#annoying guys say i look like their friend-my name is duck-got a duck today-name the duck after the guy i supposedly look like

[thatone-highlighter]

how did you get the name duck anyways?

I hate(medium) this question but i also think its kinda funny

Its more or less a long series of doing things on a whim.

Im generally very reluctant to spend my own money but on this one random occasion i decided i wanted to buy a rubber bath duck, just for fun. And it was cool, then a few days later while i was watching my mum play Minecraft (something i did often) i wanted to make my little duck be fancy, so i started cutting and taping some paper and i made my duck a little jacket, bowtie, and tophat, thus duck-in-a-suit.

A week or two after that i was making my discord account and i couldn’t decide on a username, and on a whim again remembered my little ducky and named my account after it and made my pfp a pic of it too. So when i joined a server and started talking to people obviously it got shortened and it just kinda stuck and it became the name i used in other placed even if the username didn’t match. I just got attached to it, i even have a few irl friends who call me Duck and its cool.

Theres also a part in the middle where in True Duck Style i committed very hard to the bit and started collecting rubber ducks, i had so many rubber ducks and i still do have heaps. I also had a ‚bit‘ for a few weeks where i would keep a duck in my jacket pocket and pull it out mid conversation and hood it up inbetween the people talking without drawing attention and see how long it took people to notice.

[echantedtoon]

Everyone Wants A Brother Like You Part 1 A Brother In A Different Way

Everyone wants a big brother, especially if it's one as caring and kind as Tanjiro. They all think so but it's too bad they can't have a brother like him-...Or can they actually in a different way?

(DISCLAIMERS!!: This is gonna be a little story based on the art by feshnie on deviantart and an au based on the same picture by @yuki2sksksk on Tumblr. It'll just be cute little Oneshots because honestly I think all these ships involving Nezuko are cute. Although Inosuke's route will be written up for interpretation as platonic or romantic. This is just an au I'm doing for fun so things aren't going to be cannon and might be ooc. All art shown with the Chapters (minus the coverart which is by Feshnie on DeviantArt) was either taken from the anime, from the Kimetsu No Yaiba/Kimetsu Gakuen mangas, or are sketches by Koyoharu Gotouge. I don't own demon slayer, the characters, art, etc. Demon Slayer/Art/etc. belongs to Koyoharu Gotouge.

Links to both content creators are below please support both artists and their own content.

Feshnie

https://www.deviantart.com/feshnie/art/BNHA-Brother-in-law-Tanjirou-818234170

@yuki2sksksk

https://www.tumblr.com/yuki2sksksk/718220290228961280/inspired-by-a-fan-art-i-saw-on-pinterest-sometime?source=share

Also everyone is alive because I said so. This takes place after battling Muzan for the final time and everyone is currently recovering.)

The beautiful morning sun gazed over the earth with a golden glow and cascaded through the window making the glass glow with a shine. The cherry blossoms outside swayed gently in the breeze as soft pink petals and perfect green leaves fell from their branches and floated down onto the ground outside of the Butterfly Mansion. Birds sang and fluttered about the breeze. The peaceful quiet settling in with the silent morning.

Until a flurry of giggles and squeals interrupted the air as three little girls ran past the window in play kicking up petals and leaves.

"Dammit! Can't they wait until later in the day to start playing!?"

The once silent room was alive with grumbles and groans of others waking in their beds. One in particular cursing the sun and turning around to plop back onto his stomach shoving a rather fluffy pillow over his head. However one of them was energetic enough to sit up and stretch out smiling at the window with a yawn and smile. 

"Oh, come on. It's not that bad. It's a beautiful morning today!"

"HA!! I WAS AWAKE WAY BEFORE THE SUN WAS!! TAKE THAT YOU WIMPY FIREBALL!!"

"Would you be quiet?! Your yelling is worse than your snoring- OOP?!"

"HAHAHAHA!! TOO SLOW, MITENFU!!"

Red eyes turned over and sighed. Tanjiro had been hopeful it would be a nice morning before any training but it seemed like that wouldn't be the case. Inosuke had woken up in typical Inosuke fashion by yelling and declaring his righteous toughness over anything he randomly decided to challenge that day making Zenitsu yell back complaining. Unfortunately the blonde hadn't been fast enough to duck the incoming pillow their friend had thrown right at his face knocking Zenitsu back onto the bed.

"THAT'S UNCALLED FOR!!," the blonde furiously tore the pillow from his face sitting back up and pointing right back to him. "And it's Zenitsu! Got that?! You've known me for how long and you still can't get my name right?!"

"Oh, give it a rest both of you!! You're annoying as hell!!" Tanjiro looked next to him. Genya was still laying on his stomach and had the pillow over his head still. On his other side Muichiro blinked silently as his brain slowly became ungroggy to the world. "Next time I'm sleeping outside! At least the birds are quiet at night!"

"Says you!" Zenitsu dared to point at Genya next as the black haired boy glared at him from under the pillow. "You both snore so loud you can attract an army of demons from a hundred miles away!!"

"Guys." Tanjiro rose a hand to no avail.

"HUH?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN PENTA IS LOUDER THAN ME?!" In an instant Inosuke was standing on his bed pointing one hand at Zenitsu and one at Genya accusingly as both turned to now glare at him. "MY LUNGS ARE SO POWERFUL I CAN BEAT BOTH OF IN YELLING!!"

"Fucking hell. Can't you get my name right at least?"

"See?! I told you you're always getting everyone's names wrong!"

"I wasn't talking to you, Sunflower!!"

"Guys?" Tanjiro asked slightly louder as Zenitsu whipped back to Genya.

"SUNFLOWER!? DO I LOOK LIKE A PLANT TO YOU?!"

"No. At least plants are quiet." Genya finally allowed the pillow to fall from his annoyed face having given up on sleeping in that morning.

"At least sunflowers are nice to look at! You look like a piece of coal that got hacked up by a mangy cat!!"

"What the hell did you say to me, Blondie?!"

"HEY!! IM STILL LOUDER!!"

"WE WEREN'T TALKING TO YOU!!" "SHUT UP, PIGHEAD!!"

"GUYS!!" All at once the three of them stopped whipping around to stare at Tanjiro who gave a stern look back holding both hands up... before sighing allowing both his arms to plop back down to his sides. "Let's not fight. It's too early in the morning to fight like this."

Both Zenitsu and Genya looked at one another and scowled but otherwise didn't argue again much to Tanjiro's relief. Inosuke laughed loudly in triumph.

"HA!! That means I beat both of you in loudness!"

"You certainly do, Inosuke." Tanjiro smiled happily. "Let's all save the next contest for later."

"None of us were in a contest," Zenitsu mumbled under his breath but didn't start an argument again.

"Ok. Hey, Misthead. Where are you going?"

They all turned to Muichiro whom had just gotten up silently, tossed off the blankets, and walked off towards the bathhouse area. Rubbing his eyes and yawning as the others followed him with their heads.

"To get dressed. All of you are too noisy."

"Hey! That's not a bad idea!" Tanjiro smiled at him and quickly followed Muichiro's lead in tossing off the blankets and following after their friend. Making a motion at everyone else to follow. "Come on. Let's all go get breakfast! We'll feel better if we eat something."

More grumbling was had. Eventually one after one they followed after the cheerfully smiling boy. At least it would stop the grumbling and put everyone in a better mood and hopefully stop them all from fighting. Twenty minutes later and the whole group of them found themselves just outside the door leading to the garden. Shinobu had suggested they should get some fresh air while waiting for their food to be made but to in her own words-

"Mind your injuries. You're still healing from very serious injuries from a very serious battle. I'd hate to confine you all to bed."

Shinobu's threats were to be taken very seriously as experience has taught them. So they gathered just outside of the garden and watched the peaceful day go by. Not a single thing to be worried about now. Just then all and the peaceful morning air-

"TANJIRO!!" That was until three little girls came running right up to the red eyed boy looking almost worried.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong!," one of the three girls spoke up smiling at him. "Nezuko just needs your help with getting firewood!"

"Oh! Of course! Where is she?"

Nezuko. Finally after so long she was human again. After so long and after so much stress and effort, his beloved sister was finally able to walk in the sunlight again and live out her life. Human. It's still as if he'd wake up one day and it'll all be a dream but it was his reality. One they had to keep.

Tanjiro scanned behind them but didn't see any signs of his sister. "Where is she?"

"Outside of the garden with Aoi." Another pointed to just outside the garden and near the treeline. "She's waiting for you."

"Alright then! I guess I better go help them." He turned a smile right back to his friends just as another new face appeared in the doorway behind them. "I'll be right back. Save me a bowl of udon when the food arrives. Alright?"

Then he left quickly leaving everyone else to wait standing there.

"WWWWHHHHAAAAA- Why didn't Nezuko-chan ask for my help?! As her future husband, don't I get some consideration from her?!"

"Oh put a sock in it, Sunflower!"

"What's going on?" A new voice asked as a boy the same age as Muichiro stepped out holding a broom in his hands looking confused.

"Senjuro," one of the girls greeted him. "Tanjiro's gone to help Nezuko and Ali with the firewood!"

"Oh." The flame haired boy smiled. "That's nice of him. Nezuko's lucky to have such a kind brother."

Muichiro glanced curiously at the other boy, a look of slight concern in his eyes. "Senjuro, how's Kyojuro?" Senjuro jumped and blinked taken aback in surprise at Muichiro of all people addressing him. But Muichiro only tilted his head further. "I heard as of lately he was still recovering from his battle wounds, but I have yet to see him around. How is he?"

Senjuro blinked again before sighing. "You mean despite the missing eye and hole in his stomach?" He nodded glumly. "He's ok. Not great but ok. Ms. Shinobu says he'll live but..I'm still worried about him." He looked uncomfortable to say the least and decided to change the subject. "How's your brother doing? Last I heard, Yuichiro's waiting for you at home right? I bet he'll be happy to see you again after so long!"

It was Muichiro's turn to frown with a hum. "I.. suppose so. It's been so long-"

"You two shrimps have brothers?," Genya questioned raising a brow and crossing his arms although not in a rude way, he looked more lightly surprised than anything."

"Why is that so surprising?" Genya paused as Muichiro pointed at him and uttered his next sentence. "Don't you also have a brother in the corps? I'm pretty sure it's Sanemi."

"Sanemi? Wasn't he the jerk who tried to kill Nezuko-chan?!" Zenitsu tossed another dirty look directed at the sweating Genya as Senjuro gave all three of them a look of alarm.

"He tried to do what?!"

"OH DROP THAT SUBJECT!! IT'S IN THE PAST!! Besides didn't you have a brother too or something that went into the final selection before you even did?" Genya half challenged half changed the subject to Zenitsu who flinched. HARD. "Yeah. He trained under the same master you did right? What was his name?....Kai or something like that."

Zenitsu stared wide eyed at them all.. before turning away with a quick sad look. "We weren't really brothers....I don't want to talk about it."

"I DON'T HAVE ANY BROTHERS!!" Of course Inosuke had to proudly and randomly yell it like it was something to be proud of.

A tense and awkward silence fell over the group as no one felt the urge to talk about their brothers or lack there of. A small cough was given to the group as they shuffled about...until the trio of girls looked at one another and the one with braids decided to change the subject.

"Nezuko-chan has a really cool brother," she said trying to lift the mood.

"Yes! Tanjiro's a really good brother! Nezuko is so lucky to have Tanjiro! I bet every wants a brother like him!," one of the other girls agreed making a small murmur of agreement pass through.

Yes...Nezuko was lucky to have such an amazing brother like Tanjiro. Anyone would be lucky to have a brother just like him. They all knew it... It's just a shame they couldn't have a brother like him, and Tanjiro wasn't related to them anyways. He was a really good friend however.

"Zenitsu, you're going to marry Nezuko-chan aren't you?" One of the girls asked curiously tugging gently on the blonde's sleeve careful to not jostle his still healing injuries.

Zenitsu was certainly surprised at the sudden question but still gave the girl a soft smile. "Yes, that's right!"

The middle girl who had asked the previous question hummed in thought and rubbed her chin. She was the only one who wore her hair down instead of in braids or pigtails. "But-...If you get married to Nezuko-chan, Tanjiro-san would be your brother-in-law wouldn't he?"

Zenitsu paused, blinked, before shrugging. "Well yeah. But that's not a problem with me. Do you want to know how our wedding will be?"

A silence had fell upon the others. Whatever else Zenitsu and the butterfly girls said was lost to the other four as at least of them went blank. Eyes wide open as a realization of what was said before them rang true in their heads.

"Tanjiro-san would be your BROTHER-in-law right?"

Right....

.... right-....

"WHAT'S A BROTHER-IN-LAW?!," Inosuke demanded looking confused by the term and three of his friends spacing off. "Can I fight it?  I'll fight it and win!!"

"Calm down will you? Jeez! A brother-in-law is what you call a girl's brother when you start taking her out!"

Inosuke tilted his head at the blonde. "Are you saying I can get a brother just by taking out a girl?"

"Well...Yeah? I guess that's one way to put it. You weirdo."

"HA! The Great Inosuke then shall use this tactic from his underlings to extract this brother! If everyone else can get one then I will too!"

Zenitsu only deadpanned at him but couldn't get another word out as three familiar figures came around the corner. Aoi looking annoyed carrying a basket and the Kamado siblings. Tanjiro looked absolutely happy just carrying firewood joyfully and next to him just as joyful as her brother and more pretty was Nezuko. Laughing at something her brother said. Zenitsu instantly gushed out seeing her, Inosuke still proclaimed his soon to be victory, and meanwhile the three others remained silent. Staring. Idea swirling about in their heads taking glancing at one another 

.... Maybe there actually was a way to gain a brother like him.

[throne-anguis]

There is something hilarious about the idea of Temenos and Crick being the go-to guys to just drop off Moonshade Order Members at.

Like at first it was just Kazan and then Ori and oh okay I guess every single Moonshade Order who didn’t die is now in the apartment. It’s so awkward and this is a two person apartment and the original residents are dating and low-key the mood keeps on getting ruined by surprisingly Ori.

It 100% doesn’t help with Temenos looking sketchy as hell to his bosses but it is hilarious and leads to funny scenarios.

(Oboro: Hey Temenos so bad news, your non-official bosses tried to come in so I went and pulled the fire alarm in the building and microwaved the instant noodles without water so that something is actually on fire. Don’t worry, I framed your landlord on the arson, he’s an asshole and low-key I think he may be slightly homophobic so run his name through the Metaverse later.

Temenos: I’m sorry what?

Ori: Hey Temenos I turned on the sprinklers so there is no longer any fire.

Temenos: WHAT!?

Ori: I also threw out your wooden duck. Ducks shouldn’t cost $300. Me, Oboro, Tanzy, and Trousseau all think so and then I went and asked Ritsu who isn’t even apart of the Order but it was a good idea to kidnap him too but he thinks right.

Temenos: NO! NO DO NOT THROW OUT THAT DUCK! ARE ALL OF YOU OUT AND NOT IN THE BURNING BUILDING!?

Ritsu: Hi Temenos, it’s Ritsu. I managed to get them out through the fire escape but Trousseau may have went and punched your landlord in the face. We stopped the fire don’t worry and before you asked yes I went and put all your papers into Ziplock Bags. Trousseau won’t spill Purple Soda on them. I saved your duck and Ka- Oboro just went and got all of us out of handcuffs. Also Ori is right your duck fucking sucks.

Temenos: What!? When can he do that? And stop talking about Quackers!

Ritsu: Ugh Temenos, Quackers? Really? And Oboro knew how to do that since me and Hikari were 14! He got bored and handcuffed himself to Rai Mei during that time to see what happened and he had to get himself out after all of us found out that her exam date was today and not tomorrow and that the key was swallowed by Mikka’s Chicken.

Temenos: Oh my god he could have gotten out at any time-

Ritsu: Yeah whatever I’m taking Crick’s car by the way and I’m driving.

Oboro: Wait you’re driving RITSU NO I BANNED YOU FROM DRIVING AFTER I-)

This is absolutely chaotic and it shouldn't be any other way. The Moonshade Order members are slowly becoming an awful annoying family to poor Temenos and Crick who just want to be gay in peace. Crick is too mean to say no and Temenos (although tired) welcomes the chaos despite his actions.

When they're left alone Oboro becomes the parent here lmao. He's already taken care of Ori alone he has enough bad experience.

Ritsu has got to tell them all dumb stories about Hikari to make him look bad (while in fact they are all stupid reasons because Hikari has pretty much never done anything wrong in his life). That dumbass has been childhood friends with Hikari though so he's seen young Mugen too.

(Ritsu: Did I tell you guys about the time Hikari beat his brother in Smash he threw a chair at him and raged for like 3 hours. He didn't win once.

Ori: Skill issue.)

I can't remember Ori's canon age and I think she's supposed to be 17 or 18(?) but I always interpret her as a mentally ill 14 year old. She has to be besties with Trousseau and definitely made him drink the grimace shake.

Crick has to build a fortress around Quackers after the incident to save Temenos.

[huggybug]

Hi, could you write something with sunshine x grumpy couple but the other way round than normal? Like sunshine trev x grumpy reader, I feel like it’s never that why and trev is sunshine!

something about the sunshine - trevor zegras

word count: 3.0k words

note: uh hi this ask was literally from so long ago so i’m sorry about that! i tried my best at this trope but it kinda just went off on its own little path so i hope it still does the request justice <33

“Y/n! How’s my favourite lady doing today?” You fight the urge to roll your eyes when Trevor walks into the room and plops down on your table.

You loved your job, really, being an athletic trainer for a major sports team was probably your biggest career goal and somehow you landed it as your first job. However, with it, you were under mountains of stress and out of everyone, Trevor always knew how to make it worse.

“Busy” You mumble, finishing the last few forms you had to fill out on your laptop before shutting it. “Do you need something?”

“Uh yeah, can you tape my ankle?” Your eyes dart up to look at him.

“You need your ankle taped?” You ask curiously.

“Yeah that’s why I’m here, jeez Y/n you should really try to keep up” He teased and you shook your head.

“Why do you need it taped? Practice is over” You were just about ready to leave actually, it had been a long day and the bottle of rosé in your fridge at home was calling your name.

“Yeah but… it hurts?” Trevor’s words came out in a questioning tone, like he was unsure why he was even asking.

“Okay…?” You got up, reaching for the roll of tape on your desk and making your way over to him. You were halfway through taping his ankle when he spoke up again.

“JD and I are going out tonight, you should come hang”

“I’m good” You mumbled, not letting your focus away from the task at hand.

“We’re super fun! I promise you’ll have a great time” You looked up to see him grinning widely at you.

“Trevor… we’re not friends” He froze for a minute before recalculating and his easy going façade was back.

“But we could be?” It came out more as a question than he initially intended.

“I’m just here to work, I have enough friends” You mumble, “Thanks though” Trevor’s smile faltered but he didn’t let it show for more than a split second.

It wasn’t that you didn’t like Trevor, in fact all the guys were great. You just didn’t love mixing your work like and personal life.

“You’re all done” You say as you lay the last piece of tape down. “If your ankle hurts maybe you shouldn’t be going out tonight” You raise your eyebrow at him which only makes him smirk.

“Thanks Y/n, see you tomorrow”

…

The season was well underway and you were busier than ever. You were down a few trainers and the Ducks staff had all been working around the clock to try and make up for it.

“The world isn’t going to stop turning if you take a break” You sigh, looking up from your computer to see Trevor and Jamie sauntering into your room.

“Thanks Trevor” You smile sarcastically. Over the past few months, you’d found yourself with both Trevor and Jamie more and more often. While you didn’t let it cross your self drawn boundaries by seeing them away from work, they seemed to find their way to your room frequently, whether it was because they actually needed something or just to come bother you.

“Aw cheer up sunshine”

“Don’t call me that” You bite back, annoyed with his presence already.

“Sunflower? Gumdrop? Sweetheart?” Trevor’s rattling off words like there’s no tomorrow, you glare at him until he stops.

“Are you having a stroke?” Jamie laughs at that but Trevor elbows him in retaliation.

“I’m trying to find a name that works for you babe, got any suggestions?”

“What do you guys need? I’m almost done for the day” You checked the time to see that you’d already stayed an hour past what you wanted to which meant you were way too late to girls night, meaning you’d once again have to ditch your plans because of work.

“Come out with us tonight. We’re meeting up with our friends from LA, you’ll love them” Trevor explained, nudging Jamie with his elbow which made him chime in as well.

“Yeah, Trev tells Alex about you all the time, he’s dying to meet you” Jamie coughs awkwardly when Trevor’s bony elbow hits him in the ribs.

“We’ve been over this before…” You answer, not even looking up from your work.

“Yeah but one of these days you’ll come to your senses and realize how amazing of a time you’ll have with us” Trevor grinned and you faltered. Maybe it was because your night out with your girls was ruined or maybe after months of Trevor asking, he’d simply worn you down.

“Fine” You finally caved and you swear Trevor does a little happy dance.

“I’ll send you the details, see you there!” Trevor is grinning ear to ear as he leaves the room, pulling Jamie behind him.

…

The bar Trevor chooses is exactly the kind of bar you’d expect him to pick. It’s packed, clearly a well-known spot in California, and you’re pretty sure there’s some sort of filtering system at the entrance which only allows people with over 1 million followers in. Luckily, you didn’t have to worry about that since you came with Trevor who somehow got himself on the list and your group is swiftly ushered to the VIP area.

“You look fantastic” Trevor grins at you once you’re all sat down at the table. He had already introduced you to his friend Alex and Jamie’s friend Quinton but he apparently hadn’t taken a moment to really look at you until now.

“Watch it Trevor, we’re still work friends of some sort” You point a finger at him and he laughs it off, knowing you’re only joking. To be fair, it was half a joke, half serious.

“I’m going for drinks, Jamie help me” Trevor practically drags his best friend away from the table with him and you shift awkwardly in your seat. Leave it to Trevor to ditch you with (albeit seemingly nice) strangers.

“So… you work for the Ducks?” Quinton asks and you smile awkwardly while nodding.

“Trainer” You mumble and both boys nod, pretending to be interested you’re sure. You fall back into silence for a few moments before the two boys start talking about something else between the two of them and you sink back into your chair.

You should’ve just stayed home tonight. Even though your original plans were wrecked, you shouldn’t have agreed to coming out with Trevor and Jamie. You were very obviously crashing their plans; you certainly didn’t fit in with a group of four hockey players.

You could only spiral so far before the boys returned, Trevor handing you a martini, your drink of choice. It took you a moment of staring at the glass before you looked at him, wondering how the hell he knew your typical order.

Trevor was too busy making fun of whatever it was Jamie said to the bartender so you didn’t say anything, just took a sip of your drink. Immediately, you started coughing which attracted the attention of the guys quickly.

“Woah, slow it down there Y/n” Trevor laughed and you shot him a look, hopefully playful enough to be passed off as a joke.

“You okay?” Jamie asked, offering up his bottle of water which you waved off.

“Fine. I just wasn’t expecting the gin” You drank vodka martinis. To be more precise, vodka martinis with a twist.

“Shit sorry” Trevor apologized, reaching to take your drink but you pulled it back. “I’ll go get you a new one” He offered and while it was very nice of him, you refused.

“I’m fine” You were firm enough that he didn’t bother to ask again, simply turning back to the conversation that had already resumed.

You stuck around for a respectable amount of time before you started planning your escape. It wasn’t that you didn’t like Alex and Quinton, they were actually nice guys and fun to be around. Just as the night went on, the more you felt like you were imposing. You waited until Trevor left, taking Alex over to say hi to someone they knew who was just across the roped off area; fishing in your purse to get cash to cover your drinks, you slide over to Jamie, placing a hand on his shoulder to get his attention.

“Thanks for inviting me, tell Trevor thanks too” You hand him the money, flashing a quick smile and Jamie smiles back, quickly waving your money away.

“We were both happy you finally said yes, you’re cool Y/n” Jamie was sweet, honestly a little too sweet for an NHL player in your opinion.

