#buddy loves to pause for that laughter

[khioneee]

trying to break up with your fuck buddy, rafe

rafe paces. back and forth. hand running through his hair, jaw tight, eyes sharp with something between frustration and disbelief.

‘you want to stop?’ his voice is even, but there’s an edge to it.

you nod, arms crossed over your chest. ‘yeah.’

‘why?’ his head tilts, eyes scanning your face like he’s searching for an answer that actually makes sense to him.

‘i don’t like what this is turning me into,’ you say, voice steady. ‘it’s not who i am. and i don’t want it to be.’

he exhales sharply, turning on his heel and pacing again. ‘where is this coming from?’

‘i’m not blaming you for anything, rafe.’ you sigh, feeling the weight of this conversation sink into your bones. ‘i just realized i don’t want to be another girl in your rotation.’

he stops mid-step, turning to face you. ‘rotation?’

you hold his gaze. ‘you know what i mean.’

his jaw tenses. ‘you knew what this was,’ he says, voice low, careful.

‘i did,’ you agree. ‘and now i know i don’t want it.’

he drags a hand down his face, shaking his head. ‘i thought everything was fine.’

‘it was,’ you admit. ‘but i’m a ‘girlfriend’ kind of girl, rafe. i have boyfriends, not fuck buddies.’

rafe lets out a dry laugh, almost disbelieving. he starts pacing again, steps restless, like he needs to move or he’ll explode.

then, from outside, a familiar voice cuts through the tension.

‘rafe! come on, man, we’re waiting!’ topper, followed by laughter and girls’ voices, high and sweet.

your stomach turns, but you don’t react. instead, you nod toward the door.

‘you should go,’ you say softly.

a pause, a sharp inhale. his jaw clenches. ‘we’re not done.’

‘i said what i needed to say.’ you swallow the lump in your throat. ‘you have girls waiting for you.’

he stops pacing. his expression hardens. ‘you think that’s what this is about?’

‘i think it doesn’t matter,’ you answer. ‘because you’re not my boyfriend, and you don’t owe me anything.’

his hands curl into fists at his sides. ‘you’re doing that thing again.’

‘what thing?’

‘acting like you don’t care.’

you inhale sharply. ‘i do care, rafe. that’s the problem.’

something flickers in his expression. for the first time, he looks uncertain. like this wasn’t supposed to happen. like he never considered the possibility of you walking away.

he starts pacing again, steps quicker now, frustration rolling off him in waves. ‘so what? you’re just done?’

you nod. ‘yeah.’

he stops. looks at you. then, after a beat, he says, ‘fine.’

you hesitate. ‘fine, what?’

‘i’ll be your boyfriend.’

you blink, caught off guard. ‘what?’

‘you want a relationship?’ he shrugs, like it’s the easiest fix in the world. ‘done.’

‘that’s not how this works.’

‘why not?’ his voice is sharper now, defensive. ‘you said you don’t want to be just another girl— fine. be my girlfriend.’

you shake your head, a humorless laugh escaping. ‘jesus, rafe.’

‘what?’

‘you don’t even want to be my boyfriend. you just don’t want to see me with someone else.’

his jaw tightens, and for the first time, he stops pacing. stands still.

‘you can’t just decide to be in a relationship because you don’t like the idea of losing me,’ you say, voice softer now. ‘that’s not love, rafe. that’s possession.’

his lips part slightly, but no words come out.

‘you don’t know how to do this,’ you continue gently. ‘how to be with someone in a way that isn’t just about control.’

he exhales, slow and deep, fingers rubbing at his jaw as he looks away for a moment. when he meets your gaze again, there’s something different there. hesitation, sure. but also something you weren’t expecting.

fear.

‘i don’t want to lose you,’ he admits, voice quiet now.

your breath catches. ‘then be better.’

rafe swallows. ‘tell me how.’

‘you already know how,’ you whisper. ‘you just have to choose it.’

the silence stretches between you again, but this time, it’s different.

it’s not heavy. it’s hopeful.

then, from outside, topper calls out again. ‘rafe! you coming or what?’

rafe doesn’t even look toward the door.

‘nah,’ he calls back, eyes still locked on yours. ‘i’m good.’

your heart was about to try to break out from behind your ribs.

his gaze softens. ‘stay?’

you hesitate. ‘rafe—’

he shakes his head, stepping closer. ‘if i say i can do this, then i can do this.’

you search his face for the lie, the excuse, the escape route he’s bound to take. but there isn’t one.

he raised your hands to his mouth and kissed the tip of each of your fingers in turn. your thumb, your index finger, your middle finger, your ring finger, finally your pinky, and then, your gaze caught the black cross that rested on the centre of his chest.

you wonder if his heart beats steadily.

his lips twitch, just slightly, into the kind of smirk that used to make you roll your eyes. ‘i’ll be the last boyfriend you’ll have,’ he murmurs. ‘you’ll see.’

your chest tightens, but this time, it’s not with dread.

‘okay,’ you whisper.

he grins, triumphant. ‘yeah?’

you exhale, a small smile creeping onto your lips despite yourself.

‘yeah.’

an. inspired by rory and logan.

[loafysainz]

Hey I loved your stories with Lando and the twins being clingy:)

Do you think you could write something where Lando is streaming or getting filmed( like the 24 hour video with angry ginge) and the twins can’t leave him alone. Like they want to help with the workout and sit on his lap the whole time.

:)

NEW STREAMER | LN 4

lando norris!dad x fem!reader!mom

warn: fluffffffffff

anw theyre not twins Noah is (5) & Leo (3), Thank you so much for the req! I hope you like it!!! 🤍

Lando was mid-game, headset on, fingers quick on the controller as he and Max Fewtrell played yet another round of whatever game they were obsessed with that week. His stream chat was buzzing, the viewers thoroughly entertained by the usual banter between the two.

“Bro, you literally threw—” Max was saying, but before he could finish, the door behind Lando suddenly burst open with dramatic force.

BANG.

In came a blur of curly-haired chaos: Noah (5) and Leo (3), charging straight at him like tiny human missiles. Their tiny footsteps pattered against the floor, and before Lando could even turn around, two little missiles launched themselves at him.

“DADDYYYYY!”

Lando barely had time to react before they tackled him. “Oi, oi, what’s this? what are you two doing? It’s way past your bedtime.” he laughed, quickly muting his mic as the two little ones climbed onto his lap like they owned the place.

Noah pouted. “Not sleepy.”

Leo, the youngest one, rubbed his little fists over his eyes, betraying the fact that he was absolutely sleepy but fighting it like a true warrior. “I miss Mommy.” His voice wobbled slightly, and his big brown eyes were already glassy with unshed tears.

And just like that, Lando felt his heart squeeze.

Lando instantly softened. He didn’t even hesitate before pausing the game and wrapping both kids in his arms. “Oh, come here,” he murmured, setting his controller aside to properly hold them. He knew Y/N was off having her well-deserved girls’ trip, but apparently, bedtime was a struggle without her.

“You miss Mommy, huh?” he murmured, pressing kisses onto their soft little heads.

Both boys nodded, Noah sniffing as he clung to his dad’s hoodie. “Yeah. When’s mommy coming back?”

Lando rubbed soothing circles on their backs. “She’s having her girl’s trip. She’ll be back in a few days.”

Leo sniffled dramatically. “That’s so looooong.”

“Oi, don’t be dramatic,” Lando teased gently. “You guys have me! Isn’t that enough?”

Noah wrinkled his nose. “Mmm…”

Max burst into laughter on the other end of the call. “Oh my God, your own kid just humbled you.”

Lando sighed. “Alright, you wanna help me with the game?”

Noah nodded enthusiastically. Leo, already making himself at home on Lando’s lap, rested his cheek against his dad’s chest. “Wanna help,” he mumbled sleepily.

Lando grinned and handed them his spare controller, even though it wasn’t actually connected. “Alright, but we keep it chill.”

The next few minutes were absolute chaos. Noah kept pointing at things on the screen, bombarding Lando with rapid-fire questions. “What’s that? Who’s that guy? Why did you do that? Can I do that?”

Lando answered every single one patiently while simultaneously trying not to get eliminated in-game. Meanwhile, Leo was just pressing random buttons on his fake controller, babbling nonsense as if he was actually playing. Occasionally, he’d giggle in pure delight, making Lando’s heart melt on the spot.

Max, amused, decided to include chat. “Alright, boys, say hi to chats.”

Noah, ever the confident one, waved. “Hello, Chats!”

Leo, though, hesitated before tilting his head. “Umm… who we talking to? What they look like? I can’t see them daddy” His little voice, still holding onto that babyish lisp, made the words even more adorable.

Lando, Max, and literally everyone in chat laughing out loud.

Lando actually had to take a deep breath from laughing. “They’re… um, they’re just watching through the screen, buddy. They’re just like you.”

Leo frowned, like he was trying very hard to understand. Then, after a long moment, he nodded. “Okay. Hi, people in the screen!”

The chat exploded

“THE BABIES ARE HERE EVERYONE STAY CALM”

“Leo is literally the cutest thing ever”

“Noah asking 500 questions per second LMAO”

“Y/N better watch out, Lando violated the children's screen time.”

“They miss their mama :(((((”

Lando, still grinning, let them push random buttons as the game continued. It was chaotic, to say the least—Noah kept trying to actually play, while Leo just mashed buttons with all the confidence of a pro-gamer. Lando didn’t even care that they were losing horrendously; seeing them smile made it worth it.

But soon enough, it was obvious that tiredness was creeping in. Leo’s blinks were getting slower, and Noah, while still trying to act tough, was yawning every few minutes.

Lando glanced at the time. “Alright. One last round, then it’s bedtime.”

Noah groaned. “But—”

“No buts!” Lando cut in, ruffling his hair.

As the game went on, Noah continued to give commentary like a tiny sports analyst, and Leo just… slowly melted against Lando, his chubby cheek squished adorably against his dad’s chest.

Lando stood carefully, cradling Leo in one arm while holding Noah’s hand with the other. “Alright, chat, I gotta go be a dad now. Thanks for hanging out, and I’ll see you all next time.”

Max smirked. “Gotta keep Dad Lando’s rep as the best bedtime storyteller, huh?”

Lando grinned. “Exactly.”

By the time it ended, Lando was ready to sign off. He gave the camera a fond smile. “Thanks for hanging out—Noah, say bye.”

“Bye, people!”

Lando turned to Leo, who was now fully slumped against him, half-asleep. “Leo, say bye.”

Leo, eyes barely open, mumbled, “Bye, screen people.”

As Lando wrapped up the stream, the chat was already buzzing with questions.

“Awwwww Leo knocked out”

“Noah be like ‘one more game’ energy”

“GOODNIGHT BABIES”

“Where’s y/n?”

Before turning off the stream, Lando replied “Y/N’s having a girls' trip, so I’m on dad duty. And these two little spiderman need to sleep before I get in trouble!”

“Alright, bedtime, you little spiderman.”

Noah yawned. “Can we call mommy first?”

Lando smiled. “Of course, mate. Let’s go tuck in and give her a call.”

And with that, he carried his sleeping toddler and led his other sleepy one down the hall, heart full, and already excited to tell Y/N all about their little adventure.

Lando and Noah was quietly talking with Y/N in their shared bed, Leo stirred at the sound of their voices. Still half-asleep, he shuffled closer, rubbing his eyes.

“Mommy,” he mumbled, voice thick with sleep. “I talk to screen people.”

Lando chuckled softly, smoothing Leo’s curls. “Yeah, you did, buddy.”

Y/N’s voice came through the phone. “Did he really?”

Noah immediately jumped in. “Mommy, when are you coming home? I miss you.”

Leo pouted, now fully awake and climbing onto Lando’s chest. “Come home, mommy.”

Lando sighed dramatically, squeezing them both. “Yeah, when are you coming home? We’re suffering over here.”

Y/N just smiled on the screen, watching her boys pile up on Lando. “I’ll be home soon.”

Lando huffed, leaning his head back against the pillow. “Not soon enough.”

The boys continued to mumble sleepy protests, but eventually, exhaustion won over. One by one, they drifted off, little hands clutching Lando’s hoodie.

As he looked at Y/N on the screen, he sighed. “Seriously, though. I miss you.”

Y/N’s gaze softened. “I know.”

Lando groaned playfully, nuzzling his cheek against Leo’s soft curls. “Hurry up and come back already.”

She just smiled again. “Sleep, Lando.”

He yawned, wrapping his arms around the boys. “Fine. But only ‘cause I’m exhausted.”

And with that, he fell asleep, his family safely tucked around him, waiting for Y/N to come home.

END

[rafedarling]

can you do the puppy interview with drew starkey x actress reader plss

𝐩𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

pairing: drew starkey x actress!reader ft rustyn starkey

summary: you and drew, and your son rustyn participate in a puppy interview, creating heartwarming chaos on set.

warning(s): english is not my native language. none, fluff and family fun.

au: like, reblog and feedback are much appreciated. discussion can be send through my ask box, please feel free to send in anything. ⭐️ taglist | tagging: @rubixgsworld @rafeyslamb @bisexualcvnt @tracymbcm @maybankslover @anamiad00msday @stuffyownswrld @httpsdrewstarkey @mileyraes @enjoymyloves @akobx @noobmazter69 @victwrvale @xoxohoneymoongirl @xoxosblogsblog @wearemadeofstardust0 @saviorcomplexrry @percysley @littlelamy @winniemoe @emberaurora @watercolorskyy @kravitzwhore

“Hello, this is Y/N.”

You start with a smile at the camera.

“I’m Drew Starkey,”

Drew adds, a soft chuckle escaping his lips as a playful corgi tugs at his shoelace.

“And I’m Rustyn Starkey!”

Rustyn proudly chimes in, his little voice filling the room.

The way he says it, with a mixture of excitement and confidence, makes the crew chuckle.

“And we’re here for…”

“A puppy interview!” you and Drew announce together while Rustyn claps his hands, his energy infectious.

Rustyn immediately gets distracted by a wiggly golden retriever puppy climbing into his lap.

“Hi, puppy!” he says, giggling as the pup licks his cheek.

Drew picks up the first card, holding it in front of him dramatically.

“Alright, first question… Who is the biggest dog lover? Drew or Y/N?”

He pauses for a second before answering with a grin.

“I’ll say both because we all love puppies!”

You nod, laughing as a dachshund pup curls up by your side.

“Okay, fair answer. But Rustyn might be the biggest dog lover here.”

Rustyn looks up from petting his puppy.

“I love them sooooo much!” he declares, making everyone on set melt.

The next card is passed to you, and you read aloud,

“What would you name this puppy if you could take it home?”

You hold up a fluffy Bernese mountain dog sitting near Rustyn.

“This one feels like a Charlie to me, big and sweet.”

Rustyn thinks for a moment before pointing to the golden retriever still snuggled in his lap.

“I’d name mine Buddy, ‘cause he’s my buddy now!”

Drew laughs, ruffling Rustyn’s hair.

“Buddy’s a solid name. I’d name this little guy Rufus,” he says, gesturing to a dachshund sniffing around his lap.

“He looks like he’s up to something.”

“Dada, can we take them all home?” Rustyn asks, his big eyes looking up at Drew.

You and Drew exchange a knowing glance, both trying not to laugh.

“We’ll see, buddy,” Drew says, grinning.

“But let’s finish the interview first, okay?”

The next question is read by Drew.

“Who’s more likely to sneak the puppy treats?”

“Dada,” Rustyn answers immediately, giggling.

Drew raises his hands in mock surrender.

