#ben is also up the top but a little more lenient

[lila-lou]

✨ His only exception - Pt. 30/? ✨

Summary: 12 months ago, Butcher went above and beyond to have you join his team. You had a simple office job at Supe Affairs. The same thing every day, working from 9 to 5 and watching Butcher and his team defeat one renegade after another. One evening, however, something changed.

Pairing: Soldier Boy x Reader

Warnings: 18+ only! Smut, Language, angst, fluff, Ben being a dick

Word Count: 6788

A/N: This is part 30 of ���His only exception”.

English isn’t my first language, so please be lenient. 💙✨

You leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss against Ben's lips, the warmth of your affectionate gesture momentarily easing the tension between you. As you pulled back, you looked up at him with hopeful eyes.

"Hey, could we eat something?", you asked. "I'm starving. And… maybe we could go out? You know, just the two of us?".

You hoped that Ben would agree, knowing that he had never taken you out for a date before. It would be a nice change of pace, a chance to enjoy each other's company away from the chaos of everyday life.

Ben's gaze softened as he looked down at you, his hand reaching up to brush a strand of hair from your face. "Yeah, sure", he replied, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

You couldn't help but smile back, feeling a sense of excitement at the prospect of a quiet dinner together.

As Ben looked at the dress you had laid out on the bed minutes later, a mischievous grin tugged at the corners of his lips. "So, you mean that kind of going out?", he asked with a teasing tone, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he gestured towards your outfit.

You glanced at Ben from the bathroom, a hint of shyness in your expression as you spoke. "Well, until today, I didn't even got a proper date", you mumbled softly, feeling a pang of realization at the admission. "You sure knocked me up, but we never went on a date".

Ben chuckled at your comment, a fond smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Smooth, sweetheart", he murmured affectionately, shaking his head in amusement.

"Well, seems like I have to get all dressed up then", he added with a playful grin, walking over to his closet to pick out something suitable for your impromptu date.

Ben sat in the living room, clad in a crisp white dress shirt and snug black slacks. He idly waited for you, passing the time with another line of cocaine.

As you walked into the living room, the vibrant red dress hugging your curves and accentuating the tiny bump, Ben's eyes widened slightly at the sight of you. He choked on his whiskey, momentarily taken aback by your stunning appearance.

But when he saw your face drop at his reaction, his heart sank. "You don't like it… I knew it", you mumbled, your voice tinged with insecurity. You were well aware of Ben's past with various top models and breathtaking girls, and sometimes that knowledge made you feel insecure about your own appearance.

Ben quickly got up from his seat, his eyes widening in disbelief. "You're fucking kidding, right?", he muttered, his voice laced with urgency as he closed the distance between you.

Taking your hand, Ben spun you around slowly, his eyes roving over your figure appreciatively. "Look at you, turning heads everywhere you go. Fucking hot as always".

His words were tinged with a hint of teasing, but also genuine appreciation for your beauty.

You blushed again, feeling a rush of warmth at his words. "But it's not quite flattering", you mumbled, pointing down to your little belly, your insecurity creeping in despite his praise.

Ben's eyes softened as he looked at you, his hand gently resting on your waist. "That's the hottest thing I've ever seen. You carrying our baby, looking absolutely stunning while doing it. Trust me, sweetheart, there's nothing more beautiful than that".

Ben smiled warmly, leaning down to kiss your forehead tenderly. "And now, let's go get some food into you", he murmured as he guided you towards the door.

As you sat at the table, taking in the quiet ambience of the upscale restaurant, you couldn't help but feel a sense of appreciation for Ben's thoughtfulness. His efforts to keep you safe and out of the spotlight meant a lot to you, even if it sometimes felt isolating.

Across from you, Ben's gaze softened as he watched you, a small smile playing on his lips. "I wanted us to have some privacy", he explained, his voice low and reassuring. "Just you and me tonight".

As Ben looked at you, his heart swelled with emotion, seeing your little belly more prominent as you sat at the table. It was a tangible reminder of the life growing inside you, a symbol of the future he had always hoped for but never dared to imagine could be his.

You caught his gaze and offered him a warm smile, unaware of the flood of emotions surging through his mind. For Ben, this moment was everything he had ever wanted—a beautiful woman, the promise of a family, and the chance to create a future together.

You noticed Ben's gaze actually was on your belly. Curiosity sparked in your eyes as you asked him, "So, are you hoping for a girl or a boy?".

You already knew his answer would likely be something typically macho.

Ben's lips curled into a playful smirk as he leaned back in his chair, his gaze lingering on your belly for a moment longer before meeting your eyes. "Well, obviously a boy", he replied with a chuckle, his tone carrying a hint of mock seriousness. "Gonna teach him how to throw a punch before he can even fucking walk".

You chuckled at his response, shaking your head in amusement. "Oh, great", you teased, raising an eyebrow playfully. "Another Ben running around, breaking hearts and causing trouble. What could possibly go wrong with that?".

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Breaking hearts?", he repeated, his tone laced with mock innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about, sweetheart. I'm a perfect gentleman".

You chuckled, shaking your head. "Oh, of course", you replied, your voice dripping with sarcasm. "Because perfect gentlemen are known for their charming arrogance and devilish smiles".

"Well, sweetheart", he began, leaning in closer, "if my charming arrogance and devilish smile are what make you come over and over again, then I must be doing something right".

Ben leaned back slightly, his smirk widening as he noticed the flush creeping up your neck. "Oh, I see I've hit the mark", he teased, his voice low and husky. "I must say, I do have a way with words, don't I?".

"You certainly have a way of making me blush", you admitted.

"And horny", he added with a wink and leaned closer to you across the table.

"Stop that", you whispered.

"Stop what?", he teased.

You rolled your eyes playfully, trying to maintain a sense of composure despite the way his intense gaze stirred something deep within you. "Stop being so… you", you replied.

Ben leaned in even closer, his breath warm against your ear as he whispered huskily, "But being me is what you love, isn't it?".

You couldn't help but shiver at the sensation of his lips brushing against your skin, sending a delicious thrill down your spine. "Maybe", you teased back, your voice barely above a whisper.

Ben's lips curled into a playful smirk as he leaned back again, his eyes still locked with yours. "Admit it, you love every bit of it", his voice low and dripping with confidence.

Just then, the waitress arrived with your food, interrupting the charged moment between you and Ben. You exchanged a glance, both of you stifling a chuckle at the timing. As she set down the plates, Ben flashed the waitress a charming smile before turning his attention back to you.

You couldn't resist teasing Ben about his charming smile towards the waitress. "Oh, I see how it is", you teased playfully, raising an eyebrow. "Didn't know I had competition".

Ben flashed you a grin, his charm oozing effortlessly as he leaned back in his chair. "Competition? Please", he scoffed. "There's no contest when you're around, sweetheart".

You couldn't help but roll your eyes at his cocky remark, but a small smile tugged at the corners of your lips nonetheless. "Smooth talker", you quipped, shaking your head in mock exasperation.

After the two of you finished dinner, the waitress came back to clear your plates. "Would you like to see the dessert menu?", she asked in a cheerful tone.

Ben's response was laced with innuendo as he flashed her a suggestive grin. "Oh, sweetheart, I've already got dessert right here", he replied with a wink, gesturing towards you in a way that left little to the imagination.

Again your cheeks flushed a deep crimson as Ben's words registered, and you couldn't help but stammer out a response. "Uh, I think we're good, thanks", you managed to mumble, your embarrassment evident in your tone as you avoided the waitress's gaze.

"Are you blushing again, baby?", he teased, his tone laced with amusement as he enjoyed your flustered reaction. "Or are you just imagining dessert?".

"Oh, shut up now!", you chuckled, swatting at his arm lightly. "You're the one with the dirty mind".

"Can you blame me? With you sitting across from me looking like that, it's hard not to think about dessert".

The evening wore on and while the playful banter between you and Ben continued, punctuated by stolen glances and shared laughter. With each passing moment, you felt yourself falling more deeply for him, grateful for the unexpected twists and turns that had brought you together.

You stepped inside the house an hour later.

In the bathroom, you carefully removed your earrings, Ben leaned against the bathroom doorframe, watching you with a soft smile playing on his lips. The dim light cast gentle shadows across his face, accentuating the rugged contours of his features.

"Long day, huh?", he remarked, his voice low and soothing.

You nodded, a tired sigh escaping your lips. "Yeah".

Ben stepped closer, his presence comforting and reassuring. "Let me help you relax", he offered, his hands reaching out to gently massage your shoulders.

You leaned into his touch, grateful for his comforting presence. As his skilled fingers worked out the tension in your muscles, you couldn't help but feel a wave of gratitude wash over you.

His lips brushed against the sensitive skin of your neck, sending shivers down your spine as he whispered softly against your shoulder. "You look so fucking good in that dress", he murmured, his voice husky with desire.

You tilted your head slightly, allowing him better access as his hands trailed down your sides to your hips, his touch both gentle and possessive. The warmth of his breath against your skin sent tingles of anticipation coursing through your body, and you couldn't help but lean into his embrace, relishing the closeness between you.

As his lips continued to tease your neck, Ben's hand slipped under your dress and inside your panties from behind, his touch sending waves of pleasure coursing through your body. With a mischievous grin, he whispered teasingly against your skin, "You're so wet already, sweetheart. Did our little dinner date get you all worked up?".

His words, combined with his skillful touch, ignited a fire within you, and you could feel the heat building between your thighs as desire flooded your senses. You bit your lip to stifle a moan, unable to deny the effect he had on you.

Ben's gaze met yours in the mirror as he watched your reaction, a wicked grin spreading across his lips as he pushed two fingers inside you. He relished the sight of your flushed cheeks and the way your breath hitched in response to his touch. With a low chuckle, he leaned in closer, his lips brushing against your ear as he whispered, "You like that, don't you? You're still so responsive, sweetheart".

Your body shivered under his touch as his deep voice sent tingles down your spine. You knew all too well how easily he responded to you, always ready and eager. It was a testament to the desire he felt whenever he was near you. With a soft moan escaping your lips, you leaned back into him, relishing the feeling of his hardness against you.

With a swift motion, Ben scooped you up against his chest, his strength evident as he effortlessly held you close. As he withdrew his fingers, you couldn't help but whimper softly at the loss, only to gasp as he slipped them back into your panties from the front, his touch now more intimate and precise, sending shivers of anticipation coursing through your body.

Feeling his muscular arm around your ribcage, you leaned into his embrace, your knees growing weak as he softly bit your neck, sending waves of pleasure coursing through your body. With each gentle nip, you felt your arousal building, your breath coming in shallow gasps as you surrendered to his touch.

His voice resonated against your skin as he groaned, "You have no idea what you do to me. Just the thought of you carrying my baby… fuck, it drives me insane".

You tilted your head back slightly, a soft moan escaping your lips as his words washed over you. “You’re such a fucking turn-on”, you whispered.

Ben's lips curled into a devilish grin as he heard your words, his desire fueling the fire burning between you. "And you love every minute of it".

With that, Ben bent you over, your hands gripping the sink, anticipation surged through you. You knew exactly what was about to come, and the thought sent shivers of excitement down your spine. Ben's reflection met yours in the mirror, his eyes smoldering with desire as he positioned himself behind you.

As Ben slipped up your dress more, revealing the soft curves of your backside, he wasted no time in freeing himself from his pants and boxers, letting them pool around his thighs.

"Let me know if I need to ease up", Ben murmured, his voice low and gravelly with desire as he pressed himself against you. The memory of your bruises lingered in his mind, fueling his determination to be careful with you this time.

Seeing your nod, Ben's hands gripping your hips. With a deep breath, he began to push into you, his movements slow and controlled, mindful of your comfort and pleasure.

As Ben eased into you, you couldn't help but grip the sink tighter, your knuckles turning white as pleasure surged through you, heightened by the sensitivity you had experienced since your pregnancy began.

"You good?". His words were filled with concern, his movements slow and deliberate as he gauged your response.

Your breath hitched as you managed to murmur, "Yeah", your voice barely audible amidst the haze of pleasure enveloping you

As Ben moved inside you, he felt a heady mix of desire and restraint. His movements were slow and steady, each one calculated to bring you pleasure without causing any discomfort. With each gentle push, he could feel the warmth of your body enveloping him.

Despite the restraint, there was an underlying intensity to his movements, a raw passion that simmered just below the surface. His hands gripped your hips firmly, guiding you as he set a rhythm that matched the beating of your heart. With each thrust, he felt a surge of pleasure coursing through him, mingling with the deep connection he felt with you.

As he moved, he couldn't help but marvel at the sight of you in the mirror.

Amidst your heavy breaths, you mumbled, "Fuck, you feel so damn good".

Ben, his own breath ragged with desire, tightened his grip on your hips, careful not to exert too much force. His veins stood out in stark relief against his skin, a testament to the effort of holding back, of restraining himself for your sake.

With every thrust, every touch, the intensity between you grew, building to a crescendo that threatened to consume you both in its fiery embrace.

As Ben's groans filled the air, he admitted breathlessly, "I won't last much long". His gaze remained fixed on your face through the mirror, drinking in every expression, every gasp of pleasure that crossed your lips.

The intensity of the moment threatened to overwhelm him, pushing him closer and closer to the edge with each passing second. But even as his body screamed for release, he held on, desperate to savor every moment of this intoxicating pleasure shared between you.

"Come for me, sweetheart", he urged. His movements became more deliberate, more focused on driving you to the peak of ecstasy before he allowed himself to follow.

He wanted nothing more than to witness the pleasure wash over you, to feel the tight clench of your body around him.

With a firm hand on your lower back, Ben adjusted your position slightly, angling himself to brush against your most sensitive spots with each thrust.

Your moans filled the room as Ben's expert adjustment sent waves of pleasure coursing through your body. With an almost immediate response, you felt yourself unraveling, pleasure washing over you in powerful waves as you reached the peak of ecstasy.

Ben's own arousal skyrocketed as he felt your body shudder with pleasure. With your climax igniting his own desire, he couldn't hold back any longer.

With a low growl, Ben thrust deeply into you, riding the wave of ecstasy as he found release. His grip on you tightened momentarily before he slowly eased off, breathing heavily as he rested his forehead against your back.

As the waves of pleasure subsided, Ben's breathing gradually slowed, his chest rising and falling heavily against your back. He remained pressed against you, his arms wrapped around your waist, savoring the closeness between you. With a contented sigh, he pressed a gentle kiss to your shoulder, his heart still racing with the intensity of their shared passion.

Wrapped in the warmth of his embrace, you remained still, feeling his heartbeat against your back as his arms held you securely. The sensation of his lingering presence, coupled with the gentle rhythm of his breathing, enveloped you in a cocoon of intimacy.

Ben's voice was a soft murmur against your ear as he spoke, his breath warm against your skin. "You okay?", he whispered, his tone filled with concern as he pressed a tender kiss to your shoulder.

You nodded, feeling his warmth enveloping you. "Yeah", you murmured, a contented smile playing at your lips as you leaned back into his embrace.

As Ben pulled back slightly, his cum trickled out of you, leaving a warm sensation in its wake. Without hesitation, he reached for a nearby towel, gently cleaning you up with careful strokes, his touch both tender and intimate.

"You're such a mess", Ben chuckled softly, his voice filled with affection as he continued to clean you up. "But a beautiful mess".

"Well, you're the one who always wants to cum inside me", you teased, looking at him. "Can't blame me for the mess you make".

Ben chuckled, his hands still gently cleaning you up. "Can't help it when you feel so fucking good", he replied. "But I'll clean up my mess, don't you worry".

"You better", you teased, turning your head to press a soft kiss against his cheek. "I don't want to be dripping all over the place".

"You're such a handful", he murmured, his voice tinged with affection.

As Ben pulled up his pants, you let out a tired yawn, snuggling up to him and resting your head against his chest.

Ben gently lifted you into his arms, carrying you towards the bed and carefully laying you down. You felt utterly drained, every muscle in your body aching with exhaustion. With a tired sigh, you sat up slowly, peeling off your dress until you were completely naked. Pulling the blanket up to cover yourself, you settled back against the pillows, ready to drift off into a deep and restful sleep.

Ben also undressed with a tired sigh, slipping into bed beside you. He pulled you close, his arms wrapping around your waist as he planted a gentle kiss on the top of your head.

"Someone's become quite the cuddler", you teased with a yawn, earning a low growl from him in response. His fingers found their way to your ass, giving it a playful pinch as he replied, "Watch it, sweetheart".

You chuckled softly at his reaction, feeling his hand tracing down towards your belly. As his palm settled against your soft skin, you both fell silent, while he listening to the steady rhythm of your unborn child's heartbeat. It was a moment of peace and connection, one that made you cuddle even closer against Ben.

As he watched you sleep, Ben's mind wandered, contemplating the idea of relinquishing control of the supes to someone else. The thought of being able to spend every moment with you and the baby was enticing, but he quickly dismissed it. There was no one else he could trust to lead the supes like him, no one who could maintain order and keep everyone in line the way he could. Despite the challenges and responsibilities that came with his position, he knew it was where he belonged, even if it meant sacrificing some time with his growing family.

A few hours later, Ben stirred from his slumber, instantly alert as he saw you hurriedly darting towards the bathroom. Concern etched across his face, he tiredly followed you.

"Hey, hey", Ben murmured, crouching beside you as you leaned over the toilet, holding back your hair. "That's not normal". His voice was laced with concern as he gently rubbed your naked, cold back, feeling a pang of worry shoot through him.

For weeks, hardly a single day went by when you didn't vomit.

"Baby, you're fucking cold", Ben murmured, his concern growing as he felt the chill radiating from your trembling body.

Ben's touch was gentle yet firm as he pressed his palm against your hot forehead, his brows furrowing with worry as he watched over you.

With a sigh, he realized that your symptoms were worsening, and he couldn't shake off the worry gnawing at him. Tenderly, he brushed a strand of hair away from your face, his voice soft with concern as he murmured, "We need to get you to the doctor first thing in the morning".

As you nodded weakly, clinging onto him, Ben carefully guided you back into bed, wrapping his arms around you protectively. He held you close against him, feeling the weight of your weakness. You were barely awake, your body drained from the ordeal. All he could do was hold you close and provide comfort as you drifted back into sleep.

Throughout the night, Ben didn't sleep for a second. He kept a vigilant watch over you, listening for any irregularities in your breathing or heartbeat, hoping that it wasn't as serious as it seemed. However, by morning, you felt even worse. Ben could see it in your pale complexion and the exhaustion etched into every line of your face.

With great care, Ben helped you into the shower, supporting you as you washed away the night's discomfort. He then assisted you in getting dressed, his strong arms guiding you gently as you struggled with dizziness and weakness. It was clear that you needed his support now more than ever.