“See you tomorrow Drysdale” You say goodbye to Quinton before grabbing your purse and rushing towards the door, hoping you can get out without Trevor seeing you because you know exactly how that conversation would go.

You were almost to the exit when someone grabbed your arm. Your instincts kicked in and you pulled away quickly, freeing your arm roughly from the person’s grip. Preparing for the worst, you turn around, only to see Trevor.

“God Trevor, I thought you were some creepy dude” You roll your eyes, turning back around and heading for the door, knowing he’s following close behind.

“Nope, just me” He leans forward and you can practically hear the smirk in his voice.

“Close enough” You retort and he pokes your arm playfully.

“Why are you leaving?” Trevor finally asks when your both standing on the sidewalk outside of the bar.

“I work in the morning” You answer, typing away on your phone, trying to get an Uber.

“So do I” You look up to see him grinning at you which makes you roll your eyes.

“Go have fun with your boys, I have to go” Trevor pouted and maybe if you were tapped out on your Trevor time, you would’ve seen it as endearing.

“Fine, I’ll see you tomorrow”

“Bye Trevor”

…

A few more months passed and you stuck to your rules, no more nights out with Trevor or Jamie and you were back to strictly work ‘friends’ only.

However, tonight was Dux in Tux, the organization’s annual charity event and while it wasn’t technically a night out with them, it was close enough.

“How great do I look in this? Scale of 1-10” You shake your head at Trevor who had been flaunting his ugly shirt-tuxedo all night for you.

“Go do your job” The players were all supposed to be serving the tables and while most of them had been following orders well, Trevor had spent a lot of his time at your table. The other trainers found it funny, they weren’t telling Trevor off but you had no problem in doing that.

“Is he bothering you?” You look up to see Max Jones behind Trevor, throwing an arm over the younger boy’s shoulder.

“Always” You answer with a smirk and Trevor sputters.

“Z, go help Jamie clear plates” Max points over to where Jamie is trying to pick up the slack where Trevor had been lacking all night.

“But this is my table!” Trevor pointed out and the table full of staff chuckled at the two grown men arguing about this.

“Go”

“Oh come on!” Trevor whined but trudged away anyways.

The rest of the night went smoothly, Trevor was kept busy, thanks to Max and you had easily avoided all the questions that had arisen from Trevor’s adamant presence at your table; the open bar had been a fantastic aid in that.

“Hey Sunshine, need another drink?” Trevor asks when you approach the bar later on in the night. The guys had just finished their little show so there was a group of them hanging around the bar.

“Sunshine?” Troy asks and a few of the other guys chime in as well.

“Don’t call me that” You grit out. Trevor knew your boundaries but he liked to push them. He loved to bend your rules to see how far you’d let him go, how long you could stand him annoying you before you put an end to it.

“Oh c’mon babe don’t be like that” Trevor grinned, throwing an arm around you and pulling you into his side. You groaned, trying to push him away but he wouldn’t budge.

“Woah woah woah. What are we missing here?” McTavish asks and you shake your head, slipping out of Trevor’s hold.

“Nothing, Trevor’s just a dick who likes to piss me off. Now if you’ll excuse me” You retrieve your fresh drink from the bar and hightail it over to your little group of staff, glad to hopefully be in a safe zone away from Trevor.

It doesn’t work, in less than 15 minutes, Trevor’s excusing you from your own conversation and pulling you away from the event and into the hallway to the locker rooms.

“What is your deal tonight?” You ask, exasperated from all the antics he’s been pulling tonight.

“Does it really piss you off when I do that stuff?” He asks frantically.

“What?” You’re confused, crossing your arms over your chest, suddenly feeling very trapped in this hallway.

“Why I call you sunshine and when I hang around you, do you really not like it?” Trevor asks, his gaze is heavy and you feel hot underneath it.

“What do you think Trevor?” You raise an eyebrow, honestly curious as to what he thinks you feel about him.

“Answer me”

“I…” You trail off, unsure how to explain what exactly it is that you feel. You’re not even sure yourself how you feel about Trevor. It started off as pure annoyance. You didn’t like when he hung around your room at the rink, how he’d play with the rolls of tape you had on your desk (and how he usually stole them for himself). But somewhere over the course of the season, it changed into tolerance which the. shifted into fondness. And now, you honestly missed him on the days that he wasn’t around for practice or a game for whatever reason.

“Because if it really bothers you I’ll stop. I thought we were friends and had that kind of relationship but I might’ve read it wrong and I’m sorry if I did, that’s on me” Trevor was rambling and you let him. It was cute. When he finished, you finally had collected your thoughts enough to speak.

“I don’t hate it” You pause as Trevor grins so wide you’re afraid it’ll crack his cheeks. “But the sunshine thing has to got stop around people at work”

“Is that you saying you want to hang out with me?” Trevor was smiling so hard it made you want to laugh. “And is this a friends hang out or a…” He winks over dramatically, “hang out”

“You’re so gross” You laugh while shaking your head.

“You love it”

“Ehh” You scrunch up your face and Trevor rolls his eyes.

…

After a couple months and many dates (most in Anaheim and then some when Trevor flew you out to visit him in New York after he went home for the summer) you found yourself with a boyfriend. It was probably breaking your ultimate rule but you didn’t care. That was the thing about Trevor; when you were with him, nothing else mattered.

It was a weird adjustment at first but luckily, you had officially started dating during the off-season so you weren’t exactly forced to come to terms with how this affected your work life just yet. Trevor always pushed it away, promising you that nothing would happen or change, that he would take care of it and that you trusted because how could they afford to make their star player upset?

After spending the summer travelling to and from Anaheim, you were both officially back for the season and you couldn’t help but think about how things had changed just over the course of a few months.

“That night we went out, how did you know I liked martinis? Or was that just a random guess?” Trevor looked down at you from where he was sitting on the couch while you laid with you head in his lap.

“Uh… I don’t remember” He cleared his throat then looked back at the TV which was playing the highlights of whatever baseball game was on today.

“You’re lying” You said flatly.

“No I’m not” You narrowed your eyes at him as he played with the short hair above his ear, twirling it as best he could around his finger.

“Yes you are, you’re doing the weird thing with your hair” Trevor’s hand freezes in it’s spot.

“Okay, I’ll explain but you have to promise you won’t think I’m creepy” He sighs, nudging you off his lap so you have to sit up next to him.

“What? Trevor-” You turn to face him, draping your legs over his and his hand automatically falls in place over them.

“Promise!” He insists.

“Fine, I promise” You roll your eyes.

“At every team event, I’d kinda… watch you. That sounds so creepy. I wasn’t like stalking you, I’d just happen to look for you every once in a while and every time I saw you, you were drinking a martini with a twist. Obviously I didn’t know you only drank vodka martinis” He grumbled and you laugh.

“That was the worst martini I’d ever had” You gagged, thinking back to that night when you stubbornly finished the whole martini because you wouldn’t let him get you a new one.

“Well I didn’t know! Vodka and gin are both clear!” Trevor whined, his head falling back against the couch cushions.

“At least you’ve learned, hm?” You reach to play with his hair, combing through it with your fingers as a smile makes its way onto his face.

“Yeah, thank god for that” He answers sarcastically which makes you smile.

[redrobin-detective]

Half of

Danny Fenton was half ghost. Or something.

No one was quite sure what that meant exactly or if it was even true. A ghost in a pure white suit had announced it during an attack on the town until he was beaten and silenced by Phantom. It’s been three days since then and the nerd hasn’t been at school. Not that Dash was looking for him or anything.

Dash worried, for just a second, that something bad happened to him. The Guys in White creeps had been asking questions around school the last few days. There’d been a noticeable lack in ghost attacks around town, maybe another ghost got to him? What about his ghost obsessed parents? Surely they wouldn’t have done anything to their own kid...

“Think Danny will be in school today?” Kwan whispered nervously, leaning in close to Dash’s side. Talking too loudly about the elephant, or ghost he guesses, in the room got people very forcefully interviewed by the government. 

“Why the hell would I know?” Dash grumbled, shaking his friend off to shove his hands deep into the pockets of his letterman jacket. “No one knows what’s going on, Manson and Foley haven’t shown up either.”

“I hope they’re ok,” Kwan said quietly, looking down at the floor. 

“Why do you care?” Dash grumbled, harsher than he meant to.

“You and everyone ditched me for Danny when Paulina was dating him, remember? Sam and Tucker were real pals and Danny, well he’s weird but not really that bad.” Kwan said bitterly before his eyebrows twisted in confusion. “That was actually pretty out of character for Paulina to date him now that I think about it, maybe he was, like, using ghost magic to control her?”

“That’s stu-” Dash was interrupted by the usually noise of Casper High going dead silent. He and Kwan shrugged at each other. He saw Star down the hallway, staring at something. He caught her eye and mouthed What is it at her. Her eyes slid back over to the hall before mouthing Fenton back. 

“Shit,” Dash couldn’t help but mutter under his breath, “Fenton’s here.” He glanced over at Kwan, trying to hide his nervousness. “Guess we’ll find out if he’s some sort of ghost freak after all.”

Kwan eyed him for a second, “you know if Danny really is half of a ghost then maybe you’ll want to quit it with the names.” The warning bell rang for first period. “You guys have homeroom together with Lancer, right? Just, I don’t know, don’t make him mad or anything.”

“Man, don’t even joke,” Dash said with a strained smile. “It’s Fenton, what’s the nerd gonna do?”

XxX

Fenton always sat in the back right of the class so seeing him there wasn’t that strange. What was strange was that he was there before the bell rang, not looking sweaty or exhausted or beaten up. Seeing him sitting there with an almost bored expression, casually leaning one arm over the back of his chair. It was eerie, seeing Fenton try to act normal. Dash felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on his head as he stiffly walked by the nerd he usually smacked when he walked by. He thought he felt Fenton’s icy eyes following him as he passed. Dash made sure he didn’t scurry like a wimp to his seat but it was a close thing.

“Class, please stop staring at Mr. Fenton and let us begin,” Lancer sighed, unsuccessfully trying to start the class.

“Do you know the ghost boy?” Paulina asked, slamming her palms on her desk and ignoring their teacher. “Because if you’ve been holding out on me-”

“I mean everyone in Amity Park knows him,” Fenton shrugged. He’d been so chill this morning, like the whole thing wasn’t bothering him. It only made Dash more antsy. He bounced his leg under the desk.

“Can you do anything cool? Like fly or shoot lasers from your eyes?” Mikey asked, leaning forward with curiosity.

“I can do lots of cool things,” Fenton sniffed. “I know a lot about the space program and local astronomy. I draw sometimes and I’m think I’m pretty good. I also have super flexible joints so I can do this.” He grinned a little as everyone squealed when he bent his thumb back so far it nearly touched his wrist. “Of course,” his grin turned into an eye roll, “no one really cares about that only my supposed superpowers.”

“What is a half of, exactly? What that ghost called you?” Dash found himself asking. He almost didn’t want to be heard but Fenton turned to look at him anyways. 

“What do you think it means?” Fenton questioned back. Though he had a teasing smirk, his eyes looked dull and dead. Dash couldn’t look at them and ducked his head. 

“Alright, alright, enough with the questions. The Fenton’s gave Danny a clean bill of health and allowed him to rejoin class so that’s all you kids need to know. Now, back to what we were actually talking about.” Class continued as expected but everyone still snuck glances at Fenton. He’s not sure what they were all waiting for, him to suddenly turn green or sprout horn or whatever. But Fenton just sat there, still as anything, trying to act normal and it just didn’t fit him right and it was all just. Wrong.

XxX

Dash was relieved Fenton wasn’t in his second or third period classes but they did have the same lunchtime. For the first time since he was skinny, bucktoothed 6th grader, Dash wanted to hide away and eat his lunch in private. But Fenton wasn’t the only one trying to keep up appearances.

“Alright, what has everyone got,” Paulina was whispering to the table by the time Dash was sitting down. “The day is halfway over, someone had to have seen him doing something ghostly.”

“I mean we don’t know how long he’s been like this,” Star commented, flipping her hair as pretense to sneak a glance at the loser trio near the back entrance of the cafeteria. “He could’ve been hiding his for a while.”

“Fenton’s always been weird,” Dale commented with a sneer, stabbing at his beefaroni. “Since day one, he’s been jumpy and clumsy and goes through weird mood swings.”

“Maybe he’s never been normal,” Kwan said with a little frown. Now Dash knows this wasn’t true. He was the only one at the table who’d gone to the same middle school as Fenton. The nerd had talked too much about space and was always tripping over something but he’d been like all the other annoying brats in middle school. Dale was onto something, Fenton had changed once high school hit which means whatever is up with him as been going on for a while. Years. 

He suddenly felt eyes on him, a cold, crawling feeling that made his breath catch in his throat. Dash squeezed his eyes shut and breathed a silent sigh of relief as the eyes turned from him. They didn’t return but Dash found he couldn’t eat after that.

XxX

“Dude, did you hear about Fenton?” Victor said in an excited but still hushed whisper as Dash was leaving fifth period. 

“No, what did he do?” Dash asked with dread.

“He had gym last period and apparently he’s been faking his loser weakness. He crawled up the rope climb like a goddamned spider monkey and then slid himself back down. Don’t know how he didn’t have intense rope burn from that. He also beat Charlie, Katie and Veronica on the sprinting portion. Must be those ghosty genes.”

“Fenton did all that?” Dash asked, he bit the inside of his cheek. Hard.

“Yeah it was crazy, I thought Tetslaf was gonna pass out,” Victor laughed. “Maybe we should get him to try out for the football team, he’d be a great running back or-”

“Come on, Vic,” Dash laughed but the sound came out wrong. “Why would we want Fenton on our team? He’s, he’s Fenton! Just a skinny, weird little wimp.” Vic side-eyed him a bit before clapping Dash on the back.

“World’s changing, Dash. First ghosts, now half ghosts, it’s all wrong but you just gotta roll with it. All I know is I have 2 years left in this hell hole before I leave this miserable place for Chicago and never look back. I recommend you do the same, after all,” Vic grinned again but it was sharper. “Fenton’s always been your personal punching bag, not every day you learn your victim has superpowers.”

“We don’t know what the hell is up with Fenton,” Dash defended. Vic just shrugged.

“Yeah but he’s always been a freak now we know he ain’t human. Who knows what else he’s hiding?” Vic said with a smug smile before wandering off, giving a halfhearted wave over his shoulder as he left.

Dash stood in the hallway, trying to get himself under control until the warning and late bell rang. Only then, when he was certain he wouldn’t run into Fenton, did he head to class. 

XxX

“Should we follow him, see where he goes?” Paulina said, biting onto one of her nails in nervous excitement. Paulie was gorgeous and overall pretty cool but her thing with ghosts sometimes tired Dash out. Now more than ever. 

“Come on, that’s like stalking,” Kwan scolded. “Even if that wasn’t illegal or whatever it’s just not cool. They had a rough day today, leave ‘em alone.” That icy chill returned and Dash looked out of the corner of his eye to see Fenton and his cronies walking out of the school. 

Truthfully, Dash didn’t think Fenton had that bad of a day. Yeah people were asking questions but he’d side stepped them all, gave non-answers. Other people talked about Fenton’s supposed strength in gym but there’d been conflicting reports, some said he flew up the rope climb, others said he levitated doing his push ups. Dash really didn’t know what to believe. Fenton was just acting, well, like Fenton. He paused for a second, stopped walking before catching up with the group.

Maybe... maybe Dash was getting caught up over nothing. There really was no proof Fenton was this ‘half of’ other than what one dumb ghost said. He thought back to Fenton’s grin during first period; stupid nerd was probably milking his 15 minutes of fame and bully free time. His earlier fear and uncertainty burst into flames until a familiar anger was burning in his gut. Now this he knew what to do with.

“Yeah, well his day is about to get rougher,” Dash heard himself say as he stomped off to where Fenton was smiling tiredly at something Manson was saying. “Hey Fentonio! Think you’re pretty cool with every paying attention to you but I-”

Fenton gasped suddenly, like a hiccup only his breath misted out in front of him cold as a winter’s day. Dash stopped midsentence watching as Fenton’s whole face twisted. His earlier weary but tolerant annoyance that he’d been projecting all day was stripped away. He glared at Dash with an expression that was hard as ice and full of an exhaustion and bitterness he couldn’t begin to understand.

“As payment for being forcibly outed,” Fenton spoke up loudly enough that most of the school yard could hear him. “I was promised a week.” His eyes slowly but methodically scanned the crowd who had frozen in place at his authoritative tone. “Where I didn’t have to deal with ghosts, so I want to know... Who is trespassing on my haunt.”

Fenton’s mouth opened impossibly wide revealing what seemed like rows of sharped teeth. He curled his fingers into claws and, looking closer, his fingernails had indeed become real claws, as sharp and deadly as his teeth. His eyes blazed an impossible, ectoplasmic green and his dark hair developed streaks of white. He was terrifying, monstrous, but he was still Fenton. That feeling that had been eating at dash all day came back full force. Not the realization that Fenton had powers or whatever but that he had been hiding it in plain sight through ghost attacks and bullies and failing grades. This had always been Fenton, they just hadn’t seen. Until now that is.

And now the script had flipped and Dash didn’t know how this Ghost Fenton, who still was the same Fenton Dash had wedgied last Wednesday, fit. A green blob ghost materialized over by stairs, quivering and wailing in some ghost language. It turned and fled, presumably in the direction of the Fenton Portal to escape Fenton’s wrath. Fenton’s glowing eyes tracked it for a moment before he straightened up from his hunched posture and... was human again.

He brushed his hands through his black hair, lazily blinked blue eyes and, when he smiled, his teeth were normal. But Dash had seen, they all had. He’d let them see but to what end, he had no idea. Fenton turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow and another small smirk, just as tired as earlier.

“Sorry about that Dash, I take my vacation time very seriously. You were saying?” Fenton said with a smug lilt but his eyes were still dead and there was a bit of fear in them now. Despite his powers, he still gripped his backpack tightly.

“When your dumb little vacation’s up, Fentionail,” Dash said with a shaky voice. “It’s-it’s back to business, okay? Punches and wedgies and locker shoving. You,” he voice cracked a bit and he fought it down. “It’ll ramp up now that I know you can take it.” Fenton blinked, once then twice before he smiled. This time it wasn’t annoyed or scary or fearful but like the dumb grins he usually gave his dumb friends. 

“Yeah okay, we’ll start back up next week. The usual time?” Dash nodded, not knowing what else to say. “Alright, see you around.” He turned to walk away before pausing and turning back. “Actually you should be careful on who you shove into lockers, it can get hard to breathe in there and not everyone can phase out of them. You never know who’ll turn up dead,” he grinned and his eyes flashed green again, “if only half.”

That said, he and his friends walked away, ignoring the stares of the entire school on them. “Oh and it’s halfa, not half of,” Fenton called out over his shoulder. “I’m not half of anything, I’m just a whole me even if the details get a bit complicated.”

“Bye Danny, see you tomorrow,” Kwan called after with a grimace. No one else said anything for a minute until Dash found the strength to move his legs from where they’d been planted. He clenched his fists to hide his shaking and continued his walk home. Everyone else slowly did the same, talking quietly among themselves.

“What the hell was that?” Dale asked in a nervous high pitched voice. “What the hell did I just see?”

“Fenton being a weirdo but that’s nothing new,” Dash shrugged with a confidence he didn’t have yet. But if Fenton could show up to school after being outed and then willingly show them his inhumanity, then Dash needed to up his game. Couldn’t let the nerd be cool or anything. “So what if he glows or whatever, he’s still Fenton. Look I gotta get home, it’s Pookie’s feeding time and he is NOT going to believe the day I had.

[leascorner]

j.b.b. | Marley

Summary: Eventually, Bucky gave his deepest secrets away and you let him know yours. Her name was Marley.

Pairing:  Bucky Barnes x single mom!reader

Warnings: Mention of past and present relationships, parenting, mention of food

Word Count: 3.7k

a/n: This is my first story posted on here. I’ve been writting for +12 years now but for the last couple of years, I couldn't finish a single story. Turns out Bucky Barnes was all I needed to get over my massive writer’s block. Feedback is greatly appreciated. (Also, english is not my native language so if you spot any grammar mistake, please let me know!)

Masterlist

It all began with his friend, Sam.

On a night they were out for drinks, he had made it his mission to find someone for Bucky. Someone or anyone for the matter. He talked to everyone in the bar that night, while Bucky drank his beer, sitting at the counter. When it was clear enough that nobody there that night would keep grumpy Bucky company, Sam turned his attention on the dating app his friend had downloaded on his phone some weeks ago. He probably went through a dozen of profiles, sometimes showing the phone screen to Bucky, to what he would just respond by rolling his eyes and drinking some more beer.

That was until Sam showed him your profile. Bucky stared a second longer to the picture displayed on his phone screen than for the others. He couldn't tell what that was: the smile on your lips, the wrinkles at the side of your eyes or simply your eyes; but he couldn't get his eyes off it. Sam immediately started typing a message for you to what Bucky obviously protested. He did not need company because he was just fine on his own.

Despite his super-soldier abilities, he wasn't quick enough to take the phone from his friend's hands. The smile that appeared on Sam’s face annoyed Bucky even more. "What are you afraid of, though guy?" Sam had asked and Bucky eventually backed off, letting him do whatever he was planning on doing. There was no point in stopping Sam. He knew you wouldn't be interested anyway... To be honest, who would be? Bucky got his phone back along with a smirk from his friend. There was no answer after that, and Sam eventually found another topic to annoy the heck out of Bucky.

When he woke up the next morning, your reply notification was patiently waiting for him. For a second, he thought of deleting it, without having a look first. What did he have to lose? Gathering his courage, he opened it. Your words were as genuine as your smile and it made him grin like an idiot, though he made a mental note to later murder Sam for his poor choice of pick-up line. It took him the whole morning to be able to type an answer and another afternoon to press the ‘send’ button. It was the first text of many. Eventually, a lot of texts turned into calls; that turned into meeting up in your favorite French bakery; that turned into movies and restaurant dates.

    This was nearly one year and a half ago.

Your relationship with Bucky was cautious and steady. He liked how you would give him his space, but still being right there for him. He liked that you let him stare at you in total awe or that you always had small kind thoughts for him like when you made his eggs the way he preferred in the morning and that everything was so simple - obvious even - by your side. Eventually, Bucky gave his deepest secrets away and you let him know yours.

Her name was Marley.

If Bucky was being honest, finding out you had a two and a half years-old daughter was quite the shock. Not that he couldn't have seen that coming; you would always make plans, your handbag was always full of snacks and hand wipes and for some reason, you would never be available between five and eight p.m. That was also what he liked about you. The stability.

The idea of being involved in a relationship with somebody that already had a child did scare him off. If he decided to continue the relationship, it would not only be a matter of breaking your heart in the process – and well, maybe his too - but breaking a child's heart too. And that more than anything, he was refusing to assume the responsibility, but he owed you that much. You knew his deepest secrets and still, you didn't run away from him. Worse, you trusted him to be around your child.

You both had a lot of discussions about him meeting Marley - Bucky even seek advice to Sam. And as for the rest of your relationship, you took it slow. It started with Bucky showing up to your Sunday walk in Central Park, feeding up the ducks and sharing snacks. You also spent some time at the carnival where he would watch you two on the carousel – sometimes joining the ride too - and he would help Marley win at pick a duck or buy her popcorn. Eventually, he would spend more time with the two of you. It started with spending at least one evening per week at your place, making dinner while watching you playing with Marley in the living room. One evening turned into two, three, five evenings per week. He still could step out if he needed. You still could spend time with your daughter where he wasn't there. You still spent time just the two of you, when Marley was asleep at night or he would take you on date nights. The routine you three put in place was nice, but Bucky wasn't planning on taking Marley’s dad place. God, he would never see himself as a dad and Marley already had one - though in Bucky's opinion, he would not be awarded father-of-the-year.

    Today, Bucky was picking Marley up from daycare.

