#god all three of them being older when Shit Went Down just means there's so much more time for them to be besties

[stormlit]

it is not necessarily that she doesn't recognise him, nor even that she believes him a vision, a ghost. one loses much, when entering the blood, but memory is not one of those things—and even if she did not remember before, she remembers the assault, the loss. his may be a face seared into her memory, but that is where it was supposed to remain; bianca cannot quite fathom him being here, in front of her.

he stares. and she stares back.

a glimmer of hope and relief warms in her chest.

❝ riccardo? ❞ how is he here? well, that is a question there is a clear answer to, and yet...for a moment all she can do is stare. and then she moves, a hand touching his shoulder like she needs proof he is solid, before bianca leans up to kiss his cheeks in greeting. she thinks her own cheeks might be wet with tears. ❝ i thought you dead. when—? ❞

@stormlit | sc.

she's a ghost.

that's what this has to be, he thinks at first. that he's somehow found some pocket of the world where spirits show themselves to people, and she's the one he's seeing. at least it isn't one of the kids; for a moment, he thinks about just accepting it, moving on.

but— she doesn't look like a ghost. not what he would imagine one looks like, anyway. he pries, a little, stretches a thought out like a curious hand; doesn't feel like one, either.

riccardo stares. maybe she's a lookalike; but she doesn't feel like a human, either. how— imprecise horror engulfs him, for a second, like flame. ❝ ... bianca? ❞

[wardenparker]

Private Dick

Tim Rockford x plus size reader Co-written with @absurdthirst

Rating: E for Explicit! 18+ Word Count: 11.8k Warnings: Plus size female reader with anxiety and internalized fatphobia/dysphoria. Tim is divorced with a shitty ex. Food/alcohol. Biting, fingering, shower sex, vaginal sex, unprotected sex, blink and you'll miss it vague reference to a pregnancy kink, brief mention of body shaming/bullying, a lot of talk about one character being vegan. SO MUCH FLUFF. Supportive love is a wonderful thing. Summary: Things are getting serious with your boyfriend, and that means that it's time for your anxiety to come out to play. But if there's one amazing thing about Tim, it's how much he cares. Notes: We just really needed some supportive fluff and hot smut this week, guys. I don't know what else to say ❤💛🧡

“So uh, there’s gonna be a get together at my mom’s house this weekend.” Tim fastens his watch and looks around for the toothpick that he had set down. He swears he has to lay off the pepper beef, the shit always gets trapped in his teeth, but every time they order from Happy Dumplings for the office, he gets the same thing. Standing up, he slides his boxers back up over his hips and looks over his shoulder. “I might have told her that I would bring you.”

"You told your mom about me?" You were halfway out of his bed and hunting around the floor of his bedroom for your panties when he said it and your head snaps up to look at him. God, the man really has a fantastic little ass.

“Well…yeah.” Tim frowns as he reaches for his pants. “She tried to set me up with some chick from her church, says I need a good woman to take care of me.” He snorts, remembering how his ex-wife used to say she would take care of him until the late nights and crushing pressure of the job had sent her into Tommy Litchfield’s bed. The divorce hadn’t been pretty and he had seen the kids four weeks out of the year. “Figured we had been…. seeing each other long enough, so I told her.”

It's been almost seven months since you and Tim started seeing each other, as he puts it, and you know the time right down to the day. Six months, three weeks, and one day. That was the best accidental first date of your life, and even though his job is demanding, you don't mind. You have hobbies and friends - your family and your own job - all to deal with. Time with him has been the icing on the proverbial cake. Hell, the first time he called you his girlfriend was barely a month ago and you had nearly giggled yourself silly, still in that first blush of happiness in your relationship. "So...what kind of get together is this?" Your panties had gotten hooked on his bedpost and you delicately pull them down with a smothered snort. "Should I be dressing up or are jeans okay?"

“Backyard party.” He tells you. “My brother-in-law pretends he can grill worth a shit, while he gets drunk off his ass.” Tim chuckles. “We eat burnt hamburgers that a dog wouldn’t touch while the kids play in the pool. Or just lounge around it and bitch now that they are older.”

"The kids...as in...your kids?" You know the rundown - the divorce, the custody negotiations, all the bullshit that he went through ten years ago. His ex-wife had been awarded primary custody of his then ten-year-old twins and she had barely allowed him to see them each year since. In fact, he had gotten to see his niece and nephew a hell of a lot more, and as such he has a pretty good relationship with them as adults.

“Yeah.” He shrugs into his shirt and starts to button it up. He has to go back to the office to go through witness statements. Barely getting enough time for lunch and a quickie, he hopes that you aren’t tired of him yet. “They are home for the weekend from college.”

"Okay." Your agreement is instant, although it's muffled somewhere inside your dress as you pull it back over your head. Both of your lunch breaks are almost over and you both have to get back to your offices. "Yeah. Count me in. Absolutely." Well...this is gonna be all you think about until the weekend...

“Good.” He flashes you a grin when your head pops through your dress and he reaches for the gun that’s on the nightstand to loop back through his belt. “Make sure you bring your bathing suit.”

"I don't—" Oh god...that's right...he mentioned a pool. A quiet panic wraps itself around your heart and squeezes your chest, and you duck down to find your shoes so he won't see it in your eyes. "Uh—right. Bathing suit. Got it." You'll just have to pretend you forgot when the day comes, that's all. No harm there. Just silly and forgetful old you.

“Fuck, we need a longer lunch break.” Tim grumbles, stepping over to zip up your dress and he kisses the back of your neck. “Want me to come over tonight if it’s not too late?”

"I always want you to come over," you admit softly. He really does have that effect on you - always reducing you to a puddle of a grown-ass-woman when he's sweet and affectionate like this. "Baked pasta for dinner? I can warm you up a plate if it's late when you get out." There are strains of real domesticity in your relationship and you like that it's stayed functional. You're separate people with separate lives, but they're starting to fuse together in little ways.

“I love your pasta.” He admits, reminding himself that you are far too good for him and despite the fact that he was often beaten up by his workload and the grim reality he deals with on a daily basis, you are becoming a safe haven for him. “But if it’s too late, I just want to slip into bed with you.” He admits. “Wrapping my arms around you and falling asleep.”

"Here..." Your purse is sitting on his bureau against the wall by the door, and you pad over to it to pull out your keys. It's a great big, giant gesture to make, but you unclip your house key from the ring and cross the room again to hold it out to him. "I think we're both adult enough to make this step, don't you?" There's a spare key in a little ceramic rock positioned specifically in your front garden that will make its way onto your key ring when you get home, but you want to make this step. You want to show Tim that you're serious about him – especially if he wants you to meet his family this weekend.

He frowns at the key as he looks down at it, noticing the logo of the manufacturer. “I’m going to change your locks this weekend too.” He decides with a grunt. “These locks are shit.”

Even as you’re rolling your eyes, you can’t help but smile. His way of showing affection isn’t always obvious, but you’ve learned to see the signs. “Just take the key, baby. Accept the gesture and take the key.”

“Here.” He digs into his pocket for his own key ring. There’s already a spare on his other key ring, so he quickly works the key off and hands it to you. “You know, for when you plan to meet me and maybe you need to pee. Or you want to come over and jump me in the middle of the night.” He jokes with a small wink.

“So…for all the time?” It’s less sexy and more awkwardly charming when you throw a wink back at him, and you reach up to give him a kiss. “Come on, sexy. We have jobs to get back to.”

He chuckles and pats your ass he you turn around. “I’ll give you a call, m’kay babe? Let you know about what time I’ll be over.”

"Sounds good." As much as Tim always insists he likes your ass, you always have to bite back a small frown when he pats it - there's just too much of it. Too much of you in general. Nope...don't go down that road right now...just check your reflection in the mirror to make sure your hair is okay and reapply your lipstick before you get back to the office. You'll be fine. "See you tonight, baby."

“Wouldn’t miss it.” He promises, watching you walk towards your car with a small grin on his face. While he had made mistakes, been married to his job for too many years, he was trying to do right by you. Wanting this new relationship to work. He’s crazy about you and he can’t wait for you to meet his family.

******

It's four excruciating days of worry until the day of the get-together at Tim's mother's house is finally here. He came over late last night after an interrogation and climbed into your bed to wrap himself around you and fuck both of you into exhaustion. To that end, he is still asleep upstairs while you putter in the kitchen. Coffee made, a pan of apple cobbler in the oven and whipped cream made from coconut cream because he had told you months ago that one of his daughters is vegan. There's a great big container of cold peanut noodles with all kinds of veggies in your fridge, too. All that nervous energy you have has gone into cooking, and you frown behind your coffee cup when you remind yourself that habits like this are why you hate looking at yourself in the mirror.

Tim has gotten used to waking up in your bed, probably far faster than he should have, but there is a connection with you that he hasn't felt in a long time. So it doesn't take long for his hand to seek out your soft, warm skin in his sleep. He had pulled your nightgown off of you and tossed it on the floor, both of you staying naked after he had fucked you. His frown precedes his eyes opening when he finds nothing but the cool spot on the bed where you should have been. Where did you go?

Heavy footsteps on the stairs are your giveaway, and you pour a cup of black coffee for Tim after turning down the volume on your music yet again. “Morning, handsome.”

"Why didn't you wake me?" He squints at the bright light, your curtains and blinds already opened. He could kiss you when you offer the coffee and he does, reaching for you to pull you close for a quick kiss to thank you.

“It was early.” Even though you shrug apologetically, the kiss is welcome and so is the place in his arms. “And you work hard, so you deserve the sleep.”

He hums and rubs your back softly. "Would rather spend time with you." He kisses your forehead and then pulls back, taking a sip of his coffee. "It smells good in here." Standing in your kitchen in his boxers should look odd, but it feels normal. He's been here enough that he knows the layout pretty well.

“I made my apple cobbler that you like…” you admit with a sheepish shrug of your shoulders. “But I made it vegan so your daughter can have some. And…my peanut noodle recipe is vegan anyway, so that’s in the fridge.” He had insisted that you didn’t need to make anything to bring to his mother’s house today but here you are, cooking up a storm.

It takes a moment for that to register and then he's sighing softly. "You are too good, you know that?" He asks, setting the coffee cup down again so he can pull you in for another kiss. "I – you are amazing and thoughtful." He knows he wouldn't have even thought about making something for Zara. Not because he's neglectful, but because he wouldn't even know where to begin making something vegan. "Everyone is going to love you."

“I hope so.” You’re not naive enough to think that his grown kids will automatically love their father’s girlfriend for any reason, and you’ve got just enough in the way of self-esteem issues to be worried. But you fully intend to make the best impression possible today.

"Do you want to shower?" He asks, smirking slightly. "I brought my overnight bag." He routinely keeps a bag in the trunk of his car in case of overnight cases and needing a change of clothes. "We can swing by my apartment to change into something more casual on the way."

"I keep telling you to put clothes in that overnight bag." The offer of a shower is tempting, though, and you glance at the timer on the oven. "The pan comes out of the oven in two minutes. Then I'm all yours."

"I do have clothes in the bag." He grumbles at you. "Work clothes." He watches as you move gracefully around your kitchen, admiring the way you work so efficiently. There's a small smile on your lips that he's pretty damn sure you aren't even aware that you have, but it makes you look even sexier in his eyes.

"Then we'll stop at your apartment on the way." His divide between work clothes and civilian clothes is stark, and you don't begrudge him that for one second. You certainly have two sections of your closet, and hardly ever wear work clothes on the weekends.

The timer goes off and he smiles, sipping his coffee as you rush over to pull the pan out. "Now it's my time." He growls playfully, setting down the cup and moving behind you as you set it down on the oven mitt.

Even as he hauls you backward you have the urge to remind him not to try to pick you up. Thick thighs and too much tummy and saggy arms that you hate are too much for his perpetually bad back and knees after decades on the force. "Come on, handsome," you laugh softly when he presses a kiss to the juncture of your neck and shoulder. "Let's go take that shower."

The softness of your ass against his groin makes his cock start to harden. Making him groan as he pushes it into you with a suggestive thrust. "Mhmmmm, we could get dirty first." He chuckles and nips at your pulse. "Or would you rather I fuck you in the shower?"

"I thought that's what showers are for?" Your shower, anyway. The cramped space in his apartment is no good for anything but being functional. Your house, however, has a large shower stall with excellent water pressure and a separate overlarge tub in the master bath. It had been half the reason for buying the house in the first place.

"That's what should happen in every shower we take." He groans, smirking into your skin before he pulls away to take your hand. "What do you think, baby?"

"I think you're a menace," you tease, lacing your fingers through his. "And I am absolutely here for it."

He laughs as he walks a step behind you up the stairs, still holding onto your hand and cannot resist slapping your ass with his other when you move up an extra step and it's in his face. "Fuck, I love your ass." He grunts.

Too big, your dysphoria supplies immediately, and you're glad he can't see your face as you climb the stairs together. You've never been skinny but it seems like since you got past your thirtieth birthday, everything got a little bigger out of protest. Everything except your tits. "I'm glad you like it," you manage, hoping you sound bright and teasing.

"Next time I have you on your stomach, I'm going to bite it." He threatens playfully, slapping it again right as you reach the top of the stairs. His cock twitches at the thought and he’s halfway toying with the idea of seeing if you would let him fuck your ass. It's not been talked about, and he's not just going to ask.

"Wouldn't be the first time you left teeth marks in me." That actually makes you laugh, remembering the first time your best friend had noticed the imprint of Tim's pearly whites when you had gone to her house after leaving his place. It was how she found out you were seeing someone, and you hadn't lived it down for weeks.

His growl catches in his throat and his hand tugs you back, spinning you around and pressing you up against the wall so he can kiss you again. This thing with you has progressed to the point where those three little words dance in his head when he is thinking of you. Still not quite voiced, they are there. Making him crave you even more when he has you nearby and he transfers that into the pressing of your lips together.

It's a sigh and a muffled groan from you, and your arms come up around his neck easily to encourage him to take whatever he wants. He's fucking irresistible and while you still can't quite grasp why he seems to want you, you're not going to question it and ruin the best adult relationship you've ever had. You're almost grateful to the idiot that broke into your office building and caused all of you to have to make statements to the police.

You had seemed to think that you needed to wear fancy lingerie when he first started sleeping with you, but the loose nightgowns you wear now are just as sexy and far easier to access. Thankful that you had taken his word and started wearing them to bed at night. His hands plunging underneath so he can cup your tit, his other hand twisting to slide into your panties as he groans into your mouth.

Tim's fingers are thick and nimble, and you never would have thought gun callouses could be sexy until you felt them slide through your pussy the first time. The hand fully encompassing one of your tits squeezes in earnest and you groan, hips already rocking against his other hand. "Fuck, Tim."

“That’s it, baby.” He grunts, kissing down your jaw and biting your ear. “Fucking love how wet you get. Pussy is gushing for me.”

Broad shoulders, broad chest, thick fingers, quick tongue, a smile that can leave you in a daze. How would you not be absolutely gushing for him? "Always," you sigh out, breath catching when he curls his fingers against your g-spot expertly. "Need you so bad, baby."

“Just what I want to hear.” His cock pulses against your soft belly and he wants nothing more than to lift you up and fuck you against this wall. Except you would squawk the entire time to put you down. Instead, he pumps his fingers diligently, eager to make you cum so he can fuck you in the shower.

The press of those thick digits inside of you has you gasping and clinging to him as he thrusts two fingers inside of you, adding a third to make you squeal and shake even harder. His eagerness makes perfect sense considering you weren't in bed beside him when he woke up, and you let your forehead drop forward to his bicep as you ride his fingers closer and closer to cumming right there in the hallway of your little house.

“You gonna cum for me baby?” He asks, always loving when you come apart for him. It’s a gorgeous sight. “Gonna soak my fingers? Squeeze them tight?”

"I—fuck—" Three fingers in your cunt and his thumb against your clit is too much all at once in the best way possible, and you're nodding against his arms as that tingling feeling at the base of your spine explodes and you start to shake apart. For a man who claims not to have dated a lot and have been rusty on intimacy when you had first gotten together, he never lost that muscle memory of how to be an amazing lover.

“So fuckin’ pretty when you cum.” He coos in your ear, feeling your cunt sucking his fingers in deep and starting to squeeze them. “Cum for me baby.”

Your fingernails bite into his arms as you grasp him tightly, entire body tensing completely before falling apart completely – flooding his hand with cum and slumping backward against the wall so you aren't too heavy on his arm. "Goddamn, baby..." you pant with a small giggle when you can breathe again, the orgasm exploding like shooting stars behind your still closed eyes.

“Fuck, I need to be inside you.” He feels the slick coating his fingers and wants to sink inside your quivering cunt. “Shower?”

“Shower.” It doesn’t matter that your legs are jelly, you can make it ten more feet into the bathroom. Your nightgown is pulled off of you before you hit the door, and his own boxers pushed down and kicked off. Leaving you in your panties as he opens the glass door to turn the shower on.

“Just what I needed today.” You’re only half teasing as you strip off your panties and toss them in the nearby laundry basket. “To be freshly fucked when I meet your family.”

He grunts, crowding you into the shower when you climb in and turning you around to face the wall. “You want to talk to my mama with a load of my cum in your pussy?” He grins, biting your neck again. “I can make that happen.”

“You can’t just say shit like that to me.” It earns him another moan and you back your ass up against his hips eagerly. “It’s gonna be all I can think about all day.”

“Good.” He chuckles roughly as his hands grip your hips and he presses closer. His cock folding up against his body and pressing into the cleft of your ass insistently. “It’s gonna be all I think about too. Imagining you dripping. Licking you clean.”

“Gonna have to slip away to your old room to get handsy.” You tease, knowing that his mother still lives in the house he grew up in.

“Fucked my first girl in that bed.” He grunts, silently acknowledging that it would be fitting that he fucks his last girl there too.

“Gonna make me another notch on that bedpost, Rockford?” You grin over your shoulder at him as his hands knead your ass. “I bet it was some homecoming queen. Or cheerleader. Do baseball games have cheerleaders?”

“Sometimes.” He smirks and shakes his head. Aware that you have some notion that he was some kind of stud when he was younger. “But maybe that new notch will be fun.” He poses as he rocks his hips back to take his cock in his hand.

"Getting you all riled up until you fuck me is always fun." All of Tim is thick. From his muscled limbs and shoulders that test the limits of store-bought shirts, all the way to his cock. The feeling of his head pushing your pussy open makes you moan, and you brace yourself against the wall of the shower for him to take as much as he wants from you. There's a certain amount of bliss involved in being intimate with Tim and you can usually push away your insecurities in favour of seeing - and feeling - just how much he enjoys touching you. Right now, the thoughts drop away and the only thing left is yes and more and oh god.

“Fuuuuuuuuuck.” He groans as he splits you in two. “I fucking love this pussy.” His breath is heavy in your ear and he rolls his hips until he is buried deep. “Perfect, baby, you’re fucking perfect.”

Perfect. Nobody had ever called you that before, and you had instinctively laughed the first time Tim had used the word. Since then you've tried to be a little kinder with yourself, and accept that just because you don't think you're perfect doesn't mean that he can't think so. "Just for you," you groan happily, reaching back to squeeze his hip. "Only for you, baby."

His lips trail over your skin and he can’t help but continue to kiss you. Loving how you clutch him deep inside your body and the softness of you against him. Reaching for your hands, he laces his fingers with yours and lays them against the wall, sliding his feet closer.

The cold tile against your front and Tim's hot skin at your back is an intense combination that you love – an extra reason to moan with every thrust. His body seems to cover every inch of you, enveloping you in his presence, and it's almost hard to move except to grind back against him every time he fills you up. It's a gorgeous feeling that you so easily get lost in.

“Fuck, how does it get better?” He pants into your ear. “Every fucking time, you feel even better. Addicted to you.”

