#aga: epilogue

[bittersweetaucreator]

Season 1 Ending

Delilah finds goldie and makes a decision to let him stay at her apartment with her roommates, Jace and Jermey and she lies to the Crew about Goldies whereabouts to protect him from Freddy and Foxy, and Goldie discovers that he has more powers than he realizes.

Season 2 coming in June

[taylorman2274]

We Care About You (Epilogue)

A week after bonding with the Traveler, you log back into Genshin and find that a lot has changed since your last time playing.

Content Warning(s): N/A

Notes: SAGAU; GN!Reader;

Word Count: 1.6k

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Taglist: @silverstarred; @victoria1676; @angelofdarkness2; @areaderspov; @andromeda-gay; @ash1; @mercy-not-merci; @toodledoodl3; @jellyedkazoo; @namine123; @innuwu; @agaygothicmushroom; @tired-of-life-86; @fantasyhopperhea; @sweetsourbxtch; @zenith-of-all-zeniths; @velleunv; @creativecupcake; @obsoletedeviant;

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"Something is wrong..."

Wait. No. That's not the word you should be using.

"Something is different..."

These were the thoughts rummaging through your head as you stared at the door to Teyvat on your computer. Everything up to that point had gone smoothly compared to all the previous times you logged on.

This time, however, you noticed that the time it took the game to get ready was noticeably quicker than usual. Like really quickly. Like almost instantaneous.

Like you didn't even have time to check the notifications on your phone. It was as quick as someone snapping their fingers.

"Not that I'm complaining. All the better!" you happily exclaimed, clicking on the screen and opening the door to Teyvat.

Thinking that this loading screen would last around the same time as before, you looked away from the computer towards your phone with the intent of checking on any new notifications that may have popped up. However, the outdoor ambiance of Teyvat quickly traveled to your ears, signaling that the loading screen came and went just as quickly as the one from earlier.

"Again? How?" you questioned, turning your attention back towards your computer screen. "Why is my computer suddenly able t-"

.

..

...

"...What..."

You could immediately tell that you were in Mondstadt given that you were standing in front of the Barbados statue. But that doesn't make any sense. You logged off at Liyue the last time you played Genshin.

"...The..."

Additionally, the plaza looked much more lively than normal. You've never seen more than ten people occupy the area at one time. But this time, it looked like you were standing in the center of a heavily populated city. People were walking, running, praying, and making conversation. But to top it all off...

...They all looked so real that you almost forgot you were playing a video game.

"...Hell?..."

You moved the camera around to view as much of the plaza as you could, but you quickly came to realize something important.

"Wait... Where's my character?"

Given how much time you've spent playing Genshin, you feel a bit embarrassed that you didn't immediately notice the lack of a player character in the bottom center of your screen.

But now is not the time for such feelings! You've got questions to answer.

You tried looking for them in the crowd but found no sign of them. You turned to the left but yielded the same results. You turned to the left aga-.

"HIYA [Y/N]!!!"

"JESUS!!"

The sudden shout jump scares you so badly that you instinctively lurch backward in your chair. The cord from your headphones was pulled off your head from how far you flung your head back. The cord was also responsible for shifting your computer awry.

You quickly leaned forward and brought a hand to the computer to prevent it from falling off your desk. In doing so, you also got a glimpse of what was shown on your computer screen.

Paimon had both her hands over her mouth, suggesting that she was the one who shouted in your face. Her eyes were dilated, looking frantically all around her. The Traveler was frozen in place behind her, their right arm stretched out towards Paimon.

"Uhhhh, [Y/N]?" Paimon quietly spoke up. "Are you okay?"

Given how clearly you heard Paimon from your headphones on the floor, you figured that part of the reason why you got so scared was because of how loud Paimon was.

Grabbing your headphones, you adjusted the volume before putting them back on.

"I'm alright," you assured her. "I just wasn't expecting that."

Your assurance worked as Paimon began smiling again. "Good! Paimon was worried that she accidentally scared you away again."

You softly chuckled. "Given how much I've been through already, it would take a lot more than that to scare me away."

Paimon happily nodded before flying back over to the Traveler. "Hey, [Y/N]," The Traveler greeted. "It's been a while hasn't it?"

"It has." you agree. "What's going on?"

The Traveler's smile grew. "Straight to the point, I see. In that case, I'll let you in on what Paimon and I have been looking into for the past couple of days."

You leaned back in your chair and propped your elbows on the armrests. You guessed that this was going to take a while to explain.

"Remember what I told you before we sent you back to your world?"

You thought back to that moment.

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

"Do you mind doing a quick favor for me after we send you back to your world?" the Traveler asked.

You nodded. "Sure. What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to not come to Teyvat for a little while."

...

"...Huh?"

"I know it sounds weird but let me explain," the Traveler emphasized with a hand on their chest. "I'm planning on asking Albedo to see if he can strengthen the connection between our two worlds so that we don't have to communicate like this every time. Not only will it be easier, but I don't have to worry about anything going wrong with the summoning ritual."

You crossed your arms. "So why do I not need to log i-... excuse me, not come to Teyvat? That basically goes against the whole reason you summoned me here in the first place."

"I'm worried that any attempt to cross the gap will either damage or destroy the link we have so far. Additionally, Albedo works best when he's not distracted."

You shrugged your shoulders. "Fair enough. But when do you want me to come back?"

The Traveler switched to a thinking pose. "Give me a week at minimum. If nothing comes out of it, I'll summon you here again."

You nodded. "Okay, sounds good. Is that all?"

"That's all. Are you ready to head back now?"

You nodded again. Aether was quick to call Xiao's name and he arrived just a second later.

"Remember. One week from now." The Traveler reminded.

"I know, I know. I won't forget," you assured.

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"So you got it to work?"

The Traveler nodded. "I did. You should be able to see a noticeable difference from your previous visit."

"So that's what's happening..." you spoke in awe. "Everything looks so much more lively now! I'm even surprised that the computer I'm using can handle all of this."

"...Computer?" Paimon asked, confused.

"Sorry. It's the name of the device I use to get to Teyvat," you explained.

"Oh, THAT'S what its called!" Paimon exclaimed. "Interesting..."

You chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Yeah. I wish I could show you all how it works."

"Hopefully we'll be able to in the future," The Traveler butted in. "I'm happy with what we've accomplished so far, but I would be even happier if I could have you in Teyvat by my side constantly like Paimon."

You raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't Paimon literally disappear on the regular?"

"HEY! THAT'S NOT TRUE!"

... ... ...

"Oh wait..."

The Traveler laughed. "You know what I mean, [Y/N]."

"Hmph! You guys can make fun of Paimon all you want, but Paimon's been working on something as well!" She floated closer to you and pointed toward the top of your screen. "Go ahead and click on that button for Paimon, [Y/N]."

...

She was pointing at the wish button.

"You can see that?"

"Yep! Now Paimon's able to tell just what exactly you're doing at all times!"

Dear God, that sounds like a nightmare.

You clicked on the wish button. "You better not have done anyth-"

...

"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY PRIMOGEMS?????!!"

"Wait wait wait wait wait, don't panic!" Paimon frantically assured. "Having more is better, right?"

...

...

...

"...[Y/N]?"

"Shut it, Paimon. I'm checking my bank account for any suspicious purchases."

"Paimon did not steal any money from you! Paimon has no way of accessing them anyway!"

"Then why do I have..."

...

"DOES THAT SAY INFINITY????"

The Traveler could only rub the back of their head in embarrassment as their commotion attracted the attention of the majority of people passing by. After all, it wasn't all too common for a Seelie and a fairy to be shouting at each other.

"I don't get it..." you muttered. "There aren't any signs of fraud in my bank account."

"That's what Paimon has been trying to tell you!" Paimon argued. "You should be more grateful. Paimon went through a lot to get those."

You sighed. Truly, Paimon was as unpredictable as ever. "You're right. You're right. Sorry."

"Apology accepted!" Paimon smiled. "Now, using your infinite supply of primogems, make a few wishes on one of the banners."

...How does Paimon understand what all of this is?

Regardless, you went ahead and wished for a ten-pull on the Standard Banner. There wasn't anyone or anything you were really aiming to pull on the character and weapon banners.

The animation played out as usual, the star starting out as blue before slowly turning into gold.

"Oh sweet! Thanks Paimon!"

"Don't thank Paimon just yet! There's plenty more where that came from~!"

The first wish flashed on the screen. "Jean! Finally, I got her!"

The second wish flashed on the screen. "Aquila Favonia?! Two golds back to back?! This is a moment in history! Take a picture!"

The third wish flashed on the screen...

...

...Another gold? That can't be right.

You're not one to judge your luck, but getting three gold items in a row sounds like a load of bull shit to you.

You pressed the skip button to see what the rest of the pulls looked like.

...

They were all gold.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"I know right!" Paimon giggled excitedly. "Just wait until Paimon shows you the other banners!"

...

Paimon is going to get you banned by Hoyoverse, fan-fucking-tastic.

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THE END

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Author's Notes: Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, surprise?

I will be honest, I've had this idea in my head for a while. It honestly could be it's own one-shot if I wanted to, but I felt like it would fit better as an epilogue for my main series.

That being said, if you don’t like this ending or like the previous one better, then go ahead and treat that one as the de facto ending.

Thanks again for all who liked, reblogged, and/or commented on this little series. I appreciate each and every one of you!

More stories to come soon! ...Hopefully.

[lumireis]

"Nobles are the bad but nobles from the empire are worse. And they crammed me in a house with a whole bunch of them... *sigh* It's the worst. Hey, do you think you could ask Seteth to let me swap houses? He won't let me talk about it anymore." 

The eldest child of Count Ahlgren, whose territory borders the Kingdom of Faerghus and is a vassal of Arundel. After the death of her mother as a child, Sieglinde took up permanent mourning. She blames the political scheming of the Adrestian Empire for her mother's death and has a strong dislike for most of her fellow Adrestians.

More info under the cut!!

Academy phase - 

Sieglinde is a crestless noble enrolled by her father into the Officers Academy to get rid of her. She's put into the Black Eagle's house, much to her dismay. Her attitude to her housemates is aggressive and standoffish, with very few exceptions. During her entire time at the monastery she petitioned to be transferred to the Blue Lions house with no success. Her requests were little more than a flurry of insults and demands.

Along with her standard uniform, Sieglinde dons a mourning veil that she refuses to take off. She can often be encountered praying for forgiveness, though will not tell Byleth what she's asking forgiveness for.

If Byleth is in charge of the Blue Lions house, Sieglinde can be recruited immediately.

War phase - 

During the five year timeskip and following Edelgard's war campaign Sieglinde escapes from the empire and into Faerghus. Finally being where she wants to be allows to experience some happiness though she never abandons her mourning blacks. During her time wandering as a mercenary she encounters Gilbert and joins up with him.

Her fate can vary depending on which path Byleth has taken. If on the Azure Moon route, Sieglinde will be an ally regardless of whether or not she was recruited during the academy phase. 

If unrecruited during Crimson Flower or Verdant Wind the player will find out she was assassinated by Hubert for her treason against the empire. Though if recruited during Crimson Flower route Sieglinde is miserable. She's devastated to be back in the empire after trying so long to escape and certain that Hubert or someone loyal to Edelgard is going to kill her. She's glad to at least spend time with Byleth before that happens, however.

If she fails to get an A support epilogue or an S support with Byleth after Crimson Flower, she will end up dying. It's unclear if it was Hubert, her father, or someone from Faerghus wanting revenge for her helping Edelgard.

Background - 

Sieglinde is a daughter born from political marriage between a noblewoman from Faerghus and a nobleman from Adrestia. Following shortly on the coattails of the Tragedy of Duscur, Count Ahlgren received an order from Arundel to kill her wife to loosen to the hold that Faerghus had in their territory. All too happy to do so but afraid of the consequences if he were to be caught he slowly poisoned her over time through her tea, that he had his daughter bring to her.

By the time that Sieglinde's mother had died, the story was that she had accidentally put honey in her mother's tea, triggering an allergic reaction but she knew better. Wracked by guilt that she had been complicit in the death of her own mother, Sieglinde grew to hate the empire for murdering her mother and using her to do it. 

Supports - 

Dimitri - C support: Dimitri is training when he's approached by Sieglinde who has a question. She asks him about Fhirdiad and what he thinks of it. He explains everything he loves about it and she grows wistful, wishing to see it for herself. Dimitri recalls that her mother is from Fhirdiad and asks if she had ever taken her when she was younger. She says no and that her mother was trapped in the empire until her death and could never see her home again. Dimitri is surprised but offers to show her around if she visits in the future. Sieglinde says she would like that, before departing.

B support: Dimitri is training once again when Sieglinde approaches him. She asks Dimitri if he believes in spirits or ghosts which causes him to pause before asking for clarification. She tells him that wants to know if there's a chance that if she offers prayers or "something else" to her mother if she would receive it. They go back and forth, toeing around what they would do to appease their late loved ones before Sieglinde is satisfied and swears that she will offer something her mother would love to see when she's able to visit Fhirdiad. The implication is her father's head.

A support: This time it's Dimitri who approaches Sieglinde while she trains. Dimitri asks if she was able to finally give her mother the present she'd hoped to. She replies that she's still working on that but the war is bringing her closer to her goal. She goes silent for a moment before asking if Dimitri can really hear the voices of all the people he's lost screaming at him, which he confirms. Sieglinde apologizes for how cruel it sounds but she can't help but envy him. She can't remember the sound of her mother's voice anymore and would give anything to be able to hear it, even if it was hateful words for not avenging her and atoning.

The two share a quiet moment, thinking on the horrors they've seen and vile things they've done glad that there's at least one person as wretched and understands.

Yuri - C support: A new member of Yuri's gang mistakes Sieglinde's room for Yuri's and leaves a letter there. The support begins with Sieglinde approaching Yuri to return it and him asking if she opened it. She didn't and says that she doesn't want to be wrapped up in whatever he has going on. A clever choice since it was from his mother and if she had read it he would have had no choice but to kill her. Sieglinde grows quiet at the mention of his mother and leaves but not before urging him to write back as soon as he can and be "a good son."

Yuri comments how odd she is and remarks that she had a wild look in her eye for a moment.

B support: Yuri has been trying to find information on Sieglinde's mother but keeps coming up to dead ends. He's in the middle of rising frustration when Sieglinde walks up and asks him what he's grumbling about. Yuri dodges the question and thanks her for bringing him the letter as his mother needed a little extra money for her treatment. Sieglinde once again starts acting odd at the mention of his mother and worse since finding out she's ill. Before Yuri can say anything about it, she forces him to take her entire satchel of gold and orders him to give it to his mother before leaving.