He had done it a million times already, but this time was a little bit different. He was doing it on his own. The babysitter stood you up and you were stuck in an endless one-day meeting. You had called in utter panic, asking him to pick Marley up from daycare and taking care of her until you would be home. He had assured you he would do it and it would be fine. Now that he was standing in front of the building, he was doubting himself. He didn't know if he could do it on his own.

Another shaky sigh and Bucky entered the building. The childcare workers greeted him when he showed up at Marley's room. She was sat at one of these tiny tables making some kind of collage crafts. He planned on waiting for her to finish, just staring like he always did, before announcing himself, but Marley spotted him the second his figure appeared at the door.

"Bucky!" Marley cried out, leaving everything behind and running towards him.

"Hey Mar-Mar," he smiled. She always seemed happy to see him and Bucky wondered if she would eventually grow tired of him being always around.

After they hugged each other, Marley was called to put away her crafts and Bucky encouraged her to go do it. In the meantime, he collected her stuff - her panda backpack, shoes, and coat - so he could get her ready to leave. And he did just that when she got back to him.

"We are taking the train home. I'mna carrying you, is that okay?"

She wrapped her little arms around his neck in response and he lifted her up from the floor. After sharing goodbye to the childcare workers, they were heading home.

    On their way to the station, Marley explained in every detail what she had done at daycare that day; Bucky was listening carefully, sometimes asking questions - Carol, she is the one with the curly hair, right? Was Mark mean to you again? - but mostly he was just nodding along. They made it to the station just in time to take the 5:17 p.m. train. It was rush hour and Bucky mindfully chose to hop on one of the cars at the end of the train - the ones he knew would be the less busy at this time of the day. He had only seven stops, so he didn't sit and stood against one of the train windows. By that time, Marley had finished reporting on her day, and she was just watching around, smiling at anyone she would make eye contact with.

After the second stop, her eyes caught the sight of the dog tag around Bucky's neck. She fiddled it through his T-shirt, probably wondering what that was, before taken it out to have a closer look. In her tiny hands, the metal tag seemed to be huge. She looked up at Bucky, with bright eyes and he swore, he would do anything for these eyes.

"What is that?"

"Uh- " Bucky wasn't sure how to explain it in a way a three-years old would understand. "-Every soldier has one. It uh- has my name on it and some other information."

"Is it if you get lost?" she asked, her little eyebrows raised high on her forehead. She did understand a lot of the world around her for her age. "Mommy put a card with her name and her phone number in my bag."

"Yeah, it's something like that."

Marley smiled at him and returned her attention on the letters’ reliefs on the metal. By the fourth stop, she was resting her head on his shoulder while he was still firmly (but not too much) holding her with his left arm. She kept holding his dog tag in her tiny fist and was patiently waiting.

"She is very sweet," the old lady sat on the seat in front of them said to him before leaving the train.

He nodded shyly and looked back at the little girl in his arms. Marley looked so much like you. Her face had still some baby features, she just turned three after all, but she had the same nose and her eyes had the same color as yours. They were the same piercing eyes that when they’d look at him, he felt like they could read his soul. And she did not just look like you. She had also some of your habits and personality traits. She would always be smiling to people she didn’t know. She was always saying ‘thank you’ or ‘sorry’. She was obsessed with any kind of animal; the Sundays walks would last forever if she could pet all the dogs she encountered.

The rest of the ride was quiet, and Bucky got off the train on the seventh stop as planned. At the station, people turned on them as they passed. Maybe this was an odd sight: a man in combat boots, dark jeans, and a black leather jacket, carrying a small child in his arms. Especially knowing the kid in question was wearing white leggings, a red fluffy coat, and a stuffed panda backpack. Bucky didn't mind and continued his way to your place.

    Marley stayed quiet for the five minutes’ walk to your place, but once Bucky had turned on your street, she wriggled to be freed of his hold. Once her feet touched the ground, she directly ran towards a car parked not far away. She squatted down and started clicking her tongue. A ginger cat immediately came out from underneath the car.

"Careful," Bucky called out. He knew it was not recommended interacting with stray cat as they could be sick with all sorts of disease. And to be fair, it got him a little worried the cat was getting this close to Marley. He could already see her getting bitten by the cat, getting rabies, and losing her arm, or worse: dying.

"That's Gus, he lives at number 7," she said pointing at the building they stopped in front. It had the number written on it.

Gus started rubbing itself against Marley's shins and she gently petted his back. The cat then went to rub on Bucky's combat boots, also greeting him even though they never encountered before. And it continued his way to the building's porch, where it lazily lay down.

"Mommy said we could have a cat when we get a house."

"I've got a cat," Bucky stated and Marley cried out in excitement. She asked him about a hundred questions. What was its name? What was it looking like? Was it friendly? Was it sleeping in his bed with him at night? Bucky never failed to answer one of her questions and they talked about that until they made it in front of your apartment door.

    Marley was already on her way to her room when Bucky turned around after locking the door. She had removed her shoes and coat on her own and left them behind without putting them away like you would always request it.

"Uh-uh, we go wash your hands first, okay?"

After that was done, she ran to her room for good this time. Bucky went back to the living room and focused on what he could do to help you. He knew you would get home exhausted from your day at work and he did not want to have you do all the chores you usually did. It was the least he could do.

Somehow, your place was always tidier than his, and he lived on his own. In the kitchen, he found breakfast dishes in the sink and the dishwasher full of the dishes that had been cleaned the night before. That was where he would get started. He put away the dishes easily; he had been around your kitchen a lot those last months and he knew exactly where everything was. He even knew where you were hiding away the chocolate and candies; somewhere Marley didn't have access to.

"Hey Bucky, can I have snacks?"

A look at the watch sitting on his right wrist, she had still a good hour and a half before dinner and he replied positively. He wiped his hands on the dish towel resting on his shoulder and took one of these bamboo sectioned plates he just washed. He was reaching out to the first cupboards in front of him when it suddenly appeared to him, he had no idea what he could give her.

"What does your mom usually give you?" He asked Marley, turning back to her.

Marley shrugged. "Carrots and hummus." And Bucky swore this kid was eating healthier that he ever had.

He started by the fridge, looking for anything he could give to Marley. Thankfully, she wasn't a picky eater so it would be easy for him. Tonight's dinner was in it, along with some vegetables and fruits. He chose grapes because it was the only food, he could see himself eating at that time of the day.

"Grapes and uh-" he looked at the cupboards right next to the fridge "- crackers?"

Marley nodded. Bucky prepared it all on her plate, making sure there was just enough for her to be full but not too much so she would still eat dinner, and handed it to her. She carried it carefully to the living room, Bucky following behind. She had laid out all her crayons on the coffee table next to her Paw Patrol coloring book. He knew about this cartoon because it was the only one Marley ever wanted to watch, she was literally obsessed with it, and she did make him watch some episodes with her. He knew that, when she was playing alone in her room, she would usually pretend she was saving the world with them.

Bucky sat on the carpet, next to Marley, stealing one grape from her plate. She threw him a death glance but offered him some more if he would help with the coloring. He happily complied.

    Before dinner was normally bath time. Thankfully, you had said over the phone you would deal with that in the morning. For some reason, Marley did not like baths. A little bit of water in her eyes or ears was too much for her to handle and he wasn't sure he could deal with her being so upset on his own.

He still got her changed in her pajamas - she obviously chose the one with the dalmatian puppy from Paw Patrol you had agreed on buying a few weeks ago; washed her face with a cotton pad and some cleansing lotion, brushed her hair and tried the best he could to tie them in a low ponytail. You would normally braid them for the night, but this was not something Bucky mastered at all - he made a mental note to watch some tutorials on YouTube to learn though.

"Will you and mommy get married?" Marley asked out of nowhere while Bucky was carrying her back to the kitchen to have dinner.

"I don't know," he said, confused. "Why do you ask?"

"I prefer you over my real daddy," Marley admitted. And it broke his heart. Bucky knew how her dad forgot about her third birthday and missed most of his custody days lately. He didn't really understand how somebody could have a child and knowingly decide not take care of them anymore.

The child in his arm was so precious. It amazed him every day how much she could comprehend of the world around her. She was smart, creative, kind. She knew what she wanted, would be very stubborn about it and would do anything to get it – you always said you didn’t understand where she got her fierce mind and Bucky laughed every time because he knew exactly from whom she had gotten it: you. You did such a good job raising her on your own. He also knew you would always choose her over him, and he had to admit, it made him fall in love even more with you.

"Even if I'd marry your mom, I still wouldn't be your daddy officially."

"To me, you would," Marley concluded as if it was as simple as that.

Living with you two permanently. Marrying you. Bucky never thought of it. He liked how this relationship was working: the kindness, the trust, the love. He loved the movie dates with you, the Sundays walks, and the evening just the three of you. He loved how simple it all was and how it made him just happy. Happiest he had been in a long time. And he wondered if he wanted more. The way his heart was fluttering in his chest made him realized, he did. He didn't know if he was ready though.

    Back to the kitchen, he put her down on her seat before getting the casserole of potato gratin out of the oven. He put a small portion in her plate, next to some chopped carrots and apple sauce he already prepared. He put it down in front of her and sat next to her.

"Will you eat with mommy?"

"Yeah, is that alright?"

She nodded, rubbing her eyes. They had stayed coloring her books a little too long and it was nearly her bedtime. Smiling softly, he encouraged her to eat. She did while asking some more questions on his cat in between each mouthful. How old is it? Why did you name it Alpine? Has mummy already met it? Do you think she'll like me? Turned out this little one never run out of question.

After dinner, Bucky gave her a small portion of chocolate from the special cupboard and they agreed it would be their little secret. Then, he carried her to the bathroom to brush her tiny teeth. It was started to be late for her and she was clearly fighting against sleep, the lack of it upsetting her.

"I want to see mommy," she cried, lips trembling and eyes full of tears.

"I know Mar-Mar, she'll get there soon," Bucky tried to comfort her. You hadn't text yet, meaning you weren't on your way still. He knew Marley would be asleep before you got home. "We can read a book in your bed while we wait for her, yeah?"

Marley nodded and let Bucky carry her to her bed. She had her head rested on his right shoulder the whole time. She crawled under the covers the moment her body was dropped off on the bed. She let Bucky choose the bedtime story and he chose the one he knew she liked so much.

He laid beside her gently and she immediately reached out closer to him. He wrapped his right arm around her, and her hands somehow found his dog tag again. A small kiss on her forehead and Bucky started reading the book in his left hand. Marley was listening carefully, helping him by turning the page.

At the end of the story, she was fast asleep against him, his dog tag still in her tiny fist. Bucky did not dare moving, afraid he would wake her up if he did. He observed the small child against him and listened to her soft breathes. She looked so peaceful and it made him thought of the way she had welcomed him into her life. Just like you, she had taken him as a whole; with his trauma, his insecurities, his quietness, and his staring habits. And now, she had him wrapped around his little finger. He knew deep in his guts he wouldn't let anything happen to you or your daughter. He realized that now. That made him think some more: maybe he was ready after all. And this time, he would not let happiness slip away from him.

  Bucky stayed like that until twenty minutes later, when you showed up on your daughter’s room doorstep. You looked exhausted yet still radiant. A smile had formed on your lips at the sight in front of you. It made you melt right on the spot.

"Hey," Bucky greeted you softly.

You came closer, walking on your tiptoes, careful of not waking up your daughter. You laid besides them, kissing your daughter little fist, and tucked yet another strand of hair behind her ear. You looked back at Bucky, who was intensely staring at you. His left arm was already wrapped around your shoulders, bringing you close. You kissed his jaw, making him smile gently. "Thank you for taking care of her. Did it go okay?"

"More than okay." He kissed your forehead while you snuggled closer to him. His heart could burst of the feeling of having you two near him forever.

He wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

[bubblyhoney]

buncha kisses

warnings: mature language, Good music mention, slight suggestive content, lotta name calling!, basically just fluff

tags: sapnap x fem!reader (a continuation of [renamed from “a collection of moments at the beginning of your relationship”] win for me, basically, with college!au)

words: 1447

A/N: a very sweet anon requested a continuation of college!au with sappy and had some great ideas for me! i love when you guys interact and talk with me pls continue to do so! been receiving a lot of really encouraging attention from some of my favorite people (ahem, for example @strawberrymilkgeorge [among others] <3) so i just wanted to say thanks for that :)

-

It’s a sticky day in May.

It’s that kind of hot that irritates under the skin and works its way through the hair on your arms. Makes you want to either rip your skin off or sink into a pool full of ice.

May is a month that Florida doesn’t take very well; it’s either raining like it’s the Great Flood, or hot as a mosquito’s ball sack.

And to make matters worse, it’s the due date of a huge calculus project. Like— weighted heavier than the final kind of huge.

You’d gotten up three hours before your final at 9 just to cram. Your desk was littered with folders, chapter notes, and highlighters dull with use. A half-eaten bagel was off to the side, staling by the second.

That was before your AC broke. Yup. Broke. Ka-put. Just full on died—it was almost audible. Your roommate had stumbled into your room, face creased with sleep, and cursed for thirty seconds straight.

Completely understandable, actually.

But you didn’t have time to fret about the damn temperature. You just took your shirt off, kicked the box fan near your bed into the highest gear, and breathed hot anger down into your notes.

The only relief you would find would be lunch with Sapnap after your final. His apartment had air conditioning, and he was surprisingly deft with a knife and cutting board. Dude didn’t know how to figure the mechanics for emailing his film class project to you that one time last semester but could whip up a Greek salad and broiled chicken like no other. Your own little Gordon Ramsey.

He was yours now, officially. As of last month he was yours. A month full of drive-in movies, failed study dates, and an absurd amount of McFlurry’s.

And that’s what is waiting for you in Sapnap’s cup holder when you swing your way into his car with an exasperated look on your face. You just melt, eyes flicking up to his gratefully and silently taking it.

“How was the final?” He lays a hand on the gear shifter and nudges the AC up one more tick. The door closes behind you and you shuffle your legs apart, leg hair tingling in this heat.

“It was fucking brutal. I think I developed an ulcer just looking at the reference page,” you huff and he just shakes his head, laugh hot on his lips. “Absolutely not worth the studying—think I got a good grade, though.”

“Well, that’s cool. I’m proud of you.” The engine chugs to life when he shifts into drive and starts for the side street.

“Thanks.” Your cheeks blush ever so lightly but you pass it off to the heat. A moment passes. “So.” The straw makes a choking noise as it nudges at the bottom of an empty cup. Jesus, you finished that fast. “What’s on the menu for today?” Brandy’s Sunny Day lilts softly into the blasting air as you settle into a comfortable conversation, schoolwork at the back of your mind.

“Thinking of making banana chocolate chip muffins and pigging on those. Thoughts?” Flicking on his left turn signal with his left hand, the right slides onto your knee.

It’s never too hot for that.

“Sounds perfect,” you reply, voice small in a sudden bout of shyness. He double-takes with a smile, squeezing once at your leg.

Pigging is a perfect term for what you two do the second those muffins are out of the oven; it is too easy to shove three of those in a matter of seconds. Bellies full and in a sugar coma, you two lay under the whirring of his living room’s fan and stare up at the ceiling.

“This feels so good,” he mumbles, eyes half-lidded. Reaching a hand out, he pats his way to your hand and takes it, immediately squeezing it. “Wish you were kissing me right now.”

“Oh, yeah?” You taunt and hike a leg up onto his hips, swinging onto his lap and leaning to get your lips near his.

And that’s that.

The night is perfect.

Sapnap ushered you into his car at midnight and within four minutes you were on a US freeway with your head out the window. Like a dog.

A lone bird flies past in the dark air and you watch it swing into a patch of trees. You just close your eyes and breathe.

The stress literally melts. Melts into a puddle and drips out of you, falling onto the black pavement whipping past at a moment’s notice. School is a bitch already, much less an American college education. Grades and tests and professors and GPA’s and all that.

You swear Logan Lerman’s character knew what he was talking about when he said “we were infinite” in The Perks of Being A Wallflower. That’s what this feels like: infinity. Going 70 in a car driven by your hunk of a boyfriend, feeling the wind in your hair and the taste of midnight in between your teeth.

The inside of the car feels sweet when you duck your head back in, smile wide and hair crazy and a content look in your eyes. Sapnap gives you a glance before looking back at the road nonchalantly and lifting to curl and twitch two fingers at you. You instinctively move forward, eyebrows drawn together in curiosity. Three fingers grip your jaw tight, and then his mouth is on yours as the chorus of The King swells through the speakers. You only get two seconds to hum in happiness and slide a hand up his chest before he’s pulling away and has those beautiful eyes back on the road.

“You’re mean to me,” you sigh, and settle back into your seat with a ‘hmph’. He just looks smug. Bastard.

The nights Sapnap plays video games with his friends are—hm. Definitely something. You like to let him have those nights with no distractions most of the time; and you’re categorized as a distraction by the amount of times he “lags” when giving you a kiss or getting you on his lap.

Tonight, he got off work early and on the drive home called and asked if you’d come over and sit with him while he Robloxes with his friends. (“It’s like you can’t go one day without your hands on me,” you’d teased, but he couldn’t say a thing in response. You were right, needless to say.) “You can bring your paints!” he’d even added, knowing you like to watercolor as a hobby. You weren’t necessarily Etsy-worthy but it was fun and a stress-reliever.

And so here you were. Legs crossed, sketch pad in your lap, watching your adult boyfriend yell so loud that his voice cracks and breaks with every change of tone. You really had to remember to apologize to his neighbors…

“Baby—,” Sapnap starts, swinging around in his chair to hit you with a look so pouty his lip was in danger of falling off. “My dear girlfriend. My lovely woman.” His question doesn’t even need to be asked— he wants you to go get him a drink.

“You’re a misogynist. I’m calling NOW on you.” But you’re already heaving yourself off of his mattress and heading into the hallway, faux-annoyed look on your face. It melts into a smile upon seeing that little canvas mounted on the wall next to the door to his bathroom. It was a haphazard portrait of his parent’s dog Bowser that you’d drawn the few days his step-mom forced him to bring you home over spring break.

When you return to his room a few minutes later with a Bang and a couple of snacks for yourself, Sapnap has his headphones off and is swinging his feet in his chair like a child waiting for their parents to pick them up from school. You approach him, apprehensive smile on your face, and hand his drink over.

“Thank you,” he drawls, mid-yawn, and sets it down on the desk. Snaking an arm around your waist, he drags you between his legs and stuffs his face into your shirt. He inhales deeply but pulls away after a pause, hands tight on your abdomen. You press a thumb into his cheek and rub fondly at his facial hair, watching the way his eyes close calmly and relax.

“You’re so cute it causes me physical pain,” is all you get out before leaning and pressing a kiss square on his pink lips. They move against yours like they were meant to, one hand sliding up the material of your shirt and onto your warm skin.

“You smell like Subway,” he murmurs, and then the moment’s over.

Typical.

-

A/N: ask or send me some stuff!! requests, rants, anything. :D let me know what you think in the comments!

[staygolddindjarin]

Grief

Chapter two: Rebellion

Din Djarin x Reader x Cassian Andor

Series Summary: Raised on Mandalore, born into a bloodline of warriors, no one ever expected for the daughter of a Clan leader to go rogue. Leaving the life of security and making the journey to fight in the war against the empire meant many things... giving up the way of the Mandalore, and giving up a solid future. A future that involves an arranged marriage to a foundling from another clan.

Chapter warnings: some brief angst, this ones pretty mellow ngl

Words: 3.3k

A/n: i was not expecting such a good response from the first chapter but bruh you guys are amazing- anyway here's part two of my brain's misery

Part 2/?

The trip from Mandalore to the planet of Dantooine was long, and still ongoing. We all took turns, watching to see if we were any closer. After each jump from hyperspace, the transport would stop at a space refueling tank, before slowly going onward toward the destination. We must have been traveling several systems across the galaxy. We had a few laughs, mainly while watching Gander try and steal Shyloh's food from his knapsack while he was sleeping. Most of the other time we all just sat in silence, up until this point.

"What do you think we're all going to do once we get to the rebel base?" Merc raised his voice slightly, barely capturing our attentions as we had all been dozing off, and Shyloh was taking watch at the view point.

"What do you mean?" I had asked, not quite sure of what he was getting at. I sat up straighter against the wall, showing my interest in the newfound conversation.

"What branch do you think you'll end up in?" He was in a daze as he spoke, almost unsure of his intentions of bringing it up. His dark eyes were nearly emotionless under his furrowed brow.

"I hadn't really thought about it. I would say maybe something like mechanics," I said, thinking of the best possible use of my talents. I'm sure there's plenty of mechanical help already assisting the rebels, but with the galactic empire growing it's forces by the day, they needed all the help they could get.

"What about flying?" Shyloh perked up from his seat at the window.

"What about it?" I asked, curious as to why he suddenly thought of the new topic.

"You could do it of you wanted to. Be a pilot, I mean. You have the skills," He told me, but I scoffed. He wasn't in any way shape or form was making an ounce of sense at all.

"Speeder control races are a bit different from piloting fighters against the imperial troops don't you think?" I laughed at the idea, but he rolled his eyes, persistent with his opinion.

"It's less different than you think it is. Also mind you, I never saw you lose a race," He objected, but I wasn't having any of it.

"That's because when I raced, my own credits were on the line," I joked, seeing what he would try and come up with next, only to be met with a cold hard stare, before an answer that would shake me to my core.

"Well, now the freedom of the galaxy is on the line."

My smile dropped from my face and I turned to face the other two, who were looking back at me. They didn't expect that answer either. Shyloh was well known to be a boy of few words, and only really spoke to his friends and family. He was a founding just like the rest of them, but he had been with ths clan longer, due to having been saved from a war infested home as a baby.

He could sometimes be very wise, even if he didn't think he was being so. We weren't sure what it was, but he had this sort of presense that was so powerful. We knew when he would walk in a room, or walk out of it. It's like the air would change. Much like it changed now, with his words rendering us all speechless.

The silence was uncomfortable, and I was the one who left it unresloved, so I spoke up in favor of my crewmates to not keep quiet any longer.

"Perhaps I shall see where I am needed first."

"Perhaps you shouldn't be so afraid to explore an option you would excel in," He again rendered me speechless, and I did not have anything else to say this time. I was young, but my mind was not. I could comprehend thoughts the same way that an adult could. I could handle things just as well and if not better than some, too. He was right. I was simply afraid.

"I think we're finally here," Shyloh said, turning back to look out of the view port again.

"Its about time," Gander stood up, slinging his knapsack over his shoulder and standing at the transport door waiting for it to slide up.

We all followed suit, but Shyloh stopped us and held up a warning finger to stay still.

"There's manding droids, we gotta sneak off carefully. They don't look like bulk but they could be armed," He suggested. We were not yet at the rebel base, meaning these were probably droids of the land, and belonged to whoever oversees the exports on this planet.

When the panel opened, we were all careful to first peek out of the transport. This planet was nothing at all like Mandalore, which was dry and hot. This planet was lush with plants. And the air was slightly humid. It was a very welcome contrast from where I spent most of my life.

We all sneakily bolted out of the transport, ducking down behind one of the cargo units placed outside. We saw an opening in what looked like some sort of forrest patch.

There was a chill in the air on this planet, even in the middle of the day. Mandalore only ever got colder at night, when the sun was down and the moons were shining.

"That was close." Merc mumbled as we began to turn around and head into the grasslands, trying to find the rebel base.

We made sure no one was behind us, and were careful to check if any droids had caught sight of us.

We all went to turn around, but as soon as I did, I collided with someone's chest, rather hard might I add, sending me to the ground on my bottom. I didn't even collide that hard with the person, it was just the shock that sent me backwards.

"Need a hand?" I looked up to see a man, a sly smirk on his face as he held his hand out towards me. I took it without question, heaving myself up from the grassy, and somewhat muddy ground beneath me.

"You must be our contact," Merc smiled, and the man nodded, turning and begining to lead us to a speader that was hovering nearby behind a large set of trees.

"We must be careful not to use names outside of the base. I would be more than happy to formally introduce myself once we reach our final destination," He chuckled. It was only now that I realized he had an accent, a thick one. Probably left over from his native tongue that spilled out his mouth when he spoke galactic basic.

