#dividers by aquazero | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

iamgonnagetyouback · 21 days ago

Text

blanket and babbling

mattheo riddle x single mom!reader where he charms you and benjamin to sleep

↬ word count : 1,138 words ˎˊ˗

↬ warnings : mattheo being utterly swoon-worthy, extreme fluff and softness

↬ au part? : yes ➺ ♡

navigation┆mattheo riddle masterlist┆request here 𝜗𝜚

You had barely slept the night before, your four-month-old son, Benjamin, fussing without his favorite blanket. “Blankie,” as you’d affectionately started calling it, had been his comfort since birth—a soft, pale blue swaddle that always seemed to soothe him. Without it, his cries were louder, his little fists clenching as if protesting the universe itself for taking it away.

When the doorbell rang the next morning, you nearly jumped. Benjamin was balanced on your hip, hiccuping softly after another restless night, and you were in no state to see anyone. Your hair was barely tamed, and you were still in your oversized hoodie and leggings, but you shuffled to the door anyway.

“Hi,” came a voice that instantly drew your attention.

You blinked, momentarily forgetting how to breathe. There stood Mattheo, his dark curls slightly tousled and his leather jacket slung over one shoulder. His brown eyes sparkled with something soft, and in his hand—oh, in his hand—was Blankie.

“I think this belongs to someone,” he said, his lips quirking into a sheepish grin as he held the blanket up.

Your mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

“The driver recognized me,” Mattheo continued, his voice almost apologetic, as if he was nervous. “She handed it to me this morning, said it might belong to a baby she’d seen on my route. I figured it was probably your little guy.”

At the sight of his blanket, Benjamin perked up instantly, letting out a loud, happy gurgle that made Mattheo’s grin widen.

“Oh, my God,” you finally managed, stepping aside to let him in. “You have no idea how much you just saved me. Come in—please, I owe you coffee or something.”

Mattheo hesitated for only a moment before stepping inside, his presence filling the small space. He handed over Blankie, and Benjamin immediately latched onto it, clutching the fabric with his tiny fists and pulling it close to his face.

“See, Benny?” you cooed, bouncing him lightly. “The nice man brought back your Blankie. Can you say thank you?”

Benjamin burbled nonsense in response, but his delighted smile felt like gratitude enough.

Mattheo chuckled, his voice low and warm. “He’s got good taste. That’s a nice blanket. Super soft.” He reached out and lightly brushed the fabric, as if testing it himself.

You laughed, motioning toward the living room. “Well, Blankie is his prized possession. Sit down—I’ll make coffee. It’s the least I can do after what you’ve done for us.”

Mattheo followed you into the cozy space, his hands shoved into his pockets. He sat on the edge of the couch, glancing around with a curious but polite expression. His attention shifted back to Benjamin, who was now happily gnawing on the corner of Blankie.

“So,” Mattheo said as you bustled around the kitchen, “you’re raising this little legend on your own?”

You glanced over your shoulder, smiling softly. “Yeah, just me and Benny. It’s been a lot, but moments like this make it worth it.”

Mattheo nodded, his expression thoughtful. “You’re doing great. He looks like a happy kid.”

You felt a warmth spread through your chest at his words. As you handed him a mug of coffee, you noticed how naturally he seemed to fit into your space—leaning back on the couch with Benjamin gazing up at him curiously.

Time seemed to fly as you and Mattheo sat together in the living room, Benjamin happily occupying himself with Blankie and the occasional attention from his newfound friend. The conversation was light and easy, punctuated by Benjamin’s occasional giggles as Mattheo made silly faces or tapped his tiny nose.

But eventually, the little boy’s eyes started to droop.

“Nap time?” Mattheo asked, noticing Benjamin rubbing his eyes with a tiny fist.

“Supposed to be,” you sighed, already anticipating the battle. “But he’s been extra stubborn lately. He just doesn’t want to miss anything.”

You scooped Benjamin up, cradling him as you tried your usual routine—gentle rocking, soothing shushing sounds—but he fussed and squirmed, letting out small, insistent cries.

Mattheo stood, his hands on his hips. “Alright, little man,” he said, his voice light but determined. “You and I are going to have a talk about naps.”

You blinked at him, surprised but amused as he reached out to take Benjamin. “You sure?”

