#can you tell i have a lot of feelings about this
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kianamaiart · 13 hours ago
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Do you think “Moon Sailor” was a bit, on the nose?
it was intended to be! i made the pilot while keeping in mind that the magical girl genre is actually somewhat niche
i wanted to make sure people like my parents or my girlfriend's law school peers or people who don't watch anime at all could easily follow and understand what's going on. if i asked my parents to name a magical girl anime, they'd be like "what is that" but if i asked them what sailor moon was, they'd be like "oh yeah i've seen those characters before!" sailor moon undoubtedly iconic and people IMMEDIATELY know what it is upon hearing it. "moon sailor" is VERY OBVIOUSLY a parody of that so it's easy to get in that one second of time i have before moving on.
the tricky thing about doing a pilot is the setup and the trickier thing about doing a SUBVERSIVE pilot is that you have to set up what you're subverting on top of everything else. that's why zira's dialogue and language is also a bit expository and on the nose during the "gasp" part. there are people watching who don't know the magical girl genre and its tropes! like how is someone supposed to know that aika anticlimactically poofing into her magical form was a joke if they didn't even know that a magical girl transformation was SUPPOSED to happen? i thought i spelled out hoshi's whole thing pretty well or didn't really need to go that into it but i saw a lot of people confused about what they were and why they were there at all (until zira tells us that they're a magical mascot).
back to "moon sailor," it's a silly one off joke meant to quickly signal to the audience that zira likes manga/anime and the magical girl genre specifically as well as circumvent copyright. i also personally just like on the nose bits hahaha. like on big city greens whenever we parody a brand we usually just put a "B" in front of it. one of my favorite being "blego blocks"
this turned into unsolicited writing advice and definitely more than what you asked for but i hope its helpful to anyone out there looking to make their own shows!! clarity, spelling stuff out and sometimes handholding is important especially in a pilot. even though it can feel stilted sometimes, it's better than completely losing your audience or leaving them with questions. but now that the pilot's done it's job, any following episodes i might make will be unburdened by too much expository language haha
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yizhouism · 3 days ago
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— bf!caleb headcanons;
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trust that this man will not leave you alone. you want space? "sure," he says while taking one step away from you
he is LOCKED in and he will not let you go, i fear. should have ran away when you had the chance, when he was still willing to let you go... because now that's he's had you? yeah... sorry but it's till death with him! beyond that even (wink wink)
you can't stand him anymore? he'll tell you to sit on his face
you're tired of him? "no, you're not pipsqueak! you just need a nap"
always pulls the "sorry, my gf said i can't go card". like, it's to the point that everyone thinks you're an overprotective and controlling gf
you're not! he's the problem!!! he's the obsessed one!!!
time and time again you've told him to hang out with his friends more but noooooo, why would he want to spend his friday nights getting wasted with his friends when he can spend the night cuddling with you? do you not care about him anymore? do you want other girls to flirt with him at the bar? he's going to spend the whole night wishing he was in your arms anyway so don't make him go. pretty please? *cue the puppy dog eyes*
caleb clings to you like a koala. he's not just velcroed to you—he's superglued to you
a hand on your waist, playing with your fingers, squeezing your thigh, gently kicking your feet with his, his head on your shoulder, his head on your lap, backhugs whenever you're both standing, his fingers playing with your hair, a kiss to your shoulders, your cheeks, the back of your hand
speaking of physical affection, he likes to bite you! not in a possessive way (contrary to popular belief), he just has a severe case of gigil (cuteness aggression) whenever it comes to you
it's neverending and the most endearing part is that he doesn't even realize that he does it 🥹
but he will ease up if you ever express discomfort. after all, this man's first priority is your comfort and safety
he sees you pouting and not only does he want to kiss your lips but he also wants to munch on your cheeks. they're just so cute all puffed up like that, so can you really blame him?
caleb who can't help but notice how much of your stuff is themed around apples and planes—all reminders of him
when he finally noticed just how much you look for him in every aspect of your life, his heart just melted into a puddle. caleb is the type who always needs to feel needed, so to know that you need his presence to the point that most of your things are a testament to his being? yeah... he's a goner. he's never felt so loved before? god knows you're in for a long night of him worshipping you 🤞
the fighter plane keychain that hangs from your bag? your apple-themsd kitchenware? the map of skyhaven that decorates the wall above your couch? your apple-themed accessories—all of it makes him giddy
"you're love me a lot, don't ya pips?" he says teasingly, only for you to reply with a quiet but certain "i do"
it's so certain and so sure, and your eyes are looking at him with so much adoration, as if he painted the stars in the sky himself—it's just too much for his poor heart to handle that he finds himself hiding his face in the crook of your neck
caleb is not shy about letting people know he's taken. i mean... he wears the necklace you got him like a collar so ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯
he wears your apple-themed hair ties around his wrist (this is canon! see: longtime yesterday)
the type to always find a way to mention his girlfriend no matter what the topic of the conversation is
"you know, my girlfriend—" "we get it caleb, shut up!"
also always has a spare sanitary napkin or tampon on him. anything you might need, he has on him
if y'all started dating in highschool, i feel like he'd also be the type to order extra sets of his sports jerseys just to gift to you
nothing gets him going like seeing "xia, 05" plastered all over your back (caleb was player no. 5 in his highschool basketball team)
the type to run to you after every game and scoop you up in a big hug despite being all sweaty
"ugh, caleb, you're sweaty!" "oh hush, i know you love it, pips."
aaaand, he's not wrong 😞 there's just something so endearing to you about being the first person he runs to after every big win—like you're the prize instead of the trophy they just won
and to him, you are. you're the best prize—the best thing, best person in his life
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bigandgreedy · 2 days ago
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It makes me sad when I see women dating men who genuinely dont offer them any benefit whatsoever and I’m not talking about financial although that is one way they could benefit them. But no benefit whatsoever. No money, not nice, or funny, or fun to be around doesn’t affirm her but rather puts her down constantly, doesn’t spend enough time with her, doesn’t listen to her or let her get a word in edgewise, doesn’t help around the house or even just look after himself. Bad at sex. The most beautiful and sweetest woman will be head over heels in love with a man who genuinely sucks the air out of any room he enters. It happens all the time and the most evil part of it is a lot of them even get pregnant. I genuinely get a terrible feeling in my stomach when I see a woman get pregnant by a man like this. All children are blessings it’s just that I know she has a real mountain to climb for the rest of her life bc let’s be real ppl always talk about parenting being “18 years” but a good parent will try to support their child every way they can for the rest of their life and it’s really hard to do alone.
Anyway more often than not you see younger women stuck in this pattern when older women who have had plenty of time to experience being in relationships are choosing to be single which is why the birth rate is down and reproductive rights are being taken away They would force govt mandated wives and impregnation if they could. And I’m not the first to say this but the reason is because men have never really in history had to be dateable so most of them do not even try to make themselves appealing in any way. Women used to be forced into marriage and pregnancies and we couldn’t have a bank account until like 30 minutes ago in the scheme of human history. Also not the first to say this either but this is where the term crazy cat lady comes from. They want to scare those women into thinking they are crazy and lonely instead of intelligent and happy alone. The term spinster comes from the women who spun yarn in Middle English times who were some of the only paid women who therefore often stayed unmarried. So that tells you everything you need to know about those sentiments towards childless single women.
Also not even touching upon the fact that in many cases men who are this misogynistic are just not safe to be around and live with. But that could be another essay.
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areislol · 11 hours ago
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how honkai star rail men would be with their very heavily pregnant wife
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pairings. jing yuan, blade, anaxa, phainon, mydei, aventurine, boothill, dr ratio, gepard, sunday, sampo, moze x fem/afab! reader
warnings. phainon and mydei might be ooc! slightly suggestive for mydei, angst if you squint for boothill
a/n. my professor is pregnant and i got inspired, is that weird? i think i went a little overboard when writing.
wc. 18.2k
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jing yuan
✧  super protective general mode activated – jing yuan won’t let you lift a single finger. you’re a literal empress in his eyes, and he treats you like one.
✧ he constantly rubs your belly, murmuring sweet nothings to your baby, calling them “little cub” or “our future star.”
✧ yanqing is over the moon, already asking when he can start training the baby. jing yuan just laughs and tells him to be patient.
✧ he pretends to be chill, but he secretly has his cloud knights monitoring your every move. if you so much as sigh, he’s rushing to your side with a massage ready.
✧ jing yuan is so unbelievably soft with you. he treats you like you're the most precious thing in the world, because to him, you are. he’s already a laid-back general, but when it comes to you and your pregnancy, he becomes even lazier—only because he insists on doing everything for you, so you don’t have to lift a single finger.
✧ “why would i let you do anything, my love? you’re already doing the most important thing—bringing our child into this world.” he says it so smoothly, like it’s the most obvious thing ever, all while he’s feeding you slices of fresh fruit.
✧ he loves talking to the baby. every night, he rests his head against your belly, rubbing slow circles over your stretched skin as he murmurs soft words. “are you being good to your mother? not causing too much trouble, i hope.” his voice is teasing, but there’s so much warmth in it.
✧ yanqing is excited beyond belief. he treats your belly like a sacred treasure, constantly checking in and promising to be the best big brother figure. jing yuan just watches with an amused smile, letting the boy go on about how he’ll train the baby to be the best swordsman when they’re older.
✧ if you so much as sigh, he’s immediately at your side. tired? he’s carrying you. back hurting? he’s massaging you. craving something? he already sent someone to get it.
✧ he lets you sleep on him whenever you want. if you’re tired in the middle of the day, he just pulls you into his lap, arms wrapped securely around you as he leans back, perfectly content to stay like that for hours.
✧ you catch him daydreaming about your child a lot. he’ll be sitting at his desk, chin in his palm, a soft smile on his lips as he imagines what they’ll look like. “will they have your eyes?” he asks one day, reaching out to brush his fingers over your cheek. “i hope they do.”
✧ he’s secretly very nervous about the birth. he won’t show it, but you catch the way his fingers tighten slightly when he thinks about it. he just loves you so much, and he hates the idea of you being in pain. he’ll be right by your side when the time comes, holding your hand, whispering reassurances in that deep, soothing voice of his.
✧ at the end of the day, jing yuan is just so deeply in love with you. every moment, every touch, every gentle smile—he’s cherishing all of it, because this is the family he’s always dreamed of.
✧ jing yuan is absolutely smitten with you and your pregnancy. he’s always been affectionate, but now? now he’s downright insatiable when it comes to touching you. his hands are always somewhere—resting on your belly, rubbing slow, soothing circles on your back, cupping your cheek as he presses soft kisses against your lips. he just wants you to feel loved every second of the day.
✧ he’s a chronic nuzzler. when you’re sitting together, he leans in to bury his face in your neck, breathing in your scent, his hands splayed across your belly. when you’re lying down, he rests his forehead against yours, murmuring sweet little reassurances about how well you’re doing. if he could, he’d never let you leave his embrace.
✧ he absolutely spoils you. your cravings? already fulfilled before you even realize you’re hungry. your feet hurt? he’s massaging them while looking at you with those warm, golden eyes. you’re feeling emotional? he’s pulling you into his lap, whispering words of love as he strokes your hair.
✧ his favorite thing is feeling the baby kick. he lights up every single time—his eyes softening, a slow smile tugging at his lips as he presses his palm to your belly. “ah, little one, i see you’re already training to be a warrior.” he chuckles, his thumb tracing slow circles against your skin.
✧ he reads to you at night. sometimes it’s poetry, sometimes it’s old tales of the xianzhou, but he loves the idea of his voice lulling both you and the baby into sleep. he takes it as an unspoken duty to make sure you’re as comfortable and relaxed as possible.
✧ he will not let you lift a single thing. you could be reaching for something as light as a teacup, and suddenly his arm is there, effortlessly taking it from you. “tsk, tsk, my dear. what did i say about doing things yourself?” he smirks as he hands it to you, obviously enjoying how much he gets to dote on you.
✧ yanqing is so excited that it makes jing yuan even more excited. when yanqing starts talking about how he’s going to train the baby in swordsmanship, jing yuan suddenly finds himself indulging in the fantasy, too. “hm… perhaps they’ll wield a greatsword like me,” he muses, stroking his chin before glancing at you with a teasing smirk. “or maybe they’ll be as quick-witted and sharp as their mother.”
✧ he secretly makes a journal about the pregnancy. he writes down little notes—about the first time he felt the baby kick, about how breathtaking you looked under the moonlight as you rested, about how his heart aches with how much he loves you both. he never tells you about it, but he plans to give it to your child when they’re older, so they’ll know just how much their father adored their mother.
✧ he absolutely, 100% cries when the baby is born. he tries to be strong, tries to keep his composure, but the moment he hears that first cry, he’s done for. he cups your face with shaky hands, pressing his forehead to yours as he whispers, “you did so well, my love… so well.” and when he finally holds the baby, his chest tightens with overwhelming love—he’s never known a happiness like this before.
blade —
✧ he rarely shows outward emotions, but his hands always find their way to your belly, as if grounding himself in the reality of your shared future.
✧ if you ever feel pain, even if it’s normal pregnancy discomfort, he tenses up immediately, staring at you with worry. “are you okay? do you need something?”
✧ he lets you sleep curled up against him, his body warmth soothing you. even if he doesn’t need rest, he’ll lay beside you, hand on your stomach, eyes half-lidded.
✧ the stellaron hunters tease him for being so soft for you, but he doesn’t care. his priority is you and the baby—nothing else.
✧ buys you those pregnancy pillows, not one, not two, not three, but FIVE of them. why? don't ask why. he just did what he had to do.
✧ blade is both the most terrifying and the softest man you have ever seen during your pregnancy. anyone who so much as glances at you the wrong way gets a death glare so sharp it could cut through steel. he becomes hyper-aware of his surroundings, his protective instincts dialed up to a thousand. but when he's with you? when he's resting his palm on your belly, feeling the faint kicks of your child? he's tender in a way no one else will ever see.
✧ he doesn't speak much, but his actions say everything. he’s not the type to whisper poetic words about his love for you, but when he pulls you into his chest, his calloused fingers brushing through your hair—when he kneels in front of you, pressing the softest kiss to your swollen belly—you know exactly how much he cherishes you.
✧ he has a habit of placing his hand on your belly whenever you're together. it’s instinctual, protective, like he’s always ready to shield both you and your child from harm. even in his sleep, his hand finds its way to your stomach, fingers twitching slightly as if standing guard.
✧ he worries about you, even if he doesn’t always say it outright. you catch him watching you with furrowed brows when you move around too much, his lips pressing into a thin line when he sees you wince. if he had his way, you'd be in bed all day, wrapped up in the safest cocoon possible—but he knows you’re strong, so he holds back. barely.
✧ he is unbelievably gentle when touching you. it’s almost ironic—blade, a man who knows nothing but violence, whose hands are stained with countless battles, touches you like you’re made of the finest glass. every time he cups your face, every time he trails his fingers over your belly, his touch is so, so careful. he would rather die than cause you any harm.
✧ he talks to the baby when he thinks you're asleep. late at night, when the world is silent and you’re curled up against him, he whispers words he could never say when you're awake. “i will protect you.” his voice is barely above a breath, his hand splayed over your belly. “you and your mother. always.”
✧ he makes sure you're eating properly, even if it means forcing you to sit down while he prepares something himself. he doesn’t care if he’s never been much of a cook—he will make sure you're fed and taken care of, even if it means standing in the kitchen for an hour, staring at a recipe with a deep frown.
✧ he pretends not to care about the baby shopping, but he totally does. when you bring him to look at baby clothes, he acts indifferent at first, hands tucked into his coat. but the second he sees a tiny onesie in your favorite color? he picks it up, runs his fingers over the fabric, and mutters something about how “this one looks… acceptable.” (he buys it immediately.)
✧ he doesn't know how to express it, but he's excited to be a father. he never thought he’d have something like this—something soft, something real. he never thought he’d have a future beyond endless battles. but now, with you by his side, carrying a child that is part of both of you, he finally starts to believe in something more.
✧ when the baby is born, he is completely, utterly still. for the first time in his life, blade feels like he has no words. he holds the tiny bundle in his arms, staring down at this little life he helped create, and something deep inside him shifts. when he finally looks at you, eyes glassy with unspoken emotion, he whispers the only thing he can say—“thank you.”
✧ blade is absolutely helpless when it comes to your cravings. you want something specific in the middle of the night? he’s already putting on his coat, ready to hunt it down no matter how absurd it is. he doesn’t even question it anymore. one time, you craved something bizarre—like spicy pickles dipped in chocolate—and he just stared at you for a full ten seconds before silently retrieving the ingredients. when he watched you eat it with a satisfied hum, he muttered, “...i have never feared anything more than i fear your cravings.”
✧ there was one time when he brought you the wrong food, and you almost burst into tears. your craving was very specific—a warm peach bun from a particular vendor—but he accidentally got a different flavor. when he saw your lip tremble, he immediately turned on his heel and went straight back out to find the exact one you wanted. “i will not return until i retrieve it,” he swore, like he was going on some life-or-death mission.
✧ he tries to act like he doesn’t care when you make him try your strange craving combinations, but the second you say, “if you love me, you’ll try it,” he knows he’s lost. cue him begrudgingly taking a bite of something absolutely cursed (like ice cream and soy sauce) while you eagerly watch for his reaction. he chews. he swallows. he slowly looks away and mutters, “i am never doing that again.” (he does it again the next time you ask.)
✧ one time, you craved something so bad that you started getting emotional over it. “blade… what if i never get to eat it again?” you sniffled, burying your face in your hands. panic. absolute panic. he thought this was an actual emergency. he dropped everything he was doing, ready to fight the universe itself if it meant securing your food. when he finally got it and handed it to you, you sighed dreamily, saying, “you’re my hero.” his ears turned a little red after that.
✧ you get unbelievably clingy, and it’s both endearing and confusing to blade. he’ll be standing still, minding his own business, when you just attach yourself to him, draping yourself over his back like a koala. “don’t move,” you mumble. he doesn’t. if anything, he just shifts slightly so that you’re more comfortable.
✧ there was a moment when you dramatically flopped onto the bed, groaning about how your feet hurt. before you could even finish your sentence, blade was already kneeling down, silently massaging your feet. you gasped. “oh my god, you’re actually good at this—” his fingers worked into the sore spots with expert precision. you immediately melted. blade, meanwhile, just continued as if he’d been doing this for centuries. “your body is under strain,” he simply said. “this is the least i can do.”
✧ blade has an uncanny ability to appear whenever you need help. you’re struggling to bend down to grab something? suddenly, he’s there. you’re about to lift something heavier than he deems acceptable? boom, he’s already taking it from you. you once tested this by whispering, “i’m craving something…” and within seconds, he materialized behind you with an unreadable expression, already holding his coat, waiting for instructions.
✧ he does not tolerate anyone making unnecessary comments about your size. one time, a stranger made an offhand remark about how big your belly was, and before you could even react, blade was staring them down with the most chilling gaze imaginable. he didn’t even say a word—just narrowed his eyes ever so slightly—and the person immediately backpedaled.
✧ despite his serious nature, there was one time he made a mistake that neither of you will ever forget. you asked him to fetch your favorite snack, and he misheard you. instead of returning with the correct one, he came back with something completely different. when he handed it to you, looking all serious, you just… stared at it. “blade… what is this.” he frowned. “the food you asked for.” you shook your head.
✧ “no, this is not what i asked for.” a long silence. then, without a word, he simply turned around and walked right back out to get the correct one.
✧ sometimes, he gets so used to catering to you that he forgets he doesn’t need to keep doing it after the baby is born. one time, you got up to get something for yourself, and blade immediately tried to stop you. “sit down,” he said automatically, already moving to do it for you. you had to gently remind him, “blade, i can move now.” he paused. thought about it. then, in a deadpan voice, muttered, “...i don’t like that.”
anaxa —
✧ the man is obsessed with your pregnancy. every single day, he’s marveling at your growing belly, resting his head on it, whispering to the baby.
✧ “can you hear me, little one? your father loves you very, very much~” and then he looks up at you with stars in his eyes. you can’t walk five steps without him offering to carry you.
✧ he’d literally sweep you off your feet in public if you let him. he handmakes baby clothes, paints the nursery with celestial patterns, and makes sure you’re always surrounded by warmth and love.
✧ anaxa is absolutely ecstatic about you carrying his child. he’s a man of passion, and this is the most exciting thing to ever happen in his life. he showers you in affection constantly, hands never far from your belly, and every little change in your pregnancy fascinates him. one day, he catches sight of your growing bump in the mirror, and his golden eyes widen with pure admiration.
✧ “by the aeons, look at you… you’re stunning.” he twirls you around, beaming, like you’re the most divine sight in the universe.
✧ he is obnoxiously protective but in a warm, dramatic way. if you so much as sigh, he’s immediately cupping your face, his gaze filled with concern. “beloved, are you unwell? do you need anything? say the word, and i shall move the stars themselves to bring you comfort.” if you so much as stumble, he is catching you like a hero in a romantic novel, dipping you slightly as if it were a dance.
✧ he goes insane over your cravings. no matter how ridiculous, he takes it as a personal challenge. one time, you craved the most specific fruit from a distant planet, and before you could even consider changing your mind, he was already making arrangements to have it imported. it arrived within hours. you stared at him in disbelief as he proudly presented it. “for you, my beloved, there is no distance too far.”
✧ he gets competitive about taking care of you. he must be the one to do everything. need a foot massage? he’s already doing it. thirsty? your drink is already in your hands. you tried to reach for something on a high shelf once, and he gasped dramatically, lifting you into his arms instead. “such tasks are far beneath you, my dear.” you just wanted a plate.
✧ when the baby kicks for the first time, he is overwhelmed. his hands freeze over your stomach, golden eyes widening in shock. he looks up at you, utterly stunned, before breaking into the most lovesick grin you have ever seen. “they’re strong,” he murmurs, pressing his forehead against yours. “our child is strong.”
✧ he talks to your belly. all the time. and not just little greetings—he has full conversations. he tells your baby about the adventures he’s had, the beautiful places they’ll see, and how lucky they are to have you as their mother. sometimes, when he thinks you’re asleep, he whispers soft promises to them. “you will be loved beyond measure, little one. i swear it upon the stars.”
✧ he spoils you rotten. anything you want, you get. it’s impossible to stop him. the moment you so much as glance at a pretty item, he’s already purchasing it. if you tell him “you don’t have to—” he hushes you with a kiss to your forehead. “nonsense, my love. you deserve the world.”
✧ he gets extremely emotional when you’re in labour. despite his usual confidence, he is on edge, pacing the room, running a hand through his hair, whispering prayers under his breath. the second he hears your baby’s first cry, he collapses into the chair, exhaling a deep breath of relief (like he was the one giving birth.... 😒).
✧ when he finally holds them for the first time, he is speechless. his usual poetic words fail him, and he just stares, eyes glossy with unshed tears, before finally whispering, “you are the greatest gift i have ever received.”
✧ anaxa treats your pregnancy like the most important quest of his life. from the moment he learns you’re expecting, he dives headfirst into research. he devours every article, medical journal, and ancient text on pregnancy, memorizing every detail.
✧ at night, he’s hunched over stacks of datapads, reading about fetal development, prenatal nutrition, and even obscure childbirth traditions across different planets. when you wake up and ask what he’s doing, he simply replies, “studying for the most important role of my existence.”
✧ he takes notes. meticulous, detailed notes. he carries around a small journal where he writes everything—your mood shifts, your cravings, even what time of day the baby kicks the most. it’s filled with observations like “beloved seemed irritated today—possible correlation with lack of midday nap?” and “baby prefers right side of belly—will investigate further.”
✧ one time, you peeked into his notes and found a page titled “top ten ways to make my love comfortable” with a ranked list of his most successful strategies.
✧ he does field research. he doesn’t just rely on books—he goes out and seeks firsthand knowledge. he interviews every mother he can find, from warriors to scholars, recording their experiences and advice with intense focus.
✧ he once stopped an entire group of mothers in the marketplace just to ask, “ladies, if i may—what was the most effective way your partners supported you during pregnancy?” he listened very seriously, nodding at each answer, before thanking them with a deep bow.
✧ he becomes hyper-aware of pregnancy symptoms before you even notice them. you sigh slightly, and before you can say anything, he’s already handing you water because “dehydration can cause fatigue, my dear.”
✧ If you rub your lower back even once, he instantly offers a massage. one time, you mentioned feeling warm, and within seconds, he adjusted the room’s temperature to the optimal degree for pregnant comfort.
✧ no one can escape his lectures. if someone offers you food that’s even slightly questionable for pregnancy, he immediately intervenes, launching into a detailed explanation of why you cannot eat it. “that dish contains an ingredient known to cause nausea in twelve percent of expectant mothers. i simply cannot allow it.”
✧ you once caught him educating a fellow father-to-be about the importance of emotional support during pregnancy. “your partner’s needs must always come first. if she craves something at midnight, you go. no hesitation.”
✧ he gets way too into prenatal bonding. he doesn’t just talk to the baby—he reads stories, sings songs, and even plays music. one day, you walked in on him reciting a dramatic monologue from one of his favorite plays to your belly, gesturing passionately. “and so, my dear child, this is the tale of heroes and honor… may you inherit my love for storytelling.” you couldn’t stop laughing.
✧ when you’re nearing your due date, he prepares a full emergency plan. he has a route mapped out to the medical facility, a list of supplies packed and double-checked, and contingency plans for every possible scenario.
✧ if labor starts unexpectedly, he has multiple escape routes memorized for a quick departure. one time, he even did a practice drill, making sure he could carry you effortlessly if needed. “i must be ready, beloved. i refuse to falter in your moment of need.”
✧ the moment you go into labor, he activates like a man on a mission. his usually playful and dramatic nature is replaced with laser-sharp focus. he’s immediately by your side, holding your hand, guiding you through breathing exercises he memorized. but internally, he is barely holding it together.
✧ the second he hears the baby’s first cry, he lets out a shaky breath, his entire body relaxing. when he finally holds your child, all the stress melts away, and he just gazes at them in awe, whispering, “you were worth every moment.”
phainon
✧ this man treats you like the most precious treasure. If anyone so much as breathes near you the wrong way, he’s glaring at them. every craving? immediately fulfilled.
✧ even if you wake up at 3 am and want the most obscure food, he’ll find a way to get it for you. he’s fascinated by the baby’s movements and constantly asks, “did they kick just now?”
✧ when you can’t sleep, he’ll hold you close and hum soft lullabies, stroking your hair until you drift off in his arms.
✧ phainon is absolutely obsessed with the idea of being a father. from the moment he learns you’re pregnant, he acts like he just won the greatest cosmic jackpot in existence. he picks you up and spins you around before freezing and setting you down gently, apologizing because “right, right, must be careful now.” but he’s grinning ear to ear, already talking about all the things he wants to do with the baby. “do you think they’ll like stargazing? i’ll teach them all about the constellations, and we can name a star after them.”
✧ he immediately starts making preparations. within days, he’s turned an entire room into a nursery, but it’s not just any nursery—it’s a masterpiece. he hand-paints galaxies on the ceiling so the baby will always feel like they’re sleeping under the stars.
✧ he even commissions a custom-built crib that gently rocks like a spaceship in zero gravity. he’s so proud of it, constantly adjusting tiny details to make it perfect. “our little star deserves the best, don’t you think?”
✧ he takes baby-proofing to an extreme. he starts evaluating your entire home with the scrutiny of a scientist studying an uncharted planet. “this corner? too sharp. that table? unstable. this step? a potential hazard.”
✧ you catch him padding furniture, securing every single cabinet, and even installing a soft landing zone in case the baby ever falls. you try to tell him that it’s way too early for this, but he just winks and says, “better to be safe than sorry, starlight.”
✧ cravings are his absolute favourite part of the pregnancy. the moment you mention wanting something, he’s on it. he once woke up at three in the morning to hunt down a very specific dessert you were craving.
✧ when he finally returned, slightly dishevelled but victorious, he proudly presented it to you like he had just returned from a heroic quest. if you ever apologise for asking for something difficult, he just kisses your forehead and says, “there’s nothing i wouldn’t do for you and our little one.”
✧ he gets really into talking to the baby. not just casual conversations—full-blown storytelling. he lies with his head on your belly, telling the baby about all the wonders of the universe, all the places they’ll visit, all the things they’ll see.
✧ “you’re gonna love it out here. just wait until you see your first comet—it’s breathtaking.” he also sings lullabies, soft celestial melodies he swears have been passed down in his family. even you find yourself falling asleep to them.
✧ he fusses over you constantly. anytime you so much as sigh, he’s immediately checking in. “are you okay? do you need anything? here, let me get you some water. or a pillow. or—” you have to physically stop him from treating you like a fragile piece of glass.
✧ if you so much as try to lift something heavier than a book, he swoops in immediately. “whoa, whoa, whoa—absolutely not. no heavy lifting for my love. let me handle it.”
✧ despite all his excitement, he does have moments of deep, quiet reflection. sometimes you’ll find him sitting by the nursery, looking up at the painted stars with a soft smile. when you ask what’s on his mind, he just pulls you close and murmurs, “i just… can’t believe this is real. that i get to have this with you.”
✧ his hand will rest on your belly, his thumb tracing slow circles as he whispers, “i promise to be the best father i can be. i swear it.”
✧ when the day finally comes, he is a wreck. for all his usual charm and confidence, the moment you tell him it’s time, he panics. he grabs the hospital bag, then forgets where he put the hospital bag. he tries to call someone but dials the wrong number. you have to physically pull him back to reality.
✧ but once he sees you, really sees you, he takes a deep breath, centers himself, and holds your hand with all the love in the universe. when he hears the baby’s first cry, his eyes fill with tears, and he laughs, breathless, as he whispers, “welcome home, little star.”
✧ phainon is an absolute menace when it comes to public displays of affection, and your pregnancy just makes it ten times worse. he’s already the type to drape himself over you, kiss you whenever he pleases, and hold your hand no matter where you go, but now? now he’s practically glued to you. he’s always resting a hand on your belly, rubbing soothing circles over it, or just holding you close like he’s staking a claim. whenever someone congratulates him on the baby, he just beams and says, “i know, isn’t it wonderful? my starlight is glowing.”
✧ the chrysos heirs do not make things easy for him. the moment they find out you’re pregnant, it’s like they’ve been given free rein to tease him relentlessly. they’re always making comments about how he’s become soft, how he’s acting like an overexcited first-time dad, how he’s basically your personal servant at this point. phainon just waves them off with a smug grin, completely unbothered. “jealous? i would be too if i didn’t have someone as perfect as my starlight carrying my child.” the teasing only gets worse after that.
✧ some of them take it a step further, trying to rile him up by making bets on what kind of father he’ll be. “ten credits says he cries when he holds the baby for the first time.” “twenty says he panics and passes out before the baby even arrives.” phainon just scoffs, but the truth is? he does cry when he holds the baby for the first time, and he almost passes out from the sheer emotional overload. the heirs never let him live it down.
✧ despite their teasing, some of them are actually really invested in your pregnancy. they offer parenting books, advice (some useful, some absolutely ridiculous), and even propose setting up a baby fund to spoil the child the moment they’re born.
✧ phainon, of course, refuses. “i appreciate the thought, but my little one won’t need all that nonsense.” ten minutes later, he’s accepting a tiny celestial-themed onesie from one of the heirs with a soft, “... okay, maybe just this one.”
✧ in public, phainon is the proudest future father to ever exist. he makes sure everyone knows. if you go out together, he’s showing you off like you’re the most precious treasure in the galaxy—which, in his eyes, you are. if someone so much as looks at you the wrong way, he’s immediately on guard, slipping an arm around your waist and fixing them with a look that says don’t even think about it.
✧ he gets so protective when you’re in crowded areas. he insists on keeping a hand on you at all times, whether it’s resting on the small of your back or holding your hand tightly. if someone bumps into you even slightly, his entire demeanor shifts—his usual easygoing attitude replaced by something much sharper. “watch where you’re going,” he says, his voice deceptively calm but carrying an unmistakable edge.
✧ if you ever get tired while walking, he doesn’t even hesitate before picking you up. bridal style, over his shoulder, whatever gets the job done. you try to protest, but he just grins. “what? i can’t have my starlight overexerting themselves. besides, you deserve to be treated like royalty.” people definitely stare, but phainon does not care in the slightest.
✧ you catch him buying so many baby-related things on impulse. he’ll see a tiny pair of star-patterned socks and immediately grab them, muttering “they’re going to look adorable in these.” his collection of baby clothes, plushies, and toys gets so out of hand that you have to physically stop him from buying more.
✧ he gets so smug when people comment on how lucky your child will be to have him as a father. he’ll flash you a knowing grin and say something like, “of course they’re lucky. they have the best parents in the universe.” and then he’ll lean in and murmur against your ear, “but between you and me, they’re going to love you more.”
✧ at the end of the day, despite all the teasing from the heirs, the doting, and the over-the-top protection, phainon is just so deeply in love with you and the life you’re building together.
