#but i have to wait 2 hours between that and any medication but i have to take it right before i eat but i usually take meds with dinner

[arosebyan0thername]

Cw for talk about pooping from a clinical standpoint lol I know some people get grossed out

When I was a kid I heard that old people would drink prune juice to help them poop and I somehow got it in my head that eating more than one single prune at a time may literally cause me to shit my pants so I never ever ate prunes even though I really like them. Anyway this is the second day in a row that I've pooped and that's an unprecedented number for me and my fucked up GI tract so I guess maybe I was right

[munsonfamilyband]

I have no time right now to elaborate too deeply on this thought but I just had a brain worm and I need to write it down before I forget. Who knows, I may elaborate and make this a whole thing with dialogue tonight, we’ll see. TW for depictions of Steve’s injuries post s4, vomiting, gore(?)

Steve refuses medical treatment at the end of s4, they drop off Eddie and he hides in plain site until it’s time to take Dustin and Robin home.

They stop at Dustin’s first, both he and Robin getting out to get Claudia Hugs (I just know she gives INCREDIBLE hugs). He drops Robin off at home with her promising to keep her walkie on their frequency. And then he goes home alone.

He tries to shower, it hurts his feet and back too much. He tries to change the “bandage” but just gently tugging almost makes him black out from pain. So he collapses on his bed and passes out.

Days go by, he’s trying to act normal, like he isn’t always running a fever and his sides are itching and starting to smell under the cologne he practically bathes in. It works for a few days at least, but Claudia gets suspicious by day 3 post earthquake when Steve shows up for lunch with flushed cheeks. 2 days later he doesn’t show up.

She drives over alone, Dustin is at the Wheeler’s, and she lets herself in with the key Steve gave her and Dustin after last summer. She calls his name, doesn’t get an answer but something smells off. She’s a nurse, she recognizes the scent of disease.

She hurries upstairs and finds Steve in bed, only wearing boxers and the filthy scrap of cloth wrapped around his stomach. He’s sweating and has vomited on himself at least twice, recently too. She immediately knows that he is what smells, she can see the pus and blood on his abdomen. He’s delirious, mumbling to himself and part of her wants to shut down and cry, to go cradle this boy, her son in all ways but blood, but she can’t. She steels herself and walks to his bedside to feel his forehead, almost recoiling from how hot his skin is.

As she keeps checking him over, she grabs the phone on his bedside table and calls 911, cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder to keep working. When the operator answers she explains who she is, where she is and what’s happening.

It’s a blur after that until she’s sitting in the hospital waiting room and she realizes that 1. her shirt and her hands reek of Steve’s blood, and 2. she’s completely alone in the waiting room. Swallowing her tears, Claudia goes over to the payphone and fishes out some coins to call the Buckely’s. Robin’s father picks up but quickly hands it over when Claudia mentions Steve.

She will never forget the choked off sound of pure distress Robin makes when she hears what’s happening.

Hours pass, Robin had arrived shortly after the call and her and Claudia have been curled up together in the waiting room every since. They haven’t called anyone else, haven’t even thought about it, too worried about Steve. Later, Claudia will remember the other kids who adore Steve, Hopper who treats Steve like a son. But in that moment, still not knowing if her boy is okay, she can’t.

Finally, a doctor steps out, clearly fresh from surgery, to speak with them. She explains that Steve had a very severe infection in multiple wounds, especially the ones on his side. They had to debride the wounds, which is what took so long. He was lucky that she found him when he did and that he hadn’t picked up any truly terrible bacteria. He hadn’t gone septic, thankfully, but he was going to be on seriously strong antibiotics for a while. She explained that he was in the ICU and they aren’t supposed to let anyone but family see him.

Claudia wanted to scream and sob and go find the Harringtons and get them to come see their son, but before she even says anything Robin explains that Steve’s parents had all but disowned him and her and Claudia were both in his emergency contacts, not his parents.

The doctor lets them see him. They have to wear face masks and gloves, but they can see him. Claudia had never seen him look so small. And there, in that ICU room, her and Robin both broke and started crying. That was how Jim Hopper found them when he arrived shortly after, the nurses having called him. He’s wearing a mask and gloves but his eyes are wild and scared. He nearly falls over when he sees Steve.

Steve is unconscious for almost two weeks, though the first four or five days or so were due to sedatives - the doctor wanted him to rest and let the antibiotics work. After he was taken off the sedatives he was moved out of the ICU, to a regular room where other people could visit. The kids came and decorated his room, even brought something Eddie had “commissioned” from Will (it looked like Steve ripping one of those creepy things from that alien movie apart, which she really didn’t get). Joyce brought him the quilt from her couch that he always enjoyed at movie nights and Robin came in every other day with his shampoo and conditioner to wash his hair for him (on days she didn’t come to wash his hair, she would come do something else with him. One day Claudia walked in on her painting his nails and her heart felt like it was melting).

The day he finally woke up was the first day Robin hadn’t been able to come. Her parents had forced her to take a break and get some sleep, so Claudia was there on her own just reading a book. She was so engrossed in it that she dropped it in shock when she heard the person on the bed in front of her make noise. Her eyes instantly went to Steve and she could see him scrunching up his face and groaning.

Claudia was by his side in a heartbeat, gently grabbing his hand and brushing a hand over his cheek, speaking softly to let him know she was there. His eyes slowly squinted open, clearly struggling to get the energy to move at all. Their eyes locked and his mouth twitched, like he wanted to smile at her. Then, as she was watching him with tears in her eyes, he opened his mouth and spoke for the first time in weeks.

“Mom….”

[littledovesnow]

a growing family pt. 2

a/n: yay for part 2!! read part one here

word count: 1.8k

warnings: pregnancy, pretty canon-level violence and stuff i think. also i'm sorry in advance about this part <3

-----

"Now, Mr. Snow, you and your wife leave tomorrow for your District Tour." Lucky Flickerman spoke into microphone, eyes bouncing between Coriolanus and you.

Coriolanus nodded, not quite sure where this was going. He was briefed on the. main topics that Flickerman would go over during the interview and this was not one of them.

"Is there any worry about the twins? Congratulations, by the way! Twins! How lucky are you!"

You smiled, patting your husband's hand to signal that you would answer this question.

"Thank you, Lucky," you started, sweet smile on your face. "I've been in conversation with my medical team, and we've all come to an agreement that it's quite safe for me to travel with Coriolanus and the rest of his cabinet. I'm not due for another couple of months, anyway."

Coriolanus smiled at you, voicing his answer, as well. "We've also spoken to the OB/GYN, and she will be joining us on the latter half of the tour. We hope she can just enjoy the travel, not needed for any medical emergencies."

Lucky nodded, satisfied with that answer. "Now, Coriolanus, you've mentioned in some changes to the Hunger Games in the coming years. We've had questions coming in from watchers, but first, a few words from our generous sponsors."

The red light went off on top of the cameras, and you let the superficial smile fall from your face, hand going to rub your lower back.

"Your back still hurt, love?" Coriolanus asked, noticing your discomfort.

"I think our kids are going to be soccer professional, Coryo." You grumbled, one of the twins had been kicking mercilessly for a few weeks.

Coriolanus chuckled, removing your hand, using his palm to massage the area. "Well, you can tell them off when they're out here."

Lucky, who had been observing the couple from his spot on the seat across from them, wore a smile. "One thing that my wife asked I do when she was pregnant with Caesar was massage her back every night. Sometimes she still makes me do it."

You smiled at the TV host, humming. "Not a bad idea. Coryo, I think I know what your next job will be."

Coriolanus snorted, hand still massaging your back. "Anything for the mother of my children."

-----

The train car you were currently seated in was more luxurious than you remembered, seats having been upholstered from your last trip out of the Capitol.

You looked away from the mountain ranges decorating the horizon when the door opened, Coriolanus entering.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, coming to sit in the seat across from you, moving your feet from the seat to his lap.

Humming, you leant your head back as he began massaging them. "Better now. What was that meeting for? I thought you had travel days free."

Coriolanus pondered over how to answer, not wanting to tell you he had just had some rebels executed for a potential threat in Six. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with."

Opening an eye to look at him, you could read the man like an open book. "How many were there?"

There was a beat of silence before Coriolanus spoke up.

"Four. Would have been three but some things you can't avoid."

You didn't reply, simply wiggling your foot when Coriolanus' hands stopped massaging the arch of your foot.

He laughed, resuming the action as you two watched the mountain ranges and nature outside of the train.

-----

You yawned, staring at the ceiling of the Crane's hotel in District Three. It was nearing one in the morning, and you had gotten a sum total of about two and a half hours since you and Coriolanus crawled into the bed.

Moving as quietly as you could, you rose from the bed, waiting a beat to see if Coriolanus woke up.

His rather loud snore told you he was still off dreaming, something you were thankful for. He had a lot on his shoulders, and you didn't want to add onto the never-ending pile of worry and stress with the upcoming election.

Moving to the bathroom, you softly closed the door and looked at yourself in the mirror. The twins had been keeping you up at night more frequently, and your OB/GYN said it was just because while they were starting to get a regular sleep pattern, they couldn't tell day from night and often slept during the day.

When you opened the door, you frowned when you saw your husband sitting up in the bed, cheek still indented from the creases in the pillow.

"What are you doing up?" He asked, voice hoarse from sleep.

Rubbing one hand across your ever-growing bump, sleepily blinking at the man across from you. "Your children are wide awake, it seems."

Coriolanus smiled, patting the spot you had previously occupied. "Come here, I'll rub your back."

With the promise of that, you made your way back into the bed, stuffing one of the many pillows on the bed between your knees.

"Oh, well hello, little one."

You looked at where Coriolanus was staring at your bump, tiny foot barely visible. "Oh that's the most disturbing thing I think I've ever seen."

"Don't say that!" Coriolanus chided, though there was a smile on his face. "That's your child in there!"

"Coryo, you shouldn't be able to see their hands from outside!" You laughed, even though your OB/GYN said it was very possible to start to see little hands and feet as there became less and less free space.

Coriolanus pressed a kiss to your hairline, rubbing the place where the foot was. "Hi, babies. Please let your mother sleep, she needs to help me win over the hearts of Panem."

Rolling your eyes, you moved Coriolanus' hand to your back, letting your head fall back against a pillow. "Rub my back."

"Yes dear."

-----

Hand clasped tightly in Coriolanus' you two followed the Peacekeepers to the barracks to meet with the district's mayor and Commanding Peacekeeper.

You two had won the hearts over a majority of each District you've visited, but as you two traveled farther from the Capitol, you knew it would be more difficult and the chance of threats and rebels increased.

The number of Peacekeepers surrounding you two had grown within each stop, Coriolanus wanting to make sure nothing happened to his wife and mother of his children, his heirs.

"Mr. and Mrs. Snow, we're very pleased you two could be here!" The mayor smiled, shaking both of your hands.

You returned the sentiment, eyes locked on the plush-looking chair behind him. "Is it alright if I sit? My feet are killing me."

The mayor, who seemed to have just realized how large your bump had grown, nodded quickly, gesturing to the chair you had pointed to.

Coriolanus stood behind you, one hand smoothing your hair as he and the mayor discussed the afternoon's speeches and tour around the main hub.

"Will you be joining us, Mrs. Snow?"

"No, she's been feeling a little more tired." Coriolanus replied before you could speak up.

The mayor frowned, seemingly disappointed.

"Is there a problem?" You asked, feeling Coriolanus' hand still at the nape of your neck.

"Well, the children here have been so excited to meet you, but I'm sure seeing Mr. Snow will be just as fine."

Coriolanus knew you had a soft spot for children, how they still saw the best in everything. "Love, you barely slept last night. It's safer if you rest."

"Coryo, it won't be too long. And besides, we have a couple travel days I can catch up on sleep."

You ignored your husband's deep frown, instead smiling at the mayor. "We can't possibly let the kids down, can we?"

The mayor clapped happily, rising from his seat. "Well then, shall we go?"

You stood from the chair with some help from your husband, who placed a hand on your lower back, unable to keep his hands off of you.

"You're a spoiled brat, you know that?" He whispered, lips brushing the shell of your ear.

"And you love me for it." You replied, sharp smile on your face.

-----

Coriolanus watched as you followed a few of the schoolchildren around the classroom, letting them explain the backgrounds of their various posters and projects.

"She's going to be a wonderful mother." The mayor spoke, standing next to Coriolanus.

He nodded, watching you kneel down to listen more to a rather small girl, your eyes focused on her entirely. "She already is."

"Mr. Snow, Mayor, we're going to be late if we don't head for the town square now."

Nodding, Coriolanus walked over to your side, kneeling down next to you and the young girl. "Hi, love. Mind introducing me to your friend?"

You looked at your husband, and then at the young girl. "Coryo, meet Clementine. Her friends call her Clemmie."

Coriolanus saw the twinkle in your eye as you looked back at the girl. "It's lovely to meet you, Clemmie. You know, Mrs. Snow and I have a friend named Clemmie."

"Really?" Little Clementine asked, eyes wide.

Nodding, Coriolanus helped you stand up straight. "We do, but don't worry, we can have two Clemmies. Now, I do have to steal Mrs. Snow now, we have to go to town square."

Clementine pouted, but nodded. "It was nice to meet you!"

"You, too, Clemmie! Good luck with your new brother!" You smiled, squeezing Coriolanus' hand as the two of you followed some Peacekeepers out of the school and down to the town square and stage.

You've only seen the stage on television for the Reaping Ceremonies, it looked larger on screen. "She was so sweet, Coryo. She was telling me how her mother looked like me and now she has a little brother."

Coriolanus smiled, thumb rubbing your hand. "That's very sweet. I'm sure you made her ent-"

A loud explosion cut Coriolanus off, Peacekeepers immediately springing into action, separating the two of you to get you both to safety.

There were a few more explosions around the stage, sending debris and dirt in the air.

"Coryo!" You called, trying to wriggle out of the Peacekeepers' grip and find your husband.

You coughed as you inhaled smoke, eyes wide to spot Coriolanus. "Let me go! I need to find Coriolanus!"

"Ma'am, you need to come with us! We have orders to bring both you and Mr. Snow to a safe room, please cooperate."

You had a disdain for the Peacekeeper who spoke to you rather harshly, feeling his hands tighten their grip on your bicep.

Stumbling a few times, you had finally made it to the small bunker, heart hammering when you saw Coriolanus and the mayor already in there, dirt on both of their faces and clothing.

"Love," Coriolanus sighed in relief, though it was short-lived as he ran his eyes over your body. "Love, you're bleeding."

-----

a/n: oh how i love a good cliff-hanger

[danieyells]

@mayoigotokurousagi TIME FOR OUR FAVORITE FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER INSPIRED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. I mean. Maybe there's another you're into. Idk. I like Jiro. He's so. . .blunt. I'm so curious about him, I really really cannot wait until we get the Mortkranken chapter.

also, uh, brief content warning for a mention of assisted suicide? It's under the 'Default' lines, if you feel the need to avoid that.

Hello: (the first time the game is opened after that character is set as home screen NPC. Only happens once per day, unless the character is switched out and back.)

"Oh, there you are. I was about to go give you a health check. This saves time and effort." ああ、そこにいたんですか。今からあなたの健診に行こうと思ってたんです。手間が省けました

You've Got Mail: (whenever there's something in the inbox, usually Arena rewards)

"Are those letters piling up over there? It's interesting that doesn't bother you.  Not that my opinion is relevant." そこに溜まってるのは手紙ですか？よく気になりませんね。 まあ、俺には関係ありませんけど

Default: (requires no affinity, has no time constraints)

"I don't like unproductive discussions. Like this one." 非生産的な議論は嫌いですね。例えば、今のような会話です

"They said they wanted to die, so I prescribed them what they needed. I don't see the point of discussing ethics after the fact." あちらさんが死にたいと言うので、必要な薬を処方したまでです。今更倫理を持ち出されても、困りますよ

Hey. Buddy. Jiro. That's fuckin' dark dude. This is why you don't joke about wanting to kill yourself. Someone will take it seriously. Jiro will just hand you cyanide pills, a bottle of water, and direct you to a hospital bed to die in. Like jesus christ.

"I save lives that can be saved. It's part of my job to decide the order of priority though." 救える命は救いますよ。まあ、そこに優先順位をつけるのがこちらの仕事なので

"part of my job is to decide if your life is worth saving" IS ALSO A VERY DARK THING TO SAY. I love that his default lines are all very dark and callous. It kind of drives home a dichotomy between how he feels about just anybody and how he feels about you. I also like that he's just. . .kind of dark and gloomy and like ASPECTS OF HIM ARE VERY UNPALATABLE. Like I'm sure there are a lot of people who see those lines and think "that's gross why would anyone like him he's the worst" and THAT'S A GOOD KIND OF CHARACTER TO HAVE ESPECIALLY AS A LOVE INTEREST okay moving on

"One of our patients is thrashing around again? That's inconvenient. I'll administer a shot." また患者が暴れてるんですか？ はあ……面倒くさいですね。１本打っておきますよ

jiro stabbing you with a sedative filled needle like 'stop moving. you are annoying.'

"You should—  Hurk... Hm, I let my guard down. I better go back to Mo— Orgh... Hurk...!" あなた、そろそろ…… うっ……まずいな、完全に油断してました。早く帰っえ、うっ……おえっ……

Affinity 1: (between 5am and 11am)

"Good morning. I'm going to take your pulse, so could you sit down?" おはようございます。脈拍測るんで、座ってもらえます��

Affinity 2: (between 11am and 4pm)

"I was in a prolonged coma, so I haven't fully recovered yet. It's been a long time since I ate anything." 俺、長いこと昏睡状態だったんで、まだ本調子じゃないんですよ。飯なんて、しばらく食ってませんし

i wonder when he woke up. it must have been a few months ago at most.

