#and we were taking care of a child or two together while trying to rebuild our world?

[pens-and-paperbacks]

"Vander and Silvo grew up like brothers! Them being together is weird!"

Ok, listen. You're valid, but listen. In the original universe we get, I completely agree. Vander nearly killing Silco and them fighting for dominance of Zaun is brother vs brother, power vs power activity. I don't think that universe went any further. There was no room for it to go beyond that betrayal and bitter feelings.

Within the Timebomb universe however I think they became something more after reconciling.

The letter was found, they talked it out, probably fought (which, head cannon, probably left Vander with a new scar somewhere we didn't see) but after that I think they saw each other in a new light. They were now on completely even footing, fighting for the exact same vision of Zaun in the exact same way, through peace vs violence because now they've seen what violence brings and they don't want that to happen ever again.

They don't want to lose each other again.

They only really had each other, Powder and Vi to take care of after losing their parents, which is what probably got them thinking about being together as a couple of they hadn't been thinking about it already.

I just can't read their reactions/looks in that universe in any other way. It's just too tender? I just look at them looking at each other and see, "unwavering devotion."

Two kings rule over Zaun in that universe and they're very happily married, despite everything that's happened. Because how could they not be after everything that's happened?

[ramblingdisaster73]

Rambling thoughts while rewatching Lone Star ep 4x11 – Double Trouble (Finishing Edging the Bet made it so that I am just now getting to a rewatch of the episode (only watched it live))

The pregnancy & dropping out were my two biggest suspicions for Wyatt’s news

Joining the FD was a little farther on my list – but I didn’t expect to see three announcements (although technically – you could combine the dropping out & FD thing together)

So how are along is she?

When did he decide to drop out of school? When were these midterms? Did he complete his first semester then, but quit ½ way through the 2nd?

Doesn’t TK remember hearing about Mateo’s cousin? He was there for the first time Mateo mentioned Marvin

So – he came from the side of the wall – not the door to the bunk room? – that blocking just seemed like a weird choice.

Someone suggested taking shots anytime Mateo or Marvin say “cuz” = 8 shots in like 2 minutes (3 for Mateo & 5 for Marvin)

The “I’d like to teach the world to sing” reminds me of the kid songs videos – it was on the “Teach the world to sing” (we had it on VHS – because I am old).

“I would really suggest that you try to calm down.” Carlos Reyes – to a woman that should be dead

Carlos thinking – “Thank fuck, you guys finally got here for this woman that should be dead, but is yelling at me about the demon spawn children.”

I am not a fan of going to the Dr. either lady

I want an orange tree in my back yard. Too bad it wouldn’t hold up well here.

That is a lot of kids balls/toys

Carlos “dad joke” Reyes

Winston Churchill gave a lot of good speeches – none of them are ones that I would think to watch to get ideas for my child’s wedding toast (and I am a history nerd like Owen) – but it does make sense for him – if he ever gets a pet that he gets to name – that is what I would guess that he would name them.

I am a fan of Tommy in her gym clothes.

This scene is probably the most I have EVER related to Judd. The self-doubt/loathing is so hard to look/see past. At least he has Tommy & Grace.

What does Judd even have in his hand in the firehouse kitchen scene that was alphabetized

“As long as these chimes don’t go off” give “Unless the bells go off” vibes – Owen talking to Gwyn in 2x04 (old) firehouse kitchen scene.

That Mateo is into pokemon – not surprising – BUT – where did all his cards come from? Did he rebuild his collection once he moved in with Owen or was his collection at the firehouse, miraculously saving it?

$24,100 is a lot of fucking money.

If I had been asking my husband to fix something for 4 years – I would have already figured out how to fix it. That is a long fucking time man.

I like clipboard Marj – but I am ready for firefighter Marj to come back

If you have an uninsured porshe (at least in the US) – you are an idiot. Or any high dollar car.

If he got $900 for the pokemon card, and $24,100 from Nancy – how is he tapped now? Wouldn’t it be that he was already tapped?

Also – That explains why he still lives with Owen

Apparently Mateo decided to do the “take a shot for each time Mateo or Marvin say cuz” game

I think that the sitcom thing fits Mateo’s character – but would have been weird for anyone else – with the exception of maybe Owen.

So, did Marvin keep his hair that pink color to keep a guilt trip on Mateo – since he used it to cover for him in the first place?

Also – these are some old looking 13-year-olds.

How did Mateo not know he was a DREAMER until he was 17?

So setting a school on fire made Mateo want to be a firefighter? I can buy that, makes a lot of sense – I like getting the whys of their job choices on these shows.

Who did he move to Texas with at 16? But still not know he was a DREAMER until he was 17?

He lived with his aunt & uncle from 6-16, then ?? from 16- at least adulthood?

Turpentine smells so bad

Did Mateo take over his cousins love of scientific facts?

Who cares about those other milk customers when there is french toast on the table?

I can’t with the mustache

This is the most Buck that TK has ever been. Accepting the french toast, then his ‘boss/partner’ saying ‘no’, then him saying the same, only sad.

“He might get shanked with a toothbrush.”

Milkman Judd just keeps eating his french toast

Guess it is good to have a paramedic in the family

[sporadicarbitergardener]

October 7, 2023

Also right now my daughter father is facing life as if he is a "menace" when he's not. Never my enemy, but not my friend. Played me to my face and was building me down the whole time I was allowing him to get my daughter but he also starting recognizing the patterns of me losing control as well because of choices I made in life. He still protected me in a sense from a distance. We met when we were 17 and he was 20 at the time as well. It was done out of early life tendencies of wanting to start a family. We met, got together. Had a conversation to make a baby and make a family. He saw my pain when I lost my brother due to separating myself berceuse I was doing the best I could to be safe because stuff was toxic with a pervious situation . We planned her , at the time he was an atheist as well. He actually didn't believe in God because of his past in his child hood as well. When I came into his life I took him away from the Toxicness he didn't see at the time with his grandparents because they rebuild lies after lies and enjoys misery as well. When I found out I was pregnant I told him "shut up." because well it was hard to process that I had a life growing in me . September 16, 2016 at 804 North Broadway I prayed to become pregnant with a blessing and it happened.

Later we moved to my mothers on 26 Old sandy hook road and well that was a hell storm as well because regardless of age its a woman's job to raise her spouse and watch his back regardless of situation . Well I never knew a blessing would come like that. In January my mother got a call from my Granny that my Paw Paw Michael Lachney passed away and we went to the funeral then later called my baby daddy to come as well for more support . He met my grandmother . He was the only relationship to meet her in person and made a promise to "never hurt me". He hurt me by mistakes in the past with putting his hands on me but when he went to jail,I still let his family take my daughter to visit him in jail while they were taking advantage f my situation not having family around me and well they were trying to build a fake dcfs case and well I had to leave to go to Navarre, Florida to his grand maw Jessica Herbert because his side of the Vincent's come with games and lies. They didn't even care to help Taylor Vincent when she was down as well. Well no-one ever had enough money to pay for the restraining order to be lifted because they wanted to add a price to it. So we started doing it between us two and keeping "family out of it". Well January 1st this year I started letting him see her and take her when he can. His family even invited me to go to easter gathering as well but I couldn't go because I wanted to chase the wrong things and was manipulated that I was "loved " by an old coworker named Morgan Christopher and well that turned into revelations. I went looking for job on 06/03/2023 and I told my daughter I was abducted because a white man named "Shane" from Livingston Parish used Predatory ethics towards me and did a study on my facebook and he ended up using me for 3 nights and acted like he was going to break my neck if I didn't give him sex and I cried in my sleep because I didn't want to do that and I was trapped because I didn't know where I was and I was terrified. He drugged me with Fentatyl , ... and well he scared me because he treated me as if I owed him. It was be killed or survive. Its never a "mans " fault when this shit happens instead its a womans fault because of the way it goes in the game. Violated a restraining order July 12 , 2023 to bring my baby daddy the sexual assualt paper work but didn't file charges because the police did their job the best they could first two incidents but I knew there would be no justice in this case because its always a womans fault no matte what they do . Now I also have fake profiles on facebook acting like me using people and lying as well. Its scary because it can lead to a "look" like I support the painful things women has to do just to survive as well. Women carry a different strength than a man. Its love. I held God close to me through this journey. I felt the sermon with me and the Holy Spirit watching me as well. When I came back I had alot of people leave me when I was down and well life cut me off from those I love dearly because of being Judged as if I'm evil or want money from people or like I'm entitled. No I have a story to tell. And well here came Gerald again but this time its different I can focus my energy and time on him and build him up to be a secure man in his confidence and show him that he is worth alot regardless the dollar amount in his pocket. Life is an investment, keeping diaries is a must for family secrets, but I hope this story inspires people because love covers all wrong. Even if its from a distance. #womensrights #family #babydaddytalk #love #joy #rapmusic #thugtalk #god #life #peace #inspiration #time #peace #freelancelifecoach #amazing #happiness #promises #Heaven #Gayrights #peoplerights #humanity #openminded #undergroundmusic #avoice #freeproft #artist #love #tattoo #hair #nails #men #pain #emo #hurt #demosticviolence #parentinglove #earth

[angelamajiki]

[ a father’s love ]

PARING: StepFather! Aizawa x StepDaughter! Reader

SYNOPSIS: Your stepfather took you in with open arms after the death of your mother. Depression gets the better of you and Shouta promises to take care of you. But just how far is he willing to go to see it through?

CW: yandere, pseudo-incest, mentions of stalkers, mentions of death, depression, mental health issues, pregnancy, noncon, somnophilia, bondage, daddy kink, praise kink, afab reader

AN: my first collab with the bnharem server!! the theme was roommates (i ran with the term loosely) read the other member’s takes here! mind the tags as usual and enjoy!! :)

The death of your mother shattered you. A freak accident with a villain attack had her crushed under rubble from a collapsed building. Your stepfather, Shouta, suggested that you move back home with him after her funeral. As tempting as the offer was, you were determined to make it through University and handle yourself like a big girl, an adult ready to take on the world. You had only moved out a few months before her death, independence calling to you after you received your college acceptance letter.

A few months and an eviction notice later, you crawled back to him, the only remnants of your family. Open arms enveloped you, bringing you solace and comfort in your dire time of need. You felt like a child, bundled up in his arms as you sobbed, screaming at the cruelty of the world. Depression hit you hard and deep, flunking you out of your classes and preventing the bills from being paid. You had no other alternative but to accept his offer.

“You time and space to grieve properly, kitty. The most logical thing to do is take a breather.”

Ah, kitty. He always knew that was your favorite nickname, calling you that ever since you were a little girl. He also always knew just what to say. Patting your thigh, he stood up and extended his hand to help you up as well.

“Let’s go step up your room. I'm sure you need a nap after that cry.”

He gave a wrinkly smile before disappearing down the hall.

Skeptical at first, you were unsure if it was the right move to return home. You needed time to figure out what you wanted, what you needed. A break from life would give you a chance to sort things out, right? And Shouta was more than prepared to use this opportunity to show you he would be all that you needed and more.

The man was nothing short of doting and generous. A shoulder to cry on, a good laugh, a friend, a father. He helped you piece your broken soul back together. Whenever he wasn’t patrolling, he was at home with you. When your depression seemed to drown you, Shouta was there to pull you out of the water. He made sure you ate, helped brush your hair when it was matted, and got you into clean clothes daily. It was the small things that he did for you that helped your demeanor change.

—

“Up and at ‘em, kitty. Breakfast is on the table.”

You grunted, burrowing deeper into your bedding. A chuckle reverberated in his throat as he rubbed your lower back soothingly.

“C’mon, I know you haven't been eating lately. Let's get some food in you. I made your favorite.”

—

But as time passed, his help could only do so much. Your mental health continued to dwindle, plummeting into the ground when her first anniversary passed.

—

Gentle strokes of a brush smoothed through your tangled hair. Shouta was kind enough to help you when your head got matted into a rat’s nest, being incredibly tender and gentle with you. Tears streamed down your face, broken hiccups and sobs bubbling from your chest. You were trying to hold it in, he could tell. A sweet kiss was placed on the back of your head as he enveloped you in a comforting embrace, letting his hands sip down to your hips to rub circles in.

“Let it out, kitty. I'm here for you.”

He was the only one that was.

—

The domestic dynamic the two of you fell into hardly felt like one of parent and child, but more as two lovers sharing a home they built together. The pair of you even adopted a new cat together in hopes of cheering you up. You can't say that you disliked it. It felt...nice to have your presence matter when it was a struggle even to be alive. Shouta always checked in on you; whether he sent you an update from work or shared a cat video. He really was the best father anyone could hope for, even when your depression got the worst of you.

Your depression started to manifest itself in many forms. Lately, you’d been having vicious nightmares, only to wake up with an unknown stickiness on your thighs. Recalling the night terrors was something that evaded you, but you knew you were being violated. Perhaps your body wet itself from the fear of the dream? It was the only logical answer you and Shouta could come up with. Depression sure had funny ways of physically manifesting itself. You thought that would be the end of it, putting the situation behind you.

It was until it started happening nightly. The nightmares only seemed to prolong themselves, worsening to the point where you could vividly dream of being assaulted. Your underwear was now soiled too, and it definitely wasn’t your doing. Fearing you had a stalker, Shouta installed brand new locks on your windows and doors, hoping to soothe you. He was a Pro-Hero, so he certainly had the means and know-how to protect you. It put you at some ease, but it continued to the point where your stepfather decided sleeping in the same room would help you feel safer.

It didn't.

The nightmares themselves only seemed to get worse, but Shouta was right there to comfort you as soon as you woke up shouting in a panic. He would take you into his arms and hold you until you fell back asleep. You felt like a child. But he didn't judge you.

After a month of strange behavior, the stress caused you to gain some weight. Visiting a doctor was your best bet to get an answer. He took you to your appointment, letting you hold onto his arm for comfort as his hand rested comfortably on your thigh. The two of you were mistaken for a couple by a nurse. What a strange, intimate relationship the pair of your tangled yourselves in.

The doctor ran some tests and had your blood drawn. The results were to be emailed to you in a few days. Shouta calmed your nerves with a tender kiss to the forehead, reassuring you that everything would work itself out.

The notification for the email came in a few days later while Shouta was at work and you were lounging in the living room. Patience was never your strong suit, so you took his laptop from the coffee table, only to open up to a camera feed. Coming from your room.

The blood in your veins ran cold as you looked into the memory drive of the feed. Maybe he set up a camera to see what was happening during your nightmares? That had to be it; how could you assume the worst of your sweet dad? The only saved footage to be found was him fucking himself deep inside of your sleeping body.

“I see the results are in.”

You nearly jumped out of your skin at the sound of his voice. He always had a habit of sneaking up on you.

“What-” You couldn’t find the words to describe your anger. “What the fuck is this!”

Disgust. Rage. Dispair.

Your only family left had turned against you.

“You were upset at the loss of your family, kitty. So I decided to give you a new one.”

He couldn't possibly mean…

“You’re pregnant.”

Bile rose to your throat as you gagged at the mere thought of his words. Pregnant? With your father’s child? His betrayal cut you more profoundly than your mother’s death ever could have. But it couldn't have made more sense—his touches, his comfort, sleeping in your room, the nightmares that plagued you.

“You’re sick!”

You shouted, tears streaming down your face as you continued to pummel insults and nasty spats at him. You lost your voice by the end of your rant, panting and heaving while sweat beaded your brow. He just stood there, taking everything in with a grain of salt.

“I understand, kitty. I really do. I should have been straightforward with my intentions.” He confessed.

The capture weapon around his neck snagged you the second you moved on the couch.

“Let daddy make it up to you. I'll make everything better for my pretty little kitty.”

It secured you to the sofa, keeping your legs spread and your hands behind your torso. On his knees in front of you, Shouta was ready to serve his apology with his tongue. Panties and sweatpants were ripped at the seams before being tossed aside.

He caressed your thigh with a delicate touch, pressing his lips to the other side. A kiss was pressed to your clit before long slow strokes of a hot tongue lavished it in attention. He kneaded your thighs gently all the while, humming as he began to alternate between licking and suckling on your sensitive nub.

Your head thrashed about in your binds as you shouted in protest.

“S-Stop it right now! Get off of me, dad!”

In a desperate plea, you hoped that hearing you call him dad would force him back into reality. Instead, he groaned and took a breath.

“Call me that again, kitty.”

A hot mouth sealed over your wet cunt as he dove his tongue between your folds while sucking with his lips. The pleasure was undeniable; his tongue was too experienced to ignore how his ministrations made you feel. Toes flexing and curling, you cried out of a mix of frustration, disgust, and humiliation as he continued to work at your dripping hole. This pig was getting off on the fact that he was fucking his daughter. It made your soul shatter all over again, the one he worked so hard to rebuild.

You continued to sob, moans now added to the mix, as he worked a finger inside of you. He made a curling motion after plunging in knuckle deep. A pleasured shout broke between your cries.

“I'll take it that’s your sweet spot, pretty girl? Good to know.”

He continued to abuse that spot, slowing down just a touch with his tongue to drag out the ride to the peak. Can't have you coming too fast, now can we? Your moans and whimpers spurred him on even more as he wiggled another finger inside you.

Removing his mouth, he focused on stretching and loosening up your tense body. You were lax when sleeping, so sliding in was a pinch with his size. But now he has to deal with you thrashing and struggling against his bonds. Disgust and pleasure churned together in your gut, feeling the incoming orgasm approaching hard and fast. Shouta felt you clench around his fingers and added a third, using his thumb to swipe your clit back and forth. With a final cry, you came on his fingers with a shout as your body convulsed in the capture weapon. You found what little peace you could in your short-lived post-nut clarity, taking a moment to breathe and center yourself.

Your father gave you no such chance to do so, immediately springing his cock free and rubbing the tip against your clit to gather your wetness. A chuckle sounded in his throat as he watched you twitch even more from the stimulation that was starting to border on being painful.

“Relax, kitty. Being tense won't do you any good.”

He slowly nudged his cock into your hole, groaning as he took his time bottoming out inside you. Praise spilled from his lips as he let you adjust, feeling your pussy clench tight around him. Good girl, good kitty. He shushed your sobs, smoothing the tears off of your face with the pads of his thumb. Murmurs of good girl and taking me so well slipped your senses. The pace he set was slow and deep, letting you feel every agonizing inch of his rather impressive dick.

Your flowing tears were kissed away as he proceeded to thrust faster and deeper. The sound of skin slapping against one another filled the room, even above your now weakened crying and whimpers. Sweat beaded on your brow plastered your hair to your forehead. His breath was warm against your cheek, his moans of pleasure so close to your ear forced you to stay in the moment.

Shouta swallowed your cute noises with a kiss, cupping and stroking your cheek with his right hand while his left pinned your hips down into the cushions. He did his best to stop your tears, pushing the hair off of your sweaty face. A few minutes passed filled with kisses, cries, and deep thrusts before he maneuvered you to be seated in his lap. Back pressed into the cushions, he lazily thrust up into you, hands grabbing your now bouncing ass. His thumb made its way back to your clit as he rubbed it in small circles, grinning at your cries of pleasure that you couldn't hold back. Dark brown eyes fluttered shut as he groaned and moaned proudly, increasing the speed of his thrusts as he felt himself getting closer and closer.

