#as well as ‘chaotic’ ‘on and off’ ‘occasionally a bit toxic’

[jimjamkagaricci]

up late thinking abt how bicci is canonically toxic yaoi…much to think about…

[quizzicalwriter]

Can u Dallas winston x reader where the reader catches dally flirting with a girl so she ignores him getting mad and he says he loves her makes up and ifyw make it a smut x

Jealousy

Pairing: Dallas Winston x Fem!Reader

Summary: Dallas and his tendency to run away from situations when they get serious leads to hurt feelings, and some pleasure.

Warnings: Smut. MDNI. This is filthy. Angst, just a smidge. Kissing, touching, fingering & titty attention. (both reader receiving.)

A/N: Thank you for the request!

Word Count: 4.2k

Being carted off to a party with Dallas was nothing new in your relationship, or ‘situationship’ - you weren’t sure which fit the situation better if you were being honest with yourself. You’d been seeing Dallas, exclusively, for around five months. It was enough time for you to get relatively close to the guys, most of whom seemed to pity you whenever parties came around.

You’d tried convincing yourself that Dallas’s behavior didn’t bother you, but it did. Anyone with eyes could see the way you’d glare at him whenever he entertained another woman, how he’d smile down at them with his hand loose on their waist. Occasionally one of the guys would come over to distract you, usually Ponyboy or Johnny, both of them knowing Dallas well enough to know his behavior wouldn’t shift just because you were present.

Eventually, you’d get tired, slam a few drinks back courtesy of Buck or whoever hosted the party you found yourself at, and then either leave or find someone to dance with yourself. It was toxic, you knew that, everyone knew that. But the nights when Dallas would hold you, whispering words into your skin as he fucked himself into you, it somehow made it all bearable. In truth, if you were able to come even near the realm of ecstasy Dallas could have you in you’d likely have moved on.

But beyond the pleasure, there were moments that you knew he didn’t share with others. How he’d come to you after a rumble, knuckles bloodied with a busted lip, allowing you to patch him up in silence. You’d check him over, gently cup his jaw in your hands, and look at him, the two of you exchanging silent words until you pressed a kiss to his forehead. Those nights would usually culminate in him resting against your chest, arms wrapped tightly around you as he fell asleep to the steady thump of your heartbeat, finding that his own synced up to yours perfectly.

Just like any other weekend where neither of you had anything to do, you found yourself clamoring into Buck’s T-Bird that Dallas so eagerly stole whenever he had the chance, not that Buck minded it, you never saw the man drive it himself. The way the smoke from his cigarette curled with his smile as he greeted you left you breathless, nearly forgetting to buckle yourself in as he took off toward the direction of a nearby party. As always, whenever you drove with Dallas, one of his hands rested calmly against the steering wheel while the other grasped at your upper thighs, fingers brushing against your clothed cunt whenever he felt the pull to do so - which was often.

After nearly fifteen minutes of driving he pulled up to a house you didn’t recognize, one flooded with various greasers. Despite being parked on the side of the road the heavy scent of cigarettes and cheap liquor flooded your senses, causing you to involuntarily wince as Dallas led you up the lawn, greeting a few people who seemed thrilled to see him. His fingers tucked into the back of your waistband, ghosting over your ass as you both climbed the steps into the house.

If the outside seemed chaotic, the inside of the house was the seventh layer of hell. Not that you hadn’t been to chaotic parties, you were with Dallas for Christ’s sake, but this was a whole different level. The floor felt sticky in various spots, couples all but fucking against nearby walls and corners, the air foggy with a mixture of cigarette and marijuana smoke. Yet somehow, amidst all of the chaos, Two-Bit spotted the both of you, quickly pulling Dallas into a drunken hug before leading you both toward the remainder of the guys.

They all liked you and had been kind enough to you during your relationship with Dallas, some of them feeling a fair bit of pity for you regarding Dallas’s behavior. It was something you noticed but preferred not to mention, you didn’t want to be the focus of their pity or some girl Dallas carted around. Luckily for you, both Ponyboy and Johnny seemed to like you the most, the two chatted you up as soon as you made yourself visible, both speaking about something they’d come across earlier in the day.

You made yourself comfortable, which was easy in their presence, moving to sit on the couch beside them as you chatted back with them. Time always seemed to pass quickly whenever you were around all of them, they felt like a second family to you, something you appreciated more than you could say. As you crossed your legs under yourself, Ponyboy said something funny, making you tilt your head back as you laughed, you then quickly looked for Dallas, knowing he would’ve found it funny as well.

Only he wasn’t there.

The density of the crowd made it impossible to seek him out, you turned to the side, looking between the rest of the guys in hopes that he was possibly speaking to one of them. But he wasn’t. Johnny quickly picked up your behavior, patting your shoulder as he began speaking about something else, hoping to take your mind off of it. But your mind didn’t register anything he said, your heart sinking in your chest the longer Dallas was out of your line of sight.

“I’m sorry, Johnny. I’ll be right back.” You murmured, gently smoothing your hand over his shoulder as you moved to stand. You hadn’t noticed that Ponyboy followed behind you, his eyes having caught on Dallas far sooner than yours had - and what he saw he knew would piss you off. So he did what he thought was best, he quickly moved in front of you, trying his best to guide you back to the couch. You lifted yourself onto your toes, having been through this charade with Ponyboy before. You looked toward the kitchen, figuring if anything Dallas could’ve gone to fetch himself a drink, it was just your luck that you could see over Ponyboy’s shoulder when you stood on your toes.

There he was, just beyond Ponyboy’s shoulder as the boy tried desperately to block your vision, an apologetic look written across his face. He seemed to sense it, you noticing Dallas, his smile quickly shifting into a frown as he backed away. There was nothing he could say, him or Johnny. What could they say to you at the sight of Dallas kissing another woman?

You weren’t sure what bothered you more, her hands on his chest or his fingers tangled in her hair. It reminded you of how you two were, how his hands often threaded their way through your hair whenever he couldn’t get enough of how you tasted. Was that what was happening with her? Was she just as addictive as you? Could he not get enough of her?

The thought made you sick, propelling you forward until you were ripping the random woman away by the back of her jacket, ignoring the plethora of curses directed your way as her side made contact with the lip of the nearby counter. Dallas seemed confused, angry even, until his eyes landed on you.

“Fuck.”

That was all he managed, and for some reason it made you laugh. Maybe it was the absurdity of it all, being driven to a party by Dallas only to witness him kissing a girl with such intensity that her lipstick was smeared around her lips - and consequently his. You backed away from him then, shoving your way through the dense crowd as you made your way outside. The shouts from the guys didn’t go unnoticed, but even they knew there was no stopping you.

The night air felt cool, near stark in contrast to the heat that burned against your cheeks and chest. Embarrassment, shame, and a twinge of jealousy. Jealousy at the fact that you weren’t enough, you never had been. If you could patch him up, hold him against your chest, reassure him whenever his mind became too much all for it to still not be enough for him, what else could you do?

You felt the tears against your cheek before your mind had even registered that you’d been crying, ragged sobs tearing their way from your chest. The parking lot was a mess, as it always was whenever greasers made their way to a party. You bumped into several cars, hands beside yourself to help you maneuver through them all through the tears.

It wasn’t too long of a walk home, you could make it, no problem. At least that’s what you tried to convince yourself of as you wiped at your face yet again, thoroughly pissed off at yourself at the state of your makeup being smeared across your eyes. You’d almost made it to the street before you felt a hand wrap around your upper arm, causing you to jerk to a stop.

“Doll, please-“ Dallas started, voice strained as he looked down at you. You were having none of it, you were done. This was not going to be another night where he gave you a half-assed apology and you shoved down the emotions you desperately didn’t want to show.

“No, fuck you. Seriously-“ You groaned out, shoving him away harshly by his chest, causing his back to hit the metal of a nearby car. “Fuck you for making me think I’m anything more than a quick fuck.”

You could feel tears burning in your eyes, skewing your vision of Dallas as he stood with parted lips, cigarette burning down to the filter as the ash fell to the gravel below him. You wiped at your eyes, silently cursing at yourself to stop crying as you turned away from him, only to feel a warm hand against your shoulder.

“Doll, I-“ He started, his words quickly cut off as you shoved his hand from your body, anger, and disgust written across your face even as your cheeks were wet with tears.

“No, Dallas. You don’t get to apologize for this, I’m hurt. Okay? I’m hurt.” You replied, voice cracking as you stared up at him. “You don’t get to say something sweet and have this all disappear.”

You could feel anger burning in your chest, the taste creeping up the back of your throat, reminding you of when you’d been sick as a child. It burned as if it were bile, forcing every ill thought you’d stuffed down to creep to the surface.

“Do those women even care about you beyond what you can do for them in bed?” You started, moving toward him as you hastily shoved your hair from your face. “Do they, Dal? Is that what you want? Someone not attached? Someone who wouldn’t care if you disappeared?”

His jaw tensed, eyes flickering down to the road beside you two as he tossed his cigarette to the ground, snubbing it out with the heel of his shoe before shoving his hands into his pockets, chest heaving with each shaky breath his lungs allowed him to inhale.

“Talk to me!” You screamed out, voice hoarse from your near-constant sobbing. “Tell me what you want, Dallas. Do you want them? Or do you want me?”

The whole situation felt humiliating, as though you were begging him to love you, to see you as something other than a woman he could fall back on. You needed to be more than that, you weren’t sure your heart or mind could handle seeing him in the arms of another woman. No matter how the conversation ended, you needed closure and you needed for your heart to go a week without shattering into splinters within your chest.

“I don’t-“ He started, clearing his throat as he looked away. There was an emotion written across his face, one you’d only seen on nights when he’d crawled into your bed, silently crying into your chest - something neither of you had ever spoken about. “I’m scared, alright?”

You could tell he was putting on a facade, his shoulders rolling back as he spoke as if he were trying to shield himself from the emotions brewing within his chest. It was odd, seeing him be vulnerable, it was almost as though his body rejected it, his fight or flight kicking in and demanding for him to stonewall you instead of be truthful.

“Fuck, I- I don’t know how to do this, alright?” He looked to you then, brows screwed together with a frown evident on his face. “I want you, doll. But how can I know you’ll stay?”

You moved toward him then, wanting to encourage the vulnerability he was showing you. You reached a hand up to cup his cheek, thumb brushing against his cheekbone as you turned his head to face you, determined to have his eyes locked with yours as you spoke.

“Tell me you want me and I’ll stay.” You whispered. “I can’t stand aside and watch you flirt with every woman nearby, alright? If you want me you can have me, but I can’t be with you if you’re going to do this.”

He leaned down then, arms languidly wrapping around your middle as he pulled you flush against him, breathing in the scent of you to help steady his thoughts. You could feel his fingers tighten against the back of your shirt, almost as though he were terrified you’d disappear in his hands.

“I want you.” He stated, tone wavering slightly as he burrowed his face into the crook of your neck, back leaned against the siding of some random car. You sunk into his arms then, resting your cheek against his chest as you wrapped your arms around him as well, letting your eyes shut as you savored the moment of being held by him so delicately.

You wanted to be sure, wanted his words to mean something beyond an empty promise. So you looked up to him, taking a moment to wipe your eyes before placing your hands against his jaw, causing his eyes to lock with yours once more.

“Promise me.” You urged, fingers subtly pressing into his skin. “Promise me I’m the only one. You promise me that and I won’t leave you, I’ll be here. I’ll be in your arms, I’ll hold you. I’ll love you.”

He leaned into your touch, exhaling a breath as his lips quirked up into a smile. “You’re the only one, doll. I only want you.” He brought his hand up then, twisting his pinkie around yours, causing you to laugh through a sniffle. “Promise.”

You leaned up then, capturing his lips in a kiss that tasted of tears and cheap liquor, but you didn’t mind it. Your mind was focused on the feeling of his hands settling on your hips, the way he’d promised you something so important in such an innocent manner. It was him, him in every way you’d seen him behind closed doors. You trusted him, his words, his actions.

Dallas was many things, careless, reckless, mean - all things he’d learned during his childhood just so he could survive. You’d heard enough horror stories from him to last you a lifetime, and yet whenever he looked down at you or whenever he laid in your arms you couldn’t help but feel your heart break for the child who’d just wanted someone to do what he’d just done for you - a simple pinkie promise that they weren’t lying, that they were truthful and that they cared for him.

The thought made you squeeze your eyes shut tighter, hands grasping at the front of his shirt tight enough to hurt your palms. You knew him well enough to know that it’d take a while for him to fully let you in, but in the meantime, he’d let you try - and that was enough. All you’d ever wanted was a chance.

“I love you.” You whispered against his lips, the words followed by a shallow gasp of air as your lungs filled themselves with much-needed oxygen. “I love you.”

He didn’t say it back, but the look in his eyes spoke volumes as he leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead before intertwining his fingers with your own. As he turned back to the house you stifled a groan, the noise catching his attention.

“We’re not going back inside, we’re going back to mine.” He replied through a soft laugh, dangling the car keys in front of your face as you both wove your way through the driveway to Buck’s car.

You’d both have to explain to the guys what’d happened when you left the party, but they could wait. As you climbed into the passenger side Dallas made his way over to the driver's side, plopping himself down before starting the ignition, the car humming to life on the quiet road.

The drive was quiet, your hand finding its way back to his, fingers intertwining once more as he pulled down a nearby street filled with vacant homes. One of those housing projects where they’d quit building right at the end, the eeriness of empty houses not being lost on you. Whenever the clouds cleared overhead the moon would cast a pale hue over the buildings, causing them to look more beautiful than anything, ivy growing along the broken windows and weeds nearly five feet tall somehow growing in between the porch boards.

After a few moments of calm silence, Dallas finally spoke, his words quiet enough that you might’ve missed them if you hadn’t been paying attention.

“I’m sorry.” He stated, turning his head to look at you. “I‘ve never been good at this- emotions, I mean. But I want to, I want to for you.”

You unbuckled your seatbelt, crossing over the center console to settle yourself on his lap, arms draped over his shoulders as you smiled down at him. “I know.” You replied, voice tender as you leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead.

When his hands moved to your hips you quickly became aware of just how much you didn’t want to speak, as much as his voice soothed you - you didn’t want to spend the next hour talking over something that had already been solved. A different part of your body called out to him, one that needed to be reassured physically, reassured in a way only he could accomplish.

As if he were able to read your thoughts, his hands slid up your sides, brushing your shirt up with it. Each inch of your skin that was left exposed to the night air quickly became alight with goosebumps, his touch only causing the sensitivity to heighten. His hands moved behind you, unclasping your bra in one swift movement, letting the fabric fall between you before he leaned down to capture your breast in his warm mouth.

Your hands found their way to his hair, a soft sigh falling from your lips as you grasped onto the dark brunette strands, hips subtly rocking against his lap as his tongue swirled around your nipple. As he sucked and kissed along your flesh his free hand moved to cup your other breast, gently kneading it in his grasp as his hips bucked up against you.

He was so, so talented with his tongue. It often left you baffled, unable to take in a breath without it sounding akin to a whine - just as he currently had you. Your hand moved from his hair then, smoothing down his chest to his lap. Unzipping his jeans had all but become muscle memory, something you could do without looking. As you pressed kisses along his forehead and temple you unzipped his jeans, dipping your hand into his boxers as you began pumping him.

A silent curse fell past his lips, his hips bucking up into your palm as his grasp on your hip tightened, the other squeezing harder at your breast, fingers gently tweaking your nipple as he focused his attention on the other. You could feel him growing desperate, precum dribbling from his tip as he groaned against your soft flesh.

Your hand tightened around his cock as he teasingly bit at your breast, pulling a grunted-out laugh from his chest as his hands then moved to your jeans, unbuttoning them before pushing his hand inside of your underwear, cupping your sex as he trailed kisses between your breasts.

His fingers trailed lazily over the wetness of your cunt, barely touching your clit enough to grant you any true satisfaction as he continued kissing along your breasts. You knew he could feel your hips grinding down against his fingers, but it didn’t seem to deter him any, he continued his teasing, slowly leaving love bites along your chest as he gently pushed his middle and ring finger into your waiting cunt.

He groaned as you clenched around his fingers, hardly giving him a second before bouncing yourself on his fingers. You’d been desperate before, but everything paled in comparison to the current fire racing through your veins. He kissed up your neck, nipping at your pulse point as he pushed his palm up against your clit, letting you grind down against his hand as you continued to pump him.

Before long you couldn’t stand it, his fingers perfect, just not enough - you needed more, needed him. You leaned back, hastily pushing down your jeans to which he quickly helped, tossing the bundled-up denim into the backseat of Buck’s car along with your soaked underwear.

It was far from the first time you two had fucked in a car, your knees on either side of his thighs feeling like home for you, his tip teasingly pushing along your slick folds making you grasp onto his shoulders, fingers pressing into his skin as you lowered yourself down onto him.

The stretch caused you both to moan, his head falling back against the headrest of his seat as you bounced down onto him, the sound of your moans accompanied by skin meeting skin filling the night air. You could feel your arousal coating your inner thighs, practically dripping down his cock onto his thighs as you rutted against him.

“F-uck.” He grunted out, lips parted as his hands grasped at your hips, feet planted against the floorboard of the car as he thrusted up into you. “So fuckin’ good, doll. Fuck-“

As you rode him his right hand moved between your legs, thumb circling your clit, your skin soaked with your arousal. He watched as you bounced on his cock, utterly entrapped by the sight of his cock disappearing within you, a white sheen of your cum coating his cock, dripping down the base and onto his thighs.

The feeling of his thumb circling your clit coupled with his cock hitting deep within you left you whining, tears of pleasure flooding your eyes as you let your head fall back, quickly feeling his other hand threading his fingers through your hair, harshly grasping at the base of the threads as he began roughly fucking himself up into you.

You practically went limp, moans forced from your chest with each brutal thrust of his hips, arms dangling at your sides as you let him use you. You could feel your orgasm building at a fever pitch in your lower stomach, causing your moans to pitch up an octave as he fucked you.

“Yeah? Gonna cum on my cock, doll?” He grunted out, voice strained and hoarse as he let go of your hair, hand then moving to your jaw as he pulled you down for a needy kiss. He bit at your bottom lip, tongue slipping into your mouth as he rolled his hips up into you, to which you tried your best to match his tempo.

All you could do was nod, cumming with a broken cry of his name as his thumb steadily worked at your clit. The pleasure quickly turned into overstimulation, causing you to whine into the kiss as your hips stuttered in their movement, cunt squeezing around his cock. He didn’t pull away from the kiss, instead grunting into it as he continued rutting up into you, flooding your cunt full of his cum.

He slowed his movements as his cock twitched inside of you, hands still guiding your hips against him, slow and steady rolls of your hips milking him dry. He pulled away from the kiss, lips a rosy hue as he looked up at you, eyes blown with desire. You felt his breath against your face, his hands soon moving up to cup your jaw as he leaned up to press a shaky kiss to your lips.

“I love you.” He murmured, thumb brushing against the soft skin of your cheek. “I love you.”

You smiled into the kiss, a quiet laugh passing your lips as you pressed a plethora of kisses to his lips, cheek, and jaw. The action pulled a laugh from him, his eyes fluttering shut as he brushed his fingers along your spine.

“I love you too, Dal.” You responded, burying your face into the crook of his neck as you both caught your breath.

You both were sweaty, sticky, and thoroughly coated in cum along your thighs. But you wouldn’t have had it any other way, besides, it was completely like Dallas to admit his feelings for you while still buried in your cunt.

“Think we stained the seats.” Dallas grumbled out through a laugh, the comment causing you to laugh as well, neither of you making a move to move away from each other. “Fuck it.”

A/N: So sorry for the length of this, or am I? I thoroughly enjoyed writing this, went through a lot of revisions, but I’m happy with the end product. You can catch all of my work over on my ao3 under the username “Unscriptural.” Thank you guys again for reading or skimming through, whatever ‘ya did I’m thankful for the interaction!

[dr-spectre]

Hi!

Sorry if you’ve already answered this, but what are your thoughts on salmon run and salmon kids in general?

