#alright i'm finally starting to get through all the requests in my ask box

[boimann]

emesis bloo medic

[starstruckgrrl]

Endeavor secretly into (literally, in, lol) Natsuo’s girlfriend👀👀

a/n: this is my favorite request so far, thank you! so sorry this took so long haha, i’m horrible at being punctual, but i’m doing a bit better! this is my longest fic 😭

┆︎ ☆ synopsis: natsuo always complained about his father, making him out to be such a bad person. when you finally meet him, you are mutually captivated.

↳ ♡₊˚. warnings: cheating, older man/younger girl, female reader, endeavor is a really bad father, choking if you squint, he destroys the necklace natsuo bought you, possessive enji

your boyfriend of 8 months still hasn’t introduced you to his family. initially, you had started to think that natsuo simply wasn’t serious about you. when you confronted him, though, he relented and told you he would introduce you to them.

a few days later, natsuo told you the plans. the two of you were to come over for dinner at the todoroki residence, and a movie in their living room after.

you were very excited the day of, purchasing a new formal but cute outfit for yourself that could show parts of your personality. as you got ready, natsuo was sitting on your bed and scrolling through his phone.

"are you sure i look okay, natsu?" you asked your partner.

"yeah, i'm sure. it's not that big of a deal anyways, my opinion on you won't change no matter what my stupid father thinks." he replies. ah. right. his father.

enji todoroki was seemingly the source of all of natuso's problems and anger. your boyfriend was usually very cheery, but when he was upset, 9 times out of 10 it was about his father.

you were still trying to head in with a bright smile, so you were opting to forget about the nasty (but small) pieces of information natsuo had given you about his father.

even if you hadn't heard bad things from your boyfriend, meeting the #2 is a nerve-wracking experience, especially meeting him as enji todoroki, and not endeavor.

unfortunately for you, you'll be meeting every other sibling for the first time as well. the only sibling he talks about is his deceased brother, touya todoroki.

you know their names, but not much more.

quickly looking at the clock, you noticed you only had a few more minutes before you had to go. you slipped on your favorite earrings, ready to go.

you turned to find natsuo up and next to you, with a small box in his hand. you looked up at him, smiling.

"is this for me?" you asked, your smile wide.

"of course. take it." he told you, holding the box out to you.

you grabbed it and gently opened it, revealing a beautiful silver necklace with his initial "N" in a cursive font as the pendant.

you gasped and hugged him, saying, "i love it! thank you!"

he hugged you back and pat your head before asking, "do you want me to put it on?"

"yes please!" you replied, as he put it around your neck and clasped it tight before letting it fall. it fit perfectly, and it was beautiful.

you thanked him again and gave him a kiss on the cheek. natsuo was always sweet, and he was handsome. especially in his cargo pants and his white button up, his hair brushed and looking nice.

"alright, let's get going. we don't want to be late. god knows my hardass of a dad won't let me hear the end of it."

fighting the urge to roll your eyes, you allow natsuo to guide you to the car and into the passenger seat.

~

arriving at the todoroki household was a bit of an ordeal. his siblings flooded you at the entrance and began asking many questions before you could even step in.

in the midst of a question the youngest todoroki was asking you, a gruff voice interrupted.

“enough. let her enter the house. it’s impolite to keep a young lady waiting on the doorstep.”

with that, you were ushered in by fuyumi. several feet away from the doorway was enji todoroki. bowing your head to be polite, he gave a small smirk at your manners.

in truth, enji believed that natsuo would have brought home an ill-mannered, clumsy woman to spite him.

he watched out of the corner of his eye as you took your shoes off to neatly place them by the doorway, and how you politely followed fuyumi to the living room, and then the dining room.

your soft smiles and small nods to show you were listening to the siblings captivated him in a way he couldn’t yet understand.

~

after a small tour of the house, everyone sat down in the dining room. fuyumi, with the help of shoto, created a beautiful spread of food. you lightly fidgeted with the hem of your dress as you all waited for enji to enter, and natsuo cupped your cheek and smiled at you to reassure you.

natsuo was very happy that everything was going well, and was secretly proud that his father hadn’t told him off for choosing an insufficient partner.

unfortunately for him, his father didn’t only approve of you, but he wanted you for himself.

walking into the room with his back straight, enji caught sight of his son’s hand on you, and felt a surge of anger go through him.

natsuo, catching sight of his father, put his hand down by his side.

enji sat, and after words of appreciation for fuyumi and shoto were shared, everyone began to eat.

as he eyed you, enji also began to feel guilty. he was trying to work on being a better father, but now he’s catching himself watching his son’s girlfriend? there had to be something wrong with him. but was it really his fault that you were so beautiful? truly, you were the most gorgeous person he had ever seen.

as he thought longer, his guilt began to abate. natsuo was always his least favorite child. always having to be right, always trying to one-up him in every argument, always acting high and mighty, even when he was trying to improve.

enji stopped his train of thought there, before he did anything drastic.

~

dinner went well, with everyone sharing a few laughs and overall having a good time. you were pleased that natsuo’s father had engaged in polite conversation about your career with you, sharing some of his wisdom and praising you for being a hardworker, even if what you wanted to do wasn’t deemed the most “important” by society.

his praise made you blush deeply even thinking back at it. the way his eyes changed and his mouth curved up to form a small smile. he held so much power, it was almost suffocating, but it was also like being engulfed in a sweet warmth, in safety.

he even considered you to be on his level, telling you that honorifics weren’t necessary. “enji,” he told you to call him when everyone else had stepped out of the room to bring in the dessert trays.

you couldn’t help imagining what it would be like to be with him - but you tried to stop yourself before you got too far ahead. he was your boyfriend’s father, a hero for god’s sake, he probably had bigger prospects than you.

you and natsuo began giving your goodbyes, putting your shoes back on, and walking out of the door. before you could make it out, though, you caught enji’s eyes. the look he gave you this time was different than all the others, filled with want, with need.

you smiled at him, letting your eyes close for a moment to give him a genuine smile. it melted his heart. why were you so perfect?

your brief shared moment was interrupted by natsuo guiding you out by your shoulder, the two of you walking down the pathway to his car.

his family stood on the doorstep, fuyumi and shoto waving you off with enji behind them. natsuo let his hand fall from your shoulder to your hips, wrapping his arm tightly around you to bring you closer. enji almost growled at the display. did he know how his father felt about his girlfriend? was he trying to display dominance?

enji shook his head and turned to walk back into the house, glad the long night was over, but secretly wishing you would’ve stayed.

~

in the car ride back, natsuo vented his frustrations.

“god, he’s such an ass. did you see the way he was staring at you? what’s his fucking problem?”

you stared out the window, not interested in his rant after a nice night. his father hadn’t said or done anything, so what was the problem? but natsuo’s next sentence caught you off guard.

“i bet he wants to fuck you. he’s such an old pervert.”

you flushed, stammering out, “w-what?”

it was unlike natsuo to use vulgar language like that, especially when it came to sex. he was usually attempting to use romantic, flowery language.

“i’m serious,” he said, “he was practically eye-fucking you. let’s never do that again, i don’t want you around him.”

you frowned, thinking about the good time you had with his family, but agreed to make natsuo happy. when it came to his father, you knew better not to push.

~

your time seeing enji todoroki again came much sooner than you thought.

natsuo had asked you, very dejectedly, to stop by his childhood home to collect the jacket he left there, only a week after the dinner night. he only asked because he was caught up with exams, and he thought fuyumi would be there.

she wasn’t.

you nervously walked up to the todoroki household, wearing a casual outfit with the necklace natsuo had bought you.

knocking on the door, you were greeted by enji himself, the man you were most nervous to see.

he wore a black t shirt with gray sweatpants, the infamous combination. you caught yourself staring a bit too long, and he smirked at the way you looked away shyly.

you explained in a small voice that you were here to collect natsuo’s jacket, and enji invited you in to wait in the living room while he tried to find it.

sitting on the couch, you were looking around the living room when he came back into the room.

“i couldn’t find it. he’s sure he left it here?” he spoke.

“yes, he said he was sure. he was nervous about letting me come back here, so he must’ve been confident it was here.”

you paled when you realized what you said. you just admitted to natsuo’s father that he didn’t want you coming back. fuck.

“oh?” he said, beginning to smile, “my son didn’t want you coming back? why would that be? i was sure we had a nice time.”

as he said this, he sat closely next to you, his hand next to your thigh.

his proximity made your nervous, and you decided to be honest.

“natsuo was, um, nervous that you…”

“that i?” he asked, leaning over to you.

“w-wanted, uh, to… do something? to me? i know it sounds really stupid, he’s just-“

“he was right.” enji finally said, and reached to hold your face as he started to kiss you.

you kissed back, passionately. you should’ve felt guilty, but, honestly, you weren’t even thinking about natsuo.

enji put his hand on your thigh, your soft skin exposed by the shorts you were wearing. he kneaded softly at your flesh as his tongue circled around yours.

you whimpered at the contact, his warm hands sent a tingling feeling to your lower half. your hands shot up to hold his head closer to yours.

as he kissed you, his large hands cupped your ass and lifted you up and onto his lap.

your pussy was sat right on top of his cock, which you felt throb, your thin shorts and underwear not doing much to protect you.

you felt yourself become needy, and you began to grind on his cock as the two of you kissed. he groaned into your kiss.

his hands released your ass to hold your chest softly, a contrast from his roughness when picking you up earlier. he didn’t want to hurt you.

appreciating his care, you pulled back from him to begin to take off your shirt, natsuo’s initial around your neck falling down to lay between the valley of your breasts. when you were left with only your bra, he beat you to unhooking it and tossing it on the floor.

“fuck. you’re gorgeous,” he groaned as he leaned forward to kiss and suck on your tits. his tongue lapped at your nipples, and you shivered from the contact. your hands held his hair, tracing small circles on his scalp.

when he pulled away, he pushed you back softly to lay down on the couch, the fabric softening your small fall. as you laid back, enji pushed your legs up and open, pulling off your shorts and ripping off your underwear out of impatience.

he came up to meet you face to face. his face only several inches away from yours. he slipped two fingers into your cunt, savoring the way you clenched and whimpered. he brought his face down to kiss your neck as he fingered you.

he almost came on the spot when you moaned his name, the syllables sounding so sweet when it came from your mouth.

enji pulled his fingers from you, and you pouted from the loss, but he ignored your pouts as he pulled his cock out and positioned it near your entrance, the swollen tip pushing into you.

his length was almost too much to handle, and his cock was thick and veiny. every ridge made you squirm as he slid into you.

once he was inside of you, he started fucking into you hard, pushing his cock all the way in with every stroke. his balls meeting your ass to create a lewd slapping sound.

he met your eyes to savor the faces you made, looking down to watch the way your tits bounced as he fucked you when he saw natsuo’s initial on your chest.

he reacted before he could think, his strong hand coming up to grab the necklace, the muscles in his arm flexing as he ripped it off of you, the chain shattering under his grip. he threw it across the room and kissed you, trying to stake his claim.

you felt your first wave of guilt, but you were distracted almost immediately by the flame hero circling your clit with his thumb.

you moaned out, and he smiled at you.

you were both approaching climax, and he knew it. he was determined to make you cum first, he grabbed your legs and spread them and held them up, your ankles hooking around your head as he pistoned in and out of your cunt.

your back began to arch, and enji brought a hand down to play with your clit again.

“hnghh, enji! fuck!” you screamed as you came around his cock, your fluids coating the base of his cock.

your squeezing brought him over the edge as well, cumming right next to your womb, continuing to thrust as you both rode out your highs.

he pulled out slowly, taking care not to hurt you as his cock began to soften. he pet your head. pushing loose strands of hair out of your face.

“are you okay?” he asked

“yeah, thank you.” you replied.

“let’s get you cleaned up. can you stand?”

you flushed again, “no, p-probably not…”

enji smiled, picking you up bridal style and carrying you to the bathroom.

~

unbeknownst to either of you, your phone was blowing up with notifications on the coffee table. they read:

natsuo ❤️: i found my jacket babe. sorry! you can come back.

natsuo ❤️: babe? are you okay? i said i found my jacket.

natsuo ❤️: ??? what are you doing?

natsuo ❤️: please reply

missed call from “natsuo ❤️”

missed call from “natsuo ❤️”

missed call from “natsuo ❤️”

~

[miserableworm]

Hiiii !! Would it be alright to ask for a lyney x reader where he comforts you when you’re sick/period? Thank you <33

★ a/n - thank you sm for the request <3 getting taken care of when not feeling well gotta be one of the best feelings ever so this was pretty fun to write

★ sypnosis - Lyney had a show come up, but your period had other plans for the evening.

★ tags - Lyney x fem!reader, comfort, fluff, period (no mentions of blood), cramps

"I can't go to your magic show tonight," you whisper, feeling a pang of guilt. The discomfort from your period cramps is almost unbearable, and the idea of sitting through a performance seems impossible.

Lyney, who had been adjusting his magician's hat, turns to you with a concerned look. "Oh? And why is that?" he asks gently, though you can see a teasing glint in his eyes.

You take a deep breath, trying to muster the courage to tell him. "It's just... I'm not feeling well. My period started, and the cramps are really bad."

Lyney's expression softens even more. "Ah, I see," he says, nodding knowingly. "Lynette has those too sometimes. Say no more." Then, with a mischievous grin, he adds, "Though I must admit, I thought you might be avoiding my grand finale. It is quite dazzling, you know."

You manage a weak smile and rolled your eyes at him. "As if I'd ever miss one of your shows by choice."

He steps closer, his eyes filled with a mix of concern and amusement. "Let me take care of you," he says softly. "The magic show can wait."

"Lyney, you can't just miss your show because of me," you protest. "People are expecting you. They'll be disappointed."

Lyney waves a hand dismissively. "Nonsense. The show will go on without me. My assistants are more than capable. Besides, what's more important right now is making sure you're comfortable."

"But Lyney-"

"No buts!"

Before you can protest further, he's already in motion. Lyney heads to the kitchen and returns with a hot water bottle. "This should help with the cramps," he explains, placing it gently on your stomach. The warmth spreads, bringing a measure of relief almost immediately.

"Thank you.." you murmur, touched by his thoughtfulness.

Lyney isn't done yet. He disappears for a moment, then comes back with a small box. "Here," he says, handing it to you. Inside are your favorite snacks and some herbal tea. "I always keep these things ready, just in case," he adds with a wink. "Lynette taught me well."

You can't help but smile, feeling a bit of the heaviness lift. "You really didn't have to go through all this trouble."

"Of course, I did," Lyney replies, sitting beside you. "You're important to me. Besides, magic isn't just about tricks and illusions. It's about making people feel better, making them smile. If I can do that off stage as well, then I'm happy."

"You're so cheesy."

As you sip the tea, Lyney begins to tell you stories about his adventures and mishaps with Lynette. His voice is soothing, and soon you're laughing despite the discomfort.

"But really, Lyney," you say, interrupting his tale about a mishap with disappearing doves, "you should go. The audience will miss you. They'll be wondering where their favorite magician is."

Lyney raises an eyebrow, a playful smirk on his lips. "Are you trying to get rid of me, Y/N? Because if you are, it's not working. I can be quite stubborn when I want to be."

You chuckle, shaking your head. "No, I just don't want you to get in trouble or disappoint your fans."

"Trust me," he says, leaning in closer, "the only person I care about disappointing right now is you. And I know you need me more than they do at this moment."

Before you can argue further, he pulls out a deck of cards and begins performing a series of close-up magic tricks right there. His fingers move with mesmerizing skill, each trick more astonishing than the last. For a while, you're completely absorbed, forgetting about the cramps entirely.

Seeing your smile, Lyney gets up and performs another trick. This time, he makes a coin appear from behind your ear and then disappear in a flash of light. As you clap softly, he bows dramatically.

"And for my next act," he says, reaching into his pocket for another prop. But when he looks up, he sees your eyes closed, your breathing even and peaceful.

He chuckles softly, shaking his head. "Was I that boring?" he murmurs playfully.

Quietly, he tucks the blanket more snugly around you and stands up, careful not to wake you. Stepping closer, he gently places a kiss on your forehead.

"Sweet dreams, Y/N. "

requests are open <3

[nyarumie]

Brains to Brawn. (Chapter 2)

narumi gen x f!reader — 2.9k words, co-workers to lovers, narumi loves kisses, multiple parts, semi canon compliant, in denial reader.

STATUS: Ongoing. Chapter links: 1, 2, 3

Author's Note at the end! Likes, Reblogs, and Comments are also appreciated; Happy reading ♡

Cross-posted on ao3.

Requests, prompts, or any messages are appreciated! Just open my ask box.

"Y'know, I'd almost like to take you in as my officer right now. But numbers are just numbers. Get what I mean?" 

"...What?" you felt like your head was going to crack into pieces any time soon, and the Captain isn't even here yet! What was he even doing here? How can he say that without even sparing a glance at you? He's talking as if you're a new breed of officer! Even more, how does he not recognize your voice?!

Finally gaining some composure to speak, you sat up and started, "With all due respect, I'm an operations manager. I have no interest in becoming an officer, and I value my job beyond my own life. Besides, I doubt the Captain would approve such a shift in the workforce—" 

"That's not for you to decide. Kurusu, pull up the numbers again." you froze in place, eyes wide again. You felt your mouth go dry as the current First Division Captain himself, Isao Shinomiya, arrived swiftly.

A snort came from the doorway, taking your attention. Platoon Leader Narumi lazily made his way over one of the stools, crossing his legs, still engrossed in his mobile game.

It's not like you can do anything else in this situation, and you can't even hear Kurusu and the Captain's conversation. Ultimately deciding to just observe the Platoon Leader, thoughts started flooding your brain. 

'That bastard! He didn't even bother hiding his snort! Does he even have the authority to be here? Was he just loitering around? I'm sure this is just plain entertainment to him, but he's not even paying attention to anything except for his boring ass game! I wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for him… and my co-workers!'

A voice shook you out of your thoughts. "With how hard you're gripping that gun and glaring daggers at me, I would've thought you wanted to kill me." Narumi said, surprisingly sounding nonchalant.

Oh, the menace. Is he now bored with his game, deciding to pick on me instead?

"I don't even know how to use these. And again, I'm an operations manager! Yours, specifically!" you insisted, now pissed at how he's decided to finally give attention to anything other than his game. You held your tongue back from arguing further, not wanting to ruin your image in front of the Captain. Oh, you sure would love to get a long, quality sleep once this is over. 

Narumi finally turned to look at you from where he's lounging, quirking an eyebrow. "So you're the voice that keeps nagging at me during our neutralization operations?"

"Why, excuse me! I saved your impulsive ass several times with my 'nagging'! Shouldn't I get a thank you instead? You should be grateful for finally meeting the angel whispering in your damn ears!" you feel yourself getting even more impatient and uneasy, snapping at him unintentionally. The stress must be getting into you.

You almost forgot about Kurusu and the Captain in the midst of your small rage, hearing footsteps approaching the protective glass. "Captain Shinomiya would like to make a deal with you." It was Kurusu who spoke this time.

A deal…? 

Isao Shinomiya focused on you with a steady, serious gaze. "Join the Defense Force Neutralization Unit. A proposal will be sent to you later within the day, taking into consideration your position in the Operations Unit. I am expecting an answer in 3 days' time." 

He made a motion to leave the room, "Our nation needs both your intelligence and strength. Show us results, and the deal will go through." he departed shortly after.

Unbelievable. He left before you can even comprehend what he said! But he's a busy man, alright… 

You stood up and detached the sensors attached to your body, making your way back to Kurusu. Damn, your legs feel like jelly. With slow, weak strides, you finally reached Kurusu in the monitoring area. 

"Oi." 

You jumped, forgetting about the presence of another person. Still feeling a bit overwhelmed, you raise your eyebrow at him, silently asking what it is that he wants now. Not that he can see you, though; he's still into his game.

"Show great results and I'll have you transferred to my Platoon."

"... Don't be stupid. I already said I'm not an Officer." Besides, you know very well how he does things in battle. Each Platoon Leader gets assigned their very own Operations Manager, and you just so happened to be assigned to him. He prefers going solo all the way, as if he's a Kaiju killing machine (he, in fact, is one). You'll just end up being one of the rookie officers standing around awkwardly while he gets things done.

"What's stupid," He stood up, stretching while still holding his phone in one hand. "Is doing nothing with those numbers. And refusing to be a part of my elite platoon. And I'm not stupid! I was an academic achiever, just so you know!" pointing an offended finger at you.

…And he just walked off. At least he acknowledged your potential power, and that's extremely rare. But only because of your potential aptitude for Kaiju no. 3. Which you don't have any plans of doing something about it. Yet.

"If it were any other superior, you would've been really fired on the spot. Didn't know you have quite the guts to call a Platoon Leader stupid." said Kurusu.

You mumbled a half-hearted apology to Kurusu, "Not like it matters to him anyway…" you said. You've argued with Narumi over comms during battle despite not knowing you. Surely, something as small as calling him stupid is nothing.

"You should go back to your station. Not a word of this to the other operators, the information should come from HQ themselves—unless you accept the to-be-finalized proposal." he said.

"So… my afternoon shift—" 

He instantly gave you a deadpanned look. Alright, no skipping work today. Which is quite fair enough, you unintentionally gave him another job to deal with, after all.

With a dampened mood and head occupied, you start walking back to your work station.

Your afternoon shift was surprisingly normal and peaceful. Concerned glances were thrown your way by your friends when you went back to work, the slightly uncharacteristic silence bothering them. Not that you were noisy per se, but you're working on one report to another rapidly. To them, you’re in distress; but to you, you couldn’t be more glad and at peace to just go back to your respectful, ordinary work, ready to reject the proposal from your Division Captain any time soon.

Unbeknownst to you, a certain Platoon Leader observed you in your ‘element’ through the horizontal glass pane from the door.

As Captain Shinomiya was drafting the proposal, an unannounced but familiar presence entered his office.

“Old man. Tell me, do you plan on assigning another yapper to me for our battles if she accepts the proposal? If so, I don’t need a voice screaming their ass off in my ears. I don’t want to babysit a rookie either.”

The Captain mentally noted how subtly grumpy Narumi is. "Each deployed officer is to be strictly monitored in battle. That's how we analyze your skills and determine if your results are worthy of representing the First Division." 

"You didn't answer my question."

"Narumi. Results are to be expected from you, regardless of who you're working with, or what you're doing on the battlefield. Do you understand?"

"...Whatever you say." he uncharacteristically departed back to his office without arguing back.

Of course. It never fully mattered to him who he worked with. He simply does what needs to be done and exceeds expectations "effortlessly". But that doesn't mean he never noticed.

All the previous operations managers assigned to him filed an official request to be transferred to another officer. He expected you to file a transfer request after the first few missions of being assigned to him, but you ultimately decided to stick with him to give his ears some beating through comms if you can't beat his ass in person. Sure, he found your nagging quite annoying, even telling you to shut up several times—in which you only screamed back at him, insisting you're just doing your job to keep him alive; but he'd be lying if he said he didn't find your reports beneficial.

