#but I couldn't get it out of my head so oh well

[unamzi]

It had been a race to see which would get here first.

The first, wishing to kill the god of war to bring eternal peace, as they claimed.

And the second, wishing to...

People weren't actually sure what the second wanted, but they knew it couldn't be good.

Nevertheless, they had both ran to get to the palace of the war god, both having different methods to get to it.

One of them crushed anyone in their way, not afraid to threaten people so they'd help them.

The other would go peacefully to it, keeping silent and stealthy most of the way.

Either path they'd taken, they ended up arriving at the same time.

The both were now in the God's throne room, which was for now devoid of said god.

...

So they just argued instead.

"YOU CAN'T STAY HERE— I KNOW YOU HAVE NO GOOD INTENTIONS WITH THEM."

"and yours are better? You wish to become leader of the world, dear. That is, if we take a few looks into an history book, not something that turns out well most of the time."

"AS IF YOU DON'T WANT THE SAME THING!"

"I don't. And how are you even planning to kill a god, anyways?"

"OH, IT'S SIMPLE! I'LL USE SPELLS ON THEM SO THEY LOSE THEIR SAPIENCE, AND EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY!"

"..."

"WHAT!? DO YOU HAVE A BETTER IDEA?"

"just... I was just planning to be affectionate."

"YOU THINK YOU CAN BUY THE LOYALTY OF THE GOD OF WAR WITH SOMETHING AS FICKLE AS AFFECTION? DON'T BE FOOLISH—"

the presence was felt immediately.

Burdening their shoulders with sins that had never been committed, longing for a family they could still see frequently.

Thus was the nature of being around a God.

"as the aforementioned god of war, they're wrong. You can absolutely do that. I'm like a feline— pet my head and I'll be your loyal servant for around five minutes."

Finally, they dared look at the deity.

Long white hair with red blotches, like sheets stained with blood, sickly skin, and their lower jaw removed like a war accident had descended upon the deity themselves.

It was only when their panic plummeted that they were able to notice the missing arm from the deity, hidden by long sleeves yet so obvious when you noticed how the sleeve folded.

"W-WHAT!?" was the first thing either of them had said.

The second had just stayed frozen in place, stuck staring at the deity as if entranced.

The deity looked down at the second, their only hand reaching out to pet the soft hair resting atop his head.

He flinched.

The first stepped closer, undeterred.

"I AM HERE TO KILL YOU, VILE GOD!" The first announced, their smile widening.

"and why do that, mortal?" The deity asked. The first stared at their lack of lower jaw as they spoke, but the deity ignored it.

"BECAUSE YOU'RE CAUSING WARS, OF COURSE!"

The deity seemed to sigh to themselves, and the second, as if awakening from a deep slumber, looked at the both of them, before silently approaching the deity's throne and hiding behind it.

He'd promised himself he wouldn't commit any physical harm, and he wasn't going to risk it with this.

"I do not 'cause wars', I am the deity of them. There is a difference."

The first growled angrily, pointedly ignoring what they just said.

...and attacked them.

The second had his eyes closed the whole time, hiding behind the throne, ears plugged.

They didn't wanna hear or see this.

So they didn't see that first one left this realm.

—"You think you can buy the loyalty of the God of War with something as fickle as affection? Don't be foolish." —"As the aforementioned God of War, she's wrong. You can absolutely do that. I'm basically a cat; pat my head and I'll be your loyal servant for… five minutes, give or take?"

[charmedimsure]

Hi i like to make an request for an Nam-gyu x fem player oneshot or headcanons whatever works better with you to write with - for reader join their team cause she was once a background dancer during one of thanos shows and is loyal to him but falling for the more brutal (cinnamon roll!) Nam-gyu slowly during the games?

Shadow of Loyalty || Nam-gyu

pairing: Nam-gyu x f!reader

summary: You get dragged onto the team of a rapper you used to dance for, but you can't complain when another team member keeps giving you that cute smile.

word count: 2.4k

warnings: guns, death, drugs, blood, squid game stuff

A/N: i've been wanting to write for nam-gyu but couldn't think of anything so ty 🙏 if you find any mistakes no you didn't <3

"Hey," a voice says behind you. You turn, seeing a girl with short hair standing there. She wears a choker, as well as a nose ring and lip ring. "Do you have a team yet?"

You smile at her, shaking your head. "No."

"We should team up," she says. "I'm Se-mi. What's your name?"

As you're about to tell her, you see a familiar head of purple hair in the crowd. The same head you've been avoiding for the past day.

You lower your face, bringing your hand up to shield yourself. "Oh, crap."

"Señorita, excuse me."

Se-mi turns around, as she hears the voice, staring at Thanos.

"Let's play the game together."

You shrink a bit, positioning yourself so Se-mi is blocking you from Thanos' view.

"Well, why should I?"

"Don't you know who he is?" one of the boys at his side asks. "He's Thanos, the rapper. I'm gonna kill half of humanity with my raps."

You turn your back to them, trying as hard as you can to keep the rapper from noticing you.

The other boy speaks up. "Hang on, a girl? We don't know what the game is."

"I, Thanos the great, will protect you."

Se-mi breathes out a laugh. "Right, Thanos. So have you got all the infinity stones?"

"Of course." You roll your eyes, knowing he's showing off his dumb nail polish. "I'm going to destroy anyone who gets in my way. Just stick with me and you'll be safe. Okay?"

"But I already asked someone to join me," Se-mi says. Your heart picks up.

"No problem. Who is it?"

Se-mi moves to the side and you turn, giving the rapper a tight-lipped smile and small wave.

"No way," Thanos says, a wide smile on his face. He comes up to you, throwing his arms around you. "Señorita! I can't believe you're here!"

"Woah!" the boy to the right of Thanos says, eyes wide. "You were one of his dancers, right?"

You nod, not quite making eye contact with the boy. You look up at the other one and find that he's staring at you, mouth parted slightly.

Both of Thanos' hands grab onto your shoulders, squeezing them. "This is gonna be awesome."

You look at Se-mi, seeing her give you an apologetic look. You just shrug. At least you have a team.

<>

"Please decide players for each mini-game."

You lean forward, looking at your team on both sides from your spot in the middle of the line. "I can do Jegi. I was good at it as a kid."

"I'm doing Jegi," Thanos says. "You do Spinning Top."

You grit your teeth, taking a deep breath. "I'm not good at Spinning Top."

"I can do Spinning Top," the boy between you and Thanos says.

You nod at him, a silent thank you. "I'll do Gong-gi."

"I can do Flying Stones," Se-mi says.

You nod and look past her to the boy sitting on the end. "Are you alright doing Ddakji?"

He nods, a smile on his face. "I was going to volunteer for it anyway."

You smile. "Great. We got this, guys."

<>

"The following players have been eliminated. Players 016, 045, 178, 189, 198, 254, 286, 341, 396, and 416."

A man on the other side of the room stands up. "We should have left! We're all going to die now! We're all going to die because of those who voted to continue!"

Another man stands. "What are you going to do now?! You think you can survive?! Look at them!"

You feel movement to the left of you and turn to see the boy next to you leaning toward Thanos.

"Can you... can you please give me one of those?"

Thanos eyes him up. "'Those'?"

"The thing you took. You're keeping them inside your cross."

You sigh. You're well aware of what Thanos keeps in his cross. He's tried to get you to take them a few times while you were working together. Thankfully, you always said no, not letting him persuade you into anything.

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

"If I get nervous and lose the game, we'll all die," The boy's voice shakes. "My hands are shaking like crazy."

Thanos sighs. "Nam-su."

"It's Nam-gyu."

"Right. Nam-gyu." Thanos unzips his jacket, taking out his cross. "Do you know what this is?"

You lean closer, curious. Thanos never told you what they were, part of the reason you turned them down every time.

"Ecstasy? Ketamine?"

Thanos shakes his head. "It's a new kind. It's fucking crazy, man. You can't handle it."

"Hey." Nam-gyu rolls up his sleeve, showing Thanos the inside of his elbow. "I did all kinds of stuff when I was working at the club. I even brought you some when you came to the club."

Thanos opens his cross, taking out one of his pills. "You junkie." He hands it to Nam-gyu, who quickly pops it in his mouth. Thanos looks over Nam-gyu's shoulder, seeing you watching them. "Want one, Señorita?"

You shake your head. "I'll pass."

Nam-gyu looks at you, face falling as you give him a look of disapproval.

<>

The rounds kept going until it was your turn. The boy on the end, who you found out is named Gyeong-su, was able to flip the Ddakji on his second try, and Se-mi hit the stone perfectly on her first attempt.

You walk to the next mini-game, the one you're doing. You take the pieces off the table, crouching as the guard puts the table on the floor. You scatter the pieces onto the table.

Blue. Green. Yellow. Red. Purple. Good.

Purple. Yellow and green. Red and blue...

You deflate as the blue piece falls out of your grasp and onto the track.

"Seriously?!" Thanos yells. "Pick it up and do it right this time!"

You shoot a glare at him. He might not realize it, but his demeaning comments are certainly not helping.

Nam-gyu picks up the fallen piece, handing it to you. "You were so close, you can do it."

You take the piece and nod, once again focusing back on the game.

Red. Yellow. Blue. Green. Purple. Good.

Green. Yellow and blue. Red and purple. Good.

Yellow. Red, blue, purple. Green. Good.

Purple. Green, blue, red, yellow. Good.

Back of hand. Good.

You take a deep breath before tossing the pieces up, quickly grabbing them out of the air.

The pink guard puts their arms up in a circle.

"Pass."

You smile as Nam-gyu shakes you in happiness. The guard takes the small table away from you and you advance to the next mini-game.

The pink guard hands Nam-gyu the top and the string. You watch as he wraps the string. You had been nervous when he took Thanos' pill, but you have to give it to him, his control over the string is flawless.

He pulls his hand back and throws it. You smile as it spins in front of you.

"Pass."

You all celebrate before moving to the final mini-game. Thanos takes the Jegi, pushing the guard out of the way. He throws it into the air.

One kick. Two kicks. Three kicks. Four kicks.

The Jegi falls to the ground.

You huff as Thanos picks it up and throws it again.

One kick. Two kicks. Three kicks.

The toy hits the ground once again.

You can't help but roll your eyes. You would have gotten it by now had he let you play Jegi. Your high score as a kid was 27 kicks in a row. You look at the clock. You still have a minute left. Good.

Thanos lets out a yell of frustration, picking up the Jegi and throwing it.

One kick. Two kicks. Three kicks. Four kicks. Five kicks.

"Pass."

Your team jumps up and down in celebration before regaining composure. You cross the finish line with 29 seconds to spare.

You and Se-mi turn to each other, hugging as you all celebrate. You turn to Nam-gyu, who is already smiling down at you. You smile back and high-five him. At the end of the line, Thanos jumps up and down, nearly knocking you all over.

You put your arms out to steady Nam-gyu and he thanks you as the guards come over to remove the bindings from your ankles.

<>

You watch as five more people walk into the room.

"Hey," you hear a voice next to you and turn to see Nam-gyu. "How many do you think are left?"

You take a quick look around. "Maybe 200?"

"Shit," he sighs. "That's way too many."

You shrug. "I like that there's more people here." Nam-gyu gives you a confused look. "There's safety in numbers."

Thanos raises both of his arms. "Stop talking." He points at you. "How old are you again?"

You roll your eyes. "28."

"So you were born in 1996," he turns to Gyeong-su. "How old are you?"

"Born in 1998."

He turns to Se-mi. "You?"

"Born in 1996."

He thinks for a moment. "It's settled. Gyeong-su is the youngest, and the girls are the oldest." He turns to Nam-gyu. "Nam-su, you were born in 1997, right?"

"It's Nam-gyu."

"Right, Nam-gyu. Is that right?"

Nam-gyu nods.

Thanos points at you while still looking at Nam-gyu. "Hey, call her noona since she's older."

Nam-gyu chuckles. You feel a small smile pull on your lips at the sound.

Soon, the pink guards come into the room, announcing that 110 players had been eliminated in the second game. They bring out the machine for voting and everyone moves to the center.

"You're voting to stay, right noona?" Nam-gyu asks you.

You breathe out a laugh. "Yeah, but this is probably the last time." You smile at him, lightly hitting his shoulder. "And don't call me noona. I'm younger than you, just don't tell Thanos, Nam-su."

He frowns when you call him the wrong name, opening his mouth to correct you but stopping when he sees the teasing smirk on your face. He chuckles again, nodding his head.

<>

Nam-gyu watches as Thanos opens his cross, taking out a pill and popping it into his mouth. He takes a step in his direction, about to ask for one. He stops when he sees you out of the corner of his eye talking to Se-mi, laughing at something the girl is saying. With a sigh, Nam-gyu turns away from Thanos, instead moving to Gyeong-su.

You're all brought into a new room. There are doors lining the walls and a big platform in the middle of the room that looks like a carousel without any horses.

"Welcome to your third game. The game you will be playing is Mingle. Let me repeat. The game you will be playing is Mingle."

"Hey," Thanos says, clearly high off his ass. He turns to your group. "We'll be mingling together. Doesn't that sound like so much fun?"

You all get onto the platform and it begins spinning, a children's song playing over the speakers. The first round is ten, and you find another group of five players, getting into the room safely with ten seconds to spare.

You come out again, once again getting onto the platform. The music stops and the voice calls out four.

Thanos looks between you, Se-mi, and Gyeong-su before stopping on the last one.

"Please," the boy pleads.

"Gyeong-su, you're out!" Thanos kicks the boy to the ground. "Let's go!"

Nam-gyu stands there for a moment staring at Gyeong-su before he feels someone grab a hold of his sleeve, tugging him along after the group. He gets in the room and the door locks, you letting go of him. Nam-gyu tries to look out the slot for Gyeong-su but you pull him away. It's best if he doesn't see it.

"Wait!" Thanos holds his arms up. He points toward all of you. "Where did you leave my boy Gyeong-su?"

You give him an incredulous look, jumping when the sounds of gunfire starts.

Thanos brings his hands to his head before running towards the door and looking out the slot. "Fuck! Gyeong-su!"

You and Se-mi look at each other, both of you thinking the same thing. Thanos would have done that to any of you. He can't be trusted. Especially when he's high.

You're released and you go back to the platform. When the music stops this time, the voice announces three people to a room.

Thanos stands and looks between you and Se-mi. "Who should we take? Rock, paper, scissors!"

Se-mi turns to you, holding her hand out. "Come with me."

You nod, taking her hand. "We'll find one more, you guys do the same."

Nam-gyu nods, grabbing Thanos by his jacket and pulling him along.

Se-mi and you manage to find one more person and get into a room on time. When you come out, you look around for the boys. You see the familiar head of purple hair and smile when you spot Nam-gyu next to him.

They run up to you. You smile at Nam-gyu. "Glad you made it."

He smiles back. "Me too."

The next round is six, so you find two other players and make it to a room. When you're let out, it is announced that this will be the final round.

"Two."

Se-mi goes to reach for you, but she's pulled away by Thanos as he sprints toward one of the rooms. Nam-gyu watches as Thanos runs away, a look of betrayal adorning his face.

You quickly turn, grabbing Nam-gyu's hand and taking off toward a green door. You're able to get there before anyone else and close the door behind you, pushing your weight against it to keep anyone else from getting in.

The lock clicks and you sigh in relief, moving away from the door. You turn to Nam-gyu. "Are you alright?"

"He left me," he says, a faraway look on his face. "I've been nothing but loyal to him, and he just left me there."

You sigh, walking to him and rubbing his arm. "Nam-gyu, Thanos isn't a good person. He can't even remember your name. A person like that doesn't deserve the loyalty you're showing him."

He keeps looking at the door as the gunshots go off. He turns to you, looking at you for a few moments before wrapping his arms around you and pulling you into his chest. "Thank you. Thank you for not leaving me."

You hug him back. "I'm not gonna leave you, Nam-gyu."

He sniffles. "I won't leave you either."

You pull back and see his smile. You can't help but think it's kind of cute, making you smile back at the boy, a warm feeling in your face.

Squid Game Tags: @thebiggestigurosimp @vvnbxz @lov3yy @miltzzy @l5byrinth @come-as-you-are-111 @starkeyszn @learninglinesintherainn @galactict3a @sawlover353 @jspidey5

lmk if you want to be added to the taglist

[jellxzy]

I was wondering if you could do a hyunju x fem!reader where the reader is pregnant and reader sees that Hyunju is alone in the second game so reader approaches her and they start a friendship and as time goes by they both fall in love ^^

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐁𝐮𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧! -𝐇𝐜

|| 𝐂𝐡𝐨 𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐧-𝐣𝐮 𝐱 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭!𝐟!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

|| 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬!: 𝐂𝐡𝐨 𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐧-𝐣𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝.

|| 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: 𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐧-𝐣𝐮 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝

|| 𝐀/𝐧: 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬! 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐬𝐨𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬, 𝐢 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐲! Thank 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐪! 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲!

Here you were, competing in deadly children games for the sake of your own child. You never excepted your life to go down this path, you were a heir to a wealthy company. Going to collage abroad, studying medicine.

And yet, you're stuck here. Fearing your life every second of the day. Luckily, you were only two months pregnant unlike Junhee, so you didn't show like she did. So, you acted just like another normal girl competing at the games.

Though you were eating for two, so the food definitely didn't keep you calm and the one thing you waited for the whole day. Instead you laid in the uncomfortable bed, staring up. You laid there with a hand on your stomach, thinking of what to do with the money you received.

You'll get a little house in the provinces, probably build a farm, and take care of your baby. Even if it's only you taking care of her/him. Then a soft yet deep voice snapped you out of your thoughts. "Hi, uhm. We were teammates during the game earlier, remember?"