As Ben helped you into the shower and dressed you, you couldn't help but mumble apologies, your voice strained with exhaustion and frustration. "I'm so sorry", you repeated over and over again, the words tinged with self-deprecation. You hated feeling this vulnerable, confirming Ben's beliefs about the weakness of humans. Yet, without his support, you could barely hold yourself upright.

As Ben drove to Vought with you beside him, you continued to mumble apologies, your voice filled with remorse. "I'm sorry", you whispered again, your words laced with frustration.

Ben glanced at you, his expression a mix of concern and exasperation. "Stop apologizing!", he muttered, a hint of frustration in his tone. "Just focus on getting better".

You nodded weakly, feeling a pang of guilt for burdening him with your weakness.

Feeling the weight of your tears, Ben took a deep breath, trying to steady his fraying nerves. He knew he shouldn't let his frustration get the best of him, especially when you were already feeling so vulnerable.

"Hey", he said gently, reaching out to touch your hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. I'm just worried about you and the baby".

His words were softened with genuine concern as he tried to reassure you, despite his own fatigue and anxiety.

As your tears continued to fall, Ben's patience wore thin, his grip on the steering wheel tightening with frustration. He felt a surge of helplessness wash over him, unsure of how to comfort you when he was struggling to keep himself together.

"Come on", he muttered under his breath, his jaw clenched as he navigated through traffic. "We'll get you checked out, see what's going on".

"I-I think… my belly hurts", you managed to choke out, your hand instinctively reaching for your abdomen as another wave of tears fell. "It hurts… really bad".

Your voice trembled with pain and fear, and you looked to Ben, hoping for some reassurance amidst the overwhelming discomfort.

Ben's eyes widened slightly in alarm as he pushed your hand aside, replacing it with his own as he gently pressed against your belly. It took a few moments, but eventually, he felt the faint thud of the baby's heartbeat beneath his palm. It wasn't as strong as it used to be, and a wave of panic washed over him.

His grip on the steering wheel tightened even further as he tried to keep his composure, his mind racing with worry and concern for both you and the baby.

Concern etched across your face, you turned to Ben, your voice trembling with fear and pain. "Ben, what's going on?", you choked out, the pain intensifying with each passing moment.

Ben withdrew his hand from your belly, a worried frown creasing his brow. Clearing his throat, he struggled to find the right words. "The heartbeat of the baby seems weaker, but I'm not a doctor", he mumbled softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Parking his car in the underground car park, he glanced at you, his expression tense with concern. "We need to get you checked out", he said firmly, his voice tinged with urgency. "Let's go".

Feeling weaker and more afraid than ever, you leaned into Ben's support as the elevator ascended to the doctor's floor. His arm around your hips steadied you as the doors opened, revealing a team of medical professionals already waiting for you.

Ben's grip tightened around you, a silent reassurance as he guided you toward the team. Despite his usual bravado, his worry was palpable, his concern for you and the baby etched into every line of his face.

Stepping onto the doctor's floor, you and Ben were greeted by a team already assembled and ready to assist. They attempted to calm the two of you, reassuring you that as long as you didn't bleed or pass out, everything was fine. Deep down, they knew it wasn't that simple, but they were wary of causing further panic.

Ben's jaw clenched as he listened to the doctors' words. He glanced at you, silently offering his support as the medical team began their examination.

In the examination room, you clung to Ben's hand tightly, seeking comfort in his presence. He stood steadfast by your side, his grip reassuring as you braced yourself for the ultrasound. The doctor began the procedure, the sound of the machine filling the room as they carefully examined your belly.

Ben's gaze never left you. He remained silent.

The doctor finished the ultrasound, studying the images carefully before stepping back. Meanwhile, the nurse took your blood pressure, her movements precise and efficient. As the doctor conferred with another nurse, they turned to you with a solemn expression.

"The heartbeat of the baby is a bit weak", the doctor explained gently, their voice filled with concern. "We need to monitor you closely and take some additional tests to understand what's happening".

The doctor turned to Ben, who was poised to ask more questions, and reassured him with a calm demeanor. "Right now, everything seems okay", he explained, his tone measured. "It's not perfect, but it's not life-threatening either. We'll continue to monitor (Y/N) closely and take the necessary steps to ensure both her and the baby's well-being".

Ben exhaled softly and looked down at you. As another, older nurse came with a hospital gown, he stepped back a little. As the nurse assisted you into the hospital gown, her eyes briefly flickered over the bruises scattered across your skin. Sensing the tension, she gently inquired, "Are those bruises recent?". Ben's jaw clenched, his gaze momentarily averted. Your cheeks flushed, feeling his discomfort.

You cleared your throat, trying to hide your embarrassment as you nodded slightly. "Um, yeah", you murmured, your voice barely above a whisper. "They're, uh, from… accidents".

The nurse furrowed her brow, clearly concerned. "Accidents?", she repeated, her tone gentle yet probing. "Are you sure everything is okay at home? You don't have to be afraid to tell us if something's wrong".

Ben's voice rose, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "Do you honestly think I would lay a fucking finger on her?", he snapped, his tone sharp and defensive. "I'm not some abusive asshole. Those bruises… they're from…". He trailed off, realizing he couldn't bring himself to explain the true cause.

The nurse, accustomed to dealing with supes and their peculiarities, simply rolled her eyes at Ben's outburst. "Alright, alright, calm down", she said, her tone gentle but firm. "I've seen my fair share of unusual circumstances. You can tell me the truth, you know".

As she closed your gown gently, she gave Ben a knowing look, silently urging him to open up.

Ben took a deep breath, his frustration evident in his voice as he reluctantly began to explain. "Look, it's not what you think", he started, his tone a mix of defensiveness and vulnerability. "I didn't… I mean, I would never…". He struggled to find the right words, his jaw tense as he glanced at you, silently apologizing for the uncomfortable situation.

The nurse's tone softened slightly as she addressed Ben, her expression empathetic yet firm. "Look, I get it. You're a supe, and she's human. But you've got to be more careful", she said, her voice gentle yet authoritative. "We've seen it all before. It's not about cracking her open, it's about understanding your own strength and knowing when to hold back. It can be challenging, especially during sex, but you must learn-…".

“Okay, stop”, Ben interrupted, feeling completely uncomfortable.

"Well, but especially you, the great soldier boy, should know better", she continued, her voice tinged with a hint of reproach. "You've got to learn to control that strength of yours, especially when it comes to someone you seem to care about".

Ben's frustration was palpable as he took a deep breath, visibly struggling to contain his temper. You could see the anger burning in his eyes as he turned towards the nurse. "Can you give us a minute, please?", you asked her softly, sensing that Ben needed a moment to compose himself.

The nurse nodded understandingly, sensing the tension in the air. "Of course", she replied, giving you a reassuring smile before stepping out of the room, leaving you alone with Ben.

You reached out to touch Ben's arm, your voice soft but firm. "Ben, please", you pleaded, your eyes searching his for any sign of relenting. But he remained tense, his jaw clenched as he struggled to contain his anger.

Feeling the chill, you wrapped your arms around yourself, longing for warmth. Sensing your discomfort, Ben sat beside you, gently pulling you onto his lap. His strong arms enveloped you, offering solace and comfort. As you nestled against his chest, his warmth seeped into you, gradually dispelling the cold.

As the doctor returned, he began conducting tests on me without pulling me away from Ben's bedside. "Have you been resting well like I asked you to?", he inquired, concern etched in his voice.

You glanced at him, your mind momentarily distracted by memories of the passionate moments shared with Ben. "Um, yes, I've been trying to".

The doctor nodded, his attention shifting back to his examination. "Good, it's crucial for your health and the baby's", he advised, his tone gentle yet firm. As he administered the infusion and antibiotics, you couldn't help but wonder about the implications of being pregnant with a supe baby.

As the doctor finished the tests, he turned his attention to Ben. "And how do you feel about the V medication, Soldier Boy?", he inquired, his tone professional yet curious.

Ben's brows furrowed slightly in confusion before he replied, "V medication?".

You shifted uncomfortably in the bed.

The truth about the risks of my pregnancy and the potential need for the V medication weighed heavily on your mind, yet you never told Ben about it.

Sensing the tension in the room, the doctor exchanged a knowing glance with you, before turning back to Ben. "I'll give the two of you a moment", he said gently, his tone understanding.

As the doctor stepped out of the room, leaving you alone, Ben's gaze bore into yours, searching for answers. "What's that?", he asked.

You swallowed hard, feeling the weight of Ben's gaze as his eyes bored into yours. The air in the room felt thick with tension as you struggled to find the words to explain.

"I… I didn't want to worry you", you began, your voice barely above a whisper. "But there are risks… with the pregnancy. More than we thought".

Ben's expression darkened, his jaw tensing with anger. "Risks? What kind of risks?", he demanded, his voice rising with each word.

You took a deep breath, bracing yourself for his reaction. "The doctor mentioned… that the only help might be an… an unforshed V medication", you confessed, stumbling over the words as you struggled to articulate the truth.

Ben's eyes widened in disbelief, his fists clenching at his sides. "And you didn't think I deserved to fucking know this?", he growled.

Tears welled up in your eyes as you reached out to him. "I'm sorry, Ben", you whispered, your voice trembling with emotion. "I just… I didn't know how to tell you".

Ben rubbed his beard, a sure sign of his frustration, before he turned around abruptly. His back muscles flexed, a silent testament to the intensity of his emotions. You knew he was beyond just angry; he was majorly pissed.

Silence hung heavy in the air as Ben paced back and forth, his footsteps echoing in the room. Each step seemed to reverberate with the weight of unspoken words and unresolved tension. You watched him, feeling a pang of guilt gnaw at your insides.

Finally, Ben stopped in front of the window, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. His shoulders tensed, and you could sense the turmoil raging within him. It was as if a storm was brewing beneath the surface, ready to unleash its fury at any moment.

If you weren't feeling so dizzy and cold, you would have gone to him, but instead, you remained lying in the hospital bed, watching him with a heavy heart.

"You need to stay heads up with the supes who want to take you down and all that stuff… I just don't want to distract you".

Ben's eyes flashed with rage as your words reached his ears. Without a word, he stormed towards you, his steps echoing like thunder in the room. Before you could react, he grabbed the nightstand beside your bed and shoved it into the wall with such force that it shattered into pieces.

You recoiled in shock, the shards of wood and metal scattering across the floor around you. The intensity of Ben's anger left you speechless, a cold knot forming in the pit of your stomach as you realized the extent of his fury.

Your heart raced as you watched Ben's expression, recognizing the familiar signs of his temper but also sensing something darker beneath the surface. His gaze bore into you with an intensity that sent shivers down your spine, devoid of any trace of the love and warmth you were accustomed to.

Frozen in fear, you found yourself unable to utter a single word, the fear gripping your heart like a vice. All you could do was stare back at him, tears streaming down your heated cheeks.

As Ben saw the fear in your eyes and heard the rapid rhythm of your heart, a pained expression crossed his face. His clenched fists relaxed, and the anger in his eyes softened, replaced by a profound sense of remorse.

Ben's hand trembled as he reached out to cup your cheek, his heart heavy with regret. But as his fingertips grazed your skin, you flinched away, a reflex born of fear, and his touch fell short.

A strangled gasp escaped Ben's lips as he recoiled, the pain of rejection written across his face. "I'm sorry", he mumbled, "I didn't mean to…".

But his words trailed off, lost in the suffocating silence that hung between you.

Tears continued to flow down your cheeks.

"Fuck", Ben growled loudly, his voice echoing off the walls of the room, filled with frustration and self-loathing. Without another word, he turned on his heel and strode out of the room, his footsteps echoing down the corridor.

The door slammed shut behind him with such force that a few screws flew out, punctuating his departure with a final, resounding crash. The sound reverberated in the empty room, a stark reminder of the turmoil that had unfolded within its walls.

Alone once more, you were left to grapple with the aftermath of Ben's outburst, the echoes of his anger still ringing in your ears.

The nurse returned, her expression filled with concern as she took in the scene before her. "Are you alright?", she asked, her voice gentle and careful, as if afraid to disturb the fragile balance of the moment.

You nodded weakly, attempting to compose yourself despite the tremors still coursing through your body. "I'm fine", you replied, your voice barely above a whisper, the words feeling foreign on your lips.

The nurse approached you slowly, her movements cautious as she checked your vitals and assessed your condition. Her touch was gentle.

She nurse pulled the blanket over your body, tucking you in with a tenderness that brought a lump to your throat. With a soft click of the remote, she dimmed the harsh hospital lights, casting the room in a gentle, soothing glow.

"He'll come back", the nurse mumbled reassuringly, her voice laced with empathy. "Probably with flowers or something. You need to rest, honey. Think about your baby".

You nodded weakly, the weight of exhaustion pressing down on you.

But despite the nurse's comforting words, tears continued to fall unabated down your cheeks.

The nurse sighed heavily before quietly leaving the room, her presence fading into the silence that enveloped you once more. Alone with your thoughts, you couldn't shake the feeling of regret that gnawed at your insides.

You knew you should have told Ben about the risks and the medication. But the memory of his rage and the coldness in his stare still sent shivers down your spine.

As the medication kicked in, its sedative effects washing over you like a gentle tide, your eyelids grew heavy, and you succumbed to the sweet embrace of sleep. In the darkness of your dreams, the echoes of Ben's anger faded into the distance, replaced by a fleeting sense of peace.

———————————

A/N: Please let me know what you think.🥰

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Part 31

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Taglist: @deangirl96, @thatgirljayy, @suckitands33, @deans-spinster-witch@mimaria420@kaz11283@uncle-eggy@jackles010378@vxnilla-hxrddrugs @meowmeowyoongles@sarahgracej @zemosdarling228 @leila22rogers @mostlymarvelgirl@emily-winchester @blacknoirr @onlyangel-444@seasonofthenerd@staple-your-mouth@artemys-ackles@selfdestructionandrhum@mystic-mara @kat-nee @samanddeaninatrenchcoat @star-yawnznn @me1501 @CheyNovaK

[bnjmin]

meta + starlie & jeff <3

@s1byls meta + accepting.

opposites attract in the best way. they met in law school, so there's literally no winning against either of them in an argument. they have different parenting styles, but it works out in the end. jeff is the one they go to if they need emotional support, starlie is the one they go to if they need some kind of problem solved. they're both probably too soft on their kids (hence why ben is ... like that), even if they do have their stern moments.

jeff's parents are good now, but it took them a really long time to come around to their relationship. jeff chose starlie over them without even thinking and that just exacerbated the issue, but all the grandkids probably softened them.

they have such guilt over bobby. they're not dumb so they knew, but they also didn't want to be too overbearing about it because they thought it would just make him use more, or stop visiting. now they beat themselves up for being too lenient about it. and ben scares the fuck out of them, especially when they saw him follow bobby not even a few months after he died. top 5 worst parenting moments and it pains me to say it, but it was when ben was deepest in his addiction. they were still reeling and grieving from losing bobby so i get that, but they basically just tried to make peace with the fact that they would probably get a call that ben was dead one day, too. once he started coming out of it a little more and they were moving past their grief they got serious about telling him to get his shit together. at least he was more receptive at that point.

[thosecartwrights]

tell me i’m wrong on this i dare you

[gravity-barbie]

The Sparrows favourite sibling leaving the academy HCs

Request

Masterlist

Marcus Hargreeves

-It might not be your offical number, but where it counts you’ve always been Marcus’ number two, someone he can really rely on

-So when you tell him you intend to leave the academy he’s flabbergasted and devastated

-He tries to bargain with you and offer you all kinds of compromises as a means of keeping you in place but won’t go so far as to attempt to force your hand and lets you leave while his dignity is intact

-He blames himself for your absence and questions his own leadership, after all if he can’t even keep his best friend in the academy how is he meant to keep the others there

-Which Ben makes several digs about both behind his back and to his face which he tries to be strong about and shut down but they do make him feel worse

-He distracts himself with work, including getting you removed from all the advertising, not vindictively (well mostly not) but just so he can stop seeing your face everywhere, and maybe even help you live the more normal life you seem to want better

-He occasionally fluctuates between too strict and too lenient with the others in his efforts not to let this happen again

Ben Hargreeves

-Ben has definitely taken you for granted before but you do actually mean the world to him

-He takes the news incredibly hard, first he lost his title of number one, and now he’s losing you, it’s unbearable

-Telling him quickly turns into an argument, which if you read between the lines is essentially him aggressively begging you not to leave

-He feels a lot of anger towards you, considering your decision nothing short of traitorous and it isn’t something he’ll forgive easily

-He’s pretty wrecked after you go, having a harder time getting back on the horse than you’d expect, drowning in alcohol, anger and self-pity, mourning you like you died

-Even if you offer, or hell, even beg for him to come with you he can’t, he wants to, but he’s too stuck on the pedestal he put the academy on

-He can’t bring himself to reach out to you after you leave, even when regret over how you ended things really sets in, but he does often catch himself wondering where you are and what kind of new life you’ve crafted for yourself

Fei Hargreeves

-you were never the only thing keeping Fei at the academy or anything, but more than anything else you made the bad parts of her life feel tolerable

-When you tell her (and you’ve answered all her follow up questions) she can’t keep herself as calm as she’d like to be, she’s angrier than you’ve seen her in a while

-But she’s also pleading with you, pointing out all the reasons you should stay

-She’s shocked that you could be so disloyal, feeling personally betrayed, and bitterly letting you know she would never abandon you like this

-However after she’s had time to calm down she really tries to suck it up and let you go, because despite everything she doesn’t want your goodbye to be filled with negativity

-She was hardly little miss sunshine before, but she’s still noticeably colder without you

-She never says anything or makes any kind of contact with you, but she’s often keeping an eye on you from a distance, to satiate her own curiosity and make sure you’re doing okay

Alphonso Hargreeves

-There is no shortage of things Alphonso likes about the academy in its current state but your company has always been top of that list

-When you start dropping hints about leaving, and even say as much, he avoids taking you seriously for as long as he can, waiting for you to back out

-He tries, but he really doesn’t understand where you’re coming from in wanting to leave, when you have limitless funds and fame here, and thanks to Pogo Reginald isn’t a problem anymore

-He actually exposes some sadness and vulnerability as he tries to convince you not to leave, though it does eventually escalate into an argument

-Unlike some of the others Alphonso is still willing to see you again after you leave, meeting up sometimes for lunch or things like that

-But while he’s willing to be half-civil he still feels a lot of resentment towards you, and you can’t make it through a meet-up without some bitter remarks

-He’s pretty good at putting on a facade of indifference to the others despite the deep loss he feels

Sloane Hargreeves

-You have consistently been the best part of the academy for Sloane, you’ve gotten each other through some really hard times

-You both had always talked about leaving the academy one day but she hadn’t actually expected you to act on it

-She really tries to talk herself into going with you but ultimately can’t bring herself to, she doesn’t resent you though, all you did was have more courage than her