“Okay, okay, guilty. But you’d sneak them, too, wouldn’t you, Rusty?”

Rustyn looks thoughtful for a moment before nodding.

“Yeah, but only if the puppies are really good.”

“That’s my boy,” Drew says, laughing as a corgi puppy climbs onto his lap.

The crew brings out more puppies, creating a delightful chaos as they run around the set. One pup grabs a squeaky toy, making Rustyn laugh so hard he falls back onto the couch.

“Alright, next question!” you say, trying to regain focus.

“Who’s more likely to cry if the puppy gets hurt or sick?”

You, Drew, and Rustyn all point at each other simultaneously, which sends everyone into fits of laughter.

“No way, it’s Dada,” Rustyn insists, his tiny finger pointing directly at Drew.

“You cried when we saw the movie about the dog!”

Drew laughs, trying to defend himself.

“It was an emotional movie! And don’t act like you didn’t cry too, bud.”

Rustyn shrugs, giggling. “Maybe a little.”

You laugh, shaking your head.

“Let’s just agree that we’d all be emotional wrecks if anything happened to these little guys.”

The final question comes up, and you hand the card to Drew. He reads it aloud.

“What’s one quality in each other that would make you amazing dog parents?”

Drew pauses, his expression softening as he looks at you.

“You’re so patient and loving. You make everything, whether it’s taking care of Rustyn, the dogs, or me, feel effortless. And I know you’d raise the most well-behaved dogs in the world… somehow.”

You feel your heart swell but quickly focus on him.

“And you’re the most hands-on dad and partner I’ve ever seen. You’d be out there training the dogs, playing with them, and making sure they’re spoiled with love. They’d be the happiest pups ever.”

Rustyn looks between the two of you.

“And I’d give them hugs and kisses every day!”

“We know you would,” you say, pulling him close for a quick kiss on the head.

As the interview wraps up, Rustyn is lying on the floor with three puppies cuddling around him, his giggles filling the set. You and Drew watch, smiling at each other.

“Mommy, Dada can we take Buddy home, please?” Rustyn pleads, his eyes shining with hope.

Drew looks at you, raising an eyebrow.

“What do you think, Mama?”

You laugh, knowing the answer was already decided the moment Rustyn named the puppy.

“Alright, Buddy can come home with us.”

Rustyn cheers, throwing his arms around the golden retriever.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Drew leans over to kiss your cheek, his voice low enough for only you to hear.

“You’re the best.”

As the scene fades, Rustyn’s voice rings out

“This is the best day ever!”

[ccsainzleclerc5516]

Just Like His Father

Pairing: Lewis Hamilton x reader

Warnings: none, pure fluff, I actually saw this on tiktok and thought it'd be cute to make sth out of it

You were in the kitchen finishing making dinner when your husband returned from a business meeting.

"Hey, love" Lewis greeted you as he entered the kitchen.

"Hey, baby" You smiled as he stood behind you and wrapped his arms around you leaving a kiss on your cheek. "You tired?"

"No, but I am starving." He sighed. "What's for dinner?"

"Curry chicken and rice. It'll be ready in a minute, you can sit at the table"

"Oh, yes, please.." He groaned. "Where's Marlo?"

"He should be in his room doing his homework. The young gentleman didn't have lunch today so he has to eat dinner" You chuckled remembering the talk you had with your son earlier today. Marlo was 5 years old and in preschool. He was the smartest, most lovable, but also unintentionally the funniest kid ever.

"Marlo, daddy's home!" You shouted. "Wash your hands and come sit at the table"

"Why were you laughing when you said he didn't have lunch today?" Lewis asked curiously.

"Oh you just wait till you hear it from him" You giggled taking the dish and walking with it over to the table.

When Marlo washed his hands, he ran into the kitchen extending his arms towards Lewis. "Daddy!" He screamed with joy seeing him.

"Buddy" Lewis softened, picking him up in his arms and hugging him tightly. "I missed you. Did you have a good day at school?" He asked.

"Yup" Marlo nodded.

"Tell daddy what happened at school today" You said trying to refrain from laughing so that Marlo doesn't think you're making fun of him.

"What happened at school?" Lewis was still confused. "Did someone mess with you? Did someone touch you? Y/n?" He was already visibly upset and paternal protective instincts kicked in within seconds.

"No, no-"

"Mom did.." Marlo blurted out and his gaze shifted to you. “Mom messed with me..”

"What do you mean?"

"Marlo, did you eat your lunch at school today?" You asked crossing your arms and leaning your elbows onto the table waiting for his response.

"I didn't actually" He said turning to Lewis.

"And why is that?" Lewis asked.

"Because my girlfriend was sat right across from me and you put a note that said I love you babe" Marlo explained pointing his finger at you.

Lewis paused for a second, blinking a couple of times before bursting into laughter. "Your girlfriend, buddy? You have a girlfriend?"

"I'm not sure if I still have one after today" He sighed.

"Oh, your girlfriend didn't like mom's note?"

"No! She got mad!"

You chuckled again remembering how upset he was about it earlier today when he first told you the story. You felt bad for him, but you couldn't help but laugh at the kid stuff that was concerning him.

"And what did you do after that?" Lewis listened intently as you put food on the plates for both of them.

"Nothing, I explained to her that she's married to my dad and I said that my dad is Lewis Hamilton."

"You hear how beautifully he emphasized that my husband is none other than Lewis Hamilton" You joked as Lewis held his head laughing.

"What? I didn't say anything wrong?" Marlo shrugged his shoulders. Love problems were clearly too much for the young man.

"Baby, no girl will ever love you as much as your mom loves you, remember that." You stood up from your chair and walked over to him placing his small face between your hands and kissing his forehead.

"Well, she doesn't have to know that!" Marlo defended.

"Okay, okay. No more notes in lunch boxes just so that your girlfriend doesn't feel like I'm a threat to her apparently" You playfully rolled your eyes going back to your seat. "Now, please start eating your dinner"

"But I still don't understand, regardless of the note, why didn't you eat your lunch?" Lewis asked him.

"Because I wanted to prove her how much I loved her." He sighed before continuing "Dad once told me how he proves his love for you by eating everything you cook even though sometimes he may not like it, but he eats everything because he loves you. I just did the opposite."

Your and Lewis' hearts melted when you hear him say it. You were so proud of your little boy who was too young to know what love was but he learned it so well from his daddy. you knew that one day he would make some girl the happiest girl in the world, just like his father made you and continues to do so day after day.

After dinner was over, both you and Lewis wanted to get Marlo ready for bed. After you gave him a shower and Lewis helped him brush his teeth, you read him a bedtime story and cuddled him before saying goodnight. You also made pinky promises that there would be no more "embarrassing" notes from mom in the lunchbox, and that Marlo would eat his lunch every day.

After that you and Lewis decided to relax on the couch in front of the TV in each other's arms.

"If one day we have a daughter and she comes to me at the age of 5 and says she has a boyfriend, I swear, I will lose my mind" Lewis said jokingly even though you knew he meant it.

"Yeah, we'll homeschool her so she doesn't have any contact with the boys" You said sarcastically rolling your eyes at him.

"Exactly! That's a great idea actually!" He seemed to love it of course.

"Oh stop it!"

"As you told our son today, so I will tell our daughter, no man in her life will ever love her more than me. That's a fact. I already love her."

"Baby, we don't even have a daughter...yet"

"Then I better get to work, no?" He smirked rolling you over and nuzzling his head into your neck making you giggle.

"Well, you better, Lewis Hamilton."

[mcrdvcks]

afterglow

summary: Matt is used to you—your routine in the morning, your humming while cooking. But one day, you stop, sending him into a spiral. word count: 2.8k+ pairing: matt murdock x fem!reader notes: i don't know where this came from, i just knew i needed soft, protective matt who's in love and married. also the tags give a little away, lol warnings/tags: slight angst, a little miscommunication (or rather none? it's a surprise), fluff, mention of pregnancy, protective!matt

Matt woke slowly, awareness settling over him in layers—the gentle hum of the city waking up outside, the familiar warmth of the sheets beside him, the quiet shuffle of your footsteps. He smiled softly, turning slightly in anticipation of the ritual he'd grown to love.

Every morning, without fail, you'd lean over, your breath warm against his cheek, murmuring a quiet goodbye before pressing a gentle kiss to his lips.

Except today, you didn't.

He waited a heartbeat longer, then another, a crease forming between his brows. The sound of your footsteps moved farther away, toward the front door, the jangle of keys loud and grating in the unexpected silence.

“Y/N?” he called out softly, confused. “Everything okay?”

A brief pause, then your voice floated back, strangely distant, slightly distracted. “Yeah, Matt. Everything’s fine. I—I just have to go. I'll see you later, alright?”

He listened intently, straining to read between the lines, but your heartbeat was steady, calm. Nothing to suggest anger or distress, just... preoccupation.

Before he could respond, the door closed quietly behind you, the latch clicking with a heavy finality that settled uncomfortably in his chest.

Matt stayed sitting on the edge of the bed, suddenly aware of how empty the apartment felt without your voice to fill it. It was strange—disturbing, even—how quickly he’d grown accustomed to you, to the soft murmurs of your laughter, your whispered reassurances, your casual chatter about your day. He’d never intended to become this dependent, this attached again.

The minutes ticked by, and he reluctantly forced himself to stand, shaking off the uneasy feeling in his gut. You're fine, he reminded himself. It's nothing.

But the nagging thought lingered, refusing to leave him alone. You never left without a goodbye kiss. Never.

He tried to go about his morning—coffee brewing, shower warming—but everything felt off. The rooms echoed in your absence, the silence more pronounced than usual, more uncomfortable.

By the time Foggy walked into the office later that morning, Matt was already restless, fingers tapping absently against his desk.

“You alright, buddy?” Foggy asked cautiously, stopping in the doorway. “You're doing the pacing thing.”

Matt sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose beneath his red lenses. “It's nothing. Probably nothing.”

“Yeah, right,” Foggy said slowly, unconvinced. “Want to talk about it?”

Matt hesitated, lips pressing into a thin line before he finally admitted quietly, “It's just... Y/N left in a hurry this morning. Didn't say goodbye like usual.”

Foggy snorted softly, leaning against the doorframe. “You mean she didn’t give you your customary farewell kiss? Tragedy strikes Nelson, Murdock, and Page. Should I call CNN?”

“Foggy,” Matt warned lightly, irritation tinging his voice. “I know it sounds trivial—”

“Hey, it’s not trivial,” Foggy cut him off gently, stepping closer, his tone softening. “Not to you. And if it bothers you that much, maybe you should just ask?”

Matt sighed deeply, leaning back against the desk. He didn’t want to admit just how much it bothered him—how your silence felt more painful than any physical blow. He’d promised himself he'd never become this vulnerable again, never let someone’s absence affect him so intensely.

But here he was, unraveling at the mere lack of your whispered goodbye.

Foggy cut through his thoughts. “Also, Karen’s not coming in today. Said somethin’ personal came up.”

Matt straightened slightly, his brow creasing again. "Personal? Did she say anything else?"

Foggy shook his head, moving toward his own desk. "Nope. Just that it was important. Why? Think it's related to Y/N?"

Matt hesitated, shifting uneasily. "I don't know. Just feels weird. Karen usually gives more details."

"True," Foggy said thoughtfully. "Maybe it's just a coincidence. Or maybe they went out shopping or something. Who knows? You know girls—they have secrets we mere mortals aren't allowed to understand."

Matt sighed softly, rubbing at his temple. "Maybe."

Foggy watched him closely for a moment before offering gently, "Listen, if it's bugging you this much, just call her."

Matt shook his head firmly, mouth tightening. "No. It's probably nothing. I'm overthinking this."

"Yeah, because you never overthink things," Foggy teased gently. "Look, just promise me you'll ask her about it tonight, alright?"

Matt hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Yeah. I'll talk to her."

"Good," Foggy said decisively, dropping into his chair. "Now, can we please do some actual work around here?"

Matt smiled faintly, but his mind stayed firmly fixed on you—wondering where you'd gone, what you hadn't told him, and why that sudden distance between you felt like a rapidly widening canyon.

---

In the sterile brightness of the doctor's office, you sat quietly beside Karen, fingers nervously drumming against your knee.

"You alright?" Karen asked softly, nudging you gently. "You've barely said a word since we got here."

You gave her a small, nervous smile. "Sorry, just—thinking."

Karen tilted her head slightly, studying your expression carefully. "Is there a reason you haven't told Matt you're here?"

You hesitated, eyes downcast. "It's... complicated."

Karen sighed patiently. "Y/N, it's Matt. He adores you. Whatever's going on, he'll understand."

"I know," you admitted softly, glancing away. "I just don't want to get his hopes up, you know? Especially if it's nothing."

Karen squeezed your hand reassuringly. "Well, whatever happens, I'm here."

You relaxed slightly, grateful for her presence. "Thanks, Karen."

The door opened gently, and Dr. Reed stepped inside, clipboard in hand. Her smile was warm, calming. "Y/N, sorry for the wait."

You sat up straighter, heart suddenly pounding. "No worries. So...?"

Dr. Reed's smile grew brighter as she nodded. "Congratulations. You're pregnant."

Your breath caught sharply, a sudden rush of relief and nerves flooding through you. "Oh, wow. Really?"

"Really," Dr. Reed confirmed warmly. "You're about five weeks along. Everything looks good so far. Any questions?"

You blinked slowly, mind still spinning. "No—um, not yet."

"Take your time," the doctor said gently. "Make sure to schedule your next appointment at reception before you leave."

"Thank you," you whispered, still in a daze.

Karen waited until the doctor left the room, then turned to you with a wide smile. "Oh my god, Y/N! Congratulations!"

You laughed softly, the sound shaky, but happy. "Thank you."

"So," Karen asked cautiously, watching your face. "Are you gonna tell Matt tonight?"

You hesitated, biting your lip. "I—I want to surprise him. I need some time to figure it out."

Karen gave you a knowing look. "Alright. But don't wait too long. Matt picks up on things faster than most people."

You nodded quietly, a faint smile touching your lips. "I know."

---

You stepped into the apartment quietly that evening, heartbeat steady but slightly quicker than normal. Matt was already home, sitting on the couch, head turned toward you at your entrance. "Hey," he greeted quietly, carefully neutral.

You crossed the room, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek. "Hi."

He tensed slightly, barely perceptible. "You left early this morning."

You winced inwardly, keeping your voice casual. "Yeah, I had an appointment."

"Oh," Matt said softly. He paused, clearly waiting for more. When you didn’t continue, he cleared his throat. "Everything okay?"

You settled beside him, hesitating only slightly before nodding. "Yeah. Everything’s good."

Matt's jaw tightened briefly. "You sure? You've been... quiet today."

You reached over, squeezing his hand gently. "Just a busy day, Matt. I promise."

He sighed softly, nodding slowly. "Alright."

You could sense the faint distance in his voice, and guilt twisted uncomfortably in your chest. You had no idea your quietness was hitting him this hard, but you needed time to plan how you'd break the news. A pregnancy was big—life-changing—and you wanted to do it right.

"So," you said softly, changing the topic gently. "How was your day?"

He tilted his head slightly, voice carefully neutral again. "Fine."

You squeezed his hand again, leaning gently against him. "Just fine?"

Matt sighed, pressing a kiss to your temple, clearly trying to relax. "Better now."

You smiled softly, reassured. Soon you'd tell him everything. For now, though, you allowed yourself to enjoy the comfort of Matt's presence, blissfully unaware of how deeply he'd felt your silence that morning.