She was your teammate during the game, and you remember it so vividly, she was brave and strong, had good leadership skills, moving back to the 'strong' she is very strong, you had accidentally slipped on blood whilst moving, but with ease she lifted you up to continue on walking forward.

"Yeah." You nod your head with a smile as you sat up. "Well, we're all gathering there if you'd like to be with us. Just so nobody's alone. " She smiled while explaining. "Oh, yeah sure." You reluctantly agree standing up and walking with her towards the group.

You couldn't help but notice her lingering hand on your shoulder, a small smile on her lips as her eyes glance at you. A soft pink hue appearing on your cheeks as you notice that.

Upon reaching the group, the hand on your shoulder gets removed while she goes up the stairs. The group welcomes you in, the atmosphere easy and has no awkwardness whatsoever. But when the topic changes to you, the topic asking on why they entered the games.

"I-uhm." You shudder before saying in a quiet and soft tone; "I'm pregnant." The weight on your shoulder finally gets lifted as the secret finally comes out. "How many months are you in?" Geum-ja asks, her eyes filled with worry.

"I'm only two months in, so me being pregnant won't bring us down." You tell them with a smile. "Hopefully." You mutter under your breath. During the whole conversation, you could feel Hyun-ju's eyes watching your every move.

So, when the a voice announced that it was gonna be lights out in thirty minutes, the conversations was forced to stop. "Hey." Hyun-ju's voice called out to you from behind. "I think it's best if you sleep in my bed tonight. Don't worry I don't sleep."

She left no other options as her hand gripped your wrist in a firm yet soft grip, stopping you from moving. "Okay." You accepted nonetheless, walking with her towards her bed. "You don't have to do this, y'know."

"I know. But I have too. No one knows what they could do. Especially to you." You turn around in your bed, now facing her while she sits on the floor next to the bed. "You can lay down here..." You trail off, feeling a bit shy.

"With me." Her eyes slightly widen at that before glancing at your blushing state. "Are you sure?" She asks turning to look at you. "Mhm." You hum with a soft nod, moving your body so she can have space, patting the space in front of you.

She slowly moved to lay down next to you, carefully as to not accidentally hurt you or cause you discomfort. "Am I hurting you? Are you okay?" She asked with a worried tone, which only caused you to laugh.

"You're only laying you're head on my arm, I'll be fine." You lightly chuckle to ease the atmosphere between you. Instead of sleeping you could only admire how beautiful she looked underneath the dim lights, and how she still had a protective hold over you by her arm draped over your waist. Even if it's a small thing, you somehow still felt more protected than you did on the outside world.

And when you were already sleeping that's when she woke up, due to her military training she's gotten used to waking up very early in the morning. She didn't notice at first, how your hand lightly gripped her bicep, scared that she'll leave you. And that how her arm was still draped on your waist that you didn't bother to move or brush off. She only continued to look at you, not wanting to move at all, brushing a hair off your face to pulling up the blanket to cover you.

And that's how she fell for you, as for you? You knew the moment you first saw her. You knew she was the one, the one who will help you raise your child. And that's what the both of you are doing right know, you carried your baby in your arms while she prepared her milk.

Yes, it's a girl.

The both of you won, alongside with your close friends. And luckily Junhee gave birth successfully, it scared you a little that you're gonna be next to go through that but, after was amazing. Spending months miserable to birth something so beautiful, it was poetic.

three months in, and a little baby bump was finally showing. Though, you couldn't be more confused, is it because you just ate or is it because of the baby.

and that's the month she demanded you to stop working. Now, she was the one working outside your shared apartment. Yet, she was still the same sweet and gentle person you know. Four months in, your baby bump got a little bigger. So, now she holds it in her hands every chance she gets. Hugging you from behind whilst you cook, cuddling with you in bed, and sitting on the sofa, all of those moments, she had her hand on your baby bump, that's also the month you told everyone else that you were pregnant, so now you get free kimchi every week from Geum-ja.

Five months in, and that's when your baby starts to kick. And every time, she does, you call Hyun-ju. And yes, it's a baby girl. And when the first time she feels her kicking, she sobbed into you shoulder for a straight hour, like she's the pregnant one. Geum-ja and Junhee decoded it was best to spend their mornings and evenings with you, so they'll be there if you need anything. Considering they've gone through it already, Junhee more recently.

Six months in, the baby's kicks become more frequent, and you start to crave more weirder foods. You suggested for Hyun-ju to just stay with you all day and quit her job, but she said she's saving up for her collage. That's when you sobbed into her shoulder, whispering-yelling thank you's and words of praise to her.

Seven months in, that's when your emotions took a sharp turn, your hormones kicking in every minute. She gets tired of it sure, but she loves you more than anything. And that includes waking up in the midnight just to go out and buy your craving. Only to return to you, already fast asleep.

Eight months passed by like a breeze, your baby bump was definitely showing more than ever, and you looked so cute, despite your hair and clothes being disheveled most of the time. She starts talking to the baby bump, while your fast asleep, talking about how beautiful her mother is, and how great she is.

Nine months in, and that's the month you waited for, the whole time. It was near your due-date, and she's already got everything packed, baby blanket, yours and her clothes, baby clothes that were sent by Junhee, and most importantly her strength.

the due-date day, was the hardest fight Hyun-ju ever fought, hands were gripped tightly, curses spilled from your mouth, and a birth was witnessed. So, when it was your turn to give birth, everyone who survived came to support you and Hyun-ju, so, now you're living in Thailand, peacefully with your soon-to-be wife. And a four-year old daughter. You're life was complete.

[yup-thats-me]

slipping through my fingers • Lee Byung-hun

pairing: husband!Lee Byung-Hun x wife!reader

summary: funny tricks of time; growing old with your husband

warning: growing old, age gap. please, please i beg of you don't think too hard about byung-hun and the reader's ages, please. when I tell you me and my friend had to storm our brains for an hour to calculate their ages. please. also, i suggest you listen to the song while reading this<3

"bye bye, momma!" waved goodbye your little girl. she was in high school now, and you and your husband were grateful that your prized girl was not like most teenagers. she was understanding, gentle.

byung-hun stood beside his wife, eyes on the yellow school bus. "seems like yesterday that she came into this world, doesn't it darling?'' he said as he laid his head on her shoulder.

"Mmm", she nodded. "time is cruel."

it really was. how can it be that your daughter is almost at the age where she'll be leaving home when it barely feels that you've been with your husband for barely two years? oh, at it had been eighteen years when you had met Byung-hun.

Byung-hun was a regular at the cafe y/n worked at. he would go there as soon as he wrapped up filming for the day. from the early days of his acting career, he frequented the cafe but it had only been a few months since the waitress. y/n had joined.

she was so sweet, smiling at everyone, not an ounce of anger or tiredness in her eyes. he knew he was at least twenty years older than the girl but it didn't matter, right?

"can i get your name, sweetheart?"

it'd be a lie if y/n said she didn't feel like melting onto the earth. his voice dripping with honey, his eyes smiling.

"y/n."

that had been their first date. Byung-hun had asked her manager if she could leave early. she of course, agreed. how could anyone would deny Lee Byung-hun anything?

that day was eighteen years ago. how time flies.

Byung-hun kissed his wife goodbye. "when I come back let's go out for a movie? with d/n?" she nodded.

˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖

"you ready, sweetheart?"

y/n asked fixing her daughter's veil. her little girl was getting married, she's truly going into the world, with someone she loves, adores.

no words could explain how y/n felt. this is the same girl she had given birth to, her little fingers had wrapped around her thumb so adoringly. so naturally.

it's time for her little girl to hold someone else.

y/n wiped the corners of her eyes, not wanting to let her daughter see her cry. "your father is waiting outside. let's go?" her voice trembling slightly.

Byung-hun stood outside the doors, his mind replaying the old times. it feels like yesterday that he held his daughter for the first time, only yesterday had he heard his little girl call him 'appa' for the first time. oh how he had felt the world around him stop at that moment. he really missed the old times.

when his wife came outside holding his daughter, he couldn't stop the tears from falling.

"you look so beautiful, princess." he said hugging his girl.

d/n wiped her tears as well. it felt surreal having her father cry while holding her. "appa, I'm still your little girl. I promise."

y/n patted her husband. the rays of sun falling onto the family, making them look ethereal. after they had composed themselves, y/n softly pushed through the doors of the altar.

she held her daughter's hand, her husband linking his arm with d/n. the music wafted through the venue. some of byung-hun and y/n's friends had tears in their eyes too. to them, d/n was also their beloved girl. time really flies.

when the priest pronounced officially d/n and her lover, y/n had intertwined her arms with her husband. it was much very hard for Byung-hun than her. the man saw his girl as the world, ready to bring the world at her feet. he would become so proud at all of d/n's achievement, no matter small or big. he really was d/n's greatest fanboy.

y/n rested her head against Byung-hun's shoulder, comforting him as d/n and her lover kissed.

beautiful.

˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖

"you look so beautiful, my love," came Byung-hun's voice as he handed his wife a cup of coffee as the sat on their porch.

y/n laughed. time had certainly left its marks. "you've been telling me that for the last 35 years, my love."

"and," byung-hun leaned down to kiss y/n's hand. "i would continue to do so till my last breath, sweetheart."

"I love you."

[woncon]

[09:10 pm] ♡ poly!minsung

gn!reader | fluff | goodnight kisses | made with @honeytwo's help <3

‣ helloo, dears! 💓this is mainly what I wrote this january, in tiny doses. i couldn't afford anything else, I didn't have the energy. but now that i've got the exams out of the way? oh boy.

‣ stray kids masterlist :: ✉️₍₁₎

you listen to the sounds that filter through the blankets: the barefoot footsteps on the parquet floor, the innocent, soft whisper, the creaking door, the soft scuffle of falling clothes, the sound of water coming out of the shower, and the soft, steamy laughter.

the bed buries you, and your boyfriends forget your goodnight kiss. you curl up with a sigh, then close your eyes. your heart heavy with fatigue.

but you can’t sleep. just wait.

when the covers are lifted from your form, you open your eyes again. jisung smiles sweetly at you as if he's done nothing wrong. you would remind him of his omission in a grumpy tone, but he's kissing you, so you have to deal with that instead of talking.

“you thought i forgot?”

“yeah.” you thoroughly inhale his scent, an unmistakable blend of shower gel, pajamas and home. “a little.”

“don't worry! it's the highlight of my evening.” he gives you another kiss on the lips, a real smooch. “i know you can't sleep without a goodnight kiss. it's a real honour, jagi, to kiss you to sleep.”

you laugh at this, and are pleased to see your boyfriend lift the covers and snuggle in next to you. if he really considers it an honour, you have no reason to be angry with him. he hugs you tightly, tilting his head into your neck. you tuck your hand under his shirt and stroke the tattoo running down his side, slowly caressing his skin.

“how warm your hands are!” jisung is amazed.

“yeah, i've been warming up here for a while.”

"my little fireplace," says the boy, kissing your neck. "really, your whole body is warm. hmm, very warm…”

and jisung is all over you, longing for your warmth. “night!" he murmurs with a contented sigh.

your hand stops caressing his side. he looks at you again and you raise an eyebrow in question.

“oh, of course, sorry,” he giggles awkwardly. “your other goodnight kiss dealer is still brushing his teeth. should i wait with you?”

“you don’t need to. sleep tight, hanie.”

jisung relaxes beside you. you listen to his heartbeat, his breathing, enjoy the calm he exudes. without his presence, you'd be more impatient with minho.

when you finally hear the sound of the tap water running instead of scrubbing sounds coming from the bathroom, sleep becomes an attainable prospect. soon your boyfriend turns off the tap and the bathroom door opens again. this time minho leaves, also in his pyjamas. you immediately turn your head towards him to make sure he knows you're still very much awake. it wouldn't be the first time he's pretended to think you're asleep just to tease you. he's dragged out his bathroom time long enough, you've had enough already, and you want to follow jisung into the realm of long rem phases.

minho pauses and looks towards you. “oh? still awake?”

he knows you need your goodnight kisses to sleep. he makes no secret of it now, his sly smile and the way his eyes twinkle with enjoyment are quite obvious. but you don't want to beg. if he doesn't want to kiss you, you'll get your revenge: you'll steal his soft, warm blanket at night and jisung tomorrow. and you'll look at him just as deviously for the rest of the da–

before you can finish your train of thought, minho takes your chin and leans in for a kiss. but it's not just a quick kiss. minho gives it his all, and you can taste the menthol on his tongue as he makes up for every minute you spent waiting for his kiss, well, worth it.

“don't make out without me..." mutters jisung in his sleep.

“sounds like a nightmare, doesn't it, jagi?" chuckles minho.

“hmm…” replies the other, pouting. his face is chubby as he presses against your shoulder, his features relaxed and downright adorable.

minho looks lovingly at the sleeping jisung, then looks at you the same way.

he doesn't say he loves you too often, but he doesn't have to. there's no need for softly whispered words when all he's done is howl his feelings with his acts. yes, even with the ones he uses to play with you. it's well known that cats love their toys. and it's also well known that the longer people are awake, the stranger their thoughts become. 

you smile contentedly at minho now that your last wish of the day has come true. "good night," you whisper.

he nods, then crawls behind jisung. he gets under the blanket and slings an arm around the younger man's waist.

you close your eyes, feeling your eyelashes heavy and the sleep you long for not far away. then you open them again. you reach out grumpily and cover minho's eyes.

“you've had your goodnight kiss, haven't you?" he asks playfully.

"i can't sleep with you staring at me."

minho grins at that. he takes your wrist. he removes your hand from his eye, then kisses your palm. finally, he lays it under his cheek like a pillow.

"okay, jagi. i closed it. happy now?"

"perfectly," you sigh in relief. everything is fine now, you can sleep well. 

before you can fall completely asleep, you feel minho adjusting the blanket on you and jisung. he pulls it up to your shoulders and tucks it under your body so it won't slide down.

you fall asleep with a smile on your lips.

stay taglist :: @thebonsaibadass 💕@lemonn015

if you liked this story and don't want to miss out on the latest updates, I recommend you to check out my taglist options! <3 and thank you for being here!!

[ethtyn]

LET'S GO OUT WITH A BANG 🚦

taglist:

@ashiyn @single-malt-scotch @goodtimeswithetho @pebbltree @crabbunch @catmaidetho @amethyst-allium @stitchthesewords

sooooo ermm i guess i get to talk about this piece now YIPPEE

i am one of those people who's constantly trying to figure out what their own art style looks like LMFAO. i take frequent breaks from art due to mental health shit so it feels like every time i come back i'm trying to find my footing again.

that being said, i had a lot of caffeine yesterday and started this on a whim and it ended up being something i'm incredibly proud of. i think it helps that i've been redrawing old emotes for a friend's twitch channel, so figuring out which brushes i like right now was really helpful, and i ended up using my personal emote palette like...a lot. that pink in Etho's eye, the purple used for shading, most of the browns are all used in my own emotes. it's wild how much having colours already picked out streamlines things!

Etho is the one i started with, of course, and ended up being one that i went back to re-draw after i'd done...three? or four? more, because the sizing wasn't right and i wasn't happy with the posing. i still wish i could have conveyed him dipping his chin into his coat fluff a little better, but oh well. i thought of the little detail of him looking at Martyn's drawing at the last second (#ethtyn4life) and it made me laugh so i did it. points to you if you caught that!

Joel was the second - life!Joel has always been fey in my head, especially after that season when he just went batshit insane the second he turned red. can't explain it, that's just how it be. i tried to give him an air of subtle menace about him but i think he just looks sleepy 💀 i'd like to do these as individual, larger pieces at some point, so maybe i can work on that more then.

Grian was the third - he reminds me of a Lost Boy here and that wasn't intentional but the Lost Boys always kind of freaked me out and life!Grian's kinda freaky so i think it fits. his little smirk is so creepy and i love him.

i don't remember who i did next after this so we'll just go in order pfft

Bdubs is SO CUTE look at him. one of the few where i couldn't make a menacing expression work, and honestly with how good his profile turned out i barely mind. i did that side profile with no reference, y'all, idk what kind of crack i was on last night. what the hell. this was about the point where i started wanting to do little lore doodles for everybody so i added the clock face - i think it clashes with the red background but what can you do.

CLEOOOOOO CLEO CLEO. i LOVED drawing them, i think their design is one of my favourites of the bunch. her hair has always been snakes in my head and AGAIN i drew those with no reference, can you fucking believe that. i loved the little detail of some of the snakes poking at the people next to her, they're so cute hehe. also Cleo has freckles now, i'm so sorry but i don't make the rules. someone complimented the teeth in the reblogs and THANK YOU!! they're not quite anatomically correct but fuck it we ball and they look cool as hell anyway.

Martyn is so smug, i love him. points if you caught that he's looking at Cleo bc Double Life, i wanted to do something a lil different with him than just another straight up symmetry tool drawing and i think it fits. he is so eye-searing tho sir please tone it down.

Lizzie is fey just like her husband, and also she is smol. i don't think it's conveyed as well as i'd like here but i also didn't want her to look like a straight-up child so i did what i could. she is So Scary with those vacant blue eyes oh my god. and drawing her hair was sooooo fun i love long hair ahh

with Gem i basically smoothed out a rough design sketch i posted awhile back and i'm so proud of the little head cock she's got going on, she looks so cool. also her hair?? idk how i did that. i love her swoopy bangs so much.

Pearl is moth. Pearl will always be Moth. so she got lil antennae and big buggy eyes. drawing that hood was so satisfying, i used to try and draw Raven Teen Titans in high school and could never get the hood to look right so seeing this one come out perfectly was sooooo good. and of course had to include a teensy moon.

that's all i've got, i think - i feel myself crashing LMFAO. maybe at some point i'll come back and say more but here's this for now!

