#de-tan face pack

[fclskincareindia]

What is the best de-tan face pack for men?

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[housekeepinginfo]

5 Best Face Masks for Acne | Facial Masks

Are you fighting acne? Face masks can really help. They clean deep, soak up oil, and calm redness. This is great for acne-prone skin. We found the top 5 masks to make your skin clear and healthy.

[cerisenatural]

Which de-tan face pack is better to use in summers?

During summers, tanning is a common skin concern. To combat this issue and achieve glowing, radiant, and smooth skin, incorporating D-tan face packs into your skincare routine is recommended. These face packs are specifically formulated to remove stubborn tan, which can make the skin appear dull and tired. D-tan face packs offer brightening and moisturizing properties, resulting in an even skin tone and a brighter, glowing complexion. They are suitable for all genders, skin types, and complexions.

Cerise Naturals' D-Tan pack brightens, lightens, improves skin texture, hydrates, soothes, and calms skin without removing natural oils or causing skin damage. Unlike bleach, which contains the chemical hydrogen peroxide and can burn the skin, our product is gentle and safe to use.

[pablitogavii]

Please new story 🙏🏻

Ojos de su papá

For those that loved dad!Gavi <3

You've had one of the most trying days at the clinic where you work as a doctor so you couldn't wait to get home to get some rest.

The moment you entered the house, you heard Matteo's loud cries and your head started pouding immediately. Looking at your watch, you knew it was his bottle time.

Pablo was in the living room with the little boy in his arms trying to pack for his evening training while telling him how "mami will be home soon" which you found so adorable.

"Aii que pasa precioso mio? Papi forgot your bottle?" you say walking to them but Pablo showed you three different bottles on the table that he tried to use to feed the little boy.

"He only let's you do it, amor..he loves you more" Pablo said while pouting and you giggled shaking your head and taking the little boy in your arms as he started to calm down.

"It's normal Pablito..he's used to me breastfeeding him but he loves you just as much. He's a mini version of his papi, right Matteo?" you say and Pablo looks at the little boy in your arms immediately opening his mouth as you brought one of the bottles to his lips.

"Go get ready for training while I feed him cariño" you say but Pablo noticed the way your temples were scrunched and he wanted to know what made you feel bad.

"Amor, if you're tired I can just cancel training and then double up tomorrow..or after the game?" he said touching your hand and you smiled that he was always so careful and gentle with you. always makes you his priority.

"It's okay, mi amor te lo juro. I just had a long day but me and Matteo will eat something and get some sleep, right precioso mio?" you said kissing the little boys forehead while he sucked diligently on the bottle.

"Tan bien. I will be right back, just to grab my shoes" Pablo said leaving to the closet as you sat down letting your muscles relax while looking at the little hungry boy in your arms.

His big brown eyes are looking at you softly while he sucked on the bottle that it made your heart melt. Those same eyes that Pablo had when he looked at you with love for the very first time now has your son..and it was a beautiful feeling.

"Mis ojitos morenos lindos..tienes ojos de su papá mi amor.." you said gently to your son not knowing that Pablo was there listening and blushing profusely.

Ever since you had a baby, everyone said he was a mini version of Pablo and it made your husband both timid and proud. Having a son with a woman he loves so much and hearing her call their shared eyes beautiful made his whole body shiver.

"Bien. Pablo you will be late if you don't leave now!" you finished feeding Matteo and reminded your husband who was lost in thoughts walking towards you on the couch and laying his own head on the free spot on your lap.

"Amor, pero I want to stay with the two of you tonight.." Pablo said giving you his infamous puppy dog eyes that Matteo will surely learn to use later on you as well.

"Stop using your eyes to get everything you want Pablo!' you said softening when his eyes became bigger as the pout found itsway to his face.

"But you let Matteo do it!" Pablo was complains like a baby and you giggled looking at your son which has an identical look on his face. Damn it the two of them and their pretty eyes!

"But he's a baby Pablo" you say and Pablo nuzzled his face into your neck.

"Well, aren't I still your baby amor?" he asked and you sighed knowing where this is going.

"Si, you're both my babies" you answered and he smiled looking up at you again this time pecking your lips gently.

"And you said we have the same eyes, no?" he added making you smiled and nod your head.

"Then we can both use them to make you say si, amor" he giggled leaning in closer to Matteo so both of them could look at you with their same dark brown eyes.

"Bueno..si! But..make sure to tell Xavi you were not feeling well, bueno?" you say and Pablo cheered kissing your lips while Matteo giggled making you both smile. He was happy his papi is staying tonight too.

"Te lo prometo!" he said kissing your lips before sitting up and pulling you in his arms while Matteo started napping in yours.

"He might have mis ojos, amor..but he has your cute little nose" Pablo said making you blush and look at the perfect little boy sleeping in your arms.

[luceracastro]

Sabia que ibas a volver

(Enzo Vogrincic x Reader)

Summary: you and Enzo get in a fight before the big premiere and end up ending your relationship, but he should have known that after years of loving him, you would never miss the biggest moment of his life.

Warnings: just loads of fluff and some angst and sadness at the beginning. (also literally a Spanglish fic but I am more than happy to do it individually in Spanish and english too) (Esta historia estará en spanglish pero estoy más que feliz de hacerlo individualmente en español e inglés.)

The mate you had made yourself had gone cold, and the shared apartment you and Enzo lived in was also freezing between the open windows and balcony, it was late and he still wasn't home, of course, he went out with the guys and you trusted him but he must've gotten carried away still out and about and even though you tried not to think about it too much you couldn't help yourself

a few moments later you heard the sound of keys rustling, the door clicking as it opened and you turned your head to the side seeing him slip in and take off his jacket "¿Ves qué hora es?" you asked as you looked down at your hands and he sighed "Si" it was all he said in a dry tone and it made you annoyed and angry but you were too tired to even try

"Enzo, ¿por qué me haces esto?" you asked with a ting of pain in your voice and he could only look down at his feet not even saying a word as he leaned against the counter in the kitchen, "¿Qué hice? ¿Hice algo mal porque parece que ya ni siquiera quieres estar cerca de mí?" you told him and he shook his head slowly and sighed "no, solo piensas demasiado" and that was it before you got up "Enzo! estas ciego?!" you yelled and he furrowed his brows confused

"llegas tarde a casa, cuando estás aquí estás en el juego o en tu teléfono, ¡incluso ignorándome si te hablo!" you told him and he stood taller "estoy trabajando y me canso!" he said and you sighed "Enzo, créeme, lo entiendo, pero también me gustaría que mi novio me preguntara de vez en cuando cómo fue al menos mi día, siempre te ayudé, estuve ahí para ti cuando llegaste a casa cansado y, por supuesto, planeo hacerlo todavía, pero Yo también quiero saber que estás ahí para mí" was all you could say as your voice cracked and tears streamed down your cheeks

"Ya no eres una niña, lo entiendo y lo siento pero estoy trabajando y también necesito ayudarme en este momento, créeme lastimarte es algo que nunca quiero hacer." he told you and you rolled your eyes "Enzo, literalmente sales todas las noches y vuelves tarde a casa, ¿en qué te ayuda eso? No me importa que salgas pero sería bueno tener una de esas noches dedicadas a mí tu novia" you said as your heart crushed

"nena, Llevamos cinco años juntos, te he dedicado mucho tiempo y ¿es tan malo que quiero un ratito de tiempo con unos amigos?" he asked but his tone had some bitterness to it and you sighed getting up "Nunca dije eso, pero sabes, si eso es lo que quieres, entonces como sea, tal vez deberíamos romper si me dedicas demasiado tiempo como dices tu" and he chuckled "Entonces tal vez deberíamos, si vas a intentar seguir convirtiéndome en el malo, tal vez deberíamos simplemente separarnos"

that broke you entirely, seeing him mean it even though you couldn't see the way his heart broke when those words left his lips you moved to get the bags and suitcases you brought when you moved in and started tearing your clothes from the hangers and pulling your clothes from drawers as his eyes rimmed with tears seeing you pack and the small sobs escaping your lips, he knelt beside you as you packed your belongings

