#got this some time ago but been really busy!

[brawberryz]

Little Demon

Batfam Yan! × Neglected Nezuko! Reader

Note:English is not my first language, sorry if there is any translation error

You were normal

You weren't the monster you've become, before everything you were just an ordinary high school student

Everything had happened so fast that you didn't even have time to process it

A few hours ago everything was normal

You woke up as usual adding yourself to go to class, you greeted alfred while you were having breakfast

Breakfast felt as lonely as always your family was never present not even in things as common as having breakfast together as a family

No one ever had time for you, everyone was so busy with their responsibilities and you understood it, you always understood

They were vigilant and you knew they had a lot of responsibilities on their shoulders but sometimes you would like them to look at you or ask you how your day was

If someone in the family turned to look at you or talk to you it was a miracle, the only person you had by your side was alfred

He was a father figure more than your real father could be

Bruce, as you called him because father was too big a name for someone like him, maybe he wasn't even worthy of being called father

You saw his relationship with the rest of your siblings and how he treated them with so much respect and affection

At some point you felt jealous, why was he so good to them? Why couldn't you feel that affection

Why?

Why!?

Nobody took care of you or protected you, since you were little you understood that if you didn't protect yourself nobody would

Everyone had talents and they were amazing

You were just (name), the shadow of the family because the only thing that was important was having the last name Wayne, but then you were nobody

You were never anybody

You stopped thinking so much and picked up your bag and walked out the door of the mansion giving Alfred a last goodbye

_

Classes went by faster than you would like, school was a safe place for you, there you could be yourself with your friends

To your friends you weren't (name) Wayne, the daughter of a billionaire playboy, you were just a (name) L/N a girl full of energy and eager to help others

You lazily got up from your seat grabbing your bag heading to the classroom door

There was Aoi waiting for you as usual, you were grateful to have such a good friend like her

"You look more tired than usual, is something wrong (name)?"

The black-haired girl asks worriedly, walking with you to the exit. You just nodded, giving her a fake smile.

"Yeah, don't worry, I just didn't sleep well today."

That's a lie. You had slept more than well, but since this morning you had felt that something was wrong, as if something bad was about to happen.

You couldn't shake that feeling off after hours. You decided to ignore it, but that feeling still remained.

Aoi just nodded, unsure of your answer. She had been your friend for years and she knew you too well to know when something was bothering you.

"Hey, today me and shinobu are going to a new cafe that opened. Do you want to go?"

You stayed quiet for a few seconds thinking about the proposal, you liked going out with your friends but this time you felt like you shouldn't go

"I'm sorry aoi but... I'm really busy today I have homework to do"

You politely apologized to her

Aoi raised an eyebrow, there was something she didn't like, she knew something was happening to you but she wasn't going to force you to tell her, she didn't want it to seem like she was someone insistent

She simply gave you a nod and then looked ahead, this was where your paths separated as you lived on totally opposite streets

She gave you a big hug as a farewell and then separated from you with a smile on her face

"See you tomorrow (name), take care!"

He said as he shook his hand and his presence disappeared more and more as he walked away

You let out a tired sigh before turning on your heels and taking the path home

You walked with your head down, your thoughts consumed your head that you didn't even notice the imminent danger that was approaching you

You didn't understand why your family seemed to hate you, you were always obedient, good and polite

You were the best in your class and you had great intelligence but you were still invisible to all of them

Sometimes you just wanted to disappear, being someone else didn't matter you just wanted to leave

But you knew that until you turned 18 it would be impossible to get out of that house

You were so distracted in your thoughts that you didn't even have time to react before something too strong pushed you into a dirty alley

You tried to get up and defend yourself but that strange man grabbed you by the neck cutting off your breathing and not being able to get up

As your vision blurred you could see his red eyes and a cynical smile forming on his lips

The last thing you felt was something embedded in your neck causing you to lose consciousness

Everything was black, you couldn't move or feel anything

So you died?

Is this how it all ended? Dying in a dirty alley full of trash and rats?

Maybe this is what you deserved, you were never anything important just trash

And trash should stay with trash, right?

Alfred ran at full speed through the mansion towards Bruce's office, he couldn't believe that this had happened

He slammed open the door to Bruce's office causing Bruce to stop concentrating on the paperwork to look at his butler

It was too strange for Alfred to enter without knocking, and he was also struck by Alfred's worried and disheveled attitude

Only something too important or serious would have to happen to break Alfred's impeccable personality

"Master Bruce...Miss (name)..."