[eclipseberrycake]

Poly! MoonBerryCake x Reader Pt. 7

AN: The long awaited part 7. Before anyone fears, no this isn't the end of the series don't you worry. I don't have many ideas for the next few parts, but I'm sure I'll think of something or one of you can help!

Also how do we feel about giving Reader a tail? /gen I have a few ideas I've been toying with with reader having a tail, but I don't want to cross the line between too self indulgent and reflecting of my character, rather than trying to be as inclusive as possible.

-> Part One -> Part Two -> Part Three -> Part Four -> Part Five -> Part Six -> Part Six 1/2

Warnings: Depictions of past trauma/ injury, past depictions of being turned into a Twisted/ seeing a loved one as a twisted/ recovering from being a Twisted, mentions of vomit, past depictions of losing a lost one, talk of scars (In a positive light, but just in case!)

☁ The first few nights were hard. So, so incredibly hard. Not by any fault of your own, oh absolutely not, but that didn't make the nights any less taxing or offer them anymore rest.

☁ There were a few times you offered tearfully to sleep in your old room so they could hopefully get some rest, each one shot down with a stern No'. The mere thought of having you out of their line of sight was more than their nerves could take, especially somewhere where they couldn't reach immediately? Hard Pass.

☁ The first night was by far the worst. Cosmo can't say he really remembers recovering from being a twisted, but there was one thing that stuck out for him during the entire process. And that was you. You were there the entire time, gently pressing cool cloths to his forehead, helping him sip water, even keeping saltine crackers on hand in case his temporarily fickle stomach decided that food was somewhat acceptable.

☁ You were the same with Astro and Sprout as well, ensuring the recovery, as awful as it was, was still as seamless as you could make it. If there was one thing he did remember about healing from being a twisted, is that he would never wish it upon another being. Much less you.

☁ The first night you're returned, you're rushed to med-bay as a flurry of commotion happens. Those left behind are eager to see if you've been returned, especially poor Toodles who took your turning hard. She's holding Blu when they rush past, tears in her large eyes, but Rodger is quick to turn her away.

☁ Sprout is already barking orders with Ginger meeting them halfway, first aid kit in hand. They had given you minimal attention in the ride up, but they didn't have the time, space or resources necessary to give you proper medical attention.

☁ It's a flurry of action that follows right after. Astro stays up by your head, wiping the ichor that stained your mouth and clumped your fur. His cheeks are shiny as he does it, shaking his head every now and then before continuing his actions.

☁ Cosmo barely remembers all he did that night, there was so much that needed done. That wound you had received from-...From when you turned into a twisted had never closed, the excess ichor from being a twisted keeping you alive. It was an awful, horrid thought, but not one they could ignore as Cosmo hurriedly worked alongside his cousin to close it. Sprout busied himself with working on the claw marks across your face you had made in your confused state. Every bit he seemed to do made his grimace deepen. He wasn't sure what the other was seeing, but currently wasn't certain he wanted to know during this moment.

☁ Your teeth still remained sharp as you groaned in pain throughout the process, hands reaching back up to swat at the insistent burden yanking on your wounds, only for them to be caught by Shelly, who had followed to offer her help.

☁ She had felt awful about the entire situation, regardless if you would've done it either way. Vee as well, though she stayed further back to avoid getting in the way. Shelly's tougher skin made her more resistant to your claws and slashes, so she was a welcome helper, even if it made the working space a bit more cramped.

☁ Seeing you hurt like that was an awful feeling. Cosmo remembers feeling the bile burn at the back of his throat that night, increasing in every little noise or whimper of pain you made. Even when the worst was handled, he had to step back for a moment, hiding in Astro's chest as Sprout continued wiping away what was left. The same grimace was on his features, one much more intense than what was usually there when he was in doctor mode.

☁ He didn't speak more on it until far after Shelly had taken her leave with a tearful well wishes. Even then, the berry had only dragged a chair closer, hiding his face in his hands. Neither Astro nor himself knew where to go from there, and that just made them feel all the more worse as you seemed to fall into a fitful unconsciousness.

☁ Cosmo wasn't sure if it counted as sleep, honestly, not with how you still shook.

☁ "They have so many scars." Sprout finally spoke up, voice wavering before it cracked as he smoothed back his leaves, letting them fall back into place. "They hide them under their fur. How did-..." Sprout swallowed tightly at this before looking up at them with teary eyes. "How did we miss that?"

☁ Neither waited for a moment further before rounding around the medical bed to wrap their arms around the berry. He was tricky when it came to emotions, especially since this entire thing began, flickering between anger and denial like a coin, to see him break down like that was rare.

☁ "It's easy to miss." Cosmo nearly choked on the words, tears welling in his eyes as he flickered between watching your chest rise and fall to the floor. There was a crack in one of the tiles. You'd want that fixed, so no one tripped. He'd make not of it later. "Their fur covers it-"

☁ "Is that really an excuse?" Sprout cuts back in, his own eyes watching you in the same clinical way Cosmo found himself doing it. "For the others maybe. But us?"

☁ Cosmo couldn't find any rebuttal, swallowing tightly. He knows he himself has spent countless hours with his fingers running along your fur, playing with the stands and drawing shapes against the grain of it. He just never really focused on the skin beneath because he truthfully didn't think too. Looking back, maybe that was on him. He should've done better, done something more-

☁ "I don't think anyone's at fault." Astro's comment cut through the sudden silence. He had been dreadfully silent since getting back from the run so to hear him sound so exhausted was...jarring. He always had a sleepy, tired lilt to his voice, but to hear it like that made Cosmo's tail curl tighter against his back.

☁ Silence fell again before Astro was continuing. "I think, to a degree, it would be...more questionable if they didn't have any. They've been doing this far longer than you, me or even Cosmo's been in the picture. We can't stop them, but we can support them however possible as we have been." Astro swallows for a moment, using a star shard to bring a box of tissues closer. He takes one, wiping under his eye before setting it to the side. "They will always be like this. They'll be our self-sacrificing idiot who doesn't know when to stop, but that's why we fell in love with them. We can't change them and I hope none of us would try. Their scars are part of who they are. We-...I love every part of them, even the parts they may not love as much. Those parts we just have to love a little extra."

☁ The words stand, nearly tangible in the air for a long while. He's right. There are very few times when Astro isn't, but it's a jarring notion to understand what you truly went through. Even Cosmo himself hadn't known how long you and Poppy and Boxten had been doing it since he wasn't even the first returned. No, by the time he had been recovered, Finn, Shrimpo and Rodger had been well acquainted parts of the group and you had become comfortable in your role as a distractor.

☁ He wonders just how much of the burden you've carried silently with you. He's terrified of the answer you'd give if he asked.

☁ "I do...I do love them." Sprout choked, as if that was ever being brought into question. "I just- What if they hurt? What if every time we ask them to distract they're just a constant reminder of every past failure to them? They've done so much for all of us. Who are we to ask anything more?"

☁ "Like Astro said, it's who they are. I think if they truly didn't want to distract, they wouldn't. And I hope they would feel safe enough to come to us if the scars were causing them pain." The first tear falls down Cosmo's cheek, which is quickly wiped with a star shard covered in a tissue. "I mean, for heaven's sake, they turned into a twisted to save Vee on a run to save Shelly. If that's not the most selfless thing I've seen, I don't know what is."

☁ "Truthfully, I think I rather would've dealt with Vee's Twisted then theirs." Astro deadpans only to immediately flush a navy blue as Sprout cackles, Cosmo hiding his own laughs behind a hand. Astro practically swallows his tongue as he's quick to try and amend it with, "Not that I would wish that on any of us!"

☁ Sprout shakes his head as he finally leans back, his own cheeks shiny- which the star shard tries to wipe at only to get swatted at, making Astro pout. Both of Sprout's arms reach around to hook around both Cosmo and Astro as he takes a final deep breath. "We'll talk with them. Maybe now they'll see reason. Because yeah. I'm not dealing with that again."

☁ "They were so scary!" Cosmo whines, leaning on Sprout's shoulder. "But also-...Hear me out-"

☁ "Stoooop." Sprout groans, tipping his head back as Astro nods solemnly. "I'm hearing."

☁ Cosmo laughs at this before you're suddenly jumping up, cheeks puffed and they already know what that entails. Cosmo grabs the nearest trash can while Astro gently pulls back anything that could get in the way while Sprout makes for the nearest medication cabinet.

☁ Cosmo holds the trash can for you as you purge the excess ichor in your body, watching your heaves with a heartbroken glance while Astro rubs your back, even if he himself looks nauseous at the sight and sounds. He's quick to switch with Sprout when he returns, measuring out the stomach medication the berry had grabbed. It had aided the rest of them when it came to rejecting the ichor and they hoped it would with you too.

☁ In the very least, as awful as it was, it was a good sight to see as it meant you were recovering in the very least. Even if your heaves sounded painful and tears tracked down your cheeks. It would a pattern that would continue throughout the night unfortunately, which they would need to stay up to assist you with, but it was a chore they were more than happy to do. You had been the one to sit with each of them throughout the night, making sure they had all the comfort you could offer at the time.

☁ So even as the minutes ticked like hours, they knew it was all worth it. Every trip to empty the trash cash, every startled awakening at the sound of your gags, every wince as you pleaded for mercy. Anything to get you back.

☁ The following days are better. The next morning, right before it could be qualified as noon, you were cognizant enough to recognize where you were, eyes unfocused as you swayed, trying to sit up only for that to be one of the worst ideas you've ever had.

☁ The boyfriend on duty is quick to come to your side, with a hand on your back as soft whispers buzzed in your ear. You curled in on yourself, eyes scrunching shut before a deep breath had you finally stabilizing enough you could blink your eyes. Sprout was right there, offering you a gentle smile as he tried to figure out what exactly you were seeing.

☁ You practically threw yourself at him, pulling him close as tears burned your eyes. You cried into his scarf as his hands slowly curled back around you, squeezing you tightly to his chest as his own shoulders shook. "Oh. bud, I've missed you."

☁ "I'm sorry." You blab. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." You cry, squeezing him tighter when it almost seems like he's going to pull away. You don't remember much about your time as a twisted except for spotting Sprout and smelling the ichor of a non-twisted toon being spilt. You prayed it wasn't you to cause that wound, that there was no wound at all, but subtly looking at his arm quickly dashes that hope.

☁ "No, no, bud you did nothing wrong." This time you allow him to pull away, only for his hands to cup your cheeks. "You're just as perfect as you always are." His green eyes shine with unshed tears, which quickly rectify that by trailing down his freckled cheeks. You sob at the sight, your own hands- with nails longer than you normally keep them- cupping his cheeks.

☁ Sprout crashed his lips against yours in a show of desperation, tears making the kiss taste salty as your shoulders fall in relief. IF he was okay, the others had to be okay, right? They had to be? You didn't hurt them too, did you? You prayed not.

☁ Pulling away, you angled his chin every which way, scanning his face as he gave you a few watery chuckles. "You're okay? All leaves, limbs and seeds?"

☁ Sprout caught your hands, pulling them down so he could look at you, nothing but sweet, adoring love in his eyes. "Leaves, limbs and seeds all attached." He coos, laying his forehead on yours as his shoulders heave with a long heavy sigh. "Oh, bud. You're okay."

☁ "You're not." You frown, feeling the tears threaten to burst out all over again. "I'm-"

☁ "It wasn't you." Sprout interrupts, making you blink. "No, a twisted flutter got me, but you? Even a twisted, you've proven you'll still protect us." His smile is sad, but relieved as you feel your stomach finally settle.

☁ You get a few moments more before the door is being slammed open, but not by another toon. No, it must've been ajar, because who else is waiting there but Blu herself, looking as grumpy as the day she accidentally fell into the snow in Bobette's shop, mewing in long, interrupted yowls as she trotted to the medical bed, jumping up and immediately crawling all over you.

☁ Sprout tried to grab her, but you waved him off, scooping up the baby and letting her place her paw on your cheek. You cooed at her, nuzzling your nose against her cold, wet one. She mewled once more before it delved into a purr, making you snicker. "I know, tell me all about how unfair your dads are."

☁ "Oi!" Sprout immediately called, looking only mildly offended before footsteps had you both looking over at the doorway once more. Cosmo was there, already panting as he leaned his head against the doorway. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, she was sleeping and then suddenly just took off and-" He looked up at that point, only for his mouth to gape open. He stilled for a second as Astro popped his head in, looking at the pastry. "Did you find-"

☁ He too was left slack-jawed before Cosmo was moving and he was following, both wrapping you in tight hugs and a flurry of kisses. It was comforting and perfect, and enough to make you forget about how awful your stomach felt.

☁ They were quick to fill you in on everything that had happened in your absence and, honestly? Hearing Astro talk about having his best friend back made your heart thrum and how happy he seemed, moreso now that he had everyone in his little family back at long last.

☁ While your side still hurt and your muscles still sung from the strain put on them. being wrapped between them felt safe. Safer than you've felt since the moment of pure terror that wracked your entire nervous system the second you knew only one of you would make it to the elevator.

☁ Still, you knew there was something on the horizon. A discussion that needed to be had and it made whatever was left in your gut churn and rot further than it already had.

☁ It didn't come until later that night when you were finally back in your room, eating something soft and easy to digest (My personal fav is oatmeal but I know now everyone can eat that so y'all get to choose <3), chatting with Cosmo when a knock at the door made you look up.

☁ Astro had popped his head in, scanning for your form before immediately relaxing when he spotted you. "Are you okay with a few visitors? Absolutely feel free to say no."

☁ You honestly hadn't expected anyone to visit you, really. Goob and Scraps had both had their own tearful reunions with you, Goob especially, and Poppy and Boxten had visited as well. You weren't overly close with anyone else, but while confused, you nodded.

☁ Astro scanned you for a second, as if to see if you were lying, but when he found nothing he stepped more fully inside. Sprout followed, immediately wounding to your side and pressing a peck to your lips. You smiled at him before looking back over, eyes widening at the two toons standing there.

☁ Shelly looked nervous, but waved even as her smile wavered, her tail giving a small, short little wag. Vee looked miserable if you were honest. You had never seen the main so...upset, making you frown. Was she upset with you? You know you probably shouldn't have pushed her, but you had no other option at the time!

☁ Astro took his own spot beside, across from where Sprout had moved to sit beside Cosmo.

☁ "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Shelly begins, tapping her fingers together before meeting your eye. "I wanted to thank you personally. And apologize. It was me you were retrieving and-"

☁ "And it wouldn't have happened if I had just picked up the pace." Vee cuts in. She makes it a point not to look at you, making you frown, fingers curling around your blanket. Vee let out a sigh, antennae giving a little spark as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm...So, so so-"

☁ "You have nothing to apologize for." You hold up a hand, scrunching your features. "I made my choice. You had nothing to do with what i decided. I promise. i never would've done something if it wasn't something I was sure about doing. There was never a moment I was upset with you, either of you." You're quick to reassure, sending them both a smile. Shelly returns it quickly, but Vee only gives you a glance and you frown.

☁ That was Sprout's best friend. You knew you didn't have to get along with everyone, but you wanted to get along with these two especially.

☁ Shelly seemed relieved at least, which made Astro relax at least a bit, but that wasn't enough for you. "I promise, Vee. If anything I owe you all an apology." You wilted a bit, even if Vee finally looked at you. "My twisted is...not the best, even I could admit that and I should've planned with the twisteds better rather than risk putting you guys in that situation. So for that, I apologize." You continue, continuing even if Vee looks like she's going to cut in. "It's happened, and it's fixed already. We can just blame whoever started the Ichor operation rather than try to keep playing this 'who can blame themself the most' game."

☁ Vee gapes and you smile at her softly, opening your arms. "Hug it out with me? Therefore all is forgiven and we can't blame ourselves anymore." The television looks at you, then at Shelly, then Sprout before her shoulders fall and she's slumping forward. You wrap your arms around her, feeling the chill of her metal plates. Looking over, you make eye contact with Shelly, who smiles sadly at the action. You open one of your arms and the fossil is immediately burrowing into the hug as well with her tail whapping about.

☁ When you separate, they take their leave not soon after, seemingly much lighter than when they came in. But then you're left with the other three. Astro's who's already sitting beside you, but the other two crawl onto the bed so you're all sitting in a circle of types.

☁ Your eyes dart from one to the next to the next before falling to where your knuckles are white around the blanket, having returned to clutching the fabric. You have to actively uncurl your fingers.

☁ You know there's probably tons to discuss, but you don't even know where to start.

☁ So Sprout does. He's never one to beat around the bush, especially looking back to before you all were together, and it's something you greatly admire about the berry.

☁ "We saw the scars." Is all he says, his own eyes remaining downcast as he plays with his scarf. You swallow, debating your options before breathing out, letting down the walls you normally kept up around everyone else.

☁ "Most of them are front the beginning." You admit. "I wasn't a good distractor then. I wasn't even really okay. I did it when we absolutely needed one. We had none of the trinkets we do now and didn't even think about them at the time. So I was an extractor and Cosmo knows that me extracting is like teaching a fish to fly." You spill immediately, thinking back to the lacerations that once marred your skin. "I'm sorry if they bothered you. I tried to keep them as covered up as possible. in case they...upset you all"

☁ "It's not the fact that their there, starlight. Well, I mean, that's kind of part of it, but...Why didn't you tell us?" Astro prods, laying a hand on you knee as another gentle rubs your shoulder. You bristle at the question, rolling your shoulders for a second before responding.

☁ "They aren't number one on my list of discussion topics. I'd rather forget about them personally." Simple as that.

☁ There's silence for a second before Cosmo is raising his hand, pointing to a white line that circles around his forearm. "This is from my time as a twisted. You'd remember best, but my hand was all sorts of messed up, right?"

