#future fan fiction

[my-shields-are-down]

Octopus 🐙

REMEMBER: ONE WORD PROMPT = CHENFORD ONE SHOT

========== Tim was driving his girls to school and work one morning.

Normally they’d hop on Franklin and zip across town missing the most of traffic, but with the first Republican Presidential candidate debates happening tonight downtown, half the main thoroughfares were blocked forcing all the locals onto the same cross town streets: Beverly, Melrose, Wilshire and Olympic. Somehow they had ended up on Melrose inching along through the design district, miscellaneous fashion houses and restaurants peppered between tourist traps and hookah lounges.

Diana, who at age 11 -soon to be 12 - was poised to rule the world, notices the sign first.

What once had been a flagship Vans store, was now transformed into a two story sushi restaurant. The second floor had been converted into an outdoor garden deck with a massive steel pergola and covered in every color cherry blossom; guests could sit in booths or at the main sashimi counter plucking raw delicacies from the ever moving track around the bar. The street facing, first floor wall once covered by floor-to-ceiling windows, now looms over pedestrians strolling by - a solid black wall of dark mahogany, broken only by a 7’ x 7’ red door and a massive digital video screen.

“Mom!” Diana gasped. “They turned on the sign - LOOK AT THAT!!”

Lucy, who has been reading boring but important work emails, turned to glance past Tim and saw a giant red octopus on the screen (see image above), it’s tentacles appearing to press up against the screen and freeze - while a black message appeared, overlaying the giant mythical beast:

寿司 ー 刺し身 ー Tako

“Yep - Tako is the name of the restaurant and Japanese for Octopus! Mom - we HAVE to go there! We never do anything cool, and going there? Sitting up on the roof, with celebrities and influencers? Oh man, that’d be so cool!” I bet Uncle Aaron could get us a reservation there.”

Lucy and Tim share a quick smile and rolling of the eyes at their daughter who was barreling along into her teenage years desperate to be “cool” especially since her parents, apparently, had been officially deemed “not cool.”

“Di - do you even like sushi? Your nose gets all scrunched up any time your mom offers you any of her take-out?” Tim asks his daughter, internally chuckling at the image in his mind.

Whereas their eldest son had Lucy’s coloring and his height and eyes, their daughter had his mom’s gorgeous dark blond hair with copper highlights, Lucy’s eyes, smile and curves and some of Tim’s height. Their youngest, TJ, was a mix of Lucy’s Black Irish Bio-dad and Tim’s blond-Ken-doll dad. TJ’s eye shape was the only physical resemblance to Lucy. Deep, crystal clear, mossy green eyes and thick black wavy hair. Both Kai and TJ loved anything from the sea. Diana, like her Dad, was more likely to sneer out of the corners of their eyes at the sushi.

“Who says I’m going to eat anything raw? Bleah. No, I’ll eat edamame and tempura shrimp and seaweed salad and go to be near all that fame and fortune. That’s the goal - to hob and knob with people.”

Lucy turns to Tim and suppresses a giggle - “Hob. And knob” she mouths to Tim. Their girl was gearing up to give them a wild ride through their teenage years. Diana films the octopus gliding across the big screen for herself and sends a copy to her little brother because he’d love it.

=====

When Lucy got home that night after a relatively uneventful shift, she found the main interior lights dimmed. Her “mom hearing” lets her know her kids are all home, safe and sound. But her husband is not where she expects to find him - in the kitchen, reading the paper, with entertainment news playing quietly in the background.

She puts the take out bags on the counter, along with her purse and keys. She then moves to the secret safe in the pantry and locks her badge and gun behind the peanut butter cups. She knows Tim is home, because she parked behind his truck on the driveway, but he hasn’t yet greeted her with a hug and kiss. Weird.

The dogs, however, sensing a new person who might give them treats came rushing at her from the far corners of the house where her kids were doing whatever after dinner, they all promptly sat down when Lucy told them to, and each received a cow’s ear to chew on, heading back out to hang with their person for the rest of the night.

Each Bradford (including Tim & Lucy) adopted a pup from the pound in memory of Kojo - king of canines. A picture of Lucy, Tim and Kojo sits prominently on the fireplace mantel with the rest of the family photos.

Lucy and Tim’s dogs were a hilarious brother and sister duo - Alaskan Klee Kais who had ridiculous personalities. Think mini huskies, Tim’s dog - Vivian- and Lucy’s dog - Elvis - were polar opposites. Vivian would usually be found on the back of the sofa in the game room with the boys, front legs crossed and thrilled to be part of the action. where Elvis followed Tim around all day long whining, moaning and complaining that he was being treated unfairly. Although lately, he’d discovered a certain part of the upstairs hallway with phenomenal acoustics and like his husky cousins, would yell and howl, sounding like a siren. Now that the kids were older, Tim spent most of his days arguing with Elvis. The kids had all opted for lab mixes of various sizes, colors and hair types.