For now, the secret could wait. Just a little longer.

---

The next morning, Matt woke up earlier than usual, awareness pulling him awake slowly. He lay still for a moment, breathing in the familiar scent of your shampoo lingering faintly on the pillow. Turning toward your side of the bed, he realized you weren’t there, again.

He sat up, rubbing at his face, trying to shake the uneasy feeling settling deep in his chest.

He dressed quickly, fingers brushing along the familiar surfaces of the apartment. Something about the air felt different, emptier somehow.

He moved toward the kitchen, listening for the comforting sounds of your usual morning routine—the gentle humming, the low hiss of the coffee maker—but instead was met with silence.

“Y/N?” Matt called out softly, brows knitting together in confusion.

“Right here,” your voice answered, coming from across the room. You sounded distracted, a little hurried.

Matt stepped closer to you, hand finding your shoulder gently. “No coffee today?”

You paused, body stilling slightly under his touch. “Oh—right, I’m sorry. I got caught up in something. Let me put it on real quick—”

“No, it’s okay,” Matt interrupted quietly, pulling back slightly, unable to keep the slight edge from his voice. “I can do it myself.”

“Matt,” you said softly, picking up on his unease, “I’m really sorry. I didn’t realize—”

“It’s fine,” he said quietly, attempting to soften his tone. “Just surprised me, that’s all.”

You hesitated, clearly torn between wanting to explain and needing to maintain your surprise. After a beat, you squeezed his hand lightly. “I have to head out a bit earlier today. I’ll see you tonight, alright?”

He nodded slowly, listening to the rustle of you gathering your things. “Yeah, okay.”

A moment of silence passed between you before you stepped closer, your fingers brushing against his cheek lightly. You leaned up, pressing a soft, careful kiss to his lips. It was brief, different somehow, as though you were holding yourself back.

“Have a good day,” you murmured gently.

Matt swallowed quietly. “You too.”

When the apartment door clicked shut behind you, he remained standing there, heart heavy with uncertainty.

---

Matt was restless by the time he got to the office, his steps heavier than usual. As soon as he entered, Foggy spoke up from his desk, sounding a bit concerned.

“Morning, sunshine. You okay?”

Matt only sighed in response, shrugging out of his coat. “Just tired.”

Foggy was silent for a beat before cautiously adding, “And Y/N?”

“Left early again,” Matt answered quietly, his voice carrying a weight that Foggy recognized immediately.

Before Foggy could respond, the office door opened, and Karen stepped inside. “Morning, guys,” she greeted warmly.

Foggy smiled at her. “Glad to see you’re back. Everything okay yesterday?”

Karen paused briefly, her eyes flickering toward Matt. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Just helping out a friend.”

Matt’s head lifted slightly, his attention fully focused on Karen now. “A friend?”

Karen cleared her throat gently, moving to her desk. “Just something she needed moral support for. Nothing big.”

Matt went very still, realization dawning slowly. “Y/N?”

Karen hesitated, clearly unsure how much she could say. “Matt, it’s not—”

“Is something wrong with her?” Matt interrupted quickly, a sharper edge creeping into his voice. “Did she ask you to keep it from me?”

Karen sighed softly, choosing her words carefully. “She’s fine. Completely fine, I promise.”

Foggy, picking up on the tense atmosphere, spoke gently. “Hey, buddy, maybe just ask Y/N about it directly? She’ll tell you, I’m sure.”

Matt shook his head, frustration slipping into his tone. “That’s the thing—she hasn’t. She’s been acting distant, distracted. Now she’s going to you instead of me. If something’s going on—”

“Matt,” Karen cut in softly, firmly, “it’s nothing bad. Trust her, okay? She loves you.”

Matt was quiet for a long moment before nodding slowly, exhaling deeply. “Right. Yeah, okay.”

Karen exchanged a glance with Foggy, clearly wishing she could say more.

But Matt sat heavily in his chair, frustration gnawing at the edges of his thoughts, because he knew Karen was right. He did trust you. Completely. But the small, unsettling changes, your silence, your distance—it all felt painfully familiar, like the calm before the inevitable storm.

---

It was evening when Matt finally made his way back home, standing quietly outside the apartment door for a moment. He paused, breathing in deeply, his senses flooded with familiarity—the scent of garlic and spices wafting from inside, the soft melody of your voice humming along gently with a quiet song playing from your phone.

He relaxed slightly, your calm voice comforting him more than he cared to admit. Maybe he'd been overreacting after all. He opened the door slowly, stepping inside.

The moment the latch clicked shut behind him, the soft humming stopped abruptly.

"Matt," you greeted quietly, clearly startled. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Hey," he said carefully, sensing the immediate shift in your demeanor. He set his cane aside, turning toward you hesitantly. "Smells good. You've been busy?"

"Yeah, I thought I'd make dinner tonight," you replied softly, a forced casualness in your voice. You moved away, turning down the music. "It'll be ready soon."

Matt felt his shoulders tighten at the sudden distance in your voice, and he stepped closer, gently catching your wrist as you brushed past him. "Y/N, wait."

You stopped, body stiffening. "Matt?"

He hesitated, his voice suddenly thick with a quiet insecurity he rarely allowed himself to show. "Did I—did I do something?"

You froze, heartbeat quickening. "What? No, Matt, of course not."

He shook his head slowly, his voice quiet, unsure. "You've been pulling away, and if I've upset you, I—"

You felt the guilt pierce deeply at his words, your vision blurring with tears despite your best efforts. Your voice shook slightly as you interrupted, "Matt, that's not it at all."

He paused immediately, sensing the faint tremor in your breath, the subtle hitch in your heartbeat. Realization hit sharply when he felt the slight warmth of tears slip silently down your cheek.

His hands rose instinctively, gently cupping your face, thumb carefully brushing away the tears. "Sweetheart, you're crying. What's wrong?"

You shook your head softly, voice trembling. "I—I wanted to surprise you. But I messed it all up, and now you're mad at me, and—"

"I'm not mad," Matt said quickly, gently pulling you into him. "I'm just confused. Please, Y/N, tell me what's going on."

You took a shaky breath, leaning into his touch, voice muffled against his shirt. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry."

"It's okay," he murmured gently, holding you close. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. Just talk to me."

You nodded softly, calming yourself before pulling away slightly. You took a steadying breath, gently pulling his hand with you. "Come here. I have something for you."

Matt followed quietly, confusion and curiosity flickering across his face. You led him to the kitchen counter, carefully placing the small box you'd prepared earlier into his hands.

He paused, fingers slowly running over the smooth cardboard. His brow knitted together in confusion. "What is it?"

You smiled softly, heart fluttering nervously. "Open it."

Carefully, Matt opened the lid, gently feeling around inside. His fingers brushed the soft fabric inside, tiny buttons and sleeves of the little baby onesie beneath his fingertips. Realization crashed into him abruptly, his breath hitching sharply in his chest.

"Y/N," he whispered hoarsely, voice choked with emotion. "Are you—?"

You bit your lip nervously, tears pricking your eyes again, this time from relief and happiness. "Yeah. I'm pregnant, Matt. We're having a baby."

He stood utterly still for a long moment, absorbing your words, before a radiant, disbelieving smile slowly spread across his face. "A baby? Really?"

You nodded, laughing softly through your tears. "Really."

Matt let out a breathless laugh of disbelief and joy, quickly wrapping you into a tight embrace, pressing soft, urgent kisses against your temple and cheeks.

"You had me worried," he whispered shakily, voice filled with relief. "I thought—"

"I'm so sorry," you said softly, holding him tightly. "I didn't mean to make you worry."

Matt shook his head gently, smiling warmly against your hair. "It's okay, sweetheart. This—this is the best surprise you could've given me."

He cupped your cheek gently, thumb brushing away lingering tears as he pressed his forehead softly against yours, voice filled with warmth and quiet awe. "We're having a baby."

You smiled gently, your heart finally calming as the misunderstanding melted away. "We are."

And for the first time in days, everything felt perfectly right again.

[luveline]

I can’t remember if you’ve done one yet of Jack being jealous of the new baby not because of his dad’s attention but because of readers!

“Jack, Jack, Jack,” Aaron says, hands on Jack’s shoulders where his son sits at the kitchen table, “I forgot to tell you, I got you a present.” 

“What kind?” Jack asks, used to presents by now. There’s been books, crayons, and enough toy cars to fill his parking garage to the brim. 

“What kind do you think?” 

He likes when his dad speaks like that. Aaron’s a peppy dad, he says everything in an altered bubbly tone that makes Jack smile, but his best voice is the soft one. Lightly teasing. He hugs Jack with one arm from behind, pressing his nose to Jack’s hair momentarily. 

“A big one?” Jack asks. 

“Sort of…” Aaron smiles. “Do you want me to go get it?” 

Jack’s about to say yes with a laugh, his excitement like a warm flame just below an outheld hand, but he stops when he hears a familiar gurgly sound and your loving laughter. 

“I know, baby.” That’s your voice, tired and soft as his father’s. “You’re exhausted. Let me give you a little squeeze before you sleep, hm? You’ll cry yourself awake if I don’t, you get all those trapped burps.” You laugh to yourself.

Jack sighs and turns back to his drawing. “Okay, dad,” he says, clearly monotonous. 

Aaron frowns behind his head. “Okay, buddy. It’s in the den.” 

“Okie dokie.” 

“Jack,” he says, and not a lot else. 

Aaron can’t wrap his head around it. Jack was so, so excited for Noah. He bragged to everyone at school that his step-mom was having a baby, that he’d have a little brother, and that they were all moving into a big house with a nice yard to play soccer. Jack and Noah Hotchner, best friends since the minute Noah was born. Or, that’s what you and Aaron hoped for.

It started well. Jack is gentle, and he’s understanding; he realised the baby would need extra care, and he’s done nothing but kiss and cuddle his new brother whenever they’re together. You got him a sound machine and some custom fitted earplugs for the long nights of crying, you never put Noah before him if you could help it. Aaron even pencilled in an hour of Jack time each day, but it isn’t working anymore. Jack’s just sad. 

The present is a jigsaw puzzle. A thousand pieces of guaranteed time spent together, but Aaron doesn’t have high hopes. 

He takes the two short steps down into the den to meet your eyes, shaking his head slowly. “I don’t know,” he mouths. 

You pat the baby’s back. “Well, I might have a suggestion.”

He couldn’t want to hear it more. “Tell me.” 

You hold his baby (your baby but his more urgently, the feeling an ache in his chest and hands) still as small and curled as a rabbit against your chest. Noah’s legs twitch in his onesie, his dark hair short where it brushes your lips. “I think maybe Jack misses me. I miss him, and I’m the grown up. I feel like I barely see him even though we’re living in the same house.” 

Aaron pauses, resting the jigsaw puzzle on the sideboard.

There’s no point in underselling the importance of you in Jack's life. You’re integral to Jack’s happiness, and Aaron can’t believe he hadn’t thought of your suggestion before now; he’s amazed by his own ego. Of course Jack misses you. You spend half your life nursing, which is half a life away from you he didn’t feel before.

“That’s what it is,” Aaron says. 

“Yeah?” you ask. 

He takes Noah from your arms, settling him on the slope of his chest. “If it isn’t, we might be out of answers.” Aaron rubs Noah’s back with delight. It’s nice to see a solution to Jack’s upset in sight, and nice to hold the baby while he’s in a good mood. “Seriously, honey. I think you’re right.” 

“What are we gonna do if it isn’t me?” 

“Give this one back?” 

“That’s not funny.” 

“Sorry, I’m kidding!” He gives Noah a little soft kiss. “Just kidding, beautiful. You’re all mine.” 

You take the jigsaw and give him a smile that borders shy. If his arms weren’t full he’d take your wrist in his hand and hold it for a while, but there’s stuff to do. You emerge from the den to the kitchen and Aaron follows. 

“Jack.” 

Jack immediately spins in his seat. Aaron doesn’t need to be a profiler to know your theory is correct. The change in Jack is unmissable. 

“Y/N,” he says, hiding his hope poorly. 

You show him the jigsaw. “I know it’s supposed to be your time with dad, but maybe it can be time with me instead? What do you think?” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah!” You pop the jigsaw in front of him without crushing his drawings. “Can we? I miss you.” 

“I miss you!” he says. 

“Yeah?” You brush his hair back. “You do?” 

“I do, I want to do the puzzle with you! Can we do it?” 

Your smile is part relief, part love. You hook a chair with your ankle and pull it under you as you sit, fingernail already scratching at the plastic wrap on the puzzle to pull it open. “We’re gonna do it right now.” 

The puzzle is a lot of pieces, you’ve barely completed the frame when it’s time for everyone to head to bed, but, reluctant, you and Jack sit at the table where Jack’s climbed into your lap for a ‘better view’, and you’ve wrapped your arms around him, occasionally loosing an arm to direct him to a right piece. The baby put to bed, Aaron pretends to pay more attention to cleaning the kitchen than he’s truly doing, finding himself leaning against the counter with a sterilised bottle in hand as you stroke Jack’s hair. 

“You know I love you?” you ask quietly. 

“Duh. You tell me all the time.” 

“I don’t want you to forget.” 

“I don’t.” 

Jack snaps a puzzle piece in to place and preens at your murmured, “Good job. Maybe we can try to do some of this every night you’re home?” 

Jack doesn’t cry, but it ties Aaron’s heart into a knot anyways when he turns into your chest to hug you tightly. “Okay,” Jack says, voice muffled by your t-shirt. 

You pat his back. His hands scrunch up like he’s worried you’re gonna pull away. 

“Can I get in on this?” Aaron asks. 

“No,” you both say. 

“Please?” 

Jack rubs his cheek into your collar. He doesn’t want to share. “No, dad. It’s not your time.” 

He supposes he does get you every night. “Fine. I love you, though.” 

“Love you too.” 

[hellsenthero]

You Call Him Daddy

DBF!Joel X Fem!Reader

How were you supposed to know that your much older boyfriend was your dad's best friend?

MASTERLIST

*****

You didn't know who Joel really was when you met him. You hadn't realized that your dad's buddy from work was the same man you were seeing privately.

Joel didn't realize that the girl he was seeing, that he was fucking, was his best friends daughter. He hasn't known that when he joked about how good your mouth is, he was joking about it with your father.

Your poor father hadn't known that he wasn't the only man you called daddy.

But now it was all out in the open.

Both you and Joel lay together in bed, silent save for your heavy breathing. The thin sheet had been kicked down to the end of the bed. The blankets were lost somewhere on the floor. Sweat clung to your body, your face, and your neck. Joel threw an arm across your torso, and you groaned at the sticky heat of him.

"Joel," you grumbled as he tried to pull you into him.

"Come closer," Joel ordered with a mumble. His face was pressed into his pillow, muffling his voice.

"'S too hot, I need to shower."

"Shower later, cuddle now." You laughed at your boyfriend's little pout.

"I hate you," you said as you rolled into his embrace.

"'S not what you were sayin' a few minutes ago, darlin'."

If Joel heard the response you grumbled under your breath, he didn't let on.

The late afternoon sun shone golden rays through Joel's bedroom window. This late in August, you could already see a few red tipped leaves outside, an early sign of autumn's approach. It was pretty, but it was also a reminder to you that Joel's two week long summer vacation was coming to an end.

"Two more days of your vacation left." You said as you turned to look into Joel's dark eyes.

"Fuck, don't remind me."

"I wish you didn't have to go out this afternoon."

"I know, I'm sorry, but I promised my buddy I'd go to his place for a barbecue ages ago." Joel paused, taking the moment to wiggle in closer to your body. "You could always come and meet my friends from work."

