#canned garbanzo beans

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

i am officially making the worst soup known to man

[gabrielora]

Head cannon for Simon Petrikov: he just eats garbanzo beans constantly. He drinks them out of the can, he eats uncooked cans of tuna without a fork. He slathers mustard on it and licks it clean.

[thoughts-of-endless-night]

found a black bean in my can of garbanzo beans

[potatoesandsunshine]

soup day soup day soup day soup

[isaaceats]

These are incredibly easy, cheap, delicious, and healthy. Like, basically nothing else get as high a score on all of these metrics at once, you usually have to trade off convenience for cost, or deliciousness for healthiness, but roast chickpeas have it all.

The only negative thing I can think of is they tend to roll away, especially as a salad topping.

The first time I made crispy roasted chickpeas (for the stew), I said to my husband, “Now that I know how easy these are, I’m unstoppable.”

The second time I made them (for a salad topping), I said, “Do you want any more of these to snack on? I might have some more, but I don’t know… Actually, these are so easy I can’t afford not to eat them.”

Honestly? Life-changing snack. Go fuck myself. Wonderful chickpea revolution. Here’s what you do: dry these beans as much as you can (strainer, then paper towels), toss with olive oil and salt, bake on tray at 200c for like 30 minutes, stirring 2~3 times. Sprinkle with delicious spices, or pop directly in mouth.

(Also, the salad dressing is yogurt, tahini, roasted garlic, lemon, and olive oil, blended roughly with a fork and left in the fridge a few hours. It is also delicious.) 

[corbinite]

I'm in my garbanzo era. Absolutely chickpeapilled

[superrecordings]

Recipe for Busy Day Lunch Salad To make a quick and energizing salad, open a can of garbanzo beans, chop some tomato and onion, and combine with mozzarella cheese, lemon juice, and olive oil.

[ericandjessiedaily]

Instant Pot Classic Hummus - Appetizers and Snacks

[fairuzfan]

A video from Mahmoud Abusalama about the current situation in the North of Gaza. Here is a translation of what he's saying from the comments that's pretty accurate:

‘Northern Gaza is dying of hunger. Today is Friday and a blessed Friday to you and us. We’ve lived through 8 months of a real famine, particularly in the Northern Gaza Strip. Our primary meal, throughout all these days and in these conditions, came from canned foods. Which canned foods (you ask)? We brought some with us today. Here’s a can of fava beans, here’s a can of garbanzo beans, and here’s a can of peas. And all of them are Jordanian products, and thank you to the Jordanian people. We’ve been living in this system of (eating) canned foods for 8 months. Getting into the heavy duty stuff now, our best regards go to Ghadeer (chicken luncheon) meat. This is a Jordanian product and it is an honor to have it included in the aid that comes to the Gaza Strip. Every Palestinian household has been living off of Ghadeer for 8 months and we’re still alive. Our intestines are full of Ghadeer. Wherever you go, it’s Ghadeer. This can is chicken luncheon, and it’s the only one of its kind in the markets in the Gaza Strip. We’ve been eating this for 8 months. Let’s talk about Friday. It’s Friday, so prepare for your guests, and bon appetite to you all. Many people eat meat and chicken and that’s their due and their situation, because they’re not living in Gaza, so here’s to your health, a thousand-fold. However, on another set of coordinates of the planet you’re living on, is a place called ‘The Gaza Strip’, particularly the Northern Gaza Strip. We are living off of these canned foods in pain and oppression, with malnutrition, along with 8 months of pleading and the shouting of starving people, and the corpses of babies who died of starvation. The people of Gaza are dying of starvation. This is the reality of the life we are living. Our life in the Northern Gaza Strip can be considered as garbanzo, peas, fava and Ghadeer. Ghadeer is steadfast with us, so our best regards to Ghadeer and its resilience, and may our Lord Relieve us.’

(From Med): Honestly, I've lost words to say at this point. What more do they want from the people of Gaza? No one should be treated like this in their lives but we're 2/3rds of a year into this genocide and no end in sight. I mean. What they want? What does the world want from them?

[gravehags]

enter lydia

Pairing: Cardinal Copia x f!Reader (Curator!Reader)

Rating: Teen

Tags: meet the best friend, reader being goofy as fuck, copia being incredibly anxious, real friendship talk, dinner parties, terzo being clueless

Words: 4,829

Summary: Your oldest, dearest friend and the love of your life. What could possibly go wrong?

