#and for once I wasn’t overwhelmed in a full kitchen

[sodacowboy]

it’s honestly so dumb that noses will run at the slightest provocation

[vanteguccir]

── ୨୧ !　𝗘𝗚𝗚𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗡𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗬

　　　　　　　　　𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐 x reader

SUMMARY: Where Matt uses his loss on the egg challenge as an excuse to reveal Y/N's pregnancy to his brothers.

WARNING: Pregnancy, crying.

REQUESTED?: Yes, by anon.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: That is my work, I DON'T authorize any plagiarism, copy, or "inspiration"! | English isn't my first language, so I'm sorry if there's any grammar error.

A/N²: I've decided to post it today since it's Father's Day on Brazil! Unfortunately, I had to write it in a rush, so I'm sorry if it's not that good ;(

　　　༻✦༺ 　༻✧༺　༻✦༺

Matt, Nick, and Chris had spent the morning engaged in their latest YouTube challenge; a seemingly simple task of caring for an egg as if it were their own child. What had started as a lighthearted competition quickly turned into something more meaningful, though none of them knew it yet.

Nick leaned back in his chair, his arms folded behind his head, exuding confidence as he glanced at the table. His egg sat intact in front of him, a proud reminder of his victory. He smirked at Matt, who sat across from him, his egg conspicuously absent, the pieces of it having already been swept into the trash.

"Well, Matt, it looks like you lost." Nick teased, his voice dripping with mock sympathy. His grin widened, knowing exactly how to get under his brother's skin.

Chris, sitting at the other end of the table, tried to suppress his laughter but failed, the sound escaping as a snort. He leaned forward, resting his chin in his hand, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Seriously, dude, how did you even have the courage to throw your egg after knowing that it was already cracked?"

But instead of a witty comeback or a defensive retort, Matt remained silent. His usually quick tongue was stilled, and his shoulders slumped slightly as he stared at the table in front of him. His brothers’ laughter echoed around the kitchen, but Matt seemed miles away.

From her spot by the kitchen counter, Y/N observed the scene unfold, her smile soft and her eyes filled with affection as she watched the brothers banter. She had always loved these moments, the way they could turn the simplest tasks into something fun and full of life. But today, something was different. Matt wasn’t joining in the laughter, and the silence coming from him made her heart tighten with concern.

Matt’s eyes met Y/N’s across the room, and for a brief moment, everything else faded away. Her smile faltered, replaced by a look of curiosity and worry as she noticed the unspoken emotion in his gaze. It wasn’t defeat or frustration over the challenge; it was something deeper, something that made her heart skip a beat. What was he thinking? What was he hiding?

Nick’s voice cut through the tension, snapping Matt out of his thoughts.

"Come on, Matt, admit it. You’re just not cut out for fatherhood." Nick joked, his tone light but teasing.

Chris chimed in, leaning back in his chair with a playful grin.

"Yeah, maybe it’s a good thing you’re not a dad yet."

The words, meant in jest, struck Matt like a physical blow. He inhaled sharply, his gaze flickering to Y/N once more, and this time, her eyes widened in realization. Her hand instinctively moved to her stomach, a small, unconscious gesture that Matt had seen her do countless times since they discovered the news. It was a habit she had developed; whenever she felt nervous, excited, or overwhelmed, her hand would rest there, a protective touch that spoke of the new life growing inside her.

Matt took a deep breath, turning his gaze back to his brothers.

"My egg 'broke,' so technically, I lost-" Matt began, his voice quiet, almost detached as he tried to find the right words.

Nick interrupted him, raising an eyebrow in confusion as he imitated Matt’s air quotes.

"'Broke'? Motherfucker, it broke." His voice was full of bewilderment, unsure of why Matt was choosing to word it that way.

But Matt wasn’t paying attention to Nick’s teasing anymore. He pushed back his chair and stood up, the scraping of the legs against the floor breaking the comfortable rhythm of the morning. All eyes were on him as he walked over to the counter, where Y/N stood, her breath caught in her throat as she looked up at him. He leaned against the counter, positioning himself next to her, his hand brushing against hers in a silent exchange of comfort and support.

Nick and Chris exchanged puzzled glances, the playful atmosphere from moments ago now replaced with a sense of anticipation. Matt was rarely this serious, especially during their videos, and the change in his demeanor left them both on edge.

"What’s going on, Matt?" Chris asked, his voice steady but laced with curiosity, his arms crossing over his chest as he studied his brother.

Matt took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on him. He and Y/N had talked about how to break the news to Nick and Chris for days. They had planned it out, imagined different scenarios, and rehearsed how it might go. But now, standing here in the kitchen with the camera still rolling, Matt realized that all those plans didn’t matter. There was no perfect way to tell them; there was only the truth.

"I didn’t lose." Matt said, his voice stronger now, filled with emotion that he could no longer hide. He took a step closer to Y/N, his hand finding hers and squeezing it gently. His eyes never left his brothers as he spoke. "My baby is safe and sound... right in the oven."

The words hung in the air for a moment, the meaning not immediately sinking in for Nick and Chris. They blinked, their expressions mirroring each other’s confusion as they tried to make sense of what Matt had just said.

"The oven?" Nick repeated, glancing around the kitchen. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Chris frowned, his gaze following Nick’s to the actual oven, which was clearly off.

"Matt, what are you-"

But before Chris could finish, Matt shook his head and smiled softly, a smile that held all the love and anticipation he had been carrying for weeks. He gently guided Y/N’s hand to her stomach, the gesture so tender and full of meaning that it spoke louder than any words ever could.

"The oven," Matt repeated, his voice a whisper now, thick with emotion. "Right here."

It was as if time stopped. Nick and Chris froze, their eyes widening in sync as the realization finally hit them. The weight of Matt’s words, the significance of the gesture; it all came crashing down on them at once.

"Wait... are you saying...?" Nick’s voice trailed off, the disbelief evident in every syllable.

Y/N looked up at Matt, her eyes shining with tears that she had been holding back for days. She nodded, her voice trembling with joy and nerves as she finally let the words out, the truth she had been dying to share.

"We’re pregnant." She whispered, her voice breaking with emotion. "I’m pregnant."

For a heartbeat, the kitchen was silent. The camera continued to record, capturing every second of the moment that would change their lives forever.

And then, all at once, the emotions erupted.

Chris was the first to react. His eyes filled with tears that spilled over the rims, his face a mix of shock, joy, and overwhelming love. He stood up so abruptly that his chair almost fell, forgotten as he crossed the room in two long strides. Without a word, he pulled Matt and Y/N into a tight embrace, his arms encircling them both as he buried his face in Matt’s shoulder, his body trembling with sobs.

"Oh my God." Chris whispered, his voice cracking with the force of his emotions. "I can’t believe it. You’re going to be a dad, Matt. And Y/N... you’re going to be a mom."

Y/N found herself laughing through her own tears, the sound mixing with her soft sobs as she wrapped her arms around Chris, resting her head against his. She could feel Matt’s warm hand on her back, holding her close, grounding her in the moment.

"We were going to tell you guys differently, but..." Y/N’s voice faltered, the words catching in her throat as she tried to speak. Her lip quivered as she bit down on it, trying to hold back the fresh wave of tears that threatened to spill over.

Nick, who had been frozen in shock, finally seemed to snap out of it. He looked at Matt, then at Y/N, and back to Matt again, as if needing to confirm that this was real. His eyes were wide, his jaw slack, but then, slowly, a wide, joyous grin spread across his face.

"Holy shit!" Nick exclaimed, his voice full of excitement as he jumped up from his chair, his movements so sudden that it clattered to the floor. He didn’t care. All he could focus on was the fact that his brother was going to be a father. That they were going to be uncles.

Nick rushed over to join the group hug, wrapping his arms around the three of them and squeezing as hard as he could, his voice cracking with the intensity of his emotions.

"This is insane! I can’t believe we’re going to be uncles. Oh my God, Chris, we’re going to be uncles!"

Chris pulled back just enough to look at Nick, their faces mirroring the same shock and joy.

"Yes, you are." Y/N whispered, her voice filled with warmth and love. "You and Chris are going to be the best uncles in the world."

Matt couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. He let them fall freely as he wrapped his arms around his brothers, holding them tight, feeling a surge of love and gratitude that left him breathless. This wasn’t the way they had planned it, but it felt right. It felt perfect. He could feel Chris’s shoulders shaking as he cried, and when he finally pulled back to look at his brothers, he saw the same tears in Nick’s eyes.

Chris wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, a huge, teary grin spreading across his face.

"You sneaky bastards." He said, his voice still thick with his crying. "You kept this from us!"

"We wanted to surprise you." Matt said, finally finding her voice again, though it was still shaky with laughter and tears. "But I just couldn’t wait."

Nick looked at him, his grin turning mischievous.

"So, technically, you didn’t lose the challenge, huh?"

Matt chuckled, shrugging as he looked at the Y/N glued to his side.

"Nope, I didn’t lose. I think I actually won something even better."

Chris wiped at his eyes again, sniffling as he looked at Y/N, his expression soft and full of love.

"You two are going to be amazing parents. This little one is so lucky to have you."

Y/N reached out and took Chris’s hand, squeezing it tightly as she smiled through her tears.

"Thank you, Chris. That means the world to us."

Nick clapped his hands together, the grin never leaving his face.

"Well, I guess this calls for a celebration, huh? Let’s order some food and make this the best day ever."

They all agreed, the room filling with the sound of their joy, and as they gathered around the kitchen table, Matt couldn’t help but feel like the luckiest man in the world.

He looked at Y/N, who was beaming at him, her eyes still sparkling with tears, and ge couldn’t help but think that this was the best video they’d ever made; not because of the challenge, but because it captured a moment that would change their lives forever.

　　　　　༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

Extra - comments

"this has to be the best twist ever 😭😭 I was NOT expecting Matt to drop that bombshell at ALLLL"

"omg, they're going to be such amazing parents 🥺"

"chris’s reaction had me in TEARS!!! the way he just broke down crying when he realized he’s going to be an uncle… this is why I love them so much, they're so genuine 😞"

"nick’s face when he finally understood what matt meant by ‘the oven’ LMAOOO"

"FUCK NO, I was laughing so hard during the egg challenge, and then I ended up crying when matt revealed Y/N is pregnant 🤧"

"matt is going to be the greatest dad out there, I just know it 🙏🏻"

"who cares about a fucking broken egg when you’ve got a real baby on the way 😩"

"when matt said the baby was in the oven, I thought he was joking about the egg, I did NOT see that coming 🤡"

"please guys, let me in the group hug 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻"

taglist:

@lustfulslxt @ladybunny44 @earth2starkey @freshloveforthefit @sturniolowhore @luvr4miya @alorsxsturn @urfavgirllyyyyy @hearts4chriss @cupidzsq @junnniiieee07 @lightsgore @gidgett11037 @soimightlikeoldmen69 @ldr-sl0t @its-jennarose @sainzzsturns @soso-scarlettolivia @bitchydragonparadise @freshsturns @h3arts4harry @patscorner @strnilolo @bernardsbendystraws @poetatorturadaa @meg-sturniolo @orangeypepsi @jnkvivi @chrisactualwife @fratbrochrisgf @elordilover @somegirlfromasgard @hpyjw @colorthecosmos444 @thewhispersofthewaves @mattslolita @imwetforyourmom @mrl217 @sturnsmia @mattsfavbitchhh @sturnioloshacker @soursturniolo @blahbel668 @sarosfilms @moncherriis @tobesolonelyjess @zainabthescientist @littlemisswhore

(If you want to be added to the taglist, go to this post)

[pincushionx]

Blood warning!

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I see lots of fanfics that talk about the Grimwalker stories and myths as Grimwalkers being these predators that hunt witches and are these monster that feed off of flesh, but all of these are usually false and like I said just myths.

So what if that wasn’t the case? What if Grimwalkers were the flesh craving beasts everyone thinks they are. Aka me giving Hunter the Tokyo Ghoul treatment (kinda)

This image takes place during Thanks to Them, he’s hunting and consuming animals to sustain himself but they can only do so much. He keeps it a secret because he’s ashamed, scared and full of self loathing. Unfortunately you can only sneak out and wash your clothes so frequently until you get caught.

…

The craving flesh started around the time Hunter started hitting his second stage of puberty, so around 12 to 13 years old. It started off as spouts of aggression, weight loss and odd carvings that he suppressed until he eventually snapped and attacked a scout. Once he consumed flesh, there was no going back.

This happened with a few Grimwalkers, typically one made around pubescent years due to this being a natural development. Grimwalkers who are made as adults don’t get this since get miss that developmental period. A reason why Belos made Grimwalkers strictly adults for hundreds of years before trying out a new experiment.

When Belos made Hunter, he was aware of this and rather than kill Hunter off or just make an adult Grimwalker, he decided he can benefit from a “monster” needing a source of food.

Hence, Hunter picking up a reputation for being “feral.” Belos supplies Hunter with blood and flesh but not enough to satisfy him, just the minimum to keep him alive. This is to keep Hunter at a state where he’s willing to do more work to earn more food but unfortunately this just results in cases of Hunter going “too far” aka mauling different beings (witches, beasts, demons, ect) during missions on the accounts he’s literally starving and being triggered in fights.

He can eat normal food but his sense of taste is bit dull and doesn’t give him the nutrition he needs. He can eat and eat and it will do nothing. He learns to satisfy himself through eating animals he hunts during missions. When he gets to the human realm he eats his food with an overwhelming amount of seasoning just to taste it.

He also has a very strong jaw and sharp teeth, like hyena type stuff.

(Imagine a scenario he pauses a mission mid way to go hunt some voles and eat them raw and the scouts just standing there like-)

After Hollow mind Hunter struggles because now he’s has little source of witch or demon flesh (he raids the healing classes for blood and kitchen for uncooked meat)

So during thanks to them he’s forced to live with three witches, a basilisk, two humans who are somewhat similar to witches and oh boy he struggles. His friends are concerned. Camila notices Hunter eats a lot but still looks like he isn’t gaining weight, Gus notices that he sneaks out, Vee smells something wrong with him, Luz sees how on edge he is, Amity catches on to his burst of aggression (caused by hunger and stress) and Willow notices he avoids them.

They all already knows something is off with him (heightened senses, unusual teeth and jaw strength, glowing eyes, unusually tight and powerful muscles despite how gaunt he is) but only Luz knows he’s a grimwalker but hasn’t quite put the peices that’s he’s a unnatural, natural predator to witches and demons. The witches, Vee and even the humans feel a slight primal fear around Hunter but they can’t quite put the reason why, he puts them on edge even if they love him but something’s off.

Despite the fact that all of them are willing to give him blood, even some flesh if they could, the boy just refuses, since he sees himself as a literal monster that needs to be locked up.

This is me giving Hunter Grimwalker trauma x100. Anywho this is my late Halloween post aka my billionth AU idea. This was inspired by Tokyo Ghoul, Ginger snaps(2000) and the fic [redacted] Hunter by ApaMonkey on ao3! Yall should read it!

I have a weakness for flesh craving characters who aren’t villains but they aren’t so common so of course I had to project that love to my own skrunkly!

[improbable-outset]

📄 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐭

Kenji Sato x Fem!Reader

𝐀𝐎𝟑 | 𝐌𝐲 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐬 | 𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 5.3k (FUUUUUUU)

𝐓𝐖 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐖: One sided pinning (or that’s what Kenji believes), Reader is a daddy’s girl (me) and Kenji has daddy issues :,) brief harassment from a drunkie, Kenji saves your ass though, insecurities from Ken, Friends to More (?)

𝐀/𝐍: First Kenji fic I’m posting. If this does flop uhhh no one saw that 🫣🫣

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: Kenji tells himself that he only frequents the local restaurant because their food is always the best, made with the freshest ingredients. Definitely not because he enjoys finding excuses to chat with the owner’s attractive daughter, who often helps out as an unofficial waiter.

Kenji rarely found a place to eat without being overwhelmed by baseball fans who knew nothing about personal space. While he appreciated the admiration, it was increasingly frustrating having to sit down for a meal and being disrupted.

But that wasn’t his main concern. He knew that if fans saw him dining at a certain restaurant, it would soon be flooded, limiting space in the establishment.

Fortunately, he found Kokochi Tei, a small family-owned restaurant run by a widower and occasionally his daughter, who helped as a waitress. The place quickly became his sanctuary, offering both privacy and delicious food.

Initially, Kenji frequented Kokochi Tei for its food and respect for privacy. But everything changed when you started helping out at the restaurant.

He found himself looking for you the moment he entered, hoping you were working that day. He didn’t understand what it was about you that piqued his interest.

But he knew that the hidden gem of the establishment seemed even brighter when you were there—or maybe that was just the sun reflecting on the window.

At first, he thought at all stemmed from his envy of your relationship with your father, as self-projecting as it sounded.

It never crossed his mind that he might actually be interested in you as an individual until you started interacting with him more one-on-one while serving the other patrons.

His brows creased from carrying the day's weight as he sat behind the shoji screen, though he was hopeful that coming to Kokochi Tei would turn things around.

He noticed your figure behind the screen getting closer as you headed to his table, menu in hand. Your strides always seemed to carry some grace.

“Are you sure you don’t want the menu this time?” You asked, clutching onto the menu against your chest.

“Yeah, no.” Kenji shook his head, his lips tugging up in a small smirk. “Your father is like a maestro in the kitchen, I think I’d rather take the chance,” he leaned back in his seat with his broad arms crossed over his chest.

Eating at Kokochi Tei meant expecting the unexpected, especially when it came to your father’s cooking. He was always experimenting with different dishes and Kenji would accept it, even if it was something he never had. “So, what’s special for tonight?”

“Well…Dad’s been experimenting with some Vietnamese dishes, and he nailed a chicken pho ga recipe,”

“Pho, really now?” He arched his brow, interest piqued. “How can I pass up on some chicken pho? Sounds good.”

“Alright, one bowl of pho it is,” you said.

“You’d dad was practically busting his ass in the kitchen before I got here. Is he…doing okay?” The question lingered for a moment, Kenji’s gaze drifted towards the kitchen at the far back.

“Ah…he will be once I run him a bath after,”

“Oh is that so?” He responded, his lips curled to a full grin. “Looks like you’ve got your hands full then, huh?”

“Mhmm I think he’s trying to keep himself distracted after Mom’s not around anymore…” your voice trailed off at the end. It was a sensitive topic that you wouldn’t elaborate on. You blinked and spoke again, “So…pho ga?”

“Yeah. Oh, and a glass of your dad’s homemade green tea if he’s got any,”

“Of course…should be ready in 15.” You turned your heels to leave.

“Oh…and by the way,” Kenji called out, making you halt in your tracks before you turned back to look at him. There was something about the way you perked up when he called after you that sent a flutter through him. “Did you happen to catch the game today?”

“You know I always do. Dad’s always a fan.” You responded. He held his gaze at you, watching your every expression as you spoke.

“So, I assumed you saw my little fight with the catcher, too.”

“Yeah…what’s with that?”

He sighed, ranking a hand through his hair as he recalled the event. “Long story short: the guy had a smartass comment he just needed to say.” He said, a hint of irritation evident in his voice. “And, I’m sure you know me. I don’t tend to stay quiet when I get riled up,”

He wondered what you were thinking when you watched him tussle with the catcher live on television.

Shifting in his seat at the thought, he continued, “You uh…probably saw how the coach pulled from the game after that…”

“Heh—” you stifled a laugh before covering your mouth, clearly amused by his compromising anecdote.

“What’s that sweet giggle for, huh?” He said with a tease before adding on “Don’t you have tables to wait,” he pointed out with a huff, though he couldn’t hold back his smile that gave away his unseriousness. You always found a way for him to bring out his more relaxed side.

“Uh huh,” You managed to compose yourself before you left his table to attend to the other patrons.

“Yeah…that’s what I thought,” he watched you walk away with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. A few silent moments passed by, his eyes darted around the restaurant, observing anything that could keep his attention.

There were a few paintings hung on the wall with contemporary art pieces and a few plants dotting the space. He leaned over to look past the shoji screen, trying to get a quick glance of you.

He couldn’t help but take note of you as you walked around and served the other patrons. The restaurant wasn’t busy tonight, so your movements were more fluid, with a smoother flow, rather than rushed and on your toes when the restaurant was packed.

It was enticing, even though he knew he could never be in that position— but you always made it look so easy with your welcoming demeanor.

Eventually, you headed over to his table at the back with a tray in hand.

“Here’s your pho go. I got dad to add extra chili just how you like it.” you placed the bowl of hot, steaming pho on the table in front of him. The delicious aroma was irresistible.

“And tea!” You placed a teapot with a cup next to the bowl, along with some cutlery and napkins.

“Thank you,” he said, glancing up at you with a smile. He knew the tea would be divine as always. “Pass along my compliments to your dad, yeah?”

“Always,”

“Perfect,” he started taking a spoonful of the pho, blowing the steam away before he brought it up to his lips and took a sip. He let the pho sit on his tongue to savour the flavour; it was definitely something different but still incredible. “You’re a damn good waitress, you know that.”

“I’m just…doing my job when I can,” you said meekly.

“Well, you do it damn well, if anything,” a thought erupted in his mind, wondering about your love life. He never saw you with a partner, even if he saw a glimpse of your life.

Even if it felt a little invasive, he was conflicted on whether he should ask you or not, especially with the small relationship you’ve built over the months of talking.

He knew he should hold his tongue about it, but he took the risk and asked anyway, before his doubts overtook him. “You got a boyfriend or anything,”

“Sorry?”

Oh God, don’t make him repeat himself.

“Come on, a boyfriend? Any guy at all that you’re seeing?” He always imagined asking the question with a better, more smooth delivery— not like this. Nevertheless, he was glad the question was out of the way now.

“Nope,” you said. Despite the newfound revelation, a part of him made him doubt that you would even give him a chance, given his status.

You probably only saw him as the famous baseball star who was a regular at your father’s restaurant with a big ego. Although the latter wasn’t completely wrong, he knew he was more than that but he was unsure if you were curious to explore more, like he was.

“Ah, single then, are you?” Even with his lingering doubts, there was still a sense of satisfaction with your answer, maybe some underlying hope now that he knew you weren’t seeing anyone. “I was starting to believe you’d have line of guys at your feet,”

Whether it was true or not— and he really hoped it was the latter— he didn’t want to further broach the thought of other men trying to flirt with you. He was aware of how selfish that must’ve sounded, hence why he tried to keep his feelings in check.

“Yeah…heard of that one before,”

“Heh, just trying to compliment you,” he quipped. “No need to shoot down every word that comes out of my mouth,”

He caught a playful eye roll from you as he resumed eating, taking another spoonful of the pho and relishing its taste.