Affinity 3: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"What do you want? I'm conducting an incubation experiment. Please wait till I'm finished." なんですか？　今、培養実験中なので。話なら後にしてください

Affinity 4: (between 8pm and 5am)

"I'm about to receive my medication. It should take approximately one hour. Are you going to wait for me?" ああ、今から投薬の時間なんです。多分１時間くらいかかると思いますけど���待ちますか？

Affinity 5: (between 8pm and 5am)

"I attend classes every day since Yuri does, but sometimes they mark me as absent. I'm supposed to reply when they say my name? I didn't know that." 佑理に付き合って毎日授業に出てるんですけど、時々欠席扱いになってて。 返事が必要？　知らなかったな

"yeah you're supposed to let them know you're there." "i am one of the largest people in the room at any given time. that seems unnecessary." also it's cute that he only goes to class because Yuri does, but also he doesn't learn anything from it since he studied it all independently lol

Affinity 6: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"The blood? I believe one of the wounds on my stomach tore. I'll have to get Yuri to suture it." ああ、この血ですか？　さっきから腹の傷が開いてるみたいなんです。佑理に縫ってもらわないとな

Affinity 7: (between 11am and 4pm)

"What's the purpose of educational facilities like this? You can learn everything you need through self-study." こういった教育施設って、なんのためにあるんでしょうね？　勉強なら自分ですればいいだけですし

Affinity 8: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"Who is that noisy blond person? He runs away whenever he sees me. That's rude, isn't it?" 時々見かける、うるさい黄色の人は何者なんです？　 俺の顔を見るといつも逃げるんです。失礼ですよね？

i love the 'isn't it?' like he doesn't know normal social convention but he's pretty sure you're not supposed to run from people like that.

Affinity 9: (between 8pm and 5am)

"You don't have to mind me. Go ahead and eat. Even in childhood I never really had an attachment to food, clothing, or shelter." 俺のことは気にせず、飯食ってください。元々、ガキの頃から衣食住にあまり執着がないので

hey jiro that's uh that's kinda fucking depressing you good?

Affinity 10: (between 10pm and midnight)

"Yuri's holed up in the lab, so I'm going out. If he comes looking for me, tell him I went to bed." 佑理が研究室に籠ってるので、今のうちに出かけてきます。もし俺を探してたら、寝たと言ってください

Wouldn't Yuri just check your bed and not find you there though??? Also when will you sleep???? like i know he doesn't realize a week of allnighters isn't normal but jfc

Affinity 11: (between 5am and 11am)

"Your face looks terrible. Come over here and inhale this. They're mild smelling salts. They'll wake you up." あなた、ひどい顔ですね。ちょっとこっち来て、これ嗅いでください。 軽い気付け薬です。目が覚めますよ

Affinity 12: (between 11am and 4pm)

"Hello. I'm here to pick up Yuri.  Hm, that's strange. I thought he would be here." こんにちは。佑理を迎えに来ました。 ……あれ？ここにいると思ったんですけど

. . .i wonder why he thought yuri would be with you? how often does he lose track of where yuri is? and why pick him up wouldn't yuri be able to get home himself? unless he figures yuri fell asleep somewhere lmao

Affinity 13: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"I can just manage to ingest water, so I brew herbal tea as an indulgence. Would you like some too?" 辛うじて水分なら取れるので、嗜好品としてハーブティーを淹れるんですよ。あなたも飲みます？

Affinity 14: (between 5am and 11am)

"Yuri wouldn't get up, so I was about to give up on getting my morning medication. He got up after the ninth time he used the snooze button though." 佑理がなかなか起きないので、朝は投薬を諦めようかと思いましたよ。９回目のスヌーズで起きましたけど

Yuri and Jiro, like Rui and Haru, need healthy sleep schedules please.

Affinity 15: (between 5am and 11am)

"What's this? A rice ball? I suppose I might be able to eat some of it." なんですか？　これ。 おにぎり？　まあ、少しくらいなら食べれるかもしれませんが……

can't you only eat fluids. . .are you gonna throw that up later. . . .

Affinity 16: (between 11am and 4pm)

"You already had tea at Frostheim? The tea I make tastes better though, so please drink it anyway." フロストハイムで紅茶を飲んできたんですか？　 まあ、俺の方が美味く淹れられますから、飲んでください

lmao the mortkranken boys really do not appear to have a great opinion of frostheimers!!! "you had tea at--pfffff nah their tea sucks ass drink mine instead."

Affinity 17: (between 10pm and midnight)

"I enjoy being alone. The noise doesn't really bother me when I'm reading though. Can I go now?" ひとりの時間は好きですよ。まあ、本を読んでいる時は、周囲の喧噪も気になりません。もういいですか？

Affinity 18: (between 8pm and 5am)

"What am I doing? I'm making confections. I'm used to making precise measurements when preparing medications, and it's quite similar to that." 今ですか？　製菓をしてるんです。 計量は薬の調合で慣れてるので、まあ、似たようなものです

jiro makes cupcakes and candies and stuff. . .he can't even enjoy them though. . . . .

Affinity 19: (between 10pm and midnight)

"See you tomorrow. ...What? You're the one who told me I should say that while smiling." また明日。 ……なんですか？こう言って笑えばいいと、あなたが言ってたんじゃないですか

i love lines where it's like 'you told me to do this so now i'm doing it.' especially when the pc is shocked when they actually do it lolol

Affinity 20: (between 5am and 11am)

"We're doing a complete check up today, so please change into these. ... Do you need me to help you undress?" 今日は精密検査なので、この検査着に着替えてください。 ………… 脱げないなら、脱がしましょうか？

strip faster bitch

Affinity 21: (between 11am and 4pm)

"You want to know why I started studying anomalous infectious diseases? I don't know. I just became knowledgeable about them at some point and kept going." なぜ怪異伝染病の研究を始めたか？さあ、気がついたら詳しくなってたので。何となく続けてるだけです

Affinity 22: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"My wounds often tear so I've told Yuri deep dermal suturing would be more effective than simple interrupted, but he won't listen to me." よく傷口が開くんで、結節縫合ではなく真皮縫合の方がいいと言ってるのに、佑理が聞かないんですよね

I get the feeling Yuri doesn't listen to most people. . . .

Affinity 23: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Yuri's combat skills are poor, so I have to protect him. If he dies, there won't be anyone left who can treat me." 佑理は戦闘が下手なので、俺が守るしかないんです。あの人が死ぬと、俺を治せる人がいなくなるんですよ

"if he dies i die so i'm just kinda protecting him because i have to." kind of an oof lmao

Affinity 24: (between 10pm and midnight)

"It's been a long time since I had a family, so I don't know what you're supposed to do in these situations. Could you teach me?" 俺には長いこと家族がいないので、こういう時、どうすればいいかわからないんです。教えてくれません？

GET FAM-ZONED HAHA aaaaAAAAAA HE SEES YOU AS FAMILY AND HE WANTS TO TREAT YOU THE WAY HE'S SUPPOSED TO TREAT FAMILY. . . . . . ;0; just be yourself jiro we love you as you are, dark and morbid and a little distant but actually quite sweet--

Affinity 25(max): (no time constraints)

"There's a high probability that your curse is related to my field of research. It's a problem for me if you die." あなたの呪いは、俺の研究分野に関係している可能性が高い。 あなたを死なせるわけにはいかないんですよ

the bluntness and distance in this one is so perfect for Jiro haha ESPECIALLY AFTER THE "I WANT TO TREAT YOU LIKE FAMILY" ONE BEFORE IT. . .he went from being kind of sweet to being like "if you die it'll be a problem." and not even in a tsundere way just 'it matters to me if you die for academic purposes.

Spring: (March-May) (between 5am and 11am)

"I'm going to see some flowers on Yuri's orders. Do you want to come? I'll be harvesting mandrakes." 今から佑理の指示で花を見に行くんです。あなたも一緒に行きますか？ マンドラゴラの採取ですが

"Yuri told me to take a break so I'm gonna go work near some flowers i guess."

(between 11am and 4pm)

"Cases of the infectious disease gastroenteritis explode at this time of year. It's boring prescribing the same thing all the time." この時期は感染症の胃腸炎が爆発的に増えるんですよ。次から次へと、同じ処方ばかりで飽きました

attention darkwick students: please catch more interesting illnesses. thank you -jiro

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"Ha ha ha ha! I observed Yuri fighting the urge to fall asleep during class today. Would you like to see the photos?" はははは！ 今日は授業中、ずっと眠気と戦っている佑理を観察してたんですよ。この写真、見ますか？

i really wish it were during the hours this one can play because i wanna record it lolol Jiro smiling and laughing because Yuri's trying not to fall asleep is so precious. Tiny little humanization for our monster boy.

(between 8pm and 5am)

"There are rumors that pollen contains ephedrine, a central nervous system stimulant. They're false, though." 桜の花粉に、興奮を誘発するエフェドリンが含まれるという噂があるそうですね。 まあ、それデマですけど

Summer: (June-August) (between 5am and 11am)

"Good, today's temperature matches the forecast. I'll be starting a new experiment this afternoon, but the temperature regulation is difficult. It should be fun." 今日の気温は……予報通りですね。 午後から新しい実験の着手をするのに、温度管理が大変で。楽しみです

temperature regulation experiments are fun! i'm glad Jiro enjoys what he does.

(between 11am and 4pm)

ああ、また手足口病の患者でした。本来子供に多い感染症なんですが、免疫がない人は可哀想ですね "It was another case of hand-foot-and-mouth disease. It's an infectious disease usually more common in children. People without immunity are unfortunate."

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"A dare? Okay, I'll do it with you. I've always wanted to try screaming in fear." へえ、肝試しですか。 いいですよ、付き合います。恐怖で叫ぶ経験を、一度くらいしてみたいので

"a dare" isn't really a good translation here--肝試し is a "test of courage", an activity usually done on summer evenings where you go someplace scary with your friends to overcome fear together! Or something like that. It's most often done in summer because that's when it's believed there are more like. . .supernatural occurrences? several other characters' summer lines mention more anomalies in Japan in the summer as a result of these beliefs. Either way it's cute that he's like 'oh. that sounds cool. i hope it'll make me experience fear.' I want him to scream in an exaggerated way, just SHRIEKING for the sake of it, not even because he's really that scared just "this feels like the appropriate situation for screaming :)" lmao

(between 8pm and 5am)

"Ha ha ha ha! Oh, sorry. I tried letting the stag beetles I caught for an experiment fight, and it was funnier than I expected." はははは！　ああ、すいません。 採取の時に捕まえたカブトムシ同士を戦わせたら、想像以上に面白くて

i feel like that's something that comes up now and then as like. a thing young japanese boys do. which makes jiro kind of childish in a way which is super charming? it sounds to me like he didn't have much of a childhood. so i'm happy he can explore it now and have fun.

Autumn: (September-November) (between 5am and 11am)

"I don't understand why you would go somewhere without a purpose. Why would you go to a mountain if you didn't need to harvest something?" 行楽ですか？　いえ、単純に何が目的か理解できないんです。採取もせず、山を歩くんですか？

mods, show him the beauty of nature.

(between 11am and 4pm)

"I went to the botanical garden to get some ingredients and I was given these yams. Do you like candied yams?" さっき植物園に原料をもらいに行ったらサツマイモをもらったんです。スイートポテトは好きですか？

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"A lot of people in Mortkranken dislike exercise.The sporting clubs in Darkwick must be made up of people from other houses." うちの寮は、体を動かすことが嫌いな人が多いですね。学内でスポーツをしてるのも、他寮の人ですよね？

i am once again asking why i was put in fuckin frostheim--

(between 8pm and 5am)

"I read books every day, not just in the fall. I like medical journals best. I don't remember what made me start reading them." 秋に限らず、本は毎日読みますよ。特に医学の専門書は好きですね。 いつからなのかは……忘れました

Winter: (December-February) (between 5am and 11am)

"Hurk...! Phew... I'm fine... The change in temperature between indoors and outdoors this time of year causes my physical condition to deteriorate more frequently." うっ……はあ……大丈夫です……この季節は室内外の寒暖差のせいで体調を崩しやすいので……

i remember someone i followed also gags when going from a cold place to a warm one lmao. . . .

(between 11am and 4pm)

"I found an anomalous plant that can only grow in extremely low temperatures and successfully created a medication with it. It was just a coincidence though." 極低温のみ自生する怪異植物を見つけたので、試しに原薬にしてみたら上手くいきました。まあ、偶然です

'i made a medical breakthrough but it was just an accident' is the medical equivalent of 'i'm not a model'. also Yuri has a line referencing this one!

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"Streptococcal infections are on the rise. They're spread through droplet and contact infection. Have you been taking precautions?" 溶連菌の感染が増えてますね。飛沫感染と接触感染が経路になります。 あなた、ちゃんと予防してます？

jiro says WEAR YOUR FUCKIN' MASK.

(between 8pm and 5am)

"There are no merits to lowering your body temperature when you're not experiencing inflammation. I made some herbal tea that warms the body. Do you want some?" 炎症時以外、体を冷やすメリットはないですからね。体を温めるハーブティーを淹れたので、いかがです？

His birthday: (October 13th)

"Whose birthday? Oh, mine? I forgot. Did Yuri leak my medical records?" 誕生日？　誰のです？ ああ、俺のですか、忘れてました。カルテ、佑理が漏らしたんですか？

"did yuri fuckin dox me--"

Your birthday:

"Oh, it's your birthday today, isn't it? What should I do? I suppose I'll go to your room later." ああ、あなた今日、誕生日じゃないですか。何をすればいいんですか？ まあ、後でそちらの部屋に行きます

jiro no you don't have to do that you are moving so fast WHAT HAPPENED TO BEING FAMILY WAIT--

New Years: (January 1st)

"Happy New Year. Why are you looking at me like that? Even I celebrate New Years." 明けましておめでとうございます。 なんですか？　その顔。正月くらい俺だって祝いますけど

Valentine's Day: (February 14th)

"What's this packet? I can't eat solids. You made it? Oh. I can probably eat some of it then." なんですか？　この包み。俺、固形物は食べれませんけど…… なんだ。あなたの手作りなら少しはいけます

bby if you can't eat it don't make yourself sick with it. . . . Actually since the PC feeding him let him eat food, maybe if it's something the PC makes he can eat it???

White Day: (March 14th)

"Here. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, something handmade for something handmade. Eat it here and tell me what you think." どうぞ。目には目を、歯には歯を、手作りには手作りをと思いまして。ここで食べて評価を教えてください

April Fool's Day: (April 1st)

"Yuri's kicking up a fuss and saying I deceived him? I don't remember doing it. It doesn't matter though." 佑理が、俺に騙されたって騒いでるんですか？　そんなことしましたっけ。 まあ、どっちでもいいですけど

i wonder if he actually pulled a prank and he's just hiding it really well. . .or if Yuri is just paranoid lol Yuri's for the record:

"Hmph, did you honestly think you could fool me? I won't fall for your cheap tricks. I've already been fooled by Jiro seven times today!" ふんッ。貴様も僕を騙すつもりで？その手には乗りません。今日はすでに、次郎くんに７回騙されたのでね

Halloween: (October 31st)

"I don't know much about Halloween. I can't eat candy though, so I have to play a trick on you, right?" ハロウィン？　よく知りませんが、俺、お菓子は食べれないので。 あなたに悪戯すればいいんですよね

Christmas: (December 25th)

"This tree? It's a fir tree. Yuri told me to get one, so I cut it down and carried it back here. My special artifact doesn't cut very well." この木ですか？　佑理に言われて、モミの木を切って持ってきました。俺の特質怪具、切れ味が悪いんです

Idle: (about 20 seconds without interacting with the game) (below 13 affinity)

"Are you dead? Oh, you're alive." ……死んでます？　ああ、なんだ。生きてたんですね

jiro poking you with a stick like 'you dead?'

(13 affinity and above)

"Oh, Yuri's calling me. It'll be annoying if I pick up, so I'll just ignore it until you're ready to go again." ……ああ、佑理から連絡です。出ると面倒なので、あなたが動けるようになるまで、無視しておきます

'yuri is the only reason i'm alive but he's gonna yell at me so i'll just wait to pick up the phone' why??? i guess he wants to go back with you if yuri's telling him to come home lol ALSO DON'T YOU THINK IGNORING YOUR PHONE RINGING WILL WORRY YURI. . . .

Absent: (logging in for the first time in 2 or more days?)

"You've skipped too many appointments. It's been a long time since your last check up...  I suppose I'll have to re-examine you." あなた、受診サボりすぎです。前回からかなり間が空いてるな…… まあ、今から再検査すればいいです

time to fill out your whole chart again! examination from top to bottom!

THERE WE GO. sorry that one took so long!! He's actually a bit of a goof but his no-affinity lines make him come off as extra cold and cruel. He just has to get used to you!! But I think it has a very charming contrast. AFTER THIS IS JIN! Tomorrow night maybe? it's almost midnight and i have to wake up early again and my insomnia kicked my ass last night. . . .

[themultifandomgal]

Kelly Severide- One Hell Of A Day

Thank you for the request @maximeseveridecasey I changed it slightly. Also I wrote it then lost half of it! So I’m sorry if the ending seems a little rushed. I’m also no expert at medical situations so if I get something wrong I’m really sorry. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

The day started out as any other. Kelly and I woke up in our shared bed, the smell of the fresh linen hits my nose and I had put on fresh sheets the night before. Kelly and I started our usual routine I made coffee while he showered, then he made breakfast while I showered. Just like any other morning when we’re on shift together.

Early on in the morning we arrived at firehouse 51 together and everything was going well, that is until 2 hours into our shift. I started to feel uncomfortable in my stomach, thinking it could be just my period on its way I took some pain killers which helped. Yes, painkillers helped until they didn’t anymore.