-She puts on a brave face for you, happily seeing you off and assuring you she’ll be fine, trying her hardest not to guilt you or make you regret leaving

-But in reality she’s really struggling without you, sad that you’re gone and have made the academy a worse place in doing so

-She’s very determined to keep in touch with you and is always exited to hear updates about your life and what you think of the world outside the academy, living vicariously through you

-She finds it in herself to be truly happy for you, and dreams of one day joining you

Jayme Hargreeves

-Jayme hasn’t said it in so many words but your relationship is very important to her and she thought that was something you two silently agreed upon

-So when you tell her, you get a rare glimpse of emotion from her: anger, she’s also very sad but she sure as hell isn’t gonna expose that vulnerability to you

-She hears you out but she’s not gonna beg for you to stay, it doesn’t take long for her to say ‘fine, do whatever the hell you want’ and then give you the cold shoulder for the rest of your time here

-She goes out looking for fights every night to release the tension she feels

-Really she’s trying to run away from her feelings but eventually she can’t stop herself from breaking down in tears

-She gets pissed off whenever the others try to check in on her, or even bring up your name, always jumping to talk shit about you when they do to conceal her hurt

-She tries hard to forget about you, and even if she can’t she can pretend to, acting like you’re a stranger next time she sees you

Christopher Hargreeves

-Christopher tries not to dwell on it but life can be especially isolating for him, so when you tell him you’re leaving, he’s a bit panicked to lose one of the only people that make him feel truly seen

-He tries to change your mind, suggesting the two of you could just hang out outside the academy more as a compromise

-When it becomes clear you’re deadset on going he takes it pretty badly, getting moody with you (and others) and cuts you with some brutal words

-But as hurt as he is, he’ll still defend your decision to the others, and ultimately wants you to be happy

-He does consider going with you, but really he’s not gonna find a place where he’s more accepted and comfortable than living as a superhero celebrity, and besides he’s loyal to the other sparrows too

-He’s still one of the only siblings willing to stay in touch with you

[itisannak]

Parenthood Rehearsal (Ashton Irwin Fluff)

Summary: Ashton and (Y/N) babysit her baby nephew. Based on Love Prompts: #14: “Let’s have a baby.” & #35: “This is why I fell in love with you.” (Words: 2.3k) (Request)

"Make sure the milk is not too hot." My sister says, peeking inside the stroller for one more look at her son, who is suckling on his pacifier. "You already told me that." I remind her, sighing as I try to remain patient with her. "And when you put him to bed, make sure you don't tuck him in too tight. He moves a lot and it is not safe." She states, holding up his little blanket. "Honey, can we go? We are going to be late." My brother-in-law points out, tapping at his watch. It is my sister's first time leaving her son and going out for the night, and it is even worse since the wedding they are attending is too far away for them to return tonight and pick Benny up. I can partially understand her, even though this talk by the door really gets on my very last nerve. "We have got this." I assure her. Ashton smiles and nods, rolling the stroller further into the house. This is the only way to get them to leave already. "If anything happens..." She begins and I groan. "If anything happens, we will let you know. Now leave. Or you are going to make it to the wedding after the couple leaves for their honeymoon." I hold the door for her and she scoffs, rolling her eyes. "You will see him at lunch. You look gorgeous, have fun." I try to sweeten the goodbye, but I can tell she is having a hard time. My brother-in-law mouths a thank you as his hand rests on her lower back and he guides her out of the house. "Call me before his bedtime." Is the last thing my sister says before I close the door to her face.

I make my way to the living room, where Ashton has already set up the portable playpen for my nephew. "Alright. How is my favorite guy?" I cheer at the baby, picking him out of his stroller and holding him to my chest, bouncing him to make him giggle. "I am alright. Just a little sore from setting this up." Ashton replies, even though he knows I am talking to the baby. "Bold of you to assume you are my favorite guy." I tease my husband, making him fake-gasp and touch his chest in pretend offense. "Ouch. 7 months old and he already stole my spot..." He shakes his head, walking closer to me. He leans down, planting a kiss on my forehead before he takes a seat on the couch. "One of us will have to take care of dinner." I state, joining him on the couch. I bounce the baby as Ashton hands me one of multi-textured toys. "Or we can order in." He suggests as I hold the toy out for the baby boy to grasp. "I am a horrible housewife." I sigh, earning a chuckle from Ash. "Your aunt is being funny." He says to the baby, tapping his nose. The little boy finds his hand more interesting than the toy I am holding, reaching to grasp my husband's fingers. "You are not a housewife. And takeout does not mean you are horrible." He replies, letting the baby play with his hand. "I could really go for Tex-Mex tonight." I mumble and he hums. "I could really go for it too. What time should he eat?" Ash asks, picking up Ben so he can hold him and let the kid play with his fingers. "In about 2 hours. But we will have to bathe him first." I reply and he hums. "That means we get to play with the little dude for at least an hour..." He says cheerfully. "You know, I kinda get my sister... I would have a hard time letting go of that dude too. I will probably have a hard time letting him go tomorrow." I sigh, stroking my hand over the soft hair on top of the baby's head. "A bit dramatic, don't you think?" He asks and I shrug. "He is just so cute..." I pout, taking Ben's little hand in mine. "That he is. Come on, let's give him some tummy-time." Ash suggests, pressing his lips on my forehead. Ashton lets Ben on the crawling mattress he has laid on the floor of our living room, laying aside him on his tummy as well. Ben quickly finds his way to the playpen, crawling the short distance without any problems. "Good job, buddy." Ashton cheers, scooting towards him.

I test the water's temperature with the little toy duck thermometer, seeing if the water is too hot for the little guy. "It will take us a fortnight to gather all his stuff..." Ashton sighs, undressing the baby for his bath. "She swore she would bring only the essential..." I mumble, picking the lavender wash out the toiletries bag. "She does realize he will only spend a night at our place, right?" He asks, slowly lowering the baby into his baby tub. "For her feels like a century. Come on, be lenient... It is her first time leaving him." I giggle, kneeling to wash him. "Should I go make a bottle?" He asks, standing aside to let me move with ease. "I think it is too soon. We will have to dress him up before we feed him, and by then the milk will be cold." I reply, wetting the baby's head. "I will go lay his clothes on our bed." He offers and I nod. "Thank you. But make sure you are here to help me pick him out of the tub." I flinch just at the thought of picking him up and him slipping from my hands. "I will only be gone for a minute." He assures me, walking out of our bathroom. Ben flails his hands in the water, splashing around as I use the soft-bristle brush to wash his hair. The whole bathroom smells like lavender soap and that makes me feel soft and mellow. I sigh, thinking of how it will be when Ashton and I decide to have a baby. When we got married two years ago, we decided to just take time to enjoy one another, see the world and submerge ourselves in new experiences, so having children was not a conversation we truly ever had. At least not seriously, not taking into consideration the logistics behind it. But ever since my sister announced her pregnancy, this need of becoming a mother myself was stirred up. And it got worse since Ben was born since I got to hold my nephew in my arms. It does not help that Ashton is so good with him. Fatherhood looks natural on him, and the sight of him holding the baby makes my heart race. I cannot help it, picturing him with our own baby, imagining how good he will be as a parent. But I also know he is such a good parent because he practically raised his siblings. And then he became the father of the group, the older mentor for his friends. It is more than certain that he needs a break from that role, and I understand that. Sighing, I grab the rinsing cup and wash the shampoo off Ben's head. I lather his washcloth with the cleanser and softly cleanse his skin, making sure I don't scrub too harshly on his sensitive skin. "Everything ok in here?" Ashton asks, resting against the doorframe. "Yes, we are done in a minute." I smile at my husband who picks up the baby's towel and preps it in his arms to carry him to our bedroom. I rinse the baby off and move over so Ashton can pick him out. "Oh, you smell so good, bud." Ashton kisses the top of his head as I rinse and drain his tub. "Can you handle dressing him up so I can prep the milk?" Ashton asks as we walk towards our bed. "Can you handle making his bottle?" I ask and he chuckles. "Piece of cake." He assures me, laying the baby on the changing mat. "I think I can do dress up." I reply, picking up the lavender lotion.

I finish putting on his onesie when Ashton returns with the bottle. "You are still struggling with dressing him up?" He asks with a soft giggle. "If you knew all the steps in his nighttime routine, you wouldn't be that surprised..." I state, picking up the baby and sitting on the ottoman to feed him. "Can I do it? Can I feed him?" He asks, sitting next to me. "Are you sure?" I ask and he nods. "Yeah, yeah. I'll feed him, you go take a shower and then you put him to sleep and I take a shower." He replies, motioning for me to give him the baby. "Ok, I'll make sure to be quick." I hand him Ben carefully, watching him as he starts feeding him. "Go, I have done this in the past, multiple times." Ashton says playfully. I raise my hands in defeat, walking away from the two boys.

I did as fast as I could in the shower, and despite the short length, it was exactly what I needed. I walk out of the bathroom, already clad in my pajamas and ready for Ben's sleeping ritual. Ashton is humming a tune as he walks around the room with Ben in his arms, rubbing his back softly. "I thought I was supposed to be putting him to sleep." I whisper, not wanting to disturb the little guy. "I got carried away. Can you order food?" He asks, in the same hushed tone. "Still TexMex?" I ask, taking my phone from the nightstand where it was charging. "Yes. Get the usual, I think you have the order saved on the app. Ask for door delivery and pay with my credit card, so they don't ring the bell and wake the baby up. Ask for a text upon delivery." He whispers and I shake my head. "So bossy..." I mumble, and he shoots me a look. "I have no problem with your nephew crying all night if you don't have too..." He states, looking at Ben to see if he is asleep. "Ok, ok... A crying baby is the last thing on my checklist for tonight." I reply, writing the instructions for delivery in the special field.

"I think in a minute or two, he will be ready for bed." Ashton announces, bouncing the baby to lull him to sleep. "I will stay with him, you go shower." I reply, laying his bedding on my side of the bed. Thankfully, the bed is big enough for me to sleep comfortably along with Ashton on his side of the bed. "Once he is off, we can't get out of the room. We have to watch him so he doesn't roll over." I remind him and he nods. "So, we will eat in bed. And we will read that book you bought the other day until we are off too." He states, letting Ben on his mat. The baby continues sleeping, sucking on his pacifier rhythmically. "This is why I fell in love with you. You always find solutions." I say happily, making him turn his head and plant a soft peck on my lips. "I'll be right back." He whispers, walking towards the bathroom.

I watch as my nephew sleeps, pouting over how angelic he looks, how peaceful he is. I want a baby, and I want it now. I want to have a baby with Ashton, I want to raise a child with the love of my life, I just want it. It hurts me physically being in need of becoming a mother. "(Y/N)... (Y/N)? Do I flip the page?" Ashton nudges me, making me come out of my thoughts. "Hm?" "We have been on this page for a while? Did you read it? Should I change it?" He asks. "I am sorry, give me a minute." I start scanning the page, but Ashton shuts the book and leaves it on the bedside table. "You seem a bit off. Are you tired? Do you want to go to bed?" He asks me, kissing my temple. I shake my head, taking a breath. "I want a baby." I admit, moving so I can look him in the eye. "Now?" He asks, knitting his eyebrows together. "Don't make fun of me. I want us to have a baby. I know you practically raised your siblings, and then you raised the boys, and I know you needed a break from fatherhood when we got married, but I want to have a baby. I want us to grow this family. I want a baby because..." I go on and on, but Ashton just chuckles and reaches to cup my face. "(Y/N)... Let's have a baby." He says as if it is the simplest, most natural thing in the world. "You are serious?" I ask and he nods. "Very. And if we didn't have our nephew here tonight, I would show you how serious I am about having a baby with you." He winks at me, making my eyes go wide and earning a light slap on the shoulder. "Ashton..." I gasp and he shrugs. "What? You asked for a baby... I am just saying, we can start trying." He replies, pulling me in for a kiss. "You are going to be an amazing dad." I mumble against his lips before I rest my forehead on his. "Only because you are going to make an amazing mum." He kisses the tip of my nose while stroking his thumbs over my cheeks.

My Masterlist

[multiverseofimagines]

❝ sunday morning ❞ a.d characters hc

In which what the “boys” would do on a Sunday morning, alongside their s/o.

Kylo

➤ Kylo loathes mornings, in fact he hates them so much, he insists that no one wake him up early unless he’s truly needed, or has specific duties to fufill that day. Though loyal to his job, the mornings and late evenings are the only times you truly get to spend together as a couple, the rest of the time, he is quite busy with all of his supreme leader tasks.

He’s super cuddly in the morning, and this is one of the few times you get to see a glimpse of what once was Ben Solo. The gentle likeness of his past self seeping through in his whiny morning voice, only gaining it’s raspiness once he’s awaken slightly for the day. 

If you need to get up and do something early, he’ll use the force to make you lay there with him for an extra moment, which will often cause you to submit to his demands happily. 

He is not a breakfast guy, and often forgets to eat meals of any nutritional value ( definitely claims he’s ‘too’  nauseas to eat.) but Sundays are the rarest of occasions that he will join you for breakfast in the private dining room of the ship. (+ his favourite is bacon with syrup drizzled on top)

Clyde Logan

➤ Clyde isn’t opposed to mornings, but his schedule usually consists of waking up late, anyway. The bar doesn’t open till the afternoon, and unless Clyde needs to do early mornin’ paperwork, or check the post office, you can bet your stars he won’t be up before atleast 10am. 

He’s a cartoon and cereal guy. 

    Though Clyde favours his mostly burnt bacon, most mornings he’ll eat cereal with you on the couch while ya’ll are still in your underwear, watchin’ Sunday mornin’ cartoons together.  

( He really enjoys the cartoon network. Some of his favourites are; Tom & Jerry, Adventure Time and Scooby Doo)

    He’ll also insist you two share the cereal and feed eachother bites if your cereal choice is different that morning. Which often results in spilt milk upon both you and the couch. 

(+ ya’ll will also shower together most mornings.)

Charlie Barber

➤ Charlie is the biggest morning person, the man lives for mornings. Most of his routine consists of early mornings, paired with a cup of coffee and starting work right away, but Sundays are definitely his lenient of days,

He will sleep in, only for a couple more hours than usual, still awaking considerably early. He’ll also wake Henry up if it’s his weekend, and start cooking breakfast, whilst your in bed still. Sometimes you’ll get up with them and help, but most mornings Charlie will try and slip out of bed without waking you, feeling guilty for all the mornings you’d have to rush Henry to school, or make Charlie breakfast. He is so considerable upon making it up to you, and letting you know he appreciates what you do for him.

He has grown to like certain cartoons that Henry watches, maybe a bit too much, as he will often get the theme songs stuck within his head, and hum them whenever he gets a chance throughout the course of the week. (His favourites are Pokemon, Spiderman and Spongebob.)

Despite watching Cartoons with Henry, his first order of business when he wakes up is to watch the global news.

Charlie also has a habit of wanting to not sit around all day, and will often make plans to go on bike rides, to the movies, go for lunch, etc.

(+ He definitely pays for Disney plus)

Flip Zimmerman

➤ Flip doesn’t hate mornings, nor does he particularly enjoy them. He prides himself in being on time for work, and has many early mornings in which he must go into the station, including Sundays.

If he does have a Sunday off, or a day in particular off, he’ll still get up earlier than noon (any later and he’ll feel like his whole day has been wasted) He starts his morning off by making coffee, and reading the newspaper (he’s a sucker for crosswords, and will often ask you for help.)

If he doesn’t read the paper first thing, he may find it upon himself to read a bit of his late Mother’s copy of the Torah (Talmud), filled with little colored tabs on important pages. His morning Torah readings always keep him humble. He also highlights quotations that stick with him.

He hates morning telivision, and insists that it rots your brain.

Always wants to grocery shop on Sundays, insisting that the market won’t be busy, even though it always is.

(+ please don’t even get me started on the morning s*x)

Paterson

➤ Paterson could lay in bed forever with you, and he often won’t get up till at least twelve if he has the day off (usually does on sundays)

Depending on the day and his willingness to go out, sometimes you’ll head to a Diner for a late brunch. If not, you’ll usually make something for breakfast. ( Very rare occasion that you two have a huge breakfast. The most it will consist of is either cereal or eggos.)

Sunday is his day of quiet oasis. After food, he’ll hide in the basement and write for hours, only getting up when he smells the scent of food or when you call for him to come help with various house chores. ( Though you try not to interrupt his Poetry writing, no matter how much help you need.)

Sometimes he will also suggest going on a walk with you, just to get out of the house a bit. 

Phillip Altman

➤ Phillip is not a morning person, and is quite a baby with waking up early, but there’s one thing that will eliminate his bitchiness.

    Morning S*x, obviously (What else did you think it was?).

That’s a given ritual on almost every Sunday, accompanied by falling back asleep afterwards for a few more hours. 

You will usually get up before him, and start cooking brunch (+if you feel comfy, it would more than likely be in one of his shirts and just your underwear.) He would also come smack your ass while your cooking, in which would end in you chasing him around with a spatula. 

He does the dishes cause you cooked ( my heart melts ahhh)

Phillip is not a cartoon guy unless it’s an “adult” cartoon ( + his faves are American Dad, Rick and Morty and Family guy.) Though usually on Sunday’s he’ll suggest watching a movie and cuddling on the couch (he always suckers you into an action movie, despite your slight hatred for his taste. They aren’t like fun.meaningful action movies, they are super boring and filled with dumb plots.)  Your lack of interest will almost always lead to a tickle fight or a make-out sesh. 

[ramble-bloo]

Named after the old school mechanical method of printing previously used in comics, Ben-Day Dots, Benday University is school for protagonists. Whether you have super powers, are destined to get them, or are cursed with super powered beings latching onto you specifically, this is the place for you to attend.

WHERE IS IT LOCATED

It doesn’t exist on this planet...or even in this dimension. It’s in it’s own little pocket that has gate keepers on watch 24/7 to make sure whoever enters the school is meant to be there. The entire location from afar can best be described as a giant floating continent.

WELL HOW IN THE FUCK DO YOU GET THERE THEN ROCKY?

Second ,the only way to enter the dimension from our world are specially designated Comic book stores. Not every store is a gate way of course but there are some that are scattered throughout the world. They have special markings to look out for. 

The process of getting through the gate ain’t as simple as simply asking the person working behind the desk. First thing is you have to go to a store within the first hour of so of it opening (as this is often when there are little to no civilains around). Some stores are more lenient but that depends on how much business they get.

 ALSO, if you’re a student of faculty member, you're given a card. That card is uniquely given to you and cannot be copied or borrowed by anyone else. This is something that is delivered to you upon you getting accepted into Benday. 

And it’s not just any worker you gotta talk to. You have to go up front, and ask for a manager after while flashing the card to the person working. They then go fetch said manager for you (if they aren’t the manager themselves) and they ask what help you need. 

