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yanderenightmare · 4 months ago

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Aemond Targaryen

♡ TW: arranged marriage, implied incest, HOTD in general

♡ fem reader

Aemond took Vhagar, and you took his eye for it. It became the day your family tore down the middle. Your mother, heir to the throne, retreated with all of you back to Dragonstone, where you’d been hiding for a longer time—once again leaving Kingslanding in the hands of its dying King and the surrounding Greens.

You think it’s all the same, really—you’d rather stay away from that place anyway. Of course, you regret having taken your uncle’s eye. It was, after all, not even your fight—nor was it very ladylike. But you can blame your mother for that. She never taught you temperance—or any manners at all, for that sake. Still, blinding one’s own family isn’t right. And yet, it’s a sin you learn to live with over the years spent removed from its victim.

On Dragonstone, you’re free—on dragonback, for the most part. You’d long left the matters of the court to your brothers. Jace was the one who’d be King after your mother, while Luke would be Lord of Driftmark, and you’d stay here—on Dragonstone. By yourself and to yourself. You’d still have to marry, of course, there’s no way around it—but like your mother, you’d get to choose for yourself. That much, you have no doubt.

If you could, you’d always stay on Dragonstone, isolated from anywhere else, but it seems, once again, Kingslanding calls for your return. The King has taken a turn for the worse, and with it, your mother has grown wary of her claim. And so, the heir to the throne and her family along with her were all to voyage home.

You sigh as you look at the approaching castle. It’s not how you remember it, but whether it’s uglier or smaller or something else entirely isn’t clear to you as you watch from the ship. When all this bickering and uncertainty would end, you couldn't know but hoped it would be soon so that you could return swiftly. In a way and in a thought you would never voice out loud, the King’s death would bring about a much-needed calm in your family. Your mother would take the throne as is her birthright, and all else would be put to rest.

Oddly, no one came to welcome you when you arrived. Even your red Targaryen banners had turned green in your absence, as if the groundskeepers had neglected their duties and let the weeds grow as they pleased. No doubt, it would be yet another troubling topic over dinner.

But not one you’d bother yourself with. You make your way to refamiliarize yourself with the grounds instead—walking down a hundred turning memory lanes in the castle as if trying to find the center of a maze. You remember why you left this place—barren halls, all filled with nothing but the whispers of your hair color not being silver. Such things didn’t reach across the waters—they couldn’t touch you back on Dragonstone. Being back doesn’t feel much like a homecoming at all—more like a return to something foreign—even though that makes little sense.

You tell your assigned kingsguard to escort you to your chambers, but on the way, you hear the chimes of something more compelling. And following it, you find yourself on the balcony of the training arena.

And oh—you hardly recognize him. Tall and lean, all riddled with taut muscles he’s sharpened like the blade held in his grip. His hair is neatly combed, long, and perfectly silver like moonlight off a lake. The only thing disrupting it is the black leather patch covering his eye. And while you watch him swing his sword all so mercilessly but with a certain grace you’ve never before seen, you can't help but imagine you're the straw doll he's practicing on.

His eye meets yours without warning. One moment, he’s focused on his training and the next, he’s zeroed in on you.

You can’t help but flinch, skirting back as if the railing had suddenly burnt you. And then, well, shamefully, you very nearly ran away—skittering back into the maze as though wanting to find someplace to hide.

You want to return to Dragonstone. More than a yearning now, it’s almost a must. You’re nearly fetching your dragon from the pit to leave immediately, but you know that wouldn’t be proper. Your mother would be upset with you, and you’re not one to disappoint her. She has enough worries as is. You wouldn't make yourself one of them. And so you stay.

Your maids bathe you and then help you get dressed. And then you join the rest of your family for supper—dreading the presence you’d felt earlier, knowing he’d be there as well.

You keep your gaze fixed on your meal, and yet you can feel his one-eyed stare from across the dinner table. Neither of you looks anywhere else. And neither of you speak.

Aegon says many things—none of which you hear—though, possibly slights about your origin. It seems he and your brothers are arguing. But it’s nothing new. The King, your grandfather, the poor old man, shares words of family and love to defuse the tension once and for all. But you can’t agree—not when the one-eyed glare feels to lash out at you like the fire of an untamed dragon.

The Queen, of all people, salutes your mother. It seems genuine enough. And still, you don’t feel her sons share in her show of respect.

Jace rises and offers Helena to dance—ever the dutiful son. Luke follows in his lead and offers the same to Rhaena. And then, much to the twist of your own empty stomach—your plate of food untouched—Aegon also rises and takes a drunken step in your direction.

Still, he’s the lesser of two evils around the table. But shortly after taking his second step, he’s beaten to the punch by said greater evil. His hand reaches out, yet you don’t dare acknowledge the offer. Coated in goosebumps, you feel frozen.

“Didn’t you hear the King, dear niece?” he speaks—lowly in a hush. “The family feud has been resolved now. We ought to usher in its newfound peace while it lasts. You and I more than anyone. Take my hand and let us dance atop grievances, dead and buried.”

You recognize the threat in his words. To deny him would mean rejecting said peace. And so, with a deep exhale, you lay your hand in his death grip and follow him to the floor. And now you really feel no different from that battered straw doll in the arena.

“You’ve grown up rather beautifully since last we saw each other,” he says.

You know you ought to utter a thank you, but no words dare escape the choke of your throat as he positions an all but crippling paw on your waist—the other in the air pressed flatly against your own.

“I, on the other hand, am too hideous to look at, it seems,” he adds when you don’t answer. Voice lowering even more so into a brisk whisper that no one but you would be able to hear, “Won’t you face me, dear niece? And gaze upon the atrocity you dealt when we were children.”

Finally, you pick your head up. “I—” You falter just as quickly—his smile catches you completely off guard. Still, your eyes go to the scar escaping his patched eye—deep and unforgiving where you’d ruthlessly slashed your knife. You swallow thickly. “You have my deepest regrets, uncle. There hasn’t been a day I haven’t asked the Gods for forgiveness.”

To that, he laughs. “There’s no need. I long forgave you.”

There’s an utterly misplaced joy in his eye you’ve never before seen. And you’re left wondering if he’s really the same Aemond you remember.

“Not a blade has struck me since,” he says, simpering. “In a way, I ought to thank you for it. It seems it’s given me luck.”

He doesn’t seem grateful, despite his words. Yet, he doesn’t sound spiteful, either. You don’t know what to make of it. If anything, he seems satisfied with something.

“Anyway, it’s not right for a man to bear ill will towards his wife.”

Your brows furrow. And a creeping chill befalls you. Certainly, you heard him wrong, or he misspoke, or you’ve misunderstood something somehow.

“Oh? They haven’t told you?” he asks—his lips curling further at the corners. “Oh, dear niece—why do you think you’re here? Just visiting?” he snickers.

You still don’t understand. Or maybe it’s that you refuse to. Looking at him desperately in wait for him to stop laughing and explain the joke, even if it’s on you.

“The King spoke of peace, but peace, as you must know, isn’t brought about without payment.”

You remain silent. Still waiting to have your doubts eased.

“Oh, do I have to spell it out for you?”

Despite his sigh, he doesn’t look any ounce worth of exasperated—no, rather amused.

“You’re unwed. As am I,” he finally clarifies, and yet it does nothing to dispel your troubled head. “Marriage has always been the Targaryen way. I’m surprised you didn’t know,” he continues unbothered, a certain snideness to his tone, “But then again, you and your kin aren’t very Targaryen at all, are you?”

You don’t humor the insult. After all, you were way more concerned with what he’d said about marriage.

“Don’t worry. It’s not what matters. Not to me, at least,” he says. “I, for one, welcome our union.”

Your feet follow his lead as he dances with you in the palm of his hand.

“It’s rather poetic, isn’t it?” he smiles again. “You took my eye. And so, dear niece, I shall take your hand and everything attached to it.”

#aemond targaryen #aemond one eye #hotd aemond #prince aemond #aemond x reader #targaryen x reader #yandere aemond targaryen #yandere aemond x reader #hotd smut #hotd #house of the dragon #yandere x reader #yandere #yandere x you #yandere imagines #yandere smut #yancore #smut

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is-this-even-relatable · 6 months ago

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Danny runs an Infinite Realms shop. Curiosities from every dimension, any culturally significant item lost to time, and some cheap china. He’s got it all~

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NEW FIC IDEA JUST DROPPED

Ok so i’ve been steeped in the dpxdc for many a year now. I've seen a bit of everything. I want to combine some of those ideas with a bit of my own headcanon and see what takes shape.

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Danny, half dead and half alive, one of the rarest species in existence, grown up yet still so young considering his immortality, powerful sovereign of an infinite dimension of beings from every possible world and universe, decides to settle somewhere and take it slow. After all, he's got eternity to do so.

So he finds a dimension he thought could only exist in comic books, and thought to himself, Now this, this is a nice place to settle. He loves how many heroes there are in this world, heck there are even aliens! Yet there are many heroes for a reason. With so many dark forces in the universe, it had to produce many bright beacons of hope to balance the encroaching evil. That is another reason why he chose this particular dimension, and this particular city. There was just so much negative energy, too much, in fact, that the heroes in this city, Gotham, could not keep up. He hoped that over the next century or however long he remained in this dimension, that his presence would provide a much-needed balm to the area, and that the sickly dark fingers of cosmic corruption would lessen. If not, well, he could always take a more direct approach. After all, he had the power of infinite universes backing him, one measly dimension’s worth of corruption against him would be like a minnow trying to catch a shark.

With a little bit of time travel shenanigans (thanks, Clockwork!), Danny soon has a perfectly legal identity as one Daniel James Fenton-Phantom, 30 years old (he figures he can pass as such, even though he stopped aging around 25), from a random town in bumfuck Illinois (sue him, it’s familiar). And after a bit of researching, Danny chooses a small street in the rougher side of the city. Not too big to be deemed as suspicious for buying practically the whole block, and out of the way enough to not attract too much attention. He spends a couple weeks getting used to the energy in this new dimension and setting up his haunt. He cleaned up what he was now referring to as “his street” in his head, and got rid of the debris, trash and general wear from the buildings. He hired some locals to renovate one, an old apartment that he was planning on renting out and staying in. He also chose a smaller building, somewhat tucked away in the corner, to use as his own personal store. The rest he leased out for cheap to small and struggling local businesses. He figured it’s the least he could do after already occupying so much space.

Several days later, and voila, his home was set.

#DPxDC #dp x dc #prompt #mine #is-this-even-relatable prompt

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qvrcll · 6 months ago

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summary: with your subsequent marriages, you assumed that whatever friendship, and within it, desire and longing, you had with aemond in childhood had long since dissolved. but a dragon rarely ever yields.

warnings: EXPLICIT CONTENT AHEAD, childhood friend, non-targ reader, young betrothals, forced marriage mentioned, targcest marriage (a/h), possessive themes, dark aemond, (kinda) exhibitionism, finger in p, p in v, breeding kink, infidelity, cursing, slight dub-con but not really, aegon is a sorta decent friend if not a present and worthy husband, no dance of dragons

wc: 6.2K

author’s note: just watched ep 5 and i still stand by my slightly psychotic, slightly convoluted, wholly ambitious princess, but he’s on thin ice – aegon has suffered enough! you’ve made your point as king regent. this lowkey came to me in a melatonin-induced dream so excuse the errors if there are any, i haven’t written for this man since 2022! also, i’m so sorry aegon lol but then again, there is nothing more than friendship between him and reader – it’s just the principle that stings. oops :,) / dividers by strangergraphics

Carriage rides were always a handful.

More-so now, that you were a mother, cupping the back of your child’s head and bouncing him eagerly on your lap to keep him from fright, whilst your husband sat beside you, sticking his finger between the ridge of the little boy’s top lip and nose in a manner of teasing.

Rhaekar was a name that both you and Aegon had agreed upon. A fine name for a fine baby boy.

Fresh out of the womb and nursed delicately against your breast, Aegon’s usually frivolous and disengaged habits had quelled at the low cries that left the tiny bundle of cloth at your breast. He had uncharacteristically poked his head up and down, trying to catch a glimpse of the little wrinkled flesh, slick with blood and fluid.

He is tinier than I expected, he had said in a hushed tone, his ringed finger delicately tracing the fat of the newborn’s cheek, as if afraid to hurt it.

Most babies are, if not smaller, you had smiled.

It really was no secret. Your marriage with Aegon was not bourne out of love, nor willingness. He had detested duty, and you had grown cold at the thought of a loveless marriage. Even as you stood at the Sept steps, clothed head to toe in white that mirrored the marble of fresh-tasting cream frosting, cloaked in the regal cream of the Targaryen colours, the two of you had been too young to absolve or deny such a proposition.

But the years passed to prove that friendship could sprout in the absence of love. Aegon did not love you in a way you had hoped to be loved by someone, anyone. But he loved his son, and the friendship you held with him was near enough.

“He’s going to drool all over you,” you fuss gently, watching as your son takes his father’s finger into his two hands and grasps it like rope. A laugh is pulled out of Aegon – adoration is clear in his light irises.

“Do not worry, my dear boy,” Aegon drawls, broad and toothy smile catching the lines on his face, “Your father doesn’t mind.”

“He has grown.”

The third voice is a surprise, if anything. Yet it strikes a deep cord within you, familiarity bubbling in your chest at the age-old smooth voice, curved syllables.

Aemond.

You had been mildly conscious of his presence, and with him, Helaena, sitting across from you in the carriage. It wasn’t customary to be lodged in a single carriage like so, but with the destination being the annual hunt and Rhaekar’s name day, the family would need to be close. Well-knit as they walked out of the carriage for appearances.

Yet, you cannot help but hold Aemond’s one-eyed gaze for one second too necessary, to notice how he watches the three of you like a hawk.

Aegon breathes in softly, clearly distracted by the little babbling boy as he hauls him out of your lap at the arms and takes to playing with him more efficiently. You’re left to answer his brother’s question with a simple smile.

“The Maesters say he is growing up strong and fast,” your hands come to lay across each other on your lap, the action not being missed by the younger Prince’s steely, unreadable gaze. You almost burn under it, but you chalk it up to the closed space.

He doesn’t respond, but simply tilts his head forward in a single nod. When you look back to Rhaekar upon Aegon’s lap, he rips his gaze from your face to the youngling’s.

In his mind, he is barely hanging on. Stuffed in a carriage with a brother he would rather wrangle than humour, a lady wife he is bound to duty alone and the sight of his childhood companion – love, friend, half of his heart, whatever that constitutes – wed and mothering a son with not only another man, but his own debauched brother. He would sooner die than stomach that.

But Aemond holds more restraint than most mortal men. At least, he thinks he does. His single eye traces over the soft of your son’s cheeks and the ovals of his eyes – all traces of Aegon. All traces of you. His hands clench against the thick leather of his pants, trying to seem indifferent, as his eye trains back to your face.

Your gaze floats back to his. Only the two of you understand that there is a tension floating between you, but you alone do not understand it. He is hard to read now, more than ever. The event at Drift-mark had shut you out from all his previous behaviours, his usual antics and juvenile tendencies. Now, a hardened and roughened man remained, whatever trace of friendship conjured in your childhood being a mere floating memory now.

At least, it seemed like it.

“Ah, here we are,” Aegon chimes blandly, pointing to the carriage window to ascertain which Lords were which, and which camps held best.

The moment breaks as the footman hurries to the door, and with it, you step outside beside Aegon and clutch Rhaekar at your chest with a smile. Beside you, Helaena and Aemond step awkwardly together. The sight of cheerful men and ardent cheers overwhelm you, and you push back the feeling arising in your chest with a lost sense of conviction.

The maids are gentle with your son, and it is all that you need to quell your thoughts and feeling heart.

You are able to catch a moment of reprieve amongst the tent that was erected for the likes of you and Aegon. Being the first born son, the tent served to reflect exactly that. It lay amongst the middle of the camp, green silks draped over wooden posts in different shades, like thick vines draping from the ceiling. Where there had been thick ground outside, had now been replaced by a verdant carpet, embroidered by gold all throughout. An extravagant faux-throne stood at a few steps to the right, and a swath of low cushions to your left – toys lay upon those cushions, with your son teething at a toy that a maid had gently placed at his feet.

Lords and Ladies flitted from here and there, passing like blurring bodies in your vision. A few stopped to greet you, and engage in conversation is pressing their advantage, though you were polite. There wasn’t much to look forward to – the small array of ladies gathered around chairs and carpets would surely do more to discomfort you than engage you in something meaningful.

At the back of the tent, a low serving table lay with refreshments. For all your knowledge, Aegon never really did reign in his inhibitions – there was already a pitcher half-full, and a goblet half-drunk on it. Aegon was somewhere, possibly entertaining some few of his many Lordly friends.

The ache of love could not be quelled by friendship.

You sip your wine slowly. In times like these, left alone to your own devices and given the option to drink, engage or settle with some ladies, your mind tended to wander instead. You tilt your cup to your lips, the sight of the fruitful wine giving way to a faint image in your mind.

It was his twelfth name day. You remember it so clearly – waking up before the maids and selecting your frilliest, prettiest gown for the occasion, frowning and whining when they insisted different colours and styles, fashioned with embroidery or gems.

You had wanted it to be special for Aemond.

Being one of his most beloved childhood companions, you wanted every intention to count. You knew it mattered when you stepped into the gardens, dressed in a delicate green gown, with red-dotted jewellery to dot your neck and fingers. He had been standing there, waiting anxiously, and nearly fell face front when he approached you.

You look… really pretty, he had stuttered.

Thank you, Aemond, you had giggled, enjoying the way his tongue had turned liquid in his mouth at the sight of you.

The plans had been made that day – whatever he wished for. When breaking fast, he couldn’t keep a hold of his tongue as he clutched your palm and led you hastily down the halls of the Red Keep. He knew that the day would entail later; extravagance and little time. Little time for you, and the thought soured his mind.

First, there was the clearing near the woods. He didn’t mind the presence of the knights trailing behind much, and neither did you. All he cared for was the feeling of perching his head nervously against your lap, fighting a smile as you braided flowers within his hair. It had been a sweet, long affair. Next, it had been the banquet dinner, and he had saved a space in the chair beside his own. His smiles never left you, his eyes always chasing your own, smiling bashfully when he did something worthy of impression to you.

And then, at the end of the day, past the pesky guards and the prying eyes of your parents – came the Dragon-pit escapade.