"Espera, espera, no, no lo dije en serio, bebé, para," he put a hand over your arm carefully but you shrugged him off "No, Ya no quiero estar aquí Enzo ya terminé me voy a casa con mi mamá no puedo" you cried louder and covered your face with your hands and you could hear Enzo sniffle "No, no, chiquita no te vayas, por favor quédate conmigo. Lo haré mejor, lo prometo" he said with his hands moving to hold you but you extended your arms to keep his away "No, yo me voy," you said and moved around to pack while he continued to follow you around and plead.

he tried to hold onto you and your stuff but to no avail and he couldn't forcefully make you stay so he watched outside as you drove off tears drenched his cheeks and eyes and his fingers intertwined with his hair as he sighed "Mierda, Mierda!" he moved to get his keys and went to his car, he couldn't stay there not at all he knew he's just remember you not being able to sleep so he just drove, where? who knew.

it had been around a few weeks now, you'd been moved back in with your mom who was there for you helping you unpack and what not, Enzo called and texted constantly and even Matias joined in trying to reach you and some of the others but you didn't answer anything, "Enzo ya levantate, asi no la vas a recuperar" Matias had walked into the room he was allowing Enzo to stay in, his girlfriend was making them food at the time and she herself couldn't make the boy eat anything as he only laid in bed most of the time

"entonces que mas hago? ya la llame y le mande textos y no se que mas hacer," Enzo groaned out and Matias sighed "Luego levántate y ve a la casa de su madre y pide perdón como un hombre" Matias told him and Enzo looked at him "No puedo, ella no quiere hablarme" Enzo's voice was low and his attitude was worse as he didn't even look like he had emotions anymore "La amas?" Matias asked with his arms crossed "más que nada" Enzo said as he sat up "entonces lucha por ella" was all Matias could say before leaving the room

and that's what Enzo was going to do, for once he finally took a shower and got presentable leaving to go over to your mothers house with hopes of taking you back home with him. but that was not the case as your mom stood at the front door a small frown on her face "por favor, solo dile que necesito hablar con ella" he said in a pleading manner but the woman sighed "Lo hice pero ella me dijo que te dijera que te fueras, no se siente muy bien" your mother did try to get you to speak to the boy at the front door but you refused

so Enzo left with his heart broken, he had to get used to the fact that you'd probably hate him forever and ever but it was a stab to the heart to deal with that fact, he loved you and now it hit him how it was pointless being without you, he didn't really have much without you.

so then the time for the premier rolls around, it was the night before and Enzo was sitting in his hotel room just thinking, the TV played in the background but as all he could think about was you everything blurred out for him, he could only have you on his mind and even though his castmates tried to reason with him and even reach out to you for his sake, there was no success.

however what he didn't know was that you were in a hotel a few streets down situating yourself and getting ready to rest for tomorrow, even though he hurt you and said some hurtful things, your love for him is bigger than any of that.

Enzo was getting dressed and ready, the day was here and he was prepared for anything or so he thought, the flashing cameras and lights as well as the loud voices of people, photographers, and interviewers was pretty overwhelming however one huge relief was seeing your face amongst the crowd wearing a beautiful dress made just for you, a big proud smile on your lips as he smiled a small giggle escaping his lips as he was himself again and in a better mood.

once Enzo was off the carpet he spotted you speaking to Matias girlfriend and he rushed over arms engulfing you as yours wrapped around his neck "viniste" the slight crack in his voice made you frown slightly "Obviamente, hablamos de este momento desde siempre y no me lo perdería" you told him a small smile on your lips as tears rimmed your eyes "Te amo," he said and you nodded "yo también, bueno ya no llores," you laughed a little cleaning his cheeks and eyes with your thumbs as he chuckled to himself

"Sabia que ibas a volver," he said with the biggest smile on his lips as you did too "Obvio, eres el amor de mi vida boludo," you chuckled kissing his lips, "vamos," you both interlinked arms and he guided you proudly presenting you as his girlfriend, the light of his eyes, his heart.

"que linda pareja," Fran's voice rang out a little teasing tone as both you and Enzo smiled "Entonces ambos volvieron a estar juntos?" Juani asked as he smiled "Si," Enzo said as he held onto you tighter "Entonces debemos de celebrar, vamos por unas cervezas," pipe's voice rang out as the others laughed "no me opongo a una cerveza" you shrugged and Enzo smiled, the night was well spent at the end.

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this as I did, I honestly have been listening to this song for a while and thought of this plot and enjoyed writing it so I hope you all liked it as well and I am open to doing any request :) (Espero que hayan disfrutado esto como lo hice yo, honestamente he estado escuchando esta canción por un tiempo, pensé en esta trama y disfruté escribiéndola, así que espero que a todos les haya gustado también y estoy abierto a hacer cualquier solicitud :)

[tightjeansjavi]

suave

A/N: the Javier Peña brain rot is in full swing! Mans just deserves all the simple pleasures in life including face masks, a bath with his lover, and fresh fruit 🤍 thank you @angelofsmalldeath-codeine for betaing and translating! You already know how much I adore you, cariño ;)

~word count: 1.3k~

Summary: a glimpse of a self care evening with your boyfriend Javier Peña

Pairing | Javier Peña x f!reader

Warnings: domestic fluff, established relationship, mentions of alcohol and cigarettes, no age gap, intimacy, implied smut, Javier is in love, both the reader and Javier speak fluent Spanish, grumpy!javi, reader has no physical descriptions, +18 minors dni!

Espero que tengas razón, querida - I hope you’re right, darling

Bésame, Javier - Kiss me, Javier

Te quiero, mi corazón - I love you, my heart.

Te quiero, Jav - I love you, Jav

¿De verdad tengo elección, hermosa? - Do I really have a choice, hermosa?

¿Te metes en la bañera conmigo, querida? - Are you going to join me in the tub, darling?

Mmm, paciencia, mi amor - Mhm. Patience, my love

¿Confías en mí, no? - You trust me, don’t you?

Pues claro que confío en ti, querida - Of course I trust you, darling

Relájate - Relax

¡Joder! Esto está más frío de lo que me esperava - Fuck! That is colder than I was expecting

Sí lo es, pero es un frío resfrecante, ¿no? - It is, but it’s a refreshing cold, no?

Eres tan preciosa, cariño. Pero esto huele raro, y hace cosquillas - You’re so beautiful, baby. But this stuff smells funny, and it tickles

Muy guapo, Javi - Very handsome, Jav

Muy americano - Very American

Juguetona - Tease

Te necesito, hermosa. Por favor. - Need you, gorgeous. Please

¿Me puedes leer un poco, amor - Will you read to me, lover?

Pero estás tan guapo con las gafas puestas, Jav - But you look so handsome in them, Jav

Y me los pongo sólo para ti, querida - And I wear them just for you, darling

Javier Peña almost never finds the time to relax. That is until you have something to say about it. Your boyfriend believes that self care comes in the shape of a bottle, lighter, and cigarette pack. Your definition of self care is vastly different, but Javier is always a good sport, even if he’s reluctant at first.

“Hermosa, I’m failing to understand how this shit that you wanna put on my face is supposed to be relaxing.” He grumbles and drags his hand through water being filled in the tub. He’s careful to not accidentally light himself on fire due to the surrounding candles that were lit for an added ambience.

“Javier, this ‘shit’ is relaxation in a jar, guapo.” You sit along the edge of the tub with the homemade face mask resting in your lap.

He looks over at you, a few wispy strands of hair fall over his face and you reach over to gently brush them away. He catches your hand gently and pressed his plush lips to the underside of your fingertips. The trimmed hairs on his mustache lightly tickles your skin. He chuckles, eyes meeting yours.

“Espero que tengas razón, querida.”

You smile softly at him as he affectionately kisses your fingertips. You lean in close, nose brushing against his and whisper, “Bésame, Javier.”

He gently guides your fingers to rest along his sharp jawline before he closes the short gap between you and kisses you sweetly. If Javier Peña didn’t have such a demanding job, he would spend all day kissing you like this.

When he pulls away you bring your finger to the tip of his nose and lightly boop it. His face scrunches inwards at your affection.

“Te quiero, mi corazón.”

He always makes a point to tell you that he loves you. It’s important to him, and everything that he believes in. You’re special to him, and if that means he has to put up with a bit of pampering just to see you smile? So be it.

“Te quiero, Jav.” You peck his lips once more before pulling away. “Ready for some self care?”

