotting to pay mind to the High Lords. Cassian’s thick fingers trailed a path from Velaris to where they knew the Forest House was located. 

“Eris would know the second she stepped foot in Autumn, Rhys would know if she were in Night.”

Azriel stood rigid, his wings tucked in tight behind him. A formidable strategist determining the right course of action. “She could be anywhere in Day, Dawn, or Winter.”

“Or in The Middle.” Just the name gave Nesta chills, the phantom feel of the Kelpie around her. She swallowed harshly, the action feeling more restricting than it should.

“Lucien’s in Day, I could fill him and Helion in there while Azriel goes to talk to Thesan. Mor can go to Winter. Rhys, Cassian, Nesta, and Eris can look around the Middle. Elain, you stay here, take care of Nyx. If she comes back, let the twins know and they’ll contact us.” Feyre looked around, wanting to see how everyone felt about the plan. Everyone was on edge, this relief team more likely to implode on itself than succeed. 

This was a tragedy and everyone had a finger they wanted to use to pinpoint the source. 

-

Trees were a blur, hitting the ground in swift footfalls, every breath not big enough. There was no cleared path to take, the brush and bramble catching on ankles. Blood dropped from the nicks and cuts of thorns, but the urgency to run never stopped.

Atlas continued crying, soft wails coming from him as you pulled him closer to your chest, trying to quiet his pain.

There was no way to know where you were going, paths changing as you moved down them, but you continued forward, deciding it was your best option. You knew whoever found you was still following you, their breathing so loud it felt like they were right behind you.

Sudden sharp, shooting pain caused you to fall, your ankle caught on something as you fell forward. Quick thinking had you turn on your side, taking the brunt of the fall, except some thorny vines sliced through the swaddle, cutting Atlas’s arm.

Brows cinched together, the pain from your foot almost unbearable. Eyes were pinched closed, not wanting to see what had caught your foot. Whatever it was was still there - and was crushing your leg too. It took everything not to wail out in pain, matching Atlas’s cries. You breathed in through your nose, lifting up your skirt enough to see the metal bear trap that had clamped shut around your left leg, blood rushing out in spurts.

The sight caused bile to catch in your throat, quickly moving your head to the side to expel it.

Trying to sit up and assess the situation was no longer an option when the hunter appeared, her strong hands wrapping around the trap and tugging your body toward her. A scream ripped from your throat as blood gushed out of the wound, hot pain causing your vision to darken with each tug of the chain. Atlas was wailing, the protective arms of his mother insecure for the first time. His grip loosened on the duck blanket he carried, the yellow fabric turning brown with mud.

-

The Inner Circle and Eris were divided into teams, each taking on their own travels. Once everything was agreed upon, Eris was the first to winnow away, grabbing Nesta by the arm to take with him. She struggled in his grip as the world blurred around them, the smell of the unforgiving forest burning Nesta’s nose. Eris held tight against her as the familiar smell of burnt umber filled his nose, the two reappearing in his study. 

Nesta searched the room, never having set foot in the Autumn Court, much less the Forest House Eris resided in. She looked at the papers scattered across Eris’s desk, eyes quickly scanning for anything of interest. A quick, high whistle startled her, bristling in his grip before a large hound came barreling through the door. A second, longer whistle came before the beautiful, sleek hound stopped before Eris.

He wrapped his hand around the hound’s collar before winnowing the three of them once more. Nesta’s head spun as the ground slipped from beneath her feet once more, the back to back winnowing causing her to stagger once they landed in a forested outcrop.

Eris quickly let go of her, his ears and nose twitching for anything he could pick out. Satisfied the area was secure enough, he gave the command to Clover, telling her to fan out. He was certain she knew Atlas and his mate by name, but nonetheless he provided a discarded shirt to her. She took large inhales, memorizing the scent before she ran off, her nose to the ground. She weaved between trees, dodging above ground roots with practiced ease. 

Eris didn’t wait before taking off in a brisk pace after Clover, boots stomping through the muddied ground, his boot prints replacing paw prints in the soil. Nesta tried to keep up, her form trailing behind Eris as they moved through the landscape. 

The Middle was unlike anywhere else in Prythian. It was what Nesta expected faelands to be when she was a mortal girl. Roots snarled over barely forged paths, an attempt to trip up any travelers. The landscape was hazy, almost dreamlike. There was an idea of what you were looking at, but the longer you looked, the more confusing it became. Hairs stood on end, a perpetual feeling of being watched followed travelers as they moved across paths.

Paths were nonsensical - rivers flowed up the mountain, ending wherever they wished rather than venturing out to the sea. Nesta’s limited experience here before was enough to know she did not care for the creatures that lurked here.

Nesta’s eyes were sharp, looking in every direction, desperate to pinpoint and remove the feeling of being watched. Eris trudged ahead, uncaring of Nesta’s plight behind him. He made no attempt at stealth - whatever they would find out here, Eris wanted the beast to know he was on the move. A bark up ahead quickened Eris’s pace, a catch in his throat at what his furry companion may have found.

The barking continued until Eris reached a break in the trees, finding Clover sat on her haunches. Tears sprang at his eyes at Clover’s discovery, crouching down to investigate further. He knew what it was, even covered in dirt and mud. He had handled the thing just hours prior.

Nesta caught up to the pair, pressing her hand to a tree, trying to catch her breath. Eris was hunched over something while Clover whined softly next to him, sitting perfectly still. His arm reached out, pulling something from the mud. He motioned Nesta over, pulling her water skein from her before pouring some out onto the muddied thing. The clear water ran brown, the dirt clinging to the object before running off it. Eris’s fingers rubbed at the spherical shape to reveal yellow fabric. He poured more water, draining the entire skein, to find a tiny yellow blanket with the face of a duck sewn onto it. 

-

Darkness swam at the edge of your vision, everything feeling so bright as you were dragged through the dirt. Your fingers pressed hard into Atlas’s blanket, a firm grip desperate to keep him as close as possible. His cries were causing pain to swell in your breasts, your body not knowing the difference between his hunger and his concern.

Your body ached, the pain ricocheting through every crevice. You grit your teeth, not wanting to give the female any satisfaction. 

There were rumors of fae who roamed The Middle. They were an interesting subspecies of fae - their movements were said to be jerky and strange, their bodies having adapted to the constant change of their homelands.

There was no known record of how many there were or anything about them. They were urban legend during Amarantha’s reign, thought to lurk the woods to drag anyone who fled her captivity back to the Evil Queen herself.

Rumor turned into a nightmare as she grabbed you by the bear trap, your cry of pain echoing through the trees, certain the blades were going to cut through the bone. A gutteral scream left you as she pulled you up by the ankle, shoving you into what seemed to be the back of the wagon. Somehow you still managed a tight grip on Atlas, his wails blocking out all sound. The wretched creature pushed the two of you up, your ankle catching on something too dark to see as she pushed you further in. It smelled awful, the stench of urine and vomit coating your nostrils.

Her rough, barklike hand let go, the pain subsiding enough to look around. You felt woozy from the blood loss, certain you were going mad when you heard barking somewhere in the distance. There wasn’t much in the back of the wagon - a wooden floor covered in various dark, unidentifiable stains. 

Your thoughts whirled with self-deprecation, this whole situation being preventable if you had just stopped and waited.

Patience was a virtue you certainly had not acquired.

It was getting harder to stay awake, the pain overbearing. Sweat made your clothes cling to you, nearly chafing from the dryness. The last thing you thought of before drifting off was that the barking sounded like home. It sounded like warm pumpkin bread and cold nights spent by the fire.

-

The wet blanket squished between his fingers, water evaporating off the surface as he boiled with anger. The air around him seemed to silence, waiting to know what the High Lord would do next.

“Clover, find.” His command was razor sharp, the smokehound racing off, her muzzle to the ground. Eris ended many of his days with Clover, the hound loose, the need to hunt satiated as she found whatever it was she had been looking for. The thrill of not knowing what the two would find.

It was the worst hunt of his life. The uncertainty of how it would end. Most hunts saw him thirst for blood, content at culling the populations of the prey animals around Autumn.

This hunt was nothing like that.

He waited for his trusted companion to return, not wanting his own scent to interfere. Clover was the most clever dog he had bred, but he wouldn’t leave anything up to chance now.

“Nesta!” The voice shouting for the Valkyrie wasn’t too far away, his deep, loud voice not causing Eris to look away from where Clover had descended to.

Nesta wasn’t surprised Cassian had found the pair - her mate had spent the entirety of her time in the Middle tugging and pulling at the cord connecting them. She could feel his concern through it, the concern deepening each time a sound spooked her. But Nesta kept him at an arm’s length. She knew that cold rage that still lingered inside her at Feyre’s near death.  

She knew exactly how Eris felt both now and about Rhysand in general. They both were members of the ‘resignedly having Rhysand as a brother in law’ club.

Nesta responded by pulling the bond, tugging Cassian in their direction. She could hear branches breaking and curses shouted before the two Illyrians made their way through the trees. They were both covered in dirt and sweat, the dried mud nearly up to their necks. Nesta couldn’t help the small smirk that formed at seeing Rhysand’s appearance so unpolished.

“Nes-” she quickly cut Cassian off, holding a finger up to him before turning back to Eris. He stood still, lingering on the path his hound had taken away from them. Rhysand observed him too, and Nesta was certain some barb laid on his tongue. Before he could, she brought the two up to speed about the blanket in a hushed tone. As she was finishing, a high pitched bark echoed through the wood. Eris took off in a sprint, the three quickly chasing off after him. They ran several miles, barely keeping up with Eris’s pursuit.

Eris met Clover’s barking, the hound circling a wagon, keeping the owner from getting into the front. The hair on the hound’s spine was raised, her teeth bared as she snarled and snapped at the fae. The horses attached to the wagon were startled by the hound, causing their own commotion. The pauses after their whinnying should have been silent, the space between brays a reprieve. Instead it was filled with the sound of a wailing baby. 

Clover’s teeth clacked at the stocky female, sinking into the fabric of her pants and letting go before she was swatted. The hound had repeated this over and over again, not having received a command to go in for the kill. This hadn’t kept the hound from drawing blood as she nipped, her own territorial act over his master’s family. Blood was dripping from the female’s leg, thick, green liquid falling in puddles on the ground. 

The other three fae weren’t far behind Eris, quickly approaching the scene not a moment after him. Cassian moved toward the wagon while the others approached the female Clover was on the verge of mauling. 

Rhysand flicked his wrist, the reins restraining the horses disappearing, the pair running off. Their hoofbeats got quieter as the fae were surrounded on all sides. She looked between the four sets of eyes, certain the dog was her best bet. The most unlikely of allies banded together as a pack offering no escape.

Cassian climbed into the wagon, his weight shaking the cart. The bounty hunter flicked her forked tongue out, her hand reaching for something on her belt. A shadow lashed out, wrapping around her forearm, causing her to let go of her belt. She shrieked in pain as the shadow twisted her arm behind her back.

The clearing was dark, the only sound came from the bounty hunter’s mouth, cries of pain swallowed them as arm cracked and bent in every direction. The wind caught beneath the bounty hunter’s legs, forcing her to her knees.

“Cassian?” It was perhaps the only time Eris had referred to the general by name. His tone was stern, a voice he had used for centuries as a general himself. But something desperate creeped at the edge of his voice, a reality he didn’t want to consider.

The one where he was too late. That this was the wrong wagon. That his mate was somewhere else and this was a waste of time.

Cassian’s silence forced Eris to move, his feet jumping off the ground without him telling them to. He lunged forward, catching the fae offguard as he landed on her. 

Eris laid on top of the bounty hunter, her long sharp nails scratching at him. One of her arms was still behind her, but she was determined. He didn’t register the fabric she ripped through, uncaring at the scratches on his arms. 

“Cassian, are they alive?” His question was accented with the sharp thud her head made as it hit the ground. She was snarling up at him, her lifeless eyes dark as she peered up at the High Lord.

“Have enough coin for the pair?” 

Eris’ fangs grew longer, the High Lord’s second form desperate to come out. His fingers quickly changed to talons, the nails biting through the fae’s skin, causing her to cry out. She began thrashing once more, Eris’ weight pinning her down. He was snarling, practically spitting as he couldn’t contain the rage boiling inside of him. He heard shuffling behind him, Nesta or Rhysand moving to help Cassian.

“They’re breathing!” He wasn’t sure who yelled it, the sounds blurring together. It sounded like Cassian, but all his mind could make out was they were alive. Alive, alive, alive. It was enough to tide him over for now.

“Take them to the Forest House, my healers are on standby.” He didn’t know if they responded, if they even looked his way, if they tried to argue. That thrumming need inside of him to protect his mate felt satiated enough knowing Nesta or Cassian was with her, that they were en route to Autumn. He wanted to be there, wanted to hold the loves of his life as they went back home. He was desperate to know how they were, to listen to the beating of their hearts.

His gaze narrowed back on the creature beneath him, her brown skin turning red beneath him. His heart was miles away, but it would eat him alive to see a fae with such audacity not receive their comeuppance. 

“And what was the price on her head? How much was she worth to you?” His tone was ice, his question not a rhetorical one. He wanted to know how much this lowlife wanted for the two most precious things in his life. His wonderful mate, his equal in every way. Atlas, his darling boy. To consider them nothing more than traded goods made his stomach churn.

The bounty hunter couldn’t answer, her throat drying and desperate for water with every breath. The air was unbearable hot, but she managed to whisper out, “five thousand gold marks.” Once the words escaped her lips, the hard metal of coins pelted her face. She winced from the pain. Eris ignored the resounding crack in the air, metal meeting bone.

“Here, take it all.”

He poured more coins onto her, winnowing them from somewhere. He could barely think straight, every fiber of his being thrumming with revenge and anger. 

A life for a life, an eye for an eye.

But really, what is the life of a trafficker? 

Every breath was difficult, her lungs ached with heat. Fire caught around the pair, the flames staying low to the ground. Eris still sat atop her, unmoved by the flames circling their bodies, slowly making their way closer to the tree like fae.

“Take them back.” Eris’s command was directed to the group behind him, if they were still even there. He had no idea - his world had become so small. It was just him and this fae now. “Take them back to Autumn. Now.”

Her tongue dissolved to ash in her mouth, unable to speak. The High Lord grabbed more coins, shoving them into her mouth. The gold coins began losing form in her mouth, a river of melted gold pouring down her throat. It burned as it moved through her body, all of her organs alight with heat and fire.

Eris watched as her eyes dried out, as she tried to scream but was unable to. He watched as she thrashed beneath him, begging for mercy as if he were a kind and just god. Eris didn’t believe in the old gods, but if he did, he knew they would approve. He watched for several moments before her body slowly began turning to ash, carried away in the wind.

He didn’t linger long after the remnants of her floated away, not even looking back before winnowing back to Autumn, rematerializing to find the Forest House in chaos. Servants moved quickly through the halls, hurried footsteps as they carried linens and rags toward the team of healers he could hear yelling down the hallway.

“Call off your guards.” The first words to greet him were from his brother in law. It was a voice he could never get used to, the smoothness grating.

Eris’s mate and Rhysand looked strikingly similar - same violet eyes, same feline-like face. But Rhysand didn’t look right in the Forest House. He didn’t carry with him the warmth that made his mate look so at home here, as if the entire court had been made in preparation for her. 

Rhysand seemed so out of place in his sister’s home. The once close siblings’ stark differences could not be ignored.

Eris waved his hand noncommittally, the guards lowering their swords from Cassian’s and Rhysand’s necks. 

“They let me bring her in before threatening me, at least.” Cassian’s joke doesn’t land, the silence bouncing through the hall before Eris moved forward, his path straight to his bedchambers. It was a guess - the correct one - as to where they’d put you to look over you. He stormed into the room, a fierce blaze on the wind as he moved inside. You had been placed on the bed, the healers circling you tending to every inch of you. 

The bond shook with anger, that golden string practically vibrating with urgency at the mangled mess that had been your ankle. 

Nesta was standing off to the side, holding Atlas as he cried. 

“I didn’t want to leave her alone. I haven’t taken my eyes off her this whole time.”

It felt like the cord around his heart had divided into two - one path to the bed, his bloodied mate, the other to Nesta and the tiny bundle that laid in her arms.

He knew which you’d prefer for him to go to. You had an army of healers around you as you laid unconscious, but all Atlas had was Nesta.

“Give him to me.” The tone of the High Lord. Nesta slipped the small babe into Eris’s arms, “they looked him over. He has a scratch on his arm, but otherwise fine.”

The worst feeling his son had experienced up until now had been the harshness of birth. The sensory overload of the world - how loud and bright it was after being evicted from his dark and cozy home. He had not known physical pain, had never been exposed to it. Every fae held him with such tenderness, it was impossible for Eris to rectify that his son, barely a month old, knew the atrocities of fae.

“Someone will check my son every half hour, ensuring he is in good health.” None of the healers answered, but Eris had known them long enough to know they heard him. He took a breath, holding the bundle tight to his chest. Atlas’s cries slowed, softening as he felt the familiar comforts of home.

Amidst all the chaos of the room, it seemed almost like they were alone. Eris’s ears twitched, listening intently to his son’s breathing.

A commotion was heard through the door, but Eris ignored it, opting to let himself feel the comfort of his son.

Shouting could now be heard, breaking the stillness he had artificially created. 

Eris wretched open the door, searching for the source of the yelling, only to find Cassian and Rhysand fighting with the guards at the door.

His jaw tightened, his mate’s family a permanent fixture beneath his skin.

“What are you doing?” Everyone stilled at his words, the hall clearing of commotion.

“Never mind. I do not care. You have done enough. Her family,” Eris nodded towards Nesta and Cassian, “are allowed to stay. You,” he pokes a finger into Rhys’s chest, the tip singeing his shirt, making the black shirt slowly turn ashen, “are not welcome here until she says so.”

The two males continued staring each other down. Eris didn’t blink as he addressed the crowd, “if any of your thoughts align with your High Lord’s words from earlier, I suggest you leave now before I have to disgrace myself with the sight of you once more. Otherwise we have accommodations you may stay in.”

The redhead went back inside to his mate, shutting the door on Rhysand. Eris slumped back in the chair he had pulled up next to the bed, uncertain what to do with himself. Small flames erupted from the hand not holding Atlas as he flexed his fingers, trying and failing to burn off some of his anger. It was all consuming - the death of the fae responsible doing little to quench the adrenaline pumping through him. 

Eris couldn’t stop the biting words coming from him, couldn’t stop the waves of anger coming off of him as the healers worked around him. Your hand stayed still in his, his grip firm as he let loose words he didn’t truly mean.

-

“Why are you out here?”

“I want to be in there, but that Night Court healer kicked me out.” The anger had lessened the longer Eris had sat in the hallway, his mind clear of the chaos anger brings to the forefront. 

Lucien raised an eyebrow, “you take commands from old bitties now?”

“I do when they tell me to come back when I won’t set the curtains on fire.” Lucien looked down at his eldest brother. A fixture in his life, someone so tall in his memories, now looking so inconceivably small as he sat on the floor. He was the High Lord of the Autumn Court, but at this moment he was nothing more than a concerned mate. “And now I feel no better than a kicked hound.”

“You’ve never been one to let being kicked keep you down.”

“I wasn’t the one who got kicked.” Eris’s words were cracked as they came out, finally verbalizing the guilt that had been gnawing at him for hours by this point. It wasn’t very freeing, but it felt surprisingly good to share the feeling with Lucien.

