#fall asleep and never wakeup again

[skellogirl]

.

[rorywritesjunk]

I will never ask you for anything, Except to dream sweet of me

Look, everyone has some kind of secret. You just didn't want Buggy to find this one out. Rating: PGish, honest. Warnings: None really. Girlfriend references making one threat. Buggy feels just a little bit insecure. A/N: I wrote this quick and had fun with it. I wanted some light hearted fluff nonsense. For once no one is having a bad day in this. Song title comes from "Heaven, Iowa" by Fall Out Boy.

Whenever you knew Buggy would be gone for several nights in a row on raids, pillages, and whatever he did when he was gone for nights on end, you made sure you had your own way of coping with missing him. It was hard not having him around in bed to keep you company because hey, you loved that silly guy, but you also had your own needs, and one of those needs was tucked in a box in your side of the wardrobe underneath some shoes. He never looked there because you always put away the laundry, so whenever he was gone you made sure to sneak it out and keep it in bed with you.

You expected him to be gone for four nights total, which was perfect because you knew if he discovered what you had he may be offended or mortified that you used it as a substitute for him. Buggy was sensitive about certain things, you have known this, which is why it was a secret. You never told him what you bought during one of your grocery runs. You couldn’t help it when you saw it. You needed it.

Again, four nights. Buggy wouldn’t be back for four nights. That was fine with you, but what you didn’t expect was him to show up on the third night as a surprise.

It was late when he showed up in your shared quarters. He was a little disappointed to find you asleep, but he took notice that you were in one of his shirts and on his side of the bed, even using his pillow. He tossed his jacket over the back of a chair and set his captain’s hat on the seat before making his way over to you. You had the covers pulled up to your nose as you slept, looking adorable and peaceful. 

Yea, he was definitely going to wake you up because he wanted a kiss.

He pulled the covers back and leaned down, only to freeze when he saw what was clutched to your chest. 

“What the fuck is that?” He demanded, waking you up from your slumber. Your head was spinning from the sudden wakeup call and it took you a moment to realize he was standing there.

“Buggy!” You exclaimed as you tried to hide what you didn’t want him to see under the blankets, but he was too fast, snatching it out of your hands as he held it out at arms length, looking a little horrified. “Let me explain!”

“Where did you even get this?!” 

“Buggy!”

“I don’t… what is this?!”

“I miss you when you’re gone!” You told him as you scrambled out of bed to try and snatch it from him. He held it out of your reach.  “I bought it at the market, okay? Some little old lady was making them!”

He stared at the little plushy that weirdly resembled him, from the orange captain’s hat all the way to his nose. Buggy touched the plushy carefully, turning it over as he inspected it before touching the nose. “Who made this?”

“She based them off wanted posters. She's made a bunch of different pirates.” You huffed as you finally snatched it from him. “I just miss you when you’re gone, so I bought it, but I was embarrassed and didn’t want you to get weirded out, okay?” You poked him hard in the chest accusingly. “And you said you’d be gone for four nights, Buggy! Why are you home a night early? I didn’t want you to know about this!”

“We finished early.” He said, his eyes never leaving the little plushy in your hands. “And I missed you.”

You pouted at him. “Well, I missed you too. I always miss you. So I have this little Buggy to hold while I think of you, but I’m never going to ask you to stay when you gotta go do stuff, okay?”

“That’s not to replace me, right?” He asked, pointing at it. 

“What? No!” You told him. “I’d never replace you!”

He reached for it and you hesitated for a moment before handing it over to him. You didn’t want him to wreck it because you adored it, but you also didn’t want him to be too weirded out by it. “Look, if you really don’t like it, I’ll get rid of it…”

“No, I don’t want you to get rid of it.” He said as he looked it over again. The construction of it was pretty durable, and the clothes were made to come off if desired. He touched the nose, finding it held on by just a few stitches. He frowned at that.

You hesitated when you saw he noticed that little detail. “I told her she needed to add your nose. She… didn’t include it when I picked it up so I told her to add it or else.”

“Or else?” He glanced up at you with a bit of a smirk. “Threatening old ladies now, babe?”

“It wasn’t you without the nose, Buggy!” You shot back as your cheeks flushed, both from the slight embarrassment of this whole situation and from recalling the conversation with the old woman. “She didn’t think it was necessary and we argued, and finally I told her to add the nose or else she wouldn’t have a booth anymore.” You huffed. “I may have overreacted, but I love it.”

He flicked the nose of the toy before handing it back over to you. “Keep it on your nightstand if you want, I guess.”

You took it back and gave it a hug. “Really?”

“However, If I catch you hugging it while I’m home and in bed with you then I’m torching it.” He warned you. 

“Ass.” You retorted with a grin. “I love you.”

“Yea, whatever.” He muttered as he took it out of your hands and tossed it on the bed before grabbing you and pulling you in for a kiss. He mumbled against your lips, “Love you too, babe.”

~~

btw if you've never seen the Buggy plushy this is what inspired this because I bought it and it's so ridiculously cute.

[spikershoyo]

morning light | Kid x GN!reader x Sita | fluff | mild suggestiveness

warnings, tags, and notes: mild suggestiveness, kissing, mentions of violence, this is purely self-indulgent and for everyone at the dev patel hive, this is a poly fic don't like it don't read it, if I missed anything please feel free to let me know! @ashsimpsalot MY OFFERING TO YOU BABE

You're reluctant to open your eyes as the sun shines through the window, a gentle reminder that you have to leave the house for work.

But how could you?

You had everything you needed at your side. Well, more like everyone you needed.

Sita was curled up into your chest, her arms wrapped around you while Kid's slithered under you, his other arm draped over both of you. You felt at ease, feeling both of your lovers so close to you.

But that ease is short-lived, seeing that time kept ticking and you needed to head to work.

As quietly as possible you slide out of their grasp and look over both of them, they seem so at peace. It was as if they weren't running away and knocking on your door just a month prior.

You hoped they never had to go through that again. Sita's rose gold dress still hangs over your hamper. Kid's suit was tucked away into a plastic bag in your dresser. The evidence of Queenie's blood along with Baba Shaktie's and Rana's was all over their clothes from that night. It was the only remaining thing tying them back to the violence.

You think about how they looked at your doorstep, both of them shaking because of different reasons. Fear and adrenaline. You could see it in their eyes.

But you don't dwell on that thought, instead opting to head to your bathroom and shower.

At the sound of water running Kid's eyes open slowly, noticing you are no longer in bed with them. It takes him a moment to wake up fully and he relaxes, pulling Sita closer to his chest and hoping you come out before she wakes.

His hands run through her long dark hair, fingers playing with the strands and twirling them. She still smells like roses. Kid smiles at the thought of his girls, his cheeks getting hot. Whether an hour or 15 minutes pass by, he doesn't know, but you're out of the shower and in your work clothes.

He smiles softly when you catch his eye, you seem more awake when you notice he's up. You walk over and sit at the edge of the bed, smiling at the sight of Sita still asleep and curled into Kid's chest.

"Good morning, darling." You whisper and kiss his lips gently. He eases into the kiss and reaches for you, bringing you closer and making you lean down. He was always so needy, especially on the mornings you had work. "Morning." He whispers back, entranced with you already.

Sita stirs softly but you both don't pay mind, too focused on each other. Kid reaches for your waist and you have to force yourself out of his hold because if you didn't you were definitely not going to work that day.

Sita's eyes flutter open, seeing how both of his lovers were in a heated makeout session. She wanted in. "Wow, I see how it is." She whispers, a teasing lilt to her voice. Both of your eyes tear away from each other and fall onto her, the unexpected attention makes her curl into herself but she smiles. You sit on the bed and beckon her over, Sita eagerly shuffles closer to you and kisses up your neck, her customary wakeup routine for you.

You hum and run your hands through her hair then slowly inch under her sleep shirt and rub her back. "How's my girl?" Your voice rings through her ears and she almost purrs, feeling how Kid's eyes run over both of you. Kid looks into your eyes and you see how his gaze begs for both of you.

"I'm great," Sita answers, her hands now running down your arms. The temptation to undress you is a lot for both Kid and Sita, wanting you back in bed. "I'm doing really great." She hums, and her kisses never stop even as she feels Kid's hands snake around her hips.

If only it excites her more. You're just as tempted to ditch work until you see what time it is. Your eyes widen and you cup her cheeks, pressing a kiss to her lips and reaching for Kid's hands and squeezing them. "I need to go." You chuckle, seeing as they are a bit stunned.

Kid fights back a whine, wanting to just pull you down and for him and Sita to have fun with you. Yet he understands that you have more people to take care of since they can't head outside yet, their faces all over the news.

"Fine. But come here for a sec." Sita smiles, leaning in to kiss you one more time. Kid is eager for a kiss as well, you can tell. You give him one and run your hand over his cheek.

"You two behave while I'm gone, yeah?" They share a look, one that says we won't. But you know better.

[httpiastri]

sleeping patterns – cn34

nights filled with endless crying and screaming take a toll on clement's confidence.

genre: fluff, slight comfort/angst ig

pairing: young dad!clem x young mom!reader

warnings: none

author’s note: aaaaaaaaaaa im so soft for clem and ive had such an insane baby fever recently. i miss him sm :(( he would be such a good dad, i just know it

f2/f3 masterlist

‎‎ ‎‎

the big, red numbers of your electric clock on the bedside table tell you it's only 3am, a frustrated huff passing through your lips when your eyes slowly open. it takes a while for you to realize what's waking you up – but then it makes so much sense.

the soft cries on the other side of the baby monitor sting like a knife in your heart, and you're fully awake in a matter of seconds. you're just about to push yourself up to a sitting position when the bed dips next to you. after turning around, you find your boyfriend already jumping out of bed. "i'll get her."