a/n: reader backstory tiiiiime, copia's really in for it lol

~~~

“Hey hon?” you ask, poking at your boxed salad with your fork.

“Mmhmm?” Copia responds, currently distracted by trying to recover his pen which has fallen and rolled under the desk. You hear a telltale thump and him cursing softly, and when he emerges, his biretta sits charmingly crooked on his mussed hair. Briefly you forget what you were even going to ask him as he looks at you with a soft smile before getting off his knees and plopping back down in his seat.

“Oh!” you say, it coming back to you, “I wanted to ask you…can I have like…a guest here? Like a visitor?”

Copia blinks at you.

“Visitor?” he asks, baffled, “Amore, you are not a prisoner! Of course you can have someone come see you? Eh, who did you have in mind?”

Part of you wants to casually say “my parents” just to watch the color drain from his face as he stammers but you spare your love the agony.

“My best friend,” you say, halfway through a bite of lettuce, “Lydia? I’m sure I’ve mentioned her before. She’s um, going to be in the area for a work conference and wanted to spend a few days with me. I just didn’t know what the protocol was for that. I mean, Sister Imperator isn’t going to shit her pants is she?”

“Ah,” he waves his hand dismissively, “siblings’ families visit them all the time, why should you be any different? And we have nothing to hide. We would welcome her with open arms.”

Your shoulders sag in relief.

“Okay good, because she’s coming next week and I’m going to be honest with you, asking for permission was kind of a formality. I was going to do it either way.”

Copia laughs.

“Taking the ‘better to ask for forgiveness’ route, huh? I admire that. I suppose we won’t sacrifice her in some arcane ritual now.”

It’s your turn to laugh.

“Uh, I don’t know that you could handle that. She’s a fighter, through and through. She’d definitely kick your ass.”

He frowns and presses a gloved hand to his chest.

“Cara, you wound me. Are you implying that I could not defend your honor?”

“Cope, I saw Secondo grab your hands and slap you while saying ‘stop hitting yourself’ for ten minutes after you pissed him off at the last Uno night. Respectfully, you are a lover, not a fighter.”

“Oh, but what a lover I am, eh? Everyone else on your floor probably heard what I did to you last night hehe–”

“Copia,” you say, blushing as you stab a garbanzo bean, “you’re starting to sound like Terzo.”

He actually gasps at that.

“Fuck the thing about fighting, now you’ve really offended me, dolcezza,” he says gruffly, returning to his own lunch, “but please tell your friend she is welcome here. Any friend of my amore’s is a friend of mine.”

You smile tightly.

“I sure hope so,” you say under your breath.

___

Copia’s nervous.

He hasn’t been this nervous in a long time - probably since before the two of you started dating - and he can feel the sweat accumulate on his palms underneath the leather of his gloves. He looks over to you, excitedly bouncing on the balls of your feet. When you look at him, you give him a wide smile.

“Are you nervous?” you ask, reaching a hand out to cup his elbow. A rivulet of sweat rolls down his back under his cassock. He smiles. Nervously.

“No, no, of course not. You don’t look excited at all, though.”

You giggle.

“I haven’t seen her since I went back home for Christmas! And so much has changed since then. That was right before we got together. I’ve told her all about you, by the way.”

He chuckles weakly but in your giddiness you don’t notice his discomfort. A car pulls into the long driveway and his heart plunges into his stomach. You’re practically vibrating at this point watching the car come closer and closer until it’s pulling in front of the steps the two of you are standing on. You don’t wait for her to get out of the car, instead flying down the stairs to meet her at the door. When she opens it you let out a high-pitched shriek.

“Hold on, let me get out of the damn car,” he hears a deep, amused, female voice speak. The woman that emerges is…not what he pictured. She’s tall - taller than him (though Secondo would say that’s no feat), broad shouldered, and muscular. Her dark curly hair streaked with bright red is piled on top of her head in a bun and before he can make any other observations, you throw yourself into her arms.

“Hey, babygirl,” she laughs, pulling you in for a tight hug and kissing you on top of your head, “I missed you.”

“Missed you more!” he hears you wail as the two of you rock back and forth in your embrace. He fiddles with his cuffs, unsure of whether he should introduce himself now or–

“You must be him,” she says, her tone shifting entirely. Copia blanches.

“Yes! This is–c’mere,” you say, gesturing to him to come down to where the two of you stand, “this is Cardinal Copia. Copia, this is Lydia Morales, my angel and dearest friend.”

He bows slightly.

“It’s eh, a pleasure to meet you, signorina,” he says, reaching out his hand. Lydia looks down at it and takes it in her own. Giving him a tight smirk, she squeezes in a hard enough handshake that he lets out an undignified squeak similar to one of his rats.

“Pleasure’s all mine…Cardinal.” The slight sneer in her voice when she addresses him immediately lets him know that this is going to be a long three days. When she mercifully releases his hand he flexes his fingers in an attempt to get feeling back in them. Lydia’s shrewd, dark eyes stare him down, sweeping over his appearance.

“Um,” you say, clearly thrown by the tension between your lover and your friend, “L-let me help you with your bag, Lyd. There’s a guest room for you all ready.”

“No need,” Lydia says, walking over to the trunk and smacking it firmly. The ghoul, still in the driver seat, pops it and she hauls an overstuffed carry-on out as if it’s made of air. 

“Oh, making me swoon,” you say with a smile, nudging her arm.

“I live to please, doll,” Lydia smirks as the three of you head up the steps, “this is quite a place.”

“Isn’t it?” you open the heavy front door and usher everyone inside, “Lydia you will not believe the architecture and the art here, it’s Heaven!”

“Wouldn’t ‘Hell’ be more appropriate,” she says dryly, her eyes briefly flicking over to him. She brings her hand to her neck and fishes out a small, gold cross on a delicate chain from under her t-shirt. For the second time that day, Copia’s heart plummets.

“Haha, very amusing,” you turn to him, “My love, you don’t have to stick around if you don’t want to. You’re more than welcome to of course but I’m just going to get her settled.”

You must have finally picked up on his discomfort and he would kiss you right now if he didn’t think that Lydia would clock him in the face.

“Eh, I do have some things to attend to,” he stops, bowing slightly again to Lydia, “Forgive me, signorina. You will join us tonight for dinner, I hope?”

“Oh fuck,” you murmur, “I completely forgot - Copia’s brothers are hosting a little al fresco get together. You interested?”

Lydia nods slowly, smiling.

“‘Course I’m interested. I’d like to meet this chef you told me about - is he one of your, uh, brothers, Cardinal?”

“Sì, that is my brother Secondo. Are there any restrictions to your diet I should tell him about?”

“Not at all, I’ll eat anything that moves unlike this one over here,” she gestures with her thumb in your direction and you roll your eyes.

“I’m sure Secondo will be pleased to have a less picky eater join his gathering,” you comment then turn to him, “Alright then see you later?”

He nods, and when you approach to kiss to his cheek he does not miss the way Lydia’s eyes narrow.

“Eh, see you later. Ciao.”

He doesn’t breathe again until the two of you are down the hallway and round the corner out of sight.

___

“What do you think of your digs? Pretty nice, right?”

You plop down on the gilded loveseat in the little living room adjacent to the small bedroom where Lydia is currently unpacking.

“Real nice. This whole place is nice. Makes you wonder where they got the money.”

Your lips twitch downwards.

“It’s an old institution - as old as the Catholic church. You don’t ask them where they got their money.”

“Fair enough,” Lydia concedes, standing in the doorway folding a shirt. Her lips are held in a tight line and you know she’s holding back from saying what she really thinks.

“Tell me,” you say, leaning forward to rest your forearms on your thighs, “and don’t think I didn’t notice how fucking weird you were with Copia earlier, either.”

Lydia sighs and looks at you.

“Can I be honest?”

“Why are you even asking when you know you’re going to be anyway? Like I said, tell me.”