"Do you really want to introduce your friends to your much younger girlfriend on such a large scale?"

"If it means showing you off, yeah." Joel answered.

"Well," you said as you trailed a finger up Joel's naked chest. "As much as I love showing off, I think I'd rather do it on a smaller scale."

"You can text me if you change your mind."

"I know," you answered with a quick kiss. "I think I'll visit my parents' place tonight, I'm getting low on toilet paper so I think I'll steal some from them."

Joel's grin was as bright as the sun shining in through his window. "My little thief. I can buy you toilet paper if you need it."

You shook your head. "I know, I could easily buy it myself too. But it's not as fun as stealing it from my parents' supply closet."

"Well," Joel said with a yawn as he stretched. "I'm glad you'll be amusing yourself when I'm out."

"You'll come by my place after your barbecue?" You asked as you slipped out of Joel's embrace.

"Of course, darlin'." Joel answered as you slipped your underwear back on.

"Good." You leaned over Joel and gave him a quick kiss before spinning away to throw the rest of your clothes on.

---

You were surprised to find the gate to your parents backyard wide open.

After leaving Joel, you ran a few errands before driving to your parents' place. You almost thought you had the wrong house when you heard such a commotion coming from the open backyard. Music, laughter and the smell of barbecue accosted you.

Your dad yelled your name as he saw you appear around the corner of the gate.

"Hey there sweetheart," your father greeted.

"Hey," you answered as you gave your dad a quick hug. "What's going on?"

"Your mother and I are throwing a little barbecue get-together with the guys from my work." Alarm bells began ringing in the back of your mind. "I didn't think you'd want to hang around my buddy's much. Otherwise, I would've invited you."

"Oh, that's okay."

"But now you can stay for the meal and I'll introduce you to some of my friends."

Before you could answer, a pair of arms slid around your waist. You knew who they belonged to, and you knew what was coming, but everything happened too fast for you to stop. You were spun around to meet a giddy Joel who was quick to lean down and kiss you.

Right in front of your dad.

"So glad you made it," Joel said as he pulled away from your lips. "How'd you get the address?"

"Joel," you gasped. You looked between your father and Joel with wide eyes.

"Miller," your father spoke with an edge. "Whatcha doin'" He asked all too casually.

"This is be girl I've been tellin' you about." Joel said all to proudly. It wasn't until he finally looked away from you and at your father's fuming gaze that he realized he was missing something.

"You mean to tell me that the girl you've been seeing, the one you've been sleeping with, is my daughter?"

"Dad," you gasped as all the colour drained from Joel's face. "It's, we uh-" you stammered, unsure what you could say that wouldn't make the situation even worse. "We didn't know." You said. Your gaze flit between Joel, your father, and the other party goers, wondering if any of them had clued into the absolute shit show that was happening in the middle of the backyard.

"She's half your age!" Your father hissed at Joel. His hand gesturing between the two of you.

"I know, but listen-"

"Listen?" Your father cried. You could see out of the corner of your vision that a few people were picking up on what was happening now. "You want me to listen to how you seduced my daughter into your bed, Miller? About how my daughter, who's half your fuckin' age, has been fooling around with one of my best buddies from work? Is that it? Is that what you want me to fucking listen to?"

"Listen daddy-" you tried. Both sets of eyes landed on you.

"I got it,"

"Absolutely not!" Joel and your father said at the same time.

"Oh my god," you cried, your hands flew to your face in shame, absolutely mortified. "I'm, I'm going," you said before hastily turning around and rushing from the backyard. Two sets of voices called your name, but you didn't turn around, instead moving faster out of the backyard and towards your car. You could feel the onslot of tears coming. Your vision grew blurry as you yanked your car door open and threw yourself behind the wheel. You blinked back the tears as you grabbed for your seat belt, determined to race out of there and possibly never return. You were stopped from pulling out of the driveway by your passenger side door opening up.

Joel slid into the passenger seat with a great commotion. "Baby," he began as he leaned towards you, hid hand reaching out for your own.

"Stop," You pulled your hand from his reach and grabbed the steering wheel. "I need to leave, Joel. Now!"

"Drive then," he ordered.

You didn't bother arguing with him about leaving his car behind before you pulled out of your parents' driveway.

"I'm fucked," you said about five minutes into your drive home. "Absolutely fucked, Joel!"

"No-"

"Yes!" You cried. As you came to a red light, you took the chance to rub at your eyes like a sleepy infant.

"My dad knows we're together! He knows we're sleeping together!"

"I know," Joel answered calmly.

"He thinks you seduced me!"

"I know."

"Why aren't you upset?" You cried. A few more intersections to drive through, and you'd be turning onto your street.

"I am, but not in the way you are, darlin'."

"What?"

"Just drive," Joel said, pointing to the lights up a head. You were almost home. "We can sit and talk once we get inside, yeah?"

"I don't think I can sit still right now." You answered honestly. "I'm, I'm like buzzing," you explained weakly.

"I'm sure you're anxious and stressed, darling. Look," Joel said as you pulled into your driveway. "Let's get inside,"

You practically raced inside, determined to sort through the days absolute shit show. "He's gonna make us break up," you said as you paced across your living room carpet. "That or my parents are going to disown me."

"They won't-"

"Then they'll make us break up!"

"They can't make us do anything." Joel answered.

"Oh my god," you moaned in utter mortification. "Everyone from your work saw that today! They all heard how you're dating the slut that's your best friends daughter!"

"Hey!" Joel interrupted harshly. "You're not a slut, and it fucking pisses me off that your father would insinuate something like that to you. You're a grown adult," Joel's hands came up to cup your face. "We're in an adult relationship, one where we're both happy and consenting. We haven't done anything wrong."

"I know," you answered. "And it never felt like that before, like what we were doing was wrong. But now, with my dad's reaction," you trailed off. Unsure if you really wanted to voice how your father had you doubting your relationship.

"I know. But do you really want to let others control our relationship?"

"No."

"We can talk to your parents, yeah? Explain that this isn't some fling between us. That we really care for each other."

You paused, taking a moment to look into Joels dark eyes. "Not a fling, huh?" You asked, some of your spark returning.

"Not a fling, darling."

"You really care for me?" You asked as you settled yourself on Joel's lap. His arms circled around your back.

"More than you know." Joel answered. You met in the middle for a kiss, your body going lax in his arms. But just as Joel deepened the kiss, your phone rang out. You turned around to see a call from your dad coming through. You leaned over, picking it up from the coffee table to show Joel. "Let it go," Joel told you. "We can talk to him later."

"Not now?"

"No," Joel answered as he maneuvered you to lay across the couch. "He needs time to cool off. And you, darling," he said with a smirk, his head tilted down so he could press a soft kiss to the side of your neck. "You need a distraction."

You tossed your phone somewhere on the carpet. Moving to your hands underneath Joel's shirt, trailing along the muscles in his back. "Okay," you answered. But Joel gave you a look that you knew all too well, one that had you correcting yourself. "Okay, daddy."

[clare-875]

Love love love the New Names prompt! I loved Ace’s and Sabo’s!! Poor poor Ace.

I was wondering if you could do another part with: Corazon, Killer, Mihawk, and Penguin 👀👀👀

Have a lovely day/night! ✨🫶🏽

New Names pt.3 (Corazon, Killer, Mihawk, Penguin)

_____ Pairings: Corazon x Reader; Killer x Reader; Mihawk x Reader; Penguin x Reader Summary: His reaction when you call him pal, buddy, etc. Warnings: Mostly fluff, Female Reader A/N: I'm so glad you like the fics! This is my first time writing for these characters so I hope you enjoy! 💗 [One Piece Masterlist] [Part 1: Luffy, Sanji, Zoro, Ace, Law] [Part 2: Shanks, Sabo, Crocodile] [Part 4: Kid, Katakuri, Smoker] _____

Corazon

(A/N: Spoilers for Law's backstory)

A young Law looks to you from behind where he hid, unusual eagerness buried in his gaze. You and him had come up with a little prank to play on your boyfriend and despite being in the middle of a crisis, you would do anything to see Law's smile. When Corazon had left with Law to find a cure for his Amber Lead disease, you (being an undercover Marine yourself) had joined him. With time came the undeniable connection that was formed between the three of you.

You adored both of them with all your heart.

You were currently trying to hide the grin on your face as you looked up, anticipation thrumming as you watched your boyfriend finally approach from a distance. His painted face seemed to light up at the sight of you, and he moved faster to get to your side.

"Hello, love." His smile is wide as he approaches, but you watch as it fades to confusion in the absence of the boy usually by your side.

"Where's Law?"

You smile at his concern, but you continue with your little game.

"Don't worry buddy, he's just resting for now."

You expected a lot of things for his reaction, but what you didn't expect was the series of events that followed. One minute his face had been full of his usual adoration of you, the next came one of shock at your words, and the next moment his face was buried into the ground.

He had fallen.

You quickly approach in concern, rolling your boyfriend over so he is on his back. You kneel by him and look down at his face.

"Buddy, are you okay?"

You are surprised, however, that when you look down at your boyfriend's face, his eyes are clouded more with sadness than pain. There is a pout that lingers on his face.

"Love, why are you calling me that?"

You furrow your brows in mock confusion.

"What are you talking about, bud?"

Your boyfriend sits up quickly at your words, expression twisted in disarray.

"You-you're calling me buddy, but I'm- we're dating now. So, you should be calling me love."

He states it all so plainly to you, that you stare for a moment before losing yourself to your light laughter. This only causes the crease between your boyfriend's brows to deepen.

"Love?"

In that instant, you hear the rushing of footsteps, before Law jumps onto your boyfriend's back suddenly. He is smiling wide as he meets your gaze and amusement glistens in his eyes. Corazon yelps at the sudden weight on him.

"Surprise, you got pranked!"

Law grins in his mischief before running over to you and hiding behind your leg. Your boyfriend looks up in complete bewilderment as his eyes turn from you to Law, and back to you again. But then he spots the smile on Law's face and loses himself in a light-hearted chuckle; he tries to hold back his tears.

"...Not bad kid."

There is a pause before Corazon ruffles Law's head slightly and stands up to his feet. You smile softly at the interaction. You can see Law trying to play off the light blush on his cheeks at the gesture.

"Now you, love," your boyfriend says turning to you and taking your hand in his.

"I was expecting better."

You roll your eyes at his words but your smile does nothing to waver, and the three of you make your way back to camp.

That is until your boyfriend falls to the ground once more.

Killer

You fight the smile that wants to reach your face as you watch your boyfriend a small distance away talking to some members of crew. An idea had swarmed your mind and you were keen to see it take place. "What are you smirking about?" You hear the low growl of your Captain on your left as he looks at your expression with suspicion. A grin tugs wide at his words.

"Nothing you need to worry about Captain."

Kid grits his teeth as he seethes and walks away from your amused expression, but you pay him no mind; your attention is back on your boyfriend as he seems to conclude whatever conversation had taken place. You watch as his masked figure turns and spots you. You quickly put back on a neutral facade as Killer finally makes his way over, suspense bubbling within you.

"Hello, love."

His words to a stranger would sound surprisingly gentle, especially for a man named Killer. However, his kind nature is a given to you, and so you smile softly at your boyfriend, before giving way to your plan.

"Hey man, what were you up to?"

You watch as your boyfriend freezes momentarily. You grin discreetly, as you try to play nonchalant. Instantly, Killer's mind goes to concern.

"Okay love, what's wrong?"

His broad figure looms over where you are sitting and you don't have to remove his mask to know that his eyes are searching yours for answers. You keep up the act as you look at him in mock confusion.

"Nothing's wrong man, I've just been waiting for you."

He freezes again at your choice of words, and before he knows it his hand is under your chin.

"Princess, why do I feel like you're messing with me."

You feel warmth rise to your cheeks at his low words spoken softly to you. You try muttering an excuse, but it is for naught as Killer seems to put the dots together, and he has pulled you to your feet in an instant. You gasp as he swiftly drags you in the direction of your shared chambers, Kid still looking at the both of you in utter bewilderment.

"I'll show you who you're calling man, princess."

Mihawk

(A/N: Slightly suggestive at the end)

Your boyfriend is lounging on his chair, paging through the most recent newspaper copy that had been delivered. Your lips twitch upwards at the sight and you push open the door wider so you can get through. In your hands are two cups of steaming tea. Your boyfriend instantly perks up at your presence; he has sensed you lingering for some time now.

His sharp eyes soften slightly as he watches you get closer. "Hello love." You smile as you place his cup in front of him and put yours next to it. You would be lying to say you hadn't missed him. He had been so busy recently with whatever duties come with being the world's strongest swordsman and a warlord of the sea. But despite your sentiments, you wanted to go through with the little game you had formed in your head.

"Hi pal, anything interesting happened lately?"

You peer over his shoulder trying to look at the newspaper in his hands like nothing is wrong. But you would be stupid to think that your boyfriend did not notice the change in the name you usually called him.

"Love, what are you doing?"

Mihawk's eyes are sharp once more, buried perplexity masked in irritation. You simply play dumb and give him a look of confusion.

"Looking at the newspaper?"

At your words, your boyfriend places the paper in his hands on the table in front of him. One hand grabs yours as you look in bewilderment at his sudden movements.

"You called me pal."

His words are low as they are menacing and you hesitate, unable to meet his golden eyes.

"I- I don't know what you're talking about."

Your boyfriend has none of it though, as he pulls you closer to him so you're basically straddling him on his chair.

"You seem to have forgotten something. Something I thought I taught you not to forget."

You freeze as you try to hide your flustered face at the sudden proximity and the rumbling of his words.

"And that is?"

He pauses, before placing a hand on your face and inching closer to you.

"I am your partner, not some pal."

His breath is hot against your lips before he closes the space between you. You feel yourself flush and warmth fills you. His hands frame your face and you pull him impossibly closer. When you part, there is a shine in the gold of his irises that signifies whatever this is wasn't over.

You grin.

If this is what you get for calling him pal, maybe you should call him that more often.

Penguin

You and Shachi smirk at each other as a plan forms between you. "And then we watch him cry and piss his pants." Your smile widens as a laugh escapes you at the absurdity of his words. "You've lost your mind. He might not even react." You watch as your best friend rolls his eyes, more disbelieving of your words than you were of his. "Of course, he'll react, you're like the love of his life!" You fight the flush that wants to reach your face at his nonchalant words and shove him light heartedly. "Shut up!" He grins when he sees your flustered expression.

You had been close with Shachi and Penguin the instant you joined the Heart Pirates. You truly valued your friendship with Shachi and adored your boyfriend more than anything in the world. Your light-hearted banter continues for only a few moments until you spot your boyfriend making his way towards you. "Okay, actually shut up now. It's time!" You quickly shush Shachi and get up, as he gives you a lazy thumbs-up. Your boyfriend's expression instantly enlightens as you approach.

"Hey babe, I was looking all over for you." You can see his wide smile underneath his hat. When he approaches his expression doesn't fade. "I missed you." You hesitate only for a second before conceding to your plan.

"Missed you too dude, where were you?"

You answer him casually and like nothing was out of the norm. But to your boyfriend, he felt like the Earth had just stood still. You tilt your head, at your boyfriend's frozen expression, slowly waving your hand in front of him in concern.

"Um, dude?"

Unbeknownst to you, Penguin's mind is ablaze with flashbacks to a time well before you started dating, when you would call him friendly terms. He thought he would be stuck in the friendship zone for eternity, but when he confessed you had shocked him when you had returned his feelings too. He adored the pet names you called him in your relationship, but now with your words, it felt like he was back in hell.