He could taste the slight kick from the chili just the way he liked it. It made him wonder if you remembered other small details about him, but he quickly brushed it off before he started speculating other scenarios.

After another spoonful, he asked, “So, when do you close?”

“We’re not closing until another hour,”

“Right, right. Just another hour,” he said with a hum, continuing on the pho in front of him. “And I’m guessing you’re aren’t gonna sit down and keep me company,”

“Yeah, probably not…”

“Ouch, you’re breaking my heart here.” He teased, clenching his chest to add emphasis to his feigned hurt. “You’d rather run around catering to other people than keep this baseball player company.”

“Well you've got your tea to keep you busy,” you shot back, your teasing words matching his wittiness.

He chuckled at that, giving the tea that was sitting besides his bowl a pointed gaze. “Yeah, ‘cause it’s a great listener,” he said sarcastically.

“Oh, for sure. Totally silent and won’t interrupt you and such.”

He let out a scoff, but his amused smile was still present on his face. “Yeah, smartass. Keep it up and I might decide to stay here all night.”

You arched a brow at that. “We’ll see what dad has to say about that.”

“Please,” his lips curled into a smirk. “If anything, he’ll probably beg me to stay. The tips I give are probably the only reason this place is still in business.” He knew full well how much your dad loved serving him and having him around, and not just because of the hefty tips he gave everytime.

It’s not often that Kenji let his insecurities get the best of him. Matter of fact, it was so rare, the feeling was almost foreign to him.

He wouldn’t let them overshadow his confidence, especially when he needed it the most on the field when there were hundreds and hundreds of eyes on him in real-time or when he’s doing his Ultraman duties with the citizens relying on him to keep them safe.

But being in a situation like this felt like navigating a complex maze where he has no sense of direction. Whenever he was with you, Kenji felt like the doubts in his head were a little louder than usual, and he was worried that one day, his blasé mask would slip away.

“You know, he was on my case last time when I was hanging around your table.” You commented.

“Oh really? You think he’s afraid of losing his regular customer to a pretty waitress? I won’t ditch him anytime soon. Gotta show my appreciation to these heavenly meals, you know,”

“I think he’s more concerned about me hitting on you,”

Kenji froze momentarily, the spoonful of the noodles halfway to his mouth, before he looked up at you with genuine surprise. “Wait wait wait— he seriously thinks you’d try making a move on me?” The thought alone seemed too baffling for him to comprehend.

“Yes, he does,”

A small chuckle escaped him before it morphed into a full blown laughter. He noticed through his teary eyes that you still held your serious expression. “That’s-” he began, taking a deep breath to compose himself. “Oh wow…your old man actually thinks you’re after me?”

Although the claim sounded comical hearing it out loud, Kenji hoped that there was some truth to it—even if he did disguise his hope with his laugh just now.

Just the thought of him catching your eye like that made something in him stir with a spark of excitement and nervousness.

“Unfortunately, and that’s all he talks about,” you finished your sentence with a groan. Kenji wondered how you really felt about the situation. Were you truly denying any interest, or was there something you’re holding back?

“He’s been talking to you about me, then, has he? About how you’re all falling for my charms and such?”

“Urgh, I don’t even want to feed that idea into his head,”

“But why not?” He leaned forward on his chair with his arms resting against the table. “I’m sure this whole thing is giving him a good laugh,” It was quite charming seeing the dynamic between you and your father and how your father felt about your interaction. Though he really hoped that he wasn’t temperamental about it.

“More like another reason to be on my case…I’ve already stressed him out for giving the wrong order to a few customers this week alone,”

He recalled one incident that had been going around the dining area. “Right…didn’t you give a guy beef noodles when he was supposed to get pork instead?”

You pressed your lips together in mild annoyance at the reminder, and he chuckled at your quiet response.

“Yeah. Poor fella probably had a fit once he realised what happened. I’m sure you had an earful from your dad after that,” he add

Just at that moment, another customer entered the restaurant, and you were already on your toes to serve them a table.

There was a flicker of disappointment in his eyes at the interruption; he was really enjoying your conversation, but of course, your job comes first.

“Duty calls, huh?” You nodded in silent response. “Go on then, go play nice and serve your customers.”

The male customer trotted over to an empty table, trying to hide the clumsiness in his steps. Kenji was never superstitious, but something about that man just at first glance rang all alarm bells in him.

He couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but his instincts were telling him to keep a close eye on the interaction and stay on high alert.

The longer he watched the the conversation between you and the newcomer, the more he could pick up on his behaviour.

His crooked smile, his relaxed yet provocative body language, and his slight slurred speech all pointed to him being intoxicated.

The man’s presence disrupted the calm atmosphere in the room, and Kenji couldn’t help but find himself on edge.

As you left for the kitchen to fetch his order, Kenji didn’t miss the man staring at your backside. It was obvious that he was eyeing your body like a shark sizing up it’s prey.

Kenji’s protective instinct kicked into overdrive, making him clutch the spoon in his hand hard enough to leave a dent on his palm.

He continued to watch as you returned from the kitchen, only to be met with the obnoxious patron who was getting more unruly by the minute. Kenji couldn’t hear the conversation from where he was sitting, but he could tell that you were uncomfortable.

You maintained your forced smile through your nervousness, and he could only seethe from his seat.

It took every ounce of willpower not to step in and cause a scene.

But something in him snapped the moment the man reached out and tried stroking her leg. All the tension he had held back boiled over.

In a swift motion, he stood up from his seat, the chair scraping against the wooden floor with a loud screech. He strode over towards the table, each step fueled with purpose and irritation.

He placed a hand on your shoulder and felt you jolt from the sudden contact.

“Come here,” he muttered, his voice gentle yet firm.

“What?”

“Just come closer,” he urged, the grip on your shoulder growing slightly tighter. Despite his calm exterior, his eyes betrayed his irritation.

You did as you was told and moved towards him. Immediately, he pulled you close and wrapped a protective arm around your waist, making sure you were behind him, shielding you from the man’s lecherous gaze with his athletic frame.

In the deepest pit of his gut, he felt a tinge of nervousness having been this close to you and having his arm around you. He always imagined what it would be like to be in this position but not in a situation like this.

But he brushed that thought aside as he looked down at the man, his eyes narrowed into slits. His voice instantly dropped to a dangerous tone, dripping with menace. “You got a problem?”

The man didn’t seemed fazed, still maintaining his lopsided grin, which only fueled his irritation further. “Nah, just having fun with the waitress here,”

Kenji felt his gut twist as the man’s spoke. ‘Fun.’ The word echoed in his head “Well, your fun ends here.”

“What, you got a problem with a guy just having a good time? Look at her, she loves the attention.” The man tried to lean to the side so he could take a look at you, but Kenji immediately blocked his view.

“She clearly doesn’t want anything to do with you,”

“You her boyfriend or something?” The customer sneered.

Kenji felt you tense behind him at that question. A part of him wanted to claim that title— not only to get the man to back off, but also to finally say it out loud, just to see how it felt like on his tongue.

But feeling how you tensed up made him second guess, so he kept his answer vague. “It doesn’t matter if I am her boyfriend or not, you’re going to leave her alone now.”

The man was completely oblivious to Kenji’s mounted annoyance. Kenji was surprised he didn’t recognise him, but that could be the alcohol completely skewing his judgment. Kenji leaned in so he was forced to focus on him.

“Eyes on me,” his voice sharpened, a hot razor blade. “She's not for you to touch or ogle, do you understand?”

The drunk man’s bravado evaporated under Kenji’s intense glare. He realised that continuing to provoke him would only lead to more trouble. He shifted in his seat before standing up unsteadily.

“Fine, fine I get it. She’s yours. No need to get all territorial, man.” The man muttered before staggering out of the restaurant, his balance wavering as he walked.

Once he was out of sight, the restaurant slowly resumed to its usual buzz and the patrons turned their attention back to their food. Though there was still a lingering awkwardness in the room that was hard to ignore.

Kenji’s attention shifted back to you, his fury melting into concern. You still look shaken and he could feel your muscles still taunt from the encounter.

His voice lowered to a softer tone, a mix of concern and protectiveness. “You alright?”

It took a moment before you could respond, your voice barely above a whisper but still audible enough for him to hear. “Y-yeah…I think so,”

Kenji could still send the remnants of fear lingering in your eyes and notice the slight tremor in your frame. The shock of the incident was still fresh and you were still trying to process what had just happened to you.

“I think I might close up early for the night,” you said, and he nodded in understanding. The whole ordeal must’ve taken a toll on you and you probably weren’t in the right state of mind to continue serving.

“Let me help you,” he offered.

“You don’t have to. Your pho…” you started, but he waved off your concern. His only focus was to make sure you were comfortable.

“Forget about that, it’s cold anyways. I’m helping you, no arguments.” He insisted firmly, leaving no room for debate in his tone.

Without waiting for a response from you, he reluctantly let go of you, wishing he could hold you a bit longer.

Fortunately, the place was quiet tonight and there were only a few customers scattered around finishing off their meals. He approached them one by one and politely asked them to finish up and head out, explaining the place was closing early.

As he waited for the place to clear out, his gaze lingered back on you as you started cleaning up the counter and counting the tip jar. You were uncharacteristically stiff and mechanical. Seeing you like this made his chest ache.

He wondered how often these things happened to you while you were on the clock. This was the first time he had witnessed anything like that, and he hated that some jackass ruined your night after seeing how relaxed you were earlier.

A few minutes later, once the last customer had walked out, Kenji returned to you, vigilant. “They’re all gone now.”

You didn’t meet his eyes, too stunned to focus on anything other than the floor. His chest tightened at the sight. “My dad’s gonna be pissed,”

“Why would he be pissed? It’s not your fault some drunk guy was harassing you.” He took a step closer, trying to study your expression.

You let out a solemn sigh, enough for him to feel the weight of your worry. He wanted to reach out and comfort you, but he knew you probably didn’t want to be touched right now.

“Hey, look at me.”

You glanced up at him briefly, then quickly interjected before he could speak, “You should uhm…finish off your pho. Don’t want it to get wasted, huh?” You quickly added, “Do you like dorayaki?”

He paused, surprised by your sudden change of topic. He couldn’t tell if it was a coping mechanism from your distress, but he appreciated your attempt to lighten the mood. “Dorayaki? Yeah, I love them,”

“Let me give you one…it’s on the house for helping me.” Before he could respond, you were already heading to the front counter where the dorayaki were displayed.

You wrapped one in a napkin and handed it to him. He accepted it gracefully, wrapping his large hand around the treat. “You sure your dad won’t get mad at you for giving away free food,”

“I don’t think he’ll notice anyway,” you said. “Plus, he’ll probably do the same, being his favourite baseball player and all.”

“Oh, so I’m the favourite, huh?” He unwrapped the dorayaki and took a bite. “Well, I had to admit, your dad’s got good taste in baseball,”

“Yeah…don’t see why he’d have an issue with me hitting on you, if that was the case, considering how much he admires your game play and such.”

“Can't blame him for being protective of you. I wouldn’t want some cocky bastard hitting on you either,”

“Oh, so you admit that you’re a bastard,”

“Guilty as charged, but I’m the kind of bastard that knows how to treat a girl right. Unlike those idiots that only see you as a piece of meat,”

He paused, recalling the incidents from earlier. He didn’t want to mull over what could’ve happened if things turned out differently. “I’m just glad I was here tonight. I wasn’t going to let some asswipe take advantage of you.”

A sudden outburst could be heard from the kitchen before the back door slammed open, revealing your father’s hardened face.

You stood upright, preparing for the confrontation. “Baba…”

You dad eyed both of you and he could almost feel the suspicion rising from him. His voice was gruff with a protective anger, “What is going on here?”

“It’s not what it looks like. I had to close the shop half an hour early,” you said quickly.

“And what’s the reason for that?”

Kenji took this opportunity to step in before things escalated further, not wanting you to revisit the story again. “Because some drunkard was harassing her. She felt uncomfortable and decided to close up early for safety reasons.”

Your dad’s attention darted at Kenji, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. He was used to people recognising him along with the shocked and awestruck look on their faces when they see him. But the way you dad was looking at him was something new, and he didn’t know how to react in the situation.

He quickly looked back at you and asked, “Is it true? Someone was messing with you?”

“Yeah…he touched me,” you said before gesturing to Kenji, “but Kenji stopped it from escalating,”

Your father still seemed guarded as he asked, “You stepped in?”

“Yeah, I did. I wasn’t going to stand by and watch her get harassed,”

You father’s gaze flickered between the two of you, his earlier suspension giving way to grudging respect. He was aware of Kenji’s reputation, both on and off the field. If the pro-baseball player had intervened, it must’ve meant the situation was serious enough to warrant it.

You picked up on your dad’s hesitation. “Baba, I was never trying to make a move on Kenji. You can even ask him,”

For some odd reason, Kenji felt his heart quicken at your words. Hearing you actually mentioning it to your father felt almost cathartic.

Kenji felt his eyes on him again, almost looking for confirmation from him. Kenji nodded, keeping his voice level, despite his senses going haywire right now, “She’s telling the truth, nothing inappropriate is going on between us,”

The room seemed to relax as your father’s tense demeanor faded. Perhaps after hearing it from Kenji himself was enough to convince him.

“Alright, I just wanted to make sure that nothing is going on behind my back,” he said. “Looks like I have to pack everything away in the kitchen,”

“I’m sorry, Baba.”

“It’s not your fault, don’t apologise. I’m just glad you’re okay,”

Your father looked back at Kenji, his expression more sincere now. “And I guess I owe you a thanks for stepping in and saving the day,”

“I gave him free dorayaki,” you chimed in.

“Ah, rewarding him with food, huh? That’s my girl.” He turned back to Kenji and stuck his hand out.

“I appreciate you looking out for her, son. Thank you.” He gave Kenji a firm handshake, though the word ‘son’ had struck him more than he let on, sending an odd feeling through his body. He didn’t think hearing another father calling him that would affect him.

Though he simply nodded, his expression was sincere, “No problem. I wouldn’t have let anything bad happen to her,”

He was still taken back by the unexpected term of endearment from your dad, cutting through his usual confidence. Memories of his own strained relationship with his father flickered in his mind, something he hadn’t confronted with for a while.

Your father gave you both a final nod before he headed back to the kitchen to finish off the last bits of closing.

Kenji maintained his gaze on the back door where you dad just exited, his mind now racing. He started speculating on how different things would be now, and more importantly, how you felt about the situation.

“What’s with that face?” You voiced snapped him out of his deep trance. He didn’t realise how silent he had been until you spoke up.

He turned back to look at you, “I just can't get over the fact that you dad seems to consider me a hero for saving you today,” he said jokingly, though there was some truth to it.

It was refreshing to be seen as more than just a star player; your father saw him for his character and actions. Even if it was just a brief glimpse, gaining your father’s trust and respect felt like a significant accomplishment— something he hadn’t achieved with his own father.

“I can’t believe he called you son, eugh.” Kenji couldn’t believe it either, still hung up on that moment. The gratification still felt fresh, and he hoped that feeling would last.

“Yeah, that too. Seems like he’s accepted me into the family,” he smiled.

“Oh God…” you groaned, massaging your temple to emphasise your feigned exasperation.

“Don’t worry, I won’t take offense to it. I actually find it entertaining.”

“Yeah, that’s one way of putting it,” you said.

It was definitely more than that to him, given the gravity of the situation with his own father.

But he wasn’t going to admit that to you. Maybe one day he’d share more of his family life with you, now that he seemed to be more than just a customer here.

“You know, it’s actually kind of amusing how you’re so bothered by this,” he mused.

“I think you got on his good side, so good for you.”

“Oh, I think I’ve got more that just his good side,”

“What do you mean?”

His smile morphed into a full grin, “Well I just saved his daughter from being harassed. He’s probably thinking of seeing me as a potential son-in-law.”

Shit, why did he say that. Did he sound weird?

You grumbled. “Don’t get excited now,”

Seeing your grumpy expression gave him some relief. It was better than seeing you disturbed. Then again, you were probably used to his teasing by now, so he couldn’t be too surprised.

“Relax, I’m not getting my hopes up…”

Lies.

“…I know you’re not swooning over me like your dad thinks,”

“But I’m pretty sure he’s noticed the way you freeze everytime I look at you when you come into the restaurant,”

He almost choked on his own saliva when you said that. He didn’t think that you’d notice, but now that you had, he wondered how obvious he was.

“I…don’t do that. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he mentally cursed himself for stuttering. No one had this much of an effect on him, and he didn’t know how to act.

“Just the other day, a man scolded at you for holding the queue,” you commented. Of course you would remember that.

“Alright, fine. I admit it. Maybe I do get a bit distracted sometimes when you look at me. But can you blame me?”

You covered your mouth to hide your snickering, holding back from laughing too hard. “Wow…I didn’t think you were that whipped,”

He huffed at that but he wasn’t going to deny it, even if it did hurt his pride. He knew he was more than just whipped; with those pretty eyes and beautiful smile, you could make him do just about anything.

“Yeah, okay. Laugh it all you want,” he muttered. He didn’t expect you to lean in towards him, invading his line of sight.

Oh no…you were more breathtaking up close.

“Hmm, I might be tempted to drag this out a little, just to see how far you’ll go.” You said, a small smile hinting a tease.

He swallowed thickly before he spoke, mirroring your tone, “Oh, really? You’re gonna make me work for it?”

He wouldn’t mind that if it meant spending more time with you. Every interaction with you was exhilarating and he would take the chance if it meant taking things further with you outside of your work.

The positive interaction with your father gave him a much-needed boost of confidence. If your father trusted him, maybe you would, too.

“Well…what if we start things slow and I asked you to dinner then? I’ll do you good and take you somewhere fancy since you have good taste in food,”

Seeing the way your eyes light before you answered made his chest warm with gratitude. “That sounds nice actually….yeah, I’d like that,”

𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐬: @lovingyeet @aise-30 @moonjellyfishie @dear-detested @nommingonfood

@luneariaa @ittomain1 @slushycoookie @roserfz27 @starriestarlight

@lily-337

[hannyoontify]

little stars - kwon soonyoung

member | non-idol!hoshi x illustrator!reader

genre | fluff, newly est. relationship

word count | 2k with some change

synopsis | soonyoung sees you without makeup for the first time, and he notices something he’s never seen before

warnings | reader wears makeup, reader has freckles on their face, reader is implied to have insomnia but it’s not prevalent to the plot, reader is ticklish, soonyoung has an extensive vocabulary of terms of endearment that borderline make me wanna hurl if they were used unironically, soonyoung makes a shrek reference

notes | i have freckles on the back of my hands and have always been insecure of them but i remembered how my ex used to kiss them and say they were beautiful

Soonyoung’s not a criminal. He knows that. The last time he committed a serious crime was back when he was seven years old when he stole a new pack of crayons from his sister’s friends’ house after a play date.

(Two seconds after leaving said friend's house and he could no longer handle the overwhelming and crushing guilt and ended up running to his mom and crying, calling himself a “tiger thief.”)

So when Soonyoung urgently texts your best friend to ask for the password to your apartment, he can’t help but feel a dull pang of guilt in his chest as he inputs the numbers he sees into the digital keypad. His hands are shaking as the door unlocks and he fumbles through the doorway and upon your quiet and dark apartment.

It’s well past noon now and yet, there wasn’t a single hint of you in the living room and kitchen. The sink was still empty, the drying rack was full, the throw pillows on the couch looked too pristine, and the curtains were still closed. Fearing the worst, Soonyoung quietly made his way to your closed bedroom door, his sock-covered feet padding along the floor. 

He softly knocks once. Then twice. “[Name]?” No response. 

“[Name]? Baby? Are you awake?” When he doesn’t get a response, Soonyoung pushes the door slightly open. “I’m coming in…” 

In the dark room, all Soonyoung could perceive was a lump amidst the lush pile of stuffed animals and blankets, your sleeping form slowly rising and falling. “Baby…” He pushed the door wider, letting the minimal light from the living room stream past your doorway, shedding light into your dark room.

The lump under the big fluffy duvet stirred, squirming around as Soonyoung approached the side of your bed. He turned on the mushroom lamp you had on your bedside table and you let out a loud groan. 

While you stirred in your sheets, Soonyoung glanced around your room. He’d only been to your apartment a couple times in the past few months but he was already familiar to the layout of your bedroom. In the corner, next to the window was your desk with your extensive, impressive PC set-up. Sheets of half-drawn and unfinished pencil drawings were strewn across your drawing board and your desk was a flurry of paper, reference photos, and pencils.

Soonyoung felt a pang in his chest at the realization that you had probably stayed up until ungodly hours trying to finish your illustrations. You were an artiste and you had a bad habit of working until you practically dropped dead when you were struck by a lightning of inspiration.

“[Name], love, it’s time to wake up. It’s already past 3 in the afternoon. Sleeping is for the nighttime.” You poked your head out of the blanket, the edge of the fluffy duvet resting right below your eyes and covering the rest of your face. 

You stared at him blankly with bloodshot eyes and Soonyoung swore he saw—and heard—the gears turning in your head. It took you a couple seconds to recognize your boyfriend. “Soonie?” You croaked out, your voice still hoarse having woken up just seconds before.

Soonyoung smiled at the nickname and affectionately patted your head. “Time to wake up, sleepy head. Don’t wanna ruin your sleep schedule. Late night, huh?”

You nodded and rubbed an eye. “Deadline was…” You yawned. “Last night. Couldn’t sleep either.”

Soonyoung nodded sympathetically. 

“What- what time is it?” You blinked at him with the blanket still covering the rest of your face. Your hair was a tussled mess that was fanned out on the pillow behind you.

“3 pm, baby. C’mon. Let’s get you out of bed.” Soonyoung gently pulled the blanket away, revealing the rest of your face and your matching tiger pajamas. Your boyfriend stared at your clothes, an ambiguous look in his eyes that made you unsure of whether he found your pajamas adorable, or if he simply coveted your clothes and hence boosting you up to top 3 on his rob list, next to his model friend, Joshua and his tiger striped patterned button-up.

(That button-up wasn’t even his, it was something his stylist had just put on him for one of his magazine photo shoots.)

Meanwhile, reality had finally begun to settle in for you as you just realized that your new, hot boyfriend was standing in your bedroom, fluffy hair galore. He was standing over you with a twinkling look in his eyes, clad in a pair of black sweatpants and a white tank top, his muscles flexing and rolling as he tugged the blanket off of you.