What if we get caught? Someone could see us, you voiced in worry, despite your eyes betraying the excitement broiling in your gut. Aemond had merely tugged at your wrist, boyish grip a little too tight for comfort, yet neither of you cared much.

No one will catch us, he smiled nervously, as though unsure of himself.

When the two of you tentatively descended the rocky steps of the massive crypt, you had held closer to him. Aemond tried to calm the jump in his pulse when your palm squeezed around his, or the way your shoulder bumped softly against the ridge of his back when the dark got too frightening.

Just stay close to me, he murmured. Though only a few centimetres taller than you, he was speaking with more confidence than what lay in him.

You had stayed close with a tight nod, your soft breath against his nape. He was scouring the darkness – the smell of Dragon-spit and smoke marred the air heavily, and the mechanical groans of a few of the pit’s creatures emboldened the darkness a little more. You clung to him even tighter, the silk of your dress pressing against his leathers. When the first dragon, however unrecognisable, had grown weary of your intrusion and lit its flame, you covered your eyes and ears. He had ducked you behind him, though he quivered just as much, and had covered you with both arms in an embrace.

Look, he had breathed.

And what a sight it had been.

Yellow climbed atop orange as dragon-fire spilled forth from a gargantuan throat of an unnamed dragon. It raised across the dark rock of the ceiling, lighting the space like a well-lit room, the heat bearing down against you like the summer season of the realm. Where there was fear, now there was also awe, as you and Aemond clung to one another. When the room dimmed, the two of you ran hand in hand above ground, falling atop each other in a hurry to rid of the pit’s darkness.

The added weight of you above him was barely registered, with your childish laughter filling the air in cacophonies, his hands a welcome weight against your hips. However that night ended, you do not remember. Did the two of you trek to the Red Keep in barely concealed laughter? Or did you peek at the stars when the guise of friendship had moved on to a tenderer feeling?

“My Lady?”

You blink like a fish out of water. Your wine is long gone, and you find yourself staring at the maid in front of you, who views you with the same sort of concentration, just a tinge of concern in her eyes.

It appears your thoughts might have drifted – Rhaekar had been fussing for you from the carpeted floor, barely able to sit still against the silk drapery and consoling maids.

“Forgive me—“ you begin, setting down your goblet and lifting yourself off the chair you had unknowingly seated yourself upon, approaching the child with a twinkling smile, “My sweet boy. Do you miss me?”

The boy babbles happily at your voice, recognising the soft tone of his mother’s voice. He clings to the collar of your blue silks, the embroidery against your collar being fisted in his little hands. You smile, entertaining the small boy as the maids watch with an affectionate smile.

From the corner of the room, Aemond watched. He always did – and he had been, especially now. His eye had lingered when you were day-dreaming. How twisted it was for an unreadable man of his station to desperately want to know the inner workings of another. He supposed he was this sort of man now – barred and unaffectionate, cruel by practice.

His duty to Helaena was just that. There wasn’t love, but a deep-seated admiration and bond with the quiet girl. He had been close with his sister, but he had never seen her as more – they had hardly sired heirs of their own. Targaryen customs had never repulsed him; he was no stranger to the much exercised practices of his house. But there was no deeper reason to feel more for her and the act of intimacy was hidden deep in his chest, unwilling to be made known to anyone but you. And she felt the very same with her own duty, seated in the far corner of the room, taken to her maid, who watches as she palms a spider carefully.

But you – God’s, you were different.

His childhood companion of when he was much too young to know of the atrocities of loss and shame, the one he chased with his eye alone and caught in a full room. He could abandon all feeling and you would still be in his chest, thudding place of his heart.

He could hardly tear his one, assessing eye off of you. Those silks, that draped off your form, curving against you in the places he wished he could memorise. Your hair wasn’t the silver of his Targaryen own, but a colour of your own – he had always admired it closely in childhood, perhaps another outlet of his devotion of you.

But now, watching you tend to your child, a child that he could easily confuse as his own, he felt something… in his gut.

He was that sort of man now – the sort of man who knew long ago of what he truly wanted.

“Trouble?” he asks smoothly, without much hesitation or emotion, as he crosses the room to stand beside you. His arms are folded behind his back, a habit he had developed with his roguishness, as he looks down at you.

You’re hardly surprised. You knew he would seek you out somehow – perhaps for conversation. It felt nice, for a moment, regarding him without looking into his eye and seeing the tension that lay within it, raw and confusing. You were forced to bury whatever you felt beneath lines of formality.

“He always is,” you smile at Aemond, dusting the front of your gown as you straighten to your full height, “Are you having a good time?”

“I suppose,” he hums. Brisk and short – you do not mind. You have grown used to that. But what makes your hair stand on edge is the look he gives you. Like he is studying you, trying to figure you out. His eye blinks towards the room, uncharacteristically relieved to find Aegon nowhere near, before he offers his arm.

“Walk with me.”

More demand than request, but his tone is not at all harsh and soft in his own way. Watered down and guarded but not forced, like it was nature to be with you so. Your heart flutters in your chest. There is no reason to deny.

“Lead the way,” you answer with a familiar smirk, which leaves a ghost of a smirk on his own lips. You leave the tent, arm warmly wrapped against Aemond’s own, after ensuring Rhaekar was satisfied with the stuffed renditions of dragons and the maids that coo at him when the drapery slides into place with your exit.

If the men assembled around the camp were surprised by your company, they made no show of it.

No protest rang as you and Aemond made for a thin path in the woods, mind anywhere but within the moment. The heat of your skin was warming his rib and arm, and the presence of him was making a familiarity dawn upon you.

Where there had been easy conversation in the past, there were silences and the light crunch of boot upon leaf. You didn’t blame him much – the change does not repulse you. He had always been a thoughtful boy in the past, and the silence had only grown. He tended to think more now, second guessing his words and choosing which words to best fit with you. He didn’t know where the two of you stood – was it fit to feel greedy even now?

The sounds of the creaking woods and crackling leaves are finally broken by his speech, “How are you?”

You look at him with mild surprise, a soft smile on your face as you regard him. His one eye is genuine as it looks upon you.

“Do you want the truth or something soft-sounding?” you jest, but he merely breathes softly.

“You know what I want,” he states with not so much as a smile, but his tone is light. Did you know what he truly wanted? Perhaps not. It would frighten you, surely.

“I am well. Rhaekar left me a little exhausted and sore, but the recovery has come along well,” you answer, “Truly, I am well.”

He pushes his luck, “And your marriage?”

It should surprise you, but it doesn’t. He’s always been eager at his hand, no matter how much restraint he had learnt over the years.

You sigh through your nose, “My duty, you mean. It is… not as horrible as it ought to be. Aegon is… well, Aegon. We perform what we must. He is a friend to me, in a way. No lover. But… it is good, I suppose.”

Something about the mention of a satisfactory marriage with his leech of a brother had his mind boiling with anger. He didn’t expect – much less hope – for you to be miserable. No, he was never that cruel to you. Perhaps to others, but not you. But the smell of friendship unnerved him. It was how he was taken to you – would Aegon follow that same path, find himself infatuated and easily claim your heart as it was already done legally through marriage? Would he standing by the sides when time would run out?

“Hm,” he repeats, monotone. He was clenching his fists, you notice, and visibly stiff against you. Something had angered him, and you wouldn’t just sit around to find out.

“What is it?” you ask, a frown on your face.

He takes note of it, almost wanting to press his index finger against the middle of your brows, to see the frown dissipate. But he held his hands back – that greed would get the better of him.

He steels himself, stopping by a large tree. It looms above the two of you, like a sledge-hammer, the roots taking place underneath your feet in bumps and ridges. The leaves are speckled across the vast amounts of branches, green and white in the cold sunlight. But the gaze he gives you is enough to warm your insides for good.

“It irks me,” he speaks truthfully for the first time in years, and for once, it feels freeing. His conscience is still heavy, “Your marriage with the… likes of him.”

You pause. This was traversing some grounds, this stupefying discovery and suspicion. Your vows and your duty flit through your head like the numerous scrolls in the Sept, the weight of the realm atop your shoulders. You had seen him in similar lights, but the truth almost made him vulnerable, angry. Fear griped at your chest, as you look at him like he was strange for saying such a thing.

“Well, it shouldn’t,” your voice is wary, a swallow diminishing the flurry in your belly, “We have a duty to uphold. Me, to Aegon. You to Helaena.”

He comes to a halt beneath one of the branches, disgruntled in a way that you cannot see. Aemond feels his tongue slacken in his mouth, the weight of another man’s anger resting in his body – or was it his? Hidden and barely known, even to himself? Was it the anger, the bitterness, that he held as young child, now refusing to be shown?

You notice his stiffness, but make no move to coax him out of him. He had to snap out of it.

“You have Helaena,” you repeat, softer if only it would soothe whatever line he was transgressing, “She is your lady wife.”

He scoffs. It is a sound that catches you off guard. In the past, he would have conceded and offered a hasty apology. Or perhaps in reluctance. But he was brash now, bolder. His shoulders squared, as his head moved an inch to look back at you, silver tresses spilling over the jerkin he wore.

“Helaena. She is my dear sister,” his voice is blank, “There was never any sort of love there. You know that.”

Your eyes widen. He was being truthful, more than usual. He was unravelling, surely, and the coldness of the forest sears away to be replaced with a warmth that nips at your heel. His eye only holds some light of anger and truth, never fear – but that is within him, refusing to be shown.

You look at your feet, distractedly picking your gown up from an edge of a root, “She is your wife, nonetheless.”

The words work more to anger him – you know this because a piece of his jaw sets in place, and he fully turns to face you. He had always been a head taller, but now, he was towering above you. Looming. The tree barely intimidated you as such – regal beauty closing in on you like Valyrian smoke.

“She is my wife,” he begins again, voice low. He approaches you, and you move backwards on cue. He stops upon notice, a sharp breath breaking the silence, “But you—“

“But me?” your voice is incredulous, “What about me? What am I to you but a friend from childhood—”

He moved closer, and you lose some semblance of control as he crowds your space. Your back presses against the bark of the large tree, uncomfortable and poking against the soft length of your gown. But you do not care, and neither does he. His fingers almost reach up to touch your arm, but he doesn’t dare. Not yet.

“Do not fool yourself,” he sneers, one eye looking down at you in a way that burns your skin once again, “You are more. You might have not known, but I did – you’ve always been more.”

His fingers finally concede, tracing the gooseflesh on your elbow as you twitch under him. Your eyes are wide and shocked, but you do not make a move to stop him, nor his words. He knows you are a proud lady by nature – you could easily make quick of this conversation and never return to him. But your eyes hold the truth. You’re half curious, as you are fearful and just as selfish as him, though you think of yourself better at hiding it. He smirks slightly.

“You should have been mine,” his eye searches your face, his finger trailing up to touch the side of your chin, a touch too soft.

If the bottom of your stomach hadn’t dropped before, it definitely had in this very moment. The leaves rustle softly as you feel your back scratch against the bark, your face warming where he touches you. The two of you are crossing a line, the both of you, because you make no move to leave. You lean into his touch ever so slightly, seeking for the warmth that lies there. Targaryens and their heat.

“We mustn’t,” your voice is weak, barely a deterrence, but you try anyhow. You know better than to give into the urges, the fears and hopes that belonged to a whole different time. A time where the two of you were much younger, and ignorant in a sweet sense, making light of the weight on your heart. But now, festering all throughout your adolescence, it had begun to take root, “We belong to others—“

Aemond makes a sound between a grunt and a scoff, as he traps you against the bark. His hands loop around your waist, the touch dangerous and a tell-tale warning of yourself and him, too, in a sense. But he doesn’t losen his hold, and you sigh shakily as he hauls you closer, chest to chest.

“We belonged to each other long before we belonged to others,” he manages in a ragged tone. In a tone that suggests that you knew better, just like he did, and that it was no better playing the fool. You supposed he was right – it was out in the open, and the two of you were chest to chest, like he’d tear your gown open and make love to you in the solace of the forest alone. Not much to hide now. Not much to disguise.

But still, you try. You pretended to not know better.

“That was in childhood—“ you struggle against his arms, heavy breaths stifling your lungs like sea-smoke as he comes so close, too close. His lips are at the corners of your own, his one eye so close as to depict the many different etches in his eyepatch, “I am your brother’s lady wife now.”

He tightens his hold around the small of your back, and you fail to ignore the warmth that builds all over. You are beginning to feel fuzzy, to let go of all your inhibitions, your restraint. And he was too.

“The laws of matrimony were forged by men,” he speaks smoothly against your lips, “They mean nothing to me—not when it comes to you.”

Your last ditch effort to deny crossing the line is futile – you sharply move your face away from him, the sight of his face ripping away from your line of vision. It proves to be a poor effort, because he merely grunts, grabbing your cheeks with his calloused digits and shifting it back to where it was before. It is almost violent in a way, if it weren’t for the tenderness in which he looked at you.

Every breath feels heavy, and your hands come to rest against his chest, not knowing whether to push or pull. Your restraint was slipping, and there was little to stop you now. You could barely deny yourself, let alone him.

“Look at me.”

The order is so simple and you curse at how your eyes float to his. It was such an easy thing – finding his eyes in the harrowing darkness of the Dragon-pit, peering into his good eye and trying to ignore the blood and gore that marred his other, trying to discern his thoughts with a look alone. You had looked so easily.

And he knew. God’s, Aemond knew it.

The truth lay in them, as they had all along. Even with one eye, he was left blinded. How could he have let the pretence of your duties hold him back, when you were there for the taking?

You knew it too – the lack of such a burn was abysmal in your own marriage. The presence of it now left you cloudy brained, hazy, and you couldn’t navigate the barest of thoughts. Before, caution would have been exercised. Now, there was an utter lack of it. A lack of patience, a lack of restraint, and a lack of all of which made you and Aemond.

With a slow pace, you let slide your hand against the nape of his neck, slowly trailing up and feeling the long strands that lay there, pale and silver against your fingers. You had once told him that it reminded you of star light. The truth stood now, even in the barely concealed brevity of your fingers. Not that you cared.

All restraint that the Prince had once retained in childhood snaps like a string and he surges forward. His lips are rough and a clatter of teeth, gum and tongue. He is not a patient man – so when he angles your head and licks against your lips, you keep your lips sealed for the thrill of it. Nevertheless, he wrenches your mouth open with his tongue alone, wrapping around your own like a muscle well-trained, noting every sigh and moan that escapes you.

His hands are all over you. There is surprise in the way it trails from your neck to your nape, to the back of your head and down your hip, his fingers thumbing your breast in the decline. You shudder against him, and he swallows your groan in earnest.

“So eager,” he drawls, though the need is thick in his voice, “I thought your vows meant more to you than this?”

“Fuck you,” you bite back, a strangled moan leaving you seconds later, as his fingers dive beneath your skirts and thumb your slit in a slow swipe. The words of retort die in your throat as you clutch fiercely to his shoulders, his pressing weight being the only source of support.

He smiled, tracing your bottom lip with his tongue, “You’ve always had a filthy mouth on you. A lady no less.”

No amount of breath could have braced you for the way in which his fingers dipped beneath the smooth fabric of your underwear, slipping past the pubic hair that lay there and catching your pearl in a tight-rounded flick. You moan in a way he hadn’t yet heard before, and his heart clenches uncomfortably. He had only ever felt such exhilaration when atop Vhagar, mapping the expanse of King’s Landing below. But he is greedy now – he knows that he can be.

He mouths a quiet ‘fuck’, as he positions his fingers in a way that breeches you so barely, before burying a long, lithe finger within you. He is not prepared for the way you buck against him, the broken syllables of his name leaving your lips – almost desperate. Did Aegon know that he was claiming his own wife so, with his fingers alone?

When his fingers ease you open enough, one too many to wrench just sighs out of you, he retreats his hand from your small-clothes. You whine at the loss of his warmth, the absence of the ball of his palm against your clit that warmed the wet flesh just right. He simply smiles, taking your earlobe into his mouth.

“Patience, ñuha jorrāeliarzy,” he purrs against the expanse of your throat. The odd, old language blends into his usual use of the common tongue, and you do not know how it excites you so. Perhaps the premise itself is so debauched – your childhood companion and the brother of your own husband dragging your own slick back and forth across your cunny, in the solace of a forest.

It only clicks after that he called you his love.

You can barely digest that thought when he barely steps back. His fingers hook against your small-clothes and yanks them down harshly, the fabric lying wet and soaked slightly between your legs. You feel no shame – you wish you did, because some clarity would do you some good. Instead, you hurriedly help him unlace the buckles of his leather, laces of his breeches. They lower enough to let his cock to spring free, sinful and dangerous as he presses the weight of him against you, dragging it across like a damn tease.

“Please,” you plead, breaths ragged and poor. He smirks, arms hooking under your shoulders to pull you closer against his chest.

“Your words, sweet girl,” he coos. The smirk that tears his face is devilish – you almost cower, if not for the lust clouding your system, the decade long affair boiling between you both.

“I need you to—“ you struggle at a swipe of his cock-head against your slick entrance, “I need you to—to fuck me.”

“Is that so?” he asks, amused, as he begins to press into you. So, so close, yet not enough.

You nod tearfully, “I need you—I’ve always needed you, and you’ve always known. I wish it was you. I wish we would have wed—“

The moan that rips through you is entirely his fault. The sharp way he breeches you, in one harsh moment – his fault. But who could blame him? The thought of you so desperate to change the course of fate, to be bound to him by matrimonial vows, makes his stomach burn. He knew he was a hypocrite – he had just sullied and mocked them, but if you were his by law, he would have made it count.

“Wanted you forever,” he grunts against your ear, cock spearing through you and splitting you in half against the bark of the tree. The bark bites into your back, and your hips begin to burn. He smells of Dragon-scale and fire. He must have ridden Vhagar sometime this week – it makes you clench tightly around him, as he stutters, pushing in deeper, “I would’ve wed you in a heartbeat, if not for those fucking duties.”

You aren’t faring any better than him, moaning and whining as he ploughs into you, holding you up with his strength alone as he batters you endlessly. He speaks again, pleasured at the sight of you so wordless, “Don’t care much for that. You’re mine. You’ve always been mine. My insolent brother would do good to remember that—fuck.”

You clench against him again, “Aemond—“

“Could spill my come in you now,” he pants, angling your hips to reach further into you, like he was taking the good parts of you and sullying them, just so he could lay his claim on you, “That fool would never know—you’d be round and swollen with my babe and he’d never fucking know—”

Excitement and fear gripes at your heart, as you look up at him in slight alarm. But you cannot help but entertain the thought – the mere thought of him laying claim on you so viciously, a formidable dragon in his own right, not caring for whatever that kept you apart. Gone was the boy that feared overstepping, that feared distance. Here was a man that would make space if he wished for it, lay claim on you because he craved you so.

