#and not having the oomph to get home himself

[daemonbrain]

a/n: Shamelessly inspired by the fact I hit a curb, ran a stop sign, and almost hit a mailbox within 5 minutes of each other. So I present to you Graves x reader who can't drive! Feel free to drop a comment 🫶

Phillip Graves who loves exactly three things: His shadows, his truck, and his girl.

The downside? He has to keep the three things as far from each other as possible.

He would be damned if he let his pretty girlfriend know about all the questionable things he did for work. All you needed to know was he handled things, brought home the bread, and came crawling right on back as soon as he could.

But as he sat in the passenger seat of his F-150, he knew damn well he'd tell you every shady dealing or national secret him and his shadows have ever learnt to get you the hell away from the wheel.

He thought it was a joke when you hopped into the drivers seat! You had booked a reservation for some sushi place you liked and he had taken a little too long to get ready, only hurrying down when he heard the yell of his name.

"I'm comin', i'm going!" He mumbled.

You stood ready by the door with a smile. You dangled his keys in front of your face and to be entirely honest Phill didn't pay attention to a word you said.

How could he? Your hair all done up, a nice pair of heels, and a dress he's never seen before but is sure that it's somewhere on his bank statement. Too much time staring at your moving mouth, not enough time on it.

Interrupting you mid-sentance, he pulls you in for a gentle kiss. When your hands went to caress the stubble on his cheek, he responded with a groan and a bite on your lower lip, feeling his heart beat with fondness for the lovely lady in front of him.

Pulling away only a fraction, you look up at him with those eyes he could never resist.

"Is that a yes then?" You said, excitement clear in your tone.

Leaning back in, he presses his mouth to yours again. After a moment he digs his fingers to your waist, causing you to swat at his arm.

"Earth to Phill?! Yes or no?" You repeated. Groaning, he rolled his eyes and reluctantly separated from your body.

"Whatever you want sweetheart."

Which is how he finds himself in this precarious position. It was no ones fault but his own and now he was gonna pay big time. You had hopped right into the drivers seat leaving your dumbfounded partner to connect the dots on his own.

He should have objected thinking back, he really really should have. Commander Phillip Graves who has been around the globe, shot at, and knocked around more times than he can count did not want to deal with the fallback of wrangling you out of there.

When you reached your hand out to switch the gear, instead of holding the break like you should've, the loud sound of the engine revving blasted in his ears as you pressed the accelerator. You jolted in your seat, instinctually grabbing his forearm.

"Baby! You hit the gas."

Upon seeing his widened eyes, you couldn't help but chuckle. Laughing it off, you apologize and start up the truck.

At least that incident was stationary. It got so much worse.

"Shit, that was a trashcan."

"Phill turn up the music. That ambulance siren is distracting me."

"Did I just roll that stop sign?"

He was gonna die in this metal box. The two things he loved most were going to kill him. Phillip Graves death by bomb? No, Phillip Graves death by his wonderful girlfriends horrible driving.

In fact, he'd probably have a better chance if he had been in that tank than with you.

"Hon you're uh- this is a 35 zone and you're goin' 58."

You made a pfft sound and waved him off. Gosh he really wished you kept both of your hands tight on that wheel at this speed (at any speed really).

"Those things are like suggestions. This could totally be like a 45." You said.

"You'd still be- oomph!" Phillip was interrupted by his body being jerked against his seatbelt. Without a moments delay, his arm shot across your chest to keep you firmly pressed to the back of the seat.

Without a second of acknowledgment you slap the steering wheel with a scoff.

"Come on, that was bullshit! Hardly enough time to stop." You complained while staring at the shine of the red traffic light.

"Well maybe if you-"

Nope. Not gonna do that. He didn't even have a chance to raise his voice a note higher before you were glowering his way. No thank you ma'am.

"Nothin'. You're right. Bullshit."

He would hide the keys away from you from now on. He'd dig through your purse when you went to the washroom and snatch them up before you'd even have the chance to ask to drive home.

If Phill was gonna die any other way than old age amongst the horde of kids and grand-babies y'all would have together one day, it was not gonna be because you flung him into a fuckin' electrical pole.

Suddenly, the truck began to move faster...

and faster...

The moment he heard your squeal, his heart dropped to his stomach.

"Phill! Phill my heel is stuck-" The panic in your voice was palpable, the sight of cars in the distance coming closer in view by the second. Tears had begun to gather at your lash line in alarm.

With the reflexes as a man with his own PMC, his unclicks his seatbelt and practically flings himself over the console. Grabbing your foot, he jiggles it from the wedge it trapped itself and pushed on to the break you had made no attempt to use.

Another hard stop, but one made just in time before any collision could take place. Snapping out of your stupor, you allow the truck to slowly roll for a moment while a red faced Phillip looked at you with fury that knew no bounds.

"Pull over."

With a grimace, you attempted to reply. Only to have Phill grab the wheel and fully turn you to the side of the road, signaling and all.

Clicking on the emergency lights as he opens, exits, and closes his door while you still reeled from your miiiiinor incident.

Opening your door, his stern expression warranted no argument as he held a hand out to help you down.

"Out right now. No buts or nothin'."

Hastily complying, you slip your palm into his and scampered to the passenger seat.

After you buckled your seatbelt in and Phill had time to huff and rejoin the road, he uses his free hand to grab on to yours and press a tender kiss to your knuckles while keeping his blue eyes stubbornly fixed forward.

…

Safe to say you let him play his own music this time.

[ladycrimsonandblack]

rating the white star's battles based on how embarrassing they were for him personally

because he deserves it.

his first appearance in the mogoru empire: 1/10 — by far his least embarrassing battle. he manages to come off as extremely powerful and menacing final boss. cryptic remarks about choi han and cale's situation make him look mysterious. our heroes put their everything into this battle and just barely manage to come out of it alive. cale faints for weeks afterward.

battle at the castle of light: 7/10 — starts out pretty well for him when he traps our heroes in the castle, but goes downhill from there. he just gets tricked so easily. cale and co. have a blast pretending to be weak to throw him off, ambushing him, and then chasing him off with rocks. embarrassingly, all of this is facilitated by the fact that the white star does not, in fact, know all the entrances to his home village.

battle at the north: 6/10 — the white star just keeps getting scammed. when will he learn? gets some points for his excellent showing against witira and the whale king. loses all of them because archie was allowed to talk.

battle at the dubori territory: 4/10 — the white star actually had a pretty good showing here. managed to trip cale with his illusionist. dealt pretty well with choi han and eruhaben, even if they managed to get out of danger. did some heavy damage to the territory itself. he did lose an arm (both metaphorical and physical one), so there's that.

battle of the underground city: 5/10 — immediately realizes the city is fake and that the whole thing is a trap, thus disrupting cale's plans. however, any points he might have gotten are immediately made void by the fact that he starts constructing an elaborate history between cale and himself to justify his previous losses. his ego can't take it anymore. he's retreating to the AU land.

the battle at the stan territory: 6/10 — this should have been a win for him. he's prepared for everything. the battle is going on at four fronts, and cale henituse can't react in time. unfortunately for him, his plans are shit and cale can, in fact, react in time. actually, he can react so fast that he manages to mitigate the situation in all four battles and reinforce the stan territory. the white star is, once again, forced to flee, but not before informing everyone around about his weird AU land belief, thus making cale's reputation soar. embarrassing.

the battle to steal cale's body: 7/10 — the white star is forced to contend with alberu, who brought a gun to a knife fight. it does not go well for him. also, they really shouldn't have underestimated mary.

the battle at puzzle city: 20/10 — there are literally no good points here. his disguise is seen through pretty easily. he gets trapped by the mana disturbance tools. cale hits him with a mental attack so devastating that his ego can't take it, and he gets himself sealed. the bitch-slap happens, and it's glorious. at least he gets sealed into a golden plaque, so at least he gets some dignity there.

the battle in the sealed temple: 10/10 — he gets killed by a stick. the only thing mitigating the embarrassment factor here is that cale had to stab himself in the heart first, and that adds a certain oomph the white star himself has never been able to accomplish.

+ special mention

the battle in the wrath test: 15/10 — he gets beaten by a rock. like. it's literally a pebble. sure, it's a magical pebble, but still. a pebble.

[nymphoniah]

Hiiii! May i request training/working out/ sparring (idk😭) with logan and it ends up with us dry humping or something pretty please will all the cherries :)

indulgent desires | logan howlett

pairing: boyfriend!logan x afab!reader

AN: omg your mind... i know for a fact that logan is an absolute menace when it comes to working out. like have you seen his arms? i need to be squished to death by his biceps. they're just so!!! omg!!! you know that man loves hitting his arms.

written with xmen/x2 logan in mind, but honestly can be applied to any other ver. of him! (for once i'm not writing with old man!logan in mind? am i really me?)

content/tags: minors DNI (18+ only), dry humping, pet names (babygirl, princess, etc.), porn with a little bit of plot, cum tasting/eating/facial, hair pulling, teasing

logan practically spends every day at the gym. he always prided himself on his physique, not just for self-fulfilling reasons, but for the mere fact that he knows that his body riles you up.

he can tell when you would "sneak" glances at him, especially when he gets a pump right after his workouts. the way his muscles swelled after working out made you lust for him harder.

you could tell he hit his arms today; his biceps were more defined than usual, with your eyes tracing a thick vein that flows down his forearm. "you like what you see, princess?" he teases, flexing his arm as you continue to stare.

you blink hard and shake your head embarrassingly fast. "whatever, logan!" you shout, continuing whatever workout you were doing, losing track of how many reps you did.

you would tag along with him every so often, but only because he would take hours at a time at the gym. sure, you liked going to the gym, you had to stay fit somehow, but you lacked the stamina logan had; the frequency and duration of his gym sessions were unbearable for a poor little thing like you.

and logan acknowledged this, as he would often end his sessions a bit shorter so the two of you could go home sooner. you felt like a bother, and the last thing you wanted to do was interfere with his workouts.

"fuuuuck, im tired," you exhale, leaning forward, hands gripping at your knees as you try to catch your breath. pushing through your last set of bulgarian split squats had you absolutely winded. logan placed his firm hand on the small of your back, gently rubbing circles against your skin.

"let's go home, bub" he lulled, passing you his water bottle to drink from. nodding at him, you take a long swig, and the ice cold water rejuvenates your body. "let's..." you eagerly reply.

you couldn't bare being separated from him, lounging away at home any longer, so one day, you took matters into your own hands.

eventually you had the idea to buy at-home gym equipment; it was pricy to say the least, but it didn't matter to you, for as long as logan was home.

from the comfort of your own apartment, you had the view of logan all to yourself. whenever he worked out, he wore his plain white wife beater along with a random rugged pair of gym shorts he rotated through.

you'd wake up to his grunts early in the morning, getting up at first light to use the machines splayed out in your living room. the domesticity of it all made it so the early mornings never bothered you, as well as the occasional tsss or oomph he'd let out as he finished a rep.

and just like before, you'd join him. you had bought a yoga mat to do your stretches before your workout. even got one for logan, but he keenly insists on using yours.

this morning you had spot him on seated on the mat, legs stretched out. he splayed his torso out between his thighs, letting out a grunt as he felt his muscles pull as he reached forward.

a yawn leaves his mouth as he returns to an upright position. he glances over to his right to spot you sitting at the dining table, sipping from your mug, eyes focused on him.

when finished with his usual routine, he follows up with a couple of stretches afterwards to cooldown. his arms were thicker, more defined than usual. arms, you thought to yourself. he hit his arms, again.

“morning, sweetheart,” he chirps as a lazy grin slowly wipes across his face. he reaches his hand out, signaling for you to come over.

and so you do, sitting alongside him on the mat, slotting yourself between his legs. you rest your hands on his thick shoulders, tugging at the straps of his tank top.

he leans in, placing a chaste kiss on your forehead. “stretch with me, darlin,” he hums against your temple.

“i’d rather watch you,” you reply, playfully pushing him away. you’re about to return to your spot at the dining table before he snakes his arms around your waist, holding you in place.

“no, no, we gotta get you movin’, doll.” and oh how logan has a way of convincing you. just a simple pet name, and he’s got you wrapped around his finger.

he taps your hips, motioning for you to turn around, and you oblige. with a swift movement, your back is now pressed against his chest, your legs encaged by his own.

you could already feel that his dick was hard, which wasn’t too much of a surprise. logan had morning wood pretty frequently, and would often work out to relieve it, as he felt guilty if he were to wake you up so early in the morning.

but this time, it was different. watching you prance around the kitchen in those shorts that barely cover your ass, wearing a skin tight camisole that put your hardened nipples on display. how could he not get hard—or rather, not keep his hard-on for a pretty little thing like you?

logan rests his head on your shoulder, leaning close to your ear. “c’mon, get started already.” he whispers, warm breath tickling the shell of your ear.

and so you mimic the stretch he was doing earlier. you lean forwards, making your ass push into his crotch. the pads of his rough fingertips remain at your waist, gripping at your skin to bring you closer. you continue to lean forwards, and your back is now parallel with your legs on the mat.

his hands creep their way to the small of your back. “there you go, doll. just like that,” he lulls, tracing delicate circles where your back arches. logan shifts in place, now kneeling behind you as you remain spread out for him on the floor.

you attempt to rise from your position to sit upright, but a firm hand is planted on your back, keeping you in place. "y'look so pretty for me like this," logan teases, his calloused palm now slipping underneath your tank top.

his hands run up to caress your shoulder blades, pushing the straps of your tank top down swiftly. your tits were now exposed to the crisp, cool air, your nubs now even harder than before.

“logan…” you whine as his left hand keeps you in place, while the other roams to paw at your tits. you continue to moan out his name while he works at you, paying sweet attention to the way your breath hitches as he gently tugs at your swollen nubs.

“couldn’t help it darlin’,” he lulls, “how can i ignore a pretty little thing like you?” his hands move their way from your breasts to your hips. tugging at your legs, he manhandles you so you’re now prone on the yoga mat.

logan is still seated beside you, calloused hand now working at the globes of your ass, jiggling one your cheeks in the thick palm of his hands. “you got me so fuckin’ hard, baby…” he hisses, his free hand palming his erection through his shorts.

he leans in, pressing a soft kiss to the flesh of your ass, admiring how pretty you look spread for him. his face lingers for a second as he catches a whiff of your arousal pooling in your cunt.

“can smell how bad you need me, doll.” logan utters under his breath. “don’t worry, i’m gonna fill you right up…” you lazily turn your head around to catch a glimpse of the smirk forming on his face, and you flash him a coquettish smile of your own.

“ass up, princess,” he commands, pushing on the small of your back. and you obey, arching your back so that your ass is presented to him, your lacy panties peeking through your shorts.

“fuck.” he coos, molding your ass in the palm of his hand. logan is tempted to pop his claws out to rip the fabric, but the last time he did, you complained about him ruining your favorite pair of sleep shorts, so he refrains from doing so.

so he decides on something else. pushing his shorts down, logan remains in his boxers, his oh-so needy cock forming a tent in the tight fabric.

you feel him shifting around you, seating himself so he’s on his knees, his cock parallel to your ass. you try to push back to feel any friction against your needy cunt, but he keeps a firm grip on your hips, keeping you still.

“please, need you so bad,” you whine, attempting to wiggle your way out of his grip, but knowing him, knowing his strength, it’s useless to even try.

“you’re gonna have to wait for it, sweetheart,” he says cockily, pressing his pelvis against your clothed cunt, and the both of you hiss out in pain.

logan began to rut his cock against you at a steady pace, angling his hips to that the tip of his cock just about grazed over your clit.

“stop teasin’,” you purr, arching your back to try and get any more friction, but it’s no use. logan reaches over and presses your head into the yoga mat, your cheek squished against the foam.

“you get what i give you, princess.” he grunts, pushing your head further into the mat as his hips move faster, pressing harder into your ass. “gonna use you first, then i’ll stuff you with my cock.”

his hips sputter as he feels the way you bounce your ass against him, your bodies moving in sync, his thrusts matching the way you rut back into him. “fuck, you got me worked up doll, prancing around the house like that…”

you couldn’t respond to his words, only grunt in response. the pressure building in your core was too much, making your mind hazy. all you managed to let out was a little mmh.

“walkin’ around with your tits on display, actin’ all innocent,” he drones on, continuing to pound his hips against yours. he fists a section of your hair, tugging harshly so your face now meets his.

“the things you do to me, doll…” logan mutters, leaning over to give you a hungry kiss. your entangled your tongues sloppily, moaning into each others mouths.

he pulls away from the kiss hastily, and a thin strand of your saliva mixed with his pools from your bottom lip. you look fucked out already, and he’s only been dry humping you.

“dirty little thing,” logan teases, pressing a finger against your clothed cunt as he continues his thrusts. you feel yourself getting close, your panties were drenched with your own arousal.

the way your ass rippled with every thrust of his hips, combined with how wet you were getting from this sent logan into a spiral.

his movements became more erratic, his strained dick begging to be released from the confines of his boxers. he began to rub tight circles on your clit, pushing you further to your limit.