You then suddenly became painfully aware of your appearance. You were in your embarrassing tiger character pajamas and your face was painstakingly bare. Your hands flew up to your hands and you flipped over, burying your face into your pillow with a loud groan. 

“Soonie, can you wait outside for me?” Your voice was muffled by the fabric of your pillow. 

Soonyoung reached out for your shoulder and his eyebrows scrunched up with worry. “Why? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

With your hands still covering your face, you rolled back and peeked at your boyfriend through your fingers. “I’mmph mmm wmmph any mammphup.”

Soonyoung chuckled and gently grabbed your wrists. “Baby, I can’t understand what you’re saying.” 

“I’m not wearing any makeup,” you whined. “You’ve never seen me barefaced before, I’m embarrassed.”

“Nooooo, baby, lemme see your hot and sexy face,” When you wouldn’t budge, Soonyoung sighed in fake exasperation. “Then you leave me no choice.”

He crawled into the empty spot next to you in bed and wrapped his big arms around you, prying your hands away from your face. 

You giggled and wriggled away from Soonyoung, using everything within you to try and hide from your boyfriend who was now currently pinning you to the mattress jiu-jitsu style. You shrieked when Soonyoung’s cold fingers dug into your sides, causing you to writhe around under him, like a fish without water. You gasped for air as Soonyoung tickled you but your hands still firmly covered your face.

“Baby, babe, pookie bear, my sweet sugar plum, my snookum bear, honey bunch, sweet cheeks, pooh bear, pudding pie, my cutie patootie, snuggle bear,” Soonyoung gently grabbed your wrists again. “I don’t care if you’re the pretty princess version of Fiona or the ogre version. I’ll be the Shrek to whichever version you are, because,” Soonyoung placed a hand over his chest and spoke after a dramatic pause. “It’s the heart that truly matters.”

You snorted. 

“Are you laughing at me and my Shrek analogy? You know it took me a long time to think of that.” Soonyoung seemed to deflate and he pouted.

“Of course not baby. I think your Shrek analogy is genius,” You peeked through your fingers, just in time to see his chest swell again with pride–you had complimented his Shrek analogy! “But I’m still not showing you my face.”

“BABY NOOOOO,” Soonyoung dramatically threw himself against you, his fingers seeking refuge in your armpits this time, causing you to erupt into a fit of giggles. “LEMME SEE YO FACEEEEE.”

“Nooooo,” you whined. Despite your protests, you couldn’t help but giggle as Soonyoung tried different combinations of kissing and tickling to try and get you to open up.

Thanks to his stubbornness and his iron grip, he was finally able to pry your hands off your face and pinned them against the pillow next to you. In the midst of wrestling you, Soonyoung had ended up on top of you, his legs straddling your waist and he looked down at you with a triumphant grin. “Gotcha.”

His eyes were roaming around your face, evidently studying you as you tried to avoid eye contact. Your giggles slowly subsided, and you heard Soonyoung trying to catch his own breath. When he finally managed to lock his eyes with your own, there was a softness in his eyes in the way he looked at you that you had never seen before.

Breathless, Soonyoung spoke softly, his voice barely above a whisper. “You… have freckles…”

“H-huh?” You felt your cheeks burning as your boyfriend timidly brought a hand up to your face. His fingertips softly grazed your skin, his touch so light and gentle, you would’ve thought it was just a light gust of wind if you hadn’t been paying attention. Soonyoung’s eyes stayed trained on your cheeks, his eyes examining each and every individual freckle with a gentleness you had never seen from him before.

You’ve always been aware of the freckles on your face, but they’ve never received this much attention from someone before. It felt awkward, but it also felt… intimate. It felt nice for your beauty marks to be appreciated, and your heart swelled with affection at the sweet gesture from your boyfriend. 

Soonyoung continued to study the freckles, his fingers lightly tracing your skin with a feather-like touch. As if he was trying to commit every single detail of you to memory. Finally, his eyes meet yours and the corner of his lip tugs up, hinting a smile. “You’re beautiful.”

You feel the heat on your cheeks spreading across your face to the tip of your ears and you become unsure of how to respond. Sure, you’ve received compliments before, but not like this. No compliment you’ve ever received has ever been this intimate or vulnerable. The way Soonyoung said those two words made it sound like a secret. A secret that he uttered quietly into the void, whispering it into existence, just for you to hear. A secret only the two of you would know.

You thought your heart was about to burst. 

Soonyoung cupped your face with both his hands and his thumbs rubbed gently against the soft skin on your cheekbones. You blinked up at him, watching his big, dark eyes roam around your face. The light of your mushroom lamp reflected in his eyes, sparkling and shining with a child-like wonder. 

Your room was dimly lit, the muted colors in your room solely provided by the small lamp on your bedside table. It had begun to rain at some point, the dull pitter-patter of the rain against your window replicating the beating of your heart. 

After what seems like forever, you finally speak up. “Soonie?”

Soonyoung begrudgingly tears his eyes away from your freckles and looks into your own, shining eyes. “Yes, baby?”

“I–” you faltered, unsure of what to say. You pursed your lips and stared at your boyfriend who gave you a soft, loving smile. “Are my freckles that interesting?”

Soonyoung’s grin grew into a boy-ish one and he reached over and pressed a soft kiss to your cheek. “Yes, honey. I want to commit every part of you to memory. I want to learn the story behind every freckle and scar. I want to learn all of you.” 

You felt an unfamiliar warmth stir in your heart, that soon spread throughout the rest of your body, through your fingertips and every cell of your being. Your heart fluttered. Was this what poets and lyricists meant when they wrote of love

“They’re like… I mean, I’m not a poet but-” Soonyoung fumbles as he searches for the right words to describe the immeasurable admiration and love he felt for you. 

Your freckles were strikingly beautiful and Soonyoung felt the wind getting knocked out of him when he first saw the sweet brown sugar sprinkled on your nose and cheekbones. They were like April rain showers that sprinkle the green grass with yellow flowers and Soonyoung thought your face mimicked the night sky, your freckles glinting and gleaming like countless stars. 

“Your freckles… they remind me of beautiful constellations. They can create illustrations in the night sky by connecting the dots and they tell stories, your stories.” Soonyoung paused. “And I love them.”

Your breath catches in your throat. Was he-?

“I love you.”

Soonyoung gazed down at you with an uncertain look, his eyes searching your own for some kind of response. His heart hammered against his chest as he wondered if you felt the same way yet. 

You did. 

“I love you too, Soonyoung. And baby?”

“Hm?”

“That was so much better than your Shrek analogy.”

reblogs and feedback are always appreciated ^-^

[sophrosynesworld]

Chili Chocolate Cookies

What goes around comes around.

You can hear your daughter’s sobs through the door, her muffled cries filling the silence of your once-quiet home. She had slammed the door behind her the moment she stepped inside, shutting herself away from the world.

“Honey?” Your voice is soft as your fingers tap gently on the door. “Are you hungry?” You knew she wasn’t. But you also knew your daughter well enough to understand that addressing her tears directly would only make her retreat further into herself.

“Go away!” Her voice cracks, full of anguish and frustration. Whatever had happened at school today had clearly taken a toll on her. You lean against the door, heart aching, but you don’t push further. You know she needs time to process her middle school emotions, and the last thing she needs is someone barging in before she’s ready.

Instead, you do what Katsuki does for you when you’re overwhelmed by the world. You move quietly into the kitchen, your footsteps light on the floor, not wanting to disturb her. Humming softly to yourself, you start pulling out ingredients from the cupboards—flour, cocoa powder, sugar. The familiar motions soothe you as you level the dry ingredients and measure the wet, mixing the chili chocolate cookie batter with practiced ease. The scent of the rich chocolate and the slight kick of chili fills the kitchen as you place the tray in the oven.

You know she won’t resist for long. The warmth of the cookies, just like the warmth of your love, will eventually draw her out. And when she does come out, you’ll be ready to listen—not with words, but with the simple act of being there for her.

While the cookies bake, you move to the school bag your daughter left by the doorway, intending to gather any homework she might have. As you pull out a folder, a crumpled note tumbles out onto the floor. You didn’t mean to pry—honestly—but your fingers automatically reach for the paper, curiosity tugging at you.

As you slowly unravel the note, your heart sinks. The words scrawled across the page hit you like a punch to the gut:

Your dad might be a hero, but you’re nothing more than a quirkless freak.

Your breath catches in your throat. How could someone be so cruel? Your mind races, trying to process the pain your daughter must be feeling. Before you can think of what to do next, the door to her room creaks open. Panic surges through you, and you hastily shove the note back into her bag, tossing it onto the floor beside you.

“Are those almost done?” her small voice asks.

You look up, meeting her gaze. Your beautiful daughter peeks out from behind the corner, her face blotchy from tears. Those striking eyes, so much like yours, peer at you with a mix of hope and hesitation. Her platinum hair, a gift from her father, falls messily around her face. If you asked her Uncle Eijiro, he’d say she has his teeth, but you’ve explained to him countless times that’s not how genetics work.

“They need a few more minutes,” you say, trying to keep your voice steady as you turn off the oven light. You pause, then gently add, “Do you want to talk to me while they finish? I’ve been dying to tell someone about my day.”

“Of course.” Your daughter sits next to the counter, pushing her hair away from her face and getting comfortable. So, you ramble on. You talk about buying groceries, stopping by Katsuki’s office, and having lunch with him, even the workout class you took before coming home. You keep talking, keeping your daughter engaged with your stories, trying to bring a little light into her day. When the cookies finally come out, she takes a bite, her eyes widening in delight.

“These are so good!” Your daughter pauses mid-bite, chewing slowly as if she’s savoring the taste. After a moment, she looks up at you, her eyes hesitant but determined. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course, sweetheart. Anything.”

She shifts in her seat, glancing down at the table before meeting your gaze again. “Do you think I could be like you… maybe even Dad?”

You do your best to hide your surprise, feeling your heart skip a beat. “You… want to be a hero?”

Before she can answer, the sound of the front door opening startles her. She freezes, like a deer caught in headlights, then quickly scrambles out of her chair. “Forget I said anything!” she blurts out, her voice high-pitched with panic as she retreats back into her bedroom.

You barely have time to process her words before Katsuki’s voice cuts through the silence. “Why does my house smell sad?”

“It doesn’t smell sad in here, Katsuki,” you reply, standing up to greet him. As you walk over, you wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him into a comforting embrace.

Katsuki’s strong arms encircle your waist, and he gives you a small kiss before pulling back slightly to look at you. “It smells like chili chocolate cookies, which means something’s up. That’s her go-to comfort cookie.”

You sigh, feeling the weight of the day settle on your shoulders as you let go of him. “Those kids at school are at it again.”

Bakugo’s expression darkens, his frown deepening. “Which ones?”

“I don’t know,” you admit, frustration tinging your voice. “But they’re calling her names again. She’s miserable there, Katsuki.”

His jaw tightens, and you can see the anger simmering just beneath the surface. He’s always been fiercely protective of both of you, and the thought of his daughter being hurt like this is enough to make his blood boil.

“I just wish I knew what to say to her,” you admit softly, your voice trembling with the weight of your worries. “She’s hurting so much, and I feel like I’m failing her.”

“You’re not failing her,” Katsuki says firmly, pulling back to look into your eyes. His gaze is intense, full of the fierce love that’s always driven him. “You’re doing everything you can. She knows you’re here for her.”

“I just… I don’t want her to feel like she has to hide this from us,” you say, your voice barely above a whisper. “She asked if she could be like us, Katsuki. She’s never said anything like that before.”

He takes a deep breath, his expression softening as he processes your words. “Maybe that’s a good thing,” he says slowly. “Maybe she’s starting to see that she doesn’t have to be like everyone else to be the best."

Katsuki takes a step away, his expression clouding with something heavier.

“What is it?”

He exhales deeply, rubbing a hand across his face. “Can I be honest about something?” he asks quietly, the weight of his words already pulling him down. You nod, encouraging him to continue.

“I said those same damn things to Deku when we were kids. I called him a quirkless freak. I made him feel like he was nothing.”

You’re taken aback by his confession. Katsuki rarely talks about those days, the guilt he carries buried deep beneath layers of bravado. “That was a long time ago,” you say gently. “You’re not that person anymore.”

“I know,” he replies, but his voice is strained. “But hearing her talk about what those kids are saying to her… It’s like I’m hearing my own words all over again, and it makes me sick.”

You squeeze his hand, offering silent support. He’s never shied away from his mistakes, but the guilt he feels over how he treated Izuku still lingers.

“You’ve changed, Katsuki,” you remind him. “You and Izuku… you’re friends now. You’ve made amends.”

He nods, but you can tell it’s still eating at him. “I’ve spent years trying to make up for what I did to Deku, but seeing her go through this… It’s like I’m being reminded of how much damage I did. How much I hurt him.”

You don’t reply, knowing how rare it is for your husband to be this open.

Katsuki is silent for a moment, lost in thought. “I never understood why Deku kept going, kept trying to be a hero, even when I told him he couldn’t. He didn’t have a quirk, but he had something else… something I didn’t see back then. That’s what she has too.”

You nod, seeing the realization dawn on him. “She has that same determination, that same heart.”

Katsuki looks at you, his expression resolute. “I’m gonna make sure she knows that. I won’t let her go through what Deku did. I’m not gonna let her think she’s anything less than amazing, quirk or no quirk.”

You smile, feeling a swell of pride for the man he’s become. “And you know what? You’re showing Izuku that too. Every day, you’re proving that you’re not the person who said those things. You’re someone he can count on, someone who’s learned from their mistakes.”

He lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, some of the tension easing from his shoulders. “Yeah… Yeah, you’re right.”

[kleine-joost]

Little Chaos MDNI

Joost Klein x AFAB Reader

WARNING: this is RPF! this is SMUT! if that is not something you want to see kindly move on and we won't bother each other, okay? xxx

a/n: phew it's been a while! i took a mini break bc i began to get a lil overwhelmed lol. i promise more is coming <33

CONTENT WARNINGS: uuhhh piv sex, alcohol consumption, Joost and Reader being sweet

Pick me up, take me home, turn me off, turn me on, I'm your friend, I'm your girl, I'm your little chaos

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

The night was beginning to wane as all of your friends began to tire out and head home. The restaurant where you had dinner was still quite full–there was a loud table on the other side of the room that must’ve been a birthday dinner or something, the group of at least 20 showed no signs of slowing down.

Only slim pickings of your friends left, the last hang-er-ons. You fiddled with the dessert spoon that sat on the chocolate-covered plate in front of you as Alanis was telling the group a story of a party gone wrong when she was a teenager. 

You watched Joost sitting across the table. You spied the long, slow blinks he was trying to fight off as he listened. Flashes in your mind of nights before; his mouth on yours, sweaty skin chafing against each other, the stillness of the afterglow as you both came down from your highs.

It was somewhat of a routine for the both of you. Just a way to release some tension.

You wouldn’t call it a proper relationship, but it was definitely more than friendship. You’d told each other everything, every story from when you were growing up, every dream, every craving for food at 3 on a Sunday morning. 

You loved when he would laugh at your stupid puns, and he loved laughing at them. He loved when you would sleep at his place and get two glasses of water from the kitchen in the middle of the night, and you loved when he’d make you toast in the morning. 

It was something far more than anything you’d see in the movies or read in those trashy romance novels. It was just…you and Joost.

Joost’s eye caught yours, just for a second before he looked away, turning his attention back to Alanis. You could see a smirk pull at the corner of his mouth, he was desperately failing at suppressing it. 

That was the only sign you needed that tonight would be another one of those nights where you’d tell all your friends that Joost was just helping you get back home safe–you only lived a few streets away from each other and he was always a standup guy–when in reality you’d be dragged into his bed with the softest sheets and you’d fuck until the sun was nearly rising.

It wasn’t that you were trying to keep it a secret, everyone else just wouldn’t understand. If anyone else knew there’d be…an expectation that the two of you would have to fill. And you were never one for conformity.

Slowly, the bill was settled and you all shuffled out of the restaurant and into the street. Your routine had become so regular that it wasn’t even mentioned when you and Joost said goodbye to the group and walked away together, that was just what you always did.

Once you’d turned a corner and knew you were out of sight, you slowly slid your hand into Joost’s. His palm was warm and his fingertips were soft, like always. He gave your hand a quick squeeze, before pulling you closer to him.

“I like this dress,” he said, eyes scanning your body for what must’ve been at least the sixth time that night.

You pulled one side of your coat back with your free hand, showing off more of the short, navy dress that clung to your body. “Yeah? I wasn’t too sure about it at first–” You couldn’t help the grin that spread on your face. “–But I’m glad someone likes it.”

He let out a small chuckle into the night air. “It’s very good, Schatje.”

The rest of the walk to Joost’s apartment was mostly silent, apart from the occasional appraising of your meal that evening. 

Once you’d made it inside, you took off your coat and your shoes like you normally did, and made your way to the bathroom. After the third or fourth time of these visits, you’d gotten some cheap makeup wipes to keep in Joost’s cupboard, just to make things easier for you.

As you wiped away the mascara and concealer, Joost called out from the kitchen. 

“Do you want some wine? It’s the rose from last week that no one drank…but it’s all I have.”

You smiled, recalling the memory of the small house party Joost had to celebrate the release of the new single. He’d practically bought out every liquor store in the area, and the only thing left at the end of the night was this cheap rose that was way too sour and had a sort of…vinegar taste to it.

You stepped out of the bathroom, now sans makeup. “I’ll give it a try.”

Joost knew it was a cliche to say–well, think–but he always thought you were more beautiful without makeup on. It was like a part of you that only he got to see. The intimate, vulnerable side that was reserved for tired nights and quiet mornings. It practically pained him with how much he adored you.

He handed you a mug of the wine–all the glasses in his apartment were dirty and he wasn’t exactly in the mood to do the washing-up with you in his presence. 

You took a sip and grimaced. “Oh god, it’s worse than I remember…” You said in a hoarse voice, placing the wine glass back on the kitchen counter.

Joost smiled, anything you did always made him smile. “I don’t know how to get rid of it, I don’t want to waste it by throwing it away!”

You giggled, admiration for how sweet he was. Without a thought, your feet shuffled you forward, bringing you to Joost. You wrapped your arms around his waist, feeling the softness of the dark hoodie he was wearing.

On instinct he returned the embrace, with firm, comforting hands on your back.

You both stood there in the kitchen in silence for a while. Nothing needed to be said, you both knew from experience how these nights would go.

Joost pulled away slightly, so you were face to face. “Let’s go to bed, yeah?”

You nodded, pulling away from him and lethargically staggered to Joost’s bedroom.

You both undressed. There wasn’t even a sense of tension with it, it was just what you did. Joost helped you unzip the back of your dress, and held your hand to steady you as you stepped out of it, leaving you in just your panties.

Joost looked up and down at your body for a moment, clad only in his boxers.

“So beautiful…” he whispered, so low you could barely hear him, and wondered if he was even saying it to you and not himself.

You took a step towards him, placing a soft hand on the skin of his hip. You leant forward to place a small peck on his jaw, and then another on his chin, and then his cheek-

And before you could make your way any further, he engulfed you in a deep kiss. His arms wrapped around you, leaving no room in between you both as your lips met.

Your hands quickly began to wander, from his hip to the waistband of his boxers–you felt the muscles in his abdomen tighten–before reaching below painstakingly slow.

You could feel his erection stiffen while you gently ran your fingers up and down his shaft. He squeezed you tighter as he let out a stifled moan onto your lips, his tongue making its way past them and meeting your own.

Your kisses lightened, travelling down his neck. Joost began to stumble towards the bed, taking you with him in a heap on the mattress. You let out a yelp of surprise as your back hit the sheets, making Joost giggle. You got a proper look at him in the reprieve of action, pupils so blown out you could barely see the blue of his irises, and cheeks and nose flushed with a light pink–though you weren’t sure if that was from you or the drinks he’d had with dinner.

Joost finally rolled off of you, leaving you feeling cold. You stared at the ceiling for a moment, before letting out a yawn you didn’t know was coming.

“Are you too tired to…” Joost trailed off.

You turned your head to look at him. His blond, barely-visible eyebrows were furrowed with concern, and his eyes were soft as he watched your face. You shook your head, watching his eyes light up and his mouth twist into a grin.

Before you could say anything he was back on top of you, legs intertwined and a gentle hand on the side of your neck to hold you in place while his tongue explored your mouth. You were getting more and more heated by the second.

At some point, you slipped your panties down your legs and threw them to whatever corner of the room they managed to land in. You jolted with shock as you felt the presence of Joost’s soft fingers slide between your legs.

“So wet, baby,” he groaned, spreading your slick all over.

“Please just fuck me now.” Your voice was hoarse and breathy, and just about gave Joost heart palpitations. But he was never one to go against your orders.

He rolled off of you to dig through his nightstand for a condom while you shuffled further up his bed so you were comfortably on his pillows. You couldn’t help but lay soft, languid strokes against your clit while you waited–you were desperate for any kind of pleasure. You watched with a cocked head as Joost tore open the foil wrapper and rolled the latex down his shaft. It was only then that his attention turned back to you.

He grabbed your wrist, tutting. “Let me, baby, let me make you feel good.”

You could feel the warmth of his breath as he pressed his forehead to yours to get as close to you and possible. You gasped at the feeling of his tip solidly pressing against your entrance.

It was like all the air in the room went cold as Joost slid inside of you. Your body felt warmth from the fullness. 

After a minute of heavy breathing and whimpers, you nodded your head. You whispered, “move.”

Joost’s hips moved back and quickly snapped back to yours, causing a low whine to escape from deep within your chest. 

He thrusted into you again and again until you could barely think an actual thought, the only object on your mind was the pleasure coursing through your body in that moment. Your mind practically ascended as he slid a hand to your clit, placing gentle pressure and small circles to the hot bud. On instinct your legs wrapped around his hips and your ankles locked together, not letting Joost move more than he absolutely needed to.

“So good, so good…” He whispered in your neck, sweaty forehead pressed to the side of your neck.

“Make me cum, please,” you whined, feeling your muscles begin to wind tighter and tighter.

Joost began thrusting harder, deeper, making your eyes roll upwards and your arms feel limp. It only took a few pumps until you let out a deep, guttural moan, releasing onto his cock. He slowed as you began to breathe again, gaining blood circulation in your body.

“Keep going, Joost,” you purred into his ear.

He continued his pace, deep and deliberate, letting out low whimpers while you spurred him on, running soft fingernails up and down his clammy back.

“Oh fuck…” He groaned, stopping his motions as he emptied into the condom.

He finally looked you in the eyes again. His eyes were so soft and round, the blue seemed…bluer than before. 