☁ You nod at this and he points to his eye, with a matching line circling around it, so faint if he wasn't pulling attention to it, most wouldn't notice. "Half my face too, right?"

☁ You nod once more and he mimics the action. "Are you ashamed of my scars?"

☁ "No!" You're quick to bark, immediately ready to quell any worries he has, but Cosmo isn't done, pointing to Sprout- who blinks at the finger like it personally offended him. "What about Sprout? He has his own scars. You ashamed of those?"

☁ "No, Cosmo that's not-"

☁ "Then what about Astro? He's got his fair share too." The pastry points to one of the hands on your knees, which indeed had it's own smattering of scars from his time as a twisted.

☁ "No." You stare him down, gaze hard as he meets your own just as challenging. "Then why does that change for you?" You don't have an immediate answer, and Cosmo pounces on that. "What makes your scars different from ours? Why would we ever be ashamed of your scars, of your journey, when you would never dream of even thinking about that of ours?"

☁ You gape at him, trying to find some sort of defense, but you can't. He seems satisfied at that, but it's not for long as you're speaking once more.

☁ "Mine were self-inflicted." You avoid looking at them, even as your heart practically chokes you. "You never signed up to be a twisted. I willingly trained and worked to become a distractor. These come with the territory."

☁ There's silence for a second before Sprout is speaking once more. "Do they hurt?"

☁ You frown at the question, but shake your head. "No. They don't."

☁ Sprout exhales in relief at this before leaning back on his palms. "This isn't meant to make you feel any type of way about them, bud. They're yours and we understand better than most that scars can bring...complicated feelings. There's just...so many. We just want you to care a little more about yourself."

☁ "Seeing you in danger all the time is hard on his heart." Astro gently jokes, even if he gets a light kick in return for the jab. The celestial takes a breath before leaning on your shoulder, one of his hands reaching to hold your own. "We just want you safe, starlight, above all else. The bed's too big for three of us."

☁ You take a breath that quivered in your lungs before nodding slowly. You had expressed to Astro before how terrified you were of your own twisted and never wished to expose it to them, but did so anyway.

☁ You could only imagine the fear they were feeling the entire time, especially on the retrieval.

☁ "I'm sorry. Not for doing what I did, I don't regret and never will." You began, finally looking back up at them. "But I agree. I've been a bit careless. It's a distractor's job to keep the twisteds occupied, but not by being a dumbass. I don't want to give up distracting though." By the end you're practically pleading.

☁ "And we would never ask you too." Sprout gives you a soft smile. "Even if you stress me the fuck out, you enjoy it. Just...maybe keep the distance between you and the twisteds a bit bigger. And keep an escape route open whenever possible. And a bandage on hand. And a can of pop. And-"

☁ You laugh, wiping your tears as you shake your head. "I get it. I'm sorry I scared you all."

☁ "Just remind us to never piss you off." Cosmo shakes his head. "You're scary when angry. Although, watching you protect Sprout like that-"

☁ "We are not having this conversation again!" Sprout immediately shuts down, hitting the pastry in the face with a pillow, quickly getting a swift hit in retaliation. The two tussle for a second, making you give a wet laugh as Astro nuzzles into you. Your finger taps on the back of his hand, silently asking for an explanation.

☁ He hums in acknowledgement at the unasked question, moving to kiss your shoulder. "You're hot in all forms. Cosmo especially likes your protective side."

☁ This makes you bark out a laugh, calling the attention of the other two back to you.

☁ "What are you laughing at?" Sprout grinned, straddling Cosmo who was squirming under the hand on his forehead keeping him pinned down.

☁ "You're all such dorks." You snicker, grinning before holding your hands out to them. "Hugs?"

☁ You're only able to let out a yelp at Sprout turns instead pull you into his chest, the other two also wrapped in the absolute bear hug. It makes your heart thrum happily, especially when Blu manages to pop her head up in a crevice and mew her greetings happily.

☁ So even while the first few nights were hard, as you lay there, wrapped in the embrace of your boys and feeling their laughter once more, you know that tonight won't be nearly as so.

☁ And if absolutely nothing else, that was what made it all worth it.

AN: Guys, remember how I made that joke (It wasn't a joke) about hating that Rodger and taking it out on their Bobette? GUESS WHO'S NOW A MARKETABLE PLUSH >:) Huge huge huge shoutout to @belifbel

RAHH LOOK AT THEM

[mazamba]

"Oh, I still feel," Sari corrected her, "it's just the negative emotions I got rid of. Guilt and Sadness for the most part."

"Sari, that's so much worse," Wheeljack pointed out, "negative emotions feel like slag, but they're still necessary."

She scoffed, "What for? All they do is make feel yucky for doing what I needed to do?"

Bumblebee had an idea, "Sari, what happened to the Jedi Shadows?"

"The Shadows? Who told you about those?... Well, whatever. They're not around anymore. I killed them all."

"How?"

"Well, there weren't that many left so it wasn't too hard," she figured, non-nonchalantly turning back to her work, "the hard part was figuring out where they were, but once I did it was pretty easy. All I had to do was get their mission briefings, beat them to the planet they were going to, and then set a trap with a Sith artifact as bait. Most Shadows were Consulars, so no one looked too much into when one of them was killed in action. The Jedi just assumed they got in over their head and couldn't double check because of the war.

"There was one Shadow that became a Jedi Master though. I finally got her last year. Master Taria Damsin, I dunno if you knew her Ahsoka, but she went down hard. I'd hit her with most of my traps and she was still coming."

HK-47 was curious, "How did you kill her?"

"She grabbed me by the neck, going on and on about how she was finally going to take down the Serpent of the Sith, so I took advantage and purged my fuel tank right in her face, covering her in hot energon. She wouldn't stop screaming, so I had to finish her with a big rock. It was very much a closed-casket funeral."

Bumblebee was having a hard time keeping his own fuel down, but needed to keep going, "And how do you feel about that?"

"I feel-," she stopped, clearly struggling to put it together, "relieved. They've been hunting me for millennia with no real reason, then they caused the whole mess in Kaleesh to get to me and I knew they had to go. Took them all down in less than ten years."

While she was talking, Ratchet secretly sent a message to Ahsoka's comm.

"I've paged a doctor that can undo that so-called upgrade. Be ready to pin her down and I'll disable her with an EMP burst."

Closed RP w/@mazamba

Ahsoka Tano is seen down in the lower levels, looking for work to continue paying for her place. She was no longer a Jedi, so she needed to find work. In order to pay for her place she was staying, while also getting food to fill her belly. Ahsoka sighed knowing she wasn't going to be able to find a proper job without getting her hands dirty.

"They want me to steal from a known crime lord or to steal from the Jedi Temple to retrieve a lightsaber from one of the fallen Jedi," Ahsoka knew both of these would either get her killed or arrested. She knew the Jedi Temple needed to be warned about this, but didn't understand why this person wanted the lightsaber.

"Well, I'll need to find work somewhere in order to pay for my next rent," said Ahsoka as she stops in her track when she sensed something. "What was that?"

@mazamba

[floraisunwell]

Cramps | s.r

who? spencer reid x fem!reader

category: fluffy fluff

summary: you stained spencer's bed sheets and clothes and think he's going to be mad but you couldn't be more chill about it

based on: MY PERIOD CRAMPS WERE KILLING ME BAHAHAHAHA

word count: 685

a/n: i stained my bedsheets during my afternoon nap the other day and i wished i had a spencer to take care of me because my cramps are BRUTAL (and i'm just a sucker for period fics overall lol) @angellic4l my beautiful proofreader, our baby is here.

t.w: mention of blood and very briefly a knife wound

The sound of the shower running awoke you and even in your sleepy state, you smiled because that was a sign that Spencer was already home.

You sat up and that’s when you saw the bags of groceries that were plopped beside the bedroom door, one was from your favorite take-out place, and the other from the corner store down the street, you knew for sure that it contained all the treats you love and your smile widened when you realized that Spencer knew everything you needed just from reading the text you sent a few hours ago

-these cramps are killing me. going for a nap, don’t wake me up when you get home-

You were already opening the package of Sour Patch Kids when you noticed the brownish-red stain in the spot where you had woken up. You instinctively looked down at your sweatpants, Spencer’s sweatpants, and surely, a stain in the same shade of red could also be found there.

“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…” you grunted

“Is everything okay angel?” your boyfriend inquires getting out of the bathroom with wide eyes

“No, oh my god your bed sheets, oh god”

“My, my bed sheets? What’s wrong with them?” he asks but his eyes have already landed on the stain and a relived ‘oh’ escapes his lips

“Baby I thought something had happened; you scared me for a moment,” he said with a slight smile.

“No, something did happen, did you not see your sheets? And also, your sweats,” you say pointing down “Oh god they look disgusting” you spit out.

“Oh no, don’t say that angel,” he says reaching for your hand but you take a step away and start talking again

“I destroyed them, Spence. It looks horrible. They looked expensive too,” you say, pointing at both the bed and the pants. That stain is so huge, too. It probably reached your mattress,” you say, your face contorting into an emotion Spencer can’t describe.

“What no, you didn’t destroy them, they will be perfectly fine after a wash or two”

“Spence that blood literally came from inside me,” you say with an overly serious tone

“Well, it would be concerning if it had come from anywhere else angel” he says, a smirk tugging at his lips

“Haha, what a perfect time to curate your humour doctor,” you say trying to hide a chuckle because this is one of the occasions where Spencer was funny.

“But seriously it’s not a problem angel I don’t care about the sheets, or the pants, at all. I can literally think of more than 30 ways to clean off those stains.” He says pulling you into a hug.

“Are you sure you’re not completely and utterly disgusted by my bodily fluids?” you ask smiling.

“Not at all, I see too much blood daily to be disgusted by that” he replies looking down at you

“But I mean, that’s period blood, it’s different from blood from like a knife wound or something like that,” you say still looking up at him

“And? Seeing period blood is actually better angel” he says while resting his chin atop your head.

“Are you sure?” you ask with a slightly unbelieving tone

“I am completely sure,” He said leaving a kiss on your forehead “So, how are your cramps? I got you ibuprofen”

“Oh, I left some last time I was here and I have some in my bag too, but thank you, Spence”

“No problem angel,” he stated as he got away from the hug “Now go take the bath I prepared for you, while I take care of these stains, you’re so worried about”

“And then we can cuddle?” you ask with the same wide grin you had when you woke up.

“And then we can cuddle however long you want.” He replies with a smile as wide as yours mirrored in his face.

And as you took your shower and smiled stupidly at the wall you couldn’t stop questioning yourself about how this man kept making you fall in love with him over and over again

[peacheeeliz]

010. there's this thing called puberty (wc: 549)

“You're telling me we're only a third of the way through the game?” Sunghoon sighs, staring blankly at his screen as your characters progress into the second act of the game. His head reels in the way you softly laugh, “Why does it feel like we've done so much and so little at the same time?”

Your eyes wander down to the clock on your screen, widening when you see how late – early, really – it has gotten. “Oh, fuck, Hoon, it's way too late. We should probably pause here for the night,” you tell him, watching the cutscene come to an end. “Baldur's Gate just does that to you, man. It sucks you in.”

“That's dangerous,” he says, chuckling. He exits out of the game quickly, moving back to the Discord tab to see you smiling brightly back at him. “I can see why you, Liz, and Jungwon like it so much.”

“The only reason I have so many hours on this game is because of those two,” you laugh. “Those two will go on forever, all like ‘just one more quest.’ Next thing you know, the sun's coming up.”

“You gotta admit, though, we've had those kinds of nights with Minecraft,” he comments, shaking his head. “Remember when we stayed up for hours on end playing on the Ender SMP with Jake? God, I was so tired, but I just couldn't stop.”

“Oh my God, that night was so much fun,” you continue, reminiscing all the late nights spent on the game with your various friends. “That was your guy's first season on the server, wasn't it? You guys were sooooo shy back then, it's crazy to think how far you've come.”

“Well, we were playing with the literal creator of the server, so to say we were nervous was an understatement,” he jokes, eyes avoiding his screen in embarrassment. “You have to remember we were huge fans of you before we started streaming.”

“Oh, is that so?” You question, raising your eyebrows as a smirk plays at your lips. You hold back a laugh when the man covers his face with his hands, “Come on, it's not to be embarrassed about, Hoonie. I think it's cute.”

He hesitates, face never leaving his hands. “Please forget I said anything,” he says quietly. “Jake was more of a fan than me anyway.”

“Ahuh, sure,” you tease, giggling lightly as he peaks from between his fingertips. Seeing your sweet smile, he feels his stomach flip, his face flushes behind his hands. He just freezes, unknowingly to him. You stretch your arms up, yawning. “Well, I'm probably gonna hit the sack. You should, too. I'd hate to be the reason you're so sleepy later.”

You can't help but laugh again when all you get in response is a quiet nod. “Aww, you're already so tired,” you start. “So cute. But you've got to head to bed too, Hoon. Good night, baby.”

He squeaks out a soft “good night” before rushing to end the call. He takes a deep breath, eyes trained on his Discord chat with you as his heart begins to hammer against his chest. All the cute emojis, the sweet messages, and the occasional good morning or good nights. A sigh slips past his lips, “What the fuck.”

synopsis ⤏ popular youtubers team up on all new minecraft smp, quick to name themselves the "newly weds" after sunghoon gifts y/n a poppy. but will these romantic endeavors between the two just be "for the lore," or will feelings blossom?

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[willowsnook]

sweet sister (18+)

You can make one with Lance x Ocon reader. She is Esteban's sister but she never participated much in the races and which she was Lance didn't pay much attention to her. But now he is newly single is invited to Esteban's birthday and finds her and ends up rolling a mood. Then they have a relationship hidden from the media and families but being discovered later, some interaction of Lance and Esteban being brothers-in-law!!

Lance stroll x ocon!sister

—----------------------------------------------------------

“Happy birthday, Estie,” you cheered as you found your brother talking with Flavy in his kitchen, with a drink in his hand. 

“Thanks sis,” Esteban replied warmly. He was hosting a small party at his Swiss apartment to celebrate and you were happy to finally get time off of work to make the trip this weekend. You had thrown on a casual fit with an oversized cardigan in your favorite shade of blue and were ready to let off a little steam. 

“Come on Flavy,” you said, pulling your brother’s girlfriend away to the outdoor patio area. She giggled as you dragged her, and the cool air had you clutching your outer layer when you finally made it. 

“So what’s new?” She asked, sinking down on one of the outdoor couches, resting her feet on the patio table. You joined her, not letting go of your glass of wine. 

“Not a lot. Work is boring, but there is a chance that I’ll get to start being remote,” you said excitedly. You were a data analyst and while you enjoyed being in the office, you wanted to live the nomad traveling life while you were young. So being able to be remote would be perfect. 

“Wait does that mean you’ll come to more races,” she asked, her eyes wide. She squealed as you nodded. “Thank god, I’ve been so bored.”

“You hang out with Kika, though right?” You asked.

“Yeah, but she’s been hanging around with Alex more which is fine, but then I get lonely. And now that Lance and Marilou broke up, there really isn’t anyone else I’m friends with.”

“Oh yeah, I heard about that,” you said. “A couple of months ago right?” 

“Yeah,” she said giving you a teasing look. “Trying to swoop in?” 

“Esteban would kill me,” you muttered with a small laugh. 

You didn’t even know Lance that well, but something about him intrigued you. By the time him and Esteban had gotten close you were already in college so you weren’t even 100% sure if he remembered who you were. 

“He’s nice,” Flavy said thoughtfully. “I think he gets a bad rep because of who he is but he’s always been a sweetheart to me.” 

“Didn’t he cheat on Marilou, though,” you asked, thinking back to the gossip account’s post you had seen. 

“I don’t think so,” she answered. “To my knowledge, they had been broken up a while before the media knew so the girl they referenced was post-break.” 

“Ahh,” you said. Turning your head to look back inside you saw the man himself, talking to your brother and some others in the living room. Dressed in all black he managed to look casual but still put together. 

As you watched Lance through the glass doors, he suddenly looked up and caught your gaze. For a moment, your eyes locked, and you felt a flutter in your stomach. You quickly looked away, feeling your cheeks heat up.

"Ooh, someone's blushing," Flavy teased, nudging you with her elbow.

"Shut up," you muttered, taking a large sip of your wine.

Just then, the sliding door opened, and Esteban stepped out onto the patio. "Hey, stop hiding out here and come join the party.” 

You and Flavy exchanged a glance before standing up. As you followed your brother back inside, you couldn't help but steal another look at Lance. To your surprise, he was still watching you, a small smile playing on his lips.

Throughout the evening, you found yourself gravitating towards Lance. You chatted with some of Esteban’s old friends and eventually found yourself beside him. 

“It’s been a while,” he said, breaking the ice between you. His eyes lingered on your body before he brought them back up to your eyes, a small smirk on his face. 

“It has,” you agreed, trying to act casual. “Tough season so far?”

“Already busting my balls?” He snorted, leaning back against the wall. 

“Someone has to,” you teased. As nervous as you were to talk to him, it all seemed to melt away now that you finally were. “You aren’t in the bottom five of the grid though, so I guess that’s a good sign.”

“Only a matter of time,” he mumbled, and you caught a flash of dejection on his face that he tried to brush off. 

“The car or you?” You asked gently. Having been around your brother’s racing career, you knew that was usually what it boiled down to. 

“A little bit of both,” he admitted. “The car isn’t great which is resulting in me not being confident which makes for easy mistakes.” 

You nodded sympathetically. "That must be frustrating. I'm sure you'll find your groove again soon, though."

Lance gave you a small smile, his eyes softening. "Thanks. It's nice to talk to someone who gets it."