But neither Elvis nor Tim came as treats were handed out. Huh. Lucy grabbed two treats for Elvis, obviously, and started her tour of the house ending up in their TV room - originally an artists studio off of the master bedroom, which Lucy and Tim converted into their own private space away from slobbering dogs and kids to watch movies not made by Disney and make out on the super comfy sofa. Lucy found both of them sprawled out on the floor - Elvis had his head on Tim’s thigh and barely lifted his head in greeting Lucy. She noticed Tim had their infrared blanket underneath his torso and he was conked out and snoring, dead asleep at 7pm.

“God, he is so handsome.” Lucy thought to herself. Even after 15 years of marriage, three kids, 5 dogs, two chinchillas, and a tarantula, Tim was in phenomenal shape, and Lucy thought he got more handsome as he aged. At 57, he continued to look relaxed, tan and extremely happy. He smiled all the time and loved being a stay-at home dad. He now sported a dark beard with gray edges, wire rimmed glasses for reading, which Lucy found insanely sexy, and deep laugh lines around his devastating smile.

She quickly ducked into their bedroom and changed into one of his LAPD shirts and Indian sari pj bottoms before she crept into the other room and snuggled up next to her husband and spread a blanket over them and the dog.

Tim woke up 30 minutes later to the smell of jasmine (Lucy!) and mad dog chomping in his ear (Elvis….). First thing he did was reach down and reset the infrared blanket for another 60 minutes and upped the temp to 110. His back was sore from the extra effort of the day. He then next turned to Elvis, grabbed the dog’s cow ear and threw it into the hallway knowing the dog would soon follow.

Finally he turned to his bride and pulled her into his side. “Hi” he murmured. 18 years after that first roll call when they first met, he still could not believe how beautiful she was. That this gorgeous and smart and thoughtful woman gave him three astounding kids, their own menagerie of creatures great and small, and that she chose him to love and adore. He thanked his lucky stars every chance he could because this life with Lucy was so much more amazing than anything he ever dreamed possible.

“Hi”, Lucy murmurs back leaning in for her welcome home kiss. She smiles at him and he smiles at her, and she asks him - “Why are you here on the floor? Rough day?”

Tim laughs out loud, and says, “The next time TJ needs a chaperone for a field trip with 20 of his fellow first graders, please do not let me be one of the volunteers. While there were moments of hilarity - like when TJ went off on Ms. Dodson for standing too close to me. I’ll let him tell you how he defended your honor.

Today was exhausting.

Each chaperone was responsible for four first graders - four 6 year-olds. At the aquarium in Long Beach.

There was a Shark exhibit which was cool, but the focus and the reason we were there was for the octopus exhibit. There are some freaky octopi out in the ocean. (Tim shudders), if I never have to hear a random factoid about them or see one ever again, it’ll be too soon.

At one point, TJ got scared and came and sat on my foot like he does sometimes, and then without warning, I suddenly was covered in 6 year-olds. I was able to stand up and do my “hulk thing” I do with the nephews, but I couldn’t go very far, they kept falling off and I pulled something in my back and that was within the first 30 minutes . We were there for three hours. Uncle! No more kids, no more octopuses, just no more. I wanna lie here with my sweetie and her weirdly quiet dog and forget the 8-legged-aliens.”

Lucy could not stop laughing at the image in her head of Tim covered with their littlest and his classmates. She is sure Tim loved every second of it - even Ms. Dodson making him blush. Tim still got flustered when other women flirted with him.

She snuggled closer to him and said, “Oof. Then I suppose you don’t want to come downstairs and share my grilled octopus tacos from the “cool” sushi restaurant we drove past this morning? No Tako tacos for you, huh? What about two fully loaded animal-style cheeseburgers with fries from In ‘N Out with a Neapolitan shake? Would that entice you to come have dinner with me downstairs?”

Tim leans in and kisses her and says, “You asking is enough to entice me. But yeah, the burgers sound awesome. You can give Diana the Tako take out bag and maybe up our “cool” quotient. We are gonna need all the help we can get.”

[daflangstlairde-art]

The cover art I drew for my fanfic Stranded Lullaby on ao3, from the series I Still Feel Alive. Leo gets stuck in the Prison Dimension a little longer than in canon, with the unexpected company of Future Leonardo.

Also first real post woop woop

[fishofthewoods]

Oh my god I woke up this morning and my Stardew Valley meta post had almost 150 notes????? Hello?????????? Anyways I started writing this last night because @moon-is-pretty-tonight left nice tags on the original so thank you so much!!

We know from the starting scenes of the game that the farmer's grandfather loved Stardew Valley. So why did he leave? Pelican Town is a good place to grow old; George and Evelyn are just fine. It's a fine place to raise a kid, but maybe he just wanted to raise his child closer to real schools and other children.

Or maybe, just maybe, he understood.

Was there a day when he was in his thirties where he looked at his friends and realized they weren't like him? That he could run faster than them, work longer, explore deeper into the hidden places of the valley?

Was there a day when he went to the wizard to ask him for help, for knowledge if nothing else? Did he learn then that his family was different? Special? Chosen? And how did he react? He couldn't possibly raise a child in the valley if they would be as strange and fey as him. He had to leave. There was no other way.