You moved to meet his mouth, a passionate kiss while your bodies stuck together from the thin layer of sweat that laid on both of you.

You hated to think if it would ever end.

[runariya]

Prompt game:

🥰🤪👽

Alien Jungkook's tentacles try to get attention from the reader. But reader is mad and giving Jungkook the silent treatment. So tentacles decide to take it in their hands (?). I'm sorry my imagination is bad, but i trust yours ;)

a/n: I hope it's alright that I used this request as a Y(E)ARNED bonus...it just fits the couple so well

To spend your days alongside Jungkook is nothing short of pure bliss, a kind of beauty that shows itself in moments both grand and unspoken. There is, indeed, a profound sweetness in being the object of his love, of his adoration, a warmth that seeps into every corner of your existence, making even the most ordinary hours shimmer with a peculiar magic. 

Yet, as with all such beautiful things, this love, though a balm for your soul, does not come without its moments of maddening frustration—little flashes of exasperation that threaten, every now and again, to undo all the softness with their dizzying intensity.

It is during these moments of quiet contentment, where you’ve developed a peculiar fondness for collecting miniature porcelain figurines of Earth’s animals—everything from delicate little ducks to turtles no bigger than a thumb, from bees captured mid-flight to cows rendered in the most absurd detail. 

You‘ve chosen each piece meticulously, though the greater part of the collection, truth be told, bears the mark of Jungkook’s love and generosity. There’s no species left unrepresented, no space on the shelf unfilled. But amidst them all, there is one that‘s your favourite, a tiny maneki-neko with a raised paw and a chubby little face, who commands the centre of the shelf of your now shared home. And of all the figurines, this one—Jackson, with his impossibly cute charm—holds a special place in your heart, the only figurine affectionately christened with a name, as if that alone elevates him from all the others. 

So when you hear the unmistakable, gut-wrenching sound of porcelain colliding with the hard floor while you’re busy tidying the kitchen, something inside you breaks too. 

You turn and see Jungkook standing by the shelf, frozen, his wide eyes filled with a kind of helpless guilt, his lips parting to release the softest, most regretful “oh-oh” that barely registers in the quiet room. Jackson, once proudly perched in his rightful place, is nowhere to be seen, and the realisation dawns on you as swiftly as the growing pit of frustration inside you.

“What did you do?” you ask, your voice tinged with horror as you throw unceremoniously the dish towel aside, running towards the shelf, your heart and mind already brace themselves for the worst.

Jungkook’s wide, panic-filled eyes lock onto yours, and as you glance down to to find poor Jackson, or rather what remains of him, shattered and scattered across the floor in a hundred tiny pieces before Jungkook’s feet, your heart shatters too, as though a part of it has been dashed against the cold floor with Jackson. 

“No…” you desperately whisper, the word as fragile as all your figurines, as you resist the overwhelming urge to drop to your knees  and gather the broken pieces, knowing full well that no amount of careful reconstruction will restore Jackson to his former state.

This isn’t the first time Jungkook, with all his towering presence and boundless energy, has accidentally decimated one of your precious figurines, his sheer physicality, though endearing at many other times, always at odds with the delicate world you curated and that is so easily fractured. But this time, it’s Jackson, and somehow that makes it worse.

“I—I didn’t mean to,” he stammers, his voice fumbling over itself as he scrambles for some sort of excuse, eyes darting as if searching for a way out of the mess he’s created.

“Oh, right,” you say, incredulous, “Jackson just leapt off the shelf, did he? Jungkook, you knew he was my favourite! How could you—how could you let this happen?”

“I swear, it wasn’t me… it… it was them!” he protests, pointing towards his remaining two and free tentacles that hover ominously behind him, as though they too have witnessed the grand disaster. The tentacles, however, seem none too pleased with his accusation; they rear up, jaws flexing as though insulted, ready to challenge his words, daring him to continue with the absurdity.

“You’re unbelievable,” you mutter, turning away, exasperation and resignation rolling off you in waves, the whole spectacle having become too much to bear, leaving the wreckage of both Jackson and your patience in your wake as you walk away, tired of this particular chaos.

"Princess, please, I’m sorry!" Jungkook follows you in a desperate attempt to soothe your anger, fully aware that he’s really messed up this time.

But you don’t answer. He’s destroyed your things more times than you can count—accidentally, yes, but still enough for you to give him the silent treatment before you say something you might regret. So when you enter your bedroom, lying down on your side and huffing with a blank stare, you refuse to acknowledge Jungkook, who’s now kneeling before you, clasping your tiny hands in his, puppy eyes in overdrive.

"I’m really sorry, Princess. Please forgive me, I’ll buy you another Jackson." Jungkook’s pleading eyes would usually make you give in, but this time he’s destroyed more than just a replaceable figurine. No, he murdered Jackson, your precious maneki-neko, taking your good fortune with him. So, no, you’re not giving in. You pull your hands away from his and huffily turn around to avoid his face.

Jungkook scrambles to his feet at that, running around the bed, stumbling over his own big feet, and jumping onto his side. "I mean it, I’ll buy you ten! A hundred! A million! Please, Princess, don’t be mad at me." But again, you just turn back around.

You hear Jungkook sigh in resignation as he plops down on his pillow, mumbling apology after apology that you’re not willing to acknowledge. It doesn’t take long before you feel one of his tentacles tentatively brush along your shoulder, but you shake it off, too fed up to accept any affection.

It tries again, but this time, you stop yourself from pushing it away, realising the tentacle—or rather, they—aren’t the ones at fault. A second tentacle soon joins, poking your side as if to tease you into letting go of your anger. But you still are, not at them, but at Jungkook. You start to pet them, though, and the simple action begins to soothe your frustration.

"Oh, so you’re giving them attention but not me?!" Jungkook whines.

"My precious babies," you coo lovingly, "got accused of doing something they didn’t."

"But they did! It’s all their fault!" He shouldn’t have said that, because his tentacles don’t see it like that though, and the next thing you hear is Jungkook yelping, "Ouch! Don’t attack me! Ouch! You’re supposed to protect me! Hey!"

You do your best to suppress the laugh bubbling up, knowing full well Jungkook deserves it for lying so boldly. When his tentacles slither back towards you, settling over and in front of you, you resume petting them, while Jungkook sulks silently behind you.

Your anger gradually fades, the soothing motions of Jungkook’s tentacles helping you calm down. "Do you know why Jackson was my favourote? He was the first figurine you ever gave me. On our 100th day anniversary." 

He remains silent, so you go on. "He wasn’t just a figurine. He was a symbol of our relationship and our good fortune."

"I’m sorry," Jungkook whispers, clearly sad now.

"You can’t replace him."

"I know."

"And you can’t make him whole again."

"I know." His voice is faint now, as if he truly understands just how deeply he’s messed up.

His tentacles begin to run along your arms, sensing your sadness too. You feel movement behind you, and as Jungkook’s breath fans across your neck and his big hand lightly strokes your arm alongside his tentacles, your resolve to stay mad a little longer disappears entirely. You turn around, facing his beautiful face and mesmerising eyes.

"I never understood why he was your favourite, but now I do. I’m really sorry, Princess."

"S’fine," you mumble, gently stroking his cheekbone.

"Do you want to know what my symbol of our relationship is?"

"Hm?"

Jungkook’s connected tentacles lift behind his back. "This. And this is something that’ll never break, no matter what."

Your eyes well up with tears because, frankly, he’s right. It shouldn’t be a fragile figurine that carries the very symbol of your love, but Jungkook himself. You regret ever giving Jackson that meaning, because there’s something so much stronger than porcelain—a living, conscious bond that shows just how meaningful and overwhelming your connection with Jungkook is.

"I’m sorry."

"You don’t have to be. Please don’t say that. I love you, Princess."

"I love you too, Jungkook."

And it's true, you’re the happiest woman in the world, now and always.

[dunnerlars]

truth or dare - mat barzal

pairing: mat barzal x fem!reader summary: summers are your favorite, but what comes after summer? word count: 2.7k warnings: alcohol mention a/n: and we're pinch hitting! this is for the lovely @writingonleaves for the #the summer fic exchange 2k24 hosted by the absolute kick ass @wyattjohnston! cobbled this together the last couple of days so i hope it's okay!

—

You coveted summers.

Summers were the only time of the year that you got uninterrupted moments with your best friend. Every summer it felt like he became more and more busy, with less time to spend at home so, summer was what you looked forward to and the little time he did manage to carve out and visit.

You’d grown up living just a few streets down from where Mat did, tucked away in a sleepy suburb, moving to the area when you were 10. It’d been hard moving to a new country, even if Canada wasn’t all that far from the States, things were just different. Making new friends and trying to fit in had been overwhelming, most girls already forming their friend groups and shunning outsiders, but when you’d met the boy down the street just a couple of years younger than you, when he came by your house one hazy afternoon asking if you wanted to play street hockey, well- that’d been it.

Despite the small gap in age, you two were inseparable and his friends became yours and it made the move easier- settling in seem inevitable instead of never ending. When he left only a handful of years later for Seattle to play hockey, it felt like everything was falling apart again. The infrequent texts and calls, trying to keep in touch through things like Facebook or Snapchat, was rough. You were 17 and sure Seattle wasn’t all that far but it’s not like you could explain to your parents why you suddenly needed to cross the border to see your best friend who’d helped you keep everything together.

Eventually things got easier. Mat’s friends were still yours, but you made your own. Went off to University, made more friends, moved to Vancouver, and got a big girl job but still summers were spent at home. With Mat.

And so: summers. 

You didn’t actually get the whole summer off, normal jobs were like that, but you saved all of your vacation to make sure you were home for most of it. But, well- you'd quit your job just before the beginning of summer. And you were set to start the new one in early September so now the entire summer was yours.

There’s been something about this summer that’s felt different. Maybe it was the fact that you’ve been hiding something you’re nervous to share with the important people around you or that you were nearing a new decade in life soon, time changing, even if you felt like you were the same. Summer’s spent in the same childhood room with posters covering the wallpaper, fairy lights strung around the ceiling, polaroids tacked on your closet door full of memories and friends.

Mat had come home earlier than planned this summer, knocked out of the playoffs in the 1st round. You’d let him sulk for a week before you dragged him out into the sunshine with promises of ice cream and letting him beat you at tennis and then he’d left again- for Italy and weddings, relaxing far away from responsibilities and you. And then he was back. Back to soak up the last bits of summer before he flew across the country, and back to hockey.

—

It was one of the last days of summer and you were determined to make the most of it.

So, you packed a bag full of towels, sunscreen, books, and a million other ‘just in case’ items, and made the short trek over to Mat’s childhood home.

The front door was slow to open once you knocked, Mat appearing sleep rumpled and hungover.

“I thought you went home early last night,” you frown in greeting, pushing past him and into the house you were just as familiar with as your own.

“I did,” he groans, making his way to the kitchen and starting coffee, “Just tired. Are we really going to the beach this early?”

“It’s noon.”

Mat bangs his head against the cabinets at that and you snort, setting your bags down and hopping onto the counter next to him.

“You leave tomorrow. I leave next week. We don’t have to go, but I thought it would be nice. Everyone’s already down there. Charlotte’s made those sandwiches you like and Justin got you a whole case of only mango White Claws. And Hannah might kill me if we don’t show up and I’ll blame you.” You nudge his thigh with your foot, trying to get his attention as he watches the coffee pour. “Come on. Please.”

Once his gaze catches yours, he stares for a second and nods reluctantly. “Fine. Give me five?”

“Perfect. I’ll finish the coffee. You get dressed.”

You hop down as Mat shuffles out of the kitchen, doctoring his coffee into a to-go cup and putting the rest of the pot in a thermos you dig out of the back of the cabinet. 

As you tuck the milk back onto the shelf of the refrigerator, the sight of the photos littering the doors as you close them has you smiling. You’re in a handful of them, Mat tucked under your arm in a couple of them until he hit a growth spurt a couple of years later. One of you both playing street hockey the first year you’d moved to Coquitlam. Your favorite, though, is stuck under an Islanders magnet on the top corner from Mat’s draft day where he’s giving you a piggyback ride down the hallway of the hotel after a long day of shaking hands, phone calls, and endless press. 

Mat breaks the moment as he comes back to the kitchen, dressed in swim shorts and a long sleeve button down on, buttons completely undone leaving him bare chested. You have to take a deep breath, willing yourself not to say something stupid as he presses up behind you and hooks his chin over your shoulder. “Coffee good?” he asks, peering at the pictures on the fridge too. 

“Yep, uh huh.”

Leaning over you, Mat presses his finger to the picture of you both playing street hockey and taps it with an airy laugh. “Who knew, huh?”

You barely manage to swallow and nod before he’s peeling himself away and grabbing the thermos and to-go cup of coffee, tucking them into his own bag and waiting. 

“I don’t know what you’re waiting for, you’re driving. Let’s go.”

—

The drive to the beach is a short 20 minutes, Mat filling the time with his obnoxious singing. Normally it was something you’d give him shit about, but you were thankful he didn’t notice anything off about the lack of ribbing he wasn’t getting, lost in your own thoughts. 

Since you were both late, it was easy to spot everyone down near the shoreline set up near a haphazard volleyball net. Cheers of your names were mixed as you both approached the group, like they hadn’t seen you both in years, not hours since you’d all gone out last night too. 

Mat’s quick to pop open one of his mango White Claws once you reach everyone and you roll your eyes, setting up your towel and undressing down to your swimsuit. You were determined to make the most of the sun, knowing you weren’t going to see it too often soon. Hannah, one of your best friends who you’d met in college, lays out next to you and pulls out her book. 

“Are you excited for the move next week?” She asks curiously, turning to face you.

Hannah was the only one who knew your news, confiding in her when you’d gotten the job offer a couple of months ago. 

“I think so? I’m still so nervous and being so far away from everyone,” you sigh, “But it’s not like I won’t have anyone. And I still haven’t told Mat.”

Hannah’s expression turns funny and you realize why when Mat plops down near you both, “Haven’t told Mat what?” he wonders.

You scramble, looking around and catching Charlotte playing cornhole with Jordan and remember, “Charlotte forgot the sandwiches. She texted me on the drive over. Sorry.”

Groaning, Mat dramatically lays down and feigns upset. “Can’t believe you lied to me. What kind of best friend are you? Have the last 20 years meant nothing?”

“I still can’t believe you two have been friends for that long. I can’t remember the last time I could stand someone longer than a couple hours,” Hannah chimes in and you pinch her thigh with a scowl.

“Best 20 years of my life,” Mat says proudly and you glance up at him through your sunglasses, catching the grin spread wide across his face. 

“Okay ya big sap,” you tease.

The afternoon wears on. You finally finish the book you’re reading and switch with Hannah, reapplying sunscreen and choosing to drink water over alcohol. Mat never strays too far from you, choosing to lay out and play on his phone while you read or fetch new water bottles as yours deplete. It’s sweet and Hannah makes sure to make a big deal of it when he leaves, poking you in the side with a sly grin. 

Eventually you need to cool off and sure enough, Mat’s right behind you and volunteering you both for a game of chicken. It’s best out of 3 and you lose in the last round, Mat losing his footing and you both topple into the water, giggling. You can’t remember the last time you felt so carefree, at ease and not wanting or wishing for anything else. There’s no hurry for either of you to get out, so you both float around, chatting nonsense until Mat catches your ankle as you float past him.

“So,” he starts, and suddenly you know it’s kind of serious. “I know Charlotte brought the sandwiches, the jig is up. What uh- what haven’t you told me? If you don’t wanna tell me that’s fine, I just. Is it something bad? Should I be worried?”

You let yourself fall out of your floating position, trying to find footing in the bottom of the lake but come up empty, not realizing you’re so far out you can’t touch the bottom. Mat’s the nearest thing so you hold onto his shoulder, kicking your feet to stay afloat until he grabs you around the waist to hold you close.

“I, uh. I got a new job,” you tell him, nerves filling you up. 

He’s puzzled and you can tell. “Okay? Why wouldn’t you wanna tell me that? That’s awesome. What is it?”

“It’s at a publishing house in Manhattan,” you take a deep breath, starting the spiel you’d been practicing for when you finally told him. “And I don’t know, I’ve been feeling a little weird about it? I didn’t want you to think I was following you or something but like, obviously it’s benn my dream job and I know you know that but-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You got a job in New York? That’s amazing, holy shit!” Mat pulls you to his front, squeezing you tight and relief floods you as wrap your arms around his neck. 

For whatever reason, this was not how you pictured this going. You knew Mat- he didn’t like feeling stifled and that’s what you thought this decision felt like it might be to him, like you were encroaching on something that was his. 

“Really?”

Mat pulls away, searching your face in confusion. “Yeah, of course. This is gonna fucking sick. I can’t believe you didn’t say anything.”

“Well, I-”

You’re interrupted as Hannah yells at the two of you from the shore, “Hey, we’re gonna start grilling. Justin says you need to help, Mat!”

“Ugh. Fine!”

You both swim to shore and before you part, Mat grabs your wrist. “Don’t think I’m done with this. I have questions,” he tells you, waiting for you to nod before letting go.

Settling back on your towel, you turn towards Hannah who you can feel burning holes into your side. 

“Spit it out.”

“What was that all about? You two looked pretty cozy out there,” she teases. 

You shrug, still not sure how you’re feeling. “I told him about the job, moving, all of it. He was excited but then I think he realized I’d been keeping it from him and he might be upset? I can’t tell.”

Hannah glances over at the grill and you follow her gaze, both of you watching Mat and Justin goof off and she shrugs at you. “Maybe he’s forgotten,” she offers and you can’t help the laugh that passes your lips.

“Fat chance.”

—

Everyone gathers together to eat and discuss plans for after the summer and you’re pointedly quiet, still not quite ready to share your news with everyone. Hannah’s known and now Mat knew and that felt like enough. You still had a week, it would be fine. They all give Mat shit for going back all the way across the country and you’re thankful he doesn’t say anything, just gives it right back and tells everybody they’re welcome to visit. 

Once the weather starts to cool, everyone begins packing up. You’re still sat on your towel, wrapped in an old hoodie of Mat’s he’d grabbed you from the car earlier and Hannah comes to sit beside you, placing her head on your shoulder.

“Gonna miss you, ya know,” she tells you quietly. 

It’s hard, trying to hold the tears that are threatening to fall and you sniffle. “I know. God, we have a week left. Stop making me emotional and go home,” you tell her, voice wet and you push her away lightly. 

She clambers up, dusting the sand off her ass and wipes at her eyes. “Dinner tomorrow?”

“Obviously.”

She salutes you and you watch her make the trek back to the parking lot behind the beach before turning to find Mat. You find him easily enough, hugging a couple of friends goodbye and slapping them on the back. It’s easy for your mind to wander to when the time will come and you’ll all be doing different things, too busy to come together for the summers. Time filled with new families and friends.

Eventually, Mat makes his way back down to the beach and packs up what little is left: the rest of his White Claws and the couple of chairs you’d eventually brought down later in the day. He packs up the car but you’re not quite ready to leave, waiting for the sun to set. 

Mat’s quiet when he sits beside you, picking at the corner of the towel, and you nudge his arm with yours. “I’m sorry for not saying something sooner about moving, I-”

He cuts you off, shaking his head. “No, you don’t need to apologize.”

There’s a pause, and you can see him trying to gather the thoughts he’s been holding onto since you told him the news a few hours ago. 

“I think I just wish you’d felt like you could’ve told me,” he starts. “I didn’t even know you were looking at jobs out there. Like, we’d talked about it before years ago- you moving out there, but it always kind of seemed like a joke? And I guess it was, for a while anyway. But at some point I thought maybe you’d actually come out there and we could, I don’t know.” Mat shakes his head and you sigh, glancing towards the horizon of the setting sun and wonder if you’ve gotten something wrong here. 

He continues, cutting his gaze towards you. “I guess I just thought at some point you’d actually make the move for real and we could finally try something.”

And oh.

Mat looks serious and you suddenly feel warm all over despite the chill taking over, the breeze from the water rushing over you and giving you goosebumps.

“Mat…”

“Was I crazy to think that?” He asks, earnest.

You shake your head quickly, hands sliding out from the sweater sleeves and you reach for him, intertwining your fingers. “No. Not crazy.”

Sitting there, you both watch the sun finally set in the sky, the beach awash in a hazy blue glow and Mat turns to you.

“Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” you answer without hesitation. 

“Kiss me.”

The dare catches you off guard but Mat’s grinning, his smile stretched wide across his face and you lunge forward and press a kiss to his smiling lips.

[pumpkin-bats]

Bitter and Sweet - Mihawk x Reader

a/n: Genuinely was expecting Buggy to win over Mihawk, but the poll has decided! I hope you all enjoy!

summary: You happened to wake up before him and decided to make breakfast for you both.

contains: sfw topics, brief mention of potentially more intimate relationship, gender neutral terms for reader, fluff.

wc: 900 +

You couldn't shake the sensation of eyes trailing after your every movement as you drifted about the kitchen. The attention sat so heavily on your shoulders that, at least twice, you nearly burnt your hand trying to make a pot of coffee. Even the briefest glance over your shoulder was met with a swirling gold, urging you to hastily look away or else you’d be pinned in place.

It wasn't uncomfortable or violating in any way. You knew what it felt like when those eyes held suggestive intentions and this wasn't it. Although, whatever this was didn’t make it any less overwhelming.

There was... something more to it.

Mihawk habitually made breakfast for the both of you every morning. As far as you knew, the main reason he did it was because you had a bad habit of waking up late. He surprised you the first time with a full breakfast spread and the tradition stuck. You were grateful, but at the same time you’d felt guilty for receiving so much from him all the time.

So, on the one day you managed to wake up before him, you decided to take care of breakfast instead. This way you could return at least a little bit of the effort he put in for you every morning. And if you could get a surprised reaction out of him, it would set your day on a really cheery path that was worth the dishes you’d have to clean up shortly after.

Breakfast wasn’t anything too complicated. A simple plate of eggs and bacon with a cup of straight, black coffee for him and something similar for you. You figured a red wine enjoyer like Mihawk would be the type to want a bit of cream or sugar in his coffee, but you've never seen him add anything to it before. And the one taste he let you have a while ago proved to be quite the bitter concoction.

Once everything was all set you turned to face him, armed with the meal, and immediately faltered in your steps.

Mihawk sat at his usual spot, legs crossed and chin perched atop his hands from where his elbows rested against the table. Without his hat, there were no shadows being cast over his eyes and you were able to get a clear view of his face. But the way he looked up at you in that moment felt like staring at two beads of golden light gleaming from the darkness. 