Most post-battle reports written about him are more of a complaint than a feedback. The managers assigned to him would always give him a C to D grade for his performance, despite taking down the most destructive Kaiju on field. 'What's there to complain about when all Kaiju were neutralized?' he thinks. He stopped reading those, crumpling the papers and throwing them somewhere in his room. Besides, they didn't even bother giving any training routines on the suggestion box of the report, concluding that "he can deal with it by himself".

— A few months ago —

He thought his unleashed combat power would hit the wall at 71%. For a few months, no amount of training he came up with amplified his power. It was getting pretty frustrating, and even Hasegawa took note of how even more desperate and tired Narumi has been getting in the battlefield as Kaiju with higher fortitudes and unique traits keep emerging.

"You're not reading your reports." Hasegawa pointed out to him after an intense battle.

Narumi was sitting amidst the chaos, idly playing his portable console.

"So?" Yeah, it's not like he needed them anyway.

Hasegawa sighed. "The new operations manager assigned to you is as stubborn as you are. It's been 3 weeks, and she's pestering me to continue delivering reports to you. She knows you haven't been reading them. She refused to pester you herself, saying you might've had enough with her constant nagging during battles."

"Yeah, you're right. It's been too long, when is she filing a transfer request? My ears are about to blast with how much she's talking." Lie . He knows that he'll feel lonely if you file a request. He didn't even know you back then, but your presence in his earpiece is appreciated deep inside. He pretends to know everything about the battlefield thanks to Kaiju No. 1's retina, but it was because of your accurate and swift comms that he is able to plan steps ahead of the Kaiju.

"I take it you're not aware of your top performance rating in the entire Division for a whole month now?" Hasegawa guessed.

Huh?

Hold on. Not that it's supposed to surprise him—he knows he performs exceptionally well, despite what the old reports say about him. No matter how many Kaiju he kills, they all weren't reflected on his past ratings. He knows the results Captain Shinomiya wanted to see will never be reflected on any chart, so he didn't care that much. The ratings were just meant to motivate ordinary officers.

But the ratings were all subject to approval by the Analytics Department of each respective division. He doesn't know much, but each Operations Manager is to defend their reports about the officers they monitor. Which means… you defended him in front of all the scrutinizing gazes and judgmental minds of your peers. You fought for him, and only him. He's the only officer you handle due to his rank as Platoon Leader. He should be shrugging this off, but the thought of someone giving that much acknowledgement to him oddly feels comforting.

Narumi stands, dusting off his suit. "Will you be distributing them this week?" he hesitantly asked.

Hasegawa, sensing a change of mind in him, replied. "Of course. Let me know if you have any specific past reports you'd like to receive." Somehow, he always knows what's weighing in Narumi's head.

"All of them. The ones from her."

Maybe he was also just another ordinary officer, after all.

— Present day —

When he first started reading your reports, they were oddly short; but rather straight to the point. You analyzed his fighting style in accurate detail, as well as small habits he himself didn't realize during the heat of the battle. All the flaws and mishaps he made were not once accompanied by a complaint. No mentions of your arguments over comms were found either. Well, you did say communication and teamwork has a big room for improvement , followed by saying that it isn't a priority as he accomplished the mission in a heartbeat. You tried not to show it in your paper, but you're mostly concerned for his safety. 'So much for a person you haven't even met.' he thought. He wasn't a fan of reading these stuff, but yours is bearable.

What surprised him the most is the training routine you suggested. He can't believe you included his gaming sessions in the routine. They weren't required to follow the routine, they were only suggestions after all. But he can't help but follow them sometimes after seeing your little note at the end of the routine: "Goal: Assist Platoon Leader Narumi with his training to reach Captain rank."

Surprisingly enough, his unleashed combat power started rising in numbers again after occassionally following your suggested routine. As a Platoon Leader, he's now reached an 87%. No one's gonna give him these reports if you decide to be a Defense Force Officer. That's why he insisted on making you a member of his Platoon,  just in case.

Night time came and you retreated back to your room. The proposal never came whilst you were working, despite the Captain promising to deliver it within the day. 'Maybe he needed to revise it.' you thought.

You picked up a book as part of your nightly routine, reading different novels and papers to calm your mind to get some quality sleep. Just as you were about to get comfy in your bed, a soft knock was heard on your door.

You internally groaned as you opened the door, revealing Kurusu. It wasn't office hours, so you dropped your usual formality with him. "No. I don't want that. Good Night." you spoke before he can even wave the proposal right at your face, acting like you were gonna close the door on him.

"Wait! I promise you'll love this proposal." he said.

"And why do you say that?" 

He rubbed a hand on his nape, "... Salary adjustments?"

Now it was your turn to give him a deadpanned look.

Sighing, he said, "Look, just take the paper and give it a once-over, okay? Or maybe thrice. You were given three days to mull it over, anyway. It might not look like much, especially with the risk to your life on the battlefield, but, uhm… your interests are highly taken into consideration." He pushed the papers toward you, forcing you to hold it. "I'll be making my way now, then."

Motioning to close the door, you almost had a heart attack when you saw his arm suddenly slip right through the little space left between the door and frame.

His head poked inside your room again, "Ahem. I don't want to influence your decision or anything, but I'm speaking as both your boss and your friend. This very proposal changes everything you have right now, but it doesn't mean it's a bad thing. I think it will suit you just fine. You're above the average intelligent person, and you have a certain good kind of stubbornness in you that you have yet to realize." and with that, he waved you goodbye.

'What does stubbornness have to do with this? And I'm NOT stubborn at all!' you thought.

Instead of reading your beloved novel, you're sitting straight on your bed with the proposal right in your hands. 

As you read through it, you were able to gather these main points: 

It goes without saying, but apply as a Defense Force Officer and wield the Number 3 weapons.

Your rights and parts of your job as an Operations Manager will remain, such as writing reports and analysis of neutralization operations and Kaiju observations, regardless of whether you pass as an Officer or not.

"Great results" will give you three times the joint salary of an Operations Manager and an Officer, which may vary according to current position.

'Who the hell writes a proposal encompassing several pieces of paper, but has such a few main points?!' You were more pissed at how it was plainly written than the actual offer handed over to you. What's more is the fact that the section discussing financial terms was much longer than the risks involved! Did they really think you, a highly intelligent person, were that simple-minded? Money can't save your life in a battle!

"How much would the salary be if that was the case though…?" you mumbled to yourself. You pulled out your phone and did some calculations. If you were able to reach Platoon Leader in a short period, your salary would be…

"Half a billion?! That's impossible! Is the Defense Force even that rich to begin with?" You remember the mountains of packages delivered on a weekly basis, all addressed to Narumi. "Maybe it's possible after all…?"

After spending another hour thinking, you sighed, taking out your phone to draft your response.

To : First Division Captain Shinomiya Isao, First Division Operations Leader Kurusu Akira

Subject : Defense Force Application Proposal

As an honored member of the First Division and as a dedicated Operations Manager, I wholeheartedly accept the terms and conditions stated in the proposal.

Author's Note(s):

My head felt like I was floating and I barely had any sleep while writing this so I hope I didn't mess it up! I kinda got carried away and it became long.

i'm honestly just going with the flow and writing whatever feels right. I'm surprisingly having fun writing! But I wasn't sure of how I'd transition to Narumi's flashback, apologies for that part lol

Feedbacks are appreciated <3

[sweetiesicheng]

yeosang - store

word count : 670

-

"bye everyone!" one of your friends yells as she hurries off to head to practice.

"walk safe! see you guys!"

"bye!"

you say your goodbyes and put your earbuds on. as you leave through the gate, someone bumps into you.

"sorry, y/n!" you see yeosang run off and yell. he almost drops his phone while running away.

he’s in a hurry…

you start walking into town so you can go to the grocery store. once you get to the store, you grab a basket and start shopping for a few items so you can bake a cake at home.

when you enter an isle, you find a familiar face stocking a shelf. you take your earbuds out and put them in your pocket before walking up to yeosang.

"bumps into me because he was going to be late, huh?" you speak and yeosang turns his head.

"oh hey. i'm really sorry. i was already late once this week, and i didn't want to get chewed out again," yeosang apologizes to you.

you laugh, "it's all good."

"do you need anything from here before i stock the shelf?" he asks, gesturing to the cart he has, filled with baking items.

"oh, actually..." you look in the cart and take a few items from it. you place them in your basket. "thanks."

yeosang nods, "yea. see ya around."

you smile, "see ya."

you walk around the store, picking up small items that are easy to carry since you're walking home. while going through an aisle, you reach up to grab a box of snacks. however, it's easy to notice that you can't reach unless if you climb the shelf yourself.

"this is embarrassing," you sigh as you try to reach for a small cardboard box. after giving up, you stare at the shelf.

yeosang's tall enough, right?

you question to yourself about your friend's height before leaving the aisle and searching for your friend.

"kang yeosang, this store isn't that big. where did you go?" you question to yourself as you search for him. he isn't in the aisle you first saw him in, and he wasn't in the aisles next to the one he was originally in either.

you check a few more aisles before finally finding him pushing an empty cart.

"yeosang," you call out to him.

he turns around and notices you. "what's up?" he asks.

"can i borrow your height for a second?" you request from him, making him laugh. "hey! stop laughing!"

"can i borrow your height? that's a sentence i've never heard for," he says. "yea, sure. you can borrow my height."

"if you make fun of me at school, i'll kick you," you threaten to him.

"i'll stop. i'll stop," he says to you while turning around. "let's go," he says.

you start walking with him back to the aisle that you were in.

"i need two of those," you say and point to the small box on the top shelf.

yeosang easily grabs two boxes for you. "here you go," he says to you and puts the boxes in your basket. "need anything else while you have me?" he asks.

"nah. i can't carry that much home," you reply. "i've been craving these lately," you mention.

"are they that good?" he questions and grabs a box. "maybe i should try these," he says.

"you should," you say to him. "and you should get back to work."

he shrugs his shoulders and leans so his forearms are on the cart. "i could just say that i'm helping a customer," he says to you.

"well, i'm leaving anyways," you point out to him.

"i can open a register and check you out," he says. you raise an eyebrow at him, which makes him realize what he just said. "check your items out!" he clarifies, making you laugh while he stands there flustered.

"alright yeosang, i'll let you check me out," you say and laugh again.

"i'll make fun of your height again."

"don't you dare."

[eboshishusbandwinkwink]

Billy Hargrove x gn!reader

Warning(s): Trauma, working on trauma, yelling, kinda insulting

Summary: You've been dating Billy for a while, and you once again had to remind him that he is not in danger when he's with you.

Feel free to request:

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

"I'm home!!", you exclaimed happily as you walked into the house you shared with your boyfriend. He'd moved in with you just a few months ago and you loved every single second of it.

Billy, on the other hand, was really overwhelmed and confused. He loved you dearly and would do anything for you, but it was weird to him how devoted you were to him.

You smiled as you went to check your garden, smiling when you saw Billy cleaning up the pool you two had. You leaned on the door frame and crossed your arms as you were watching him.

Billy didn't notice you for a while but almost had a heart attack when he did. "Jesus!! (Y/n)... Say something!"

You laughed softly and walked to him reaching for his face lightly, though he pulled back, almost flinching.

You paused and pulled your hands back, this time reaching only for his arms and being much slower. "Sorry, baby. I didn't want to scare you."

Billy shook his head and leaned in to give you a soft kiss. "It's okay." He raised you up into hid arms and hugged you tightly. This wasn't new to you, so you just kissed his head and played with his hair.

After a few minutes of standing around, he set you down again and kissed your cheek softly. You then took his hand and pulled him along into the house.

"How was work for you today?", you asked him as you sat in the kitchen slowly while he got out some glasses and two bottles of juice for the two of you.

"Well...", Billy started slowly. "Some kids decided to mock me, my coworker feels the need to make fun of me for being all soft around you all the time, my break was spent with cleaning shit up and some other kids decided it'd be fun to throw shit at me." Once he finished explaining, he picked up the juice box and tried to pour some of it into his glass.

Though, when he raised it to put it away and close it, it slipped from his hand before it felt onto the table and against the glass, knocking it down.

The juice was all over the table, and the glass hand shattered when it fell to the floor.

You quickly jumped you to check on your lover first. "Are you okay, baby? Did you get hurt?"

He looked at you, his jaw clenched and eyes narrowed at you. "Go away. I have to clean that up."

You looked at him worriedly. "But Billy-"

Before you could finish he had stood up quickly, almost scaring you, if you hadn't known he wouldn't hurt you.

"I said, I have to clean that up. Move!"

Usually, you would step back and quietly let him do his thing, but not this time. You grabbed his arm and looked up at him. You weren't rough, though. You held him, but not painfully. Just enough to get his attention.

"Sit down.", you said firmly. "You had a bad day at work. This was an accident. I'll give you a new glass and clean up sí you can drink in peace."

You then kissed his head softly before you started to gather the glass shards and wiped up the juice on the table and from the floor.

Throughout the rest of the day, you regularly checked on Billy, making sure he wouldn't overwork himself and had everything he needed.

He'd been fine after that all day, but when dinner was ready and he sat down, you noticed him looking weirdly angry.

"Are you okay, my love?"

You never thought that such a simple question would make someone get so angry. You had never thought it'd hurt and upset someone so bad. But it did.

Billys fist met the table as he glared at you. His voice was booming through the house from how loud he was when he yelled: "Will you stop asking me that god damn question?!"

You turned to him, shock written all over your voice and your voice soft as a kittens fur. "Honey?"

"You've been asking me that stupid question all day! Did you make it your mission to baby me or what?!"

"Love..."

"Shut up! Just leave me alone, okay!? I don't need you to spend your whole day around me and treat me like I can't take care of myself!"

"Billy..."

"I can take care of myself just fine without you!"

"Billy!"

He fell silent at the tone of your voice and that gleam in your eyes. You weren't angry, and you weren't sad either. All there was was worry.

"Think about what you just said to me, Billy.", you said softly and seemingly he was thinking about it.

He could take care of himself without you, but he didn't want to. He didn't need you to spend your day around him, but he liked it when you did. And the question wasn't stupid at all... because he was everything but fine.

He lowered his head as he started to realize this, his hands trembling, and he felt something he had felt plenty of times before, but never did he want to let that out. And he still didn't want to... but he did anyway.

You walked up to him slowly and hugged his head against your chest as you placed soft kisses on his hair. "It's okay, baby. Just let it all out. All those years of pain and suffering. I know what you've been through. You told me, remember? And I promised I'd always be here for you."

As Billy cried quietly into the side of your arm, you just kept on talking to him, hoping to help him feel at least loved by you.

"This world has done you so much bad, you deserve to feel something good. I don't care what I need to do, but I will make sure that you know I love you."

Your hands gently took his face and made him look up. "Tell me what's going on. Please."

Billy was quiet before he closed his eyes and let you hold him while he spoke. "I feel stupid. Really stupid. Because all day I've been.... fighting with myself over the fact that... I want to be vulnerable with you but can't."

Your expression softened as you xaressed his face. "But aren't you being vulnerable right now? Also.... how often have I cried with you? At your side, being overwhelmed and confused or even angry at others or myself? You held me through it all."

You leaned down to kiss his lips before slowly whispering to him. "It's now finally my turn to hold you through your pain, okay? You're what holds me stable when I'm hurting, so I'll do the exact same for you because you, William Hargrove, are the absolute best person I have met in my entire life and I would do anything to ensure I'll get to keep you."

Billy kept crying as his face just melted into your hands, your soft kisses working magic on his sensitive, bruised skin. Your touch felt healing, for his soul more than anything else, but that hardly mattered.

He loved you, and you loved him. That was all that mattered at that moment, and it'd be all that matters for a long time.

"I love you, (Y/n)."

"And I love you, sweetheart."

-------

Masterlist:

[hinata-chan-utaitelover]

Caretaker of Wings | A Chaggie FanFic

Request and Prompt by @bunnyinfoxclothing

After the battle with Heaven, Vaggie started to notice something off with her wings. She hadn't noticed it when she gained them back, only now, they were in such excruciating pain that she started her day off with a hunched over posture and groaning with each step she took. The angel finally made it to the lobby area where Charlie was busy planning her newest trust exercise for the unenthusiastic hotel residents.

Vaggie approached her busy girlfriend, not wanting to startle her, and lightly tapped her shoulder, "Hey babe?".

Charlie turned towards Vaggie, looking concerned as she quickly took notice of her girlfriend not looking like her usual self. "Are you alright, Vaggie? You don't look too good. " Worry filling her eyes.

Vaggie, not wanting to worry the princess too much, replied with a soft smile, "Yeah, I've just been having this really bad back pain all morning."

Charlie was on the verge of tears now knowing her song bird was in pain. "Hey honey, do you want me to give you a back massage?"

"Sure babe, maybe that'll help ease the pain." she smiled softly.

The two girls began making their way to their shared bedroom. Charlie helped the angel lie stomach down on their bed after slipping off said angels' shirt. Charlie sat straddled over the girl's thighs while taking a look at her back.

The skin in between Vaggie's wings was red and inflamed. Charlie hesitantly placed her hand on the raw skin to which Vaggie winced in pain.

"We'll have to take care of that before we start, be right back." Charlie left her girlfriend and headed to their bathroom, grabbing a jar of antibiotic cream and bandages.

Charlie made it back to her previous place on their bed and looked back down at the wound as she began scooping out cream, "Now, my song bird, this is going to hurt, but it'll be over quickly. Are you ready?"

Vaggie only nodded in response.

And with that, Charlie began applying the cream, earning a heartshattering shriek followed by a small whimper. "I know this hurts, but I'm almost done." Charlie reassured. She finished applying the cream and then placed the bandage on the wound.

"There! Now that your wound is taken care of, we can get back to the massage!" The princess exclaimed as she placed a kiss on the bandage.

Charlie began slowly rubbing and kneading Vaggie's lower back, earning giggles from said girl. "Chaharlie! Thahat tihihickles!!"

The princess didn't respond, only moving her hands up to the area where the wings attached, while minding the angel's wound, and continued the massage. This spot earned her even more laughter as it seemed to be more sensitive.

#Chaharliee!! Ihihit's shoho bahad!!" The gurl squealed, wriggling and squirming under her.

Charlie seized her hands to give the girl a breather before finishing the massage session with her upper back.

"There we are! Charlie's epic massage session is complete!" Charlie exclaimed, with her bouncy response earning a giggle from her girlfriend.

Charlie reached her hands out to help Vaggie sit up against the bedframe.

"Are you feeling better?" Charlie questioned, placing her arm around the angel.

Vaggie fell into her touch and rested her head on Charlie's chest, "Much better, thanks babe."

"Anything for you. I love you, my beautiful song bird." Charlie replied with a gentle smile, placing a kiss on her girlfriend's head, hugging her tighter.

"I love you too, forever and always."

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Since it's been over a year since I've written a fic, I'll accept any criticism you have to offer.

If you have any requests, either dm me or send a request through my ask box.

[rainydaydream-gal18]

Hello! If requests are still open (if not please ignore ) May I request cute parental moments each bad batch member has with Omega with reader included? For example, Tech and Reader helping Omega with her first pilot lesson?

(The Bad Batch) Batch x Reader: Parent Moments

Author's Note: This is such an adorable request!! Thank you for dropping this in my box! I decided to do little blurbs to answer this. You are free to read each one individually as romantic xReader, or view this as a collection of platonic moments.

This got me thinking about the Bad Batch doing dad stuff, and some of that fed into this XD Will probably make a separate post about it.

Enjoy!!!

Hunter: Teaching a New Skill 

   "Alright, kid. You ready?" Hunter asked, arms folded as he noted the eager expression on young Omega's face. You lifted your hand to cover your lips, stifling a chuckle as she practically bounced up and down.

   "I'm ready!"

   "First, you've got to ease up. Tracking requires patience and focus."

   "Right." Omega relaxed her shoulders. "Patience and focus."

   "That's right. It's about recognizing the signs. You may not be able to pick up on all the signs I can because of my...abilities. Neither can ________, as a matter of fact." He stole a glance your way. His tone was serious, instructive, but you caught the slightest taunting glimmer in his eye as he continued. "But she learned in her own way. And her skills aren't half-bad."

   You rolled your eyes playfully, kneeling down on one knee to survey the ground in front of you. "Yeah, sure." You eyed a branch from a shrub that had been bent in half, most likely stepped on by something large.

   "I didn't know you knew how to track," Omega said in fascination. She tilted her head curiously as your eyes scanned the area.

   "With him around-" you motioned vaguely in Hunter's direction "-we hardly need another tracker. But Hunter thought it would be a good idea to have someone else know a thing or two just in case."

   "And since you were curious about it before, _______ and I thought we'd teach you what we know." Hunter shifted his stance. He looked to you again. "So, what do you see?"

   "Looks like some sort of large leaf-eating mammal just came through here about an hour ago."

   Hunter lifted a brow at you. "And?"

   "Right. sorry. Two leaf-eating mammals. One of them is much smaller. Perhaps it's a mother and her young."

   He nodded in approval at your assessment. "Good."

   Omega's eyes widened in amazement. "Wow! _______! You're really good!"

   "Not half-bad," Hunter repeated, his smirk growing.

   "Yeah," you chuckled. "What he said. So, let's get started. Hunter, if you would?"

   "Rule number one to tracking is..."

- - - - - - - - -

Wrecker: Protective

   You, Wrecker, and Omega were walking through the woods of a strange planet one of Cid’s jobs had landed the Bad Batch on.  Omega practically begged Hunter to give her a job on the mission.  He finally agreed to let her scout ahead, but only if she took someone with.  You volunteered to go, and for good measure, Hunter ended up sending Wrecker along just as a precaution.  Though Tech voiced that the possibility of encountering a danger was minimal, there was no telling exactly what was out there.

   “Keep an eye out, kid,” Wrecker said, though his tone suggested he wasn’t the least bit concerned.  There was a certain confidence he had as the biggest and strongest member of the squad.  It meant that things were less likely to want to go up against him.

   “Don’t worry,” Omega replied, narrowing her eyes as she looked around her surroundings.  “I’ve got my eyes peeled.”

   You were both proud and amused at how seriously she was taking the task that Hunter assigned her.  It was a good quality to have.  She didn’t scoff or complain at even the most mundane jobs aboard the Marauder.  She preferred anything to being left behind.

   Suddenly, you heard the quietest snap, like a twig.  You looked over at Wrecker to see he had picked up on a presence as well.  Omega hadn’t quite caught on yet.

   Another snap.

   This time, she heard it.  She looked over at you with wide eyes, and you put a finger to your lips as a sign to keep quiet.  You then motioned for her to return to your side, and she started taking careful steps in your direction.  