With a strangled call of his name, you bite his shoulder firmly – not enough to cause hurt, but enough to have him grunt – as you near your release. A creamy ring forms around the base of his cock when he looks below, and he knows the sight is his undoing. He is close – so close.

“You’d like that wouldn’t you?” he taunts, yet spears in harder, “You’d like that so much.”

You can only nod helplessly, lost to the sensations swimming in your veins. He grunts through a wrangled moan, aroused by the way you let him.

It isn’t a surprise when you come first. It is a goal of his – as a man, to bring you ecstasy, before his own. But when he does come, it is deep within, a warmth that fills your body as he spills his seed deep inside your cunny. The two of you struggle against each other with ragged breaths, and his hand settles against the small of your back again, the touch leaving an impression.

“You’re insatiable,” you groan, though playfully, as you watch the product of his come drip from beneath you. He barely gives you any words, as his fingers collect the slick and quickly stuff the escaping wetness back in, ignoring the way your hips twitch away from him. Sensitivity. It makes him smile cruelly.

“Don’t you waste a bit of it,” he speaks, voice a drawl, thick with want. The weight of the truth lay between you two, but there was no need to navigate such a thing. You had known long, long before, even buried it underneath lays of flesh and bone.

He helps you dress again, and then himself, quick and expertly, your small-clothes containing the eager spill of his seed between your thighs. You do not miss the way his one eye glitters with some dangerous sense of pride, how he kisses your neck only so slightly. You smile, laughing softly, as he curls into the side of you, claiming a part of you and aiming for more – until you smell of nothing but Dragon-smoke and sweat.

“Let’s head back, before the others grow suspicious. For good reason,” you tug at his arm, your smile a balm against the ruined convictions of his past.

He offers a rare smile, letting himself be led away by you, just like in childhood, “Let’s.”

There was no need to fret the words – the two of you have always known, in some sense. Perhaps you’ll figure the future out sooner than you had before, with the added weight of him against your body.

#aemond targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen drabble #aemond targaryen x you #aemond targaryen x female reader #aemond targaryen fic #hotd fic

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paddlescuddlesbubblesgurgles · 7 months ago

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Recent Changes

I have been experiencing some changes recently.

My belly is bigger. Finally outgrowing 4XLs. Damn. Goodbye so many favorites. It’s just getting thicker and rounder. I’ve had a massive apron gut for awhile, but now it’s just widening. Won’t be long now until 5XLs are my new normal.

My arms are fatter. Seriously. My shoulders and upper arms are getting so thickly flabby, it’s silly. They’re just pillowy soft slabs of meat. Getting really saggy.

My wrists are really squishy looking. When I bend them back there is a few little rolls / folds of skin that weren’t there. They’re chubbier. My hands are fatter.

My double chin is…turning into a roll almost. This one is embarrassing. It’s getting so much fatter. Just this blobby collar of squishy flesh around my throat. It’s silly honestly! It’s really starting to plump up. I’ve had a double chin for many many years but this is crazy. It plops over my throat and is almost on my chest.

My thighs have fattened up further than I expected. I can lay my legs on top of each other in bed and it feels like I’m hugging a pillow between them. Serious upgrade. They’re just soft, meaty, squishy beanbags. They’re always been pretty huge, this isn’t a big change really. they do wobble even easier though, and I noticed my hand just sinks in when I rest it on them.

My stomach’s capacity has been so badly stretched. I was so embarrassed recently when I was out with friends and ordered just one entree and it simply didn’t fill me at all. I vacuumed it up and was left so badly wanting. I felt practically empty! Turns out gorging every night has consequences.

Getting up is slightly more difficult. This is my own fault. Spending hours on end seated without standing up and just eating has major effects.

I’m wide enough now to fill large armchairs and half or 2/3rds of some couches. That wasn’t on my list. I’ve been filling lots of furniture for years, but now I’m filling the larger ones with ease.

I’m almost totally grown out of all the largest underwear at Walmart / Target. That is annoying because then I must order that too.

I’m realizing I’m no longer just fat, I’m huge. I’ve started to become not only the fattest person in the room, but often in entire public spaces. Store aisles and small shops are getting cramped. I’m the fattest everywhere I go usually, with other fat people seeming smaller. Now only real blobs are fatter than me. Am I…becoming blobby? I’m always the fat friend, often being heavier than 2 of my friends combined, sometimes 3.

I cannot wait to stuff myself later. I hope I can’t stand after.

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byunpum · 7 months ago

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Back to you | Part 2

Pair: Jake(human and avatar) x Neytiri x Human reader (trio couple)

Warning: i think kinda sad. soft moments, maybe soft-smut in the future.

Note: Part 2 is here, I apologize for taking so long to upload it. There was a moment, where I changed a lot of things, I didn't want to make a long part. But soon I will upload part 3… btw, this story is based (it's like the prequel) of the mini series "mama's boy", I invite you to read it. I hope you enjoy this part a lot. Love ya <3

+Read 'Mama's boy' HERE+

AVATAR MASTERLIST | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 (final)

11 years ago…

The laughter and the atmosphere that wrapped around the family tree, the family members sharing and living with each other. It was something that Y/N loved with all her heart, a couple of months ago the clan had allowed grace to enter and interact with the clan. And with her was little Y/N, who was more than excited to share with her best friend, neytiri. Both girls had spent the whole day together, discovering the jungle, playing, and even taking naps on any branch. Of course, grace stayed in the clan. She occasionally looked up where you are, neytiri and you thought you were far away, but you are closer than you think. "Come, let's go ask Sempu," says Neytiri, holding her friend's hand. "You think they will say yes?" Y/N speaks, trying to keep up with neytiri. But the na'vi girl forgets that her friend is much smaller than her. Neytiri smiles at her friend, and keeps running towards her parents.

"They are planning something… I think it is necessary to warn the other clans" speaks grace. She was talking to mo'at, and neytiri's father. Both were responsible for the Omaticaya clan. "Do you think it is necessary… so far everything has been peaceful" says neytiri's father. "We have been peaceful…but you don't know what these people are like. There are humans…very bad ones," says grace. She knew the RDA was up to something…she had seen a lot of activity. She didn't want anyone to get hurt. "Mama!!!" shouts neytiri from far away. The adults changed their faces from one of worry to one of happiness when they saw the girls coming. Both girls run to their respective adults. Neytiri runs into her mother's arms and Y/n into grace's arms. You were a very young girl compared to the humans that were coming to Pandora. The only girl this young. Grace takes you by the arm and hugs you tightly. You liked it when grace was in her avatar body, she looked so cool. "What's wrong?" asks mo'at. Looking down at the little neytiri. The little girl gets up from her seat and stands in front of her mother. "Mama…Y/N can she stay over with me…with us?" asks neytiri. Waiting for her parents to say yes…she looks at her father with a big smile.

" you don't have to say," grace begins to speak, but is interrupted when little Y/N gets up from her lap and runs over to neytiri's father and hugs him around the waist. She hugs the man tightly and closes her little eyes. Grace tries to push the girl away, but neytiri's father laughs and caresses the little girl's hair. He had already grown very fond of Y/N, she was a very gentle creature, with a pure soul. "No, it's okay" the man speaks, looking for a moment at his wife. Mo'at gives him the look of approval. "sure…she can stay" says the man, listening as little neytiri screams with excitement. "We don't want to disturb" says grace. But mo'at refused. "Y/N don't disturb…she's practically part of our family" says mo'at. Neytiri jumps for joy, Grabbing her friend by the sides of her body, picking her up off the ground and running home. Grace stops y/n, looking for a moment at the oxygen machine, checking that everything was in order. After checking, she lets the girls run away. The adults try to stop neytiri, but both girls were so happy that only their giggles could be heard. "We'll warn the clans…but don't let them know anything" says mo'at, she was still watching the girls from afar. Grace only responds with a 'hmmm'.

Both girls arrived at the space where neytiri's family was resting. A large hand-woven hammock was tied tightly to the tree branches. Neytiri had helped her friend climb up the giant tree branches. Y/N had no problem with climbing things, of course. They both rushed to get the toys Neytiri had, pulling them all out and starting to play. Neytiri had the whole night planned. She was so happy. Neytiri had taken out a little bag with a surprise for her best friend. "Y/N look" says Neytiri, sitting down in front of her best friend. "What?" Y/N places the toy to the side, paying attention to Neytiri. Neytiri had spent a whole week preparing a gift for her friend…for her best friend. She wanted her to know how much she loved her, that she wanted her to always be by her side. To Neytiri, Y/N was everything to her, just another sister…she loved her very much. Neytiri opened the cloth bag, and took out some necklaces. They were a little big, but they still fit them both. "Here…this is for you!!!" said Neytiri handing the gift to her friend. Y/N pulled a giant smile on her face, accepting her gift without hesitation. Placing it around her neck, noticing how neytiri puts hers on as well. "It's a little big on us…but I want to give this to you, as a sign of friendship" neytiri says. "Thank you…thank you so much" y/n had teary eyes. Getting up from the floor, hugging her friend tightly. Neytiri was the only person who made her feel like she belonged to a family.

*Hit* (present)

Your eyes shoot open, when you hear the noise. You jump a little, getting out of bed to see what's going on. Jake had entered the room you all shared. You laugh a little, as you rub your eyes a little. "Sorry babe…I didn't mean to get you up" says Jake. "Don't apologize…I was supposed to be there to receive you" you get up. Reaching over to where Jake was, looking for a chair to sit next to him. You adjust jake's messy hair a little. "You look tired" jake speaks. "Excuse me…have you ever looked in a mirror" you joke.

Jake laughs, he knew he was sloppy. These last few months his only focus was to be part of the clan. And to get the best information for the RDA. And if there was one thing he had to admit it was that it had been very hard on him. Jake was continuing his lessons with neytiri, even getting grace to rejoin the clan. While norm was losing patience with Jake, because he didn't understand anything about the Na'vi language. You explained to him with a lot of patience…repeating everything as if he was a little child. And those little things were becoming routine for Jake, but at the same time he was getting confused. It was more than evident…that he was having divided feelings for both women.

"Everything okay?" you ask, watching as jake gives you a smile. Jake had gone silent and spaced out on himself. "Yeah…I'm just exhausted," Jake says. You move your hand from his hair, to his face to stroke his cheek. "You're so down…I know your avatar is better, but remember you're still here" you point out to jake. "I know…I just forget sometimes," jake says, nodding. "So you think my avatar is cute" jake tries to joke. "Sure…, I won't deny him that" you laugh out loud. After a couple of laughs jake looks thoughtful and asks. "Is it because he looks like tom?" says jake, watching your smile drop. "Well yes…but I think it was best if you took that body. You put it to better use." You joke. "I'm going to take that as a compliment babe, we were twins" jake laughs. "I know…that's what scares me" you laugh, settling back in your seat. "Hey…I need a favor from you" you speak up, pulling jake closer. He smiles at you, copying your movements. "I do whatever you want" jake speaks. You laugh a little. "I need you to bring your avatar to the lab tomorrow" you speak, noticing how jake is silent for a moment. "mmm I don't think that's going to make it possible" says jake.

"Please…do something to distract neytiri, I need to run some tests on your avatar. I haven't seen him in a long time, please" you pout trying to convince jake. He complains a little, letting out a small moan. "Ok…I'll see what I can do" says Jake, you come over and give him a hug. "Thank you…I'll be quick and as soon as I finish the routine tests, you go running to Neytiri's" you say. At that you both hear the door to the room open. "Am I interrupting something?" Grace asks with a raised eyebrow. The scene in front of her was very compromising to say the least. You are literally lying on top of Jake's body, even though you were still sitting in your chair. Face to face, talking so close. You pull away with a giggle. "No…I'm just asking jake for a favor..and he said yes" you speak up, getting up from your chair. "Oh yeah?" grace looks at jake, he was flushed red in the cheeks, shifting his gaze. "Well…I'm going to make some tea, do you want some?" you ask. Grace and Jake nod their heads and watch as you walk out of the room, looking very happy.

"You know that playing with both girls is wrong? Right?" speaks Grace, looking sideways at Jake. As she moved some things from her desk. Jake sighs, he knew grace knew everything that was going on. After all she was as much with the na'vi as she was with the humans. Grace had noticed the closeness that Jake and Neytiri had. And the closeness and looks that jake and y/n had. "You can't have them both…it's unfair" says grace. "Why?" jake asks jokingly. But he sees how grace's face doesn't change, this shames him a little and he looks down. "I don't want you to hurt anyone…they've both lived long and hard enough." Grace says without shifting her gaze from her papers. Jake paused before asking. He knew that grace knew your whole life…and that she knew what had happened between you and neytiri. And the curiosity to know was killing him, it had been about a month since he had asked neytiri about the necklace. He didn't want to investigate further…but he thought this was the best time.

"Grace?" jake speaks up, hearing grace reply with a 'hmm?' "How did y/n and neytiri meet?" jake asks, watching as grace gently drops the papers on the table. And turns to look at him. "I don't want a lie….they have a lot of things in common, and that necklace…it's" jake wanted to know what was going on. Grace sighs loudly, letting go of everything she had. Walking over to the chair where you were sitting earlier, right next to Jake. "Well…" says grace.

You had come to Pandora as a test subject when you were about 3 years old. Your parents had died in an accident on earth, leaving you alone in an orphanage. Your parents being RDA workers, the RDA took advantage of that and took custody of you. With the excuse that they would find you a good home…but that was just a lie. In order to continue their research. Their goal was to study the behavior of the clans with humans. And what better than to take a little girl. When you met Graces you were about 4 years old, the woman kept you by her side at all times, taking you as her own daughter. She knew the RDA plan very well, she thought it was a good idea, but she was unfamiliar with the dark side of the investigation. When she introduced you to the Omaticaya clan, you were the same age as Neytiri. It was more than obvious that the clan looked at you without fear, you were a little girl. Fitting right in with the clan.

"From that moment on… neytiri and y/n were inseparable… they did everything together. The clan leaders loved her as their own daughter…they even did the initiation ritual." Grace paused, swallowing a little saliva. "They loved y/n, as much as she loved them…but it didn't end well," says grace. "What happened?" asks jake. "Remember what I told you at school?" grace watches as jake ascends with his face. "Well, I missed a part…that day y/n was there, with neytiri and sylwani. They watched the whole thing, since that day they split up and haven't seen each other since" grace settles further into the seat. "I know Y/N wants to apologize, even though what happened that day had nothing to do with her. I know neytiri wants to see Y/N…but I don't know how they will react. There are so many things" grace is silent.

"So they separated them… but they miss each other. I've heard how they talk about each other," says Jake, still a little confused. "But they're afraid…and fear stops any courage they might have, only time will tell" grace speaks, smiling a little. Jake stands in contemplation, he could understand that feeling himself. "Oh…. why are you so quiet in here" you enter the room with the cup of tea in your hands. " It's all right dear…thank you" grace takes his cup and hands another one to Jake. The three of them stand there talking until sleep falls.

Norm had already gone to bed, grace climbed into his bed. And you were helping Jake up to his bed, he was very tired and couldn't lie about being weaker in the body lately. "Thanks babe" jake says, watching you close his wheelchair. "It's okay..I'm happy to help you" you speak up, fixing everything to climb into your bed on the bunk bed. "Rest princess…" jake says, watching you give him a smile. "Rest soldier" you speak. Jake stands there looking up at you until he closes his eyes.

The next day…

"I have to admit, these scrambled eggs turned out great," says Norm, proud of his breakfast. Jake laughs with his mouth full, while you started setting up the machines. You had gotten up earlier than the rest of the group, you were securing everything and preparing the tools so you could do the tests you wanted to do with Jake. Jake comes up to you, ready to get on the machine. "You're not going to put that piece of metal on me, are you?" jake jokes, as you give him a playful punch in the arm. Helping jake settle in, before closing the door you reach over and give jake a small kiss on the cheek. "I hope you come here and do your part" you speak, seeing jake's smile. Closing the lid of the machine.

Norm coughs a little trying to get your attention, you look at him. And you can see how he has a raised eyebrow. "Don't say anything…that I know you've done things with ruby" you signal norm, watching as he opens his mouth dramatically and touches his chest. "Betrayal" norm shouts. You grab your stuff and start looking out the window, waiting for Jake. You wanted to see what his avatar looked like, you were so curious to see what he looked like now.

Jake had woken up as usual, he had accompanied neytiri to breakfast with the whole clan. Doing the routine things he had been doing for the last few months. He was still looking for the best excuse to go to the lab, but how was he going to do it? Neytiri was by his side all the time, and like now they were at the top of a tree. They had spent the whole morning practicing jake flight with his ikran. They were taking a little time off, neytiri was sitting, looking at the view while eating a fruit. While jake walked back and forth. Neytiri could see jake's nervousness, looking sideways lifting his ears. "Is something wrong?" neytiri asks. Jake turns quickly, looking at the woman with surprise.

Neytiri could tell jake was thinking about something else. "I'm fine…I'm just feeling a little anxious" says jake. Before neytiri could answer him jake speaks up. "I want to go fly my ikran" says jake. Neytiri gets up quickly and drops the fruit she was holding. "I'll go with you," says Neytiri. Jake stops her by holding her shoulders. "No…I'd like to fly alone for a while, you know…I'll be right back," Jake says. Neytiri knew something was wrong, but she just gives Jake a warm smile.

Jake walks away and walks over to his ikran, climbing on top of the creature. "See ya…I'll be around" jake says, flying off with his ikran. Something in neytiri told her that she should follow jake, he was still new to the clan and this whole na'vi thing. But she also felt she should give him his space. Neytiri watches as jake's ikran walks away, taking her fruit and sitting on the branch. Maybe in a few minutes he would be back.

Jake fly away with his ikran, approaching the lab. The closer he got he could see the structure of the lab. You on the other hand had spent all morning looking out the window, and at this point you were beginning to lose hope. Sitting more in your chair, drinking your coffee. Besides you were getting bored, norm was asleep, while grace was in his avatar body, So you were left alone in the lab. Jake saw the lab and landed in front of it. You are a little startled by the shock, but you see through the glass window, a na'vi very similar to Jake get down. Knocking on the door, you rush to grab your oxygen mask and step outside.