Mattheo nodded confidently. “I’ve got this.”

You hesitated but handed Benjamin over, watching in awe as Mattheo settled him against his chest. He started pacing the living room, humming softly—a tune you didn’t recognize but found oddly comforting.

Benjamin stared up at him, wide-eyed at first, but his tiny body gradually relaxed. Mattheo’s deep voice mixed with the rhythm of his steps, and within minutes, your son’s eyelids fluttered closed.

You let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding. “You’re a miracle worker,” you whispered, your voice full of awe and gratitude.

Mattheo grinned, his voice low so as not to disturb Benjamin. “It’s all about confidence. Babies can smell fear.”

You laughed softly as he carefully laid Benjamin in his crib, making sure Blankie was tucked snugly by his side.

When he turned back to you, the exhaustion of the day finally caught up to you. “You’re amazing,” you murmured, sinking onto the couch. “Seriously, I don’t know what I’d do without you today.”

Mattheo chuckled, sitting down beside you. “Happy to help.”

The warmth of the moment, combined with the quiet of the room, was too much for your tired body. You had no idea when your eyes drifted shut, but the next thing you knew, you felt the soft weight of a blanket being draped over you.

You stirred slightly, opening your eyes just enough to see Mattheo crouching beside you.

“Hey,” he said softly, his hand lightly shaking your shoulder. “I’m heading out. Didn’t want to just disappear.”

You sat up quickly, suddenly wide awake. “Oh, Mattheo, thank you so much—for everything. Seriously, I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

He smiled, brushing a curl out of his face. “It’s no problem. I’m glad I could help. You’ve got a great kid there.”

You stood, walking him to the door. “Feel free to come by any time,” you said earnestly, your cheeks warming slightly. “I mean it. You’re welcome here whenever.”

Mattheo looked at you for a moment, his expression unreadable, before a soft smile spread across his face. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, his voice warm.

As he stepped out into the hallway, he turned back one last time. “Take care of yourself, okay? And let me know if you ever need anything.”

You nodded, watching as he disappeared down the stairs. When you closed the door and turned back to the peaceful silence of the apartment, you found yourself smiling.

It wasn’t just Benjamin who had been comforted that day.

#dividers by aquazero #pictures from pinterest #dividers by adornedwithlight #ivy's soft scribbles ೀ #mattheo riddle fluff #mattheo x reader #mattheo riddle x you #mattheo riddle #mattheo riddle x reader #single mom!reader #mom!reader

105 notes · View notes

lucimaaie · 23 days ago

Text

runaway ✧.* spiderwoman au

pairings - ellie williams x fem!reader

summary - things in your relationship have changed since ellie got shot, some of them good. some of them you don’t talk about.

warnings - fluff mixed with angst, gets a lil suggestive but no smut as always, unspoken trope because plot, 3k word count, not proofread cuz i was too excited to post

playlist | spidey masterlist

Who or whatever was up in the sky, you prayed to it. Pleaded that every bad thing you'd ever done, every bad thing you'd even plan on doing would be forgiven all to save her. It made you look even more unstable to your father lingering outside the door, but you didn't care.

And whatever else you added worked. The constant beeping of the machine became the one thing grounding you to reality. You didn't get a wink of sleep, a crumb of food, or speak a word to the very curious, almost invasive police. All so you could see Ellie's eyes flutter open.

The first sound she let out was a tired, pained groan as she tried to sit up. "Are you crazy?" You blurted, rushing to her side to guide her back down. It was then that you seemed to realize she was awake, emerald eyes staring back up at you in confusion and a hint of fear. A loud gasp fell from your lips as your fingers traveled from her arms up to her face. "You're awake." You said, lip quivering in a failed attempt not to cry. "A-Are you hurting? Can we get some in here! She's awake!"

"Is that a question?" Ellie's voice was rough. Had she not been so grateful to be awake, laying her eyes on you it'd have come out with more snark. She was stubborn on trying to sit up just hours after surgery, pushing herself up on her fists.

"Are you making a joke right now?" You were more a mix of dumbfounded and relieved than annoyed right now. Lord knows you should be. Your girlfriend was fricking Spider-woman. That was a big thing.