“¿De verdad tengo elección, hermosa?”

“No.” You grin.

Soon after your dashing DEA agent is stripped down and relaxing comfortably in the tub with his arms resting on either side of the smooth porcelain. The decor in your shared bathroom reflects both of your personalities. Bright, bold, yet comforting. You and Javier both share a deep love for houseplants so it comes as no surprise that your shared bathroom is like a mini version of the Colombian rainforest.

“¿Te metes en la bañera conmigo, querida?” He asks while watching you pull the hem of your shirt over your head.

“Mmm, paciencia, mi amor.”

He huffs at this and settles deeper into the warm water and surrounding bubbles.

Once you’re undressed, you gather up yours and Javi’s clothes and fold them in a neat pile on the closed toilet seat.

He lets out a relaxed hum when he’s finally graced by your familiar presence in the tub while you situate yourself between his strong thighs. You wrap your legs around his torso, your stomach lightly pressed against his as his arms loop around your waist, hands splayed against your lower back. His thumbs gently tracing patterns along your spine as you unscrew the cap on the face mask jar.

“It’s going to feel a bit cold at first, Jav. But I promise you that it’s nice and relaxing. “¿Confías en mí, no?”

“Pues claro que confío en ti, querida.”He nods with a smile tugging against his lips.

You kiss the corner of his mouth before dipping your fingers into the jar collecting a bit of the paste. “Good boy. Close your eyes, okay? Relájate.” You whisper.

Javi’s lashes flutter shut just as you begin to apply the mask to his skin. He makes a grumbled sound from how cold it feels. It’s refreshing, in a sense. But the DEA agent isn’t quite ready to admit that yet.

“¡Joder! Esto está más frío de lo que me esperava.” He hissed between his clenched teeth.

“Sí lo es, pero es un frío resfrecante, ¿no?”

He begrudgingly agrees.

You’re careful to make sure that none of the product accidentally gets into his mustache. He peeks an eye open to see just how focused you are on applying this mask, and his heart swells.

“Javier.” You playfully chide.“No mires.”

He chuckles and slowly lets his hands rest along your hips now and pulls you in closer.

“Eres tan preciosa,cariño. Pero esto huele raro, y hace cosquillas.”

You fight the urge to roll your eyes at his playful complaining and finish applying the mask. “Muy guapo, Javi.”

“Now it’s your turn to relax, hermosa.” He releases you from his gentle grip and takes the jar from your hands. He brings it up to his nose and takes a quick sniff, shaking his head and muttering under his breath.

“Strawberries? Muy americano.” He teases.

“Says the man who sometimes uses my strawberry scented body wash.” You tease back.

He huffs at this, shaking his head as he looks at you. It’s in that moment that you wish you had a camera just so you could take a picture of him.

“Because it smells like you, querida.” He whispers and begins to gently apply the face mask. His touch is gentle, delicate and even though he tells you to close your eyes, you keep them open just so you can stare at his beautiful face.

While the face masks dry, you find yourself feeding Javier pieces of fruit that you cut up earlier. He makes a suggestive comment of wanting to eat you instead, but you decline and place another sliver of ripe mango between his perfect kissable lips. A bit of juice rolls down the corner of his lips and chin and before he can wipe it away, you lean in and playfully lick up the stray drops.

“Juguetona.” He mutters.

By the time Javier has gotten his fill of fruit, the masks are completely dry and you both gently begin to wash them off. Once your skin is bare, he wastes no time with molding his lips against yours while your arms drape around his neck, fingers sliding through the back of his hair.

“Te necesito, hermosa. Por favor.” He pants softly against your lips.

So, you let him have you.

You don’t think you’ve ever loved a man more than you love Javier Peña when he insists on getting out of the tub first just so he can wrap you up in a towel. He even lets you apply moisturizer to his face before you find yourselves in bed at last.

He’s having his bedtime cigarette while you’re reading your book with your head resting comfortably against his chest.

“Jav?” You ask softly.

“Yes, querida?” He tilts his chin down so he can look at you and blows the smoke off to the side.

“¿Me puedes leer un poco, amor?”

He’s already reaching for your book and gently plucking it from your hands. He knows how much you love his voice, and he’s happy to oblige. He however, hates his reading glasses with a passion, and thinks he looks silly in them. But for you, he’ll do anything to make you happy.

“Hate the way these silly things look on my face.” He huffs as he adjusts his reading glasses on his face.

“Pero estás tan guapo con las gafas puestas, Jav.”

He finishes off his cigarette and douses it in the bedside ashtray before his attention focuses on you once more. His freehand drops down to your face, cupping your jaw gently as he leans down. He kisses you sweetly as his thumb brushes across your cheekbone.

“Y me los pongo sólo para ti, querida.”

Banners made by the lovely @saradika 🤍

I no longer have a taglist so please follow @tightjeansjaviupdates for fic notifications and updates!

[ragingbookdragon]

She walked through the base with the lunchbox to her chest, barely managing to not trip over her own feet as she wandered through the halls with expert knowledge. One of the soldiers opened the door for her and she nodded to them, stepping through and she looked up, seeing her husband chatting around with Rudy, and two other men she didn’t recognize.

“Ale,” she called, and her husband looked over, joy splitting across his face as he straightened from where he was leaning on the table.

“Mi alma!” he greeted, walking over, smile dropping to a frown when he noticed the sadness on her face. “Mi alma, qué pasa? Por qué te ves molesto?”

Her lips pulled down in a dramatic pout as she explained, “I tried to make you some chicken and rice, but I accidentally burned the chicken. So, then I was gonna make chicken noodle soup and just scrape the burnt parts off but I didn’t have any broth and so I made my own and it was all going great but then I was gonna put in the noodles and…” her lips wobbled. “We didn’t have any noodles.”

She lifted the lunchbox and sniffled. “So, I made you a sandwich and packed some chips. And a few cookies. And a bottle of juice. And—” Alejandro’s lips curled over his teeth, evident that he was trying to hide his grin and she whimpered, “Te estás riendo de mí.”

Alejandro couldn’t help but snort as he wrapped his arms around her. “No, mi alma, I’m not laughing at you.”

“Yes, you are,” she whined. “You’re laughing at me.”

“I’m not laughing at you, I’m laughing with you.”

She cocked her head up and scowled at him. “I am not laughing, Ale. I’m devastated.”

“Why?” he humored, looking at her. “Because you didn’t cook my lunch?”

“Yes,” she sniffed, lips tugged down. “I miserably failed to cook chicken today.”

Alejandro hummed, pressing his nose to hers. “But you made me a lunch anyways and I’m going to eat it so happily, porque mi esposa hermosa lo hizo para mí y puso su corazón en cada pieza.”

“Es un sándwich.”

“Mhm,” he nodded, smushing their noses. “And I love anything you make me.” Alejandro pecked her lips, pulled away and cupped her cheeks, wiping his thumbs under her eyes as he comforted, “Ahora seca tus ojos, alma mía, no hay necesidad de estar tan molesto.”

She gazed at him, letting her face get smushed in his hands, staring at him between slits as she mumbled, “What’d I do to get you?”

He smiled, that warm, so loving smile that made her heart flutter, the first time she saw it, she fell in love with him—still to this day, five years later, he looked at her the same. “Soy yo quien debería hacer esa pregunta. Para tener una mujer tan maravillosa que cuide de mí, debes ser un ángel enviado por Dios.”

Her cheeks warmed, smile threatening to split her face in half as she blushed, “Alejandro Vargas, quit, we’re in public.” She pulled away, righted herself and turned. “I’m going home.”

Alejandro held the lunchbox in his hand, a smirk on his face as he called out loudly, “Pero, mi alma, don’t leave me! I’m a wounded man! Your husband needs you to take care of him!” her shoulders set in embarrassment as his soldiers started laughing. “Te amo, alma mía! Mi corazón late por ti!”

He snickered as she practically ran out of the base like her ass was on fire, knowing he was in for it when he got home; Alejandro walked back over and sat the lunchbox down on the table, slapping at Rudy’s hand and glaring when his second tried to get in for the cookies. “Lo siento, eres su esposo? No? Sal de mi lonchera.”

Rudy frowned. “She packs enough for me, you know that.”

“And I don’t wanna share what my wife brought me,” he griped in return. “Find your own wife.”