"are you sure?" you ask, voice creaky after several hours of not speaking.

clement nods, leaning down to press a kiss to your temple. "go back to sleep," he hums, and just like that, he has waddled through the door to your nursery.

the sad truth is that your little one hasn't been progressing with her sleep as much as she should. she had a period of almost sleeping through the nights about a month ago, but then you were hit with the four-month regression. she's almost five months old now, and still, you have issues with sudden wakeups in the middle of the night. as much as you adore every second you get to spend with her, you just wish you could get one full night of sleep sometime.

you know you won't be able to fall asleep until clement is back, you never can. but it's not because you're worried; in fact, there's not a single piece of concern on your mind over it. you know that he has mastered the cradling-cooing-bouncing sequence by now. and sure enough, your daughter's cries grow lighter and lighter, until the only sound that can be heard from the monitor is the ones of soft steps and hushed whispers.

but something feels off. even when the apartment is completely silent, clement doesn't come back to bed.

it's very strange. he fell asleep once in the rocking chair in the nursery, but complained about his back aching for a week afterwards and promised that he would never put himself through that again.

the moonlight peeking through the poorly shut blinds in the nursery casts a shadow across clement's profile when you step inside. despite how dark it is, you can see every little toy on the floor and every detail of the little race car-themed mobile that dangles above the crib clearly. you're way too used to being in here at night.

clement has put your daughter back down into her crib by now, and his hands are wrapped around the railing as he leans over it, looking down at her. he doesn't react when you come closer, and he doesn't move a muscle even when you place your hand on his shoulder. it's easy to understand that something is bothering him.

"what's on your mind?"

he turns to you and lets out a tiny exhale, as if it was a struggle for him to snap himself out of his thoughts. he shakes his head. "it's nothing."

"tell me," you press, giving his shoulder a soft squeeze.

"well, i…" he squeezes his eyes shut. "i'm kind of freaking out. it's been over four months, and… i still haven't adjusted."

"honey," you start, your hand moving to the back of his neck. "where is this coming from? so suddenly?"

"i don't know," he says with a sigh. "you've seen me lately, i've barely been able to fall asleep at all."

he opens his eyes again and gazes down into the crib, eyes softening once they land on the little bundle of love resting so peacefully. he follows the way her chest rises with her breaths, her slightly pouting lips, her tiny fists that are wrapped around her blankie.

"it feels like i'm the only one who's struggling. you're such a natural, you're doing so much better with her, while i just feel… hopeless."

you don't want to interrupt him – clement doesn't often speak about his deeper feelings, so now that he's finally going, you don't wish to stop his flow – but you have to say something. "i think you're doing really well."

"you actually think so?" he asks. though his gaze doesn't move an inch, he can still see you nodding in the corner of his eye. he takes a deep breath. "i've heard people say that new fathers go through things… that it takes time, that it takes patience- and i've tried to be patient, i really have. but…"

he finally looks at you, and his heart breaks slightly at the sight of your uneasy expression, the tension in your eyebrows and your worried eyes. he hates being the one to make you feel like this.

"i just can't get rid of this constant anxiety. it feels like i'm always stressing over something. over you, over her, over everything."

you relate to every word he says. being this young, you feel like you're stumbling through darkness most of the time, not knowing what to do. it's frankly a guessing game, with mostly correct guesses mixed with some bad ones, since neither of you have any prior parenting experiences. even though he may not see it or know it, you're going through the same things as him.

no one had expected for you to get pregnant at this age, and no one – not even the two of you – had expected for you and clement to actually keep the baby. and sometimes, way more often than you'd thought before, your youth and inexperience has been catching up with you.

it's hard, but at least you have each other.

you step closer, draping your arms around his shoulders in an instant. "it's alright," you whisper into the skin of his neck, your nose filling with that scent that's just so him, and you finally relax a bit. his hands find your waist, fingers caressing your sides through the flimsy material of your nightgown. "it's okay to feel like this. i do, too. i think… all new parents must feel it." you give his neck a soft kiss. "but they all get through it, don't they? and so will we."

he stays silent for a while before he nods slowly. "it's all just so… intimidating. i don't want to mess anything up."

"and you won't." you pull away slightly to look into his eyes. "i trust you fully, and-"

you're interrupted mid-sentence, the sound of your daughter stirring in her crib taking clement's attention away from you as he glances towards her. you see his adam's apple bob as she begins to whine, her fists clenching and face scrunching up. "should- can i take her?" he asks tentatively, hands trembling slightly on your sides.

you nod not even a second later, stepping out of his embrace to give him no excuse to hold back. "go for it."

clement had bought every parenting guidebook he could find, and read every website with tips for new parents on the entire internet – and yet, nothing had prepared him for this nervousness that he's experiencing so often. he knew it wouldn't be smooth sailing all the way, but he hadn't expected to feel this uncertain in everything he does. even in the way that he picks his daughter out of her crib, he feels anxious that he's doing something wrong.

however, the second she feels her father's presence, it's far from the story that his anxiety has been making up for him. she lets out one last soft cry before, as if out of habit, nuzzling her face into his skin.

while clement has been struggling this whole time, you can't help but notice that she settles easily into his arms. like she belongs there; like she knows that he'll take care of her.

because he always does.

"see?" you say, letting a finger run along the curve of her cheek as you smile down at her. "that's not so bad, is it? you're doing so well."

considering all the difficulties he's faced, hearing these kind words of appreciation from you gives him comfort in a way that few other feelings can compare to. his gaze is still glued to your daughter, the precious little baby that is his entire world. well, half of his world – the other half is standing right next to him. "i love her, you know," he says softly. "even if she doesn't know it yet, i do. so much."

"i think she knows," you answer, watching as your boyfriend cradles her against his bare chest. he has loved the skin-on-skin contact since day one, and you're sure she does, too; her gentle babbling is always a sure sign that she's completely content. you can't hold back from smiling. "and she loves you just as much."

"sometimes i just can't believe that she's ours. that we made her." his eyes meet yours, nothing but pure love in them. "isn't it strange?"

"strange that we've done something good for once?"

he answers your tease by sticking out his tongue, nudging your shoulder with his, though gently enough to not bother the little one in his arms.

"come on, let's go back to bed," you say, leaning in to press your lips gently to the back of her head. "one night of co-sleeping can't be the entire world, can it?"

[sashaisready]

The Blood Pact: Chapter 16 - If tomorrow is coming

Bucky Barnes Vampire AU x Female Reader

Reeling from a bad break-up, you're desperately trying to find a new place to live but the Brooklyn rental market is a complete nightmare. You take a chance on an intriguing newspaper ad and enquire about a room in a shared house, where you'd be living with two mysterious men. The catch is that they want something other than your money for you to pay the rent...the one thing they don't have

Series Masterlist

Here we go! Final chapter. No warnings except sexual references and references to violence/death.

Everything hurt. Body parts that you didn’t even know could hurt…hurt.

You managed to open your eyes but it was an effort, as if gravity was weighing harder on your eyelids than usual. The room you were in had some light from the corner, but otherwise was dark and gloomy.

Where were you?

Were you dead?

You had expected the afterlife to be a bit more dazzling, if you were being completely honest.

You were lying down. It was soft, warm and comfortable. A bed? You ran your hand out over the sheets as your eyes adjusted and you tried to work out what was happening. Everything felt confusing and disorientating, like emerging from a half remembered dream.

You realised there was a slight pressure in your other arm, turning to look at it. In your forearm was a needle, your eyes followed the line to find it attached to an IV sitting at the side of the bed. You could see a pouch of blood at the top, feeding through to your veins.

Blood?

Why would you need blood?

Oh.

Yes.

Now you remembered. Rumlow. Bucky. Everything.

Suddenly alert and up to speed you cautiously sat up straight, careful not to yank the IV. As your eyes adjusted you realised you were in your room. In yourbed. You scanned it quickly. The windows and shades had been taped over with cardboard and newspaper, not a single slither of light escaping. No wonder it was so dark in here. Your desk lamp illuminated one corner, but otherwise the room was dull. The bedroom door was closed, but you could see it was mangled and hanging off its hinges.

A small snort from the other side of your bed made you flinch and return to your heightened state from earlier. You whipped around on high alert, your heart swelling at the sight before you.

Bucky was sat in your desk chair, angled to face the bed. His head was slumped into his chest, his arms folded. He was sleeping, no doubt exhausted after his early wakeup call that morning.

Your stomach sunk as you remembered the events of the morning, your eyes tentatively darting to the scene of the crime. The spot where Rumlow had been was now covered in a heavy blanket, shielding the ruined floor underneath from view. But you knew what had happened there.

Back to Bucky. He snored rhythmically as you watched his chest rise and fall. You observed him for a few moments, not getting to see him like this very often as you normally fell asleep before him and he’d be gone by the time you woke up. You smiled at him lovingly, hardly believing you were still here to see him again.

“Buck…” you called out. Your voice was raspy and small, betraying how weak you felt. “Buck…” you tried again, but it was so quiet you doubt it could penetrate his deep sleep.

His snores stopped abruptly as his eyes flew open and his body jerked awake. His baby blues were on you in a second as they widened in surprise, he flew over to the bed a second later.

“Hey, doll” he said gently as he stroked your hand with his. You had never been more grateful to feel his cold skin against you.

“Hi” you whispered back, your head lolling back onto the pillow.

“How you feelin’?” he asked. “Aside from the obvious…”

“Tired. Sore” you replied croakily. You looked over at the IV again, your face screwed up in confusion. “What…”

“You’re having a blood transfusion” he explained softly as he squeezed your hand. “You lost a lot of blood, but we have a doctor friend, Bruce, who came by to fix you up. He and some familiars set this up. You’ve been out for a few hours. But don’t worry - you’re gonna be fine, Doll. You just need to rest for a few days”.

You nodded, looking between him and the needle. Your hand moved to your neck where you felt a fresh bandage over the wound. Well, at least Rumlow had failed.

