#both of us locking in while we share a pint of ice cream

[ohimsummer]

me and nerdjo “movie” night (watching hour-long ‘how it’s made’ compilations)

[imagine-lcorp]

Lost & Found (One Shot)

Request

Could you maybe do something where Lena meets single parent reader at the store when she loses her kid and Lena helps her back to her mom. Her finding a home with them and all that fluffy stuff?

A/N: Hey, my dears, hope you are doing alright. It’s good to be back to present you with another lovely request. This one was particularly good, I really don’t know anything about children but it’s always fun to figure out how to write the haha. Also, did ya know there’s actUally a Superman ice cream flavor? Kudos to the anon that sent this one! Pls enjoy and let me know what you think!! 

- (Y/D/N). Your Dauther’s Name

Lena Luthor x Single Mother!R // Word Count: 2,891 -------------------------------------------------------

There was a time when Lena Luthor used to wonder what made a family a family.

Was it having a mother and a father? She had a mother and a father, although not at the same time. She had a mother, then she had a father... and another mother, but she wasn't quite like the first mother she had. Was it having a brother or a sister? She had only known one brother but even when they shared the same father, he showed her the many ways it didn't matter.

Was it the blood relationship? She had friends that almost feel like family to her even when they didn't share the same blood, but those relationships withered the same way her relationships with her blood family did. Was it sharing a house with someone? She had lived in many houses and apartments. A small house near the ocean, a mansion in the countryside, a little apartment near the university, a penthouse in the city. She had shared each one with some others and yet she could not call them family, not really and not anymore.

So, what made a family a family? Lena had wondered for so long until one day she found you, or rather, found her.

"Have you seen my mommy?" A little voice startled her from her evening thoughts.

It had been one of those rare days when Lena needed to feel less like herself and indulge in some mundane chores. She would give her chauffeur the night off, take her car and drive around the city for a while before going into whatever store or supermarket she could find open. She would take some time to check aisles and products, enjoying the quiet and the fact that most people around didn't put much attention to her. She would ponder about buying a few items just to imagine herself as everybody else.

The little girl standing beside her, however, didn't seem to care about Lena's self-pity.

She looked around, in the detergent aisle of the supermarket she was in, to see if there was any sign of a mother looking for her lost child but the few people near the two of them didn't even bother to notice. She didn't look older than five or six and, fortunately, she also didn't look scared.

"No, sorry." Lena replied, kneeling in front of her. "Do you remember where you last saw her?"

"She was looking for ice cream." The girl said with a glimmer in her eyes. The idea of dessert making her excited.

"Ice cream?" Lena asked with raised eyebrows. "You were buying ice cream?"

"Yeah." She said, showing her big smile with a couple of baby teeth already missing.

She thought it was a cute gesture and even when she didn't know what to do, Lena couldn't leave her.

"Maybe I can help you find your mom but you need to help me too, alright?" The little girl nodded. "What's your name?"

"(Y/D/N). What's yours?"

"I'm Lena." She smiled.

Lena asked her a few more questions about you, your name, the way you looked like, what were you wearing and where was the last place she had seen you. Your daughter was a pretty smart girl, she answered every question as best as she could, with short but very precise words, giving Lena a pretty good idea of who she needed to look for.

She took your daughter's hand in hers and started walking around each aisle, heading particularly towards the freezer section, where Lena supposed she could find the ice cream. The girl kept looking around and would sometimes squeeze Lena's hand every time she found something interesting to look at. She was a pretty carefree child, considering her current situation. It reminded Lena a bit of herself so long ago, when there was no more world to worry about but her own.

However, she worried that, if they couldn't find you, she would have to take her to security and let them deal with a case of a missing child. Lena found that plan less than ideal.

"(Y/D/N)!" You both suddenly heard.

"Mommy?" The little girl turned around, searching for your voice with wide eyes. She held Lena's hand even tighter and in a moment they were both running along the cereal aisle.

Lena was about to tell her to slow down when they heard your voice once again behind their backs.

"(Y/D/N)!"

Lena and your daughter turned around and saw you slid on the floor as you tried to run towards them.

You felt an instant wave of relief once your eyes locked on your daughter. Your little girl came running towards you in a second and you didn't even care she was pulling someone along with her. (Y/D/N) only let go of Lena's hand once she was close enough to jump into your arms.

"Oh, thank goodness, you're alright." You said with a heavy sigh, wrapping your daughter into a hug. "You scared me, love. You know you don't have to leave my side when we're out."

"But I was looking for the ice cream." You heard her say, and you had a sudden urge to throw your child into a bin.

"Ice cre-? Ice cream? I-" Instead you took a deep breath, closed your eyes and hugged her even tighter. You let go of her a moment later, making sure she was alright. "Yes, sweetheart. We're getting you your ice cream."

"Can Lena come with us?" She asked and you finally looked up to catch a glimpse of the stranger your daughter had dragged along.

The woman was standing a few steps behind you, fidgeting with her hands as she observed the scene in front of her.

Lena had felt a wave of relief herself when she saw mother and daughter reunite, and she felt happy she had helped, but she had to admit she felt quite out of place. It was a family moment and she didn't want to interrupt.

"Well, first you have to introduce me to your new friend." You said then and Lena had to raise a brow in surprise.

(Y/D/N) did a little jump in excitement and grabbed your hand. You got up while your daughter pulled you towards Lena. "Lena, this is my mommy."

"It is nice to meet you, Lena. I'm (Y/N)." You looked at her with a smile appearing at the corner of your lips and she felt, without knowing why, so much lighter.

Lena couldn't say no to your daughter's invitation after that. She was curious to find out why little (Y/D/N) was so adamant about buying ice cream. Apparently, she was looking for a very special flavor, the Superscoop Sundae, which was said to be Supergirl's favorite kind of flavor.

You took your daughter's hand in yours this time and while you walked it seemed like you couldn't thank Lena enough for helping your daughter find its way back to you. You assured her this wasn't  a common occurrence. You always tried to keep a close eye on your daughter but she would sometimes get too excited to even wait for you.

"She's chaos compressed in the form of a five year old." You joked. "All this trouble for some dessert, can you believe?"

You started a friendly conversation as you walked to the freezer section and, for a moment, Lena felt like a child again making friends in the playground. You didn't have your guard up, and you certainly weren't suspicious about her. You only knew she had helped you find your daughter and in return you had wanted to share this moment with her as a gesture of gratitude. No hidden intentions behind it.

"I'd like you to have this." You said after deciding it was time for you and your daughter to head home.

(Y/D/N) was finally holding a pint of the Superscoop Sundae in her hands and she was standing near you, waiting for your conversation to be over. You pulled a tiny card out of your wallet and handed it to Lena.

"This is my card, if you ever need it."

You wanted to return the favor and if there was something you could do for Lena you were going to do it with no hesitation. It was the least you could do, you assured her. Then you parted ways, with (Y/D/N) waving Lena goodbye and leaving her with a smile in her face and warm sensation in her heart.

Little did you know that Lena was going to need that favor, more sooner than later.

After another attempt against her life, Lena Luthor was in need of a place to hide.

The DEO and Supergirl had suggested some safe houses for her to use for a few days but since the database of the DEO had been hacked, most of those facilities could have been already compromised. She needed a place no one knew about, a place no one would expect her to be. So, even against her better judgement, she pulled a tiny card out of her own purse.

"So, let me get this straight." You said pacing around the living room of your apartment. "You want me to hide you here for let's say, around a week, right? And, by doing so, I may or may not be in danger? Is that what you're saying?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Yeah, essentially."

Lena and Supergirl spoke at the same time. They were standing there with you in the middle of the room, looking apologetical and waiting for your answer. However, you looked back and forth between the two of them, not believing what was happening.

When Lena called you to ask for that favor, you didn't think too much of it. Instead, you remembered that day at the supermarket, where she helped you and your daughter reunite again. You wouldn't have known what to do if anything had happened to your her that evening and you felt like you owned it to Lena. But this was a whole new thing for you, starting for the fact that there was no way your daughter wouldn't get involved in this. Besides, it was Lena's life, Lena Luthor's life, the life of a multibillionaire genius, in your hands.

"(Y/N), please, don't worry. I know we may be asking too much." Lena said as she fidgeted with her hands.

You looked at her with worry and were about to answer, still not sure about what to say, when you heard a knock on the door. After a second of hesitation, you shook your head and went to answer. As you opened the door, a tiny figure appeared.

Your neighbor next door was dropping (Y/D/N) after the play date she had had with their own daughter. You thanked them and hurried (Y/D/N) inside, not wanting to draw anyone else's attention to your guests.

An excited gasp followed next as your daughter realized who was in her home.

"Mommy! It's Supergirl!" She jumped and ran towards the superhero.

"Hello, little one." Supergirl said as she kneeled in front of her.

"And Lena's here too!"

It surprised everyone in the room when your daughter, instead of reaching for Supergirl, ran past her, headed towards Lena and hugged her legs.

Supergirl looked startled by that, as she was usually the popular one around children, and Lena was a bit taken aback by the gesture. You smiled as you watched Lena pat (Y/D/N)'s head, asking her how she had been since the last time she had seen her and if she still had some ice cream left to share. It surprised you how easy it was for Lena to talk to your kid and it surprised you even more when you found yourself answering Lena's call for help.

"So...I guess I need to figure out what's for dinner tonight, if you're staying." You crossed your arms with a little frown in your face. You really had no idea what to cook for the night.

Three pairs of eyes turned suddenly to look at you and your daughter's eyes were as big as they had been on her last birthday when she got the exact bunny plushie she had asked for.

Dinner had never been as entertaining as it have been that first night. When (Y/D/N) found out Lena was a scientist she kept firing question after question. You were fairly impressed at the way Lena tried to answer all of them and you did your best to keep your daughter from asking anything too inappropriate. Lena was more than thrilled about it all.

"I have a question of my own, Miss Luthor." You said after you had put (Y/D/N) in bed.

"Do you?" Lena said raising a brow. "What is it?"

"Do millionaires know how to wash their own dinner plates?" You heard Lena laugh as you headed for the kitchen, and somehow it was one of the most wonderful things you had ever heard.

You found yourselves falling into a comfortable routine during the days she spent at your house. If at first you had been a bit hesitant about how to treat Lena, after finding out who she really was, you soon found out that millionaires did know how to wash plates and help with the daily chores in the house.

Your daughter was more than happy to have her new friend around the house. For her, Lena was someone else she could play with and the person who knew all the answers because she was a scientist. You felt a little jealous about that but, just like your daughter, you felt happy to have Lena with you. It certainly helped you forget your lives were in dire danger.

"Is she asleep?" Lena asked you one night.

"Yeah, sleeping like the dead." You took a seat on the kitchen table, where Lena had been revising some company documents. "Thank you for the tip."

"You're welcome." She rose from her own seat to pour you a cup of tea. "Reading Greek tragedies never fails to put people to sleep."

You chuckled. "Oh, I believe you. I was about to grab a blanket too. Thanks."

You grabbed the cup of tea from her hands, your fingers brushing against each other. You smiled at her and watched as she took her seat again. She asked you about your day at work, and you asked how things were going with her company. Conversation flowed easily as you moved to different topics.

It amazed Lena how easy she had fit within your lives, so naturally that she almost couldn't believe you had meet the week before. It was for her as if she had known you and (Y/D/N) since the beginning of time.

During those days you had learned so many things about each other. About (Y/D/N)'s collection of rocks and her hopes to get a bunny pet for her next birthday. Lena got used to the melodies of your favorite music and the way you arranged your books. You got to know the many ways Lena's facial expressions could tell you more about her state of mind than her assuring you she was alright.

When it was time for Lena to go back to her life, it felt like she was leaving her heart behind.

"Do you have to go?" Your daughter had asked as she watched Lena stand near the door with her suitcase.

"I'm sorry, honey, but I have to." Lena said with a pang of sadness as she took your daughter into her arms.

"But mommy said you were going to stay." She said with a pout, wrapping her little arms around Lena's neck.

"You know, if you need, you could stay a little longer." You approached them, reaching to stroke your daughter's back, and looking at Lena with hopeful eyes.

"Thank you, but I don't want to cause you anymore trouble. You have already done so much with letting me stay this long."

"No trouble at all." You assured her. "We protect our family. Right, (Y/D/N)?"

"Yeah! Just like Supergirl!" Your daughter cheered.

Lena was speechless for a moment, and you could tell she was having some trouble processing your words. However, it was true. A kind of familiarity had settled among you, and you had to admit it felt as if things were supposed to be this way. You were, without doubt, a little family.

"But I understand you have things to do in the outside world. Come on, sweetie." You took your daughter into your own arms, freeing Lena of her grasp. "Just remember, this Friday is pizza Friday, and someone has to bring the apple juice."

"I want grape juice." (Y/D/N) said.

"Or grape juice, yes, whichever you like." You winked at Lena, who couldn't hide her smile.

With those simple words, you had offered Lena not only your house but a place to stay every time she needed and wanted.

At that moment, Lena found the true meaning of family. It wasn't just a home but the people you got to chose to always come back to. And she had chosen, maybe from the beginning, to come back to you.

[let-them-read-fics]

BP Headcanon / One Shot: Raising A Kid With Lisa

Requested By Anon: Lisa / Reader while they're raising a kid

Quote Requested By @ssamssamu: "I knew I did from that first moment we met. It was… not love at first sight exactly, but- familiarity. Like: oh, hello, it’s you. It’s going to be you."

Pairing: Lisa x Fem!Reader

Warnings / Misc. -- Fluff, Slight Angst, Happy Ending

Disclaimer: This writing is a work of fiction, and no disrespect is meant for those mentioned herein.

A/N: This one's kinda long, guys 😳 I hope you enjoy, though. Thank you for the requests!

PS ~ Your child is female in this

♡ Happy Reading ♡

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Dear lord... 🛐🤰

Let's get started

First off: milf

Second off: you'd either come home to find her, your child, and your 5 cats passed out, or chaotically playing with one another

WHEN YOU'RE NEW PARENTS:

If you give birth, she's literally the most supportive wife ever

Getting you any and everything you need, no matter the time of day or night

"Lis?" You ask into the darkness, voice coming out rough as it slips past your sleepy lips. Her soft snoring is cut off in an instant as she wakes up, ready to help.

"I'm here, my love." She yawns, quickly stretching before reaching forward to take your hand into her own.

"Can you get me some ice chips?" You wince, hating to make her trek all the way down the hall when she was comfortable and sleeping so well.

"On it, baby." She stands and brushes her lips against your forehead, reassuring you that she doesn't mind the task.

"Thank you; I love you," you call after her as she walks towards the door. She turns to you just as she reaches it, pressing a kiss to her fingers before holding a finger heart up for you.

"I love you more."

----

"Here you go," she says, helping you sit up in the hospital bed. "I got you a little water with it, just like you like." She raises the cup for you, tilting it so that the cool liquid can slide towards your lips, soothing your dry mouth. The styrofoam squeaks lightly, momentarily accompanying the sound of the beeping monitor that's keeping track of your vitals.

You gently push the cup away after you're satisfied, wrapping your arms around her waist as she puts it on the bedside table. She cuddles you back, kissing the top of your head.

"Thanks again, babe. I don't know what I'd do without you." You mumble against her, still exhausted from all that you went through earlier today. She crouches down beside you, taking your hands within her own as she looks up into your eyes.

"You've made me the happiest woman in the world, Y/N/N; I have you and our cute little baby girl now. I think that's more than a fair trade for getting ice chips at 3 in the morning."

You laugh, leaning forward to rest your forehead against hers.

"We did pretty good, didn't we?" You ask after a moment, gazing over at the clear bin your daughter is laying in, resting peacefully.

"We sure did." Lisa says, feeling tears prick at her eyes. She raises a hand to your cheek, cupping the soft skin as she looks at you tenderly.

If she gives birth, you'd do everything for her as well and take good care of her as she recovers

She'd try to be a bit more independent, though, just because that's how she is

She secretly loves when you surprise her with just what she wanted, but was too shy / stubborn to ask for

You come back into the bedroom with a pint of ice cream and two spoons in hand, clad in one of her oversized shirts.

"I got your favorite," you smile, saddling up next to her on the bed. She sits up with a shy grin, feeling beyond lucky to have someone like you.

"Thank you baby," she says, taking a scoop of the sweet treat as you stick it out to her. She sighs as the flavor coats her tongue, reminding her of all the reasons it's her favorite.

"You know," she starts after a minute, grabbing your attention mid-bite. "You taste even better than this."

She smirks as you nearly choke on the ice cream, coughing a bit as it trails an icy path down your throat.

"Yah, jagi! Are you trying to kill me?"

She doesn't want to feel like a nuisance

You reassure her that she isn't at all, and eventually she listens to you

Lets you help her more and cater to her needs

Repays you in the form of cuddles and millions of sweet kisses

As soon as she can safely take care of herself, she's back to normal (aka, being a crackhead)

If you adopt or have a donor, oh boy

That child is spoiled the moment you lay eyes on it

Raising her as your own

You agree to tell her about her past when she's older, if she wants that

Constant reassurance of your love for her

Telling her how proud you are of her

---

She'd be teaching your kid dance moves before she could even walk

"Lis, baby, she literally just bent her knee."

"I don't know what you're talking about. She was definitely practicing the move I taught her last night."

Almost always making a mess when she feeds her (though that's not entirely Lisa's fault... babies are messy)

Seriously, both of them completely covered in baby food and milk when you walk in

Lisa asking if she can buy a hazmat suit for when it's her time on diaper duty

Pouting when you say no

She decides to wear goggles, gloves, and a face mask instead

--

Singing softly to your daughter as she rocks her to sleep

Sometimes falling asleep in your rocking chair with your baby in her arms

And you find them and just 🥺

WHEN YOUR DAUGHTER IS A TODDLER & UP:

Visiting Lisa's family and your own when you can

Very wholesome memories being made with them

Food fights

She is 110% down to act silly and do anything your kid wants

You unlock the front door of your shared home, tiredly rubbing your neck after a long day of work. The sound of one of your daughter's favorite movies playing on the living room TV brings a smile to your face, and you quickly set your things on the kitchen table before joining them.

Upon stepping foot into the room, you comically narrow your eyes.

"What are you wearing?" You ask both of them as an amused smile grows on your lips.

Lisa turns to you now, appearing to have been so invested in the movie that she hadn't even heard you come home. You start to wonder if maybe she was the one who wanted to watch the movie all along.

A tin foil hat rests atop her head, matching the adorable, mini-sized version that your daughter is modeling. Lisa's grin widens cutely as she looks you up and down, happy to finally have you back home.

"Here mama, we made one for you, too!" Your daughter says excitedly, giggling as she hops up and runs towards you, cap in hand. You crouch down so she can put it on you, feeling your heart melt at the happy look in her eyes; she's proud of herself, and so are you.

"Thank you baby, it fits just right." You praise, lifting her into your arms as Lisa stands up and approaches you.

"We missed you, lovey." She presses her lips to yours, humming against them when you bring a hand to her hip to pull her even closer. You pull away before you can get too invested and scar your child for life, opting instead to cuddle into the cozy embrace that Lisa offers to the two of you.

The warm material of her sweater brushes against your skin as she brings her arms around both of you, protecting you from the slightly chilly air of the room.

"You know, I still have no idea what the hat's for..." you smirk, feeling your daughter raise her head from where it previously came to rest against your shoulder. She scoffs, sounding offended that you don't know the answer.

"It's to protect us from aliens. Duh," she rolls her eyes, making you and Lisa chuckle. Clearly Jennie has been giving her some sass lessons lately.

"My most sincere apologizes, princess," you bow your head in mock shame, doing your best to conceal your smile.

"Let's go sit back down. I wanna hold my girls," Lisa declares softly, kissing your temple as you go to agree.

The three of you make your way back to the couch, snuggling up close as Lisa presses play.

Very affectionate

Constantly squishing your cheeks and gushing about how cute you are (she does the same thing to your daughter too)

Spoils her (and you) rotten

Matching onesies

Matching outfits, totally coordinated (usually Celine or some other designer brand)

Pillow / blanket forts

"Queen Y/N, requesting entrance." You announce with a smile, hands full of snacks for the three of you as you sit back on your knees in waiting.

From inside, you hear Lisa say, "Your Highness, there's a guest at the door. Would you like to see her?"

Your daughter's faux royal voice almost makes you crack up. "Oh, alright. Open up." She commands, sounding British.

Lisa parts the front two blankets, doing her best to conceal her grin as she locks eyes with you.

"SNACKS!" Your daughter shrieks, completely breaking character.

"No no no! Wait--" She eagerly rushes over to you, knocking you over in the heat of the moment. Your mom skills kick in and allow you to angle the bowls correctly and keep most of the food in, though a few stray pieces of popcorn fall out and land in your hair.