A groan left Rudy’s lips as he complained, “No es justo que ella sea tu esposa. Ella es la mejor que hay.”

Alejandro puffed out his chest, pride in his voice as he agreed, “That she is. And she’s mine,” he lifted up his left hand and pointed to his gold band. “Forever.”

Soap leaned over as the two started bickering, whispering to Ghost, “Did you know Alejandro was married?”

“Uh huh,” Ghost nodded. “Showed me the photos in his wallet.”

“He has photos in his wallet?”

“Yep. Like a ton of them. All of her.”

Soap frowned. “Damn, that woman must be something fierce to have such a hold on him.”

“She is!” Alejandro interrupted, pulling out his wallet from his back pocket. “Here, let me show you.”

[glorious-spoon]

U …on a place of insecurity for steddie? 👀

Hi, and thank you! This got a little bit out of control, :D

-

The scars don't bother Eddie. They're not the first ones he's gotten; they won't be the last. He mourns the ragged bites missing from some of his tattoos, but he can always get new ones. And all things considered, as far as body art goes, it's hard to get more metal than a bunch of scars from being nearly torn apart by supernatural monsters.

Like. Metal as fuck.

It doesn't occur to him for a long time that Steve might feel differently. Part of it, at least for a while, is a case of embarrassing hero-worship that was probably inevitable after the guy slung him over his shoulders and carried him out of the underworld. Part of it is that Steve has a better poker face than Eddie anticipated, and a lot of experience at shoving down the stuff that bothers him so that he can keep moving.

So it takes him a while to notice that Steve wears collared shirts all the time now, scarves in the winter, turtlenecks that make him look like some kind of artsy hipster that he definitely is not. 

The scar on his throat fades from vivid purple to pink, but it still shows up when he tans, which Eddie knows because Robin (and, okay, the judicious application of Eddie's best weed) has convinced Steve to pull off his shirt and join them in the lake on this particular late-August day when they are, for once, not babysitting a pack of children.

"Come on," Steve complains, but he seems looser now, easier in his own skin than he usually is these days.

"Come on," Robin mimics. "Or I'm going to push you in with your clothes on."

"I'd like to see you try," Steve mutters, but he peels his polo shirt up and off over his head and tosses it behind him on the dock. There's miles upon miles of gorgeous skin, dotted with freckles and moles, and—yeah, a whole bunch of scars. Most of them are similar to Eddie's: torn skin stitched back together, the ragged lines of grafts and stretch marks that the doctor assured him would fade with time, as if he gives a shit. Eddie's are worse, but Steve still has the look of a patchwork doll clumsily stitched back together in some places. The line around his throat makes Eddie wince, though. It looks like someone tried to hang him; it reminds him too vividly of that moment in the Upside Down. Steve on his back, trapped and struggling and slowly strangling as he was eaten alive.

Steve glances at him. His shoulders hunch, almost imperceptibly, and then he shakes his head and dives smoothly into the water, taking long enough to surface that Eddie considers panicking about it.

Then Steve's sleek head breaks the surface. Robin splashes him, and he blows a fountain of water at her, and then Eddie gets in on it and it rapidly turns into a free-for-all before they all finally retreat back to shore, exhausted, and Steve pulls his shirt back on without even waiting to dry off.

They don't talk about it, not then. But Eddie spends the rest of the day thinking about it, and the rest of the following day, and then it's a week later and he's making out with Steve on the couch at his new trailer, which has probably been a long time coming, to be honest.

Steve's an unsurprisingly good kisser, and he seems perfectly enthusiastic about Eddie's wandering hands, laughing under his breath and hauling Eddie in until he's straddling him. Eddie laughs, delighted, and kisses him again. It's all going fucking great until his fingers brush the edges of the scar that winds up to a narrow terminus under Steve's jaw.

He feels it when Steve goes still, and doesn't realize why for a moment. Then he remembers.

"Should I not—"

"Sorry," Steve says immediately, and drops his head back against the couch, wincing. Eddie shifts his weight, wondering if he should move. But Steve's hands are still on his thighs, and he doesn't seem like he's about to shove Eddie off.

"Nah, man, it's okay. I get it, trust me. If you want me to be like" —he lifts both hands, palm out, demonstrating— "you know, hands off about the battle scars kinda thing…"

Steve makes a face, half a wince. "You noticed that, huh."

"I notice a lot of things about you," Eddie says honestly.

"Sorry."

"Like, I totally get it—I mean, not totally, obviously, but I'm not gonna do something if it freaks you out."

Steve sighs. "It doesn't freak me out. They're just—I don't know. Fucking ugly."

"They're not," Eddie says immediately.

Silence for a moment. Then Steve says, "I'm sorry. That was a dick thing to say."

"Oh, what, you mean because we got matching body art now?" Eddie asks.

"I mean. Yeah."

"Doesn't bother me. They're metal as fuck."

Steve smiles a little. And it's wanting to keep that smile, maybe, that has Eddie sitting back across his thighs to pull his shirt off and toss it aside, leaving him on display—scars and all. Steve's breath catches a little, but the look on his face isn't freaked out; instead, it's soft and wondering. "Can I—?"

"By all means knock yourself out," Eddie says, and then Steve's warm hands are smoothing lightly up his sides, over the patchy scar tissue. It still feels weird—oversensitive in some places, numb in others—but something about the way Steve is touching him right now feels reverent, almost. Then he leans forward to press a careful kiss to the worst of them, a big ragged shiny patch spanning the front and top of Eddie's left shoulder. Eddie shudders; Steve sighs against his skin.

"You like that," he says.

"I'm gonna be totally honest with you, I'll probably like just about anything you want to do right now."

Steve huffs out a laugh, ducking his head, and leans up to kiss Eddie's mouth again. Then he leans back and peels his shirt off too, a quick movement that almost ends in him elbowing Eddie in the face.

He's gorgeous like this, all freckled skin and sturdy muscles. And yeah, the scars—it's not that Eddie doesn't get Steve's deal with them. They're a physical reminder of the pain, of all the shit they went through, and they're the kind of thing that most people would probably have questions about, even if that question was just holy shit what happened, did it hurt?

Eddie was there, though. He knows.

"You can touch me," Steve says after a moment, during which Eddie seriously contemplates sitting on his hands to keep from doing exactly that. "If you want."

"Oh, thank god," Eddie says, all in a rush, and Steve starts laughing, the tension between them breaking.

Or not breaking, he thinks, as he slides a careful hand up Steve's scarred chest, lightly flicking a nipple as he goes and watching the quick intake of breath that nets him. Not breaking, just changing shape. Becoming sweeter. He keeps touching Steve, slow and careful, and feels Steve's tense body loosen beneath him just as slowly. Only then does he lean forward to press his mouth to the side of Steve's throat, where the scar is thickest.

Steve's breath catches again. Eddie stills.

"This okay?" he asks. His lips don't leave Steve's skin, so he can feel the way that Steve swallows before he nods.

"Yeah," he whispers. "It's okay."

Eddie kisses him again, closed-mouthed and lingering and as sweet as he can make it.

"Just means we survived," he whispers. "All this shit just means we made it. We're still here."

"Yeah," Steve whispers again. He tilts his head back, baring his throat to Eddie's mouth, and shudders when he kisses him there again. "I'm really glad we're still here."