He usually lasted longer while you were sleeping; he does have quite a bit of stamina from his hero work. But something about seeing your flushed, torn face, hearing your whimpers and cries, he can't help but cum rather quickly for his own record. The pleasure was manifesting itself within you again, a second orgasm hitting you like a speeding truck as you gasped and choked for air at its intensity. Shouta was soon to follow, grunting and moaning loudly as he filled your cunt with his spend. He rode out both your orgasms, relishing in the silence between the two of you. It was better than hearing your broken, choked up wails.

It was wrong; he knew that. Breaking your trust, violating you, sabotaging your personal life, he couldn't help but be selfish with you. But he always knew what was best for you, always knew how to take care of you when you couldn't.

Foreheads pressed together, he caught your sagging body against him in a warm hug, stroking your hair when you started to sob uncontrollably.

“Let it out, kitty. I'm here for you.”

[shemarmooresfedora]

Rebuilding Family

Summary: Y/N and Spencer were college sweethearts at Cal-Tech but once Spencer got accepted to the FBI Academy, he ended things deciding it was not fair to make Y/N wait for him. When they meet again years later, he discovers something unexpected.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem! Reader

Masterlist

Chapter 11

Once you pulled into the driveway after getting back from the hospital, you turned to face Spencer.

“Let me get Jo inside first and then I’ll help

you in.”

“Y/N, I’m not a child. I can get inside the house myself,” he insisted.

“You are hurt, Spence. Just let me help you please,” you urged.

“Fine but only because you want to. I don’t want to be a burden,” he replied.

“Taking care of you will never be a burden, I promise,” you assured him as you unbuckled Jo and lifted her out of her car seat.

A few minutes later, you returned to the car to give Spencer extra support and make sure he wouldn’t fall with his crutches.

“Jo wants you to read her a bedtime story if you’re up for it,” you said as you helped him up the stairs.

“I’m always up for that,” he smiled as you opened the door to Jo’s room.

“Daddy! Caltechia!” Jo chirped.

Spencer looked over to you.

“Are you sure you don’t want to read another chapter of Magic Tree House?” he asked.

“Caltechia!” she insisted.

“Alright,” he gave in, clearing his throat.

“One day, there was an attack on the mighty kingdom of Caltechia. The prince, being the coward he was, fled the town in fear. However, the knight stayed to fight and defend his kingdom. He wanted to protect the queen and princess.”

“Did he win?” Jo mumbled with her eyes falling shut.

“Yes but he got hurt in battle. Luckily, the queen and princess took such good care of him. The queen even agreed to a date with the knight and he was overjoyed. He was the luckiest man in the whole kingdom,” Spencer kissed Jo’s forehead as he slowly got up from the edge of the bed.

“Cute story,” you spoke softly with a smirk.

“Purely fictional,” he teased.

“I changed the sheets on the bed so it’s all yours,” you said as you closed Jo’s door.

“Y/N, no. I can’t,” he refused.

“Spencer, how many times am I going to have to say this...you got shot. You are not sleeping on the couch, plus you are much too tall for it in the first place,” you urged.

“What if we just share?” he spoke softly, “I-If you’re comfortable with that.”

“Sure, I mean we used to squeeze on to a twin bed together in college so I think we can manage with a queen size,” you giggled lightly.

Spencer followed you to your bedroom on his crutches.

“Sit,” you pointed to the edge of the bed.

Spencer just decided to not ask any more questions. You went into the bathroom and came out a few minutes later in an oversized black sweater and gray sweats. You then walked to the closet and came back with a folded pile of clothes.

“Can I help you get changed?” you asked quietly even though you two were the only ones in the room.

Spencer gulped, “U-Uh yeah. Thank you,” he whispered back.

You unbuttoned his dress shirt and slipped it off his shoulders. You slipped a large sweatshirt over him. It felt oddly familiar to him so he looked down.

“You kept it?” he asked, smiling softly.

-

It was chilly in the library early Saturday morning. You were trying to get a head start on your biology paper due in two weeks.

It didn’t help that you had chosen an iced coffee this morning rather than a hot one. However, you kept plugging away at your paper.

“Do you want this?” a tentative voice interrupted the relative silence of the library.

It scared you a little because you thought you were the only one on this floor.

Your head snapped up to meet the eyes of the cute boy who you had seen in the library many times before but had yet to interact with. You would have been more frightened about a random man approaching you but he looked more scared than you.

“Sorry what?” you asked.

“Do you want this,” he gestured to the navy blue Caltech hoodie in his hand with embroidered orange letters on it, “You have goosebumps which the most common cause for is being cold. The arrector pili is the muscle that causes hair follicles to stand up, therefore resulting in goosebumps.”

“Interesting, I didn’t know that,” you smiled, “Thank you for the offer but I don’t want to steal your warmth.”

“It was just an extra I had in my bag. Take it please,” he insisted.

Spencer didn’t want to admit to you that he had packed it, secretly hoping to have a conversation starter with the beautiful girl who was always at the corner table on the fourth floor of the library. You seemed to be the only thing that could distract Spencer from his books.

You took the hoodie and slipped it over your head.

“Thanks…” you trailed off, looking up at him to finish your sentence.

“Spencer.”

“Well Spencer, I’m Y/N. You are welcome to join me at the table if you want. I’m almost done with the first draft of this paper so then I was just planning on being bored and wandering around the library all day but I would be willing to make an exception for such a chivalrous gentleman.”

Spencer slid down into the seat across from you, “What’s your paper on?”

He never got his sweatshirt back, not that he ever wanted it back.

-

“Of course, I kept it,” you smiled softly.

“Can I unbutton your pants?” you asked quietly, not wanting to overstep any boundaries but also wanting to help make him more comfortable.

Spencer nodded. You carefully helped him out of his pants and into a pair of sweats.

“Okay, lay back,” you said, leaning his crutches against the wall.

You got into bed beside him, shutting off the lamp.

Neither of you moved, staying firmly planted on your sides of the bed in complete silence.

“Y/N…” Spencer whispered after a few minutes.

Without him even having to ask, you rolled over and snuggled into his side. Spencer smiled, wrapping his arms around you and kissing the top of your head.

-

Spencer woke up the happiest he had felt in ages. He almost forgot about the pain of being shot until he moved slightly. He kissed your head before slipping out of bed and hobbling over to his crutches.

He set back your alarm fifteen minutes to give you a little extra rest.

Spencer went down the hall and knocked lightly on Jo’s bedroom door.

“Time to wake up, Princess,” he rubbed his thumb back and forth across Jo’s cheek to gently pull her out of sleep.

“We are going to be quiet though so Mommy can sleep a little bit more. You change and I’ll make breakfast,” he kissed the little girl’s forehead who sleepily nodded.

Spencer cautiously made his way down the stairs, trying not to trip. He grabbed some strawberries from the fridge and began slicing them, popping Eggo waffles into the toaster.

-

When you finally woke, you heard giggling downstairs. You swiped your alarm off, getting ready for the day before making your way downstairs.

Jo was seated on Spencer’s lap on the sofa, watching cartoons, while Spencer was diligently working on Jo’s hair.

Spencer looked up as he heard you come down the stairs.

“Hey, I hope you don’t mind that I delayed your alarm a little because you had to spend all of yesterday taking care of me. I made you a plate of breakfast if you’re hungry,” Spencer said.

“Thanks, your skills are improving,” you grinned, pointing to Jo’s hairstyle of the day.

“I had no idea what ‘space buns’ were when I asked her what she wanted. I had to do a quick google search,” he chuckled.

You walked into the kitchen, popping a few strawberries into your mouth and grabbing your travel mug in one hand and your work bag in the other. Out of hands, you simply bit down on the waffle to hold it until you got to the car.

“Bye Jo. Daddy will see you when you get home but Mommy is picking you up today because Daddy can’t drive with his boo-boo,” Spencer explained, hugging Jo goodbye.

“Bye, Spence,” you temporarily removed the waffle from your mouth to give him a quick peck on the lips.

Spencer followed you both outside, waving from the porch as you pulled out of the driveway. Jo blew a kiss from the backseat window.

[strawberry-jammers]

One year

a dreamsmp x reader where a young (y/n) wants to rebuild an old old kingdom before they have to be crowned to rule over their parents kingdom. with the help of their friends and a couple of servants, they hope to rebuild it all with out their parent knowing about it.

part one part 2 part 3

part 2/?

masterlist

The lovely @acidicvolt edited this!

this part is just traveling and fluff lmao. it'll pick up in the others <3

this series is so much fun to write, I'm really enjoying it

word count: 2,215

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It had reached midnight, the sun long gone and nearly everyone in the castle was asleep, except for three. Karl and Niki made their way to the teens room, which was at the opposite end of the castle.

"Are you sure the king’s asleep? They have been on edge as of late…” Niki said, walking alongside Karl. Karl nods, clutching the bag he always wore. 

“Yeah, checked and everything. He's out like a light.” 

Niki nods, sighing. “Thank god he sleeps on the other side of the castle. We'd be dead if he found out we were helping his kid like this.” 

Karl nods again, looking ahead at where they were going.

In the young teens room, everything was prepared for their expedition. They packed appropriate clothes to sneak around, fight and blend in with. They had food, tools/weapons, along with the letters, money, and the lmanburg page. They were ready and excited to embark on this adventure.

Niki quietly knocks on the door, opening it a crack. Seeing that (y/n) was alone, she walks in, followed by Karl who closes the door behind them. (y/n) sighed, thankful it wasnt Eret. 

“So, you know the plan?” they ask. 

Niki nods, holding onto her own bag. 

"Okay, I'm staying behind to tell the king you two went on a camping trip for the next year or so. Somewhere in the middle of the woods where he can't check in to see where you are." Karl says to the two of them. 

"Thank you again Karl for doing that. " (y/n) says, leading Niki to their window. "Niki, you know enough of the plan right?" They asked, grabbing the ladder they had in case they ever needed to escape. 

"Yeah. We're heading to Tommy’s castle first right?" She asked, watching as (y/n) opened their window. A soft breeze entered the room. 

"Yep! Then we'll try to find Tubbo. Ready?" (y/n) said, hooking the ladder to the window and throwing it out the castle, trying to not make a noise. 

(y/n) looked down. It wasn't too high up, but it was still a bit scary. They looked back at the two servants, nodding. “Karl, when we reach the ground, bring the ladder back up and close the window. I'll go first. Again, thank you Karl, see you in a year!” with that, (y/n) climbed out the window onto the ladder. the two servants nodded, Niki going over to the window, watching the teen start to climb down the wobbly ladder. 

Once (y/n) got far enough down, they waved their hand for Niki to go after them. Niki smiled over at Karl. “It was nice meeting you, Karl.” she said, making the brunette smile as well. “It was! See you in a year Niki! Take care.” she nodded, grabbing her bag, making sure nothing was left behind. Once she saw everything was in check, she went down, following her new friend.

“Man, I should've worn a thicker sweater.” Niki said, finally reaching the ground. “Yeah, I should've checked before we left. Too late now though.” (y/n) responds, watching as the ladder slowly shrank back up into their room. The two of them waved at Karl, who smiled back at them. “Alright, where to go first? We can't just go straight to the tundra.” Niki said, watching as (y/n) looked around. It was still pretty dark out, so they hoped it wouldn't turn a day before they even left the castle grounds. “Well we need to find some transportation for when we exit the forest. Cant be going thru town, it's too early for that.'' Niki nodded, looking over at the forest. “Got any torches?” (y/n) asked the pinkett. Niki nodded, shuffling into her bag, pulling out an unlit torch and lighter. “Yep, need one?” (y/n) shook their heads. “Only one of us needs one for now, well just gotta stay close together. Let's go, we can't stay here forever.” (y/n) says, chuckling softly. “Of course! Let's go!”

The two of them entered the forest close to the castle, leaving it behind. (y/n) had no regrets, they knew they needed this, even if eret forbid them. Niki was excited, she hadn't gone on an adventure since she was small, so it was a nice change of pace.

“Yknow (y/n), we’ve never actually met properly before this. Only in passing.” she said, stepping over a thick tree root. (y/n) followed, nearly tripping. “Really? I didn't notice. Though, i was held up in my room for awhile there.” they said, looking at all the trees that encased the two of them. No matter how many years go by, they still found nature to be beautiful. “Yeah, I did become one of the king's cooks when you were 16, not too long ago.” she said,pulling a branch up for (y/n) to walk past. “Oh thank you. What were you doing before then? Before you started working for my dad.” Niki thought for a second before answering. 

“Well, i was only 18 when he hired me, so i was doing what any kid did at that time. For a while I took up gardening, growing many types of flowers, though they all ended up dying after a while.” she said. (y/n) stopped, noticing the forest was ending. “i did gardening as well when i was young child. Made many flower crowns and such with them.” Niki gasped excitedly at this. “Maybe we can make flower crowns together!! I haven't done it in so long..” (y/n) smiled. ‘Of course we can! We have a whole year after all!” they laughed together, looking out at the forest in front of them. “God I hope your mom doesn't fire me when this is all over…” (y/n) looks over at Niki, giving her a reassuring smile. “Well good thing I'll be the ruler when we get back. You're not getting fired on my watch.” Niki smiled at this. “Thank you (y/n)...should we go now?” (y/n) nodded, looking ahead once more.

The two of them continue to walk, leaving the small forest behind. “Okay, we should be in a farm area. The houses are spaced out so no one should see us. Should take a half hour to an hour to get through. There should be a train station after that. It'll take us to the arctic kingdom." Niki nodded, grabbing some bread from her bag. "Bread?" (Y/n) shook their heads, declining. "I ate before we left. Thanks tho." 

They both walked through the field, the torches flame flickering as they walked. There were no monsters around, since there hadn't been any around the area in 100s of years. They were safe. 

Niki looked at some of the farmland, noticing they had to walk through some of it. (Y/n) noticed it as well. "How do we get through there? They'll notice someone was here in the morning." (Y/n) said, not completely knowing how to get by. "Got any ender pearls?"  

(y/n) thought for a second, looking in their bag for some. “Oh, looks like I do! Got a bag full of ‘em.'' They hand some to Niki, who throws it over the larger field, hoping to get over without touching the wheat. (y/n) followed, both of them successfully getting across the farm.

“I am so glad that worked.” (y/n) said, putting the pearls back in their bag. Niki nodded, sighing. “Is the trans station past those trees?” she asked, pointing towards the small strip of trees not too far ahead of them. “Yeah, behind there's the train station. An old friend of mine runs it. Lets go!” 

The two of them basically run across the field, not wanting to waste a second of their time. The sun would rise at any moment, and they really wanted to get out of town before it rose. 

They had reached the trees, their original torch being burnt out from all the running. Niki grabbed and lit another, the two of them heading into the small patch of trees to the train station.

The station wasn't too much to brag about, a boring old timey train station was all it was. There was no train in sight, making the (h/c) haired teen sigh. “Damnit, the train might not be here for another several hours.” they said, heading up to the platform. Niki followed, smiling slightly. “Could be worse. Not sure how much worse but it could be worse.” 

The two of them sat at a random bench in the area, looking at the map (y/n) had packed.

“So the kingdom is all the way over there, which is about 6 hours by foot. Taking the train would be around the same pass but we wouldn't be out in the open.” (y/n) says, pointing their finger along the route they need to take. “Is there a way to get there any faster?” (y/n) shrugged, looking over the map. “We could either go through the towns and such, or we could get some horses and get there that way. Wouldn't know how to get any of those, they're kinda rare in this area.'' Niki nodded, thinking for a second.

Both of their thoughts were cut off by someone's cheery voice. “Hello! It's been a long time, hasn't it (y/n)?” They looked over to see their old friend, Jack Manifold, approaching the two of them. (y/n) smiled, standing up and walking over to the said man. “Eyyyy Manifold! Good to see ya!” The two of them hug, separating soon after. (y/n) looked over at Niki. “Hey, have you met Niki?” Niki smiled, putting the map in her bag, standing up as well. “Indeed i have! To be fair, it was a brief interaction. “Nice to see ya, Niki.” 

She nodded. “Nice to see you too, Jack.” (y/n) smiled, looking back over at Jack.

"Jack, we need to get to the arctic kingdom, do you know when the trains coming back?" They asked the slightly smarter man. He nodded. "Won't be coming back till noon today. I'm just here because I forgot something." (Y/n) looked up at the sky. It was getting lighter out. They sighed, looking back down at Jack. "We can't wait that long. Know any other way to get out of town fast?" 

"Well, I could lend you my horse. Most of the time he just sits here and cry's." I looked at Niki, who seemed to be pleased with the offer. "Mind if we take him? We'll return him at some point obviously." Jack nodded, starting to go around the train station. "I'll be in the arctic kingdom a day or so from now, so you can return him then!" We follow Jack behind the station, where his horse sat tied up while eating some grass. 

"His name is thunder, good lad. Constantly sad tho." Jack unties the reins from the pole, handing them to Niki. "Say, what's your trip for anyway?"  Jack asked the two of them. (Y/n) answered. "We're going to see prince Tommy to recruit him to a project we're working on. Top secret stuff man." Jack nodded. "Seems fun. Might join you if I feel like it. Well, have fun you two." They nodded, Niki getting onto the horse and bringing him to the front of the station. "Oh, by the way. You can't tell anyone I was here, at least for the reason I am here. I know I've asked for a lot but if anyone asked, can you tell them I went camping somewhere in the woods?" 

Jack nodded, smiling at the teen. "It's fine, secret adventures are cool anyway. I'll keep your secret, now grab your stuff and have fun on your journey." They smiled, hugging the male. "Thanks Jack, I'll repay you eventually." They say while letting go of their friend. 

He nodded. "Anytime (y/n). Now go, Niki’s waiting." They nodded, running off to the front of the station. They spotted Niki on thunder, who held all our bags. I looked up at her. "You know how to ride a horse?" They asked, trying to get up onto the horse. Niki giggled, helping them up. "Yeah, I was taught when I was younger. Come on, gotta get out of here before the sun rises right?" (Y/n) smiled, latching onto Niki lightly, so as to not fall off. 

"Yeah, lets go!" They took off, running along the tracks. The sun rose as they went, turning the sky into a pinkish color. 

Niki slowed the horse down a bit, staring at the beautiful sky. "I love the sunrise…" (y/n) hummed in agreement, resting their head on Niki’s shoulder. 

"I haven't seen it in awhile. Always amazes me." Niki nodded, smiling softly. "Should we continue or just watch the sunrise?" (Y/n) chuckled, lifting their head off the woman's shoulder. "We should go. Maybe we could watch the sunrise tomorrow. 

Niki nodded, returning the horse to his original pace. 

They left towards a small path in the forest, leaving towards the arctic kingdom where they'll hopefully find the first person they need to reach. 

Hopefully.

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series tag list, ask if you wanna be added! 

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[fandom-blackhole]

*claps happily* Could I please get a 50 & a 81 with Din? Oh this is so fuuunnn~ Thank you so much!

Ngl anon I had to play with this mash-up for a bit, but I think I have a winner 😉

Sorry it took so long, but I wrote some of this on my way home from uni for the weekend and finished it today. I hope you like it!