There's a deep intensity in that gaze, made even worse by the way he's posed. Nothing about it was sexual, but your heart hiccuped on a beat regardless. This wasn’t exactly the ‘surprised’ reaction you were looking for.

It took a second to force yourself to move, clearing your throat as you step forward, setting his plate and mug in front of him.

"Breakfast is ready." Your voice trembled minutely from nerves as you got your own plate and sat down across from him.

You sink the prongs of your fork into the eggs. You were actually pretty proud of how they turned out, expecting them to taste blander than they did. After the first bite was halfway chewed, you glanced up at Mihawk. He hadn't made much of a move, still staring intently at you which made a wave of anxiety bubble up your chest.

"What? What is it?" You put your fork down to face him head on with your full attention. "Why are you staring at me?"

"You made breakfast," he stated plainly. You'd be confused, even irritated, if not for the way that sentence seemed to be charged with something deep enough to be felt in your gut.

"I... did. Is that bad?" you asked, raising a brow at him.

He shook his head and finally moved from his poised position. Mihawk leaned against the backrest of his chair, picking up his utensils to cut into the eggs.

"Not at all. It’s quite sweet of you," he said, pausing to savor the bite he took. "Delicious."

You refused to acknowledge the way your face burned at his words. Instead, you returned your focus to your own plate, eating a bit more yourself before the butterflies starting to take flight in your stomach got too distracting.

"Not- not really… You always make breakfast for me. I just figured that I'd do it for you for once, since I was awake earlier and had the chance to," you explained, though it sounded more like rambling as you fought to keep your eyes away from him.

Your attempt failed at the sound of a soft hum, chancing a glance up at him.

"You, who cherishes your mornings, took the time to make this for me.” As he spoke, he brought the coffee you made him up to his lips. “I'll admit, I was quite enchanted watching you. So much grace in even the simplest movements. And with the way that little curl at the back of your head is sitting, it looks like you didn't even take much time for yourself before doing this."

He looked at you from over the rim of his mug, taking a slow, measured sip.

"How sweet you are to me, indeed."

You were lucky that you'd already swallowed the bite you took or you'd be choking on it right now. There was no added smile, just one last, lingering gaze before he took another sip of coffee and continued to eat his breakfast.

The effort it took you to return to your breakfast, with the way you knew your face was painted a deep scarlett, was monumental. You swallowed thickly and momentarily wondered if you'd even be able to finish eating after that.

[saturnville]

centavito, jude bellingham

pairing: jude bellingham x she (black fem oc/reader) warning: none. just short. content: he wants her back and the chance is small, but he bets on his lucky coin that it'll work in his favor. song reference: centavito by romeo santos. an: it's been over 6 years since I wrote a football-related fic, so please give me some grace lol. and ofc, when I saw that there weren't many jude fics with a black reader/oc, I had slide one in there.

“I learned my lesson and I have been miserable without you. Please…one more chance.” 

The coin he twirled in his pocket was warm. His hands had fisted it tightly the entire walk to her front door. When he spoke, he turned it between his index finger and thumb over and over. There was only one way that it could go and that was up. So he hoped. 

She heard the voice of her grandmother in her ears as he took in his words. “If he fools you once, that’s on him! But, if he fools you again, he can’t be solely responsible. So, some people do change and I’m not gonna tell you he hasn’t, but it’s up to you to discern that for yourself, baby.” 

He didn’t cheat on her. He wasn’t mean, conniving, or deceitful. He simply didn’t appreciate her. When his life turned upside down and he became the wonder boy of the world, he forgot about her. She was pushed into the shadows when he promised she’d always be in the light. 

Suddenly, her rants about university exams and assignments weren’t interesting. Her love for the arts wasn’t fascinating. Long nights watching La Casa de Papel in her living room weren’t fun. Their nights in the kitchen trying new recipes were no longer a priority. She was no longer a priority. 

So, she left. She slid the promise ring off her middle finger, dropped it on his nightstand, and with tears in her eyes (and her head held high), she gathered her purse and went back to her apartment. She gathered all he’d gifted her and placed it in the box meticulously. Clothes and jerseys, books and letters--all prepared to be put into storage until she figured out where she truly wanted them to go. 

And just as she prepared to move the boxes into the storage unit after they’d sat in her bedroom corner for 17 days (yes, she counted), he was on the other side of the door, stopping her in her tracks. 

He looked fatigued, which could be credited to being a high-profile professional athlete, or as he put it, “Sleepless nights without you.” 

At that moment, he appeared so small. Not physically, per se, but emotionally. His eyes, usually bright and full of life, were dull and glossy with an emotion she couldn’t quite identify. Regret?

And when he spoke, he sounded like a chile who was trying not to choke over his words as he fought back tears. 

“Jude…” she said quietly, blinking back tears. Her hand was still tight around the door knob. “I don’t know.” She wanted him, sure, but she wasn’t willing to put herself in the position through an even worse heartbreak. But, at the same time, she believed what she’d said. 

“I’ll be better for you. I can’t lose you forever. One more chance, darling…please.” She’s never heard him beg in such a way. It made her insides stir.

Her jaw shifted as her eyes darted across his face, searching for any hint of dishonesty. Nothing or the sort. His eyes spoke what his mouth didn’t and it overwhelmed her greatly. I’m sorry, darling. 

“You love me?” she questioned after some time, her thick eyebrows furrowing. She wiped away the fallen tear that sped down her cheek. 

Jude nodded quickly. “I do. More than you know and more than I’ve shown you.” 

Her eyes moved quickly—she was thinking. He continued to fiddle with the coin in his pocket. Except his movements grew quicker as the anticipation grew.

“One chance,” she said after some time. “And you earn it.” 

Jude released the breath he was unaware he held and thanked the heavens above. Slowly, she moved out of the way to allow his entrance into her apartment. He closed the door behind him and pulled the coin from his pocket. Heads. 

 He smiled small. Little cent. The odds were finally in his favor. 

[thebearer]

Picture this: Carmy taking extra weeks off when Willow is born compared to when Teddy was born (I get the feeling he off for like, ten days and he was CRAWLING UP THE WALLS with the need to be back in the kitchen controlling things) to avoid that shitty dad feeling. Especially because the two of you have to look after Teddy AND new baby Willow. And he's realized you and the kids are more important than the restaurant 100% ❤️

with teddy he took a week and a half off (was supposed to be two but he ended up going back in early bc he’s a control freak). and really, it wasn’t much of a break. the first few days, yes, then he’s calling or people were calling him.

“i just gotta take this for a second.” and it would be a two hour ordeal of him trying to call, order, then call sydney or sugar or richie.

then he starts going in, just for a second. getting things from the office that he left. he was never gone long, he knew better and they’d practically kick him out of the kitchen, but he could not stay away. needed to see with his own eyes that everything was good, worried constantly that it wasn’t and it was falling down around him.

truthfully, by the time he went back, you were glad he was gone bc he was stressing you out. I don’t think he did a full dinner service until two weeks and even then, he only stayed for a little bit. just to greet who he needed to if there was a kitchen tour, or talk to critics, do a few things and he was home honestly before it was closed. very much so a control freak who wore himself so thin, thus causing the absolute break that he had in the devastation fics.

so when willow comes around, he’s much more relaxed. maybe not all the way, but he trusts that richie and sydney and everyone can run it without him. he has more trust, less need for control, and genuinely is kinda excited in a way to be away from the restaurant.

i think he’d take two weeks fully no contact (unless it was an emergency) but then after that he’d come in once a week just to do office things, just when they needed him, would bring teddy to get her out of the house and let you and willow sleep. kinda handle two things situation. it’s more of a gradual thing. he lets sydney honestly call whatever the schedule is based around her.

i mentioned in a baby making blurb (which i think I’m going to turn into a full smut fic lol) that he wanted to plan this time. didn’t want to be careless, wanted to plan the pregnancy so it wasn’t rushed like teddy’s was. and he did just that.

he made sure to plan his schedule so he wouldn’t get overworked or burnt out like last time. he really thought of ways that he could be home, be with you and the girls, but not abandon everyone at work. hired some extra chefs he trusted that he knew from noma or somewhere, just people he trusted, and found a way to makeup for the slack so there would be no more pressure.

does his office things at home (ordering, scheduling, pay roll) during willow and teddy’s nap time. usually had baby willow with him in his office bc she’s chill. he likes to see her, she’s quiet and sleeps better with company, and it lets you be able to sleep without worrying about getting up bc he’s got it. especially if he’s going to be working dinner shift that night and he knows you’ll have to be up.

if he and sydney are meeting up for menu concept brainstorming or tastings or something, he’ll bring teddy, sometimes you and willow along too. it gets you out of the house, if you want to, you get to socialize, taste food, and he can get stuff done. they both like your opinions, so it’s kinda a win.

just things he didn’t do before. before with teddy, carmen was dead set on keeping them separate. in his mind, those worlds couldn’t collide. he couldn’t bring work home bc he thought you’d be upset, and he couldn’t bring you there into the chaos with a baby, so he just overwhelmed himself and exhausted himself trying to make it work.

with willow (carm’s also been to therapy lol), he learned a balance. that they can overlap, to try and ask others instead of guessing and making assumptions, really just how to balance better.

[sweater-daddiesdumbdork]

On The Hunt: Mending The Remains

Summary- 5.4k Alpha Steve x Little One. You and Steve have started working together once more as a team, trying to meet one another halfway. Steve opens up in a vulnerable way, a first time for him.

Warnings- Steve being emotionally vulnerable.

A/N- It took a long time to get here, but I don't regret any of it. I love the journey we have been on, it was raw and heartbreaking. I appreciate all of you who have continued along with me on this. Special shoutout to @yenzys-lucky-charm for proof reading and encouraging me whenever I was doubting myself. Dividers made by the talented @firefly-graphics. Please reblog and comment if you enjoyed this chapter. It means so much to writers.

Chapter Eight / Masterlist

You woke up expecting to find Steve next to you but the bed was empty. Not cold though, when your palm reached across the mattress it was still warm from where he had been. Your senses drifted, listening all around you. 

It wasn’t quiet by any means. You had quickly learned that apartments were anything but peaceful like the little cabin by the lake. You could hear the endless voices of the building's other occupants. You sighed at the intrusion, but the smell of food coming from your apartment's kitchen had you perking up. 

There Steve was, making breakfast. And you inhaled the arousing scent of him among the smell of eggs, butter, and bacon. 

<Go jump him.> A sniggering voice and you groaned at it, pushing up to a seat and shoving off any blankets that were suddenly suffocating you. 

Chill you horny bitch. You retaliate, leaving the hallway and quietly heading for your bedroom to gather up some clothes. 

The Little Wolf was smug, her tail wagging in a playful manner as you dug through your stuff, getting everything you would need for the day. <We, not just me. It’s the heat.> She stretched and you made a quick retreat to the bathroom, taking a deep inhale. 

Heat or not, we are just starting to get back something. You turn on the shower to cold and climb in, your body tingling with anticipation, urging you to mate, to fuck and reclaim. I’m not ready for that, not yet. You admitted as you leaned into the water, hoping it would start to break the warmth in your body. 

It did no such thing. Instead clear images of past heats assaulted you, images of you and Steve tangled up together in the most primal way. His heavy hand wrapped around your neck to keep you pinned in your nest while he pounded you from behind. “Fill this belly with me Little One.” He would growl loudly while your body jolted into the bed.“Dripping me for days. Everyone will know who keeps you full.” 

“Fuck.” You muttered in a whisper as your body clenched in response, wanting that knot you knew Steve would fill you with. Your hand drifted down, hovering over your belly. “What a sweet smelling cunt for her Alpha.” The sensation of his tongue was very vivid as your fingers slipped between swollen folds, so sensitive that the brush of your fingertips against your clit was an aching need. You swirled against that spot, softly whining as your thighs spread further. 

“Feel so good Little One, fuck I could just stay knotted in you all day.” You heard his moan, the sun filtering in through the open balcony doors, the fresh air a cool breeze coming off the lake relieving your sex-drenched bodies. Steve shuddered above you as he released in you again, his knot stretching you till you were clinging to him, the sensation of pleasure almost overwhelming as you both were exhausted. The cold water of your shower did little to kill the way your body ached now from the memories, your fingers finally fucking into your aching heat while your thumb teased your clit. 

Release would bring a slight relief, but no satisfaction. 

The Alpha knew as soon as you walked in, the large wolf going alert and tense while Steve stood at the stove reheating the food. There was no denying he heard your soft whines and moans through the thin walls, what you were doing to appease your heat. 

Steve had never been so fucking hard in his life but everything in him refused to act on it, not even the Alpha pushed for it like he usually did. It was a solid understanding that nothing would happen until you were ready. 

So for now Steve would do other things for you that were as important, like making sure you had a solid meal. You settled quickly in your seat at the bar, watching as he piled plenty of food on your plate and handed it over. “You always make enough to feed a whole army.” You teased as you pushed your fork into the mountain of eggs and cheese he had on your plate. 

“Sorry.” He shrugged a shoulder, giving a small grin in apology. “Old habits like feeding a whole squad of shifters at home or with Shield is hard to break.” 

“Was that something you did often?” You inquired while digging into your food. Steve settled across from you, taking his time before offering an answer. 

“We took shifts with the Howling Commandos. All the work was shared in our unit, no one too good to do anything. I learned real fast how to make something quick, easy and good.” He took a bite, savoring it for a moment before swallowing. “I would never hear the end of it when I burned something. Being Captain of the unit, they weren’t about to let me get away with anything.” 

You chuckled at the thought of it, waving your fork towards him as you got caught up in the moment. “Hell no, you gotta do everything to tip-top shape Alpha. Including feeding your men.” You took another forkful and smirked as you brought it to your mouth. “And me too.” Then took that cheesy bite of eggs, sighing happily at how something so simple could be that good. 

“I don’t think I have ever let you go hungry Little One.” Steve said incredulously while scooping another forkful of eggs and this time a bite of his toast onto his fork and leaned over the counter towards you, offering the bite from his fork to you. 

“There was that one time…” You teased as you were quick to take his offering, listening to him sputter trying to recall what time that could possibly be. 

<You're gonna drive him mad Y/N.> Your Little Wolf scolded. 

I will make it up to him. You assured her while mimicking what he did for you, leaning over towards him with your own offering, smiling softly at him. “Your unit was lucky to have you, burned food and all.” 

“You have been talking to Bucky, haven’t you.” Steve huffed while taking your offering, the teasing dying down after that while you two continued the last of the meal. You groaned while pushing aside your plate that had scatterings of leftovers that Steve pulled towards him to finish off. 

“I'm stuffed, I can’t eat another bite.” 

“Then I did my job.” Steve rumbled with a smirk of satisfaction while he gathered the last of the dishes off the table and brought them to the sink. “I was thinking about going back in today.” 

You perked up at the change of subject. “To the warehouse.” 

“Yes… we know Ulysses isn’t there, yet. And we can’t do anything till he either is or one of them drops his location. We need to go back inside.” 

Your Little Wolf hummed with anticipation, her ears perked excitedly at the prospect of working together. “So what do you propose? I can easily slip in like before if they don’t know about that door, but you’re so much bigger. Yesterday we got lucky.” 

“We did, so you're going to go in that way, on the ground searching for anything we can use. I will be up high.” 

“Up high?” 

“The roof, I can access it that way. Before I came looking for you, I checked it all out. They have no surveillance up there.” Steve’s glance went over your features, like he was assuring himself before it fell to the bracelet Shuri equipped you with. “That works with the Little Wolf too?” 

“Yeah, it slows us down, but it will cover her chest and throat in the same way it does with me.” Your body tingled, the reminder that your heat was still raging under your skin, itching for you to nest and mate. Your shower tampered it, but not forever. “And I plan on using it.” You noticed Steve sharply inhale, his eyes going pinpoint in interest but nothing more, your pulse raced at the barely there response from him. “What are you thinking? Don’t censor it.” 

The pulse in his neck was picking up, your teeth aching to drag across it to make your Alpha shudder. Stop it Y/N… You snapped at yourself. 

<You know that isn’t going to stop it.> 

Blue eyes burned at you across the table and you braced yourself at the gaze, unsure of what he was going to tell you. “That you're going to be fine Y/N, I know that you're good at this.” Your brows sprung up in surprise, making Steve chuckle softly, his hand reaching over with an open waiting palm for you. “T’Challa had Shuri give Bucky and me access to the recent rescues. Little One, you made me so fucking proud, you pulled so many out that they never would have before.” 

Pride raced through you, making your hand reach out and take his while warmth raced to your face, making the tip of your nose wrinkle at the sensation and a little smile peek through. “Of course he did.” 

Steve squeezed your hand while continuing. “So I know the urge to make you stay is the alpha instinct and yes, it’s still there, I still want to command you to stay here. Especially when I don’t know what we're going into. I don’t have the pack to rely on, no Natasha doing intel, Sam ready to step in, Clint picking off targets, not even Bucky at our six.” 

“That’s a lot when you think of it that way.” You let your thumb stroke over his knuckles.

“Mmh, that's the fears playing all the what if scenarios. Although I can't predict the future, I can confidently say that I trust you to stay safe and pull out if you have to.” 

You nodded assuredly, your tongue darting to moisten your lips, which Steve’s sharp stare didn’t miss. “Anything else? Remember I said I want nothing censored.” 

“Little One…” He started and you flashed him a look. Steve’s moment of resolve crumbled with that look. “How tempting it would be to push you into one of those beds and knot you over and over Little One till you're as full as can be and needing me to stop, leaving you satisfied in your nest.” The growl in his voice was back, making your breath hitch as the Little Wolf ached to present for him. Tremors of excitement raced up your spine. “How are you keeping yourself composed… it's the tether we are hanging onto right now.” 

“Steve-” Your hand tightened in his, and the hint of need escaped from between your lips. “I can’t-” 

“Y/N, hey… '' Steve spoke sharp enough to make your mouth snap closed. “Nothing happens till you tell me too. Till we're both ready for us again.”

“Thank you.” You said earnestly and moved to a stand, tilting your head towards the door. “Shall we get this done Alpha?” 

“Lead the way Omega, This is your mission.” 

Steve crept among the warehouse beams, folding his massive body half over while he tracked the current residents from up above. He had last caught a glimpse of you several minutes ago, steering clear of the sound of voices, knowing that's where he was headed. You weaved among massive crates of cargo, going towards what looked like empty offices, searching for anything that would give them intel. 

Steve often wished for missions to end, not because of how he felt about himself, but because leading others into the possibility of danger took a toll on him. He learned to trust who worked with him though and he fell back onto that, you would call for him if you needed help. It didn’t stop him from constantly checking for you, there was no way he would be able to ever completely turn that off. 

But he was willing to work on it. Taking in a deep calming inhale, he forcibly made himself get further away from you till he was just above the few people remaining in the warehouse. Steve activated a small communications device in his ear, the ping letting him know it connected and Shuri’s voice responded. 

‘You found the base, but no sign of Ulysses?’ 

Steve hummed in confirmation, letting the sounds from below take over what he could have said. The sound of a keyboard on the other end was barely noticeable while Shuri excitedly took down the information provided. 

Fortunately for them, the people were discussing the next pickup point. An excited inhale of breath made Steve grin to himself, Shuri’s excitement infectious. ‘Excellent, I will tell my brother. They won’t be moving any more shifters from that location.” 

“Good.” Steve whispered, mentally taking in all the surroundings of the area, where the best exits were as well as the places that could trap him or you when the time came to collect their target. The conservation shifted to nothing of use, making Steve decide to pull away and go find you. 

‘Good job Alpha.’ Came Shuri’s voice in his ear before he muted it, needing to be able to keep better track of what was going on around him. Your scent was nearby and Steve used that as his lifeline to you, tracking you towards the back of the building where dark offices were lined up. He dropped silently on the balls of his feet and slipped inside the one he sensed you in. In the near dark he could see you whip around with a growl rising from you, only to settle back down once you realized it was him. 

“You're almost done?” Steve softly asked and you held up a small USB drive with a smirk of satisfaction. 

“Yes, I was just taking one more glance over. They don't lock up anything here. Idiots.” you mutter as you slip a file cabinet closed. You slipped Steve the drive, with the brush of your hand, your Little Wolf crooned, making you stiffen as your senses flared. Everything about Steve came in hyperfocus, your heat making your body ache with need once more. 

The edge you had taken off earlier was wearing off. 

Steve noticed it too, his eyes dilating with arousal, your scent filling him in the enclosed space. “Fuck.” He rumbled, his jaw clenching and the muscles fluttering in his cheek. Everything in him made him look like he was about to pounce, but with visible shaking of his body, he stepped back with a warning in the sound of a snarl escaping. “Little One, you gotta get it under control or else-” 

Else what? your alpha would pin you against the file cabinets and take you? Over and over, breeding you till you couldn't stand up anymore? Bend you against the desk with a biting grip to the back of your neck to hold you still while he knotted you? The images plagued you and your Little Wolf, your body waring with your common sense. 

You stepped closer, seeking to cross that line in the sand you drew. 

Sounds interrupted you both, voices passing the offices and Steve grabbed at you to pull you into him, both of you slamming into a wall to keep out of sight of anyone passing. 

Your heart raced in anticipation, crushed against Steve, you sighed in some relief against his chest, feeling him body to body. Your hand reached up, cupping his jaw to have him pry his eyes away from the partially open door to look at you. 

You were aching, your Little Wolf was feeling frantic and all you could imagine was letting go. To let Steve take over, to feel him in all your senses in a way that you didn’t have to struggle anymore. You missed him so much, even as close as he was, it still hurt to have a screaming void between you two. 

Your Little Wolf whined for that connection you both missed desperately, lonely for her Alpha. It’s what broke your resolve, feeling her pain like a physical throb in your chest. “You have until they are gone to kiss me.” Your eyes searched his, so crystal clear even in the dark shadows, there was no missing the flare of yellow melding in his blue orbs. Your lips hovered so close, leaving it up to him to close the distance, to take what you were offering. 

His gaze dropped to your cupid's bow, admiring the curve of your mouth before drawing in a breath and seeking it out. 

His lips felt familiar as they swept against yours, relief singing in your veins at the slight connection your body so desperately ached for. A soft grunt escaped him when your tongue touched against the seam of his lips, inviting more from him. 

A hand went to the back of your neck, squeezing lightly and drawing you in close, his nose tracing against yours a moment when the two of you broke before tilting to see each other out again. 

You gasped when his hand tightened into your hair, dragging your head back to open you more to him, teeth nipping at your lips till your lips parted and he devoured you. A man starved and you encouraged it, your soft whimpers escaping into the kiss. 