I stand leaning over the sink having an awful pain shoot through my side when the alarm goes off. Groaning I stand up feeling a hand on my back

“You ok Maxime?” my boyfriend asks worriedly

“Yeah just my period coming” I tell him trying not to worry him, but that fails because I can see the worry creeping over his face already

“Sure?”

“Yeah. I’m fine” I dismiss him with a weak smile

“Max let’s go!” Dawson shouts for me hanging her body out of the drivers side of the ambulance

“Coming” I give Kelly a kiss on the cheek before jumping into the passenger side. The drive to the house fire feels like it’s very slow. The whole time I am shifting about trying to relive the discomfort in my right side which causes Gabby to notice

“What’s up with you today? You look like your about to puke, cry and scream all at once”

“Just my period on its way making me feel like crap. Let’s just get this over with so I can crawl into a bed and go to sleep”

“You mean a certain lieutenants bed” I glance over to look at Gabby who’s giving me quick look wiggling her eyebrows. I roll my eyes in response at her making her laugh.

Once arriving to the fire I can see smoke pooling out of the windows. Jumping down I walk round the side of the ambulance as I watch Kelly run into the building with no fear. Pulling the stretcher out the pain in my side gets worse and now I feel like I could throw up any minute

“Max you don’t look good” Gabby tells me with a worried expression. Knowing there’s no point in lying to her I sigh

“Just don’t feel good today. As soon as we get back I’m just going to nap”

“We’ve got a victim here fallen down the stairs. She unconscious and has possible spinal injuries” Gabby and I look at one another before quickly running into the burning building.

Immediately I can see a woman lying on the floor with a nasty looking gash on her forehead. Between the both of us we get her on the stretcher. Suddenly there’s a huge blast that throws me across the room. My ears ring and the pain in my side almost becomes unbearable. I look around and notice smoke and fire all around us. Coughing I wait for my hearing to come back. When it finally does I can hear both mine and Gabby’s alarms going off

“Gabs?” I groan

“I’m here. You ok?”

“My legs trapped”

“Severide, Casey do you copy”

“We’re ok. How are you and Max?” I hear Casey radio to Gabby

“I’m fine. Max has a cut on her head and her legs trapped under a beam”

“We’re on our way stay put”

“Wasn’t planning on it” I try to joke but start coughing. In no time at all Matt and Kelly are here helping Gabby pull the beam off my leg making me scream and cough

“Let’s get your leg checked out” Kelly says picking me up and carrying me out of the building

“Kel, my side hurts. Like really hurts it’s not my period”

“Ok when did it get worse?”

“Just has throughout the day”

“Ok let’s get you in the ambo and to hospital”

At some point I fell asleep, because as I come to and try to open my eyes everything feels way to bright so close my eyes again

“Hey” I hear Kelly’s voice. I try opening my eyes again “do you want a drink?” Only now do I notice that my voice feels scratchy and dry. I slowly nod my head yes and Kelly is quick to grab me a cup of water. He places the cup against my lips that immediately feel less dry, and take a sip. The cool water soothes my throat. After drinking the small cup Kelly places it down “how do you feel”

“Like I’ve been throw about a room” I attempted to joke but can see Kelly doesn’t quite find it funny

“Babe why didn’t you tell me the true extent of the pain you were in. You had appendicitis. They burst when you passed out before we got you in the ambulance”

“It only got really bad when we go to the scene. I was going to relax when we got back”

“Ok” Kelly bends down and kisses my forehead then smooths any loose hair “the others are waiting outside to see you. Want me to let them in?”

“Sure” I give Kelly a smile and watch him get up before leaving the room. I’ve loved that man for a long time now, but as soon as I’m better I’ll be proposing to him. I want to spend the rest of my life with him.

[gardenofnoah]

it was never ending (pt. 1)

wc: 5.3k (pt. 1 only) tags (whole series): bakugou x reader, oc character death (not reader), grief, healing, found family, getting together, slow (medium?) burn, child rearing, descriptions of pregnancy, morning sickness, friends to lovers, confessions, eventual smut

notes: i've had the idea for this in my drafts for the last 82 years. i blacked out and wrote this whole thing in like 12 hours. fingers crossed for the same motivation demon to visit me in my sleep for part 2.

summary: when the father of your child passes away suddenly, you get by with a little help from your friends (and a really intense Bakugou).

There was a part of you that already knew, as soon as the phone rang. At 7pm, there was no reason to assume it wasn't benign, like your mother calling to confirm what you'd already told her you'd bring to brunch the following weekend.

It wasn't, though. You knew it wouldn't be.

The drive is something that happens to someone else. You see it in flashes. Distantly, you think that it's probably not safe, driving in this state with an infant in the backseat. But you don't really have another option—or at least not one that occurs to you.

A nurse—a young woman, who can't be any older than early twenties—meets you in the lobby. She's practiced in her stoicism. There is no forced smile, no apologies—just a quiet invitation to follow her. She leads you with a hand on your elbow, like she's expecting you, too, to collapse, down a series of hallways that you don't bother to notice. You wonder how long she's been doing this, and what the impact of it might be on someone so young.

A doctor is waiting for you in the room. He immediately launches into a lengthy, medical term-laden explanation of the two hours prior to your arrival. You hear none of it, and you're not even looking at him.

Behind him, a thin sheet covers the body of the father of the child in your arms.

-

You turn your phone off.

You have to, really. The barrage of well-intentioned but poorly timed (and often poorly worded) texts and calls and emails renders the thing unusable.

The number of days that've passed between today and the hospital are of little consequence to you. You've survived on autopilot for however many have passed but the bone-deep exhaustion you feel has spread deeper still. Through the wall, Kaede cries, but there's nothing left in you to get your body to move. Kaede, named so at her father's request.

She was an angry thing, born with no small amount of indignancy at the act of bringing her earthside, against her will. She was red and raging for the first several months of her life, and while it exhausted you, Takeshi had taken it in stride.

"My darling girl," you'd hear him through the monitor, cooing to your daughter as she pitched a fit for the umpteenth time that night, "it won't always be so bad."

How would you convince her of the truth in that now?

The sound of knuckles against your front door jars you out of your half-consciousness. It seems it's only a courtesy, though, because you hear it open immediately after. It dawns on you that you haven't thought to check if it was locked since you've been home. Regrettable, especially now. Some distant alarm ringing in your mind tells you that should be concerned that someone has just entered your home, but there's a wall up right now. In an effort to keep you safe, your brain has blocked out everything.

Through the wall, a voice coos to your daughter. You recognize it as Mina's, and you let out a quiet breath. You brain loosens its grasp for an instant and relief floods you. You'll get up and thank her, when you can.

There is a chorus of voices, telling you that there is more than one person in your house right now, but in the absence of a threat, your eyes flutter closed. The door to your bedroom opens, and you blink hard at the light that seeps in over the massive body in your doorway.

The door closes just as quickly, and in the darkness, the body moves around the room to the other side of the bed—the empty one. There is a weight—your body dips with it minutely, and then settles again. You close your eyes, this time to relieve the sting you feel for the first time since getting home. With another breathing body as its witness, the grief hits you so suddenly you can taste it.

"Katsuki," you whimper, feeling him at your back. Familiar arms reach for you, pull you in.

"Y'r alright," he murmurs, pressing the underside of his jaw into your hair. The pressure on all sides squeezes something loose in you. You suck in a gasping breath, and then it leaves you—broken apart and limp. He holds you while you cry—keeps you there, tethered only to him in this storm.

_

Once the hurt comes, it lingers.

You suppose you can be grateful for that. People do crazy things under the burden of pent up emotion, and you can't afford to come unglued. Not like that, anyway. But while grief pulls you apart in different directions, your friends flit around your peripheral. You'd feel guilty if you could—for not being able to do what you should be able to—but few things get past the mountain of mourning that keeps you pinned to your bed.

They seem to have worked out shifts among themselves. Mina in the morning to get Kaede up and fed, Kirishima and Denki in the evening to get her bathed and ready for bed. Izuku comes around most afternoons with rattle toys and books to keep her engaged, talking and playing to keep her brain developing in your absence. Shielding her from this.

Katsuki doesn't leave.

He sleeps on the couch. Or you assume he does—you've not ventured out of your bed for much of anything. He's in and out of your room during the day, always with little meals or water or reminding you to shower, to get up and walk around the room if you can. It's hard and you cry often, but right now he's not his brash, abrasive self. He's gentler than you've ever seen him, a hand at your back to steady you, his voice low and grounding.

Your relationship with Katsuki is complicated, but not in a bad way. You'd met him, along with the rest of the group, in college. The civilian track at UA landed you a cushy office job—one you promptly turned down due to Katsuki's outrage at you working anywhere that wasn't with him. He'd gotten you a job as a resource coordinator at Jeanist's agency—which was something you found you really enjoyed. Your quirk was less than impressive—similar to Shouto's but not nearly as powerful, you could really only bring tea just shy of a boil. It certainly wouldn't be saving anyone's life, but in this role, you could help. Displaced families needed temporary housing, victims of violence needed access to affordable counseling, the injured needed connected to hearing aids and wheelchairs and prosthetics, ongoing care.

It was hard work, but you felt a certain privilege in being the one to do it. It was an honor to walk along side someone in their most vulnerable moments, and you tried to do it with as much grace and compassion as you could. When Katsuki was big enough to start his own agency, you followed him there. He gave you room to grow, and now, you head a team of community crisis response workers.

You haven't thought about work since the hospital. It's fascinating, how quickly something that matters so deeply to you can leave your mind. Katsuki hasn't mentioned it—in fact, he's not said much of anything, aside from his quiet prompting every few hours. You know that he's only doing what seems so inherent to him, and if you had the energy to, you'd tell him to go home—to take a break. The energy isn't there, though—all you can do is follow his directives to keep yourself alive.

Katsuki has always been protective of you. You're not sure when it started. You'd always been drawn to him, and there was seldom a time when you were somewhere that he wasn't. Your mother took to making up the spare bed for him when you'd come home for weekends and holidays, because it was a guarantee that he'd follow you through the screen door like a shadow. In your third year, she started asking, not so in jest, when the wedding would be.

When you met Takeshi, it was a surprise to everyone. But he was kind, and personable, and the newly-pro heroes adopted him into the fold.

Takeshi knew what Katsuki meant to you, and you were grateful for his patience. While his relationship with you was neatly defined, a specific box in your heart with his name on it—Katsuki was not. He was in everything that you were, and it was something that Takeshi chose not to interfere with. You're certain it was difficult, but he took it in stride.

He really was a kind man.

Within a year of being together, you found out you were pregnant. It was a shock—but what news filled you with terror, Takeshi received with utter delight. You were only a year out of college and in no way financially stable, but his joy left an impression on you. With each day, your child grew, and so did your tentative excitement. Takeshi was through the roof—as were your heroes.

Katsuki was the one to figure it out first. You'd been absent from a few of the group's weekly dinners at the bar in town. When you finally showed up, dressed in a big hoodie that covered most of you, you'd politely declined all offers of beer and stuck to stealing fries off of his plate.

"You pregnant?" he'd asked, not bothering to lower his voice. You blinked up at him, caught of guard.

"I—uh. Yeah."

You could've heard a pin drop, with how silent the table had fallen. You lowered your eyes—uncomfortable, unsure how to proceed—and reached for another fry. Mina broke the silence first.

"Oh my god!" she'd shrieked, already in tears. The rest of your friends followed in suit, cheering and reaching for you across the table in some strange attempt at a hug, at comfort.

You'd looked back up to Katsuki, who'd been strangely quiet. His eyes held a question—something undeniably concerned.

"It's okay," you told him, smiling softly. Squeezing his knee under the table, you couldn't miss how tense the muscle felt under your hand. "Honest."

_

A month crawls by, and you find that you can't sleep in your bed anymore.

After a few, agonizing hours of tossing and turning, and pointedly avoiding the other side of the bed, enough is enough. You stumble in the dark to the living room, trying your hardest to be quiet. It's your sniffling that wakes him up.

"Y'alright?" slurred, endearing. It would make you smile if you weren't crying. You shake your head, though his eyes aren't open to see it.

"Move over," you whisper, already pulling the blanket out from under his hip. Katsuki shifts, rolling to his side and lifting an arm for you to slot yourself underneath.

His heart beat, steady and slow, taps against your temple. You close your eyes and imagine the shape of it—the chambers that expand and contract and keep him alive. The wave of gratitude is immense and sudden and brings another sting to your eyes.

He doesn't go back to sleep—you can tell by his breathing.

"I'm sorry," you whisper, watery and broken. The arm around your waist tightens.

"Enough." His voice is gravely with sleep, but that's not all that's there. There's an edge to it, and you know that he's worried. "Try t'sleep."

_

Takeshi had made it a habit to talk with Kaede before she was born.

Each night, he would shuffle down the bed and speak softly to your growing stomach, filling her in on the events of the day.

"We wanted to go on a picnic today, but you made your mother sick." He'd pat your belly, shaking his head with a tsk. "That wasn't very nice, little girl."

Pregnancy was hard. You'd wished to be like those women that glow—that love being pregnant, that feel all connected to their bodies and the earth and the universe and whatever—but it was awful. Your ankles swelled and your back ached and you were sick all of the time.

Takeshi worked a 9-5 job outside the city, so Katsuki would stop by to check on you. It became something like a routine. You'd spend all morning throwing up, and then Katsuki would stop by and spend most of the afternoon here, feeding you anti-nausea medication and small bites of food (you'd really only wanted toast, which would launch Katsuki into a several minute tirade about how you'd kill yourself and the baby if you didn't eat a god damned vegetable. This was also part of your routine).

Katsuki's quirk was surprisingly helpful. It took some convincing ("You're not going to fry the baby Katsuki, Jesus Christ,"), but you found that if you had a layer between you, his hands could act as a high-powered heating pad. He'd sit behind you on the floor, one hand on your lower back, the other scrolling through his phone. You'd keep your head between your knees to stave of the nausea.

"You nervous?"

It was the first time he'd really asked. You rested your cheek on your knee, looking back to catch the blonde spikes of his hair in your peripheral.

"Honestly? Yeah. Really nervous."

He'd hummed, something noncommittal and gruff. You let the silence stretch on for another moment before breaking it again.

"I'm worried I'm going to poop on the table."

He'd snorted, and you could feel the eye roll from behind you. "That's what y'r worried about?"

"I mean, yeah. And the possibility of irreparably fucking up my child, I guess."

He'd gone quiet again, and you'd let your eyes close. Content for the moment.

"You'll do fine," he'd said, too quiet for him. The heat spread wider, his other hand joining the first at the small of your back. Kneading softly. "Kid's got a good mom."

_

She sits in front of you now, her chunky legs kicking wildly inside the cloth seat of her jumper. You watch her little toes feel out the ridged bottom, curling around the textures. It might be the first time since Takeshi died that you have really spent time with your child.

Kaeda grunts around the teething ring in her mouth, gurgling happily as Mina sits next to her—pink fingers pressing light up buttons on the tray to catch your daughter's eye. It works for a few seconds, but you sniff, and Kaeda's eyes find you.

"Dah!" the teething ring goes flying as she reaches for you, her head not quite catching up to the jerky movements of her body.

You smile at her, and the stretch of it feels foreign. "Hi, my baby."

It's effort, but you stand, reaching to grab under her armpits and hoist her out of her seat. Her fingers tangle in the strands of your hair. She seems bigger—heavier than she was before. It makes your chest ache. She sits on your hip as you spin her slowly, a sort of sashay around the perimeter of the rug.

"My big girl. Have you had fun with Mina?"

Katsuki watches you with lazy interest from his spot on the couch. Mina immediately busies herself with another task—folding blankets, cleaning up toys. You don't waste your breath telling her she doesn't have to. You'd already tried once, and she waved you off like a pesky fly.

"I'm not doing this because I have to, honey," she reminded you, not bothering to look up from pulling clothes out of the washing machine. "I want to."

At seven months, Kaeda has started to crawl. Or, sort of. It's more like an army crawl, with her little legs propelling her, in a way, across the ground. She gets antsy in your arms, and fusses to be put down.

"I hear ya, I hear ya," you murmur softly, bending to guide her to the soft ground. "Go nuts."

She does, squirming her way across the rug—right to Katsuki. She reaches where his arm hangs over the edge of the couch—and gives it a good, solid smack, her little palm splayed open across his skin.

"What th—y'little brat—"

He peers over the couch at her, and she squeals, clearly enamored by the game she's forced him into. She tries it again—winds up, determined, with her arm up by her head—but he snatches it up before it lands. This time it's a screech that leaves her, all of the air pushed out of her lungs to make room for the belly laugh that she dissolves into when he makes a big show of eating her grubby little fingers.

It was never a surprise to you that Katsuki was so good with Kaede. It was unexpected, though, how much he wanted to be around her. You'd asked about it once, after spending several moments watching him carry her around like a football and seemingly enjoying it, and he'd only shrugged.

"She's cooler than you, so."

You'd laughed, only a little indignant, shoving him lightly. He'd hissed at you to be careful, don't you see the fuckin' baby here, which made you laugh harder. It was absurd, this wall of a man toting around a tiny, slobbering infant.

She was just as enamored with him. She would seek him out anytime he was in her line of vision, often fighting her way out of your grasp to get to him. It reminded you of the way cats seem to flock to the one person that doesn't like cats—she'd picked the meanest looking man in the room and latched on.

Like mother, like daughter, you suppose.

_

"Do you have a name picked out?"

It was late—your head hung off the edge of the bed, which seemed to be the only position that didn't send acid reflux straight up your throat, oddly enough. Takeshi sat up at the other end, your feet in his lap while he pressed his thumbs into the soles of them.

"No," you told him honestly, "truthfully, I'm drawing a blank."

He'd hummed, hands moving up to get at your swollen ankles. "What about Kaede?"