The old man struggled to find air in his lungs, having run all over the mansion had left him exhausted

"What's wrong with her? Don't tell me she got into trouble-"

Alfred interrupted Bruce in the middle of his sentence to speak again

"No...she...she's dead"

Those words hit Bruce hard

Dead?

Your death couldn't be true, it had to be some kind of joke

"What?"

It was the only thing he could say in shock, he knew that Alfred would never lie to him, much less about a subject as serious as death

But his brain simply couldn't process it

_

The entire batfam was at the police station, the news of your death shook the entire family in a bad way

Now they were here to identify your body, they found it in an alley according to the police record a woman who was passing by found your body covered in blood that was supposed to have been yours

According to the police it was a very crude and bloody crime scene

They couldn't believe that someone would be capable of doing that to a being as innocent as you

The simple fact that someone had done all those things to you made everyone's blood boil with rage

Richard felt terrible, remembering all the times you asked him to spend time together and he simply made the excuse that he was busy or that he didn't have time

He was the worst brother, he was supposed to be the oldest one who should have protected you but all he did was push you away and cause your premature death

Jason could barely handle all the emotions he felt at that moment, he felt rage, sadness and regret

He still remembered the times he had insulted you and told you not to interfere in his life

No matter what he had to do, he was going to avenge his little sister and he was going to make the person who had done that to you suffer

In Tim's head he tried to find some possible suspect for your death, maybe the joker had already killed Jason once, it was just a matter of time before he did it again

He could still remember the times he had ignored you, that moment when you made cupcakes was still in his mind and you had the brightest smile of all

You had prepared them especially for your family but all you received was their rejection telling you that they were busy

Remember the rude way in which I refused your food and asked you to leave, right now, anything to be able to be with you and try your desserts

Damian was burning with fury, who was the bastard who dared to kill his sister!?

He, unlike the rest, didn't want to accept his guilt. He firmly believed that the times he had hit you, humiliated you, and insulted you were for your own good.

You should know well that you were too weak for this world, that he was your protector.

Cass could barely process everything. She had lost another important person to her again, and this time it was her fault again.

She leaned against a corner and let her thoughts consume her. She felt the worst. Maybe if she had paid attention to you, you would be alive now.

Barbara felt the same way as Richard. She still remembered the times you begged for her attention, wanting to spend time with her, but she only pushed you away more and more each day.

Steph could only stare at the floor. It was her fault for ignoring you. She thought that at some point you would adapt to the mansion, but it never happened. All she did was make you feel more like a burden and a nuisance.

But the one who felt the worst was Bruce. He was supposed to be your father, he was supposed to be the first to protect you. But he didn't. All he did was ignore you

He was the worst father ever, now because of him you were dead

They took him to a room to identify your body and left him there alone for a few minutes

Right there he collapsed, his serious and unwavering facade broke

His daughter, his baby is now dead because of him, he would do anything to revive you, he would even use the Lazarus pit even knowing the consequences that caused

But suddenly he felt like something lunged at him

And there was you

Alive

You were alive in some way, but he saw that it wasn't you...

Your eyes had that wild look, your teeth were sharp and long nails that you had never had before

He grabbed a metal pipe he found on the floor and tried to fight you by putting it in your mouth so that you wouldn't bite him or disfigure his face with your claws or teeth

Your strength was superhuman, as if you were no longer the (name) that he knew

Now you had become something wilder

But he felt small tears falling on his face, he was crying

It seemed as if a part of you was trying to control your instincts, he noticed your distressed and scared look

Suddenly Richard entered the room with Jason

They had heard a loud noise coming from the room

The men's faces were surprised when they saw you alive

Or rather, you didn't look human and your skin looked paler

Also, your hair had changed, the tips that were completely black before were now orange

The two quickly came out of their trance and helped Bruce get you off of them, you were still struggling and trying to get out of their grip

Then Damian and Tim appeared through the door when they heard all the commotion

Before either of them could speak, Richard interrupted them

"There's no time for explanations, distract the police now!"