"Now that you're crying? No, of course not." Ellie reached up to swipe your tears before they could fall off your face and onto the sheets. Her hand was ever so gentle in cupping your face. She swallowed as she took you in, not sure what to say to make this right.

None of this was right. She had unintentionally sprung everything on you when she landed at your window tonight. How long had it been, actually? Had she been out for days? What did they do to her? Ellie's mind was suddenly overcome with an overwhelming need for answers.

Her hand slipped down to rest on top of yours. She licked her chapped lips, brows furrowing. "Did they find me in—“

At the mention of the suit, you pulled away and wiped your face. “I hid it.” You said quietly. “I hid the suit and whatever..came out of you," The words tumbled out of your mouth as you were forced to think about the panic you felt just hours ago. The swirl of emotions sat deep in your stomach, threatening to rise up and come out in a way you couldn't control. So to stop it, you pulled away.

Ellie could sense it and it made her want to climb out of the bed just to hold you and apologize a million times over. Somehow that still felt inadequate. "And they're still at your apartment?" She dug her fingers into her palm. It was a better thing to focus on than how she messed up.

"I'm sorry, is that what you're worried about now?" You hadn't meant to sound pissed, but maybe you were. Maybe you were more than scared out of your mind you were gonna lose her. Maybe you were frustrated and pissed—beyond pissed—that she had kept this from you. And maybe mad at yourself thinking of all the times you should've known, all the times she was hurt and you weren't there—

Once again, she didn't know what to say. For the first time, she wasn't looking at you. It was a painful sight to linger on, her sunken features downcast under fluorescent lights and surrounded by beeping machines and wires. You were still fuming, but you couldn't be now. "I'm not mad. I'm not mad." You whispered, more to yourself than her, as you sat back next to her because what were you doing pulling away from her in the first place?

"It'd be okay if you were. I mean, if you are." She said with a humorless laugh. That wasn't the sound you wanted to hear. "If I were you, I would be. I get it—"

"Ellie, I'm not." You rubbed your brows. You shook your head as if it would make all your thoughts fall right where you wanted them to be. "Ok, that a lie, but— I don't want to be. I just wanna be happy that you're okay and I am. So, I'll be that. Only that." You grabbed her hand in an attempt to remind yourself that she was alive and okay, so everything was fine.

If you weren't convinced by your disjointed rant, you know Ellie wasn't. She wouldn't say it though. She wouldn't dare tell you how to feel when she came to your window bloodied, bruised, and shot. "I'm sorry," Her eyes welled up with tears she had failed to swipe up before they fell. She couldn't bring herself to. For years she felt like she had this band over her mouth, reminding her she had this huge secret she had no one to share with and only now had it given up and snapped. "I'm sorry," Was the only thing she could make herself say.

"Oh, baby—“ You tried your best to pull her into your side without aggravating the recent wound in her side. She had hid certain parts of her life behind a wall and you had learned to live with it, hoping that one day she'd feel comfortable enough to let you in. This was it, you thought.

She had let a few more tears fall, along with "I'm sorry"'s, before the sobbing had gotten to her gut, almost like a literal knife twisting in just to make things extra hurtful. Even then, she hadn't had the right words in mind. Instead, she held on your arm like her life depended on it. And that worked for a while. Though, not forever.

"Ellie." No response. "Ellie, can you look at me?" Her eyes flicked up to you with glassy eyes. It a sight you'd never experienced before and never wanted to again. "From now on, you're gonna tell me everything, okay?" You were persistent in wiping each tear as it fell. "And..I tell you everything, even if it's something you quite frankly won't give a shit about. And you tell me everything, even the-" You lowered your voice. "Even the Spider stuff."

"Yeah, okay." Her hands grabbed yours from her face and brought them to her lips. She sniffled as she gripped your hands. "I can do that,"

Healing from a gunshot wound was no doubt hard. It was harder when you were antsy to get some action. No, not that kind. (Though, she wasn't opposed.) The superhero-ing kind. Ellie missed swinging through the air and feel the wind all around her as all her problems became like tiny specks on paper. Of course she missed saving people and feeling needed by her city, but that had seemed to increase her risk of losing you. She had decided that wasn't an option, so she put Spider-woman on the backburner for right now, mostly.