Words: ?? (I'll check later if I remember)

Pairing: Manda'lor!Din Djarin x F!Reader

50. Arranged Marriage  

81. The Missus and the Ex 

Send me Aus/Tropes??

Din had given up on marriage a long time ago. It was a dream of his youth, one he'd envisioned over and over to the point he could almost see the faces of his children running around in his dreams. But with age and as life went on that wish faded and with every new situation he just, well gave up that dream.

Then Grogu happened, and he may not have had a partner but he had his kid and he loved him. His life had felt like it had been dragging, nothing really new, just getting bounty after bounty and taking the money back to the tribe, but Grogu changed that. Suddenly he had a purpose, to protect the small child in his care, and he did with everything he had in him. He fought tooth and nail to keep the kid away from the stormtroopers, away from Gideon and had succeeded until he hadn't, but he didn't give up. He did more, gathered his resources and fought everything and everyone in his way to get Grogu, to get his son back, and then he had him again. But he also had the darksaber and the events following all bit blurred together. Before he knew it he his son had been taken by the jedi to train him, he'd broken his creed only to be crowned manda'lor of his people, and swept away to Mandalore with a fuming Bo Katan.

Months later he still hadn't wrapped his head around his new life nor the responsibilities he now held, but he did what he could and he did what he knew to be right. He ruled fairly and for the people, making decisions that he knew his advisors may not like but he knew would benefit his people.

Then his advisors were blindsided him with the news that a marriage had been arranged for him and the daughter of an influential mandalorian tribe who was well liked by the general public and had neutral if not slightly positive opinion of the new republic. Din was floored. An arranged marriage? He didn't really know how to react, but it made sense, marrying this woman would gain some of the favor of the higher more influential clans and tribes that had yet to sway in his favor. At the same time his heart twinged and mourned the marriage and family had dreamed and wished for so long ago, now fading to never be as he solemnly agreed to the marriage.

The marriage was a very public affair, much to Din's chagrin. But he was also relieved when he learned that he would have the week leading up to the wedding to get to know his soon to be wife. The wedding had been taken over by his advisors at this point after they soon realized Din could care less about flower arrangements and what specifically color of red or black he would be wearing, so that meant he could take his time and really get a feel for how he felt about the woman he was marrying. And he had to say, he did like you. You were smart, sharp witted and pleasant to be around. You had no qualms with your beliefs, and even what the two of you disagreed on you both stayed cordial and just agreeded to disagree. You were kind, and cared for the mandalorian people and rebuilding Mandalore much the same way Din did,, and had even given him praise on some of his accomplishments and things he had implemented to help the people. So when the week was over, and as Din laid in bed the night before the wedding, Din could tell, that he liked you, and given time, he maybe able to even love you.

Much like he had assumed, the day of the wedding was all but chaos. He was woken up at an ungodly hour to start getting ready, and make a few last minute decisions on things he really did not care about, and the entire time, all he could think was that he hoped your morning was much more calm and less hectic than his own. The wedding itself passed quickly it seemed. Din was escorted onto a balcony first, his armor freshly shined, his beskar spear in one hand and the darksaber hanging on his belt, and his newly made red cape sat neatly on his shoulders. His people cheered and waved when they saw him, and cheered louder when he felt someone come to stand beside him. When he looked over, his breath was taken from him when he saw just how beautiful you looked. You looked every part the queen you were about to be, regal and powerful in your golden armor that was distinctly opposite of his own, but paired together your armors felt like they matched like two sides of the same coin. Even your cape was opposite his own, a striking green color that he felt was perfect for you.

You both swapped the mandalorian marriage vows, and Din's head advisor stepped forward declaring you to be the new queen, and as the crowd cheered, both you and him were ushered away back into the walls of the palace. Din didn't even get to say a word to you, before once again he was pulled away and you were escorted back to your rooms, now that the marriage was finalized, the ball was to start and Din once more was taken to "change", even though it was more of just switching to a more intricately embroidered cape with furs lining the inside. Then he was taken to the thrown room where he got the pleasure to sit and and listen to people talk to him all the while he waited....and waited....and waited... and...why were you still not here? It had been over two hours, the lunch was supposed to begin soon and yet he still had not seen you. Something panged in his chest, worry that something was wrong and his gut telling him he needed to check on you.

So, without even waiting or caring about what the person talking to him was saying, he stood and marched from the throne room, immediately heading to where he knew your room was situated. The closer he got, the more his stomach churned, screaming at him that something was wrong, something wasn't right, and when he found your hall and a dead guard with a single throwing knife in his throat, his heart stopped and he starting running. When he got to your door, he heard muffled talking, and he wasted no time bursting in and pointing his spear. What he found had his heart dropping, there you were hair not fully finished being done, but dressed in a beautiful gown that made you look like a goddess sent by the maker himself, but you were being held with a knife to your throat even as you fought and scowled, though relief flashed through your eyes when Din made eye contact with you. You're assailant though, only laughed an all to familiar high pitched cackle that had Din's face warping in disgust.

"Oh look pet, big ole Mandalore is coming to save his bride. You know, he's not all that scary, we used to work together you know, back when he was still just Mando."

Clenching his teeth, Din took a step forward, lowly growling out, "Let her go, Xi'an. Why are you here?"

"Why, how could I miss your wedding?! You know hun, Mando and I used to have a thing, and let me tell you he is great in b-"

"Enough! Why. Are. You. Here," Din interrupted as he stepped forward again, only to have Xi'an step back dragging you with her and digging her knife into your neck causing a drip of blood to fall painting your neck.

"Well, if you must know. You, my dear Mando, have had a hit place on your head, and I thought I'd try and cash in and see you again," she giggled out. Something in Din snapped, and before he knew what he was doing he charged Xi'an managing to surprise her enough to knock her hand away and pull you behind him, before headbutting Xi'an right as she was coming out of her shock, disorienting her enough for Din to slip behind her and lock the handle of his spear along her neck. After he had her pinned, Din's guards came in not long after and arrested her dragging her away as Xi'an threw a fit.

As soon as the two of you were alone, Din approached you and cupped your face, with his hand, his voice low and he asked, "Are you okay, mesh'la?"

You just nodded, so slowly Din reached up and took off his helmet, looking you in the eyes he softly he gently ran hi thumb over the spot on your throat where Xi'an had nicked you, "Are you sure?"

Again you nodded, bumping your forehead to his before grinning widely and looking him in the eyes. "So you think I'm beautiful?"

Everything Tags: @mysticalgalaxysalad @phoenixhalliwell @moodsare @perpetual-fangirl900 @night-snows00 @dumbass-simp-for-fredweasley @stargazingthenightaway @meabravo @just-here-for-the-moment @masteracewindu @litakino

Din Tags: @elinedjarin @shellyc9 @spideysimpossiblegirl @sydthekid1518 @phrog-seeds @pintsizemama @blackmarketmummy @badbatch-simp24 @startrekkingaroundasgard @djarin-junk @mindidjarin @hmarsattacks @littlemisspascal @pixierox101 @moodsare

Pedro Boys: @blackmarketmummy @djarin-junk @littlemisspascal

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[mysticalrambling]

Hey there hope you are doing well🥰🥰🥰Saw you were open to blurb request...can you please write a fluff related to my second steve rogers x reader story...where the reader forgives steve after his tiresome efforts to win back his family..Like can you write about how a domestic sunday willl be in their lives Steve's, reader's and Ollie's? how they will enjoy breakfasta and Steve enjoys the day with his wife and son❤❤❤

A/N: This is basically an alternative ending to Regretting his Decisions. The original one basically ended in all angst so I hope you guys like this as well. It is totally different from the first one. Just something new :)

Regretting His Decisions (S.R)

Steve Rogers AU (Fan fiction Masterlist)

Summary: Steve and reader come together after she forgives him for all the things that he had done in the past. Now, they are spending a Sunday together with their son, Oliver. It is all fluff.

Warning: None. Fluff all the way.

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There were times when you thought that you shouldn’t have forgiven Steve because society thought that you were in a toxic relationship. They thought that he shouldn’t have come back into your life as he chose Peggy. But Tony told you the real reason. Peggy had hijacked the time machine and Steve had to spend his whole life in the past to rebuild that time machine. That’s why he didn’t come back to you.

However, Steve came back to you like he promised he would. He got Scott to help him reverse the past and become his old self. He was going to choose you and that’s what mattered the most. Your husband knew that the things he did in the start of your marriage were cruel and he didn’t deserve you. But he had suffered a lot and he was truly in love with you. That’s why you gave him a chance. You deserved to be happy as well and your family needed a proper chance.

At first, your interaction was just limited to Oliver and you lived separately even though you knew the truth. It was hard to forgive him for the things he had actually done like belittling you or abandoning you. But as time progressed, you saw how he was with your son and how he treated you with nothing but respect.

Steve gave you as much space as you needed and he was there for you when you needed him. He was there when your library burnt down during a fire hazard. He was there to console you when your parents suddenly died in a car crash. He was there when Ollie broke his arm while playing football. He was always there and that’s what got you to eventually open up to him. You finally asked to try again and for him to move into the house. Your family was happy and that’s what mattered. Other people can go to hell.

“Stevie, mommy needs pancakes.” Your three year old was sitting on the counter with his legs swinging back and forth. He was currently arguing with his father about your breakfast preference because apparently he knew you better than your husband.

“No, Mommy loves waffles. You want pancakes so you’re telling me to make them.” The little boy had been up for the past two hours because he had a nightmare. He always wanted to cuddle with his father afterwards and now, he was angry. “I’m your dad, buddy. Not Stevie.”

“But Mommy calls you Stevie.” He whined as he jumped in his place. Steve was quick to hold him in his place before he could fall. Oliver was never afraid to get hurt because he healed too quickly. The serum running through his veins always made him feel like a super hero. In a way, he was but Steve was always worried about him.

“She can do that. Not you.” At this point, he was just messing with his son.

“I can, Stevie.” Oliver asserted his point.

“Okay, buddy. Can I call you Ollie then?” This was going to get interesting, really fast.

“No! Mommy calls me that name only.” Giving him a pointed look, Steve laughed out loud. “Okay, daddy. I get it now.”

“Good boy. Now, let’s start making the breakfast.” Tying an apron around himself, he started taking out all the ingredients.

It was Sunday so you didn’t have work today. You always slept in late on Sundays and Steve always made sure that you got your much needed rest. A twelve hour job and a hyper three year old sucked out most of your energy so he didn’t like to disturb you for anything. Morning breakfast was your family’s tradition.

Steve didn’t know how to cook properly but you never complained. His burnt french toasts are better than any five star chicken steal and that was saying a lot. You loved him too much to ever say that you didn’t want to eat the breakfast made by him. It was such a sweet gesture that you teared up whenever you saw them entering the room with a tray in their hands.

“Baby, you have to hold on to the vase tightly.” Your husband’s hushed voice filtered through the door and woke you up from your deep slumber. Footsteps echoed through the wooden floor and soon the door opened.

“Mommy!!! Look I made you breakfast.” Jumping on the bed, he completely forgot about the vase of pink flowers and dropped them on the bed.

“Oh, thank you, baby.” Oliver’s knee accidentally hit you in the stomach and knocked the breath out of your lung. Gasping, you slightly cradled your child, “Be careful, bubs.”

“Sorry, mommy.”

Laughing, Steve corrected his son, “Oliver, we both made the breakfast and I did most of the work.”

“I beat waffle mixture.”

“You dropped it all on the kitchen counter. Not the same thing, baby.” He got up on the bed but still was not a match for his father’s height.

“I made it. I’m better than you.”

Interrupting them before Oliver truly got angry, “My baby is better than everyone. Stevie, don’t tease him.”

“’kay, darling.” He raised his hands in surrender and joined you both on the bed.

Steve was thankful for his little family and he tried to spend every waking moment with them. He didn’t want to miss the special moments so he made sure to take time off from missions. Nothing was more important than his family. There was still regret in his heart for treating you like crap in the early years of marriage. He would never forgive himself for the heinous acts that he committed. He will spend every moment making it up to you.

Finishing the breakfast with a lot of teasing and jokes, you went to get ready for the day. Meanwhile, your husband took Oliver to his room and gave him a shower. Oliver was a total boy in the sense that he ran away from the idea of shower. Only Steve could make him sit in a tub long enough to actually bathe him and by the end of it, no one knew who actually showered. Steve would emerge out of the washroom with water dripping down his hair and drenched clothes.

Today was no different. ”Help this little devil with his clothes while I go change.”

“Aw. Thank you, babe.” You tried to hold in your laughter when you saw his condition but you couldn’t help it.

“Next time, you’re doing it.”

“Sure sure.” Pecking him on the lips, you went into Ollie’s closet. He always said this but he was there to take your son before you could even think about taking him to shower. He would never admit it but he liked this chore. It was a bonding time for him and Oliver.

For today you all agreed that it would be best to just relax around the house. With the upcoming Hydra missions, the media had been loitering around your house to have an interview with Steve. You both decided that the best way to attain some privacy would be to stay home.

“Incredible, please!” The little boy sitting on your lap looked at you with puppy dog eyes that you didn’t have the heart to refuse.

“But we have watched that movie a hundred times.” Steve whined from his place on the couch.

“Not a hundred times, daddy. Just seven times.” Counting on his fingers, he showed you both eight fingers instead of seven.

“That’s eight fingers, baby.” You put one of his fingers down and squished his cheeks. He was too cute for his own good. “And we can watch it one more time but that’s it.”

Steve knew that he would be outnumbered in this match so he just gave up. At this point, he knew the dialogues by heart. But he preferred this over being lonely. He stocked up on all the snacks a day before so you were all set for a movie marathon. It was going to be really fun.

In between the movie, Oliver made you sing all the songs and you all cried when Mufasa died. Even Steve had slight tears in his eyes. Fate was cruel to the Lion King and he could never think of leaving his family alone. It was too much but then the happy ending always brought him joy. This movie truly was a true roller coaster.

“I wanna watch Boss Baby now.” The little boy demanded as soon as credits rolled in.

“Okay, boss.”

“He truly is the boss, isn’t he?” You looked down at the snuggled up child on the couch.

“Yes, he is.” Ruffling his hair, Steve gave his son an adoring smile.

The whole day, you kept going through movies that were demanded by Oliver and around five, you all fell asleep on the couch. It was a really good nap and you woke up before both your boys. You made them dinner because you wanted to eat proper food. Steaks and broccoli was the best option so you went with it.

“You made dinner?” The two hands snaking around your waist startled for you a second but you relaxed when you heard his voice.

“Yeah. Got up before you guys so just thought to start working on dinner.” You kept your hands on the side of his face while he nuzzled his face in your neck. He was extra clingy today and you loved that about him.

“Okay, I loved spending time with you both today.”

“We both did as well. I love you.”

“I love you too.” You were interrupted before you could kiss your husband.

“I’m hungry!” Oliver came waltzing into the kitchen and Steve picked him up.

Both of you looked at each other before saying it together, “We love you, Ollie.”

“Family hug!” Your son was demanding and you both would never deny his wishes. Your family was too cute and you loved them too much.

Hope you guys enjoyed it!!

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A/N: Tell me if you guys enjoyed it. I am open to blurbs and requests so feel free to send in asks. Love you guys!! And tell me if you want to be added to my tag list.

Tag list: @peculiarpenman, @kalopsia-flaneur, @justile, @agnesk, @caanyoonmoon, @nostxlgia18

Like, comment and reblog.

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[i-moved-blogs-ffs]

Danganronpa request can a reader who is really kind and a sweetheart adopt the warriors of hope and helpem to forget they traumas and also can the reader beat the hell up the warriors of hope parents after everything they done to those innocents children's please

Of course, my darling! I love the WoH so much- I adopted them too, they're your adoptive siblings now so you all gotta get along ok-

These are probably gonna spiral into parenting headcanons because I cannot help myself- just let these kiddos have a happy home life man- :(

TW for mentions of abuse. It's nothing explicit, but it can be upsetting to some. Please be cautious.

Anyways, let's get started!

- 🌸🍭mod mikan🍭🌸

S/O adopting the WoH!

Now, we all know these kiddos had a bad time.

They were all abused in different ways, neglected, put down to the lowest point they could be.

Junko was like a light at the end of the tunnel for them, a savior - someone who cared, someone who they could trust, someone who loved them. But it was all lies.

She didn't care.

They couldn't trust her.

She didn't love them.

But then, you came around. At first, they thought you were like every other demon; evil, cold and uncaring.

And yet, there was this warmth radiating off of you... Almost like another light they could chase to get to true joy.

After Komaru and Toko defeated each of them, they felt lost. What were they supposed to do now that their empire has failed? Were the adults going to punish them, by abusing and taking advantage of them even further?

The group wandered the streets of Towa City, alone, hiding from every adult they could see and fending for themselves.

However, they stumbled upon you and Komaru. You two have been actively looking for them after finding out they survived.

But the reason why you were looking for them, was pretty unexpected.

You wanted to take them in as your own. They were just kids after all, no matter how much they tried to make themselves seem bigger. You wanted to help them, teach them that not everyone will hurt them, because they deserve to be loved like any other child does.

And so, they went with you. Very reluctantly mind you, but they didn't have much of a choice.

And as time went on, they opened up to you, one by one. And soon, you guys became like a happy family.

Somewhat dysfunctional, but still happy family.

Ok so, origin story's out of the way, now let's get in a bit deeper-

Parenting the Warriors is pretty hard- they each have something about themselves that you need to keep in mind.

And besides, taking care of 5 children wouldn't be easy even if they weren't traumatized-

You have to be patient, warm and kind to them, and to you that's no problem!

I would imagine Masaru would be the first to let his guard down around you, because he could tell that you weren't a bad person from the start.

He would start to admire you greatly, seeing you as the only cool adult around!!

He's always trying to impress you or get your attention because of that. And you always give him praise, telling him he's the most awesome kiddo ever!!

He always gets a bit bashful when you do, scratching his head as an "awhh, shucks!", escaping his lips.

He's very fond of you! He wants to do the things you do, like trying out your hobbies or imitating your mannerisms. He just wants to be as cool as you are.

While it is cute, you have to teach him that he's only the best when he's himself!

Kotoko was probably the second to open up. The first thing she noticed is that you never, ever used her trigger word in a sentence, not even on accident. You always used words like "soft", "tender" or "mallow", maybe even "delicate".

Not me looking up synonyms on thesaurus.com rn shHDHS

Like Masaru, her initial gut reaction always told her you were a good person, but the walls she had built up just couldn't let you in right away.

And when she does get comfortable, she becomes super clingy. She's almost as fond of you as Masaru is, honestly-

She always goes to you for any sort of help. She feels like you're the only person she can trust 100%, whether it be with her feelings or some other problem.

You're like- the only person who she's super nice to all the time. She used to be like that with Monaca, until you took them in.

Actually, speaking of that, they completely stopped literally worshipping Monaca's every move once you entered their lives.

Now, next up is Jataro. He initially thought you hated his every move, and that you only took him in because of pity.

But, you were proving him wrong every day. Going out of your way to talk to him, being so incredibly kind that it made his heart hurt.

You always help him out with his art! He loves when you sit down and paint, sculpt or draw with him, even if you're not artistic yourself. He feels like he's wanted, and all of that self-hatred almost completely washes away.