“I wasn’t there-” Lucien was quick to cut him off. The love of your life in danger indirectly because of you was one few understood. “And if you were, this would never have happened.”

Eris stayed quiet, a sight so unfamiliar to Lucien. He looked to the door, surprised at Eris’s lack of desire to have the last word.

“Where is Atlas?” 

“The Archerons are watching over him. Your mate arrived just before I was removed from my own bedchambers.” Lucien was certain it wouldn’t take much to procur that story from Elain. His smile was hard to contain imagining the healers tossing him out.

“Do you trust them?”

“They are three rooms down in a windowless, winnowless room.”

“So you trust the viper?” The fact Eris allowed them to take Atlas away from him was proof enough for Eris’s feelings about the pair. He didn’t want to mention how he wasn’t even trusted alone with Atlas yet.

“I suppose I do.”

A pregnant pause settled between the two, their gazes coming together to look at the door. They sat in silence for a while, neither looking from the door, their minds stuck on the possibilities that laid behind it. Eris tugged at the bond in his chest, desperate to feel his mate on the other side of it. He kept his face neutral at the silence that followed.

“It will likely be a while before she wakes.” A hard truth even harder to verbalize.

“I did not come here for her.”

Lucien’s voice came out strained and soft, so unlike his usual confidence. It betrayed his worries - his concern for not only his friend and new sister, but for the brother next to him. Eris was cruel, playing the part Beron had wanted for so long it was difficult for him to untangle every memory for the truth behind it. 

Lucien knew Jesminda wasn’t his mate, but the grief that nearly consumed him whole was real. He hated Eris for playing the part of dutiful son, but he had played the part of rebellious son. Were the roles they played assigned or did they have some choice in them? The rebellious son returned home to the legacy the prodigal son had dismantled.

“I mean, I did come for her. I want her to be alright.” Lucien leaned against the wall before sliding down it, sitting next to Eris, facing the door his brother’s mate lay behind. 

His unsaid words hung in the air and, shocking both of them, Eris reached out a hand, desperate for some familiar touch. Lucien took it with little hesitation, squeezing softly. Gods, he couldn’t remember the last time he just sat in his brother’s company like this or the last time he had touched Eris.

Despite the circumstances, it felt easy.

The two sat in silence for a while, the air heavy and stifling with uncertainty. 

“Lucien, I..”

Eris trailed off, not sure if the language existed to convey how much fear lingered in his chest. He felt your pain bouncing inside of him like a dull ache, but he couldn’t feel you any longer. He couldn’t take a moment to linger in the part of his chest that was normally bursting with everything you. He didn’t hear any music, the silence almost deafening. Lucien squeezed his hand again, “I know.”

“No you don’t.”

Lucien shrugged, his long hair swishing with the movement. “I don’t know.” He brushed some of his hair off his shoulder, “but I know you look like shit.”

Eris didn’t need to look down at himself to know that his brother was right - he hadn’t bathed since they all went off looking for you, certain there was debris and blood all over his clothes and hair. The sweat soaked shirt clung to his chest, his skin itchy from the contact. The larger of the two made a big show of sniffing the air, crinkling his nose in disgust. “Smell like it, too. But that’s nothing new.”

Eris growled, unable to ignore his brother’s taunts. “At  least I am not a smartass.”

“Ah,” Lucien tutted, a smug look on his face, “now we both know that is a lie. Autumn’s High Lord, starting your new tenure off on mistruths. What a look.”

Lucien’s feline smirk lessened a bit as he looked at his brother with something bordering on fondness. “I will take up the hallway guard if you go bathe. Really, you want your mate to smell you like this? If she doesn’t leave after that, I will be certain you’ve poisoned her mind somehow.”

“I am certain that would be the worst of my crimes.”

“I would believe so, forcing the mother of my babe to believe she was in love with you.”

Eris hissed in response, his knees popping as he stood up. Lucien ignored his brother, his barbs continuing.

“To think the mother of my child could be in love with an old, decrepit thing like you. Witchcraft, I say.”

“You’re not going to be speaking for long if you keep this up.”

“He does look rather like me, don’t you think?” Lucien grinned, something big and wolfish. The look only a little brother could have at getting beneath his brother’s skin.

“And why is your son so pale?”

Lucien shrugged, unbothered by Eris’s irritation. “Ran out of pigment. Who am I to question the Mother?”

“Ran out of my pigment my ass,” Eris muttered, finally moving down the hall to some bathing chambers.

“Do all High Lords speak with such vulgarity or just you?” 

Eris responded by slamming the door, blocking out Lucien’s laughter. He didn’t linger long in the bath, the extra two hundred feet of distance felt like too much space between him and his family. He didn’t want to admit it, but Lucien was right - having the grime removed from his skin made him feel more capable of handling things. Fresh clothes made him feel more like himself.

His brother was still in the hallway when he returned, his head shaking slightly when he saw Eris walking in his direction. The healer must still be tending to you. He stopped at the door next to yours, turning the knob before walking in. The two older Archerons were in the room, his brother’s mate carrying Atlas in her arms. Eris’s son appeared to be in good health - so far each check proved the same, and despite the physician's groaning, he continued them. Elain seemed happy to carry Atlas around, her soft voice explaining to him the recent travels she and Lucien had gone on. 

“Tulips of every color covered the fields. I’m sure one day Lucien and I can take you to see them.” Her vivid descriptions of the continent wasted on the babe’s ears. Nesta’s gray eyes looked toward the door, watching as Eris entered. 

“Elain, the High Lord’s going to have you killed for speaking of kidnapping his son.” He couldn’t help the slight tilt to his mouth, some deep part of him appreciating Nesta’s attempt at normalcy.

“Nonsense, Nesta. If I had Elain killed, Lucien would mope about the house for the rest of his life.” His hands reached out, gently taking Atlas from Elain’s hold. “You keep him entertained for me. I owe you a great debt for it.”

The middle Archeron never knew how to respond to Eris, having only truly interacted with him a handful of times up to this point. She swallowed, thinking of all the stories Lucien had told her about his eldest brother and how language was his preferred method of battle.

“Perhaps you could entertain him with the dog toys?”

Eris tilted his head, his thumb stroking down his son’s back as he bit back a laugh. He knew any Cauldron fated mate of Lucien’s and sister to Nesta was surely somebody of interest to him, but Elain had yet to show anything Eris found to be interesting - until now.

“Did you just make a joke?”

“Yes.”

Eris nodded, wondering if he had underestimated his brother’s mate. The weight of the day had exhausted him, his bones begging for respite. Now that Atlas was in his arms once more, the tiny bundle so warm, his mind drifted to his bed where his mate currently laid. Your fate was still questionable - the healers were certain a full recovery was the most likely outcome, but when had the most likely outcome ever happened with Eris? Had he forged a life for himself only for it to be ripped away from him - the mother wanting him to know what happiness could be so he could feel its absence?

The air held a hint of awkwardness as they all stared at each other, Eris doing nothing to improve the warmth of the room. The two sisters filed out quickly, their voices directed toward Lucien as they left. The click of the door behind them was a beautiful symphony to Eris’s ears. To be alone with his son at last. It had only been twelve hours, but it was more like weeks had passed since he had seen Atlas’s small face, kissing his forehead goodbye. Nothing had felt off - no sense of anxiety overcame him, no fear for his family. Just annoyance and sadness at being away from them. 

Eris gently cradled Atlas’s head as he made his way up the mattress, propping himself up against the headboard, back cushioned by pillows. His son had been restless in his arms when he took him from Elain, his little arms and legs trying to disturb the perfectly swaddled blanket around him. 

The room had no windows and technically connected to his private chambers. When he was a boy, he had a full time nursemaid stay in here. Once he outgrew her, the space became his own private sanctuary. Many nights were spent hidden in this room, no concept of the passage of time as he poured over books, back curved in desperation to stay awake so he could finish it.

The shelves still lined the walls, but he had some of the furniture removed should his mate eventually want her own chambers. 

His muscles ached less the longer he stayed still, and he softly piled up pillows on each side of him. Atlas was stirring in his arms, tiny coos that were endearingly pathetic. He broached a long finger close to Atlas, tiny hands wrapping around it as he settled back down. If he could, he’d strip his shirt to allow his son to rest on his skin, but thought better of it. The jostling would wake him for good, and he’d be doubly upset to know he was on someone’s chest who wasn’t his mother.

The sound of deep breaths was all that could be heard in the room as Eris used his magic to put out the lit candles littering every surface. The darkness of the shadows made his eyes heavier, but he fought to stay awake, not wanting to let his guard down.

“My beautiful son.” Hushed words filled the room, the warmth of his voice almost visible in the darkness. Atlas didn’t acknowledge the words, content in his slumber and being with his father. His body felt warm in Eris’s arms, Vanserra babies always running hot. 

“I will always find you.” Outside the moon rose high in the air, the cold bringing a slight frost to Autumn. The midnight hour was one Eris made most of his best kept promises, all relating to the mate from the Night Court he found centuries ago. A tradition he unknowingly passed on to doing with his son. He was so pale, cheeks flaming pink. 

Atlas didn’t know his father was High Lord or general of Autumn’s armies for centuries. He had yet to experience the parts of himself that Eris wanted to keep hidden. Eris’s eyes closed slowly, lulled by his son’s breathing, content to know that for now, his son only knew him as a father.

-

Eris startled awake, something prodding at his arm. A groan escaped his lips, his brother’s scent filling his nose enough to rouse him from slumber. He must have slept off the adrenaline, his heart rate a more regular rhythm.

“She’s asking for you.”

“Why didn’t you wake me?” Eris scolded before he shot up, nearly jumping off the bed.

Lucien rolled his eyes, Eris’s annoyance growing further at the action. “You had been awake for days, Eris. You needed the rest. Don’t they say to sleep when the baby sleeps?”

Eris ignored his brother as he remembered his last moments before he fell asleep.

“Where’s Atlas?” 

“Cassian has him.” Eris shot his brother a glare.

“That’s not funny.” Lucien’s hand went up in defense. “Atlas is asleep on Cassian, and Elain and Feyre are with him if he wants any help.” 

“When did you move him?”

Lucien shrugged. “An hour ago, maybe? You didn’t want to let go of him.”

Lucien’s words were nonchalant, an air of not knowing to them. Why would Eris ever let his son out of his arms again? He had already been exposed to the horrors that lay outside his father’s arms - he wouldn’t let it happen again. He left Lucien in the room, the hallway much quieter now. So much had happened in the past few days, and yet the halls of the Forest House were unchanged. 

Eris stood outside the door, taking a deep breath and squaring his shoulders. Heat danced at his fingertips, a small attempt at having any control over the situation. 

Big, violet eyes looked back at him as he opened the door, something settling in his soul. His mate had a plethora of pillows behind her, each one working to prop her up to be sitting. Long black hair flowed around her, lacking its usual shine. The dark hair highlighted just how pale she looked, but life was slowly returning to her face. A blanket covered her lower half - for the best, perhaps. The tight lid he was holding on his rage was sure to give if he were to see her injuries.

“Hi, Er.” Your voice cracked with trepidation. 

“How is the pain?” You looked down at your bandaged ankle, not moving it to check if the pain was still there. The wound only stopped pulsing with pain recently. Though you had been mostly unconscious, flashes of light and intense pain lingered in your memory.

He continued standing in front of the closed door, keeping his back to it. His eyes were focused on your face, watching every slight movement.

“It’s not so bad with the tonics Madja provided. She said the trap got to the bone of my ankle, so I should limit putting weight on it for a week.”

Eris nodded, the healer telling him much of the same. He had been trying to work through solutions to keeping his stubborn wife bedbound, not quite above shackling her to prevent further injury. A bassinette already sat next to their bed - maybe he could have it moved to his side so he could pick Atlas up and bring him to her. 

Eris nodded, staying uncharacteristically quiet. His feelings were dulled in your chest, muffled by a blanket of privacy neither of you used before.

“Say it.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He continued staying by the door, his tone growing slightly sharper. He was being petty and spiteful and you were having none of it.

“Tell me how you feel. You have never hidden your anger from me.”

“That is because I have never felt such anger at you.” The room was cloaked with Eris’ words, not quite stifling the roar of the fire.  “I cannot lose you. Either of you.”

His words were soft, nearly a whisper, but the crackle of the fireplace gave hint to how deep the anger ran.

“I know.”

He kept speaking, not acknowledging your words.“You are far too precious to me. Please, don’t ever risk yourself to escape Rhysand.” His words surprised you, a new wave of guilt overcoming you. Your actions had been done out of anger, winnowing when you knew well enough you shouldn’t. 

Everything could have ended so differently. And for what? To get back at your brother?

“Look at me.”

Eris had moved closer to the bed, as if his confession were a bridge that led him to you. His fingers moved slowly, gripping your chin. “There were a hundred better options, including asking the other bats to fly you home. Do not be so foolish with your life. With Atlas.”

Home. How that word had changed over the centuries. It was the cabin in Illyria, your mother and brother and sister inside, occasionally housing Cassian and Azriel. It was being four years old and scraping your knee and Rhys doing everything to dry your tears and make you laugh. It was flying with Cassian, determined to finally beat him in a race, chastisement over how knotted and wind whipped your hair had become.

And then it was Eris. Late night rendezvous turning into a permanent fixture. It was eating meals at the large, expansive table with two chairs right next to each other. Hounds lazing about the house, one practically laid out in every room in the massive dog beds you had insisted on. Warm colors making everything so vibrant.

And now it was Atlas. Two chairs soon becoming three. Two toothbrushes that would become three. A bassinet beside the bed. Teaching him everything he needed to know, his own neck unable to support the weight of his head. 

Tears clouded your eyes at wholly dependent upon you he was and how you wholly failed him today.

“I was a fool. I- I could have gotten Atlas killed or taken. I am- I will never allow my anger to cloud my judgment when it comes to Atlas.”

“Or you.” It felt like a gentle caress through your chest, so many unspoken words in those two.

“Or myself.”

The words felt like a truce, like you had both arrived to some understanding. To further prove it, you gently patted the bed next to you, eager to feel more of your mate’s warmth. He climbed on the bed, sliding in next to you. 

It was his preferred side to sleep - the left side, facing the door. It allowed him to come and go more easily without waking you, to keep himself between what laid in the world outside the confines of your marital bed.

Anger bubbled back up in your gut, remembering the bounty hunter’s wretched face, the immense delight she had found in your agony.

“Is she?” 

“Dead? Yes.”

The confirmation did little to ease the panic inside. She had been so close to hurting Atlas, so close to selling him away. It was an anger you were certain you would carry until you died.

“My only regret is I didn’t do it myself.”

“Rest assured, my mate. I took care of it.”

You leaned into his side, your head resting in the crook of his neck. He laid above the blankets, his feet crossed at the ankle. He looked so prim and proper, it delighted you a bit.

“And Atlas?” His arm wrapped around you, his hand stroking your cheek lazily.

“He is safe with Lucien as we speak.”

“I don’t think anything’s safe with Lucien.”

His grip on your head was soft but firm, keeping you close to him. His thumb started moving on its own, his body so content to be next to yours once more.

“I thought-“

“I know.” And you had known. His panic was all you had felt before being rescued. It would have been easy to drown in it if it weren’t for the instinct to protect Atlas.

“But we are okay.”

But for how long?

“There’s a note on the side table.”

Eris had to change the subject, unwilling and unwanting to face his emotions head on. Your eyes moved to find Rhysand’s delicate penmanship on the fold of the paper, the letters of your name in grand, swooping movements of the pen.

“Can I see it?”

You could feasibly reach it, but your arms felt so heavy. Your body was still so tired, movement a burden to worn out muscles. He reached over you, careful not to lay his weight on you, keeping the paper folded as he handed it to you.

“You’re not going to peek at it?”

“It is your correspondence.”

You rubbed the paper through your fingers, not certain if you were ready to know its contents. You wanted to read this alone, not have Eris coloring your feelings.

“Can you bring Atlas in here? Madja said I can hold him.”

Eris nodded, slowly untangling himself before leaving. The click of the door prompted you to open the note, some small part of you wanting this to be between siblings. Hope had bloomed at the sight of the note - a ceasefire, maybe. Or maybe it would contain the tenderness Rhysand had so adamantly kept locked away the past few years.

Eris had been adamant his relationship with Lucien was his to navigate. He wanted Lucien to feel Eris deserved his company, not coming around because Lucien likes Eris’s mate.

And so this letter was yours. Rhysand was your brother. Any tenderness or ire or passive aggression from him is yours to decide what to do with.

-

The letter sat next to you, your mind lost in thought when Eris returned with the small bundle in his arms. Your chest lightened at the sight, the tight grip of anxiety around your heart lessening with every step Eris moved forward until your son was tucked back into your arms.

“And he’s okay?”

“Yes, he’s been looked over at least a dozen times by now. His worst injury is a scrape on his arm that has already healed.” 

You gazed down at the impossibly tiny thing in your arms, taking in the features of his smooth, pale face. He was beautiful and he was yours.

“I am sure the extent of his injuries is in no small part due to your quick thinking.”

“Eris-“

“You are littered in cuts and scrapes, bruises everywhere. Do not think I can’t be both angry and proud of you at once.”

You preened a bit at the compliment, your mate’s pride in you always making your heart swell. “And if I did risk injury to myself for him?”

“Then you’d be the female the Mother mated me to, the one I had sworn myself to so long ago.”

It was quiet, two pairs of eyes looking down at the young boy between them. He was so small, so unaware of the danger that had surrounded him for several hours. To him the afternoon was different and scary in a new way: utter exhaustion had left her unable to stop her emotions from spreading and he felt his mother’s fear bubble in his belly. 

“I haven’t seen such injuries on you in so long.” Centuries ago, the blonde male had dropped off the Night Court princess in Autumn, her beautiful wings haphazardly cut off. The outpour of blood seemed endless, Eris not knowing how you still had any left. He could still smell the blood and vomit, the scent had stuck to his walls for years to come. 

“It would be the greatest disservice for Atlas to not know his mother.” Eris couldn’t say more, couldn’t verbalize the fear that was easing off his chest. It would gut him to not have anyone to share Atlas growing up with. He would go on without you for Atlas, but he wouldn’t be the same. How much pain can one bare before it consumes you whole? 

The room was silent, the small family huddled together, enjoying their reunion. Warmth radiated around the room as two sets of eyes watched Atlas smile.

-

A soft knock at the door woke you from the sleep you had dozed off into. You were alone - Eris’s scent still lingered, likely having left not even ten minutes ago. You took a deep breath, feeling around in your chest for him. All that was found at the rope that tethered you to him was a sense of calm and pride. He was definitely with Atlas, hopefully eating a meal as he cradled his son to his chest. 

“Come in.” 

The door opened, your brother’s head popping in through the door. Rhysand looked so out of place here in Autumn. His violet eyes screamed ‘wrong’ as he stood out from the background. You had the same eyes as him, but they seemed wrong here.

He kept his head low as he walked in, varying degrees of guilt and shame pouring off of him. The magic inside of you was slow to return, but Rhysand’s emotions wouldn’t be a mystery without them.

“Hello.”

“How cordial of you.”

“Well, when in Autumn.” He shifted on his feet, taking your silence for confusion. “Historically Autumn is a much more proper court than Night.”

An awkward tang filled your mouth with each word. “I am aware.” 