   The kid was brave.  She’d already faced many dangers and handled them pretty well, but in that moment, the worry was evident.  She didn’t like the unknown.  After some of the things you’d all faced, could you blame her?

   And then the threat revealed itself.

   It was a beast of some sort, something Tech had warned about in passing.  He’d said that the likelihood of them attacking was very low as they were mostly nocturnal.  The creature bared its sharp teeth in a fearsome snarl.

   You closed the gap between you and Omega in an instant, wrapping your arms around her and pulling her behind you.  The creature bounded toward the two of you huddled together, but its was stopped dead in its tracks by Wrecker, whose shoulder collided with the beast in a hard tackle to knock it away.

   He drew his blaster and planted his boots in the ground, shielding you and Omega from the danger, and took aim.  “Hey,” he growled.  “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size instead?”

   The creature raked its cold eyes over you and Omega once more, most likely debating whether its prey was worth the risk of dealing with Wrecker.  It lashed its tail furiously and gave another loud snarl.

   Wrecker took one step closer, and it stepped back.

   It finally decided to abandon the hunt.  The beast turned and sauntered back into the forest, leaving the three of you alone.

   Wrecker let out a hearty laugh.  “Smart animal.  Knew better than to tangle with me!”

   A big smile spread across your face.  “Thank you, Wrecker.”

   “Yeah, thank you,” Omega said.  She breathed a sigh of relief, the fear leaving her features and instead being replaced by wonder and admiration for her big brother.  “That was amazing!”

- - - - - - - - -

Tech:  Bickering

   “Very good, Omega,” Tech praised the young Bad Batcher for her ability to follow his instruction.  She beamed at the note of approval in his tone.  “What next?”

   “We take a look at the systems, make sure everything’s operational.”  She squinted at the collection of warning lights flashing across the dash.  Her lips formed a small frown.  “There are a lot that aren’t…”

   “Critical systems are,” he said, raising his index finger pointedly.  “That’s what’s important.”

   You couldn’t help the snicker that escaped you, swiveling your chair in a failed attempt to hide your humor from the pilot.  Tech looked in your direction curiously.

   “What’s so funny?” Omega asked, amusement creeping into her tone at hearing your laughter snowball.

   “Oh, nothing,” you wheezed

   “I believe ________ finds humor in how I maintain the Marauder.”

   You clutched your stomach.  “Sorry.  It’s just- you’re teaching her bad habits.  We really shouldn’t have so many alerts going off.”

   Tech’s voice remained even.   “Numerous events and projects have prevented Echo and I from doing proper maintenance.”

   “Right, right.  I’m sorry.”

   Tech held your gaze for another few seconds while you bit your lip to try and cover another laugh.  His tone was still calm, though you detected that hint of underlying sass.  “I don’t suppose you’d like to assist in repairs?  Seeing that it is a concern of yours?”

   “I’m just saying,” you replied, internally oooohing at his passive-aggressive comment, “that under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t advise Omega to take off with that many alerts.”

   “Critical systems are unaffected.”

   Omega glanced between the two of you.

   “I know, but-” You sighed, grumbling, “I think I will make some repairs.  Where’s the toolkit?”

   “Maybe Tech and I could help?” Omega spoke up helpfully.  “This way, Tech could show me more about the ship, and we can get caught up with repairs.”

   “Excellent idea, Omega,” Tech chimed in.

   “Yeah, sounds good!”  You exchanged looks with Tech, all sass forgiven and forgotten, before diving into the lesson.

- - - - - - - - -

Echo: Fashion Show

   “Hey, Echo!”

   He looked up from his data pad at the sound of Omega’s usual chipper greeting.  You boarded the ship close behind her and waved.  Both of you carried a few beaten-up bags from your trip to the market.

   “Hey there,” he said with a smile.  “Get anything good?”

   “Yes!  _______ helped me find some armor!”

   “At least for now,” you chimed in.  “Until we find something more suitable.  The kid needed it.”

   Echo nodded in agreement.  “Alright, let’s see it then.”

   Omega exchanged looks with you, her eyes alight with excitement, happily taking the second bag and hurrying over to her room.  While she got ready, Echo turned to you.  His brow furrowed in a look of confusion.

   “How’d you manage this?  We don’t exactly have a lot of credits to spare after that last job ended badly.”

   “I have my ways.”  Your tone was cryptic, but he didn’t miss the glint in your eye or the pendant that was missing from your neck.

   “_______….” he began, concerned.

   “Don’t worry about it,” you insisted, giving him a gentle nudge.  “She needs this more.  The kid comes first.  Besides, you saw how excited she is.”

   Just then, Omega emerged from her room, donning her new (slightly used) armor that you helped her pick out at the merchant’s table.  She held out her arms to show it off as she walked over.

  “What do you think?” she asked.

   Echo nodded in approval.  “You look like a Bad Batcher.”

   He was right.  The pieces of armor had been scrubbed as clean as it could, though it had its fair share of scuff marks and scratches from previous use.  She looked battle-ready.

   “It does look pretty cool, doesn’t it?”

   You tilted your head to the side.  “I’m afraid those boots might be a tad too big.”  

   “They’re perfect,” she insisted.  “Oh!  I have to show Echo the cloak!”  She climbed back into her room, and you and Echo both shared a laugh.

- - - - - - - - -

Crosshair: The Pet He didn’t Want

   “Look, Crosshair!”  Omega beamed as she held the pup up towards the sniper. “We found a lost voorpak.  Isn’t she cute?”

   The pup gave a little bark and wriggled around, sticking its tongue out.  Crosshair’s already stern face twisted into a look of mild disgust.  “It’s ugly.”  The pup looked unaffected as he turned to walk out of range, but Omega followed him, holding the voorpak even higher.

   “She is going to be named Brandi.  And she is adorable.”

   “We could use another girl around here,” you joked, resting your hands on your hips.  “Come on, Cross.  Even you have to admit it’s kind of cute.”

   He sat himself down on a crate and began to inspect his rifle, most likely for cleaning.  “Don’t tell me we’re keeping that thing.”

   “Hunter said we can look after her until we find a suitable home,” Omega replied victoriously.

   “How wonderful,” he muttered.

   You and Omega exchanged looks, laughing, and took the pup back toward her room so it could scurry around for a bit.

   Over the next few days, the voorpak began growing on the Bad Batch.  Even Hunter and Echo would smile in amusement watching Omega play with the creature.  Wrecker joined in.  But Crosshair preferred to keep his distance.  He would roll his eyes and offer up complaints if the creature didn’t do its business outside or was in his way.

   It was one afternoon that the others went out for supplies.  Omega asked you to keep an eye on Brandi for a while, to make sure she didn’t get into any trouble, since you were staying behind to do a few tasks around the Marauder.  Crosshair would be around, but of course, he didn’t like Brandi.

   The pup followed you around the ship, barking playfully and smothering you with kisses every time you had to kneel down or crawl into a small space.  It was a few hours in, and suddenly, you realized that she wasn’t at your heels.

   “I’d better check on her and make sure she’s still on board!” you commented to yourself.  So, you set your tools down and went looking.  There weren’t too many places for her to hide, but you kept your eyes peeled just in case.

   Faint yip-yip sounds coming from down the hall caught your attention.  You followed it cautiously, realizing quickly that Crosshair had been down there organizing gear.  You didn’t want him to be bothered by Brandi, so you hurried your pace.  But when you reached the doorway, you were met with a most unexpected sight.

   Crosshair was sitting on a crate, staring down at little Brandi, who was hopping around in circles.  There was a small huff of air, like a brief chuckle, and Crosshair leaned down to pat the creature.

   It yipped again and cuddled up against his leg.  He didn’t say much, but you couldn’t get over the soft expression on his face.  “You’re not all that bad,” he commented, scratching the little puff ball with legs.  “I suppose.”

   You felt a presence appear at your side, and you realized that the others had returned from their trip.  Omega was standing next to you and peering through the doorway with a smile on her face.  She didn’t look all too surprised to see him being so tender toward the voorpak pu, and neither of you had it in you to taunt.  You both nodded and backed away from the doorway, pretending to have just arrived.

   “Oh, there she is!” you stated.  “She disappeared for a few, and I got worried.”

   “There she is,” Crosshair said, standing to his feet with a sigh.  He looked at Omega.  “Took you long enough.”

   “Sorry, we got side-tracked.  There was a really cool snack stand!”

[vodika-vibes]

More than Friends

Pairing: Tup x Reader

Word Count: 1643

Warning: Tooth rotting fluff, you have been warned, also mention of a previous abusive relationship.

Prompt: "We could be more, if you want."

A/N: Once more, I'm ignoring the list of prompts I need to write, as well as the request I have, for a different clone. Sorry not sorry.

Divider by Saradika

“Thanks for helping, Tup,” You say cheerfully as your best friend places the final box on the floor of your living room, “I definitely would not have been able to afford the moving company.” You joke as you move between the stacks of boxes, making sure they’re all sorted properly.

“Well, you did promise me food and alcohol,” Tup replies as he organizes some of the boxes, “Plus, it got me out of today’s training.”

“Happy to help,” You grin at him, and step over a tightly rolled rug to join him in the kitchen. And then you lean against the counter and look at the stacks of boxes, “So. Where should we start?”

He leans against the counter next to you, “Mm. Kitchen, and then bedroom. That way if we don’t finish today, you’ll be able to eat and sleep.”

You flash a grateful smile up at him, and then lean against him comfortably, “What would I do without you, Tup?”

“Still be unloading your storage unit,” He counters with an answering grin as he reaches up and lightly tugs on the tips of your hair. “Come on, we’d better get to work.”

You sigh and allow your forehead to thump against his shoulder for a moment, and you smile when you feel his gentle touch on the top of your head. And then you pull back, “Alright. Same box or different boxes?”

“Different. It’ll go faster.” He pushes a box over to you, and then walks over to one of the taller boxes.

Several hours later, with your kitchen and bedroom unpacked, and the living room mostly unpacked, you flop onto your bean bag with a sigh. “I’m never moving again.”

The massive bean bag dips as Tup flops next to you, “Like, from the pillow or to a different house?” He jokes.

���Both,” You reply, turning your head to look at him with a fond smile, and then you laugh quietly, and roll onto your side. You reach out and lightly  tug on one of his curls, “Your hair is falling down, Tup.”

“Well, I have been moving around a lot,” He says defensively, as he sits up and pulls his hair out of his bun and combs his fingers through his hair.

“You have, and I appreciate it,” You answer soothingly, reaching for his hair tie. “Here, let me braid your hair.”

Tup pauses, and then he presses the hair tie into your hands, “You are very good at braiding.” He agrees as he moves to sit on the floor in front of you.

“I had a lot of practice braiding my doll's hair growing up,” You say brightly as you lightly comb Tup’s hair with your fingers, and split it into sections.

“Ah, so that's the trick.” Tup’s eyes close as you start gently braiding his hair, “So, I have a question,” He says after a moment.

“What’s up?”

“Is it my fault that you and your boyfriend broke up?” Tup asks, without opening his eyes.

Your fingers pause for a moment, “Of course not,” You lie, “We just grew apart, that’s all.”

“...you’re a terrible liar.” He says with a sigh, “What caused the problem?”

“Apparently I’m ‘too close’ to you.” You roll your eyes, “He was jealous, possessive, and insecure, and I’m sure the break up would have happened anyway.”

Tup tilts his head slightly, “Possessive?”

“Yeah. He didn’t want me talking to you, or anyone with a Y chromosome. Or my family.” You reply easily as you tie off the braid, “There, done.”

Tup runs his hand down the braid, and then turns to look at you, something grim in his eyes, “He was trying to isolate you?”

You smile at him fondly, “So it would appear,”

“Cyare, why didn’t you tell me?” Tup asks, a frown crossing his face.

You laugh quietly and reach out to lightly cup his face with your hands, “Because I know you, Tup. If I told you, you’d get that look on your face, the same one you have right now, and then I’d have to bail you out of prison.” You pause, “Which I would, because you’re my best friend and I love you, but it would still be annoying.”

Tup blinks at you, and then he flashes a slow smile, “You’d bail me out of jail?”

“Well, yeah. Of course.” You absently stroke his cheek, “Besides, he did a shit job at isolating me.”

“Yeah, because I came to your place and you were so happy to see me that you tackled me.” Tup jokes.

“I-”

“You knocked me over.”

“...I did do that, didn’t I?”

“It was impressive. I was impressed.” Tup continues with a growing grin as he taps your hands, and you drop them from his face, “Your ex was much less so.”

“Well…I never hugged him like that, I suppose.” You admit.

Something gleeful dances across Tup’s face for a moment, “Good.”

You laugh and flop back on the beanbag, “You’re so petty sometimes, Tup!”

He watches you with a fond smile on his face, “Well, I’m allowed.” He moves back to the beanbag, flopping next to you, “You know it wouldn’t have worked, right?”

“Hm?”

“Him trying to isolate you.” Tup clarified, “If you think, for a moment, that I wouldn’t drag an entire squad of my brothers to rescue you-”

You grin at him and shift to drop your head on his shoulder, “My own personal knight in shining armor.” 

He turns to look at you, something warm and soft in his gaze. His hand comes up to brush some of your hair out of your face. His fingers linger on your cheek for a moment, and he exhales slowly. He opens his mouth to say something, hesitates, and then flashes a rueful smile, “You owe me food, cyare.”

You grin at him, “Alright, alright. What do you want?” You ask as you sit up.

“Does that Mandalorian place deliver?”

“I think so. I’ll check.” You stand and walk over to the kitchen to grab your datapad, opening it and scrolling through the app.

Tup remains laying on the beanbag for a moment longer. He sighs quietly and presses the side of his fist against his forehead, his eyes squeezing shut. And then he gets to his feet and walks over to the kitchen.

“So, it looks like they do deliver, but we have to order a lot of food.” You say as he joins you, “So I was thinking that we could get appetizers, an entree, a dessert, and the drinks I promised you.”

“Sounds good,” Tup replies as he leans against the counter, and then he places his hand on the datapad and gently tugs it out of your hands, “So…I was wondering if we could talk?”

“Is something wrong?”

“No. Yes? Er…maybe.”

“...well, it does have to be one of those options, I suppose.” You reply, looking concerned, “What’s wrong?”

He takes your hands, slowly threading your fingers with his, “I really hated your ex.” Tup explains slowly.

“I know Tup. You weren’t exactly subtle-”

“No, I-” He sighs, and squeezes your hands, “I need you to listen to me, please?”

“Of course. You have my undivided attention.” You rub soothing circles on Tup’s hand.

“I really hated your ex even before you told me that he was trying to isolate you,” Tup explains slowly, “Because I’ve been in love with you for two years.”

“You-”

“Let me finish, please.” You close your mouth, and he inhales sharply, “I love you. I’m in love with you. I can go out and do my job as well as I can because I know that you’re here, safe, and waiting for me to come back. When I wake up every morning, you’re the first thought that crosses my mind, and you’re the last thing I think of before I go to sleep.” He speaks quickly, his grip on your hands tight, and his gaze searching your face for something, “And I know that we’re best friends, have been best friends for years. But-” He hesitates for a moment, “We could be more, if you want.”

You stare at him, your eyes wide. You slowly pull one hand out of his tight grip and you reach up and you very gently place your hand on his cheek, “You really think about me all the time?”

“How could I not?”

You smile, soft and gentle, “I would like more.”

“...you would?” Tup asks, lightly tugging you closer and slowly pressing his forehead against your own.

“Well yeah. It’s you Tup. It’s always been you.” You smile softly, “I’m just kind of blind sometimes. Will you ask me, properly I mean?”

He smiles then, wide and bright, “Will you be my girlfriend?” He asks, his voice low and breathy.

“Yes,” The rest of your sentence is stolen, as his lips press against yours in a gentle kiss. His lips are warm and soft, and his grip around you firm and comforting at the same time.

He slowly pulls back and presses his forehead lightly against yours again. Tup has a bright grin on his face, “So…did your ex break up with you because you’re in love with me.” He asks, his tone light and teasing.

“That…might have been mentioned, yes.” You admit sheepishly.

His grin grows, “You still owe me food, cyare.”

You huff, though there’s no annoyance on your face, “I suppose this will be our first date, then?”

“That sounds like a plan to me,” Tup leans in and kisses you again and again. “I’ll…go back to unpacking.” He kisses you one last time, and then releases you to return to the stacks of boxes still in the living room. You watch him for a moment, a smile on your lips, and then you finally turn back to ordering your dinner.

[sommerflue-22]

Carrying You After Battle — Kamaboko Trio

You got injured during a mission and couldn't really move. You could wait for the Kakushi brigade to help you out, or you could send your Kasugai crow to ask for an aid. Your partner doesn't think it's a good idea. The best thing to do is to carry you as fast as they could to the nearest Wisteria House.

Featuring: Tanjiro Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, Inosuke Hashibira

Warning: Demon Slayer!Reader, major character injury, broken bones, blood, near death experience

Word Count: 1,6k

Author Note

This is not beta read and it's my first KNY headcanon here. I've attached the link of images to help you visualize how they did the carry. As always, feel free to interpret these actions as platonic and/or romantic. Feel free to request something if you'd like, just leave it in my ask box! Hope you enjoy this :)

Tanjiro - Pack-strap Carry (Image)

You tried to regulate your breath as you chased the demon. It was running away from you and Tanjiro. At that point, you were sure the demon realized how it was no match for the both of you. You were a few inches away from slashing the demon's head when you lost your footing and fell on your knees. A part of your pants near your right knee was torn by a protruding tree root on the ground..

You weren't sure if it was just your imagination, but you swore you could hear your bone cracked. You let out a scream as you lay face down on the forest ground.

"Stay still, (Y/N)!" Tanjiro yelled as he continued chasing down the demon.

You bit your fist, trying to hold back your tears. It was so painful to the point where it made you feel dizzy.

Tanjiro came back only a few moments later, panting. It seemed that he succeeded in slaying the demon.

"Oh dear, (Y/N)!" Tanjiro kneeled next to you. "(Y/N), what... do you think you can stand up?"

"N-no." You choked up, finally letting yourself go. Guess it was the Tanjiro Effect. His presence let you loosen up your tough façade. Tanjiro was one of the few people who had seen you cry.

"Alright, alright, it's okay. I'll carry you, okay?" Tanjiro caressed your cheek, wiping off the tears. "I'm sorry, this might hurt a bit."

Tanjiro gently flipped you to your back. You winced in pain as he helped you up, maneuvering until your chest was against his back and he was holding your arms close to his chest.

"I got you, (Y/N). It's okay. We'll meet up with Zenitsu and Inosuke. I've sent Matsuemon to get help. It's okay, I got you."

Tanjiro kept trying to calm you down a little bit as he made his way to the rest of the squad member. He could feel every inch of his body screamed in agony, but he pushed through. There was no way he would let you on your own feet when your leg started to get swollen.

You met up with the rest of the squad. As usual, Zenitsu started to panic and cried seeing your injured leg. Inosuke cursed at you for not being careful enough. Tanjiro shushed them as he carried you, while also leading the squad, out of the forest.

The Kakushi brigade finally came. They examined your leg and thought it might be fractured. A member offered Tanjiro to carry you on their back so he could rest for a little. Tanjiro refused.

"It's fine. The Butterfly Mansion isn't that far, is it?" Tanjiro turned them down with a genuine smile.

All of you made your way back to the mansion.

"You don't have to carry me, you know?" You said, resting your chin on Tanjiro's shoulder.

"I know, but I want to." Tanjiro replied. "It's okay to cry, (Y/N). I know it hurts. You don't have to pretend to be strong all the time. Just wait for a little longer, yeah."

You muttered a protest but couldn't help yourself. You cried. It really hurt like hell.

Zenitsu - Bridal Style (Image)

You heard a familiar voice calling out your name, a few meters away from where you sat. You realized it was Zenitsu. You wanted to call out to him, to tell him that you're nearby. However, you couldn't bring yourself to say anything. Your hand was clutching the right side of your stomach where the demon had attacked you, resulting in a deep wound across your lower abdomen. You could only coughed in pain, yet it was enough for Zenitsu to locate you.

"(Y/N)?" Zenitsu crouched in front of you, panic written all over his face when he saw blood on your uniform. "(Y/N), what happened?"

"I got... slashed..." You panted.

"(Y/N), you're losing a lot of blood."

"I know..." If you were in a better state, those words would come out way more sarcastic. You were quite literally dying, either you and Zenitsu could tell.

"Oh, (Y/N), I'm so sorry!" Zenitsu whined as he easily scooped you up into his arms. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were hurt!"

"...It's fine, Zenitsu..."

"No, it's not fine!"

You could tell by the way his voice trembled, Zenitsu was in the verge of crying. You leaned your head on his chest and looked up. You were right, tears were pooling in his eyes.

"Zenitsu," you reached out to touch his cheek, "It's alright..."

Zenitsu didn't say anything in return. He kept running, trying to bring you to the nearest Wisteria House before it was too late, while starting to sob. You were both sent to finish off a demon that had been haunting a small village. You managed to chase it to the forest nearby, but as you slashed its head off, the demon delivered its final move. It cut your abdomen quite deep.

You couldn't bring yourself to say anything. You just looked up to the sky, watching your crow led the way. Ah... How wonderful the sky was... The sun was about to set, and it turned into a lovely orange color. So bright and warm, like the color of your partner's hair.

Zenitsu cried even harder when you closed your eyes. He knew you weren't dead, but he still felt guilty for not coming with you to the forest faster. If only he was braver...

With lots of effort and tears, you both finally reached the house. As if they could sense your arrival, a young female staff quickly opened the gate and ushered both of you in. Zenitsu let you go, wouldn't budge from where he stood until you were out of his sight.

After being treated by a doctor and cleaned up by the staff, you were put inside a room. It took you a whole day to regain consciousness and the first person you saw was Zenitsu. His face was red and his eyes were puffy. He saw you opened your eyes and immediately cried (again).

"(Y/N)-CHAN! I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONE!"

You winced in pain. "Oh, shush Zenitsu... You know nobody can get rid of me easily..."

You wouldn't tell your other friends, but you let Zenitsu craddle you for a whole day after that.

Inosuke - Firefighter Carry (Image)

Normally, being sent on a mission with Inosuke is not a problem. You both are good fighters and was able to work together to exterminate any demon. However, that one time you both got sent to a mountain. The terrain was really steep. Inosuke might be used to it, but that wasn't the case with you.

You kind of struggled during the fight, but you didn't want to worry Inosuke. You tried your best to hold on for your dear life. It's okay, you reminded yourself over and over again, it won't be long, now.

Even though it was way more difficult than your usual fight, you managed to defeat the demon. It approached you in a fast speed, but the blade of your sword was faster. You took a step back, bearing your whole body weight in one of your legs, and slashed the demon's head off with all the power you had.

As the demon's head rolled to the ground, you let out a scream. You were just so relieved. You couldn't wait to go back and take a shower.