SALMON RUN IS THE BEST MODE IN THE SERIES!!!!! I DO NOT CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS! IS IT IS THE BEST MULTIPLAYER MODE IN THE ENTIRE FRANCHISE!!!

First off, it's PVE (player vs enemy) and it's all about team collaboration. Those modes tend to be my favourite to play on online shooters. Its so much more relaxed and less stressful than ranked.

Overwatch for example, has these PVE modes occasionally and they are extremely fun compared to the toxic and bullshit ranked mode that makes me wanna kill my-

Anyways! Second of all, the Salmonids themselves. The designs of them are absolutely phenomenonal and have a lot of interesting concepts. There's a Salmonid that's just a stack of pots, a Jaws reference, a fish with a metal umbrella, a UFO made out of a pan, a group of flying fish that dig a pole down and their name is literally Fish Stick. That's amazing. There's a floating box that carries coolers that spawn salmonids. There's a fucking pile of living mud, it's all so damn good.

The gameplay too is so fast paced and chaotic but in a very good way. The changes they made for Splatoon 3's Salmon Run make it incredibly fun and engaging. You really gotta stick together and work with your 3 co-workers to collect enough eggs, and it can really get down to the wire at points. The night waves are super fun too and can either be awesome or.... glowflies...

FUCK. GLOWFLIES... WHOEVER MADE THAT MODE NEEDS TO GET SMACKED ON THE FACE SO GOD DAMN HARD BECAUSE ITS SO UNFAIR UGHHH I HATE IT!!! GET RID OF IT FOR SPLATOON 4!!!! PLEASE!!!

Anyways, Big Run is also very cool as well and you get a lot of nice rewards for playing it too!

And finally.... the King Salmonids.

I. LOVE. THEM.

Their designs? Peak, 10/10. Masterpieces. Phenomenonal. Love them to bits. The gameplay? Immaculate, top tier shit. Sure its hard as hell and the scales they give you have shit rates. But still when you beat one? Oh my god the feeling is electrifying I tell ya.

[choco-cherry-chunk]

Posting more about my modern AU head canons, so if anyone is interested in rp-ing this idea (and making any desired changes) 👀👀 hmu

Okay, so Steddyhands is the main focus, and they’ve all been together for a bit. Ed and Izzy knew each other for a long time in their more chaotic years. Their initial relationship was pretty toxic, and one Ed would probably be unlikely to have even defined as a relationship back then. But then he meets Stede.

Ed and Izzy’s relationship has always been open and they didn’t communicate well, so one day, Izzy just starts hearing about this Stede guy and already hates how Ed will talk about his one night stands. But then this one never goes away. And then Izzy meets him, and he gets it, and that makes shit so much worse.

Stuff happens, the three eventually get together. But Ed and Izzy are still themselves, and Stede is reeling from a super recent divorce. He decides to take a break in the relationship, which sends Ed into a tailspin. One night, he’s drinking and his other past vices, and he tells Izzy he’s riding to Stede’s on his motorcycle. Izzy tries to stop him, and finds himself between a rock and a hard place. He elects to go with him to keep Ed stable. But drinking combined with a wet highway and a dark night results in an accident that nearly kills Ed and costs Izzy his leg. Through a lot of communication and healing (and admittedly following a suicide attempt on Izzy’s part), all three reconnect and deepen their relationship to one another.

In the present of the narrative, Ed owns Blackbeard’s Bar and Grill, a seafood restaurant specializing in exactly what you’d imagine. Izzy and Stede occasionally help out when the man accidentally gives too many members of his staff the same day off. His logo on the t-shirts is fucking hideous.

Stede is an archivist on the subject of historical furniture, antiquities, and fashion. He recreates items he learns about and provides them to various museums, stores, and playhouses. He’s famous with a very select group of people and often gets into weird forum arguments with strangers online.

Izzy is an editor and romance novelist under a pen name. He is notably very popular among gay men and straight women for his dark gay romance titles, “bodice rippers”, and other such works. Stede was a big fan of his before even knowing Izzy was the writer. He keeps his personal life very private.

Until he’s given a new agent. Lucius Spriggs is eager to get people to know Israel Hands. He tells their shared boss that it’s simply a matter of getting Izzy to reconnect with a new collection of fans, but really some part of him thinks the chaos would be hilarious.

So Izzy finds himself and his husband heading off a traveling book tour for his newest title, all while the three of them are reeling from the newest bit of news - Izzy’s pregnancy. Do they know the other father? No. Has Izzy been totally honest about his complicated feelings? No. Do they know what to expect when Izzy’s expecting? No, but Ed and Stede are almost certain there is a book to help with that. 😊😊

[kid-lore]

various creepypastas x reader | late-night vibe sessions from behind the wall

quick warm-up scenario from december 5th of last year, ‘cause why not?

based on this video!

You peeked an eye open and glanced to the right as you suddenly heard the start of a familiar song, 'Animals,' along with giggling from the bedroom to your right. Jeff's bedroom.

You let out a sigh as you crossed your arms and propped them back behind your head, staring up at the ceiling. Your eyes occasionally flickered up to the strands of fairy lights that were hung across the wall over your bed and stretched across the top of your window curtains. They were LEDs, so they didn't get hot, meaning you wouldn't have to worry about your curtains catching fire or burning while you were asleep. Thankfully.

You had just peered over at the clock on your wall, and despite the darkness of the room around you, it was still possible to make out the alignment of the hands on the clock since your eyes had adjusted. Not to mention, the fairy lights above you that practically lit up your entire room. It wasn't anything close to a lamp and it was still rather dark, but it was enough light to keep your mind at ease and help you see things.

1:45 AM.

You could clearly hear the sound of Jeff blasting music in his bedroom, which just happened to be the room directly to the left of your own door. From the outside, at least. For a moment, you were just a tad irritated due to how loud his music was, only to shrug it off and lay back down. Whether or not you were actually trying to sleep beforehand didn't matter, since it was comforting to have at least some background noise. It didn't make you feel like you were completely alone, y'know?

Not to mention, his music taste was pretty good. It definitely passed your expectations, that's for sure.

Plus, it's better than arguing or anything of the sort. The most of the "arguing" you were hearing from Jeff's room would be the occasional laugh over a certain song choice and Jeff being rude, as usual. For example, Jack currently letting out a wheeze and going into a short fit of laughter over Rihanna's music being on Jeff's playlist, only for said serial killer to yell at him to shut up.

A quick yell or burst of laughter would happen, then that'd be it.

You'll admit, it was kind of comforting.

You suddenly caught the first few notes of Britney Spears' 'Toxic' playing, before it abruptly cut off, probably due to Jeff skipping it. Immediately afterward, you could hear the familiar high-pitched laughter of BEN, which prompted you to let out a wheeze as you held your hand over your mouth to try and keep quiet.

You could almost hear the boy rolling on the floor as he laughed in response to Jeff's music taste, and whether or not that was what BEN was actually doing, you could definitely see it.

While you likely couldn't hear him doing so, Jeff was definitely letting out an exasperated sigh at this very moment.

As you lied there and continuously stared up at the ceiling, letting your mind drift off while Jeff's music continued playing in the next room over, you let out a heavy exhale through your nose. This wasn't exactly an uncommon occurrence; the loud music, yelling, laughing, all that. While it's not as chaotic as it probably sounds, it can still get kind of annoying every once and a while.

But Jeff's music taste was fire, and hey, he wasn't as insufferable as you think once you get to know him a bit better. Plus, it's not like you were bold enough to waltz over to his bedroom door and tell him to turn it down, it wouldn't do much anyway.

After a few moments, you heard another song abruptly cut off as Jeff skipped it. Or that was your best guess at least since you doubt he would let anyone else man the playlist controls.

You stifled a laugh as you heard Jeff sneeze, followed by a muffled voice responding with "Bless you," only for Jeff to say "Fuck you" in return. That was definitely Toby- no one else here was that precious besides Sally.

Alright, well maybe BEN.

He was still a jerk, though.

Speaking of BEN, you could hear him let out a quiet laugh after Jeff rudely answered Toby simply being polite from the next room.

You eventually decided to unfold the blanket at the foot of your bed and throw it out a few times until it neatly lied across your bed, providing some warmth against the cold air that hovered around your windows due to autumn finally arriving. You lied back down, propping your arms behind your head once more as you let your eyes close, blocking out the light around you.

Once the current song came to a stop, you suddenly heard screaming from the hallway. It was faint, but you definitely heard it. And so did Jeff.

As the sound of Jeff's harsh laughter came from his room and the next song began playing, you let an amused smile stretch across your face.

Maybe living here wasn't so bad.

[thejudgingtrash]

11. “...did you just sniff me?” for percabeth pretty please 🙏🤍🤍🤍

Heya! I’m finally here to come back to this request 😄😄 It took me only a little bit in comparison to other requests, but I'm here!

Also since @percyheartsannabeth, @skaterannabeth and @not-optimistic-petrol-biscuit had asked about fluff. Here you go... Kinda? 😬 Anyway. Here's a monster sneak peek into may I introduce you to my beloved wife? 😋

It took me all day yesterday, but I managed to pump out 11k words. That's a record for a single session in one day (with like two breaks). And yes, that is still not the entire chapter. Here are roughly 9,2k for you to consume!

TW: alcohol, overbearing relatives not minding their own business, a tiny section talking about domestic abuse and Athena and Frederick Chase ain't shit but that's nothing new. Poseidon too, for once. Enjoy!

may I introduce you to my beloved wife?

(*absolutely not proof-read, my bad)

Annabeth sighed. You can do this. You can do this. You’ve already finished the week. Think about the money. Think about the move to California. Push through this day and next week, think about the money and the minute you’ll hand your termination in. She wanted to splash some water up her face, but the makeup that tinted her lips in a luscious rose and added some bronze to her high cheekbones was too expensive to be washed off and hastily reapplied.

It was pre-Dionysus Day, which meant it was merely the calm before the storm. The first sparkling sip of an impending disaster waiting to rollover the roomy Greek villa Percy forced her to stay in. Well not really forced. Forced and bribed her to stay in. That made it sound slightly better. Just think of the one-hundred seventy-five dollars he’s going to transfer into your bank account for your new start in California. I should renegotiate. California is also expensive. Make it two-hundred fifty thousand.

The tall blonde looked at her reflection in the mirror. A young woman full of life was the first thing she had seen in the morning but now she looked tired and annoyed, just how she felt. Something crashed in one of the dozens of rooms next to her and people laughed. Annabeth sighed again. It was the only thing she could do, otherwise she would scream like a banshee, making sure that at least Hermes and Prometheus would check her, if it wasn’t for Percy stuffing socks into her mouth to make her shut up before they got to her. The majority of his Greek relatives had been lovely if not terribly nosy and overbearing. It was the opposite of her family. His was warm and chaotic and for the most part welcoming. Hers? Cold, apathetic, disapproving of everything she did. She had no family in comparison, and neither would she want to compare this wholesome messy bunch to the cold-hearted Athena Pallas and the monster that was Friedrich Chase.

Annabeth respected Hera and Hestia, she definitely side-eyed Aphrodite who was cheating on her husband and she would definitely stay away from Zeus. Crossing paths with him occasionally in the New York office of Atlantic INC. was terrible, seeing him openly be flirty and loosen up during a forced trip was way worse.

This was a bad idea and I have a terrible feeling about this. The burgundy wrap dress that hugged her skin was soft and light but in the Thessalian heat it felt like a sticky cocoon caging her. She wasn’t a beautiful butterfly, ready to burst out and wow everyone. Neither was she a moth drawn to a flame. She was a bug that had been sprayed by Percy with a pesticide, wrapped in toxic chemicals which were slowly dissolving her body, piece by piece.

A knock shoved the horrendous image inside of her head aside. “Yes?” she asked with a firm voice. Too firm with a hint of annoyance, but she was not a professional actress and could not switch her emotions off as she pleased. She was a junior marketing manager for Christ’s sake. Not for much longer. Only two more months…

Percy opened the door. “Are you ready?“ he asked with his usual pleasant baritone reaching her ear.

He wore light linen pants that hugged his legs loosely and a light blue shirt with the first buttons opened up. She could see his defined chest and the swirls of black hair peeking through. The hair was styled into a disheveled curly mess which suited him way better than the gelled back corporate look and he forgot to trim his beard like the day before. Annabeth couldn’t deny what she saw – her tormentor was a very attractive man.

“Do you want to bail?” His sea-green eyes darkened a shade. Worry flashed through them.

Annabeth exhaled sharply for the last time. “I wish I could but then I’d leave you without a fiancé,” she smiled through the pain.

Her glance found her reflection again. The topknot was still intact, and a few strands carefully framed her heart-shaped face. She looked perfect on the outside and she wanted to commit manslaughter in the inside.

“Let’s get over with it,” Percy sighed and stretched his hand out. It seemed like Percy was the one that would rather bail.

Annabeth took it without any complaint. She was the happy girlfriend soon-to-be-wife and holding hands was way better than being forced into kissing him during Sports Day. The Theodoropoulos family truly had planned activity after activity during those two weeks in winter.

“Oh!” Sally peeked into the bathroom and saw her son holding Annabeth’s hand.

“There you are! Is everything okay, mija?” she asked with her sweet Dominican accent and looked at Annabeth.

Annabeth automatically smiled back. Sally was the mother she never had, and it broke her heart crumble by crumble by the sheer charade Percy and she were forced to display for the next six days. Sally Jackson deserved the best. She certainly didn’t deserve being deceived and lied to by her terrible son and his tag-a-long coworker.

“Yes, Percy was just making sure we’re arriving on time.” Annabeth got on her toes and placed a soft kiss on Percy’s stubbled cheek. It tickled but by now she had gotten used to it.

He rolled his eyes, smiled at his mother, nonetheless. Sally’s eyes sparkled and she clapped, clutching her hands tightly. “You don’t know how proud you’re making me, mijo,” she then said teary-eyed.

“You finally found a great girl and she is standing next to you.” Sally wiped a tear away and the awful feeling that sat on Annabeth’s chest and made everything heavier, amplified by a thousand times.

This was way worse than being referred to as the woman that would bear him three to five children presuming with the first one sired on this current vacation by Ares. Yes, Annabeth wanted two children at max, but not definitely now. She was twenty-eight and in the prime of her life! Note: Percy would certainly not be the father of said two children. Unruly blond waves and a mischievous grin blitzed through her head. Pale blue eyes came back from the deepest pit of her memory. Luke. Fuck no, that was even worse than Percy. His betrayal… Annabeth tried to shake the memory off and focused on the ongoing situation in front of her.

Sally truly hoped her son found love and not a quick fling. Oh shit, Annabeth thought and looked up to Percy whose face expressed similar thoughts. His conscience nibbled and guilt flooded his body.

“Mamá,” Percy began and released Annabeth’s hand in order to grasp the older woman’s shoulder.

Sally brushed his large hands off. “No, no! Off you go! You younglings should be downstairs celebrating your reunion with the entire side of Poseidon’s family.”

Annabeth appreciated the fact that Sally was invited and flown out each winter holiday by the Theodoropoulos’. Despite having been divorced from Poseidon for over twenty years, she was still a popular and welcomed guest, not just because of her son’s attachment to the Greek side and his tied division of the Greek family company.

Sally gave each of them a last smile before entering the women’s bathroom. Percy exhaled and pinched his nose. After ten seconds he released the nose and looked back at Annabeth. “Ready?” he asked a final time. Annabeth nodded.

The loud singing, yelling and talking that had been muffled by the bathroom hit her by a tenfold. The place had all the Mamma Mia vibes without the fun singing four days ago. Not anymore, as drunk relatives hit up the shore with loud music and talked loudly in their Pontic Greek dialect.

As the couple descended the stairs and walked through the parlor, a new wave of guests arrived at the same time. Three people that have just entered early adulthood looked up to them. Two men, one blond with a stoic face and bronzed skin, the other was shorter with spiky black hair and a beautiful grin on his lips. The woman next to him was the tallest out of the trio and possessed a high ponytail that would leave Ariana Grande dying out of envy. The dyed lilac hair swung around and nearly reached the middle of her thighs, meaning the hair was even longer without its tight prison on top.

“Thanatos, Zagreus, Megaera!” greeted Percy and gave each one of them a rib crushing bear hug. They looked pleasantly surprised at seeing Percy being accompanied by a pretty woman his age. It seems like the proposal didn’t reach all of the ends of the Greek world.

They fell into a short conversation in Greek and Annabeth smiled politely next to Percy as she fell entirely out of place. The evil Duolingo owl didn’t prepare her for this experience. Neither did her mother bother teaching her at least their Athenian dialect properly. She could introduce herself in Greek, order a beer, say goodbye and that was it. Thank you, Athena. For nothing again.

“Oh, you must be Annabeth,” Megaera eyed her carefully and Annabeth had the feeling that she could split her open with her hands. Weirdly enough, Annabeth was kind of into it. Megaera wasn’t only as tall as Percy but she was clearly the one with the toughest workout regimen as she displayed her muscular legs and defined arms with a short cocktail dress only a few shades darker than her hair.

“Yes,” Annabeth squeaked. She nearly added a ma’am towards the end. Megaera cocked her dark eyebrow. She had an aura that demanded respect.

“Interesting to see the woman who captured Perseus’ heart. It seems that he did develop a good taste after all. Calypso was as pretty as the crescent moon flower but sadly as dull as his corny jokes are.” Megaera’s deep smirk was a stamp of approval as her eyes roamed all over Annabeth.

“Hey!” Percy interrupted and placed a firm hand on Annabeth’s waist, as if he was trying to mark his territory.

“You have your own toys right to your right,” he then added with a playful tone.

Megaera actually laughed and waved dismissively. “That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for more.” A clear offer which left Annabeth’s face turn into a fiery tomato red.

“Anyway, we have some catching up to do,” Thanatos proposed as Zagreus and he silently watched the conversation blossom. He sounded as reserved as he looked.

“Indeed,” Zagreus agreed, surprising Annabeth with a posh English accent. “Father will murder me if we miss out on his moussaka. It’s to die for you need to try it, Annabeth, at least before Hephaestus gets ahead of himself.”

Annabeth laughed. The Theodoropoulos did have their positives. “I will, Zagreus,” she nodded.

“Oh please, if aunt Sally gave her go for you to stay here, you’re as good as family. We’re Than, Zag and Meg for you,” Zagreus offered.

“Annabeth is already my nickname but thank you for the kind offer!”

The three new guests went on to join relatives and friends at the party which seemed to get more chaotic by each passing minute as the volume seemed to increase.

“My cousin Zagreus from my uncle Hades’ side,” Percy explained as the three went out of his sight.

“Are they friends? Or…”

“Pretty sure they’re polyamorous. You know, I don’t know, and I honestly don’t really care, I see Zag once every twelve months at max. Just don’t stick to Meg’s side for too long otherwise she’ll turn you into her fiancé.” Percy’s tone suggested that he was not joking.

“Oh.” Annabeth didn’t know what to think of it.

Percy closed his eyes as if he was making a silent prayer, before his sea-green met Annabeth’s light gray ones. She smelled like lemon with a hint of lavender, instead of roses like normally. Delicious. If it weren’t for the fact that it was Annabeth.

“So, listen. You know I’ve talked about Dionysus Day and how his birthday brings out the worst side of everyone.”

Annabeth nodded as Percy went on to explain.

“Pre-Dionysus Day is basically same with the only exception that my great-grandmother’s house is filled with the entire family. Yes, we’re expected to eat, drink, laugh, drink, dance, drink, reminisce on our past, drink, make fools out of ourselves in order for them to take blackmail pictures and drink some more, but no matter how much they want you to open up… try to control yourself. Everything you say can and will be used against you.”

Annabeth’s stomach started to churn, and her knees slightly gave in. “Look, I’m truly sorry for the mess that I’ve caused,” Percy looked directly into her eyes and tried to ignore the rosy streaks across her flushed cheeks. “And my relatives can be overbearing. But if we manage to stick through this night and the next one tomorrow, we’re as good as done with playing games.”

“Fine,” Annabeth gritted through her teeth. She had agreed to the terms and condition. She didn’t need a reminder of the stupid decision she made two months ago.