"Kaede," you rolled the syllables around in your mouth, testing the shape of it. It felt nice. "How come?"

"I just—want her to be strong." It was thoughtful as it left him, hanging around in the air above your heads. "I want her to be like a maple tree."

"Like a tree," you repeated dryly, making him snort.

"You know! Like, rooted and strong. But able to change and sway in the wind, all that."

"Wow," you breathed, smiling, "you are so corny."

He sputtered, trying to defend himself, "It's not corny—!"

"Alright, alright," you reached down to pat the duvet, trying to placate him from afar, "Kaede. I like it."

_

Katsuki was the first one in the room after Kaede was born.

It was—unconventional—and you were made well aware of that by the open gawking of the nurses, but Takeshi didn't mind. You felt some guilt, fueled by the reaction of those around you, and told him as much.

"I'll have the rest of my life to hold her," he'd said. "I'll go grab him."

How sad it was to remember that moment now.

You'd closed your eyes for only a moment before you were stirred by a familiar hand on the crown of your head. You'd blinked and were startled to find him visibly concerned.

"You look like shit," he'd said, tilting your head to each side, as if to check for injury. It made you smile.

"Yeah, well, you push a watermelon out of the smallest orifice in your body and let me know how you feel."

He'd gagged, which made you laugh, which hurt.

"Oh, don't do that," you exhaled, long and controlled, "Everything hurts."

He'd gone quiet for a moment, watching you shift and settle back into the bed, wires and leads twisting and clanging off the plastic railing.

"Y'r okay?"

It made you smile. "I am. She's so beautiful, Kat. I can almost forgive her for totally wrecking me on the way out."

As if on queue, the child in question let out a grunt from her spot in the little plastic cradle—moving like a grub, swaddled. He looked at you for another long moment before rising to see for himself. He stopped, too far from the crib, and bent at the waist for a better view. You snorted.

"You can get closer, Katsuki. It's fine."

Another step toward her and he'd stopped again, clearly maxed out on his own comfort. The smile pulled at your cheeks so tightly that it ached.

He looked back at you, and then again to her. It was comical, how fascinated he'd seemed by the tiny person in front of him. And then, over his shoulder—

"You shit the bed?"

You groaned, bringing your hand up to cover your face, mindful of the IV. "I think I did."

His laugh was a crackling thing, echoing around the sterile walls of your room, and Kaede didn't stir at all.

_

When you step foot outside, it's immediately apparent how long it'd been since you last did.

It's a sort of sensory overload—the bright light and the birds and the passing cars and the knowledge that someone has been keeping up with your lawn while you rotted away inside.

From the shaky lines that cut into the grass at odd angles, you have a hunch it was Denki.

Mina accompanies you to the mailbox, as requested. Her arm, strong and assuring, looped through yours as she all but drags you down the short drive to the edge of the road.

You open the box, and immediately shut it.

All of it is for Takeshi.

"Oh sh—sugar," Mina hisses, as if you were not an adult with a fully formed (and often colorful) vocabulary. "I'm sorry, babe. I didn't think about that."

You shake your head. It's an inevitable thing that you don't have the energy to waste the tears on. "Will you sit with me?"

You end up on the porch swing, the metal springs above your head creaking with each suspended shove of your toe off the porch. It's a nice day, you think, trying hard not to find that particularly egregious.

Inside, you hear the squeal of your daughter, followed by the grumbling of Katsuki. It sounds a bit like a lecture that Kaede seems to think is hilarious. Another laugh—this time Denki.

"I'm really glad you're all here," you say eventually, quiet under the buzz of the world around you. "I know it's hard to put your own lives on hold."

She reaches for you, threading your fingers together and pulling them into her lap. "It's not hard at all. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now. I know the boys feel the same."

You lean your head against her shoulder, the gentle swaying lulling you somewhere else—on a beach, maybe. With the wind in your hair and salt on your lips. Anywhere but the home that your child's dead father haunts.

"Has Bakugou left at all?"

You snort. "I don't think so."

She sighs, shaking her head. You can hear the smile in it. "He's a real mother hen, that one."

You smile, feeling fond. A mother hen, and your protector.

The breeze turns colder, and Mina shivers. You focus your quirk into the hand she holds—the first time you've used it in quite some time.

She sighs. "God, that's nice. Way better than Blasty's in there."

Her chin presses into the crown of your head when she opens her mouth to speak, and then closes it again. Suddenly she's a little tense, like she's trying to build up her nerve.

"You can say it," you offer gently.

"I was just wondering if you'd stay here."

You've thought about it. It's been hard not too, with the way you can barely get yourself to open your bedroom door at this point. You'd spent every night on the couch with Bakugou since that night.

"No." You speak quietly, as if it's a secret between you. It feels strange to say it out loud. You think, if Takeshi is lingering, you don't want him to hear this. "I just—I don't know where to go. We'd planned to raise her here."

Here, in the home that you love. In the home that you can't bear to spend one more night in.

"Did he have..." She trails off, reconsidering. "I mean, did you get a..."

"Yes," you say, already knowing what she's asking. "I was paid out last week. I put all of it away in an account for Kaede." You sigh, sitting up to straighten out the kink that now exists in your neck. "With my job, we're fine. It's more...the principle of the thing. This is her home."

Mina squeezes your hand gently. "She's a baby, honey. She won't remember it. This was your home."

You tilt your head back, willing away the sting of fresh tears and the irritation you feel at having done so well today until this point.

"Yeah," you sniff, closing your eyes, "it was."

_

Time passes in waves. Slowly, creeping, and then all at once.

The longer you're in the house, the more you realize you can't stay. You are certain of it, the first time you're left alone.

Katsuki had stepped out to grab dinner. You'd all but shoved him out the door, assuring him that you'd be fine for the 20 minutes it took to pick the food up.

"Y'need anything, you call." It was the fourth or fifth time he'd said it to you.

"Alright, alright," you tell him, trailing down the front steps behind him. "I will, I promise."

When you shut the door behind you again, there's a feeling of lethality to it—a debilitating silence that you haven't heard in four months.

You don't want to go any further into the house. You do, only to grab Kaede, and then you're right back outside. It starts to rain, and it feels fitting. You sit under the awning behind your daughter as she sticks her toes out into the drizzle, curling them with each drop that falls on her skin. You think about how overwhelming it must be as a baby—how new everything is.

It's less than 15 minutes later when Katsuki pulls into the driveway. He's out of his truck and in front of you in record time, frowning at you like he already knows something's wrong. Kaede reaches for him, and he scoops her up like it's muscle memory. He waits for you to talk. A moment passes.

"I can't be here anymore," you whisper, shaky. He looks at Kaede for a long moment, like she could have something offer on the topic.

"Alright," he says, reaching for the front door with his free hand, "pack a bag."

_

It takes you longer than you thought it would. You'll be back—you have to come back, because you can't take everything right now—but it feels final. The beginning of the true end. There's a framed picture of you and Takeshi at your baby shower on your nightstand. You consider taking it with you—instead, you turn it face down and move on.

By the time you manage to shove a hoodie, some shorts, a few pairs of underwear and your toiletries into a bag, Katsuki has already packed two bags for Kaede and put her in her carrier. You just look at him, wholly dumbfounded.

"You good?"

You look at him for another beat. "Yeah, fine."

_

The drive to Katsuki's isn't long. You follow him in your car, not wanting to leave it in your driveway. Kaede is with Katsuki, something you didn't fight him on.

You spend 10 of the 15 minute drive flipping through radio stations before you finally turn it off. You're left in silence, and you're now well and truly alone for the first time since Takeshi died.

You suck in a breath, trying to dislodge the thing that has lived in your chest everyday since.

"You knew something was wrong," you say, out loud, to no one. "You knew something was wrong, and you didn't tell me."

You picture him next you—mouth opening to respond, to defend himself. You beat him to it.

"It was preventable," your heart breaks again. "There was no reason—"

You'd tried to keep this at bay—the knowledge that Takeshi's death was meaningless. You hadn't heard a word the doctor said, but you'd read the pathologist's report. It was too hard, too much to process with everything else that needed tended to, but your brain seems to take advantage of every quiet moment you get.

"You left her without a father," your breath comes ragged, both hands gripping the steering wheel tightly to make up for the tears that threaten to block out your vision, "you—you left me,"

With impeccable timing, no sooner than you pull into Katsuki's apartment complex and park do you dissolve completely, curling in on yourself in your seat. It's crushing, this grief and this anger together inside a body that surely cannot hold all of it.

You don't see Katsuki when he approaches your driver's side door. You don't see him when he hesitates, one arm holding Kaede and the other outstretched as if you grab hold of you and pull you from your suffering himself. You don't see when he decides against it—when he turns around to leave you to do what you need to do on your own.

_

In a way, you start to feel lighter. Like something has shifted, like the boulder in your chest has fragmented just enough to let a breath through.

You get Kaede up on your own today. You let yourself linger over her, leaning on the side of the pack-n-play to watch her as she sleeps. Her little eyelashes frame her round cheeks, fluttering with whatever dream she's in the middle of.

The upturn of her nose, the slope of her forehead—these are things she gets from Takeshi. The curve of her eyes, the shape of her fingernails—those are yours. She is the most even mix of two people you’ve ever seen, and something about that makes losing Takeshi a little easier. It would’ve been a lot harder if she had simply taken his face. 

She stirs as if she’s felt your thorough examination. “Hey, sweetheart,” you coo, reaching down to pull her up. She lays her head down on your shoulder, sleepy, and something about it brings tears to your eyes so suddenly that you startle yourself. 

This tiny person that relies on you for everything. This little girl that fits so easily in your arms. She is yours, to keep safe and happy and content. She is a promise you made, both to Takeshi and yourself. She is the thing that will keep you going, even when you’re certain you cannot take another step. She is the thing you have to show up for, no matter what. 

“I’m so sorry, baby,” your voice is tiny as it is watery, whispered into her hair, to her already sleeping form. You stand there, in the middle of Katsuki’s spare bedroom, rocking your child and letting the tears fall down in fat drops—and it feels like the most normal thing in the world. “I’m so sorry. I’m here.”

It’s only when you turn your head that you see Katsuki lingering in the doorway. You open your mouth to tell him that you’re alright, but you only manage something wounded, something pathetic and broken and painful. He’s in front of you in an instant, unwinding Kaede from your hold and putting her back into the pack-n-play, still sleeping. It’s only another second before he’s dragging you to him, nearly crushing you to his chest. It pulls another wave of tears from you, because it feels good. To be held, and to be held by Katsuki, who would reduce every source of your pain to ash if he could. He holds you like he means to keep you intact—to put you back together the best he can. The only person who has ever held you like this, meant it like this.

Six months, 13 days, and 11 hours after Takeshi dies, something changes.

part 2 soon. thanks for reading, love u. <3

[writingbyshiloh]

3 Times You Hear People Refer to You as a Team and the 1 Time You Didn't

Berlin x Reader

CW: Reader goes by Vienna and is a medical person (only 2 lines about it!) suggestive content but no smut, sneaking around? no beta

AN: I’m so normal about Berlin I promise (lying). I'm definitely forgetting a CW but nothing too bad or dramatic happens. 

WC: 1.7k

“Wait, what's with team Germany? Two people with city names from the same country?” the dark-haired young man asks. You know his name is an American city, starting with a D. Dallas? Detroit? Denver!

It's obvious who half of the team is. Berlin is the capital of Germany. You don’t know who the second is. You frown while trying to remember the other city names in Europe. Oslo, Helsinki, and Moscow but none of them are in Germany. 

“Vienna?” you ask, pointing a finger at yourself.

His dad, Moscow smacks him on the back of his head. “Vienna’s not in Germany, dumbass.” 

Denver laughs, loud and not caring about his geographical mistake. “Right, it’s in Italy.” 

Others join in laughing at his second mistake. 

“It’s the capital of Austria?” You say bewildered. “They speak German but it's still very much in Austria.” 

Too late for you to interject, the team name had stuck.

The second time is during one of the many drills the professor makes at all hours of the night. You had an advantage, being awake and somewhat alert.

“Any man would forfeit his share of the heist for you to look at him like that,” Berlin says quietly, smoothing his hand down your back. You’re both stretched out on your bed, hardly dressed, with tired and heavy limbs. 

You feel your face heat up at the compliment but try to push it down. Both of you agreed to keep it casual but he has a hard time doing that. You stopped trying to kick him out immediately after sex to avoid his “theories” about how women need to be held. Why let him tell you when he can just do it? 

“Helsinki likes men.” you counter. His words are sweet, but you don’t have much faith in him, seeing as he’s a divorcee of 5. 

“He’s not blind, is he?” Berlin bumps his nose against your jaw, trying to get more space to kiss your neck. 

The buzzing alarm throughout the house saves you from trying to come up with a reply. You both slip out from your bed, rooting around the discarded clothes on your floor and chair. 

“Is this a weapons drill?” You ask quietly slipping a blanket over your shoulders to protect from the night air. Berlin cocks his head to the side listening to the three repeating beeps. 

“Yes.” 

You grab the fake weapons from your dresser specifically for these drills. You pass the fake gun to Berlin hoping it will look similar to his weapon, keeping the knockoff rifle for yourself under your blanket. Berlin kisses the corner of your mouth before opening your door and leaving towards his room. You slip out and go the other way, closer to the outside door.

You arrive at the checkpoint third, beaten by Moscow and Dever. Sometimes you hear them sharing a late-night smoke so they were probably awake. Half a minute after you Berlin arrives and Oslo follows next. The Professor nods his approval and writes down everyone's reaction time. As the rest of the group filters outside, Berlin subtly nudges your arm when Tokyo and Rio arrive together with one fake weapon between them, even though their rooms are in different parts of the house. 

Nairobi is last, her sleep mask pushed to her forehead, lamenting about how early is it, how others need their beauty sleep, not her though. You hold out both of your blanket-covered arms for Nairobi and Tokyo to cozy up against the chill on the night air. You used the same blanket when there was an evening fire a few days ago so the thick smell of smoke covers any hint of your time with Berlin. 

“Moscow, Denver, Team Germany, and Oslo. Congratulations on your fast reaction time and the attention you paid in the lessons, you’re free to back to bed. Nairobi, Tokyo, Rio, Helsinki, please have a coffee or a snack and meet me in the classroom in 10 minutes.” 

You have a warm bed waiting for you, possible company included, so you shrug out of your blanket, letting the other two share it. You shiver in the cold air and pick up the weapon before retreating into the house. 

The sun is hazy and low in the sky, calling to the bugs in the grass to move and flit around. There’s no actual lesson, but the Professor is answering questions anyone may have. Small groups have broken out, Nairobi, Helsinki, and Oslo all bonding while smoking, the Professor and Moscow talking about some negotiating, while Rio, Denver, and Tokyo are playing a card game, one filled with slapping hands on the table, and accusing one another of cheating.

You and Berlin are moving slowly to the song playing out on someone's radio. It’s not out of the ordinary, Tokyo declines every time he offers her a dance, and Moscow has no worries about spinning you around to whatever is on the radio. You even try to dance with Nairobi sometimes, both taking dramatic steps, more focused on making others laugh than the proper form.

There's still a small space between both of your chests trying to show nothing is going on between you both. It's hard though when he had two fingers hooked into the belt loops of your pants to push and pull you with ease. The dance is only a simple box step, step forward, to the side, step back, and then to the other side, but you can feel his charisma and passion in every step.

“Take a look at team Germany.” The professor says, drawing more attention to your little dance. “A negotiation is much like a dance.”

You break out of his hold to sip your drink before moving back into the starting position. With a nod for Berlin, you take a step forward and he gently pulls you in the same direction. You keep dancing, steps more slow and exaggerated for the demonstration, while he counts, a smooth repetition of one, two, three, four so the group can see the movements.

“Now…who is leading?” The Professor asks, the back end of his pen pointed at you both. Answers are overlapped, with no one strongly holding any opinion.

“Why would you say Vienna, Denver?” The Professor prompts, try to get someone to reach the answer before he needs to explain it.

“Vienna moves first, and steps forward. They’re leading.” Denver says. You can see Rio nod in agreement.

“No, it’s Berlin. Watch how he leads, helping Vienna follow.” Moscow points out.

“Yes, exactly. In a negotiation, it will be much the same. On the outside, it will look like the police are leading, and we are following. But actually…” The professor trails off, watching Team Germany dance.

You see Berlin raise his eyebrows, silently gesturing that he wants to spin you. You quickly nod, and at the start of the count, he pulls you close before pushing away. You spin away under his arm before turning back to the original dance position.

“We’re in control.”

You’re not sure if the hoots and claps from the table are for Berlin and you or the plan. You hope it's for both.

The fourth time you’re called Team Germany neither of you are around to see it.

“I think you look hot.” you tell Tokyo, sitting on her bed, watching her and Nairobi as they make last-minute adjustments to their outfits for the festival.

“You should come!” Nairobi begs you, holding out her hands to help you off the bed as if the only thing stopping you from joining is being stuck in place. You accept her help and allow her to pull you to a standing position.

“If I didn’t have a medical lesson with the Professor tomorrow, I would.”

“Oooo, sounds hot, are you going to study anatomy?” Nairobi teases. You know about how sexy she finds the Professor, something you can’t judge her for.

“No, it’s going over every medical misfire that can happen. Berlin and Helsi are going to be there too.”

You can’t tell if the look Tokyo is shooting at you is strange or if she's drunk. You don’t get the chance to ask her before Rio and Denver come crashing in.

“This is pure elegance, my friend.” Denver announces, dancing in his jacket, while everyone crowds around him.

“What the fuck! Is this Berlins?” Nairobi asks. You know it is but you don’t have a good reason to know so you let the others figure it out themselves. “He’s going to fucking kill you.”