The biggest moment was when you finally convinced him to take off his mask. And when he did, you could tell he was way happier.

You two burned the mask together, leaving that part of his life behind you and turning over a new leaf.

And because of your influence, the rest of the kids are way nicer to him as well now!

Nagisa was the fourth one to take his guard down.

He saw how much Masaru, Kotoko and Jataro trusted you, and after observing you further, he began to see why.

He was always very distant from you, and you respected that. So, you were pleasantly surprised when he suddenly started going out of his way to help you, talk to you or spend time with you. However, you never questioned it, which made him relieved.

It's like you two silently agreed that you were cool with eachother.

He's very mature for his age, so he's the first one to try and help you with regular day-to-day tasks, even without you asking for said help.

Mans over here about to start doing your taxes HDHDH-

You always tell him to chill out, but he insists. He knows how much trouble he and his adoptive siblings are making for you, and it's his own way of thanking you.

Now, Monaca's a little interesting.

At first she was only pretending to care about you, like she did with the rest of the Warriors, but after a while she genuinely grew to love both you and her siblings.

She doesn't like the fact she cares one bit, but she can't help it.

She still has very manipulative tendencies, but you always see through them and her lies. You call her out on it, but never berate her.

She's very kiss ass-y, I guess?? Always complimenting you for the smallest reasons and calling you sweet nicknames.

She sometimes just wants to make you mess up to try and get herself to stop caring-

Like whenever a problem comes up, she always goes, "S/O can fix it!😌🙏 Our (affectionate parental term) dearest can do anything!🥰💞" and the rest of the kids are like "yah!!💖💕" because they love and support you while you're just there like🧍

Because no you can't rebuild the economy do you look like bob the fucking builder-

AnywaY their parents are already dead, so you guys beat up H*ji instead. :)

Ah, family bonding time. 💕

And done!! I love these little spawns of satan so much you guys don't even know- this was literally so fun to write that I think I got carried away a bit hshGhd- I hope this is ok!

Make sure to wash your hands, stay hydrated, take any meds you may need to and stay safe! You were so brave, have a lollipop! 🍭

[sleepynobie]

seelie | childe x reader

(A/N: It's been a while since the last time I write so it takes time to get the feel back but yeah, I'm obsessed with this game so enjoy!)

This isn't what Childe expects on his first hangout with you after being busy for a while.

A sigh escapes his lips as he starts to reminiscing the first time he hung out with you. It all began when Childe happened to meet you during his free time and he decided to invite you to have lunch together. Well, you were suspicious of him at first because you thought he had an ulterior motive. But then when he said he's going to pay for the meal, that thought quickly dissipates as you agree to have lunch with him. That doesn't mean you didn't have your guard up as you didn't fully trust him. But eventually after hundreds of free meals, you begin to loosen up to him.

To conclude, you start to see him as a friend that he doesn't even need to bribe you with a free meal (but he still pays for it anyway), and as much as he doesn't want to admit, he begins to fall for you. So, when he suddenly gets busy with his work and unable to hang out with you, he realises how much he misses hanging out with you. That's why he's so excited about today's hangout.

But then out of nowhere, this so-called 'seelie' appears and steals your attention away from him. For God sake, the entire conversation of this lunch has been about it to the point he starts to get sick of it. Besides, is that really a seelie? Why would this Ulman guy just leave it on your care when he only met you for the first time? Unless he actually knows you and has an ulterior motive?! And what baffles him is how you casually accept it just because it's cute?! Anyway, he'll need to keep an eye on the seelie and start researching about Ulman-

"Aww, isn't (seelie's name) just the cutest?" Childe snaps out of his thought when he notices that your seelie approaches him and tries to gain his attention.

He frowns for a moment and has his guard up because he's still suspicious of your seelie which makes it flinch and flies back to you. But at the same time, he also doesn't miss the opportunity to flirt with you as he smiles at you "Hmm... I think you're the cutest one instead of that, (Name)"

A slight blush starts to appear as you get flustered for a moment. But then you notice how he doesn't call your seelie with its name that you frown at him "It's (seelie's name), call it properly"

"Okay, okay" Childe replies nonchalantly before pouting while looking at your seelie "You know, I'm still not convinced if (seelie's name) is really a seelie and not dangerous at all"

You sigh "Come on Childe, aren't you being overly suspicious? I've been with (seelie's name) for a while and it has been a great companion and comfort whenever I'm down"

"It's not overly suspicious. I'm being cautious for your sake, (Name)" He says in defence before turning his attention to Paimon who has been focusing on eating her food throughout the conversation "and what about Paimon?"

Paimon stops and looks at you with an expectant look as you look at her before replying to him.

"She's an emergency food"

"What?! Paimon is not an emergency food!"

"Ouch. Rest in peace, Paimon" He says and looks at her with pity which makes her look annoyed.

"I'm kidding. Of course, she has been a great companion too" You say before grinning at Paimon which she huffs in response and complains at how you're being mean to her.

"Anyway, I don't trust (seelie's name) alright?" Childe says "It might have been an act to let your guard down so when you're completely defenceless, it definitely uses the opportunity to attack you-"

"Okay, that's just ridiculous" You object before looking at your seelie and patting it "I just can't imagine (seelie's name) is secretly an assassin"

He sighs exasperatedly and starts to feel irked about not only how you're defending your seelie so much, but also the fact that you don't care about how he's trying to look out for you "(Name), just because it's cute, doesn't mean it's completely harmless"

"Well, I have to disagree because (seelie's name) is the proof that it's cute and harmless"

"How do you know it's harmless?"

"Then, how do you know it's harmful?"

"I'm just saying it's highly possible that (seelie's name) is waiting for the right timing to hurt you. Have you learned anything from our first meeting, (Name)?"

"But (seelie's name) is different from you!" You exclaim as your anger has been building up and finally bursts out "You don't even take the time to get to know it and yet you're already assuming that it's dangerous. Did you even notice that it tried to be friend with you?"

Childe looks taken aback at your sudden outburst whereas Paimon and your seelie look terrified. Meanwhile, you try to calm yourself down as you take a deep breath before explaining calmly "To be honest, I was so excited to introduce (seelie's name) to you because I thought you two can be friends so it can remember you. I didn't tell you this but (seelie's name) can detect treasures and now enemies if they're nearby. So, I was thinking if it remembers you, maybe it can let me know if you're nearby"

You start to look slightly embarrassed at how you're basically confessing your feelings but you prefer to be honest about it so you continue "As much as I don't want to admit, I miss hanging out with you alright because you're the only that I can banter with. The more we get to know each other, the more I realise how we're like on the same frequency even though ironically we're enemies. But we've decided to not drag our background into this if we're friends right? So, I'm not going to associate with Fatui"

Childe who has been listening to you, starts to feel guilty and ashamed at how his jealousy takes over his consideration to befriend your seelie. But then, when you begin talking about your feelings about him, that catches him off guard because he never expects you to feel that way.

"Besides, people normally don't try to rebuild their trust to someone because they've been betrayed once and that was me before. But ever since I met your brother and how persistent you were in trying to spend time with me, I got to learn more about you and I just decided to give you a second chance" You say before smiling "Since we're friends now, shouldn't you try to trust me that (seelie's name) is not dangerous? Even if it ends up dangerous, it doesn't hurt you anyway because it's completely my fault for not listening to you-"

You suddenly stop explaining and look surprised when you look at him because Childe's face reddens out of the blue. He quickly looks away when he meets you in the eye which makes you look confused but also thinks that it's cute since you never see this side of him.

"Woah, Childe's face looks like the Jueyun chili" Paimon suddenly says as she has been watching you two because she's too afraid to say anything. That ruins the moment as you stifle a laugh before eventually laughing when you can't hold it anymore. Childe who was feeling guilty, then touched and overwhelmed due to your confession, and now embarrassed because Paimon just had to say that. But thanks to her, the serious atmosphere tones down and he feels a little calmer before looking at you.

"Well umm... I'll start with an apology because like you said, I was being inconsiderate to (seelie's name)" He says and looks at your seelie apologetically before returning his attention to you "Honestly, I was also the same as you because I looked forward to hanging out with you again because I realised how much I miss spending time with you during my free time. It's the only time when I feel like I'm being who I am and how it feels like to hang out with your friends"

Suddenly, he starts to feel embarrassed at what he's going to say as he can't help but look away from you while resting his cheek on his palm "But I just felt disappointed when you only talked about (seelie's name) and care so much about it. I guess I just felt unfair since it takes your attention away from me"

There's an awkward silence for a moment because you still try to understand what he just said while the silence makes Childe even feel more embarrassing.

"So... you're saying that you're jealous of (seelie's name)?" You finally reply and Childe is feeling called out because that's basically what it is.

".... Yeah.." He responds almost inaudible.

"Oh" You merely say for a moment before smirking "You want me to dote on you?"

"That line sounds familiar.." Paimon says to herself while a blush comes up to Childe's face because he gets caught off guard. Again.

"So that's why he likes to flirt huh" You thought to yourself as you find it fun to do before Childe calms himself down by clearing his throat and changes the topic.

"Anyway, it's settled now. Although, I don't think (seelie's name) wants to approach me again"

"I think it will open up to you if you approach it first" You smile and he blushes slightly before trusting your words as he raises his hand forward to try to pat it. Your seelie looks unsure for a moment but you reassure it that Childe doesn't mean anything bad and it trusts you. It lets Childe touch its head and he looks surprised at how soft and squishy it is, similarly to a slime.

"See? How can you say that it's dangerous" You sigh "You're overreacting, like a child"

"Can you stop using my name as a pun?" He starts to look irked which startles your seelie and he quickly apologises to it.

"Aww you two are finally friends" You smile proudly and give a pat to your seelie and to Childe which irks him even more.

"Now, you're treating me like a kid"

"But you want attention right? I give you attention" You smirk mischievously.

He frowns at you and grabs your hand to get it off from his head before he leans closer to you with a smirk "Maybe you can give me something else instead"

You start blushing but you know that he's being a flirt again so this time, you're not gonna back down. Your seelie starts to panic as it thinks that you're gonna fight again but thanks to Paimon, the tension breaks again.

"Are you guys going to kiss or something?"

The two of you blush furiously and immediately say no to her.

"How do you even know about kissing?" You sweatdrop.

"Anyway, I hope we can be friends, (seelie's name)" Childe smiles at your seelie and it looks excited as it suddenly extends its ears before twirling around. You smile happily as you watch the two of them bonding together and thankfully the hangout ends well.

Bonus

"You don't really need to pay for the meal, you know?" Childe sighs since he wants to pay for the meal but you quickly take over to pay.

"It's okay, I mean I almost ruined our hangout so" You grin.

"I thought we're going to get a free meal" Paimon sighs in disappointment "Free meals taste better"

"Paimon..." Your expression immediately changes to the one where you're going to scold her.

Childe chuckles before smiling "I'll treat you guys next time alright?"

"Yes please!" Paimon replies excitedly while you just sweatdrop at her before sighing.

"Anyway, I'm gonna head back to the bank so I'll see you guys again when I see you" He says and pats your seelie which makes you look happy at how they get along.

"Okay" You nod "But before you go, let me tell you something"

"What is it?" He looks confused.

"I said that (seelie's name) is the cutest but just today, I found that you're cuter than (seelie's name)" You smile innocently while Childe looks flustered at the sudden flirt and he's not used to it.

"I still think you're the cutest" He merely replies before turning around to leave "Anyway, I'm going so see ya"

"Alright see ya" You wave your hand before laughing in enjoyment at how you like making Childe get flustered. Now he can relate to how you feel when he flirts with you.

[thadelightfulone]

All I Want... Mama’s Birthday

This is a request for some more DeeDee & Erik from @shaekingshitup. ENJOY!

DeeDee stretched out her arms and legs in her seat. Erik looked over at her as she curled into herself and put her legs down before she sat straight up. He rubbed his face and yawned while DeeDee bounced in her seat, waiting for the plane to roll to a complete stop. 

They got on this flight at 6 am PST and it was now 2 pm CST in Louisiana. When the seatbelt light turned off, Erik slowly stood up and stretched himself out. He reached up and grabbed their carry-on luggage, then waited for DeeDee to move past him. They walked hand-in-hand through the airport terminal to pick up their rental car.

DeeDee was excited to be home. Yes, her life was now in California with Erik, but she would always call Louisiana home. They were here for a week and she planned to make the most out of it. It had been almost a year since she left, and she was excited to make her return in such a grand fashion. 

Erik took his hand off the steering wheel and reached out for DeeDee’s. He laced his fingers with hers and kissed the top of it. The diamonds gleamed in the afternoon sun. DeeDee giggled and squeezed his hand.

“So, are we headed to the Juke Joint first? Or did you want to get settled in our hotel room?” Erik kissed her hand again before settling it in his lap.

“I’m hungry, E.”

“And so am I, Dee.”

“For food, man.” DeeDee shook her head, “If we go to the room, who knows what time we’ll surface.”

“Can you blame me?” Erik stopped at a red light and looked at her.

“Erik.”

“Oh, I’m Erik now?” He pouted at her.

“Don’t you start that.” She rolled her eyes, “At least, feed me before you try to put me out of commission.”

Erik focused forward as the light turned green. He released her hand and gripped her thigh. 

“As long as you know what you’re in for.”

“Boy, stop.” DeeDee pushed his shoulder and looked ahead as they drove to Miss Carrie’s restaurant.

---

“My babies are home!”

Miss Carrie yelled when she saw Erik and DeeDee walk through the door. They all shared hugs and Miss Carrie showed them to their booth. 

“How have y’all been?” She spun DeeDee around, “Let me get a good look at ya.” She smiled at them, “Love looks good on you, child.”

“Thanks, Mama,” DeeDee responded as she sat down. 

“And you?” Miss Carrie looked up at Erik, “What do you have to say?”

“It was definitely worth the wait.” He slid into the booth and picked up DeeDee’s hand. 

Miss Carrie’s eyes went wide. She reached across the table for their hands. 

“I am so happy for you two.” She glanced at DeeDee once more, “Anything else you need to tell me?”

“MAMA!!! You and my mom need to stop that.” DeeDee covered her stomach. 

“Girl, your hips have spread. But don’t pay me no mind. I only had 6 of my own.” Miss Carrie shrugged and picked up their menus.

Erik smirked at DeeDee. She punched his thigh under the table. 

“So, I know what I want-”

“Smothered pork chops, with home fries and fried eggs. You still eating that nasty wheat bread, Erik?” Miss Carrie threw out. 

“How do you do that?” Erik shook his head, “Yes, ma’am. But for you and today only, I will do sourdough.”

“Sourdough, huh?” She tapped her pencil on the table, “So, DeeDee is rubbing off on you. Thank god.”

DeeDee and Miss Carrie shared a laugh while Erik frowned. 

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed that weight you put on either, young man.”

Erik lifted his hand to cover his mouth and pointed at DeeDee.

“Not my fault. He loves your cooking, Mama.” She shrugged at him. 

Miss Carrie smiled at her knowingly. “I taught you well, child.” She slapped a towel onto her shoulder.

DeeDee bowed her head at her great-grandmother. Erik laughed at the two of them.

“Mama, I’ll have the -”

“Cheddar, spinach, and mushroom omelet with a side of bacon and sourdough toast.”

“And what are we drinking?” Erik asked Miss Carrie.

“You like that god-awful black coffee and she loves her cranberry juice.” She picked up the menus. “So, how long are you two here for? You’re a few days early for my birthday party.”

“We’re here for the entire week, Mama.” DeeDee answered.

“Great. Can you be here tomorrow at 9am?”

“Ma’am?”

“No need for you to be locked up in some hotel room. Come help me organize my files in the office.”

DeeDee laughed at Erik’s frown. “Sure, I can be here.”

“Wonderful. I’ll be back with your order.” Miss Carrie looked over at Erik, “I’ll make sure you don’t have to go back out to eat tonight.” She winked at him and walked away. 

---

“And you were worried about me overfeeding you?” DeeDee says as she put multiple containers of food into the fridge in their suite. She returned to the counter and folded up the bags.

Erik walked up and wrapped his arms around her, “But you do. Miss Carrie just feeds me differently.” He nipped at her ear.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay over there?”

“But you were so far away from me. I hate being alone.” He kissed her neck.

DeeDee turned around in his arms, “I really wasn’t looking forward to helping, but maybe she has a point.” 

Erik lifted DeeDee up and wrapped her legs around his waist. DeeDee squealed as his hands found her ass to hold her up. 

“Then let me make sure you sleep well tonight. Don’t want you to be late for your first day back at the restaurant.”

---

DeeDee walked into the office the next morning and put away her keys. Miss Carrie and the rest of the staff were in the kitchen getting their day started. She sat down at the desk and took in the moment.

She officially stopped working at the restaurant almost 5 years ago. Miss Carrie wanted her to focus on her Ph.D. program and knew she needed a job in her field. DeeDee would help during the holidays and summer when things were busier than usual, but that was it. 

It felt weird being back in that chair after so long. Dee hadn’t done her great-grandmother’s office work in years. But she knew how meticulous she was with her records. So, it should be easy enough to finish today. 

DeeDee looked up when she heard a knock on the door. Miss Carrie walked in as she tied her apron around her waist and made her way to the desk. 

“Good morning, baby. I wanted to get you started for the day. Just like old times.”

“Thanks, Mama.” DeeDee stood up and kissed her great-grandmother. “So, what do you actually need me to do in here?”

“Well, you know I’m good at keeping all the receipts and such together. But everyone wants me to back it up online.” Miss Carrie pointed to some filing folders on her desk.

DeeDee nodded her head, “Of course. It’ll be easier to update any documents if you have a spreadsheet for your expenses and revenue.” 

“Yeah, that’s the stuff they be sayin’. So, can you do that for me?” Miss Carrie looked up at DeeDee. “You already know my filing system so it makes sense to have you create any report I may need.”

“I can definitely do that for you.” 

“Great, thank you, baby. I’ll let you get to work.” She walked to the door and turned, “Oh, and I’ll send Brenda by with some milk and a freshly baked cinnamon roll for you.”

“Thanks, Mama.” DeeDee smiled at her as Miss Carrie closed the door behind her. 

DeeDee sat back down, grabbed the folders of receipts, and turned on the computer. 

---

DeeDee worked for a few hours and then took a break for lunch. She walked to the kitchen and placed her order before going outside to take a stroll around the property.

She spotted the old house in the back, which is more like a museum now. The house that started it all. Miss Carrie learned how to cook in that house. She taught all her children and grandchildren how to cook there. When they built the current house/restaurant, she started teaching her great-grandchildren how to cook. DeeDee was the only one who took to it and began working at The Juke Joint when she was old enough. 

DeeDee stood in front of it and smiled at the memories of running through the house with her cousins. 

“Were you lucky enough to spend time here?”

She turned to find Erik standing beside her. “Not a lot, but it was enough.” DeeDee hugged Erik, “What are you doing here?”

“I came to tell you lunch was ready.” She looked at him confused and he shrugged.

“Mama.”

“Who else? Now, come on. She said she had something new for me to try.”

DeeDee shook her head and laughed as they walked back towards the restaurant. 

---

On her way back to her seat after a quick bathroom break, Deedee knocked a blue folder off the desk.  She bent down to pick up all the papers that fell out and the first page caught her eye. 