“Let’s go.”

She placed her hand on the doorknob that separated the parlor from the huge living room. Percy followed her as she opened the door. A wave of laughter, wine, ouzo, discovered secrets, cigarettes, sweat and fun hit them.

“Oh wow, someone should open a window.” Percy suggested as he coughed. Luckily cousin Metis had the same idea. No, aunt Metis. Or was it Thetis? Why did Percy need to have so many relatives with similar names again?

“Oh, Annabeth, look at you!” Aphrodite had snuck up behind them and surprised the fake couple by hugging each of them and nearly spilling the expensive Greek vintage in her hand on Percy’s shirt. The red alcoholic liquid carelessly swirled in her glass and more than often seemed to want to escape from her clutch.

“Aphrodite, be careful!” Percy reminded her as she dug her fingers into his arm. Her nails were as fake and bought as was the bond between Annabeth and Percy.

“Oh, please cousin, you should learn how to loosen up!” She laughed, but it sounded more like the shrill sound a bird made when it got nearly hit by a car. The high pitch made Annabeth slightly frown.

“Take your girl upstairs and show her all the Zorbas moves you got!” She wiggled her badly overdrawn eyebrows.

Aphrodite had always been the poster child of perfection. She knew how to dress her curvaceous body the right way, she knew how to apply the perfect touches of makeup on her face and she was the most graceful being Annabeth had ever met. Seeing her so disheveled left the blonde American content. It showed that Aphrodite wasn’t one of the gods, she was a mortal mess like they all were. That, and it was kind of funny seeing the abrupt transition from oozing perfection to looking like a rough mess after a couple of glasses of wine.

“If you know what I mean, you two know what I mean, right?”

“Yes,” Annabeth and Percy answered. Unfortunately, they did.

“That reminds me, this is such a pretty dress that you got!” Aphrodite’s eyes widened and she tugged at Annabeth’s sleeve that went slightly over her elbows. “Percy needs to bring me a couple of those the next time he visits. Oh wait! You’re about to marry, Annabeth can take me shopping. I want to visit New York next summer. When was your wedding again?”

Panic filled Annabeth she tried to stutter a lame excuse like they had done the entirety of the stay. Aphrodite’s brown eyes found something else to focus on in the meantime. Her hand went out to poke the tall blonde’s chest as she went on to pull on the thin fabric.

“You should show the men what you got! Free the girls!” Aphrodite yelled over the loud music, pushing Annabeth’s C cup to its limits. “Let Percy stand in the corner with that stupid frown, all jealous and depressed while you’re out on the hunt!”

Percy did not look amused especially since he tried to pull Annabeth away.

“Yeah, just like that!” Aphrodite’s glass pointed directly at his face as Annabeth tried to shove Aphrodite’s fickle fingers aside. “Oh, if I were just a little bit younger and not tied to your cousin…”

“You mean cousins,” Percy corrected and made a step backwards as Aphrodite’s dreamy and drunk dazed focus shifted from Annabeth to him.

“Aphrodite, leave Percy and his future wife alone,” Hera arrived to save the stressed couple and rolled her eyes. “Go harass Hephaestus and try to be a faithful wife for once in your life.”

She still looked like she had a massive stick shoved up her ass by the way she stood entirely straight next to them, but Annabeth appreciated the gesture. If Hera didn’t like Aphrodite much, Annabeth would rather join Team Hera than stand alone by the bleachers and under Aphrodite’s charmspeak. Aphrodite pouted and stomped with her feet twice as if she were a toddler and not a grown woman marching towards her forties. Then she stormed off and ran into the arms of her lover, nother husband to spite her mother-in-law and embarrass her even further.

“Malàka,” Hera cursed and lost her cool for one second, before clearing her throat and focusing on the already tired fake engaged couple in front of her. Not even Hera seemed to be averse from drinking a glass of wine or two. “You two definitely need a drink.”

Annabeth agreed with her for once.

She pointed at the bar behind her, which was managed by Dionysus and his wife Ariadne. The number of relatives ganging up on them and demanding new drinks was frightening. Surprisingly Dionysus kept his cool and shoved drinks in people’s hands at an impressive speed.

“Yeah, let’s get over with it,” Percy sighed and took Annabeth’s hand again.

“Are you okay?” Annabeth asked him. She knew from Thalia that Percy rarely ever drank and that his family was to blame for most of it. Percy seemed stiffer and graver than usual as well. As much as she disliked his jokey nature and easy-going demeanor he displayed at work, she’d much rather have that Percy by her side right now. Dionysus Day and the day before seemed like it was hell on earth for him and walking through it each year must take a toll on him.

“Yeah, let’s just each grab a glass of wine. Let them be happy about me shoving this disgusting stuff down my throat.” He thanked Ariadne as she prepared two glasses of the same vintage Aphrodite seemed to have inhaled earlier.

“Thank you.” Annabeth took her glass and sniffed. The wine smelled sickly sweet with a hint of the bitterness that the fermentation process had left. The glass in her hand weighed surprisingly heavy, not because of the wine itself but because of the golden swirls decorating it. The glass transitioned from the crystal-clear transparency into a deep black. A lyre surrounded by a bigger laurel wreath decorated the middle section and a golden snake was wrapped around the stem. The golden rim gave it a nice finish.

“Into a fruitful night,” Percy darkly mumbled over the music. He was really not looking forward to it, which confused Annabeth immensely. She didn’t understand why he pushed himself through this if he really didn’t like the drinking activities. He surely had his reasons, hence her not starting a fight with him over it. It was his family and their tradition after all.

“Into a fruitful night,” Annabeth instead repeated.

Issuing a weird toast as well. Percy Jackson was clearly not a drinker. Their glasses clinked and each of them took a sip. Thankfully grandma Rhea made sure they were well-fed before the festivities began.

“Fuck,” Annabeth muttered. A fine vintage as well. Not as sweet as she thought, it left a hint of sweet cumin as the lingering aftertaste. Her lipstick left a mark on the glass, but she didn’t bother to care as she took another gulp. The wine was nearly finished. She slowly started to understand why ancient civilizations went crazy after this stuff.

As she looked at her so-called fiancé, she saw that his glass was already empty. A grimace rested on his face as well.

“Err, Percy?”

“What?” The dark brooding look on his face was no more.

“Shouldn’t you take it easy?” Annabeth carefully asked. His eyes narrowed.

“I am,” he stated and cocked his head towards his cousin who was still busy playing the barkeeper but kept an overall watchful glimpse on the guests that flooded the gates.

“Dionysus saw me drink. Most importantly he saw us have a drink. That should be enough for me, but if you want some more, be my guest.” He shrugged.

Annabeth felt that she should probably drag his mopey ass out of the party, but it was way too early to leave. “Fine,” she said and asked Ariadne for a refill. Annabeth went in for another long sip. She should definitely stock her wine cabinet once she was back at her shitty apartment. Before the glass reached her lips again, Hermes snatched it away and chugged the remaining wine.

“Hermes, what the hell?!” Ariadne grabbed the glass and pushed her husband’s cousin away. The bored postman was back with his shenanigans.

“My bad, dear wifey, but I’m on a mission here to abduct sweet Annabeth,” Hermes winked and placed his hands around Annabeth’s shoulders.

“What are you up to?” Out of all of the relatives she’s met so far, Annabeth was convinced that everything Zeus had ever sired was a mistake. Zeus himself was a mistake.

“Can you stop being German and boring for once?” he joked. Annabeth’s eyes narrowed. She did not like this one bit. She turned her head around and saw that Percy had been pulled into a conversation by Hypnos and Morpheus. He had completely forgotten about her. Great.

Hermes guided her through the crowd, towards the middle of the room. They had to dodge chairs, drunk relatives, a sofa, chatty relatives, the coffee table and dancing relatives before they made it.

“There she is!” greeted Achilles the confused marketing manager.

Paris, Helen, Patroclus, Hermes and Achilles stood in a circle around a table. Dozens of shots of all sorts of colors were displayed. Annabeth had a terrible feeling about this.

“What is this and why are you pulling me into this?” Annabeth asked and did not like the mischievous grin they all shared. She wanted to go back home and cuddle with Daedalus on her sofa and push his cat ass out of the way before the next steamy Outlander scene hit the screen. Yes, Annabeth was that much of a single that seeing some on-screen action was the best she could get. She hoped that the mangy cat didn’t bother Thalia all too much while she was staying in Greece. She owed her so much already.

“Well, I stayed in your country,” Paris started. “And they have a weird tradition with ouzo. They don’t drink it the way we do, watered down and slowly at lunch and what not…”

Annabeth was still American for the most part and had nothing to do with Germany. The last time she stayed there was nearly thirteen years ago. She didn’t want to have anything to do with Germany. Friedrich Chase lived in Germany. And she fucking hated Friedrich Chase. Therefore, she hated Germany. Things that would never change. Okay, Hamburg was a cool city and she was glad her father moved to Cologne. Should she feel the urge to travel back to Germany for a week or less, she’d go to Hamburg, take ten thousand pictures, and post them on Instagram the minute before she was boarding her flight back to New York. Helping her to enrage her stupid father was all Germany had to offer.

“Germans do ouzo shots,” Patroclus cut to the chase. “And since you’re the newest member of our family…”

“And German!” Paris and Hermes added simultaneously.

“We’ve decided to play this little game,” Achilles added.

“What’s the name of the game?” Annabeth asked. She was only slightly curious. Emphasis on slightly.

“Last man standing. Oh sorry, ladies. Last person standing,” Hermes corrected himself as he placed four shots in front of each person. That was way too much hard liquor to handle. But if she did Jägermeister bombs in her sophomore year of college without any issues, this should be fairly easy.

“What are the rules?” They all looked at her in silence. No rules. No prize. Just drink.

“Oh wow.” The urge to roll her eyes and walk off came back with a force.

“I think I’m going to pass,” Annabeth said and already turned to her right.

“Why?” Helen asked innocently. “Need your man to look after you? The one who’s having an amazing time back there with his third glass of wine?”

Foul game. Annabeth’s head shot to the right. Helen was right. Percy was laughing and looked like he was having a great time chatting with Oceanus and his wife Tethys. Tethys refilled his glass as her husband and Percy broke into laughter once again.

If that’s the case…

“Fuck it, I’m in,” Annabeth agreed. She swallowed the bait and she knew it. There was no reason why she should feel upset about Percy opening up all of a sudden. He desperately needed it. Why she wished to be a part of that, Annabeth did not know.

“Great!” Helen threw her brown mane over her shoulders and grabbed the first glass.

“Για μας!” they all yelled and chugged the liquor. Gia mas, the Greek toast, was repeated every time and it seemed to brighten the mood, despite resting heavily on Annabeth’s stomach. Her college days were over, but she was glad she resisted coughing repeatedly.

Patroclus clutched his stomach after the second shot, Helen ran out after the third, Paris and Achilles were laughing maniacally after the fourth and Hermes mysteriously disappeared after the first one. Annabeth was the last person standing. She placed the crystalized shot glass back on the table and examined the messes around her. The only thing that had happened to her, were that more golden locks escaped from her bun and her lipstick needed some reapplying as she left marks on each glass.

Annabeth tried to take a step away from the table and felt how the world slightly shifted around her. The fact that she would curse and hate herself for her behavior in just six hours, was something drunk Annabeth gladly put aside. The headaches that definitely would haunt her for the rest of the trip didn’t matter, she won and that was all she cared about.

“Hell yeah!” she yelled as all inhibition faded away, leaving pure and raw life force behind. Unbeknownst to her, Annabeth had moved right into the circle of dancers.

“Perseus, get your bride before she breaks her legs!” someone laughed. Was it Iapetus? Or was it Hyperion? Who even cared at that point?

The next two hours were a blurred mess. A blackout slowly crept through her mind, leaving foggy memories behind. Annabeth felt how she was dancing with people and how people were laughing. Were they laughing at her or with her? Did it really matter? Why was her hair repeatedly slapping her face, didn’t she tie it up?

She danced with different people, men and women. She really hoped that the guy that looked like a naked Danny DeVito with longer black hair was not Zeus who had lost his shirt and pants. Who was the guy with the sea-green eyes again? Why was he clapping and laughing whenever she was busting a move next to Hermes? Was he important? Why did he remind her of work? The shots might have been a short-sighted idea after one and a half glasses of wine. She probably overestimated the amount of food she had consumed at dinner prior. Wasn’t she supposed to try someone’s moussaka?

“There you are! Ares, stop dancing with her for once. We’re about to leave.”

Ugh. Ares. Not Zeus, but still yucky.

Sea-green eyes. Percy, of course. How could she have forgotten the asshole that brought her into this whole mess? He seemed fairly sober, didn’t he have a glass or three of wine? Annabeth was certain, she’d be able to drink him under the table. His height and his build might put him at an advantage, but if he wasn’t used to drinking, she might have a fair shot.

A rock song was the next song that appeared. Percy wanted to drag Annabeth off the dance floor.

“Oh no!” Aphrodite intervened with a shrill screech. “Give the two lovers some room to show each other affection!”

Hera actually raised her glass for once to show that she actually agreed with one of Aphrodite’s wild ideas. Someone fumbled with the playlist and a Greek slow jam roared through the old speakers.

“Are you guys fucking serious?” Percy muttered under his breath. But roughly eighty pairs of eyes were all but watching the soon-to-be betrothed and waited for a romantic dance which reminded Percy more of the horrors that the eight-grade dance was.

Annabeth drunkenly hiccupped and looked at him in surprise as she felt one of his hands around her waist and the other one taking her hand. They rocked as if it was the final dance at prom. Annabeth barely remembered prom. Oh right. Her mother had forbidden her from going. She never attended prom.

A casual glimpse through the crowd showed her that people were actually filming this nonsense and some women were actually cooing. Did… did they seriously think this back and forth with sweaty clothes on was romantic? Her eyes found Percy’s again.

“So…” he began.

“So…” she repeated.

“Careful!” he warned her before twirling her through the tight circle. People screamed and applauded. A camera flash blitzed through the darkness twice.

“Oof,” Annabeth groaned. Her stomach and equilibrium did not appreciate that sudden movement.

“I’m sorry, I won’t do that again,” Percy swore. The rocking motion made both of them sleepy. Annabeth suppressed a yawn, rested her head on his shoulder. Percy could make the perfect comfy bed, if he wanted to.

Percy, sensing that people were awaiting some action from either of them, placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face up. Annabeth’s eyes widened. Is he going to kiss me in front of them? Again? her panicked brain asked. She was turned into stone, not by Percy’s distant cousin Medusa who had eaten most of the truffles, but by the tenderness of his actions. He was one solid actor.

Percy placed a soft kiss on her forehead, before moving on to a temple. Annabeth blushed and buried her heated face in his chest as he released her. Intimate, soft and sweet. The screaming relatives disrupted their comfortable silence yet again. The slow song came to an end and the next upbeat one invited everyone back to the dance floor. Annabeth released herself from Percy’s tight embrace and just bolted. Damned be nausea. A wave of coldness hit her. She felt something she didn’t like the minute Percy had softly kissed and soberness woke her at a start. What was it? Anger? Disappointment? Longing? She didn’t know and she didn’t want to know.

“Annabeth!” Percy shouted, but the amount of people standing in his way made it more difficult for him to keep up with her. His hand brushed over his own lips.

Annabeth opened and closed doors left and right. The kitchen, the dining room, the smoking room. She hasted through the first floor until she found another lost soul in the fireplace room. Why the villa had a fireplace room in the first place, she did not know. It had been super-hot the entire time but what Annabeth understood as heat and what native Greeks deemed as hot temperatures didn’t have to correlate.

Great-grandmother Gaia’s humming faded away. The eldest of the Theodoropoulos looked up from the pair of socks she was knitting. When she came to find out the intruder was Annabeth, joy spread over her face.

“Come, come!” The broken English that she softly spoke reminded Annabeth of her own grandmother. She hadn’t seen Elsbeth Lilienthal-Chase since she had left Germany. And since her mother didn’t give her a chance to say goodbye, she didn’t have a phone number to reach her with. The only way would be through that asshole Friedrich Chase, and the only time she’d willingly let someone contact that man was if she had been six feet under and he would be forced to show up for one important family event for once.

“I was unable to sleep. Parties aren’t something for me. I’m too old and boring for my children and their children,” Gaia sighed as Annabeth took a seat on the green sofa next to the light blue armchair. All of the cushioning seemed to have been made by Gaia as the socks had the same pattern as the pillow that Annabeth leaned against. Balls of wool surrounded the older woman as if she sat on a field of fresh tulips.

“Drink, drink! You need water. I’m pretty sure you danced a lot.”

Annabeth kindly took the offer, grabbed the carafe and poured herself a little bit of water into a small glass. The water was surprisingly cold and refreshing.

“My children deem me crazy,” Gaia continued. “The war with the ottomans. Deportation. Fleeing and seeing death everywhere. Losing my father in the chaos. Then the big world war after that twenty years later. They don’t want to listen to the same stories. They only want to have fun. So, they sent me away.”

Annabeth felt terrible for the old lady. It looked like she had been through hell and back in her youth. She didn’t look like she needed much, only someone to listen to her.

“I won’t bore you much,” promised Gaia.

Gaia’s tanned leathery hands continued working on the little socks. “Don’t worry about tomorrow, dearie. We have plenty of acetaminophen and other hangover remedies. Tomorrow will be even worse, because Dionysus wants to celebrate his birthday with even more wine,” the old woman laughed, and her green eyes twinkled full of life.

“I also was young once…”

The two sat in comfortable silence, only interrupted by Gaia’s humming or Annabeth refilling her glass of water.

“So,” Gaia began.

“So?” repeated Annabeth.

“You are the woman that tamed my little Perseus,” the older woman grinned.

Oh no.

Annabeth had a lump in her throat and drinking water to solve it, didn’t work. She wasn’t just lying to Zeus and his wife. She was lying to an entire clan, from the youngest to the oldest members. What Percy and she were doing wasn’t right, neither was it fair. Sure, Percy’s shitty uncle didn’t help much by forcing him to marry the next person, but did the rest of the family deserve to be deceived as well? No, they didn’t, and that truth rested heavily on Annabeth’s narrow shoulders.

The fact that Gaia looked so much like her great-grandson was crazy. They possessed the exact same shade of sea-green. It was passed onto Rhea, Percy’s grandmother, and then Poseidon, Percy’s fucked up father. Always full of intelligence and calculation. Shifting easily from delighted and full of life to the crashing anger of a storm. Power and knowledge were key features of Gaia’s eyes.

“How did you meet my sweet Perseus again?” Gaia innocently asked but Annabeth knew that there was some sort of ulterior motive behind her question.

“At work,” she honestly answered, and Gaia smiled. The old lady was able to sense the truth.

“He’s not my direct boss, but we run into each other a lot. And we hated each other from the moment we saw each other.” Annabeth remembered how she accidentally spilled her hot coffee all over his shirt. She had been public enemy number one from then on.

“He’s an excellent boss, as much as I hate to admit it. He knows his ways around and is passionate about the ocean and its inhabitants. Definitely more passionate than me, I’m just there for the money. He actually wants to make a difference. And he’s extremely annoying, might I add.”

Gaia burst into laughter and needed a minute to calm down. Annabeth cracked a toothy grin. “Ah yes, I can see how you fell in love with him.”

Doom. Uneasiness. Discomfort. The lump in Annabeth’s throat grew bigger and bigger. Why was her vision so blurry all of a sudden? She looked down at her dress. Dark dots appeared. More sprinkled across her lap as Annabeth realized she was crying.

“I’m so sorry,” Annabeth sniffled. “I… Percy… I…”

Gaia put her knitting utensils aside and set herself upright in the armchair. “Oh no, what is going on, Annabeth?”

The calming hand on her back did not help the young professional at all. No, Gaia’s honesty and curiosity made it way worse.

“Percy and I… we’re not engaged. We did it because Zeus-” Annabeth tried to confess, but Gaia brushed her off.

“It’s okay, Annabeth. I know,” the old woman smiled.

The tears that smeared her foundation or rather what was left of it ceased to fall. “You what?!”

Shock widened Annabeth’s light gray eyes.