A support:  Yuri approaches Sieglinde while she's praying for forgiveness and tells her that he's figured out her secret. Sieglinde doesn't respond until Yuri expresses his sympathies at her being used in such a cruel way which finally gets her to stop praying and face him. She asks who he had to torture to get that information but he informs her that for a bit of gold, an old maid is willing to give up all kinds of secrets. Sieglinde expresses a deep desire to be forgiven by her mother wouldn't dare ask for it from her so she begs Sothis instead.

Yuri asks if she hates him for being as scheming as her father but Sieglinde denies it saying that for all the backstabbing Yuri does, she trusts him enough that if he wanted her gone he would give her the grace to look her in the eyes as he does it. Yuri remarks that he doesn't see him removing her from the board any time soon.

Hubert -C support: The two of them are locked in a stare-down with neither speaking. Hubert breaks it by calling her disrespect towards Lady Edelgard treasonous which Sieglinde responds to by saying it can't be treason if she was never loyal to her. The two snipe each other back and forth with thinly veiled threats and trying to gauge how much of a danger the other is. Eventually getting fed up, she urges him to return to his master's feet like a good dog before storming off. While alone Hubert comments that there's no way that attitude can be tamed out of her.

B support: Sieglinde calls out Hubert for following her for days and feeling sick that his eyes are on her. Hubert laments that if he had an ounce of loyalty to her homeland she could be a great asset for the future plans of the country. She gags at the idea and says she would rather die than be a part of the "Cult of Edie" which Hubert ominously says can be arranged. She points at him and says that's exactly what she can't stand about Adrestians before warning him that if he follows her again he'll get acquainted with her hammer.

A support: Hubert and Sieglinde can't reach support level A, even during the Crimson Flower path.

[wannaeatramyeon]

Word quantity: high. Word quality: low. You have been warned.

Goo Kim x Reader: School Days with Princess & the Delinquent

Chapter 2 - Please read chapter 1 first!

Index: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Epilogue

"Miss Goody-Two-Shoes not got anyone to tattle on this lunch?" Goo leans down, elbow on your desk and propping his head up on his hand. 

Obnoxiously in your face and demanding attention.

"I don't tattle," you mutter, not rising to the bait and especially not wanting him to cause trouble for you. You don't bother to look in his direction, instead trying to process the words on the page.

"Hey," he clicks his fingers in your face, "I'm talking to you."

You ignore him.

And Goo Kim is not someone who likes to be ignored.

"What's this then?" He snatches your book, reflexes lightning quick and you barely comprehend it being swiped before your eyes. 

"H-hey!" You sputter, leaping up from your seat. Hand trying to claw your property back as Goo moves it out of your reach and flicks through the pages. 

"Physics, huh?"

"Goo Kim. Give it back."

"Nah,"  A casual flick of the wrist as he aims it towards the open window and it flies out with startling force.

Your hands slam down on to your desk and a resounding smack rings out. "Y-you...!"

Leaning right into your personal space, he smirks. "I what?"

"Why did you do that!"

"You don't need that Princess, Physics is easy."

"And how the hell would you know?! You're just a delinquent."

Goo grins, unnaturally wide and fangs showing but there is no mirth in his eyes, "I'm not just anything babe. I’m sorta a genius." 

With that, he leaves as you seethe.

.

.

Muttering curses under your breath, you search around in the flowerbed beneath your classroom window until finally, you find your stupid goddamn textbook covered in leaves and soil.

Between Goo Kim and physics, your sanity is hanging by a thread.

.

.

"That's wrong," the blonde whispers, silently sneaking up on you and dangerously close to your ear. 

You almost jump out of your skin. You thought you were in the classroom completely alone again.

(How you have come to so easily recognise his voice, you don't want to know.)

"You've fucked up Bernoulli's equation."

You stare at the figures you have written down. It takes you a little while to spot it but. Oh. So you have.

Chancing a glance at him, you find his face almost touching yours, looking intently at your workings. You can make out his long lashes, the faintest single freckle just below his ear, the golden specks of his iris.

His gaze suddenly turns towards you, and you hastily look away, face reddening at being caught staring.

"Princess," you don't need to see his face to know he's unbearably smug, "I didn't think you were a dummy."

Excuse me?! You routinely rank top in your classes. It's only stupid Physics that you are absolutely terrible with. You whirl round, ready to argue- 

But nobody is there. Goo had already left.

.

.

Goo knows your type.

Everything comes easily to you. You've got a clear path to a good future.

A cliche. Probably going to marry your high school sweetheart, have a little family and a white picket fence.

Boring.

It is wonderful then, for Goo to realise that even you struggle with something.

And his chest puffs a little with pride at spotting your mistake, finding something you did wrong. He absolutely did not do it to help you, where's the fun in that?

Goo's favourite hobbies are making money and breaking bones. If he can't do either then his next favourite is being proven right and then being downright insufferable about it.

.

.

It's a very peculiar routine that none of the student body or even your friends can work out.

Indeed no-one wants to either because the further they are away from Goo Kim, the better.

He has a new habit of pointing out your mistakes at lunch. Identifying each error with the utmost glee that makes you want to tear your hair out and bash your head against the desk.

Maybe even bash his head against the desk.

The underlying fear is still there. As with any prey that looks into the eye of a predator, no matter how tame they appear on the surface. 

But now, the overwhelming feeling is irritation and frustration.

Perhaps everyone fears Goo Kim, intimidated by the sight of him, because they haven't had to spend more than five minutes in his company. 

Smug and conceited, with a perverse streak and confidence to spare. Actually no, it's barely even confidence. He is so unbelievably arrogant that to say he is confident would be the understatement of the century.

Yet.

You can't help but think as he points out again another miscalculation on your part, that maybe you got him a little wrong. Even if you do want to smack that smirk off his face.

Annoyed with him, yes. And reluctantly grateful too.

.

.

Fear and terror returns in full force when you see Goo in a fight one day.

Holding what looks like a plank of wood and mercilessly beating up a group of guys from a neighbouring school.

Expresion deranged as splashes of blood paints his uniform red. Splattering across his glasses and all over his hair.

Feeling a pair of eyes on him, he looks up and finds you watching him. Face white and body trembling. 

"Y/N?" he calls out and that causes you to snap to your senses, sprinting away in the opposite direction.

Shrugging off your reaction, Goo continues with his task at hand.

[literallyjustanerd]

The Sun Still Sets In Summer

Omega wants to join The Rebellion, and Hunter must learn to let go.

Fresh off the finale, and the epilogue got me feeling things. Mostly feeling that Hunter would not have let Omega go without a whole lot of struggle first.

This is just part one, the finished fic will have a chapter for each season :) I really wanted to explore Hunter's state of mind and thought process when faced with Omega growing up and wanting to leave for The Rebellion.

Set post-TBB finale, beware of spoilers!

Words: 1,022 Content: angst, communication issues, overprotective dad Hunter, implied PTSD

The sun is still warm, though the wind carries a slight chill. Just enough to nip at Hunter's fingertips, an omen of the coming winter. Still, he keeps the window open for the view. Pabu is ablaze with reds and yellows, the changing leaves incandescent under the setting sun. 

He’s enjoying the warmth on his face when Omega enters, laden with a heavy basket of produce from the market.

“Careful with those. You look like you’re about to tip over,” Hunter chuckles, only briefly glancing up from the filleted fish on the cutting board.

“Lyana says it's a good harvest this year,” Omega replies brightly. She sets the basket down next to the fish with a barely-disguised grunt, and hops up to sit on the counter. “Even the meilooruns are cheaper than usual.”

“Don't tell Wrecker, they'll be gone in a day,” Hunter jokes. “Get down from there and help me with dinner.”

Hunter had never thought of himself as someone who would enjoy routine, let alone thrive on it. But in the years since they had found their peace on Pabu, he has been lulled by the simple, easy rhythms of daily life, found comfort in the small rituals they create. He rises early in the morning. He works, he tends the garden. He sews patches in his family's worn clothes. And he's never been happier. 

Omega hops off the bench and pulls out a pot to start on the vegetables. As she does, she flicks on the subspace radio and tunes it to her usual station. The music puts a bounce in her step as she slices the vegetables and sets them in the pot to stew, and Hunter can't help but smile. It’s a familiar song, a tawdry pop tune Hunter had always found overloud and irritating. A favourite of Omega’s, though, and she hums along as they work side by side. The moment is mundane, like so many thousands over the last five years. They have never stopped feeling like blessings. 

“Wrecker and Cross should be back from the docks soon,” Omega says, giving the pot a shake. “Think they were going to help Shep repair some of the ships after their haul.”

Hunter adds the first fish to the pot as the song fades out. It's replaced by a news bulletin, read in a strong, stern voice. 

At the first mention of Ryloth, the sun's warmth is stolen from the room. Hunter glances to the side: Omega's hand has tightened on the pot handle, frozen in place. There's an anxious flutter in Hunter's ear: Omega's pulse has quickened. The radio speaks of the smothered rebellion on Ryloth as a cause for celebration. The announcer espouses the joy of a coming peace, of unity within The Empire's broad embrace. Under the flowery language, Hunter can hear the Twi’leks’ desperate struggle for freedom.

‘Rebel extremists have attempted to retake the system's capital, though losses have been minimal. Sources say Imperial casualties are far outweighed by those of the insurgents.’

“I've been speaking to Hera.”

Omega's words bring a lump to Hunter’s throat. She's not looking at him, not even facing him. Her words are icy around the edges. “It's getting really bad out there.” 

He can't say he hasn't been expecting this for some time. But not now. Please, not now. He's not ready. 

“Omega—”

“They need pilots. The Rebellion are doing what they can, but people are still suffering.”

“The Rebellion will find its volunteers. People will go. Your place is here,” Hunter says, his tone clipped. The scrape of his knife against the fishscale grates against his nerves. It only drives his hand harder on the blade. 

‘Imperial reports predict that the rebel terrorists on Ryloth will be eliminated within the month.’

“People out there are suffering. They’re giving their lives. How am I supposed to sit here when I know I could be helping?”

The sun through the window is losing its battle against the horizon. The room has begun to dim, the light turned cold and blue. 

“It's not safe for you out there.”

“I know it's not! That's the point, I—”

“I said no, Omega!” Hunter’s knife impales the cutting board, cleaving the fish's neck from its body. His words are harsh, a barking command, and it feels discordant, out of place. Hunter hasn't used that voice in years. Not since the battlefield. As much as he instantly regrets the outburst, it still has its desired effect: Omega has fallen silent, her protests all but dried up in her throat. 

For longer than Hunter can bear to count, neither of them move, neither speak. His jaw is tight, his nerves frayed against the silence. The sharp staccato of Omega’s heartbeat hammers in his ear. She inhales softly, trying to smother it, but still Hunter can hear how her breath trembles. Outside, the last dregs of warmth have abandoned them, the sun slowly drowning in the black ocean below. Hunter wants to apologise. He wants to explain. He wants to take his little girl in his arms and hold her so close to him, have her bury her head in his chest like she used to after a nightmare, trusting him, asking him to keep her safe.

But many seasons have passed since she had last needed him for that kind of comfort. And now when she hugs him, her head reaches higher than his. 

He wants to apologise. He does. But the words don't come. They're smothered, crushed between the weight of the past at his back and the future ahead. His mind swims, a sordid mess of tangled thoughts and feelings he can't hope to decode into anything logical. So instead, he reaches up with unsteady hands, and closes the windows against the twilight chill. He switches off the murmuring radio. He continues slicing fish. Over his shoulder, he hears Omega move. She bends to the bottom cupboard to pull out plates and cups, and, stoic and wordless, with eyes downturned, she begins setting the table for dinner. 

For all his guilt, Hunter can't help but feel relieved that the conversation is over.

[ihaveatheoryonthat]

A small handful of songs I associate with A Glint, a Spark. (Spoilers for both that fic and Memory, Heavy in My Heart.)

Arms Outstretched - Griffin McElroy

As I alluded to in the MHIMH playlist, Arms Outstretched was the song I had all but set AGAS to, for the animatic in my head. The progression of it from being kind of downtrodden, to this moment of hope, and then a happy epilogue was pretty perfect, both for the idea I actually went with, and the one I may still write.

Chapters 1 & 2

Place to Start - Mike Shinoda

Do I even have a decision? Feeling like I'm living in a story already written. Am I part of a vision made by somebody else? / Am I out of conviction with no wind in the sail, too focused on the end and simply ready to fail?

Cause I'm tired of feeling like I can't control this; tired of feeling like every next step's hopeless. Tired of feeling like what I build might break apart, I don't want to know the end, all I want is a place to start.

I don't have a ton to elaborate on with the lyrics. The first part just meshes really nicely with the theme of being unable to influence events that have already happened, and having to take them as they come. The second part resonates particularly well with the first chapter, in my opinion. I also like having a song from the same artist in both halves of the main story, and the contrasting tones.

Chapters 3-9:

The Heart of a Graveyard - Demon Hunter

Tell me that your final home is not a shot in the dark; tell me that your hopes and dreams don't end in the heart of a graveyard.

Tonally, it doesn't fit perfectly with the rest of this list, but the subject matter is pretty on the mark. There's a sense of preparing for the worst while still hoping for the best that I like, particularly in this context.

Chapter 10:

Final Battle: Malladus (From "The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks") - The Noble Demon

(The portion up to 0:46 is an intro, and not the most relevant to this list; the actual battle theme starts warming up after that.) A friend unintentionally reminded me that I love this track, and since that conversation happened smack at the climax of MHIMH, I naturally connected the dots. This would correspond to the recorded battle with Arceus, because the track for it in canon PLA just does not fit this version. I chose this remix in particular because it really emphasized the woodwind notes in parts-- which made sense re: the Azure Flute-- and because it has that underlying, train-chugging percussion. It's always struck me as a very triumphant battle theme, which fit beautifully.

Chapter 11:

Welcome to the World of Pokemon - Super Pokemon Mystery Dungeon

It's wondrous and mysterious, but gentle and a bit low-key at the same time, which I think makes it work very well for the build up this chapter, and most of the time spent in the Hall of Origin.

Mysterious Rainbow Girl - Wandersong

The same goes for this track; I was pretty torn as to which one I liked better, so I ended up keeping both for a little bit of variation.

Chapter 12:

On the Beach at Dusk - Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness & Sky

I had this one set aside specifically for the scene at the top of Dragonspiral Tower, where the reality of the situation is beginning to sink in. If you're familiar with Explorers, there... might be something of a parallel to be read into the situations they 'play' over.