The two of you looked at each other, the silence in the room settling over the siblings. So far from their younger selves, so many atrocities laid between them. An observer would think they were strangers from the odd tension in the room.

Speaking was the hardest either had done.

“I am sorry.” His words were slow and deliberate, emphasizing each syllable to truly show he meant it. His shoulders hunched slightly, Cassian’s words from an earlier conversation swirling through his head.

We’d expect that kind of treatment from your father.

“When was the last time you said that to me?” Rhys was never good at apologies - every one had been followed up with “but-“. It would have been more sincere for him to apologize for his actions hurting your feelings.

“Far too long.” 

Silence. You waited, wanting more from him. You were tired of fighting with him, a constant battle for choices already made, each party wanting to be the victor. It was exhausting and with a new babe, something had to give.

“Rhys, this is my life, whether you like it or not. I can’t- I’m not playing games with you anymore. I don’t care if you like Eris or not, but you have to believe I can make my own decisions. You have to trust me.” Your earlier words seemed to finally get through to your brother, his shoulders slumping in some form of concession. “I can’t keep doing this merry go round of things seeming to be better just to blow up again.”

“I do trust you.”

“Do you?” The question flew from your mouth without thinking. “I kept this a secret for a century, Rhys, because you reacted exactly how I expected you to. You don’t - you used to trust me, let me make my own choices, but since that night you haven’t.”

You were growing wearisome from this argument, the fight draining you of what little energy was left. You pointed to the water cup on the nightstand, Rhys picking it up and giving it to you. He hovered next to you, staying at your bedside.

“I am sorry that I made you feel like I don’t trust you.” The water helped ease the slight headache that was building, and gave you something to do while you took a moment to think on Rhysand’s words.

“Do you?”

“Of course I do.” His voice broke as he spoke, a desperation lacing his words. “But how can I trust anyone else to care for you? How could I live with myself if I let you be with him only for him to hurt you?”

“He’s a good male, Rhys.”

“I want you safe. I want what’s best for you.”

“And he is. If I told you Feyre was no good for you, what would you do?” He quickly looked away, proving you right. His hand tugged at his hair, an action he hardly ever did.

“I was scared. When Eris came in and you were missing, I was scared. Cassian had to talk me down from blowing up the entirety of the Middle.”

The truth finally came from him. Every discussion, every argument, all Rhys would talk about was his anger, the betrayal. He kept his emotions so tight to his chest, they were suffocating him. You kept quiet, letting him continue.

“I was scared that it finally was happening. That another court was finally going to finish what Spring had started. I thought Eris had done this somehow, wanting us to discover his deeds. Wanting to basque in the glory of getting the upper hand over me.” He breathed in deeply through his nose, his hands shaking as he brought them to his face. Unshed tears lined his violet eyes, the depths of sadness keeping your gaze. “But it was me who led you to danger. It was me who couldn't keep you safe.”

A sob tore through him, the sound of the last wall between the two of you collapsing. You moved over on the bed, allowing space for Rhys before patting the bed. He stood before sitting on the edge of the bed, toeing off his shoes, and laying next to you. You leaned your head on his shoulder as he draped his arms around you, clinging tight. 

He clung to you as he sobbed into your shoulder, your own tears falling on top of his head. How had things become so twisted? How had your relationship crumpled this much? 

The High Lord’s embrace allowed the emotions of the day to crash into you, clutching his shirt tight in your fingers. The soft silk was such a contrast to the pain in your chest. 

Rhysand was your brother,  the only person alive who loved you before you were born. He didn’t have to know you to love you.

Rhys had always told you he loved you before you were born, something you had never grasped until Atlas. Seeing something so small and tiny and knowing you would go to the ends of the planet to help them. 

“You didn’t get to meet Atlas.”

He stayed in your arms, a less than dignified sniffle coming from him. When was the last time you had seen Rhysand cry? Those nights he would find you in Feyre’s absence when she was in Spring, letting you soothe him to sleep? Or was it when Nyx was born and Feyre nearly died? 

“Do I even deserve to at this point?”

The two of you were the sole survivors of a noble family. An entire family gone in one night. You leaned further into him, nose pressed against his bicep. He was warm, the citrusy scent coming off him made so many memories flash through your mind: learning to fly, lounging in his study as he worked, intense chess matches that left everyone mad. Centuries of baggage laid in the space between the two of you.

The second part of his scent was the soft undertone of sea salt that always reminded you of home. Your mother smelled like sea salt and caramel, a scent that always made your mouth water for sweets and feel safe. She was gone, had been for so long your memories of her were blurry from use, but so much of her lay in the male next to you.

There was no way back to her or the rest of your family, gone for centuries now, memories so replayed they were memories of memories by now. But you still thought of them often. You were thinking of your mother when you spoke once more, thinking of the excitement Rhys had to finally have a little sister.

“Yes, you do.”

Author’s note: AHHHHHHH wasn’t that great ❤️

Permanent taglist: @vanilla-seabass @cyrygher @lees-chaotic-brain @topaz125 @chessebookgirl @fides25 @lady-of-tearshed @ashbatz @fxckmiup @lilah-asteria @justvibbinghere @daughterofthemoons-stuff @mybestfriendmademe @heartless-tate @tsunami-of-tears @idrkwhatthisisimsorry @olive-main @azrielsmate3 @pit-and-the-pen @durgenyx @dee-writes-smut @chairofchaos @thelov3lybookworm @throneofsmut @kennedy-brooke @prythianpages @itsswritten @acotarxreader @milswrites @the-golden-jhope @hannzoaks @secretlyhers @tothestarsandwhateverend @sarawritestories @chxosangxl

Eris taglist: @magicstrengthandcourage @book-obsessed124

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Thanks for reading ❣️

[the-kr8tor]

Hobie nurses you back to health.

Feat: the cats

Pairing: Hobie Brown x f!reader / Spider-Punk x f!reader

Word count: 2.2k

Tags: no use of Y/N, no specific physical description of the reader, fluff, description of sickness, established relationship.

My Masterlist

A continuation of this fic but you don't need to read it to understand this one.

*I don't consent to having my work translated/ published on other platforms*

Carefully swinging from building to building, Hobie clutches the fragile bag in his hand, careful not to spill a drop of the precious chicken soup from your favourite deli.

Before he left for patrol in the morning, you already felt the sickness crawling in your throat, so much so you didn't kiss Hobie goodbye that morning, in case you got him sick. He didn't want to leave you alone at first, but you insisted that it's probably just hay fever. And you're not alone, you've got your three little gremlins with you to keep you company.

You know that the city needed Spider-Punk more than you needed your boyfriend. That's why Hobie's so adamant in taking care of you now that his patrol is over, and all seems to be quiet around the city. All his attention is now on you, and making you better.

Hobie finally reaches your flat, he perches himself on your fire escape, peeking through your dimly lit bedroom, he sees your folded form buried under a mountain of blankets. Your air purifier puffs out clouds directly at your contorted face. He hates seeing you like this, he should've taken a break in his patrol, if it weren't for this week's villain, he would've had the time to check up on you.

He feels bad leaving you alone in this state.

Hobie opens your window, a gust of much needed fresh air enters your room, an orange glow hits your face directly.

You groan in your bed when the late afternoon sun shines directly at your sensitive eyes; shielding yourself from the light, you turn around lifting the heavy blankets over your head.

Hobie lifts his mask over his head "Hey, I bought you chicken soup" he softly says in case your ears are also sensitive.

" 'm not hungry" your voice muffled by the blankets over your face.

Hobie looks at the discarded bottle of medicine, empty packets of paracetamol, and a moist rag next to your bed. But no dirty plates or glass near you, you haven't eaten anything since he left.

Hobie sits down next to you, before he settles down, he hears a hiss on top of your body.

Crowley opens his bright emerald eyes, the only thing that Hobie sees of the cat; with the dark blankets and dimly lit room, Crowley's fur perfectly camouflages on top of you. The little dark void stands up as if he's challenging Hobie.

"Oi, we're on the same side, I'm gonna take care of her" Hobie scolds the hell spawn.

Your arm reaches out of the mountain of blankets to pet Crowley, calming him down.

Hobie grabs the end of the blanket, pulling it down to see your face. He touches your forehead lightly to feel your temperature. You're hot, dangerously so, even with his glove he still feels the warmth.

"Fuck lovey, you're burning up" Hobie's voice echoes with concern.

"Hmm?" You look at him with your half lidded eyes. "Hey baby, when'd you get here?" You're delirious, you feel like your mouth's full of cotton, hot air comes out of your nose.

"Shit, we need to lower your temperature" he leaves the soup on top of your side table, tissues and bottles fall on the floor to make room for the warm soup.

He leaves briefly to go to your bathroom, filling up your bathtub with cold water. Crowley makes biscuits on your blanket covered chest.

Hobie comes back, seeing the scene in front of him he stops for a moment to take a mental picture of it. He rushes to you flipping your blankets away from you, Hobie sees in his peripheral that Crowley moved away before getting smacked in the face. That's definitely gonna bite him back, literally and figuratively. He'll apologize to him later, right now he needs to get you to your bathtub ASAP.

When the blankets are pulled away from you, a chill runs through you, a second later heat rushes throughout your body. You feel hot and cold at the same time. The fever clouds your mind; you mumble in Hobie's chest as he carries you.

Hobie carefully sits you down on the edge of the tub, he crouches down next to you with a wet rug in his hand. You can hear the loud rush of water behind you.

"Hnng" You cover your sensitive ears, Hobie sees your reaction, he quickly shuts off the tap, concern on his face.

He carefully holds your chin up so you're facing him. "This is gonna be cold, I'm sorry" he dabs the cloth on your forehead, testing your reaction.

You instinctively flinch away from the cold, "oww" Your joints cry out in pain, every muscle in your body protests against the cold rag. But you don't flinch away when he lays the cold rag against your collarbone.

"That's it, lovey, taking it like a champ"

Hobie opens a couple of buttons on your pajama shirt so he could wipe your chest. He hears a mewl from behind him, Crowley sits elegantly on your countertop, eyes judging Hobie.

Hobie looks over his shoulder, "yeah, yeah I'm being careful" He talks to your cat like he understands his meows.

Crowley answers with a louder meow "Yes, I will wipe behind her bloody ears, d' you think you could do any better?" Hobie raises the rag towards Crowley.

Crowley scrunches his nose at the rag, "I didn't think so" Hobie squares off with your cat, Hobie continues to carefully wipe your arms as Crowley stares daggers at his back.

You stare at Hobie curiously, in your state you have no idea if you're just imagining your boyfriend having an argument with your cat.

You hold on to Hobie's strong shoulder, getting his attention. "Are you fighting with Crowley?" You tilt your head questioningly.

Hobie smiles that you're finally aware of your surroundings, "There's my girl," he pecks your sweaty forehead. "He's being a little shit, that's why"

Your eyes widen "you can understand him?! Is that part of your spidey powers?" You shake his shoulder weakly.

"Love," He pinches the bridge of his nose "I don't even know how to answer that" he squeezes out the excess water from the rag to trickle down on your head.

"Ack! Hobie!" You glare daggers at him, mimicking what Crowley might look like behind him.

"Just a little bit of water," he wipes little droplets off your eye lids with his thumb. "How do you feel? Better, yeah?"

You drop your head on his shoulder with a thud, "tired" you sigh, snuggling further into the crook of his neck.

Hobie hugs you, he kisses the side of your head affectionately, rubbing your back he feels your fever sweat through your thin pajama shirt.

You cringe when you feel him tugging up at your drenched shirt, "I'm sorry, I'm such a mess" your voice vibrates against Hobie's skin.

"Don't be, this is nothing compared to what I've seen 'round pubs" he cradles your head, moving stray hairs away from your tacky skin. "I need to change you out of those clothes, yeah?"

"If you wanted to rip my clothes off, you should have said so" you teasingly said with your hoarse voice.

Hobie chuckles at your sense of humor, despite your sickness. "When you're better, I'll do just that"

Lifting your head away from his shoulder, you stare at him lovingly "I better get… better then" fumbling over your words. You give him your sickenly sweet smile.

After a change of clothes, a much needed toothbrush and change of linens; Hobie guides you back to bed, with Crowley following closely behind.

"Good, the soup's still hot"

Recognizing the packaging of the soup, you instantly perk up "Is that from Tom's deli?"

"Yeah, you should have seen old Tom's face when I came in as Spider-Punk" he sits down next to you as you prop yourself up to a sitting position.

"Did he look giddy?" You make grabbing hands towards the tupperware. You feel a little bit better, still feverish though.

"Giddy as a school girl, he even asked for a bloody selfie" Hobie opens the lid, the familiar savory smell wafts through your room, relaxing your muscles.

You giggle at the mental image, "did he get it? The picture with you?"

"Yeah, in exchange he didn't let me pay for it, even though I was shoving him money"

You imagine the entire interaction between the two, both being stubborn as they are, you would pay money to see it.

Hobie takes a spoonful of the soup, blowing on it carefully before he feeds it to you. You don't protest, even though you feel good enough to feed yourself. Hobie's being so sweet and sensitive you let it slide this time.

You haven't seen this side of him before, sure he's always sweet on you, but this? He's been so attentive to your needs and your pain, you can't help but love him even more. You never heard a single complaint or scolding for making him take care of you, just for that you're already thankful for. You feel his love shine through with every caress, and concerned look.

As you swallow the soup, you can't help when a sob breaks through, fat tears slide down your cheeks.

"Shit, was it still hot?" Crowley loudly meows at Hobie, as if to say: what did you do now? Hobie ignores the cat. "Love, are you okay? Where are you hurting?"

You shake your head, "nothing hurts, it's silly, I'm sorry" you wipe your tears with your sleeves as you avoid eye contact.

Hobie puts down the bowl on the nightstand to carefully cup your tear stained cheeks. "Hey, it's not silly, please tell me. Y'know you can tell me anything" his heart hurts with every tear you let out, "if you're not ready to tell me it's okay, just know I'm here, yeah?"

You finally look at him with a brave face, you exhale and finally let it go "I love you" you feel heat behind your eyes, the fever's crawling up again. "So much Hobie Brown, and it's not the fever talking. It's okay if you don't say it back, just wanted you to know"

Saying it loudly for the first time turns your arms and legs into jelly, the three words send shivers down your spine. And yet you stare at him directly, waiting for his reaction.

He feels slightly offended at your last comment, how dare you think he doesn't love you enough to not say it back to you. "You're a bloody idiot"

Your face falls, before you could think of the worst, he kisses you suddenly, it's messy and fast, your teeth clashing with his, you feel his lip ring against your lips. Pulling away first, breathlessness clings to you, if it wasn't for the flu affecting your lungs you would've lasted longer.

Hobie holds your face tenderly "Fuck you for ever thinking that I won't say it back," He swipes at the beads of sweat on your forehead, "Because I've said it a hundred times in my head. I love you" he kisses your tacky cheeks, "I love you," he pecks your nose, you chuckle at his kisses. "I love you," he kisses the corner of your eye "I love you, so fucking much" he confesses.

You let out a sigh of relief, holding the back of his neck as you guide him towards your shoulder, hugging him tightly you feel the roughness of his suit. He sighs into your hug, he feels a heavy weight lifted off his shoulders. You wish you could hold him in your arms forever, protected and loved.

The other two cats trudge in your room nonchalantly. Hobie feels eyes on his back, he cranes his neck to look at Crowley.

Crowley stares at Hobie, he moves his tail from side to side before he curls against himself. While Crumpet and Teacup jump over to your nightstand to smell your soup.

"He's warming up to you" you sniff while caressing his cheek.

"He watched over you, while I was gone. Can't say the same thing to those two though" Hobie moves his head towards the couple sniffing at your food. "Oi bloody leeches, couldn't even bother watching over your sick mum, huh"

Teacup jumps at Hobie's raised voice, while Crumpet's paw wipes at her face. Hobie translates that action to being ashamed from his scolding.

"Yeah, you better be ashamed" Hobie glares at the two cats.

"Stop picking fights with them" you giggle.

He reluctantly pulls away from your warmth, "they deserve a scolding" Hobie grabs the bowl again "now let's get you up and running again, yeah?"

You nod, grinning ear to ear.

—

A few weeks later, with Hobie's help you're finally strong enough to go jogging again. After your run, you head towards Tom's deli to grab your usual. To your surprise, you see Spider-Punk and Tom's picture above the stove, Hobie holding your soup in his hand while his free arm hangs over Tom's shoulders,Tom widely smiles making a peace sign. Tom sees you staring at the picture, he skips over to you, telling the story behind the picture while he shows it off, pride coating his voice. Your smile gets bigger with every wild gesture he makes.

A/n: hope you liked it! And yes Crowley is named after Neil Gaiman's Crowley. As always likes and reblogs are appreciated ❤️❤️❤️

*picture above is from pinterest*

[qu1cks1lversb1tch]

Having them as best friend's:

Multiple X Reader

Contains: Alastor, Angel Dust, Husk, Charlie, Lucifer, Vox, Velvette, Rosie, Adam, Lute, and Valentino

ALASTOR

You're gonna have to hear me out with this one: he's down for the gossip 24/7!!!

He will listen and talk shit with you 100% and I'm not arguing on the matter.

Someone says some wack ass shit to you in public? "I beg your fucking pardon?" With like the scariest grin that fucker can muster.

You start talking to someone? He interrogates them! If they're not strong enough to survive one little interrogation with THE Radio Demon, they're not good enough to date you. Sorry not sorry.

The friendship would be violent, but in almost a sibling type relationship. If he said something absolutely out of line, you'd smack him or kick him in the back of his knees. He'd always get payback, whether it was immediately or a few days/weeks later.

You called him a 'radio faced cunt' once in front of everyone and they all mentally started planning your funeral.

Until he clapped back with something equally as interesting.

He only accepted affection from you and Rosie. And Charlie that one time.

If you had a bad day, he'd know immediately by the look on your face and wouldn't let anyone talk to you until he knew exactly what had made one of his two favorite people upset.

He'd kill them if you told him to. Just supportive bestie shit!

Angel Dust

Let's be real, if you're best friends with Angel, you're probably equally as close with Cherri.

But just you and Angel Dust as best friend's? Shit, he's awesome.

Had a bad day? Go to his room and cuddle Fat Nuggets while you cry/rant about the days woes.

Spontaneous sleepovers BECAUSE YOU CAN!

Platonically flirting to the point that everyone thinks you're together. Neither of you deny the claims, just to keep everyone on their toes.

The words 'love you' followed by something like 'slut' or 'bitch' are common occurrences.

When it comes to dating, Angel just wants you to be happy.

But if someone breaks your heart? He'll come out with guns blazing with no hesitation. NO ONE hurts his bestie.

Platonic cuddles because you love his floof.

Would probably form some sort of marriage pact with you for fun one night when you're both wasted. "Yeah, I'd marry you if we're both still single in 100 years, Toots."

Husk

The banter would be unmatched. You call him a furry and he'll clap back with something that makes your jaw drop before you burst out into laughter.

He'd tell you how it is, regardless of whether you asked or not.

Sure, you're his best friend, and he cares about you. . . But it's because he cares about you that he won't sugarcoat something, even if it's not something you wanna hear.

He would listen to your problems, like any good friend.

He wouldn't trust anyone you had romantic interest in, especially since the ones you always went for had some serious issues.

He'd say something like: "Don't cry to me when that bastard breaks your heart."