"Oops... sorry mommy," your daughter says, snickering softly.

Lisa leans over you, peering down at where you now lay on your back. She smirks as she picks some of the popcorn out of your hair.

If you're preparing a meal for the three of you, they'd turn on some music and come hang in the kitchen with you

Dance battles everywhere

Lisa doesn't always let your daughter win, either, and it makes your little girl all the more competitive

Taking your daughter to street markets to introduce her to new foods and develop her palate

Betting on what foods she'll like more

Lisa getting sulky when she loses, and never shutting up about it when she wins

PICTURES PICTURES PICTURES

Lisa's always taking pictures of you all to add to your family photo book

More like photo books

Seriously so many pictures. She just can't get enough of how cute her little unit is

Taking trips to local cat cafés to let the gang play

Lisa convincing you to let her get another cat

"Pleaaaase?" She draws the word out, wrapping her arms around your waist. You glance over to where your daughter is surrounded by a sea of fluff balls, almost unable to be seen. She's laughing her head off, filling the room with her cute giggles as the kitties brush against her.

"Just one more. Last one." Lisa says, gathering your attention again.

"You said that last time," you quip.

"I mean it this time."

"I feel like that's a lie..."

"If you let me get this cat, there'll be a reward for you later." She husks the last part out, letting her fingers trail to the back of your neck to rest there. She leans forward to press a kiss to your cheek, then your jawline, smiling against your skin when she feels your heart beat a little faster.

"Fine, Lisa. But this is the last one," you point a finger at her, pushing her back slightly.

"Thank you, my love. You won't regret it." She smirks, head held high as she slaps your butt and goes to the crate to pick her cat of choice.

Roadtrips

Sightseeing and exploring

Teaching your daughter how to take good pictures, too

"My little prodigy" - Lisa (🥺🥲)

You and your daughter go to Lisa's performances anytime you're able

Cheering the girls on, fully decked out in BP merch

"BLACKPINK IS THE REVOLUTION!" Your daughter screams, bonking her light stick against her head wildly. From the vantage point of your front row seat, you lock eyes with Lisa before glancing down at the little human with an amused smile. Lisa laughs when she notices her, leaving only the backing track to play for a second. She giggles again and points to you before picking back up with the song, a wide smile on her lips.

The other members look down and laugh, too, clapping for her.

Your baby has too much energy for her own good -- something she definitely got from your wife.

Visiting the girls often

They always love to see both of you

Jennie makes food for her and spoils her with lazy days, Jisoo teaches her how to play video games and be more of a crackhead, and Rosé teaches her to paint and sing (and also speak with an Australian accent)

"Nœř"

They all have a secret handshake with her, different for each member

Which you think is absolutely adorable

They always take such good care of her

Always showing up for her school recitals and performances

When you pack your daughter's lunch, Lisa will usually sneak extra sweets into her bag, thinking you don't notice. You do, but you'd never tell her that. Seeing her think she's actually being sneaky is cute

Your Relationship With Lisa

Playful banter

She still makes time for you

Likes to be connected in some way as often as possible. Holding hands or pinkies, back hugs, kisses, gentle caresses, cuddling, etc. -- anything she can do to constantly remind you of her love.

You both always look forward to date nights

You drop your daughter off so the girls can watch her, or you call a sitter

Lisa takes you wherever you wanna go

Some past places: the park (to stargaze), the roller rink, fancy restaurants, art museums / galleries, couples dance classes (when you want to practice a new style and have an excuse to dance the night away together), or even just the couch

Sometimes both of you are too exhausted to go out, so you opt to stay in instead

Other times she wants to get all fancied up and see how gorgeous you look in your outfit of choice

She loves to show you off

"Damn, baby. How do you get hotter every time I see you?"

You look over at her with an incredulous expression, still clad in your oversized shirt with you hair pulled back.

"I haven't even gotten ready yet..."

"Still sexy," she coos, coming up behind you to give you a hug. You settle back into her arms, sighing softly when she trails soft kisses along your shoulder, towards your neck.

"I have to shower," you inform her, releasing the words gently. Part of you knows you'll be late for your reservation if you let her continue, but you can't find it in yourself to care. You've been aching for her touch lately, both of you caught up with the stressors of life. But she's here now, letting her hands roam to the places she knows they shouldn't be.

"Lis..."

"You know," she pecks the mark she just finished making on your neck, feeling satisfied as it darkens before her eyes, "I'm in need of a shower, too." Her fingertips flirt with the waistband of your panties, dipping underneath the material to caress your skin.

"Didn't you get in a couple hours ago?" You ask, furrowing your brows in genuine curiosity.

She laughs at that, letting her head fall against your shoulder as she stills her movements.

"Y/N, can't you just go along with it? Jeez, let me flirt with you."

Both of you chuckle together now, giggles mixing together as they fill the air of the room.

"Alright, alright. Go ahead."

"You look-- No, you know what? Let's just get in. I'll show you instead."

One of the best showers of your life ;)

You somehow managed to make it to your reservation on time

Lisa had to help you walk, though

Cause, ya know

Wöbbĺý łəğ§

Flirted like crazy at dinner

But was also very romantic

As a plane blinks by in the distance, merely a speck on its journey across the dusky sky, Lisa ponders on what her life would've been like, had she not met you. That lonely looking plane symbolizes what she'd probably be doing right now: flying somewhere for tour or brand deals. Every flash of its lights is like a call out to the universe, searching for something it doesn't yet have. It reminds her of how she felt before she met you -- like something was missing.

"I love you, Y/N/N, so much," she says out of the blue, looking over to you. "I'm lucky to call you mine." She says sincerely, gazing into your eyes with a big smile. You turn her into a lovesick, giddy teenager just by being yourself. One look from you is capable of sending her falling all over again.

Her fingers intertwine with your own, hands resting on the table.

"I'm so proud of us. There's no one I'd rather grow old with." You bring her wrist to your lips, kissing it tenderly. Her heart melts at the action, and she cups your cheek in her palm.

She takes you to the park after dinner, right back to the place you met

It leads to a big sentimental talk about when you fell for one another and realized you were in love

You take a bite of the froyo you got as desert on the way here, looking over to her as she begins explaining.

"I knew I did from that first moment we met. It was… not love at first sight exactly, but- familiarity. Like: oh, hello, it’s you. It’s going to be you."

She looks so sweet after she says it that you almost melt right then and there. You put the container down on the bench beside you before turning back to her. Curiosity shines in her doe eyes as she waits on your answer.

"Oddly enough, it was the same for me," you start, feeling your cheeks tug up into a smile as the memories come flooding back. "As soon as I made you laugh that first time -- when I saw your face light up after I told that stupid joke -- I knew it was you. I never knew what I was missing until I met you."

She cups your cheek, rubbing the pad of her thumb across it as tears begin to well up in her eyes. Years ago, when both of you happened to be in this very spot at the same time, you had no idea what life had in store for you. She had no idea that when she accidently bumped into a complete stranger, that that person would become her world.

She wouldn't feel complete without you, and neither would you without her. The life you've created has taken sacrifices and courage, but you know you'll always have one another no matter what. She makes the hard days bearable, and the good days unforgettable. She's your reason, just as you're hers.

"I love you--"

"I love you--"

Both of you say the phrase at the same time, laughing when you realize it. It's a sweet moment, plucked straight out of a romcom.

She leans forward after a few seconds to kiss your lips, reclaiming them for her own.

Holding hands as you walk through the city

Not wanting the night to end

You stop in a couple other thrift shops and take some pictures together before deciding to go home

You catch up on some movies / Netflix / trashy TV that you've been wanting to watch together, finally having enough time to do so

She holds you close, snuggling up against you and not letting you go

Fights

Of course, they're inevitable

Never fun

You both communicate well, though, so they don't happen too often

But when they do, they usually start over little things, your annoyance only heightened by the stress you're constantly under

It's tough on Lisa, being an idol on top of everything else, and it's tough on you to have to raise your daughter alone sometimes

You don't fight in front of her (your child), and you don't say things to attack each other's character. Sometimes you just get loud because you're frustrated and trying to get the other to understand things from your point of view

You usually take time to cool down and then come back together later, once you've had time to think and reflect

After putting your daughter to bed, Lisa comes to your shared bedroom.

"Y/N/N, baby, I'm sorry. Please open up, I need to see you." She says quietly, resting her forehead against the door. She's beyond disappointed in herself, baffled by the fact she could treat you in such a way.

You look over to it, weighing your options as you toy with your wedding ring out of habit. This was a particularly nasty fight, and you hated every second of it; the anger in her eyes broke your heart.

She hears shuffling from inside, and she stands up straight. When you open the door and lean against it, eyes red and cheeks puffy from crying, her heart sinks. It's not surprising that her words hurt you so much, but knowing that she caused you pain in any way is almost too much to bear.

She purses her lips as she gathers her thoughts, and you momentarily look down to the floor, scuffing your foot to busy yourself.

"I never should've said any of that to you. Work has just been stressing me out lately with the comeback and all, and I took it out on you. I was wrong," she says, fresh tears spilling out of her eyes. She quickly wipes them away, not wanting the moment to be about her. She knows if she breaks down in front of you right now, you'll be forgiving her in an instant and wrapping her in the embrace that she's been in dire need of all evening.

That's exactly why she doesn't give in; now isn't the time to be selfish. She sniffles, willing the tears away as she finds the words she wants to say to you. She has to make things right.

"You're everything I've ever wanted, and I treated you like that? I'm ashamed of myself, Y/N. I'm not asking you to forget about this; I just want you to know how sorry I am."

You let a shaky breath out as you look into her eyes, deciding on what to do. You can tell she's being genuine; her fear of losing you is real, and she's doing everything she can to prove how guilty she feels.

You drop your hand from the knob and step through the threshold of the door, wrapping your arms around her neck. The second you do, her tears finally begin spilling out again. Your hair tickles her nose as she nuzzles her face into the crook of your neck, securing her arms around your waist like her life depends on it. You cry together, letting out all of your stress and frustrations while muttering out strained apologies and I love yous.

"I forgive you, Lisa." She sobs a bit harder at that, and you feel her lip tremble. You stay like that until you both calm down, your sniffles fading to hitched breaths every now and then.

"Come on, let's go take a bath."

She decides to take over, wanting to make it up to you. She has you sit down and relax while she lights some candles and fills the tub with your favorite scents and oils

She comes back out into the bedroom to get you as the tub fills up

She carries you back to the bathroom, cradling you lovingly in her arms

You get in and cuddle, massaging the pain and tension away from each others shoulders

Very soft way to end such a stressful day

She reassures you that she'll be better for you and that she never wants to lose you or jeopardize what you have

You believe her, and to this day she's never been like that again

You still argue from time to time, but you both listen more and stop things before they can escalate

When All Is Said & Done

At the end of the day, Lisa always makes sure you know how happy you make her and how much she loves her life with the both of you

Even though things get hard sometimes, you wouldn't want to do it with anyone else

One day, when your daughter is away at school, Lisa and you are snuggled up on the couch, watching some TV

"Y/N/N?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Let's make another baby."

[youarejesting]

Limited Edition.7 Shattered

[FULL MASTERLIST] [Limited Edition Master list]

Beta: N/A Rating: All audiences Genre: Fantasy, Comedy, Fluffy Fluff, Adventure. Pairing: Bts x Friend!Reader Words: 1.4K

Summary: It is your first time buying proper merchandise, there are new chibi figurines and the first person to order will recieve a limited edition set. But what happens when BTS have gone missing without a trace and a few days later you receive your package. The box says congratulations, you open to find your limited edition figures, they look so lifelike. OH WAIT! it’s cause they are.

Announcement: the new TINY TAN video is adorable!!!

“Finally you are out, we are starving?” Taehyung whined. 

“Sorry, I will get your ingredients” selecting one of the ziplock bags from the freezer you looked at the tiny portions, handing it over to Yoongi. 

Seokjin asked, “why are you crying?”

“I called Mr. Kang Jungho and he said they aren’t coming for you, he admitted he did this?”

Yoongi who had touched your hand in concern and empathy backed away in disgust. 

“You don’t have to lie, I get it your favorite Kpop group living with you acting friendly and cuddly” he sighed “honestly I thought you were cool and we could hang out without it being weird.”

“What’s going on?” Namjoon asked, looking at  Yoongi in confusion. 

“She is a sasaeng, Kang warned us in his email that she might try to keep us forever and lie to us about not being contacted or that the company had given up on us.”

They all seemed to realize something and stepped back. You pressed your lips together muting your denial. Pleading your case against Mr. Kang would only make things worse. 

You nodded “okay” you walked out leaving the room, taking a collection of snacks and water. Jacket and keys in hand, you left the house shutting and locking the doors behind you. You went out to the mall and scolded yourself for thinking about buying them things you thought they would like.

The bitter feeling didn’t pass, you stayed out later than you should have and when you came back, they were asleep. Lifting the house you took it to your roommate’s room, she was away visiting family so you were able to leave them on her desk.

You left them more water and food and walked away shutting the door. You wouldn’t disturb them, not when they don’t want anything to do with you. Taking a deep breath you laid down in your bed, sending emails to the BIGHIT.

They were all being declined, you had obviously been blocked from messaging the company. One day past and you entered the room with more food to hear them on the phone with Mr. Kang.

“It makes sense that she is lying I am doing everything I can to get you back”

“Well BIGHIT is a big company send a private Jet, I will have them at the airport in a heartbeat, Mr. Kang,” You scoffed “Wouldn’t want them to be with a crazy Sasaeng, would we?”

“Of course, we will have a Jet ready for them by tomorrow,” Mr. Kang said “I can see this is taking a toll on your mental health”

“Sure, great. What time, what terminal, what airport?” You sneered “Get it done.”

You stormed out to your room and sat on the bed, you were trying to hold it together but the tears were so hot. With a soft sigh, you went to the kitchen bench and sat on the tiles with a pint of ice cream that you demolished listening to ‘We Are Bulletproof: The Eternal’.

Something about the way they said ‘We are not seven with you’, made you feel like they actually cared about you. Clearly you had thought wrong. You didn’t notice that Jungkook had stepped left the room and was watching you sob grotesquely. Turning off the song and throwing the headphones you were packing up wiping your eyes as your phone began to ring.

“What do you want?’ You snapped into the phone putting it on speaker.

“The boys said you had put them in another room, they don’t trust you now do they?” You could hear the amusement in his voice. “Take them to the airport, I will tell them, you canceled the tickets, or don’t take them. Either way, you are the bad guy”

“Listen, you know I don’t care if they hate me I am going to get them back to Korea and when we expose you, you will be fired” you threatened

“Try your best I have blocked all your calls to the company so you won’t be able to contact anyone” you placed the dishes in the drying rack. 

“You can’t hide the truth forever” you shouted as the phone beeped, he had hung up. You turned only to see Jungkook’s retreating figure. The young and now tiny man thought he was stealthy but you were very observant. 

“Jungkook?” The way your voice called sounded full of defeat made you cringe. Jungkook’s face appeared around the corner looking guilty. His hair fell in its usual coconut-like shape. 

“I am sorry, I didn’t mean to listen to your conversation.” He said and you heard a small sneeze. Walking slowly around the counter to see the entire group of young men shuffling in ᵗᶦⁿʸ.

Hoseok looked devastated eyes watering which set off Jimin and even Jungkook’s eyes spilled over helpless to his hyungs emotions. You wanted to coo, at the sight of the boys running towards you their eyes misted and little arms outstretched the pressed their faces into your knee and spluttering their apologies.

“Seems I was wrong and I am sorry?” Yoongi tried to act cool and it made you smile. 

“We are so sorry?” Hoseok whined and you sniffed wiping your eyes from the emotional moment. 

“Hey it’s okay, imma get you home and to your correct size” you sighed scooping them up into your arms and carrying them to their little house. 

“Can we have some hot water?” You nodded moving their house back to your room. 

The boys were feeling quite upset by the recent events, they felt betrayed and guilty for hurting you. That night you heard the door to their home open and you turned blinking tiredly. “What’s wrong?”

Taehyung has a blanket in his hand and a sad expression, you blinked concerned. “Can I sleep beside you?” Taehyung asked and you hummed reaching your hand out, he climbed on and you placed him on the pillow beside you. 

You held your hand there and he cuddled against it tired. 

Without the boy's knowledge you were trying to get accepted for a loan to get the boys back to Korea, the thing is you were not exactly rich and your job was a YouTuber live streamer. 

Thankfully your tiny tan videos were gaining a lot of popularity so you decided to ask them, “hey would you be interested in recreating a music video?”

It was a bit of a stretch but perhaps you could get enough revenue to go over seas. They agreed dancing, rapping and singing adorably for the camera. People praised your cgi animation skills. 

By two months you had just enough to get to Korea but you needed a little more, the boys did interviews and mukbangs and they continued practicing some new songs for when they were normal again. 

You got approved for a loan and was ecstatic, taking the time to pack and look at the boys. You took their house and had the boys in your jacket. 

You had to go through a metal detector. And put your things in a tray. You took the tray and sat on a near by chair unbuckling your heels. While the boys ran stealthily under the line of chairs to the other side where you went through and took a seat to put on your shoes again. 

You got onto the plane and was in first class in a private pod where the boys could run around freely. They shared your inflight meal and slept on your lap half the way. 

Namjoon has secretly gotten in contact with Adora and was hoping everything went well, and that she would turn up to collect them. 

“When you arrived she was there with a sign with your name on it” she looked confused and lead you to a hire car. 

“You haven’t happened to have seen the boys have you, it was strange to have them contact me and still be in hiding, and it’s such a strange request”

“Well we thank you for going to all this trouble it is really important” You breathed blushing talking with Adora was super intimidating. She was so pretty and elegant and you felt so plain beside her.

Shuffling your scuffed boots looking at her pristinely shined kitten heels. “Alright, I don’t know why the boys are in hiding, or why Namjoon messaged me wanting for me to take you to the figurine factory. But I won’t question it, as long as it gets them to come home.”

“Thank you very much!” You said nervously, “it really will help them return”

Tags:  @victory0461 @gqmf-bangtanmama​ @simplymemyself​ (please make sure your tag option is selected in your settings)

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[itsstickball]

I saw your prompt post so can u pls give us the father son Wymack and Andrew dynamic we deserve thank you hallelujah

Okay so I know you probably were expecting sth at a younger stage of life (and tbh, I might still write that, bc it’s good shit), but we’re four weeks into 20quarantine and I miss hockey. And you know what they do in hockey? Dad’s Trips.

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

Andrew’s watching some Netflix series about the drama between a bunch of exotic animal owners, alone in the dark of his apartment with an entire tub of ice cream resting on the pillow in his lap when the call comes through. He’s more invested in the ice cream than the drama, which came out the year prior. In fact, he’d avoided the show until now on the principle of annoying his family and was only watchin it now because he was tired of having to decode the references Neil made any time he posted a picture of Sir.  

He doesn’t bother to pause it or move to another room when he hits the “answer” icon on his phone.

“It’s a little late to be getting the mail, isn’t it?” He asked in lieu of a greeting. There was really only one reason for Wymack to be calling him.

“If anything, it’s early. This is yesterday’s mail.” Wymack grunted. “Speaking of which, shouldn’t you be sleeping?”

Andrew looked at the clock, and realized that yeah...that tracked. The red numbers blinked back 3:39am at him and he remembered Neil mentioning that the Foxes had a road game this week. Once he did the math, it was actually a little surprising Wymack hadn’t called an hour earlier.

“You called me.” He reminded the coach rather than comment on the rest of it.

There was a sigh from the other end of the line. “I had a hunch.” Wymack retorted. It was more like he had five years to put up with Andrew’s bullshit and Andrew four years of putting up with Neil and Kevin’s. Night practices made more than one lasting impact, it seemed.

“So you got it.” Andrew prompted, not asked. 

Wymack sighed again and there was the faint sound of shuffling papers.

“Yeah. I don’t have a fucking clue why, though.” 

“It’s pretty self explanatory.” Andrew retorted. “Assuming you can still read.”

“Reading is the only thing I need the glasses for, thank you very fucking much.” 

Andrew would be lying if he said the corner of his mouth didn’t twitch up at Wymack’s easy irritability. But this was his apartment and there was no one there to misunderstand it anyway.

“So what’s the problem?” He asked, taking a bite of ice cream while waiting for Wymack to fill the silence with his trepidations.

“Are you sure you want -”

“I gave them the address.” Andrew cut him off, letting Wymack fill in the space between his words. They both knew that he didn’t do or mean things halfway. Without an address, there wouldn’t have been an invitation at all - just like there hadn’t been the previous two years.