Misc:

The yet untitled song from The Dreadful Demise of the Dinosaurs - Puppet History

A lonely life among the stars, my destination veiled and far away, but I knew one day we'd find each other. Then in the dark, a glint, a spark, the greens and blues, be still my heart-- and once I hit, that's it, I'm here forever.

While I'm here, I should probably include the fic's namesake. It's really only the one verse (~0:25-0:47), because this song has a very specific subject matter and thesis, but that one passage really stuck with me in this context. The first half definitely resonates most strongly with chapter 11, but I was also aiming to match the second to 12-- specifically "the greens and blues, be still my heart" to the scene on Dragonspiral, and to end with the promise of "I'm here forever"

[mcsquared789]

MCU Uncut Changelog Archive

Future updates (2024 onwards) are shared via Tumblr via normal blog posts. These are all the updates I shared during back when this was on AO3.

As I continue to work on this project, I've recognised that it's a lot of work to do this. I might make some continuity mistakes, or be dissatisfied with what I've written sometimes. So I need a way to keep track of any changes I make — and as I've decided that in doing that, I might as well share them with you!

As I update this list (by date), I'll list any changes or additions I've made to existing works (that are completed) for the reasons I've mentioned. I think ~90% of these will be additions or minor changes to paragraphs and sentences: without good reason, I will probably never change an entire section, a plot point or a conversation. If I do, I may explain why and provide the original text... but it's on a case by case basis and I don't want to promise anything, especially if I feel it may spoil something in another later fic.

Besides, most of these will be incidental and/or probably not provoked by another story or a good comment suggestion. Already as a writer, I've had some thoughts about hey, I don't like how I wrote this part or I know a better way to get the characters over here, etc. Most of the changes here are for those thoughts, and if you've ever struggled to write something like I've had — you can probably see where I'm coming from.

Anyway, that's the point of this chapter. If this fic has had a recent update and the slate is unchanged, that likely means I've added something here. Thanks for understanding! And if I make a little error in marking down dates, let me know.

20/6/23: Minor changes and additions to last chapter & epilogue of Iron Man.

26/6/23: Got my first comment! :D and it’s a bot comment. :| I’ve had to change comment access to registered users only until otherwise — a heads up to anyone who wants to or wishes to comment in the future. I may have to find a different way to reach guests, but this will have to be the way it is for now.

5/7/23: WHOOO 750 hits on Iron Man! :D More minor changes and additions to last few chapters that tie it all together. Nothing much, but thanks everyone for reading! (Btw, Incredible Hulk is out if you don't know already! I will be updating it soon, you can access the link in the Slate.)

12/7/23: So, you will probably look at this date 5 years into the future and be like 'hey, that's the day after AO3 was hit by the DDOS attack!' Totally not related to that event AT ALL, I've needed to change up how I write and store my current work so that I'll still have everything on my computer if say, another attack were to happen again sometime in the future. As a bonus result, this has given me better ways to spot spelling and grammar errors in my fics, so I've been updating them slightly to get rid of as many of them as I can. My next update on The Incredible Hulk will be a little ways off, but it's best I get this sorted first — in the meantime, thanks for continuing to read.

PS. Thanks to everyone who read Iron Man! 800 hits :]

17/7/23: Changed the rating of The Incredible Hulk from Teen to Mature. I’ve been looking at the story I’m planning for this and realised… yeah, it’s gonna get pretty dark. Maybe even the darkest it gets in these fics, but we’ll see! :O Anyway, it’s mislabeled and I’ll be adding additional tags and trigger warnings to it as I go.

31/7/23: I've updated the slate a bit to reveal what I have planned in a little more detail. It's still a little bit light, but I figure it would get people more excited for what I have planned, since titles alone are not much to go off. (Mainly includes details to phase 2-3).

3/8/23: So, wow — thanks everyone so much for the hits and kudos on both my fics so far!! I’ve also noticed that a lot of them are from guests, and since I’ve kinda noticed in the community that the bot comments seem to be less prevalent, I’ve decided to turn on guest comments again so we can give this a try. But if I’m proven wrong, I will have to switch them off. Sorry :(

9/8/23: This is more of a note for me, but I've been updating how I format my fics! I updated the description of Iron Man to include a longer excerpt from the text. As well, I also have figured out how to use the Chapter Summary feature to add parts to my fics, which I've been doing with the Incredible Hulk. If you're interested, the chapters where I added them was 2 and 11 — t's not much, but I plan on including more parts in future fics and will probably use them in this way going forward. (Btw, I'm nearly done with the 16th chapter on TIH! It's a beefy one, so I hope it was worth the wait :P)

16/8/23: A HUGE MILESTONE!! 1000 HITS FOR IRON MAN, WHOOOOO!!! Thank you so much for reading and sharing! I’m so in awe, I feel like I’m gonna cry ;u;

Again, thank you everyone, especially those who’ve stuck around. I know I’ve gone dark a bit in the last week, but rest assured I’m still working on The Incredible Hulk — I’m just doing what I can while getting affairs in order for a trip I’ll be taking next month. You guys are awesome!

26/8/23: Okay, so not major news… but I’ve added a new novella to the Slate! It’s in the Infinity phase, and I thought about adding it in earlier, but didn’t have much reason to… but now I do, after doing some comic and lore research. It’ll be a character driven fic between Wanda and Vision, and it will take place sometime before Infinity War. That’s all I have to add, but to those who are fans of the characters… I think it will be very worthwhile.

13/9/23: I'm currently on that trip I mentioned in August! Thus, I have not been able to work on much, including Incredible Hulk — but I HAVE found some time to make pretty significant revisions and additions to make the Iron Man fic even more polished. I'm working on it throughout this month while I'm gone, but will aim to update the fic with the changes at the end of the month. It will be quite significant, maybe even to the point of warranting a reread — but we'll see. Again, thanks for reading it and bringing us to over 1200 hits! Thank you :)

17/9/23: Updated Iron Man with revised Chapters 1 and 2. Not much different, but better and more detailed than before!

23/9/23: I’m eagerly anticipating my return next month, but I have another significant update! As well as adding to phase 4 and simplifying some text a bit, I have added one-shots, one-chapter stories that I’ll write between longer novels! This is to expand things a little further and add more time to characters who wouldn’t or haven’t gotten the spotlight, as well as to keep the writing process interesting for me — although this will make the whole thing slightly longer to finish :/ whatever, I’ve just kind of accepted that I will NOT be able to meet the deadlines I set for myself.

Pretty much all of these are optional to read, but I’ve only revealed their names to keep some of them a surprise. Most of them you should be able to figure out from however — I hope you look forward to them. When I finish the first of these stories, I will make a seperate series for them that will not be in the main series. So if you want to catch up on them while not being subscribed to my user account, subscribe to that series. :)

29/9/23: Updated Iron Man with revised Chapters 3 and 4. I had less time than I thought... but now, I'm happy to say that I will be returning to work on the Incredible Hulk. I'll aim to upload at least another chapter of it within the first week of October — and I've been eagerly awaiting getting back to work on this :). I finally will be able to write something new again! See you then!

27/10/23: It's been a while since I've updated, so this is going to be a big one!

Firstly, THANK YOU TO ALL MY NEWEST FOLLOWERS. Over 1300 hits on Iron Man, Almost 600 on the Incredible Hulk, and not even finished yet. That's AMAZING, thank you so much for reading! I feel so much pressure to live up to expectations now, but I'm gonna try :'D

Secondly, some updates about the schedule. Nothing else is happening until I finish TIH, but when I do... I'm announcing two things that will most likely happen in the back end of November. 1st, I'll do the very first one-shot, the Consultant! It'll probably be around 3-5k words, and will fill in some gaps by the Incredible Hulk and Iron Man. 2nd, speaking of Iron Man... I'll be moving on to the sequel, War Machine! I'm planning it out now, and all I can say right now is that I actually think it's going to be even BETTER than the first fic. AAAHHH everything's happening!

But again, not until I finish this current fic, which I'm very excited to do. I still have some lingering college work to do, but by next week I'll be able to fully focus on these next projects. Thanks again everyone for reading, and I may have more updates soon!

21/11/23: I am pleased to announce… that both the Hulk and The Consultant are finished! YAYYY!

Firstly again, thank you so much for the support on the Incredible Hulk! Over 900(!!!) hits at the end is a dream come true, and I’m so glad it’s taken off… and for a fic based on one of the least popular movies, that is VERY encouraging for the future.

More relevant to this update, I have finished the first one-shot, the Consultant! It’s a little shorter than I estimated it to be, but it works well for the story — if you are now invested in this, please consider checking it out and giving it some support as well! It will spoil the end of the Hulk, but it’s still good enough to stand on its own. :)

It’ll also tide me over until I’ve finished the first chapters of the next project, which will be the sequel to Iron Man. In regards to when that comes out, I’m hoping that they’ll either be done by the end of this month or in the first week of December. Unlike the Hulk I’m hoping to get a head start on this so I can have more breathing room… but I will not be taking a break for Christmas or anything like that, so you can expect some consistency! Expect 2-4k length chapters for this for a total of 45 chapters. (It’s pretty big, but I estimate it will round out to over 100k words in the end.)

That’s all for now! I’ll see you later.

26/11/23: I am well ahead of my schedule! Well over four chapters into War Machine done, and hopefully another one or two this week before I release the beginning of the fic. You guys have NO idea how much a roll I am on, and how much fun I'm having writing this. I suspect I'll slow down a little at some point in December, but I can at least be confident that I could be possibly done with this fic by January. How awesome is that?!

Also: this fic is definitely gonna be way longer than 100k words. Aaaanyway, expect the first chapters a few days from now! And thank you for checking back on the Slate. ;)

27/11/23: I'm tired of waiting. The fic is out now. (Also, I accidentally wrote the wrong date for the last few posts. Whoops :/)

1/12/23: HOLY CRAP, that's a lot of hits! :O 1500+ on Iron Man, 1000+ on Incredible Hulk, 500+ on the slate and 50+ on my latest fic. Not gonna lie, it's a lot of pressure... but thank you all so much for reading and loving my work!

Nothing new to share other than I'm working on War Machine — and that the next chapter should be released tomorrow. I'm writing these well in advance so I have time to make proper edits and last-minute changes before I release them, which should work out and allow me some breathing room. I think there's a good chance that if I'm consistent enough, I will indeed finish it in January! If this new schedule works out that well, it also means I will have plenty of time to get a head start on the next fic I do.

Thank you everyone! :'D

29/12/23: I'm going to be releasing something new here right at the end of the year, before 2024 begins. I won't say much more about it until then!

The last update was referring to this post

[stusbunker]

A Gentlemen’s Agreement Epilogue

A Supernatural Denny AU Fan-fiction Series

Featuring: Dean Winchester/ Benny Lafitte

Other characters: Pamela, Jesse, Caesar, Crowley, Balthazar, Meg, Jo, Lee, Lisa, Sam (mentioned), Drea OFC, Robbie and SJ OMCs, Deanna OFC

Word count: 2340

A/N: Enjoy! xoxo Stu

Brunch

    The sun was bright, but the air was crisp. The remnants of the early snowstorm had left soggy lawns and damp sidewalks. Benny pulled up to the restaurant and parked on the curb, smiling over at Dean. He waited patiently. 

    “You sure this is a good idea?” Dean squinted in the midday light.

    “Been dying to meet ya. Figured it’s only fair, I met your folks, you can meet my people too,” Benny said simply. “But I’m not gonna force ya.”

    “I just, I’m not used to being out in public. In numbers,” Dean sputtered.

    Benny raised a single eyebrow at him. “Well, I guess this is your best shot to try it out, dontcha think?”

    “What if they don’t like me? I don’t want you to have to choose between me and your friends,” Dean explained the root of the problem.

    “I like you, they will too. Just relax, be your charming self and if you don’t know what to say, you can just keep eating.” Benny put his hand on Dean’s thigh, squeezing just so.

    Dean growled out a sigh. “Fine. But you’re paying.”

    Like that could make an uncomfortable situation worth it. Benny smirked at Dean’s logic, waiting for his face to soften from grouchy to amiable. Once Dean relaxed, Benny kissed him, just long enough to keep him flustered and climbed out of the truck.

     They approached a large round table midway along the heated patio, where four people were already seated.

A raven haired woman waved them over. “My good Benjamin, did you bring a straight boy to brunch, just for me?!”

“Pammy!” Benny leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Hate to disappoint ya darlin', but ain't nothing straight about this'n."

 “Hey, now! Can’t a guy speak for himself?!” Dean snipped defensively as he sat in the spot beside Benny.

Everyone laughed. Pamela raised her eyebrow in question.

Dean licked his lips and put on the smolder, “Sorry sweetheart, but I’m taken.”

“Wait, this--- THIS is your sassy mechanic?!” Crowley leaned forward, extending his hand, his English brogue gruff and pandering. “Nice to finally meet you, handsome.”

       Dean gave Benny the side eye and all Benny could do was shrug coyly. Dean shook the man’s hand, trying not to show his discomfort from his lingering glances. Benny made the rest of the introductions, Jesse and Cesar were also a couple, but had been married for a few years. They seemed to be waiting on someone before they ordered. The group sipped their cocktails with a fresh pitcher of Bloody Mary in the center of the kitsch tablecloth.

Benny poured Dean a generous portion of the red drink and slipped seamlessly into the conversation. Dean sucked the palmeto out of an olive and listened casually, not too sure where he fit in this part of Benny’s life.

Twenty minutes later a rail of a guy swaggered in, with oversized aviators and a black linen suit. 

“Oh, thank Christ for booze,” he huffed, grabbing Dean’s glass without even acknowledging Dean was there. The blonde chugged the entire drink, before breaking for air. “I just had the worst hook up of my life, no, well, the year at least. He took me to his mother’s house. She tried to make me breakfast. I was simply mortified. I just left. What could I even do at that point, honestly?!”

Now that his audience had his attention back, the man gawked at Dean. He even pulled down his sunglasses for a better look. “Now who the fuck is this? Is it show and tell?! Because I am not prepared in the least.” 

He casually patted at his hair and eyed Dean from top to toe. Benny chuckled, but Pamela was the one to make the introduction.

“Balthazar, our regular hangover diva. Meet Dean, Benny’s boy toy,” she deadpanned, eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Oh you can’t be serious,” Balthazar lamented, looking from Pam to Benny to Crowley and finally at Dean. “Fuck you southerners and your goddamn accents--- always gets the hotter ones,” he muttered defensively as he threw himself against the armrest of the chair, crossing his legs.

“Well, now that we’re all here,” Cesar ended the dramatics concisely. “Maybe somebody should find our waitress?”

Dean looked at Benny confused. “We’re always here for a while, she doesn’t bother us until we’re actually ready to order. Tend to annoy her otherwise.”