“So you didn’t turn me then?” you asked.

He winced. “Thought about it. You were on your way out. Any later...if you’d lost anymore blood…” he trailed off, his eyes glazing over with pain. “But I knew I had to try and save you” he said gravely.

You nodded, grateful for what he’d done but still surprised by the tiny fragment of disappointment that you felt.

“Bruce…Is he…like you?” you asked.

Bucky nodded, gently pulling your fist to his lips. “After you passed out I woke up Steve and we arranged for his familiar to bring him over in a trunk. We reinforced the windows and he got to work. He said he got here just in time”. His voice cracked slightly on the last line, but you watched him shake it off.

You swallowed nervously, unable to comprehend that you’d been on the verge of death just a few hours before. It had all happened so fast.

“You…know my blood type?” you asked.

He chuckled kindly. “Of course I do. Nobody knows your blood like I do”.

You managed to crack a smile in return. Your eyes flitted back to the blanket on the floor and you inhaled deeply. Bucky propped a finger under your chin and turned you to face him.

“He’s gone” he said firmly. “We took him away. We’re going to fix the floor. You don’t have to worry about him ever again”.

You nodded, your eyes still glued to that spot.

“Doll…I’m…” he started.

You turned to look at him, met with nothing but anguish in his eyes as they glistened with tears. You moved your hand to his cheek, caressing it gently.

“If I had known…I mean, I never could’ve imagined-” he stumbled over his words.

You shook your head. “You couldn’t have known, Buck” you soothed. “Please believe me when I say - I don’t blame you for any of it”.

He shook his head in return. “No. I should’ve made sure he left. After the house emptied out, Steve and I just went up to sleep, we never saw him leave. We just assumed he’d gone with everyone else. It was busy all night, people coming and going. That sonofabitch must’ve snuck around the house and found your room when we were busy downstairs. I had a bad feeling about him after the way he looked at you in the park that night…I should’ve trusted my instincts…I just never thought he could ever…”

He trailed off, his eyes getting that faraway look you recognised from when he spoke about his Winter Soldier days.

You traced a finger under his chin, desperate to bring him back to you.

“No. This is on him, not you” you told him firmly.

“I nearly lost you” he whispered back.

“But you didn’t. You saved me” you placed a soft kiss to his cheek.

He nodded but you could see he wasn’t convinced, the guilt pouring off him in waves. You took a moment to look at him properly. He didn’t look well, his eyes were sunken and his skin appeared paler than usual. His hair was limp and he had none of his usual effervescence. His hold tightened on your hand, as if letting you go would mean he’d lose you forever. You clung back as if trying to signal that you were here to stay.

“How…how did you save me?” you asked him as the thought occurred to you. “Normally in the daytime you’d sleep through an earthquake. How-”

“I’m not entirely sure” he admitted. “I just…heard you. I woke up suddenly and I heard you calling my name and I knew you were in trouble so I got to you as quickly as I could. I think it must’ve been the bond, it told me to go to you. That’s the only explanation”.

You nodded, eyes widening in surprise. “Wow…I had no idea it we could be linked like that”.

He shook his head. “Me neither…But I’m glad”.

You exchanged smiles but the torment quickly returned to Bucky’s face.

“When I heard you crying out…and when I saw you. It was awful. It looked like you were dead” he muttered, his voice strained. “I thought I was too late. When I saw him on top of you…I just lost it. I’ve never been more angry in all my life. It was as if I slid back into who I was…before. All that mattered was….removing him” he snarled.

“Hey…hey” you cooed soothingly. “I’m okay. He’s gone. We got rid of him”.

He nodded. “You got rid of him. I’m so proud of you, Doll. I’m just sorry you had to see it”.

You thought back to the image of Rumlow writhing and screaming as the flames consumed him. You already knew you’d be having nightmares about it for years to come. You thought about the fear you felt as he slowly drained you, how you could feel your life slipping away from you. Your light fading as you struggled to believe this was how you’d leave earth.

You swallowed those thoughts back down. Not now.

“He deserved it” was all you said.

Bucky stifled a yawn and rubbed his eyes, his body finally allowing his exhaustion to catch up with him now he knew you were okay.

“You should get some rest, Buck. You’re obviously exhausted”.

He shook his head and covered another yawn. “Nope. I’m fine”.

You rolled your eyes. “Very convincing”.

“I need to be here” he huffed, tapping the bed to further emphasise his point.

“No you don’t” you scolded. “I’m only going to go back to sleep anyway. You’re not going to miss anything”.

He considered your words for a moment.

“I’d still rather stay here” he replied stubbornly.

Your eyes narrowed and you were about to tell him off when the door opened and a man with dark hair and kind eyes wandered in with Steve trawling closely behind.

“Hey sweetie, glad you’re up” chirped Steve and you grinned back at him, pleased to see his face.

“Hey Stevie” you replied. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily”.

“Glad you’re feeling better” the kind-eyed man said as he moved to check your IV. “You gave us all a bit of a scare”.

“Bruce, I presume?” you smiled.

“That’s me”.

“Thank-you…for everything” you told him sincerely.

“No problem. I actually don’t get to do this much these days, so it’s been kinda nice to put the ol’ stethoscope back on”. He was nonchalant, playing down how he’d just helped save your life. You liked him immediately.

He checked your IV and your pulse, then began testing your reactions with his flashlight and measured your heartbeat. Bucky hovered nervously, leaning over to watch and anxiously checking Bruce’s face for any sign things weren’t okay. You knew he was just worried but his nervousness was becoming contagious.

“You’re doing great” Bruce finally announced as he put his kit away. “You just need to rest, but I can’t see there will be any lasting damage. We’ll keep an eye on you over the next few days to ensure your body is accepting the blood - but so far so good”.

You sighed with relief. You noticed Bucky deflate too, the tension leaving his shoulders. From across the room, Steve gave you a little thumbs up.

“My assistant will be here later to remove the IV and check you’re all set. For now, try and sleep. Your body needs to recover”. Bruce continued.

“Thanks again Bruce” said Bucky, reaching out to shake Bruce’s hand. “I really owe you one”.

Bruce waved him away. “No you don’t. I’m happy to help”. He turned back to you. “We’ll clear out so you can rest”.

“Yes thanks Doc, I definitely need an empty room to really rest up”. You glared pointedly at Bucky.

He merely glared back.

“Doc, if the patient voices that she wants to be alone to rest as part of her recovery…that should be respected, right?” you asked Bruce, but your eyes were firmly on Bucky.

“Uh-” Bruce began.

“Bruce” Bucky interrupted. “What if the patient needs to be kept an eye on. Just to make sure she’s alright, for her own good?”

You rolled your eyes again as the two of you launched into a fast paced squabble.

“Don’t roll your eyes at me…”

“You heard the doctor, I need rest. So do you. Get out of here and-”

“Don’t tell me what I need. I know what I-”

“You’re dead on your feet!! You heard him, I’m fine..”

“Why do you have to be so difficult-“

“Why do you have to be so difficult?”

Bruce and Steve stood uselessly between the two of you, eyes flitting back and forth between the exchange.

“Business as usual” Steve sighed with exasperation.

“Is this…normal for them?” Bruce asked tentatively.

“Unfortunately, incredibly normal” Steve replied with a hint of exhaustion. He was also secretly pleased things were returning to as they were.

The two of them eventually filtered out of the room leaving you and Bucky alone with your bickering.

“I swear if I wasn’t stuck to this thing…” you sneered, gesturing at the IV.

“Oh, what? You’d kick my ass? Is that it?” Bucky mocked.

“I’d certainly give it a good try” you spat back.

Bucky’s resolve broke at that and he was unable to stifle a laugh. You joined him, giggling at your collective stubbornness.

He leaned over the bed and gave you a chaste kiss.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better, Doll” he said softly.

He ran his fingers through your hair, looking at you with such intensity it was hard to keep his gaze.

“You have a staring problem” you tried to joke.

But he didn’t crack a smile, he just continued studying you and stroking your hair. You realised he was taking you all in, relieved that you were safe. Watching the face that at one point he thought he’d never see again.

“Doll…I don’t know if you only said it because you were delirious…” he started, and you knew exactly where he was going.

Of course you remembered your last words to him.

“I meant it” you said firmly. “It certainly wasn’t how I expected to tell you…but yes. I knew what I was saying”.

He smiled and looked at you with such affection you felt your heart might burst. Nobody had ever looked at you the way he did.

“I love you too, Doll” he finally whispered.

You beamed at him, suddenly the pain and the fatigue didn’t seem so bad. You had longed to hear those words from him for so long.

You leaned over and kissed him deeply, your hands clutching his face and holding him close. The kiss was slightly frantic, desperate – a release of all of the pent up anxiety and tension the two of you were holding onto.

You gently pulled away from him, taking a moment to be grateful to be looking into those big cerulean eyes once more.

“I really need to sleep. And so do you” you chided gently.

He sighed, getting to his feet. “Fine. But I’m coming back here the minute I’m awake”.

“Fine. Besides, we are meant to be having our private party tonight aren’t we? You’ll need your strength” you purred seductively.

Bucky laughed, giving you a quick kiss on the crown before he headed to the door. “Nope. I’m not touching you”.

Your face screwed up in annoyance. “What?”

“You need your rest. No feeds, no sex until you’re stronger” he shrugged.

You scoffed. “Says who??”

“Says me”.

“Is your ego really so big that you think sex with you will set back my recovery?”

He shrugged nonchalantly. “With what I have planned for you when you’re well? Absolutely”.

You clenched your thighs together, hoping he wasn’t picking up on your arousal.

“I can break you” you whispered, a wicked grin on your face.

He chuckled. “We’ll see. Sweet dreams, Doll".

He shot you a wink as he left and you snuggled back into the sheets, your eyes heavy.