More silence, this time less interesting now that Andrew knew what useless emotions were hiding on the other side.

“Do you have any other plans?” He didn’t. Andrew had checked. Wymack’s grunt confirmed what he already knew. “Then let Wilds take over yelling at the delinquents for a weekend.”

“Okay, but Andrew -.”

“The dinner on friday is black tie. Try not to embarrass yourself.” He reminded his former coach and then promptly hung up before Wymack could so much as shout in indignation. 

Onscreen, a man with a truly horrendous mullet cussed out one of his rival gamekeepers.

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

Once a year, like many professional Exy Teams, the Spokane Sundogs hosted a special weekend trip for their players and their families - or, more specifically, their fathers. Andrew had scorned the idea of it when brought up by his last two teams - and not just because he had no biological guardian to invite.

This year, however, as the team gathered outside the arena, nearly ready to depart, he stood with mild anticipation. 

They were only waiting for one more addition before they boarded, with most of the players and their dad’s already conversing or posing for the team’s PR photographer. Andrew was standing slightly apart from the group, a quirk which thankfully they’d all come to accept about him. This time though, it was with more intention than just preserving his personal space.

“Ah!, finally.” The team’s defensive coach, Elliot Martin said, stepping over to show Andrew the text reading out that their last guest had arrived.

“Took him long enough.” Andrew grunted in reply, thankful that the coach didn’t press or make more noise about the issue. Martin was one of the few people intuitive enough to recognize the difference between Andrew’s silences and attention span. He also didn’t crowd any closer now that their exchange was over.

Just a few minutes later, Wymack’s form strode through the exterior door.

In truth, it was just a chance that his travel plans put him as the last arrival. Andrew felt no ill will or disgruntlement towards the coach for it, but he was undecided on how he felt about the matter as a whole. On the one hand, all of his teammates were currently distracted interacting with each other, but their attention would all be called together now that everyone was here. He doubted any of them expected to see someone standing next to him, and wasn’t looking forward to their speculation.

“Wymack.” He greeted, his voice characteristically monotone.

“Minyard.” The coach nodded and returned it in kind - although Andrew noted he sounded rather tired. That didn’t bode particularly well for someone he was going to have to travel with, but at least they wouldn’t be flying. Wymack didn’t try to step closer than necessary or make any physical greetings with him, which he was grateful for. 

Then, however, it was time to go and his position among the coaching staff - complete with his guest was made obvious. A round of quick murmurs went up from the small crowd, which Andrew ignored in favor of staring at their head coach as he gave their schedule. An assistant handed out paper forms of the itinerary and then they were being ushered onto the bus.

“Your teammates seem nice.” Wymack said, apropos of literally nothing, after they’d handed their luggage off to the equipment team.

Andrew grunted.

“Regret inviting me already?” Wymack tried again, this time with a bit of dry humor in his voice.

Andrew turned to look at him, a tiny spark in his eye. “Not at all.” Wymack’s eyebrows furrowed, so he elaborated. “This way, they can pester you with their questions instead of me.”

He pat Wymack once on the shoulder before disappearing into the bus. When he’d found his seat at the very back and chanced a glance out the window, he found Wymack swamped by other players and their dads just a few feet from the steps. He seemed to be handling the attention alright, but Andrew recognized the slight tension in his movements. It was as close to a deer in headlights as Wymack got.

“I hate you.” He said a few minutes later when the coaches got serious about everyone boarding the bus.

Andrew glanced over at where the older man was slumped into the seat next to him. His grin was feral and sharp. “See, you fit right into the family. You’ve already learned our main vocabulary.”

Wymack scowled at him, but there was no real heat to it. And if Andrew’s smile softened and quirked higher on one side, even as he pressed his lips together and turned to look outside - well, there was only one person alive who would call him on it and he was hundreds of miles away.

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

Forty hours later and they’re in the hotel room, getting ready for the fancy team dinner. Andrew was long resigned to having to share rooms with potentially obnoxious teammates for away games, so the change of pace that comes from sharing with Wymack is welcome. Living with him - even for just a few days, even in a cramped room - is familiar. Andrew spent too many nights quarantined with the man in college for it not to be.

There was no threat to anyone’s safety or sanity - aside from the fallout typically associated with overly friendly teammates, but they knew each other’s quirks. Andrew didn’t comment when Wymack woke up at 5:30 to brew an entire carafe of coffee - despite not having any engagements until 9:00. And Wymack didn’t question why he spent nearly the entirety of their afternoon free/rest time sitting on the desk by the window with a pint of ice cream just staring out at the cityscape below.

Andrew didn’t have to hedge or explain why he needed to shower first when it came time to get ready for the dinner. In fact, they skipped the discussion altogether. Both men simply glanced at the clock after the shitty made-for TV movie they’d been watching rolled to credits and Wymack said. “Let me know when you’re done.”

It was that simple.

Being away from the Foxes, from his family for so long, Andrew actually sat there stunned for a moment before Wymack turned back to look at him, prompting a grunt in reply. Seemingly satisfied, his former coach turned back to whatever he was doing with the charcoal suit he’d hung up in their shared closet space. Andrew allowed himself one more second of stillness before getting up and angrily grabbing his own pants and undershirt and locking himself in the bathroom

Behind him, he heard Wymack let out an amused huff, but no comment.

By the time he finished and they swapped rooms, the frustration of his startling realization had left Andrew. He still waited for Wymack to click the bathroom lock in place behind him before he moved to finish dressing and comb his hair into something acceptable. But then he had nearly half an hour to sit on the bed and think before his teammates and their fathers would fill up the fuzzy parts of his brain. 

He could use the time to analyse how he got to that point - how Wymack had gotten to that point. Andrew enjoyed living on his own, but it clearly wasn’t just Neil's company at PSU that had left a lasting mark on him. Thirty minutes was plenty of time to catalogue each of the things he’d gotten used to in college that he’d lost again as he moved from team to team each year in the pros…

 He flipped on the TV instead.

Wymack opened the door fifteen minutes later to Andrew staring blankly at an infomercial.

“I didn’t take Neil as the type to wear pearls.” He poked, looking bemused from Andrew to the man and woman on stage who were trying to make outdated jewelry seem like the newest fad. 

Andrew slid his gaze sideways, eyes focusing in on the older man. Unlike Andrew, he’d exited the bathroom in only his boxers - which, Andrew was secretly bemused to find, were covered in tiny orange fox paws. He didn’t stay that way for long, of course, turning to retrieve his actual clothes from the closet.

“He likes to feel classy.” He shot back, deadpan and several seconds too late to be anything more than a deflection.

Wymack snorted, and for a moment, Andrew thought he’d let it drop. To Andrew’s downfall, unfortunately, he had the capacity to both dress himself and prod at the blonde’s psyche at the same time. 

Andrew would have to ask Bee to stop spending so much time with him and Abby. It was ruining his “above my paygrade” modus operandi.

“You know I’m shit at this kind of stuff.” He started and Andrew resigned himself to the fact that they were, evidently, going above the paygrade. “But you’re allowed to enjoy nice things.”

Andrew held back his urge to scoff. “Nice things” had never factored into his life unless he was being accused of breaking them. It would be easy to deliberately misconstrue Wymack’s gruff sincerity, to make this about the pearls, pretty but ultimately meaningless objects. He knew, however, that this wasn’t the type of “nice” the older man was talking about. 

How many times had he told Neil that Foxes didn’t get to have nice things? That they came from nothing and so would always have nothing? It turned out, though, that there were a lot of nice things that also came from nothing. Renee’s smiles and unwavering - even if often annoying - encouragement. Kevin’s refusal to let him give up on life, even in the face of his own fear. Neil’s never-ending respect for his boundaries. 

Half an hour of sick sobriety in exchange for a few stopped goals. A bottle of Jack in exchange for a whole game. 

Wymack’s second, third, fourth chances.

He met Wymack’s gaze. “I know.”

Because as intolerably cheesy as Coach’s whole “as many chances as it takes” philosophy sounded, Andrew would either be dead or rotting in a jail cell without it. He would have thrown himself to the wolves in order to keep his family safe, and it would have destroyed him. But Coach gave him the back-up he’d gone his entire childhood without. He only took what Andrew was willing to give, held him accountable, and called him on his bullshit, but never tried to fix him. 

In a world of people preoccupied with making everyone around them perfect, Wymack said “what you are is good enough.”

Andrew didn’t know if he’d ever be able to bring himself to say thank you, but he could show it. He’d thought it funny to spring Wymack on his teammates and vice-versa, sure. But he’d invited him because he fit the bill.

Andrew might not ever say it, but maybe he could show his gratitude, one hectic weekend at a time. 

Wymack seemed to understand.

“Alright.” He said, nodding once, then twice more firmly. “Now how many times can I expect Richard Decker to ask me about fishing?”

Andrew snorted. “Based on his son? It will be the only thing he talks about all dinner.”

Wymack shook his head and gave a little laugh before pocketing his wallet and keycard and gesturing toward the door.

“Well, let’s not keep the man’s sturgeon dreams waiting, then.” He said, earning a dubious expression from the blonde.

He didn’t deign to honor the joking comment with a response, but as they headed towards the elevator, Andrew thought he might have one more nice thing to add to the list.

[artsninspo]

NerdBae - Part IV

It was impossible not to feel the electricity budding between them. It was everywhere and everyone could feel it just as much as Tre and Elle did. She’d had a little too much to drink after the banquet and got a little too drunk. Tripped on the steps and into Tre’s arms like in the movies, all the wide eyed passion between them only for the impending kiss to be interrupted by Gina opening the front door. Then a week of meetings and R&D for Tre that had been planned for months.

“Y’all need anything?” He asks finding Elle and Gina in the movie room giggling after midnight.

“Ice cream, the one we just bought and chips” Gina fans making Tre chuckle.

“Please” Elle reminds her demanding friend.

“I got you” Tre nods getting the snacks happy to see them comfortable in his home theatre. He hands them their requests before Gina gets up.

“Gonna go call my boo”

“Gi!”

“This shit is boring and Tre will enjoy it more” Gina says leaving with her snacks only to be ice grilled.

“He’s a better cuddler anyways” Elle shouts throwing a pillow playfully. She opens her pint of ice cream stopping herself from taking a spoonful and offering it to Tre.

“Want some?”

“You good” he refuses.

“Too much sugar or something”

“Yes and sugar isn’t good for any part of our bodies, especially highly refined and processed” he begins making Elle smile. She could see the wear of him from the stressful week taking the spare eye mask from the vacant chair beside her.

“We’ll invent something to save me from my sweet tooth” Elle mutters eating the spoonful anyways. It was her response to anything. She opens the package placing the jelly like substance under his eyes.

“I’ll give you all the sugar you need” Tre smiles grabbing her and smothering her with kisses while tickling her mercilessly. He’d missed her a lot.

“Thank you, as much as I appreciate that affection attack this is still my shit, taste it. Then sit still this is good for your eyes” Elle hands him the spoon and he understands the minute it melts on his tongue.

“Wow”

“Uh-huh” she responds as he continues having some. It takes her no time to smooth the patches onto his under eye area. “See this is how you need to be around the competition, confident and yourself. Relaxed”  Elle adds.

“Business gets to me because it’s how I provide. All I’ve ever wanted to do was take care of you guys”

“And who takes care of you?”

“All of you do, except Gina but I’ll give her a pass cause she loves me”

“Does she?” Elle teases with a raised brow. “I’m joking, she’s always singing your praises. We both are and we love you Tre. Even if you couldn’t provide” Elle admits. He’d grown up with a chip so big he wanted to be what they all needed in exchange for all the love he got as a kid. All the laughs, adventures, whoppings.

Her phone rings from a blocked number and she ends it immediately.

“Cameron?”

“It’s likely but I’m done. Haven’t been this happy in a long time to be honest, had to learn the hard way I guess. Thanks for inviting us all here and being you” elles words are sincere. He wants to kiss her lips. She was never this sweet with other men, not even Cameron when they were together. He’d seen them together a few times - she wasn’t under him, cuddly or so soft spoken.

“Happiest I’ve been in a long time too Ellie. I’m happy you’re back. I’m here for everything always” he repeats earnestly.

“So right now you’re going to cuddle me and watch this movie and tell me it’s amazing” Elle says getting comfortable and rewinding the parts they missed. She falls asleep in his arms before it’s over and he carries her to her room ticking her in and kissing Elles cheek wanting to get in bed beside her.

“You gonna be okay sleeping in here alone?” He asks.

“Yes?” Elle smiles making a face of uncertainty.

“Come on”

“Lines are a bit blurry - so I better just stay in my room” Elle blushes getting her phone.  “You make me nervous when you look at me like that” Elle admits feeling the weight of his gaze on her and liking every bit of how it feels.

“Cant help it” he shrugs openly. “And I know how it goes until you’re comfortable in a space you don’t sleep then get groggy. Come on” he takes her hand gently walking her to her room.

_________

Tre helps Gina stretch - she’s one a mission to get thick. Somehow their mommas genes skipped Gina and she was tall and thin for the most part. They head to a juice shop she he gets her his special.

“Tre, this is amazing”

“Told you” he smiles as they sit down watching the waves crash on the coast. “It’s paradise here, I don’t want to leave”

“Y’all don’t have to” Tre responds honestly. “The house is big enough for all of us. I can move mommas to the pool house and they can have their own areas, whatever makes y’all happy” he shrugs. Gina rests her head on his shoulder.

“How about when I get a boyfriend or Elle and we bring guys home?”Gina smiles feeling his tense knowing she’s hit all the right buttons. “You think you’re slick T but I caught all the looks, you were buzzing”

“You didn’t tell me that she got locked up” he comments.

“We already know I have - she wanted her privacy” Gina defends. She’d spent a night in jail on her twenty first for being plastered.

“That’s not Elle, if she acted out she was hurting”

“Yeah well she was. She broke dishes pulled down curtains rods and all, threw a paper weight breaking a window took an knife to his canvases. Cam kept telling her to stop then she threw a crystal at him and knocked him out for a few minutes. She did cpr and called 911 they came cuffed her up. Cam woke up demanding them to let her go saying it was a lovers squabble or whatever the fuck. She wouldn’t even let him bail her out”

“So is it over for good?”

“Yes! Elles ashamed he got her to that place. I saw the place when I went to get her things. It looked like a natural disaster hit. She was screaming this is art too then and fuck your art.” Gina laughs. “God, I wish I could have seen it live. Stirred the assholes loins, he writes her letters now. Saying bullshit like her passion showed him he made the wrong choice and he’s been painting her but she’s pissed” Gina explains laughing. “I was proud of her”

“She doesn’t need that”

“So she needs you?” Gina questions.

“Yes”

“It’s about time your balls dropped” Gina laughs at her brother.

“What’s so funny G”

“Nothing, you were her first crush, she’s always sweet to you. I’m pretty sure she’s crushing still. All Jo was talking about the other night was how good the two of you looked together. Which means you have my blessing, her moms and we both know Ma adores Ellie” Gina explains making Tre smile.

What’s not to love? He thinks to himself. She’d been the sweetest girl ever. She was always sharing and helping however she could. Even when Gina terrorized him she’d give him a hug. It’s never been her character to cause tension or lash out.

“It’s Elle, if we don’t work out the family is broken” Tre explains with a logical reason against his possible happiness.

“When did you fail at getting something to work. If she’s not feeling you then that’s that. But even if she is, Elle won’t make the first move.”

“Why are you being nice”

“My title for your personal enterprise is consultant. I figure I might as well contribute to my salary every so often. Who knows you strike gold and I might get a raise” Gina winks.

Authors Note: Thanks for reading everyone! How are we feeling about the two main characters? And Gina’s work to get them together? And the actions that landed Elle in jail for a night? Comment your feedback, xx.

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[beaglesinbowties]

This is a special occasion. Canon divergent AU, prompt “Kara’s food addiction”.

When Alex turns fifteen, she realizes she might like girls. To say that it scares her is an understatement. It’s not like she notices every girl she sees, but a few, well. There are just some girls that she can’t help but feel breathless around. It had been confusing enough, suddenly having a girl around her own age living in her house, but to then realize how pretty that girl is…?

At fifteen-and-a-half, Kara tells Alex there’s nothing wrong with liking girls. Kara does too, after all.

“It’s one thing I don’t understand about this planet. Boy, girl, whatever? I like who I like.” Kara frowns and mumbles something in Kryptonese Alex doesn’t catch. “There’s a girl in my third period Home Ec class that just, wow,” Kara adds with a slow shake of her head. “She’s so pretty and she made the most incredible pie yesterday. From scratch.”

The next day when Alex nearly sets the house on fire while trying to make dinner, she’s inconsolable. She’s not dumb. She followed the correct procedure for trying to put out a grease fire—except for the fact that the lid she grabbed was insulated plastic. Her panic responses just aren’t the best.

She still isn’t sure how the fire started. Her body is growing and changing (as her mom keeps unpleasantly pointing out) and maybe she’s a bit clumsier than she would like. All that matters is Kara laughs, then tells her they can always order takeout. Kara beams at the pizza delivery girl, and Alex somehow feels worse.

At sixteen, Alex decides she doesn’t like girls. Or boys. What does it matter, anyway? She was confused. Kara loves her deeply. She loves Kara. She’s figured out her role, and those deep aches in her chest that happen around Kara are just a warning. Nothing is permanent. She’s lost her dad, and she could lose Kara or her mom at any time, too.

Kara is busy talking about how a boy in her study group made her the best grilled cheese and tomato soup she’d ever tasted, anyway.

Eighteen brings college and a whole other world. Maybe Alex does like girls, after all, but something is missing when they flirt and smile. Kara calls and her heart races in a way that she’d expected it to when she’d kissed a girl for the first time.

Then, her heart sinks when Kara spends most of the time gushing over the cute girl in her Bio class that brought homemade dumplings for lunch.

Alex decides that she’s just broken. Off. She’ll never fall in love like most other people seem to do.

A few months later, she finds a friendly group on campus that tells her not being able to fall in love doesn’t make her broken. Normal is a made up word, and she doesn’t have to feel any certain way. She still cares and loves, just differently than is marketed and packaged by the mainstream media. It makes her feel better.

Eventually she discovers she can fall in love, sort of, and stumbles through a few romantic relationships. They’re sweet and good, or sour and bitter, but tend to end the same way. She and Kara find a pattern amidst it all.

Not being great in the kitchen is something they share. They can make passable meals when pressed, but lack the time, energy, or interest to figure out how to make things delicious.

So they bond over trying takeout from this place and that place, and when Alex is really down, Kara makes no qualms of flying halfway around the world for the best dish of something-or-other.

Alex can’t quite do the same, but she’s learned to focus on the things she can do.

“Hey,” Alex greets with a smile when Kara shows up at her window at ten PM.

“Hey,” Kara mumbles back as she sulks off in the direction of the couch, her cape dragging the entire way.

Quickly putting two and two together, Alex closes the window and hurries to the kitchen. If she’s remembering correctly, she bought a few new pints of ice cream two days before.

Ice cream and spoons in hand, she rushes back to the couch.

Kara gives her a wan smile.

Alex doesn’t ask about the date. It’s unnecessary. She raises both pints of ice cream, and isn’t surprised when Kara nods toward the Half Baked. She hands Kara both the pint and a spoon, keeping the Cherry Garcia and the other spoon for herself.

“I hate love,” Kara eventually mumbles around two giant chunks of brownie and cookie dough.

Focused on digging out a cherry, Alex shakes her head. “No you don’t.”

“No I don’t,” Kara sadly agrees.

“At least you didn’t almost get married before figuring out it wouldn’t work.” Alex thoughtfully tucks a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. She’s over it now. It had happened. There had been some good before the end, and that’s what she likes to focus on.

Kara sighs. She stares down at her pint, using a quick burst of low-grade heat vision to free up some more chunks of brownie. “No. I’ve just been so desperate that I go out with basically any jerk that treats me nice for five seconds.”

Alex opens her mouth to try and assure Kara that’s not the case. She closes her mouth instead. “Maybe you should try dating a woman. It’s been a while, right?”

“If you can’t find someone, how am I supposed to? You’re one of the best people I know, and basically every even-kinda-gay woman’s wet dream.”

“Not every woman’s, no.”

With a huff, Kara offers over her pint. “Swap.”

Alex accepts, already knowing she won’t find a single chunk of cookie dough or brownie. She holds it and debates with herself about whether or not she wants to eat plain vanilla ice cream.

After a few moments of hearty scooping, Kara pauses. “So, what woman was too dumb to fall for you?” Another pause. “I swear to Rao, if this is about Vicki Donaghue again—”

“What? No.” Deciding her stomach is too tight to eat, Alex sets her pint down. “That was just, I don’t know. I was kind of attracted to her and she was my friend, but I wasn’t very upset when we drifted apart.”