Crowley volunteered as he needed to head to the men’s room anyhow. Five minutes later he arrived with an obviously surly waitress.

“Well look what the cat dragged in,” Meg’s smokey voice broke through Balthazar's latest story. She centered herself between Cesar and Crowley’s seat and cocked her hip, tongue firmly in cheek as she waited for Dean to take her bait.

“Heya, Meg,” Dean sighed. The inevitable caught up with him after all, they just had to run into someone he knew.

“Oh, this has got to be good, now, pray tell, how do you two know each other?” Crowley probed.

“Oh me and this schmuck? We go way back.” Meg smiled without teeth.

“Is that so?” Benny tested the waters.

“Not like that,” Dean grumbled. “Meg, here, took my little brother Sammy out for a few spins, back in the day. Didn’t you, sweetheart?”

“Yeah, well, what can I say? It was high school.” Meg let her indifference coat her entire being until curiosity sparked to life in her eyes. “So what are you doing with this crowd, or did they bring you in just to add a new level of torture to my Sunday shifts?”

“Well---.” Dean swallowed, looked at Benny for clarification and got mild amusement instead. “I think you’re stuck with me now.”

“Joy,” Meg bristled before taking their orders, knowing most of the table’s usuals before they even opened their mouths.

News

    Benny rushed into the customer entrance of the shop, the wet October air had kept the service doors closed for the past week. He leaned against the counter, decorated in local business cards and charity fliers, anxiously waiting for someone to talk to. His chest was so tight he worried he’d pass out from excitement. He just needed to see him was all, once he saw Dean it would be easier.

    Lee sauntered in from the service bay, they both had drawn the short straw it seemed.

    “Hey, mind getting Dean for me? It’s important,” Benny asked, unable to keep the burning smile from his face.

    Lee eyed him curiously but nodded and headed back the way he came. He didn’t shout, not really. “Dean-o, your boyfriend’s looking for ya.”

    Dean unfurled himself from the engine he had been tinkering with all morning and glared at Lee.

    “Husband, whatever, seems urgent,” Lee acquiesced. Dean nodded and wiped his hands off on the closest rag. Dean pulled his wedding band out from his undershirt out of habit more than anything. He couldn’t wear it on his hands at work, but he didn’t want to lose it so Benny made him a braided leather necklace once they got back from their honeymoon.

    Dean ignored formality and walked straight into the waiting room. Once he saw the look on Benny’s face he knew what was happening.

    “It’s go time?” He asked, shock and exhilaration sparking his instinct to move.

    “It’s go time, cher. Lisa called me on the way to the hospital. Sam’s driving her from the office. Her water broke about 9:30,” Benny explained, the nervousness slipping into his cadence.

    “Alright, I’m gonna clean up, you want me to drive?” Dean asked, gauging the unsteadiness in his usually stalwart husband.

    “That’s probably best, yeah,” Benny agreed. 

Dean leaned in and kissed him firmly, resting his forehead against Benny’s temple before pulling away.“Hey, we got this, alright? That kid is gonna be so spoiled having you for a daddy, you know that?”

“Look who’s talking, gonna have you wrapped around their finger before they can even crawl,” Benny teased back, inhaling with contentment.

Dean headed back to warn his coworkers that he had a baby on the way and to clean up enough to be allowed into a hospital. Jo followed Dean out into the lobby. Quickly, she hugged Benny before demanding regular updates to the group chat.

“Alright, get out of here, we’ve got you covered for the rest of the week. Let me know and I will put in paternity leave as soon as everyone’s home, okay?” Jo got all professional about things as Dean left.

“Oh, right, shit. Well, I guess I’ll let you know when you can come over and---,” Dean started before Benny pulled him by his elbow.

“We should be goin’” Benny urged. Dean looked at Jo one last time and nodded.

This was it.

   Dean held Benny’s hand the whole way to the hospital, their grip tightening every so often, grounding them both. Because Lisa was a friend and the surrogacy was looser than most circumstances, both Benny and Dean were allowed in the delivery room. They were the best cheerleaders a birth mom could have ever asked for. Seven hours later, one chubby baby girl entered the world screaming to high heaven and splitting her fathers’ hearts open for an entirely new level of love and devotion.

    Mary Andrea Lafitte-Winchester, or Drea for short, was a happy and healthy little girl. And an overprotective big sister to her twin brothers, Samuel Joel and Robert Fergus, who came along four years later.

Sunset

    They’re old men now. Dean is five years retired, while Benny works the register for their sons on the weekends. Both of their hands aren’t what they used to be. But they keep busy. Drea is bringing the kids round tomorrow, it’s the start of summer break and Dean’s been dying to teach her kids to fish.  

    Dean went grey after he turned fifty, but it hasn’t changed since, in color at least. Benny’s beard is as white as Santa Claus and he hides what little hair he has left under a cap. They’re both a little rounder, a little lower to the ground, but they got that way together and neither of them notice it on one another anyhow.

       Every year they visit Jesse and Cesar in Arizona for New Year's. Though they fly more than make the drive these days.

        They still take turns cooking the meals and the movie nights from their early days resurfaced into movie afternoons when their kids moved out. Dean can’t hear for shit anymore and, naturally, Benny makes fun of him for it. But Dean’ll put in his hearing aids if company is over.

 It’s early evening in the beginning of June and the bugs are orchestrating quite the soundtrack to their time on the porch. Dean pours his whiskey. Benny’s already sipping his sweet tea, his medications don’t let him drink much anymore. Jo’ll come by on Sunday, along with SJ and his wife and Robbie. Sam and Jess usually make it to every other dinner or so.

    “Hey there, handsome. Mind if I join you?” Dean teases, once a flirt always a flirt.

    “Not at all, cher. It’s a helluva view,” Benny glances at his husband, watches Dean take in the peaches and pinks kissing the slopes of the fields. They sit like that for an hour, until the dark is too thick to see through. Groaning and creaking they stand in turn. Dean keeps his hand on the small of Benny’s back as they head inside for the night, steadying them both.

    They moved their bedroom to the ground floor after Dean’s heart attack, a lot less worry about making it upstairs that way. After being married forty years, Dean still makes jokes about it being Benny’s place. But it’s always been his home. He kisses Benny goodnight, makes it a little saucy because he can. He’s the first to close his eyes.

    In the morning Benny makes waffles and tofu bacon. Dean pretends he can’t taste the difference, fooling no one. They make out while the sink fills for the dishes, too few to run the machine. Benny gets handsy first and Dean tries to squirm into the upperhand. They’re interrupted by a car pulling in the drive.

    “Busted,” Benny whispers.

    “You’re the one who wanted kids,” Dean grumbles against Benny’s neck, an old, unfounded retort.

    “Yeah, but the grandkids---,” Benny starts.

    “Were made to be spoiled,” Dean finishes and kisses Benny once more. Drea’s yelling at her kids to slow down before her dads even make it outside to greet them. Her eyes, blue as her daddy’s are tired. They don’t envy her the school aged years. Dean bends down as baby Deanna, who’s nearly four, comes crashing into his arms. He pulls her up and holds her tight, reminds him of her mama and he can’t help but get a little weepy over the passing years. 

    “It’s so good to see you, baby girl.” Benny pulls his daughter into a hug before helping with their bags. The older kids don’t come inside until it’s time to eat, climbing through the barn and splashing in the creek until they’re soaked. But Deanna sticks with her Grandpa on a simple stroll, while Pappy and Mama catch up.

    Dean still has the jacket he bought from Benny, though the pants are long gone. He’ll leave it to Robbie when the time comes, when his son finds himself a stud that’s worth settling down for. If that’s what he chooses. 

    For now, Dean lets his granddaughter pick up every rock and stick she finds and examines it to the nth degree. He explains what he can about each one. She’s very curious. He even lets her wipe her chubby little hands on his pants’ leg when she needs to. They get back to the house just in time to start dinner, but before they go inside Dean takes a mental picture of his husband on the porch, their daughter beside him and his granddaughter running past him.

   It is a helluva view after all. 

Tell me what you think?

Series Masterlist

SPN Masterlist

Tagging: @flamencodiva​​​ @dolphincliffs​​​ @dontshootmespence​​​​ @fookinghelljensensthighs​​​​ @fangirlxwritesx67​​ @dawnie1988​​ @mrswhozeewhatsis​​​​ @cosicas-cuquis​​​​ @foxyjwls007​​ @tumbler-tidbits​​ @wingedcatninja​​​​ @defenderrosetyler​​​​ @ericaprice2008​  @crashdevlin​​​  @mylovelydame21 @cajunquandary​​ @itmighthavebeenintentional​ @thoughtslikeaminefield​ @there-must-be-a-lock​ @tatted-trina6 @lyarr24​

[firelxdykatara]

um not to start anything “zuko had everything handed to him by the end of the show even though it took him until nearly the very end to realize he’s wrong: a country, a crown, his girlfriend that HE left behind, the love of his uncle that zuko spent most of the show yelling at and being a dick to, and that’s why he just doesn’t deserve ANYWAY I’M JOKING but this is how y’all be talking about aang” who even talks about aang this why????

It sounds to me like some Aang stans grossly misunderstand criticisms surrounding the writing of Aang’s arc in book 3, in particular during the finale.

This is actually a pattern I’ve noticed with distressing frequency, particularly of late: any criticism of Aang at all--of his actions, the narrative scaffolding surrounding them (never having to apologize for kissing Katara without her consent, for example), or of the failings in the way his narrative was handled (in book 3 especially)--is written off as hate and derided by stans who I can only assume believe that the writing of his character arc was perfect and he never did anything wrong that deserves fair criticism ever in his life.

To this, I can only state my firm disagreement.

The thing is, they don’t really have any counter arguments to refute the points that actually get made (which isn’t to say there aren’t bad faith criticisms of his character just like everyone else, but unlike most of the cast, ppl seem far more inclined to act like there are no valid criticisms of his character or his writing), which is likely why they just write it all off as unfounded hatred of their precious bean fave and ignore it accordingly. But that doesn’t, like, make the issues with his writing, or with book 3 as a whole, go away, and the fact that they refuse to engage with good faith criticism (and, in fact, often refuse to engage with criticism at all by pretending there’s no foundation for any of it--I’ve actually seen people try to justify Aang’s actions in, for example, Bato of the Water Tribe by insisting that Sokka and Katara were actually worse and that Aang lying to them shouldn’t be held against him because they were Mean About It which.... yeah I could go off for days about that alone) says more about their lack of actual engagement with the text of the show than it does about the people who are criticizing his character.

The things that we say were handed to Aang--the deus ex lionturtle (which gave him energybending), the Rock of Destiny (aka the thing that gave him back the Avatar State without having to even attempt to do the work to unblock his chakras again himself), and Katara, presented to him as the prize he’d won at the very end of the show--are things that he did not do the work to actually earn.

Which will probably get some peoples’ backs up, so let me rephrase--the narrative did not put in the work to show how he actually earned these things, preferring to waste time with pointless filler in the front half of the season and then only bring up problems and then solve them within the four episode finale because they left no more room for these very plot critical points earlier in the show. Take Aang’s unwillingness to kill Ozai, for example--this is something that absolutely should have come up far earlier in the season (prior to the invasion at least), and the fact that it didn’t says two things: one, that because the writers knew Aang wasn’t actually going to face Ozai during the eclipse, they didn’t think it mattered to follow through on what Aang planned to do if the invasion had been successful; and two, his sudden clinging to his people’s pacifism seems directly at odds with where the entire narrative of the show had been headed to that point. Why is he suddenly insisting he’s the consummate pacifist when we’ve seen evidence in the show of not only Aang reacting in violence and vengeance (towards the sandbenders, and that wasp he killed), but also evidence that Air Nomads were not the sort of pacifists who would roll over and just let someone commit genocide (the fire nation corpses surrounding Monk Gyatso, clear evidence [which Aang never seems to so much as consider at any point during the series, despite the fact that it could have been a point of much-needed growth and maturation, or at least examining his own people’s beliefs and realizing that, at twelve, he had a flawed and incomplete understanding of his own culture] that even Aang’s mentor was willing to kill in order to protect his home and his people)? Why, if he’s so damn pacifistic, did he never seem to consider with guilt any of the lives he took while in the Avatar state and fused with the Ocean Spirit?

And no, by the way, I’m not saying he’s to blame for the deaths Koizilla caused, but I am saying that it doesn’t make sense that he feels no remorse over all of that blood. Particularly since we see that he considers actions taken while in the Avatar State to be his own--he feels guilty when he goes into the AS and scares his friends, and he very specifically removes himself from the AS to avoid killing Ozai, which tells me that he does consider the AS’ actions to be his own. And if all life is sacred to him to the point where he won’t even eat meat (although Air Nomad vegetarianism makes no sense, but that’s another rant entirely) why doesn’t he so much as mourn for the lives lost during the attack?

These are all questions which the narrative itself never considered, and it’s frustrating because many of them are questions which should have been asked--and answered, or at least attempted--in the course of the final act of Aang’s character arc. He had a great set up going into the third book, with Monk Gyatso’s teachings filling in some of the blanks in Aang’s (again, flawed and incomplete--I challenge anyone to try telling me that if they were completely removed from their culture at age twelve, and it was subsequently wiped completely from the face of the earth, that they’d have anything close to a deep and nuanced understanding of it; twelve-year-olds don’t have a deep and nuanced understanding of anything, nevermind an entire culture and worldview, which is why Aang kept parroting soundbytes from the monks without actually understanding them) understanding of Air Nomad beliefs, but this thread was completely dropped in favor of... I’m still not sure, honestly.

Was Aang running away from his problems and effectively lying to his friends (does he ever actually come clean about being completely unable to access the Avatar State of his own volition?) more important than going back to the Guru, or at least his teachings, and coming to understand his own culture? Where was his arc of regaining the Avatar State because he worked for it, because he tried to re-open his chakras and, for example, came to understand what letting go of his attachment to Katara really means? (That’s actually one of the most frustrating bits, because a) he gets to have his possessive and unhealthy attachment to Katara and get the Avatar State back, despite paying lipservice to letting her go at the end of book 2; and b) he never seems to get what ‘attachment’ the Guru was actually referring to--letting go of Katara doesn’t mean he had to stop caring about or even loving her, but it does mean he was supposed to give up his selfish and possessive attachment to her, which means no nodding when some actor in a play calls fake!Katara ‘the Avatar’s girl’ and no assuming they were supposed to be in a romantic relationship despite never actually asking about her feelings and no kissing her without her consent just because he wanted her to feel the same way about him and didn’t care whether or not she actually did [otherwise he would have asked, and he never once even tried].)