But years later, on his deathbed, did he regret that choice?

Is that why he gave the farmer the letter?

Is that why they went back home?

When the farmer steps off the bus that first day, the valley is still on the cusp of winter, just barely tipping over into spring. The flowers are starting to bloom, but a chill still hangs in the air. As soon as the farmer's boots touch the soil there's a change. The air gets warmer. The trees get greener. Not by too much, not all at once, but it changes.

The junimos watch the farmer as they do their work. They're new to farming, but take to it with frightening speed; their first batch of crops is perfect. None of the townsfolk tell them that parsnips don't normally grow in less than a week, that cauliflowers don't grow to be ten feet tall, that fairies don't visit when the sun goes down and grow potatoes and beans and tulips overnight. The junimos talk amongst themselves in their strange, wild language, and agree: this is the one. They're back. The valley recognizes its own, even when they've left for a generation. The farmers have come home.

Things change fast in the valley. The community center, empty and decrepit for so many years, is rejuvenated. (Lewis says it was abandoned only a few weeks after the farmer's grandfather left. Strange coincidence, he says, that it both came and went with the farmer's family.) The mines and the quarry, similarly abandoned, are explored for the first time in ages. The town becomes cleaner, brighter, more vibrant, happier.

And it is happier. Not just the environment, but the people. It's the talk of the town for weeks when Haley does her first closet purge. Leah's art show in the town square is a huge success. Shane's smiling for the first time since he moved to the valley. All of them, when asked, say it's all thanks to the farmer.

People love to ask why Lewis didn't fix the community center on his own. Why Willy never repaired the boat to ginger island. Why Abigail or Marlon never went down to fix the elevator in the mines, or why Clint didn't fix the minecarts.

But isn't it so much more interesting to ask how those things were there in the first place? How they got so broken down? If the stories the townspeople tell are true, the valley was once a beautiful place, flourishing and full of life; why did that change? When did it change?

Was it when the farmer's grandfather, the locus of the valley, its chosen representative, left town?

And if so, what happens when the farmer comes back?

[michamiw]

Happy birthday Remy! But you have to work overtime even on your birthday n.n (here a little extra for the b-day boy)

KEEP WORKING!

[andreafmn]

12 Days of Ficmas ❅ Day 1

Word Count: 4.8K Paring:  Stiles Stilinski x Fem!Reader Prompt @alloftheprompts: Character A and Character B broke up but now they meet at a Christmas party.

Summary: In unpredictable Beacon Hills, Stiles and (Y/N) being together was one of the only things that made sense. But sometimes the smallest of changes can create the biggest of chaos. And a simple college admission letter can do just that. Maybe all it takes is the right Christmas gift to make things better.

A/N: yup, that's right, I'm doing 12 Days of Ficmas again (even if I haven't finished Kinktober 🫣🫣 but I am nothing if not a masochist (and a slight procrastinator) But enjoy!! This story actually made me tear up, honestly. But it wouldn't be one of my stories if there wasn't an insane amount of angst 😅 Also, disclaimer, I have not seen the last two seasons of Teen Wolf or the movie so, sorry for any inconsistencies.

Next ->

“Let’s just get this over with,” (Y/N) sighed as she fixed the Santa hat on top of her head. “They don’t have to know yet.”

“Yeah,” Stiles grimaced. “It’s better to wait until after the holidays, I guess.”

It was the first time Stiles and (Y/N) had ever been terrified to enter Scott’s house and face all of their friends. Even worse, they had to pretend everything was fine between them. 

Since they were little, the pair had been inseparable. Being next-door neighbors allowed them to grow close at a rapid pace. It was in her that he found solace on the nights his mother’s illness would take the best of her mind. He would run over to her house and climb the lattice that ran all the way up to her room. 

And she wouldn’t ask questions. (Y/N) would simply let him in through her window and distract him until he eventually drifted off to sleep. She did not need any explanations or reasons to comfort Stiles. She simply knew he needed her, and so she was there for him. Because if there was anything she knew of, it was the pain of slowly losing a parent.

They shared a bond that no one could break. Even as Scott entered their duo and they became the perfect trio, Stiles and (Y/N) shared a connection like no other. So, it came as no surprise to anyone when they got together. Even after Stiles had continuously professed his love for Lydia. Even after (Y/N) and Boyd had a quick fling. Everyone knew that it would be the two of them at the end of the day. 

What no one expected was that one day, they wouldn’t be Stiles and (Y/N) anymore. Hell, not even they had seen it coming. 

Their downfall had begun the second week of December. For some reason, the couple had not spoken about what happened after high school. In their senior year, they were focusing on the present, leaving the future where it was. Because what they didn’t know couldn’t hurt them. 

(Y/N) had applied under early action to various colleges, thinking nothing of it. But there was one college that had been her dream since her father had passed, and that was her only early decision application. She had worked every day since to make sure she was at least close to being accepted. But it was never a sure thing. 

She had promised herself to put it in the back of her mind. Stressing over that envelope would only drive her into madness. As much as she wanted it to be true, she knew the reality of the situation. The chances she could ever get in, much less with a full ride, were slim to none. And hoping only made things worse.