Opening the door, you look up with a big smile on your face. "How do I look…I don't look so bad?" jokes Jake. You couldn't believe it, jake looked amazing. You take his hand, making him take a step down. "You look so different, I can't believe" you speak up, you were so impressed with the change jake had made. He had gotten stronger, and you swear you saw him get taller. You run into the lab to get your tools and start your tests. You needed to know what his measurements were now, how much he was weighing etc. "Can you stop wagging your little tail" you complain, pushing on Jake's tail. "You just called him a little tail" Jake looks at you. You laugh, Jake could see that you were so happy right now. Jake was sitting on a rock, letting you examine him fully. You move in front of jake, looking at his eyes and writing things down in your notebook. "So what, do I look cuter?" jake speaks up. "You've gained confidence" you speak, nudging Jake's shoulder a little.

Neytiri was getting bored, it had been about 2 hours and Jake wasn't coming back. What if something had happened to Jake? What if he had gotten lost? Neytiri had suddenly become nervous, deciding that she had to go look for Jake. He had to be very close by, from here. Neytiri flew off with her ikran in search of Jake. She had to admit that she had already flew far enough, but she still couldn't find Jake. She was getting very nervous. But she wasn't going to give up, she was going to find him, but the least she expected was that she was going to get a big surprise.

After flying for about 30 minutes, neytiri's ikran made a noise, indicating to him that he had sensed and located jake's ikran. Neytiri gives her the signal to approach, but her eyes widen when she saw the familiar looking structure. It had been a long time since she had approached human things. Indicating to her ikran to land nearby, but far away and hidden. What the hell was Jake doing here? Neytiri was no fool, and she knew that avatars needed a human to function. She remembers grace explaining it to her when they were little. Stepping down from her ikran carefully, and starting to walk closer to the building.

She stops for a moment, when her ears pick up jake's laughter and a very familiar voice. That voice causes her ears to perk up and her tail to respond with excitement. Bringing her hand to her chest, touching her necklace for a moment. She takes a deep breath, and begins to approach carefully.

To the outside of the lab…

You had Jake's hand in your hands, comparing it to yours. You were all giggles, making jokes. And some silly flirting back and forth. You were so oblivious to what was going on around you, you were barely aware that you were in a very dangerous jungle. "And did she notice?" you ask. Jake shakes his head. "No…I don't think so" jake says, watching as you lower your face and let go of his hand. You sit on a rock behind you, breathing deeply. Jake knew you were getting sad, he was about to ask what was wrong, when he hears someone's footsteps.

Quickly looking to his side, he saw the figure of Neytiri standing there. Still… staring at you. You look up, noticing that Jake hadn't said anything for a long time. Noticing how he was looking to the side, you copy his movement. Seeing her there…looking at you. You couldn't believe she was there…right in front of you.

After so long…it had been so long. You stand up, not taking your eyes off of neytiri. Jake looked at neytiri and examined her, noticing that she didn't have any weapon in her hands, she was just standing there, looking at you. As if she wanted to run towards you…not noticing that you had the same characteristics. Time seemed to stand still for a moment, until you can see how a warm smile came to Neytiri's lips, as she raised her hand and made her greeting gesture. "I see you…my y/n" neytiri says, you copy her movement, smiling back "I see you…my neytiri" you speak. Watching as the surrounding atmosphere became fresher and a calm breeze could be felt. It was as if eywa had planned everything…for this moment.

to be continue...

Tag List <3

@mimisweetz @crazytacokoala @waywardobjectfun @baybaybear1 @papichulo120627 @katch2020 @anxious-fern @carip-09

*if you want to be in the tag list, let me know (*3*)///

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theoddest1 · 1 year ago

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Let's Actually Talk About The Issues With Vivziepop

Okay, first off, hello you beautiful people! Sorry about this foreboding title, but I needed to catch y'all attention on this so I can break down the issues that I and many have with "Hazbin Hotel" and "Helluva Boss" creator, Vivienne Medrano. Now I am sure you all on here are already aware of at least a couple of the controversies that revolve around this particular creator and if you have seen my posts floating around already, some have been greeted with the problems surrounding her social media presence and just her overall as a person. I know seeing another callout on her seems very very tiring at this point, but I felt that a lot of the current callouts missed key details that were not at all addressed or properly delved on. I plan on shedding light on my issues with her and I hope you get where I am coming from when I say that she sucks.

BULLYING

Okay, I am starting off with Vivienne's blatant use of bully mentality, her agreeing or encouraging her fans to call people who see flaws in her works sub-humans or harass those who find issue or simply jest about her works trademark cussing and and overcrowded designs. She has had this issue for YEARS and refuses to grow up and act her age despite many telling her, even her own fans at times, that she shouldn't be acting so unprofessionally. Clearly, she doesn't care and thanks to her fanbase caring more about her feelings than her being better she feels as though she doesn't need to change or do better. This goes for her friend group as well, who defend her tremendously and act as though she is never in the wrong. Name one time a friend of hers called her out for acting childish, I'll wait.

Now, you're probably wondering, "Wtf could they have done to warrant such a response?"

Criticism...That's all they did. (White Text is random peeps they would speak with or maybe mutuals)

Keep in mind...they used to be a fan as well. They were also a minor at this point

But, Viv doesn't care, this person's critical yet harmless tweets about her shows is what lead to her painting them in a horrible light and making them out to be someone who has attacked her personally and as "nasty".

Rich coming from Viv since she is completely fine doing exactly that for "Ava's Demon". Not only does she criticize it, she takes a shot at the creator as well, but GOD FORBID others do the same towards her.

And according to someone who knew her well, it's all cause they felt creeped out by her.

Her hatred for criticism is so prominent that Ima makes that a section of its own. But let's get back on the topic of bullying.

Vivienne has a fanbase filled to the brim with pushy and overall annoying individuals who have harassed, threatened, disrespected, and wished harm on many people, all cause someone had a negative thing to say about Vivziepop's mid af show. One of the earlier known instances is the one revolving around a MEME of all things.

This was what started it all, and it led to both parties blocking each other and people being mad pushy and calling them an idiot and the like over their opinions. Now look, their take and you're opinion on said take is fine so long as you stay respectful and humane about it all, but don't dogpike someone all cause they think HH sucks. And while Viv can not control her fanbase, for they are not a hivemind (some of y'all act it tho, ima keep it real) she is seen here ENCOURAGING the behavior. Tell me how someone who doesn't even like your trash ass show has the sense to tell people not to harass others, someone with a smaller following, but not your grown damn near 30 year old ass?

Oh, but people wanna act like she can handle criticism, is a sweet person, and grew from her past experiences. Fam, she was 27 in this screenshot [December 16, 2019] and has shown no change from 2013 to fucking 2024. Over a decade of the same petty ass behavior, and keep in mind, according to several of her old friends and workers, she is worse behind close doors. WORSE. She's already acting like she got no damn sense out in the open, imagine behind closed doors.

Last but not least, a glimpse into her outright blatant slander towards Dollcreep, a once good friend of hers that she even visited and spoke with frequently!

She stated that they fetishized pedophilia yet according to the victim and friends of the victim who were once friends with Viv as well, Viv actually threatened to end their friendship if he hadn't drawn NSFW art of her character and his character having sex [Addi was 15 at the time this was drawn]

On top of that, she liked the post, something she didn't need to do. The art also depicted things she had regularly drawn on her own. Addi being tied up forcefully, being sexualized, being harmed to some degree through bondage, etc. The claim that she forced DC to draw this out is backed up by her own art depicting similar elements. Also, if my memory serves me well, Viv and Doll were 17-18 years old [Doll was 17 Viv 18] and have a 1-year age gap. The way Viv frames things here is as if DC was way older and imposed some sort of power over DC, which sources say otherwise. If anything, Viv had a LOT of control throughout all of this drama, which deserves its own section.

I'll be making posts that talk about the different issues regarding Viv, so one post isn't too long (this one is already lengthy enough) and that you can just pick at one post targeting certain issues around this creator.

#vivziepop critical #vivziepop criticism #vivienne medrano #vivziepop critique #anti spindlehorse #anti vivziepop #viv get a grip #vivziepop #hazbin #hazbin hotel #call out post #analysis #creator analysis #hazbin hotel criticism #hazbin hotel critical #hazbin hotel critique #hazbin critical #hazbin critique

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nhlclover · 11 months ago

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𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐍 | 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐅𝐈𝐄𝐋𝐃

word count: 1.25k

summary: when reunited, both yours and coles crushes on each other come back full force.

warnings: drinking, mentions of puking, tiny bit of swearing

notes: sort of but not really based on ‘hey stephen’ by taylor swift. hope you enjoy!!

You adored the wrap-around porch of the lakehouse. The screen allowed soft breezes and rays of sunlight to wade in while keeping bugs out. The comfy furniture Jack and Quinn had splurged on last summer was a bonus. That’s exactly why you found yourself nodding off into a midday nap in the cuddler chair, your book long forgotten on the side table next to you.

Tires crunching on the gravel followed by the car horn beeping obnoxiously rip you from the brink of sleep. You groan, getting up from the chair and walking to the front door to see who was there. Jack's car was now parked behind Quinn in the driveway, the trunk open.

You had arrived the week before with Quinn and Luke, the three of you driving from home together. Jack, however, had visited his friend Cole in Montreal and was driving down with Cole a few days later.

“Hey!” Jack calls out to you, walking over with a cooler in hand.

“Hey there.” You grinned. “What’s in the cooler?”

Jack places the cooler down, opening the lid to show you the contents. “Did you pack anything other than beer?” You asked.

Jack scoffs, picking it back up. “Of course. We have some coolers in the trunk.” He says, walking past you and into the house. You notice someone come out from behind the car, carrying a duffle bag and a backpack.

“Hey.” He smiles. You know who it is immediately. It’s hard to not recognize that face. That smile. That laugh.

You hadn’t seen Cole since he played with Jack on the USNDT. You had a crush on him back then when the two of you were in high school. He was always kind to you and you had always found him adorable. You saw him fairly frequently then, but hadn’t in 4 years since Cole moved to Montreal, while you stayed in the States and went to school.

“Hi.” You squeak out.

Cole is still just as cute and still has the same smile, just slightly older and more grown. In high school, Cole was smaller, making him a bit of an anomaly among hockey players. But now he had filled out, put on muscle and you were finding now that there was a new layer to your attraction. A new physical attraction.

“Hi y/n,” He replies, stepping closer to you and opening his arms. “What has it been? Ten years since I saw you?”

You chuckle, shaking your head. “Try four.” You say, accepting his hug.

“How is that possible?” He asks.

“Blame Jack, he’s the one who always invites you when I’m never here.” You say.

“Why would I want my annoying sister here during a boys' trip?” Jack said, giving you a shoulder check as he walked past you to the car.

You stuck up your middle finger to his back, walking back inside with Cole following behind. Quinn and Luke had now come in from the dock, greeting Cole.

“Hey, man,” Luke says, bringing him in for a hug. “How’s it going?”

While Luke and Cole caught up with one another, you helped stock the fridge.

The first two weeks of summer blew by. Your days consisted of boat rides, occasionally joining your brothers and Cole in their training sessions at the local rink, and tanning on the dock. Through the two weeks spent together, your crush on Cole grew stronger.

Cole, in being around you for the first time in 4 years, is reminded of the crush he once harboured for you. He’d once thought it was just a fleeting crush he’d long dismissed. However, now being with you, he realized it was much more than that. It was a pining that never truly went away, merely went dormant just beneath the surface.

It was nearing the end of Cole’s stay before he was going to head back to Wisconsin. For Cole, whose feelings had hit their peak, it was now or never to confess his feelings.

The combined brains of Jack and Luke had decided to have a final night of going hard and drinking. From inside, you could hear the shouting of the boys who were playing a drinking game. You’d played the first few rounds of a game Quinn had introduced but forfeited as you didn’t want to be too hungover in the morning. You’d instead retreated to the porch, observing the lightning strikes on the neighbouring islands. You nursed a beer that you had started in the last round of the game.

A few moments later the door connecting the living room to the patio opened, and Cole stepped out. “Hey.” He said upon spotting you.

“Hey.” You replied. “You finished your drinking game?”

“No, they’re still going at it. I bailed.” Cole said. He walks over, standing next to you. He follows your gaze to the lake, the sound of the rain hitting the water filling the silence.

Cole admires the way you seem transfixed by the storm. “You like thunderstorms?” Cole asks.

“I love them.” You reply, a grin forming on your lips. “The way the lightning illuminates the sky…It’s just so cool”

Staring at you now, Cole was entranced by how you looked at the water. He couldn’t help himself. Something within Cole snaps and he can’t keep it in any longer. The song inside the living room changed, Hey Stephen now playing. The song sparks an idea in his head and Cole blurts out the words.

“I can’t help it… you look like an angel.” Cole says. Your head snaps towards him and you go to speak, but Cole beats you to it. “And I can’t help it if I wanna kiss you in the rain.”

You clue into what Cole is referencing, a grin forming on your lips. You stay quiet, hoping Cole will continue which he does.

“So come feel this magic I’ve been feeling since I met you. I can’t help it if there’s no one else. I can’t help myself.” He finishes.

“Did you just quote Taylor Swift?” You ask Cole.

“Maybe…” Cole says, reluctantly.

“Are you flirting with me?” You ask him.

Cole takes a step back, his cheeks burning as he reads your reaction as one of almost disgust. “Oh, am I that bad at it?”

“Not at all.” You smile. Cole relaxes at your words. “So do you really want to kiss me in the rain?”

Cole steps forward, slowly placing his hands on your waist. Apprehension and anticipation lace the air as you prepare to cross a boundary previously untouched. His lips land softly on yours, contradicting the emotions that were swirling within the both of you. With each kiss and the quickening of the rhythm, you find yourself melting into him. Your arms link around his shoulders, drawing him closer till your chests are pressed together.

Thunder rattles the sky but doesn’t disturb the bubble you two were in, rather underscoring the moment you two were having.

You are finally forced apart when the door to the porch swings open, hitting the wall next to it. Luke comes rushing out and down the steps, emptying the contents of his stomach onto the grass. Jack and Quinn come out next, not even noticing the two of you, instead laughing hysterically at Luke as he dry heaves on the lawn.

Cole takes your hand, quietly drawing you away and back into the house. You follow him up the stairs, away from the boys downstairs.

#cole caufield #cole caufield x reader #cole caufield imagine #nhl #nhl imagine #hockey #hockey imagine #nhl players #nhl fic #montreal canadiens #habs

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rea-grimm · 2 months ago

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Werewolf Shanks - Looking through his eyes

You hated this life. At the age of nine, you were kidnapped by slave traders along with other children from a village full of hybrids and supernaturals and then sold to other islands as cheap labor.

You didn't know if it was luck or bad luck, but you were the only one they kept. They used you as a major draw to attract customers. An exotic dancer with a graceful body and fox-like features who could charm anyone with her moves.

But even though you were a slave, you were their second most valuable treasure. Money, of course, came first. But if they had to sacrifice the ship or you, they would sacrifice the ship, because thanks to your efforts, they could easily afford a new one.

As you were guarded, no one could touch you. You were glad for that. Though that didn't apply if there were few buyers, or if you were on a poor island.

Then the captain got mad, drunk, and more than once you had to cover up purple and yellow bruises or a black eye or a busted lip during a performance. But he never dared to break a bone. Then you wouldn't be able to dance and it would be a loss for them.

Your only consolation was the dream of freedom and the ability you had because of your devil fruit. It was the ability to see the world through the eyes of your soul mate.

Even though you had no idea who he was, you envied his freedom. In addition, you had another special quality that made you even more precious and exotic. You were a kitsune. You had fox ears and a few bushy tails that had grown over the years. Now you had a total of three.

Most of the time, you caught the one whose eyes you could see in a pub, laughing and drinking carelessly with other friends. Other times, when you looked at night, you saw him in the woods. He regularly hunted at night, mostly smaller animals, but many times he came across something bigger, or a bear.

Quite often his gaze was also directed towards the sky and especially the moon. You felt as if you were closer to him because you were watching the same sky. This ability kept you hoping that maybe one day you too would see such freedom.

You sat in your small quarters, waiting to see when you would finally reach the next island. You had your own room, but it was so small that you were claustrophobic. Especially on long voyages, when you were forbidden to leave your cabin, supposedly to avoid tempting the crew into mischief.

Even though you were in your little prison, you were still in shackles that hung like jewels from your neck and arms. It was a reminder that you were still just a slave.

From the noise on the ship, you judged that your ordeal was coming to an end and that you were finally nearing the island. And you were right.

Some time later the captain came in good spirits and ordered you to get ready for the evening. You would have to charm a distinguished audience. Supposedly they were pirates of one of the sea emperors. That made you nervous, because you'd never danced in front of anyone so important before.

But your fears were relieved when you discovered they looked and acted like normal, ordinary pirates. You couldn't even tell who the captain was.

At your captain's command, the music started playing and you started dancing. You danced and swayed to the rhythm. Your tails swished behind you like a fan, adding to the magic. You could feel their eyes on you, and someone else would have collapsed under them, but you kept going.

You approached the potential buyers and you had no idea what you were thinking, but you wanted to find out what your soulmate had just seen. You almost tripped over your own feet when you realized you were looking at yourself as you danced.

So he must have been here. Among these pirates. You shut down your ability and tried to figure out who it was. Unfortunately, you were only guessing, as you had no clue as to who it might be.

You were disturbed from your thoughts by a red haired pirate who gently pulled you into his lap with one hand. You were used to this sort of thing and decided to give him a little private dance. He smiled warmly at you and looked at you like no one else could.

Most people when they pulled you close like that would prefer to eat you on the spot and have their way with you. You didn't feel that way here, and you had to smile. There were three scars across his left eye and you noticed his left arm was missing, but he was still one of the few times you'd be glad he'd set you free.

You felt a chill run down your spine and you knew you had been with this pirate too long and you had to get back to the center. Only now did you realize how the almost perfect full moon was shining down on you.

You spent a few more days on the island, and every evening was spent dancing for the pirates, in whom your captain saw great merchants. And every night, the red-haired pirate pulled you in for a while. Not that you were complaining.

However, after those few days, a rumor spread among the slavers about a blood-red werewolf that was supposedly tormenting the local inhabitants and wildlife.

You had no idea what the truth of it was, but as the full moon approached, the slavers grew more and more frightened and would have liked to raise anchor.

But your captain refused to do that, so the crew had to obey. You were so intrigued by this rumor and the crew's fear that you thought to use it for an escape plan.