Kara makes a face, then also sets her ice cream aside. “That’s such a lie. You were upset off and on all through high school about her. I know, because I was always the one you came to, asking the most annoying questions about your feelings.”

Embarrassment and confusion rising, Alex grabs a pillow and smacks Kara in the chest. “I never did that.”

“Well if it wasn’t about Vicki, then who?”

Alex groans and rolls her eyes. “Just because you had to tell me about every stupid crush you ever had, it doesn’t mean I had, or have, to do the same.”

Kara blinks and frowns. She stares at Alex. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Are you kidding?” Alex began ticking her fingers off. “It was like every week: some cute girl in class made you pie, some sweet boy brought you this kind of sandwich, someone brought cookies for Valentine’s Day, et cetera, et cetera.”

“But…” Kara’s frown deepens. “I love food.”

Releasing an exasperated chuckle, Alex nods her head. “I know. You developed crushes on basically anyone who fed you.”

“No,” Kara carefully enunciates as she slowly shakes her head. “I love food. Just because I like what they made and shared, it didn’t mean I liked them.”

Alex jerks her head back. “Then why the heck did you talk about them any time I tried talking to you about my feelings? After a while it was like you just preemptively had to rave about some boy or girl.”

“I. You.” Kara blushes and averts her eyes. “You were always talking about Vicki.”

“It wasn’t always, and it was about liking girls, not Vicki.”

Kara doesn’t respond, instead gripping the edges of her cape. “But I know there was one,” her voice tapers off. There’s an odd glint in her eyes when she locks gazes with Alex. “So, by your logic, I developed feelings for people who brought me food?”

“Well,” Alex pauses, her cheeks feeling warm. “At the time, it seemed more exclusive to people who made you food.” She rubs her face in an attempt to cool it. “Which, okay, does still seem excessive, even for you.”

Kara scowls. It fades and her expression becomes wistful. “So, since you’ve been paying attention to this for a while… who have you seen me share food with?”

“What?” Alex makes a face. “I mean, I’ve seen you share something with Nia or Brainy.”

“Alex.” Kara’s inhale is audible. “Who do I regularly shared food with.”

“Well, no one.”

Kara shakes her head. She leans slightly forward, her eyes intent as she watches Alex’s face.

Alex swallows, wondering if there’s sweat beading her forehead. It’s hard to think with Kara looking at her so intensely. “I mean, I guess, just…” All the air escapes her lungs. “Me.”

“Yes.” A slow, beatific grin grows on Kara’s face.

It terrifies Alex, so she forces a laugh. She waves a dismissive hand in the air. “We’re family.” Alex has the dawning understanding she’s said something very, very wrong.

Kara’s nostrils flare. She grits her teeth, then leans over to jerkily retrieve the pint of Half Baked. She glares at Alex as she blindly scoops up a spoonful of ice cream and shoves it in her mouth.

Alex doesn’t have time to react when her cheeks are suddenly gripped in both of Kara’s hands, and then soft, warm lips and cold, cold ice cream are all she knows.

Kara leans back and turns her red face away.

Stupefied, Alex can only work the giant mouthful of ice cream around her mouth. It doesn’t take her as long as she thinks, since most of it actually turns out to be both brownie and cookie dough mushed together.

As she chews, realization leaves her speechless. “Oh my god. You left me some brownie.”

“Of course, I kiss you and that’s all you noti—”

Alex leaps across the sofa and twists, her hands finding Kara’s shoulders.

Oh, is all she thinks as she confirms what she’s always wondered. Kara does, indeed, taste better than anything else she’s ever tried. When Kara pulls her closer and refuses to let go, she thinks maybe Kara feels the same way, too.

[the-fiction-witch]

Caked

MOVIE MISS PERAGRINS HOME FOR PERCULAR CHILDREN COUPLE JAKE X READER RATING: SMUTTY ISH KINDA ITS MATURE LETS GO WITH

"you sure y/n?" He asked as was sat across from each other in the red and white booth of the Americana 50's nostalgia cafe we tend to hang out in after work. The black and white tiled floors glimmering in the Florida sun, the gentle hum of the air conditioner, the squeeky ceiling fan and the gentle hum from the jukebox playing god only knows what, we sat shareing a milkshake topped with ice cream, whipped cream and some chocolate. Jacob had a spoon for it as it was very thick and I had my resistable straw from home as we sat going over the plans

"I'm positive Portman, I grew up hearing Abe's stories same as you I wanna meet this bird" I said having a sip

"I know buttercup but... A whole two weeks? Away on a small island together" he blushed using that name he's always called me buttercup even since we where kids, because I used to always have buttercups in my hair or on my dress when I was young,

"Your dad's coming right?" I ask

"Yeah, but he'll be bird watching..." He blushed "plus uhh, the hotel got back to us"

"What?" I ask

"You know how I said one hotel?" He asks

"Yeah?" I ask a little worried

"They only have one room available" he blushed

"Ohh, well I guess it's okay, your dad will be off most of the time and honestly we won't be there too often" I explain

"And...two beds" he blushed

"Your joking?" I ask and he shook his head "fine, but your sharing with your dad" I tell him

"Okay," he nods as we went over more details and he gave me a copy of the info I would need putting the times his dad would pick me up in my phone.

I yawned a little as I sat on the plane Jake's dad was reading and I think Jake's asleep against my shoulder, I giggled a little. His fluffy brunette hair almost black a messy mop, his shirt lose the blue fabric slightly washed out over time, his black jeans hugged him snuggly, I slightly moved my shoulder to wake him as we would be landing soon

"Ummm? What's the matter buttercup?" He groans

"Wakey wakey Portman we'll be there soon" I smiled

"We will? Umm, thank you for waking me" he groans

"Your welcome" I smiled as he sat up "you missed the stewardess she had cookies" I smiled

"I would have appreciated being woken for cookies" he complained

"Too late" I giggled "besides I got you one grumpy boy" I laughed handing him it

"Oooh, you should wake me every day, I get woken up with snuggles and cookies" he smiled

"Don't push your luck Portman" I warned.

I smiled as I brushed my hair in the bathroom mirror Humming my little tune as I brushed, Jacob was sat on the slightly bigger bed in the room that he was going to share with his dad, who was downstairs having a pint or so he told us. As soon as I was done I went and stood by my bed slipping off my dressing gown as I sorted my suitcase "what?" I asked refering to his blank expression

"Nothing, I've just Uhhh... I haven't seen you in Just your nightie in a while" he blushed

"Don't push your Pervy luck Portman," I warn

"Sorry, I just don't see you like that too often you can't blame me for being a bit surprised y/n... You look really beautiful buttercup" he says

"Aww thanks Jake" i smiled giving his cheek a little kiss "you really going to sleep like that?" I ask refering to his boxers and small shirt

"Yeah why? How I sleep at home" he shrugs

"But your shareing a bed with your dad... don't you maybe want something else?" I suggest

"I'll be fine" he shrugs "if I really can't sleep on here I could always pop over and share with you?" He suggests

"Don't even think about it" i warn "I wake up to you in my bed Portman I am feeding your nuts to the seagulls"

I sighed sitting in the hotel room, Jake's dad had gone out bird watching so we sat on the other single bed a moment "so? Should we go looking for the place?" He asks and I nod "you really gonna wear that?" He asked as I got up

"Don't you like it?" I asked

"I like it, you look really nice y/n... I'm just worried island exploring his not a dress activity" he says 

"You make your own clothing decisions portman I will make my own" I told him

"Okay in just trying to help buttercup" he says

"Well thank you for your assistance" I smiled getting my bag.

I sighed as we walked thought the woods and mud, "Jake, I think we need to give up for today, I don't think we are going to find the home today" I tell him as we marched thought the mud

"Your right buttercup" he sighed "come on let's get back to the hotel" he sighed coming back this way i went to move but my feet where stuck in the mud

"Ughhh! Jake! I'm stuck!" I whined

"Hang on in coming" he says coming over to me but he tripped in the mud pushing me over into the mud

"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh! Portman!" I yelled as Evey single bit of me was caked in mud

"I'm sorry" he says

"Uhhh it's everywhere!" I complain

"I'm so sorry y/n, I didn't mean too" he says trying to sit up even if the mud kept trying to suck us into the marshy wet mud we managed to get out and we walked back to the hotel and up to our room his dad still out as we went up dropping mud and twigs as we went "I'm so sorry y/n" he says

"Save it Portman" I sighed quickly getting my dress off and throwing it in a plastic bag "clothes of quick before it dries to bad" I told him so he quickly stripped off his clothes down to his boxers, both of us covered head to toe in mud and dirt he was a little cleaner then me but not much, the mud had seeped everywhere leaving nothing clean at all "now, I think that in light of both of us being so covered in it I think we should share" i said

"Share!" He asked

"Share the shower, because if we don't one of us is just going to dirty all the shower and the other will get all the mud dried on them" i explained

"Well...if uhh if your sure" he blushed

"Come on Jake" I said tugging his hand so he came into the bathroom with me and I locked the door starting to turn the shower on so I would hot up "what?" I ask

"We're going to take a shower together you can't blame me for being a little... nervous Buttercup" he says

"Will you relax, you've seen me naked before" I said

"When I was like eight" he laughs "we've both...changed alot since then"

"Ohh relax Jake, see one cock you've seen them all" i shrug "it's stuck, Jake can you unclip my bra for me?" I ask

"Uhh sure yeah" he blushed I felt his hands creap up my back and quickly unclip my bra

"Thank you" I smiled slipping it off so I slipped off my muddy panties and climbed in the shower "you coming or not Portman?" I ask

"Uhhhh yeah yeah I'm cumming" he nods kicking his boxers off and quickly getting in the shower too I relaxed a little feeling the caked mud start to wash off my body I looked at Jake as he stood as much as he could under the spray of the water trying his best to get the mud off so I giggled getting the bodywash in my hands and Running them around his skin trying my best to get the mud off for him he froze but smiled like he didn't want me to stop once his neck and shoulder was clean i nuzzled my head there still cleaning where I could he smiled wrapping his arms around my waist

"Did you mean coming as in coming into the shower or ...smut?" I ask

"Can't I be both?" He asks

"You could atleast pretend to clean you dirty boy" i laughed

"Yeah right sorry" he blushed getting some body wash and running his hands all over me "how did you even get mud on your boobs?" He asks

"I don't know" i complain "How'd you get mud on your dick?" I ask

"No idea" he sighed "If I wash yours off, will you wash mine?"

"Ohh you dirty boy!" I giggled

"Very very dirty buttercup" he smirked "wait did you mean mud or...smut?" He asked

"Both" i giggled nuzzling closer

"At this point are we showering buttercup or are we cuddling?" He asks

"Both" i smiled "besides, I'm almost done" I giggled as I moved away and began to give myself a final wash but hands krept around me

"A little longer... Please Buttercup" he begs rubbing his hands anywhere he could get them playing with my arse and my tits as much as he could

"When we get out you can have more fun" I said climbing out and wrapping my towel around me "you finish up" I winked before going out to the hotel room and starting to sort my clothes soon enough

"I will, but I need you to finish up" he smirked wrapping his arms around me too pulling his body close to mine as all we had was our towels to conceal us

"Jake" i giggled pulling him close giving his lips a sweet kiss he happily kissed back pulling me even closer till we heard a cough

"Dad!" He yelled as we noticed his dad stood getting some stuff from the room I tightened my towel and put a little distance between us

"I don't wanna ask... Do I?" He asks

"No.. you really don't" Jake told him

"Then I won't" he says heading out again we both blushed hard getting dressed into some relaxed clothes for a while

"So..." He blushed

"So" I giggled sorting our muddy clothes

"I love you so much buttercup" he smiled hugging me close

"Aww j love you too Portman" i smiled nuzzling close to him

"So... How about a date when we get home?" He suggested

"Okay, but we will always have our little secrets" I smiled going to my bed

"What do you mean?" He asks

"Well...what happens on secret little islands stay on secret little islands Jake" i smirked sitting on my bed "how about you share my bed the rest of the trip?" I suggest getting under my covers slipping off my bra and dropping it on the floor suggestively he smirked locking the hotel room door slipping his shirt off and jumping in bed with me...

[pocketfulofrogers]

The one with all the notes Part 2

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Summary: Text messages are far too impersonal for Old School Steve Rogers. 

Notes: Thanks for all the love on part 1!

Part 1

When Tony moves you both into the compound, nothing changes. Especially the notes. He gives you keys and badges, but withholds them when you reach out like a greedy toddler.

“No, and I mean it, no sex in the common rooms.” He says with narrowed eyes. Steve gasps, looking thoroughly scandalized. “Not that I’m not thrilled this is finally happening.”

You roll your eyes, snatch them from his hands. “We’ll see.” You tease.

You find the first one after your shower, tucked into the bathroom mirror.

‘I love you -S’

You leave one in return.

‘Next time join me -Y/F/I’

You both limit their locations to your shared room. The last thing you needed was Clint finding a very explicit description of last night’s activities. For the most part, they’re simple and sweet. Little nothings that allow you both to cling to something more normal.

‘I’m attempting waffles. Maybe come supervise before I set a fire?’

‘Reminder! You have a non-optional checkup in medical’

‘I’m making your favorite tonight’

‘You’re beautiful’

‘I got your bow re-stringed.’

‘Have this on by the time I get back and there will be rewards. Sexual rewards’

‘I rented that movie you talked about’

‘Wake me when you get back’

‘Date night. Be there or I’ll send Natasha after you.’

Other times, they’re not so sweet.

‘If I hit my toe on your shield one more time because you’ve just left it in the middle of the room, there will be hell to pay, Rogers.’

‘Couch tonight, no sweet doodle will save you this time’

‘You want to complain about my shield, but let’s talk about how I just face planted because of your bow’

‘I love you, but don’t ever call them sexual rewards again’

‘You left for a week with my favorite shirt and that’s unforgivable’

‘I’ve been up with Tony for 3 days, if you wake me, I may actually end your life’

‘SHIELD STEVE’

‘Do you know what I totally love? Ice cold showers in the morning. If you’re going to use all the hot water at least wake me so I can join you’

‘Set an alarm and get up earlier’

‘Why would I? Your 8 work just fine’

‘I have your beloved shield. Meet me in the training ring. Winner gets to keep it.’

Bets are taken, it turns into an event. Of course, you hand him his ass and spend the next few weeks with it strapped to your arm all day, every day. You also never leave it just lying around, unlike someone. 

For the first time since you’ve met Steve Rogers, he uses a gun. You try not to think about how much it turns you on. Natasha certainly has complaints the next morning.

When you finally agree to give it back, only because he was in near tears, he designates a specific spot for it. You never hit your toe again.

One night you come home, head straight for the kitchen. On the fridge beneath a matte black magnet is a simple sketch of you sleeping. You run your finger along the curve of your body, smile fondly at the memory. When you pick it up to add to your growing collection, a separate page falls.

‘Ok, yes I did eat the last of your ice cream, BUT I will get you more -S’

You smile. You had already received something far better than your favorite pint. Still, you pen your own note. Steve comes home soon after, hopes he’s beaten you back. He catches sight of the light-yellow page and is momentarily relieved. Until he gets closer.

‘Come to bed with a pint and a spoon or don’t come at all -Y/F/I’

Steve regrets leaving one in a common space when in the morning you awake to a folded, crisp white page taped to your door. ‘Lovebirds’ scribbled on the top.

‘Ya’ll act like cell phones aren’t a thing. -Sam’

You drop one in Sam’s gym bag while he’s distracted soon after.

‘Don’t be fucking rude -Y/F/I’

That’s when the war starts. Tony receives multiple requests for notepads and his pens keep disappearing. He can’t tell for sure if the two are connected.

‘Pick a better alarm sound if you’re going to snooze it 8 times every day -C’

‘Whoever ate my last brownie, check in with medical. Also? Stop eating my shit -N’

‘I’m cooking tonight, submit your requests now -Y/F/I’

‘Who’s rank ass shoes -S’

‘Steve, language!! -C’

‘Sam, we talked about this. You’re SW -S’

‘Why can’t you be SR’

‘Because we were here first -Y/F/I’

‘Ok, first, rude. Second, I want the Y/N special -SW’

Later that day you, Natasha, and Clint are playing cards. Sam and Steve are watching a documentary. There’s a rustling and a thud from the other room.

“Why are there so many notes on my shoes?” Tony yells out. Not a single person in the vicinity can hold their laughter.

You and Steve still leave your sweet ones around your room, but you’ve never been one to not participate in shenanigans.

‘Tequila and bad decisions on the rooftop -Y/F/I’

‘Currently dying, please bring soup and gatorade -SW’

‘Hope the mission went well, ice packs in the freezer, doc is on call -N’

‘Out of milk -C’

‘You’re turn to go grocery shopping, can’t pass it off to Y/N again -S’

‘Where did Tony hide his pens, I’m low on ink -SW’

‘They’re locked behind a retinal scanner -Y/F/I’

‘Why? -C’

‘He’s mad he’s not a part of the fun -N’

‘I will evict you all -T’

You’re sure to leave Tony a little note on his desk every time you catch him out of the lab. A few months later, he starts leaving one in the same spot you leave his to surprise you. You don’t tell anyone but Steve about them. It might be silly, but you hold his jokes and praises close to heart and keep them tucked beneath the sketches in your box.

After the accords when you’re on the run, the two of you keep it going. You write on what you have. Hotel stationary, old receipts, newsletters. You don’t often move without each other these days so the notes are shorter, simpler, slightly somber.

‘I will follow you anywhere’

‘I miss the shield’

‘I miss our apartment’

‘I don’t want to lose who I am’

‘You’re a good man, I’ll never let you lose sight of that’

‘I love you’

‘Tony will forgive you’

‘Rhodey wasn’t your fault’

‘I love you’

‘You’re still a hero’

‘Bucky will be okay’

‘I love you’

‘I love you’

‘I love you’

You keep them all now. Every single piece. They don’t question your need to keep the shoebox with you, to take it with each move. They’re all a little different now. 

You’d never tell Steve, but you flip through them often. Run your fingers along inked lines from simpler times. Pieces of the home you once had.

On the nights you cry over them, Steve holds you close. Rocks you to sleep with images of picket fences and family dinners. Those days you wake with a sketch on your pillow and the smell of bacon and eggs in the air. 

He gives you all the slivers of peace you need to survive, you hope you do the same for him.

[mayleebaby28]

Day 4, Free Day: Everything about you is on the tip of my tongue

“Well if that’s where you put it, it has to be here somewhere,” Tim said, getting on the floor and looking under the bed. “They don’t just grow legs and walk away.”

“Maybe I dropped it?” Kon asked, moving the dirty clothes on the floor.

“Do you want me to call it?” Tim asked, standing straight up with his hands on his hips.

“Maybe, hold on,” Kon pulled the blankets back on the bed, shaking them out before tossing them on the floor. “Yeah, go ahead and call it.”

Tim grabbed his own phone off of the nightstand and called his third speed dial, holding the phone to his ear and hearing the ring-back.

Kon stretched his hearing out, listening for his ringtone for Tim, which was the Wendy the Werewolf Stalker theme.

Nothing. It must have been on silent.

“Can’t hear it,” Kon shook his head. “Dammit. Ma’s going to kill me if I dropped another phone while I was flying.”

“No, I saw it when you came in last night,” Tim said, putting his hands on his hips. “I remember, it vibrated and I thought it was-“

“Oh right, that’s when I turned it on silent,” Kon nodded, surveying the floor again. Not that he could find anything in Tim’s messy room.

“Well, let’s just retrace your steps,” Tim said, crawling across the bed towards Kon, who was standing on the other side. They were both still in their underwear, Tim in boxer briefs and Kon in his boxers, and their t-shirts. “So when you turned your phone on silent, what did you do?”

Kon thought for a second before smirking at Tim.

“Oh, no, no, no,” Tim shook his head, backing up a little, but then Kon was crawling onto the bed over him and Tim was laughing and letting out a squeal.

*****

“Okay,” Tim said, flopping down beside Kon, both of them out of breath. “Fun as that was, it didn’t get us anywhere.”

“I mean it got me somewhere a few times,” Kon said, and Tim snorted, reaching over to smack his chest.

“Okay after that what did we do?” Tim asked, reaching down to grab his underwear off of the floor, checking again to see if maybe the phone was down there. It wasn’t.

“You weren’t tired, despite my best efforts,” Kon said, sitting up and pulling his t-shirt on. “We snuck downstairs and shared that pint of ice cream.”