[fairlyang]

I’m just gonna fuck around, no edits just shit posting my thoughts bc I’m going feral from my previous posts shsjsjsj (here’s the dance)

imagine getting dragged to go to a Mexican party with your mom and not even knowing whose birthday or what the occasion even was. your mom just made you look all pretty and once you get there you see your fav tias all sitting together at a table dando todo el chisme aunque apenas llegaron

you give them all a kiss on the cheek and a hug or else your mom will give you the nastiest stank eye but you were going to do it anyway!

apparently the party is for one of your Tia’s new boyfriend’s brother’s kid. You weren’t even going to ask because seeing how filled el salón estaba, you didn’t need a rundown of this family tree but the good news was all your relatives were just your mom and tias so everyone else was free to be eye candy

you looked around the jam packed salon and there were couples of all ages dancing on the dance floor and somehow all the tables were still filled with people. The bar was filled with of course all the men just standing around because what else were they going to do?

la banda estaba tocando Por Amarte Asi de Alacranes Musical y a ti te gustaba bailar cuando ahuevo te forzaban tus tías porque ya que, pero con tus amigas también

ahorita como las tías estaban chismeando, nada las iba a parrar hasta que llegó el novio de la tía que invito a todos y dejo cervezas, shots, y coolers para todas. como más se gana el amor de la familia si no con alcohol?

they cheered and they all quickly grabbed what they wanted to drink and shit just disappeared fast, you only got lucky with a seagrams because your mom snatched a mango one for you and handed it to you

you looked at the people now dancing to whatever corrido cover the banda was playing now and there were multiple circles going and the drunk tios popping off in the middle because it was their time to shine and just hip thrust

you then looked around again, seeing tons of fine ass men in their botas y sombreros just standing around, drinking or talking in groups with other guys

there was one that stood out, the tallest out of a group that was close to the bar. He was gigantic for a Mexican and from afar was so handsome. Vestido en todo negro con sus botas y sombrero que combinaron, lo único color era su cintó café.

now you were thankful that your mom convinced you to wear your botas too because she claims que nunca sepas cuando te sacará un galán a bailar

now you just had to pray he’d somehow see you of all people and ask you to dance because there was no way in hell you were going to ask him- only slightly introverted but there was still no shot you’d go up to him

you kept staring at him mostly because you couldn’t help it, estaba tan guapo, like those kinds of guys your mom would point out and say she wants em as a yerno

he had a black button up shirt with a few of the top buttons undone, and possibly una cadenita con la virgencita but that was just an educated guess

tenía sus botas vaqueras and you could only pray he could read your mind somehow and ask you to dance because you’d say yes in a heartbeat

meanwhile one of your tias already downed three shots and chugged half a beer when somehow she’s the one that noticed that you’re staring at someone. She gets up and stumbles to get to you, she wraps her arm around your shoulder and squints so she could see who it was

“guaoooo ese si está guapo. que chulada.” she slurs making you quickly look away before she decides to go do something stupid

meanwhile two others noticed and all gasped, you covered your face in embarrassment because at this point this was going to be their new chisme y muy capaz que una de ellas te lo agarraran

con suerte que no lo hicieron but they also began to tell you to go ask him to dance but you were stubborn so of course you didn’t which just prompted two of them to say you got it from your mom

meanwhile Miguel was on his third beer and finally now was he feeling the urge to dance but there were so many girls to choose from but considering a lot were cousins that would narrow it down

his friends were just talking while he was looking around at the tables to see if there was someone his age he didn’t recognize because he wasn’t shy to just ask someone to dance

he saw two close to a table by the dance floor but they looked on the younger side so he just kept looking until his eyes landed on a girl who was surrounded by a bunch of tias. He didn’t recognize you and you looked to be about his age so he just handed his beer to one of his friends and immediately walked over to you

you on the other hand were waving your tias off and telling them that you’re just gonna stay put, that was until the guy you were staring at was gone from his place and you felt a bit sad

that was until your mom turned her head to her right because her shoulder was tapped and you had to turn your head to see, thinking it was going to be a drunk man wanting to dance with her only for your eyes to nearly pop out of their sockets when it was the same guy you were staring at

“Podría tener un baile con su hija?” he asks with a charming smile and you nearly couldve fainted on the floor because he was even more gorgeous up close-

“Claro que si! Por favor lo necesita.” your mom says making you gasp then let out a little fake offended scoff

Well she helped give you a win so you can’t be that offended…

Momma knows best always

“Muchas gracias.” Le dice y luego saca su mano a ti para que la agares

you looked at him and grabbed his hand, getting out of your seat and he carefully led you around the tables until you finally got to the dance floor

El pistolero huapango was playing and you quickly got into position wrapping your left arm around his neck and holding his hand with your right while his right hand was holding your back.

His right leg was in between yours and within seconds he started leading, barely even waiting for you but it was fine

Your bodies moved in sync and at first it was quiet between you two until he talked into your ear, “como te llamas linda?”

“Me llamo y/n y tu?” Le respondes y te da una sonrisa

“Me llamo Miguel.”

“Placer conocerte Miguel.”

“El placer es todo mío hermosa.”

You bit your lip to not make any excited noises because that sent butterflies down your entire being, y su tono de voz iba vivir en tus sueños

you moved your feet with his and held onto him tightly, luckily your boots were barely tall enough for you to reach his shoulder.

there were points in the song where you’d be dancing on beat then stop for a few seconds before repeating it like three times then Miguel would be leading you all over the dance floor

one specific part was where you had to sway your hips and kinda grind down on his leg, and the first time had your cheeks feeling all warm because it could get very intimate

he pulled you even closer so your heads were touching and his sombrero was lightly touching you. he led you back and forth until you had to grind down his leg again and he moved down with you then to bring you both up and you were kinda just facing the side while you danced with him

It was possibly even better than you imagined and what could be better than manifesting a handsome stranger to ask you to dance and it actually ends up happening? And for him to be an amazing partner too was a dream come true

[fclskincareindia]

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[nobedofroses]

December 17th

pairing: pre-outbreak!Joel Miller x reader

warnings: fluff

words: 1.6k

a/n: oops, this one got long too, but Joel and a bookshop, how could i not just keep writing? picture prompt from @toomanystoriessolittletime's winter writing challenge ❄️

more Joel, Full List

🌨️🌨️🌨️

He always came in alone. Well, except for his daughter, Sarah. But every week, without fail, the two of them came in for your story time and then browsed and read for around another hour afterward. 

It made you wonder if he was single. Or maybe his partner worked on Saturdays or liked to sleep in or hated books or any other reason why he was always alone. You had snuck many glances at his left hand ring finger (in case he had forgotten to wear it one day but had it the next week) and there was never a ring. Never even a tan line, and he had been tan in the summer. 

You wondered if he worked outside or just liked to spend a lot of time outdoors. He had these big, functional muscles that made you think they came from his line of work rather than going to the gym multiple times a week. Besides, who had the time with a five year old at home? 

They were easily your best regulars, only missing it one or twice outside of when it was canceled due to holidays. But, aside from small chats with Sarah, you knew less about them than people that came half as much. Which only made you more curious, more interested. 

During the story and if there was an activity afterward, you were always focused on the kids, but as soon as everything was packed away and you went back to your duties as a member of staff, it was all you could do to keep yourself from following him around the store. 

You still caught yourself staring, taking several minutes to shelve one book left on the “decided not to buy” cart if it was remotely in the same section as he was. And since you were the de facto staff for the children’s section, in charge of restocking, tidying the toys, and answering questions, whenever Sarah had a question she came right to you. 

She was an adorable and smart child and it melted your heart every time he referred to her off handedly as “baby girl.” 

You had known his name, Joel, since one of the first times they came in because he had a membership and never had his card on him, so you had to look him up by phone number and confirm with his name. And technically, he must know your name too since you told everyone before every book you read. But you don’t think he had ever used your name, only ever telling Sarah to thank her “teacher” at the end of every story time. 

If only you could work up the courage to talk to him, then you were certain that fate would take control and the two of you would end up finding out you had great chemistry and were compatible and go on dates and you could definitely be a good stepmom, you were sure of it. 

But months went by and you never said more than a couple words to him. You were worried that soon enough Sarah would age out of story time and they would stop coming. Or at least that they would stop coming when you were working and you would never see them again. 

Then in December, when you were working your Friday morning shift, Joel came in, just himself this time. You had been putting away finger puppets that had been abandoned on the floor and when someone said your name, you turned, all of them still in your hands. And then when you saw it was Joel, you promptly dropped them all. 

Quickly bending down to pick them up, you nearly knocked heads with Joel, who was doing the same thing. The two of you had the puppets in their bin in a minute, and then you stood up again, your face and chest and neck burning with embarrassment. 

“Thank you for helping,” you said quietly, just glad your voice didn’t shake. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Joel said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking sheepish. Which, you decided, was a very adorable look on him. “I left work for a couple hours to do some Christmas shoppin’ and figured I should come here today without Sarah so she won’t see me buy all her presents.” 

You smiled and nodded, “That’s smart, um, is there anything I can help you with?” 