You didn’t know what lay ahead for you and Bucky. It had been a whirlwind, and now almost dying and then killing a vampire had been thrown into the mix. All you knew was that you loved him, and that he loved you. That was enough for now. You feel asleep with a sense of contentment, optimism for the future. Maybe one day he’d turn you. Maybe he wouldn’t. But you knew you’d eventually share the truth about him with your friends. If the events of the last few hours had taught you anything, it was to take each day as it comes and live for the moment. You never know if tomorrow is coming. Embrace the life you have, don’t waste it thinking about the one you might have in future. You knew you'd be processing what happened to you and your near miss for a long time. But you would be okay. You'd get through it.

After a few hours, Bruce’s assistant arrived to remove the IV and check your vitals. Everything seemed to be looking good, she advised to keep up your bedrest and take things easy over the next few days. You’d be feeling like yourself in no time.

You slipped into sleep once more.

🩸

You stirred and came to life. Your eyes darted to the time on your phone dropped haphazardly on the pillow beside you -  it was late. Suddenly you were very aware that you weren’t alone. A cold chest was pressed to your back while strong arms cradled you. His breath tickled your ear. You wriggled against him, his hands pulling you closer.

“Good morning, Doll”.

“Good morning, Buck”.

THE END

Aaaand that's a wrap! I'm sorry for the fakeout with reader's death! But obviously I couldn't really do that 😉

I also went back and forth wondering if Bucky should turn reader, but I decided not to as with his history, he's determined she has the choice of a full life if she wants it. I feel like a lot of vampire/human stories end in the human being turned, which makes sense and I know why people love it! But I decided to leave it open for this story. I appreciate not all of you will like this ending and may have hoped for something else, but who knows - I may revisit in the future. It’s certainly on the cards for them 😌

I've really enjoyed writing this one, it's been a bit different to my usual fics and tricky at times but I had a great time exploring the AU and building the world. Thanks so much for reading, reblogging and commenting - it honestly means so much. Thank-you and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!!

[alicepao13]

Hudson and Rex S03E03 - Into the Wild

I really like this episode. Then again, I found most S3 episodes very interesting. Also, Charlie!whump.

Second episode with Kendra. Bring back Kendra!

Joe: "It's not every day that we find an ancient mummy". Ancient? Hardly.

I can't with them thinking that a 1700s body would be considered ancient.

Not awkward at all.

Is everyone using Rex as a conduit to tell things about each other?

Kendra: *looking at Charlie* "I miss [Rex's] visits". That's bullshit. She misses her fuck buddy. And Sarah can tell there's something going on, judging by her awkward attempts to change the subject.

"Rex has a mind of his own". I wonder how that goes over with the police complaints.

Every day, opting out of civilization becomes more and more attractive, actually. It's just that the alternative is usually worse.

Charlie explains his new brilliant idea of going to find the camp of survivalists. Sarah has already started worrying.

I know they shuffled the episodes again. There is no way anyone would put a scene of a new house without explaining whose it is and without having a scene inside. Ugh, they're so bad at continuity.

Yay for casual clothes.

See, this is actually good "Visit Newfoundland" promotion. Looking at whoever approved that S6 premiere.

I can almost make out Jesse's email. Also, this is an iPhone.

No! Our beautiful, beautiful car!

Rex is barking out of his mind. Do you mind paying him a bit of attention?

He left a note on the car and moved in deeper. Great.

"Do you know any good jokes?" No, Charlie. Resist the temptation.

"Alright, I got one". Sigh.

Okay, so I never noticed the actual scene where he used a battery to light the fire because that's always where the subtitles are but now I have no subtitles on.

"Charlie's in trouble again, isn't he?" "Ah, shit, here we go again."

And then she insists on going to the search, because what if Charlie needs medical attention? Also, it's Sarah who suggests Kendra. I'm not sure if she's feeling jealous of her at all at this point, probably not, but in any case she's doing what's best for Charlie.

If I'd fallen asleep like that, I don't think I'd be able to get up again.

He gave Rex the last of the water! Oh, and then he drank the remains from his hand. Look, I've never had pets, so I'll just say ew.

Charlie: "Rex, you're going the wrong way, pal". Rex: "No, you are".

See, he told you so.

Is this the dumbest way I've seen a main character get injured? Well, no. But it's pretty high on the list. Also, I think someone in the trailer department noticed that as well, so they edited the trailer to make us think that he falls after getting shot. I mean, you can definitely not show in the trailer that he slips and falls lol

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?!?!"

"Charlie, if you died, I swear to god..."

I'm sure Kendra has already figured out something's going on with Charlie and Sarah. First of all, she knew that Sarah would want to go with her to search for him. I'm assuming there were a lot more of those looks those two give each other. You know, all these things that we don't get to watch.

Rough wakeup call. Here's what you get for making Rex worry.

"It's your dog that saved you." "Yeah, it's an ongoing theme of my life."

This is the nth time someone takes Charlie's gun.

Some girl talk. Or Charlie-talk. Kendra definitely doesn't mind sharing the exact status of the friends-with-benefits situation they had going on after Charlie's divorce, which, judging by the way she says at the start that she hasn't seen him in a while, has already ended. And probably because Charlie has already caught feelings for Sarah.

See? The woods are dangerous.

Poor Sarah, she always has to worry with that man.

"Rex, take the high ground, partner." "No, I'm too cute to get shot."

The plan is to keep him talking until someone saves Charlie.

Flying doggo! And Charlie punching the guy because Sarah had arrived and, well, he has to show off.

"I hope we didn't worry you too much?" "Not at all. I knew it wasn't anything Rex couldn't handle". From their looks, I feel like this is one more case where she's using Rex to refer to Charlie, but I firmly believe that she should actually be talking about Rex.

Stop smiling and start apologizing for worrying the lady.

Some Jesse hero-worship to Charlie.

As I said, they get invited to all the coolest memorials.

And scored some new bling.

[thebluestbluewords]

enjoy the hypothermia, slushie boy

Mal is still about 90% asleep, maybe 20% awake,  if that, and all of that twenty percent against her will. The sunlight is trying to stab through her eyeballs like a fucking sword, and it’s fucking cold in her blanket nest for some reason, and she decides, in her sleep-addled brain, that she is going to fight the sun. Nothing that brings cold into her blankets, into her very house,  can be allowed to live. She’ll get her favorite knife, the one with the wooden grip, and she’ll stab it deep into the flesh of the sun and cut a sliver off to eat. Like the moon, only instead of cheese, the sun is going to taste like… like warm bread, Mal decides. Some of the spicy bread with the chili flakes baked in. Maybe with nuts too. The sun is probably dense and heavy, full of life and brightness, and nut bread is the heaviest. 

Something hits her head. 

“Stupid sun,” Mal grumbles, swatting it away. “G’way.” 

“Nope.” the sun says. There’s a bright little spot of warmth where the sun is touching her head, and Mal wants to bite it off. She’s really fucking hungry, and the sun would taste spicy and fill some of the cold empty space in her belly. 

“You can’t eat the sun, killer,” a voice from above her says. Logically, it’s not the sun. It’s almost definitely Jay, who is not in her bed where he should be, which is incredibly rude even by Isle standards. It’s cold in the blankets without a second body, and Mal deserves to steal all the body heat that she can get from him, and that’s hard to do when he’s not in her bed where he belongs. 

“Fuck you, sun.” Mal whispers. Her voice is hoarse from the cold, dry air in the hideout, but at least she’s identified the source of the problem now. “You left me to sleep in and freeze my ass off by myself?” 

“Yup.” Jay says brightly. “You didn’t wake up when I started throwing snowballs at the windows, so I figured you needed it. Can’t mount a rescue mission if you’re falling asleep in the middle of it.”

He’s right, but it stings a little bit. She’s supposed to be her mother’s child, and therefore always the coolest and evilest one in the room. Sleeping through a wakeup snowball isn’t exactly cool or evil, and a rescue mission sounds suspiciously like something a hero might try and do. They need to pick up the others, but Mal would rather call it a meet up, or a check-in, or something other than a goody-good rescue mission. 

On the other hand, her mother would never approve of the two of them mounting a rescue mission to the furthest reaches of the inhabitable area of the isle (the docks, in Mal’s mind, are not actually inhabitable. Anything past the main market might as well be a barren wasteland, and aside from a few random spots of scrubby trees and mud, they basically are) and thwarting her mother’s ideas of what she’s supposed to be is one of Mal’s favorite hobbies. That, and making her mother proud. 

She’s capable of containing multitudes. 

“You’re a jerk,” she says, instead of explaining her feelings on the matter. Feelings are for losers. She’s cold, first and foremost, and that’s basically like being cool, which makes her automatically not a loser. “I could’ve gotten up. I was just resting to see if you’d dare to poke me again.” 

“Sure you were,” Jay says, and pokes Mal in the head again. “And I’m fucking the king of Auradon. C’mon. Get up so we can grab the others before their parents care if we’re there.” 

[writing-blog-iguess]

Eddie comes home one day to find your stuff scattered around the room. It’s not unusual to see your shoes kicked off to the side hazardously, your bag dumped on the floor with the contents spilling out of it, to see your jacket laying on something, no doubt it being tossed over your shoulder as you made your way to the bathroom.

Usually though, you take time to set things where they belong but sometimes, like when you’re having a bad day, you leave them where they are.

So, the second Eddie clocks your stuff around the living room, he knows today wasn’t a good day. He takes a minute to clean up so you don’t have to worry about it later. When everything is in its place, he makes his way through the house, not finding you in your usual hiding places. And if you're not there, that only means on thing. So he makes his way to the bathroom.

Hesitating for a moment, he knocks to see if you’re in there. When he gets no reply, he knocks louder in hopes you could hear it over the music. One beat, he wonders if you had fallen asleep in the tub again. Two, he’s worried you actually did and slipped under. Three, he’s knocking and calling your name in a slight panic.