“Ownership? Why would she have these papers out?”

She sat down at the desk and looked through them. DeeDee knew that her great-grandmother was the sole proprietor of The Juke Joint. Miss Carrie completed the restaurant side after her husband died, so she never had a partner. 

As she read through the document that was updated in August 2014, her hold grew tighter and the paper crinkled in her hand. 

“What the fuck?” She slammed it down on the desk. “How could they keep this from me?” 

DeeDee ran her hands over her face, then sat back in the chair. Staring at her on the page were the names of the current owners of The Juke Joint, Carrie Ann Taylor and Erik Stevens.  

She knew Erik had money from being royalty, and she knew he cared about this place as much as she did. During all those chats about how much she loved it here, how did this never come up? It would be different if he had helped with a few thousand dollars to help rebuild and keep the restaurant afloat. 

But he shares ownership with her great-grandmother. This is bigger than that. 

She sighed, “Dammit, Mama. Why didn’t you just tell me?”

DeeDee shoved the paperwork back into its folder and tried to clear up the desk. She was done for the day. The reports were created and she filled in all the expenses. Her great-grandmother could have someone add the revenue later. 

“I can’t believe they lied to me.” 

She got up and grabbed her things just as the door swung open. DeeDee looked at her great-grandmother. 

“You good? I heard some banging around in here.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m exhausted. I forgot what it was like to stare at spreadsheets all day.” She walked to the door. “I’m gonna call it a night. Everything’s done now. You just need your people to work on it.”

“Oh ok. Thank you, baby.” Miss Carrie turned to DeeDee, “I wanted to tell you Erik was here.”

DeeDee’s face fell, “Oh.”

“Hey pretty girl.”

“I have to go to the bathroom.” She shoved her bag in Erik’s hands. “Be right back.”

DeeDee rushed out of the office. Erik watched as she turned the corner and quickly disappeared from his view.

“What happened?” He asked.   

“I don’t know. I heard a lot of noise coming from here. So, I came in to see what was going on.”

“Did I do something? She wouldn’t even look at me when she ran out.”

“No, baby. I don’t think it was you.” She pointed to a chair, “Have a seat and we can wait for her.” 

Erik took a seat on the small brown armchair in front of the desk while Miss Carrie looked around the office. 

“Oh, shoot.” She exclaimed. 

Erik looked over at Miss Carrie, who was staring at an open folder on the desk. She frowned and met his stare.

“Erik, we have a problem.” She lifted the top sheet and handed the slightly crumpled page to him. “She knows.”

“Fuck,” he shouted and then lowered his voice. “I’m sorry, Miss Carrie.”

She waved away his apology “As much as I wanted you to keep this a secret. I guess it’s time for you to tell her.”

“I was really hoping I would never have to explain this, honestly.” He stood up. 

“You and me both. She doesn’t do well with deceit.” Miss Carrie sat down at the desk. “Sure, she’ll understand why you helped. But that’s not gonna matter.”

“I’ll try to fix this tonight.” Erik took Miss Carrie’s hand, “Hopefully, she’ll talk to me because she definitely did not look happy to see me standing there.”

“I know you will.” She squeezed his hand, “Don’t let her show up to my party mad at the world.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Erik stood up and walked out. 

He walked to the front of the restaurant in search of DeeDee and found her outside waiting by the car. 

“DeeDee.” He called out to her. 

She stared at him as he came around to her side and unlocked the door. Then she hopped in and reached out for the door handle. Erik stood in front of the open door, blocking her.

“DeeDee say something, please.”

“Move Erik.” 

She reached out again, and he grabbed her hand. 

“I know what you saw. So talk to me.” He rubbed her hand, “What are you thinking?”

“Why? It’s not gonna change anything?” DeeDee said and pulled her hand away. “I’m ready to go back to the hotel, please.” 

“DeeDee.” 

“I’m ready to go, Erik.”

He moved away from the door and stepped out of the way as DeeDee slammed it shut. 

“It’s gonna be a long night.” He got in the car and drove off.

---

Erik watched as DeeDee walked to the bed. 

She was quiet on the ride back to the hotel. She didn’t talk as they ate dinner at the restaurant. And DeeDee made herself scarce by staying in the bathroom most of the night. He sat on the chair in the corner of the room. 

“DeeDee, please.”

“Please what? I have nothing to say to you right now.” She punched the pillow and pulled back the covers.

Erik sighed, “DeeDee, you know we have to talk about this. And I would prefer now rather than later.”

“Later, much later.” She mumbled into the pillow as she turned her back to him. “Good night, Erik.” She turned off the light on her side of the bed. 

Erik sat there for a moment with his phone in hand and pressed send. 

Erik: Can you and Serena meet me for lunch tomorrow? At Miss Carrie’s place. 

Quis: Yeah, we can be there. It’ll be nice to see DeeDee before the party.

Erik: She’s not coming.

Quis: You good?

Erik: I’ll explain everything when I see you.

Quis: Alright, man. I’ll see you at 1 after my class. 

Erik: Kool. Night Quis. 

Quis: Night E.

He got up and went to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Erik looked over at DeeDee as she faked sleep. 

“I love you, pretty girl.”

---

DeeDee woke up the next morning and sat up in the bed. She looked over and saw that Erik’s side was made up. He was already gone. She sighed and climbed out of bed to get ready for the day. 

DeeDee looked at her phone as the call connected. 

“DeeDee, Mama told me you and Erik were here. How are ya?”

“Ma, are you free today?” she muttered.

“Dee, is everything ok?”

“I need to talk to you. It’s important.” DeeDee’s voice cracked.

“Yeah, come by the house. I’ll be here.”

20 minutes later, DeeDee arrived at her mother’s house. 

“Hey babygirl.” Gloria pulled her into a hug and DeeDee burst into tears, “What’s wrong?”

“‘He lied to me. They both did.”

“Who lied to you? And why does it have you so upset?”

Gloria held DeeDee’s hand and led her into the house. 

“Go sit down and start from the beginning.” 

They walked over to the couches in the living room. Gloria sat across from DeeDee. 

“Erik and Mama lied to me. Well, Erik lied but Mama kept the truth from me and I’m mad at the both of them.”

DeeDee explained how she found the ownership paperwork while helping Miss Carrie. 

“That was Mama’s choice not to tell anyone about how she got out of trouble.” Gloria said.

“Wait! Everyone knew the restaurant was in trouble? See this is what I mean. Why couldn’t she tell me about that, too?”

“DeeDee, your great-grandmother is just like you. Do you think she wanted anyone to know that she was having issues keeping the family business afloat?”

DeeDee shook her head.

“Right. And no. We knew nothing until we noticed she was slowly putting the place back together after the fire.”

“HA, the fire. I asked her if she needed me to come back and help her again after the fire and she said no.”

“DeeDee, you’d just started your research. Mama was not gonna let her issues hinder anything you were working on. You are the biggest worrier we know. Taking on the entire world’s problems like they are yours.”

“Ma-” 

“Tell me, you wouldn’t have placed your doctorate on hold for Mama?”

DeeDee hesitantly met her mother’s eyes, “I- I can’t.”

“Exactly. Now, what does this have to do with Erik?” 

“He’s the other owner.”

“Wait a minute, you mean to tell me that your young man is the one who helped keep The Juke Joint open?”

“Yeah, he’s a-” DeeDee sighed, “His family has money, so it makes sense that he could help Mama.”

“So, what’s the problem?”

“He didn’t tell me about it.” Gloria gave DeeDee a blank stare. “Mom, we are supposed to be getting married and he can’t even tell me that he’s co-owner of my great-grandmother’s restaurant?”

Gloria looked at her daughter and shifted over to the same couch as her. “DeeDee, have you and Erik ever had a fight?”

“Not really. We’ve always talked things out.”

“So, why are you talking to me about how you feel and not Erik?”

“I don’t know what to say to him. I keep thinking if he kept something like this from me, what else would he keep from me.”

Gloria nodded and grabbed DeeDee’s hand, “He is not your father, Deidre.”

“Wh-what?”

“Erik is not your father. You can trust him, Dee.”

“But what if the only reason he is with me is because of Mama.”

“Girl bye.” Gloria sighed, “I’m so sorry, DeeDee. I never thought that my relationship with your father would have such an impact on you.”

“I- I don’t get it.”

“My lovely daughter. I have no idea how you could trust your own feelings for Erik and then not trust him to be completely honest with you.”

“It’s not the same thing.”

“Really? Because you were floating when he came into town, for you, might I add. And then when those offers from Cali rolled in, you knew exactly where you wanted to go. You wanted to be near and have a relationship with him. Look at what the two of you have built over the last year and some months?”

“Then why am I so mad about it?”

“You don’t do lies, of omission or otherwise. I am sure there is a perfectly good reason that Mama and Erik kept this from you and everyone else. But you also let the fear that he would turn out to be a compulsive liar like your father seep in.”

“Oh.” DeeDee breathed out. 

“Have you spoken to him about this at all?”

DeeDee shook her head, “No, every time he tries I shut him down.”

“Don’t make him pay for something that you won’t let him explain.” Gloria squeezed and released her hand. 

DeeDee sighed, “Yes, ma’am.”

Gloria stood up and stretched, “Now, you hungry? I got some gumbo on the stove. I just need to make some rice.” 

“Yeah, I could eat.”

“Come on, then.”

--- 

Erik showed up at The Juke Joint before Marquis and Serena. When they arrived, he walked over to Miss Carrie and asked her to join them for lunch. She filled a pitcher with sweet tea and handed it to him.

“How did it go last night?” Miss Carrie asked Erik as they made their way to the table.

“She wouldn’t let me explain at all.” 

“What did you do, Erik?” Serena interjected. 

“Now, now. It’s not his fault, suga.”

Serena and Marquis stood to give Miss Carrie hugs. Erik pulled out her chair before they all sat back down.

“Thank you, baby.” She bumped his shoulder, “He was honoring our agreement and keeping his promise to me.”

“What agreement?” Marquis jumped into the conversation.

Miss Carrie nodded at Erik. 

“About the restaurant. Miss Carrie and I are partners.”

“How can that be?” 

“Since when?”

Serena and Marquis spoke over one another.

“A few years back, I was having a lot of trouble keeping things together here. Business was steady, but not enough for when I needed to repair the kitchen after that grease fire. I was barely breaking even and didn’t have enough to cover all the costs. I couldn’t take out a second on the property because of the original deal.” Miss Carrie picked up glasses and poured everyone some tea. “So, I called in a favor. Erik said if I ever needed his help to give him a call.”

“But he would have given that to you freely. No questions asked.” Serena said. 

“You are right about that. And if I still had DeeDee around, it would have turned out differently. But I wanted her to focus on school and getting out of here like she always wanted.” Miss Carrie sipped her tea.

“Silent partner?” Marquis spoke up. 

Erik nodded, “I wanted to make sure that Miss Carrie never ran into any issues ever again. After speaking with my lawyer, he said that the best way besides just giving her the money was to build an agreement with her.”

“Erik quietly flew out here to meet with me and we set up our partnership. I run the business and Erik financially backs everything. To everyone else, it appears as it always has. Miss Carrie’s place - The Juke Joint with one owner.”

“So, what happened and why is DeeDee mad?” 

“Yesterday, she found out.” Erik mumbled. 

“DeeDee didn’t know?” Serena shook her head.

“No one knew besides the two of us.”

“It was the only way she would accept long-term help from me. No one was supposed to know, not even my wife if I ever got married,” Erik shrugged.

“But you have a fiancée and she -”

“Is my great-granddaughter, yes. So, now you see the issue.” Miss Carrie took another drink from her glass. “She’s mad at the both of us, but she is taking it out on Erik.”

“And when she’s mad, there is no talking to her, which I was not aware of.” Erik sighed, “I don’t know how to fix this, especially if she won’t let me explain.”

Serena looked at Marquis and they both laughed. 

“Finally, some flaws. Thank you, Jesus.” 

“You love to see it.”

Miss Carrie smacked their hands, “You two stop that. The boy don’t know it yet.”

“Uh, what don’t I know?” Erik asked, confused.

“I bet she was quiet all night.”

“Stayed in any room that you weren’t in.” 

“Probably scooted to the edge of the bed as far away from him as she could.” Miss Carrie added. 

“Miss Carrie, we’ve never had a fight.” Erik whined.

“WE KNOW.” Everyone responded. 

“And it shows. Oooh boy, does it show.”

Erik rolled his eyes at Serena’s comment. “I need to get her to speak to me. I just need her to understand.”

“Good luck with that.” Marquis mumbled.

“Just accept that you are going to a party with a madwoman.” Serena said.

“I can’t. Not when that madwoman is also mad at the birthday girl.”

Miss Carrie pinched Erik’s cheek, “He called me a girl, so sweet. It’s ok, baby.” She tapped his arm, “As long as you can still get her to come tonight, it’ll be alright.”

Serena touched her arm. “Everything will be fine, Miss Carrie.” 

---

Erik was sitting in the living room area. DeeDee was in the bedroom, still getting dressed. 

“DeeDee. The party starts in 20 minutes. Are you ready to go yet?”

“Yeah.”

He stood up and walked to the doorway. DeeDee was in front of the full-length mirror. She smoothed out her dress, checked her gloss, and grabbed her clutch. 

“Don’t forget Mama’s present.” She said as she walked past him to the front door. 

“I got it.” He followed her as she walked out of the room.

He picked up the present and locked the door behind him. Shaking his head, Erik knew not to expect her to be waiting for him at the elevator. DeeDee would be at the car on the passenger side. 

Erik clicked the unlock button as he entered the 2nd story garage. He heard a door open and close. She let herself into the car. 

He put the present in the back seat and got into the car. He turned to face her. 

“DeeDee.” He waited until she turned to face him, “I know you are mad at me. But we need to talk about this.”

“Can this wait?” She looked at him, “Not tonight.”

“Then when? Because I was hoping we could have this resolved before the party.”

“We are good right now. So, just drop it.”

“But you won’t talk to me. How are we good?” He asked her.

“Erik, please let it go.” 

“We can’t go home like this. You know that, right?”

“Just drive, Erik.” DeeDee turned forward, “We’re already gonna be late for her party.”

---

Music was blasting from outside the house. They could hear it as they drove by. Erik parked in a spot further down the block. He locked the doors before DeeDee could jump out.

“Really?”

“Can we at least act like we’re happily together?” He reached behind him and handed her the gift. 

“We’re fine, Erik.” She unlocked the door and hopped out. DeeDee walked in the center of the road back to Miss Carrie’s.

Erik jumped out of the car, hit the alarm, and ran to catch up with her. He pulled up in front of her and stopped.

“You know this is the most words you have spoken to me in the last 24 hours?” 

DeeDee tried to move around him, “I know. I just have a lot on my mind.”

“And why can’t we talk about it?” Erik moved again, blocking her path. 

“Erik.”

Erik folded his arms over his chest. “Why can’t you talk to me?”

DeeDee looked at him, then down at the present in her hands. “I don’t trust you.”

Erik shook his head, “I don’t -”

“There you guys are.” 

“Miss Carrie has been looking for the two of you.”

Erik turned around while DeeDee looked up to face the voices. Marquis and Serena walked up to them. 

“Come along, you two. The birthday girl is ready for cake and presents.”

Serena grabbed the present from DeeDee and pushed her into Erik. Marquis flanked Erik’s other side and nudged him into DeeDee. 

The group walked to Miss Carrie’s house together. Serena led them to the side of the house into the backyard where all the action was happening. 

Erik reached for DeeDee’s hand and she pulled it away. She followed closely behind Serena and never looked back. 

Marquis clapped Erik on the back, “Let’s go get a drink.”

Erik watched as she greeted everyone before walking in the house. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

“Has it gotten any better?” Marquis led them to the outdoor bar along the back wall. 

“Nope. In fact, it may have gotten worse.”

“Worse. How is that possible?” Marquis grabbed two tumblers and filled them with whiskey.

“She told me she doesn’t trust me.”

“I’m sorry, man,” Marquis handed Erik a glass. 

“First, she won’t talk to me,” Erik knocked the drink back and refilled it. “And now, she doesn’t trust me,” he knocked back the second drink, “I don’t know what the hell’s going on.” Erik refilled his drink again and downed it.

“Okay, that’s enough for you.” Marquis took Erik’s glass away. “Don’t need you drinking your feelings.”

“One secret, Quis.” Erik lifted up his index finger, “One. I have never lied about anything else or kept anything from her. Hell, I told her I’m a fucking prince, and she didn’t flinch. But this is the breaking point?”

“Erik, lower your voice, man. People are starting to stare.” Marquis looked behind Erik and waved.

“You’re right. It’s not about me. It’s about Miss Carrie.” Erik rubbed his temples, “Is there a water cooler around here?”

“Yeah, we passed it on the way back here.” 

---

Serena and DeeDee walked over to the gift table. 

“How long have you guys been here?” DeeDee asked. 

“We got here about an hour ago.”

“Early birds. Should have been us.” DeeDee looked over at the bar where Erik and Marquis were standing. 

“So, how are things with you two?” Serena grabbed DeeDee’s hand and inspected the ring, “This is some beautiful craftsmanship.”

DeeDee pulled back her hand, “We’re good.”

“That’s not what it looked like when we found you.”

“We are fine, Serena,” DeeDee gritted out. “So, drop it okay.”

“Then why isn’t he here?” Serena pointed next to DeeDee, “Erik’s always at your side.”

DeeDee stared at the space next to her then back at Serena, “Reena.”

“Don’t Reena me.” Serena glared at DeeDee, “Sweetie, what is going on?”

“He lied, okay. Erik lied to me.” DeeDee bit out. 

“Okay and have you talked to him about it?”

“No.” DeeDee deflated, “I mean I can barely look at him, Serena.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes, it just makes me mad and sad all over again.” DeeDee’s voice cracked, “He didn’t trust me enough to tell me and that hurts Reena.”

“Did you tell him that?”

“That I don’t trust him? Right, before you two came up to us.”

“DeeDee. You know that’s not true.” She shrugged at Serena, “Wow. That’s how you really feel?”

“I don’t even know. Mom told me some stuff today and I just- I can’t bring myself to talk to him about everything yet.

“But if you won’t hear him out, then how can it be resolved?”

“Whose side are you on, Serena?”

“The side that wants to see a summer wedding next year.”

DeeDee rolled her eyes, “I’m gonna go inside. I’ll see you around.”

“Don’t make me come find you, DeeDee.”

She waved off Serena’s comment and went to the backdoor of the kitchen. DeeDee walked inside, saw a pile of dishes near the sink, and started to wash them.

“So, this is what we are doing now?” DeeDee looked up to see Miss Carrie. “Hiding out in the kitchen?”

“Hi Mama.” DeeDee dried off her hands and pulled her great-grandmother into a hug, “Happy Birthday Pretty Lady.”

“Thank you, baby.” Miss Carrie pulled away, “Now, where is that handsome fiancé of yours?”

“Somewhere. I don’t know or care.” DeeDee nonchalantly replied.

“Deidre Marie Chabert! What is wrong with you?” Miss Carrie looked at DeeDee and groaned. 

“ME? Shouldn’t I be asking you two that?” DeeDee yelled.