He said trying to keep you from getting out of the grip, Tim and Damian just nodded confused as they went with the others to distract the guards

Meanwhile Jason decided that the best idea was to knock you out so he did, but he earned a scolding from Bruce for hitting you so hard

"Stop complaining so much and be thankful we didn't let her kill you"

He said dryly, he saw how you fell surrendered to his arms, for now they should find a way to get you out of here without anyone noticing

_

The days passed quickly in the mansion, they had you with a kind of muzzle on your mouth to prevent any incident

Although after having "revived" you were only aggressive once, to tell the truth this version of you was much calmer and less energetic than the previous one

After Bruce asked Constantine for help he told him that most likely you had been turned into a demon and that if they wanted you to be human again the person that turned you into a demon was supposed to turn you back into a human

For days the batfam spent their time investigating and trying to find information about the person who did that to you but they found almost nothing

But almost nothing was that bad, it seemed you rejected human flesh and blood and you recovered energy by sleeping, you didn't need to eat or drink water just sleep

Most of the day (not to say all day) you spent somewhere in the mansion sleeping

Everyone fought over who would cuddle with you during your morning nap, they agreed on a deal that every day of the week it would be a family member's turn to sleep with you and take care of you

And after everything worked, most of your memories disappeared so they didn't have to worry about you remembering what horrible siblings they were

They also found out that you can't be in the sun unless you want to disintegrate and die

Tim thought it was a good idea to open the windows so you could see the sun after so long

Tim's expression The horror on his face was great when he saw how your skin began to burn and how you screamed in pain

He quickly closed the windows and approached you to see your condition

Luckily your regenerative abilities were very helpful, but Tim still didn't escape Bruce's scolding and you think Damian almost killed Tim that day

You could say that the days in the mansion were good, of course sometimes you would like to go out and see other places but you knew it would be impossible

The batfam preferred to die rather than let you wander alone through the streets of Gotham again, in their eyes you were still that weak little girl even knowing that you could easily kill them all

For now you should get used to this life until they find a cure

But you shouldn't worry, when you are cured they will never let you go again

Never

I finished this quicker than I thought

I hope you like it because I probably won't upload anything for 3 or 4 days

byeee

[mourndust]

hi hi hiiiii! this is my first time publishing in tumblr! english is not my first language so i'm sorry for any mistakes, either way i've doubled checked so hope there's not many around! be kind and tell me what you think about it! reblogs and likes are always welcome. minors dni wlw content, good old finger-fuck that never fails, oral sex, spit.

it’s meaningless at first.

you don’t pay much attention to her. she’s in the corner of your eye but you’re too busy flirting, fighting your way to get a free drink since you refuse to pay for one but she’s there. you saw her fighting hours ago, and you know she’s looking.

it’s meaningless. a silent invitation that caught you off-guard cause fuck, you’re drinking a beer in peace and why the hell would anyone bug you? either way you recognize her before she’s even talking to you, a light scent of alcohol mixed up with sweat that has everything to be nasty, yet, somehow, it’s almost nice when she sits in the stool next to you.

it fills the air. surrounds you in a cloud of haze cause hell she’s good at making you pay attention, at noticing she’s there, closer.

“vi,” she says introducing herself, and it makes sense later why you’re locked up in the bathroom, why exactly you folded so fast — always so needy, so eager to please the rest—. “nice to meet you.”

she points out some shit about seeing you around in the pit-hole, how you’re always unfazed by the place, always pretty, always unavailable, and she’s getting you, caught you in her bare hands cause you don’t know why you’re letting her follow you to the bathroom like a lost puppy, but it’s good cause you want it, as soon as her magenta hues touch your bare fingers and she’s laughing, making the most amazing sound you’ve heard in a while, you’re all in.

you crave casual. can someone blame you? world’s crazy out there, and you don’t really do it commonly but man — you just want to have fun with her, commit to the strange magnetism that connects you every night to this girl. so you let her do it, let her rough hands lock the door, roam over your sides as she ends wirh the space left between you and her own body.

it’s nice. tuesdays are slow, not many people gamble around so the place is not really crowded, and it’s even refreshing when she pushes her knee between your legs like she didnt know it was fucking heaven, lifting you up to the counter as she relish on the taste of kissing you, god — her kisses are soft even when there’s a certain sloppiness lingered to them, some roughness she tries to keep in line but slips away for the moment, demanding and demanding as she got lost in the sensation, the smell of your perfume, that shampoo you liked and began using religiously.

can you blame violet too? fuck. caitlyn’s been fucking up her life since she went full weirdo mode and stop talking thanks to the thirst of revenge, and vi’s been having so much in her life lately she just need to pull the switch down in her brain, shut it off at least for twenty minutes and not depend on the amount of booze she’s lately depending on, actual human touch.

so you? you are similar to an oasis in plain dessert.