“gonna come soon, baby,” he grunts out, and you moan in response. “where do you want me, darlin’?”

spit dribbles out of your mouth as he continues his relentless attack on your ass, his hips pistoning as fast as he could manage. “o-on my face…” you barely manage to whimper out

and so his thrusts pause, and he manhandles you, now flipping you onto your back. he hastily pushes his boxers down, his cock springing back in protest against his stomach.

your mouth waters at the sight of his thick cock, his hands pumping him at a rapid pace, precum leaking all over his abs.

he hovers himself over your face, his knees caging your head. as he angled his cock at your mouth, he continued fisting himself vigorously. “gonna take my cum like a good girl?” he asks, raising his eyebrow. you nod your head yes, but this isn’t enough for logan.

“words, princess.” he quips, feeling himself close to his release.

“‘m gonna take it like a good girl, i promise lo” you whine, locking your eyes with his, your pupils blown with lust.

“‘atta girl…”

and after a couple more pumps of his dick, thick ropes of his cum coat your face. he’s spurting out more than you imagined—he was really fucking pent up. who would’ve thought that a sweet little thing like you had that much of an effect on him?

after he milked himself of all of his cum, he rolls over to your side. he glances over at you and wipes the mess off near your eyes. you chuckle a bit, licking off the cum that got on your lips.

you lean over and pull logan into a short kiss, allowing him to taste himself on your lips. “fuckin’ hell,” he whispers, his hot breath tickling your nose. he sits up, looking around the kitchen for a spare towel to clean you up.

“soo… does this count as our warm up for today?” you ask cheekily, propping yourself up on your elbow as you watch him pace around the kitchen.

“shut up, kid…” logan replies, groaning at your attempt joke.

[elenadvrx]

"princess, come on. i'm really sorry."

suna rintarou likes to play pranks on you. but this time, it went too far.

"no, suna. i don't want to talk to you." with a frown on your face and your arms crossed, you faced away from his general direction.

"suna?" he chuckled nervously, knowing you were really upset if you refused to call him 'rin' or 'baby'. "princess, i'm really sorry for doing that to you. i promise to not do that again, okay?" he tilted his head to try to get you to look at him.

a few days ago, you came home from work and wanted to cuddle with your boyfriend because you had a bad day at work. things weren't going as well as you hoped so you were looking forward to get some comfort in his arms. your heart ached when your silent request for cuddles were rejected but you brushed it off thinking that maybe he wasn't in the mood for it.

until the same thing happened the next day and the day after. whenever you initiated hugs or kisses, suna grunted and moved away, focusing on whatever was on his phone. not knowing what to do, you sat on the sofa and watched tv while suna continued to type away on his phone on the other end of the sofa. then, his phone rang and he answered the call.

"yeah, himeko? you need help? sure, i'll come over in a few." himeko. isn't she the one who was always fawning around suna?

before you could grasp what was happening, suna was already putting on his shoes. panicking, you rushed over towards him, "rin? where are you going?"

"hmm? i'm heading to himeko's. apparently she needs help with some stuff." to be honest, seeing the crestfallen expression on your face with those beady eyes, he hesitated to continue this prank but chose to press on. (tsk the ego)

"oh… okay." you hesitantly smile at suna, watching him leave through the door of your shared home.

when the door click shut, you stood at the same spot for what felt like an eternity before deciding to go back to sit on the sofa. millions of thoughts went through your mind, thinking about all the posibilities on what you may have done for him to have ignored you for three days but left immediately when another girl called for him.

what if he was tired of you? what if… he decided that himeko was actually so much better than you and was slowly distancing himself from you to prepare you for the eventual breakup? what if-

"princess, baby, i can't do it!" suna rushed through the door and head over to you to start explaining.

after a few minutes, he stopped talking and looked at you. he waited with bated breath for your scolding and beatings but none came.

which brings us back to the present.

facing away from him, your eyes started watering and your lips quiver. just a moment ago you were scared and anxious because you thought he was done with you, running away to be with another girl. and you never got that comfort from him since three days ago so all your feelings and emotions were pent up till now.

"princess? please, talk to me?" he spoke softly, so softly as if a glass would shatter if he were to speak any louder.

you hear hesitant patters of feet until suna's figure came into your peripheral, kneeling down before you and gently cupping your chin to make you face him instead. touch starved, his gentle touch made a tear run down your cheek, then down his hand.

"oh princess, i'm so sorry" suna's focused gaze on you got you crying and sobbing as you dove straight to his arms (which he let out an 'oomph' sound from the sudden impact), hiding your face on his chest.

feeling petty, you started punching his chest lightly but slowly start hitting him straight on with both your fists and palms, crying at the same time.

"ow ow! okay, yeah i deserve that but baby, could you hit me a little softer?" he chuckles trying to get a hold of your flailing arms. just as he got a hold on you, you immediately retracted your arms to cover your face.

"you're so mean! i really thought you were about to leave me and that you don't love me anymore!" more tears started trickling down before you could stop them. "i had a really bad day and all i wanted was to cuddle with you…" you started hicupping, emotions all over the place.

"hey, stop baby, i will always love you and i will never leave you, okay? i'm so stupid, gosh, i give you hitting privileges all you want. here, let me hit myself too." he hit himself on his head but winced when he did it too hard, rubbing the sore part.

chuckling a little at the sight, you started to calm down. "don't hit yourself, only i can hit you." you reached out to his head to help dissipate the soreness too.

grabbing your hand, suna softly kisses your inner wrist before releasing it to palm your face and start peppering kisses all over it, with soft "i love you"s in between. he gave a last kiss on your lips before releasing a soft sigh against it.

"i'm sorry, princess." he plopped his forehead to rest on your shoulder before tightly wrapping his arms around your waist.

"mm, you're forgiven. but do something stupid like this again and i'll leave your ass immediately." you reciprocate his embrace, one hand wrapping around his shoulder while the other slowly stroke his hair.

"fair. just know that i love you too much to let you leave me heh." placing a kiss on your neck, he retreated before lifting you up from the sofa to carry you to the bedroom.

"now, let's get the cuddles that you wanted and you tell me what happened at work. alright, princess?"

[unfinishedslurs]

aware of his bisexuality steve (steddie, buckingham)

“Is that a hickey?” Comes out of Steve’s mouth without permission. But there it is, bright purple and red against the slope of her neck. She’s been walking kind of funny this morning, too. He’d assumed her period came early, but… “Rob, did you—“

Eddie fumbles the coffee mug he was pulling down. Chrissy freezes, face turning white with fear. Robin whips around, face bright red, and slaps a hand over her neck. 

“Bathroom!” She yelps. “Bathroom now!”

“Wait,” Eddie says, setting the mug down with trembling hands. “It was me. Sorry, man.”

Steve stares at him, unimpressed. Why the fuck would he lie about—

He looks at Chrissy again, who takes a nervous step back, and it clicks. 

“Right,” he says, nodding quickly. “You. You gave Robin a hickey. Had totally awesome sex that she didn’t even tell me about.” He directs that last bit at Robin pointedly. He told her almost immediately when he lost his guy-ginity. Traitor. “Yep. Sure. Got it.”

Eddie blinks, confused. Robin buries her face in her hands. 

“Oh my god, calm down,” she groans. “That’s not going to work. Steve’s cool.”

“Cool?” Chrissy asks, still looking ready to bolt. 

“Super cool,” he assures her. “The coolest. So incredibly cool, even if my best friend didn’t even tell me when she lost her virginity.”

“Steve!”

“Sorry, sorry,” he says. “But I am going to need details, Buckley. We can go over what worked, and what needs more oomph.”

“Oh my god, can we talk about this anywhere else,” Robin groans, at the same time Eddie asks, “What, so you can get off on it later?”

“What,” Steve says. 

“You think two girls are hot, is that it?” He’s got a sneer on his face now, but Steve’s more observant than Dustin gives him credit for. Even if he wasn’t, it’d be hard to miss how hard his hands are shaking, the nervous tilt to his mouth. 

“Ew.” Steve’s face screws up. “Dude, no. It’s Robin.”

“Hey, fuck you,” Robin breaks in, from where she’s started comforting Chrissy. “You thought I was hot for at least a summer.”

His mouth drops open in betrayal. “We agreed to never talk about that again!”

“Can’t help being sexy,” she coons. Chrissy giggles wetly. “You wanna get married, Harrington? Have my babies? Stay home and raise six little nuggets while I bring home the bread?”

“I hate you,” he informs her. “Hate you so much. We’ll have a nice, heterosexual wedding and share a sad, heterosexual kiss, and you’ll carry me over the threshold of our nice, heterosexual house, and we’ll have boring, heterosexual sex that gives us nice, heterosexual babies, because we are so heterosexual and happy in our suburburban house in our nice little heterosexual town.”

He’s honestly kind of proud of himself for saying heterosexual so many times. Usually he fumbles words with that many syllables, especially after that many times in a row. 

Chrissy is outright laughing, now, endearing little snorts making their way between giggles. Eddie is looking between them like they’re a puzzle he can’t piece together. Robin grins.

“I’ll cuck you with the secretary.”

“Not if I cuck you first. You’ll be away all day in that office of yours, and I need someone big and strong to carry all the new furniture I ordered.”

“I knew it! I knew Timmy wasn’t mine!”

“Oh, but I couldn’t help myself,” he swoons. “Mark was just so sweet, with his bulging biceps and hand flexes, all hot and sweaty from helping poor little me while you were away! You know I’m weak to curly hair and brown eyes, Rob, how’s a man supposed to resist?”

“Fag,” she says, not without affection. 

“Dyke,” he shoots back. 

“Cocksucker.”

“Carpet—“

“Okay,” Eddie breaks in, clapping his hands. He and Robin both startle, and so does Chrissy from where she’s been watching them like a particularly interesting tennis match. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Robin lost her virginity and didn’t even tell me,” Steve says immediately, like he’s tattling to the principal. 

“Steve doesn’t seem to understand the concept of waiting,” Robin retorts. 

“I told you when I had gay sex,” he whines, and Eddie chokes. “I hate you. See if I ever give you tips again.”

“Oh, is that what you meant?” Chrissy asks. “Please don’t stop. They were good tips.”

Robin flushes all the way down to her toes. 

“You like boys?” Eddie wheezes. 

“Oh,” Steve blinks. “Yeah? I thought you knew.”

“You thought I—how would I know?”

The fuck is that supposed to mean? Steve’s been flirting with him for months!

“Robin always says we can sense each other! You sensed her.”

“You told him?” Eddie’s mouth drops open, and Robin looks sheepish.

“She didn’t have to,” Steve snarks. “You’re flagging in Hawkins, man. Was I supposed to miss it?”

“You know what flagging is?”

“Again, in case you missed it, I fuck men.”

“Fuck,” Eddie mutters. “Fuck! Christ, I can’t believe this. You’re, like, the epitome of heterosexual. I spent half of high school having to hear about how much pussy you were getting. Why are you not straight?”

“Wow, Eddie,” he deadpans. “Are you saying just because I like men and woman, I’m not queer enough? That’s kind of homophobic of you, man.”

“Yeah, Eddie, wow,” Robin says. “I thought you were better than this.” 

“Fuck off,” Eddie says. “I feel like I need to lie down. My entire worldview just shattered.”

“I have a couch?” Chrissy offers shyly. “Or a bedroom, if you need a minute away.” Fuck, Steve kind of adores her. Especially since she’s apparently vicious n bed, if the five other hickies he counts just from Robin bending down a little to whisper in her ear are any indication. Good for her.  

“Don’t worry, Eddie,” Robin says, with a glint in her eye that means he’s either going to love or hate what comes next. “If it helps, Steve’s never fucked a man in his life.”

Eddie’s brow furrows, looking between the two of them. “So…you’re just making fun of me?”

He looks a little angry now, and Steve can’t make heads or tails of this conversation because, “What the hell, Rob, yes I have—“

“Oh, so suddenly you’re the one doing the fucking?”

“Stop making fun of me for taking it!”

Eddie lets out an honest to god moan that he immediately slaps his hand over his mouth to cover up. “Right,” he says fervently. “Okay. I need to lie down, like, for real.” 

They watch him stride down the hall, so fast he’s almost running, and slam the door closed behind him.

“I could totally top,” he mutters to Robin as something that sounds vaguely like muffled screaming echoes down the hall. “I top girls all the time. It’s not my fault prostates are a gift from God.”

“Uh, you top because all the girls you fuck are from small town Indiana. If one of them brought out the strap you’d drop to your knees so fast—“

“That’s—I like topping!”

“Your favorite position is cowgirl. Forgive me if I don’t believe you.”

“I will show Chrissy your baby pictures,” he hisses. Robin makes a face at him. Chrissy nods excitedly from where she’s still tucked under Robin’s arm. 

“Oh what’s that?” Robin practically shouts. “You like being pressed against walls and ravished? You want someone to tie you up and have their filthy way with you? Is that what you said, Steve?”

Another noise from the bedroom. He narrows his eyes at her. “What are you doing?”

“Helping,” she says sweetly. “You’re both hopeless.”

“I told you he’s shy!”

“Eddie?” Chrissy asks. “Shy?”

“Yeah, okay, I was confused too, but I figured it was the romance! He told me he hasn’t actually been in a relationship before, I assumed he was nervous to take that step.”

“Yeah, but dingus,” Robin says sweetly. “You’re missing a puzzle piece here. He thought you were straight. He thought he was flirting with his straight best friend he didn’t have a chance in hell with, and then he finds out that said best friend likes taking it up the ass and men with brown eyes.”

“Oh,” Steve says, realization dawning. “Oh, fuck. What if he doesn’t like me like that?”

Robin smacks the back of his head. “Why are you stupid?”

“I don’t think you have to worry about that,” Chrissy says. “Like, really don’t have to worry about that.”

“I’m not coming over tonight,” Robin says. “I’m gonna stay with Chrissy again. Er…if that’s okay?”

“That sounds amazing.” Chrissy beams, and Robin turns red again.

“Yeah, I’m going to stay with Chrissy again tonight. You are going to invite Eddie to stay the night when he gets done with his little crisis, and then we’re getting lunch at the diner tomorrow and you can tell me about it before our shift.”

“Right,” Steve says. “Right, I can do this. I’ve invited guys over before, how hard can it be? It’s just Eddie. But that was hotel rooms, not my house and my bedroom with my shitty wallpaper. And it’s Eddie. Fuck, what if I’m shit at it? Robin, what if I’m actually bad at sex and everyone who’s ever said I was good was lying because they didn’t want to hurt my feelings? Oh my god, I’m totally bad at sex.”

“Woah, dingus, slow down. I think we took the mind meld too far, you’re turning into me.”

“If it helps, I don’t think you’re bad at sex,” Chrissy says. Steve and Robin look at her, and she flushes. “Because of the tips! Not because—I’ve never slept with you, but some of my friends did, and I got three orgasms out of last night, so…”

“Oh thank God,” he breathes. “I was worried for a minute.” Then he raises an eyebrow at Robin, and holds out his hand for a high five. She slaps it, begrudgingly proud of herself, and then takes the hand to pull him into a headlock that’s honestly more of a hug than anything. 

“You’re fine,” she whispers in his ear. “You’re great at sex, as you keep telling me. What’s more, you’re funny, charming, handsome, brave, caring—“

“Aww, Robin, are you getting sappy on me?”

“Plus Eddie literally moaned in front of you when he found out you bottomed. I really don’t think there’s a way to fuck that up.”

Steve grins. “He did do that. I’m going to make so much fun of him later.”

“So,” Eddie says with a smirk, “men with brown eyes?”

“Hey man, don’t look at me. Blame Jonathan.”

Now Eddie looks stunned, mouth dropping open. “Byers?” He says, sounding betrayed. “You have a crush on Byers of all people?”

Steve feels offended on Jonathan’s behalf. “What’s that supposed to mean? Jonathan’s a good guy!”

“I guess.”

“What do you mean you guess? He’s sweet, passionate, good with kids, nice eyes. Can pack a punch. I mean, what’s not to like?”

“Uh, didn’t he steal your girlfriend?”

He waves that off. “That was, like, years ago, man. We’re cool now.”

“Right, okay,” Eddie mutters. “Well have fun with Byers, I guess.”

It clicks. “Oh,” he says. “Oooh. You’re jealous.”

Eddie splutters. “Jealous? I’m not—I don’t—you’re jealous!”

“Oh, am I?”

“Yes,” Eddie says resolutely, not looking at him. 

“Right,” Steve agrees. “Well, if I am jealous, maybe I should know that I got over Jonathan years ago, and have since moved on to brighter, hopefully more attainable pastures than my ex’s ex.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

“A different man with brown eyes?” He suggests. “Who is also good with kids, and passionate, and…” he trails off, suddenly realizing all those times Robin made fun of him might not be based on nothing. “Oh my god, I have a type. Shit, I have to tell Robin she was right.”