And you wouldn't cry to him when it happened, but he'd make you a drink and silently take care of the problem once he had one of the other hotel residents hoist you up to your room.

The next morning you'd tell him he was right and he'd smirk as he wiped down the bar, but wouldn't say anything.

He was never good with affection, so he respects your space and you respect his.

He literally always has your back, even if you don't know it. You do.

Charlie

Honestly, you probably grew up together and that's how the two of you became best friends. (But even if you didn't, everything is still the same.)

She's the friend that's too trusting of everyone, so you easily filled the place of being the friend that questioned everyone's intentions.

You even heavily questioned Vaggie's intentions when Charlie insisted on bringing her around after finding her.

You only warmed up to Vaggie when Charlie admitted her feeling for her, to you one late evening. She was a nervous wreck, but you were always the level-headed friend.

Being best friends with the princess of Hell had some lesser known perks — invitations to high class parties, special access at LuLu World, and the most eventful sleepovers known to Hell.

Whenever you mentioned interest in someone, Charlie was the first to push you to go for it.

If it went wrong, she was always there first, telling you it would be completely fine. If it went good, she was the first to congratulate you.

She's 100% the mom friend. Thirsty? Here's something to drink. Cut your finger? "Here's a bandaid, be more careful."

A relationship similar to siblings, bit without any malice or envy. Just happy to be in each other's presence.

She literally documented everything the two of you did, since the very first time you called her your friend. She's not going anywhere.

Lucifer

Yeah, so, everyone thinks you're dating. Even Charlie is a bit suspicious. You're not, but you had been there by his side for as long as he could remember.

When Lilith left, you filled some part of the void, not allowing Lucifer to go hungry when he spent long days in his office.

On his good days, he's absolutely there for all the tea, especially if it's PIPING HOT. "That bitch said WHAT!?"

He has no filter and will unintentionally intentionally hurt someone's feelings when it comes to you.

He protects you as fiercely as he protects Charlie, despite knowing that you're capable of protecting yourself.

The two of you argue like an old married couple, which only fueled the dating rumors. . . Until you mentioned someone you had interest in.

Bro interrogated everyone you ever liked. Can't handle five minutes with the king of Hell? Not good enough for his bestie. Keep it movin' pal.

No one is allowed to call you a bitch, but him. Anyone else tries, they'll be met with absolute SASS.

Not even joking, Lucifer would be so sassy towards people, to the point that you picked it up.

So the two of you just went around unintentionally terrorizing demons!

Vox

You hate someone? Bet. He'll have someone spy on them and give you the real tea.

Brings you as the plus one for many major events, but bullies you the entire time. You thought you'd get five minutes of peace on your best friends arm? WRONG!

Literally throws toddler meltdown style temper tantrums when it comes to Alastor. You're usually the one who has to reboot him or just smack some sense into him.

You're both pretty level-headed most of the time, but one of you probably has a couple of screws loose. (It's definitely him.)

No one is good enough to date you. Not sorry.

If anyone looks at you wrong, they've signed their second death to double Hell.

You and Vox talk shit about everyone, especially if you've had a hard day.

If it was bad enough, he'd offer to kill the demon who dared make your day shit. He'd still listen to you though.

"Fuck that. You're not going alone." And then you have to wait 15 minutes for him to look 'good enough' to go out, even if you were powerful and just wanted to go on little walk down the street.

Body doubling. Different tasks, silence, but the comfort of having someone else in the room. Absolutely.

Velvette

She likes you slightly more than Vox and Valentino, which is fabulous.

Weekly designated sleepover nights where the both of you unload from the week.

Someone is rude to you? Cue Vel lecturing them on how they fucked up and their career is over, but make it musical.

You went on a date with someone and didn't tell her? "I want details, Lovey! Are they an overlord too? Tell. Me. Everything."

Prepare for Hell's greatest gossip sessions, especially around the topic of Hell's cutthroat fashion industry.

She might not seem like it, but she's a good listener.

You're leaving the tower to run a small errand? Surprise Surprise, she's coming with you and turning it into a whole day, complete with lunch and shopping!

She uses you as a model sometimes, purely because she can.

Will call you a sweet name and insult you in the same breath.

Gets worried if you don't text back within five minutes. She will literally show up to make sure you're alive. You're probably taking a nap.

Rosie

Literally the best to spend the day with. She loves walking with you or just having tea.

Much like Alastor, she would be down for the gossip, but she wouldn't go very far with it.

In terms of relationships, she'd want you to be happy, but would also threaten to eat your partner if they hurt you.

She'd be such a good listener when you came to talk about your day.

She'd even offer advice and just casually drop something like: "Listen to your intuition, darling. It'll tell you others intentions."

At some point or another, everyone questions whether you're dating or not, which both of you laugh at frequently.

She enjoys her privacy, but she also would love having you around more than others.

She would love giving platonic affection, just to make you feel loved.

Sometimes Alastor pops up and Rosie gushes about how the two of you would get along — and immediately you're just thinking how this trio would be iconic.

She doesn't care about your past, you don't care that she's a Cannibal. . . Well, she cares, but she would NEVER hold it against you!

Adam

He literally goes out of his way to piss you off.

There's a lot of threatening and him calling you stuff like 'Sugar Tits'.

Adam annoys you to the point of you WANTING to just jump to Hell, but you never do, because he's your best friend, and you wouldn't want to emotionally traumatize him by making him think that he lost his best friend to Lucifer, AFTER losing his wives to him.

He says "Suck my dick, Bitch" AT LEAST A DOZEN TIMES A DAY. It irritates you to no end.

The banter is unmatched. He wants to get sassy? You're the SASS MASTER.

You pushed him down the stairs for fun and he didn't talk to you for two days.

He doesn't give a fuck who you date, but if they hurt you, he's taking care of them and not telling you SHIT to avoid all of that mushy feelings crap.

The two of you argue too much for anyone to think you're together.

There's NEVER a moment of silence when you're out. He's always singing, talking, laughing, or mimicking the sound of some instrument.

Lute

She's annoyed 24/7 and you're one of the two main causes.

But she wouldn't replace you because who else would put up with her attitude and listen to her rants like you?

If you had a hard day, she'd probably make some offhand comment and then subtly try to make it better by like getting you ice cream with rainbow sprinkles or something.

She hates physical touch, so the only time she touches you is to smack you, probably for saying something very Adam-ish. "Say that shit again and it'll be worse."

She hates everyone you have romantic interest in, but let's you learn your own lessons the hard way.

Nobody could ever picture the two of you as friends, let alone dating.

She's like the sister that has it all but claims she's the black sheep of the family.

Her job comes before everything else in her life, that including you, but when she has time for you, there's usually food and shit talking involved.

She makes sure you drink water every day. She'd kick your ass if you passed out because of dehydration.

She'd give you the key to her place, but you'd never use it unless she told you to. (Like in the event she forgot her set or something)

(I've reached the 10 media limit, so just imagine a gif right here)

Valentino

He offers you a job almost weekly. You hold off on kicking his ass every single time because that's your best friend.

Derives great pleasure from pissing you off.

You don't agree with the manner he treats his employees, so you undermine him every chance you get, just to make sure they get the best treatment possible.

It pisses him off to no end, but he let's it go. He wouldn't hurt you. He couldn't, not without a whole bunch of backlash from quite literally everyone.

Whenever you start liking someone, he warns you to be careful because he knows the industry. He is the industry.

He's gossip central. Talks super exaggerated with his hands and his voice changes whenever he remembers another detail.

He's a touchy feller, that much is evident. He's always touching you in some way, but it's not sexual/romantic or violent, it's more reassurance for both of you. It's a safe middle ground.

You have to leave for some reason? "The limo will take you, but don't touch anything."

He throws tantrums on the regular and you've learned to just let them go on until he eventually shuts the fuck up and let's you speak.

He'll call you a slut and then ask if you want to get food. It's extremely clear that you're not dating lmao.

A/N: I hope this is okay! I've never written for a bunch of these characters, as I just stared writing Hazbin stuff last week, and even then, it was a small Vox one-shot and a Lucifer one-shot.

Requests are open, if anyone would wanna request something for one of these characters? I'd pull through to the best of my ability.

Part Two

[scarlethexelove]

“You came” part 3 please! I would also like to see Wanda’s reaction to reader and Agatha’s spending the night to together! Oooo maybe readers reaction to Agatha’s plan to get her pregnant! Sorry I’m not every good at request😭

Why

Pairings: Agatha Harkness x Reader (Not much interaction honestly), Wanda Maximoff x Daughter!Reader

Word Count: 2083

Warnings: Pregnancy (Kind of forced), Angry Wanda, Angst I guess, Some fluff, Not much really I don't think

Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 4, Pt 5

A/n: I like the story but I honestly think I wrote it like shit. I'm so sorry for how shitty it is. Really not much interaction between Agatha and Reader. More interaction between Wanda and Reader, and Wanda and Agatha.

NO ONE IS PERMITTED TO STEAL, COPY, OR REBLOG MY WORK AS THEIR OWN

It feels like the whole world around you has stopped. Time ticks by so slowly. Your mind racing with thoughts as you wait for the timer to go off. Tears shining in your eye’s at the possibilities. A loud blaring sound alerts you to your phone. You look down slowly, shutting off the alarm. Your hands shake as you reach down on the ground next to you picking up the small white stick. 

You don’t even know why you took the pregnancy test. The only person you have been with has been Agatha and the last time you checked she was a woman. But some nagging feeling and her words ring through your head. So you went to the store buying a test after feeling sick in the morning for the last week and a missed period. 

With shaking hands bringing the test closer to your view as you look down you let out a gasp. Two pink lines are prominent on the test. You’re pregnant, and by your Mom’s enemy. A sob escapes your lips as you smack your hand over your mouth. Trying to silently sob at the realization. You're pregnant and your mom is going to hate you.  

What you don’t expect is for your mom to hear you. Wanda quickly rushes into your room, her eyes darting around the room until she finds your form on the floor leaning against your bed. “Sweetheart what’s wrong?” Wanda moves to crouch down in front of you. You quickly shove the test in your hoodie pocket as she places her hands on your knees. You can only muster to shake your head as an answer terrified of your mothers reaction. 

Wanda’s thumbs gently rub at your knee concern swirling in her eyes as she searches your face. “Y/n, sweetheart you know you can tell me anything.” You take a minute to calm yourself down. Tears still stream down your face and your gaze lowers. “I’m pregnant.” You mumble as you pull the test from your pocket. Her eyes widened in shock at your confession. Wanda didn’t even know that you were seeing anyone. Tears stream down your face as you sob. “I’m so sorry Mom. I’m so sorry.” You cry as Wanda pulls you into her arms. She rubs her hands up and down your back trying to comfort you. “It’s ok sweetheart. You're ok.” 

You sob for what seems like forever as your mom holds you in her arms. Both of you are sitting on the ground. As your sobs die down into sniffles you pull back a bit. A stain of tears and snot on your moms shirt as you wipe at your cheeks. “Sweetheart, do you know who the other parent is?” Wanda asks softly, she doesn’t assume that you're sleeping with multiple people but she has to ask. You hesitate a second before nodding. More tears falling at the thought. Wanda sees this, her hands cupping your face. “It’s ok honey.” You shake your head as panic rises. “N-no. You’re going to hate me.” Wanda shakes her head. “I could never hate you. You’re my baby girl.” You keep shaking your head. “You’re really going to hate me.” You keep telling her. “Why would I hate you sweetheart?” Wanda asks softly, still not understanding why you're so adamant. “It’s Agatha’s.” You mumble avoiding eye contact. 

The room is now dead silent as your words sink in. Wanda’s hands slipping from your face as she processes your words. You look up when her hands slip down. “Mom?” You panic. Wanda’s eyes flashing a dangerous red as she slowly rises. “Mom.” You call after her as she heads towards the bedroom door, but she doesn’t stop. You get up trying to follow her. You can feel the energy radiating off of her as she makes her way out of the house. You continue to try and call after her but she doesn’t stop. 

Agatha is working in her garden outside as your mom turns the corner of the house. Wanda doesn’t say anything before red swirls around Agatha and she is slammed into the side of her house. “You fucked my daughter! You got her fucking pregnant!” Wanda yells the red tightening around Agatha. She doesn’t struggle against it, her face morphing into a sinister smirk. You watch with eyes still shining with tears. 

“Oh that.” Agatha chuckles. “Real good wasn’t it princess.” She directed towards you. “Y-you used me.” You stammer. You should have known that she was using you but to get you pregnant was something different. “Oh princess, I wanted it as much as you did. I just needed to make it more interesting.” Wanda’s magic tightens around Agatha causing her to let out a breathy chuckle. 

“I’m going to fucking kill you.” Wanda seethes her hands completely eloped in red. “Mom.” You reach for her arm but she brushes you off. You again reach for her and try to get her attention. “Mom.” This time she pushes you back more causing you to stumble back. “Mommy please.” You plead. As hurt as you are that Agatha had used you, she is the other parent of your unborn child. Wanda turns back to you when she hears you call her Mommy which you hadn’t done in years. You can still see how furious she is. The look causes you to shrink in on yourself. “Y/n go home.” She tells you firmly. “Mommy.” You mumble. You can see the falter in her anger. “Y/n I said go home now. I will deal with you when I get back.” Her voice deadly serious as she turns back to Agatha. 

You can’t help as more tears fall and you run back into the house leaving the two women alone outside. Wanda isn’t mad at you but her anger for Agatha is taking her over. She stalks closer to Agatha as her hands swirl red. “Is this how you get back at me? Using my daughter?” Wanda's voice was laced in venom. Agatha just smirks at the younger woman. “Use yes but there are more powers at work than you realize.” Wanda scoffs hearing Agatha before releasing her from her magic. As much as she wants to kill her, you are her top priority. She can’t go around murdering people just because they used her daughter even if it is Agatha.

Wanda turns on her heels and starts heading back to the house. “Wanda there is more you should know.” Agatha calls after her as she starts pulling herself up off the ground and dusting all the dirt off herself. Wanda stops not turning around but turning her head to the side and waiting for what the other woman has to say. “This was told in a prophecy in the Dark Hold.” Agatha starts. This gets Wanda’s attention and she turns back around. “Speak fast before I change my mind on killing you.” 

Agatha lets out another small chuckle. “Ok mama bear. As you know you’re the Scarlet Witch. A being capable of spontaneous creation. What if I told you there will be another. Someone who will be even more powerful than yourself.” Wanda stalks back up to Agatha this time pushing her against the wall herself. “What is that supposed to mean?” Agatha's face stretches into a sinister grin. Agatha begins to speak, her words reflecting the exact words from the Dark Hold. “A witch, a descendant of the Scarlet Witch will either save the multiverse or destroy it. A being born from one non-magical parent, the other from an ancient line of witches. The two are bound together by the conception of the Scarlet Apprentice.” 

Wanda’s head spins at the words. Agatha may not be a hero but she is in no way a liar. She knows when it comes to the prophecies of the Dark Hold Agatha wouldn’t lie about that. She may not share everything but she will share what will get her way. Wanda lets Agatha go as she backs away, her words finally sinking in. 

“She will be the most powerful witch to ever exist.” Agatha adds. Her demeanor has changed completely. “S-she?” Wanda stutters. “She.” Agatha repeats. Wanda has conflicted feelings about finding out that she is going to have a granddaughter. She is excited, but the fact that Agatha is the other parent. The other problem is that she could possibly destroy the multiverse. Wanda takes a deep breath. 

As much as Agatha loves getting under Wanda’s skin she feels a sense of pride and excitement for the prospect of her daughter. Someone from her lineage will be the most powerful witch of all time. A smile forms on her lips as she thinks of life. 

“We will continue this later. If I find out you’re lying to me I won’t hesitate to kill you this time.” Wanda warns before turning on her heels to head back into the house and back to you. “I do love her.” Agatha tells her. “What?” Wanda turns again. “I love your daughter. Yes I used her but I would protect her at all cost.” Agatha tells her. Wanda can tell she is genuine. She hates the fact that Agatha has to be a part of this but knows she can’t change it now. Wanda’s nostrils flare slightly to suppress the anger. She just then turns around heading back in the house. 

You’re crying as you shove clothing into a bag. Totally expecting your Mom to kick you out. How could you be so stupid to think any of this would actually work. Your Mom hates you and you only have yourself to blame. You’re frantically shoving things into the bag until you come to the teddy bear sitting on your bed. You grab it gently as you look it over. Your Mom had gotten it for you when you were little and had gotten sick. It was your best friend growing up and you still sleep with it to this day. You can’t help as your legs give out under you and your knees slam to the carpeted ground. Holding it close to your chest as you sob more. 

The door swings open as Wanda comes in, seeing you on the ground clutching the bear tightly with a packed bag on your bed. “Sweetheart.” Wanda makes her way over to you sitting on the ground and pulling you into her lap. You try to push yourself away, still expecting for her to kick you out. “I-I’ll leave. I k-know you hate m-me.” You talk through the tears as you try to get up but Wanda doesn’t let you. “No, no sweetheart. I love you so much. Why do you think you need to leave?” She pulls back to look at your face. She brushes your hair behind your ears and wipes the tears as they fall. 

You try catching a breath from all the crying you have been doing today. It takes you a few minutes but your Mom is patient with you still wiping the falling tears away. “You won’t want me around. I-I was with Agatha. Y-you hate her. You hate me for being with her.” Wanda shakes her head as she cups your cheeks leaning in and kissing your forehead. “I could never hate you. You are my little girl and I love you more than anything. I’m not happy with your decisions but I will always be here for you sweetheart. I will be here for whatever you decide.” She lets out a long sigh. “Even if you want to be with Agatha.” 

You're shocked by the words that come out of your Moms mouth. You’re not sure you could be with Agatha now but you feel drawn to her at the same time. Not fully understanding the stronger forces playing in the universe. “Really?” You mumble. “There are so many things that you don’t know yet sweetheart but I will be here with you through it all.” Her hand cups your cheek as you nuzzle lightly into it. “There is more that we need to discuss but for now you need to rest sweetheart.” Wanda helps you stand up as she moves the bag you packed vowing to unpacking it later and helping you into bed. She kisses your head as you mumble. “I love you Mommy.” She smiles as she stands back up. “I love you too baby girl.” Wanda exits your room, closing the door softly.

[crackedpumpkin]

|| ɪᴛ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ᴋɪꜱꜱ || ᴅᴀɴɴʏ ᴘʜᴀɴᴛᴏᴍ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ||

a/n: he's so stupid. I love him.

It started with a kiss. 

Then it snowballed into feelings.

It was a typical day at school, with your friends Sam and Tucker hanging around your locker while waiting for Danny. 

“Look. I’m just saying it seems like you and Danny have been hanging out a lot more than usual these days.” Sam smirks, and you raise a brow in response. 

“That’s because we have a science project due next month,” You deadpan, rummaging through the various textbooks in your locker. Tucker eyes the mess in your locker with disdain, hands just itching to organize it for you.

You smack his hand away with a playful scowl. “My locker, my rules.”

“But it’s a mess!” He protests. 

“Correction: it’s an organized mess.” 

“Whatever. Just let me know when you’re ready to see the light and change the error of your ways,” Tucker scoffs, leaning against the locker. You shrug it off, directing your attention back to Sam, who’s still skeptical of your answer.