"Perfect." He is the perfect one, and you won't hear anything to the contrary, panting out words with every slap of his hips against your ass. "Perfect cock. Perfect fuck. Perfect man. I—" For a moment, in your rapture, the words almost slip. Thank god you manage to swallow them quickly. "So good, baby."

“I know you’re gonna cum for me again, aren’t you?” He asks, rocking his hips forward to slap against your ass as he picks up his pace.

“Just like that.” You know it won’t take long now, not if he goes just a tiny bit harder like he does when he gets close, and the begging in your voice always gets him, too. Every time. “So fucking perfect, baby. Please let me cum fo—oh fuck— so close!”

Tim hisses, squeezing your hands as he rocks up into the balls of his feet. Thrusting harder into you. “Yessss, fuck, cum for me baby.”

Bearing down on his length this time, you can practically feel his pulse through the prominent veins of his cock as they scrub against your walls. The pressure is just as perfect as the rest of him and before you know it there are stars erupting behind your eyes.

Tim groans your name when he feels you start to cum. Loving how you whine and whimper as he works you through it. Sex with you has been amazing and he hadn’t been lying when he said it just kept getting better. When that final thrust comes and you are pressed tight between Tim and the tile, the feeling of his pulsing cock filling you full of sticky cum scratches that very private, very secret dream you have of one day actually having a family with this man, and you shiver a little with personal satisfaction when he groans your name into your skin one last time.

“God.” He pants, knowing that while he’s fucking you isn’t the right time to say those words for the first time. “So good baby.”

Laughing under your breath, you groan happily and let your weight go against the wall just to feel him slump against you. “Hell of a way to start the day,” you tease.

“Should start the day this way every morning.” He laughs along with you. “Don’t you think so?”

“Why do you think I gave you a key?” Twisting around just enough to kiss him, you hum against his lips and sigh happily.

He snorts and kisses you again. “So I should just swing into the house every morning as I go into work?” He asks playfully.

The impulse is there. The invitation right on the tip of your tongue. But it’s too soon. Way too soon. He doesn’t even know how you really feel about him yet — so telling him he could just give up his tiny bachelor pad and move in with you would probably send him running for the hills. “So you can stay over whenever you want,” is how you phrase it instead, hoping that that doesn’t sound overbearing or overeager.

“Don’t tell me that.” He warns you. “Your bed is softer than mine and it has the added bonus of having you in it. You’ll get tired of me.”

“No, I won’t.” The answer is too quick. You know that, but you can’t help it. Slowly turning around, the unfortunate side effect of losing his warmth as his quickly softening cock slips out of you is replaced by the benefit of getting to look him in the eyes. “I—I won’t get sick of you, baby.”

He nudges his nose against yours gently and sighs softly. “I hoped that I would make it a little more romantic than this.” He grumbles quietly,

“A little more romantic than being snuggly after sex?” You ask incredulously. Sure you’re not wrapped up in the blankets right now, but it’s still the same feeling.

“Something more romantic than shower sex to tell you that I love you.” Tim tells you quietly. “I’m not good with words or romance.”

When you deflate in front of him it’s out of pure shock, but you push off from the wall instantly to drag him down for a kiss. “I love you, too,” you promise him in that same hushed voice. “I have for—for months.” Since the night that he braved taking you to an Indian restaurant and got through an entire dinner before you found yourselves in the middle of a music festival in the park and he tried to sneak grabbing a hot dog because he didn’t want to admit to you that he didn’t like the restaurant you said you love. “I love you so much.”

He sighs in relief, pressing his forehead against yours and chuckling with joy. “Good. I was afraid I was rushing things. Or reading too much into the amazing sex we have.”

“I don’t think seven months before the first mention of love is anybody’s definition of rushing, baby.” Placing a kiss over his heart, you can’t help the way you grin from ear to ear when you look up at him. “But you’re right about the sex being really fucking good.”

“Yes, it is.” He agrees with a roguish wink. “Now we just need to clean up.” The functional portion of the shower never takes long. You’re both well established in your habits and are clean again in under ten minutes, leaving you to towel off on the bathroom rug together in no time. “So I was thinking that after my mom’s, I could stay tonight?” He asks, keeping his tone casual. “Since I’ll be dropping you off and I have a full weekend off for once?”

“I’m gonna call up your captain and tell him I have you handcuffed to my bed,” you joke, careful to keep yourself covered even while you’re drying off from the shower. It's a habit, and even if he’s just been inside you that’s no reason to force him to look at your whole blob-like body. “He can’t have you back until Monday. Girlfriend’s orders.”

“Careful now.” He warns with a grin. “I might like be handcuffed to your bed.” He’s never really thought about using his handcuffs, despite the ribald jokes from other detectives, but if you wanted to, he would let you. He trusts you.

“You? Give up control?” Raising one eyebrow at him in the mirror, you scoff playfully. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”

“I thought you like when I’m in control?” He asks with a smirk. “But for you? I’d do it.”

“The perfume I wear is literally called ‘Good Girl’,” you laugh, motioning to the stiletto-shaped bottle on your bathroom shelf. “Of course I like it when you’re in charge.”

“That’s the stuff I like?” He asks, intrigued by the name. He never knows that kind of stuff, just that you smell amazing and he always wants to rip your clothes off when he smells it.

“Yup. The little bottle shaped like a high heel.” It’s your treat to yourself. Designer perfume makes you feel a little less like a fat girl playing dress up when you get ready to see Tim or go out with friends, and a little bit more like a full-grown woman. It’s silly, but if that’s what does it, then you can’t be too mad about it.

“I will have to buy you another bottle of that when you get low.” He hums, making a mental note of it. “It smells incredible on you.”

You won’t quibble with him now over the fact that it’s pricey or anything like that. It’s the gesture that counts, and the fact that you’re getting a little bit closer each and every day. “I don’t know how well it goes with chlorine.” With one little joke, you seize the chance in front of you. “Maybe I’ll abstain from swimming today.” No swimming means no swimsuit, which means no having to be partially undressed in front of his family.

Tim sends you a pout. “Nooo, I’m looking forward to getting into the pool with you.” He huffs, eager to see you in your bathing suit and watch you bask in the sun.

“It’s okay,” you insist, trying to play it off like it doesn’t matter at all. “Maybe next time.”

Tim frowns slightly when he realizes that you are serious and you will not be getting into the pool. “Yeah sure.” He nods. “Next time.” He agrees before he moves over to the sink to brush his teeth and shave.

“Okay.” He’s upset. He’s upset with you, and your mind goes straight to the worst possible scenario which is obviously that he’s going to break up with you over it. A lifetime of trying to deal with low self-esteem and self-worth issues but still you go straight to the worst-case scenario sometimes. “Gonna go get dressed,” you mumble quickly, retreating from the room still wrapped entirely in towels, as fast as your feet will carry you.

Tim sighs, wondering where he went wrong this morning. It had been going so well but Trina had continuously accused him of putting his foot in his mouth or being insensitive. He had been trying so hard with you and yet he can tell you’re upset. He looks in the mirror and shakes his head. “Don’t fuck this up.” He orders himself with a groan.

The warm Southern climate means swimming happens all the time, but it’s still October so you put on a light cardigan with your sundress and sandals and try to keep yourself from crying and making your eyes red before you leave the house. The last thing you need is to show up to meet his kids and his mother with bloodshot eyes. “Don’t fuck this up,” you chastise yourself, opening the dresser drawer that holds your one swimsuit just to stare at it for a minute in loathing.

“Baby?” Tim had retreated downstairs once he had dressed, sure that you needed some time to yourself. “Are you ready?” Are you still coming?

“Yeah! One second!” Out of some kind of masochistic instinct, you grab your bathing suit and cram it into your tote bag when you snag it off your dresser and rush downstairs. Clothes, jewelry, make up, all of it is in place to try to make the most positive first impression possible. “Sorry, I—” You immediately focus on getting the food packed up into a reusable shopping bag. “I almost forgot to put on perfume. Stupid, right? After we just were talking about it?”

“That’s okay.” Tim approaches you slowly from behind and he gently takes hold of your waist. “You still smell great even without it.” He promises, leaning in and kissing your shoulder. Offering a silent apology.

“Do I look okay?” It’s silly to be worried. You’re a grown woman and he’s a grown man. But you’re terrified and determined not to fuck up again today.

“You look stunning.” He promises you. “If I hadn’t promised my mother that we would be there, I would keep you here and take you back upstairs to show you how pretty you look.”

“Okay.” Nodding twice, your head hangs between your shoulders for a second before you force yourself to straighten up and take the bag full of food from the counter. “Ready when you are.”

“Are you sure you want to go?” He asks, concerned that he is pushing too fast. It seems like you’re forcing yourself to go.

“Of course I’m sure.” The brightness in your voice isn’t entirely forced. You do want to go, you’re just terrified and self-conscious. And from the look on his face, he knows something is wrong. “I’m just—” Your eyes drop and so do your shoulders. “I’m worried what they’ll think of me, that’s all.”

“Baby.” He shakes his head and sighs softly, happy that he can reassure you. “They are going to love you.” He promises. “Probably love you more than me.”

“They loved Trina.” You’ve seen plenty of his pictures of his ex-wife. Their wedding pictures, especially, and even how skinny she managed to get back to being after having their twins. She’s stunning, and successful, and smart. And you’re a dumpy little nobody who sits behind a desk and definitely never goes to the gym. “I’m not like her. At all.”

“That’s a good thing.” He promises, chuckling at how ridiculous it would be to date someone like his ex.

You let out a half-laugh, huffing at yourself, and shake your head slightly. It sounds so stupid to say it out loud, but here you are in the middle of your kitchen about to break apart at the seams over a first meeting. “She—she’s prettier than me.” In every sense, in your opinion. But especially, she’s skinnier.

Tim frowns and vehemently shakes his head. “That is not true.” He argues. “And it doesn’t matter how pretty she is, she is my ex-wife.” He reminds you. “She left me. Took my kids from me.”

“Right.” Blinking back the impending tears that will ruin your makeup and the mood, you nod your head and take a steadying, if shaky, breath. “Right. I know that. I’m sorry. I’m just—I’m being stupid.”

“You aren’t being stupid.” He huffs, hating how you belittle yourself. You are kind and generous to everyone but yourself. “It is just nerves, right? This is a big step and I’m sure I’ll be shitting myself when I meet your folks.”

“It’s nerves.” You agree, nodding again and resisting the urge to press on your closed eyes to stop the water behind them. It would smudge the eye makeup you put on so carefully. All waterproof, ironically. But not touched-with-hands proof. “I just don’t—” It is stupid, and a part of you knows that. The part that pays fucking attention in therapy every other week. “I don’t want you to finally realize you’ve been dating a cow if I put on my swimsuit,” you admit quietly.

“A cow?” He growls the comment in surprise, rearing back and wondering where the hell that idea came from. “Who the fuck called you a cow?” He demands, furious and ready to punch someone if they’ve insulted you like that.

“Nobody had to.” Your sister. Your grade school bully. The woman at the department store. A girl at camp. A boy you had a crush on in high school. Your parents. Nobody. Everybody. “I’m just a little anxious. It’s fine. I just won’t have any caffeine the rest of the day and it won’t get worse. Please don’t be upset?”

Tim shakes his head and he reaches up to cup your cheeks. “Baby, put your bag down.” He orders you softly. He doesn’t want to leave this house until he’s truly talked to you, and if that means being late, then he will be late. “Please?”

It only takes a moment of silence between you before you swallow your protest and set your purse and the bag of food back on the counter. This is it. He’s going to dump you for being an idiot. At least you got to tell him you love him before that happened, right?

He guides you over to the chair and sits you down, kneeling in front of it and holding onto your hands. “Baby, I don’t know why you are so hard on yourself.” He starts softly. “But I want you to know how I see you.” He knows self-image is just that, your image of your own self, he can’t change your mind for you. “I see you right now, and you are gorgeous.” He nods, smiling as he looks at you. “Generous, pillowy curves that make my mouth water and my cock ache.” Licking his lips, he continues. “I love the way you feel, the way you taste. I love your heart, your kindness. Your thoughtfulness. Your patience.” He stresses. “You are beautiful, inside and out and I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. You say cow, I say stunning, voluptuous goddess that I love.”

“I know that the voice in my head that says these things is intentionally hurting me.” Holding onto his hands like a lifeline, you end up squeezing his fingers in yours. “I’ve been in therapy for enough years to know that. It’s a skewed perspective. But there really are sometimes that I cannot shut it off. It’s like a train going off the tracks,” you explain, hoping he can follow the line of what you’re saying. “I can see the disaster ten feet ahead of me, but it’s too late to stop it. I know I’m going to go headfirst into the worst kind of hating myself, but I can’t stop it from happening.”

“I know what you mean.” He does. He’s seen the department shrink enough times to understand that. It’s like when he blames himself for circumstances beyond his control. “I’m never going to tell you that you are stupid, or dumb for thinking that way.” He promises you. “But I am going to disagree with you, tell you that you are wrong. Because there isn’t one thing about you that I would change.”

"Really?" There's a second where you're too afraid to look up at him, but you can feel Tim's eyes on you and so you raise your head in some kind of silent moment of obedience and it makes you decide to crack a smile and go for a joke. "Not even my broken brain?"

“Not even that.” He smiles at you. “Because I love you, all of you. The good and the negative.” He squeezes your hands gently, “Love you, baby.”

"I love you, too." You lean over to kiss him, half in disbelief that he didn't ask for his key back and walk out your door. "Thank you. For...for listening. And not thinking I'm crazy for overreacting."

He chuckles and leans down to kiss your hand. “Baby, I think you are crazy for putting up with me, not for how you feel.”

"You're amazing, and it's never putting up with you. I love spending time with you." The sigh that comes out of you is deep and long, but you feel better. The weight on your shoulders has lifted, if only for now, and you manage an honest smile. "We should get going, baby. You don't get to see the twins that often and I don't want you to miss a minute of it today."

“Okay.” He waits another moment, searching your eyes and then he pats your thigh gently. “Let’s go. I can quickly change.”

It's a fast enough trip to stop by his apartment on your way to his mother's house, and once he's swapped his work clothes for a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, he slides back into the car beside you and you're off to the races again. At this rate you'll be no more than five minutes late, and that is nothing at all.

Driving the familiar route home, he points out places he used to go as a child and then a teenager. Sharing glimpses into his life. Holding his hand in yours as he pulls up to the two-story house that he had been raised in. “I'm right here with you.” He promises, kissing your hand again. “And they will love you.”

"As long as you love me, I'm okay." That's the pep talk you were giving yourself on the way over, and you're feeling a little more settled after the glimpses into his past. You didn't grow up around here so you can't do any such tour for yourself, but it's nice to see a slightly different side of the town you've lived in for years.

“Are you ready?” He asks after he cuts the engine, turning towards you slightly. “Or do you need a minute?”

"Let's do it." If you sit in the car and procrastinate you'll only give the negative thoughts time to come back, so you lean over to kiss him and buck yourself up. "I'm good, baby. I promise."

“You are always good.” He tells you with a wink before he climbs out of the car and hustles around to open your door for you. Taking the dishes you had protected on the way over so you can get out.

There is plenty of noise coming from the backyard of the beautiful little brick house, and the sound of splashing is already obvious along with music playing and people chatting at various volumes. This is definitely a family party, and it seems like the family is already here.

"Uncle Tim!" The call comes up from the pool first, as his nephew catches sight of him first and waves. "Holy shit! Y'all, Uncle Tim actually left his desk!" The teenager teases with a cackling laugh.

“Yeah, yeah.” Tim rolls his eyes in good fun as he waves back. His hand immediately goes back to the small of your back and he slowly guides you forward. “Come on baby, we’ll put up the food inside and then come back out.”

"Holy shit Uncle Tim brought a girl!" A teenage girl's voice calls after you, with as much excitement as shock, and you're in the middle of a fit of giggles when he opens the sliding door to let you into the kitchen from the back porch. "So that's your nephew and niece, huh?" You snort, smothering the sound with one hand even as you try to stop laughing.

“Brats.” He huffs, his sour look simply for show. “You would think I was a ball-less hermit.” He snorts, setting the travel bag for your dishes down and then opens the fridge to see if there’s room.

"Language." His mother's warning tone is playful from around the corner, but she still means it. Foul language stays outside, it doesn't come inside her house. "Timothy Alan, don't make me send you outside if you're going to be vulgar."

“Me?” He points at himself as he exclaims. “They are being vulgar. And I’m the one in trouble?” His question doesn’t stop him from immediately moving around the corner to engulf his mother in a hug. “Hey Ma.” He kisses her cheek and urges her to come into the kitchen. “I brought my girlfriend.”

"They're outside and I can't hear it," his mother teases, blissfully aware of her arbitrary rules and the fact that nobody is actually in any trouble whatsoever. "Honey." She reaches out both hands to you after giving Tim a hug. "He's been hiding you from me knowing I'm gonna steal you away to have a cooking friend again. It is so good to meet you, sweetheart."

"It's really nice to meet you too, Mrs. Rockford." Even as she envelopes you in the same tight hug that Tim got, you look over her shoulder to shoot Tim a surprised expression.

Suzanne Rockford is far from a petite woman. She is sturdy, hearty. Obviously heavier and he has never told you that, honestly believing that it didn’t matter, but now he wonders if he should have. Maybe you would have been less self-conscious if you had known. He shoots you a smile and a half shrug. “Where’s Vanessa?” He asks, looking around for his sister.

"Upstairs, looking for god knows what in the attic? Unless she’s found it already, and then who knows." Suzanne waves one hand and pays that no mind. "Did Tim offer you a drink yet honey?" She asks you, giving you her absolute full attention. "We've got a whole bar out on the back porch, and the fridge under the car port has beer and soda. But I keep the wine in here." Apparently that is a conspiratorial secret, because she waggles her eyebrows at you. "Whatever you want, I'll grab you a cup."

"I'll grab a soda when we go back out," you promise her, not wanting to start drinking too early in the day. According to Tim, his mother's parties are a strictly all-day affair.

“Ma, she brought an apple crisp and a noodle dish. Vegan, for Zara to enjoy.” He tells her, beaming proudly. “Where do you want me to put them?”

"In the fridge, honey. There's room on the bottom shelf." She looks just as proud as he does, and she reaches out to squeeze your hand. "She's doing well with it, you know," she nods authoritatively. "Talked to her doctor about making sure she gets protein and all her vitamins. Doing some really creative cooking, that one. Once she's got her mind set on something, that's it. It's do or die." Suzanne smirks. "Gets that from her Dad."

“I tried some of that vegan cheese.” Tim tells his mom, shuddering slightly. “The sliced stuff is shit, but the shredded stuff actually melts pretty good.”

“What matters is that you tried.” Suzanne nods approvingly. “Have you two gotten to say hi yet?”

“Not yet, we wanted to get the food put up.” He explains, coming back over to kiss his mom’s cheek again. “I’m looking forward to seeing them. Texting when we get a chance sucks.”

“Go introduce everybody,” she encourages, shooting a smile your way before shooing him off. “There’s things to snack on out there already. Lunch in an hour, or whenever Ricky gets that grill going.”

“Yes ma’am.” He chuckles, knowing that Ricky will fight with the grill for at least ten minutes. He moves over to you and takes your hand. “Let’s go see the kids, baby.”

You let him usher you back out into the bright, late morning sun, and for the first time you get a good look at the backyard in its entirety. There are a lot of people here — more than a dozen for sure — and you can hear another car honk as it pulls up in front of the house. The mood is pure happiness and even a tinge of nostalgia, as people greet each other who haven’t seen each other in ages. The air of absolutely everything is positive, and you take a deep breath to bring some of that into you as well.

Tim sees the first one that he wants to introduce you to. “Vanessa!” He half cups his mouth with one hand to shout his sister’s name. “Get your ass over here!”

"Hi to you, too!" His younger sister rolls her eyes and kisses the woman she was talking to on the cheek before hustling across the lawn. She has a beer in her hand and sunglasses on top of her curls, and she has the same stout and strong figure as their mother but with a little bit more grace in her movements.