“I figured that was a common occurrence.”

“Shut up. Where was I going with this? I had a point.”

“You were telling me how awesome I am?”

“Oh, suddenly it’s you we’re talking about?”

“I mean,” suddenly Eddie looks shy, and Steve can’t help but think even with the change in context he might have been right when he told Robin Eddie was nervous about being in a real, romantic relationship, “isn’t it?”

He feels himself smile, slow and wide and probably more revealing than he means it to be. “Yeah,” he says, in a tone he knows Robin would call soppy, “it is.”

[3amfanfiction]

Thanks for writing for a this "unapologetically fat reader". Feel seen and cared for when I read your fics. 💖

Wanna know what do you think was guy's first thoughts when they saw Reader?

<333 I'm so happy you found representation in my work nonnie. All body types deserve to have fiction written about them and this is my contribution.

As far as what I think the guys thought about you the first time they saw you:

Johnny is a horndog, through and through--I'm sorry. He took one look at you walking down the aisles of the store and had to stop and stare at the way your hips rolled, the way the fat of your ass spread as you bent to pick something up from the bottom shelf and he particularly loved the way your thighs were so thick. Caged in a pair of leggings he got to admire the way they rubbed together and his only thought was how warm they would keep his face when he was buried in your cunt.

Simon is similar but he's thinking about the way your backside is going to ripple when he thrusts in just right while he's got you on your knees. He's a big fan of doggy style because it lets him hold his partners hips and move them just how he wants. He's thinking about smacking his pelvis into the meat of your thighs, right where they meet the curve of your ass. How he won't have to be gentle, he'll be able to give it some oomph and know that the jarring will disperse nicely. And then he thinks about flipping you over onto your back to watch that same ripple play out over your belly and chest. It would be a visual cue that he was fucking you just right.

Kyle is a little softer, a little more housebroken. He certainly would love to see you bouncing in his lap, skin gleaming as he lifts up the bottom of your belly to see where he's fucking up into you but he's admiring how soft you look first and foremost. You look like the height of luxury to him, someone who would keep the house warm and smelling nice for him to come home to. And he would certainly love to come home to you. Love to bend you over the arm of the couch, toes barely grazing the floor as he takes his fill, pressing up against every inch of you he can.

John sees you and thinks spouse. He's a bit like Kyle where he sees the luxury of you, the indications that you never have to go without food, never have to physically run yourself so ragged that your body starts eating itself. It reminds him that he has no problem doing the hard things so that someone like you gets to stay home and craft or read or watch tv. And he wants that for himself. Wants to be able to come home to someone soft at the end of the day, when he's tired and sore and just wants to curl up on the couch with his head in your lap while you play with his hair. He wants your belly pressed against his face, restricting his airflow as he digs into you as far as he can. Digging into your plushness. He wants to squeeze and knead at you like playdough.

[unclewaynemunson]

'What's your favorite holiday?' Steve asked while they were looking at the fireworks, pressed against each other in the dark of the night. They had been dancing around each other for months, ever since Eddie woke up in the hospital with Steve already at his bedside. They had taken their time to get to know each other better, to let that something between them grow and to figure out what it all meant exactly. But around the time Eddie graduated, it had finally culminated into what it had been destined to be from the start.

Eddie could barely believe they had only been official for about a month and a half, that Steve had only been part of his life for a little over three months. But he knew, with a certainty that he couldn't really explain, that he and Steve belonged to be like this. No matter how scary it had been to fall for him, it had been the only available option.

'Sukkot,' Eddie answered his question with no hesitation.

Steve leaned away a little bit to be able to look at Eddie.

'Was that the one that was, like, three weeks ago?'

'No, that was Shavu'ot,' Eddie answered patiently. He knew that Steve was trying very hard to keep up, and that the Hebrew words didn't exactly make it easier on him. 'The boring one that Wayne's obsessed with.'

Steve chuckled. 'So what is Sukkot?'

'I thought you'd never ask, big boy,' said Eddie, a wide grin creeping over his face. 'It's the best fucking week of the year. We build those huts in our yards where we're supposed to live all week. It's really awesome, we get to be outside all the time and Wayne tells all the best stories about how our ancestors escaped from Egypt and wandered through the desert for years. Back in Virginia, on the farm, it also used to be this celebration that the harvest was done. The best moment of the year, man, like when the summer holiday starts, y'know.'

'Sounds pretty cool.'

'Pretty cool?' Eddie repeated in a mock-offended tone. 'Pretty cool?! Stevie, how dare you, it's fucking magical! It's the awesomest of holidays! You know what? You're gonna have to join us this October and get the whole experience!'

'Are you sure?' Steve looked weirdly hesitant about Eddie's proposal and Eddie felt the excitement in his chest deflate like a popped balloon.

'Yeah, I mean... If you want to,' he said, reigning himself in a little bit. Maybe Steve thought it was weird, maybe he would never quite understand it, maybe –

'Of course I want to,' Steve cut off his spiraling thoughts, like the mere suggestion was completely ridiculous. 'But would it be okay? You wouldn't mind? And your uncle?'

'Why the hell would we mind, Stevie?'

'Well, I'm not Jewish...'

Eddie chortled. 'Yeah, we know that, dude. But you're always welcome in our humble little home.'

And Steve's face lit up in a way that the fireworks in the sky above them could never compete with. 'Alright,' he said. 'Then I'd love to celebrate this awesomest of holidays with you.'

******

And so it happens that a little over three months later, Eddie runs out of the trailer with even more excitement than usual when Steve's way too fancy car shows up. He basically jumps into his boyfriend's arms as soon as Steve gets out of his car – and of course Steve catches him, stumbling only a little bit while huffing out an “oomph” as Eddie wraps all four of his limbs around his body.

'Hello to you, too,' he murmurs with a soft smile on his face. He can't exactly kiss Eddie here, in broad daylight with all of Eddie's neighbors to see, but he lets his hands linger around Eddie's shoulders when he gently puts him down on the ground.

'You're excited.'

'We're building the hut today!'

'The sukkot, right?'

And the proud smile around Steve's lips makes it almost impossible for Eddie to correct him.

'The sukkah, babe. It's one sukkah, multiple sukkot.'

'Sukkah,' Steve repeats, his voice still as unsure as ever when he tries the Hebrew words that are so familiar to Eddie and Wayne and still so foreign to him.

'C'mon, Wayne's already waiting for us.'

Eddie starts tugging Steve along with him towards the trailer. He wishes he could do that by taking his hand instead of the sleeve of his jacket, but he's too aware of how careful they have to be here, out in the open in the trailer park.

They go around the trailer, where Wayne is already surrounded by a bunch of corrugated sheets and some big pine branches.

'We're building it here?' Steve sounds surprised. 'Why not on the porch?'

Eddie sees his uncle's face fall, and his own excited smile fades away as well.

'It's too eye-catching, on the other side,' Wayne explains to Steve. 'Too many folks lookin' to trash stuff 'round here, ya know.'

Almost every year, they find some graffiti on the walls of their sukkah at some point of the week. It has become better since they moved the hut to the backside of their trailer, hidden away from Forest Hills' main roads. Before, when they still built it in front of their home, they'd regularly find the roof or the walls demolished. Nothing ever happened when one of them was home: both Wayne and Eddie were protected from any serious danger by their own scary looks. But unfortunately, the sukkah did not enjoy the same protection when the Munson men weren't present to keep an eye on it.

Wayne doesn't outright say it with that many words – that's not his style – but Eddie can see in the arch of Steve's eyebrows that he gets it. That he understands that Forest Hills is not the kind of place where Hebrew should be spoken loudly and that anything more than a menorah in front of a window can be considered offensive real quick. He sees that Steve understands it, because Steve knows what it feels like to not be able to take his boyfriend's hand when they're outside. It's not the same, but it's similar, in a way.

When Eddie came out to Wayne, his uncle told him that he was sorry Eddie got dealt the wrong cards twice. But that's not how Eddie sees it. Standing here, in the quiet world behind the trailer, with his uncle, his boyfriend and a pile of junk that will soon turn into a refuge, he gets the confirmation of what he already knew back then: that he wouldn't have it any other way. Even if it means having to hide away from prejudiced eyes, he'd choose this right here over anything easier in a heartbeat.

Wayne takes off his trucker hat to reveal the kippah he often wears hidden underneath it, then turns Eddie around by his shoulders so he can attach a kippah to his curls with some hairpins. Eddie usually never wears one: he doesn't like being told what to do in any way, and he proudly wears the pentagram of the Church of Satan on his denim vest. But for events like this, Wayne insists the kippah is important, and Eddie has long since he moved in with his uncle learned that there's no use digging his heels in the sand about it. If it's that important for Uncle Wayne, he'll doesn't mind complying.

'And one for you,' Wayne states after Eddie's kippah is properly secured to his head, turning towards Steve with a third one in his outstretched hand.

Steve's eyes widen in an almost cartoon-like way.

'For me?' he repeats, as if he's unsure if he understands Wayne correctly.

'U-huh,' Wayne confirms with a nod of his head.

Steve's eyes flash back and forth between Eddie and Wayne, still clearly confused, like he's trying to catch some lie or a prank between the two of them.

'That's – would that be okay?' he stammers.

'Neshama sheli,' Eddie says, his voice soft. 'Of course that'd be okay. It's the polite thing to do, actually, when you're in shul – or in other Jewish places – whether you're a Jew or not.'

'Okay, cool,' Steve says with a little shrug of his shoulders. He's slightly too obviously trying to play it cool, and that makes Eddie realize something he hadn't really considered before: that Steve is nervous about this. For Eddie, sukkot is nothing but a holiday of fun. But Steve doesn't know any of those traditions, he doesn't know any of the unwritten rules. For all he knows, what they're doing today is something sacred and solemn – it makes sense that he's afraid to do the wrong thing or mess it up somehow. It's written all over his face: he's afraid to be disrespectful, to be an intruder, to somehow offend Wayne and Eddie without meaning to...

Steve takes the kippah from Wayne and places it on his hair, where it lies dangerously close to sliding off.

'Here, lemme help you.' Eddie digs around in his own pockets to find some long forgotten hairpins and slides up behind Steve, attaching the kippah to some strands of his soft, shiny hair. When he's done, he slides his arms around Steve's waist and tugs him close to his chest.

'Hey,' he whispers in his ear, nuzzling his nose against the soft hair right above it because he simply can't resist the temptation of touching Steve's locks in any way, ever. 'You don't need to worry 'bout anything. We're just gonna build a hut, that's all. And we're trailer park Jews anyway, we don't care about etiquette and shit. Or, well, maybe Wayne does, a little bit, but he's used to me, so... You're good.'

Steve chuckles, then turns himself around in Eddie's arms until they're face-to-face.

'Thank you,' he whispers in the space between them.

Wayne emphatically clears his throat, no doubt worried that the boys are about to forget he's still with them.

'You lovebirds ready to get to work?'

Slightly unwilling, Eddie lets go of Steve and flashes Wayne an excited grin. 'Alright, my dearest uncle, tell us what to do.'

The next hour or so is spent hauling corrugated sheets around and assembling them into a decent-sized hut. While Eddie is drilling their metal walls together, Wayne tells Steve all about the meaning behind what they're doing. He gets like that with every holiday: he loves the big stories, and Eddie has always loved listening to Wayne telling them.

'All of this,' Wayne explains with a gesture towards the half-finished sukkah, 'Is to remind us of what happened to our people a long time ago. They were enslaved in Egypt, far away from their homes. When they got out, they wandered through the desert for forty years, tryin' to find their way back. They suffered drought, storms, heat, famine... But G-d's protection was with them every step of their way, until He safely delivered them back to their homeland. For forty years, they didn't have no place to call home. They slept in huts beneath the stars. That's why, for one week a year, we still live in huts. We don't sleep here, 's too cold for that in Indiana –'

'I do sometimes,' Eddie cuts in.

'Your boy is crazy,' Wayne dryly states. 'But we live here as much as possible. The most important thing is to have all our meals in here, as long as it ain't raining too hard. We're not supposed to make a solid roof, y'know, 'cause it's supposed to be a reminder of how our people used to sleep under the open sky. It's a symbol for how we should submit ourselves to G-d's protection.'

Steve listens attentively and keeps asking Wayne all kinds of questions while they continue working on the roof, which they assemble out of pine branches that Eddie and Wayne took from the woods around the trailer park earlier that day.

'This day's extra special,' Wayne tells Steve when they're almost done, 'Cause it's a Friday evening. Means our first meal in the sukkah is a Shabbat meal.'

Usually, Wayne isn't exactly world's most diligent cook, but for days like this, he always tries to go a little bit bigger than usual. Not that their kitchen is suited for fabricating any kind of fancy meals – let alone that they can afford anything like that – but that doesn't really matter. Not to Eddie, at least, and he's pretty sure the same thing applies to Steve. The most important thing is that Wayne tries his very best to make days like those feel special. So while Steve and Eddie get tasked with setting up the interior of the sukkah, Wayne heads back to the trailer to make sure the food will be all done before sunset.

Steve and Eddie haul a bunch of plastic lawn chairs and a trestle table inside. After the furniture, they add some pillows, a truly hideous tablecloth, and a bunch of random clutter from the trailer to make it feel more homely. Eddie always likes to put this one Jesus sculpture they once got from the old Mrs. Brooks from number 70 in one of the corners, for no other purpose than to get on Wayne's nerves. Steve, on the other hand, actually cares about making the sukkah look good, and he comes up with the idea to walk around the trailer park and go into the woods to find some flowers as a finishing touch. Most of the vegetation around Forest Hills is withered all year round, but Steve manages to find some branches with beautiful autumn colors and a bunch of shiny chestnuts among the decaying junk.

'You manage to make anything pretty, huh,' Eddie notes when they're all done, with leaves of dark orange and golden yellow miraculously brightening up every single corner of the hut.

Steve smiles and pulls Eddie in his arms. Now, shielded by the walls of their dwelling, they can do that without worrying about the watchful eyes of nosy neighbors.

'Nah,' he murmurs, his lips ghosting over Eddie's cheek. 'I don't make things pretty, I attract pretty things.' And the way in which Steve's lips find his, soft and full of promise, tells Eddie that he wasn't merely talking about pretty things. It makes his heartbeat stutter and his cheeks heat up.

Steve pulls back before the kiss can become anything more than a promise, with a sparkle in his eyes and a soft smile still tugging at his lips.

'C'mon, let's go help your uncle with the food.'

By the time they're ready to welcome Shabbat, the autumn sun has long disappeared behind the trees and it's rapidly cooling off outside. Wayne puts on his thick plaid jacket and Steve borrows one of Eddie's favorite black hoodies. During this time of the year – when it's not yet cold enough to waste money on heating – the trailer doesn't really stay much warmer than the sukkah, so they're used to the cold anyway. Steve, however, is shamelessly exploiting the chill of the evening as an excuse to cuddle up close to Eddie at the table – not that Eddie minds that at all.

But when Wayne lights the candle and recites the blessing at sundown, it feels like the sukkah is actually much warmer than any other place in the world. It's because what's happening in this place is special, Eddie thinks. For a week, this hut is their home. It's designed to house two people – just Wayne and him – but Steve fits in this cramped space with them like he was always supposed to be here. And when Steve turns to Eddie to wish him a good shabbos with a smile on his face, Eddie knows that he will never want to celebrate another holiday – Jewish or not – without him.

Some fun facts for those who are interested: Sukkot 1986 indeed started on a Friday (October 17th) The use of corrugated sheets for a sukkah is actually quite common, and I took the liberty to interpret the skillful way in which we see Eddie drilling them down in the Upside Down, as him having plenty experience with creating a refuge with those things. For those who don't speak Hebrew: when Eddie calls Steve neshama sheli, he uses a common Hebrew pet name which literally translates to "my soul." I imagine Eddie loves calling Steve all kinds of Hebrew pet names and this is a truly beautiful one imo. I hope I did right to this really cool holiday with my lil story!

[tedwardremus]

I feel like Ron fans really want him to be an Auror for the rest of his life like Harry is because its a "cool" job but it makes perfect sense he stops after 2 years? He is canonically lazy. That is not projection. That is not bashing. That is how he IS. He is lazy. Why would he want such a work intensive, difficult, and stressful job long-term? I really think the glory would wear off fast once you realized you can't even talk about what you are doing, you have to work overtime, you can get injured, you deal with constant stress, and for what? A basic pension. You don't even get rich off of it. Ron at the joke shop suits his character SO much.

oomph

Okay, Anon. I love you, and this is a safe space for people to discuss their controversial opinions with no judgement but I will have to push back a bit because I am a member of Team Ron Defense Squad.

I agree that being an auror wasn't the perfect fit for Ron, but I disagree with his laziness.