“Little girl, who do you think you are talking to?” Miss Carrie snapped back, “I know you are mad at us, but you will respect me in my own damn house!” 

DeeDee turned around and focused on the dishes. 

“You got some nerve.” She spun DeeDee back around, “Why are you so angry, child?”

“Mama, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

“That The Juke Joint was in trouble.” DeeDee pulled on the edges of the dishrag.

Miss Carrie waved her off, “If that’s why you mad, then get in line.” 

“Mama, I’m serious.”

“And so am I.” Miss Carrie took the dishrag out of DeeDee’s hands, “You aren’t the only one who is upset that I didn’t tell anyone when I was in financial trouble. Hell, ya mama just stopped asking me who gave me the money like six months ago.”

DeeDee looked over at Miss Carrie, “But you pushed me away, Mama.”

“The Juke Joint has always been my responsibility, not yours DeeDee. I wanted you to earn your degree without worrying about me or this ole place.” Miss Carrie leaned against the counter, “I knew Erik would help, but I never imagined he would be there for me and our family like that. So, if you want someone to be mad at, then it should be me and not him.”

“But he lied to me.” DeeDee mumbled.

Miss Carrie walked to the door and yelled through the screen, “Erik, bring your ass in here.” 

“Mama, are you ok?” A voice called out. 

“I’m good, suga. I just need to speak with these two. Keep everyone outside.” 

She opened the door for Erik, who slowly walked up the steps. 

“Is everything ok, Miss Carrie?” He asked as he walked into the kitchen.

“Could be better. How is she treating you, baby?” 

“How am I treating him? He’s the one who lied to me.” 

“For me, Deidre.” Miss Carrie rolled her eyes at DeeDee, then turned to Erik. “I’m so sorry, Erik. If I thought for one second -”

“There the two of you go. I’m right here. What about me?” DeeDee whined.

“What do you want me to say, DeeDee? I have spent the last two days trying to talk to you and you shut me out.” He walked towards her, “I have nothing to say to you. We have nothing to talk about. We’ll talk about this much later.” Erik mocked DeeDee. He stopped a few feet away from her, “Oh, and my new personal fave - I don’t trust you.”  

DeeDee crossed her arms over her chest. Miss Carrie stood back and shook her head.

“Is there anything else you need to say to me? Please let me know if anything else I have done has changed the way you feel about me.” His voice rose.

“Erik, I-”

He clasped his hands in front of him and waited for her to continue.

“I didn’t mean that.” She watched him roll his eyes at her, “Okay, fine. I meant it.” DeeDee rubbed her temples. “Why did you lie to me?”

“Did I lie? No. Did I keep something important from you? Yes.”

“Why? I thought we could tell each other everything. And as many times as we have talked about Mama and The Juke Joint, this should have come up.”

“It wasn’t my business to tell. And don’t you think if I could I would have?”

“What was stopping you from being honest about owning my great-grandmother’s restaurant? Tell me why you couldn’t say that part.”

“First of all, Miss Carrie is still the owner. I am only a financial resource and that was all it was ever meant to be.” 

Erik looked over at Miss Carrie, who nodded at him. 

He continued, “She only agreed to let me help her and with those terms if I never told anyone. We added it to the contract, and I never thought about it or what it meant again.” 

Erik took a few steps forward and grabbed DeeDee’s hands. He stared at the ring on her finger and grazed his thumb over it. 

“And then I met you.” He sandwiched her hands between his, “The love of my life. My heart and soul. The person I knew I would share my life with and have the kind of forever love I desired.” Erik entwined their hands together.

“When she told me you were her great-granddaughter, I couldn’t believe it. Even though I told you how special this place was to me.” He looked back at Miss Carrie, “I couldn’t break her trust or our agreement without talking to her about it first. But we spent so much time together that week I spent here, I never got the chance.”

“What about when I came to Oakland for New Year’s?” DeeDee spoke softly.  

“I was so excited to see you again so soon. I figured it would’ve been months before I got the chance. And then when you shared your news with me -- told me that you were moving to Cali and wanted to give us a chance.” He chucked her under the chin to make her look at him, “I know it’s no excuse, but I honestly forgot about it.” 

“How do you forget something like that?” She asked him. 

“Have you seen you?” Erik smiled at her. 

DeeDee laughed. “I’m serious.”

“And so am I. Do you remember when I finally came clean about thinking I didn’t deserve a love like my parents had?” Erik swung their hands together and his voice softened. 

She nodded at him. 

“I wanted to make sure that you knew that you did not make a mistake by giving us a chance and trusting me with your heart. So, I focused on building our relationship and truly forgot until a few weeks ago.”

“What do you mean a few weeks ago?” DeeDee looked at him. 

Erik shrugged, “This was supposed to be her announcement to make.”

“Whose?” She followed his line-of-sight back to her great-grandmother.

“We dissolved the partnership, DeeDee.” Miss Carrie said. 

“Wait. What? Why? What’s going on?” DeeDee pulled away from Erik and walked over to Miss Carrie.

“Calm down, child. It’s nothing you did.” She winked at Erik, “Ok, that’s not true. You are the reason for the change, but it’s not a bad thing. I promise.” 

DeeDee gave her a hug, “So, then what is it?”

“I’m giving up my ownership, DeeDee.” Erik said.

“Don’t do that. You don’t need to do that for me. I’ll get over this.”

Erik walked over to DeeDee and Miss Carrie. He took each of their hands. 

“I just felt that The Juke Joint should go back to being family owned.” He squeezed DeeDee’s hand, “I’m relinquishing my ownership to you, baby.”

“You’re the only one who has ever loved this place more than me. Even more than Erik.” Miss Carrie interjected.

“I never meant to keep this from you or hurt you in the process. You were only supposed to accept when Miss Carrie offered you co-ownership and then I could share my part.” Erik spoke.

“I can’t just become an owner of the restaurant. My life is in Cali with Erik.” DeeDee looked at Erik and her great-grandmother, “Mama is something wrong?”

“Erik, talk this girl off the ledge, please. I have guests to entertain.” Miss Carrie tapped his arm and hugged DeeDee, “Let him finish explaining everything.” She whispered to her.

Erik led DeeDee to the kitchen island and pulled out a stool for her. 

“You want some water or something?” 

“No, I’m fine. I just want someone to tell me what is going on.” DeeDee rushed out.

“DeeDee, nothing about the arrangement changes. You will be Miss Carrie’s financier while she continues to run the day-to-day as she always has.”

“With what money, Erik? I am still paying off grad school loans.”

“You wouldn’t be if you would let me help you. But I don’t want to start another argument.” He grabbed her hands, “DeeDee, you will be my wife. You will have access to everything I have. Which will allow you to do exactly what I have done for the past 7 years; wait until Miss Carrie calls with a need or concern.”

DeeDee looked up at him, “You mean I’ll be a silent partner like you.”

Erik laughed, “No, absolutely not. Miss Carrie wants everyone to know that you are the other owner of the restaurant. The Juke Joint is a family run operation.”

“But you will be family, too. Why give all that up for me?”

“Because then I would have to continue to keep this from you. It wasn’t worth that for me.” He pulled her up from the stool. “I didn’t want this to ever become an issue. But we never thought you would find the paperwork either. She had it out for me to come by and pick it up. I was dropping off the new agreement that you would sign.”

“Oh.” DeeDee looked down.

“DeeDee, I love you.” Erik wrapped her in his arms. “What did I tell you before I left Baton Rouge?” 

“That you found me and you weren’t letting me go.”

“And I mean that shit.” DeeDee giggled into his chest, “So, do you forgive us for keeping this secret? She thought this would be the best time to do it with all your friends and family around for her birthday. A dual celebration in her honor.”

“Uh huh, I forgive you.” She leaned up to peck his lips. “But that old woman has got it coming.” DeeDee wiggled in his arms.

“You better leave Miss Carrie alone.”  

 “Let me go.” She turned around and tried to pull his arms away from her. 

“Woman, what did we just say? You ain’t going nowhere.” He tightened his grip on her, “You’re mine now.” He whispered in her ear. 

“Ewwwww.”

“Get a room.”

DeeDee and Erik look up to see Serena and Marquis standing there with looks of disgust on their faces. 

“Oh, you two can go to hell.” Erik barked at them.

“What did we do?” Serena asked. 

“Nothing. Absolutely, nothing.” Erik said. 

“I gave you water. An irresponsible friend would have let you keep drinking.”

Erik shook his head. “I had it under control.”

“No, you did not. You were going to drink away your pain.” Marquis explained. 

“Pain? What pain?” DeeDee froze, “OMG. My trust comment.” She turned around to face Erik. “Baby, I am so sorry. I really didn’t mean to say that. I was projecting my feelings about my father to you. And you don’t deserve that.” She reached up on her tippy toes and kissed him, “I am happiest when I am with you. I do trust you and I can’t wait to become your wife.”

“Say it again.” Erik said. 

“I love you and I can’t wait to become your wife.” Erik lifted DeeDee up and spun her around as she squealed.    

“Glad to see y’all are all happy again.” 

Everyone turned toward the new voice. Miss Carrie walked back in with a knife in her hand. 

“Now, let’s go have some cake and enjoy the rest of my birthday party.”

Taglist: @teakturn @ghostfacekill-monger @shaekingshitup @nahimjustfeelingit-writes @woahitslucyylu @ladymac82 @bugngiz @eyeknowmywrites @ajspencer1892 @arafatih @issimplyaamazinggg @tchallasbabymama @killmonger-fics @beautifullmelodyxx @raysunshine78 @fd-writes @ljstraightnochaser @just-peachee @kaleidoscopeofsoul @sincerelykas

[papa-nihilism]

may the force be with you. and you. (also on ao3)

None of them knew how they had ended up in that situation. Between one game of Sabacc and a shot of Merenzane Gold - courtesy of the Galactic Baron himself -, the three of them took the enthusiastic chat directly to Wilson’s ship - the red Falcon - and, while they were sitting in the cockpit, the pilot looked confused. Why in the name of the stars was he, a respectable Republic pilot, giving a ride to a convicted space gangster and his pet psychopath? Oh, right, because said gangster and pet were his best friends. And he had decided to visit them after a very angry holocall from his old flying partner. Bucky Barnes came first into his life as an acquaintance. Since he was Steve Rogers’ childhood friend - both of them grew in the streets of Coruscant -, the two of them got along pretty quickly and it didn’t take much from Sam to empathize with the older man’s sad backstory. When Steve was gone, Sam and Bucky had a hard time dealing with grief and rebuilding their friendship seemed like a plan for the future. However, the Rebellion needed them to regroup and go back to their missions together as soon as possible - there wasn’t much time to deal with their personal feelings about the passing of their best friend. One mission later, they were already back on tracks, more close than ever. Zemo joining them was… a little bit weirder. Baron Helmut Zemo was famous for his money and contacts - he wasn’t an ally or an enemy, but someone willing to help as long as he got what he wanted in the end. They could use someone with money and somewhere safe to land and take care of the Falcon. In some desperate time, they asked for his help and Helmut obliged - but not without a price. He wanted to seek revenge against the Empire for that fall of his home planet, Alderaan. They wanted to destroy the Empire. It seemed like a logic alliance to be made at the time. Sure, things got weird when Bucky and Zemo started developing feelings for each other and Barnes left the rebellion to join Zemo, but who was Sam to judge? He wanted to see his friend happy and if it was with some widowed space gangster, so be it. Of course he would keep an eye on the baron just to make sure that he wasn’t hurting Bucky but… they were somewhat solid with each other. He tried to keep contact as much as he could but it wasn’t easy since he never knew where Zemo’s ship would be next, but they tried their best. “O32-N1K got us more drinks…”, Zemo’s voice appeared behind them, while the old-fashioned Droid followed him, holding a tray with three cups filled with the golden liquor. “I shouldn’t be drinking that much, I am the designated driver, after all…”, started Sam, receiving glares from Zemo and Bucky at the same time. Shit, they really were one at this point. “What is the rush, my dear Wilson? Let’s enjoy the night, rest and leave in the morning”, said Zemo, with a small chuckle. He didn’t wanted Sam to leave so early. He knew that Bucky missed his best friend and it was good for his husband to chill a bit. Even though they were together for a few years already, he knew that Bucky missed the battlefield action. Barnes was a soldier, he was a royalty. Nothing would change that - not even war, his extinct planet or their marriage. “Also, you promised me that you would try to talk to Karli about the Republic Army. They won’t forgive me if I let you leave without talking to them about it”, said Bucky. It still felt weird talking about the teenager with so much care - in the past, the gingerhead gave them trouble, now, they were his adoptive kid (another courtesy from Zemo who had only two passions in his life: his growing new family and his shady business across the galaxy). The pilot heavily sighed. Yes. He had promised Morgenthau that he would talk to them about their future. The kid wanted to be a pilot since they were a child and he clearly didn’t help taking them to fly with him every time he visited Bucky and Zemo. “Fine, I’ll stay for the night. But only for Karli. And if I hear both of you being weird and moaning, I’ll leave and take the kid and the droid with me”, said Sam, getting laughs from both of his friends.

“We promise we will be quiet, sladkiy”, murmured the Alderaanian, with a soft smile.

[shemarmooresfedora]

Rebuilding Family

Summary: Y/N and Spencer were college sweethearts at Cal-Tech but once Spencer got accepted to the FBI Academy, he ended things deciding it was not fair to make Y/N wait for him. When they meet again years later, he discovers something unexpected.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

Warnings: allusions to sex, showering together (like literally just showering)

A/N: the pregnancy is probably not going to be a ton of chapters long just so everyone knows

Masterlist

Chapter 27

“I’m still not happy about this just so you know,” Spencer grumbled, slathering peanut butter onto a piece of bread.

“Oh hush up and finish making our sandwiches. Your daughter and pregnant wife want to go to the beach so we are going to the beach,” you stated.

“90% of seagull feces contains enterococcus which causes antibiotic resistance. Excuse me from trying to save you,” Spencer said.

“Fine, I promise to not even dunk all the way under water so there’s no way any seagull poop can get in my mouth and to the baby. Happy?” you asked.

“Very,” he smiled, pulling you in for a kiss with a jelly-covered slice of bread in his hand.

“Thank you for coming with us today. I know the beach really isn’t your scene,” you said after pulling away.

“Anywhere with my family is my scene,” Spencer replied.

-

“Jo! Sunscreen before anything else, please!” you called out to the little girl who was already making a break for the water as soon as you set your stuff down in the sand.

Spencer kicked his shoes off and took off after her, scooping her up in his arms which made Jo giggle in delight.

“Mommy, do I have to put it on? It’s sticky,” she whined.

“Ask Daddy why you need to put it on,” you said, setting up your beach chairs.

“Don’t make me put it on, please, Daddy,” Jo pouted.

You could see Spencer starting to cave at his daughter’s infamous puppy dog eyes.

“Spencer, do you want our child to get skin cancer?” you whispered-shouted which snapped him out of his trance.

“Sorry, Princess. We all have to put it on so we don’t get sunburnt. Trust me a little stickiness is better than a week of pain,” he kissed her head and took the bottle from your bag, squirting it into his hands and rubbing it on Jo.

“Now can we go in the water?” Jo pleaded.

“Yes, baby, let’s go,” you grabbed her hand, “Spence, you coming?”

Spencer cringed looking at the salty murky water in the distance but then looked at you and Jo eagerly awaiting his answer, “Fine,” he sighed, taking off his shirt.

“Everyone is coming swimming! Even brother or sister!” Jo cheered.

“Yes, even brother or sister is coming,” you smiled.

You and Jo both waded into the tide but Spencer was taking more hesitant steps.

“Y/N! Something just brushed up against my leg!” he squeaked.

“It was probably just seaweed, love. No fish come this close to the coast. Jo, go defend Daddy from the scary seaweed,” you grinned.

Jo, who had already dunked under the brisk water, walked back to where Spencer was only about knee deep and took his hand, guiding him out to about waist deep.

“Okay, I think I’m good here,” he insisted.

“Nice of you to join us,” you smiled, giving him a quick kiss to calm him down.

“Mommy, Daddy, look! I can do a handstand in the water!” Jo exclaimed.

“Woah!” you cheered as she came back up.

“Flawless,” Spencer clapped.

After Jo tired herself out swimming, you all got out of the water.

Spencer put his engineering PhD to good use by making a huge sandcastle with Jo.

“So, the guard tower is there. The drawbridge is going to be there and the castle will be in the middle,” Spencer started to plan it out in his head.

“Yes, that’s where the King, Queen, and Princess live,” Jo nodded.

“Okay architects, how about a lunch break?” you smiled.

-

When you finally returned home, Jo was out cold in the back seat wrapped in her beach towel.

“Should we just put her to bed and give her a bath in the morning? I don’t want to wake her up,” you whispered to Spencer.

He nodded, “I’ll just change her out of her bathing suit.”

-

“I need to take 20 deep-clean showers,” Spencer stated as he came into the bedroom after tucking Jo in.

“Care if I join?” you grinned.

“Can we actually get clean first before you try anything?” he pouted.

“Of course,” you kissed him, “I just want to reward my husband for braving the ocean today,” you kissed his neck, “...just wanna make you feel good, love.”

Spencer turned the water on and you both stripped off your bathing suits as you waited for the water to heat up.

As you stepped in, you grabbed Spencer’s shampoo before he could reach for it and squirted some into your hands.

“Lean down please,” you whispered.

Spencer sighed happily as you washed his curly hair and the sand washed away down the drain.

“Rinse,” you said, cupping your hand over the front of his face to avoid any suds getting in his eyes.

Spencer was just as quick to return the favor, lathering your hair with suds and massaging your scalp.

“Lean back,” Spencer gently brushed your hair with his fingers to get all the shampoo out.

While you let your conditioner sit, Spencer pulled you close, hugging you tightly.

“I love you,” he spoke.

“I love you too,” you hummed, feeling utter bliss in the steamy room, enclosed in Spencer’s loving embrace.

-

Spencer had a whole satchel full of parenting and pregnancy books with him at the doorway while you were finishing your bagel.

“You know they don’t test you there, right?” you asked.

“I just want to be prepared. I even brought a journal to write stuff down in case I get overwhelmed and can’t remember,” he stated.

“You’re too sweet,” you popped the last bite of bagel into your mouth and grabbed his hand, “Let’s go.”

-

You noticed now that you were pregnant, Spencer had to constantly have some form of contact with you in public. Either an arm wrapped around your waist or holding hands or a hand on the belly. He didn’t want to be separated from you at all.

So that’s why when you were 20 minutes early to your first ultrasound appointment (due to Spencer’s insistence) and the only two available chairs in the waiting room were across the room from each other, Spencer looked at you panickedly.

“You sit,” he said, guiding you to one of the chairs.

Since there were people on both sides of you, he couldn’t really stand next to you so he took a seat on the thinly carpeted floor right in front of you.

“I love you,” you bent down to kiss him, “We can switch if it gets too uncomfortable down there.”

“You must be out of your mind if you think I’m going to let my wife let alone pregnant wife sit on the floor for my comfort’s sake,” he smiled back.

-

“You are indeed pregnant,” Dr. Collins, your obstetrician, informed you.

Spencer smiled so brightly as he pulled you in for another kiss.

“You checked off this is not your first pregnancy so I don’t need to go over the basics that I tell first-timer parents?” she asked.