I know that sometimes my accent slips in when i speak. I never had to worry about using Mando'a around my fellow crewmates. They were foundlings, and hadn't been raised to speak it. Shyloh was, but he prefered to use galactic basic anyways because he had forgotten so much of it.

We all boarded the speader, Gander and I sitting on the back, our legs hanging off as we held onto the side bars.

"This might be a bumpy ride for you two," The man said, looking at both of us before giving me a wink. I scrunched my face up, not sure how else to react to it. The man was definitely on the younger side, but I wasn't sure how he could possibly see an interest in me.

Maybe he did and I just didn't want him to. Maybe I was still hinged to the idea that I would go back to Mandalore someday and marry my betrothed. I was so young, and hadn't the slightest idea of what feelings I could possibly be harboring, if any at all.

I couldn't deny I found him appealing. Anyone would, at least any human with eyes that is.

His hair was dark, and so were his eyes. He had a bit of stubble along his jaw and above his lip. He was somewhat scruffy looking, but in a good way.

As the speeder went through the forresty stretch of pathway, I kept turning around to catch a glimpse of him. Each time I did I had to look away fast because Gander would give me weird stares.

I would play it off like I was simply taking in the view of the green planet around me, and he wouldn't seem to notice.

After a while, with quite a few twists and turns, and Gander and I nearly falling off the speeder twice, we arrived to our destination.

We all hopped out of the transport, following the man into a giant cargo port. As soon as I looked to my left I could see an X-wing fighter in all it's glory. I had never seen a real one before, just heard stories and viewed holograms.

"Alright. We have about twelve other recruits arriving on this base today, so you will all be attending orientation this evening. As for right now, you look beat, and should rest. PX-74 will assign you to your bunks," He said, gesturing to the droid before beginning to walk away with a nod, but I stopped him before he could take a step.

"Wait a minute... I believe I recall something about a formal introduction," I crossed my arms over my chest and shifted my weight, trying to give off the look of having as much confidence as I could muster. I was putting on a facade, possibly to make me seem more mature. I didn't know the real reason.

He smirked, raising an eyebrow as he scanned me up and down with his dark eyes.

"Cassian Andor," He smiled, then looking right back at me with questioning eyes. "And how about you... you got a name?"

"Y/n from clan Maldrix," I said, my confidence wavering a little when he looked at me the way that he did.

"She's a Mandalorian," Shyloh perked up, and I sent him a warning glare.

"Yeah, sixth generation," Merc added, his cocky smile pasted on his face for all to see and be annoyed by.

"A mandalorian? I've heard the stories but I haven't ever met one. Are you-?"

"I'm not," I cut him off before this got twisted into one big lie. "My mother and father are."

"Doesn't that make you one too?" Cassian furrowed his brow but his tone was somewhat joking and humorous.

"No, it does not," I wasn't harsh with the way my voice came out, but I was firm. Though I wasn't one of them, the mandalorians and all they stood for were very important to me.

"Mandalorian is not a race, it's a creed. Some of the best Mandalorians I ever had the pleasure of knowing didn't even have a bloodline from Mandalore. They were foundlings, like these three," I explained, laying out the facts so that there was no longer any confusion lingering, but now there was a tension that was thicker than the trees on this planet.

"Even still, she can fight just as good as any soldier taken the creed," Merc jumped in, trying to clear the air, and thankfully, it seemed to be working.

"She flies even better," Shyloh mentioned, and I swore I could kill him. He was just so pushy sometimes, even with his massive sense of wisdom.

"You fly?" This peaked Andor's interest, and immediately he seemed more engaged towards me.

"I'm not as good as they say I am," I admitted, but he shook his head.

"No, really... if you can fly we could really use you. We're putting together a team for an air raid that's set to happen about one month's time from now," He came up closer to me and stared me in the eye.

"I'm just a kid, I might really let you down," I joked, trying not to get too caught up in his eye contact. His eyes were much darker when you could see them closely.

"I tell you what, I can arrange for you to have time in the flight simulator after orientation. If we feel you would be an asset, we can add you to the strike team," He said, nodding along to his words. I understood that they might need backup, and if push came to shove, I could maneuver faster than any pilot back on Mandalore. I never lost a race, nor did I ever lose a bet.

"Okay."

I could tell I was blushing from the extra attention I was receiving. I wasn't so sure what about me was so enticing that I deserved it.

"I have to go now to pick up the other recruits from a drop station. I leave you in the capable hands of PX-74," He said, returning to his speeder and letting us be lead off into the base.

"There are only so many open bunks left. Two of you will share one, and the other two will be placed with bunk mates." The metalized voice of the PX unit was strong in our ears, and we all followed after him as we ventured into the long hallway at the end of the cargo port.

The droid stopped at a door about midway through the hall and opened it using the side panel on the wall, revealing a young man that seemed almost younger than me even.

"One of you will be staying here. Which will it be?" The droid asked, turning towards our small group.

"I'll take this one," Shyloh said, stepping forward into the bunk to meet his new roomate.

The boy looked a bit frightened at first, but because of Shyloh's powerful yet calming energy, he seemed to relax almost immediately.

He turned and smiled back at us, waving before the IG unit closed the door and kept us going.

He walked us down passed several more doors, maybe more than twenty, before he stopped at another one and opened it up.

Inside sat a young woman, her legs crossed as she sharpened a knife with a smirk on her face. She looked up and made eye contact with me first.

"I wondered how long it would be before they got someone else in here." Her voice was somewhat low and raspy, but it was kind of soothing in a way.

"One of you-" the IG unit began again, but I stopped him, stepping into the bunk with the girl inside.

"I'll take this one." I smiled at the two boys left before the door closed on my new bunk.

I moved to set my knapsack down on the bottom bunk, but my roomate stopped me.

"Bottom one's mine." She said, looking up from her sharpened knife again to inform me of the sleeping arrangements.

I instead threw my knapsack on the top bunk, trying to climb up into it, but failing miserably.

"You need a hand?" She chuckled, watching my lame attempts to swing my leg up high enough. The fact that there was no ladder should have tipped me off.

"I'll be okay, thanks," I laughed, keeping my attitude loose and positive, though this bunk bed was already causing unnecessary problems for me.

"If you say so," She chuckled again, seeing as I finally managed to haul myself up and onto the bed.

"First try," I joked, and she laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world. I think that we would be getting along, because no one ever laughed at my lame sense of humor.

I laid back, resting my arms behind my head and staring blankly at the ceiling.

"So, where are you from?" She piped up, not taking her eyes away from her previous knife. That thing must mean a lot to her.

"Mandalore," I let out, trying to get comfortable on this lumpy pad that was under my head.

"Actually?" She seemed surprised. Everyone had heard of the planet that the mandalorian tribes had resided upon, and usually they understood what kind of people the place would breed.

"Yeah. Left just in time. Tomorrow's my birthday," I shut my eyes continuing our converastion with one less sense. It didn't matter, though. I was still fully awake.

"What would you have had to do?" She pondered curiously, finally looking up towards the bunk in interest.

"Well, to put it short... tomorrow I would have had to swear my freedom away. No living being would ever be able to see my face again till the day I died," I laid it out plain and simple, and she seemed to understand.

"How old are you?" She asked, her trail of questions getting longer and longer.

"Sixteen tomorrow," I answered, feeling a bit more tired now that my eyes had been closed, and the lights in the bunk rooms were dim.

"You're just a baby," She scoffed. "How could they possibly expect you to make that choice so young?"

"It's just the way it's always been there. This is the way," I remembered. Those words used to be said to me nearly ten times a day, and now they only rung in my mind as a memory.

"That's insane. The people on your planet must be crazy to take an oath like that," She muttered.

"You would think so... the strangest part about it is that there are kids brought back as foundlings that take the creed without hesitation. They don't even belong to a bloodline, they just feel as though they have right to the creed as much as anyone else," I silently remembered Din for a moment. He was the bravest, strongest, most loyal Mandalorian I'd ever known. A foundling.

I began to get bitter at the thought of leaving him. He could have made things better for me if I had just given him a chance. I had to let my head get in the way. I needed to think about something else.

"What about you, huh? Where you from?" I asked, changing the subject as quickly and painlessly as possible.

"Alderaan. Born and raised," She said, getting up from the floor and dropping herself on the bottom bunk.

"You been a lot of places since then?" I asked, but she first let out a heavy sigh before speaking.

"Only too many to count," She said, settling herself on the bunk like I had done.

"Must be nice..." I muttered. Finally able to relax on this pathetic excuse for a bed pad. Of course I couldn't complain. I'm the one who chose the life of the rebellion, including their miserable bedding. "I've never been anywhere outside my home planet until now. I haven't even seen the entirety of my own planet."

"Most new comers are the same. They haven't been anywhere else, then they come here and its like we're moving non stop. Base to base, on just about every planet in this galaxy," She reassured. At least now I didn't feel so out of place.

"How long have you been stationed here?" I asked, unsure of how long I would get to adjust to things.

"A few months. It's likely we'll have to leave soon. There's rumors of the imperials knowing our location," She answered, rolling her eyes, thought I couldn't see from the top bunk.

"You're kidding," I scoffed. After just getting here, I might have to up and leave again. I'll have to learn to accept this new life, it's what I wanted.

"I wish I was, kid," She added.

"I have a name," I retorted back, not a fan of the nickname 'kid'. I waited for her to ask me what it was, but when she stayed silent I sighed. "It's Y/n."

"I'll call you what you are... now get some rest, they'll come pounding on that door in a few hours for orientation," She said, as though she somehow had grown to a habit of mothering me only five minutes after we met. I dropped the conversation and drifted off to sleep, my eyes were too heavy to keep open anymore anyway.

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Tags open

A/n: okay so like i wrote this a while before everything with gina carano happened and i do not in any way condone her whatsoever so let's pretend she's been recast already...

[daydreamingintheimpalax]

Thankful

Dean X Reader 

Warnings: None really, maybe snide comments. 

Prompt: “Girls like her, they think they're better than everyone, she doesn’t deserve to think she somehow won. She deserves to think you’re doing great without her, cause you are.”

 -----

You looked into the confusing mess under the impala’s hood, you didn’t know how Dean understood all this car stuff, you knew how to drive, but to ask you what part of the engine was what, and you’d be a clueless dead duck. 

Dean’s head popped up from under the hood, his usual monthly maintenance on baby causing him to be filled with grease and oil and boy did this man look even more attractive covered in stuff that smelled god awful, but this was Dean, he could make anything look fucking sexy.

You smiled as he caught your eye handing him the coffee you had picked up for you and the boys, he smiled gratefully before taking a big gulp from his cup.

“So, any plans for today?”  he asked and you shook your head.

“Not really.” You shrugged, Dean’s brows furrowed.

“Weren’t you supposed to go see that guy, uh Jim or whatever his name was, i thought he’d invited you to his family’s for thanksgiving?” he questioned and you shrugged again, not caring.

“Jack, i thought so too, then he dumped me. Oh well, not like it was that serious anyways, good guys don’t seem to exist anymore.” You huffed.

 Dean chuckled, “Some of us still exist, you’re just not looking in the right places.” Dean laughed. 

He had always been your biggest supporter, at 30 years old, the man was ten years older than you and somehow, in a weird way, he was your best friend, you connected with him more than men your own age, and sometimes you wished Dean would just look at you, really look at you and see that maybe deep down in some strange way, you were his, always had been. He would never know though.

You smiled softly, “Yeah? Where should i be looking then? Should i be looking under the hood of classic cars to find my soulmate?” You teased and he cackled.

“No, not necessarily, but you’re definitely not going to find him at bars every weekend, or at clubs, to be fair, most of the time the good guys are at home, the party scene gets boring after a while and if the guy is still frequenting bars and clubs trying to get laid well into his 30s, he’s probably a loser. Try a dating app, most nice guys are trying to meet girls the low key way.” He winked and you shook your head, chuckling. 

“Right, tell me again how that’s working so well for you?” Your voice getting higher as you ended your question with a hum. 

Dean smirked, “Difference is, i’m not looking sweetheart, i’ve accepted being alone, and i’m okay with that, i’ve accepted at my age, the chances of me finding my soulmate now are slim, so i’m just living my life being me, and if god throw someone my way, cool. If not, i still got you and Sammy, and that’s all i need. I’m happy.” He shrugs. 

You smiled, “Yeah, you seem a lot happier and more sure of yourself, complete opposite to the dean i met when i was 16.” You chuckled, ruffling his hair.

He playfully swatted your hand away, shaking his head in fake annoyance before he looked at you, his eyes wandering in a way you couldn’t place or describe, there was a moment of something before it was interrupted by Sams voice.

“So mom called.” He stated and Dean groaned.

“Great, what now.” Dean asked, annoyance in his voice. Sam chuckled.

“You know what Dee, she’s having her annual family thanksgiving and she has demanded we be there, i tried to get out of it by saying y/n was going to be alone but she invited her too, so now all three of us are expected to be there.” Sam pipped up. 

Dean groaned again. 

“Sam! i have only met your mother once, and she was lovely, but you know better than to try and tell her i’m going to be alone, next time, bail yourself out without my help.” You teased, laughing at the boys annoyed faces. 

It wasn’t that they hated their parents, they just hated the rest of their family, aunts, uncles, cousins who bragged every year about how successful they were, and being unpaid hunters wasn’t exactly a life their extended family knew about let alone would approve of, so they always made some excuse as to what they were currently doing with their lives, they hated those snobs and never understood how they could be related to those types. 

“Yeah well, mom doesn’t want to do it alone with dad so we all have to go now.” Sam demanded before letting you guys know what time you’d be heading out. 

The house was lovely, decorated to the dot. Mary Winchester always went above and beyond for holidays with decorating and cooking. She had smiled sweetly at you, welcomed you with a big hug and you started helping her with some starter appetizers while the boys made unwanted chit chat with some cousins.

The phone rang and Mary excused herself. You could hear her arguing slightly, not hearing much but hearing one sentence.

“Barbara, you had no right to do that, it’s not your choice and this isn’t your home, you can’t just invite whoever you want to. Fine, but you can deal with it when he finds out and gets upset.” She hung up and huffs out, rubbing her temples in frustration. 

You tap her shoulder lightly, “Mrs. Winchester, is everything okay?” you asked softly and she smiled, patting your hand. “i told you, it’s Mary to you, you’re family, and i don’t know, my sister invited Lisa and Dean is not going to be happy about it, i just wanted one family get together where my side of the family didn’t embarrass me and my boys.” 

She huffed out stress-fully, You smiled, “it'll be okay, i’ll handle Dean, you just focus on your dinner.” You smiled and she hugged you, “Thank you, you’re a lovely young lady, my boys are lucky to have someone like you around them, you’re a good influence. Sadly though, Lisa is a sore spot with Dean, nothing can stop drama unfolding anytime that woman is anywhere near a party.” She spoke annoyed. 

“Who is this Lisa chick anyways.” You asked and Mary bit her lip. “She’s Dean's ex girlfriend.” She spoke hesitantly. Your eyes grew wide, “Dean had a girlfriend? like an actual relationship?”  you asked surprised and Mary laughed, “It was a long time ago, shortly after she went to college, she broke up with him, she came from a rich snobby family and i guess she didn’t think Dean was good enough for her, but anyways, i can’t go into much detail, just know it ended really badly and Dean was pretty heartbroken, he’s had a hard time connecting and trusting women since. He’s going to loose his mind when he finds out my sister invited her.”  She took a deep breath before going over to her stove and checking the food.

An hour later everyone sat down and was about to eat, before anyone could dig in, Dean’s aunt Barbara strutted herself in fashionably late as always and a wine bottle in her hand, “Guess whoooooo, you darlings weren’t about to eat without me were you?” She spoke, her voice high and already slurring. 

You caught Dean wince next to you, chuckling as you tapped his arm. “Great, drunk already, it’s not a holiday unless Aunt Barbara struts in drunk as shit.” Dean spoke, rolling his eyes as Sam spit laughed his beer across from him. You smiled at Dean. 

“Oh, Dean, Sam, what a pleasure to see you boys visit home for the holiday, i hope we aren’t pulling you away from your busy schedules.” She drips her words with sarcasm, Dean faking a smile her way, “Oh what can i say Aunt Barbara, it’s not a holiday unless we get to watch you ruin one.” You nearly choked on your drink and Mary wacked Dean’s arm from his other side. 

Dean shot a look towards you and you struggled to keep yourself from laughing. Aunt Barbara shot Dean a nasty look before piping up again. A car door could be heard slamming from outside and Barbara smiled.

“Oh, my guest must be here, Dean, you should clean yourself up a bit, you wouldn’t want her to think you’re still the lazy slob she remembers.” Aunt Barbara shot his way and Dean frowned, confused. Before he could ask, the woman he hoped he’d never see again walked in, looking like she always did, expensive. 

“Hello everyone, it’s been a long time.” She spoke, her voice soft but loud and over powering. You felt Dean tense beside you, his face contorting into anger. 

“The fuck are you doing here, Lisa.” He asks and she smiles at him. 

“Deanie, it’s been years, and i was invited.” She smiles at him, but something in her smile is evil, conniving and you get bad vibes from her right off the bat.

“Don’t fucking call me that.” Dean snarled.

You reach your hand out, placing it on Dean’s thigh under the table and he instantly calms. Opting to ignore her and go back to nursing his beer. 

Lisa get’s placed near Sam and you can see Sam noticeably scooch slightly further from her, looking over at his brother to make sure he’s okay. 

Mary doesn’t look happy, but sets her a plate anyways. John Winchester shoots her a dirty look but doesn’t say much, he’s a quiet man when it comes to Mary’s family, hes learned they don’t like him or his boys, so he keeps his mouth shut and chooses to just tolerate them. After all, it’s only a few hours 

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

After dinner, you’re wandering around, trying to find where Dean and Sam have gone off to, you had helped their mother clean and tidy up the dinning room and kitchen, John was off with one of Mary’s nicer brothers playing pool and Sam was speaking to one of his younger cousins who was in college and wanted to pick Sam’s brain.

You stopped when you could hear Dean on the back porch, talking to someone and you could tell he was slightly tipsy. 

“I don’t even know why you agreed to show up, you knew i’d be here, are you so desperate to annoy me.” He huffed out angrily.

“Oh Dean get over yourself, it’s been over 10 years, are you still hung up over our little breakup, i mean, move on.” Lisa spoke, distaste dripping from her words, you hated the way she looked at him.

“First off, i’m not hung up on you or anything we had, i stopped being hung up on you the second i saw you on your knees getting plowed by the rich guy your dad worked with. Secondly, i have every right to be angry and hate you, you cheated on me and tore my heart out then stomped on it by calling me a broke piece of shit who’d never make you happy and wasn’t worth your energy, so yah, i’m not exactly thrilled to fucking see you.” He spat out, turning away from her. 

She laughed out in exasperation, “Yeah, and clearly i was right, clearly you haven’t changed, let me guess, still can’t get a single woman to love you, huh? poor little Dean Winchester, never worthy of anyone's love, Let’s face it Dee, no self respecting woman will ever want you. You have literally nothing to offer.” She giggled, and you had heard enough, you wanted to see this cunt dead. How could she ever say that to Dean, who the fuck was she? Some snobby rich bitch who had zero personality and nothing of value to offer. 

The Dean you knew was incredible, he was kind, caring, went above and beyond for those he cared about, he could fix anything from a car to a sink and he was handy, he was so intelligent, even more so than he let people see, and he saved people, even if she didn’t think he did anything important, he saved lives, and he did it at no cost. Dean was the most incredible man you had met in a long time and you weren’t about to stand here and listen to this woman degrade him. You stepped outside, catching Lisa off guard, as you approached Dean.

“Hey baby, there you are,” Handing him another beer. “i was starting to think you ditched the party.” You smiled at him, surprising the shit out of Dean and placing a small peck on his lips.

He stood up straighter, sipping his beer and catching on quick. He chuckled, “and leave you behind to be snagged up by one of my cousins? not a chance.” He wraps a strong arm around you and pulls you into his chest, hugging you from behind, almost killing you from how amazing it felt to be squished between those biceps.

You look at Lisa, forgetting she’s there. “Oh hi, sorry i hope i wasn’t interrupting, Lisa right? I think Mary mentioned you were coming.” You smiled, “I’m y/n, Dean’s wife.” You put out a hand but Lisa doesn’t shake it, she stutters.

“Wife? Yo-you got married?” She asks, looking at Dean. Before he can answer, you speak up, “I did say wife right? Baby, didn’t you clearly hear me say wife?” you ask Dean and he smiles, a little proud smirk on his face because he knows you’re about to verbally massacre her.

“Yes, i do recall you saying wife, sweetheart.” He places a gentle kiss on your cheek.

“Are you having trouble hearing Lisa? is it the alcohol? i saw you going pretty hard on those vodka martini’s, maybe you should slow down, that much alcohol for a woman your age can really fuck with your figure, but i see my advice is a little late, it seems you’re already suffocating yourself trying to fit into that dress, i guess some women struggle to hold onto their youth.” You smile, pulling Dean slowly away, “Sorry to break up your little trip down memory lane, but my lovely husband and i need to get going soon, Dean has to be up early at the shop tomorrow to finish a clients car, business owners have to keep their reputation after all.”

You give her one last fake smile before puling Dean away from that whole area, leaving him by Sam and his cousin before shooting him a soft smile and going to check in on his mother who is starting to bring out the desserts. 

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

The rest of the party had gone okay, Lisa had left you and Dean alone and even left shortly after your confrontation, Dean looked at you a few times, lingering looks and smiles shared.

You and the boys had arrived home shortly after 11:30 pm. All of you exhausted and stuffed from Mary’s wonderful cooking. Sam headed straight for bed, and you were about to do the same before Dean stopped you.

“Hey, y/n, can we talk for a minute?” He asked, his voice soft and tired, probably from driving all night.

You rubbed a sleepy eye and yawned before heading over to the table and jumping up to sit on it.

“Yeah, sure, what’s up sunshine.” You spoke up, patting the table spot beside you, he followed and sat next to you.

“I uh, i just wanted to thank you, for tonight, if it wasn’t for you, i would have probably gone off on everyone and gotten plastered and probably caused a whole scene, i would’ve embarrassed by parents and made things worse. So uh, thanks for keeping me calm, and for getting me out of a mess with Lisa.” 

You smiled softly at him, “I heard some of the stuff she was saying before i stepped out there, i couldn’t take it anymore, i can’t believe she said any of those things to you, you’re nothing like what she said, at least not the person who i know and see.”

Dean shrugged, “When we met and started dating, i didn’t have a job, i was in school and when i told her after grad i wanted to work as a mechanic and not some big shot lawyer or accountant, she got all mad at me, said i didn’t value myself and what kind of living did i expect to make, she grew up rich and spoiled, she never wanted me, she wanted the person who she hoped i would turn into, and when i caught her with that other guy, i realized she wasn’t right for me anyways, even though she was my first real relationship and it killed me, i knew i wasn’t good enough for her. She wanted someone with money, not me.” He huffed.

You smacked him arm. “Ow, what the heck.” He squealed. 

“Don’t do that, don’t act like you’re the one who isn’t good enough for her, she may have money, but she has no personality, no drive, no goals, no actual respectable qualities. You fought for what you wanted Dean and you got there, you save lives, you’re kind, and crazy smart, you do whatever you set your mind to, that’s a rare quality, plus, you love with your entire heart, and you’re genuine and kind, you’re an amazing human and friend and son and brother. Don’t ever compare yourself to those kids of people, cause you’re the one who’s way out of her league. Girls like her, they think they're better than everyone, she doesn’t deserve to think she somehow won. She deserves to think you’re doing great without her, cause you are.” You smiled, placing your hand on his.

He looked over at you, a strange look on his face, slowly leaning in to place a soft kiss on your lips. Before he can pull away, you grab his shirt collar to pull him back, deepening the kiss even more. 

His thumb rubs your cheek, his bright green eyes roaming your face, then he smiles.