He was lazy when it came to school work. But a lot of kids are? That's hardly unique for a teenager. School didn't really interest him. But he was bright enough to do well in all his subjects (well, except history and divination, but those were joke classes) so he didn't really feel the need to work harder.

But in the things that he was interested in? The boy was not lazy.

You don't become the best chess player Hogwarts has ever seen at age 12 when you are lazy. That is years of hard work and skill development (prodigy level!). He probably spent hours at the Burrow as a kid studying chess moves and learning to see the board. That's not lazy.

You don't become a prefect by being lazy.

He also went off by himself and practiced quidditch so he could make the house team. That's not lazy. Thats determination (and a little insecurity because he was afraid of beign mocked for putting effort in or being told he wasn't good enough)

Which is totally relatable. Have you ever been afraid of failing or being compared to someone who, in your mind, has already mastered the skill you are practicing, so in the end, you didn't really try? because not trying is better than failing? That's not lazy, that's being insecure and anxious.

Ron is also with HArry on all his adventures. Going into the forbidden forest, starting an underground defense club, solving mysteries, fighting in the Ministry. This isn't lazy.

One of Ron's number one traits is his caregiving. Offering tea, the easy way in which he assures people, making sure Harry eats. Caregiving is not lazy. It takes attention to detail, emotional intelligence, and a lot of follow-up and determination.

I think Ron retired from ebing an auror early for several reasons.

1.) The job was finished. They caught the death eaters, the trials were over, he had some breathing room, and he realised that he could move on. That it was a job he felt he had to do but didn't really enjoy doing

2.) He saw that Harry really did enjoy it and that Harry didn't need a caregiver anymore, he wa an adult who could take care of himself and had Ginny at home to also care for him.

3.) Hermione, the ultimate girl boss that she is, clearly has ambitions and was career driven. Ron wanted to make sure she wasn't burnt out and that she had someone at home to take care of her (and their future children). Ron is the ultimate wife guy and I love him leaning into the role hard and with vigour.

caregiving and homemaking aren't laziness, and seeing a traditional feminine role as lazy in the body of a male character is sexist.

4.) I love Ron and the twins relationship. They are very close, even if the Twins mocking him crosses the line. And I can see Ron caring for George after the war in his very Ron-like way. Stopping by after an auror shift to help clean the shop and make sure he ate that day. Takes him to the pub for a pint, where they don't talk, but Ron just wants George to know he is there for him.

Over time, Ron learns that he loves working at the shop. He is good at it. And Geroge loves Ron being there, and he needs the help. George wants to be creative and invent things, and Ron has a great mind for business. He is using his logic skills to improve their business strategy and expand operations. He is good at balancing books and making sure bills get paid (oh no! It Looks like he enjoys a bit of homework after all!)

And Ron loves greeting customers and talking to kids in the shop. Being friendly and a bit goofy and his warm and comforting self.

He doesn't need fame and fortune because he is secure in his role as a caregiver, it is his ultimate strength. He has matured and moved on from his childhood insecurities. He is no longer in the shadow of his large loud family.

He is Ron. And he is enough (kenough)

[exactlyyoungchaos]

till forever falls apart.

The bestfriendSimon x f!Reader fic I first talked about.

cw: all sorts of trauma, character death, fluff, probable smut, inaccurate military stuff, a little bit canon and a little bit AU. do tell me if i missed something.

Your history with Simon goes back to elementary school. He grew up in an abusive household and you grew up in foster care with guardians who only cared about the government money.

Both of you bonded over the same things and became inseparable.

No one dared to mess with you in school because they knew if they did, they would have to answer Simon, and nobody wanted to cross him.

Junior year of high school starts and you get a visit from your social service agent, who wants to relocate you, but you are adamant that you want to stay here, but alas she takes you kicking and screaming.

Simon promises that he will find you in the future, and so with tears in both of your eyes, you leave. The same year Simon ran away from home.

Now 12 years later, he is on an undercover intel mission in Australia with Johnny. that's when he spots you, sitting in a cafe, looking like a dream, writing furiously on your laptop.

How does he knows its you? why wouldn't he? You were, are everything to him. The only person who knows him better than himself.

He has been trying to find you for years but always came out empty handed. By joining the military he thought it would be easy but it wasn't.

Johnny notices him freezing in the middle of the sidewalk staring intently at the glass window of the cafe, he turns to see what caught his Lt's eye and he sees the prettiest bonnie lass that he's ever seen.

he smirks " see something you like Lt?"

"that's her" Simon barely whispers, his heart racing.

Johnny's head snaps in your direction again, everyone in the team knows who you are. the little bird Simon has been trying to find for years.

and here you are, sitting in the cafe, oblivious to the fact that the man you have been looking for is standing right outside.

You finish your work and pack up your stuff to leave, you turn around and slam face-first into a wall of muscle. A strong hand stabilizes you as a soft 'oomph" leaves your mouth.

now, you are not small in any proportions, but this man still dwarfs you.

you look up to apologize and the sorry dies on your tongue as you come face to face with a skull mask.

your brain short circuits for a minute, and you're trying to figure out what to say then suddenly a heavily accented voice speaks from behind him " A'm so sorry Bonnie, he wasn't keen" a bulky man with a mohawk speaks.

they both look like they came out of some military comic. scarred, bulky, and big.

"it's ok, I wasn't looking either" you reply, looking back to the big guy in the mask, who's still blocking your path.

"Birdie...." the big guy breathes in through his teeth.

Recognition hits you like a tsunami. only one person in your life called you that—your best friend.

your eyes turn comically wide as you ask "Simon?" in a small voice, not believing it's him.

His gloved hands frame your face and he traces every inch of you with his eyes.

You look into his eyes and familiarity hits you, the same warm brown eyes that used to comfort you, that was your home, now standing at almost 6ft 5 in.

"Found ya."

and any sense of where you are leaves your mind as you leap into his arms and hug him as tight as possible. his beefy arms come around you and crush you to his chest as he breathes in your sweet scent.

you hold him and sob, he's here you can't believe it. He's here.

finally, finally.......somebody clears their throat next to you. you turn your head from Simon's chest and see a line of people waiting to sidestep both of you but unsure because of the sheer size of the man in front of you.

"We are blocking the line Si," you giggle and sob simultaneously.

hearing your voice after so long, Simon feels like he can breathe again.

you are here, his birdie, his angel, his everything. and this time no one can take you away from him. No one.

SOOOOOOOO!! WHAT DO WE THINK????? This is going to be a multi-part series because I'm just starting with this. I have so much to add.

Do tell me your thoughts and theories. And feel free to ask anything

And if you have requests for COD more specifically Simon, do send them my way, I'll try my best to write them.

love ya!!!!!

ALI-❤️

[quinncupine]

Stupor

I guess I stuffed all my fluffy fics away for a rainy day so here's another one!

Relationship: Izuku Midoriya X Reader

Word Count: 950

QUINN’S MASTERLIST

Summary: Getting hit with an inebriation quirk isn't so bad when you have a hero who isn't opposed to cuddling.

"Whoa!" you giggled as your feet tripped over themselves on your way into the house.

A strong hand grabbed your own before you could faceplant and pulled you upright. Biting your lip to suppress another fit of giggles, you twisted around to come face to face with two worried green eyes.

"Oh, Izuku," you patted his arm, finally realizing he was behind you, "Hey, who put that step there?"

"It's always been there." He hesitantly released you to see if you could stay upright on your own.

"I know that look," furrowing your brow, you crossed your arms, but the effect was ruined by that spacey look in your eyes, "I'm fine. You heard the doc, just a little side effect of the q…" You lost your train of thought and glanced towards the kitchen, "I'm hungry. Do you want pizza?"

"Um, maybe you should go lie down," Izuku suggested instead as he led you through the kitchen toward the living room. "The doc also said this would last a few more hours at best."

"Oh, you worry too much." As the two of you entered the living room, your body leaned back into him, and once your head hit his chest, you looked up. "Wait, why are you worrying again?"

The couch came into view, and you forgot about your question as you skipped over to it and faceplanted on the soft cushions. A muffled sigh sounded from underneath you before you yawned and did a full-body stretch.

"Come," you turned on your back and made grabby hands at him, "come lay with me."

Izuku didn't have much choice in the matter. As soon as he came close enough for you to grab his hand, you pulled him on top of you. He let out a breathy oomph and readjusted himself, so he was sitting side by side with you.

When he sat up, you scrambled to roll over so that your head lay in his lap. It was the best position to stare up into those cute freckled cheeks of his. He smoothed the flyways back from your face and settled for tracing his fingers over your forehead.

"What happened?" you asked, finding his free hand and messing with his fingers. "I feel so heavy."

"A quirk," he gently explained for the nth time since taking you home from the hospital. "Someone who couldn't control their quirk very well."

"Oh no," eyes wide, you stopped fiddling with his fingers and leaned your head up to meet his eyes. "Are they in trouble?"

"…No," Izuku murmured, finally relaxing back on the couch. "It was just a kid. An accident. He'll get some help controlling his quirk, is all."

"Good." Content with that answer, you resumed tracing little shapes into the back of his palm. "You know, I like your hands."

"My hands?' That caught him off-guard.

"Yeah." Smothering one of his palms against your cheek, you grinned. "They're soft."

"Soft?" He sounded unsure. "Really?"

"Well…no," you shrugged, "they're rough and calloused. And they've got scars all over them." Your voice trailed off into murmuring as you dazedly traced one of the bigger jagged white lines that ran the length of his palms onto the backside. "I like them, though. They hold me so soft, did you know that?"

You didn't wait for an answer, too engrossed in tracing lines down the pale, faded scars to see his flushed face. "You're so strong, and yet you've got the gentlest touch I've ever known. Don't you think so?" When you reached his wrist, you wrapped yourself around it and laid his large hand against your cheek, eyes roaming back to him.

"I-" he cleared his throat, flustered by all the insouciant praise, "-I guess so." He glanced at his other hand, observing the years of hard-earned scars, and allowed himself a small smile. "I never thought about them like that."

"Never change your hands. I love them." You placed little kisses on each fingertip, giggling at each sloppy smooch before your eyes widened and you looked at him. "Oh, but don't worry, I love you more."

Izuku laughed at that and reached over to grab your own hands, placing a loving kiss across the back. "You know, I love your hands too. They really are soft. At least, softer than mine." As he spoke, you shivered as his warm breath tickled your fingers. "And they always know just how to calm me down with a single touch." He paused just long enough to catch your hazy gaze. "But what I love most about them is that they're attached to you."

Your foggy brain tried to process the words, and with a quick glance at your own hands, you gave him a relieved smile. "Oh, I'm glad they're attached to me, too." You wiggled your fingers for proof.

"Come on," he laughed, kissing your forehead and, in one easy motion, lifted you off the couch. "Time to get some rest."

"No, wait!" You squirmed in his arms, alarmed. "What about my pizza!"

"Alright, alright!" he managed to say through your fingers, pulling at the fat of his cheeks. "I'll order the pizza!"

That seemed to do the trick, and you immediately went boneless in his arms with a content sigh. "I really love pizza." You closed your eyes for a few moments of peace before they flew open again with urgency as you grabbed his face, pulling him close to whisper, "But don't worry, I love you more…just don't tell the pizza."

Satisfied, you closed your eyes and curled into him. With a fond, if not exasperated, sigh, he went to tuck you into bed.

[seraphhskies]

long distance pt. 2

--⋆♱✮♱⋆--

swiss ghoul x cardinal! fem! reader

word count: 1,828

type: fluff, romance

cw: very slight sad, 18+ language

summary: In which, you are keeping an exciting secret from your favorite ghoul (who also happens to be your partner.) I had a weird dream like this a while back, and for some reason I decided it should be Swiss that I write about :) this is cross posted on AO3 as well!

Part 1

--⋆♱✮♱⋆--

It was the day. Fucking finally.

You’d spent the night packing, waking up entirely too early in order to catch your flight. Swiss still had no clue, and you were so excited- it was hard to remain professional. Other Cardinals of the church saw you off, so you truly were doing your best to maintain your composure. 

You waved goodbye to them, before you stopped in front of the man who had taken you under his wing. 

“Grazie, Cardinale Rossi. Per tutto.” The man blinked back tears, pulling you into a tight hug. 

“Sei la benvenuta quando vuoi, cara. Visit soon, mm?” You nodded in response, though you had no wish to visit again at the moment. The cardinal was lovely to you, but home was the only place you wanted to be. You left, off to catch your flight. 

As you waited for the plane to take off, you quickly took out your phone to text Copia. The satanic pope himself had been assisting you in your return, the two of you working smoothly in order to keep it a surprise. 

Luckily, you actually managed to sleep through the entire trip. You woke up groggy, but the feeling quickly faded as you walked off the plane. Two members of the clergy waited for you outside, clad in the uniforms and everything. 

The car ride was just as anxiety inducing, and you were nearly jumping out of the car the moment you saw the building. It was as big and haunting as you remembered, the giant doors in the front seeming so welcoming and homely now. 

Your phone pinged with a text from Copia, and you responded quickly- letting him know that you were pulling up now. Your heart was racing, the grin on your face contagious. 

You were opening the door as soon as the car was in park, bouncing on the tips of your toes. Your phone pinged once more, a text from Swiss. 

S: I miss you :( thinking abt you sm today

Your heart soared, but you forced yourself to put the phone back in your pocket. You’d see him soon enough, and that would be an even better reply. 

“Copia!” You grinned, running towards the man and hitting him with an ‘oomph.’ He returned your hug, patting your shoulder gently. Copia was smiling down at you. “Piccola! It is so good to see you. Everyone has missed you so.” He hummed, patting your head as you pulled away- much like a father figure to you.

You teared up a bit, unable to help it. A sniffle escaped you. “It’s so good to be back.” You replied honestly. 

“You will be busy with the ghouls soon enough, hm?” Copia replied, a knowing glint in his eye. 

A smile grew on your face as you nodded. “I hope so. It’ll be nice to have some out of work interaction.” You said. You hadn’t made any friends while away, not for a lack of trying. You just simply hadn’t connected with anyone. This was your home. 

“We won’t send you away again, piccola.” Copia always seemed to understand. “Let’s get you to your ghoul, eh?” He laughed, and you were right beside him as he began to walk. 

You tried to appear interested in the conversation, but the way your heart was pounding in your ears made it hard to really listen. Your brain was screaming to seek out Swiss, but you were going to see this plan through. You couldn’t spoil it after you’d come this far. It was mere hours to go, after all.

You breathed in the smell of home, the halls surprisingly empty as Copia led you through them to the Ghouls’ chambers. Thrilled, you practically bounded past the man as you entered the room. There were only a few ghouls out in the small living room and kitchen area that they all shared. 

You breathed in, a bright smile on your face. It smelled like home. 

Cirrus was the first to react, practically shrieking as she tossed the ghoul strewn across her to the side. You grinned, throwing your arms around her in return. “You’re back!” The ghoulette exclaimed, squeezing you tightly. 

Cirrus pulled back quickly, gripping you by the shoulders as you went wide-eyed. “Swiss isn’t here,” She began to explain. “He just left two hours ago for kitchen duty.” You grinned at Copia, giving him a thumbs up as he awkwardly waited by the door. “Perfect.” You replied. “I was a little worried we’d be too early and I’d ruin the surprise.” You laughed, and Cirrus smiled in response- though it quickly turned into a smirk. 

“He’ll probably smell you from across the church,” She snorted, before turning her attention to the ghoul pile on the couch. “We do have some new ghouls! Although you already know Dew and Mountain.” Cirrus laughed, covering her mouth. 

Dewdrop was at the bottom of the pile, Mountain next, with two more ghouls on top. “Phantom is the one closest to Mountain,” Cirrus pointed. “And that’s Rain on top. Summoned a few months ago.” You smiled, greeting them softly- especially since a few were still asleep. “Ooooh,” Cirrus gasped, tugging your hand. “Let’s go to Swiss’ room. I’m sure that’s where you’ll be staying.”

You flushed, laughing as she practically dragged you. 

“The other ghouls have jobs right now too,” She hummed, opening the door. “Should be over in about an hour or so though.” 

You walked into the room a bit hesitantly, looking around. It was a typical man’s room, except for a few things that you had mailed him. There was a plushie, similar to the one you had, that sat nicely on the bed. Near his desk, there were photos of the two of you that you’d taken before leaving. 

The room smelled like him, exactly as you’d remembered. You couldn’t help but grow more excited, thumbing over the pictures with a soft smile. 

“Here are your bags, cara.” Copia said softly, both him and Cirrus sharing a look. “Thank you.” You murmured, just now realizing how anxious you were. You hesitated on taking the bag, before shaking yourself out of it- grabbing it by the handle and rolling it into the corner. 