Instead, rather than having a season-long arc of re-navigating his chakras, opening them, and regaining the Avatar State under his own power, he gets thrown against a well-placed rock which does all the work for him at the very last second. Energybending, which wasn’t even thought of as a possibility earlier in the season, rather than being a concept he comes to discover on his own as he navigates his chakras for a second time and comes to understand the how the energy flows between each one, is likewise just given to him by a third party, with no work necessary on his part. And as for Katara, well, I’ve ranted at length about that in the past, but their last one-on-one interaction before the epilogue is when Aang kisses her without her consent, and she gets pissed off about it and storms off. There is nothing to bridge the gap between that and make-out city, nothing at any point indicating Katara’s feelings (because, as far as Kataang was concerned, her feelings never mattered) and how they were changing, no apology from Aang for violating her boundaries, no understanding of what he did wrong and why it was wrong. Nothing. Not a single conversation.

That is why we say that Katara was handed to him like a trophy. Because she was. Kataang was endgame not because it made any sense for Katara, but because Aang was the hero, and he saved the day, and he deserved to get his forever girl on top of it. There was never any real attempt to broach Katara’s feelings on the matter--she’s never shown reflecting on their pre-invasion kiss (in fact, by all appearances she completely forgot it even happened), and she is never once asked what her feelings are, not by Aang or the narrative--because, at the end of the day, they didn’t matter. Aang was getting the girl he wanted, and that was that.

We say that Aang was handed these things without working for them because the entire narrative of book three seemed particularly engineered to making sure he didn’t have to. Zuko, meanwhile, had to work for everything he achieved--the gaang’s trust, Katara’s in particular, his crown and his kingdom. (No, he didn’t particularly work to get Mai back, but that’s a whole other discussion, and he would’ve been much better off if she never showed up again after TBR.) He didn’t get to take any shortcuts. Aang’s arc is all shortcuts, at least in book 3, and that’s when they attempted to show how he got from point a to point b at all.

Anyway, the situations couldn’t possibly be any more different, and idk who said that but whomever it is clearly does not understand where the criticisms about Aang and his hamstringed book 3 arc are coming from.

[omgjasminesimone]

Running Part 3

Colt x MC (Ellie)

Previous Part: Part 2

Next Part: Epilogue

Author’s Note: Last part! Thank you to all who read, liked, commented, and reblogged this story. Parts of this chapter are NSFW

Summary: After eighteen months of searching, Colt has finally found Ellie. 

Rating: NSFW

Word Count: 4000

“You can let go of me now.” Ellie informs Colt after several minutes have passed in a tense silence. He’s given her no indication that he plans to release her anytime soon.

Colt arches a brow. “Can I? I’m not so sure about that. You have this bad habit of running away from me.” His eyes narrow, piercing her with his fierce glare. “I don’t like it.”  

Ellie lowers her gaze shamefully. “I promise I won’t run.” She swears.

Colt pauses for a few seconds, seemingly thinking it over. “I guess I’ll trust you, even though that’s more than you ever gave me.” He says bitterly, loosening his hold and allowing Ellie to step away.

Ellie wraps her arms around herself, having trouble looking at him. She wasn’t expecting to have to do this today. She wasn’t really expecting to do this ever. She assumed he would stop looking for her eventually, and she and her son could quietly settle down somewhere. “What are you doing here?” Ellie asks softly.

His ire flares as he looks at her sharply, that familiar fire in his eyes. “What am I doing here?” He repeats incredulously.

Maybe she should rephrase that. He’s obviously here because she’s here, because their baby is here. “I meant, how did you find me?” She clarifies.

Colt scoffs, crossing his arms across his chest to temper his urge to grip her wrist roughly. He’s unconvinced she’s not going to try to make a run for it. “With a lot of difficulty.” He answers shortly.

“Colt, I told you not to look for me.” Ellie admonishes softly, finally meeting his gaze.

“And I told you I’d keep you safe, that I’d take care of you, both of you. I guess neither of us knows how to listen.” Colt retorts.

Ellie sighs, not knowing what to say to him to make any of this better.

“I want to see them.” Colt demands.

“Hmm?” Ellie asks, unsure who ‘them’ is.

“My child. I want to see my child.” Colt clarifies in an exasperated tone, shoving his hands into the pockets of his black jeans.

Oh, of course that’s who he meant. She feels another pang of guilt when she realizes Colt doesn’t even know the gender of their baby. She had debated sending him a picture of the infant after she gave birth, but her Dad talked her out of it. Ellie knows Colt won’t take no for an answer, he is the father after all, so she nods. “Of course, I’ll take you to your son.”

There’s a pause, a soft intake of breath from Colt. “A boy?” He finally chokes out, voice thick with emotion.

Ellie nods, offering him a sad smile as her eyes tear up. She retreats back to her basket because turning away from him prevents her from full on bawling in front of him, thinking about all the moments with their son he has already missed. Colt follows behind her, keeping her within reach. He’s still worried she’ll run. Ellie gathers her produce and turns towards the house, sliding open the glass backdoor. She takes off her shoes at the door and Colt follows suit. She leaves her basket on the kitchen table, and Colt continues to follow her up the carpeted stairs, turning into a room painted candy apple green.

Tears well in his eyes as Colt enters the nursery, laying eyes on his son for the first time. He’s in a dark blue onesie, dark brown eyes open and alert as he babbles, trying to get his clothed foot into his mouth. He doesn’t have much hair yet, but the few tufts on his head are dark black like his own hair. The baby is his spitting image, but he’s got Ellie’s fuller lips.

Colt has never held a baby before, and he hesitates as he grips the crib bars. He wants to hold him more than anything, but he’s afraid. He feels like he could unintentionally hurt this small fragile thing, so easily that it terrifies him. Maybe Ellie was right to keep him away. 

Ellie notices his hesitation, so she reaches into the crib for their son. “Hold him just like this, support his head.” Ellie instructs, laying the wiggling bundle into his arms.

Colt stiffens, afraid the baby will start crying, or he’ll drop him, or maybe he should be providing more support to his head…

The baby smiles up at him, just two teeth in his gummy mouth. Colt can’t help but smile back, and a few stubborn tears roll down his cheek.

“What’s his name?” Colt questions softly, eyes fixed on his son as he softly sways back and forth.

“Colt.” Ellie answers, watching the moving reunion and feeling guilty for keeping the two apart for so long. “I was going to name him Asher, Asher Joseph Wheeler, but he came out looking just like you.” Ellie pauses before adding, “Also, I was pretty drugged. And I really missed you. So I named him Colt Teppei Kaneko.” Ellie explains.

Colt swallows back the emotion that brings up in him. A namesake, for him, and for his father. He clears his throat, trying not to cry. “Your dad must have loved that.” Colt says sarcastically, hoping she won’t notice how his voice is wavering.

Ellie chuckles, fidgeting as Colt’s watery gaze leaves the baby and fixes on her. “He had gone down to the cafeteria. If he was in the room, he definitely would have tried to stop me. He loved the name Asher.” After a few moments, Ellie adds. “He was really pissed when he found out.”  

Colt nods, now having confirmed that Detective Wheeler got to witness his son’s birth while Ellie denied him that opportunity. Another thing to add to his list of reasons why he and Detective Wheeler are never going to be remotely friendly. And what kind of pretentious name was Asher? Clearly something that asshole would like. “Having two Colts around is going to be confusing. How am I supposed to know who you’re talking to, or calling for?” He questions.

Ellie tries to ignore the implications of that statement. Does he really think there’s a future for them as one big happy family? “Well, when I speak to him, it’s like this.” Ellie rubs a finger down the baby’s soft cheek. “Colt, Coltie.” She calls sweetly, and the baby gurgles happily. Ellie turns her gaze up to the older Colt Kaneko. “When I’m calling out for you, it usually sounds more like this. Colt!” She calls out impatiently, as if she’s annoyed with him about something.

Colt laughs, for the first time in a long time. “That’s not the only way you say my name. That’s not the way I love. The breathy little moans of my name as I make you cum. Aahh…Colt…don’t stop.” He imitates, head falling back with eyes closed and mouth open in an imitation of her orgasm face.

Ellie blushes. “Don’t say dirty stuff like that while you’re holding my son.”

“Our son.” Colt quickly corrects. “And sex is a natural thing. It’s how this little guy got here.”

Now that sex has been implicitly mentioned, Ellie is suddenly aware of the heat building between her legs. She hasn’t been with anyone since she left Colt, and the chemistry between them is as strong as ever. She wants him, needs him, even though she knows she shouldn’t.

Ellie looks him over as he coos at the baby, bouncing him gently. His hair has grown a little longer in the time they’ve been apart. It’s slicked back now instead of gelled up. He also has a beard now, trimmed short and tidy around his chin. It makes him look older, like a man instead of a boy.

Her eyes leave his face to look over his body. She misses the leather jacket, but he’d be melting in the New Mexico summer heat if he was wearing it. His tight white shirt, sleeves rolled up, shows off the impressive physique beneath. She can see the outline of his abs and his pecs. Her eyes go lower, to his groin, knowing what lies beneath those jeans. Knowing exactly what he can do with that appendage when he swivels his hips just so.

Her dirty thoughts are interrupted when their son starts to cry, at a medium volume. She’s started to become proficient in the language of Colt Jr.’s cries, and this one means he’s hungry. She holds her arms out to Colt, and he reluctantly hands over the baby. Ellie takes a seat in the rocking chair in the corner of the nursery, tugging down her sundress to expose her left breast. She raises the baby to her nipple, and he immediately latches on and starts to suckle.

“He’ll be at it for a while.” Ellie informs Colt, making herself comfortable in the chair.

Colt stands before her, watching as she feeds their son. The intensity of his stare makes her a little uncomfortable. She took off before her body changed. Her breasts are a lot larger now, engorged with milk. Her areolas are huge and dark from the hormonal changes. She’s a little worried he’ll be turned off by the sight of them.

She shakes her head, chastising herself for even caring what he thinks about her breasts. This is what they’re supposed to do, their biological purpose, nourishing her child.

But her fears are unwarranted, because Colt simply looks intrigued as he watches. “Do you have any bottled milk?” He asks.

Ellie thinks on it, and remembers she pumped yesterday when the baby was sleeping and she felt particularly engorged. She nods. “Yeah, downstairs. Do you want to try to feed him? I can go heat it up.” Ellie offers, standing and handing him the baby. She pulls her dress back up and turns towards the door, but Colt stops her with a hand on his shoulder.

“I want to learn how to do it.” He reveals.

Ellie swallows, unable to ignore the fact that he clearly intends to stick around, to raise their child together. Can she deny him that, after seeing how his namesake has already warmed to his father? The baby is usually fussy around the select few other people he interacts with, even his Grandpa Wheeler. But he’s clearly comfortable in his father’s arms.

Ellie pushes all the problems with allowing Colt back into their lives to the back of her mind, nodding and letting him follow her back down the stairs. She shows him where the milk is, teaches him how to heat it up and test the warmth against his wrist. Colt takes a seat at the kitchen table, bringing the bottle to Colt Jr.’s lips. The baby suckles happily, and when he’s done Ellie shows Colt how to burp him. The baby spits up on him, but Colt doesn’t seem at all upset. He simply grabs a paper towel and cleans the spit up from their son’s lips, not even bothering to try to clean his own shirt.

Ellie shows Colt the mat where she lays the baby for tummy time, and the teething toy Colt Jr. likes the most. Colt Jr. doesn’t seem interested in the toy today, so Colt reads a story to him instead, doing different voices for all the characters as they baby cuddles into his side.

The stench in the air notifies Ellie it’s time to change the baby’s diaper. Colt takes the lead, but she has to show him how to properly secure the taps after he does it too loose. Afterwards, Colt makes himself comfortable in the rocking chair, gently rocking the freshly changed baby to sleep.

As Colt Jr.’s eyes flutter shut, Colt slowly gets up and gently transfers the baby from his arms to the crib.

“You’re really good with him.” Ellie observes softly.

Colt’s fists clench on the crib. “Are you surprised?” He asks testily, his back to her.

Ellie steps up to him, cupping his cheeks and forcing him to look at her. “No, that’s not what I meant. I always knew you would be a good father Colt. I just didn’t think I could be a good mother while knowingly putting my child in a dangerous situation.”

“Our child.” He corrects, again. “I never would have put our child in a dangerous situation, he would have been safe. I still can’t believe you left me. You said you’d always choose me….it’s been almost two fucking years Ellie.”

Ellie swallows. “I can’t choose you over him.” She admits softly.

“I’m not asking you to.” Colt insists. He removes her hands from his face, walking away from her and staring out the window. There’s not much to look at. This house is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by arid desert.    

Ellie hesitantly approaches, hugging him from behind and trying to ignore the way he stiffens at her touch. “I missed you.” Ellie reveals, getting on her tip toes to place a kiss to the back of his neck.

“You could have come home at any time.” Colt bites back, but he makes no move to remove himself from her arms.

Ellie sighs. “I don’t know what you want me to say. I’m sorry I hurt you, but I still think I made the right decision. It was hard for me too.”

Colt laughs humorlessly. “You’re absolutely infuriating, you know that?”

Ellie’s hand slips under his shirt, fingers lightly tracing over his abs. His muscles clench under her touch. “I know a way we could work out some of the tension.” She whispers suggestively into his ear.

Colt turns quickly, capturing her lips roughly and demanding his tongue’s entrance into her mouth. She happily obliges as he lifts her, and she wraps her legs around his lean waist. He presses her into the wall, removing one hand from her leg to grasp at her breast through the thin sundress. He squeezes roughly and she moans.

“I’m still mad at you.” He reveals between greedy kisses, leaving marks all down her neck.

“I know.” Ellie responds, nails raking down his back.

“And we need to talk.” Colt adds, free hand squeezing her plumper post baby bottom.

She rolls her hips against him, delighting in the groan that elicits from his kiss swollen lips. “We can do that later.”

“Where’s your bedroom?” He questions.

“Down the hall, to your left.”

Colt carries her to their destination before rather unceremoniously tossing her onto the mattress. He remains standing at the foot of the bed, regarding her somewhat coldly despite the desire evident in his deep brown eyes. “Take off the dress.” He demands, and Ellie is quick to follow his instructions. She tosses the dress in the general direction of her dirty laundry bin. She doesn’t bother with a bra most days, since she rarely leaves the house anyway and it’s more convenient for breastfeeding, so she’s left in nothing but her cotton panties.

Colt looks over her nude form appreciatively. Her post pregnancy body is curvier. She has rounder hips and fuller breasts now. Ellie feels self-conscious about the few stretch marks that mar her stomach, and instinctively moves to cover them. Colt shakes his head and she freezes, allowing her arms to fall back to her sides.