"Dude are you-"

"Stop!"

His hands are flain out to you as he tries to stop the name from slipping past your lips again. You raise an eyebrow in false confusion. Shachi is now laughing his head off looking at what's taking place.

"Oi Shachi! This isn't a time for laughter! She's calling me dude again!"

You roll your eyes at the over-exaggeration of your boyfriend's words and actions, but it is Shachi and not you who accidentally lets slip of the prank you had played.

"Yeah, idiot. It's obviously a joke, can't you tell?"

"Shachi-!"

"Wait, it's a joke?"

You sigh as your boyfriend turns back to you with a more vulnerable expression on his face than you were expecting. "Yeah, I'm sorry babe." You reach out and grab his hand, as you watch him relax at the name you call him once more. "It was just a bit of fun?" He sighs deeply in a mixture of relief and exasperation. "Thank god, I thought you forgot we were dating or something." Your lips upturn more at the teasing grin on his face.

"Like I could forget that."

You step closer to him, and you see a familiar flush reach your boyfriend's face. His heart thrums in anticipation at your sudden proximity. "Yeah?" He murmurs to you, and you inch closer, almost closing the space between you two when-

"Okay! Enough of the mushiness! Not when I'm here!"

You hear Shachi's voice break the trance between you both, and you instantly see your boyfriend's face darken. He turns swiftly from your side.

"Hey, we were having a moment moron!"

Penguin makes his way from you to Shachi, a multitude of curses leaving his lips.

"Too bad!"

"Get back here idiot!"

You smile softly despite yourself. They were a handful, but there was never a quiet moment with the two of them; you couldn't give them up for anything in the world.

[taure-annie]

The Blue Glow

→ premise: What starts as late nights spent helping Paige through heartbreak slowly shifts - until you’re left wondering if friendship was ever the right word. (RoommateAU)

→ word count: 4k

It’s just past two when you hear the key rattle in the front door, followed by the soft creak as it swings open. Paige, your roommate, usually comes home late on Fridays, a little buzzed or maybe high after a night with her teammates or her girlfriend. You’re used to hearing her stumble in, her laughter still lingering from whatever fun she’d been having, always fading into the quiet of the apartment.

You call her name, waiting for her confirmation. She’s the only one with a key, but saying her name and hearing her respond feels safe, like a habit you’ve formed without thinking. Silence. You lean back in your chair, letting your game screen idle as you peer through the small crack in your door.

You wait a moment, letting the silence of the apartment settle around you before it's broken by the unmistakable shuffle of her kicking off her shoes, the soft thud of her door and then steady beat of music seeping from her room.

You turning back to your desktop and unpausing your game. Your fingers move across the key‐ board, killing pixelated monsters and yet still, your mind crawls back to 20 minutes ago, when Paige walked in.

Were you supposed to knock on her door and ask if she was okay? Basic roommate etiquette would assume so, but it's not as though you and Paige were buddy-buddy. Sure, you'd chilled together a few times to catch up on Netflix's latest murder doc and yeah, she'd invited you to one or two of her teammate's afterparties (none of which you'd gone to, instead you offered polite decline that assured she really didn't need to ask you again).

At most, you and Paige were just in each other's orbit. Nothing more than two girls attending the same university who got placed together in an apartment just off-campus.

The clock ticks to 3:15, and finally, the music fades into silence. She’s probably asleep now. You tell yourself to focus on your game, but your gaze drifts to the wall, your thoughts lingering on her room just a few feet away. Honestly, you’re not sure why you’re still awake.

***

You’re unpacking your groceries when you notice her—Paige, sprawled out across the couch like she’s trying to disappear into it. Her hoodie is pulled low over her face, but you can still make out the outline of her eyes, locked on you the moment you glance in her direction.

"You good?" You ask, feeling the need to soften your voice - something in your body tells you to tread carefully.

She yawns, stretches, and when she speaks, her voice is thick with sleep—rougher than usual, like she hasn’t quite woken up. “Yeah, just a bit fucked up.”

There's something in her tone that gives you pause like she's daring you to dig deeper. You hesitate. It sounds bad to say, but you've always liked the unspoken agreement between you two - the comfortable distance, once again, like planets moving in the same orbit but never touching.

You take the bait. "What's up?"

She pushes herself up, so she's now resting on her elbows,  “Ari fucking broke up with me."

The two had seemed to be one of the few couples who could go the distance. In the few games you attended, you'd seen her girlfriend always present, aptly draped in a number 5 jersey titled 'Bueckers'. As far as college relationships went, it seemed like love.

"Oh." It's all you manage to say at first, unsure of how to respond. Were you supposed to hug her? 

Paige drops back onto the couch, covering her face with her hands. "Yeah, oh."

"And it's final?" You ask, "Cause, it's never really over, over. It's probably -"

"She blocked me," she cuts in, still deep within the recesses of her hoodie. "She probably blocked me the moment I left her place ... I've messaged her and called her but it goes straight to green or voice mail."

You nod, once again unsure of what to say next. You'd don't have to think because Paige drops in again. She had a one-of-a-kind skill of unknowingly being able to fill in silences.

"It's not like I cheated or she cheated," you hear the emotions flooding back into her voice - it's not sadness, well it probably is but it's wrapped up in anger and disbelief. "Which spins me because it's not like we were in a bad spot - okay yeah, I wouldn't respond sometimes, but that's normal, sometimes I'm genuinely tired from training!"

"Maybe she's stressed too and it's all a bit too much to deal with," You say.

She throws you a quick look, something between betrayal and you're not helping. It's fast, and she cools her features back to normal.

"- Not that I'm saying it's a good excuse," you counter, "But, it's something to consider. Did she actually say why?"

"Something about I'm not present. It's bullshit," she sighs.

You want to say something comforting, anything, but everything that comes to mind feels hollow. Besides, it's not like whatever you could say could put a bandage over a 2 year relationship ending.

She sits up again, her hoodie falling back to it's rightful face. She looks around the room, her eyes itching for something to distract her from whatever uncomfortable feelings she can feel rising. Her eyes fall on her set of keys, the original red fob you'd both received on move-in day had long been overtaken by numerous keychains and fabric bracelets - even a heart picture frame.

"Hey, do you want to do something?" She asks, "Get out of here for a bit?"

At the tip of your tongue is some vague excuse about how you really need to cook right now, but before it can come out, she speaks again.

"Please - I really need to step out for a bit." Her voice is soft, just about holding back a crack.

You're not a monster so of course, you nod and say sure. You don't ask where to until you're following her long strides down the hall and into the low-lit car park. The night feels colder than usual and your bare feet in slides feel anything but appropriate for the weather.

An orange glow from a stray streetlight casts a small tinge of light on her face as she unlocks the door to her car. "I was thinking of going to the outdoor court. You know, the one near the park? It's just a short drive. I could really use a change of scenery, and maybe shooting around would help clear my head .... that cool?"

"Yeah," you say, because what else could you say? "That’s cool."

How cliche you think - a basketball player needing to shoot hops to clear their head. 

The drive is quiet, the hum of the engine filling the space between you. Paige keeps her eyes on the road, and the tension in her shoulders is palpable. You can't help but think this is how she looks when she's on the bench, (playing the game in her mind, sizing up the opposition and just yearning to get back in).

Connecticut's lights blur past as you make your way out of the downtown area, the campus fading away as she turns into a quieter, more residential neighbourhood. The basketball court comes into view, illuminated by a few scattered streetlights and a single overhead light, casting a gentle glow over the cracked asphalt and faded court markings.

She pulls into the nearest parking bay, reversing in with ease, her arm draping over your headrest as she checks the mirror. It's then that you wonder how many times she's done this exact move with her ex. You imagine her ex sitting where you are now, lips fresh with a kiss and the seat shaped by her form.

A whole two years, you think. No wonder she was going stair-crazy.

You're now out of the car, rocking on the back of your feet as Paige gets her duffle bag out of the car. It's at that point when she finally asks you about your day.

You shrug, "It's been ight, nothing much to be fair. Just trying to get my head around ... we've got a new TA and the bitch marks hard as hell."

She chuckles in response, "Damn, tough one. You do something with economics, right?"

"Yeah, something about economics. Not my first choice but it's gonna do the job," you reply trailing behind her longer strides as she leads you both into the empty court.

"Economics. Get the job done?" she repeats with a playful scoff, a small smirk playing on her lips. "Can't tell if you're being humble or—"

"Not humble," you interject, "It's an ends to means."

She unzips her duffle bag and brings out her ball and bounces it a few times, the rhythmic thud echoing softly in the quiet night. "What's the end goal then?"

You're shrugging as you go to take your place on the edge of the court, watching as Paige moves around and seemingly becomes one with the court. (something about seeing her in her natural ele‐ ment) "Probably some cushy consulting job. I'm not gonna lie, I've got no idea but I've lowkey liked the subject all through school, it's just made sense to do it."

Paige dribbles the ball a few times, then takes a shot. The ball cuts through the air and swishes through the hoop. light work.

"I'm guessing you've always known what you wanted to do," you continue.

She nods, bounces the ball again, but this her feet and body moving across the court as though she's playing the last two minutes of a game. "Yup! It's always been basketball. From elementary, middle school and high school. Nothing but ball." she punctuates her last line with a throw.

 "Wish that were me!" you say.

She looks over at you, the ball now finding itself passing from hand to hand. "You wanted to play ball?"

It's your turn to scoff, "No, I'm talking about the whole knowing what you wanted to do from the get go."

Paige pauses mid-dribble, her eyes narrowing playfully as she studies you. "Yeah, I get that. Not everyone figures it out early. But, you know, it's not like it's been easy. Just because I knew doesn't mean it wasn't a grind."

She takes another shot, and the ball glides through the net with a satisfying swish. As she retrieves it, she adds, "There's a lot of pressure, too. Once you say 'this is it,' everyone expects you to stick with it, no matter what."

You watch as she moves across the court, her pace slower now, more thoughtful. "I guess I just got lucky," she continues. "Or maybe I was stubborn. It's hard to tell sometimes."

"I guess that makes you one of the few," you say, leaning back against the fence, watching her with a mix of admiration and something else - something you can't quite put your finger on. Is this what her fans felt? It always spun you that she had fans. Fans. Would they be jealous right now? "Most people I know are still figuring it out, including me."

Paige stops dribbling and looks at you, her expression softening. "You've got time," she says, her voice losing some of its earlier intensity. "There's no rush to have it all figured out. Sometimes, the best things come when you least expect them."

She tosses the ball to you, and it lands in your hands with a gentle thud. You can feel the worn leather under your fingers, still warm from her grip. For a moment, you're both silent, the weight of her words hanging in the cool night air.

"Maybe," you say quietly, the ball feeling heavier and heavier in your hands. "But sometimes it feels like everyone else is racing ahead while I'm stuck at the start line."

"Play with me," she says, gesturing you over.

You look down at the ball and then back to her, "You're a D1 athlete. You're just gonna show me up plus I don't even know how to shoot."

"Come on, I'll teach you," There's a playful glint in her eyes. "It'll make me like five percent less sad."

You hesitate, but her enthusiasm is contagious. She hands the ball back to you and steps behind, lightly adjusting your stance. "Feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent," she instructs, her hands guiding yours on the ball. "Use your legs for power, wrist for control."

You try to follow her lead, feeling her breath close as she directs your movements. "And when you shoot, remember, follow through, like you're reaching into a cookie jar."

You chuckle at the analogy and take a shot. The ball bounces off the rim, and Paige claps. "Not bad. Let's go again."

Paige steps in front of you, her tone shifting slightly as she moves into coach mode. You can tell she's probably coached some little league somewhere here in Connecticut or wherever her home state was - she’d mentioned it numerous times but you’d forgotten. "Alright, keep your elbow in and focus on the backboard," she says, her hands demonstrating the movement. "And don't forget, it's all about the follow through."

You roll your eyes playfully. "Alright, coach. I got it."

"It's Coach P," She smirks, her eyes twinkling. "Just trying to make you a baller." You take another shot, and this time, the ball swishes through the net. Paige cheers, giving you a high five. "There it is! You're a natural."

"Light work" you say with a grin. It's anything but.

Paige bumps you lightly with her shoulder. "Not bad at all. But next time, we're working on your dribbling cause that shit was shocking."

***

Nights at the court, which you’d now come to know was actually called St Bernard’s Court, became routine much like when you’d call her name when she’d come back to the apartment.

You’d gotten used to settling into the passenger seat of her car, the familiar hum of the engine surrounding you as she drove, her hands gripping the wheel with that same steady determination. Conversations, once filled with awkward pauses and small talk, now flowed effortlessly. They were the kind of talks that never seemed to end - about everything and nothing, the mundane details of life at uni, complaints about bad food at the cafeteria, or her latest training session. It was simple.

Sometimes, she’d give up her dictator-like hold over the music and let your playlists take over, though more often than not, you let hers play on. You never minded; there was something comforting about the predictable beats of her curated selections. Her taste was always a little sharper, more nuanced than yours, and you found yourself adding some of songs to your liked list when you’d gotten back to the safety of your own room.

Sometimes, after an hour of shooting around, you’d both end up on the concrete, sitting against the low bleachers, legs stretched out before you, talking about whatever came to mind and letting the cold settle deep into your skin. But more often than not, the conversation would shift to her ex. It had become a quiet pattern: Paige would talk about her like it was a distant, painful memory she was still learning how to deal with.

She’d mention her in passing, her tone casual at first, as though it didn’t sting anymore.

It reminded you like she was just like any other girl despite the fame. Unable to resist feigning indifference to hurt - so you didn’t judge because you’d done it over and over.

“I don’t even know why she said that,” Paige would say, tossing the ball back into her hands, eyes focused on something far off. “I never meant to be distant. You know how it is; practice, school, games... life’s a lot.” She’d sigh, running a hand through her hair, shaking her head.

And then, almost like she couldn’t help herself, the bitterness would slip in. “She made it sound like I didn’t care at all,” Paige muttered, kicking the ball across the court. “Like it was all about me, me, me.” Her voice softened, the edges raw, the anger melting into something unspoken and lingering. “She didn’t even give me a chance to explain, to fix things. Not that it matters now.”

You listened. Not to solve anything, not to offer some platitude about how she’d be better off. You listened because, in those quiet moments, it felt like her words were a way of processing, a way to let the weight of everything settle into something less heavy.

Her ex wasn’t just a past relationship, not just a name you’d heard murmured in the back of conversations. She was a part of Paige’s present, even if it was an unwelcome one, lingering in the way Paige looked at the court sometimes, or the way she pulled away when you tried to get too close. Her ex was a shadow that loomed over your conversations, her absence filling the spaces that Paige didn’t want to admit she missed.

“You know, I thought she was the one,” Paige would often say with a dry laugh, picking at the fabric of her hoodie. “Stupid, huh?” She’d shake her head like it was all so ridiculous now. But the way she’d say it, softly, almost tenderly, like she was still trying to convince herself.

And then, just as quickly, she’d pull herself out of it, focusing on something else. “Anyway, I’m not thinking about her tonight,” she’d say, standing up and grabbing the ball.

At some point she’d move on. Stop needing the nights at the court and you’d be proud because your friend (it felt weird to call her a friend thinking about the times you’d dodged her invitations for connection, but things were different now) had moved on.

***

The nights eventually come to an end.

They’re stopped when you’re sitting in yours and Paige’s shared living room, letting the tv play in the background as you listlessly scroll on your phone.