“What should I do?” You muttered, looking wide-eyed at Cirrus as you began to pace. “Do you think I should like- hide in the closet?” You were expressing all your thoughts aloud. “Or should I sit on the bed?” Copia gave a little wave, before he disappeared from the room. Cirrus was looking at you, and you could practically feel the pity radiating off of her. “Don’t worry so much.” She cooed, crossing the room to grasp your hands reassuringly. “He loves you. It doesn’t matter if you’re posed on his bed or hiding somewhere.” 

You took a breath, squeezing her hands in thanks. She gave you a quick pat before letting you go. “Either way, my vote’s for you waiting on the bed.” If she wasn’t wearing a mask, you were sure she was wiggling her eyebrows at you. Her teeth were bared in a huge grin, which told you all you needed to know. 

Your palms were sweaty, but you did your best to wave Cirrus off. You paced for a bit longer, freaking out even more when you looked at the time. Forty-five minutes had passed. At most, you had another fifteen to twenty before he was here. In the room. With you.

Giving up, you flopped onto his bed. You were both exhausted and wide awake, feeling as though you might go crazy from anxiety. Or throw up, whichever one happened first. You rolled over, staring at the ceiling. 

I can do this. You breathed. 

The door creaked. You shot up, heart pounding. Voices sounded from the living room, and you tried to relax. You could hear him talking almost through the walls, before he stopped. Then the other voices quieted too. 

It was silent all of a sudden, before you heard footsteps rushing to the room. The door creaked loudly, smacking the wall with a bang. 

You watched and listened with baited breath, sitting up straight. 

“Princess?” He was there, standing in the doorway with his chest heaving. It was impossible not to recognize him, even with his mask on.

You stood, and it wasn’t even a second before Swiss, your ghoul, had crossed the room and brought you into his grasp. You could hear his heart beating, feel the way his chest moved quickly- still calming down from running into the room. 

Your eyes welled up with tears, happy ones, as you felt his arms wrap around you. Relief settled in your chest, washing the earlier anxiety away. You started to cry before you could help it, pulling away a bit to look up at your partner.

“You’re really here.” He murmured, hands quickly coming up to your face to cup your cheeks. You smiled, sniffling a little as you looked at him. “I’m here.” You reassured. “And not leaving again.” The two of you shared a watery laugh.

You uncoiled yourself from Swiss, reaching up to pull his mask off. He was grinning brightly at you, and you felt your breath hitch. Ghouls were beautiful, and you’d seen his face so many times, but he always took your breath away. 

You smiled too, running a thumb over his cheek where you were holding his face, before drawing him into a kiss. 

Your lips moved in perfect sync, molding together easily. His hands pulled you closer and rested on your hips, drawing small circles into your skin. The kiss was gentle, your hands falling to rest on his chest. You hummed as Swiss gave you a gentle squeeze, sighing against your mouth before separating from you.

His hand met your cheek again, touch practically feather light as you pressed your cheek further into him. You turned your head, placing a few soft kisses into his palm. 

A cheer interrupted the two of you, the other ghouls (Cirrus in front, of course) whooping loudly and clapping. Your face flushed, and you dropped your head against Swiss’ chest as he chuckled. He waved them off, and you only moved your head once you heard the door click shut. 

He was looking at you again, so tenderly you thought you would melt. “I’ve missed you.” Swiss sighed, hugging you to him. Your arms wrapped around his middle in return. “Can’t believe you traveled all the way here and didn’t tell me.” He snorted. “Who knew you were such a sneak!” 

You laughed, smiling softly as you looked up at him. You were honestly quite proud of yourself. 

“I had a little help,” You admitted. “But it was so haaaard! I couldn’t tell you and I’d known for like months.” Your voice was little more than a whine.

“Months?!” Swiss yelped, eyebrows raising. “Damn,” He snickered. “You did good, baby. I didn’t suspect a thing.”

[bts-hyperfixation]

Outside of the Fox

Chapter 28 of 35

2866 words

Y/N longs for a new life when the one she’d been living comes to an abrupt stop. Without much thought to those she is leaving behind, the little fox packs a backpack and disappears. She stumbles across the shelter and makes an interim home for herself while she works out exactly what she wants from her second chance.

Last

"God the taste of your skin is addictive," Taehyung whispers in your ear as you wake. 

His arms encircle you, pulling you close as his nose rubs against your throat leaving occasional kisses as he goes along. You squirm as his tongue ghosts over your scent gland releasing lavender and rose into the air around you. He groans and buries his face deeper, his teeth grazing against your skin. 

"If this is what your neck tastes like, I cannot wait to delve a little lower." His voice is gravelly with sleep.

"Don't you think that kind of talk should wait until after breakfast?" You chuckle.

"And what if I want to eat you for breakfast?" He leans in to press his lips against yours.

"I'd say get in line," Jimin announces.

The redhead pounces onto the bed, landing on Taehyung with an oomph. Taehyung giggles and switches his attention away from you, grabbing hold of Jimin and forcing kisses all over his face. Jimin wriggles to free himself from the tight grasp but fails miserably. Instead, he gets himself all caught up in the duvet preventing him from moving away from the younger man's advances. 

You sit up against the headboard and watch as Jimin gives in to Taehyung, allowing him to embrace him fully. The playful teasing kisses eventually turn more romantic as Jimin takes control of the situation, leading Taehyung's mouth to his own. Jimin's hand travels up to Taehyung's neck, his two fingers pressing hard on his scent gland as his thumb presses into the soft part at the front making the younger man's breath stutter.

The air fills with the heady scent of chocolate as their makeout session becomes more heated.

"Perhaps I should go and see what the others are up to." You say, not wanting to interrupt.

You begin to slide out of the bed, only for two hands to shoot out and grab you. You squeak as you are tugged between the pair. 

"Where do you think you're going?" Jimin growls.

He nibbles at your ears as Taehyung sucks at your neck.

"To enjoy the sun?" You answer.

"The sun will be there all day. We only have you to ourselves for now." Taehyung complains. 

You relent as Jimin's lips cover yours. Taehyung's hands start to wander switching between grabbing at you and enjoying Jimin, seemingly conflicted between who he wants to touch first. 

_________________________________

Jungkook shuffled sleepily into the kitchen. Jimin had been missing from his bed when he awoke but judging by the heavy smell of chocolate and rosemary that was beginning to overwhelm the upstairs, he would assume the redhead had found his way into yours and Taehyung's room. Although he wasn't too sure if you were still with them, the rose smell was overshadowed by the much deeper scents. 

He was treated to the wonderful sight of Doctor Jin's bare back as he washed some dishes from last night. His mouth went dry as he admired the flawless broad shoulders. His eyes travelled up to find Jin watching him in the reflection of the window. He is met with a welcoming smile but he can feel the blush creeping up his cheeks at being caught staring.

"Did you sleep well Jungkook?" Jin asks, drying his hands on teatowel. 

"I... um yeah... I slept fine... Did you?" Jungkook stuttered.

Jungkook cursed under his breath at his nervousness. He had no issue talking to the doctor in the hospital or at home, but the minute he is put in a new environment he turns to mush. He grabs a coffee cup from the wall and busies himself with pouring and mixing. 

"I slept really well, although Namjoon doesn't half snore," The older man laughs.

Jungkook jumps at the sound, accidentally pouring the hot liquid across his hand. He yelps as he places the pot back onto the machine. Jin immediately appears at his side, pulling him in by the wrist. He runs the faucet until it is cold and shoves the bunny's fingers beneath. Jungkook holds his breath as Jin looks closely at the reddening skin. Jin is standing so close that Jungkook can see the laugh lines around the doctor's eyes. 

"You are going to need to stand with your hand here for a couple of minutes. I don't think the burn will be too bad though," The doctor assesses.

Jungkook mumbles something that sounds like an agreement and averts his gaze to the floor. Jin just shakes his head and walks away. Jin opens and closes several closets until he comes upon a first aid kit. He pulls out some aloe vera and a bandage wrap. 

Jin finishes making Jungkook's coffee as they let the water run for another few minutes. Eventually, the doctor allows the bunny to turn it off and brings him over to the breakfast bar. Jungkook tries to focus his gaze on anything but Jin as the older man carefully rubs salve over the red skin, but he finds his eyes roving over the delicate fingers as they move gracefully across his skin with practised ease.

"So... do you always cause yourself grievous bodily harm when you want to get close to someone? Or just a coincidence with Y/N and myself?"

"Um... I..." Jungkook stutters.

He isn't quite sure how to answer that without seeming like a complete clutz. The day he met Jimin he fell face-first onto the lobby floor of the shelter. Then meeting Namjoon and Yoongi he had gotten himself trapped in their bathroom, hands shaking too much to twist the lock. It's a wonder he hadn't almost killed himself meeting Hoseok and Taehyung. 

"You know what, never mind. I think I can hear the others beginning to wake up. Want to help me make breakfast?" Jin asks.

Jungkook just nods and follows Jin's lead as he passes him all of the ingredients to make pancakes. Jin then sets about making eggs and bacon. 

The smell of meat must rouse the other members of the family as they all stumble down one by one. Hoseok comes first, with a bleary-eyed Yoongi in tow. The jackal leans over to kiss Jungkook on the cheek, removing a little flour from the bunny's nose in the process. Hoseok hugs him a little uncomfortably but Jungkook appreciates the effort, leaning into the embrace. 

"What's cooking good-looking?" Hoseok asks, sidling up next to Jin.

He looks over all of the options that Jin has presented and licks his lips. He reaches over and steals a piece of bacon from the serving plate. JIn smacks his hands away and shoos him toward the table to sit down. Yoongi brings over coffee for each of them and sits beside him, waiting for breakfast to be served.

Namjoon arrives next. His heavy footsteps can be heard in the hall long before he is seen. 

"I thought I'd be the last up." He comments as he appraises the room.

He flits between each member, quickly scenting each one as he goes, even including Hoseok, much to his delighted surprise. 

"I think the others are awake... just not sure they are in a fit state to join us..." Yoongi quips.

"I'm surprised you aren't choking on the chocolate scent like the rest of us." Hoseok points out.

"I just assumed that was breakfast," Namjoon shrugs. 

"Did you think we'd opened some kind of chocolate factory down here?" Jin chuckles. 

"And Y/N is with them?" Namjoon asks, jealousy evident in his tone.

"As far as we know..." Yoongi replies. 

"We can make the house smell like it's on fire later if you like..." Jin says as he places a plate of food in front of the bear.

Namjoon's ears turn scarlet as the others chuckle. He shovels pancakes into his mouth in an effort to avoid thinking of a response as all the blood flows from his brain to his crotch. 

He is saved from being the centre of attention as you emerge from the hallway, all eyes on you, or more accurately on the glistening purple marks on your collarbone. 

You try your best not to make eye contact. You settle into a seat across the table from everyone else, heat rising in your cheeks as eyes remain glued to you. 

"So... Y/N... sleep well?" Hobi says, raising his eyebrows suggestively. 

"Surprisingly well yeah." You answer giving nothing away. 

You reach ahead of you for the syrup to drown your stack of pancakes. Jungkook slides into the chair next to yours, scraping it across the floor until he can't physically get any closer. His nose digs into your throat and his arms wrap around your waist. He takes deep breaths as he relaxes around you. 

"Enjoying the smell of me there bunny?" Taehyung teases as he walks into the room.

He ruffles Jungkook's hair, making the younger man whine into your neck. Taehyung then moves to your other side kissing along your shoulder before stealing your fork straight out of your hand and eating your pancakes. You slap at his thigh and just laugh it off.

"So what's the plan for today?" He asks, taking his own plate.

Just the Jimin saunters in, dressed only in swim shorts. 

"I thought we could go swimming again." He says, sitting in Yoongi's lap.

"I'm up for swimming," Hobi says cheerfully.

"I think I'm going to read and relax on one of the loungers." You reply. 

"That sounds heavenly, I might join you," Namjoon comments.

You finish breakfast quickly and Namjoon stays behind to wash the dishes as you all disperse to get ready. 

_________________

You paw through the swimsuits Jungkook purchased for you, you hadn't really taken in just how skimpy these choices were until now. You hold up each flimsy piece of fabric to your body as you contemplate the options available. 

"I would go with the purple," Namjoon says as he walks into your room. 

The purple happens to be the most complicated of the bunch. It has a variety of ways to tie the top that you couldn't even begin to comprehend on your own. You meet his gaze in the mirror as he walks up behind you. You lean back against him and he takes your hands in his, cuddling both your arms around you. 

"You would look stunning in any of them though." He kisses your cheek.

"Did you need me for something?" You ask.

"If I did, I can't remember what it was," He confesses "Can I help you into that swimsuit though?"

You bat his hands away and start to push him from the room. He laughs and plants his feet, catching you in his arms. 

"I'm only teasing," He says. "Seeing you all this morning just had my mind going a little wild. Thinking of Jimin's hands all over you... Tahyung's mouth doing unspeakable things... My imagination ran away with me and I just wanted to get my hands on you, is that a crime?" 

"Nothing happened between me and them," You point out. "Nothing below the belt anyway, if that's what you're implying."

"It wasn't, but if that is an option on the table I would love to be the first one to get a shot at making you com...fortable," he winks 

"I'm not sure I'm ready to be that comfortable with anyone. I'm not sure I was even truly... comfortable... with my husband," You shrug.

"Well, whenever you're ready, just let me know."

His hand tilts up your chin and brings your lips gently to his. You melt into his embrace, kissing him back softly. 

"Seriously though, can I help you into that bikini?" He mumbles against you. 

"I guess so, I'm not getting into it alone," You chuckle. 

________________________

The others are all already in the pool by the time you and Namjoon make it outside. You lay on a lounger under an umbrella and open your book, ignoring the way their eyes track you in favour of focusing on your story. 

You manage to get a couple of chapters into the book before an ominous shadow falls over you. You place your bookmark back into your novel and glare up at the intruder.

"Can I help you?" You ask.

"You just look a little hot is all..." Hoseok says.

"Don't even think about it Hobi," You warn.

"What exactly are you accusing me of?" He says, innocently.

However, the way he leans over you is anything but innocent. Taehyung approaches the two of you, a willing accomplice in what you know is coming and are powerless to stop. Taehyung takes ahold of your feet as Hobi grabs at your arms, you fight against them, wriggling the best you can but it's to no avail. All too soon you are being released into the air and met by a freezing cold splash. 

You cough and splutter as you claw your way to the surface of the pool, steady arms capturing you and pulling you to safety.

"Well, that was mean." You pout.

Hoseok and Taehyung are doubled over laughing from the side of the pool as Jungkook holds you up against him. It's at this point you realise you could quite easily stand on your own, the water is only about five feet deep, but you let Jungkook keep hold of you. 

The giggling twins on the sidelines don't notice as Namjoon sneaks up behind them signalling for those of you in the pool to stay quiet. He pushes Hoseok easily into the pool, the human looking betrayed as he resurfaces. He is then quickly hit in the face by a large splash as Taehyung falls in beside him, dragging Namjoon down with him. 

Jungkook is quick to cover you so he gets hit with the majority of the splash.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

"Of course I am," 

You reach up to try and remove some of the water droplets from his eyes but fail miserably when you realise your hands are too wet to help out. He doesn't seem to mind. He leans into your hands, preening at the touch. 

"Seeing as you are already all wet... did you want to go and try the jacuzzi?" He asks.

"Maybe in a little while, now I'm in here I think I should really repay the favour to Hobi and Tae."

"I can think of a way to make them suffer," Jungkook says.

He takes you through the water and pushes you up against the side of the pool. He kisses you harshly, and the side of the pool digs into your back. You wrap your arms around his neck and play with his hair as his hands roam over your hips and down to your ass. He grabs at you, digging his nails into your cheeks. You pull harder at the hair at the nape of his neck. 

He travels along your chin and down your neck, giggling when he reaches your scent gland.

"You still taste like chocolate and rosemary." He says.

"And you could taste that from the source if you stopped hogging Y/N's attention." Taehyung chimes in.

The panda tries to muscle in between the two of you, but the muscle bunny just pushes him away like he is nothing. He pouts, put out by his exclusion. Jungkook rests his forehead against yours and laughs as Taehyung tries to interrupt again. 

"You had her all night, she's mine now." 

Jungkook sticks his tongue out at the other man. Jimin decides to interject then, leaping onto Taehyung's back to drag him away. 

"Come play with me, Namjoon, and Yoongi, TaeTae." The redhead says. 

Taehyung flips backwards into the water, drowning Jimin in the process but he allows himself to be dragged away to the other end of the pool where the volleyball net is set up. 

"You're driving me crazy," Jungkook growls into your ear.

He presses his crotch up against your leg so you can feel him. The cold water doing nothing to hinder his impressive size. 

"I don't think I've done anything to drive you that crazy..." You say

"You don't need to do anything but be yourself. You are prancing around here in that tiny little bikini, teasing my hyungs, and all I can think about is taking you inside and making you feel the way you make me feel." 

"It's your own fault I'm wearing this bikini." You shrug.

"And don't I have fantastic taste," He winks.

"Maybe we should go and play volleyball with the others." You change the topic.