You then state that you can’t find the comic you’re looking for and if they could check in the back for you. If they ask what comic specifically, you reach the step many new students practice in the mirror for. That being  that you have to basically describe yourself but in the form of a comic. 

The manager will then go to check but usher you along with them. From then on you are brought into the back where you got all your usual bookstore stuff before you walk a good distance in and the manager drops their civilian disguise and summons the door to Benday. The door comes with a cool special little card swiper. You just swipe it and the door unlocks. From then on you are waved on through and the door disappears to be summoned again for the next student. 

Wherever the door spits you out at depends on the data on your card as it contains all sorts of stuff. It states your abilities, the genre you are in, your class schedule, etc. 

WHATS BENDAY BUILT LIKE?

The location you’re spit out at really depends on two things, your genre and class schedule. Benday isn’t just a school on a giant floating continent. The continent is the campus itself. It’s divided into every genre for just about every class needed for whatever protagonist. To give a short list off the top of my head-there are zones for:

Superheroes (think along the lines of DC and Marvel)

Witchcraft (Little Witch Academia, Harry Potter, BASICALLY anything where you rely on spell castin’)

Fantasy (Welcome to dudgeon and dragons but for a grade) 

Cartoons (Think of old school slapstick protags like Tom and Jerry or Looney Tunes)

Horror Protags (you remember those bitches I mentioned in the beginning where I said they were cursed with super natural beings latching onto them...yeah they go here) 

Magical (If you require a magical transformation with glitter and sparkles to get into your super hero costume, you go here)

Shonen (If you attend this zone, you are most likely op or are on your way to it and people hesitate pickin fights with you. This zone is almost constantly being rebuilt due to the destruction caused from students)

The list goes on and even then the zones break down into subcategories for all the different stuff that goes with them. The mention of genre on your card makes it a real time saver. If you’re in the superhero genre, you get spat out at the entrance of the superhero zone. There are def some crossovers because some classes students take are in completely different zones. Plus there’s extracurricular stuff that people can sign up for so there’s a transit system to make things easier. 

In the center of Benday is the capital which holds the major events for the entire school. It’s home to assemblies, school fairs, other fancy school stuff that is escaping my tired brain. It’s also the starting point for every new student. 

Benday also has a dorm system. They are located at the capital as well as it’s the most secure location. If anything happens, people are often evacuated to the center where it’s placed on lock down. It also saves more space in the other zones. Plus navigation is already hard enough. 

You don’t have to stay at Benday, you can obviously live at home but many choose the independence and adventure of living on a floating continent in a different dimension over the mundane life of Earth. 

WHAT’S THE CAMPUS LIFE LIKE?

There are shops and restaurants as well as little cool hang out spots for students to visit between classes. Each zone has their own unique locations but the capital tends to be the most popular spot as it has a mix of all sorts of flavors. 

Of course there is a nurse’s office although it’s more like a fuckin hospital to make up for the capacity of everyone. That too is located at the capital but there’s a special transportation system for the injured that wastes no time at all to get them to safety. 

Speaking of the transport system, it’s multiple trains. They each have alternating tracks so they never un into each other but they stop at every key location for a student. There are also flying buses for classes to hop into that gets them to the next location in no time. 

HOW DO PEOPLE GET BACK HOME

There’s an exit located at the capital and every zone. It too is guarded but it’s not as tedious as the comic book store entrance. You just talk to some person and tell them you wanna go home and they summon up a door and you walk out of it. Of course, you’re gonna be spat out back at the store and often it’s during closing hours. The manager lets you out as they are closing shop and you can return to your boring mundane life again. 

VISITORS?

Benday is very strict but they do allow for civilians to visit so long as they have close ties to students or faculty. And often, they are only allowed to be present in the capital. If they want to visit the zones, they need to be in the attendance of a student.

[seven-oomen]

I think you know I would not be me if I didn't request DILF Club or Peter/Noah (or maybe Chris/Noah for a little adventure) for the Ultimate Ship Meme thing. 😆 But only if you feel like it. That champagne sounds like the "sparkling" grape juices in fancy bottles they have everywhere this time of year. I almost got some, but I still have a tiny bottle of prosecco I'll probably just have instead. Maybe if I drink a little I'll finally write some. 😅 Hope you're feeling better! - B

Consider I got two DILF club requests for this meme, I’ll do the OUAT verse for this one and another verse for the other ask. XD 

Send in two (or more) names and I’ll fill all this out about the ship!

General:

Rate the Ship -   Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OT3 to rule all other OT3s

How long will they last? For eternity, even death doesn’t part them.

How quickly did/will they fall in love? It was a bit of a process the first year, it wasn’t instant love. Though the connection was there due to the soulmate bond. Especially Chris took his time to allow himself to love. The first one to fall was Peter, he fell for Noah first, then Noah fell for Peter. When Chris came into their lives, Peter realized he loved him during one of their Nemeton visits. Noah followed a few weeks later. Chris was the last to fall for both of them.

How was their first kiss? Sweet, a little sloppy, and Chris bumped his head at least twice while giggling. Much to Peter and Noah’s amusement.

Wedding:

Who proposed? Peter did, at the Nemeton when he gave them their Triskelion Necklace parts.

Who is the best man/men? Derek is the best man, the groomsmen are Jackson and Stiles. Ben was their ring bearer.

Who is the braid’s maid(s)? Melissa is their best ma’am. Allison and Malia are the bride's maids.

Who did the most planning? Peter did, he choose all the fashion, the venue, paid for the wedding, got the caterer and the florist. (though Chris tried to pay for things as did Noah, but Peter wouldn’t have it. They bought the rings and Peter’s suit for him as ‘retaliation’. Chris and Noah also planned a little song called here comes the sun that their pack, friends, and family sang to them as they walked down the aisle with Peter. Noah played the guitar for the occasion with Malia.)

Who stressed the most? Chris, he’s the internal stresser of the group and he had a few panic attacks while trying to get everything in place. Noah was a close second.

How fancy was the ceremony? - Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big. (They rented a place, invited closest friends and family but kept it on the down-low.)

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? Kate, Gerard, Elias, and one other person who shall not be named yet.

Sex:

Who is on top? They switch, all of them like to top and bottom and they’re not picky on who gets to be on top/bottom. Things just happen.

Who is the one to instigate things? Usually Peter, but Chris or Noah (especially when they team up) can be real degenerates as well.

How healthy is their sex life? - Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now (They’re not shy about their sex life and very much enjoy each other’s bodies and closeness. It’s a great way for them to strengthen their relationship.)

How kinky are they? - Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head (They’re into toys, bondage, breeding kinks, biting/marking, dom/sub play, public sex, and some other milder kinks, nothing too crazy but also not too vanilla.)

How long do they normally last? Depends, if they’re fired up and excited they might not last long, 5-10 min, but if they go slow and steady they might also last for 30-60m. Or well, Peter will last that long, Noah and Chris both recover fairly fast and can go multiple times in a row.

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? They try to get Chris and Noah to come an equal amount of times, Peter is just happy to see them come and since he can come once and then needs 10-20m to recover. (I know werewolves have healing but his senses need a break) So he tries to make them come often and then comes once or twice himself.

How rough are they in bed? - Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it. (It really depends on their mood)

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? - No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.

Children:

How many children will they have naturally? Between the three of them? 8 in this universe. Twins: Allison & Jackson, Stiles & Malia, Adeline & Mikhail, and the singles: Ben, TBN (Currently named Kaya but that might change)

How many children will they adopt? They fostered Isaac, and unofficially adopted Erica and Danny. (Boyd is part of the pack though, but since he’s mated to Erica at some point it feels weird to say they adopted him too)

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? Peter, and he doesn’t mind it one bit. He didn’t get to change many diapers for Allison & Jackson or Ben, got his fair share of them with Malia & Stiles though. But he doesn’t mind, his mates were pregnant and gave birth, so it only seems fair he needs to step up in the diaper department.

Who is the stricter parent? Chris. Noah tries but is too soft most of the time or too chaotic, and Peter just can’t say no once one of the kids pulls puppy eyes. (Especially Ben. And the others know it.)

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? Chris is best at stopping them, Noah tries to but due to his job can’t always keep an eye on them. Peter comes with them to let them explore but safely. He protects them while they do stupid shit.

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? Chris. He’s got the whole routine down to pat and is a streamlined machine in the mornings. Noah still can’t wrap his head around it.

Who is the more loved parent? The kids had a phase where they preferred Peter, since he’d just come into their lives again, but once that died down they all loved their parents equally. (Jackson would never admit it, but he comes to love Noah as a parental figure. I have something planned for that.)

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? Peter, he loves to hear how his kids are doing in school and doesn’t mind to absolutely obliterate their teachers if he knows a teacher is picking on his kids. He lives for shit like this as the rich house husband to his two working husbands. Also, the opportunity to brag to Karen about Jackson & Stiles’s grades or Malia’s shop accomplishments, or Allison’s latest political victory in the student council as their vice president (Lydia’s the president, they’re a power couple.) is just too good to pass up.

Who cried the most at graduation? Peter, he finally gets to see a milestone up close and personal for all of his kids. Though Noah is openly crying as well, and Chris has watery eyes. (He keeps it in until they get home and then hugs all the kids while crying.)

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? Let’s face it, it’s Noah. He technically has to make sure that the law is upheld, but when it comes to his own kids, he’s not above giving them a pass. Though he’s more lenient towards kids in general. But yeah, Noah will most likely try and bail his kids out. Peter would let them steam for a few hours in a “You got caught, you deal with it.” Kinda way and then bail them out after a few hours. Chris would let them steam for a bit too and then determine how big the offense was before bailing them out.

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking? Chris, he’s the most practiced and most efficient. Though Noah loves to cook Polish food and bread. Peter does it when both of his mates have to work or are too tired to cook. He’s getting better at it.

Who is the most picky in their food choice? Peter. Werewolf senses mean he has a fussy pallette. He hates most vegetables for one. Though he has competition in Jackson once Jackson takes the bite, the little shit is a regular Gordon Ramsey.

Who does the grocery shopping? Peter, since Noah and Chris, tend to work during the day and he’s more of a stay-at-home house husband and dad. Chris gives him the lists. That doesn’t stop him from sneaking in snacks and candy for himself, Noah, and the kids.

How often do they bake desserts? At least once a week. Whether it’s for bake sales, PTO meetings, birthdays, weekends, a tryout, there’s always a baked good on the kitchen counter.

Are they more of a meat-lover or a salad eater? Peter and Noah are more Meat lovers. Chris is a mix between the two. He likes salads and meat but doesn’t have a preference over either. Unlike the other two.

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? Peter, he takes them out to a grill restaurant. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but the quality has to be outstanding. They get their older kids to babysit and let them order anything they want as a reward.

Who is more likely to suggest going out? Once again, Peter, I feel like Noah or Chris would be more likely to be home dwellers and Peter’s the one that takes them to bars, musicals, restaurants, malls, etc.

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidentally while cooking? Noah, he’s not a bad cook, but he gets distracted by everything else and forgets he has pots/pans on the furnace.

Chores:

Who cleans the room? Chris or Peter. 

Who is really against chores? Noah forgets to do them sometimes, but I feel like none of them is actually against them. Peter doesn’t like to do them but he likes a clean house, so.

Who cleans up after the pets? They have eight kids, a bunch of werewolves, a banshee, a kitsune, a hellhound, a Seelie, and god knows what else running around on the full moon. You think they have room for a pet??? 

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? Peter. If there’s no evidence it never happened. Now come help me clean this up before you papa and poppa get home. Or when it comes to his mates he just speaks softly and forgives. He’s been in a coma for six years, he’s not gonna let anything trivial get to him. Family is everything.

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? Chris. It’s his training and a bit of an OCD thing. “No, you don't get it Noah my love, EVERYTHING has to be spotless...” Cue Chris running around with a vacuum cleaner and a mop. “It’s just Melissa & Derek for wine night...”

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? Chris, and he puts them in the fun jar that they use to reward the kids. Once the jar is full, they go shopping or do another fun activity with the kids. Bad behavior/swearing gets money removed from the jar and into the dad jar. That money is used to give Chris/Peter/Noah an extra outing if the kids were particularly difficult.

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths? Noah is a slut for long showers/baths. It’s his moment of relaxation.

Who takes the dog out for a walk? Noah occasionally walks Peter in his wolf form. At some point, people think Peter is a K9 unit, and Noah rolls with it. Which opens up opportunities for Peter to stay with Noah at work.

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? Every year they decorate for Christmas, the midwinter solstice/yule, the spring equinox, thanksgiving, Halloween/Samhain.

What are their goals for the relationship? To love and support one another through anything and to keep a fun and raging sex life well into old age. But mostly to love and cherish one another and build each other up just the way they are.

Who is most likely to sleep till noon? Chris if you let him, training and habit have him up early, but his natural sleep cycle is to sleep like a log and to Noon.

Who plays the most pranks? Noah, he’s a mischievous little shit that loves to pull pranks on people and very sassy to boot. Where do you think Stiles and Malia have that from?

[hannahmcne]

Makeup Fic

In hindsight, the signs had been there for a long, long time. It had been small glances and hesitations and even a few comments by other people that dropped hints as to what exactly Ben dealt with.

Mal had been guilty, along with everyone else, of assuming Ben was perfect and had no issues aside from being a little gullible, sometimes innocent, and very lenient. Being his girlfriend had opened her eyes a little to a few problems that she hadn't recognized. Her sharp Isle eyes were even able to spot a few things that his parents and other close friends didn't notice. He sometimes did homework during meetings and gatherings so he would be able to spend time with family and friends later(reading between the lines, he didn't want to seem too busy for loved ones). If he heard someone else's weight or a different unfavorable characteristic mentioned, he'd quit eating and become incredibly self-conscious(He was insecure, but usually convinced people wouldn't take notice). If people addressed his dad before him, he'd stay silent as if he were still a child instead of the king(he still struggled to take up his role).

Mal noticed all these things and a few more. It made her uneasy.

Small protective measures were put into place. She'd "accidentally" finish things if they got "mixed up beside hers." Pass him food and claim she'd gotten too much and couldn't let it go to waste. Speaking up to him when others were around. Small things to remind him it was okay.

There were some things she couldn't fix, though.

She'd noticed that when she walked by, Ben's eyes would cling. He'd mark up her body with his eyes and give her this one look – with half-closed eyes, flushed cheeks, and a mystical smile – that made her feel like she was burning away. How could she not have noticed? He was her boyfriend and she appreciated his ogling looks. But then she'd notice him focusing on Evie's face as she walked past, lost in a thoughtful demeanor, and then her stomach would twist when he'd do a double-take at Jane to admire her eyes. Her jealousy mounted to see him glancing at other girls who weren't even friends, looking like he was taking notes or something. She hadn't realized what he was looking for until he'd been hovering in her room, waiting for her to grab her bag and phone, and she watched his eyes rake across Evie's desk, scattered with sparse makeup products and used makeup wipes.

Oh. That made sense. Ben, who was a little insecure and uneasy about himself and always worried about impeding on other people also found it fascinating that people could decorate themselves to look prettier.

A week before graduation, Mal was invited to a sleepover. She'd originally declined until she'd heard Ben would be coming. Why? "Oh, we used to invite Ben to all of our sleepovers," Jane explained on the way there. "He's super good at hair and makeup. Good sport, too."

"Makeup?" Mal wrinkled her nose. She'd taken everything Evie had put on her off after school.

"You don't need to get any if you don't want to," Jane chuckled, opening the door and revealing everyone behind it. And Mal didn't want any, so she simply sat behind her boyfriend, who was oddly silent in her presence, and watched his hands work on the other girls. He mixed powders and creams for each of them on the back of his hand and seemed to have an innate knowledge of what each of the different brushes and sponges did. Even Evie was impressed with his work. She examined his quiet pride as the girls took selfies with his artistry and then leaned his head against hers in an effort to let him know she thought his talents were cool. The girls looked ready to attend the same parties that Mal struggled through. Ben didn't lean on her for long, though. He got up and walked over to the sink before scrubbing away all traces of what he'd done from his skin with a loofah and soap until all that remained of the shimmery powders were rubbed red marks.

Ben struggled with insecurity. He also struggled with liking something not really meant for his gender. He struggled with not being brave enough to propose something that might make people think differently about him. And there wasn't much she could do to fix that.

________________________________________________________________

Mal moved into Ben's castle after graduation. Fine. She was given a room about a football field's length from Ben's and the servants monitored her curfew for her. Again, fine. But then three months later, Ben proposed, and in the onslaught leading up to the wedding, they started moving things into the same suite together. They were both moving a lot of heavy boxes from their rooms to each other's and at some point, Ben got lost putting things in the bathroom while Mal was hanging up t-shirts and ripped jeans and organizing her combat boots. She finally finished, stumbled into the bathroom to ask if she could start bringing his things over, and her jaw dropped when she saw the mess across the countertop.

"Woah!" She exclaimed and he paused where he was arranging toothbrushes and floss in their top drawer. She brushed her fingertips across the litter of products on their counter and snorted. There were hairsprays and gels and pomace… a few lotions, moisturizers, concealers, foundation, and others. "What's all this?"

Ben ducked his head and muttered an apology. His face was red. Immediately, Mal regretted laughing. "I'm going to get rid of most of it," he told her. "I'm just bad at throwing things out."

They both knew it was a lie. He was meticulous in his organizing.

"Well, it's fine," Mal chuckled, picking up a bottle of sleek'n'shine. "I don't care either way. I don't even know what half of this stuff is, so it's not like I'll use it."

Ben gave a noncommittal shrug. "I know it's a lot," he muttered. "Most of this stuff is probably most of the way gone anyways." He picked up a can of aerosol hairspray and shook it. His face turned even pinker when the sound it made indicated it was, in fact, pretty full.

"Ben?" Mal took his chin and turned him to face her. "I don't mind. Really. I just didn't know all this stuff existed. You can keep it all if you like. We can even get a rack for you to hang on the door."

Ben snorted, shifted uncomfortably, and put the bottle back down. "Did you finish bringing all your stuff in?" he asked.

"No, just my clothes," Mal replied, deciding to accept his subject change. "I've still got to go through all those gowns. Are you going to finish up in here?"

Ben nodded, and that was the end of it.

________________________________________________________________

The night before the wedding, Ben and Evie fell into a deep discussion about Mal. And not just any discussion.

"Well, the thing is, every color you put on her has to be muted by purple, otherwise it'll clash with her hair," Evie explained, emphasizing with her hands.

"I see that," Ben agreed. "Have you tried doing neutral colors only on her? Browns, golds, greys, that sort of thing?"

"I've done silver and black," Evie shrugged, "But I don't have very many browns. I sent her all my purples when she moved out. Maybe I'll have to send her some browns too."

"Did you send any blues?" Ben asked. At this point, he reached out for Mal, who was sitting on the ottoman as he was on the couch and took her face to show Evie as he spoke. "I want to try and do some blue atop her lid and purple underneath. What do you think?"

