#also moments where it feels like the cartoon's mood is missing and it's hard for everyone not to feel it

[ragnarssons]

i gotta stop watching rn because i didn't sleep much last night and headaches are gonna pop soon but it's fine i feel like i'm not yet in the very new meat of the show so far so i can resist The Binge. i do feel like some interesting stuff are forming, i will also reserve judgment on some stuff until i see the whole season

[ladymarycrawley]

Some alone time for mummy and daddy - Mason Mount

Request: Could you write one where Mason and y/n are half way through having sex when their baby starts crying.

This is a little bday present not only for our beloved Mason but also that little sunshine of @prideofpd​ hope you enjoy this love 🥰🎉

Warning: a bit of smut but some good fluff too

Tag list: @masonxomount @chelsealover @masterclassbaby @johnstonesfc @prideofpd​

Archie came into your lives no more than two months ago and his presence was nothing but a blessing to you and Mason. The beginning was not the easiest though as you struggled to feed him, he only slept two hours a day and you thought you were about to go crazy but gladly you had Mason by your side the whole time who helped you through all of it.

Now you seemed to have found some kind of balance as things were going a little better, he slept a bit more and ate without any problem.

As a natural consequence of his arrival, you and your boyfriend had little to no time to spend together as a couple as you had to focus all of your energy towards your baby's well being therefore when it came to have some intimate moments with Mason the most he would get was a peck on his lips before you would fall asleep in his arms. He missed sharing those moments with you and as long as he understood how challenging motherhood actually was, he tried to make the best of every moment where your son was quiet and asleep, such as that night when he came home after a late training session and found you on the sofa, awake.

"Can't believe you're wide awake"

"Ha ha so funny, Mason"

He smirked and let the training bag fall to the ground before sitting next to you. His lips soon placed a sweet kiss on your cheek, making you smile.

"How was your day?"

"Good, we found a new cartoon Archie might enjoy as he stood there quietly in front of the tv for more than an hour while watching it. I still have to shower though" You sighed as you let your back fall against the backrest of the leather sofa.

Mason's look of love was all over you: he could prove the thing they say about women getting more beautiful during their pregnancy was true, you were like a goddess to him even though you found yourself just ugly. He found the tiredness painted on your face cute, adding also something more to your already perfect features.

"Well, we could shower together" His raspy voice sent a pleasurable vibration against your neck that his lips soon came to kiss.

You hummed as you were really looking forward to having some good time with him but getting in the mood became something quite hard lately as you were feeling really tired plus you felt like you had to stay on your toes all the time in case Archie might have woken up.

“God, I missed you so much…” Mason’s tired lips would place soft, lingering kisses over the skin there.

“You know Archie could wake up any minute, right?”

“Well, we should seize the moment then” You could feel his lips curving in a mischievous smirk as his hands were already under your shirt before you could even stop him from doing so.

You huffed in distress: there's nothing more you wanted than Mason making love to you but you were afraid the baby could have woken up and spoil the moment.

The way his hands cupped your breast, still covered by your black bra, softly feeling it up, made you hum in pleasure. 

His lips would abruptly break the contact with your neck, earning a glare from you, as he got up and offered you his hand to take, his head gesturing for you to go to the bathroom upstairs. 

"Mase…if he cries we won't hear him" You said quite annoyed. 

"He won't, he'll be okay"

The need you felt for him made you stand up and take his hand, following him upstairs.

Mason smiled as he had been looking forward to that moment for days and he could finally have you.

Once in there, he gently started to undress you, placing a kiss on every part of your body that got exposed before his eyes.

"Wait" You stopped him as he was kneeled before you, his lips trailing along your waist as a prelude to him taking your joggers and panties off.

"What?" His tone was a bit annoyed and also a bit frustrated as you apparently couldn't be able to relax.

"Let me go and take the baby monitor here" You sweetly said, kissing the little mole on right temple before leaving him.

When you entered the room where Archie was sleeping you smiled looking at him: his tiny hands relaxed near his head, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. He was okay. Maybe Mason was right.

You let out a big breath in order to relax yourself and walked back to the bathroom. You placed the baby monitor on the shelf near the shower cubicle before flashing Mason a mischievous look and say "I'm all yours"

He smirked back, licking his lips in a way he knew you found irresistible and picked up his undressing ceremony.

Every kiss he left on your skin felt like a burning flame against your cold skin, each mark he left enhancing the need you had of him more and more.

When he was done with your clothes he started discarding his own, under your hungry stare eating that gift of god that was there just for you. Despite all the years you have been spending together, the fact that his perfect body was yours and yours only still seemed like an utopia, it seemed too good to be true.

As soon as he was finished, you pulled him against you, wrapping your arms around his neck as you felt the urge to feel his lips moving against yours.

“I missed you so much” You slurred against his mouth, tugging at his lower lip with yout teeth.

You missed everything about him: his lips on yours, the skin to skin contact, his moans echoing in the room.

“How are you feeling?” One of the things you liked the most about Mason was that he always put your happiness and well being before his own, always making sure you were doing fine. Some time had passed since the last time you had been together, because of the baby and how sore the pregnancy left you, so he wanted to be sure you were really feeling like being with him as he didn’t want to hurt you or anything.

His question made you smile and you showed him your gratitude by running your hand against his stubbly cheek.

“I’m fine” You whispered, making him smile. He took his hand closer to his mouth to press a soft kiss on the side of it.

You took the lube that was near the washbasin and spread it over your fingers to apply it, since it was something recommended for post sex pregnancy especially.

Mason left your body to go and open the shower faucet so the hot water could start running down on your bodies. He hopped in the shower first, stretching his hand out for yours to take so you could join him without slipping on the wet surface.

Nothing could erase the smile that had been plastered on your face since the moment he entered your house, he had that beneficial effect on you.

You pressed wet kisses over his bearded jaw, nipping at his skin every now and then letting the tip of your tongue soothe the red spots your teeths left on his fair skin.

“I love you” He muttered, kissing his way down your body before stopping when he reached for your femininity.

He looked up at you, as if waiting for you to give him the green light. You nodded lightly, running your hands through his damp hair.

Your man started placing little kisses over your inner thighs before dragging his lips upwards, giving more attention to your pussy. The moment his tongue started licking your slit before sucking against the senstive nub that was your clit, you tilted your head back against the cold tiles, opening your mouth to let out a loud moan but nothing came out, only some voiceless pants.

You lifted your left leg a little to place it over his shoulder as he could go on eating you out properly. The way his tongue was moving inside of you was perfect, hitting each and every right spot inside of you repeatedly succeeding in making you see stars.

“Mase I’m close” You pushed his head further against your core, not having enough of him yet.

The Chelsea midfielder got up to kiss you, pressing his body against yours as your hands kept on moving around his body frantically. The tensed muscles of his back under your touch were that one thing that sent you into overdrive. You whimpered right into his ear as his fingers kept moving inside you, his thumb massaging your clit. 

“I’m ready Mase”

“Are you?” He breasted huskily in your neck, kissing your chin.

“Yes” You breathed out, not being able to hold your moans back.

Mason pulled back a little to pump his dick with a few strokes before aligning it to your pussy. When he entered inside of you, the loudest cry left your lips as he pressed his hand over your mouth to keep you quiet.

The entrancing movement of his pelvis thrusting into you got faster and deeper, filling you in an heavenly way with each thrust.

Everything was perfect, the hot water washing over your body was making it even more perfect but your attention was drawn to something different that soon alarmed you: the baby monitor on the shelf lit up with a flashing light, signalling it sensed some movement in Archie’s room.

“Fuck”

“I’m close too”

“No Mase, Archie - is crying”

Your baby had the worst timing ever, as he started crying the moment you were about to reach your high. 

Mason groaned in frustration, not wanting to stop as he wanted to give that long awaited orgasm and he was about to reach his own too.

The last thing you wanted was denying your boyfriend his orgasm as well as yours but you had more urgent duties to attend to as a little, almost two months old baby was depending on you.

You placed a kiss on Mason’s ear before applying a gentle pressure on his shoulder to get him off of your body.

He pulled his cock out of your pussy carefully, both of you hissing at the sudden friction.

You got out of the cubicle, careful not to slip, quickly grabbing a towel to dry yourself as you went to Archie’s nursery.

“Hey baby boy, what’s wrong?” You took him in your arms, cradling him to make him stop crying so desperately.

Mason, on his part, stood there under the shower stroking himself to finish what you had started: it didn't feel the same without you being there but the amount of time he had been waiting to have you all to himself and the sudden stop your intercourse just suffered, forced him to finish off by himself.

Soon after he got out of the shower as well, with just a towel hanging around his waist. He walked in Archie’s room bringing a dry towel with him to dry your hair and some clean underwear for you to wear.

When you saw him entering the room, a big smile appeared on your face as he smiled back.

“You’ll catch a cold, mama” He muttered as he got closer to you in order to dab your wet hair while you were busy feeding your baby. “That’s why he was crying” Mason alluded to him sucking his milk voraciously, meaning he was really hungry. 

“Yep, apparently”

He sat on the bed, behind you, moving the white, soft cloth over your head.

“Thank you” 

In response, he placed a kiss on the spot between your neck and your shoulder, his favourite thing to do when hugging you from behind.

When he was done, your dad’s baby gestured to you to give him the baby so you could put on some clean and warm clothes for the night. You silently thanked him by kissing those little eye wrinkles that appeared when he smiled.

You left your two men alone to go and get ready for the night properly, dry your hair and apply the moisturising lotion over your body as well as all the other products your doctor suggested you to take care of your new body.

The moment you were done, you got back in the room and melted as soon as your eyes saw the cutest scene ever: Mason cradling Archie in his arms, humming some soft tune to make him sleep. 

Even though your pregnancy was over you still felt as if your hormones were still in control of your emotions so you couldn’t help but let happy tears roll down your cheeks. The Chelsea player was so fond of his baby it was moving seeing him being literally in love with that small creature resting in his strong arms.

“My babies” You started out while entering the blue bedroom.

Mason blushed and smiled at your words, his eyes fixed on his baby. You patted his arm before laying your head against his shoulder, staring at your child in awe too.

"Are you okay? Did you put your stretch marks oil on?"

"Yes" He was so caring with you it genuinely brought tears to your eyes.

"Are you sure? What about the lotion?"

"Done"

"See Archie? Your mummy doesn't love me anymore or she would've waited for me to help her applying that oil thing on"

His line made you giggle, as you pinched the skin of his waist to punish him for what he had just said.

"I still have to put those things on for a long time, don't worry"

"So this means mummy will get a lot of massages from daddy..." He said rather happy with that.

Mason hummed, lingering his lips against the top of your head before going back to getting lost in his son's perfect features.

“If you agree, of course" He reacted to your son's babbling, as if he was already jealous of his attentions towards his mama.

"My heart is big enough for the both of you"

You stood there in silence for a while, lost in the moment. If it would have been possible to freeze what you were living right now and stop time you would have done that. It was utter perfection.

"I love him but he really has the worst timing” Mason chuckled, his thumb brushing his tiny fingers wrapped around his forefinger.

“He has” You giggled back, pressing a kiss against his naked shoulder.

“I love you buddy but next time let your daddy finish what he has started” He pressed a kiss to his forehead as he was now sound asleep. 

“Mase” 

“What? Don’t tell me you weren’t enjoying it” Mason placed the baby back in his crib, before following you out of the room.

“I didn’t say that!” You jogged down the stairs, headed to the kitchen to cook something to eat for the both of you.

“Let me tell you it was your fault, if you wouldn't have screamed that loud Archie wouldn’t have woken up” Mason wiggled his eyebrows as he sat on the stool next to the marble counter.

You laughed, trying to hide the embarrassment his line just caused you, while you were taking some things out of the fridge.

“You should be flattered, it means you were doing a really good job…for once at least”

“What do you mean???” It was his turn to blush as he grabbed you by your waist to get you closer to him, making you stand up between his legs. Mason squeezed your butt, biting on his lower lip. “You have to behave, baby girl, or you won’t get any good dick anymore” His voice was low and sexy, you would have taken him here and there. Plus the way his hands were softly brushing up and down your naked thighs wasn’t helping at all.

You bit on your lower lip too, bending over him so your nose would graze his.

“I'm the one who has to say if the dick’s good or not” You muttered before kissing him on the lips.

He slapped your butt, making you moan into the kiss that soon turned into something more than innocent until when his phone started ringing, making you both jump as the house was dead quiet for once, Archie's crying long forgotten now.

“For fuck’s sake Ben”

Would you ever be able to have some good sex without anyone interrupting you?

[quackiseok]

— sweet dreams

feral boys x gn! reader || headcanons

genre : fluff

warnings : swearing

summary : the feral boys' reaction to you falling asleep in their embrace or on them!

a/n : AYY HELLO!! i'm so sorry for the lack of content these last three days OTL but here's something i wrote, hope you guys liked it! ♡

song to listen to while reading :

— DREAM

let's say dream has just finished recording for his upcoming manhunt video and it was a chilly night

well, the solution? a gun CUDDLES!!! ♡

he's a sucker for cuddles and you love cuddling with him too, so why not?

the two of you plopped yourselves on the bed, warm blankets wrapping the two of you together

the first plan was to watch a movie, but the two of you ended up talking to each other and leaving the movie unwatched

he share many stories with you, letting you rest your head on his chest whilst listening to him. he would also put an arm around your shoulders to keep you warm and close to him 🥺

as time passes by, it was getting late. you felt really safe around dream, especially if you were in his embrace

your eyelids grew heavier each time you tried fighting it off and focus on dream's voice, which leads to you unconsciously falling asleep on his chest

after a few seconds talking, dream would realize your sleeping figure in his embrace and OHMYGOD

HE WANTS TO FREAK OUT SO BAD BECAUSE HOW CUTE YOU WERE—

lowkey scared that he might somehow crush you or something because you're the tiny little spoon in the current situation

man, he had to refrain himself from taking a picture of you sleeping in his embrace

and the fact that you felt safe enough to fall asleep in his arms makes him tear up (in a positive way!) 🥺

would slowly move you to a more comfortable position and carefully pull you closer to his chest, making sure that he doesn't wake you up

[hugs you tightly]

ALSO just like any other times, mans would secretly mark the date in his phone's calendar because OHMYGOD????? this date better be stamped on history books

after getting into a slightly more comfortable position, dream would just adore you— even only from looking at you, his serotonin level will always go 📈📈

would 100% whisper i love you's or other sweet words while looking at you

mans just smiling to himself, thinking about how much he loves you and adores you— and how lucky he is to have you in his embrace 🥺💞

after some time, he would start to drift away too and ending up sleeping while hugging you tightly in his arms 🥺

— GEORGE

the two of you were sleepyheads

like at the weekends? both you and george would just lazily lay on the bed and fall asleep together regardless what time it was

even at noon? NAP TIME

and today was one of those lazy days

you were laying your head on his lap, which leads to him to his habit of playing with your hair while joking around with you and talk about random things

he just absolutely adores your fluffy hair 🥺

he'd also learn how to braid hairs from youtube just so he could braid yours 🥺

AND SURPRISINGLY HE'S SO GOOD AT BRAIDING HAIRS 💞💞

the way he caressed your head was so comforting, which leads you to feel sleepy. you still wanted to talk with george so you tried fighting off the sleepiness but ended up falling asleep anyways

after not hearing a respond from you, he realized you fell asleep.

WAIT, YOU FELL ASLEEP ON HIS LAP AND THE WAY YOU LOOKED SO ADORABLE SHOULD BE ILLEGAL—

a blush crept up on his cheeks as he looked at your sleeping figure on his lap

ohmygod he absolutely adores this and 100% would plan more sleepy days with you just to see you fall alseep on his lap again

george would admire you shyly, his fingers still softly caressing your hair while making sure not to do it too hard since he doesn't want to wake you up 🥺

he looks at you > gets shy from how adorable you are and how much he loves you > look away > missing looking at you > back to the first step (put this cycle on repeat)

GOSH he just wants to pull you close to his embrace now but that's not possible to do since he doesn't want to wake you up ;(

as he secretly admires you, he would slowly feel sleepy too but he doesn't want to move you away from his lap

so this man right here decided to just sleep in a sitting position which he didn't mind too much since he could still lean his back on the stacked pillows

come on— he doesn't wanna ruin this adorable moment :( it's worth the back pain according to him 👍

and so with that, the two of you fell alseep peacefully 🥺💞

— SAPNAP

mans a whole ass tease @ you

mf would browse through hundreds of websites and collect the cheesiest jokes he can find to use them on you later 😳

also won't stop clinging on you for 24/7 but you don't mind since he's so adorable 🥺💞

and today was just the same like any other days, he clung on you and begged you to cuddle with him

how can you refuse such a sweet offer????

so here you are now laying on the bed with his arms around your shoulders, holding you close to him

the two of you would just joke and laugh at many things, just havin' a wholesome fun time 🥺

don't forget the fluffy blankets around the two of you (you adore soft blankets so sapnap bought you at least 3 blankets and you absolutely loved all three of them 🥺)

until at one point everything felt so comfortable that you didn't even realize you were drifting yourself to sleep

and the moment sapnap realized you fell asleep sweetly in his embrace?

[!(-?#?2@&&????? SCREAMS???? —NO, MAKE THE SCREAM SILENT SO IT WON'T WAKE YOU UP]

he can't help but let out a soft chuckle when saw your sleeping figure

oh man, he was gripping on the pillow tightly so that he doesn't lose control and pull you closer to him which could wake you up

100% gonna make you cuddle with him everyday until you fall asleep on him (mans just making it a routine now)

he would also have to refrain himself from squishing your cheeks while looking at you in awe 🥺💞

even though he's growing sleepy too, he won't give in so easily

like— hello??? a cutie pie just fell asleep in my arms, sleep can wait 🖐🖐

but then eventually he'll fall asleep anyways, but he swore he tried his best keeping his eyelids up and that's sweet 🥺

((would 100% unconsciously pull you closer and just hug you tightly in his sleep ♡))

— QUACKITY

we all know how much alex LOVES driving and mans really good at it (he knows what he's doing fellas)

especially with you 😳😳

the two of you would blast banger songs together while enjoying the road and the pretty view from the window 🥺

it was one of those afternoons again where the two of you went for a stroll with his car

both you and alex planned on only going for a short stroll, but ended up strolling around for almost 3 hours now

but neither of you cared, alex loves spending lots of time with you and same goes with you 🥺💞

the two of you wanted to get some fresh air for a bit after such a long drive, so you stopped by at the nearest field before driving back home

and man, the view was indeed beautiful

the two of you had moved to the back seat so he can get closer to you

as the two of you talked while watching the sun setting down, you started feeling a little bit sleepy

you shrugged it off at first and continued to talk with alex, but then you couldn't help but fall asleep with your head leaned on his shoulders eventually

and when he realized you has fallen asleep on his shoulders?

OH MY— HIS HEART WENT BRRRRRR BECAUSE OF HOW CUTE YOU ARE

definitely will plan on doing this in the furture but at home so he can just adore your sleeping figure for as long as he wants to

he has to drive back home but this moment is very important so he chose to stay there for at least the next 1 more hour 🥺💞

he just wants to kiss you on the forehead so bad but he's scared that he might wake you up :[

but then again, it was getting really late and he has to drive the two of you back home so he would carefully make you lay down on the back seat and he would put his jacket underneath your head as a pillow 🥺💞

and when the two of you arrived back home, he would carefully carry you back in and just cuddle you up for the rest of the night until he falls asleep too ♡

— KARL

karl jacobs has 2 moods : the wholesome mood and the cursed mood, no in betweens

he can either be very wholesome and send you the cutest hamster pics ever or just send you cursed, unexplainable images like macaronis boiled in gatorade

but even though he's in the cursed mood, his clinginess for you will stay the same ♡ (which you absolutely loved)

you loved both of his moods anyways since it's sweet and funny 🥺💞

today, he was feeling extra wholesome so he would just chill with you on the sofa in your matching frog hoodies and your head on his lap

((yes, he bought matching frog hoodies with you at christmas to wear them together 🥺👉👈))

the two of you would be watching cartoons, especially adventure time!! (it's superior cartoon, you can't change my mind)

then as time passes by, you felt your eyelids grew heavy but you tried fighting it back

yeah, you ended up falling asleep at the end 😔

karl noticed how you grew silent and when he checked on you only to see you sleeping on his lap?

yeah karl's never gonna leave his seat, 100%

mans just smiling to himself from looking at how cute you are in your oversized frog hoodie, asleep on his lap 🥺

GOSH this better happen frequently in the future because if not? he'll commit ARSON

he would try softly play with your hair, making sure his touches were soft so he doesn't wake you up

the cartoon is now long forgotten, his focus is just full on the sweetheart sleeping on his lap 🥺💞

he would constantly check on you and pull the blanket back up to your body if it moves back down, and make sure that he doesn't shift his legs too much because it might wake you up :(

will also try his best to not fall asleep because MAN, HE CAN'T JUST SKIP THIS HISTORICAL MOMENT

but he fell asleep anyways after holding back for around 40 minutes, which is impressive 😳

just like george, he doesn't mind falling asleep in a sitting position 👍 backpain = worth it

[shblackeagle]

BBRAE Week 2021

Day one: Unconventional Kiss

Garfield Logan was known to have the silliest jokes and pranks at the most stupid and unpredictable times. He was practically famous for it.

Raven knew that, actually everyone did. That's why she often didn't care if he pulled up a prank or cracked a childish joke when everyone least expected. None of those silly jokes got the team into trouble, at least most of the times, so she basically never invested so much into them. He'd always been like this ever since she knew him. It didn't even change when he became an adult. Gar's silly jokes never changed.

But his feelings somehow did.

As an empath Raven could easily feel the slightest changes in everyone. She always knew if something had changed in someone before anyone, even before the person themselves.  Such power was really helpful to the team in many ways. She could feel if someone was being dishonest or too afraid for a mission, maybe even expose a villain's lies. She basically knew things about Titans other titans didn't even have a clue. 

She knew about Dick's inner fears, Kory's homesickness no matter how much she tried to hide it, Victor's sadness about his humanity, Donna's insecurities and many more that they didn't dare to share. Despite that, she never pried more than she was allowed to. But being a very powerful empath she was, she often found herself knowing some private secrets she was not supposed to know. It was hard at first but then she learnt to keep this power more under control, not to expose what she knew and maybe even forget them.

But Gar's sudden change of feelings was not something she could easily overlook.

She knew it wasn't as sudden as she wanted to think. She had been feeling it for months now and at first thought it would disappear like many changes of feelings others went through. But not only didn't it stop but it grew stronger each time she felt it.

She knew exactly when it happened. It was long ago in the medical room. She could picture it in her head easily.

She felt his first slight change of feelings when he was badly injured in a mission and she had to spend a long time healing him. It was an ugly fight and if she wasn't quick enough, he might have died. It was a very painful process for her. Absorbing such pain wasn't as easy as she talked about it. The pain would stay with her forever, but it was worth it. Gar was worthy of it. She would always do she could to save him. Whether he knew it or not, he was important to her; more important than she wanted to admit.

When she was done, he opened his eyes and met hers, he smiled at her.

Appreciation 

Hurt

Confused 

Proud

"None of Vic's medical treatments will ever be as good as your healing touch. Thanks" He said weakly. Raven just nodded at him despite the pain she was feeling at that moment. She didn't want him to feel guilty. 

He got up from the bed and sighed.

"But as much as I appreciate it Rae, do me a favor next time will you?" He said pulling away the cover.

"What is it?"

He hesitated for a moment, "Don't heal me next time." She looked at him confused.

Hurt

Scared

Ashamed…?

"Why?"

That was the first time she felt it. A sudden strong feeling coming suddenly and almost overwhelmed her but before she could totally embrace it, it stopped. It only lasted for a very short moment and she wondered if it was from him in the first place. She had just absorbed his pain so she was probably messing up her head due to the pain?

"I can heal myself quickly and Vic's treatments also come in handy. You should use your healing powers for something more important than me."

It wasn't the first time they had this conversation. Gar always asked Raven to never use her healing powers on him and whenever she asked why he always said the same answer.  

Something more important? What could possibly be more important than his life?

But before she could ask, the door opened with a bang as Kory came to the room.

"Garfield!" The Princess flew towards the weak man and lifted him up from the ground, hugging him tightly. "I was worried!"

Gar laughed, "No need to be Kory. I'm fine." He looked down at Raven, "All thanks to Raven."