"(Y/N)!" You heard Inosuke called out your name. No, he wasn't laughing maniacally, he wasn't boasting like usual...

Inosuke's call sounded more like a warning.

Before you could asked him what was wrong, you felt the ground underneath your feet crumbled. You couldn't think of anything as you fell. While fighting the demon, you didn't watch where you were going and stood on a hillside. The ground wasn't really solid as it has been raining the day before. As you stepped on it, it broke down and the land slipped.

Thankfully, it wasn't a fatal landslip. You only fell nine feet from where you first stood. Yes, it was bad, but it could be worse. You could only lay down on the ground. It felt like your whole body was smashed and you were dizzy. The last thing you saw before you passed out was Inosuke jumping off to save you.

"Wake up, underling!" Inosuke shook your shoulder. "Oi! (Y/N)!"

It was no use, you fainted. You hit your head pretty hard, resulting in a concussion. Inosuke stayed silent, his eyes widen and mouth agape underneath the boar mask. He couldn't believe it, you—someone whom he considered a strong person—fell down from a landslip.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Inosuke yelled in frustration. "Damn that demon!"

He picked you up rather gently and slung your unconscious body over his shoulder. Inosuke knew it would be awhile until the Kakushi arrived to clean up and help you. So, he took matters into his own hands and started sprinting. He ordered your crow to lead him to the nearest Wisteria Mansion, spitting profanities and curses as he ran.

Once you both arrived, he made sure the people there "fix" you almost immediately. He swatted anyone who was about to clean his own wound, yelling "You mind my underling first!" He hated to admit it, but he was scared you'd die.

You regained consciousness the next morning, just before the break of the dawn. Your body felt like it could break anytime soon, but you forced yourself to sit up from the futon. You didn't notice at first, but Inosuke was lying down, resting his head near where your thighs were. He even took off his boar mask. He wouldn't like anyone to see him like that, so you remained quiet. Though, you couldn't help but touch his hair, thanking him for saving your life.

Let me know if you enjoyed this! I really did read a few sources to write this headcanon so T^T

[idolish7imagines]

Could I request Riku, Yuki, Tenn, and Gaku getting a specially made box of snacks, sweets, and chocolate for Valentine's day?

Basically, everyone else gets a cute snack bag but they get a whole box.

Riku, Yuki, Tenn, and Gaku getting a specially made box of snacks, and chocolate for Valentine's Day

.::.

Nanase Riku

"Woooaahhh, what's that big one?" Riku turns wide eyed at the sight of the gift basket acccompanying the smaller boxes of valentine themed snacks you'd brought in and set on the table of the IDOLiSH7 dorm.

You walk up behind him, looking over his shoulder to see what he means. "Ah, thats for you Riku." You offer a sweet smile. "The rest are for the others."

There's a sparkly gleam in his ruby eyes as they lock onto yours with an adorably awed expression. The one you'd been hoping you'd see when you gifted him the basket.

"Thank you so much (Y/N!). Ah, now i'm feeling self conscious about what I got for you, its not this big!" He quickly takes up the box, opening it to see whats inside like a giddy child on Christmas.

"Don't worry about it. I wanted to make it for you." You reassure him, ruffling his soft red locks.

"I might share it with some of the others, i might get scolded if I eat all of it in one day and my stomach hurts." He chuckles.

"Silly, of course don't eat it all in one day." You exhale through your nose with a small laugh yourself.

"But I'm so excited just seeing it!" He retorts with puppy dog eyes. "And its for Valentines today!"

"Alright, maybe you should distribute them."

A loud "YES!" could be heard all the way from Tamaki's room.

"..just keep most of it for yourself and take it easy on how much you consume all at once." You clarify, hoping he won't let Tamaki dig in for himself, he won't have any candy left at that rate.

"Mm!" Riku obediently nods. "

Yuki

Your boyfriend gives a shocked yet curious blink, tilting his head at the box you've set in front of him.

His sky blue eyes examine over the box, glancing at the neatly decorated outside rather than instantly looking inside.

His little quirks confused you sometimes, but you can't say they weren't part of what you love about him, how he bothered to pay attention to the box you picked out that you thought would suit him the most and how you added a bit of your own designs to it.

Eventually he opens it, probably predicting you were about to declare it was fine for him to finally do so, as he looks at the contents of it.

Yuki wasn't much for sweets, so you kept the chocolate itself to a minimum, instead opting to include snacks that he liked but were a little more expensive than usual.

You notice how his eyes soften and that you've truly touched his heart in the way only you know how, before closing the box and holding you by your waist, closer to him.

"Its wonderful...you're wonderful." He smiles.

That brings a bigger smile to your own face, enjoying the little distance between your bodies and the subtle heat it gave off.

"You deserve it." You coo, lips inches away from his ear, both of the two of you's arms start to rest on the others back in a slow hug.

He slowly nuzzles into your neck. Right now it feels like only the two of you exist.

"Maybe I should've went even bigger with your gift since I feel spoiled now.." He mutters.

A wave of slight surprise washes over you, pulling back a little to look at him. "What do you mean you 'went big'?"

He gives a knowing grin, starting to pull you along to show you your gift to properly express his gratitude for you.

Kujo Tenn

Tenn loves how generous you are, bringing gifts for all of TRIGGER even though you didn't have to, and they certainly hadn't asked or even brought up the holiday aside from some work they had on the day.

You came in during choreography practice break to distribute the little gift bags you assorted all by yourself. Ryuu and Gaku were thankful for your effort, seeming pleased with the contents of the bag.

Your boyfriend was expecting the same, after all you must've already spent so much money to get something for all three of them.

However, his soft pink eyes widen at you coming back into the room with a box so big you had to carry it with both of your hands. It was almost like a care package but not in a basket.

It was an adorably shocked expression that you seldom see on his face, you desperately wanted to take a picture (as did his fellow group members) to capture this moment.

"This is for you, Tenn-kun." You sweetly smile, offering the box to him.

Not wanting to leave you hanging, he gently takes the box from you, opening the flaps to see whats inside.

Not only was it candy and donuts to satisfy his sweet tooth, but also some of his favorite body wash and colognes.

The other two figure its a good time as any to make their leave and give you two some privacy; they could discuss about the contents of the box later.

Tenn doesn't notice them even leave (probably for the best), just sifting through the candy and gifts with his soft angelic smile, whether he knew he was intentionally or not.

The idol finally looks up, making eye contact with you. "Thank you for making this Valentine's Day special, (Y/n)"

"Of course, Tenn." Your hands come up to cup his cheeks. Both of your gazes softened. He couldn't care less if anyone passed by and saw you right now, you're the only thing that mattered.

Yaotome Gaku

It truly troubled him that he'd be busy today. He almost feared he would make it home late and not get to see you on Valentine's day of all days to be busy with work. That is, until you come through the door of TRIGGER's dressing room, bags hanging off of both arms.

They were red and pink, signature colors of the day.

It took no time at all for you to pass out chocolates to his fellow members. He's glad he isn't the hastily jealous type (most of the time but he keeps it inside-) since you'd given it to the others first and not him.

Finally, you turn to him, handing him the entire bag rather than taking the chocolate out first.

Gaku blinks, grabbing it and looking inside, his eyes glancing over all sorts of gifts.

"wait..all of this is for me?" His tone had a hint of surprise and confusion.

"Of course, silly. You're the one who's my boyfriend after all." A slight chuckle escapes your lips. He could be so silly sometimes.

Gaku decides not to question it further, the corners of his mouth slowly turning upward.

Not much time passed before you found yourself in his embrace, tightly hugging you.

"I love you, (Y/n)." He whispers, a far cry from his usual baritone voice. His tone was gentle, and only for you.

You blink a few times, not expecting him to get this sentimental so fast. Though, this was Gaku after all, it didn't matter who was around or how bold something seemed, if he wanted to say or do it, he would.

"I love you too, Gaku." You arms wrap around him as well.

[writing-house-of-m]

Date Night

Taylor Sloane x Reader

Genre: Fluff

Summary: You celebrate your two year anniversary with Taylor

A/N: This is the first of the 1 year celebration requests I got. The request can be found here. There are many more to come this week! I hope you like it and let me know what you think 😊

Prompt: "All they keep asking me is if I'm going to be your bride."

"I'd like at least one night with you Taylor. I feel like you're always being hounded by your fans recently." You can't help but feel exasperated, today is your two year anniversary and this was supposed to be a romantic evening for you.

You see the sympathetic expression on Taylor's face but you continue, "All they keep asking me is if I'm going to be your bride."

Taylor goes wide-eyed, you don't know why. It has been two years and you have spoken about getting married before, it shouldn't be such a shock to her.

Before either of you are able to say anything else, you are being escorted to your reserved seats in the swanky new restaurant you have chosen for your date night.

When you are seated, the waiter talks through the evening specials and the drinks menu before leaving you alone.

Taylor watches the man leave and stops you from saying anything by stretching across the table to hold your arm, "Listen babe, I know it's annoying but it's just the two of us now. Can we enjoy the rest of tonight?" The soft look Taylor gives you has you nodding your head.

You look over the menu with furrowed eyebrows still a little frustrated about not having been able to fully rant but you set it aside for now so you don't ruin your date.

The evening goes on and you feel the stress leave your body the more you converse and laugh along with Taylor.

Even with how much lighter the atmosphere has gotten, you can't help but notice Taylor acting a little strange, looking around and fidgeting. You choose not to comment on it for the time being.

Nearing the end of the date, when desserts are finished and final drinks are being drunk, Taylor has her hand resting on yours atop the table. Her thumb soothingly rubbing over your knuckles. But her eyes keep shifting to something behind you so you feel this is the right time to ask, "Taylor, is everything alright?"

"Yes!" Taylor answers a bit too quickly. She clears her throat and tries again, "I mean, yeah. Of course everything is alright. Why wouldn't it be?"

"You've been acting a bit on edge tonight. Are you sure everything is okay?" You ask again, the worry showing on your face.

Her tense shoulders drop slightly as she sighs. Taylor nods her head smiling, "Everything is perfect honey," she replies calmly.

You notice the air around you change. The music being played at the piano becomes softer and Taylor won't stop smiling at you.

Taylor stops you from turning to look around by calling your name and putting her other hand out for you to place yours into. "I love you so much. From the day I met you, you have changed my life for the better."

You are a bit confused where this is coming from but you sit and listen to all the nice things Taylor is saying to you. Your mind starts to piece things together when you recognise the tune of the All My Life by K-Ci & JoJo playing behind you.

Rising from her seat, Taylor moves to kneel beside the table closer to you. You smile emotionally and Taylor laughs as happiness fills her eyes.

"This has been a long time coming but, Y/n L/n. Will you marry me?" Taylor opens a small ring box that she has seemingly pulled out of nowhere, a diamond ring sitting in the cushion.

You don't know how much time passes because you are staring at the ring, surprised this is happening tonight. You realise you haven't given an answer yet, "Yes! Yes, of course I'll marry you!" You exclaim.

Taylor slips on the ring then gets onto her feet so she can kiss you. You hear some people clapping around you but you are too caught up in your girlf- fiancé to care.

Taylor pulls away and rests her forehead against yours, "That explains why you looked so nervous tonight," you whisper making Taylor laugh.

Shortly after Taylor gestures you out of your seat and you leave the restaurant hand in hand. The addition of the cool metal feels strange on your finger, making you wiggle it between Taylor's grip.

The whole walk to the car waiting for you outside is filled with happy smiles and Taylor whispering all the ways she wants to celebrate with you when you get home.

[astral-the-space-traveler]

Okay, y'all. I present to you, my first ever fanfic. I did my best and I hope you like it :)

Zelink: Blessings from the Goddess:

(This story takes place about 6-8 months after the events of Tears of the Kingdom). Slight NSFW warning btw.

The sun was rising in Hateno Village. Its golden rays shone along the hillside bathing the morning in a warm, radiant light. Unfortunately for Zelda that light would shine directly into her face, waking her up from a very strange dream. She would sit up, hair falling over her face as she wiped her eyes.

That previous night Zelda was visited in her dreams. The visitor was someone very familiar to her, almost like a mirror. A tall woman with features nearly identical to her own, standing before her dressed in an elegant white robe. The woman said nothing but simply placed her hand on Zelda’s belly, a delighted expression firmly on her lips before the dream was ended by the morning light.

Needless to say the princess was filled with questions, none of which she knew the answer to. Realizing that she was getting nowhere she decided to get up and start her day. Meanwhile Link was downstairs, a tantalizing aroma could be smelled throughout the whole house.

The two of them had already grown quite a bit closer after the Great Calamity and that went triple for after her return post-upheaval. Fate brought them together through sacrifice but that time was finally over. The great evil that plagued Hyrule was finally eradicated once and for all. The time had finally come that the hero and the princess could truly come together in loving union.

“Good morning, Link. That smells wonderful, what are you making?” Zelda would sleepily ask, walking downstairs and peering into the kitchen where Link was quite busy frying a whole carton's worth of eggs.

“Good morning, prin-I mean good morning, Zelda. I'm making some omelets. Would you like one?” He stammered. He'd grown so accustomed to referring to her as simply the princess that he had to begin deliberately calling Zelda by her first name at her request. She would chuckle a bit, knowing that he was doing his best. Frankly she was happy that he had become significantly more talkative after his amnesiac period years ago.

“I would love one. Thank you, Link.” Zelda said, sitting at the table just as the hearty omelet was set before her. She didn't quite understand why but she felt a lot less hungry than usual, not only that but her stomach was feeling strange. She wanted to eat but her body seemingly wouldn't let her. She managed to eat a few bites before needing to excuse herself to vomit.

Meanwhile Link had already finished his omelet and was growing concerned, both for Zelda’s wellbeing and less importantly, for his cooking skills. Zelda would return about ten minutes later, a sickly expression on her face. Link took notice of this immediately, nearly leaping out of his seat to see what was happening.

“Zelda! Are you alright? Was it the eggs? Goddess, I'm so sorry!” He would ask apologetically as he wrapped her in a hug which she returned in kind. The princess herself didn't know what was happening but she was sure that it wasn't the food as Link was diligent on all food related matters.

“No, no. I'm alright. I just need to sit down. Save the eggs for later, okay?” She would ease herself back onto her chair, her head spinning slightly. “I know it's not because of food, at least.”

Link meanwhile, did as the princess asked and stuck her plate in the cold box before returning to her side with a glass of water and a towel. “That's good at least but I'm concerned. Should we see a physician in town? I can carry you if you can't walk.” He said with a genuinely worried tone. This was the first time the princess had even been sick like this around him.

“No. I don't think that will be necessary. I just need some rest and-” before she could finish, Zelda would shoot up out of the chair and bolt out the door to vomit again out the back door. “On second thought, seeing someone wouldn't be a bad idea but the physician in town is a quack so I don't know.”

“Doesn't Purah's lab have exam equipment? Maybe she would know something?” He asked as he took off his tunic to give to the princess as her shirt had yesterday's lunch on it. “I'll wash that later. Hope this fits.” He said, handing the tunic to Zelda.

“O-Oh, I have a few more clean shirts but thank you. I will go see Purah though, it seems like the only option.” Zelda picked up the Purah Pad on the table, setting warp coordinates for Lookout Landing. “Are you coming?” She asked as Link placed his hand on her shoulder both to provide his answer and so he would warp with her. Blue light enveloped them both before their view shifted to the sprawling settlement before them.

“Good, we made it. No complications this time.” Zelda remarked, bracing herself for what was to come. She liked Purah for sure but she could be a handful, especially her ego. However before she could think to do so, Link had already knocked on the front door of the Lab followed soon after by the sound of crashing and a small “boom”. The door opened and a slender woman in goggles stepped forward.

Purah stepped outside to greet the two of them..“Oh, Linky? And the princess as well? What a surprise, I didn't expect you two to be such early birds. Is something the matter?” she asked, glancing over at the princess's nauseous expression.

“She's sick! Please help her.” Link pleaded. He didn't know what was going on but he knew it was serious enough to be worried and frankly he was terrified of the thought of something happening to the princess again. Meanwhile Zelda just nodded at Purah.

“Oh my, this does sound serious. I'm no Great Fairy but I may be able to help. Come inside and I'll take a look. My new Purah Pad might have just the thing we need. An examination rune! Tells you everything you need to know with a simple “snap!” Purah said, beaming with a sense of accomplishment.

“Linky, you wait here. This is private. Maybe Symin needs some help, be a dear and check would you? We'll come find you soon enough” Purah would ask, motioning for him to head over to Lookout Tower while the exam took place. Link nodded in acknowledgement before giving Zelda a quick kiss on the cheek and heading off.

“Now come on, princess. Let's see what's going on with you.” Purah said, ushering Zelda inside and onto a nearby chair. “This shouldn't take long, just hold still and let me see if this works.”

“Yes, of course. Thank you, Purah.” Zelda would do her best to make herself comfortable as Purah fiddled with her new pad, cycling through various functions before arriving at the desired examination rune. A blue light emitted from the back, feeding information to the display. Shining the light over the princess, Purah gasped at what she saw, nearly dropping the pad.

“What's wrong?! Did something happen? What did you see?!” Zelda asked frantically, now worried about the seriousness of her illness. Staring up, she met Purah’s gaze. Her expression was one of bewilderment but also a sense of relief at the truth of the situation. She would give the princess a soft smile and placed her hand on her stomach.

“You mean I'm…oh sweet Hylia, how could I be so oblivious. I suppose it was bound to happen eventually.” Zelda would clutch her belly, her mind racing with more emotions than she could handle at once. She felt tears run down her cheeks as Purah wrapped her in a hug.

“So you and Link, you've been…” she made a dirty gesture with her hands to save her the embarrassment to which Zelda nodded. “...yes, frankly we haven't been able to stop ourselves. We just start touching and everything gets all hot and he starts to…aagh!” she began to fluster herself with memories of nights past with her beloved to which Purah laughed.

“No need to be embarrassed, princess. This is perfectly natural, you know. I may not look like it but I have a century's worth of stories of my own so you don't need to worry.” She continued to laugh as she set her pad back on the table and pulled up a chair in front of Zelda.

“You love him, don't you? He's a good man, I'm sure he'll be just fine.” She snickered, awaiting a response from the princess. She hesitated, stumbling on her words. “Of course I do! More than anything!” Her face turned red as she blurted out her answer, burying her face in her hands right after.

“If that's the case then I think you'll do splendidly. Now come on, we'll run and grab a few potions for your morning sickness and go find Linky.” Purah said, helping Zelda out of her chair and to her feet.

“Thank you, Purah. For everything.” Zelda said with a soft yet sincere tone. Purah was glad to be able to help the princess and would do everything she could for her. “Don't worry about it, it's the least I can do. Now come on, let's get out of here.” she replied to which the princess obliged.

About an hour later Purah and the princess would spot Link being fired out of the top of Lookout Tower though neither of them could tell if it was for land surveying or if he just asked Symin to do it because it was fun. They both waved to him to get his attention as he was landing and he nearly sprinted to them as soon as he did.

“Zelda! Thank Hylia, I was worried. What's going on, are you going to be okay?” Link asked, looking at the princess, now rejuvenated thanks to a potion drank minutes earlier. “Y-Yes, I'm alright I just…well…I'll tell you later. Come on, we have to go.” Zelda replied. Her words confused Link but he was relieved to hear she was okay.

“Yes, of course. Where are we headed?” He asked, mentally preparing for how they would reach their destination. Meanwhile Purah had already left with a wave, knowing full well that her job was done and that the two of them had some catching up to do.

“Satori Mountain.” Zelda replied succinctly, refusing to elaborate further. Link could tell this wasn't a typical journey so he decided to go along without questioning her. He nodded and the two of them set off southwest for the mountains.

By the time they arrived at the mountainside stable the sun was already near setting so they needed to hurry up the summit. Thankfully the mountain path was an easy journey and the two of them finally stopped to sit under a sakura bloom at the peak. Night had fallen and all that illuminated the night sky was the moon, a galaxy's worth of stars and the occasional bluepee on the ridge below.

They stared out at the night, encapsulated by the view. Both Link and especially Zelda were exhausted from the journey, leaning on one another to prevent each other from slumping over. The entire time Zelda was racking her brain, thinking of how she was going to tell him. After all, it was the whole reason they came out here in the first place. After about half an hour of silence Zelda finally spoke.

“Link. I need to tell you something.” She leaned forward to look at him as he stared back, eyes full of anticipation meanwhile hers will filled with anxiety about how Link would react. Deciding to throw caution to the wind she let it all out at once.

“I'm…I'm pregnant! I'm pregnant and I know that it's your child, Link. I just…I just hope you don't hate me now. It's my fault for refusing contraception, I should've-” she was interrupted by a sudden and passionate kiss. Link's arms wrapped around her in a gentle embrace, she could feel teardrops falling onto her shoulder.

“I could never hate you, Zelda. Never.” He clung to her just as she clung to him, their touch keeping each other stable. “I need to take responsibility too so don't blame yourself, okay.” He pecked her on the cheek before wiping his own. A tear filled smile ran across his face. “There's no one I'd rather be a father with than you, Zelda. I promise you I'll be there every step of the way.”

His words triggered something in Zelda, like a flood of relief washed over her all at once. She let out a sob and buried her head in his tunic. “I'm so happy to hear you say that, Link. I was so scared. I am still so scared. What if I'm a bad mom?” She ran through all her hypotheticals, meanwhile Link waited until she was finished before giving her another kiss.

“I know you'll do great, now let's stop worrying for now. We can cross that bridge when that day comes.” He caressed her face gently, wiping her eyes as well as looking into them. “Tell you what, how about we spend the night up here. It's a clear night and no one will bother us up here.”

The princess smiled and pulled Link into another embrace. “I would like that.” She looked back up at him, her eyes filled with a certain hunger that only could be satisfied by her beloved. “Besides, even if the Purah Pad says I'm pregnant, I just wanna be 100% sure. I'm sure you understand.” She winked to which Link gave a chuckle.

“Oh yeah, and how should we do that?” He asked, slowly removing his tunic, to which Zelda responded by doing the same. The moonlight shining on their skin as they looked at one another. Zelda began to run her fingers down his body, finding their way to exactly where she wanted them.

“I have a few ideas, also I'm keeping this. It's comfy.” Zelda laughed as she lost another layer as Link followed suit, setting his boots next to hers and their clothes in his bag. They gazed at one another for a while before pouncing on one another, the two of them unashamed and filled with the deepest of loves.

Hours passed and the sun rose once again and once again. However this time it was Link who was woken up by the light. The two of them fell asleep entangled with one another and he refused to break away from that, though one thought kept running through his mind.

Why did Zelda look so much like the woman who simply smiled at him in his dreams? He didn't know, but he was content with that because he knew everything he needed was right here in his arms. Nothing would ever separate them again. They would build a new life together filled with prosperity and joy. A blessing from the Goddess they had received and neither of them would ever take it for granted.