You carried out your plan on the day of the full moon. Just as the sun set and the silver orb slowly rose into the sky. You waited for the slavers to take their turns. You were all sleeping in tents outside, so you had a much better opportunity to escape.

You waited until the slavers coming back from patrol passed you, knowing that by the time the second patrol got here it would be 5 minutes max if you were lucky and if not you had about 2 minutes to run undetected to the forest.

You didn't delay a second and you made your way as fast as you could to the woods. As soon as you passed the last of the tents, you started running. After a few seconds, you heard screams and footsteps.

"Stop! Stop right now you little vixen! You belong to me, do you understand?!" the captain yelled at you. You gritted your teeth and started sprinting. However, in the darkness you didn't notice the fallen branch and soon you were on the ground.

"Ow," you yelped in pain and tried to get up. However, such pain shot through your leg that it buckled. You heard the captain approaching fiercely.

"Ha, you thought you were going to get away from me?" he sneered at you, and you got the feeling that if he caught you now, it wouldn't end well. So you started crawling forward, away from him.

The captain was close to you when the moonlight was blocked by a giant figure with one arm. The figure resembled a cross between a wolf and a human.

The werewolf stood on its hind legs and growled menacingly. Even though it only had one paw, it still had knife-sharp claws on it. You cowered in fear, your tails partially shielding you.

The slaver paused and paled noticeably. He tried to take a step forward, but just as he moved slightly, the werewolf bent over you and began growling. That was the last straw before the captain took his feet on his shoulders and ran screaming back towards the camp.

The werewolf pulled back a little, stopped growling and sat down in front of you. He bent down and put his head in front of you so that his snout was less than 5 centimetres from your face. You didn't know if this was your last moment, so you wanted to look through his eyes one last time.

You concentrated and when you opened your eyes, you were looking at yourself. So your soul mate is a werewolf? It was the first thing that popped into your head. The second thing was, as you looked around, your eyes were now as golden as the wolf's.

Of course, your eyes weren't normally that color. You had no idea that your eyes changed color every time you looked through his. You blinked and looked through your eyes again. The werewolf tilted his head to the side before nudging you lightly with his snout. And then again.

"Hey, that tickles," you laughed and tried to push him aside. He didn't resemble a dire werewolf at all now, but more like an overgrown puppy. His tongue stuck out and he looked like he was smiling.

You sat up, wondering how you were going to get out of here. Your leg hurt like hell and you didn't have the strength to get anywhere safe in this state.

As if reading your mind, the werewolf stood up and began sniffing your injured leg before lightly poking you with his snout. You flinched in pain and just as quickly he flinched and looked at you with concern.

"I think I sprained it," you said, massaging your leg. It was such a pain that you stopped very soon. You looked up at the werewolf, who stood up and leaned down, taking you in one arm.

You didn't resist, since it probably wouldn't have been worth it anyway, and let him carry you. You held onto him around the neck for stability. His fur was surprisingly soft and reminded you of hair.

You soon realized that he was carrying you to the village where Shanks' pirates were anchored. The werewolf circled the village, probably to avoid causing unnecessary commotion and confusion, and carried you to a small camp where everyone was having a great time.

Besides the crackling of the fire, there was merry chatter and singing. Even there your journey did not end, and you went on until you reached the tents. There, the werewolf headed to one tent that was obviously bigger than all the others and there he laid you down on blankets.

You made yourself comfortable before thanking him. Not only did he save you, but he carried you to safety. At that, the werewolf left.

You weren't alone for less than 10 minutes when he returned with a man carrying a medical bag. The doctor was a fair-haired man with a ponytail who introduced himself as Hongo.

Hongo then treated your leg and checked you for other injuries. He then asked you if you wanted anything to eat or drink, but you politely declined. You didn't think of any of that at the moment. You thanked him and the doctor left. The werewolf stayed with you this time.

You lay down in the blankets and he lay down next to you. You smiled at him and thanked him again. The werewolf poked you with his snout before he started licking your face.

Laughing, you pulled him away from you. Even now, he was looking at you with his tongue lolling out and his tail wagging contentedly. From this angle, he looked more like a wolf or an overgrown dog than ever before.

The next morning, you woke up alone in your tent. There was no sign of the werewolf anywhere, though you guessed it would be a normal human now.

A few minutes later, the local captain you recognized from previous introductions came in, balancing a tray of food in his hand.

The captain introduced himself as Shanks. He handed you the tray of food and it wasn't until you smelled the freshly baked bread that you realized how hungry you were. You thanked him and started to eat. Shanks watched you with a warm smile. When you finished eating, he gave you an offer you didn't expect.

"If you want, you can stay with me and my crew. I don't know how long we'll be here, but you're certainly welcome. Or if you want a ride to an island, just ask," he said, and you couldn't believe your ears. You agreed to join them. You had nowhere else to go, and more importantly, your soul mate was here. Somewhere among these pirates.

You felt like everyone in the crew had accepted you into their midst. The first few days, the captain himself took you in and introduced you to everyone.

You were surprised that his crew was like one big family. You didn't have to dance to survive anymore, but you still gave them little performances here and there. They all cheered and clapped for you.

During that time among them, you managed to figure out who the eyes you could see through belonged to. It belonged to none other than Shanks himself. You got the impression that you had piqued his interest from the very beginning, and everyone made fun of you for being his favorite. Despite all that, you decided to tell him.

You hadn't seen him all day, and even with his eyes you couldn't tell where he was. It wasn't until the evening that you found him by the booze barrels. He was drunk from the look of him. Even though it was almost every day.

"Shanks," you addressed him.

"Y/N, my rescue," he said cheerfully, and hugged you.

"What are you doing?" You asked, supporting him.

"Waiting for everything to stop spinning around. Although if that means being with you like this, I'm fine with it," he replied.

"There's something I want to tell you," you finally said. Shanks got slightly more serious and decided it would be better to sit down. You reached the beach, where you sat down on a fallen tree trunk. You were in the part where no one was right now, so you had privacy.

There you calmly told him about your fruit and that you could see through his eyes what he could see. Shanks was quiet for a moment and said nothing before he laughed. When he stopped, he looked at you with his best smile and stroked your cheek.

"So it looks like I have the most beautiful soulmate in the whole world," he said gently, catching you completely off guard. You hadn't even told him about soul mates. The red-haired pirate leaned in and kissed you awkwardly. You took him around the neck and followed his lead.

When you were done, you watched the sunset and moonrise together. All was well until the pirate began to fidget. You looked at him and noticed his eyes were tinged with gold.

"Y/N now that we're talking secrets... Just don't worry about anything, but I'm..." He began to explain, searching for the right words. As drunk as he was to do so, he wasn't very good at it.

"Werewolf?" You finished for him, and this time it was his turn to be surprised.

"How do you know?" he wondered. You just smiled and tapped the side of your eye. It looked like a stone had been dropped from his heart.

He was about to say something else when red fur began to grow all over his body and he collapsed into the sand. You watched like a horror movie as his bones cracked and he gradually turned into a werewolf.

"Shanks?" you asked with concern as he completely changed and just lay there for a moment. Shanks looked up at the sound of your voice and walked over to you, his ears to his head, and rested his head in your lap.

You stroked his cheeks before your fingers moved down to his ears where you began to slowly scratch him. Shanks immediately relaxed and started wagging his tail. He really did look like an overgrown puppy. He melted so much under your touch that he fell to the ground.

However, instead of sitting back up to you he rolled over onto his back and wiggled in a silent plea for a scratch. You knelt down beside him and began rubbing his stomach and chest. He wagged his tail contentedly, and you got the impression that his tongue was about to fall out of his mouth.

Shanks Masterlist

#one piece #monster piece #one piece x reader #werewolf #werewolf shanks #shanks x reader #red haired shanks #shanks

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sinnabarmoth · 2 months ago

Text

Worthy of Devotion (1/9)

(A/N: This prompt that I had originally intended to be maybe 2 parts got out of hand so fast. So yeah, @effervescent-unicorn, you are to blame for this monster. And I hope you appreciate that my hyper-fixation chose it. All said with love!)

Pairing: Sea God|Rafayel x Worshipper|Reader (fem)

Summary: Reader has left to begin her pilgrimage to the temple of the Sea God in the middle of the ocean. Along the way she ends up in a terrible storm and meets the god himself, Rafayel.

Content warnings: Adult language. Near death experience.

Length: >3k

Chapters: (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9)