“He’s too old,” she says bluntly, and you recoil, “and he’s your coworker which is a whole other rat’s nest. This place is way freaky - I mean, a Satanic church? Girlie, I know you’re not picky about religions but–”

“And neither are you, so why is it a problem all of a sudden now that I’m involved with a member of one in opposition from your religion?”

Lydia sighs and rubs her eye.

“Because you’re my best friend? My best friend who calls me up one day and says ‘I’m in love with a Satanic cardinal who is old enough to be my father’ while being sequestered away from her family and friends for almost a year? Babe, tell me you wouldn’t be concerned if I had done the same. I love you and I love that you’re happy but I’m worried. Your parents are too, honestly.”

“You…you’ve spoken to my parents about this?”

“Of course I have. We didn’t see you for months before last Christmas and yeah, we’ve talked but I don’t know. Please tell me you understand why we’re concerned.”

“I’m in my fucking thirties, I’m not a child, Lydia–”

“Look me in the eyes and say you wouldn’t be worried if it was me.”

A beat passes. You chew on your bottom lip.

“Exactly,” Lydia says, sighing and walking over to sit down next to you, “Listen, I didn’t come here to be a buzzkill for three days, I came here to spend time with you. And you know I gotta scope this Cardinal Copia guy out for myself, huh? Make sure he’s worthy of an angel like you. Typical best friend shit, you know?” she nudges you with her body before wrapping an arm around your shoulders. You want to be mad but all in all…she’s right and you know it. Exhaling through your nose you lean into her while she toys with your hair.

“Please keep an open mind?” you ask quietly, “I know they’re spooky, scary Satanists and everything but…they’ve taken care of me all this time. Without Copia, I’m…” you sniffle, tears welling in your eyes, “I’m not even sure I’d be alive right now. You two are everything to me. Both of you.”

“Alright,” Lydia says softly, kissing you on top of your head, “whatever my girl wants. I promise I won’t grill him too hard.”

“Thank you,” you say, “you’re more than welcome to…I don’t know, suss out his intentions or whatever but remember that I love him. So don’t do that weird thing where you offer to crack people’s backs by picking them up around him or anything, okay? He’s already petrified of you.”

Lydia laughs and shoves you away.

“Hey fuck you, that’s my go-to party trick. Ladies love it.”

You roll your eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Are you done unpacking? I want to show this place off to you before we head to this dinner thing.”

“Let me freshen up and change clothes and I’m all yours.”

“Now that’s what I like to hear.”

___

“So, Terzo is the oldest one.”

“No, Primo is the oldest one. Secondo is uh…second, then Terzo, then Copia.”

“Shit, sorry. And they’re all Satanic popes?”

“Terzo is the current one, Primo and Secondo are…retired. And Copia’s a cardinal, you know that.”

“Right, right. Sounds like a lot of fucking dudes, just like the Catholic side. Where are the women at?”

“They’re around, trust me. Not sure if Sister Imperator is going to be in attendance tonight but she’s pretty high up there, I think. There’s a few female cardinals too but I haven’t really gotten the chance to know them outside of passing them in the hall. And then there’s the sisters too, I– Lydia, don’t.”

“What?” Lydia asks with a sly grin, waggling her eyebrows, “Sisters huh? You know I always had a thing for–”

“And you talk about me having a weird priest fetish?” you whisper, holding back a laugh, “Down, girl.”

As if on cue, two sisters - one wearing a tight miniskirt as a habit and the other in a long dress with a very high slit up the side - come out of one of the seminar classrooms. They smile politely at you but when they catch sight of Lydia, their jaws drop.

“Afternoon, ladies,” Lydia purrs with a smile. You make a gagging motion behind the sisters’ backs as they giggle and walk away, occasionally glancing over their shoulders. Lydia licks her lips.

“Not you going full ‘hey mamas’ lesbian,” you wheeze, “I’m having war flashbacks from college.”

“What? We had fun!"

“No,” you laugh, “you had fun. You got laid. I sat at the bar and got mistaken for someone’s mom. More than once.”

“Didn’t help that you used to dress like a senator when we went to the club,” Lydia says with a smile, causing you to whip around and point at her accusingly.

“First of all, business casual was the club look back then and you know that, and second of all, fuck you very much.”

Grinning, Lydia wraps an arm around your shoulders and deposits a wet kiss at your temple.

“You haven’t changed a bit,” she says as you march down the hall side by side, “Should I tell Copia about that time we made out senior year or…”

Your face goes ghostly white.

“Lydia Rosa Morales that was one time and I had a lot of vodka and-and you said—“

“Oh I know what I said,” Lydia agrees, “but what if I changed my mind, hmm? What if I want you all to myself?”

“Lydia do not even go there I—“

“Christ, please unclench I’m just fucking with you. Been a while since you got a taste of your own medicine, huh?”

“God, now I’m really gonna let them sacrifice you tonight. See you in hell, you stupid fruit or whatever that meme was.”

“Wow, lesbophobia from my own best friend…”

“You remember I’m gay too, right?”

“Yeah but–oh. Hello.”

You’re jarred by how polite Lydia sounds all of a sudden until you turn around and are met with Sister Imperator standing there smiling and looking deeply unsettling.

“Sister!” you say, trying to recover yourself, “This is my dearest and oldest friend, Lydia. Lydia, this is Sister Imperator my uh…boss. Lydia is visiting with us–with me– for the next few days.”

“How lovely,” she says as she reaches out to take Lydia’s hand, her gaze directed towards the cross Lydia always wears, “Catholic?” 

“Uh, yeah. I mean, I went through the whole thing y’know - baptism, confirmation - I just don’t really attend now unless my parents drag me. Mostly just like the art and the vibes.”

A silence falls between the three of you and you can tell by the way Lydia fidgets with her watch she is extremely uncomfortable. As are you. Where you’re slightly more accustomed to Imperator’s off-putting presence, Lydia is left uncharacteristically meek and quiet. It’s not a look you enjoy seeing on her.

“Well, just giving Lydia a tour so I guess we’ll be on our way,” you say with a nervous smile, taking your friend’s hand and gently tugging her away.

“Give my regards to the Cardinal, dear,” Imperator says, folding her hands in front of her and giving you a pointed look. The two of you haven’t had any real conversations beyond terse staff meeting discussions since the incident in her office and you swallow thickly before nodding. You don’t breathe again until she turns and clacks away on her stilettos.

“Bro, what the fuck,” Lydia breathes, squeezing your hand, “that’s your boss?”

“Uh-huh,” you say as the two of you slowly begin to walk down the hall again, “she’s…a lot. Listen, you can’t let anyone know that you know this or that I told you but…that’s Copia’s mom.”

“What?”

“Yeah it’s…a whole situation. I’ll explain it someday when you and Copia actually like each other.”

“You’ve officially given me a reason to get along with him tonight. I want the tea.”

You withdraw your hand and smack her arm with it.

“Because being the person I love wasn’t enough of a reason? Dickhead.”

___

Copia’s nervous. Again.

He had to slip up to his rooms to change cassocks after he left the office from how disgustingly damp it was and now he stands in the gardens watching ghouls set up a dining table.

“Are you going to help, or just stand there fretting?”

Terzo, doling out plates onto the rustic table, is looking over at him with an uncharacteristically furrowed brow.

“Ah, yes, mi dispiace. I was preoccupied.”

“Uh-huh,” he says, watching Copia reach the table and begin folding napkins while dodging eye contact. “You’re worried her friend doesn’t like you.”

Copia scoffs.

“Oh, I know her friend doesn’t like me. That’s not the issue. The issue is how do I change that.”

Terzo pulls back and thoughtfully rests his weight on his hip.

“I could charm her for you - you know how irresistible the ladies find me.”

Copia coughs, loud and sharp.

“Eh, I don’t think that’s going to work.”

Terzo looks offended and crosses his arms.

“And whyever not? You doubt my ability to sweep people off their feet?”

“That’s not what I’m saying, what I’m saying is–”

“You two!” The two younger siblings jolt to attention as Primo approaches bearing a vase filled with a variety of flowers, “Go help Secondo in the kitchen, he glamored the ghouls but now they can’t remember how to serve hors d'oeuvres and keep gobbling down all the prosciutto.”