“There’s nothing between us. Besides, you’ve seen the way he looks at Paulina.” You say calmly, playing Jenga with the carelessly stuffed files and textbooks. You hum in thought before finally selecting one of the files and ever so carefully pulling it out.

The tower of horrors wobbles slightly, and you wince. You barely manage to take it out without everything else falling, shutting the locker door with a relieved sigh. 

“Yeah, but that’s Paulina. She’s just evil incarnate that the boys can’t seem to look past. But the way he looks at you is different.” Sam points out. You prop your textbooks and files on one arm with a huff, your free hand on your hip. 

“He doesn’t look at me differently,” You laugh it off. “If anything, he only looks at me in admiration since I’m tutoring him in math.”

“Wow.” You turn to Tucker, who’s shaking his head with a baffled laugh, “You must’ve hit your head on the wall of denial you’re walking into.” 

Okay. This is getting a little weird now, you suppose. “Why’re you guys so adamant on this crazy theory that I like Danny?” You ask. Is it so hard to believe that the both of you are just friends? Sure, maybe the boy in question is a little cute and can be clueless in an adorable way when you’re tutoring him, but that didn’t mean you gave him special treatment or anything.

“Uh- You never offered to tutor me.” 

“Sam, you literally got an A on the last test.”

“You didn’t offer it to me either!” 

“Tucker, you won an award for your science project last week. Look, guys,” You sigh, an amused smile on your lips as you look at the both of them struggling to find a retort, “You have to admit it. I’m not giving Danny any special treatment because I don’t have a crush on him.”

You spot Danny entering the hallway, his unkept bed hair a sight to behold. You hide a chuckle, smiling warmly when he sees the three of you. He offers a small wave, though his eyes linger on you for a little longer than Tucker and Sam.

You grin slightly, pointing at your hair in reference to his own with questioning eyes. He scoffs playfully, rolling his eyes with a charming smile and a shrug as if saying, What can you do?

He stops a short distance from the three of you, opens his locker and begins to pull out the materials needed for the day ahead. You watch him fondly for a moment, only to register Sam and Tucker’s mischievous grins. You blink, eyes flitting back and forth between the two.

“What?”

“Are you sure you don’t like him?” 

“Yes, very sure.” You roll your eyes with another sigh. 

Sam and Tucker exchange a look, having a silent conversation with mere nods and raised brows before they turn back to you. You look at them cluelessly, waiting for one of them to speak. “Well, if you’re so sure…Then a quick game of truth or dare won’t hurt,” Tucker suggests casually.

You ponder over it for a moment, agreeing with a simple nod. “I pick truth.” 

“Do you think about Danny often?”

“I have to. He’s hopeless when it comes to biology. When I think of questions to quiz him with, I have to predict how he’ll respond.”

Tucker huffs, looking at Sam. It’s your turn.

“So, truth or dare?” Sam asks. 

“Truth.” You cross your arms. You’re not risking anything with the two of them bonding over this insatiable need to see you confess to a crazy theory that isn’t true.

“Do you think Danny’s attractive?”

You hesitate. Damn it. They got you there.

“O-objectively, yes. I mean, he’s reasonably attractive. It’s not like he’s ugly, because he’s not. I wouldn’t say I don’t find him attractive because I do, but not like that-” You stutter, groaning once you see Sam’s victorious grin. You drag a hand down your face covering your eyes for a minute as you register just how utterly unconvincing any of that was.

“This is why neither of you will be in the will.”

“I was in the will??” Tucker gasps, placing a flattered hand across his chest. 

“Meh. I always knew I was in it. I’ll get back into it eventually.” Sam shrugs, silently passing the baton of questions to Tucker. 

“Alright, if you really don’t like him, then pick Dare,” Tucker says smugly, his eyes practically pushing forth the tempting challenge. It’s bait, and you know it.

And you take it. 

“Okay then,” You straighten your back, giving him a defiant look. “I pick dare.”

He hums in thought, an idea forming in his mind. He cackles, rubbing his hands together. You gulp. This won’t end well for you.

“I dare you…to kiss Danny. On the lips, right now.” 

You bite back a venom-filled curse, hands curling into fists when he specifies the loophole you’re about to exploit. A kiss on the cheek? Sure, no problem. A kiss on the hand? Even better!

But a kiss? On the lips, no less??

You’re doomed.

“You can’t go back now,” he crows in delight, Sam nodding enthusiastically. “Yeah, it’s like, the rules. Besides, if you don’t do it, then y’know….It means you like him.” She adds with a smirk.

Yeah, there’s no way she’s ever getting back in the will after this.

You glare at them both, shoving your textbooks into Tucker’s hands and taking a deep breath. You walk towards Danny, each step only heightening the thudding of your heartbeat. Your lips are suddenly dry, eyes trained solely on the boy just a few feet away. 

The chatter in the hallway fades into background noise. The only thing you register is the echoing ba-dump of your heartbeat with each shaky breath. Are you really going through with this? Do you really have to prove something that you already know? What are you even thinking? 

You shake your head. It’s just Danny. Danny, with his cheeky grin and kind gestures, always grabbing tiramisu for you when he passes by the grocery store on the way to your place for tutoring lessons. It’s just Danny, with his cute chuckles and easy grins sent your way once your eyes meet. 

Yeah, there’s no way you like him.

He’d understand, wouldn’t he? After all, it’s just a dare set forth but Tucker. He knows how Tucker is. 

This’ll be easy as pie.

You take a deep breath, oddly calm as you approach him. You tap his shoulder. He turns, a relaxed smile on his lips once he sees that it’s just you. “Hey,” He greets, nudging your side, “What’s got you looking so uneasy? Did you not get your ice cream the other night?” He teases, referring to the conversation over text you shared with him after you found out you were out of ice cream and tried to get your brother to help you buy some on the way back.

His smile falters when you don’t answer, starting to grow worried. You look up at him calmly, your hand on your hip as you regard him with a half-smile. “Danny. Whatever happens, just know that it’s Tucker’s fault.”

“Okay….?” He nods, though it’s unsure. 

Good. Now you can prove them wrong. You take another step closer, your body barely brushing against his chest. You watch his Adam’s apple bob as he swallows thickly, suddenly aware of the lack of distance. 

Before you can chicken out and pretend it all never happened, your fingers gently grab the collar of his shirt, tugging him down and pressing your lips to his. His soft cry of surprise is cut short by the sudden kiss, Tucker and Sam both gawking at your boldness. They never expected you to actually follow through with it.

Your cheeks are on fire, Danny’s hand automatically holding your waist while his other hand tenderly cups your cheek. Your nose presses against the crook of his cheek and nose, right above his soft lips that move gently, unsurely against yours.

Your grip loosens, a jolt of ecstasy running down your spine when his thumb caresses your cheek. You can’t tell if you’re actually breathing or not, but you must be if you’re still kissing him. You catch his bottom lip between the edges of your front teeth, letting it slip through with a shaky breath. 

You finally pull away, eyes dazed, and cheeks flushed a crimson red. You let go of his collar, Danny leaning back with stars in his eyes as he processes the past few seconds that felt like euphoric hours.

Your chest rises and falls, panting softly as you catch your breath. The hand that cupped your cheek so tenderly had dropped to your waist, cool fingers grazing against the bare skin that peeks out below your top, leaving a trail of fire in its wake.

Your eyes can’t help but linger on how his lips are a perfect dark pink, beautifully swollen from your kiss. You step back, running your hand through your hair with a cough.

“I told you. Blame Tucker.” You manage to breathe out, your heart racing a mile a minute. You take a step back, gently removing his hands. 

“Wh-what?” He’s still dazed, unable to string words together into a comprehensive sentence. He watches you leave, his eyes trained on your figure as you ease through the crowd to your first class of the day.

“Wow.” He’s startled back to his senses when Tucker approaches with Sam in tow, the former patting his shoulder with an impressed nod. 

“Didn’t think she actually had the guts.” Sam comments. 

“Okay, what’s going on? Why’d she suddenly-” Danny cuts himself off with a sudden cough, eyes staring blankly at his hand that held you just moments before.

“Did you like it?”

Danny huffs a bewildered exhale past his lips, slumping against his locker with a slight smile. Sam gives a low whistle as she waves a hand before his blank gaze. “He’s broken.” She confirms after he doesn’t answer her question.

“Maybe he needs another kiss to pull him back to Planet Earth,” Tucker suggests cheekily. The mere mention, however, is enough for Danny to snap back to his senses.

“What’re you talking about?” 

“That’s not important right now. What’s important is whether or not you liked it.” Sam dismisses his cluelessness with a single wave of her hand. He takes a moment to think, blinking rapidly as he recalls the feeling of your lips on his.

“I…I guess I did.”

— — — — — 

You sigh, placing your phone screen down after double-checking the time Danny would arrive for his scheduled tutoring lesson. You grab your empty plate, walk to the basin and start washing it. 

It’d been a week since you last saw Danny, avoiding him in the hallways and even during lunch. After what you did in the hallway, could you blame yourself? Absolutely not. You did, however, text Tucker and Sam that you were going to be busy with family commitments and successfully avoided lunch with them as well by using your projects and assignments as an excuse.

You had instead writhed away in your bed, wrestling with the conflicting emotions in your heart and the thoughts running wild in your mind. You didn’t not like the kiss. It was…nice. You often found yourself subconsciously touching your lips, recalling how soft his lips were when pressed against yours. He smelled good, like the cologne you bought him for last year’s birthday. 

That’s when you realized you were down bad.

It took you three days to finally accept your feelings.

You like Danny. As in, like like him.

So you did what any other girl would do when faced with new arising emotions directed at one of your closest friends. 

Deflect and avoid anything and everything that had to do with him.

So that’s what you’ve been doing for the past few days, continuously leaving conversations halfway just to avoid him. It’s not like you could help it. Your heart always quickened its pace whenever he was even around, leaving you breathless each time.

But one thing you couldn’t avoid was your tutoring sessions with Danny. Try as you might, you knew he’d need help with the upcoming test. Now he’s on his way over, and you’re busy panicking. 

You quickly place the now clean dish on the dish rack, moving to grab some snacks and water to bring upstairs to your room. Your hands are full, using your arm to hold the jug of water and your hand holding two glasses. Your other hand is busy balancing the abundant snacks in your grasp when the doorbell rings. 

You carefully make your way over, opening the door to see Danny in front of you with a small plastic bag. “Come in,” You greet him with an awkward smile. He eyes the multitude of items in your hands, immediately reaching out and taking the jug and glasses from your hands before walking up the stairs to your room. 

You follow with a grateful smile, closing the door behind you and setting the snacks on the small table in the middle of the room. “So,” Danny begins, sitting on the carpet and opening his bag, “What’ll we be working on today, miss tutor?” 

You grab notebooks on your desk, placing them down along with some stationary. “Just some revision since the topics that’ll come out tomorrow is chunky in content.”

You see him hesitate in the corner of your eye. Nervousness fills the hollow pit of your stomach, praying desperately he doesn’t notice how jittery you are. “Sounds good,” He finally says after a moment with a half smile and shrug.

You sit down opposite him, tucking a lock of hair behind your ear so it won’t get in the way while you teach him about Cells and DNA. You notice him staring, raising a brow in curiosity. He raises his brows in response with a playful smile. 

You brush it off as just another habit of his, shrugging and opening your textbook. “Okay, so we’ll start with something simple. Do you still remember what I taught you from our last session?”

He pulls out his notebook, flipping through the pages with a blank grin. “I think so?”

You grin. “We’ll start from the beginning.” You crack your knuckles with an excited glint in your eyes, ready to unleash a whole torrent of information on his adorably clueless self. 

“So, you know about blood, right?”

“I am familiar with the term,” He hums jokingly, twirling his pencil. He leans his cheek on his hand with his elbow propped on the table, listening to your every word. 

You roll your eyes at his response, cracking a small smile. “Very funny,” You reply sarcastically, Danny shrugging as he opens one of the snacks. He grabs a pair of clean chopsticks you’ve already set on the table, uses it to grab one of the crackers and starts to eat.

“Anyway,” You continue, “Red blood cells contain hemoglobin. It’s a protein that carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. Different types of cells in your blood, like white blood cells, help act as your body’s defence against infections and viruses. There’re different types, but only two are being tested for the quiz. Lymphocytes and Monocytes.” 

“Oh, I remember that!”

“You do?” You look up in surprise, recalling the boy dozing in class during that particular lesson. 

“Yeah, I remember thinking Mr. Lance was being Mono-tonous,” He grins. You press your lips together in an unimpressed roll of your eyes, leaning over and shoving his arm playfully as he chuckles at your reaction. 

“What?” He protests, “I’m only telling the truth! Come on, Miss Tutor, get back to tutoring already.” He gives you an exaggerated frown with a shake of his head, your jaw dropping in an offended gasp. 

“Excuse me. You’re lucky I even made the time for you.” You shoot back.

“Yeah, I’m glad you did. I missed you the last few days.”

You pause, eyes widening at his words. He clears his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean, Tucker, Sam and I missed you.” He clarifies. Your heart sinks in your chest at this, pursing your lips as you hum. 

“I’m sorry, I had a lot of…family commitments.” You say softly, eyes focused on the notebook in front of you. You don’t dare to look at him, sensing his gaze on you. 

“That’s okay,” He says after a moment, his voice warm and kind, just like always. “I’m just glad you’re okay now.” 

You feel a prick of guilt, closing your eyes and wishing that you didn’t lie. But how could you confess that so readily, when you aren’t even sure of how Danny feels? You manage a nod, your hair shifting and falling past your ear, obstructing your vision momentarily. 

“So, what’s this about?” You look up to see him pointing to a graph in the textbook, his expression lost as he tries to understand the explanation written below. 

“That’s a graph for increased red blood cell count over five years.” You start to explain.

“But why’s it so high?” 

“Science.” You shrug. “I mean, causes are usually either smoking, kidney disease, alcoholism….” The words die in your throat when you feel warm fingers brushing the hair out of your face, tucking it behind your ear. You look up with a start, Danny’s entire body stiffening as soon as he registers his fingers brushing against your bare skin.

Your cheeks instantly warm, aflame with a fierce heat threatening to spread across your face and neck. He jerks his hand back with wide eyes, his face mirroring your exact expression. 

“I- uh, i-it just looked like you were having trouble seeing your notebook, is all,” He stammers out, crossing his arms and tucking his hands under his elbows as if he’s trying to glue them there.

“T-thanks.” You look back down, your heart racing. Your breaths stutter, eyes trained on your handwriting. Did he do it on purpose? Why would he? It’s not like he likes you, right?

Does he like you???

Oh god. Oh GOD. If that’s true, even if there’s the slightest possibility…

You bite your lip, considering your options. You already know you like him way more than you’re supposed to, plus you’ve already kissed. If it counted as your first kiss, that is. 

What if he’s treating you as a friend, and you’re the one overthinking every touch and every word? What if he’s acting normal, and you’re the one that’s jumping to all these conclusions?

You take your calculator, trying to calm yourself down by typing in an equation to show Danny the difference in years and how fast the rate of increased red blood cells can be instead of dwelling on such thoughts.

But what if it’s true? What if he does like you? Like, like you, like you. What if he feels the same way you do? Would he say something? What if he’s waiting for you to say something? What if he wants to talk about the kiss?

You’re interrupted from your overthinking (which is incredibly rude, but you’d let it slide since it’s Danny.)

“So… I was wondering. Do you maybe wanna catch a movie this weekend?”

“Sounds good,” You hum, frowning at your calculator when you realize you’ve made a mistake, “What time do we meet Sam and Tucker?” You ask, scribbling down the right answer after correcting the equation.

“About that….I was thinking maybe Sam and Tucker wouldn’t be there. It’d just be you and me.” 

Your breath gets caught in your throat, looking up in surprise. His eyes are hopeful, a shy blush dusting his cheeks as he waits for your response. “Sure.” You agree, looking back down at your notebook in an attempt to hide the radiant smile on your lips that you can’t seem to wipe off your face.

You hear him breathe a sigh of relief, a fluttery feeling in your stomach as you sneak a look at him. His cute smile makes your heart skip a beat, and when he catches your eyes, he grins. You clear your throat, averting your eyes with a flustered heat spreading across your cheeks.

Your mind is blank, filled with a single euphoric thought. 

HelikesmeohmygodHeLikesMeOHMYGODHELIKESME-

[letsgetrowdy43]

The perfect summer—

The long awaited Sunny and Adam get back together fic!!

Au Masterlist!!

Sunny’s second semester had been a bit of a blur, her boyfriend-turned-ex started his professional hockey career, while she continued to navigate her way through adulthood.

Summer was all she wanted.

She made it through her brother's playoff runs, family wedding season, and finally, the Hughes siblings all found themselves in the same place at the same time for the first time in almost a year.

Lake Michigan was easily her favourite place to be, the boat days, the golfing, and even her summer job at the country club was something she looked forward to. The lake house was her happy place, and summer provided all of the right things to end her miserable school year.

Now all she needed was for Adam to finally call her to talk about everything.

★★★★

Luke stumbled onto the deck where Sunny was lounging, her latest read in her hands as she ran her fingers through the ends of her hair.

Brows furrowed in concentration as she was quickly pulled away from her book and looked up towards her brother who aggressively cleared his throat.

“Yes?” she looked at him with a big smile, sitting up slightly so he had room to sit on the end of her lounge chair. “I have a question, and feel free to say no,” he began rambling but abruptly ended as he watched her face grow annoyed, “I wanted to invite Luca and Adam here to train for a few weeks, I promise that he-” Sunny cut him off “Of course, Adam can come over, he's your friend, and we are all good,” she smiled as Luke let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding.

“You're the best sun, I'll make sure he's on his best behaviour,” he said as she smiled and nodded her head, his hand reaching up to mess up her bangs which gained him a smack to the chest with her book.

And there it was, the perfect situation for them to finally talk about it all, properly face to face since he ended it in his bed all the way in Columbus.

★★★★

It was anything but perfect.

It seemed to be that every boy in the house was destined to make sure Sunny and Adam were never in the same room alone. A whole week of supervised conversations and overbearing boys who imposed themselves in the middle of their almost moments.

The only time they seemed to have a conversation alone was his first night in the house when he found her down in the living room, curled up in a ball on the couch with her book in her hands.

“What are you still doing up?” she whispered, her eyes tired as she looked up from her book to the boy who was sipping on his glass of water. “Can't sleep, you?” “Rutger fell asleep in my bed, and I'm not sleeping on his air mattress in your and Luca’s room,” she slowly blinked, as Adam moved from the counter to the armchair.

“I can make him move back to our room,” he offered as she shook her head. “Leave him be, I'm okay on the couch, it wouldn't be my first time sleeping on it” she smiled, covering her mouth as she yawned and shut her book.

Adam watched as her gaze on him grew soft, “I feel like I've barely seen you since I got here,” he whispered. “I know, I've missed you.” “I've missed you too,” he watched as she smiled and pulled her blanket up to her chin. “Tomorrow, tomorrow I want to talk about all of this, I need to talk about it, it's eating me up,” she said as he nodded and stood up from the couch.

“Good night sunny.” “Good night Adam, love you,” she said in between yawns as he flicked off the lamp next to him and headed back upstairs, heart thumping in his chest as he crawled back into bed next to his brother.

It was safe to say Adam did not sleep well that night, short ‘love you’s’ filling his mind every time he closed his eyes

★★★★

Tomorrow turned into three days, no conversation was had between the two thanks to the boys not allowing them any sort of alone time.