"That would look nice," Evie agreed. "It's a good thing you know what you're doing. You'll have to keep her looking presentable from day to day."

"Ouch." Mal stuck out her tongue.

"Oh, hush," Evie rolled her eyes. "We both know that without me, and now him, you'd never even brush your hair."

"You can do makeup?" A voice asked behind the couch. Ben and Evie both looked up. It was Chad. He looked very confused.

There was a pause and a hand landed on Ben's shoulder. Everyone looked up to see Hades, who had one eyebrow raised. "The kid's on TV every week," he snorted. "He's gotta know how to cover up at least a little." He flicked Ben's ear. Ben flinched.

"Yeah, he's really good," Evie confirmed. "I was amazed the first time he did mine."

"What I don't understand is why I have to be your guinea pig," Mal complained. "If you like it so much, put it on yourself. Leave me out of this."

"Well, Ben can't do that," Chad laughed. "He's a guy!"

A few people who had started listening to their conversation laughed along with Chad. But, Mal noticed the islanders all exchanged looks. Jay and Carlos looked down at the ground with their shoulders slumping in confusion. Behind them, Audrey laughed along with Jane and several other members of their graduating class. Ben's hand fell from Mal's face. She reached to try and take his hand but he withdrew too fast, leaning back into the couch and nodding with everyone else as if that argument made sense. Mal looked up, baffled, at Hades. Some sort of cross-dimension understanding passed between them. Ben would stand up for other people. He'd never stand up for himself.

"I don't get it," Hades announced. His voice boomed off the walls and everyone stopped. Ben wrinkled his nose and looked up. Everyone else stared. No one seemed sure of how to respond.

"What's there to get?" Adam asked, dropping his glass onto a nearby table and stepping forward. Immediately, the mood of the room darkened. Mal exhaled. She appreciated Hades speaking up but wished Adam had stayed silent. Ben's dad still hadn't learned to get along with his son's in-laws.

"I don't get the joke," Hades deadpanned. "Explain it."

"It wasn't exactly a joke," Belle set a hand on Adam's chest. She, too, felt a fight coming. "It's just… a reaction to the obvious being stated."

"What obvious?" Hades asked, arching an eyebrow.

"That men don't wear makeup," Belle asked, blinking as if it should be obvious.

Hades held up a hand in response. All his nails were painted slate grey. Everyone exchanged glances. No one seemed sure of what to say. Mal fought to hide a smirk as she watched Ben glance down at his own nails, then around at everyone else in the room. "Well…" Belle stammered.

"Yeah, I don't see the issue!" Carlos spat out, glancing with pursed lips at Jane, who suddenly looked embarrassed. Jay was nodding along to his words. "Evie does stuff on us all the time and sure, while we don't usually like having it on for too long, it doesn't make it wrong."

"Plenty of guys on the Isle wear makeup all the time," Jay agreed. "Not me, but lots of girls don't wear makeup and they're not destroying society. I don't get why he couldn't if he wanted to."

"Well," Adam snapped, "Ben is a respectable young man who-"

"Excuse you!" Hades snapped as both Carlos and Jay's faces also twisted into rage. "What are you trying to imply?"

"Well, see here-"

"Enough!" Ben called, holding up a hand. Everyone stopped. "What my parents mean is that in Auradon, it's not customary for men to wear makeup or have their nails done. Especially in higher circles. No one wants to change the way you or anyone from the Isle chooses to dress, however, because we know the atmosphere is different there."

Jay and Hades pursed their lips. Carlos looked at the ground in anger. But the conversation was over. Ben had ended it. And with a clap of his hands and the brief announcement of "Let's move on," the party continued. Those who had gathered dispersed. Adam was led away by Belle. Ben got to his feet and smiled at Mal as he passed her by. "Be right back," he whispered.

"Ben…" Mal got to her feet. "Where are you going?"

"Just out on the porch," He assured her. "Everything is okay. I'm just feeling a little warm."

"Can I come with?" she asked. He immediately offered her his arm. They disappeared from the party. Ben took her outside and they switched from linked elbows to an arms-around-shoulders hold. She looked up at the stars as they walked and sighed. "Why do you care what they think, Ben?"

Ben seemed shocked by the question. "I don't care," he disagreed. "What makes you think that?"

"The way you act when they disagree."

Ben gave her an incredulous look. "Like how? My parents objected to changing the Isle. They objected to you. They objected to opening the barrier. What makes you think I let anyone in there stomp around on me?"

"You're very good at standing up for other people," Mal agreed. "When are you going to stand up for yourself?"

She found his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it as Ben pondered his response. "I just… don't think I need anything." He laughed. "How could I, when so many other people are suffering? And everything else… it doesn't matter. I have you now, and you're the only thing I want." And he squeezed her hand to support his words.

Mal hummed. "You know… what Chad and your dad were saying… It doesn't matter. I'd still be proud to be with you even if you wanted to-"

"Mal," Ben cut her off. "I appreciate the support. But I don't want to talk about it."

________________________________________________________________

It was the very first day of their honeymoon and Mal woke up with her arms tangled in around Ben's head with his arms encircling her, squeezing her tightly to him. She felt him shift and then his eyes opened. When he was awake enough for fine motor skills to be a possibility, he took her face in between his palms and kissed her. She sighed against his lips, closed her eyes to enjoy it, and didn't protest when Ben drew away for air. But then she heard him laugh and opened her eyes to see what had him giggling.

He cupped her cheeks and traced her eyes with his fingertips. Was he like her, astounded that she was finally his wife? Marveling at the fact someone like him could even exist?

He probably was, but he still shook his head with a wide, white smile and kissed her earlobe when he leaned over to whisper: "We never took off your makeup last night."

Mal blinked in surprise. Her face still had everything Evie coated on it for the wedding yesterday, then. Now with added sweat and smudging. She traced Ben's face with her nails and then laughed before descending into a state of mirth. She could see in his eyes how he meant the comment – a reminder to himself for future nights so he could continue to take care of her, but it was still hilarious to her. This was the first day of her married life. She was still sore from the corset and the heels and everything that happened yesterday. She was lying beside her husband on a beach in Motuni and she was a queen and Ben was scolding himself for not remembering to help her remove her makeup – something she was perfectly capable of doing herself.

Ben cupped her face tighter with bruising fingers and brought her face closer to kiss her again. "Gods, you're so beautiful," he murmured. Mal smiled. She'd never been insecure about her appearance, but it was easy to be confident in herself when Ben was gasping for breath at every glance.

Still, she teased him. "Oh?" She asked. "Because I still have all this gunk on my face?"

Ben's worshipping expression turned to horror. "No!" he gasped. "I didn't mean that at all, I swear-"

"I know," Mal cut him off. "Don't worry. I was just teasing." She kissed his cheek, then the tip of his nose, and finally fell back onto his mouth with a satisfied sigh. "You're so beautiful too," she mumbled and couldn't keep her smile from going wider at the shiver of satisfaction that went through him.

________________________________________________________________

Ben loved the children in the courts. The children of the other royals and their old friends who had married and become parents. Chad had a daughter who was one of the most precious people in Auradon, as far as Ben was concerned, and it was her and her friends who Ben loved to hang out with when the real meetings let out.

Sometimes, the other ladies of the court gave Mal suggestive nods and said things like: "It's about time he had children of his own, isn't it?" when they watched him being pulled away by the groups of ecstatic toddlers. It wasn't easy to watch them wink and raise their eyebrows when they asked where he was and she had to bite out that he was entertaining the younger half of the courts. "Oh, any of his kids in the mix this time?" they asked and she painted on a smile to reply "I don't recall ever being pregnant."

But goodness, she loved walking out of meetings and finding him enraptured with the little kids. Face lit up, eyes bright as they sat around a children's table and proposed fake laws governing tea parties with stuffed bears overseeing their actions. They fit in breaks for fake cake about every thirty seconds. Mal wished that the real courts also got cake breaks.

Today, when she'd finally managed to tear herself away from the talons of the other court ladies, she found Ben exactly where she thought she would. He sat at the head of a nursery table in a child's chair, Dozens of little kids climbed around him, babbling in such a continuous stream that Mal couldn't understand a single one. She saw the pictorial notes of gold crayon coins and one with long, grey bars that must represent prison and thought that the 'courts' must have just let out. Now, Ben is leaning forward with rapt attention as Chad's daughter shows off a black box with a glittery lid to him and her friends.

"Look!" She exclaimed. "My dad got me nail polish and it smells like strawberries!"

The other kids lean in with interest. Ben glanced up and raised his eyebrows at her as she approached. "Ah!" he exclaimed. "It's my favorite Lady of the Court! We were conversing of your beauty and wisdom today during our session."

"Were you?" Mal laughed as a little boy tugged on Ben's pant leg.

"What does conversing mean?" he asked.

"We were talking," a girl supplied. "King Benjamin of the Table Courts decreed that he couldn't make a decision without consulting her graciousness."

"Which reminds me," Ben turned to Mal. "It has been proposed that the official colors of Auradon be altered to include pink and orange. May we have your input?"

Mal snorted. "I think you would look dashing in pink and orange," she told him. "But what about purple?"

"We can do purple and pink and orange and blue and gold?" Someone proposed.

"All in favor?" Ben asked, raising his right hand. Around the table, hands flew into the air. The only one who didn't was the young man who had been put in charge of recoloring the Beast Crest. He pouted with a broken pink crayon in hand.

"It doesn't go together!" he mourned.

"Queen Mal?" Chad's daughter called. "Can I paint your nails the new colors?"

Mal winced. The strawberry-scented polish made it more tempting, but only slightly so. "I'm sorry, but I don't like having my nails painted."

"Aww, please?" Chad's daughter put her lips together.

"Can we do your nails?" a boy asked Ben instead, poking his arm. A few of the older boys wrinkled their noses in silent protests. Even at their young age, they sent disdainful looks towards Mal, clearly thinking it should be her responsibility, as the woman of the household, to entertain the kids and let them doll her up. Not the king.

"Absolutely," Ben exclaimed. He put his hands down on the table as little hands began shakily unscrewing bottles. Ben glanced sideways at Mal to gauge her reaction before the kids began spreading his fingers. She moved to stand behind him and knit her fingers into his hair. Ben leaned into her touch as she tousled his hair and she smiled. Colors began to be spread on his fingertips, with the older kids helping to keep the polish mostly contained. Ben looked amused. Mal couldn't resist leaning forward to kiss his head. She couldn't wait to have his colorful hands on her body later.

"Can we do your hair?" One of the kids asked Ben, producing plastic hair extensions from a nearby dress-up chest.

"Umm," Ben glanced up at Mal, who immediately withdrew her hands and sat down in a child's seat beside him. Then, as hair chalk and barrettes are added into Ben's locks, she ran her fingertips up and down his back. He smiled and leaned back into her touch and dropped his head back so the little kids could reach it better. He looked comfortable and happy – even when his hairs are yanked and pulled. Mal loved this soft, blissful side of her husband. He goes this way sometimes – when they cuddled together or when he tuned out in meetings watching her. She loved it. She was addicted to his peace-filled looks and the soft, sweet parts of him.

"Oh, you poor man!" Someone exclaimed as they walked in. Ben and Mal both looked up to watch a woman – a representative from Camelot – clap a hand over her chest in mock shock. "What have they done to you?"

"Mommy, doesn't he look pretty?" A little girl asked, pointing to his cheek.

"Well, honey," her mother laughed. "Boys usually look better without it."

Mal leaned forward to look at Ben's face. Someone had procured a kid's makeup set without her noticing. Smudged and greasy colors were clouded on his eyelids. One of the kids had used a blue flavored lipgloss as blush, so his face had a fluorescent touch to it.

He glanced down a bit as she looked him over and then brought his eyes back up to meet hers. Mal nodded her approval. "You look beautiful," she told him. This, it seemed, was too much for Ben, and he turned away to hide his blush with his hands.

Mal glanced at the fruity-flavored lip glosses and zeroed in on a light pink one. "Is that strawberry?" she demanded.

"Yeah!" The owner held up her set with pride. "Do you want some?"

"Is he wearing any?" Mal asked, looking back at her adorned husband. "I think he might need some."

Ben uncovered his face and waved at a vague patch of skin. "I can taste some, so I think they must have put it on my mouth."

He only realized what she'd been intending to do when she put her fingers in his hair, messing up the other kid's work, and used his locks to drag him closer to her. The kids around them began to groan and complain and even Ben gave a little "ugh" as if to say "Hey, we're still in public with lots of little kids around." Still, she kissed him, drawing his lower lip in between her teeth and smirking when glittery, strawberry-flavored lip gloss coated her tongue.

"You ruined it! The owner of the lip gloss protested. "Now we have to redo it." She uncapped her bottle.

"Oh, no," The Camelot woman shook her head. "No, he doesn't need anymore. Be nice to the poor man."

"It's okay," Ben told her, turning away from Mal's second kiss. "I mean, they're kids. It doesn't matter."

Mal pinched her lips together. She heard the unspoken "It doesn't mean anything," loud and clear, and didn't think she'd ever heard such a lie from him before.

________________________________________________________________

Through a rare case of happenstance, Ben's workday was cut short while Mal had an extra hour and half of work. She wasn't bitter – Ben more often had extended workdays due to him being the heir and her remaining the consort queen. When she snuck in after her last meeting, she was still in a good mood despite the extra work of the day.

She didn't announce herself as she put her briefcase by the door and then wandered to put her shoes in the closet. The room was dark… that's odd, Ben should have come home already. Then, she noticed the bathroom light on and a smile spread across her face. She put a hand on the doorframe and smiled to see Ben standing in front of the mirror, sleeves rolled up, focusing on something on his arm.

He didn't notice when she stepped in and when she wrapped her arms around him from behind, he almost jumped out of his skin. "Oh! You're home!" he exclaimed. "How was your day?"

"Good," she responded. As he turned to better hug her, she saw marks up and down his arm. Panic seized her and focused. They are only colorful splotches. Mal realizes that her foundation and concealer are set on the counter, open, and different similar shades have been mixed on Ben's arm.

"Oh," she said with relief as Ben tugged his arm away from her, face beet red, and held it to himself as if to protect against an attack. "Oh, it's just makeup, thank goodness!"

Ben blinked. "What did you think it was?" he asked.

"I thought you were cutting yourself," Mal sighed and then set her finger on a partially-visible patch on his arm. Ben watched her put a bit on her finger and then withdraw to dab it on his nose. "That's a good color for you," she said. She laughed as she turned to rinse the color off her fingertip. Ben followed her in rinsing everything off his arm and nose.

They put on a movie and exchange whispers about their day as the commercials run. Then, as the movie began, Ben leaned forward and whispered: "Was that all you wanted to say?"

It took Mal an embarrassingly long time to realize what he was talking about. Ben becomes more withdrawn the longer she thinks. He didn't expect it to be so commonplace to her that she'd forgotten all about it. She can see how her response stuns him.

"Was I supposed to say anything?"

________________________________________________________________

"Remind me again why we do this?" Mal asked, taking a seat in front of the mirror with a sigh. Ben rolled his eyes as he picked his brush up and began brushing her hair back from her face. He pulled open the second drawer for a claw clip to secure it back and then began pulling out tons and tons of different types of makeup.

"We could just not," Ben shrugged, glancing at her with a smirk. "I could let you do your makeup and you could just not care about the news sources afterward. I mean, it'd be just like when we first started dating, before you got sick of everyone saying things about how-"

"I got it," Mal cut him off, grumbling while he ducked his head to hide his smirk. She gazed at all the different products with a grumble and didn't comment much further than a groan when he handed her a rag and a face scrub and directed her to wash her face off.

"What's that?" Mal snarled at a colorful bottle as Ben set it down. It looked like a kid's product and featured a dancing watermelon slice.

"Relax," Ben snorted. "It's a detangler. So, I spray it in your hair-" he did, one long spritz down a lock that Mal flinched away from, "-and then I take the brush and – viola!" He held up a freshly-detangled lock of hair. Mal perked up.

"Wait, so it makes it so you don't have to take five years detangling my hair?" She asked, picking up the bottle and sneering at the watermelon.

"Exactly," Ben agreed.

"Why didn't you tell me about this back when we first got married?" Mal demanded. "Or better yet, when we first started dating?"

"Because Evie told me it existed last week and I had to go through my acceptance period to realize such a wonderful product existed," Ben explained, taking the bottle from her so he could spray down her hair. "Also because I had to have Chip run down to town for it."

Mal sighed in relief as Ben brushed through her hair without any trouble and finished scrubbing her face with the rag. Ben plugged in a set of hot rollers, which Mal also sneered at before he began picking his way through the makeup. She held still as Ben drew contour lines across her face, around her nose, and underneath her eyes. She grumbled and shifted as he twisted her hair up in the rollers and flinched away briefly when he applied primer to her eyelids, but then melted into his palms when he cupped her cheek to blend a striking mix of black, green, and gold across her eyelids.

"You don't need three different reds," Mal deadpanned when Ben withdrew blush brushes to drag across her cheekbones. "They all look the same once they're on anyway."

"I don't get to do this on me, so just hush," Ben implored. "And they don't look the same. This one has blue undertones and this one has yellow."

"Blue?" Mal repeated. "They're all reds!"

"You're an artist – shouldn't you know the difference in colors?"

"My knowledge only applies to noble forms of art."

Ben flicked out the wings of Mal's eyeliner. When he was satisfied, he handed her a mascara tube and then turned to sort through lipsticks. Mal sighed and leaned closer to the mirror, pinching her lips into a frown as she unscrewed the tube.

"I hate this stuff," She snapped when she was done with the first eye.

"I know," Ben replied simply. "But hey, you'll be the talk of the tabloids and I get to play with makeup. Win-win."

Mal only grumbled and tossed the tube back into the mix. Ben snorted and turned around with a vivid pink in his hand. On the back of his arm, he'd tested a few different shades to find the one he was looking for. Mal snorted when she saw the streaks. Ben took her face with a soft touch and drew her in closer, almost with gaze alone. Mal's eyes landed on his lips as he dragged his thumb over her bottom lip to part the two and uncapped the lipstick with his other thumb.

"Hold still," he whispered. Mal blushed underneath her makeup at his tone. Ben dragged the tip of the stick around the perimeter of her mouth and then slowly filled it in, cradling her jaw all the while.

He kept hold of her face when finished until her cheeks flushed and she leaned forward into him. Then he withdrew with a laugh and started removing rollers from her hair. turned her back towards the mirror with a proud expression. "See?" He beamed. "You're going to blow everyone away tonight."

"All thanks to you," Mal hummed, closing her eyes and leaning back into him. Ben's smile only grew even brighter and more proud. "Ben, why don't you do this to yourself every once in a while? Let Auradon know that you like it and you think it's fun. It won't make you any less of a king to them."