Read it on AO3

~~~

It was finally happening! After so many years of study and devotion it was time for your pilgrimage.

You had grown up in a seaside city that worshiped the Sea God, Rafayel. At a young age you had been taken in by the city’s grand temple and raised as a devout follower and prospective priestess. At least, you would be a priestess after your pilgrimage to the Pearl Temple.

Growing up you had heard about the beauty and majesty of the Pearl Temple, a grand temple on an island in the middle of the sea that shone like the gleaming alabaster brilliance of a pearl. It was a necessary journey that all expecting priests and priestess of the Sea God were expected to make. You would go, spend time making repairs and cleaning the temple, gather a pearl from its waters, and return home. Now it was your turn.

A boat small enough to be managed by a single person yet large enough to hold needed supplies was made for you and you were off across the beautiful blue of the ocean. The sun was shining, your sail was full, and your heart was hammering as you took off on this long anticipated journey. The city behind you became smaller and smaller before disappearing past the horizon and suddenly you were wholly alone in the middle of the sea.

You were feeling good about your journey and how calm the sea was. Perhaps you were being blessed by the Sea God for a safe journey. Then night came. The ocean turned to pitch black and the moonlight disappeared behind the heavy shroud of dark clouds. The waves became choppier and choppier until they began to roar up and pummeled your boat with ferocity. Years of sailing kicked in and you started running around doing whatever was needed to keep your boat aloft in this terrible storm. But then a wave easily ten times the size of your boat swelled and crashed over you and you were taken under, your ship smashed to pieces.

You kicked and flailed trying to find the surface but everything was too dark. You couldn’t tell up from down and you were running out of air. No! No it couldn’t end like this! It couldn’t!

Then from down in the depths you saw something glowing. A brilliant blue light like sapphires that multiplied and moved together like beads on a string being dragged across the sand. Against the light a silhouette of a shadow in the water could be seen that dwarfed anything you had ever seen. Was it a whale? The lights grew larger and you realized that whatever this was it was coming straight for you. Yet you were not scared. You were mesmerized.

Your breath was gone as you took in a lungful of water and the world started to go dark at the edges. The lights and shadow was still coming but you doubted you’d stay alive long enough to see it for what it really was. If it was anything but a hallucination anyway.

At least you’d die in the ocean. Forever a part of the sea.

Your body went numb from the cold yet in the center of your chest you felt a warmth begin to grow. It filled your lungs until they were burning. The burning burst out, surging up your throat like a volcano and spilling out of your mouth.

Your eyes opened again, struggling to focus as you retched more and more. Salt water and bile painted the ground underneath you as all the water in your lungs and stomach was expelled. Every breath was precious to you but they ached with the effort. By the tides, what had happened? You had thought for sure you were going to die.

You forced your eyes to focus and took in your surroundings. You were on something wet and squishy and--shit it was moving! You reared back as pale appendages rose up around you.

“You have wandered a long way from home, little human.” a voice that bellowed like the raging sea rang loud behind you. It was then you realized what exactly you were on. It was a hand. A giant hand that held you in its palm.

You turned towards the voice and came face to gigantic face with a man taller than any building or tree you had seen. The pale moonlight reflected alabaster skin dappled with large iridescent blue scales that shimmered in the light. All leading to twin eyes the blue of a hot flame that studied you intently. The lights in the water…the shadow…it was him. It was…

“Rafayel…” The mosaics in the temples did not prepare you for this. You tried to breathe but you were struck dumb and immobile. You were in the literal hand of the Sea God. You had imagined a hundred times what you would say if you had ever been given the chance to meet the Sea God but no words came now. You just knelt and stared trying to rationalize that this was actually happening.

His head tilted to the side and you could see the web of fins poking out through his hair where his ears were supposed to be. “What brings you here all on your own?” he asked.

“I--I--” your voice rasped as you tried to speak. “I am on my pilgrimage, Your Radiance. I set out yesterday morning to travel to the Pearl Temple when I got caught in the storm.”

“My temple?” this seemed to intrigue him. “It has been hundreds of years since anyone has been there.”

“Hundreds of years?” you gasped. That couldn’t be right. But if anyone were to know it would be the god who the temple is for. “But then how…all the priests and priestesses…the pearls…what of our sacred journey?” you mumbled to yourself trying to parcel together everything.

“Something is at work in your head, little human. Speak it.”

“I do not understand. To become one of your priests we must travel to the Pearl Temple and retrieve a pearl from its waters. If no one has been there in a hundred years then how has anyone become a priest or priestess? It makes no sense.”

“Humans lie. Shouldn’t you know that, being one of them?”

You felt your heart splitting in two. No. The people who raised, who taught you, they couldn’t have lied. They couldn’t have forsaken such a critical and important part of their faith. And for what? Why had no one gone to the Pearl Temple? What were you missing? “Why? Why would they lie? Why would they let me make this journey if none of them had actually done it? I don’t understand…” tears started to leak from your eyes.

“The answer is simple. The seas are fraught with dangers the further from land you venture. You experienced first hand such dangers there are and it almost killed you. They would rather live a lie than risk death being honest.” Rafayel said. “I would say that makes you braver and more devout than any of them.”

“Thank you,” you bowed your head, pressing your head to his palm. “Thank you for your words and thank you for saving me.”

“What will you do now?” he asked.

“I…” you didn’t know. You looked over the edge of his hand towards the water but saw no sign of your boat. Not that you thought you would see it. The storm had destroyed it beyond repair. “I have no way to get home, though I am not sure I want to return after learning what I have. But I cannot continue on my pilgrimage without my vessel. I do not know what to do.”

“Do you still wish to see the temple?”

“More than anything.”

“Then that is where we will travel.”

“You would take me? Truly?”

“The first follower of mine that has been brave enough to actually attempt the journey? Should I let you drown in my ocean? I do not think so.” he said with a half smile. “You will want to close your eyes for this next part though.”

You did as instructed and felt his hand close around you, cradling you securely before you felt yourself plummeting down into the ocean once more. You kept your eyes squeezed shut, the sound of the ocean rushing past you roaring in your ears. Then all at once it stopped and you felt yourself being deposited on the sand.

“You can open your eyes now.”

You opened them and saw that you were now on a large island. The white sand sparkled in the moonlight like stardust and before you stood the shadow of a large and imposing temple. “I’m really here…” you said in awe.

“I have not been here in some time. Looks worse than I thought.” Rafayel’s voice didn’t sound as loud as before.

You turned to thank him for delivering you to the temple and were shocked not to see the giant you had met but a much more human looking man standing behind you. Unlike in his giant form where he was largely unadorned his human form was bedecked in gold jewelry on his arms and neck, blue, crimson, and gold tattoos were painted across his skin, and he had an elaborately embroidered sarong of linen and gossamer silks around his waist that was pinned together with a gold braided belt. And here you were still waterlogged and in your plainest travel clothes…now your only clothes you realized.

Rafayel saw you studying him and squinted at you. “What are you staring at?”

“You’re small.” Is what came out without thinking.

“Still taller than you.” he ruffled your hair as he walked past you.

“I didn’t mean it like that.” You were quick to amend yourself. “I’m sorry.”

“I take no offense. This is my usual form.” he said. “I rarely assume my true god form as you saw it. You can consider yourself lucky to have witnessed such a thing.”

You followed behind him as he walked towards the temple. “I’ve considered myself lucky since meeting you. If not for you I would have drowned. And now because of you I am at the Pearl Temple, the first person to enter its hallowed halls for the first time in centuries according to you.”

“Hmph,” he scoffed, “It’s crumbling halls more like.”

You got to the large ornate doors that led into the temple and Rafayel shoved them open. In his hand he produced a flame and sent it at a brazier inside the temple. It was then what you saw what he had spoken of. The inside of the temple was indeed grand as you had heard but even in the limited light you could tell it was deep in disrepair. There were cracks in the floor, broken windows, there was debris of broken glass and elements of nature inside, even part of the roof was missing in some areas. All of it because no one had come in so long. It was a wonder it was still standing at all.

“This way.” Rafayel kept walking. “Mind your step.”

You followed him up a staircase and into a new section of the temple that thankfully did not look as worse for wear as the main level. You walked by a few doors before he stopped at one and thrust it open. He had another flame in his hand as he used the light to assess the room. “No broken windows. That was my main concern.” he said and ushered you to enter.

Using his power he sent flames out at the different sconces along the walls. You were in the most lavish bedroom you had ever seen. Gold and gems were inlaid into the walls like a mosaic, the bed was easily three times the size of your small cot at home and five times as thick, the furniture was crafted from a rich and warm colored wood that glowed like bronze in the firelight, the headboard for the bed alone looked as if it had taken years to carve in every detail.

The room had been left untouched by the elements but still had a layer of dust around it that slid against your feet as you walked. You felt yourself glide and slip across the floor and Rafayel caught you by the elbow before you could fall. “If you don’t mind the dust, you can sleep here tonight.”

“Sleep here?” you held your arms close to you. “I do not think I can sleep somewhere so splendid. Aren’t the bedrooms for your followers supposed to be modest? What even is this room? Not even the highest of the priests and priestesses have a room such as this.”

“You may be right, but those rooms are no doubt in as terrible condition as the rest of the temple. This may be the only suitable room left because it had been so meticulously taken care of and boarded before it was abandoned.” he explained.

“I see. Why was this room boarded so carefully but none of the others?” you stepped closer to the bed and gave a gentle pat to the mattress. A puff of dust plumed from the linens. You coughed and turned away. “I’m going to need to air it out first or I may very well choke to death.” You started tearing the blankets off the bed sending up even more dust.

Rafayel unlatched and opened the windows, though they creaked horribly from not being used in years. “Well, to answer your question, the reason this room was probably so well kept even after being abandoned is because it is technically my room.”

You dropped the blankets and stared at him.

“What is it now?” he sighed, collecting the blankets from your feet.

“I can’t stay here!” you rushed to take the blankets out of his arms. “If it is your quarters then I’m definitely not supposed to be here! I have no right!”

“It is an unused room.”

“It’s your room!”

“I never use it.” he snatched the blankets back. “It’s my room technically because all temples are supposed to have a room that belongs to the god that it is dedicated to. But none of the gods ever actually use them. We have our own rooms in our own homes. This is merely a place of dedication. And since it is my room I am giving you express permission to make use of it. Someone ought to use it anyway.” He went to the window and started shaking the dust out of the blankets as if he was not a god doing a menial chore.

“But--”

“Would it make you feel better if I made it a command?” he said with a teasing smirk, “Fine then. As your god I command you to live in this room so long as you are on this island. You will sleep in this room, change in this room, bathe in this room, and so on and so forth. There. Now you have to or else you would be disobeying your god.”

You were flabbergasted. You knew he was teasing you but there was still a part of you that went rigid with complacency upon hearing his command. Even made in jest, you wouldn’t go against him.

You took back some of the blankets and sheets and aired them out at the other window. Once the bed was significantly less dusty you felt yourself relax. Then the toil of the day started beating down on you all at once. You had been running on adrenaline during the storm and then too excited and shocked at having met Rafayel to even think about being tired. But now the storm had passed and your body was weary.

“Go to bed, little human.” he gave you a poke. “You need your rest.”

“But I--” you yawned, collapsing onto the bed. “--I need to pray first. I’m always supposed to pray before going to sleep.”

He sat at the edge of the bed. “Then make it quick before you pass out.”

“Dear God of the Seas--”

“Skip the honorifics. You don’t need to beseech me to listen, I’m already here.”

“Thank you for saving me and looking after me. Thank you for letting me sleep in your room.” your eyes were growing heavier, “I pray you will continue to bless me and protect me.”

“Consider your prayer heard. Now rest.” you felt the blanket be pulled up over your shoulders. “You have nothing to fear so long as you are here.”

And with those final words you fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

#love and deepspace #lads rafayel #rafayel x reader #lads mc #rafayel x mc #sea god rafayel #lads sea god au

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rambleonwaywardson · 27 days ago

Text

First Christmas

A Clegan Astronaut AU One Shot

Summary: Takes place ~15 years before To the Moon and Back, at the very start of Gale and John's life together. It's the end of their first semester of college, and they're leaving for winter break. John takes Gale home with him for Christmas.

Author's Note: I have no concept of if I'll ever write a prequel or if anything pre-TTMAB will be confined to little one shots like this. But here's a small something. Happy holidays ❤

---

“Fuckin’ finally!” Bucky sighs dramatically as he tosses a suitcase onto the bed. Gale’s bed, actually, since his is the lower bunk in their too-small-for-two-grown-men dorm room. With little to no rhyme or reason, Bucky starts pulling clothes out of his small dresser and even smaller closet – jeans and sweatshirts and sweaters and mismatched socks. He tosses them into or around the suitcase in a haphazard way that would never lead a single person to believe that he was in ROTC.

It’s the end of their very first finals week, and John and Gale both have just stumbled back into their dorm room after a hell of a physics exam. No final, they have decided, under any circumstances, should be scheduled for 4-6pm. Especially not one as hard hitting as fucking physics. First year engineering students are exhausted enough as it is – it’s cruel and unusual punishment to expect them to perform well under these circumstances.

They don’t call it a weed-out class for nothing.

“My brain is mush,” Bucky complains. “I don’t think I was even readin’ right by the end of that exam. None of the numbers made sense anymore. Hell, I could barely remember the kinematics equations. I’m sure you were just fine. Me? Let’s just… hope and pray I even make a passing grade.”

Bucky pauses long enough to glance over at Gale, who’s sitting casually in his desk chair, twisted around with his elbow propped on the back and his chin in his hand as he watches the spectacle that is his roommate. He kind of smiles tiredly at Bucky and shrugs, and that’s all Bucky needs to go on. He knows he��s right. No doubt Gale barely batted an eye at the questions that had Bucky drumming his fingers on the too-small lecture hall desk in a panic.

“What’s done is done,” Bucky says, shoving clothes into the suitcase with zero organization. It almost makes Gale physically wince. Like most teenage boys, he’s not always the most organized guy in the world himself, but there’s something to be said for keeping some semblance of tidiness. That, and his father raised him like a military man. Clean room, neat corners, smooth fabrics… He has half a mind to shove Bucky over and pack for him, save his nicer shirts from the criss-crossed creases that are sure to form the way they are now. He also wonders if he should bother telling Bucky that he actually found the exam hard, too. Would that comfort him or would he think Gale was just trying to make him feel better?

Bucky doesn’t notice Gale’s general air of consternation. He’s too busy trying to move on, move forward with his life, get away from here. Gale tries not to take it personally. Just because he has nowhere to go doesn’t mean Bucky can’t be eager to leave for break, like every other student on campus.

“God, I can’t wait to get outta here,” Bucky says, like he’s read Gale’s mind. He really should’ve packed last night like Gale urged him to, instead of waiting until the very last minute and just hoping he remembers everything he needs, but he was too hyper-focused on trying not to fail the exam today. “Gonna see my dog, my family. Eat a real home-cooked meal.” He stops his frantic packing and looks up at the ceiling, inhaling as if he can smell Christmas dinner or a batch of snickerdoodle cookies. “Five weeks of not having to think about any of this. Can’t fuckin’ wait, Buck.”

Bucky steps back over to his dresser and grabs some underwear, which he dumps into the suitcase, and then his hands freeze. He looks over at Gale, squinting. His roommate is still sitting at his desk, which is adorned with books and notes, a model plane, a small model of the solar system. He’s a little more slumped now, eyes trained on the floor. Bucky stares at him for a while without him noticing.

Bucky realizes that, even though he urged Bucky to pack, Gale hasn’t made any move to pull out a suitcase of his own. Hasn’t set out any neatly folded clothes to stow away for a trip home. He hasn’t expressed any relief to be leaving this college town, to be heading back to his family, or to anyone at all.

He thinks about the very little Gale has ever talked about his family. Small anecdotes here and there. His mother is gone, Bucky knows. No siblings, just his best friend Marge. He doesn’t talk much about his dad. He wonders if Gale even has a dog.

“Hey.”

Gale looks up, blinking away some deep thought that he masks behind an arched eyebrow and tired but curious eyes. He motions to Bucky’s suitcase. “Your clothes are gonna get all wrinkled like that.”

Bucky glances at his scrambled luggage, scrunches his brow, decides it doesn’t matter, and he looks back at Gale. He doesn’t really know how to ask this delicately. Delicacy has never been part of the John Egan repertoire of charm. Neither has subtlety. He frowns and rubs the back of his neck awkwardly.

“You, uh… you’re not goin’ home are ya Buck?”

Gale shakes his head quietly. “Don’t got much of a home to go to.” His voice shakes a little, like he doesn’t want to be saying this, like he’s embarrassed to admit it. The corner of his mouth quirks up in a wry smile as he looks at the floor again, and Bucky catches the incorrect grammar, the little slip into a western drawl that he’s learning only comes out when Gale is stressed or upset or really fuckin’ tired.

“Why didn’t ya say?”

Gale shrugs and kicks his shoes off, leaving him in socked feet, a final, decisive move that confirms it: he’s not going anywhere.

Bucky leans against the post of their bunk bed, crossing his arms. “So, what? You’re stayin’ here? Alone?” Bucky can’t stand the idea of staying on this campus when it’s a ghost town, none of their friends around and limited access to the dining halls. He can’t stand the idea of staying here for any longer than he has to.

But he has somewhere to go.

Gale nods. “Yep. Got the approval and all.”

“No,” Bucky finds himself saying. He doesn’t even take a second to think about it.

Gale almost scoffs. “Don’t got much choice, John.”

Bucky shakes his head. “You can’t stay here alone, Gale. I won’t let you do that.”

“S’not a big deal.” Gale turns away, towards his desk. Too deliberately, he starts peeling sticky notes of definitions and physics diagrams off the wall. The result of hours and hours of studying.

“What do you mean it’s not a big deal?” Bucky pushes. He marches across the room – two whole steps across their tiny dorm – so he’s standing beside Gale’s desk, close enough to be in his line of sight again. He reaches out and puts a hand on Gale’s, stopping him from unnecessarily shuffling his notebooks around his desk.

Gale freezes. “I’ll be fine,” he whispers, his eyes locked on their hands. He doesn’t really mind the idea of being alone on campus. It’ll be quiet, peaceful. He can catch a bus to the grocery store or the movie theater or head downtown. He can read and study and keep up with his exercise regimen. Go for walks around campus. Really, it’s fine… He’d rather be here, after all, than spend five weeks in the same house as his father. He’ll miss Marge, sure. But she’ll forgive him. She wouldn’t want him to go home either.

“Gale.”

“It’s fine, John.”

They sit in a tense silence, Bucky hardly aware he’s still holding Gale’s hand and Gale hyper-aware of it. Bucky’s fingers are warm compared to his. They’re softer than he’d expect. He likes the contact. It sends something fluttery through him.

“Come with me.”

Gale’s eyes shoot up to Bucky’s. “What?”

Bucky nods, squeezing Gale’s hand tighter. “Come with me! You can- you can just come home with me. Mom will take good care of you, and we can just relax and have fun for a few weeks. Buck…” Bucky sighs. He smiles, and Gale doesn’t quite like the look of sad pity hidden behind it, but it’s sweet enough to make his heart beat too fast anyway. “You can’t be alone for Christmas. Please.”

“I-I couldn’t.”

“No one will mind. They’ll love you more than me, even. Adopt you like another son.”

Gale looks again at Bucky’s suitcase. His chest swells with the idea of spending Christmas with a family. With John. With people who don’t smack him around if he burns the pancakes or asks the wrong questions or sleeps in too long.

Bucky grins and ruffles Gale’s hair. “Yep. You’re comin’. Come on, we leave in an hour. Get your suitcase out.”

—

Gale doesn’t cry the first time he walks through the front door of the Egan household. It’s a stereotypical farmhouse, with a simple but lovely exterior, a stone front walk, and a fresh Christmas wreath hanging on the front door. There’s a dog watching them through the window, and, not for the first time, Gale wonders about the difference between a house and a home. He shuffles in, shy and awkward, behind a boisterous Bucky, who flings the door open and loudly calls out “we’re here!” with such a lack of decorum that it makes Gale flinch, his brain still wired to the house in Wyoming.

“Hi honey!” A light voice drifts through the house, and it’s not unlike Gale’s mother’s voice. The way he remembers it, at least.

That, combined with the smell of cookies baking in the kitchen, shoves a lost memory to the surface of tugging on his mother’s skirt until she offered him a spoon of raw cookie dough. It has him so taken aback that he doesn’t notice the dog running at him until it’s too late. He nearly gets knocked off his feet by the force of two big golden paws colliding with his torso, causing him to stumble back a step, wide eyed.

“Down boy!” Bucky reprimands, but he’s laughing, his commands futile. “That’s Buzz. He likes people.”

Gale can’t help but smile despite his nerves, and he kneels down to the dog’s level, scratching his ears and letting Buzz lick his face. He manages to just barely keep his balance against the way the golden retriever surges toward him. “Buzz Aldrin?” He asks, trying to avoid the dog’s tongue as he glances at Bucky, and he can’t quite understand the look in his roommate’s eye.

“Finally!” Bucky says. “Someone who understands that it isn’t Buzz Lightyear.” Then he yells out, “Ma?”

A short middle-aged woman comes frantically around the corner, and Gale shoots to his feet, trying to smooth out his sweater and jeans again. He tries to remind himself to hold his head high, shoulders straight, make a good impression.

Without even a second thought, though, the woman bypasses her own son, her eyes landing right on Gale. No appraisal, no critical eye toward what he’s wearing or if his hair is too shaggy. She just beams at him, reaching her hands out to immediately pull him into a hug. “You must be Gale.”

Gale awkwardly returns the hug. “Yes ma’am.”

He does not cry at the feeling of a warm, motherly figure who smells like cookies wrapping him in her arms.