“there you go, so good for just a few kisses,” vi points out to praise the way your hips move seeking for a bit more friction, driving her insane as the fabric of your jeans rub against the black pants of the fighter—. “help me get you out of this.”

violet’s a force of nature, crawling under your skin as her bandaged hands struggle with the button of your jeans, taking a second or two to actually get you out of the thick fabric that’s only annoying her. the contact of her skin soothes the sting of pure need and she has the audacity of taking time, alluring as she places soft kisses over the crook of your neck like she’s really imprinting the curves of your body in her memories, the soft and smooth flesh that you posses, the moles and that tiny underwear that only fuels her desire to keep taking what she wants.

surely vi thrives on making you a mess, talks a lot a when your brain becomes a pile of erratic thoughts. the music is so loud outside you can hear the bass bouncing on the walls, making them shake as the air is filled by the sound of your moans, the way the fighter’s mouth sucks on your skin only to leave red marks she hopes to see on the next days in the pit.

"fuck's sake," she says looking at the slick mark on her jeans — "you made a mess on my knee-" it's noticiable when she point it out, the fabric is slightly darker on the zone and it was visible when you put some attention to it — "how are you going to fix this huh? it's your mess, your problem."

clearly she’s all bark and bite.

"talk baby, you can do it. i'm not even fucking you yet," she demands when you're too zoned out to say something. "tell me how are you going to fix the mess you made on my knee."

"don't care" you answer soon after. "i'll think of something after- please vi."

your voice is rough, raspy by the delicious sounds you make when she's spreading you open, using a hand to keep you steady over the sink as she raises your shirt from over your chest.

“after? after what?”

she kneads one of your breasts in her hand, squeezing the bare flesh before taking it in her mouth, the warm sensation spreading all over your spine: formalities are now left aside to let over that primal need take over, so you're pulling her poorly-dyed black hair closer, even when she bites and uses her tongue as a method to make the sting hurt less, moving to one breast to another — you just want her as possibly close.

and your jeans are hanging in the air holding by one leg only, black paint smeared on your tummy as her kisses now become more desperate, careless about their repercussions or what they stained as her mouth seems to follow this invisible path back to your cunt.

she's good at teasing, make you work for it, whispering praises all over your skin like she's not even close to have all that she wants with you in that hot bathroom. the fighter kneels only to be more comfortable, using her hands to spread you open, tasting you from over your underwear — only to have a taste and mainly, because the fabric there it's almost non-existent: mental kudos to you.

you've become a teenage boy at that point. driven by words and gentle touches, the flick of her tongue as she moves eagerly travelling from your aching hole to your clit, casually rubbing the tip of her nose as she delves deeper, pulling your underwear to the side when she hears you say some erratic words of praising: she needs validation.

the fighter don't have to spit, but she does it anyway, soaking up her own fingers with saliva like they aren't already soaked with your arousal, hooking up her thumb in your entrance to stretch you out, moving it back and forth in almost a cruel, sweet torture, almost making sure you're going to beg to be filled at some point, all needy and pliable only cause you need her fingers inside.

"can you lift up your leg?" vi knows it's a greedy question, but she says it anyways in hope you'll comply, and you clearly do when you're clinging in the sink, trying to not lose balance when one leg stays in the floor and the other one is holded over the fighter's shoulder, the cold leather of her jacket pressing against your tight as you rest it over her back—. "good girl, you okay there?"

the wet sounds her mouth do left you nothing but stupid, her half lidded eyes following every involuntary movement your body makes as she moves between your soaked folds: how much is going to take for you to cum all over her face? soak her lips with the prettiest lip gloss?