Ben's smile faded and he shrugged. "I'm kinda content to just play with your appearance," he shrugged. "And all of this doesn't usually fit in well with suits."

"Wear a dress, then," Mal suggested, but at this, Ben's face twisted into one of clear disgust. He liked his suits. "Or not. Well, you could always do a bit of blue eyeliner and get away with it. That's what Evie does when the kids get her too busy."

Ben shrugged. "Maybe," he agreed. "I remember I used to paint my nails as a pre-teen, but I stopped once I got to high school. Audrey once told me that she didn't think nail polish belonged on guys."

"Audrey is a traditional princess," Mal kissed his cheek, leaving a faint imprint that Ben immediately wiped away before catching her face to correct her lip coat with his nail. "You're not a traditional king. Everyone already knows that."

"That is true," Ben shrugged in acquiescence. "Maybe I'll try it sometime. We could do something to you too."

"I could get some horns?" Mal offered with a smirk that was just… evil spreading across her face.

Ben burst into laughter and then kissed the top of her curly hair. "God, you look beautiful," he whispered.

Mal turned and pressed her forehead against his shirt. "Only with you here," she replied.

________________________________________________________________

After the party, he tossed his jacket onto the back of his chair, kicked off his shoes, and laid back on the couch with his phone. Mal dropped her shoes by his and began stripping out of her dress before she even made it into the bathroom. Ben snorted and didn't protest the view.

When she came back, clad in one of his bathrobes and scrubbing mascara off her eyelashes, he was still lying on the couch and looking through his phone. She dropped onto him and nuzzled her head into his chest. Ben immediately dropped his phone to cuddle with her, but his focus didn't immediately turn to holding her, as she had hoped. Instead, he ran his fingertips up and down her back and smiled brightly.

Mal kissed his cheek. "What's got you so smug?" she asked.

"You," he hummed. "You made national news tonight."

"Of course I did," Mal rolled her eyes. "I was beside you."

Ben ran a hand through her hair. "Didn't have too much to do with me. Everyone said you looked beautiful, flawless."

"Ah," Mal nodded. "So it had everything to do with you."

Ben snorted. "Not even," he reprimanded, and finally, the evening was over.

________________________________________________________________

"Stay still!" Evie snapped across the room.

"I'm try'na focus on-"

"Carlos!"

"Evie!"

"Dear God, Evie," Jay grumbled as he tapped feverishly on his phone screen. "He's busy. Let him be."

"Yeah!" Carlos groaned. "Use Mal! She's not in the middle of anything!"

"You keep that stuff away from me," Mal hissed. She glared at Evie's collection. Evie's new makeup set had come in and she was ecstatic to try it out. Jay had already been decorated and Mal had utterly refused.

Jay gave Mal an exasperated look. "Come on," he complained. "Aren't you used to it now?"

"Yeah!" Evie agreed. "You're the queen! You have to get dolled up all the time."

"Exactly," Mal rolled her eyes. "This is my off day. You're not ruining it."

"An off day for your face?" Evie repeated incredulously.

"Exactly," Mal agreed. "Ben already tried to change my mind."

"Of course Ben tried," Carlos rolled his eyes and dodged Evie's blush brush in an effort to stay focused on his computer screen. Mal looked and stared at Carlos, waiting for him to finish. "He's just like Evie!"

"Imagine if Ben and Evie had gotten married," Jay snorted. "They'd never have left the house."

Evie and Mal both simultaneously rolled their eyes and shook their heads. Carlos flinched away from Evie as she tried again to finish contouring his cheek.

The door opened. Mal glimpsed royal blue out of the corner of her eye and groaned before pulling the pillow she'd been lying against over her face. "No!" she complained. "It's my off-day! I'm not doing any work!"

"I was just coming to see if you wanted to-"

"Ben!" Evie shouted, withdrawing from Carlos, who breathed a little sigh of relief. "Perfect timing! Sit your butt down now!" She gestured firmly at a seat and Ben fell into it, looking a little concerned.

"What did I do?" Ben asked, glancing at Mal for help. "Is there a prob – gah!" Evie had smeared a great glob of foundation onto his cheek. She seized his chin to keep him from squirming and began spreading it around. Ben relaxed as he realized what was going on. "Oh, I see. Evie needs a doll." He allowed her to maneuver his head around. Evie sighed in relief.

"See guys? Ben doesn't squirm."

"We've already established that Ben isn't human," Mal called. "Let's move on."

"I'm not human?" Ben asked. His voice was mumbled since he didn't want to budge Evie while she worked. "What am I, then?"

"An angel," Evie informed him. "We think Belle came straight from heaven and, as her son, that makes you an angel too."

"I'm not sure that's how genetics works," Ben replied.

Carlos glanced over his screen at Ben. "How much makeup does he usually wear, Mal?" He asked. "I see no difference."

Mal spared her husband a lazy glance and watched him raise an eyebrow. "The difference is in his smile," she said. He blushed and rolled his eyes, and she decided to keep going. "But yeah, he's handsome no matter what."

Ben shook his head and then Evie tilted his head back to have better access to his eyes. Mal kept glancing up to watch as Evie skillfully decorated his eyes with a variety of vibrant colors, a bit like a peacock's feathers. She used more and more slate grey as she moved closer to his eyes and then it was eyeliner and mascara and then she began prepping his mouth to apply something to it. And it was at that point Mal had to put her foot down.

"Okay, Evie," she announced, throwing her phone onto the bed and getting to her feet. "I'll do his lip color."

"What?" Evie protested. "But he's my doll right now!"

"He's my husband," Mal replied, budging Evie aside and reaching forward to run her fingers down the edge of Ben's jaw. He squirmed like it tickled and then leaned into her touch. His eyes looked like they were on fire. Oh, she was going to have so much fun taking this all off later. She pictured him sweaty, head thrown back, and Ben leaned into her hand even more. Something in her eyes must have prompted him.

"Well, isn't that sexy?" Carlos drawled. Jay snorted in agreement. Evie sighed and took a step away, palming a dark pink lip gloss to Mal. Mal smirked as she uncapped it.

"Now," she muttered. "I'm not a natural like you and Evie are, but I've learned a thing or two from being with you." She ran her thumb across his lower lip and his mouth fell open with a sigh. She smirked as she outlined the outside of his upper lip and began to fill in the rest of it.

The door opened. Evie waved at the newcomer, but Mal didn't look up. Ben was trying not to smile as she cupped his chin and she was rather focused on how attractive he looked with all those dark colors on his eyes and the way he was blushing and nearly drooling as she began the left side of his mouth. She was fighting the urge to drop into his lap in front of her friends.

"What are you doing to him?" Former King Adam demanded, eyes wide as he took in the sight of his decorated son. Ben's head snapped around to face his confused parents. Mal frowned to see the arousal in his eyes turn to fear. She glanced towards Belle and Adam, glowering.

"I needed a doll," Evie volunteered. "And Ben happened to walk in. Mal and Carlos wouldn't let me and Jay's done."

Belle and Adam glanced over at Jay, who put two fingers into the air with a peace sign, puckering his shiny red lips.

Mal pinched her lips together and turned Ben's face back towards her. "Almost done," she said.

"What's Mal doing that for?" Adam demanded.

"She didn't want to let Evie cup Ben's face," Carlos provided.

"There!" Mal exclaimed, capping the lip gloss. "Don't you look attractive?" Ben blushed a little. She ran a hand down his jaw and then finally fell into temptation and dropped onto his lap. His hands grabbed her thighs to keep them both balanced. She saw him take a glance towards his parents and so she leaned forward and kissed him. Ben jolted backward.

"Mal!" He complained. "You ruined it!"

"Finishing touch." Mal ran her hands through his hair. "Gods, you look delicious."

Ben flushed again and braved up the courage to look at his parents. "What do you think, mother?" he asked.

Belle shrugged, putting a hand up to her chin as she thought. "It's not a horrible look," she decided. "Just odd to see it on you. I wouldn't mind it if Evie did that to me sometimes."

Adam shook his head and snorted. "I wouldn't make it a regular thing," he muttered.

Mal hummed, leaning to nip at his ear a little bit. She didn't care that she was being a tad indecent in front of his parents. "I wouldn't mind," she muttered in his ear and didn't miss the way his hands tightened on her thighs.

________________________________________________________________

She put a photo up on the Internet one night. It was of them both with matching makeup in the bathroom. Ben thought it was a personal photo to be kept on her phone but in reality, it was a social experiment.

823 likes were on the photo when she woke up in the morning. She made sure to disable the reblogs and the site she uses doesn't allow for dislikes. She knew that wouldn't prevent screenshots or the tabloids, but hopefully, it'd make it harder for Ben to look through people's comments. She captioned it simply: "We match."

It was a bit of an underreaction. No articles aside from the ones that announce the photo's existence. Lots of likes, but only 34 comments. Mal wasn't sure what she expected. She knew the world wasn't going to stop turning, but people barely care at all. Most of the comments are simple. Only a few are not.

"Geesh, didn't realize the king was one of those people."

"I can't believe he would let her do that to him. Poor Guy. Real Stellar, though."

Ben texted her shortly after lunch. "You posted it?" He asked. She didn't reply because they both knew the answer. He can look up the original post anyways – they follow each other.

That night, she said nothing when she leaned over his shoulder and he was skimming through the comments. Lists and lists of "😍" and "❤️". A few sparse comments of "You're both so gorgeous" and "I wish I was u." One read "He wears it better."

"Interesting," Mal muttered. "How many views on that post?"

"Just under a million," He muttered back. "Standard numbers for a day considering it was posted by the Queen of Auradon." He scrolled back up quickly, knowing she was still looking over his shoulder, and stopped beside a comment with a blue checkmark beside the user's name, indicating a confirmed account of someone important. Former King Adam: "Are you going to make this a regular thing?"

Mal scrolled one down and there is luckily just the sort of comment she needs right underneath it. "Such a good-looking pair! King Ben is rocking that contour!"

Ben just stared at it. Then he turned off his phone.

________________________________________________________________

Five past seven and Ben wasn't home yet. Mal was debating calling the guards. Because, for as popular as they were and for everything they were allowed to do, he was still the King of Auradon and shouldn't be allowed to go missing for too long.

Ten past and she was pacing, turning her phone on and off. Then fifteen minutes have gone and she's finally dialing the number for the guards. They can find where he and she are at all times, even without going out to hunt him down. Ben's been microchipped to a computer since he was four days old and Mal underwent the same surgery upon returning from their honeymoon. It's one of the reasons they have the freedom to do so many things and go so many places. Once, when processing a new computer system, Ben's chip went momentarily offline and they locked him into a secure room for the three hours it took for the chip to be reinstated. They'd even been considering putting him in for a second surgery.

All things considered, the guards would be able to find Ben easily.

Right as her finger was hovering over the "call" button, the handle on the door turned. She'd never spun around so quickly. "Oh, Ben!" She exclaimed, tossing her phone onto the bed. "Where were you? I was just about to call the guards."

"Sorry I worried you," Ben muttered. He dropped three bags from a supermarket onto the bed beside her phone and stooped to give her a proper hug. Mal twisted and turned to peer at the bags.

"Did you go to the store?" She asked.

Ben nodded. She sat down on the bed as he made to pick up the bags and then simply tightened his jaw and began unpacking things. Mal blinked in surprise. Mascara, eyeshadow, three types of primer and foundation. Concealing cream, fake lashes… why so much?

"We don't have another royal event for two weeks," Mal moaned. "Why now? Is this all for me?"

Ben's hands faltered as he ripped off the packaging to a blue eyeliner. "No," he said softly. "I thought I would try something new. Yours is all purple and mine's blue. I decided… people don't generally notice and-"

"It's for you?" Mal sighed in relief. "Fantastic. Are you planning on wearing it for work?"

Ben shrugged. "Maybe?" he whispered. "I wouldn't want you to get embarrassed or anything."

"Never," Mal shook her head. She laid down on the bed before almost immediately popping back up with a smirk. She jumped off the bed, rushed to the closet, and began ripping things out. Her sudden movement made Ben jump, but he didn't say anything until she pulled out a pair of heels and a blue skirt she'd shoved to the back of her closet.

"Uh, Mal, I do enjoy wearing suits and I-"

"Here!" Mal exclaimed, throwing the shoes aside and coming up with a large drawstring bag. She loosened the string and upended everything onto the bed. Dozens and dozens of color palettes and lipsticks that she'd been sent over all the years of being friends with Evie and working in the courts as Ben's lady – things makeup companies and old friends and persistent people from the court who didn't approve of her would send – spread out all over the bed. One that seemed to have been made of pure silver sparkles had broken and so glitter rained down on top of the palettes. "Now that you're wearing makeup, you can take some of this stuff off my hands! Do you want it all? I won't be using it."

Ben blinked down at the pile. He seemed very unsure of what to say.

"If you don't want it then I'll probably just get rid of it," Mal nudged him.

He shook his head, dumbfounded. "You…" he put a hand to his head and smiled. "-are the best person ever." He pulled her into a hug. "Are you sure you won't be embarrassed?"

"No, I won't be," she shook her head. "Unless you wear, like, bubble-gum pink lipstick. Then we might have issues."

"We might have to get a separation order," Ben laughed. He let her withdraw only so he could lean down and give her a quick kiss before picking her up by her hips and setting her down on the bed. "But… you're okay with this? You don't think I'm weird because I like this?"

"Of course not," Mal murmured, running her fingertips down his chin. "You're just being a little bit more… Isle. We don't care as much as Auradon does." She curled her fingers into his hair with bruising tension. "And you know I like messing it up."

Ben shook his head and buried his nose into her shoulder. "Thank you," he murmured. "I love you."

"I love you too, Beastie."

[ducktracy]

143. toy town hall (1936)

release date: september 19th, 1936

series: merrie melodies

director: friz freleng

starring: berneice hansell (sonny), tommy bond (rabbit)

carl stalling’s first merrie melody, and the last merrie melody to use the “i think you’re ducky” theme song, which has been in use since 1933. starting with boulevardier from the bronx, the theme song would be changed into the one we all know and love today, “merrily we roll along.” a particularly reuse heavy cartoon, toy town hall details the adventures of a baby’s toys coming to life and putting on their very own radio show for him, seeing as his mother won’t let him listen to the radio.

a baby lies on the carpet in front of the radio, enthralled with the sound of ben bernie’s voice filling the room, giving his catchphrase such as “yowza!” suddenly, the offscreen mother turns the knob of the radio. “come on, sonny, it’s way past your bedtime.” sonny resists as his mother drags him away, crying “i wanna hear the radio! i don’t wanna go to bed!” a good choice of concealing the mother, only making her arm visible. subtle yet effective.

nevertheless, sonny is placed in his crib, with sonny glaring daggers at his offscreen mother before turning away to face the window. his mother turns out the light, and there’s quite a moody overlay of the shadow of the snowflakes falling outside reflecting on sonny. we pan across his floor, toys strewn about at every corner, and rise up to the clock on his wall (complete with an elephant pendulum.) the hands of the clock turn as time marches on.

recycled from those beautiful dames, two toy soldiers blow a fanfare into their trumpets, the fanfare so strenuous that their faces turn red as their pants deflate around their ankles, their waists turning pencil thin as they blow out as much air as they can. the faces turning red was added in for this short. an army of toys cheer, and the noise wakes up sonny, who grins eagerly.

with that, a jack in the box springs open, revealing a caricature of radio show personality fred allen, where he introduces the toy town hall—a play on allen’s program “town hall tonight.” he introduces the first stars of the night—the marching toy soldiers from beauty and the beast. a mini parade takes over the bedroom, with caricatures such as eddie cantor and rudy vallee riding along on toy horses.

probably the most amusing part of the cartoon: as allen introduces the next act, a little girl croons “MR. ALLEN! ooooh, MR. ALLEN!” she gives him a smitten gaze as he pauses his introduction (with a great frown on his face), haughtily retorting “i’ll be switched. you here again?” instead of providing a proper response, the girl just coos “TALLY-HOOO!” and walks away, still looking at him all the way. great comedic timing.

regardless of the interruption, the next act is introduced. an elephant puts a spotlight on a curtain, reused from those beautiful dames, and we get a toy version of the bing crosby chicken from let it be me singing, well, “let it be me”, audio reused from the episode. i’m a lot more lenient on the reuses—of course i’d much prefer a cartoon that has original footage, but in the end it really depends on HOW the reuses are put together that determines the quality of the end product. it’s certainly one reuse after the other, but there (right now, anyway) are little breaks in between, which adds for some breathing room. plus, an audience member in 1936 is not going to notice, and i try to adopt part of that attitude while watching these.

there is a brief cheering section, and eddie cantor repeats his production of “merrily we roll along” from billboard frolics. sonny applauds the number, and three men playing a violin with one continuous bow follow after eddie, reused from the merry old soul. the synchronization between animation and music is very well done. elsewhere, a rudy vallee toy (recycled from the lady in red, though there have been many a caricature of rudy) performs his number. speaking of, fred allen introduces the lady in red, and the little cockroach and her backup singers repeat the shtick from the same cartoon. i know these descriptions are shorter than usual, but i’ve already covered them in depth, and there’s not really much to say. the animation is decent, and the music is certainly good, but it’s far from exciting. i also say that as someone who has seen these shorts before, so i have my biases. what IS new is sonny in his crib, giddily shaking a pair of maracas for the beat of the music.

a nice little touch is a balloon blowing itself up with the aid of a gas valve (perfectly placed in a toddler’s bedroom, who could turn the knob at any time mistaking it for a toy) and placing a flute up to the opening at the top of its head, piping to the music. the lady in red flirts with the balloon, batting her eyelashes at him, and he instantly deflated with a sheepish grin.

more applause from the toys and sonny. however, a box on the foot of sonny’s bed begins to writhe and bounce, and sonny turns his attention towards the box. inside is a much more colorful, polka-dotted version of peter rabbit from country boy and my green fedora. he gives the iconic joe penner laugh, launching into “my green fedora” (animation reused, vocals new and sounding even more like owl jolson), with sonny also responding in the joe penner laugh. the song number concludes, just in time for a mechanical toy band (a bunch of jazz players in blackface, of course 🙄. the concept isn’t original, but i believe the animation is new.) all the toys dance along to the jaunty beat of the music, which is pretty catchy.

sonny’s elephant clock ticks on, the hands on the face of the clock making rapid full rotations. pan back across the floor, with only ticking breaking the silence as all the previously active toys are now back in their places, unmoving. sonny’s asleep in his bed, but not for long: the sun rises, and his mother calls “wake up, sonny! wake up, sonny, it’s time for breakfast!” sonny frowns and retorts “alright, alright!”, grabbing a mallet and angrily smacking the bars of his crib as we iris out.

i’m curious as to what constituted all the retakes. of course, this is still the depression era, and if you have a way to save money, why wouldn’t you? but we haven’t seen such a heavy concentration of recycled animation in at least a year or two. i’m wondering if friz went over budget with a previous short, or if jack king’s leave and frank tashlin’s debut caused brief pandemonium as directors were switching around, units being established—probably that. bob mckimson gets an animation credit on this (if i had to guess, he probably did the scenes with sonny, or at least the mother. he would typically be assigned scenes that required volumetric, lifelike, human motions), and i know he eventually switched over to tashlin’s unit for awhile. regardless, it’s not a BAD short—there have been much sloppier compilations of reuses. the animation was decent, and the music good, and voice acting entertaining, but it certainly isn’t anything to write home about. unfortunately, this cartoon is more boring than anything, but it’s not bad, either. it wouldn’t kill you to skip.

link!