Copia heaves a sigh.

“If Secondo can’t fix the problem, I don’t know how much help we’ll be but if you insist. Come on, fratello.”

___

“Hey, you look great!”

You gesture to Lydia in her linen pantsuit and she grins charmingly, pointing at you in return.

“Not looking so bad yourself, babygirl.” She reaches down to graze the fabric of your yellow floral sundress before taking a finger and tapping the delicate gold grucifix that rests on your neck.

“Huh. He give this to you?”

“Yeah. The night we first kissed. He wanted to welcome me into the family.”

Lydia says nothing, but the face she makes shows her equal parts impressed and wary. You loop your arm through hers.

“C’mon, gardens are this way. They’re beautiful, I think Copia said they were setting the table up near the orchards.”

The walk through the abbey and past the greenhouses is quiet, both of you more than happy to enjoy the comfortable silence afforded to you by years of friendship. When you approach the grassy area next to a row of citrus trees, you gasp. 

“This is gorgeous!” you gush, and the tall, lanky figure of Primo turns to face you with a smile.

“Buonasera, fiore mio. And you must be Signorina Morales?”

“I am yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you uh…Papa.”

“Primo,” he insists, “there will be many papas here tonight and we will all begin to seem like the same person after a while. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll fetch my brothers. Please, please enjoy.”

He gestures to what you assume are ghouls - though they do not wear their standard silver masks - standing silently and bearing large silver platters of–

“Oh fuck, cheese,” Lydia groans, snagging a small plate off the table and loading it up. “You just gonna stand there, or…?”

“Yeah, I’m just looking for–” you turn around and nearly jump out of your skin at the ghoul who appears behind you, bearing two glasses of prosecco. You thank him profusely and hand one to your friend, who makes an impressed face.

“Salute, you little Satan fucker,” she grins.

“I’m not–ugh. Salute, dumbass,” you say, clinking your glass together. 

“Bella mia!”

The all too familiar cry of Terzo rings out as he and his brothers head over to your nook. You exhale heavy through your nose and shake your head as he runs up to plant a kiss on both cheeks.

“Hello, Terzo,” you say, “This–”

You turn to introduce Lydia but Terzo has already swooped in and captured her hand in both of his gloved ones. He looks up at her with wide eyes, a grin playing on his lips.

“Oh, here we go,” you mutter under your breath.

“This Amazonian beauty must be your darling amica, Lydia. Signorina it is my honor and pleasure to make your acquaintance. I…am Terzo Emeritus.”

When he bends to place a kiss to the back of her hand you force yourself to take a sip of prosecco to keep from laughing at her expression. She looks over at you and smiles wide with a wink.

“Signore Terzo, the pleasure is all mine,” she murmurs, fluttering her eyelashes. Oh Lord. You walk away and spot Copia speaking quietly with Secondo.

“Hello, fratello,” you say, standing on tippy toes to press a kiss to Secondo’s cheek, “Hello, my love. Everything uh…everything alright?”

“So far, so good,” Secondo says, eyeing one of the ghouls, “they haven’t done anything weird, have they?”

“Weird? Like ‘developing a twitch’, weird or ‘sacrificing a goat in front of us’, weird?”

“Either, but the latter would be most alarming considering that’s not something we actually do, piccolina,” Secondo scolds, and you smile.

“Oh, you know, sacrificing goats, sacrificing virgins, same thing right?”

“We don’t do that either, and you would know better than most wouldn’t you?” Secondo’s smirks at your gobsmacked expression as he walks away to see Primo and Copia sighs.

“Tell me when it’s over, amore,” he says quietly and you take his hand to press a kiss to the back of it.

“Hey, remember this is just as stressful for me too, right? Sure she’s meeting them but really…they’re meeting her. I would genuinely not be surprised if she’s got Secondo in a headlock by the end of the night and Terzo professing his undying adoration for her.”

Copia cocks his head, frowning.

“Does he know that she’s—”

“Nah. He can find out the hard way. It’ll be good for him.”

For the first time all day, a genuine smile spreads across his face. 

“I adore you,” he says, leaning over to kiss you on the cheek and then dutifully wipe his lipstick off.

“Really? Hmm, had no idea. Come on my love, we have to be social at some point.”

“As you wish.”

—-

“You’ve been dodging me all night, huh?”

Copia’s eyes go wide as he finishes pouring his glass of wine and turns around. Lydia is standing behind him, half smile on her face and a hand in her pocket.

“Eh…no. No, I have simply been–”

“Dipping and dodging like you’re being paid to do it,” she smiles, “Listen, I get it. I’m intimidating, I know. But we all want the same thing here, right?”

“We…we do?”

“Sure - we want her–” Lydia says, gesturing over to you smiling and laughing at something Terzo said, “--happiness. You know we met in middle school?”

“Sì, sì, she said something to that effect.”

There’s a pause, and Lydia takes a sip of wine.

“She ever tell you how we met?”

Copia pauses, thoughtfully.

“I…don’t believe so, no.”

Lydia moves to stand by his side so they both have a clear view of you.

“She switched schools when she was twelve - I’m sure she’s told you about that bullshit she went through.”

Copia nods solemnly.

“Indeed.”

“Well she came to my school. Mid-school year…brutal time. Everyone’s already made their friendships - everyone except me. No one wanted to hang out with the beefy girl who towered a head over everyone else. I had kinda resigned myself to my social outcast fate when one day - there was a new face in class, sitting next to me. I was too shy to say hello but she wasn’t - immediately she smiled big at me and introduced herself. She didn’t fit in either, just a little too awkward and excitable about certain things, and we got along like a house on fire. She was the first real friend I ever had. We’ve been through everything together - made a point of going to the same college so we wouldn’t be separated. It’s been tough, not having her around you know?”

Copia nods slowly. He knew the two of you were close but his heart aches at the way her voice catches on the last word.

“I…am sorry.”

Lydia turns to him.

“What for?”

“All of it. For absconding with her attention and physical presence, for the shit you both went through. I…I love her desperately. I know I’m…I’m old and strange but I would do anything for her. Anything, Lydia. And I suspect you would do the same.”

She clears her throat and takes a sip of her wine.

“The way she talks about you…even over text it’s clear you have her heart. Like, you should see some of the shit she sends me. Real ooey, gooey, cringe shit. Up until you came into her life she always told me she had accepted the fact that she was just not meant to be loved. Which you and I both know is fucking bullshit but she really believed that. She really believed someone as kind and smart and pretty as her deserved to be alone. When she first started here she had such a hard time, you know? The depression and the anxiety and I felt helpless because I was so far away. But then she started talking about The Cardinal and how the two of you were spending time together and how giddy you made her feel. How you made this a home for her. And for that I’m grateful, so thank you Copia. And I apologize for my uh…gruff treatment earlier.”

Copia has the inside of his cheek wedged between his teeth in an attempt to keep from tearing up but when he looks over at Lydia and sees her doing the same, he lets out a little sob. She leans forward and presses a kiss to his cheek.

“Oh my fucking God, Lydia you did not make my boyfriend cry. What did you say to him?”

You’re by his side in a flash, thumbs dutifully wiping the smudged black paint from his cheeks.

“Relax, babygirl. We’re cool, right Copia?”

He nods and smiles.

“Yeah. Cool. She didn’t even threaten me once.”

You sigh and give both of them a look. Primo calls out your name and waves you over to the dining table and when you turn to leave Copia makes to leave too but before he can, a hand is wrapped tightly around his wrist.

“All that being said,” Lydia murmurs, very casual, “if you ever do anything - and I mean anything - to hurt her I’ll fucking snap your neck and make it look like an accident. I don’t care how powerful your Ministry is. I will make you bleed. Know that.”

Lydia’s gaze is intense and Copia nods solemnly.