Denver's cries of reassurance are drowned out by Tokyo shushing him and encouraging the group to get moving. In the corridor, everyone lowers their volume.

“Have fun! Be safe! Drink lots of water!” you wish Nairobi and Tokyo as they give you an over-friendly kiss fueled with alcohol. You try to wipe off the excess lipstick before giving up. Denver and Nairobi walk you back to your room on their way out, Tokyo and Rio getting something they forgot back in Tokyo's room.

Outside waiting with a cigarette, Denver reaches into the pocket of Berlin's coat and quickly retracts his hand.

“What's wrong? Cut yourself on one of his five previous wedding rings?” Nairobi asks, setting her cigarette aside to see what hurt Denver. More casually, he reaches into the pocket and pulls out a few items of jewelry. Laying them flat in his palm, he holds them up for Nairobi to examine.

“Holy shit! Those are Vienna’s.”

“Why does Berlin have them?”

“It’s fucking obvious, team Germany is fucking!”

“Who’s fucking?” Tokyo asks, arriving with Rio in tow, a few smears of lipstick around his mouth.

“Vienna and Berlin! Look!”

“What should we do? Tell the Professour?” Rio asks, surprised at the discovery. He missed all the signs from the past months that something was happening right under his nose.

“No! This is the perfect get-out-of-jail-free card.” Tokyo offers

“Tokyo you’re late to class” Nairobi says imitating the professor before using her regular voice “Well, team Germany is sleeping together!”

“No one says a word about this. We need to wait for the right time.” Tokyo says. She knows she and Rio won’t be hidden forever. But the leader and the medical expert sleeping together? That’s ammunition she can’t wait to use.

[bullet-prooflove]

4500 Follower Celebration Bingo - Family: Mitch Ripley x Reader

Tagging: @spaghettificationandpretzels @mini-bee-bee @mandy426 @phoward89 @kmc1989

The reason Mitch has an indefinite invitation to Sunday Dinner.

Companion piece to:

Winter Blues - Mitch struggles during the winter months.

Emergency Contact - You help Mitch out in a tricky situation.

Big Heart - How it starts between you and Mitch.

You’re on a date. Mitch can see that from his position at the other end of the bar where he sits nursing a beer, waiting for his friend Alec to turn up. You’re dressed to the nines in a pretty blue dress that brings out the hues in your eyes and heels that are giving him thoughts he shouldn’t be having about someone he considers a close friend.

The guy you’re with, he’s handsy. He’s constantly leaning in close, touching you. Mitch can tell you don’t like it by your body language. You’re angled away from him, edged on the furthest part of your seat.

You’ll stay for one drink he summarises before you make your excuses.

It’s when you return from the bathroom that he realises that something’s wrong, there’s an unsteadiness to your motions, an odd vacant smile on your features. If he didn’t know any better he’s say you were high but he knows that’s not your style.

You have very strong opinions on drugs especially after seeing the damage they do on a daily basis, you wouldn’t put yourself or your job at risk. He’s already on his feet and heading towards you before your date can step in.

“Marley.” He says as he loops his arm around your waist and you tuck yourself against him as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

“Mitch,” You says excitedly, your fingertips grazing across his cheekbone. “I didn’t know you were here.”

He flinches at your touch because he doesn’t expect it. He’s reserved with his affection, he doesn’t like people in his personal space and you have always respected that. The fact you’re touching him so intimately is an side effect of whatever drug has been slipped into your drink. GHB, he suspects.

There had been a notice from CPD just this week for medical staff to be aware that they’d seen a spike of GHB related sexual assaults. There had been six in as many weeks, always occurring on a Friday or Saturday night. He looks to the bar but your date has disappeared, probably thrown off by Mitch’s appearance.

He knows ambulance times are slammed at this point in the evening so he hails a cab and takes you to Med. You take two steps the E.D and pass out, he barely manages to catch you in time. He ends up carrying you into Bay 2, your head tucked against his chest as he describes his suspicions to Maggie and Connor Rhodes. He waits outside while they examine you, taking your phone to call your parents as Doris contacts CPD.

He's still by your bedside, researching the long term effects of GHB on the nervous system when you finally wake up hours later completely disorientated.

“You’re safe.” Is the first thing he tells you as he squeezes your hand. “Your mom’s just gone to the café to grab some coffee, she’ll be right back.”

“I don’t understand what happened.” You say as you squeeze his hand back.

He tries to explain it as gently as he can but he can see you’re getting upset as the reality of the situation dawns on you. He slips out when your mom returns so that he can give his statement to CPD.

It’s as he’s getting ready to leave that your mom catches up with him. Its four in the morning and he’s dead on his feet. Your sleeping peacefully now, under the watchful eyes of medical staff and your mother.

“I want to thank you.” She says sincerely as she clasps both of his hands in hers. “Marley’s the only girl in our family and the baby, we’re all very protective of her. I dread to think what would have happened if you weren’t there.”

She hugs him then and Mitch stiffens because he doesn’t know what to do. He’s never experienced a mother’s affection before, he doesn’t expect it from this woman. He understands in that moment where your compassion comes from, your empathy. This is what real family looks like, the people who are supposed to love you, who care for you.

“Will you tell her I’ll check back in tomorrow?” He says softly as he draws away.

“Of course.” She says with a smile that looks like yours and Mitch tucks his hands into his pockets as he heads towards the exit.

It’s during his shift the following day that the gift basket is delivered. You’ve been discharged into your parents care by then and apparently your mom is driving you crazy. It’s filled with all the healthy snacks he loves as well as a few of his favourite IPAs.

Thank you for taking care of our girl, the card reads.

Mitch snaps a picture of it before he sends it to you with a message that says ‘tell your mom I said thanks’.

You’re part of the family now, you text back and Mitch pauses for a moment as a warm feeling blossoms in this chest.

If there’s any family he’d like to be a part of, it’s certainly yours.

Love Mitch? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[pascallllllll1]

Crimson Tide

Pedro Pascal x Reader

Summary: Reader gets her period and Pedro helps;)

Word Count: 1.2k

Warnings: blood, period talk, swearing, mentions over the counter pain medication, brief daddy kink(common this is about Mr “I’m your daddy” what do you expect?), unprotected sex, if you notice anything else that should have a warning just lmk!

Hi everyone! This was a requested and I hope I did the idea justice. Quick fyi this is my first time attempting to write smut so bare with me y’all!🤣 requests are currently open:)

Regret burned inside you fueling your already emotionally fragile state. The warning signs were right in front of you. First you noticed your breasts engorged this morning getting dressed before work, your nipples aching and chaffing against the rough fabric of even your softest bra.

Then there was the mental health break you had to take at work due to crying so much from the separation anxiety rippling through you because Pedro wasn’t present. In fact he was home working in his office. But the text you’d received from him about going to the gym later and not being home when you’d be arriving set off every panic alarm in your body at the thought of being away from him any longer than originally planned.

Finally, and what should’ve had you sprinting to take 2 blessed tablets of Midol, was the slight pressure building in your lower back followed by tight twisting tendrils of sharp pain wrapping around to cup your lower belly around an hour before you’d be heading home for the day.

The entire 30 minute drive home the pain only intensified with each passing minute causing you to grip the steering wheel so hard your knuckles turned white. After pulling up the driveway and into the garage to park the cramps had you doubled over kneeling on the ground the second you’d gotten out of your seat. You sobbed silently praying for the pain to ease up enough to allow you the chance to run inside quickly and down some painkillers, and as if mother nature heard your cries she relieved enough of your anguish for you to accomplish just that before starting up again.

Now, you lay naked curled in your fuzzy Sherpa blanket centre of yours and Pedro's massive shared bed in a nest of blankets, impatiently waiting for the pills to work their magic feeling trapped in your body. The world is so unfair.

***

A hand removes the blanket from over your head ruining your perfectly cocooned bundle of warmth and has your eyes hesitantly blinking open from your nap.

“Are you ok, pretty girl?” A deep angelic voice asks. You look up to see Pedro let out a sympathetic sigh before shedding himself of any clothing and joining you in your nest.

“It hurts so bad Pedro and I think I’m bleeding now.” The thought of getting up out of bed right now and away from Pedro’s safe embrace to put in a tampon has tears spilling all over again. Massaging your sore belly he shushes you and tells you to relax and let him hold you. After some time passed and you’d calmed, Pedro let his right hand travel between your sticky thighs tracing the wet skin closest to the source of your womanly problems.

“I can help you, let me help you.” He begs starting to suck and bite little marks down your throat while running his hands up and down your sides. Once he arrives at your chest he's wrapping his mouth around your pebbled nipple sucking on it before releasing the bud with a pop! He proceeds to kitten lick the sensitive area making your pussy clench around nothing. With your growing neediness you wrap your legs around Pedro’s hips locking him against you.

“Please, I need you.” You gasp. Lifting his head up Pedro lands both his hands on either side of you caging you in, you place one firm hand on his shoulder the other one weaves your fingers through his thick hair tugging hard earning you a throaty groan in response. Pedro then leans forward to capture your mouth in a sloppy kiss, his tongue fighting yours for dominance. One of his hands is moving to line up the fat head of his cock to your fluttering hole eager to welcome him home, the initial stretch of him filling you has your head falling back onto the pillow and crying out his name.

“T-take me so well.” He mutters, starting to slowly drag his cock back out and giving no warning before quickly burying himself to the hilt deep inside you then relentlessly begins pounding into you. If you weren’t so cock drunk maybe you’d be more embarrassed by the wet squishing sounds filling the room but at the moment your only concern was with how full Pedro made you feel.

“You feel so good baby-mmmphfucK. That’s right. Fuck your self on my cock princess.” His praise has you damn near strangling his cock from how tight you squeeze around him and being the good girl you are, you give him exactly what he wants, continuing to roll your hips meeting each of his hard thrusts.

“So close daddy.” You whimper to him feeling the pressure of your impending orgasm building ready to burst but needing just a little more to get you there.

“Sssh baby I got you. Daddy’s got you.” He coos at you as he reaches down to draw fast circles on your clit and sinks his face into your neck pecking soft kisses behind your ear.

“I-I-“ you gasp, unable to speak.

“That’s my good girl.” He groans out before asking, “you want daddy’s cum now?” You nod your head eagerly, mumbling in confirmation still too dazed out of your mind to respond with real words. He loves when you get like this, too drunk on him and his cock to form any thought or sentence your only purpose being to let him use you. His warm breath fans over the skin of your neck with each grunt and moan he blesses you with. Pedro’s thrusts become more erratic and sloppy as his high approaches before stilling inside you and shakily painting your walls with his seed softly reciting his love for you like a mantra. A peaceful quiet takes over as the two of you bask in the warmth and comfort of each other’s bodies.

A final kiss is placed on your lips before Pedro’s rolling out of bed to run you a hot bath, he’d planned to clean up and redo the bed while you soaked and unwind. He turns around to double check you’re ok before entering the attached bathroom and meets your tired regard with a sheepish grin admiring your fucked out current state;

“…No… prom..ises..” You hardly get out. Shaking his head, Pedro just lovingly laughs to himself before going back to his initial task of running you a bath.

[wistfulforstars]

For What It's Worth - Part 3

Rex x Reader

Summary: Rex goes to find his brother, and Fox, you've got some 'splainin to do (just kidding, he's a good big brother who's trying his best).

Warnings: reader is afab, discussions of violence, Rex is mad and sad, mature sexual content in later chapters, minors: get out

Tag List (I am so excited to get my first tag request, thank you! <3): @bambiswriting

If anyone would like to be added to the tag list, please comment below or message/ask directly.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

“I can’t believe you dragged me here! Do you really think this was the best place to talk?” Rex hissed. He was rocking back and forth on his heels, swiveling his helmet this way and that at any approaching figures. There were a lot of them, and he was not supposed to be here. Strictly speaking.

Fox, on the other hand, was completely at ease guarding one of the many entrances to the Senate chamber. He stood at perfect attention, helmet impeccably poised, still managing to look bored.

“Please,” he responded, not even looking Rex’s way. “Do you know how many clones these politicians see every day? Do you know how many of them are too worried about their own crooked dealings to even notice us?”

Fox, to his credit, had answered Rex’s furious comm on their private channel right away. Almost as if he’d been waiting for it. The conversation had been typically short, but filled with a little bit more frustration than usual:

Rex: Why the hell didn’t you contact me?!

Fox: I take it you’re back on-planet.

Rex: YES I am on-fucking-planet! Do you have any idea of what I am going through right now?! Have you SEEN her?!

Fox: Come to the Senate building in an hour. Thire will be outside. He’ll direct you to me.

Rex: The Senate building?!

Fox: I’ll see you soon. Over and out.

He’d found his brother as instructed, and as it turned out, the Senate would be debating on several issues well into the night. Aides were running around, refreshments were being brought in, and nobody seemed to give a single care about the trooper loitering around in blue armor instead of red.

There was a lull in the bustling around them, and Fox finally tilted his head slightly toward his brother, “How is she?”

Rex let out a long breath. The long hours, lack of sleep, and pure fucking adrenaline of the day were starting to fray him around the edges, “I can’t stay long, Fox. She hasn’t woken up since I got back. Her friend says it's the medication…I never thought I’d see her like that. She was so still and their fingerprints are still there, on her skin, on her neck, and I can’t…” He placed his hands on his hips, tilting his chin up and counting his breaths. 

Finally, he turned back to Fox, “Why didn’t you comm me?” Some of his previous ire began bleeding back into his voice.

Fox let out a sigh of his own, shoulders falling just the barest amount, “I tried, Rex. Multiple times. You were in hyperspace for a long while. Private comms just weren’t getting through. And I have to watch all my communications, going in or out. They screen the guard heavily for any breaches of conduct. I could only send one out about once per day, between shifts.”

Rex took one, two, three seconds and decided that he didn’t have the energy to yell at Fox for the shitty regulations they were both bound to. He crossed his arms and went to lean against the wall. It felt more like an exhausted slump instead. “Fine.”

“I got her out of there as fast as I could, I swear. Three troopers hit her location 8 minutes after she activated the distress signal.”

“I…I sure appreciate that, Fox. I do.”

“And,” Fox paused as a harried looking aide rushed by. “We’ve got those bastards booked with every charge we can stick to them. They aren’t getting out, not for a long time.”

Rex’s lip curled beneath his helmet. The last of his energy was rising up within him, fueled by worry and pure fucking anger, “I want to chat with them.”

“No.” And there was that note of finality in Fox’s voice. One Rex so often heard in his own. 

“Fox-”

“I said no, Rex. Don’t ask again. I am your brother, and I’m not letting you do something that’ll get you decommissioned.”

A low growl made its way past Rex’s clenched teeth, “And what would you do if it was your girl, brother? What if it were me letting you know that Ularen’s secretary was beaten senseless-”

“If I had a girl,” Fox turned fully towards him. “I would do anything to be there for her while she healed from something like that. I wouldn’t be running around giving the Republic an excuse to put me down.”

They stood, chest to chest, staring daggers at each other through their helmets. Finally, Fox raised his gloved hand and placed it on Rex’s shoulder, “Go. Be there when she wakes up. Take care of her while you can, and give her the guard’s best wishes. The boys who got to the scene are pretty worried about her.”

Rex hesitated, but despite his urge to put his fist through the senate’s beautiful, gilded walls, he gave a jerky nod and stepped back. But before he could turn away, Fox spoke up again.

“But…there’s something else you should know, and whatever you do, I don’t want you to blame yourself.”

Rex tilted his head, confused, “Blame myself? For what?”

Now it was Fox who was hesitating, “Judging on the crime scene and the language the creepy little fucks were spewing when we brought them in… we think the assault might have been…clone-related.”

Rex’s heart dropped into his stomach, “Clone-related.” It wasn’t a question, but he hoped desperately that this conversation wasn’t going where he thought it was. 

“She had a backpack, right? With a bunch of colorful, pro-clone messaging on it?”

Rex swallowed the lump in his throat. He would not cry. He would not scream. He would not grab his brother by the plastoid and throw him against the wall. “Spit it out, Fox.”

Fox fiddled with his utility belt, one of the only nervous tells he ever exhibited. “I took her statement at the hospital myself, once she woke up for the first time. I wanted to be there for her, for you, as much as I could. But she refused to confirm our suspicions. It was like she was trying to protect us, me and the boys, from the truth of it. So she may not admit it to you either. But Rex, that backpack, it was in shreds. They had a knife, and they slashed the hell out of it. They stomped on each button. And then they started going at her.”

Rex didn’t say anything. How could he? What response could he possibly have to, “Oh your girlfriend was targeted by bloodthirsty criminals because she dares to know you?”

“They weren’t exactly subtle in lock-up either,” Fox continued, as he fiddled more furiously with his belt. He pulled something crumpled from it and handed it over. “They were overheard by several guards talking about ‘that meat-droid whore.’”

Rex sucked in air through his teeth, eyes wide, at the awful words. Words that were spewed at you while they…

While they…

And a terrible thought he hadn’t considered before reared up in his mind. A sickening, visceral thought that had bile climbing up his throat. That meat droid whore, they’d said.

“Did they…” he swallowed, mouth dry, breath short. His knees were dangerously close to giving way. “Fox.. did they…”

But his brother grabbed both of his shoulders, practically keeping him upright on his own, “No, no they didn’t.” Fox ground out, slowly, firmly. “Rex, look at me. It was the first thing the medics checked for, the first thing I asked about for her statement. The shitcans destroyed her backpack, hurled verbal abuse, and beat her. That’s the extent of it, and it’s a bad extent, but nothing else happened beyond that.”