Panting against each other when you pull away, your eyes both closed and foreheads leaning together, you reluctantly release your hold on Steve. “Time’s up…” You whisper to him and slip out the door to make your escape, your Alpha close on your heels. 

It was late, the moon slipping through the apartment windows as you made your way back to Steve’s door. After the kiss, your heat once more sated but your yearning for your mate was a vicious cycle. 

Especially when he was keeping himself in check, and respecting your boundaries. Your hand hovered against the thin wooden door, pulling back to your chest in hesitation. It was a battle in your mind and heart, your mind warning you to be careful and your heart making you want to reach for him again. 

You couldn’t even blame it on your heat this time. You just missed Steve. 

Your Little Wolf was an ever-warm presence in your mind, but so quiet when usually her quips plagued you. You’re quiet tonight. 

<I am tired.>  She growled wearily, her tail wrapping over her nose in dismissal of you. <You know what you want and you are the one standing in your way.> 

Your frown deepened and your arms hugged around yourself tighter. So much has happened Little Wolf. You sighed, your fingertips tracing softly against the wood of the door, the barrier between the two of you. He says he is willing to wait, but I’m so stuck on that he left at all and I don’t know how to get past that. Whenever the thought snuck in, wiggled its intrusiveness into your thoughts, all those fears and anger sunk in deep. It had its hooks in you and you didn’t know how to let them go. 

It was like a dark stain you couldn't scrub off. 

<It can’t go back to what it was Y/N. You said so yourself. It’s time you open up to Steve, are you afraid this new version of you he will abandon? Stop being afraid of what could happen.> 

Of course, your Little Wolf could voice exactly what your unsaid fear was. What if we're both holding onto something that doesn’t even work? 

<What if it does? What if he is like us, learning and growing into someone he wasn’t before? Is he worth taking that chance?> Then she withdrew from your consciousness, letting you make the final choice. <Can you forgive him?>

You went to him the night before because your body was breaking, the heat so overwhelming that it made you crazy. Tonight it was just you, you missed curling up with your Alpha in a way far more intimate than sex could give. 

Just being held, just feeling your body meld against his while tucked against each other, sharing pieces of one another while the world stopped being so demanding for a little while. Your hand enclosed around the handle and you pushed the door open, slipping into the darkened bedroom. You sensed Steve in the bed, the shadow of his form shifting slightly to make room for you. 

You eased under the blankets, settling into your side while his arm wrapped around you to tuck you against him, his chest pressing into your back, you felt yourself start to relax into being held. A short tremor of relief was followed by you going completely lax in his hold. Steve shifted behind you, his face tucking in against your neck and his deep inhale had his chest pressing into you, his sigh one matching just how you were feeling too. 

Like you were home. 

It jolted you awake, the feeling of an arm crushing around your chest, the air being squeezed from your body, leaving you gasping. What the- 

Your Little Wolf was yipping <Wake him up Y/N.> 

Behind you could hear a sob escape, Steve’s body crushing against yours. You had to wriggle, and turn enough to ease from his hold. Somehow he was still asleep, whatever dream was plaguing him making his features twist in pain. 

Steve managed to roll onto his back, a gasp escaping him. In a split second, you followed him, perching on his stomach as your hands cupped his face. “Steve, baby wake up.” You called him. Your Little Wolf whined anxiously while you both watched his eyelids twitch frantically and then jolt open, his eyes unfocused as they rolled around the room searching. Then they fell on you and you felt the multitude of emotions in them.  

They glimmered with tears caught in his lashes, his gasps making his chest heave underneath you. Your hands were cupping his red cheeks, tear-stained while he was stuck in his nightmare. “Hey, you’re okay Steve, it’s all okay.” 

“Little One?” He croaked out, his eyes blinking rapidly as he seemed to take in his surroundings. The snarl that rolled from him sounded painfilled, making you push up off him to see if he was injured anywhere. 

Hands quickly grasped your waist and pulled you back firmly onto him. “Don’t… just stay, please.” His fingers were digging into you, sure they would mark you, but you didn’t make another move. Instead, you let your hands slide against him, letting him feel your touch on his face, swiping along his neck and his shoulders. 

Anything you could do to calm his racing heart in his chest and ease the tension riddling him, your brow furrowed with wonder at what had him having that haunted look in his eyes as he seemed to study you just as hard. His hands finally loosened enough to not hold you so tightly, instead, he traced your curves, dipping along your waist and up your back to squeeze the back of your neck assuredly while fingertips fluttered over your pulse. 

Your Little Wolf chirped at the touch, making your eyes flutter for a moment before they sharpened with concern. “Are you okay Alpha?” 

He gave a slight nod, inhaling sharply for a moment to clear out the last of his nightmare. You shifted down, alarm flaring in his features till he realized you were lying against his chest, letting him feel all of you against him. “What were you dreaming about Steve?” 

It was quiet for several moments, your head laid against his chest so you could hear his heartbeat against his chest, the whoosh of his breathing going back to steady assuring to your Little Wolf.

You debated on pushing for an answer, in the past you wouldn’t have insisted. The times you found him unsettled, waking up to find him out on the back cabin deck inhaling a cigarette, the only times you ever saw him smoke, you waited for him to return to bed. But maybe you needed to insist on him to share, be Steve’s safe place like he had tried to be for you when you were bonded with him. 

His hand smoothed up under your nightshirt, palm soothing against your back when you tipped your head up, the tip of your nose tracing up his neck. “Let me in.” 

“Do you remember any of when Pierce shot you with the dart?” Steve’s finally started, his arm circling your waist. 

“I remember my wolf disappearing and the pain, but that's it.” 

“I lost it, when you went down, I went feral. The Alpha wouldn't let anyone come near us till Bucky challenged him. All I could think was that I lost you.” 

You stiffened a bit when a croon from your Little Wolf reminded you to just listen to him. 

“It was like when Bucky was taken all over again, I failed to keep him safe with the Howling Commandos.” He rumbled underneath you. It took everything in you to resist correcting him, that this was life and he was just a man, there was only so much he could do. “I already know what you’re gonna say Little One.” His tone muffled in your hair, his face pressing in against your head for a moment, like it was reassuring him. 

“Not a peep from me Alpha, keep going.” The Little Wolf was waves of warmth in you, which you hoped passed to Steve in some way. “It must have been hard losing Bucky?” 

“God I blamed myself, hunted for him for months. They had him in that facility dragging him for information, testing him. If I had just been paying better attention…” 

“You got him back though.” You insisted, making Steve give a humorless chuckle. 

“I did, but he had already changed. They twisted his wolf till he broke, his limp is now permanent, and his mind was like a minefield. You saw him in Wakanda, so reactive to everything.” 

You hummed to acknowledge him, remembering Bucky’s nightmares taking over. You knew where this was going, Steve took everything that happened to his loved ones so personally, mixed with his alpha tendencies, it was enough to drive anyone a little crazy. “He trusted me and I failed him.” 

You trusted me, and I failed you. Your mind filled in what he wasn’t saying out loud. You kept quiet still, trusting your Little Wolf when she told you to just let him talk. “Then there's you.” You felt his lips against the crown of your head and his hold tightened, not that you could get any closer at the moment. “The half my Alpha sings for every day. What happened, Little One, I’m sorry that I wasn’t seeing you as you asked me to and I closed you out, that I broke-” 

Here you stirred, pushing back up till your elbows were tucked under you to give you leverage to look down at Steve.

You knew he was trying. He had kept so much bottled in, trying to be a perfect alpha for everyone who depended on him, strong and always in control. You knew he wouldn’t forgive himself for how everything happened, they would plague him like they are doing now. Part of you was mad at yourself for not pushing Steve to open up to you when he claimed you as his. 

He was never going to forgive himself, he would carry this till the end of his time, no matter how many times you could try telling him that you never blamed him for what happened to you. It hurts your heart to think of a whole lifetime of him punishing himself, even after working on meeting your needs. 

Pierce shooting you, Brock collaring Steve and turning him into a weapon, then him breaking up with you because he was scared of the control he lost, not to mention all the stuff with Bucky that you were just finding out about. How much of that did he still hold himself to blame?

Can you forgive him? Your Little Wolf’s earlier words echoed back at you. 

The alpha wasn’t perfect, but he was a good man. 

Your hands went to cover his mouth from saying anything more, his brows furrowing over his gaze, his eyes were raw to look into. He hid nothing in his blue orbs. When you were sure he wouldn’t keep going, you let your hand slide to his cheek, cupping it. Your fingers gently scratched through the beard covering his cheek, affectionate in your touch. Your Little Wolf crooned soothingly in your mind, making you smile softly at her actions. 

You could give him something he couldn’t give himself. “I forgive you, Steve.” 

You felt him try to turn his face away, hide his gaze from you, but you tightened your hold on him. His breathing picked up, his chest raising with his sharp inhales. “I don’t-” 

“Steve, look at me,” you commanded and he instinctively stopped struggling to do as you asked. “I forgive you.” You repeated firmly. He took a shuddering breath, releasing some of the tension he was holding onto. “I forgive you.” You repeated while your fingers traced along the top of his cheek and your thumb gathered at the tears building in his lashes. You felt him breaking slowly piece by piece under you. “I forgive you, Steve.” You repeated one last time with your shaky sigh. 

There was a relief in your chest that washed over you. You had been holding onto so much anger and pain. It wasn’t completely gone, but saying it out loud to him helped both of you. He started shaking under you, everything bubbling up to the surface that he kept down for so long. You saw his sob get swallowed, his throat working to keep himself contained. 

This had moved on beyond his nightmare, this was years of self-inflicted pain you were seeing bleed through, holding himself accountable for so much that was out of his control. “It’s okay Steve to not be okay. I am not going anywhere.” 

His arms tightened, hugging you to him as finally, he broke in a way you had never seen him before. You wrapped around him the best you could, sure to hold him just as tightly back. 

Steve stared at himself in the mirror, feeling the after effects of his late night wake up. His head throbbed and his eyes ached, the hot shower you insisted on him taking when he held a palm to his temple had helped a little.

Even feeling like shit, he felt better. Opening up to you lifted a weight he didn't know he had been carrying all this time.

His Alpha was a calmer presence in his mind, no longer a snapping and aggravated force that he had to contend with. Now the beast was calmer, occasionally scenting for where his Little One was in the apartment. 

You weren’t far, just beyond the door. Steve could see you still in his bed wrapped up in the blankets. Part of him was still shocked you stayed after he broke down, all of him was grateful that you did. 

<Our Little One doesn't think we’re weak.> The ever-sensible Alpha picked up on some of his thoughts. 

Steve inhaled sharply to clear his mind. It was certainly a lot to dump on her at once. I’ve never done that before. Not to her.

<She made it safe enough for it to happen.> The Alpha’s tail thumped once in approval. <Alanna would have murdered us in our sleep if she had seen it.> Steve shuddered at the thought of his ex seeing him like that. The Alpha snarled at the memory of it. <Our Little One isn’t a power-hungry bitch who will sell us out.> 

From the other room, a phone rang and Steve heard you answer it with a groggy ‘Yeah?’ He took one last glance at himself in the mirror and pushed away from the counter to go back into the bedroom. You seemed to be getting invested in the phone call, giving a glance at him and an immediate smile his way made Steve feel further at ease. “We got this.” You hung up the phone and pushed the blankets away. “So Steve, how do you feel about actually saving some people today?”

[anemptypuddingcup]

It’s okay to be different.

Cyclops!Killer x Female Human Reader.

Someone asked for size & praise kink for killer so I went all out-

Contains: A sweeter story! Not necessarily dark. Cyclops!Killer! (Killer has one eye!) Human!Reader. Killer is somewhat shy. Killer’s bangs covers his eye (my own headcanon added.) Killer also has lip piercings. Eustass & Law are in here too. Law’s part snow leopard. Eustass’ part demon. Eustass & Law being good friends to Killer. Killer nearly overworking himself in the kitchen. Killer planning a whole picnic for Reader. And reader accepts it (as she should). Killer and Reader bonding over a picnic. Bit of time-skipping. Size kink (from both Killer & Reader). Praise kink. Oral (Reader receiving). Fingering. Lotus to Missionary. Semi-public sex (y’all are outside but secluded from society). Overstimulation toward Reader. A sweet yet short ending. This fic is so fucking long, grab a snack and relax.

The day before the confession.

It was hard for Killer to roam around normally without someone peering at him awkwardly. He was already gigantic in a way, almost seven feet tall. His stature already drew attention but it was what his bangs were obscuring something underneath that would alarm everyone.

Killer was a cyclops, a one-eyed man who was rather large for his average species.

It was so challenging to go shopping or run errands when it came to windy days and busy streets full of human civilians. If the wind ever blew his bangs from his eyes, it would be the literal end of him. Though there was one windy day that he was rather thankful for. That’s only because he met a pretty lady, a woman of his dreams so to speak.

He was browsing through an array of vegetables and fruits, not only that but he was hoping to bake some bread once he arrived back to headquarters. While flickering his eye through the arrangement of fruits, he couldn’t quite see his surroundings like humans or other monsters could. In that instant, he felt something or someone bump into his side.

“Ah! Excuse me!”

Killer jumps at the timid and shrill voice and quickly whips his head around. His eye scans the area and he hears the voice again below him. “Sorry…I wasn’t exactly paying attention. Please excuse me!” He looks down and his eye widens as it landed a you and your beautiful figure. You were a human…but you were so small and rather timid yet polite.

Killer gulps before moving out of your way, making you smile to him. “I haven’t seen you around here before, are you a newcomer?” You asked him, tilting your head as you stared up at lips. You couldn’t really see his eyes due to his bangs, so there wasn’t really much to look at. Though he still seemed attractive either way, even if his eyes were covered.

Killer nods slowly. He didn’t come around to this part of town very often due to the overwhelming amount of humans roaming around. Though he hasn’t seen any humans as pretty as yourself. You giggled as you move in close to him. “Well you’re pretty attractive~ What’s your name? I’m ________.” You compliment before introducing yourself to him.

He hesitates to speak and when he grows quiet, you’re understanding and sweet to him. “It’s alright if you’re too nervous to speak, you seen very shy.” You say softly to him. “K-Killer…It’s Killer.” He says softly to you, his glossy purple-coated moving slowly as he said those words to you.” You blush at his voice and giggle before grabbing a bit of fruit from the produce section.

“Interesting name…I like it~” You smile, a little giggle leaving your lips. Killer blushes a bit from your compliment. “T-Thank you…” He thanks you, blushing deeply and putting one of his thick hands up against his cheek. You smile and turn away from him before walking off, still browsing through the fresh produce with that adorable little basket in your hands.

Killer reaches a hand to you but quickly pulls away, not wanting to startle or bother you. He couldn’t look through the fresh fruit and vegetables anymore once you fell into his sight. The thought of getting groceries had left his mind once you had left. He sighs out and presses his hand to his pretty golden strands, pulling and combing his fingers through them as his mind began to go rampant at the thought of you.

He huffs and grabs handfuls of fruits and vegetables before paying and leaving, not wanting to leave that top priority. He leaves with the large basket in his hands, slowly walking through the crowds of humans as his mind slowly trails off.

He heads back to headquarters, excited to tell his two best friends about the good news.

☆ ☆ ☆

Eustass sat there with his feet up on the dinner table, groaning out as he waits impatiently for Killer to come back from his little grocery shopping spree. “Where the hell is that one-eyed motherfucker? I’m fuckin’ hungry!” Eustass groans out, his brows furling as his stomach rumbles just a bit. Law slides his eyes up away from his book and to Eustass, his face stern and cold as he looks up at him with annoyance. His legs were crossed and rocking a bit.

“Will you shut the hell up with that? How many times do I have to tell you that he’ll be back in a moment? And get your fucking feet off the table.” Law huffs out, growing a little fed up with Eustass’ mess. “You said that bullshit forty-five minutes ago! I know your ass is hungry too Trafalgar!” Eustass interjects angrily, pointing to Law.

Though Law couldn’t help but to agree with Eustass, it was taking Killer way too long to get back. “You don’t think he got caught do you? It’s a possibility.” Law sighs out, shutting his eyes for a brief moment before closing his book. Eustass shrugs before pulling his feet off the table, standing up before walking away from the table. “Ion think he would be, Killer looks the most human out of the three of us. I’m sure he’s fine.” Eustass says, pacing back and forth in the kitchen.

“Good point.” Law sighs, blinking before tending back to his book as his tail begins to sway back and forth slowly within his seat.

The sound of the door opening causes both Eustass and Law to perk up, making Law drop his book to the table before shooting up from his seat. Killer walks in with his basket in hand and he walks into the kitchen before pausing. “Um…Why’re y’all standin’ like that? And wh’yre y’all starin’ at me like that?” Killer asked, quirking his only brow within his bangs.

“Where the fuck have you been!? I was ‘bout to settle in ordering pizza you asshole!” Eustass yelled, walking up to Killer and gripping his polka-dotted shirt. Killer blinks as he stares at Eustass before falling silent. “I-I’m sorry. I um…I met someone.” Killer says quietly, a little smirk appearing across his face.

Eustass and Law look at each other and back to Killer.

“You met a girl!?-“

“Who!?”

Killer looks around before smiling wider, a bit of blush dusting his cheeks. “A-A pretty girl…a human woman I met down at the market…” Killer says all sweetly. Eustass and Law blinks blankly and glances to each other, their faces giving off shock as Killer said those words. They couldn’t believe what killer had just said.

“A-A human…?”

“You know that ain’t gonna work right?”

They say in unison, their faces giving off pure shock. Eustass lets go of Killer’s shirt and lets out a displeased sight, backing away from him and standing beside Law. “Out of all the monster broads in the fuckin’ world…” Eustass groans out, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Killer looks down and walks over to the stove, placing his basket of groceries onto the kitchen counter before looking around for a bit of cookware. He stumbles back and forth across the kitchen from the stove to the fridge, occasionally lifting his bangs to see and read good.

“It’s not gonna work out, I’m telling ya that right now. You might as well give up on the broad.”

“Cut him some slack Eustass-Ya. You gotta remember that Killer doesn’t usually have feelings for anyone. You should be happy for him at least as his best friend.”

“Killer said he liked a human and he’s a monster himself. How is that gonna work?”

Killer watched as his two best friends began to bicker over his own decision of his ideal lover. He honestly didn’t think he would gain a liking to someone who was as feeble as a human. He couldn’t help it, when he first set his singular eye on you, he couldn’t help but to fall in love. You were so beautiful and not only beautiful but well behaving and kind.

He couldn’t help it.

“Guys, can…can w’not argue ‘bout this? I’ve made m’decision and that’s final.” Killer huffed, looking up from the fridge and crossing his arms. Eustass and Law looks at each other before looking back to Killer again. Eustass snickers before walking over to him slowly. “Well, how do you think she’ll react when she see’s this huh?” Eustass asks as he lifts Killer’s bangs, revealing his big and sapphire blue eye to both him and Law. Killer blinks and sighs shamefully before moving Eustass’ hand away from him.

“I…I jus’ won’ tell her then. I’ll hide it.” Killer huffs, crossing his arms once again. Law sighs and presses a hand to his shoulder. “I’m sure she’ll like ya Kil’-Ya, don’t mind what that shithead is saying.” Law says, giving Eustass and stern and dark glare. Eustass chuckles and turns away, shrugging his shoulders. “I’m just sayin’. I dunno if a human…would like a cyclops like Kil’. It just won’t match Y’know? Unless a miracle happens for him.” Eustass explained, sighing out as he pressed his only palm to his face.

Hearing Eustass’ words began to make Killer lose his confidence. What if he was right? Humans already disliked monsters in general, so what would happen if you saw his only eye beneath his bangs. The thought began to eat at him and he suddenly began to lose hope in the thought of confessing.

“Just try then. That’s the only way to find out. Her answer can either be yes…or no.” Law sighs out, tapping his sword against his shoulder eagerly. Killer glances up and nods at Law’s words. “Now hurry up and get cooking please, we’re both starving. Here, I’ll help ya if I need to Kil’-Ya.” Law sighs outs, walking over to his basket of groceries.

Eustass rolled his eyes before sitting himself back in his seat, watching as Killer and Law began prepping their long awaited meals.

☆ ☆ ☆

“Holy shit that meal really hit the spot. Thank ya Kil’ that shit was so good!~” Eustass huffed out, stuffed to the brim full of food as he lets out a heavy and satisfied sigh. Law nods in agreement, smiling as he found the meal rather appetizing. Killer smiled and nodded, happy that his friends were finally well fed and happy with what they ate.

That alone threw an idea into his mind.

A good way to persuade and gain was to do something he loved most, cooking. An easy thought that could probably gain your attention was doing something he loved most.

Cooking.

Cooking a nice little meal for both you and him was the best way to bring you close to him. At least he thought so. He really wanted to win your heart, so he assumes that the best way to win your heart was to cook and prove to you that he was good enough for your time.

He always heard from humans that a man who could cook was one of the best candidates for winning a woman.

With that he began to set his plan into motion, walking back to the sink to wash and reuse the same dishes. Law stood up from the table and grabbed his sword, his heels clacking as he walked over to the kitchen entryway and looked back. “Headin’ out?” Eustass asked, quirking a brow to Law. He nods and looks at his watch.

“I’ve got some business to tend to with Mugiwara-Ya. It’ll be a while before I come back…” He sighs out, pressing his palm to his face. Eustass stood up and followed. “Mind if I come with ya, I’ve got nothin’ better to do right now. Ya coming too Kil’?” Eustass asked, looking over to Killer who was busy washing dishes.

Killer shakes his head in response, scrubbing the dishes as fast as he could to get to what he was planning. “N-No…M’gonna stay behin’, gotta wash these dishes and clean up.” Killer says, using it as an excuse to stay back in headquarters. “Alright but…don’t overwork yourself okay? We’ll be back later on tonight.” Law warns, walking out of the kitchen and to the front door. Eustass follows but not before giving Killer another glance and the walking out.

With no more distractions, Killer pins his hair up and begins working. Keeping his bangs away from his eye, he grabbed all the necessary materials for himself. Turning the stovetops back on, he grabs a few extra pans, pots and baking trays before digging around for ingredients again. He hoped that he had just enough for everything he planned to pack up into his basket.

☆ ☆ ☆

His cooking falls into night time and he was still busy and working when Law and Eustass arrived back. Killer had closed off the kitchen beforehand to prevent anyone from entire and disturbing him. He didn’t want to stop for one second until he was through with everything. Even if he was tired he didn’t want to stop, everything needed to be full of his love and energy.

A knock on the kitchen door doesn’t phase him as he continued decorating some strawberry jam-filled cookies.