He lets go of your hand only so he can wrap his arms around his sister and hug her tight. Making her squeal when he squeezes too tight. “How have you been? It’s been a month or so.”

“Yeah, you’ve been busy.” She raises both her eyebrows at you, waggling them for comedic effect, and then promptly nudges her brother away so she can shake your outstretched hand.

“Sorry if I’ve kept him away from you,” you apologize, not ever wanting her to think that you were intentionally keeping Tim away from his family.

“Are you kidding me?” She laughs, giving your hand a squeeze. “It’s fantastic. I’ve barely seen him sulk in months.”

“I don’t sulk.” His lips immediately form a pout as he glares at his sister. “I was gonna be happy to introduce you to my girlfriend, now you can fuck off.” Even though he says that, he immediately tells her your name before pointing at her. “This is Vanessa, the pain in my ass all my childhood.”

"It's really nice to meet you." He's told you a lot about his sister and you already knew she was a ball buster, but meeting her now feels like a relief. They're close and it's fun to see Tim relaxed like this with his family. "Believe it or not he's actually only told me great things about you."

“Oh, I’m sure.” Her tone is sarcastic and she’s rolling her eyes, but her grin gives her away as she transfers her attention from her brother to you. “I’m a hugger.” She warns you before she pulls you in for a less formal greeting than a handshake.

"It's okay, I am too." It's a far sweeter welcome than you expected to get, both from his mom and his sister, and you let yourself squeeze her back just for a second before letting go. "I'm just really excited to meet everyone."

“I was so excited that Tim told Mom he was bringing you.” She tells you with a smirk at her brother. “It’s been forever since he’s introduced us to someone, and she who shall not be named isn’t exactly ‘fun’.” She confides.

"Oh?" Having been under the impression that his family had liked his ex while they were together, you tilt your head curiously. "Well, uh...we figured it was time," you offer with a shrug. "It's been more than a few months, ya know? And...and things have been really good. Tim is just—" You glance back at him and end up grinning. "He's really amazing."

“He’s a good guy.” As much shit as she gives him, she would be the first to defend her brother and she knows he is much the same way. Siblings in the sense that she can tease him but she’ll kick anyone else’s ass who does. “And he talks about you a lot, so I think he likes you.”

"You talk about me?" Yes, sure, he told you he loves you less than two hours ago, but you still soften in surprise hearing that.

“Oh he doesn’t shut up about you.” She insists, smirking wickedly at Tim who looks very interested in the top of his foot in his flip flops. “Asking if he should take you here, talking about your job. I feel like I know you.” She pats your arm. “He told me he didn’t want to fuck this up.”

"Did he tell you about the fundraiser he let me drag him to?" He's blushing and it's the cutest thing you've ever seen, so if you maybe pick out something to talk about that will make his cheeks turn an even deeper shade of red then that's entirely on purpose.

“Nooooooo.” Vanessa lights up and is nearly about to bust for information. “My brother? At a fundraiser?” She sounds positively scandalized, as if she could never imagine such a thing.

"The nonprofit I work for has dinner dances and black-tie events during the year." You explain, feeling Tim shift self-consciously next to you in the grass even though he's smiling. "He's actually been to two of them now."

“You got my brother to wear something other than those horrible dress pants and button ups?” She gasps. “I swear the ties were from Christmas when the twins were four.”

“We rented him a tuxedo for one event.” The admission brings a dramatic sigh from Tim but you lean over to put your arm around his waist and smile broadly. “You look good no matter what, honey.” Did you climb him like a tree that night because he looked extra good in the tux? Absolutely. But he still looks delicious in his t-shirt and shorts.

“I should just buy one.” Tim grumbles. He hadn’t liked wearing it, although realistically, it wasn’t much different from a regular suit. And you had enjoyed him in it. The sex had been extremely hot once he had gotten you back to your place. “Since you want me to go to those things.”

Vanessa’s eyebrows raise at the offer, and she smirks mercilessly. Hearing her big brother make any kind of comment that trends toward commitment is practically worth celebrating. “Ya know,” She giggles evilly and takes a sip of her beer. “I hear that’s even the kind of shit guys get married in.”

Tim nearly chokes in his own tongue, wishing he had decided to take the crime scene call that had come over the radio on the way here. Even a blood bath would have been preferable to the way his sister is probing for information. He just said he loves you, if he starts talking about marriage, you might think he’s gone nuts.

“Oookay, maybe let’s not pick a topic that makes him want to implode?” You try to joke, squeezing his arm gently, and stifle a laugh. That’s exactly the kind of thing you would expect from a little sister but you don’t want Tim to think you’re crazy the way the idea may or may not have already crossed your mind in daydreams from time to time.

“Jesus, Ness.” Tim huffs. “First time you meet her and you’re picking out our wedding colors?” He rolls his eyes. “Booked the church already?”

“Mom did.” Vanessa laughs, and you can’t quite tell if she’s kidding or not as she blows Tim a kiss and scampers off to keep her husband from blowing the place up while he’s on the grill.

“Oh dear God.” He rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “I’m sorry. I’ll—I’ll make sure Ma didn’t actually reserve the church.”

“Baby, baby—” You grab both of his hands and let a laugh burst through as you pull him closer. “She’s teasing. It’s okay. I’m sure your mom didn’t do anything like that and even if she did, who cares? It’s a funny story we’ll tell someone in the future.” Honestly? It makes you pretty fucking comfortable here knowing that his family is full of ball busters with good senses of humor. And that they’re okay enough with you to include you in those jokes.

“I wouldn’t put it past her.” He grumbles, although he’s leaning in to kiss your lips.

“Then it’s a really funny story we tell later on.” You promise him, happily taking that kiss that he offers you so easily. “I like that your sister is comfortable enough with me to tease.”

“They like you.” He points out with a grin. “Just like I told you they would.” He catches sight of the twins and lights up. “Come on, there they are.”

“This is going on the internet!” Tim’s twin girls are pulling out their phones as soon as they see their father, dramatically button smashing and pointing the devices at the two of you. “Red alert! Dad’s girlfriend is real! This is not a drill!”

“Hey!” Tim lunges forward, snatching for their phones playfully. “Don’t make me throw you in the pool!”

“You can’t.” They’re fraternal twins, and the taller one - Zara - reaches out to hug her dad first. “Your back couldn’t handle it if you tried.”

“I’d try.” He immediately wraps his arms around his firstborn daughter and hugs her tight to his chest. “Hey bug, how have you been?” He asks, kissing her head.

“I got a term paper kicking my ass, but I’m doing okay.” Zara shrugs. Her studies mean the world to her, next to her family, but she tries to stay realistic and avoid overreacting when school is difficult.

“She’s doing amazing, it’s annoying.” The slightly shorter of the twins has lighter hair and looks a bit more like their mother, but that hasn’t stopped Joey from growing up the opposite of Trina; well-adjusted and affectionate. “We need to ask you a favor, though,” she looks at both you and Tim seriously.

“What’s up?” Tim immediately frowns, sure that there is something wrong, something he needs to fix.

“We need you to throw Thanksgiving this year.” Both girls insist in unison, a habit leftover from childhood, before Joey continues to explain. “Gran said she wasn’t up to hosting on her own this year so Mom is trying to make us go to Derek’s parents’ house. But if we tell her you’re throwing Thanksgiving with your girlfriend we’ll be off the hook.” The idea that their grandmother doesn’t want to host anymore has been a bummer for everyone, but an even bigger bummer would be having to deal with their second step-dad’s snooty family.

“I—" he looks helpless towards you, hating that you’ve been put on the spot like this. Holidays haven’t even been discussed and he doesn’t know what you usually do. “Girls, look, even if—”

“No problem.” You cut in, knowing you might be overstepping a tiny bit but for the first favor you might be able to grant his kids, you’ll take that chance. “Even if your Dad gets tied up on a case, my house is big enough and I’m a pretty decent cook.” You do look to Zara though, knowing she can’t be too fond of the main event on Thanksgiving. “We’ll pick out some vegan things together, too.”

His oldest daughter immediately perks up at that idea. “Really?” She asks excitedly. “You wouldn’t mind? I know there’s like, a lot of negativity about vegans, some of them are real assholes.” She tells you. “But I just want to, you know, live pure. But I don’t blame people for eating meat, or if they can’t make me something.”

“I made a couple of things for today that are vegan, it’s really not a problem.” Her enthusiasm and her surprise at being accommodated just makes you want to reach out and hug her, but you look to her father instead. “Is this okay with you, hun? I mean my family’s Thanksgiving is clear across the country and it would be nice to…ya know…do something at home. Instead of being a pity invite at a coworker’s house.”

“What? Yeah.” He nods eagerly, both happy that the girls will be there and that you will be too. “Of course.” He looks over at the girls. “This year won’t be pizza because the turkey’s frozen.” He chuckles.

“Thank you.” Joey is the first to break the ice, reaching out to squeeze both of your shoulders. “Don’t get the wrong impression or anything, our Mom is great at some things, but hosting holidays is not one of them. Which is why it went to her mom for so long, and then whatever guy she’s married to, and—”

Zara practically elbows her sister in the ribs and smiles politely. “This is Joey,” she laughs, waving a hand at her sister. “She talks a lot when she’s nervous.”

“It’s okay.” With a wave of your own hand, you are offering both girls hugs if they want them. “I’m nervous, too. Your Dad loves the hell out of you girls and I’ve been really looking forward to meeting you.”

Zara and Joey both hug you, smiling happily while Tim looks on. He’s relieved that you seem to like the girls. And while it might be unusual that he’s just now introducing you to his twenty-year-old twins, he hadn’t wanted to force things too early. They had resented Derek’s intrusion into their lives when their mom had immediately started dating him, and he hadn’t wanted to make the same mistakes.

Getting to know Tim’s girls is fantastic. They’re good kids, smart as hell, and enthusiastic about their dad being happy again. So enthusiastic, in fact, that it’s easily an hour later when lunch is being announced that you manage to make your way back to his side after being stolen away. You’re at the food table with Zara while she scoops out a plate of your vegan peanut noodles when you give her a squeeze and tell her you’re going to go grab something to eat — and immediately drift away to Tim’s side as he brings over a plate of burgers and hot dogs to the other end of the table.

“Well hey there stranger,” you laugh, slipping one arm around his waist and sighing in relief at having the solid, comforting bulk of him back again.

“Hey.” He grins at you as he sets down the plate. “Sorry, had to rescue the day.” His brother-in-law had actually caught the grill on fire because he hadn’t cleaned it. Tim had taken over and been in charge of the food.

“My hero.” The grin on your face speaks volumes. “Some damn good kids you’ve got there, Rockford. They kept me well entertained, and we’ve got a whole menu worked out for Thanksgiving already.”

“Oh really?” He chuckles. “Has Zara convinced you to make me fry a Tofurkey?” He asks, knowing she might have tried.

“We’re going to do a dish of roasted cauliflower, mushrooms, and butternut squash to add to the table. She got excited about trying out a spice mix in them and said she’d love it for her main dish.” Hell, it sounded good to you as a meat eater, it didn’t surprise you that it sounded good to a vegan. “And she gave me some tips on using alternative milks and vegan butter in recipes so that more of the traditional dishes could be vegan friendly.” Honestly? None of it sounded difficult, and you’re thrilled to be able to do something for his kids. “No exaggeration. I’m looking forward to it.”

“That’s good.” The fact that you are accommodating his daughter is something that makes him fall a little more in love with you. Trina had complained bitterly when Zara had announced becoming vegan.

“I know you were worried when it came out of nowhere, but you don’t need to be.” In fact, after actually getting here and meeting everyone, you’re feeling more relaxed than you had thought possible. “And I—I just wanted to apologize for earlier,” you admit quietly. “Now that I know how nice everyone is, it…how I acted feels even more ridiculous.”

“So you don’t think that I’m going to realize anything more than I’m going home with a hot chick tonight?” He asks, leaning in and nudging his nose against yours.

"As long as you think so, that's all that matters." You don't have to see it, you remind yourself, as long as he does. What had your therapist said to you ages ago? 'You're just not your own type'.

“I absolutely think so.” He winks and leans back to leer at you. “Especially when you look that pretty in your sundress.”

"Oh yeah?" That look is all too familiar to you, and you bite back a grin. It's the same appraising look he had given you at the fundraiser before stealing you away from the party and back to his apartment, which was much closer to the venue than your house.

“Very pretty.” Tim grunts, moving behind you and pressing up against you at the table. “Good enough to eat.”

"Is that a promise?" He has that hungry look in his eyes that you can never resist and you try to school your expression into something innocent.

“Ah ah ahaaaaaa.” Vanessa tuts as she picks up a plate. “Not around the food.”

"Busted," you smirk, pulling Tim away from the table and heading toward the house as subtly as possible.

“You wanna?” Tim groans happily, his shuffled steps quickening behind you. He has zero qualms with having sex in this house, but he had expected you to demure.

“I always want you.” You murmur, practically rolling your eyes at him as you disappear into the house together. “Like absolutely always. It’s a constant state of existence, baby.”

“Yeah?” It surprises him how much you want him. Delights him, but surprises him. He watches you walk towards the stairs. “Last room on the left, baby.”

The upstairs hallway is littered with family photos of many generations, and you quickly look through them as you walk, until one makes you stop dead and “Aww!” out loud. Elementary age Tim in a little policeman’s uniform shares a double frame with a photo of the same man fifteen or twenty years later on the day he graduated from the Police Academy. “This might be the cutest goddamn thing I’ve ever seen,” you grin, pointing to the photos.

“Always knew I wanted to be a cop.” He feels his face burn and he shuffles slightly as he watches you examine the photos. “A little different now, don’t wear the uniform.”

“Nah, you don’t.” You grin up at him and hook your finger in his t-shirt to bring him down for a kiss. “I like the shoulder holster better anyway. Much sexier.”

“Sexier, huh?” He grins against your lips and leans in to press you against the wall. “Want me to wear it for you one day?”

“Maybe.” Your lips quirk against his in a way that absolutely means yes, and your hands wander up under his t-shirt to spread out over his muscles back. “Kinda curious how you would feel about interrogating me, actually…”

“Really?” He pulls back and arches a brow at you. “You want that? Maybe those handcuffs we were talking about? Giving you a pat down?”

The way you muffle a soft groan and briefly close your eyes should be plenty enough of a giveaway. “If I wasn’t wet before I certainly am now,” you grumble, enjoying the fantasy playing yet again in your mind.

“You concealing a weapon?” He asks gruffly, even though he is smiling. He won’t really roleplay with you right now, but you seem to love the idea.

“Maybe…” You can’t help but giggle, taking his hand that isn’t braced on the wall above your head and guiding it under the skirt of your sundress. “Guess you’re gonna have to find out.”

All he can feel is generous, warm flesh. Making him groan and his cock twitches against your hip. “When did you take your panties off?”

“I snuck inside about ten minutes ago.” Your soft little grin turns wicked. “I think I have a domesticity kink, cause I was enjoying watching you at the grill.”

“I’ll grill every night if you stop wearing panties.” He promises with a groan. “My sexy girl.”

“You wanna add another notch to that bedpost, baby?” The two of you are about three feet from the door to his childhood room and it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to get caught fucking in the hallway. Just for basic courtesy’s sake.

“Only notch that counts.” He promises, pulling away from you to drag you into the bedroom.

______

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[piratefishmama]

Fake it 'till you make it | Part 2

Steve went on his own. Dustin tried to call shotgun, tried saying he’d back Steve up cause his friend could be ‘jumpy’, but no. Steve had to do this on his own, because Dustin didn’t know. He could have told the little shrimp, he really could have, so far he’d come out to three people, and it’d gone surprisingly well, Robin not so surprising but his parents?

Damn. He’d have put his entire life savings on that going the other way.

The risk with Dustin, however, was his mother. Don’t get him wrong, Claudia was lovely, she always had a spot saved for him at the dinner table when his parents weren’t in town, she always greeted him with warmth and kindness, he didn’t have a single complaint about Claudia Henderson. He also unfortunately had no idea how she’d take a coming out if Dustin let it slip. The kid was talkative.

He couldn’t imagine no longer being able to see Dustin because his mother found out he wasn’t as straight as everyone thought. Couldn’t imagine the truth of life in a small rural ‘god fearing’ town, thrown in his face so cruelly, that people were small minded and based all their opinions on what everyone else was doing.

Especially when everyone else seemed to be following the bullshit the Church spewed.

Dustin would be safe, he trusted Dustin. But he simply couldn’t risk how talkative he was.

So he went on his own. Robin was working, he couldn’t kidnap Robin, Keith would kill them. Or at the very least dock their pay a little and glower. This, unfortunately, created one little problem that quickly presented itself when Steve found himself sat at a visible booth at Benny’s watching for anyone entering that door.

He didn’t know who Dustin’s ‘friend’ was, and Dustin’s friend didn’t know who he was, because Dustin had so wisely decided to not reveal that titbit of information over the phone.

All he knew, was that this friend was a guy and that he’d probably be there soon. So, disaster in the making, basically. He’d been there for five minutes, it’d been ten since the phone call, and so far three men had walked in.

All of them old older, it was early, Benny did early bird specials for the older folks in Hawkins, but he still looked up every time the door opened, looking for someone who might not belong, someone who stood out from the oldies, someone who—

Holy shit. Steve immediately ducked his head. Eddie Goddamn Munson. Eddie Munson in all his leather, chains, and curly haired glory walked in with his head on a swivel, eyes scanning the diner for someone who looked out of place, someone who’s identity he also wasn’t aware of. Steve could ditch.

He could ditch without hesitation, Eddie knew him, Steve could get the hell out of dodge, take the back door, and just run for the hills, suffer the inevitable cringe fest that was going to be the week away, take it like a champ. Maybe get a brief fling with someone he would never want to settle down with, or…

He peeked through his arms, Eddie was still looking, he was checking his watch, a little frown on his brow, what were the odds, honestly, that it was Eddie?

Knowing Dustin and his stupid DnD game? Pretty fuckin high that’s what the odds were. Eddie lived for that shit, it was a direct connection. He was going to kill that little snot. Maybe… if it didn’t work out. Because he wasn’t going to be a coward.

He was going to face his uncertainties like a badass. He was going to rise from his seat, and cross the very short distance, aaaand “Hey Munson, that you?” Be totally cool, completely ignore Benny’s curious eyes from behind his little judgement window, the window where he stood in the safety of his kitchen judging everyone who dared be weird in his diner.

“Not today Buckaroo, I’m busy” oh yeah he looked super busy.

“Cool, cool, super cool, you… come for the early bird specials often then?” Ohhhh he’d perfected the deadpan stare. He had that shit down. How did eyes that pretty so cut so deep? “Heh, sorry, look man I—I don’t mean any trouble, I was just—”

“M’not carrying shit, Harrington, the hell you want with that stuff this early anyway?” Stuff? Steve frowned a little, before visibly realising what Eddie was getting at, it looked like a genuine lightbulb went off behind his eyes. He knew because that little frown was broken by Eddie raising one eyebrow in curiosity.

“That’s not what I—shit, okay. Do over. Do you know Dustin? Dustin Henderson? Lil guy, bout yay high, curly hair, ridiculous meddler, no collar bones?” The frown was back, accompanied by the squinty eyes of suspicion. He knew Dustin, he had to know Dustin, it had to be Eddie, it had to be, nobody else had come in!

“I know the little shrimp, yeah, one of my little lost sheep, how do you know Dustin?” Holy shit it had to be him. Why else would the notoriously tardy Eddie Munson be up that early on a Sunday?

“Babysitting.” Eddie’s ever so expressive face seemed to slacken in surprise, Steve didn’t give him a chance to ask further as to why a rich guy like him had to babysit. He did it for free, he liked the little fuckers, explanation unnecessary. “You uh… wouldn’t happen to have uhm… gotten a call from him… about twenty minutes ago, would you?”