When she steps back, she rests her hands on his shoulders, holding him at arm's length. It seems a little awkward with how tall Gale is, even if Bucky won’t let him forget the small size difference between them. He finds it amusing how, with Bucky being even two inches taller than he is, his mother can’t surpass 5 foot 4. But Mrs. Egan doesn’t seem to mind, and Gale wonders how often she does this to her own son.

She looks him up and down, studying him, and Gale tries not to feel too embarrassed or nervous. Stand up straight, he reminds himself. He’s military after all. It shouldn’t be hard. He braces for some critique, some conclusion that he isn’t good enough. For what, he isn’t sure. To be here, perhaps. But it doesn’t come.

“Aren’t you just the sweetest thing,” Mrs. Egan gushes instead, shaking her head fondly. She lifts one hand even higher to cup his cheek, and Gale raises an eyebrow, letting himself smile back at her.

“Thank you?”

“Ma, you’re embarrassing him,” Bucky groans. He’s never seen Gale blush so much.

She shoots a glare over at him before looking back at Gale. She squeezes his shoulder gently. “We are just thrilled to have you,” she says. “John talks about you all the time, you know.”

“Oh,” Gale says. He looks over at Bucky, who is rubbing a hand over his eyes in exasperation. Gale’s smile gets a little wider, a little less meek. “Thank you so much for letting me join you for the holidays,” he tells Mrs. Egan. “It means a lot.”

Bucky’s mom gives him another quick hug before turning her attention to her son, hugging him tight and bombarding him with questions about school that Bucky insistently avoids, saying they can talk about everything later, after he helps Gale settle in.

—

Gale doesn’t cry over the way the Egans move mountains to make sure he feels comfortable and welcome in their home.

They set him up in the guest bedroom, which is just one door down from Bucky’s room, which is not unlike his half of their dorm room with the exception of several more remnants of a happy childhood. Bucky’s bedroom is adorned with space travel posters and baseball posters, and Gale can even see where some are missing – the ones Bucky chose to take with him to college. There are little gold baseball trophies lining a bookshelf in the corner, and a photo of him and a couple of his teammates in high school, boyish grins on their faces and sweat soaking through their hats, fresh off a championship win.

Gale wanders around the room when Bucky leads him inside, inspecting the trophies and the photographs. There’s a lego set of the Saturn V rocket, glow in the dark stars pasted to the ceiling, stacks of books about history and science and adventure strewn around the bed and the desk. All the little pieces of John Clarence Egan, a whirlwind force of nature with his eyes on the unknown.

There’s a dog bed on the floor for Buzz, but the dog takes to jumping up on the bed in the guest room instead, keeping Gale company every night.

Bucky wonders what it is about dogs that help them know which people need a little extra love.

Gale marvels at the fact that even the guest bedroom feels homey and cared about. The queen sized bed is the biggest bed he’s ever slept in, with a nice mattress, a selection of pillows, and warm blankets. There are original paintings hung along the walls, beautiful images of the forest and the lake and countryside done by some mysterious artist. There are family photos framed on a bookshelf which is filled with an assortment of books, from science to romance and everything in between. There’s even a string of Christmas lights strung around the room, which Bucky turns on for Gale, looking all giddy about it.

Gale doesn’t cry over how Bucky is patient and kind in a way that isn’t exactly unexpected but also isn’t exactly expected. He lets Gale cling to him, whether it’s sitting down for dinner with the family or hiking through a snow-dusted countryside to watch the sun set or sitting sprawled out on the living room couch with a couple of good books and mugs of hot chocolate. Bucky asks Gale if he needs any extra blankets, and he’s gathering them up from the closet before Gale can even answer. He asks Gale what he likes to eat for breakfast, and the next morning Gale’s favorite cereal is in the pantry and there’s even some fresh pastries – which Gale never would have dreamed of asking for – sitting on the counter. Bucky asks Gale if there’s anything he wants to read, and the next day the book he sheepishly mentioned has appeared on the coffee table.

He brags about Gale to his parents, telling them all about how smart he is and how much he’s helped Bucky this semester. He tells them about how Gale is already excelling in the toughest major in the school all while impressing everyone in ROTC, keeping Bucky in line, and being a humble, easy going guy to boot.

Gale doesn’t cry when Mr. Egan expresses genuine interest in all of his astronomy and physics knowledge at the dinner table. Gale’s own father always wanted him to be a pilot. He never cared much for the rest of it.

He thought academics made his son too soft.

Mr. Egan tells Gale it’ll make him unstoppable.

—

Gale doesn’t cry when he accidentally drops a glass of water in the Egans’ kitchen, sending it shattering across the tile floor in a splash of crystal constellations. He comes damn close, a hot wave of panic rising in his chest at the same time that biting pain blossoms across his skin. His cheeks heat up as he blinks rapidly and tries to figure out how to go about cleaning up this mess all the while bracing for some kind of punishment. And those tears sure come close to actually falling when Mrs. Egan whisks into the kitchen with worry all over her face, wanting to know what the racket was. When she sees the mess, she reaches for Gale. Gale winces, closing his eyes, but all he gets is a firm, guiding hand on his shoulder, accompanied by a gentle voice. “Oh honey, you’re bleeding.”

Gale blinks his eyes open, the tension on his face beginning to drop away as he looks down and realizes all of a sudden that his feet are bare. He doesn’t remember his feet being bare. He vaguely wonders if the red on his pale skin is associated with the stinging feeling in his foot, radiating up to his ankle.

“Don’t move quite yet,” Mrs. Egan says. Her hands are still on the sides of his arms, keeping him standing in one place. “Don’t want you stepping on any sharp bits.” She turns as John comes rushing around the corner. “Johnny, can you get Gale some shoes to-“

Before she can even finish, Bucky, clad in old ragged Converse himself, marches right up to Gale, flakes of glass crunching under foot, and plucks him out of the center of the debris. Just picks him up in the air like he weighs no more than a feather before marching him to the kitchen entryway and plopping him down. Gale stares at him in shock, his brain not quite catching up with everything that just happened.

“I’ll get the vacuum,” Bucky says to his mother, but he’s looking at Gale as he says it, some sort of mischievous little smile on his face, and Gale feels his cheeks turning pink again.

When Bucky leaves the kitchen in search of the vacuum, Gale tries to step away from the wall he’s been placed next to, holding a hand out toward Bucky’s mother. “Mrs. Egan, I can clean-”

“Nonsense.” She waves her hand dismissively, then looks down at his feet, still bare. “You stay right there until John comes back with the vacuum.”

“I’m so sorry about the glass. I didn’t mean-”

“Gale, darling. I don’t give a damn about the glass.” She steps over to him and clasps one of his hands between both of hers. He doesn’t cry at how genuine and concerned she looks. “Let’s get your foot cleaned up and make sure you don’t need any stitches.”

—

Gale doesn’t cry when, on Christmas morning, as all the presents under the tree are being handed out, there’s a few with his name on them. He, John, and Mr. and Mrs. Egan are gathered in the living room, all still in their pajamas. Even Buzz, who can’t seem to sit still and has been making rounds around the room with his tail wagging, has a green and red Christmas bandana around his neck. He keeps stopping to look at the stockings above the fireplace, where he has his very own, filled with dog treats that he has to wait until the end to get.

Bucky, who is passing out the gifts from under the tree, is wearing a Santa hat along with his gray sweatpants and blue Yankees sweatshirt. Gale laughs a little bit every time Bucky makes any sudden move and causes the pom pom on the end of the hat to whip around. Bucky tried to put it on Gale, but was adamantly shoved away. It looks far better on him anyway.

Gale, in green and gray flannel pants and a dark gray university sweatshirt, is sitting on the floor beside the Christmas tree, where Bucky said he himself usually sits. He tries not to ask for the third time if Bucky is sure he doesn’t want any help. Having found himself increasingly comfortable with the Egans over the last week, he instead scratches Buzz behind the ears and laughs as Mr. Egan sings along to the Christmas music playing on the radio. He doesn’t really know what he expected out of this morning – being included is enough; being with a family on the biggest holiday of the year is enough.

So when, once all of the gifts have been passed out, Bucky stands in front of Gale with a stack of wrapped boxes, Gale just blinks dumbly up at him. When Bucky insistently shoves the collection of gifts at him, Gale looks around the room, then starts to shake his head in confusion as his hand falls away from Buzz’s soft fur. “A-Are these for me?” he asks, genuinely confused as he takes the small stack from Bucky and stares down at the name tag on the top package.

“That’s your name ain’t it?” Bucky teases. He takes his seat between Gale and the tree, where he’s amassed his own collection of presents.

Gale nods and looks over at him, eyebrow raised. Bucky tilts his head toward his parents, who are sitting cuddled up on the couch, watching with kind smiles on their faces.

“Couldn’t leave you with nothin’ to open on Christmas morning,” Mr. Egan insists. “You’re family, now.”

Gale swallows thickly, tracing his finger over his name, written in neat script. “Thank you,” he says quietly, and he’s worried it didn’t come out at all.

“Well you better open one,” Bucky laughs. He’s sitting so close their shoulders nearly brush. “Youngest goes first.”

Gale tears into the pretty red and white wrapping paper of the first gift. He feels his heart beat too fast in a terrifying but exhilarating way as he peels back the paper, revealing a beautiful, hardcover edition of A Brief History of Time, complete with illustrations. It’s the exact type of book that he would have stared at longingly in a bookstore, knowing he’d probably never have it. He looks up at John’s parents, who are watching him eagerly, and he doesn’t cry at the joy on their faces or the kindness of the gesture. “This is amazing,” he tells them. “Thank you so much.”

He’s so taken with the book, staring down at it and running his fingers gently along its spine, that he barely registers the new video game John gets, or Mr. Egan’s new sweater, or Mrs. Egan’s new romance book. It’s only when they circle back to him, Bucky shoving another gift into his hands, that he really comes back to himself, and he wonders what he did to deserve such kindness.

By the time they’re on their final gifts – Gale had been told to save a specific one for last – Mrs. Egan stops him and Bucky before they can start unwrapping. “Now, Gale, we have a tradition,” she explains. She points to the Christmas tree. “Every year, we each get a new Christmas ornament, and we hang them on the tree. There are ornaments up there from almost every year of John’s life.”

Gale looks at John, then back at the tree. This piece of knowledge runs through his head again, and again, and his eyes fall back to the last little box, wrapped in silver snowflakes. He blinks at it. “Is this-”

Gale almost flinches when Bucky’s hand comes to rest on his shoulder, but he doesn’t. The touch has become familiar. He knows it’s safe. “We got you one, too,” Bucky whispers, and Gale nods.

Bucky slowly unwraps his own ornament, and Gale starts to follow his lead. He watches Bucky pull out a little astronaut with a gold visor, sitting on a crescent moon. And oh so carefully, Gale’s fingers loop through a gold string, and he lifts out a matching astronaut, this one with a blue visor, sitting on a crescent moon of its own.

“Would you look at that.” Bucky grins, and he bumps Gale’s shoulder as they hold their ornaments up beside each other.

“Thank you,” Gale finds himself saying again, and he wonders if his voice sounds thick to anyone else. He doesn’t even comprehend the fact that he’s standing up, stepping over to Mrs. Egan. She readily accepts his hug, though, and she lets him cling on, the astronaut resting against the back of her shoulder where it’s clutched in his hand.

He and Bucky hang their ornaments side by side, two little astronauts shooting for the moon.

—

Gale doesn’t cry later that morning, when Mrs. Egan places a stack of blueberry pancakes in front of him and tells him that John mentioned those were his favorite.

He doesn’t cry that afternoon, when Mr. Egan asks to take a look at that book, or when Mrs. Egan asks if he wants to help her with the final batch of Christmas cookies, or when Bucky tries to teach him how to play his new video game.

He doesn’t cry when they ask if he wants to watch a Christmas movie with them, and he finds himself curled up on the couch munching on a cookie with Bucky’s head on his shoulder and Buzz splayed across his lap.

He doesn’t cry at dinner, when Mr. Egan includes him in his prayer, asking the lord to watch out for both of “their” boys.

He doesn’t cry when Mrs. Egan says goodnight to them both late on December 25th, gently kissing the top of Bucky’s head, and then doing the same to Gale.

He holds it together pretty well, he thinks. He laughs, and he finds himself smiling, a warm feeling trying its best to settle in his chest as the good and the bad memories go to war with the perfect reality he’s been met with today. He pushes down the lump in his throat and lets himself, just for a little bit, feel loved and cared for and protected. He loves them all back. He lets himself act like he could be a part of the family, even if he doesn’t quite believe it.

—

Late on Christmas night, after his parents have gone to bed, Bucky steps quietly into the hall and creeps toward the guest room like a child up past his bedtime. He knocks on the door with one knuckle, listening closely.

“Come in.” Gale’s soft voice sounds off, a little uneven. Bucky frowns as he turns the knob and pushes the door open.

Gale is curled up at the head of the bed, leaning against the headboard with his knees pulled to his chest, his pillow laid neatly on top of the one beside him. Buzz, having officially traded Bucky in for Buck, is sprawled on his side with his head resting on Gale’s bare foot, right over the bandage from the water glass incident yesterday. The lights are off, and Gale is staring up at the colorful Christmas lights lining the room, as if it’s a sky full of stars.

“Buck?”

“Mmm?”

Bucky walks around to the side of the bed. It’s only when he gets close that he really notices: Gale’s been crying. His eyes are red, his cheeks flushed, his hair messy. When he lifts a hand to rub at his face, Bucky notices that he has the sleeves of his shirt wrapped around his fists, wet spots marking the fabric.

What’s wrong? Bucky wants to ask. Are you okay? Why are you crying? Did I do something? Do you need anything?

He doesn’t ask any of those questions.

He shoves the pillows down next to the dog and climbs into the bed, settling back against the headboard so close to Gale that their shoulders touch, his legs crossed in front of him. Buzz stretches his head forward to lick his knee, and he reaches out to stroke the dog’s head in return.

“He reminds me of my dog,” Gale says. “He was a mutt, though.”

“Yeah?”

“Dunno if I’ll ever see him again.”

Bucky narrows his eyes. Neither of them are looking at each other, both of their eyes trained on Buzz. “Why not?”

Gale takes a deep, sharp breath as his whole body tenses, and Bucky worries it was the wrong thing to say. They sit in silence as the seconds tick by. “I haven’t had a Christmas this nice since Mama died…” Gale finally says, something like nostalgia, or maybe resignation twisting through his voice. Sometimes, the line between those two is quite thin. “Well. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a Christmas this nice.”

Bucky opens his mouth to say something, closes it again. What is he supposed to say? He thinks he’s put enough pieces together over the last few months to understand a bit about his roommate’s home life since his mom died, but Gale’s never said a thing about it out loud.

Gale shrugs uncomfortably in response to Bucky’s silent question, which hangs in the air between them without any words being spoken at all. “Dad wasn’t a… well… I-I guess…” His breath shakes. Bucky presses closer against Gale’s side, wrapping an arm over his shoulders. Gale sinks his weight into the hold, and Bucky finally looks directly at him when he hears quiet sniffling, feels Gale’s fingers latch onto the front of his shirt.

“I don’t plan to ever go home again,” Gale says quietly. His face twists into something angry and sad, but he fights against the expression like he doesn’t want Bucky to see how he’s feeling at all. Bucky wonders if it’s the first time Gale’s ever said this out loud, the first time he’s let such an idea be heard by the world. He wonders how long Gale’s been thinking about it in silence. Days? Weeks? Months? Maybe since the moment he closed the door behind him when he left for college.

“I’m not goin’ home,” Gale says more firmly. “I… I don’t think I’d mind never seein’ him again.”

Gale’s shoulders tremble almost imperceptibly with rattled, unregulated breath, and when he goes still, it takes Bucky a moment to realize that he’s not breathing at all anymore. He’s holding everything in to keep himself from shaking, from crying, from feeling.

Bucky wraps both arms more fully around him, holding him tight like he’s trying to hold him together, trying to hold some invisible weight so Gale doesn’t have to. Like maybe if he takes the burden of keeping Gale in one piece right now, then there will be enough space to breathe again. “You need to breathe, Buck,” he whispers.

Gale turns toward Bucky and wraps his arms around him, and his fingers curl into the back of Bucky’s shirt like he’s grasping for something steady but half expecting it to vanish. His breath hitches when Bucky stays, and his fingers curl tighter into the fabric. Buzz whines and crawls further up the bed, pressing his nose against Gale’s thigh.

“Breathe,” Bucky says again. He rubs Gale’s back in what he really hopes is a soothing way. He hasn’t often found himself in this type of situation, having to find a way to make the world keep turning for someone else. He didn’t know he ever could be that person. “Just breathe.”

It takes a few minutes, but Gale’s breathing evens out, his grip on Bucky’s shirt loosens, and the silent, stubborn tears that he so obviously didn’t want Bucky to see clear out of his eyes. By then, he and Bucky have slid down so that they’re laying on the bed, Gale’s face buried in Bucky’s shoulder. Bucky finds that he doesn’t mind, not one bit. When Gale shifts away, no longer trying to hide, Bucky grabs the pillows and puts them back under their heads where they belong. And they stay there, just them and the dog, staring up at the Christmas lights.

“I’m sorry,” Gale says eventually. The sound of his voice is clear again, but still quiet. Bucky looks at the clock on the wall and sees that it’s officially December 26th, no longer Christmas day.

Bucky shifts so his arm is behind his head, and he glances over at Gale. “For what?”

Gale isn’t looking at him. “It’s not your job to-“

“That’s ridiculous, Gale.” Because it is. Ridiculous.

“I’m sorry you had to see me like that.”

Bucky frowns and squints up at the lights. He wonders how he’s supposed to say that he doesn’t care without it sounding weird. He wants to see Gale in every mood, every condition, every emotion. He doesn’t care. He wants to help Gale through everything. He wants to make him feel better when he’s sick or tired or scared or putting himself down. He wants to take away any pain he ever feels. He wants to protect him from everything bad that’s ever come his way even though he knows full well how strong and capable he is on his own.

It’s a lot for a college freshman to feel about a person. It’s more than Bucky’s ever felt about anyone before, and he doesn’t really even know what he’s supposed to do about it. So he reaches out and puts his hand over Gale’s, and he fights back a smile when Gale turns over his palm and lets Bucky rub his thumb across his fingers in reassurance. “I’m glad I came to check on you.”

He hopes that says enough.

“Thank you for… everything.” Gale finally looks over at Bucky, and there’s a hint of a smile on his face.

“Thank you for coming with me.”

“This really has been the best Christmas I’ve ever had I think. I- I can’t… thank you for including me.”

“You’re family now.”

Gale’s face goes blank, and Bucky knows he has no idea what to say. So he squeezes Gale’s hand once, and he looks back up at the ceiling. “Merry Christmas, Buck.”

They fall asleep like that, laying on the bed and looking up at colorful, LED stars that reflect off the ceiling and the walls, the light bathing their faces in red and green. Gale’s head rests over Bucky’s chest, where he can hear his heartbeat, steady and calming.

That’s how Bucky’s mom will find them in the morning. She’ll knock softly on the door after realizing her son isn’t in his own bedroom, and then she’ll quietly push it open. She’ll see Bucky, asleep on his back with Gale curled against his side. Bucky will open his eyes tiredly, looking at his mom in confusion as he realizes where he is. His mom will nod, closing the door quietly once again, and then she’ll lean against the wall outside the guest room. She’ll smile to herself, and she’ll thank the universe for bringing her boy someone good, someone to love and to love him.

Bucky will look at Gale beside him, and he won’t even be able to imagine everything that comes next. He’ll hope, and he’ll wonder, and he’ll give it his all, but he won’t know for sure that this was only the beginning. Their first perfect Christmas.

#happy holidays #can you spot all the little references to their dynamic in TTMAB?#kind of an origin story for some of their behaviors here #I actually have a lot of little ideas about this AU #we'll see if I actually get it together #clegan astronaut au #clegan #mota #masters of the air #to the moon and back #john egan #gale cleven #clegan fic #buck x bucky #buck cleven #bucky egan

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snowyh2o · 1 year ago

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So, saw a video on YouTube that was analyzing if Alastor exhibited traits similar to someone diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder. It was interesting, if a bit superficial and missing a lot of the smaller blink and you’ll miss it details (as well as for some reason omitting his past relationships and focusing only on his current ones), but it got me thinking about how much we know of who Alastor is.

And I think that we actually know a lot more about who he is as a person and what makes him tick than we think we do. What we don’t know is what his situation currently is, and that’s sort of conflated with not knowing or being sure of him and his motivations.

So to list what we do know of him in no specific order:

He claims he’s sponsoring the hotel because he wants to watch other people fail for his own entertainment, something that we know for sure now is not the case, or not the entire reason.

He was very desperate when making that deal with Charlie, this is something he was probably aiming for and has been waiting to do for a long time.

His disappearance is a sore spot that he doesn’t want others to be prying into.

He’s trapped in a deal that appears to be restricting either his actions, power, or both and he desperately wants to get out of the deal.

Related, the deal appears to be new, based off Husk’s comment and Alastor’s reaction/surprise at the comment.

Related, he HATES being reminded of his deal.

All his shown past friends are women. Conversely, he seems to get along well with women over men.

Related, he lets Mimzy, Nifty, and Rosie all touch or manhandle him around without showing discomfort or distaste. He also lets Husk poke him in the chest, and appears to have grown equally as comfortable around Charlie.

Related, he offers Charlie his microphone twice when she needed to do a big inspiring speech.

Related, his microphone appears directly linked to some of his powers, and could also be considered a weakness of his should it be broken.

He knows that Mimzy only ever comes to him when she needs something, and doesn’t care that he’s being manipulated and taken advantage of into taking care of her problems. In fact, Mimzy stated that he loves taking care of her (problems).

Related, the hotel is important enough that he can’t risk having that kind of behavior with Mimzy here, that he’s willing to shoo away one of his few friends he’s genuinely happy to see.

Rosie is his best friend, he’s the most comfortable with her and while in Cannibal town. It’s the only time we’ve seen him so cheerful and relaxed and smile like he means it. His smiles here are wide enough to show his gums, but his eyes and lips reveal its not just a well disguised snarl.

Related, he’s very excited to show off Cannibal town to Charlie when he brings her over.

Related, he hasn’t gone to see Rosie since the overlord meeting despite having had 5 months to do so after coming back from his hiatus.

Related, he doesn’t ask for Rosie to help during the battle, he specifically restates his favor to “well your cannibals help at least”. She’s seen sipping tea and listening to the news in the aftermath.

His beef with Lucifer started way before he ever met the guy. In his advertisement, he makes a note to say there’s no tacky circus decor at the hotel. When he sees the welcome sign he visibly sneers at it. When Lucifer finally shows up and hugs Charlie his eye is twitching.