"vi..." she knows what you're whining for, the pleaded tone that stained your words. she's hoping to be the cure of all your aches, comply every little thing you ask for. her fingers fill your core, sucking them in as you clench around the intrusion, and fuck. fuck it's just what you needed, the way they curl all the way in, rubbing on that nice spot she wastes no time in finding.

how can a fucking hand feel this good? makes your brain melt as your hips move in search of release, lost in the lewd sounds of your cunt, the way she find a way to comfortably eat you like a regular meal, how you shake and move against her mouth and that faces. violet’s been looking at all since she decided to put her damn knees on that filthy ass floor.

she gets off by your orgasm pouring in.

fucking soaked in her pants as she helps you ride the tidal waves that pours over you, that shake your body and makes you weak in the knees, struggling to keep on your feet as vi holds you still. and oh how she loves it. loves how she made a mess out of you, how she fucked up your defenses like they were nothing, and fuck it’s so nice.

she kisses your stomach, the marks she made before now red against her teeth, tracing up a path of kisses back to your mouth, cause she simply cannot get enough, she’s ready to keep going, take more if she wasn’t in a dirty bathroom.

your breathing is still heavy as you get off the sink, vi’s hand still on your hips as she pulls you closer, stealing a kiss that in contrast, is nothing but slow and fucking hot — and you wonder, by a whole damn minute, how the fuck is she so good at everything? kissing, teasing, touching, eating pussy-

“get your pants off,” you say, looking back at the stain on her knee with crimson cheeks—. “you cannot go out looking like that.”

violet tilts her head slightly backwards as the sound of her laugh fills the bathroom walls, shaking her head in disapproval — “it’s not really necessary. kinda like having a reminder of you.”

it’s a great tuesday, yeah that’s for sure.

so it’s not weird at all when it becomes usual the rest of the week.

[ayumigotabittoolonely]

Starting ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

It's been years since you have released a song or even made a public appearance, many people thought you might have been suffering from some issues, well not issue it was more of a feverish dream for you because you got the most perfect man you could have ever dreamt off , he was the perfect ideal man , the man that girls would be on knees for , has fallen head over heels for you.

6 years ago

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

He was the CEO of Gucci, not like you had fallen for him because of his money, because you yourself were a billionaire. You made your fortune from advertisements, concerts, acting, and of course, your actual profession: singing. You were a famous singer with 14 million followers on X, and you had seen your fair share of people try to use your fame for their own gain.

But there he was, the CEO of one of the most prestigious fashion houses in the world. And when he spoke, he was nothing like you expected.

"Hey," he awkwardly spoke, looking like he wasn’t quite sure what to say.

You were taken aback. The CEO of Gucci, the man everyone revered, and here he was, a bit shy? You raised an eyebrow, not quite sure if you should feel flattered or confused.

"Hi, I'm so glad to see you. You wanted me to sponsor your new design?" You cut straight to the point, your voice firm and confident.

He gave you a half-smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He gestured toward the other side of the table, inviting you to sit. As you did, you could feel his gaze on you intent, searching, almost like he wanted to say something but couldn’t quite find the words.

You clenched your fist under the table. If he said anything stupid, anything that even remotely resembled a hidden agenda, you were going to punch him out of pure instinct. But instead of asking for something ridiculous, he just looked at you with a quiet sincerity.

You raised an eyebrow, not sure if you should be relieved or on edge. "You can talk," you said, trying to break the silence that was starting to make you uncomfortable.

He shifted in his seat, looking almost embarrassed. "I just wanted to say... you’re very direct. I respect that."

You gave him a look, not really sure where this was going. You weren’t here for small talk; you had enough of that in the industry. And you weren’t about to let him charm you with pleasantries.

"I’m not here for games, I’m here for business," you replied, your voice steady, but a little less harsh than it had been before.

He nodded, then slid the design toward you. "This is our new collection," he explained, his voice calmer now, more measured. "I believe it’s something you’d want to wear, and I’d love for you to sponsor it."

You glanced down at the design, your breath catching in your throat. The clothing was breathtaking sleek, elegant, and everything you’d ever dreamed of in a piece of fashion. It was beautiful, in a way that made you almost forget you were sitting across from the CEO of Gucci.

You couldn't stop imagining yourself wearing it, how it would outshine everything else, how you’d look in it when you walked into a room. The idea of wearing something so exquisite made your heart skip a beat.

For a moment, you forgot about all the times people had tried to take advantage of you, the sponsors who had only wanted you for your face, your name, your influence. This was different. You could feel it.

You looked up at him, your voice quieter now, a little unsure. "This design... it’s amazing."

His gaze softened slightly as he met your eyes. "I’m glad you think so. I believe it’s the perfect representation of your style."

You couldn’t tell if it was his honesty or the way he spoke that made you feel a little warmer, a little more vulnerable. You weren’t used to this men who didn’t treat you like a stepping stone to their own success. He wasn’t pushing. He wasn’t trying to manipulate the situation.