***

Raven tried to forget that strange feeling from that day and she would have been successful if it didn't come to her out of nowhere consistently when she wasn't ready. 

Next time she felt it, even stronger than before, was when the Titans decided to have a movie night. They were superheros but even superheros needed some time to be themselves, even if it was just for one night.

It was not unusual for Gar to arrange the whole thing, definitely with Victor's help but mostly himself. He even forced everyone to be in their rooms when he was preparing the movie night in the main room. Dick found it a little extra but who could stop the Changeling? He was always unstoppable when it came to their short gatherings. 

Raven was sitting on her bed that night while reading her new book when she heard someone knocking on her door. She knew it was Gar of course. She easily felt him coming to her door excited a minute ago.

Without even looking away from her book, she called. "Yes?"

"Rae it's Gar!" He was definitely too excited for it. It wasn't like they've never done this before but something obviously never changes. 

"I'm done preparing the main room for movie night. Everyone is now in the main room. Please join us! The movie I picked is amazing!"

She'd rather not think about the last time he picked a movie to watch. She was so scared that she had to meditate for hours to keep her emotions under control the next day. It was even harder when she could feel others were also scared.

"What genre?" She asked. There was no way she was going to watch another scary movie and absorb others' fear of it for a week.

"Comedy! I promise you'll laugh."

She shook her head. Was he really still into that? She was really impressed by his commitment to take any chance of making her laugh. She appreciated it of course, but found it unnecessary. 

She opened her door and found Gar in his pajamas with a grape soda in one hand, offering it to her. She took it, thanking him by a nod.

Happy

Excited 

Impatient 

He was just so easy to read. He always wore his heart on his sleeve, letting her feel anything he was feeling and since he was usually in a good happy mood, Raven always welcomed his presence.

Not that she would ever tell him that!

"Let's hope this one won't come out as silly as the last time you showed us a comedy movie. It was basically a kid show." 

Gar gasped, "How dare Rae! No one is too old for cartoons!"

Raven grinned, "So you agree it was a kid show." 

Gar opened his mouth to retort but nothing came. Raven just shrugged and started walking toward the main room with a  grin on her face. Gar quickly caught up with her from behind.

"It still made you laugh! I remember that."

"It didn't. It was just a silly cartoon."

"Do you want me to go and get the security cameras to prove my point?" He winked at her as she tried to hide her smile and the door opened to the main room.

That was the moment she felt it again. That powerful strange feeling. It hit her in every way possible as she tried to find the source. She looked at Gar but his face remained straight.

"Hey Rae! Join us. The movie is about to start." Cyborg said with bags of chips in his hands.

"Where's Wally? He said he would come." Donna asked looking around.

Suddenly Wally appeared on the couch with many bags of snacks and drinks in his arms.

"What are you talking about? I've been here for the last three seconds!" He obviously bought them from the supermarket downtown. It didn't take long for him to come and go.

"Okay then. Now that we're all here. Let's watch it." Dick said.

But Raven couldn't understand what they were saying because that was the moment the feeling faded away as quickly as it came. Was it from Gar? Roy? Donna? She wasn't sure. Gar was always so easy to read. She doubted he could feel something so strong and hide so quickly...but could he? If the feeling didn't belong to him then who was it? Who was the one that possessed this powerful confusing feeling?

She immediately looked down at Kory who was cuddling with Dick on the ground. Kory was indeed capable of that. She was also there when the first time it happened. But what was it? Kory's emotions were always loud to read for her and she usually never hid them. Raven knew it. 

Raven sat on her favorite part of the couch which was now filled with pillows and blankets and some of her favorite snacks. Thanks to a certain shapeshifter who outdid it. Despite her curiosity, when the movie started, she tried to forget about that powerful feeling. She only felt it twice and it was probably no big deal. For now maybe she would just enjoy being with her friends rather than investing in something she probably had no role in.

Raven was sitting at the end of the couch with Gar beside her. Vic and Wally were also sitting on the couch while Dick and Kory were on the ground, sharing the same blanket. Donna and Roy were on the ground as well but not as touchy as them. All the Titans knew they were a thing but apparently, they were the only ones who weren't convinced.

This time the movie was actually very funny and she found herself chuckling at some of the parts. The main room was filled with Titans laughter as they enjoyed themselves after a long busy week. 

That was all she needed. The whole room was filled with happiness. Everyone had forgotten about missions, stress and plans even if it was for just two hours. Even Boy Wonder wasn't feeling uneasy as he was laughing loudly with Kory by his side whose laughter was so beautiful to hear. 

Raven closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting in all the happy emotions around her,. Even two days of meditation would not give her such peace as this did.

Azar! How much she missed it! 

She didn't even care if she missed some parts of the movie as the Titans kept laughing. Them being happy made her happy. She was so deep in herself and in her own world as she didn't even notice she wasn't even watching the movie. 

That was the moment that once again, that feeling came to her.

She opened her eyes quickly, looking at all Titans faces to find a clue yet she found nothing strange. Everyone was busy laughing, eating and drinking exactly like how they were before she closed her eyes. 

"You okay Rae?" Gar asked as noticed her curious face, "You seem worried."

Raven looked at him, "I thought I felt something."

"Felt something?" 

"Yeah." She said looking at everyone again but she didn't spot anything unusual or something she would worry about.

"Anything dangerous?" Gar asked as he stretched his hand to get another soda from behind.

"I don't think so…" She pressed her back to the couch again, trying to let it go. She didn't want to worry Gar for nothing. "It was probably nothing."

"Well I trust your emotions detector more than anything. It saved us more than we can count." He offered her the grape soda he grabbed, "but for now, let's just not overthink things and enjoy the movie. I'm sure if it was anything alarming, you'd know it by now."

Raven took the soda from his hand, "Yeah...Yeah you're probably right." 

Gar grinned, "when wasn't I?"

"Do you want a list?"

He laughed. "Maybe I'll ask you to show me later."

Raven smiled at him as he turned his head to the TV and continued watching. He had a point. If it was anything dangerous, she'd have felt it, but it was so powerful to let it go. During the rest of the movie, she felt it come and go very quickly many times, especially the times she was laughing or chuckling. It was weird how the person could switch it on and off whenever they wanted it. Was it a sort of a red alarm? Was it really dangerous? She doubted it because whoever possessed it was in the room and there were only Titans. 

But one thing was certain, as much as the feeling didn't feel harmful, it was very powerful that she could detect it among all those happy emotions surrounding her. What could it possibly be? How could such emotion be that strong? It even beat Kory's loud emotions.

But she'd lie to herself if she said it didn't feel so good. Everytime she felt it, she was overwhelmed by it in a very good way. Whatever that was, it put her in peace and gave her warmth. She would be a big liar if she said she wouldn't welcome it the next time she felt it.

***

Even if Raven wanted to let go of that feeling, that feeling didn't seem to let her go. 

It came to her in the most unexpected places, rushing through her whole body and leaving before she knew it. She noticed that each time it came, it lasted longer than before but it was still all over the place and Raven couldn't exactly point her finger to anyone; especially because it came to her randomly.

During battles, her daily training routines, her meditations, sometimes even when she was eating lunch or just walking, even when she was reading her book on the couch and minding her own business! Each time it came, there were many of her friends around and it was hard to figure out who it was.

Mostly because a big part of her didn't want to know who it was either.

It was the truth. Raven never went deep in her investigation to realize it. Probably, if she really wanted to she would have realized it long ago, but she feared that if she knew, she wouldn't feel it again. That powerful feeling, whatever it was, put her in peace and gave her strength. She was fed from emotions and one of her friends was giving her something she didn't know how desperately she desired. 

A feeling of home, comfort and warmth. She didn't want to lose that! Raven figured if it was from one of her friends, she didn't need to worry about it. It wasn't like she suspected anything bad about it.

Azar! How selfish of her! 

She closed her book and sighed, lying on her back on her bed. She was being selfish. What if one of her friends was in trouble and it was their way of giving her a heads-up, or asking for her help? But such an act required a serious knowledge of how her powers worked and she knew none of them had something like that.

Dick and Victor were the only ones who knew how her empathic powers worked better than others but giving her a strange yet amazing feeling to ask for her help didn't match any of them. Dick would have directly said it and Vic was more into technical ways. 

She shook her head and tried to let it go. She shouldn't be using her strength over something ridiculous. No one asks for help by filling her soul with a particular strong feeling. No one even knew she was capable of feeling their deepest emotions as much as she let it show and they most of the time forgot it as well. 

She heard a gentle knock on her door when she was struggling with herself. It was Gar. She never mistake his aura.

"Hey Rae...are you there?"

It was a stupid question. Everyone knew that Beast Boy could easily pick up anyone's scent even from far away or hear their heart beats if he wanted to. His heightened powers gave him advantages that most of the time they forgot he had even; just like her.

Pulling her hood down, she walked to the door and it opened as she stood in the doorway. 

"Yes?" 

Gar was in his casual clothes. A dark jacket with a T-shirt underneath, his dark jeans and a cap. She would never tell him, but he looked very handsome in them. She quickly put that weird thought away before it got somewhere she didn't want it to get.

He was standing with one hand behind his back and his usual smile on his face.

Joyful 

Delighted

Self-conscious?

Nervous?

Shy?

"Great!" He looked around making sure no one was near. Yeah he was definitely nervous but why?

"Is everything okay?"

"Oh everything is great! I was just…" He scratched the back of his head with his other hand nervously.

"Well…?"

He sighed, "Well I was in the city to get some fresh air and I passed by your favorite bookstore...thought of something you might like to read but then I saw this." He took out a book from his back with his hand and Raven's eyes widened in surprise. "I know you've been reading the first novel of this series...I thought you want the second novel soon." He stretched his hand and gave it to her. Raven was flattered if she was honest. Gar knew what book series she was reading and bought her the second part of it! She never even thought someone like Gar, who couldn't really focus on reading books, actually cared about her hobbies so much that he knew what she wanted; even before she told him anything.

He suddenly looked scared, "Please tell me you haven't bought it already!"

Raven shook his head. "No, I haven't." 

Gar sighed in relief a bit dramatically, "Thank God that would have been awkward." 

Pressing the book on her chest, Raven said, "Thanks Gar."

He smiled, "No problem Rae."

That was the moment it hit her again; that familiar feeling. Raven looked around. No one was there except them. There was her chance. This time she had to put her selfishness aside and for once make everything clear. 

She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. With just Gar around her, she was now able to figure out who it was.

"You okay Rae? You seem...paler than usual." Gar asked worriedly.

All of the sudden, Raven opened her eyes.

"Where are the others?" She knew the answer but had to make sure.

"Oh? Well Dick and Kory are out, thinking it's a great time to have some alone time. Vic is in his room, coming up with a new technology which I still didn't understand. Don't tell him that though. Donna is on her secret date but let's be honest we all know it's Roy." He laughed and continued, "Wally is off to meet his family and said he would be back…" He took a glance at his watch, "in 45 seconds top."

Raven looked uneasy and pulled the cloak tighter around herself, looking down.

"So...it's just you and me here?"

Gar shrugged casually, "Yeah pretty much but don't worry. If anything happens, we can handle it. It's not the first time we might face a threat alone." He gave her a reassuring smile, "and others are probably heading back as well. So yeah no need to worry."

She wanted to tell him she was not worried at all. She was shocked! But she couldn't bring herself to tell him that right now because she wasn't sure about it.

"Well I'm headed to the kitchen. Do you want me to make something for you? You haven't gotten out of your room since morning. You must be hungry."

Raven tried not to look suspicious so she looked at him with a forced smile, "No thanks."

"You sure? I wouldn't make it too vegetarian for you."

"No no thanks…"

Gar simply shrugged, "Okay." 

He turned around and started walking away. Raven looked down at the book then at him for a second and before she knew it she was speaking.

"Thanks again Gar...I appreciate what you did for me."

He turned his head back to her with a smile, "Anytime Rae. If you ever feel hungry, you know where I am."

The door opened and closed and he disappeared from her sight as he went to the kitchen.

Raven stood there for a couple of moments, not believing what she just found out. It was him! That strange feeling came from Gar himself. She just couldn't believe how easy it was to figure it out. It was so obvious. He was there anytime she felt it. It made sense it was coming from him.

But it wasn't Gar who surprised her, what he was feeling shocked her more than anything. 

She suspected that she had felt that feeling before and it turned out she was right. She felt it from all titans before; especially from Kory on great levels. 

It was love. 

Of course it was love! Only love was so powerful that could give her such warm feelings from inside and put her in such a peace no meditation could ever do. Love was a powerful emotion, she knew it better than anyone. 

She held the book harder as she looked down. The realisation hit her harder than she expected. She didn't know why she regretted knowing the truth or why she wasn't happy about it. 

Gar was in love...it was a truth she wished she never knew.

***

"Have you noticed Garfield has been acting...weird recently?"

Raven asked Victor days later at the gym as he was lifting up weights and she was done meditating. After knowing the secret behind the strange feeling, Raven started to avoid Gar in a subtle way. She was ashamed of prying too much into his emotions when it was obvious he was trying to hide it; so the farther she was from him, the better.

That didn't stop her curiosity though.

"No, why?" Vic asked casually, "Did that green ass do something stupid again?"

"No…" she lowered her voice.

It was hard talking about it. She already knew something she believed she shouldn't have and now she was trying to know more. It was wrong, yet she really wanted to know.

"Then what is it?" Vic's question brought her back to the gym, "You seem worried."

"No, not worried. It's just...he seems different. He...feels different." She said the last part in more of a whisper but Victor heard her.

Shocked

Uneasy

Surprised

Scared?

Yet his face didn't show anything. He just gave her a blank look. Victor was good at not showing his emotions but not as good at not feeling them.

"What I mean is…" she felt stupid in asking, "Is he seeing someone?" Her question tasted bitter on her tongue and she felt she didn't want to know the answer.

This time Victor stopped his exercise and turned his head to her, giving her a questioning look. Raven kept her face straight, not letting him see more than she allowed it but she knew her question wasn't something to just ignore. Victor was curious to know why she would ask such things, especially about the Changling of all people.

After some intense moments, Victor turned back on exercising. "No."

His answer was way firmer than she expected. Raven was taken back on how he seemed upset about her question. 

"No, he's not seeing anyone. At least not someone I know." His words sounded angry and Raven wasn't sure why.

"Why are you angry Victor? I just asked a question." He scoffed.

"It's not you Rae…" he lowered his voice, "Stupid green bean!"

"What?"

He looked at her with an angry face. "You're the empath here. You should know it by now."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Before she could get any answer from him, the gym's door opened with a bang.

"The Animal Man is here!" Gar shouted excitedly, "Please cheer for the new gym captain!"

He was in his sports clothes with his towel on his shoulder and a big speaker in his hand. He almost seemed to be at a party rather than at the gym.

"There's no such thing, Animal Man." Dick said following Gar from behind. 

Gar put the speaker on a table and turned to the Boy Wonder with a grin, "well I guess I just invented it." His eyes landed on Raven and Victor. "Oh hi Cy! Rae!" 

Victor stood up suddenly and walked towards his best friend. Raven could feel how his anger leaving his body the moment he saw Gar. His sudden change of mood surprised her, especially because it was Victor.

"Looks like someone is here to get his ass kicked." He patted Gar's shoulder. 

"Oh you wish! I beat Richard, you're easy."

"Only once." Dick said in defense, "and only because you were lucky."

"Two out of three isn't once and it sure as hell wasn't luck."

"Well I guess there's one way to find out." Victor said. 

Raven felt her presence was not welcomed anymore. She wanted to leave the gym as soon as she could. Seeing Gar was hard especially when she knew his little secret when she was not allowed. However, the moment he stepped in the gym, his love poured over her like a waterfall. It was hard to stay and harder to leave. 

If only she didn't dig in too much! She regretted it more than anything. If she let it be the way it was, maybe she wouldn't feel uncomfortable around him anymore. So what if Gar was in love with someone? It wasn't her business. She shouldn't care! He could be in love with anyone he wanted. It wasn't like it mattered to her. It didn't matter!

She wished she could sound more convincing in her head.

"What do you say Rae?" Gar's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"I asked if you wanna judge the game, to see who's better?" 

He was close, too close and he was letting her feel everything! She wasn't sure if it was his doing or was it because she already knew his deepest emotion; as in she couldn't turn back. 

Up close, Gar looked way better than from far. When did he start to look so attractive to her? Did she always find him attractive? She knew he was good looking but now it felt different from the last times. It had changed! Something had changed about him, or maybe about her?

She should leave. She should leave as soon as she can. 

"Sorry I can't." She said quickly flying over him to the exit door.

"W-what? Raven you okay?" 

She didn't even look back, "I'm fine." And left the room with no other words, leaving the boys there confused.

Except that she wasn't. She wasn't fine at all. Something was happening with her and she knew it was all because of her nosiness from that day. Love was a powerful emotion. Something she shouldn't just mess with especially when Gar initially had kept it hidden within himself. There must have been a reason why he didn't let her feel it in the first place.

But it didn't matter how many times she told herself otherwise, she couldn't help but wonder about Gar's secret lover. 

Was she a superhero too? Was she blonde? Azar was it Cassie? No! Gar would never go after girls way younger than him. Then who? A normal citizen no Titan knew of? Someone he met online? He could do that. He just needed to take a picture of himself in those sports clothes and everyone would be all over him.

"Raven? What's with the rush?" She heard Donna's voice as she and Kory were headed to the gym as well. They were both in their sports outfits as well.

She stopped flying and landed on the ground before them. Kory got a worried face as soon as she looked up.

"Raven, are you okay?"

"Yeah...just finished meditating at the gym." She tries to sound normal, "the guys are already there." 

"Yeah we know." Donna said, "but are you okay?"

Raven raised an eyebrow, "I am. Why do you both keep asking?"

Donna and Kory exchanged some confused looks and Raven just wished she knew what it was about. She didn't want to get into another intense conversation or an awkward one like the ones she had back at the gym with them. She needed to be alone right now more than anything.

Kory stepped closer to her, "Raven... you're blushing!"

***

Life always put people in the most unexpected situations, kind of like Gar's jokes; you basically couldn't predict them.

But Raven was used to find herself in situations she didn't expect, being Trigon's child gave her that. She was herself unexpected.

It wasn't that Raven was unfamiliar with love. Maybe the time she just left Azarath she could say she was, but it was years ago. She gained more control over her powers and emotions ever since. If she could recall correctly, she always felt love from others, especially when they were younger with more unbalanced emotions.

She felt Kory and Dick's love throughout the years and the alien princess could overwhelm anyone with her emotions, let alone a powerful empath like Raven herself. She felt Donna and Roy's thing with each other, Victor and Sarah's and Gar's. 

Azar! Even her own!

So why did it feel so different this time? Why was it so powerful? Raven knew Gar's love before. She'd witnessed many of his crushes before her own eyes. But this time? This love? It was so different on considerable levels.

"Raven! Cover Flash!" Kory shouted as she tried to block the attacks from this demonic creature who seemed to just get out of hell. A gift from her father? Raven decided not think about it.

As Wally was running fast towards the creature, Raven used her soul-self to block the fires. The monster was indeed strong and possessed dark magic as she felt it. 

A green flying eagle flew above her fast and went straight to the monster. Raven saw how Gar shifted into a gorilla and attacked it with his power hands. A smile appeared on her face. His presence alone always made her smile.

She still didn't get the time she wanted to talk with him. After her awkward conversation with him at the gym, Raven couldn't get the courage to ask about his feelings; mostly because she was afraid if he was actually in love with someone.

She didn't know how to approach the subject either. For all that matter, Raven wasn't the titan with the best social skills. How was she supposed to start the conversation even? And tell him she basically invaded his mind and his privacy by accident? When she knew it wasn't an accident at all? That she knew he was in love? That she was jealous? To the point she couldn't stop thinking about him?

As if she would ever do that.

So Raven waited for the right moment. A moment she was brave enough to talk about it. It was frustrating how this right moment she was waiting for didn't come for weeks. The universe hated her. She had to endure months to finally find out about the truth and now weeks to talk about it? She knew what he felt, she knew what she felt and that was the biggest problem.

A familiar yell caught her attention as she saw Gar being thrown in the air.

"Beast Boy!"

He tried shifting to something to reduce the pain of landing hard but he was too weak for that. Gar crashed on the ground hard with a hand on his side, trying to stop the cut from bleeding.

Letting go of what she was asked to do, Raven quickly teleported herself on the ground where Gar was lying on the ground groaning in pain. 

"Oh Azar…" she whispered as she kneeled down above his head. There was a big cut on his side which he was covering. Raven put her hand on his and tried to remove it so she would heal her but Gar didn't stopped her. 

He groaned. "Don't Rae… it's not that important." His voice was weak, "Go help the others. I'm fine."

Raven frowned. "You're bleeding. If it doesn't stop soon it will get dangerous. You might even die."

And it scared her. She couldn't just leave him because of his stubbornness. She had to heal him before it caused him his death. Raven made a move with her hand and made a magical force bubble around them to prevent any attacks or interruptions.

Gar opened his eyes slightly.

"I heal quickly...you know that." He hissed for a second and continued, "Don't waste your power on me...Go!"

It all started with a similar moment didn't it? Him asking her not to heal him. It was months ago by now and Raven remembered all of his words. It all started that day, maybe she would finish it today.

She put his head on her thighs and looked at him upsidedown. Putting her hands on his cheeks, she started to caress them gently. 

Stubborn or not, Raven couldn't leave him.

Gar smiled through his pain. Weakly he put his free hand on her and leaned to her touch.

"Raven…" he whispered.

And then it hit her. Raven's heart froze as she realized how stupid she was the whole time. Gar was in love with her!

It all made sense now. How could she be so blind over something so obvious? Anyone even without her powers would have figured it out already. It was right before her eyes. There was a reason Gar's feeling was more powerful than others, that she felt it stronger than others, why he tried to hide it from her, why such a powerful feeling never left her head...and her heart.

She just looked down at him. He was so lost into his world that he didn't feel she had already started the healing process; she knew it because he would have stopped her. It was painful and she tried hard not to make any sound so he wouldn't notice what she was doing. 

"God It feels...it feels like heaven…" his words got her attention from his wound to his face. Even wounded, Gar was smiling and making her smile as well. It was what he excelled. He always managed to make her happy even though she didn't admit it. 

She was done heading him yet she didn't let go and he didn't seem to be willing to leave the situation either. He looked so in peace and it was heartwarming.

She looked down at his lips. They were slightly apart and hot breath was coming out of his mouth. Raven bent down a bit, still staring at his lips. His smile never left them and Raven realized she couldn't stop herself either.

Still caressing his cheeks, Raven closed her eyes and kissed his lips upsidedown. 

Azar she was kissing him! And how much it felt amazing! His lips were soft on hers and she felt him kissing her back shortly after. A smile appeared on her lips as she kept kissing him gently. That's what she wanted. Him with her. How much of a fool she was not to realize it sooner. It felt as if her lips were meant to be on his at that particular moment; and she figured she didn't mind if these moments become more often.

"Guys! Really?!" It was Roy, "in the middle of a battle?

Neither of them cared as they kept kissing. A battle, a mission or even an apocalypse, none of them could take away this moment from her. She had waited long for this to finally happen.

They broke the kiss slowly. She didn't open her eyes and knew Gar didn't either. She could feel his breaths on her face and his hand on hers. He was rubbing his tomb on her hand. She heard him chuckle.

"You knew it all the time, didn't you?"

Love...

For that moment, that was all he was feeling. She smiled.

"Well, you're always easy to read Gar."

@bbraeweek21

[droogiesanddiscourse]

Valentine’s Day with Tony Montana

Original Message: @anon “hi, could you write a Valentine's day w/ Tony Montana or Jack Torrance? thanku in advance if u decide to write one :))”

GAHHHH I couldn’t get these all out in time for Valentine’s Day :( I’m terribly sorry for that, but I still wanna do them! I’m feeling in a bit of a Tony Montana mood tonight, so we’ll start with him ;) 

Warnings: Alcohol, drug use, but other than that rather fluffy. Proceed with caution if any of these topics might upset you! 

• Valentine’s Day isn’t too different from your usual nights with Tony - they’re always wild, crazy, and you never know what to expect from this man. Not that you mind, of course. That’s half the fun of dating him. 

• He’s a night owl, no arguing that. So don’t expect to do anything with him during the day. He wakes up probably around 4pm, and lounges around until he finally decides he has the motivation to do something. I mean, he has the luxury to do this, doesn’t he? Worked hard for what he has. 