Still, that hadn’t stopped her from applying; it hadn’t stopped her from wishing. 

“Honey,” her mother had said one afternoon after she got home from school. “Look what came in the mail.” 

In her hands, there was a white manila envelope with blue lettering that clearly read: University of Oxford. 

(Y/N) could have sworn she could feel her heart in her throat, beating at an unnatural pace and threatening to leap out of her body. She crossed the distance between her front door to the kitchen faster than she had ever done before, needing to feel the paper in her hands. Only seeing it was not proof enough that it was real. 

“I don’t think I can open it,” the girl worried. “What if it’s bad, mom?”

“You won’t know unless you see, my darling,” she smiled softly. “But no matter what, you will still be the most impressive young lady I have known. And any college would be lucky to have you.”

With trembling hands, she broke open the envelope and pulled out a beautiful and crisp piece of white paper. “Dear (Y/N) (Y/L/N),” she read before taking a steadying breath. “It is with greatest pleasure that we inform you that the Admissions Comittee has decided to offer you admission to Oxford University through our binding Early Decision (ED) option on a full scholarship.”

As (Y/N) read those words, tears spilled from her eyes, and the papers fell from her hands. Her mother wrapped her arms tightly around her, showering her with words of love and encouragement. It had been everything she had worked for. Something not even the supernaturals of the world could take from her. 

“You’re going to Oxford, baby girl,” her mother cooed. “I knew you could. Your dad would have been just as proud as I am.” 

That moment should have been the happiest in her life so far. But there was a dark cloud that lingered over her as she celebrated. She had not told anyone she was applying to a college so far away, much less the reason she would be doing so. Mostly because she was terrified she wouldn’t get in. But part of her knew it was because she was leaving all her friends behind, leaving Stiles behind. And that was the hardest part. 

For the rest of the week, as she celebrated internally, she hid the biggest news of her life from all of her friends and the boy she had deemed the love of her life. Anyone would have thought she was the one harboring a secret supernatural life with the way she was guarding her secret. And, maybe it shouldn’t have been something she kept to herself. Maybe they would have all been excited for her and understood the reason for the distance. But something deep in her stopped her every single time. 

If her friends had noticed there was anything different from her demeanor, they didn’t say a thing. In the midst of final exams and the Christmas holidays soon approaching, everyone seemed to be stuck in their own heads. So, if they were in their heads, they couldn’t know there was something happening in hers.  

But that Friday night, at the same hour Stiles would always sneak in, (Y/N) knew there was no way she could continue to hide her secret any longer. 

“Come on,” he chuckled as he jumped onto her bed, holding his arms open. “Tell me what’s going on with you.” 

“What do you mean?” she said, forcing a smile. “Why do you say that?”

“You know you can’t lie to me. I may not have super hearing, but I can tell, (Y/N).” 

“Yeah,” she chuckled softly. “You know me too well.” 

“Of course I do,” he smiled as he crossed the distance between them and caressed the softness of her cheek. “Now, please, tell me what’s wrong?” 

That was it. That was the moment that had changed them, the moment that had broken them. 

(Y/N) took a steadying breath and took his hands in hers, focusing on the veins on his hands rather than his worried eyes. “I got a letter last week,” she started with a sigh. “I told you about all the colleges I had applied to as early action.” 

“Of course, you bright mind, you,” he said. “Did you already start getting the acceptance letters?” 

“Uh, there’s another college I actually applied to. Early decision.”

“Like binding early decision?”

“Yeah, exactly,” she said, her voice trembling as she spoke. “I, uh, I applied to the University of Oxford. And I got in.”

Instead of embracing her, Stiles dropped her hands, taking a step away from her. “In England?” he asked as though he was offended. “Why would you wanna go that far?”

“It’s not about the distance,” she grimaced, finally meeting his hurt eyes. “It’s about what that school means. That’s where my dad went to school. That’s the place my parents met. That was the school that started my entire life, Stiles.” 

“So, why didn’t you tell me about it? If it was so damn important, why did you never mention it?” Stiles seethed, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. “You wanna start a new life, is that it? Follow in your parents’ footsteps and meet the love of your life there? Great, (Y/N). And you made sure you did it in a way you couldn’t back out.”

“Stiles, that’s not…”

“So, what? Were you gonna wait until graduation to tell me that you were moving halfway across the world to get away from us? From me?” the boy cried. “Or were you simply going to disappear and start a new life without telling anyone? But I guess that’s your thing now, huh? Keeping big shit like this until you can’t anymore.”

“That’s not fair, Stiles,” she frowned, hugging her arms tightly across her torso. “I didn’t want to get my hopes up, so I didn’t say anything. That doesn’t mean that I would have never told you about it. I’m not looking to escape. I’m looking to start my future.” 

“And it looks like you were starting it without me then,” he croaked. “What does that mean for us, (Y/N)? We ride it out until graduation, and then you leave for the rest of your life?” 

“I don’t… you wanna b-break up?” 