✧ every time he looks at you, he sees the future he’s always dreamed of. and every time he places a hand on your belly, he’s reminded that his greatest adventure is just beginning.
mydei
✧ overly doting husband award goes to… mydei! he treats you like royalty.
✧ if you ever try to do anything yourself, he’s immediately stopping you. “what do you think you're doing? you are carrying our child. i’ll do everything.”
✧ and he means it. he writes letters to your baby before they’re born, leaving them in a box for them to read one day. you constantly wake up to breakfast in bed, your favourite drinks prepared exactly how you like them, and soft, warm blankets because he wants you as comfy as possible.
✧ mydei is absolutely obsessed with your pregnancy in the best way possible. the moment he finds out, it’s like his entire world shifts—everything he does, everything he thinks about, revolves around you and the little life growing inside you.
✧ he becomes so soft, his usual cold, distant demeanor melting away when he’s with you. whenever he talks about the baby, his voice is filled with nothing but warmth. “our little one is going to be amazing. just like their mother.”
✧ he takes everything about pregnancy very seriously. he practically turns into a scholar overnight, gathering every book, article, and medical journal he can find. he takes meticulous notes, cross-references sources, and even reaches out to professionals—doctors, experienced parents, even midwives.
✧ he even asks random pregnant women and mothers about their experiences, carefully logging every detail. “everyone’s journey is different,” he tells you, eyes filled with determination. “but i need to be prepared for anything.”
✧ his research leads to some very specific routines. he makes sure your diet is perfectly balanced, ensuring you get all the necessary nutrients while still indulging your cravings.
✧ he tracks your hydration levels, sleep patterns, and even stress levels. if he notices you looking tired or overwhelmed, he immediately whisks you away to rest. “no arguments. you need to take care of yourself.”
✧ despite his usually elegant and refined nature, he is so comically weak to your cravings. he will go to the ends of the universe to find whatever it is you’re craving, no matter how difficult or absurd. “you want a very specific fruit that only grows on a planet halfway across the cosmos? give me a moment.” he does not settle for substitutes. if it’s not exactly what you want, he will not rest until he finds it.
✧ he gets extremely protective in public. he’s already the type to keep an eye on his surroundings, but now? he’s on high alert. he positions himself between you and any potential danger, shields you from crowds, and death-glares anyone who so much as bumps into you. he carries extra layers if it gets cold, makes sure you’re never overexerting yourself, and always finds the safest routes when walking anywhere.
✧ if anyone even dares to make an inappropriate comment about your pregnancy—whether it’s about your body changing or unsolicited parenting advice—his entire demeanor darkens. his polite mask drops, and his voice turns icy as he calmly but mercilessly shuts them down. “your opinion was neither needed nor wanted. kindly leave before i lose my patience.”
✧ pda with him becomes softer, sweeter, and more frequent. he was always a little reserved when it came to public affection, but now? he doesn’t care who’s watching.
✧ he kisses your forehead absentmindedly, holds your hand everywhere, and often keeps an arm around your waist, rubbing gentle circles over your belly. when he talks to people, his hand naturally rests on your stomach as if it’s second nature.
✧ at night, he always falls asleep with a hand on your belly. he whispers to the baby, telling them stories, making quiet promises. “i’ll keep you and your mother safe. always.” his fingers trace light patterns against your skin, his voice laced with adoration. if the baby kicks, his eyes light up with wonder, a rare, unguarded smile stretching across his lips. “already so strong.”
✧ he takes nesting very seriously. he personally oversees the nursery, ensuring everything is perfect. the colors, the furniture, even the atmosphere—he carefully selects everything with precision and care. he tests the crib himself, sits in the rocking chair to make sure it’s comfortable, and painstakingly arranges and rearranges decorations until he’s satisfied. if something isn’t up to his standards, it’s gone. “only the best for our child.”
✧ the moment the baby arrives, all the walls he’s ever had completely crumble. he holds them with the gentlest touch, his eyes brimming with emotions he can’t even put into words.
✧ he presses the softest kiss to their forehead, whispering their name like it’s something sacred. he looks at you, exhausted yet radiant, and for the first time in his life, he feels truly complete.
✧ mydei insists on accompanying you every single time you go shopping for maternity wear. at first, you think he’s just being his usual meticulous, overprotective self, but then you realise—he genuinely enjoys it.
✧ he treats it like an event, carefully selecting pieces he thinks will be both comfortable and stylish for you. he has impeccable taste, so he always picks out the most flattering outfits, running his hands over the fabrics with a thoughtful hum before handing them to you. “this one will look beautiful on you. try it on.”
✧ the moment you start feeling insecure about your belly, he notices. you run your fingers over the curve of your stomach, frowning slightly at how different your body feels, how nothing fits the way it used to. the way you sigh while looking at yourself in the mirror doesn’t go unnoticed by him.
✧ he steps behind you, his arms wrapping around your waist as he rests his chin on your shoulder. his hands slide over the curve of your belly, holding you close.
✧ “why do you look so troubled, my love?” his voice is so smooth, low, and filled with warmth. when you mutter about how different your body feels, how you don’t feel as attractive, he simply tilts his head, his lips brushing against your ear.
✧ “you look breathtaking. absolutely divine.” he turns you around gently, his fingers lightly tracing patterns against your stomach. “do you even realise how incredible you are? you’re carrying our child, our future. there is nothing more beautiful than that.”
✧ his reassurance does not stop there. if anything, it becomes a little suggestive. his lips trail down to your neck, placing slow, deliberate kisses as his hands roam your sides. “this body, this belly, this softness... all of it is perfect. you are perfect.” his voice is velvety, filled with unfiltered adoration, and when you let out a small, embarrassed laugh, he just smiles against your skin.
✧ “you don’t believe me?” he whispers, his hands sliding lower before resting firmly on your hips. “perhaps I should show you just how irresistible you are to me.”
✧ you swat at his chest, flustered beyond belief, telling him you’re in the middle of a clothing store, but he only chuckles, tilting your chin up so you meet his gaze. “fine, fine. I’ll behave… for now.” but the way he lingers, the way his eyes darken just a little, tells you that he’s far from done.
✧ even after leaving the store, his hands never stop touching you—tracing over your belly absentmindedly, rubbing soothing circles over your back, occasionally squeezing your hips just to see you flustered. whenever you wear the clothes he picked out, he cannot take his eyes off you.
✧ if you ask him why he’s staring, he simply smirks. “admiring my wife. is that a crime?” he pauses before leaning in, his lips brushing against your ear as he murmurs, “though, I must say, I quite enjoy seeing you without these clothes, too.”
aventurine
✧ he acts nonchalant (well not really...), but deep down? he’s besotted with you and the baby. he boasts about you to everyone at the family, showing off the sonograms like they’re a rare jackpot he won at a casino.
✧ every time you walk into the room, his eyes immediately land on you. “and how is my favourite future mother doing today?”
✧ if you’re feeling down, he spoils you like crazy, showering you with gifts and trips to the fanciest places just to see you smile.
✧ aventurine treats you like absolute royalty the moment he finds out you’re pregnant. not that he didn’t already spoil you before, but now? it’s on a completely different level. you barely have to lift a finger—he’s already taking care of everything before you even think about needing it.
✧ he immediately starts building a nursery, and by "building," he means designing the most extravagant, high-end, luxurious baby room money can buy.
✧ he spares no expense—custom furniture, premium-quality baby clothes, plush toys imported from different planets, the softest blankets in existence, a crib that probably costs more than a spaceship, you name it. everything is top-tier, only the best for his child.
✧ he goes overboard with baby shopping. you tell him the baby isn’t even here yet, and he just smirks, unbothered. “better to be prepared, sweetheart. besides, it’s fun.” he buys every cute outfit he sees, from tiny formal suits to cozy little onesies, and don’t even get him started on toys. he buys so many that you swear your baby won’t even get to play with half of them.
✧ food? taken care of. cravings? immediately satisfied. he has chefs on standby ready to make whatever you want, whenever you want it. at 2 am, when you wake up craving something obscure, you hesitate to wake him, but the moment he stirs and hears you shifting in bed, he insists. “tell me what you want, love. i’ll get it for you right now.”
✧ and if it’s something rare or hard to find? he pulls strings, makes calls, and by some miracle, has it in front of you within the hour. if that’s not possible, he personally goes out to find it himself. no complaints, no hesitation. he does it happily.
✧ he is obsessed with making sure you’re comfortable. if he catches you shifting around, trying to find a better position, he’s already fluffing your pillows, adjusting your seat, anything to make sure you’re perfectly cozy.
✧ he arranges regular massages for you, has the softest, most luxurious blankets at your disposal, and if he catches you even looking slightly uncomfortable, he fixes it before you can even say a word.
✧ the way he dotes on you is almost comical. he won’t even let you walk too much without insisting you rest. “why strain yourself when I can carry you, hm?” and if you protest? he smirks, effortlessly sweeping you off your feet anyway.
✧ he loves talking to your belly. at first, it’s just quiet murmurs when he thinks you’re asleep, soft reassurances and promises. but then? he gets dramatic. “you better take after your mother. if you inherit my gambling habits, we’re going to have a problem.” he fully has conversations with your unborn child, completely shameless, and honestly? it’s adorable.
✧ he lives for your flustered reactions. if you ever feel insecure about your body changing, he makes sure you never doubt how beautiful you are. “look at you,” he purrs, eyes gleaming as he trails his fingers over your belly.
✧ “glowing. divine. absolutely stunning. you have no idea how breathtaking you are, do you?” and when you get all shy? he just chuckles, pleased. “should I remind you some more?”
✧ the second you complain about your feet being sore, aventurine doesn’t hesitate—he immediately takes off his shoes, swapping them with yours. it’s a comical sight, especially when you see his ridiculously expensive, immaculate shoes paired with your cozy, worn-out sneakers. you can’t help but laugh, but he just smiles, so proud of his solution. “there, that’s better, right?”
✧ he then proceeds to buy you an entire new wardrobe of sneakers—comfort over style, he insists. no more heels unless you want them. “you don’t need to suffer in those when we can make you look just as good in something more comfortable,” he says, his voice serious, as he orders half a dozen pairs of different styles, colours, and designs of the softest sneakers imaginable.
✧ he doesn’t even flinch when the bill comes in, just waves it off like it’s nothing.
✧ lord your man is sexy.
✧ of course, if you really want to wear heels for an occasion, he’ll never stop you. “you look stunning in heels, my love. wear them for as long as you like,” he says, but he always makes sure there’s a soft, padded seat nearby for when you need to rest, and he’ll literally help you change your shoes afterward.
✧ now, when it comes to mood swings, aventurine is the ultimate calm presence. he knows it’s just one of those things, so he simply adjusts to whatever mood you’re in. when you get irritated, frustrated, or upset, he’s there with a soft, unwavering smile, letting you vent as much as you need to.
✧ if you snap at him, he’s not offended at all. in fact, he’s almost amused by it, seeing it as just another aspect of your beauty—your passion, your fire. “feel free to let it all out, darling,” he says, taking your hand, his grip steady and soothing. “I’m right here. whatever you need, I’m here for you.” he doesn’t try to calm you down immediately, because he knows it’s important for you to express yourself.
✧ after you’ve finished ranting, he checks in with you again, his voice soft and considerate. “are you okay now? did yelling at me help?” he asks with genuine care, his smile patient and gentle, never judging. if you’re still upset, he’ll simply hold you and let you settle into his arms, letting you know that whatever mood you’re in, he’s not going anywhere.
✧ nothing rattles him. no matter how dramatic your mood swings get, he handles it with endless patience, making sure you feel safe and loved through every moment. if you start to feel guilty afterwards, he’ll just smile and say, “you have every right to feel how you feel. nothing to apologise for.”
boothill
✧ rough cowboy, soft husband. he insists on carrying you everywhere.
✧ walking is not an option for you, his pregnant wife.
✧ calls you “darlin’”
✧ speaks so softly when talking to the baby, completely in awe that you’re carrying his kid. he always has a protective hand on your back, guiding you gently.
✧ if anyone stares too long, his hand moves to his holster. (you have to smack his hand and scold him)
✧ when you can’t sleep, he sits beside you and talks about life on the frontier, his deep voice lulling you into peaceful dreams.
✧ boothill’s love for you is overwhelming, and yet, at times, you can’t help but notice a slight weight behind his affection. when he spoils you, it’s not out of simple joy—it’s out of a deep need to make sure you’re always okay, that you’re always happy, and it’s almost like he’s afraid you’ll slip away from him if he doesn’t try hard enough.
✧ he goes all out with everything—buying the best things, preparing the most extravagant meals, filling the house with comforts, and making sure you never have to lift a finger. he does it all with a quiet, unshakable intensity, like if he’s not constantly doing something for you, he’ll fail somehow.
✧ his attention is unrelenting. if you so much as sigh, he’s immediately there, asking if you’re feeling okay, if you need anything, if you’re comfortable. and while you know it’s all out of love, sometimes you wonder if it’s a little too much.
✧ there’s an unspoken tension that lingers in his actions—an underlying anxiety that if he doesn’t care for you in every way, you’ll somehow slip from his grasp.
✧ when you become pregnant, that tension only intensifies. suddenly, he’s not just worried about you—he’s anxious about the baby, too. the world around him seems to sharpen, and he starts doting on you even more, almost to the point where it feels like he’s smothering you. but his love isn’t suffocating—it’s desperate.
✧ in the quiet moments, when he watches you sleep or rubs his hand over your belly, there’s a flicker of something deeper in his eyes—a quiet fear. he’s afraid, deep down, of losing you, or the baby, or both.
✧ he hates the thought of you being in any kind of discomfort. when you tell him about the aching in your back or the soreness in your feet, he acts immediately, as if your pain is his fault. it’s as if he believes that if he doesn’t fix it right away, something terrible will happen.
✧ he’s obsessive in his need to make everything perfect for you, and even though you appreciate it, sometimes you wish he would just let you be. let you have some space to breathe, to exist on your own terms.
✧ in moments when the weight of it all gets to him, he retreats a little—his jaw tightens, his eyes harden. when he’s alone with his thoughts, you can see the flicker of self-doubt, a slight crack in his usually confident demeanour. he knows that his fear is something he needs to deal with, but it feels so out of control that it’s hard for him to admit it. he doesn’t want to show you his vulnerability, doesn’t want to burden you with his insecurities.
✧ but you see it in the way he holds you at night, the tightness in his arms, the way he checks on you repeatedly, his hands brushing over your body as if he’s trying to make sure you’re all still there. and when you ask him what’s wrong, he’s quick to mask it, brushing it off with a grin, but you know. you can always tell. the angst isn’t loud or overt—it’s hidden beneath his gestures, his actions, his love.
✧ still, his devotion to you is undeniable. even though he has his own silent battles, even though there’s a constant flicker of fear within him, he loves you with every ounce of his being. the moments when he’s vulnerable with you are rare, but when they come, he holds you closer, as if afraid of letting go for even a second.
✧ you can feel the fragility in his touch, the quiet fear that you might slip away from him.
✧ he doesn’t always have the words to express what he’s feeling, but his actions speak louder than anything. and in the silence, when he looks at you, you know. you know that despite all of his worries and fears, he will always protect you, even if he has to keep some of that pain hidden in the quiet corners of his heart.
✧ when the sun is a little too bright for you, boothill doesn’t hesitate. he’s quick to take off his hat and place it gently on your head, adjusting it with a playful smile. “there, now you can enjoy the sunshine without turning into a tomato,” he says, chuckling at how cute you look in his oversized hat.
✧ if the sun is especially brutal, he’ll even suggest you both find some shade or just spend time indoors with the air conditioning, but he knows it’s about making you feel comfortable, not just avoiding the heat.
✧ if you’re feeling particularly tired, he doesn’t wait for you to ask. the moment he sees you yawn or slump a little, he’s already sweeping you off your feet, giving you a piggyback ride with the kind of enthusiasm that’s almost comical considering his usual serious demeanour. “i’ve got you,” he says, grinning widely, despite his usual stoic nature.
✧ if you’re too tired for a piggyback ride or just don’t feel like walking, he’ll immediately scoop you up in his arms. it’s as if you’re his most precious treasure, and he wants nothing more than to ensure your comfort at all times.
✧ “you know, if you just need to be carried all day, I’m perfectly fine with that,” he teases, and you can see the gleam of amusement in his eyes. he loves it when he gets to take care of you, and he’s never shy about showing it.
✧ sometimes, when you’re nestled in his arms, you’ll catch him quietly grinning to himself, probably at how happy he is just to be with you. you can tell it makes him feel lighthearted to see you enjoy these little moments of care.
✧ when he does these little things for you, it’s clear that he’s not doing them out of obligation, but because it genuinely brings him joy to see you happy, even in the smallest ways.
✧ girl do NOT get me started on "oh i'm too big for you" you are NEVER too big 😒 😒 matter of fact if boothill ever hear those words slip out of your mouth you best believe he won't be tolerating it (and hunting down whoever said that)
✧ if you ever tell boothill that you’re too big for him to carry, he won’t hesitate for a second to shut you down. “don’t even start,” he’ll warn you with a smirk, and before you can protest further, he leans down and presses a quick kiss to your lips, leaving you momentarily breathless.
✧ before you can even process what just happened, he’s already lifting you into his arms, effortlessly cradling you like you’re the lightest thing in the world. “see? not too big at all,” he says with a playful grin, clearly enjoying how flustered you get when he carries you, no questions asked.
✧ despite your attempts to argue, he’s not hearing any of it. “I’m carrying you whether you like it or not,” he adds with a wink, and when you roll your eyes or try to squirm out of his grasp, he just holds you tighter.
✧ his love for you is so overwhelming that he doesn’t care if you’re tired, big, or anything else—if you need to be carried, he’s more than happy to do it, and nothing will stop him from showing you just how much he cares.
✧ honestly, seeing you trying to act tough or insisting you’re fine just makes him more determined to spoil you even more, and he won’t back down until he’s made you comfortable.
cthe look on your face when you realize you’re in his arms is priceless, and he can't help but tease you a little more, enjoying every moment of your adorably flustered reaction.
dr. ratio
✧ he’s cocky as always, but so in love. if anyone dares to say anything about your size, he smirks and goes, “they’re carrying the most important person in the universe. of course, they’re radiant.”
✧ he’s fascinated by the baby’s development and reads every medical book on pregnancy, making sure you get the best care possible.
✧ he massages your feet with so much care, just pure, devoted attention.
✧ if you ever feel insecure, he immediately shuts it down with the most poetic, heartfelt words. “there is no beauty greater than you right now, my love.”
✧ dr. ratio is a caring but incredibly meticulous partner, and when you’re pregnant, that side of him intensifies even more. he’s deeply invested in making sure everything is perfect for you, often researching new ways to ease your discomfort, asking you how you feel every few hours, and keeping track of your health and well-being like he’s running a scientific experiment.
✧ his medical knowledge, which is already impressive, becomes even more focused on pregnancy, and he treats every small change in your body like vital data.
✧ he always has a plan, and that plan often revolves around making sure you’re as comfortable and well taken care of as possible. if you mention even the slightest symptom or discomfort, he’s already reading through notes or pulling out his tablet to find solutions. while it can feel like being under constant observation, you can’t help but appreciate how much he genuinely cares about making sure you’re healthy and happy.
✧ when it comes to cravings, he’s often a step ahead. if you mention wanting a specific snack, he already knows where to get it, and if it’s something unusual or rare, he’s willing to go to great lengths to satisfy it. he finds it endearing, but you can also see his scientific curiosity come into play as he observes how your body reacts to certain cravings or foods.
✧ at this point you're convinced he's some sort of magical being.
✧ in moments of stress or discomfort, he’s your rock. he has a calming presence, always knowing just what to say to put you at ease. if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the changes your body is going through or the looming responsibilities of parenthood, he’ll gently remind you that you don’t have to do this alone. his reassuring words have a way of grounding you, and the love he shows through his actions makes you feel like everything will be okay.
✧ his gestures of affection are quieter but deeply meaningful. he’s not as overt with PDA as others might be, but when you’re not looking, you’ll catch him gently rubbing your back or offering you a hand when you need to stand. when you’re tired, he insists on carrying your things or opening doors for you, always thinking about the little things that make your day easier.
✧ even in moments of humour, dr. ratio’s playful side comes through. if you’re grumpy because of a pregnancy-related mood swing, he might joke about the scientific nature of your hormonal fluctuations, but it’s all in good fun and meant to make you laugh.
✧ he knows exactly when to lighten the mood with a well-timed quip, which helps take the edge off when things feel heavy.
✧ though he’s not as expressive with physical affection as others might be, his love is shown in the constant attention he gives you and the thoughtfulness behind every action. when you’re feeling down, he’s there with a cup of tea, a warm blanket, and a comforting smile.
✧ dr. ratio also gets very protective when it comes to your health. if you’ve been overdoing it, he’ll gently scold you, reminding you that you need to take care of yourself. when he catches you ignoring his advice, he might get a little frustrated, but he’s quick to calm down, making sure to reassure you that he’s just concerned for both you and the baby.
✧ you can always feel the intensity of his care, and while it might feel a bit overbearing at times, you know it comes from a place of deep love.
✧ when it comes to the baby, he’s already making plans for the future, trying to ensure everything will be in place. he’ll bring up practical things like cribs, baby monitors, and even names, all while jotting down notes.
✧ he’s already mentally preparing for the next phase of your life together, and though it might seem like he's focusing on the logistics, it’s clear that he’s doing it all because he wants to make sure your little family is as secure and happy as possible.
✧dr. ratio’s care for you and your pregnancy is absolute, while his approach might seem a bit clinical at times, it’s easy to see that everything he does is out of love, ensuring both you and the baby are taken care of in every way.
✧ dr. ratio’s students are surprisingly invested in your pregnancy, much to his exasperation. at first, he tries to keep things professional, but it’s impossible when they bombard him with questions. “sir, is it true your wife’s craving the weirdest foods? can she still beat you in an argument with pregnancy hormones? is the baby gonna be as smart as you?!” the sheer enthusiasm wears him down, and despite his usual cool demeanor, he eventually (and very reluctantly) brings you along one day to satisfy their curiosity.
✧ the moment you step into the room, his students light up like it’s their favorite lecture of the year. they’re practically buzzing with excitement, treating you like an honored guest. some of them even bring small gifts—cute little trinkets, baby books, and even a stuffed animal or two—much to ratio’s dismay.
✧ he groans, pinching the bridge of his nose, but there’s a slight twitch at the corner of his lips, betraying the fondness he has for them (not that he’ll ever admit it).
✧ and of course, the moment everyone settles down, they start betting on the baby’s gender. someone pulls out a makeshift betting board with tally marks, arguments breaking out as they debate whether you’re carrying a boy or a girl.
✧ “based on my calculations, professor ratio will absolutely have a daughter—” “nah, the baby’s definitely gonna be a mini him.” you’re laughing at the chaos while ratio sighs dramatically, muttering about the intellectual downfall of his students.
✧ what really makes you melt, though, is how gentle and considerate his students are toward you. they ask how you’re feeling, if you need anything, if you have any weird cravings (which, of course, leads to them trying to outdo each other with the weirdest food combinations to test your reaction). ratio, meanwhile, is standing beside you with his arms crossed, watching his classroom turn into a circus with a half-annoyed, half-amused look.
✧ “if you all put this much effort into your studies, perhaps your grades wouldn’t be so pitiful,” he finally deadpans, earning groans and protests from the students.
✧ but despite his sarcastic remarks and eye-rolls, he’s oddly protective over the whole situation. if any of the students even joke about you overexerting yourself or getting too tired, he shuts them down immediately. “don’t encourage bad habits,” he scolds. “she needs to be resting.” and then he’s ushering you to sit down, subtly adjusting a pillow behind your back like the doting husband he is.
✧ he pretends to be indifferent, but when he catches one of his students quietly mentioning how cute you two are together, he doesn’t correct them. if anything, he just glances at you, and for a brief moment, the smallest, softest smile crosses his lips before he composes himself again.
✧ when you finally leave, he huffs as if he’s endured the most exhausting day of his life, but the way he holds your hand just a little tighter tells you otherwise. despite all his grumbling, he secretly doesn’t mind how much his students adore you, and maybe—just maybe—he even enjoys it.
✧ DON'T POINT IT OUT THOUGH
✧ dr. ratio will never outright admit it, but deep down, he doesn’t care whether the baby is a boy or a girl. all that truly matters to him is that the baby is healthy and, if he’s being honest, hopefully inherits some intelligence.
✧ “no child of mine will be foolish,” he says with a smirk. Still, the underlying meaning is clear—he wants the baby to thrive, to have every opportunity to succeed. He’s already mentally drafting an entire syllabus on how to make that happen.
✧ however, if he had to pick something personal, something that isn’t dictated by logic or science, he’d want the baby to look like you. he won’t outright say it, but there are little moments where it slips out.
✧ like when he’s absentmindedly staring at you with a thoughtful expression, then mutters under his breath, “it would be preferable if they took after you.” when you catch him saying it and ask what he means, he simply waves it off with a “don’t worry about it.”
✧ the truth is, he thinks you’re beautiful, and the idea of a child with your features makes something warm settle in his chest. he pictures small hands, bright eyes, a little face that mirrors yours—and the thought alone is enough to make him pause.
✧ when he sees you asleep, one hand resting on your stomach, he wonders if the baby will have your smile, your expressions, your way of looking at the world.
✧ and maybe the idea of a mini-you running around makes his heart clench in a way he isn’t quite ready to admit.
gepard
✧ overprotective knight mode: ACTIVATED. he refuses to let you do anything remotely strenuous.
✧ literally the type of pick you up effortlessly and throw you (gently) on his shoulder when he sees you doing something you shouldn't be doing.
✧ he wakes up early to make sure you have everything you need—food, comfort, warmth. you’re never lacking anything.
✧ every night, he reads to your belly, his deep, soothing voice telling fairy tales as if he’s already preparing your baby to sleep peacefully.
✧ you catch him practising how to hold a baby with stuffed animals, and he gets so flustered when you tease him about it. (oml you're gonna overload him with kisses at this point!!!)
✧ gepard tries—he really, really tries—to be there for you as much as possible, but being a knight, let alone the captain of the silvermane guards, means he’s constantly being pulled away for duty. he feels horrible about it.
✧ every time he has to leave you alone at home, every time he misses one of your check-ups, every time he’s not there to comfort you when you’re feeling exhausted, it gnaws at him. he’ll come home late, tired and covered in the dust of another long patrol, only to see you already asleep, curled up in bed with your hands resting on your belly. it makes his heart ache.
✧ he tries to make up for it whenever he can. he’ll bring home small gifts—a bouquet of your favorite flowers, a dessert from that bakery you love, anything to make you smile. when he does have a free moment, he dedicates it all to you, making sure you’re comfortable, massaging your sore feet, listening intently to you talk about your day because he wants to be involved in every way he can.
✧ “i’m sorry i haven’t been around much,” he murmurs against your hair one night, voice heavy with guilt. “i should be here with you more.”
✧ and you understand—you always have. you know his duty to belobog is important, that he’s responsible for so many people. so you reassure him, tell him it’s okay, that you’re not upset because you know he’s doing his best. but no matter how much you insist, he still feels guilty, still thinks he should be doing more.
✧ it’s sweet, really, how much he wants to be present, but you wish he’d stop beating himself up over something he can’t control.
✧ sometimes, though, frustration does creep in—not at him, but at the sheer unfairness of it all. one particularly bad day, when you’re feeling extra emotional, you storm into the silvermane guards' headquarters, demanding to speak to the general.
✧ the poor guards are stunned, unsure how to handle their captain’s very pregnant wife glaring daggers at them. when you finally get an audience with the general, you don’t hold back. “my husband is working himself to the bone while i’m carrying his child, and you can’t even spare him a little time off?!”
✧ the general tries to placate you, explaining that gepard is needed, but you cross your arms, huffing, “well, i need him too.”
✧ word of your little outburst spreads quickly, and when gepard hears about it, he’s equal parts embarrassed and touched. “you... actually scolded the general?” he asks, eyes wide. when you nod, still grumpy about it, he lets out a chuckle before pulling you into his arms.
✧ “i appreciate it, but you don’t have to fight my battles for me.” but you just pout, mumbling, “if they won’t give you a break, then i will.”
✧ and despite everything, despite the exhaustion and the never-ending duty, gepard swears to himself that no matter how busy he gets, he’ll always find a way to be there for you and your child. because at the end of the day, you’re the most important thing in his world.
✧ despite his constant guilt, gepard does everything in his power to make things easier for you when he is around. he wakes up extra early to prepare breakfast before heading out for duty, making sure to leave little notes beside your plate if he has to leave before you wake up.
✧ “good morning, my love. make sure to eat well today, and don’t forget to drink plenty of water. i’ll be home as soon as i can.” sometimes, he even sneaks in a silly doodle of a chubby little knight standing guard over a tiny baby, which never fails to make you smile.
✧ when he finally does have time off, he dedicates every second to you. he follows you around like a loyal knight, carrying anything remotely heavy before you can even try to lift it.
✧ he’s constantly fluffing your pillows, adjusting your blanket, and making sure you’re not overexerting yourself. if you so much as sigh, he’s immediately asking, “are you okay? do you need anything?” you start to joke that having him home is almost more exhausting than when he’s away because he fusses over you like a mother hen.
✧ sometimes, the exhaustion from work catches up to him, and you find him nodding off while sitting beside you, his head drooping onto your shoulder. you know he should be resting, but there’s something endearing about how he fights off sleep just so he can be near you.
✧ “gepard, go to bed,” you whisper, brushing a hand through his hair. he grumbles something incoherent before shifting to hold you close, murmuring, “just a little longer…” and really, how can you say no to that?
✧ his fellow silvermane guards are incredibly supportive, though they also love teasing him about how smitten he is. “captain, you should see yourself when you talk about your wife. it’s like watching a lovesick puppy,” they joke, and while he tries to maintain his usual composure, the tips of his ears turn red every single time. but he doesn’t deny it—he is completely and utterly devoted to you.
✧ if he ever gets called in for an emergency while he’s finally spending time with you, he gets so frustrated. “i just got home,” he mutters under his breath, clearly torn between duty and being with you.
✧ you give him a small smile, placing your hands on his cheeks and gently pressing a kiss to his forehead. “it’s okay, love. go, do what you need to do. i’ll be right here when you get back.” and he sighs, pressing his forehead against yours before reluctantly heading out.
✧ but the moment he returns, he makes up for it tenfold. he brings back your favourite snacks, runs a warm bath for you, and massages your feet until you’re practically melting into the couch. and when you’re in bed, he places a hand on your belly, speaking softly to the baby as if making up for lost time.
✧ “i’ll be around more soon, i promise,” he murmurs, his voice filled with love and determination.
✧ and no matter how much his duty calls him away, you know one thing for certain—gepard will always come home to you.
✧ serval is your biggest supporter and, quite frankly, your partner-in-crime when it comes to dealing with gepard’s overwhelming guilt. she checks in on you constantly—not just for you, but because she knows her brother would want her to.
✧ “if gepard had it his way, he’d probably never leave your side,” she jokes, plopping down next to you and handing you some of your favorite snacks. “but since he’s stuck being captain serious all the time, you’ve got me.”
✧ she’s a lifesaver when gepard is too busy with work, stopping by with homemade meals, comfortable clothes, and the occasional silly gift to make you smile.
✧ she even offers to help you with stretches and light exercises, claiming that a rockstar like her knows all about keeping the body in top condition. sometimes, she’ll strum a gentle melody on her guitar while chatting with you, creating a warm and relaxing atmosphere that makes the time pass a little easier.
✧ and of course, she’s the first to tease gepard whenever he finally has time to come home. “wow, look who finally decided to show up! i was starting to think you’d abandoned your poor wife.” she grins as gepard groans, running a hand through his hair.
✧ “i didn’t—i was just busy—” but serval only laughs, nudging him toward you. “relax, i’m just messing with you. now go dote on your wife before she decides i’m her favorite landau instead.”
✧ she’s also not afraid to scold him when he’s being too hard on himself. “gepard, you’re doing the best you can,” she tells him one evening when he’s sitting on the couch, guilt heavy in his expression. “she understands, you know? stop acting like you’re failing when you’re clearly not.” and though gepard still struggles with his guilt, serval’s words always stick with him, reminding him that he’s doing enough.
✧ but perhaps the funniest part of all is how she sometimes acts as an undercover spy, gathering intel on your moods and cravings to report back to gepard.
✧ “hey, just so you know, she’s been craving those honey pastries from that bakery again. if you don’t bring some home tomorrow, you might be sleeping on the couch,” she whispers conspiratorially to him one night, and gepard immediately makes a mental note to buy them on his next break.
✧ at the end of the day, serval is always there—not just for you, but for gepard, too. she makes sure both of you are taken care of, keeping an eye on her little brother when he gets too caught up in his responsibilities and making sure you never feel lonely. and when the baby finally arrives, you already know serval is going to be the coolest aunt in all of belobog.
sunday
✧ he’s the most excited husband ever. every day, he’s kissing your belly, murmuring sweet promises to your unborn child.
✧ he calls you “sunshine” even more, saying you’re literally glowing with life.