“Yeah, that’s why I was comin’ over to talk to you. Honestly, Sarah asks for the books that “teacher” reads all the time and we don’t have any but a couple, so I wanted to see if you have a list or somethin’ that I could just get her favorites from,” Joel said, his eyes intent on yours, making your heart do something funny. 

“Um, yeah, I mean I don’t have a list already typed up or anything, but I know most of them off the top of my head. I can just start grabbing them and you can pick from the stack, if that’s okay?” you offered, hoping that he wouldn’t be annoyed that it was going to take longer. 

“Sure, that’s perfect. I can hold them while you search,” he offered with a smile that made your tummy swoop. 

From there, it took about ten minutes to get all of the books that you had read in the past couple of months and could remember right away since they were in different sections. Then there were a few that Joel prompted you for, like “the crystal book” that was about geodes, or “the worm book” that was about compost. 

During the fifteen minutes or so it ended up being, the two of you talked more than you ever had in the previous eight months. It was still pretty surface level talk, but you did find out from a passing comment that he was raising Sarah alone and you let it slip that you were single as well. You also discovered that he was a contractor, which explained the muscles. He asked you if you were happy with your position and you told him you were, that you loved introducing kids to reading and just getting to spend time with them because they were always so interesting and funny. 

By the time he had chosen ten out of the twenty books you had gotten from the shelves, you were way less intimidated by talking to him and even the tiniest bit hopeful that it would happen more often in the future. 

And then he surprised you, “I don’t want to overstep or anything, and I know you’re at work and this is weird so feel free to say no, like, we’ll still come to story time and I won’t make it uncomfortable or anything—”

You had been very confused at first, wondering why he was rambling on since that really didn’t seem like something he would typically do, but when you actually paid attention to his words, you wondered if maybe he was trying to ask you out. 

Gently, you interrupted him, “Joel, I promise I’ll listen with an open mind, don’t worry.” 

He shot you a self-deprecating smile and you got butterflies, “Well, I was just wonderin’ if you’d let me take me out to coffee— dinner, I mean, or a movie or somethin’. To thank you for all your help today.” 

You couldn’t help the grin that came to your face and you nodded, “Yeah, I’d like that, I’d, um, really like that.” 

Joel smiled back and the two of you couldn’t stop after that, looking at each other and getting that tingly, excited feeling the whole time you were ringing him up. Once he had paid, you offered to help him carry his books out as an obvious ruse to spend more time with him because with arms like his, ten children’s books were probably like carrying a pillow. Joel thanked you for your help but didn’t actually end up giving you any of the books to carry so you opened the door for him instead. 

When you got to his car, his hands were a little full since he was also carrying a coffee you had made him at the little cafe inside, so he asked, “Actually, could you grab my keys? They’re just in my inside coat pocket.” 

 You swallowed thickly and reached forward to grab the keys, fingers brushing his abdomen when you did and then you unlocked his truck for him. Once he had leaned in and set the books and coffee down (which exposed a delicious sliver of his tummy to you when his shirt rode up), he stood right in front of you, crowding into your space just a bit. You loved it. 

“Thank you again, for everything. I’ll call you soon so I can get you that dinner,” he said, speaking softer than in the bookstore since there was nothing around to overpower his words. “Just need a day when I can get a sitter. Or if my brother is willing to give up a night at the bar.” 

You laughed lightly but said, “I don’t want to cross any boundaries, but I wouldn’t mind dinner with you and Sarah if it comes down to it.” 

Joel smiled knowingly and said, “But if Sarah’s there, I can’t do this.” 

And then he leaned in, holding your face gently with one hand, and kissed you. It wasn’t very long or very deep, but it was very warm and it made little fizzes of excitement spread through your body. 

He pulled back partway like he was going to stop and then kissed you again instead, and this time your hand came up to his chest, needing to steady yourself at least a little bit. Then he really did pull back and swept his thumb over your cheek, no doubt feeling its warmth and you smiled sheepishly, “No Sarah then.” Joel laughed, “No Sarah.”

🌨️🌨️🌨️

[thethistlegirlwrites]

Lost and Found

John Stoker hasn’t set foot in the Amarillo hunter agency since he walked out of it twenty-four years ago with his brother’s death a fresh, bleeding wound in his heart.

He’s come home to Amarillo itself since, for Dia de los Muertos at the ranch and visiting extended family in town, but he’s never once gone back inside the agency. Too many memories haunt its halls. Ones he doesn’t care to relive.

The memories at the ranch are the good ones.

He wishes he’d never seen Gabe in these halls.

Halls that, despite nearly a quarter-century, have barely changed.

The track lighting has been replaced with something that buzzes less and is probably more energy-efficient, the godawful 70s pinky-beige paint is now a more natural desert tan, and the floor tiles are now a faux-slate instead of a Jackson Pollock freckling. 

But the same awards cases line the walls, just with a few sections added on in a slightly paler wood framing. The names on the dark-burgundy-painted metal doors with their chicken-wire glass windows are still almost word for word the ones John recalls, although he’s pretty sure this is a new generation. He can only see a few where the white block letters of a different last name are visible under a layer of the burgundy. 

And the wall of the fallen is still visible down the side hall. Unfortunately, that has changed. Plenty. 

He walks past it, brushing his fingers against the plaque that has his brother’s name and date of death. A small replica of his Bowie knife is attached to the top of it, and his Saint Marcellus medal has been wound around it by its chain. A photo of him is set into the corner, probably his graduation because his hair is still just pushing the limits of regulation length. He’d grown it out as soon as he was allowed to on active duty. John rubs the worn medal between his fingers, then walks to the door at the end of the hall, that leads to the training room. 

He thinks there was some logic in putting the wall of the fallen on the way there. Reminds new recruits exactly what they’ve signed on for, and why they need to be at their very best in training.

For decades, he’d thought the last piece of Gabe he was ever going to get was going to be that plaque. 

And then Carmen called him from Amarillo’s holding station and informed him he has a niece he’d never met.

She’s done some sketchy things, apparently, and it was a while before he technically got permission to visit her, since she’d been in the middle of Amarillo’s takedown of the Morris Avengers, but the minute he was told it was possible, he’d packed a bag and hopped the first flight he could catch. 

The gym is still very much the same. Battered bleachers with a few more layers of flaking paint, worn mats, and the smell of sweat that’s probably permanently soaked into the cinderblock walls. Chanted steps of basic moves from an incoming class. And then the sparring ring, blocked off by sagging ropes, where students get one-on-one experience with seasoned instructors.

Judging by the tagboard on the wall, with name badges hung up under time slots, the person he’s here for is in that ring right now.

John moves past a row of students practicing a curved under-the-arm stake strike, to get a better view of the practice ring. He’s just in time to see one of the people in it take the other down with a smooth leg sweep.

The smaller of the two women pushes herself up off the mat, short dark braid swinging, a few strands escaping and falling around her face. She raises her fists again and steps back into the circle outlined in peeling tape.

This time, the instructor takes advantage of her student’s newfound focus on her feet and lunges for her less-guarded face. The blow staggers her back, but the student doesn’t go down. She stumbles, then catches herself, still inside the lines, and comes back with a one-two punch to the arm and shoulder that even John is impressed with. The instructor takes a couple steps back, and apparently it’s the lead her student was waiting for. She moves in with a striking blow, headed for the ribs, but overshoots it. The instructor whirls her around, pinning the student’s back to her chest, and leans her head toward the student’s neck. A fake bite, reminding her of the price of failure.

And then the student's head snaps back, hard, slamming bone into bone. The instructor loses her grip and stumbles back, out of the circle, catching herself on the ropes. The student turns to her with a feral grin, more hair tumbling into her eyes, face flushed.

“Not bad, Aguirre.” The instructor rubs her forehead above her eye. “Mistakes are inevitable. How you recover from them is what matters.” She looks up at the clock on the wall. “Okay, you’re out. Masterson, you’re up. Show me what you got.”

Sierra Aguirre steps out of the ring, pulling her stretched-out Amarillo Academy t-shirt up over the back of her head and grabbing a blue water bottle off a stool next to the ropes. She pops the top open with her teeth and takes a long drink.

The move is so Gabe it hurts. Momma was always scolding him about using his teeth to open anything and everything. 

“What are you looking at?” Sierra snaps suddenly. John hadn’t realized he was probably doing the creepy stare. “That was a fluke. I’ve been acing practicals when it matters.”