“It’s inevitable now, isn’t it?” Stiles said in a tone that broke her more than the words he was speaking. “You’re gonna be in England, and I’m gonna be god knows where. It’s better just to do it now.” 

That night was nothing like she had imagined it would be. She had hoped Stiles would have been excited for her and promised her everything would be alright. That somehow he would have the answers to how they could withstand so much distance because they had to make it. Out of everyone in their friend group, those two had to make it. 

Instead, it had taken a turn for the worse. One second, Stiles was standing before her with a smile on his face, and the next, he was leaving through her window with tears streaming down his face. What she had most been dreading was that scenario to play out, and a week before their friend’s holiday party, it had. They had gone through life-threatening and mind-boggling situations, but it was a college acceptance letter that broke them apart. 

The coming days (Y/N) spent buried in bed. Although she should have been celebrating one of her biggest achievements –other than saving lives and defeating many, many creatures– she had wasted more tears during that time than she had done the past years of her life. She was distraught and defeated, and she had no idea how she would make it through the last semester of high school, much less how she would have made it through a Christmas party. 

Somehow, they had arrived at Scott’s house at the same time, even after she had made sure she left twenty minutes after Stiles. The universe liked to play its mean tricks, but that one was almost unforgivable. 

“Let’s just try to stay out of each other’s way,” he grimaced. “The less we are near each other, the harder it’ll be for them to find out.” 

“Harder to find out what?” Scott asked as he swung the front door open, his signature goofy grin stretched across his mouth. Instinctively, Stiles draped his arm around (Y/N)’s shoulders and smiled brightly. “Ooh, did you bring your brownies, (Y/N)?” 

“Yeah,” she smiled. “Still warm from the oven.” 

“Wouldn’t be a party without them,” Stiles commented. “Now, let us in. It’s kinda cold out tonight.” 

The second they were inside, Stiles broke for the living room while (Y/N) moved to the kitchen with Scott. She set the tray on the overfilled kitchen island, noticing to the side that the dinner table was perfectly set up. “Oh, the table looks nice,” she commented. “But I thought we’d be doing something more low-key.” 

“Yeah,” he chuckled awkwardly. “Lydia thought it’d be fun to do a more grown-up dinner party.” 

“Yeah. Place settings and everything.” 

“We were waiting for you guys to start eating,” he said. “We’re doing gifts after.” 

“Sounds like a plan.” 

Slowly, the rest of the group trickled into the kitchen, greeting and hugging (Y/N) as they looked over all the food and served themselves their plates. And, of course, her seat was right next to Stiles’. Even if she had wanted to sit anywhere else, the rest had already taken their assigned seats, and the only open spot was the one that had her name. 

She gave her ex-boyfriend a small smile, looking anywhere but into the brown of his eyes. Her heart beat against her chest, threatening to jump out of her body. It made her fidgety as everyone ate, thinking any of the wereanimals around her would be able to tell how she was feeling. 

But Scott was laughing with Stiles, Malia was talking to Lydia, and Hayden, Liam, and Mason had their own conversation running. (Y/N) was all by herself. She was surrounded by all the people she loved, but it was the loneliest she had felt in a long time. Without the usual comforting words from Stiles, she couldn’t help but feel so out of place. It was the happiest time of the year, but the girl was miserable, and it hurt that it didn’t seem like the boy she loved was sad as well. 

“Alright,” Lydia spoke up as everyone ignored their mostly empty plates. “Now that our bellies are full, I think it’s time for Secret Santa! And I truly hope you all kept it a secret this time.” 

“Not that it’d matter anyway,” Liam chuckled. “We all know we ask for help every time.” 

“Anyways,” she said, ignoring the soft laughter that erupted from the group. “Let’s go to the living room, and (Y/N) you’ll go first.”

“Oh, uh, sure,” she smiled as she followed the group into the living room. She crouched under the decorated Christmas tree, pulling out the gift that had been there for almost two weeks. “I got Lydia.” 

“How wonderful!” the redhead mused, quick to hug her friend and rip away the wrapping paper. Inside the gift box was a mosaic picture of Lydia, Allison, and (Y/N), the first time they had finally considered each other friends. “Oh, it’s beautiful! I wish I could take it with me everywhere.” 

“It was hard to get it just right, but I loved how it turned out.” 

“It’s perfect, (Y/N),” she beamed. “Thank you.” 

“Of course. I love you, Lids.” 

“Love you too,” the girl said as she wrapped her friend in a tighter hug. “My turn!”

Lydia had gifted Liam nine books out of his TBR list —nine because of his lacrosse number. Then, Liam gifted Scott a new leather jacket so he could “actually look cool when riding his motorcycle,” Liam snickered. Scott then gifted Malia a light blue hoodie to add to her ever-growing collection, while Malia gifted Hayden a journal and pen set, saying it was for when her mind felt too busy. After a warm smile and a hug, she announced her gift was for Mason, laughing as he pulled out an ugly cat sweater. Once the loud laughter subsided, Mason gifted Stiles a massage mat for his Jeep. 

“For when you’re taking really long drives,” the boy smiled, clearly proud of himself. “There’s quite some distance between here and D.C. It’ll come in handy.” 