✧ if you so much as sigh tiredly, he immediately rushes over, rubbing your shoulders and making sure you’re comfortable.
✧ he’s already planning family outings, even though the baby isn’t born yet. “oh, i can’t wait to take them to see the stars. you think they’ll like astronomy?”
✧ "honey i think they'll just be obsessed with your cute fluffy wings like me!!"
✧ but lets be real...sunday is, without a doubt, the most dramatic and doting husband in existence. from the moment you wake up to the second you go to sleep, he is right there, acting as if you are the most delicate, precious treasure in the entire universe.
✧ “ah, my love, are you comfortable? do you need anything? shall i fetch you the moon? pluck the stars from the sky?” you’re used to his flowery words, but pregnancy has made him even more extra, if that was even possible.
✧ he spoils you absolutely rotten. he treats you like royalty, making sure every possible luxury is at your fingertips. you so much as glance at something while out shopping? it's already paid for. your back aches? he's on his knees, massaging you with a level of devotion that could make poets weep. the moment you sigh even a little, he's dramatically lamenting,
✧ “alas, this cruel world dares to bring discomfort to my beloved! how dare it!” you roll your eyes, but the way he kisses your hands so reverently makes your heart flutter every time.
✧ when you’re out together, he is practically glued to your side, one arm always wrapped protectively around you. if it’s too sunny, his coat is suddenly draped over your head to shield you.
✧ if you so much as stumble, he’s catching you before you can even process it, scolding the ground for daring to trip you. he doesn’t care who’s watching—his priority is you, always.
✧ sometimes, his dramatics get absolutely ridiculous. one time, you had a small craving for a very specific dish from a very specific place, and before you could even tell him it wasn’t a big deal, he was already on a mission. “fear not, my love! i shall return with your heart’s desire!” he declared, disappearing into the night like some kind of hero embarking on an epic quest.
✧ when he finally returned, victorious, with the food in hand, he dramatically collapsed into your lap. “it was a perilous journey… but for you, I would traverse the ends of the world.” you simply kissed his forehead and enjoyed your meal.
✧ he is obsessed with talking to your belly. no matter where you are, no matter who’s around, he kneels down, placing his hands gently on your stomach and whispering sweet nothings to your unborn child.
✧ “ah, little one, do you hear me? it is i, your devoted father, who eagerly awaits your arrival.” if he feels a kick, he gasps like he just witnessed a divine miracle, his eyes practically sparkling. “they kicked! they love me, my love!”
✧ sunday does everything in his power to make sure you never feel lonely, even when he’s busy. he writes letters to you if he has to be away, each one filled with poetic declarations of love and exaggerated longing, as if he’s been separated from you for years rather than a few hours. when he finally returns, he rushes to embrace you like a man starved, spinning you carefully in his arms (if you let him).
✧ and when he thinks you’re asleep, he gazes at you with so much adoration it’s almost overwhelming. he runs his fingers gently through your hair, his voice soft as he murmurs, “you and our child… my greatest treasures. i will cherish you both for all eternity.” even in slumber, you can feel his warmth, his love wrapping around you like a promise—one that you know he’ll keep forever.
✧ sunday has always been a man of grand gestures, poetic words, and boundless devotion—but this, this is his dream made real. to love and to be loved, to have a family with you, to witness the very embodiment of your love growing within you… it is almost too perfect, too beautiful. sometimes, when he watches you rest, his hand gently cradling your belly, he wonders if he is merely lost in a dream.
✧ he never thought he would find something—someone—that truly anchored him. he always spoke of eternity, of the stars and the endless sky, but nothing in the cosmos compares to you. and now, with your child on the way, that love has expanded into something even greater, something he didn’t know was possible.
✧ late at night, when the world is quiet and you’re curled up against him, he traces slow circles over your stomach and whispers, “this is my dream… and you’ve made it come true.” his voice is softer than usual, lacking its usual theatrics, filled only with raw, unfiltered love. and even though you’re half-asleep, you squeeze his hand in response, as if to say, i know. me too.
✧ sunday absolutely refuses to leave you unguarded when he’s away for business or handling matters of the reverie. even though you insist it’s unnecessary, that you’re perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, he simply will not take the risk. the moment he steps away, you have a team of skilled agents discreetly watching over you. “indulge me, my love,” he pleads with that charming smile of his. “i would never forgive myself if anything were to happen to you or our precious little one.” and really, how can you argue with that?
✧ when he returns, however, it’s as if he’s been deprived of air itself. the second he sees you, he sweeps you into his arms, pressing lingering kisses to your temple, your hands, your stomach—anywhere he can reach. “ah, my beloved, i have been lost without you,” he murmurs dramatically, holding you as if you might disappear. and though you roll your eyes at his theatrics, you let him cling, because you know he truly means it.
✧ public appearances with sunday are nothing short of dazzling. he insists that the two of you look absolutely impeccable whenever you step out together—not because of status, but because he sees you as his perfect match, his divine counterpart. “you always look breathtaking,” he muses, adjusting your accessories with delicate fingers. “i must simply strive to be worthy of standing beside you.”
✧ when you’re out together, he is attached to your side, his arm securely around your waist, hip to hip, refusing to let an inch of space come between you. he whispers sweet things in your ear, makes you laugh with his endless romantic declarations, and shoots sharp glares at anyone who so much as looks at you the wrong way.
✧ if the sun is too bright, his coat is draped over your shoulders in an instant. literally the definition of "is the sun bothering you, queen?"
✧ iykyk
✧ if the crowd gets overwhelming, he subtly maneuvers you to a quieter space, all while keeping his usual suave demeanor. if you even look the slightest bit tired, he’s already preparing to whisk you away somewhere more comfortable.
✧ and when the night finally winds down and it’s just the two of you again, he presses a kiss to your hand and murmurs, “no matter where we go, no matter who is watching… my love for you remains the most magnificent thing in this world.”
✧ sunday takes so much pride in being your husband that it’s almost ridiculous. the way he says "my wife" is always so smooth, so deliberate, like he’s showing off a rare treasure. even in the most casual conversations, he will find a way to bring you up.
✧ “ah, yes, that reminds me of something my wife said the other day—brilliant, truly.”
✧ “oh, you need advice? well, my wife is an expert in these matters, allow me to consult her.”
✧ even when it’s unnecessary, he finds a way to slip it in. someone asks him how his day is going? “Better now that I’ve spoken to my wife.” A meeting about logistics? “Oh, my wife would find this terribly boring, but let me humor you all.”
✧ it gets to the point where even his closest advisors and subordinates are just nodding along, fully expecting him to mention you in every conversation. you overheard one of them sigh, “yes, yes, we know your wife is the most wonderful being in existence, my lord.” sunday only grinned and said, “it’s good that you understand.”
✧ and of course, he boasts about you endlessly. your intelligence, your beauty, your kindness—every little thing about you is worthy of praise in his eyes. “have i mentioned how radiant my wife looks today? oh, but she always does, so I suppose that goes without saying.”
✧ sometimes, he’ll purposely say it just to fluster you. if you’re walking together and he spots someone eyeing you for too long, he’ll lean in, voice full of smug adoration, “ah, my wife, the most stunning woman in the room. it’s only natural they’d stare, but truly, they stand no chance.”
✧ even when you roll your eyes or playfully smack his arm, he just chuckles, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “what can I say? I’m simply a man who adores his wife.”
✧ the second you even mention a craving, sunday is already making arrangements to have it delivered to you. it doesn’t matter how strange, complicated, or impossible it seems—he will find a way.
✧ “you want watermelon dipped in honey at three in the morning? say no more, my love.” within minutes, he’s either personally retrieving it or sending someone out on an urgent mission.
✧ once, you offhandedly mumbled, “i kinda want ice cream… but with pickles.” sunday, ever the devoted husband, merely nodded and said, “consider it done.” you expected him to hesitate or at least question your taste buds, but instead, he had it in front of you within the hour, presented on a fancy plate as if it were some gourmet dish.
✧ he has absolutely no shame in going out himself to fetch your cravings. the sight of sunday, regal and refined, walking into a market and asking for the most bizarre food combinations with a perfectly serious face is something to behold.
✧ one time, a vendor tried to stifle a laugh when he requested “mango slices with chili powder and a side of marshmallows” and he just smirked, “ah, you must not be married. love requires dedication, my friend.”
✧ if your cravings happen while you’re out in public, he wastes zero time in getting it. you once sighed, “i really want those fried dumplings from that one place…” and before you could even finish your sentence, sunday was already steering you toward the restaurant, ordering extra just in case you wanted more later.
✧ on the rare occasion that something isn’t immediately available, sunday turns it into an entire event. “so, my beloved desires an elusive dish? very well. give me a moment.” cue him charming his way into exclusive restaurants, pulling strings with high-profile chefs, or even attempting to make it himself (which… well, let’s just say his skills lie outside the kitchen).
✧ no matter what, he refuses to let you go without the things you crave. “nothing is too extravagant for my wife,” he insists. “if she wants it, she shall have it.”
sampo
✧ sampo is the type to absolutely spoil you when you're craving something, even if it's something a little... unusual. he loves seeing you happy, and the thought of you having that big smile on your face when you get what you want? priceless.
✧ the minute you mention a craving, he's already brainstorming how to get it, and he won't take no for an answer. if it's something he doesn't have access to, well... prepare for a wild goose chase. he'll sweet-talk vendors, bribe people, or pull off the most ridiculous stunts just to get his hands on that weird combination of foods you’re desperate for.
✧ one time, you casually mentioned wanting a mix of sweet and salty—like peanut butter on pretzels with chocolate chips—and the next thing you knew, he had a whole banquet of different combinations lined up. there were different dips, chocolates, chips, nuts, and a few other things he thought you might like. it’s over-the-top, but it’s his way of making sure you feel cared for and, well, indulged.
✧ sometimes he’ll get the most outlandish things, especially if he finds out you want something quirky. “you want... a spicy banana with a side of vanilla ice cream?” he'd ask, grinning mischievously, clearly excited for the challenge. even if he finds it a little odd, he's all in for making sure your cravings are satisfied.
✧ when you're pregnant, sampo loves the idea of you being pampered and treated like royalty. he buys you all sorts of snacks, drinks, and little comforts to make sure you're always content. when he's busy, he'll bring you a stash of your favorite treats or send someone to deliver it, ensuring you never go without.
✧ though he's a bit playful and mischievous, when it comes to your cravings, he’s incredibly attentive. if you need him to grab something in the middle of the night, he’ll pull on his jacket without a second thought and head out, even if it’s something bizarre like kimchi-flavored cupcakes or a weirdly specific kind of sushi.
✧ sampo is honestly obsessed with making sure you’re taken care of, especially when it comes to cravings. as soon as you mention something—even if it’s just in passing—he’s on it. like, the minute the words leave your mouth, he’s already thinking of how he’s going to get it for you.
✧ one time, you half-jokingly mentioned wanting pineapple pizza with extra olives, and sampo didn’t even hesitate. you thought he was just humoring you at first, but nope, by the time you blinked, he was on his way out the door, calling a bunch of places to find one that would make that monstrosity of a pizza.
✧ he’s ridiculously resourceful, so if the craving is something that seems impossible, he’s more than willing to go to extreme lengths. you want blueberry-flavored potato chips? he’s already calling his contacts in different cities or bartering for them. at one point, you had a small shipment of weird snacks from different parts of the world just for you. it was honestly a lot, but the joy it brought you made it all worth it for him.
✧ despite his usually carefree, mischievous attitude, when it comes to satisfying your cravings, sampo becomes the most serious person. nothing else matters—nothing. it’s almost like a personal mission for him.
✧ and don’t get him started on your late-night cravings. there was one instance where you groggily mentioned wanting chocolate-covered pretzels with marshmallow fluff and coconut water (a combo you swore sounded amazing) at 2 AM. most people would groan at this, but not sampo. he simply flashed you a grin, grabbed his jacket, and was out the door, whispering, “leave it to me, darling. i’ll have it before you know it.”
✧ when he comes back, it’s always with a dramatic flair. whether it’s him showing up with a big bag of snacks or an entire custom-made meal just for you, he’ll present it like it’s the most important thing in the world. “look what i’ve brought you, my love,” he’ll say, “your cravings are my top priority.”
✧ he loves watching you enjoy whatever it is you’re craving. he’s that guy who will sit beside you, watching you devour your food, completely delighted. when you make a happy sound after taking a bite, he’ll do a little victory dance in his head. “it’s always worth it,” he’ll think, watching you savor the food.
✧ sometimes, when he’s really feeling it, he’ll even surprise you with a whole set of snacks or meals. if you mention anything at all—whether it’s flavored milk or a certain kind of fruit—you better believe sampo will get it, and he’ll make it fun.
✧ and don’t even get started on the weird cravings. when you randomly crave something odd like caviar and ice cream, he’ll be the one to ask, “is that really what you want?” but then, of course, he’ll follow through and go out and find it, all while making jokes about how only you could crave something so bizarre. “but you’re worth it, darling,” he’ll say with a wink, even if he thinks it's totally ridiculous.
✧ when you’re pregnant, sampo gets extra excited. there’s something about the idea of making sure you’re always happy and comfortable that makes him go all-in on the care and attention. you mention wanting a certain kind of food? he’s already planning his next move to make sure it gets to you—whether it’s food from a restaurant, a local shop, or a weird internet order.
✧ the best part? he’s not even embarrassed about the effort. he’s proud of it. he’ll happily boast about how he’s the one who got you exactly what you wanted, often bragging about how efficient he is at taking care of you. “no one does it like i do, darling.”
✧ sampo loves to live life on the edge, and that often leads him into all sorts of trouble. whether it’s a cheeky scheme gone wrong or him getting caught up in some questionable business deals, he’s not exactly a stranger to trouble. but when you scold him—especially with that concerned look on your face—it hits him harder than anything else.
✧ you’re his weakness, and the thought of his reckless actions affecting your baby’s future stings. when you point out how he’s putting the family in danger, he can’t help but feel a twinge of guilt. you’ve got that motherly tone, and even though he’s used to being the troublemaker, something about you scolding him like that makes him pause.
✧ sampo never expected to feel this way. before, he was all about living in the moment, but now, with you carrying his child, things are different. he realizes that his impulsiveness can affect more than just him—it could affect your life, the baby’s life, and even the future you two are building. it’s a huge wake-up call for him.
✧ though he tries to laugh it off and shrug off your scolding, he can’t deny that it bothers him. he wants to be the best for you, to provide and protect, but sometimes his overconfidence and mischievous nature put him in situations he shouldn’t be in.
✧ after you scold him, he’s quiet for a while, just processing everything you said. he doesn’t like seeing you upset, and he definitely doesn’t like the idea of his actions potentially affecting the baby. so he really takes it to heart.
✧ eventually, he’ll come to you, genuinely apologizing. it’s not like him to be serious about these things, but the thought of his baby’s future shifts something in him. he’ll say something like, “you’re right. i can’t keep being reckless. i’ll tone it down, i promise. for you... and for the little one.”
✧ from then on, you’ll notice a shift. he’ll still be his playful, mischievous self, but there’s a little less of the risk-taking, and a bit more thought behind his actions. sampo may not be perfect, but he really wants to be better for the sake of his growing family.
✧ even though he might still slip up occasionally—because it’s just who he is—he tries harder, always making sure to check in with you and reassess how his choices could impact you both. and when you see him being more cautious, you can’t help but smile, knowing he’s trying his best.
✧ and of course, he’ll make it up to you in the sweetest way possible: with more gifts, more little surprises, and tons of affection. he might be reckless sometimes, but when it comes to you and your baby, he knows he has to change, even if it takes a bit of effort.
moze
✧ moze, being the quiet and secretive type, is surprisingly very attentive when it comes to your cravings. he’s not the type to joke around about it or make a big deal, but rest assured, he listens intently and takes note of every single thing you say.
✧ the second you mention a craving, even if it's something a little weird, he silently goes into action. if he doesn’t have it on hand, he will immediately find a way to acquire it, no matter how obscure or hard to find it is.
✧ when you crave something specific, he won’t make a show of it, but he will go out of his way to make sure you get it—whether it’s a rare ingredient or a dish from a different part of the world, moze finds it without fail. if you want a specific kind of fruit, he’ll find the best one, even if it means going to multiple stores or making a special trip somewhere.
✧ he enjoys seeing the soft smile on your face when you get what you’ve been wanting, and while he may not say much about it, there's this quiet satisfaction in his eyes.
✧ moze is also keenly aware of when you’re craving something. sometimes, he picks up on your hints without you even saying anything, noticing a small change in your mood, or when you absentmindedly mention wanting a snack, he’ll be right there to offer it to you.
✧ although he’s a man of few words, there’s a certain gentleness to the way he cares for you. when you’re restless and craving something comforting, he’ll get it, set it down beside you, and quietly say, “this should help.” he’ll never ask for recognition, but the satisfaction he gets from seeing you happy is more than enough for him.
✧ when it comes to very odd cravings, he’ll just give you a knowing look, grab his coat, and leave to get it—sometimes even with a hint of a chuckle, as if he secretly finds your requests amusing. but in his heart, he enjoys making you happy more than anything else.
✧ moze’s stealth skills are incredible. he’s so good at sneaking up on you that it’s become almost a reflex for him to appear out of nowhere, especially when he’s busy with his work. but when you’re pregnant and a little more sensitive, the sudden pop-up can be a bit much. he doesn’t mean to scare you—he really doesn’t—but sometimes, he forgets just how silent he is. ✧ the first time it happens, you let out a startled gasp, and moze immediately freezes, guilt washing over him. he’s used to appearing out of thin air and being the silent observer, but the thought of scaring you, especially with the baby on the way, sends a pang of worry through his chest. ✧ his usual nonchalant demeanor falters. "i'm sorry," he says, his voice almost too soft, the realization hitting him like a ton of bricks. "i didn’t mean to startle you." there’s something in his tone that sounds almost apologetic, more so than usual. ✧ you laugh it off, brushing it off as an accident, but moze is still visibly uneasy. later, when he’s alone, he keeps thinking about it—wondering if his unexpected entrances could potentially stress you out or, worse, harm the baby. he’s never been particularly affectionate in the traditional sense, but with you pregnant, he’s suddenly a lot more aware of everything. ✧ after that, every time he needs to come in or check on you, he makes it a point to announce his presence. it’s not like moze to do that—he’s always preferred moving in the shadows—but for you and the baby, he decides it’s best to make his approach a little less jarring. ✧ when you’re just relaxing, maybe reading or resting, you’ll hear him say something like, “it’s me, moze. i’m here.” he’ll even knock on the door sometimes before entering, something he’s never done before. it’s funny at first, but also endearing to see him adjust his behavior for you. ✧ moze starts being extra cautious, constantly checking on you but in a much gentler, less intrusive way. the last thing he wants is for you to feel uneasy because of him. he’ll still show up in his usual manner—quiet, reserved, but now with the added softness of his voice when he speaks to you. ✧ when you ask him if he’s okay, he’ll quietly admit that he’s worried about scaring you again, and maybe even causing some harm to the baby. you can see the genuine concern in his eyes, something he rarely lets slip. it’s strange for him to care this much, but when you’re carrying his child, his protective instincts are starting to kick in. ✧ when you reassure him, telling him that you’re okay, he seems to relax a little. but don’t be surprised if you catch him giving you a small smile in his usual quiet way, his fingers lightly brushing against yours in a rare display of affection. it’s subtle, but for moze, it’s a huge step forward.
✧ and the next time he appears out of nowhere? he’ll make sure to be extra careful, just to make sure you don’t get a shock again. it might not be his usual way of doing things, but with you, he’s willing to change—even in the smallest ways.
✧ moze's protectiveness reaches a whole new level once he finds out you’re pregnant. while he’s always been a careful and observant person, this new development has him acting in ways he never expected. the thought of you and his child growing inside you ignites a fierce, almost primal instinct to keep both of you safe at all costs.
✧ he becomes hyper-aware of your surroundings, always analyzing every situation to ensure there’s no danger nearby. if someone even looks at you wrong, he’s already on high alert. he’s never been one for confrontation, but when it comes to you and the baby, any potential threat—no matter how small—will make him react swiftly and decisively.
✧ if anyone dares to make a comment about your pregnancy—whether it’s an unintentional insult or even a curious question about your condition—moze is there, stepping in before you can even respond.
✧ he’ll be quick to intervene, his voice cold and firm. “is there a problem?” he’ll ask, his tone leaving no room for argument. he doesn’t care if it’s a stranger or a close friend, he’ll defend you without hesitation.
✧ sometimes, though, his protectiveness comes off as a bit much. when you’re out and about, he’s constantly by your side, his eyes scanning the area. if there’s a slight shift in the atmosphere, if someone moves too fast or too close to you, he’s immediately on guard, subtly stepping in front of you to shield you from whatever danger his sharp instincts are sensing.
✧ even in private, when you’re just relaxing or resting, he’s often hovering nearby, keeping a watchful eye. it’s not that he doesn’t trust you—it’s just that his protective nature has escalated to the point where he feels he can’t leave your side for too long. it’s almost as if being near you makes him feel like he has more control over your safety, as irrational as it may be.
✧ there are moments when you notice him getting anxious if you’re out of his sight for too long. whether you’re running errands or simply walking in another room, moze’s mind starts racing with worries about what could go wrong. he’ll quickly excuse himself from whatever he’s doing to make sure you’re okay, often without telling you beforehand.
✧ when you call him out on his behaviour—teasing him about how overprotective he’s become—he’ll brush it off, his usual calm demeanour faltering for just a moment. deep down, he knows he’s being a little too much, but he can’t help it. the thought of anything happening to you or the baby is unbearable to him. “I’m just making sure you’re safe,” he’ll say, his voice almost apologetic, but there’s an undeniable seriousness in his words.
✧ the most intense expression of his protectiveness comes when you’re asleep. when he knows you’re resting, moze will often sit beside you, his eyes flicking to the door, the window, anything that could pose a threat. it’s not out of a lack of trust in the people around you—it’s just that he can’t help but imagine all the worst-case scenarios.
✧ when he’s out on missions, he’ll always leave something behind for you: a note, a small gift, or even a piece of clothing with his scent on it. it’s his way of reassuring you that he’s thinking of you, even when he’s not physically present. but it’s also his way of ensuring you feel protected, even when he’s far away.
✧ he’s so protective that even the slightest health concern about you makes him panic. if you’re feeling a little tired or have a headache, he’s there, checking your temperature, demanding you rest, and refusing to leave until you’re fully recovered.
✧ moze’s protectiveness isn’t just physical; it’s emotional, too. when you’re dealing with the stress or uncertainty of pregnancy, he’s your steady rock. he’ll listen to every concern, soothe every worry, and make sure you know that you’re not alone. he’s already planning for the future, researching everything he can about raising a child, so he can be the best father possible.
✧ in quiet moments, when he’s just holding you or resting beside you, he might admit his fears. “i’m scared,” he’ll say softly, his usual stoic expression softening. “i don’t want anything to happen to you or the baby.” his vulnerability is rare, but it’s a testament to just how much he loves you both.
✧ his protectiveness never fades—it only grows stronger the closer you get to your due date. he’s constantly by your side, offering comfort, reassurance, and unspoken protection in every gesture, every word, and every action.
✧ moze is already extremely attentive to your cravings, and when you start to ask for something a bit more specific or unusual, he’s not one to shy away. but there's a catch—he’s not exactly a culinary expert. while he’s incredibly skilled in other areas, cooking is not his strong suit. so, naturally, when you have a craving, he’s quick to ask jiaoqiu to cook for you.
✧ at first, moze might be a bit embarrassed, but he genuinely wants you to feel comfortable and satisfied with whatever you’re craving. he might come to jiaoqiu with a sheepish smile, saying something along the lines of, "i’m afraid I’m not very good in the kitchen... could you help me?" his usual composed demeanor is a little shaken because he knows that jiaoqiu is probably a much better cook than he could ever hope to be.
✧ jiaoqiu, ever the understanding friend, is happy to oblige. he can’t resist helping out when moze comes to him with that rare moment of vulnerability. but knowing that moze is trying to be thoughtful and learn, jiaoqiu has a bit of fun with it. he doesn’t just cook the food—he starts teaching moze along the way, much to moze’s discomfort.
✧ “You need to do this carefully... and don’t forget the seasoning,” jiaoqiu will say, demonstrating how to chop ingredients just right or stir the pot at the perfect pace. moze, on the other hand, looks a bit lost, trying his best to follow along but occasionally making a mess. it’s clear he’s not exactly a natural, and jiaoqiu’s teasing makes it even more amusing. “i thought you were good at everything, moze? this looks like a disaster in the making.”
✧ moze, determined not to fail you, listens closely, even though he might grumble under his breath when jiaoqiu critiques his knife skills or the way he’s holding the pan. he’s doing it all to make sure you’re satisfied and happy, even if it means a little bit of embarrassment along the way.
✧ meanwhile, he’s still keeping a protective eye on you from the kitchen, glancing over to make sure you’re resting and not pushing yourself. “you’re doing okay?” he’ll ask, even if it’s just a quick glance. he doesn’t trust anyone else to take care of you as well as he does, and he’s constantly checking in.
✧ when jiaoqiu hands over the finished dish, moze’s face lights up, but there's still a hint of guilt for not being able to do it himself. he insists on thanking jiaoqiu profusely, though deep down, he’s already planning his next attempt at cooking so he can surprise you one day.
✧ “i’ll get better at this... for you.” he’ll say to you later that evening, offering you a gentle smile. “next time, i’ll cook it myself.” and while jiaoqiu might snicker at his attempts, moze’s resolve is firm. after all, he’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy, even if it means learning how to cook your cravings—even if it takes more than a few lessons from jiaoqiu.
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note: i'm obsessed with anaxa n mydei
taglist 🏷️:  @tomansimp @one-offmind @miitchiji @dainsleif-when-playable @momoewn @stygianoir @irethepotato @v4an @imetsk @fiannee @sunnyf4lls @yuri-is-silly @khoiyyu @daydreaming-paradies if im missing anyone please tell me because i have an inkling feeling i missed a few..
liking + following + reblogs are greatly appreciated!!!
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no1blacksapphirefan · 2 days ago
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CRK Self-Aware AU but it's just them being so confused why you constantly tap them in the their cookie profile.
(Can be seen as romantic or platonic, do as you will) ((Reader is unaware that they are aware))
Now I don't know if this is a common thing among CRK players but I love tapping the hell out of my favourite cookies lovingly <33 Imagine the cookies like feeling it and being so confused why, I don't think it'll hurt (At least I hope not) and watching you giggle as they like struggle to say their programmed lines as intended.
Me thinks Burning Spice would kinda like it/enjoy it. I cannot explain why. It's almost like a punch but of course not physically, like an affectionate one. If he ever finds a way out, he'll return the favour and poke you many times to your cheek.
Some cookies like Shadow Milk may take it personally first, he's trying to tell you things!! Who cares if you've heard them all already, what if he decides to say a new one to completely shock you? He eventually grows accustomed to it and learns it's your way to show how much you love him, so he'll let you get away with it for now.
Maybe Black Forest cookie quickly sees it as a loving gesture and gets all giddy knowing that she's one of your favourites out of the array of cookies you have. She's so happy. She may brag to others about it.
Black Sapphire I feel quickly understands it, it makes him more interested in you. His microphone is fixated at you constantly as you do this loving gesture. He finds it almost endearing, even though you believe that they're still some code, unaware of what you're doing and only following programming. The fact you still try to show affection like this is quite entertaining.
Pure Vanilla probably has knows what you're doing as soon as you do it, or finds out quickly as well. He's honoured to be this loved by you he can't help but chuckle as you leave to do other stuff. It's almost like a comfort to him, perhaps you did it when you finished his beast-yeast episode in means to comfort him, he appreciates it a lot.
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These were just random thoughts based on what I do a lot haha. Feel free to leave your own thoughts in my inbox <33
-#1 Black Sapphire Fan/Listener Out!!
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solanumflare · 1 day ago
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answered these for one of my characters for fun...
What’s the maximum amount of time your character can sit still with nothing to do?
an hour, probably?
How easy is it for your character to laugh?
hard, unless it’s in a mocking way. he scoffs and sneers and laughs mirthless laughs a whole lot.
How do they put themselves to bed at night (reading, singing, thinking?)
taking sleeping pills and pacing around his room until he inevitably collapses.
How easy is it to earn their trust?
almost impossible.
How easy is it to earn their mistrust?
If you arent mistrusted by aki, you are not real.
Do they consider laws flexible, or immovable?
laws do not EXIST for him. he’ll break any rule with a smile.
What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling?
he hates the feeling of nostalgia. usually, it’s triggered by reading books.
What were they told to stop/start doing most often as a child?
stop caring so much! stop crying so much!
Do they swear? Do they remember their first swear word?
he says hell and damn a lot. no other words. he started swearing at too young an age to recall.
What lie do they most frequently remember telling? Does it haunt them?
“I want kaie nakata dead.”
How do they cope with confusion (seek clarification, pretend they understand, etc)?
pretend he understands, and snap at the confusing person if they try to call him out.
How do they deal with an itch found in a place they can’t quite reach?
dig a dagger into it. It’ll be fiiiine.
What color do they think they look best in? Do they actually look best in that color?
black. he looks much better in red and pink, though.
What animal do they fear most?
anything that lives in the sea.
How do they speak? Is what they say usually thought of on the spot, or do they rehearse it in their mind first?
some mixture of the two. he speaks on impulse, but only says things that fall in line with his rehearsed persona.
What makes their stomach turn?
deep flesh wounds.
Are they easily embarrassed?
no.
What embarrasses them?
acting out of line with his persona
What is their favorite number?
four, probably
If they were asked to explain the difference between romantic and platonic or familial love, how would they do so?
romantic love is when you want to kiss somebody, platonic love is when you want to hold somebody, and familial love is when you stay with someone even when they call you worthless.
Why do they get up in the morning? 
because the only other option is to surrender, and he can’t do that.
How does jealousy manifest itself in them (they become possessive, they become aloof, etc)? 
he becomes downright murderous towards the person he’s jealous of
How does envy manifest itself in them (they take what they want, they become resentful, etc)? 
resentful, yeah.
Is sex something that they’re comfortable speaking about? To whom? 
absolutely nobody.
 What are their thoughts on marriage? 
it’s just getting papers and saying empty words to join yourself to a person whose relationship with you could change in an instant. pointless.
 What is their preferred mode of transportation? 
taking the train, though it’s rarely possible.
 What causes them to feel dread? 
inevitability. the concept of fate. walking down a dark, forked road where the only paths that lie ahead are death and insanity. so, his entire life!
 Would they prefer a lie over an unpleasant truth? 
not particularly.
 Do they usually live up to their own ideals? 
he doesn’t have ideals. but if he did, there would be no way in hell he’d live up to them.
 Who do they most regret meeting? 
kaie nakata. he hopes that bastard burns in hell.
 Who are they the most glad to have met? 
 Do they have a go-to story in conversation? Or a joke? 
he doesn’t really…make conversation. ever.
 Could they be considered lazy? 
no.
 How hard is it for them to shake a sense of guilt? 
almost impossible, but he’s good at acting unaffected.
 How do they treat the things their friends come to them excited about? Are they supportive? 
he doesn’t, and can’t, care.
Do they actively seek romance, or do they wait for it to fall into their lap? 
romance is pointless. why care? why do either?
Do they have a system for remembering names, long lists of numbers, things that need to go in a certain order (like anagrams, putting things to melodies, etc)? 
giving each thing an initial and making sentences out of it.
What memory do they revisit the most often? 
the first time he ever saw a beast.
How easy is it for them to ignore flaws in other people? 
hard. he’s nitpicky and unkind at default.
How sensitive are they to their own flaws?
quite.
How do they feel about children? 
uncomfortable around them.
How badly do they want to reach their end goal? 
to kill kaie nakata? with all his heart.
If someone asked them to explain their sexuality, how would they do so? 
he doesn’t really have time nor energy nor interest to think about the whole relationships and attraction thing.
Uncommon Questions for OCs and their creators:
Send me a # (questions for OCs) or a letter (questions for creators) and I’ll answer
QUESTIONS FOR YOUR OCs
What’s the maximum amount of time your character can sit still with nothing to do?
How easy is it for your character to laugh?
How do they put themselves to bed at night (reading, singing, thinking?)
How easy is it to earn their trust?
How easy is it to earn their mistrust?
Do they consider laws flexible, or immovable?
What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling?
What were they told to stop/start doing most often as a child
Do they swear? Do they remember their first swear word?
What lie do they most frequently remember telling? Does it haunt them?
How do they cope with confusion (seek clarification, pretend they understand, etc)?
How do they deal with an itch found in a place they can’t quite reach?
What color do they think they look best in? Do they actually look best in that color?
What animal do they fear most?
How do they speak? Is what they say usually thought of on the spot, or do they rehearse it in their mind first?
What makes their stomach turn?
Are they easily embarrassed?
What embarrasses them?
What is their favorite number?
If they were asked to explain the difference between romantic and platonic or familial love, how would they do so?
Why do they get up in the morning? 