“I…uh…I wasn’t here to talk to you about your performance. I’m John Stoker. I’m your uncle.”

Her face changes, not to anything resembling open friendship, but at least to something that makes him feel a little less likely to be the next victim of her aggressive streak. “Carmen said to expect you at the house at breakfast. I got an off campus pass for the morning.” 

“Didn’t want to wait.” John shrugs. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too.” There’s a formal detachment in her voice, but that’s to be expected. The only family member she’s had much contact with is Carmen, and that’s because Carmen has been brokering the deal that kept her out of an off the books black site for vigilantes.

“Well, I gotta get back to class. I’ll see you when they let us out.” Sierra turns toward the mat with the group practice session, and John backs out of the room. 

He’s learned to be patient with people. Give them the time they need to open up to him. It would have been nice to have learned that before Maira dropped Robin on him, but better late than never.

He’s waiting with his car at the front gates when Sierra walks out, her hair now out of the braid, wet, and hanging down her back, and a loose academy sweatshirt having replaced the abused tee. She must have a nervous habit of twisting her hands into the front of her shirts. 

“Sweet ride. 67 Fastback with the performance mod package and dual exhausts.” She slides a hand over the paint as she steps in. “Cherry metal flake was a good choice.” 

“Nice to have someone in here who appreciates her finer qualities,” John says with a chuckle.

“Didn’t they tell you I was street racing before I was a vigilante?” Sierra asks. “I’ve been working on cars like this since I was old enough to hold wrenches. Learned from my mom.”

That would explain how Gabe met her. He’d worked a lot of contacts in the underground racing scene, gathering intel on vampire infiltration of it. 

At least cars gives them something non-volatile to talk about on the way to the ranch. John’s still trying to gauge how Sierra feels about hunters. Kira was perfectly happy to fold into an existing structure when her actions put her on Chimera’s radar, but she’d become a vigilante before there was much information, if any, about hunters existing as an organized force. These days, and especially in hunter towns like Amarillo, becoming a vigilante is more likely to be a deliberate rejection of hunter values and ideals. Vigilantes used to be a more mixed bag. Some were just out to kill as many vamps as possible, but a lot were people who’d been hurt or had family members who had been impacted by vampires, and were looking for justice the only way they knew how.

But Sierra had Gabe’s journals. She had to have known there was a legal way to fight the things that killed him. And chose not to take it until she was backed into a corner with nowhere left to run. 

It’s not like John can judge too harshly. He’d been so fixated on blaming the fae for what happened that night he almost got Robin killed. He’s made mistakes there’s no undoing too. But he can’t be sure if Sierra’s all in with this, or just going along with the training and recruitment because it’s better than the alternative. 

Hopefully, getting to know her family will help with that. 

John parks outside the ranch house. Carmen’s car is already here, the Barracuda’s blue paint gleaming in the first hints of morning light. She’s waiting on the porch with Momma and Dad, the three of them leaning on the railing.

Sierra steps out of the car without any apparent hesitation or nervousness. John is getting the feeling she’s not the sort to second-guess much, or to spend a lot of time on the what-ifs. He was always that person in their family, which is why he has the record for bones broken, but Gabe was always the people person. The kid who wandered off in supermarkets because he was saying hi to a total stranger. 

Sierra walks up the steps and leans against a porch post herself. “So you guys are my grandparents, huh?”

Momma and Dad both look a little misty-eyed, but they’re also clearly reading the coolness in the situation that has nothing to do with the desert morning. “Yes. I’m Sonora Morgan-Stoker, and this is my husband Stephen,” Momma says, holding out a hand the way should would to any new cadet she was meeting. Technically, both she and Dad are retired, but Dad still works with the communications staff in an advisory role, and Momma speaks at graduations and teaches some of the advanced undercover classes. 

“It’s nice to meet you both.” Sierra takes the offered hand. Dad clearly wants to hug her, but is holding back. 

It’s odd, seeing her here, with their family. John used to think about what it would have been like if Gabe had had kids, but he’d always pictured some curly-headed big-eyed boy like his little brother, scooting around with toy cars in the sandbox, pounding herbs in Abuela Rosa’s pestle, sitting on Momma’s lap and watching with rapt attention while Dad read Dracula every October. 

The truth was, he’d wished Gabe had a kid because he’d wanted to get a piece of his brother back. To make up for the mistakes he’d made the last time around.

Sierra isn’t his brother. Not even close. 

But she is family. 

“I’m starving, are we going to eat?” Carmen asks, breaking the awkward tension. She’s always been good at that. The diplomatic one. 

“First things first,” Momma says, stepping off the porch. “Sierra, there’s something in the barn I think you need to see.”

John’s heart hits his shoes and then soars right back up.

The car.

The black-tarp-covered hulk that’s been in the back of the barn for almost twenty-five years. 

No one has touched it since Gabe died. 

He follows the rest of his family to the barn, helping Dad pull open the big doors, walking past the listing hayrake and the old corn sheller to the corner.

Momma pulls the light string hanging overhead, and a single bare bulb clicks on, picking out the dust-coated tarped outline.

“I’ve heard you’re a pretty good mechanic and driver,” Momma says. “I think your dad would have wanted you to have this.” 

Carmen grabs a corner of the tarp with her good hand and pulls it down to the floor.

The car’s in rough shape. The barn cats have kept mice out of the wires, but all four tires are flat and dry-rotted, the paint is dusty despite the tarp cover, and one of the windows is cracked from where someone backing some equipment in forgot the auger was still sticking out.

Sierra freezes.

“How did a 1967 Yenko Camaro get all the way out here?”

Momma smiles, a genuine, unforced one this time. “Your dad found it in a wrecker’s lot. Someone from the east coast took his fancy new car for a Route 66 road trip and then got in a pileup. He junked the car rather than fix it, and Gabe got it for a song.”

“Holy shit. This is Tony Romano’s dream car but he said he’d need to win the lottery to even think about affording one.” She wipes dust off the headlights and runs a finger gently over the silver paint. “You hung onto it all this time?”

John remembers spending hours with Gabe out here, spraying body panels over the cardboard box their new refrigerator had come in that year. The car had come to them bright white, but Gabe had opted for something a little less, in his words, ‘totally boring’. 

“Wasn’t ours to sell,” Carmen says. 

Sierra looks up, and just for a moment, the warm light in her eyes is pure Gabe.

“You guys really are one close family, aren’t you?”

“Yes. And we want you to be part of it,” Stephen says. “I’m sorry we didn’t get to know you a lot sooner. But we’d all love to make up for lost time.”

“You know I’m not him, right? I’m never going to be him.” John wonders how often Sierra’s gotten hit with the whole family legacy thing at Amarillo. It’s kind of inevitable. She’s probably already tired of being expected to live up to her dad’s name, and assumed his family would have the same mindset. She wasn’t wrong about me at least. And it might take some time to separate the real her from what I always imagined Gabe’s kids would be. But we’ll get there.

“Oh honey, if any family knows what it means to be held to expectations based on who you’re related to, it’s us,” Momma says. “We’re not asking you to be.”

“I think I can live with that.” Sierra crouches down and inspects the lugnuts. “I do wish I could have met him. He had a hell of a taste in cars.”

Just for a second, John could swear there’s an electric crackle in the barn, like the air before a storm, and the ghost of a hand resting on his shoulder.

Maybe Gabe has never been so far away, after all. 

(You can read this story and more from this universe on my WorldAnvil here!)