At four, he opens the door just in time to see you come up to take a breath. “Jesus. You really fell asleep in the bath, huh?” You startle at the sudden voice and look back to see Eddie leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed, looking a bit disappointed. “I thought we talked about it.”

“I did not fall asleep,” you bristle, moving to lean against the tub arms hanging over it as you watch him move. “I just submerged myself in the water to scream. You just happened to think the worst.”

“Can’t help it when you’ve done it before,” he says, moving to sit beside the tub. He grabs one of your hands and rub circles on your palm. “That bad?”

You hum, resting your chin on your arm. “Had a couple of customers yell at me about something that wasn’t in my control. Had two breakdowns, and the bathrooms where dirty. So yeah, it wasn’t fun today.”

Eddie winced. He wished he could take the pain away, but he couldn’t. So, he did the next best thing, be there for you. You sighed and tugged your hand out of Eddie’s grip, he tightened it causing you to frown up at him.

“Hey, I need to wash my hair,” you said, tugging again. He only held tighter and laughed when you whined. “Give it back.”

“Mm, I don’t think so. I have a better idea,” he said, moving around until he sat comfortably in front of you. “Turn around.”

“Why?”

“Just turn around and you’ll see,” he said with a smile. You narrowed your eyes at him and he motioned you to turn around. Huffing, you did what he asked and leaned back.

“Now what?”

Instead of answering, Eddie leaned over and grabbed your shampoo. After squirting some into his palm, he began slowly massaging it into your hair. You deeply sighed as the tension in your shoulders loosen, and relax as he worked through your hair.

You swear sometimes that Eddie has magic hands. Whether he was giving you massages or other things, it never failed to make you relax. And having your hair washed, was just the icing on the cake. “How do you do that?” you asked, closing your eyes and cherished the moment.

“Do what?”

“Know exactly what I need? Even I don’t know what I need half the time,” you said, sinking further into the tub.

“Because I know you,” he said like it was simple. And maybe it was, but you didn’t want to think about that right now. “And don’t you dare fall asleep. Otherwise, you won’t like the wakeup call.”

“I won’t fall asleep,” you mumble, halfway to dreamland. “Not my fault your hands are like magic.”

“Mm. Lean over a little so I can wash it out.” You did as you were told and after a few minutes, your hair was washed and bundled up in a towel. “Go put on your pajama’s, I’ll order food.”

“You’re the best,” you said smiling up at him. Eddie returned the smile and bent down to kiss your forehead.

“I know.”

[rebelbyrdie]

2024 Ficlet Day

Ficlet 7 Part 2

Better to Reign Part 2

Regina woke up slowly, reluctantly and with a viscous,throbbing,nausea-inducing headache.  She was never, ever, drinking with Maleficent again.  The dragon was going to be the death of her one day.

Yes, an annoying voice that sounded like Snow White, murmured in her head, it was maleficent’s fault that you spent the night drowning your sorrows.

Even the voices in her head mocked her. 

 She let out a groan and cracked open one eye.  Instead of the sharp and searing wakeup call of sunbeams coming through her window and lighting up her tastefully decorated bedroom she saw a dark, craggy ceiling lit with what looked like torches.  

An alcohol-induced nightmare, fantastic.  She rolled over and tried to will her mind back to a calmer state before the real horrors began.

“This is all your fault, Maleficent.”

A groan answered her back, “I am not your pet dragon.”

Zelena.  Regina sat up so quickly that her head spun a little.  She raised a hand to her head to center herself so she didn’t do something embarrassing, like fall-or vomit.

She was not asleep, this was not a dream.  She looked around quickly to take in her surroundings.  A dungeon, three dark and rough-hewn stone walls, a low ceiling and a wide stretch of bars made of dark stalactites and stalagmites.

Regina’s throat constricted and her heart fluttered and thudded erratically-a painful arrhythmia. She hated small spaces, and especially small places that she could not escape.  She grit her teeth and forced her face into an emotionless mask to cover her pain and fear.  It was something she didn’t think much about, it was a reaction as automatic as breathing or hitting the spacebar when typing up a report.  She just did it.

“Where are we?  What did you do?”  Zelena looked around and Regina noticed that her face was a little less blank, a little less calm.  She certainly liked to play with the big villains but she really didn’t have the experience to keep her act convincing.  The Charmings and the Munchkin Brigade may have fallen for it, but after all that Regina had seen and done, Zelena was a rank ameauter.

Regina looked around the room slowly and took it all in, her mind turning over the possibilities.  She knew, without touching them that the bars pulsed with magic.   She closed her eyes and could feel that her magic was blocked, like she was wearing a cuff like Zelena but the uncomfortable hum and buzz of the artifact buzzed all the way through her body.

There was nothing else in the cell, not even a chamber pot or straw, the bare basics of a dungeon cell.  There was no way to tell where they were, or more importantly, who had them-and why.

“I don’t know.”

There was, however, a third occupant.  Their body was chained to the black stone wall.  They were dressed in black and from the shape of their body, they were a woman.  She was slender, toned and young.  She might have been pretty, but Regnia couldn’t tell.  Her face was hidden behind something that made Regina’s stomach turn over and her lungs started to burn.

She raised her fingers, which she was shocked to find were trembling, to her lip.  There was no name for the contraption that Regina knew of.  She had only ever seen it used on one other person-herself.  Mother had loved using the cruel iron contraption on her as punishment.  She didn’t have to look to know that the bands that were wrapped around the hanging woman’s ribs and hips connected the a strait, flat, iron piece that ran all the way up the back.  Every few inches there was a metal spike that would pierce skin if the wearer relaxed or slumped.  The top of the metal bar extended into something that could roughly be considerd as a halo brace for spinal injuries, if it had been invented by the Marque de Sade.  It had more barbs so the head and neck were perfectly strait and any movement would cut into skin.  Most of her scars were hidden under her hair.  Her fingers rubbd the groove over her lip.  Most.  The scar in question came from the mask that attached to the halo.  It was a cruel criscross of barbed iron pieces that held the jaw shut, any attempt to talk was rewarded with bloody mutilation.

Regina knew very well that she had been lucky to escape with so little damage.

There was already several streams of dried blood on the woman’s neck and chest.  Her hazel eyes were foggy with pain and surrounded by bruised skin.  There was a small pool of blood on the floor beneath her dangling feet.  The way she was hanging, Regina knew (from experience with people that she had thrown in her own dungeon as the Evil Queen) that her shoulders had probably been dislocated and the barbs around her ribs and hips were only making things worse.  

“How long have you been in that thing?”

“What is that thing?”  Zelena sounded horrified.

Regina let out a shallow breath, “It doesn’t have a name.”

Zelena raised a fair brow but didn’t step any closer.  Regina assumed that the smell of blood made sick.  

“How do you know about it?  One of the Evil Queen’s favorite toys?”

Regina didn’t want to elaborate, beneath her placid mask, her queen face she’d always called it, she was shaking like the little girl she’d once been.  "No.  Our mother’s.“  She reached up towards the shackles.  She was too short to reach, even in her heels.

She turned to look at Zelena.  The other woman was holding herself, arms wrapped protectivly around her stomach.

"Help me get her down.”

Zelena jerked, surprised, “Why?  Do you know her?”

Regina didn’t, but even The Evil Queen couldn’t leave a person in such pain.  

“No, but no one deserves this.  No one.”

Zelena opened her mouth, as if to argue, but then walked across the cell to help.  Her longer reach, damn the genetics that made her so damn tall, allowed her to reach.  They eased the woman off the wall.  Zelena paled as they helped the woman sit on the floor.  She had to sit very still and very strait and even then she still bled.  

“How do we get this monstrosity off of her?”

The redhead’s voice was barely a whisper.

“We can’t.”  Regina sighed, “Not without magic and if we try, we’ll cut her face to pieces.”

“How do you-”   Zelena’s retort was cut short, as if she just realized something, “Oh.”

Boot-falls echoed down the long coridoor that their cell was apart of.  They were defecnless, completly at the mercy of whomever was coming at them.  Regina loathed feeling helpless and was determined that she would, at the very least, look like a queen-even if she didn’t feel like one.

She straitened her rumpled black blazer over her equally rumpled black dress.  Versace was not meant  to be lounged around in.  Zelena also stood, though looked far less put together in her hospital clothes but there was a haughtiness in the way she squared her shoulders and held her head high.  

The third woman, still trapped in the torture device didn’t move.  Her breathes rapsed in and out-shallow so her ribs didn’t expand against the straps.

The single guard that stopped in front of their prison was six feet tall and well built.  He had thick legs and shoulders that spoke of high impact training-a jouster she supposed.  

He did not dress like one of Arthur’s men, or any other knoghrt or soldier she’d ever seen before,and Regina had seen her fair share.

She looked to Zelena and a subltle shake of her head told Regina that the redhead didn’t recognize the soldier either.

“You’ve been summoned.”

It was like a punch to the stomach, hard and fast.  She knew that voice.  She knew it as well as her own.

“Graham.”

The word wheezed out of her.  surely that couldn’t be right, though, could it?  Graham was dead.  She’d crushed his heart herself.  She’d felt the dust slip through her clenched fingers.  It couldn’t be.

The soldier’s face was clompletly coverd by the helmet.  It was made of blackened steel and was sharpened to points-to cut and to intimidate.

The soldier raised his guantlet coverd hands and lifted the helmet off.  Though Regina had thought she was ready for anything-she stumbled backwards.  Blue eyes, like a cloudy sky, hair that was always tousled no matter how it was cut or styled.  Her huntsman, her sheriff, her long time lover.  Her dead lover.

“Who is he?”