It took Eddie a minute. A little frown here, a squint there, a slight tilt of his body as he looked Steve up and down, not in a ‘you’re so hot oh my god’ way more in a ‘what the actual fuck’ kind of way.

Steve felt seen in the worst possible way, wanted to abort mission, just run away, that was a judgy bitch stare and he knew it, he’d COINED that stare, he was the master of it, and suddenly it was on him and he felt smaller than Dustin back in ‘83 with his baby squishy cheeks, and then— “Nope.” Eddie turned on his heel, ringed fingers waving in refusal, “nope, nope, nope—"

Steve should have let him go. Should have just chalked it up to Dustin having the worst friends ever outside of himself, Lucas, Will, Max, Jane, and maybe Mike. Maybe. On a semi-good day cause full good days didn’t exist with Mike.

But instead he was grabbing Eddie’s elbow and babbling “Wait-wait-wait, oh my god Eddie, please just wait, please” like some kind of moron. “You did right? It’s you?”

Eddie looked back and down at his own elbow, brows drawn tight in a frown, Steve let him go. Not out of fear just… slight intimidation. Eddie was scrappy! He was a biter and Steve didn’t wanna have to get a rabies shot.

“Fine, yeah I got a call, would have told him to shove his job up his ass if he’d have told me who it was for though, Steve.” Oof.

“Fair, that’s fair, can you just… maybe sit down and let me explain though? I’ll buy you breakfast!” Benny’s eyes hadn’t moved from them for the entire interaction, and he was feeling rightfully judged by it. Rich boy causing all that fuss and not one order of food. The audacity.

“Hmph, fine, but only because I haven’t had breakfast yet.” He pushed past Steve just to walk to the counter “Hey Benny! Can I get a full stack of pancakes and a hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows? On his tab.” Eddie motioned to Steve over his shoulder with his thumb

“Sure thing, kid. An what do you want, Harrington?”

“Uh… breakfast bagel, eggs sunny side up with a uh… another coffee please.” He’d already had breakfast, but he was a big dude! And Dustin always claimed Second Breakfast was like… an acceptable thing. “Thanks Benny” the tank of a man nodded his head and got to cooking without further word. “I was uh, sat over here” Steve motioned to the booth he’d been in, which Eddie seemed to mull over for a moment, before deciding he was going to sit in a completely different booth. “Alright.”

Power move. Steve could respect that. He sat down opposite him. “Talk, Harrington.”

“You… don’t wanna eat first?”

“I’m not sittin here in awkward silence with the King of Hawkins High, waiting for food when I could be hearing the details, eating, then bailing. The longer I’m here with you the more chance some asshole has of seeing me here with you. Now speak.” Ouch… but again, fair.

He’d been a shit in high school, older students had not gotten a free pass from it either. He was trying now though! Trying to be better. Robin helped, but she also fuelled his bitchy side way more than Carol and Tommy ever did. The kids helped the most, they humbled him. Brainy little fuckers.

“Right… okay. So. My parents have gotten it into their minds that I should be in some kind of long term relationship by now, so they’ve been throwing people at me, constantly, people I wouldn’t date even if you paid me to date them. There’s this thing coming up, a week away with them in a chalet, an I’m positive they’re going to bring someone to try and set me up with them, I’m certain of it, an I’d be stuck with this person for a whole damn week suffering.” It was an actual real fear, he couldn’t handle that, he’d simply evaporate, he’d perish, he’d spontaneously pop out of existence, poof, bye. “So… the job is basically to come with and pretend like we’re dating so they get off my back.”

“I think you’re missing a very important detail here, Steve.” Eddie tilted his head to the left, his smile almost cruel, Steve chose to ignore it. Eddie had his right to be defensive. “I’m a guy”

“Not important at all. They’ve been throwing men at me too.” Thank god Eddie wasn’t drinking anything because it’d have been all over the table.

He damn near choked on his own saliva, choking out a shocked “W-What?”

“I’m… I’m—” He looked around him, at the old people enjoying their meals, at Benny inconspicuously cooking behind his judgement window, risking glances through the open space every now and then to make sure his patrons weren’t causing shit or trying to dine and ditch. Old people were slow, but they could be crafty. Only when he was certain that nobody was listening, did he take a breath and let out “I’m… bi. Bisexual. And they know. But instead of being all ‘aaaaah get out of my hooouse’ they’re just… throwing guys at me instead, it’s torture. Painfully awkward torture I feel like I’m going to cringe myself to death.”

“You’re…”

“I know, I know, haha King Steve, secretly a freak of nature, a queer hiding in plain sight.” He’d heard the hatred spat at people like him, he’d been one of the people spitting hate once upon a time, before he’d grown, before he’d learned. Before he’d understood himself. It was terrifying, knowing how awful it could be if it got out “please don’t tell anyone okay? I’m… I’m putting a lot of faith in you here and that’s terrifying… I just… Dustin vouches for you… an I know you have every right to get back at me for Highschool but—”

“N-no… no I—I wouldn’t… I’d never. That’s… shit, Harrington, no… highschool shit? That shit is in a whole different category, I’ll get you back for that in some way but… not like that… never like that." He could breathe easily, even if Eddie vowed to get him back some other way, it wouldnt be that way. "So… what do you want me to do, freak em out? Go nuts? Sacrifice a chicken in the lounge? Shout a hail Satan prayer in the attic? Usually that does the trick to get parents to stop trying to set their kids up, more often than not gets em banned from dating entirely, give you a break—”

“W-What? No… no I—listen, my parents don’t stick around for long after these holidays, they’re usually gone within a couple of weeks on some business trip, dads off trying to restructure the company values or some shit to include people like me, which is cool cause he didn’t even know about me when he started that I—I didn’t know he was doing that… but that takes time, an mom’s going with him cause she doesn’t trust him to work out the legal shit on his own.” Benny chose that moment to venture to their table to place two mugs down on the surface, then silently returned to his task of plating food “I need to convince them that we’re dating… for real, and have them go off on their own believing that we’re still dating so they leave me alone… at least until they come back in god only knows how many months’ time and I can tell them we split up. Is… is that something you can do?”

Eddie took a long sip of his hot chocolate, a little splodge of cream lingering on the tip of his nose when he put the mug down that Steve almost reached over to wipe away, almost, so close. “…Usually I’m more of a freak em out kind of date, a one night done send em running for the hills kind of thing, you’re saying this is a week?” Eddie wiped his own nose clean, stuck the finger in his mouth. Steve chose to focus on his own mug.

“Mmhm, in a chalet in Canada for a week, all paid for, it’s basically a free holiday… that I’ll pay you for, whatever your usual rate is for this kind of thing, I’ll even double it… I just… I’m really hoping you say yes.”

Plates were finally delivered to the table by Benny with a friendly “eat up, boys” said in passing. Eddie drizzled syrup on his stack, then cut into it and shoved a whole layered chunk into his mouth in silence, clearly processing everything.

He chewed in silent thought, weighing the pros, the cons, the potential cash haul from such a job… the shit he might have to do… the lines they might have to cross, the revelations Steve might have about him… then remembered Steve claiming to be Bisexual and realising that part might not be all that scary.

What a wild Sunday.

“Alright…” he finally answered after swallowing his bite. “It’s fifty bucks a date though, Harrington, if I’m generous an switch that to a night to accomodate such a batshit scheme, doubled like you said is a hundred bucks per night, that’s—”

“Money’s not an issue.” Not for a Harrington. Even if he worked minimum wage, he’d get that money somehow.

“Well shit… Alright then, big guy. I guess i’m hired.”

Part 4

[its-in-the-woods]

Chapter 2 of down the rabbit hole

Chapter one here chap three

MDNI

Pairing: Walton Goggins x You

Rating: Not much for this, brief mention of SA, mention of alcohol.

Slow build like novel damn length okay, Very Fluffy, Pinch of Angst, Relationship Development, Hurt/Comfort, Older man/ Younger(30s) women, Alternative universe, fictional work (IDK WHY BUT I AM PUTTING IT) Probably more as I go.

Synopsis: Working in film as a make-up artist is hard enough, but then Walton Goggins requests you, well it's way too easy to fall down the rabbit hole.

Note: they are both single, all for fun.

WARNING I do not have this all written out, I do have it plotted out, but it may be a little slower for chapters to come out. Please bear with me. If you know a Beta to edit please send them to me.

*Before we get into things. Thank you 100x for all the love. It means the world to me*

Somehow four weeks have slipped by. As always, TV series runs like a machine on fire while driving through a snowstorm. Long days, and even longer nights. You wonder briefly why you chose a profession that meant you average four to five hours of sleep. But then Walton brings the whole trailer their favorite coffee and you just shrug the thought off. Working with the cast and crew was like being in one big dysfunctional family. One part hated each other, one part was fucking each other, and another part just held on for the ride. You liked to think you were in the last group, but sometimes when you caught Liz glowering at you, you wondered if maybe you were in the first group. 

“Why does she hate me?” You ask Trevor as you try to eat lunch. Fish wasn’t your first choice but it’s what they had had. 

“Who?” Trevor asks, munching on some strawberries, how the man ate as much as he did and remained tiny was amazing. 

“Liz.” You sigh moving your fork around the plate.

“Liz hates everyone, don’t take it personally.” He grabbed a couple more pieces of fruit. 

“Have you seen the way she looks at me? Like, why bring me onboard if she was just gonna avoid me like the plague?”

“She’s jealous of you.”

You turn and raise your eyebrows at him. “What are you talking about?”

Trevor lets out a snort and chomps down on some cheese. “Girl. Don’t play down your talents. You have worked your damn ass off to get here. One of the best makeup artists out there and Liz knows it. Why do you think Mr. Goggins likes you so much?”

You shrug and pick through your food, the fish was not sitting particularly well. “I am not better than anyone else.”

Trevor swats at you playfully, “Shut up. You can wrangle through asshole actors like no one else. You take zero shit from anyone and you get stuff done on time or before they are needed. You’ll be one of the most valued artists in town in no time.” He chuckles and pushes his own plate away. “Just make sure you bring me along with you.”

You grin back at him. Trevor had never jerked you around like most others. He was right, you did a good job and people appreciated your blatant lack of kiss assery. You fiddle with your fork for a moment before deciding that you had enough for the day. 

***

It was Thursday, which meant the week was almost over. The end was in sight and your bed was calling your name. You’d probably sleep the weekend away and indulge in some overpriced Chinese food. Your thoughts about sweet and sour pork are broken when someone announces they are coming in. Liz walks in and looks you up and down. Dear god, that woman has a chip on her shoulder. She went and pulled out a couple of empty totes. 

“It’s going to be you and Trevor tomorrow and the following week.” She says her lips pressed firmly together, as she talks she goes through drawers grabbing different products.  “Walton is here doing some scenes, Laura will also be here but she shouldn’t be on camera. If she is, I've emailed you notes and pictures.”

You nod, not bothering to look at her as you continue to wash your brushes. Liz continued to add to her bin.  “Sounds good.”

“Look, I know we haven’t been exactly- Friendly.” You turn to look at the woman, she is putting the lid on to the tote. Writing info on a sheet of paper on the top. “But, you do a good job. The director has been very happy with everything. “

“Thank you.” You reply, giving her a small smile. “I appreciate that Liz.”

Liz nods back at you and grabs the tote, waddling out the door. It’s probably the closest you’ve come to liking her. You sit there for a moment, taking in the compliment, maybe things are changing for the better. 

***

Friday is here, and you decided to bring some timbits to celebrate the end of the week. The usually bustling studio lot was quiet. Construction and Set Dec had busied themselves with various other needs. It was refreshing to have a little quiet. You had even been able to park your car right beside the trailer. As much as you loved the absolute chaos that was a film set, the calm was a nice balm. You knew that before long you would miss the chaos, and it would be back with vengeance. 

Laying things out you felt like you could breathe. You had put on some gothic country on the stero, something that only you and Trevor really enjoyed. Both of you had moved from rural areas to do your job. It was another reason why you enjoyed his company. Trevor had set himself up on the second workspace, the two of you spreading out a little while the boss was away. 

“Hello. Lady and gentleman,” Walton’s voice shrill as he came up the stairs. The man was a never-ending ball of energy. You were positive you could do a month of night shooting and he still would come in chipper as if it was his first day. 

“Hey Walt,” Trevor said with a grin, it was hard not to be happy around the man.

“Excited for the weekend?” You ask as you drape him with a cape, popping off his sunglasses and grabbing his other glasses off the counter. As he rereads some lines. 

“I sure am. It feels like it’s been an extra long week.” He sighed, rubbing at his hazel eyes before grabbing a timbit. “These things are delicious, I am going to steal the whole box..” 

You slap playfully at his hand.“Hey now! Make sure I get a few” He gives you a crooked smile and holds one up. You don’t hesitate to lean forward and let him feed it to you. He swallows and looks up at you, as the realization dawns on you as to what you just did. 

“Well-Umm- Next week doesn’t look to bad,” Trevor pipes, shooting you a look, his voice squeaking slightly.

“This is true, just the three of us enjoying a few short days,” Walton says, you are desperately trying to move past what just happened as you grab a moisturizer and apply it gently. His eyes follow you.

“I can certainly say I will enjoy not having to drive all over the place.” You reply, trying not to let your cheeks flush. Reminding yourself sternly that you were a professional and for Pete’s sake you’d been working together for over a month now. 

“You have the craziest eyes.” He whispers as the two of you look at each other. There is no way of hiding the fact your cheeks are burning. Trevor graciously comes over and starts to fuss with his hair. 

“Thank you,” You reply, words caught in your throat. Turning to start packing your set bag, anything to hide the fact that you were bright red. You look up to see Trevor raising his eyebrows at you. You look away and finish things up before sending Walton off to set.

“What was that?” Trevor drawled as he slid into the chair, the look on his face made you want to crawl under the counter. 

“What was what?” You try to dismiss things even if your face is on fire. What the hell had just happened?

“He just fed you a damn donut hole and you are blushing all over Goggins?” Trevor pushes fiddling with a comb, and you really want to throw something at him. 

You freeze a bit and look up at him in the mirror. “Don’t do that.” 

“Do what? See the fact that you two have been goggling over each other for the last four weeks. You just ate food out of his fingers. Wait what does he taste good?’

You do throw a powder puff at him. “You. You stop it. I don’t know what the hell I was doing. It just kind of happened.” 

Yes, you had noticed the little things, but really the man was friendly with everyone. He had always been touchy-feely, but maybe there had been more that you had missed, including eating food out of his fingers. You remember him kissing you on the cheek yesterday morning before leaving. But there couldn’t be anything there, there was nothing there you repeated to yourself. 

“Oh give me a break. He brings you coffee and touches, and kisses your cheek every day. The man has been fawning all over you.”

You bite your lip and turn to look at your colleague, ‘He does that with everyone, Trevor. He’s just friendly.”

You’re now madly stuffing stuff into your bag trying to get out of this newly warm trailer. Trevor snorts and puts his things into his bag. You wish he would drop it, but he was never good at leaving things alone. 

“You keep telling yourself that, sweetheart,” He giggles in an imitation Southern drawl. The two of you hop out of the trailer. You aren’t sure whether to smack him or hug him, either way, there is a job to be done. 

***

It was a textbook day, Walton had nailed almost everything. The man could act there was no doubt about that. The character was a belligerent drunk detective trying to solve a cold case. The script was dark, moody, and well horrible. You didn’t shy away from horror, but true crime always made your stomach flipflop. Your stomach also flipped as you watched Walton go from looking like he was gonna bite someone's head off, to all smiles and laughter. 

You, Trevor, and Walton are walking back to the trailer together. It was actually sunny out, a rare moment for the Pacific Northwest. Costumes had been busy with some extras so you decided to start with him and finish with the others. 

“So do you two have any plans for the weekend?” Walton asks, walking in between both of you.

“I think I might have a date on Saturday,” Trevor replied cheerfully. 

“Oooh and who's the lucky fella?” Walton sing-songed.

Trevor looked flush for a moment, “Decon, from props actually.”

Walton chuckles elbowing Trevor “Well that sounds like an excellent Saturday. Man is gonna have some fun.”

Trevor shakes their head and rolls his eyes “He better show or I am going to have to send you both after him”

Walton bares his teeth and growls, which send everyone into a fit of giggles. Decon be aware, there was a madman coming for you. You thought as you get to the trailer opening the door.

“And what about you, little lady,” Walton drawls, that damn southern accent creeping in. 

“Nothing special. Think sleep and Chinese food are calling my name.” You reply as everyone settles in. Really that would be the best way to end the weekend. 

“Oh, Chinese food sounds amazing.” Trevor pipes in, turning on some tunes. 

“Who needs sleep, it's not that important.” Walton chides as you get to work. “I was wondering if you both would like to come to a small bar not far from here. Transport can drive us there and back, a few of us are getting together for some drinks.”

You catch Trevor's gaze, a sly smile spreading across his face. “Oh, I would love that! Little get-together with our mess of a family.”

“What about you?” The lead asks, rubbing your arm. His hands are warm, you’re surprised to feel a few calluses on his fingers. 

“Oh. Yeah sure. That would be good.” You give a small smile, trying not to let your mind wander too far. If you were honest, the prospect of getting together with a bunch of coworkers was low on your want list. But the look on Trevor's face tells you that you aren't allowed to say no. Your stomach clenches as the memory of a wrap party gone wrong rumbles past your mind. You push that down. It had been almost seven years since that happened, these were different people. People you knew and trusted.

“Fantastic, I am excited to have you both there,” Walton exclaims before closing his eyes to let you finish your job. 

Once Walton is released to Costume, you and Trevor busy yourself with cleaning the trailer. Getting extras cleaned up and making sure everything is ready for the early morning come Monday. You can tell Trevor has been watching you but you can't make yourself say anything. Anxiety has pooled in your stomach like a cold stone and you are struggling to shake it.

“What's wrong?” Trevor asks bluntly sitting down in a free chair. You shake your head and keep your hands moving.

“Come on now. I've never seen you get this clammed up over an invitation to a party. To be fair I've actually never seen you go to a party–” Trevor’s words trail off realization washing over his face. “I know you like your peace, and quiet, but what is going on”

You collapse into the other chair with a deep sigh. Trying to find the words, you really didn't want to explain things too much. That said if there was anyone who'd understand it be Trevor.

“When I first got into the industry.” Your mouth feels so dry even at the thought of it. You grab your water bottle taking a swig.“I went to a wrap party. Got drunk and a guy from Sound took advantage of me. So I've never gone to one since.”

Trevor looks shocked, sadness creeping in at the words. “Hon.That is awful.”

“It happened almost a decade ago. It's fine. Just makes me nervous.” You let out a breath. You weren't going for sympathy, despite it being the worst night of your life, all you wanted was understanding.

Trevor comes over and gives you a big hug. You feel tears prickle in the corner of your eyes. As you let yourself sag against him. You were so thankful for this man, that he was understanding and seemed to care about you. 

“Honey, nothing like that is gonna happen to you tonight. We'll go together and enjoy ourselves. And if any man or woman tries to hurt you I will beat them with my handbag” Trevor reassures you with a small smile. You both chuckle at the last statement 

You sniffle a little, grabbing a tissue from the counter to dab at your eyes. “Thank you, Trevor”

He gives you a reassuring nod as you both get ready to go out. You were determined to make it a good night one way or another. 

Chapter three

Maybe.. maybe.. I will post the next chapter tomorrow cause I am too excited not to share it. Likes, comments, and reblogs are so greatly appreciated. Y'all keep this northern person happy.