Colt slowly disrobes until he’s left in just his briefs. He crawls onto the bed and sprawls out beside her, looking at her with an eyebrow raised. Normally he would take the lead, but it seems like he wants her to initiate what she wants.  

Ellie straddles his hips, hands tangling into his hair and kissing him until she has to pull away for air. She peppers kisses down his body, rising onto her knees and crawling down the bed as she goes. She kisses the trail of hair just below his belly button, looking up at him through her lashes.

He smirks at her, so she palms his hard length through his briefs, squeezing not so softly until he lets out an involuntary hiss. She reaches for the waistband of that last barrier, and he raises his hips so she can pull them off.

Her hand wraps around him, thumb brushing over the tip. Colt’s eyes close as she takes him into her mouth. Ellie braces her hands on his thighs, slowly taking him in as deep as she can without gagging. Ellie moves her head up and down, sucking and coating him in saliva before sitting up, replacing her mouth with her hand. Her strokes gradually increase in speed, and Colt writhes in pleasure. “Fuck Ellie.” He exclaims when she bends back down, licking slowly from the base to the tip of his cock. She swivels her tongue around the head before taking him back into her warm mouth.  

Colt abruptly pulls her off, tugging her on top of him so they’re face to face. He kisses her forcefully, biting her bottom lip fairly hard before he pulls away, flipping them over so he’s on top in one fluid motion.

He quickly tugs her panties off, tossing them over his shoulder. He kisses her inner thigh, and then the other inner thigh gently. His hot breath ghosts over her center, and she tangles her fingers into his hair, lightly pushing him down to her wanting sex.

He abruptly pulls his mouth away, rolling onto his side. His movement forces her left leg open, and he gently inserts a finger inside of her. “You’re so wet.” He observes, coating the tip of his finger in her juices before pushing two fingers all the way in.

Ellie’s hips arch off the bed as he adds a third finger, hooking them and pumping several times before retracting them. Ellie moans as he rubs his thumb over her clit. He leans over to place a kiss near her belly button, and she waits in anticipation for him to put his mouth where she wants it most.

Instead of kissing his way down, he kisses his way back up to her mouth, his calloused fingers continuing to push in and out of her, faster and faster. “I’m close.” She informs him, eyes closing as the pleasure builds. Her eyes shoot open in surprise when he slowly pulls his fingers from her, inserting them into his mouth and slowly licking them clean as he stares into her lust blown eyes.

Ellie realizes he’s punishing her, refusing to let her cum, refusing to eat her out since he knows how good he is at it, how much she wants it. He must really be angry with her.

Ellie sits up, pushing him onto his back and straddling his waist. If he won’t give her what she wants, then she’ll have to take it. She guides him to her entrance, slowly lowering herself down onto him. Ellie is overwhelmed by the feeling of fullness, of completeness. She slowly swivels her hips, watching as Colt licks his suddenly dry lips. She increases her pace, bouncing up and down while bracing against his chest. Colt can’t hold out for long, giving in to what they both want. He thrusts in time with the rhythm she’s set, hands wandering from her hips to her ass so he can speed up their pace.

“I almost forgot how good you feel.” Ellie mumbles breathlessly, pleasure and tension building as she feels herself getting close to her orgasm.

Colt growls, slamming into her roughly so she cries out his name. “You’re never going to forget again after I’m done with you.” He promises.    

“Ahh…Colt!” She calls out as she climaxes, milk leaking from her full breasts onto his stomach as her walls clench around him. He continues to thrust as she rides out her orgasm, falling against his chest. He grunts as he reaches his peak as well, spilling inside of her in several long spurts.

She rolls off him, kissing him gently as she slowly comes down from her sex induced fog. Colt wipes a finger over a drop of milk on his stomach, bringing it to his lips tentatively. “Hmm…it’s sweet.” He informs her once he’s had a taste. “Does that always happen?” He asks.

Ellie glares at him, offended he would even ask. “I wouldn’t know. I haven’t been with anyone since I left you.”

Colt nods, relief flooding through him having that confirmed. “Me either.” He offers, wanting her to know she’s the only one he wants. “Can I….” He stops, suddenly shy.

Ellie thinks she knows what he’s getting at, and she nods, rolling onto her back to give him easier access.

Colt tentatively takes her right nipple into his mouth, the one his son wasn’t recently feeding on, Ellie notes, swirling his tongue and sucking until her milk starts to flow. He caresses her other breast, squeezing and kneading the tender flesh. After a few seconds, he releases her nipple, rolling on top of her and capturing her lips. She can taste her milk on his lips as he enters her again. It does taste sweet.

…

..

.

After round three in the shower, Ellie is halfway to sleep when she hears Colt’s phone ping, a text message.

He removes his arm from around her and reaches for his jeans on the floor. He takes his phone from the pocket and glances at the screen, nodding curtly. “We still need to talk.” He declares as he types out a response.

Ellie sits up, keeping the blanket over her chest to protect her modesty. “Okay.” She responds, resting her head on her knees and looking at him warily.

“Here.” He hands her his phone. She sees the alert was a picture from Ximena. It’s Kaneko Autobody Shop, engulfed in flames. Colt has simply texted back ‘Good.’

Ellie’s eyebrows furrow, giving him a confused look. “I burnt down the shop. So we can start over.” Colt explains.

“But it’s been in your family for generations. And you worked so hard to reopen it. You said it was your legacy.” Ellie responds, baffled by his sudden 180 degree turn.

Colt gestures toward the nursery with a tilt of his head. “He’s my legacy. That was just a building. Now we can collect on my fire insurance policy and start over. I was thinking Charlotte, North Carolina. My mom is out there. And it’s 2,500 miles from your dad.”

“I don’t understand.” Ellie reiterates, handing him back his phone.

Colt tosses it onto the nightstand, turning in the bed to face her. “I wanted you to feel secure. I can’t go back, there’s nothing to go back to. I set things right with anyone mad enough to come looking for me across the country, they’re all paid off. I’m in this with you Ellie, 100 percent. I’ve saved some money, I know of some investment opportunities in North Carolina. I’m done with crime Ellie.” He patiently explains.

“But you love the crew. You love the lifestyle.” Ellie insists.

“I love you more. I love my son more. I could have had it all if you would have just let me, I know I could have kept you guys safe. But since you won’t let me have both, it’s not a hard decision. I choose you. I’ll always choose you.” Colt swears, taking her hand in his.

Ellie smiles, tears welling up in her eyes again. “I love you too.” She admits, pulling him into a passionate kiss. “You know, insurance fraud is also a crime.” She informs him when she pulls away.

Colt rolls his eyes. “Okay smart ass, after I collect the insurance money then I’m done with crime. For good.”

Ellie laughs, kissing him again. “Are we really doing this? You can forgive me? We can start fresh?”

“I can forgive you, but I won’t forget. You have to talk to me from now on, give me the fucking ultimatum if something is a deal breaker for you. Don’t pull some shit like this ever again, you hear me?” Colt demands, that fire in his eyes again.

Ellie nods. “I hear you, and I’m sorry. I love you Colt..”

“I love you too.”

They probably would have gotten lost in each other a fourth time, but Colt Jr.’s cries come through the baby monitor. Ellie automatically starts to get up, but Colt gently pushes her back down into bed.

“It’s my turn, for like the next year.” He informs her, heading out to the nursery.  

…

..

.

Author’s Note: The End! But I feel like I have a pretty flushed out epilogue for this one, so that’s probably coming at some point. Thank you for reading!

@brightpinkpeppercorn @choicesarehard @lovehugsandcandy @desiree-0816 @regina-and-happiness @iplaydrake @hazah @sibella-plays-choices @maxwellsquidsuit @eileendannie @liamzigmichael4ever @lady-dianelewis @client-327 @cora-nova @umiumichan @angrypainterfarmopera @badchoicesposts @i-only-signed-up-for-fanfiction @sparklinglilac @pixel-thirsty @mrskaneko 

[ayma-nidiot]

The Ride - Sylvix fic Chapter 27 (last chapter)

Also on AO3.

Chapter 27 – Epilogue – In Peaceful Days

~Imperial Year 1197~

“Greetings, Father, nothing to report!” Remy greeted Sylvain as he rode in on his steed in front of Fraldarius’ palace. Before continuing with his report, he ordered his battalion to bring their horses back to the stables. “Well, except of course for the fact that our diplomatic mission went well. The peace talks between Gautier and Sreng are starting to come along well.”

“Hahaha, you remind me of a certain gatekeeper back at the monastery.” Sylvain chuckled. “And what about the members of House Gautier?”

“Uncle Miklan is tired all the time… But he’s trying. And Grandpa is doing great!” Remy held a thumbs up. “Auntie keeps on telling him to get rest, especially since he’s suuuuuper old and not the margrave anymore. But you know how stubborn Grandpa is…”

“Your ‘auntie?’ Ah, you must mean… her.” Sylvain smiled as he remembered the familiar older woman.

“She’s pregnant but still working hard to keep the peace over there… I admire her. I can’t wait to invite her and my cousin over! I heard that even though she’s only eight, she’s got one hell of a lance arm!” Remy beamed, then turned to the companion he had brought with him. “Oh, yeah, I thought I’d like to introduce you. This is my girlfriend, whom I met at the Gautier palace. Isn’t she a beaut?”

 “I can’t believe you’ve brought another woman home.” Sylvain muttered, not bothered by this reminder of his younger days.

“What does he mean ‘another?’” The girlfriend whined. “Don’t tell me… Do you have other girlfriends I need to know about?”

“Come on, you know that’s not true, baby… Oh, do you hear that?” Remy tried to turn the conversation around. “I think that my little sisters are calling for me! We better go see what they want!”

As Remy left with his girlfriend nagging him, Felix picked that moment to come on to the scene with his daughters. “He takes after his Grandpa,” he remarked. “Because I know you would never act like that… right, Sylvain Jose Fraldarius?”

“You know it!” Sylvain took a look at his now 18-year-old daughter. “So, Megumi, how did training go?”

Megumi sighed, clearly upset with herself. “Still not good enough! I still can’t land a hit on Papa!”

“That’s not true.” Felix showed her a small – but still fresh – bruise under his sleeve. “What do you call this?”

“That’s probably just an old wound…”

“Megumi, come on.” Sylvain tried to calm his daughter down. “Yes, we all make mistakes, and no, we don’t have to be perfect. That makes it all the more important that you learn to celebrate your victories, even the little ones, understand?”

“Yes, Father. Then I’ll go train so it doesn’t happen aga-”

“No, you’re going to take a break so you don’t sweat yourself to death,” Sylvain ordered as he led his family to the dining hall.

“Hey, hey!” Sylvain’s 11-year-old daughter piped up. “I want to train with my big sister and Papa, too!”

“No, Sakura, not until you turn 14,” answered Megumi.

“Humph.” Sakura clearly didn’t like this answer. “Our cousin’s only eight and yet she can fling around lances like nobody’s business. You’re too darned overprotective, Sis.”

“Is that… really something you want?”

“Yup! Only I… um… I want to train in magic.”

“Really?” Sylvain raised an eyebrow. “Well, you’ve come to the right place. I just so happen to know a spell that will scare the daylights out of your enemies… literally.”

“What a cheesy pun!” Sakura laughed. “But okay. Tonight at 11:16 pm. Be there or be square.” She now turned to Felix. “You too, Papa. I wanna see what kind of spells you know, too.”

Felix knew deep down that he wouldn’t have much to show his youngest child in the magic department. Sylvain knew it too but for the five of them, training seemed to be their favourite way to bond, even in peacetime. With big grins on their faces, the dukes of Fraldarius exclaimed in unison, “You got it!”

~The Ride~

~Fin~

[fullmetalscullyy]

the last dance - chapter 4

summary: “Congratulations on your wedding, sir,” she smiled widely. “You’re one step closer to becoming Fuhrer.” Post-Canon. Roy Mustang marries a Drachman Princess to secure Amestris’ ties with the country, while also furthering his political career. Riza Hawkeye works behind the scenes to make sure he reaches the top, however once he does, where does she go next? He’s hit his goal of becoming Fuhrer because he got married, so what is Riza’s purpose now? Will she finally atone for her sins, like she’d planned?

read chapter 3 | rated: m | read on: ao3 + ffnet

Riza opened the car door for Annika. The First Lady stepped out the car, the very epitome of elegance and grace. The Drachman princess was incredible in every way, Riza had discovered, and the soldier admired her for it.

At first, jealousy had threatened to overwhelm Riza after she’d gotten over the initial shock and upset at the General’s marriage announcement. However, once the emotion was recognised, Riza had recoiled in horror, smashing it down and beating it into a pulp. Jealousy had no place in her life. She’d had enough of envy for ten lifetimes.

Roy had given her the shortlist of women who were his “choices”. Arranged marriages were never fun, and Roy voiced that thought often, however the team, and Riza as well, couldn’t disagree that marrying into the Drachman royal family would ease tensions with the country. The marriage was purely political… But it didn’t mean it was easy for her.

“This way, First Lady,” Riza guided, motioning towards the line of security on the train platform.

“Thank you, Riza.” Her smile was dazzling. It was the kind of smile only a Princess would possess, regal and welcoming.

That was one thing Annika always did. She always used the team’s first names. There were no titles. She humanised them. It had never bothered Riza before, but it was jarring sometimes, because at work she was either Hawkeye or Lieutenant. There was no in-between. Riza had to admit, it was a nice touch.

With the Princess safely on the train, Riza turned her attention the General. She saluted him; her posture stiffer than usual because now reality was setting in. They were going on their honeymoon, and Riza was well aware of what couples did on their honeymoons.

She didn’t want to think about it.

“The train is ready for you, sir.”

“Thank you, Hawkeye.” His gaze lingered on her for a second longer than was comfortable.

“Enjoy your time away.”

“I will.”

“And stay safe,” she added, unable to help herself.

The offer was there for her to go with him – she was his bodyguard after all – but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Riza wouldn’t torture herself by going on a honeymoon with Roy as nothing more than the head of security. Breda and Havoc were going with him, so he would be well looked after.

His face softened and a small smile graced his features. “I will,” he reassured her. “You know me,” he joked with a wink.

“Exactly,” she replied dryly, smiling herself while the General chuckled. Well, the soon-to-be-Fuhrer. Grumman had announced at their wedding that he’d be stepping down and had chosen Roy as his successor.

They’d done it. They’d reached his goal.

Riza let out a quiet, shaky breath as she watched the train pull away from the station.

Roy had become Fuhrer, like he’d planned all those years ago… So, where did that leave her now?