“Oi Kil’! Is everythin’ alright in there? It’s three in the mornin’ and you ain’t came out yet.”

It was Eustass checking up on Killer. Not a word leaves Killer and not a thing causes him to stop what he was doing. Not receiving an answer causes Eustass to bang on the door a bit harder. “KIL’ I KNOW YA HEAR ME! DON’T IGNORE ME YOU DICK!” Eustass yells, his brows furrowing out of anger.

Killer still doesn’t answer him as a yawn left his sweet little lips.

He was almost done with everything, so he wasn’t about to stop now. Regardless if he passed out from lack of energy or not.

The day of the confession.

Birds chirped outside as Killer finally began packing the basket full of food he cooked, his breaths were heavy while his eye was dark and droopy. He was so sleepy…but who wouldn’t be after cooking a whole banquet for the love of their life? He made sure to make the basket look presentable too, adding a nice blue bow on the handle while looking around for his blue picnic blanket.

After finally prepping everything and washing all of the dishes afterwards, Killer gives himself a pleasant smile. He was proud of himself for cooking this much and doing this much. Though the only think that worried him was you rejecting this whole ordeal after he put his literal soul into it. Even though he knows the food won’t go to waste, he couldn’t help but wonder if you would really accept this from him.

He shakes the feeling off and goes to open the kitchen door, leaving the basket and blanket on the counter while he want to freshen up. Walking through headquarters, there wasn’t a single sight of Eustass or Law anywhere. Not that it bothered him at all, it was just that he expected Eustass to be around to check up on him. He shrugs it off and goes off to take a shower and wash his hair to freshen up, his mind only filled with you and your pretty reaction once he confesses to you.

☆ ☆ ☆

Dressing in his finest, he stares at himself in the mirror and stares into his big blue eye. His pretty lashes fluttered as he tried his best to get his hopes up for the little date he planned out for you. He fixes up his bangs and his beautiful golden hair, making sure his eye was obscured enough so it wouldn’t be noticed.

He smiles and applies and purple lipstick before giggling to himself. He slowly pulls his two lips rings through his lips and peeks into the mirror once more. “I can’ wait to see the look on ‘er face…I hope she’ll like it…” Killer sighs to himself.

He walks back into the kitchen and grabs the basket and blanket before heading out of headquarters, a happy smile spread across his face as he walked out with high hopes and spirits.

☆ ☆ ☆

His eye scans for your figure around the market, his breaths shaky as he waited for you to bump or walk into him again. He was in the same section you browsed when he had met you, so he was sure that you’d come by again.

Eventually he feels that same sweet little figure bump into him again.

“A-Ah! Excuse me! S-Sorry-“ You apologized, looking up to the same man who you bumped into last time. Killer smirks a bit, looking down at you while you blink up at him. “O-Oh! I can’t believe I’m bumping into you again Killer, my apologies.” You apologized. Killer crouches down to your height but the suddenly feels himself growing nervous. You tilt your head and look at the basket and blanket in his hands.

“Is there something you wanted? Are you…heading somewhere?” You ask him, glancing back to him. Killer nods and sighs out nervously. “I um…I made somethin’ for ya…and I wanted to um…spend time with ya today…Would ya like to…have a picnic with me today?” He admits, his hands gripping the handle of his basket tightly. Blush dusts your cheeks as you hear him out and in an instant you accept his invitation.

“O-Of course! I’d love to!” You say happily, smiling sweetly to him. His eye widens beneath his bangs and he gives you his sweet toothy smile. “R-Really? Y-Ya really mean it!?” Killer asked, his face turning a deep red as he stared down into your eyes. You nodded happily, a giggle leaving past your lips as your smile grew radiant. “Yes I do! I’ve never really had a picnic with anyone before…and you seem like such a sweetheart. Really I’d love to!” You admit, smiling up at Killer.

Killer felt his heart yearning to explode out of his chest with joy. He didn’t think you’d accept it so quickly, but either way he was so overjoyed. He holds his large hand out to you, watching as you placed your smaller hand onto his palm. “W-Well…Shall we?” He asked nervously, staring down into your pretty eyes. You nodded and move in closer to his frame, holding on to his hand as he guided you through the open market.

That was only the first step.

☆ ☆ ☆

“So…What made you plan out something like this for me?” You asked, looking up to Killer while you both walked down along the prairies of grass. Killer glances down at you before looking away, a bit of blush dusting his cheeks. “W-Well…I….I find ya attractive. I was thinkin’ of plannin’ sum nice for you…” Killer admits, pressing his hand to the back of his neck. You smile softly and blush at his words. He really was a sweetheart, it was so thoughtful of him to do something like plan a picnic for you.

You genuinely felt loved and your heart pounds with love as you took his words into consideration.

“You’re too sweet Killer~ I find you to be cute as well. Even if I can’t see your eyes, I still think you’re adorable~” You smile. That makes Killer freeze in place, but he had no choice but to shake the feeling away and act as if he was normal and had two eyes. “H-Here’s a good spot to sit…” He says softly, pulling the blanket for on top of the basket. “Would you like some help?” You asked, holding the basket for him.

“Y-Yeah, thank you.” He chuckled, laying the blanket out into the green grass below.

After spreading the blanket out onto the ground, you both set yourselves down before Killer begins pulling food from the basket. The smell wafted beneath your nose, and you hum out and delight. “The food smells so good! I can’t wait to eat, I haven’t ate all day today…” You giggle nervously, your hands up against your face.

“Well I wouldn’ say m’happy that ya didn’ but…I’ll be happy to feed ya~” He hums, sliding the basket to you. You look around through the basket and set your eyes on some jam-filled cookies. You pull the bowl of cookies from the basket and open it, the scent of strawberry jam enveloping your nose. “So good!~ It smells good!” You hum out, taking a cookie and taking a bite.

Killer chuckles as pulls a few drinks from the basket. “Dessert first? I thought ya were hungry~” He smiled, popping open a soda and taking a sip. “Well I am, but the cookies looked and smelled good…” You chuckle, eating one cookie after another. Killer smiles and sighs out lovingly, watching you eat up around five cookies before digging around in the basket again.

“Wow Killer, you really cooked so much. I dunno where to start~” You sigh out, your mouth watering as you saw plates and bowls of food. “Call me Kil’ if ya wan’ sweetheart~ I wanted to make sure ya had variety just in case~” He giggles, laying his head against his propped knee while he held on to his soda can.

You pull out a few sandwiches and smile at the cut-out heart shapes. “So cute!~ I really can’t thank you enough for this Kil!~” You gasp out, staring at the sandwiches wrapped in plastic wrap. Killer watches you unwrap the sandwiches and take a bite, with you humming in delight at the taste of the sandwich.

God you were so adorable, even as a messy eater.

The feeling of the wind hitting your skin makes you shudder and your hair begins to flow along with the wind. You look back, a piece of the sandwich still in your mouth.

“Oh- It’s getting a bit windy.” You say, the breeze cooling your skin. Killer paused and gasps out as he felt the wind blowing a bit.

“W-Windy!? The forecast didn’t say anythin’ ‘bout wind!” Killer thought, his mind beginning to run rampant with terrible thoughts as he began shudder with fear and the coolness of the breeze.

He began to panic, putting the bowl of cookies down quickly while he turns his head away from you. His bangs flew up and his eye was revealed, you turn over to him and notice him looking at something else or away from you.

“Hm? Do you see something Killer?” You ask him, moving in closer to him while he peers back to you. “D-Don’t look at me!” He yells out to you, the nervousness in his voice giving him away. You quirk a brow and watched as he covered his eye, a whine leaving him as he began breathing heavily. “Killer…? Kil’ what’s wrong?” You asked, now crawling over to him and pressing a hand to his back.

Killer doesn’t answer, biting his lip while sweat began to slide down his brow lightly. “P-Please…don’ look at me…please ________…” He whimpers out, feeling your hand trailing up along his back. You press your small hand to his larger one, which was covering his eye beneath his bangs. You pull his hands away and he lifts his head to look at you.

You see his only eye looking at you beneath his bangs and you lift them up before gasping out in shock. “Oh…Killer…” You say surprised, covering your mouth as you stared at his large eye. He winced and looks away, his voice growing shaky as you had finally saw what he was. You noticed him trembling and you could hear him slowly beginning to snivel.

“Y-Ya must hate me don’ you…? The fact that I’m actually a monster and not a human…? You don’t like me anymore do you…?” He asked, turning back to you as thick tears began to run down his face. You stared at him in fascination and in awe, he thought you didn’t like him due to that fact…but it was the complete and total opposite.

You cup his cheeks and turn his head to face you, watching as he cried and shedded hot tears in your sweet little hands. “Killer…You’re fine just the way you are. I still like you, in fact I like you even more now.” You say to him, making his eye widen and glisten while he froze in sudden disbelief. You slide your hand up his forehead, moving his bangs out of the way to see a clear and better view of his eye.

“It’s okay…my words still stands strong. You’re beautiful sweetie pie, monster or human…” You whisper to him, wrapping your arms around his neck to hug him. Killer whimpers and sighs out, his eye glistening as more hot tears began to well up in his eye. He wraps his arms around you and cried in slight happiness, holding you tight while he laid his head against your shoulder.

“Don’t keep it hidden from me…I want to see it.” You whisper to him, pulling back and cupping his face with your hands once again. You press a smooch to his temple, making him gasp out at the sudden contact of your soft lips against his skin. He pulls you closer to him, whimpering out softly at the feeling of your body against his. He watches you wipe his thick tears away from his eye, still sniveling a bit while you pulled away from him.

Your fingers comb through his thick and pretty strands and he hums out calmly as he begins to relax himself. “T-Thank you…” He whispers out to you, his hands sliding up your back a bit higher. You nodded, your eyes trailing to his lips before looking away nervously. Killer trail his hands down to your hips, holding them softly as you let out a little gasp.

You look back down into his eye and your lips begin to quiver. “K-Kil’…Is it okay if i…if I kiss you…?” You asked, your face turning a tomato red as your eyes kinda focus on his pretty purple-coated lips. Killer looks around shyly, his eye occasionally glancing to your breasts before he looks away fully.

“What ‘bout the food..? Didn’t ya say you were hungry?” He asks you, his hand sliding beneath your shirt and trailing along the soft skin of your back. You blink slowly and peek at the basket and then back to him. “Well…I…I wanna eat later now…” You say timidly to him. Killer smirks and presses his lips against yours, the sensation of his matte lipstick against your lips feeling funny yet soothing in a way. His lip piercings pressed against your lips, ticking the soft skin of your pretty lips.

You hum out and wrap your arms back around his neck, mewling as the kiss began to deepen for both you and him. Killer softly slid his tongue along your lips and you gladly let him in, moaning out as the sweet taste of his tongue envelopes yours tastebuds from the cookies and the soda. “Your lips feel so good Killer…” You moan through the kiss, your hips rolling and grinding against his lap.

Killer inhales sharply and his brow furrowed as he felt your clothed cunt drag along his thigh. Killer began to feel himself grow hard, he would’ve seen it as impolite if you both weren’t kissing…but he felt that he had the permission to feel this way…

A gasp leaves your lips as Killer spreads you out on the blanket, his lips now trailing down from yours and along your soft skin. He left purple lipstick markings and hickeys along your skin while you mewl out in pleasure of his warm lips and chilled piercings against your skin. You watched as he peeks his eye up at you before unbuttoning your shirt and unclasping your bra, a little chuckle leaving him as he did so.

He presses more adoring and lipstick-coated smooches against your breasts. Not only that, but he leaves a few bites while his fingers pinched and pulled up your pretty nipples. Sweet mewls left your lips as you meek out before watching him latching his lips to your nipples, his hand holding you up for support while the other continues to pinch and tease at your areola.

After a bit more he pulls away, a string of saliva pulling from his lips and your nipple before he licks his lips eagerly. He wipes his lipstick from his lips with his shirt sleeve and grips the hem of your panties.

He slowly slides them down and off your legs before gasping out. A moan left his lips as he stares at your soaking pussy, your slick already dripping and coating your folds. You gasp as he trails a thick finger up your slit before suckling the slick off of his fingertips. He groans out before sliding his tongue up your slit and to your cunt, making you moan out while you scoot back a bit in instinct.

A moan leaves you as he slurps and suckles at your clit, moaning at your taste while you whine out from the warmth of his long and thick tongue. The piercings cold yet adding in to your pleasure. You pressed your hand to his soft strands, mewling and gasping out as he teases your entrance with a finger. “A-Ah~ K-Kil’ baby~” You moan out his name while your toes curled within your shoes, a sudden whine escaping from the sudden stretch of his thick finger sliding inside of your pussy.

He slowly pumped his finger in and out of your pretty yet needy cunt, your sticky essence already drenching his finger with a single touch. “Want me to add another? Does my fingers feel good in your pussy like this?” He asks, looking up at you while pressing a smooch to your clit. “Mmgh! Y-Yes please!~ Y-Your fingers and your tongue are making my pussy feel so good~” You moan out, your hand gripping his strands slightly tighter as he slurps grew more audible.

Killer slowly slides another finger into your pussy, pumping his fingers faster and kissing your g-spot with his fingertips. “Y-Yes!~ L-Like that Killer~ Just like that!~” You moaned, biting your lower lip a bit tight as he fucks you on his fingers. “Yer pussy tastes s’good~ Better than any meal I’ve made~” Killer compliments, his tone making you shiver while your body began to grow hot. “I-I’m happy it tastes good for you~ P-Please keep touching and tasting my pussy like t-that~ I-It makes me feel so good~“ You gasp out, you eyes rolling back while your eyes began to roll up from the pleasure.

“I’ll eat this pussy up like my favorite dessert…You wan’ me to do that? You want me to eat the fuck outta this pussy?~” Killer asked, his large eye half-lidded as he stared up into your pretty eyes.

“Y-Yes~ E-Eat my pussy please Killer~” You begged, closing your eyes softly as you felt him smooch your clit once again.

“I will~ I wanna taste everythin’~ I want every single inch of this pussy against my tongue~” He moans, pulling his finger from your entrance and replacing them with his tongue. He stuffs his tongue deep into your pussy, moaning at the delectable flavors your cunt provided to his tastebuds. His thumb rubs sweet circles onto your clit, making you sing out in pleasure and grow a bit more vocal.

His slurping grows louder as he indulges in your pussy, humming and moaning out as your juices began coating his chin. “D-Deeper~ Deeper please Killer!~ Y-Your tongue’s so big and thick inside~” You begged, your thighs closing around his head. He obeyed and you gasp out as you felt his tongue nearly reaching your cervix, though you begin to feel him slowly removing his tongue and you whine out in displeasure.

“Get on all fours for me…I wanna eat this pussy from the back~” He growls, licking his lips while he watches you give him a flustered face. You obey and flip over on all fours, a moan suddenly leaving your lips as he wastes no time diving back into your pussy. He moans out as he pulls your hips close, making sure his tongue was deep inside to where you could feel it.

You rest your head in your arms, moaning out desperately as he slurped up your juices and ate your pussy out like his favorite meal. “Mmh~ Killer~ Oh fuck your tongue feel so good~” You moan out, arching your back as he hums out into your cunt. He slowly wiggles your hips, thrusting his tongue in and out of your pussy, fucking you diligently with his thick tongue.

You feel his tongue graze against your g-spot and you gasp out, catching his attention.

“Ah!~ Oh god~ R-Right there~ I feel it babyyy~” You moan out to him, begging him to keep hitting you in that certain spot. He obeys and he begins grinding his tongue hard against your g-spot, making your eyes roll up in pleasure. Killer mewls and chuckles as he wriggled his tongue along your pulsating gummy walls, his tongue focused on pleasuring your sweet yet tight little cunt. You huff and groan out, arching your back much more while you threw your head back. “Oh! K-Kil’ m-m’cumming!~ I-It’s coming!~” You gasp out, gripping the picnic blanket while you whine out.

“Cmon~ Cmon baby~ Cum on m’tongue~” He hums out softly, pulling your hips up to his lips and grinding them along his tongue. You whine and moan out louder, your hips bucking up and sliding against his tongue as you craved for more friction. “Fuck! Fuck Kil’ M’cummin’!” You gasp out, rolling over onto your back to get a better angle. You reach out and pull on his strands while your eyes roll back more from the pleasure, and he moans out at your assertiveness. He doesn’t stop and instead continues, helping you reach your orgasm. “Fuck you’re doing so good!~ I’m almost there!~” You gasp out, arching your back and biting your lip tight.

Killer moans out at your praise and pushes his tongue farther before wrapping his arms around your waist. His tongue slithers deep into your sticky hole, prodding and rubbing against your g-spot while his beautiful blue eye stared up at your body. “Yes! Yes!~ Oh fuck! I’m cumming Kil’~” You moan out and your eyes rolling back far as you finally squirt out onto his tongue. Killer moans and laps up your juicy, slithering across you slit and making sure he sucked up every drop.

You roll over onto your side and whimper out, breathing heavily and trying your best to recover from your wonderful orgasm. Killer wraps his arms around you and pulls you up into his lap, humming out and chuckling as he stared into your eyes. “Are ya alright baby?” He asks you, his hand rubbing along your back to soothe you. You nodded, your head resting against his chest while you breathed heavily.

You felt his bulge prodding against your bare and sticky cunt and you look up into his pretty eye. He smirks to you and moves in close before giving you a smooch against your soft and delectable lips. You press your hands to his shoulders while his hands grips your ass, kneading the soft doughy flesh while you mewl out at his touch.

“Cmon baby, stop teasin’ me~” He whispers to you, burying his face within your neck. You moan out sweetly to him and chuckle before grinding up against his bulge, making him bite his lip and and hiss out. “Aww, did eating me out make you all needy too?~” You hummed, teasing him. He nods, lifting his bangs to get a better look at your pretty face. “S’needy~ Needy for you baby~” Killer whimpers, moving in close to you.

You press another smooch to his lips and he pulled you up higher onto his lap. He helps you rut your hips against his, continuous groans leaving both your lips and his while he shivers from pent up pleasure. “N-Need you~ M-May I…um..” Killer trails off and he looks away from you a bit nervously. You smile and cup his face.

“Do you want me…Killer?” You asked him, giving him that sweet smile you always gave him. Killer looks back at you and lowly nods but you didn’t move. “I want you to say it~” You whisper to him, your fingers trailing along his scruff he had along his jawline. “I…I-I…” Killer began, sighing out and he pulls you closer to him. “I want you…I always did, I want ya now.” He says firmly, staring into your eyes.

You chuckle sweetly and move your hands from his face to his shoulders.

“I want you too.”

Killer smiles and unbuttons his white jeans before looking back up at you. Your face grew a deep shade of red as you watched him pull his cock from his briefs. Fuck he was huge, but then again monsters were always packing something. It was pretty long and girthy but at the same time it was a pretty cock.

It looked as if he always took good care of himself. His tip was spilling pre while he ran his thumb softly along it, the sticky yet runny substance coated his fingertip as he touched it. You spread your legs a bit while Killer holds your hips and lifts you up. You stared down at his large length and began to grow a bit…nervous.

Killer notices your hesitance and smiles before pressing a smooch to your lips. “We can take this slow, there ain’t no rush to it…kay?” He reassures you, making sure you were holding on to his shoulders. You smile and nodded, inhaling deeply as he began to lower you against his length.

His large tip was already kissing your entrance along with his sticky pre. It was hot against your pussy and it wasn’t even inside of you yet. You look back up at Killer and hold on to him tightly, gripping his shirt like your life depended on it. “Are ya ready honey?” He asks you, his eye fluttering as he stares into yours. You nodded slowly but he pulls you closer and smiles.

“I want to hear you say that you’re ready~” He smirks, using your own phrase against you. You pouted to him and sigh out. “I-I’m ready. I want your cock Killer~” You hum out to him, laying your chin to his shoulder. Killer smiles and begins to lower you into his cock slowly, making you gasp out while you took his length.

A shaky groan left his lips as he pulled you farther down, your pussy already sucking in his shaft as if it was so needy and hungry for his cock. “S-So tight…an’ s-so small~” Killer groans out, biting his lower lip while his brow furrowed from the pleasure. “Y-Your cock K-Kil’, i-it’s so big~ It’s stretching me out so good~” You mewl out, your toes curling from the feeling of his length sliding into you.

He finally bottoms out and pulls you down to the base of his length. You could feel everything, his hot and sticky length pulsating inside of you making you want to cum from the feeling. “Hah~ K-Killer~” You moan out his name, your lip quivering as you struggled to hold your orgasm. Killer moves in closer to you and presses a smooch to your temple.

“Are ya alright? Does anythin’ hurt?” He asks with seriousness, his eye staring down at your pussy holding him in deep inside. “A little bit~ I-It’s just from the stretch though~” You hum out, the pleasure nearly overriding the pain of your cunt. Killer smiles and holds on to you, gripping your hips firmly.

“I’m goin’ t’move. Tell me if it hurts more, alright?” Killed says as he slowly and gently begins thrusting into you. You nodded and gasp out, his cock already kissing the sweetest spots that not no one and even yourself could kiss.

He took it slow for you even if his gigantic cock stretched you out so wonderfully. He adored how tougher you were, how small your body was within his grasp. You could hear him let out a shaky little moan as he pulls you down along his shaft and slide you back up.

“That feel good?~ Am I doin’ hah- g-good?~” Killer exhaled shakily, his hips stammering a bit as he tried his best not to go rough on your pretty body. You nodded as you bit your lips, mewling out in delight as he began to churn up your insides. “Y-Yes!~ That feels so wonderful Kil’, y-you’re doing so good baby~” You gasped, pressing a smooch to his lips.

Your praise makes Killer mewl out a bit and he begins to go just a smidge bit faster inside of your semi-stretched pussy. You moan out and reach your arms out and around his neck, holding on tight to him as he begins to fuck up into your needy pussy. The sloppy noises grew loud as he fucks you, your moans growing louder while your back arches from the pleasure.

Killer watched your breasts bounce beneath your shirt as he fucks you with his cock, his hands groping your a bit tighter as he listened out to your angelic yet semi-pornographic moans.

“Yes Killer!~ P-Please keep fucking me right there!~ Fuck that feels so good~” You moan out, closing your eyes softly as you enjoyed the feeling of his shaft going deep inside of your cunt. Killer presses his lips against yours once again, a moan leaving your lips as you slide your fingers along his neck and through his golden curls.

Killer holds your hips tight and pulls them down farther, making you shudder with pleasure and delight.

A gasp leaves you as he thrusts hard into you, making you arch your back and throw your head back while he smiled. He pulls his lips away from yours, a string of saliva tearing as he mewls out a bit. He bit his lip a bit tight as his eye looks down to your pussy.