“I’m really glad you walked into my life.” He says, placing another small peck on your lips. 

“I feel the same way about you.” You smiled, letting him lead you by the hand into his room, both of you snuggling up and soon enough, falling asleep wrapped in each other. 

[flightlessangelwings]

Keep You Safe

Frankie Morales x gn!reader (no y/n)

Word count: 3.9k

Warnings: fluff, pining, mild angst, a shitty ex, a break in, brief panic attack (not overly detailed), protective!Frankie, bed sharing, happy ending

Notes: This sat drafted for weeks cause I just kept picking at it and I think I’m finally happy with it so I hope y’all enjoy it! Thanks to my wonderful partner @we-can-be-himbos​ for beta reading for me!

~

The little dive bar was full of noise and life. You stood around a high top with your brother, Santiago, and your shared friends Will, Benny, and Frankie. Technically Santi was your step brother; your parents married when you both were young, but you two grew up together and he never treated you like anything other than a sibling. He was always very protective of you and always looked after you even well into adulthood. The two of you even lived together in a shared little house since he was away a lot for his job.

You all gathered together because it was Santiago’s last night before he left for his deployment. It was always tradition before any of the guys left to have a night out as a send off, and you loved when you and the boys all got together. You were fond of the Miller brothers, but you had a special place in your heart for Frankie Morales. 

Frankie captivated you ever since the day you first met all those years ago. You hid it as best you could, but you couldn’t help the way your eyes lingered on him for just a moment too long or the way your heart flipped in your chest whenever he laughed. And whenever you weren’t looking, Frankie’s eyes trailed down your figure as he shifted in his boots. He always smirked at your effortless charm that drew him in from the get-go.

There was an undeniable attraction between you and Frankie, and the rest of the guys could definitely sense it. Yet, no one said anything. Perhaps no one wanted to be the one to tell Santiago that you were interested in his best friend. Or maybe they wanted you and Frankie to come together on your own without more than a gentle nudge from the rest of the group. 

But what no one knew was that you and Frankie did hook up once. It was a couple of months ago after a night out at the bar, much like this one, and Frankie had offered to take you home. Santi had already left with a random person he had been making eyes at all night and trusted your safety with Frankie. One thing led to another and you ended up naked in his bed after several orgasms. The two of you agreed to never mention that night again, although it was always on your mind.

You had no idea that it was always on Frankie’s mind as well.

Glasses clinked as you and the boys all cheered to Santiago’s health and wished him luck on his mission. He would be gone for several months: the longest he would be away. You all chattered and laughed as you shared memories of good times. Benny let out a loud cackle and rested his hand on your shoulder as you told an embarrassing story about Santiago from your childhood and Frankie couldn’t help the way he frowned slightly. He wasn’t a jealous person, but he wished that he could be so casual in his touches with you as the others were.

“Hey Fish,” Santiago’s voice shook Frankie from his thoughts, “Can I talk to you for a second?”

Frankie nodded as he finished his beer before he followed Santi to a quiet corner of the bar.

You watched the two men walk away with furrowed brows, “What's that about?” you asked as you took a sip of your drink.

“I bet he’s telling Fish to make sure Benny keeps his hands off of you,” Will joked, which made you burst into laughter as Benny gave him an exaggerated pout.

Santi and Frankie looked to be deep in conversation and they both had serious looks on their faces. You didn’t bother to try to eavesdrop, since the bar was too loud and you settled for just watching their interaction from a distance. But you were soon distracted when you felt another pair of eyes on you. A chill ran down your spine as you casually leaned back and tried to find the source.

On the other end of the bar you swore you saw Casey, your ex. His face disappeared into the crowd before you could be sure, but even just the thought made you uneasy. Things did not end well with Casey; he was very overbearing and made you uncomfortable with how possessive he was. Even after you ended your relationship with him, you found that he would pop up sometimes whenever you were out like he was following you. 

You shuffled closer to Will and Benny as you rejoined the conversation and tried to put your ex’s face out of your mind. The boys didn’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary and you convinced yourself that it was just your imagination as you put a soft smile back on your face.

The other two came back to the table within a few minutes, and you and Santi left the bar shortly after that. His flight was early the next morning and you wanted to get some sleep before you drove him to the airport. Even as you left with your brother, you still felt those ice cold eyes on you, but you didn’t say anything to Santiago.

Your little one story house you shared with your brother was cute and cozy, and was just enough for the two of you. You each had your own bedrooms and separate bathrooms, which was a must when you were house hunting. The car was quiet as he drove the two of you home, and though Santi usually pressed you about what was on your mind, he chose to stay quiet this time. 

“What time do we need to leave, Santi?” you asked though the wall as you got ready for bed.

“Six,” he shouted back.

Fuck, that was so early. But you always liked to be the one to take him to the airport whenever he left for assignments, so you sucked it up for one morning. You could always come right back home and go back to bed anyway. After you said your goodnights, you slipped into bed where you fell asleep quicker than you expected to with how full your head was.

But you didn’t stay asleep.

A loud bang at the front door jolted you awake and you scrambled out of bed to duck down onto the floor like your brother had taught you to. The noise must have woken Santiago up as well because you heard him shout your name as he told you to stay in your room. You heard an argument and you recognized the other voice anywhere: Casey. You gasped as you realized that was actually him at the bar and he must have followed you home.

You cracked your door open just enough to see into the living room where Santiago was locked in a heated argument with your ex. Panic raced through your veins as you fell back onto the floor. You didn’t even register that Santiago came back and was right in front of you. His hands were on your shoulders as he shook you gently to get you out of your head. It wasn’t until the third time he said your name that you came back to the present.

“Hey, hey,” Santi used as calming a voice as he could, “He’s gone.” He was just as frightened as you were, and he was ready to defend and protect you. Santi watched you in your relationship with him and he didn’t like the way the guy treated you at all. You were the only family he had left, and he would do anything for you, “You ok?”

You swallowed hard as you nodded weakly, “I’m ok,” you took in a big breath to steady yourself, “It was Casey wasn’t it?”

“Yeah,” he grit his teeth, clearly annoyed, “But you’re ok,” he pulled you in for a hug, “We’re ok,” Santi repeated.

You trembled but your brother’s embrace was calming, and the two of you stayed like that for several minutes, “I don’t think I can go back to sleep now.”

He let out a short laugh, “Me either,” he broke away to take a look at your face, “How about some coffee?”

“I don’t wanna stay here…” your voice was weak.

Santi nodded in understanding, “There’s a 24 hour diner, how about we load up the car and go there?”

Instead of leaving at six in the morning, you and your brother walked out of the door around 4:30. Santi tossed his bags in the backseat and offered to drive, but you insisted you could. You needed something to focus your mind. The two of you were the only ones at the diner save for the couple of workers, and you sat at the booth in silence for some time with a pot of coffee on the table between you.

“Go to Frankie’s,” Santi finally broke the silence. He desperately wanted to do something to help you, but he had no idea what.

“What?” you barely heard his voice, too lost in your thoughts.

“I don’t want you home alone after I leave,” he explained, “Go to Frankie’s for now and tell him what happened.”

You winced, you didn’t want to have to relive what happened in your head as you told the story to someone else. Even if it was Frankie. “Alright…”

“Hey,” he laid a hand on top of where yours laid on the table to get you to meet his gaze, “You know I’d stay if I could.”

“I know,” you sighed. You were quiet again for a moment before you changed the subject with a question that had been on your mind, “What did you say to Frankie at the bar last night?”

Santi grinned, “I asked him to take care of you while I’m gone. Because I know he will.” Frankie was the person that he trusted the most, and Santi could tell how much he cared about you. Frankie even confided in him how much he didn’t like Casey and how much he worried for you. If anyone would do anything to protect his family while he was gone, it was Frankie. 

You frowned, “He told you we slept together didn’t he?”

“Nope,” the shit-eating grin that came across Santi’s face was priceless as he leaned back in the booth, “But you just did.”

You sighed dramatically as you buried your face in your hands and collapsed onto the table, “Dammit Santi…” but you also couldn’t help but giggle when you heard his laughter. 

As the sun started to rise on the horizon, the two of you decided to leave for the airport. The talk with your brother and the several pots of coffee helped to ease your nerves, but you still fell quiet again as you drove. Usually, the car ride to the airport was full of chatter, but not today. And Santi hated that he had to leave right after something like this happened, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Santiago bid you goodbye with a tight embrace as you dropped him off at the terminal, and he made you promise to go to Frankie’s. You assured him that you would go straight there, even if it was still ungodly early in the morning. As you watched him walk through the doors and disappear into the small crowd, your heart fluttered as you thought about your next destination. 

It wasn’t that you meant to avoid Frankie since the night you slept with him. You just didn’t know what to do from there, so you only hung out with him in a group with the guys. Of course, you ended up spending most of your time talking to him anyway. There was just something about Frankie that you could not stay away from, no matter how hard you tried.

The sun shone brightly in the sky for how early it was as you drove over to Frankie’s house. You held your breath as you knocked at his door and hoped that he wouldn’t be mad that you woke him up. But, your breath caught in your throat when he answered the door in nothing but a pair of sweatpants that hung how on his hips. You had seen him naked before, but the sight before you literally knocked the wind out of you.

You temporarily forgot about everything that had plagued your mind for the past couple hours as you stood awestruck at Frankie’s front door. It took you several moments to even notice the grimace on his face as you obviously had woken him up.

But Frankie wasn’t mad; he could never be mad at you. He said your name to snap you out of your thoughts, and he couldn’t help the small chuckle at the way you looked at him. If he was honest with himself, Frankie would have liked to ask you out on an actual date after you two hooked up. But, you came up with the arrangement to keep your relationship under wraps for now before he could. 

“What are you doing here so early?” he asked in a groggy voice, “Everything alright?”

“I’m sorry, I know it’s early,” a heavy sigh escaped your lips as the memories of earlier this morning flooded back, “Can… Can I come in?”

Frankie stepped aside and extended an arm to lead you in, “Of course,” he couldn’t hide the concern in his voice. Obviously something was wrong, and he immediately worried about you. “Did something happen? Everything good with Pope?”

You bit your lip and nodded, “Yeah, he’s on his flight. He’s good,” you sat down on Frankie’s couch and you couldn’t bring yourself to look him in the eyes as he gently sat down next to you.

His eyes bore into your figure as he asked the silent question in concern for you. Frankie carefully placed a hand on your thigh and gave it a soft squeeze to get you to look at him. The way he looked at you made you melt, and you couldn’t hold it back anymore.

“Casey came by early this morning,” you blurted out, “And he and Santi got into it.”

“What?!” Frankie immediately went on high alert as questions poured from his mouth and he wrapped his arms around you without a second thought.

“I’m ok, I’m ok,” you reassured him as you leaned into his embrace, “Santi told him off.” You felt Frankie tighten his grip on you and you swore you heard a growl from deep in his throat, “I just… I don’t know what to do now.” Frankie was the one person you confided to about how nervous Casey made you, and how you thought you had seen him pop up whenever you were out.

“You can stay here,” he said without hesitation, “As long as you want.”

You let out a deep breath. Frankie only had one bedroom, so that either meant you would share a bed with him or you would be just a few feet away on the couch. Either way, you knew what staying the night with him would most likely lead to, and though you wanted that more than anything else in the world, you were hesitant. You weren’t even sure why you were; obviously your brother was more than ok with the idea of you and Frankie together. Maybe you were too afraid to face your own feelings for him.

“I don’t want to impose,” you finally said, “Besides, I hate feeling like I’m scared out of my own house.”

Frankie was quiet for several moments. You were stronger than you gave yourself credit for, and you were stubborn to boot. Then, he had an idea, “How about this,” he started, “I’ll take you to get a new security system and an extra deadbolt for your door,” he stared at your for a moment before he told you the last part of his plan, “And I’ll stay over with you tonight.”

You didn’t need much time before you agreed to his plan, and you spent the entire day with Frankie. He packed himself an overnight bag and followed you in his car to your house to drop it off before he drove you to the store. He could tell that you were still uneasy, so he made a fun day of it and treated you to lunch as well.

The stresses of earlier in the morning melted away the longer you were with Frankie, and you were happy that you went to him. You had always felt comfortable with Frankie, even from the day you first met. And Frankie felt a connection and attraction to you right away as well. He would do anything to protect you, and he cared about you more than he could express with words. 

By the evening, Frankie had installed the new security system and extra locks and you had cooked him a big dinner as a thank you. As the two of you talked for hours, you felt more and more relaxed and the events of earlier this morning were pushed to the back of your mind. That was, until it came time to head to sleep.

“I’ll take the couch,” Frankie offered.

You stood in the living room as you fiddled with your fingers nervously. You didn’t want him to have to sleep on the couch, and you spoke before your mind caught up to your mouth, “Stay with me.”

Frankie stood dumbfounded as he stared at you, “What?”

“You… You can stay in my room. With me,” the last two words were just a whisper as you dropped your gaze down to the floor, “Please?”

A soft grin came across Frankie’s face; he couldn’t say no to you, especially when you asked like that, “Ok,” his voice was just as hushed as yours. 

The tension could be cut with a knife as the two of you settled into your bed. Luckily, it was big enough to fit you both, and as you laid on your side with your back to him, you found that you wanted nothing more than to turn over and nuzzle into his arms. And Frankie had to wrap his arms around his torso to keep from reaching out to you.

You didn’t know how long you laid next to Frankie, but you were sure he wasn’t asleep yet. Without a word, you gave in to your feelings and you rolled over and wrapped your arms around his waist and nuzzled into his back. You heard him gasp softly as he tensed for a moment before he also turned over so he could wrap his arms around you. Frankie pulled you in as close as he could and held you tightly and you smiled into his skin as you rested your head on his chest.

Everything felt right like this, and you would have fallen asleep if it weren’t for the way his heart pounded in his chest. You shifted so that you could look up at him, and the movement made him open his eyes. The two of you stared into each other’s eyes for several long moments before you hauled yourself up slowly and inched closer and closer to his face.

Frankie’s eyes never left yours, except to glance down at your lips once for a brief moment. He breathed your name as he gripped onto you tighter, as if he was afraid to let you go. Your eyes darted down to his own lips for a second before you closed the rest of the gap and placed a tender, soft kiss. He sighed into the kiss and held you as tightly as he possibly could.

He was about to deepen the kiss when a loud crash made both of you jump in surprise. There was a rattle and pounding at your front door, and you immediately panicked. Frankie, however, was quick to jump into action.

“You're ok, You’re ok,” he cupped your face and softened his expression for a moment, “Stay here. Lock your door,” he ordered before he grabbed something from his overnight bag and darted out of your bedroom.

Your hands shook as you did as you were told and quickly locked your door and scrambled back to the floor next to your bed. The sounds were muffled, but you could hear a fight just outside the door. Tears filled your eyes as you hoped that Frankie was ok, and your heart beat rapidly in your chest as you thought about how he did not hesitate for a second to jump in and protect you.

Then, everything got quiet and all you could hear was the sound of footsteps running away. You strained to listen and crawled over halfway to your door. You heard the sound of footsteps followed by running water from the sink before Frankie’s voice rang through the door.

“Baby, it’s me. It’s ok,” his voice was surprisingly calm and soothing, and you immediately jumped up and ran to unlock your bedroom door.

Frankie met you on the other side and you wrapped your arms around him and hugged him tightly. Your shoulders shook as you sobbed into his chest, and you let out a deep breath when he hugged you back just as tightly.

“Shhh, it’s ok. You’re ok,” he stroked your back in a soothing manner as he buried his face in the crook of your neck, “I got you. You’re safe.”

“Frankie…” you breathed as you pulled back enough to look at his face, “Are you ok?” you cupped his cheek with one hand as you clung to his shirt with the other.

He smiled at you, “I’m fine,” he paused as he just gazed into your eyes, “He tried to get away, but your neighbor heard us fight and came out to keep him down,” Frankie kept a tight grip on you as he spoke, “Casey won’t bother you ever again. I promise.”

“Thank you, Frankie,” your voice was so quiet that you weren’t sure if he heard you as you dropped the hand that cupped his cheek down to his chest. You were silent again as you stayed securely in his arms, “Frankie I…”

He cut you off with a chaste kiss. Unlike when you kissed him in your bed, this one was more intense and full of passion. It was a desperate kiss, as if he used it to make sure you were actually here and ok. Frankie did not regret beating your ex up for you; he’d do anything to keep you safe. He kissed you for what felt like hours before he finally broke away for air.

“I know baby,” he murmured against your lips, “Me too,” he kissed you again, much more slowly this time. You weren’t going anywhere this time, and he had all the time in the world now to be with you. 

“Pope gonna be ok with this?” he asked with a laugh when he broke away again.

“I’ll handle my brother,” you joined in his laughter, “But he’s ok with it, trust me.”

Frankie gave you a look that said you had explaining to do later, but for now he just wanted to enjoy and relish the time with you and keep you safe in his arms.

[officialscaramouche]

Omg I love the angst of "did you at least think of me when you were having sex with her?" Can you please make a part 2? Thank you very muchhh

Thank you so much for waiting, anon!!! I like where this is going, but since I’ve been making u wait for so long, I’ll have to end it there. If u want a part three, let me know and I’ll write one but for now, here u go!

pairing: gn!reader x Scaramouche

word count: 1,342

tw: none. Maybe language, I don’t remember

prev next

He should’ve been happy. Maybe he just couldn’t be satisfied, even when he got everything he wanted. It was what he wanted, anyway. Back then, his confidence in his desires was unbreakable. But now as he looked back on it, he could see the naïveté in his eyes. He realized that in his heart he was blindly believing that this is what happiness was and that he’d forever be happy. All he had to do was throw away what he’d worked so hard on for many years. He had to throw away you.

The way you looked at him didn’t bother him at the moment, but as the palm of his hand made contact with your cheek and remembering your quivering lips, your glassy eyes, and the flush of red across your face, it was as if you drove a knife right through his heart.

Archons, how could he be so stupid? He treated you like shit. He never appreciated the things you did for him and he always found your presence annoying. He savored every moment he had alone because you just wouldn’t leave his side. He wanted so badly to shove you away and tell you to fuck off, but he hesitated every time you smiled at him. He should’ve known then that there was a reason— a reason why he couldn’t get rid of you. A reason why he didn’t want to get rid of you. But the new and exciting adventure that Mona had laid out for him was too tempting to realize that you were all he wanted. All he needed.

It had been years since he last saw you. He had been fine living with and loving someone else all this time until he woke with tears in his eyes, having a dream of being yours. Dreaming that he woke up next to you. Dreaming that he came home to you. Dreaming that all these years, instead of wasting it with Mona, he was spending it with you.

When he woke and it wasn’t you who he held in his arms, he had a nasty attitude the whole week. He always had an ugly personality, but he was exceptionally unfathomable today. None of his cohorts wanted to be assigned to missions with him, so he went alone. Mona didn’t appreciate his lack of respect for her, and she threw his stuff out. The Tsaritsa told him he needed to do some soul searching and figure out what he needed to move forward. The answer was as clear as day. He needed to find you.

It wasn’t hard figuring out where you had been all this time. Having been very intimate with the Harbinger, the Fatui brought you protection. His subordinates monitored your every move to make sure that no harm would befall you no matter where you went. It only took a few questions to figure out that you had been staying in Liyue. The apartment you lived in was in Tartaglia’s name. If anyone else were doing the investigation, they would’ve never found you. But with Scaramouche’s money on the line, it was only a matter of time until he found you.

When he arrived, Scaramouche was quite obviously not from Liyue. Word spread quickly of an “intricately dressed fellow with a strikingly large hat.” When word finally reached you, you pushed your plate of skewers aside and rested your chin in your hand as you pouted.

One of your friends, Signora, sat beside you and leaned in to look at your face. “What’s wrong? Not gonna eat your skewers?” The one sitting across from you asked, reaching for it.

“No, I lost my appetite. The two of you can have it.”

The skewer was snatched from your plate in an instant.

Signora glared, and put one of her skewers on your plate. “Try to be a little more sympathetic, Tartaglia.”

“It’s just Scaramouche,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

You folded your arms on the table and laid your head in them. “Yeah. But please don’t get involved guys, it’s already bad enough that he cut ties with him,” you emphasized, jutting your thumb out at Tartaglia. “You guys haven’t worked together in, what, like four months?”

“More like six,” Tartaglia corrected with his mouth full of chicken. “He really thinks we’re dating.”

“Give him more credit than that, will you?” She snickered. “I’m sure his little entourage has been spying on us. And I don’t doubt that he’s only here for you, [Y/N].”

“Please Rex Lapis in heaven, make him go away,” you plea, clasping your hands together in prayer. The other two laughed, but you weren’t joking.

Tartaglia slid the key into the lock and opened the door for you, letting you walk inside. “See,��� he said with a smug look on his face. “He’s not here, there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Don’t say that,” you sobbed. “You’re gonna jinx it.” You both kicked off your shoes and wandered inside, plopping onto the couch with a long and dramatic sigh. “I really don’t know what I’m going to do,” you said with worry. “I don’t want to see him.”

Tartaglia pulled you in for a hug, something he did often. He and Scaramouche were often paired together for work, so he knew the ins and outs of your relationship very well. You were another victim of Scaramouche’s abuse just like everyone else. But you were the only one to actually care about him. Tartaglia felt bad for you. But he also cared about you, so his sympathy wasn’t artificial at all.

“I’d say I’d stay to protect you but today’s my last day off.”

“That’s okay, I know. None of us expected him to be in town.”

Tartaglia kissed the top of your head then stood. “Okay, I gotta meal prep so I’m gonna go to Second Life then go home. Are you gonna be okay?”

You smile and wave your friend bye. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Write me letters from Fontaine!”

You picked up the tea bag from your cup and tossed it in the trash, leaving the mug in the sink before heading off to work. Tartaglia wasn’t going to pay your rent forever. You picked up a job at a restaurant and started saving money. Living with Scaramouche, he didn’t ask you to pay for anything so long as you took care of him and the house. He gave you allowances every other week that you could entertain yourself, but it wasn’t enough to rent an apartment all alone.

You slipped on your shoes, grabbed your keys and swung the door open to step outside, when you’re met face to face with the one person you didn’t want to meet. He smiled, looking up at you from halfway up the stairs, and waved. “Good morning, [Y/N]. I’m glad I’ve caught you before you ran off somewhere.” He raised his hand and dismissed the agents with him, all of them scurrying away to give the two of you privacy. “How have you been?”

“I’m sorry, Scaramouche, I need to go to work.” You quickly locked the door and ducked to go around the balladeer, but he grabbed your arm and held you back.

“Oh, you work now? Where?”

“It’s none of your business. Please let me go.”

“No, I want to spend time with you. How much money would you be losing? Let me pay you for your time.”

“No, Scaramouche. I don’t want to meet with you. I need you to please leave.”

“[Y/N], don’t be stupid. I’ve come here on my own time. Using my sick days to see you.”

“I’m sorry, but I do not want to see you. Now I really have to go to work.”

You brush past him and hurry on to work, hoping that it will serve as a good distraction from today’s events. If you shut him down enough, he’s bound to get the hint. But he’s a stubborn man, and you don’t know just how stubborn he can get.

[y0itsbri]

Hi Bri 🥰

C-16 if you'd like to 👀

Coffee dates and disasters

au with college!lip and barista!mandy where ian is a frequent visitor at the campus café and meets mickey under rather unfortunate circumstances. don't cry over spilled milk, buddy.

which also fits under a.u.gust for @gallavichthings

words: 2.4k

"never would have thought you the type to come to one of these places," ian mused, looking around the small café with only lamps and string lights illuminating the space. "can't believe college changed you, man," ian clutched at his heart dramatically.

"don't worry. 'm still the annoying bastard you love so dearly," lip squeezed ian's shoulder before he sauntered up to the counter.

the barista's bored expressed brightened when she saw them. her perky demeanor was matched by a high pitched voice, "hey lip," she smiled, dark lipstick striking. she appraised ian with a somewhat predatory eye, "hello, lip's friend."