• Okay so anyways, we know this man loves the nightlife. So Valentine’s Day with Tony would be all about living it up, partying your asses off, the works. 

• You two look BANGIN’ as well, but you wouldn’t expect anything less for the most powerful (and feared) couple in all of Florida. Tony would surprise you with a beautiful statement necklace, one that’s incredibly flashy and gaudy. Something that everyone is gonna see, and know exactly who bought it for you. And..well who you belong to. It’s a flex, simply put. 

• WHEW and when you walk down the steps for the first time, in your new outfit and jewelry for the night out on the town... Tony basically turns into one of those old cartoons with the “AWOOOGA” sound effects and the eyes bulging and ok you know what I mean. 

• His eyes travel along your body, smiling as you finally reach the last step where he was standing, waiting for your grand entrance. He spins you around, as you giggle, asking him what he was doing.

• “Takin’ in the full view, mi amor, Like what I see. Y’know what you are, baby? You’re a tiger...my lady tiger.” He dips you backwards, planting a firm kiss on your lips. You smirk into the kiss, playfully biting his bottom lip. Tony gives you that half lidded look, a smirk on his face. Everything he wanted to do with you in that moment was spoken through his eyes. “Keep that up, and we won’t be goin’ nowhere tonight.” 

• You playfully slap him with your handbag, “Well, you better hop to it, Montana. We don’t have all night. You promised me dancing and drinks, and I expect to get both. It’s Valentine’s Day, after all.” Your heels click as you walk across the marbled floor, giving a saucy look over your shoulder as you reached the large double doors of the mansion. “Well?” 

• He loves it when you mouth off to him a bit, he loves how independent you are, how fiery you are. He follows you closely behind, not missing another opportunity to feel you up again as you walk in front of him. 

• You’re also gonna be driving to the club in that ugly ass tiger car LMAOOOOOOO...I hate that thing what even is it.

• The rest of the night is followed with bar hopping, dancing, and so, SO much alcohol. Being as popular as the two of you are, you don’t need to buy a single drink. All of Tony’s friends keep the alcohol flowing throughout the night - perks of dating a drug kingpin I guess. At one point you downed an entire bottle of Pinot Noir on your own. 

• Tony loves dancing with you, he loves the intimacy you share between your bodies. He won’t leave your side for a second, staying right behind you. He’s a bit protective as well, so don’t expect to be having any other dance partners than Tony.  

• Except Tony probably runs off to snort a line of coke or two in the bathroom a few times as well...I mean but we already knew that was probably gonna happen. But he knows you can fend for yourself without him for a few minutes or...well as long as it takes. 

• Yeah you’ll totally engage in a steamy makeout session on the dance floor too, Tony doesn’t care who sees. Everyone knows how madly in love you are with each other, so this extreme display of affection isn’t out of the ordinary. 

• Rile him up too much and...don’t be surprised if he whisks you off to the bathroom for some one-on-one time. **wink wink nudge nudge**

• You’re out till the early hours of the morning partying, until you finally start to crash around the 3AM mark. Even though Tony could probably party forever because this man basically sleeps all day, he understands your exhaustion and takes you home. 

• While Tony sobered himself up enough to drive, you still remained in that hazy drunk stage. He knows you don’t drink much, so you must have really decided to indulge yourself as apart of the holiday festivities. Your head lulled to the side, resting against the car door. He smiled as you took a mini-cat nap before arriving back to the mansion. 

• Noticing how drunk you still were after arriving home, Tony takes the initiative to take care of you the rest of the night. He’ll help you get out of your dress, and wipe off your makeup (much to you groaning and moaning that you could do it yourself). 

• Tony will hold your cheeks in his hands, smiling. “Aww, my little chica can’t handle her liquor, can she?” Tony knows you’re no lightweight, but he cannot pass up an opportunity to playfully tease you again. 

• Will make sure you drink at least one glass of water before you sleep as well. 

He’ll tuck you in, making sure your head is propped up against the pillow. He does everything he can in his power to make sure you don’t have a hangover. And if you do, he’ll attempt to just lessen how bad it is with his precautionary measures.  

• You mumble incoherently within your blanket cocoon, as you reach your hands towards Tony. He laughs, “my baby girl needy? Okay, I got you.” He locks his arms around you, holding you close. He nuzzles his face into your neck, inhaling your scent as you mumble something that sounds something like “Happy Valentines Day.” 

• He smiles, sharing the sentiment. “Happy Valentines Day, my love.” as he drifts off with you. 

[regrettablewritings]

I'm feeling a Nevada Ramirez mood (love that damn asshole) but if you aren't feeling writing for him then I give this up to authors choice. But from the current ships numbers perhaps: 3 (because I wanna get fucked up), 9 (because I have to), 10 (because I would like to know your thoughts) and 11 (because I am wildly curious)

("I'm feeling a Nevada Ramirez mood" Translation: "I want a daddy to spit in my fuckgng mouth" Sorry, I don't make the rules about language translation.🤷🏽‍♀️)

3. Which one outlives the other, and how they cope:

You'd always kind of sort of lived in a fairytale. In hindsight, though, you probably had to: It's what probably made being with his stupid ass a bit easier. Kind of like you were living in one of those stories where a monster that terrorized some bucolic tiny town could be brought down to size by a soul of pure heart. Maybe even regain his human form.

If only your story had had a happy ending.

In a way, Nevada felt he was to blame for that; clearly, sticking with you had really only encouraged that type of behavior, or so he thought.

And now look where that ended you: All that gross-ass makeup to make you look like your last moments hadn't been agonizing (the coroner insisted it had been quick, but Nevada called bullshit); those stiff clothes that you never would've worn unless you had to (Nevada never would've put you in them if he had more of a choice); eyes closed, never to see the telltale signs of the one you left behind coming undone (actually, in a sick way, Nevada didn't necessarily mind this; it spared him the humiliation).

There wasn't even necessarily any sign that you had been targeted; the general theory really was that you'd been taken out by a stray bullet. But in some part of him, Nevada couldn't believe that. He didn't want to. It just made so much perfect sense in his mind: You were just minding your own damn business, walking home after a shift ended a little later than expected. You were the very picture of innocent and unsuspecting, all vulnerable and without him. In short: That was the perfect time for some rival gang or some shit to take a shot at you.

And the thought made Nevada's blood boil to the point that it evaporated into the air, further polluting these fucking New York skies with his inner toxicity being exposed. He'd make whoever did this to you choke. But not before roughing them up a lil bit. Maybe cut off some fingers. Some toes . . . Maybe a pound of flesh as payment if there was any time left, who knows.

But first, his men had to find them.

To say that Nevada does not take your passing well would be an understatement. He's somehow more violent. Somehow a lot less tolerant of bullshit (and he already wasn't before). If anyone so much as blinks wrong, they run the risk of having a nearly feral fuck jump at them and attempt to rip their face off.

His men, who already feared and respected him, dare not occupy the same room as him any longer than they have to. They miss you as a person, of course, but they never knew just how much of a hold you had on their boss until that hand was gone.

Sure, he goes through the usual motions seen in others, like sitting in his chair, downing copious amounts of whatever was left in his liquor cabinet. And, of course, there's the stages of grieving: He's eternally stuck oscillating between guilt and anger.

He was supposed to be the one that got killed out here, him! Not you: Sweet, kind, patient, hard-headed, stupid-assed you! He got that, why couldn't God get with the program on that!? He was the dealer, the gang leader putting himself into all kinds of problems with others; you were just some innocent bystander who happened to get caught in his web, decide they liked it there, and inexplicably stuck around.

And now you're dead. He was being selfish, you were being stupid, and now you were dead.

He stares blankly at nothing before humming with a sip of whatever the hell is in his glass now, he doesn't fucking remember. Can't taste it anyway; his sense of taste disappeared, floated away with your spirit the moment he learned of your passing.

The pure-hearted soul that kept the village safe was gone; all that remained was the carnivorous beast, ready to rampage and raze the town to the ground.

9. Which one swears more?:

Just in time for the 20210 Summer Olympics, we have a new category to observe: Fucking Goddamn Cussing Up a Shitstorm! Representing Washington Heights, we have a cussing prodigy, Nevada Ramirez! Also representing Washington Heights by way of duel citizenship between the apartments, we have . . . You!

Okay but in all seriousness, Nevada is definitely the gold medal-winner here. Science indicates that cussing helps to relieve stress and for as collected as Nevada likes to appear in front of others, 5'9" is not a lot of space for stress to go. He's constantly bottling up that shit! What's worse, though, is that the fucker makes it sound elegant.

How does he make "fuck" sound so gentle when it leaves his lips with a cold-eyed glower!? Who the hell knows!

Erstwhile, you're a pretty good runner-up. Even if you were a big cusser before getting with Nevada, you could never catch up with him -- he's just had way too many experiences where he felt the need to pepper the ambience with some cursing. And if you weren't as into it before . . . I'm sorry, boo, but you'll be picking up that nasty habit of his like you were picking up the torch for the Cussing Olympics. Bon chance!

10. What TV shows they watch together, and which ones they hide from the other:

Noah . . . How did you know I was planning to do a preference on what characters watch with their S/Os? Not that I can confirm or deny that Nevada was in that one but --

Nevada didn't really watch TV a whole lot before you two got together. It was a mix of him not having a lot of time and him not having a lot of care to keep up with anything. Everything is so goddamn serialized, what's even the point?

Really, the only reason he bought subscriptions to streaming services was to keep you entertained for when he had to be out the house or some junk. But there were a few too many times where he'd come home late and find you curled up on the couch.

". . . The hell're you still doing up --"

"Ssh!"

". . . Did you just --"

"Yes, now sshhh! I'm about to see who this chick picks to go to bed with."

Of course, 'Vada is pissed; people don't shush him, he shushes them! What the fuck could be so interesting that you'd do that!? He takes his glare from you to the screen . . . and about thirty minutes in, he gets it. He'd never say it out loud, but deep down, he knows why you like Love Island. It's stupid, it's trashy, he hates these dumbass twenty-somethings making drama out of nothing, and for fuck's sake will somebody talk to the girl with the dark skin and short hair she's the hottest one there --

Of course, he tries hard not to show his interest, taking seats next to you when you're watching "because he's tired", adding his own commentary "because these pendejos need to know better", etc. And, of course, it doesn't fool you in the slightest. As amused as you are, though, you don't tease him about it; you're afraid that if you do, your stubborn boyfriend would put up a fight in the form of leaving you to watch your silly little show by yourself. And you really don't mind sharing the show with him . . . No, solitary watching is reserved for your cartoons.

Nevada may let things with you slip to a point but the moment he learns you like to watch anything animated, he's on your ass with the ruthless taunting. Which is like the pot calling the kettle black because 'Vada's secret pleasure is even worse: daytime soap operas. Admittedly, there's some sentimentality connected to them (he remembers being at his Abuela's house and seeing her get really into some telenovelas), but the fact of the matter is really more that he's invested in the drama and bullshit going on between all this lunatics who we're supposed to buy as being doctors or CEOs or whatever over-glamorized positions they're supposed to have.

He doesn't actually get to watch them often but . . . hey, that's what he pays certain grunts to do for him.

Okay I had way too much fun writing these so lemme just cut myself off now. Thanks for asking!!!

[ibijau]

11 with chengxuan please? i hc that jc has a really nice singing voice

Singing together/catching them singing softly to themselves as they cook/do the dishes.

a prequel of this modern AU where Yanli and Wei Wuxian are missing after an accident that left Jin Zixuan disabled

warning for internalised ableism, and also just general ableism mentions

When Jin Ling is five, Zixuan starts working again.

It is not his choice, though he easily convinces himself that it is. His mother is right after all, he can’t go on forever staying at home doing nothing. Sure he’s taking care of Jin Ling, and still dealing with the aftermath of that day, but he can’t do just that, not when he’s clearly well enough to try doing more. His mother doesn’t want him to become a recluse, and she doesn’t want him to get completely out of touch with his father’s company… and she’s right of course.

It’s easier for everyone when she’s right.

Zixuan’s father is a little less enthusiastic about easing his son back into the family business. As he bluntly explains, there’s just not much that Zixuan can do. Going back to his old job isn’t an option. The accounting department, which Zixuan used to be in charge of, has now been given to Meng Yao who is doing very well there, helping the company make a steady profit. Not only that, but Jin Guangshan explains to his son that Meng Yao has uncovered an embezzlement plot that Zixuan apparently accidentally allowed to fester. Wen Ning has been arrested for stealing money in favour of his sister’s charity, and Jin Guangshan explains he had to use all of his influence to protect Zixuan from being dragged into this.

After something like this, it’s obvious Zixuan can no longer be trusted to lead a team. It’s also better if he doesn’t handle anything to do with finances anymore, because their company just cannot bear with another scandal.

Instead, Zixuan is offered a quick formation in web design, and incorporated into the IT team, just another worker among others. It’s work he can do from home, and he’s never met most of his colleagues. None of them seem to realise that he is the son of their employer, and apparently assume the surname Jin is just a coincidence. During a phone reunion, Zixuan hears someone talk about Jin Guangshan’s son who died some years ago, and doesn’t bother to correct it.

His mother can push all she wants, it’s clear Zixuan isn’t going to inherit the company. 

It bothers him less than he should. On the rare days when he still hopes that Yanli will return to him, Zixuan tells himself that they can drop everything and start a new life somewhere quiet. Just him, his wife, his son… and his brother-in-law, if Jiang Cheng feels like it. After those last few years, Zixuan can’t quite imagine living without him, and he knows Jin Ling wouldn’t want to either. Jiang Cheng has been there for all his life after all, and theirs is not the worst of lives.

Which isn’t to say that it’s always easy.

Some days are too much for Zixuan.

Today is such a day. His pain is flaring up like crazy, making it agony to sit for long. Jin Ling is in a bad mood, and determined to make it felt. And three urgent projects have been dropped on Zixuan’s hands, to be finished before the end of the week.

What Zixuan wants is to drop his son with Jiang Cheng, take all the painkillers he’s allowed, and sleep for about three or four days until he’s better. It’s not an option, of course. He can’t let down everyone, those projects are important, his mother will be furious if she hears that he’s using his health as an excuse to be lazy, his father will take it as more proof that he can’t be trusted with anything. He has to pull through, pain or not.

People with worse health than him can do their job, he can’t use disability as an excuse.

So Zixuan pushes himself, sitting in front of his laptop until the pain gets so intense he’s starting to see dark spots at the corner of his eyes. He has to do this, has to…

“I think you’ve been stupid long enough,” he hears Jiang Cheng says, surprisingly close to him.

Zixuan startles and looks up, grimacing as the movement pulls on too tight muscles. Jiang Cheng is glaring down at him, apparently more upset than usual.

“You can’t work like that,” Jiang Cheng snaps, dropping a glass of water and a pill next to the laptop. “Take that and go rest.”

“I have to…”

“You have to fucking take care of yourself. You look like you’re about to have a seizure or something. Take that painkiller and sleep before you make yourself worse.”

Zixuan blinks numbly. The medication he takes mostly helps prevent seizures, but it cannot fully eliminate them. He’s been having them more often since he started working again, and has told himself it’s only a coincidence.

“I’m fine,” Zixuan weakly protests. “I’m almost done with this, and then I’ll…”

“Don’t make me pick you up,” Jiang Cheng warns. “I’ll do it. I’ll fucking carry you to bed in my arms, I swear.”

“I’m really…”

“I’ll text Luo Qingyang and tell her you’re sick,” Jiang Cheng cuts him. “She’ll understand, and she’ll deal with this. So take the damn pill and go rest, Zixuan.”

It feels unfair that Luo Qingyang from HR should have to take care of Zixuan’s messes, just because he can’t pull through on single bad day… but the pain really is awful, and it might have been more than one single bad day. Su Minshan from research has been absolutely awful all month about the launch of a new website to showcase their innovations, and since he has Meng Yao’s full support, it’s been hard to deal with him. And there’s that charity dinner coming up, for which he’s also helping develop the webpage even though his father pointedly asked him not to come because even just using a cane would be bad for PR and he can’t make it through the evening without it. And also…

Zixuan sighs. It’s been a rough couple of weeks.

So he gives in, just this time. He takes the pill, and lets Jiang Cheng help him to bed where he promptly passes out.

When he wakes up again, hours must have passed. Night has fallen outside, and there’s no light in this part of the house, though Zixuan can vaguely hear something happening far away, in the kitchen. Although it is very tempting to stay in bed, Zixuan makes himself get up and, leaning hard on his cane, makes his way to the kitchen to check if Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling have had dinner yet.

Before he reaches the door, he’s startled to hear a singing voice.

The voice in question is good enough that he wonders for a moment if it’s not from a video, but the fact there’s no music is odd. Besides, Zixuan recognises that song as being from a cartoon that Jin Ling loves, but he’s never heard that particular version before.

The mystery unfolds when Zixuan steps in the doorway and finds Jiang Cheng singing with abandon as he cuts vegetables that Jin Ling is very carefully washing for him. The little boy seems very happy to be helping, his previous bad mood completely gone. It’s not such a surprise of course. Jin Ling adores his uncle, and Jiang Cheng has mastered the art of finding the line between too rough and too soft when it comes to dealing with his nephew. It always warms Zixuan’s heart to see those two together, but tonight it is almost too much for him.

There’s just something about the sincerity with which Jiang Cheng sings those stupid lyrics, his smile when Jin Ling joins him for the chorus, the happiness they radiate when Jiang Cheng picks up his nephew so Jin Ling can drop the vegetable into the pan… It is everything Jin Zixuan always hoped his family would be, even if it isn’t happening with the person he’d thought he’d live with.

And that’s what hit him hard tonight.

He’s had that thought before, watching Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling. The right amount of domesticity, only with the wrong person.

But Jiang Cheng spots him in the doorway and grins, blushing at being caught singing yet still happy, and Jin Zixuan realises that after five years of living together, he can’t say Jiang Cheng is the wrong person, not anymore.

It probably makes him an awful person. His wife might still be alive somewhere, and here he is, thinking that way about her brother.

He should be ashamed of himself.

He is, but not as much as he ought to be.

So Zixuan drops on a chair at the kitchen table, and smiles to himself as Jin Ling excitedly explains what they’re making, as Jiang Cheng resumes cooking and singing.

When they reach the chorus again, Zixuan too joins in.

[helluvascribe]

Alastor, Autism and an Ace Author

Yesterday, I discovered something mind-blowing about my favorite Hazbin Hotel character. On Twitter, a user by the name of “puppyclown struggle tweets” or “StinkyRatBoy” proposed a theory they had kept for a while. They claim: “Alastor is on the autism spectrum.”

 My first response in my mind? “Nonsense! Alastor is the most extraverted, sociable and manipulative character we’ve seen so far. You can’t just assume he has a neurological disorder out of nowhere! It’s an insult!”

 But then I read their reasons for it…and it slowly clicked into place. As I read them, they began to make sense…it was a reflection of my own personality. Indeed, I am also asexual/aromantic and on the autism spectrum. Whether Vivziepop meant for Alastor to be on the spectrum remains uncertain at the moment.

 What did they say? Here is their first reason:

 “Alastor is often speaking in a very loud voice, something that autistic people do since they have trouble regulating their volume.”

 Reason 2:

“He has little social awareness, telling Charlie to her face that he wants to see people fail and he doesn’t see why that would make her not want to partner with him.”

 Reason 3:

“He also doesn’t see why people constantly run away from him (as shown in the Alastor comic) getting pretty annoyed when people are too sacred to speak with him, despite him knowing of his reputation.”

 Reason 4:

“His discomfort with people touching him probably being a sensory problem, something I myself struggle with, despite not understanding other people’s physical boundaries, constantly dancing with them and pulling them into side hugs without permission.”

 Reason 5:

“Tying back to social problems, he sees Husk as a friend, despite how much Husk wants to make it clear that he doesn’t like being roped into Alastor’s schemes and interests. He reads Husk’s refusal as just him being in a bad mood.”

 Reason 6:

“His hyperfixation with radio, entertainment and old technology being so strong that it causes him to dislike it changing and becoming more modern and foreign to him. Entertainment is his special interest and he doesn’t want someone showing up and making it different.”

 Reason 7:

“Of course, there’s troubles with physical hygiene, something that autistic people are known to have a hard time with for any number of reasons.”

 Reason 8:

“Him constantly smiling could also be his inability to emote the same way neurotypical people around him do, which is why people find it so strange.”

 Reason 9:

“One more thing! Hs little sound effects and song clips he plays are auditory stims. I said what I said.”

 They certainly said it indeed! Despite me having autism as well, myself and the majority of fans didn’t fully pick up on those traits. We knew that the majority of the Hazbin characters were LGBTQ…but so far, there haven’t been any characters with physical or mental disabilities. If what StinkyRatBoy says is true…and if it’s confirmed by Vivziepop herself…it could be revolutionary, both in the show and real life.

 If Alastor has autism, it could add more depth to his backstory and his character. Being a French Creole colored asexual man in the early 1900s wouldn’t be the ideal status to have in the predominantly white straight male society. Many fans speculate that his mother was kind to him and taught him everything he knows about dancing, music, cooking and Voodoo culture. His father is often portrayed by fans as an abusive alcoholic who wanted to shape Alastor into the ideal “macho man,” that was expected at the time. (No “women’s” work, no theater, got to have sex with girls and provide for the family). His abuse toward Alastor and his mother may have laid the groundwork for Alastor’s decent into becoming a serial killer.

 With his expertise with radios, music and entertainment at a young age, it’s no wonder he became such a renowned broadcaster in New Orleans. Along with music being his special interest, it may have been the very thing that kept him sane when he was ruthlessly bullied by his peers, his father, and society in general. It was his escape, a mental state where he felt safe and secure. Entertainment represents the good side of him…the killing part is what got him into Hell. Murdering racist men and criminals may have been both a new special interest and his way of coping with the trauma he faced. In addition, Alastor’s name, means “spirit of vengeance,” thus it was also his way to get revenge on those who wronged him. Alastor’s side hobby of hunting deer and taxidermy may also have been a way to cope.

 Now in Hazbin Hotel, Charlie will have to find a way to redeem Alastor (and like Angel, Husk and Niffty, he can be redeemed, but it will not be easy). Charlie and the others will eventually learn of Alastor’s condition and his asexuality. (Many people on the spectrum also identify as asexual and have trouble with relationships). As demonstrated by the “Day In The Afterlife” comic, Alastor seeks true friendship and belonging, despite his sadistic nature. He has several allies like Mimzy, Rosie, Husk, Niffty and Charlie, yet also misses his mother. Alastor likes seeing others fail as it reminds him of his powerful status…but when he helps the other Hazbins (and betrays them), he may very well learn that he too, is a “lost cause.” More than ever, he wants to see his mother in Heaven…but he’ll have to develop for the better, first. Not to mention villains like Vox and maybe the angels might try to take advantage of his condition. (Does Heaven discriminate against those deemed “abnormal”?)

 Charlie will likely learn of his condition and help him better express his feelings without feeling vulnerable. “You’re never fully dressed without a smile” is a motto he’s lived by in both his lives. His smile is a mask he wears to hide his true feelings of loneliness and leftover trauma. (World War One, the Great Depression, the Spanish Flu, his death etc. is a new level of trauma!) Niffty will likely help out Alastor with his hygiene…even demons need to bathe, eat and sleep. (His yellow teeth, bags under his eyes, thin body and raggedy nails don’t help matters). Husk will teach Alastor about personal space…and hopefully, Alastor will free Husk and Niffty from working under him in the future. And Charlie of course, will help him get in touch with his feelings, creating a relationship of friendship, mentoring, and hints of romance.  

 Embracing change and expressing feelings is very hard for those on the spectrum…but with therapy, effort and practice, it can be achieved by many. It will take a long time for Alastor to redeem himself, let alone allow himself to cry or fall in love. But the journey, rather than the Heaven destination, is what matters most. After overcoming his evil nature, Alastor will learn to embrace his feelings and condition…even if it means adapting to a moderate amount of change. (There are other ways to seek out justice and entertainment.) I bet his mother will be very proud of him once Alastor is able to make friends and truly be happy.

 Proper representation in media, matters, and Vivziepop has already gone above and beyond. A majority of her characters are LGBTQ or are in LGBTQ relationships. Representing someone with a disability will make the show all the more intriguing, and the characters more relatable. Her show deals with a variety of issues that young adults face in real life: sex, drugs, slavery, rebellion etc. With Alastor supposedly being both LGBTQ + and having a neurological disorder, it is a portrayal not often seen in many cartoons.