“Yeah,” he chuckled as he hugged Mason. “Thanks, man. It’s great.” 

“Don’t mention it.”

As Mason sat back down, Stiles cleared his throat as he pulled the last gift. Everyone knew by then who it was for. There was no one else left. “Well, I guess you all know who this is for,” he said. “I hope you like it, (Y/N).” 

The girl received the bag with a soft smile, trying her best to swallow the tears that were threatening to spill. She had forgotten for a second how cruel the universe could be. She pulled out the white tissue paper first before finding a beautiful brown bear dressed in a blue knit sweater. Around its neck, there was a necklace with something she could only assume was a soundwave. With curiosity washing over her, she looked to Stiles for an explanation. 

“Uh, so, it’ll make a lot more sense if you press the bear’s hand,” he stammered. Once she died as told, the sound broke her. From deep in the belly of the teddy bear, her father’s voice rang out, singing the words of “You Are My Sunshine.” There was not a single night when she was little that her father didn’t sing that to her, and even as she grew old for the lullaby, he would call her sunshine. “I got a recording from your mom of your dad singing the song when you were a baby,” Stiles spoke over the music. “And the necklace is the image of the soundwave of your dad calling you sunshine.” 

Tears had long since fallen down her cheeks, clutching the bear in her arms as though it was her own father. With her eyes closed, it was almost as though he was right there, singing to her. But it was what came after the song that shattered her. “You’re gonna do great things, (Y/N),” her father said through the bear. “I love you forever, my little sunshine.” 

At that moment, all she wanted to do was hug Stiles and kiss him like she had done a million times before. That was the boy she had fallen in love with. The one that cared and listened. The one that had made her heart race and her stomach turn into butterflies. She wanted to tell him she loved him and never let him go, but she couldn’t. Just like she could never do with her father. 

“I, uh,” she said as she stood from the couch, feeling as though she would faint in the crowded room. “I need some air.” 

(Y/N) stammered her way out of the living room and through the front door, only allowing herself to break down when she was at the end of the driveway. She fell to her knees and hugged the bear to her chest as she cried, letting the hurt that had accumulated over the years spill onto the pavement. In less than six months, she was going to walk into a new life halfway across the globe without the support of her father and now, without the support of Stiles. All alone. 

She should have been celebrating. She knew that. She should have been crying tears of joy and jumping into her love’s arms. Instead, it was the bear’s arms that she could feel. The softness of its fur, the sound of her father’s voice. 

Without even realizing it, she had begun singing along to the lullaby, sniffling between words as the tears didn’t relent. “You’re gonna do great things, (Y/N),” her father said once more through the bear. “I love you forever, my little sunshine.” 

“I love you too, dad,” she cried. 

“Hey,” his voice startled her. Through teary eyes, she looked up to find Stiles draping a jacket over her shoulders. He slid to the ground next to her, facing the house before them as she was now. “I’m sorry. I bought the gift weeks ago, and I wasn’t sure if I was still allowed to give it to you.” 

“No, it was… i-it was perfect,” she stammered, running her hand over the bear’s fur. “It’s just everything rushed over me. Like the breakup, the fact that I won’t be here next year, the fact that my dad won’t even see me gradua…”

Another string of sobs ransacked (Y/N)’s body, but that time it wasn’t the bear she was hugging. Stiles had wrapped his arms around her, pressing her into his chest. She could smell his cologne and feel his warmth, a feeling she had missed for the past seven days. All she wanted was to melt into his touch and profess to him all that she felt. But she couldn’t. Not anymore. Because he didn’t want it. 

“I didn’t want things to be this way,” she cried into his chest. “I didn’t want everything to fall apart.” 

Stiles remained quiet as she cried, a hard feat for someone like him. But he let her cry and cry until only quiet sniffles filled the air. Because he hadn’t wanted things to be that way either. 

He knew he had overreacted. When he had told (Y/N) his plans of enrolling in George Washington University all the way across the county, she had told him they could make it work. Especially if she got into any of the ivy leagues she had applied to on the East Coast. It had been fine. Hell, it had been perfect. 

But when she told him that she wouldn’t just be a couple of states away but that she would be on another continent, he couldn’t help but let his abandonment issues take control. 

He knew she was brilliant. He knew she deserved to do and be all that she had dreamed. But he feared that once she achieved all of her goals, he would just not fit into her life anymore. 

“You’re gonna go on to do great things, (Y/N),” he sighed sadly as her tears stopped. “You’re gonna go to Oxford, just like your parents, and you’re gonna probably graduate at the top of your class on your way. And I’ll be here —well, in Washington, technically—cheering you on.”

“But why couldn’t we be great together, Stiles? We couldn’t we both go on to do great things, together?”

“Come on, (Y/N). Once you’re there, you’re gonna meet so many people, and you’ll have guys falling on their knees for you,” he chuckled dryly. “I won’t fit into your new world. I mean, you said it yourself: that’s where your parents met and your life began. And now, maybe you’ll have a new beginning. And years from today, we’ll run into each other, and you’ll tell me about your job and your husband and your kids, and I’ll be so happy for you. Because you serve all the love and happiness in the world, even if it’s without me.”