“Anyway,” she says, suddenly boisterous, wrapping an arm around his shoulders in a crushing hug, “let’s go see the others. I’m not done tormenting your brother, yet. He’s something else.”

“Eh, sì he sure is something. And he hasn’t figured it out yet?”

Lydia grins as they march over to the others.

“I don’t think that man could recognize a woman who is only attracted to other women if I wore nothing but my strap and a lesbian flag.”

Copia groans.

“Please don’t let him hear you say that, he’s probably into that.”

[robotmechagirl]

Prepped a bunch of garbanzo beans, rice, and avocado as easy breakfast meals so that I can gain weight and get thick thighs. :3 Maybe it will help with the boobs too as well as rounding out my face more.

If I could eat like… 3k calories for a while maybe I could keep some weight on me 😒

[forkfulofflavor]

Baked Chickpeas with Butternut Squash Ingredients: 2 15-oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed 1.5 lb butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 1/2 inch pieces (about 4 rounded cups) 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1/2 cup milk 1/4 cup half-and-half 3 garlic cloves, peeled 6-8 fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped Salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon) Freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, divided (about 10-15 sprigs) 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to top Directions: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease a large baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Spread the cubed butternut squash and garlic cloves on the baking sheet, drizzling with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until the squash is tender. Set aside to cool but keep the oven on. In a food processor, blend together the milk, half-and-half, roasted garlic, chopped sage, 1 teaspoon of thyme, salt, and pepper. Add half of the roasted butternut squash (about 2 cups) and blend until smooth. In a small-medium casserole dish (1.5 - 2.5 quarts), combine the chickpeas and remaining roasted squash. Pour the butternut squash sauce over the mixture, stirring gently to combine. Top generously with grated Parmesan and the remaining fresh thyme leaves, and sprinkle with black pepper. Bake for 10 minutes, until the casserole is warmed through and the cheese melts. Broil for 2-3 minutes to brown the Parmesan slightly, watching closely to prevent burning. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cooking Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes Kcal: 350 kcal | Servings: 6 This Baked Chickpeas with Butternut Squash dish is an ode to cozy fall flavors with tender butternut squash, nutty chickpeas, and a creamy sauce infused with fresh sage and thyme. The roasted garlic and Parmesan add a rich, savory depth that makes every bite warming and comforting. It’s the perfect side or main for a chilly evening meal, bringing together wholesome ingredients in a simple yet elegant casserole. The beauty of this dish is in its simplicity; it's easy to prepare and versatile enough to pair with a variety of sides or enjoy on its own. Whether you’re hosting a dinner or looking for a quick weekday meal, this Baked Chickpeas with Butternut Squash casserole is sure to please with its creamy texture, balanced flavors, and delightful aroma. It’s a seasonal favorite that brings a comforting, home-cooked touch to any table.

[i-have-a-goal]

I had said a few days ago I would be posting my tips on how I lose weight the fastest & how i got it done being in sports that enabled this ♡ so here I go:

Btw- just need to say this quickly- I don't condone this and get help if you are able to ♡ much luv

Okay with that here it is teehee:

☆ Okay so When I was in wrestling, we had to make sure we made weight- no if . If you were 6 lbs over then you had to find a way to lose 6lbs by Saturday. When I was put in this situation, some of the girls would 🤮 of course, but I wasn't a fan of the taste so I def took alternative routes such as

1. Calorie Deficit= DUH. Obv. Duh. For safety reasons I'm going to say 1,400 max (which isn't much In real life lol) but I would eat around 800-1,200 max for this. I wouldn't really say I watch what I eat, but I'm also not just downing pure doritos and mountain due. I'll have chips but I'll also eat fruits.

2. Working out/ cardio= I know.. it's a bummer isn't it? But I'm being 1000% honest with you, calorie deficit combined with hot cardio is the key to losing weight quickly. This is what we all did to make sure we were at the correct weight within 7 days. And it's not walk around the block or sit on the floor and do donkey kicks either... it doesn't have to be extremely intense, but you do want to make sure you're sweating the whole time. ☆ bonus points for putting on 2-3 jackets and pajama pants or hot sweats when u workout!! It does a lot of the job for you. For me, my go to would be using the treadmill (I don't even run girl I have it on level 3 and do this for 30 mins while listening to music and day dreaming about my cute skinny future self- and I still sweat like crazy) I also do the same thing on a indoor bike. Like I said, it doesn't have to be sprints or anything crazy , just something that keeps you moving enough to be hot = sweat. Think of jumping Jacks, planks, butterfly kicks, ladder climbs, etc. Also if you have a jacket with a Hoodie, def tie the hoodie secured so u can sweat more! It works I promise.

3. if you have the time, try to workout whatever you just ate sooner than later. For example, ate an apple? That's 95 cals, nothing a 25 minute walk can't burn off 👍🏻

4. DRINK YOUR WATER. I know everyone says it BUT there's a reason they do okay. Water keeps your lips hydrated and soft. Water will keep your body hydrated, water will help keep you full (to an extent if im going to be honest) if you feel hungry after drinking water, try sucking or chewing on ice- water's cousin ♡ they go hand in hand. Also- I add chia seeds to my water for the fiber and mint leaves with lemon and Cucumber in another ( I have different cups) the mint drink helps with bad breath (from not eating) AND speeds your metabolism = lose weight faster. I also drink green tea for the same benefits + 0 calories so yay ♡

5. FOOD EXAMPLES. Chances are, If you're too focused on how hungry you are and how much it sucks that you can't have fatty foods- you'll break. You won't succeed. So let's make it as beautiful as we can. By that I mean the dishes you make. Some popular dishes we would do within the sport was 6-8 leafs of big crunchy Romaine lettuce with lemon and salt over them. That's around 10-15 calories. Another one was thin slices of tomatoes with salt. Get creative and add seasoning if needed ✨️ if you like spicy food then you're in luck cause adding spice to anything fills u up quicker:-) a good spicy choice I do is steamed garbanzo beans with tapatio. Another good (non spicy) option is steamed artichoke with light Mayo! Get fancy here guys yall can steam so many vegetables and have so many nice looking meals 😊

6. STAY CONSISTENT = I know it's easier said than done, but when you're about to grab that pizza, understand that you're conscious enough to make the decision to not eat it. If your body is fighting with your brain, then you have to trick one of them. Yes, be delulu. Tell yourself it isn't good. Tell yourself the pizza is just another thick slab of grease with artificial cheese over it. Think of how you'll feel once you eat it. Think of the grease lard and calories you're shoving down your throat. Convince yourself it's disgusting. Eventually, you will find it disgusting. And this can work the opposite way as well ✨️ glorify thin slices of fruit. The satisfying way it feels to eat low calorie naturally sweetened fruits from earth. Same with veggies and water and anything 0 calories.

If I have any other advice ( which I'm sure I do I can't just think at the moment!! Smh) then I'll be posting them on this account so follow me for more content but if there's 1 thing to take from all this, it's this:

Self-discipline & self-control

So many of us don't get to our goal weights because of these 2 right here. Find the self control to not eat the food your family brought home. Find the self discipline to carry on your good habits of eating minimal & healthy and gradually make your way to the end goal ✨️

I believe in you all! We got this, one day at a time 💕

[madamlaydebug]

The foods within the States that create the least amount of mucus in the body. VEGETABLES

* Amaranth greens – same as Callaloo, a variety of Spinach

* Avocado

* Bell Peppers

* Chayote (Mexican Squash)

* Cucumber

* Dandelion greens