Related, whatever beef he has with Lucifer is unrelated to Lucifer’s attitude towards him when they finally meet, though that certainly does not help.

Related, it’s also clearly not about being the most powerful person in the room because he doesn’t behave that way when speaking with Zestial, or during the overlords meeting.

Related, he’s bothered when Carmilla reveals she wasn’t curious about his absence (which fair. I’d hope my colleagues would ask where I’ve been if I went MIA for 7 years).

He offers Charlie advice on projecting confidence and control when she’s not, a tactic he employs every minute of every day.

He tends to be helpful but in a backhanded way. He helps Charlie get out of her funk by being mean about it and mocking her for accidentally landing the hotel in hot water. He summons an old fashioned mint condition camera for Vaggie at first before replacing it with a beat up and bandaged video camera. He helps Vaggie with the advertisement after watching her struggle. He does get rid of the eggs, but only for a day by taking them with him on his overlord meeting trip.

Related, more miscellaneous menial labor is usually done straightforwardly, like fixing the wall, for the umpteenth time and apparently unclogging the toilet when nifty gets stuck.

He likes listening to people vent about and struggle with their situation.

He does not like listening to people vent about and struggle with their love life.

Whatever he’s up to it appears as though he’s truly thrown his lot in with Charlie and the hotel, at least for now.

Apparently used to be friends or friendly with Vox. And will let people take a picture of him if it’s with an old fashioned camera.

After the battle, instead of returning to the others he drags himself to his radio tower, the one that fell down off a cliff after Adam destroys the hotel. This means he didn’t head there first when he retreated, and only went afterwards once the fight was over. He was probably staying close enough to see how the fight was going, evidenced by how he knew where to go to find his radio tower.

During his mental breakdown, he’s smiling harder than ever before, and only seems to regain some semblance of control when he’s restating his current goals.

Related, Alastor’s current objective is to free himself of the deal or find a loophole around it. He’s probably planning on using Charlie’s favor for that.

Related, Alastor could’ve also wanted a favor from Charlie as general insurance in the off off chance she ends up betraying him. He seems to let his guard down around her more after the deal, and even helpfully supplies her an army without any more prompting or deal making.

Alastor’s expression when talking about making soul deals in general.

Related, Alastor’s expression when talking about how Charlie still has her soul specifically.

Used to take out last overlords for slighting or doubting him, doesn’t do that anymore. There’s a chance he stopped doing that before his seven year absence.

Related, apparently Sir Pentious also didn’t know about what Alastor did to overlords back in the day??? And they’ve fought 20+ times??? Strengthens the assumption that Alastor stopped killing overlords after he’d established himself as a top dog. Deer. And before his disappearance.

Related, while Carmilla was surprised to see him at the meeting, she and the other overlords like Zestial weren’t scared of him and accepted his presence without complaint. If he were still actively hunting down overlords I doubt, as overlords themselves, they’d have been so comfortable in his presence.

Didn’t appear to have any plans in announcing his sudden return until Vox provoked him.

Related, his broadcasts might’ve been about overlord gossip, aside from the screaming.

Shared what he can do to help during the battle with the rest of the hotel. Specifically the shield he conjures.

Related, likely volunteered himself as the one to take on Adam, since he’s the most experienced and strongest fighter in the group (Charlie’s inexperience with using her power means she’s unsuited for the task).

He speaks fondly of the group as a whole when talking to Nifty when she speaks about how much she likes them (and can we keep them, please?).

Apparently he doesn’t just enjoy watching people’s suffering but also the bonds these wayward souls form with each other.

He does, still, enjoy kicking people when they’re down. Or rather kicking people when they try to challenge him and think they have a chance.

He really knows how to get under people’s skin.

Shark snacks go nom.

Additional points from the replies:

If Alastor was sent to the hotel against his will, then whoever sent him there also did not stipulate that he couldn’t make deals with the residents, which is a huge oversight. (Peppersnap79)

Husk and Nifty appeared to stay behind and help the hotel of their own free will, Alastor did not appear to order them to stay in any way. (Peppersnap79)

My Conclusions based on more things than just what I’ve listed out: he’s probably insecure about his status in hell after the seven year absence. Whatever happened during that time is also a sore point for him, something he doesn’t want others to know about or pry into.

His reputation as the Radio Demon is very important to him. He put a lot of effort into crafting the Radio Demon’s reputation and persona as someone to be feared and not to be fucked with. This is put at risk when he nearly dies protecting the hotel.

He smiles to put himself in control, to trick both others and himself into thinking that he’s got control of the situation or himself more than he actually does. He does not like being reminded that he is not in control of his life at the moment, and his current greatest desire is freedom from his deal. The more out of control he feels, he harder he tries to smile.

He is very soft and forgiving/tolerant with the few friends he has, and has grown visibly attached to or fond of the rest of the hotel. He also appears to be protective of them, in his own weird way. Constantly defending Mimzy against whatever trouble she brings and ultimately leaving Rosie out of the actual battle. This is counterproductive to his plans, and interferes in a way he hadn’t been expecting it to. Part of his breakdown is a direct result of this unexpected interference, that his own emotions had gotten him to risk his life defending the hotel (the group).

Restating his goals to eventually escape seems to reassure him and calm him/act as a grounding mechanism when he feels like he’s losing it. He’s using the Radio Demon persona like it’s a lifeline, because the Radio Demon is who he wants to be, needs to be, if he wants to get out. The Radio Demon’s always in control, he’s the one who holds all the cards, pulls all the strings. Nothing scares him, and nothing controls him.

He’s sadistic, calculative, intelligent, spontaneous, a showman, a softie, arrogant, egotistical, insecure and paranoid. He gets attached to things more easily than he’d care to admit, and lies to himself as much as he lies to everyone else. His Radio Demon persona is just as much a part of him as it is a mask to hide what’s going on underneath. What’s there to hide if he shows them what they want to see? The audience should only care for the play, not the actors behind the scene.

#hazbin hotel #alastor #alastor hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel spoilers #character analysis #long post #hazbin hotel meta #Alastor meta #if anyone has other things they wanna add to the list #feel free!#if I tried to add everything itd never end #also there’s a bunch of stuff here I’m borrowing from other better put together meta #I’ve reblogged the ones I like best if you wanna go check it out

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causenessus · 4 days ago

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hi! i'll keep this short

i came to the realization everytime i've disappeared from tumblr to "take a break" i never really have because of other things going on in my life (which, duh, this isn't my whole life) but! i also realized that if i never actually take the time to recover and rest and think about things i should be writing i'll never feel better. so! i'm (once again)(but now more formally) going on hiatus until maybe may! i might pop in for spring break or earlier if i feel like it, but until then, not really any writing from me! with that being said, i'll still be around, doting on my moots (i.e. like, dorothea <3 wyr <3 and bug <3) because i love them so much and i will probably also post chapters of present ever so often! the reason being (i'm going to try to make this make sense but it may only make sense to me but i'm aware of how contradicting i am to me five seconds ago when i said i need to take a break from writing) present is a very personal fic for me that i've worked on for years at this point. what i'm posting now are chapters i wrote months ago after I've read over and edited them (or in the case of the upcoming chapter, i did randomly add it in and had to write it from the ground up last week lmao) but if it isn't obvious, present is a work i'm very passionate about and am just posting in case anyone else enjoys it but it feels like it's a work that is very individualized just for me and it doesn't cause me any stress or anxiety. on the topic of individualization, although i am of course so so thankful for all of the support and people that follow me, i do sort of miss when my blog and world were a lot smaller. it's something i feel like i only get when i get to reply to people in comments, but other than that, all the numbers and people on my feed give me a lot of anxiety. the hq (smau fandom especially) fandom or at least how much i'm (was) involved in it has grown exponentially and of course i'm happy about that but it's a bit too much for me. i'll be taking a huge step back from the fandom and any hq works i've written at least in the meantime, but that's not to say they'll never be finished! but i either need to grow to handle the bigger audience that now reads my works or wait for things to grow a little smaller again :) i hope to still be able to read my moots works but forgive me if it takes me a bit or i never get to them! i think at the least i'll still like them to show my support <3 thank you if you read my long ramble! i love you all <3

oh also i'll probably post self ship moodboards and the beginning of my reading list (thank you again dorothea for the idea <3)! but again, I think you get the idea by now; I want to go back to doing this for me! so this is a tiny little goodbye now i'm leaving for you all with forehead kisses and flowers and love notes and mwah <3 i'll see you around!

#that was not kept short #tldr; i'm taking a long break from writing (probably around may or so) and will not be super involved in the hq fandom anymore #i'm planning to try to go back to my roots! where i often really only ever posted when i uploaded fics and then i'd disappear again #idk what i'm doing!#or maybe i just need to wait long enough for people to sort of forget about me 😭 (IN A NOT SEEKING ATTENTION WAY SORRY)#but i just need to like! just do stuff for myself again!#last january or so i believe is when i started posting and i'd just really nervously hit the publish button #and then never look at tumblr again bc i was so scared #and i didn't have to worry about notifs from anyone and it was a very small and personal blog where no one knew me and I didn't know anyone #and while i sort of miss that i'm also not trying to say i'm not greatful for the friends i have made! i am very thankful for them #so that's instead why i'm settling for a middle between what my blog used to be and what I feel like it is now!#even just posting that dazai fic a little bit ago made me realize how much i missed just showing up out of the blue posting something #in a fandom that has literally basically never heard of me #and leaving again 😭#i'm happy to give out my socials if anyone wants them :3 #okay bye bye!

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notjustjavierpena · 2 years ago

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Three Times You Didn’t Kiss Joel - And One Time You Did - Part I: Introductions

Series Masterpost | Main Masterpost | Support a disabled creator

A/N: Enjoy the beginning of a four-chapter fic, where a cute summer romance starts! This is the same universe as Hurried Morning but before! Chapter two and three are just waiting to be posted.

Summary: Joel helps you restore your grandparents' house over the summer. He has big strong arms.

Pairing: Joel Miller x f!reader/you (no y/n)

Tags: +18 no smut but mature thoughts (minors DNI), pining, summer romance, DILF Joel, sexual tension, idiots in love

Word count: 2.8k

Link to this work on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/47914783/chapters/120803500

Chapter One: Introductions

The house had been empty for a while when you had moved in. The location was good, somewhat quietly charming as the suburbs were, but the house’s neglect called desperately for a loving hand to bring out that charm again, which had been allowed to fade for too long. It wasn’t that the house had been willfully neglected by you, no you had wanted the house for a long time, but the whole scenario of you ending up here had been long and ridiculous: Your older brother had finally, out of the goodness of his heart, offered it to you, but only after a few years of having been in doubt about whether or not to move into it with his family. He had only gotten first say in the fate of the old place, because he was the oldest of the two of you, a thing that he liked to remind you of.

The house was overly suburban, missing only a wisteria bush and a fresh coat of paint, additionally, perhaps, a good amount of effort put into the garden as well. It was going to be a time-consuming summer project, but one that you were excited about because of its potential end result.

The house was all paid off by your grandparents, but after the passing of your grandfather some years ago, your grandmother had felt like the house was too overwhelming to live in all by herself, so she had found some place smaller and left the fight of inheritance to your mother, who had then passed it onto you and your sibling. The fact that you had now won that fight was ironic; you would end up alone in a house that your grandmother found too overwhelming to be alone in.

You step out of your car after parking it in the driveway, walking around its back to open the trunk and start unloading its contents. It is half your latest salary worth of a Home Depot haul.

You head to the garage door, knowing that your grandfather used to have a workbench inside and you need tools to assemble some of the things you have bought, amongst other a stepladder that you hope to build without too much trouble.

Though the lock at the bottom of the garage door is already doing its job of causing trouble, and you curse quietly as you have to put everything onto the ground at your feet to use both hands on it. The lock struggles for a moment but then clicks, and you finally pull up the garage door until you can duck underneath it with ease.

You get a feeling of someone watching you as you drag two buckets of white paint into the garage, following with a new set of brushes and paint rollers.

The feeling grows stronger as you reemerge from the garage and you start to hear muffled voices nearby too, but you ignore it due to how much you have scheduled for today. Additionally, you would admit in all honesty that you would be staring at the single woman neighbor too, if she was struggling with the garage door and making a fool of herself. You push your curiosity away and reach into the car trunk again.

“Hey,” it’s the voice of a teenage girl. You jump and nearly hit your head against the roof of the vehicle, and she chuckles a little in a way to seem cooler than she is, “Oh, sorry! Didn’t mean to scare you, but you just looked like you needed a little help and I wanted to offer. Well, my dad told me not to.”

“It’s alright, I’m grown. I can handle myself,” you stand up a little straighter to properly look at the teenager, giving her a smile to reassure her that you’re cool too. She’s around fifteen, kindest eyes you’ve ever seen in a girl her age, a mess of curls and her thumbs tucked into the belt loops on her jeans. She looks shy, but something tells you that she isn’t. You realize that you are staring, then hold out a hand and introduce yourself.

“I just moved in, inherited the place from my grandparents,” you add as the teen shakes your hand.

“I’m Sarah, we live just a house away. There,” she points to a nearby home, where a man is standing against one of the posts on the front porch. He has his arms crossed over his chest but you’re too far away to read his expression. Sarah continues, “Oh, right, that’s my dad. Yikes, that stance makes him look like a jerk.”

“Perhaps a little,” you laugh genuinely and Sarah beams at your approval. She raises her arm and waves her father over, who protests against it at first by waving his arms no, but then capitulates and walks over to you.

“Joel Miller,” he states as he approaches, holds out his hand and you repeat your name, trying to grab his hand for a shake, but it ends up the other way around with the size of his palm. Joel’s hands are huge and rough, calloused in a way that makes you guess that he doesn’t sit in an office all day. He has a firm grip, and you catch yourself watching the way that the muscles of his underarm flex when he holds your hand in what feels like an instant.

He doesn’t notice you staring at all, but you wonder if it’s because he is so used to it; Joel Miller is gorgeous, scruffy and sexy in his washed-out jeans and a simple army green t-shirt. You wish that you had worn something other than your dark blue t-shirt with a Batman logo, but a sundress would not have been practical for assembling stepladders and carrying tools.

“We were wonderin’ when we were gonna see someone move in,” he speaks with a Texan accent. It suits him very well, “I’ve wanted to paint the surface several times last summer, would be a shame to have it crack if you had the opportunity to save it.”

“I could use some help, honestly. My grandma moved somewhere smaller because it was too much work to be alone here,” you run a hand over your hair, brushing a strand behind your ear. Sarah looks from you to her father, and then back to you again.

“Maybe that’s our summer vacation!” She exclaims. Joel turns quickly towards her.

“Sarah, honey,” he warns but she just continues without a hint of hesitation, sporting childlike enthusiasm and innocence.

“But you said that we needed something to do together this summer, and we couldn’t afford a trip somewhere,” she reasons excitedly, “This is perfect. Very movie-esque, you know.”

“But it’s not our house,” Joel adds, smiles at you apologetically and makes your pulse spike.

“But she says she needs help,” she doesn’t let it go. It’s sort of sweet, “Come ooon, dad.”

“I do actually need help,” you back her up.

“You don’t have a boyfriend who knows how to swing a paint brush? Or who you’ll hurt by not letting him do the heavy lifting?” Joel asks casually. Sarah scrunches up her nose beside him.

“Nope, no boyfriend with a masculinity complex,” your cheeks blush a little as Joel chuckles, hidden by a smile as you shake your head no. You wish you did have a guy in your life, but right now only so you could see if there’d be any detectable disappointment on Joel’s face when you said yes.

Joel reaches up to scratch his beard. He looks like he is weighing the pros and cons, but a part of him also drags out the anticipation to tease his kid. He smirks, “Fine then, but you better be up early every day for a day’s hard work, Sarah Miller.”

“Oh, he used your whole name. You’re in trouble now,” you point out with a grin. Joel eyes you from beside you.

“Yes! Better than summer camp,” Sarah removes her fingers from the belt loops of her jeans to grab her father’s arm and press her forehead against it, “Thank you.”

“You’ve never been to summer camp,” Joel rolls his eyes but wraps an arm around his daughter.

“I sleep in though, so don’t come knocking at eight in the morning,” you point out.

“Dad sleeps in too, don’t worry,” Sarah keeps going.

“Sarah, what’s wrong with you?” Joel is the one who looks embarrassed now. He pushes her gently away, “Go back home, kid. Let the grown-ups sort out the details. You can call for pizza, yeah?”

“Ugh,” you hear her say to her father but she gives you a sweet smile, “Nice to meet you.”

“You too, Sarah,” you reply but she’s already walking away with her back towards you. Joel, on the other hand, doesn’t move from his spot in front of you, suddenly stuffing his hands in his pockets and almost entirely mirroring Sarah’s stance from moments before.

“Tell me what you need help with?” It’s meant more as a question or a suggestion than a command.

“Right,” you wonder how long you have been staring at his mouth. It’s been a while since you’ve been kissed, so you allow yourself the fantasy of Joel Miller being interested in kissing you. His beard tells you that it’s been a day too many since he would normally trim it, and you can almost imagine the feeling of the hairs tickling your chin and jaw as he kisses your mouth and neck—

Stop.

“Well, I have some work to do on the house facade,” you blurt out after the silence has gone on for too long.

“Clearly,” Joel nods in acknowledgement, crossing his arms over his chest and spreading his legs a little where he is standing. Like this, he looks like he is a good listener, “I should see if I can find some cheap but good wood protection, looks like it’s going to be more expensive in the long run if it doesn’t get some kind of coat.”

“That’s so nice of you,” you give him a soft smile. It is confirmed then; the man is clearly not the office-type with how he talks about restoring the construction of the house to its peak.

He goes on: “Don’t worry about it, yeah? I’m sure you can pay me with hot dinners for Sarah and I or something. I can do this, the work on the house, but I’m terrible at getting her to eat other things than takeout with my normal schedule.”

Suddenly very open. Interesting.

“I wouldn’t mind that, no. It’s going to be a lot of dinners though. I have a whole lot of ideas,” you reply, still trying to not drop your gaze to his mouth again as he talks, “Garden needs to be weeded out, replanted, lawn mowed— oh, you don’t have a lawnmower, do you?”

“Sure do,” he answers, nodding towards his house, “I can get it. You need help with that now?”

You blame the Texan sun for how breathless you feel as you have time to really look at him. He has his hands on the handle of his old lawnmower, gripping firmly to the point of unintentionally showing off his biceps in the form-fitted shirt that he wears as he pushes the lawnmower around the wild grass.

You are sitting on the back porch, legs crossed with a screwdriver in hand and the instructions to the, by now, stupid stepladder. You’re more creative than practical, and it shows in the way that you tighten one screw but the stepladder still wobbles as you test it out.

Frantically, you go through the instruction manual front to back and then back to front until you accidentally rip the thin paper, but you don’t feel any smarter about what you are doing. You throw the screwdriver onto the wooden boards beneath you, fighting the urge to scrape a bad word into the grayish wood.

You lean back on your arms and close your eyes almost all the way, soothing yourself by taking in the sun and letting yourself look at Joel work without him noticing too much. Your eyes travel down his frame, looking at the jeans that have green patches around the base of the legs before going upwards again. You try to convince yourself that looking at his clothes makes up for how you’re ogling him now.

Subconsciously, you stretch out your legs from underneath you, then cross one leg over the other and lean further back on your elbows instead. Joel’s knuckles are slightly white from gripping the lawnmower and his t-shirt has started to form a patch of sweat at the base of his spine, supposedly caused by sweat dripping from the back of his neck because the hair there is damp. You curl your toes a little, press your thighs together. You want to know how strong those hands are, how they work at his daytime job, which you guess by now has to do with construction work. It feels wrong to think these things, but you allow them as long as they don’t leave your head.

You close your eyes fully then, not needing to feel even more warmth prickle at your skin, radiating from your core instead of being caused by the sun. You lay like this until the lawnmower stops.

“Woah, what happened here?” Joel walks over and looks down at you and then to the crime scene you’ve left open on the back porch flooring. You stare at him with a sheepish expression on your face as he shields the sun from you with his body.

“It didn’t want to do it the way that I wanted,” you simply say.

“Remind me not to piss you off,” he jokes and shifts where he stands until the sun hits your eyes again. You grin up at him, holding a hand over your eyes to not be forced to close them and miss how he looks as he smiles back.

“Thanks by the way,” you add a moment later, “I’m honestly happy that I don’t have to do it myself.”

“Yeah, no problem… Look, I’m gonna go back to Sarah, have a shower, then the pizza that’s probably cold by now,” he lingers for a moment before starting to move.

“Sorry about the pizza,” you say and start to get up again, leaving behind the mess of screws, ripped pages and stupid tools.

“All good, I think Sarah will forgive me. She likes you,” he waves back at you as he leaves. You wave after him too, something feeling like it’s about to implode inside of your stomach and you know what it is. It is butterflies. It is the beginning of a crush.

In the morning, you find the stepladder assembled to perfection on your back porch.

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