“Right,” Tim nodded, getting up and pulling on the pajama pants he had been wearing when Kon flew in through his window. It had been really romantic, actually. Kon had flown in, kissed Tim over his laptop screen. He took off Tim’s reading glasses, shut the laptop and set it aside, took the tiny pony tail out of his hair and they made really passionate love.

“You seen my pants?” Kon asked, glancing around the room. Tim chuckled and grabbed them from where they were by his feet, tossing them over the bed.

“C’mon, horn dog,” Tim laughed, motioning for his boyfriend to follow him. He stuck his head out first, glancing up and down the hallway. Bruce probably knew Kon was there, they were both adults and Bruce kind of stopped caring after catching them the fourth or fifth time, but that didn’t mean one of the others in the manor needed to see them emerging from Tim’s bedroom.

The two quietly descended the stairs and headed for the kitchen where Damian was sitting on a barstool, scowling at and scrolling through his phone.

“Good morning, son of Satan,” Tim said as he headed towards the freezer.

“Drake,” Damian said. “Clone.”

“Demon,” Kon nodded at the teen.

“For future reference, I would like a warning when your boyfriend is coming over,” Damian said, hopping off of his bar stool and taking the empty cup that had been in front of him and setting it in the sink.

“I don’t think you need one,” Tim shook his head as he gazed over the freezer, hoping to see the phone on one of the shelves. Nothing. “Especially since what Kon and I do is none of your business.”

“It is my business when I can hear your headboard from three rooms away,” Damian said, raising a brow but still not looking up from his phone. “Which, by the way, was not something I expected to hear when I woke up so congratulations.”

“Oh, you are such a brat,” Tim scoffed, opening the silverware drawer. No phone. “I can’t wait for you to start having sex so I can tease you about it.”

“See, that’s the difference, Drake,” Damian rolled his eyes. “I’m not a tease.”

“Fuck off, Damian,” Tim glared at the teen over the garbage can, where the only thing he could see was the empty carton.

“Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” Damian asked, heading out the door and down the hall, still not looking up from his phone.

“Do you think he’ll grow out of being annoying or do you think it’s part of who he is as a person?” Kon asked, glancing around the island to see if maybe he had dropped it there. Nada.

“After we had ice cream, we went and walked in the gardens,” Tim said, and Kon nodded.

“You wanted to see the stars,” Kon said, following Tim as he headed out of the kitchen and towards the back yard.

The two walked slowly down the hall, checking the floor as they went in case Kon had dropped his phone somewhere along the way, but came up with nothing.

The gardens looked more beautiful in the morning sunlight, the roses and the petunias. Alfred did a wonderful job of tending the flowers. But Tim’s eyes were glued to the ground as they followed the path down to the gazebo.

“I don’t see it,” Tim said, looking over the gazebo bench where they had sat and talked. Tim pointed out which stars were planets, and where constellations were. It was sweet until Tim started to get cold, but that just meant Kon held him closer.

“Well after this we went right to bed,” Kon mumbled, glancing around on the ground.

“Maybe I can hack into it and find the location,” Tim said, pulling his own phone out of his pocket and scowling at it.

“I mean, or we could just do this,” Kon said, and Tim didn’t see what he was talking about for a moment because he was opening his encryption software, but when he did look up, he had to look down.

Kon was in the middle of the gazebo, down on one knee.

“Oh my God,” Tim said, thumb poised over the screen. He quickly tucked his phone away, turning his full attention to Kon.

“Tim, every day, I think there isn’t any possible way I could fall more in love with you,” Kon started, and Tim had to sit on the bench because his legs were shaking. “But then every time I see you laugh, or I get to wake up next to you, I do. Somehow, some way, I fall more and more in love with you every day. And I want to spend the rest of my life seeing just how much more I can love you.”

“Oh, Kon,” Tim breathed, reaching out to pull Kon up onto the bench as well. He was pulled into a kiss, his hands on Kon’s face. “I love you too, you know that right?”

“Well if I didn’t, I don’t think I would have gotten you this,” Kon said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a white gold ring. “Will you marry me?”

“Of course,” Tim nodded, and Kon’s smile grew until it was practically splitting his face in half. He slid the ring onto Tim’s left hand and leaned in for another kiss. “Think that bed’s still warm?”

“Maybe we could go check,” Kon said, wiggling his brows and taking Tim’s hand in his own as they strolled back towards the house.

*****

“Hey, you think we should go tell everyone?” Kon asked as he and Tim got dressed for the third time that morning.

“Oh, don’t you want to just keep it a secret a little longer?” Tim asked, working himself into Kon’s arms. “Maybe spend the rest of the day here in bed?”

“We have to tell them eventually,” Kon said. “And I think someone would come looking for us if we stayed in bed all day.”

“You’re probably right,” Tim nodded. “Okay, come on.”

Tim took his hand and the pair headed down the hall and the stairs into the parlor where Bruce and Dick were engaged in a game of chess, and Damian was curled up on the couch, still scrolling through the phone.

“Hey, you two,” Dick said, glancing towards the door.

“Hey, we’ve got something to tell you guys,” Tim said, hiding their linked hands behind the couch. That got everyone’s attention, minus Damian who was an angry 16-year-old that didn’t care about anything. “We’re engaged.”

“Timmy!” Dick exclaimed, grinning at his younger brother. “I’m so happy for you guys!”

“Can I have my phone back now?” Kon asked, leaning over the couch. Damian rolled his eyes and passed the phone in his hands back to Kon. “Thank you.”

“Damian had your phone the whole time?” Tim asked, turning his gaze to his fiancé.

“I told him if he held onto my phone, I’d let him spend a weekend with John at the farm,” Kon said, tucking his phone into his pocket.

“You let him look through your phone?” Tim asked, eyes widening a little.

“Relax, I locked a bunch of stuff.”

“Not very well,” Damian said, getting off of the couch. “Congratulations, I suppose. Drake, I suggest you help your fiancé with the locks on his phone.”

“I hate you,” Tim said, glaring at his younger brother as he left the room.

“The feeling is mutual,” Damian called over his shoulder.

[licenselesswriter]

From November to June CH3

January 26, 2018

- Hey - Farkle says sitting in front of Maya while she was half of her baby carrots snack.

- Hey - she replies with a simple nod before going back to her snack.

- Is she still ignoring you? - Farkle asks opening a bag of chips.

- Yep - Maya replies, taking one of Farkle's chips when he offers some.

- Have you spoken to her? - Farkle asks before taking a chip, and then another.

- Why? It's not like I'm the one who needs to apologize - Maya says, knowing exactly what Farkle is pursuing with that selected conversation.

- She felt betrayed - Farkle defends Riley.

- Cry me a river - Maya replies and gets up - when you actually want to came to talk to me as a friend, send me a text - she adds and left Farkle alone.

Knowing that he screws things again.

 Maya walks outside, she needed desperately some fresh air. She sits on the bleachers in front of the brand-new baseball cages.

- Never felt you as someone who wants to try baseball - she heard to her back, and her smile grows a bit.

- Honestly, I'm here for the cute left field - she replies.

- Awww, you have a crush on me - Zay says sitting next to her - So, want to share the story or just want a silent friend? - he asks.

- A bit of both - Maya says and focuses on the grey sky of January - Farkle is totally on her side - she comments.

Zay looks up at the sky - Are you surprised? - he asks back.

- Not really - Maya answers.

They both share a laugh.

- How much for the 20 weeks? - Zay asks.

- Like 5 weeks, why? - Maya asks back.

- Well, usually at that time you get to know the gender - he explained, then look at her - What do you think it's gonna be, baby boy or baby girl? - he asks back.

- What’s with you and Huckleberry and all the questions you make? - she asks trying to avoid thinking about the sex of her future son or daughter.

- I think it's gonna be a boy - Zay says, completely ignoring Maya's question - Lucas think it's gonna be a girl, but that's not a surprise - he adds and Maya looks at him curiously.

- Maybe for you - Maya says still looking at the baseball cages - Why "Dusk till Dawn" like baby girls? - she asks and Zay looked at her surprised.

- I'm changing his contact info right now - Zay says with his usual wide smile - Looks like his family can't have anything but men, all his cousins? Men. Their kids? Men. His family? All brothers, no sisters - he explains while Maya looks surprised by the family of her friend - That's why he loves going to my house when my sisters came to visit - he adds and Maya looks at him expectantly - Only 3 boys in the family, including me - Zay says and winks at her.

- Now all the Papa Friar makes more sense - Maya says.

Zay chokes with his own saliva - I'm sorry? Papa Friar? - he asks in complete shock.

- Please don't make weird assumptions - Maya replies tiredly. Zay was not the first to suggest that - It's just a nickname, and please, keep that nickname between us - she says and Zay looks at the cages with a smile.

- Don't worry, my lips are sealed, Maya Papaya - he replies and locks an imaginary zipper over his lips.

Suddenly the snow starts to fall, and they both were forced to rush inside.

When they get inside, Riley was there, and Farkle was failing at stopping her.

- So, you can't fight your own fights now? - she asks Maya, showing a new emotion for her.

Anger.

- Well, I've always considered myself a brawler, so I pretty much have no idea what are you... - Maya says looking at her best friend.

- Next time, don't try to ruin things between me and Lucas - Riley says interrupting her.

Maya looked at Riley confused, and then her mind connects the dots - Oh, so this is about Huckleberry - Maya says and gives Riley a condescending smile, which infuriates her more.

- Don't feel superior just because we have great friends, behind that condescending look it's only a slut who got herself pregnant - Riley explodes and fastly covers her mouth.

The hall went completely silent, Farkle looked everything from the distance covering his eyes, Zay was pissed off, but in silence, and Maya, she just looks at Riley like nothing can affect her.

- Did you finish? - she asks Riley.

The brunette refuses to look back at her.

- I might be a slut, but trust me, that's none of your business Pinkie Pie - Maya says dead serious - It's my problem who I allow in my bed, not yours - she adds and walk past the brunette directly to Farkle - How lucky I am that you Love us equally, right? - she says to him in her most sarcastic tone.

When Maya left, Zay look at them both - You - he says raising his voice, startling Riley - Grow the fuck up - he says and then looks at Farkle - And you - he adds walking to the genius - Grow a pair of balls, you could have stopped her before she opened her mouth - he says in a whisper, before running after Maya.

Maya didn't have the mood to deal with the sociopathy her friend had. Thankfully for her, since she confesses her pregnancy, Shawn raised the money he usually gives her.

She runs a few blocks, with a belly barely noticeable under her winter clothes and stops in a music store. She refugees from the snow under the covered sidewalk and gets herself an Uber.

 A few hours later, Maya heard a knock on her door. She takes a peek through the magic eye on her door and saw Lucas. She grabs her phone and fastly texts him. She was able to hear the "ding" of his phone, and spying through the magic eye she saw his reaction.

- Ok, first of all, I'm not that, second, my mother is not that, and third, I'm not gonna put that there, that's fucking gross and probably deadly if you consider the size of my hands - he defends himself.

- Congrats Huckleberry, you know how to read - she sarcastically says - Now go, I'm not in the mood to deal with your bullshit - she claims and walked back to her room.

Outside her apartment, Lucas let a deep sigh in exhaustion. He grabs his phone and calls Maya - Can you please open the door? - he asks her and she just hangs up.

Refusing to resign, he dials her again - Fine, you don't want to see me, I can deal with that, can you at least hear me out? - he asks, hoping for the best.

- No - Maya replies and hang up on him again.

- Fine - Lucas says outside her apartment and fastly starts to text her.

"I know you probably hate me right now, I'm sorry I meddle between you and Riley and that stupid fight that was totally Riley's fault, I tried the best but I failed, sorry, shit happens, I left homemade brownies at your doorstep, please come to pick them up, and yes, I'm gonna leave, I shit on too many things today to keep shiting on more, and again, I'm sorry".

Maya finishes reading his text and then saw the pic attached, showing where he left the paper bag with brownies. She walks to her door and peeks again through the magic eye, surprised for a second for not seeing anyone. She opens the door and realizes that Lucas really left. She picks the paper bag and delicately opened, smelling the baked goods inside - My God Mrs. Friar, I need to learn to bake like you - she says, recognizing who made her next meal.

She closes her door and gets back into her room. she puts the brownies bag on her desk and then sits on her stool. Instinctively her hands move to the painting palette Lucas gave her last Christmas. Then pour some of the oil paintings on the palette and softly let her mind wanderer on the white canvas. Blue and black softly starts to cover it, very dark, imitating her mood, and then, another brush. Little white marks over the blue and black canvas. she changes the brush again and makes some remarks in the black paint with some dark green. She cleans the brush with white paint and gets another brownie. She walks away from the canvas; she grabs her phone and sends a text. In seconds her phone buzzes, she smiles and grabs the "History of Bauhaus" book that Shawn gave her last Christmas and lay on her bed. With pretty much zero attention she starts to pass through the pages. She didn't notice how much time has passed when she heard a knock on her door, she gets up her bed and walks to the door, she opens the door and Zay was there.

- I honestly hope that you call me here only because you like my company and not because you wanted vanilla ice cream for those brownies - he says with his usual smile and bag with a pint of vanilla ice cream.

- I'm sorry I'm breaking your heart, but I'm just using you to get ice cream - she answers and let him in.

Zay gets into the apartment faking a heart attack - Ah, my poor heart - he jokes and takes off his coat and put it on the coat hanger.

- I still have brownies - Maya says.

- Awww you Love me - Zay replies with his both hands over his heart.

- Of course, I Love you, smartass - Maya replies making Zay looks moved by her words - Do you think I would let anyone get in my apartment? Oh fuck - she says when Zay smile.

- You're lucky I'm your friend because that would be a sick burn - he says.

- Yeah, yeah, I walk right into that - she says going to the kitchen for 2 little bowls.

They both walk to her room and Zay just sits in the floor while Maya lays on her bed - So, ice cream and brownies - Zay says taking a brownie from the bag Maya had, now, on her bed.

- We are not gonna talk about what happened today - she says and grabs her phone - Siri, play "In the lonely hour" - she says to her phone and a few seconds later the album starts to blast on her phone.

- Wow, Sam Smith's first album - Zay says looking at his blonde friend - That must be a hell of a hit - he adds.

- Well, I still love her like she was my sister - Maya replies putting a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.

Zay just put the bowl on the floor and get on his knees, looking at her - Cuddle? - he asks.

- Cuddle - she replies and he lay on her bed while she softly snuggles with him.

Zay put his arms around her shoulders and strokes her hair. They talk about the future, she tells him that she's not planning on getting into college, and with his experience, Zay understands why.

After an hour, Zay gets up from her bed, and after a fast trip to the bathroom he returns, stopping in front of the half-painted canvas - I can't believe he actually gets you the palette - he says and gets closer to the canvas - I've seen this place - he adds, making Maya curious.

- Really? - she asks and gets up to take a look again to her painting.

They look at the canvas in detail and Zay finally notices something that makes him choke.

- Easy there Hunkalicious - Maya says and slowly caresses his back.

Zay just looks at Maya and then back at the painting. The clear dark sky, the bright stars, and most importantly, the tress. Zay notices the curiosity on his friend’s face, "She did it without thinking" he thought to himself - Nah, it looks like a place where I used to go, but not completely the same, my bad - he lies, and Maya just looks at her stoic.

Thankfully, they both were interrupted by Katy - Hey baby girl, Zay - she says to them. Maya hugs her mother and Zay just lift his hand in a way to greet her - I'm gonna order Chinese, Zay are you gonna join us tonight? - she asks.

Zay just looks at Maya, and she smiles at him - It would be my pleasure, Mrs. Hunter - he replies.

[aftgficlibrary]

Mutual Pining Masterlist

Andreil

a chance to start again by eikoexe (M | Incomplete | 10/?)

Andrew Minyard was a consulting detective - probably one of the best. He lived a life alone and only kept well to his demands, solving more crimes than nobody could think possible. Wymack usually said he was stuck up on the job, Renee had been suggesting he finds himself someone to live with, just so he wouldn’t live a life full of solitude. Andrew said he didn’t need it, didn’t want it, that he was perfectly fine the way he was. But what if one day he met a boy who stubbornly tripped into his life? Who had been wanted by his father for running away? Who needed a place to stay… and who needed a home?

And so Andrew’s life changed when he met Neil Josten.

–

Or alternatively, a Sherlock AU where instead of Johnlock solving crimes, we get our Andreil boys.

Something, Nothing & Everything by TheBashfulPoet (E | 139,900 | 28/28)

Neil Josten is yet another name in a long list of identities used to hide a boy long since dead from a past blood had been spilled to forget. Essentially, he is and always will be nothing. And yet there has always been one thing that made Neil Josten real: music. After his mother’s death, music and singing were the only things tying him the threads of reality by the strap of a well-worn guitar. Too bad he’s pretty sure that it’s also going to be the thing to kill him. Especially when Kevin Day, international rock star and blast of Neil’s past comes waltzing back into his life demanding he joins the upstart and infamous band EXY as its new vocalist. To make matters worse, Kevin’s unofficial shadow, Andrew Minyard with a rap sheet taller than he is has taken an interest in the lie that Neil Josten and has made it his mission to uncover the bloodied truth that lies beneath.

By all accounts, Neil should just pick up his guitar and disappear like he’s done so many times before, but the chance to be real and seen is almost enough for him to plant his feet for the first time in 11 years he’s been running. Going into the spotlight means certain death, but Neil’s just not so sure that leaving it would mean anything different.

stars may collide by broship_addict, llheji (M | 20,664 | 2/2)

Moonlighting as Abram, member of the city's crime-fighting Foxes, Neil is doing a very bad job at staying under the radar. He's busy enough between his friends, patrol, and bickering with Andrew at work, but with the Ravens gang finally within reach and the reappearance of the Monster, he might have bitten more than he can chew.

(Or, how both Neil and Andrew accidentally fall in love with the same person twice. Lame.)

You Made a Monster Out of Me by basicallymonsters (M | Incomplete | 3/?)

He realizes that everyone feels exactly the same way he does, filthy and buzzed and understood and angry. His eyes find Andrew again, sober but animated like the drums are a live wire and he’s electric.

He thinks, if he could be part of this, if he could stand in the middle of the stage in a garden full of monsters, and sing the audience’s veins open, he would never need another drink, or another moment on court.

Prompt: Andreil in a rock band setting – tattoos, harsh lighting, calloused fingers, Andrew’s sweaty arms, Neil’s striking blue eyes, someone’s excellent voice, an uncomfortable undercurrent of drug abuse.

don’t take that sinner from me by wesninskids (M | Incomplete | 2/?)

In Bono, Alabama, a southern town where nobody ever goes, Neil Josten is a blind boy who used to read and write stories. Now he tells them aloud for his friend to write down, but things are quick to turn bland where there’s no color to see. He finds comfort in religion, thinking God can give him his eyes.

Then Andrew Minyard arrives in town in a dusty Impala and a crumpled suit, claiming he’s there to help Renee Walker take care of the church after the local priest’s death. Everyone soon starts wondering what his motives are and why he’d exile himself to a dead-end like theirs, mistrusting every word—but they’re after the wrong threat. Disillusioned and disappointed by religion, this lonely man of God came for a greater mission than preaching and blessing. He’s after something, and he might have just found it.

The blind boy of the town will either be his salvation or damnation, and he’s not sure which one yet.

/Graphic Depictions of Violence /Underage

doe & josten: deductionists by spanglebangle (M | Incomplete | 25/?)

Andrew Doe, rude but brilliant consulting detective, thought he had no need of a partner as he worked slowly away at dismantling the largest crime family in the country, helping out with other cases on the side to relieve the tedium. That was, until a scruffy runaway with a stupid amount of secrets stumbled into his life. Or, more accurately, broke into his kitchen.

/Rape/Non-Con / Graphic Depictions of Violence

roses are orange, and some also blue by apprenticedmagician (T | 1,295 | 1/1)

Dear Valentine, They aren’t poisonous. I checked. From - your pipe dream

wanting what you think you cannot have by orphan_account (T | Incomplete | 1/?)

this was a fic written for the aftgexchange on tumblr, but i decided to continue it as a multi-chapter fic on ao3! this is a fake dating au with no seth, riko/the moryamas, and drake so it’s the softest thing you’ll ever read

neil is a runaway, andrew works at a bakery, and nicky is really, really nosy. being someone’s fake boyfriend is a lot harder than it looks, especially when you’re hardcore crushing on them

double scoop by broship_addict (T | 3,733 | 1/1)

Neil serves ice cream and Andrew might be addicted. There’s a lot of blushing.

Series: Part 1 of share a pint, share a kiss

only fools by kazbrekker_morelike_kazwrecker (E | 19,833 | 20/20)

A flower shop/coffee shop AU that no one asked for but appeared in my brain and had to get out. Neil never played Exy and never met the Foxes at PSU, but his story with his father remains the same. Neil doesn’t like people much but neither does Andrew and everyone knows coffee brings people together

the foxtrot’s not for the faint of heart by kazbrekker_morelike_kazwrecker, smolmoll04 (M | Incomplete | 3/?)