 Hopefully in a few years, we’ll get to see more of our deerly beloved radio host in the first season of Hazbin Hotel; we wish him all the best on his journey of redemption and friendship formations!

[thefanficmonster]

Quarantine On Crack...yet again

PART ONE 

Until Dawn Gang + Reader (Female)

Warnings: Swearing, Underage Drinking, Shameless Flirting

Genre: Crack, Humor

Summary: Time to check on our favorite gang who are still quarantined together and have still surprisingly not murdered one another. The lodge is still intact, which is promising. And everyone still has all seven of their limbs. How long will this simulation of peace last for is the real question.

Requested by my dear Until Dawn Anon who I haven’t heard from in so long 🥺 Hii dear! I have missed you tremendously! Here we are again to witness the craziness of our babies and I hope you’ll join me on the rollercoaster once again! Sorry it has taken me so long to write the long-ago-promised part 2 to the crack fic but here it finally is! Hope you enjoy it! Love and miss you, Vy ❤

“Alright folks, the delivery has arrived!“ I announce as Josh, Sam and I stumble through the front door of the lodge, each one of us carrying large boxes of food and toiletries. Bless the Washingtons for still sending us food, if I were them, Lord knows I’d either forget to do so or simply not do it because I didn’t feel like it. Hey, I’m not saying I hate these people, I’m just insinuating that they would not among my priorities had I been the one responsible to send them food. They should be in that case - but I’m being very honest when I say they wouldn’t be.

“Finally!“ Jess and Emily are so in sync for two people who supposedly can’t stand each other, it’s scary. Not that I wasn’t already scared of them to begin with. I just have a hard time dealing with them. But they are good in bed so I keep them around...

“What do you mean ‘finally’? We still have food from last week.“ Matt points out, a slight frown on his face when he lifts his head from the book he’s reading.

“We ran out of coffee capsules, duh!“ Jess says as though she’s addressing the most obvious thing to a person with very low IQ.

Matt does the smart thing of rolling his eyes and returning to his book. Speaking of which, I’m sending another blessing to the Washingtons for having the GRAND library here. I know I would’ve gone nuts and murdered half of these bitches if I didn’t have a book or two to keep me busy. That’s how things are with me, I either have a book to read or I’m committing a murder rampage. No in-between, at least not with these people.

The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs attracts our attention. Mike, Mr. Golden Boy comes down the stairs and plops down next to Jess, wrapping his arm around here, “There better be some beer in there.” He winks at me. Yeah, that’s Mike alright - has his arm around one girl, winks at another.

“I swear to God, if you two try to have a sword fight with empty beer bottles again, one of you is getting sent to the cabin.“ Josh warns us, taking on the parent role for once.

“Whoa there, Dr. Phil! Send us to the ranch next, why don’t ya!“ I roll my eyes at him, seeing his expression beg to change into a smile at my joke while he’s trying to maintain his no-funny-business look.

“Can we go unbox these things already? My arms are dead by now.“ Sam complains and doesn’t wait for an answer from us as she takes off with a rather fast pace towards the kitchen.

Josh and I are quick to follow. Much to my dismay, in order to reach the kitchen, we have to pass by where Emily is sitting. Since I haven’t already put in a request for a restraining order against her, passing within grabbing distance of her is risky as all hell. But you know me, I love risks. Passing in front of her I get ballsy and even give her the finger as I go. 

“You’ll regret that, Y/N! You’ll fucking regret it!“ She calls after me in teasingly threatening manner that almost makes me chuckle, however I keep my features as still as the ones of a statue and I don’t turn back around.

Sam and Josh have already cut the boxes open and have started moving the products from the box onto the kitchen counter and island. I grab the box cutter from its spot near the sink and cut the box open as well. To Josh’s dismay but my incredible luck, there are indeed a few beer bottles in my box. I cheer silently as I take them to the cooler.

“You know, Sam...“ Josh’s voice interrupts the silence just as I’m about to close the cooler. I’m honestly intrigued by what he has to say to Sam, and eavesdropping might be wrong, but it’s not like the fuckers can’t see me standing five fucking feet away! - so I pretend I’m organizing the cooler so I don’t have to return to the center of the kitchen where the two of them are crouched by their packages. A quick look over my shoulder confirms that they are indeed having a *MOMENT*, one I wouldn’t want to interrupt.

“Yes, Josh?“ Sam responds, giving me an urge to go grab some popcorn before any more progression happens. I know these two have eyes for one another, but they are both massive hypocrites! The are doing the very thing they hold against Chris and Ashley: hiding their feelings. Since I’m Josh’s unlicensed and unpaid therapist, I have a bit more intel on what’s going on in his head. It’s basically: 30% what am I doing with my life; 30% I need a drink; 40% Sam. You’d be surprised if you knew how often he mentions her when he’s venting. I’ve encouraged him to make a move countless times but it’s like trying to talk me into not killing Mike - impossible.

“You could melt the snow outside.” It takes me all my might to hold back from facepalming. Oh God, if this is what he thinks I meant when I said ‘tell her how you feel‘ he couldn’t be more wrong.

“Ok, lovebirds!“ I have never been happier to hear Chris’ voice. He saved me the trouble of having to step in and end the awkwardness myself. I turn around with a what I hope is a casual and friendly and totally not distressed smile. Behind Chris stand Ashley and Mike. “Need any help?“

“Yeah, you guys could come in handy.“ I tell them, waving them over almost desperately, “Ok, one of you help me with the rest of the things in the box. The other two can organize the shit that’s on the counter.“

I duck back down to continue unboxing. There’s bags of dried fruit, tea, the coffee capsules Jess was talking about, some spices which I’m not sure why they’re there but I’m not complaining.

“Heard you needed help.“ Oh for fuck’s sake, Mike again. Why couldn’t it be Chris or Ashley, or Satan for that matter. I’m really not in the mood to be cleaning blood off the kitchen floor tiles.

I tilt my head to the side and it’s only then that I realize how close he is to me. My eyes immediately travel to where I left the box cutter. “Back it up, Michael, or....“ FUCK IT’S NOT THERE. I swear I left it there! Where the fuck is it?!

“Or what?“ He reads my confusion and holds up his hand that is holding the box cutter I’m searching for. I’m afraid the more time we spend under the same roof the more experience he’ll have in defending himself and disarming me.

“Motherfucker...“ I growl and grab the tea and coffee capsules and stand up, “It’s a pandemic, damn it. Six feet apart at all times, buddy. I wish you’d put a mask over that mug of yours too.“ I narrow my eyes as I look down at him, resisting the desire to kick him.

“Only if you were the mask.“ Oh this fucker...he even has the audacity to stand up and step closer. Why are the four other people not noticing this? Ok yeah, cause they don’t wanna be witnesses to the murder of their old class prez. I got it.

“Six feet apart or six feet under, Munroe. Your call.“ He cockily waves the box cutter, not as a threat but as a remainder that I don’t have a weapon. “Bold of you to assume I need that to kill you.“

“She could always snap your neck.“ Chris pipes in.

“Or poke your eyes out.“ Ash does too.

“Or strangle you.“ Sam adds.

“The latter doesn’t sound so bad...“ He smirks at me, earning himself mortified looks from the peanut gallery.

“I. Hear. FLIRTING.“ Jess’ voice cuts through the tension that has built up in the kitchen. Mike and I turn to the doorway simultaneously as well as every other head in the room.

There is Jess looking like a pissed off cartoon toddler - aka: my escape.

“And I hear the void calling me.“ I catch her off-guard and put the items I was carrying in her arms, “I better go see what it wants from me. Byeeee.“

I all but hightail it out of there. I mean, say what you want about Mike’s shitty personality, or lack of personality all-together, but the fucker’s got sexappeal. Not that I’d ever admit it or fall under its effects.

In the living room I find Hannah and Beth with no traces of Emily or Matt. I feel slightly relieved, to be perfectly honest. Seeing the perfect stress relieving opportunity, I sit down next to Beth on the couch and lie down, placing my head in her lap. “Hi!” I give her a cheeky smile.

“You’re the Devil.“ Beth mutters without giving me as much as a glance. I turn to wave at Hannah and that’s when I see the chess board set up on the coffee table. So that’s what she’s so focused on.

“Oh please, you’ll make me blush.“ I fake a giggle and blow her a kiss while she remains completely unbothered.

“Whatever’s going on over there - I DON’T LIKE IT!“ Josh says menacingly as him, Sam, Chris and Ashley enter the living room.

“ME NEITHER“ Oh no, that’s Emily’s voice. Her and Matt have just walked into the lodge after another stroll - they have those when they wanna make out in private. Speaking of making out, I don’t see Jess and Mike anywhere, much to my relief - one of them wants to kill me at the moment but they both wanna sleep with me too so you get why it’s a situation I’d like to avoid.

“No jealousy, guys, please. I love you all the same!“ I prep myself up in a half-sitting position to give them an apologetic but seductive look when a pillow whacks me in the face, “What the hell?!“

“I thought you loved me more!“ Beth barks back angrily.

Well, I’m in some serious trouble now. Not only is Beth DEADLY when angry, but she also has two siblings who are more than capable of kicking my ass.

“I do! I really do, Beth, I swear!“ My apologies are put to an end by another hit with a pillow. “You know I do!“ I sit up completely and turn to look at Beth who has turned the opposite direction. “Pwease?” I give her the best puppy-dog eyes I can pull of despite feeling utterly ridiculous.

“So you do have a favorite member after all? And it’s not me? Wow, Y/N.“ Ash glares at me as well, crossing her arms and also turning away from me.

“I SECOND THAT.“ Emily stomps her foot down and storms out of the room

Oh fuck.

“I do too, honestly. I’m really hurt, Y/N.“ Matt the person I can always trust to be on my side has turned his back to me in this time of need.

Oh fuck squared.

“You’re in some deep shit now.“ Hannah laughs almost evilly as she leans back in the armchair she’s sitting in.

“Josh, could you set something on fire again? Preferably me this time.“ I mutter with a monotone voice. I’d like to picture there’s a rain cloud above my head just pouring down on me. And zaps me with lightning every now and then for good measure.

“Nah, that’d be too easy on you.“ This motherfucker....

“Oh so you WANT me to tell a specific someone what you think and say about them when they aren’t around?“ I change the meaning of ‘death glare‘ with this look I give him. I’m sure that if I keep staring at him like this long enough I’ll burn holes into his skull.

After a few moments of still silence and intense glaring he finally breaks, “Alright fine, I’ll get the deodorant and lighter.“

I sigh in relief. I suppose there are worse ways to leave this world...

“No!“

“Don’t you dare!“

“No way!“

Beth, Ashley and Matt all jump up as soon as Josh gives any effort to stand up.

“Washington, I swear to God!“ There go Emily and Jess in sync again as they both enter the room armed. Jess is only in her underwear but we don’t talk about that. What’s important is that she’s carrying the box cutter from before while Emily is armed with a dull butter knife. Knowing how determined she can be, I wouldn’t underestimate her power due to the lack of sharpness to her weapon.

Josh is rightfully stunned by the sudden turn of events and sits his ass back down with hands raised in the air. I almost feel bad for him. Almost.

“Y’all love me!“ I smile at them, putting a hand over my heart.

Jess turns to me in a split-second, angry as fuck, and points the box cutter at me. “Y/N, I swear to God-”

“Alright, alright, alright...“ I too raise my hands in surrender.

This is how shit goes down over here. Just pure fucking CHAOS, a lot of drinking, flirting and sex jokes. And so much wondering how we’re all friends.

[amerie-wadia]

Release

For the prompt: "Shelby telling Toni it’s okay for her to make the first move sometimes and maybe being insecure that it seems like she’s the only one reaching out for physical contact but Toni just doesn’t want to scare her away."

hope you like it, anon :) click here to read on ao3

Shelby reached out—Shelby always reached out. Reached in the empty spaces between curls, between sun freckles, between moments of pure silence with ocean water spinning around them like a vortex. A hand to hold, a cheek to caress, lips to kiss. And Shelby stretched her arms out so far and so wide that she sometimes wondered if she could reach the edge of the earth, the point so deep into space that she lost it all. That maybe Toni would pull back when she pushed forward and they would collapse.

Sometimes Shelby wished Toni believed in God because it would make everything so much fucking easier. Or maybe harder, in certain ways.

There was nothing she could do to change the parts of Toni that felt distant and too different, scary and uncertain. Not that she would—she might. It was exhilarating being around someone so polar opposite to herself and to her life. Toni was everything Shelby wasn’t. Toni was selfless and reckless without guilt and soft like the underbelly of a cat. She would grin and blush when Shelby ran her fingertips from the tip of her jaw until they locked in a loop behind her ears to keep them both steady as she leaned in for a kiss.

It was the brightest rainbow Shelby had ever seen and it was sweeter than any candy she could name. It was Toni. It was incredible.

It was also a bit infuriating.

Not being Shelby didn’t like it, on the contrary, Shelby cherished every second she spent around Toni. The moments were fleeting at first: stolen kissed behind the trees and midnight whispers beneath the crackling fire and perilous sky. Overtime, as they opened up about their relationships and the days grew colder, the moments slowed to halt and paused the entire universe. Shelby could lay next to Toni, her hand draped over Toni’s waist, and it felt like hours. In some ways it was a comfort, in others a curse.

Because it always Shelby reaching out.

Perhaps it was a stupid thing to feel insecure about. And yet, she did. Toni never initiated anything. She never reached first or leaned in for the kiss, not physically nor emotionally. At first, she was simply following Shelby’s lead and it made sense, it was safe, it was everything Shelby needed. But it had been months and Shelby didn’t need that anymore. Not on the island, not with Toni.

And Toni still hesitated.

“You know, Toni,” she murmured one evening as they lay sprawled around each other as the sun set off in the distance. They had hidden away in the cave that night to get away from the others, to have some privacy. The girls were cool about everything, all the time, but that didn’t mean they wanted to be around the other every moment of the day. Shelby tightened her grip on Toni to try and pull Toni into her mind. “You can kiss me first.”

Toni tensed, flipped over so she was laying on her belly with more space between them suddenly than there had been in weeks.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to wreck the mood…I just,” Shelby trailed off, picking at the grass to distract her hands from reaching out. “I just want you know that you can, if you want to.”

Toni hummed, an indulgent agreement that clearly meant something different to Toni.

“It’s just that it’s always me, you know? Like I can do it all, if that’s how you want it. I just need to know that you still want it.”

“Want it? Of course I want it, Shelby,” Toni stated surely, meeting Shelby’s gaze with a heavy one of her own.

“It doesn’t always feel like you do anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

How was Toni not getting it, she had laid it all out quite explicitly.

“Don’t you ever get this crazy desire,” Shelby began, looking up at the sky so nothing in her peripherals could cloud her fantasies, “to just reach out and hold my hand? Or kiss me in front of everybody. Dive into a bush or something?”

“You want us to dive into a bush.”

“You’re not listening to me,” Shelby reprimanded, shifting her gaze back to Toni who looked far too amused to be paying attention to what Shelby was feeling.

“I’m listening,” Toni said, more softly than before without the flicker of humor her voice normally held. Toni shuffled sand around in her palm and Shelby didn’t understand why she couldn’t just reach out and hold Shelby’s hand instead.

“I don’t know how to say this without feeling really stupid.”

“Nothing you say sounds stupid.”

Warmth. Light. Weight. Heart. This was still Toni, still the only thing in the world that could ever make her feel so at home in herself and in the world. She sighed and took a moment to process her next words.

“Before we were together, I always thought that you…” Toni’s eyes narrowed in confusion and intrigue and Shelby paused, not liking the words floating around her head. She needed to be gentler—why are you so scared to initiate anything? “Are you comfortable, like, with us?”

“Of course, I’m comfortable with us. Where is this coming from?” The sand dropped between her fingers and Shelby wanted to hold her hand but it felt like she would stop herself from asking what needed to be addressed.

“You promise?”

“I swear.”

“And you still want this?”

“Shelby,” Toni whispered, the raspy and musky voice that could set Shelby’s heart on fire if she didn’t tread lightly.

“I’m serious. If you ever don’t want this, everything will be okay. I don’t want you to feel trapped, or like if you ever need some space that everything will be awkward and it’s a small island and—,”

“Shelby,” Toni interrupted, still keeping her distance but her eyes were wide and full and she looked a bit afraid. The sky was getting darker and Shelby realized suddenly that they had missed the green light. “I want to be with you.”

“Then, baby,” Shelby tried to keep her voice gentle and steady because she felt overwhelmed and somehow already on the verge of tears. Maybe if she started crying then Toni would reach out and wipe her tears away. Or hold back. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re asking me what’s wrong? Shelby, are you okay?”

“Stop deflecting everything I say!”

It was louder and more spiteful than she intended and Toni tensed again, inched back subconsciously.

“I didn’t mean to yell.”

“It’s fine.”

“No, Toni. It’s not fine. It’s not fucking fine if I yell at you!” The yelling might have been contradictory but Toni needed the banging of a gong to feel the rise and fall of her chest sometimes. “You stand up to everything but me.”

“I don’t need to stand up to you anymore, you don’t do anything to hurt me.”

“Then why can’t you trust me?”

Toni’s jaw didn’t actually drop like a cartoon character’s often would, but Shelby could see her jaw fall inside her cheeks and the spark in her eyes dim.

“What?”

“Why don’t you trust me, Toni?”

“I trust you.”

“Then come to me,” Shelby cooed, finally letting herself reach out and hold onto her girlfriend. She let her hands graze Toni’s shoulders and dance up her neck to cup her jaw. “Why are you still holding back?”

Toni opened her mouth to say something but just as quickly she closed it and shrugged, her eyes flitting between Shelby’s and the sand below them.

“Promise me again that you still want this.”

“I promise,” Toni whispered.

“Then tell me what’s wrong. Tell me what’s going on in here,” she pleaded, letting one hand caress Toni’s forehead.

“I know how hard it can be,” Toni started and Shelby crept closer to show Toni she was really listening. “The pressure and figuring it all out and the worry and I just…I just want you to be able to let it all go and know that whatever you want, you can have.”

“Toni.”

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t to, be anybody but yourself. Not with me.”

“And I think I’ve shown you that,” Shelby explained, loving the feeling of Toni’s own hands reaching out to wrap around Shelby, turning them both so they lay on their sides facing each other instead of brushing beside each other. Shelby tugged them closer by the straps of Toni’s top.

“You have. I mean that, I just never want you to feel like you have to do things for me that you don’t want to do.”

“Like what?” Shelby asked, hearing a teasing tone enter her voice, “Hold your hand?”

Toni shrugged.

“Maybe.”

“I always want to touch you,” Shelby whispered, brushing her hands across Toni’s skin like a paintbrush. “To kiss you.” She pressed her lips on Toni’s cheeks close enough to her lips that they floated closer into each other’s gravity but not close enough to make it stick. “You can come to me first, if you want.”

“I know.”

“I promise, I’ll tell you if there’s something I don’t feel comfortable with.”

“Promise?” Toni asked, eyes hopeful.

“Only if you’ll do the same.”

“Promise.”

“Good, then I promise too,” Shelby announced proudly, pressing her lips against Toni’s this time. She could feel Toni melting beneath her and she moved her arms from Toni’s neck to her waist to bring them chest to chest. Toni wiggled happily beside her, warm and electric as always. When they parted her cheeks were flooded in pink. “You make me feel safe, Toni. You’re the only person who has ever made me feel this way.”

“You make me feel, uh, safe too.” Her face had gone red and it was so endearing Shelby could almost scream. Instead she buried her head in Toni’s neck and let herself shut her eyes.

“We need to getaway more often.”

“How will be ever find a good sitter for the kids, though?” Toni teased. Shelby chuckled and broke out of Toni’s embrace long enough to kiss her forehead and tug Toni against her chest. Toni nestled against her instantly.

“We’re good.”

“Yeah, we’re good,” Toni agreed, pressing a feather-kiss against Shelby’s wrist.

It was small, but it was a start.

[baekhypnotized]

daddy’s little boy

ღ Genre: fluff, family au, daddy baekhyun

ღ Pairing: Baekhyun, You and Hyunnie

ღ Summary: Baekhyun was busy with work when suddenly you came with your son to surprise him. 

ღ A/N: I was inspired with the preview of Baekhyun with a small kid during his schedule with TirTir!! This prompt came in my mind and I can’t handle myself from the fluffness so I decide to write it!! Hope you guys enjoy it!! 

ღ  Word count: 3,408 words

It had been days since Baekhyun came home late almost every day because he’s busy with his schedules. He will leave the house early in the morning and come home when it already passes the bedtime. Why? It was because he feels really bad these days in which he didn’t spend much time with his son, Dohyun. And the only way for him to bask in the guiltiness, he would try to avoid leaving and coming back home when he’s widely awake. As he couldn’t bear to look into his sparkling and adorable eyes that will make him weak. 

On the other hand, Dohyun is such a cheerful and bubbly boy just like his daddy. The cute smile never fails to appear across his face that will make his cheeks bulge into mochis. But, being the only child and baby in the family makes him feel sad knowing that Baekhyun spends less time with him now. Although he was told many times that Baekhyun will try hard to complete all his works fast to play with him.

But within these days too, Dohyun acts pretty much upset because he missed Baekhyun too much. You couldn’t do anything, even when you tried to cheer him up, the same pouty lips will come out as he’s demanding for his daddy. 

Baekhyun’s name doesn’t stop from leaving this little child’s lips. Even when Baekhyun called him during his short break, Dohyun insisted to stay silent most of the time and simply stared at the phone’s screen that revealed Baekhyun's face. Then you finally realise that even though a lot of people say that most of the sons would like to be pampered by their mothers but it’s wrong. Because right now, Dohyun missed his daddy so much. 

A new day finally begins as the sun rays slowly penetrate through the blinds to lit up the master bedroom. You slowly toss around to check on Dohyun, who’s still silently asleep and you see that Baekhyun is finally awake from his deep sleep too. He abruptly sits up with his eyes slightly open, also with his messy bedridden hair. He rubs the back of his nape a few times as he yawns softly. You are tittering quietly seeing how cute he looks especially when he wakes up. 

Baekhyun’s doing nothing except sitting and when he begins to blink his eyes a few times, he turns towards his side as a soft smile creeps on his face when he sees you looking at him. “Good morning, babe,” He greets, bending forward to give you a short peck on your lips before he kisses your crown. You simply hum, turning your body sideways as you support your head with your elbow propping your hand. 

“How’s your sleep?” You ask him with such an endearing tone. A clear yet soft sigh can be heard coming from him when Baekhyun threads his hair with his fingers. He doesn’t need to reply to me when I already got the answer to my question.  

Then, Baekhyun faces Dohyun who’s sleeping at the middle of the bed with his parted lips. He brings his fingers to caress Dohyun’s cheek softly. As your heart feels so full seeing the moment of your husband and son, the expression that Baekhyun gives, makes you worry. 

“Hey… You okay, baby? Is there anything that you want to share with me?” You place your hand on his shoulder and pat it a few times. He just shakes his head, keeping his stare locked on the small figure. 

“I just-,” Baekhyun stops for a second, caressing Dohyun’s hair before he gathers all his strength to continue, “I felt so bad right now because I’ve been busy lately and when he keeps on saying that he’s missing me, it hurts me so much, baby…” He softly sighs as his tears start brimming in his eyes. “I promised to him that I’m going to spend much time with him after my job is done but he seems…” His voice begins to choke a bit, “disappointed.”

“Baekhyun…” You sit up with your legs crossed as you face him. Cupping his cheeks with your hands and you say, “Look at me.” He slowly moves his gaze to look at your eyes and you can see how his eyes are glassy with tears. “He will never be disappointed with you. He understands that you’re sacrificing everything for the sake of us.” You brush his cheek with your thumb, grazing it in circles. 

He doesn’t speak and instead, he keeps his lips tightly shut. “Dohyun is really proud of you and yes, although he’s longing for you, he will never stop loving you because you’re his father.” You try to comfort him from all his worries and when Baekhyun’s lips stretch into a thin smile, you lean closer to give him a kiss. “We love you, daddy. Always and forever will.” 

Baekhyun softens when the word ‘daddy’ comes out from your mouth. He nuzzles his nose with yours that causes you to giggle softly as it tickles. And again, he seals the lips back again before Dohyun starts to toss and turn, which makes the two of you abruptly pull away from the kiss. Both of you are grateful that the rustling sound that you both made didn’t wake him up. 