Despite her bravado, Zelena stepped a little closer to Regina, “You’re acting like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Regina’s stomach, empty but for tea, tossed and turned, she was nasueus.  "I am.“

If Graham was surprised to see her, or to be recognized, he didn’t show it.

“Hello, Regina.”

It was the same.  The same barritone voice with it’s lilting accent and low volume.  He tilted his head the same way, just slightly to the left and looked at her the same way, dead on-right in the eyes.

She was either halucinating, under a sleeping curse or-  Her heart thudded again, hard against her breastbone, squeezing and releasing out of rhythem, like somone was squeezing it.

“Graham, you’re-”

He nodded.

“Are we?”

This time he shook his head.  "No, but you are about to be late to dinner.“  He held up a small round stone with a rune carved into the middle of it. The stalagtites and stalagmites slid away and melted back into the floor and cieling.

"Dinner?” Zelena all but snarled.

Regina’s eyes moved from Graham, to Zelena and then the woman on the floor.  Her eyes were still full of pain but sharp, wary, watchful.  She shook her head-ever so slightly-just enough to open fresh wounds on her cheeks.  Blood dripped down her face and neck.  

“Absolutly not!”  Zelena crossed her arms over her chest.  "If someone wants to speak to me, they may come see me in these lovely accomodations they’ve provided.“

"It is not a good idea.”  Graham replaced his helmet as he spoke, “to keep royalty waiting.”

Regina’s stomach roiled again, “Graham.”  Her voice was small-weak-she had to force it through her tight throat.  "tell me it’s not Leopold.“

Helmet back in place, he reminded her far more of her Huntsman then Sheriff, "Worse.”

He started to walk away and it was understood that they were to follow.  Regina started behind him, her four inch, scarlet red, Louboutins clicked on the stone as she went.

“Come on, Sis.”

Zelena opened her mouth, then closed it, then scowled.  Finally, after four more heel clicks, she heard Zelena huff and then follow.  After Zelena stepped outside  of the cell the stone bars moved back into place without a sound.

[healeroflightanddark]

Soulmates, Chapter 1: Cold Air

Yuya was fast asleep in his bed one night, all bundled up and cozy snuggling his new Odd-Eyes plushie. Yugo had bought it online for him the last time Yuya had let him be in control, and it had been quite a delightful surprise when it had arrived since Yugo hadn’t let him know that he’d bought it until Yuya saw the letter that had accompanied the package. It had been the sweetest gift, and the sweetest love letter too.

Yuto, Yuri, and Yugo were all dormant in the mindspace, a sure sign that they were all asleep too. Yuri and Yugo usually fell asleep first, then Yuya, and finally Yuto after making sure Yuya was warm and comfortable and safe. He’d always been protective of the tomato, and even back when he and Yuya first became one he’d always waited until Yuya was fast asleep before retiring himself. Yuya was like the brother he’d never had, the brother he’d always wanted, and Yuto didn’t want anything bad to happen to him ever again.

Yuri was almost always the first to fall asleep and to wake up in the mornings. He’d lived almost his whole life in Academia, and the duel school had a strict militaristic schedule with bedtime being at 9 PM and wakeup time being 5:30 AM. In fact, in the time that the four counterparts had been one, Yuto, Yugo, and Yuya had all seen Yuri’s memories and realized that there were harsh and even cruel punishments for students that were caught awake after bedtime and students that didn’t wake up at the designated time.

Yuri had even had a mini panic attack the one time he woke up at 5:32 AM, which had awakened his counterparts. They’d had to calm him down and reassure him that he wasn’t going to be attacked for sleeping two minutes later than normal. And ever since that day, Yuri had been a lot kinder towards his counterparts, realizing that they genuinely cared for him. He’d never had people care for him before, and the care that his counterparts showed him made him a bit clingy and attention-craving at times. A complete 180 from the way he’d behaved before they became one, but his soft spot was reserved for only his counterparts. Towards anyone else, he still acted like his old narcissistic and bratty self.

Yugo usually tried to stay awake until Yuya went to sleep, but most of the time the blunana would fall asleep moments before the tomato. He was normally lulled to sleep by the comfort of Yuya’s sleepy mind, the calm and quiet very comforting to him. He was also usually the last counterpart to wake up, and would sometimes need a nice cup of tea to fully wake up, so Yuya would sometimes let him be in control during breakfast. Besides, Yugo hadn’t been able to have good food when he’d had his own body, and he loved Yoko’s cooking. The Sakaki parents could normally tell when Yugo was in control during meals, because he would cry over how good the food was.

A chilly breeze blew in through Yuya’s open window, and the tomato sleepily snuggled deeper into his blankets, nuzzling his Odd-Eyes plushie in his sleep. Winter was coming, but Yuya preferred to sleep with the window open because he slept better in colder temperatures. The cold breeze was enough to rouse Yugo from his dormant state for a moment, and his spirit appeared next to Yuya’s bed.

“Brrr…” he shivered in the sudden cold looking down at Yuya. “How do you sleep in this cold?”

Yuya didn’t wake, which surprised the blunana. Seriously, how did Yuya manage to sleep in this cold?! He was going to freeze to death! Yugo frowned and decided to try to keep Yuya warm with snuggles. He lay down next to Yuya and pressed himself as close as possible to the tomato, wrapping his arms around his waist.

Said tomato was roused from his own slumber by the sudden soft tingling sensation and subtle warmth of Yugo’s spirit pressed against him from behind. His crimson eyes fluttered open, and he looked down at the ghostly arms wrapped around his waist. Recognizing them as Yugo’s, he smiled.

“Mm… warm Yugo…” he mumbled, placing his hand over Yugo’s. He felt Yugo’s lips plant a kiss against the back of his neck. “Sleep well, Yuya.”

[clownkissersinternational]

I've never had a nightmare before, but I do have hyper-realistic dreams that span for days on end and only contain me going about my daily life, only to wake up not knowing where I am and having slept for twenty hours straight. Only to wake up again in a cold sweat and realize the first wakeup was a dream and I had only slept for thirty minutes at most, only to try and go back to sleep but the hallucinations are so loud that I spend an hour just laying there motionless waiting for it to stop, only to finally fall back asleep, and wake up again, frustrated that I can't sleep so I get up and go on about my day, and the next day and the next day going through all of this every night, only to wake up and realize that it was all a dream and that entire week of my life didn't happen

[midday0nightmares]

Could I request a 49 and 45 for Jeno, please? Thanks!

hey.. hope you like it.

✨ tw - violence, kidnapping , death, abuse, language, mature themes✨

m.list

45 - We'll see about that".

49 - “Just... hold my hand?”.

with jeno.

You open your eye to the single tear slipping down your temple, you haven’t notice the gasp of air that you took as you came up from the grisly dream you were stuck in.

You stare at complete darkness, trying to make sense of your whereabouts, and it comes back.. You are in jeno’s apartment, in his room, in his bed.

Reality still hazy, you push yourself off of the bed, bare feet touching the cold floor.. you stand up, carful not to knock anything as you make your way out the room.

You feel better seeing that everything is in its place, the sky is not falling, the town is not burning..

Your regular loneliness is still here, the ache of missing your family is still there too, all in place.

The cluster phobic feeling of being locked up zeroing in on you, the dreadful emotions that were stirred by the nightmare still prevalent.. there you are standing alone in the dark living room of your unhinged kidnapper, it breaks you and you cry.

The sharp intakes of air that filled your quivering chest, were enough to wakeup the man who slept next to you.

The frantic foot steps, thumbing there way to you.

“What are you doing here?” Was his first question, he looks around, at the locked door, the locked windows to check if you were trying to escape.

You wipe your tears.. “I just.. I had a nightmare”

His head whips towards you, his face knotted in agitation.. his eyes scan you from head to toe.

“A nightmare?” He doesn't seem to believe you, his hands position themselves over his hips..

“what was it about? Me?”

You suppress the urge to roll your eyes at him.. you shake your head denying the accusation, “no it wasn’t about you”, your fingers playing with the hem of your top, wanting to say that it was about your mother but not knowing how to bring it up without upsetting him.

His body relaxes, feeling guilty maybe..

“Come back to bed, y\n. It’s just a bad dream”

You nod and walk past him, he follows you back to his bed.. you slip under the covers, he does too.

“Come here..” He opens his arms for you lay on his shoulder.. you don’t know if it was because he’s half asleep or if he’s genuinely changing his cruel ways with you.

You lay on him, his rhythmic heartbeat and his warmth.. making the negative effects of your fresh nightmare melt off.

you think maybe this is your chance to ask him..silence falls upon the room, you hesitate to break it, but it’s now or never.

“Jeno..” You look up at him, a small groan is your response ..

You stutter, but push through the nerves, “umm you think maybe.. uh maybe I can call my parents later?”

As soon as you uttered the words, he’s lovey self shuts down. he sigh and pulls his arm from underneath you.. “We'll see about that”

He turns away leaving you to stare at his back, the naives hope you had shatters, you regret speaking.. maybe it was too soon to ask.

dispare takes over you, your body uncontrollably shakes and your eyes well with tears.. damn it you don’t want to cry again but you feel so alone and he’s all you’ve got.

Your trembling voice calls his name..

“Jeno”

“What?!” He shouts at you, his body turning towards you in anger.. "I said no! that's the end of it" he looks like a fuming monster.

“I just wanted you to hold me " you explain yourself between the hiccups..

he looks down at you for a minute,

" could you please hold my hand?”

Your shaking hand reach for him..

He sighs, laying back this time facing you.. he takes your hand and intertwines your fingers together..

“shh don’t cry”

[mercy-burning]

Wakeup Call - BLURB

I’ve had this idea on the backburner for a while now, but my Discord friends and I put together a little kink challenge to come back to whenever we needed inspiration, so I figured it would be a great opportunity to finally get this done! 