The Foxes are a dance group working their way up from being mostly underground and found their new studio and Wymack as their producer. The Moriyamas are a powerful human trafficking syndicate and instead of Exy, they deal in dance competitions. Neil’s father wanted to sell him to the syndicate but his mother was like NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH and ran with him.

Neil has found the Foxes and a familiar face… He also gets to meet a certain sarcastic five foot tall blond and things ensue…

trust fall by emeryuu (E | 9,948 | 1/1)

Neil is a florist who loves his job but isn’t going to refuse a second job if he can make good money from it. Even if the said job is bartending at a club. Even if that club is a BDSM club.

Andrew is a tattoo artist working at the studio next to neil’s flower shop. He’s a regular at Eden’s Twilight where he always can find a sub willing to do a scene with him.

One night they meet at the club and that’s a beginning of a new journey for both of them. What starts as simple deal to let Neil explore parts of life he hadn’t chance to explore, slowly becomes something much bigger.

Series: Part 1 of games

hazel and gold by obsessedwithfictionalboys (T | Incomplete | 4/?)

AU in which Andrew doesn’t hate everything and Neil does not know how to deal with this beautiful nerd.

Allison/Renee (renison)

we all need sweets every now and then by downintheflames (M | Incomplete | 1/?)

A storm rumbled towards the team as they ran laps on the lacrosse field. Wymack had proclaimed they needed to breathe real air to get all their bullshit out of their system. Allison had complained about the humidity ruining her hair before she stopped to watch the clouds trip over themselves in the sky. Renee liked to think that in another life, Allison would have been a storm chaser. She was staring at the sky in awe while Renee stared at her. Andrew cleared his throat loudly. Neil nudged him softly then silently assured her that she should continue on - that the vulnerability was a good thing. Nicky rambled on to no one in particular about how one time when he was in Germany with Eric… Kevin slid his phone out of his pocket and took a picture of the clouds so he could look up exactly what kind they were when they returned to the dorms. Aaron grumbled about how stupid running laps outdoors was. Dan barked at them to get a move on - that they wouldn’t stop unless there was lightning. Matt immediately picked up his pace with Allison following behind him. Renee shook herself out of her thoughts. Allison was her best friend and nothing more. Andrew needed to stop acting like her saying that was such a joke.

too late. by icebreeze (T | 1,555 | 1/1)

Life never goes to plan. Love is no exception to this.

you, just you by zucheenee (M | 17,651 | 1/1)

Allison grabbed another slice of pizza, leaning back in her chair. Renee worried, not for the first time, that she’d fall and give herself a concussion. Allison sighed and flicked a lock of long blonde hair behind her shoulder, suddenly looking up and meeting Renee’s eyes. “Boys are just so stupid, right?” She said, smiling prettily at Renee. Allison always smiled prettily, and Renee wanted to die.

“Right.”

In which Allison can’t seem to find the right man, and Renee wishes Allison would get a clue.

lonely ♡s club by modernpatroclus (T | 1,719 | 1/1)

“Next time you need an outlet, come to me. I’ll take you shopping, not beat the shit out of you.”

“Andrew doesn’t usually beat me. I was distracted this morning.”

Renee realizes she’s tired of being set up with gay boys. Allison realizes that she’s ready to move on from Seth when she sees Renee after her latest sparring session with Andrew.

Jean/Jeremy (Jerejean)

playing on by flybbfly (M | 142,179 | 31/31)

"Who knew California Golden Boy Jeremy Knox could play dirty?”

Jeremy grins. “Best kept secret on the west coast. Told you there was a western division striker who could dispossess you.”

“On a practice court, maybe," Jean says. "Try to get it away from me during a game.”

Jeremy leans back, bracing himself on gloved hands. “Luckily, I won't ever have to.”

In which Jean Moreau and Jeremy Knox play exy, share a dorm room, and accidentally insult each another a lot.

between hoping and believing by cryptidkidprem (T | 47,332 | 7/7)

Jean convinced himself a long time ago that he doesn't have a soulmate. Or maybe he just wants to believe that. Things would be easier if he was destined to be alone. It will at least hurt less when he inevitably winds up that way anyway.

And then there's Jeremy, who's been dreaming of meeting his match for years. For some reason, Jeremy seems determined to convince Jean that sometimes he might actually be able to have the things he hopes for, and that soulmate or no, Jean Moreau has people who will stick with him.

Two Bros Five Feet Apart by Leahelisabeth (fortheloveofcamelot) (M | 27,220 | 9/9)

Jeremy sniffed as he looked at his computer screen and the email he had just opened up. Every colourful picture and excited blurb just another stab to his tattered heart. And there at the bottom, the biggest blow of all, “non-refundable.”

He sighed and slammed his laptop shut, not caring that his rough treatment could damage it. Right now, he wanted to damage something. A significant portion of his savings had gone into these tickets and now he had nothing to show for it, no girlfriend, no awesome vacation, and absolutely zero chill.

Jeremy's girlfriend dumps him on the eve of a romantic vacation. Jean fills in.

dreams of being golden by poetatertot (M | Incomplete | 6/8)

The ocean is a healer. This Jeremy knows better than anyone. It’s why he came back himself, when all turned to nothing; it’s why he took the others under his roof when the shadows at their back threatened to swallow them whole. It’s why he lets Jean in when he shows up suddenly, his pale face a soft light in the darkness. Jeremy sees him and knows he can’t subsist as he is, alone.

The ocean can’t change Jean’s past, but maybe it can wash his future into smooth, clean sand the way it did for so many others.

Stupid (for you) by justdk (T | 1,647 | 1/1)

He’s not the only who cares for Jean, the entire team has his back, wants to see him get better. But Jeremy’s the only one who is completely, helplessly in love with Jean Moreau and it hurts.

Face to the Sun by Leahelisabeth (fortheloveofcamelot) (G | 1,272 | 1/1)

Jeremy and Jean have been pining for each other for too long. The Trojans plan an intervention.

Series: Part 3 of All for the Game Tumblr Prompts

Shield for a Heart by neilskey (spellitwithyourpeas) (M | 54,949 | 16/16)

“It’s your choice, but you’re rotting away in here, Jean and no matter what she says, you can’t live in Abby’s spare bedroom forever. Time to start fighting again.”

Kevin’s hard and commanding tone was no surprise. The softness had been beaten out of him around the same time as Jean.

“What if I don’t want to anymore?”

Maybe it was because he had been half hidden in shadows-Jean had kept the shades drawn, but light still seeped in the cracks- but Jean thought he had seen something akin to understanding paint Kevin’s cool expression. “He’s gone. You survived. Play or don’t, it’s up to you, but you need to get out of this fucking house.” // Jean's first year at USC. Jeremy falls hard, Jean comes around eventually.

/Graphic Depictions of Violence

eyes wide open by jaylocked (T | 13,496 | 2/2)

Jean blinked. Blinked again. Was sure he didn’t recognize the man on his doorstep, with his bright eyes and enormous grin and wavy blonde hair. Waited for him to explain himself with a simple raised eyebrow.

“Hi!” the man finally chirped. The sound was happiness channeled into a single word, and Jean wasn’t sure how he didn’t hate him already.

(based on the prompt from tumblr: "hi sorry I live below you and I hear your dog running around and barking all the time and– no no it's fine I was just wondering if I could pet it?" au)

Kevin/Jeremy

lit me up by thisisallmarvelsfault (M | Incomplete | 2/3)

When Jeremy goes to South Carolina to pick up Jean, he and Kevin go to the court with a bottle of vodka and Kevin brings up Nicky’s “list.”

[Or, the life and times of Kevin and Jeremy.]

Neil/Riko

burn, baby, burn by wesninskids (M | Incomplete | 3/?)

Nathaniel Wesninski is Riko’s precious #2, his best backliner, weapon of choice, and only mercenary—the first piece of his Perfect Court: in exchange of everything, thirteen year old Nathaniel gets his number tattooed on his cheekbone and becomes Riko’s partner for better or for worse. Soon Kevin Day and Jean Moreau join the envied line of Ravens and become partners in their turn, and the four of them chase after glory and find the missing pieces of their Perfect Court one player after the other, drunk on power and victory, caring for one another no matter what.

But then Nathaniel strikes a deal with Lola Malcolm to protect himself, and it’s all downhill from here.

/Graphic Depictions of Violence

[pizza-is-my-buziness]

Skimmons fic where Daisy woos Jemma by texting "You hungry?" in the middle of the night during all of finals week jemma is oblivious for about half of this

So I changed this up a little bit but I hope you don’t mind! Enjoy this college AU! 

“You do know that it’s like three in the morning, right?”

The voice causes Jemma to look up from her notes for what feels like the first time in hours. And, truthfully, it might be the first time she looked up from her own handwriting in hands.

Daisy is standing there, staring down at her with raised eyebrows and her hair in a ponytail and polar bears on her pajama pants.

“Yes,” Jemma says, though she can’t remember the last time she actually looked at a clock. “What are you doing out here at three in the morning?”

Daisy points in the direction of the communal bathrooms, which branch off from the common area, where Jemma currently has all her notes, textbooks and class assignments spread out around her. “Had to use the bathroom and saw the light still on in here, figured it was you.” Daisy smirks. “And here you are.”

Jemma shakes her head, sighing. She leans back against the couch. “I’m just-”

“Stressed, yeah, got that part,” Daisy says.

“Studying,” Jemma corrects, though she feels that stressed might not be the worst word to use. “We have exams starting next week and-”

Daisy shakes her head. “And you need to sleep or you’re going to be a zombie,” she points out. “Seriously, come to bed. You have classes tomorrow and you know you aren’t going to be talked into skipping them.”

Jemma makes a face. “No one should skip their classes,” she points out defensively.

“Bed,” Daisy says, “now.”

And then Jemma’s stomach rumbles, the noise comically loud and definitely impossible to miss. Jemma feels her cheeks color with embarrassment but Daisy just smirks. “And when was the last time you ate?”

That’s even harder for Jemma to answer. She furrows her brow. “Lunch?”

“Jemma Simmons.” Daisy clucks her tongue in disappointment. “What are we doing to do with you?”  

Apparently the answer is feed her, which is not something Jemma is going to argue. Even though Daisy’s food of choice happens to be fruit snacks and cookies from the nearby vending machine, but it does by Jemma a little bit more time to pour over her notes while she and Daisy share the snacks.

“You don’t have to stay out here with me,” Jemma says as she chews on another processed, high-fructose gummy snack. “It’s late.”

Daisy shrugs. “Someone has to make sure you actually go to bed.”

Which is probably true, all things considered.

Once their snacks have been eaten, Jemma allows Daisy to bully her into packing up her stuff and carrying it back down the hallway to her dorm. They’ve been neighbors since the first day of freshman year and Jemma’s first impression of Daisy is still relatively true. She’d imagined the girl to be loud, boisterous and a potential pain in her ass, a girl she was glad she only shared a wall with and not an actual room. And while Jemma still finds Daisy to be loud and boisterous, she also knows her to be more charismatic than annoying and that her exuberant behavior makes her the type of person you definitely want to consider your friend.

“Good night, Daisy,” Jemma says before opening the door, trying to avoid disrupting her roommate. “Thank you for the snacks.”

Daisy smiles, flashing her a thumbs-up. “I’ve got your back.”

Jemma quietly climbs into bed, hoping she doesn’t wake Bobbi when she knocks her knuckles lightly on the wall. It’s something she and Daisy had started doing back in August, when they decided that they needed a secret code to ensure that they were snug and sound in their beds after a party and not off somewhere being murdered and chopped into tiny pieces. The idea, of course, had been all Daisy’s. But now it’s a hard habit to break.

Jemma is pretty sure she falls asleep before Daisy even knocks back.

~ ~ ~

Despite Jemma’s unwavering attention in class, her detailed notes, and her natural intelligence, she finds herself pouring over all her notes for all her classes in preparation for the approaching exams. The first semester of freshman year is coming to an end and Jemma wants to ensure that she finishes all her classes as strongly as possible to ensure that her professors give her the recommendations that she needs to continue in her program.

“You know you know all of this, right?” Bobbi asks Friday night, running a brush through her shimmering blonde hair. “Like this already locked into that brain of yours.”

Normally when people say this type of thing, Jemma finds herself annoyed. But she and Bobbi share a major, so she knows that Bobbi understands the pressure, yet Bobbi is still planning on going out on a Friday night with her boyfriend.

“You can’t be too careful,” Jemma points out, uncapping a highlighter. “Better safe than sorry.”

Bobbi smiles at her, shaking her head, and disappears off into the evening. Jemma returns to her studies, where she remains, firmly planted, until her phone buzzes two hours later. It’s a message from Daisy: have you eaten?

Jemma smirks, rolling her eyes at the screen. But she answers honestly: not yet.

It doesn’t take long before there’s a knock on her door. Jemma isn’t surprised to see Daisy standing on the other side. “Come on,” Daisy reaches forward, grabbing Jemma’s hand. “The dining hall is open for another hour and Fridays they have fajitas.”

Jemma protests, even as she’s already reaching for her jacket. “I really should study.”

“How can you study on an empty stomach?” Daisy says, pulling Jemma out into the hallway. “You know you need brain food.”

“Right, what’s better for the brain than fajitas,” Jemma says.

Daisy nods. “Exactly. Glad you see it my way.” They start toward the stairs. “Plus you need some sort of human contact, something outside of all your perfect notes.”

Jemma sighs dramatically, but she figures both of them know it’s all just for show anyway. She’s not entirely upset but the study break, especially when it involves Daisy and one of Daisy’s many entertaining stories about the kids in her computer science class.

It’s nice to spend some time away from her dorm, especially because Jemma knows that she’s going to be spending a great deal of time studying until her exams are over next week. So a stolen hour -or two- with Daisy really isn’t so bad.

~ ~ ~

Daisy shows up, unannounced, on Sunday night. Bobbi lets her in and Jemma sighs, sincerely this time, when she sees Daisy. “I can’t do anything right now,” she tells her firmly. “Exams start tomorrow, you know. And you should be studying too. It’s very important to-”

“I know,” Daisy says before Jemma can really get wound up on a lecture that comes mainly from the stress that she feels bubbling inside her brain right now. “I’m not staying. I just figured you hadn’t eaten and might need some sugar.”

Daisy holds up a pint of ice cream -cookie dough, Jemma’s favorite- and a plastic spoon. “Good luck studying.”

Jemma takes the ice cream, smiling to herself as Daisy disappears again. Bobbi looks at her and smirks. “What?” Jemma says defensively, digging the spoon into the ice cream.

Bobbi shakes her head. “Nothing, nothing at all.”

Jemma thinks about pressuring Bobbi into telling her what’s running through her mind but decides against it. She’s got too much to focus on without getting involved in any sort of nonsense that has Bobbi Morse smirking like that.

The ice cream does provide an excellent motivator, though.

~ ~ ~

By Wednesday, Jemma is feeling simultaneously exhausted and thrilled about things. She’s done well on her finals so far and she has only one more tomorrow in Dr. Weaver’s class, which she’s feeling relatively confident about. Her first semester should end exactly as she wants it to and it’ll be nice to have the winter break off to relax before the next semester.

Though,  Jemma has hardly seen anyone that week, including Bobbi, who shares a space with her. Exams have officially taken over everyone and the entire dorm seems to be locked away, cramming before it’s time to sit down and take the test. Jemma does enjoy the quiet, though.

Quiet that is shattered as soon as her phone dings, signaling a text message and causing Jemma to jump. The message is from Daisy, which doesn’t exactly surprise her, though it does make Jemma smile. They haven’t crossed paths since Sunday when Daisy came to drop off the ice cream and she has been missing her friend, even if biochemistry has been weighing heavily in her brain.

You hungry? The message reads.

On cue, Jemma’s stomach rumbles. Possibly…

Jemma also isn’t surprised when a knock on the door comes almost immediately. “Were you already standing out there?” Jemma asks as she opens the door.

“Possibly…” Daisy replies and there’s a pizza in her hands. “I couldn’t eat this all by myself, could I?” She pauses. “Well, I mean, I definitely could have but...I thought I would share.”

They sit on the floor and for a blissful hour, Jemma doesn’t think about her finals or studying or the impending second semester or the teacher recommendations. She only things about Daisy and the pizza and how she probably hasn’t laughed this hard in two weeks.

Bobbi comes in just as they’re finishing their last pieces. “You didn’t save me in?”

Jemma shrugs. “Sorry. We didn’t know when you would be back.” She’s not as sorry as she should be, though. She’s not sure that she would have wanted to share.

Either the pizza or Daisy.

Even though Jemma doesn’t exactly want to get back to studying, she doesn’t protest when Daisy finally gets to her feet, saying something about Shakespeare and monologues and heads back to her own room to finish cramming.

When she gones, Jemma sighs, eager for the end of midterms so that they can spend do more than just steal a few hours together. Bobbi is looking at her and Jemma tries to resist as long as she can before she finally turns around in her seat, glaring at her. “What?”

“Jemma, seriously,” Bobbi says, sounding deeply disappointed. “You’re smarter than this.”

“If this is about studying again-”

“Oh, no, that’s a lost cause,” Bobbi says dismissively. “I’m talking about Daisy.”

Jemma immediately feels warmer, less weary at the mention of her name. “What about Daisy?”

Bobbi gives her a pointed look. “The fact that you guys are always hanging out. You do that stupid little thing where you tell each other goodnight by tapping on the wall. And she’s been bringing you food nonstop…”

Jemma huffs out a breath. “It’s not stupid,” she grumbles, even though she really meant to ask Bobbi to get to the point.

“She likes you,” Bobbi says. “Can you just please realize that she’s not just bringing you food and hanging out because she cares about your nutrition.”

“Well, that’s pretty obvious,” Jemma says, rolling her eyes. “If she did, she wouldn’t be bringing ice cream and pizza and wait, what? What did you say?”

Bobbi leans over to pat her on the shoulder. “She likes you.”

Jemma feels her face flush, her heart do an excited little dance in her chest. “She does?”

Bobbi only rolls her eyes. “Seriously, Jemma, I give up.”

As focused as she is on her studying, Jemma has to admit that this new idea definitely takes precedence in her mind.

It’s a thought that makes her smile, makes her feel giddy and nervous and overjoyed all at once. It makes her feel special and a little bit stupid for not having realized it before. For not having thought that maybe she wasn’t the only one who thought there could be something more there between them.

It also makes her hurry through her exam so that she can hurry across campus to the coffee shop, grabbing two coffees and a couple pastries, making it to the English building with a few minutes to spare.

Daisy comes trudging out, looking a little shell-shocked and a little relieved to be outside in the fresh air again. When she turns in Jemma’s direction, responding to the sound of her name, she brightens, grinning.

Jemma figures that any doubts about her own feelings for Daisy quickly disappear when her heart tightens in her chest and she answers with a smile of her own.

“Hey,” Daisy says, “what are you doing here?”

Jemma holds up the coffee and pastry bag. “Thought you might be hungry,” she says. “It’s important to eat, you know.”

Daisy grins at her. “You know, I think I’ve heard that.”

[carolineasweet-blog]

Adult friendship

I have anxiety today. Maybe it’s the coffee or maybe, just maybe, it’s because I know the subject I’m about to delve into. Whenever someone goes through a breakup, I am there at the ready to help them through. There’s an unspoken rulebook, bring ice cream, sappy movies, junk food and get ready to talk trash. Burn a candle, maybe even burn some photos? But what do we do when the breakup isn’t romantic? What about when you break up with a friend? There’s no rulebook in sight. 

We’ve all had friend breakups. I know because every time I bring this up to someone, they nod, clearly relating and offering up a “that sucks”, and that’s where it ends. There’s no clear way to get over them or what to do. There’s always an awkwardness around it like we lack the vocabulary or there's too much shame and embarrassment surrounding friendships gone awry. More so than a romantic relationship. Why? Perhaps because the relationship itself is not as clearly defined, but it’s just as painful when one ends. It’s hard to tell when a friendship has started, when you’ve entered that unspoken contract, because it is just that - unspoken. You don’t sit down to have “the talk” or define what “we” are: the inner circle, the best friend, an acquaintance? Yet it’s alarmingly clear, spoken or not, when it’s ended. 