He looks a little disappointed that you want to change direction, but he releases you after one more quick kiss.

"I might need to take Yoongi or Jimin inside for a little while." He confesses.

All his confidence drains as a red tinge appears on the tips of his ears. You pinch his cheek and he swats your hand away laughing. 

You both swim over to the main group, having already split into teams. Jungkook presses up behind Yoongi and the jackal is very quick to excuse himself with Jungkook in tow. You take his place in the game and the rest of you continue as if you don't know why they suddenly disappeared. 

Next

Masterlist

Send me asks - doesn’t have to be fic related. Can be smutty, thirsty, fluffy, angsty, whatever you’re feeling regarding BTS. Can be literally anything doesn’t have to be BTS

[inkinmyheartandonthepage]

The Bet

Day 10 of flufftober and the prompt is Bet, Game, Contest. I hope you enjoy my take and you can read it here on Ao3.

“- really thought that Chris’s school play would get them together.”

“And you were wrong. Now, are you placing another bet or bowing out?”

“With the pot this big? No way. Eddie and Buck are idiots, but the sexual tension will get them eventually and when it does, I’ll be collecting.”

Buck froze where he was squatted down in the Grant-Nash kitchen, looking for a bowl that Bobby had requested that he grab. The group had gathered at the home for a barbeque, not to celebrate anything but to simply spend time with one another outside of work. They hadn’t been able to all come together like this in a while and they were taking advantage of the spare day they all had. The weather had been perfect, the kids happy and everyone relaxed.

“Okay, so what’s your next bet?” Hen asked.

“Halloween. Taking Chris trick or treating,” Chimney said firmly. “They will profess their love and being even more sickeningly cute than they already are. May as well give me my winnings now.”

Hen let out a loud ‘ha!’. “That what you said about your last guess.”

Chimney started grumbling, their voices fading away as the left the kitchen.

Buck’s limbs felt locked in place as he stared unblinking at the cupboard he had opened. The bowl he needed was right there in front of him, but he couldn’t bring himself to reach out and take it. His mind was blank apart from the one thought running through his head;

There was a bet on him and Eddie getting together.

Not a question of if they got together but when.

“Buck?”

Jolting at the sound of his name, Buck fell from his crouch to his ass with an oomph. He looked up to find Bobby hovering above him, eyebrow raised as he stared down at him.

“Did you find the bowl?” Bobby asked.

“Uh.” Buck blinked up at Bobby. He heard the question, but his mind didn’t register it. Couldn’t register anything other than the fact that all their friends had been betting on when Buck and Eddie would get together.

“Buck?” Bobby’s face twisted into something concerned. He started to crouch down, reaching for Buck -

“I have to go,” Buck blurted out. He scrambled to his feet, nearly knocking into Bobby who shifted back just in time. 

“What – Buck,” Bobby reached to grab Buck as he brushed past him, catching him around the wrist. “Hey, easy. What’s going on?”

Buck shifted from foot to foot, his mind spinning. Were he and Eddie in love with each other? How long had they been in love? Why hadn’t anyone told them.

“Buck, you look like you’re about to pass out,” Bobby said, moving his grip from Buck’s wrist to his elbow.

“I have to go,” Buck repeated, swaying in Bobby’s grip. He needed to think, to digest, to freak out in a home that wasn’t filled with their friends and family and the man who Buck was supposedly in love with.

“Breathe, Buck,” Bobby coached gently. “Just, take a moment. Here, why don’t we go sit?”

Buck was powerless as Bobby led him through the house. The chatter died away as Buck led him into an empty bedroom and carefully deposited Buck on the edge of the bed. Bobby stepped back and Buck watched as he crossed the room and shut the door gently. It took Buck a moment to realise that this was Bobby and Athena’s room.

“Take another breath, Buck,” Bobby said, voice calm and soothing like it was on calls.

Buck took another breath.

“Good job,” Bobby praised. “Keep going. We are just going to sit here until you’re ready.”

The bed dipped as Bobby came to take a seat beside Buck. His body was solid line of warmth and Buck automatically sunk into the touch.

Did Bobby know that he was in love with Eddie? Did Athena? Did Eddie know that he was in love with Buck? Was Buck the only one who didn’t know? It’s not like he didn’t know that he liked men. Buck had known for a long time that he liked both. Though, thinking on it now, he’s not really sure if anyone at the 118 knew that he was. Most of the time he talked about his dates they had been with women and some of the names he had mentioned had been gender neutral.

“I’m bi,” Buck blurted out, looking at Bobby who looked startled by the sudden admission.

Bobby’s expression softened. “Thank you for telling me, Buck.” His expression shifted into something concerned. “Are you worried about this? Because I can assure you, this isn’t going to change how any of us feel about you, Buck.”

Buck shook his head. “What? No, this isn’t a new, I know I’m, I’ve dated men.”

Bobby frowned. “Okay. Can I ask what has you spiralling?”

“Are Eddie and I in love?” Buck blurted out, looking at Bobby with wide eyes.

Bobby face fell. “Buck. I can’t answer that for you.”

“But you think we are?” Buck pressed. “Hen and Chimney have a bet going on when we get together. Not if, Bobby. When.”

Bobby shook his head. “I’ll have a word with them about that.”

Buck let out a pained whine. “You know about it?”

Bobby wrapped an arm around Buck’s shoulder, his hand curling into the muscle and gave it a firm squeeze. “I do. I’m not betting on you and Eddie, I promise. What the two of you have, that’s something for you two to work out. The bet, while misguided, does come from a place of love. They want you both to be happy.”

Buck slumped into Bobby, hanging his head. “So, everyone knows about it.”

“I’m afraid so,” Bobby chuckled. 

“Chimney has a bet on Halloween,” Buck said, voice coming out a little strangled.

Bobby gave a non-committal hum.

Buck swallowed thickly. “Do you – would he say anything – “

“No,” Bobby said quickly but firmly. “No one is allowed to interfere with you, or Eddie and they wouldn’t do that to either of you.”

Buck nodded. He didn’t think that Bobby was lying to him. Or that his family would purposefully be mean to him or Eddie. But the fact that they had a bet on them, that they could see something that he and Eddie had been missing.

It wouldn’t be the first time the two of them had been mistaken for a couple. Even early on in their friendship they had been. The Christmas elf they had taken Christopher to see sprung into Buck’s mind. And it had only grown more common as their friendship deepened. Strangers often commented on how cute a family they were.

And Buck supposed they were a family. He loved Chris like he was his own and Eddie had said that there was no one he trusted more with his son then him. He spent more time at the Diaz home then he did in his own. He practically lived with them. And Buck loved them with his whole heart. He just didn’t know he was in love with - 

Am I already in a relationship with Eddie? Buck thought frantically.

“Oh my god,” Buck groaned into his hands. “Are we really just not having sex?”

Bobby choked as there was a knock on the door.

Buck lifted his head out of his hands as the door swung open slowly and a moment later Athena was peeking her head in. “There you two are.” She looked between the two of them, a small frown appearing on her face. “Is everything okay.”

“Eddie and I are in a relationship, and we didn’t know,” Buck said miserably to Athena.

Athena rose her eyebrows and stepped into room fully. She slowly closed the door behind her and leaned against it.

“Buck overheard Chimney and Hen talking about the bet,” Bobby explained.

“I see,” Athena said, nodded. She gave Buck a sympathetic look. “How you doing, baby?”

Buck whimpered, pouting at Athena.

Athena chuckled, stepping away from the door and towards Buck. “It’s going to be okay.”

“Do you think Eddie knows we’ve been in a relationship this whole time?” Buck asked.

“That is something you need to talk to Eddie about,” Bobby said.

“My husband is right,” Athena said. “That’s not something we can answer for you.”

Buck shoulders slumped. “Yeah.” Buck rubbed his hands up and down his thighs. The idea of talking to Eddie now, of seeing him, made Buck’s heart thump rapidly in his chest. He couldn’t see Eddie like this. He still needed to get his head together and process that he was in love with his best friend. “I – I, uh, I think I’m still going to go home.”

“Okay,” Bobby said. He squeezed Buck’s shoulder again. “Would you like me to give you a ride home?”

Buck shook his head. “No. Thank you, though. I just need some time to think.”

Bobby gently pulled away, patting Buck on the back before he pulled away all together. “No worries.”

They stood and when Buck was steady on his feet, Athena took his hands in her. “Text us to tell us you got home okay. And if you need anything.”

“I will,” Buck said. He hunched so that Athena could press a kiss to his cheek. “Thanks.”

When they left the room, Athena gave Buck a parting hug before re-joining the party. Bobby followed Buck up the stairs and out of the house, walking him to his jeep. Before Buck could open the door, Bobby was pulling him into a tight hug.

Buck hugged him back, falling into the warmth and comfort.

Pulling back, Bobby made sure to catch Buck’s eyes. “Call if you need anything.”

“I will,” Buck smiled softly. “Thanks, Bobby.”

Bobby nodded and giving Buck one more pat before he stepped away. He watched Buck get in his jeep and stayed watching until Buck could no longer see him in his rear-view mirror as he drove away.

Buck doesn’t remember much of the drive home, his mind entirely on the fact that he loved Eddie. When he got inside his loft, he turned the lights on, went to the fridge, pulled out a beer and went and took a seat at his kitchen island. 

Opening the beer and taking a swig, Buck leaned on his elbows and stared at the marble tabletop.

“I love Eddie,” Buck murmured out aloud. The words made Buck’s stomach flutter. “I love Eddie.” He said again, louder. A smile started pulling at his lips until he was grinning. “I love Eddie.”

Buck felt like he was going to pass out with joy. Now that the initial shock of learning he was in love with his best friend, Buck felt elated. He also felt like an idiot. He had been looking for love all this time and it was right in front of him. How long had he and Eddie been building a life together with Chris?

Buck groaned and took another swig of his beer as the two emotions swirled around inside him. All this time, he and Eddie could have been together. If Eddie wanted to. An icy bolt went through Buck at the sudden thought and his hand clenched around his bottle. As quickly as it came it went, Buck shaking his head.

“No,” Buck mumbled to himself. “No, Eddie does. It takes more than one person to build a family. And we’ve been building it together.”

Because they had been. Buck didn’t find it and neither did Eddie. They built it together.

With that thought, Buck downed the rest of his beer and stood. He headed up stairs and decided to take a shower. He let the hot water relax him and wash away the nerves and confusion. By the time he got out and dried himself, dressing himself in a t-shirt and boxers, he was exhausted. He quickly turned off all his lights and made his way back upstairs, slipping into bed. He made an aborted to move to put his phone on charge when he realised, he left in the jeep. Inwardly he groaned but he was too comfortable now to get out of bed and go get it.

Instead, he closed his eyes and snuggled down into the sheets.

Buck jolted awake to the slam of his door.

“BUCK!”

Buck jolted upwards, his sheets pooling around his waist. “Wha’?”

“BUCK!”

Pounding footsteps sounded on the stairs and Buck blinked at the sudden light the flooded the loft. He winced, eyes slamming shut. He rubbed them before carefully and slowly opening them, squinting in the direction of the stairs. A second later and Eddie was flying into view, his face pinched with worry.

“Eddie?” Buck blinked. “What are you doing here?”

“You left the party early and then you weren’t answering your phone,” Eddie huffed. “Are you hurt?”

“Oh, no,” Buck shook his head, warmth pooling in his stomach at Eddie’s concern. “I left my phone in my jeep and was too comfortable to go and get it.”

Eddie let out a breath, his shoulder’s sagging. “You left. Without saying goodbye.”

Buck shifted under his sheet, ducking his head. “Sorry.”

Eddie drifted closer to the bed. “What happened?”

“Nothing.” Buck shook his head. “Just realised what a dumbass I am.”

“You’re not dumb,” Eddie said sharply. He came and sat on the edge of the bed, drawing his legs up under him until he faced Buck. “Don’t put yourself down like that.”

Buck’s smile felt soft and fond as he looked up at Eddie. “Yeah, well, in this case, I’m allowed to.”

Eddie brows scrunched up adorably. “What do you mean?”

Buck picked at his sheets, letting out a sigh. “Do you know about the bet they have on us?”

As soon as the word bet came out of Buck’s mouth, Eddie started to freeze up. His eyes widened and he looked guiltily at Buck.

“Oh my god! You do know about it!” Buck accused.

“Not for long,” Eddie rushed out, the words tripping over his tongue. “A month ago, I learned about it.”

“Eddie!” Buck groaned. “Were you just not going to tell me we were in love with each other?”

Eddie’s cheeks flushed bright pink. “I – I was! I was! Eventually. I was working up to it! I didn’t know if you loved me too.”

“I do,” Buck said, reaching through the space between them and taking Eddie’s hands. “Eddie, I love you.”

Eddie’s whole body relaxed, and he swayed forward towards Buck. “I love you.”

Buck beamed and he tugged Eddie closer, finally pulling him into a kiss. Sparks lit up under his skin as they kissed, Buck chasing the taste of Eddie as he shifted even closer. Buck released Eddie’s hand, bringing them up to cradle his face. His thumbs brushed over Eddie’s cheek bones as they pulled apart, their noses brushing against one another.

“See,” Buck breathed, voice low. “Dumbass. We could have been doing this ages ago.”

Eddie barked a laugh before he stole another kiss. “No. You’re the smartest guy I know. And we got there. Eventually.”

“We did,” Buck beamed, and it was his turn to steal a kiss. He pulled back, eyes running over Eddie happy features. “Where’s Chris?”

“Dropped him off with Abuela,” Eddie murmured, shifting even closer to Buck. “Will pick him up in the morning.”

Buck dropped his hands from Eddie’s face and instead grabbed his hips. “Good.” And then he dragged Eddie into his lap and kissed him deeply.

As they sunk into the kiss, Buck hummed, hands roaming and mapping Eddie’s body. Tomorrow, he, and Eddie would find a way to collect the winnings of the bet and shout themselves and Chris to a nice dinner and an outing. But right now, Buck was going to make up for lost time and discover all new thinks about Eddie.

[gumnut-logic]

Five pick ups and one drop off (Pick up 1)

A bit out there and non-canon complaint. Just doing this one for fun. Written in the few minutes between dropping kids home and dashing back to work (I may be a little late to work, oops).

I hope you enjoy :D

-o-o-o-

Alan was excited. All his schoolwork was done for the year and he could finally go home.

There was the usual ruckus with the corridors full of students yelling summer plans over everyone’s heads, bashing lockers, and running out towards the streets where the buses were full to capacity and traffic had ground to a halt, struggling with the volume of so many people in one place at one time.

He stepped out the doors and was almost knocked flying by some quarterback wannabe determined to get home before everyone else.

Stumbling back to his feet, he stared out across the parking lot looking for a familiar car or face.

Virgil would probably pick him up, he usually did this time of year. Of course, Grandma was always kind enough to pick up the last of the Tracy brothers to go through this school.

If he was super lucky, John would be there and they could chat space all the way home to the farm. Of course, it could always be Gordy, but although Alan loved his fish brother with all his heart, Gordy’s driving could sometimes be a little terrifying.

There was the wistful thought of Scott or Dad picking him up, but both of them were focussed on their secret project on the other side of the planet and he hadn’t seen either of them for weeks.

He missed them.

But the question proved moot as he could not see any familiar faces amongst the crowd.

Maybe Kyrano and Kayo would drop by? He loved talking with Kayo. She was tough and took no crap from anyone, but beyond that, she was fun to hang out with.

Sometimes the two of them could even out prank Gordon.

He found himself grinning at the thought.

Horns honked and people yelled at each other as kids and parents milled everywhere.

Alan sighed. He just wanted to go home.

But he had to wait, so found himself a bench and sat down waiting for whichever family member drew the short straw.

A kid hurried past and knocked Alan’s overloaded bag off his lap, scattering all his books on the pavement.

“Sorry!” He didn’t stop though, running down the path and into the car waiting for him.

Alan settled on glaring after him as he bent down to gather up the mess and hope none of his work had been spoiled.

C’mon, bros, where are you?

He jammed the books back into his bag, wiping off dirt as the sound of the traffic on the street rose up to batter his ears.

God, it was loud.

Wasn’t it? A roar rose and drowned out everything. The kids around him and their parents alike were looking up at the sky and yelling something he could barely hear.

A shadow passed over Alan and a silver hull spun in to land carefully in the parking lot, struts sticking in between parked cars.

Scotty?

Alan rose to his feet and, clutching his bag, dashed across the grounds just as his biggest brother lowered himself out of the cockpit of Thunderbird One. “Allie!”

Alan dropped his bag, flung both his arms wide, and barrelled full bore into his big brother in a flying tackle.

“Oomph. Wow, squirt, if I’d known you were this eager to come home, I would have dropped in earlier.”

Alan squeezed him tighter. “You brought One.”

“That I did.”

“Dad’s not going to be happy.”

“Eh, it was worth it.”