How does jealousy manifest itself in them (they become possessive, they become aloof, etc)? 
How does envy manifest itself in them (they take what they want, they become resentful, etc)? 
 Is sex something that they’re comfortable speaking about? To whom? 
 What are their thoughts on marriage? 
 What is their preferred mode of transportation? 
 What causes them to feel dread? 
 Would they prefer a lie over an unpleasant truth? 
 Do they usually live up to their own ideals? 
 Who do they most regret meeting? 
 Who are they the most glad to have met? 
 Do they have a go-to story in conversation? Or a joke? 
 Could they be considered lazy? 
 How hard is it for them to shake a sense of guilt? 
 How do they treat the things their friends come to them excited about? Are they supportive? 
Do they actively seek romance, or do they wait for it to fall into their lap? 
Do they have a system for remembering names, long lists of numbers, things that need to go in a certain order (like anagrams, putting things to melodies, etc)? 
What memory do they revisit the most often? 
How easy is it for them to ignore flaws in other people? 
How sensitive are they to their own flaws?
How do they feel about children? 
How badly do they want to reach their end goal? 
If someone asked them to explain their sexuality, how would they do so? 
QUESTIONS FOR CREATORS
A) Why are you excited about this character? B) What inspired you to create them? C) Did you have trouble figuring out where they fit in their own story? D) Have they always had the same physical appearance, or have you had to edit how they look? E) Are they someone you would get along with? Would they get along with you? F) What do you feel when you think of your OC (pride, excitement, frustration, etc)? G) What trait of theirs bothers you the most? H) What trait do you admire most? I) Do you prefer to keep them in their canon universe? J) Did you have to manipulate or exclude canon factors to allow them to create their character?
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Cindereddie
Written for the @steddiebingo
Prompts: Slipper on the main card | Argyle on the Get Lucky bonus card
Rated: T
Tags: Post-Vecna; Steve Harrington has a crush on Eddie Munson; Recreational drug use; Jealous Steve; Idiots in love
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“I lost my shoe,” Eddie declares, overjoyed and giddy. 
Sure enough, a look at his feet reveals one worn combat boot with the laces undone and one muddied sock with a toe poking out from a hole at the tip. There’s cartoon figures printed all over it. The sock, not the toe. Garfield, probaby, though it’s hard to tell with all the mud. 
“Huh?” says Steve. It’s pitch dark and raining, and he had just fallen asleep when the doorbell rang, and now Eddie is here - sopping wet, dragging a trail of muddy footsteps all over the front porch and aiming that wide, toothy grin at him that always makes Steve’s heart skip a beat. 
He feels like he missed something. 
Eddie’s smile, impossibly, goes wider. “I lost my-” 
“Yeah,” Steve interrupts him. “I see that, just- …What are you even doing here? I thought you were gonna hang with Argyle tonight?” 
He tries his best to keep the sneer out of his voice, to ignore the ugly twist that his stomach gives at the thought. Argyle is a decent guy, and there’s absolutely no need to feel jealous of this newly formed friendship between Eddie and him. Because that’s all they are. Just friends. Exactly like Eddie and Steve are just friends, so Steve has absolutely no right to get all moody and possessive like that. 
“Oh, I did,” Eddie nods, wet curls bobbing. “We sampled his new strain. Fairy Godmother. The Cali stuff has the wackiest names, but the way it hits? Metal as fuck, man.” 
Which … okay, that actually explains a lot. Like the way Eddie quite evidently can’t stop grinning. Or the way his eyes are even darker than usual, pupils almost entirely swallowing the browns and caramels of his irises. Or the southern drawl that has crept into his voice - barely there but just noticeable enough around some of the vowels. 
“Okay?” Steve says, valiantly attempting to keep his mouth from twitching, but what can he say? Eddie’s smile is contagious. “So you're high as balls. That still doesn't explain why you're here.” 
Eddie shrugs. “Wanted to see you. Don't you wanna see me?” 
His bottom lip juts out and his eyes go huge. Steve rolls his eyes. 
“I'm always happy to see you, idiot. Just… you couldn't have waited until tomorrow? You absolutely had to walk all the way here in the rain and the mud?” 
“Would've taken the van,” Eddie mutters around a fistful of hair. “Except I thought that was too risky.” 
Steve crosses his arms at him. “Well, I'm glad we agree on one thing at-”
“It might turn back any second.” 
Steve stares. “Pardon?” 
“Into a pumpkin,” Eddie says, like it makes sense. “It's almost midnight, right?” 
A look at his watch tells Steve that this is true. What it doesn't tell him is what the hell Eddie is on about. Steve pinches his nose. 
“What the fuck? Why would your van turn into a-” 
And then it clicks. 
“Oh God,” he groans. “Don't tell me you mean the fucking Fairy Godmother?” 
“I'm Cinderella!” Eddie beams. Then, his brow creases. “Cindereddie? Look, I even lost my-” 
“Your shoe,” Steve snorts, wrapping an arm around his shoulders to usher him inside. “I know. Pretty sure Cinderella wore glass slippers though, not combat boots.” 
Eddie scoffs and waves him off, but he does allow himself to be pulled into the entrance hall and maneuvered onto the little bench there. 
“Shit, you're freezing,” Steve mutters. “Hold on, I'll get you something to dry off.”
By the time he returns with a stack of clean towels and dry clothes, Eddie has already peeled out of his flannel and jacket and is sitting there in all his wet, bare-chested glory, humming to himself and idly kicking his muddy feet. 
“Jesus,” Steve mutters, throwing a clean sweater at his face. “I don’t believe you. What are you trying to do, get pneumonia?”
He doesn’t wait for Eddie’s reply, just drops to his knees on the marble tiles and pulls off the muddy sock. It makes a wet squelching sound as he tosses it aside. He has just finished towelling off the naked foot and moved on to removing the boot from the other when Eddie speaks again.
“Will you help me find it?” 
He is speaking from inside the sweater, so his voice comes out a bit muffled. Steve frowns up at him. 
“Find wha- … your boot?”, he asks. Eddie pops his head out of the sweater, all disheveled hair and adorable puppy dog eyes. “What? Argyle can’t help you with that?”
“I’m sure he would,” Eddie shrugs, wiggling his naked toes happily. “But he isn’t my Prince Charming, so …” 
Steve feels himself flush. Suddenly, he’s acutely aware of the picture they’re making - himself kneeling by Eddie’s feet and taking off his boot, like some weird reenactment of the prince putting the lost glass slipper on Cinderella. 
“Let’s get you to bed,” he blurts, yanking the boot off a little too roughly and shooting to his feet to pull Eddie up and towards the staircase. “We can find your stupid shoe tomorrow when it’s light. Right now, you need to sleep that high off.”
Eddie leans into him as they wobble up the stairs, hair tickling Steve’s neck. 
“Will my prince give me a kiss goodnight?”
“Shut up,” Steve grouses. 
And if he does bend down to sweep the damp curls from Eddie’s sleeping face, once he has tucked him into bed in one of the guest rooms? And if he does press his lips to his forehead?
Nobody but him needs to know. 
If he’s lucky, maybe Eddie’s lost boot won’t be the only thing he finds tomorrow. Maybe he’ll actually muster up the courage to tell him how he feels. 
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uyuforu · 3 days ago
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Astro Observations XI: North Node Edition ꒰ঌNatal Chart໒꒱
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꒰ঌ Felt like doing a little post about North Nodes, and how it manifested on some people I know around me. Thought it would be fun and just a small silly post. ໒꒱
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⋆˙⟡ The North Node in Natal Chart will often tell us our destiny and purpose, but do not think this is necessarily easy. The NN often is about what we are meant to achieve and learn in this life, but this is in fact a lot of times considered as a lesson. The thing is, what we already know is our South Node, and so we could tend to often feel safe where it is placed (opposite your North Node). In this life, you are so meant to do the total opposite of what you already know, meaning something you don't know already, and for most people this means it can be quite scary or uncomfortable. Though, you shouldn't worry about it, because life will always bring you to the right track to your North Node.
⋆˙⟡ Taurus 7H North Node makes you have a purpose here related to relationships, mostly creating a healthy, strong, stable and long term connection with your romantic connections. This could be a true challenge because you could attract people who aren't good for you, toxic, or you could also deal with a lot of fears when it comes to relationships. You could have a lot of easy time to be on your own, and in fact you could often think you are better alone. But this placement suggests that you can also find harmony and peace, and a grounded environment in a relationship.
⋆˙⟡ North Node conjunct Groom (51029)/ Briede (19029) (for you) seems to be a sign you are meant to be a spouse, to get married. There is a lesson in being married for you in this life. Or being married will make you be close to your purpose here.
⋆˙⟡ North Node conjunct Boda (1487) seems to be the same as the previous observation.
⋆˙⟡ Capricorn 5H North Node could be a purpose to be more creative in the work place, or just bring more assertiveness to your hobbies and creativity. You could also be destined to be a parent, but mostly to be more responsible and disciplined when having fun. It is knowing to balance your responsibilities and your hobbies. You could be so meant to have a fulfilling career but without forgetting your hobbies, or your children, or even be including creativity in your work.
⋆˙⟡ North Node conjunct Groom/ Briede (for your Spouse) means your Spouse will play a major role in your purpose in this life.
⋆˙⟡ Aquarius 9H North Node is a North Node that implies having to detach from other people's beliefs and open up to spirituality. You could need to learn lessons on accepting to think different or accepting people who think in a different way from you. Your South Node Leo 3H could make you use to be seen as relatable or influencing others with your mind and ideas. But here you are not supposed to be heard or seen, you are supposed to accept and learn about a much more philosophical and vague theme. This is often a sign you'll need to be more open minded, focus more on intuition rather than facts.
⋆˙⟡ Aquarius 8H North Node means you'll have to detach from the money aspect of your life. This could be a quite stressful placement to have as a North Node since your South Node is in Leo 2H. You could be used or feel very safe when you have money, or living in a world where buying, possessing and consuming is what you prefer. But in this life, you are asked to detach from this, to give more than to receive. You could so need to detach from money, accepting money does not buy happiness. This is also a placement that suggests detaching from what society asked you to learn, and see beyond, make your own judgments and opinions.
⋆˙⟡ North Node conjunct Mars could be a sign you'll have a strong ambition towards your North Node, and perhaps even aligning with your North Node can make you feel more energized and ambitious.
⋆˙⟡ Virgo 12H North Node is a quite deep and hard to understand to be honest. You could be meant to care and "organize" things in private, in the dark. Virgo is all about analyzing, thinking, finding out, the data caretaker, but the 12H is about the unseen, unheard, but also the spiritual realm, anything which is not from this world. To be honest, this is a hard placement to have since Virgo opposite Pisces (rules over the 12H). But your South Node is the same= Pisces 6H. In this case, you could be meant to look at what is hidden, spirituality, anything like this with a more analytical and grounded mind. This means that you could be more meant to use you rationality on this topic, while you could be used to bring a sense of dreaminess in the routine of the world (Pisces 6H South Node).
⋆˙⟡ North Node conjunct Moon could make you have a sense of feeling comfortable the more you get closer to your destiny, you could feel like when you are out of touch to it, you could feel uneasy and sad, not feeling safe at all. But the more you are in touch with it, the more you feel safe, happy, good. Your emotions could also strongly depend on that as well. You could also be quite sensitive to the topic of your destiny.
⋆˙⟡ Leo 10H North Node, so this placement suggests that you'll have a destiny to be seen and noticed. You could be meant to be in front of the stage, to be a main character, to perhaps even have fame. Meant to have a success, to have money, but this may not be so easy for you. Your South Node being in Aquarius 4H, you are more used to be a free spirit, without caring much what people think of you. The 4H also suggests you are more comfortable in the private sphere, but here you are asked to be seen and to even perform and succeed in front of others. This can be a quite stressful thing for you, but you shouldn't be scared to be seen. This placement can also strongly attract jealous people, but do not be scared to shine. Moreover, you shouldn't feel bad for being meant to succeed.
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⋆˙⟡ North Node conjunct Part of Fortune is a very fortunate placement to have, often a sign the more you are aligned with your North Node, the happiest and luckiest you'll be. Things will align. more easily if you go according to your NN.
⋆˙⟡ North Node conjunct Sun is a sign you'll have a strong self development when you are on the right track to your North Node. You could feel like life is asking you to accept to be seen, to be successful and to just be noticed.
⋆˙⟡ Scorpio 7H North Node could mean that you are perhaps feeling better on your own usually, in a sense that you could often think you are better alone, feeling often more grounded "on your own" (South Node Taurus 1H). But in this life, you'll be asked to in fact accept the deepness of connections. Perhaps you'll also need to live transformative experiences when it comes to relationships. You are asked to accept that you also need others to work out well, and being "on your own" all the time is not necessarily the solution. You could also perhaps have connections that will transform you and you'll need to also accept that being connected to others can have influence on you. You'll need connections to develop your trust in others, and accept you can indeed dive deep in a connection with someone and feel safe still.
⋆˙⟡ Taurus 1H North Node could mean you'll need to achieve a life where you feel comfortable on your own. This doesn't mean you'll be single this life, in fact with your South Node Scorpio 7H, you'll perhaps tend to have a hard time to let go of certain connections despite if they can be toxic. But you'll always have an easy time finding connections, friendships or romantic, but here, your life purpose is to accept and feel comfortable on your own. To not depend on anyone, to be grounded and happy even on your own. It means being comfortable with yourself.
⋆˙⟡ North Node conjunct Pluto means you'll have to live a strong and powerful transformation through your purpose this life. You are most likely going to transform your life because of the house placement. Depends on the North Node and House placements.
⋆˙⟡ Capricorn 2H North Node could be a life path that is really focused on the material wealth and possessions. You could have a purpose in this life to focus on your wealth, perhaps even be mature and protective over your possessions, but also perhaps embrace having money and power. Your South Node being in Cancer 8H, you could tend to be too generous with your money, or not necessarily liking money that much, but this life could ask you to embrace money and accept it is not always bad to have it. You could also need to mature up with your possessions and be the one bringing money to your family in this life.
⋆˙⟡ North Node conjunct Neptune could mean your purpose in this life will require you to use or develop your imagination or your intuition. You could also have a destiny linked to spirituality, or develop it.
⋆˙⟡ Scorpio 2H North Node could be about you needing to focus on money and material wealth, possessions in this life, but perhaps also about the relationship you have with money. Your South Node in Taurus 8H could make you quite grounded but also dependent on others when it comes to money. While Scorpio 2H will ask you to develop an independence when it comes to your money. You'll be the one gaining money, you'll need to so depend on no one when it comes to money.
⋆˙⟡ Aries 3H North Node could be about you being more assertive in your words and thoughts, to not be scared to argue or to be bold with your opinions. Embrace your point of view and your thoughts. While this can be quite hard for you since the South Node in Libra 9H could be about you being a peace maker and being someone who under others a lot, and be quite open minded.
⋆˙⟡ Aries 4H North Node could be that you often feel quite comfortable with being a peace creator, being perhaps also seen and having a very good reputation. Though, in this life you'll be asked to be more private and to feel more secure within yourself. You could so need to be more confident with being yourself, without the need to please nor to make people life you. Do not focus on what others think of you, rather focus on the desire to please yourself with who you are.
⋆˙⟡ Leo 5H North Node is quite a fun North Node to have in my opinion, this could def be about embracing Leo's nature in my opinion, enjoying the fun in life, enjoying romance, and flirting as well. With the South Node in 11H, you could be more used to be friendly with everyone, and focus on friendships while in this life, you'll need to also accept flings, have more experiences in flirting and romance. You could perhaps found yourself being popular and very attractive to others, and this could be something you could have a hard time to understand or simply you could often mistaken friendship with romantic interactions.
⋆˙⟡ Pisces 2H North Node could ask you to be more self confident on your intuition. Perhaps you are used to be more logical with your South Node Virgo, more when it comes to your mind and decisions, perhaps thinking more about psychology in a logical way. This life, you'll need to def focus more on your intuition and perhaps even develop your creativity or intuition related to your money or related to your self worth and confidence. You'll need to fulfill your dreams related to money as well.
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honeyhotteoks · 3 days ago
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across stardust - five (j.yh)
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summary: you and yunho have worked together for years, idol and makeup artist, but until today you’ve never touched him skin to skin. when the world tilts on its head from just a brush of his cheek, you realize he’s so much more than a crush, he’s your soulmate. four | five | six | series masterlist 🔗read on ao3 ✨across stardust pinterest board
note: part five got away from me, so there will now be a part six which will end wrap up this story. this chapter is deeply emotional and full of moments that i truly hope everyone loves, though it's a bit of a plot direction i'm not sure anyone expected. additional notes at the end of the chapter to avoid spoilers. thank you all for your love and support on this fic, it means the world.
tags/warnings: idol!yunho, makeup artist!reader, fem!reader, soulmates au, soulmate identifying marks, soulmate tattoos, tattoed!reader, anxiety/nerves, lots of angst, lots of tears, mentions of functional vs. dysfunctional families, alcohol consumption (not heavy), needy/rough sex, sex with no prep, clothed sex, oral sex f!receiving, mention of handjobs, romantic af sex, lots and lots and lots of praise/ possessive petnames (i.e. 'my love', 'my baby'), overuse of jagiya, basically they're soooo fucking happy to be back together
pairings: yunho x reader
genre: fantasy, romance, smut || soulmates au
word count: 15.7k
It’s been too long since you’ve had a cup of Em’s herbal tea, that you’re sure of when you take the first long sip, cozied in the corner of their sofa and looking out the window at the little greenhouse patio room where Em tends to all her plants. It’s been five days since you left Seoul, and all you’ve heard from anyone is a single text message from Iseul that made your stomach roll. 
I’m sorry - I’ll call you as soon as I can. 
You had left your best friend a voicemail while Hana drove out of the city, short but to the point. You can remember the words perfectly - The company knows, things are bad and I’m going to Hana’s for a little while. Please tell him where I am, tell him I’m waiting. 
The single text and the silence after that has left you feeling untethered for days. 
The bond with Yunho has stayed mostly quiet. You can still feel him, his presence inside you will never fade, but he feels flat, shut down. It reminds you of that day in the airport, the way you seemed to lose connection with him when he steeled himself for the experience of being mobbed by fans. You wonder how much effort it takes him to mute his own emotions like this, you wonder if he can still feel you and the way you’ve cried yourself to sleep every night since you were fired. 
A breeze passes through the open window in the greenhouse, leaves swaying and shuddering with the air, and you hear the sound of the watering can, of Em’s house slippers on the slate flooring. 
For a brief moment, you picture a little house like this in the countryside. 
Yunho somewhere in the kitchen, your flowers in the garden, and little hands beside yours in the dirt. 
Your chest throbs, and you push yourself up to your feet before the quiet of the house lets you daydream anymore about a future that feels so much farther away than it did five days ago. 
Em turns as you step down into the greenhouse, and you tap the side of your cup, “I think this blend is the best you’ve done,” 
Em smiles, her kind face always putting you right at ease, “Yeah?” 
You nod, taking another sip, “What’s in this one?” 
“A mix,” She replies, “holy basil, lemongrass, dandelion root and nettle,” 
You wouldn’t know the difference between one herb and another, but Em does and she recites the ingredients in a way that calms you and takes your mind right back to the present and away from wandering, painful thoughts of the future. 
“Oh,” She nods, gesturing towards a large pot, “and gingko leaf,” 
“Mm,” You nod. 
Em finds a pair of shears and holds them out handle-side towards you. 
“Putting me to work?” You smile, setting your cup of tea to the side. 
“Hana’s cooking soon,” She nods and gestures towards a large box of pepper plants, “we need five or six of those,” 
“Sure,” 
It’s quiet for a moment as you assess the ripeness of the shishitos and while Hana refills her watercan from a hose in the corner, but when you start to clip a few off their leafy green plant, a voice catches you from the doorway. 
 “Should we take a trip?” Hana’s brightness fills the space, your sister always one to throw an idea at the wall and see if it will stick.
“A trip?” You blink. 
“Jeju, maybe?” She offers, looking between you and Em. 
“I’m unemployed, Hana,” You know she’s just trying to make you feel better, but your heart sinks and you scrub a hand over your tired face, “I should probably get a job.” 
“It hasn’t even been a week,” She says, “what you need is a break.” 
“Han,” You sigh, “I told you, Iseul knows where I am, which means he knows where I am. I can’t just leave.” 
Em is quiet behind you, but you hear her set down the watering can and exhale softly. 
“Iseul, the girl who ratted you out?” Hana says, her voice a little sharper than it was the last time she asked this question.
“I told you already,” You shake your head, “they lied about that.” 
Your sister’s jaw tightens and relaxes, like she’s trying to keep herself from saying something. It’s been days of this. When you got to the house you poured the whole story out in a wash of tears, and ever since Hana has been upset at the wrong things and the wrong people. Em has been your calm constant, always a listener first, careful not to assume. 
“I just think he should have found a way to call you,” Hana says, sinking into the doorframe and her eyes softening to something you can only describe as pity, “and I still don’t think you can trust Iseul, but after five days how hard is it to pick up a phone?” 
“Han,” You chest aches, “Hana, I really can’t hear this,” 
“I think you might need to hear it,” She sighs, crossing her arms over her chest, “I think you’re just sitting here in pain while he could do something about it,” 
“Baby,” Em finally speaks up, shaking her head in your peripheral vision at her wife. 
“I know, I know,” Hana says, “I’m just worried about you, I’ve never seen you like this and I know he has a very important job or whatever, but you’re,” 
Your heart lurches, “Hana, I love you, but you do not know what this industry is like.” 
“I just,” 
“When they want to,” You continue, “they control every facet of your life. Yunho’s in trouble because of us, I’m not angry with him, I’m worried about him. If he hasn’t called me, I promise you he has a reason and I’m not going farther away from him while this is happening,” 
She lets out a dejected breath of air, “Fine,” 
“Iseul will call,” You add, “I don’t blame anybody but the company,” 
“And if,” Hana starts to say. 
“Let’s not,” Em interrupts smoothly, “y/n, how are those peppers coming?” 
You blink, the sheers and the peppers in your hands forgotten with the sudden presence of your sister, “Uh,” you clear your throat, “good,” 
“Great,” Em smiles widely and lightens the mood, “Han, baby, I’m getting hungry. Can we start the meat?” 
Hana’s lips close into a little line and then she exhales slowly through her nose before nodding, “Yeah, I’ll get it going,” 
“Great, we’ll be in soon,” Em says with gentle authority. 
Hana nods, disappearing around the corner and you let out a heavy sigh, letting your eyes go unfocused again on the plant in front of you. 
After a moment, Em rests a gentle hand on your back, “You know I love your sister, but when she makes up her mind about something,” 
You nod as Em trails off, “She’s wrong about this though,” 
Em hums in understanding and takes the shears out of your hands to finish clipping the remaining peppers off their vine. 
“Something isn’t right,” You explain quietly, “I can feel him, but it’s so distant, he wouldn’t be pushing me away if there wasn’t a good reason,” 
“I believe you,” Em replies. 
“I want Hana to understand,” You confess, “I don’t want her to hate him,” 
Em leans in, wrapping her arms around you in a hug and you let her, biting the inside of your lip to keep your emotions in check for what feels like the hundredth time today, “She won’t,” Em says softly, “but she loves you and needs to make sure her big sister is okay, okay?” 
You nod. 
“I’ll talk to her,” She says as she steps back out of the hug, “but for now, let’s go make dinner. Let’s open a bottle of wine and just forget about it for tonight. If you say Iseul will call, she’ll call. If you say he’s going to come for you, he will, but waiting for it is making you sick. Let’s let it go for a little while,” 
Thick emotion sits lodged in your throat, but you manage a nod, “Okay,” 
“Okay,” She smiles, cupping your cheek for a moment and wiping away a single stray tear, “come on,” 
You follow her into the kitchen, where Hana has already started laying out cutting boards and pulling ingredients out of the fridge, but when you cross into the room she drops the bundle of green onions onto the counter and walks over to you, throwing her arms around you. 
“Oh,” You hug her back, your eyes connecting with Em across the room who gives you a soft shrug and a knowing smile. 
“I’m sorry,” Hana squeezes you, “I didn’t mean to make you upset again,” 
“It’s alright,” You murmur, “I just want you to trust me,” 
“I trust you,” She sighs, “I do,” 
You expect a ‘but’, a follow up, something about how no matter how much she trusts you she doesn’t trust the people who made you feel this way, but if Hana thinks it, this time she holds her tongue. 
At the sharp sound of a cork pulling free from a wine bottle, you both separate and turn towards Em who holds up a sizable bottle of red. 
“Come on,” She says finding some glasses, “let’s get drunk,” 
The tension in the room diffuses, and for the first time in days the knot between your shoulders loosens. 
Em pours the wine, Hana sparks the flame on the gas stove, and you slide into place at the cutting board to start prepping vegetables. Within fifteen minutes, the warmth of the wine works its way into your system, Em has thrown a vinyl on the turntable and turned up the volume, and Hana is in her element with the stirfry. 
You don’t see Iseul’s first call or her second, the music in the kitchen is too loud and you’re in the middle of your first real and good laugh since the firing, your phone forgotten on the island entirely. It isn’t until you’re walking past to get a look at the recipe on Hana’s phone that you see yours light up again with Iseul’s name and you hastily wipe your hands on your apron and reach for it. 
You almost drop it as you fish it off the table, and Hana and Em go quiet as they watch you fumble to answer. There’s a single second of doubt, a moment of fear in your stomach about what she’s going to say, but you push it aside and pick up, “Hello?” 
“y/n?” Iseul sounds relieved. 
“Hey,” it’s all you can manage, and despite Hana’s nervous expression, you walk straight out of the kitchen to a quieter part of the house to finally, finally find out what’s been going on at home in Seoul. 
“I know what they told you,” Iseul starts, her voice a little emotional, “but I swear to god, I didn’t tell anyone about you and Yunho.” 
“I know,” You breathe, but you’re still relieved to hear her say it and the words come out in a sigh.
“It was Eunji,” 
That gets your attention. 
At the far side of the house you lean against the stairs until you’re sinking down onto them, disbelief in your voice, “Eunji?” 
You weren’t as close with her as you were with Iseul, but you were still on the same team. You considered her your friend, you would have never done something like this to her. 
“She saw you and Yunho together,” She explains, “she overheard us talking too, I didn’t know she had, she just… she put some things together, jumped to conclusions,” 
“And she just reported us? Just like that?” 
“It’s, yeah,” Iseul takes a breath. 
“I don’t even know what she saw, what she thinks she knows,” Your gut clenches in disbelief, in anger. 
“I think half of it was guessing, half of it lies. Saving her own skin,” Iseul says. 
“Her own skin?” 
“She’s been on a probationary action plan, apparently,” Iseul informs you, “she posted something on social media a few months ago that accidentally disclosed the members’ location, she got reprimanded and warned.” 
“Fuck,” You blink, “I had no idea,”
“No one did,” She continues, “she sold you out to make herself look better,” 
“Iseul,” You breathe, dropping your head into your hands, “what about Yunho?” 
She’s quiet for a moment, but then she says, “It’s been bad here.” 
Alarm shoots through you, “Is he alright?” 
“They took his phone,” She explains, “they’re watching him and the other members like hawks, it’s like they’re rookies again.” 
You swallow tightly. 
“The staff was told you were let go for budget,” She goes on, “which kind of backfired on them. Everyone’s speculating who’s next. With how weird it’s been… I just didn’t know what happened in the meeting, I didn’t want to reach out and make something worse if something was going on legally,” 
“Oh,” 
“I talked to Yunho this morning,” She says and you straighten up, “he told me what happened, he told me what they said about you and that I was the one who… and Eunji was acting weird, sneaky, I’m just sorry I didn’t call before,” 
“I know, it’s okay, I’m okay,” You breathe. 
“No,” She manages, “I should have called,” 
“Iseul, please,” You shake your head, “I don’t care about that anymore,” 
She sighs, and then she says something else, her voice low enough that you wonder where she is and if someone could overhear her side of things, “They’re working on a plan,” she says, “he’s not giving up, and the members are with him.” 
Relief fills your chest, “They are?” 
“Yunho said they’re moving fast,” 
Heat wells in your eyes, the start of tears, “Okay,” 
“We didn’t have much time to talk, but he said soon,” 
You nod, your hand tightening on your thigh as you get your emotions in check, “How did he seem? How is he?” 
”Not good, babe,” She admits, “he’s… it’s obvious he’s not sleeping or eating.” 
“I need to come home,” You breathe.
 “No,” She insists, “not yet,” 
“Iseul,” You massage a tight spot of anxiety on your chest. 
“He said he knows you’re far, he can feel that you’re not in Seoul,” She continues, “when I told him you were with Hana he looked so relieved,” 
Your eyes press shut. 
“Listen,” She murmurs, “I have a letter for you,” 
“A letter?” You take a deep breath. 
“He asked me not to read it, just to get it to you. I mailed it to Hana’s this morning,” She says softly. 
It feels like a lifeline.
“I know this is bad right now,” She says, “but tell me you’re okay,” 
“I don’t know,” You offer, “tell me this is going to work out?” 
“It’s going to work out,” She insists, “you’re not here, but people aren’t happy. Everyone has questions about your firing, even managers are asking questions. One of the security officers said the way KQ handled it didn’t sit right,” 
“Are you serious?” Your eyes widen. 
“People love you here,” She reminds you, “you’re family. I don’t know what happened in that room, but this is not going away like they want. You just have to stay strong.” 
You wipe the threat of tears away and nod, “I want to come home,” 
“I know,” She murmurs, “but trust him, I’ve never seen the members this serious. Something’s happening, something big,” 
“I trust him,” You breathe, “I trust you,” 
“We’ve got you,” She says, her voice stronger than how you’ve felt in days, “you’re coming home.” 
For the first time in five days, you feel a real moment of hope. 
“Babe,” She takes a sharp breath, “I am, I really… I’m so sorry,” 
“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” 
“I didn’t tell them,” She says, “but Eunji still heard something from me, if I had just,” 
“You didn’t do anything that Yunho and I didn’t do ten times over,” You brush her guilt away, “sneaking off at the office, finding little ways to be together. We couldn’t help ourselves, and here we are. If it wasn’t her it would have been someone else, but you kept our secret, you didn’t do this,” 
She’s quiet for a moment and then she makes a soft sound to clear her throat, “You’re my best friend,” 
“You’re mine,” You reply automatically. 
“Listen,” She says, “I’ve got to go, I don’t want anyone to walk in and overhear, but look for the letter. He said the plan’s in there. Stay strong, and I’ll text you and keep you updated, we’re gonna figure this out.” 
You grab onto that thought with both hands, “Okay,” 
“I love you, girl,” She says softly. 
“Love you too,” 
When the call ends, emotion floods your chest. You're terrified, relieved, grateful, hopeful, all of it at once for the first time in days. It took a while, but you finally know the truth of what you always believed, Yunho’s fighting for you, just like he promised he would. 
Now you just have to wait. 
It takes two days, but his letter finally arrives. 
For two days you prepared yourself for what he could have written. You packed your bags for Seoul, you texted endlessly with Iseul, and you tried to find every chore under the sun around the house to help Hana and Em with to keep your mind off the impending something that was coming in the mail. 
When the post finally pushes through the mail slot in the door on the second day after your call, you run to get it, searching through the pile of papers until you see a manila envelope with your name on it. It feels like the sweetest relief, yesterday’s mail just bills and junk, a little bit of heartbreak even though you knew logically mail from Seoul would take longer than a single day.
But it’s here now, safely in your hands. You sink back against the door and tear it open, getting to the sealed letter inside, Yunho’s messy handwriting instantly identifiable. With shaking hands you let the rest of the mail fall to the floor and you pull open the crisp white envelope to get at the folded sheet of paper inside. 
y/n -
I love you, this first always. 
Tears spill over and you blink hard to clear your vision before you start the letter over again. 
y/n - 
I love you, this first always. You must hate me for this silence, for how long it’s been, but please remember I love you and I promise everything I’m doing now I do for you. You’re my heart, you are in me always. 
There’s so much to say, but I’ll do it in person. I have a plan, and the members are standing beside us. After they took you away, they made it clear that any contact with you from any of the members would mean a breach of contract. They still don’t know that we’ve already started working on negotiations, they think they caught us unprepared. Our outside attorney has been quietly advising us these past few days through Hongjoong, and we’ve put together all the plans and paperwork. It didn’t happen like it was supposed to, but we are going to push harder for renegotiation, and you’re a part of that. There’s so much to explain, so much legal jargon I’ve been researching for days, but we’re almost ready and all the risks seem worth it if you and I are together at the end of this.
I wish I could see you now, apologize for everything that happened. What they did to you was wrong, not just how they treated you as a person, but legally. I will explain it all when we see each other, but I have hope now and so should you. 
We’ve organized a meeting, and I hope you’ll come. Thursday, at ten after our schedules we will be staying late for more practice and meeting secretly with the attorney in person. Monday morning we have a meeting with our CEO. I am fighting for us, and I need you by my side. I don’t know where you are, but I feel it in my body that it’s not here, not home. I’m asking Iseul to get this letter to you, and I’m asking you to trust me. 