"uh, brother," ian coughed.

lip rolled his eyes, "and he's gay so don't even try it, mandy."

she pouted and flicked her hair behind her shoulder, "not that it's any of your business, anyways."

ian chuckled besides him, drawing another smile out of mandy, this one kinder, sweeter.

"what can i get you boys?"

the pink highlights glistened in her dark hair as she whipped up lip's cold brew and ian's caramel macchiato, then proceeded to insist that this one is on the house. neither of them argued, but thanked her before they settled down in some stools by the window.

"fucking the barista privileges?" ian asked, raising his eyebrow at his slut of a brother.

"i think of it more like fellow south sider charity," he rubbed his bottom lip, "but yours works too," lip smirked around the edges of his coffee cup.

"you're an idiot."

"can a man who got us free drinks really be deemed an idiot?" lip philosophized.

ian paused, taking a moment of thorough consideration. he looked lip straight in the eyes as he answered, "if that man is you, then without a doubt."

lip tried to knock ian's cup out of his hand, but failed at his attempt. ian thanked his well-practiced jrotc skills and a lifetime experience of growing up in a house packed with annoying siblings for his victory.

they chatted about the robotics classes lip was taking, how he got full-time access to one of the labs, and his weird ass roommate who may or may not be gay if ian is at all interested. ian scrunched up his face. after hearing so many horror stories about the guy, ian didn't want anywhere near him. he wasn't that desperate yet.

the second that lip was out of his seat and heading to the bathroom, the beautiful mess that was mandy descended.

"hiiii lip's gay brother," she leaned against the table.

"it's ian," he spun his empty cup in his hands. he couldn't help himself from smiling at her charisma.

"well hi, ian, i just wanted to say sorry if i spooked you earlier. i just had no idea lip's brother would be so cute!"

"his ugly mug's not too hard to beat." ian laughed. "he got the short end of the gallagher stick, literally."

"cute and charming. you're funny, ian gallagher, i like you." she placed her hand on his shoulder for a moment, a movement so soft compared to her rather frantic appearance. "come back here anytime and it's on the house, yeah? i work most evenings after three."

"oh. uh- okay," ian scrambled for words, "thanks."

she squeezed his shoulder once before lip returned with a rather obnoxious entrance.

"ayo mands, stop harassing him!"

ian ducked his head in embarrassment.

"oh, shut up! i'm just clearing your cups," she winked at ian as she left.

mandy was something else. but she was kind and good company. ian could get used to the chill atmosphere over the chaos of the gallagher house anytime. he might just take up her offer.

--

"you'd think with all the time you spend here, you'd be offered a scholarship or something by now." mandy sipped on her chocolate frappuccino as she laid her feet across ian's lap. he always made sure to come visit during her breaks at least twice a week during the past couple months.

ian shrugged, "guess they only had room for one gallagher."

mandy hit his arm in a way that hurt. lip was fucked if he ever broke her heart.

"does fiona even know that this is where you sneak off to?"

"yeah." mandy's look said she didn't believe him. "well, kinda. she thinks i'm visiting lip, brotherly duties and all."

"yeah? how are those brotherly duties?"

"fuck if i know."

she laughed.

"i still think you should apply here for next fall," she encouraged, "could take some art classes."

"i suck at art."

"chemistry?"

"failed that."

"business?"

"yeah, no thanks."

mandy flipped him off, "fine. botany?

"ya know what? sure." he had always wanted to grow tomatoes.

"really?!"

"heart wants what it wants, mandy. we can't all be psychology brainiacs."

"brains and beauty, what can i say?" she teased. ian laughed, eyes glistening towards his friend. mandy made things better.

"hey," she continued, "there's this concert on the main campus lawn this weekend, you should totally come!"

"isn't that just for students?"

"they don't card, dummy."

"right, right, i knew that."

"sureeee. you in?"

ian mentally checked his work schedule.

"i'm in."

--

lip and ian strolled into the café a few days later. okay, maybe ian had felt a bit guilty for abandoning his brotherly duties lately, but at least this way he could hang out with both his best friends. well he could have if he remembered the fact that mandy had the day off for her behavioral neuroscience midterm. they had literally spent her previous shift reviewing the terms, he should have known.

ian's couldn't help his face from falling as another blonde barista took their orders, mostly eyeing lip the whole time.

"hi lip," she smiled a little too sincerely, "what can i get for you today?"

ian had ordered something new at the recommendation of the blonde and he was not a fan. and to make matters worse, he had to actually pay for the atrocity that he wouldn't even be able to finish.

"so how's your little coffee dates with mandy?" lip asked over his cup.

ian nearly choked on his god-awful americano. "how'd you know?"

"please. she's obsessed with you. every time i see her, it's 'ian this,' 'ian that,' 'ian might apply here in next year.'"

"oh."

"yeah, oh. when were you gonna tell me?!"

“it’s all mandy’s idea, i’m not even sure i want to,” ian muttered, refusing to make eye contact.

“dude, i’ve literally shared a room with you since the day you popped out of monica’s wretched womb, you think I can’t tell when you’re lying?”

okay maybe ian had been getting increasingly more excited about the idea of attending school and actually learning things that he wants to learn. something that might actually lead him somewhere real since rotc was looking more and more like a poor man's fantasy the more that he thought about it.

“I was gonna tell you, swear on it.” and he was. once he convinced himself that lip wasn't going to straight up laugh in his face. but the look in his eye seemed genuinely supportive.

“mhm, i gotta catch my english lit class," lip stood up, swinging his tattered tan backpack across one shoulder. he patted ian's shoulder in his big brother ways, "don’t be a stranger, yeah?”

“yeah, yeah for sure! have fun learning a language you already know!” lip flipped him off at his smartass remark.

soon after, ian stood up to return his drink to the counter, the anxiety from the conversation making him entirely lose whatever appetite he might have had. plus, it wasn’t the same here without lip or mandy. he just wanted to be wrapped up in a cocoon in his own bed. but that was so far away. maybe he could catch an early ride—

thump.

ian crashed into a guy’s sturdy body.

the remnants of his shitty drink spilled in an americano nightmare over both of them, ceramic pieces shattering on the floor in a truly horrific manner.

ian yipped and the other man let out a grunt of irritation.

they were fucking soaked. well, at least the coffee wasn't hot? ian tried justifying the situation, but, nah, this was bad.

"shit! i'm so sorry, lemme," ian reached out and the shorter man flinched away.

they were now far enough apart that ian got a good look at him. a leather jacket.. now covered in ian's drink -- shit. and shockingly piercing blue eyes that lingered too long on ian's before his cheeks turned a shade of pink that made ian's stomach flutter.

he might have seemed cold if he didn’t make ian feel so warm.

"it’s cool, man. i gotta go, uh," and he walked out of the café without looking back.

fuck.

ian smelled like coffee the entire train ride to the back of the yards. he laid in his bed regretting his entire life.

no mandy. no lip. no dignity.

--

the day of the concert that mandy had invited him to rolled around. ian wouldn’t admit it, but he was nervous to spend a coffee-less evening with mandy, their entire friendship built inside that one room. his little bubble of safety was bursting.

well, to be honest, the bubble had burst the moment that his disaster of a coffee was spilled onto one of the most ridiculously pretty guys that he's ever seen. every time he closed his eyes, he remembered the guy’s face shift from hostile to something else. he was torn between wanting to know the his name and also on never seeing him again in fear that he would simply pass away of embarrassment.

hopefully mandy hadn't heard about it. they may not have been friends for a long time, but he already knew that she would never let him live it down.

"hey ian!" her familiar voice called. that sounded promising.

his face fell with relief as he finally spotted her at the corner. she embraced him in a warm hug before pulling back and giving him a once over.

"huh, could have sworn you'd still have coffee behind your ear or something after the description karen gave me of your little disaster the other day." she smirked, quite literally double checking behind his ears as they turned hot under her gaze.

"ugh, fuck, how much did she tell you?" he itched his forehead and scrunched up his nose.

"oh, calm your tits, it's funny as fuck." she giggled, punching his arm in a way that still unintentionally hurt.

"whatever. are you excited for the concert tonight?"

their reunion conversation lulled eventually, and ian noticed that they weren't necessarily standing alone.

no. fucking. way.

just his luck, if he was being honest. he probably deserved this.

there he stood. the man that has plagued his dreams the past few days. in a light wash jean jacket that was a little tight on the biceps, leaning casually against the wall, kicking the pebbles on the ground with his boot.

"uh, what's he doing here?" ian gestured towards the victim of The Coffee Incident.

“what, you know him?” mandy asked, walking them towards him.

“vaguely.” if that wasn’t the understatement of the year.

"huh. i didn’t think my idiot brother had any friends."

brother? how did ian not realize she had a brother?

"what, did you think i was going to babysit you all night? i can't let everyone here thinking you're my boyfriend, no offense or whatever, but you're in good hands!" she kissed his cheek, clearly not helping her own not-looking-like-her-boyfriend rule.

ian eyed said brother's good hands only to see the faded letters of FUCK U-UP on them. oh.

mandy pushed ian over to her brother, "ian, mickey. mickey, ian," she introduced before pushing and shuffling her way through the crowd of college students to find herself someone’s cheap ass fruity alcohol to mooch off of.

mickey. ian's brain repeated over and over, a chime against the murmuring sea of voices they found themselves enveloped by.

"nice jacket," ian pointed out, an awkward attempt to converse before shoving his hands back in his pockets.

"it's my second favorite." the corners of his mouth lifted like there was more to the statement. ian took the bait, as if he could resist.

"what's your first?"

"first is still airing out the fuckin’ coffee smell," he smirked as ian groaned. "oh c’mon, man, don't go crying over spilled milk."

how could he not? on the bright side, he didn’t seemed to hate ian for it.

“if it was anyone else,” mickey drawled, “they’d have to get a beat down for it.”

“why do I get a free pass?” ian mused.

“well, you’re mandy’s friend, right?”

“yup,” ian tried to suppress his disappointment. he really did. but fiona always told him he wore his heart on his sleeve.

“yeah, that ain’t why, though,” his eyebrows waggled suggestively and ian nearly felt his heart drop out of his ass.

ian blessed whatever coffee god was out there for sending him both mandy and the beautiful man in front of him.

“you wanna go listen to the band?” ian nodded his head towards the stage with passionate players jumping around like they were playing lollapalooza or some shit.

“lead the way, stud, just try to keep your drinks off of me this time,” mickey knocked into ian’s own flannel covered shoulder.

yeah, ian couldn’t believe his luck. maybe karma was finally on his side.

—

mandy smirked at her brother and best friend not-so-subtly checking each other out over the course of the night, bopping their heads to the music and downing whatever free booze they could get their hands on.

she hoped that adding mickey to the equation would be enough incentive to convince ian to stick around. things were better when he was near.

the way that ian followed mickey around like a lost puppy with that dopey moon-eyed look, it seemed like her hopes would come true.

and when both ian and mickey strolled into the café to come visit her at work the next week, mickey in his worse-for-wear leather jacket and ian in borrowed denim, she thanks the coffee gods for her luck.

[scarlettscribbles]

she used to be mine

- Anthony Bridgerton & TwinSister!Reader

Tags: 4k words - 3rd person POV, sibling fluff, family fluff, Anthony/Siena (not the main focus), Anthony is a soft boi when it comes to you (the softest, in fact), mourning

Warning/s: a bit spicy at the beginning, mild injury, mention of blood, major character death

Summary: A question from Siena about love sends Anthony into the past; making him recall his memories of a sister long loved, but never forgotten. A story told in moments. 

a/n: don’t mind me, just manifesting my angst and bridgerton needs >> titles from waitress the musical

i. it’s not simple to say

“What do you think about love?” 

“Love? What’s this all of a sudden?” Anthony laughed. He captured between his hands Siena’s own and kissed it playfully, making her giggle. “What do I think about it, well. I love kissing you, touching you-” he planted a soft kiss on her collarbone as his hands trailed down her abdomen. “I love--”

“Okay, no stop. That is not what I meant at all!” Siena stilled his wandering hands, laughing. She snuggled closer until they were chest to chest. “Love with your friends, family,...women.” she waggled her brows at the last word.

“Women, hah.” Anthony cast his eyes upward. “The only women I’ve ever loved are my mother and five sisters.”

“You mean four.”

“What?”

“You have four sisters: Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, and Hyacinth if memory serves correctly. Unless your mother’s pregnant, which I believe is unlikely. My lord, did you perhaps miscount?” Siena teased. 

“No, no.” he waved his hand, chuckling. “She…”

ii. i still remember that girl

She was born 9 minutes before him; the eldest Bridgerton. This was a fact she liked lording over him teasingly. She won many arguments by simply stating “I am the eldest Bridgerton and therefore…” 

Sometimes he could still hear her say it in his head. 

“Remind me why I’m accompanying you again?”

“Because I am your older sister and--”

“I should always agree to what you’re saying, blah blah. Oh this is so crowded! Why could you not just send a maid to fetch the book?”

“Well what’s the fun in that? Come on Tony, you’re being too slow! It will be nighttime when we arrive there and the book I wanted will be gone!” she moaned miserably, turning around and tugging on his hand to encourage him to make haste.

“You and your dramatics. Why is this book so important anyway?”

“It simply is. I need it for when I become the Viscountess.” she smiled at him, chin jutting out proudly. “I can’t wait to get Papa’s watch. I will get it right, as Viscountess? He will pass it onto me along with the title.”

“Uh no he won’t. I am the heir in case you have forgotten, sister.”

“But I am the oldest. We might be both 10 but I am 9 minutes older than you.” she argued, waving her pointer finger at him. 

“Yes, yes you’ve said that like a million times now! But you’re a girl, so you can’t. You shall marry some guy, not that there are any worth marrying. Why just the today I saw the son of that family I cannot remember for the life of me, doing something horrendous! I think it would be better for you to stay away from any and all men.” Anthony paused, realizing that he was - or is soon going to be - one of those men. “Except for me and Papa, of course.”

She merely looked at him in amusement. “Pish posh.” his twin huffed, eyes glinting in the sunlight. “I’m not going to exchange my ambitions for some mere man. You shall see Tony, I will have that watch. Now come on!” she dropped his hand and gathered her skirts, ducking and maneuvering between the throng of people. Anthony felt a tinge of panic, seeing his sister slowly becoming engulfed by the crowd. 

“Sister wait!” he started to chase after her. He saw the blue tail-end of her skirt when someone bumped into him. He whirled around to complain to whoever it was; however, he seemed to have miscalculated the strength of his spin and tripped, landing on his bottom. “Ow, hey watch it!” he shouted at the people who accidentally kicked him, not noticing his figure on the ground.

Anthony hissed as he dusted his pants. He examined the palm of his hand and noticed scratches from when he landed too roughly on the floor. There were spots of red slowly making its way down his hand, along with drops of water.

Oh. He was crying. 

“Where are you?” his voice warbled. “Sister…”

Has she left him, truly? Surely not. His twin is many things but never cruel. She was tenacious, smart, and…

“Tony! I let you out of my sight for a second and - goodness!” She ran over and knelt in front of him, glaring at the people who would come too close. They parted for her, giving them a wide berth. “Here, take my handkerchief. We should get home and wash your hands. We don’t want it to be infected. And your clothes are a mess, Mama is going to have a fit. Come now,”

“But your book?” he sniffed.

“Eh, I can get it some other time.” she smiled and patted his cheeks. “Don’t cry now, sister’s got you.”

...kind. She was kind.  

iii. reckless just enough

Anthony was sulking. Not that he’d let anyone know. Papa had gotten angry with him. It wasn’t even a big thing. He simply...borrowed his watch to look at it. Anthony thought maybe he could figure out what made his twin so interested in it. It was a plain thing, nothing special maybe besides the monogram. He didn’t mean to drop it from the stairs. He really didn’t. He heard his name being called for lunch and he jolted.

He got a dressing down from Papa with his siblings present; Benedict and Colin in particular snickering at his plight. It was embarrassing. As soon as Papa dismissed him, he ran for his room, ignoring the calls of his twin. 

Right now he was hidden beneath the curtains and behind his bookshelf. Did Papa really have to scold him at the lunch table? Anthony buried his face between his hands. 

“You didn’t eat.”

Anthony banged his head on the wall when he looked up too fast.

“Are you okay?” his twin asked him, smiling amusedly. She carried with her a plate with bread, cheese, ham and a slice of blueberry pie. 

“Don’t laugh at me.”

“I’m not.”

“You’re smiling.”

“Laughing and smiling are worlds apart, Tony.” she shook her head and sat beside him, nudging him insistently until they were shoulder to shoulder. She slid the plate from her lap to his. “Eat.”

Anthony looked at her blankly. “Are you so distraught that you cannot eat? Do you want me to hand feed you like a child?” She made a motion as if she was going to grab the plate but Anthony shooed her hands away.

“I’m perfectly capable, thank you.” he stuffed a piece of bread in his mouth. “How’d you find me anyway?”

“Please swallow before you talk.” she said. “And, this is your room Tony. I’m simply using common sense.”

“Oh.”

“Yes.”

Anthony picked up the ham and cheese and continued eating. For a moment, they just sat there in comfortable silence.

“It’s unfair.” Anthony said, breaking the silence. 

“What is?”

“Papa.”

“How come?”

“He was way too angry. I didn’t mean to drop his watch! And it wasn’t even broken. If it was, he could’ve repaired it easily.” he pouted.

“You could’ve also just asked him to look at it. You know, in his room. Where you can’t drop it from a height and possibly damage it.” she replied with a bit of sarcasm.

“Fine, yes, I could have.” he conceded. “I just don’t know why he was so angry.”

“It’s important to him.”

“It’s just a watch.” Anthony rebutted, pouting. His twin gave him a look that he knew meant “you look adorable but also stupid.”

“Nah.”

“No?”

“Nope.” she answered. “For one, it’s an heirloom. Heirloom is defined as -”

“I know what it means.” Anthony waved his hand. “Do go on.”

She gave him a faintly annoyed look which merely made him smirk. “I shall, and not because you told me to.” she cleared her throat. “The watch being an heirloom is just its value as a thing. There’s also the sentimental value. The memories and emotions attached to the watch. For Papa, he treasures it because it - probably - reminds him of grandfather and grandmother. Grandfather especially. Because he was the one to give the Papa the rights and responsibility for our family.”

“Is that why?”

“Why what?”

“I wanted to know what makes it so special for you.” Anthony shrugged. “You always talk about it, about getting the watch when we become older. I didn’t see the big deal. Is that why it’s so important to you too?”

“Yes, quite.” she answered. “I want to take care of our family, Tony. I know I can, I just do. I don’t want me to just be a wife. I’m meant for greater things. Also,” she grinned at him. “I want it so I could count down the seconds until I see you again.” 

Anthony fake gagged, pretending to chuck the bread and cheese onto his twins’ lap. His twin scrambled away far from him and yelped. “You are disgusting! Mama! Anthony ruined the new dress that we just got!”

“I did not!”

“You were about to!”

iv. i was never attention’s sweet center

It was just a stupid, off-hand comment from Benedict. Anthony knew his brother meant no harm but still, the comment hurt.

“Maybe she truly should have your title, brother.”

Anthony was no stranger to her loud and obvious wanting to inherit the head of the house. In fact, he supported his twin. If Papa permitted it, he would gladly concede to you. However, it was unspoken between the twins the knowledge that Papa would never agree to such a thing; no matter how much he loved his eldest daughter. 

Anthony was no stranger to her excellence either. While the both of them worked hard to set an example for their younger siblings. He always thought she was great at everything a girl should be and more. Though the ‘more’ part would never reach the ears of their mother or anybody else. Nobody should know that Anthony taught her how to sucker punch anybody that vexed her except maybe Benedict and Colin...also Eloise. That girl was far too curious and also far too attached to Benedict. Anthony thinks in the privacy of his mind that if she were a boy, there would be no quarrel that she’d get the title.

Other people also thought the same. Though they expressed it in a much less pleasant way, in words Anthony does not care for. They speak condescendingly. They speak of her gender with pity in their voices, their admiration twisted. They mention that her excellence should be toned down, that she should focus instead on things better suited to her. They speak of how inadequate Anthony is, how poor that a boy be overshadowed by a girl. They theorize how Anthony must hate her for taking all the spotlight. He hears all this, and she does too, seeing as they’re almost always attached at the hip. If it bothers her, she does not speak of it. 

They speak of lies. Anthony thinks that her abilities suit her as they are and that no matter how bright she shines, it would never be something to be upset over. He basked in her light. They are wrong for thinking that she’s taking a piece of his life away when in truth, she completes it. Best friends, twins, soulmates; he loves her and she loves him. Still, their words leave a mark.

So when Benedict said that albeit in a teasing manner, Anthony just ran away. As he got older, he found it the preferable way to escape his problems. If he could not run to her then he must run away. 

Anthony hugged himself as a strong breeze blew and made the unoccupied swing beside him rock.

“Tony.” And there she was. His twin was holding a book. She sat at the swing beside him. 

There was silence. The only thing he could hear were the wind, the scuffling of his feet, and the soft sound of her flipping the pages.

“Sister,” she did not look up from the book but she hummed, signifying that he was heard. “Why did you come out here? It’s better to read inside, surely.”

“You’re upset. Of course I would come.” she said matter-of-factly.

“Did Ben tattle?”

“Ben? Tattle? His mouth is tighter than a woman’s corset when it comes to secrets.” she laughed lightly. “Surely you know better than that.”

“Yeah, I do.” he smiled. Since they were little, even if they were distances apart, both of them would always know - or at least had an inkling of - what the other was feeling. During their early years they chalked it up to magic but now they both just conceded it as a twin thing. “Actually, I don’t. Know better, I mean. Everybody seems to think so. Am I inadequate, sister? Dumb perhaps? I feel like I cannot do anything right sometimes! Compared to you I - “

His twin laid a hand on his shoulder. “Tony.” her brows were drawn and her lips pursed. “First of all, there is no comparison brother. I am me and you are your wonderful self. We are both excellent, please do not doubt yourself of that no matter what anyone says. And I know they say a lot. I’m just so used to tuning them out that I never considered that you might not do the same. I’m sorry.”

She stood up and drew him into a hug. Anthony’s arms stayed limp at his side. “People will flap their mouths because that’s what they do; say their opinions even though it’s unwelcome. If we tried to stop every single one of them, why I believe it’ll take all our lifetime and more!” she chuckled. “We cannot change them so we must change how much we’ll let their words affect us. Their words don’t matter at all! If I could, then I would shove those words back up their mouth and let them swallow it. Which I don’t know how to do. D’you suppose punching them would work just as well?” Anthony laughed wetly at her quip. It would work but it would also involve somebody calling Mama and Papa for her ‘inappropriate behavior’.

“What I know is this.” she grasped his shoulders and held them so she could stare at him in the eyes. Anthony met her determined gaze head-on. “You’re good enough Tony. Hell, you’re excellent.”

Anthony sobbed and quickly drew her into a fierce hug, his tears surely wetting her dress but he knew she didn't mind. “That is as sure as the sun that rises in the east. As sure as our family’s love, and ours for each other.”

v. bring back the fire in her eyes

It started with a cold. She had stayed up too long outside and now she’s bed-ridden. Anthony crossed his arms at the corner of the room as his younger siblings ran around. In his opinion there was too much ruckus for her to properly rest. However, Mama brought it up earlier and his twin just waved her concern away, stating that some liveliness will do her good. And who was Anthony to go against the wishes of his dear sister? It doesn’t mean that he has to like it though.

“No you’re the troll!” Eloise insisted.

“I was the troll last round!” Colin argued back.

“Now, now,” Benedict placated them both, then he glanced at Anthony in a way that promised mischief. “Why don’t we let Anthony be the troll then? He certainly looks the part with how grouchy he is.”

Daphne giggled. “And how he’s guarding his corner.”

“And how horrendous his face looks!” added Eloise. 

Now he’s had enough. “You all look far too happy for someone who’s going to be troll food soon.”