The door to her room is closed but you can hear the familiar music playing through it. She emerges, her face flushed and eyes bright - frantic even.

“Yo ... Guess who just called me?” She announces, taking what felt like her first breath in hours.

You look up, the question hanging in the air between you. Your thumb hovers over your phone’s screen, trying to gauge her excitement.

Paige’s gaze is intense, a slight nervous energy vibrating beneath her words. She doesn’t wait for you to guess.

“Ari,” she says, her voice a little softer now, like she’s unsure what to feel about it. “She called me.” The words hit you unexpectedly, like a slow tide pulling at your feet. A small knot forms in your stomach, not because you’re unhappy for her, but because you weren’t prepared for this.

“Oh shit,” you manage to say, trying to push away the strange, unexpected sensation that’s fluttered inside you.

“She said sorry. She said she made a mistake. Fuck, I... I don’t know even know what think.”

You lean forward a little, trying to sound reassuring. “I mean, that’s a good sign, right? She’s reaching out.”

Paige exhales a short laugh, glancing down at her hands before looking back up at you. “I guess? But fuck, it just feels... messy.”

You nod, understanding the weight of her uncertainty. You’ve seen how much this relationship meant to her, and it’s clear she’s torn.

“You wanna talk about it?” you ask.

She shakes her head, a small smile creeping onto her face. “Not yet, I think. I just... I need to think. It’s all a bit much, you know?”

The room goes silent, save for the faint hum of the TV in the background.

For a moment, you sit in the quiet, the weight of the conversation hanging in the air. And maybe it’s just you, or maybe it’s just the way Paige is looking at you now, but you sense that something has shifted—ever so slightly, but undeniably.

You’re still not sure what that means yet, or if it means anything at all. But for now, you don’t push.

She sighs and falls back onto the couch, closing her eyes. “I’ll figure it out,” she says softly, more to herself than to you but you know she’s already made her choice. 

You lean back, turning your attention back to your phone, but there’s an odd feeling in your chest that refuses to settle. For a moment, you wonder what would have happened if things had gone differently, if she’d never gotten that call. But before you can think too much about it, Paige shifts beside you, her presence pulling you back down to earth.

“Thanks,” she says quietly.

You smile, almost relieved that the tension has eased, even if only for now. “Anytime.”

The night stretches on, the air between you both comfortable again. And yet, you can’t help but wonder why you feel torn. Why aren’t you bubbling with happiness, like how you’d reacted when Zen had called you in senior year to say she and Trevor had gotten back together.

Eventually, you leave the couch, muttering an excuse about needing to get back to studying.

 Ari comes back into the fold of life at yours and Paige’s apartment like she’d never left.

The songs that used to fill Paige’s room—those soft, sad, contemplative ones—shift back to some‐ thing lighter, more upbeat. Her shoes reappear, scattered carelessly by the door, mingling with Paige’s own, like they always belonged together. And just like that, you go back to being good roommates.

That doesn’t hurt. It’s respectful - because who’d let their girlfriend spend nights at the basketball court together? It makes sense.

It only hurts when you come back to the apartment and see them on the couch. The lights dimmed, a fluffy blanket over their legs and a Christmas movie playing.

The first time it happens, you’re awkward. Painfully awkward. Your body not knowing how to react for the first time to something you’d seen countless times before.

You hesitate in the doorway, suddenly unsure of how to move, unsure of what to say. The air between the three of you feels thicker, heavier than it ever has before. You wish you could say something light, make a joke.

They don’t even notice at first - Paige’s attention is wholly focused on the TV screen, her hand absentmindedly brushing through her girlfriend’s hair. You feel like you’re not even supposed to be here, even though it’s your apartment too.

Eventually, though, Paige looks up, her eyes meeting yours, and for a second, the warmth in them falters. She smiles, but it’s tight, apologetic.

“Hey,” she says, her voice a little too bright, a little too forced. “You’re back. We were just watching this cheesy Christmas movie. Wanna join?”

The offer is there, hanging in the air between you, but the tension is palpable. You force a smile, shaking your head quickly.

“Nah, it’s fine,” your voice comes out more strained than you’d intended. “I was just coming in to ... grab something.”

You spend the rest of the night at Zen’s.

“So bitch, what the hell is up with you?” Zen asks. her gaze sharp as she watches you.

You blink, focusing back on her, the buzz of the rosé clouding your thoughts. “Nothing, I’m fine,” you reply, maybe a little too quickly.

“Sure ... sure you are,” she says with a knowing look, before taking a long sip from her glass, then a pause. “Dude, you’ve literally been distracted all night. Moping around everywhere.”

You hesitate, a little caught off guard. You’ve told Zen about Paige, from the odd first meeting to playing basketball together and to the events which took place hours ago.

“You sure you’re okay with them... back together?” Zen continues, her voice quieter, but there’s a softness to it now. She’s not trying to push, just letting the question sit there.

The idea that maybe everyone sees what you’re trying to hide - maybe even Paige  - that part makes you feel sick.

You take another sip of your wine, the sweet sharpness of it doing nothing to dull the growing ache in your chest.

“Yeah,” you say again, but it’s not convincing. Not to Zen. Not to yourself.

Zen’s eyes soften, and for a moment, she doesn’t look at you like she’s waiting for a response. She looks at you like she already knows the answer. You know it. Damn.

***

A/N: My first Paige fic! let me know what you think and if I should continue ... I haven't written fanfiction in years, which is a shame because I used really enjoy the fic writing/reading community. I've literally had this blog on the backburner for the last 3 or so years just waiting to find the right thing to write about and here it is ... I think?

[solxamber]

Octavinelle 4 comedy please!

Man vs Fish || Azul Ashengrotto

For the Holiday Event!! ; Prompt: "I'm NOT jealous", Genre: Comedy

You lean casually against the bar at the Monstro Lounge, giving Azul the kind of knowing look that screams, I know something you don’t want me to know. Azul, on the other hand, is fussing with some invoices, clearly trying to ignore your presence. He’s been like this all day—tense, distracted, and oddly defensive.

“Azul~,” you start, drawing out his name like you’re about to deliver the most earth-shattering news.

He stiffens. “What?”

“I know.”

Azul pauses mid-signature, slowly looking up at you like you’ve just accused him of a crime. “You... know what?”

You smirk. “I know you’re jealous.”

His quill drops. “Excuse me?”

You pat his shoulder in mock sympathy. “It’s okay, really. I mean, who wouldn’t be jealous of a goldfish?”

Azul blinks. “What.”

“You’ve been glaring at the fish tank all day,” you explain, jerking a thumb toward the shimmering tank in the corner of the lounge. Inside, a particularly lively goldfish swims in gleeful circles, its long fins trailing behind it like streamers. “You’ve been eyeing Mr. Glub-Glub like he owes you rent.”

Azul stares at you, utterly dumbfounded. “You think I’m jealous... of a goldfish.”

You shrug. “It’s okay. You’re allowed to feel insecure. I mean, look at him! He’s the life of the party. Everyone stops to admire him. He’s got presence.”

Azul makes a strangled noise. “I—he’s a fish.”

You tap your chin thoughtfully. “A very charismatic fish.”

“I AM NOT JEALOUS OF A FISH!” Azul bursts out, slamming his hands on the bar. The sound echoes through the lounge, drawing the attention of a few nearby students. Jade, ever the opportunist, pokes his head out from the kitchen with a curious glint in his eye.

“Something the matter, Azul?” Jade asks, far too innocently.

“No!” Azul snaps, face already starting to flush.

You give Jade a solemn nod. “He’s jealous of Mr. Glub-Glub.”

“I AM NOT!” Azul sputters, practically tripping over himself. “I don’t—why would I be—he’s just a decorative fish!”

Jade hums thoughtfully. “He is rather elegant. Such graceful fins.”

“STOP HELPING!” Azul cries, burying his face in his hands.

You, now fully committed to this bit, lean closer to Azul, your voice soft and conspiratorial. “It’s okay to admit it, Azul. We all have someone—or something—we feel we can’t measure up to. You don’t have to hide your feelings.”

Azul groans, dragging his hands down his face. “You are impossible. Utterly impossible.”

You pat his back reassuringly. “And you’re jealous. It’s okay, buddy.”

Azul straightens up, adjusting his glasses with a newfound determination. “You know what? Fine. If I’m so ‘jealous,’ let’s settle this once and for all.”

You blink. “Settle what?”

“I’ll prove that I’m not jealous of that... goldfish,” he declares, striding purposefully toward the tank.

Jade, clearly enjoying the chaos, sidles up next to you. “What do you think he’s going to do?”

“No idea,” you admit, watching as Azul begins to... negotiate?

“Listen here, Mr. Glub-Glub,” Azul mutters, leaning down to glare at the fish. “You may think you’re popular now, but this is my lounge. I run this show. I bring the customers. You’re just... aquatic decor!”

The goldfish bobs cheerfully in the water, entirely unfazed.

You exchange a glance with Jade. “Yup. Definitely not jealous.”

Azul spins around, his cheeks blazing. “I’M NOT!”

You and Jade burst into laughter, and even Azul can’t keep the twitch of a smile off his face, though he quickly hides it behind a grumble.

As the laughter dies down, you sidle up to him and grin. “For the record, Azul, you’re way cooler than Mr. Glub-Glub. He could never rock a suit like you.”

Azul huffs, but the faint smile returns. “Well... obviously.”

“And for the record,” you add, patting his shoulder, “you’re still jealous.”

Azul groans. “You’re the worst.”

“And you love it.”

He says nothing, but the way he flushes says everything.

Masterlist

[midnite-c6]

listen…

Thanos being completely shocked at the fact that namgyu is dating someone who’s the complete opposite of them both, sure thanos has heard namgyu muttering under his breath that he needs to get back home to his girl but he just assumed you were gonna be completely like them. But seeing you smiling all so nicely at him whilst namgyu introduced him to you, no wonder namgyu wanted to get back quickly

HEHE its like my choi su bong x namgyusgf reader one oops + this one finally leaving the drafts 😭 lowkey sweet thanos but cheating nonetheless

choi su-bong x namgyusinnocentgf!reader warnings: 18+, dubcon, dark content, cheating, oral (m receiving), bimbo reader?, HEAVY corruption kink, no proofread

つ⁠｡⁠☆ rappers, money, clubs, drugs, strippers, sex. that's all that thanos thought of when he thinks of his best-friend's "girlfriend". someone who takes the same aura as nam-gyu, a person who is quite literally mentally deranged, it even freaks him out sometimes.

but when he stands infront of nam-gyu's doorstep and looks down to see your innocent, pure face, one that would never inhale a cigarette, or step foot an inch in a kind of guy like nam-gyu or his's way, he's shocked, baffled, for sure. "tsk, doll, where's nam-gyu?" you hummed, giving him a warm smile as a welcome, "he's not here right now, still working at the club, i'm sure you're thanos right?" he'd stare, awe-struck, still in disbelief. "and your...?" "his girlfriend." you tilt your head to the side, why else would you be answering nam-gyu's front door? "right. can i come in, pretty?" you'd move to the side, inviting him in. "...are you sure? you sure you're his girlfriend? nam-gyu?" "yes?"

he huffs as he walks inside. "do you even know half the things he does?" the man flops onto the couch, closing his eyes, like he owns the place. "what do you mean...? he's just a normal guy..?" he bursts into laughter, really? normal? "that guy's a jerk." what a compliment to his best friend. "a dirty jerk." he'd open his eyes to see, poor you, looking down at him, so confused and lost, like what would he mean by that? it only gets him fucking hot, i mean your dumb little face needs to be fucked, desperately. "don't look at me like that. have you ever smoked a line before?" you were getting concerned by the second, maybe you invited the wrong guy? "uhm... i think you should leave.." he scoffs, "answer the question." in an attempt to be smart, you'd try to get your phone that was conveniently placed on the couch, his hand would stop you though, getting to your phone first. "h-hey-!" he shrugs you off, "i can't tell if this is all an act or not." he continues to eye you down, does nam-gyu do this to you too? toy with you?

"are you seriously that naive to think he's a nice guy? man... he must be such a good liar." "what are you on about-" he places a hand on your lips, shutting you up. "or are you just that fucking into this?" you pout, feeling helpless to defend yourself..

"you like to act all innocent to rile men up, hmm?" you shake your head in response, "i have to admit, i'm jealous, angel, he gets all this good-stuff, untouched, virgin-like, girl to himself!" he spits out, taking his hand off your mouth. "but i swear- i'm waitin' til i'm married." what? fucking why would you be dating his buddy then? he's fucking girls left and right, he doesn't even have money for a lousy ring. "you think that guy would marry you?" you nod. "hope so." he'd only laugh at the thought to himself, pausing for a moment to sigh and a convenient time to obtain an idea...

"don't you not wanna dissapoint him?" you're already too annoyed at this guy, asking questions left and right. "like... what if you guys do wait for marriage, and you just wont fuck right?" "but we lov-" he'd shut you up again, with his pointer fingers, shushing you. "yeah, love, whatever... but that man's got some high as hell standards... " leaning in to whisper in your ear, "what if he falls out of love immediately when you can't suck his dick right, or you can't fuck him since you're too tight? tight is bad, you know." he's loving every bit of this, loves how you practically flinch whenever he says those explicit words, where you suddenly get worried about something that you weren't supposed to be worried about, definitely not your pretty little head.

"really?" tilting your head to the side, face painted in real concern.

"really."

◜⁠‿⁠◍✧⁠*⁠。

nam-gyu hated virgins, he said. nam-gyu hates inexperience, he said. so why did thanos absolutely loved how you were already squirming when he's only palming your clothed virgin pussy? "chillax." but you couldn't, not when the last place you would ever think about touching was being touched by the purple-haired weirdo you so easily invited on his lap. it felt tingly, it felt unfamiliar, it also felt wrong. "startin' to think your just any neighborhood slut, gettin' guys to think you're all pure n' innocent..." he'd whisper, knowing that you're too pretty and pure to be hearing the filth that comes out of his mouth... "is that true, sweetheart?" you could feel his warm breath, shaking your head to his dumb questions, yet you're none the wiser to not take his advice. as he pushes your white satin panties to the side, fingers gliding onto your folds, you'd let out a sweet, sweet, moan, right into his ear. "you're into men who looks like they'd ruin your life, huh?" it felt real nice until a wandering finger would shove right past your hole, "you don't even know my name.." the action made a painful squeak come out of you, "m'don't w-want it, anymore!" "you don't want to impress nam-gyu?"

soon enough, you're cumming, legs shaking, just by a finger! "u-uhm -! is.. is that good..?" looking down on your lap, "what's good, doll...?" "the white stuff." fuck. did you even know you could cum? he was truly a bastard to be fucking you and it made his cock twitch... ache . "yeah. but, it won't wow him that much." what! you'd went through all that, and it didn't even matter?! (he only wanted to see what a virgin's pussy would look like anyway, he wasn't disappointed.)

you furrow your brows. "then... what?" lifting off his lap, looking at him straight in the eye. his calloused thumb would meet your lower lip, roughly pressing onto it for your mouth to be agape. "need ta' train your throat, yeah?" like he was a professional, he pushes you down to the smooth white tiles of the floor, earning a grunt from you. he'd unzip his pants, no boxers or briefs (slut), purple mixed with black pubes, you're wide-eyed stare at his cock, like you'd never seen it before, made it harder. "not goin' gentle on ya now." the only warning he'd give before he'd tug your hair to fully take his dick in, of course you gag, but he wouldn't give you the mercy of pulling away, instead his hand tugs harder, making you stay in your place, you'd open your eyes as to plead with it, earning a guttural moan at the man, "shit. now suck, and no teeth." pulling your head back n' forth, he smelt of musk and sweat, it wasn't enough to not distract you from how you were choking on his length, practically pushing him away. he gives in, letting you breath for a second. "come on, you haven't even made me cum yet, dumbass, you've got no rhythm, but that's another lesson..." a few seconds, he gives, "l-let me jus-" he shoves himself again, but you'd be trained from the first thrust. "fuck, you're so pretty." as he looks down, spitting on your face to see it drip down, you hated yet loved every bit of it... maybe you were a slut afterall. maybe he was right.

his pace was slowing down, all messy, sloppy, "gonna shoot... shoot my load into you, right...now..." he controlled the pace but it was you, your cute self, and your throat that was making him feel so .. excited. when he finally pulls out, pumping his dick a few times, then "that's good. when he cums you did good." yay. you did good :) the white stuff *did* taste a bit nice, yet bitter. seeing you smile because of what you did for the first time made him want to fuck that smile out of you. when you're purely ruined for anyone else. but that'll wait for other lessons, he was nice, for now.

of course, he'd save the best for last, to feel your tight pussy clenching on his dick, but to his demise, he'd hear a knock on the door, and smell the essence of weed, smoke, and drugs. nam-gyu's home! what would he feel when he sees his bestfriend's cum all over your face?

forgot i had this in my drafts. kinda ass tbh 😭😁, mayhaps my last squid game fic until squid game s3 comes out, been into other things lately (challengers)😕😞

[rose24207]

Omg loved your Mafia lando hookup turned having a baby together turned into a love confession 💕

Can I request something similar where instead of reader being pregnant they already have a son together and there not together but Lando wants to but reader is hesitate, and one day while Lando is with his son, lando asks why the reader looked so exhausted and tired and his son says something about how his momma is tight on money and has to work double shifts at the diner from what he heard making Lando go to reader and ask why she didn't come to him for money if she needed it but she didn't want to seam like she was using him. And lando can see how exhausted she is, arks foe her to stay with him so he can look after them both.