You felt a warmth spread through your chest at his words. "Well, I've been around racing my whole life. It's hard not to pick up on a few things."

"Thanks, that means a lot. You know, I always wondered why we never really got to know each other before."

"Probably because I was always busy with school when you and Esteban started hanging out," you replied, suddenly very aware of how close you were. “I’m surprised you recognized me.” 

"Well, I'm glad I did," Lance said, his voice lowering slightly as he leaned in closer.

Your breath caught in your throat at his proximity. You could smell his cologne, a subtle but intoxicating woodsy scent. You were too caught up in his intense stare to see your brother coming towards you.

“Hey guys,” he said, shooting Lance a warning look. You instantly stood back and blushed, looking anywhere but the man before you. “Flavy and I are hungry, you in for late-night dinner?”

Looking around, you realized that everyone had filtered out. Lance agreed to food and you found yourself nodding along as well. The four of you called a ride to a nearby restaurant that Lance had called, asking them to stay open. Esteban sat in the front with the rest of you in the back; you being in the middle meant you were pushed alongside Lance, making you flush. 

Pulling up to the spot, he got out and held his hand out for you to help. His big hand enveloped yours and he held on for an extra couple of seconds before you shot him a curious look. 

Late night dinner was a great move, and conversation flowed as the four of you enjoyed being the only ones there. You had missed your brother a lot. A couple of hours later you were dead and watched as Esteban and Flavy got into a car back to his place. You were staying in a hotel, so Lance insisted on waiting for your car with you, to make sure you were safe. 

“Are we going to go another few years without seeing each other?” He asked and you smiled. 

“I hope not,” you said. “I’m going to try to be in Austin.” 

“That would be good, I can get you an Aston garage pass,” he said. 

“Not sure how Esteban would feel about that,” you teased. 

Lance chuckled, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "What Esteban doesn't know won't hurt him, right?"

You bit your lip, considering his offer. "I suppose one little garage tour wouldn't hurt..."

"Exactly," Lance said, taking a step closer to you. The streetlight cast a warm glow on his face, accentuating his strong jawline. "And maybe we could grab dinner after the race?"

Your heart raced at the suggestion. "Lance Stroll, are you asking me out on a date?"

He grinned, running a hand through his hair. "I guess I am. What do you say?"

Before you could answer, your ride pulled up to the curb. Lance opened the car door for you, ever the gentleman.

"I'll think about it," you said with a coy smile as you slid into the backseat. 

As the car pulled away, you couldn't help but look back at Lance, who was still standing there, watching you go. You felt a mix of excitement and nervousness about what might happen next.

—---------austin gp—--------------------

This was your first time in Austin and you loved the southern culture. You insisted on buying three different pairs of cowboy boots when you came. You knew people didn’t really dress like this all the time here, but it was fun. 

It was warm on race day so you chose a lighter-weight dress paired with the favorite boots you had bought. Flavy matched you in a cream dress and you both fit right in with everyone else in the paddock. Lance was talking to Esteban after the drivers parade and you blushed under his gaze; he clearly was a fan. Esteban was too infatuated with Flavy to notice. 

“Embracing the cowgirl lifestyle,” Lance teased as you reached him. You did a little twirl for him, smiling widely. 

“Yeah, do you like it?” You asked innocently, already knowing the answer. 

“A lot,” he said simply. 

One of the Aston Martin media girls was nearby, holding a cowboy hat that seemed ot be for Lance. You reached out your hand and she gave it to you so that you could place it on his head. 

“There,” you said, breathless from the lack of distance. “Now we match.” 

Lance's eyes darkened as he looked down at you, his hand coming up to adjust the hat. "I like matching with you," he said softly, his voice low enough that only you could hear.

You felt a shiver run down your spine, but Esteban called out to you before you could respond. "Hey sis, come here for a sec!"

Reluctantly, you stepped away from Lance, shooting him an apologetic smile. You could feel Lance's eyes following you as you walked towards your brother.

The race was intense, and neither your brother or Lance put on much of an impressive performance. Lance texted you when he had his phone again, asking to meet up for dinner in a bit, which you agreed to. 

“Are you coming out with us?” Esteban asked, and you faked a yawn, looking at him apologetically. 

“I’m honestly beat; I’ll probably just get room service and call it a night,” you lied. He nodded in understanding before hugging you goodbye and leaving with Flavy. You felt terrible lying to your brother but you wanted to enjoy whatever was going on between you and Lance just the two of you for now. 

You changed into comfier clothes and took off your makeup right as Lance knocked on your door. 

“Still want just to do room service?” He asked. You nodded, waving him in. 

“Yeah, I honestly am tired,” you said. 

“Good, me too,” he agreed. You let your eyes drop to his shirt that was tightly clung to his torso before meeting his smirking gaze. 

You rolled your eyes, moving to look at the menu. He leaned back on your bed, resting his head on the headboard while watching you with amusement. 

“There’s too many choices,” you muttered, unable to decide between chicken tenders and a burger. 

“What are you between?” He asked. 

“Chicken or a burger.”

“Just get both and we’ll split it,” he said and you nodded, calling in the order. Once you had the food, you sat a respectable distance away from him on the bed, letting him talk you through what the race was like for him. 

“Sorry for boring you,” he said sheepishly and you smiled. 

“I’m not bored, I like seeing you get lost like that,” you said. “If only those gossip accounts knew that you actually liked racing.” 

He rolled his eyes, “I don’t know where they come up with that stuff. Didn’t peg you as a gossip follower.” 

“It’s amusing,” you said, shrugging. 

As the night wore on, you found yourself inching closer to Lance on the bed. The conversation flowed easily between you, covering everything from childhood memories to your current aspirations. You were surprised at how comfortable you felt with him.

"You know," Lance said, his voice soft, "I've really enjoyed getting to know you these past few weeks."

Your heart skipped a beat. "Me too," you admitted, meeting his gaze. 

“I should probably get going,” he said, and you felt a wave of disappointment wash over you. 

“Yeah, it’s late,” you said, sliding off the bed to walk him to the door. 

“Esteban said you were remote now, does that mean I’ll see you next week?” He asked, one hand on the handle.

“If you’re lucky,” you teased and he smiled before pressing his lips against your forehead. 

“I’ll see ya,” he said and you were glad he had already turned so that he couldn’t see the red on your face. 

—----------Mexico GP—------------------

Lance was having a good race, slated to get some much-needed points but a last-minute push by Pierre crushed his hopes. He was frustrated coming out of the car, snapping at his engineer before retreating to his driver's room. He rarely lost his cool, but something about today had him trying to simmer down his frustration. Being so close to finishing in points and then having it ripped away was not a good feeling. 

Your brother was pulled away for debriefs so you wandered around the paddock for a bit before running into Fernando. You had gotten to know him a bit when him and Esteban drove together for Alpine. 

“Hey y/n,” the older man greeted you, pulling you into a quick hug. “Your boyfriend is scaring everyone away.” 

“Boyfriend?” You asked confused and Fernando smirked. 

“Yeah your lover boy teammate of mine,” he said. “Since he can’t talk to Esteban about you, I have unfortunately become the sounding board.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” you said, mumbling, a slight flush on your cheeks. “Is he okay?” 

“Just pissed, snapping at people, try to calm him down will ya?” He asked, not giving you a chance to answer before walking away. 

Sighing, you made your way to the Aston garage, heading towards the room that everyone seemed to be avoiding. You knocked once before pushing open the door to see Lance, shirtless with a scowl on his face. 

Your breath caught in your throat at the sight of Lance's toned chest. Despite his frustrated expression, you couldn't help but admire his physique. Shaking yourself out of your daze, you stepped into the room and closed the door behind you.

"Hey," you said softly, approaching him cautiously. "Tough race, huh?"

Lance looked up, his scowl softening slightly when he saw you. "Yeah, you could say that," he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

You sat down next to him on the small couch, close enough that your thighs were touching. "Want to talk about it?"

He sighed heavily. "It's just... I was so close. Those points would have meant a lot, you know?"

You nodded sympathetically, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "I know. But you drove well out there. Sometimes things just don’t work out.” 

You could feel the anger radiating off of him and could tell he was trying to stop himself from snapping at you. 

“Can I help you relax?” You asked and he scoffed. 

“I don’t think anything can help me,” he said. 

“I can think of a few ideas,” you said, moving off the couch onto your knees in front of him. His eyes widened at what you were suggesting, but the way you were staring up at him had him instantly hard. 

“Y/n…,” he trailed as you started to pull his suit, further down, leaving him just in his briefs. 

“Let me take care of you, baby,” you whispered. 

Lance's breath hitched as your fingers trailed along the waistband of his briefs. His eyes were dark with desire as he gazed down at you.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice husky.

You nodded, maintaining eye contact as you slowly pulled down his underwear. His erection sprang free, and you couldn't help but lick your lips at the sight.

Without hesitation, you wrapped your hand around his length, stroking him slowly. Lance's head fell back against the couch, a low groan escaping his lips. Encouraged by his reaction, you leaned forward and took him into your mouth.

"Fuck," Lance hissed, his hand coming to rest on the back of your head.

You worked him with your mouth and hand, alternating between long, slow licks and quick, shallow bobs. Lance's fingers tangled in your hair, pushing your head deeper, causing you to gag. 

You pulled back slightly, adjusting to his size before taking him deeper again. Lance's hips began to thrust gently, matching your rhythm. The room filled with the sounds of his low moans and your muffled whimpers.

"Y/n, I'm close," Lance warned, his grip on your hair tightening.

You doubled your efforts, hollowing your cheeks and swirling your tongue around his tip. With a final groan, Lance came undone, spilling into your mouth. You swallowed everything he gave you, continuing to suck gently until he was completely spent.

Pulling away, you wiped your mouth and looked up at Lance. His chest was heaving, a thin sheen of sweat glistening on his skin. He gazed down at you with a mix of awe and affection.

"Come here," he said softly, helping you up onto his lap. 

“Better?” You asked, and he pressed his lips gently against yours. 

“Much,” he said. 

You played nervously with his hair, his arms wrapped snugly around you as you both sat silently. 

“What’s on your mind, pretty girl?” He asked. 

“I really like you,” you admitted boldly, looking down to see him grinning widely. 

“I really like you too,” he said. 

“I’m not sure if I’m ready to be dragged through the media thought yet,” you said softly. “Or have my family harass me.” 

“We can take things slowly and quietly,” Lance assured you, returning his lips to yours. The kiss was soft and you melted into him. 

—--------------------------------------------------

The next month went by quickly and you didn’t go a day without talking to Lance. You hadn’t seen him much, not being able to go the Brazil GP, which was sad considering how well your brother did. But you facetimed him constantly and he had flown out to London everytime he had a break. 

He was such a sweetheart and made you feel so special, always showering you with compliments and affection. You knew your brother was starting to get suspicious, especially since Lance had bailed on hanging with him multiple times. With that in mind, you decided that maybe it was time to go public, at least with him. 

Flavy had called and said that she and Esteban were renting a cabin in the Alps and wanted to know if you wanted to join. 

“Yeah, I’m free. Can I bring someone?” You asked. 

“Oooo who??,” she questioned over the phone. 

“My boyfriend,” you said quickly, and you heard her scream. 

“Are you joking me?” She complained. “Why didn’t you tell me? Is it who I think it is?” 

“Yes,” you admitted. “Just make sure Esteban is in a good mood.” 

Your flight landed at the same time as Lance’s, and Lance greeted you with a kiss once he saw you come down to baggage claim. 

“Hi, angel, I missed you,” he sai,d and you beamed up at him. 

“I missed you too,” you replied. He took your luggage from you, carrying it to the waiting car as you drove up to the cabin. 

“Nervous?” You asked, noting how Lance bobbed his knee up and down. 

“I can take him, so no,” he said and you playfully hit his shoulder. 

“It’ll be fine,” you reassured him. 

You had thought Flavy would let it slip to Esteban that Lance was coming but based on his shocked face, that was clearly not the case.

As you and Lance stepped out of the car, Esteban's jaw dropped. He looked between the two of you, his eyes narrowing as he noticed your intertwined hands.

"What's going on here?" Esteban demanded, his voice a mix of confusion and anger.

You took a deep breath, squeezing Lance's hand for support. "Estie, Lance and I are together. We've been dating for a little while now."

Esteban's face turned red, and for a moment, you thought he might explode. But then Flavy appeared behind him, placing a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Babe, remember what we talked about," she said softly. "Be happy for your sister."

Esteban took a deep breath, visibly trying to compose himself. "How long has this been going on?"

"Since Austin," Lance answered, his voice not wavering. You both waited in silence for Esteban to respond but he just kept looking from you to Lance, not saying anything.

“Fine.”

That was all he said before he spun on his heel and stormed into the house. 

“That went well,” you muttered. Flavy shot you an apologetic look before following him inside and Lance pulled you into his body. His hands found your jaw as he cradled your face. 

“He’ll come around,” he promised and you couldn’t help but smile. Leaning up, you pressed a soft kiss against his lips before heading inside. 

Inside the cozy cabin, the tension was palpable. Flavy had ushered Esteban into the kitchen, leaving you and Lance in the living room to settle in. You could hear low murmurs from behind the closed door as they spoke, but you couldn’t make out what they were saying. Lance gave your hand a reassuring squeeze as he helped you unpack your coat.

After what felt like an eternity, the kitchen door swung open, and Esteban stepped out, his expression unreadable. Flavy trailed behind him, giving you an encouraging nod.

“Lance,” Esteban said, his tone firm but calmer than before. “Can we talk outside? Just us.”

Lance glanced at you, and you gave him a small nod. “Sure,” he replied, following Esteban onto the snowy porch.

You watched through the window as the two of them stood facing each other. Their conversation was animated at first, with Esteban gesturing wildly while Lance remained composed, his hands tucked into his pockets. But slowly, the tension seemed to melt away. Esteban’s shoulders relaxed, and Lance let out a small laugh, clapping him on the shoulder.

When they finally came back inside, both of them seemed lighter. Esteban walked straight up to you, his expression softening as he looked at you.

“Alright,” he said with a sigh. “If you’re happy, that’s all that matters. But,” he added, pointing at Lance, “if you hurt her, I’ll make sure you regret it.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Lance said earnestly.

Esteban nodded and pulled you into a quick hug. “Just… don’t make me regret this,” he murmured, ruffling your hair like he used to when you were kids.

Lance gave you a knowing smile as Esteban turned to Flavy, muttering something about needing a drink.

“See?” Lance whispered, leaning close to your ear. “Told you he’d come around.”

You laughed, feeling a weight lift off your chest. Maybe this holiday wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Flavy came near you, holding out a glass of wine, “you’re going to need this.”

“Why?” You said, accepting it curiously. She pulled out her phone to show you F1gossip’s latest post: you and Lance kissing at the airport. 

“Let’s get the bottle,” you said. 

[pockypuck]

"No--you--what have you done?!" they gasp, clutching the table like a lifeline.

I shake my head a little, wiping my mouth of the last few drops and giving an incredulous grimace. "A celestial shot, from the taste of it." Ooh, tingly.

"You mixed them," they say, anguished enough to state the obvious.

I raise my eyebrows, flexing my fingers a little as the capillaries start to throb with my quickening pulse. "Of course I did. You offered me both, and then added a false dichotomy."

"False--what?"

"False dichotomy. Presenting two options as the only choices when there are others available."

"I know what a--do--do you have any idea what you've begun?!" They’re sweating quite profusely for an extraplanar being, the collar of their shirt losing its starch and their silvery hair dampening against their brow.

I shrug. "Something interesting, from your reaction. I expect I'll find out shortly." Oh yeah, very shortly. I can already feel my eyes starting to water and sharpen at the same time. "At least I won't die, though."

"Y--" They go even paler, somehow, staring at me with wide eyes and such distress that the air around them is vibrating. I grin at them with lots of teeth.

"Yeah, figured on that. Celestial essence doesn't mix with human life too well, does it? Too rigidly aligned, one way or another. Most people's systems can't handle it. They run hot for a few months, get all those cool powers, then burn out like an overclocked CPU. Nice try, though." I lick my lips, trying to identify the flavor left behind. Sea salt and chocolate from the mocha, I figure, and something that I can only describe as spite. What I get for mixing it in a Starbucks cup, I guess.

They're still stuttering, eyes now tracing along the outline of my shoulders as if watching for weapons. "But--how did--?"

"How did I know to mix them?" It's not a guess. I'm starting to feel the questions on my skin before they ask them. "Simple. They're the same thing."

Their face twists in revulsion. Heh, they didn't like that.

"Mostly," I amend. "Demons are just angels with defiance mixed in, after all. The base is the same. But mixing god-ordained defiance--" they twitch hard "--with absolute obedience was either going to explode immediately or cancel each other out." I sit back and cross my arms, feeling the proteins in my muscles start to fold and twist into energy the likes of which the world hadn’t seen in millennia. "So I tested it."

"This is--you can't," they rasp, but not as if they believe it. No, it sounds as though their belief is very fragile right now. "You can't be."

"I mean, it turns out that I very much can." I spread my arms, my fingers. It takes very little effort to add a few, subtract them, change them to claws, wrap air and fire and time around them. I keep it short; there are people in this cafe, even if they can't notice us right now. "And really, I should thank you. If you hadn't given me both at once, I couldn't have pulled it off. So this," I gesture to all of me, the shifting skin and brightening eyes and power beginning to radiate in waves, "is all your fault."