“I knew from the minute you stepped into my house. I’m pretty sure Rhea knows as well.”

Annabeth’s jaw fell open. “B-but how?!” she stuttered and felt like an utter and complete idiot. The first few days had been rough and difficult, but now she thought that Percy and she conveyed the illusion of being a happy couple.

“You were scared of everything including him the minute you arrived,” Gaia warmly smiled. The infectious warm smile of a grandma looking out for her little chicks. Was Annabeth now one of them?

“I knew something was off with that sudden engagement of yours with the way you two behaved. Either you were pregnant, or it was a ruse. Since you are heavily drinking and paper thin, it was clear that there was no pregnancy. You young people truly don’t eat enough anymore,” Gaia shrugged, patted Annabeth’s knee and went back to knitting the sock.

“But now… it all makes sense. You do feel something for each other. Even if you are blind to it for now.” She continued to hum. “I just hope that my dear Perseus will be the young and carefree boy he was all those years ago one day again. And I do believe that you are the key in finding him hidden underneath all those layers and walls he had put up due to his father.”

Annabeth didn’t even close her mouth during the elder’s monologue. Did Gaia seriously connote that she… that Annabeth Chase… might feel something for her soon-to-be boss? Madness. Absolute madness. She took everything she had thought of the friendly old woman in front of her back. Maybe her relatives did have a point, when they decided to brush Gaia off due to her old age.

Annabeth? And feeling something for Percy? If that something was hatred and the utmost rage, absolutely yes. But… anything else? She would receive a hefty sum on her bank account and would put in her two weeks the minute she found a better job in California.

“You know… there is a tale I’d like to tell about men.”

And Annabeth would prefer to place the glass back on the table, throw the heels away, storm out and run to the next airport.

“They are stupid vapid creatures,” Gaia carried on.

Annabeth snorted behind her glass. “That is certainly true,” she agreed and earned an honest grin from Gaia.

“My dear husband Ouranos with whom I had all of my dear children decided one day that one woman was not enough. And that twelve children were not enough.”

Twelve children?! Annabeth's womb just twisted and turned in protest. The shocked expression on Annabeth’s face made Gaia chortle loudly.

“Oh yes, back in my day we were all very fruitful,” Gaia affirmed.

“That sounds horrible,” Annabeth interjected.

“Oh, only the birth part and the eighteen years after it,” the older woman dismissed her which made Annabeth in turn laugh again.

“My father was a farmer and he had one piece of advice: never let someone toy with you. You are not a doll; you are a person with morals and dignity, a person with feelings and dignity. Let no one, especially not a man, treat you like a commodity or something to kick around. Well… when dear Ouranos left me and sought our neighbor with bigger breasts… I taught him that lesson. And I did so with my father’s trusted knife that I hung on the wall afterwards.”

There was no knife displayed on the wall. It was a fucking scythe. Large, frightening, brutal. A golden great long sickle with jagged teeth rested on the wall as if it were ready to cut you up into one thousand pieces. Was there really dried blood stuck on the teeth or was Annabeth’s drunken mind making things up?

“The minute our youngest turned eighteen he took off and was never seen again. And now, should a person, in that case my Perseus, not know how to treat you properly, you know what to do,” Gaia advised and took a sip out of her own glass.

“Uh… you mean threaten to cut his genitals off with a large and sharp family heirloom?” Annabeth’s eyes widened again.

“No, dearie…” Gaia gave it some thought. “Well maybe so, dearie,” she then went on. That made Annabeth chuckle again.

“But demand absolute respect from him. Don’t ask him for it. Demand it. I don’t know how but he has dragged you into our family and expects you to play the perfect fiancé. This will eventually blow up in his face and he will drag you along with him. Teach him a lesson, however.”

“You know what? I will!” With Gaia’s official blessing, Annabeth was all smiles and scheming new plots. If the head of the family gave her the approval of kicking Percy’s ass, she definitely would.

Steps echoed in the fireplace room and Annabeth and Gaia’s heads turned to greet the intruder. They didn’t even realize the door opened and closed again.

Gaia’s younger twin who still had some black streaks in the braids marched into the hall, curious about what the two women in front of her were previously talking about. Gaia’s youngest daughter Rhea had joined them. The large blue floral dress made her seem like she never left the late 1960s and the two long braids only added to that sentiment.

“Mamá, what is going on? By the way Percy is looking for you, Annabeth,” Rhea informed her grandson’s alleged fiancé before taking a seat in front of her and grabbing one of the many balls of yarn in front of her mother. Rhea then went on to play with it as if she was a six-year old.

“Oh no, Rhea, Annabeth and I were just chatting about love and life,” Gaia batted her eyelashes.

“You see, I gave Rhea the same advice about her disgraceful husband when he went out to seek another woman.”

Rhea rolled her eyes behind the large pentagonally glasses. “You and your stories about the scythe, mother,” she sighed.

“I have to make sure the younger generation knows!” Gaia huffed. “I won’t be here for much longer and then-”

“We'll regret all the things we’ve said and done to you, I know mamá, you have been telling me this since I was four years old and spilled my apple juice,” Rhea completed her mother’s sentence.

Rhea’s attention shifted to the smiling blonde in front of her. She grew to like Percy’s fiancé. She had a fire within herself and a backbone, all great things to handle a Theodoropoulos man.

“But my mother is right when she says that the scythe is a trusted tool. Zeus, Poseidon and Hades did scare Kronos with it after he tried some foul things with their sisters. Treated them worse. Did overall horrible things. He never wanted daughters, only sons. Didn’t seem to accept the fact that it was out of my hand.” Rhea squished the ball of light blue yarn in her hand.

“My children were always looking out for me and I will be forever grateful for them. I do hope that you will have the same feelings and love for your children.” It was clear who their father was supposed to be.

“Yes, I hope so as well,” Annabeth squeaked. Did it get hotter in here all of a sudden?

The door opened, and a worried Percy stepped into the fireplace room. “Oh, there you are,” he sighed as he immediately sighted Annabeth’s blonde unruly curls. He had been running from the basement all the way to the roof searching for her. Relief washed over his face like some shower gel from a cheap commercial. Only then did he realize that Annabeth had been cornered by both his nosy grandmother and his even nosier great-grandmother.

“Whatever they’ve been telling you, it’s a lie, it’s wrong and it never happened!” he warned her as he took a seat right next to her.

“Oh please, relax,” Rhea rolled her eyes and threw the wool at her grandson. “We have been talking about mamá’s scythe.”

“Hey!” both Percy and Gaia complained. At least they hadn’t dished out embarrassing stories of him taking off in diapers at night.

“This is expensive! You young people show no respect towards others' belongings,” Gaia cursed.

Annabeth took the blue yarn and placed it back on top of the pyramid of other colors.

“Thank you!” Gaia smiled before she focused on finishing the sock.

“You’ve found your fiancé, Perseus. Now go off back to celebrate and let us old people reminisce about the past and talk.” Rhea lazily waved at them whilst Gaia didn’t even look up from her craft.

“We will,” Percy said while getting up and casually dragging Annabeth along. He kissed both Gaia and Rhea on the cheek, Annabeth threw a hasty “See you in the morning!” over her shoulder before the couple left.

“Are you okay?” Percy asked as he pulled Annabeth aside for a small breather.

She nodded. “It’s just a bit overwhelming with the amount of people that either want to take pictures of us, hope I remember when their youngest kid’s birthday is, or they tell me they hope we have our first baby preferably in less than a year.”

Percy blushed. He didn’t think it was that bad, but then again, men are mostly left out of the baby talk until their mother’s saw that their best friend’s children had their first grandbaby. He truly didn’t have any intention of having a child before the age of forty. He had to save a business from his damned uncle, run and manage said business and preferably find a woman he tolerated enough to marry before he could even think of children.

Percy apologized again. “One week,” he promised her.

“One week,” Annabeth repeated and nodded.

“We’re going in, you’ve missed the high of the party with your talk with my yai yai, but that’s perfectly fine. The first have already left, let’s just mingle for ten minutes or so before we can-”

The door flung open. “There they are!” yelled Hermes who was followed by Zephyrus and Hercules.

None of them had any intention of letting the party stop before five in the morning. It was merely two. The minute Hermes had his sights on Annabeth, he knew that he had found his best drinking buddy aside from Dionysus himself. Oh no, Annabeth thought and rightfully so.

The minutes of calmness and rest next to Gaia did their wonders because Percy and she were thrust back into the party at full force. She didn’t exactly remember when the blackout happened, but it was roughly thirty minutes later. She was drinking, she was dancing, she was completely making a fool out of herself. The hair? A mess. Annabeth herself? Don’t even think about it. She had been dancing with Hermes and Patroclus, Aphrodite accidentally stepped on her foot one time when Ares approached her.

Percy broke his own promise and accepted a fourth glass of wine from Dionysus who insisted on it. That glass was his doom. The last droplet touched his tongue and his world turned into a flashy mist, his consciousness was broken into pieces, fragmented and sprinkled across the floor. Where he was, when he was and who he was were things he couldn’t remember. The only thing that popped up in his mind were waves of solid gold. Was it hair? Could hair truly move like that and possess that texture? And a whiff of lemon with a hint of lavender crawled up his nose. It was an odd combination, but it felt safe and like home. He liked this smell. Where did he smell this before?

Percy didn’t care, he had other matters to attend to. The first thing on the docket was finding the bathroom, he had drunk way too much. The house had weird rules in regard to bathrooms. Was it the left side or the right side that the young men could use? Why did his uncle Hades have to break two sinks in a span of a week when he was sixteen again? Why were women and others allowed to do whatever they wanted? His great-grandma and her weird plans were always set to make him fail somehow. Things that she had thought of decades ago still bore fruit today.

Percy stumbled upstairs and turned right and prayed the doors he was opening were empty bathrooms and not relatives making out. That was just what he needed. The first door he opened was of his great-uncle Oceanus and Tethys who had a face mask on her face and pink curlers up her hair. At least the old people still knew how to behave. He hoped his mother had left the party hours ago. He apologized and closed the door. The next one was an empty bedroom, his even maybe. No, his bedroom was on an entirely different floor. Or was it?

The next bedroom was closed off thank god, but from the sounds on the inside it seemed like cousin Eos and her newest catch Orion had some fun. Disgusting, Percy thought before he moved on. The next door was what he was looking for. A bathroom. Lit up, clean and empty. Empty if it wasn’t for this one woman who was clutching the brims of the polished sink. She was tall, the golden hair equaled a rat nest and her red dress seemed to have witnessed a lot.

“Ugh,” she muttered and looked into the mirror. Her eyes found his immediately.

“Percy?” she turned around.

Oh right. He was Percy Jackson, thirty-one, single, hopefully the new CEO of Atlantic INC., he had a fantastic apartment in the Upper East Side with an amazing view and he was in Greece to impress his family with his fake fiancé in order to secure his father’s legacy. His fake fiancé being Annabeth Chase, a woman he loathed, had to pay a little hush money and hoped would leave the company fairly soon after.

“You’re in the men’s restroom,” Percy then stated.

Annabeth looked around. No, it was not the same bathroom she used in the morning. Oh yeah, Gaia’s weird bathroom rules.

“Honestly who cares?” the junior marketing manager complained. “A toilet’s a toilet, no matter who uses it.”

Percy shrugged. Annabeth had a point but it wasn’t their house so they couldn’t dictate the rules.

“I wanted to retouch my makeup, but I didn’t find my makeup bag.” She walked steadily to Percy, but it was clear to both of them that she had her fair amount of shots in her system.

“Yeah, it’s probably in the other bathroom. Wait, let me use the bathroom for a second and then we can head back to our room and you can look for your makeup.”

Annabeth nodded and waited on the outside while Percy was tending his business. After drying his hands, he opened the door and found Annabeth yawning in front of one of his yai yai’s paintings. It showed the scythe from the fireplace.

“In all honesty, your great-grandmother is an amazing woman. I admire her. Showing kindness and strength each day. How old is she?”

“Turning 106 next October,” Percy smiled at her. “She always said she wanted to live long enough to see her favorite descendants find their own happiness, whatever it may be.”

The softness in his voice made Annabeth’s heart ache. She turned her head back to the painting. She was a nobody. She had no family, no traditions she could upkeep. She didn’t even have a steady relationship in the past five years. Fucking Luke Castellan. He also had to take that from her as well. Make her suffer. That’s what Athena, Friedrich and Luke all thought at the same time. And they all had nearly reached their wicked goal if it hadn’t been for her stubbornness and will to eventually blossom into something else. The first step towards that something else resided within her move to California. She wanted to leave everything and everyone behind and start a new life, somewhere where no one knew her.

A thumb brushed over her cheek. Annabeth looked up to Percy. She hadn’t even realized she was sobbing again.

“Whatever it is, it’s going to be okay,” Percy assured her. His hands found her sides, pulling her into a soft hug.

A true fiancé level hug. Annabeth had never felt that comfortable within a man’s reach. Percy might have been an awful and annoying coworker, but he truly cared about his fellow people. The way they slowly rocked and kept hugging each other reminded her of the school dance work they had put on the floor earlier. But this time it was real. This time there was no one taking pictures or yelling into their ears, or the demand to see a kiss.

Annabeth rested her face in his chest and Percy leaned his head on hers. It was like they had been made for each other. A welcoming scent greeted Percy. Lemon and lavender. The person stuck in Percy’s crumbled mind had been Annabeth. She was his anchor in the havoc his relatives had created in such a short time. He took a deeper breath. It felt reassuring.

“Did you just sniff me?” Annabeth laughed as she pulled away from him.

“You do smell good!” he defended himself with a stupid grin on his mouth.

“Oh, wait you’re super drunk,” she giggled again as she saw his widened pupils that had pushed the darkened sea-green iris away.

“Well, look at you,” he retorted.

They looked at each other. Aside from the bumping music and the noises people made downstairs it had been completely silent. He missed her warmth; she missed his comfort. Neither would have guessed that a simple embrace could offer so much. Neither would have thought they would take it to the next step within a split second.

One last look. A last time sea-green and light-gray met before each set of eyes closed and their lips met with a brutal force in the middle. Their teeth clacked but it didn’t matter to them. What mattered now, was the moment. Forgotten was the alcohol, forgotten were the troubles of past, present and future. Forgotten were the friends and relatives in the building and back in New York.

So... what do you think? 😄 Like I said, this is not the entire chapter 🤷🏾‍♀️ I honestly feel bad for cutting the chapter off because it's really getting more interesting from that point on 💁🏾‍♀️ I'll probably continue working on this once I've published the next act of The Fool 🥳

Also Greek people, if something seems off with this (aside from random English at times lol) hit me up, I definitely have to do more research!

[lunarflux]

"i felt your arms reach for help, and not a muscle in my body could keep me from holding onto you so tightly"

lee felix x reader

genre — fluff!au

tw: suggested abusive relationship

suggested background music: x

note: i like to put a bit of my life into my writing - i had a dream the other night that i saw my abusive ex and hid behind a member of skz lol

You never usually went out on the weekends. It's always been that way. Maybe once a month, you'd entertain the occasional invite out for dinner and drinks, but it had been a while since you'd gone out so casually with your small group of friends.

Clubs were always dark, and you were never the type to run into the crowd. So there you stood by the bar, watching your friends as you nursed your beverage, the sweat from the glass dripping down to the floor. You wanted so badly to have fun, but this just wasn't your scene anymore.

After the departure of your ex-boyfriend, you realized just how much you missed out on. Your friends no longer waited for you because they'd just expected you to say no. It took over a year to realize your relationship had grown toxic, and no partner should ever keep you from experiencing life. Being in a relationship meant sharing a life - not becoming someone else's.

The need to be alone washed over you, remembering the last argument with your ex over reprioritizing your life. To him, friends came second. You just couldn't live like that anymore.

You're free now - and you still haven't adjusted to that feeling.

Club patrons would stand next to you and try to strike up a conversation, but as cold as ever, you avoided their gaze and sipped from the now watered down beverage, still dripping down your hand.

One in particular didn't try to talk to you. In fact, he stood at the bar much like you did, checking his watch, his phone, whatever he could to seem occupied. He glanced at you every now and then. Through the chaotic lights, he'd catch your eye, and he'd smile.

All you could see were the faint hints of the freckles scattered across his cheeks.

After about the fifth time noticing him check his phone, you leaned over. "Did your date bail on you or something?"

He chuckled. "No. I'm just killing time, so my friends stop bugging me about hanging around their apartment so much."

The conversation died as soon as it started, but you two stayed in place. You'd toast with him to every new glass, and then you'd go back to how you were - standing by the bar, killing time.

"y/n - "

Steadying yourself, you looked past your freckled partner only to find a familiar - unwelcome - face.

Staring your ex in the face for the first time in three months, the only thing you could do was stare. Your legs locked in place, and it felt like this club was just another nightmare.

"What are you doing here -" The familiar stranger took a step towards you.

It was a reflex.

All at once, you dropped your glass and found yourself gripping onto the denim sleeve of your drinking partner.

The blonde looked down at you, noticing the vice grip on his arm. He swore he could feel the tension built up within you as you just stood there, holding onto him like a scared child even though he was nothing but a stranger for the night.

Your view changed, and now you were looking at his back. Your drinking partner stood in front of you, his hand holding yours protectively.

"Can I help you?" He said to your ex who merely examined the sight before him like it couldn't possibly be happening.

"You her boyfriend?" Your ex spat with a matching sneer.

"I said, can I help you."

Trying to maneuver around your shield, he laughed, and it was a cruel sound. "So two years just in the fucking trash, and now you've moved onto this guy?"

You whispered into your protector's sleeve. "Please leave."

"Go - " The still nameless blonde nodded his head towards the crowd. "Before I call security for harassment."

"No need." Your ex took a swig of his drink. "You can have her."

The interaction only lasted a minute, but you swore you couldn't breathe. They never tell you about this kind of aftermath from a bad breakup. You were supposed to feel elated that this villain was out of your life after years of over-controlling behavior and manipulation tactics. This was supposed to be your new life.

Still stuck in place, you followed robotically as your protector pulled you up the stairs and out into the street. It was only then that he let go of your hand to cradle your face, wiping away the tears from your cheeks with his thumb.

"Are you okay?"

"I -" You let out an uneasy breath. The fresh air almost hurt to inhale. "Yes, I'm fine. I just didn't.... expect to see him so soon."

"What's your name?"

"y/n"

"y/n, my name is Felix. Have you eaten yet?" He took off his hat and placed it on your head, securing it tightly like it was a new shield to keep you safe.

Shaking your head, you let him lead you down the street to the closest night market. It was a little past midnight, but it was still crowded. Bumping into patrons, Felix grabbed your hand again and led you through the crowd.

Stopping in front of a dessert cart, he guided you to stand next to him. "Well?"

"It's fine, I should go."

Felix squeezed your hand. "Come on. It's late. You're clearly shaken up. I don't think anyone should be alone like that."

He was right though it pained you to admit it. Your fun Friday night went from decent to shit in less than five minutes, and now this handsome freckled stranger was the one to try to comfort you.

"I have a thing about sweets." Felix looked up at the selection of ice cream. "Brownies and ice cream - it's like my comfort food."

"Mine, too." You finally noticed how warm his hand was.

He held up two fingers to the part-time worker before letting go of you to grab both of the treats.

"I can pay you back." You took a spoonful of vanilla. "I'm sorry. I think I ruined your night out."

Felix shook his head, clearly enjoying the frozen treat. "You didn't ruin anything. I'm just sorry your night got cut short because of... your ex, right?"

You nodded quietly. "I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"Well, I - "

"I've only known your name for ten minutes, and you've apologized to me twice already." Felix's freckles were much more visible now, and it suited him. He looked kind, and his smile was bright before softening to concern. "Did he make you feel like you had to apologize for everything?"

Poking your spoon around your ice cream, you couldn't find the words. Felix took your silence as a 'yes.'

"That doesn't seem like any way to treat your girlfriend."

"I mean, some of it might have been my fault - "

Felix interrupted your excuses with a spoonful of chocolate. "Stop."