* Garbanzo beans

* Green banana

* Izote – cactus flower/ cactus leaf

* Kale

* Lettuce (all, except Iceberg)

* Mushrooms (all, except Shiitake)

* Nopales (Mexican Cactus

* Okra seasonal * Olives (not soaked in vinegar)

* Onions

* Poke salad – greens

* Purslane (Verdolaga)

* Sea Vegetables (wakame/dulse/arame/hijiki/nori)

* Squash - except pumpkin

* Tomato – cherry & plum/roma only

* Tomatillo

* Turnip greens

* Watercress

* Zucchini

FRUITS

(No canned or seedless fruits)

* Apples

* Bananas – the smallest one or the Burro/mid-size (original banana)

* Berries – all varieties – no cranberries

* Cantaloupe

* Cherries

* Currants

* Dates

* Figs

* Grapes – Seeded

* Limes (key limes preferred with seeds)

* Mango

* Melons – Seeded

* Orange (Seville or sour preferred)

* Papayas

* Peaches

* Pear

* Plums

* Prickly Pear (Cactus Fruit)

* Prunes

* Raisins – Seeded

* Soft Jelly Coconuts

* Soursops – (Latin or West Indian markets)

* Tamarind

GRAINS

* Amaranth

* Fonio

* Kamut

* Quinoa

* Rye

* Spelt

* Teff

* Wild Rice

NUTS & SEEDS

* Hemp seeds

* Raw sesame seeds

* Raw sesame seeds /tahini butter

* Walnuts

* Brazil nuts

OILS

* Coconut oil (do not cook)

* Olive oil (do not cook)

* Avocado oil

* Grapeseed oil

* Hempseed oil

* Sesame seed oil

SPICES AND SEASONINGS

MILD FLAVORS

* Basil

* Bay leaf

* Cloves

* Dill

* Oregano

* Savory

* Sweet Basil

* Tarragon

* Thyme

SALTY FLAVORS

* Pure Sea Salt

* Powdered Granulated Seaweed -(Kelp/Dulce/Nori – has “sea taste”)

SWEET FLAVORS

* 100% Pure Agave Syrup – (from cactus)

* Date Sugar/Syrup

PUNGENT AND SPICY FLAVORS

* Achiote

* Cayenne/ African Bird Pepper

* Culantro * Habanero

* Onion Powder

* Sage

HERBAL TEAS

* Anise

* Burdock

* Chamomile

* Elderberry

* Fennel

* Ginger

* Raspberry

* Sarsaparilla

* Tila (Linden flower)

* Valerian

[fauustic]

afraid of what i can do

(implied afab) gender-nonconforming reader x miguel “spider-man 2099″ o’hara

smut. angst. comfort. as miguel grows more intimate with you, his insecurities catches up to him.

warnings: explicit smut. biting, marking, blood discussion. discussion of insecurities and the comfort that follows.

word count: 4238

A scratch of vinyl briefly interrupted the easygoing atmosphere settling upon the living room as the news station echoed softly throughout the apartment, flowing into an easy-going harmony of domestic bliss. It was nearing time to rest, you decided.

On nights like these as the pink hues of the sunset faded into a canvas of cobalt blue, a light smile dusted your features as you waited for your husband to return back home. The apartment you conjured into a humble, chaotic mess of your love became a safe space for the both of you, as the smell of desserts you'd painstakingly learn the recipes of just for Miguel to try with a puzzled curve of his brow and a displeased curl of his mouth, wafted through the kitchen and met your nose. 

You missed Miguel, as you settled into your nighttime routine and slipped on a shirt of his. Sometimes you imagined him getting ready for bed with you, just like any other couple– and falling asleep with him in your hold, snuggled within your embrace like you were the one who protected him. Miguel loved being the smaller spoon no matter the circumstances, after all.

After you had brushed your teeth and even prepared his own toothbrush, you shuffled throughout your shared space to double check if you had finished all the chores to just try and make his life a tad bit easier.

Dinner has been prepared, a comfort food of his that he made sure you knew he craved when Miguel was stuck working at his headquarters: Cocido de Garbanzos; a delicious stew that had bursts of flavors with a variety of all kinds of things, vegetables and pork and chorizo and garbanzo beans and–

You chuckled with Miguel in mind, remembering his panicked sputters of what ingredients were needed and how you weren't preparing anything correctly, it was something Miguel had taught you to make with little snaps to your skill whenever you had messed up– but you knew he loved the time spent with you and the effort you made trying to learn something important to him.

The window leading into the living room was open for an easy entrance, a reminder that he uttered frantically whenever he would wake you up in the early mornings while he got dressed for work. "Remember, mi cielo. Keep that–" he pointed towards the living room before sliding his hands together in a lighthearted plea. "Open, keep it open. Ever since you forgot that one time I am haunted."

Lastly, you wrote a note next to his meal. A simple, "glad you're home safe. I miss you."

The clean, fresh scent of laundry intermingled with Miguel’s smell embedded within his shirt welcomed you within the bundle of blankets and pillows that made up your shared space. Rest came to you like bees to petals on a warm summer day, drifting you off to rest after such an eventful day.

The next thing you remember is the touch of your husband, a pained groan escaping his lips as he slipped underneath the blankets and settled in between your legs without a word. His presence brought a wave of reassurance as he wordlessly clutched onto you like if Miguel let go, he’d wake up from a dream that’s carried him away and altered his very being.

"Long day?" You cooed into his damp hair, petals of water seeping into your cheeks as Miguel's face met your chest with a huff of relief. Sleep riddled your voice as you giggled, his deep inhales grazing your skin underneath one of his shirts. Miguel's shoulders tightened under the touch of your fingers, shaking in pleasure as you kneaded the soreness that plagued his muscles.

His hold wrapped around your ribs that rivalled the touch of handling a doll, meeting at the small of your back as he trapped you underneath him delicately. Miguel's chest rumbled lowly as his scarlet eyes fluttered shut, snuggling closer to your warmth. "You have no idea, mi conejito." He chuckled tiredly before pushing himself up, meeting your eyes with a tired curl of his lips.

You frowned, brushing your index against his freshly split eyebrow. He must have patched himself up while you were sleeping, and the thought of Miguel washing off blood from his wounds and bandaging himself in the silence of his mind made your heart practically shatter in a million pieces. The wince he barely covered up only made you feel more guilty.

"My love, you should have woken me up when you got home." You tutted faintly, speaking to him with so much patience that Miguel couldn't help but melt against the kiss you planted on his forehead after your light scolding. "I'm always here to make things easier on you."

As you took his face into your hands and danced your thumbs around his cheeks, heat met your touch as if he was slightly embarrassed by the way you spoke to him. So tenderly, treating him with the affection of a fragile thing.

"Didn't want to wake you up," he smiled lazily, fangs meeting the plush skin of his bottom lip. "Looked so cute in my shirt, laying in our bed.. baby, I couldn't bring myself to ruin such a beautiful thing." Miguel's words oozed like honey as he pecked you on the lips, short and sweet. A glimpse of the dark circles underneath his tired gaze showed through the darkness when a flying car whizzed by the window of your apartment.

Sliding your grasp up to his curls, you pulled at the dark brown locks peppered with grey. An airy groan escaped his lips as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. "Are you getting enough sleep, honey? I know the city's not going to clean itself, but big tough Spider-Man can take an off day every now and then. Maybe take the advice of those silly coworkers you–"

Your lighthearted mumble, a genuine concern blanketed with a joking tone, was cut off the moment his lips clashed into yours. The abrupt kiss had taken you off guard, allowing him to swipe his tongue into your mouth with ease. Miguel's arms unraveled around your form only to allow his hands the freedom to knead into the flesh of your hips as his tongue fought against yours. He was surrounding you entirely, looming over your form as his touch explored your skin with desperation, a neediness you haven't been exposed to in weeks. The scent of praline flooded your senses as his shirt bunched up, his mouth still greedily taking everything you had to offer. He moaned into your heavy breaths, fangs sinking into your bottom lip as he caged you underneath him.

A gasp erupted from your throat as the calloused pads of his thumbs trailed up underneath his shirt you adorned, painstakingly slow. You almost broke the kiss to tell him to stop distracting you from worrying about him, but he beat you to it.