[philistiniphagottini]

I’m actually so nervous typing this rn it’s sad😭 this is literally my first ask and I FINALLY GOT THE FRIGGIN CURAGE TO ASK- AND YOU TOTALLY DONT HAVE TO DO THIS AT ALL😭 but If you don’t mind doing Dante from dmc for this ask? SO, I’m a big cryer, which is apart of my adhd, and sometimes I cut my hair when I’m upset, and I just kinda wanted to know how would he react to us just randomly crying over nothing or sorta realizing our hair is getting shorter and shorter whichever one you want. THIS SOUNDS SO WEIRD IM SORRY-

-💧(if this isn’t taken do you mind if I be this? I’m hoping to be a regular asker 😭)

Aww, I'm glad you got the courage to send in a request, I appreciate it :) And it doesn't sound weird at all, don't worry, you're doing fine :D Sure, I don't mind, choose whatever symbol you want. I'm happy to hear that you want to come back. Hope you enjoy~

cw. hurt/comfort

"Hey, did you get your hair cut again?"

Dante’s voice cut through the air, catching you by surprise as his voice raised over the soft music playing on the old jute box tucked in the corner of the Devil May Cry. The sudden question almost made you drop the fluffy duster you had been holding, a small cloud of dust kicking up when your foot abruptly collided with the bookshelf. You sputtered, waving your hand through the air to disperse the little cloud as the dust irritated your nose. You spun on your heel to face your boyfriend, catching his scrutinising gaze over the top of the magazine he was currently reading. He quirked an eyebrow in your direction, patiently waiting for you to compose yourself. You awkwardly cleared your throat.

"Why do you ask?" you responded with your own question.

Dante’s eyes narrowed as you were further scrutinised, his sharp gaze narrowed as his eyes roved up and down your body. Your eyes nervously flicked away, hands slowly constricting around the duster you were still holding as you dug your fingers into the fluffy material. Dante cocked his head to the side, a small noise bubbling at the back of his throat.

"It looks like your hair got shorter...again..." Dante murmured, his voice suddenly dropping and you almost missed what he had said.

Your nervous gaze flickered back to him. It was hard to supress the surprised look that painted your features. You were mildly shocked that Dante had even noticed. Due to his carefree and lackadaisical attitude, you had been fooled into thinking that the finer details usually went unnoticed by him. You had been, evidentially, proven wrong. Your fingers twitched as you reached for your hair, pinching a few locks and twisting the soft wisps between your digits.

"Does it look bad?" you questioned.

Dante immediately shook his head. "No, not at all."

A frown tugged at your lips; brow furrowed as you shot him a quizzical look. You opened your mouth to speak, but quickly closed it once more as Dante spoke once more.

"Is something wrong? Is everything okay?"

You opened your mouth but it quickly snapped shut as you swallowed the words back down your throat. Upon second thought, you weren’t exactly sure how to respond to his question. Part of you wanted to say yes, another part wanted to lie and say no; to tell him that everything was alright. And another part was still in disbelief that Dante was able to notice that something was bothering you. Were you that easy to read? Were your eyes still swollen and puffy? Had he noticed the frayed edges of hair that you had desperately tried to shear off with your crappy, plastic store-bought scissors as a way to cope with the sadness welling up inside of you?

You were struggling to articulate your thoughts and Dante could see the inner turmoil behind your eyes. If your brain started spinning any faster, he reckoned steam would start puffing out of your ears. With a small huff of effort, he pushed his chair out from his desk, heavy boots thudding against the wooden floorboards with a dramatic groan. He threw the magazine he had been reading to the side, swivelling his chair in your direction and turning to face you. He pat his knee, beckoning you to come closer to him with his other hand.

"Come, sit. Come over and tell me all about what’s been bothering you" he said.

He pat his knee once more, further trying to coax you to come and sit in his inviting lap. You could already feel the tears welling up behind your eyes as the duster in your hands clattered to the floor and you ran straight into Dante’s open arms. He grunted loudly as you fell into his lap, the chair squealing loudly in protest at your sudden weight. You clung to him desperately as a throaty chuckle breezed past his lips. You sniffled against the collar of his shirt, his warm breath tickling your cheek as you coiled your arms around his waist and squeezed him tight. He gently wound his arms around you, placing his hands on your back and running his fingers along the curve of your spine to soothe you. His hugs were always so warm; the scent of his cologne filling your lungs with each deep breath you took as you buried your face in the crook of his neck.

"Shh, it’s okay love. I’m here. Why don’t you tell me all about it, huh?"

[dreamypqulson]

— meet me in the afterglow

requested by @cordithatgurl: could you do one where Ally and Y/N used to be academic rivals in college but they always liked each other (in secret), even though they never saw each other again after they graduated, until one day, years later (after Ally got elected), Y/N moved to the house next door and by coincidence she met Ally and Ozzy. They start talking and also by coincidence, they become work colleges and start hanging out and stuff... until one day, Ally invites her for a drink, they got drunk and confess their feelings for each other.

pairing: ally mayfair-richards x reader

word count: 3100

"Finally," you mumbled to yourself, grunted, and picked up the last heavy box from your trunk. You had spent nearly all afternoon moving these boxing into your new house. After three years of living with your girlfriend, it was finally time to start fresh after the breakup.

You put the heavy box down on the ground so you could close your trunk. You cursed yourself for having so many useless nic-nac's. It just added to the work you had to do with unboxing.

"Need a hand?" You heard a soft voice behind you, in the distance, and heard footsteps approaching. You jumped, startled, but when you turned around, you realized it was certainly nothing to be afraid of.

The woman's smiled faded when she saw your face. Is there something on me? Why is she- "Holy shit, y/n?"

"Ally? Oh my god it's you!" Her smiled grew again, and she unexpectedly pulled you into a hug. It was surprising; you and Ally were never that close in the sense that you both wanted the same thing and that was a problem. Neither of you could ever let a friendship get in the way of success.

"How are you? It's been so long," she asked, pulling back. You finally could see her up close. She looked just as beautiful as the day you met her. Maybe even more with age, you would argue.

"I'm alright, i'm hanging in there. How are you? I heard you’re the senator now?"

"Yes, I am! It's been hard to adjust to it with my son and everything but I wouldn't change a thing!" My son. She cannot be married. Something at the thought of this broke you. In college, it was nearly impossible to be with her. You always had it out for each other. But you would still always go back to your dorm room at night and hope that Ally would show up at your door too.

"You have a son?"

"I do; Ozzy. His other mother recently, um, passed away." She didn't seem upset over the subject. More content with the fact that she was mothering him alone. Or, maybe, she was just glad that she could easily get away from a woman that she didn't love anymore. You didn't know, but you certainly wanted to get to know her new life one day.

"Oh i'm so sorry." Without thinking, you grabbed her hand and rubbed your thumb over the soft skin there. She lightly smiled, eyes gleaming in the daylight.

"Thank you, y/n." A brief silence accumulated you both. But then Ally spoke up again, "So, you’re moving in?"

"Yep. Having a fresh start. Is that your house?" You pointed to the one across the street. It was a beautiful house. It fit her.

"It is. I guess we're neighbors."

"I guess so." You smiled and Ally imitated your expression. It was silent again before you both said your goodbyes. Before she could even cross the street, however, you called out her name. She quickly turned around, as if she was already waiting for you to stop her. "Can I take you up on that hand? These boxes are super heavy.

Her smiled grew bigger as she walked towards you. You could've imagined it, but you were pretty sure she even winked at you. Maybe your dream you had of her in college was finally manifestation itself years later.

-

"No way. You still have the year book?" Ally laughed as she grabbed it out of your hands. It was hours later. Helping you move the boxes had turned into opening them and looking through all of your shit.

"Of course! You don't?"

"It definitely got lost somewhere in my house. Ozzy probably ended up using it as a coloring book somewhere along the line." You chuckled lightly and she looked back down and finally opened the book. You noticed, because you couldn't keep your eyes off of her, that she wouldn't remove that grin from her face.

"Let's see our pictures, oh god." Ally flipped the pages, looking through the last names to finally find the ones she was looking for. You were alright with it until you remembered the time that you drew in the book. Your heart rate sped up.

"Ally stop! Don't look at that," you said, trying to grab the book but she turned it away. She was smirking and you were well aware that she already found it.

"Did somebody have a little crush on me?" Her dark eyebrow raised like she was genuinely waiting for an answer. You attempted to act angry, but your blush completely ruined that.

It was red hearts around her picture that you had drew when you had got the book that year. It never occurred to you that you would, one day, be looking through it with her.

You took a deep breath and finally gained enough confidence to speak again, "I guess you'll never know."

"Or maybe I will," Ally mumbled. You weren't sure if you were supposed to hear it so you simply ignored the comment. Either way, your heart nearly pounded out of your chest. You couldn't stop watching her as she flipped through the pages.

"Oh my god," Ally said. The book was titled towards her, you couldn't see what she was laughing at.

"What?" You tried to move closer to her and the book but she turned away.

"Y/n Y//L/n, first place cooking competition. Ally Mayfair, second." She airily laughed. Back then, she would've been at your throat about it. Clearly, times had changed. Maybe even for the the better. "I remember being so mad about this. I think I even ripped this page out of my yearbook."

"Well I bet you’re a better chef now. I haven't cooked in years." She shrugged. "Oh, come on, I'll even challenge you to a cook off."

"Do you realize your setting yourself up for failure, Miss y/n?" She smirked, deviously. She looked at you like she was more hungry for you than anything she could cook.

"Oh, is someone still sour over this?" You pouted, overly fake. She punched your shoulder lightly, playfully.

"Oh you just wait." She moved closer, her face mere inches apart from yours. You thought she would've kissed you, but instead her phone rang.

She sighed, as if you were the only thing she ever wanted to do. As if this phone call had destroyed her whole life. When she looked at her phone, her face fell and she cursed.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Ozzy's friends mom. I completely forgot to pick him up." She quickly stood up from your wooden floors. The furniture had yet to be installed.

"Shit, i'm sorry Ally."

"It's not your fault," she looked into your eyes while she tugged her jacket on, "I should've been keeping track of time."

You followed her to your front door. You knew she had to leave, but even being across the street, you still didn't want to part from her. "How about we plan another day to hang out? I really enjoyed this."

"I did too! And i'm free any day. I'll just be here unpacking. You can stop by whenever," You said. She walked closer to you and you stared at your nose to watch her like an idiot.

She leaned forward and kissed the side of your cheek. Your breath hitched, loudly. You were sure she heard it. "Will do. Bye, y/n."

"Bye..." Was all you could get out. She walked out the door and it suddenly felt too empty and cold. However, your heart, for the first time, felt warm enough to fully warm you up.

-

A day later Monday came. It was your first day of work and you couldn't lie, you still got nervous as you did on the first day of school. After Ally had left the previous day, you had umpacket most of your stuff. It started to feel somewhat like home. Or, maybe you only felt that way because Ally was only a house away.

Just as you walked out of your room, dressed nicely, you heard your doorbell ring. "Coming!" You said loudly and sprinted to the door. You hated making people wait. But you were also curious as to who could be at your house so early in the morning.

You opened the door and the bright morning light nearly blinded you. You squinted. What made you open them wider was the brunette in front of you. "Ally! It's you!"

So, maybe you regret telling her to come over whenever. Not that you didn't want to see her. It was just that you had a panic attack when you did. She made you nervous, in a good way. You just needed to prepare yourself before being in her presence. "It's me!" She smiled brightly, and for eight in the morning, looked quite awake.

"How are you?" You stood there awkwardly, not knowing what exactly to say to her.

"Well I was just on my way to work but I just wanted to drop this by first." You looked down at her hands that she extended to you. She held a couple of developed pictures. "It's pictures from the cooking competitions. I thought you might want them. I have extras anyways."

"Wow, Ally! Thank you. I'll have to look through these after work!" She handed them to you, nodded and smiled.

"Is it your first day? Where do you work?" You think the pictures were a simple excuse to just see you. Either way, you were glad that she stopped by. Somehow, she calmed your first day of work jitters.

“Yes it’s my first day at The Butchery on Main.” Immediately, Ally’s mouth dropped open, the corners raising into a smirk.

“Oh no…is that not a good restaurant?”

“Well, I sure hope it is. That would be bad on my part, considering i’m the owner.” How did I not figure that out already? The manager certainly did not mention Ally’s name during the interview, otherwise you most likely would’ve ran away from the job; being far too anxious to see her again. But then, you ended up meeting her across the street.

“Oh my god, really?”

She nodded, looking even more excited over the fact. “If we’re going to the same place, I wouldn’t mind driving you?”

“Are you sure?” Once more, she nodded. You couldn’t deny more time with her.

You got into the passenger seat of Ally’s car. It was certainly silent as she started her car but when she looked over at you, she noticed how you were slightly trembling. She put her hand on your knee to calm you down; it only increased your nerves. “You okay?”

“Yeah, i’m alright.” You were alright. With Ally, you are. But even being with her made your anxiety spiral; in the best and worst way. Luckily, she let it slide and began driving.

You both finally arrived at the restaurant. The short car ride had been silent, but not uncomfortable. You just enjoyed being in her presence; that was enough for you.

You got out and followed her towards the building. “I’ll train you today, sweetie,” she said and held the door open for you. You almost halted in the doorway at the nickname, but instead smiled and looked down at your feet. Your flustered state surely didn’t go unnoticed by her. It was going to be a long first day.

-

Towards the end of the workday, around eight, the crowds of people began to decrease until it was empty. The employees started to clock out; some of them earlier than others. Ally had finally decided to close for the night. And she kept her promise, sticking beside you the entire day and teaching you what you needed to know.

She walked back into the kitchen after flipping the sign on the door to closed. The lights were dim, the room tranquil, silent beside Ally’s soft voice, “You did really good today.”

She came up beside you, nearly whispering it in your ears. Goosebumps showed themselves on your arm despite the warmth she radiated onto you. You looked up at her, she tucked some fallen hair strands behind your ear slowly, sensually. “Only learned from the best.”

You looked down towards her lips. You could’ve argued that it was a reflex; the soft, pink look just draws you in. Your eyes adverted back to hers and you noticed that she had been doing the exact same thing as you.

But something pulled her out of the haze that she was in. “We should get going.” She didn’t look upset with the incident, simply flustered by it. You enjoyed that you had the same effect on her as she did you.

You both made it back to her car. The ride back to your house was fairly quiet again, besides some chatter from the days work. Before you stepped out of her car, she put her hand atop of yours, brushing her thumb against the soft flesh of the top of it. “Drinks at my house tomorrow night? Please?”

“Of course. I won’t miss it.” She seemed so desperate to see you again, to be around you. How could you possibly refuse?

“Alright, goodnight. I’ll miss you.” She winked your way. The next day was a holiday so you got to calm your nerves before spending an evening with her. You were grateful for that.

“Goodnight, Ally, I’ll miss you too, silly. Thank you for everything today.” She smiled; a simple way to respond to you.

You both went years missing each other. But now it was the impossible to part across the street. Now that you found Ally again, you were afraid to lose her. You wanted to hold her close, make sure that distance and rivalry could never scoop her up again.

-

You stood at the front of Ally's door and rang the doorbell. Your heart beat faster with every unlocking sound of her door, the pulse possibly being heard from the other side.

The door finally opened after what felt like an hour but was truly only mere seconds. She wore her usual tight jeans and a sweater, however, it still persistently made you feel weak every time.

"Hi honey," she said, her smiled grew even wider when you blushed. You could feel your face burning up.

"Hey," you said simply, even if there was more on your mind. You were afraid that if you spoke further, your voice would betray you in this flustered state.

"Come in. Oz is at his grandparents house tonight." As if there was going to be more than just drinking, more than just talking, she had to add the last part in. You walked in past her and she shut the door behind you.

"It's nice in here," you commented, gazing around. Within seconds, she brushed her hand against your back, letting in linger for a couple more seconds. She was extremely close to you, you could tell by her sweet perfume drastically filling you up and her breath against your neck when she spoke.

"Thank you, sweetheart." She's so touchy tonight. "How about we take this to the living room?" You nodded, and noticed how incredibly quiet it was when neither of you were talking.

You both took a seat on the couch. She sat rather close to you, her knee bumping into yours and deciding to stay there. "Let's pop this baby open," Ally says, nodding her head towards the alcohol and two glasses in front of you's. She truly is prepared.

She poured you a drink, handed it, and then poured herself one. You don't know when would be a great time to say that you're a lightweight, but then again, you deserve this. Maybe if you are drunk enough, you'll have the courage to kiss Ally.

Within minutes of talking, you and Ally were nearly finished with the first drink. You could already feel yourself becoming tipsy, and you could tell by how much more giggly and touchy Ally got that she was too.

"So, are you seeing anyone right now?" Ally asked, out of the blue. Her words only slightly slurred. You noticed that alcohol made her have absolutely no censor to her. And that it further brought out her lisp. It was adorable and made you want her more.

"Fuck no," you said, as if the question disgusted you. You couldn't imagine yourself with anybody except for Ally. "I already have my eye on someone." You immediately regretted saying that as soon as it left your mouth.

She moved herself impossibly closer. You noticed she was smirking and raising her eyebrows at this point. "And who do you have those pretty eyes on?" She took another sip of her drink and her knee rubbed against yours once more.

"Hm. I don't know if I can tell you that, miss Ally. I don’t want my secret getting out." You didn't possibly know where this confidence was coming from. Most likely the Alcohol.

"Oh come on, baby" she leaned in closer to you, her lips nearly touching your ear. "Tell me, is she pretty?"

You turned your head and your lips grazed hers as you did so. She was so close that your eyes could hardly adjust to her. "She's so pretty. It's so hard to resist her...at work."

She bit on her lower lip; a habit she used often. She looked as if she was holding back, until she finally broke, "Fuck, y/n, just kiss me already." Her voice dripped desperation and need. Those simple words were all you needed.

What you had wanted for years finally happened. You kissed her deeply, not giving the thought of taking a breath a second thought. She put her hand on the back of your neck and pulled you impossibly closer until you were straddling her lap.

"I want you, Ally," you breathed into her mouth, wrapping your arms around her neck. You pulled yourself closer, pressing your front against hers. "I’ve wanted you for so long."

She kisses you again, and breathlessly responds, "I've wanted you since I first saw you." She pushes the hair away from your face so she can see you better. She looks directly in your eyes. She's serious. You could've had this with her years before.

"Now you’ve got me," you say, and go right back to kissing her, to proving that she truly has you now.

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[fletchervanhall]

Birthday Special | Flavier

Featuring: Xavier Mitchell, Fletcher Van Hall w/ Drew Van Hall, Winter Mitchell, Henry Mitchell and mentions of others Time Frame: Evening/Nighttime, July 26, 2024 Location: Various locations in SF, ending at the Van Hall home Notes: Flavier and the family celebrate Fletcher's birthday in a very special way! @xaviernottheprofessor

XAVIER

He had made it through four weeks of recovery and Xavier had started to finally feel more like himself. His short term memory was improving thanks to his therapists and he even felt stronger. Still, he had a couple of weeks to go before he was cleared for any type of strenuous activity but for now, he would take what he could get. His week started off energetic. Xavier even ran errands in his free time. On Tuesday, he went on a special errand to pick up the ring he had chosen for Fletcher. He had gone back and forth a few times and had to be incredibly secretive about it. He wanted to surprise Fletcher and the family at dinner and he hoped that he would.

He held himself up with his cane as he adjusted his belt and sighed when it was too difficult to do so he called Fletcher as he checked the rest of his outfit in the mirror. The ring was in its box in his jacket. Surely, the theater would be cold.

“Baby, can you help me with this? Sorry, I’m struggling.” He looked up at him and smiled. “You look nice.” Fletcher always looked handsome to Xavier and this past month, having his support and encouragement for rehabilitation has been so important to him. “I told the family we will come and pick them up for dinner after the movie. Drew seems up for it so that’ll be nice to get him out of the house for tonight.” He spritzed some cologne on. “Are you excited ?”

FLETCHER

Fletcher was in the bathroom, fixing his hair and trimming his already short beard. He'd brushed the clipped hair from his face into the sink, and then rinsed all of it down the drain before pulling his dress shirt on and buttoning it up. After the past month of keeping extra company with his fiancé at home and helping him get to and from therapy appointments, he was looking forward to them going out on a date, and knowing that Xavier was truly up for it.

Walking back into the bedroom for his sport coat, he heard Xavier's request and smiled a bit. "Of course I can. Don't apologize for asking me for help, alright?" He pecked Xavier's lips and threaded the leather through the belt loops before buckling it into place. "How's that?" He stepped back, "You look handsome by the way. Always wearing the hell out of everything." With a slight smirk, he neared Xavier again and pecked his lips and then moved to put his sport coat on, leaving the lone button undone. "Sounds good. It feels weird to get this dressed up for the movies. I know it's really for the fancy dinner after but still. I'm looking forward to it though. What about you?"

XAVIER

 “Thank you.” He smiled at Fletcher and took one last look in the mirror. “That’s perfect and you’re biased.” He chuckled, kissing him back and then sliding his jacket on. “But also it’s a premiere so we won’t look too out of place. I hope you get to see Ryan or Hugh even from afar.” Learning that this was Fletcher’s first premiere made him even more excited. There would be no red carpet for them. They’d be going as fans but he knew the cast would be there. “I’m excited to celebrate you. Besides it was Winter’s idea to do a Michelin star restaurant for your birthday and you know I’m all about week long celebrations especially when it comes to my man.” He held on to his cane, stepping up to Fletcher and wrapped an arm around him before resting his head against his chest. “And I know I don’t have to but thank you for everything you’ve done for me.” He had discussed with his therapist how this could have ended differently for him, his children, Fletcher, and the people he loved. It was a huge reflection that had been weighing on him. Enough for Xavier to draft a living will. “I love you.” He kissed Fletcher’s chest and smiled before looking up at him.

“I’m also super excited about the fan event because surely we will get a bunch of DP swag.” Slowly, he pulled away and grabbed the car keys off the dresser before tossing them to Fletcher. Lately it felt like Xavier belonged in the Van Hall home and it had become his and his kid’s home too. They had made it all work and Winter and Henry were happy to be spending time with everyone. He could tell they didn’t want it to end and didn’t want to go back home but perhaps with the question Xavier was going to share with everyone tonight, things wouldn’t have to change too drastically. He was caught in his thoughts and he took a deep breath as the nerves took over. “little nervous now, yeah? Seeing some colleagues that haven’t seen me in a while. I just wanna spend it all with you tonight and our family later though” He chuckled and began walking toward the steps, fully aware of the fib he had dropped. Xavier was nervous but for other pressing reasons.