Please come home to me. I’m ready to fight for us, I’m ready for our story to start. 
I love you, I’ll never stop. 
Yours. 
By the time you’re finished reading, your hands are shaking, tears tracking down your cheeks.
With the letter clutched in your hand your heart feels like it’s finally beating to the right rhythm again.
“Hana,” You call into the depths of the house, scrubbing away your tears “I need a ride to Seoul!”
One more day, just one. 
Tomorrow, you’ll be back in his arms. 
───────────────────────── ✧₊⁺───────────────────────
The drive home feels longer than ever. 
It’s raining when you make it to the KQ studio space, a heavy dark downpour that leaves Hana driving slowly through deep puddles to get into the familiar parking garage. It’s fairly empty, it always is in the evening after eight or nine, so you’re able to park inconspicuously but still close to the lower access doors. 
Everything feels like the plot of a film, clandestine meetings and back door business deals. 
By the time Hana engages the parking brake, your heart is pounding in your chest. You breathe through it, unbuckling your seatbelt and hastily smoothing down your hair before pressing a hand to your anxious chest. 
Hana kills the ignition and twists in her seat, “We’re coming in with you,” 
“Yeah?” Your eyebrows raise. 
“I’m meeting him,” She nods, “and you need backup.” 
Em nods from the backseat and rests a warm hand on your shoulder, “You’re not going in alone.” 
Your phone buzzes in your hands and you nod before you see the text you’ve been waiting for from Iseul. 
“She’s downstairs,” You say, “let’s go,” 
Quietly, you all exit the car, waiting for only the briefest moment by the lower door. Iseul pops her head out as the heavy industrial door swings open and you rush forwards. 
She tugs you into a hug once you’re all safely inside and you can already feel the rising tide of emotion and nerves flooding through you. 
“Hey,” Iseul manages, her voice cracking, “I’m so fucking happy to see you,” 
“Me too,” You breathe back the rush of tears. 
“Everyone’s upstairs,” She says as you break apart, “are you ready?” 
“Ready for what?” You manage, “Yunho’s letter wasn’t clear on the specifics,” 
“Shit,” She says, “okay you’re going to want to take a deep breath.” 
“Why?” You glance to your sister. 
“There’s a lot of people here, it’s going to be fine though,” Iseul tells you, hitting the button for the elevator. 
“As long as he’s here I really don’t care if you have the entire National Assembly upstairs,” 
Iseul laughs softly, “I’ll remember you said that,” she says, and then she turns to acknowledge your family, “hi Hana, hi Em, I’m so glad you’re both here,” 
“Of course,” Hana says as the elevator doors open, “we’re here for whatever she needs,” 
Iseul smiles warmly as you all step into the elevator. 
As the doors close, you can hear them still talking - small talk about the rain, the drive to Seoul, but you can’t take it in. For the first time in days, you can feel him close again, and your heart picks up inside your chest. You don’t care what’s in store for you here, as long as you can see him again, feel his touch, as long as he’s still your center. 
The minute the doors open your feet start carrying you forwards, just a quick walk down the hall and into the studio space you know so well. Past the room where they do their dance practices is a series of smaller studios, offices, and a conference room with a large lobby in the center. You don’t need Iseul to tell you where he is, you feel the pull of him, and you follow it all the way down the corridor and around the corner into the main space. 
There’s other people here but you don’t take in a single soul except Yunho. He’s waiting for you, standing tall in the center of the lobby and watching for you, and the moment you round the corner and meet his eyes he’s moving. 
Your bag falls from your shoulder to the floor and you rush forwards to meet him.
He scoops you up like he has to touch you, pulling you into his arms in a desperate embrace, and finally the feeling inside you snaps. A relieved sob bubbles up from your throat and you bury your face into his shoulder, clinging to his sweatshirt. 
“You’re here,” He manages, his head pressed against yours. 
You nod, tightening your arms around his shoulders, “I missed you,” 
He makes a small, shuddering sound, his hand cupping the back of your head tenderly, and then all at once whatever walls he had maintained for days crumble to the ground. You feel him, his emotions, his mind, it all crashes into you. You know in a rush what he’s been dealing with for days. Unadulterated fear for you, shame in himself, betrayal, grief, and all encompassing anger. But beneath that, laced through every inch, is fierce determination and love, full and timeless for you. 
He breathes out in a shudder of relief before pulling back so he can see your face, smoothing back your hair to look at you, to love you, “Hi,” he murmurs softly. 
“Hi,” You touch his cheek as a smile spreads over his face. 
He looks tired, like stress has run him ragged since you’ve been gone, but he’s real and he’s solid under your touch. 
Behind you, Iseul gently clears her throat, and it breaks the spell. Glancing to either side you realize for the first time you’re not alone with him. 
“Yunho,” You murmur, “what’s going on?”
He nods, “Right, of course,” 
He’s hesitant to put you down, that you can feel, but he sets you back on your feet and chooses to hold your hand instead, fingers laced together tightly. 
His skin feels so right. 
Yunho straightens up, “Um,” he exhales, “okay there’s a lot to tell you,” 
“Hey, y/n,” Wooyoung says from a few feet away and you grin when you see him and all the members off to the side, looking a little emotional themselves. 
“Hey,” You feel so dizzy with happiness to be back here, to see so many faces you’d spent the last five years with. 
You look past them and around the lobby and your chest tightens, it’s more than just the members. You recognize managers, and you hear additional voices down the hall where you know there’s a kitchenette. You hear the sound of the espresso machine, and to the right of the hall, you can see more figures behind the frosted glass walls of the conference room. 
“Yunho,” You breathe. 
Iseul said there would be a lot of people here, and she wasn’t kidding. 
“I’ll explain everything soon,” He says, running his hands up and down your arms, “but everyone here is here to help us, to support us,” 
“Your managers,” Your eyes dart that way again. 
“Don’t agree with what’s happened at all,” He says firmly, “they’re like family to us, they didn’t want all of us to be treated this way,” 
“Everyone knows?” Your eyebrows raise. 
“Everyone here does,” He nods, “it’s all part of the plan for Monday,” 
Your head is spinning already, “I don’t,” 
“I promise I’ll explain,” He reiterates, “do you trust me?” 
“Of course,” 
“Then trust me,” He murmurs, “I promise, we’re going to be okay.” 
He’s so solid, so confident, and you blink back a hazy mist of tears, nodding to him. 
Yunho squeezes your hands and then he nods towards the doorway, “This must be Hana,” 
You remember yourself then, pulling him over, “God, I’m sorry,” you tell her, “yes, Hana and Em, this is Yunho.” 
Yunho bows deeply, and tight emotion catches in your throat, “Thank you both for taking care of her,” he says, “it’s… I’m honored to meet you. y/n speaks of you so warmly, I’m so glad to have you both here for us.” 
Em smiles widely, nudging her wife, “We’re so happy to meet you,” 
Hana nods, looking between the two of you, “Same,” he says, her eyes watering, “oh fuck, I’m going to cry already,” 
Yunho smiles. 
Em squeezes Hana’s shoulders and smoothly takes over, “It looks like you have a plan?” 
Yunho nods, “Yes, the short version is that we’re all set to do the final review of the renegotiations and prepare to speak with our CEO on Monday,” 
Your eyes flick to the board room, “Your attorney’s here?” 
He nods, “Ready to walk us through the paperwork and confirm the plan,” 
“And y/n’s involvement?” Hana clears her throat. 
“She’s part of everything,” Yunho says calmly, turning to you, “we’ll go over it in detail, but we want things fixed for you too, not just our contracts.” 
You nod. 
“There’s more to it than that, but,” He looks a little nervous, a brief flicker of it in his chest, but he shifts his attention back to your sister, “will you both stay? I know it’s late, but,” 
“We’re here,” Em nods. 
“Thank you,” He smiles, “there’s a kitchen that way, bathrooms down the hall to the left, and plenty of couches. Can I get you anything?” 
Hana and Em both shake their heads. 
“Yunho,” Hongjoong’s voice breaks your attention and you both look to the side, “we’re ready to start,” 
The members are filing into the boardroom and your heart seems to pound faster in your chest. 
“We’ll be right here,” Hana assures you, “come get us if you need us,” 
All you can do is nod. 
“Ready?” Yunho wraps his arm around you, this time steering you in the direction of the board room.
”As I can be,” You admit, “I still don’t know what’s going on,” 
“I’m sorry,” He murmurs, “and there is something else,” 
You look up to him and he grimaces lightly. 
“My family’s here,” He says softly. 
“What?” Shock spreads through you. 
“They came up when I told them what was happening, and they brought some paperwork I needed from home,” He sums up quickly, “a lot is going to happen over the next few days, and I needed them here,” 
“You’re scaring me a little,”  
“It’s okay,” He smiles, “I swear, trust me, remember?” 
Anxiety tumbles in your gut as you round the corner into the conference room. Too much was happening, an overwhelming wave of information and whatever this meeting was would be no better you’re sure of that. 
But Yunho’s hand is in yours, his heartbeat steady. 
If nothing else is true in the world, you trust this man. 
The conference table is a long, expensive looking walnut right for a business meeting, and Yunho walks you to two middle seats saved just for you both. The members circle on either side of you, and across the table you’re face to face with Hongjoong and a sharp looking man in a suit who you can only assume is their attorney. Their managers sit in extra office chairs that have been wheeled into the room, and you’re acutely aware that every pair of eyes in the room is on you and Yunho. 
“Alright,” The attorney begins, “you must be y/n, I’m Attorney Choi,” 
“It’s nice to meet you,” You nod your head. 
“And you,” He smiles, and there’s genuine warmth in it, “everyone’s told me good things,” 
Heat pricks at your cheeks. 
He slides a few folders in front of himself and takes a quick sip of water. Your stomach tightens, remembering the folder packed full of lies from the last time you were in a KQ office. 
Yunho’s hand smooths up and down your spine. 
“Now,” Attorney Choi says, “let’s get started, we have a coup to plan,” 
Your hands clasp together under the table, and you swallow nervously. 
“Joong,” Yunho prompts softly, and you watch Hongjoong nod. 
“Right,” He says, “y/n, I’m sure Yunho told you this part but Monday we are meeting with the CEO and we have some options.” 
You nod, and Yunho’s hand continues the slow comforting line up and down your back. 
“We have adjusted contracts ready,” He explains, “it includes everything we’ve agreed on as eight members. I’ll let Yunho talk you through those details later, but the most important thing for this conversation is that all romantic entanglement clauses are to be dropped immediately.” 
“With everything you’re negotiating for,” You glance between Hongjoong and Yunho, “do you expect they will agree or not?” 
Attorney Choi interjects smoothly, “They won’t, but we have a prepared list of changes and adjustments. Companies need to feel like they’re winning, like they’re getting the best part of the deal, so we’ll make them believe that.” 
You nod. 
“We also have separate documentation that concerns you,” Yunho says. 
Attorney Choi once again jumps in, “Miss y/n,” he says, tapping a small stack of papers on the tabletop to line them up before sliding them over to you, “please review these. We intend to assert on your behalf that your termination was not only harassment, but unlawful.” 
Your eyes skim the page at rapid speed and you can’t take in everything, but certain words jump out at you - misogynistic language, discrimination, libel, unfounded accusations, the list goes on. 
“This we want you to explicitly agree to,” Hongjoong says, “we won’t pursue it if you’re not comfortable.” 
Quickly you flip through the pages, glancing at Yunho, “You’ve read this?” 
“Carefully,” He assures you. 
You swallow, letting the papers fall closed so you can look up again, “I don’t want this to interfere with your ability to get a positive outcome in the negotiation.” 
Hongjoong shakes his head, “You getting your job back is a positive outcome,” 
“When push comes to shove,” Their attorney offers, “the courts don’t rule favorably for women in cases like these, I won’t lie to you.” 
Yunho turns to watch you, his eyes studying your expression, but you simply nod, “I know.” 
“That being said,” He continues, “no company wants this kind of story in the media or to spend time in court arguing the finer points of sexism. We use this to get your job back as part of the negotiation, and to give your relationship status with Mr. Jeong immunity,” 
“I’ll do it,” You nod. 
“You should read it through,” Hongjoong starts but you shake your head, turning to Yunho. 
“You’ve read it, what do you think?” 
He takes your hand, “It’s not without risk,” he says honestly, “but it’s our best option for keeping your name and your job in the negotiation process. I don’t want you left behind by whatever this this turns into,” 
You squeeze his hand, “I trust you.” 
He nods, the weight of that trust not lost on him, his thumb grazing slowly over your knuckles.
You turn back to Hongjoong, “I’ll do it,” 
He smiles a little and then nods, “Alright,” 
“What happens if they say no to everything?” You ask, “What happens if they don’t want to negotiate at all?” 
Hongjoong looks around the table at his members, and then finally back to you, “We are prepared to walk away from KQ if that happens.” 
Your stomach drops like lead, “What?” 
Hongjoong clears his throat, “For a long time, we’ve discussed the future after this company. KQ has taken care of us up until now, but we won’t tolerate a hostile work environment.” 
You grip Yunho’s hand harder.
“Mingi and I have talked about our own label since before debut,” He says and your eyes widen, “we always planned to do it someday, but if these negotiations go poorly, we are prepared to walk away as a group and rebuild under a new label, our own label.” 
“But,” You flounder, “The money,” 
Hongjoong nods, “It’s no small thing,” he agrees, “you’re right, but we’ve run the numbers. We can pay the debts we owe, and wash our hands of this company if we have to.”
You look to Yunho. 
“Our families,” He says softly, “many of them have agreed to become primary investors in the label,” 
Your eyes sting with tears, “But, that’s… this is too risky,” 
“It is risky,” Hongjoong says, “but it is a risk we are all willing to take together for the sake of all of our happiness and success.” 
You cover your mouth with your free hand, shock in every inch of your system. 
“In all likelihood,” Attorney Choi offers, “your CEO is a pragmatic man. At the potential of losing their only senior group publicly, they will meet our demands. Their wallets would not easily recover from that level of revenue loss, that is a risk I am confident they are not willing to take.” 
You let that sink in.
”They need us more than we need them,” Hongjoong says, “that we are all sure of.” 
You nod, your voice a little hoarse from the shock, “What more do you need from me?” 
“Right now, nothing,” Their attorney says, “be available if we need you to speak to KQ leadership directly, but otherwise your signature on a few documents will be enough.” 
“You won’t need to talk to them,” Yunho asserts. 
“I’ll do whatever it is you need me to do,” You tell them honestly. 
Attorney Choi nods, “Then let’s begin and review the plan for Monday,” 
Everyone nods, and you look at Yunho to see if you should leave, give them space to discuss the minutiae of contracts, but he holds your hand steady. 
The review takes over an hour, and the plan is layered and detailed. Their attorney will do the talking in the meeting, and state their intent to renegotiate immediately. He’ll cover the high points of their requests, and position things carefully where your firing and mistreatment is concerned. Management will be present to lend their support, all members will be there to personally state their own commitment to renegotiation or termination, and you will be patiently waiting by the phone. 
By the end your head is throbbing, every facet of the plan peeled open and examined to ensure the right outcome, but where they’ve all had over a week to come to terms with this plan, you’ve digested it at lightning speed. 
“It’s late,” Attorney Choi finally says, “this weekend get some rest where you can, this may be a long fight ahead.” 
It’s nearly midnight, and your head is fuzzy. You have an overwhelming urge to just sink into Yunho’s chest and beg him to take you home, but everyone’s still discussing little details amongst themselves and your head spins from all the information. 
“I feel good about it,” San says, standing and stretching, “not to be too confident too soon,” 
“Optimistic,” Seonghwa offers. 
Yunho nods in agreement, but you watch his hand nervously tighten and release as he stands. 
“Tomorrow we’ll,” Mingi trails off and then clears his throat “well, you’ll let us know,” 
Yunho nods, eyes flicking to you for a brief second, “I’ll text you,” 
Mingi smiles, “Alright,” 
Yunho’s hands slide over your shoulders and he gives you a squeeze, “Ready?” 
“Yeah,” You have to fight back a yawn, but you thank the attorney profusely before you turn to follow Yunho. 
When you make it to the door though, he pauses and wraps an arm around you, “Listen, I know it’s late, but I have a few people to introduce you to,” 
For a split second you don’t make sense of his words, but as you come out of the conference room and back into the lobby with the wide couches, it all clicks back into place. Sitting in the center of the room is Hana and Em on one couch, with Iseul perched delicately on the arm, and across from them on the opposite couch is an older couple and a young man in his early twenties that looks so similar to Yunho you think for a moment your sleepy brain is playing a trick on you until you remember his family is here. 
Iseul looks to you, and smiles, gesturing as subtly as possible for you to take a deep breath. 
Your eyes widen a little, and then Yunho steers you right into the conversational fray. 
“Baby,” He squeezes your shoulder, “I want you to meet my family,” 
You would have known it without him telling you. Now that you’re right in front of them it’s even more obvious, Yunho is the near spitting image of his father, though he’s a few inches taller, and Yunho’s brother is a younger, lankier, and tanner version of him, all three of them with the same kind smiles. His mother, though, you see Yunho’s eyes the moment you look at her. 
“Oh,” You breathe, and suddenly you wish you had worn something different or done absolutely anything to your hair. 
Those thoughts barely last though, because Yunho’s mother pushes her son aside to wrap her arms around you. 
“Eomma,” Yunho chastises softly, “let her breathe,” 
“Shush,” She says leaning back to look at you, her hands on your cheeks, “I’m meeting my new daughter,” 
Hot tears rush up in your eyes, spilling over onto your cheeks, “I don’t know what to say,” you manage, “I’m so happy to meet you,”
“So are we,” She smooths your tears away, a motherly gesture that makes your heart lurch, and then she nods, “he said you were pretty,” 
“Eomma,” Yunho’s arm wraps around you again, effectively shifting you back into his embrace, “give her some air,” 
“It’s good to meet you,” Yunho’s father nods, “Yunho’s been talking of nothing else,” 
Gunho snorts a laugh at his big brother’s expense, and when you glance up you see the pink blush on his cheeks, the redness of his ears. 
You open your mouth to respond, but Yunho gives your shoulder a squeeze, “I see you met y/n’s family, I’m sorry, I should have done introductions before,” 
Yunho’s father waves his hand, “We’re fine, how was the meeting?” 
Yunho nods, “Productive,” 
“You all have a consensus?” He asks. 
“We’re set,” Yunho replies. 
“That’s good,” Yunho’s father replies, “any contract changes?” 
Yunho shakes his head, “All the same as before,” 
He nods and then meets your gaze, “How do you feel about the language for your suit? Comfortable?”
“Oh,” Your eyes widen a little. 
“Ah,” Yunho interjects, “I had our family attorney look everything over too, just to make sure I understood everything,” 
“I see,” You smile, warmth in your chest at how attentive he’s been, but you look back up to his father, “but yes, I’m good, I’m comfortable with everything,” 
“Good,” He nods, “if you have questions during the process, we can help with that too.” 
“Thank you so much,” You hope you don’t seem too surprised at the overwhelming kindness of his parents, but you are, despite all of Yunho’s stories about them. 
“For tomorrow,” His mother interjects, but Yunho smoothly cuts her off. 
“I haven’t gotten to talk her through everything yet,” Yunho says, “but I’ll let you know,” 
Her lips close in a small smile. 
Gunho glances up from his phone at his brother with a look on his face you can’t place. 
“Actually,” Yunho’s father turns to his wife, “yeobo, can you check something for me?” 
Yunho’s parents turn to each other briefly, but Yunho turns his head towards you and keeps his voice low, “You okay?” 
“I thought the meeting was Monday,” You ask your question as softly as possible, “why does everyone keep asking about tomorrow?” 
He gives you a fast, close lipped smile, “I have to talk to you about something,” 
Your heart gives a little lurch, “Yunho,” 
“Just,” His eyes dart from your face back up to his family, “one second,” 
He steps away, leaving you feeling suddenly adrift again, but as soon as he’s gone, Hana steps into your space. 
“Hey,” She says, “Em and I are going to head to your place,” 
“Okay,” You blink, “yeah,” 
“You’re staying with Yunho, right?” She checks. 
“I don’t,” You stumble a little over your words, “we didn’t talk about tonight, really,”
“We can wait,” Hana says. 
“No, it’s late,” 
Hana nods, but looks hesitant to leave if you need her. 
“Go,” You tell her with a smile, “I’ll be fine, there’s extra bedding in my linen closet upstairs just make yourselves comfortable. If I end up coming home I’ll crash on the couch.” 
“And you’re okay?” Em checks as she slips her jacket on. 
“I’m good,” You promise, “Yunho said there’s more for us to talk about, but you don’t have to wait for that.” 
Hana hesitates, and then she nods, “Call me if something’s up,” 
“I will,” 
They start to step away, Yunho still close to his family and talking to his parents quietly, but Hana interjects smoothly with a quick tap to Yunho’s arm. 
“We’re heading out for now,” She says and nods in your direction, “you’ve got her, right?” 
Yunho smiles widely, and you can see the clear potential for a fast friendship between them in the natural ease they have together, “Got her,” 
“Alright,” She smiles and bows to his family, “it was wonderful to meet you,” 
They exchange pleasant goodbyes, and you give Hana and Em one more hug before they go. 
“Well,” Yunho’s father smiles at the lull in conversation as your family leaves, “we should get back to our hotel too,”
“We’ll see you tomorrow,” Yunho’s mother wraps you in another hug, “we’ll get to know each other a little better,” 
“Tomorrow,” You start to say, but you’re sure you sound confused at yet another person who knows plans that you still don’t. 
“Alright,” Yunho breaks through, pulling you back, “drive safely,” 
Yunho’s father gives him a wry smile and then nods, “Come on, yeobo, give the kids some room,” 
Yunho’s mother makes a dismissive noise in the back of her throat but smiles goodnaturedly and gives Yunho a parting kiss on the cheek. 
You catch Gunho’s affectionate eye roll, a mirror image of Yunho’s and you stifle a laugh. 
Yunho’s family makes their way out of the lobby towards the elevators, and finally he lets out a tense breath. You can feel the stiffness through the bond, the locked up intensity of his shoulders. 
“Yun,” You lean into his side, “what’s tomorrow?” 
“I’m sorry,” He says, “you must be so confused.” 
“I trust you,” You remind him, “but so much is happening, I’m just trying to get my feet under me,” 
“I know,” He murmurs, glancing around to see who’s left in the space. 
“There’s more to the plan that we have to do tomorrow,” You search his face, “is that it?” 
“Not here, come with me,” Yunho says softly, pulling you by the hand down the hall into one of the smaller, more private conference rooms. 
“I don’t know how much more I can take,” You let out a nervous exhale, “I don’t know how you pulled all this together in a week,” 
“Most of it was already in progress,” He shuts the door behind you. 
“Is there something you’re not telling me?” You look up at him, “what’s happening tomorrow?” 
“I’ll explain,” He nods, “but first,” 
His lips collide with yours and you see stars, your bodies snapping together like magnets, and you make a soft, happy sound against his lips. Yunho stumbles back with you in his arms, bracing himself with one hand against the frosted glass wall of the conference room and you melt into him, clinging to his broad shoulders.
“I missed you,” He says between kisses, “I’m never letting you go again,”
You nod into a kiss. 
“I’m so sorry,” His breath hitches, “it shouldn’t have taken me so long,” 
You brush your fingers down his cheek, pulling back just enough to see his face, “Don’t,” you murmur, “we’re here now.” 
“I’m trying so hard to fix this,” He confesses, leaning back from the wall and cupping the back of your head. 
“You are,” You brush those thoughts of his away, “Yunho, I love you,”  
You feel all the tenderness, the overwhelm, and he swallows tightly, “I love you too,” 
Pressing up on your tiptoes you kiss him again, gentler this time as you rest your hand over his soulmark, feeling the tender thump of his heart under your palm. 
Breaking the kiss, Yunho touches your hand and holds it to his chest, straightening up to his full height and taking a deep, steadying breath, “Okay,” 
You nod, encouraging him forwards, rubbing a soft line over his chest with your thumb. 
“I need to ask you something,” He confesses, “but I’m nervous,” 
“Nervous?” You shake your head, “Baby, it’s me, you can ask me anything,” 
He smiles, his shoulders relaxing just a little. 
Soulmate bonds are such funny things. Six months ago, this man was a coworker, someone you thought about sometimes or someone that would make your stomach flutter, a little crush you were sure would fade. But a soulmate bond changes everything. If your parents had ever felt this, such an absolutely pure and transcendental love, you’re sure they would be believers too. That sudden click within you, the truth, potential embers of love suddenly stoked by the universe into a roaring flame, it’s not something you could fabricate. 
You watch as Yunho nods, almost pushing himself towards saying whatever it is, and you think to yourself that no matter how awful this week has been, anyone would be lucky to find a soulmate as good and kind as he is. 
“It’s me,” You murmur when he nods to himself again, “it’s just me,” 
“I know,” He sighs, “fuck, okay, I’ll just say it,” 
You watch him shake out his arms and take a deep breath before running a hand through his hair, finally facing you again properly and taking your hands in his. 
Anxiety knots in your stomach and you’re not sure if it's his or yours. 
“This is going to sound like a crazy idea,” He smiles a little nervously, “but I promise you I’ve thought about it, a lot actually, and this isn’t as impulsive as it’s going to sound, I promise,” 
“Yunho,” You can feel the nervous energy pouring out of him, “I trust you, just,” 
“Marry me,” He says in a breath, his hands coming up to catch your cheeks, “be mine in every way, be my wife.” 
Your words die off on your lips, your heart beating harder in your chest. In a million years, you never would have thought that was the question on his tongue, “Y-Yunho,”  
His smile widens at your shocked expression, but his thoughts keep pouring out, “We’ll have a wedding later, anything you want, as big as you want,” he says, “but come to the district office with me tomorrow. Marry me tomorrow,” 
Words don’t make it to your lips, but tears flood your eyes and you just can’t stop yourself from smiling.
Yunho leans in and kisses your forehead, “Please,” he murmurs, “they can choose not to believe the bond is real, but they can’t doubt a marriage license,” 
Your frantic heart stutters, and you wince. 
“We’ll be together,” He continues, another kiss against your hairline before he leans back to look at your face. 
You reach up, catching his hands and bringing them to your lips to press a kiss to his knuckles, “Baby,” you murmur softly, “I love you, but I want you to want to marry me for the right reasons, not because we’re backed into a corner.” 
His eyes widen as he realizes his words, “That isn’t what I meant,” 
“Okay,” You nod slowly, pushing him to say more. 
Yunho laces your fingers together and gives you a squeeze, “When we renegotiate on Monday, whatever happens will happen, but people are going to find out about us,” 
You nod. 
“It’s only a matter of time, the more people that know, the faster it will get out there for everyone to see, for everyone to pull it apart.” 
He’s not wrong, not at all. 
“I know,” You nod.
“Jagi,” His voice is low, rough with emotion, “I want you safe. I want you to be able to come back to work, I don’t want you to make yourself smaller because I’m an idol.” 
You kiss his knuckles again, breathing out a shaky sigh. 
“I love you so much, and I want to be with you in every way. I want everyone to know who you are to me, and I want them to know there is no me anymore without you. Not at this company, in public, in private, it’s us,” He presses. 
You soften at that.
“Let me give you my name,” He murmurs, “let me love you the way you deserve. Marry me, y/n, please,” 
For the briefest moment, you think there isn’t a person alive who’s fighting harder for their soulmate than him, you feel that truth in every inch of your body. 
It doesn’t change the facts though, you’ve done all the research, you’ve seen what a mere whisper of romance will do to a career, to a public opinion of an idol and their partner. 
“Yunho,” You manage quietly, “there are no married idols, not our age. Think about your career, the group,” 
“Then let’s go first,” He says, uncoupling your hands and cupping your cheeks again, his face determined, “someone has to. If not us, then who?��� 
You think of the airport floor, of screaming fans, of posts online full of hate. 
“I don’t want to wait for someone else to get up the nerve,” He insists, “I want you,” 
Your eyes flood with tears. 
“We’ll do it together,” He murmurs, wiping away a stray tear with the soft pad of his thumb. 
“Yunho,” You whisper. 
“I don’t have a single regret about meeting you and I have no shame in loving you,” He confesses, “the only thing that would break my heart is knowing that I’m hurting you.” 
Tears spill over, faster now as you take in his words. 
His brow creases at your tears, his own eyes shining, “Sweetheart, you’re not meant to be an afterthought to my career,” his voice cracks gently, “you’re my partner, and I would risk everything I am for you,” 
You know he means it, in each and every cell of his body. Some men would have buckled under all this pressure, would cling to their fame and their want to have both, and you know exactly where you would have ended up. Packaged away, made small, fearful of your own day to day life. Would today be the day you were photographed and exposed or would it be the next? Lies upon lies.
Even the strongest bond could buckle under all that weight.
You think of KQ’s attorney, smugly boasting about how he’s dealt with bonded couples before. Your gut feeling all those months ago was right, you aren’t the first idol soulmate bonds, but if you’re brave enough you can be the loudest. You can change things for the next couple, and the next after that. 
You think of Hana’s fear, how she stood up to your parents and chose Em despite it all. 
Your answer bubbles up from deep inside, “O-okay,” you say in a rushed breath, nodding, “okay, let’s get married,” 
He exhales sharply, a wide grin spreading over his face, a relieved laugh on his lips as tears track down his cheeks, “Yeah?” 
“Yeah,” You told yourself once before that you would hold onto him with both hands, so you do, “yes, Yunho, yes,” 
He folds you into his arms and then hoists you up, hitching your legs around his waist and pressing his lips to yours in another, tender kiss. 
You’re a mess of emotions, both of you hidden away in this little conference room, but you’re together. 
After a moment though, a thought occurs to you and you break the kiss, “Did everyone know you were asking me?” 
His cheeks grow pink, “Define everyone,” 
Your eyes widen, your voice running high, “What if I had said no?”
“I was really, really hoping you’d say yes?” He grins. 
“Everyone knew,” You bury your face in his neck, heat blooming in your cheeks and chest. 
“Hey,” His hand runs up and down your back, “really, it’s just my parents and the members, and I guess our attorney, but if you said no that would have been okay, I swear, I would have just proposed again when you felt ready, it’s not,” 
You laugh into his shoulder and shake your head, “I’m not upset,” 
“You’re not?” He turns, his cheek resting against the top of your head. 
“A little overwhelmed,” You admit, “and embarrassed that I met my future in-laws wearing a hoodie and looking like I just spent the past week crying my eyes out, but,” 
“Hey,” He murmurs, “look at me,” 
With a slow breath in, you lift your head and meet his eyes. 
“I love you,” He says clearly, “they already love you too, they’re happy for me.” 
“Yeah?” 
“Yes,” He says, unequivocally. 
“What do the members think of this plan?” You ask him quietly. 
“They understand why I want this,” He replies smoothly, “and what it means for all of us,” 
You nod, and there’s nothing more to say. You trust him, so you trust this. 
“Let me take you home,” He finally says, “it’s late, and we have to be up early now,” 
“To get married,” The words sound so strange on your tongue. 
“Yeah,” he smiles, “to get married,” 
“God,” You laugh, “I have to tell Hana and Em,” 
“I have to tell everyone you said yes,” He presses a peck to your lips before he lets you slide down from his arms, “and what time to get to the district office tomorrow,” 
“I want Hana there,” You grab his hand. 
He nods, lacing your fingers together, “Of course,” he says, “let’s get in the car, we’ll call her on the way home I’ll make sure she has everything she needs,” 
“Okay,” You breathe.
Quietly, you slip out of the now empty offices and make your way to Yunho’s car. Your head feels like it’s spinning, your soon-to-be-husband’s hand in yours is the only thing keeping you grounded. 
You tell your sister in a fresh wave of happy tears as the car weaves through the blocks of Seoul. 
You listen as Yunho tells her every detail of how to get to the district office,  what time, and what false name to give at the front desk so they’ll take her back to the right office. 
Your eyes can’t help but find the clock, your heart picking up, in less than twelve hours you’ll be his. 
───────────────────────── ✧₊⁺───────────────────────
For the first time in weeks, you wake up warm. 
The room around you is unfamiliar, but his body is solid and comforting, his leg hitched up over your hips and pinning you in place like a weighted blanket. If he wasn’t here, draped over you, it’s possible you would have thought the night before was a dream. The long anxious drive, the way you felt when you first saw him again, and all the paperwork, all the plans. 
Lying on your back you study the ceiling as the first threads of early morning light start to stretch through his room, Yunho’s voice asking you to marry him playing on a loop in your mind. 
You’re not sure how long you’ve been thinking, but his gentle fingers on your jaw softly directing your face to the side is what brings you out of your head and back to the present. 
“Hey,” You say softly when you meet his eyes, “did I wake you?” 
A small smile spreads across his face and he shakes his head, “Mm-mm,” he murmurs, “you okay?” 
“Yeah,” You nod, “just thinking,” 
He shifts in the covers, body curling around you even more until you’re properly eye to eye in the middle of the mattress, “About?” 