“Have you even asked yourself if that’s what I want?” (Y/N) asked as she left his warm embrace, her red eyes boring into his. “I’m not leaving because I’m searching for a new life. I want to go to Oxford because it’s one of the last things I can share with my dad. I can walk down the same halls he did, I can take classes in the same classrooms, and eat at the same places he did. But I was always going to come back, Stiles. Because my friends are here, my mom is here, because you are here. I don’t want to run into you and talk about another man or the kids I would have with him. I don’t want to run into you at all. I want to walk beside you, Stiles. If I ever have kids, it’s only if they’re a part of you too,” she cried, fresh tears falling down her already-stained cheeks. “If you don’t love me anymore, then fine. I can understand that, and I can walk away. But don’t you dare say that you wouldn’t fit into my life because you’ve been there longer than anyone I know, and I need you to be there until the end. Because I already lost someone important to me and I can’t lose you too. Not you.” 

“(Y/N), I don’t want to lose you either,” he sobbed. “But how can we fight with the distance? How could we ever withstand the fact that we’ll be an ocean away?”

“We have gone through worse battles than a plane ride, Stiles. We have been on the brink of death more times this past year than any person would in their lifetime. Do you really think being in a different time zone is the limit to our relationship? I know the future isn’t promised but you were the one person I always knew would be there.”

“I’m scared, okay?! I’m scared that you’ll meet someone better than me, (Y/N). I’m terrified that you’ll realize that maybe I’m not the guy that can give you your happy ever after,” he finally confessed. His voice croaked, and his chest heaved as the words fell out of his mouth faster than he could ever stop them. “This week has been torture without you. But it’s made me realize that Beacon Hills has always been too small for you. After May, you’re gonna go out there and find your place. And this town will be nothing but a memory you’ll come back to.”

“There is no one better for me than you, Stiles, and Beacon Hills will always be my home,” she replied softly. Her cold hand found his cheek, and she wiped away his tears with her thumb. “I don’t want to know a life where you’re not there. You can’t give up on us without even trying, Stiles. You just can’t.” 

Without thinking twice, (Y/N) crashed her lips onto his, sinking into the warmth of his mouth. After a week, kissing him felt like the very first time. It was desperate and filled with need —the need for closeness and passion, the need for love. Instinctively, Stiles’ hands found her waist and pulled her closer to him, wondering how he ever thought he could live without her touch. 

“I love you, Stiles, and I don’t even want to think about ever having to love someone else,” she whispered as she parted from him. “My heart belongs to you. And if this is the end, it’ll still remain in your hands.” 

“I couldn’t love anyone else like I love you, (Y/N),” he replied with a soft smile. “But I just can’t help the thoughts that flood my brain sometimes.” 

“Then don’t listen to them and listen to me when I say that since the moment I met you, I’ve known you were it for me. There is no other man waiting for me in Oxford. It’s you, and it will always be you,” (Y/N) said before kissing him softly once more. “You’re the best thing that has happened to me, Stiles Stilinski, and you’re the only thing that I want to keep happening to me.”

“I can’t believe I ever broke up with you. Especially during Christmas,” Stiles chuckled as he rested his forehead against hers, flicking the tip of her nose with his own. “It was honestly the worst week of my life.” 

“Including being possessed?” Scott’s voice startled them as he came into view. “Although, I get it because this was completely avoidable.”

(Y/N) chuckled as she took Scott’s extended hand and got on her feet, wiping away any tears that still remained. “Did you hear that whole thing?”

“More or less,” he chuckled. “It’s a bit hard not to when I was coming to see if you guys were okay.” 

“We’re good now, Scotty,” Stiles grinned. “Just had some unresolved feelings to work, though.” 

“Can you not mention the whole thing about the breakup? I don’t wanna make it a whole thing.”

“That’s a bit hard, (Y/N),” Malia called from the open front door. “We all kind of already know.”

“Oh, cool, great,” she said as she hid in Stile’s embrace. “That’s not embarrassing at all.”

“Eh, at least our parents are back together,” Liam commented. “Best Christmas present.” 

“It really is, huh?” Stiles whispered as he kissed the top of her head. 

“Yes. Very cute and adorable,” Lydia added in a desperate tone. “Now, can we go back inside before Hayden and Mason finish all the brownies?”

As the group walked back into the house, Stiles and (Y/N) shared one more moment together on the front porch. “Hey, look up,” Stiles said with a smile. “Mistletoe.”

“Funny that they’d hang that at a werewolf's home,” she chuckled. “Although, I’m pretty sure that one’s plastic.”

“And I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to kiss me.”

“Maybe I’m waiting for another guy to kiss under the plant.” Stiles frowned at her words, and all she could do was laugh. “Too soon?”

“Much,” he said. “Now, come here.”

He snaked his hands on either side of her face and kissed her passionately. He kissed her for every day they had spent apart. He kissed her for every hurtful word he had spewed. He kissed her as a promise of his love for her. Stiles kissed her like she was his future. 