You looked at Spencer guiltily and then back to Dr. Collins, “Um, could you just go over it again? I probably need a refresher.”

“Of course,” she smiled.

Spencer squeezed your hand as a way to thank you silently.

taglist: (ask to be added or removed!) @samuel-de-champagne-problems @g0lden-cth @spencerreid9 @averyhotchner

[pitch-pearl-void]

Hi! I love your work! Do you take requests? If so, would you mind doing something like maybe Skulker is looking for Phantom so in the middle of the day he comes to find Fenton to use him as bait while he's in the middle of class? And the class' reaction, because holy crap Fenton knows a ghost, and Phantom coming to save him? If not, that's totally fine, too!

I love the idea! I may have gotten a little carried away...whoops ^-^’ I focused more on Fenton and his classmates than on the romance, but I hope you’ll like it!

A paper football smacked directly into Fenton’s neck. Fenton cringed and gritted his teeth. In the desk behind him, he heard Dash snicker and the dull smack of two hands connecting as he high-fived Kwan. Mr. Lancer continued droning on about Shakespeare’s career, too passionate to notice Dash’s behavior—assuming he would care. He would probably just see it as another form of punishment for Fenton’s actions.

Not punishment for taking too many bathroom breaks or arriving late to class, though. No, Fenton’s days as a misbehaved student were supposed to be over, brought to an end by his and Phantom’s separation. He no longer needed to escape class to fight ghosts. He no longer needed to think about ghosts at all.

In theory…

Avoiding ghosts might have worked if Fenton could just stop thinking about his other half. 

For weeks after they had separated, they had barely spoken, but then Fenton had to go and open his big mouth, invite Phantom to play a round on his video game, driven by some instinct or by some longing he couldn’t put a name to. Phantom was just…he was his missing half. Being around him felt right. It wasn’t that crazy that Fenton had missed him, right? That they had stayed up nearly all night talking, playing, and joking? That Phantom visited almost every night, that they were rebuilding something new between them?

There was just so much to talk about, so many things to share, so many things to experience together in ways they never had as one. A month had passed with the two of them growing closer, and Fenton was losing his mind, he was sure of it.

What else but madness would have made him meet Phantom’s kiss with one of his own?

He had gotten caught texting Phantom. There was just so much they needed to figure out about what they were feeling… Lancer had confiscated his phone and moved Fenton to the front of the class where Lancer could “keep an eye on him.”

A fourth football landed without Lancer’s eye seeing a thing.

Fenton groaned and dropped his forehead onto the desk.

“Head up, Mr. Fenton,” Mr. Lancer ordered without looking.

Amazing, Fenton thought irritably as he lifted his head. He knows and sees everything except—

An invisible hand seized Fenton’s wrist, cold metal plates painfully squeezing his arm. He drew in a sharp breath. Before he could call out a warning, the ghost flew above his desk, lifting Fenton by his arm until they were at eye-level several feet from the ground.

Skulker, fully visible now, grinned viciously at Fenton’s stunned face.

“Crime and Punishment!” Mr. Lancer yelped.

The other students jumped from their seats, screaming. They ran for the door, but Skulker activated something by flicking the fingers of his free hand, and green electric bars sprang up in front of the door and the windows. The students cried out in fear and backed away from the bars. Fenton grabbed the arm holding his wrist and tried to pull himself up or at least relieve the strain on his shoulder and wrist. He grunted, kicked his feet, but he couldn’t manage a chin-up one-handed. He could barely do them with two.

“A bit overkill,” Skulker mused aloud, staring at Fenton’s classmates, “I have my bait, I don’t need hostages, but perhaps one of you lot can perform a service for me.”

“Skulker,” Fenton growled under his breath, trying to slip his voice underneath the fearful screams and yelling so he would only be heard by Skulker, “what the heck are you doing? You know I’m not half-ghost anymore, let me go.”

Skulker laughed, a cruel, creepy sound due to the robotic speakers and the natural echo in his voice. Fenton’s classmates shrank back from him. “You now serve a new purpose for me, whelp.” He swung Fenton by his wrist, Fenton’s legs swinging freely, and then, before Fenton could squeak a protest, he tossed him.

Fenton cried out and tried uselessly to activate powers that were no longer there. It took five seconds. Five seconds of falling before he landed on the cement floor. 

Air burst from his lungs. Pain and shock exploded from his back. He tried gasping in a breath, but his lungs didn’t seem to be working. He choked before managing a ragged inhale.

Skulker’s boot pressed down on his chest before he could roll over and curl into a ball. Fenton groaned, his back screaming, but he wrapped his fingers around the boot and tried to shove it off. He couldn’t. Without ghost powers, he was too weak. He was too disoriented. Had he hit his head? He thought his back took the full brunt of his fall, but his head might have bounced back.

Add super healing to the list of powers I wish I had right now, he thought woozily.

He had never hurt so much during a ghost fight, not even when he had been thrown through buildings. He had made craters in pavement and climbed out of the pit with only a sore shoulder. If this was the sort of dangers full humans faced during every ghost attack…

No wonder they always ran away.

Except Sam and Tucker… Fenton pried his eyes open and turned his head toward his classmates, desperately searching for the friends he knew wouldn’t be there. They shared a math class with Valerie during final period. Skulker must have waited until Fenton was isolated from any other ghost hunter who could help. But why?

“Where is your communications device?” Skulker asked him.

Fenton turned his head and blinked stupidly up at him. “What?”

“Your…” Skulker snapped his fingers together as he searched for the word he needed, “rectangular device. Phone. Phone! Yes, that was it. Where is your phone, whelp?”

Fenton tipped his head back and looked toward Lancer’s desk. It was probably there somewhere, but…he could see Mr. Lancer and a few of his classmates huddling behind the desk. He lowered his chin and looked incredulously up at Skulker again. “That’s why you’re attacking me? My phone? What the hell do you need my phone for?”

“Dude,” one of the jocks, Brad, hissed. “What the fuck are you doing, Fenton? Shut up and do what he says!”

Skulker snorted—or mimicked one, anyway. “Better do as the other whelps advise, child. You’re a great deal more delicate without your powers.”

Fenton hissed in a breath, but his classmates would hopefully miss the implication—if he spoke fast enough and gave them something else to think about. “Tell me what you want my phone for, first.”

Brad groaned.

“He’s a dead man,” Kwan whispered.

“To contact your ghost half, why else?” Skulker said disdainfully.

Fenton wanted to scream. “I don’t have one!” he said, the words almost tripping over each other as they rushed from his mouth.

“What?” Skulker’s menacing tone softened into something almost civil. “A phone? You don’t have a phone? Perhaps I can make one for you. I understand these devices are important to human development. And it would serve my purposes to be able to reach one ghost child through the other.”

“Stop—Damn it, Skulker! I don’t have a ghost half!” Fenton tipped his chin up and raised his voice. “I am one hundred percent human!”

“Oh yes, now,” Skulker grumbled bitterly. “You two have cheated me of a unique specimen.”

“Wow, sorry,” Fenton deadpanned.

“What the fuck are they talking about?” Dash demanded. He tried to whisper it, but his high-pitched voice easily carried his words to Fenton and Skulker. “What the hell is a ghost half? Why is that robot ghost after Fenton?”

Fenton glared pointedly up at Skulker, trying to communicate a silent “look what you did” reprimand, but Skulker only moved his head in a way that made Fenton think the tiny ghost inside it was rolling his eyes. A blade shot out of the armor’s wrist. Skulker touched the flat side to Fenton’s cheek, and Fenton drew in a breath, the cold touch of the blade spreading throughout his body.

“Your phone, whelp,” Skulker said, once again sounding menacing. A few of Danny’s classmates wailed in terror.

Fenton snapped, “I don’t have it!”

Skulker twisted the blade, the edge pressing into Fenton’s cheek. “Last chance, whelp.”

“Wait!” Lancer stood from behind his desk. Paulina and a couple other students stood with him, looking petrified. “Stop, stop!” He lifted Fenton’s phone above his head. “I have it! You can have it if you release him.”

“No, I don’t think I will.” Skulker blade moved away from Fenton’s cheek, however, allowing Fenton to breathe a little easier. “Awaken it for me.” Skulker’s false lips spread into a wicked grin. “We shall be making a little phone call…”

Fenton narrowed his eyes.

“Uhh…” Lancer began, uncertainly. “It’s, uh, it’s asking for some sort of password?”

“His password is numerical!” Mikey called from within the crowd of students clustered around the door. “A pin! Seven-eight-nine-zero.”

“Hey!” Fenton cried. “How do you know that?”

“You have other things to worry about, Fenton!” Kwan reminded him pointedly.

Lancer typed in the pin number and then stared down at the phone like he was facing down a complex puzzle. “How, uh, do I make a phone call on this thing?”

“Oh here!” Paulina snatched the phone from Lancer’s hands. “You just press the little phone icon, see?” She glanced up at Skulker and seemed to shrink in on herself, her confidence faltering. Fenton couldn’t really blame her. He remembered being terrified of Skulker the first few times he had met him too. “Um, what’s the phone number?”

“Child?” Skulker nudged Fenton’s cheek with the flat of his blade again.

Fenton kept his head turned toward Paulina and glared at Skulker from the corner of his eyes. “What?”

“The phone number, human child.”

Fenton snorted. “You haven’t said what you want to call him for yet.”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“Spell it out for me.”

“In my efforts to study my prey’s habits, I have noticed the two of you getting…” Skulker tilted his head, “closer, shall we say? You have been spending a great deal of time together, lately. I don’t know how far things have gotten, but the signs of a ghost in love are fairly obvious. That is a weakness I can use. You are a weakness. Once he knows I have you, my prey will come to me.”

“You should change your name to Stalker,” Fenton grumbled, blushing.

The blush worsened as his classmates made little “ohhh” sounds of dawning understanding.

“Fenton has a ghost boyfriend,” Mikey said, his laugh too strained to be natural. “That must be what they mean by ghost half!!”

“Idiot,” Kwan groaned. “If this ghost doesn’t kill him, his parents are going to.”

Dash cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted, “Hey, Fenton, maybe you should dump your kinky ghost boyfriend before you get the rest of us killed over it!”

“Oh, fuck you!” Fenton shouted back, turning into the blade in order to glare at his classmates. “We’re not dating! We just kind of—He just…it’s complicated!"

Skulker snapped, “Whelp!” and turned Fenton’s head with the blade until Fenton’s glare had resettled on the ghost. “His phone number. Now!”

“No!” Fenton snapped back. “Forget it! I’m not going to let you use me as bait so you can—”

He cut off with a shriek of pain as the point of Skulker’s blade sliced across his cheek. Hot blood gushed from the wound and spilled toward his ear. He writhed under Skulkers boot and reached up to cover the wound, but Skulker’s blade slapped his hands away. Fenton’s classmates were screaming again, the tentative calm Fenton’s behavior had inspired shattered by the sight of so much blood. Tears streamed from Fenton’s eyes. Skulker slapped his hands away again before he could touch his face.

“You!” the hunter pointed at Paulina who quailed and shrank into Lancer. He protectively wrapped his arms around her. “Those devices can capture photos, can they not? Take a picture of this and send it to my prey as well.”

Paulina, trembling, shrieked, “I don’t know the number!”

Skulker looked down pointedly at Fenton. “Shall I give you a matching gash on your other cheek or will you cooperate for once, whelp?”

Fenton glared up at him and gritted his teeth against the pain.

“Look through his contacts!” Mikey shouted.

“Stop—” Fenton gasped in pain as speaking stretched the wound in his cheek. “—Stop helping him!”

“We’re not helping him we’re helping you, you suicidal maniac!” Dash shouted back.

Paulina’s hands shook as she maneuvered through Fenton’s phone. “What would the contact be? What—what do—h-how will I know which one is…?”

“He was texting someone during class,” Lancer said quickly. “That may be your best bet.”

“Mr. Lancer!” Fenton protested.

“Alright!” Paulina nearly sobbed. “Alright, I got it!” She pressed the phone to her ear, and Fenton squirmed under Skulker’s boot.

“Paulina, don’t!” he pleaded. “He’s just going to spring Skulker’s trap!”

“Hello?” Paulina gasped into Fenton’s phone, apparently ignoring Fenton. “Are you Danny’s ghost boyfriend, er ghost half? Yes, my name is Paulina, you have to come quick, there’s a ghost here!” Fresh tears escaped her eyes. “I don’t know his name!”

Skulker grinned. “He’ll know me once you take our picture.” He nudged Fenton’s chin with his blade, forcing his head to turn toward Paulina so his right cheek rested on the floor and the wound on his left cheek was exposed to the air. “Behave, child. Let him see the injury.”

“Uh, hold on,” Paulina told Phantom, “he wants me to take a picture…I don’t know! I’m just doing what I’m told!”

Fenton glared at Skulker from the corner of his eyes as best he could. “You’re a real piece of work, you know that?”

“I know.” Skulker grinned viciously down at him. “It’s part of the fun.”

Fenton heard the camera on his phone make an artificial shutter sound and clenched his jaw, the wound on his cheek shrieking.

“O-okay,” Paulina stuttered. “I’m sending it.” She pressed the phone to her ear again. “Did you get it yet? Danny’s bleeding really bad. If you can find Danny Phantom, tell him we need his help!”

Skulker tipped back his head and laughed. “Yes! Tell Phantom to come at once!”

“Oh!” Paulina exclaimed. “You got it? Yeah, it’s a lot of blood, but—” Her expression froze. Her eyebrows furrowed and she pulled the phone away from her ear so she could glare at it. “He hung up on me!”

Skulker chortled. “Excellent! He will rush over here at his fastest speed, don’t you think, human whelp?”

“Probably,” Fenton bit out through his clenched teeth.

Skulker removed his boot from Fenton’s chest, and Fenton didn’t waste any time rolling onto his stomach. He frantically pushed himself onto his hands and feet and scrambled toward his classmates huddled by the door. They backed away from him like he had some sort of disease. Skulker fired something at him—a net—and Fenton crashed to the ground again. He screamed his frustration and struggled against the ropes. Kicking. Pulling. Twisting.

“Damn it!” he howled.

Skulker laughed delightedly at his efforts. He stomped toward Fenton, his mechanical boots making hissing, clicking noises as he approached. “I see you are as fierce as ever, whelp.” He grabbed ahold of the net and lifted Fenton into the air. Fenton hissed as his weight caused the thin ropes to bite into his skin. “But woefully weak. I wonder…if I tied to you to your other half, would you slow him down?” His grin grew more vicious. “That would make for an interesting game.”

Fenton wiggled in the net, trying to get comfortable as he glared at Skulker. “You’ll have to catch him first.”

“It’s only a matter of time, now. His protective instincts and weakness for you shall be his downfall this day.”

Fenton growled through his teeth and kicked Skulker’s chest as best he could through the net.

Skulker snorted. “That tickled…”

“Are you guys sure this was a good idea?” Nathan asked anxiously. “I mean, inviting another ghost here? Isn’t that just going to result in this classroom turning into a battlefield?”

Fenton’s classmates murmured uneasily to each other.

“Not if Phantom gets here first,” Dash declared, his voice only trembling slightly. “He beat this ghost before! He can do it again, no problem!”

“Would you like to tell them, or shall I?” Skulker asked Fenton in an almost conversational tone.

Fenton scowled at him and slumped in his unwelcome hammock. All of his and Phantom’s efforts to keep whatever was building between them secret until they could figure things out for themselves had just been shattered by Skulker’s attack. “Fine,” he grumbled. “Go ahead. They’ll find out when he gets here, anyway…”

Skulker threw his arms outward, Fenton and his net swinging from his fist. Fenton hissed his name in complaint, but Skulker ignored him. “I am Skulker!” Skulker declared in a ringing voice they probably heard from several classrooms down. “The greatest hunter in all the realms! I have vowed to capture the ghost child known as Danny Phantom, and now thanks to all of you and Phantom’s other half…” Skulker raised the net and grinned victoriously at Fenton’s scowling face, “my prey is at this moment speeding toward my trap…”

The quiet that fell over Fenton’s classmates was deafening, tension adding an oppressive pressure to the air so that it felt like Fenton was suffocating.

It was broken by Paulina.

“No!” she screamed. Fenton flinched, assuming her reaction had to do with him and Phantom’s feelings for each other, but Paulina proved him wrong as she fumbled with Fenton’s phone. “No, no, no!” She pressed the phone to her ear. “Pick up, pick up, pick up! Don’t come here, Ghost Boy! Don’t come!”

Skulker laughed. “It’s far too late for that! I have studied my prey well. His temper is always at its most irrational when one he cares for has been harmed.”

Fenton pushed against the confines of his net again. “You bastard,” he growled.

“It’s just Fenton,” Dash said weakly. “Phantom wouldn’t risk everything just for Fenton, would he?”

“But Danny is his ‘other half,’” Mikey pointed out. “That’s what the robot called them. It might be a ghost thing? Danny could be special to him.”

“What, like soulmates?” Kwan asked, sounding almost intrigued.

“It’s Fenton!” Dash gestured at Fenton’s hunched form inside the net. “Just look at him! There’s no way he could be Phantom’s…other half. Soulmate. Thing. No!”

Others murmured their assent.

Fenton groaned. “I can’t decide if being called Phantom’s soulmate is better or worse than the alternative,” he whispered.

“Better,” Skulker whispered back. He lifted his other arm and stared at the screen on his wrist, only partially listening to the humans. “It’s far more amusing.”

“Yeah, for you.”

“Excuse me?” Amanda shoved Dash’s shoulder and pointed at Fenton. “Danny can’t be Phantom’s soulmate?’ Who here has been acting like a total badass? Who just bantered with a ghost while they were threatening him? Who got his cheek slashed because he was trying to be a hero? Like, uh, hello? Are you guys blind? They’re practically the same person!”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Fenton groaned.

Skulker chortled.

“Fenton is nothing like Phantom!” Dash objected, sounding offended.

Fenton struggled in his net and searched the classroom for signs of Skulker’s trap. The only thing Skulker had activated were the glowing bars in front of the door and windows, but that was just to keep the humans trapped in the room, wasn’t it? That was why they only blocked physical exits and not the walls or ceiling.

Fenton narrowed his eyes. None of his classmates had actually touched the bars, they had only backed away from them. Skulker might have used the bars for the fear factor, not as a true barrier, and if that were the case, it made sense for them to only block the door and windows. He only needed to stop the humans from getting or receiving help.

“Hey!” Fenton shouted. “Someone run through those bars and get Sam and Tucker!”

His classmates stared incredulously at him. None of them moved an inch.

“It’s far too late for that as well,” Skulker said gleefully. “My prize shall be here in five, four, three, two…” he paused dramatically, “one.”

Phantom flew through the ceiling, his hands already coated with green energy. His head jerked left and right as his eyes searched the room, coming to a stop on Fenton in his net. His eyes widened and his jaw clenched. Fenton swore. His classmates shouted, some cheering Phantom’s name, others screaming for him to run, but Phantom’s eyes narrowed and he looked too pissed to think about running.

“Skulker,” he growled, his glare moving toward Skulker, “let him go.”