“Everything,” You confess, “yesterday doesn’t feel real,” 
He hums thoughtfully, cupping your cheek, “I know what you mean,” 
You let out a slow breath, rolling towards him, “Did I make up the part where we’re getting married today?” 
He grins, a little blush in his cheeks, “No, you didn’t make that up,” 
A nervous thrill bubbles through you, “This is so crazy,” 
“Maybe,” He says, covering your hand with his, “are you still saying yes?” 
“Yes,” The word leaves your lips before you can even process his question. 
He dips forwards, kissing you tenderly before he laughs softly and pulls away.
“What?” You smile up at him. 
“I just realized something,” He says with a smile. 
“Hmm?” 
“In a few hours, you’ll actually be my wife,” He grins wider. 
You laugh, a nervous, elated sound, excitement and anticipation spreading through you in equal measure, and you shift forwards to catch his lips in a kiss, “Husband,” you murmur, “that suits you,” 
“Yeah?” 
“Mhm,” You nuzzle into him, pecking his lips again, “my husband,” 
He nudges you gently, nose to nose, his plush mouth to yours as he lazily kisses you, savoring every breath, “I like that,” 
Wrapping your arms around his shoulders you pull yourself closer, deepening the kiss before disconnecting your lips for a breath, “Are you sure I’m not dreaming?” 
“Not dreaming,” You can feel the upturned curve of his mouth as he kisses you again, rolling you onto your back as he slides his hands up your sides. 
You sigh pleasantly, body softening, “I missed you,” 
He nods, “Me too, baby,” 
“Married,” You laugh softly again, looking up into his deep brown eyes, “are we ready for this?” 
He studies your expression and then replies, “Probably not,” 
You blink, not expecting such blatant honesty, but he continues.
 “But,” He kisses you again, gently, “all the best things that have ever happened to me, happened when I didn’t think I was ready,” 
He’s right, it’s the same for you. You were hardly ready for him that day in Berlin, but nothing in the world would ever make you go back and give that up. 
You nod, sinking back into his kiss, your legs tangling together under the duvet. 
He makes a soft, happy hum against your mouth and slides his hand up to find your hand, lacing your fingers together. 
His hand in yours sparks something in your brain and you pull back with a little suck of air, your eyes widening, “We don’t even have rings,” 
He laughs, pecking your lips, and then leans back, “Actually,” he rolls off you, his expression suddenly a little sheepish, “we do,” 
That gets your attention, and you lift up your head to get a better look at him, “We do?” 
“Yeah,” He smiles, sliding away from you in the bed and leaning over the edge to pull the drawer of his nightstand open, “I meant to show you last night,” 
Your stomach does a somersault. 
When Yunho rolls back, he’s holding a small slate blue velvet box. You can see the box is vintage immediately, the velvet worn away on the corners and the front clasp an intricate brass clip, something companies wouldn’t bother manufacturing as nicely as this nowadays. 
“Oh,” You breathe. 
He places the box on the bed between you and takes a breath, “They’re simple,” he says, “I’ll get you an engagement ring later, but, well, these were my grandparents,” 
Your eyes flick up to his face, the tenderness in his expression hitting you right in the chest, and then you gingerly pick up the box and flip open the front clasp. He’s right, they are simple, but the delicate details of the two white gold bands aren’t lost on you in the slightest. His band is slightly wider, but both of them are etched with little stars, a few of the stars encrusted with tiny diamonds. 
“Oh, Yunho,” You sigh, your fingers gently tracing the rings, “they’re so beautiful,” 
“They’re very special to me,” He nods. 
You reach for his hand, “Is this why your parents are here? Did they bring these?” 
His lips close in a thin line, the tips of his ears reddening, “Not exactly,” 
“Not exactly or,” 
He looks down at the box, cleaning his throat, “I’ve had them,” 
For a moment you think he means that his grandparents left him the rings, that they’ve been in his possession the entire time, but you feel the start of his embarrassment through the bond. 
“Baby,” You murmur, “how long have you had them?” 
He smiles briefly and then sighs, looking up at you, “Since Paris,” 
Your eyes widen. 
“After we talked that night on the bridge,” He brushes your cheek, “I called my parents and told them I met you. I told them I wanted to have these for when it felt right,” 
You melt, “You grandparents were soulmates?” 
He nods, “Yes, they were together for sixty years,” 
“That’s beautiful,” You murmur. You wonder what it must have been like to grow up in a household full of that much love. 
“I want that for us,” Yunho says honestly. 
All you can do is nod, emotion thrumming in your chest. 
“God,” You grin, dipping into his broad chest with a laugh, “we’re so crazy, but I love you so much,” 
He chuckles and wraps you up again, “Me too,” 
“For today,” You say against his shoulder, “let’s just pretend everything is normal,” 
“What do you mean?” He looks down at you. 
“For today, you’re not an idol,” You smile, “we’re just us. We’re just two people in love,” 
He smiles at you tenderly, “Just us,” 
With your hand on the back of his neck you pull him down to meet your kiss, sinking into each other. In the early morning light  you kiss like the past week was a dream, no fear or doubt, just each other. Nothing hanging over your heads except the promise of a life together. 
Yunho shifts over you, dipping you back into the mattress, deepening the kisses with his tongue languidly probing your mouth. You sigh, your body feeling pleasant and warm, the first threads of your want and his starting to tangle together between you. 
Yunho’s hand tightens on your hip as he shifts over you a little more, the weight of him above you making you dizzy, and he hums happily, “I missed these lips,” 
“Mm,” Your fingers tighten in his hair, “me too,” 
“Missed you under me,” His kisses peck across your jaw and back to your swollen lips. 
A pulse of arousal beats inside you, but you shake your head. 
“So pretty,” He murmurs, hands searching your skin. 
As much as you want him, you push gently against his chest, “We have to get ready,” 
“We have time,” He nuzzles you, nipping your lip. 
“Mm-mm,” You shake your head again, your lips still locked to his. 
Yunho’s hand slides up your body slowly until he’s cupping your breast, squeezing you a little suggestively and brushing his thumb over your hardening nipple.
Warmth blooms in your belly, but you pull back and shake your head, “Yunho, we’re getting married in like two hours,” 
He grins, “I know,” 
You laugh, “I mean, traditionally we wouldn’t even see each other the morning of the wedding, we really shouldn’t be having sex,” 
Yunho looks at the clock, “How long do you need to get ready?” 
“At least an hour,” 
“Then we have fifteen minutes,” Yunho meets your eyes, a cheeky look on his face. 
You sigh, about to protest, but then his thumb passes over your lips. 
“No sex,” He agrees, “but you’re here in my bed, and I haven’t touched you like this in weeks. Let me take care of you,” 
Your core flutters, nipples hardening and pebbling through your shirt. 
He takes in the change in your expression and nods, “That’s it,” he murmurs, his hand sliding down your body and tucking between your thighs to push them open. 
You let your legs fall slack, your breath warm against his cheek. 
“Missed you so much,” He presses a kiss to your forehead as his fingers travel slowly up your inner thigh to the seam of your underwear. 
Your breath hitches in your throat. 
“Just stay nice and quiet for me, okay?” He shifts, his body sliding down in the bed as he slots between your thighs. 
“Yun,” You murmur, “what about you?” 
“Shh,” He tugs your underwear to the side, wasting no time getting his mouth on you. 
You gasp at the sudden connection of his tongue to your clit, your hips jerking. 
He glances up from between your splayed legs, giving you a look, and you slap your hand over your mouth in response, letting your head fall back into the mattress. 
“Mmhm,” He hums. 
You melt into the pleasure of his mouth. 
It takes thirty minutes, your bodies so hungry for one another that one orgasm isn’t enough. He worships you with his tongue, makes love to your cunt with his hot mouth, and by the second dizzying wave of pleasure you’re quietly begging to touch him too. The clock forgotten as you stroke him to his own release, the taste of yourself on his lips as he kisses you into the sheets. 
You’re a giggling mess by the end, frantically trying to get ready between needy touches. After your lightning fast showers, you’re making the most of every second, but he just can’t keep himself away from you. 
He kisses your neck while you apply your makeup, squeezes every plush inch of your skin while you root through your suitcase for something to wear. When you’re finally ready, he kisses you again, hot and hard, nearly toppling you back into the bed and ruining your perfectly applied lipstick. 
The moment he gets the text from his brother though, he sobers and gets himself together, the ring box tucked safely in his pants pocket. 
You quell the dizzying heat between you with a cool glass of water, and by the time you’re walking to the car, all of this morning is forgotten in a haze of nervous energy. 
The trip to the district office is strategic, both of you wearing hats and masks and scarves for a good measure of anonymity as you travel covertly in Gunho’s car to keep things as quiet as possible. At the district office, the doors open for you once you arrive, and it dawns on you that the offices aren’t properly open to the public yet. 
You distantly imagined a courtroom and a judge, perhaps one dedicated to weddings, but you’re ushered into a modest office with a kind looking older woman who tells you both to take a seat like it’s any other meeting. 
It turns out, when you don’t have a wedding dress or a big party, marriage is mostly paperwork. 
Yunho’s family stands behind his chair, and Hana and Em stand behind yours. 
You’re her first appointment of the day, early at only eight in the morning, and your district officiant offers you a cup of coffee before you sign yourself to each other in the eyes of the Republic. 
“Ah,” Ms. Kim, the officiant, says with a laugh that says this happens all the time, “this is the wrong form, let me print off the right copy,” 
Your chest feels tight, your palms suddenly clammy. 
“This is the 609C,” She explains, gesturing to the paper in her hands, “but this is for divorcees, I need the 609A for you two,” 
Yunho makes an affirmative sound, laughing along with the bureaucratic mix up, but you can only crack a smile. 
Ms. Kim navigates to the file on her ancient computer, adjusts her glasses and leans closer to the screen, and then nods before hitting print. 
“Alright,” She says, “let’s get you two married, yes?” 
That lightens the mood a little, and you release the taut breath in your chest. Hana squeezes your shoulder, and you rest your hand over hers for just a moment. 
Fishing the paper out of the printer, she checks the form’s number, nods, and then leans forward, “Bride, you fill in the top sections here and here,” she points out with a pen where to look, “and groom, you’re down here.” 
“And then?” You say as Yunho takes the paper and starts to skim through it. 
“I’ll take a copy of your documents, you’ll sign the bottom of the form, one of each of your witnesses will also sign, and then I’ll sign,” She recites, “I’ll stamp it with my very official seal, and then that’s it. You’ll be legally married,” 
“That’s easier than I thought it would be,” You manage. 
“Getting married is the easy part,” she smiles, “getting divorced has a lot more paperwork, I don’t recommend it.” 
Everyone chuckles at that. 
“Okay,” Yunho grins, picking up the black pen, “let’s do this.” 
“If you’ll provide your birth certificates and identification cards, I’ll just go get those photocopied while you fill things in. Wait to sign until I get back,” 
You produce the documents from your bag and pass them over to her, and then within a moment you’re alone with this form and your new family. 
Yunho takes his time writing things out to keep the form legible, and you lean forward to see, “What does it ask?” 
Without glancing up from the paper, Yunho reaches with his free hand, resting it on your knee and giving you a comforting squeeze, “The basics, nationality, family names,” he murmurs, “it’s alright,” 
He can feel your bubble of anxiety, from all your witnesses watching to the strange sense of dread that you might get something wrong on the form. 
You rest your hands on his, “Sorry,” you breathe, “I don’t know why I’m so nervous,” 
Yunho turns, but his mother speaks first, surprising you all, “Yesterday morning you had no idea you were getting married,” she points out, “I had months to prepare for our wedding and I was still a nervous wreck,” 
“You were?” The words slip out. 
She nods warmly, “I was, but you’ll do fine,” 
Yunho smiles and slides the paper to you, “Your turn,” 
He rests his hand on our back as you fill in the form, and it’s hardly as scary as it seemed a moment ago. You fill in your details, double check that you both didn’t miss any boxes, and by the time you’re done Ms. Kim is back and your nervousness has started to morph into excitement. 
You’re a few signatures away from being a wife. 
You had never really imagined that for yourself, not in the way that other little girls did. You’ve never picked out dresses, or thought of your dream venue. You don’t know what kind of engagement ring would look best or if you’d want to write your own vows. You had never let yourself dream that far ahead, always stunted by your parents' sharp expectations and your own inability to slow down and let yourself picture something better, happier than their marriage. But now, in the span of a few hours, you’re about to be someone’s wife.
“Ready?” Ms. Kim says, handing back your documents, “Let me take a look at things,” 
She skims the form with precision and then clips it to the front of your photocopied documents, and for the first time in your life, the thought of being married doesn’t fill you with panic. 
You slip your hand into Yunho’s, a smile tugging at your lips, and Yunho gives you a squeeze. 
“Perfect,” Ms. Kim says, “now, if you’d like, we can get those signatures and be done, but some couples like to say a few words and exchange rings if you have any. I’d be happy to talk you through that,” 
“We have rings,” Yunho reaches into his trouser pocket and produces the velvet box. 
His mother presses a handkerchief to her lips, and you see both of his parents’ eyes shining with tears. 
Ms. Kim nods warmly, “So, please face each other,” 
Yunho stands, drawing you up with him, and you face each other in the little space between the chairs. He’s handsome today, in a way that nearly stops your heart, dressed simply in dark charcoal gray trousers and a white button down, his dark black hair still a little tousled from his cap. He looks right for a wedding, and selfishly, you think he looks right for you too. 
“If you have any words for each other,” She prompts gently. 
You take Yunho’s hands, giving him a soft squeeze before dropping them, and then you turn to his parents, “Mr. and Mrs. Jeong,” you feel your throat tighten with emotion, but you continue, “I will never be able to thank you enough for raising Yunho,” 
His father wraps an arm around his wife. 
“For giving him the kindest home, the warmest love,” 
You hear a sniffle behind you, no doubt Hana crying. 
“You taught him to be a good man, and a good partner,” You continue, the honesty of it flowing out of you, “and I will work hard to deserve his love for the rest of my life, thank you,” 
You bow as deeply as you can in the small space, and they thank you softly, the weight of the makeshift ceremony finally sinking into everyone. 
When you turn back to Yunho, he’s hastily wiping away his tears. 
Your parents aren’t here, and even if they were you wouldn’t expect him to do more than a short, perfunctory statement, so you glance towards Ms. Kim, “Alright,” 
“Wait,” Yunho shakes his head, “hold on, my turn,” 
Ms. Kim laughs quietly, and so do your witnesses. 
Yunho holds your gaze, taking your hands in his. “y/n,” he exhales a deep breath, gathering himself, and then he speaks, “I can’t thank your parents for making you the woman that you are today, I think you did that all on your own, but I do have someone to thank.” 
Your throat closes with emotion as he turns to your baby sister. 
“Hana,” He smiles, eyes shining again, “from the first moment y/n talked about you, I knew your relationship was a special one. I am so grateful to you for being her sister, her friend, and her safe place.” 
Hana takes in a sharp, wet breath behind you and you smile. 
“We may not have it easy,” He continues, squeezing your hands, “but I know you will always be standing beside her, and I hope you know that I’m doing my best to live by what you said,” 
Tears track down your cheeks.
“I’m putting her first,” He smiles, “today and always,” 
He bows deeply, and when he rises up you’re both crying.
There’s a moment of silence while you collect yourselves, but sensing that the speeches are over, Ms. Kim interjects. 
“Yunho,” She says softly, “do you promise to take y/n as your lawfully wedded wife?” 
His eyes flick to yours, and you feel nothing but warmth and overwhelming love coursing through the bond, “I promise.” 
“y/n,” She turns to you, “do you promise to take Yunho as your lawfully wedded husband?” 
“I promise,” You nod. 
“Please exchange rings,” She says. 
Yunho takes the box and gently pulls out his grandmother’s ring. 
Slowly, he slides it onto your left ring finger, “I love you,” 
You take his grandfather’s ring from the box and follow him, the band slipping into place on his finger, “I love you too,” 
“If you’ll both sign,” Ms. Kim places the paper back down on the desk with a pen, “you’ll be married,” 
Yunho turns, his smile widening as he writes out his signature. In a haze of dizzy elation, you sign your name too. 
“Congratulations,” She says, “you’re husband and wife.” 
A giddy laugh bubbles from your lips, and without a moment’s hesitation or thought of anyone else in the world, he pulls you into his chest and dips low to capture your lips in a kiss. You can feel him smiling against your mouth, feel his overwhelming happiness, and you rest a hand over his heart, his soulmark. 
When you break apart, you realize everyone’s clapping, and you hide in Yunho’s chest for a moment before stepping away and facing the room. 
Hana barrels into you, squeezing you tightly. 
“Han!” You laugh. 
“That was a good speech,” She says, but it’s not to you.
”I meant it,” Yunho says. 
Hana nods, but Ms. Kim interrupts once more.
“Last bit of paperwork,” She says, “I need two witnesses to sign off,” 
Yunho pulls Gunho forwards and Hana unwraps herself from around you so they can both step up and sign. 
“We’ll get these filed today,” Ms. Kim adds, “I got the check for the expedition fee, so you should be able to pick the official license up on Friday at the front clerk’s office,” 
“That’s perfect,” Yunho nods, “thank you for agreeing to that,”
She smiles, a little knowingly, “It’s not the first time we’ve gotten the request from someone famous,” 
Yunho clears his throat, “Right, well, we’d prefer to,” 
“Ah,” She holds up a hand, “my lips are sealed. If you only knew the couples I’ve had in this office,” 
You smile, “Oh?” 
She takes the paperwork back and adds her own signature and stamp, “I could cast a reality show of my own,” she nods, and then makes the motion of zipping her lips closed, “but you’d never hear the details from me,” 
“Thank you,” Yunho says earnestly, “for everything.” 
“Mhm,” She smiles, “now, there’s a back entrance to the building if you’d like some privacy,” she checks her watch, “now that the building is open, if you go right out of this office and down the stairs to the garage.” 
“Thank you,” 
“Of course,” She nods as you all get your facemasks and hats, “congratulations again, you both have the real thing. Make sure to cherish it,” 
Looking up at Yunho, you soften, “We will.” 
The rest of the day is what you can only describe as a whirlwind. 
Yunho’s parents have arranged a private lunch, just family, and you spend hours getting to know them better and being quietly celebrated as a couple, even though you still maintain your distance in case anyone from the restaurant or on the street recognizes him. 
By the evening, you’re spent. A few glasses of wine combined with the crash after a week of drawn out stress leaves you feeling a strange mix of wired and exhausted. 
Quietly, Yunho communicates to his manager that he won’t be coming home tonight, but that he will be back on Sunday and ready for work. 
Hana and Em leave early to pick up their things from your apartment and check into a hotel, promising to stay close for the next few days as whatever unfolds, unfolds. 
When Gunho drops you both off at your apartment building, you slip into the elevator without seeing another soul despite the early hour. 
The hallway to your door is blissfully empty too. 
You trade little glances with him, strange newness to the sensation of him beside you. 
Your body thrums in the anticipation of being properly alone with him again. 
You key in your door code, fingers trembling with anticipation as you push over the threshold. 
The door is still swinging shut when Yunho yanks you into his arms, stumbling into the mirrored sliding closet door in your entryway, lips crashing onto yours, tongue dipping into your mouth to deepen it as your back flattens against the cool mirror. 
You fold into him, the bond between you hot and humming, and you moan against his lips. 
“God,” He clings to you, arms banded tight around you as he dives in for another kiss. 
Arousal pumps through you, and you suck in a sharp breath as your fingers pull at the buttons of his dress shirt, “Need you,” 
He nods, kicking his shoes off without missing a beat and walking you a little deeper into your apartment until he’s pushing you onto the kitchen counter. 
Your fingers drop from his shirt to his belt, tugging at the leather until it’s free, your eyes glued to the clear hardness straining through his dress pants. 
“Fuck,” He curses as your palm coasts over his clothed cock, and his hands push up the length of your silky dark green skirt, fabric pooling around your waist as he caresses your bare thighs.
You moan, both of you breathing heavily, the only sounds in the room your shared, heady pants and the zipper of his trousers as tug it down to free his cock. 
He pulls your thong down over your legs, letting them hang slack around one ankle, and pushes your thighs open wider. His fingers slide up your thigh and brush against the bare lips of your sex, but your head is pulsing with need, an ache so real you feel like you might scream if you don’t feel him in you, and you push his arm away. 
“Inside me,” Your hands anchor on his hips and you drag him forwards, “please,” 
He groans, the bare head of his cock nudging your soft center, “Let me make you come first,” 
You shake your head, “Can’t wait,” 
He swallows tightly, his hands hard on your hips as you angle yourself on the counter, opening up wider to him. 
“Mm,” He bites back a moan as his cock slides over you, “w-wait, I need to prep you,” 
You surge forwards, capturing his mouth and shaking your head, “No you don’t,” you pant, “please, just fuck me,” 
He chokes against you, a shudder through his whole body at the feeling of your raw need, and with a groan on both your lips, you feel his velvet cockhead catch deliciously on your entrance. 
“Baby,” He breathes, his last soft protest, resolve crumbling. 
Your fingers hitch onto his belt loops and pull him in again, his cock pushing inside you just an inch from his slight shift forwards. Your nails skate down his neck, your body trembling with need, “Please,” 
With a soft curse, his hips snap forward at the same time as his wide hands tug your hips towards him, spearing you open on the full length of his thick cock. You gasp against his mouth, he’s stretching you wide, and while it’s not painful it is an aching adjustment and your fingers grip down on him tightly. 
Yunho groans, a hot pant on your skin, “God, fuck, jagiya,” 
His forehead drops to yours, your bodies connected in every possible way, but you stay still together, just feeling each other and adjusting to the sudden sink of him inside you. But your body needs him, and in a moment you feel yourself slicking up and clenching around him. 
This time, he doesn’t wait for you to ask, doesn’t wait for you to beg. Fully in tune with you and your body, he moves. With one hand cupping your hip and the other holding your head, he starts to thrust, firm snaps of his hips that drag his hot length against every needy, aching spot inside you. 
Pleasure arcs up your spine with each rhythmic connection of his hips to yours, until you both lose yourself to deep, insatiable need. 
Your legs hitch onto his hips, your flats slipping off your feet and clattering to the floor, “H-harder,” 
His breath catches, but his body complies, forehead hard against yours as he drives into you again and again. 
“Ah,” His nails dig into your hip, “god,” 
“Y-Yunho,” You moan, head dropping back into his hand. 
Your combined pleasure starts to meld, after days of separation and weeks of not being able to touch like this, he feels your orgasm starting to build at the same time you feel his, and it spurns you both into frantic jerks of your bodies, needy moans. 
“C-close,” You whine. 
“Yes, yes,” He grits his teeth and groans, pumping into you, a sheen of sweat across his skin. 
One of your hands slips off his shoulders to brace yourself on the counter, heels digging into his back, and your orgasm crests over you in a sudden uncontrollable wave, fast and unexpected. 
You gasp sharply, nearly losing your hold on him, and he moans as the pleasure takes him under alongside you. Collapsing forwards, he rocks you back onto the counter, bracing himself fast with a hand against the backsplash to keep you from falling back into the tile, and with two more sharp thrusts he spills his release deep inside you, his cockhead pressed hard against your fluttering cervix as your walls spasm around him. 
You’re both sweaty, half dressed and a mess, eyes locked on each other as you breathe through one of the most intense orgasms of your life. 
“Oh my god,” You manage, voice hoarse. 
His chest is still heaving, heart hammering, but he grins and flicks his head to move the dark hair that has fallen into his eyes, “Y-you okay?” 
“Uh-huh,” Your legs finally start to relax off the anchor points of his hips, your muscles weak. 
“Love you so much,” He says in a single, sated breath. 
You nod, your smile spreading wide. 
Slowly, he straightens up and draws you back up to a seated position, easing his cock out of your wet center with deliberate slowness. 
You hiss at the sensation change, your hips sore from being spread so wide open and taken so roughly, but the hurt is deeply satisfying after so long apart. 
“Are you,” He starts to say. 
“Can we go to bed?” You interrupt, relaxing onto his broad shoulder. 
“Let’s go,” He rights his trousers just enough so that they’re not falling down his hips, and then he pulls you into his arms, “are you sore?” 
“Only a little,” You assure him, still breathless, as he starts to take the stairs, “the bed’s softer than the counter,” 
“Mm,” his hand cups your ass, kneading the soft flesh, “I’ll kiss it better,” 
You smile against his chest, his skin radiating warmth through the fabric of his dress shirt. 
At the top of the landing he drops his head to avoid your low ceiling, and then walks you back to the bed, gently placing you on the edge of your mattress before dropping down to his knees between your splayed legs. 
Yunho cups your cheek, kissing you tenderly and smoothing your hair back over your shoulder, “So beautiful,” he says, almost to himself.
You soften. 
He leans back to get a look at you, his hands slowly tugging your black shirt out from the top of your silk skirt, pushing the fabric up to reveal the plane of your abdomen, your soulmark, the underside of your bare breasts. 
You ease back on your hands, letting him touch you how he likes, his eyes studying your body as he reveals inches of skin. 
Sinking back onto his heels, he pushes your skirt up around your hips, his lips, swollen from starving kisses, part at the sight of you half dressed and full of him. 
Yunho’s hand passes over your thigh, the top of your sex, resting on your stomach as he looks up to meet your eyes, “My pretty wife,” he says softly. 
The air feels thin, and you feel almost dizzy at his attentions, the sweet praise of his words. 
You expect him to touch you more, strip you bare, devour you whole, but he looks at you with something you can only describe as awe, and takes a shuddering breath. 
On his knees for you, he gives you a tender confession, “I’m yours,” he whispers, “you know that right?” 
Yours. 
His letter echoes in your mind. 
“I know,” You murmur.
“No matter what happens,” He takes your left hand, pressing a kiss over the ring, “you’ve changed me, forever, and I’m yours,” 
He breathes into your skin, and you brush your other hand over his hair, “Yunho, I’m yours too,” 
He nods, head still bowed. 
Emotion bubbles up in you, and you cup his cheeks, drawing his eyes up to your face, “Baby,” 
There’s something in him you can feel but you can’t name, a guarded tightness, some kind of anxiety in the shadow of his heart. 
He looks at you and waits, a little crease between his brows. 
He’s told you every way he loves you, and you need him to know the same. 
“I married you today because I want you, forever,” You swear to him, this more of a vow than your promise and shaky signature, “I didn’t marry you for the contracts, or my job, or because you asked.” 
He swallows, his throat bobbing as he listens, really listens to your words. 
“I belong to you,” 
He blinks away a sheen of tears. 
“Our bond, our marriage,” Your fingers brush over his face, ghosting over his lips, his jaw, “I’m here, I’m fighting for you too. I’m yours too, in every way that you’ll ever have me,” 
His breath hitches. 
You pull him in, drawing him closer, “Make love to me again,” 
He sighs, the last piece of his guarded tension falling away. 
You wrap your arms around his shoulders, “Yunho, please,” you kiss him softly, “love me again,” 
You tumble back into the sheets, his kisses reverent on your skin, his touch gentle. 
“My baby,” He sighs, lips traveling down your neck, “my love,” 
You sink into the sensation of him, one body, one living soul. 
“My wife,” he says softly, like a prayer. 
You answer him with your body, with the untethered openness of the bond. Together you move, connected once more, rocking into one another with slow, deliberate motion. 
One breath passed between you, slipped from his lungs to yours and back as you move together. 
Dizzy sensation, an echo of your first time together, of your bonding. 
Here, in every way, your story begins. 
______________________________________________________________ end note: as i mentioned at the top, one thing i wanted to mention without spoiling was around the idea of marriage/weddings. in my research i found out that korean weddings are pretty different to american weddings, or at least what i'm used to, but i also didn't want to overly assume customs or traditions and get it wrong. what i went with was a bit of a blend to keep things semi-accurate but lean romantic. i.e. it's a 'district office' not a courthouse, but i actually don't know what those weddings are like outside of some youtube videos i watched from the pov of foreigners marrying a korean-born person, which may have unique aspects just because of immigration. as far as the vows, i did find that korean vows more accurately translate to "I promise" rather than "I do", which i went with, and it's more common (according to reddit threads and google and like three weddings i watched on youtube lol) to thank your partner's parents for raising them vs. custom vows to one another. i found some inconsistencies on whether or not women in korea take their husband's last names and also generally some mixed information about other customs, so i kept it simple and romantic. if you're korean or more familiar with those customs, please suspend a bit of disbelief for me on this one, i'm doing my best.
lastly, if you're interested, i wanted to note the kind of tea blend that em prepared for reader was actually specifically chosen, and is a real tea blend that i have irl. i picture em slightly green-witchy, so i thought this might be a fun tidbit to share;
holy basil for purification, luck, and banishing negative energy lemongrass for open lines of communication and emotional cleansing dandelion root for resilience, growth, and transformation nettle for banishing unwanted energy and protection of the spirit ginkgo leaf for promoting longevity of the mind, body, and soul
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on-the-clear-blue · 1 day ago
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Danny, staring up at Tim, who currently Robin: okay...so this isn't what it looks like.
Tim, giving dead pan glare: so you arnt breaking into Drake Manor?
Danny, shoulders dropping: okay yeah it's totally what it looks like...but not because you think!
Tim, sighing slightly: so you arnt homeless and thought that since Timothy Drake was recently adopted by Bruce Wanye, and both of his parents are dead you can just move in and live here?
Danny, blinking owlishly: I mean, yeah? I mean, not homeless, and I didn't even know that dude got adopted, like good for him, hope that he is safe and shiz, sucks that he parents died and all but not here to squat dude.
Tim, raising a single eyebrow: then why pray tell are you here?
Danny, kicking at the ground a bit: so like...ugh, so I might be um like...a...fudge what's the word...ah! Psychopomp? Like I am a dude that helps like people's ghosts pass and like keeps em happy.
Tim, squinting behind his mask: the only person that died here is Jack Drake and I assure you, his soul would not be happy going to where he deserves to be.
Danny, holding up his hands: wow lot of misplaced aggression there boy wonder...no I ain't here for him, like him and his wife did like...so much tomb raiding they would make the Victorians jelly. I am here cus they stole some dudes shit and he wants it back...like yesterday.
Tim, tilting his head: so you are here to steal an artifact.
Danny, popping the P sound: Yup, something about some guys clay tablet, he liked keeping his hate mail for some reason, said this one was about how he shorted some dudes iron? Or was it copper... my Mesopotamian isn't the best.
Tim, eyes widening, because he knows *exactly* which tablet he is talking about: Oh...yeah no bro, you seem chill but I really can't let you have that so why don't you just like...walk away and I won't be forced to do something kay?
Danny, frowning: Sames dude, up until that .y guy cus like...I *really* wasn't asking...
Tim, sighing as he extends his bo staff: Try and just like, not hold a grude yeah? Don't need a new villain...
Danny, pulling out an ecto gun and turning it on: I don't know man...I feel like we have good banter.
(They fight, Tim is still training so he is a bit sloppy, and Danny isn't shooting to kill, so it's more of them playing cat and mouse throughout Drake Manor, it ends with Danny stealing the tablet but having to leave the ecto gun, which gets broken when he escapes)
Tim, panting as he watches Danny flee: Fuck...is this what B feels after fighting Catwoman?
---
Bruce, rubbing his temples as Tim explains why he was late for training: You tried to apprehend an unknown, with a weapon of an unknown source and power...in the home of your secret identity?
Tim, looking properly chastised: God...yes that happened...he wasn't that bad honestly...was pretty witty.
Bruce developing a twitch in his eye: No.
Tim: No? No what.
Bruce, glaring hard at his adopted son: No falling in love with a villain.
Tim, looking scandalized now: Oh? What is this? Hypocrisy thy name is Bruce Wayne!
Bruce's glare turns into a batglare: Ten laps around the cave and fifty bo staff katas...no villains!
---
Danny becomes Tim's rogue, but not really, most of their battles are more each other showing off their new gear/moves they learned.
Danny also is only using tech that his parents made and he upgraded since he really doesn't want to go ghost in front of *Robin*, who is totally not his crush, and the only reason why he won't is because batman would 100% be on his ass.
Danny, pulling a massive creep stick with a nail driven through it out of seemingly nowhere: The new and approved Creep Stick! This time with nail to add tetnus damage!
Tim, watching as 'The Inventor' escapes once more: I hate seeing him leave but by God do I love watching him go...Damn should have turned on the camera just so I can see it again.
Barbara chiming in: Keep the main line PG Robin.
Batman, through coms: Hn...we shall be having words when we get back to the cave
Tim, sipping a soup that The Occultist made: "So like...why were you even here?
---
When the Titans tower incident occurs, Tim could only watch in awe as the Inventor, not only comes in from the ceiling with a literal metal chair, and then continues to beat up the guy with a bad Robin cosplay.
Danny, panting as he holds up the chair again: Back I say! Back! My blorbo!
Jason, seething as he actually hisses at this random teen that appeared out of nowhere, scurrying away while cradling his broken arm: You shall rue the day! Jason Todd was here bitches!