Next ->

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[lunian]

"just because Gale is a malewife material it doesn't mean he is a father material—"

IN YOUR HEAD

in mine Gale Dekarios cries like a total happy loser when he holds his child for the first time

[sina-man]

Made a fan tfiw critter:

A flish desert relative who takes niche of a hawk and is said to be as fast as a tuna. It hunts mainly terrestrial gastropods and insects by first spitting at them glue like liquid that prevents them from running away. Later it either kills prey with sharp beak or starts eating them alive.

[adhdprincess]

���‍🚀 WIP Wednesday! 🚀

Last week, I wrote 16k words of my "Tess Lives" space AU and I'm speeding ahead at full throttle. This fic has taken over my life. Thanks for including me in the tag game, @hypnotisedfireflies! ❤️

Idk who got tagged already, and it's almost Thursday, but: @paigegonerogue @ellstronaut @wyked-ao3 @roselees

@seethesunny @oliviassunrise @stumbling-away @logan178 @blessedcrow

[crownedwille]

Are there still Crown Prince!Wilhelm stans out there despite S3 turning it into the number one problem? Please report, we need to unite and no, that doesn't mean that I don't support Wille's mental health and happiness and that I love the monarchy, some people out there must get it

[aussie-bookworm]

Chapter five of my SniperScout time loop AU is out now on AO3!

Summary:

Working under RED can be repetitive at times - but nothing like this.

After a curse is fired his way, Scout is forced to live through the same day over and over and over again.

It should be easy for someone as perfect as Scout to break the curse, right?

As long as he doesn't have to confront the things he's been feeling towards Sniper it should be a piece of cake!

Chapter summary:

As Scout gets used to the time loop, he starts to have fun with it. Just as well he's not alone!

[mhyinart]

Leonardo pulled Casey into his lap and let him cry, one big arm wrapping around him tightly and squeezing him. Casey let the days of numbness fall away and let himself fall apart again, clutching the gift to his chest and curling into the one other person who could make him feel safe right now. Leonardo sighed wetly and squeezed him even closer. “I know, kid… I know. But they loved you so much, and they will always be with you. They are always with us.” Casey felt Leonardo’s forehead press into his hair. “You are not alone.”

- The Aftermath by @starrcrossrose

[gokupowers]

feel like modern Dave writers/kins forget he's hussies self insert and written to be totally fucking lame in canon bc hussie was a 25 year old loser living in his parents basement making anti SJW rage comics at the time . dave strider is an awesome character but he is genuinely so fucking embarrassingly lame and a loser and it's a beautiful thing & we need to remember our roots #makedavelameagain

[daflangstlairde-art]

Shitpost art for my fic series I Still Feel Alive, specifically the oneshot Feels Heavy, Travel Light aodkoekclsmc

[headfullof-ideas]

In a bit of a writing funk, but still hyperfixated on my HTTYD/The Deep fanfic that I’ve been writing for the sole audience of myself, but have been recently thinking about actually posting the story to Ao3. But as I’m in a funk for the writing aspect of it, I’ve decided to actually get some drawing for it done, especially since I’ve made a bunch of OC’s to broaden the cast of the story itself. Most of them have names pulled from the books themselves, though most aren’t a thing like their book counterparts. I just needed names and the books had plenty. HOWEVER. I’ve been drawing, and decided to share a WIP of what I’m working on currently

It’s very clearly not done, but it should be by the end of the week.

[horsechestnut]

Thinking about my Batfamily Umbrella Academy Au again and just...

Dick who has the world's worst case of imposter syndrome, because is he really a fantastic acrobat, or is he just manipulating the gravity around himself? Without his powers would he even be able to walk along a balance beam? He'll never truly know.

Cass who can live in a moment for as long as she wants, who can take the time to analyze every single detail and judge her next move. Who can't do anything without analyzing, who freezes time on instinct before every action. She moves through time differently from everyone else, every day lasts five times longer.

Jason who can hit a bullseye from any distance, but knows it will never be enough to actually impress Bruce. With his power set, it's not impressive, it's just expected. It doesn't matter that he didn't use his powers, all that does is make his powers, and by extension himself, seem less useful.

Duke who doesn't trust his own eyes. He only believes in things he can physically touch, because what's to say he's not just making himself see what he wants to? If he can manipulate others perceptions on a whim, how easy must it be to manipulate his own?

Damian who's power is function-less in a fight, and so spent his life constantly training to try and compensate. Who spent so long training and honing his ability that now he struggles to talk with other people. And despite that sacrifice, still can't rise higher than Number Five because of the one thing outside of his control.

Tim who hesitates before he touches anything for the first time because he never knows what he might see. Who had to learn to keep his face natural no matter what he learns, better that than having to explain what he saw to someone who won't understand.

Stephanie who discovers she has powers, that maybe she's not actually the weak link and she can finally help her siblings, just to find out they think she's a villain. That even when they're all the same, she's still the outsider. They still don't believe in her.

[zal-cryptid]

SCP-4431 and SCP-4935