He stretches his body towards the little boy, he caresses his hair before planting a kiss on the top of his head. Then, he nuzzles his nose to inhale the sweet heavenly scent of his baby and once again Baekhyun kisses Dohyun’s small lips. “I promise that I’ll be home very soon, okay? Hyunnie gonna be a good boy to mommy, right?” He lightly taps the cute button nose that makes the boy scrunch it. “Daddy loves you so much, baby.”

Hearing him whispering to your son causes you to tear up a bit. Despite his hectic and pack schedule, you know that Baekhyun couldn’t stop thinking about you and the little bundle of joy. 

“I’m gonna have a quick shower because I have one last shooting today.”

I was about to get off from the bed when suddenly Baekhyun stops me as he asks, “Where are you going?”

“Making you breakfast. Why? You can’t just leave the house with an empty stomach, Baek. You’re gonna get caught with a tummy ache. Let me do at least waffles or pancakes for you, mhm?” You insist on doing it since it’s your job as his wife but as predicted, he once again stops you by placing his hands on your shoulders.

“Don’t worry ‘bout me, okay? I’ll just grab some coffee and sandwiches on my way. You don’t want to wake up our little monster, right?” Baekhyun smiles, his tone was soft with his eyes expressing such an endearing gaze. Without trying to fight with him, you comply as he comes closer to you to plant a kiss on your forehead, your hand placed on top of his. 

Baekhyun pulls away from you and before he’s going to leave to take a shower, he leans his body to give one last kiss on Dohyun’s kiss. But this time, he almost wakes him up. Being such an alert daddy, he quickly makes hushes sound and at the same time, he pats the little boy’s small bum. Dohyun lets out a faint whine as he tosses around on the bed. You were afraid if he would wake up in such a bad mood but grateful that your husband manages to calm him down back to sleep. 

You couldn’t stop smiling the entire time seeing him patting your son even though he’s already late for his work. Only a few tasks left and he is finally able to come home with such a delightful smile on his face. Knowing that the two of his precious gifts will safely be in his embrace because, at the end of the day, the three of you are gonna be together, that was called home.

Dohyun woke up when Baekhyun’s already gone for work. You were folding the clean clothes when the little one finally woke up with such messy hair, with his tiny hand rubbing his eye. Chuckling over the adorable sight of your son, you waited for him to wake up fully when the first thing he did was searching around the big master bedroom, searching for someone. Deep inside, you knew he was searching for him. He then crawled towards you, landing his head on your thighs. 

You caress his hair from covering his forehead. “Good morning my little monster!!” Your hands start to tickle Dohyun’s tummy and attack his face with endless kisses. The boy is literally giggling loudly, his face shines the brightest as he’s trying to push away your hands from him. You can hear him calling for you in between his waves of laughter but you insist to continue. He even tried to get away from you but you manage to get a hold of him. “You’re not gonna run away from mommy, Hyunnie!!” 

When he started to feel tired, you let him go with giving one last kiss on his sweaty forehead. “Now you’re stinky, baby. Let’s have a bath, shall we?” Dohyun definitely understands the cue for taking a bath because he loves to play around in the water. And most of the time, Baekhyun would accompany and play along with him. Then, you lift him in the air and carry him to the bathroom for the morning bath session. 

Right after you help him wear his clothes, the two of you went downstairs and decided to spend the free time in the living room while you’re waiting for the right time to prepare lunch. The television is airing Hyunnie’s favourite cartoon series and you join him too. He sits on the playmat, toys in his hands but his eyes glued on the screen and you, on the other hand, laying on the couch as you amuse seeing how focused your son is watching the tv. 

Watching Dohyun reminds you of Baekhyun. What is he doing? Has he grabbed his lunch? Is he doing well with his shooting? You suddenly miss and worry about him at the same time. He said he would text you but he hasn’t replied to yours. Suddenly, something pops up in your mind just like your bulb lights up instantly. 

“Hyunnie,” You softly call the smaller one that causes him to tilt his head to look at you. Sitting up from your lying position, you pat your thigh a few times to invite Dohyun to sit on your lap as he obeys. He waits patiently for you to speak, tilting his head sideways curiously. “Baby, do you miss daddy?” The boy nods his head a few times, his lips turn into a pout. You tap the button of his nose lightly, “Then, how about we go and visit him today? Do you want to meet daddy?” His pupils dilate bigger, sparkling with cuteness overload.

“Should we make rice rolls for daddy too? Will Hyunnie help mommy?” 

“Yes yes!!” He chants, making you pepper his cheek with kisses. Giggling softly, you pinch his nose lightly as you pat a few times on his bums. 

“Let’s go and make some food for daddy!” You peck his lips before the two of you head towards the kitchen. You ask Dohyun to sit at the dining table first as he sits on his own chair. After giving him some snacks and banana milk to distract himself, you start preparing the ingredients for the rice rolls since you want to prevent the boy from getting into a small accident during the preparation. 

After everything is all prepared, you bring them to the front where Dohyun is already clapping in cheerfulness because you’re pretty sure he’s excited to help you. Especially when he knows the two of you going to visit his daddy. He helps you to arrange and roll them, also in decorating the lunch box. “Hyunnie, which lunch box do you want to use? A cute doggie or panda?” You show him the two different designs of lunchboxes. He has his lips turn into a pout when he’s thinking before he points out his index finger at the printed lunch box with dog design. Dipping for a kiss on his chubby cheek, you let him decorate it with the rice rolls that you both made.

Once you confirm with Baekhyun’s manager that you guys can pay a surprise visit, Manager Noh tells you the details about their whereabouts. The two of you are pretty excited to meet him and right after the meals for lunch are ready, you quickly bring the little boy to change his clothes before you change yours. Throughout the changing process, he couldn’t stop telling you that he has many stories to tell Baekhyun.

“Mommy, Hyunnie wants to tell daddy about a big dinosaur!!”

“Mommy, mommy!! Daddy loves Hyunnie’s rice rolls, right?”

“Mommy! Hyunnie wants daddy.”

Seems like the smaller one is super excited to meet his daddy. So as you.

“Hyunnie,” You help him unbuckle his seatbelt, lifting him from his kid’s seat as you put him on the ground. “Daddy doesn’t know we’re here, okay? Once you found him, give him the biggest hug and kisses, okay baby?” Dohyun nods his head with an elated face. You kiss his forehead before you continue, “also, Hyunnie needs to behave too. Hyunnie is mommy’s and daddy’s good boy, right?” And again he bobs. 

“Mommy faster!! Hyunnie wants to meet daddy!!” You’re about to lock the car when your son already pulls your hand to enter the building. Nonchalantly, you chuckle in amusement and know how Dohyun’s anticipation is similar to Baekhyun. Your boys have low patience in waiting.

Dohyun’s hand is securely in your hold as you have the lunchbox on the other hand. Both of you stride into the lift, bringing you guys to the floor where Baekhyun is. The excitement that you have right now is quite the same as the little boy. This is the first time you’re doing a surprise visit in the entire time you know Baekhyun and it’s extra special since you’re bringing your firstborn together with you. 

As the two of you arrive at the venue, there are quite an amount of people in the spacious room. Lights every corner, advance cameras too and you can see Baekhyun’s standing as he poses in the middle of the room. He looks elegant and charming every time he strictly focuses on his work. He exudes dominance and cuteness at the same time. And it’s like destiny, Baekhyun’s wearing a blue shirt with black pants, matching with a darker cardigan and Dohyun wears the same colour too. 

You guys sneak in quietly through the staff, hoping that Baekhyun wouldn’t see the two of you. After greeting Manager Noh, he gives us the cue to butt into the photo shooting session, in which Dohyun immediately runs towards his daddy with his cute little feet. 

“Daddy!!!” Dohyun calls him with such a loud voice, his arms spread wide as he’s already giggling in happiness. Shock appears on Baekhyun’s face but in a split of a second, he squats and ready to invite his son. Dohyun comes running into his embrace as Baekhyun hugs him tightly, peppering his face with endless kisses. The little boy’s giggles brighten up the whole place, making everyone witness such a loving moment between a father and a son.

“Hey my little champion,” He mutters and pecks Dohyun’s lips. “Oh my, daddy misses you too much, Hyunnie.”

“Hyunnie misses you too, daddy!” The little boy has his hands cup Baekhyun’s cheeks. Baekhyun smiles fondly, connecting their foreheads together before he kisses the boy’s nose. 

“Did you come here with mommy, baby? Where is she?” Baekhyun asks his son. Dohyun turns around and points towards you who was standing with the staff with such teary eyes. You lift your hand slightly, whispering a ‘hi’ to him. He chuckles with so much love and once again, he plants a kiss on Dohyun’s cheeks before he cups them. 

“Hyunnie made rice rolls for daddy!!” Dohyun informs him. 

“Really? No wonder daddy smells something delicious!! Should we go and eat with mommy too?” He asks as he receives multiple nods from the boy. Baekhyun holds Dohyun’s hand and the two of them walk towards you. Manager Noh told you that he’s almost finished with his task so the three of you are able to spend some time during his break. 

“Hello, mommy,” Baekhyun greets, slipping his hand around your waist as he plants a quick yet passionate kiss on your lips that make you smile in contentment.

“Let’s eat! We brought lunch for you too,” The three of you pace into an empty room where Baekhyun would get ready for his shooting. You place the lunchbox on the table as Baekhyun settles down on the couch with Dohyun’s on his lap. The kid doesn’t stop clinging with his daddy and you can see how much he’s been missing Baekhyun. 

The moment you open the lid, Baekhyun awes in astonishment, “Wow! Hyunnie did all of this for daddy?” Baekhyun looks at him as Dohyun nods with such a sweet smile. He picks up the chopsticks and gives a bite, showing an amaze and yummy tone to indicate how scrumptious the rice rolls are. The little boy already has his hands clap because he’s happy. You can witness such an adorable moment of your favourite boys, feeding each other. 

“Mommy, say Aaahh!!” Dohyun instructs you while Baekhyun prepares to feed you. You comply as your husband feeds you with the rice roll. While eating, Dohyun literally tells him everything that he’s been wanting to say and Baekhyun listens to him wholeheartedly. You also immerse yourself in the little boy’s stories. 

“Daddy’s going to bring Hyunnie and mommy for a holiday! Does Hyunnie want to follow?” Baekhyun questions him.

Dohyun’s expression lit up brightly with a wide smile spread across his face, “Yes yes!! Hyunnie loves holidays!!” Baekhyun leans to smash the boy’s cheek with ticklish kisses. Dohyun tries to run away from him and your husband places him on the ground before he leaves the two of you to go somewhere.

“How are you, mommy?” He slides his fingers to intertwine with yours, you place your head comfortably on his shoulder. 

“Just good. How about you? Is everything going well? I heard that you’re almost done with it,” You reply and he simply nods his head. After a few minutes being alone with Baekhyun, you start to worry about Dohyun. Trying to peek your head from the room, you suddenly chuckle in disbelief as Baekhyun looks at you curiously.

“Why are you chuckling, babe?” He asks as you show him towards the crowd where you can see your little boy is surrounded by the staff, probably conversing with them using his overload cuteness charm. Baekhyun elicits a soft chuckle too. 

“Seems like your son is such a charmer.”

You scoff when you listen to his statement, “His your doppelganger and that’s mean he got that trait from you, daddy.” You giggle, answering him with a playful and mocking tone. He glares at you as he pinches your waist, causing you to shriek in surprise. The two of you enjoy in the silence, feeling content seeing the little boy having so much fun. Also with the smile that etched on his face when he met Baekhyun. 

“God, I can’t imagine if we have a girl like just look at how attached and clingy our Hyunnie is, especially when you’re not around.” You mutter as Baekhyun grazes your hand with his thumb in circles. “If we have one, I bet she will be sulking with you like forever and you’ll get into trouble to coax the little princess.” 

“Babe.” He calls you and you lift your head upwards to look at him. 

“Since Hyunnie almost turns four…” He murmurs, his other hand safely landed on your thigh that instantly makes you shiver. Then, you can sense that his moving towards you as you’re guessing he tries to hover on top of you. You stop him by placing your hand on his chest, glaring at him before he continues.

“How about we give Hyunnie a younger sibling?” He recommends an idea with a smug smirk on his face.  

Do like or reblog if you like this prompt!! Thank you for reading!! :D

[loftec]

Hi! in this prompt, could we know about Mickey's ex boyfriend or something? I think his name was Matt?

thank you for participating + pre NTW - Mickey's POV 👀

Anon: tell us about Matt

Yevgeny: his name was Mark

Mickey, pinching the bridge of his nose: Martin, and no. I’m not gonna tell you about Martin.

Narrator: little did Mickey know that he had zero say on the matter, let’s goooo.

April 13, 2013. Saturday.

Mickey is just off the L when his phone rings. For a moment, he considers ignoring the buzzing in his pocket as he lights up a cigarette and bounds down the metal steps. The list of people likely to call him is very limited, and most of that list is very welcome to fuck off to voicemail on a Saturday evening. Work can fuck off, telemarketers can doubly fuck off. On this particular Saturday, even his extended family can fuck off. It might be Martin, wondering where he is, but he can quite frankly also fuck off, seeing as Mickey is no more than five minutes away from their agreed rendezvous.

That only leaves one, and the thought alone is enough for Mickey to step out of the flow of people rushing to and from the platform, and check the damned call. Seeing the ID, he quickly picks up, pressing the phone to his ear.

”What the fuck?” he asks, unsure if he should be annoyed or alarmed and figuring this would best cover a bit of both.

”Hey dad,” his son says, unexpectedly.

”Yev?” Mickey says, inching towards annoyed. At least his son is unharmed enough to dial a phone, so it can’t be too bad. ”What’s wrong? Where’s Sonya?”

”She’s right here,” Yevgeny says, he sounds fine, normal, good, ”we can’t find the cake poking thing.”

Staring at the empty space in front of him, Mickey feels the rest of his mood swan dive head-first into annoyed. ”The what?”

”The thing we use to poke cakes, to check if they’re done? We can’t find it and we need it, the cake is almost done.”

Taking the forgotten cigarette from his lips, Mickey angles the burning end away from his face as he rubs at the deep line between his eyebrows.

”Kid,” he says, trying to sound calm, ”give the phone to Sonya.”

There are some muffled noises over the line, and then Mickey can hear his son’s distant voice. ”He wants to talk to you.”

”Hey Mickey,” Sonya comes on, breezy as anything. ”Is it supposed to be in the cutlery drawer? Been rifling through that thing for a good minute already.”

”Are you fucking kidding me?”

”What? It’s not such a weird guess, is it? I’d say it’s cutlery adjacent at least.”

”I’ve been outta the fucking house for less than forty minutes!” Mickey says, calmly. He is absolutely not screeching loud enough to have people on the street give him concerned looks. ”And you call me about some fucking–, I don’t have anything like that! Who has a thing specifically for poking cakes?!”

”Oh please,” Sonya scoffs. ”Plenty people do, you being one of them!”

He wants to point out that this is categorically not what he meant when he said ’call me if there’s an emergency’, but he’s got a feeling that this is only going to get him into an argument about the definition of ’emergency’ that he’s not going to win, and besides, he’s got bigger fish to fry right now.

”I absolutely do fucking not!” he splutters, glaring at a couple throwing him side-eye as they rush past him. ”Are you outta your mind?”

”I know you have one, because I gave it to you,” Sonya says, clanking sounds in the background from where she’s still presumably rifling through Mickey’s shit. ”Remember? When you moved in? I got it in Sweden when I was visiting for my cousin’s wedding. It was hand crafted, Mickey, you better not have thrown it out!”

”That thing?” Mickey balks, smoothly electing to not point out that they both know Sonya came home from her trip with like ten of those in her luggage and then spent the next two years giving them to all her friends and family whenever she’d forgot about getting gifts for an occasion. ”I stuck it in Merida.”

The silence on the other end of the line is palpable, and it takes a second for Mickey to hear what he just said.

”Who is Merida, and do I want to know why you stuck my hand-carved Swedish cake poker in her?”

Mickey sighs, and decides that he doesn’t have to answer that. He can try, at least. ”Tell Yev it’s in Merida.”

”I most certainly will not tell your sweet summer child that you’ve stuck the cake poker in–,” her increasingly high pitched voice abruptly falls to a hiss, ”–Merida, who is Merida?”

Luckily, Mickey can hear his son in the background, saving him from having to explain. ”It’s this thing?”

There’s another silence, Mickey takes the opportunity to smoke and accept the inevitable.

”Two questions,” Sonya says, her usual good humor back in her voice. ”One, you stuck my hand-carved Swedish souvenir in a potted plant? And two, you named the plant Merida?”

”It’s cartoon character–,” Mickey starts, before realizing what he’s saying and cutting himself off, ”I didn’t name it, obviously.”

”But you still call it by its name.”

”Whatever,” Mickey blows out a puff of smoke and can’t help smiling. Sometimes he just has to stop and take stock of how fucking ridiculous his life has turned out. And how much he fucking likes it, despite himself. ”Congratulations, you found it. Any other emergency you needed me for, or can I get back to my–”

He swallows, catching himself mid-sentence, suddenly unsure of how he intended to end it.

”–thing.”

”You’re there already?” Sonya asks, sounding genuinely remorseful now. ”Sorry, you left so late I thought for sure you’d missed the train and would still be en route, or I wouldn’t have told Yev to call. How’s the date going?”

Mickey swallows again, throat dry. He starts walking down the street in the direction of the bar.

”It’s fine, still on the way,” he says, ”and it’s not a date.”

”Like heck it isn’t,” Sonya tuts, ”you’re out on a Yev weekend for the first time since I’ve known you, and I saw that shirt you’re wearing.”

He runs a hand self-consciously along his belt, his button-down still tucked in and in place. He refuses to worry about it.

”You looked good, Mickey, I meant to tell you,” Sonya continues, and she doesn’t even sound like she’s teasing anymore which Mickey knows even less how to handle. ”And you’re undeniably on a date.”

”Shut up,” Mickey mutters and smiles to himself when Sonya laughs. Feeling a little more himself, he chucks his cigarette to the curb and stops to look across the road at his destination. ”Maybe.”

He hadn’t really considered the possibility, before Martin asked him. But the sex was always good, they got along really well, and when Martin looked up at him from his bed as Mickey was pulling on his jeans, his hair rumpled and lips still shiny, and asked if he wanted to go to some kind of hipster showcase gig together, Mickey had barely even hesitated.

”About time, too,” Sonya says. ”Was starting to think the guy wasn’t all there, taking his sweet time. Maybe he was waiting for you to ask.”

”Ey,” Mickey shakes his head, ”it’s only been a couple of months.”

”Try six! That’s half of a whole year.”

”Try minding your own fucking business,” Mickey says and frowns. Maybe it has been that long since the first time they hooked up, but it’s not like they’ve been fucking on the regular the whole time since then.

”Just happy for you, Mickey,” Sonya says, like it’s an easy thing for her to say. ”You like him, right?”

He doesn’t say yes, but he doesn’t outright deny it either, which probably tells Sonya everything she needs to know.

”Gotta go,” he says instead, ”and don’t call me again unless it’s an actual fucking emergency. See you tomorrow.”

Not waiting to see if she’s got something to say to that, he hangs up and shoves the phone back into his pocket. Staring at the unassuming building across the street, he allows himself a moment to take it all in. He’s just casing the joint before he enters, it’s normal fucking behavior. He isn’t stalling.

It doesn’t look too busy from the outside, there’s no line, and no bouncer or guard by the propped open double doors. The walls of the building are littered with layers of posters, on both sides of the doors and across the covered windows. Not much can be seen through the doors from his vantage point, but he assumes that it’s a front room leading to whatever’s going on inside the building.

There’s a guy standing off to the side of the doors, smoking. He’s got a lanyard shoved down his back pocket, ID badge dangling in clear sight. Most likely someone working at the bar, out on a break. His shoulders are hunched and he’s got a phone clutched to his ear, head bent and lips pressed together in a thin line. He nods at whatever is being said to him over the phone. Mickey looks up at the worn sign above the door.

”Fuck it,” Mickey mutters and, pushing aside the last of his niggling doubt, makes his way across the street and through the doors. It’s dark enough inside that his eyes need a second to adjust, before he quickly orients himself and heads toward the noise and lights leaking out from behind a set of swing doors beyond the coat check.

”Excuse me!” someone pipes up behind him, and he turns back to raise his eyebrows at the girl standing behind a counter by the entrance. ”We’ve got a showcase tonight, you need to buy a ticket.”

She makes an apologetic face as Mickey gets closer and pulls out his wallet.

”25,” she says when he gives her a questioning look.

”Christ,” he mutters, but forks over the money. ”This better be good.”

”We’ve got a really exciting lineup tonight, all local acts,” she says, obviously relieved now that he’s payed and she can tuck away his hard earned cash in her little lock box. ”I’m hoping I can take a break soon so I can sneak a peak of the headliner.”

She winks at him as she hands over a ticket, and he has zero fucking clue what he’s supposed to do with any of that.

”Okay?” he says and accepts the ticket. ”What’s this for? I’m already here.”

”In case you want to go in and out,” she says, and then tacks on when she seems to remember something she’s supposed to say; ”there’s no smoking in the venue.”

Mickey shrugs and pockets the ticket, biting back the urge to tell her that there’s no fucking smoking anywhere these days, thank you very much. The girl is still smiling at him when he turns his back on her and heads for the bar.

”Have fun!”

Finally inside, the place seems to be a collection of smaller rooms with some walls knocked down to make a larger, oddly shaped space. The bar is crowded, three bartenders moving around each other and pouring drinks in the narrow space behind it, and all the tables tucked away in the dark half-room next to it seem occupied. In the main room, Mickey finds the small, raised stage with a bigger crowd gathered in front of it. There’s a guy on stage, talking about something and looking like he’s about to cry while getting thoroughly ignored by a majority of his audience.

Mickey included, when he spots Martin a bit to the left of the stage. He’s talking to a couple of people he must have met in the crowd, smiling in that carefree way of his, eyes squeezed together and head tossed back when he laughs. He seems to do that a lot, laugh and talk and make friends wherever he goes. Open about himself in casual throw-away lines as he lets Mickey into his apartment, takes his clothes off, catching his breath, seeing Mickey off again. It’s nice seeing him out here, in the real world.

Maybe this could work. Mickey really should have tried harder to be on time, leaving your date to make new friends while he waits for you to show up seems like a bad move, now that he thinks about it.

Shit. Here goes nothing.

”Hey!” Martin exclaims, face lighting up with a wide smile when Mickey walks into his line of sight. He doesn’t sound upset, really doesn’t look it either when he pulls Mickey in for a quick kiss. It’s over before Mickey’s had the chance to do much else than blink in surprise.

”I’m late,” he acknowledges and hopes Martin will take the attempt at an apology for what it is.

”It’s fine,” Martin gins at him, tilting his head in the direction of the stage, ”you haven’t missed anything good.”

”– have you ever noticed that?” the guy on stage mutters into the microphone, ”I mean–, uh, I’ve noticed, that–, sometimes–”

Tuning the guy out again, Mickey looks past his date at the two people still standing on his other side, regarding them curiously.

”We got a problem?” he asks them, raising his eyebrows further when the woman just smiles at him.

”Oh,” Martin says, angling himself so the four of them make a little semi-circle in the crowd. ”My friends, Nora, Ethan, this is Mickey.”

Mickey stares at the side of Martin’s face for a moment, before he notices Ethan’s outstretched hand. He feels confused enough to grab it in a quick handshake. The woman, Nora, just keeps smiling.

”Nice to meet you, Mickey,” she says, clearly hiding something. People generally aren’t this smiley without an agenda, in Mickey’s experience.

”Sure,” Mickey says, glancing at Martin for some clue as to what he’s supposed to do now.

”You wanna go get yourself a drink?” Martin asks, pointing in the direction of the bar. ”This comedy train wreck should be over soon, hopefully.”

”Sure,” Mickey says again, wrong-footed by the whole odd situation and frustrated with himself for not being able to shake the feeling that he’s made a huge mistake.

”Go with him!” Nora says, making Martin take a half-step closer to Mickey by shoving lightly at his shoulder. ”We’ll save the spot.”

She gives Martin a pointed look and some kind of silent communication seems to happen between them, ending with her looking victorious and Martin dropping his head back with an exaggerated sigh. Then he turns to Mickey and playfully gestures for him to lead the way.

”Sorry about her,” he says once they’ve reached the bar, leaning in closer to speak directly into Mickey’s ear. The warmth of his breath makes the hairs on his neck stand on end. ”I keep telling her to back off, but she’s got it in her head that we’re doing something we’re not.”