They inhale with a shudder, and then their eyes narrow. "Then you are my--my responsibility, and I will--"

"I don't think so," I say sharply, my hand clenching. The energy gathering at their fingertips cuts off as if it's never been. They're pallid again. "See, you might be able to hop planes all you want, but this is my home. Some fancy potion can't change that. God can't change that, if He even wants to. And now you're in my home, and you're no longer the biggest thing here." I stand up, and they're not visible but I can feel them at my back, long feathered wings with bones like steel and little clawed tips flexing and shivering with barely-contained power. "So you can get the fuck out of my home with your mind games and your holy war. And if you come back--if any of you come back--I will know, and I will make you regret it."

It's so easy. I reach for their pale, panicked face, and they're gone. Not sure where, but it's not like I care about the details right now.

I sigh, look around, and settle my power back beneath my skin with effort. The people around me continue to get their coffee and croissants without any indication that something extraordinary has happened.

That's good. Nephilim don't have the best reputations. I can change that, though. I can make our home a better place, and Heaven and Hell had better watch their step.

"In the first vial there is a pure demonic essence, and in the second there is pure angelic essence-" Without letting them finish, you mix both vials and drink the mixture.

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

"Yeah, I'm just a little nervous about you being behind the wheel, Eddie," Robin said.

"Oh, I'm not going to drive her. I'm just starting this baby up," Eddie grinned. "Harrington's got her, don't ya, big boy?"

Eddie was already so close to him, his lips near his cheek. Steve frowned. God. Was Eddie flirting with him? This didn't seem very fair. Eddie gets accused of murder, gets thrown into all of this, and now Steve has to reject him because he didn't like boys. Although, he appreciated the attention and the way he had slammed him up against the wall. . .It also wasn't hard to notice the way Eddie looked at him when he took his shirt off. Poor guy. Steve turned his head and was about to open his mouth when Robin moved. She tripped, falling onto Steve’s back. In the process, it caused Steve to fall into Eddie, their lips bumping against each other's.

"Oh, shit, I'm so sorry!" Robin gasped.

"I guess I can cross that off my bucket list," Eddie said with a grin and winked at Steve.

Before anyone could say anything else, the owners of the RV tried to get in. Steve did it without thinking. They needed to switch spots and quickly, too. Steve patted him on his backside to get him out and rushed to replace him. He took off. The entire way to the War Zone, all Steve could think about was kissing Eddie. . .his hand brushing up against his backside just then. . .the hand pressed against the small of his back when they were walking in the Upside Down. . .the way he liked it when Eddie leaned in. He still tried to process it all when they got to the War Zone and even after in the clearing when he was making molotov cocktails with Robin.

"Hey. . .Robin, do you think maybe you can push me into Eddie again later?" Steve asked.

"What? Why?" Robin asked in disbelief.

"I need to test a theory," Steve said, his chest growing warm at the sight of Eddie with Dustin.

"What's the theory?" She asked.

"I like a boy," Steve said as he continued to gaze at Eddie.

"Oh my god!" Robin exclaimed as she nearly dropped the molotov. "You like Eddie!"

Robin slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. Steve grinned. He couldn't help it. . .her expression was so comical. He couldn't be mad at her. Judging by the way everyone's head had snapped in their direction, they heard Robin.

"I told you! I knew you would like him!" Dustin shrieked. "Didn't I say that Steve would like him, Lucas?"

"Yeah, man," Lucas said in amusement. "You called it."

Steve smiled and shook his head. Once again, Dustin was missing an important part of what had just happened.

"I just don't know why Robin was so surprised," Dustin said.

"I like you, too, big boy!" Eddie yelled, winking at him again, and Steve blushed.

Robin leaned closer to Steve, smirking as she lowered her voice.

"Theory proven. Steve Harrington likes a boy," Robin said.

"It seems like the worst possible time to realize this," Steve said.

"If not now, then when?" She asked, and then she squealed as she leaned against him. "Neither one of us is straight! This is great! Ooh, I rhymed."

"Settle down, Buckley," Steve said, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

"You should do something about it," Robin whispered.

"I don't know," Steve said, glancing at Nancy. "There's still something there, too."

"We live on a gate to hell, Steve," Robin said. "I think it's okay to like both of them. Anything is possible."

"I think I'm going inside for a bit," Steve said.

"Okay, well, I'm here if you want to talk some more or freak out about it," Robin said.

Steve smiled at her, grateful to her before heading into the RV. He closed the door and sighed. It was all such a great distraction, but it was only momentarily. The pain was very much there. Steve shrugged out of his new jacket and camouflage shirt. He didn't have any time to change his bandages at the War Zone. He had to figure out how to change the bandages, but how could he possibly get the ones on his back and arms? Steve grabbed the first aid kid and started peeling Nancy's piece of torn shirt off of his stomach. Steve cried out in pain and wept harder at the wounds in his stomach. His flesh had been torn away and devoured. . .He could feel the road rash on his back and arms. It felt as though he had been kissed by fire. He tried to keep it all together, tried not to let anyone know how much pain he was in. . .the mission was too important. Steve collapsed on the floor and fell onto his knees. He tried to focus on what he was feeling emotionally. . .Eddie or Nancy? The door to the RV opened, and he jerked at the sound of their voices. . .Jesus, did they hear what he was thinking?

"Steve!" Eddie and Nancy yelled.

The door closed behind them as they rushed to his side.

"I was just trying to change my bandages," Steve groaned.

They quickly helped sit him up, and Nancy immediately started unraveling the bandages.

"Shit, these need to be cleaned," Eddie cursed.

"Oh, Steve, why didn't you tell us you were in this much pain?" Nancy asked.

"I didn't want to be a distraction," Steve said.

"You had no problem being a distraction when you ripped off your sweater, flashing Nancy and I your tits," Eddie grinned, and Nancy giggled.

"You know what I mean, asshole," Steve laughed. "I just - ,"

"You're not a burden. We know about this. You're important, and not just to the mission," Nancy said softly. "To all of us."

Steve smiled at her. Nancy and Eddie went to work cleaning his wounds.

"I'm just wondering how you expected to get the ones on your back? You would have had to twist yourself like a pretzel," Eddie said. "Mm, pretzels."

"Hey, I've got moves," Steve protested.

"He's a ninja," Nancy teased.

"Sounds like an inside joke," Eddie said.

"The first time he snuck into my room, he landed awkwardly, got up, and proudly declared himself a ninja," Nancy said.

"Sounds adorable," Eddie grinned, flashing his dimples as he looked softly at Steve.

"It really was," Nancy said fondly.

"So, letting me in on this, and letting me feel you up - ," Eddie said.

"You're bandaging my wounds," Steve said.

"Do I or do I not have my hands all over you?" Eddie asked.

"Well, then I guess that means Nancy's feeling me up," Steve said.

"I'm not going to lie, Steve," Nancy said seriously, and Eddie laughed.

"I guess that means we're friends now," Eddie said.

"No," Steve said quickly, and Eddie frowned. "I mean, yes. . .I like you, Eddie."

"I like you, too. What's the problem?" He asked.

"No, I like you," Steve said.

"Okay. . .you said like differently that time. What are you trying to imply here?" Eddie asked.

"I like-like you, Eddie," he said.

"Okay, so you really like me," he said. "So, why can't we be friends?"

"I'm romantically and sexually attracted to you," Steve replied with a loud sigh.

"What! But Nancy - ," Eddie said with wide eyes. "I thought - ,"

"Oh, no, I'm still very much in love with her," Steve said. "So, yeah, all very confusing. . .although, I guess not, really. I definitely have a type. . .nerds with big hair and big eyes that make you fall for them."

Nancy laughed.

"Now that I'm thinking about it, I definitely think you were crushing on Tom Cruise just as much as I was," Nancy said.

"Shit, I think you're right. I've never been straight," Steve said, laughing.

"What? Did you think I turned you queer?" Eddie asked.

"Like magic," Steve said with a goofy grin.

Eddie and Nancy laughed as they finished wrapping up Steve. They helped him up off the floor before helping him back into his shirt and jacket.

"You're good to go, bug boy," Eddie said, his hand caressing Steve’s collar. "I mean, big boy - fuck, I meant, well, you know what I meant."

"I just want you to know that you don't have to do anything about this or feel like you have to. . .I just thought I should be honest. I was just completely honest with myself, and I wanted to do the same with you guys," Steve said. "You both have inspired me to be myself and realize what's important. Eddie, more recently, and Nancy, well, back then, she gave me the bump on the head that I needed to see what it truly means to be a friend. I mean, I know that I'm slow, but I learn. . .according to my mother, I used to crawl backwards, I went so far backward that I ended up falling down the stairs. Eventually, I do move forward. So, I'll be okay."

Eddie smiled sweetly at him, playing with the collar of Steve’s jacket. Nancy placed a hand on Steve’s arm, also smiling at him.

"So, in that dream of yours. . .," Nancy said.

"With his six little chicken nuggets," Eddie said in amusement.

"Were you serious about that?" Nancy asked.

"I meant every word," Steve said to Nancy. "Left out an important part, though. . .the most important part. . .you were there. . .you've always been there."

Eddie wrapped an arm around Steve’s shoulder, leaning in close to him.

"I know that we've just started getting to know each other. . .," Eddie trailed off.

"There's room in the RV. . .hm, I could use some convincing, though," Steve smirked.

Eddie leaned forward and kissed him. Steve smiled against his lips as he returned the kiss, placing his hand against the small of Eddie's back. Eddie ran his tongue over the bottom of Steve’s lip, and Steve opened his mouth with a gasp, letting Eddie slip his tongue inside. Suddenly, Eddie pulled back.

"That's what you meant by convincing you. . .right?" Eddie asked and Steve laughed.

"Yeah, Eddie, that's what I meant," Steve said.

"I think I'm definitely going to need some convincing," Nancy said, her cheeks red.

"You are?" Eddie asked.

"Well, Steve wanted me in the RV first," Nancy smirked.

"Trying to make this into a competition, Wheeler?" Eddie asked.

"What if I am, Munson?" Nancy asked as she stared directly into his eyes.

Eddie grinned and pulled her flush against him. They each kept a hand on Steve while they held onto each other. Eddie pressed his lips to Nancy's, smirking into the kiss. Steve felt the warmth inside his stomach grow stronger at the sight of them. He should have been jealous, but there was no jealousy here, only longing for the both of them. Their hands clutched each of his shoulders tightly as Nancy deepened the kiss. Nancy and Eddie's hands slid into the hair at the nape of Steve’s neck. Steve moaned softly as he felt them gently tug at it. Eddie pulled away with a gasp.

"Is that enough to convince you, or do you need more?" Eddie asked.

"I think we've both been convinced," Nancy laughed as she looked at Steve's face. "Haven't we?"

"Yeah, definitely," Steve said.

Nancy touched Steve’s face gently and kissed him. It was sweet and soft until Nancy pressed her lips further against his, eager to taste him again. God, how he missed her lips and the way she gently touched his face. He wanted to keep kissing her, but his head was starting to spin. He broke the kiss.

"What's wrong?" Nancy asked.

"I feel a little dizzy," Steve said. "I think I need to sit down."

Nancy and Eddie guided him to the couch. Steve couldn't remember the last time he had eaten, so Eddie quickly found a can of Spaghetti-os and a bottle of water. It wasn't the best, but it made Steve feel better. Yeah, it wasn't a good idea to forget to eat after losing all that blood, Steve thought as he scooped food into his mouth.

"You feeling better?" Nancy asked after he finished and set the empty can aside.

"Definitely," Steve said.

"I should have gotten you some food. . .I didn't think about the blood loss," Nancy frowned.

"Hey, I didn't think about it either," Steve said. "Don't beat yourself up."

"Honestly, I thought you were getting dizzy because of us, and I felt cocky for a moment," Eddie smirked.

"Hm, well, maybe a little," Steve grinned.

Nancy ran her fingers through Steve’s hair, looking at him fondly.

"I almost lost you," Nancy said.

"Eddie said that you didn't hesitate at all to jump in after me," Steve said. "Said it was. . .an unambiguous sign of true love."

"Well, he was right about that," Nancy said with a smile as she continued to stroke his hair. "I couldn't lose you. I spent a lot of time letting other people get in my head. . .as much as I try to tell myself that I don't care what others think, I do. I spent a lot of time letting those voices convince me that I was going to end up in a nuclear loveless family. I was so afraid of that happening. . .that I let it happen. Our relationship was wonderful, and I loved every minute of it. . .the one thing that got in my way was myself and the fact that those assholes got away with killing Barb. When you got yanked underneath the water, when the bats came after, I just couldn't you go. . .I realized that it was always you, Steve. So, yeah, I love you."

"I love you, too," Steve said.

Nancy leaned forward and kissed him, tucking a hair behind his ear. She broke the kiss and leaned her forehead against Steve’s.

"I am not quite there yet," Eddie said, grinning. "But I feel a great deal of affection for the both of you."

"There's no pressure, Eddie," Steve laughed.

"You know, I kind of like that you both are further along in this relationship than I am. It's almost like you two are the dungeon masters and I'm the player. . .," Eddie frowned. "I think I just turned myself on."

"I wouldn't even know how to be a dungeon master," Steve said.

"I'll show you," Nancy grinned. "It's not that different from leading a basketball team."

"You take that back, Wheeler," Eddie gasped.

"No!" Nancy laughed.

Eddie leaned back and crossed his arms, fake pouting. Steve and Nancy stared at him, watching the sun begin to sink down. . .a reminder for all of them that their mission to take down Vecna would soon begin. Eddie's face turned serious.

"You might be onto something. . .I kind of wish that I had gone to the game. Wish I had been more accommodating to Lucas, let him know that he wasn't turning to the dark side. . .it was a shitty thing to do. I think I was so afraid of forced conformity that I ended up feeling like Lucas had to choose one or the other when he didn't have to. As the leader of Hellfire, I was responsible for giving those kids a safe place for them to share their interests even if they didn't align with mine," Eddie said.

"Yeah, I think we were both afraid of forced conformity," Nancy said as she twirled a lock of Steve’s hair between her fingers.

"Hey, man, Lucas knows you didn't intend to be an asshole about it," Steve said. "He knows how protective you are of the game. As much as I tried to talk about it with him, Lucas just wanted the bullying to stop, and he still wanted to hang on to the game. You just don't know how much harder it is for him."

"Yeah," Eddie winced. "Jeff pointed that out as a possibility when I was complaining about it."

"He sees what kind of person Jason is now, though," Steve said. "And he also knows that he was wrong, too. . .which I think is something that you two really need to talk about."

"Yeah," Eddie agreed.

Steve could feel Nancy's eyes on both of them.

"Boys," she sighed happily.

"Aren't you glad Robin pushed me into Eddie's lips?" Steve asked.

"What?" She laughed.

"You didn't see that earlier? Eddie was getting the RV started up, and Robin tripped, causing my lips to meet with Eddie's," Steve said.

"Is that what made you realize you liked me?" Eddie asked, laughing.

"Yeah, I totally wanted to kiss you again," Steve said. "What made you realize that you liked me?"

"When you ripped off your shirt like a fucking stripper," Eddie said rolling his eyes. "You know you look good, asshole. It was the wrong fucking time to have a sexuality crisis and you gave it to me. Between you and Nancy. . .watching her swing that oar around like a sword. . .yeah, I definitely still liked women. So, thank you, you guys gave me a lot to panic about."

"You're welcome," Nancy and Steve said in amusement.

"The moment I realized I liked both of you, actually isn't that much different," Nancy said in amusement. "I both caught you with romance novels. . .of course, it was a long time ago with Steve and earlier this year with Eddie."

"Really?!" They asked, and they looked at each other. "You?!"

"I don't know why you're so surprised," Steve scoffed, raising an eyebrow at Eddie. "You heard about my dream. . .of course, I'm a romantic. I don't know why I'm surprised about you. . .cynical, my ass, of course you're a romantic. . .unambiguous sign of true love."

"I am never going to live that down," Eddie groaned and threw up his hands. "Okay! Jesus H Christ, I love love!"

"I think it's sweet," Nancy smiled. "Now, more than ever, we need to believe in love. Whether it's familial, romantic, or strictly platonic."

"Like me and Robin," Steve said with a goofy grin. "Platonic with a - "

" - capital p!" Nancy and Eddie exclaimed.

"Yes, we know," Nancy said. "It's strictly platonic with me and Robin, too. I definitely love her."

"Oh me, too!" Eddie exclaimed.

"Yeah, she's great," Steve grinned and then frowned. "But there's no one like me and Robin. . .I found her first."

"Of course," Nancy giggled.

Steve leaned back against the couch, smiling at the both of them. Eddie and Nancy were talking over him now, their hands over his knees. They were discussing the things to come, Vecna, and what had already happened. Steve listened to them both as Eddie talked about his guilt over Chrissy's death, his feelings, while Nancy did the same about her own guilt over Barb's death and how she had felt about Barb. Steve placed a hand over Nancy's and Eddie's back. They leaned into his touch, letting him know that they appreciated his silent reassurance. Whatever happened, they were going to get through it together.

[tomhockstetter7-111]

Highest Form of Empathy - Chapter 7

2k+ Words

Logan x empath!reader

It's a blessing and a curse, feeling other's pain. More so when you can take it away, albeit at the expense of your own peace. One-night stands were a usual for you. That's all this was supposed to be. But, seeing someone in so much pain, you couldn't leave him like that. You just couldn't. Besides, it's not like you'd ever see him again.....

Chapter CW: Drinking, Mentions of Drug/Alcohol Abuse

Masterlist

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Mid-January, 2006

Westchester, New York

~~

"Oh my GOD!"

Enough is enough. You storm out of your room and make way for Logan's down the hall. It's been a week of this nightmare bullshit, and you've only had two actual nights of sleep, not in a row mind you. Not to mention that even when you do sleep, his emotions are strong enough to flood your dreams and, worse, exacerbate any nightmare you might be having yourself. 