My first best friend was Katie Bunn. As children, we were inseparable. Once, we locked ourselves in Katie’s bedroom when it was time for me to go home, and our parents had to call a locksmith after hours of trying to coax us into opening the door. We threw our pet mice down the laundry shoot because they “wanted to go on a rollercoaster” and once took a hose and shampoo bottle to her basement because it “needed a cleaning.” We were the closest of friends and developed our senses of humor with each other often sharing a made up language only the two of us could understand. Yet somehow, perhaps inevitably when you meet your twin flame at the age of three, our paths diverged. I can’t put my finger on it, but by high school, we were barely close at all. When I see her once a year at the summer vacation spot both our families still frequent, it’s not the same. There’s the odd feeling being near someone you used to know that rivals that of running into an ex-lover. There’s a deep yearning-like sadness for a time that once was. The thing is with friends, it could still work out, couldn’t it?

Then, there’s April Brawn. We’d known each other since elementary school but became particularly close during high school going to N’SYNC concerts together and begging our parents to drive us to the under 18 club so we could enter the “big booty contest”. What better bonding is there than shaking your ass live on stage with each other while judges vote on whether you have a big booty or not. I did, April did not, but man could she move. She knew everything about me, and I knew everything about her. We spent every weekend together, so when she relayed a rumor about me to the rest of the school instead of coming straight to me and asking the truth, it was the particular kind of hurt that comes from betrayal. We attempted to talk it out. She said her peace, “I was just trying to protect you by getting to the bottom of it”, and I said mine,“you talked about it more behind my back, I wish you had just stuck up for me”, and we tried to smooth things over. But my trust was broken, and we were never the same. We never had a conversation about the state of things after that, we just slowly phased out. I guess I couldn’t get over it. I hear about her occasionally from my parents, but I feel nothing, which makes me feel guilty. 

I suppose an argument could be made that we just grew up and changed. But this happens in adult friendships too. In my late twenties, I had a roommate who became a close friend, in retrospect, because she clung to me; it was clear I’d made the “inner circle” tier. Her brain was wired for conflict whereas mine was wired for solutions - that should’ve been my first clue. She once told me her therapist said it was good for her mental health to hang out with me. That’s not a compliment, by the way, that’s a lot of pressure. So after she moved out and no longer returned my texts or phone calls, I shouldn’t have taken it personally, but I did. It was a weight off my back to not have to calm her down or reason her through life, but it was also a huge blow to my ego. I knew she took ordinary things people had done and made them unacceptable, worthy of trash-talking to other people, and now I was the one who was cut out which could only mean that I’m the bad person! I never heard what she was saying behind my back, but to know she cut me out, it had to have been bad. Was I the bad person all along? Am I toxic?

That’s the heart of all my fears and anxieties, that I am somehow a bad person. And nowhere is that more evident than a friend deeming you so. So recently, when I lost two close friends in the midst of a pandemic, it really struck a chord. I must be bad. Many people are losing friendships during this time, or so I see from pithy Twitter tweets. But mine don’t seem to be specifically pandemic related, it’s all just timing. Maybe all of them worldwide are, but no one is delving any further - maybe it doesn’t fit into 140 characters. One friend, let’s call her Susan, stopped talking to me a month or so before lockdown. It took me a few days to notice because the nature of the relationship was her initiating communication. She texted or called with decent frequency. After a few days of of not hearing from her, I texted something innocuous to feel out the situation. It took her a day to get back to me, highly unusual, so that confirmed it - she was mad at me. “Oh come on,” other friends would say, “nobody is thinking about you but you. It’s never about you, she’s probably busy or going through something,” which is what I would say to anyone in my situation and normally would be true. But I knew her, and I knew this was about me. But why? What had I done? To my knowledge, it was business as usual. When Susan finally responded, she said a lot of things that boiled down to we are not always good for each other and sometimes enable each other. She’d decided she needed to take a break from me. I had known it was coming, on some level, but hearing it as on another plane of pain. Wow, we’re really never going to talk again. She had been such a mainstay over the last few years, so it felt like a world shift the way breakups do. What is even more remarkable is I had no idea what she was talking about. My behavior had not changed, our level of communication had not changed, the only thing that changed is her need not to talk to me. My ego was bruised. I felt shame and embarrassment. Here it is, that old familiar feeling of being a bad person. The more I unpacked it, the more I realized that what hurt was the idea of explaining it to all our mutual friends. 

With romantic breakups, the end is quite clear. There is a decided end, a period to it all and a sensical reason why whether we understand it at the time or not. Unless someone cheats or harms the other person, it’s understood that sometimes these things just don’t work out. But with friendships, it’s much more complicated and harder to understand. There’s usually not one definitive thing to point to that ended it. It doesn’t matter if one of you wants kids and the other doesn’t. It doesn’t matter that you want to raise your kids Jewish or live across the country. Friendship, truly, has no bounds. And that’s what makes it harder to separate from who you are. It’s harder still to separate what is really hurting, me or my ego? 

I would love to get some clarity around why these things happen, or better yet, I would love to have clear vocabulary around why these things feel a unique kind of icks. Until then, if anyone needs a bad rom com, a pint of ice cream or a light-hearted gabfest, I’m your girl. And who knows, maybe it’ll be the start of a beautiful friendship. 

[backtothestart02]

Cool and Creamy | Barry x Iris, (brief) Henry x Nora Fanfiction

Slowly but surely, I am catching up. Here’s your ice cream Flash fic, @iwasalwaysaromantic. I hope you enjoy it! I wrote it as close to your prompt request as I could manage. I thiiiink I hit all the details you wanted. Hopefully. :P

*Big thanks to @valeriemperez for beta’ing. :D

Locks tossed about from the many times he’d gripped his hair in frustration while deciding what color to use, a seven-year-old Barry finally settled on red for the spots of the green dinosaur only somewhat resembling the character from his favorite book, The Runaway Dinosaur. He grinned from ear to ear when all of his handmade spots had been filled in, leaving only the grass and the sky to be colored. At which point he would present the masterpiece to his mother. She would promptly respond with a soft awestruck gasp and a ‘my beautiful boy,’ her hand over her heart as if she’d never seen something so wonderful. Then she’d lock eyes with him, a twinkle in hers, and make her way to the fridge where she’d stick it with the alphabet magnets forever present there.

“So, I can see it every time I’d get something to eat,” she’d say.

And he’d respond with, “or get us something to eat.”

She’d laugh. “Oh, yes, if I didn’t cook for you and your father, you both would starve.”

Barry could envision it all now, and it made him that much more enthusiastic to get his drawing finished. It didn’t matter to him that the cycle repeated itself to the tee every time. His mother never grew tired of his dinosaur drawings, and he never tired of requesting The Runaway Dinosaur to be read to him at bedtime.

He’d heard his father mumble a time or two that maybe his son was getting too old for bedtime stories, but his mother hushed him with a quick kiss and a straightening of his tie, and that was always more than enough to satisfy Henry Allen.

The sound of the door opening behind him caused Barry’s head to spin around. He gasped, a smile breaking across his features, his drawing temporarily forgotten, as he saw who was coming through the door and into the living room.

“Dad!” He got up from the coffee table and ran to the door, giggling when his father swept him up in his arms and held him close to his chest as Barry threw his arms around his neck and squeezed tight.

“Hey there, Slugger,” Henry responded, setting him down a few moments later. “What have you been up to today on this fine Saturday morning?”

“Drawing,” Barry said, rocking a fit on the balls of his feet.

Henry Allen raised an eyebrow. “Let me guess. A dinosaur?”

Barry frowned. “How did you know?”

He chuckled. “Lucky guess.”

Barry shrugged that off. “Wanna see?”

Henry smiled tenderly down at his son. “In a minute.” He lifted his head and began to scan the room, his brows furrowing when he couldn’t seem to see what he was looking for.

“You looking for Mommy?” Barry asked, taking his father by surprise.

“Yes, actually. Do you know—”

“She’s in the kitchen,” Barry said, returning to his spot by the coffee table and settling down to his drawing. “I’m gonna finish coloring and then I’m gonna give this to her and she’s going to put it on the fridge and probably feed us, cause it’s lunch time.”

Henry chuckled, looking at his son in wonder. “Probably,” he murmured to himself.

Barry heard his father walk past him and into the kitchen, heard his parents exchange greetings, and then heard his mother gasp. Barry’s hand stilled on his crayon, and he craned his neck to see what had delighted his mother so.

“Oh, Henry, you know you don’t have to do this every month. It’s not like I’m pregnant or hormonal.”

Barry’s heart fell into the pit of his stomach at the thought of having to share his parents with another sibling.

The feeling of dread was replaced by the sound of his father responding to his mother.

“I know I don’t have to, but I like to. Some women get flowers from their husbands, you get ice cream.”

Nora raised her eyebrows and wordlessly gestured to the bouquet by the sink that he’d brought home the day before. Henry’s jaw dropped, rendered speechless. Nora laughed.

“I love you for thinking of me,” she said, closing the distance between them with a quick kiss before holding the pint of ice cream to her stomach. “I’ll be eating this now.”

“All of it?” he gawked, but of course he was teasing, because of course he raised his hands in surrender when Nora shot him a glare. Barry couldn’t see it.

“Eat to your heart’s content. I’m going to check on our boy again.”

Nora didn’t say anything, but it was a safe bet she was smiling, because Henry smiled again too before leaving the kitchen to rejoin his son. He stopped suddenly when he spotted Barry looking up at him pouting, his eyebrows furrowed, and something bordering hurt and irritation simmering in his eyes.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” He crouched down, so he was at eye-level with his son. “Did I do something?”

“How come Mommy gets ice cream, and I don’t?” he demanded. It wasn’t particularly the ice cream that had upset him, but he did always wonder how she kept sporadically getting some once a month that was just for her.

Henry sat on the ground and folded his hands in his lap.

“Well, Barry, because I think your mom is very special, and sometimes I think she should get things that are just for her. I want her to know how much I love and appreciate her, and I know giving her ice cream reminds her of that a little bit.”

“Huh.” Barry contemplated that.

“But you know what I think will remind her of that even more?” He asked, leaning forward a bit with a glint in his eye.

“What?” Barry asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Henry took on an all-knowing air. “Your dinosaur drawing.”

Barry gasped, looked back at his almost finished drawing and then at his dad again.

“Really?”

“Mhmm. No matter what I do…She likes those pictures more than any food or flowers I give her.”

Barry smiled wide, forgetting any previous vehemence he’d had with his father.

“You better finish that up quick and give it to her.”

Barry licked his lips and nodded, quickly reaching for the blue crayon to finish up his sky.

“I will. She’s going to love it!”

Henry smiled softly and ruffled his son’s hair.

“She definitely will.”

All of thirty seconds later, Barry had finished drawing and sped into the kitchen where his mom was halfway through her pint of tiramisu caramel chocolate ice cream.

She set it down when she saw him and met him halfway as he shoved the facedown drawing into her hand.

“What have we got here?” she asked, as if she didn’t know.

Barry urged her to flip over, and just like clockwork, she quietly gasped – a better gasp than what she’d given his father, Barry decided – and then, her hand over her heart, she said, “My beautiful boy…”

Barry started walking to the fridge before she even got there.

“So I can see it every time I get something to eat,” she said pointedly.

“Or get us something to eat,” Barry reminded her, bouncing up onto his toes.

Nora’s laugh subsided into a gentle smile.

“Of course. If I didn’t cook for you and your father, you’d both starve.”

…

 Twelve-year-old Barry Allen paced outside the bathroom door upstairs. He’d heard a crying Iris from down the hall and ran out to see what was wrong, but he didn’t make it in time before she’d locked herself in the bathroom and called, “Nothing’s wrong, Barry. Go back to bed.”

The sniffles told him well enough that everything was not fine, and he’d be the worst best friend ever if he left her while she was crying. He wished he could get Joe, but the older man had left in the middle of the night because of some emergency at the station. Barry knew he hated to leave them alone, but he must’ve figured that with at least one of them turning thirteen soon that was pretty much the equivalent of them being okay by themselves if he was gone. After all, they had each other and they knew what to do if something really serious happened.

Barry wondered if this was serious.

Probably not, the voice in his head told him, even though a million red flags went up for him whenever Iris was in distress.

“Iris…” he tried again.

“I’m fine!” she insisted – more tears, a higher pitch, and louder.

Not good.

But he didn’t want to upset her further, so he very loudly stomped down the hall to his room and then tiptoed back to just outside the bathroom door. He kept as quiet as a mouse while he waited for her to emerge. He heard her rummaging around in the cupboards, huffing in frustration, and turning the sink on and off a few times.

After about twenty minutes, the door open, and Iris walked out, promptly halting and gasping when she spotted him sitting on the floor.

“Barry.”

He quickly stood to his feet, not saying anything, but his facial expression a combination of deer-caught-in-the-headlights and tell-me-what’s-wrong-I’m-worried.

An excruciatingly long five seconds tick past till finally Iris’ shoulders slumped in spite of herself.

“Sorry for yelling at you,” she said quietly. “That wasn’t very nice.”

“’t’s okay…” He cautiously shuffled towards her. “What’s wrong?”

She sighed dramatically. “Well, you know how I haven’t been feeling very well that last couple days?”

“Uh-huh.”

“And how my dad acted a little weird when I told him some stuff just before dinner yesterday?”

“Yeah…” Barry was increasingly wary now.

“And how instead of sitting with you at lunch yesterday, I went to the nurse’s office?”

His brows furrowed. Was she sneaking off to hang out with friends that weren’t him? Was that what had upset Joe before dinner? And why she wouldn’t tell him what was up? Or rather, how he could tell that she was lying.

“You said it was because you were sick,” he said.

“It was!” Her eyes widened as she went into full reassurance mode. “I wasn’t lying about that!”

He sighed as his arms flailed about. “Well then what, Iris?” He paused a moment to keep himself in check. “What were you crying about just now?” he asked quietly.

She swallowed, clearly debating about how much to tell him.

“It’s nothing much, really.” She laughed nervously, avoiding eye contact. Then she straightened her shoulders. “It’s just that I’m a woman now, Barry.”

He blinked, beyond confused.

“And so…sometimes I’ll get sick a couple times a month and maybe I’ll cry, but that’s just what being a woman is about, and you shouldn’t worry.”

“Oh…kay…” His brows furrowed, trying to piece together what she was telling him. He’d heard boys snicker about it in gym class and been both offended on all women’s behalf, and also really curious about what exactly it was about.

Then he remembered back to when his dad always used to give his mom ice cream once a month and wondered if it was connected. A devious plan started to develop in the back of his mind.

“Do you understand, Barry?” she asked, clearly wanting very much not to explain it further. Maybe she didn’t really understand it herself.

“I…think so.” He straightened and brightened up. “Yes. Yes, I do.”

Her nose crinkled up, and he could see the words plain as day written on her face – at least one of us does.

“Good,” she said a bit awkwardly. “Well then, I think we should go to bed now.”

“Right. Yes, that’s…that’s a good idea,” he said.

“Okay, then…” She shuffled past him into her room. “Goodnight, Barry.”

“Goodnight, Iris.” He confidently strutted back to his room, but he didn’t sleep much.

The next day after school, Barry made up an excuse about forgetting something and for Iris to start walking home. He’d just catch up to her. She was wary but agreed. When she got home and up to her room, he was sitting on her bed, a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream in his hand.

She gasped as he held it out to her. “Barry. How did you—”

“For your period!” he declared, a moment later blushing a fierce red and then paling to almost white, no further words able to tumble past his lips, his tongue too thick to move.

Iris’ mouth was hanging open. She wasn’t able to speak, either.

She hadn’t named her condition, other than entering womanhood. She had only heard the word once. She certainly had never said the word aloud, and she didn’t ever intend to. Especially not to a boy, even if he was her best friend.

“I’ll get you a spoon,” Barry muttered under his breath what felt like an eternity later.

Wide-eyed and determined to avoid eye contact for the rest of her life, Iris let him run past her. A full ten minutes later, which was waaaay longer than was necessary to get a spoon, Barry hesitantly walked into the room again, honestly surprised to see she was still there.

“I wasn’t about to abandon my favorite ice cream, Barry,” she said, still avoiding his eyes, but her voice was stable, definitely under control.

Barry’s lips twitched at the corner, encouraging him to cross the room close enough to hand her the spoon. Then he backed away quickly.

Iris sighed dramatically, then patted the spot next to her on her bed.

“Sit by me, Barry.”

When he finally had, she glanced over to him and nudged him teasingly so he fell sideways, not expecting the silly gesture.

“It’s just a word,” she said and rolled her eyes.

Right, Barry thought to himself, but just nodded with a smile.

He’d be sure to avoid saying that particular word for as long as he could and deliver ice cream to her every month for as long as they lived together, just as his dad had done for his mother, in exchange for any further awkward moments regarding Iris’ embarking into womanhood.

And that’s exactly what he did.

…

 On Christmas Eve several years later, Barry bought a beautiful, spacious loft for both he and Iris to live in. She said yes to him then, and yes again when he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. Twice. Less than a year after that, in one of the craziest weddings of probably all time, Iris West became Iris West-Allen.

Ever since they moved in together, Barry had resumed the custom of bringing home a pint of Iris’ favorite mint chocolate chip once a month, delighting in the sparkle that shone in her eyes and the light that illuminated her face as she snatched the pint from his hands and promptly devoured it on the couch, causing a chuckle to slip out of him like clockwork. He had come to expect that reaction from her and had even gotten to the point of yearning for the moment she realized what he had brought home with him.

But today, this month, was different.

Because today, cheerful as ever when he made his monthly deliveries, Barry bounded into the loft, not even calling out to Iris to see if she was home before heading straight for the kitchen to place his pint of ice cream into the freezer.

When he opened the door to the freezer, the usual spot he put said pint was completely filled up by a gallon-sized container of mint chocolate chip ice cream. He frowned, staring at it in disbelief. Was it possible Iris had gone out and bought it herself? Surely she knew he would’ve come home with some. Did she want him to step up his game and start bringing her a larger size? All she had to do was ask. He’d probably just want to share.

“Surprise?”

He nearly jumped, shaken out of his reverie by Iris’ voice and presence suddenly beside him.

“Iris! You—you scare—” He cut himself off, frowning. “Did you do this?” He gestured to the oversized ice cream container in the still open freezer.

Iris bit her bottom lip, nodding.

“If you wanted a larger size, all you had to do was ask.” He tried to push the hurt out of his voice, but it was obvious she’d caught onto it.

“Aww, Barry.” She grasped his arms and shook him gently so he’d look at her. “I’m sorry. I just…” She licked her lips.

“What?” he urged, impatient and insatiably curious.

“I wanted a creative way to tell you.”

His brows furrowed. “Tell me what?”

She cleared her throat. “That I, uh…will be hungrier than usual…for a while… And I, might want to eat some odd combinations of food…and sporadic times during the day…and night…”

“Because?” he asked, still oblivious.

By some miracle Iris held onto her frustration and her overwhelming urge to laugh.

“Because that’s what happens when you have another person growing inside you, Barry.”

It took him another moment or two, but then… “Another…per—” His face cleared, realization shining in his eyes and spreading into his whole facial expression. “You—we—you’re—”

“I’m pregnant!” she squealed.

A boundless joy burst inside him, happier now than he’d been since their wedding day. He lifted Iris up off her feet and spun her around, thrilling in how she clung to him and her smile that pressed into his neck.

“This is amazing!” he declared, unable to stop smiling.

“Well, kiss me already,” she laughed, clutching at him when he nearly lunged at her to kiss her properly.

When he pulled back a while later, he didn’t go far, instead nuzzling against her face, practically purring.

“That was a great way to tell me,” he whispered against her cheek.

Iris smiled and pushed her fingers through his hair.

“A gallon from now on,” she informed him.

He laughed. “Noted.”

“Even after the baby is born.”

He laughed again. “You got it.”

“Or babies.”

He pulled back, wide-eyed. “Babies?”

She shrugged innocently. “You never know.”

Her eyes sparkled; she pulled him in for another kiss to stop his gawking.

It was a while till she got to the ice cream.

*Also posted on AO3 and FFnet.

[filmfanatic82]

The Long Game - Chapter 11: Chosen Family

AO3 Link (HERE)

Chapter 11: Chosen Family

“Dibs!” Zack makes a beeline for Billy and Jason’s oversized, plush couch and launches himself onto it. He lands with a less than graceful thud and then lets out a sigh of exhaustion. “For two dudes, you guys sure know how to pick good furniture.”

Kim, Jason, Billy, and Trini all file into the house, haphazardly dropping their bonfire supplies anywhere they can, each one looking just as exhausted as Zack.

“You did not just say that,” Trini mutters under her breath.

“What?”

“Zack…”

“I just meant for two ‘dude’ like dudes. Ya know, like--”

“Just stop,” Trini cuts Zack off as she pinches the bridge of her nose in utter annoyance.

Unlike Trini, though, both Kim and Jason can’t seem to hide their smirks of amusements.