As Alan surfaced, he looked around to find all the traffic, all the people, all the kids, standing transfixed and staring at the great Thunderbird One above them.

Scott’s arm was warm about his shoulders. “What do you say we blow this popsicle stand?”

“FAB.” Alan was grinning ear to ear.

And if the principal of the school wrote their father a very strongly worded letter regarding the damage to a tree that may or may not have been torched by Thunderbird engines, it was still worth it.

So worth it.

-o-o-o-

[spacesapphi]

"Moving Forward, Spiraling Downward Chapter 19- Father"

SURPRISE!!! As a present for the holidays I'm presenting you with a double chapter batch! This one is a bit more intense, and has a pretty large twist if I'm honest, but it's something I've wanted to make for a while. Thank you all for sticking with me

CW's for this chapter include very brief allusions to alcoholism, brief mention of death, an awful deadbeat parent, brief mentions of homophobia, and mentions of cheating (wasn't sure if i should add it as a warning but JUST in case I will)

Summary: Months into recovery, Shane is thriving. The days are getting easier to get through, he's happier in general, his relationships are improving, and he's learning to move forward. He feels on top of the world, and absolutely nothing can bring him down!… or can it? A letter comes to the ranch that puts all that Shane's learned to the test and may be just what he needs to finally put the past to rest.

AO3 Version Here

Tumblr Version Below the Cut

The crisp, cold winds of November rolled into the valley, the Winter drawing near. For many the Winter brought a sense of gloom, dampening the spirits of the valley's inhabitants in such a bleak, frigid season. Normally, Shane would be feeling the same, the seasonal depression having long set in. But that wouldn’t be the case this year. This year he was content, maybe even happy . It had only been a few months of him speaking to a therapist and formally battling against his struggles with drinking, but already he was seeing a great positive change. He felt lighter, getting through the day with little to no alcohol was getting easier. Life was good, and it was only getting better!

Well… until one tiny wrench was thrown into things, that is. 

The evening was well on its way, and Shane was just getting home from a trip to Grampleton, using the excuse of Winter Star shopping for his absence. That couldn't be further from the truth, however, and there was one person who could catch him in his lie immediately, one standing just behind him . Shane shut the door to his car, preparing himself and taking a deep grounding breath before he'd need to go inside. 

“What are you doing ?”

Shane nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden noise, yelping when he saw Möhle  looming overhead, looking at him skeptically. He huffed and gave them a warning glare, “The hell are you sneakin’ up on me for?”

“The hell are you sneaking around for?” Möhle  rebutted, crossing their arms.

“I don't know what you're talkin’ about,” Shane huffed, leaning against his car, “I was just going Winter Star shoppin’, that's all,”

“And you only got one thing in the 6 hours you were out?” Möhle  motioned to the small boutique bag in his hand, earning an eye-roll from Shane. 

“When the hell did you get so observant… Just-... Listen… ” he whispered, looking around for any sign of Marnie or Jas, “If you promise to never tell anyone about this, I'll talk…. But not here,”

“We can go to my barn, no one will see us there,” Möhle suggested. Shane suddenly looked worried, “Is the guy hell-bent on kickin' my ass still at your house?”

“Elliott’s not going to kick your ass, he's just looking out for me, that's what family does,” Möhle shrugged, “And nah, he's been back home for a while.” they motioned to their eye, now uncovered and healed from the incident at the fair, “Everything's healed up so he doesn’t really have a reason to stay around and help,,”

“.... Alright then. Lead the way,”

The barn was indeed quiet, spacious too. No villagers were around to eavesdrop and all the animals were still grazing outside. All that was inside was the troughs and piles of hay, and of course Shane and Möhle . Möhle  flopped back into a haystack, a puff of dust flying into the air as they landed upon it. They patted a spot beside them, coaxing Shane forward, “C’mon, sit,”

Shane flopped beside them, letting out an ‘oomph’ as his body hit the stack. The bale was much stiffer than it looked, nearly knocking the wind out of him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he began to ruminate over the day, “You promise you won't tell anyone what I'm about to say?”

“Of course, it's safe with me,”

“I'm just askin’ because if this gets out I'm gonna be-”

“ Shane . It's okay, I promise,” Möhle assured, “You know I wouldn't betray your trust like that,”

“.... I know,”, Shane leaned his head back and sighed, wrapping his arms ‘round himself in a self-soothing manner. The look in his eyes was vacant, like his mind was a million miles away. Möhle  didn't want to pry, but they couldn't deny their curiosity was piqued now. What was he hiding?

"Do you.... want to talk about what’s going on then?" They asked cautiously, rolling onto their side to face him. 

Shane blinked slowly, snapping out of his closed-off state. Clearing his throat, he spoke slowly, "I… met my dad today,"

"Oh shit ," Möhle  muttered, a tone of disbelief in their voice. As long as they could remember that fact had been a total secret. No one knew who that man was, not even Marnie . It was a secret that had been buried in the past for as long as both of them lived... So how did he ever find that out?

"How do you know? Did he find you, or-" Möhle  shook their head, "Sorry, sorry, I'm prying,"

"It's... okay," Shane forced out, "I can tell you how, if you want to hear it,"

"Only if you want to tell it,"

"Oh trust me, I do," he scoffed, “It’s a long story,”

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

The Previous Morning

“Come on, it's time for breakfast, you gotta get up,”

“Can we pleaaase have waffles and ice cream today?” Jas pleaded, “I did my chores all week and I got a good grade on my test!”

Shane gave Jas a less than impressed look, “... Jas you know that’s not an option,” 

“Come on, pleaaaase !” she whined, “Just for this morning? It’s a special day!”

“Oh is it now?” Shane asked, feigning curiosity, “What’s the occasion?”

Jas neatly folded her hands in front of her, sticking up her chin and giving him a proud smirk, “Miss Penny says everyday is a special day!”

“Ohhhh,” Shane mused, giving her a nod, “Well in that case, sure!”

“Really?!”

“No.”

Jas grumbled exaggeratedly and flopped against the bed, twisting her face in disappointment. Shane leaned against the doorway, folding his arms, “Come on, get yourself ready so you can eat before Miss Penny gets here,”

Jas gave him a thumbs up in response before dramatically flopping her arm to the bed, trying her best to make him feel bad for the crime of ensuring she had a healthy meal. Shane could only shake his head and stifle back a laugh at the theatrics, turning back towards the kitchen. It smelled amazing in there, the scent of farm-fresh food wafting through the whole house. Marnie had everything made up perfectly, setting out a grand spread for the family. Even though it was only the three of them living there, she just couldn’t help but out-do herself when it came to cooking. It was simply a habit she just couldn’t break. She caught a glimpse of Shane out of the corner of her eye, giving him a smile, “Good to see you smiling again,”

“Yeah,  I’m actually feeling good, I think,” Shane shrugged nonchalantly, “I feel really… light? I haven’t felt like this since I was a little kid,”

“Well that’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

Shane looked to the tiny mirror hanging in the corner of the kitchen, catching a glimpse of himself. He certainly looked much happier, healthier too. His skin was no longer a sickly hue, and the bags beneath his eyes had lightened considerably. His eyes were brighter, demeanor happier. He still had a long way to go, but his progress was undeniable. He smiled softly, feeling proud of his reflection for the first time in a while, “Yeah… it is good,”

He turned to the piles upon piles of pans on the stove, a reminder of why he never bothered to cook for himself. Far too many dishes, if you asked him, “You need help with anything in here?”

Marnie simply waved him off, “Oh I’ve got this under control! If you want, maybe you can go get the mail? I don’t believe anyone’s gotten it yet,”

Shane gave her a salute in a silly manner, turning on his heel and heading for the door, “You got it, ma,”

Sifting through the mailbox resulted in the usual junk. Advertisements, blatantly obvious scams, sign-up offers, and all the like. It was rare that anything important was sent to the ranch, and Shane honestly wondered why Marnie even bothered with looking through it. Today, however, something would catch his eye. Hidden behind stacks and stacks of junk was a letter with handwritten text on the front, much unlike the rest. But that wasn’t all that stuck out. Written on the address line was not his name, nor Marnie’s or Jas’. It was Mona’s. 

He had to do a double take, blinking in disbelief as if he’d open his eyes to see a different name on the front. Who the hell was sending her something? Everytime Shane felt like a mystery about his family was drawing to a close, something like this happened. Another thing would land right in his lap and send him back to step one. He just couldn’t take his eyes away from that name, staring at those four little letters that made up her name in complete disbelief. 

“Anything good today?”

Shane jumped at the sound of Marnie’s voice, quickly cramming the letter into his jacket pocket before she could see it, “Nothin’ today, ma,”

Marnie raised a brow, entirely unconvinced by his tone, “Shane, what’s wrong?”

“ Nothin’, I promise,” he lied, “Just… thought I saw an expensive bill. It’s just junk, though,”

Reluctantly, she nodded in response. Marnie knew Shane all too well to know he was entirely telling the truth, but she decided not to press any further for now, “Alright… Well if it is just junk, why don't you come in and eat? I spent too long cooking for breakfast to go cold,”

“Yeah… I’ll be right there,” 

That damn letter just about burned a hole through his pocket all day. It could be nothing much, he supposed. Maybe an old acquaintance checking up on her for the first time in years, perhaps a penpal. Part of him wanted to check the return address, but pulling the letter out might draw Marnie's attention, and Yoba knew he didn't want that. No matter what it was though, Shane was grossly interested. Another piece of his mother’s life was sitting right there in his pocket, and it was all he could think about. He wondered if he should just bite the bullet and tell Marnie or still keep it to himself. The options weighed back and forth the entire day. Through work in the barn, lunch, daily chores, and dinner, that damn letter was all Shane could think about. 

Finally the day drew to a close. Jas was fast asleep in bed, leaving Shane and Marnie to lock up for the night. Marnie couldn’t help but notice he was rushing to complete his chores, like he was trying for some new record. It was… suspicious, to say the least. She approached him quietly, folding her arms, “Shane, tell me what’s wrong,”

He flinched, turning around to face her slowly. Worry was etched onto his face, looking like a child who was caught misbehaving. He quickly gave her an unconvincing smile, “Nothin’s wrong, promise,”

“Shane.” Marnie scolded, “You know it doesn’t help any of us to lie or hide things. Just tell me what’s going on,”

Shane’s smile fell once more, the worry reappearing on his face, “Listen, can we just talk about it later ?”

“... You promise you’ll talk about it, though?”

“I swear,” Shane nodded, knowing full well he was likely lying, as guilty as that made him feel. He slipped a hand into his pocket, feeling the crushed up letter stuffed in the bottom. Against her better judgement, Marnie decided to believe him, “Alright… have a goodnight then, sweetheart,”

“You too,” Shane chirped, slowly backing up towards his bedroom door as he watched Marnie walk to her own. As soon as she was out of sight he dashed into his room, locking the door behind him. Finally, he pulled the letter from his pocket, wasting not even a moment in tearing it open. The suspense was absolutely killing him at this point, and he couldn't wait a moment longer to find out what it said. Unfolding the crinkled paper inside, he scanned over the page, reading what would perhaps be the most shocking letter he’d seen in his life. 

Mona,

I know it's been decades since we parted ways, and I was wrong for leaving you like that. There hasn't been a day where I haven't regretted it. I don't have an excuse, but you're owed an explanation. 

When we were together, I was already married. It was rocky, there was so much fighting. During that time I found comfort in you, and I started to love you. But over time, I started to feel guilty. I wanted to make things right with my wife. I had a family to worry about, and I needed to be there for them, even if it meant breaking your heart.

So much has happened that made me realize I have to fix things. In the last few years my marriage finally fell apart. My wife and I never saw eye to eye on some things, one of them being our son. He was always an odd one, never quite agreed with his lifestyle. Then one day we got into an argument and I reacted terribly. In anger I disowned him, kicked him out. I regret that now, especially now that I can never apologize to him. We recently found out he passed away, and that was the final straw for my wife. She was so upset when we got the news, angry at me for shoving him away, and she left me. In the span of a day I fully lost two people I cared for most. It's made me think a lot, it made me remember how I lost you too.

 I understand if you don't want to see me, but I'd love to see you and finally meet our kid someday. I wish Jason was still here to meet them too. 

- Gerard Anderson

“What the fuck…” Shane whispered, his voice warbling, “This has to be a fuckin’ prank, there’s no way it’s not,”

But how could it be? Who would know enough about Shane's past to even think of something like this, and who would be evil enough to write it as a prank? The simple answer was no one. The only explanation was that it was real, no matter what he wanted to believe. 

“What a fuckin’ piece of shit ,” Shane hissed, “Not even a ‘sorry’? What, does he think he’s too good for that?! The asshole abandoned us and he doesn’t even have the decency to pretend he’s sorry! And then he asks to see me?!”

He paced across the room, gripping the paper tight. He was seething , face red and hot, teeth gritted so hard he feared they may shatter. Shane was absolutely seeing red, rage building in him with each passing second.

“And fuck off with the ‘we got in an argument’ part. Jason told me all about that. He got disowned because that man’s a homophobic piece of shit!” he grumbled to himself, throwing up his hands for emphasis, “I always knew he was a piece of garbage, but this? This is worse. I fuckin’ hate his da-”

He cut himself off, a realization clicking in his mind, one that made him feel woozy, “ .... our dad,” he whispered. He felt his eyes begin to sting with tears, an overwhelming feeling rushing through him, one he couldn’t tell if it was good or bad. He slowly sat atop his bed, staring at the opposing wall as he began to process that fact. Jason wasn't just ‘like’ a brother to him… he was his brother.

Everything was completely, entirely given new context. Every interaction with Jason, every day spent grieving, the last conversation he had with him. His best friend in this entire world was connected to him in a far deeper way. How strange fate was to bring them together the way it did. To make them roommates in university, teammates on the same varsity team, best friends, brothers. It was entirely incomprehensible. Exciting, yet absolutely terrifying . The thought just kept running through his head, lifting his spirit, letting joy swell in his heart. All until it sunk again when he remembered the situation that led to him discovering it.

He turned the envelope over to look at the return address. It was somewhere in Grampleton, a city not all too far from Pelican Town. Shane remembered going there many a time when Marnie made him tag along for errands. Hell, that was where the school all the towns kids used to be bussed to was. It wouldn't be much trouble to get there at all. Wasn't like he had much to do either. Business at the ranch was slow and he'd been long fired for his absences at JojaMart. He just had to come up with an excuse to go into town. Then, and only then, would one of the last loose ends be tied together. The last grand mystery of his life would be laid to rest.

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

“Yoba…” Möhle  breathed out, still in shock, “So that makes you-”

“Yeah. I’m his brother, and Jas’ uncle, I guess,” he mumbled, “ Fuck, it was so hard hearing her call me that today.”

“What does your aunt think about it?” 

Shane bit his lip, suddenly looking more nervous. Möhle  raised a brow, looking at him intently, “Shane…?”

“I… still haven’t told her,” he admitted with a sigh, “I don’t know how to. I don’t even know if I will , honestly,”

“Don't you think she deserves to know? It's her family too, Shane,” Möhle  scolded. 

“Mö she has threatened to kill my dad if she met him every damn time he's been brought up in a conversation. If I tell her about this, she's gonna be in jail by the end of the week,” Shane huffed, “Besides there's just so much goin’ on already… I don't want to upset her more,”

Möhle  thought about it for a moment before shrugging in agreement, “Makes sense, I guess… What did you do about all this, though?”

“Well…” Shane started, “ That's why I was in Grampleton today,”

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

Shane had been staring at the return address on the envelope for almost an hour, looking back and forth between the words on the paper and the house in front of him. This had to be it. A little townhouse in the heart of Grampleton, unassuming to most, but holding the key to one of the biggest secrets in his life. All Shane had to do was walk up to that door, knock, and introduce himself to his father. But he couldn’t bring himself to even get out of the car. Something kept him stuck inside, made him feel full of lead. He was just frozen. Was it fear? Was it reluctance? He just wasn’t sure. All he did know was that he couldn’t do this. 

He wasn’t even sure he wanted to see the man, if he was honest. He’d heard plenty of stories from Jason’s own mouth, about all the anger and mistreatment in that home, how miserable his father could be. The man would screech and scream, bringing down everyone with him. He sounded like an incorrigible, despicable man. And even though that was the case, something made Shane oh so morbidly curious about seeing him. Perhaps it was the need for closure. So many loose ends had been tied up so neatly now, but this was one that just hadn’t been figured out. He had a chance to change that now, and the answers to one of his biggest questions sat merely 10 feet away. 

But again, the man was despicable. Abandoning him and his mother, treating Jason that way, betraying his wife like that… The man was pure evil. Shane knew people could change and try to make amends, but was it possible for someone like Gerard to do so? Did he even deserve a chance? He just didn't know. Maybe it was a mistake to come here. Maybe he should just go home. But even though he couldn't bring himself to step out of the car, he also couldn't bring himself to leave either.