“Is there a reason every time I speak to Adam someone miraculously shows up to make sure we have company?” she looks over to Quinn who is also just silently sitting on the edge of the doc. He lets out a short laugh and looks at his sister who is clearly not amused by this, “Jack just wanted to make sure that you Adam remained civil, I told him it was a bad idea.”

A groan left the girl's lips as she looked at her older brother, annoyance filling her expression as she laid back on the hot wood of the doc, “I miss him, and I think he feels the same way” “So what does that mean for the two of you?” “Well I haven't gotten to ask because our brother is an idiot,” she said through a clenched jaw.

She looked to Quinn who was holding in a laugh at her, her glare narrowing as he laid down beside her, "I'll keep the boys busy tonight so you two can sneak away," Quinn offered with a smile as Sunny's glare grew soft.

"Thank you Q," she sat up and grinned at him as he offered out his fist for her to bump. "No need to thank me, I like seeing you happy, Adam makes you happy, it's not like I'm sacrificing my life," he shrugged. "This is why you're the better Hughes brother," she watched as his smirk grew cocky. "Not hard to be the best when my competition is dumb and dumber."

★★★★

Quinn lived up to his promise, the boys returned from their golf outing and immediately were ushered into the game room for darts, pool, and beer after dinner.

Adam and Luca were in the kitchen getting more beer, laughter dying out as Sunny walked into the kitchen with a sweet smile on her face which prompted Luca to leave as quickly as possible, giving the two space to talk.

Sunny sat on the kitchen counter, adjacent to the boy who popped the bottle cap off of his beer with the ring on his finger, awkward silence filling the space between them as he took a swig and then offered her a sip. To which she crinkled her node and shook her head, "Still not a beer girl?" "You could never get me to drink that," she mused with a look of disgust resting on her face, "but I wouldn't mind a cider," she batted her lashes. "They taste almost the same?" She shook her head, as he placed the cold can of cider in her hands, remaining in between her legs, face to face as she placed the can on the counter next to her.

The laughter died in her throat when she realized how close they were, the smile on his face growing as her eyes flashed down to his lips.

"Maybe we should talk before you get any ideas about kissing me," he joked which was met with a slight push to his chest to make him back up. "Okay, you go first," she grinned as he leaned up against the counter. "This year was a shit show, but it was a lot better when you were in my life, not just because I needed someone to talk to but because I just missed listening to talk about your life or your little visits, and I fucked everything up by pushing you away," he answered honestly.

she nodded, "If I were to say that I wanted to get back together, would you want that? Or do you need more time to figure out what you want?" she asked, her eyes moving from his face to her hands as she picked at her nails. "I don't need time sunny, I never needed time, I just thought you needed an out," he whispered as she nodded and looked up at him.

"if we get back together I want some rules," she proposed, "I want better communication, and I want you not to make decisions like that for me, if I wanted an out or a break I would've told you," she watched as he nodded.

"Can I hug you?" he asked softly as she opened her arms, his face burned itself in her neck as her hands found the back of his head, fingers intertwining with his outgrown hair as he squeezed her torso, "I'm such a fucking idiot for letting you go." "You are," she whispered, "but I was never going anywhere Adam, you’re stuck with me," he pulled away and smiled at her, tears lining his eyes as he let out a laugh. "Good, I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Can I kiss you now?" she asked but was met with no answer as his cold hands cupped her face and his lips captured hers in a sweet kiss, slightly sloppy but very passionate, almost to make up for the lost time as her hands found the back of his neck.

his arms lowered from her face, one hand finding her hip, the other finding the counter to stabilize him, trapping her on the granite countertop as she smiled into his mouth.

He pulled away, swollen lips and shaky breaths, as his forehead leaned against hers, "I don't know how I lived without you for nearly six months," he whispered as she grinned and started to kiss along his jaw. "We have a lot of lost time to make up for," she whispered in his ear as he curtly nodded his head and picked her up off of the counter, laughter filling the kitchen as he made a beeline to the stairs, the opened beer and ciders forgot on the counter as they headed to her room.

-

-

-

[marvelsdc22]

Be My Plus One?

A/N: Hello, I'm not dead. My writing powers have returned to me for a short time, it's not my best but here's one that I've had stewing in my brain for the past week.

Summary: After being forced to a hockey game, Lena's night may just turn around upon seeing a certain player.

HockeyPlayerReader! x Lena Luthor

Word Count: 875(very short I know)

Going to a hockey game on a Wednesday night was not what Lena had planned, she had a lot of work to do and this was interfering with that, but Alex and Kara had been adamant that she joined them tonight, so really she had no choice but to go, really who could say no to Kara’s puppy eyes?

As she sat down next to Kara in the dirty looking seat, raising a brow at Kara who was now going ham on the hotdog she had gotten, her noticing Lenas stare and offering the green eyed woman a bite to which she denied with a small chuckle before they both focused on the ice, there was still ten minutes before the match but some of the players were already out practicing.

One particular player seemed to have caught her eye, number 11 ‘Y/L/N’, she didn’t know what it was that drew her to watching as you skated around at a leisurely pace, seeming to watch all the other players as you went around, that is until you felt her eyes on you, catching her gaze and giving her a lazy smirk as she blushed and quickly averted her gaze Cute you thought to yourself as you went back to focusing on the others, trying to get a read on them.

Once the game started, you were in full focus mode, making sure nobody touched your goalie, being the right defenseman, watching as your center went for the puck, them trying to stay one step ahead of them, slowly drifting forward when your two wings tried to go and assist, getting into your defensive stance when the other team broke through, getting into a scuffle over who got the puck before you managed to smack it back across the ice, doing your best to aim for one of your teammates.

This continued all the way until halftime, no points on either side as you and your team headed back to the locker rooms, Kara looked over at Lena with a smile, the woman seemed to be at the edge of her seat “Are you actually enjoying this?” Kara asked, nudging her with her shoulder and watching her friend jump slightly before looking at her “What? No… Maybe” Lena admitted with a laugh and a shrug of her shoulders.

“Lets go get some food and a drink, I can tell you’re thirsty” Kara teased, standing up and making her way out of their row, leaving Lena shocked until she recovered and quickly rushed to catch up with Kara, Alex following behind “So, rooting for either of the teams? Or should I say team members” Alex hinted, smirking slightly when Lena got even more flustered at the accusation.

“Am I not allowed to just show interest in the sport?” Lena scoffed, looking at the two of them as she followed along “Well yeah, but you were very focused on that number eleven” Kara said, glancing back to make sure both were still close behind her since it was a little crowded near the concessions “Hush” Lena huffed, her face on fire as she followed, not even that hungry but Kara was right about one thing, she was thirsty.

Once the game was over, Lena watched as the players headed back to their locker rooms, your team, the National City Dodgers, having won that night; she followed Kara and Alex back towards the entrance, the three of them making a pitstop for the bathrooms, Lena being the first out so she sat down on the bench next to the bathrooms, pulling her phone out to waste time and ironically ending up on your hockey career page.

“If you really wanna know more about me, I don’t think that website will cut it” she heard someone say, causing her to jump and quickly lock her phone in embarrassment of being caught “Is that so?” She asked, trying her best to recover from the embarrassment and trying to keep her eyes on yours and not your after shower body.

You smiled and set your bag down before holding your hand out “Y/N Y/L/N” you introduced, giving her hand a small squeeze when she gripped yours “Lena Luthor” she stuttered out, forcing herself to stand up so you didn’t have to look down at her “So Lena… I couldn’t help but notice your gaze on me all night, the team and I are going to a celebration party at a bar near here, would it be too forward of me to ask you to be my plus one?” You asked, looking cool as a cucumber but on the inside you were a bundle of nerves, you had never done this before.

Lena looked taken aback before she looked towards the bathrooms, thinking about Alex and Kara, but they would be fine, not like she drove them “I would love to” she finally said, and it was worth seeing the massive grin you gained “Really? I-I mean, awesome, lets go” you said, actually surprised she said yes, grabbing your bag once more before taking her hand and leading her out, after that night you played every game at your best, you had to impress your girlfriend of course.

End Note: I wanna see about making little snippets of their life as time goes, if y'all would maybe be interested.

[things-arent-what-they-seem66]

Adam vs Mammon

Based on the rp blog @fanofstuff01

Adam: Do I have to go to this meeting? You always complain about how boring and what a waste of time they are.

Lucifer: Well, as Hell's newest King it's only a matter of time before you'd meet all the sins anyway. Might as well get it out of the way before Sinsmas.

Adam and Lucifer were currently riding in the limo down to the other side of Pride where the Sins meeting was going to take place. Since recently getting married and with twins on the way it was important that Adam get well acquainted with the sins.

But that also meant dealing with that loud mouth Mammon.

Adam: Yeah I guess so.

He placed his hand on his belly and gently rubbed they were so excited to be having kids together at long last.

They pulled up to the building and got out of the limo, Luicfer helped Adam out and they went inside. They sat on the thrones at the high end of the table. Since Adam was crowned King now he had to start attending these meetings at least before the twins came.

Adam sat beside Lucifer holding his hand and the other on his belly. It was like the damn thing grew overnight. He's four months or 17 weeks along.

The sins started to pile into the room and Adam tried not to give Mammon the stink eye. Fucking fat bastard thinks he can just step on Lucifer like he's a bug under his god damned shoe? At least Satan apologized when he broke Lucifer's thumb accidentally.

Lucifer: Good, everyone is here so-

Mammon: Why the fuck is he here?

Lucifer clenched his jaw, they haven't even been here five minutes and already this shit show was acting up. Adam glared at him.

Lucifer: Don't start. Adam is here to-

Mammon: To be an eye sore? Because honestly Lu you-

Adam didn't hear the rest of what he said because his temper flared, something hot inside his core ignited and it wanted out. It wanted out now.

Adam slammed both hands on the table, he felt like a man possessed as he stared down the sin of Greed on the other end of the meeting table.

Adam: The only eye sore in this room is you, you fat ugly piece of Christmas jester garbage. STOP interrupting him!

Luicfer's eyes went wide, what the Hell had gotten into Adam? Sure Mammon was a rude sack of shit but Lucifer could handle him. This little outburst where the other sins were stunned, made Mammon burst out laughing.

Mammon: Oh please!

He got up from his seat and circled the table until he was right by Adam, Lucifer was ready to snap him in half in case he tried anything. Mammon stuck his finger out pointing at Adam..

Mammon: Really Lu? This? You really ought to get your bitch in lin- INE!!

Adam felt that heat only got stronger and he grabbed Mammons finger and with strength he didn't know he possessed, snapped his pointer finger like a twing. He shoved the sin of Greed so hard he landed on his fat ass making the meeting room quake.

Lucifer: .... Adam?

He peered around to look at his husband and was shocked to see his eyes were wholly red, no other color there. His face pinched in a snarl as he glared at Mammon.

Mammon: Why you little bitch!!

He got up and was about to charge at Adam, but Adam held out his hand and in a burst of Hell's flame his guitar axe appeared and he used it to smack Mammon directly in the face making him stumble back before Adam came down and embedded it into Mammons foot.

Step on his fucking husband.

Mammon howled in pain, that shouldn't hurt!? What the fuck?

Mammon: The fuck is that made of angelic steel!?

Adam: Yes actually.

He twisted the blade more, black blood pooled and gushed onto the floor.

Adam: Or did you forget who the fuck I am? I was a commander for a fucking reason you cunt, so I suggest you sit down, stop interrupting my fucking husband or the next place this axe will go is in your fucking skull!!

That last part came out more demonic, flames escaped Adams mouth and the lights flickered.

Mammon actually looked nervous.

Lucifer went over and placed a hand on Adams shoulder, which made Adam relax.

Lucifer: I think he's had enough for now, Addie.

Adam blinked, his eyes going back to that beautiful golden shade Lucifer loved so much. He turned and pulled his guitar out of Mammons foot. Lucifer guided Adam back to his seat as Mammon limped away to his own.

He kept an arm around Adams waist for the rest of the meeting, more so to keep his husband in place. And to feel his lovely curves.

Lucifer: Anyone else? No? Good, let's get this meeting underway.

[leeofthevoid]

Did we or Did we not?

Part Two of Not so Meet-Cute

Farleigh x Reader

a/n: I did think about adding SMUT. I really did. I just don't have the heart to make half-assed SMUT scenes that people would dislike anyways, and I kind of wanted a Fluffy Farleigh fic that still had his usual sass. I love you all so much!

Word Count: 3635

Warnings: Explicit content, Mature Content, Strong Language, 16+

Annabel and India never gave up on your dating life, but you sure have for months now. It's just the same damn thing over and over again, and it was stupid. The boys are all okay at first, but then they disappear from the area. Farleigh swoops in and asks you to make out again, and you just entertain him. It sucks having to bruise your ego every now and then. 

What's worse? Farleigh points that out whenever you two are on each other's nerves. 

"Annabel and India won't stop setting me up for dates." You passively say while lying on his bed, his head on your stomach. He had your shared cigarette in between his fingers while chuckling. "It's getting sadder and sadder by the minute. Are you that desperate?"

You smack him on the forehead, earning a pinch on your thigh. "Farleigh!"

"What? You did it first." You rolled your eyes and stole the cigarette, inhaling deeply to calm your nerves. "I mean, did you tell them you want to stop?" He asked, raising his head to make eye contact for a split second before settling on your stomach again. 

You puff out and sigh. "Well, that's the thing…I kind of don't want to stop? If you get to have sex, why can't I?"

"Because you don't want us to?" 

"And get all your diseases? Bitch, please." You hear a low chuckle from him, reminding you that he is still the same American bitch you dislike. "But be honest, why do you not want to take it up a notch? Am I just your designated boob sucker? Or am I not too English for you? Oh, oh, oh! Maybe you prefer ugly men." You scoff and push his head off, but he is pretty adamant about lying down on it. 

"Eugh, it's just weird, okay? You had your chance, but you blew it last year." You sat up and looked down at his stupid face. 

"And why can't I have a second?" He mockingly fluttered his eyelashes. "Because you dragged me to your bed just because one of your little toys can't come in this morning." He scrunched up his nose and groaned, "Touché." 

You push him off to stand and fix yourself in front of the mirror in his room, a burst of annoyance nagging at you when you see your reflection. "Farleigh! I said no fucking marks!" It was everywhere. On your neck, chest, back?! Not even a single place untouched by that little shit. 

Farleigh walks up to you with a grin, placing his chin on your shoulder, hands wrapped around your waist. "I know a place I could put them where no one can see." He hummed. You rolled your eyes and shoved him away from you. 

"You don't deserve it." He raised his eyebrows at you, leaning on the cabinet next to you and checking the time. "We have class, babes. Time for you to cover that up." He got a sweater from the cabinet, threw it at you, and fixed himself. 

Another day, another regret of wearing a strapless top you had to cover because of Farleigh. What a dreadful day for fashion. 

Walking down the hallway, India fell into step with you with another juicy gossip. She paused and looked at the sweater that clearly did not match the black pencil skirt and spiky boots you had going on. "Farleigh made you do his homework again?" You nodded and sighed. 

"Babes, this is a sign to sit next to that smart kid in our class. He could totally at least get homework out of your hands." She had this impressed look on her face and linked her arm around yours. "Imagine the power couple of the year!"

"No way. Do you not notice how he picks his nose?" Farleigh pointed that out when the guy walked past you a few weeks back. "Oh. Ew, alright, never mind." She scrunched up her face and started to talk about the other guy.

It was a few hours after classes, and India had this giddy smile. She separated from you when you went to class and quickly looked for you when you were dismissed. "India, hiding something from me?" She giggled and walked you to a table with Annabel, a boy beside her. Oh fuck.

"And he just threw it?"

"Yes! He had this whole speech about being able to afford another one!"

You and Farleigh laugh while sitting on the bed of another house party you were dragged to. "There's no way he could replace that. You know that kid got here because his mother was hot?"

Your eyes grew big, and a gasp came out of your mouth. "No way!"

"Yes, way. One of the board members had a huge crush on her, and when she begged him, he didn't think twice." You both laugh as you gossip about that guy you had a terrible 'date' with three weeks back.

"I still can't get over how he insulted your sweater and my ring. He went on and on about how cheap the fabric was, how it washed out my 'beauty,' and how my ring seemed to have a fake red diamond." He gasped, eyes in disbelief. He sat crossed leg with a pillow he clutched tightly when you told him more about the disastrous date. 

"Oh god, how dare he? That sweater probably costs more than his flat." He scoffs, clearly irritated by the dislike of his fashionable clothes. "I know right! You're horrible, but you at least have taste in clothes." You both burst out laughing, Farleigh shoving you while you tried to breathe.

"Fuuuuck! Annabel and India are such idiots. How could they not tell the fake Piaget he was flaunting." A sigh escaped your lips as you leaned back on the headboard. "Trust me, I've been to worse. I just didn't appreciate the casual flaunting and the insulting." Farleigh raised an eyebrow and scooted next to you to sit back. "He told me, "What is that bloody junk doing on your delicate hand? Someone must really hate you for giving you a fake." Like, seriously?" 

Farleigh made an amused sound, and then a smirk followed. "The wicked witch and the fake ass bitch. Sounds meant to be." He smirked, earning him a ton of smacks and slaps. It ended up in you two play fighting, grunts, and victorious laughs tossed here and there. When you both settled, sprawled on the bed, heaving air, you got to thinking. "I need alcohol and a line or two…Maybe even a joint." Farleigh craned his neck to you and shuffled to stand up. "We're at a party for a reason; stand up, my dear! This party needs us!" You giggle and take the hand he outstretched to pull you up. 

You were totaled, and the amount of things you took was wild. And you sure as hell did suffer so severely the next day. You wake up in someone else's bed, your head pounding and your body sore. Fuck, this soreness was definitely not from partying too hard. "Fuck!" 

"Shut up." You shot your head to look at the space next to you, moving from under the covers to avoid the sun. You were too groggy to retaliate and can't even register your surroundings yet. It was just sore and not in a terrible way. Just the sore you get when you've spent the whole night having…Sex. 

Fuck! The panic set in, and you checked under the covers. Yup, that is your naked body under there. What a fucking idiot, how could this happen? There were a ton of drinks, but were you that shitfaced you couldn't even remember?

You wasted no time pulling the covers to wake the stranger, which might have made your blood run cold.��

"Ahhhhhh!" You couldn't stop screaming bloody murder when Farleigh shot up and looked around to check what the commotion was about. "What! What!" 

"You!" You clutched the cover to your chest and threw pillows at him. "Farleigh, what the fuck is happening!" 

He paused for a moment and then realized," Shit, how? When?" 

"I don't know!"

"Did we…"

"I'm fucking sore, so yeah, we definitely did." He groaned and quickly got up to run into the bathroom, snagging his clothes from the floor on the way. 

You huffed and pulled the covers up to look for your clothes, carefully picking them from the floor. Your legs were wobbly, but you could still wear your clothes again…Or what's left. There were weird tears on them, and you hated the party even more now. I guess you were glad to at least wake up in the familiar space of Farleigh's dorm room instead of the house where the party started. 

You sat down on the bed again when he came out. "So…"

"Do you remember anything, Farleigh?" He sat down on his study chair, creaking under his weight. "I don't remember much, to be honest. I just remembered playing many games with Felix, and we absolutely crushed that idiot's ego. I saw you making out with two guys at once, too. Uhm…” 

You choked, eyes widening, not believing the last thing you did. It may be best not to remember much. "I'm sore." He looked at you, and a slight smirk plastered his lips. 