Mickey swallows and turns his head to look at Martin when he leans back.

”And what are we doing?” he asks, and he doesn’t realize how it sounds until he sees Martin’s gobsmacked expression.

He lets out a startled laugh. ”Are we really gonna talk about this now? Here?”

And technically, Mickey agrees with him. He really doesn’t want to have the ’what are we’ conversation, and he definitely doesn’t want to have it now, here. But he’s already said it, and now he needs to know.

”Maybe,” he says and frowns when Martin just stares at him for a moment.

”I don’t know?” Martin eventually says. ”We have fun, right? I didn’t think you wanted it to be more than that?”

Mickey can barely hear his own thoughts over the noise from the bar, but he can practically feel his heartbeat in his throat. ”Do you?”

Martin makes a pained face, like it’s an involuntary reaction to the mere idea, before he shrugs helplessly and gives Mickey an uncertain smile.

”We don’t really have anything in common, Mickey,” he says. ”I don’t know, I just don’t see it going anywhere.”

”Thank you for participating,” the guy on stage says, his voice louder and verging on hysterical. It gives Mickey a reason to look away from Martin’s face for a second, hating the sympathetic twist to his lips. He feels like a fool.

”You suck!” someone yells in the audience.

”Yeah? Right back at you buddy!”

”Get off the stage!”

”Sure,” Mickey says, and nods. ”No, sure. You’re right.”

”Sorry?” Martin says and grins when Mickey rolls his eyes. ”And we can still have fun, right? Hey, I’ll buy you a drink! What do you want?”

”Anything, a beer,” Mickey tries to focus on Martin, on the list of prices pinned to the wall behind the bar, but there is suddenly too much noise, too many people, too much… stuff. ”I just gotta–”

He doesn’t know what he’s trying to say, so he stops. He doesn’t know what he wants, but getting out of this room would be a good start.

Martin looks confused, and then tuts reproachfully when Mickey pulls out his pack of smokes and gestures in the direction of the doors. He hates it when Mickey smokes, always makes him brush his teeth before they do anything. Guess that’s another thing they don’t have in common. Mickey hadn’t given it much thought.

He leaves Martin by the bar to fend for the bartender’s attention on his own and goes back outside, ignoring the surprised look on the girl by the door when he strides past her. Once outside, he’d hoped the fresh air and relative silence would knock him back on track, but it doesn’t. Everything is exactly the same, only now he can add ’running away like a pussy’ to the list of tonight’s embarrassments. He hates this, this isn’t him.

He should go back inside, show Martin and his friends that he doesn’t give a shit. Have a couple of beers, get through the night, make that asshole suck his dick until he can’t feel anything but a warm mouth and his own pleasure. But he’s not repaying any favors, not tonight, let that shithead take care of himself, since he can’t see it going anywhere. Fuck that. It’s fine.

”I know–, no, I know…”

Wrapped up in his own bullshit, Mickey hadn’t noticed he wasn’t alone. The same man from before is still on the phone, and he looks if possible even more miserable than he did when Mickey first arrived.

”That isn’t–, no, I know you didn’t… listen–”

Mickey ignores him, taking out a cigarette putting it to his lips. Might as well, he’s already out here. He lights it up. He, lights it up… come the fuck on, he lights it up. His lighter is out. Fucking great.

”Ey,” he says and turns to the guy on the phone, ”you got a light?”

The guy stares at him, and Mickey absently thinks he looks even worse up close. Like, disturbingly hot and built enough to properly toss a guy around if he wanted, but absolutely worn down by whatever it is he’s doing with whoever’s on the phone with him. Whatever, not Mickey’s problem. He shakes his empty lighter when the guy doesn’t immediately react.

”Oh,” the guy blinks, his eyes are red. He digs out a lighter from somewhere and hands it over. ”Here.”

”Thanks,” Mickey steps close enough so he can reach out and take it, and consequently hear the distant sound of a man’s voice on the other end of the line. He can’t make out any words, but the tone is unmistakable. The guy frowns and turns away slightly.

”Jesus, Jace, what the fuck?” he says, voice low and sharp. ”Are you serious right now? I’m not–, you know what?”

Mickey lights up and takes a couple of steps away to give the guy some privacy, but might still watch him out of the corner of his eye and hear pretty much everything he says. Call him a nosy bitch, but he really needs the distraction right now.

”I can’t do this right now,” the guy sighs, rubbing a hand over his eyes. ”We’re on in like ten minutes and I can’t–, I can’t do this with you right now. I asked you for time.”

He listens, and whatever it is that’s being said to him seems to hit a nerve. The general air around him of annoyed resolve slowly shifts into something more resigned.

”Yeah, I know… I’m sorry,” he says, and Mickey doesn’t know him or his situation, but he knows this can’t be right. ”Tomorrow, we’ll talk. I promise. Yeah, thanks… I will. Love you, too.”

Mickey shouldn’t be listening to this, he should finish his cigarette and go back inside. Find Martin and enjoy the night, have some fucking fun. Maybe he should, but he doesn’t want to.

He wants to go home, put on some fucking comfortable clothes and watch a movie with his kid.

”Heads up,” he says and waits until the phone guy looks up before he lobs the lighter back at him. He fumbles, but catches it. ”Fuck him, you deserve better.”

The guy stares at him, and rightly so. Mickey doesn’t know why he said that, he doesn’t know anything about it. But the guy looks… he looks a bit like Mickey’s feeling, deep down and buried many times over.

He looks lost.

”You deserve better,” Mickey repeats, because he already said it and he’s nothing if not all in. The guy opens his mouth on a shaky exhale, but he doesn’t say anything. Probably thinking of ways to get away from the freak accosting him on the street with unsolicited affirmation bullshit. Which, fair enough. Guess that’s Mickey’s cue to fuck off. If the guy would just stop staring at him like that.

A hand-holding couple suddenly walks right through their intense moment, heading for the doors. Mickey comes back to himself and, thinking quick, he takes out his ticket and waves it at the couple to get their attention.

”No thanks,” the man said, probably thinking he’s trying to sell it.

”Just fucking take it,” Mickey grumbles, shoving the ticket at them.

”Uh, thanks?”

Mickey waves a dismissive hand at them, already on his way.

”Thank you!” someone shouts after him.

He can’t wait to get home. Kick off his shoes, wash out the gel in his hair. Untuck his fucking shirt. Investigate whatever that cake poking business was about, hopefully cake. Watch his kid watch a movie, see his little face light up and mouth along with the words. Absolutely ignore Sonya’s inevitable attempts to get him to ’talk about it’.

His life is fucking fine the way it is, he doesn’t know why he got it in his head to try and make it something it isn’t.

[vannahfanfics]

Distance

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Characters: Sora, Kairi

Additional Tags: Modern AU, College AU

Hey, hey, everyone! Here’s another story for @sokaiweek​, this time for the prompt “Distance”! I hope you enjoy what I’ve thought up for today! <3

Kairi tapped her pencil incessantly against her desk, and her blue eyes constantly flicked to the clock on the wall, where the minute hand inched towards five p.m.: the end of her final class for the day. Normally, Kairi tried to pay attention in class— especially because Naminé grew bored within the first ten minutes and began doodling, so Kairi always had to provide her notes— but she was in no mood for college algebra today. As soon as the clock struck five, she would hightail it out of this building like Cinderella fleeing the ball, except Kairi wasn’t running from her suitor. 

She was running towards him. 

Her boyfriend, Sora, attended a university many hours away from hers. Under normal circumstances, they were good students and were diligent with their studies. Though this afforded them good grades, this also meant that their time to spend together was minimal. They’d scheduled a Skype call today, and it would be the first time they’d spoken in nearly two weeks— which was why Kairi had practically snapped her pencil banging it against the desk with impatience. 

Finally, the clock struck five, and before the professor could even finish his announcements about some quiz next week, Kairi was tearing out the door. Her bag slapped against her thigh as she full-on sprinted towards her dorm, earning a few confused looks from the people walking at a more leisurely pace. In record time, she was throwing open her door (surprising her roommate, Selphie), wrenching her laptop out of her bag, and belly-flopping onto her bed. 

As Kairi frantically typed in her password, Selphie turned in her computer chair to laugh at her. 

“Calling Sora tonight?” 

“Yes,” Kairi said, now waiting with bated breath for the call notification. She was hunched over the screen like a hungry fox, her hands laced over her lips and muffling her words. She looked over when Selphie rose from her chair and began gathering her things. “Oh, you don’t have to leave! I can go somewhere!” 

“No, it’s okay. I have a study group in an hour, so I’ll just head off to the library early and start preparing. You kids have fun,” she teased with a wink, and then she was strutting out of the door. Kairi smiled at her friend’s consideration, but she then jumped violently when her laptop suddenly began to ring with the notification. She screamed as her laptop slipped off her comforter, and in her scramble to grab it before it hit the floor, she accidentally answered it. Therefore, Sora got a very flattering view up her nose while she hauled it up. He was laughing while she was setting it on her lap and trying not to look panicked, but her flushed face and disarrayed hair wasn’t helping. 

“Drop your laptop?” he guessed, and she could only smile sheepishly. “You’re so cute,” he said while laughing again, and Kairi felt her heart flutter. She settled herself back against her pillows, and when she looked to the screen again, she realized that Sora was moving. 

“Ah, are you calling from your phone?” 

“Yep, I’m on a walk. It’s a nice evening,” he said, turning the phone around to show her the beautiful sunset, dying the sky a russet red-gold. It shone above the tall skyline, where skyscrapers were dotted with white squares of light. When he turned it back to his face, he smiled brightly and ran his fingers through his spikes of brown hair. “How was class today?” 

“I don’t know. To be honest, I was too busy being excited,” she admitted with a cute, bashful smile. Sora’s face broke into a huge grin, and his cheeks turned pink with delight. 

“You wanna know a secret? Me too,” he said, and Kairi giggled girlishly. “Riku was doggin’ on me all day, callin’ me a sap,” he pouted, and Kairi crooned sympathetically. “I can’t help it! It ain’t like I get to see ya as much as I want to.” 

“I know.” Long-distance relationships sure had their challenges. She loved that Sora was attending a good university and pursuing a good career, but that didn’t make her feel any less lonely sometimes. She’d lie awake at night craving his touch and warmth. She’d daydream in class about their old dates, the way his hand fit so perfectly in hers and the sweetness of his kisses. They’d been at this for nearly a year already; Kairi didn’t know if she could survive the rest of university like this. 

Her sadness must have shown on her face, because when she looked back to her laptop screen, Sora was smiling understandingly. 

“I know it’s hard, Kairi. I appreciate you sticking it out for me,” he said, and she wanted to cry at the sheer amount of gratitude he was expressing. “I couldn’t ask for a better girlfriend.” 

“And I couldn’t ask for a better boyfriend,” she countered shyly, grabbing her ankles and leaning back into the pillows while she balanced the laptop on her crossed legs. Sora chuckled at this, quickly texting someone on his phone before turning his attention back to her. 

“Eh, I am pretty great,” he joked, and Kairi batted the laptop screen, though she would’ve much rather slapped him on the shoulder. Sora tipped back his head in laughter, his rosy face illuminated briefly by the passing light from a streetlamp. Yeah, you are pretty great, Kairi thought affectionately, roped in by the pure infectiousness of Sora’s laugh. Her endearment rapidly turned into a cold pang of sadness, and she pushed back into her pillows, trying to draw comfort from their soft embrace. It only worked a little. 

“I really miss you,” she moped, and Sora gave her a sympathetic look. 

“I know. I miss you too, Kairi, every minute of every day.” Ugh, how could she be sad when he dropped romantic one-liners like that? One second she was sulking, the next her heart was pounding because her boyfriend was so goddamn smooth. It was an exhausting back-and-forth, but she wouldn’t give it up for the world. He smiled into the camera at her, and she couldn’t help but give him a teensy smile in return. “Don’t worry. We’ll be able to see each other in person soon. Just hang on a little longer, okay?” 

“Okay…” she relented, but jutted her lips out in a pout in the hopes it would speed up the process. Sora just gave her a little smirk. Ugh, he looked so handsome when he did that. She squirmed as her heart fluttered against her chest like a bird trying its best to escape her ribcage. 

Sora was suddenly enveloped in light, as he was walking into a building. He lowered the phone to talk in a low voice to someone, and for a few seconds, all Kairi could see was the fabric of his cargo shorts. After finishing his brief conversation and walking a few paces down the hall, he lifted the phone back up to smile apologetically. 

“Sorry.” 

“Checking into the dorm?” 

“Yeah, but… Not my dorm,” he said, his expression morphing into an absolutely diabolical grin. Kairi just gaped at him, absolutely unable to compute. Not his dorm? Then who’s dorm was it? Riku, Ventus, and Vanitas all lived in the same dorm as him, so who else could he possibly be visiting? He was snickering at her while she struggled to process his cryptic statement; in her camera, she could see the absolutely stupefied expression she was making, mouth hanging open and eyes wide. She couldn’t help it! She was absolutely, completely bewildered!

“You still haven’t figured it out?” he laughed as he stopped in front of a door, and Kairi just shook her head wildly in exasperation. Sora laughed again; then, with a meaningful raise of his eyebrows, he knocked on the door behind him. 

Kairi literally screamed when she heard that tap-tap-tap echo through her dorm room. She didn’t even bother to shut her laptop, instead shoving it to the side and springing from her bed. Sora’s laughter bounced around the room as she raced across, but her bare feet caught on the area rug, causing her to slip. She just barely caught herself on the doorknob, and like a cartoon character, her feet scrabbled uselessly over the fabric until she bunched it up to hit the tile underneath. Once the rest of her body had caught up with her, she wrenched the door open to find Sora waiting, his arms spread wide and grin absolutely blinding. 

“Sora!” she squealed, and Sora leat out an oomph! when she jumped at him. She clamped her legs around his middle and her arms around his neck, smothering his face with kisses, while Sora grabbed her hips and spun on his heel to keep his balance. He could barely get a word out between her onslaught of smooches, especially because he was too busy laughing. He carried Kairi back into her room and kicked the door shut behind them so they stopped bothering her dorm neighbors, and finally, Kairi stopped kissing him to grab his face and give it a squish. 

“Is this real? Are you really here?” 

“Well, I sure hope so,” Sora chuckled with a look down at himself, then back up at her. “It’d be pretty hard to explain if I wasn’t.”

“How did you even get in here?” 

“Selphie let me in.” 

“That—!” she gasped, but Sora shushed her by sweeping her up in a kiss of his own. Kairi hummed into the meeting of their lips, the closing of the distance that had pained her for so long. He kissed her again and again and again until they were running out of air, but he kept kissing her until the absolute last moment, and they broke apart panting and red-faced. Kairi caressed his cheeks lovingly, eyes sweeping up and down his face like she wanted to commit it to memory. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she said, the realization suddenly hitting her and making her choke up. 

“Aw, Kairi,” Sora cooed as she latched onto him, burying her face into his neck while she cried. He rubbed her back soothingly, leaning his head against hers. “A good surprise?” 

“Mhmm,” she mumbled pathetically into his skin, smearing tears all over it while she nuzzled in as deep as she could go. She breathed in deep to get that lovely scent of his, salt and ocean water and coconut. As it flooded her nose, calm flooded her too, and the tears dried as soon as they had come. She relaxed in his embrace, tired from all the sudden emotion. Sora pressed a few kisses into her hair while he carried her to her bed, and then he just unceremoniously threw her on it. Kairi squealed as she bounced on the mattress, but it was swallowed up by Sora crawling on top of her to kiss her again oh-so-sweetly. 

“I love you,” he smiled once he’d had his fill of her kiss-swollen lips, leaning his forehead against hers. “So much it hurts sometimes.” There he went again with those damn one-liners. How was a girl supposed to deal with her heart nearly bursting out of her chest?

“I love you too,” she said. Though it felt like a lame reply in comparison, it was how she felt. Sora liked it well enough; he snuggled down into her, covering her in every inch of his warmth, and Sora responded in kind by wrapping him up like a koala hugging its tree. His hands massaged the flesh of her waist and hips in mindless, tender touches. 

“Riku’s right,” he smirked suddenly. “I am kind of a sap.” 

“Hehe, but you’re my sap,” she hummed, and Sora buried his face into her hair so deeply that she could feel his smile against his scalp. 

“I can live with that.” 

Kairi knew that he’d have to leave again soon, but she didn’t want to think about that. All she wanted to think about right now was him, his touch, his warmth, his love— the closure of the distance between them, if only for a moment.

Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to peruse my Table of Contents!

[peterthepark]

Cold as Ice

Billy Hargrove x Reader

Summary: Billy just doesn’t understand why you’re so cold to him. He becomes desperate to warm you up. But, the killer heat of Hawkins combined with a stupid school project gives him the chance to know what’s truly underneath all that ice.

Warnings: cursing, smut, sExUal tenSion, some angst, some fluff, LOTS OF SIN

A/N: Definitely my filthiest fic at the moment, enjoy!

“You’re my partner.”

You look up from the register, hands on your hips as you stare at Billy Hargrove with a blank, unamused expression. There are a few people behind him, arms crossed against their chests - Tommy, Carol, and some other bimbo.

Funnily, you realize that they all resemble a group of poodles.

Cute.

Billy raises his eyebrows at you, smacking his gum as he impatiently awaits for a response. You glance at the folder that he slaps down onto the counter, knowing exactly what it contains.

“Hm, didn’t think you guys were recruiting for the next douchebag of Hawkins High. Are these the applications?” You finally pick up the folder, skimming through the thick pages of paper with a toothy smirk. “To be honest, I consider myself more of a bitch than a douchebag. Isn’t that right, Harrington?”

You chuckle devilishly as you hand Steve a couple dollars, who snickers at the interaction. Billy seems confused, but by the way he clenches his jaw and barely blinks, you can tell you’ve also hit a spot.

“Looks like I’ve won the bet, Y/N. Fuck, yeah! Robin! I told you I would win!” Steve runs into the back room of Scoops Ahoy, waving the dollar bills at his friend.

You turn back to Billy, re-adjusting the hat on your head. “Now, can I get you something, pool boy?” You lean over, hands splayed onto the cool marble of the counter.

“Did you not pick up on what I just said? I’m asking you to be my partner for the project. No, I’m picking you to be my partner.” Billy tries to keep a steady voice, but you easily catch the deep breath he takes between his words. His ‘friends’ are whispering behind him, exchanging dirty looks.

“Well, I’m actually not allowed to have personal conversations with customers right now,” Billy scoffs, tugging his lip between his teeth. “And so, if you aren’t ordering ice cream, then be my guest, and leave. I’ve got a few angry customers to deal with if you can’t tell.” He follows your pointed gaze, and surely enough, the line behind him is fairly long - filled with crying kids and irritated parents. “Come back later? Or never at all?”

Billy groans, pacing in short steps. He knows you’ll come around. They always come around.

You truly are a bitch.

Yet, somehow, Billy waits till the end of your shift to speak with you - hopefully in a more private spot and in a less aggressive manner.

You roll your eyes when you see him, sitting by the table nearest to the register. He seems to be alone, yet it annoys you even more.

“I don’t wanna be your partner, Hargrove. Is that not clear?” Your eyes follow him as he stands up. He’s much taller than you, so you can only send him an intimidating glare in hopes of scaring him away. “Pick someone else. And let me give you a hint - it’s not me.”

Billy inhales deeply, before a small smile forms on his face. He grabs your arm before you can walk away, hoping that he can win you over with his charm. But he knows he has to put away his pride to do so.

“Sweetheart, I really need help with this project. You’re the smartest girl in our class, and if you can’t tell, I hang around a bunch of dumbasses.”

Oh, so this is why he was alone. So he could talk crap about his shitty friends.

Billy continues, smile never wavering. He still has his hand wrapped around your arm, holding you in place as he speaks by your ear. “And anyways, it’s already set in stone. I asked Mrs. Johnson if I could pair up with you. She thought it was a great idea. Guess we’re in this together now, huh?”

He harshly pushes the folder of papers into your chest, letting go of your arm.

“What? You can’t do that!”

But he certainly did do that. Because when you storm into Mrs. Johnson’s classroom on one Monday morning, she’s rambling over how excited she is to have you and Billy working together.

“But Mrs. Johnson, I never agreed to this. How is this fair?” You whine, waving the folder around with wide eyes.

“Miss Y/N, you’ll be doing Billy a huge favor by helping him. He isn’t failing, but he is struggling. He could most definitely use your help.”

Despite all the complaining, Mrs. Johnson doesn’t allow you to pick anyone else. To her convenience, you and Billy are the only ones who haven’t had a designated partner - and now, you really don’t have a choice.

-

The next week, Billy is back in Scoops Ahoy. He can see your snarl from the other side of the mall. He’s got you trapped in cage, and he knows you’re having a hard time trying to adapt to it.

“I knew that he’d pick you.” Steve says through a mouthful of banana, hitting you in the face with its peel. “I mean, you’re the only girl - besides Robin - who hasn’t given into him. He’s probably just trying to cross off your name on his list.”

“He has a list?” You gag dramatically, protesting as Robin pushes you jokingly.

“Dude, Y/N, he’s literally coming over here.” She points at Billy, who actually is coming over.

“I don’t care. Change spots with me. Steve! Robin!” You shout, pulling at the ends of your hair as they run into the back room, locking the door behind them. “Screw you both!”

You turn around, meeting eyes with the damned Billy Hargrove. You fake a smile. If this was a cartoon, steam would certainly be coming out from your ears.

“Bad day?” Billy pouts mockingly at you. His hands rest inside the pockets of his jeans, eyes looking over your angry state. “Should I come back or....”

“Actually, no. But you know what?” You slide yourself over the counter, brushing away at the lint that has accumulated on your blue shorts. “I’m not doing this stupid project alone. You’re staying here till my shift is over. And when it is, you’re gonna drive your ass to my house, where the both of us can work on it. Together. Happy now, douchebag?”

Your breath is almost minty, and somehow feels cool against Billy’s skin. He steps back with a cocky grin, raising his hands as if he were surrending to you.

But he wasn’t surrendering.

“You just gave Team Hargrove one point. But Team Y/L/N? Zero.” Billy snaps with a flash of his pearly whites. He crouches down to your height, hands resting on his thighs. He knows that he is pissing you off. “I’ll see you when you’re done.” Then, you cross your arms at him, nose pointing up as he stands to full height. His eyes flicker down to your lips. “And honestly? I think I’m more of a dick than a douchebag.”

You want to slap the stupid grin of his face. But you don’t. You don’t know the real reason behind it, but you try to convince yourself as to why.

Because it’s against company policy?

Steve and Robin poke their heads out of the other room, coming out when Billy cockily walks away from you. You’re still standing there, eyes narrowed and face drawn into a look of displeasure.

“Should we not bother her?” Steve whispers, elbowing Robin. “I kinda don’t wanna get yelled at right now.”

“No, no, Steve. She’s hotter when she’s angry. Trust me.”

“Guys!” You scoff at them. She laughs at the sudden smile on your face, eyebrows raised in surprise.

“I mean, she’s not wrong, Y/N.” Steve shrugs before taking your place at the register. “You’re pretty hot, I guess.”

“Oh, stop it, Harrington. I’m out of your league.” You wink at him, hopping back over the counter.

You let out an exasperated breath when Robin tells you to sort out the shipments in the back. You push the back door open, groaning audibly when you see the tall stack of cardboard boxes. There’s a clipboard on the table in the middle of the room, and you read over it lazily before you begin to sort through the deliveries.

No one really knows why you despise Billy. Not Steve, not Robin, not anyone. It seems as if you had woke up, saw him, and decided that he was someone you disliked.

That was partly true.

But in detail, you did dislike - or hate, whichever was fitting based on your mood - Billy for a few things.

You never understood his sudden popularity, or the sex appeal he carried along with him. You never understood the hair, the smoking, the people he hung around, or the recklessness and the partying.

You just didn’t get it. You didn’t get why people would waste their time around him, when clearly, he wasn’t grateful for any of it.

Maybe your hatred of him spiraled from insecurity.

He had everything. He was popular and easy on the eyes. He was charming and fun. You’d never admit it out loud, but he truly seemed like a good guy, underneath that whole douchebag act of his.

You were nothing alike. Or so you thought.

-

“Honey! There’s someone here for you!” Your mother calls out from the bottom of the stairs, a slight smirk on her face when she realizes how handsome your guest is. You come barreling down the stairs, feet heavy and frowning deeply when you see who’s sitting on the sofa.