Waking hours haven’t been that great either. Just yesterday there was a disaster simulation the group had scheduled in the Danger Room. You, being new, not to mention mildly injured, spent it more or less shadowing Storm. But, your performance went about as well as your fight with Logan the day before. Of course, it didn't help that he was in the room with you during the simulation, always close by and shooting you venomous looks. It pissed you off. He had clearly hurt you badly and didn't seem to give two shits about it. The least he could do was apologize, even shallowly.

But, it doesn’t matter now.

As you make your way down the hall, you're not quite sure what your plan is. But, you figure you'll decide once you get there. Work begins again tomorrow, and whatever happens tonight can't possibly be worse than not sleeping at all. And, by God, you're getting sleep tonight no matter the cost.

When you hear Scott calling your name from behind you, you don't stop until you reach Logan's door. 

"Stop!” He whisper yells. “You're gonna get hurt.” Damn him. He must've heard you get up. Or, maybe he was never asleep to begin with.

"Look!" you said pointing a finger in his face. "You all may be content to let him scream out his woes every goddamn night. But, I have arguably the hardest power to deal with here, and I can't do my fucking job if I don't sleep well. I can feel every little thing he does from down the hall behind my fucking door!" You point to your room. "So, I suggest you march your ass back to bed and let me handle this the way I know how."

Scott just stands there taken aback, and you wager a guess that you're the first person to be this forward with him in a while. "Just be careful, alright?" He warns with a level of worry you didn't expect from him. Perhaps he was there when that other person got hurt.

You sigh, exhausted. "If I get hurt, it's my fault. Just...let me deal with this." 

Begrudgingly, Scott stands back. But, you can tell he isn't walking away, though.

You roll your eyes. You turn around and slowly open the door before taking in the scene before you. Clothes and empty glass bottles, mostly whiskey, lie everywhere, and it smells heavily of alcohol, sweat, and cigars. An unconscious Logan lies in bed, occasionally thrashing his head about. You can't help but notice there's a pill bottle on his nightstand and you press your mouth into a thin line at the sight. 

You only make it a few steps inside before freezing. The shift in atmosphere is heavy, palpable. Logan's emotions, the terror and anxiety, are a tsunami of dense air. Suddenly, it's no wonder he's such a hard head, and you feel your frustration towards him dissipate, replaced with a faint worry.

You shut the door as quiet as you can, an easy feat given Logan's loud groaning, before creeping towards him, painfully aware of every little creak the floor makes under you. You freeze completely when a bottle you kick rolls under the bed. The echo of the glass rings in your ears, but, when your eyes flicker back to Logan, he remains undisturbed. The closer you get the worse the pain is, and you grit your teeth upon realizing your chest flaring up. You quietly gasp for air and bring your hands to your chest in an attempt to calm yourself. It's not yours. The dread, the devastation, it's not yours. You’re safe.

You’re inches away from his bed when an arm thrashes out to the side, causing you to stumble back before catching yourself on the bedside table. The orange bottle staggers, and you scramble to catch it before it hits the ground. You can barely read the label in the dim moonlight, but your eyes adjust just enough to see "Nembutal" typed in large letters. Holy shit...

Logan lets out another grumble. He seems to be saying a name. Layla? Ella? You hear him loud and clear when he cries out, "Wait. Victor, no!"

Hardening your resolve, you return the bottle to its spot on the table and take a deep breath as you crouch down by his head. Gently, you place a hand on his upper arm. He groans a little but barely stirs. You steady yourself in preparation for what's to come, vaguely remembering how utterly incapacitated you were last time. But, you still slept fine that night. You still worked fine. You'll be fine this time, too. You have to be.

Focusing your energy, you make sure to conjure up visions of your father, some of the only pleasant images in life that you have left. They flood your memory. You see his face brighten after you shoot your first deer, feel his arms around you after breaking your leg from a tree fall, him laughing at your mother when she took a wrong turn to Vancouver...the week before the crash. You smile at the memories, still so vivid in your mind. The one from the boat with the orcas stands out the most, warming your chest as a faint smile manifests on your face.

You let out one more deep breath as you begin. Logan's yells slowly turn into groans. Groans turn to heavy breathing. Heavy breathing turns to silence, and a sense of quiet finally falls over him. It’s empty.

You collapse, falling back on your knees and hands dropping to your sides. You feel lightheaded, almost like little bees prick your brain, and your throat begins to close.

Meanwhile, Logan's face stares back at you. Beads of sweat still linger on his forehead, but a sense of ease rests over his features, now, a stark contrast from before. Nothing emits off him now. He must not be dreaming.

Lacking the strength to stand, you opt to push your back up against Logan's nightstand and bring your legs to your chest. You cover your ears with your hands and shove your face into your knees as the tears fall.

It feels like hours before Scott creaks the door open. You can faintly make out a voice whispering over your quiet heaving as you try to steady yourself, but it's hard to ignore the unplaced dread hanging over you like a lead weight on your body. A hand on your arm makes you flinch as you look up to find Scott’s face, your reflection dark in the red glow of his sunglasses.

He motions towards the door with his head, and you nod weakly. He grabs your arms and pulls you to your feet with little effort. You can't help but cling to his shirt, desperate for some sense of security, even if it is from Lord of Dicks himself. He helps you out of Logan's room and into the hall, making sure to close the door behind him.

The trek back to your room is long. The hallway stretches forever, and you struggle not to drag your feet as you go. You try to breathe slowly, to stop the tears from coming again, but your body does everything to disobey you.

Scott opens your door and guides you to your bed, releasing his arm from your waist. Quietly, you sit down on the edge and stare at the floor.

"You think you'll be ok?" He kneels by you and seems to be checking your face. It's still wet, of course. You're sure the thousand-yard stare isn't lost on him either.

"How does he get up in the morning?"

Your question gives him a moment of pause. You don't look up to meet his face. Finally he lets out a tired sigh. "Logan's seen a lot."

You scoffed. "I've been in therapy work for almost five years, Scott. I've never seen anything like that. What could a thirty-something year old man have experienced to cause...." Cause what, exactly? Shit, where do you start? Do you start with the horrendous amount of fear? Or, the way he acts as if everyone’s out to get him? Or, maybe the fact that the world seems to be ending and everything is meaningless every time you looked into his mind?

Scott sits, looking around your room before responding again. "He's been alive a long time." 

You don't like the answer.

Upon realizing he won't be getting a reply from you, he stands. "Get some rest, ok?"

“Yeah.”

Scott slowly backs away before walking out of your room, leaving the door open a crack. You don't bother trying to close it, opting instead to fall back into bed with a thud.

You stare at the ceiling, waiting for the emotions to cease. They never do. You should've known better. Your brain usually returns to baseline within a few hours, a day at most. But, it didn't last time when you absorbed what was maybe half this much. What possessed you to think you could sleep after all this? Still, you find it strange. Whatever he's going through, it's heavier than anything you've encountered before. 

You pray to whoever is listening that the cool down will start soon. Until then, you stare at the ceiling and just lay there, eyes closed, in your newfound, untethered sorrow.

You don't notice the sun climbing into the sky. You don't notice until your alarm goes off at 7:00.

~~

The set of footsteps stomping snaps you from your daze. You turn your head to see Logan walking through the kitchen threshold. Sighing, you turn your attention back to the cereal in front of you. The sound of the fridge door opening is a distant echo in your brain. You're on the verge of zoning out again when you see an unlabeled bottle and a bottle opener being pushed towards your periphery.

You knit your brows in confusion. "Bit early to be drinking, isn't it?"

"You want it or not?" His voice portrays irritation, but you can tell he's not that annoyed.

Giving him a once over before looking to the bottle again, you puff a sigh through your nose before taking it. If this was his way of extending an olive branch, even a small one, you might as well try, too. You sit in silence and watch him grab another bottle from the fridge door, puncturing the cap with one of his claws, the sight of which makes you flinch. 

Your blink away the sight when your eyes are drawn to the layers of masking tape on the shelf reading DONT TOUCH in crudely drawn black letters; something that hadn’t escaped your notice in the past week. How Charles let him keep beer in the fridge despite the fact the students used it, too, is beyond you. Maybe they knew better than to touch it? Hell, Logan probably counted them every day.

"I've been wondering who's these were," you say as you spin the bottle in your hand, casually inspecting the engravings of the glass.

"Guilty," he shrugs before taking a sip.

"And, you gave me one?"

"Takes the edge off."

Your face goes red as he echoes back your words from that night. Pressing your mouth into a thin line, you busy yourself with popping off the cap. It's just one drink. Maybe it's not a coffee morning, anyway. You can't help but revel in the short, satisfying hiss the bottle makes as it opens.

"Have you considered just relying on medication? Instead of mixing it with drinks, I mean. Could be dangerous." The words pop out of your mouth before you fully process them. In your groggy state, you clearly didn't consider that he had no idea you had been in his room, and, therefore, seen the bottle on the nightstand. Not until he stops mid-sip, and your body stiffens at the slip up.

"What makes you think I'm on meds?"

"Charles and I talk." You say too quickly, and you thank God he can't read your mind. "It's not an attempt to pry. He's just worried about you."

He smirks at your frantic body language. "He doesn't need to be." He goes to sit in the barstool across from yours. 

Another painful, awkward silence passes, and the clink of the bottle as you set it on the counter is uncomfortably loud.

"Were you..." He starts.

You look up at him through your lashes, avoiding his eyes.

"Were you ok after Friday?" The question catches you by surprise. "Meant to ask before but..." He trails off. There's a hint of embarrassment in his head and your gaze flickers to his face. You see he's avoiding your eyes, too.

"Yeah," you reassure him. "I healed fast."

He raises an eyebrow at you.

"Maybe not as fast as you, but I'm doing better."

"I see." He nods in understanding. "Maybe I gave you more than you deserved."

You snicker. "What? You don't try to give all your opponents head trauma?" 

"Not usually." He snorts, but the shame becomes all the more potent at your teasing. Serves him right, really. "But...I wasn't going to hurt you. The claws, I mean. Just wanted to scare ya a little."

"Mission fucking accomplished. But, I'm fine. Really," you reassure him again when he begins shifting in his seat. Maybe you could hold off on the critiques, too. 

Something in his gaze softens when you finally look him in the eye. A beam of sunlight peers from behind a cloud outside the window and hits his face. It's then you notice those deep brown eyes you saw in the bar have a light brown, almost green, tint to them. They remind you almost of spring with the mix in shades, and you feel a burst of a magnetic pull towards him when you notice.

"Uh..." you scramble to empty your mind. "Do you style your hair like that on purpose?"

He gives a confused look, raising his eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Like a cat. The spikes on your head. They look like cat ears." You laugh when his mouth drops open in mock horror. You know you probably shouldn't poke at him for that, but they’re too cute not to.

"They do not!"

"Yes they do! I mean, I guess they complement your claws just fine."

"Give me that beer back." He swipes at the bottle before you, but you grab it just in time and hide it under the counter.

"Uh-uh! This was a gift." You give him a cheeky, prideful smile and he rolls his eyes at you.

"Yeah, whatever."

You watch in amusement as he takes another sip of his bottle.

[messedupfan]

Chapter 25

Summary: Persistent as ever, Jean and Anna recruit Jean's mother to help with their cause. Which sparks an important conversation between Wanda and Y/n.

A/n: Helloooo! I know I'm slow with posting lately. Work has been CRAZY. Hopefully I'll get in a better rhythm soon. Especially with the hell that is coming upon us these next four years. We'll need each other to get through! Have a good day and enjoy!

Masterlist | All Stories Taglist  | All Chapters

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You are folding laundry for you and Rachel when your phone goes off in your pocket. You pause for a moment and pull your phone out to see that it's Jean's mom calling you. It's not unusual for her to call but it's not as common as it used to be. 

“Hey Mrs. Grey, how's it going?” You say cheerfully. 

Mrs. Grey makes a disapproving sound. “Y/n I've told you many times since the divorce, you can still call me mom.” 

You laugh at her slight upset over the misuse of her formal name. “How are you doing, Mom?” You ask as you lean your head to the side to hold your phone between your head and shoulder. 

“That's better,” she cheers. You hear some rustling around on her end. “I am doing well. I just came back to town to check on the house. The last tenants just moved out and I came to assess damages before I hire the cleaning crew and repair guy.” 

“Oh, do you need a lot of repairs done? You know that I'm always happy to help,” you offer while you resume folding.

“No, no, dear. I couldn't ask you to do that for us,” she says and now you're more confused. 

“Oh, I just figured that's why you're calling,” you say as you set the newly folded shirt on a stack of others. 

“No dear, I was calling to ask you to lunch. Are you busy this afternoon?” She says happily. You look at your watch and consider your options. You're not certain you want to be spending time alone with your former mother-in-law. But there are worse ways to spend an afternoon.

“I would love to meet with you. Where did you make reservations?” You ask, knowing that she most likely already made reservations. She laughs and mentions that you know her too well. “I will see you at one,” you promise and say your goodbyes. While you finish folding and start getting ready you run through the scenarios of how the lunch is going to go. 

As you arrive at the restaurant, your stomach begins to turn. It's a nice place. The last time you went to a nice place with one of Jean's parents, it was with her father asking you to convince Jean to not go through with the divorce. Since then you haven't been asked to dinner or lunch with either of them. 

Mrs. Grey greets you with a hug as you arrive at the table. She gives you a kiss on each cheek and she squeezes your arms as she looks at you. “You look great, I love what you've done with your hair. It's nice to see it cleaned up and natural like that.” 

You smile at the compliment. She has seen you with many different hairstyles over the years. She has almost never had anything nice to say about your hair until now. Your hair was growing out uneven because of the mullet so you had to cut it short in order for it to grow out properly. “Yeah, well, it wasn't working for me for a bit there. You look wonderful! How are things with you and Mr. Grey? I hear the two of you have been doing a lot of traveling.” 

Mrs. Grey nods and moves to sit, “We've been good. All of our kids are so spread out, it's nice to have a reason to go somewhere. Meet all of our new grandbabies. I just love being a grandma now,” she grins as she lays out the cloth napkin on her lap. You follow as you look around the restaurant, feeling a bit out of place. It was a very nice restaurant. 

“Oh yeah, I had heard that Roger finally had a kid,” you say as you lift up the menu to look at the pricing. 

“Yeah, yeah, he's doing great, very happy to be a father,” she says as she goes through the menu herself. “Don't be shy now, order what you want. It's my treat!” She reminds you in a cherry tone. Something tells you that things might eventually take a turn for the worst and you do not want to leave her with a big bill. You want to be able to leave money to cover your portion of the bill. 

“I appreciate that, Mom,” it feels a little foreign to call her that after all of these years. But if it makes her happy, then that's what you'll do to appease her. 

You proceed to order what you can afford. You ask her about how your former in-laws are. She mentions that they miss having you officially part of the family. That none of them get along with Anna which makes you laugh since none of them actually have to deal with Jean's wife the way that you do. 

You update her on your life, leaving out that you're seeing someone. Especially when she presses for the information. You don't let up because it's not the time to. Besides, you're almost certain if you tell her anything she will tell Jean then she and her wife will be on your case about it. Then Jean will recruit Kate and the information will continue to spread like rapid fire. 

When you're able to drop the subject of your love-life you talk about how proud you are of your daughter. How great she's doing in school. The friends that she has made. How kind she is. How strong she is becoming. 

Elaine watches you go on and on about her first granddaughter. She is impressed by the way you and her daughter have really stepped up and took on your roles as parents for her grandchild. She knows that she was harsh when the news first came out. But it's clear that neither of you hold her poor reactions against her. 

Finally, once you've both finished your meals, you ask her what is really going on. Elaine dabs her lips with her cloth napkin. She sips her wine. She clears her throat and she looks up at you. 

“My daughter wants to expand her family,” she states in a professional tone. She is a very good negotiator. Her entire adult life and career has been about getting her way. But you aren't nervous, not about this. “And I'm asking you to reconsider helping her do that.” 

You nod your head with a growing smirk as you wipe your mouth with your napkin. “She recruited you,” you state with amusement dancing in your eyes. 

“She is my daughter, I would do anything for her. You should know something about that,” she states with her cold stare. 

“Yes, well, my answer is still the same. She can find someone else to grow her family with. It's not going to be me,” you state as firmly as she was speaking to you. 

Elaine sets her checkbook on the table and you know exactly where this is heading. She tried this with you many times before. Had you accepted any of them, Rachel wouldn't have been born, she wouldn't have you in her life, and the divorce would have been an annulment shortly after you had gotten married. 

“Stop, you know that you can't buy me off Mrs. Grey. I won't do it,” you stand firm. You pull out your wallet and leave whatever cash you have on hand but she stops you. 

“What if I can guarantee you have custody?” She says and you scoff. She was not about to start negotiations. “Jean says she won't budge on it but I think I can convince my daughter what a great influence you are as a parent. Certainly better than that so-called wife of hers,” she rolls her eyes. 

You almost want to laugh at the irony of this conversation. “I can't believe you, the woman who tried to pay me to convince her daughter to have an abortion, is now asking me to get her daughter pregnant.”

“Times have changed. She's not getting any younger and she cannot afford to pay for treatment to-” 

“Why don't you pay for it for her then?” You interrupt her. She clamps her mouth shut. Astonished by your abrupt question. You don't typically stand up for yourself in such a way. You are known to walk away to think or remain quiet. But speaking up to her like this, it's unusual. “If I decide to have another child, it will not be with your daughter. I will not have her and everyone else she mentions this to bully me into changing my mind.” You sigh as the upset quickly leaves your body. “Thank you for the meal, I would love for us to stay in touch and meet again under different circumstances. Better circumstances.” 