Rex, completely numb behind his helmet, nodded vaguely, stupidly. He flexed his dominant blaster hand, sore from clenching into a trembling fist. He was almost entirely out of strength, of will. Seeing you prone in bed had knocked most of it out of him. And now that he knew it was because of his presence in your life, because of your relationship…

He needed food other than the ration bar he inhaled that morning. He needed sleep, more than three consecutive hours of it. He needed you, pretty eyes open and soft voice drifting to his ear like a warm breeze. He felt like he might crumple into nothing inside his armor, might fall to the floor in the senate building and leave it to Fox to explain why…

“She needs you, Rex,” Fox’s voice reached him through the fog. He looked up into his brother’s helmet, so synonymous with his face by now that Rex felt he could read it like it was. He wondered if Fox could read his just the same.

He shook himself, ridding his brain of these sharp, drifting thoughts. There would be time for self hatred and despair. There always was. Right now, he owed it to you to be present. To care for you while you couldn’t care for yourself. 

The nature of your relationship, of its effect on your health, of its longevity, could all wait until later.

He straightened to attention, and Fox seemed to relax, “Thank you, brother. Thank you for getting her out of there.”

Fox nodded, “Of course. Anything you need, you just let me know.”

Rex turned to go, but threw back over his shoulder, “Oh, and Miss Secretary is doing well.”

A beat, a stiffening of shoulders, “I didn’t ask.”

Rex shook his head and started walking. That was one conundrum he didn’t have the energy for today.

He was halfway down the stairs to the senate building when he remembered the crumpled item in his hand. He glanced down, opening his palm, and nearly lost whatever control he had just regained. Stinging tears sprung up in the corner of his eyes.

Glaring up at him, cracked and damaged beyond repair, was the image of a helmet and a bright, cheeky slogan. 

Clones Do It Better.

[gegewrites]

Dr.House- rough day

I had a rough day during the week so this was created.

6/2/23

2.3k words

Not edited

Houses Pov-

It was now eight am, the group and I have already reconvened twice in the conference room. Yet there's no sign of (y/n). No phone call, we can't reach her either. So we're waiting. She's usually in the office by seven or seven thirty. eight at the absolute latest. She'll also take Any excuse to stay late...she's weird.

"Run some more tests." I glanced over at the conference room door and then back to the team,"anything to waste time, the one with all my answers isn't here."

"Are you-" I swiftly cut Cameron off, walking away from the white board.

"Go get a coffee while you're at it." I took hold of the handle to my offices door and foreman spoke.

"You can't be serious." I looked over at him and raised my brow.

"When have I not been serious? Come get me when (l/n) is here, or you have answers." I let my office door close behind me when I finished the sentence and walked over to my office. Leaning my cane against the side and sitting down in the rolling chair.

I had answers. This case simply wasn't that serious to really care. foreman, Chase, and Cameron can figure it out, and they will. If they don't, I'll spoil the surprise that its simply just a child that desperately just needs some anxiety medication pronto.

Your Pov-

This morning has been rough, and it just seems to be getting worse as the minutes drag on.

First, I wake up late, I wake up at five thirty everyday, I'm out of the house by six thirty. I like to have time to calmly get ready.  Well, I woke up at Six, which leaves me already half an hour behind.

Then I find out The coffee pot never brewed, the timer never set. It was still flashing the set time of 5:20 AM at me, alerting me to my stupidity. I got a call on the home phone when I was making it…So now I need to get coffee at work, so now I'll be in a bitchy mood till I get it.

By the time I had gotten dressed and put on my basic makeup, and grabbed some other things I needed,  I only have five minutes left to spare.

Today I put on these heels I had, I could walk miles in them, they were perfect. They were also right by the door and I wasn't looking for something to match this outfit properly, but these go with everything.

I grabbed my bag putting my phone, laptop, and other simple items into it, but realized the lanyard with my keys on it was missing. I quickly threw my doctors coat on, and scanned the table. I had my bag on a table by the front door. I opened it only drawer and it wasn't in there, only junk mail. I even shuffled it around. Now I was scrambling over my one level apartment. Stressfully lifting up my couches cushions.  feeling in between the loveseats cushions, looking under them on my hands and knees.

I moved into the kitchen, which was a simply archway away from the living room left of the front door. I pushed away the simple litterings on the counter- newspapers, magazines, opened mail. Coming around the breakfast counter to scan the grey granite counter. I looked in the fridge, I looked in the mug cupboard.

"Where the fuck are they!" I yelled between gritted teeth, careful of the volume because of the time of morning and the presence of neighbors. I rushed into the bedroom and look along the dressers and night stands, getting down on my hands and knees again to look under the bed and as to my surprise. They weren't there. But my cat, Simon, was.

I let out a heavy and long exhale and I walked out of my bedroom, the tip hitting the floor angrily, avoiding using my heels to the best of my ability due to, once again, the time of morning and neighbors.

I was now a minute late according the the watch on my wrist. as I approached the door, I caught Glimpse of the doorknob, now approaching the whole situation with a different level of stress snd adrenaline.

They were on the fucking doorknob.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me." I manically laughed through sentence as I grabbed my bag and slung a strap over my shoulder.

I had to park further down the street last night,  my normal spot was taken. So I had to walk a block away from home.

Adding two minutes to my late tracker.

I rushed over to the driver side, stepping off the curb simultaneously pressing down on the unlock button on the Keys. I heard the locks click open and I pulled the door open. Tossing my bag into the passenger seat. Closing the door and shoving the key in the ignition and turning it. When the dials settled, I had a near empty tank of gas. To think  I debated stopping yesterday. Ive got twenty miles, closest  one is five miles away.

Adding ten minuets to the late tracker. It was seven, I was supposed to be in the office. I was surprised I had no calls yet. So I reached into my bag to check my phone. Flipping it open to find out it was dead. So i dropped it back in and resumed on driving.

Apparently everyone needed the fucking gas station this morning.  I had to wait in a line of three. Luckily the guy at the pump was finished when I pulled in, so he drove off and the first car pulled in. Four minutes. The second car, three minutes. I also checked the other line. Definitely not going there. A boat, and some dude with four wheelers. God must really hate me because that's unusual for this town. The third car took five minutes. So Twelve minutes waiting in line. It look me seven minutes as i ran in to get coffee, I needed it. The adrenaline has worn off.

Adding nineteen minutes to the late tracker.

Of course since rush hour was starting, I got stuck in some traffic but not much. I also hit every red light possible. It only takes me twenty six minutes to get to work. I was already four minutes late.

Traffic was going steady, at least for twelve minutes it was, before some dude ran a red light and t-boned a car that had the right away.

I slammed my head down onto my hand gripping the steering wheel and silently flipped out. I'm officially late. I don't have a phone charger on me, I'll have to use the one in the office, but I can't call to say I'm going to be late. Traffic on our side was stopped and all turns to the right lane.

The current time is now eight thirty. I'm five minutes away from the hospital. I like being at work. I'll admit it, I like my job.  It's not bad working for House and there's always something to do. House can be an ass, but I get paid to be entertained. The others aren't bad, they're nice to work with. I don't see them outside of work which is completely fine.

I finally pulled into the main entrance of the parking garage. Took me a minute to get up to my spot on the third floor...which was taken?  I just looked at the BMW from my car, blinking rapidly, my shoulders bouncing from the silent laugh in my chest which soon erupted into another fit of manic laughter as I started driving back out of the parking garage.

I picked a spot in the lot, luckily it was close to the entrance of the hospital. It’s now 8:37. I parked, and grabbed my bag as I opened the door, throwing the strap over my shoulder. I reached in and grabbed my coffee before I closed the door. I locked it as I briskly walked away, my heels clacking hard against the asphalt.

I stepped onto the curb to the front of the hospital, my right heel caught the curb. I heard a crack and I fell onto my knees and hands. My coffee spilling onto the pavement. I just stayed on the ground for a few seconds, savoring the feeling of what would soon be a bruise on my knee. I sat down, taking my heel off. The heel was hanging on for dear life, the tip of the nail which went through the base of the heel cracked out of the wood. It was broken.

“Motherfucker.” I groaned standing up back on the pavement, I kicked my other one off and held them in my left hand, picking up the paper coffee cup and throwing it in the trash by the door.

I have shoes in my locker, so until I can get to my locker that’s means I’m walking barefoot. At least it’s a hospital.

I walked past the front desk, giving them a nod as I quickly walked towards the elevator. I knew people were looking, but I hope they see the fact my heel is broken at an 110° angle. I pressed the up button to the third floor, im gonna stop by the office before the locker room, I have priorities.

Houses Pov-

“Nothing.” Foreman said dropping a folder onto the glass conference table. Cameron pulling a chair out to sit in, and chase standing by the door with his arms crossed over his chest. I was at the counter.

“I suspected as such.” I looked at them over my shoulder, I just started a new pot of coffee.

“So what is it?” Chase asked as I turned around, leaning against the counter.

“It’s not serious that’s for sure.” I looked past him and into the hallway,”anyone seen (y/n) yet?”

“No and she’s still not answering her phone.” Cameron answering and I groaned in annoyance, my head falling back.

“She’ll be here when she gets here, what’s the damn diagnosis?” I looked over at foreman, his hands sturdily placed on his hips.

“God this coffee can’t brew fast enough.” I deflected his question, once again looking out into the hallway, this time to see the person I wanted to see.

(y/n) rushed to the door and pushed it open. Her heels in her left hand, one broken.

“I’m so-“I cut her off quickly.

“Why does a seven year old girl have a spiking heart rate, random outbursts-“ she cut me off,

“It’s fucking anxiety, take it to psych.” She lashed out, Cameron and chase sharing a glance at each other as she walked towards me, her desk was by chases against the glass windows.

“Rough morning?” Foreman asked and she nodded sharply.

“Everything that could go wrong, fucking did. Phones dead, wake up late, coffee pot never brewed, lost my keys for like seven minutes but they were on the door,” she ranted on as she unpacked her bag, her heels thrown on the floor,”a stupid fucking car crash four cars away-oh!” She turned to us, her arms throw out by her sides,” and some prissy ass BMW took my spot in the the garage so I had to park in the normal lot, broke my heel and spilled my coffee.”

Listening to her rant was very entertaining. Very animated, Very profane….very hot.

“Someone go find something interesting and get that girl to psych.” I didn’t look away from the stressed out doctor who was fumbling through her drawers for something.

“Well be quick with it.” Chase remarked, i heard Cameron’s chair lift and the door open and soon close.

“Where the fuck..” I heard (y/n) whisper as she closed the top left drawer and opened the bottom right, grabbing her phones charger out.

“You’re late, but at least your tits look great.” I said to her as I turned around, leaning on my left leg, grabbing a mug from the shelf.

“Thanks for noticing.” I could hear the dramatic eye roll she gave me. I heard her phone clack down on the desk as I grabbed hold of the coffee pot, pulling it out as the following drips sizzled on the heater,”I’m-“

“Coffee?” I asked, glancing over my right shoulder to her. Sliding the coffee pot back onto the burner. I grabbed the cream which was next to the coffee maker, twisted the cap off and splashed some in.

She stood on my right and I handed it to her, my eyes going from hers right to her chest. Dark grey button up, the top three buttons still undone.

“Thanks.” She took the mug from me before scoffing,”don’t make tjis day worse.”

“Push up?” I raised my brow, finally meeting her eyes again.

“I don’t know, probably.” She walked past em towards the door,”I’m clocking in, getting shoes, and going to the clinic. Page me when there’s something.”

“You have small scratches on the shoulder of your coat.” I pointed out, seeing the dark grey peaking through the white.

“Shut the fuck up House.” She held the glass door open, looking at me with a smile before looking away and walking out.

I might’ve had something to do with her lateness. The hour long phone call we had at eleven….started with some medical questions, ended with me knowing what that toy she keeps in her nightstand sounds like in between her legs over the phone. Maybe next time I’ll just show up at her door.

[peachdues]

The Wind and His Moon: Part 2

A/N: ok, I lied. I decided to finish writing/edit this instead of studying -- all 3500 words of it.

The first half is pretty heavy on dialogue/exposition, since I need to set up the rest of the story. The second half brings all the emotional gut punches you all seemed to love from part one.

Enjoy!

Massive CW: canon-typical violence, graphic violence, mentions of gore and child death. Swearing and later smut. MDNI.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

The Butterfly Mansion had been prepared for the party's arrival, thanks to a pair of crows who had managed to fly ahead of the rushing Hashira to give Kocho the warning. When Sanemi and Rengoku skittered into the manicured courtyard of the Mansion, its mistress was already waiting alongside a small group of Kakushi and her mouthy second. Sanemi's feet had no sooner come to a rest before Kocho's attendant — Aoi, he remembered her being called — delicately plucked the unconscious girl from his arms and placed her on her side on a stretcher before rushing her inside, barking orders at the other Kakushi.

Kocho had lingered behind for a moment to get a more detailed account of how the Wind and Fire pillars had found the girl, before she too, disappeared back into the Mansion, eyebrows drawn and eyes serious. Sanemi had not missed how the Insect Pillar's staple serene smile had slipped from her face as he and Rengoku had posited their theory of the girl's assault.

It was only after Kocho left that Sanemi unleashed his pent-up rage on the Kaksuhi who had accompanied them back from the decimated village, not allowing them courtesy of a moment's rest after the frantic journey back to the Butterfly Estate.

Sanemi had screamed at them until his vocal cords twinged, his voice turning hoarse from the strain. How, he had sneered at them, could they possibly claim that they were capable of rendering lifesaving first aid if they couldn't distinguish between someone dead and someonewithafuckingheartbeat.

In fairness, Sanemi had thought bitterly later, after Tengen had all but dragged him off of the Butterfly House's grounds, it wasn't as though he or Rengoku had bothered checking the girl for a pulse either. They were all equally guilty of nearly burying alive the only surviving member of the Lunar Breathing Clan.

But it was far easier to take it out on those who had been closest to her. The ones who should have seen what he had not.The ones who should have caught his failure.

His failure continued to plague him as the days bled into weeks without any sign of life from the girl. Before long, a month had passed since that horrible day.

One month since they had thought her to be dead, only for her to claw and pull her way out from the sodden earth.

The Hashira had gathered with Oyataka-san for an emergency meeting, called to discuss the brutal annihilation of the girl's village and the decimation of the Lunar Breathing Clan. By the end of the meeting, both the Master and the other Hashira knew only two things:

First, there was no question that the girl was the sole survivor of the Lunar Clan. And until she awoke, no one would be able to use Lunar breathing against Kibutsuji and his parade of horribles.

The girl had survived, but not without great effort. Kocho had been able to stabilize the girl after several, long hours, but she admitted it had been touch-and-go for a while. The girl's blood loss, combined with internal injuries sustained from either final selection or whatever confrontation that took place at the Manor, plus the early stages of infection resulting from attempts to bury the girl alive had severely complicated Kocho's medical intervention. It had been well past midnight that evening before Kocho had emerged, sweaty and tired, resignation pulling at her features. But the girl had lived.

Kocho's exhaustive efforts to save the girl brought them to the second key takeaway: apart from a fractured wrist likely sustained during final selection, the rest of the girl's wounds had not been caused by any demon. Neither claw nor tooth mark had been found on the girl.

What was found, however, was a deep slice between the girl's shoulders that was about an inch deep. The wound was a single, long gash, estimated to be about four inches in length. Kocho said it had been caused by a blade of some sort, and she breathlessly admitted she had been shocked that the girl's spinal cord had not been severed.

Framing the wound were smaller punctures, ragged at their edges, and deep, as though whatever had caused them had been dragged down the girl's skin before they were removed. The Master had inquired whether those wounds could have been the work of a demon, but Kocho was adamant they were not. Those wounds had been too even, too precise to have been anything natural (however natural demons could be).

Kocho's conclusion: the girl's injuries had been caused by weapons. Though Sanemi had anticipated the explanation, it did nothing to soothe the chill that rolled over his skin.

The Master had been uncharacteristically grim throughout Kocho's assessment, his lips thinning as Kocho confirmed what Sanemi and Rengoku had feared — the girl had been subjected to some form of bodily assault either before or after she had been wounded.

Kocho clarified she had not found evidence requiring her to use any — preventative — medication. Rather, bruises along the girl's wrists and legs suggested an attempted assault, further proven by the state of her clothing. An assault that likely had been interrupted by the Hashira's arrival.

The news that their arrival may have prevented the girl from being subject to the sick pleasures of lowly bandits did little to soothe the rage toiling beneath Sanemi's scarred skin. If anything, it only added oil to his fire.

At the end of the day, the girl's monsters had been human, not demons.

An uneasy silence had fallen over the group as Kocho conceded that she did not know when — or if — the girl would ever awake.

The Master had made no movement, save for the tap of his finger against the hand folded in his lap.

"I won't pretend that the idea of asking the girl to join our ranks once she regains consciousness doesn't cause me great discomfort," the Master had said quietly after a long moment. "But I am also not unaware of the implications for our cause should we completely lose the Lunar Breathing technique entirely."

"Lunar Breathing has been an invaluable asset to the Demon Slayer Corp, more so because it is a hereditary form of breathing," Iguro's voice was low, serious. "We would be doing ourselves a disservice if we allowed those techniques to die with the girl."

"Had the Head of the Lunar Clan not also have been slaughtered, I would suggest we urge him to take a wife and produce new heirs," Uzui had agreed, though to Iguro's scowl, "but we're not left with many options besides training the girl."

"You say 'training' as though the girl has not survived final selection," Iguro shot back, "It's not as if we would be starting from scratch. At the very least, she has some training under her belt."

"You know what I mean," Uzui waived his hand dismissively, "even if she were to wake up at this moment, she would require intensive rehabilitation." Uzui had looked pointedly at the Insect Hashira. "Right, Kocho?"

"Precisely. If she awakes." Kocho replied, voice dangerously soft. "And I would not discount the time it would take for her mental injuries to heal. To send her directly into battle would be needlessly cruel."