Pairing: Spencer Reid x fem!Reader Category: SMUT (18+) Content Warnings: possession kink, consensual somnophilia (sleeping during sex), fingering, oral sex (female receiving), penetrative sex, unprotected sex, creampie, cum play/eating Word Count: 1.5k

MASTERLIST

Looking down at your sleeping form, Spencer's heart races possibly the fastest it ever had. He's never done anything like this before, and that alone rattles him with nerves almost as much as it excites him.

Key-word almost.

About a week prior, you were thinking aloud together, discussing things you'd wanted to try in order to spice up your sex life a little. Not that it's a bad sex life by any means, but just hours before you brought it up, Spencer had discovered something very interesting about himself.

He's very possessive over you.

You'd been on your back, on the brink of tears as he pulled a fourth orgasm from you, his hands gripping to your breasts for dear life as he pounded into you relentlessly, when he let it slip.

"You look so good like this, letting me take what's mine..."

The words seemed to finally spring you both over the edge, cries of intense pleasure erupting from your throat as deep, broken groans came from his.

After cleaning up and laying in bed wide awake just an hour later, it was obvious that there were some things to discuss.

Long story short, you both had found it extremely hot that he found himself claiming you as his in some way. And after a long discussion of other things you liked in bed, Spencer found out something interesting about you.

You have somnophilia.

And the way you'd described it to him had him hard again instantly.

It was the way you leaned into him, and the way you lowered your voice, softly explaining in detail how you loved the thought of being woken up to his tongue parting you and taking what he wanted regardless of your consciousness... It was the images running through his head of your still, sleeping body above him as he simply helped himself.

And more prominently, it was the words you'd said, implementing both of your kinks at the same time.

"I want you to claim me and take what's rightfully yours... And I want to be asleep while you're doing it..."

He came in his pants as soon as the words left your mouth.

Then, it was just a matter of setting a time and date to try it out.

The time is now, just a week later.

Spencer recalls the night before, how you'd gone over the basics of what you're comfortable with and what he could do— which is pretty much anything. You'd given him the go-ahead to fuck you however he saw fit, and with that, he could formulate a plan.

He'd peeled the blankets from your body and gently adjusted you so he could get to you more easily. Now your hands are rested gently over your stomach and your legs are spread just enough that he can fit between them.

Which is what he does, laying on his stomach and running his finger along the seam of your cunt, his eyes up to focus on your steady breathing. Slowly but surely he dips his finger in deeper and deeper, testing the waters and feeling you stretch beautifully around him. You're not awake to purposely clench yourself around him as you normally do, but all the same it's wet and warm and snug.

To take the next step, Spencer leans forward and darts his tongue over your clit, taking experimental little kitten licks until he's sure you won't wake just yet. That's when he lets himself get lost in the moment a little, serving a slow and steady rounding rhythm between his middle finger and his tongue.

The moment he hears a little whimper from your throat is the moment he pauses, slowly lifting his face to see that you've slightly adjusted your head on the pillow.

Though the thought of you waking up to his face between your legs is enticing, the jolt of excitement that surges through his body at the prospect of getting caught this early on makes him long for something else.

Your words ring loud and clear in his head, all-consuming and oh so alluring.

I want you to claim me and take what's rightfully yours...

Spencer removes himself from you then, leaning back to take off his pants and boxers. Once everything is gone, he lets you be still for a minute or two, making sure you're truly sound asleep. And as he kneels over above you, languidly jerking himself off between your legs, it becomes increasingly harder to resist the urge to wake you up right now and fuck you hard into the mattress.

He holds off, though, getting comfortable and settling himself perfectly between your thighs, lining himself up and preparing to fuck you slowly.

The very second he slips inside of you, he holds back a loud groan, settling for a sigh that would have had you in shambles had you been awake to hear it. He's so thoroughly wrecked and overwhelmed by the situation at hand that he almost comes right then and there.

He holds out though, at least for a few gentle thrusts. But by the sixth one, he's already coming, filling you with his release and praying he knows how to proceed, because he truly hadn't expected a premature ending to this excursion.

He pulls out of you and leans back on his heels, surveying your body— still succumbed to the lull of unconsciousness. When his eyes land on your exposed and dripping pussy, though, he gets an idea.

The thought makes him hard again, but he relents, getting back down on his stomach and bringing his tongue out to lick up the small stream of cum that's found its way out of you. His eyes roll back at the salty, bitter taste of the both of you together, and in no time at all, Spencer finds himself eating you out once more.

Now he takes his sweet time. And he's messy, plunging his tongue in deep and swirling around the cum he'd given you. And this time he isn't worried about moving you too much or making as little noise as possible.

He's decided that this is how he wants to wake you up.

He wants you to wake up knowing that he's already come inside you and marked you as his. He wants you to feel him everywhere. To feel his warmth, to feel his tongue spreading it around and making a mess of you...

Your eyes start to flutter open at the intense stimulation you're feeling, soft groans and whimpers falling from your lips until, finally, you're awake.

And it's even better than you imagined.

Spencer's tongue is lapping at you with fervor, and the sounds he's making... Once you realize that he's already come inside you and is now cleaning it up, you moan loud, your hands stretching outwards to touch him.

He pulls away with a glistening grin and a low, "Good morning..."

As hot as it is, though, you're close to orgasming, so you gently tug at his hair and pant. "Don't stop, please..."

You're grateful for his eagerness to finish what he started, his mouth attaching itself to you with a greed and need to possess that makes the high even higher.

It isn't long before he flicks his tongue rapidly over your clit and draws out your orgasm, using his fingers to fuck the rest of his cum into you at the same time. Even through the blood pounding in your ears, you can hear how incredibly wet you are.

And all of that totaled together pulls the lever that releases your orgasm.

Even as you come down, Spencer slows, though his tongue is still interested in cleaning you up. He laps at you slowly, the overstimulation burning just enough to feel pleasurable without it being too much.

When he finally pulls away from you, he kneels, his hands resting on your knees and a satisfied smile on his lips. "There. I think that's all of it."

You laugh, making grabby hands and trying to catch your breath. "Get over here and say good morning, Lover Boy..."

"Hmm, I thought I already did that," he muses, though he does as you asked anyway.

He greets you with a kiss, and the taste of your mixed fluids on his lips pulls a groan from your throat.

"Mmm, what a wakeup call..."

"So that was... okay?" he asks cautiously, his hand rubbing gentle circles on your arm.

"Oh, honey, it was more than okay... Seems like you thought so, too..."

He doesn't realize what you mean until you reach out and graze his erection with your fingertips. With a hiss, he flops his head on the pillow and takes in the feel of your hand wrapping around him.

"Well, since you've already eaten your breakfast this morning, I think it's my turn, don't you?"

Spencer doesn't stop you as your body snakes down the mattress and your head lowers to his crotch.

***

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[metaphor-cheese]

Anyone order a silly little short?

Here you go anyway

-

In terms of wakeup calls, Buford has had worse than ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ blaring next to his ear.

“Shit.” Comes a groggy hiss from the other side of his head and he hides a snicker in his pillow. Baljeet’s pillow. Right. God, it’s so hard to get his head around the fact they’re dating now.

Dating… Just thinking it makes his heart soar.

But that junk’s embarrassing and its too early so he turns on his stomach to hide his goofy smile and flushed cheeks in the pillow. Baljeet whispers a sheepish “Sorry!” as he leans over him for his phone, seemingly misunderstanding. Buford wasn’t gonna correct him.

He feels the bed settle again next to him, followed by a professional (and impressively awake-sounding) “Hello, Professor Baljeet Tjinder speaking.”

It doesnt take long to dissolve.

“Oh. Are you fucking kidding me, it is six in the morning!”

He can faintly make out a feminine giggle and an “Oops! Sorry!” On the other end. Baljeet groans in annoyance.

Rolling over, Buford mouths ‘Mishti?’. Baljeet cringes and nods, before gesturing for him to go back to sleep.

“Now look what you have done, you have woken my partner.” He scolds over the phone- though there’s no real tooth behind it. He’s lowered his voice now and is sitting on the edge of the bed like he’s about to get up. It’s meant to be considerate, and though that does warm Bufords heart (as does being called Baljeets partner), what his boyfriend has failed to calculate is that he is very nosy.

Now Mishti’s voice is unfortunately just an soft rumble of noise, though Baljeet makes it pretty easy to figure out what she said.

“Because we just got together yesterday. …I would have told you!” Both his voice and the rumble have taken on a similar offended tone. There’s a pause where Baljeet takes the time to put on his dorky, old-man slippers and dressing gown, while pressing the phone between his ear and shoulder. Stealthily (well, as stealthily as one could be at his size), Buford wriggles across the bed under the covers to listen better. If Baljeet notices- which he thinks he probably does- he doesn’t say anything.

Baljeet is just tying his dressing gown and answering a question with Buford’s name when the phone erupts with giddy laughter, startling them both.

“Baljeet! You fiend!” She shouts giddily, and Baljeet flushes as he nearly drops the phone in surprise. “Haha! Congradulations- Oh I knew you two would-“

“Alright Mishti, alright.” Baljeet hurriedly cuts her off, going into damage control mode by pressing the phone close to his ear to restrict sound. He’s refusing to face Buford which is honestly pretty adorable. His ears are flushing- it’s pretty easy to tell he’s embarrassed. Buford props his head up in his crossed arms as he watches his boyfriend grab his glasses with one hand and pinch the bridge of his nose with the other.

He nearly drops the glasses a moment later.

“Mishti!” He yells, scandalised, voice pitching. Buford practically falls off the bed laughing right there and from the tinny, jolly noise he can make out over his own wheezes he can guess she reacted the same. Baljeet whirls on him, red face very much on display and shoots him a glare.

“For goodness sake, he is the room, you know!” He scolds the phone, making his way to the door. A moment later he exclaims with another mortified flush “And he can understand Hindi!”