You were sucking him in and gripping him so fucking tight. The way he helped slide you up and down his length made it so hard for him to keep himself composed. Your pussy was fucking divine and he wanted to keep it, have it for his own.

Without hesitation, he slowly lies you down back onto the picnic blanket and you gasp out before staring into his eye. Your body looked so beautiful, glistening a bit with sticky sweat and purple lipstick marks all over you.

“May I? I wanna fuck ya just a bit rougher~ Only if you’re alright with it though.” Killer asked, his eye staring down at you while you breathe heavily beneath him. You smile and reach your arms out to him, you lips beginning to move and whisper out to him.

“Please…take me Killer~” You whisper out, a little moan mixed along with it. Killer smiles and gives you another smooch to your lips while he began to ram into you a big, rutting into you like a wolf in heavy heat. He groans and moans out as your pissed sucked him in, wanting and begging for him to just go deeper.

A harsh kiss against your cervix makes you yell out and you wrap your legs around Killer’s hips while he continues. Your eyes rolled up and drool begins to spill past your lips. Your moans were desperate and heavy while his cock continuously kissed at your cervix.

It was like literal heaven to you. Your mind growing so high off of the pleasure while Killer’s thick and long length was making you feel so good. Killer enjoyed your expression, your small and beautiful body beneath him made him groan out before smiling.

His hands cups your cheeks while his hips continued, going at a fast and deepening pace while he stares into your eyes. “So small ain’tcha?~ You’re so adorable when ya small body’s beneath me~” He mewls out, loving the feeling of ramming into your tight and sticky pussy.

You couldn’t process any words, it was hard to think at all with him deep inside of you. His massive frame just looming over you while he fucked you deep. Your hands gripped his shirt tight and your toes curled within your shoes, your body shuddered with delight at the attention it was getting.

“A-Ahh~ I-It’s so good!~ Y-You’re f-fucking me so g-good!~” You mumbled out, your lips forming the shape of an O while your brows furrowed from the pleasure. Your face was beginning to grow sticky and a bit of hot tears began to roll down your face.

Your praise riled up Killer and he moves his hands from your face to your hips. He pulls you further yet held you still as he continued to thrust into you. “G-Good~ M’so happy ya feel so g-good!~” He huffs out, his cock twitching within your gummy walls as felt his orgasm now growing closer.

“K-Kiss me!~ Kiss m-me Kil’.” You gasped out to him, shutting your eyes a bit while to focus’s more on the pleasure. Killer moves back in closer to you and presses his lips to yours, huffing out within the kiss as while his cock continue to twitch inside of you.

Your pussy tightens and you mewl out loudly within his lips, your orgasm rushing up rather fast while while your body trembled beneath him. “Ah! K-Killer! K-Killer I’m close!~” You gasp out, pulling away from his lips and arching your back. Killer huffs out heavily and nods, his thrust more shallow while the sound of his hips slapping against yours grew…more rapid.

“I-I’m pulling o-out~“ Killer gasped out, now trying to yank his hips away from yours. You kept your legs around his hip, wanting to feel his orgasm along with yours. “No no! Please don’t! Cum inside of me Killer!~” You mewled out, giving him the permission to let loose inside of your cunt.

Killer’s eye widens but he nods before moving close to you. He gives you another deep kiss and he mewls out within the kiss as his body shudders. He helps on to you tight and huffs out, his brow furling before he cock releases its load deep inside of your pussy.

Your eyes rolls back as you felt his warm and creamy spunk fill your cunt, a shaky moan leaving your lips as you squirted onto his lower abdomen in the process. Killer keeps his lips against yours, huffing out as he occasionally pulled back before continuing to kiss you.

Your body trembles as you felt his cum overfilling you, spilling out of your tight and sticky hole while you held on to him tight. He finally pulls his lips away from yours and smiles, a heavy breath leaving him.

“I-I…I love…ya…” He says slowly and hesitantly. With your body trembling and overstimulated beneath his, you smile back to him while your eyes softened.

“I love you too~”

He sits up and pulls you up with him, his cock still resting inside of your pussy while he held you close to him. You relaxed against his body, your head against his chest while you look up at Killer. His hair flowed with the wind, and he proudly watched the pretty blue sky. His bangs were out of the way, but he wasn’t rushing to cover his eye.

You smile and admired his beauty. A beautiful diamond in the rough he was. “You’re so pretty Killer.” You whisper out to him, making his eye widen before it trails down onto you. “Y-Ya…Ya think so?” He asked you, his brow raising in surprise as he heard your words.

You nodded and press a smooch to his cheek.

“As beautiful as a diamond Kil’…” You whisper to him.

He smiles and hugs you tight, keeping you close and warm. “I want to be yours…May I be yours Killer?” You asked him sweetly, your eyes begging while a pout slowly feel onto your face. He smiles at your teasing and moves in close before giving you a final kiss.

“You’re already mine sweetheart…”

[babydollmarauders]

OVERWHELMED — JACK HUGHES

part of the el!hughes au

summary: in which Lovie gets overstimulated and overwhelmed and Jack swoops in to help.

notes: this is totally not me projecting at all— nope- definitely not

it was something i wasn’t prepared for about motherhood— i’ve always been sensitive to loud noises, getting overstimulated and irrationally upset after a while.

i was fine in situations where i expected it; concerts, hockey games, the like. but when i was in the comfort of my own home or in a place that i wasn’t expecting it, it quickly became too much.

and when these situations happened, i became irritable and acquired a touch aversion. needing some quiet time to myself in order to recover.

when i became a mom, i was able to power through it. the newborn and infant years being an easy feat, as my daughter was a relatively quiet baby.

but with the toddler years has come the screaming, even when happy. Eleanor’s once quiet demeanor disappeared, replaced by excited squeals and happy yelling.

she would be playing and just randomly start screaming in excitement or get frustrated and scream out of annoyance and distress.

i was understanding. she couldn’t fully talk yet to express herself and for the most part, i could breathe through it and be fine. but there were those few times where it became too much.

like now.

El’s excited screams bounce off the apartment walls as she runs around the hallways with her tiny red target cart, full of her favorite toys. baby dolls and magnetic building blocks piled in the cart, running into door-jambs and furniture and clinking together.

i take deep breaths, my head pounding in ache as i sit on the couch. i love my daughter. so much. but this is entirely too much.

my husband stands in the kitchen, laughing as our toddler crashes her cart against the back of the couch, making the entire sofa jolt before she screams in excitement once again.

i flinch, squeezing my eyes shut and taking a deep inhale. i reopen my eyes just in time to see my two-old run around the side of the couch, slipping and falling onto her butt.

she lets out a shriek in frustration, tears springing to her eyes as she rises back to her feet, abandoning her play shopping cart in favor of fast walking over to me on the couch.

climbing up the couch cushions, her cries get louder with the close proximity, making my breath hitch.

“mommy!” she whines. her little hands grip my shoulder as she steps into my lap, plopping herself down and looking up at me.

i instinctively lock up, my back straightening and my hands flying up towards my shoulders in attempt to get away.

it makes me feel like a horrible mother. i can’t even power through the touch of my own child when i’m overstimulated like this.

El’s cries get louder as she reaches up to touch my cheeks.

“mommy! boo boo!” my heart aches in my chest and i’m near tears, myself. i hate seeing my baby upset but i can’t bring myself to do much. i bring my hand down, rubbing her back but even that makes my skin crawl in discomfort.

“it’s okay, El-Bell.” i attempt to comfort her, but my voice is near-robotic, just running through the motions.

my tears finally spill over and i send a desperate glance to my husband, who is already stepping over to us.

he gives me sympathetic eyes, quickly scooping up the toddler from my lap, which only makes her more upset.

“mommy!” she cries out, reaching around her father to make grabby hands at me, my heart shattering even further.

“hey.” Jack coos, turning around so that El’s back is facing me. “it’s okay, lovely. daddy’s got you.”

his eyes lock with mine and he gives me a quick and affirmative nod, letting me know that he’s got this, and i take that moment to rise from the couch, sneaking off towards our bedroom.

“you wanna watch a movie, baby? you wanna watch Ariel?” i hear him ask, resulting in the halting of El’s cries. i assume she’s nodding, as not a moment later i hear the familiar ‘thum thum’ of the disney+ app being opened on the tv.

i quietly creak our bedroom door shut, leaving it open just a crack before moving to lay on the bed, burrowing myself in the blankets. my head just barely peeks out of the comforter, providing me with fresh air.

sobs wrack my body, lightly shaking the bed. i cover my mouth with my hand, muffling my cries so that my toddler doesn’t hear them out in the living room, but it only serves to make me cry harder.

it’s moments like these where i wonder if i’m failing my child. because i sure feel like a failure. what kind of mother am i? to get so overwhelmed by my own child, that i can’t even stand being touched by her?

it feels like hours until my sobs finally subside, but in reality i know it’s only been maybe half an hour.

now i lay in the bed, staring up at the plain white ceiling and overthinking everything.

is El going to hate me for this one day?

have i let her down?

is Jack going to hate me for this?

will he get tired of the fact that i can’t handle our daughters loud noises and leave me?

my thoughts are interrupted by the dip of the bed beside me. i look over to see Jack laying a napping Eleanor next to me on the mattress before he lays down on the other side of her.

he looks at me with an expression full of worry, pity overtaking his face.

i turn on my side, facing my husband and our daughter, and he does the same.

“how are you feeling?” he questions softly, not wanting to wake our sleeping toddler.

“better.” i tell him, gazing down at El and running the back of my hand across her chubby cheek.

i love her so much.

“i feel like i’ve failed her.” i confess. “like i’ve failed you both.”

Jack is quick to squash those feelings, leaning over the toddler to press a sweet kiss to my lips.

“stop doing that.” he pleads. “stop reducing yourself down to your bad moments. i love you. El loves you.

“so you have a few times where it all becomes too much- i may not be able to understand it fully, but i do understand that it’s out of your control. you love El, i know you do, i see it every day. if it were up to you, i know you would never have these moments. but they do happen, and that’s okay. El may not understand it yet, but she will one day, and she still loves you regardless.”

his words make tears prick my eyes once more and i break our eye contact to gaze back down at our daughter.

“you are more than these moments, Lovie. and i will do whatever i can to help when they do happen.” he tells me, smiling softly.

“when i’m home.” he adds, making me let out a watery giggle.

“i love you.” i express, leaning forward to press a kiss to his lips.

“i love you more.”

“thank you for being so understanding. and for swooping in to help.” i smile, raising a hand to cup his cheek, trailing my thumb softly over his cheekbone.

“thank you for being the most amazing wife and the best mother to our beautiful baby girl. thank you for giving me the best gift i’ve ever received.”

“your ‘#1 dad’ hat?” i joke, making him throw his head back in laughter.

“our daughter, Lovie!” he clarifies through chuckles. “although, i do love that hat.”

[anotherspnfanfic]

Surprise Visits

Pairing: Eddie Diaz x reader

Word count: 2400

Warnings: seizure, epileptic reader, possible inaccuracies

Summary: Eddie shows up unexpectedly. Reader is glad he did for more than one reason.

A/N: This is only my second time writing for Eddie and last time it was a co-write. I did a whole bunch of research and had some proof reading from the lovely @thatonewriter15 and @muchamusedaboutnothing. Hopefully this is a somewhat accurate representation... 🤞🏻

Trudging up the stairs towards her apartment, she cursed the elevators for being broken. All she wanted to do was collapse into her bed and sleep for two days. Unfortunately, that was impossible since it was only Wednesday and she had an important meeting first thing in the morning.

Passing the third floor, she considered if she was going to eat before she went to bed. She was starving, but cooking seemed like too much effort and time. Then she considered having something delivered but guessed that would take even longer than cooking. She decided to just eat a spoonful of peanut butter so that she wasn’t battling hunger while trying to fall asleep.

Finally reaching the fifth floor, she exited the stairwell and took the four steps to her door. It was a small victory for climbing the stairs— at least she didn’t have further to go once she got to her floor.

She unlocked the door and pushed it open. Immediately, she dumped her purse, jacket, and laptop case on the floor beside the door before pulling her shoes off one at a time to drop in the pile.

Rounding the corner into the living room, she gasped. Her favorite scented candle was lit on the coffee table next to several containers of Chinese take-out. Eddie stood from the couch as she approached.

“What are you doing here?” she asked as she let herself fall into his embrace.

He pecked a kiss to her temple as he pulled back to look at her. “You sounded a little overwhelmed when you called earlier. So I had Buck take Christopher for the night, and I brought you dinner.”

Tears welled in her eyes as she was overcome with emotions. “I love you. You are the best. I was about to eat some peanut butter because I’m too exhausted to cook or wait for delivery.”

“And let me guess, you’ve barely eaten anything all day?” he chastised.

She shrugged. “I had a bagel for breakfast.”

He pulled her over to sit on the couch. “I’m glad I came then.”

“I’m really glad you did.” She grabbed a fortune cookie while he started to open the other containers. “Are you staying all night?”

He nodded. “I’m all yours. Buck is taking Christopher to the zoo tomorrow.” He dumped some rice on the plates he’d gotten out of the kitchen. “Chicken, beef, or shrimp?”

“Some of each, please.” She set the fortune cookie back down as she stood. ”I’m gonna go change out of these work clothes. I’ll be right back.”

Before Eddie could even finish dishing up the food, she returned in sweats and a shirt she’d stolen from him.

As she sat back down, she picked up and opened the fortune cookie. She pulled out the piece of paper. “‘Life will soon become interesting,’” she read. “I think it’s already plenty interesting.”

Eddie chuckled. “Yeah, where’s the one that says we get a vacation soon?”

He finished adding everything to their plates as she flipped on the television and started an episode of How I Met Your Mother.

They ate in a comfortable silence and had finished before the twenty-minute episode had ended. He set the mostly-empty plates on the table, and she shifted to curl in against his side while he wrapped his arm snugly around her shoulder.

As the credits rolled, he asked, “Bed or another episode?”

She yawned. “One more. I’m probably going to fall asleep, but I’m comfy.”

He pressed a kiss to her forehead as the TV rolled over into a new episode on its own. “As you wish, mi amor.”

She had just started to doze off when, suddenly, she was overcome with a familiar, distinct, full-body tingling sensation along with intense nausea. She quickly shifted to leaning forward on the edge of her seat. “Oh, no. No, no, no.”

Eddie reached out and placed a tentative hand between her shoulder blades. “What’s wrong?”

She stood and moved over to the empty dining room, which she kept devoid of a table and other furniture precisely for this reason. “Seizure,” she stated as calmly as she could before lying down in the middle of the floor.

“Oh, uh, okay.” Eddie was surprised, but quickly stood. He grabbed a blanket from the recliner and moved to sit beside her. He knew about her epilepsy and the medications she took for it. However, in the eighteen months they’d been dating, she’d never had a seizure. He lifted her head to slide the folded blanket underneath.

She let out a quiet whimper before her eyelids fluttered closed.

“Okay. You’re okay. I got you.” He pulled out his phone, opened the timer, and set it on the floor. He continued to whisper soft reassurances to her and started the timer as soon as she started to seize.

Despite his training and having treated patients with seizures at work, he couldn’t help but notice the way his hands shook as he carefully kept her rolled on her side. “You’re okay,” he repeated, more to reassure himself than anything. He continued to repeat it several more times as he waited for her to stop.

He felt his anxiety spike again as he watched the timer hit four minutes. He thought about what time it was, trying to figure out which shift was manning the 118 currently. He knew if she hit five minutes, he would have to call 9-1-1. As the timer rolled past four and a half minutes, her movements finally began to slow. He breathed a sigh of relief and pushed some hair out of her face as she stilled. Next, he used the corner of the blanket to wipe the saliva that had dribbled out.

For his own peace of mind, he checked her pulse, satisfied that it was steady and only slightly tachy. Next, he counted her breaths, ensuring her breathing was also back to normal. Then he sat there, running his fingers gently through her hair, and waited for her to wake.

Finally, after several minutes of anxiously waiting, she groaned.

“Hey, sweetheart. You with me?”

Slowly, she cracked her eyes open and looked around for several moments before finally landing on his face. She was clearly confused and still disoriented.

“You’re okay. You just had a seizure,” he explained. “Do you remember feeling it coming on?”

She thought for a minute before finally nodding. Groaning again, she rolled onto her back and threw an arm over her face. “Trash,” she slurred.

Eddie shifted away to grab the trash can sitting in the corner and move it beside her. “Do you want to sit up?”

“Not yet.” She lied there, trying to regain her bearings.

He took her hand in his and ran his thumb softly over her knuckles. “Anything I can do?”

“Mmmm, make the jackhammer in my head stop? And the nausea, too.” She rolled back onto her side before starting to push herself into a sitting position and pulling the trash can between her knees. “This blows.”

Leaning forward, he placed a chaste kiss on her temple. “I know. I’m sorry. Do you want something for the headache?”

“Not yet. I don’t want to puke it right back up.”

She didn’t know how long she sat there, taking slow, deep breaths in an attempt to clear the nausea. All the while, Eddie rubbed soothing circles across her back. The soreness was already starting to settle in all her muscles. Eventually, she pushed away the trash can and leaned into him.

“Ya know, this isn’t the kind of interesting I was hoping for. Stupid fortune cookie,” she grumbled.

“Me either. You think you’re ready to move?” he asked as he wrapped his arms around her gently.

“Yeah.” She nodded. He stood, and she reached a hand out for him. “Help me up?”

Instead of pulling her up, he bent down and slid one arm under her knees and the other around her back and easily lifted her. He walked slowly towards her bedroom, cautious of making the nausea worse, then set her gently on the bed. “What do you need?”

“Uh, I will take that Tylenol now. Plus, water and some Advil for in the morning, and the trash can by the bed,” she listed, then, with a pout, added, “Please?”

“Okay, I’ll be right back.”

She laid back into her pillows as she waited for him to return. Next thing she knew, she was peeling her eyes open to find Eddie beside her, rubbing a hand across her head.

“Here, take these and then you can go to sleep.” He handed her the pills and then opened a bottle of water before offering that as well.

Once she’d swallowed them, she took a few deep breaths to clear the flare of nausea. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” He pressed another kiss to her hairline.

“As much as seizures suck, it’s really nice having you here to help. I’ve just slept on the floor in there so many times because I just didn’t have the energy to move.”

“I’m glad I was here. I hate that you’ve had to go through that alone.”

“I hate that I have to go through it at all.” She sighed. “And I just broke my longest streak. At least I didn’t try to take a chunk out of my tongue.”

“Ouch.”

She nodded. “Yeah, one time, I had to get stitches from biting it so bad.”

He cringed. “That sounds awful.”

“Mmhmm,” she hummed, eyes fluttering closed. “Work is really going to suck tomorrow.”

“No, it won’t.” Eddie argued. ”You’re taking the rest of the week off.”

“I can’t!’ she declared, opening her eyes and leaning forward. “I have too many things to get done and a meeting first thing that we’ve been working toward for three weeks.”

“You just had a seizure,” he pointed out the obvious. “For the first time in, what, two years? And a long one at that. You were about twenty seconds away from a trip to the hospital. You don’t think your stress levels had something to do with this?” His tone was one of frustration, but she could tell he was just worried.

She sighed, knowing he was right. “Maybe.”

Eddie climbed into the other side of the bed and settled nearly in the middle. “So take the long weekend. Just relax and get some rest. Doctor’s orders.”

Shifting to curl into his side, she giggled. “You’re not a doctor.”

He huffed. “Medic’s orders. Is that better? Or I can call a doctor.”

“Don’t you dare.”

Rolling impossibly closer to her, he pressed one more kiss to her forehead. “Good night, mi amor.”

When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was her alarm clock. She was surprised to find it was nearly ten already. Slowly, she shifted onto her back and turned her head to look at the other side of the bed. She found Eddie sitting on the bed, scrolling through his phone.

“Good morning,” he greeted as he noticed she was awake. “How’re you feeling?”

“I’m okay. Just a bit sore. Which is pretty much what I expected.” She took Eddie’s hand in hers. “And maybe a little grateful that I got to sleep in and I don’t have to get up and go to work.”

He lifted her hand to kiss her knuckles. “You needed it.”

“Oh, shit!” she panicked. “I didn’t call. I missed the meeting. I’m gonna get fired!”

Eddie shushed her. “I called. Just breathe. It’s okay. I called earlier and talked to your boss. He knows you’ll be out today and tomorrow and told me to tell you to take Monday also, if you need to.”

She took a deep breath and let herself relax. “Okay. Thank you.”

“Of course. How about some breakfast?”

“Mmm. Yes, please.”

Eddie let go of her hand and got up off the bed. “Stay there. I’ll be right back.”

He disappeared out of the room, and she could hear him moving around her kitchen. A few minutes later, he returned with a plate and set it on the bed in front of her.

She looked up at him, surprised. “Since when do you make omelettes?”

“Uhh, well, never?” He laughed. “I may have called in reinforcements. Bobby dropped it off earlier. I just reheated it according to his very direct instructions.”

“Eddie! I could have just had some cereal or something. You didn’t need to make him drive over here so early on his day off.” She reached over to grab her phone off the nightstand.

“I figured you could use real food. I was going to order delivery, but Bobby offered.”

“Why would he have offered?” She opened Bobby’s contact to send him a thank you text. “Oh. You told him about last night.”

“I couldn’t fall asleep. Then they were all texting in the group thread. So when they asked why I was still up, I told them. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have without asking you first.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s not like my epilepsy is a secret. They’re your—our— friends. I’m sure I would have told them anyway.”

He nodded. “Okay. Eat and then you can go back to sleep for a bit. If you want.”

She cut a piece off the omelette and ate it. As she chewed, she spoke, “Bobby says we’re invited over there for dinner if I’m feeling up to it. I told him we would let them know a little later today.”

“Sounds like a good plan to me.”

She took another bite of her food. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

Shaking his head, he explained, “I ate earlier.”

“Oh, right.” She glanced at the clock. “I forgot it was so late already.”

“Anything else I can get for you?”

She contemplated for a moment. “Umm, maybe a glass of apple juice?”

He disappeared from the room with a simple nod.

Soon after he returned, she finished her omelette and he took the plate into the kitchen.

“Did you want to go back to sleep?” he asked.

“How about a shower and then a movie on the couch?” she countered, throwing off the blankets she was still tucked under. As she stood, dizziness flared, causing her to sway slightly before sitting back down.

Eddie was in front of her instantly, steadying her. “How about a bath instead?”

“Sounds perfect.”