[writingsofwesteros]

Social Media AU

Chapter 2

They left their family’s estate three days early, to drive up to St. Baelor’s and settle back into their dorms at school. It was not as if there was much keeping them at home even before the incident. That night when Viserys returned back to the estate, he scolded them all, and Nora stormed out of the room, her siblings following her, and angrily told Alicent she was going back to school before term was to start. Which was why the four Targaryen siblings were mostly alone on the private high school campus that any passerby would think was a mediaeval castle, but was simply where the elite of the elite sent their children to attend high school. All Targaryens had attended the school since it was erected- Aegon the Conqueror was one of its founding members, after all, when their family was a monarchical dynasty before it became a corporate one. Every Targaryen, Baratheon, Lannister and Tyrell attended, the richest of the rich, amongst others who strived to send their children to high school with the country’s future Presidents, politicians, and  businessmen.

The school was built in the rich countryside of the Reach, with a few towns surrounding it and the main city, Highgarden, was a ten minute drive. Helaena’s favourite spot was the huge gardens that surrounded the school and it was most of the reasons why she was late to class; Aegon being the other. 

“When’s Sienna coming down?” Aegon asked Nora as the four siblings were lounging around Nora and Helaena’s shared dorm. Helaena’s drawings scattered in a neat chaos that she was only aware of as Nora’s designer clothes were neatly hung or folded. Their personalities shine through with ease; both sisters exist peacefully. Nora tossed her phone on the dresser as she sat on Aemond’s lap. His hands instantly moved to rest on her hips. “In a few days.” Nora replied. Sienna Lannister lived just down the street, or rather, in the same vicinity of the Targaryen estate just outside the city. She had become a childhood friend of Nora and Hel’s since they were little ones, but she and Nora had a penitent for getting into trouble together as they got older. “Mother called,” Aemond told them. “To apologise for Father again.”  

Nora rolled her eyes. “If the old bastard wanted to apologise he’d do it himself.” She had long stopped giving her father excuses. “Nora,” Hel sighed. Alas, it seemed her sweet sister had not learnt that lesson. “What? It’s true.” Nora idly began to braid Aemond’s hair, his silver locks much straighter than Nora’s curlier ones. It was an act that would calm her brother down as much as it did for herself.  “Enough about him,” Aegon grumbled. “We’ve got the whole campus to ourselves for a few more days before everyone else starts coming down. We should do some fun shit before the semester starts.” “Aegon’s right,” Nora said. “I mean Aemond’s the only one who enjoys school itself, but- I just like being away from home and Father and his shit.” “Maybe that is a good idea,” Helaena agreed softly. “Nice,” Aegon grinned. “You three come up with some ideas,” He got up, and kissed Hel, then Nora. “I’m gonna go walk into town and get some food. They said the dining room won’t open until the semester starts, so.” 

Aegon walked the ancient stone halls of St. Baelor’s an hour later with takeout bags; after three calls to make sure he got Nora and Aemond’s picky orders at the Dornish takeout place right. Gods, they were so peculiar whereas Aegon would eat anything and everything. As he turned a corner Aegon spotted an unfamiliar girl walking through the girls’ dorm area. “You lost?” Aegon asked as he came up to her. She smiled nervously and shook her head. “Oh, no, I know where my dorm is- I just- I just wanted to look around a little.” She spoke with an accent, he noted- it sounded like somewhere in the Free Cities. She radiated a certain humility that was foreign to the girls that went to school here- even his own sisters, he had to admit, even though he loved them to death. “Are you new?” He asked curiously, setting the takeout bags on the bench in the hall. “Yea, I am, I- I just came up a few days early to kinda get used to the place. It’s just- It’s so huge,” She gushed and he couldn’t help but smile. “Yea, I guess. Never really noticed like that before,” He replied with a shrug. The castle hardly caused him to blink with the richness he had been surrounded by since birth.

“Gods, how could you not?” She looked up at the stone architecture on the ceilings. “It’s amazing, the stone carvings, the history in this building alone is crazy. Imagine just the history these walls have seen, the people who might’ve lived here, and made a life in a place like this-” “Sorry- I don’t mean to ramble,” She said shyly. “It’s just that I never thought I’d be here studying, and now I am.” 

“No, it’s fine. I have three sisters, believe me, I don’t mind,” He told her and she giggled. “Wow, three? Do they go here?” She asked, and he raised a brow. Did she really not even recognise him? “Uh, two of them do, yea- they’re here right now, actually. The other one’s at a different school down in Oldtown.” He looked at her for a sign of deception, even though admittedly Nora was way better at reading people than him. “Wow- that’s lovely,” She smiled. “I never had siblings- do you have any brothers?” She asked curiously. Shit, he thought- she really has no idea who he is.

“Yea, just one- he goes here too.” “It must be so amazing to have a big family,” She told him. He remembered the other night- Aemond and Jace fighting, their father shouting at them, Nora shoving her bags in the limo as they all got in to leave, their mother helplessly apologising for their father who never even told them goodbye. “My siblings are great,” He told her. “The rest- well, depends on the day, I guess.” She nodded. “Oh! I’m Charlotte, by the way.” She introduced herself. “Charlotte,” Her name felt right, on his tongue. Like he’d known it far longer. “Nice to meet you. I’m Aegon.” “Aegon,” She smiled, not a flicker of recognition behind her eyes upon hearing his name. “It’s really nice to meet you, Aegon.” 

“Where’s Aegon?” Nora asked Helaena when she got back to their dorm, tossing her coat onto her chair. “I think he and Charlie went down to the polo field,” Hel told her as she coloured in the picture of the caterpillar she sketched that morning after class. Nora flopped onto her sister’s bed beside her. “She’s taking up a ton of his time lately,” Nora commented dryly, and Helaena set down her sketch pad. “Nora,” Hel spoke gently. “She’s very nice, you know. You’d see it yourself if you didn’t scare her off every time.” She shrugged. “I don’t know her. I don’t know who her family is, where she comes from- how can she afford to come to a school like this? Why Aegon? Why not some other rich guy, Seven knows there are a ton on this campus.” Trust didn’t come easy to her, people had been trying to worm their way into their lives since they were children, to latch onto their family’s name, and money. 

“You jealous?” Hel gave her a small smile, and Nora fished through her bag for her pack of cigs. “It isn’t about jealousy, Hel, it’s about being careful- like, for example, that helpless social climber Cassandra Baratheon,” Nora huffs as she finds the cigarettes but not her lighter. “Nora,” Hel pouted a little. “You promised you’d stop smoking.” “I’ll smoke outside,” Her sister relented, as she left her sister with a quick peck. Though she wore the uniform, her styling of it showed not only her privilege and the influence she had, but her lack of care for the rules. The skirt was hemmed to be shorter, instead of sensible loafers she wore knee-high boots, her blazer discarded, and her white blouse was tied off at her abdomen, her tie loose around her neck. And she got away with it, because of her last name. Of course, many of the girls ditched their loafers for knee high boots within the first week of the term. But they didn’t always get away with it like she did. She found herself down by the greenhouse- she’d poached Aemond’s lighter when she bumped into him on his way to her and Hel’s room. Nora lit her cigarette as she watched in the distance people hanging out by the polo field, walking around campus since official classes were over for the day. She took a drag, and her moment of solitude was interrupted by a voice that, annoyingly, had become familiar. “Daenora?” She looked up to see Charlotte- Charlie, as Aegon had taken to calling her. She wore her uniform like an image out of the school’s rulebook. “Charlotte.” Nora barely glanced at her. “Shouldn’t you be busy with my brother?” She exhaled a puff of smoke. “Oh- Aegon’s got polo practice, so I thought I’d get some reading done.” Charlotte said, sitting beside Nora. “I-um, aren’t you scared of getting in trouble? With…you know,” She gestured to the cigarette in Nora’s hand. Nora chuckled and took another drag. “We both know I won’t.” Nora replied. “Aegon smokes too, you know,” Nora told her. “If that’s something that bothers you.” 

“Oh, I know,” Charlotte shifted beside her as they watched the polo field in the distance.”I just wouldn't like for you guys to get in trouble, that’s all-” “Why? I mean, we won’t- we both know that, even though you pretend you don’t know why- why do you care about people you don’t even know?” Nora asked, more harshly than she meant to. “Aegon’s my friend, and I- I know how much he cares about you guys-” Nora scoffed. “Honey please, you have no idea just how much. Do you really expect me to believe that you don’t have some underlying motive? This place is filled with a bunch of vapid, self serving social climbers.” “Nora-” “Don’t call me that. We hardly know each other- look, Aegon can be fucked up, but he’s also someone who loves deeply, and goes over the moon for people he cares about. He’s my brother, and I know that if you’re just using him for money, or to boost your status, it’ll hurt him. And I can’t stand people who hurt my siblings, okay?” Nora crushed her cigarette. “He might choose to see the best in people, but I’m a realist. And trust me, I’m really good at making people’s lives hell when they get on my bad side.” Nora stood and stalked off, leaving Charlotte sitting there, stunned, tears brimming in her eyes.

That night Nora was alone in her and Hel’s dorm, since she and Aemond went for a walk down to the gardens. She was flipping through the TV when Aegon burst through the door. “What the hell did you do?” He stormed over, and Nora sat up in her bed. “I don’t know what you’re-” “Don’t do that, Nora- I know you said something to Charlie. She won’t even talk to me, and she won’t tell me why.” Aegon folded his arms across his chest, his jaw clenched. “She came up to me, okay? Not my fault if-” “She was trying to be nice! Because ever since she and I became friends, you’ve been a bitch to her! But she knows how much you mean to me.” Aegon cut her off. Nora huffed and snapped, “Look, Aeg- you’re too trusting, okay? We don’t know her, and we both know that people love to latch onto our name. That girl could be using you as a step to climb, and you wouldn’t even know until she just abandoned you, or something! I’m trying to protect you!” 

“You didn’t even give her a chance! She’s not like the rest of vapid cunts in this place, Nora! She’s the first real friend I’ve had in a long time that didn’t like me because of money, or whatever.” The door opened, and Aemond and Helaena gauged the argument going on and Aemond murmured to Hel, “Come on, love- let’s go back to my dorm instead.” before shutting the door. 

“Apologise.” Aegon demanded. “No.” Nora replied stubbornly. “Dammit Nora- you’re being so fucking unreasonable right now-” “And you’re being naive!” She held her head high stubbornly, as was her way- it was equally her worst and best trait.  Aegon stormed out, slamming the door behind him without another word. It was best to leave before words were said that they didn’t mean.

Nora hated fighting with her siblings, but soon he’d see it was for his own good.

[oddballwriter]

My god I just finished reading all of your moon boys as dads blurbs and holy shit

I was hoping you would write a blurb/one-shot where Marc just can't help but compare fem! reader (they have 2 sons) and his mother, but the reader doesn't act the way his mom would and that is slowly but surely healing him. Maybe also where their younger boy gets hurt while playing with his brother and she calms their oldest by saying "It wasn't your fault, you didn't do it on purpose". Poor Marc would definitely start crying as soon as they're alone. Anyway, toodles!

Healing Wounds

Summary: Fatherhood was something that really healed Marc in a way that he couldn't imagine, and with that, situations are a lot less stress-inducing and let him enjoy finer moments with his family.

Warnings: Talk about Marc's trauma. Thoughts of self-doubt and being unable to let go of the past. Y/N and Marc (and the rest) being good parents. A whole lot of fluff at the end.  

Author’s Snip: We love letting our man heal his mental and emotional wounds.

I’ll shut up now. Enjoy! And don’t be afraid to request.

Word Count: 859

It was kind of funny. Of course, you and him end up having two sons. It just had to happen like that didn't it. It wasn't like he didn't want them. God, no. Marc would never trade his boys for anything and he knows that neither would you.

But it was always there in the back of his mind. The faintest overlay in his vision and memory to back when he was a kid and all of its awful moments. All the screaming, crying, pain, and moments and milestones that were stained no matter how much he tried to scrub the bad out.

With your first, Aaron, there was the dread of being a parent and doing it wrong. He didn't want to get any of it wrong but there was the dilemma of where exactly he was meant to be. Too much of a pushover then his son would be spoiled and never get the hang of life. Too strict and demanding then he'd just be her. And Marc would rather die than even be her in the slightest. It was a hard thing for him to balance in his own mind. Marc was gone for a while but you all knew that it was for him to reflect and gather himself. Marc very much still had some wounds that he needed to lick before he took that journey.

And he did great. All three of them did great in their own ways but Marc clearly felt more comfortable and secure with himself being a dad and also working with you. You knew deep down that you were a part of that security, that the image was mostly on you. And you made sure that Marc never saw her in you even once. It's not like you were planning too, of course. You couldn't even imagine doing such things, or how any mother could have the audacity.

But when Matthew, or Matty as you all call him, came along there was a new dilemma that brought on more thoughts that wouldn't leave him alone. But Marc knew that Aaron and you managed to heal those wounds, so he knew that this would heal up so much more. He just needed to believe in himself and you, and the process.

Marc had the usual talk that a parent would with a soon-to-be older sibling, the whole "Just because we're having another one and are giving them more attention doesn't mean we don't love you. They just need more attention because they're small". Aaron understood, matter of fact he seemed really excited to be an older brother. Marc took that and made it something to use for healing. You and him taught Aaron how to help take care of Matthew and how to hold him, letting him be a part of his baby brother's life.

Years went by and they both grew, you bought a house, Marc started feeling better, and everything felt perfect. Sure, there were some moments but they never really impacted anything. There was no fear, no nights spent laying awake worrying about something happening, no moments where the ghosts of a past long since passed showed up in his mind.

That was until one day when everything was seemingly normal. You were doing something, Marc wasn't really paying attention and also couldn't remember what he was doing either. The boys were playing in the backyard. But at some point, you both hear a scream and then a cry coming from the backyard.

Rushing out, you find Matthew sitting on the grass crying and holding his foot while Aaron is kneeling next to him and looks upset and panicked. You go and pick up Matthew while Aaron is repeating "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." and possibly about to cry himself. That's when it all gets Marc, and hard.

He feels overwhelmed by everything, but just before it gets too much he sees you try and settle your boys down. "What happened?" you asked Aaron calmly while holding Matthew who was sniffling into your shoulder. "We were playing soccer and he was going to get the ball in my goal so I tried to stop him, but I didn't know where his foot was so when I kicked he fell." Aaron explains as he starts to cry. You kneel down to his eye level, "Hey, it's okay, sweetie." you shush, "Was it an accident?" you ask. Aaron nods as he whips his tears. "Okay, then it wasn't your fault. You didn't mean to trip him." you say as you help him whip away his tears. "Are you okay, Matty?" you ask the smaller boy to which he nods.

"Alright. Then why don't we just hug it out and maybe sit down for a little or do something inside, yeah?" you suggest. The two boys immediately go in for the group hug, but you glance up at Marc, seeing him watch the whole thing, and gesture for him to join in. Marc, trying to hold back the water in his eyes, joins in. It lasts a few seconds but Marc can feel the situation healing up something again.

[stars-n-spice]

I have a lot of thoughts regarding the first three episodes that are bouncing around my brain and I'm going to try and wrangle them up here in this post-

They will probably not be coherent or in order of the episodes or what happened but they're thoughts-

Spoilers for TBB S3 under the cut!

Hemlock is such a dickwad, holy shit. What a great antagonist, kriffing hell. When he made threats to hurt Crosshair in response to Omega's disobedience?? FUCK.

Crosshair and Omega my beloveds,, they have my hearts, I love them so much

Crosshair's shaky hands. I can see the floodgates of all the angsty art and fics that are going to come out of that. IT AFFECTING HIS AIM??? Gods above- If we get a scene of someone holding his hands while they're shaking I'm going to lose it

I'm a fucking clown for thinking we'd get Crosshair's reaction to the news of Tech's death. Absolutely CLOWN. Like they didn't give us Echo's reaction to Fives, of course they wouldn't give us Crosshair's to Tech's

Speaking of Tech,,, I think I speak for a lot of us when I say that special trooper in all black is totally him,, right?? The scrawny ass legs?? The goggles on the helmet?? Fuck,, I even think I saw the guy limp away.. It HAS to be him

THEY HAVE A DOG NOW!!! That's so sweet :(

You guys do not understand the immediate reaction I had to seeing Omega older with the new hairstyle (which I love). Fucking burst out into tears at the sight

Nala Se is so dead. So dead. I've never seen a more deader alive character than Nala Se.

Also my hopes for Emerie helping them or turning out good or something went down the drain :(

OMEGA IS FORCE SENSITIVE??? like,, that's what they're implying right??? They wanna have DNA or whatever to make Palp clones yeah??? Is that were this is going??? FUCK.

On that note, if she IS force sensitive I really really really wanna see Asajj helping her out with that because I think that would be fucking NEAT

Omega making a Lula doll out of straw took me out :( I was holding my own Lula plushie and crying

Crosshair is such a little shit. I love how he was trying to dissuade Omega from escaping with him by saying shit like, "If I got the chance, I'd leave you behind" and the moment that Omega's like, "I've got a plan" he's like "What do I do?"

Them hijacking a whole squad's ship was fucking hilarious though, get fucked

"Tech had me memorize all the plans." - "Of course he did." <- bawling my eyes out.

SO DOES THIS MEAN WE HAVE TO WATCH OMEGA GET CAPTURED AGAIN?!?!

OK ONTO THE ADVENTURES OF HUNTER AND WRECKER

ECHO ALREADY FUCKING LEFT??? <- i knew we wouldn't get like,, a conversation or a reason,, it would just be he left off screen and we've got to deal with that

Echo my love come back :(

On another note,, Wrecker and Hunter's beat up armor is such a good look but also ouch because it shows all the shit they've been through since the last season

Y'all don't understand how great it is to see my man again (Wrecker ily so much)

SPEAKING OF MY MAN!! The little,, fucking touches of reassurance he kept giving Hunter?? How he was being a voice of reason?? making sure Hunter didn't do anything reckless?? :((

I know that man is tired and he's trying so hard to hold the last remaining bits of their squad together and it hurts so bad but I love him so much for it

Clone Cadets :(( they don't really look like clones though :/ but to be expected ig....

THEY'RE GONNA TAKE THEM TO PABU :((((

the lula and tech's goggle shots took me out

Hunter fumbling around with Tech's datapad :(((

Wrecker carrying Gonky upside down with the harness was fucking amazing, oh my god

"Defective AND effective" DAMN RIGHT YOU TELL HIM 여보!!!

'slither vines' fucking ass name

makes you wonder what else hemlock is cookin up

Wrecker laughing and talking with the clone cadets :(

GONKY TO THE RESCUE

Either next episode we're going to get Hunter & Wrecker back on Pabu or continuation of Omega and Crosshair crashing their ship somewhere and Omega potentially being captured again and Crosshair eventually being reunited with Hunter & Wrecker (pretty please)

Anyways,, thankfully the episodes weren't as devastating as I thought they would be but I know it's only going to get worse from here before it (hopefully) gets better.

[oh-surprise-its-me]

It's been a very BLAG Day *sits down*

Tell me about a normal day in Jamie & Roy's life. As chaotic or chill as you'd like 😉

Oh darling I hope I can make your day a little better

Time jumps ahead!

-

Jamie rolls over he sighs when his hand hits a thigh. “Don’t fucking tell me you’re answering emails already you freak.” There’s a snort up above him and a hand in his hair. “Hush. Go back to sleep for a while. Don’t gotta leave for another three hours.”

Jamie peels his eyes open. “Three hours? God Roy come back down here and sleep more then. That’s gotta mean it’s 4am.” He flings his arm up high enough to catch Roy’s chest hair. He pulls. Not hard but enough to make Roy know he’s not fucking around. “Ow you shit. Fine.”

Roy snaps the laptop closed and slides back down, Jamie kisses his nose and steals the glasses perched on his nose. “You’re cute.” Roy snaps his teeth at Jamie he slips the glasses off and shoves them onto the shelf in their headboard.

Jamie grins and tucks his head under Roy’s chin. They’ll sleep for at least another hour. Jamie might even be able to convince him into morning sex..

———

Jamie bounced into the coaches room. His hair is braided back into two tiny French braids. Phoebe will be happy to see that he’s gotten better again.