Unfortunately for Buford, Baljeet closes the door behind himself then and he can only make out his footsteps going to the kitchen from then on. Its a shame really. He ponders following just to eavesdrop more, but quickly realises he is still exhausted and does Not want to get off this bed. He ends up falling back asleep in a position his neck is not grateful for.

[eminems-skittles]

cuddles [emily prentiss x reader]

emily prentiss x fem!reader warnings: none word count: 0.9k

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆ 

The case they had been working was a long and tiring one. The BAU team pulled several all-nighters, trying to sleep in five minute intervals, in order to find the unsub and the missing child. Luckily, they were able to find the little girl and arrest the unsub. The team, while thankful they were able to find the girl alive, were beyond happy they got to go home and get some sleep. Everyone was basically running on adrenaline for the past two days. More times than she should've, Y/N found herself falling asleep on Emily's shoulder or while leaning against a wall.

The team was currently packing up all of the stuff they brought with them to the local police station. JJ announced that they had to leave in five minutes before walking out of the small conference to talk to the police chief. Emily looked over at her girlfriend after she was done packing her go-bag, only to find her slumped in a chair, quiet snores falling from her mouth. She smiled at the sight before quietly walking over to Y/N.

"Hey, Y/N," She whispered, putting her hand on Y/N's shoulder. "Y/N, babe, wakeup. We have to go."

"'M so tired," Y/N mumbled, opening her eyes halfway. "When are we leaving?"

"Right now," Emily replied. "Come on, sleepy head."

Emily pulled Y/N up from the small chair she had curled up on, wrapping her arm around her waist to help keep Y/N upright. She grabbed both of their bags before heading out to the SUVs that were parked in front of the station. Spencer and Derek were already occupying the front seats so Emily helped Y/N slide into the back seat before she climbed in.

"Alright, love, come here," Emily whispered, opening her arms so Y/N could cuddle into her. "Hey, Morgan?"

"What's up, princess?" Morgan asked, looking at her through the mirror. As soon as he saw that they were both buckled in, he pulled out of the parking lot and started their drive to the airport

"How long until we get to there?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Y/N was softly snoring with her head on Emily's shoulder and an arm thrown around her torso.

"About twenty minutes. She's already asleep?" Derek asked. His question caused Spencer to turn around in his seat, laughing at the sight of the sleeping agent.

"Yeah, she was out when we were still inside. We call dibs on the couch," Emily said, almost glaring at Spencer. Spencer put his hands up in surrender, muttering 'I never said I was sitting there,' causing Derek and Emily to laugh.

The drive to the airport was quiet, the three of them were too exhausted to have a coherent conversation. Soon enough, they were pulling into the airport, and Emily was helping a half asleep Y/N climb the steps up to the jet. She threw their bags onto an empty chair before laying down on the couch, her back facing the back of the small sofa. Y/N laid down facing emily, burying her head in Emily's neck. Emily giggled before wrapping an arm around her girlfriend's waist, pulling her closer.

"Is she asleep again?" JJ asked, sitting in the seat across from them.

"Yeah, she is. I think she overworked herself on this case," Emily said, rubbing Y/N's back. "She kept falling asleep standing up."

"Well, she did good work," Hotch chimed in from where he was sitting. Emily sent him a smile, before saying she'd tell Y/N he'd said that.

Emily shifted, pulling her and Y/N away from the edge of the couch. She always made sure Y/N wasn't too close to the edge after the time they were cuddling and the jet hit unexpected turbulence causing Y/N to roll off the couch. Emily pulling away caused Y/N to whine in her sleep and reach out for her.

"Shh, baby," Emily cooed, kissing Y/N's forehead and holding her tighter. Y/N's arm wrapped around her torso, grabbing Emily's shirt as if to ask if she was there."I'm right here."

Y/N sighed contently, her eyes opening slightly before muttering, "I love you, Em. Get some sleep, you look so tired."

"I love you too," Emily smiled down at her girlfriend. "I will, I was just making sure you wouldn't fall again."

Y/N nodded sleepily before saying goodnight to JJ, telling her to get some sleep as well.

"You guys are so cute it makes me sick," JJ laughed, earning an eye roll from Emily.

"You heard what she said, JJ. Go to sleep" Emily said. Y/N laughed softly, her breath hitting Emily's neck."Hey, you too, sleeping beauty."

"What do you think I'm doing?" Y/N mumbled, pushing Emily onto her back so she could lay on top of her.

"I think you're trying to crush me," Emily laughed, wrapping her arms around Y/N and rubbing her back.

"Hush, no I'm not. We both know this is so much more comfortable," She said, laughing a little bit too loud. "Now, let me sleep because if we keep talking, I won't sleep. As much as I love listening to you, I need sleep."

"Fair enough but first," Emily said, causing Y/N to lift her head up and look down at Emily. Emily leaned up and kissed Y/N gently on the lips before putting her head back down on the couch. "Okay, now you can go to sleep."

[fruitcoops]

It's been A Time TM lately and idk but some soft coops cuddles? If you would like? I know you've done a lot but maybe some on the road bus or plane soft coops? If not, that's okay! You're fics are just amazing and comforting! Sending love 💕 -🌼

I’m always down to write some Coops cuddles! This was such a fun prompt, Daisy, and I’ve combined it with a few others:

1. Re’s freckles fading

2. From @ravenclaw-reblogs: Coops being cute and the team’s reaction

3. Sirius and Leo friendship!

4. From @colored-rain: Re’s first away game

SW credit goes to @lumosinlove!

“Who needs a weighted blanket, eh?” a low voice asked to Leo’s right. He glanced over and Sirius tilted his chin toward Logan, who was sprawled over the seat and fast asleep.

“Right,” Leo laughed softly. “I’ll share if you want one. There was a two for one deal I just couldn’t resist.”

Sirius laughed, then stifled it with his hand when Remus made a noise where he laid across his lap. “I appreciate the offer, rookie, but I’m a bit attached to mine.”

“Not a rookie anymore, Cap.”

“You’re always a rookie in my book.”

The bus went over a bump and Finn jolted half-awake when his chin smacked against his chest; Leo shushed him and guided his head to lay on his shoulder, looping an arm around his back. His spine was already suffering from the awkward lean, but it was worth it to feel the warmth and weight of both his boys on him. “How much time do we have? I don’t want to miss seeing the river.”

Sirius stopped tracing shapes on Remus’ arm to check the watch on his wrist, then sighed and leaned back against the seat. “Three more hours, so…maybe an hour until the river?”

“I missed the road trips.” Open highway rolled past and Leo began combing his fingers through Logan’s hair; it looked like melted chocolate in the mid-morning light as it spilled over his knuckles and joints. Beautiful, he thought to himself as Logan snuggled his face deeper into the fabric of his sweatshirt.

“Re’s never played an away game before,” Sirius said. “Got any tips?”

“Don’t need tips,” Remus mumbled without opening his eyes. “Been on roadies before.”

“Okay,” Sirius laughed, running a hand through his curls as Leo desperately tried to contain his snickering.

“Hey, rookie,” Leo whispered, poking Remus in the calf. “Rookie. Hey, rookie.”

A single caramel eye narrowed in his direction; Remus kicked his hand lightly. “Fuck off, ‘m tired.”

“That’s not very nice language, rookie.” Leo glanced up at Sirius with a grin and saw him press his forehead against the window while his shoulders shook.

Remus heaved a sigh and dragged Sirius’ arm back around his chest for a cuddle. “Remind me why I decided to join this team again?”

“You got tired of unloading pallets.” Sirius bent down to kiss his temple, then paused and frowned. “Your freckles are fading.”

“Not enough sun anymore. How do you know?”

“You’re missing one, right here.” Sirius tapped his cheekbone and a smile pulled at the side of Remus’ mouth.

“Oh, yeah?”

“Mhmm.”

Leo made eye contact with James, who put his hand over his heart and leaned back like he was in physical pain. So fucking cute, Leo mouthed.

James nodded, gesturing to Finn and Logan as he slid his headphones on. You, too.

Leo made half a heart symbol with his free hand and James winked before returning it. Sirius looked between them, then reached up and flicked the back of James’ head. “Don’t send secret messages without me!”

“Shh,” Remus and Finn grumbled at the same time.

“Sorry, baby,” Leo said around his smile, rubbing Finn’s shoulder. “Are you comfy?”

“Stop laughing, you’re too bouncy.”

“So demanding, aren’t they?” Sirius said with a dramatic sigh.

Leo rolled his eyes. “I know, right?”

“You two are horrible and mean and cruel,” Logan mumbled, reaching up blindly to smack Leo on the arm.

Remus tucked his knees up further. “What he said. Now, shush, people are trying to sleep.”

“I’m mourning the loss of your freckles, give me a break,” Sirius teased, sliding his thumb along Remus’ jaw.

“Mourn quieter.”

James nearly spit his water out, which set all of them off until Logan yanked his beanie down over his ears to get some peace and quiet; less than a minute later, Leo carefully slid it off and resumed running a hand through his fluffy hair. The contented hum he received assured him that was the right move.

Five minutes of relative silence passed—everyone was tired from the early wakeup call, and the coffee crash had kicked in half an hour prior. Leo felt Finn go boneless against his side when he finally drifted off, and Logan had turned into a veritable space heater of sleepy warmth over his thighs. He glanced back over at Sirius, who was still drawing lines between the speckles over Remus’ arms and neck.

“It’s like magic,” Leo said under his breath. Sirius looked over and he motioned to his boys. “How fast they can fall asleep. Takes me at least half an hour, usually.”

“It really is,” Sirius agreed. “Get some sleep, Knutty. We’ve got time to spare and I’ll let you know when we get to the river.”

Leo smiled and settled back against the seat, tucking his face into the side of Finn’s neck for an easier angle. “Aye, aye, Captain.”