FLETCHER

"Excuse you. I own my bias but this isn't one of them. Have you seen what the stans on the internets have said? I know you have, oe that Tanya's told you." Fletcher knew Xavier was right about it being a premiere and he had seen the way people dressed for it. Celebrities and others involved in the film usually dressed up in more formal attire while fans would wear costumes and cosplay.

"I think she just wanted to see me in a monkey suit," he jokingly accused. "But thank you for this. It's nice celebrating with you and the family." His arm delicately came around Xavier, only for him to move it down to his waist. "You're right, you don't have to thank me. I love you and I'm gonna be your husband. Even if I wasn't, I love you and that's enough."

He smiled a bit, "Oh yeah? I'll have to get some kind of shelving for all things Deadpool that I've got. Put the non-wearable stuff on display like trophies." As he double-checked his pockets for his wallet and phone, he lifted a hand in time to catch the keys. The ease of the routine he and Xavier had fallen into was a pleasant one for him. He loved the life they were building together and only hoped it would get better from here. As he held the keys in one hand, Fletcher prepared to walk out of the room just behind Xavier, sliding his feet into the loafers he'd paired with his outfit. "It’s probably a little nerve-wracking for you but other than maybe one fading scar and your latest fashion accessory," he gestured to the cane, "You don't have a lot of physical things to draw unusual attention. But the family time afterwards is gonna be great. We'll probably have multiple forks and spoons set at each chair at the restaurant, huh?" He chuckled as well, taking the stairs just behind Xavier as he'd been doing all throughout his recovery. Whether he fell forward or stumbled backward, Fletcher would be there to catch him.

XAVIER

“Lord, those fan made videos get me feeling all mortified.” He grinned. “But I’m glad Tanya has shown me the crazies that are out there.” He shuddered but then recovered with a smile. He was glad that Fletcher was looking forward to the dinner even if it was at a fancy place. He would have done it at the diner they all loved too but he figured it would be a nice touch. He knew that his fiance appreciated an act of service that wasn’t over the top and that wasn’t the point of tonight. He was still going to celebrate Fletcher’s birthday early and he was going to ask him to marry him in front of their family. It was the way it should have been. “I love you too.” Thinking how easy it all felt, Xavier knew that he had no regrets in this giant decision he had made with Fletcher.

“Shelving isn’t such a bad idea actually. Maybe you can do something for your office too.” Xavier began walking out and feeling Fletcher linger closely made him feel safe. “Most likely but don’t ask me what each one is for. We can google it.” Even thought his celebrity status had been growing, you couldn’t take the South London out of him. “The food is out of this world though. I can’t wait for you try literally everything if you want I don’t care, tonight we all feast.” He made it to the bottom of the stairs and waved at Henry who was playing with Phoebe while Winter and Drew read together. “Alright. Drew, as always is in charge. Reservations are at 7 so we will be here around 6:30 to pick everyone up. Love you guys!”

Xavier smiled at his daughter when she looked up and at Drew as well. Phoebe was too entertained by Henry who was singing and dancing for her with her baby karaoke machine. “Phoebe’s definitely your number one fan.” He then looked over his shoulder at Fletcher as if telling him their family was the best.

FLETCHER

"You mean that finishing school isn't an automatic requirement when possessing a British accent that's not Cockney or Yorkshire?" Fletcher joked, while being familiar with a few of the varied accents across the pond. "Damn, and here I was, counting on you to give me a crash course after the movie." He grinned and then raised his brow a bit, "What kind of cuisine's at this place?" He wondered, realizing he'd meant to Google and see if he could skim the menu but had forgotten to do so before.

When they cleared the bottom of the stairs and reached the living room entryway, Fletcher took in the scene too and nodded in agreement with Xavier's parting words to the kids. "What he said," was all he added along with a wink to his uncle and the kids. Drew made a joke about throwing a 2-hour house party while they were gone and Fletcher snorted and rolled his eyes, playing into the joke, "As long as you clean up before we're back and no one breaks anything." Hed loved the sight before them and met Xavier's silent communication with a gentle smile before slipping past his fiancé to get the door for him.

He walked with Xavier put the door and to the driveway, unlocking the SUV with the fob. At the passenger door, he opened it and stayed there until Xavier was comfortably seated. After shutting the door and making his way to the driver's seat, he started up the car and backed out so they could head to their destination. On the way, he asked, "Hey, what do you think about some sort of guest house in the backyard? There's a shit ton of room without messing with Drew's garden. And once we get Lieu, he'd still have plenty of room to run around or go to the bathroom. Which means Phoebe would still have room to play back there when she's a little older."

XAVIER

"Uh, no. My mum and dad are really good about that stuff I just never paid attention like why do I need to know this? Who's laughing now, huh?" He grinned. "I think we can both learn on the way there and surprise the hell out of everyone at how charming and refined we are." Xavier chuckled. "It's Mexican. I know it's your favorite and the place has two Michelin stars so you'll fall in love with everything." Even though they all spent time together at home, it was nice to do something out with everyone.

Xavier laughed at Drew's joke and they both walked out as their older kids whistled at them. "Great suits!" He could hear Winter yell out and Henry giggle from the other side of the door. "Maybe you're right on Winter's diabolical plan to see you in a suit." He climbed into the SUV, grateful for his fiance's assistance, and immediately turned on the Car Play to start some music linked to his Spotify. He waited for Fletcher to get in the car and tapped his jacket pocket to make sure the ring box was still there.

Xavier put the theater address into the GPS for Fletcher and then sat back. "A guest house? That sounds like a nice idea. What are you thinking? How many bedrooms? There's definitely room back there. I know some great people who do really good work. I can look into them for you. There's even space for a little playhouse for Phoebe. We can get her a swing set or a slide or something. That yard is pretty massive." Xavier had a lot of thoughts when it came to their living situation but he didn't want to impose on Drew's property. He had even thought about the prospects of everyone moving into his home but he could tell the kids loved the Van Hall home and Xavier didn't want to take Drew away from what he knows and loves. "Is this because of us?"

FLETCHER

"I totally thought that knowing fork placements was required," Fletcher joked with a smile. "Yes, we'll show up with an expert level of which one's the salad fork and which one's the dinner fork. That's all I know for fork names." Hearing that they were going to a Michelin star Mexican restaurant certainly piqued his interest. "Fancy Mexican food sounds like a good time. Thanks, sugar. And I'll be sure to thank Winter too, later."

Hearing Xavier agree about Winter's plan, Fletcher kept the joke up by answering in feigned seriousness, "I'm telling you, she wants to turn me into a regular dapper Dan. I didn't realize I had so many sweat pants haters in my life. Jesus." When he got into the car and heard the music Xavier chose, his interest always honed in to see what sort of music Xavier was going to have them listening to, since he knew his fiancé's taste varied more than his typically did. "Thanks," he said of Xavier plugging in the directions. And after posing the question about a guest house he listened to the questions and thoughts his fiancé had about the idea ofa guest house and then responded. "I wasn't thinking about anything too big or too elaborate. Just something like a studio space with maybe a sink and toilet. Maybe not even that and just somewhere decent and comfortable to be able to sleep since there'd be plumbing to consider. A playhouse for Phoebe would be great too, and I'd been thinking about a swing set for when she's a little older. Maybe when she's two." He agreed about the yard space and at Xavier's last question he smirked a little. "Yeah. I already talked about it with Drew. I'm glad Henry and Winter have been alright with the space in the house as it is but long term, I can't imagine the both of them wouldn't want their own space when they're here. And... whenever we do marry, or even before then, I can't see us keeping this up with going back and forth between homes on a permanent basis."

He glanced Xavier's way and then back to the road. "I know your place is already big enough to accommodate all of us without any construction but... if you and the kids are open to it, we'd love you guys to move into Drew's house. Permanently. The studio space was something I thought Winter might like, as she's getting older and all. And if she doesn't like that idea or feels like she'd be to separated from everybody else, we can figure something else out. Maybe talk with Drew about a way to expand on the ground floor to add a room or two. It's something he and I have talked about before, when he got his diagnosis so I'm sure it's doable." Reaching across the center panel for Xavier's hand, he said, "Ultimately, I just want us to do whatever's gonna be best for our whole family."

XAVIER

"Guess I'm not fancy enough." He smirked right back at Fletcher and then laughed at his words. "That's like two forks more than I know." Xavier was feeling less nervous now that they were on their way to watch the movie. It felt like there was less time left now and that in no time, he'd be asking Fletcher formally to marry him in front of the most important people in his life. "You're welcome! Can't go wrong with Mexican."

He started by playing some old-school Linkin Park knowing that Fletcher not only loved them but that they'd be a great vibe for the ride to see Deadpool. "Some R&B might cut in between songs because your boy is versatile like that." He grinned and continued listening to Fletcher's ideas regarding a guest house. He nodded as he listened, picturing the ideas that were being mentioned. "I love the idea of a studio for Winter. I think she'd really appreciate that now that she's getting older. like you said." He agreed that moving back and forth would eventually make little to no sense and now that Xavier had spent a month recovering at the Van Hall home, it felt more like home than his own house did. Xavier took Fletcher's hand and squeezed it, smiling at him as he heard what he had added.

"I think and this is definitely a shared sentiment, that we'd love to move in permanently and we can figure out logistics. A guest house sounds like the most ideal. I can help with all of that and I'll put the house up for sale. The money I get from that can be separated for the kid's college funds. Phoebe, Henry, and Winter and we can use some of it towards construction." Xavier had been able to pay off his home pretty quickly and even though the purchase was made only a couple of years ago, the market was asking for double now. He saw it as an investment. "I want what's best for them too and I want Drew to stay in his home and we'll really make a home out of it. The six of us. Drew's excited?"

FLETCHER

"The accent makes up for it," Fletcher quipped with a grin. And his toothy smile lingered for a little bit longer. Hearing the type of cuisine that would be at dinner had him looking forward to it a little more than before--not that he had been dreading it but the thoughtfulness of it being his favorite cuisine upped his interest.

When he heard the familiar opening to Linkin Park's "Faint", he lightly drummed on the steering wheel as he drove. "Mhm, I know it. And you know I don't mind." He enjoyed the music as background noise while he and Xavier discussed expanding the house and the idea of all of them living together in one home permanently. Xavier's swift decisiveness on what to do with his own home and the sales earnings made Fletcher's brows raise. "You're always so sure of yourself and what you want. Or who you want," he added with a knowing smile. Taking hold of Xavier's hand, he carefully brought it to his lips while leaning over a bit to press them to his knuckles. "Would you consider making it a rental or an Air BnB? Or are you pretty set on selling it?" Fletcher would support whatever decision Xavier made but he knew that there was a big sacrifice being made and wanted to be sure his fiancé was considering all options. He gently squeezed the younger man's hand and then said, "Yeah. I mean you know Drew is pretty even-keeled but he loves you and the kids, and he knows that being more settled with where he lived as he gets older and things progress with his Parkinson's is better for him."

XAVIER

"Well, thank God for that." Xavier snickered, enjoying the back and forth and the fact that he was feeling 100 himself now even if physically he still needed some help. It was nice to be able to participate in some banter with his fiance again and to joke around and feel like he wasn't missing the butt of the joke. It was nice to be able to plan a special dinner, speak to point people, remember instructions and hopefully execute this long-awaited mission (long for Xavier).

He smiled at Fletcher's words and it wasn't like he had the realization in that moment but the reminder of how different they both were and yet worked so well together was a nice one. He couldn't help but laugh a little at Fletcher telling him he was always so sure of himself and his decisions. "I try to live that 'no regrets' kind of life and if I want something, I'm going to get it. Within reason of course. If you would have pushed me away at that auction, this might have gone a little differently but I wouldn't have given up without a little fight." He knew he probably came on strong to Fletcher that first night but again, he had no regrets. He basked in Fletcher's little gestures and sighed happily. Nodding at the suggestion of renting his home or making it an Air BnB, Xavier hadn't really thought about that. "You know, that actually isn't such a bad idea. We'd probably make a decent investment on Air BnB alone. It'll be an extra income and we'd still make money to put away for the kids. Would you join me in that kind of business? That's a really great idea, baby." Xavier smiled upon hearing about Drew and felt confident and happy in the decision to move into Drew's home instead of moving somewhere different or to his home. "I want him to be happy and always surrounded by the people that love him. And I just want to be with you, it doesn't matter where but staying at Drew's house is special. Feels very familial."

FLETCHER

"We all have our redeeming qualities," he joked. Fletcher chuckled along with Xavier, loving their silly banter. He was happy to not only see but hear so many smiles and laughs from his fiancé, sure that the injuries to his ribs hadn't made it easy for him during the past month.

Listening to Xavier, his lips tugged into a small smile as he replied. "I know. I learned that pretty quickly about you earlier this year. But I don't remember you really fighting so much as you being vocal about what you want, sooner than I've been throughout our relationship." He glanced Xavier's way and then back to the traffic. "And thanks to you, we've had a lot of movement between us this year." It wasn't an accusation or condemnation, but merely a matter of fact.

He was glad that Xavier was on board with all of them living at his uncle's house and expanding to accommodate all of them. And hearing Xavier consider the possibility of not completely giving up his home had been nice. "If you're on board with it, I'll be glad to go into that kind of business with you. I can be a crotchety landlord to collect the rent or handle any air bnb complainers." He'd been mostly joking and knew a lot about managing a business from running The Ink Tank, but given Xavier's fame, it probably would be better if Fletcher was the one to handle anything in-person. Hearing Xavier talk about his wants and him being thoughtful of Drew. "And this is why you are my sweetheart. And my sugar. God, I love you."

When they neared the theatre where the movie was premiering, Fletcher could see how traffic was being directed. He followed the signs and the people monitoring the cars and limos until they were brought to a valet. Fletcher got out, handing over the key fob in exchange for a ticket, and then he walked around to get the door for Xavier. He pocketed the ticket and, upon opening the passenger door offered his hand to his fiancé. "Ready to lead me through my first premiere?"

XAVIER

Xavier smirked at Fletcher's quip, feeling incredibly secure about the big steps they were taking in their lives together. The shift was tremendous and they had families to move around with them but they were making it work and it was beautiful. "I mean, I kinda just popped in and took over your life so..." Xavier smiled and bit his lip. "Thanks for letting me." The words were heavier than they were meant to be. Xavier, being the romantic he was, struggled with finding someone who aligned with his desires and meshed with his personality. The only person he would have considered treated him terribly. Somehow he had been lucky enough to find someone who let him love him back and considering how much love Xavier had to give, it was fulfilling. "We're a team. Don't forget it."

"I want you to really own this crotchety landlord schtick. Walk in with a cigar between your teeth, a bucket fisherman's hat, and a tool belt or something. Wait, that's kinda hot. Dammit!" Xavier laughed as they both discussed the potential. Keeping the house made sense. Xavier was grateful for the suggestion. "I think you'd be perfect for that though. Going into business with you, moving in with you, all these major changes. I really like how it all sounds. So exciting." X sighed softly and then added, "I love you too."

He took Fletcher's hand and climbed out of the car with a lot more ease now that he felt a lot better. "I am so ready. We're getting swag first. I want those popcorn buckets and then some blokes will probably lead us down the red carpet but it won't be anything flashy. They're all here for Ryan and Hugh and the gang. They might take a photo or two and then Ben Barnes is gonna have to give up the whole being my boyfriend charade" Xavier explained with a grinned and held his fiance's hand. "Then we get to enjoy the movie in 3D Imax and get bragging rights to everyone tonight."

Xavier waved at a few people he had recognized and even signed a couple of autographs as he walked with Fletcher. It was an organized crowd and everyone looked amazing. He really hoped for the opportunity had had asked a friend for as a favor and after some more photographs and after they had gotten to concessions, he felt a hand on his shoulder and there was the surprise he had gotten together for Fletcher. "Oh! Hey mate! Ah, we're so excited to see the movie. This is my fiance. Fletcher. He's really excited to meet you both." And there they were. Hugh and Ryan their hands extended for Fletcher to shake and Xavier was grinning ear to ear, squeezing the top of his cane from excitement.(edited)

FLETCHER

"That's a fun summary of how things went down between us," Fletcher mused with another smirk. And the next works that left Xavier's mouth had him touched. He gave Xavier's hand another loving squeeze and told him, "I'd do it again, every time." There was nothing about their relationship that Fletcher would do differently. They complimented each other beautifully and loved each other and their family deeply. "Like I'd ever," he replied about not forgetting that they were a team. But he soon ended up laughing when Xavier leaned into his joke as a landlord. "There's nothing hot about me in a bucket hat. You sure you're feeling alright tonight?" He playfully slipped his hand from Xavier's long enough to place the back of his hand to his fiancé's forehead. And then he resumed holding his hand again. "We don't have to rush it. You're right about this being major changes, and we'll have to get the add-on to the house before renting out yours or making it an air bnb. And we have the service dog coming soon. And eventually a wedding to plan and tell everyone about." Yeah. They were going to busy for a while.

As he supported Xavier through his exit from the car, Fletcher listened to his fiancé. He grinned and said, "So the cast will be here for this?" He knew there were premieres happening all over the country and had no idea how all of it went. He walked beside Xavier while paying attention in preparation to follow his lead. He'd let his hand go whenever Xavier was asked to sign something or take a photo with someone. And when they were asked to be photographed together, Fletcher wrapped an arm around his back and bore a relaxed expression to the photographers.

As he bent to adjust his shoe lace, he heard Xavier talking to someone nearby. Fletcher froze for a few beats--first from hearing Xavier introduce him to someone as his fiancé for the fire time. Second, because of the 2 familiar voices that responded to Xavier. Fletcher rose to his feet, outwardly composed, returning their handshakes and telling them both, "Nice to meet you," and, "Congrats on getting this movie done. I'm looking forward to seeing it tonight." Internally was a different story. Inside, his fan boy heart was soaring over the moon on an Acme rocket. He was grateful for the quick chat and their willingness to take a picture before their handlers came up to usher the 2 movie stars along. When it was just he and Xavier again, Fletcher grinned to his fiancé and leaned in close to his ear. "That was unreal. Thank you, Sugar."

XAVIER

"Maybe. I think so? I have a feeling, yes." Xavier smirked as he gave Fletcher nothing and everything all at once when it came to asking if the cast would be there. It was nice to do this with someone he was serious about, someone he was going to spend the rest of his life with. Xavier was happy that Fletcher didn't seem too bothered about posing with him and was glad that the experience overall was easygoing. Thankful that Ryan had done this kind meet and greet and that Hugh had agreed to it as well, Xavier waited for them to leave before turning to give Fletcher his full attention. "I know. I'm trying to get my heart rate to stabilize..." he spoke with a smile on his face. "You're welcome. I owe Ryan my left kidney now but that was worth it. Let's go see a movie, yeah?" It was the first time Xavier had introduced Fletcher as his fiance, and it was a hard launch considering he kept a lot private but it had escaped his lips and it felt so natural that it just reminded him of the anticipation for their dinner and how he had meant it when he said he wanted Fletcher to be his husband. Now or someday.

The movie exceeded his expectations and most importantly, every time he glanced over to Fletcher, he seemed to be having a good time. Livin' on a Prayer was now stuck in his head and he was pretty sure he had yelled louder than most when Blade came out. "Oh my God!" He couldn't contain his excitement as they walked out of the theater and Xavier gently tugged on Fletcher's jacket sleeve. "That was so great, right? Did you like it? Did you have fun? Those seats were incredible, the energy, the crowd, the 3D, I can't believe we just experienced that." He was excited for the movie, yes but also knowing that in such a short time, they'd be sitting with their family and he'd be asking an important question again was really making Xavier feel all the feelings.

"The car should be ready in the back. How's your appetite?"

FLETCHER

Xavier's coy answer made Fletcher narrow his eyes at his fiancé for a moment but he said nothing more on the matter, knowing he'd just have to wait and see. He didn't anticipate them being there, but knew San Francisco was slowly becoming more noticed in the industry and would allow himself to be pleasantly surprised if any of the stars were there. Regardless, he knew he was in for a good night with his fiancé.

And after the brief encounter with the movie's 2 stars, Fletcher chuckled a bit from Xavier's response and then said, "I think you're oure done with surgeries and hospital stints for a long-ass time so Reynolds will have to fight me for that kidney of yours." He was happy to go into the theatre with Xavier but it wasn't until the haze of being a little starstruck faded that he played back in his mind and realized Xavier introduced him as his fiancé. He'd thought about saying something--only to ask if he'd meant to since they'd been keeping their engagement under wraps since in NYC--but he decided not to. It wasn't a problem and thinking back on it now, it'd felt nice to hear.

The movie had been everything and then some for Fletcher. From the opening credits--which were always entertaining for each Deadpool film--to the many cameos particularly in The Void, to the final fight with the multitude of Deadpool variants, all the way through the end credits and the stroll down memory road with the Century Fox X-Men. The movie was a genuine delight for him with all of the ways it entertained, didn't take itself too seriously while also held some heartfelt moments, and finally gave him and other fans Wolverine in his comic book-accurate yellow outfit in full.

Holding all their swag in one hand with the now empty popcorn buckets stacked, Fletcher left the theatre with a smile on his lips, lingering from the end credit scene and the overall good time. And when he felt the tug to his sport coat, he looked to Xavier and grinned a bit, "Hell yeah, I loved it. As soon as it's streaming or I can purchase it to rewatch at home, I'm doing it. I haven't been to the movies in a while and that was the best one to go see as a return. I only left with one question." When they reached the valet podium, Fletcher took the ticket from his pocket to hand one of the valets and waited beside Xavier for the car to be brought around. He threaded his fingers between Xavier's and lifted their hands while bending his head to kiss the younger man's knuckles. "Thank you again for this. I hope like hell I never forget tonight." It had just been fun and in addition to not having been to a movie theatre in a while and never having been to a premiere before, he couldn't remember the last time he'd gone on a date to the movies. "And my appetite's gonna be ready for dinner when we get to the restaurant. Right now, I'm full on popcorn and Dr. Pepper." He grinned a little crookedly and then, when the car was driven up for them, Fletcher opened the passenger door for Xavier and made sure he got into the seat without issue, before going around to tip the valet, climb in himself and get going.

XAVIER

The smile on Fletcher's face made all of this worth it. Xavier wanted nothing more than to always make him happy. Proud of himself for pulling off such a great premiere experience for his fiance, Xavier basked in the joy he felt after the movie. "I'm so glad you loved it and I think that's a great idea. I'd love to watch it again. Everything about it was awesome. What's the question you were left with?" Xavier waited beside Fletcher, his smile still lingering as he squeezed their joined hands. "You're welcome. I hope you never do. It's a good night." They were both on a date together, Xavier was alive and well, and Fletcher got to meet two of his heroes in person. Everything was going exactly as planned and Xavier felt those nerves creep up once more. It wasn't that he thought Fletcher would say no, it was going to be a question he'd pop in front of their families. This was going to be more intimate and it would mean a lot to both of them. Once he was in the car, Xavier felt for the ring box once again and then settled in his seat. They spent the ride reminiscing about the movie and Xavier trying to imitate Channing's cajun accent. They arrived at the house and picked up Drew and the kids and once everyone was safely in their seats, they were back on the road. "You guys all look so nice. Very sharp, Drew." As they approached Californios, Xavier glanced over to a focused Fletcher and smiled. "I have a small confession."