Miguel ripped away from your lips, a string of saliva following his movements as he brought his forearm to his chin, wiping away your blood and the entanglement of your spit.

"Don't need to have you cracking jokes about those guys I'm stuck with all the damn time. Malditos idiotas." He breathed deeply, his lips– smeared with blood– curving into a sneer at the thought. "Especially due to the fact all I have on my mind is you, and you're thinking about someone else?" His palms cupped your breasts, one hand pinching your nipple sharply as his jealousy was made present. "That's not very nice, cariño." His other hand kneaded into the flesh of your chest, claws threatening the softness of your skin. Miguel was slowly losing his composure.

"Miguel–" you choked out as he straddled your leg, knee planted against your thigh as the other pushed lightly against the newfound need pooling onto the sheets, wetting his skin. His breath hitched as he dove back down, meeting the crook of your neck with urgency. A rip sounded throughout the intensity, startling you as the cold air met your skin.

"I need you," he murmured into your shoulder, marking your skin with hickies like his life depended on it. Miguel's lips danced around your flesh, not missing a single inch of skin as his fangs desperately sought purchase into your shoulder. "can I bite you, baby? Please, please let me bite you," He chanted as his words grew muddled with his mouth reconnecting with your shoulder, warm huffs meeting chilled goosebumps. You could feel his quivering lips, drool dribbling down and framing the curve of your breast.

You moaned, pushing his head impossibly closer to you in a lust-ridden frenzy. "Yes, god yes. Anything you want." You bared your neck, clawing at his messily styled curls that always awarded you with a throaty growl of his. Without another second to spare, hot pain followed with an explosion of pleasure racked through your entire being– rendering your mind useless as all you could think about was: Miguel, Miguel, Miguel.

Legs shaking, the tension you didn't even realize churning within your core snapped as his tongue swiped at the blood threatening to spill from where he pierced. "Miguel, oh my god– I'm, I'm coming–"

A low rumble of something akin to a purr accompanied your hazy rambles, your fingers mindlessly tangled within his curls and pulling hard. His length, confined to the fabric of his boxers and hovering over your thigh, grew impossibly harder as your squirms rubbed harshly against his cock. Miguel whimpered, detaching himself from your shoulder with a long kiss to the wound, just to nibble on your perked nipples as he grinded into your thigh like he's just as high as you from sinking his fangs into your flesh.

"Missed you, mi alma." His lips met yours in a much softer kiss as your body felt worn and blissful all at once. Tongue lazily fighting with yours', the flavor of his spit and your blood intertwined. Miguel lapped thoroughly into your mouth as he had created the loveliest wine. "Been needing this for weeks. Te amo mucho, love you so much it hurts." Miguel breathed into your drooling lips as his claws delicately met your thigh, your skin slick with his precum as he adjusted his position in your legs.

"My everything," He hissed through gritted teeth, tainted with your blood and spit dribbling down his chin. Miguel kicked off his boxers with endearingly cute frustration, brow curling up in irritation as he finally unclothed his achingly desperate erection. Slapping against his stomach, Miguel almost cried out in relief as a bead of sweat dripped from the stress lines on his forehead. "I need you, need you need you– please–" he whined as you heaved for breath, finally coming back to your senses. Miguel melted like putty into your hands as you finally returned your touch to his burning flesh, wiping away the needy tears littering his cheeks.

The stark comparison between the Miguel you found yourself holding hands with gingerly when in public, his expression as stoic as ever while he held onto your grasp like an anchor in crowds of people and the Miguel behind closed doors, desperately taking and grabbing any form of affection he's offered with an obvious craving for attention– the realization would had made you burst out in a puppy-love ridden giggle had he not pull you into another kiss.

"You can have me, baby." You sighed heavily, bringing your shaky hands to your hips in an attempt to remove the short sleepwear you wore to bed– but Miguel had different plans.

You could make out the light shake of his head in the darkness, the dim luminescence you kept on for his arrival peeking through the crack of the door to the bedroom. The consent you gave him, something he asked for every time the two of you fell into the heat of intimacy, altered the dynamic between the both of you the moment the words "yes, take anything you need, all for you" were uttered. 

Miguel brought his index to your stomach, tracing shapes into the softness of your skin like a flurry of fluttering kisses as his elbow met the soft sheets, grazing the flesh of your rib. He held himself up, surveying your expression with a certain coolness where you would have never assumed he was crying for any form of your touch moments ago. Every hitch of your breath would encourage him to brush the same pattern, a slight smirk accompanying his lips when you'd pant out his name like a worshipping plea. 

"Please, Miguel," you grabbed his wrist, encouraging him to soothe the aching bundle of nerves that uncomfortably stuttered against the shorts in every thrust against the air. "Not fair, baby– ah, please– would do anything to have you inside me–" tears welled up, clouding your gaze as you struggled to hold his amused stare. You couldn't help the pout that painted your features as he leaned forward to take your swollen lips between your teeth, furthering you into a puddle only for him.

"Just love hearing you beg," he purred, brushing his fingers further down until it finally reached the fabric of your drenched sleepwear, barely grazing your folds before cupping your entrance entirely. You leaned your head back in ecstasy, choking up as the embrace of your pillow welcomed you lovingly. "I can get drunk on it." His knuckles found its way to your bare clit, teasingly swiping the puffy flesh before you bucked into his hand, an airy chuckle clashing against your incoherence and breathy pants. 

To him, it was the best possible harmony his ears could ever be blessed with as his middle finger finally slipped into your entrance with ease. Your walls clenched around his digit with hunger, bucking your hips into his palm where he matched your pace with fascination and praise. Your tears met the crook of his neck when you pulled him into a tight hug, as Miguel somehow managed two more fingers– your teeth meeting the flesh of his shoulder while he stretched you open and plunged into your heat with an animalistic huff. 

Miguel heaved for air, trying to calm his nerves before he lost control– a single breath out of line would have him accidentally clawing down the trust you granted him. The power in his hands has him shivering, muddling your wrecked cries as he rocked against the spot he knew that had you crumbling in his hold. Your climax brought him out of his daze sparked from the humming reminder he locks away in the shadows of his thoughts, how you could break so easily in the clutches of his jaw.

Your fucked-out smile caught his eye and drew himself out of the dread plaguing his mind as his instincts craved to sink his teeth into your flesh once more, a wobble of his lips instantaneously had sobered you up in a fumble of limbs and soft groan of pain from digits still buried inside you.

"What's, what's wrong honey?" You whispered into the air, blanketed with the smell of sex and sweat. You guided his wrist, sliding his fingers out from the warmth of your core, an exhausted yet concerned frown etching your features. Your flesh ached with the familiar pain from his marks as you leaned forward, caressing his jaw as you lured him out from whatever insecurity consuming him. "I'm here, what's the matter? Did we do something that you didn't like?" Your words came out faintly, testing the waters when Miguel's hard downcast gaze stayed fixated on something between the both of you that weren't there.

You guided his hand, slick with your cum, to the curve of your waist as you took the other in an intimate entanglement of fingers. You kissed his knuckles tenderly, whispering sweet nothings as he collapsed into your chest, your chin meeting his hair as you rested your eyes. 