She knew where, and she knew that now was just the beginning. Now, the hard part began.  Because how would she go about setting up a trail for herself? Between dealing with the fallout of the Promised Day and planning and rebuilding Ishval, she’d never had the time to research how to go about organising a trial for war crimes, never mind doing it for herself.

Roy would hate the idea. Riza knew he would, even though this had always been their plan. He’d probably hate her for doing it by herself, more than anything, but… They were done. She wasn’t needed anymore because he’d hit his goal. He was due to become Fuhrer when he returned from his honeymoon with Annika and would ascend power almost immediately.

A breath left her again as the train finally disappeared out of sight.

A new goal was forming in her mind. It left her shaking slightly. It was never a nice feeling knowing death was coming. Riza had gotten used to it in Ishval. It was like a constant companion. However, over the years, it had lessened slightly. She’d gotten too comfortable. Riza was too complacent, when she shouldn’t have been. She didn’t deserve to be after all she’d done in the war.

Squaring her shoulders, Riza turned and returned to the car. She had work to do, no matter how much it scared her. It shouldn’t but Riza couldn’t deny that it did. She’d have to relive Ishval, and she’d have to do it alone. There would be no one to comfort or calm her in the courtroom.

But this was what she’d always planned. Getting Roy to the top was the end, but every story had an epilogue. Her epilogue was being tried for her crimes. It was the right thing to do, and it was justice.

It was time to set the plan into motion.

[calpalirwin]

You’ll Always Have Me

Summary: Alyssa and Ashton have been best friends ever since Alyssa moved in across the street the summer before second grade. Together, they were tackling the stereotype that boys and girls can’t just be friends. That is, until they almost kissed right before their junior year of high school. Can their friendship survive the jealousy that stems from their newfound feelings? And what happens when they realize these “newfound feelings” really aren’t all that new?

A/N: Final chapter! Epilogue up tomorrow!

And away, and away we go!

Chapter 16

~Alyssa

July 2025~

“Gorgeous,” I smiled as I stared at our reflections in the mirror.

“This is it!” she grinned.

“Yep,” I nodded. “It’s your day, Si. Fuckin finally.”

“You’re telling me,” she laughed. “Are you nervous?”

“Why would I be nervous? I just gotta stand there.”

She made a face. “You know what I mean. You haven’t seen each other in six fucking years.”

I shrugged and sat down on the little couch. “So? We’ve been busy. It’s not like we haven’t talked.”

“Has he said anything… like… you know?”

I shook my head. “No, everything��s been pretty superficial since…”

“What are you gonna do?”

“Nothing. This is your day.”

“So, you’re just gonna let him leave again? Just keep pretending like you’re not supposed to be more than friends?”

I walked back towards the mirror, giving my makeup one last look over. “No,” I told her, grabbing the tube of lipstick and swiping it across my lips. “Once everything settles down, I’ll make my move.” I still wasn’t sure if I was going to go with the dramatic speech or if I was just going to kiss him and let the action speak for itself. I’d figure that part out later. I was better at thinking on the spot anyways.

As we lined up for the procession, I played it cool, ignoring his presence as he chatted with Luke a few feet from me. I ignored how my heart fluttered at how he still looked like my Ash. I quickly looked away when his gaze found mine, but I could see his dimple as his lips quirked up into a smile.

He didn’t say anything when he finally walked over to me. He just offered me his arm, and we shared a knowing smile as I linked my arm through his.

Throughout the ceremony, whenever my gaze lingered on his, he’d wink at me, and I’d see that smirk I had missed so much when my cheeks inevitably flushed.

Once the reception got in full swing, I made my way over to the bar. “Long time no see,” a voice sounded beside me as I got my drink.

I took a long sip, already knowing who the voice belonged to because I would recognize that voice anywhere. “Six years and your go to line is ‘long time no see’? Wow, it’s a good thing you’re pretty…” I took another sip to hide my blush at the fact that I had just told him he was ‘pretty’.

“Pretty? Me? Have you looked in a mirror recently?”

“Are you hitting on me?”

“You started it, gorgeous,” he said, winking.

I finally laughed and set my drink down, before wrapping him in a hug. “I’ve really fucking missed you,” I whispered as I let him go.

“I’ve missed you, too. What’re you drinking?”

“It’s an open bar,” I pointed out.

“I know. What’re you drinking?”

“Whiskey and soda.”

He let out a small giggle as he ordered himself a beer. “Of fuckin’ course.”

“What?”

“Most girls drink wine, or something fruity. But, you’re not most girls.”

“Oh, and you spend a lot of time with these ‘most girls’ huh?”

He giggled again and took a long sip. “Nah, I learned a while ago that ‘most girls’ weren’t my thing.”

There is was: my opening. Now all I needed was a little courage. I downed my drink and pushed the glass aside. Then, I stared right into those eyes that I’ve been dreaming about for years. “Good thing I’m not most girls, then,” I said as seductively as possible before snaking my arms around his neck and kissing him long and deep. His arms instinctively wrapped around me pulling me tight against him, and my hands reached up to tug at his hair.

“Damn you,” he said as we broke apart. His eyes were shining and his lips were puffy as he smiled coyly down at me.

“What?” I asked innocently, still reeling from the kiss that was eight years late, but more than worth the wait.

“I’m the man. I’m supposed to make the move.”

“Then make it,” I said, leaning up close to his face.

It wasn’t the sweet whisperings of long kept confessions like in the movies. This was desperate-for-more, can’t-get-enough, long-overdue, heated passion as we fumbled our way upstairs to a room. Our clothes lay scattered across the hotel floor, as we lay side by side, catching our breath.

I rolled to my side and propped myself up on my elbow, taking it all in. He still looked so much like the boy I had hugged goodbye all those years ago, a lazy grin on his face. The only difference was that now his hair was shorter, and his arms were decorated in tattoos. But he was still Ash, my best friend. And I had just slept with him. And lo and behold, the world was still turning. 

I reached out my hand to gently trace my fingers over the snake on his bicep. “We should probably get downstairs before they notice were gone,” I suggested, even though every part of me was begging to stay like this forever.

“Oh, they already noticed.”

“Still,” I said, before rolling back over and starting to get up.

His hand reached out to grab my arm, tugging softly. “Stay,” he said, tugging again.

“Fine,” I giggled as I let him pull me into his arms. I giggled again as I laid on top of him, thinking just how crazy this all was.

“What were you gonna tell me?” he suddenly asked.

“What?”

“When you dropped me off at the base. You called me ‘Ashton.’ What were you gonna say?”

“Oh… I was going to say that I was in love with you, and that I always have been, and ask when we were both gonna stop being stupid.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“You called me ‘Alyssa,’” I recalled. “You said you knew. You left before I could ask what you knew.”

“I knew that you were in love with me.”

“How?! And why didn’t you say anything?”

He chuckled. “Lu told me right before senior year. And I didn’t say anything because you were with Calum. It didn’t matter.”

“I’m gonna kill Si… You knew for a whole year and didn’t say anything?!”

“Lu only told me because I was miserable that you had just told me you were falling in love with Calum. And the only reason Si told him was probably because he told her the same thing.”

“He told Si that I was in love with you? Not possible. I only ever told Si.”

“No, I told Lu that I was in love with you. And he probably told Si when she told him our secret, that apparently was only a secret to us.”

“Whoa, back up… you told Lu you were in love with me?”

He nodded, “Was, am, yeah, whatever.”

“Am?” I asked.

He rolled his eyes and smirked. “Alyssa Renee Clifford, I have been in love with you ever since I first heard you say you hated being called ‘Aly.’”  He leaned forward to kiss me. “It’s taken me longer than I like to get the guts to say it, but damn it, I love you, okay? More than you will ever know.”

I smiled and was glad the lighting was dim so he couldn’t see the tears rolling down my cheeks. Unfortunately, my voice gave me away as it cracked when I told him, “Ashton Fletcher Irwin, I have been just as in love with you ever since you first flashed that stupid smile of yours. And I will love you until the end of time.”

“Aw, Aly,” he soothed, cupping my face in his hands. “Please don’t cry.”

“They’re happy tears, Ash.”

“Good,” he said before kissing me, which started another go, this time whispered “I love you’s” mixing with the can’t-get-enough passion from before.

Two and a half weeks later, my tears were anything but happy as I stared at that stupid little stick on the bathroom counter. “Fuck,” I muttered. While everything was out in the open, Ash and I hadn’t established what this was or what we wanted this to be, choosing instead to let our feelings stay between us and our bedrooms.

I quickly pulled out my phone and called him. “Hey, gorgeous,” he answered, picking up on the first ring. Although I was growing used to him calling me “Gorgeous” it still my heart race every time I heard it. Finally, I was the girl in Ashton Irwin’s arms. Me! But, I doubted I would be for much longer. 

“Hey,” I croaked out, starting to pace through my apartment.

“Uh-oh, what’s up?”

“Nothing,” I lied. “It can wait.”

“Aly…” he pressed.

“Seriously. Nothing's gonna change between now and when you get off work. It can wait.”

“But, you’re upset now… Look, give me a half hour, okay? Downtown?”

I nodded before I remembered he couldn’t see me. “Okay, I’ll see you in a bit.” As I got myself ready, I wondered what his reaction would be. Would this news change everything between us? And if so, was I prepared to deal with that change? I had just gotten him, so I certainly wasn’t ready to let him walk away due to a slight mishap.

He was already at a table by the time I got the courage to get out of my car and go inside. “Hey,” he said, getting out of his seat to wrap me in a hug. When I didn’t hug him back, he frowned as we both sat down. “No famous rib-crushing hug? This really isn’t good.”

I couldn’t bring myself to look at him, so I just unlocked my phone and slid it across towards him.

“I’m assuming this is yours?” he asked, staring at the picture of the positive pregnancy test.

I nodded.

He let out his breath. “Okay, then.”

“Okay, then, what?” I asked, finally speaking.

“Okay, then, I guess I’m becoming a dad. Unless you… which is fine! I mean it’s your choice and all...”

“No! Wait… you want to be a part of this?”

“Well, yeah… I mean, it’s mine right?”

I reached out and smacked his arm as hard as I could. “Yes, it’s yours!” I growled.

He winced and rubbed where I had slapped him. “Fuckin’ hell, woman! It was a joke!”

“Well, now’s not the time!” I yelled across the table at him before bursting into tears.

He sighed and moved over to sit next to me. “Alright, sorry. You’re upset, I get that. Is that what you were worried about? That I wouldn’t want this?” he asked, an arm wrapping around my shoulder.

I nodded again.

“Aly, you’re my best friend. You’ll always have me, c’mon now.”

“So, you’re in?” I choked out, peering up at him.

“All in,” he smiled. “Always.”

For the next eight months, Ash was there. Every doctor’s appointment, each hormonal meltdown, all the late night cravings, he was there with that damn smirk and dancing eyes. We both said goodbye to our tiny apartments in favor of a small house on the edge of town, and went absolutely nuts decorating the baby’s room. We were scared shitless, but ecstatic as hell at the same time.

I was driving home from work one day, thinking about how I couldn’t wait to relax. Every part of my body was killing me, and all I wanted was to lie down. The light turned green and I started to move into the intersection, someone’s car horn blaring. All I could think once the impact hit me and my vehicle started to flip was that this was gonna hurt like hell.

When I woke up in the hospital I was first aware of how much everything hurt. Then, I was aware of Ash, glancing up from a chair before hurrying to my side. “Oh, thank God,” he mumbled, tears in his eyes. “You scared the crap out of me!” he said, raining kisses on my face.

“Baby?” I asked, my mind piecing everything together and very worried for the baby.

“Baby’s fine. She’s fine,” he told me, after every inch of my face had been kissed, assuring him that I was really here in front of him.

“It’s a girl?” I asked, starting to cry myself.

He nodded, wiping at the tears on his cheeks. “Totally healthy and absolutely gorgeous.”

“Can I see her?”

“Get better first, okay? We’re not going anywhere. God, I thought I lost you.” He placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.

I tried to laugh but it hurt. God, it hurt so bad. Maybe if I closed my eyes for a bit. God, I was so tired. “C’mon, Ash,” I said, closing my eyes. “You’ll always have me.”

[daeva-agas]

theramenjournalv2 replied to your post :hokkyoku-sei replied to your photoset:THE RANKING...

@daeva-agas u mean if we finish the current npc event, we will get stories of them in form of letters?? or like epilogues??

You will get this in your album

[miracloud]

Promise

Kihyun x Reader

Angst and Fluff

This is to celebrate Monsta X’s 2nd Win!!!!!

I recommend reading this while listening to JBJ’s Call My Name >.<

 It has been 5 years since you and Kihyun got married. Most married couples would have at least one child at this moment but there were only a few times when you both had the time to make love. Kihyun is busy with his career while you are at home doing online teaching. In the early years of your marriage, you both tried to have a baby but nothing happened. After a few failed tries adding up the days when you are not together, love is starting to fade. You started feeling it when Kihyun goes home with a frown in his face and he doesn’t kiss you anymore every time he arrives and leaves the house.

 When this happened, you started to get disappointed in him. On the other hand, Kihyun also felt that you don’t approach him anymore. You don’t laugh in the dining area while eating. You don’t cuddle every time he goes home after a tiring day at work. He even gave you an expensive bag for your anniversary but you just simply said “ thank you.”

 One night on his way home, he decided to get a divorce. He’s not happy with you anymore. When he arrived, as usual, you told that dinner is served. You both get into the dining area. It was silent. This used to be deafening but it has become a regular thing so you just continued eating.

 “Y/N, let’s get a divorce.”

 The phrase rung to your ears. You know that your relationship has been different but you still love him. You just stared on your plate from the shock. Kihyun observed you for a while but he continued eating. After finishing his meal, he went to your shared bedroom.

 You cleaned up the dishes as usual but this time, you have tears rolling down your cheeks. You don’t want this to end. After turning off the lights, you went beside him. He was already sleeping. You’ve wanted to hug him from behind for a few nights already but the distance is too much.

The next morning, you woke up early to cook breakfast. It was quiet during breakfast. When he was about to leave, you gave him conditions.

 “Kihyun, about what you said yesterday, I have some conditions before we do that.”

He nods to sign that he’s listening.

“For a month, you have to kiss me before you leave and when you arrive here. You should also hug me when we are sleeping.”

Kihyun raised his eyebrow in response. He shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, whatever you want.”

 He was about to leave when you called him again.

 “Kihyun, kiss.”

He went in front of you and gave you a quick kiss on the lips.

 This went on for days. He kisses you every time he arrives and leaves the house. You also snuggle on bed. Day by day, your previous relationship is coming back.