Once they arrived and the valet came to the window, Xavier made his admission, "Salvador called in a favor for me. He knows the chef who owns this restaurant and we got the restaurant to ourselves. It'll just be us tonight!" Xavier then looked back and winked at Winter and Henry..

"Yesss! Because I'm starving and I can't be fancy if I want to eat the way I feel." Henry confessed and then elbowed Drew. "Right, grandpa?"

Winter rolled her eyes as she helped with getting Phoebe out of the car seat to hand over to Fletcher. "He says that as if that's not his usual MO. Fancy or not, Henry wants to clear all the plates!" She jumped out and waited to help Drew along with Henry after smoothing out her dress. "But this place looks nice, dad!" She then hooked her arm into Drew's and walked beside him on one side as Henry took the other.

Xavier joined Fletcher's side and immediately went to kiss Phoebe's cheek. "Hey, munchkin." He pretended to eat her little hand and then rubbed his belly with a laugh. They were greeted once inside the restaurant and a long table had been organized for them family style. Everyone took their places with Fletcher at the head of the table, Xavier beside him, Drew next to Xavier, and the kids beside them. A high hair had been set up for Phoebe who sat between Xavier and Fletcher. A friendly waiter approached and asked the table if they wanted to start with drinks and waited for everyone to place their orders. "Happy birthday, Mr. Van Hall. Tonight we have two signature drinks for you in honor of your 41st birthday. The frozen black Margarita. served with alcohol and virgin for our younger friends. We also have the Blackberry Rum cocktail. Both are delicious!"

Xavier grinned as he waited for Fletcher and Drew to order first. He had already decided on a frozen virgin margarita and knew the kids would love that too.

FLETCHER

Fletcher was still riding the high of the premiere as they pulled away from the theatre. He listened to Xavier and when asked about the one question he was left with, Fletcher threw a hand up from the steering wheel and said, "Why was Thor crying? I need a damn answer!" The amusement was heavy in his voice but he also genuinely wanted to know. He enjoyed discussing the movie some more while heading home, recalling certain scenes and reliving their excitement over the various cameos and other surprises in the movie.

When they returned home, Fletcher oversaw his uncle into the car and buckled a slightly fussy Phoebe into her car seat. He knew she was soothed by car rides and hadn't been concerned. Sure enough, by the time they reached the restaurant, she'd been fast asleep. But his attention was pulled from the mirror resting at his daughter's rear-facing car seat to his fiancé who now had something to confess. Pulling a stern brow into an arch, Fletcher glanced Xavier's way and silently waited for said confession. And when it came tumbling out, the other brow joined its twin and raised high above the tattoo artist's eyes. "What the hell?" he spoke out of disbelief and looked around to find that there was, in fact, no one else who appeared to be currently dining at the restaurant. Hearing Henry's comment made him chuckle but he shook his head while glancing over to Xavier.

"Bingo, Henry," Drew replied to his grandson.

Fletcher continued to laugh a bit at the exchange between his family. He parked and accepted a still sleeping Phoebe from Winter, an amused smile lingering on his lips. He was still amazed at the lengths Xavier had gone to make his birthday a special one. As Phoebe stirred from being in a different t position than her car seat, she jerked her head up squirmed from Xavier's play at her hand before dropping her head back on Fletcher's shoulder, seeming to fall back asleep.

He walked in with his family, holding the door with his free hand and then bringing up the rear to the table set for them. He gently sat Phoebe a little more upright in his lap once he was seated to encourage her waking up. His hope was for her to fall asleep on the way home but so far, she was doing her best to remain as comfortable as possible in his arms and lap while remaining asleep. Giving up for the time being, Fletcher took a good look around the place and then told Xavier, "This place is nice as hell. I almost feel a little under-dressed." He smirked a little and then glanced down at the menu in front of him.

The waiter who greeted them and wished him a happy birthday had Fletcher lifting his eyes and giving a polite, "Thanks," before listening to the 2 specialty cocktails. He noticed his favorite color was included in both names and gave a knowing smile. Since he planned on driving the family back, he already decided not to have more than 1 drink and opted for the Blackberry Rum cocktail. Drew opted for iced tea with extra lemons, and after Xavier and the kids placed their drink orders, Fletcher looked at the menu again. But as he did, he said, "You guys are making this one helluva birthday celebration." His gaze intentionally swept over his uncle and the kids before landing squarely on Xavier. "Thank you."

XAVIER

Xavier laughed at Fletcher's lingering question and couldn't help but notice how happy he sounded. It was such a nice feeling and to know that he helped in making this day special for him made it even better. "Why was Thor crying? Inquiring minds need to know." He grinned at Fletcher, really excited now for what was to come and feeling an incredible amount of love for him.

Seeing their families together and creating one unit has been the best part of the growth of their relationship. Xavier felt it was surreal and for him, someone who always put family first, this was the best outcome he could have asked for or even dreamt about. Seeing Phoebe rest against Fletcher and Winter and Henry be so attentive to Drew made his heart want to burst and at some point, Xavier had to look away so no one caught him tearing up. When his fiance spoke up, he put on a braver face, his lips twitching upwards into a smile. "You look handsome. Please have you seen what Adam Sandler wears?" Xavier looked the menu over and his eyes danced around all the options.

"Drew, they've got brisket!" He grinned at the older man, remembering the first time he had met him and how he had wooed him with food. At Fletcher's words, he looked up from his menu and reached for his Fiance's thigh to give it a gentle squeeze. "You deserve to have the best celebrations. You're welcome."

"Yeah, Dad number two-still working on it," Henry smirked behind his menu. "Don't mention it. It's on me tonight."

"Oh is it?" Xavier arched a brow and tossed one of the napkins at his son, making him and Winter giggle. "I'm going to get some fish tacos and whatever this vegetable appetizer is because it looks bomb. But I'm going to get all the starters so we can enjoy it family style. What do you guys think?" Xavier looked down the table for approval. .

When the waiter returned, he waited for everyone to order and requested that all the starters come first. Xavier then leaned back and placed his napkin on his lap.

"So what does it mean that this place has two Michelin stars? Is that code for now we can charge triple since its that good?" Winter grinned and gave up her menu to the waiter. "Also, if we don't bring back tres leches cake to Emi, she's going to be mad at us."

"A Michelin star is a highly regarded award given to restaurants that serve exceptional food and wine. Two stars mean the food is excellent and served uniquely. Also this is the only Mexican place that has two stars so it's a pretty big deal. I figured if we were taking Fletcher out to eat his favorite food, we'd go big." Xavier answered her daughter and then smiled when the drinks arrived.

"That's so cute, Dad..." Winter smiled. "How was the movie?"

FLETCHER

Fletcher carried the amusement from the movie all the way home and to the restaurant right up until Xavier's confession that their family had the restaurant to themselves. From there, he'd been shocked and then flattered and simultaneously humbled by all his fiancé had done for him tonight.

Hearing Xavier's compliment once they were seated and settled in made Fletcher smile and then chuckle from the Adam Sandler shade. "Thanks, babe," he replied and then followed his fiancé's lead of looking over the menu. Everything he read over sounded like it would be good. Even the items he didn't really know had appetizing-sounding descriptions accompanying them. He glanced over to his uncle when Xavier pointed out brisket on the menu.

"Well then I know what I want," Drew said without having touched his menu.

Fletcher smiled again and leaned over to peck Xavier's lips to add to his spoken gratitude. And when Henry agreed, he grinned softly and then chuckled. "Whatever feels right, it'll come to you." His heart was still warmed by being seen as a second dad, but he would have completely understood if Henry and Winter ended up preferring to just call him Fletcher. The times he had alone with Phoebe, he'd been working on her knowing Xavier as her father as well but his plan was to one day surprise Xavier, once Phoebe got to doing more than just babbling.

He chuckled along with Winter giggling. "Hey, if Henry wants to treat the family, who are we to question it?" he joked, giving Henry a wink. The family style dining for appetizers sounded nice but his eyes bugged a bit at Xavier planning to order every appetizer on the menu. There weren't a ton of appetizers on the menu but ordering all of them still sounded like a lot. He slowly relaxed his expression though, certain he wouldn't be able to talk Xavier out of it and resigned himself to whatever their dinner was going to look like.

Fletcher listened to the conversation with Winter and Xavier on that a Michelin star meant. The only thing Fletcher added to it was him saying, "They can lose their Michelin star too, which is a big deal too." He didn't know all the details that went into Michelin stars--Xavier had educated him on that as well tonight, whether he knew it or not--but Fletcher knew there was high prestige to it that could be earned or revoked. Almost automatically, he shifted Phoebe more into his arms than before after seeing that she seemingly decided she was asleep for the night. If she ended up sleeping through the night, Fletcher would plan for her to have a little bit more cereal and bananas than usual in the morning for breakfast.

Hearing Xavier's 'go big' decision for dinner had his lips tug up in a half-smile. He wasn't the least bit surprised by this, knowing his future husband fairly well in this regard. And as the waiter returned with their drinks, Fletcher's eyes went to Winter to answer her question. "It was great, and hilarious." He'd already been smiling through a silent recollection. "They made sure to keep earning the R rating regardless of moving to Disney. And there were so many damn cameos. It was great."

XAVIER

Xavier continued rubbing Fletcher’s thigh as he listened to everyone interaction. Drew deciding on the brisket made him glad he chose this place and when Henry stated he was working on a name he’d called Fletcher, he listened curiously as he knew his kids had been trying to figure that out since last month.

“Actually. About that. We both like dad but we don’t want to confuse you guys when we are calling out your name like what if we say dad! You’re in trouble and that’s obviously comedian dad and not tattoo artist dad.” Henry stated so as a matter of fact that it made Xavier laugh out loud.

“Hold on. Why am I in trouble?”

Winter then piped in as the drinks were being served. “Because you’re always in trouble. So actually, Henry I think we’ll be fine if we use dad for both. Or we can say Dad Fletcher.” She shrugged. “Dad Fletcher? Do you want me to get the stroller for Phoebe?”

Xavier smiled before taking the first sip of his drink, his eyes widening slightly at how amazing it all tasted. “Oh wow. That’s phenomenal. How’s yours baby?” He asked his fiancee and then turned the question on the table. He listened as they talked about the movie and the conversation had them all laughing at some point. The appetizers were served and they all began passing around the dishes to serve themselves

“Before we start.” Xavier cleared his throat and looked around at the table with a big smile. “I have a few things I want to say. I just wanted to thank you all for being the best family. Drew, thank you for opening up your house to us, winter thank you for helping as much as you do, Henry thank you for for not bringing the house down when you make us breakfast. And a huge thank you to my boyfriend who turns 41 in a couple of days for holding this group together. I know you’ll deny that and that is okay but we all know the truth. You put in so much into us and that’s why it’s our job to do the same for you so happy birthday, my love. You deserve this and more.” He raised his glass and glanced over at Fletcher with a soft smile. “Bon anniversaire ,mon amour. And for the record, I like dad too.”

FLETCHER

Xavier's physical contact contented Fletcher about as much as the evening's plans. He wasn't accustomed to grandiose gestures but he appreciated all of the thoughtfulness that went into the birthday plans Xavier made for them and their family that evening. He listened to Henry and chuckled at his and Xavier's professions being tagged to them being dad's, as well as Henry deciding that Xavier would be in trouble. He laughed harder at Winter's justification while draping an arm lovingly around Xavier. "I guess I've done too good of a job at fooling them," he joked and pecked Xavier's temple.

Hearing that Winter and Henry wanted to call them both dad and could distinguish them by adding Fletcher's first name whenever he and Xavier were in the same vicinity. Hearing her try it out made him smile a bit. "Nah, that's okay. The tree frog still weighs next to nothing and I've gotten good at eating one-handed. Thanks, Winter."

With their drinks there, Fletcher thanked the waiter and then reached for his to take a sampling sip. The mixture of the blackberry and the rum were a both nice so he took a longer sip. Setting the glass back down, he said, "It’s good, babe. You want a sip?" He offered the glass to his fiancé and then joined the conversation about the Deadpool and Wolverine movie.

When Xavier called for everyone's attention, Fletcher turned his gaze to his future husband, watching and listening to him. It was a true pleasure to see Xavier so happy, so well. He'd been recovering from the accident smoothly since they returned to California. And while Fletcher had admittedly been cautious at times on Xavier's behalf. He missed their physical closeness but was happy that he was steadily getting better and that Xavier's spirits hadn't been dimmed along the way. And Xavier was right as he spoke--Fletcher didn't think he held their family together. In fact, as far as he was concerned, Xavier was the glue in their family. He was the one who brought all of them together.

Smiling modestly, Fletcher raised his glass and said, "Merci, chérie," with what little French he'd learned. And then his smile stretched into a toothy grin when Xavier weighed in on the 'dad' decision. "I do too," he replied with certainty that both Winter and Henry had heard him. \

"Hear, hear!" Drew said with a small lift of his glass before carefully drinking some of his iced tea and then setting his glass back down, dissolving into conversation with Henry.

Fletcher set his own glass down after another long sip of the cocktail. With his hand free again, he brought his thumb, index and middle fingers to Xavier's chin. "C'mere," he murmured, leaning over while turning his fiancé's face in his direction to kiss him full on the lips. "I love you," he said, looking in Xavier's eyes after breaking the kiss gently apart.

XAVIER

Xavier smiled at Drew's cheer and it widened even more when he witnessed the man chatting it up with his son. Unsurprisingly, Henry had grown so attached to the house patriarch. And then hearing that Winter had decided to call Fletcher dad too warmed his heart as well. This was a girl that didn't trust Xavier's intentions when she first arrived at his doorstep. To see everyone together and to feel on top of the world again encouraged Xavier to do what he had planned. He smiled when Fletcher turned his face and kissed him. "I love you too, " Xavier whispered, letting himself get lost in his fiance's dark gaze only to remind himself of just how electric their bond was. "Don't kill me for what I'm about to do. I promise I have practiced for days." He kissed Fletcher again and then removed the napkin from his lap to place it on the table. Xavier had been working on getting on one knee. In a week, he'd be clear for normal activity again which hopefully meant that putting his practice to play wouldn't hurt as much. He pushed back on his chair gently and it was the cue for the staff to start playing an acoustic guitar instrumental version of Only Exception. Holding on to the back of his chair, Xavier struggled only for a few seconds before he was down on one knee and holding out the black velvet box he had been concealing all evening.

"Oh my God, dad!" Winter gasped and covered her mouth, completely unaware at first of the tears already streaming down her face.

Xavier smiled but kept his gaze on Fletcher. "Fletcher James Van Hall, about a month ago, I asked you to marry me. It wasn't romantic and my brain was fuzzy but all I could think about was how I needed to hold on to you for as long as I could, forever if possible. You and our kids and your uncle are the anchors of my life."

"I wanted to do right by you and do this in front of our family because they're the most important people in our lives. I wanted Drew to know what he's probably already told himself and you several times that you're an amazing, kind, beautiful man and deserving of love and all the things you want in life. And I wanted to thank him for raising that man that I have now fallen so deeply and irrevocably in love with. I liked you from the moment I laid eyes on you but falling and loving you has been the best part of this journey. In such a short time, I've learned so much about you and myself and I don't want to do that with anyone else. Thank you for loving me, for putting up with my insanity, for loving my children, for teaching me patience. As much as I love you for the things you've done for me, I love you for the all the things I want to do for you. I've never felt this way and I want to chase that feeling for as long as I live. I want to grow old with you and watch our kids grow up and in case you thought maybe I'd forget, of all the things I said on that hospital bed, I would never ever forget this or you or us. So, with all of that said." He laughed a little and wiped his eyes a bit before opening up the box to reveal the black ring with diamonds. "Will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

FLETCHER

Fletcher's expression rapidly dissolved from loving to suspicious when Xavier requested he not kill him for something. Of course Fletcher had no idea what and matched the volume of Xavier's voice as he replied, "I'm not agreeing to shit." Eyes still suspiciously narrowed, he watched his fiancé slide his chair back and get to his feet while music started to play. Fletcher only briefly glanced away to see where the music was coming from before his head whipped around, seeing Xavier descend from his peripheral.

Almost right away, Fletcher was on his feet. "Xavier, what the hell!" He hissed, reaching out with his free hand. Dammit, I should've let Winter get that stroller, he thought, admonishing himself.

That was, until he realized Xavier was down on one knee.

"Xavier, what the hell..." he breathed, eyes rounding a little more. He swallowed thickly, his mind racing. He couldn't quite keep up with his own thoughts but did his best to focus. Xavier had gotten down on one knee and not only did Fletcher know that this was a big deal, he wasn't about to miss what was to come, following his fiancé's accomplishment. Xavier knew this wasn't necessary--Fletcher had already said he would marry him. They were going to get married someday. And there was a part of Fletcher that figured Xavier wouldn't remember talking about proposing again and that he didn't need the formal gesture. But he would be lying if he said this wasn't one of the sweetest things Xavier had been determined to do for him--for them.

When Xavier asked him if he would marry him, Fletcher whispered, "Goddamn you for being so romantic." He smiled and reached his free hand to take the box and set it on the table. And then he offered his hand to Xavier. "Get up, Sugar." He would help him as much as possible but he wanted to look Xavier as close in his eyes as possible when he told him, "You know I'm going to marry you. Gonna marry the shit out of you, remember?" He grinned and dropped his chin, leaning in to kiss Xavier on his lips again. He put as much love and passion as possible into the kiss while still being appropriate in front of the kids and his uncle. And when he drew back, Fletcher murmured, "Yes. If you need the direct answer, yes, I'm going to marry you, Xavier Dmitry." He kissed Xavier's lips softly and quickly a few more times before switching his hold on Phoebe so that his left hand was now free for Xavier to slide the ring on.

XAVIER

Henry had been watching, jaw dropped and his fork dangling from his grasp. He should have known it was coming but couldn’t believe the day was actually here. “Oh my God I’m gonna have two dads. This is awesome!” He grabbed onto Drew’s arm gently and Winter smirked, tearing her gaze away from Fletcher and Xavier for only a few seconds. She took tons of pictures, wiping her eyes every chance she could get and when Fletcher stood up, she did too, wanting to get the right angles. “I can’t believe it…” she whispered as she listened.

The entire restaurant staff stood behind the bar to watch with giant smiles on their faces and while Xavier wanted to capture his family’s reaction, he was too busy looking up at Fletcher. “I’m sorry,” he whispered and stood up slowly when Fletcher urged him to. He felt very little pain now and had his cane for support but when he was on his feet again, he looked up at his fiancé lovingly. “I know. But you deserved a proper proposal. And I wanted the people you love the most to be here. I would have invited Rodrigo, Jade and Emi but they’ve got the babies coming soon so…” he chuckled softly and quickly wiped his eyes with his handkerchief. He welcome the kiss, instinctively wrapping his arms around Fletcher’s waist and when his future husband said yes , Xavier kissed him again and again, slipping the ring onto his left hand. “I love you so much.” “James and Dmitry! Hehehehe.” Henry giggled only to be stopped when Winter tossed a roll at him.

“Shh!” Winter turned her attention on her dads and then went to hug them both. “Congratulations, dads! You guys are the perfect couple. I love you both so much!” She couldn’t help but smile at a sleeping Phoebe. “I bet you she’d sleep through an atomic bomb”. Winter wiped her eyes again and walked back to her seat. Xavier smiled as he watched his daughter and shook his head at Henry with a playful smile.

“Wait one second. You said you already said yes. Have you guys bamboozled us?” Henry turned to Drew. “Did they bamboozle you too, grandpa?”

FLETCHER

The reactions overheard from Henry and Winter threw amusement into the mix of emotions swirling inside of Fletcher. God, he loved his family. He loved his fiancé. He loved the life they were building and the future they would have together. He would do everything in his power to keep an abundance of love, trust, happiness, laughter and comfort in their home.

"Well I'll be damned," Drew said through an easygoing smile.

Fletcher heard Xavier's hushed apology and shook his head, smirking "No you're not." He was watching Xavier with hawklike precision for the slightest sign of pain as the younger man rose to stand again. "You pulled off a propsal none of us are going to forget, sweetheart. Emiliana, Jade and Rodrigo will know soon enough. Emiliana says all that nesting stuff is a real thing so I don't blame her for being there to help Rodrigo and Jade out." During their kisses, Fletcher rested a hand to Xavier's cheek and when they parted, he told Xavier, "I love you too."

As he kept his hand steady for Xavier to place the ring on, Fletcher's gaze slid sideways to Henry. He rolled his eyes back to Xavier but his lips twitched into a small smile. His gaze then dropped to the black band sitting around his finger. "I'm looking forward to getting used to wearing this." And as Winter came around the table to them, Fletcher leaned in and whispered in Xavier's ear so that only he could hear. "I have a ring for you too. It's not ready yet." He stamped a kiss on his fiancé's ear and then straightened up in time to receive Winter's hug. "Thanks, kid. We love you too." He bent his head to drop a kiss on the top of her head and then looked to Henry, "You too, dude."

Winter's observation of Phoebe made Fletcher chuckle and quip, "She gets that from Grandpa Drew. If she keeps this up by the time she's your age, she's gonna be a joy waking up for school." He looked to Henry then and was about to answer but the delayed realization from his son was too funny for witty quip.

Drew placed a hand on Henry's shoulder. "Son, these two didn't tell me shit." He then leaned in conspiratorially towards Henry and loudly whispered, "Think I should give 'em hell when they're asked if anyone objects to them marrying?"

XAVIER

Xavier smiled at Drew's reaction, glancing over to him. "Surprise!" He chuckled and then looked back at his fiance. "You're right, I'm not sorry but I am sorry for aging you a little by getting down on one knee. I have been working on that for a few weeks now and I wanted to surprise all of you. The Physical therapist I should be back to regular activity by next week." He smiled and looked down at Fletcher's ring finger with him. "I hope you like it." He was so happy to be sharing this moment with everyone and when their daughter came over to congratulate them, Xavier smiled at Fletcher's whisper. "I can't wait to see it." Xavier hugged Winter and then glanced over to a cheesing Henry as Fletcher said the words he was feeling as well.

"Also, I could send the video to whoever you want me to!" Winter put down her phone and looked up at her family. "So it'll be like everyone was here." She chuckled at her new dad's comparison of Phoebe and Drew. "She'll keep you guys on your toes for sure!" Winter smirked figuring that their dads had kept this vital piece of information from them but didn't mind too much. They probably weren't ready yet.

"Yeah, I think you should, actually!" Henry leaned into his grandpa and smiled as Xavier approached them to place a hand on Drew's shoulder and to mess Henry's hair with his other hand.