“Billy.”

“Y/N!” He comes to meet you, pulling you into an embrace. Your reaction is one of utter shock, because suddenly, all you can smell is expensive cologne and the faint scent of cigarettes. “Your mother was just asking me if we wanted to join her for lunch.”

“Oh. Uh, thank you, but we have to work on a project, Mom.” You send Billy a look, clearing your throat when you see his lips twitch upwards. “We’ll be upstairs.”

Your mom disappears into the living room, giving you both a second glance and a knowing look as you jog up the stairs.

“How do you know where I live?”

“That little girl from the mall? I think she’s Sinclair’s sister. Bought her some ice cream when I saw it fall, she just returned the favor.”

Erica. Damn it.

“Okay, well, I didn’t think you’d be here so soon.” You complain, running your hands through your hair, damp from a shower. Billy follows you into your bedroom, shutting the door behind him. He takes in the sight, something he wouldn’t expect from someone like you. There are various posters plastered onto your soft pink walls - band posters, movie posters, and he huffs at the one of a shirtless man. There’s a record player on top of your bookcase, where you stand, occupied as you flip through your vinyls. “What’s your cup of tea? Queen? The Beatles? Metallica? Foreigner?”

“I really don’t care.” He scoffs, licking his lips as he takes a seat on your bed.

Foreigner it is, then.

“And I really don’t want you on my bed. Get off, Hargrove.” You throw a paper ball at him, hiding the smile on your face when he doesn’t dodge it in time. “Thought you played basketball. What happened to those reflexes?”

With a dramatic eye roll, Billy tosses the ball into the trash, sliding off of the bed and onto the floor instead. You grab the project folder from your study table, sitting down across from him. You’re reading through the directions when Billy starts to light a cigarette.

And you gasp - really loud. “Billy! No! None of that in here.” You take the cigarette from his lips, his coughs fading in the background as you throw it out your window. “Are you crazy?”

“I just wanted a smoke!”

“Yeah?! Then not in here!” You shake your head at him, handing him a sheet of paper as you calm down. “Your turn to read, asshole.”

Your head begins to become fuzzy as Billy’s fingers brush against yours when he grabs the paper.

He reads, voice soft and surprisingly enthusiastic - if he didn’t act like such a dumbass, you’d think he was somewhat intelligent.

(However, you know he is intelligent - somewhere in that douchebag brain of his - though, that’s one of the things you could never admit to anyone).

The room is suddenly blazing hot, uncomfortably warm despite the numerous open windows. The air conditioning isn’t enough, and you’re silently cursing as you feel sweat build up among your skin. You’re fanning yourself, swallowing as you notice the bead of sweat that rolls down the side of Billy’s forehead.

“God damn, it’s hot.” Billy curses, unable to continue reading with how tight his chest feels. He tugs at the collar of his shirt, hoping he could get some sort of air.

“Our air conditioning sucks.” You push your hair back, “Summer’s coming.”

Billy nods in agreement, picking up from where he had left off.

Maybe it’s just the heat, but suddenly, you start to space out.

Your eyes focus on the rise and fall of Billy’s tan chest, how his skin glows with sweat, and how his muscles flex under that shirt of his.

Oh, wow.

“Y/N? Did you hear me?” You snap out of your trance. “Hope you haven’t passed out.” He sets the paper down, leaning back against your bed frame.

“Huh? Sorry, I - I was distracted.”

Don’t let your guard down.

“I was asking which part you wanted to do.”

“Uh, whichever one is the hardest. I can take it.”

And Billy stops breathing. Maybe because there’s some sort of - sexual - euphemism in that sentence, but also because he’s noticing how flushed you look: cheeks red, skin glistening, breaths heavy. Your hair sticks to your arms, resting on the tops of your knees. But then, he sees this look in your eyes.

It’s not the normal glare he gets. But your eyes are softer, less intense, more - was that longing?

You’re just staring at him, lips slightly parted as your eyes quickly drop down to the floor.

“Unless, um, you want the harder part then you can have it, I guess.” You pipe up, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. You’re avoiding his gaze, and Billy isn’t sure that he recognizes this Y/N.

Did he win you over yet? That easily?

“Here, you can look over it with me again.” Billy scoots beside you, his denim-clad thigh pressed up against your bare one. His breaths are even, blowing over your hands as you hold up the paper. “I was thinking I could do the research on the biographical context and symbolism, and...” He glances over to you, eyes trailing over the expanse of your neck. Your jaw is tightly clenched, but you don’t meet his stare. “... and then, maybe you could do the overall analysis. Or we could do it differently, if this way doesn’t meet your standards, princess.” His voice is low, a sultry tone laced subtly in his words. He peeks his tongue out to lick his lips, and you look over at that exact moment.

Aw, shit. You wouldn’t give up that easily, would you?

He’s not the only one that can play this game.

“No, I like your idea. We can do that.” You turn to him, hair slightly hitting him in the face. You pucker your bottom lip slightly, rolling it between your teeth as you pass him the paper back.

“Is it getting hot in here?”

Not this line.

“Nope, just you.” You let out a sharp exhale, reading over more of the project.

“Whew. I gotta take off my shirt.”

“Excuse me?” Your eyes nearly bulge out of your skull, causing you to drop your pencil. But it’s too late once Billy is pulling his shirt over his head. “Hey!”

Though, he wears a tank top underneath.

And honestly, you’re kind of disappointed.

Wait, what?

He hurls the shirt towards your bed, running his hands through his messy curls. His arms look even bigger, and you can see the faint outline of his abs through the thin, white material. You catch the tattoo on his upper bicep, and you have to put a hand to your mouth from saying anything - now this was ruining you.

Don’t give in.

“Like what you see, Y/L/N?” He flexes his arms in a subtle manner, biting down harshly on his lip. He grunts as he leans over to pick up your pencil, handing it to you. “Didn’t mean to make you drop this.”

Yeah. Apology accepted. Jerk.

“If this is your way of seducing me, it isn’t working.” You cross your ankles over each other, shaking your head at Billy.

He laughs, running his hand through his hair. “And why would I want to seduce you, Y/N?”

The question does sting, but it doesn’t change the fact that his face is literally inches away from yours.

You aren’t done playing the game.

“Oh, I don’t know, Billy. Maybe because I’m the only girl on that - that list of yours that you haven’t yet crossed out? Or is it because you’ve fucked all the pretty girls at school and you’ve finally come to the realization that you’d rather fuck someone with a bit of brains?”

Billy hums with a slow, antagonistic nod, tongue poking out from the corner of his lips. He abruptly stands up, turning up the volume on your record player. He’s dancing. But the bitter look on his face is all you can focus on. You stand up as well, pouting as you lower the volume of the music. It’s a back and forth between you, Billy, and the music.

“The problem with pretty girls, Y/N...” He starts between breaths, still dancing as you stand ahead of him - not happy. “... is that they can’t tell when a guy is no longer interested in them. They got the looks, but no brain.” He chuckles, parting his lips as he taps the side of his head. “And the girls that do have brains? They also got a problem. They’re smart, sure, but they just don’t know when to quit being a bitch.”

That’s when he turns up the music to full volume, hooting in your face as he dances even more.

This was Billy Hargrove at his finest.

“We’re never gonna get this project done if you keep thinking with your dick instead of your head, asshole.” You almost growl. You’re fuming now.

He really knows how to piss a girl off, huh?

“You ever had a boyfriend, Y/N?”

No. Never.

“Yeah, I have. Why?” You gulp, pushing past Billy. You sit down on your bed, continuing on writing your analysis for the project.

“What was his name?”

“Uh - It was - It’s Steve.”

What are you doing?

“You dated Harrington? King Steve?” He slowly stops dancing, panting loudly as he looks down at you.

“Dating him, actually.”

Oh, God.

“Huh. You ever had sex with him?”

“Hargrove, this is getting a little personal.” You chuckle nervously.

“Is that a... no?” He crouches down in front of you, eyes blinking at you. He’s catching on. Surely, you weren’t this good of a liar. “I’ll take that as a no. Must suck, yeah? Harrington doesn’t know how to handle a woman like you. Poor Y/N. You just want a little lovin’ from King Steve...”

His thumb hooks itself under your chin.

And his blue eyes are almost hypnotizing.

“Are you really dating Steve Harrington? ‘Cause you seem a lot out of his league. You’re not even in the ballpark, baby.”

His big hand cups your jaw, fingers rubbing against your skin. Somehow, his hands are freezing - despite the hundred degree weather.

“I have a... boyfriend.”

Billy knows you’re lying now.

“Why are you so cold to me, Y/N?” His eyes are fixed on your lips, flickering up to you when you speak.

“I don’t know. Why are you such a douchebag?”

“Sure. I’m a dick, but you - you’re somethin’ else. You are mean. Steve seems a little soft for someone as headstrong as you.” He shrugs animatedly, “Maybe you’re looking for a - a... thrill.”

“What do you want from me?” You scoff at him.

“I think I know why you hate me.” You hold your breath as he continues, “We’re more alike than you think we are.”

“Yeah? I’d like to hear it, then.”

Deathmatch.

“We both crave something more. Most people go after someone with a little... heat to their name, but us? We thrive in the cold.”

“You’re wrong.” You shake your head at him.

“Then why am I still touching you?” He stands, hands leaving your jaw.

No, come back.

“Billy, this - this isn’t-“

“Surely, your boyfriend wouldn’t like the way I was touching you, wouldn’t he? What’s Steve gonna do if he finds out? Fight me?”

“Steve’s not my boyfriend! Fine! You win!” You explode, rising to your feet.

And it all comes rushing back to you.

You both really are alike.

“You see it now, don’t you? All this competing, this - this fighting, we clash because we’re the same. And it scares you. Because who would’ve thought you had something in common with the douchebag from school, huh?”

He takes a step closer to you. And you do the same to him.

“Smart girls need attention, too.” He says softly, leaning in to whisper at your ear. “But you... you’ve been looking for someone who’s as cold as you. And I respect that, Y/N.”

You make the mistake of locking eyes with him when he pulls back.

“I’m way out of Steve’s league.”

You look down at his plump lips, glancing at how his neck bobs when he pushes your hair behind your shoulder.

There’s an unfamiliar feeling that sparks in your chest when Billy’s fingers trail past your collarbone.

“Can I kiss you now? Because all this tension might give me high blood pressure.” He smirks at you.

You don’t reply.

But you do lean forward, on the tips of your toes, mashing your lips against Billy’s. Your hands are cool against his shimmering skin.

The kiss isn’t sweet, but fueled with fire and pent-up anger. Billy is fast enough to show you that he really wants you, but at the same time, he’s slow, wanting to prove to you that you aren’t just another name on his so-called ‘list.’

You don’t give a shit about winning anymore.

Stubble tickles your cheeks as Billy moves to kiss your neck.

“This doesn’t... this doesn’t change the fact that I still hate you...” You breathe raggedly, screwing your eyes shut at how his mouth feels on your neck.

He tugs at the straps of your tank top, pulling it over your head as he hoists you up into his arms. Your legs wrap around his hips, and you can feel the tightness form in his jeans.

“God, you’ve been such a bitch to me for the past week.” He moans into your skin, pressing you up against your bedroom door as he uses one hand to hold you, and the other to unclasp your bra. You let out a choked moan, only for Billy to place his hand over your mouth. “Don’t forget that your mama is downstairs. What would she think if she saw me doing this to her daughter?”

You bite at his hand, smiling as he groans pleasurably at the sensation.

He’s so rough, but you’re enjoying it.

Billy swivels on the heels of his shoes, laying you down onto your bed as he kisses down your torso. His saliva sticks to your skin, and he chuckles when he watches you arch your back into him. Your hand reaches for his, and he doesn’t pull away - despite how intimate the action is for him.

Billy Hargrove doesn’t hold hands with flings.

That’s how he really knows you aren’t one of them.

“B-Billy...” You gasp as his lips pass over your breasts, his hands cupping and kneading them softly.

He reaches up to kiss you again, whispering, “This isn’t your first time, right?”

You shake your head, “No, no.”

“Okay.” He nods with a grin, taking off his top. “But no one is ever gonna make you feel this good.”

He groans as you crawl to the edge of the bed, playing with him through his jeans. You glance up at him innocently, his fingers card through your hair. You leave short kisses on his abs, slowly making your way up to his neck. You suck and lick at it, surely leaving a prominent mark there. He pulls out his belt, flinging it onto the floor as you unbutton his jeans for him.

He licks his lips, pushing you back down onto the bed. You scoot over, making room for him as he takes off your shorts. You chuckle when he moans at the sight of lace.

“Didn’t know you were wearing those.” He says, obviously surprised as he wraps his fingers around the waistband, letting it snap against your skin. You gasp, letting his hands wander over your back.

“Just be glad I’m letting you see them.”

He flips you over so that you’re on your knees, ass in his face as he pulls the lace panties past your ankles.

You bite back a loud moan. His face and his mouth is down there and you swear you’ve entered heaven itself.

Hell was too hot for the both of you, anyways.

He hums against you, the vibrations nearly sending you over the edge as he toys with you in places you didn’t even know existed. He pulls away, causing you to whimper.

But as you look back at him, the sight is enough to make you cum. His boxers are nowhere to be seen, and instead, he’s touching himself, grinning as he sees the dumbfounded expression on your face.

“You’re okay with this?” He asks, furrowing his eyebrows. You’re shaking your head. “I need to hear it out loud.” He kisses your lower back, hands caressing your ass.

“Yes. Please.”

“Condom?”

You wink, rubbing yourself against him. “On the pill.”

Billy lets out a moan, chuckling. “Mm, that’s my girl.”

You hold back a breath as he pushes himself into you. He’s huge, and it stings with how much he’s stretching you out. You let out a sob of pleasure, hand coming to touch Billy’s upper thigh.

“Slow?” He asks, voice gruff as he bottoms out. You’re sure that he’s as deep as possible, but part of you longs for him to go even deeper.

“No, fast.”

Billy pulls out, only to slam back in. His movements are quick, hips thrusting at a rapid pace. You’re moaning, falling into the mattress with how good he feels inside you.

“Holy fuck!” He grunts as he leans over you, hand coming to rest by your face. He outstretches his fingers, and you take his hand into yours. “Y/N...”

“We have to - to be quiet...” You moan once more, throwing your head back as his arm wraps around your stomach, pulling you closer to him.

He pounds into you, grunting as silently as possible. You can feel the heat radiating off of him.

“Good girl, such a good girl for me.” He cries out, taking a fistful of your hair. You yelp out of surprise when he gently pulls you back.

You liked that.

“D-do that again.” You stutter, mumbling incoherent words when he repeats the action.

The record player still plays music.

And you’re so grateful that it’s loud enough to silence the filthy sounds between you and Billy.

Thank God for that.

But this... this was a whole new level of sinful.

Billy brings a hand to touch your throat. And you nod in approval, shutting your eyes when you feel the pads of his fingers tighten around your airway. He’s still soft and cautious, but the way he was fucking you was enough to send you into overdrive.

Your hand comes up from the bed, jaw hanging open in utter bliss as you flex your fingers. “I’m gonna cum. Billy, holy, I-“

“C’mon, baby.” Thrust. “I’m right there...” Thrust. “...With you.”

You’re cumming.

Your legs are shaking and you feel the wave of heat fall over your body like a spell. Billy follows shortly, groaning sinfully as he buried himself inside you. He pulls out, pumping himself as he lets himself go onto your body. You feel the warm drops of his cum drizzle across your back and over your ass, trickling down your thighs and between your legs before you fall onto the bed.

“Oh, my god.” You sigh, curling up. Billy falls beside you, eyes studying your features for any sign of pain or sadness.

“Was that okay?”

“I just had sex with Billy Hargrove. Oh, my-“ Your hand comes up to massage your temples.

He chuckles.

“And I just had sex with you, so I guess we’re pretty even.” He states, kissing your neck one last time.

He’ll give it to you.

You both win.

But who said that the game would be over?

-

“Here’s the project, Mrs. Johnson.” You smile respectfully, exchanging glances with Billy as you hand her the folder. Her eyes bounce from you both, hands sorting through the papers of the project.

“This looks good.” She nods, eyebrows raised when she finds the part that Billy had worked on. “Wow, Y/N must’ve been a great help to you, Billy.”

“Yeah. She helped me a lot.”

Billy links his pinky with yours under the table, where your thigh rests against his. His fingers come to toy with the hem of your skirt, and his touch: cold.

“Well, I might say that this project deserves an A. It looks very well-planned and thought out.” She takes off her reading glasses, placing them carefully on her desk as she re-organizes your papers. “How would you feel about an extra credit project, Billy? Just to boost your grade a little more before the year ends?”

You and Billy share a knowing grin.

It’s wicked.

It’s spiteful.

It’s cold as ice.

But there’s an inextinguishable heat that lingers between the two of you.

“As long as Miss Y/N can be of help to me.” He flashes a charming smile, hands coming up to rest on the wooden desk.

“Of course, Mr. Hargrove.”

You shut the door of the classroom behind you, following Billy into the bustling hallway towards the cafeteria.

He turns to you and winks as he rounds the corner, denim jacket slung over his shoulder.

“See you later, partner.”

“Later, douchebag.”

Oh, how you loved the cold.

[entity9silvergen]

Oblique- Chapter 1 (Sanders Sides Fanfiction)

Chapter 1 of 3. Full story and summary here. Also find it here on Ao3.

Story Info:

Summary: Unable to experience romantic attraction, Remus feels incomplete. Unable to feel sexual attraction, Roman feels less than. Maybe as the King, they decide, they will feel whole again. Their partners and friends, however, know this isn’t the solution and seek to help them realize there’s nothing broken about them before it’s too late.

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Characters: Logan, Patton, Roman, Virgil, Nate, Remy, Emile, Seth, Toby, Janus, Remus, Unnamed Orange Side, Romulus, Dragon Witch 

Relationships: Logan/ Patton, Virgil/ Roman, Janus/ Remus, Remy/ Emile, Toby/ Seth, Nate/ Orange Side

Other Tags: AroWriMo, Aromantic Remus, Asexual Roman, Spider Virgil, Snake Janus, Orange Side, 7th Side, Additional Sides, No OCs, Short Vid Characters

Author’s Note: This was written for AroWriMo 2021. I’ve actually had it planned since April of last year but never wrote it until now. I originally intended for it to go with the Week 3 Prompt (Hope and Mirror) but it kind of drifted. 

This fic takes place in Thomas’s mind and there are four of each kind of Side (light, dark, neutral). 

The Light Sides live upstairs. They are Logan (Logic), Patton (Morality), Roman (Creativity/ Fantasy), and Emile (Self-Esteem) as well as Virgil (Anxiety) who left the Dark Sides to be with the Light Sides.

The Neutrals live on the main floor we see in videos. They are Nate (Patience/ Procrastination), Remy (Self-Care/ Sleep), Seth (Adaptability), and Toby (Courage).

The Dark Sides live downstairs. They are Janus (Deceit), Remus (Dark Creativity/ Intrusive Thoughts), and OJ (Spite). As mentioned, Virgil was previously a Dark Side.

None of these characters are OCs. Emile is Emile Picani from Cartoon Therapy, Nate is Nathan Christopher/ Slo-Mo Guy/ Procrastination from the short vids, Remy is Sleep from the short vids, Seth is Seth Ember/ September from the short vids, Toby is October from the shirt vids, and OJ is the currently unnamed 7th side (We call him orange juice on the Sanders Sides subreddit so OJ is an allusion to that).

Dark Sides also have animal attributes in this story. Janus is a snake, Remus is an octopus, Virgil is a spider, and OJ is a badger.

Warnings for this chapter: Fighting

=============

It was dark. Darker than it normally was.

There was a hum in the air. Eerie, mysterious. Almost like static. Something neither of them were used to but it was familiar deep down.

It was telling them they shouldn’t be here. Not right now.

They ignored it.

The lighter figure stumbled down the stairs, seeming almost surprised to see a darker shape slinking up from the basement, almost mirroring him. They stared at each other for a few moments but neither drew their weapons. They hadn’t seen each other in a long time and hadn’t been at peace for even longer but a mutual understanding ran between them.

Eyes watched them and the room seemed to listen. It made them uneasy, filling them with the need to leave or cower away. But they were more afraid of what would happen if they turned away and too curious to listen to the signs warning them away. The same thing was on each of their minds and it was almost too late to turn away.

Both were visibly upset but the shadows obscured any tear tracks and the static hid any sobs. Still, they could sense the distress within each other. And they knew how to make it stop.

There was hesitance on both sides. They knew what they were doing, what they had to do, and yet they held back. There were a million questions in the air and the answers to none.

It wasn’t until the lighter figure offered a hand that they reached a decision.

That he reached a decision.

=========================== 

Logan’s attention was drawn from his book by a loud crash.

It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence, living with so many others in the mind palace and all. Roman was always slashing things with his sword, OJ often swatted cups off tables out of passive aggression or just plain boredom, Toby and Remus were always wrestling, Nate was terrible at catching things and Seth never failed to forget, and Patton was just clumsy in general. Emile usually kept them calm and Virgil’s dislike for loud noises was often enough to keep the mind palace in one piece but the other Sides were always an endless distraction for Logan and his work.

Today, however, was not one of those times the noise seized quickly. 

In fact, it only seemed to get worse.

It got to the point that Logan had to get up and go downstairs to see what was making the racket, something he rarely did. Where was Patton? Or Emile? Keeping the others from destroying their home was their job, not his.

He expected to see Remus riding a roomba. Or Nate trying to steal Remy’s coffee. Or Toby and Roman jousting with mops instead of cleaning. He did not expect to see Janus and Virgil, fangs and arachnid legs out, full on brawling in the living room.

Shockingly, Patton and Emile weren’t trying to stop them. From Logan’s observation, Patton seemed quite distressed at the sight of Virgil in his spider form and Emile was trying to distract him. Logan’s colder side wanted to shake them and tell them to ignore their feelings to focus on what was important but his more human side could understand. Virgil was truly terrifying when he was like this: thick, hairy legs sprouted from his back, his eyes seemed to glow with something primal, and his mouth morphed into something truly grotesque to look at.  Janus too. His transformation was less extreme but his sharpened scales were still strange to look at. Eyes gleaming with yellow and hunger and movements faster and more serpentine, his presence was a bit disturbing. As much as Logan wanted to, he couldn’t blame them from keeping out of the fight.

He at least expected one of the others to step in. Not all of them weren’t fighters but they were at least more prepared than Patton and Emile. None of the neturals seemed concerned though. Actually, it looked like Nate, Seth, Remy, and Toby were taking bets. Logan would have scolded them if there weren’t more pressing matters at hand.

Logan looked around for Roman and Remus but the twins were nowhere to be seen so his gaze fell on OJ. The Side seemed disinterested from where he was seated casually on the staircase leading to the basement but his eyes betrayed him. The disinterest was a facade, his eyes were sharp with interest.

Logan met the Dark Side’s gaze, trying to convey his alarm and confusion. OJ simply shrugged and gestured loosely at the fight. Janus had his back pressed to the floor and his feet against Virgil’s chest, keeping him from punching or snapping at his face but the anxious side’s long spider legs were still free to batter his foe.

Janus was just starting to wrestle Virgil off him when Logan decided to step in. “Enough!”

Logan knew his voice could be enough to offset anyone if he wanted it to. He’d shouted enough falsehoods to know it was a tactic that would likely be successful. And it was this time as well. Virgil and Janus looked up, startled, and stopped long enough for Toby and Nate to step in and grab them by the shoulders, pulling them away from each other.

Both were still glaring and hissing. Logan put up a hand to silence them. “Can you breathe in for four seconds?”

“We don’t need to do breathing exercises, Logan,” Virgil snapped, voice distorted, as he wretched free from Toby’s grip. Thankfully, he didn’t move to attack Janus. “We know what we’re doing.”

“Then why were you fighting?” Logan asked. “Dark and Light Sides don’t usually come to the Neutral Zone at the same time.”

Janus’s face flashed with guilt while OJ feigned innocence. It wasn’t a set rule but Light and Dark Sides generally avoided mutual space if there were others there. If everyone was in a good mood, there were times they would share the space but it was rare. 

“Roman’s missing,” Virgil said, glaring at Janus and OJ. His arachnid qualities were receding but he still looked angry. “I’ve been looking for days. There’s no reason he’d disappear unless the Dark Sides did something.”