Tim, staring up at Danny, face a bloody mess and an adoring look in his eyes: omg he stalks me, this is must what the other guys felt when I did it!
They don't really start dating, it's much more Danny breaking into Tim's house and just not leaving.
Tim, watching as his "arch enemy" is sprawled across his couch, bucket of ice cream in one hand, spoon in another, phone balanced between his ear and shoulder, pants and socks tossed haphazardly across the living room and just chilling in his boxers: Now wait a damn minute.
Danny, pausing while looking up from his ice cream (which is actually Tim's, since the boy is rich and buys the good shit), pointing his spoon accusatorily at Tim: Your fucking late Mister! Drag race started half an hour ago and we agreed to watch it together!
Tim, blushing under the Robin mask: Sorry case got good and- wait wait wait, when did we agree to watch drag race together?
Danny, rolling his eyes: when I made breakfast this morning? I even gave you extra strong coffee for your solem swearing that you would be here.
Tim, thinking back to earlier: I just...remember a bright white orb giving me a mug and a plate of food...
Danny, scoffing: this is why I need to drug you to get to sleep more often. Now take off your gear and get over here, they about to choose who shall sashay away!
Tim, nodding slowly: Hope it is that one queen from last episode, that lio sink didn't have any- wait! Ugh you keep distracting me! When did you fucking move in? I don't even know your name!
Danny with a spoon just an inch away from his mouth: Jazz? Yeah I uhh...I gotta call you back...(clicks hang up on his phone) Your joking right? For the shits and gigs?
Tim, shaking his head slowly: No shits, not a single gig my dude, 100% honest.
Danny, who had just arrived this morning since his parents are renovating because Fenton HQ is a glaring OSHA violation, but also who's middle names are "commit to the bit" and "Gaslight GateKeep Girl boss" : Babe we have been dating for like, *months*...d-do ou really not remember?
Tim, existential crisis made manifest: Oh no...I have been mind wiped.
Danny, astounded that worked: Baby I am so sorry...
They "date" for like a week before Danny starts feeling bad that he tricked Tim (who he finally got to see maskless, he had to stop his heart to not show any outward reaction to that, cus like hell he is cute) and wants to come clean but he honestly never had seen Tim more happy nor more healthy.
Danny, sitting across Bruce at the Manor: S-So um...like yeah we um...met at a science convention? My um...my parents were show casing stuff and like...we met there?
Bruce, eyes narrowing because that sounded like a lie: Hn.
Dick, happy that Tim finally felt comfortable to bring his "boyfriend" to dinner: B stop glaring! Your going to scare off Timmy's Bf! God you weren't this bad when I brought over Roy that one time.
Bruce doesn't stop glaring, and it's making Danny even more nervous: Um I uh...need to use the bathroom one sec...
Tim moves to guide him but Alfred waves him to sit down: You really must eat Master Timothy, I did make your favorite today. I shall guide Mister Fenton to the lavatory.
Alfred does indeed lead Danny from the dining room, but the second they are far enough the old butler suddenly has a shotgun in hand, skin suddenly a pale blue and objects around the parlor turning green and floating: While they do try and see the best in others, I do not Phantom, now I must ask you to kindly leave and never contact Master Timothy every again. I shall not let my charge fall for such as the likes of you.
Danny blinking at how he was addressed, a sudden ghostly blue mist escaping his mouth: Oh shit.
They have a ghost fight, all while comically popping in and out of the dining room, making excuses for whyvthe other is gone.
It ends when Tim, finally fed up with why his boyfriend is taking so long opens the door only to see him duking it out with Alfred, fully gone ghost and was loosing.
Such leads to confessions of lies, real feeling and why Alfred has been able to be a spry 60 even though he fought in WWI and it is very much the mid 2010s.
(Danny and Tim do end up together, this time with no lies about a mind wipe, and get Kon and Bart to join their polycule later on)
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cressidagrey · 2 days ago
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The Queen of Romantasy and the Race Car Prince - Chapter 22
Pairing: Lando Norris x Elizabeth "Lizzie" Treshton (Original Character)
Summary:
Elizabeth Treshton—bestselling romantasy author, queen of fae heartbreak, and sworn devotee of a carefully structured routine—never expected her service dog to abandon protocol and diagnose a Formula 1 driver with something. But that’s exactly what happens when Mara the wonder-dog ditches Lizzie’s side to aggressively alert to none other than Lando Norris in the middle of a coffee shop.
Warnings and Notes: 
Mention of epilepsy and service animals. I don't myself suffer from epilepsy, so I asked my IRL friend, who thankfully was nice enough to let me ask her all the questions I could come up with. The rest I asked Reddit. So everything that's wrong...that's totally my fault and not on purpose.
We are wrapping up loose plot threads so: Hungary 2024, WHICH I FIXED (kinda). My questionable understanding of racing strategy? Crocheting.
As always big thanks to @llirawolf , who listens to me ramble
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Radio Transcript – Hungarian GP 2024 Driver: Lando Norris (#4, McLaren) Lap: Mid-race, after McLaren undercuts Oscar Piastri
RACE ENGINEER (Will Joseph): “Lando, box this lap. Box, box.”
Lando: “…You’re kidding. You’re actually kidding.”
Will: “Lando, we need to cover the undercut. Box now.”
Lando: “Yeah, I bet we do.”
[Lando enters the pits, swaps to fresh tires, and rejoins ahead of Oscar Piastri.]
Will: “So, uh, we’re seriously doing this? We’re actually undercutting Oscar?”
Will: “Affirm. We need to consolidate track position.”
Lando: “Oh yeah? That’s what we’re calling it? Consolidating?”
Will: “Lando, we’ll discuss later. Focus on your out-lap.”
Lando: “No. I want you to tell me right now why we did that. Because Oscar was ahead. Oscar was faster. So tell me why we just screwed him over. 
Will: “It was the best call for the team.”
Lando: “Oh, was it? Because last I checked, ‘the team’ includes Oscar, and you just threw him under the bus. And for what? Because from where I’m sitting, you just played us against each other for no reason.”
Will: “Lando, we need to manage the race. We’ll discuss later.”
Lando: “No, we’ll discuss now. Because Oscar went to bat for me when it mattered. He stood up when you lot wouldn’t. And this is how you pay him back? By screwing him on strategy?”
Will: “Lando—”
Lando: “I’m giving it back.”
Will: “Lando, we need you to maintain position.”
Lando: “Like hell I do. Tell Oscar I’m lifting into Turn 1.”
Will: “…Understood.”
Lando: Oscar— (lifts off the throttle, lets Oscar pass him back easily before Turn 1) —deserves better than whatever the hell that was.
Will: Lando, we didn’t ask you to do that.
Lando: Yeah? Maybe you should’ve thought about that before you made me the bad guy.
Will: This isn’t necessary—
Lando: No, what wasn’t necessary was playing stupid games with two drivers who actually trust each other. Fix your priorities.
***
Lando Norris – Post-Race Interview | 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix
Interviewer: Lando, P2 today after a tough fight with Lewis Hamilton. It was an intense battle right to the end—how are you feeling?
Lando: Yeah, I feel great! It was a proper race, a hard fight from start to finish, and I loved every second of it. I mean, Lewis is one of the best to ever do it, so going wheel-to-wheel with him like that, having to really work for that P2—it’s what racing is all about. I think we put on a good show today.
Interviewer: We heard some interesting radio messages during the race, especially around the swap with Oscar. Can you talk us through that situation?
Lando: Honestly, I just want to talk about how incredible Oscar was today. He’s been mega all weekend. He got pole, he had insane pace, and to take his first win—it’s so well deserved. I’ve been saying it forever: Oscar is that guy. He’s quick, he’s consistent, and I’m just really happy for him. It’s a huge moment.
Interviewer: Of course, but just to clarify on the swap—there was some tension on the radio. Did that impact your race at all?
Lando: Not really. My focus was on getting the best result for the team and making sure we maximized what we could. At the end of the day, Oscar won fair and square. I had my own battle with Lewis, and that’s where my head was. We went at it for a good chunk of the race, pushing each other to the limit, and I managed to come out on top. That’s what I care about—proper racing on track. That’s what people should be talking about.
Interviewer: Still, there were some discussions about team orders—
Lando: Listen, I’m not interested in making a big deal out of radio messages or politics. What matters is the racing. And today, we had an incredible race. Oscar got his first win, McLaren got a 1-2, I had a great fight with Lewis, and we showed what we’re capable of. That’s what people should be focusing on. That’s what matters.
Interviewer: Fair enough! A brilliant result today. Congratulations, Lando!
Lando: Cheers, mate!
Comments: 
@/F1Fanatic99: Lando just straight-up refusing to engage in drama and instead hyping up Oscar and talking about racing? That’s my driver. 🧡 @/HamiltonGOAT44: Lando vs. Lewis was the battle we all deserved! Absolute class from both of them. @/NorrisNation: Lewis made him work for it, but Lando held his own. That was racing at its finest. @/PiastriP1: Lando literally said “I’m here to race, not talk” and I respect that so much. @/WDCOscar: We should be talking about how good Oscar was today, not team orders drama. Lando gets it. @/DriveToThrive: Lando dodging those drama-baiting questions like he's defending P2 against Lewis Hamilton. @/TeamOrdersSkeptic: I mean, it’s cool that Lando’s focusing on the positives, but McLaren kinda did him dirty, no? @/NotABot23: Maybe, but Lando said he didn’t want a free pass. He’d rather earn his position. @/OscarWins: At the end of the day, Oscar won fair and square. Even Lando said it. @/F1Conspiracies: He’s dodging the team orders talk because he doesn’t want to cause problems, but let’s be real—McLaren needs to sort their priorities. @/AntiTeamOrders: Lando acting like nothing happened when McLaren literally screwed him over lol. @/JustHereForDrama: He’s so media-trained. Wish he would just say what he actually thinks. ↳ @/McLarenStan: Or maybe he actually thinks Oscar deserved the win and doesn’t care about the radio stuff? @/HungaryGP2024: The real headline should be "Lando Norris beats Lewis Hamilton in an on-track battle," not whatever drama people are trying to stir up.
@/GridGossip: “He stood up when you lot wouldn’t.” 👀 Lando, bestie, you can’t just drop that and move on like it’s nothing. ↳ @/McLarenMafia: WHO didn’t have your back, Lando? Say names. ↳ @/F1Conspiracies: I wonder what that is about…and I have the bad feeling it’s the whole Lizzie situation… @/OversteerAndTea: So we’re all just supposed to ignore that Lando basically said McLaren didn’t back him up, huh? @/FormulaWhispers: What was going on behind the scenes that made Lando say that??? ↳ @/InsideThePaddock: Oscar has more backbone than people realize. Him going to bat for Lando is NOT nothing. @/F1InsiderTea: McLaren’s PR team is SWEATING right now. ↳ @/OrangeDrama: Like, are they just hoping we all move on??? Because I have QUESTIONS. @/PitWallMess: Oscar and Lando are such ride-or-dies for each other. It’s everyone else I’m side-eyeing. ↳ @/McLarenMasterplan: We need the full story. Spill, Lando. Spill. @/TeaAndTelemetry: Lando is never that blunt unless something seriously pissed him off. ↳ @/DataDorkF1: Oscar was the only one on his side and Lando made sure we knew it. That says A LOT.
@/DTSWriters: This better be a whole episode in the next Drive to Survive season because I NEED DETAILS.
@/OscarPiastriUpdates: This is the first time in history a driver has voluntarily unfucked a team’s strategy mid-race. Historic behavior.
@/TireDegEnthusiast: McLaren really thought they could manipulate their drivers like chess pieces and Lando just said ‘no ❤️’
@/F1TeaSpiller: This isn’t just about the race. That “Oscar stood up for me this week” line? Oh, Lando’s making a STATEMENT.
@/PurpleSectorStan: The way McLaren’s radio was DEAD SILENT after Lando gave Oscar the place back. They knew they fumbled.
****
The apartment was dimly lit when Lando stepped inside, exhaustion settling deep in his bones. He set his bag down by the door, stretching out his shoulders as he made his way toward the living room. Lizzie was curled up on the couch, her laptop open in front of her, but her fingers weren’t moving across the keyboard. Instead, she was watching him.
"Hey," he said, offering a weary smile as he settled down beside her. Her gaze trailed over him from head to toe, taking in every little detail. He'd never quite appreciated how perceptive she was before.
“Hey,” she said softly.
He leaned back into the couch, closing his eyes and exhaling. For a few moments, silence filled the space between them. He could hear the hum of the laptop’s fan, the distant sound of cars from outside, the sound of their breathing.
Finally, Lizzie spoke. “You were brilliant this weekend.”
He cracked an eye open, looking over at her. She was watching him with something akin to awe, her expression almost reverent. He wasn’t quite sure what he did to warrant that look. “Was I?” he asked, trying for nonchalance but lacking even half of the energy to pull it off.
"McLaren 1-2," she told him softly, one hand reaching out to cup his jaw and he leant into her touch.
Yes. McLaren 1-2.
Not thanks to the team.
"I watched everything," Lizzie admitted quietly. "The radio. The interviews."
Lando inhaled sharply but sighed. "Figured you would," he told her.
She ran her thumb over his cheekbone, a simple touch that made his exhaustion recede just a fraction. "You were incredible," she repeated softly. "Even when you were getting screwed over on strategy and had every reason to be angry, you just..." She exhaled. "You handled it so well. You were incredible."
She hesitated for a moment. "Did...McLaren didn't have your back." It wasn't a question.
It shouldn't surprise him and it didn't. Liz was too smart for her own good. Of course, she would pick up on that. Just like the press had picked up on it, even when he hadn't outright said what it was, that had happened...people weren't dumb. They would put together the pieces into something resembling the truth.
Still.
Lando sighed, running a hand down his face. "Liz-"
She shook her head. "I thought...I don't know, that maybe they just wanted to take their time to handle things after Silverstone. But that's not what happened, is it?" she asked him softly.
Lando clenched his jaw, looking away. He didn't know how to explain it without making her feel worse.
Lizzie’s voice was quieter when she spoke again. “Did they… did they try to stop you from saying anything?”
He swallowed, trying to figure out how to answer. “I-” he stopped, biting his lip. Honesty was the best option, wasn’t it? He took a deep breath.
“They tried. It was...it was a bit of a clusterfuck.”
Lizzie’s breath hitched slightly. “And Oscar?”
Lando huffed a small, almost amused breath. “He blackmailed them.”
Lizzie blinked. “What?”
"He told them that if they didn't release a statement condemning the abuse, he'd go back to tweeting like he did for Alpine," he recounted with a snort.
Lizzie stared at him before bursting into a fit of giggles. She covered her mouth, trying to keep herself from laughing. Her laugh was like music to his ears and some of the tension left him.
He grinned at her. “Yeah. And you know the funniest part?”
Lizzie shook her head, biting down on the edge of her hand to suppress a laugh. She looked adorable like that, her cheeks flushed from her little bout of giggles, and he was struck with the sudden urge to wrap her up in a tight hug. So he did.
She melted into his arms, burying her face against his shoulder, her giggles muffled. It took her a moment to regain her composure, and she gave a little sigh, pulling back just enough to look at him. “What's the funniest part?”
Lando grinned, shaking his head a little. “It worked.”
Lizzie stared at him, mouth parted.
“He actually threatened a multimillionaire team with Twitter,” Lando snickered. “He threatened to unleash an online world war and they caved like that.” He snapped his fingers, making her laugh again.
Lizzie ducked her head, her shoulders shaking with suppressed snickers. “Oh my God.”
Lando laughed helplessly, pulling her back toward him, wrapping his arms around her waist. She was warm, her body pressed flush against his. He took a deep breath, the scent of her filling his nostrils.
Lizzie grew quieter and looked at him. "Did...did they...was it because of me?"
Lando felt something twist in his chest. “What?”
She swallowed. “Did all of this—did they hesitate because of me? Because I’m the one people were targeting?”
Lando immediately reached for her hand, squeezing it tightly. “No. No, Liz, don’t do that. Don’t make this your fault.”
She looked down at their intertwined fingers. “It just… feels like I made everything harder for you.”
Lando’s grip tightened. “You didn’t. They did. The people who went after you, the ones who treated you like shit—they’re the problem. Not you. Never you.”
Lizzie let out a shaky breath. “I just… I didn’t want this to be a thing. I didn’t want you to have to put out a statement or make it worse—”
“You shouldn’t have to,” Lando interrupted, his voice firmer now. “You shouldn’t have to explain yourself, or justify your existence, or convince people that you’re worthy of basic human decency. That’s not your job.”
Lizzie bit her lip, still looking uncertain.
Lando exhaled. “Liz, Oscar didn’t do that because of you. He did it because it was the right thing to do. Just like I spoke up because it was the right thing to do. And if McLaren didn’t have our backs, then that’s on them. Not on you.”
Lizzie nodded slowly, eyes shining. “I just hate that you had to fight for it.”
Lando lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “I’d do it again if I had to.”
Lizzie let out a shaky laugh. “You’re stubborn.”
“You love it.”
She sighed. “I really, really do.”
He shifted a bit, pulling her onto his lap without thinking about it. She came without a second thought, settling on his thighs with ease. He wrapped his arms around her waist lightly, feeling the warmth of her seep into his skin.
She let out another shaky exhale, letting her head drop against his collarbone. He pressed his lips to the top of her head, wanting to soothe the worry out of her.
She felt so small in his arms. It made him want to cling to her, to shield her from the world and all of its bullshit. The urge to protect her was almost overwhelming.
"I made something while you were gone," she admitted, her voice muffled against his shoulder.
Lando quirked an eyebrow. “Oh?”
Lizzie hesitated for a second before reaching behind one of the couch cushions. When she turned back, she was holding something small in her hands—something that made Lando blink in surprise before bursting into laughter.
It was a tiny crochet version of Oscar Piastri.
Complete with a McLaren race suit and a little black and orange Pirelli cap.
Lando took the tiny Oscar from her hands, holding it up to inspect it. “No way.”
Lizzie grinned, a little sheepish. “I was stress-crocheting. And, well… given everything, I thought it was fitting.”
Lando laughed again, shaking his head as he turned the little figure in his hands. “He’s gonna lose his mind when he sees this.”
Lizzie smirked. “You think?”
“Oh, definitely,” Lando said. “He’ll pretend he doesn’t care, but he’ll be secretly obsessed with it.”
Liz looked pleased with herself. She leaned in to get a better look at the little figure in his hand. "I think it might be my best one yet," she told him with a smile.
Lando grinned, gently placing the little crochet Oscar on the coffee table before pulling her close again. Lizzie went easily. She draped her arms around his shoulders, her legs resting on either side of his. She draped herself against him like she always does, her body melting into his.
It had been a long few weeks. But somehow, sitting there with Lizzie—holding something she made with care, thinking about the people who had stood by them—it didn’t feel quite so heavy anymore.
***
Lando should have realised that it was going to happen one of these days.
So he wasn't that surprised, when the door to the McLaren Sim room swung open, and Oscar stepped in with a purpose. He barely acknowledged the engineers outside, his usual easygoing demeanor absent. The door clicked shut behind him, and the air in the room felt heavier.
Lando spun around in his seat, sensing the shift in the atmosphere. Oscar’s eyes pinned him to the spot, laser-focused on his every move. Lando couldn’t quite read the expression on his face, but there was something serious in the set of his jaw and the gleam in his gaze.
“Hey,” Lando said cautiously. “What’s up?”
Oscar folded his arms, leaning against the wall. "I heard the radio."
Lando shifted in his seat, feeling the back of his neck prickle. “Yeah. That.”
Oscar didn't say anything, just watched him with a hawk-like gaze. It was making Lando’s nerves itch.
He cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice even. "So you heard all of it then, huh?"
Oscar nodded, his eyes never leaving Lando’s face. "Yeah. Every word."
Silence fell between them, thick and heavy. Lando fidgeted with the hem of his hoodie, his fingers drumming an anxious rhythm against the fabric. He knew Oscar was waiting for him to say something, but the words felt stuck in his throat.
Lando ran a hand down his face. “Look, mate—”
“I didn’t do anything special.”
Lando blinked, caught off guard by how bluntly Oscar said it. “What?”
Oscar pushed off the wall, shaking his head. “You made it sound like I did something extraordinary, like backing you and Lizzie was some massive thing. But it wasn’t, Lando. It was just the right thing to do.”
Lando didn’t respond right away. Instead, he stared at the dashboard of the sim rig, feeling the weight of the last few weeks pressing on his shoulders. “Look,” he finally said, “whether you think it was special or not, you had my back. And I need you to know that I’d do the same for you. Always.”
Oscar scoffed, almost amused. “I know that.”
“No, I mean it,” Lando insisted, standing up. “What happened in Hungary? That’s not how I want to race you. If I gain a position on you, I want it to be because I overtook you—not because the team screwed you over.”
Oscar raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth tugging up into a small smirk. “Are you worried you won’t be able to overtake me without a little help?” he asked, a mocking tone in his voice.
Lando shot him a look. “You know that’s not what I mean, you muppet.”
Oscar rolled his eyes. "You know, It wasn’t exactly hard. Lizzie’s great. And you…” Oscar hesitated before adding, “You’re my teammate. That means something.”
Lando swallowed, something settling in his chest. “Yeah. It does.”
A moment passed, quiet but not tense. Then Lando leaned over, rummaging in his bag. “Anyway, I got you something.”
Oscar raised an eyebrow. “If this is some weird way to thank me, I swear—”
Lando pulled out a red-and-white packet and tossed it over.
Oscar caught it, glancing down. Tim Tams. His eyes immediately lit up. “No way.”
Lando grinned. “Figured your maiden win deserved a proper celebration.”
Oscar inspected the packet like it was the best gift he’d ever received. “Alright. You’re forgiven for embarrassing me on the radio.”
Lando smirked. “Knew that’d do the trick.”
Oscar was already tucking the Tim Tams under his arm when Lando pulled out something else.
“Oh, and—Lizzie made you this.”
He handed over a tiny crochet Oscar, decked out in a McLaren race suit with a perfectly detailed little Pirelli cap.
Oscar stared at it. “She made this?”
Lando nodded. “Yeah. She crochets when she’s stressed. Said she needed something to focus on.”
Oscar turned the tiny figure over in his hands, running a thumb over the stitches. It was absurdly detailed—clearly made with care.
“She really didn’t have to,” he muttered.
Lando shrugged. “You didn’t have to either. But here we are.”
Oscar glanced up, expression unreadable, before slipping the crochet figure into his pocket. “Well,” he said, smirking slightly, “at least I got Tim Tams out of it.”
Lando rolled his eyes. “Never doing anything nice for you again.”
Oscar tore open the packet, popping a biscuit into his mouth. “Sure, mate. Whatever you say.”
***
YouTube Transcript - Belgian Grand Prix Fan Stage 
Interviewer: "Lando, Oscar, after Hungary, there was a lot of speculation about your dynamic, especially with the radio messages and post-race comments. Can you clarify—was there any tension?"
Lando: [shrugging] "We talked. We’re fine."
Oscar: [grinning] "Yeah, Lando even got me Tim Tams and a tiny crochet Oscar, so I think that settles it."
Interviewer: [laughing] "A tiny crochet Oscar?"
Lando: [smirking] "Yeah. Well, technically, Liz got it for him. She crochets when she’s stressed, and I guess Hungary was stressful."
Oscar: [holding up a hand] "For the record, it’s actually very impressive craftsmanship. It even has little details on the race suit."
Lando: [mock serious] "Yeah, she put more effort into it than McLaren did into our strategy."
Oscar: [choking on a laugh] "Jesus, Lando."
Interviewer: [laughing] "Okay, so no hard feelings?"
Lando: [firmly] "Oscar deserved that win."
Oscar: [grinning] "And now I have a tiny yarn version of myself to prove it."
Interviewer: "Alright, good to know things are all settled!"
Comments: 
@/F1Fanatic99: Crochet Oscar is probably better at strategy calls than McLaren. Just saying.
@/GridGossip: Someone better crochet a tiny Lando next so they can be besties IRL and in yarn form.
@/WheelToWheel: If Oscar doesn’t start bringing Crochet Oscar to every race, we’re gonna have a problem.
@/McLarenUpdates: Crochet Oscar is just proof that Lizzie is the best thing to ever happen to the McLaren garage.
@/EpilepsyAwareness: Imagine explaining to someone in 2018 that F1 Fandom would one day be obsessed with a crocheted version of Oscar Piastri.
@/SilverstoneStan: Crochet Oscar is a cultural reset. Every driver needs a tiny yarn version of themselves.
@/SpeedDemon19: New F1 tradition: every race winner gets a crochet version of themselves. Make it happen, FIA.
@/McLarenSuperFan: The fact that Lizzie made that is so cute. She really said 'supporting my boyfriend and his bestie through yarn.
@/MaxsOrangeArmy: Oscar got a trophy AND a tiny crochet version of himself? Peak career moment.
@/PitStopChaos: Lando’s next merch drop better include tiny crochet drivers or I’m rioting.
@/ChaosInTurn1: Lizzie is out here supporting Oscar more than McLaren did. Queen behavior.
@/F1Wifey: McLaren strategists should fear the WAGs, they have more team loyalty than half the pit wall.
@/WheelToWheelGirl: The fact that Lizzie crocheted through the McLaren strategy disaster is sending me. How much yarn do you think she used during Hungary?
@/RacingLogic: Oscar acting like a proud dad over his little crochet Oscar is the most wholesome thing to come out of this entire mess.
@/ToxicMcLarenFan: I NEED TO SEE THE TINY CROCHET OSCAR, PLEASE, OSCAR, I AM BEGGING.
@/SilverstoneElite: McLaren PR scrambling to figure out how to monetize Crochet Oscar as we speak.
@/PaddockInsider: Not Lando shading McLaren’s strategy while handing out handcrafted emotional support Oscars.
@/PitLaneDrama: The way Oscar is so proud of his tiny crochet self… we need a picture IMMEDIATELY.
@/FIAConspiracyTheories: Okay but McLaren better start strategizing as well as Lizzie crochets.
@/FastAndFearless: Petition for Lizzie to start selling crochet F1 drivers because I NEED ONE. @/McLarenPanicDepartment: Lando: ‘She crochets when she’s stressed.’ How much yarn does she go through dating him???@/MaraForPresident: LIZZIE MADE OSCAR A TINY CROCHET OSCAR??? SHE’S THE REAL MVP.
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inspired-lesson-plans · 2 days ago
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#I was actually reading a study on this today
#they’re actually useful for brain-related things like test anxieties and migraine pain
#the placebo effect is actually so effective that you can imagine taking pills and see a reduction in some symptoms
#which is something I personally do for headaches when I’m on the go
#the brain is wild
@elldritch-horror, I think I found the study you were reading, or at least a related one. Apparently Buergler et al (2023) broke the test-anxiety-suffering undergrads into three groups :
Take Open Label Placebos (like the Zeebos)
Take imaginary placebos (literally playing pretend multiple times daily)
Don't do anything about it at all
And guess what... both of those bogus treatments had real effects! Even non-deceptive placebos are pretty good!
This post is now about the fact that I have wanted to sell "honest placebos" for years.
First of all, they work. In fact, just a quick little bit of research revealed that it's common for medical practitioners to give their patients placebos (if it's not serious) because it's cheaper and doesn't have any side-effects (Wernsdorff et al, 2021). And when researching new medical treatments, so-called "deceptive placebos" are so potent that researchers will give participants Open Label Placebos (like the Zeebos), and even these result in statistically significant effects on patients! (Gupta and Verma, 2013)
Second, as a teacher I can think of 3 kinds of kids who would immediately benefit from this.
Hypochondriacs who legitimately cannot tell whether or not they are unwell and are probably really anxious about asking to go to the nurse all the time
Avoidant kids who want an excuse to leave class for 10-30 minutes.
Very impressionable kids whose stomach pains and headaches really can be treated with placebos.
Give them a placebo (deceptive or not), tell them to wait it out for 15 minutes, and if it doesn't get better, then they go to the nurse. Thus, they stay in class and aren't bothering the already-overworked nurse.
In America (at least in New Jersey), teachers aren't allowed to give any kind of medicine to minors. I cannot imagine getting in trouble for giving placebos.
Even if you're a grown adult, if you're feeling symptoms of some kinda illness but you don't know if you're sick, you can take a placebo. If the symptoms go away, you don't have to worry about it. I get headaches a lot, and I would love to know if taking a few cheap sugar pills would do as much good as 1000mg ibuprofen. I'm going to take a hot shower to relax my muscles anyway, and if my headache is still there afterwards then clearly I need the medicine.
My only criticism is... ugh, those look terrible to swallow. Make them soft-gels or make them sugar-coated so they're pleasant to swallow. Also, get better graphic design! That bottle looks like a prop from a 2000s SyFy Channel movie. I want to feel delighted that I'm taking an Open Label Placebo!
Footnote, I found this while reading How To Winter, so take that as you will.
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well I guess this is the logical next step in, you know. everything
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lemonlover1110 · 2 days ago
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𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐚
Toji Fushiguro
[Chapter 2] Overthinking
← Previous Chapter - Story Masterlist
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Pairing: Knight!Toji Fushiguro x Princess!Reader
Chapter Warnings: Suggestive Content, Minor Sex Talk
Story Summary: This is what'll get Toji killed... But how can he reject her when she looks up at him with such beautiful eyes? A man that's been to war won't be killed by the edge of a sword but rather the lips of a woman.
He shouldn’t lay a finger on her, but he’ll do anything that she asks him to. She’s his princess, he has to follow her every word.
No taglist
Discord +18 - Twitter - Ko-Fi - Bluesky
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“What?” Toji almost pinches himself to check if he’s dreaming. A weird dream that it would be– But no, you’re right in front of him. You’re right in front of him, asking him to have sex with you. Alert eyes check nearby, watching out for any witnesses. Once he realizes there’s no one nearby he speaks again, “Don’t repeat it.”
“What’s your answer?” You ask, looking up at him with wide eyes and he laughs. That’s his response, a laugh; it ticks you off.
“Princess, are you a cuck?” He responds, and you furrow your brows in confusion. 
“What’s a cuck?” You answer without skipping a beat. He almost wants to burst into laughter but he’s too nervous to do anything else but stare at you. 
“I’ve got a good head on my shoulders, I’d hate to see it rolling on the ground.” He tells you, and you look just as confused. He can’t talk to you in riddles… Though he isn’t speaking in riddles, he just has to be direct with you. He clears his throat before saying, “No. I won’t have sex with you, princess. Good night.”
“Why not?” You question, as if the answer isn’t obvious. It’s not obvious for you, you don’t see an issue with it. Luckily, Toji has the common sense that you lack. 
He won’t answer the question, instead he turns on his heel and leaves you. He’ll search for your night guard, and let this die down. He’s sure that clarity will hit you tonight, and you won’t mention this again. A princess that’s so high and mighty asking to have sex with a man of his status? You have lost your mind. You let the stupid nobles get to your head.
“Toji, where are you going?!” You yell after him, and if embarrassment wasn’t slowly settling in, you’d run after him. You end up scoffing, slamming the door to your room shut and staring at it frustratedly… Did you just get rejected?
No, he didn’t hear you right. You didn’t just get rejected.
You feel… Offended? Mad? No, no. You’d feel offended if Toji had rejected you but he wouldn’t do that. Toji would never refuse an order from his princess.
You stare at the door, and your nails dig into the palms of your head. That son of a bitch rejected you. Oh, you could scream. But you're mature enough that you can suppress it and act like a true princess.
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There’s something off with you, and Toji notices immediately. You’re not being your usual self…
“Why are you all dressed up, princess? You do know we’re just staying in the castle, right?” Toji asks as he escorts you to the dining room for breakfast. He does it on purpose to get the bickering started— He wants to completely gloss over the proposal from last night.
You were vulnerable, and of course your friends got to your head. He wants to show that he didn’t take things seriously, and he truly believes he’s doing a good deed. But things aren’t easy like he wants them to be. You aren’t easy.
There’s no ‘Of course someone of your class doesn’t understand the basis of looking good at all times’ and no ‘If I wanted you to speak, I would have ordered you to open your mouth’; instead, Toji is met with pure silence. You don’t even look back to glare at him.
“You’re just staying in today, right? You didn’t tell me about anything else.” He speaks again, continuing to break the basic etiquette. He should not be speaking to you unless spoken first. But that has never been a thing between the two of you. Toji gets to break a lot of rules because you’ve never cared for the rules in the first place. 
“Toji.” You finally speak, and his eyes lighten up. Only to realize that you’re in the dining room, and his presence is no longer needed. The king doesn’t like the guards to join during breakfast which usually ends up with Toji being shunned to the kitchen with the help.
“Enjoy your breakfast, your highness.” Toji tells you before walking away. He goes to the kitchen, sitting down at the table that’s for him. He’s already had his breakfast, so he isn’t necessarily hungry– But the aroma of the food grazes his nose, and his stomach growls.
“Aren’t you going to eat anything, Toji? I know you have a long day ahead of you.” Mayu walks up to him, holding a bowl of oatmeal. She wears a bright smile on her face, happy to bump into Toji first thing in the morning. Unfortunately for her, Toji just isn’t in the mood. 