"But I -"

"- am single now. And I am not him." He grinned again. "So just erase everything he made you feel like you needed to do, and just be in the moment with me. Okay?"

"It was just," you tried to find the words. "I don't know. I haven't done this in a really long time, and I know not everyone is like that. But I don't even really know you."

Felix placed his hand on your head, his smile still comforting and genuine. He pulled you close to him. "Well, I guess we're going to have to change that."

**

It was another Friday night, but now these nights were taken up by Felix dropping by your apartment with freshly baked brownies and a new movie.

He never passed the boundaries of holding hands and hugs. It almost made you wonder how you ended up here with this person who was nothing more than a fellow bar patron at some point.

"Can I ask you something?"

Felix was scooping ice cream onto the brownies. He offered you a spoonful, "What's up?"

The words got caught in your throat again. It's only been two months. You hadn't returned to the club since, and you were finally sleeping well again. It was almost like having Felix kept the nightmares away. Simply knowing he was there did more healing than anything else ever did.

You didn't want to ruin it.

"Never mind." You grabbed your bowl and settled in front of the TV.

Felix looked back at you. Lately, it was like you always started out tense in front of him, and he was dying to know why.

An hour into the movie, Felix finally noticed that you weren't paying attention. Your dessert was left half unfinished which was unusual. You just sat there beside him, staring at the floor.

He poked your cheek before reaching over to pause the movie. "What's on your mind?"

"It's nothing."

"y/n, come on." Felix sighed. "What is it? Are you having nightmares again? Did you see him again?"

It shouldn't feel odd, but you didn't expect him to find you so predictable. "No, I just have a lot on my mind."

"Okay, so tell me."

The silence filled the room again.

"Is this something you can't tell me?"

"That's not it, I just don't know how to tell you -"

"Try!" Felix laughed. "I haven't seen you this speechless since the night we met."

Thinking about that night brought so many mixed feelings. It was like seeing the evil witch and meeting your prince charming all at once. After your ex said those things, it was like something just held you back. It just always seemed too soon to say anything - no matter how much you liked Felix, no matter what he did you help you heal and just be happy. If this is what a relationship is supposed to be like, you didn't know how to operate. This was a book on love you'd never dared to read before.

"It's nothing." You said quietly.

Felix almost looked disappointed. He looked down at the floor, shuffling his feet together. "Should I leave?"

"What? No -"

"I just feel like I'm bothering you."

"You're not bothering me!" You grabbed his hand. There it was again, one of the two romantic gestures that wouldn't be pushed any further.

Felix held your hand gently, stroking your thumb with his. "So do you want to tell me what's on your mind?"

You leaned forward, resting your head against his arm so he couldn't see how flustered you were.

"I just don't know when the right time is."

"Meaning?" Felix had every right to be confused.

"How long is long enough to be over someone and move on?" You kept your head down. You didn't want him to see you crumble like this. You felt so weak and tired at the thought of exposing yourself like this.

You and Felix sat in silence for a moment. His grip on your hand was tighter than usual, but his demeanor was difficult to read.

"Is that what's been bothering you? You don't want me to think you've moved on too quickly?"

You nodded against his arm, still hiding your face.

He pulled you up and into his arms again, holding you securely. He smelled like vanilla and musk today. He hid his face in your neck, and you stayed like that. This was the safest you've ever felt, and being here with him finally stopped that awful feeling of not knowing what it was to want to share your mornings with someone. Felix wasn't a burden. He was the sunshine, and his warmth was your safety.

Taking a deep breath, Felix finally sat upright nodding to himself. "Okay, so let's talk."

"Talk away." You almost giggled at the flush on his cheeks.

He brushed the hair away from your face, keeping hands cupped on the sides of your neck.

"There is no time limit for being ready, okay?"

Felix's eyes stayed on yours.

"If you're over him, then you're over him. Fuck that guy, he was awful. And I know you think that with the timing - meeting me that night - it was a burden, wasn't it? Because there was no way you could ever tell if you were ready or if you'd just found a distraction." Felix smiled softly. "Do you trust me?"

You nodded quietly, eyes feeling awfully heavy.

"Well, I trust you. And I trust you know that this burden of never knowing will go away on its own, okay?"

"I just don't want to hurt you." You tried to pull away with no avail.

Felix released another heavy sigh.

He searched for something in your eyes before making his decision.

His kisses were like his hugs - warm and comforting. He was gentle, rubbing the edge of your face with his fingers. The small pitter-patters of his breath against your cheeks tickled.

Felix kissed you sweetly in silence. The moonlight had already set on the apartment, but he just stayed with you in the moment, feeling like if there was ever a time, it was now.

Leaving a final kiss on the tip of your nose, he sat back.

"Take your time. I'm not going anywhere."

[kalinawtokilig]

S/O with a Charming/Sharp Tongue

Get ready I’m getting all mystic and biblical;

“There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing...” (Proverbs 12:18) 

But we’re gonna use that to SWORD TO THRUST INTO PPL

Pair(s) : Hinata Shouyou x Reader, Goshiki Tsutomu x Reader, Yachi Hitoka x Reader, Koganegawa Kanji x Reader, Haiba Lev x Reader

------

Hinata Shouyou x Reader

((Clementine babes,, *cue puppy eyes*))

It wasn’t much of a surprise tbh

Okay it kinda was 

It’s just,,, Hinata can match anyone’s wavelength, y’know??

This babe thinks you’re so frickin cool,,, throwing spats on someone who decides to make the first move to insult you,,, bruh you are literally throwing out clever insults that can make Tsukishima impressed

At first, he was intimidated by you, and was a bit biased, having heard you had the same mannerisms as Saltyshima

He still tried his best to befriend you,, 

And it worked! 

Being paired into a group project, he introduced himself as bubbly and kind as possible 

and damn,, ya heart melted,,, 

You became friends as you both bonded over which type of meat buns taste good after a study 

and you being a sharp, s m o o t h, muthafuca, you said

“If we’re talking meat buns, how bout I take you on another study date? Pork buns, right, Hinata-kun?” 

This boy had to process what you said and became a total pomegranate 

“ : 0 “

“Alright, cutie, c’mon if you get this question right, maybe we can get outta here and get snacks :3c “ 

You’re gonna kill him

and i think we all know he’s okay with that

Goshiki Tsutomu x Reader

((Omgahhh this babie,,, He is one of my fav first years in HQ,,, I do not pimp,,, I simp))) 

You’re actually a second year whilst this bowl cut bahbie is a first year

When Shiratorizawa lost to Karasuno, it was a defeat that reigned with rumors of how the volleyball team isn’t as great as everyone thought they were

Goshiki was greatly affected by this

:((((

He feels he failed his Senpais and felt more of a disappointment rather than a failure

You being a tutor of his, you guys would occasionally converse about tips on self-care or he explains with the cutest expression when he talks proudly of perfecting a spike

he seemed normal, but you can obviously tell he was not okay

Tsutomi-bae was trying to hold his tears in while the students that accompanied the library talked about the defeat of Shiratorizawa

Having enough of this trash talk, you sternly declared each one of them, even seeing a few second-years from Shirabu’s class. Setting them straight and saying that if they can take on the freak duo that happened to attempt to take down not only Dateko, Seijoh, and Shiratorizawa, then they might as well try to come back to school, defeated as well  

 You say at least Tsutomu was able to play against them, playing proudly as the upcoming ace and knowing at least some of their tactics

Sitting down with a huff, you nonchalantly continue to tutor him

He sits there, starry eyes wide, mouth agape, and a pink flush on his face to the tips of his ears

Tilting your head, cutely, I daresay, you ask him if he’s alright

“Y-Yes! Thank you, (Y/N)-senpai!” 

Humming, you smile slyly, “You are really such a cute kohai, Tsumtomu-chan.” 

Congrats, you killed someone

Yachi Hitoka x Reader

((YESZ I SIMP SIMP FOR HER I AGREE YACHI SUPREMACY))

You were a second-year in Nishinoya’s class

You were actually good friends with the libero 

as he was short tempered and ready to throw punches

you were ready to assertively borderline aggressive hurl insults on those who hurt your precious friends

unfortunately, while in a spat against other students, Nishinoya almost foaming at the mouth with Tanaka holding him back, you were snarkily talking the students down into their place

It was their defeat after Seijoh and it hit a sensitive topic to them

Yachi had been bringing paperwork to the teacher’s office and nearly BOLTED when she heard you talk with such confidence with provocation and underlying threat 

when you were finished putting those maggots in their place, your pissed off glare landed on Yachi’s

Oh,,, she’s shaking,,, terrified,,, 

Hurry to leave, she quickly turned around but rammed into the wall, packets falling to the ground

she scurriedly tries to pick them all up,, Babygirl almost shits herself when you tower over her

“P-Please don’t-”

You crouched down to her and she’s sweating bullets, seeing that your hand it outstretching until-

“I’m sorry about that, I didn’t mean to glare, you just so happen to be in my line of sight.” You apologized, helping up pick up the papers

Glancing up, you smile as kindly and less threatening as possible, “I didn’t mean to scare an angel like you, I really am sorry about that.” 

Yachi tries not to combust at the compliment you’ve thrown at her

Getting up, she nods her head in thanks and you ask, “You’re Yachi, right? Noya says another student joined the club, Yachi, he told me. He was right,”

“About what?”

“Managers, specifically you, really do bless the eyes of a person like me.”

Stop killing ppl you sadist

Koganegawa Kanji x Reader

((I have a thing for blondes,,,, Not atsumu tho, I’ll peg the sh-))

this babie, can just be frustratingly cute

its not that he’s stupid, it’s cause he does more action than thinking

when he does think, it’s on the court and it’s in full hard drive

You usually get into petty spats with Futakuchi cause he’s being too hard on Kogane

“It’s not my fault you have such an obvious crush on him, (Y/N) <3”

“It’s not my fault that you have no one to worry about you the way I do for him Futakuchi-kun </3″

People often mistake why you would for,,, a bubble headed blone himbo like him

“Why do you go for people that are toxic and continue to go back to them when they obviously want your convenience :) ?”

Kogane literally needs to carry you to prevent further provocation

Lots of people don’t get WHY him

And you tell others to worry about their own bitter, single, loveless lives rather than your better and healthy relationship

You are salty and jab at them when they so much as talk negative about your boyfie

Kogane really appreciates you for stepping up for him, but he worries for how far you’d go for him

“...”

“...well?”

“Do you...need me to murder someone, baby?” 

“NO” 

“Oh, then you got your answer sweetcheeks ;D”

You, my friend, need to stop

Haiba Lev x Reader

((Silver-grey haired babes HIT DIFFERENT))

Being in manager of Nekoma is like,,, chaotic but in a way you NEED to prevent Kenma from strangling Kuroo for taking his Nintendoswitch and Yaku yeeting a ball at Lev’s tall ass

Until YOU wanted to yeet a ball at your boyfie’s tall ass

He finally was able to spike a ball. 

but you caught it 

with your face

and blood seeped outta your nose

Kuroo: This is my part no one els- Kenma: Shut up 

Fiery anger. 

Yaku is the one restraining you from going on an all out roast, covering your mouth and holding your shoulders

“Yes, yes, (Y/N), Lev is an idiot.” 

“RAAWRFRREG”

“I agree, he can be a pain in the ass, but YOU’RE the one dating him”

“...”

“DONT FUCKIN LICK MY HAND YOU ASS”

Lev is so sorry. he is so sorry, so so-

“Lev, give me a towel..”

“Yes love.”

While Coach Nekomata calls a break, he chuckles at the young couple, that being you and Lev

Kenma cringes

As he cradles you with his larger figure, a hand resting on your head to lay on his shoulder

“You’ve improved on your spike, bae.” 

“I did?!”

“Yeah, next time aim for Kuroo’s unnatural bedhead, maybe if you hit it, it’ll turn back to normal.”

“Oi, oi (Y/N), watch it. Rudolph.”

Lev freezes when your eyes smile with confidence, and he restrains you

“YOU WANNA CALL ME NAMES? BRING IT ON YOU TAPU KOKO LOOKIN’ MUTHAF-”

Kenma : “nice pokemon reference”

[zer0-is-me]

Chapter 2 - Izuku and Katsuki

Chapter 1, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5

A/N:

Hi there! This is chapter two of... I need a name for this. Uhm, nevermind, if this gets more attention we'll figure it out then. That's a job for future me. Anywho, this is literally for those few people who liked my work and that one person who commented (tysm that made my day <3). Um, here goes writing the next chapter :D hope you enjoy!

Previously:

Eraserhead took a step towards him, and Izuku started to accept that maybe he just wasn't made for vigilantism, when a small something fell between them, clanging loudly in the quiet night.

After a beat, Izuku cocked his head and began, " What the hell-"

And it exploded.

Let it never be said that Katsuki knew what he was doing.

He never claimed that.

Sure, it had been a conscious decision when he started his... nighttime activities, but that didn't mean he had anything actually planned or thought out. At first, the nights were just him wandering around, saving a few people, and going back home at, what, 12AM? 1AM? At first he thought it was late; he should have gone to bed at 8:30PM. But then he thought that maybe it was worth it. Honestly, he wasn't so sure about the whole being-a-hero idea anymore, after... the incident, so why should it matter so much?

But then heroes started to actually pay attention to him. People started to pay attention to him. And his name began to be the one people called out at night when they needed help. This also meant that heroes went after him, too (he found that extremely annoying).

Katsuki wasn't sure why he was doing it.

(Maybe it was for a bit of personal atonement.

For the harm he had done in the past.)

Either way, when he had wandered into another neighbourhood for the night, searching for a lead on a case he had caught wind about, he hadn't been expecting to find another vigilante.

Vigilantes like him were rare; vigilantes who did proper good and did well in the job too, not killing, bitter ones (*cough* Stain, *cough cough*).

He wasn't completely sure why he did it. Sure, he was softer and kinder at night, for some reason, but he still wouldn't help someone who was being targeted by heroes. Let alone a hero he, himself, had been targeted by before as well.

He had been scaling a building with one of his support items, when he realised that someone was already up there - correction; two were. He was about to scale back down, unnoticed, when he overheard a familiar voice.

Huh. He didn't think the hobo's patrolling routes crossed over to this neighbourhood.

" Look, just come peacefully, and you might have a shorter sentence in jail," he heard Eraserhead say. " I honestly think you're doing good, but it's still against the law."

Oh, so there's another vigilante here. Well, if they were gonna get captured by a hero, they probably weren't good enough to be a vigilante anyway. Although, if Eraserhead himself had said they were doing good...

A robotical, glitchy voice answered. Either a quirk or a voice changer, like him.

" Awww, I'm so happy the one and only Eraserhead appreciates my efforts!" Katsuki heard them coo.

They seem nice enough, for a vigilante, so far, he had thought. No killing yet, anyway. Though, he also knew that looks could deceive. He decided not to intervene until he deemed it necessary.

Eraserhead's voice came again, " Yeah, well, I've been on your case for a while now, so I know firsthand how helpful you can be."

The smile was evident in the vigilante's warped voice. The tone was softer, too. " Then don't turn me in. You and I both know crime rates have dropped since I've appeared."

It was silent for a moment, and Katsuki wondered if something had happened. He was about to climb up and check when Eraserhead finally spoke.

" I'm sorry, I can't do that and you know it. It's my job," Eraserhead genuinely sounded sorry. Katsuki heard a quiet slap on concrete, and his mind provided that the hero had taken a step forward.

Internally, Katsuki was having an argument with himself.

He should help them escape. They're doing good, it would be wrong to take a real hero off of these streets.

But, on the other hand, he didn't know this vigilante. He wouldn't save a random lawbreaker! What if he'd misinterpreted the situation? What if this was a villain, and not a vigilante?

Another quiet noise of a foot hitting floor made him groan quietly at how weak-willed he was against himself.

Fuck it.

He grabbed one of his home made smoke bombs from his belt and lobbed it over the top of the roof. It made a loud clang in the quiet night.

After a moment, he vaguely heard the glitching voice of the presumed vigilante say, " What the hell-"

But he was already scaling the last meter of the wall quickly and didn't pay it much attention. With the trigger for the smoke bomb in hand, he pressed the button and heard the bang of it going off.

He leaped onto the roof top and grabbed the vigilante's arm, pulling him away from the smoke and where Eraserhead was trying to wave it away.

When at first the vigilante resisted, he growled quietly, " Do you want to get away, or not?!"

" ... Fine," the vigilante muttered, letting Katsuki lead them away and towards the edge of the roof, behind the hero.

Not waiting for the other to catch up, he let go of their arm and leaped onto the next building, blunting the force with a roll. He began running to the side quickly.

If the other vigilante couldn't catch up, that was their problem.

And yet not a second later, he heard a soft thud and the shuffle of clothes behind him, then the thump of feet joining his.

He jumped onto another building roof and looked behind him, still running. The other vigilante jumped down behind him, their head down, hood covering their hair and eyes.

Behind them, Eraserhead was only just recovering from the smoke and had realised they were gone. He only looked out after them and didn't make a move to follow, however. He must've known they were already too far away. Katsuki looked forwards again and leaped onto the next building.

When he deemed them far enough, he slowed down on one of the taller roofs and dangled his feet off of the edge. When the other vigilante saw this, they slowed down, almost confused. Katsuki felt their calculating gaze on him.

When it had been a few seconds, Katsuki thought that they'd just leave him there in peace. But then-

They sat next to him, feet also dangling off of the edge.

Well, not close to him, fortunately for Katsuki. They sat a few meters away, out of reach if either decided to try something.

A few minutes of silence passed, save for their quiet breathing and the occasional car driving past. Katsuki knew he should get up and carry on the reason he was here; to find clues on the case, but he couldn't bring himself to.

It- it was peaceful, for once. No villains trying to kill him. No suffocating adults or peers praising him not for he, himself, but his quirk. No yells or punches from someone he should trust and be loved by. No chaotic thoughts ripping through his mind, making him doubt and panic.

It was peaceful.

Well, for a while, at least.

" Why did you do that?"

The vigilante had finally spoken up, and Katsuki nearly missed it.

" Hah?" He sideglanced the other vigilante, looking at him properly for the first time.

His eyes were hidden by a dark visor and the shadows of his hood, the rest of his face covered by a black surgical mask. His hood was black with toxic green accents on the rim, and it attached to a black, obviously oversized hoodie. He had a belt which held small pouches and items, and what looked like a bow staff attached to his back. He wore black sweatpants and black trainers. He also wore tight-fitting combat gloves, like Katsuki himself.

" Why did you do it?" the vigilante repeated. " You don't know me, I don't know you. I could be a villain, for all you know. Wait, are you a villain?!"

" I'm not a fucking villain, dumb fuck," Katsuki grumbled, eyes sliding back to the floor all the way down. " And I don't know why I did it. I just fuckin' did."

The other hummed. " ... Well, thanks. I owe you one."

" Damn right you do," he replied.

" Are you always this rude?"

Katsuki turned his head and raised his eyebrows. " Are you always this annoying?"

They huffed a chuckle and crossed their arms. " ... So... What are you?"

Katsuki's expression pinched, as if saying, ' Wtf?'.

" What the hell is that question? What, am I supposed to say a motherfucking fairy?"

The other waved his hands about. " No, no! That's not what I meant! I mean, are you a vigilante? A villain? A hero?"

Katsuki gave him another unimpressed stare, then sighed. " You're fucking hopeless." ("Hey!")

" Let's see, I threw a smoke bomb at a hero and made sure the idiot who was about to get caught by him wasn't caught. I'm pretty sure I'm not a hero," he deadpanned. " And I literally just said I'm not a villain."

" Well, I mean, you could be lying," the other shrugged.

" If I was a fucking villain," Katsuki said, his patience wearing thin, " Then I definitely wouldn't have saved your hopeless ass. I'd say killing you would be a better course of action if I were a villain. I'm considering it now, actually."

The hooded figure ignored the last comment.

" A bit mean, but I get the point, I guess," they said. " So you're a vigilante. Cool, I haven't seen a decent one like me in ages. But, I haven't seen you around here before? Are you new?"

Katsuki scoffed. " Fuck, no. I've been in this for, what, two, three years? I'm from the neighbourhood nearby. Don't ask. What about you? Never heard of you before."