She was slightly hunched over her computer in your newly shared apartment. There was no way you could back to your apartment after what happened and not enough space in Ellie's for the two of you to live in, so insert the supposedly inexpensive--totally expensive, it's new york let's be real--one bedroom, one bathroom beauty you now lived in.

Ellie brows furrowed as she felt somebody's hands wrap around her neck. The fact that her senses were relaxed and your scent was filling the air told her it was you. "Whatcha doing?" You nosed at her neck. "Fucking up your posture or just trying to get your dailies?"

She let out a snort. "Why not both? I like to multitask."

"Of course you do." You came up to stare at the screen. It was opened up youtube on some gaming video, but you weren't convinced. Your hand was on top of hers in a second, moving the mouse to click the other tabs. "Hey—!”

You weren't far from letting out an 'aha!' now that your suspicions had been proved right. She was knee-deep in articles about her absence, the surfacing of alien tech, the effects of the first alien invasion a couple years back in 2012. Deep in the rabbit-hole. "El..you said you were taking a break." Your hands fell to your sides.

"I was! I am." Ellie turned around in her chair, slowly so as not to feel that familiar sting in her side. "I'm just reading. That's not illegal." Ellie’s hands chased yours in an attempt to soothe your disappointment before you voiced it.

“Ever since you could walk again, you’ve been at this computer for hours, hun.” Her attempt fell flat as you moved to sit on the edge of desk, eyes glued to bright screen as it would change any moment. You wished it would. Then, you could have your girlfriend back.

“I’m at home for hours. I have to find something to fill the time.” Even her shitty excuse didn’t convince her. You were still practically sulking at the edge of the desk. “Hey,” She said softly. “I’m still relying on you to get up and down the stairs. I don’t think I’m gonna be swinging any soon.” She said, lighthearted. “Babe?” You hummed, eyes still glued to the screen.

You weren’t sure you were ready for her to get back out there again, nor was her body. Well, the first part was a lie. You definitely didn’t want her to go back. It was selfish, that was obvious, but that didn’t change your mind. That didn’t change the fact that she was still hurting because some asshole on the street shot her with some superpowered gun.

Ellie leaned closer, reaching her hand up to angle your chin down to her. “You don’t believe me.” She said in realization, eyes flicked between yours with a hint of hurt. She really couldn’t blame you, she wasn’t convincing herself either.

“No, I don’t.” It hurt to peel her hand from your chin and walk away, but you did. You ignored her attempts to call after you, closing the door behind you and dragging your feet in the kitchen. You had concerned yourself with some attempt at cooking a dish you cared nothing about, but lucky for you your shitty cooking could keep you busy for hours.

Ellie had wandered into kitchen to check on you, shoulders going limp at the sight of you pitifully pushing food around in a pan. She approached you carefully and slowly, turning the stove off and setting the pan aside. "So," She inhaled slowly, hands wringing together. "You're mad at me,"

"I'm not mad at you." You shot back, taking the pan from the counter to put it right back on the still-hot stove. With a passive aggressive smile, you flipped it back on. "What would I be mad about?" Now that was a stupid question.

"I've got some idea." Ellie was quick in turning the stove off and snatching the pan from your hand. She sighed at the slosh of opaque orange liquid painting the counter and the floor. "Great." She said under her breath moving to grab a wad of paper towels and crouch down before a stabbing pain in her side reminded her to slow down.

Your irritation softened as you shot out to stable her and guide her onto the island. "You gotta be careful, El. You can't move like that yet." The mess on the other side of your kitchen was the last of your worries. "Are you okay? Does it still hurt?" You rolled up the bottom of her tank top to lay your eyes on the wound. No bleeding, okay. That's good.

"I'm fine. I'm..more worried about you, I swear you haven't breathed in a two minutes." Ellie's cold hands on your arms were oddly grounding, pulling you from your small moment of panic.

Your first breath in a while sounded something like a wheeze. Rolling her shirt back down, you pushed yourself off the counter—and away from the palpable concern from Ellie's eyes alone. Now the spill was helpful in distracting you, allowing you to distance yourself from the very familiar conversation you had been pushing back for weeks. You had realized your were practically buffing the polish of the counter until Ellie pulled at your arm, her other hand holding your waist.