“And I’m telling you Remus is missing,” Janus responded. Nate let go of him and the snake crossed his arms. He still looked tense. “Why would we take Roman? We have better things to worry about. Quit blaming us for stuff and back off.”

Logan silently cursed himself for not being more observant. He hadn’t even noticed Roman and Remus were missing. Well, he wouldn’t have noticed Remus’s absence, being a Dark Side and all, but he would’ve noticed if Roman was gone. Should have noticed. How long had it been? What had he been doing?

“Oh this is what this is about?” Remy piped up, taking a long sip of his ever-present coffee before continuing. “They met up here a few days ago and went off to the dreamspace together.”

“...What?” Janus and Virgil said in unison, giving the recalcitrant Side hard stares.

“Um, yeah, gurls. It was, like, the middle of the night and they talked for a bit before going off,” Remy said, shrugging. “No need to get all hissy about it. They’re fine.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Virgil exploded but at least now he wasn’t trying to attack anyone. “We’ve been looking for days!”

“Chill, gurl. You never mentioned it. I thought you knew. Normally they tell you before they come to my domain.”

“Well, they didn’t tell us,” Janus said, sounding annoyed yet distracted. His face was wrinkled in thought and it took Logan a moment to catch on.

“Should we be concerned then?” Logan asked. The other Sides turned to look at him. As per usual, Logan felt pride well up in him knowing the others were listening but he tried to ignore it. “They left without warning, which normally wouldn’t be alarming but there has been no sign of them for days. Wouldn’t that imply something happened to them? Perhaps they went to Remy’s dreamspace to fight and rendered each other unable to continue.”

“Oh no! My poor kiddos!” Patton wailed, startling Logan. He’d almost forgotten the other Sides were there.

“Chances are they’re fine. Roman and Remus know how to avoid getting hurt and Remy didn’t say they sounded angry,” Emile pointed out. He was still frowning though. “But maybe we should send someone to check on them?”

“We should just leave them to duke it out. They’ll be fine,” OJ said, inspecting his fingernails boredly. He pointed in Patton’s direction, not even looking up to see the father figure’s excited expression. “No pun intended, daddio.” 

Logan ignored them and looked to Remy expectantly. The Side rolled his eyes and sighed. “Fine. I’ll take some of you to the dreamspace. Hissyfits, Lo-bitch, come on.”

Janus and Virgil looked a bit peeved by the nicknames but followed Remy without question. Logan sighed and spared the remaining Sides a glance. “Will one of you retrieve us if the twins return while we’re gone?”

“No.”

“Yes,” Toby responded, ignoring OJ. “Don’t stress it, man.”

Satisfied, Logan nodded and turned away, following Remy into the place of Thomas’s dreams.

==================

“Do you guys think Roman and Remus are getting along again?”

Patton’s voice sliced through the silence, drawing everyone’s attention. After Remy and the others left, the rest remained in the living room rather than returning to their rooms. They largely ignored each other but unspoken worry hovered among them. They would wait this out here.

“I didn’t see anything,” Seth spoke up, the other Neutral Sides humming their agreement. “Remy’s got a weird sleep schedule. He sees all kinds of stuff we don’t but I think he’d mention it if anything changed with the twins.”

“It’s probably a coincidence,” OJ added. “Janus and Remus were screwing that night. I doubt Remus would go to his brother after that. Weird.”

“How do you know that?”

“What is sc-”

“I think Roman and Virgil were just having a quiet night,” Emile interrupted before Patton could finish his question or OJ could respond to Seth. He really didn’t want to know. “I don’t really know what those two do but it’s unusual Roman would come downstairs in the middle of the night, isn’t it? Wouldn’t he stay with Virgil? Or return to his room?”

“I don’t think there’s much use thinking about it,” Toby said, pulling a device from his pocket. “Now, I’m going to play some Pokemon. We can ask Roman and Remus what’s up when they get back.”

The other Sides didn’t look satisfied but no one argued. The others would be back soon. They could figure it out then. Right?

=======================

Remy usually didn’t take people to the dreamspace.

It was his domain. Sure, Roman and Remus contributed a lot but they had their own spaces. They were in charge of Thomas’s imagination. Everything about sleep was Remy’s and no one else's. Logan and Patton had memories, Virgil and Toby patrolled the place of Thomas’s fears, each Side had their own thing. And Remy loved his. It was weird to have someone intrude on his space.

He understood the necessity though. Still, couldn’t the others be a bit nicer?

Janus and Virgil were bickering since the moment they entered and Logan wasn’t even trying to stop them. How rude.

“Hush up, gurls,” Remy said after a while. “You don’t want to be too loud here.”

“And why is that?”

A loud roar cut through the terrain.

“Because of that.”

Virgil, Janus, and Logan peered at the horizon, not seeing anything. The dreamspace looked very much like the Imagination or the real world but it had this fake, fuzzy quality that only the things of dreams could have. It was similar to reality and recognizable enough but it was different enough that it could be jarring to those who weren’t used to it. That was the only reason Remy was forgiving when the other Sides failed to see the approaching Dragon Witch until it was practically on top of them.

The beast screamed and plunged out of the sky, making the ground shake like an earthquake when she landed. A clean thirty feet tall, she towered over the Sides. Remy opened up his mouth to try to reason with her but a malicious glint in her eye told him that she wasn’t in a talking mood today.

Wings beat the air as claws scored the earth. Virgil’s spider form took over and he used his long spider legs to vault himself and the others to safety. “What the fuck is that?!”

“The Dragon Witch,” Remy responded as he slipped out of Virgil’s grip and began scrambling away. “She’s normally not like this!”

“I never would’ve guessed,” Janus snarked. His scales grew more prominent and his eyes became sharper as he prepared to fight. “We don’t have time for this.”

“Virgil, try to climb up her neck and onto her face. Blind her, at least partially,” Logan instructed, taking charge easily. “Janus, draw her attention and see if you can get some of your venom in her.”

Janus eyed the Dragon Witch’s scales dubiously. “I am not breaking my teeth on that thing.”

“Just fight, Deceit,” Virgil snapped as he launched himself into the air and grappled his way onto the Dragon Witch’s shoulder. She didn’t even notice his presence, allowing him to climb up her neck with no obstacles thrown his way.

Remy ducked behind a rock, dragging Logan with him, as Janus coiled around the dragon’s blows and tried to snake his way to her soft underbelly. Out of the four present Sides, Virgil and Janus were most suited for battle but even they didn’t have much of a chance against such a creature. The Dragon Witch was powerful, both as a dragon and a witch. Together, her two halves made her a formidable foe. 

“Is this a common occurrence?” Logan asked as he grabbed a small, sharp rock in his fist. Remy didn’t know what he planned to do with that but whatever made him feel better. “Do you frequently run into this, eh, Dragon Witch?”

Remy shook his head. “She’s one of Roman’s creations. Most of the time she keeps to herself or at least stays peaceful. I can’t remember the last time she got like this. I have no idea what’s got her so worked up.”

Logan looked like he wanted to comment but chose not to and refocused on the fight. The other Sides seemed to be doing well. As much as they hissed and spat at each other, they worked like a well oiled machine. Virgil was using his spiderlegs to jab the Dragon Witch in the eye, distracting her long enough to let Janus coil up her leg. He wasn’t doing much damage at the moment but soon he would have access to the vulnerable parts of her massive form.

It looked to be going well until it wasn’t.

Remy knew he should have expected that. The Sides were more than human but they were still far from equals to a mystical beast like a Dragon Witch. For all their efforts, they only seemed to be agitating her further and soon she grew too tired of them to bother any longer.

The Dragon Witch roared and bellowed before slapping her thick, scaly tail against the ground. A wave of magic radiated from her form and knocked the two Sides clean off her.

It hit Logan and Remy as well, shattering the rock they were hiding behind. Remy yelped as he was thrown back, shielding his face from stone shrapnel, and hit the ground roughly. Both his and Logan’s glasses were knocked from their faces. Logan flailed for them the moment, unable to see without them, while Remy just laid there, stunned, and blinked rapidly until his eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight. His eyes unused to being uncovered but he could survive without his sunglasses. He quickly scrambled up to try to see what happened to Janus and Virgil.

Janus and Virgil were on the ground, floored and disoriented. The Dragon Witch was looming over them, snarling and angry. Remy tried to get up and shout a warning but his voice broke and came out dry and hoarse. It surprised him, somewhat, but the shock from the blast was still ringing in his head too much for him to dwell on it.

A spike of fear pumped through Remy’s veins as the Dragon Witch lifted a paw, primed to strike. He got to his feet, mind and body screaming for him to get his friends to safety, but he knew he was too slow. The Dragon Witch was going to crush them.

Then, a battle cry sounded.

A human battle cry.

Remy looked up to see a figure standing on a cliff overlooking the battlefield. Momentarily blinded by the sun behind him, Remy couldn't quite make out any distinguishable features.  Without his sunglasses, he could really only see the flowing cape draped over his shoulders.

The man- it was definitely a man, Remy knew that much- drew a weapon in each hand and flung himself off the cliff. Remy wanted to scream but the man seemed to know what he was doing and landed flat on the Dragon Witch’s face.

The Dragon Witch roared and the man matched it. Remy watched them for a moment before his mind caught up with his body and he remembered his friends. He tore his gaze away and sprinted across the landscape. He reached Janus first, grabbing him by the back of the coat, and dragged him until he managed to get a grip on Virgil’s hoodie as well.

“Gurls, why are you so heavy?” Remy grunted as he tried his best to pull the two Sides to safety. They seemed dazed from the fall and Remy really hoped they weren’t concussed. He really didn’t want to deal with that right now. At least he had Logan here if they were but Logan could be concussed for all he knew.

“Roman,” Virgil groaned, head lolling a bit as Remy jostled him.

“Yeah, I know, gurl. We’ll find Roman soon.”

“No, I need to help him.” 

Remy didn’t pause to figure out what he meant by that until he’d reached Logan. The logical Side was sitting up and had his glasses back on, looking overall okay. Remy swiftly dropped Virgil and Janus beside them, making them both yelp, and turned back to the battlefield to confirm his suspicions. 

The man was tall and broad. Sturdier and better built than Remy or any of the other Sides on the ground around him. Maybe even more so than Roman and Remus. His clothes were a deep grey, an unusual color to see on someone in the mindscape, and he wielded both a sword and a morningstar. That made Remy uneasy. He didn’t quite know why but it felt wrong.

“Remus!” Janus called out, sitting up as the man ran across the beast’s snout to slam his morningstar into her eye. Remy opened his mouth to tell him that the man wasn’t Remus but the words died on his tongue. Who knew who he was? It could very well be the stinky Side for all he knew.

The man was fast and quite skilled. He scaled the dragon’s giant form and slammed down hard at various points on his way down. Remy didn’t know if Dragon Witches had pressure points but the man’s attacks seemed to be doing a fair amount of damage, judging by her roars. Remy really believed he might win this.

The Dragon Witch put up a fair fight, of course. She snarled and swiped but the man seemed to be holding on pretty well. It was only when she reared back and began swinging her wings that he lost his balance. Still, he managed to hold his own pretty well. Unlike Janus and Virgil, the fall didn’t seem to faze him. Maybe it was because he’d already managed to weaken the Dragon Witch so much.

Janus, Virgil, and Logan were on their feet by the time the newcomer managed to bring the Dragon Witch to his level. She was still fighting but she didn’t quite stand as tall anymore and Remy was pretty sure she knew she was losing.

Then the newcomer stopped.

He wasn’t giving up. No, that was clear. He was still in a fighting stance. But he didn’t seem to be fighting anymore? At least not with his weapons. He was just… looking at the Dragon Witch really intensely. And she was too. It was like they knew something the other Sides didn’t.

Reality seemed to ripple around them and the Dragon Witch suddenly vanished.

Remy sensed Janus and Virgil exchanging a confused glance behind him but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the figure. Now alone on the former battlefield, Remy could see him much more clearly but he still couldn’t make out who he was. Was it Roman, with his sword? Or Remus, with his morningstar? It had to be one of them. Right?

“You need to be more careful,” a steady voice boomed as the figure turned around. Remy heard Logan gasp behind him but it took a moment for Remy to realize why. “You never know what you’ll run into here.”

The man began walking towards them and a feeling of recognition and dread flashed between the four Sides. It was only when the broad, bearded figure was standing right in front of them that any of them were able to stutter out his name.

“R-Romulus.” 

The King had returned. 

================

Author’s Note: This has multiple chapters. I planned to write and post them all this week but that didn’t happen so I will just be posting chapter 1 this week. Next chapter and the following one will focus more on the prompt and aspec themes.

Next Chapter

[gemstoneconstellations]

He Fucked Up

Summary: Bakugo carelessly hurts his s/o’s feelings without realizing it.

Wordcount: 2583

“Hey ___! What are you doing here? You look cozy.” Kaminari and Kirishima sat down on either side of you. Well, tried to. You were currently in a nest of multiple warm fluffy blankets that didn’t leave much space for anyone to get close to you. “Where’s your Pomeranian boyfriend?” Kaminari joked as Kirishima let out a deep belly laugh.

You smirked at Bakugo’s friends; they were feeling a bit bold since King Explosion Murder wasn’t around. “He went to get some training in. When he is done, he promised to watch a movie with me before he starts on homework. I’m sure he’ll make fun of me since it’s a cartoon movie, but I like them and I want to sit with him. You know, couple-y kind of stuff, since we don’t get a lot of time to be alone together and enjoy each other’s company.” You could feel a small blush form on your cheeks. Missing your boyfriend has put you in a cuddly mood. So even if you only get two hours, you’ll take it.

 “I have a hard time picturing Bakugo snuggling and watching cartoons… wait, didn’t we see Bakugo in the gym like three hours ago? Have you been waiting this whole time?” Kirishima raised an eyebrow at you, concerned.

 You gave him a shrug. “I’ll wait as long as it takes if it means I can spend some time with him.” Kirishima nodded, understanding where you were coming from and stating that they would leave when Bakugo shows up.

 Kaminari leaned back with his hands hooked behind his head, letting out a grunty sigh. “Ah man, I’m super jealous now! I wish I had a cute girlfriend who would do that for me!”

 “Like anyone would want to date you, Dunce Face!” Bakugo came walking in the common room, drinking from his water bottle. He was wearing some sweats and a tank top. His hair seemed to be damp so he most likely took a shower before coming over. You were absolutely beaming with excitement at finally getting to see his face!

 “Hurtful!” Kaminari complained but Bakugo kept walking to the kitchen, not caring.

 You smiled at Bakugo. “Welcome back, Katsuki. You have fun at the gym?” He just grunted at you from the kitchen. You could hear him pulling out random items. “Are you ready for the movie?” You lower the blankets, preparing to let your boyfriend enter your nest and assume the cuddle position.

 Bakugo came back from the kitchen eating a protein bar, a scowl on his face. “I don’t feel like watching some shitty movie.” Your heart drops. His tone was harsh and didn’t leave much room to argue.

 “What? But you said you would a few hours ago… you promised…” You pulled your knees to your chest, not able to look him in the face suddenly.

 “Yeah, well now I feel fucking tired. I’m going to finish up my homework and then go to bed.”

 You scoffed at him as you stood up, eyes on your feet, trying not to cry. “So you don’t feel like watching a movie with me and just want to go to your room to sleep?” Your voice came out more aggressive than you meant it to be, but there were too many emotions swirling inside you at the moment to control it.

 “That’s what I fucking said, I don’t want to watch some stupid kids’ movie. What’s your deal?” His words were like punches to your gut. You sucked in air through your teeth, trying to bite back words that you know will make the situation worse but you want to say them so badly.

 You began to fold your blankets and place them in your bag, packing away your things. “Nothing. Nothing at all. I’m fine.” You were completely and utterly done. Ironically, you were no longer in the mood to watch a movie either. Or see your stupid boyfriend’s face.

 “Bro… not cool.” Kirishima whispered to Bakugo, shaking his head.

 Before Bakugo could respond, you shoved the blankets that you took from Bakugo’s room into his arms. “Here, go sleep.”

 “Oi!” You ran out of the room with your things, not even caring that you were only in your pajamas. Bakugo shouted at you, but you didn’t look back and ran to your own dorm. Bakugo looked at the blankets in his hands and then at Kirishima and Kaminari. “What the fuck was that?”

 Kirishima just sighed, shaking his head and walking towards the elevators. Kaminari patted Bakugo on the shoulder as he walked by, following Kirishima. “And you guys call me the idiot. Even I’m not that stupid.”

 ~

 Bakugo was confused about what was going on with you. You had suddenly stopped texting him. Usually he would get at least three texts a day, whether he responded or not. You always said good morning, good night, and told him about the projects you were working on that day in your support classes. He didn’t think anything of it; sometimes you would disappear when you had some inspiration on a project. There have been times when you wouldn’t even leave the lab for days working on some support item.

 But there you were, sitting across the cafeteria, eating lunch with a group of extras he didn’t recognize. Not even a glance towards him. Normally by the time he got dragged into the cafeteria by Kirishima and the rest of the idiots, you would come up to him and pester him about eating together. Bakugo was starting to get an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach; he didn’t like it and it was pissing him off. He stared you down from his place in line, willing you to look up and make eye contact with him. After a few minutes, someone noticed him staring at you and pointed him out to you. You shook your head at them and continued to eat.

 Fine, if you wanted to sulk over some fucking movie then he’ll just ignore you as well till you stop being a damn brat. Bakugo grunted as he turned back away from you to get his food. He made sure to not look at you as he made his way to sit with the idiots that insisted on hanging around him for some reason.

 “No ___ today either? I misssss herrrr!” Mina pouted as Bakugo sat down, laying her head on the table with her arms spread out. His eyebrow twitched at her whining voice.

 Sero smirked at Bakugo as he patted Mina on the back. “What did you do now?”

 “Shut up Soy Sauce! I didn’t fucking do anything!” Bakugo slammed his fists on the table, his rage aura pouring out of his pores now.

 “He fucked up.” Kaminari stated a matter-of-factly; Kirishima nodded in agreement.

 Bakugo glared at the redhead, daring him to say something as well. He turned his attention to Kaminari, who continued to eat his lunch, not caring that Bakugo was giving him a death glare. “I said shut the fuck up Dunce Face! You don’t know anything!”

 Kaminari scoffed at him, letting Bakugo’s outburst just roll off him before pointing his chopsticks at Bakugo accusingly. “I know more about ___ than you apparently.”

 “What do you mean by that?!”

 “Use that smart brain of yours and figure it out.”

 Bakugo was adamant that he hadn’t done anything wrong; he was sure that you would come back. Everything would go back to normal once you get over whatever the fuck it was. But a few days turned into a week, then two weeks, without a single word from you and he was starting to falter. He was becoming more irritable (if that was possible for him) and his classmates were beginning to keep their distance, not wanting an explosion in their face.

 “Bakubro, dude, you need to man up and go talk to her already.” Kirishima threw an arm on Bakugo’s shoulders, the only one brave enough to do it as of late. Bakugo growled at him in response. He knew the redhead was right, but he didn’t want to admit it. Kirishima sighed at him. Why must his best bro be so stubborn?

 “How about this? I need to make some modifications to my costume. Come with me. If she’s there, talk to her about some modifications you want and then about what’s going on. She can’t turn you down if it’s about your costume.”

 With a groan, Bakugo started walking down to the hall, not caring if Kirishima was walking with him are not. Bakugo stormed into the support lab only to freeze when he saw Pikachu-reject already talking to you. His eye twitched as Sparky casually draped his arm around your waist as you were sketching out a blueprint. “So ___, since you and King Explosion Murder are on a break, why don’t we go get some food? I’ll give you a shoulder to cry on… or anything else you want to do. My body is at your service.”

 And to Bakugo’s horror, you didn’t push his arm off and actually fucking giggled. “Thanks, but I’m okay with just free food.” The next moment, the ash blond stormed over, yanked Kaminari’s arm off of you and dangerously twisted it behind Kaminari’s back as he slammed him down into the workstation. You yelped at the swift action and loud sound, looking at him in shock. Before you could even blink, Bakugo was dragging you out of the room. His grip on you didn’t let up as he kept pulling you along.

 Kaminari slumped to the floor, clutching his shoulder that had been so close to being dislocated. Kirishima squatted down beside him to see how he was doing. “Remind me never to hit on Bakugo’s girlfriend again? Also, I will never be part of your plans again.”

 “It worked, didn’t it? He just needed a little push. Thanks for risking your life… do you need to see Recovery Girl?”

 ~

 “Hey! Let go already!” You stumble into Bakugo’s dorm building. He didn’t let go until the doors of the elevator shut. You made a point not to look at him as you rub your wrist. Bakugo began to mumble beside you. “What?”

 This time he reached out for your hand, weaving his fingers through yours gently. “We aren’t on a break. No way in hell will I let you go out with anyone that isn’t me, especially not Dunce Face.” His hand quickly squeezed yours. “Can you tell me what the fuck is going on already? Is this all because of a stupid movie?!”

 You huffed angrily, turning away from him. “Of course it isn’t about a goddamn movie.” The elevator door opened and you were being pulled again, more gently than before.

 Bakugo didn’t say anything till you were both in his room and the door shut behind him. He leaned back on the door and crossed his arms, his stance challenging you to try and get away. “Talk.”

 You mimicked him by crossing your arms, closing yourself off from him. For a few moments, the room was silent, the both of you staring each other down. The question that had been bouncing around your head for the last few days finally broke the silence. “Why are you even dating me?”

 Not being around him hadn’t felt much different than when you were on speaking terms, only the loneliness increased as you avoided every opportunity to spend time with him that you would have killed to have before.

 His jaw dropped and his eyes widened in shock. Bakugo’s defensive stance faltered as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Haaah?!”

 Dragging your hands down your face, you let out a loud groan of frustration. “It’s like I have to twist your arm to spend time with you. What’s the point of being in a relationship if I only see you the few times you come to the support shop for mods for your hero gear?” You gestured to your support team jumper suit. Most of your conversations in the past have primarily during lunch and at the support shop.

 Bakugo rolled his shoulders as he let out a long sigh. “I’m aiming to be on the top, to be the number one hero. Of course I’m going to be fucking busy-”

 You interrupted him before he could continue a rant you have heard a million times. In the past you would admire his passion, just not right now. “Yeah! I get it! I know! I’m busy too, ya know! My to do list never seems to have less things on it despite how much I cross off. I still find time that’s just for you during my day. But you can’t even spare maybe an hour or two just to sit with me, maybe cuddle while watching a movie, and just enjoy each other’s company. All your focus on is being a hero, so what’s the point of dating me then?” It’s like you are the only one putting any effort into the relationship; all of his goes to becoming a hero, none left over for you.

 Bakugo scowled at you as he took a few steps toward you, his face becoming red. “Cause I fucking care about you, dipshit!”

 You blink at him, taken aback slightly before you crossed your arms. Turning away from him you mumbled. “Really? Could have fooled me.”

 It was silent in the room again; you kept your eyes busy by looking around his room. Not much has changed. “Do… you really think I don’t care?” Bakugo spoke so quietly, you barely heard him. Without glancing at him, you gave a small shrug.

 Next thing you know, you are being lifted in the air and then thrown on top of Bakugo’s bed. “Wha-What are you doing?!”

 “Shut up and fucking cuddle me!” Bakugo laid beside you, pulling you against his chest with his face pressed into the top of your head. His arms caged you in, wrapping around your shoulders and squeezed. After a minute, you slowly slid your arms around his waist, gripping at the back of his school uniform. His arms let up once he realized that you weren’t going anywhere. “Maybe… I could… do more. We could study together. Can’t really help with homework since we are in different courses, but…” He whispered into your hair, hesitant and unsure that you accept his attempt at an apology.

 You thought about it for a moment. This was him, in a way apologizing (though it would be nice to hear him say the actual words) and finding a compromise. And okay, you totally cutting him off without even saying what was wrong was probably not the best move either. You rub your face into his strong chest, taking in his burnt sugar scent. “Could we do this afterwards?” You look up at him with a small smile.

 The tension melted away from Bakugo’s face as he began to smirk. He pinched at your sides, making you giggle. “As long as you don’t pull another shitty stunt like what you’ve been doing for the last two fucking weeks.”

 You bury yourself into his chest again, hugging him tighter and closing your eyes as you enjoyed his warmth. “Deal.”

 “Also, don’t ever fucking let Drooly touch you again. I’m going to kill him later. You only need me to comfort you. I’m your fucking boyfriend, not him.”

 “I missed you too, Katsuki.”