You walk out of that restaurant and breathe in the fresh air to calm yourself down. You want to call Jean to tell her off but you don't. Instead, you call Wanda and ask if she is available. It had been a couple of weeks since her son's birthday where she admitted that she was having conflicting feelings about you and her. You gave her space the last couple of weeks to see if she would reach out on her own. But you needed her now. 

Luckily, she hears the upset tone in your voice and asks you to come over without question. Next thing you know, you're parking your truck in her garage. You walk into her house and she greets you in the laundry room with a hug. 

She takes your hand and leads you to her room. “My mom is having a book club meeting,” she says softly as the two of you quietly climb the stairs. You look over your shoulder to see her mom surrounded by a group of women her age engrossed in a conversation discussing presumably the book that's in their hands. 

You sit on the edge of Wanda’s bed and look at your hands. You let out a big breath. You have missed being in her presence the last couple of weeks and part of you hates that this is the way that you return to her presence. 

Wanda stands by the door, she has her fingers laced together as she observes you. She has missed having you around. She knows that she is the one who asked for space but she didn't consider that you would actually respect that request. No matter how good this time apart has been for her. It gave her time to reflect and realize that the only red flags you have are the red flags she has. Nothing extreme, nothing she can't handle. She has been meaning to call you and invite you over but she couldn't explain why she needed the space so she waited until she could. She expected the next time she'd see you, you would have that award winning smile of yours. She didn't expect to see you this way. This upset. 

“What happened, Y/n?” She finally asks. You look up at her and blink a couple of times.

“I…” you sigh and lick your lips. “Jean got her mom to ask me to help her have another baby.” You rip the bandaid off not seeing any other way to approach the subject. Wanda gasps as she sits next to you. 

“I thought they moved on from that,” Wanda says as she puts her hand on your back.

You nod, “So did I, but they completely blind sided me. Her mom was willing to pay me off.” 

Wanda shakes her head. “Unbelievable. I cannot believe her. I cannot believe she would do that! After everything that happened the last time she asked you. I cannot believe she would get her mom involved in this to pay you off!” 

You agree, it is insane that they would bring this up again. Let alone bring her mother into this. You cannot believe that it has come to this. You almost want to cave just so that they'd leave you alone about this. You sigh as you reach for Wanda's hand. “Should I give them a baby? I mean, not in the way they wanted but I don't know. Should I just… donate to them. Am I the one that's just being crazy and stubborn?” You ask as you think about the amount of stories you've found online where families have done this sort of thing. That a couple that cannot produce a child on their own approached their ex partner to have another baby together. And they accept with no issues. You're starting to think you were being selfish.

“Y/n, you're not being crazy. You don't want to do that. It's your choice, you have a choice in this and you chose not to do it. That is something they have to respect. The whole thing is completely unfair to you.” Wanda reminds you as she turns your head to face her by pulling your chin. “Yes, had you agreed the first time, it could have been seen as this selfless beautiful thing that you did. But I've watched you tear yourself apart about this. It would have destroyed you to agree to it. You would have regretted it the moment that she announced that she was pregnant. You would have regretted it every week you had to pick up Rachel and pretend that her sibling is not your child too. You would have hated yourself when one day that child found out the truth and felt like you abandoned them. You made the right decision not only for yourself now but for everyone in the future.”

You listen to Wanda as she speaks so strongly about your decision. Defending you against your thoughts of yourself and against the perception of everyone else against you. 

She has a point. This scenario can only be a beautiful one if everyone was in agreement. But you don't want this. That was never in your mind in terms of expanding your family. The thought never occurred to you that they'd one day approach you about helping them with that especially since Anna seemed disinterested in the idea of ever caring for a baby. She would tell people the reason she wanted to adopt was because she could avoid the baby stage. 

Now she wants to ask this huge thing of you because she is insecure of her role in Rachel's life? You could not believe it. 

“You're right,” you say as you hold eye contact with her. You hadn't realized just how much you've missed gazing into those green eyes of hers until now. “I'm sorry to dump this on you. How are you doing? Have you figured out what you needed to?” 

Wanda shakes her head as she scoots closer to you. “This is something serious. I'm glad you came to me with this instead of sitting alone in your apartment or going to Bucky and Steve whose solutions are typically to just let you vent and drink. Which is not helpful because then they just dump you onto me.” You let out a soft huff of a laugh as you nod because it's true. She caresses your cheek with the back of her fingers as she pulls her bottom lip under her teeth with her tongue. Her eyes bounce around, gazing into your eyes, glancing at your lips. “And I have, by the way. Figured out what I needed to, I mean. I've missed you and I think I'm ready to start telling people about us. Not today or tomorrow but… soon.” She says nervously. You break out into a big grin and pull her against you in a celebratory hug. 

“That just made my day, truly,” you say as you continue to hold her close. Wanda starts to push against you by your shoulders to create some space. As you're about to apologize, she keeps you quiet with her lips on yours. It has felt like a lifetime since you've been able to hold her and kiss her. You're not certain when the last time was and you don't care to think about it as you lay on top of her on her bed.

“We have to be quiet,” she whispers as your lips are on her neck and her fingers are working on your jeans. “I don't want us to embarrass my mom in front of her friends.” 

You chuckle at the statement. “You mean you have to be quiet,” you remind her as your hands slip under her shirt. She lets out a soft whisper and you chuckle again. “See?” 

She rolls her eyes and mutters, “Shut up.”

After, you are holding Wanda in your arms as the pair of you settle down. You start to think about the future. Consider when exactly you will be ready to have another baby. It just seems like it's too late. Rachel is in middle school, she is grown up. When the kids are grown you're not supposed to have more, you're supposed to wait to have grandkids. Then you remind yourself that you are still young enough to have kids. In fact, this is how you have them the proper way. Or at least the way that stable adults have families. 

There's also the fact that Wanda might not want to have more kids. She did try to expand her family but it didn't work and instead her family fell apart. You hate that she blames herself for what Vision did to their family. You clench your jaw at the thought and your arm tenses up. Wanda notices and starts to rub your arm softly. 

“What's on your mind?” Wanda asks with eyes closed as she presses her head further into her pillow. 

You hesitate to speak. This isn't the time to ask about the future of your family with her. This is the time to hold her and worship her. To be present with her and not spinning around in your head. You kiss her cheek as you try to calm down and return to the moment with her. She looks so relaxed and comfortable. You don't want to change that. She deserves to be relaxed for a moment. 

“Nothing, it can wait until tomorrow,” you whisper as you loosen your hold on her. 

“Mmm no, we can talk now. If you need,” Wanda fights her sleep as she tries to open her eyes. You shake your head with a smile. 

“Go to sleep, we can talk about it tomorrow,” you repeat yourself as you caress her cheek. Wanda tries to hold onto consciousness a bit longer. It was a little early for bedtime but she was exhausted and perfectly satisfied. Every muscle in her body was asleep after the massage you had given her. As well as the many other things you did to pleasure her.

She doesn't fight you or her body anymore. She falls into a deep sleep and you follow shortly, once you're able to shut off your mind. 

You wake to her alarm and you curse yourself as you remember that you didn't set your phone up to charge. This wasn't meant to happen the way it did. But you only have yourself to blame as you find your dying phone. You quickly set it up to charge while you get ready. You brush your teeth and get dressed in the clothes you wore the day before. Wanda showers and goes through her morning routine. While she does, you head down stairs to make coffee for her and yourself. 

As you're pouring the coffee into the mugs, Wanda is walking down with wet hair and a casual outfit. “No meetings today?” You ask as you slide her mug towards her. She typically dresses up a bit more when she has meetings with her co-workers and/or clients and potential clients. She shakes her head as she lifts her mug to her face and sits on the stool at the counter. You nod and check your watch to gauge how much time you have before going to work. 

“It's Sunday,” Wanda says as she swallows. You look at her like she's crazy until you realize that she is right. It's not Monday quite yet. You start laughing to yourself as you set your coffee down. 

“I'm all messed up from yesterday,” you laugh as you gesture towards your head. “Speaking of which,” you clear your throat and look into your mug. You bite your cheek nervously as you think of the best way to approach the subject. “Have you thought about having more kids?” You ask with your eyes bouncing between Wanda and your mug. 

Wanda sets her mug down and clears her throat. “I think I'm going to need this coffee to kick in before I'm ready to have that conversation.” You nod in agreement and scratch the back of your head with a nervous laugh. She was right, this was not something you talk about first thing in the morning. 

So you ask her how she slept and if she was hungry. Then you make her some breakfast, as you're cooking the aroma wakes her mother so you make enough for all three of you. Then the topic of conversation becomes her mother and the book club. Apparently, the meeting was less about the book and more about gossip as you listen to stories about people you've never met and may never meet in your life. 

Once everyone is done eating, you try to wash the dishes but Ms. Maximoff refuses to allow you to since you made the breakfast. She has Wanda clean them on her own while she traps you in a longer conversation about you and your future. Your girlfriend tries to spare you but her mother is very insistent. You stumble your way through some answers since some of her questions are questions you have yourself. 

She starts to ease up on you and starts to go on and on about her life and gossip from around her neighborhood. The scandals of the elder community. You react as though you care that Marjorie is sleeping with Thom and Chad, which makes you realize there are elders with the name Chad, without either knowing. Or that you sympathize with the 

After a while, Wanda gives you the signal that she is ready to talk. You nod and attempt to end the conversation with her mother. You fail miserably and Wanda has to come to your rescue. 

“Mom, hey, I need to take Y/n from you,” she says as she pulls on you to rise from your seat. 

“Oh but we're having so much fun! I haven't even gone over what David over on the corner house might be up to. Giant garbage bags, every other week. We think it's bodies or-” 

“Mom,” Wanda interrupts. “I’m taking my partner back. Okay?” She pulls you closer to her and Ms. Maximoff laughs. She waves the two of you off and says that she needs to get started on her day anyway. You turn to Wanda with a shrug. 

The two of you walk to her bedroom to privately discuss. Wanda shuts her bedroom door and you walk around her room. Looking at her photos as you usually do. Wanda sits on her bed with her back against the headboard. Her eyes follow your every move as she thinks about your question. She can have more kids. She talked with her gynecologist at her most recent check up just in case this conversation ever did come up. Her doctor said she had never seen such clean results from Wanda. She assured her that she would be fine to have another baby, maybe ever two of she desired.

But did Wanda want to have another baby? Her boys are so close to becoming teenagers. Your daughter is right there as well. Would it be wise for the two of you to have another baby? 

“I don't know how I feel about intentionally trying for a baby at this point in my life.” Wanda starts, grabbing your attention away from the photo of her on her first day of college. “I have two pre-teenage boys who can be a handful at times and are already struggling with the younger siblings they have from their father. I don't know if I want to contribute to their insecurities by having another child,” she expressed her concerns when it comes to her boys.

You nod as you join her on the bed. You sit in front of her just next to her legs. You reach for her hand and she willingly gives you her hand. “Hey, I'm not even certain I want another kid. I was only asking because I keep saying no to Jean. I don't want you to think I'm saying no to you.” 

Wanda looks at you and tilts her head. “If I'm honest, I didn't consider that. I know that the situation with Jean and what's happening between us are completely separate things. So that didn't cross my mind,” she explains that your worries aren't hers in that regard.

“Well, that's reassuring,” you chuckle softly because you feel a little ridiculous about making that assumption. “I'm open to the idea with you. But I'm fine if you don't want to go through another pregnancy.” 

Wanda pulls your hand closer towards her. She looks at the palm of your hand and traces the lines with her finger tip. She thinks about the art you make with this hand. The pleasures you've brought her with this hand. The tears you've wiped from her face. The food you've made. Then she thinks about you holding her pregnant belly when the weight gets to be too much for her. She thinks about you holding her child in this hand. Butterflies flutter in her stomach at the idea. 

“Let's just… if it happens, we'll talk about it then,” she says softly. “We'll go over our options at that time. But let's not make a thing of it. We don't need to start telling people about us and including that we're trying. We can just,” she shrugs as she drops your hand and places her arms around your shoulders as she leans forward. “Well we haven't even discussed marriage yet but knowing your track record, kids are what come first.” She teases and your eyes widen momentarily to show your shock and amusement of the statement. 

“Of course, with most people they just get a sappy speech and a ring. With me, you get real commitment,” you add jokingly which makes the two of you laugh. You lean closer and kiss her lips. “You're right. We need to be talking about marriage and our commitment to each other before we talk about having kids. I only brought it up because of everything that's going on right now.”

Wanda smirks, “I know honey, that's why I entertained the conversation without shutting you down. It's one of the many topics of conversation we should have before going straight to the marriage of it all. You know? What if we got married and weren't on the same page about this?”

You nod as you agree, “It's exactly why I'm glad we're taking things slow. I would love to whisk you away to Vegas and elope. And I probably would have if we'd have met at a different time in our lives. But we both have a lot to consider outside of ourselves.” 

Wanda's thumb moves back and forth on your neck. “You're a very wise and considerate person, Y/n. What did I ever do to deserve you?” Her eyes are locked on yours as she searches for any kind of malice or false intentions. All she finds is kindness. She cannot fathom what her life would be like had you not made yourself part of it. 

“Have an ex with poor taste in liquor,” you remark on the first conversation you ever had with her. She smiles. 

“I was a mess,” she states as she bites her bottom lip and drops her face shyly. 

You nod in agreement. “You were, and I didn't want to seem like some creep going after vulnerable people by talking to you. By the way, my intentions were pure. That night.” You point between the two of you. “I never had this goal in mind until the night we hung out after my camping trip.” 

She looks back up, a little shocked by this news. Especially since you ended up dating someone else after that night. “Really? So why go after Daisy?” She asks as she looks over your features. Taking in every detail of your face. Your jawline, your smooth skin with a chicken pox scar on your forehead. She loves every detail of you. 

You shrug as you try to remember that time. It was only several months ago. Or was it a year ago by now? It feels like a lifetime ago. “Fear, insecurities, and a long list of other reasons that don't make a lot of sense but at the same time they do. I mean, we're still afraid to be together.” 

Wanda nods as she listens to you explain. You're not wrong there. She was pushing you away for weeks because of how afraid she is to be in love with you. “I'm not anymore. Afraid, I mean. I love you and I only want to be with you. I hope forever but you never know.” 

You chuckle at her last comment and kiss her on the lips. “Yeah, you never know.” She smiles before leaning in for another kiss. You rub the spots on her back where you have your hands placed. You continue to pull her closer and closer as the kiss continues. You love her and you can't wait to tell everyone.

Chapter 26

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[funnier-as-a-system]

Hey, um... This ain't exactly.. An easy thing to say but, uh..

.._I SCARED OFF MY HEADMATES._

I JUST REFERRED TO THEM AS "THE VOICES" BECAUSE. WELL. I DIDN'T KNOW SHIT ABOUT THIS STUFF THEN!! AND ALWAYS DISREGARDED THEM WHENEVER THEY SPOKE [THEY ARGUES A WHOLE LOT. LITERALLY COULDN'T DO ANY WORK FROM THE SOUNDS OF 0NI, D AND COMPLEXITY ARGUING ALL THE TIME-]

Ok.. Calm calm.....

So. I never ever listened to them and sometimes also arguing with them tried my best to ignore them.. Yelling "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP" repeatedly usually got them to... Well, _shut up._

But just. We had another argument together. After _STARSCREAM_[don't even ask me how she got in here I don't fucking know] decided to act all mighty and shit another yelling match started that I just.. Couldn't take it anymore.. I had some.. Uhm, "quite the words" to say the least. They silenced for the day after that..

And then the next morning they just.. Weren't there when I woke up. At first I was, well, glad! It was finally quite for once! I could do things that normal people did! But uh.. After the second day it was far too quiet for my liking.. And.. It's been a month now. It's still too quiet.. Starscream[why HIM instead of others I have no idea] came back for 20 minutes a week ago.. I was glad to have at least SOMEONE back but she went away again..

I learned about this whole "system" stuff thanks to a follower saying "oh this is such a funny post as a system!" on a reblog I've done. --Which led me here. I've been... _Learning_ the past few days.. And. Well. Things really do fit me well and.. I'm not sure if I hate that or not...

I.. The reason for this _ask_ is because.. I wanted to know if others had this.. Well, "_experience_" too? Like.. I.. I miss them, alright? It suddenly went from 7 to 1 in here and it's far too quiete!!! I just.. I wanted to know if there was possibly a way to bring them back..?

I understand if this isn't the way to go for this typa stuff but... I.. I really don't know _where else_ there is.

Welp. Thanks for.. Having this account and all I suppose. Were a real help in things and, the posts are quite funny as well..! [Sigh..]

- @blog-bites-eats-u-violently

Hey, there. It sounds like you've been having a rough time lately. You have my sympathies for that. I won't give too much advice on this situation you're in – I don't feel equipped to do that – but you're not alone in this experience, anon. We went through a very similar situation a few years back, actually.

At the time, we'd just recently made our then-host (as in, the headmate who was our host at the time) aware that they had others in their head, that they were part of a system. We had... a rough few months after that, filled with fear and doubt. And at one point, our then-host became overwhelmed, and ended up driving away the headmates who were talking to them.

The silence lasted for about two days before another headmate of ours stepped up to talk to our then-host, helping them work through their issues and reconnect with those they'd run off. From what they can remember of the event, it was mostly a matter of mentally "reaching out" – consciously trying to connect to the ones they'd driven off so they could apologize. None of us are sure how it worked – best we've got is that we've always visualized our communication difficulties as walls that we have to get our internal communication/messages past – but it did, and we're all chill now on that front.

So, yes, others have had this experience before, and your headmates will likely come back to talk to you again. I can't promise anything, but if my-our story is anything to go off of, even situations like this can be recoverable. It just may take a while for all the hurt to be worked out.