Miguel was prone to having moments of getting stuck in his own head, something you grew accustomed to as time went on between your relationship. You accepted it with open arms, just as you acknowledged and eased his worries when he finally came forward about being the masked hero that consumes the media. Just how you acknowledged the aspects of him that deemed him irreparably monstrous, the fangs tainting his smile and the retractable claws threatening to dig into anything the moment he loses composure. You had to admit you were startled that it would happen so abruptly in the heat of a moment, but you understand.

You knew his enhanced senses made him easier to overwhelm, so when the thought raced through your head guilt infested inside your brain as you tucked your arms underneath his arms and brought him into a tight hug, something you knew he loved because it helped him ground himself. Miguel's breathing swallowed, nuzzling into the hickies on your breasts that he had etched minutes ago. "I'm.. afraid." He confessed as you swept back his hair in the way you knew he loved. 

Humming in acknowledgment, you brought the blanket pooling around your entangled legs over the both of you. Miguel’s brows furrowed and his lips curled into a pout, smeared with the intertwined concoction of your blood and sweat. He was never one to share his feelings, so you took the time between his silence to braid the long curls– something he grew to love from his brief, unspoken paternal experiences. Miguel had mentioned it once in the quietness of your embrace after he had a much more severe shutdown, and you’ve held the knowledge very dear to your heart

“Afraid of what I could do to you,” He heaved, tears painting your blemishes like watercolor overlaying on canvas. The glint of wetness met the dim luminescence peeking into your bedroom, enriching the growingly red marks littering your skin like a work of art. “For a moment there, I could imagine myself– sinking into your flesh and never letting you leave.” His gaze met yours as he resituated himself, “and I want to. I feel like I need to, and one day if I just let go–” Miguel ripped his intense gaze just to be guided back to your own with your hand meeting his jaw. You said nothing but smiled, as he greedily took the opportunity to nuzzle into the palm of your hand. "I mean it when I tell you that you're my everything, the air I breathe–" the pads of your thumbs met the bags underneath his eyes, swiping away fresh wetness. Miguel hasn't cried in front of you in a long time, the occasion rare and unexpected. But you welcomed it easily, giving him the attention he needed and wanted. "I can't lose you too, mi lucero del alba. I'd lose myself."

You tutted softly for the second time that night, resting your forehead against his as he desperately choked down any air he could afford. His hold on you tightened almost suffocatingly, his bare body cuddling into yours's without a second thought. Forearms tucked around your waist, your hands wandered soothingly over his trembling form.

"You should have talked to me about this before pouncing on me like a rabid animal." Your words rang throughout the air, a silence looming over the both of you before he heartily chuckled– a heart-wrenching, choked huff that had you giggling in relief.

"I couldn't help myself, te ves deslumbrante. You're too gorgeous for this world, and I have you all to myself. Unbelievable." Miguel brought his lips to yours, trapping you underneath him with his forearms all over again. "I thought fucking my problems away would work," it was meant to come out as a joke, a small quip he allowed himself to murmur into the air– but you knew better. Miguel definitely thought it would work, as you drowned each other with kisses.

"Maybe let me lead next time," you whispered into his ear, trailing your fingertips down his abdomen. Miguel hissed, bucking into the soft plush mattress. He brokenly groaned into your neck, his unsheathed claws digging into the velvet flesh of your chest.

Miguel cried out, baring his teeth as he breathed in deeply– a subtle attempt in calming himself. "I don't want to hurt you, cariño." His doubts of himself came out in a huff, if you hadn't been paying attention to every move he made you would have easily missed his worries.

You sighed. Heart clenching and threatening to burst within the confinement of your rib cage, you guided his lips to yours for the millionth time that night. The entanglement of lips was slow as Miguel's breath hitched, your tongue slipping into his mouth. Metal flooded your senses, your basic human instincts buzzing alarmingly in a fit to tell you "run, go away, dangerous," but you never budged.

Accepting Miguel and everything that came with, you held onto his face like he was the only man in the world, treating him with a certain gentleness he's never been exposed to before you. His entire being craved your acceptance that rivalled the need for water and food, as if he didn't have you Miguel would turn into a shell of what he was just like before.

The both of you kissed sensually, taking the brief moments to breathe just to inhale one another's air like you were each other's life-source. Your smile met his unsure wobble of his lips, the salty wetness of his tears mixing with your lips. "I can handle it." You murmured as his cheek desperately pushed against his palm like a cat, a low rumble accompanying his small sobs.

"I can handle you," you told him as if it was fact, like your words were law and there was nothing else to worry about.

"You'll fail." He responded weakly, the trauma he kept locked away resurfaced with each kiss. Miguel looked as broken as you first saw him, an image of the first time you saw him cry after months of dealing with his snippy stoicism flashing within your mind.

"No, no. Not when it comes to you. I'll flip this entire city over for you."

A fragile smile, one that replicated the curve of glass, peeked through his blood-ridden lips. "That's my job, mi conejito."

You flicked him on his forehead, a laugh filling the careful atmosphere. "Well, you better be careful. I heard there was an opening." A growl interrupted your laughs, just for you to giggle tenfold as Miguel began tickling the blemishes littering your form with delicate claws. "Can't happen, baby. Don't want you getting hurt."

The laughter died down as Miguel's tickling came to a stop, his bare physique settling over you like a blanket while he held himself up just a fraction. His damp curls, slick with his sweat, tickled your neck as he used your chest like a pillow. Miguel's breathing finally grew softer and more serene, a soft snore filling the bedroom as you laid there. "My love," you began and Miguel hummed mindlessly. "We need to shower, I can't sleep with my cum on my hip as well as everything else seeping into the–"

"Okay, okay– cállate. There's no need to be gross."

"No need to be a big baby, you can handle my honesty." He huffed fallen strands of his curls from his forehead in faux annoyance at your counter. "I'll clean you up," you offered with a light smile, a warm, fuzzy feeling blossoming in your chest as he scooped you up in his arms. "Let's take a bath together."

"Don't start that again, I told you I'm no child–"

Your unstable legs met the plush velvet of the bath mat, "I want to lay in your lap as I wash your hair." 

"...' 

You knew you won when he settled you on top of him in the tub, beginning to fill the little area with warm water– something he preferred and you simply just adapted to it. As you lathered his hair, his eyes fluttered to a close and a deep purr rumbled from his throat. Miguel's lines indented within his features relaxed as you massaged his scalp, his hands finding purchase on your ass. 

Yet the heat of the night was over, the touches the two of you shared were nothing more than sweet. Miguel simply enjoyed the feel of his body against yours as his chin met your shoulder, your fingers meeting the nape of his neck while his entire being surrounded you.

"I'm proud of you." Was all you said, nestling yourself against his skin while you washed away the sweat and blood and cum between the both of you.

Miguel grew rigid before sliding his grasp to your waist, wrapping his arms around you in a hug. No words could be mustered, but by the way his muscles contracted and tightened, he appreciated the small praise as a fraction of a sob escaped his lips.

As the two of you settled into the comfort of the bathroom, allowing the warm water run just how he enjoyed it with the smell of bubblegum soap and praline flooding the apartment, Miguel held onto your form like you were threatening to disappear. And you let him, as you kissed his marred skin with unfiltered love.