Second chances

Summary: After overhearing his son reveal how hard his mother works to make ends meet, Lando confronts his ex about her struggles and offers them both the stability and love they deserve

Genre: Dad!Lando, ex!Lando, angst, fluff

TW: None!

A/N: Finally!! I know you guys waited long but here it is!! English is not my first language. I hope you enjoy it though! Requests are open and welcome!

Masterlist

The laughter of your son echoes across the park as he kicks a soccer ball around with Lando. You watch from a distance, sitting on a bench, a small smile tugging at your lips despite your exhaustion. It’s moments like these that make everything worth it—seeing Theo happy, his face lighting up with pure joy. Lando, as usual, is fully engaged, chasing after the ball and letting Theo score over and over, his own laughter blending with your son’s.

The two of you aren’t together anymore, haven’t been for a while. But Lando has always been a good father. He’s present, attentive, and Theo absolutely adores him. Still, it doesn’t change the ache in your chest whenever you see them together. It’s a bittersweet reminder of what could have been.

“Mom! Watch this!” Theo shouts, his little legs pumping as he kicks the ball with all his might. It barely makes it past Lando’s feet, but Lando falls to the ground dramatically, clutching his chest like he’s been defeated.

“You got me!” Lando exclaims, lying flat on his back. Theo runs over, his giggles infectious, and jumps onto his dad’s chest.

You shake your head, chuckling softly. “Careful, Theo. Don’t hurt your dad too much.”

“Mom, I’m strong!” Theo flexes his tiny arms, and Lando gives him an exaggerated look of awe.

“Super strong,” Lando agrees, ruffling his hair.

It’s these moments that keep you going, even when you feel like you’re running on empty.

Later that evening, you’re in the kitchen, trying to throw together dinner while keeping an eye on the clock. Your shift at the diner starts early tomorrow, and you already know it’s going to be another long day.

When Lando walks in with Theo, he pauses.

“You look tired,” he says gently, concern flashing in his eyes.

“I’m fine,” you reply automatically, brushing a strand of hair out of your face. “Just a lot to do.”

Lando doesn’t seem convinced, but he doesn’t push it. He kneels down to Theo’s level instead, helping him take off his shoes.

“Did you have fun today?” you ask, forcing a smile as you set the table.

“The best!” Theo exclaims. “Dad let me score, like, a million goals!”

Lando chuckles. “More like ten, but who’s counting?”

You watch them from the corner of your eye, a pang of guilt hitting you. You don’t want Theo to ever feel like he’s missing out, even though money’s been tight lately.

That night, after dinner, Lando and Theo are sitting on the floor, drawing with crayons. You’re washing the dishes, listening to their quiet chatter.

“Dad, can I tell you a secret?” Theo whispers, loud enough for you to hear.

“Of course, buddy. What’s up?”

“Momma’s always tired,” Theo says matter-of-factly. “She works a lot at the diner now.”

Your heart sinks. You turn your back, pretending not to hear as you scrub a plate harder than necessary.

“Yeah?” Lando’s voice is softer now. “Why do you think that is?”

Theo shrugs. “I heard her tell Auntie Sarah that she has to work double shifts to make more money.”

There’s a pause, and you can feel Lando’s gaze burning into your back. You don’t dare turn around.

“Thanks for telling me, Theo,” Lando says finally, his voice calm but serious. “Why don’t you go pick out a book for bedtime?”

Theo scampers off, leaving the two of you alone.

“Y/N.”

You stiffen, gripping the edge of the sink. “I don’t want to talk about it, Lando.”

“Tough, because we need to.”

You whirl around, defensive. “It’s not your problem, okay? I’m handling it.”

Lando crosses his arms, his expression a mix of frustration and concern. “Clearly, you’re not. Why didn’t you tell me you were struggling?”

“Because I’m not!” you snap, though the tears pooling in your eyes betray you. “I don’t want your money, Lando. I’m not going to be that person who uses you just because you have more than I do.”

He exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair. “This isn’t about you using me. It’s about you and Theo. If you’re working yourself to the bone, how can you take care of him properly?”

“I am taking care of him,” you insist, your voice cracking. “I’m doing the best I can.”

Lando steps closer, his tone softening. “I know you are. But you don’t have to do it alone, Y/N. Let me help you.”

You shake your head, tears spilling over. “I don’t want to depend on you. What if you change your mind? What if—”

“I’m not going anywhere,” he interrupts firmly. “I’ve never gone anywhere, have I?”

You’re silent, your chest heaving with emotion.

“Y/N,” Lando says quietly, “you’re exhausted. You’re trying so hard to be strong for Theo, but you don’t have to do it alone. Stay with me. Both of you. Let me take care of you—for him, and for you.”

The words hit you like a tidal wave. Part of you wants to say yes, to let him shoulder some of the burden. But the fear of being let down, of relying on someone else, holds you back.

“I don’t know if I can,” you whisper.

“You can,” Lando says, his voice steady. “I know things didn’t work out between us before, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try again. For Theo. For us.”

You look up at him, his eyes earnest and full of determination. For the first time in a long time, you feel a flicker of hope.

That night, after Theo is asleep, the two of you sit down and talk. Really talk. About the past, about the future, about the family you both want to build for Theo.

By the time the sun rises, you’ve made a decision. Maybe it’s time to let go of the fear and let someone in.

Maybe it’s time for a second chance.

Thank you for reading!

[sleepdeprivedf1fan]

Leo's Paddock Adventure

———

———

Today was special; it was the first time you both decided to bring Leo to the paddock. As you stepped out of the car, the sun glinted off the sleek vehicles while the air buzzed with excitement. But all eyes seemed drawn to the tiny bundle of joy nestled in your arms. Charles chuckled, adjusting his cap, “I think Leo might be the star of the show today.”

As soon as you entered the paddock, Leo’s curiosity piqued. His little nose twitched as he took in the myriad of scents, and his big, expressive eyes lit up with wonder. You placed him on the ground, and he immediately scampered around, his tiny paws pattering on the concrete. The mechanics paused their work, the drivers momentarily forgot their pre-race rituals, and everyone’s attention turned to the adorable newcomer.

“Look at him!” someone exclaimed, pointing at Leo, who was now playfully chasing his own tail. Laughter erupted, and soon a crowd began to gather. Charles stood beside you, grinning from ear to ear as he watched Leo bask in the affection of his newfound fans.

One by one, team members approached. The amiable Sergio Pérez knelt down, extending a hand towards Leo. “Hey there, little buddy! What’s your name?” Leo, with his innate charm, responded by licking Sergio’s hand, prompting a chorus of “Awwws” from those nearby.

Even Toto Wolff, the commanding figure of the paddock, found himself enchanted by the tiny dachshund. “Is this the new team mascot?” he joked, bending down to scratch Leo behind the ears. Leo, basking in the attention, rolled over to expose his belly, inviting more pets. Toto chuckled, “I must say, you’ve outdone yourself, Charles. This little guy is irresistible!”

Amidst the laughter and playful banter, you felt a warm glow of happiness. You had brought a bit of joy and lightness to the often intense atmosphere of the paddock. Leo, with his playful antics and loving nature, had woven himself into the fabric of the racing community in a matter of moments.

As the afternoon wore on, Leo became the unofficial mascot of the paddock, with everyone vying for a chance to hold him. You and Charles exchanged glances, your hearts swelling with affection—not just for each other, but for the delightful chaos that little Leo had brought into your lives.

———

I know I’m very late with this but he was so damn cute 🥰

[luvlloyd]

🌿 | 𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔: drabbles

╰┈➤ how would the ninjas react to you telling them that you love them for the first time?

�� WARNINGS: fluff, sarcasm, minor wound (Jay), mentions of cursing and self doubt (Kai), nightmares (Lloyd)

🌳 CHARACTERS INCLUDED: Cole, Jay, Kai, Lloyd, Nya, Zane (separately), x (gender neutral) reader

🌴 AUTHORS NOTE: tehe first writing post, hi buddies!! :) A bit of OOC Nya but I still think what I wrote for her was too cute to change <3

˗ˏˋ〘 𝓒𝐎𝐋𝐄 〙ˎˊ˗

"Cole… That’s too much sugar-" You interjected, grasping your boyfriend’s arm before he could empty the sugar into the mixing bowl.

“Oh.. my bad, (Name)." Cole chuckled sheepishly, his smile betraying his embarrassment as he glanced at you, “Sorry,” He added.

With a playful roll of your eyes, you aided him in adjusting the sugar amount, "No wonder you’re a sucky chef, Cole," you teased, prompting a scoff from him.

“Me? A sucky chef, please!" He exaggerated the ‘please,’ earning a knowing look from you.

“What? Did you know I’m secretly Gordon Ramsey’s love child?" He grinned.

“In your dreams you probably are," you laughed, causing his face to drop in mock disbelief.

“How dare you? Take this." Cole took the flour that was laying on the counter, grabbed some from the packet and tossed it into your face.

“Cole..! Stop!" You squealed, shielding your face with your arms.

“Nuh uh, you are going to face my flour wrath, (Name)!" He persisted, continuing to shower you with flour until you managed to wrestle the packet from him. Soon, both of you were engaged in a flour war, filling the kitchen with laughter.

Eventually, his arms found their way around your hips, pulling you close as you leaned against his chest, both of you still giggling,

"Cole, I love you so much," you said playfully, feeling him freeze at your words. His pause prompted you to furrow your eyebrows and stare up at him. Cole gazed at you with eyes filled with passion and adoration before he leaned in to peck your lips,

“I love you too, (Name)."

He kissed you again, and again and again. Until you both were just contently sitting in each other’s arms, embraced within the euphoria.

Unfortunately for the two of you, the euphoria was to be put on hold—You both had a bit of some cleaning up to do…

˗ˏˋ〘 𝓙𝐀𝐘 〙ˎˊ˗

The brown haired boy seemed to be bubbling with anxiety, fidgeting with his fingers as he kicked his feet against the medical bed. You grabbed the first aid kit, placing it beside him with a huff, meeting Jay's eyes.

“Do we really have to do this?" he whined, but you reassured him with a smile.

“Of course, dear. We don't want your boo-boo to worsen, do we?" His ears turned pink at your pet name as you dabbed antiseptic on a cloth.

“It's just a cut, (Name)! I don't want to go through all this," Jay pleaded as you brought the cloth closer to him. You looked at him sympathetically,

“Exactly, it's just a cut, so why are you so scared?" You paused, a playful glint in your eye, "Aren't you supposed to be my brave boyfriend?" Jay's expression softened, a grin spreading across his face,

“You're right! I am your brave boyfriend!" he proclaimed proudly. You grinned as you brought the cloth to his cheek.

He winced softly at the burning sensation before the feeling got replaced with your delicate fingers. You applied a Thomas the Train band-aid to his cut and swiftly placed a small kiss on your boyfriend’s cheek, “There you go, your boo-boo is all better now,”

“Thanks doc,” Jay said, his smile cheesy and so incredibly contagious that it brought a smile to your own lips. His bright brown eyes staring into yours as though you were a delicately painted painting, simply a work of art for him to stare at. You cusp his cheek as you both continue staring at each other, you caressed his soft yet warm skin under your fingertips,

“I love you, Jay," you spoke softly. He grinned cheekily, his cheeks lightly dusted pink at your words.

"Well, I love you more!" he retorted playfully.

“No, I love you more," you countered.

“Nope! I love you the most mostful and mostest!" he declared, pulling you into a tight hug and nuzzling his head into your neck. As you let out a small giggle he whispered into your ear,

“I love you, (Name), forever."

˗ˏˋ〘 𝓚𝐀𝐈 〙ˎˊ˗

After enduring the agonizing training, you found yourself sprawled on the floor, Kai, your boyfriend of two months, grinning down at you, his weapon by his side.

His sweat-dampened hairs framed his face as he leaned closer to tease you, but suddenly, his playful smirk fell. He tumbled forward, landing directly on top of you. He muttered a curse as his eyes locked with yours, and your breath hitched. You both were merely centimeters between each other and in that moment, you swore the world seemed to stand still.

"Hey, sweetheart," he whispered, his voice soft and gentle, “Seems like I fell for you,”

"Hi Kai," you snickered, finding his attempt at being flirty endearing. "Seems like I caught you."

"Sorry about that," Kai chuckled, rolling off to lie beside you on the dojo floor. Together, you gazed up at the ceiling, embracing the silence in the room, until you couldn't resist stealing a glance at his side profile. Holding back the urge to caress his face, you traced the features with your eyes. You met his gaze as his smirked, his eyes staring into yours knowingly.

He wiggled his eyebrows playfully as he teased you, "Like what you see, sweetheart?"

"I love it," you whispered sweetly, brushing a strand of his hair before meeting his eyes again. "I love all of you."

Kai froze, his confident demeanor crumbling as a blush painted his cheeks. His face turning as bright as his gi. His face faltering into a slight frown.

“You don't mean that," his voice dropped low into a whisper, insecurity lacing his words. You could tell he was feeling incredibly vulnerable.

"Of course I do," you promised him, a gentle smile gracing your lips as you stare into his crestfallen eyes, “I love you Kai.”

He stared into your face, trying to decipher if you were truly being genuine with him. His face brightened up as he realized you were. A sly grin returned to Kai's face, but his eyes held a warmth that made your body melt. He grabbed your hand from your side and put it up to his lips,

“I love you too, sweetheart."