" You don't know my name, how can you be sure you've never heard of me before?" they deadpanned.

" Because I don't care."

The vigilante snorted. " I'm really feeling the love and kindness coming off of you in waves."

" Shut the fuck up," the blonde rolled his eyes. " Fine, what's your name, then, dumbass?"

" It's definitely not 'dumbass'," the other muttered (" Again, I couldn't give less shits."), before offering his hand and saying, " Kibo, the vigilante of hope! Pleased to meet you!"

Katsuki stared at the newly named, 'Kibo's, hand, before ignoring it completely. He stood up, stretching, and turned to leave.

He paused right before he was about to jump to the floor, and sighed.

" Name's Valour. If we're doing your cringe-y ass shit, the vigilante of courage and bravery."

As an afterthought, he added, " And, no, I'm not using your name, dumb fuck."

And then, he was gone.

A/N:

I have decided.

I'm keeping the second A/Ns, and you cant stop me. u dont fuckin control me.

anywayyyyy, this went on longer than I was expecting. Sorry bout that lol. Betcha didn't see Kacchan coming in all his explosive glory, tho.

Ugh i couldn't find a nickname for izu from baku without using his appearance (which, obviously, I couldn't do, even if i wanted to call him 'broccoli reject') so i just stuck with 'dumb fuck' :D It might change, it might not, who knows?

Remember to comment or do that heart thing-y-ma-jigy! Like it? Hate it? Tell me about it! I want to hear your opinions.

Alright bye byeee, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and remember that you deserve the world! Tell yourself that everyday, otherwise here's me saying it and hoping you'll remember it everyday. Because it's true :) Have a great day!! <3

Oh, and @mymanbakugou :D (if anyone wants to be tagged for future chapters, just say so! <3)

[howaboutalittlehelpneos]

What are everyone’s teams in your Pokemon au? Do you have a plot set out or is it a more causal au?

Oooooh this is a fun one

You'd better fucking BELIEVE we have a plot set up, I have poured so much effort into the Pokemon au

Okay, so: when it comes to teams, I decided that everyone should have at least one legendary Pokemon in their party as a way to be faithful to the ace monster concept, but it wasn’t until much later into the au that I realized I’d failed to do that with Sora’s team, which led to a very fun plot point involving his secret 7th Pokemon he keeps in his box

Teams under the cut because it’s gonna be a long one, boys

Yuya has: Groudon, Sandshrew, Popplio, Hippopotas, Aipom, and Ekans

In his box, he’s got Phanphy, Charmander, Politoad, Ducklett, Liepard, Skorupi, and Lycanroc (Midnight form)

I wanted him to have as many Pokemon as he could that reminded me of the monsters in his deck, and since Yuya is a coordinator in this au instead of a regular trainer, it just felt right that he’d have a lot of different partners he could swap out for various contests

Also I’m mad that there isn’t a legendary dragon that looks like Odd Eyes, so I had to give Yuya Groudon instead, making him the only Yu boy in this au to not have a legendary dragon type Pokemon

Yuto has: Eternatus, Bisharp, Aegislash, Aggron, Lucario, and Shadow Rider Calyrex

Okay listen, I know I was supposed to only give everyone One legendary Pokemon, but with Calyrex I feel justified because it looks So Much like it could be one of Yuto’s Phantom Knights, I mean

Just look at it

Yuto gets to have two legendaries to make up for Arc-V killing him off so early into the show

Aside from this guy, the rest of Yuto’s team just felt like it should be comprised of steel types ow the edge so that’s what I gave him. His Pokemon are as edgy as he tries to appear to be and that is enough to amuse me.

There also weren’t exactly many good Pokemon equivalents of his archetype, so I made do with what I had.

Yugo has: Latios, Scizor, Claydol, Porygon 2, Ponyta (Shiny), and Sudowoodo

Yugo was honestly so hard to come up with a team for because all his Speedroid cards are just like... toys and stuff for the most part, so I agonized over what I should pick for him for a Long time. In the end, I feel like I got close enough to his general aesthetic with the Pokemon I picked.

(His Ponyta is there because of Speedroid Horse Stilts, and while it is a shiny, the dumbass has no idea about it, and thinks he just happened to get a special blue horse that was born a little differently- he never claimed to be smart.)

He also deadass thought Sudowoodo was a grass type for the longest time. Rin had to be the one to tell him it wasn’t. 

“Yugo. Sudowoodo? It sounds like pseudo? As in fake wood?”

“Ohhhhh is that what its name means? Wow Rin you’re so smart.”

No Yugo you’re just exceptionally stupid.

Yuri has: Naganadel, Seviper, Victreebel, Toxicroak, Vileplume, and Roserade

For the most toxic of battlers, I felt it only necessary to give Yuri an all poison type team. I included an even mix of plants in there to tie into his Predaplant deck, Seviper for the snake eye vibes, and Toxicroak... just feels right, you know. I couldn’t find any other poison plant themed Pokemon that seemed like they’d fit his vibe, so he gets a poison frog instead.

Yuzu has: Meloetta, Sylveon, Meowstic (Female), Gardevoir, Florges, and Jigglypuff

I tried to stick with Pokemon that had very feminine vibes for Yuzu, since her deck is comprised of pretty singing ladies, so Meloetta and Jigglypuff in particular feel very fitting in that regard.

Serena has: Cresselia, Delcatty, Glameow, Lopunny, Persian, and Pyroar (Female)

The moon vibes with Cresselia felt perfect for Serena, and as for the rest of her team, all cats and a bunny to pay homage to her Lunalight deck ^^

Rin has: Celesteela, Mismagius, Hatterene, Glaceon, Froslass, and Chimecho

Her team vibes with the witch part of her Wind Witch deck, at least for Mismagius and Hatterene. Glaceon, Froslass, and Chimecho are there due to the etymology of her name, where possible meanings of it include “cold” and “bell”, which I thought was pretty cool, no pun intended.

Ruri has: Galarian Articuno, Pidgeot, Noctowl, Chatot, Altaria, and Unfezant (Male)

Some softer birds for the soft bird girl, for the most part. I liked the thought of her team being all birds like her Lyriluscs, and just... yeah. They’re all very friendly birds that Ruri’s bonded pretty closely with. Also I made sure she had Galarian Articuno for no reason other than it is purple like her, and I think that’s all the reason I need.

Gong has: Kartana, Machoke, Samurott, Golisopod, Hariyama, and Conkeldurr

Gong was really easy to assign a team to- just had to find as many samurai themed Pokemon as possible, and fill in the rest with really strong fighting types, like Machoke, Hariyama, and Conkeldurr.

Shingo has: Type: Null, Dusclops, Misdreavus, Spiritomb, Decidueye, and Cramorant

With Shingo, I tried to go for Pokemon that had the same vibes as some of his Abyss Actors, and I think Dusclops is the best example of this. Tbh I am very proud of giving him a Type: Null because Type: Null is an amalgamation of other Pokemon, something that was created in a lab to be a fighting machine. There’s nothing natural about Type: Null, and it’s kind of terrifying to Yuya specifically, who’s always viewed Pokemon as creatures to befriend. This experiment created purely to kill... unnerves him, and serves as a very good foil to his beliefs when it comes to Pokemon.

And they were narrative foils

Oh my god they were narrative foils

On a sillier note, I chose Cramorant purely because of this quote from its bulbapedia page: “Cramorant are also rather unintelligent as they can't remember which Pokémon they fight in mid battle, but never forget Trainers that they trust. However, they try to attack their Trainers if they steal food from them.”

I just thought the idea of Shingo having this dumb bird that occasionally pecks at him over food would be funny tbh, gotta dunk on the rival at least a little bit.

Sora has: Banette, Vanillish, Swirlix, Stufful, Litleo, and Buneary

In his box, he has a Guzzlord

I feel like Sora’s team is very straightforward, as it’s a mix of sweets themed Pokemon, and Pokemon that represent monsters in his deck- Stufful for Flufflal Bear, Litleo for Fluffal Leo, and Buneary for Fluffal Rabbit. Guzzlord... is relevant later on in the plot after shit goes down, that’s all I’ll say for now.

Masumi has: Diancie, Sableye, Corsola, Aurorus, Tyranitar, and Lycanroc (Dusk form)

Gem Knight girl deserved to have a bunch of good rock type Pokemon, and Diancie is like. The best possible legendary I could have given someone like her lol, the crystal aesthetic is just perfect for her. Not much to say here honestly, I just really vibed with these specific rock types and thought they’d make a good team for her.

Yaiba has: Zeraora, Kecleon, Pangoro, Scyther, Purugly, and Stantler

So I actually threw this list together just now because I realized Masumi was the only member of her trio to have a full team, and that just wasn’t right. I tried to base this team off the XX-Sabers as well I could, but it was a little hard with how many humanoid cards Yaiba has. With his legendary, I actually chose it based off this monster right here! 

I think they’ve got similar enough vibes aesthetically for Zeraora to fit him. Scyther is based on Emmersblade, Kecleon on Ragigura, Stantler on Garsem, Purugly on Gardestrike, and Pangoro... Honestly, it just makes me think of Yaiba himself when I look at him. I think they’d get along well.

Hokuto has: Deoxys, Espeon, Grumpig, Starmie, Lunatone, and Malamar

Psychic type Pokemon just sort of felt right for him to have, considering that his deck is based on constellations and has an overall space theme to it. Not sure why that translates over to psychic in my brain, but you know what, it looks right, I love this team for him, and I’m not gonna question it.

I especially think Deoxys makes a good legendary for him considering it is literally a space alien, and Hokuto’s whole thing is space, so yeah, he gets to have the space alien.

Shun has: Galarian Moltres, Skarmory, Fearow, Dodrio, Staraptor, and Talonflame

Pretty straightforward team I feel- it’s all birds of prey for the Raid Raptor boy, and I just thought the Galarian version of Moltres was neat. Makes me think of his Blaze Falcon since they’re both black and red.

Dennis has: Hoopa, Mr. Mime, Delphox, Zoroark, Alakazam, and Hawlucha

Hoopa seemed like a very good legendary for Dennis to have, given his deck archetype and all, he just kind of looks like a little circus dude. Its unbound form makes me think about the swap Dennis has when it gets revealed that he’s actually been a double agent the whole time, and the play gloves finally come off.

The rest of his team... I feel like they speak for themselves. I tried to give him Pokemon that matched up with his deck archetype, so there’s Delphox to rep the fire themed monsters, Mr. Mime because it just fits Dennis’ general personality- and I love the thought of those two being friends and just copying each other’s theatric poses. Chaotic dynamic duo.

(Also: Zoroark's ability letting it disguise itself as another Pokemon is just another parallel to Dennis pretending to be one of the good guys at first, and I love it)

Shinji has: Buzzwole, Beedrill, Vespiquen, Ribombee, Kricketune, and Leavanny

I tried to give the bee man all the bees I could, but there are only so many bee Pokemon out there 😔 I knew the rest of his team had to be insect types to make up for it, so I picked Kricketune because he is just... a friend... a musical buddy who definitely gets along well with the kids. Leavanny is just a bug mom who also helps patch up the kids’ clothing when they get tears in them, which I just love the idea of. Sweet bug mom whose dex entry talks about how they sew for other Pokemon looks after her trainer’s kids when she’s not battling.

Buzzwole: witness the fitness

Throwback to the Smash Bros mains lmao 

Crow has: Murkrow, Braviary, Starly, Swellow, Pikipek, and Corviknight

Bunch of birds for my Blackwing user... This team was partially picked out by June, and it was mostly meant for the Other Pokemon au, but I don’t really see a reason to change his team here. Crow is the one person without a legendary on his team, which makes me sad, but there really isn’t a legendary bird out there that fits his vibes, so as much as I wanna give him a legendary, he will have to make do without one. Sorry Crow.

Hoo... that’s finally all the teams down. Now I can talk about the plot! So, as I briefly mentioned in a previous post (I think), this particular au is inspired by Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum! It’s the era where contests really became a big thing, which is perfect for a lot of these characters because it’s easy to translate dueltaining over to coordinating in this world. Much like in canon, Yuya aspires to be as great a coordinator as his dad was, and strives to entertain people the way Yusho could. He’s not much for battling, and far prefers getting to show off his Pokemon’s talents in contests than anything. 

Academia is going to play the role of Team Galactic in this au, which is incredibly fitting with their mission in canon: to remake the universe in their leader’s image. In this case, with Leo Akaba taking on the role of Cyrus, his intent is, presumably, to either destroy the universe that took his daughter from him, or create a new one where she can live once again, no matter the cost.

Sora being a key member in Team Galactic is a very big part of the plot in this au: his mission was to capture one of the lake legendaries, Uxie, since Leo needed all three of them for his plan to remake the universe, but things don’t exactly go well for him, and he ends up losing his battle against Uxie, resulting in all of his memories being locked away, and essentially making him a blank slate.

Side note: the Galactic grunt haircut reminds me a lot of Sora, I mean just look at it

Practically same bangs as him, just add an upturned ponytail and you’ve got my son.

This post is getting very long... but I will add one last plot related thing to it before I go: Uxie can erase memories, Mesprit can erase emotions, and Azelf can erase willpower. All three of these lake legendaries play a very important role in the plot, due to being the keys to Leo Akaba’s plans to remake the universe. Sora was touched by Uxie, effectively doing away with all memory he has of being in Team Galactic. Yuya ends up touched by Mesprit in an attempt to save them, and subsequently loses his emotions as a result. Riley?

Riley had been affected by all three of them before the plot began, which is why she is the way she’d been in Arc-V: Emotionless, unable to remember anything about her past except for those brief, fleeting flashes of memory when put into certain situations she’d experienced before, and without any will of her own. She’s so dependent on her older brother because she quite literally has no clue what to do with herself without being told to, and needs orders to function.

Hoo, if you’ve made it all the way to the end of the post, congratulations! I think this is the longest one I’ve made... ever lmao. I hope you guys found it enjoyable! If anyone wants to know more about certain aspects of this au, feel free to ask! I look forward to talking about it more c:

[loser-writings]

hey! can i request sfw alphabet for katsuki (if someone hasn't already)? as always i looooove your work, thank you! 💕

Hey! Thank you for being patient with me! These alphabets take quite a bit of time so once again, thank you. 

Also! Special thanks to the lovely @garrulousassurance for helping me with this as well as letting me bounce ideas off of you!

SFW Alphabet || Katsuki Bakugo

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

He isn’t affectionate in the same sense as Deku, Kirishima, or Todoroki. He shows his affection by little things like giving you his full attention when you are speaking, keeping eye contact with you, and giving you little motivational pep talks when you are feeling down

He is pretty uncomfortable with physical affection, but he tries his best. PDA Isn’t his thing, but be patient and he might hold you hand (Even if they are a little sweaty)

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

He would be a really supportive best friend, but the kind of friend that would call you out on your shit. You being an asshole? He will fucking tell you and keep you in check. He never really gets physical either, but he will slap your arm and glare if you say something that can come off the wrong way.

One of the most caring best friends ever. You have a headache? Hold up he has pain pills. You hungry? Shit give him 10 minutes and he will cook for you. 

Also is the friend you need when it comes to other toxic people. He HATES seeing his friends being abused or taken advantage of. If you are in a bad relationship, he will be there as backup and motivation to help get you out of there. Dealing with an abusive parent and having enough, He will get you out of there and will have you move in with him.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

He really does love to cuddle, but it takes some work to convince him to sit down and relax. He always wants to move and really doesn’t know how to relax, so the best way to get him to cuddle is by grabbing his hand and pulling him to the couch or bed. Then sit or lay on top of him. He will complain for a while, but he won’t move. If you move, he will simply pull you back down. He is just being a brat.

His favorite way to cuddle is called “The Sweethearts cradle” since it's such a calming position for him. With your hand pressed against his chest, he will wrap his arm around you to pull you closer before pressing a kiss to your head. He really loves to sleep like this too since he thinks spooning is overrated (But he will never deny being the little spoon)

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

He wouldn’t really “Settle down” since he wants nothing more than to be a hero and a symbol of peace like All Might was for him, but he also won’t let this desire interfere with his life outside of work. He would love to have a family to come home to and to marry you one day. A quiet life with Katsuki doesn’t really suit him, but he will continue to do his best with you by his side.

He is clearly great at cleaning and can cook like none other. He absolutely loves to cook and it seems to relax him, so if he is stressed you better prepare for a good meal and maybe some candy or baked goods as well.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He would break up with you as gently as he possibly can. He genuinely does/did love you, but he would leave in a heartbeat as long as it meant you were safe and had the chance to be happy. It would suck, and he may even shed a tear or two, but after breaking the news to you he will give you a really tight hug. There is so much in that hug that it really does break your hearts, but he knows its for the best.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

It would be a few years before he decided to pop the question, no less than 2. If you don’t believe in marriage, that's chill too. He doesn’t need a piece of paper to tell you that he loves you, but he would get married if you expressed that you want that.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

He isn’t that gentle, but he is more gentle with you than he is with others. When he is with his friends or in public, he can be a bit of a hothead but he will never hurt you. When he is alone, he is much more calm and gentle. If you tease him, He may try to be a bit less gentle with you.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Bakugo does enjoy hugs, but he will never initiate them. If you want a hug, you will have to get it yourself but it can end in a variety of ways. 

He might push you away, but try not to take it personally. This will happen if he is genuinely angry, is in public, and while he is doing hero work. If he is angry, he will push you away with the comment that he doesn’t want to be touched. In reality, he just doesn’t want to take his anger out on you. As mentioned previously, he struggles with PDA, so he will push you away simply because he is uncomfortable.

If you hug him in private, he will still be a bit stiff but he will relax over time. He will slowly wrap his arms around you and rest his head on your head or your shoulder. He is also the kind of person who sways a bit from side to side when he holds somebody, just enjoying the hug as much as possible

If he hugs somebody, including his S/O, he rather just woke up from a nap or is having a really bad day. Even he has some pretty bad days that leave him just wanting to be held. This doesn’t happen, though more likely than he would admit out loud.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Bakugo isn’t one to throw the phrase around lightly. He tests it out quietly while watching his partner sleep one night, and thinks about it for a long time before deciding to say it. He originally had the perfect time planned, but it slips out the first time he gets into a disagreement with his partner. Cue the end of the disagreement, two red faces, and a frustrated Katsuki who wishes he had a do over. He isn't too upset about it though because love is messy and it's better to have all of your feelings out in the open. 

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

He really doesn’t get jealous easily because he does have faith in his S/O. That being said, he does get jealous at times. Normally when this happens, he just glares, mumbles a bit and huffs since he knows that you are most likely being oblivious to it. If you were doing it on purpose, he would just tell you to stop because he can’t stand when you try to make him feel jealous since it occasionally makes him feel insecure.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

His kisses are pretty passionate and clearly full of love. Since he struggles with using his words sometimes, he will usually fix that with his actions. He will tease you, keeping his lips just far enough away from you to make you whine and he will pull away every time you lean in. He honestly loves this game and will tease until finally just giving in, kissing you softly, cupping your face, and biting your lip as he pulls away.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

He really tries to be patient with kids, but goddamn to they get on his nerves. He can’t stand how messy they are, how they don’t listen, and just how chaotic they can be. One second the kid is on the ground coloring in a book, and the next they are trying to draw on the walls. If they are a bit older, they make comments about him that manage to hit all of the right buttons to piss him off. If they are young or a newborn, then they just cry, shit, and puke. He can’t handle it and seems snappier around them.

If he does manage to find himself taking care of a more calm kid, it’s almost like he is a completely different person. If they are one or two and are really quiet, and can listen? He doesn’t mind watching them while they scribble on some paper. He might even carry them around while he is cooking dinner. If the kid falls asleep in his arms, he is fucking done for. 

He wants to like kids, but he struggles with finding ones he can handle.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Morning routines are a very calming thing. Usually he will let you sleep in and make breakfast. Once he is done, he will wake you up so you can eat while he goes to shower. When he comes out and finds you eating breakfast, he will kiss you and 

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Sleeping. Like no kidding he is in bed by 8:30pm most nights, 10pm latest. Before bed, he will often cook dinner for you and then relax. The majority of nights with Katsuki are fairly calm due to his long days at work so watching movies together and binge watching TV shows are a usual thing in the Bakugou household.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

He is actually really slow about opening up to you. Like he is slower than the majority due to his fears. Once he realizes how much he cares about you though, he is practically an open book. 