[lila-lou]

✨ I‘m yours ✨

Summary: After you pissed off your Boyfriend, you have to endure the consequences.

Pairing: Soldier Boy x Reader

Warnings: 18+ only! Language, smut etc.

Word Count: 1102

A/N: It’s my first one. English isn’t my first language, so please be lenient. 💙✨

„Ben…please”. Your voice cracked. You couldn't think clearly or form a rational sentence. Your legs now felt like pudding, your stomach ached and cramped.

"Say it". Ben's voice was far too calm, more than unusual for him considering how much you were getting on his nerves. „Ben…“, you whined and gabbed his hair. Your face felt hot and your hole body seemed to be on fire. His Eyes were glued on your pretty face.

„Fucking say it!”, he now raised his voice. Ben’s lips pressed against the inside of your left thigh while his huge hand gripped your right one.

As you began to squirm, he applied more pressure with his right hand, which was flat on your bare stomach, locking you in place. "Stop moving and finally say it!". By now his voice was just a growl and it made your heart flutter. 

During the opening ceremony of the new Vought Tower and the new Seven Team - both led by Soldier Boy - tonight, you had made the mistake of laughing too loudly at A-Train's jokes. That was all. You told Ben several times, that you had absolutely no interest in A-Train and that you simply shared his humor, but he was pissed. Fucking pissed, so you lay with legs spread on his brand-new, covered in silk blankets bed, on the top floor of the tower for about two hours now. Unfortunately, you were far too stubborn to give in, especially because you thought Ben was exaggerating again.

His lips moved to your clit, snapping you out of your thoughts. As he started sucking on your bundle of nerves, you could feel everything inside you tightening for the seventh time tonight. A few tears leaked from the corners of your eyes as your abs made themselves known again.

Your fingers pulled hard on his hair as you came again. Hard. Like many times before. You never thought that an orgasm could be a punishment, a torture, until now. Ben tongue fucked you through your orgasmic waves and didn't let go. Your pussy was so sensitive now, that you twitched violently with each of his licks. “Please…stop…please!”. Your voice was as exhausted as your body. “I… I’m sorry”, you hissed through gritted teeth.


Ben’s eyes never left your face and he could see the line between pleasure and pain slowly being crossed. With a final, wet kiss on the inside of your thigh, he let go of you and lifted his head. “That’s not good enough, sweetheart”, he growled, kissing your stomach, your breasts up to your neck.

“You acted like a little slut. Tinkled with your sparkling eyes. You gotta learn where you fucking belong to!”. You screamed softly as Ben bit your neck harder than you would have liked.

“I’m yours”, you whined, still shaking beneath him. Unfortunately, Ben's weight on your body didn't help you at all as you tried to caught your breath after your recent orgasm.

As if he could read your mind, he sat up and unbuckled his belt. It only took seconds for the rest of his supe suit to fly into the next corner.

“Say it again”, he growled as he gave himself a few pumps and focused his gaze on your naked body. He could see the red marks of his hands on your thighs, making his cock twitch instantly. 

“I belong to you! I´m yours Ben”. Your voice trembled.

With that he lined himself up with your entrance. “That’s damn right”, he groaned as he pushed himself into you with one hard thrust, making you scream. When he bottomed up, he stayed still for a few seconds, studying your face. Your eyes were narrowed, your lips slightly parted. Ben paused, not only so you could adjust, but also to stop him from cumming just in time.

“Still so tight, baby”, he praised, cupping your face and running his thumb over your swollen and parted lips. Your breathing became ragged and your heart raced as you tried your best to adjust to his hard length that was completely filling you. It wasn´t your first time for sure, but every time it felt like the first.


“Look at you, doll. All shaking and messed up”, he grinned down at you while supporting himself with both arms next to your head.

Your eyes could no longer focus properly when you slowly opened them. Your vision was blurry by now, probably due to your exhaustion and tiredness. 

"Still with me?", he chuckled and stroked your heated cheeks.

You inhaled sharply, a desperate attempt to get some oxygen into your brain. “Yes”, you whispered.

That was enough for Ben to finally move. He withdrew completely and then sank back into you with one firm thrust.

„Fuuck”, he shuddered. With each of his thrusts, you slipped further back on the mattress. Sure, you loved Ben being rough with you, but tonight it was all too much. Your nails dug into his underarms, desperately trying to steady yourself as he pounded into you. After a while, Ben could sense your discomfort and rolled his eyes in slight annoyance. He knew you were close to passing out on him again, so he slowed down a bit. Sometimes it annoyed him that you were this fragile little human, but at the same time he loved it. He loved you, even if he couldn't say it yet.

He loosened his previously tight grip on your hips and let a hand move to your clit.

“Just give me one more”, he murmured, looking between the two of you and how he disappeared into your wet heat. With his fingers spread on your stomach whilst he ran his thumb on your clit in circles. A few minutes passed before you came again. If Ben were human, his wrists would surely bleed as you sank your nails deeper into his skin. His name rolled from your lips over and over again in a moan while your pussy clenching around him. With a low groan he came, spilling his hot cum deep inside you.

As you lay beneath him, breathing heavily and trembling, Ben lingered inside you for a while, simply enjoying your warmth and the scene in front of him.

“What a sight”, he murmured, a big ass grin on his face.

“Mhmm”.

You couldn’t say anything else, you were too exhausted. Your hand found its way to your slightly sweaty forehead while your eyes were still closed.

“I hope you know your fucking place now, sweetheart“, he leaned down and kissed your nose before he pulled out of you and got up from the bed.

———————————————

->Exhausted (Part 3) 18+ only!

[pea-milk]

Get to know me tag 🌙

I was tagged by the lovely @fourfinefreshfishforyou and @rosymiel . Thank you!

I tag @dafadolly  @early-grape  @simulationcowboy @bratsims @obi-uhie@crescentcrustacean @cupidlet @ridgeport @faaeish @herbalbrew and anyone else who would like to do it. (Also you dont have to do this if ya dont wanna. It’s a lot of questions lmao)

1. WHAT IS YOUR FULL NAME? Eliav somethin somethin

2. WHAT IS YOUR NICKNAME? Eli...?? I sometimes go by ben

3. BIRTHDAY? 1st of September

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK SERIES? None

5. DO YOU BELIEVE IN ALIENS OR GHOSTS? Aliens probably

6. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR? Toni Morrison or David Sedaris

7. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RADIO STATION? NPR or this one french music station once awhile. 

8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FLAVOR OF ANYTHING? Ah either spicy anything or a nice fruity flavor with vanilla

9. WHAT WORD WOULD YOU USE OFTEN TO DESCRIBE SOMETHING GREAT OR WONDERFUL? “Oh Cool” or just literally great/wonderful

10. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT FAVORITE SONG? Railroad Bill - Andrew Bird or Sabor a Mi - Kali Uchis

11. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WORD? Orke / Gide or anythin with hard “ch” 

12. WHAT WAS THE LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO? You Are The Light - Jens Lekman

13. WHAT TV SHOW WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR EVERYBODY TO WATCH? Uh Dark! I recently watched it and it was good!

14. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE TO WATCH WHEN YOU’RE FEELING DOWN?  The Ritual. Its a good horror movie.

15. DO YOU PLAY VIDEO GAMES? Yes. But not like...hardcore? I dont like online multi player just like casual games. I will however become a hardcore gamer once I get my lil goblin hands on Red Dead Redemption 2. Yeehaw.

16. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR? Idk why but I think it’s bad luck to name your fears out loud. 

17. WHAT IS YOUR BEST QUALITY, IN YOUR OPINION? Mm...Humour? 

18. WHAT IS YOUR WORST QUALITY, IN YOUR OPINION? I lack...empathy ...and have a very hard time relating to people

19. DO YOU LIKE CATS OR DOGS BETTER? I like both.

20. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON? Autumn.

21. ARE YOU IN A RELATIONSHIP? No.

22. WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU MISS FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD? Being able to just be...loose? Just not have to worry about things.

23. WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND? I’d like to say my highschool “bestfriends” but we havent talked in a hot while.

24. WHAT IS YOUR EYE COLOR? Hazel

25. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR? Dirty Blonde

26. WHO IS SOMEONE YOU LOVE? Hm.

27. WHO IS SOMEONE YOU TRUST? No one lmao

28. WHO IS SOMEONE YOU THINK ABOUT OFTEN? Not a specific individual but just...people who’ve left my life? People I dont talk to or see. Just wonderin how life goes for them.

29. ARE YOU CURRENTLY EXCITED ABOUT/FOR SOMETHING? Uh, not in a longterm sense, but just being in the apartment alone and going to work.

30. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST OBSESSION? Small deviances.

31. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW AS A CHILD? Courage the Cowardly Dog, Hey, Arnold or Country Mouse City Mouse.

32. WHO OF THE OPPOSITE GENDER CAN YOU TELL ANYTHING TO, IF ANYONE? Hmm...No one? 

33. ARE YOU SUPERSTITIOUS? Somewhat.

34. DO YOU HAVE ANY UNUSUAL PHOBIAS? No.

35. DO YOU PREFER TO BE IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA OR BEHIND IT? Behind.

36. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOBBY? Gardening.

37. WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? Calypso - David Sedaris

38. WHAT WAS THE LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Ballad of Buster Scruggs. 

39. WHAT MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS DO YOU PLAY, IF ANY? I used to play violin and clarinet.

40. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ANIMAL? Wombats.

41. WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 5 FAVORITE TUMBLR BLOGS THAT YOU FOLLOW? I like just sorta weird aesthetic blogs or overall blogs with no general direction.

42. WHAT SUPERPOWER DO YOU WISH YOU HAD? Shape-shifting or just like bein immortal but the kind where, if for example, my head were to be chopped off from my body, I’d just be a conscious, bastard head.

43. WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU FEEL MOST AT PEACE? In my room or a quiet cafe while it rains outside.

44. WHAT MAKES YOU SMILE? Small things. Nothin real specific

45. WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY, IF ANY? I used to do track and lacrosse. I hated both.

46. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DRINK? Lavender Lemonade or a Cappuccino. 

47. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WROTE A HAND-WRITTEN LETTER OR NOTE TO SOMEBODY? Yesterday. I write post-cards to a ceramic teacher that I still keep in touch with. He’s a very funny man. 

48. ARE YOU AFRAID OF HEIGHTS? Depends.

49. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE? Sloppiness. Just general disorganization. (Also loud chewing)

50. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A CONCERT? Yes.

51. ARE YOU VEGAN/VEGETARIAN? I dont generally eat heavy meats. Especially red because I vomit if I do. I eat a lot of fish though.

52. WHEN YOU WERE LITTLE, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? An Undertaker. I met one at a friends funeral, she was very interesting.

53. WHAT FICTIONAL WORLD WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE IN? Hmm. Maybe a rural-ized time locked town? Or a cabin in the middle of a foggy evergreen wood, not really fantasy I suppose.

54. WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WORRY ABOUT? Health.

55. ARE YOU SCARED OF THE DARK? No.

56. DO YOU LIKE TO SING? If it’s a rock ballad in the middle a long road trip with friends, yes, but mostly I sing when alone.

57. HAVE YOU EVER SKIPPED SCHOOL? Yes. Alot.

58. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE ON THE PLANET? I’ve tiny places, or just moments that I enjoy.

59. WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE? A lot of places. Mostly rural.

60. DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? Two Dogs. Zelda and Charlie.

61. ARE YOU MORE OF AN EARLY BIRD OR A NIGHT OWL? Night Owl.

62. DO YOU LIKE SUNRISES OR SUNSETS BETTER? Both.

63. DO YOU KNOW HOW TO DRIVE? No. Im gay.

64. DO YOU PREFER EARBUDS OR HEADPHONES? Earbuds.

65. HAVE YOU EVER HAD BRACES? Yes.

66. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GENRE OF MUSIC? No specific genre.

67. WHO IS YOUR HERO? ...No one

68. DO YOU READ COMIC BOOKS? Not recently.

69. WHAT MAKES YOU THE MOST ANGRY? Selfishness.

70. DO YOU PREFER TO READ ON AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE OR WITH A REAL BOOK? Physical copies are nice. I like the smell.

71. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL? I’m not in school but uh Math. Art.

72. DO YOU HAVE ANY SIBLINGS? 1

73. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT? Vanilla Extract.

74. HOW TALL ARE YOU? 179cm

75. CAN YOU COOK? Yes. I bake for a living. I make a mean puff pastry.

76. WHAT ARE THREE FOUR THINGS THAT YOU LOVE? Smelling spices, like cinnamon, red peppers, hard rain, when my dog snores.

77. WHAT ARE THREE THINGS THAT YOU HATE? Sweat, being yelled at, alcohol

78. DO YOU HAVE MORE FEMALE FRIENDS OR MORE MALE FRIENDS? More male identifying friends.

79. WHAT IS YOUR SEXUAL ORIENTATION? Bi. More lenient towards male identifying individuals.

80. WHERE DO YOU CURRENTLY LIVE? The US.

81. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TEXTED? My Manager.

82. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Thursday.

83. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE YOUTUBER? None really. Just the weird video once awhile. Like “will it blend.”

84. DO YOU LIKE TO TAKE SELFIES? Yes and no.

85. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE APP? ????

86. WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR PARENT(S) LIKE? I get along with my mother when I can. Father could be dead for all I care.

87. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOREIGN ACCENT? Any accent.

88. WHAT IS A PLACE THAT YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO, BUT YOU WANT TO VISIT? Too many places

89. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NUMBER? I like 8 I suppose

90. CAN YOU JUGGLE? No.

91. ARE YOU RELIGIOUS? I was raised under a Jewish household, but as I’ve gotten older and more bitter, I’ve grown out of faith. However, I still identify as Jewish.

92. DO YOU FIND OUTER SPACE OR THE DEEP OCEAN TO BE MORE INTERESTING? Yes and Yes.

93. DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE A DAREDEVIL? Sometimes. Depends.

94. ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO ANYTHING? Peanuts.

95. CAN YOU CURL YOUR TONGUE? Yes.

96. CAN YOU WIGGLE YOUR EARS? No.

97. HOW OFTEN DO YOU ADMIT THAT YOU WERE WRONG ABOUT SOMETHING? If I act wrongly to someone I apologize right away.

98. DO YOU PREFER THE FOREST OR THE BEACH? Both.

99. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF ADVICE THAT ANYONE HAS EVER GIVEN YOU? None.

100. ARE YOU A GOOD LIAR? Yes.

101. WHAT IS YOUR HOGWARTS HOUSE? Ravenclaw?

102. DO YOU TALK TO YOURSELF? Once awhile.

103. ARE YOU AN INTROVERT OR AN EXTROVERT? Introvert.

104. DO YOU KEEP A JOURNAL/DIARY? Not anymore.

105. DO YOU BELIEVE IN SECOND CHANCES? Yes and No. If its absolutely awful, then I’m quick to cut ties.

106. IF YOU FOUND A WALLET FULL OF MONEY ON THE GROUND, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? If there’s cash, take it. Return everything else. Sorry. 

107. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE ARE CAPABLE OF CHANGE? Yes. As long as they keep accountability for there actions. 

108. ARE YOU TICKLISH? In certain areas, but hardly.

109. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON A PLANE? Yes.

110. DO YOU HAVE ANY PIERCINGS? I did, but they closed up.

111. WHAT FICTIONAL CHARACTER DO YOU WISH WAS REAL? None really.

112. DO YOU HAVE ANY TATTOOS? No.

113. WHAT IS THE BEST DECISION THAT YOU’VE MADE IN YOUR LIFE SO FAR? Seeing a psychologist.

114. DO YOU BELIEVE IN KARMA? Somewhat.

115. DO YOU WEAR GLASSES OR CONTACTS? Yes.

116. DO YOU WANT CHILDREN? Probably.

117. WHO IS THE SMARTEST PERSON YOU KNOW? The best friends I havent talked to in a while.

118. WHAT IS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MEMORY? There’s a lot.

119. HAVE YOU EVER PULLED AN ALL-NIGHTER? Yes.

120. WHAT COLOR ARE MOST OF YOU CLOTHES? Black. Earth tones. Problem Patterns.

121. DO YOU LIKE ADVENTURES? Sometimes

122. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON TV? Yes.

123. HOW OLD ARE YOU? 19

124. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE? None.

125. DO YOU PREFER SWEET OR SAVORY FOODS? Both

[psibiko]

Glory Days

It’s senior year of high school for the Loser’s Club, but they aren’t the Losers club anymore. They’ve drifted apart, but some type of fate binds them together even though one member isn't  so inclined to make amends. For Eddie Kaspbrak, it becomes his goal to bring their estranged friend Richie back into their lives. 

Reddie fic that takes place in 2017, with punk!richie and pitcher!eddie and a lot of teen angst. (968 words)

Chapter 1: New Year, Old You.

The high school seemed much smaller than Eddie remembered from last year. Even though he passed by it on his bike all summer long, standing in front of it now with his backpack slung over one shoulder he felt like it was somehow bowing before him. The worn, grey brick facade, the glossy yellow-brown tile floor, the hospital blue lockers: They had all lost they’re novelty and were as familiar to him as the back of his hand. And it made sense. Eddie was a senior now, the school was his stomping ground.

“Hey, Eddie!” It was Mike with a big puppy dog smile on his handsome face. He pushed through the crowded hallway and clapped an arm over Eddie’s shoulder. “Jesus, this place is packed tighter than a can of sardines!”

“I know,” Eddie grumbled. He couldn’t move an inch without getting bumped into or knocked around and the racket was something else. He was pretty sure some kid had actually rubbed some snot on his new letterman jacket but he was trying not to think about it. “So many people in a closed place like this is a breeding ground for disease.”

Mike chuckled. “Some things never change, Eddie Kaspbrak. I see you still have a tense relationship with bacteria.”

“It just common sense.” Mike was so damn tall, his hand was engulfing Eddies shoulder which was a lot more filled out than just last year. Even still, he had a tiny build in comparison. Mike was the biggest kid in the Loser’s Club and by far the gentlest. Ever since ninth grade he opted out of sports and chose book club instead, much to the school coaches’ dismay. If Mike wanted he could be the football quarterback in a heart beat but it just wasn’t his style, and Eddie envied him for it. It took Eddie a whole year of grinding and training to even be considered for the baseball team.