“Troll wuh - AAH!” Eloise screamed as Anthony lunged at her. She took off with a sprint and soon the other Bridgertons followed as well, laughing boisterously. “Noo, Ben save me!”

“This is survival of the fittest -”

“Survival of the fittest your face!”

“Ehem.” Suddenly all motion stopped. Colin face-planted on the floor, caught by his momentum. All eyes went to the door where Violet Bridgerton stood along with a maid. She had a smile on her face coupled with a vaguely exasperated expression. “I’m glad you’re having fun but please take you playing outside. I need to tend to your sick sister.”

Various moans and complaints filled the room but only with a raise of their Mama’s brow, they filed outside the room, murmuring farewells and well wishes to the sole occupant of the bed. All except one. Anthony remained rooted at the side of his sister’s bed.

“Anthony, please.” Violet gently said. A complaint was on the tip of his tongue when a hand laid on his bicep. He looked at his sister, looking frail among the covers but she merely smiled and shook her head.

“I’ll be fine Tony.” she said. “Go and check that our siblings haven’t set the house ablaze or anything.”

For a moment, both of them just stared at each other. A silent conversation passing between them both. Anthony sighed. “Get well.” he bent over to press a kiss to her forehead. “I’m not sure I alone will be enough to stop them from doing that.”

She laughed. “You will be.”

vi. sometimes life just slips

It was only supposed to be a cold. A cold. 

Someone almost barreled through Anthony as he, Benedict, Colin came through the door. “Whoa!” he exclaimed as the maid said a rushed apology. Everyone in the house seemed to be in a mad dash. He exchanged looks with his brothers, who were as clueless as he.

“Anthony!” came the panicked voice of Eloise. He held her shoulders and looked over her for any harm of some sort that caused her to panic.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. Anthony was surprised to see her looking up at him with teary eyes. Eloise is looking at him like how she used to when she was much littler, pleading to Anthony. Believing with all her might that her older brother will make everything okay. He looked behind her to Daphne who was pursing her lips.

“Oh God, is someone dead?” Colin quipped, then promptly made a punched-out  noise as Benedict elbowed him.

“Sister, she - “

“She’s dead?!” Colin cried.

“No!” Daphne growled, irritated. “She’s just...in pain. Mama and Papa sent for doctors.”

“Goodness, how serious is this cold? - Anthony, wait!”

Anthony didn’t hear Benedict’s call. How could he over the thumping of his racing heartbeat? He ran upstairs like the devil was on his tail, and even then he felt like he was too slow. He paused at her door, psyching himself to open it. If he went in, what would he see? He raised his trembling hands, the complaints of his siblings nothing but a faint echo.

The doors burst open and out came two elderly men and one woman. The siblings crowded around them. Anthony could only hear snippets as he zeroed in on you. Mama was kneeling beside his twin’s bed, holding her daughter’s hand tight to her chest.

“The young miss will be fine -”

“We expect her fever to break -”

“Dear.” Anthony jumped, startled. The woman accompanying the doctors addressed him. “Are you okay?”

“My - my twin sister, will she be alright?”

“Twin, huh. That’s why you’re so distraught. Well all of you are but you in particular,” she shook her head and smiled. “Your sister is strong. She will be fine. You can go in. I’m sure she’ll be glad for your company.”

She need not say it twice. Anthony ran into the room.

“Sister.”

“Tony.”

He felt like he could breathe again.

vii. rewrite an ending or two

“Are you sure you don’t want to get up here? We shared a bed when we were little. And when we grew, sometimes.” she paused, thinking about her statement. “Often.” his twin amended.

Anthony hummed when she stopped running her hands through his hair. “No.”

“The ground is cold, Tony. You might get sick.”

“How could I? You already took all the sick with you.” Anthony grumbled. “I’m fine, sister.”

“If you say so.”

“How about you?” Anthony asked. 

“Hmm?” she smiled. Facing down and in the darkness, Anthony couldn’t have seen it but he felt it. “I believe I will be.”

viii. she is gone, but she used to be mine

 It was a miserable day in spring when the eldest Bridgerton was buried.

ix. most days i don’t recognize me 

“She…” Anthony clenched his jaw.

“Are you ever going to finish that sentence?” Siena asked, smiling until she noticed how tense he was. She reached out to touch his arm, inquiring, “My lord, are you alright?”

Anthony sniffed and quickly stood up, hastily picking up his clothes. “Yes, fine.” he answered, hopping on one foot to put his shoes on. “I’m fine. I’m fine.”

“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Siena asked. Anthony barely spared a glance at her, pausing shortly halfway out the door. He checked his watch, eyes glazing over for a moment.

“I need - I’m needed. At home.” With that, he briskly walked outside and into his carriage. It was today. He must’ve forgotten. How could he have forgotten? But he also ‘forgot’ the other years. The grief consumed him on this particular day. It was always a sore reminder that he was missing his other half. So instead of going to her grave, he went drinking. Instead of spending the day with her in his mind, he spent it with his cock inside somebody. Anthony spent so much time forgetting but now it’s as if her ghost had come to haunt him. Every memory had come rushing back, especially the day she died.

He remembered the night before. The doctors had told them she would be better. She told him she would be better. But he needed to stay close to her. Anthony fell asleep with her hand in his hair. Then he woke up to her eyes open but her breath was gone. He had never screamed so loud in his life.

Anthony remembered their parents barging into the room, Mama taking a step back looking as if she was seconds away from fainting. Then she saw her son on the floor and immediately enveloped him in her arms. He woke up in a bed sometime during the night. He woke up convinced it was all a dream but that promptly shattered when all his siblings (all except one) filed into the room in their sleepwear. Their eyes were swollen and wet. And it stayed that way until her funeral, and even some more after that.

The carriage stopped. Anthony got out and stopped at the gate. He knew Mama held some kind of family gathering during this day. What they did in the gathering, he had no idea. He never stayed long enough to attend. But today was different, somehow. 

He padded softly into the drawing room. A quick glance noted him of all his siblings’ presence. Francesca was playing a familiar tune. Colin was singing in a low tone. Benedict, Eloise, and Daphne were all sitting on one couch, leaning against each other. The youngest ones sat on the floor, trying to follow the lyrics Colin sang. Mama was sewing. The melancholy vibe was replaced with a startled one. Francesca stopped playing and Colin stopped singing. Mama dropped what she was holding and walked towards him, arms open.

Anthony crumbled. “Mama -”

x. for the girl that i knew

“Mama what do you think about love?” It was indeed a bleak day in spring. Everybody had left after the service but Anthony chose to stay, lingering.

“Anthony I -” Violet began.

“Why does it hurt so much?” he whirled around, uncaring as tears and snot fell messily down his tired face. “I feel as if someone carved an unfillable hole inside me. Like every breath I take is not right. Half of me is buried six feet underground, mama. How can I bear it?”

Anthony curled into himself as Mama enveloped him into her arms. “One day at a time, dearest. You have us still.” she whispered. “One day at a time.”

[fin.]

[bellakitse]

Greener on the Other Side

“I’m sorry,” he gasps, not believing what she’s just said. “Say that again, please.”

“I said he’s married,” she repeats herself softly, giving him a pitying look. “And he has a kid."

+

Alex hasn't heard anything about TK Strand in over four years. That's about to change.

Alex Fletcher walks into Gramercy Tavern twenty minutes later than he agreed to meet his friends. He already dreads what is sure to be a lecture on his constant tardiness from the group, but more so, what he knows will be pointed looks when they see he’s come alone instead of with his boyfriend.

Spotting them to the left of the restaurant, he starts to make his way over to them. “Sorry, sorry,” he starts to say with a charming smile as all five of them look up at his voice, hoping to curb the scolding before it starts. “The 6 train was an absolute mess. It got the 33rd street and then refused to go forward.”

Liz and Becca share a look at his excuse, and Alex has to keep from rolling his eyes at them. He gets it. Being late is one of his less desirable character traits, and they find it annoying, but after over a decade of friendship, he thinks they should get over it by now.

“Yeah, the trains have been acting up all week,” Malcolm offers while his wife Patricia gives him a small smile, the two of them ever the peacemakers of the group. “Sit down, man.”

Alex offers his friends a more sincere smile, shaking hands with him and his other buddy Chris before giving all three women kisses on the cheek.

“Where is Dean?” Patricia asks politely, and Alex winces at her mistake. It’s been a while since he and Dean ended things, but it’s also been a while since Patricia has joined her husband at one of their dinners.

“We broke up a few months ago,” he tells her, his face feeling tight from his fake smile. “I’m dating someone new now. His name is Wallace.”

“Oh,” Patricia says softly, going a little red in the face at her blunder. “My apologies, Alex.”

He waves her off, wanting to move on from the embarrassing moment quickly. “No worries, Patty,” he says to her. “And Wallace wanted to come, but he had to work,” he explains, trailing off lamely, not believing the lie himself, but it’s not like he can tell his friends that Wallace simply didn’t want to come because he thought it would be boring.

His friends all give him understanding, if not quite believing looks, and Alex wonders just how pathetic his expression is that they don’t push for more.

The mood around the table is awkward and quiet, making his skin feel tight. Thankfully their waiter comes over to take their drink order, easing the moment, giving him something else to focus on.

He starts to loosen up once there is a vodka soda in his hand. He listens to Liz as she talks about her latest architecture project, laughs at the funny story Chris tells them about his 1st-grade class painting the class bunny with washable markers. He’s enjoying their company, forgetting for a moment that his boyfriend should be there with him getting to know his friends when Becca’s eyes light up as Chris wraps up another story about his students.

“You guys will never believe who I saw yesterday walking out of FAO Schwarz,” she starts, her brown eyes lighting up with the chance to share some juicy gossip.

Alex leans in, already intrigued by the look on her face.

“Who?” Liz asks with a grin, curious herself.

“TK Strand,” Becca answers, saying the name with emphasis, and Alex gets why even as he feels shock go through him. It’s been over four years since he has seen or heard from TK. Not since the night he stopped him from proposing, confessing he was in love with someone else.

Mitchell, he thinks bitterly as he takes a large gulp of his drink. In the end, he’d turned out to be Alex’s own personal karma for hurting TK.

Walking in on him and another guy from their gym eight months into their official relationship had been a kick in the teeth and a hard lesson to learn.

He shakes his head to clear it from the lousy memory just in time to hear Becca’s following comment, shocking him more than her first. “I’m sorry,” he gasps, not believing what she’s just said. “Say that again, please.”

Becca looks at him, hesitating as she bites down on her lip, looking remorseful for a moment, probably remembering that out of all of them, he’d be the one with the most invested interest.

“I said he’s married,” she repeats herself softly, giving him a pitying look. “And he has a kid. They were coming out of the toy store when I bumped into them, and he introduced them to me. His husband’s name is Carlos, and their little boy is Luca. Really cute kid – was talking a mile a minute about all the toys in the place, and given all the bags they had, they must have bought him half the store.”

“Wow,” Chris breathes out, his surprise evident. “I can’t believe he’s married and with a kid. How old do you think?”

“Four,” Becca answers instantly. “I asked Luca, and he held up his fingers.”

Alex shakes his head again. It’s been four years since he and TK were together, and he has a four-year-old son. “That doesn’t make any sense,” he says mostly to himself.

“I get the feeling he’s adopted,” Becca answers. “Or maybe Carlos’ son,” she continues with a shrug. “But he called TK dad.”

“What was the husband like?” Liz questions, and Alex is grateful because he can’t bring himself to ask.

“He was polite and friendly,” Becca pauses, shooting him another look before continuing. “Ridiculously hot, and hopelessly in love with TK. I spent maybe ten minutes with them, and you guys should have seen the way he looked at him. It was like TK hung the moon.”

The table is quiet for a moment. For his benefit, he’s sure, as he tries to process everything he’s learned, when Liz speaks up again.

“Good for TK. He deserves that and more,” she says with a smile on her face that takes a hard edge when he shoots her a glare. “What?” she questions, her whole expression challenging him. “You didn’t take care of him when you guys were together, and he’s a great guy. I always liked him even though we lost touch after you broke up. I’m glad he’s found happiness.”

Alex bites down on the urge to lash out at his friend, not only is it a losing battle with Liz, but deep down in the parts of him where he has buried his guilt and shame at his past actions, he knows he can’t argue with the truth she just laid on him.

 ֎֎֎

 The rest of the dinner is awkward to say the least. Even though they move on from TK, Alex can’t stop thinking about his ex and what he’s learned. He pulls Becca to the side as they’re leaving, grilling her for any more information she might have.

She finally tells him TK had mentioned they were staying with his mother and little brother – one of the few things he did know about TK and his family since Gwyneth and his father ran in the same legal circles. He’d learned about the woman’s surprise pregnancy almost three years ago.

Becca looks at him as he absorbs the information before letting out a heavy sigh, reminding him not to do anything stupid.

He’d given her an absent nod that even he didn’t believe. Which is probably why he’s outside of Gwyneth’s Park Avenue apartment in a hat and sunglasses like a stalker, hoping to catch a glimpse of his ex and his husband.

Whether luck is on his side or karma wants to teach him another lesson, he doesn’t have to wait long. He’s been outside of the swanky apartment building for maybe 15 minutes, trying to decide what exactly he thinks he’s doing, when the front door opens and out walks the person he wants to see.

He ducks behind a tree just in time to not be spotted, peeking behind it to look at the small family.

TK, at 26-years-old, had been a beautiful man; Alex remembers that well. But now, at 30, he’s even more stunning if that’s even possible. He walks out of the building with a tall, muscular man Alex instantly recognizes as the ‘ridiculously hot’ mystery husband. Each of them with a little boy in their arms.

“So what are we doing today?” he hears TK ask with a grin on his face as the little boys instantly start to chant, ‘Park, park, park!’

“I wanna see the penguins, Dada,” exclaims the little boy in the arms of TK’s husband. Carlos and Luca, he remembers.

TK smiles softly at his son before looking at the child in his own arms. “What about you, little brother? Do you want to go to the Central Park Zoo and see the penguins?” he asks, tickling his chin, getting a happy giggle along with a nod from the little boy.

TK’s grin grows before he looks over at his husband, getting a nod from the man too.

“It’s unanimous then,” TK proclaims in an animated voice that has the boys lighting up. “To the park! To the penguins!”

The pair of boys let out a ‘yeah!’ leaning over at each other to share a clumsy high-five that has the adults laughing.

“You just had to rile them up, troublemaker,” Carlos scolds TK, and he might be a stranger to Alex, but he can tell it’s said with amused fondness.  

“You love me,” TK teases his husband, going easily when the man reaches out to tug him in closer by his shirt, turning his face up as his husband leans in to kiss him, tilting to the side to keep the boys out of the way.

Alex swallows hard at the display. Even from where he’s hiding, he can see TK’s bright smile and dancing green eyes once he and his husband break the kiss.

“Always, my love,” Carlos tells TK as he kisses the side of his face adoringly.

“Dada, Papa,” Luca groans out. “Kissing later, park now,” he continues, much to the amusement of the two men.

“So demanding,” TK teases, leaning in to kiss the little boy’s cheek too, laughing at the face he makes. “Okay, let’s go.”

They start towards the park, and Alex hesitates for a moment. He’s seen and heard TK and his family with his own eyes and ears. It’s obvious his ex is happy and not at all thinking about him. He should turn around in the opposite direction and leave before his luck runs out and they spot him. It’s the reasonable thing to do, and yet he finds himself following them about half a block back, keeping his head down.

He can’t hear them from this distance, but he can watch them. He takes in the way the two men hold hands while each holding on to a child, listening and chatting with the two little ones. Everything about them screams family, and Alex can’t deny the dull ache it causes inside his chest.

Is this what he and TK could have had?

He follows them through the park until they come to a series of benches. He watches as TK hands over his little brother to his husband, the man easily carrying both kids. TK sits down, but no one else does. Instead, he waves at them as his husband walks away with the children, leaving TK alone.

Alex hesitates again. This is his chance to approach TK, and yet he’s frozen in place by indecision.

A moment later, his ex takes the choice out of his hand.

He startles as TK turns his head to look straight at him with a raised eyebrow. “Are you just going to stand there?” he calls out to him casually, the picture of calm as he places his arms on the backrest of the bench. It’s different from the TK he remembers, who was always constantly bouncing his legs with nervous energy.

“How did you – “ he starts, feeling awkward and off-balance.

“I didn’t,” TK answers with a shrug as Alex gets closer to him. “It was Carlos who realized. He’s a cop. Noticing weirdos is kind of his job.”

Alex cringes at the descriptor as he comes to a stop in front of him. “Hi, TK,” he says lamely, wincing again at the high pitch sound of his voice.

TK raises an eyebrow at him again. “Hello, Alex. Any particular reason you’re following us in that get-up?” he questions, pointing at his hat and sunglasses.

Alex feels his face grow hot at the question. He reaches up, taking them off. “Becca said she saw you,” he says uncomfortably, getting a casual nod back from his ex. “And I got curious,” he continues weakly. “I couldn’t help myself.”

“That sounds like poor impulse control,” TK mutters to himself. He moves to the side, leaving half the bench open for Alex to decide if he wants to take a seat or not.

Alex would be embarrassed by the speed with which he takes the offer, but the joy at being allowed to get closer overrides that. Neither says anything after he sits down, him because he’s nervous, TK it seems because he’s simply waiting him out.

“So,” he starts slowly. “You’re visiting?”

TK looks at him, seeming to study him before giving him a nod. “We try to see my mother and my little brother Robbie every few months. Sometimes they come to see us, but New York is always pretty in the spring, and Luca has never been.”

“That’s your son,” he blurts out, his face going hot again at the look TK shoots him.

“Becca shared everything, did she,” he questions with a dry smile, shaking his head to himself.

“The group had dinner,” he explains, not needing to add who exactly was there. There was a time when TK would have sat right next to him at one of those dinners, charming everyone with stories about fighting fires and daring rescues.

“Ah,” TK exhales softly. “It’s nice you all still do that. They’re good people. I liked them.”

“They liked you too,” Alex answers, giving TK a half-smile. “Liz was thrilled to hear that you’re married and have a kid. She’s happy you’re happy.”

TK smiles, this time more genuine. “That sounds like her,” he comments, looking nostalgic for the first time. “She was always kind to me,” he finishes, not adding anything else.

It goes quiet between them again, causing Alex’s nerves to fray at the edges. He’s not used to this TK. The one he remembers always filled the silence, even if it was just with nervous chatter.

“So, are you?” he can’t help but blurt out, swallowing nervously when TK gives him a curious look. “Are you happy?”

TK lets out a huff, and while he doesn’t smile or laugh, Alex can see a hint of amusement in his bottle-green eyes. “Is that why you’re here? You want to know if I’m happy?”

He feels the hairs at the back of his neck stand at the mocking he hears in TK’s voice. “Is that so crazy?” he questions defensively. “The last time we spoke wasn’t precisely the best encounter – “

“That’s because I was getting ready to propose to you and instead found out you were fucking around my back with a spin instructor,” TK interrupts him, surprising Alex with how calm he is. There is no anger or reproach in TK’s voice like Alex anticipated, just a simple fact. It hurts Alex more than he expected to witness how unaffected TK seems. “How is Mitchell by the way?”

Alex clenches his fists, his nails digging into his palms as embarrassment courses through him. He wants to stand up and walk away from this. He’s not sure what he’d hoped to accomplish by seeking TK out, but it’s clear now whatever it was, he isn’t going to get it.

He looks at TK to find a mild curiosity on his face, like Alex’s answer doesn’t really matter to him one way or another.

“We broke up,” he answers anyway, taking a breath to try to soothe the ache before his next words. “I found him in our bed with someone else less than a year after you and I broke up.”

“Well shit,” TK says quietly, letting out a breath of his own. He doesn’t look gloating the way he has a right to look. Instead, he looks at Alex with what can only be called compassion. “Karma didn’t just pay you back. It sucker-punched you in the face, huh?”

Alex lets out a startled laugh at the description. TK joins him with a chuckle of his own, and Alex welcomes it even if it’s at his own expense. They laugh for a few seconds before they let it trail off.

“To answer your question,” TK starts to say. He looks at him, bobbing his head softly. “Yes, I’m happy. I’m the kind of happy where I wake up in the morning, look at my husband sleeping, usually with our kid between us, and I can’t believe just how lucky I am.”

“You love him,” Alex whispers, not really needing an answer when he can see it clearly on his face.

TK answers anyway. “He’s my soulmate,” he says with a smile that isn’t directed at him at all. It’s directed at the man who walked away with two kids in his arms minutes before. “I used to think that was you,” he continues, his voice sounding far away, lost in the past while Alex aches in the present. “I was so sure of it once, and then I met Carlos. I was still a mess about you, and I wasn’t looking to fall in love at all, but there he was, and I fell. I fell so fast, Alex. Years later, I’m still falling in love with him every single day.”

“That sounds – “ Alex starts, exhaling through the dull throbbing in his chest. “Scary, honestly.”

TK smiles, bright and beautiful, just like Alex remembers. “It is,” he says with a short laugh. “It’s terrifying, but it’s also amazing, and I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world.”

Alex nods quietly to himself.

“I’m sorry you haven’t found that yet,” TK continues softly because it seems that surprising Alex is the name of the game today. He gives TK a shocked look that has him giving Alex a compassionate look back. “I never wished you ill will. I was hurt and angry after everything went to hell between us, but in the end, I wanted you to find someone to love the way you couldn’t love me and for that person to love you back just the same.”

Alex swallows hard at TK’s words, feeling overwhelmed by them. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

TK looks away from him, and Alex follows his gaze to find that his husband and the kids are coming back with ice cream in their hands. “Thank you for saying that,” he says softly as he stands. He looks down at Alex, giving him a slight quirk of his mouth. “Goodbye, Alex. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

Alex watches TK walk away from him, knowing it will be the last time he’ll see him. “Goodbye, TK,” he whispers at his back, feeling the loss more now than he did four years ago.

 ֎֎֎

 “Dada, we got ice cream!” Luca exclaims happily as he slurps on his spiderman popsicle.

“I can see that. Can I have a taste of spidey?” he questions, leaning in when Luca sweetly offers him his treat. “Mmm, that’s yummy. Thank you, sweetheart.”

Luca smiles up at him, his face already a sticky red and blue mess. He looks at Robbie to see his face is yellow from his Spongebob popsicle. He smiles at them fondly as he turns his backpack to his front, searching for the wet wipes to clean their faces.

“We got you a cone with sprinkles,” Carlos says with a smile, though TK can see the worry in his eyes. “Is everything okay?”

TK looks at his husband, taking in his concern for him along with his ever-present love, and smiles as he remembers what he just told Alex moments ago. The love he and Carlos share is so strong – it can be frightening at times to feel so much and so intensely for another person, but like he told Alex, he wouldn’t change it for the world when it means Carlos loves him back just as strongly.

“Yeah, baby,” he answers, reaching out to touch Carlos’ cheek. “Everything is okay,” he smiles at his husband before looking down at his son and little brother. “Better than okay because we’re going to go see some penguins!”

Luca and Robbie cheer happily.

“Let’s go, Robbie,” Luca says to his uncle, throwing an arm over the other little boy’s shoulder.

TK and Carlos watch them walk a few steps ahead of them, chatting away the way only little kids can.

“You sure you’re alright?” Carlos asks as he hands him a melting ice cream. TK takes it, giving it a few licks to keep it from dripping.

“I swear, babe,” he assures him as he wraps an arm around Carlos’ waist. “We talked, and then we said goodbye.”

“What did he want?” Carlos asks curiously.

TK shrugs. He’ll be honest even after talking to Alex; he’s still not entirely sure what the other man wanted out of the conversation. “I’m not even sure he knows,” he answers after a moment. “He apologized for the past and asked me if I was happy. Maybe he was feeling guilty.”

“What did you tell him?” Carlos questions, a smile playing on his mouth when TK shoots him a look. “What?” he asks innocently, and TK can’t help but chuckle at his fishing.