He isn’t one that will just SPILL everything to you, but he is more of a “Ask me whatever, whenever, and Ill tell you the truth”

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Bakugo? He may get irritated frequently, but he is slow to true anger. If he can't fix the problem, it gnaws at him until he blows up (pun intended) at someone. He’s not great at expressing his feelings, or trying to talk about his problems, but it's something he knows he needs to work on. His anger has caused a lot of issues with keeping up relationships, but he's trying to manage it better. 

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

It’s about half and half. For instance, he can remember what your favorite dishes are, who your idols are, and even your workout routine without having to think too hard. Little things he repeats to himself to commit them to memory, but anything that’s said when his attention is somewhere else can get lost. He knows his partner won’t get too frustrated with him if he can’t remember every single detail, but he still tries anyway. 

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

He will never admit it, but one of his favorite moments happened after a horrible fight with a villain that almost cost him his life. This would’ve been pretty early on in the relationship, when he was still unsure if he could say that he loved you fully. That his whole heart was in it. It wasn’t until he was running on fumes, barely able to stand on his feet, when the thought of how scared you must be entered his mind. He had to keep going and make sure that he could come home to you. He would continue to fight until the villain collapsed. 

Katsuki did his best to stay on his feet with his fist in the air, mimicking All Might and Endeavor to show the people he was okay and that he won, but the second the cameras turned off he ended up collapsing. When he woke up again, he was clearly in the hospital. He was going to try to move til he looked down and saw you asleep, head resting on the bed with your hands holding onto his. He could see the tear stains on your cheeks and the bags under your eyes. He refused to move his hand and let you sleep holding him, quickly finding himself in his head thinking about how much he cared about you.

After you woke up and Katsuki was able to go home, You stayed with him in his house since he was still struggling a bit and was told to rest. He was off work for a month so you both spent lots of time together, and this was when he really did know he loved you. He was surprised by how well you worked together, and ended up slipping the L word not long after.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

He tries not to act like he is paranoid that something could happen to you, but he’s honestly pretty paranoid. Since he had already been targeted and kidnapped by the League of villains before, he wouldn’t hold it past them to try to kidnap you too.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

It’s about 50% most of the time. On a normal date or everyday life, he may suggest something simple to do like watch a movie, eat dinner, and talk. He really doesn’t believe that he should have to go all out all of the time since that will just burn him out. 

During anniversaries and bigger days, he will try a bit more. Get you a nice gift, take you out for dinner to your favorite place, or take you to do something you’ve wanted to do. These days usually get about 75-80%

The only day where he REALLY tries his best to make it special, is the day he would propose to you/give you a promise ring. It’s his way of showing you that he wants you to be there for him no matter what. He will plan for months to do this, eventually making a huge scavenger hunt and getting the Bakusquad in on it til you find him in a whole ass suit, ready to propose/give you the ring. It’s obvious that this took a lot of work, and he tried 100%

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

He is a hot head and during arguments, will purposely use shit against you to make you upset. He feels like a bastard afterwards, but he always knows that he said what he said. He doesn’t really think before speaking when this shit happens, so really bad arguments could result in him saying some really rude shit.

He swears A LOT. Some people may have a huge problem with this. He tries his best not to at times, usually around kids or your family, but it will still slip out a time or two.

He also tends to interrupt you when you’re talking. He isn’t trying to do it intentionally, but he is so used to just saying what he wants to say that it can just completely cut you off. He will try his best to actually wait, but he still sucks at not interrupting.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He is to an extent. His father is a fashion designer and his mom always made sure he looked well put together, so he makes sure he never looks like a slob. Hell even his casual clothes seem to flatter him. 

He does take an interest in makeup, but he doesn’t really wear it much. He may highlight the inner corners of his eyes on a normal day, but that’s usually it. He does have his days where he goes all out with it though, doing orange, green and black eyeshadow that looks pretty damn badass.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

If it’s just for a few hours or days, he really isn’t that bad. He may check in on you once or twice but he really isn’t too worried about it. He doesn’t feel incomplete, but he may miss you a little bit.

For a little while, but he is one of those who would move on. If you both broke up, he will be hung up for a few weeks to a couple of months because when he loves, he loves with all of his heart. He will move on though since he knows that being hung up on you could get in the way of him being a hero.

If you died however, he would be lost for a bit longer than a few months. He will still move on after a couple of years, but you will always have a section of his heart. He will visit your grave and tell you all about his new life though. You may be gone, but never forgotten.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.) TW: ABUSE AND PANIC ATTACK

Nobody seems to acknowledge this, but he was abused the majority of his life by his mother. Some people will fight me on this headcanon, but you really see it when Toshinori and Aizawa visit the Bakugo household. She not only hits her child, but makes a comment about him being weak and that’s why he got kidnapped. She is victim blaming HIM for being kidnapped by the League of Villains, not really showing any concern for the fact her son could have been killed.

Once he is able to move out, he starts to realize his family life isn’t normal. He will go to Kirishimas’ parents house and they are???So sweet and supportive? He just doesn’t understand and thinks this is the most unusual thing. It’ll finally start to hit him that what he was going through WAS abuse, and he will most likely break down. Not a violent, screaming kind of breakdown, but the kind of breakdown that is heartbreaking to watch.

He will cry. They’ll start as silent tears before slowly amping up into full blown sobbing. He would have to sit down because if he is standing, he might just collapse. His sobs will last maybe 10 minutes before they start becoming more extreme. He will feel a tightness in his chest and will feel like he can’t breathe. If he is alone, he will cover his face with a pillow in an attempt to stop his tears but nothing helps. He will have a HORRIBLE anxiety attack, and if you find him like this you will have to be extremely gentle with him. Not because he would blow up at you, but because he can’t calm down easily and will easily get worked up again.

You would have the best luck by forcing him to sit up and hugging him as tight as you can. Seriously, wrap your arms and legs around him and just squeeze him. He will slowly calm down, it might take up to an hour, but he will calm down. He will be terrified the whole time but you just need to pet his hair, lay him back down and cuddle him.

To be honest, I have a lot of headcanons relating to the unspoken abuse of Katsuki Bakugo but I will leave this here. If you want me to write them all out, just message me and let me know. I’ll make a post about my headcanons about the abuse, the trauma it's caused, and other things like that since I have first hand experience with a scenario that is very similar to how his was depicted.

Disagree with this one if you will, but this is a personal headcanon of mine

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Do fucking not hit him, threaten to hit him, or try to guilt trip him. He actually hates being hit and manipulated, and he will NOT have anybody do that to him. Sure, he may have times where he may play fight, but there is a clear difference between a Katsuki who is playfully fighting, and a Katsuki that is genuinely trying to hurt someone. 

Don’t be a kiss ass to him. If you have an opinion, he wants to hear it. Sure, he may disagree but he is always willing to hear you out and take your point of view into consideration. He doesn’t want to be in a relationship with a fan that will agree with everything he is saying since it can actually be pretty annoying just to have someone tell him yes all of the time.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habit of theirs?)

He has to sleep on his side and he goes to bed pretty early. It’s shown in the manga and the anime that he is in bed by 8:32pm and many think he sleeps so much because of how much energy he uses daily. He really does use a lot of energy. Like have you seen this dude brush his teeth? Like damn dude. Anyway, he sleeps on average of 8-10 hours. 8pm to 4am and the latest he goes to bed is 10pm. He will always be a morning person too, so good luck if you’re a night owl.

[buddiewho]

What’s it to you?

*Long post ahead

There is something on my mind. It’s called Occam’s Razor. The definition I know is, or rather the interpretation in my head is, it’s a gray area, a fine line. So for example, when it comes to Buck and Eddie, I do believe they play right on the Occam’s Razor. The fact that they could be this or they could be that, riding that fine line, which one is true? 

Picture this and imagine you’re seeing jealous Buck:

Option 1: Jealous Buck idea pushes the razor to the more romantic, buried feelings thing we Buddie clowns are thinking about. 

Option 2: If you don't view it that way, you could then simply see Buck maybe panicking because of his abandonment issues. For example, Buck’s reaction face becomes more like heyo Eddie doesn’t just get to so easily partner off with another firefighter outside the 118 like that [in this case being him or Hen as Eddie’s only option Buck accepts] until they finally ease into helping the 126 with these fires, Buck himself even. 

Option 3: We’re speculating our asses off no matter if you believe in option 1 and/or 2, and we do not yet know what’s going on in this scene...

Therefore we’re split down the razor’s edge. Then I also think of this video. The fact that Buck and Eddie fall under the “just let the bromos be homos?” category. They have the cooked up potential for something more and not to just remain a “healthy male friendship.” When we have proper queer representation in combination with “healthy male friendship” then we can talk about the latter. I’m trying to rack my brain for healthy male friendships, but I come back to that video and the laundry list of mlm couples in the just let the bromos be homos category. My brain wanted to say FinnPoe from Star Wars as a healthy male friendship, but then that’s still part of the same category and all I can hear is Oscar Isaac praising the notion that these two characters could be falling in love during wartime...but apparently Disney/the world isn’t ready for that...? 

The problem is I cannot think of any representation for healthy male friendships. I keep thinking Shawn Spencer and Burton “Gus” Guster from Psych, but even then there were definite issues surrounding their friendship...if you watched that show. Now, with that show I did believe that Shawn Spencer is bisexual, but I don't headcanon that his awakening happened with Gus. It just happened and he’s known about it for most of his life (like since 18 probably) and Gus knows it too. But again it’s never explicitly made so, it’s always hinted at though. Also, don't get started on Teen Wolf if you’re thinking about that one. I don't pay any attention and maybe it’s because I may not be seeking it out...but I cannot think of a single thing I’ve watched with healthy friendships, save for perhaps in Thor Ragnarok the trio that is Hulk/Banner, Thor and Valkyrie when they’re not fighting each other. Though, there is the case of Gary and Miranda in the BBC show called Miranda. They could’ve had a good run as just friends, but clearly it wasn’t unheard of to think of a hetero pairing starting off as just friends to become more, obvi. Back to 911...

As we teeter this Occam’s Razor, all I ask for is explicit admittance from Buck that he is bisexual. Just for him to say it to close friends and family.  For him to feel okay with the fact that he likes boys too. So yes, he has little or no experience, but he can’t help but feel attracted to men as well. Banking on the South America exploration/runaway to expound on this some more. That yes, Buck has known about his bisexuality and does know how he truly feels, but for whatever reasons he’s not ready to show/tell those true feelings to anyone else. For whatever reasons he had to build/hide behind the chaotic sex addicted punk persona that he named Buck 1.0. 

I also don't believe that everything needs to be boxed into a corner. 911 was the show that sparked a procedural TV drama to life and thus it created 911 Lonestar as a way to probably showcase a different state and how they handle these emergencies/fires. Who the hell knows, perhaps it’s just for more money? It’s just I don't think it’s a matter of 911 is the mostly “hetero show” whereas 911 Lonestar is “the show for the gays” because it has the canon gay couple. Well, for the record 911 also has a canon lesbian/gay couple; Hen and Karen. What I mean to say is that irl there are LGBT+ folk everywhere, therefore more of them can appear as characters in 911, or even in Lonestar as well. LGBT+ people live in CA and TX; sometimes 911 did the peripheral gay couples who found themselves caught in an emergency situation (the boy with the crush outside the coffee shop, that couple in which one of them had tapeworm and Buck nonchalantly just yanked that thing out...and then of course the older couple who were so graciously paralleled to Buck…). Oh, you can’t forget Josh in 911, who also seemingly thought Maddie was once setting him up with Buck. Also note it wasn’t written as Buck denying Josh on that thought. He just ran with it, no qualms, and we didn’t have some unnecessary “no homo” backlash which leaves room for us to say wait, a gosh darn minute? Are we still leaving room for Buck figuring something out and/or coming closer to accepting himself? Ps. It also wasn’t written for Maddie to decline the notion either. She of course jokingly said her brother wasn’t good enough for Josh and honestly, I think we got {Oliver playing} Buck as a bit offended by Maddie doing that. 

Buck is also a double edged sword. So is Eddie. You have two men presented as so strong, so masculine that the instant it’s thought they might like men, it’s damaging to their masculinity somehow. That’s called toxic masculinity which is something Buck and even Eddie occasionally fall into. I think they’ve definitely grown out of that with the help of others and each other even, but I think this is why us crazy shippers wanting Buddie and/or Buck revealed as bisexual is so jarring to others- Toxic masculinity? Fragility? The fact that if men like Buck and Eddie are viewed to be gay/bi then it hurts this notion of what it means to be a strong man. But let’s box it into a corner because 911 Lonestar is the gay show and thus we think less of the characters TK and Carlos because they are gay- not all equivalent in strength to the “healthy male friendship” that is Buck and Eddie? When in fact the four of these characters have similarities? TK and Buck are so very reckless, dive in no questions asked kind of thing and it seems to me that Eddie and Carlos would be the take orders kind of men. They will fall in line with the occasional reckless decision...so therefore they have more similarities than just the four of them belonging to the LGBT+ community...or regardless of if they do all belong in that community together- the whole point is that in real life the Buck and Eddie dynamic of a friendship (or the possibility of something more, as one or both characters coming to terms with their sexuality) exists in the same world with relationships that are similar to TK and Carlos’. So the two supposed bromos (just friends) exist in the same world as the homos...therefore unboxing the shows from their corners entirely.

Another thing that I think this thing around Buck is falling prey to, is that bi guys are just faking it. It’s one stop on the way to figuring out that “they’re actually just gay.” Except no that’s not the case with bisexuality. For some people, it could be, but from what I see with Buck it’s not that at all. He’s bisexual, that’s that. 

Also, most everyone thinks those who ship Buddie want Buck revealed as bisexual to only be with Eddie and to see two sexy men get it on. Honestly, 911 Lonestar did provide sufficiently with that, because them TK and Carlos scenes are downright drool worthy, but that’s not all I came for. Anyway, I clocked Buck as possibly bi in season 1- the full moon ep, where yes he’s getting closer to Abby, but damn does he get on well with that gay guy who had tapeworm. Well, shit. Then after Eddie’s introduction they go on to parallel Buck to that older gay couple...anyhow, it’s just why keep putting Buck in a queer space and then not run with that? Yes, sure there are strong straight allies to the LGBT+ community, but Buck doesn’t read heterosexual ally to me, it feels more like the LGBT+ community is where he belongs. I’d say Eddie Diaz belongs there too, but he’s like a mystery on this front. I think he understands his feelings/attractions towards men and he’d respond like yeah, sure, they’ve been there, but I haven’t done shit about them and I haven’t labelled them [gay/bi]. What’s it to you? And if eventually this involved Buck, he’d be like yeah, so I’m head over heels for that smart and lovable reckless idiot, what else do you want me to say?

[clonehub]

Ok ok this is kinda relevant to tbb also but your jedi ocs? you said (at least one of them) has been smuggling clones away from the army, how do they go about that? And make sure no one will snitch? The clones are so indoctrinated its like, is it ethical to kidnap them when they (technically) have their free will? Or is it better to remove them from a toxic environment and give them therapy so they have an actual choice? (Tbh your ocs were just a jumping off point for this thoughts)

So how it works is that this is a really broad network of strategically placed primary contacts--non Jedi, non Republic affiliated people. The clones have to initiate it, though. The Jedi certainly can’t subtly say “if you want to leave I can get you out” (kiki tried it, it didn’t work, although there was another time she made it clear her back would be turned and that did work). 

The most common pick up spots are places that just had battles, and so a clone would be more likely to be marked as MIA and less likely to actually be searched for. They do the occasional escape from coruscant, but those are much more difficult, naturally, and require dumping armor a lot sooner and more logistics. 

the first part is arguably the most difficult. the clone normally is rocketing back and forth between wanting to run and wanting to go back. the middle journey, they’ve locked themselves in. and at the third part (their destination) that’s when they get the healing space and therapy. Kiki makes sure they’re always dropped off somewhere safe and quiet. 

For instance, Yousa’s escape was a bit chaotic. She got deathly ill after drinking bad water while at battle, to the point the infection spread through the ship. Nobody died, but Yousa almost did, and so she had to be rushed to the floaty medical bay. Kiki knew she probably wouldn’t come back because a) she was in a really bad way, and b) she was on hormones and so that would have been a mess, so she got one of her hired guns to attack the transport ship and ferry Yousa off to Verocia, Kiki’s home planet. Yousa woke up in a hot apartment with a headache and a Jedi she didn’t know was standing over her congratulating her on escaping the army. I think Yousa didn’t really have a say in this one, but I’m gonna amend this now: kiki sends a message saying that she can stage the attack so that it looks like Yousa was kidnapped by pirates but rescued by republic forces and brought back, if she wants to return. or she can stay on verocia. yousa chose to stay.

with ridge, he’d made it pretty clear that he didn’t want to fight anymore and wanted to live life as a normal civilian. he and kiki’s relationship reached a point where they were having pretty candid conversations about their feelings on the war, and kiki just straight up said she didn’t want to fight anymore. ridge said he wanted to leave. he would have left through normal means if he hadn’t skipped a battle to go celebrate his birthday with civilians, which threw a wrench in the plan because then his commander had him arrested to be tried on kamino for desertion. kiki had to then attack his transport ship as well. 

[aries-writes-shit]

I'm gonna be completely honest here; Likely going to info dump/ramble excessively, high possibility of it including personal issues, fair warning.

To put it as simply as I can:

Romantic or platonic is fine

I am demi-pan(or omni)romantic, not looking to have biological kids for personal reasons also honestly I don't know how much gender would affect my attraction. I just find people pretty and am vibin. Usually I just say I am of the ace/bi spectrum.

I identify as female, going by she/they, gender neutral pronouns I just think should be normalized as a default when you don't explicitly know and even then be respectful.

I've driven myself into excessive isolation leading to being easily overwhelmed even if it's given certain tasks as I am forgetful and need explicit instructions as I believe I'm a visual learner but to be more specific things need to be explicitly spelled out for me a majority of the time. It's often a tedious process as well as me getting overwhelmed when put on the spot even if it's saying what I want to eat or even retrieving the food myself even in my own home.

But I need excessive time in retreating to isolation which consists me usually pacing around the kitchen, specific I know but even in other environments like hotels I often pace the kitchen space even if it's very small, and indulging myself in maladaptive daydreaming fueled by music to which I normally speak/mumble out loud, do random stuff with my hands animatedly which I don't always do when actually indulging in conversation with others, or just dancing late at night with my highly inconsistent and likely unhealthy sleep schedule of which I am nocturnal at this point. I do also sing a bit though I need another voice to go off of in feeling more comfortable in harmonizing with others.

I find interest in psychological subjects which I love to share with others if I hopefully am no bother so it's a mutually exchanged topic others can indulge in as well. Also I am a sucker for depth in stories tied to characters, development, details no matter if it's very small or if it is significant to the story or it's characters themselves.

I also am iffy about exchange of material items, though I do love specific silverware, cups, trays, the occasional jewelry (I favor rings or bracelets I guess? Necklaces sorta) if it means something to a close individual, and other small trinkets for me to admire or put to use.

My love language is quality time but what I love most is unapologetic, unfiltered, mutual conversation. With my tendency to overshare a lot of things despite my insecurities and hesitance I don't just want a listener. I want them to be invested as well. I myself do often put myself in the listener role though and am referred to as one's local counselor sometimes.

Very much radiating the burnt out gifted kid and mommy/daddy issues vibe because I've had enough trauma and damaged self worth from it but it's mostly inflicted upon myself rather than from others or in being inthe bystander/observing role or in being neglected. I grew up praised and spoiled really, even now referred to as such in my family, but in the present it overwhelms me and if anything I'd rather not do anything for others and them do nothing for me and in dismissing my existence.

Honestly I've developed a toxic mentality against myself, even being aggressive in trying to validate or dismiss issues involving myself alone.