@catwingsathena @nade2308 @the-one-and-only-valkyrie @telltaleclerk @ettawritesnstudies  @writeouswriter @whump-place

[awesomefringey]

Hola,

como vi muchos chismes en twitter de tu tumblr sobre un besito y puso las fans en pánico- les voy contar un chisme verdadero. mi mamá trabaja en el hotel en cual se quedó Louis. Y como yo soy fan de One Direction le pregunté como fue servele a un gringo tan rico e famoso. 1) el no llevo ninguna morra a su cuarto. la única persona que entró con él fue un chico que Louis pidió para interpretar y los nombres de los clubs más padre 🤣 2) cuando se fueron, Oli le levo todas las xtra cobijas a la amiga de mi mamá que pidieron en la noche pq tenían frío. por cierto la amiga de mi mamá lo llamo guapo, un flaco Octavio ocaña, muy amable y hablaba español muy bien para un pelirrojo 3) tal vez si invitaran una chica fue para hacerle compañía a Oli jajaja el pobre merece amor 4) la primera mañana pidieron hevitos con chorizo leche de chocolate un burrito unos panqueques y un plato con fruta (no pidieron pero mi mamá se lo llevó jaja) 5) se robaron unas chanclas del hotel, unos jabones para la cara, un muñequito, camisetita de fútbol y un sombrero (regalitos de las fans), un champú y dos toallas rosas de baño (creo que le gustó el debujito 6) no tomó fotos con las del hotel pero les agradeció mucho por cuidarlos y México es su favorito lugar de luis tomlinson ☺️ 7) louis estaba saliendo del elevador pa fuera cuando mando al pobre oli otra vez arriba por sus cigarros (se le olvidaron) 8) (mi favorito) louis pidió tacos de vario sabores sin saber que uno llevaba aguacate y le dió una mordidita (casi le di un ataque de corazón a mi madre cuando le conté cuánto odia el maldito aguacate 😭 el taco se lo dio a Oli 😔 9) miraron la película “Coco” en la tele 10) (no me manden hate porfa pero le pedí a mi mamá que oliera su almohada y su funda 🫣 mi dijo que su almohada olía a flores como su champú y su funda olía limpio o normal (perdón pero quien no iba quiere saber) Bueno, eso es todo chicas. Es una persona súper especial y hermoso. No lloren por un besito! dejen que disfrute su vacaciones! -Vale

Hi Vale, I asked @andreaxcb (thaaaanks 😍) to help translate your ask for all of the non-Spanish speakers.

I hope it does justice to what you meant to tell (which we take with a big grain of salt since it’s packed with fandom canon about Louis)

“As I saw a lot of gossip on twitter from your tumblr about a little kiss and it made the fans panic- I'm going to tell you real gossip.

My mom works at the hotel where Louis stayed. And since I'm a One Direction fan, I asked her how she served such a rich and famous gringo.

1) He didn't bring any girls to his room. The only person who came with him was a boy that Louis asked to interpret and the names of the coolest clubs 🤣

2) when they left, Oli brought back all the extra blankets they asked for because they were cold at night to my mom’s friend. By the way, my mom's friend called him handsome, a skinny Octavio Ocaña, very kind and spoke Spanish very well for a redhead

3) maybe if they invited a girl it was to keep Oli company hahaha the poor guy deserves love

4) the first morning they asked for eggs and sausages, chocolate milk, a burrito, some pancakes and a plate with fruit (they didn't ask but my mom took it haha)

5) they stole some flip flops from the hotel, some soaps for the face, a little doll, a football shirt and a hat (gifts from the fans), a shampoo and two pink bath towels (I think he liked the designs)

6) he didn't take photos with the hotel staff but he thanked them very much for taking care of them and Mexico is his favorite place of Louis Tomlinson ☺️

7) Louis was getting out of the elevator when he sent poor oli back upstairs for his cigarettes (he forgot)

8) (my favorite) louis ordered tacos of various flavors without knowing that one had avocado and he took a bite (I almost gave my mom a heart attack when I told her how much he hates the damn avocado 😭) he gave the taco to Oli 😔

9) they watched the movie “Coco” on TV

10) (don't send me hate please but I asked my mom to smell his pillow and its cover 🫣 she said that his pillow smelled like flowers like his shampoo and his pillowcase smelled clean or normal (sorry but who didn't want to know)

Well that's all girls. He is a super special and beautiful person. Don't cry about a little kiss! Let him enjoy his vacation! -Vale”

[cadeloverforever]

HELLO!, I'm going to make one of kano, sad? xD, idk, I'll try to make it at least sad, although what's truly sad is my way of writing,idk, I'll leave you with the Headcanon!

(la versión en español está en esta misma publicación!) I hope you like it!

_________________________________________

Kano Headcanon! (Sad?)

<> well.... well you were the "perfect" couple, they had really warned you what Kano was like, but you simply thought that they were exaggerations, since with you he was something else, he was not like the others said, or well that you thought, he gave you gifts, all kinds of things and loving actions for you

<> 4 years, fourth damn years, did you see it coming?, NO Absolutely not, things began to get complicated when he began to arrive with a smell of cheap cave liquor, although you already knew that he drank that was not so much the problem but that It was his shirt which almost always had traces of makeup that was not yours, he even had fresh lipstick on his collar.

<>The first few times you don't face him, oh girl... the first mistake, each time he began to be more isolated and the few times that you really tried to save what little was left of your relationship by taking him to restaurants or the movies, spoiler he never It came, it only broke your heart more, how could that happen? everything looked so... so... so happy...

<>What made you explode when you literally found him with a woman, in a bar, flirting together, you walked away from that place as quickly as possible, your eyes filled with tears, but why? You already knew or well you suspected that he was cheating on you, so why does it hurt as if you hadn't known? Did you want to confront him several times, ask him why? Why was everything falling apart? But your heart was stronger than your logic.

<>While you were crying he was having fun in the bar, that made you remember everything they told you, you should have paid attention to those words that you thought were only to hurt you, you spent several days trying to talk to him, which resulted in fights , shouts and insults and they even threw things at each other, in one of their many fights you shouted at him what you already knew about his deception, he limited himself to saying "you weren't paying attention to me, it makes sense why I do it"

<>After those many fights you decided to put a damn end to this shit, you didn't say anything, you just packed up and left, they lived in an apartment, you didn't have many things in that place other than clothes or similar, you went to another place, maybe that you have traveled to another country to seek peace or forget all that "love" shit

_________________________________________

HOLA!, voy a hacer uno de kano, ¿triste? xD, no sé, intentaré que sea al menos triste, aunque lo realmente triste es mi forma de escribir, no sé, los dejo con el Headcanon!, espero les guste!

Kano Headcanon! (Triste?)

<> bueno.... bueno ustedes eran la pareja "perfecta", realmente te habían advertido cómo era Kano, pero simplemente pensaste que eran exageraciones, ya que contigo él era otra cosa, no era como decían los demás. , o bien eso pensabas, te dio regalos, todo tipo de cosas y acciones amorosas para ti.

<> 4 años, cuarto maldito año, ¿lo veías venir?, NO Por supuesto que no, la cosa se empezó a complicar cuando empezó a llegar con olor a licor de cueva barato, aunque ya sabías que bebía que no era tanto. el problema pero que era su camisa la cual casi siempre tenia restos de maquillaje que no era tuyo, incluso tenia labial fresco en su cuello.

<>Las primeras veces que no lo enfrentas, oh chica... el primer error, cada vez empezó a estar más aislado y las pocas veces que realmente intentaste salvar lo poco que quedaba de tu relación llevándolo a restaurantes o al cine, spoiler él nunca llegó, solo te rompió más el corazón, ¿cómo pudo pasar eso? todo parecía tan... tan... tan feliz...

<>¿Qué te hizo explotar cuando literalmente lo encontraste con una mujer, en un bar, coqueteando juntos, te alejaste de ese lugar lo más rápido posible, con los ojos llenos de lágrimas, pero por qué? Ya sabías o bien sospechabas que te estaba engañando, entonces ¿por qué te duele como si no lo hubieras sabido? ¿Querías confrontarlo varias veces y preguntarle por qué? ¿Por qué todo se estaba desmoronando? Pero tu corazón era más fuerte que tu lógica.

<>Mientras llorabas el se estaba divirtiendo en el bar, eso te hizo recordar todo lo que te dijeron, debiste prestar atención a esas palabras que pensabas que solo eran para lastimarte, estuviste varios días tratando de hablar con él, lo cual resultó en peleas, gritos e insultos y hasta se tiraban cosas, en una de sus tantas peleas le gritaste lo que ya sabías de su engaño, él se limitó a decir "no me estabas haciendo caso, se hace". sentido por qué lo hago"

<><>Después de tantas peleas decidiste ponerle fin a esta maldita mierda, no dijiste nada, simplemente empacaste y te fuiste, ellos vivían en un departamento, no tenías muchas cosas en ese lugar más que ropa o similar, te fuiste a otro lugar, tal vez hayas viajado a otro país para buscar la paz u olvidar toda esa mierda del "amor"