"It's clean and I'm fine." Her voice was quiet and yet it cut through your raging thoughts effortlessly. It took the same amount of effort to turn you around to face her and to pry the towel out of your hands. "Let's get you clean," She could see you coming up with a way to decline and she was having none of it. If she couldn't even clean up her own mess, she'd at least calm your worries. Or at least try. "We'll both get clean, okay?"

Steam became a curtain around the two of you as you both worked up a lather. (No, not like that you perv.) You didn’t want to admit the hot water hitting your bare skin had been quite calming, though it didn’t do anything to stop the force that was your overthinking mind.

“Hey, I can hear you thinking.” Ellie’s arms around your waist was a pleasant surprise. You could feel a few strands of her damp hair tickling your neck, making a few giggled escape your lips. “This is the no thinking zone, babe.” She mumbled against your neck, trailing kisses down your neck to your shoulder.

“Then..how can I talk?”

"You don't need to do that either." She kissed your cheek, hand loosening it's grip on your waist and slipping lower. You gasped, grabbing her hand.

"Is that why you wanted to shower together?" You turned around, taking a step forward just to watch her inevitably back up to the tile. A raise of her brows told you she was shocked, but not unreceptive to what you were doing. The mix of needy haze and admiration in her eyes fueled your confidence to tease her even further. "You just wanted to get me all distracted?" Your rested your arms on her shoulder, fingers combing through her wet locks.

"Maybe I was being a good girlfriend and wanted to calm you down, which succeeded at." She usually wasn't this smug but she felt she'd earned the right. She was forced to sit on her ass almost all hours of the day, but that didn't mean she was completely useless.

"You are a good girlfriend." You blurted. "You're the best girlfriend, you know that?" Your teasing smirk turned into something genuine. "And I'm not just saying that because you literally saved my life. I'm saying that cause I.." Love you. "because I need you." It wasn't what you wanted to say, you were too scared to say the real thing. Scared that if you said it and allowed your relationship to progress any further, it'd be harder to watch her go everyday and know that might be the day you lose her to some supervillian with a vendetta. Besides, it was true. You needed her.

Ellie looked stunned at your admission and everything behind it. She let her forehead touch yours, sighing shakily as she took in your words. "I need you more," It was funny, if you were imaginative enough you could replace the need with love in a beautiful reality where New York didn't need saving and you could have her to yourself.

You were yanked out of your mind by Ellie's lip crashing into yours. A surprised sound made it out your lips only to come out muffled. You kissed back with just as much, if not more, intensity as she gave you. Your hands tangled in her hair as you lost yourself in the feel of her, no longer stuck in your mind. However, when her hand started to slip down, you hesitated. "Ellie, you haven't been cleared yet-"

"Don't care," She mumbled against your lips. "It'll be worth it." She pulled back to look at you, eyes dark with a need you haven't seen in her before. Between school, her internship, her secret vigilante-ing and then her getting hurt, you hadn't exactly made the time to have that talk.

"You say that now," Your brows were furrowed in concern. They only tightened when your eyes traveled down to her wound. It was healing for sure, but the idea of her in any pain at all hurt you too.

"Hey, it’s healing." Her hand was warm on your neck, finger swiping over your jaw. "Super-healing, remember?" She tilted her head so your eyes were drawn to her face instead of her wound.

"How can I forget?" You said sarcastically. "What other super things can you do?" You asked, genuine curiosity drowning underneath the tease in your voice. “Catch flies?”

"Keep it up, bug.” Ellie snorted, using her strength to hoist you up an inch from the ground. “Air-jail, how bout that?”

“Ellie!” You yelped as the water came down the strands of your hair and your back, making you feel something like a wet dog. She knew how much you hated having wet hair and was using it to her advantage. “Put me down, right now!” You were only in the air for a few more seconds before she had you situated in her arms. If you could see how you looked clinging onto her, you would’ve busted out laughing.

“Just showing you my super-strength.” She nosed at your collarbone as she put you down. “And being a really good girlfriend.” She was aware being a good girlfriend would mean being completely honest with you. She hadn’t been before and she was for sure stalling now, but she could make it up later. She wasn’t ready to deal with the complexities brought into your relationship by a certain arachnoid persona. For now, she’d enjoy making you happy for once.