For the first time, you felt like you could actually trust someone in this business. Not that you’d let your guard down completely, but he was... different.

You cleared your throat, the tension in your chest easing just a little. "You’ve got yourself a deal."

He gave you another small smile, this one more genuine than the last, and you couldn’t help but smile back.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

And that’s how your story with him went. You sponsored his designs, and they were a massive hit. The more you worked together, the more your worlds collided projects, meetings, late-night brainstorming sessions. What started as business slowly turned into something else.

You hadn’t even noticed it at first, but you were falling for him. It wasn’t his wealth, his position, or the fame he made you feel heard, valued. He wasn’t just the CEO of Gucci, he was someone who genuinely understood you in ways others didn’t.

Before you knew it, you were no longer thinking about the next deal. You were thinking about him. And just like that, you realized somewhere along the way, you had let yourself fall for him.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

One random night at your house, yes, your house. You and Ken had gotten close enough for it to feel natural hanging out at each other’s places, exchanging stories, your worlds blending into something you never expected. He was always the stoic, reserved man, and tonight, something felt different about him.

When it was finally time to leave, you flashed him your usual cheerful smile. "Bye, Ken. I’ll see you tomorrow."

"Uh, alright. I’ll see you tomorrow..." he said, but as he opened the door, he paused. For a moment, he stood there, staring ahead before locking the door again, his hand still on the handle.

"I think I should call off for this day," he muttered.

"Call off?" You blinked, confused. That was strange. He was always so focused, so dedicated. He never took time off from work. "Are you kidding, Ken? You never call in. Is that what you believe is happening here?"

You teased him, but he just bit his lip nervously. For a few seconds, there was nothing but silence. You could see him wrestling with something in his head, something heavy.

Then, he looked at you, his gaze intense. "I’m in love with you."

You froze. "WHAT?"

"I worshipped you," he continued, his voice shaky but raw. "I grew jealous of anyone you spoke to. I wanted to have you all to myself. I was only happy when I was with you. Even when you were away from me, you were still present in my work. If I never told you this, you would’ve never understood. Hell, I hardly understood it myself... But I knew. And I knew then I have seen perfection face to face."

...

And that's how it was..

You took a hiatus and spent 6 years with him in peace but lately...

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Your fans were going absolutely bizarre. No updates, no news,it was driving them insane. Rumors started swirling, some even claiming you were dying from cancer, which, pfttt, was totally fake. But honestly? You couldn’t care less. You were just too damn happy to notice.

You were living in your own little world, all wrapped up in your boyfiee, Ken. No need for social media drama, no pressure to keep up with anyone else. It was just you and him, lost in your bubble of laughter, late-night talks, and all the little moments that made everything feel right.

People could speculate all they wanted, but you? You were in your happy place, and nothing outside of that mattered.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Six years later, everything seemed perfect. You and Ken were still going strong, your relationship thriving like it always had. But lately, something was off. Nanami wasn’t acting like himself.

He wasn’t as excited to see you anymore, not with the usual spark. It was as if he knew you’d been waiting. Waiting for him. You could feel it in the way he’d look at you sometimes distant, like his mind was somewhere else.

He was overworking again, and it wasn’t just the usual hustle. This time, it was different. It was frequent, and you could see the toll it was taking on him.

But despite all that, there was one thing that made you pauset he ring. The diamond ring. You noticed it on his desk one evening, tucked away in a small box, and for a brief moment, you almost forgot everything. It was for you. Only you.

You couldn’t help but feel bored, too bored, to be honest. Everything had been so perfect, but now there was an unsettling calmness in the air. So, you logged into your account, needing a distraction. Instantly, thousands of DMs flooded in, along with rumors and speculations about your life. Your fans were starting to question everything where had you been? What was really happening?

It was time to make things right. After all, they were still your fans. They deserved the truth, or at least, a little peace of mind. So, with a deep breath, you began typing. It was time to clear the air, time to remind them why they had supported you all these years.

You owed it to them. And to yourself.

Then you sighed and went back to do some chores , after a few minutes you saw retweets and dms , your wivies I mean your.. friends were shocked by this news too

After you saw the retweets, the messages flooding in, and the happiness of your fans who finally felt like they had answers for your sudden disappearance, you felt a wave of satisfaction. You had cleared the air, given them something to hold onto. It felt good to know they understood, to know they were still there for you.

But... there were still two people left to explain yourself to.