"Well, I'm going to take that as a compliment." 

"Oh, shove off!" His face rested on the palm of his hand, looking as smug as ever. "As if you totally didn't imagine me as one of your gross professors, you weirdo."

"And you must have fantasized about being under one of Felix's blonde posh friends." Still triumphant as ever, this ass. "As if! Did you know Ellis didn't use deodorant until Felix gave him a spare? Or that Matthew doesn't bel-"

"Believe in condoms? Yes, I do. Little Matty wanted a piece of your man, but I refused." You can't help but crack a grin at his twisted form of acknowledgment that he was not an easy catch.

You wanted to look at him longer when his door suddenly opened, Felix crashing in, looking excited. "Holy fuck, Far. You guys were at it the whole night the fucking R.A. almost went in due to noise complaint." You sighed and sat up. "Felix, best to shut the door before telling your fun little story."

Felix chuckled and closed the door behind him, then sat on the floor, his body trying hard not to bombard you with gossip. "Holy shit, guys, one of the T.A.s went to the party, and the dude was a massive lightweight. Even dunked his head in the fountain on the way back just to wake him up." Farleigh barely listened, but you loved blackmail so much that you could not let it pass. 

"I'm actually kind of interested as to how we fucked?" Farleiigh pointed at you and himself, getting even more excited that he had to stand up. "Okay, okay. So basically, you two were just partying and playing some games with us when India told her," He pointed at you, "To chug like, what? A whole bottle of Vodka! By the way, I respect you so much for that." You chuckle at his boyish daftness that you can't even comment. 

"Then holy fuck! When we all got out of the party, Annabel and I were kind of doing our thing when Farleigh almost broke my door demanding for an extra condom!" Farleigh turned and massaged his temple. At the same time, he bit his lip in surprise. You could only cover your mouth to hide yours. "Holy shit! You guys went on for hours, and I had to switch locations because we could not get our thing going!" The annoying thing about Felix was that he was so passionate that even his arms could not stop moving to emphasize whatever he deemed interesting. 

"Stop, stop, stop," Farleigh said, eyes shut and index fingers plugged in his ears. He's right. This was a ton of information on a Sunday morning. 

"Felix, let's grab breakfast first. This is just a one-time thing; it won't happen again. Go and tell Annie we'll be at the café in a bit. "Alright, mate. See you later, wild ones." 

A beat of silence finally returned to the room when you and Farleigh looked at each other. "See you later." He nodded, and you went to who knows where to get fresh air. 

How did this happen? You guys promised to the one thing off-limits, and all crashed down in one night. Oh well, it won't happen again.

Right?

Farleigh was groaning beside you for the nth time while you gave him headache medication to ease up his pain. The class hasn't even started yet, but most of the students looked like they were about to pass out.

It was almost like the world hated you. You get your fix of sexual need, but the catch is you don't know how it went. The only thing you know is that you do it with Farleigh. Happens every two weeks. 

Compared to India and Annabel, who was passed out in last night's clothes, you at least had the decency to change into new ones that were more decent but still screamed 'Hot bitch’.

"Babes, this lecture is killing me." You shake your head as he grumbles more about how he probably did all the work last night that's why you were in less pain. Little shit. 

"Shut up, you little baby. We both know you're a whiney fuck that likes to be bottom." He shot you a glare and continued to silently nurse himself back to health. Silently whimpering while he basically put his whole body weight on you. 

It felt weird. It was like the night you two do it, you can't remember a thing. He doesn't either. In fact, that bitch sometimes blames you for 'touching his beautiful body' like a dramatic fucker he is. It happens every two weeks, and at this point, you don't mind anymore. 

From someone you hated so much, you two became closer friends than India ever was with you. Farleigh had all the gossip and snide remarks you never got from your girlfriends. You matched his energy and were very candor about the people he talks about. 

Class ended and you had to wake Farleigh up. "Farleigh, wake up." 

"No." He whined. 

"And if I pour water on your new velvet shirt?" 

His eyes shot up and sat back, glaring at you. "You'd never." 

"I would." A smug look on your face as you stood up and followed the wave of students walking out the class. 

Felix all texted you to meet up at the pub later that night. Farleigh decided to get ready together at your dorm, a decision you never had a chance to stop. 

"Hey, Farleigh, do you think I'm sometimes trying too hard to get a guy?" He looked at your reflection as he was fixing his hair. "Don't we all try too hard?" He used his hands to make his curls more prominent and kept. 

You creased your forehead, thinking too deeply enough to draw blood while biting down your bottom lip. "I mean…It just feels like I'm doing things to amuse you a lot. I feel like I gave up a long time ago."

He turned his head to look at you, stopping whatever he did and sighed. "Hey, not feeling like partying?" You nodded and sat on the bed, slumping your back. "No. I don't feel like doing anything much to be honest." 

Farleigh's eyes flashed recognition, and he sat next to you, placing his head on yours. "It's your time of the month, isn't it?" Confusion shot in your mind but you still nodded. How the fuck did he know? "...How?" He chuckled and wrapped an arm around your shoulder. '"You get all sentimental and overthink. I'd rather stay in too. If you're not there, what's the point of being in a boring party." You don't know what wave of emotion came over you, but you felt so nice that tears welled up in your eyes. 

In a twisted way, this idiot got to your heart in his own way. Without Felix or India to force you to be together in a room or a park date that they concocted just to play cupid. You liked seeing this side of him that was far from that asshole you met in first year. 

You appreciated him so much that you were afraid of the possibility that the asshole got his second chance of 'shooting his shot'. He was too good to be true, and you didn't want to lose that. He was too important just for your measly feelings to ruin what you had. 

Even after that whole ordeal, Farleigh became more attentive and he looked more beautiful in your eyes for some reason. He always makes time for you and was never shy to ask for your help in his essays and other things he knew you excelled at. 

The one time you knew you were disgustingly in love with him was when you were at your weakest during the year. When your grandfather died. 

He was so kind and so loving. He was the one who pushed you to still hangout with people so you won't die of loneliness in your dorm room. The one to lie next to you when you had to cry so much that you got sick at night. The one who took notes from your classes that you missed while you grieved. He was also kind enough to teach you about the rock tradition his family had, which helped you a ton. 

He was just so imperfectly perfect. 

When you finally got better, finished finals, and was in the time of the term to get ready for summer break, you had the courage to confess.

He lounged on your bed with that bitchy bored expression of his as you paced the room back and forth. "Baby, stop doing that and just tell me what's up. You're making me fucking dizzy, love." You stopped and rolled your eyes before sitting at the edge of the bed beside him. 

"Farleigh, I have to tell you something. It's really important that you don't fucking make fun of me or else I will kill your whole family and leave the country afterwards." He crossed his arms over his chest and breathed out. "Go on then, I'm listening."

You paused and took out a small bottle of tequila, downing it quickly to gain some liquid courage that you badly needed. "Woah morning drinks already." You glared at him as he stuck his tongue out at you. 

"So! Farleigh Start. You shitty bitch that replaced me with another person while we were on a date last year. The idiot that asks me to make-out with him that I can't say no because you're undeniably good. The asshole that I fight with all the time."

"Wow, it's like a proclamation of hate." You covered your hand on his running mouth while clearing your throat. "Farleigh…" He rolled his eyes and sat back. You removed your hand and slowly fidgeted with your sheets. 

"Farleigh, I think I like you." 

You ran all scenarios in your head for what reaction you will get but probably missed this one. He scoffed. The type of scoff that makes you think he knows for a long time now.

"Fucking finally." You gave him a confused look, he simply rolled his eyes keeping up with the bitchy act. 

"Do you know how long I've been waiting for this? You know you're such an oblivious prick sometimes it hurts my head." You gave him a look while he went on, "Um…What the fuck?"

"Babes, everything I did for you. It was my shot to try and redeem myself for a second chance. The moment you called me out in that bathroom I realized what I lost." You smirked, "My beautiful face and striking personality?" 

"That and… You're you. You don't try too hard. I did! I tried so fucking hard to actually get you to talk to me more. And you know what's worse? Kissing you makes it hard to kiss other people!"

You rolled your eyes yet again because it sounded way too condescending for someone who wants you to like them. Idiot. 

"No, listen. You don't get it. Kissing you felt like something that wasn't lust or boredom. You knew how to kiss well and I was bewitched!" 

"Exaggerating won't help your case after downplaying my confession." You crossed your leg over the other to add a bit more sass in your words. 

"I like you too, Y/N. I like you so much that I stopped doing my American slut façade and just wanted to be there for you. Unlike Felix and my supposed family, I felt like I was seen for who I was." 

It was touching and honest. You saw his eyes getting glossier while emphasizing his own twisted confession. You held his hand and kissed it. "You know. I'm not a jealous person, so I probably missed the part where you ask for forgiveness for doing the tango with other people." 

"How could I when I do it with a ninety-year-old by soul bitch who had sex with me multiple times when we were black-out drunk." You smiled and pinched his cheeks hard. 

"I hate you, Farleigh." 

"I love you too." He said with a genuine smile. 

You looked into his eyes and sighed. This asshole really made you do all that just to make you realize he liked you. What a prick. 

But he's your prick now.

a/n: What if Farleigh Racer AU next?

[justash02]

Womanizer; 04

A/n; lemme know if you have feedback! It’s always welcome! So are Requests!

Plot; Everyone who knew who Tom Kaulitz was knew that he was girl crazy, he's very well known for having girls around him all the time.

Pairing; Tom Kaulitz x fem reader.

Previous chapter -> next chapter.

Master list

Taglist<3

*^*^*

"Oh I love it and I hate it at the same time, you and I drank the poison from the same wine"

*^*^*

"Breaking news! Trouble in debut world! Lead singer Y/n L/n slaps leader Adam Smith after not getting the best rookie album award!"

"Want to explain this?" Ray, our manager asked, "This is you guys 6 week as a band and you guys already fighting?" Ray said looking me in the eyes.

Adam sat next me, he kept shifting in the chair he was sitting in avoiding Ray. "It's her fault, Ray." He mumbled.

Ray looked over at me as if to ask if he's telling the truth making me shake my head, "What happened." I wanted to open my mouth before Ray continued; "Every detail and calm please." I nodded.

"We were placed at the same table as Tokio Hotel, Tom Kaulitz was just making some flirty comments-"

"He was trying to fuck you."

"Let's Y/n speak."

A mhpm was heard next to me indicating that the boy next to me wasn't happy with the way this was going.

"As I was saying he was being himself, which he is known for." I said dramatically turning to Adam, "and I just brushed it off but this Clown here said I was just trying to fuck my way up."

"Ugh Adam, what's wrong with you." Ray groaned as I finished the story, "Tom is pretty known for having intercourse with almost all girls he meets, Y/n is attractive, what did you expect?"

"that doesn't make it right!" Adam suddenly yelled making me jump, "Y/n is not only your lead singer but also a human, stop treating her like she can't decide for herself. If she wants to have sex with Mr. kaulitz that so be it."

Wow, feminist Ray? I love this Ray.

"I'm just trying to protect my best friend." Said as he started to rub the back of his neck, he looked over at me with those puppy eyes I've grown to feel safe around.

"I'm sorry, Y/n. I shouldn't have said that to you." He apologized grabbing my hand in his gently rubbing the back with his thumb.

"I forgive you, but don't you ever do that shit again." He nodded and smiled at me, suddenly feeling a sense of relieve coming from him.

*^*^*

Soon the day of the shooting had come and Bill was sitting with me in my trailer, Anne was already busy doing my makeup while Bill was being Bill in the background.

"Before I forgot to tell you this, Toms gonna be here soon." My eyes widened as I stared at the black haired boy.

"Why?" I panicked making him laugh, "He's probably fucking some girl here, he told me he had business here." He said mindlessly while flipping through a magazine.

Oh ok so there's basically nothing to worry about. Right?

"We're going for a red wet look ok?" Anne asked me as she was putting a bright red lip tint on my lips. I hummed and smiled slightly as she told me smack my lips together to get it to go evenly.

"You're ready." Anne said as she stepped away letting me see my look,  she made my hair look wet by using gel, my lips were a bright red and so was the wing like eyeshadow. All around my face were small red gems glued to my face making me gasp.

"You out did yourself yet again Anne!" I giggled as I stood there in awe looking at my look.

I could feel Bill's eyes burn the back of my head as he was observing me. He had a small smile on his face as he stood up.

He turned me around and wrapped his arms around me, "You look gorgeous." I couldn't help but feel like my cheeks were on fire.

"Thank you, Bill." He nodded and patted my head, "Good luck."

*^*^*

"There's something missing." The director said, "We need something spicier." She spoke again.

We had done a few takes now for other songs and this one was one of the last songs we needed to do and the director wanted it to be perfect.

"Is there any man that would like to do a scene with Y/n?" My eyes widened as I looked over at Adam, silently telling him to do something.

"Uh ma'am can't we think of something else." The woman shook her head as she She had already made up her mind.

"You!" I followed her finger and saw- TOM? No. No. I WILL NOT.

"You look perfect for what I have in mind!" Tom was looking rough to say the least. His dreads looked like a mess, his pants was half pass his hips telling me he was in a rush to putting them back on.

Ah he did have some business here.

"Me? I'm not an actor." He tried to say but the director already pushed him over to me making him trip halfway to me.

I quickly grabbed his arm keeping him steady, he nodded out of appreciation and stood next to me.

"I don't think I have to ask if you're sexually active, sir?" He just smirked and played with the band of his pants. Fuck did he look good post nut.

"I am, ma'am. Wanna get in line?" She smirked at him before handing him her card with her number. When I tell you my jaw dropped when he winked at her and put the card in his pocket Im not joking.

"Well this pretty young lady is a virgin."

"Hey I've never said that!" I yelled out embarrassed, I could hear Bill laughing in the background.

"You didn't have to baby, it's obvious." Wow ok. Bitch.

"It's ok baby, he'll take good care of you."

"What the fuck, are we actually making porn?!" I heard Ben yell from the back as I heard Clair laugh her ass off.

Assholes. All of them. 

"What's your name darling?" She asked Tom, "Tom Kaulitz." She smirked.

"Well Tom, I need you guys to pretend to actually be sexually attracted to each other." She explained.

"Wouldn't be too hard for Y/n!" Ben yelled, which led to a loud "OW" from him a second later.

"You guys haven't had sex yet, the sexual tension is getting higher and higher. You guys need each other, you can't live without each other. You need that deeper connection. Tom's a fuck boy and you're that sweet innocent girl."

[hanmaitani]

Orion

PAIRING - Miya Osamu x Reader WC - 1.3K GENRE - fluff A/N - this series is my heart on a stake. be nice to it please. CW - reader and osamu are still in high school for this part

PREV PART | MASTERLIST | NEXT PART

Osamu's back was cold. Freezing actually, as he lay with it pressed against the freezing cold plastic of the park play structure.

"Don't you ever just wanna live amongst the stars?"

The question took him off guard, bringing him back down to earth as the giggle that accompanied your question broke the silence between you two.

The silence hadn't been bad. It was a comforting sound. Natural against his ears now with you. But he couldn't complain against your laughter, that was much better to him.

"Do I what?" He laughed loudly as his response, turning his head to look over at you. You were laid opposite of him, head next to his but body pointing a separate direction. Your favorite way to lay with him.

The first time you'd deemed it your 'favorite position' to look at the stars, you'd told him it was so you could see things from a different perspective and then 'compare notes'. He'd laughed back then too, but he always complied with your wishes nonetheless.

You had that dreamy look in your eye again tonight. The same one that Osamu had noted down meant you were about to say something that made him think way too much. It was just a little glimmer that he swore made your eyes shine brighter than any of the stars he was supposed to be looking at right now.

You glanced over at him finally, a playful smile on your lips to match that glint in your eye. "Living with the stars, Osa."

His heart skipped a little at the way the nickname fell from your lips. The nickname that only you called him. The one that he would probably deck someone else for calling him. Well, definitely would deck someone else for. He had definitely decked Atsumu for calling him it before.

But this was you. It was different.

You were the girl who somehow spent the entire week after their first conversation convincing him to try and get up early the next Sunday morning and meet at the cafe before church. The same girl who he'd dragged himself out of bed for (way too early in his opinion) every Sunday morning for the last 8 months.

Yeah. You were different.

Maybe a little crazy.

He always played along with your crazy questions, however. "What constellation would ya join?" He had to stop himself from laughing again as he watched your eyes light up with amazement before you turned and focused them back to the sky.

"Oh my gosh!" You exclaimed quietly, stunned from the question. "How did I never think about that!?" Your hands came up to cover your mouth as you squinted up at the sky. "Don't start a new conversation yet! I need to focus!" You rushed all the words out at once and he couldn't help it.

He laughed at you loudly. "You're the one talking-"

"Shhhhh!" You hushed him, trying to cover his mouth with your hand without looking. It resulted in you missing the first few times and lightly smacking around his face until you got to your goal. You could feel his smile under your palm.

He let it be, complying with your request for silence with a playful eye roll. If it were anyone else… but it wasn't. It was you. He was okay like this. Just being silent with you, watching you think too in detail about something.

He did it a lot. This was part of your routines now. Saturday nights. The two of you would lay on the play structure by your house and watch the stars. Then he would walk you home. And in the morning, he'd drag himself out of bed for you, early, and go meet you at the cafe.

He took the quiet time to take in how you looked now.

Your fingers rested easy against his face, not quite released from their task of keeping him silent for you, but not as adamant now. He preferred you now to your Sunday mornings.

Sunday mornings were always the same perfect pristine hairstyle and flawless makeup. But Saturday nights? Saturday nights saw your hair frizzy from the day’s activities. Saturday nights showed your eyeliner smudged and your clothes crinkled.

Your Sunday mornings were constantly bringing a ray of sunshine to his cloudy mornings, even 8 months later. But for some reason, Osamu always liked your Saturday night look better. Softer. More like the dreamer that you were. Like the dreamer he-

"Orion!" You exclaimed suddenly, breaking through his thoughts. "I'll live with Orion. The hunter." Your voice held the air of finality it always had when there would be no room for Osamu to argue with you.

There might not have been room for his arguments but, there was always room for his teasing. "How typical o' ya." You gasped and shoved him lightly, slapping at his chest in indignation. "What!" He exclaimed with a laugh. "Ev'ryone knows how t'fin' Orion."

"Well then." You propped yourself up on your elbows, twisting slightly and looking down at him mockingly. "Guess even your stupid self will always know how to find me then."

Osamu couldn't help the laugh that fell out of his mouth at that. His jaw was dropped in shock at your audacity. "Remind me why I put up with you again?" But he didn't really need the answer. Looking up at you like this, hair framing your face messily as you teased him, he knew why.

Because you were his best friend. Because you didn't go a day without seeing each other. Shared classes turning to shared lunches and now shared weekends. Because he was your best friend. Because he-

"Because you looooove me." You giggled.

It clicked. Like being smacked in the face with a book. A light switch clicking on. Yeah. That was it. Because he loved you. Shit.

He couldn't handle the implications of that at the moment. Didn't want to process those feelings yet. Instead, he decided to counter your teasing with a small eye roll before pushing himself off the ground.

"Come on, crazy. Let's get you home to Orion." You giggled as he pulled you up like it was nothing, a little hop when your feet hit the ground. He felt light, like he was floating up into the stars with you.