“Oh yeah. We’re ‘dude’ type of dudes,” Jason responds with a bit of a snicker.

Billy’s eyes ping-pong between the other rangers, clearly trying to piece together what their conversation is actually about. “Jason picks out most of our furniture since there was this one time that I bought us a coffee table that looked like the Death Star. Not the Death Star in Last Hope. But the one in Return of the Jedi. It’s hyper realistic looking--”

“But not exactly practical,” Jason finishes Billy’s sentence.

“Right. Not practical. So we put it in the den. But I still don’t get why being male would mean that one can’t pick out furniture.”

“See what you started?” Trini grabs a nearby throw pillow and playfully chucks it at Zack’s head.

But Zack’s ranger reflexes kick in and before the pillow can reach his head, he catches it and tosses it right back at Trini. “Nice try, Short Round.”

“Zack was making reference to the fact that we are masculine and gay, baby.” Jason gives Billy a loving smile laced with the utmost patience.

“Oh!” Billy’s eyes widen with the sudden look of realization. “Right. Because of the common stereotype that gay men are naturally good at decorating. Except we aren’t gay. You’re bisexual and I’m demisexual. Is there a bisexual equivalent to that stereotype?”

Now it’s Zack’s turn to let a light chuckle out. “Maybe it just means their ‘half’ as good at it?”

“Ugh!” Trini chucks the pillow once again at Zack’s head and this time it makes contact with the lengthy boy’s face.

Kim can’t help but ever so slightly smile at the scene unfolding before her. This feels right. The kind of right she’s been desperately craving over the last eight years. All five of them, simply existing in each other’s presence, as if they’ve grown up with with each other.

As if they are family…

“We should probably do a sweep of the house. Maybe put up the storm shutters?” Jason asks Billy as his hand subconsciously rubs the back of his neck. Telltale sign that his mind has switched over to “leader” mode.

“Yes. And… Oh! I can tweak the alarm system to be extra sensitive as well.” Billy responds as he starts to wander out of the living room and down the hallway, already lost in his own thoughts.

Jason watches Billy disappear out of sight and then turns his attention back at Kim, Trini, and Zack. “Billy tricked out this place a few years ago after watching a Doomsday Preppers marathon. It’s like Fort Knox now. We should be safe. At least for the night.”

“Good. We could all use a decent night’s sleep.” Kim plops herself down on a nearby accent chair, kicking off her boots in the process.

“Thoughts on dinner?” Jason asks the three of them as he joins Kim and Zack, finding a decently comfy seat on the floor, back pressed up against the couch. “I could order pizza maybe, or--”

“I’m on it,” Trini cuts Jason off. She starts to head towards the kitchen but suddenly stops short before reaching the doorway. Trini looks back at Kim, eyes locking in a comforting warmth. “You still like enchiladas?”

Kim’s thrown off guard for a moment, not fully sure why Trini’s asking her about enchiladas and then it clicks…

Oh god, how it clicks.

Enchiladas. Trini’s enchiladas. The signature dish that she made for Kim on their first official date. The one that became their Tuesday night ritual, along with sharing a pint of salt caramel swirl ice cream while binge watching Netflix until usually Trini would pass out on Kim’s lap.

It was their thing… until one day it wasn’t.

“Yeah. Never stopped,” Kim replies, staring back at Trini with a hint of a foreshadowing smile.

Trini gives a simple nod and then disappears into the kitchen without another word, leaving Kim sitting there in silence with Jason and Zack.

A moment passes and then--

“Enchiladas?” Zack raises an eyebrow as he shoots an all knowing smirk in Kim’s direction.

“What?” Kim tries to play it off, but it’s hopeless. The shared looks of pure, brotherly amusement on both Zack and Jason says it all. They also haven’t forgotten.

“Enchiladas.” Jason shakes his head, matching Zack’s smile. “Some things never change.”

Not sure how to respond, Kim picks up a nearby throw pillow and chucks it in the direction of Jason and Zack. She misses by a good five feet, but gets her point cross nonetheless.

“It’s nothing.”

“Suuure.” Zack draws out his word for added effect while Jason just continues to smile. “Whatever you say, Kimmy.”

Kim curls herself up into the chair a bit more, slightly turning her back on the boys, not willing to give them any more satisfaction than she already has. Deep down, she knows they are right, but isn’t fully ready to admit it just yet.

The sheer hope that it is indeed something, is just too terrifying to grapple with.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Where we going?” Trini huffs out in slight annoyance as she readjusts her makeshift blindfold for the twentieth time since they started driving.

“You’ll see,” Kimberly hums in response.

“Guessing school isn’t the surprise.”

“Nope.” Kimberly pops the ‘p’ for added effect as a noticeable coy smirk crawls across her lips.

“So we’re ditchin’?”

“Yup.”

“And our bio test test?”

“Not important.”

“Sure, if we don’t care about graduating, Princess.”

Kimberly sinks her teeth into her bottom lip and is suddenly grateful she made Trini wear a blindfold so that smaller girl can’t see her face. Graduation, along with all of the other upcoming teenaged milestones are simply longer in the cards for her. No cap and gown. No posing for cheesy photos with her family. No post-ceremony celebration with her fellow rangers. None of it.  

Kimberly swallows down the lump of regret and sadness residing in the back of her throat and then turns her attention back to the road ahead.

“One day won’t hurt,” Kimberly responds, trying to hide the insincerity in her voice. “Besides, I already had Billy call in sick for both of us.”

“Do I even want to know how he managed that?”

“Nope.” Kimberly pops her “p” once again, just to get under Trini’s skin.

“You’re lucky I love you.”

“Yup.” Kim pulls off the main road and into a semi-hidden, abandoned lot that overlooks a secluded inlet of the bay. “Okay. We’re here.”

Trini eagerly rips off her blindfold and takes a long, hard look at where they’re at. Her face lights up like a kid on christmas morning. “Good call, Hart.”

Kimberly can’t help but match Trini’s smile. “Figured we could use an escape.”

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“No.”

“No? But look at that deck? It’s massive,” Kimberly replies, motioning towards a house across the bay. She shifts her weight back onto her elbows, stretching her legs over Trini’s in the process. The two lounge comfortably on an oversized picnic blanket on the ground, bodies entwined, as they both gaze out onto the array of picturesque houses dotting the shoreline of the inlet.

“Not the one.” Trini shakes her head with her signature cocky grin plastered across her face.

“Okay. I give up. Which one is it?”

Trini takes a moment, scanning the houses and then points to an adorable looking cottage, tucked away in a remote corner of the inlet. “That one.”

“That one?” Kimberly eyes the cottage with a slight disbelief.

“That’s the one.”

Kimberly straightens herself up a bit while giving the cottage a second look. “Not seeing it. There’s like at least ten other houses that are way more impressive.”

“I’m tellin’ you, Princess. That’s the one.”

“Really?”

“Yup.”

“How do you know?”

Trini tucks a loose strand of her ombre locks behind her ear and gives a simple shrug of her shoulders. “Just do.”

“And?”

“And I might’ve stalked it on Zillow.” Trini digs into her pocket, unlocks her phone, and hands it to Kimberly. “Four bedroom, three bath with a finished basement and a killer kitchen.”

Kimberly slowly swipes through the photos one by one, studying each and every one. And for the briefest of moments, a look of genuine happiness crosses over her face. “Wow.”

“Yeah.” Trini takes back her phone and then lets out a lengthy sigh. “Too bad it’s like almost three million.”

“Okay. But say we had that kinda money—“

“Kimberly…”

“You know the rules to this game. Nothing’s impossible.”

“Right. But there’s fantasies and then there’s delusions. And us affording a three million dollar house is a delusion.”

“Just humor me.”

“Fine.” Trini huffs with a hard exhale of air. “You took up money laundering after college.”

“No. Card shark.”

Trini shoots an eyebrow in Kimberly’s direction. “You? A card shark?”

“Yeah. Why not?”

Trini lets a chuckle slip through her lips. “Fine, Princess. You take up gambling and hit the motherload one day in a high stakes game of poker. Better?”

“Much,” Kimberly replies as she rests her head on Trini’s shoulder. “Now continue.”

“We say we aren’t gonna go crazy decorating but of course that doesn’t happen and we spend a shit ton on tasteful but comfy furniture.”

“Leather couches, right? The ones we saw that day in Restoration Hardware. The distressed ones.”

“Yeah. That’s the first thing we buy.”

“And we adopt two dogs.”

“We do?”

Kimberly nods her head in response. “Yup. We go to the shelter with the intend of just getting one dog, but you fall in love with two and then twist my arm to adopt both.”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“Oh you so would.” Kimberly reaches up and ever so gently traces the outline of Trini’s jaw with her fingertips. They dance along her skin in a rhythmic pattern. Almost taunting the smaller girl. “In fact I think you would try and attempt to convince me to adopt half of the shelter but I would talk you down to just two.”

“We’d do family dinners with the boys. Every Friday night.”

“Enchiladas?”

“Sometimes. Depends on what I’ll feel in the mood to cook.”

“But Tuesdays--”

“Would still be our enchiladas night. Promise.”

A comfortable silence falls between Kimberly and Trini as the two look out onto the water, just merely existing in each other’s presence. And it’s in this moment that Kimberly is suddenly hit with the desperate desire to freeze time. Right then and there. So the two of them can live forever within the lingering thoughts of future “what ifs”.

“Hey baby. Mind reaching into the pocket of my coat? There’s something in there that I need.” Kimberly tilts her head over towards her leather jacket resting on the blanket besides Trini.  

“Cryptic much?”

Kimberly gives Trini a coy smirk. “Maybe.”

Trini rolls her eyes at Kimberly, stretches her arm, shoves her hand into the coat, and suddenly a look of shock sweeps across Trini’s face. “Kimberly…”

“It’s not what you think,” Kimberly responds with a small nod. “Go on and pull it out.”

But Trini can’t seem to will her arm to move. A hint of tears automatically start to well up in her eyes as she searches for her voice.

Sensing Trini’s trepidation, Kimberly reaches over, places her hand within the pocket as well, and slowly guides Trini’s hand back out, revealing a small black jewelry box. She carefully takes it from Trini and opens it. Inside resides a thin silver necklace with a ornate sabertooth tiger pendant.

“Baby, I…” Trini trails off, at a complete and utter loss for words. Her fingers trace the pendant, almost too afraid to fully touch it. Almost as if she isn’t sure it’s real.

“Look. I know it isn’t a ring. We both agreed that we’re too young for that. But I still wanted to get you something. Something that signifies what you mean to me.” Kimberly takes the necklace out of the box, unclasps it and then gently places it around Trini’s neck. “Trinity Marie Gomez. I’ve known since the very first moment that I laid eyes on you, that you’re it. My end game. There will never be anyone else. At least not for me.”

Another silence falls between the two of them as Trini simply stares at the pendant around her neck, unable to speak, let alone move.

Kimberly compulsively runs her hands through her hand and she lets out a shaky breath of air. Her skin crawls with each and every passing second. Maybe, the necklace is too much, too soon. Maybe Trini doesn’t feel the same--

“God I love you.” The words come out as barely more than a whisper but there’s a conviction to them, that’s undeniable. As if no truer words have ever been spoken before.

Two singular tears roll down Kimberly’s cheeks as a smile crawls across her lips. She wraps her around her girlfriend, pulling her inwards, their bodies becoming one. “I love you too, T. More than you’ll ever know.”

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Need help?” Kim asks, leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen.

Trini pauses for a moment from manning the array of pans on the stove to give Kim a skeptical once over. “From you? No thanks, Princess.”

“What? I can cook.”

Trini doesn’t even humor Kim with a response. She simply lets out a light, playful scoff and turns back around.

Kim makes her way into the kitchen and hops up on a free space on countertop near the stove. “I’m not that bad.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Really.”

“Last time I let you help, you almost burnt down my parents kitchen.”

“That was not my fault.”

Trini shoots an eyebrow in Kim’s direction.

“It wasn’t.”

“You left the dish towel directly next to an open flame.”

“Okay. Maybe I did that.”

“And you then tried to put out the fire with the pan.”

Kim laughs as the faded memory washes back over her. “Fine. You’re right.”

“What was that?” Trini cups her hand around her ear, overly miming the classic sign that she didn’t hear Kim.

“You’re right, Tiny.” Kim smirks knowing that the name will get a rise out of the smaller latina.

Without a second of hesitation, Trini grabs the dish towel off of her shoulder and snaps it at Kim’s arm. “Pain in my ass.”

As Trini goes back to cooking, Kim lets her eyes wander around their surroundings, fully taking in all of the little details and nuances. It’s not a massive kitchen in size, but none the less, is impressive by everything it holds within it. No expense has been spared when it comes to state of the art kitchen appliances and gadgets. And interspersed throughout are touches of Billy and Jason’s themselves, both as individuals and as a couple. Nasa apron hanging from a nearby hook. The Angel Grove football schedule tacked up in the dead center of the over cluttered cork message board. Last year’s holiday card featuring Billy and Jason in matching tacky Christmas sweaters stuck up on the side of the fridge.

Kim can’t help but feel a pang of jealousy mixed with regret. This could easily be her and Trini’s lives. If only…

“Here. Taste,” Trini says snapping Kim out of her thoughts.  She carefully dips a wooden spoon into the sauce and brings it to Kim’s lips.

Kim takes a taste and instantly releases a heavy moan in utter and absolute bliss. “Fuck.”

“Good?”

Kim nods as she goes about licking the spoon clean. “So fucking good.”

“Glad to know I’ve still got it. Haven’t cooks these since high school.”

Kim hands Trini back the spoon and shoots her a quizzical look. “You haven’t?”

“Nope.”

“But you love cooking. Especially enchiladas.”

Trini gives light shrug of her shoulders as she continues to concentrate on stirring the sauce. “Just didn’t feel right.”

Kim sits on that response for a moment or two, allowing the words to linger between the two of them. Then--

“And now?”

Trini pauses stirring and slowly brings her chocolate brown eyes up to meet Kim’s. There’s a sudden warmth behind them that’s been lacking up until this point in time. An unspoken understanding. “And now it does.”

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Stop hogging the enchiladas, man.” Zack doesn’t even wait for Jason to finish scooping out an enchilada onto his plate, before he snatches the serving dish out of Jason’s hands.

“Dude, you’ve already had two helpings.” Jason responds.

“I’m a growing boy,” Zack spits out with a mouthful of enchiladas.

The five of them sit around Jason and Billy’s dining room table, in the full swing of an actual, sit down style dinner.

A family dinner.

And for once it feels right. As if for a few brief moments, they can push aside all that has transpired between the five of them and just be together. Enjoying each other’s presence. As a family -- chosen family -- tends to do.

God, how Kim as missed this.

“What you smilin’ about, Princess?” Trini quietly asks, catching Kim’s eyes from across the table.

“Nothing important,” Kim responses as a bit of a chuckle escapes her lips.

“Riiight,” Zack playfully mumbles in between bites of enchiladas causing Trini to reach over and suck punch the lengthy boy in the bicep.

“I hate you.”

“Nah. You love me, Short Round. But maybe not as much as you love--”

“Finish that sentence and it’ll be your last, Taylor,” Trini cuts him off with a death stare. But Zack just laughs it off with a lovable grin and continues to inhale the contents of his plate.

“So, I was thinking we should go check out Krispy Kreme,” Jason says, grabbing the attention of everyone else around the table. “Just to make sure that everything’s safe and secure.”

“Now?” Zack asks, voice laced with confusion.

“No. In the morning. When they’re open.”

“But Zordon told us to stay put,” Billy pipes up. He stops eating mid bite and rests his fork at a perfect 90 degree angle on his plate. “He wouldn’t give us those orders if there wasn’t a reason for it.”

“I vote we hit it up. What’s the worst that could happen?” Zack chimes in, helping himself to yet another enchilada.”

“Let see. How about death and destruction for starters. We don’t even fully know what the hell is going on, but sure, let’s go throw ourselves into yet another insanely dangerous situation for the hell of it,” Trini fires back.

“What if we all don’t go? One or two of us can go and scope it out while the rest stay here in case something goes wrong,” Jason offer up to the group.

“And how would we know if something happened?” Trini asks. “It’s not like we can fully sense each other like we used to.”

“Oh! I’ve got something. I’ve been working on this tracker system for the past few years. It’s part gsp and part… well, it’s kinda hard to explain, but it should allow us to keep full tabs on whoever goes. And it’s rigged with a panic button.” Billy glances around the table with an ear to ear grin, waiting for everyone else to share in his excitement, but is only met with a mixture of confusion and apprehension.  

Jason matches Billy’s smile, gives his husband a loving squeeze on the shoulder, and then with a slightly sudden shift in emotions, locks eyes with Kim. There’s more that he isn’t saying. Another reason for the impromptu outing… and Kim knows it.

“Perfect. Kim and I will go first thing in the morning and you guys can keep tabs on us using Billy’s tracker,” Jason responds with a finality in his voice. One that he only saves for when he needs to step up to the plate and be a leader.

“Kim…” Trini shoots a look of concern over at Kim, but is only met with an emotionless stare in return. Kim refuses to reveal her cards.

“It’s okay. I’ll go,” Kim flatly states not breaking her gaze with Jason. There’s an underlying tension there, sitting between the two of them. Not fully healed wounds of past emotional injuries. But it’s not the time nor the place to address it.

Not yet.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  

“Are we gonna talk about what happened back there?” Trini asks as she shuts the door to the guest bedroom.

Kim takes a seat on the edge of the bed and lets out a weighed sigh. “You’re not going to give me a choice, are you?”

Trini doesn’t respond. She doesn’t have to. Kim already knows the answer.

“Jason doesn’t trust me,” Kim quietly states. “That’s why he wants me to go with him. It’s a test. He wants to see what I’m going to do when I get into that close of proximity to the Zeo Crystal.”

Without a word, Trini crosses the room and sits herself down next to Kim. She rests her hand gingerly on Kim’s thigh and gives it a reassuring squeeze. “You don’t owe him anything.”

“Trini…”

“Kim. Look at me.”

Kim feels Trini’s fingers gently brush against the side of her cheek, tucking a loose strand of her short, messy locks behind her ear. She take a long, sobering breath of air and then brings her eyes to upwards to meet Trini’s. “I do. I owe you all an expla--”

“No, Princess. You don’t. You’re here now and that’s all that matters.”

And suddenly, with those words, all of Kim’s sense of restraint melts away, leaving only her impulses in control. She knows what she wants…

She wants Trini.

Kim leans forward, closing the distance between the two of them and pulls Trini into a searing kiss. It’s raw and laced with an underlying need, eight years in the making, that simply no words can fully describe.

Hands move at a fanatic pace, pawing at buttons, zippers, and edges of clothing. There’s no need to discuss. They both know where this kiss is heading.

Trini grips the bottom of Kim’s shirt and without fully breaking their kiss, rips it over her head and tosses it across the room. Her lips move downwards, marking path along Kim’s skin as she goes. Jawline. Neck. Clavicle. And then--

Trini pulls away, sitting back on her heels for a moment, eyes locked in on the edges of a tattoo poking out just above Kim’s calvin klein bra. “Lets see it, Hart.”

“Fine. But don’t laugh.” Kim lets out a playful sigh and then carefully pulls her bra off to reveal the full tattoo.  It’s a slightly crude, hand drawn crown with the singular word “princess” written just below it on her chest, directly above her heart.

Trini stares at the tattoo as a look of pure disbelief washes over her face.

“I know, it’s--”

“It’s my handwriting,” Trini responds in nothing more than a whisper.

“Yeah.” Kim nervously runs her hands through her hair, suddenly feeling a bit more exposed than her liking. “I saved a pic on my phone of one of your old doodles. The ones you used to draw on my bio notes. You’re not the only one who’s ever found themselves drunk and in a tattoo parlor.”

Trini ever so gingerly traces the outline of the crown with her fingertips, committing every line of the design to memory and then plants a loving kiss on Kim’s chest. “It’s beautiful.”

“Stealing my lines, Gomez?” Kim wraps her arms around the small latina and in one swift motion, lays them down on the bed, straddling Trini in the process. She delivers another short passionate kiss, this time biting down on Trini’s bottom lip as she pulls away.

Trini lets out a deep moan, further fueling the insatiable want, pulsing deep within Kim’s core. Kim trails her hands along Trini’s skin, passing over her breasts, then abs, but hesitates to cross the definitive boundary of Trini’s leggings.

“Are you sure?”

Trini looks up into Kim’s yes and gives the slightest of nods. “I trust you.”

And in that moment, Kim’s heart floods with a love that’s been absent since the day she boarded a bus and left her entire world behind. A love that she wasn’t sure she’s ever have the chance to feel again.

Kim’s finally home.