“I told him,” he starts to say, making sure that he’s holding Carlos’ gaze, as usual falling in love all over again as he gets lost in Carlos’ soulful brown eyes. “That every morning, I wake up amazed I got so lucky to love and be loved by you.”

Carlos pulls him to his side, pressing his face into his neck. “I’m the lucky one, Ty,” he whispers against his skin.

TK smiles at Carlos’ words, his smile growing as Luca shouts for them to keep up; the penguins are waiting. “We both are, my love.”

[let-me-luve-you]

Almost a Goodbye

Tom Holland x Sister (with Sam and a little bit of Paddy)

Summary: Your brothers interrupt you before you make a life changing decision.

Warnings: attempted suicide, angst, comforting brothers, difficult talks, vulnerable reader

A/N: This is a very triggering story, so please do not read if you think you will be effected by it.

MASTERLIST

Three months. That’s how long it’s been since your family had been fully together. Tom and Harry were in the States filming for the new Spider-Man movie. They were set to return in a little over a month. Being the only Holland girl within the siblings, you were protected and worshiped by your brothers. Yes you had your fights with them, but at the end of the day, you were family and you all loved each other. Even though Tom took Harry with him all the time, Tom was actually closest with you.

Recently you had been quiet. You stayed in your room more. Only went to school and home. Everyone just thought it was school since finals were coming up. But what no one knew was all the hate you got online and in person. People kept saying how you were using your brother to try and make your life easier. Thought you were using his name to get good grades by bribing the professors. The list of things people thought about you were endless.

At first you ignored it. Especially when it was only online. Then it started to happen in person and it slowly started to get to you. You didn’t want to believe them, but the more they said it, the more you did.

After weeks of constantly looking at the hate on social media and hearing people whisper about you at school, you finally hit your breaking point. People who had been your friends stopped talking to you. You couldn’t do it anymore. You decided that morning that today would be your last day.

You skipped school. Found a quiet, isolated place in the park. You pulled out your spiral to write your final words. Writing a note to every single person in your family except Tom. That was going to be the hardest one. He would be so disappointed in you. Hate you for giving up. You couldn’t write one. At least not yet.

After walking in the house, you quietly declined the food your dad offered you. Saying you grabbed food on the way home. You went to your room and shut the door. You sat your backpack down and sat at your desk. Deciding now would be the time to write your letter to Tom.

What seemed so hard, flowed so easily. You expressed how hard it had been. How you tried to ignore it and fight. That nothing was getting better. It felt like your whole world was falling around you and trying to bury you. Tears fell on the paper. You didn’t even know you had started crying. You finished the letter with an “I’m sorry. I love you.”

You went to your bedside table and grabbed the over the counter pain pills. You sat on your bed staring at them. You didn’t realize you had been sitting there for so long until you heard Sam.

“Hey Y/N/N, I made a new dessert. Want to come try it?” Sam asked. You looked up startled. You quickly moved the pain pills to the side where Sam couldn’t see them. “You okay?”

You panicked slightly knowing you had tears still falling down your face. “Yeah. I’m fine. I’ll be down in a bit. I’m not very hungry.”

Sam moved to sit by you. “Y/N you know you can talk to me.” He said as he saw Paddy in the doorway. “What’s going on? Is it school? Friend problems?”

“You can talk to me too. I always listen.” Paddy added as he walked towards your desk to sit down. He looked at the note that still lied on your desk. “What… What is this Y/N?”

Your head snapped up to see Paddy holding the letter to Tom. You shot off the bed to grab it from him but he ducked your advance and showed it to Sam. Sam started reading it and then saw the pain pills on your bed. He teared up finally understanding what was going on.

“Y/N/N baby…” Sam said as he looked up at you. “Talk to me.”

“I.. I uh..” You stuttered. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Make me understand.” He almost pleaded.

“I just…” You sighed as you sat on the bed. You grabbed your pillow and hugged it close. “I just can’t do it anymore. I have no friends. Everyone just talks crap about me online. I’d be doing everyone a favor if I was just gone.”

“You’re wrong.” Paddy spoke up. “I wouldn’t be able to fully function without you. You help me so much. You’re always looking out for me. Making sure I do my homework, or helping me with it. You fix me dinner when Mum, Dad, and Sam are working.”

“Paddy anyone can do that for you.” You sighed. “I’m never going to be good enough. I just want to be good enough.”

“Y/N you are the best damn thing that has happened to this family. Between us siblings, you’re the glue that keeps us going. You are the one that helps all of us.” Sam said as a tear fell down his face. “You give and give and give but you never take. Let us take care of you for once. Let us take away some of the pain you are feeling. Talk. to. us.”

“I can’t.” You whispered.

Sam sat down on your bed next to you. He wrapped you in a hug and kissed your forehead. “You can. You know why. You’re the strongest person I know.”

“Ca-… Can I just wait for Tom to come home and talk to him? I promise I won’t do anything stupid.” Sam sighed. Sam knows Tom is coming home early to surprise you, but it was still a week away.

“Tom won’t be home for a month. You know this Y/N. We can’t let you sit on something like this for that long.” Paddy said.

“How about this? Tonight we don’t talk. We just hang out and watch a movie. We can sit here and when you are ready to talk to us. We can talk.” Sam said.

“Just please don’t tell anyone. If I have to talk to you, please don’t tell mum and dad. And please please please don’t tell Tom or Harry. I don’t want them to worry. They have enough on their plates.” You begged.

“Okay, for now this is between us.” Sam lied.

“I’ll go get the popcorn, dessert, and pick out a movie for us. Meet in Sam’s room.” Paddy dictated. “Also wear your onesies I got you for Christmas last year.” You and Sam laughed at his bossiness.

The next week flew by. It was Friday afternoon and you didn’t have any classes. Your parents decided to take a small vacation to Ireland for the weekend to have time for themselves. Sam was working. Paddy was at a friends house. You sat in the living room watching tv.

He had told Tom that night after you had gone to bed. He had to get Harry to stop Tom from missing his last week of work. He tried to tell him he was watching you like a hawk and getting small bits and pieces out of you. Finally, one night you blew up. You were so angry at everything that day, that you just exploded on Sam. He finally understood.

He talked to you about deleting the social media apps from your phone and not getting on any of the websites on your computer. You easily agreed after you calmed down. Sam had noticed the difference in your attitude. He knew you still had work to do, but it was getting better.

Tom and Harry had just landed. Sam had texted when he left for work that your plan was to watch tv and movies all day since you had the house to yourself. Tom hopped into the driver seat of his car with Harry in the passenger seat. Tom dropped Harry off at home, knowing this was a conversation that needed to be had between just him and his sister.

As Tom pulled into his parents driveway, he started to get anxious. He sat there for a minute trying to gather his thoughts. He sighed as he got out of the car. He went to the back seat to get the bag of things he had bought for you. He always brings back something from each movie he films, but this time he went a little overboard when he was at your favorite shop.

He quietly walked in the front door. He walked towards the living room where he could hear the movie playing. When he peaked in, he saw you cuddling up with your favorite blanket asleep. He gently put the bag down next to your head as he sat down next to you. He pushed some of your hair behind your ear. He looked at you for a moment just to try to remember every detail he can. He almost lost you and he isn’t willing to risk wasting anymore time not embracing the moment.

“If you keep staring, I won’t grow a second head like I’ve always wanted.” You said as you started to wake up.

Tom laughed, “Just wanted to see how long it took you to wake up.”

“Well I’m awake now.” You acted annoyed as you sat up. “I really missed you Tomothy. Why are you home so early? I thought you weren’t due home until next month?” You said hugging him as you said his nickname.

“I missed you too, Goofy Goober. We wrapped early. I told everyone else and asked them not to tell you so I could surprise you.” He gave you a kiss on your head. “How have you been? How’s school?”

“Everything’s great.” You lied.

“Please don’t lie to me.” Tom sighed.

“I’m not.” Another lie.

“Sam told me.” Tom said. The color left your face as you heard what Tom said. “I’m not mad. I just want to talk about it. He also told me what you guys talked about a few nights ago. Thought it would be easier to have this conversation.” You looked away from Tom.

“I’m sorry.” You whispered. “I swear I’m getting better now. I even scheduled an appointment with a therapist. Sam doesn’t know that though. I regret what I almost did. I’m going to get better. I promise you that.” You felt tears fall from your eyes. You tried to avoid looking at Tom.

Tom put his hand under you chin and turned your head towards his. “Look at me Y/N/N.” You refused to meet his eyes. “Come on. You can do it.” You slowly lifted your eyes to his. You noticed he was tearing up.

“I’m going to be with you in this fight. This isn’t something you have to fight alone.” He whispered. “No matter what, I will be here for you. I don’t care if it is 3 am and I’m on the other side of the world. I will answer a phone call or I’ll be on the next flight out. Nothing is more important than family. Not work, not Spider-Man, not anything. You are one of the most important people in my life.”

You started to cry harder as Tom continued. “When I got that phone call, it scared the living life out of me. I was on my way to ask for sometime off when Harry stopped me. He said Sam was helping you. That if I focused, the week would fly by and I could get home to you sooner.” You smiled at him.

“I’m really glad you’re home. I’m sorry for scaring you.”

“Don’t worry about that now. Now we focus on getting you healthy and winning this battle.” Tom said wiping your tears from your cheeks.

“But I’m healthy.” You said confused.

“Mental health is just as important as physical. It’s okay to not be okay. But together and with the help from Sam, Harry, Paddy, Mum, and Dad, we are going to get you back to your normal self. Help you learn how to cope with thoughts like that.” Tom said.

“I’m trying to learn to ignore people. They don’t know me.” You said. Tom smiled.

“Exactly. And for the hate you are getting from my fans, I’ll be saying something about that. I’m not going to stand by and watch them hurt someone I love.” Tom said.

“I love you Tom. Thank you for being the best big brother.” You said wrapping him up in a big hug. “Okay time for the important question, what present did you bring me?”

“I love you too Goofy Goober.” Tom said kissing your forehead. He laughed at your last question. “It’s all in the bag right there.” He pointed at the bag that now sits by your feet. You moved to start looking through it. “Now, what movie are we watching next?”

[jeo9n]

Majesty Pt 6 || JJK

Pairing : Jeon Jungkook x Reader

Genre : Slow burn,Angst,fluff,virgin reader,King JK, future smut.

Warnings : none for this chapter

Wordcount : 3.2k

previous | next

A few days have passed since you got married to the King. Being married to him hasn’t really changed anything between you two. The only thing that has changed is, that you both now sleep in the same bed, but that was it. It’s still kind of weird to share a bed with a man, but as long as he doesn’t try anything on you, then it’s fine. He weirdly keeps on cuddling you in his sleep, almost possessively. But once he wakes up he acts like nothing ever happened, like he wasn’t just almost squeezing the air out of you, trying to keep you as close as possible.

You’re currently getting dressed for the day. You’re going to visit your mom today. You haven’t seen her since the wedding, and you miss her.

"That looks absolutely delicious." You tell Maria, when you arrived at the Kitchen.

"Thank you, miss. I actually baked those for you and your mom." She said, as she packed the freshly backed Croissants. "I hope your mom enjoys them." Handing them to you.

You look at her with a huge smile on your face. "That is so nice of you, Maria, thank you. Im sure my mom will love them." Maria has always been so nice to you ever since you arrived at the castle, and your thankful for that.

"Is the King coming with you, miss?"

"Oh no, I’m going alone. I wanna spend some alone time with my mother, and I’m sure, the King has other stuff to do. I don’t wanna be a burden to him." You tell her.

"I actually don’t have anything to do today." Someone suddenly spoke. You knew it was him though, without having to see his face. "I would love to come with you."

You turned around to face him. "You don’t have to come with me, your highness. I want to spend some time with my family alone. You can come with me another time though, if you want of course." You tell him, without trying to sound rude.

"I will come with you another time then." He tells you. "One of my chamberlains will bring you to the village though. It’s a long way, I don’t want you going alone."

You nod. Cause he’s right! it is a long way. It probably would take you a few hours to reach the village, if you walked.

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

You arrived at your old home, your mom already waiting for you outside. She hugs you tightly, telling you how much she has missed you. "It’s been only a few weeks, mom." You giggle. "You act like you haven’t seen me in years."

"Well, it feels like it. The house has been so quiet without you, Y/n, I miss having you around." She tells you - Her words making you feel sad. If you knew your mom would miss you so much, then you would’ve never left her, you would’ve never gotten married in the first place. You would’ve stayed with her. You had no problem with that. "But I’m happy that you finally got married, my dear. So, so happy! - Not only do you finally have a husband, he’s also a King! Do you know how jealous these mother’s are of me." She laughs, while you both walk inside.

The smell of your home instantly hits your nose. Making you feel even more sad. It feels like you’ve been away for so long. You wish, you could’ve spend a little more time at home than you’ve had. You would’ve loved to spend more a few more days with your mom, you would’ve loved to sleep in your own bed one more time, before having to leave, and moving into the castle.

All this thinking made you totally forget about the Croissants Maria gave you. "Here, one of the maids made some croissants for us." You say, handing the basket to your mother.

She takes to basket from you. "Oh how lovely of her." putting down the basket and getting a plate for the croissants.

"Her name is Maria! She’s really nice to me, I like her a lot." You answer, sitting down at the table, where you used to always eat with your mother. "She kinda reminds me of you"

She smiles at you, sitting down as well. "How’s your marriage going? - I know you haven’t been married for long, but is it going good?"

"It is going good! But we don’t really act like a married a couple - I don’t mind though, I like it that way." You tell her, as you take a bite of the croissant. "But I got really annoyed at him, a few days before we got married."

"Why, what did he do?"

"We were eating dinner and i wanted to put the dirty dishes away, once we were done eating. Because thats what you should do, right? But he suddenly stopped me, saying something like "I don’t have to do those things because I’m his wife, and the maids are there for that stuff." And that he would punish me if I kept doing that. But I didn’t care, I did it anyways. Because who the hell is he to tell me what to do?" You huff.

"I would’ve done exactly the same. What’s so bad about cleaning up? It doesn’t matter if has maids for that. If you wanted to help, that he should’ve let you." She says, shaking her head. "But, he didn’t really punish you for that, did he?" She asks, worriedly.

"He did. That fucker left me outside in the cold all night. At first I thought he was joking, i thought he would just leave me outside for a while, and eventually let me in. But he never opened the door for me. He really left me outside, all by myself." You tell her, rolling your eyes. It still makes you mad when you think about it.

"What?" She asks with wide eyes, not believing what you just said.

"Yea, and the next day he acted like nothing ever happened. He probably thinks I forgot about it, but I didn’t. I’ll get him back I just have to find the right time for it." You tell her, already planning your revenge.

She looks at you with worried eyes. "That probably won’t be a good idea, Y/n. - Him leaving you outside must’ve been a nice way of punishing you. I don’t want you to do anything, and get punished again." She tries to explain. "Promise me you won’t do anything, Y/n."

You understand her. She’s your mom, and she’s worried for you. But still, he left you outside for the whole night, cold and scared. You had to sleep on a bench, - well you tired to, at least - which gave you horrible back pain. You’ll get him back for it. You don’t care if you’ll get punished again. But you won’t tell her that. Instead, you look at her and smile, "I promise."

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

"Y/n, can you open the door for me please." Your mom calls out from bathroom.

"Of course." You were already on your way to open the door anyway.

You were met with bouquet of yellow roses once you opened the door. Your lips instantly turned into a smile, recognizing the two person behind it immediately. "Hello, Bambi." One of your Brothers greeted you, calling you by your nickname - which only your brothers called you by that name - moving the roses out of his face, so he could see you. "Or should I say, your majesty?" He joked, while finally giving you a hug, your oldest brother giving you one as well. You missed your brothers so much, so much that you could cry.

"Ah, can you believe our little Bambi is finally married." Your brother says to your other brother, while you three walk back into the living room. "And can you believe, none of you showed up to my wedding?" You say a little annoyed. You went to both of your their Weddings, and they didn’t even show up at yours. They missed the most special day of your life.

"We are so sorry, Y/n! But we were out of town, there was no way we could’ve made it to your wedding, even if we tried. It would’ve taken us so many hours to arrive at the kingdom, please forgive us!" your older brother explains to you.

You could tell he was saying the truth. Your brothers were good at anything, but lying wasn’t one of their strength. You couldn’t stay mad at them, not even if you tried, not when they were looking at you like this, with big puppy eyes, waiting for your forgiveness.

"I forgive you! But, I’m still sad you weren’t there. I was waiting for you two to show up all night."

"We’ll make it up to you! We promise!"

"I hope you guys do!" Your mom says, coming back from the bathroom. "How could you miss your little sisters special day!" She scolds them, slapping your oldest brother on the head, making you laugh.

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Right now, you were on a walk through the village for a bit. Your mother stayed home with your brothers, making sure that they don’t eat all the food she had cooked.

You felt everyone watching you, either out of shock that you were back in the village, or out of jealousy. You knew these mothers and their daughters were glaring at you. Probably trying to curse you with their eyes on you.

You were just walking around, with no destination in mind. You just wanted to walk around for a bit. You haven’t really gotten the chance to really do anything, since you moved into the castle. You weren’t allowed to leave the castle by yourself, except for today. So you tried to enjoy it as much as you could. You had stopped by the small bakery you used to work at, buying some bread to feed the ducks by the small lake near by.

You were surrounded by ducks, they all came waddling towards you as soon as you took out the bread, eager to get some food. You were crouching down with the bread in your hand, trying to feed all of them equally, not wanting to left one out. "Hey! Your little friend right here wants some bread too." You scold the duck, as it tried to take the food out of your hand. But giving it some food anyway, feeling bad for scolding it.

You kept feeling eyes on you, following your every move. Everywhere you went, you felt like you were being watched. You thought you were imagining it, but you knew you weren’t, not when you heard something behind you. You didn’t know where it came from. You were alone at the lake, or at least you thought. Knowing that someone could be watching you got you scared. You left the lake and walked back home, you didn’t want to risk anything, who knows what could happen if you stayed. You didn’t know who could watching you, if someone was even watching you.

You walked home faster than you had ever done. You were paranoid, turning around everytime you heard something. You knew you were overthinking it, making it worse than it probably was. There probably wasn’t even someone watching you, your were just imagining things. The people probably thought you were crazy, as you passed by them, almost running. You wanted to get home as soon as possible, you didn’t care if they looked at you weird.

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

"Y/n, what is wrong? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost." Your mother asks, as she opened the door for you.

You got inside quickly, not wanting to spend another minute outside. "I-I think someone was watching me, mom."

"I was at the lake near the bakery, no one was there except for me, but I could feel someone watching me. I felt their eyes on me all the way home."

A worried look crossed her face. "Are you sure? Maybe your mind was just playing some tricks on you, Y/n"

"I am sure! I heard movement behind me, I was alone mom, and it wasn’t the ducks. Someone was definitely spying on me." You tell her, your voice shaking.

"Well, if that’s the case, than you probably shouldn’t go out by yourself again!" She says, holding you, trying to calm you down.

"Yea... but why would someone spy on me? Im just a ordinary girl, there’s nothing special about me.

"Y/n, my dear. Your not an ordinary girl, your married to the King! There’s a lot of people that envy you. Of course someone would be watching you, but still, don’t go out alone again." Your mom tells you.

She’s right! Your married to the King, you can’t just walk around like you used to. There are a lot of jealous and evil people out there, who knows what they would do.

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Your mother told you, that you should go back to the castle. Saying that it might be dangerous for you, if you stayed in the village.

The chamberlain came a little later and picked you up. Bringing you back to the castle.

It was already kinda late when you got back to the castle. You were a little tired, but you didn’t wanna go to bed yet. Right now, you were sitting on one of the washing machines, talking to Maria while she did the laundry. "My mom said thank you, for the croissants. She really liked them."

"Ah that makes me happy!" She says, putting the King’s dirty laundry in the washer. "I will bake you some more, the next time you visit your mother."

You smile at her. "No, no. You don’t have to do anything. This time my mom will make some for you."

She giggles, putting the clean clothes into a basket. "Why did you come home alone? I thought you went with the King?" Maria asks, confused.

"No, I went alone," you furrow your eyebrows. "The King did not come with me." Shaking your head.

She picks up the basket and looks at you. "Oh! Really? He left quickly after you, so I thought you two went together." She looks confused. "No, wait. He went to visit the neighborhood kingdom! I totally forgot about it." She says quickly, correcting herself. "Ah, im getting old."

"You’re not old Maria, you just got some things mixed up. That happens to me too sometimes." You assure her, as you both walk towards the Kings dressing room.

She makes sure his clean clothes are put away perfectly, checking everything once again, making sure that none of his clothes have any wrinkles on them. "Your too nice to me." Shes says as leaves the room.

The King arrived at the castle the same time you walked down the stairs. "Oh, you’re back already?" He looks at you, as you now stand in front of him.

He looks kinda shocked to see you back at the castle already. "Yea, my mother called the chamberlain to come pick me up earlier." You answer.

He’s confused. You told him that you would come a home little later, and why did your mom call the chamberlain to pick you up? "Is everything okay?"

He looks at you worried, but he looked away before you could catch it. "I’m fine, Your highness!" You tell him, you didn’t tell him that your were being watched earlier, because your not even completely sure if you were being watched.

"You’re lying." He noticed right away, shit.

You don’t look at him, how can he tell so easily if your lying to him? "Im not lying, your highness! Everything is fine." Walking towards the garden, he follows you.

He shakes his at you, not understanding why you’re lying to him. "You’re a terrible liar, Y/n. Tell me what’s wrong." Catching up to you.

You turn around to look at him, this time seeing the worried look on his face. "I think someone was following me, back in the village. I went out for a walk and I felt someone watching me the whole time! I did not see anyone, but someone was definitely there!" You huff, crossing your arms in front of your chest protectively.

His face suddenly turned serious. "Are you serious? - I knew it wasn’t a good idea to let you go alone!" He says in an angry voice. "You’re not allowed to visit the village again! - not without me."

Fuck, he’s angry. You didn’t mean to make him angry, if you knew that’s how he would react, then you wouldn’t have told him. "I understand your worry, your highness, but I can look after myself. You don’t have to come with me. I won’t go out alone again, I make sure it won’t happen again."

He furrows his eyebrows at you. "Stop fucking acting like this, stop acting like you’re a big girl that can protect herself, Y/n. Cause you clearly can’t!" Now raising his voice at you. "If I say you’re not allowed to leave the castle alone again, then you should fucking listen!"

His sudden outburst scared you a bit, you were not expecting that. But you won’t show it. "And how would you be able to protect me?" You ask him, raising you voice back at him.

"You have no idea, Y/n" he says, calmly, too calmly.

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

"You’ll see."

You still have no idea what he means by that. Does he mean he’ll fight them? Does he know how to fight? Probably not. He probably has people for that.

"Let’s go back inside. It’s cold." Grabbing your hand and dragging you inside.

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You decided to take a bath. You need that after today. You couldn’t stop, thinking about today at the lake. You felt eyes on you, you could definitely feel it. You weren’t imagining it, but who would spy on you? Maybe it was the girls from the village, maybe they wanted to scare you, wanting to scare you, so you wouldn’t come back?

You didn’t want to think about it anymore. Quickly washing yourself to get rid of these thoughts. You got out of the bath and got dressed for bed. Your were tired after today, and all you wanted to do now was sleep.

You layed down next to the King, back facing him. You felt him move behind you, then out of nowhere he wrapped his arm around you, pulling you towards him. You gasped, not expecting him to do that. "I was serious earlier, when I said you weren’t allowed to go out alone anymore - you should know that, Y/n." He whispered into you ear, giving you goosebumps.

"I- I know that, your highness. I won’t do it gain." You tell him, trying to create some space between you two, but he just pulled you even closer.

He pressed his nose into your neck, inhaling your scent. "Good girl." Pressing a light kiss on your neck.

You shivered, the kiss giving you tingles. Never had a man done that to you, you didn’t know how that act.

"Now sleep."

And that’s exactly what you did. You did not notice how tired your were, you fell asleep almost instantly. Falling asleep in his arms for the first time since you two got married.

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