Mike was still holding onto him as they navigated to their lockers. Mike’s locker was actually nowhere near Eddie’s but he didn’t feel like telling him because honestly it had been a while since Eddie had spoken to him so casually. It had been forever since the whole gang had gotten together, too. The dissolution of the Loser’s club happened sometime between sophomore and senior year and although it had been a long time coming none of them had intended it to happen. People change, friendships change, and people drift apart. Thats not to say they never spoke but they just didn’t stay exclusive to each other.

Eddie let out a shaky sigh and looked down at his locker, thumbing the dial on his lock. His chest had a way of tightening when he thought about the Loser’s  Club and his old friends.

“Eddie?” Mike’s voice was suddenly clear and Eddie realized he had completely tuned him out. Mike gave his shoulder a little squeeze and Eddie swore he felt his collarbone crack under the pressure. “Are you okay man? You seem distracted.”

“Uh, yeah I’m just thinking about baseball practice after school today,” Eddie said dismissively.

“For sure, you must be really busy this semester! The star pitcher of Derry High and all.” Overhead the school bell trilled and Mike pulled his arm back to his side, giving Eddie a sympathetic smile. “Hey, I’ve got to run to get my books but I Bev is looking for you, she told me last night.” Eddie narrowed his eyes.

“What could she want?” Eddie struggled as he started pulling textbook upon textbook out of his locker. Mike stooped down to pick up the handful of pencils and loose band-aids that fell to the floor.

“I think she wants to get the group back together.” The two boys gave each other similar looks, halfway between a smile and a wince. It was a great idea, this is exactly what Eddie was just reminiscing about! It would also be super awkward, though. How long has it been since any of them have shared anything in common? Anything in common with Eddie? “You need to learn to check your phone, she said she tried all last night to talk to you but you wouldn’t answer,” Mike shoved the fallen articles back into Eddie’s locker.

“Oh.” Eddie tried to free up one hand to grab his phone from his pocket and his books went clattering to the ground. “Damn it,” he huffed, but checked his phone anyway. 3 missed calls, 2 unread texts from one Beverly Marsh. When Eddie looked up Mike was already long gone and the hallway was empty, leaving him all alone to pick up his books.

New Messages from Bev:

EDS! meet me after school tmrw I have big plans

…eds answer your damn phone!

Eddie felt his guts start to twist uncomfortably. He tapped back his reply:

Meet me at the baseball diamond after practice is over. cya.

God bless Beverly Marsh, Eddie thought. She didn’t have any classes in common with him this year since she took mostly liberal arts courses and was constantly busy starring in every school production since 9th grade. She was fantastic too, last year she played Annie in the musical of the same name. She was great. That was the last time Eddie had seen the whole gang come together. Mike and Ben were constantly studying and competing against each other for top grades, Stan and Bill kept to themselves and joined the debate and chess club respectively, and then there was Richie…

With his pile of textbooks busting out of his arms, Eddie ran to his first period class praying he didn’t get a tardy. The last thing he needed was detention on the first day of school, hopefully the teachers would be lenient today.

(Hey guys I hope you like my first chapter! I have 5 more chapters planned and more to plan, I’m hoping to make this fic a good long one :) I would love feedback as well <3)

[financialthreesixfive-blog]

Single mums left destitute by Universal Credit inform MPs their horrific experiences

The effect of Universal Credit on single mothers was revealed in plain detail by a group of ladies who provided proof to MPs.They told

how the Conservatives' flagship advantages reform had actually left them with ₤ 1,000 childcare expenses, late payment fines and even being kicked out of nursery.

The Mirror reported how one mum was forced to decline her dream job because it would have left her with simply ₤ 2 a day for food, bills, nappies and gas.

This is in spite of Universal Credit's mentioned goal being to guarantee that work constantly pays.Yet in spite of their horrific evidence, the Department for Work and Pensions insists that there is nothing wrong.Thuto Mali, mum to a two-year-old boy

, said:" We were at the food bank last Christmas since it got that bad."It's not that I do not want to work-it's just that work doesn't pay. "What today's hearing was about -and why it's such a big problem The 4 ladies provided proof to the Work and Pensions Committee

as UC -currently presented to 1.2 million people, and due to strike 3million by December 2019-presses the poor to lease defaults and food banks.Theresa May is dealing with huge pressure to pump more money into the advantage, which has been bundled up with billions in well-being cuts because it released in 2013. Up until now campaigners have concentrated on this and other issues with the advantage, like the five-week await payment.But today the single mums spoke about a various side to the story -how Universal Credit impacts childcare.Working parents on UC can claim back 85%of their nursery fees.Yet they have

to pay up-front initially, and declare the cash back later.The mum fined and saddled with a ₤ 1,300 bill The policy saddled mum-of-two Vikki Waterman with a ₤ 1,300 costs which she had to wait five weeks to be paid back.The 34-year-old was also fined ₤ 50 by her nursery due to the fact that a late advantage payment implied she was 2 days behind spending for childcare.She informed MPs:"We do not wish to sit in your home when we didn't plan to be single moms and dads."We should not be penalised for that. That is not what we are here for.

"We wish to be able to go to work and to offer our own households, and at the minute it seems as if there is a roadblock everywhere

we turn. "The mum who's'not my typical delighted self' Hair stylist and mum-of-three Gaynor Rowles, from Heywood, Greater Manchester, was forced to pay up-front costs for her three-year-old twins. "It's ₤ 188 per week. Where do I discover that money from?"she said.Describing how she was just ₤ 9.37 a week better off in work,"I have actually altered as a person. I'm not my typical delighted self."It's rather unfortunate truly. There's more individuals out there who are even worse off than me. I've got excellent household, buddies and great support."The mum required to deny a dream job-and suspended from nursery Thuto Mali revealed her little young boy was even suspended from nursery.

"I was paying, I think, half or 3 quarters of it and his father was supposed to pay the other -it didn't rather occur,"she stated."

So I got whacked with an ₤ 800 bill."She said she was required to decline a task with a ₤ 32,000 income because after paying ₤ 1,800 a month for a full-time nursery spot for her boy she would be entrusted ₤ 60 a month to cover bills."That's effectively ₤ 2 a day,"she stated.

"Work didn't spend for us."The mum who stopped her police task due to childcare-only to discover issues with child care Nail technician Lucy Collins, from Manchester, told MPs she left her task in the cops due to the fact that she couldn't fit shifts around her kids, aged 9 and 3.

Just then did she discover the

problems of being on Universal Credit."You simply get passed from pillar to post,"she stated."It's so complex."And to top all of it off-it's easier for the middle class Astonishingly, MPs heard the system is more lenient on rich moms and dads than it is on people declaring benefits.People on Universal Credit should submit invoices and billings on an" online journal"

to ensure they get the cash back.Dalia Ben-Galim, policy director at the charity Gingerbread, informed MPs:"There's a very different concern of proof on more middle-class parents."You do not need to send receipts-you need to have actually a registered child care service provider.

"The money's in your account and you, as a parent, are able to move that directly."I think that is ideological -it's

an active decision that has been made." Stunned Tory MP Heidi Allen branded the double standard" terrible". Committee chairman Frank Field added the whole system"is middle-class management of money. It doesn't consider if you have a day-to-day wage or a weekly wage."What the DWP states A Department for Work and Pensions spokeswoman said:"We are doing more than ever before to support parents with the cost of child care and by 2019-20 we will be investing

around a record ₤ 6 billion on childcare support." Under Universal Credit, working moms and dads can claim back up to 85%of qualified child care costs, compared to 70 %of expenses covered

under the previous tradition system."This is the highest level of support ever.

"And if someone has accepted an offer of paid work, they are qualified to be paid these expenses for the month prior to beginning work."This generous provision has been widely welcomed by stakeholders

and is available in addition to a privilege of approximately 30 hours of free child care. "

[shattered-rp-blog]

Congratulations, Zack!

You’ve been accepted as Peter Parker, welcome to the family! I’m kinda crying because I love this boy and we’re quite happy to see how you’re fleshing him out. As for the question about his student status, since the RPG timeline begins in September 2016 it’s safe to say he has just started college, which is why we wanted him aged up a little bit to 18. Still just a boy! Please send in your account in the next 48 hours and make sure you go through our checklist!

OOC

Name: Zack

Preferred Pronouns: him, he, his

Age (You must be 18 or older to participate): 25

Timezone: UTC-Eastern

Availability (with a short explanation): I work usually in the mornings and at least 2 night shifts per week. It’ll get sporadic around the holidays, but I can use my phone to meet any quotas.

Do you have any triggers? None that I’m aware of besides the usual top worst… ones… of all time. I could’ve worded that better.

IC Full Name: Peter Parker

Alias: Spider-man

Affiliation: Approved Hero

Age (16+): 18

Faceclaim: Tom Holland

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Straight

Character quote: “When you can do the things that I can, but you don’t, and then the bad things happen, they happen because of you.”

Why do you want to play this character? (Write as much or as little as you like and fangirl as much or as little as you like): I’ve always felt a weird connection to Peter, as I assume most people do. He does the right thing even if it means missing out on the date he managed to barely get, or the Math test he was supposed to study for. Sacrificing his time and self for the greater good, to help people in need, and- as a kid to even now- I always think about him in every aspect of who I can be in daily life. Always loved the 90’s animated series when I was a little kid. I think I read Ultimate Spider-Man volume 1 over four-five times in one day because I enjoyed it so much as a teenager. Once I got into college, I ended up reading all the older issues in those big compendiums, it had an impact because Peter was also in college and dealing with the stress of balancing his double life. Peter Parker has always been a part of me in multiple capacities and I guess that’s why I’m very excited to play him.

Bio:

Peter Benjamin Parker is a hard working student who appears to be struggling more than the average teenager. Even before researching colleges, maintaining Advanced Placement grades, and school proms were ever in the picture, Peter has barely kept afloat. Not to mention the fact he doesn’t have many friends, doesn’t seem to fit into any clique, and misses most days in the various clubs he’s supposed to be in. Balancing the life of a high school student was already so difficult even before he became a social outcast. It seemed to only get tougher when you added the factor of his after school “activities” that weren’t really sanctioned by Midtown High’s school board.

Accommodated by his only living relative, Aunt May, Peter enjoys a pretty peaceful lifestyle. It isn’t the most lavish nor is it exactly easy going, but his Aunt does her best to make it home, so Peter makes sure to do what he can around the house. May cares about him as if she were his actual mother, instilling valuable nuggets of wisdom and trying her best to be a cool Aunt without also being too lenient on him. Lately, she feels as if Peter is slipping away from her, readying himself for college and the dreaded “moving out”.

Spider-man is a pretty well known superhero at this point, for better or worse. Not many people swing around the streets of New York without getting noticed. Like that naked cowboy guitar guy or those weird dudes in the discount costumes of cartoon characters in Times Square (you know the ones), Spider-Man has simply become another red and blue staple of the city he protects. Swinging through to stop buses from crushing people on Youtube, aiding the children as well as the elderly in the simplest of tasks on Snapchat, and even seen on the side of the streets chit chatting with the homeless after buying them a sandwich from the local shops. The peoples he’s helped regard him as a hero while the ones who think him a menace have a much different story where Spidey wasn’t exactly in the right in his assumptions. It’s a mixed bag but Peter sticks to his morals and upbringing to stay sane.

All things considered, Peter was growing pretty content with doing small, good deeds around the city. Even if nobody knew it was him, even if he didn’t get credit for the amazingly impossible feats. Sure, he could join the football or wrestling teams, using his power for selfish gain, but then people would get hurt. Innocent people. And he couldn’t let that happen, Peter wanted to do good, he wanted to save people when nobody else could. After all, with great power, came a greater responsibility to keep that power in check. At least, that was what his Uncle Ben had taught him.

“Small time hero for the little guy” is how Peter often referred to himself, but that kind of thinking ended once the Accords came down. It caused him to become much more cautious when suiting up, not wanting to get caught for fear of it somehow getting back to Aunt May. His diminishing playground became much larger once a certain genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist came around his small apartment in Queens. Tony Stark arrived to give Peter an opportunity of a lifetime: An internship under Stark himself. Although it was a fabrication created by Stark to help avoid suspicion of the teenager’s super heroics after school hours, it also gave him the opportunity to keep an eye on the spider-boy. The investor’s offer was simple: Peter joins the latest roster of the Avengers and is allowed to continue operating without being strangled by the Accords.

Stark’s deal came packaged with one final surprise for the wall crawling teen: his very own costume designed by his new mentor. With this brand new suit Peter felt as though he had finally made it to the big leagues.

Ships: Any, not really picky. (but let’s be real, if either Gwen or MJ show up it’s a given he’ll lean towards either one).

Para sample (in character): (Removed for privacy)

Additional (optional): I know it says he’s planning on University, but I was just wondering if you wanted him as a graduate already or preparing for graduation? Either way, willing to work with either.

Wanted connections: Tony Stark, Aunt May, any of his classmates (if ever introduced), that’s all I can think of off the top of my head.

[ducktracy]

21. bosko’s fox hunt (1931)

release date: december 12th, 1931

series: looney tunes

director: hugh harman

starring: johnny murray (bosko)

ah... the hunting cartoons. porky’s duck hunt would birth everyone’s favorite daffy duck in 1937. 1938 had porky’s hare hunt which birthed happy rabbit (a different character than the ever obscure bugs bunny, but could be considered a segue into bugs’ creation, especially considering that bugs was christened “bugs” because ben hardaway, who directed porky’s hare hunt, was affectionately nicknamed bugs. the whole happy rabbit/bugs conundrum is a bit confusing, but we’ll get to that later.) and 1931 has bosko’s fox hunt, which would birth... no one.

a group of barking dogs stream across the screen as our cartoon comes to an open. following the dogs is a group of jockeys riding their horses, including an elephant struggling to ride a horse because of his weight, and of course bosko, whistling away and happily going about his business. good contrast between the hurried nature of the dogs/jockeys and bosko’s leisurely gallop. “a hunting we will go” plays as the underscore, which would also be featured prominently as the underscore in porky’s duck hunt.

after another shot of the dogs, we see what their target is—a fox, who looks exactly like a pants-less version of foxy. maybe he lives on after all!

the fox skips around, happily barking along the way, completely unbothered by the stampede behind him. he gingerly hops along a few stepping stones, sliding along on tree branches and shaving off the leaves (above. i love that, it’s so visually appealing! weird little ancedote—you know how you’d look out your car window as a kid and you’d have some sort of creature following the car? i always imagined a giant monster that would pick up the trees and shrubs and eat them, sliding out all the leaves between their teeth. this reminds me of that, which is probably why i enjoy it so much LOL). the underscore beautiful! nice and quaint. a great contrast with the high energy “a hunting we will go”.

back to the stampede of dogs and bosko, who’s sinking lower and lower on his horse as it deflates like a balloon. to solve the problem, bosko stuffs an entire log in the horse’s mouth so that it’s stable again. once again, the tagline for our reviews comes into play: overused and predictable but amusing nonetheless! especially when the horse spits the log back out, using it to cross a gap between ridges.

more recycled footage of the frolicking fox, the hounds, and the overweight elephant from the beginning. the scene was amusing at first, but loses its charm after being shown for 3 times in a row. i’m guessing they needed to fill up the minutes somehow—that’s probably the biggest flaw with this cartoon, it feels rather empty, reusing footage to meet the quota.

finally the fox takes notice that its being followed, and hides in a log. the stampede obliviously charges forth, leaving the fox be, except for a wiener dog who curves its body around the log, sniffing curiously. it ends up sniffing its own ass, kicks it over to the other side of the log, and walks on. predictably amusing. harman and ising sure liked their wiener dog gags.

bosko and his horse are the only ones left, which the fox takes note of. it drags a nearby mud puddle in the trajectory of their path, and sure enough, they land right in the puddle. the horse is covered with mud (while bosko is miraculously clean) and not pleased about it. it swipes the mud off (and its fur) and wears it like a coat, glaring at bosko and angrily stalking off. possibly a blackface gag?? i could be reading into it too much. i braced myself for a predictably impression of al jolson, but it never came.

the pluto-esque dog from one more time makes an appearance, licking bosko’s face and barking. the dog runs away to pursue the fox, while bosko pulls out a double barrel rifle and starts shooting aimlessly. that sounds like a smart idea!

we get recycled footage from ain’t nature grand!, borrowed from the sequence where the bird chases the worm. this time, the dog is the bird, the fox is the worm. further my point is asserted that it feels like they had a bit too much time left, reusing animation. though one thing i’ve pretty foolishly failed to consider in the first place is the fact that it’s the depression. if you gotta save costs, you gotta save costs. i should probably be a little more lenient with that in mind, but it’s not like i’m exactly criticizing them, just making a note of it.

bosko (irresponsibly) joins in on the fun, his rifle shooting amuck as he bounces around aimlessly. this short has a lot of similarities to porky’s duck hunt, and this is another: bosko/porky unable to handle the gun. it does make for a quick laugh! i’m probably biased since i love porky so much, but i feel its funnier with him (and through tex avery’s vision), just because he has more personality than bosko, but nevertheless.

the fox hides in a hole and pops out in an adjacent hole bugs bunny style. the dog’s rear is exposed as he snoops around in the hole, looking for his target, which bites him in the ass (literally).

the dog scoots around, yelping in pain, while bosko aims his rifle down the foxhole. the fox, once again proving himself to be a regular bugs bunny, grabs the rifle and elongates it, popping out of the first hole and shooting bosko. the fox runs off as bosko vows to get him.

spotting a nearby cave, the fox seeks refuge and hides. bosko furiously yanks it by the tail and pulls it out...

revealing a giant boar who grows aggressive and chases after bosko. bosko and his dog hide in yet another cave, and sparks, stars, an all sorts of cartoon indicators of violence fly. the dog manages to get out of the scrabble, but receives a stray punch in the jaw.

things grow quiet, and the dog picks up a club, hiding behind a rock. he anticipates the boar’s return. instead, bosko comes out on top, accomplished and proud. the dog bashes his head in with the club, mistaking him for the boar, but once he sees his mistake we iris out on him giving a dazed bosko some kisses.

this cartoon felt rather empty and hollow, moreso than usual. lots of recycled animation made it feel as though they needed to fill up some time. however, i really liked the music underscore, especially with the fox frolicking around. there were some good visuals, such the fox sliding on the tree, bosko sagging down on the “deflating” horse, and the bright stars, smoke, and rocks flying during the offscreen fight scene. the bosko cartoons have gradually been increasing in quality—i think it’s safe to say this cartoon would feel much more transparent and paper thin if it were made at the beginning of the year instead of the end. however, i’ve seen better, and know there are better shorts to come. overall a rather average cartoon, still worth a snoop.