Beard rolls his eyes but smiles at Jamie. Roy glares up. Jamie doesn’t let it stop him. He shoves Roy’s chair back and sits in front of him. “Dinner out tonight? My surprise?”

Roy sighs but puts his hand on Jamie’s thigh. The most affectionate he’ll get in the room. ‘Professionalism and all that shit.’ He rubs his thumb up across Jamie’s thigh. Jamie grabs Roys hand and threads their fingers together.

“Just text me what you want to wear and I’ll wear black.” Beard snorts in his chair. Jamie pouts, he pulls Roy’s hand lightly. “Suit and tie? With color?” Roy sighs dramatically, Jamie knows his tells. He’s putting up a show.

Jamie leaps up off the desk and kisses Roy’s cheek. “Love you! See you later! Be home by 5 yeah?” Roy rolls his eyes. He squeezes the hand still being held. “Love you. I’ll do my best.”

————

That night Jamie is leaned in the bathroom washing his face. He feels arms wrap around his waist. He would smile if there wasn’t so much soap.

“Thank you. Tonight was nice. We needed that.”

Jamie spits out the bit of water that went into his mouth. He grins at Roy in the mirror. “Love you, love doing things with you.” He gets a kiss pressed to his neck. He reaches for the toner. “Love you too you know? Best thing that’s ever happened to me. Brilliant man that fell for me.”

Jamie spins in Roy’s arms he beams up at the older man, he goes on his toes to give him a kiss. His fool. “Same. You’re incredible.” Roy shoves his face into Jamie’s neck. It causes him to giggle. “Big growly teddy bear.” Roy snorts from where his face is. “My sunshine.”

Roy pulls at Jamie until he cuts his routine short with only moisturizer. He’s dragged back to bed and is shoved into it. He bounces when he lands. Roy lays flat on top of him, just like the weighted blanket Jamie sleeps with some nights. Jamie wraps his arms around Roy’s shoulders. Today was good. Easy. Most of their days are easy with each other. Jamie presses a kiss to the top of Roy’s head again before drifting off. He feels Roy kiss his collarbone and thinks about how good Roy is to him. That’s the last conscious thought of the night he has.

[redrydersrequiem]

Reunited chapter 1

Ok ive been reading ALOT of avatar fanfiction lately and i like many other am obsessed with miles Quartich. So heres a fic for him. Again this is just for my own sanity i think of stuff and i have to write them down or they’ll never leave my head. Love all yall who actually read this again everyone be kind none of this is prof’d. Also just warning for language and I am constantly adding stuff to these because I am always re-reading them and finding issues so again just hang in there with me I like to use gifs/videos and pics to make the story more theatrical in my mind

Updated this 5/2/23

Next chapter

Ok video log 230 My name is y/n y/l/n I was a Corporal for the RDA. I went to Pandora for one reason.

I needed the money

My only living relative, my aunt, was sick. Terminally sick and the regular military benefits were not working. That’s when the RDA swooped in and found me. A young former soldier with experience who needed financial backing, yeah, I see now I was an easy target for them. Anyway getting to Pandora I was placed on the one and only Colonel Miles Quaritchs team. Luckily or maybe not now that I look back I was strictly security for hell's gate. While the others did more field work I was dealing with perimeter checks,Hot headed soldiers fighting, Fixing up my team whenever they didn’t want to deal with the science quacks, and a shit ton of unnecessary paperwork. You know Basic duties, until I was assigned to start helping the scientists out more.

They wanted to start going back out into the forest more often and after watching the beauty of it from the window all the time, I was all for joining them. Even though I was a soldier it didn’t mean I was one of the inhumane jug heads like some. I had passions and loved nature and music, culture, literally devouring anything I could. Grace actually kind of liked me which is why I started spending a lot of time with them despite my unit's protests.

Now don’t get me wrong I loved my unit. After getting past some of their personal walls, all of them were amazing. Loyal to one another. Funny, goofy and everything in between. They were my family, the Lovable brothers and sisters I had never had albeit VERY rough around the edges. It's actually funny now how close i am to everyone and how protective they are over me cause when I first showed up they all almost laughed me out the door. All thinking i was just a young gun that wouldn’t amount to anything just their cute little doctor but after they saw me take down a drunk guy twice my size from another team with vicious savagery,during a night off for all of us, in heels might i add, they all started looking at me in a new light.

(Think something like this clip)

Once comfortable everyone really showed me their true colors.Lyle, as annoying as he was, was also very funny. Just straight up class clown behind closed doors. They are the kind of brother that just comes up to you randomly to mess with you for like a second and then runs away.( his intrusive thoughts when a lot) but he was always my go to to hang out with just cause he would make you forget about the stress of the job.

Zdinarsk was the annoying older sister, beautiful but playful, a piece of candy in every pocket she had, but always willing to share. She also likes to playfully pick on me all the time, but if someone else says something. God help them.

Mansks was more the silent but deadly brother. Always watching out for me, especially when I am out in the field. His eyes trained everywhere you just can’t see it from behind all those sunglasses he owns. He would back up z whenever they heard someone say shit about me, those people never came within my vicinity again. But he also had a softer side, like being an incredible cook. We all call him the grill master, and live for the days he decides he wants to cook. We eat well those days. Ja, brown and prager were like the three stooges together. Sometimes I honestly wondered if they all shared a brain cell. Lopez was cool. He would teach me a bunch of Spanish, mostly curse words but still would teach me. And anytime some music would come on he would be the one to dance with me.

Sorry I'm rambling. All in all I was very close to everyone in our squad of thirteen rowdy marines but it was my home. Now while the others were family Miles was much more.

As soon as I met the colonel I was enamored. It was hard to even describe why or how it happened. At first you think of him as just some hard ass old geezer who would never look twice at you and then you catch him helping his fellow members in tasks. Checking up on them like a dad almost. Learning how I liked my coffee so he can bring it to me in early meetings. While everyone simply thought of him as some hard ass to the book soldier, I thought of him as a trusted leader that has and will continue to bend over backwards to help the people he's loyal to.

Simply put I I fell in love

Despite his rough figure and reputation. I fell in love with him. With the warm smile he only showed when we were alone. With how he knew I loved the plants and things of pandora and would occasionally bring me non threatening flowers when he found them while in the field. How he actually would listen to me ramble to everyone about the stuff I had learned from grace without complaining or zoning out of the confirmation like the others.Stuff like that all garnered points in my heart towards my colonel It wasn’t until almost two years later when I confessed to Miles and to my absolute surprise he reciprocated. Even though he thought he was way too old for me I didn’t care. I had been surrounded by death my whole life so I quickly learned to seize any moment I could never know if that person would be there the next day. It wasn't until a year later that he proposed. That was the same year that Jake Sully arrived.

Jake Sully was granted access I would have killed for. To be an avatar.

Jake was cool, another fellow marine who even though he tried not to show it, was fascinated with the world of Pandora and everything he was learning. A strong and independent person that despite his personal and physical trauma was such a goof. Miles liked him, I could tell. He respected jake for not letting his physical issues take him out. He liked people who persevered through issues. So it was no surprise that Jake was working with grace and i but he was still under the command of Miles.

When Grace decided to take her norm, Max, Jake and others out to the old shack to work instead of hell's gate I was given the option to go with them. Unfortunately I couldn't stay all the time. I wanted to be with my family and closer to better medical help for the life that was now growing inside me.Grace understood that but I for sure could feel the divide that was happening between the two groups of people I found myself Entangled in especially as Jake got to know more and more about the omaticaya clan.

You see, I saw something on both sides. The RDA was all about money and with the way the economy and everything was back on earth money was a necessary evil. While I don't agree with what they were doing, I understood why. With grace, norm, and Jake I saw the beauty of pandora. How much different she was from our own planet that is now no more than dust and metal it feels but here in the plush forests of color it was amazing. I could understand why the natives were so protective over it, myself slowly joining them. A little while into Jake's expedition I even got to meet Neytiri.

She had shown up to the little shack at Jake's persistence to meet me,and norm and to reconnect with grace since she had known her from before. Jake was trying to show her that not all humans were bad, which I can’t say he fully succeeded on but she respected all of us. I mean she was definitely standoffish at first with me, but once she saw my pregnant belly I could see something in her shift. She asked me about human babies and if they were very different from Navi ones. And she asked me about our family’s and about nature and we even bonded over teasing Jake which I found great, much to his detriment. Neytiri was great honestly. She was beautiful and strong and when it all came down to it we found we had more in common than not. I truly started considering her a friend and her doing the same with me.

Unfortunately when I got later in my pregnancy I could no longer fly out to the old shack anymore Miles being a worry wart. Actually all of the team were worriers but I just took it in stride. I knew how much they all loved me and I was happy to stay put to give them peace of mind. The only thing I wish I could do was get them to all stop taking Parker’s orders. It was like we weren’t even soldiers anymore, more like Parker and the RDAs hunting dogs. Even though I tried every day to tell them that the RDA was wrong. I know they were all loyal to a fault but I thought that loyalty was to each other over the RDA. Some would listen to me and agree with some of the things i said but some would just shake their heads at me and tell me we have to do the best we can for our own before trying to change the subject. Hard headed soldiers every last one of them but none more so than miles. No matter how much i speak and i know he listens hes loyal to the rda almost to a fault.

But I didn’t have a lot of more time to try and convince him that the shit Parker was whispering in his ear was all bullshit. It was late evening right before the eclipse that my water broke. God was that fun. 13 hours of labor and my son is finally welcomed into the world. He was so small. Beautiful light blond hair on his head, and his fathers eyes. It was unfair how I carried him for 9 months and he came out looking just like his dad. Everyone was so excited about him though our little Miles Lyle l/n quartich

*(couldn't find if spider had a middle name so just went with they made Lyle his god dad and named him that)

I had just taken the baby to the nurses unit to get his one month evaluation. It’s nice to get out again after being on bed rest for the last month. Everyone’s been very hush hush about any missions and stuff that have happened recently and it's not until I saw Miles and the others in a lab with Parker, that my interest was peaked, since they all would rather die than come over to this section. Walking through the doors everyone went a little quiet. Like teeenagers trying not to be caught in a lie. That was red flag number two.

I see miles talking into a camera and ask what he’s doing. He sates my curiosity by telling me Parker is making the team catch up on their logs so that the RDA has a good view of what's been happening. I know he is lying to me and he’s lucky I'm tired from staying up with our son or I would call him on his bullshit but that will be a conversation for later. He pushed me off to go get some sleep while baby miles was at his check up and that daddy would pick him up and they would join us later and i agreed. Placing a kiss on his lips i make my way out of the lab and towards our shared courtiers

Unbeknownst to him I learned what they were really doing video logs for. After leaving the lab I heard other soldiers talking about how sick it was seeing that big tree go up in flames. And I froze in my spot. No, I couldn't have heard that right. After pulling rank on them they told me what happened and to say I was pissed was an understatement, then being told that the others were now going to attack the omaticaya clan. I was seething. I immediately called Jake and the others knowing grace would tell me what's been happening without sugar coating anything,but found that they were no longer there. That's not good at all. I quickly made my way to the research sector and try to find max or really anyone. Bursting in the labs side room i see max running around like a chicken without a head

“Max where are they whats going on”

“y/n. You shouldn’t be here”

“Max what’s happening the others aren't answering and i just learned Parker wants to declare all out war basically”

“I'm sorry y/n. You’ve missed a lot since you’ve been out with the baby.”

“Well quickly fill me the fuck in.”

Max quiets me and takes me over to a side office shutting the door securely behind us. That’s when he tells me what happened. Tells me how the RDA had attacked Hometree and were now trying to take over the Forest. How Jake and the others tried to help the Navi and were caught and labeled traitors. How he and Trudy helped them escape. Each piece of info was like a knife to my heart. Everything pierced through me, when I asked about what had happened to them All he could tell me is that Jake was trying to get all the clans together to stop the RDA and that the board had somehow been set with jake neytiri and the natives on one side and my love and family on the other being pawns for the rda.

There’s no way. There was no way the people who would come see me and my baby and gush every time they saw him would lie to me. There’s no way the man I loved would lie to me and tell me everything was fine. No I, it couldn't be. I couldn't be stopped as I ran from the room. Once back in my own quarters I empty my stomach in the toilet almost shaking from rage and disappointment when I hear miles come in.

“Mamas your boys are home” Miles comes into the bedroom seeing me sitting on the bed looking pissed.

“What’s wrong darlin.”

“Don’t call me that right now miles.”

“Darlin?”

“DONT.! I got to know miles where do you and the others get off lying to my face.”

“Whatcha talking about”

“I know miles I know about the attack on hometree. I know about Jake and the others I KNOW.” I say screaming. Little miles now crying as I storm over and take him from his father, lulling him back to sleep and putting him in his little room while his predecessor tries to figure out what to say to me.

“Darlin now.”

“No miles this is wrong. I thought we understood each other I thought we agreed that we”

“Well you thought wrong. Darlin. We are not here to make friends with the natives, we are here for the rock in the ground.”

“Fuck that rock miles fuck the RDA the Navi are people they have emotions they have families just like us what makes us so much better to them to do this. They did nothing to us beside try and protect their home the same we would if the roles are reversed”

“Darlin, I think you forget who you're talking to.”

“No, I know exactly who I'm talking to. I'm talking to the man I thought was the love of my life but with every word is slowly proving to me he’s just as bad as everyone originally said.

Miles just grits his teeth as I get in his face. Just because I had a baby did not mean I wasn’t still a soldier. And he was about to relearn that real quick.

“y/n this is the mission i knew i should have pulled you from hanging out with those scientists sooner i knew you were getting too mushy for that natives.”

“Mushy miles what the fuck.”

“ENOUGH! He yells silencing my rant. “At the end of the day i am Colonel Quartich, at the end of the day i'm doing my duty to the human race, and i will not compromise that for anyone.”

“I'm not anyone, I'm your fiancé, the mother of your child. Im”

“You're still a soldier. A soldier under the RDA. Now I think it's time you take a little bit to remember whose side you’re actually on. Our or the savages outside.”

“The only savage I see right now is all of you.” I say as I throw my ring at him before snatching up baby miles things and locking ourselves in the spare bedroom.

I don't see that Miles breathes heavily, clutching his head as he tries not to punch a hole in the wall. I don't see how he reaches down and picks up my ring and pockets it or how he leaves and locks me and the baby in our quarters with strict orders to make sure we are taken good care of. Making sure i stay there while the next mission is about to commence, cause he knows deep down he'll lose me if i go out there.

But like miles said i am a soldier and even though i just had a baby i was not about to let my lover fuck everything up.

It took me most of the next day to get out of the room. But once i finally wired the room door to open I was met with no one there thank god most being called to the front lines. I run to the lab to find Max and others still there trying to figure out what to do. I run over and grab max

“y/n what are you doing”

“Max i dont have time. I have to stop this.”

“y/n there’s nothing you can do now”

“No stop there is always time ok. I need you to help me though i need y’all to look after my baby”

“What y/n no”

“Max, I swear to eywa right now help me.!”

He just puts his hands up and relents one of the female scientists Abby comes over in all her goth glory and takes little miles from Mac promising she would help look after him. I trusted her, she had a good head on her soldiers and was constantly coming to see the baby. She called him her ray of sunshine in the lab. I kiss Miles' little head breathing him in as he smiles up at me, his beautiful little blue eyes the picture of his father.

“I love you my baby. And I pray we are reunited. But I have to go knock some sense into your papa first. Please take care of him.”

“We will y/n. We promise, go give them hell.”

All I can do is nod as I rush away. Leaving half my heart behind in hells gate as the other is lost in the forest. Take one of the new roving speeders and hustle to try and get to the shack its a god ways way but the pilot having my gun to his head helped speed thing along. That is until an arrow comes flying in disabling the copter hurtling us down. The landing was definitely rough and my pilot was dead but i was close enough I could make it on foot. I start rushing through the forest making my way when out of nowhere Dickson comes into my view

He was a fellow soldier. Was on the same transport as me when we first arrived on Pandora but like his last name implied he was a massive dick.Misogynistic, self absorbed, everything wrong with a guy he had wrapped up in a package.

“Well ill be damned the rumors where true”

“And what rumors would that be.”

“That you turned your back on the colonel and the others from some blue dick.” I just grimace at his stupid face waiting to see what move he would make

“I know quartich said not to harm you but if your turning ass and hanging with the tree fuckers then you deserve to die here and now.”

“Then do it you punk ass bitch.” I say before coming at the soldier with gusto. My life is on the line, my son's life. The life of my friends. I have everything to lose and I won't let some gung ho jackass soldier take it all away from me. I need to get to Jake and the others I got to get somewhere to stop miles. Gun shots ring out as I ditch my gun to rush Dickerson. My knife meeting his chest multiple times effectively ending his existence. So long to bad rubbish

I don’t even look back, It wasn’t until I was finally speeding to the old shack that I felt the burning in my side. Shit. I yell out. I have nothing to stop the large hole in my side but I can’t let that stop me now. I'm almost there. I almost have everything I need in the palm of my hands. I know seeing me will stop miles I know I could get him to stand down.

Finally getting to the old shack I see Miles and Jake are going at it, both not backing down from the situation at hand. All I can do is clutch my side trying to stop the bleeding caused from that bitchs gun. I finally get into the clearing yelling out to the both of them.

“MILES, JAKE PLEASE STOP”

They both look over toward me seeing me stumble into the clearing. Jake is all done up in his warrior garb war paint on his face. He has a couple of cuts and nicks all over him. Miles wasn’t any better i dont know what happened to his amp suit but it now had no glass protection. Just miles with a exo mask over his face. The face that briefly looked upon me with worry and anxiety before his colonel mask came back up.

“Y/n get out of here it is not save”

“You don't speak to her sully”. Miles turns slightly to me still keeping jake in his peripheral vision

“Darlin what are you doing here you should be hooded up somewhere with the baby

“This needs to stop, Miles, this is wrong. You know that

“Darlin, I don't have the time to argue with you right now. I have to make sure this deserter piece off trash gets what’s coming to him

“Miles please, he just ignores me turning back to jake fully

“Jake i don't know how you and those scientists took here away from me but ill make sure you regret it

“Miles, listen to me please Jake has nothing to do with this. This is me please, I say trying to stumble further in front of jake. Him trying to reach out to me being shot back by the amp suit taking a giant step.

“Miles don't do this, let's just walk away please. We have little miles we have each other, everyone else that is left from our squad we can all stand down and go be real people, we can all be at peace with the Navi and have our own family. We don't need to fight.

“Darlin i know you aren’t telling me to turn my back on humanity

“No im telling you to choose your family and the people that matter over orders fro people who give two fucks if you lived or died today. Im begging you miles

I see his eyes cloud over with indecision. But I also saw Neytiri. I hadn’t noticed her before, preoccupied with my own wound and trying to save my family.

“Darlin you're right I.” “Neytiri NO.”

But everything is too late. Her arrows pierce through the air just as her battle cry does. All finding their target in my fiancés chest, as he and his suit go crashing into the pandorian forest floor

“NO!!!!!” I scream fumbling over to Miles exo suit.

“NO NO NO no come on miles please please please.”

He is still awake choking on the blood now filling his lungs. His eyes come over to me and he tries to lift his hand to cradle my face

“Miles please no”

“I'm sorry darlin”

“No don't be sorry I'm sorry please don't leave me. I love you so much. Please”

‘Darlin i love you tell miles I love him to”

“No you have to live to tell him yourself please.”

All i can do is clutch his hand against my face praying to whoever i can to save him. But it does nothing as the light leaves his eyes

“y/n”. I hear jake say behind me Gently coming up to me

“y/n”?

“No, leave us alone.”

“y/n come on it's not safe out here”

“It’s too late Jake please.”

Jake doesn’t listen to me and comes up kneeling next to me. Placing his giant blue hand on my shoulder I finally turned into him, letting him envelope me in the hug I oh so needed. Momentarily forgetting I was bleeding out and my love just died in my arms

“y/n I'm so sorry” he says but as he comes up to pull me away and look at me does he notice the blood now staining his hand “Shit y/n are you hit?.” he starts looking over me seeing the gaping wound in my stomach. He gently sits me to lie back on the ground trying to find something around us he can stop the bleeding with.