Uzui's slammed his fist on the polished wood of the Master's floors. "But we don't have the time to waste. What do you think Kibutsuji'll do once he learns that she survived his little game?" The Sound Hashira's eyes were cold, calculating. "Do you think he'll just leave her be? The last heir of the Lunar Breathing Clan?" Uzui scoffed, folding his trunk-like arms across his burly chest. "Especially not once he gets wind that she was already training to be a Slayer."

A vein in Kocho's forehead ticked at Uzui's brashness, but before she could open her mouth to snap back, the Master raised his hand. All fell silent and bowed towards him.

"I'm curious as to why we haven't heard from the two who found the girl. What are your thoughts on the matter, Sanemi? Rengoku?" The Master turned towards the pair.

Rengoku spoke first. "Master, please do not think that I underestimate the girl's heritage and its value to our cause," Rengoku bowed deeply, his nose nearly touching the floor. "But I do know that the carnage in the Merchant's village was unlike anything we have ever seen." Rengoku grimaced, struggling to find his next words. "I fear what the girl may have endured may be more than any of us can fully comprehend, and it makes me hesitant to send her into battle."

The Master nodded. "I also fear the risk of sending her into combat too soon." The Master turned his unseeing gaze to the direction of Uzui, who hastily bowed. "While I agree with you, Tengen, that Kibsutsuji will stop at nothing to seek the girl out to achieve his goal, I also wonder whether the girl herself won't try and seek revenge at the expense of herself and her comrades." The Master paused for a moment, considering. "That is, I wonder if sending her out too soon won't be a liability to our cause, rather than an asset. And it's as Shinobu said — we don't know whether she will wake up at all."

The Master turned towards his Wind Pillar, a curious smile tugging at the corner of his ruined mouth. "What say you, Sanemi? It is rare for you not to have an opinion on such matters and not make it known."

Sanemi felt his cheeks heat slightly, and he was sure he felt the tips of his ears turn red in his mollification.

"The caliber of demon slayer recruits has been in a steady decline, and we lose more rank-and-filers now than can pass final selection. There is no doubt that we are desperate for some sort of reprieve." Sanemi began, his voice sounding gravelly and foreign as he spoke to his revered leader with a formality he did not know he possessed.

"But I have to agree with the sentiments shared by Kocho and Rengoku," he continued. "There's too much risk with forcing the girl into combat right away. We don't even know if she can even use Lunar Breathing, let alone master it."

"Isn't that the point of training, Shinazugawa? For the girl to learn?" Tomioka's pathetically quiet voice rose over the heads of the other Hashira, causing Sanemi's nostrils to flare as he loosed an annoyed huff.

Had the Master not been present, Sanemi would have had no qualm in shooting back some biting, sarcastic remark; but because Sanemi respected the Master far more than he hated the insipid Water Pillar, he held back, his fists clenching in his restraint.

"Response, Sanemi?" the Master asked him, pointedly, as though he were prodding Sanemi into objecting. As if he wanted Sanemi to protest, as if he wanted an additional reason to spare the girl from a decidedly shortened and violent life with the Demon Slayer Corps.

Sanemi suppressed a smirk. "Master, tell me – how long has it been since the Corps last had a Lunar Breathing user?"

The Master returned Sanemi's soft, knowing smile. "Nearly fifty years."

Sanemi's eyes flitted over to the dull, azure gaze of the Water Hashira. "I dunno, I'd say the Corps has made it this far without Lunar Breathing. No sense in changing things now." His smirk deepened to something more antagonistic as the Water Hashira turned his gaze away from Sanemi, instead fixing his stare on the wall before him.

The Master nodded in agreement. "Then the matter is settled. We will not approach the girl about continuing with the Corps as a slayer should she awaken. That decision is to be left with her – even if it means the death of the Lunar Breathing technique."

Sanemi relished the grinding sound emanating from his right as Uzui ground his teeth together, his jaw clenched impossibly tight. Sanemi knew that the ostentatious Sound Pillar would rather reduce his teeth to dust than argue with the Master.

"Now, onto other matters. I've been made aware of an incident--." The Master began before a pair of Kakushi came spilling into the meeting room, tripping over one another in their hasty, frantic effort to bow before the Master.

"Please forgive us, Oyakata-sama!" one of the Kakushi spoke up, forehead nearly touching the tatami beneath them. "But you asked us to inform you immediately if --!"

The Master's face turned solemn and grave. "Has she awoken? The Lunar heir?"

Sanemi felt his stomach lurch in surprise. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kocho shoot up from her crouched position, her eyes shining.

"Yes, Oyakata-sama!" the Kakushi answered in unison.

The Master nodded. "Shinobu, please – go check on her." Kocho nodded once and disappeared in a flash, darting back towards the Butterfly Mansion to aid the now-conscious heir. "I will dismiss this meeting until we can all gather together once more. Please, my children, take care of yourselves. I hope to see you all again soon." The Master concluded, his children flanking his sides as they helped him stand and retreat to the room beyond the antechamber in which they had gathered.

Sanemi rose alongside the other Hashira and locked eyes with a pair of crimson eyes threatening to burn a hole through his skull with their intensity.

"You thinkin' of heading over there too, Rengoku?" Sanemi asked, already making his way toward the entryway of the Master's mansion.

The Flame Pillar nodded. "I would like to know at least what happened to the girl upon her return from final selection. If there are any details she may be able to provide about the attack, then we may be able to seek justice for her."

Sanemi grunted, and the pair fell silent as they began to make their way down the little rock path leading out of the Master's sprawling manor grounds and towards the direction of Kocho's estate.

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

Though the outside grounds of the Butterfly Mansion had been tranquil as the Wind and Flame Hashira arrived, with fat wisteria blooms lazily shifting against the frigid night breeze, the inside of the Mansion was anything but calm.

Specifically, a small group of Butterfly Mansion staff and Kakushi had gathered in a semi-circle in the hall, outside of one of Kocho's recovery rooms, all clamoring over one another in a desperate attempt to catch a glimpse through the thin sliver of glass of whatever was going on behind the firmly shut door.

"Move, you vultures! Don't you have work to do?" Sanemi barked, the gaggle of them moving quickly out of the Wind Pillar's way the moment his gruff voice had cut through their anxious tittering.

The hallway now empty, Sanemi and Rengoku took up the position in front of the room's doorway, both alternating in sneaking furtive glances through the door's small window.

Peering through the small glass pane in the door, Sanemi first saw Kocho standing at the side of a messy, empty bed. Kocho's arms were raised slightly, palms turned up in supplication as she spoke gently to something near the window he knew was on the other side of the room.

Not something; someone. Sanemi craned his neck slightly in an effort to see what had drawn Kocho's attention away from the haphazard bed and towards the window across the room.

That was when he saw her.

Truthfully, she looked like shit. The top of whatever sleeping kimono the girl had been dressed in had been pulled away from her torso, clinging loosely around her hips and obscuring her legs from view. Her shoulders and collarbone were both exposed, but her chest and lower torso were completely covered in tightly-wrapped medical gauze and bandages that extended down past her stomach, disappearing from sight under a loose-fitting drape of her kimono.

There were additional bandages wrapped around one of her biceps and one of her wrists –one Sanemi suddenly remembered had been snapped into a grisly angle when he had found her behind the fountain. Though clearly in the later stages of healing, Sanemi could see deep bruises dotted nearly every inch of her exposed skin. Her long, dark hair was unbound, falling to her waist in an unkept tangle.

Sanemi's gaze lifted to rest on the girl's face, and once he did, he was unable to look away. Her silvery eyes were wild, distrustful, just as they had been when she had so desperately tried to crawl through the blood and snow away from them – from him – all those weeks ago. Her eyebrows were drawn close together, as though skeptical of whatever it was Kocho murmured to her.

"She's barely standing," Sanemi said quietly to Rengoku, who tried to peer over Sanemi's head in interest. Sanemi watched as the girl dug the fingers of her good hand into the grain of the window pane, clutching for dear life to hold herself upright despite the violent trembling of her limbs as they struggled under the effort. The girl's shoulders were curved in, and her chest was rising and falling rapidly, as though she struggled to regulate her breathing. Her other arm was wrapped tightly around her torso as though she were literally trying to hold herself up.

"Tell me where they are!" Sanemi's ears pricked at the sound of the girl's voice, hoarse from a month of non-use.

Kocho shook her head. "Please, your injuries are still healing – let me help you back into-."

"Tell me where you put the others you found at the Manor!" The girl demanded, her voice cracking slightly. "Are they here? Have they been cleared?"

Kocho's eyebrows drew close together, her eyes flashing with a glint that Sanemi knew meant she was irate. "If you continue to stand, you risk tearing the stitching in your back." She said crisply, deftly avoiding the girl's demands.

The girl shook her head vigorously. "There was a little girl – Suzuna – she is eight years of age. She is about this tall," the girl removed her hand from its iron grip on the windowsill to quickly gesture to her hip, returning it to its previous position before she could lose her balance. "And I need to find her. I need to go to my sister. Now."

Sanemi's mouth went dry as dread filled his gut, heavy and nauseating. Beside him, Rengoku softly swore.

Because there had only been one child discovered amongst the carnage of the Lunar Merchant's estate.

Only one child had been found – torn in half – and crushed beneath the weight of her family's fountain.

No.

No. No.

Sanemi felt as though he had disconnected from his body, helpless only to watch Kocho from afar as the Insect Pillar's face softened, remorse filling her eyes. The girl seemed to have noticed the shift in Kocho's expression as well, her panic seizing at her features. The girl's head began moving side to side, shaking her head as though she could stave off whatever would come next.

Kocho took one small step towards the girl, who now cowered against the window, her grip on the sill slipping. The girl's argent eyes, which had previously been so fierce, so cold, now filled something else, something desparate and pleading.

"Let me help you sit," Kocho said gently, taking another step towards the trembling girl.

"Please," the girl whimpered, as though begging Kocho to spare her of the truth that loomed, "please. My sister."

My sister.

Sanemi felt the nausea settling in, as his mind flashed back to the grisly discovery he had made beneath the stone that day, the little girl's broken body a stain on his memory he knew he could never remove. Only now, the child's face – frozen scream and all – morphed into that of the familiar, scarred face of his brother. His Genya.

Get the fuck out, get the fuck out, Sanemi chanted in his mind, the words becoming a prayer that he desperately clung to as he sought to escape the sterile halls of the Butterfly Mansion.

Because Sanemi knew what the next words out of Kocho's mouth would be. He knew that she would be the harbinger of calamity for this girl, for she bore the news that was his own greatest fear, the image of his brother's lifeless form flashing through his mind.

Backing away from the door, his hands shaking, Sanemi sought to escape. He sought to escape the catastrophic storm brewing just beyond the recovery room door, to escape the roaring in his head. As he retreated, Sanemi became distantly aware that Rengoku was calling out to him, but he could not stop his feet, could not stop his body's instinctive need to get away from the Mansion and to get away now.

So, Sanemi ran, and he ran as fast as he could without destroying the Insect Pillar's pristinely kept estate, desperate to avoid the weighty truth that would doom this girl to a life of revenge and solitude.

Sanemi supposed he would have succeeded in running if it had not been for his ears, cursed with a level of hearing beyond that of an average man's.

And so, even with the wind he had summoned howling at his heels, Sanemi still heard the words that fell from Kocho's lips.

And, even hours after he had returned to the silent sanctuary of his own estate, Sanemi could still hear the girl's anguished scream as it tore through the night sky.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

[fallenwhumpee]

Back

• Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Masterlist •

Warnings: inexplicit injury, strangling, military settings.

Leader pulled their legs up, trying to fit into the narrow gap of the bus seat. They hugged their bag, not really liking the fact that it restricted their movements, but also refusing to keep it out of their range. They just wanted to leave before someone changed their mind and sent them back.

The bus filled slowly as Leader sat still. Their muscles tensed quite a little when someone sat next to them, but they covered it as if they were just fixing their position. They wondered if they could ever get used to civilian life after everything. They sighed and relaxed all their muscles, letting go of the tenderness and hoping that it would help with occasional tremors. 

When the bus's engine shook the whole vehicle, Leader let their head drop to their bag, their worn-down body begging for their mind to shut down. But as always, they were thinking too much, and it was impossible to sleep with strangers around. They simply kept staring around, trying to ease their suspicion.

Within the first hour on the bus, the majority of passengers fell asleep. Leader wished they were among that crowd, but they never got what they wanted. The seat in front of them leaned back not long after, cramping the small space even more. With a silent curse, they stretched their arms at least, beginning to feel sore already.

They thought that things couldn't get any worse. They were wrong.

After six hours of misery, the bus pulled over absurdly. Leader would hit their head if they weren't so squished to their place.

"Routine control, everyone out," an officer barked through the doors. Leader didn't move immediately, waiting until everyone had gone out and made their way to the officer who looked like they were in charge.

Leader took out their military ID, hoping it would get them a softer approach.

"That's not going to clear you," the officer muttered.

"I only wish to be searched in private," Leader replied. They knew their badge would clear them, but they didn't have the energy to do so. "If that's not much trouble, of course. I don't want to scare people because..." Leader opened their bag slightly, revealing the handle of their gun.

The officer eyed Leader warily before nodding. "Follow me," they said, directing Leader to the back of the police car.

Leader followed silently, gripping their bag tighter as they reached for their wallet to prepare their licence along with their badge marking them as a captain, even though the officer didn't spare a glance at it. The cool night air and the distant murmur of other passengers being searched filled the silence between them.

The officer took the paper as if they were ripping it. Leader was getting a bad feeling, but they didn't want to cause trouble. They were too tired for it anyway. With a sigh, they leaned on the car slightly, trying to get the weight off of their right side.

The officer eyed them, scoffing and muttering something about respect under their breath. They inspected the documents closely, his eyes narrowing as he read the details. "You've been discharged recently?"

"Yes," Leader answered, shortly and perhaps unnecessarily cold.

"Annual leave?"

"Medical leave. I shouldn't be on my feet for too long," Leader almost snarled. The officer - probably didn't notice or just ignored - simply pointed the bag. Leader complied, even if it was the last thing they wanted. They simply looked away, realising that they were truly nowhere. Their eyes were yet to adjust to the lights changing, and the flashers weren't helping, but there was nothing around.

Because that person standing in the middle of the road was just their weary mind playing tricks.

They turned back when the figure dissolved into the air.

The officer searched with such passion that Leader suspected that they had a personal vendetta against the military. Finally, the officer dropped their bag on the bonnet. "Everything seems to be in order. Pack your stuff inside the car."

Leader frowned. "Here will suffice. I'm not getting into the car if you're not arresting me."

"Just get in; I don't want to draw a gun against a soldier, and you seem decent enough to avoid trouble."

Why couldn't they have a peaceful day?

Leader sighed. There was no point in resisting. They quickly tucked everything back in their bag and got into the car. "At least tell me where we are going," they muttered, not bothering with the facade any longer. They were just as annoyed as the officer.

"The military base around here was adamant about receiving you."

Perfect, Leader didn't say. "Routine control my ass," they muttered instead, not able to stop it.

"I am not fit for duty," they informed the officer. Leader didn't think they would ever be, but self-pity wasn't going to get them anywhere.

"Not my problem. Tell that to your people."

Leader sighed quietly - again, they were beginning to develop it as a habit now, much to their annoyance - as they settled into the uncomfortable seat of the police car.

The journey to the military base was silent except for the occasional radio chatter from the officer's walkie-talkie. Leader busied themselves with memorising the names and following the sequence, and surprisingly, they found that they enjoyed listening to some cops trying to catch an amateur thief.

When the car stopped, the officer didn't say anything, but the door lock opened. Leader got out quickly and kept their bag in their hand. It was hard to see somewhere so bustling again. They felt like their mind was tugged with needles from every direction. They cursed their senses not for the first time, and watched as the police car left without a warning. 

Leader's shoulders tensed out of their control. They quickly walked to the base, showing their ID to the security. A private escorted them inside, no words exchanged. They were led to an interrogation room, which explained so little but confirmed Leader's worries.

Leader was ushered in without a word. They sat in one of the two chair - to the further one from the door as a sign of trust and acknowledgement of authority - and read the files before them. Their breath caught on their throat when they got to the second, however. 

Medic, missing in action.

The team was disbanded. How could...

They flipped the page. They wished they didn't. 

"I was going to ask you about that."

Leader flinched. "Major," they greeted with a rushed salute.

And nothing after that happened in a blink. Leader saw Major walking over them with a hostile face. They saw the hand rising and the leg swiping their foot. They saw the other hand starting to move to their stomach.

If the attack is coming from a friend, don't resist. 

Just like that. They didn't resist as they were slammed to the floor, their superior on their throat. Leader struggled to breathe as the punch shook their empty stomach, their hands grabbing the hand keeping them down, even though they were not doing anything to stop it.

"Why is your teammate kidnapping your medic?"

What?

"Don't look at me like that. What do you know?"

A punch to their face pulled them from the shock. 

"I don't know," Leader forced out. 

The hand around their throat tightened—

For once, they wanted to give in to the tempting anger. It would be so easy, so easy to crush the arms holding them, but their wishes never ruled over the will.

They were let go. Major offered them a hand, and Leader accepted it without a second thought.

"I didn't realise that their teachings went that deep. You could easily save yourself. I doubt this base can keep you in."

Leader doubted that too, especially when their restraints were getting loose every moment.

"Some things go deeper than simple teachings," Leader answered after realising that they had drifted for a moment. They pulled the chair and sat down, sighing to release some of the built tension.

"They made you from fine stuff. Now, any idea why one of your teammates went rouge and kidnapped the other?"

Leader's hand began to tremble. It was the worst possible time. They hid their hand with the other rather clumsily, drawing attention.

"Why do you run away from the only place that can fix you?"

"If I'm called back only for these questions, I wish to continue my leave," Leader bit back a harsher response. They would never walk back to the place that had broken them in the first place.