“I’m good.” He answers, even when his stomach gives it away. She sits with him, knowing that she should continue her duties but her attention is on something more interesting. Someone more interesting.
“Are you upset with the princess?” She asks, a hint of mischief in her eyes. No matter how much she tries, she never hears a single bad word about the princess from Toji; but considering that last night they were cut short, she feels like his feelings have changed.
“Why would I be?” He responds, not even bothering to look her in the eye. He fails to see the frown that comes to her face when he answers. That’s not what she wanted to hear, but she won’t get too bummed out about it, she guesses it’s part of his job.
“What did she need last night?” She continues the one-sided conversation, and Toji tries his best to remain composed. You absolutely did not ask him to have sex with you. You didn’t even look at him. Nothing happened. Who would even believe him if he told the truth either way?
“She needed me to kill a spider.” He lies, and she begins to laugh. Before she can even begin to ridicule you, Hanako walks over to the table.
“Care if I join you two?” The old woman smiles, and Toji points to the chair across from him. Mayu ends up sighing, but she ends up faking a smile. Hanako begins to eat her breakfast, and Toji stares at her. 
The woman that’s across from him has been like your second mother, and it makes Toji wonder if she knows. Did you end up telling her anything this morning? Toji has figured out that you two are close, but how close are you exactly?
“Do I have something on my face?” Hanako questions when she notices that Toji is staring her down. She always ensures that not a single hair is out of place, but she was in a bit of a rush this morning.
“No.” Toji ends up saying. His eyes search for a clock, needing to know how much he has left before he follows you around for the day.
“Ignore him, Hanako. He’s acting weird.” Mayu ends up saying, offering a smile to the woman. Hanako raises her eyebrows in curiosity, but she won’t dare pry. She won’t ask about Toji’s private life, it isn’t her place. “Ever since the princess interrupted us last night, he’s been out of it.”
“The princess?” The woman nearly chokes on her food. Hanako wipes the corners of her mouth with her napkin before asking the obvious, “What were you two doing?”
“Well we were–” Mayu begins but Toji glares at her.
“It’s not because of the princess.” Toji cuts her off, and Hanako clicks her tongue.
“I’m not asking because I care about your feelings, sir.” Hanako replies. “I want to know how to deal with the princess.”
“She’s not a child, she can handle two adults making out.” Toji argues before he bites his tongue. He regrets opening his mouth the moment he makes eye contact with Hanako. He’s right, you aren’t a child and being sheltered is what led you to ask such an inappropriate question last night. But perhaps saying those words to Hanako isn’t the smartest move.
“You are going to apologize to the princess, sir, and you are going to make it good!” Hanako begins to scold him, and he sighs. He has to deal with this and with an angry princess… It’s going to be a long day.
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Work today is pure torture. He thought that the obnoxious parties were the worst that the job had to offer, but this is it. You’re acting like proper royalty and not engaging with him whatsoever. Toji didn’t know how much he enjoyed the bickering until he realized how boring the job is without it.
He’s following behind you as you take a stroll through the garden. A garden that’s so well loved and taken care of because of you. These walks aren’t unusual, but the silence that accompanies it is. He doesn’t even understand the point of the stroll when you’re not conversing with anyone.
“Your highness, are we expecting anyone?” Toji asks, the deafening silence getting the best of him. You don’t even look back at him, instead you keep walking. You keep walking as if he didn’t exist.
Toji sighs, at the very least wanting to know where you’re headed. You’re walking around like a headless chicken. Sure, the garden is nice but there’s these pesky bugs that love to get all over Toji. Plus, it’s warm out and his uniform doesn’t help.
“Will you go inside and get my basket?” You ask when you come to a sudden stop. He frowns, confused why you even ask the question until he lowers his gaze and realizes that you’re by the strawberries.
“I can hold them.” He answers, and you scoff.
“It wasn’t a suggestion, it was an order.” You respond, slightly annoyed that he’s defying what you say. Toji never dares to defy your wants– Except right now… and last night.
“I can’t leave you without supervision.” He argues, and you furrow your brows. You cross your arms and finally turn around to face him.
“I’m safe within these walls, am I not?” You question, and Toji sighs. This isn’t the bickering he wanted.
“My job is to watch you, and I’m not taking my eyes off you. You can order me to do whatever you want but I’m your knight, not your maid.” He ends up answering, and you roll your eyes at him. You miss the simpler days where you didn’t need a knight, alas, that isn’t your situation now.
“Fine. Cradle your arms.” You order as you get on your knees to grab the fruit that’s ripe enough to collect. It’s finally strawberry season. Toji crouches down and cradles his arms, just as he was ordered.
He’s watching as your gentle hands pick the strawberries apart one by one. You bring one to your lips, slowly biting down. The juice drips down your chin, goes down your neck and eventually reaches your cleavage– Toji has to tear his eyes away as sweet temptation consumes him.
“Do you want one?” You end up offering, grabbing a big strawberry and holding it in his view. He should refuse, but you’re finally speaking to him. He won’t risk making the situation worse, instead he bites down on the sweet fruit. You chuckle, your thumb going over his chin to clean up the juice that drips down. “They’re juicy and sweet.”
“They cheered you up.” He comments, making you roll your eyes.
“Let’s go back inside.” You stand up, dusting off your dress. “Perhaps the strawberry I fed you rolled around in the dirt before I picked it…”
“I’m still honored.” He teases as he slowly rises. He didn’t even realize the amount of strawberries till he had to maintain balance to keep them from falling. Toji’s eyes remain on the fruit that he holds, making sure that not a single one falls over.
“Good morning, princess.” Toji hears, his eyes darting up to see the fellow knight that walks by. He smiles brightly at you, waving your way. Toji clicks his tongue, rolling his eyes at the lack of courtesy from the knight.
“Good morning, Sir Ino.” You respond, and the sudden stop of Toji makes a couple of strawberries fall to the ground. His brows furrow as he replays the scene in his head… You remembered the knight’s name, you never remember any of the staff’s name unless you’re close to them.
“Hi, Toji.” Ino waves at Toji as well, only to be met by a harsh glare. Toji ignores the knight and follows behind you again, picking up a bit of speed since he’s fallen a couple of steps behind.
“Your highness, how do you know Sir Ino?” Toji questions, as if he has any right to ask you the question. You quickly remind him of his place by ignoring the question. Of course, you’re not going to give in so easily.
Toji knows that you’re still upset with him so he’ll try not to overthink your lack of words. And the man never gets into his head about anything, but it’s weird that you know someone’s name. Toji isn’t special, he knows he isn’t. The question you asked him last night was because he was the first man that came to your mind, and now that he’s rejected you he fears that you’ll attempt to go to someone else for help.
“Put them in the kitchen. Tell the staff I want strawberry shortcake tonight.” You order as you enter the castle. 
“Where will you go, your highness?” Toji asks, wanting to know where exactly he needs to go after dropping the strawberries in the kitchen.
“I have my piano lesson, remember?” You remind him, and Toji’s eyes almost widen. If there’s one person that he doesn’t trust you around is that damned piano teacher that makes you giggle like a fucking schoolgirl.
“Here, I have to go.” Instead of doing the task himself, Toji dumps the responsibility of the strawberries to the first maid he sees. A bunch of strawberries fall to the floor as he lets them go in the arms of an unaware maid. He doesn’t take his gaze off you as you begin to walk to the piano room. “Princess wants a strawberry shortcake tonight. She likes it extra sweet.”
“Princess, don’t get too far ahead! You know the king doesn’t like when you’re locked in that room with Mr. Kong alone!” Toji yells, nearly running to catch up with you. He feels like he’s going to die early, and he knows who to blame that on.
He’s ignored again, but this time he understands. This has never been something that he’s cared about. As a matter of fact, he usually stands outside to not hear the awful music you claim you play. He has no ground to stand on.
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“No smoking indoors, Mr. Kong.” Toji can’t believe he’s setting rules, but apparently this is what he gets paid for. This is the man that Toji has left you alone with for so many times– The idiot is leaning against the mahogany piano, smoking a cigarette while gawking at you.
Worst of all, you’re smiling. Giving the man a soft look while you listen to his instructions. Toji, who is supposed to stand in the corner without even being heard, grabs an ashtray and snatches the cigarette from the man. Toji makes stern eye contact with Shiu as he puts the cigarette out.
“The king won’t be too happy if he smells that awful stench.” Toji comments, a passive aggressive smile coming to his lips.
“Sir Toji, it’s weird seeing you in the room.” Shiu smirks, crossing his arms as he stares at Toji. “Does the king know that you’re here?”
“Does the king know that you’re flirt–” Toji begins before his eyes land on you. You’re staring at the piano keys in shame. Toji rolls his eyes before staring back at Shiu, “Don’t light another one up or I’ll put it out on your neck.”
Shiu ends up chuckling before turning his attention back to you, “Let’s get back to work, your highness. Where were we? Before we were so rudely interrupted.”
Toji’s annoyance grows as he watches Shiu work with you. No wonder your piano skills don’t get any better, the fool isn’t teaching you anything, he’s just flirting with you. And what ticks him off is the fact that you’re welcoming about it– But it’s not your fault. You’re just naïve and don’t realize that you’re being flirted with.
“Can we play? Or is that against the rules too, sir?” Mischief is written all over Shiu’s gaze. He wants to stir the pot, and it works.
“Would you like me to speak to the king? The princess’ piano skills are still awful and you’ve been with her for the past two years… You’re not making much progress.” Toji points out, and you nearly bury your face in your hands out of sheer embarrassment. 
“You dare insult your princess–” Shiu is about to respond but you stand up, getting their attention. You grab Toji’s wrist and drag him out of the room, placing him outside of the door before walking back inside to continue your lesson.
You don’t have to say a word, but Toji won’t dare walk back inside.
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“What the fuck is wrong with you, Toji?! Who the hell do you think you are?!” Your voice is loud and clear as he follows you to your room. You have to get ready for lunch, and on the way to your room you’ll give him a piece of your mind. You can’t keep your thoughts to yourself considering how he embarrassed you. “Since when do you care about the fucking rules?! For the past– God knows have long, you’ve left me with Shiu without an issue.”
“Shiu! That’s my issue! He’s your piano teacher, not your buddy! He’s Mr. Kong to you!” Toji argues, forgetting his place. 
“Why do you care?! You’re so annoying!” You yell. “What the fuck is wrong with you today?! Why do you think you have some sort of authority over me?! Talking to me as if you don’t know your fucking place!”
“What is my place, princess?! Do you care to remind me? Or should I remind you what you told me last night?!” He responds as you get to your door. It’s the first time he brings it up and he’d feel bad if you weren’t acting the way you are. He swore to himself last night that he would never bring it up. You were vulnerable, he doesn’t want to hold it against you– But he’s definitely had a change of heart.
You look around the place, watching out for anyone before lowering your voice, “That was a mistake. Completely forget that.”
“Good.” Toji answers, looking around the place as he thinks his next words carefully. You’re not going to give up that thought from last night, you’ll just search for someone that’s willing. Whether that’s Toji, Shiu or Ino. 
He shouldn’t get involved in this mess.
He’s not going to die by the lips of a woman.
“But if that’s what you want, I’ll do it.” Toji says, a frown coming to your face as confusion takes over you.
“Huh?” You respond, and Toji licks his lips before looking around the place one more time. He can never be too safe.
“If you want me to have sex with you, I’ll do it.”
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tiki-was-here · 3 days ago
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Cw:technically feminization
I want the reader to be the one doing the brainwashing for once. Like cmon. Imagine dating homelander and over the course of a year or two you fully sell him on the idea of being a cute little housewife 🥰 (let’s pretend that vought doesn’t factor into this or they’re happy to have a way to get rid of homelander without trying to kill him)
It starts with small things (because you don’t want to get lasered in half) like you overly pampering him whenever he complains about work. Telling him how he’s too good and too pretty to be stressing so much and you wish he could just relax at home all day. He laughs it off at first, grateful for the attention but there’s surely no way he could leave his role as homelander, he’s in too deep (aha).
You get him into more “normal” tasks like cooking and cleaning because you very subtly help him associate those tasks with positive reinforcements. Loving up on him whenever he cooks breakfast (even if it’s not the best) telling him how much you appreciate him and how you’re so lucky to have a boyfriend who’d do all of this for him. Or even planning dates for the two of you around learning things like sewing, crocheting or even gardening, purposely messing up so that he can get the confidence boost of having you praise him even more.
And then you start trying to get him to stay home more wether it’s more sane like having a conversation to make him feel as if he doesn’t spend enough time with you and your relationship is on the line OR you could do something crazy like purposely injuring yourself so he’s FORCED to take over the house in some capacity, waiting on you hand and foot as you overplay your injury everrrr so slightly.
Whenever you fuck him you’re very intentional with your words and actions—making sure to stress how pretty he looks in just his pjs and how when you saw him waiting for you to come home you could hardly stop yourself from taking him right there. Coming up behind him when he’s in the kitchen wearing that stupid little pink apron you bought as a “joke” and bending him over on the counter before fucking him like your trying to get him pregnant. Telling him that you’re gonna put a baby in him and he’s so outraged and confused and very very flustered that his mind just short circuits and he comes without so much as a warning.
And then finally you completely lean into the idea of him being a housewife without outright saying it. At this point (even without knowing it) he’s sold on the idea as well because being around you is the only time he doesn’t feel like murdering the entire planet and is so enamored with you that he just wants to pamper you.
You guys buy a stereotypical white picket fence home and he gets a proper disguise (if they can shove a bomb up someone’s ass they can get him a convincing disguise idc how famous he is) so you can spend your days taking him out on dates and having him go to the grocery store etc etc.
Siiiigh maybe you two decide to adopt kids and Johns at the verge of tears every time he attends their activities because although it took a lot of convincing he’s genuinely so happy to have the normal life he’d always wanted.
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hgfictionwriter · 2 days ago
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Revelations - Part Ten
Jessie Fleming x Reader
Summary: An unexpected person reaches out to you and the pieces of your broken life continue to finally fall back into place.
Warnings: None.
A/N: The rest of the series is here.
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"Hi Y/N. This is Sara. It's been a while and I hope you're doing well. I hope you don't mind me reaching out, but I'm doing so because Zoie would like to formally invite you to her birthday party this Sunday."
"Full disclosure. She's asked Jessie for weeks, but as I understand, Jessie's being very respectful of your wishes and doesn't want to push. That said, a soon-to-be 6-year-old doesn't really get it and doesn't care about things like that and is fairly relentless lol."
"She says she has so much fun with you and Jessie, and she doesn't know why the three of you can't keep doing that. And for the record, she loves her dinosaur shirt and gives me hell anytime I try to take it away to wash it. And when I asked her what she wanted for her birthday, one thing she said is she wanted you there - for all those other reasons - but also because Jessie was happiest when you were there. So, will you come?"
"If it doesn't feel right to you, that's okay. I get it. This entire thing has been a lot and I'm beyond sure none of it is what you pictured or wanted. I really didn't mean to crash your life. I really, really thought long and hard about bringing Jessie into Zoie's life. I ultimately felt I owed it to Zoie to. And I was terrified when I learned Jessie was engaged. I knew how this would potentially blow things up and I really didn't want that. I'm truly sorry it turned out the way it did."
"Anyway, you didn't ask for my story. My point was - not that you've asked - the way Jessie loves you is next level. She doesn't have to tell me a thing. It's apparent. It's special. I can tell any time she's talked with you. She's so much happier. It shows. And it's none of my business, but, if I were you, I'd maybe want to know."
"Okay. Now I'm done lol. If you don't reply, I'll leave you alone. No hard feelings."
You stared at the messages you came back to after your meeting. The last person's name you expected to show up on your phone was Sara's. She obviously thought you'd deleted her - you hadn't.
You and her had talked very minimally one on one, and always in a - more or less - forced capacity. And certainly never about topics like this. Again, you'd never hated her as a person. She seemed, well, perfectly fine. She just represented the force that brought your world as you knew it crumbling down.
But now here she was offering you a lifeline.
You needed a breath.
You backed out of your conversation with Sara and over to your one with Jessie. She was still in Canada with Zoie and you'd been texting intermittently since your impromptu reunion.
The texts had been light, both of you purposefully evading critical questions and topics knowing you were going to talk more when she got back. That said, the messages between you were more easy than before. And even if they weren't explicitly affectionate, there were undertones.
You smiled at the last messages from her. A picture of Zoie all done up in her snowsuit and playing in Jessie's parents' backyard along with a message of, "Someone loves the snow."
A dull ache formed in your chest, but it wasn't the same as before. Before, the ache had torn at you, gnawing, painful and malignant. But this new ache was different. It was longing and sweet. Something to chase; something to not be scared of.
You went back to Sara's messages.
“What does Zoie want for her birthday?”
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While you'd felt eerily calm leading up to the weekend, as you parked your car down the street from Sara's place your nerves started to make themselves known again.
You stared steadily at the house, spotting Jessie's car parked out front.
Jessie didn't actually know you'd be here today. You don't know why you chose not to tell her. You even asked Sara not to mention anything. Who knows, maybe Sara thought you wanted to keep it down low in case you bailed. No expectations and no hurt feelings for anyone, then.
Maybe you were woefully misreading things, but you almost felt like it could be a good surprise.
You took a deep breath and picked up the gift you'd wrapped for Zoie and got out of your car and walked towards the front door. Your heart raced, hoping, for whatever reason, Jessie wouldn't see you before Sara did. You needed to get some things off your chest.
Sara told you prior to just open the door and come inside. So you did. Quietly. Tentatively.
Your eyes darted around the room.
There was a handful of kids running around - Zoie was still pretty new at her school, but had clearly managed to forge some friendships there, at dance, at swimming.
No surprise. She was just as likable as Jessie.
Then, there were a few adults mingling about. Mostly parents, you assumed, watching over things, playing with the kids, or chatting idly amongst themselves.
That former sense of 'otherness' threatened to rise up within you again, but you dismantled it this time. You weren't going to feel that way again. You were invited. You were asked to be here. You were wanted.
Then you saw a glimpse of them. Jessie was in the other room where the kids were running in and out of. Zoie was hanging off of Jessie's back, a kid latched onto each of her legs as she playfully lumbered around, the kids all laughing and yelling as they hung off of her.
You turned as Sara was coming out of the kitchen and you almost collided.
"Oh my god," she said with a laugh. Her eyes lit up as she took you in. "You came! I'm so glad."
As you saw this woman for the first time in months - this woman who was the source of so much angst and upheaval in your life - you felt a flash of anxiety. Like some emotional PTSD.
But it faded as she smiled at you. She was just a girl whose own life had been turned upside down many years ago. Her own future permanently changed; visions and dreams as she’d planned them no longer the same.
She’d gone it alone. Turned her circumstances into something to be cherished. And, in time, and justly so, decided to do right by her daughter. And Jessie.
She wasn’t a monster. She didn’t come into your life with malintent. You’d been caught in the shockwaves and fallout, but it wasn’t her fault or her intention.
She certainly didn’t need to try to save your relationship with Jessie. To keep you in Zoie’s life. In fact, it would’ve been much easier on her to have Jessie and Zoie to herself.
But she reached out to you anyway.
You felt your cheeks heating up. "Yeah. Thanks again for inviting me."
She shook her head. "Of course. You were very much wanted at this party. Someone had to tell you," she said with a smirk.
"Here. This is for Zoie," you said as you extended the gift. Sara gently pushed it back to you.
"Why don't you give it to her," she smiled, before adding with a smirk, "But she can't open it until after cake. Don't let her tell you otherwise."
You chuckled. “Sure. I’ll watch out for that.”
A beat passed and your pulse picked up again. You'd gone over in your head countless times what you wanted to say, and if you were going to say it, now would be the time.
"Um, this day is about Zoie, so I'm not going to take your focus away for long, but I want to just say something really quick," you said. Sara listened attentively.
“I wanted to say thank you for what you said the other day. I think I needed to hear it from someone other than Jessie. And, honestly,” you bit back a weak laugh, “you’re the most impartial, in a way. If it was Janine. Sinc. Elysse. Whoever, I feel like it wouldn’t have been the same. So, thank you, it means a lot.”
“I’m glad you weren’t upset that I reached out,” Sara admitted. “I mean, yes, Zoie absolutely kept badgering me and Jessie to invite you," she chuckled, "but beyond that, yeah."
She took a breath.
"I know it’s not my business. I mean, yes, Jessie’s life impacts Zoie’s, but Jessie’s obviously free to make her own choices and decisions. And honestly, I have no clue what ultimately went down between you two. None of my business either! I'm really just piecing things together from glimpses I've gotten during drop-off and pick-up, and things Zoie mentions.” She shrugged vaguely. “Jessie plays things very close to the vest, but - even if she never says anything - it’s obvious where she’s at and how she feels about you even now. And I wasn’t kidding - Zoie’s enchanted by you. Must run in the genes,” she said with a sly smirk before growing serious again. “So, this seemed like the right opportunity to say something.”
Your heart pounded in your chest as you processed her words. You weren't expecting her to say more than she did the other day.
But again, here you were. Jessie wasn't exactly confiding in Sara. She hadn't fallen into Sara's arms in your absence. It was even obvious to Sara, her ex, the mother of her child, that Jessie was still in love with you.
Your mind sharpened once more and you remembered what you planned to say. You cleared your throat.
"Thank you. I, um, I know things have been complicated. I don’t know how much has fallen back on you, or Zoie, during all of this. I hope not much at all. And I'm sorry for anything that did. I know things couldn’t have been easy for you either. A lot of big decisions along the way, uprooting your life and Zoie’s, rebuilding, introducing new family and friends into her life and yours. That’s a lot of change for anyone. You didn't know what you were going to find. That took a huge amount of courage. And I know you did it for Zoie and I respect that.” You took a quick breath. “But it really means a lot that you shared what you did. I know you didn't need to. So, thank you for this."
Your eyes drifted away before returning to her.
"I don’t exactly know what the future holds. But, I know that if I’m a part of Jessie’s life, I’m a part of Zoie’s. And I want you to know I don’t take that for granted. You've raised a really, really special girl. Zoie's wonderful. And even if I’ve been in and out of the picture, I really do care about her. A lot. I mean, she's great - full stop. But she's also a part of Jessie, which means...," you trailed off, not quite ready to declare to her that by proxy alone you'd of course love Zoie.
You took a quick breath.
"Anyway, I'm sure this is no surprise to you, but Zoie's made Jessie's life infinitely better. So, please don’t ever feel bad for bringing Jessie into her life. That little girl deserves to have her mama in her life, and Jessie deserves her just the same.”
Sara smiled appreciatively, taking a moment of her own. “Thank you. That really means a lot.”
Her gaze shifted over to the other room where Zoie was.
"And yeah, Zoie's pretty's amazing," she said as she faced you again. "I'm grateful for her. She was - certainly - a surprise. But an incredible one and I can't imagine my life without her now. And she just adores Jessie. If Zoie's made Jessie's life infinitely better, well Jessie has 1000% done the same for Zoie. I'm grateful to have her presence in Zoie's life."
Her tone was earnest already, but it grew more-so and she held your gaze pointedly. "There's lots of room for you in that life too, if you want it."
You were about to respond when you heard your name yelled from across the house.
"That's your cue," Sara said under her breath with a laugh.
You turned to see Zoie haphazardly climbing down off of Jessie and running towards you. Your attention was split between Zoie sprinting your direction and Jessie standing there shell-shocked, two other kids still hanging off of her.
"Happy birthday!" You greeted with a bright smile as your mind righted itself. You extended the gift to Zoie, but she bypassed it, running straight into your legs in a tight hug, sending you back a step with the force behind it. You laughed, reaching an arm down to embrace her.
"Zoie, my God," Sara laughed. "Take it easy, sweetie."
"You came!" Zoie exclaimed as she pulled back to look up at you.
"I couldn't miss your birthday," you told her as your hand came to her head affectionately. You knelt down in front of her and gave her a more fulsome hug.
"Mama, you invited her," Zoie smiled as she turned partially in your arms to look at Jessie with a laugh.
You looked up to see Jessie, now disentangled, tentatively approaching. Her mind obviously still processing everything. She looked between you and Sara perplexed, but a smile of awe and surprise crossed her face.
"I, um," Jessie stammered and Sara cut in.
"Honey, let's let mama and Y/N catch up. You'll get some more time with Y/N later, okay?" She said.
Zoie pulled back a touch, her arms still around you and pouted slightly. You held out the gift to her again.
"Here, this is for you. Why don't you go put it with the others," you said. The gift seemed the perfect distraction and she grabbed it and ran to Sara's side.
"What do you say?" Sara prompted her, disbelieving and mouthing you an apology.
"Thank you!" Zoie said with a toothy grin before running off once more.
Jessie was just closing the space when you rose to your feet, now face to face with her. Her eyes searched you in wonder, that smile still tugging at her mouth.
"W-what are you doing here?" She asked, eyes curious and hopeful.
"Sara invited me," you answered. Jessie's expression changed immediately and her head snapped around to look in the direction the woman had departed. She looked back to you right away with a frown.
"It's all good," you said as you nervously tucked your hair behind your ear. "She, um, she told me that Zoie wanted to invite me. She said you wouldn't - but I know why."
Jessie opened her mouth to defend herself and you held up a hand, gently coaxing her to stop.
"You're not mad that I showed up, are you?" You asked, though a faint smile pulled at your lips. Jessie did a double-take, adamantly shaking her head.
"No. Oh my God. No, of course not," she readily assured you. She frowned before giving an airy laugh. She took a moment to find her words, her cheeks growing red. "I'm...I'm very happy that you showed up."
"I wondered if you might be. Hence why I didn't say anything when you were away," you said, a playful smile now finally crossing your face.
She smiled wider with another shake of her head. "Yeah. Wait, when did this all happen?"
"This week. You were already at your parents' with Zoie," you relayed. She nodded slowly, an adorable frown on her face as she put the pieces together.
"And, thanks for texting me while you were away," you added. "It was nice to get updates. Felt like I was almost there sometimes," you finished more shyly than you'd intended. She gave you a grateful smile.
"Of course. You were-" she stopped for a second, centering herself and giving a nod as she offered you a quiet smile. "You were missed."
You nodded, much the same as her and wearing a quiet smile of your own.
You felt light.
"Okay. Well, this is Zoie's day, so I don't want to get too deep into things. But," you said slowly, your gaze drifting away momentarily before you smiled at Jessie once more, "if you'd like to take me up on that offer to talk, you could ask me out for coffee sometime." You held her gaze and added in emphasis. "Not as friends."
Jessie stood before you and you could see quiet shock come over her. Her eyes didn't leave yours, but you could see them dart across your face, looking for any signal of a misunderstanding.
Her eyes started to well and she let out a breath that sounded more like a stifled sob.
"Are you serious?" She asked, her eyes shimmering further as her eyebrows furrowed together, her emotions plain.
You smiled softly back at her and simply nodded.
"I mean, I could ask you out if you like," you said before you rest a hand on your hip and tapped your lips facetiously. "Hmm, you seem like someone who would like...[whatever we think Jessie's coffee of choice is]."
Jessie let out a watery laugh as she stepped forward and pulled you into her arms, hugging you tightly to her. You reciprocated immediately as you laughed gently in her ear.
"Oh my god," she said, her voice thick with emotion as she rocked you in place.
She sniffled and wiped at her eyes as she stepped back. Her face was bright red as she looked at you and your heart felt like it could burst.
"W-will you go out for coffee with me?" She asked, a slight stutter in her voice as she rode out her emotions. She laughed, wiping at another stray tear. "On a date."
You nodded readily, echoing her soft laugh.
"I'd love to."
"Mama?"
You both glanced down to see Zoie coming up, tugging lightly on Jessie's pant leg and looking up at her very concerned.
"What's wrong?" Zoie asked, looking so worried.
Jessie nearly started crying again. She gave a tearful laugh and bent down to scoop Zoie up into her arms, hugging her tightly.
"Nothing's wrong, sweetie. I promise," she said as she kissed Zoie's cheek. "I'm not sad. I'm great. I'm really happy. These are happy tears," she said with a sniffle as she held her close.
Zoie seemed to contemplate Jessie's explanation. She watched her carefully, though still a bit confused.
"Well, what are you happy about?" Zoie inquired. Jessie's gaze flit over to you before returning back to her daughter's.
"Y/N and I were just having a good conversation. And it made me very happy," she said. "Sometimes people cry when they're happy."
Zoie was still skeptical.
"Well, what were you talking about?"
Jessie shot you a look and you stepped in.
“Your mama’s right, Zoie. Tears aren’t always sad,” you reinforced. “In this case? Just boring adult talk.”
“What adult talk?” Zoie asked innocently. With this amount of determined curiosity, she was certainly Jessie’s child.
"Coffee," you said flatly for effect. "Kind of boring? Right?" Zoie made a face and you smiled at her before distracting. "Hey, how has dance been?"
Zoie's eyes lit up and she wriggled in Jessie's arms to be let down. Jessie set her down with a laugh and Zoie grabbed you by the hand to pull you into a more open area.
"I want to teach you my routine," she said excitedly. "I tried to teach Mama, but she’s not very good at it," she relayed very matter of fact and you stifled a laugh.
Zoie began showing you her routine and you played along, following her disjointed, but enthusiastic motions.
When you weren't paying attention to Zoie's choreography, your eyes were drawn to Jessie who now leaned back against the wall watching you both with a weepy smile, wiping at her tears with the sleeve of her hoodie now and then.
As Zoie showed you the steps, her hair wispy and wild in a messy pony tail, her cheeks rosy, smiling up at you and looking so much like Jessie’s baby photos - you recalled what Jessie told you so many months ago.
“How can I look at her and feel like my life is ruined?”
That argument seemed like another life now. The sorrow and insidious pain that coursed through you every moment during that period was a mere memory now.
As you smiled down at Zoie and over at Jessie who watched you both adoringly, you understood what Jessie meant. You felt it.
When you finished, Zoie ran off to rejoin her friends and Jessie approached you, still sniffling. She exhaled in self-effacing exaggeration.
"I'm a mess," she said.
"You're lovely," you countered without missing a beat.
Jessie shook her head slowly, looking at you with love like all the years before, but part of it felt new - deeper - as well.
"I love you so damn much," she said. She cracked a smirk a moment later. "That's totally appropriate to say before a first date, right?"
You laughed and you drew her into a kiss, soft and slow.
"Completely."
A/N: Not quite done yet. One more chapter.
Tag requests: @ryuushou @marvelwomen-simp @valuyhh
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cazort · 9 hours ago
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This. AND I want to get more specific and this is the hardest pill for a lot of people to swallow but it's really important.
A LOT of bullying happens because kids (and sometimes teachers, yes teachers bully too) find some kids annoying. Usually autistic or other neurodivergent kids, or kids who struggle for other reasons like a language barrier (parents who don't speak English, kid is learning ESL), cultural differences (immigrants or cultural or religious minorities, or people whose families and backgrounds are just plain weird), mental illness (including parents who might have mental illness), and trauma and abuse (often happening at home).
And instead of teaching kids the social skills they need, providing the extra support, or helping kids who are slow at learning social norms, people just bully kids for misreading social norms or overstepping unspoken boundaries or breaking unwritten rules.
This response is directly related to a lack of awareness of the unwritten rules and how to articulate them. Like...a lot of neurotypical people from the dominant culture in an area might follow rules without having to think or work at them, but they do so without a lot of self-awareness of them, and this is especially true of kids and young people in general.
There's a desperate need for education of teachers and authority figures in school about how to recognize social and behavioral issues that are acting as a trigger for bullying, and then articulate and explain unspoken social norms and unwritten rules, in a way that all these struggling kids can understand.
Teachers need training in how to communicate with:
autistic kids (who may take things literally, miss context, or interpret things in different ways)
kids with ADHD (who may zone out and miss instructions that most kids follow easily)
ESL kids
kids from different cultures (having some awareness of and contact with the relevant cultures is key -- I think it is absolutely mandatory to have some minimal training in and exposure to any culture that is majorly represented in a school system)
kids with trauma
I'm not saying they all need to be experts in it. But I think every teacher needs a certain amount of exposure to all this stuff and it needs to be something they consider when a kid is being bullied.
Look at what triggers the bullying, try to figure out what behavior is triggering it and then see how you can get through to the kid being bullied. Sometimes you need to explain to the kid how they are imposing on others. Other times you might need to help them stand up for themselves. Other times you might just need to tell the other kids to suck it up and deal with the fact that someone is being different in a way that doesn't hurt them, and the teacher needs a commanding enough presence to force the other kids to back down and make them look like idiots or assholes to the rest of the kids if they don't. I had a great 5th grade teacher who was so nice and always encouraging us to be nice to each other and he just had this vibe like...if people were being mean to each other he somehow seemed able to make people feel really bad about it in a self-motivated way because he was just all about being nice and he was frankly a little scary about it but in a good way but somehow it created an environment of being genuinely nice to each other, while being strong and assertive. We need more of that.
all public school anti-bullying activism is extremely transparent and meaningless
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