“Yeah one of those bitchs shot me.”

“It’s ok y/n will get you cleaned up ok Neytiri.” He yells but I just put my hand on his face to bring his attention back to me.

“Jake, I need you to do something for me ok.

“What y/n no you’ll be fine.”

Jake please i'm a soldier i know when a wound is bad. Neytiri please just stop. Neytiri now joins her mate next to me. She looks over me with a sad look in her eyes her ears pinned down almost guiltily but I didn’t blame her

I'm sorry, tiri i'm sorry for everything that has happened to you because of humans but I must ask you. Ask you both a few more favors.

I want you to take care of miles. He's just a baby. He's not his father, he's not me, he's the perfect mix of both. He will be a wonderful human, I know it in my heart. Please don't let him suffer. Please

“We will y/n i swear.” neytiri says next to me, taking my other hand in hers, placing it against her cheek.

I have something else to ask jake. Please give these to miles too.” I hand Jake my dog tags with my ring on them as well as quartichs tags with his.

Please tell him his father wasn’t a monster. He was just lost, and I failed to lead him out. Please

“We will y/n I promise”,

“Tell him I'm sorry I couldn't stay with him but I know he will be better off on Pandora instead of earth.”

They both just nod to me, tears filling their eyes. My body has long since gone cold and I know my time is near.

“My final request for you is to bury us both somewhere nice.

What? Jake asks solumely

“Yeah somewhere beautiful, somewhere in the sun together, maybe then we will be together in the next life.” They both promise me and watch as the rain begins to drop slowly the light finally leaves me and they both just look down in shame and saddens neytiri hugging my small body to her saying prayers to eywa for mine and miles soul. How could she refuse her friend's wishes? She may have not agreed with who her friend's love was but love was sacred. Her and jake would follow the women’s wishes

After the fighting was over Jake, Neytiri and the other avatars and people that had known followed my wishes. Neytiri draped me in a beautiful fabric covered with flowers. Miles was given the same treatment given a warriors garb. Both of us positioned next to each other for the rest of eternity. The omaticaya tell stories of the butcher of the hometree and how he wasn’t evil, just misguided and how it takes those around you to help each other find the right way. The story is really becoming an essential teaching lesson for all children. Miles or spider as he likes to go by now grows alongside the other sully children. Jake and Neytiri really stepped up to be parents to him along with the others who were allowed to stay alongside the Navi after the humans' mass exit. He was definitely wild but very much loved. He knew who his birth parents were and he learned how much they had loved him. Every year he and the others all go out to the grave site to pay their respects.

Everything is perfect for 16 years until one night more stars than usual fill the pandorian night sky.

[theshotsheardacrossworlds]

FFXIV Write: Free Day

After the events of 7.0, Agi embarks on another adventure---visiting the island her birth parents came from. SFW.

“Excuse me, I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of someone who can give me information on my birth parents.”

It was a sentence the Warrior of Light never thought she would utter.

And yet, here’s me and Agi on this bloody little island halfway between Limsa and Sharlayan, looking for anyone who knew Kay Aldis and Brant Longsong.

The young highlander gentleman at the dock grinned. “You’ll be wantin’ to speak to Kireon at the pub. The Glistening Mermaid, over there. You can’t miss it.”

Good gods, that lad talks fast. The Glistening Mermaid. Over there. Can’t miss it.

Agnes smiled gratefully. “Thank you so much, ser. Have a lovely day.” She laced her fingers through her husband’s and squeezed his hand. She’s nervous. The children are with Luci. Agi only wanted me with her for this little mission we’re on. “Kireon.” She muttered under her breath. “How do you do, Master Kireon? My name is—”

He squeezed her hand as they approached The Glistening Mermaid. “Agi, you’re going to do great. Be calm, my love.”

Ever since the contest and its aftermath in Tural, Agi felt herself wondering about her birth parents more…and trying to find where they came from. That bloody receptionist…I mean, Tataru, offered her “services” and against my advice, Agi went with Tataru to the orphanage where she was born and was given her original birth certificate.

With the name of an island for Kay Aldis’s birthplace.

And after speaking to that lalafell pirate who was mates with her birth father, we confirmed it’s where they’re from.

But then Agi felt guilty. She cried. A lot. Luci cried. A lot.

“Agi, just go!”

That’s what ended it. Thanks Luci.

And now we’re here…

His wife took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before she opened the door to the pub. Nice pub. Clean.

There was a young woman behind the bar who smiled at the couple. “Good afternoon! I’m Jana. What can I do you for?”

Agnes swallowed nervously. “My name is Agnes Varlineau, and I was told there was a Kireon I could speak to. He might have information about my birth parents, who were apparently from here.”

Jana raised an eyebrow. “Their names?”

“Brant Longsong and Kay Aldis. Granted, they left here well over thirty summers ago—”

There was a sudden clatter from the kitchen.

Oh.

So perhaps this Kireon did know them.

“Did you say Kay Aldis and Brant Longsong?” An older highlander man came barreling out of the kitchen. He slowly walked towards the couple and held out his hand. “I’m Kireon Aldis, Kay’s pa.”

Halone’s big fat frozen tits.

The Warrior of Light’s mouth hung open and keeps opening and closing like a fish. “I…I…It’s very nice to meet you, Master Kireon.” She finally managed to say breathlessly, shaking his hand.

Then the older highlander pulled her into a hug and began to sob.

Agi being Agi, she hugged him right back and is comforting him.

A few moments later, Kireon pulled away and wiped his brown like Agi’s eyes. “Sorry, sorry. I never in a million years would’ve…” He smiled and gestured towards Agnes. “Navigator take me, you look just like them.” His eyes then widened. “Shittin’ hells, please sit! Sit! Do you need anything to drink? Eat? Anything at all?” Kireon rushed to pull chairs out for the couple. “Anything?”

After assuring Kireon Aldis that they did not, in fact, need anything, the three sat down. Let them talk and figure things out.

Agnes smiled. “I’m not sure where to start. I’m assuming you know that Brant and Kay are long dead.”

“I assumed so after all this time.” He explained. “Kay’s ma passed when she was a babe, and I…” Kireon closed his eyes and took a breath. “I was drinkin’ then. Not now, but then I was a mess. Mrs. Agi, Brant’s gran, took her in when she was six.” MRS. AGI!?!?!? ARE YOU SHITTING ME?!?!? “Said I could visit, which I did regularly, but I wasn’t…I wasn’t a good pa to her.” When he opened his eyes, he shook his head. “I regret many things. That’s at the top of the list.”

Agnes listened thoughtfully and nodded. “So, she and Brant grew up together?”

Kireon hummed. “Aye. Sweethearts they were. I remember when Kay told me they were leavin’ for Limsa. ‘We’re goin’ to make something of ourselves, Pa. You’ll see.’ I told her…I told they could always come back. No shame in it. But a part of me knew they wouldn’t. Not with Mrs. Agi gone.”

“She passed before they left?”

“Yes. Old age.” Brown eyes met brown eyes. “How’d they die?”

Shit.

With all the kindness of a healer who’s had to do this too many times, Agnes calmly and gracefully explained the deaths of her birth parents to Kireon. Horrible ways to go for both---Brant tempered by Leviathan and mercy killed by his own crewmates; Kay dying from blood loss during childbirth. I pray they’re at peace.

“And you?” the older man whispered to Agnes. “You said you were born at an orphanage?”

She blinked. “Yes. Yes, I was. When I was two and a half moons old, I was adopted by my parents and grew up in Costa del Sol in eastern La Noscea.”

That seemed to please the older man as he smiled. “Good. Folks here are close to the sea and respect it.” He glanced at Estinien. “And you’re her husband?”

“Aye.”

This is about him and Agi, not me.

Agnes reached under the table to take Estinien’s hand. “Let’s see…I grew up in La Noscea and then when I was eleven, I began my training with the Conjurers Guild…”

Estinien Varlineau was not shocked that he, his wife, and my grandfather-in-law chatted for bells. He was shocked when she asked where Agnes Longsong was buried. When we walked to her grave, she told me to wait.

“I need to do this myself, love.”

And so he waited, smiling softly at his wife paying respects to her namesake.

From one Mrs. Agi to another.

[octahedral-chaos]

Alright, let me start with Creulty, Mercy and Fate.

These three lived in a World when their Creator was just starting out. They all were personifications of something, but they didn’t know what. Anyway, shit happened and it caused Cruelty to go AWOL and be the Villain. Years passed and Mercy brought them all back together again. By this point Mercy and Fate were married, and Cruelty still hates Fate. More time passed and more shit happened. Cruelty was the first and last to die. Soon the other two ascended, alive. Mercy had a field day yelling at their sibling and spouse. Scolding them for their long held grudge like a parent scolding children. Even if Cruelty was older than Mercy.

Diamond (Dia) Wynter’s story takes place when Cruelty’s Creator died a second time and took in the title of Queen Regent. By this point in time the Queen Regent is considered dead but still wanted by the Archive. A criminal. Anyway, Dia is the product of three fandoms based in Minecraft with more sprinkled in. She ties a whole lot of lore together and I mean A LOT. Anyway she is as tall as a baby zombie, and she only has one parent. She’s born of a Rebirth Nexus. Time travel and chaos is a daily thing with her family. And she is more of a catalyst for character arcs, she does have her own, but it happens off screen somewhere in the six book story. (If you want to know more ask me, I broke my friend trying to explain everything.)

Valorant █████████ ███████████’s story takes place after Dia’s. By this point the Creator has been revived and goes by a new title. The Queen Eternal. And the Queen Eternal, is insane. Valorant is very aware of the Queen Eternal, and that she herself is a fractured part of the Queen Eternal. Anyway, Valorant is dealing with anger issues and help lead a revolution while trying not to blow everything up to kingdom come. She is also born by Rebirth Nexus.

By the time Valorant’s story ends, Cruelty, Dia and Valorant are somehow teleported into the World of the Archive. They were summoned by the Archive itself to hunt down the Mad Queen of Eternal and put a stop to her. The Queen Eternal has been shutting down the Archive too much and causing general chaos. The Queen Eternal has been banned from any major Domains (fandoms), so she’s been bidding her time in smaller Domains (fandoms). They don’t know what she’s planning. But one things for sure. They need to get the Queen Eternal back to sane. When the Queen Eternal first entered the Archive, she died in the real world. Most Creators end up in a sub space where they can view timelines of other Worlds. Or make a new timeline via Divergence. This place is called the Archive. Accessible through life and death. But then it started to shut down. A Creator by the name of Tori was responsible for that. Soon Guardians of the Archive started ti hunt her down. She died before they could catch her. And then Dia’s story happened, then Valorant’s. It is hypothesized that the Queen Eternal went insane was because her first World she made, not diverged, caused her remaining soul to fracture and break after it collapsed. Becoming individual beings. Beings that became Cruelty, Dia and Valorant. Eventually, the Queen Eternal became Tori again.

Fractured still, but whole. Sane.

After that, the events of When Stars Fall happened.

(pls ask questions, they help)

Holy cow! This is intriguing!

So Valorant is basically a shard of a god? And the Archive are basically the entire collection of Fandoms? That's really cool!

[storiesofsvu]

it's thursday bitches

spoilers under the cut

Okay, I was organizing fic and writing shit for the first two hours so I couldn’t live react BUT:

That ep of Mothership was phenomenal. Good job team.

Barely paid attention to Toronto, I can’t get on board yet.

Now it’s SVU time.

“happy hunting” ewww… puke in my mouth, that’s disgusting.

Girl WHAT THE FUCK. I don’t care if you JUST met someone at a hostel that night, you don’t fucking leave them alone in a bar when they’re visibly really drunk and with two guys all over her, come on.

Okay, I’m starting a Velasco line tally: 1

OOOO a full scene! Look at our boy go!

Okay yeah he is finally getting some screen time

These boy may not be the actual perps in this situation, but there is no doubting they’re pieces of shit.

This is gonna be one of those cases with the last minute twist that the other girl is the actual perp, right? That’s why there’s no dna?

I don’t like this squad. I understand rollins not coming back/kelli not wanting to come back (hello, she just had a baby, and would you want to go back to a workplace you were fired from full time?) but I will forever be salty about them getting rid of muncy and churlish, they FIT with the squad, they worked through their issues and worked well together. It was refreshing to have the younger generation coming in and being mentored by liv, fin and Bruno. I like the fbi girl, she’s a great actress, but the vibe isn’t the same.

Ohhhh I forgot about the other guy from the beginning lol

Okay but I DO love three powerful older women interrogating pathetic young twenty something boys

LOOOL and this dynamic of good cop bad cop between Bruno and joe?! LOVE IT.

Bruno is fucking killing me rn, this is hilarious. Prime television.

The fact that there is still another hour of television after this? I’m TIRED. And like..grey’s starts soon too so that’s gonna fuck me up.

This episode has fully sold me on wanting Bruno to destroy me. Sir. Pls.

Something that fell into your lap?! Liv…baby… you wanted to take in every abandoned kid at svu over the past 25 years. You were the mom calvin deserved, you wanted to adopt, you have ALWAYS wanted kids/to be a mother, its been part of her character arc literally the entire time the show was on air. Yes, technically noah kinda fell into her lap, but the way it was addressed here did not seem right lol.

Okay, that episode was actually super good compared to the last few weeks!

Don’t trust this captain at ALL. but like, I don’t think we’re supposed to LOL.

“I don’t know… im not his mother.. thank GOD” lol… we love Jet.

I miss bell…is she gonna pop up at some point? We need her sass/banter

The fact that she went out to do this super nice thing by replacing the flowers for jet cause she let her stay with her and THAT’S when she was attacked. Fuck this. Ugh.

The fact that they’re going through so much effort to block the face/voice of this killer means that we know who they are already, right?

BUT also… if the captain hadn’t called jet specifically to get Elliot to his fucking iab appointment she would have been home and able to protect the girl… so like… im still super sus of her

All of these crusty old white men all look alike and I cannot tell the difference between them. Is it the cap’s dad? Brother? Husband? Random poker night connection?

DIVORCE???!!!! I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.

…okay but now they could be together somewhere down the road? Like.. they really did bomb us with that ship so I haven’t had time to decide if I like it or not but we’ll see how things go.

Okay so the brother AND the dad are both in on it? Maybe the cap isn’t actually sus and will be blindsided?

Meh, that ep wasn’t that good tonight tbh but two outta our aint bad!

[partyanimal167]

The Informant PT 5- Miguel x F!Reader

Jumping right in~

Part One Prev Chap

CW: fem reader, mdni, author knows some Spanish, some action, non-descriptive violence, Afro-Caribbean reader in mind, cussing

The alarm bells were ringing. Miguel had a gut feeling that was telling him things needed to be done now.

The knocking on the door persisted, and Miguel knew that he couldn't ignore it any longer. He had gotten home late after patrolling a couple boroughs, and he just needed to stay in bed. He had the day off. The Peters were holding down the fort with anomalies decreasing for the time being. If Miguel didn't take this time to rest now, he'd regret it later.

But the banging continued.

So he grumbled as he climbed out of bed, put on a shirt with his eyes closed, and meandered over to the door--barely awake.

A splash of water was a rude awakening that did the trick.

Miguel immediately wiped his face and peered down to see the small older woman glaring up at him. Now he was confused.

"Miss Pat-,"

"Where's deh girl?" she huffed out. The plastic cup in her hand crushed easily and trembled. Her chest rose and dropped quickly; fumes were nearly visible from her head.

"What-,"

"Raul nah see her, and me know she was with you." her voice trembled a bit. "She hasn't been home in three days." lips quivered, and it was hard to tell if the older woman wanted to cry or kill.

Miguel immediately stiffened at the news. The two of you had been going back and forth texting, so there wasn't anything that had caught him off guard. However, the old woman wouldn't be here if it wasn't true.

"I don't know." Miguel almost didn't want to say it. The woman's face immediately fell, and tears ran down her face.

"She a smart gyal. She know too much, but she mean well." her head dropped. "God please bring her back to me."

...

Miguel immediately threw on his suit and searched for footage of any and ever place that could be Kingpin's hideouts. He had some he knew about, but he couldn't waste time. Who knew what was happening to you? He wanted to be quick, so involving the other Spiders would take too much time in his opinion.

He switched over to city surveillance near your job and caught a black SUV at the edge of a frame. He could barely make out the license plate, but its position near an alley was suspicious. He changed the cameras and watched as identical cars split off and went in varying directions. You had to be in one of them; he knew it.

Three locations all distant from one another. But all utilized either by Kingpin or Alcehmax in some way.

It took him a couple hours, and luck was not on his side. Each building was filled with odd boxes and machinery or hidden labs, but Miguel didn't care. He had Lyla send those locations to HQ and kept going until he was at the third place--an old warehouse yard. He webbed his way inside one and hung from the ceiling to find a bloody scene with an empty chair in the middle. His heart immediately sunk. There was no way that Kingpin would do that to you. His heart rate increased, and he was ready to tear the place to shreds when he noticed two men walking up the stairs with takeout bags.

"I don't understand why the boss is treating this broad so nicely. I say we rough her up and get her talking." one goon grumbled on. He was immediately added to Miguel's shit list.

They went up the final set. "She stubborn and smart. No need to do all that extra work."