"No. Your leave ends before it starts. I want you back on your team— at least what left of it."

[owlsie-hoot]

All Creatures Great and small "Holding the baby" 05x02

I don't even know where to start!

First: my internet connection was not AWOL this week and I could watch the entire episode without any trouble. And maybe that is why I still cannot sort my thoughts!

What was this episode? What happened? How many of the predictions came true? How many spoiler dots were correctly connected? A LOT!

Starting at the beginning:

Audrey being on one of her first training sessions to learn everything about her new job, a scene I was eagerly looking forward since the end of February. That the episode started with that was simply amazing. I cried because it made me so happy. Of course it was Siegfried who didn't close the curtains correctly - prediction one. And of course he waited for her because he wanted to make "you were accounted for" - correct prediction two. I mean how many times have we written about this scenario in fanfics? I certainly have used this trope numerous times. Needless to say that this entire sequence already killed me and that was only the beginning. The joking, the banter, the care, the offering of a nightcap, handing her the letter from Tristan. There is no line there anymore. It has vanished.

Only in my rewatch did I notice that episode 2 picks up directly after episode 1. Just one hour later. So we all got to yell "Bingo" if we assumed that Siegfried was only still up, talking to James, because he was waiting for Audrey in episode 1. (sorry was too excited last night to notice this)

Siegfried and Jimmy at the breakfast table: can it get any cuter? Seriously! Reading medical textbooks to the baby is so Siegfried.

The story slowly unfolds after that of course and I didn't dare hope that Siegfried and Audrey would get more than two scenes for themselves. Setting my expectations very low for each episode is hard but rewarding because they were inseparable in that episode. Siegfried storming through the house, yelling her name, ranting about Bosworth, telling her everything he hates about that guy, is so married! Of course Bosworth hears everything and of course Siegfried puts his foot in. "Monopolising my housekeeper" - is one way of phrasing it but I think that 'housekeeper' is by now a very hollow expression, only used out of habit. And because every other term would give him away. He cannot say her first name, he cannot say partner, wife, companion, friend. I wasn't sure if the look Audrey shot him was because he called her 'housekeeper' or because he interfered her meeting and offended Bosworth.

Cue Siegfried apologising (scene number 3 for them!) almost immediately afterwards in his own special way. He fully accepts her terms and conditions and points out that he was only angry with Bosworth and not with Audrey who only had two training sessions so far. "feels like more" he mutters because he misses her and doesn't like sharing her. But he does not really understand that he is jealous. At least they talk now! Still not enough but there is so much more communication between them that is emotionally important and not your regular small talk.

As if this wasn't already enough, the next correctly predicted scene happens. Audrey riding her bike while on a round, finding poor Bingo and calling Siegfried for help. Once again the two share a frame but this time even more flirting is added. The looks are killing me and I can't believe what I just witnessed. There was admiration and pride, thankfulness and a tenderness in that scene that leaves no doubt that Audrey is slowly getting there.

The next scene with them doesn't help either because the first hint is dropped that Siegfried is too old for romance (and doesn't have a family) - which Audrey finds so funny that she has a hard time suppressing her laughter. Bosworth could not be more wrong. Seeing Audrey and Siegfried sitting opposite the warden, like the couple they unofficially are, in a house that reminds us of Gerald's dark bachelor flat, is the cherry on top of the cake. Followed by the epic car ride (prediction number 4!) that I rewatched directly afterwards.

Audrey teasing him and Siegfried knowing that she does but playing along. They are on fire. Additionally we have never seen Audrey so carefree, so at ease and happy, smiling and teasing throughout an episode. Gone is the weight that she had carried around for such a long time. She truly is free and Siegfried welcomes this with open arms. "There should be a line between employer and employee" "when is suits" - that line Siegfried pointed out in 01.02 has eroded. She can endlessly tease him and he joins in. Seize the day! And smile about it.

Only to step hard on the breaks later. Have we ever heard Audrey tease him like that? Or Siegfried answer in such a flirty sarcastic way? I don't think so. Will add "Stubborn beast" to the list of endearments Audrey uses for Siegfried.

And finally, the last scene. Not alone this time but the predicted, apron wearing husband. Adapting, helping, not being grumpy about it. And his wife who lets him fight his own battles because she enjoys the squabble between Bosworth and Siegfried way too much (when it is not about her).

[genderqueerdykes]

I have a quick question about topical T gel (I just saw your post about it from last year)

I have been using the gel for just less than 3 months and I usually put it on wearing a tanktop so it can dry out on my arms and not get on anything

You mentioned in your post that it shouldn't be exposed for about 2 hours after application and I wanted to ask why that was? I'm always worried about it getting on my t-shirt and not having it all absorb into my body, but is there a reason why it should be covered after being put on? (I do put on a shirt after it has dried out, not sure if that's relevant)

good question!

it's to prevent the transmission of the medication to other people, and also to protect the area from anything else that may rub against it. as long as you wait until the medication is fully absorbed as in no longer wet anymore to put on a t-shirt, you should be fine! as long as that garment doesn't get wet. it's reasonable to be worried about your shirt absorbing it, but as long as you make sure the area is completely dry before putting on your shirt, your shirt won't absorb any substantial amount of it, and you'll protect both yourself and those around you

you want to make sure that other people do NOT touch that area at least for 2 hours after applying the gel, and you want to make sure that you limit how much you touch that area and then touch other objects and people. it's very easy to transmit the medication to other people which can mess up their hormone levels, even if it's a small amount. after two hours it becomes safer for you and other people to touch the area but you'll still want to minimize how much other people touch that area/how much you touch it and then touch other things

applying lotion after putting on the gel can also help create a barrier between you skin and the outside. a lot of people report that this helps their gel absorb better or stay protected. i know a lot of people who use lotion after applying hormone gels so it might be worth it if you are concerned about anything getting absorbed by your shirt or anything else, for that matter. an extra barrier on the skin can help a lot

hope that makes sense! you're doing the right thing. your shirt will act like a barrier for both you and your ability to absorb the medication better. if you have any more questions feel free to ask! best of luck with your medical transition! hope you start seeing the results you want :)

[daffodildelight]

Enemies (Part Two) | Shuntarō Chishiya x Reader

Title: Enemies (Part Two)

Pairing: Shuntarō Chishiya x fem!reader

Summary: Things start to get a little bit heated between the two of you

Themes/Warnings: fluff, tiny bit of smut, season 2 spoilers, injuries, mention of blood, voyeurism kind of?

Word count: 2600sh

A/N: Since the first part was so well received I decided to pull a all nighter for you guys. Merry Christmas, here’s your part two. Highly unedited but I will make my way round to it.

Even with Chishiya protecting me from this blast it wasn’t enough. A few tiny bits of shrapnel from the grenade lodged itself into my arm. I couldn’t feel it at the moment because of my adrenalin but when it wears out it will hurt like I bitch. I’m just hoping it hasn’t nicked an artery. But that can be focused on later for now I have Chishiya pinning me to the ground protecting me from the King of Spades.

The King of Spades quickly sprints off towards Ann and the gang, completely forgetting about us. My guess would be when I kicked the grenade towards him and it exploded he didn’t see Chishiya and I dive to hide behind a different car. What luck we have. Chishiya is chest-to-chest with me. Faces super close to each other. We stay like that for a few seconds none of us saying anything. The tension is thick, but it’s soon over when Chishiya turns his attention to my arm. “Come on we have to go, you’ve been injured and we need to fix it. Let’s find a place to set up.”

Chishiya pulls me from the ground and walks us pretty far away from the King of Spade's blimp. This walk took us over an hour and I can start to feel my arm hurting. I look at my tight white long-sleeved t-shirt covered in blood, and Chishiya notices. “I think we should rest up there” Chishiya points to a sky tower. “Hight will give us an advantage over anyone” I start to sway ‘’Yeah, I think you might be right but I also want to sit down, I'm starting to feel very dizzy.’’

Chishiya and I make our way up a few flights of stairs until we agreed upon a level to stay on. We decided to stay on the 10th level, not too high if we get ambushed but also high enough to see what was happening on the street. Chishiya looks at me seriously before saying “I’m going to go scavenge, try and find us some food and medical supplies for you. I want you to stay here and set up our new space’’. I gave Chishiya an appreciative look ‘’That sounds like a great idea, and when you get back we can discuss our game plan.’’

Chishiya takes his leave and I start to look around the surrounding area to set up our space. This building was in the middle of being constructed so the entire floor was an open space, really was not much I can do with my limited resources and bloody arm. I spotted a small 2 seater couch in the corner of the floor and started moving it towards the centre of the room, making sure to face towards the door in case anyone comes in. It hurt like a bitch to move the couch but it needed to be done for the sake of comfort and security. I didn’t have any valuables on me so there wasn’t anything to unpack so I just sat on the couch waiting for Chishiya to come back to me.

You had been sitting on the small couch for what seemed like days, but in reality, it was just an hour. You felt nervous that Chishiya was out there all alone and if he ended up dead it would be your fault since he was getting medical supplies for you. Anxiously sitting on the couch waiting for Chishiya to come back, that was until you heard a noise coming up the stairs and heading towards the door. You hid behind the couch, in a low position so that when this person comes you could give them a surprise attack. But it wasn’t necessary because the person who walked in through the door was Chishiya with bags full of food and medical supplies. ‘’You can’t believe how much medical stuff there is left behind.’’ Chishiya gives a smirk.

Chishiya makes his way towards the couch and dumps the bags of food and medical supplies right in front of me. ‘’Alright let me get my medical kits ready, for now, I want you to take off your shirt and sit facing towards the door.’’ Chishiya explains. ‘’I’m sorry you want me to take off my shirt? Why can’t I just roll up my sleeve?’’ I try to debate, feeling nervous that this is how Chishiya will see me shirtless and not the way you imagined it to be. “You’re shirt is tight. If I roll up the sleeve it will cause pressure on the wounds which will make it impossible for me to close up. Now hurry up and get rid of it.” Chishiya sighs frustratingly before going to prep his kit.

Taking off my shirt was a lot harder than I thought it would be, making sure I don’t move my shoulder or let the fabric graze my wounds. There were a few times this happened and it caused me to let out a hiss which bought Chishiya's attention. He makes his way over, and stands in front of me assisting me to pull off my shirt. Once that was done I was only left in my lacy purple bra which was stained with blood. I looked up at Chishiya and he was looking down at me with his piercing brown eyes. You had never been this physically close to Chishiya apart from nearly being killed by a man with lots of rifles. Now I had the chance to actually observe his handsome features. Blonde hair drops down to his chin which suits his perfectly crafted facial structure, you now know why you kinda had a thing for him back at The Beach. He was so handsome.

We had been staring at each other for about upwards of 2 minutes and the tension was thick. Chishiya was the first to pull away and he goes to grab the medical kit and crouches next to me. He puts his gloves on and softly examines my wounds with his fingers. “You are very lucky the shrapnel didn’t hit your artery. You would’ve been in a bad place.’’ Chishiya continues to look over you before cleaning the wound, grabbing tweezers and pulling small chucks of metal out. It was agonising, I was trying to hold in my whimpers of pain to make myself look stronger in front of him but some did escape. “You know I thought I would have you whimpering in other ways” Chishiya whispers into your ear before pulling more shrapnel out.

“Ha very funny, how do you even how to do this? This hurts much less than I was expecting’’ I laugh but also feel physically hot from the previous comment. Chishiya let’s out a sigh before speaking “before all this, I used to be a doctor”. You shugged your shoulders ‘’I had a feeling that your career would be something like that with the way you react to things” Chishiya looks baffled “What do you mean?’’. You looked at him with a smirk and continued  “Medical professionals have to be calm in stressful situations. When we play these death games you always remain calm. Hell, today when everyone was running away from the King of Spades you were walking’’. Chishiya looks surprised “you're smarter than you look”. He finishes pulling out shrapnel and holds medical dressing to the wound to stop it from bleeding any future. He then gives you a look to hold the dressing as he then pulls out a thread and needle.

“While I was sitting here and waiting for you I was thinking about our game plan” I explain. Chishiya nods with approval and waits for me to continue while penetrating my skin with the needle. I let out a whimper again “I don’t think we can take on the King of Spades by ourselves and if we wait any longer our visas will expire which means we have to compete in a game.” I shift in my seat after Chishiya ties off the first stitch, still waiting for me to continue. “I don’t think we should do a spades game because I’m not physically up for it. Diamonds are out of the question because it’s my weakest point, these are face games which are harder than normal. Which leaves us with hearts or clubs. But what do you want us to do?”.

Chishiya finishes up with another stitch before saying “I agree with you, we aren’t enough for the King of Spades and our visas will run out if we even try. I think we should do the Jack of Hearts since it’s the closest to us.” You nod approvingly, “we will sleep tonight and get ready for tomorrow”. Chishiya goes to walk away and comes back with a brand new top for me, I had completely forgotten I was half naked in front of him this entire time. Pulling this new shirt over my head I remembered that there was only one couch and it isn’t big enough to fit 2 people to sleep on.

“Listen I’ll take the floor and you take the couch tonight as a thank you for patching me up” I smile. Chishiya doesn’t argue and goes to pull off his top and robe. I pull my hands over my eyes for respect but you really did want to have a look at his chest again. “Chishiya! What are you doing!” in a loud shout. “What? I sleep shirtless stop being childish” he replies with a teasing tone and a sexy smirk before collapsing onto the couch and chucking me a pillow. “Goodnight princess I’ll see you in the morning and don’t sleep on the sore side of your arm.” He says sarcastically. “Yeah, no shit sherlock” I laughed.

-

Waking up in the early hours of the morning is never fun but it’s good when you wake up earlier than Chishiya and can look at his beauty without feeling panicky that he could catch you, yeah this is a bit creepy but my feelings for him gotten deeper since the 10 of hearts game. Chishiya is laying chest down on the couch facing you, his hair brushed over his face and it moves every time he takes a breath. With the limited view you had, you gazed at his shirtless torso, this guy is ripped! Just makes you feel all hot and bothered but you can’t help but imagine Chishiya in a more sexual way. Imagine waking up to Chishiya on top of you leaving neck kisses and whispering words of praise into your ear. His strong hands grazing your sides and hips grinding into yours. Your hands in his hair tugging at him to continue his assault on your body while letting out whimpers and moans. “You like what you see?” speaks Chishiya from the couch as his eyes make direct contact with you. Immediately snapping out of your daydream you recover with a fake laugh “as if”.

Chishiya and you get ready for the game, not before trying to get one last glimpse of Chishiya’s abs. Packing up your stuff you head towards the exit. “How's your arm feeling?” Chishiya asks “Can I take a look at it after this game just to make sure it’s okay and that there's no infection?”. You let out a light laugh “You care about me Chishiya? Of course i’ll let you have a look but you’ll have to pay me good money to get a look at my sexy arm” Chishiya groans and you end the conversation with a wink.

Arriving at the game venue early is always good, it gives you a chance to look at the venue and figure out any crucial information. Chishiya and I arrive at what looks like a prison, in the entranceway is a table with multiple collars. Chishiya puts his one on first then I do mine and it seems like we are some of the firsts here. “Come with me, let's have a look around the game venue” Chishiya states and without hesitation, you follow. Nothing seems out of the ordinary apart from having a huge pantry. You and Chishiya make your way to the cells where you can hear whimpers and moans. Chishiya and you turn and look right at each other, both thinking of ways to use this information in the game. We both head towards the cell to see who is having sex. A man and woman both in business suits are screwing each other in the cell, him having her from behind.

As Chishiya and I walk away from the cell all I can think is what if Chishiya and I were doing that? It slowly consumes my thoughts but I soon snap out of it before Chishiya notices me daydreaming again. We head to the main lobby and wait 10 short minutes, by then the lobby is filled with people who are risking their lives for visas. The last man walks in making the amount of people in the room stand at 20. He has very broad shoulders and a look on his face that could make you freeze. Chishiya sighs next to you while he leans against the wall.

The P.A. then chimes “Difficulty level, Jack of Hearts. Game, Solitary Confinement. Rules, Guess the card suit that appears on the back of your collar. However, you may not look at the symbol yourself. The time limit is one hour per round. In the final five minutes, enter your cell and disclose your symbol. If you do not answer with the correct symbol the game is over. The collar will explode and you will die. Additionally, when the time limit reaches zero the symbol on the collar will reset and change for each round.” Discussion can be heard throughout the lobby area, you overhear people saying that we can just give each other the answers but you and Chishiya know that it's not gonna be that easy. The P.A. continues “The solitary confinement game is about how much you can trust your fellow players. Be aware that your opponent, The Jack of Hearts, has already been placed among you.” I turn to look at Chishiya and laugh “who could’ve guessed”. The P.A continues a third time

“How to win. Rounds repeat every hour. You win the game when the Jack of Hearts dies.” you look around the room and see players try to take off their collars to no avail. “Prohibited actions. Looking at your symbol with a reflective surface is cheating. Players must not use weapons or violence to kill fellow players.” Chishiya goes to whisper into my ear with his hot breath “This means that the only way this game will ever end is if the Jack gives the wrong answer. So basically no one here is getting out alive unless they lie to the Jack.” You have to admit Chishiya’s intelligence is a real turn-on for you and you can’t help but notice how close you 2 are right now. His back is right up against yours while he’s whispering into your ear. You have to bite into your lip to compose yourself.

“There is no limit to the number of rounds. Enough food has been provided. While participating in this game no days will be removed from your visas”. Chishiya shifts his body so he’s now facing you super closely and whispers quietly “So we need to start lying, find the Jack of Hearts and kill them off, or we’ll live out our days in this prison. Soliartary for life.” he leans in even closer to you. nose to nose. “I wouldn’t mind spending the rest of my days here with you” he finishes while staring into my eyes with his perfect face. We were rudely interrupted by the P.A system again.

“The game will now commence”