˗ˏˋ〘 𝓛𝐋𝐎𝐘𝐃 〙ˎˊ˗

Lloyd woke abruptly, his body drenched in sweat, heart pounding against his chest as his nightmare caught up to him. They’ve begun appearing more frequently the last couple of years… His eyes darted anxiously around the room, paranoia lingering in his gaze.

“Lloyd?” You whispered, concern lacing your voice, you could barely see him though the darkness.

"Sorry for waking you, darling," he murmured back, his voice quivering. Sitting up, you touch his trembling arm softly,

“Another bad dream?” you asked. The boy didn’t vocalize his thoughts but instead turned to you to nod his head at you like a sad puppy.

"You're okay, Lloyd," you reassured him soothingly, you brushed a strand of his sweat drenched hair away from his troubled face.

“You’re okay,” you repeated, wrapping your arms around him. You felt him crumble beneath your touch, he sunk into your chest as he stared into your eyes. Searching them for reassurance. You begun playing with his blonde locks, a soft hum escaping your lips. You stole a glance at him. The moonlight cast a gentle glow upon his face, revealing the subtle contours of his gentle features. His eyes closed, his breath steadying into a rhythmic pattern,

"Lloyd?" you whispered, uncertainty lacing your voice. There was no response, only the soft sound of his breathing filling the room. Did he already fall back to sleep? You paused, carefully staring down at his face,

“Well, good night Lloyd... I love you," you murmured softly, turning your gaze towards the window.

Unseen by you, a small smile graced his lips, a ghost of a whisper that you unfortunately didn’t pick up,

“I love you too,”

˗ˏˋ〘 𝓝𝐘𝐀 〙ˎˊ˗

You sighed softly as you slipped into your gi, the weight of your mission pressing against your shoulders even before the sun had fully risen. With your weapon at your side, you gazed out at the horizon, thinking about the mission you had to do. It was a task that demanded your immediate attention, one that couldn't wait for the rest of the ninja to stir from their slumber.

As you prepared to summon your elemental dragon, a familiar voice yelled out to you,

"(Name)! Wait!" Your girlfriend, Nya, still in her Spiderman pajamas, dashed towards you with urgency in her step,

“Nya? What’s wrong?" you asked, concern knitting your brow.

"Nothing! I just wanted to say goodbye to you before you left," she replied, quickly kissing you on the cheek. A warmth spread through you at her touch, a feeling of comfort and belonging that only she could ignite.

"Bye (Name)," she said, her smile gentle, but then she hesitated, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her features.

“What’s up?” you prompted, curious about the sudden change in her facial expression.

With a sheepish grin, Nya shook her head and presented you with a basket of food. "I um... I also wanted to give you this basket of food. I didn’t want you to be hungry while on your mission, so take it as your breakfast... I mean it’s obviously not going to be as great as Zane’s cooking, I’m sure—"

You interrupted her rambling by accepting the basket with gratitude, your heart swelling with affection for her thoughtful gesture,

“Thank you, Nya,” You stared into her eyes in adoration. Sincerity seeping through your words.

"Of course! Stay safe, (Name)!" Nya beamed, her happiness contagious as she pulled you into a quick one-armed hug.

"Bye Nya, love you," you said absentmindedly, your focus already shifting towards the task at hand as you climbed onto your dragon's back. You weren’t paying attention to her flustered behavior.

You soared into the sky, leaving Nya behind on the ground. Little did you know, as you flew off into the distance, Nya was left beaming with joy, her heart bursting with the simple words you had spoken.

"I love you too, (Name)!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with happiness as she watched you disappear into the horizon.

With a gleeful bounce, she couldn't contain her excitement any longer. "THEY SAID THEY LOVE ME—“ She quickly scowled to herself,

“Control yourself, Nya, but still!! They said they loved me!!" she squealed, her laughter echoing in the quiet morning air. Most likely awaking most of the Monastery.

˗ˏˋ〘 𝓩𝐀𝐍𝐄 〙ˎˊ˗

You sighed in frustration, your forehead meeting the cool surface of your desk with a dull thud. The blinking cursor on your computer screen taunted you as you tried to summon the words for your research paper. Procrastination had led you to this point, with the deadline looming close.

Lost in your thoughts, you barely registered the muffled noise at your door until it creaked open, revealing the analytical gaze of the ice ninja, Zane,

"Forgive me for interrupting, but I heard sounds of frustration and thought I would offer my assistance," he said, his voice calm and measured.

You managed a weak smile at his considerate gesture. "It's not a problem, I've just hit a roadblock," you admitted, gesturing helplessly towards the computer screen.

"I see no genuine roadblock, do you perhaps mean that figuratively?" Zane inquired, his literal interpretation of your words drawing a chuckle from you. As he approached your desk and effortlessly began typing away at the keyboard, you watched in awe as he swiftly completed the research paper that had been taunting you for hours,

"I believe this should suffice in terms of information. All that's left is to write your conclusion," he remarked, turning towards you with a straightforward expression.

You were dumbfounded by his efficiency, unable to believe he had solved your problem in mere minutes,

“You didn't have to do that!" you exclaimed, your gratitude tinged with surprise.

"I was simply assisting you," Zane replied, his tone neutral, mistaking your reaction for displeasure. You rose from your seat suddenly and enveloped him in a grateful hug,

"Thank you, Zane. I love you," you murmured against his shoulder.

For a moment, there was silence as Zane processed your words, his expression unreadable. Slowly, he brought his arms back up to exchange the hug,

"(Name), you are the optimal configuration for my circuits, the irreplaceable code for my function. To put it in simpler terms, I love you too," he finally responded, his words tinged with a hint of warmth that belied his nindroid nature.

TAGLIST: n/a if interested in getting tag for when I post a specific character lmk!!

©LUVLLOYD | please do not plagiarize, repost, or translate my work anywhere without my consent.

Thank you for reading! If you like or reblog or even decide to follow me, thank you sm! And if you don’t do any of those things, it’s all good! You spending your time to read this makes my day better nonetheless, so have a good one and drink lots of water and just know that I love you! (and so do these lego characters)

[v6quewrlds]

Blurb of wifey making Joe do the tend of telling his friends goodnight please?? 😂😂

author's note⠀⁎⠀feat. zacciah & justin because i wanted to try something new.

read more⠀⁎⠀joe burrow masterlist / series masterlist.

"Why would I call my friends just to say goodnight?" Joe questioned her, his forehead wrinkling in confusion as his eyes focused on the TV mounted on the center wall of the living room. His hands were busy, full of her calves as he massaged the tightness from her muscles after a long day standing and walking around the clinic. It had been a heels day; full business professional attire instead of her sneakers and scrubs, and it showed in the knots that had formed.

She, relaxing with a half-smile on her face, sat up from her lounging position, her head tipping to the side as she studied Joe expression. "So you don't watch the TikToks I send you?" she questioned, her eyes squinting in mock disbelief.

"Only the funny ones," Joe defended himself instinctively, a hint of a grin playing at the corner of his mouth. "This is a TikTok prank?" He asked in an effort to clarify, his thumbs still working their magic on her legs.

"It is," she confirmed. "It'll be funny, I promise," she assured him.

With a sigh, Joe set her legs down and reached for his phone. "Alright, let's get this over with," he muttered with a playful edge in his tone. He scrolled through his contacts, searching for the most unsuspecting victim to play along.

"Zacciah?" Joe asked, glancing over at her to see if she approved of his choice. She nodded eagerly, and he tapped the call button. Zacciah, one of Joe's closest friends, answered with a simple 'Hey'. "Hey, man," Joe began, trying to keep a straight face as she giggled quietly beside him. "What are you up to?"

"Just about to crash," Zacciah replied, his voice hinting at the end of a long day. "Why? You need something?"

Joe took a deep breath, mentally preparing for the absurdity that was about to unfold. "No, just wanted to call and say goodnight," he said, his tone unusually gentle, almost comically so.

"Goodnight?" Zacciah echoed after a few brief moments of silence, clearly taken aback. "Is… everything okay?"

She stifled a laugh with her hand, watching Joe's internal struggle as he maintained the facade. "Yeah, just thought it'd be nice," Joe replied lightly.

There was a pause on the line. "Okay, goodnight then," Zacciah said, sounding a mix of confused and concerned.

"Sleep tight, buddy," Joe said, trying to match the tone of a heartfelt bedtime story. "Sweet dreams and all that. Love you."

On the other end of the line, Zac's confusion grew palpable. "Joe, what…?" he began, but Joe hung up before he could finish his question. She burst out laughing, the sound echoing through their living room, as Joe gave into the amusement and chuckled along with her.

"Alright, who's next?" he asked, his eyes scanning his contact list.

"Oh, we're excited now are we?" She teased, watching Joe with twinkling eyes as he found his next target. "Try Justin."

Joe raised an eyebrow at her suggestion, but tapped the contact without further comment. The call connected and Joe waited for his friend's greeting. "Aye, what's up, man?" Justin's voice came through the speaker.

"Nothing right now. Just checking in, seeing how your night's going," Joe replied, his voice filled with feigned innocence. He watched her, whose lips were pressed together in an attempt to stifle her laughter. She nodded encouragingly.

"It's cool, you know. My moms was just askin' about you actually. What's up with you?" Justin said.

Joe paused for a beat before responding. "Just had a thought that it's been a while since we talked," Joe began. "So, I figured I'd call and say goodnight."

"Goodnight?" Justin's tone was disbelieving, almost as if he was offended. "Where's your girl? She would make you do some shit like this."

She couldn't hold it in anymore and her laughter spilled out, full and unrestrained. Joe rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the smile spreading across his face. "Yeah, she's right here," he admitted, holding the phone out for her to speak. "And she says goodnight, too."

"Oh, you think you funny, huh?" Justin's voice held a note of amusement. "Goodnight to you too," he called out.

"Night, Justin. Tell your mom I said hello," she responded. The laughter in her voice was infectious, and Joe could hear Justin chuckling on the other line.

"This is lowkey nice as hell," Justin said. "We could do this every night. Say goodnight and shit, I like it."

"Fuck no. Goodnight J," Joe said quickly, cutting off Justin's proposal for a goodnight ritual. He ended the call before the wide receiver could protest.

[ashthesalamipiece]

Omg I am obsessed with your writing on dad bakugo

If u aren't busy can u please make one where bakugos son who is like 10 month old and the entire class 1A comes to visit them

And when the baby was on debut hand he just for fun says the baby to repeat deku and the baby actually does it

I just think katsuii would be mortified and the entire class plus reader would be howling :)

Enjoy!♡

"His First Word Was WHAT?!"

The living room was unusually spotless — a rarity in a household with a ten-month-old. Toys were shoved in baskets, a baby blanket folded neatly on the couch, and there was only one suspicious stain on the floor that had been successfully hidden under a throw rug. You’d even managed to put the baby in one of the “presentable” onesies — the navy blue one with tiny dynamite patterns on it. Katsuki pretended he didn’t love that outfit, but you knew better.

“I still don’t get why you invited the whole damn class,” Katsuki grumbled, bouncing your son gently on his hip while you checked on the snacks.

You shot him a smirk. “Because they’re our friends. And they’ve all been dying to meet their godson-slash-chaos-incarnate.”

“He’s not chaotic.”

As if on cue, your son grabbed a fistful of Katsuki’s hair and tugged with surprising strength.

“—OW! Dammit—okay, maybe a little chaotic.”

The doorbell rang before Katsuki could argue further.

And then the chaos truly began.

---

Enter Class 1-A

Uraraka and Mina were the first ones through the door, immediately cooing at the baby. “He looks just like Bakugo,” Mina said, grinning. “But, like, with less explosions and more cheeks!”

“Can I hold him?!” Kaminari asked eagerly, practically vibrating with excitement.

You laughed and passed your son off carefully. “Support his head—he likes to flail.”

Kirishima came in right after, holding a stuffed bear that looked suspiciously handmade. “Thought he’d like something bite-proof. Just in case he takes after his old man.”

One by one, the rest of Class 1-A filtered in. Sero, Iida, Jirou, even Todoroki, who held out a wrapped gift silently and mumbled something about “thermal regulating onesies.” Aizawa showed up just long enough to confirm the baby hadn’t inherited Bakugo’s volume level, gave a slow approving nod, and vanished back into whatever teacher dimension he lived in.

And then came him.

Izuku Midoriya.

He entered with his usual sheepish smile, carrying a gift bag with both practical baby supplies and a collector’s edition All Might rattle.

Katsuki immediately bristled.

“Don’t corrupt him,” he barked.

Midoriya blinked. “Kacchan, he’s ten months old. I just brought diapers.”

---

The Moment

The room was lively, full of laughter, the smell of snacks, and the soft babble of a baby passed from arm to arm like the world’s most adored football. Your son was loving the attention — squealing, clapping, drooling all over Kaminari’s hoodie — a certified hit.

Eventually, the baby landed in Midoriya’s lap.

Midoriya grinned nervously and looked around. “Should I—uh, try talking to him?”

Bakugo, now sulking in a corner with arms crossed, muttered, “If he explodes, it’s your fault.”

Everyone laughed.

Midoriya leaned in playfully, face animated. “Hey, buddy. Can you say Deku?”

It was clearly meant as a joke — a jab at Katsuki more than anything else. Half the room chuckled.

Then the baby paused.

Mouth slightly open. Brows furrowed.

“D’ku!”

Silence. Absolute, pin-drop, soul-crushing silence.

Katsuki sat up so fast his chair scraped the floor.

“…What.”

“D’ku!” the baby repeated, louder this time, with a gurgly giggle.

The room erupted.

Mina shrieked. Kaminari collapsed onto the floor, wheezing. Iida was trying to hold back laughter behind his hand with absolutely no success. Jirou had her phone out already, recording. Even Todoroki let out a small “Huh,” which was basically a roar from him.

“OH MY GOD,” Kirishima howled. “Bro. BRO. His first word was Deku! That’s poetic!”

Bakugo looked physically pained. “No. No it wasn’t. He says other stuff. He said boom yesterday.”

“Nope,” you said, crying from laughter. “That was a fart, babe.”

“D’KU!” the baby yelled again, clapping his chubby hands like he’d just won an award.

Midoriya, who was both honored and horrified, stammered, “I-I didn’t mean to—Kacchan, I swear—!”

“You corrupted my bloodline,” Katsuki said darkly, snatching the baby back as the rest of the class screamed with laughter. “I’m changing his name. I’m moving. We’re going underground.”

“Can we get that on a shirt?” Mina asked. “Like—'First Word: Deku. Son of Bakugo.' We could make it merch.”

Katsuki looked like he wanted to melt into the couch. The baby poked his cheek and whispered one final, devastating “D’ku…”

“…He’s grounded.”

“He’s not even one.”

“GROUNDED.”

---

Later That Night

After the crowd dispersed and the baby finally fell asleep in your arms, you found Katsuki sulking on the bed, still muttering angrily to himself.

You sat beside him, gently brushing back his hair. “He’s just a baby, you know. He’ll probably say ‘Boom’ tomorrow.”

“…I wanted his first word to be something cool. Like ‘boom’ or ‘die.’ Not Deku.”

You tried to hold back a grin. “Well, now you’ve got a story for life. ‘My son’s first word was the name of my childhood rival-slash-trauma-point.’”

Bakugo groaned and flopped onto the mattress. “I’m never living this down.”

You kissed his cheek. “Nope. And neither is he.”

---

The next family group chat notification:

Kirishima sent a photo: Baby grinning with “D’ku” written in foam letters on his bib.

Kaminari: “Made this. You’re welcome.”

Mina: “MERCH DROP WHEN??”

Katsuki has left the group.