“That would be counterproductive.” Skulker lifted Fenton in his net and gave it a little wiggle. Fenton grimaced as he swayed. Phantom’s gaze jerked back to him. Something dropped to the floor, but Phantom’s eyes had become fixated on Fenton again. “If you want him, Ghost Child, come and get him.”

Phantom bared his teeth.

“Don’t do it!” Dash shouted.

Phantom shot forward, one fist pulled back for a truly epic punch. Skulker floated back a few steps, and as soon as Phantom flew over the space where they had been standing, a beam of light shot up from a small cube on the floor. Phantom’s eyes widened. Fenton didn’t understand until a vortex began to pull Phantom down into the cube.

“The Fenton Thermos,” Fenton gasped.

“Inspired by it,” Skulker corrected. “I have endured the indignity often enough to replicate its effects.”

Phantom fought against the pull, struggling to fly out of its range, but the cube floated off the ground and followed his movements. The tip of his spectral tail touched the cube, and in moments it sucked him in completely.

“Phantom!” Fenton and his classmates shouted. He struggled against his net, pulling on the ropes and kicking his feet outward.

Skulker laughed his triumph as he walked toward the cube. Fenton stared in horror at the little black box, his chest aching. Phantom had been captured because of him. It wasn’t over, not by a long shot, but…it wasn’t looking good. Skulker bent down and picked up the cube. He looked between it and Fenton, a wide, vicious grin splitting his face.

Fenton glared at him. “What?”

“How long has it been, human child?” Skulker asked him. “Two years?”

“Just about,” Fenton mumbled.

“It has been a long hunt…”

It’s not over yet, Fenton thought. He tried fitting his fist through the gaps between ropes, but it was no good. The holes were too small. “You cheated!”

Skulker’s eyes narrowed. “Cheated?”

“Cheated!” Fenton repeated.

“I baited and set a trap!”

“You cheated!” Fenton looked at his classmates. They were muttering and staring at the black cube in Skulker’s hands like they had just witnessed something impossible. “Right, guys? He cheated!”

They stared back at Danny with haunted eyes until Dash surged forward, pointing angrily at Skulker, and shouted, “Cheater!”

Starr gasped and exclaimed. “Yes! Cheater!” Her voice took on a practiced tone, and she chanted, “Cheat-er, cheat-er!” until the rest of the class caught on and began to chant it with her.

“I did not cheat!” Skulker yelled, offended, but the class continued chanting. He growled viciously, growing increasingly infuriated by the witnesses to his victory calling foul. It was exactly the kind of pride snatching maneuver Fenton had hoped for, and he waited anxiously to see if Skulker would take the bait.

He did.

“FINE!” Skulker roared. He lifted his arm higher and glared at Fenton as the other students quieted and shrank back from him. “I shall give you and your other half one last chance, whelp.” Slowly, he spread his metal lips apart in an angry grin. “I believe you know how this game is played. Let’s see how well Phantom can keep you alive when he’s tethered to you.”

Fenton sucked in a breath. It wasn’t unexpected, given Skulker’s previous comments, but all the same it was frightening, being hunted. He looked at his classmates. They were his only chance to leave a message, and he shouted, frantic, “Tell Valerie!” before electricity arced through the net into his body. He screamed, arching his back, before everything went mercifully black.

 I would absolutely love to continue this as an actual short story. Like, you’ve all heard of “Danny’s classmates taking a field trip into the Ghost Zone,” now get ready for “Danny’s classmates leading a rescue attempt into the Ghost Zone to free Phantom and his other half/boyfriend Danny!” Ahh it would be so much fun. Valerie would place herself in charge (because she’s actually been through this before, and because she won’t say why they all assume its because she once dated Phantom too which pisses her off) and she and Sam would butt heads a bit on what to do. Tucker would 100% brag about how much he knows about the GZ to Dash and friends like “yeah, that’s right, I’m a badass” but they’re all still reeling over the idea Phantom is 1) gay 2) dating Fento-loser.

Phantom and Fenton, meanwhile, are doing their best to stay alive on Skulker’s island while also dealing with the romantic tension between them.

I would absolutely love it. I have no idea how I would pull it off. Action scenes are my weak point, and I’m not entirely sure how I would sneak all these kids past the Fenton parents, if Jack and Maddie should even be told, if Lancer should go with the kids, or even if they could all fit in the Specter Speeder. RIP my idea lol. I think I might put it up on Ao3 just as a potential story some day? I’m not sure. It needs work, but I made leavemyelevator-alone wait long enough for this prompt lol

[nad-zeta]

Quiet Mornings

Fandom: Ikesen

Pairings: Kennyo x Mama's OC (Asuga)

Genre: Fluffffff

Words: 1300+

Comments: Eeeeep, birthday bash week has begun! Eeeek, so excited! Whooop Whooop! So this is another lil one for our wonderful Mama! Hope you feel better soooon, Mama! Sending ya all the hugs and love!! ❤❤ ❤😳🥺! 🥺😳❤🌈

.*:・’ﾟ:｡.*:ﾟ･’ﾟﾟ:。’ .*:・’ﾟ:｡.*:ﾟ･’ﾟﾟ:。’･ﾟ｡.*:・’ﾟ: ｡.*:・’ﾟ:｡.*:ﾟ･’ﾟﾟ:。

Out on his morning reflection, a squeak could be heard coming from the dense foliage on the path less travelled. Kennyo enjoyed exploring the forest environments in the early hours of the morning, discovering new paths, and clearing his head before the hustle and bustle of the day.

Kennyo loved his followers and disciples, but golly they sure were demanding as rebuilding a temple from the ground up was certainly no easy feat, despite having the endless support of his love.

Kennyo raised a curious brow at the ruckus coming from the patch of bushes a little way from his path. He was ready to simply walk past, ignoring it, but something compelled him to take a closer look. After all, the monk was well known for his charitability towards not only his people but also the forest critters—never able to resist a man, woman, child or animal in need.

Inching closer, his hands parted the branches and leaves like the red sea, eyes widening in shock when he spotted a lone pup— presumably lost— beady eyes looking up at him and piercing his very heart and soul with its miserable little whines. The little creature reminded him of the young wolf he called his own— his dearest love, left at home to sleep in and get some much-deserved rest after a long week of work. The remembrance was not for the whining, heavens no, but for the pure strength and determination to endure, no matter the situation they found themselves in.

There was a beat of silence, both staring at one another, both sussing the other out before the pup started whining once again. He neared Kennyo craning his neck up as the cries continued— as if clearly stating his unhappiness to the man—even after Kennyo scooped him up in his arms, the puppy continued to wail.

“Hush now, little one,” Kennyo spoke sternly. However, his features completely softened as he looked down at the canine in his arms— warm and safe—hands stroking the soft fur as he attempted to settle the babe. It wasn’t long before the whining died down; little eyes lulled to sleep in the warm arms.

It was certainly not Kennyo’s intention to bring home yet another rescue on his morning walk, but here he was, quietly opening the temple door with the pup comfortably cradled in his arms— trying his best not to make so much as a peep to wake the household.

He, gently as he could, set the dog down on the plush pillow in the corner of the kitchen, careful not to wake the sleeping baby. The last thing he needed was for the creature to wake and start whining again; heaven knows all hell would break loose if his dear lover was woken before dawn.

Tiptoeing, he made his way back into the ever brightening bedroom, crouching down by Asuga’s side to check on her before tenderly brushing a stray strand of her hair from her eyes.

Not a trace of the trademark stern expression could be seen on his face as he gazed down at the one he loved the most in the world. His eyes reflected the tenderness and adoration he felt for the woman before him, and the soft smile that came to his lips, one which betrayed his every thought— my, how hard he had fallen. Retracting his hands, he was quiet as the night as he stood up to retreat back to the kitchen— to prepare for the day that lay ahead.

He smiled to himself as he got busy preparing two healthy helpings of rice pudding and a cup of dark tea— brewed to perfection just the way Asuga liked it. It was no secret that she was by no means a morning person and that the most he would get from her before the morning caffeine would be a few dissatisfied grunts and groans.

Food and tea in hand, he made his way back to bed, sun steadily rising to illuminate the room further, utterly robbing it from the dark that had once enveloped it. He set the breakfast down within arms reach, moving beneath the covers to wrap an arm around her waist and bring her closer to him. He leaned down and placed a loving kiss on her shoulder, just above the flower tattoo he loved so much.

Snaking his arms further around her waist, he muttered good morning against her neck before following it up with another adoring kiss.

She groaned in response, which only brought a hearty chuckle from Kennyo’s throat, tickling her neck as he nuzzled deeper into her skin. “Happy birthday,” he spoke warmly, slowly coaxing her from her slumbered state.

She only grumbled in return, burrowing, still further into the sheets, hoping to achieve sleep for a few moments longer. Just as Kennyo was about to release another chuckle, a series of whines could be heard coming from the kitchen. Shit, he had forgotten about the orphaned pup; what made matters worse was that Hayate, Asuga's wolf companion’s ears now perched, eyes narrowing as if to glare through the walls in the direction of the sound.

The wolf looked completely unimpressed as he continued to listen to the sounds echoing through the house. With a moment’s notice, the wolf bounded from his place at the foot of the bed, swiftly rounding the corner to investigate.

Kennyo panicked

Haya-” was all that left the man’s lips before the sounds of glass shattering in the next room could be heard. Kennyo’s blood froze over as the worst-case scenario ran through his mind.

“Who the hell is making all that noise,” the raspy roar came from beside him, followed by a dissatisfied scowl. Kennyo was about to jump up, investigate the damage when the grumpy growling and whining stopped altogether.

In angst, he peered through the dimly lit room, holding his breath as he waited—silence, only silence could be heard.

That is until soft steps pattered on the wooden floor, getting louder and louder until the pair rounded the corner. Kennyo released a sigh of relief at the sight of both animals unharmed. In fact, the sight of the two together had his heart-melting. Hayate proudly carried the little creature by the scruff of his neck into the room— tail swishing happily as he made his way back to their bed, taking his original spot at the foot.

Wiping the sleep from her eyes, Agsuga looked over at the pair and raised a brow at Kennyo, “And this,” she asked, voice still rough with sleep.

“Found alone in the woods, mother nowhere to be seen,” Kennyo stated simply, eyes brimming with sympathy for the little pup who now curled up between Hayate and Asuga. The little thing let go of an adorable yawn before tired eyes fell closed once more, to sleep peacefully in the comforts of the bed.

Kennyo reached over as a large hand covered the little one’s head giving the canine a gentle pat, both he and Hayate sending Asuga an equally big pair of puppy dog eyes.

“I turn my back for two minutes, and you are already rescuing another pet,” she jested with a shake of the head before leaning back into Kennyo’s warm embrace.

Kennyo could only smile in response; he couldn’t help it when it came to those in need. No matter what creature, big or small, he could never turn his back on them. “Shall we eat breakfast? It’s getting cold,” he prompted the woman whose eyes had already fallen shut against the warmth of his chest.

With an endearing sight, he pulled the blanket up to better cover Asuga while his fingers tenderly traced circles on her hip. He would indulge her with a few moments more, eyes too fluttering closed and enjoying the quiet, peaceful morning cuddles with the love of his life and the two canine companions.

.*:・’ﾟ:｡.*:ﾟ･’ﾟﾟ:。’ .*:・’ﾟ:｡.*:ﾟ･’ﾟﾟ:。’･ﾟ｡.*:・’ﾟ: ｡.*:・’ﾟ:｡.*:ﾟ･’ﾟﾟ:。

[lyranova]

this was a cute idea i had recently, asta and the gang have to visit the diamond kingdom for some reason, and they meet up with mars and fana. but they have a surprise, they are married!! and either have a kid and/or expecting one!

Hi! I’m so sorry this took so long to write! I kept getting distracted by stuff and things and I sincerely apologize for that! I hope you like this and your second request won’t take as long I promise 🥺! Anyway I hope you enjoy and I’m sorry if this isn’t quite what you wanted!

Word Count: 1,581

Warnings: None

Taglist: @eme-eleff @jovialnoise

———

“ Hey Asta, it’s good to see you again.” Mars said happily as he watched Asta and Noelle walk up to the Castle. After claiming Diamond Kingdom and becoming one of its rulers Mars has changed the way the kingdom was run. Instead of trying to forcefully invade and take things from other kingdoms they decided to try and work with the Clover Kingdom and others. Which was why Asta and Noelle had come, to help work out a treaty since he and Mars were friends.

“ Hey Mars, Hey Fana it’s good to see you both again!” Asta replied cheerfully as he and Mars bumped fists. Noelle shook her head as she watched them and walked over to Fana.

“ It’s good to see you again, you look well Noelle.” Fana said happily as she pulled the silver haired girl into a hug, which Noelle reciprocated.

“ It’s good to see you too, you look,” Noelle pulled back and looked at the pink haired girl, she looked different. Noelle couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

“ Why don’t you two catch up while we discuss business?” Mars suggested, Fana nodded and placed a kiss on his cheek.

“ Good idea. Don’t take too long though, because I want to catch up with Asta as well.” Fana said with a small laugh before taking Noelle and walking away. Asta laughed and waved goodbye to Noelle, with a promise to see her later, and she blushed while giving him a short wave back.

The two women walked until they came to a balcony that overlooked the wasteland. You could see the beginnings of small patches of green emerging, showing new life being brought to the desert of the Diamond Kingdom, maybe this was a sign the kingdom was getting on its feet. Fana walked over to a small table with a tea pot and a couple of cups with saucers and gently poured the tea into a cup and handed it to Noelle, who nodded in thanks, before taking a cup for herself.

“ So, when did you and Asta finally get together?” Fana asked bluntly, causing Noelle to sputter slightly in surprise. Her face instantly became red before she turned away.

“ N-Not long! Just a few weeks.” She muttered, what she meant when she said a few weeks was actually 7 months. She smiled softly at the memory of how she had accidentally confessed her feelings for the swordsman, it was hard to believe that it was 7 months ago she had done that.

“ Ah not that long huh? It seems like you two’ve been together for much longer then that!” Fana said with a laugh before she took a sip of her tea, Noelle nodded in agreement.

“ How long have you and Mars been together now?” She asked curiously, she watched Fana look away in thought for a moment.

“ Well, we’ve been together since we were kids basically. But we didn’t start dating until 6 years ago, and we’ve only been married for two. So, I would say over 10-15 years.” She said thoughtfully as Noelle spewed her tea.

“ W-When did you two get married?!” Noelle asked in surprise, she hadn’t known that! She wondered if Asta knew, if he did he hadn’t mentioned it to her! Usually he told her everything.

“ Oh, two years ago. We kinda eloped and didn’t tell anyone haha.” Fana explained with a blush and another laugh. “ We would have invited you guys, but you were pretty busy trying to get all the kingdoms straightened out after what happened with Spade.”

Noelle nodded, even though that had happened 3 years ago now they were still trying to mend relationships and rebuild countries. It was a painstakingly long and grueling process. But with everyone's help it was all starting to come together, slowly but surely.

“ It’s ok I understand. Maybe you could throw a party for your 10th wedding anniversary and invite us.” Noelle joked light heartedly.

“ Or, you two could visit sooner? Like say, in 9-10 months?” Fana suggested causally, but with a hint of mischievousness in her eye as though she were hinting at some big secret.

Noelle frowned in confusion for a moment, 9-10 months? What would be happening then? As Noelle tried to wrack her brain for the answer, she saw Fana continue to have that gaze, the one that said she knew something Noelle didn’t. After another minute did it finally dawn on Noelle.

“ Y-You’re expecting?!” Noelle exclaimed, Fana and Mars were full of surprises today! As the pink haired girl nodded in confirmation Noelle smiled brightly. “ Congratulations!”

“ Thank you Noelle! It wasn’t really planned, but then again, these kinds of things rarely are.” Fana said with a warm smile and a small shrug. “ We only found out a couple of days ago, but we wanted you and Asta to be the first to know!” She added happily.

“ I don’t know what to say,” Noelle said softly as a small blush rose to her cheeks. “ I’m honored really.” That was all she could think of, she had never really been the first one to know about these kinds of things. So this was very special for her.

The two sat in comfortable silence for a few more minutes, both just enjoying each other's company. The sun was just beginning to set when Mars and Asta walked out of the Castle and onto the balcony, walking over to the two women.

“ Hey you two have fun catching up?” Asta asked as he walked over to stand by Noelle and she nodded.

“ Yeah we did. Were you two able to come to an agreement?” She asked and watched as Mars nodded.

“ We did. The Diamond Kingdom looks forward to working together with the Clover Kingdom.” He answered warmly before Fana wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

“ That's great news you guys! I’m so happy to hear that.” She said cheerfully before taking her husband by the hand and gently leading him inside. “ C’mon let’s go check and see how dinner’s coming along.” Fana added as they disappeared inside, leaving the two Black Bull members out on the balcony.

“ So what did you two talk about?” Asta asked as he leaned back against the balcony, Noelle smiled and shook her head.

“ Oh this and that, did Mars tell you they were married and expecting a child?” She asked him, he nodded and she walked over and leaned forward on the balcony next to him.

“ It was a bit of a shock at first when Mars told me,” Asta said with a bashful laugh. “ But, I can’t imagine two people more equipped to be parents than them.”

“ Um, the Captain maybe?” Noelle pointed out, Captain Yami was probably the most equipped for parenthood out of everyone they knew. Asta blushed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head nervously.

“ Yeah you’re right,” he admitted before his soft smile reappeared on his face. “ But I know they’re going to be some of the best parents ever.” Noelle nodded in agreement.

“ Do you want kids someday?” She asked suddenly after a minute, Asta didn’t hesitate and nodded.

“ I do, not right now, but maybe in the future. What about you?” He asked, he watched as the silver haired girl hesitated for a moment.

“ Hm, I’m not sure. I mean, I do want kids but,” she looked down at the stone balcony for a minute. “ I don’t think I’d be a very good mom. I don’t remember my mother at all and my siblings weren’t the best examples on how to raise a kid.” She added with a humorless laugh, sure she wanted kids but she didn’t want to have any and then realizing she was a bad mother and wasn’t good at raising and taking care of them.

“ What are you talking about? You’re going to be a great mom someday!” Asta said cheerfully, causing Noelle to turn and look at him. “ I heard from Sister Lily about how you interacted and played with some of the kids in Hage village, you’re a natural! Sure it’s going to take some time to learn how to be good parents and what works for us, and sure we’re going to stumble and make mistakes here and there, but overall I think we’re going to be great parents!”

Noelle blinked up at Asta, he said ‘us’ and ‘we’ a lot, did he mean that he wanted to have a family with her someday?

“ Y-You, want to have a family with me?” She asked him softly in bewilderment, Asta tilted his head in confusion before nodding.

“ Of course! I can’t really picture myself having a family with anyone else if I’m being honest.” He admitted with a sheepish laugh, she blushed furiously at his answer and looked away.

“ W-Well, luckily for you I can’t picture myself having a family with anyone else either!” She tried to say in a huffed tone, but Asta could see in her eyes that she meant it; her tone of voice may’ve sounded harsh and non-caring, but her eyes were the opposite. He gently took her hand, making her blush even more, before gently leading her inside.

“ C’mon lets get something to eat I’m starving!”

———

I’m sorry if this wasn’t very good but I hope you liked it! Thanks for reading and I hope you all have a good day~!