 While Kihyun was at work, his colleague Changkyun went beside him and asked a question.

 “Kihyun-hyung, I’m planning to propose to my girlfriend. I already have some ideas on how to do it but I thought asking a married man will be better. What did you do when you proposed to your wife?”

“Well, I…”

Then Kihyun remembered the exact words he said.

 “Y/N, if you’ll marry me, I’ll make you the happiest woman in the world. I promise to kiss you every day and hug you to sleep. I promise that whatever problem arises, I will never give up on us and I will do my best to fix things.”

Then it suddenly hits him. The condition that you asked him were the promises he gave to you. He immediately got up and waved goodbye to Changkyun.

“Changkyun, I have to go somewhere. See you tomorrow.”

 He rushed home. He immediately went inside and he saw you cooking dinner. He gave you backhug and it gave you a shock.

“Kihyun?” His arms around your waist grew tighter. You hear him cry.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Did something happened at work?”, you ask worried.

“I’m so sorry.”

“Why?”, you asked.

“I’m sorry. I take back what I said. I don’t want a divorce.”

 You let go of his grip and faced him. He’s too afraid to look at you and he kept his head down.

“Kihyun, face me.” You touched his chin and made him look up.

“I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.” He said this repeatedly.

“It’s fine”, and gave him a smile.

 “I’m so stupid. I have the guts to ask for a divorce when I’m the one who broke promises.”

You wiped his tears and rested your hand on his cheeks.

“It’s okay. I forgive you but don’t do it again. My heart literally broke into pieces.”

“I won’t. I won’t. I promise. This time, I won’t break any promises.”

You caressed his cheeks and smiled at him. He wrapped his arms again around your waist and leaned down to give you a kiss. You both smiled and you hugged him.

 “Wait, I’m not done yet”, he said. You raised your head planning to ask him what he meant when he kissed you again but this time, more passionate. He broke the kiss when you were at the point when you need to catch your breath.

“Jump”, he told you and you know exactly what he meant. You jumped and wrapped your legs around his waist. You continued kissing. He brought you to the bedroom and laid you down.

 The next morning, you woke up with your head leaning to his arms. Kihyun might have felt your gaze because he woke up after a few minutes.

“Baby (aga), good morning”, he said with a smile.

“Good morning”, you replied.

 He gave you kiss on your forehead.

“I’ll cook breakfast today.” Then he stood up and went to the kitchen.

 EPILOGUE

After a few weeks, you’ve learned that you are pregnant. You told Kihyun by showing him the pregnancy test when he arrived from work.

 “Wait, is that?” he asked with a big smile on his face.

You nod.

 He ran to you and gave you a tight hug.

“I will definitely protect this family and love you with all my heart.” And you two shared a kiss.

 This is based from a commercial I saw on the internet. Hoped you like it J

[labeteenmoi]

Alpha  II part 7

You can read all the previous chapters from here

Pairing : Donald Pierce x OC

Warning : sexual notions

Summary : household scene

Tags : @prettieparker86, @lainey-lane, @crazyfreckledginger, @lumifuer

Note : last chapter friends! This has lasted long enough, it's time to put a final point to this story. Well, almost. I'm thinking about writing an epilogue just to be sure the beast keeps it together but I'm open for your thoughts about it.

The pressure on his neck relaxes and the arms disappear behind his seat as quickly as they had appeared.

Pierce rushes out of the car, coughing, trying to catch his breath. Moving his hand mechanically through his hair, taking off the locks glued to his sweaty forehead, he sees her through the window, curled up on the seat, her face buried in her arms, and hesitates to drag her out to make her regret her ingratitude. But when he suddenly opens the door, she does not react, she does not turn around like a fury to defend herself, and that brings him back to that morning in the woods, when he thought she was dead. The same oppressive sensation he felt then grips his chest, and he forgets for a moment that she was on the brink of suffocating him, caught in a sudden urge to hold her in his arms.

"Fuck ..." he swears in a sigh, slamming the door sharply and going back behind the wheel without looking back.

The beast will not move from the trip. Pierce will not know that she cried to exhaustion until she fell asleep. She will refuse to admit it when she straighten up, her eyes swollen, because she does not do that, animals do not cry, why would she?

"What the hell are you crying about?" He asks with a mocking pout, turning to face her after stopping the vehicle.

Frowning, the beast gives him an angry look before putting her wrists to her mouth and biting the plastic link until it breaks, spitting it in the direction of Pierce with an air of defiance.

He looks down at the tie between the seats and raises an eyebrow. "What took you so long, baby?" he sneers disdainfully before getting out of the car.

When he opens the rear door to tell her to come down, he suddenly seems exhausted, the orange rays of the setting sun furrow under his red eyes and his footsteps are heavy, and his feet drag and stir the dust that strews the ground.

"What's the problem?" He asks the beast, leaning on the door jamb, trying to sound and look compassionate over his glasses.

She does not know what to answer. At once surprised and distrustful of this sudden kindness, no matter how forced it is on Pierce's part, but also because she does not know herself what caused such a relaxation in her, as if she could not help it. She was not even sure what had triggered it, the fact that she had almost killed the only person she had ever cared for, or to realize that, despite their strange compulsive attraction, they could never be together, for their own good.

So she says nothing and gets out of the car without a look at Pierce who shakes his head with a sigh of exasperation as she passes. He takes a travel bag from the trunk of the SUV and then goes ahead to a blue door, similar to all the other blue doors that line up from side to side. A motel.

She enters a room that smells stale and dusty and where there is a bed, huge in his eyes, on which Pierce throws the bag and his glasses. On the side there is a table under the window and a brown armchair with a tattered fabric. At he back of the room, a door leads to what must be a bathroom. It does not seem more welcoming than the room where she was forcibly washed in Transingen, not so long ago, a month or two but it seems to her to be part of another life now.

"You see, this is a room, a bed, a table ..." he begins to enumerate sarcastically, pointing at the objects.

"What ?!" he exclaims to the furious gaze of the beast, raising his arms with a theatrical gesture, "I only make sure that you still know what a civilized life looks like, darling, because your little trips to the woods it's over if you want to stay alive. "

His expression had become very serious at that moment, but she could feel the anger in his voice, and his eyes, usually jokers, looked at her implacably.

It was unbearably hot in this room, bathed in the setting sun, which seemed to make the air red and unbreathable. Pierce did not seem to realize the nervousness he caused in her, raising his voice on her in such a confined and unusual space. This is an unknown territory for the beast. She does not know how to behave, she wants to snuggle into a deep black hole but there is nothing here that looks like this, and Pierce is there and he continues to talk to her, to lecture her with a voice strong and angry but she does not listen anymore and starts prowling around the room with clenched fists, spinning around like a caged tiger.

"Sara, stay fucking focused!" Pierce suddenly shouts. She stops dead and faces him: "How did you call me?" "How am I supposed to call you, sweetie, you never told me! You know that humans have names, do you?"

With a sudden gesture Pierce opens the bag he had placed on the bed and takes out a file that he throws on the table. He opens it and pulls out a card with a picture of her. "Sara, it's your name and you'd better stick to it and not forget it, because that's what your IDs say from now on..." he continues with a smile which expresses no sympathy. "It's not me ..." she starts shaking her head.

"I don't give a damn, sweetheart, it's the price to pay to stay alive. Forests, jungles, shrubs, Rice will rake everything to find you. You will have to live like a normal person, starting now : wear goggles and gloves, not smiling, not feeding on the fucking squirrels, all the mess! "

She is now trampling, she suffocates. She cannot believe what he tells her, it must be a new form of torture that Rice has found.

"There, you'll call this number," he says, showing a piece of paper that he puts on the table without softness "tomorrow, as soon as I get you off at the bus station, this person is helping people like you. Take tickets for the destination that you will be told, that you will pay in cash" he noisily slams an envelope on the pile of other documents, filled with banknotes.

She jumps, "Stop, Stop that shit!" Her voice is torn as she screams, holding her head in her hands. She rushes into the bathroom and slams the door before banging it, putting the hinges to the test.

"Perfect, you learn fast, baby! Very human like reaction!" he shouts, screaming through the door, before kicking the bed that slips on the carpet in a crack, before leaving the room, slamming the door too.

An unappreciated cigarette later, Pierce is back in the room. She did not leave the bathroom. He slumps into the chair and massages his temples with an upset mine. After hours on the road and attempted murder by the mutant he was trying to save in spite of herself, he might as well abandon everything and let it go. But it does not even cross his mind. He is just exhausted and tries to release the tension that has built up in his shoulders. Being in this room with her makes him nervous too, her unpredictability, her state and the ruthless creature she can become are not made to reassure him. But what worries him most is the appeal of her body. Like a magnet that attracts him, he could only think of that earlier, her flesh and softness, when she had wrapped her arms around him in a hug that was far from sensual in the car, and yet.

"Damn fool ..." he sighs, rubbing his eyes.

He had been back in the room for a while now and had not moved since, from what she could hear. She had taken a shower, a strange feeling far from being unpleasant when she is a volunteer. She had thought, she had made a decision.

She goes out, the skin still wet and surrounded in a towel that had to know better days. Pierce is slumped on the armchair, his head leaning back on the backrest, his hands resting on the armrests, asleep.

She barely advances in silence on the carpet that he suddenly raises his head, his soldier's senses still sharpened. She freezes and scrutinizes his face, indecipherable in the darkness that now reigns in the room. He does not seem disoriented and looks at her as she moves slowly towards him, letting the towel slip on the floor.

He holds out an arm towards the wall near him and activates a switch that lights the bulb of the bedside table, dimly illuminating the room with a yellow glow. Then rest his hand on the armrest, as if nothing had happened. His eyes roam the body of the beast without letting any emotion emerge. These weeks spent undergoing tests have made her a little emaciated but firm muscles still roll under her matte skin. Her slow, assured step and her eyes gleaming in the semi-darkness give her a feline look that he did not know. He only notices that her hair has grown. She still has this black and shapeless hair but, so wet, it almost touches her shoulders now.

She reaches him, holding her breath as he stares at her belly, and finally he moves, carrying his metal fingers on the new scar there, left by the wolves. Under the tips of his fingers, the soft sensors perceive the roughness of the skin and he remembers how she saved his life that night. That makes them certainly even.

Eyes down on Pierce, standing between his legs apart, the beast breathes only when he gently lays his lips on her belly. There is no more anger in him. He puts his hands on her waist, squeezing her hips and pulling her to the chair, forcing her to rest her knees on his thighs and stick her sex against his chest. Running through her bruised skin with kisses, his hands caress her back, down to her buttocks, and massage her thighs up to her crotch where he lets his fingers linger, gently first, then by pressure more and more supported, tightening his embrace around her eagerly, burying his face in her abdomen as if he wanted to take refuge there.

Curled on his face, hands lost in his hair, she feels his breath hot and panting against her skin, reviving the fire that consumes her from the inside every time he touches her, the tingling of his beard that claws her when he rubs his face against her. Deep breaths lift his trembling back, in a mixture of relief and excitement. It is so hot in this room but her flesh shivers from the blood that boils in her veins. She would like to see his eyes, to know what they are expressing now. Grabbing his hair, the beast pulls his face back against the chair. Above his flushed cheeks, his blue eyes devour her as if she was a vital substance to his existence. His parted lips beg her without a word to feed on him in return.

"You're the worst thing that ever happened to me," she murmurs in a feverish breath on his face, planting her eyes in his.

His lips stretch in a slight, knowing smile; the feeling is reciprocal, before he draws to him the face of the beast and kisses her mouth greedily, invading it with his tongue, mixing his breath with hers while she moans under the pressure he exerts against her pelvis.

Pierce lifts her up suddenly, carries her hanging around his waist onto the bed where he drops on her. Pushing the bag unceremoniously down the floor with a thud, he kisses her and kneads her in his strong hands. His heavy body on hers, she restrains from tearing his clothes apart in that frantic haste so familiar to them now. The urge to touch his skin is almost unbearable.

She needs him stronger than ever before. She's been craving for him for so long. As time passed by, in her rare moments of awareness at that awful place where Rice had kept her, she had felt more and more eager to feel whole again, in the arms of the only being that releases the human in her. It all comes back to her now. Almost feeding on his scent, on all the skin she can touch and taste, she grabs his body wishing she had hundreds of hands. She curls up her body against his, marrying the shape of it, its posture, sucking his sighs and moans like so many things she will keep deep inside her to never forget.

It is so hot in this room but never this heat will be as intense as that created by the friction of their bodies, insatiably hungry of each other.

 It is not the noise that has awakened him, but his absence. The glow that he distinguishes by opening his eyes tells him that the day has risen, but it is the absence of warmth at his side that makes him suspicious, sweeping the room with a glance still clouded by sleep. He is alone.

Putting the thoughts flowing in his mind on pause, he gets up in a hurry and fails to stumble on the rolled-up blanket on the floor as he rushes into the bathroom. Empty.

With a mechanical gesture, he puts on the trousers that had landed on the armchair and rushes open the door of the room. The sun is still chilly, its pale rays shave the lunar landscape that surrounds the small motel erected in the middle of the dust. But nothing moves.

Still refusing to hear the evidence hammering his brain, he returns to the room. The travel bag and the documents folder are gone. All he had brought for her, carried away. There is nothing left on the table but a piece of paper, with worn edges, almost crumpled by the so many times he has contemplated it since he stole it from one of the files on Rice's desk, two weeks ago. The two small clusters of whitish cells, so close and yet distinct, that spring on this murky black background, had been the ultimate trigger, the weight that had crushed all his doubts. He had to get her out of there, he had to save her, save them. She and the children she was carrying. Their children.

And they were gone now. He would never know where or when she would leave. He only knew that she knew. She had left that image as a goodbye letter saying that she understood and that everything would be fine.

Concentration is all he will need to lock up and forget the pain and regret in the hollow that forms in his chest. Not to think of the bitter taste in his mouth every time he wakes up realizing that he will not look at her again that day, that he will not touch her, that he will not know that piece of him that she carried away. Perhaps he will need a good dose of self-denial to pretend to look for her, constantly surveying the places where they have possessed each other, looking for traces that he will know not to find.

But it is the relief that prevails for the moment. She would probably only think of herself in the next few days but she would eventually follow the plan he had worked out for her, he is convinced. She had already taken matters into her own hands, avoiding them an annoying goodbye that would be so unlike them. Hunters like them do not languish; they do what they have to do.

So he does not linger in the room. He does not realize the absence of the tank top he was wearing the day before when picking his things, before taking the wheel, the course of his life he knows will not be quite the same anymore, but it does not matter. Pierce returns his glasses and his insolent smile on his face and resumes his mission, that of catching her kind.