“Just do it already ,” he thought to himself, “All you have to do is knock, just-”

His train of thought was cut off by a harsh knock at his car window, one so rough he was almost surprised the glass didn’t shatter. Turning his attention to the person standing outside, he nearly felt his heart stop. Looming outside of the car was a haggard, aging man, one who looked not so happy to see him. His expression was sunken in and miserable, beady eyes glaring at Shane intently. Stringy, unkempt and graying purple hair hung in front of his pale face, casting a shadow over his sullen features. It almost felt like Shane was looking at a version of himself from some future where he did continue down his destructive path. There was no mistaking it, no mistaking it at all. The man standing here now was his father. Hands shaking, he rolled down the window, allowing Gerard to lean in closer.

“Who the hell are you?” he hissed, “What are you doing in front of my house? You some solicitor? Got a petition you want me to sign?”

“No, sir, I’m-”

“You a damn cop?!”

Shane hastily held up the letter in his hands, handing it over to the enraged man. Gerard snatched the paper from him, scanning over it intensely. Soon enough his harrowed expression softened once he began to recognize the letter. He slowly lowered it, looking at Shane with awe. His mind no longer clouded by anger, he could see his son clearly. He had his hair and Mona's eyes, completely unmistakable. Gerard took a shaky breath before motioning towards his home, “Do… Do you want to come inside?”

The inside of his father's home was… bleak. It felt almost empty, very little furniture filled the interior, and the furniture that was there was all some shade of gray or sterile white. The walls were nearly bare as well, save for two faded family photos in the entryway, one of which Shane had remembered Jason showing him years ago. There was an echo with every step you took, and an overwhelming weight in the air. Shane almost felt like he was walking into another reality rather than his fathers home. He followed Gerard through a narrow hall that opened into the small living room, finding it slightly fuller than the rest of the house. His father motioned for him to take a seat on one of the old couches, watching his every step anxiously. 

“So…” the older man started, sinking into the chair across from Shane, drumming his fingers across his knee nervously, “What’s your name, son?”

Shane internally winced at being called ‘son’. Those words coming from that man's mouth felt vile to say the least. He folded his arms across his chest, clearing his throat, “It’s Shane. Shane Aaron Yoder,”  he stated with pride.

“She gave you her last name, hmm? Not surprised, honestly,” Gerard gruffed. His expression grew softer for just a second at the mention of her, “... Your mother won't be joining us, will she? I-I don't blame her. I’m guessing she’s angry at me?”

“She's dead ,” Shane stated bluntly, glaring at him with a cold intensity. Gerard's expression dropped, his face growing paler, “Oh… I'm so sorry, son I-”

“Stop calling me that, please ,” Shane grumbled, trying his best to keep his composure. Everytime he heard that word it felt like a stab in the heart, and he could go his entire life without hearing it again. Gerard looked as if he was about to protest Shane’s request before solemnly nodding and retreating back into himself. 

“You must think I’m some sort of monster,” he bemoaned, “But I had my reasons for what I’ve done, you’ve read them, I’m sure,”

“I did… and I do,” Shane droned on. He felt a strange contempt grow in him, his foot tapping from his little nervous tic that kept rearing its head. His father seemed to ignore it, far too focused on his own feelings to even begin noticing. 

“I always meant to reach out to you, but everytime it just felt wrong . Soon the years just kept passing me by and… honestly…. I forgot about you and your mother,” he admitted, “After finding out about Jason’s death it all came back to me, so I wrote that letter.”

Shane didn’t respond, feeling himself turn angrier by the moment. He just ‘forgot’ about them? Forgot about the lives he ruined, the pain he caused? How could someone just forget that? It made him angry, boiled his blood to think about it. And to watch him say it so nonchalantly, like he was recounting a mere story he read, it added another layer to the animosity. But he didn’t let it be seen, not now. 

“I’m glad I did though,” Gerard gave him a grin, “This can be a new start for us as a family!”

“... What?” 

“Oh come on Shane, we’re family, we should act like it!” Gerard mused, “Wouldn’t you like that?”

That was the last straw for Shane. He leaned forward in his seat, lunging closer towards his father, “You don't get to just walk into my life like this and act like everything’s fine !”

“I just wanted to get to know you,” Gerard explained, feeling himself grow defensive, “I’ve already lost my other son, and I lost him when we were on bad terms. I just wanted-”

“I’m not a replacement for him! I'm not some… spare that you can just throw away and forget about until you need it!” Shane snapped, shooting up from his seat, “And I know aaaaall about why you were on ‘bad terms’. Kicked him out because you’re a homophobic piece of shit . And you know what? If you knew a single damn thing about me you’d disown me for the same thing and more!”

Gerard looked shocked, appalled even. To be yelled at by Shane in that way, in their first real conversation, he was entirely taken aback. How did he even know about that part too? Slowly his shocked expression switched to one of rage, a defensive wall building around him, “I reach out to you, invite you to my home , and this is how you talk to me? I didn’t have to do this, you know. I wanted to because I wanted to be kind! ”

“Are you serious?” Shane questioned in pure disbelief. Was he genuinely acting like doing this was somehow doing Shane a favor ? Did he think that this was supposed to make up for 31 years of nothing? Shane’s face grew red and blazing hot, an anger he hadn’t felt before bubbling in him. If he were the man he used to be, he’d cause a scene, lash out, scream. But as angry as he was, he couldn’t muster the strength to go after him the way he once would have, the way he always imagined he would in this situation. Clenching his fists tight, Shane resigned himself, speaking slowly and carefully, “This was a fuckin’ mistake ,” and with that, he turned away, striding out of the home as fast as he could.

He could hear his father yell and call out to him, but he couldn’t care to listen to the words he said. It just sounded like a cacophony of screeches, anger and venom dripping from that man’s voice, poisoning the air. But Shane decided he didn’t care. He didn’t need Gerard, he never did. He’d gone 31 wonderful years without needing him, and he’d keep it that way. 

Getting back into his car, Shane could feel a buzz of adrenaline within him, one that resonated in every bone and inch of flesh. His mind was clouded with frustration. He regretted coming here, regretted even having the idea. But in a way, somehow , he was glad for it. All his life Shane felt like he was missing out on something by not knowing that man. But now? He knew he was better off without him. He couldn’t even imagine the life he would’ve had with Gerard in it, and he didn’t want to. His real family was at home, and that’s all he needed. He didn’t need his father. He never did. Turning the key in his car, he drove off, taking a slow, peaceful route through town, feeling the adrenaline slowly wind down. He became more content in his decision to leave, feeling even proud of himself for it. Today was a true test of his resilience, and he believed he came out stronger than ever. 

—-----------

“Aaaaand that leads us to now,” Shane sighed. He looked to his friend, seeing Möhle  just silently take it in, nodding slowly as they reflected on his words. They ran a hand through their hair, exhaling deeply before they spoke, “Are you okay, though?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… That’s a lot, Shane,” Möhle  motioned outwards for emphasis, “You sure you’re alright after that?”

Shane let himself think for just a moment before a small smile came onto his face, “Yeah… I think I am. It’s hard, it fuckin’ sucks too, honestly. But I can deal with it. I’ll be just fine.”

“Sounds like those appointments are workin, huh?”

“Hell yeah they are,” Shane laughed. He leaned his head back on the haystack, turning his head to look at Möhle , “Thanks for lettin’ me talk about it, Mö… and for lettin' me in,”

Möhle  smiled softly, their eyes crinkling in the corners, “I’m just glad you’re doing better… You look happier, you’ve changed. But that’s a good thing. I haven’t seen you this happy since we were kids,”

“I think I just realized I have a lot to be grateful for. A lot to live for too,” Shane mused. He looked up to the ceiling, seeing the sunset shine through the barn's skylight, “Why shouldn’t I be happy about it? Why should I let that asshole ruin it for me?”

“You know, the fact that you could get through that without breaking is… awesome actually,” Möhle  observed, “I don’t think I could have that strength,”

“I don’t think that’s true, but thanks,” Shane smiled, “Means a lot from you,”

“So… what’s next?” Möhle  asked, “Like, what are you gonna do?”

“Well in general I’m just gonna work on myself. Find a new hobby, get myself out there… I just wanna focus on stayin' happy…” Shane sat up, holding up the boutique bag with one hand, a grin on his face, “But today I think I just need to get an early Winter Star present home to my kid,”

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

Jas sat atop a bale in the living room-turned storage room, contentedly reading over a book Penny had assigned to her. It was a short collection of classics, each story more fascinating to her than the last. She enjoyed having them as an escape, something to go away to when the going was rough. Even with how much everything had improved, there was still an air of tension deep down in that home, an air she wanted to forget. Books were her way of escaping, her way of finding a world where her problems were as far away as they could be. But perhaps tonight, many of them could be solved.

The front door swung open, Shane stepping in with an excited smile on his face. He peeked around the corner to look for his goddaughter, finding her still atop that little bale, “Jassy, can you come here?”

Jas jumped at the intrusion, smiling once she realized it was her godfather standing there. She quickly put the book down, ensuring she dog-eared the last page she was on for safekeeping before hopping down from her spot to meet him in the foyer, “You’re home!”

Shane held up the bag, “I’ve got presents too!” he laughed when he saw how her eyes lit up, her purple irises glimmering the moment ‘presents’ was uttered. She tried to contain her excitement, keeping herself restrained from just snatching the bag from his hands, but Shane could see that she was about to burst from anticipation. Gently he handed it down to her, feeling excited himself as he watched her tear into the bag. 

Pulling a white, ribbon adorned box from inside, Jas made quick work of untying it, excitedly opening the lid to find the most spectacular present inside. Amongst layers of decorated tissue paper were sparkly pink ballet slippers with the cutest little bunny faces at the toe tips, and just her size too! Jas had seen these little bunny jewel slippers in every catalogue and commercial, and though she rarely said anything about them, Shane always saw how much her face lit up at the sight of them. And now she had them, real genuine bunny jewel slippers, just for her! She gingerly pulled them out of the box, looking at him in complete awe, “These are mine?”

“Who else, kiddo?” Shane laughed. He kneeled down to her level, giving her a grand smile, “I mean, if you don’t like them I can just-”

“I do, I do!” Jas hurriedly confirmed, earning another boisterous laugh from Shane, “Just messin’ with you, Jas!... You like them though, right?”

“Yes yes, yes!” she squealed, holding the slippers close to her heart. Her smile dropped ever so slightly as a thought came to mind, “But… aren’t they super extra expensive? How’d you get them?”

Shane shrugged nonchalantly, “Yeah, I guess they were. But I cut back on an expensive habit! Got a lot more spending money now,”

Jas’ face fell further, her demeanor suddenly much sadder. She set down the slippers, holding her hands close to her, almost nervously. She had wanted to forget about that honestly, wanted that problem to not overshadow yet another happy moment in life. Shane frowned, picking up on the shift in her behavior as quick as ever, “You know… I’m really sorry about everything, Jas. Everything that’s happened; the fighting, everything I said and did. I know it’s hurt you, and I’m so sorry . You’re just a little kid, you shouldn’t have to deal with all these grown up problems,”

He sighed and folded his hands, setting them in his lap, “I didn’t say those things because I wanted to hurt you or aendi, I promise. It’s not your fault either, never was. My brain, it’s just… sick . It’s hard to explain, but it makes me feel sad and tired a lot,”

“Is that why you’re goin’ to a doctor?” Jas asked. Shane nodded, giving her a weak smile, “Yeah… I’m gettin’ help, real help, and you wanna know why?”

Jas raised a brow, seemingly skeptical of what would come next. In return, Shane picked up the slippers and held them up to her, “I’m gettin’ help because I need to be better for you, Jas. You deserve to be happy, and to have a happy, family. I know I’ve been breakin’ promises and that I haven’t been actin’ right. But you deserve better. And you’re allowed to feel angry, or sad, or scared about all of it. I won’t be upset at you for it,”

Jas slowly reached out for the slippers, feeling tears bubble at the corners of her eyes. She sniffled and wiped them away, speaking softly, “You’re not gonna go anywhere either…?”

“Nuh-uh,” Shane affirmed. He held out his pinky finger, motioning it to her, “I know it might be hard to believe me, but I really promise that I’m going to do better. I need to be a better dad to you, and I know I can be. Being there for you is the most important thing I can do… Someone showed me that today,”

Her dad. Shane actually, finally, referred to himself as her dad . Jas couldn’t believe it. Everytime someone had assumed so in the past he’d corrected them, and every single time Jas wished and prayed he wouldn’t. She just wished for once in her life that he would say “yes, I am her father,”. And finally he did. For the first time Jas truly felt like a proper part of this family, and it felt better than she could’ve ever imagined. Unable to contain herself any longer, she threw the slippers to the side, throwing herself into him as she sobbed. Shane squeezed her tight, letting her cry it out on his shoulder, “It’s okay, kiddo, just let it out…”

So she did. The two of them sat on that floor, holding each other tight, healing something that was terribly broken in that home. The loose ends had finally been tied together, and while not everything was fixed, the road ahead seemed less rocky. Jas could finally see and believe in a bright, happy future, one where her family was truly whole. One where everyone was loved. 

Shane picked up one of the slippers that had been cast beside him, handing it back to his daughter, “Do you wanna try on your bunny jewel slippers now?”

“Yes, please!”

[tenabrye]

Could I possibly get some headcanons for what type of music Vash, Nick, and Knives would listen to in a modern au?

If not thats totally fine! Thank you so much!

I hope I wrote this well since a lot of bands and artists can fall under a variety of genres.

Vash

Psychedelic rock is a genre he's not afraid to admit liking and listening to. MGMT, Tame Impala, Pink Floyd, etc. He typically likes to hum along and even sway his body to the beat, oftentimes just flat out dancing to the rhythm if it's a song or band that he can get really get into.

Alternative/Indie rock is another good genre for him. His top five might include Arctic Monkeys, Florence + The Machine, Two Door Cinema Club, Chase Atlantic, and possibly Teflon Sega. Not only do a lot of the ones he listens to sound amazing, but some songs just feel good after a stressful day.

Alternative/Indie pop, but he's picky about this genre. Lana Del Rey, Twenty One Pilots, and Blink-182 are just a few that he'll listen to. He's open for recommendations with this genre, though.

Synthwave is his JAM. It's his go-to genre for literally doing any sort of chore around the house. Kavinsky, Trevor Something, Mr. Kitty, and Wayfloe. He may also listen to such songs when trying to sleep, as they have an easy way of relaxing him.

Anything classical, but that's really only because his brother likes it. He's not really picky with any pieces belonging to this genre, but he does tend to listen to the softer, less intense ones. Sometimes he'll play a piece, whether it be on his own piano or from an app on his phone, and just think about Knives and how he's doing at the moment.

Knives

He's very into the classical genre, so anything from Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, and Puccini can and will be heard in his home. He'd much rather play the pieces himself than to use an app to listen to them, however, he'll elect to use the app if he doesn't have any intentions to play them himself.

Classic pop, which he's honestly very picky about. He leans more towards artists that are similar to Frank Sinatra, and of course he listens to Michael Bublé.

Synthwave, but only because Vash had it playing when he visited. He didn't care much for the genre, at first, but it grew on him. Only listens to Kavinsky and Wayfloe, though. Might seem stubborn to broaden this genre, but he's just picky.

Alternative/indie. Only listens to Florence + The Machine, Lana Del Rey, and Fleurie. Such powerful and captivating voices will always grace his ears for as long as he lives. Not that anyone would know he listens to them.

Industrial metal, but no one will ever know. His favorites from the genre are Rammstein, Oomph!, Celldweller, and Nine Inch Nails. He once heard Vash play an Oomph song and got scared, thinking his brother knew about it.

Wolfwood

Alternative just oozes out of this man. Bands/artists such as Muse, Sub Urban, My Chemical Romance, Green Day, ThxSoMch, etcetera, are what he will be listening to. Will even sing along to the song if he's feeling it, and that happens a lot.

Not opposed to rock or heavy metal. Metallica, Slipknot, Korn, Tool, even Ghost are bands he'll listen to. He likes the volume loud a lot, however, he'll make exceptions for when people visit him.

Rap rock bands such as Hollywood Undead, Linkin Park, and Limp Bizkit are also thrown into the mix. Listens to it during chores because he says it "energizes" him. Will most definitely sing along to every song.

Electropop, yeah, he likes it. Anything similar to Graveyardguy, Slayyyter, Night Club, and Ayesha Erotica he likes. Vash doesn't like riding in the car with him ever since he played Emo Boy with a smirk. Kidding, since the blond suggests similar songs for car rides now.

Metalcore, but he only ever listens to this genre when he's in a certain mood. Usually a bad one, but he thinks listening to bands like Bring Me the Horizon, Bullet for My Valentine, All That Remains, and Of Mice & Men will cancel out his bad moods. It's become a tell of his that lets everyone know how he's feeling without saying.