Xavier leaned in and gave Drew's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Fletcher and I talked about you opening your home to us. So you did your fair share of conspiring behind our back, hm?" He joked around. "Thank you so much for everything, Drew. You've been like a father to me too and well, the kids love you. You have quickly become such an important part of our lives." Xavier walked back to Fletcher and then took his seat. "I promise that's all the surprise I have for tonight...Oh wait there is another one."

He chuckled, playing it off so badly to show his family that he hadn't forgotten, he was just being coy. "This is my last season with SNL. After the winter, I'll be home more and focusing on my Paramount projects, and spending time with all of you. That's it. That's all I've got." He smirked, placing the napkin back on his lap. "Now who's ready to pig out?"

FLETCHER

Fletcher kept looking at Xavier with all the love he possessed. And as much as he was enjoying their evening out, he was already looking forward to being back home and in bed with just he and Xavier. He smiled at his fiancé, "I do. I can tell you put some real thought into this." He then listened to Winter and thanked her for capturing the moment between Xavier and him, certain that Emiliana would be overjoyed to watch it.

With a small chuckle, he replied to Winter, "She's been keeping me on my toes since day one. I won't even be surprised if she ends up running the house one day. She's already got all of us wrapped around her finger." He watched Xavier approach Drew and Henry after Drew's comment and rolled his eyes at his uncle. "I'd like to see you try, old man. Don't think I won't tackle you down at my own wedding."

And at both Xavier and Fletcher's remarks, Drew jokingly scoffed, "Listen, there was no conspiring on my part. Besides, the living situation is a win-win. Everyone's under one roof, and I get to keep my home. And as for you," he pointedly looked across the table to Fletcher, "I might have the steadiness of a shake weight but I could take you."

"Uh-huh," Fletcher replied, voice full of sarcasm as he took his seat again. Soon after, the waiter and a second waiter arrived, placing plates of food on the table, just as Xavier said he had another surprise. The news that he was stepping away from SNL took Fletcher by surprise and yet, it didn't. There was permanence here for Xavier now, and it made sense that he would want a more settled life now. He would talk about it some more with Xavier later but for the time being, he reached over and was the one to give his thigh an affectionate squeeze.

While Drew and the kids started their own conversation and began tucking into the food, Fletcher leaned over and quietly told Xavier, "You know I'm proud of you for all your hard work. And even though SNL's gonna tank again without you, if this is what you want, I'm gonna support you, fully." His hand eventually slipped away from Xavier's thigh to shift Phoebe into a cradled position in his lap and against one arm, making it easier for him to join in on all the foods placed before them. And not long after they all shared the various appetizers did the entrées get brought out. Everything that made it's way into Fletcher's mouth had been heavenly. He'd eaten his fill and finished his cocked, and by the end of the night, he was drinking water. And when it was time to go, he walked beside Xavier back to the car, buckled Phoebe into her car seat, and made sure Xavier and Drew had both gotten into the car without issue. He held Xavier's hand for nearly all of the drive home, giving an occasional squeeze or kiss along the way.

At home, Fletcher reminded Winter and Henry to brush their teeth before bed. He took Phoebe upstairs to her room to get her changed into pajamas, amused and amazed by her staying asleep through her clothes being changed. She stirred a couple of times but hadn't woken up. Putting her to bed in her crib was easygoing that night. He kissed her forehead and whispered that he loved her and left the room as quietly as possible with her monitor and sound machine on.

He checked in on Drew and bid his uncle "goodnight", followed by Winter and Henry before stopping in the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. On his way into the bedroom, he caught himself admiring his mew ring and the beautiful design Xavier had chosen. The braided black metal and the square diamonds had been truly beautiful. He began to undress for bed and when he and Xavier were both in the room, Fletcher told him, "Thank you, X. For literally everything tonight."

XAVIER

About a month before his accident, Xavier had started looking at rings for Fletcher. It was one of those moments when he got an ad on his social media for rings and he fell into a deep dive. Since Fletcher would be wearing the ring often, Xavier wanted one that fit his general style and aesthetic. "I just wanted the perfect ring for you."

He laughed at the imagery of Phoebe running the house and there was no doubt in his mind that was true. He could see the little one telling everyone what to do and bossing them around. He honestly couldn't wait. He had always wanted a big family and to have it so quickly felt like a dream. The entire table laughed at Drew's quip back to Fletcher. Still, even with the explanation of their living situation being a win-win, Xavier was humbled by it all. After taking his place back beside his fiance, Xavier began to serve himself different appetizers and join in the conversations. When Fletcher leaned in, he did as well, smiling up at him after hearing what he had to say. "Thank you. This is what I want. It's the best decision for me and all of us. The dinner was everything he had hoped for and more and Xavier made sure to tip generously and express his gratitude for everything they had done for them. He made sure to take a tres leches slice for Emiliana and once they were all home, Xavier helped with making sure everyone was in bed, doing some last-minute check-ins on the home, and making his way upstairs. Xavier washed his face, did his quick skincare routine, and then walked into the bedroom as he began to unbutton his shirt. He sat at the foot of the bed and removed it, folding it carefully to place it to the side. He smiled at Fletcher's words and stood up to pull him into an embrace. "You're welcome. It was an honor spending your birthday together." He looked up at him and smiled. "Everyone seems to be happy, huh?"

FLETCHER

"You got exactly what you wanted, sweetheart," Fletcher assured him of the ring he'd presented.

When the family was home and settled in for the night, Fletcher reflected on the day while he and Xavier undressed for the night. Already rid of the jacket, he tossed his unbuttoned shirt in the clothes hamper and went for his belt while watching his fiancé stand from the foot of the bed. Fletcher slid his arms around Xavier, mindful of Xavier's ribs and having a tender grip on him. He knew Xavier was getting closer to being fully okay but he didn't want to aggravate his healing body.

Kissing his fiancé on the temple, Fletcher said, "Everyone was, yeah. I'd been thinking about it and realized that this day was perfect. I typically hate that word but... there's really no other way to describe it. Nothing went wrong, nothing about it was bad, and I can't remember the last time I had a full day that was just... good all around." The evening was more than good for him; he'd had an extraordinary evening and a happy birthday celebration. "And now, I'm ready to get into bed with my future husband and fall asleep beside him." With his arms still wound around Xavier, Fletcher lowered his head enough to kiss him full on his lips. He'd taken his time this time, kissing Xavier deeply with all the passion and love he could put into it.

By the end of the kiss, Fletcher had taken a few deep breaths and smiled to Xavier. "You made me, and our family happy today, sweetheart." His hands moved up to cup Xavier's face and he pecked his lips a few times. "You do that and so much more for me and for all of us. I love you, X." He stroked Xavier's cheeks with both thumbs a few.times and then stepped away to finish undressing and pull on a pair of pajama pants. Opting for just the pants, Fletcher went to the bed and flipped back the comforter, blanket and flat sheet for the 2 of them. He plucked a teething ring from the bed and set it on his nightstand with a small smile before climbing into his side of the bed.

XAVIER

It filled Xavier with happiness hearing that Fletcher thought today had been perfect. It was the kind of happiness he couldn't quite explain. It made him joyful and hopeful and he looked forward to what the future had in store for them and their family. Xavier always yearned for a love like this but never thought it was easily attained. He knew he was one of the lucky ones even with the accident and with April blind-sighting Fletcher, it looked like things were taking a positive turn.

Thinking back on their kiss last winter, he would have never imagined ending up here with Fletcher. "It makes me so happy hearing that. Truly. Like I said tonight, you deserve that. I also agree it was the perfect night." A chill ran through his body hearing Fletcher calling him his future husband. It sounded so lovely coming from him. He cupped his fiance's face to keep him close for their kiss and Xavier returned every bit of love that was put into it. Breaking their kiss reluctantly, Xavier smiled at Fletcher's words and melted into his gentle hold. "I love you too. So much." The overwhelming rush of blissfulness poured over him and he remained there, watching the tattoo artist, his tattoo artist get ready for bed. Sometimes Xavier wondered when he'd wake up from this dream. He finished getting undressed, tossed his clothes into the hamper, and pulled a pair of pajama pants from their dresser to change quickly. Xavier climbed into bed and instantly snuggled up against Fletcher's form, choosing to drape his arm over his middle before giving him a tiny squeeze. Xavier began kissing his shoulder and arm, leaving behind a little playful nip, and chuckled. "I wanted to ask you for a favor. We have to do the tattoo for the kids. Remember the one I asked for? For Winter and Henry? Well, I want something that represents the three of them. Phoebe too." He reached for Fletcher's left hand and admired the look of the ring on his finger.

"And I want you to design something for my left hand. A tattoo ring to represent my band. I know you said you have one for me but it'll be there in the meantime and also for whenever I can't wear it if I have a role or something. I want to always carry you with me. Can you do that for me?"

FLETCHER

"All thanks to you, babe," Fletcher told him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so buoyant for more than a fleeting moment. It was probably when he'd flown to New York City to surprise Xavier and told him he was in love with him.

With the bed turned down, Fletcher climbed in and put his phone on the charger. Propped up on one elbow, he watched Xavier get into his pajama pants too and when he was joined in the bed, Fletcher smiled and shifted so that one arm was under Xavier when he snuggled up to him. His lips formed a lazy grin at the kisses and nips and he hummed appreciatively. "Hey, careful there. You're being cute as hell and I almost can't stand it but you're not completely cleared yet. One to ten?" He asked like he did every night since they came home from NYC, and kissed Xavier's temple and then shut his eyes, simply listening to his fiancé now. "Mhm, I remember," he said of the ink he wanted. It didn't surprise him that Xavier wanted to include a tattoo representative of Phoebe; he loved her as much as Winter and Henry, and Phoebe loved him as much as she loved Fletcher. And when he felt Xavier's soft but warm fingers on his hand, Fletcher slipped his fingers between his comedian fiancé's. He opened his eyes though when he heard Xavier's favor. Shifting his position so that he could look at his fiancé properly, Fletcher asked, "Can I do it for you? Of course I can. Will I?" He leaned in carefully and bent to kiss Xavier sweetly this time. And when he pulled away to speak again, his lips brushed his love's, "Your damn right I will."

XAVIER

Xavier felt so content knowing that his love language was not only well received but appreciated by the man he loved. It made him feel so loved in return. He nuzzled his nose against Fletcher's arm, his lips forming a small pout at the reminder of not being cleared just yet. The question that Fletcher asked him every night made him smile. He couldn't believe how fortunate he was to have such a loving partner. For a few seconds, his mind went back to the beginning how the number 9 was a constant response to Fletcher's question and how the frustration he felt made him feel. He shook that off now and kissed his fiance's cheek. "1. If that. If we're lucky, I'll have a nice clearance letter from my doctor on your birthday. And I'll make up for the last month and a half of torture..." It was almost perfect that he had been scheduled for his follow-up on Fletcher's birthday. "And I can surprise you with your last birthday gift." He grinned knowing that Fletcher had no clue there was still one more birthday present he had in store for him.

Xavier kept his hand in Fletcher's as the other shifted in his spot. He looked up at him with a smile and nodded as Fletcher leaned in to kiss him. He closed his eyes, letting out a satisfied hum before opening his eyes again when Fletcher answered him. "Yeah? I think you'd come up with something beautiful." He sighed before placing his head against Fletcher's chest. "Thank you for loving me." Xavier closed his eyes and held Fletcher close. "And for loving my kids. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me after them."

FLETCHER

Seeing Xavier's lips go from a pout to a smile made Fletcher's lips form his own smile. He reached to turn out the lights, and then shut his eyes at the kiss to his cheek and listened to his fiancé's response about the pain, glad to hear that it was basically nonexistent for Xavier. He softly snorted, "You're so damn cute. You know you d-... wait..." Fletcher raised a brow while eyeing Xavier curiously, "My last birthday gift... are we still talking about birthday sex or something else?" Knowing Xavier, it could easily be one or the other. But he also knew that there was no stopping Xavier from his spoiling once he set his mind to it.

As tempted as Fletcher was to keep on kissing and to take it a little further, he didn't want to tempt either of them. Instead, after parting their lips, he readjusting his hold on Xavier while the young comedian rested against him. "I promise I will. It'll be meaningful if nothing else." An arm wrapped lovingly around him while his other arm remained under Xavier. He traced his fingertips along Xavier's back, gliding aimlessly across the smooth, warm, dark skin. "You're pretty damn irresistible, X. It's really my pleasure getting to love you. Same with Winter and Henry. Henry reminds me a lot of you with his kindness, outgoing personality and occasional silliness. And Winter... I know she's more guarded but I felt a kinship to her pretty quickly. Both of them are a part of you so loving them was inevitable for me."

Fletcher was gazing up at the ceiling, the room barely lit by the moonlight peeking through the break in the curtains. He continued lazily tracing shapes while saying, "You, Winter and Henry have been the best parts of mine, Phoebe's and Drew's lives since the start of this year. I know that I was hesitant to start anything serious between us at first but I'm glad that didn't last long. I'm glad for your love and all the light that you brought into my life and to Drew's. You don't baby him or treat him like a total invalid and I know that means a shit ton to him. And Henry and Winter... Drew doesn't have a relationship with my idiot cousin's kids, and not for a lack of trying. And Henry and Winter aren't replacements but I do feel like they make a hole in his heart feel a helluva lot less empty. They loved and embraced him as a grandfather figure in their lives before considering me as a second dad. That speaks volumes to me and how meaningful their relationship is with him and vice versa." Fletcher smiled a little to himself at the thought and then went on. "And it was around Father's that I realized that Phoebe won't know a life without you in it. You met her when she was barely a month old, just a few weeks out of the NICU. She's bonded to you about as much as she is to me and seeing you two together is one of the happiest things in my world. Even without her being able to speak actual words yet, she loves you deeply and that's priceless to me." Closing his eyes again, Fletcher took a beat and then said, "I know we've got the service dog coming and that's going to be an adjustment period for all of us, but while we're getting used to having him in the home, I also want to look into what it would take for you to have legal rights to Phoebe. I dunno what all that looks like yet, but I'm gonna find out."

XAVIER

Xavier allowed himself to sink into this feeling of contentment, offering Fletcher occasional squeezes as he listened to him speak. There was something intimate about their conversations. Xavier felt like it was always like this. They’d tackle big, adult issues and they’d figure out important aspects of their lives together. He’s never shared a life with anyone like this. Even when it came to making decisions involving Drew, they were sure to continue giving him his much earned and deserved independence and autonomy. “Drew is like a dad. Which is funny because I feel like he’d sass me if he heard that admission. My parents see him as your father. Which honestly, he is. I love him dearly and want to be there for him and you always. The kids have always wanted a family. I know what that’s like. When my parents adopted Clayton and I, as difficult as it was in the beginning, having someone to listen to us and make us lunch and kiss us goodnight felt like a dream. I think that’s why Clayton and I really appreciate family time and having one. It took me a little longer to realize that because he married Athena as soon as he could but I think Father Time just wanted me to meet you. Not just meet you but approach you at the right time. I already thought you were beautiful. Getting to know you has been a privilege.”

Xavier kissed Fletcher’s chest. “And it sounds corny but our first time together here in this room is what really made me think I gotta get this one to fall for me.” He chuckled. “I felt a connection to you that till this day I can’t describe. It’s not just the physical closeness but feeling like I was with another family man who understood what it was like to be in my position but in a different way and seeing that you had stepped up for Drew and managed a business. Your dedication to your best friend and making sure his wedding went well in spite of his crazy ass uncles and what was going on with Jade.”

Xavier smiled. “Your heart got me sprung early on.” And when Fletcher went on and revealed that he wanted to look into him having legal rights over Phoebe, Xavier froze for a few seconds and then rested his chin on Fletcher’s chest so he could look up at him. “Really? Being Phoebe’s dad would be the greatest gift you could ever grant me. It would be a privilege. And Winter and Henry they adore you too and Henry has asked how things end up working out with the family dynamics. If we get your last name or if you’re officially their dad just because we’re together. I think adding in the marriage component has probably and rightfully blown his mind. I wouldn't be surprised if he's asking Winter a million questions tonight. ” He laughed softly. “So we can talk with them when you’re ready and if you want to be their dad on paper because you’re already their dad…I think they’d love that. And Phoebe is already my daughter. I’ve been calling her that for a few months now but I would love for it to be official.”

FLETCHER

"I have no doubt Drew sees you like a bonus son too. That's how he sees me. I still call him 'Drew' or my uncle, but he knows he's been more of a dad to me than anything else for most of my life." Fletcher continued moving his fingers along Xavier's skin, walking and gliding his digits in random, alternating patterns. He would never get tired of listen to his fiancé talk, be it about work, family, soccer, food, friends... hell, Xavier could start reading him the dictionary. Fletcher would find the act bizarre of course, but it wouldn't stop him from listening to Xavier's British-Nigerian lilt.

"You and Clayton are each without a doubt your own person. But it sounds like something you both have in common is that once you know what you want, you go all in to try and get it." He dropped his gaze to look at Xavier, a small, crooked smile forming on his face. "You're gifted in how you go about it. It's the kind of stubbornness and persistence that's another reason why I love you. And one of many reasons I'm glad you really came into my life when you did. Not just us being at the same functions and knowing that you're sexy or you find me attractive. But actually talking and learning about each other, and acting on our attraction. That happening for us is thanks to you, sweetheart."

As blunt as Fletcher was and as mild as his filter often was, he didn't really open himself up to a lot of people. But Xavier had been an exception, along with Winter and Henry. He loved all of them and each of them had a piece of his heart. Fletcher listened on to Xavier and smiled a little more, "Really? Valentine's Day?" In truth, it made him feel good to know that Xavier had been so moved by their sex and intimacy that evening--good for himself leaving that sort of impression and good for Xavier having such a powerful experience, especially with it having been his first time having sex with another man. But he knew it was more than that for Xavier, and for that, he was touched.

"It doesn't sound corny to me for you to feel connected after that. There was a lot I wanted for you that night, so it means a lot that it made such a lasting impression on your mind, and your heart." He guided a set of fingertips up to the nape of Xavier's neck and slowly meandered down his shoulder and back again while listening and talking some more. "I feel connected to you too. It might have taken me a little longer to get there and it seems like I'm always gonna be a step or two behind you in getting to things in our relationship. But I do feel like you're my balance and I know without hesitation that no one has ever come close to consuming my mind like you, or had my heart before you." His familial relationships didn't count in this regard. "And goddamn if I've ever been with anyone as insatiable and fun as you when it comes to sex." He grinned a bit, briefly, and then said, "Making love to you hasn't happened all that often but when it does, I feel just as determined to thoroughly please you as I do when we've only got a few minutes alone."

He spoke on about Xavier having legal rights to Phoebe and felt him go still under his hold. Fletcher dropped his gaze from the ceiling again to gauge Xavier's reaction, wondering if the plan was too much for his fiancé for once. But once he saw Xavier's eyes in the dim moonlight, he knew that that wasn't the case. He grinned again and said, "It'll happen. I'll talk to my lawyer who handled my case before with getting full custody and dissolving April's parental rights. But I wanted you to know first and see what you thought." Hearing about Henry made Fletcher chuckle, "Poor Winter's not getting any sleep tonight if that's the case. She'll be over the moon when she finds out about the expansion plans for the house." Fletcher knew Winter loved her brother but he could also appreciate a need for sleep.

Still looking down at Xavier, he said, "I'd love to be their dad in any way I can be, and any way they would like me to be. As far as last names go... that doesn't matter to me either way. If you or the kids want my last name hyphenated with 'Mitchell' , or to just keep Mitchell or whatever--hell, we can all go for name changes and all be Mitchell-Van Halls. Regardless, it won't make them feel any more or less mine, and you won't feel any more or less my husband. I just want them to know that no matter what their name, I'm gonna love all of them, care for them and show up for them. And I want you to know that no matter what you decide for your name..." Being mindful of Xavier not being in any pain, Fletcher rolled to carefully guide him onto his back and supported his own weight as he hovered over his fiancé, caging him around his arms. He looked down into Xavier's eyes and told him, "No matter what, you're my sweetheart..." He lowered his head to kiss him and then lifted up a bit, "You're my sugar..." Another kiss, and after a long beat, he murmured, "You're my person, Xavier."

XAVIER

"He has a lot of love to give. I'm glad and relieved that he's gotten the chance to provide it with you, Phoebe, and now with us too." Xavier hummed softly at Fletcher's touches. While he missed being with his fiance in other physical ways, Xavier loved how they could participate in many forms of intimacy and feel like the most loved person in the world. It wasn't lost on him that they shared such a powerful emotional and physical bond and that this was the first time he had this with anyone else.

"Yeah, poor Athena." He chuckled a bit and then added, "Just kidding. Those two deserve each other." He listened to Fletcher with a smile on his face. "Once I got to really know you, I knew I couldn't stop. I was right to pursue you the way I did because I was right about you. There was no way I was giving you up. Unless you literally told me not to. When I came by very early on in our relationship before we even made things official and I met Drew and Emiliana...it was, well it felt right." Reminiscing like this was something they hadn't done and it was such an amazing feeling revisiting those older memories. He knew that Fletcher kept to himself, especially with his personal matters, so hearing him talk about their relationship made Xavier feel lucky.

"Yeah. Valentine's Day. I'm not used to people pulling out all the stops for me and it's not for lack of wanting it. It just never worked out that way. So you making me dinner and setting up your bedroom and talking me through it all which was also very hot by the way..." He laughed softly. "all of it was important to me." He smiled as Fletcher went on, letting out a content sigh before his teeth raked against his bottom lip. Knowing that Fletcher loved him this much filled him with the most indescribable joy. "I can say with every serious and genuine fiber of my being I have never in my life felt this way about anyone."

And it was getting in the accident, potentially losing everything that made him realize he wouldn't wait another day in at least trying to see if Fletcher would want this to be a forever thing. "Even if you had said no to me at the hospital when I asked you to marry me, I would have asked again when you were ready. I wasn't going to let that go between us."

He was absolutely touched that Fletcher would want him to have legal rights over Phoebe. Sometimes, with how quickly things had developed and how much everything fit perfectly together, it was hard to separate the two realities they lived. There was life before they were an item and life now. Oftentimes, Xavier mixed the two or wouldn't have the disconnect. Knowing Phoebe since she was just a month old made it feel like in a way, she was always his or would end up being his daughter too. "I fell in love with your little girl the moment you placed her in my arms. I am very touched and honored that you'd even consider making me her dad too." He grinned thinking about Winter. "But she's been a good sport. I want you to tell her about the expansion. She will love the idea and appreciate it so much."

When Fletcher rolled to hover over him, he let out a soft chuckle and looked up at him, appreciating what he could in the dim lighting. "You're my person, Fletcher. And for the record...I want to be a Van Hall. I've decided. The kids can hyphenate, we can let them decide since they're older but I personally would be fucking honored to be a Van Hall. Your husband. Yours."