I've made progress including ditching a habit of mine I've had all my life through sheer power of will and have stopped excessively apologizing for laughing as I find it annoying to some extent, though not as much anymore which is good. Though I will apologize for laughing when by myself and when breaking down in tears I end up having a personal therapy session in uncertainty about turning to someone else even though I am very open about my issues. I have no problem sharing information, I just overthink how it's recieved or if it's dismissed and insignificant so why try? Of course I'm also a hypocrite and validate others, trying to do so for myself gradually though it can be hard and becomes an aggressive battle mentally.

But yeah I usually put myself in the supporting role for others including friends and family even though I myself am the youngest to some extent.

I try to encourage a space of comfort and validation for others and as emotionally assertive or reassuring/validating I can be, often turning heartfelt though significantly more blunt and assertive, I also have crackhead energy sometimes to be honest. Often with strange mental conversations or comments spewing out, a significant questioning being related to society. People confuse, frighten, or entertain me a majority of the time.

Anyways yeah to put it simply (and sorry to go on a long tangent and apologies if I contradicted myself or if I sounded repetitive);

Chaotic individual of the ace/bi spectrum that is highly emotional with abandonment issues, familial trauma, high insecurities related to my mere existence, and I obviously ramble a l o t.

A (not so) few other details; compared to some of the giants I am a small marshmallow (not too fluffy but kinda-) standing at around 5'2" with an internal inferno of emotions I currently withhold inside me and instead giggling excessively or spilling tears when I get emotional. Or aggressively cussing but that's usually by myself, but I am a bit clumsy and forgetful overall. Also my sleep schedule is a total mess of which I may have previously mentioned and I have significant words and phrases taking up the majority of my vocabulary I put to use in writing or conversing. Also I can get significantly fired up about topics related to terrible parenting, terrible people in general, unnecessary gendered stereotypes and objects for no reason what so ever, and in validating others. Also I am a forgetful mess as I've stated I believe two other times. I can forget a topic entirely midsentence or go on tangents about unrelated topics while having originally interrupted myself. Also last minute note/s, I wear glasses and often joke about being blind as hell and needing my access to sight. And regarding what I wear I typically avoid branded material cuz of my unreasonable insecurities, and I go for more subtle things of black/blue but I do have other options. I just mainly go for subtle/reserved in appearance that's comfortable for me and I typically wear jeans and just- sneakers or crocs for the indoors. Also I can imagine the slight possibility of me snagging tops from my partner if they didn't mind, an example of me wearing other's things typically being my dad's shirts on occasion and the rare item of my mom's originally or my older sister.

Yep definitely went off, sorry if this is overwhelming or if it includes a ton of unnecessary details :')

Don't stress yourself especially at my expense please—

Sorry it took so long, heres your match!

C!Philza

Oh no, look the old man adopted another kid /s

This man raised two boys on his own, hes so ready to help you if you become overwhelmed

Learns what you order so you dont have to talk to the cashier if you dont want to

If you need to pace, he will step back and let you do your thing

Checking in occasionally to make sure your alright

Will definitely try and make you have a healthy sleep schedule

Will definitely listen to you rant about any topic you start to rant about

Its healthy to get things like that off your chest

[obscure-sentimentalist]

“I need a hug. A six hour one.”- Flommy 😊

[Thank you, Anon!! Another one I’m months-late on, but with the way this idea decided to go, I do think it was well-suited for the wait, experimental as it is. Using (but not actually featuring) Klarion the Witchboy as a plot device seems rather Halloween-y to me. ;-)]

From the Comforting Cuddles Starters list

Loath as Tommy is to think it, sometimes he misses the days when the evildoers of Starling City were simply morally-corrupt businessmen and crime lords running the too-close-to-the-surface underworld. Obviously, still bad guys, but their powers were at least material and predictable: money, weapons, martial arts training from a mystical murder cult that also offers a minor in megalomania. And for the most part, Tommy wasn’t in direct confrontation with those seedy types, spending more of his time adjusting to the nauseating shift in worldview they presented, and then hanging on the sidelines to lend the occasional hand in the crime-fighting process.

Straightforward, unsurprising, fairly distanced—those are the types of villainy with which Tommy knows how to deal. But the world’s gotten weirder, and so have the enemies; it figures that he’d be thrown face-first into the unknowable machinations of some magic-wielding, whackadoodle…

“…C-list Scooby-Doo villain,” Felicity seethes, voice finally puncturing Tommy’s thoughts like a splinter. She turns sharply on her heel to pace in the other direction, the clack of her footsteps echoing off the basement walls. “I’m gonna get him.”

Though she isn’t facing him, Tommy glimpses her hands going up, claw-like, in front of her, and shaking in an imaginary stranglehold. It’s an adorably familiar enough gesture that it almost puts him at ease.

(Almost.)

“And his little cat, too,” Tommy agrees, slipping from his tongue as an instinctive reaction of humor. As if nothing’s… off about this picture.

“Yes, the cat!” Pale blue-painted fingers snap, leaving the index finger triumphantly pointing up. “You know I love kittens. But that thing? Last time, when it tried to…”

“Last time?” Tommy repeats, head tilting in curiosity. He belatedly realizes the rudeness of interrupting like that, but the discomfort of not knowing has a firm grip on the wheel. “You’ve dealt with this Puritanical nightmare child before?”

In the space between questions and answer, Tommy drifts the remaining few feet over to Felicity’s workstation. He doesn’t dare sit in the chair—that’d just be courting death, or at least a truly withering glare—but leaning against the table provides him a… grounding, of sorts. It’s the best thing he can get until this whole situation is resolved and reversed.

Depending on the response Felicity has for him, maybe that’ll come sooner than expected.

Both the interjection and the movement make Felicity’s spine snap pin-straight—an instantaneous shattering of illusionary comfort—and she slowly pivots to glance back at Tommy from the opposite end of the floor. Yet as useful as it might be to her, too, Felicity doesn’t make a single move towards the bank of computers and empty chair (towards Tommy), instead hugging her arms to her chest and rooting herself in place.

“Oh, yeah, a… a couple times, now,” she stumbles, biting her lower lip. “I don’t know, there’s just something about us—my team—that keeps him coming back on chaotic reunion tours. But this is the first time I’ve been his plaything of choice, and he’s never done something quite of…” she extricates one hand and waves it aimlessly around her “…this magnitude, before.”

“The Great Felicity Swap,” Tommy murmurs absently. It’s neither a joke nor a judgment, just a phrasing of the situation, but Felicity shifts her shoulders at the words.

“We’re going to fix this,” she says, quiet yet firm. “Even if Klarion’s gone to ground, or is hiding somewhere out of all of our reaches, we can still set things right without him. I refuse to believe anything else.”

Although she says “we” throughout those first two statements, that last part just solidifies what Tommy hears instead. It’s Felicity not voluntarily wanting to do this alone, but also fully prepared to do so—her expectations of being denied help higher than the ones she has of help being offered.

It’s painfully recognizable—one of the similarities Tommy wishes he wouldn’t find between his… universe’s Felicity and another’s. But at least the consistency confirms that the move he’s about to make is the right one.

“Well, I’m not really the guy with the plans around here, but I make for a pretty good gofer,” he starts, pushing off of the worktable and taking a few casual, tentative steps forward. “Tell me what to look for, what buttons to press, what you want for a meal break, and I’m your man.”

In yet another instance proving the importance of connecting his mouth to his brain every once in a while (and maybe looking into a script editor), Tommy cringes the second that last bit slips out and Felicity’s eyebrows shoot up into her hairline.

Lending a hand to your maybe-sort-of-just-starting-to-call-each-other-by-the-terms girlfriend’s doppelgänger (whose relationship with your own is a pretty big gray area, because she won’t say much except that she cares a lot about him) is the polite thing to do. Doing so in a way that sounds like you’re offering more than just help, thanks to poor, unconscious word choice, is just plain stupidity.

“He does that too,” Felicity says after a moment’s pause. “My… my Tommy.”

Surprised by the reaction, Tommy tentatively cracks one eye back open to meet Felicity’s gaze. “I should have figured that foot-in-mouth was a chronic, multiversal affliction.”

She flushes a bit at that, eyes flitting to the side in embarrassment. “That’s not… I mean, you’re right, you both have that in common,” she stumbles hurriedly. A deep breath in, and she gets back on track, facing Tommy again with a knowing look. “I was actually talking about the other thing—about not being the one with the plans, only good for being pointed in the necessary direction. You don’t get to pull that on me.”

Tommy’s mouth audibly clicks shut at that, any jokes or affirmations of his original statements shriveling in his throat under the weight of Felicity’s stare.

“He minimizes his skills like that, makes himself just the right size and shape to fit with whatever anyone else needs him to be,” she explains, plain and simple. “He’ll play up a few things, make jokes here and there about how looks and charm and the like come effortlessly to him, because that’s what people expect.”

Tommy shifts his shoulders in an odd sort of shimmy, as if those observations have physically burrowed under his skin and set off an unbearable itch. It’s one thing to be called out so plainly by someone he knows so well, and a whole different one when it’s an alternate version of said person. It’s both the discomfort of being so easily read by a relative stranger, and the realization that if this other Felicity knows, then there’s a fair chance that his does, too.

Unsubtle as it must be, Felicity sees his twitching, and her face goes soft.

“The cooking, though, that’s a talent he owns in full, and will make it well-known that he’s the only one he trusts in the kitchen,” she notes thoughtfully. A split-second of silence lingers between the words, before she rushes, “Which is fine by me, because I’ll just burn everything anyway—at least that’s not as bad as making a full dish that’s arguably toxic, unlike some people…”

Amusingly, they both shudder at that—Tommy at the mere concept, and Felicity presumably at the memory of an actual offending meal. They each catch the other’s mirrored motion, and their gazes snap to meet in faint embarrassment.

It doesn’t last, as Felicity flaps a hand to break the connection and get herself back on track. “Point is, he’s capable of so much more than he likes to tell people, and I’m willing to bet you are, too.”

On that note, she tilts her chin up and offers Tommy a pointed, challenging stare. It’s an achingly familiar look—a Felicity Signature—offered to anyone who might cross her; not a dare to prove her words right, but an offer for her to wipe the floor with the recipient and their flawed rationale of why she’s wrong.

No matter where she comes from, Tommy’s not taking that opening with any Felicity.

That said, he does have his own, different sort of reply.

“See, this goes both ways, because I know my Felicity,” Tommy points out, leaning in as closely and carefully as he dares without making Felicity uncomfortable. “How she’s always prepared to take on things by herself, even when she doesn’t have to. When she has someone—and usually multiples—in her corner to back her up.”

Tommy tilts his head and raises his eyebrows knowingly, before continuing with quiet sincerity. “We can figure this out together, but I’m still on board with my original offer. Tell me what you need, and I’ll handle it.”

Felicity makes as if to argue, but after a moment’s consideration, she purses her lips and narrows her eyes suspiciously back at Tommy. “Turnabout is fair play, huh?”

“Something about this whole situation has to be,” he notes, grinning cheekily.

Felicity rolls her eyes fondly at that, but her expression goes quietly pensive a moment later. “I guess there’s one thing I can think of,” she murmurs almost absently, gaze drifting down as her breath hitches.

“Anything,” he assures her. A hand comes up to hover over her shoulder, though it doesn’t land.

The motion is still enough to snap Felicity back into her thoughts.

“I need a hug. A six hour one,” she blurts, and almost immediately turns red. Her head shoots up whiplash-fast, eyes wide (and lightly sheened) and lips already tripping over an apology. “Wait, no, forget I said that, that’s way too weird. We’re… not the wrong versions of each other, that sounds mean, but this you and this me”—she flicks a finger between the two of them to illustrate—“we don’t have any sort of relationship. Sure, hugs are perfectly platonic, and it’s not like we’re really strangers, but six hours is a long time for anything physica- agh!”

“I did say ‘anything’,” Tommy cuts in before Felicity can spiral any deeper (or either of them can turn too red at that last bit), finally settling a hand gently on her shoulder. “And maybe six hours is a while, but let’s just not put on a time limit at all. However long you feel you need.”

Looking at Felicity Smoak—no matter the universe from which she hails—and claiming that the fight has gone out of her is a concept Tommy would never dare verbalize, but something does seem to recede enough for the one in front of him to fall against his chest. His arms lock supportively around her lower back as her hands press at his shoulder blades for stability, and so they remain.

Not even a six-hour embrace would be convincing enough that the one in their arms is theirs, but maybe a fraction of that time can confirm a friend in the familiar, and comfort enough to carry on.

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Having a reel great time

It’s Fishing Tourney time! I’ve been on a lucky streak lately with doubles - which is saying a lot since I tend to lag behind on these events for some reason. Maybe it’s the good company or the decor or the nice weather. Whatever it is, I probably shouldn’t question it or else my good luck would go away.

Joining us on this fun event are the Allegris - Chris, Elaina, David, Jeremy, Danny, and Angie! Us grown ups are out here doing are own thing while the kids (okay, aside from Angie the rest aren’t really kids anymore so basically it’s the 22 and under club) have broken off into different groups.

Life in the Allegri household is basically like straight out of a sitcom. I’ve been following David’s channel this past year and his weekly family vlogs are entertaining af. From David dragging Elaina into one of his crazy schemes, Danny and Angie getting into a mess, Jeremy being pretty much done with everyone and Chris being either totally functional or a total disaster (there is no in between) - I would definitely sit down and watch several seasons of the Allegris just be themselves. 

Also, a few of David’s vlogs have become memes or gone viral. One was where he challenged Elaina and Chris to make a cake without using measurements (dad vs. aunt Baking challenge) - Elaina somewhat succeeded, Chris, not so much. Another one is titled “the kids areeee fightingggggg!!!” where everyone goes stir crazy while being snowed in. And recently, “they did what?!” in which Elaina accidentally got Jeremy and Danny fired, Angie misplaced a neighbor’s dog, and Grandpa ruined Chris’s week by revealing a shocking truth.

They’re all such a mess but that’s why I love them. Chris and Elaina are peak disasters - Chris being the perfect example of head full, thoughts empty and Elaina being chaotic all the way. But in all honesty, they’re doing their best and they’re all around good people. The two bicker a lot but they’re super close and have always got each other’s backs.

It was Elaina’s idea for the family to drop by the campsite for a short vacay. We started planning this back when I came to her mom’s concert and saw the singing roses. I suggested either a gyroid event or a fishing tourney since they enjoy the great outdoors.

The main reason why Elaina wanted a get together is for her brother. With David graduating college and Jeremy and Danny graduating high school - as well as David moving out and Jeremy going abroad for college - to say that Chris is experiencing empty nest syndrome is a bit of an understatement.

Although he’s been putting on a brave face, Chris is going through a bit of a rough patch. According to Elaina, Allegri men aren’t the best at dealing with their feelings. Her dad means well but telling Chris to toughen up and don’t think too hard about stuff you can’t control isn’t the best advice to give someone who always feels like they have to keep it together. As much as Elaina loves her dad, she can’t help but be annoyed by him at times for being so out of touch - especially since he wasn’t around most of the time when they were growing up.

On top of feeling like his boys are drifting away, Chris is also buckling under the pressure of being a single parent. Even with his sister and now dad helping out, he’s still on his own. It’s not easy being a part time airline pilot and a full time dad but he does pull it off - one of the many reasons why Elaina admires her big brother. That’s why it hurts her to see that her brother has been constantly second guessing himself, worrying that he’s not there enough for the boys.

Elaina’s the opposite of her brother as she’s more vocal and open about pretty much everything. She’s also a counselor so she knows how to read people well - sometimes to the point where she pokes her head into other people’s businesses. Though she tends to get in over her head while trying to help someone, you can’t help but admire the effort. Sure she drives her family up the wall sometimes by trying to get them to talk out their problems but if she didn’t, then they wouldn’t be the loving close knit family they are right now.

In a way, she feels kinda responsible for contributing to her brother’s stress. Being the younger sibling, Elaina tends to get away with more - meaning she’s not always expected to be the bigger person. If Chris is busy taking care of his boys, his sister, and his niece, then who’s got his back? Sure, he’s got his mom he doesn’t want to worry her and as for his dad, he’s not the kind of parent you can turn to for advice. 

Before, he had Melyssa, but she’s gone now. Unlike his parents and his sister, he’s not divorced so that’s another reason why he feels like he’s on his own. Even after five years, the grief of losing his wife still hurts. Although he has been dating on and off, his relationships didn’t last long as his heart still belonged to Melyssa - something his dad just doesn’t understand.

A couple weeks before, his dad tried to set him up on a date that ended disastrously and Chris later vented to Elaina that he was fed up with being fixed up. Considering that their dad went through four marriages - last one ending a couple months ago - Chris and Elaina don’t exactly trust him on anything in terms of relationships. Not that they were asking anyway but he still insists on butting his head into their business whether they like it or not.

As for Elaina, after being screwed over twice, she’s given up on the idea of finding “the one.” She married once and regretted it - toxic masculinity and a fragile ego are two big dealbreakers, both traits which defined her ex. A few years later she dated this other guy who got her pregnant with Angie and then ditched her because he didn’t want to be tied down. Although she’s been dating other people since then, Elaina can’t see herself commit to a long term relationship. And right now, she’s happily single - another thing which is hard for her dad to understand.

Aside from getting away from the old man, Elaina wanted to plan a family day so Chris and the boys can catch up on some much needed quality time together. With the boys being so busy because of graduations, moving out, college prep, etc., they could all use a break - especially Chris, who’s been spreading himself kinda thin because of all of this. It’s also good for Angie as she’s pretty bummed out that David and Jeremy won’t be around as often. At least Danny will still be home, though Chris is concerned that he doesn’t really have any future prospects in mind.

Fishing tourneys are a lot more fun with good company. Plus you catch a lot more fish as a group so that’s a nice bonus. Chris was the real MVP, not only he caught a lot of doubles, he got a bunch of rare fish too. Even David and Danny, both who aren’t big on fishing, caught some winners too. At one point Angie fished out a jar that Sherb had misplaced this morning and got a nice reward in return.

While waiting for the next round of fish to show up, I gave them a tour of the camp and from there everyone did their own thing. Jeremy and Lloid were in the garden cross breeding plants. Danny hung around for a bit before getting bored and heading off to the main campsite. David, Butch, Cheri, Kid Cat, and Audie went swimming at Lost Lure Creek. Angie, Goldie, and Cyd went picking fruit at Breezy Hollow so they can make dessert later in the day. Then there was me, Elaina, and Chris hiking around and occasionally checking in on everyone.

Aside from a slight mishap with a pitfall seed (sorry Chris!), the hike went smoothly. Elaina was right, they needed this trip. I can tell that as the day went on, everyone looked more relaxed and at ease. Also, it was nice to see Chris and Elaina kick back and not worry too much about life stuff. Sometimes you just need to step back and take a break.

While lying down in the grass, Chris suggested that we make up stories based on the shapes of the clouds - a game he and Elaina often played as kids. So we did that for a while, which was fun. He wasn’t exaggerating when he said Elaina has a wild imagination - the stories she comes up with are wildly outrageous but also make sense on a deep level, like galaxy brain level stuff. 

Then it was back to Saltwater Shores for the next round of the tourney. I swear, I think Chris is a good luck charm or something because we’ve got a pretty good haul! If we keep this up tomorrow, I won’t have to use a net to catch up later on. It was also nice seeing Chris and the  boys having fun together as well as Elaina and Angie catching up on some much needed mother and daughter time. 

For dinner, we set up a bonfire at the campsite. Goldie led a sing along which was super fun! After hearing her and Chris sing at their mom’s concert, I couldn’t let them pass up the opportunity to show off their musical chops. Their kids are also great singers as well, which shouldn’t be too surprising considering how musical talent runs in the family. The highlight of the night was Elaina, David, and Angie performing various musical numbers. What started out as a sing along turned into an impromptu Concert Under the Stars!

Before we knew it, midnight had come and gone. Now it’s past 1 and although I’m physically tired, my mind’s still wide awake. Though now I’m starting to nod off a bit so I’d better wrap up soon as we’ve got another busy day ahead.