"You’re right!" You laughed as you leaned against his chest for a moment before pulling back. "I think the world would end the Sunday that I'm not up early enough to make you get up."

He rolled his eyes lightly at you but let you continue your teasing as he walked you in the direction of your house. He didn't mind your teasing, it was always paired with your giggles. The ones that made him feel fuzzy inside.

When Osamu and you stopped at the front gate to your house he felt a little sad that the night was over, a common feeling for him on Saturday nights, despite knowing that he'd see you again in less than 12 hours.

You, however, turned back to smile at him. "Well," you drew out the word as you took a step backwards through the gate, "Orion awaits." Another giggle left your lips as you turned towards your house.

"Crazy." He mumbled with a laugh, shaking his head as he smiled. "Goodbye." He teased you in a singsong voice as you walked away, knowing how you hated the sentiment.

You turned then, only having made it six feet away from him. You pointed your finger at him accusingly, a playful glare shot at him. "See you tomorrow!" You corrected him as a smile crept on your lips, looking back at him.

Osamu mentally smacked himself for not having noticed it before. He loved you.

And when you turned and kept walking, something in his chest pulled towards you.

He couldn't bring himself to look away. Couldn't even bring himself to blink.

He was afraid. Afraid that if he stopped watching for even one second, that this would all fade away.

TAGLIST - OPEN

@tsukiran @awkwardaardvarkforever @ryomance

[firehousefreak911]

Hello. I love your content. You can write an image where Eddie Diaz and Female reader have a relationship and Eddie cheats on the reader with Christoper's teacher The reader finds out and Eddie repents and seeks to fix things. ❤️🙈

I’m Sorry

Note: this was a hard one for me to write. I had the fights and every thing down but the make up was difficult for personal reasons. But here you go!

It was the third night in 2 weeks that Eddie came home late from shift. When you asked him he would avoid eye contact and simply tell you he had been running errands. The first time you believed him, the second night you were doubtful but this time you knew better.

You were sitting on the couch watching some old movie. You weren’t really watching you were distracted by the idea of your husband being with someone else. Christopher sat down on the couch next to you. He laid his head on your shoulder.

“Mom, where’s dad? He promised me he would be home in time to hear about my day.” Your step son asked. You squeezed his shoulder.

“I don’t know buddy, I haven’t heard from him” you replied.

“Why don’t you go get ready for bed? You don’t have to go to sleep yet but just get comfortable and watch a movie or play a video game.” You suggested. He agreed and went off to get ready.

Hours passed, Christopher fell asleep. You sat in the dark on the couch. You heard the front door unlock. You listened to the sound of his keys hitting the table.

“Where have you been?” You ask startling him.

“Out, I had things to do” he replied

“It’s 2 am, what could you be doing?” You replied getting mad.

“Don’t start y/n, it’s been a long day” he whispered.

“Our son stayed up all waiting for his dad to come home so he could at least see him before bed, but you never showed, he fell asleep waiting” you stated, walking towards the kitchen.

“He’s my son” he replied. You stopped in your tracks.

“Excuse me?” You turned and stepped towards him.

“You are just his step mom” Eddie replied coldly

“I am the one who packs him up and takes him to school, I am the one who holds him and tells him everything is ok when you decide not to come home, every time we get a phone call saying your hurt I am the one who comforts him. Don’t you dare say I’m not his mom” you say holding back angry tears. You push past him to the bedroom. He slept on the couch.

You wake up to the smell waffles and bacon. You make your way to the kitchen to find Christopher and Eddie making breakfast.

“Good morning buddy, whatcha got there?” You ask pressing a kiss to Christopher head.

“We made breakfast!” He cheers.

Eddie walks over and tries to kiss your cheek. You pull away.

You put on a fake smile and sit down next to Chris, that boy turns it into a real smile though. You love hearing Chris talk about everything that makes him happy. You finish eating, Eddie says he will do the dishes.

You go get ready for the day. You take Chris to his friend’s house and run some errands. You get back to a spotless house. Eddie isn’t there though. Your not surprised. You sit on the couch and attempted to read a book but you can’t focus. A few hours past and Eddie comes home.

The odor of a strange perfume smacks you in the face. It all makes sense now. The late nights, the anger outburst, the secrets, he was having an affair. You put your book down.

“Who is she?” You ask calmly.

“What?” He ask

“I said who is she?” You ask

“Who is who?” He ask, playing dumb.

“Come on Eddie, don’t play dumb, I deserve better, I deserve the truth” you state, standing up.

He sighs and sits down on the couch solemnly. He runs his hands over this face.

“I’m sorry, ok? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to let it go this far. I never meant to hurt you. I’m sorry” he whimpered

“Who is she?” I state, remaining calm and quiet.

“Julia, Julia Adams” he whispered.

“Our son’s teacher!?” You reply shocked.

“I’m sorry, it started off as a tutoring session. She was helping me figure out the curriculum so I could help Chris, and then it slowly turned into more” he said sounding defeated. He gets up.

“I cant believe you” you turn and lean on the table behind the couch. He walks towards you. He tries to rub your back but you pull away.

“I’m sorry Eddie, I need some time” you rush off to the bedroom to pack some stuff.

~~~

It had been a few days, you had tried to avoid Eddie as much as possible while still picking Chris up and taking him to and from school. You weren’t ready to face him yet. You loved him but you didn’t know if that love was enough to heal your open wounds.

You were staying with Hen and Karen while you picked your life back up. They were both at work and Denny was at school. You heard a knock at the door. Before you could answer it, you heard a voice.

“Y/n, baby? It’s me, please answer the door! I know you’re in there, please can we talk? I miss you! Please! I’m sorry!” You didn’t want to open it but you also didn’t want him causing a scene.

You slowly open the door. You find a disheveled Eddie standing there.

“What?” You say coldly.

“Can we please talk?” He begs.

“Im listening” you reply backing up into the house to let him in. He follows you in and sits down.

“I screwed up, I know, I am sorry, but please don’t give up on us” he says trying to grab your hand.

“Why shouldn’t I? Seems like you already did” you say pulling away, “just tell me one thing, why? Why her, why anyone, was I not enough?”

“Thats not it, I love you with everything I have, but she gave me a different kind of attention. You love me for me, she saw only the brave firefighter who would do anything for his son, with you, it’s well you see my bruised and battered heart and mind and love me anyway. I don’t know, I guess I just liked being the hero again.”

For the first time in days you actually looked at him. He was worn out.

“Eddie I love you and everything about you. You are a brave firefighter who would die for his son, you were a dedicated husband and friend. You beat your self down daily trying to be better than the day before. I love you because I’ve seen how far you’ve came over the years.” You say grabbing his hands. “I’m sorry for rushing out the other day. I love you”

[khreborns]

A little late since his Birthday already passed—but any relationship headcanons for Tsuna? Maybe some bonus birthday ones? 🧡

╰┈➤Apologies for the lateness. Thank you for sending this in! Happy belated birthday to the wonderful Neo-Vongola primo!!

𖥔 ˖ PAIRING  : y/n x Tsuna 𖥔 ˖ WARNING  : pre-established relationship. Gender-neutral y/n. Hopelessly Tsuna.

.𖥔 ˖  TSUNA . .ᐟ.ᐟ

Hopelessly in love ━━━ Tsuna has been in love with you long before you two even got together. He dreamt of you often, both at night and throughout the day. He'd often get scolded or smacked over the head by Reborn depending on when this happened*. Even after Tsuna and you got together, he was still so hopelessly in love. If anything it got worse...it isn't surprising to see him look as though he were floating while having the goofiest expression on his face, just because he was thinking of you, which was most times.

Hopeless with proposal━━━ it took a long time for Tsuna to get the courage to propose to you. He was so afraid that this would be the moment his amazing relationship with you would shatter. There was no way he could be happy for so long, right? When you accepted his proposal, in spite of the fact it was utterly ruined (Tsuna's entire plan got messed up, his suit was covered in mud and he had LOST the engagement ring and thus improvised using his own sky ring as a place holder for this moment. ) You felt this was the perfect proposal, it captured your beloved so perfectly and so you two shared a tearful kiss under the moonlight.

Hopeless with "family" ━━━ surprisingly the wedding planning was more difficult than expected. Tsuna was more than willing to allow you to choose whatever you liked! The venue, the flowers, the decorations...all of this you had full discretion over. He just wanted to be by your side as you picked and planned the wedding. At one point you had to talk to him about having more input, it was sweet seeing how happy he was just to be with you but wedding planning was stressful. He straightened up as soon as you brought that up. The most difficult hurdle, however, was invitations. Tsuna wanted his mom there but not his father. He was adamant that Iemitsu shouldn't be there. Of course, Reborn wasn't going to allow that: "think of how that'd look, Tsuna. You can't not have your father there. This is a crucial time for Neo Vongola's growth, we don't need the other families looking down on us further." And so Tsuna became adamant that "if he must be there, then he has to sit in the back next to the toilet!" He also wanted Reborn to be seated where the father of the groom ought to be. This once again caused another clash between the two. "You can't do that either, dame-Tsuna..." Reborn said through pursed lips. "You know how bad that'd look, right?" Still he didn't want to budge. Reborn only managed to get part of his way due to you having to step in. Why did you? Because you knew how much it hurt Tsuna but you also didn't want the increase hardship of more families judging the Neo Vongola. You reminded him, "Tsu-kun, this is only for appearance sake. We both know who your real father is." Tsuna eventually relented in allowing Iemitsu that seat but Reborn was at the same table with Reborn's place card stated: "Reborn, father figure."*

Hopeless with chores ━━━ it was a big adjustment when you two finally moved in together. Tsuna was incredibly happy, of course, and scrambled to not be a "complete loser" in front of you. He was torn between walking on cloud nine just being able to see you every day versus not wanting to look bad in your eyes. Imagine his utter shock when he managed to do that without thinking. Tsuna can be rather thoughtless and he never had to clean up after himself living with Nana, and then living with Gokudera in the college dorms...of course, when you two decided to live together, he immediately cleaned the place up until it was shining (he called it the Week of Hell) but what Tsuna forgot about was...homes need upkeep. He was utterly mortified when you finally approached him, looking displeased. "Tsu-kun...I need to talk to you about cleaning up after yourself..." He wanted to die!! You were definitely going to divorce him!! Thankfully you didn't but Tsuna never slipped up on chores again...

Hopeless with conflict━━━ you two really didn't have arguments or even disagreements. However that was more so due to have incredibly conflict avoidant Tsuna is. Trying to have a conversation about your relationship was like pulling teeth. He didn't want to have to do it, he'd rather ignore it and if you did manage to get him to sit down and "talk" he'd rather just do whatever you said. It took a long time to get Tsuna to understand that these conversations didn't mean your relationship would be destroyed. In fact, not being able to talk was what would do that. Once again Tsuna immediately tried to straighten up. This was not as smooth as a transition because he really was so avoidant...but he tried. He'd shake, sweat and clam up but he'd try to communicate better with you. It just took some...no, a long time but he'd eventually spit his words out.

Hopeful with birthdays ━━━ his birthday was the one time in the year Tsuna could always count on when he was a kid. That was a day dedicated just to him! He could get whatever he wanted and was given a lot of affection. Birthdays became even better after he made friends (that one year not included, of course.) He thinks, however, that birthdays spent with you were the most precious of all. They were never actually on his birthday after he became Neo Vongola Primo, *Reborn said he had to throw an extravagant party on the day but you always made sure to celebrate with him a day after. A day just for Tsuna, a day where he got to spend with the love of his life. It led to Oct 15th being a cherished day in his heart.

Asterisk explanations:

*I believe that once Tsuna becomes a boss officially, their relationship dynamic changes due and Reborn won't physically hit Tsuna anymore, nor will he be forthcoming about opinions. This will make Tsuna sad but Reborn is an "underling" and so keeps this line drawn for the most part. That "Dame-Tsuna" was said through gritted teeth for a reason.

*Reborn was happy inside that Tsuna felt so strongly about him but seeing the looks he got and how Iemitsu kept going "hey why are you here, Reborn?" With a laugh (this behaviour worsening the more drunk Iemitsu got) made Reborn consider kicking Tsuna in the shins.

*Tsuna will only relent on the extravagant birthday parties if Reborn is also celebrated on that day. Reborn reluctantly agrees, he is actually both embarrassed yet happy Tsuna does this for him. Not that anyone could tell.

[blue-rose-soul]

So we all know Alastor's gonna be at second death's door before that wound gets fixed. Even with the footage of his fight with Adam, he'd sidestep any acknowledgement of it.

What's the fallout like in the Main Devil's Bastard AUs?

In the Devil's Bastard AU, Alastor manages to hide his wound up until the moment the Vees make their move and launch an assault against Charlie and her people. Alastor steps in to give his sister investment a chance to escape and in the ensuing combat his wound is reopened. The battle is vicious, resulting in widespread destruction and a massive number of bystander casualties. At first Alastor does manage to hold his own against Vox in spite of the wound gushing blood.

But then the other Vees step in. I'm willing to bet that Vox is the powerhouse of the group with his hypnotism and eletrokinesis, but being Overlords themselves, Valentino and Velvette have to be quite powerful as well. Alastor does manage to hold them at bay for a while, even as badly wounded as he is, but he winds up on the back foot surrounded by three powerful Overlords, the leader of whom is gleefully bragging about how he's going to break Alastor over and over again until Alastor's begging Vox to take his soul just to stop the pain.

Fortunately by this point Charlie's caught her second wind and rejoins the battle. She easily dispatches Valentino and Velvette thanks to her pure strength and the element of surprise. Vox avoids her assault by teleporting away though and no matter Alastor's taunts, he's quite powerful on his own. Maybe not as powerful as Alastor or Charlie at full strength, but both of them are wounded and exhausted and Vox is still in fighting shape. Still, two against one with Charlie's strength and Alastor's skill combined, the battle is far more even than Vox would like it. So he makes a final desperate move for Alastor, planning to grab him and drag him back to Vee Tower through the electrical currents, even if it means leaving the other Vees behind.

That's when Lucifer appears, called by Charlie before she jumped back into battle. He plows Vox into the concrete so hard that the crater Charlie smacked Adam into looks puny by comparison. Vox is just lucky Lucifer is far more concerned about his wounded and exhausted children. Lucifer leaves the Vees twitching on the ground like insects on a windshield as he lifts up Alastor - who's now lost so much blood he's struggling to keep himself upright - and opens a portal back to the hotel.

The next few weeks are filled with much smothering and hovering. For Charlie and Alastor both, but it's especially intense directed towards Alastor, whom everyone in the hotel now knows has been hiding a very large angel-inflicted wound for well over a month. Even when he wakes after passing out for three days, he's confined to further bed rest against his will and really, the only thing keeping him there is Nicaise's, 'I am both angry AND disappointed,' glare.

This would likely mark the first time since The Reveal that Alastor and Lucifer actually talk to one another, and that's mainly because Alastor is a captive audience. Granted, it's less a conversation than an argument, with Alastor reiterating for what must be the thousandth time that he's capable of looking after himself and Lucifer trying to drive home that, as much as Alastor may try to act otherwise, he isn't invincible (without making it sound like a slight. It only sort of gets through).

The argument gradually shifts to Lucifer trying, again, to verbally reaffirm their familial connection and Alastor, again, shooting it down.

L: We're family! That should mean something! A: Why should it? I am the exact same person now as I was when you first stepped foot through the old hotel's doors. I am the same mass murderer. I am the same cannibal. I am the same sinner you so thoroughly despise. The only thing that's changed is that you are aware of this flimsy blood relation that hasn't affected either of us for the past century, so why should it now? L: It just does! What do I need to do to prove it? I would have taken responsibility for you if I'd known you existed back then, and I want to now. Okay? I want to be your dad! A: No, you don't. You just don't want to feel like you've failed as a parent twice over.

Lucifer spends the rest of the evening down at the bar bending Husk's ear.

This is also the point where Charlie decides maybe staying uninvolved isn't the best move. She asks Angel Dust for advice - not wanting to repeat earlier mistakes - but he doesn't have much insight to offer since this situation is very different from the one between him and Valentino. But he does reassure her that this situation is her business, considering it's her family involved.

[letsgetrowdy43]

Adam,

"Living with you drama queens is like having my own personal reality tv show."

It wasn't a morning with the Umich Hockey freshmen if you weren't being woken up by some sort of argument and or a loud string of nonsense from the boys.

Today was no different

Your face was shoved into Adam's chest as you tried to fight off consciousness, but the noise of Johnny and Rutger arguing just outside the door of the Fantilli's dorm was enough to wake the entire floor.

A loud knock on the door startled Luca awake, a sleepy pout on his face as he opened the door, "what?" he groaned as he looked confused, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"We need an argument settled for us" Rutger pushed past the boy standing in the doorframe "Really? That's all?" the older brother said as both Johnny and Rutger stared at him with a look of obviousness on their faces.

Rutger stood looking over the sleeping couple before poking you awake, "up," he said as he watched Adam furrow his brows and pull you further into his chest. "We're not doing this right now" Adam mumbled, still half-asleep as his chin rested upon the top of your head.

"Like fuck you aren't, get up," Johnny said yanking the blankets off of the two of you, a gasp leaving Rut's mouth as he covered his eyes dramatically. "I'm wearing shorts you idiot," you groaned and ran a hand over your face, "now give me the blanket back before I make the decision to accidentally make you bald the next time you ask me to help cut your hair" you look at the two boys who kindly gave you the comforter back to coverup both yourself and a still partially asleep Adam.

"Please just tell us the argument so we can go back to bed," Luca mumbled laying back down in his bed, "what time is it anyways?". "seven-thirty?" Rutger grinned before being smacked up side the head by a pillow Luca had thrown at his head.

"Who do you think is hotter, the girl Johnny got with last week from Alpha Phi or Margo Robbie? cause I was in favour-" "You've got to be fucking kidding me" Adam groaned as Rutger continued the premise of their argument.

You motioned for Johnny to come closer to your face before you extended your hand and smacked him in the arm, "you're both so unbelievably stupid" you mumbled before burying yourself in the crook of Adam's neck.

"You didn't answer the question" Rut reminded you before you turned back over to glare at him. Anger was now fueling your words as you snapped, "Because this is probably the stupidest reason you've ever woken me up for," feigning sleep as you fought back the urge to slap the fuck out of him.

Luca cleared his throat as he stared at the roof, "If it means anything to you Margo Robbie is hotter." A scoff left your mouth as you turned to face your boyfriend's brother, "Luca, don't objectify women this early in the morning," he let out a laugh as your glare harshened.

Rut spoke in a sing-song voice, trying to diffuse your anger, "Adam your opinions?" "I do not have any opinions," he said tiredly, putting his hands up in surrender "He knows what's good for him," You smiled before placing a short kiss on his cheek, then to the tip of his nose, and finally landing on his lips.

"Ew" Johnny drug out the 'w' as he turned his head in horror.

You batted your lashes at the two boys, feigning innocence as you turned back to your boyfriend and placed kisses all over his face, "yucky, stop that!" "Get out if you don't want to see it then" you egged them on as they groaned and left the room.

"Living with you drama queens is like having my own personal reality tv show," Luca mumbled as he pulled his blanket up to his chin. "We keep it real" you shrugged before turning around to press your face comfortably back into Adam's chest, a hum of approval leaving his lips as he let you get comfortable.