"Yeah, but the boss isn't always so patient. Time is running out."

~~~

You sat stiff and pretty as the man across from you filled your glass with wine. There was a restaurant-quality meal laid out between with white tablecloth and candle to complete. Kingpin ate enthusiastically--easily going back and forth between bites of food and his drink.

"Please, eat. There's nothing wrong with the food." he gestured in front of you. "You saw me unpack the food. I didn't do anything to it."

You didn't move. "That doesn't mean your men didn't."

Kingpin tensed for a second. "Then they would be going against my orders."

Wouldn't be the first time. "Maybe they're getting inpatient."

"Well, let them. I know how to work with people. And while things can be...unsavory, it's not how I like to handle my business." He wiped his face with a linen napkin and sighed. "So, still have no idea how to get in contact with your friend?"

"Not a clue."

Kingpin grunted and stood up. The chair groaned as it scrapped against the floor. He made his way to his desk. "Dear, I know you have family wondering where you are. I wouldn't want people causing some racket." he took a seat before pulling out a cigar. "But then again, people go missing all the time--running away."

"My family knows I wouldn't do that." you argued through gritted teeth.

"Wouldn't take much convincing. I mean, you've been in the city all your life. Got you a degree, but you're over helping the old woman. Maybe you got fed up, ran off with a boyfriend and got a new job." the large man made a show shaking his hands. The sound rumbled through the room "Rid yourself of those responsibilities. Easy, no?"

You didn't say a word.

"But then again, those islanders can be stubborn. Tch, well it wouldn't take much to get your grandmother to come. She-,"

"Don't you dare!" you barked out while jumping to your feet. "You leave them out of this. Do whatever you want with me, but bring them here, and I'll make sure you regret it!"

The Kingpin stared at you for a moment before starting a fit of laughter. "Ooof, watch it girlie. For a moment, I would have taken that threat seriously." his face quickly tightened up, and the air grew tense. "And we wouldn't want to see how I handle those."

You gulped before returning to your seat. To be honest, you were still trying to find a way to run out of here. The warehouse you were in was too deep in the yard to get far before they realized you were gone. Kingpin spent the day working with you in his office, and if he wasn't there, there was definitely someone making sure you stayed put.

You were stuck, and your stubbornness was soon going to start more problems for you.

...

"Wake up. Come on hermosa, wake up. It's time to go."

The whispers made you gasp out of your sleep as your eyes snapped open, and you looked up to see Spider-Man towering over your sleeping form--the dim lighting casting a halo around his body.

You tensed as you sat up. "Shit! What are you doing here!?" you whisper-yelled.

Spider-Man tilted his head. "That is not normally how people react when being rescued." he took your hand for you to stand, but you pushed it away. "What is wrong with you?"

"You need to go! Kingpin is looking for you. If he comes-,"

"Don't worry. We can leave now. I took care of those guards outside. We can-,"

The room lights came on, and you both turned to see the boss man filling the doorframe with a smirk on his face. "Spider-Man, so glad you came by. Though I will say these aren't my normal business hours."

You two stared with large eyes. "Run!" you agreed in unison.

Spider-Man chucked a office chair at the villain then the ceiling before pulling you towards him and webbing you both through the broken glass.

"Hold on!"

He ran on the roof before launching off and webbing to the next building. You screamed as you guys dropped before reeling back up. You were certain you were nearly choking the man with your arms wrapped around his neck, but you couldn't be bothered.

The sound of a car screeching caught your attention. You lifted your head and saw the blacked out SUV following you guys. Fuck! The sunroof opened, and Kingpin stood through it with a gun pointed out. Double fuck! "Uh...we have trouble!"

Spider-Man turned back and cussed. "Lyla!"

"What?"

"Not you, Lyla!" you saw a flash of light before a hologram of a woman appeared on the hero's other shoulder.

The woman perked up when she saw you. "Oh you got her back! That's great! Hi, I'm Lyla." she waved.

"Yeah, fantastic! We need help!" the hologram turned around and gasped. "Oh wow, an angry Kingpin--not fun. I'll send your location. Jessica and Peter 24 should be close by." a stream of bullets passed by you two. "Ooof, we're gonna need an army."

"Lyla, this is serious!" Spider-Man yelled back. "We need to get out of here!"

"Okay, okay jeez." she paused for a moment as if thinking. "Turn left! You're almost out of the yard, just scale the building. The police are already on their way."

"Thank you."

There was a pause in bullets which was a relief until you looked up again and groaned. "Uh miss hologram lady, do you know what that thing he's holding is?"

Lyla turned. "That- appears to be some sort of military grenade weapon. It's used to deliver electric shocks to vast areas. Very dangerous and good for dealing with large units of soldiers."

"What!" Spider-Man called out. "Direct it to the watch!"

The sphere was thrown passed where you guys swung by. It landed on the ground before pulsing and seemingly making the ground bounce. Spider-Man groaned as he had grabbed a rusted crane just as the shock carried on.

"Spider-Man!" you gasped as you felt only a quick shock.

"I'm fine! We're almost there."

He swung out of the yard, and you could saw the high-rise quickly coming closer. Police cars rushed by to the entrance of the yard, and you saw Kingpin's vehicle swerve away.

You sighed in relief, before gasping when you felt skin under your hands before the feeling of fabric return. What the heck?

Soon, there was a strong pull, and you squeaked in the air before being caught in Spider-Man's arms. You two were on top of the building by the spherical mass damper. You jumped to your feet panting hard and trying to catch your breath. "Oh my god, that was crazy! What the hell is wrong with that man?" you rested your hands on your knees and inhaled deeply. "Well at least, he's not following us, right Spider-Man?" you looked back at the man and gasped seeing him sitting against the wall while groaning.

You rushed over and noted how both red and bright blue static popped and cracked sporadically on his body. He was definitely in pain. "Spider-Man! Hologram lady! What happened?"

The woman appeared from the shocked watched and groaned. "It's -Ly-a, he- suit- too much of- shock." she was glitching and fading in certain spots. "Help- soon. Suit- messed-"

You took note of the random patches of skin that appeared and reappeared. There were bruised and nearly burned marks. The hero groaned and rolled his head down.

You caught it and held his cheeks tenderly in your cheeks. You tried to stay calm. "Fuck, it's okay, Spider-Man! Help is coming! Or I can call the ambulance. But fuck, how are they going to get up here?" more static red flashes appeared as fabric came in and out of existence. "Don't worry. It'll be okay! We'll-," you paused your frantic rant when you felt skin beneath your palms instead of fabric.

You looked down and gasped. Brown-red eyes were half-lidded as they fought to stay open and looked at your own.

"Miguel!?"

~~~

Whew! We're saved! (Kinda)

But what else do we have to deal with now? We shall figure it out together! Thanks so much for reading~

Next Part

[forthedancingandthethriving]

"SHIT!" Cookie curses, looking around. "Ugh, that idiot! Doesn't he know what 'stay here' means?!"

Completely ignoring the fact that Bit was only made hours ago, she has her spider legs retract. 6 of her eyes close and disappear, making her seem relatively normal. She pokes her head out of the alleyway before exhaling.

She was going to be looking all day, wasn't she?

The Admin rubbed her temples as she went over what had happened thus far;

She kidnapped Juliano three days ago.

She kidnapped Domain and Forum two days ago.

Spent yesterday setting up the code to bring back her beloved Byte.

Activated it today, but messed up big time, resulting in Bit.

Bit was now missing, and there was a high chance of him being found out.

"Son of a bitch." she curses, quickening her pace. "God, why is Juliano so useless? Useless excuse of a prototype. How can you call yourself the first Avatar when you have such shitty code?"

Cookie shakes her head as she continues to walk, crossing her arms.

She soon stops at the entrance of a showgrounds. Her eyes narrow as a thought strikes her. She walks in, easily weaving through the countless NPCs.

"Once clown, always a clown." she sneers to herself, pushing through the crowd. Soon, she reaches the main area, and her eyes spot Bit immediately. He was talking to..

Oh. Oh no.

He was talking to the manifestation of this universe's Guardians. She could recognize a manifestation code anywhere.

Cookie gnaws on her bottom lip, stepping back as she thought. She had to be very careful about this. No doubt she would be noticed as an Admin, but would the Code know that who she was?

She taps her foot against the ground, listening for anything.

"..and my grandma Emmy.. she hasn't been feeling the best either."

Her eyes widen. Emmy? Who was that?

"Oh? What's happened to her?"

Cookie hesitates before slowly walking forward, weaving through NPCs.

"Domain and Forum.. they were her older brothers, even if they weren't related. They were all she had for 12 years.. and she only only revealed herself to us a few months ago. So for her to lose them so suddenly, just like that.. right after we lost Juliano.."

"I see. I hope she manages to pull through."

Cookie winces. Oh wow. Now she really had to be careful. If she was found out, she'd have whoever this 'Emmy' was after her and-

Wait a minute.

Emmy.

Cookie hastily pulls up a command back and starts scrolling. Could Emmy be a nickname for..? No, no no no. Oh no.

The Admin feels fear grip her as the realization hits.

Emmy was Emulator. The Anamoly that was referred to in logs she had accessed. Apparently, she was the SM64 universe and had come to life upon the activation process.

"I'm so fucked if I'm found out." she whispers.

Shaking her head, she closes the command box. She looks up to see Bit approaching her, but the manifestation of Code was nowhere to be seen.

"Why didn't you stay in the alleyway?" she hisses once he's close.

"I thought you meant to stay in the universe." Bit replies.

"Oh for-! Whatever! Come on." Cookie grabs his wrist, and the two vanish from thin air.

○●○

As Bit sat down on the ground, messing with his still flattened and penny sized hat, Cookie scrolled through her command box.

She had gone through a great deal of trouble collecting all of Byte's memory banks, but she had a majority of them. Not all of them, unfortunately, but all the ones that were important!

"If he can't be brought back, then why are all his memory banks backed up?" she snarks quietly, glancing back at Bit. She shakes her head before opening another command box to access Bit and-

"I am dead! Not big surprise."

She watches with wide eyes as the command box explodes, particles going to the ground.

She pulls up another.

"My main goal is to blow up!"

"When the hell were voice features added?!" Cookie stares as the command box explodes again.

Bit watches with raised eyebrows as she continues to pull up more command boxes to access Bit's code, but it always ends the same. With the command box saying a phrase and then just exploding.

"Ugh! I don't have time for this!" Cookie shouts. She grips the first command box before it disappears.

A new portal opens, and she glares at Bit. "Stay here!" she orders. "I'll be back soon."

With that, she goes through it and it closes behind her, leaving Bit all alone.

He didn't know why.. but he didn't like the silence.

[7fragment]

Future Sight

Everyone has moments that change their whole life. Watersheds. You usually can’t see them until they’re gone and you realize there’s no way back to where you were before. Full tilt on a free-fall to the fate waiting below the fog. Being prescient can help with that a bit. Not that dreams and gut-feelings were incredibly useful most times. But when I had a dream about a purple-eyed woman wielding an honest to God sword, well, I wasn’t going to pass up the chance to see that.

In typical human fashion, I didn’t realize my curiosity might really get me killed this time until it was far too late. The McDonald’s smelled like grease and coffee. I was in line between a mountain of a man who probably weighed three-hundred pounds, none of it muscle, and a middle-aged woman toting around a sulky pre-teen girl and her little brother, who was clutching a green frog backpack like it was made of gold. The fat man rolled up to the counter to order and I realized I was next. I tried to think back to the dream I’d had the night before, but that particular piece of it was too blurry. Sometimes that meant it wasn’t important, other times it just meant my vision had crapped out.

I ordered fries and a milkshake, chocolate, and went to sit at the second table back by the window. That part I remembered. I had that certain sense of familiarity when i set my food down,confirming my hazy memories. I sat with my back to the window, even though I really wanted to watch and see the purple-eyed woman who should be coming in soon walk up. She was the reason I’d come out here, I didn’t usually eat McDonald’s, even though they had really good fries.

The longer I waited, the more complicated a knot my stomach made. I couldn’t tell if the feeling was a premonition or just me being nervous. It wasn’t every day a possible Fey wanted to talk to me, psychic or not. I did kind of wish I’d brought my knife. I carried silver, because there was a lot of other greebly shit out there that would like to take a bite out of me and almost all of it didn’t like silver, but Fae weren’t bothered by it. A normal steel knife would make them think twice though—it was too close to iron to be comfortable. I was probably— hopefully— just being paranoid. Usually if I had a dream about something truly dangerous I had an idea of it. Feelings stuck better than more concrete things in my dreams, and the taste of terror especially almost always lingered like the bite of too much spice.

An older man holding an umbrella like a cane walked in, looking way too upscale for McDonald’s with his dark suit and styled hair. He glanced at me, and we made eye contact for half a second. I felt the very familiar tug of my dream and looked back towards the door. Sure enough, the purple-eyed woman walked in. I swallowed back nerves and a few butterflies. The eyes had been the only thing I clearly remembered from the dream, but there was no discordant jang of wrong in the leather jacket that hugged her curves, or the flat dyed-black hair tumbling out from under a leather cap. With all the black her milky skin looked deathly pale, and those purple eyes stood out like living gemstones. She looked at me as if she knew I was watching her, waiting for her, walked right over and sat down. This had gone beyond the scope of my dream, but at least now I didn’t have to worry about finding a way to approach her.

“You seem more normal than I expected.” The purple-eyed woman said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I replied, my curiosity dented by irritation.

“Normally when I have a dream about someone they’re not so obviously human.” The woman said, reaching across the table and taking one of my remaining French fries.

I pulled the red carton away,“Only friends get to steal my food.” I said, closing my mouth before I could add that being all mysterious and sexy didn’t count. The woman shrugged, a cocksure grin on her face. She leaned back in the cheap metal chair, lounging like it was a lay-z-boy.

“So, isn’t this the part where you try to threaten me or something?” She said, raising an eyebrow.

“Does that sort of thing happen a lot?”

“That’s usually how it goes when I have a Dream.” The woman said, her eyes darkening a little as she leaned forward. “Why should you be any different?”

“Funny, I came here because of a Dream too.” I said it with the same implied capital D she did,although I didn’t usually think of them like that. I had them too often to put that level of significance on it. Usually it was stupid, little stuff, like a scrap of a normal day. So maybe last night could have been a Dream.

“What do you mean?” “I had a dream about this.” I waved my hand. “Well, up to the point where you sat down.”

“Really?” The woman reached over and took another french fry. “Now that is interesting.” She looked at me for a long few seconds. It felt like she was seeing something more than just me, but I couldn’t pin down what. “Was there anything else?”

“Uh,” I hesitated, not particularly comfortable talking about the second part of my dream in public. Especially not with the perpetrator. “Well, you had this big-ass sword and were…fighting…something. Somewhere else, I think.”

“Obviously.” The woman smirked, “I didn’t bring my sword today.”

“What else did you see?” I asked, curious.

“Nothing much.” The woman said with a shrug. She took another fry and I gave up, pushing what was left of the carton to the other side of the small table. “Oh, I did give you this.” She half stood up to reach into her jeans pocket, working to get something out. It had to be small, her jeans had been tight, showing off a dancer’s or athlete’s legs. I held out my hand, and she dropped a very old looking coin into my palm. I turned it over. It looked like dingy copper. There were odd symbols on both sides, different ones on each.

“What is it?”

“Heck if I know.” The woman said. “I found it ages ago and for some reason hung onto it until now. Apparently to give it to you.”

“Huh.” I examined the coin closer, but couldn’t make out anything significant.

“Well,” The woman stood up, “I’ll probably see you again, if you know about my sword.” She waved and walked out. Screw that. I hadn’t even gotten a name. I stood up to follow her.

“Really? That’s it?” I demanded as we left the restaurant. “Just give me this stupid thing and leave?”

“Sounds about right.” The woman said. When she glanced back at me, her eyes were cold.“What were you expecting?”

“I dunno, a name at least.” I’d had this woman in my head all day, and I didn’t think that was going to change now.

“Most people call me Eve.” She said. It fit, in a biblical sort of way. I could definitely see this woman playing as seductress.

“I’m Alex.” I said, desperately trying to think of a way to keep the conversation going. It was kind of hard to concentrate on something so practical when Eve was looking at me like she wanted to eat me. Knowing some of the things out there, that might be literal. Somehow it was still hot. Scary, but hot. She cocked her hip, a slow smile curling her lips.

“Well, Alex, if you’re so interested, you might want to brush up on your combat skills.”

“I prefer to think of them as saving my ass skills, and they’ve kept me in one piece so far.” I said,trying not to be insulted that she assumed I was helpless. Most people these days were, especially against more than mundane threats.

“Oh?”

“If you want my life story you’re going to have to buy me dinner or something first.” I said,surprised it came out without any stammering. I didn’t have a whole lot of practice asking people out. Usually I was the one being asked out.

“I can work with that.” Eve said, producing a sharpie from somewhere. I didn’t see her reach for a pocket at all. Maybe she’d had it up her sleeve. Or maybe making things appear was another of her abilities. She stepped towards me, just a breath of air between us, and grabbed my hand. She smelled like a dark forest at night with a touch of frost. She scribbled her phone number on my palm, at least I assumed it was her phone number. “Call me later and we can set something up.”

“Sure.” I said, over the pop of the sharpie cap. Eve’s hand lingered on mine, sparking my imagination in all kinds of wild directions.

“Don’t lose that.” Eve winked, her fingers sliding through mine as she stepped back. Then, just as quickly as she had come, she was gone. And me too busy looking at my hand to catch a glimpse of her retreat.

[ur-blxxdy-valentine]

(Delete the one that has the same first paragraph- i didnt mean to send that yet.....)

Beware to everyone huge trigger warning because this is a major trauma dump......

I love how my older brother is shit talking me and saying how much he hates me like i'm not even sitting next to him. I love how he's calling me retarded and he wishes that I would die and that if he ever has a kid i'm not allowed in it's life because I'm just going to fuck it up. I love how one of the only people I ever fucking cared about and the real reason why i'm still alive hates me so fucking much he wants me to kill myself..... I love how the person I was always by the side of, the closest to and was always by my side just admitted he wants me fucking dead and that he hates me.... great lol. I just lost both of my brother. He forgot I'm sitting right here..... literally 2 feet away from him.... and i'm fucking crying because I can't hold it in.... just tears falling down my face as i'm fucking mute. Why am I so fucking worthless

I feel it so bad.... deep in my bones.... he's one of three peoples opinions that actually matter to me.... my brother isn't shitty though...... idk..... i'm kind of used to it but idk why it gets me every time..... he's said stuff like that our entire lives but meh... yea idk...... all he cares abiut is his stupid pedophilic, disgisting, rapist, abusive fucking girlfriend. It's the worst stockholm syndrom story i ever heard.

He should be thanking me and be proud of me for not shooting her point blank in the fucking head after torturing her after all the shit she got him into, addicted to and put him through. I had a gun in my hand and she was right in front of me. I had the chance and god oh god are both of them lucky I didn't take it. Hilarious how we're each others ride or dies though. It doesn't matter what he'd do or did I'd be helping him every step of the way or alibing him for anything. Killing someone? Okay when where who? I got the equipment. Or oh you killed someone well shit, no second thought my first instinct is to cover for his ass. I've done it our entire childhood, he'd do the same for me....... hell I was having issues at school, he stalked and beat the living shit out of a kid for me..... he gathered his friends who are part of the literal mafia and cartel and beat the living shit out of the kids..... I have no clue where they went or what happened and all he told me was I didn't need to know.... I think they may be dead.....

All I am is because of him..... I wouldn't be who I am without him..... I don't think i'm ever going to get a better hand or a better life or better hand. I have a gut wrenching feeling life is just going to get shitter for me and I'm only 18....... eight fucking teen.... if i finally get something good it's a disaster in surprise..... my baby brother's birth for one. I waited 10-9 years for a baby sibling when my mom got pregnant and only got 8 horrible trecherous, traumatizing weeks of him being alive and hell and trauma for the rest of my life....... hell when I first lost my baby brother I tried killing myself and my older brother is the reason I'm alive besides him beating the shit out of me for trying to off myself and then threatned to kill me for doing so..... he held a gun to my head with the safety off, bullets in it and one in the chamber as he was close to pulling the trigger once.... he has tried killing me on multiple occasions between guns and knives to chemicals...... I'm shocked I'm still alive because the amount of chemicals i've digested should have killed me.... the amount of times I've blacked out from him choking me.....

So it fucking hurts. It hurts so fucking bad..... I have no clue what I did or what I have done..... All I've done is do everything for him, practically literally worship him with how devoted and deep I love him.... the bad thing is....... my love will never end or stop for him..... that's the pain..... Our relationship is so damaging but its the strongest and realest bond i've ever had...... (if it helps if you believe in astrology he's a Scorpio and i'm a Leo. And if you know anything about the compatibility, they love very strongly but are each other's kryptonite)

— ❤️‍🔥

i know everything i’ll say sounds probably repetitive to you at this point. i’m sure you’re aware of it. so just ignore me if i sound aggravating and repetitive 😭 but i know how much family means. family bonds are so painful because deep down we are just magnetically attached by nature. especially when our whole lives are filled with such negativity and pain, something that makes us feel even the slightest bit cared for can be something we latch onto. there’s a point though where it is not worth the pain that that person brings. your brother sounds extremely unwell. i know that naturally as his sister you want his approval more than anything. you want his love and just some ounce of family support. you will not get what you deserve from him. i’m only saying that because i know exactly how that’s like. the family drama i mentioned awhile ago is a bit of that. i’m begging for approval and attention from someone who doesn’t give a shit about how he’s actually supposed to treat me right now. the most painful thing is learning to move on from them. you don’t have to give up on your brother. you just have to understand at this moment, he is not the one you should be seeking anything positive from. the more hope you pin on him, the more you’re just going to disappoint and hate yourself. especially if he’s in a toxic relationship. i’m not gonna therapize you and be like “you should be seeking approval from yourself first 😍,” bc ohmygod is it the most annoying thing to hear when all you’ve done your whole life is hate yourself. so for now all i can say is force yourself to care for someone who actually cares for you. i know it’s easier said than done because people like us can’t help but want to push away those who are actually good to us. but sometimes you have to fake it till you make it. if it means anything, i’m always here for you. i’m staring at you with awe and appreciation. i think you’re amazing. i think you’re great. i’m seeing all that you do i’m truly proud.