Shoko. Yep, she was a singer too, but she had only debuted a few songs,three or four, to be exact. She wasn’t as popular as you, but she had her own following with around a million fans. Her music? Damn good. Some might call her underrated, but honestly, you thought of her as uthaime,a hidden gem in the music world.

You two were inseparable as kids, more like two peas in a pod. You’d been through everything together, always there for each other. And who knows? There might’ve been a kiss or two in the past. Couldn’t blame her, couldn’t blame yourself either, you guys were hot.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

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@lavnder311 @hel1nn @blushedcheri @kazupop

[iguana-eyanna]

From The Bird's Eye View Chapter 5

Pairing: Bruce Wayne x Reader

Summary: Although you achieved your dream of being a designer, you never considered meeting a man who's also a father.

a/n: This story line has been about 4 years in the making as "The Blood Within Us" was my favorite fic to write. I really wanted to finish the Bruce Wayne saga but I have been facing a lot of writer's block now a days. This current series will have two chapters that will be published in a few months. In the mean time, thank you for reading.

“Tim! You’re going to be late to school!” You yelled, knocking on his door once again. 

As if on cue, Tim was rushing towards his bag and trying to knot a tie for his uniform, murmuring sorry under his breath. 

You paused his power walk to the dining room and did his tie for him.

“I know your nervous about your debate competition tonight, but you don’t need to pull all nighters. Especially since you asked for time off on night patrol.”

“I know, I know. I was just reviewing my notes last night and slept on my desk. Didn’t hear my third alarm.” He said, seeing how you were done with his tie. 

“There. You know, I can teach you how to do it.” You said, walking with him to the table to eat a quick breakfast. Tim grabs a toast and some eggs on his plate.

“Mom, you’re a fashion designer, you’re a literal pro. Besides, you do it better than Bruce.”

“Thanks for the kind words.” Bruce replied, making Tim chuckle nervously. He presses a kiss on your head as he sat down next to you with his fixed plate. 

You look at your son who looked a bit distant as he rushed his breakfast. Call it mother’s intuition but you felt something was wrong.

“It’s time to head to head to school, Master Tim.” Alfred announced as he made his way to the car.

“Bye guys!” Tim yelled out before making his way out before kissing your cheek.

You look over to your son as he rushed his way out from the dining room.

“Is he gonna be okay?” You ask Bruce as he was about to drink from his mug. 

Bruce knows what you meant. About almost four months ago, Tim was captured by the Joker. That monster tormented him, trying to create a replicate of the conniving villain using unspeakable methods. When Bruce and Barbra Gordon saved Tim, the damage was already done. 

Tim went through extensive therapy and had night tremors. Both you and Bruce said to take his time before going back to school, but Tim pressed on, saying he’d be behind on all his school work and the new friends he’s made. But deep down, he just wanted to feel somewhat normal again.

“He’s keeping busy with school. Tim just needs an outlet to just feel like a teenager again. I thought I had to face every struggle when I was his age, I don’t want him to feel like that.” He said, taking a sip.

“I can’t imagine. At least he has you to guide him.”

“He has the both of us.” Bruce reached out for your hand, squeezing it.

You then left Bruce at home so you could go in the office. You were more busy than ever, especially when you were opening a Japan branch in the coming year.

Later on, you got a ping of your phone alerting you it was time for lunch so you left work and traveled farther away from the city.

You walked over in the uneven path. The sun didn’t glare too much and the breeze was soft. You had a small bouquet of flowers in your hands. They were small yellow flowers that had hints of dandelions. You then got off the path to a small patch of grass, now only a few steps away from where you’ve been visiting for sometime.

“Hi, Jason.”

Your son turns around, a bit in a daze as he heard his name. 

“I didn’t think you’d be here.” He said, turning around. He was about to give you a hug but paused, unsure if the embrace was welcomed. You give him a sympathetic smile and closed the gap between you two, feeling his arms tighten around you.

“Sorry, not been used to this in awhile… also, not really sure what I’m doing here.” He said, looking back at the cemetery, staring at his name on the tombstone.

Jason Todd: Friend, Brother, & Son.

Son.

That word felt foreign to him. 

It’s almost been a month since he’s reunited with the family. After days of constant fighting with Bruce under his alias of The Red Hood, it was time to end this never-ending battle of his anger and come back home. 

“I usually come here to clear my head and talk to you.” You said, dusting away the leaves that were on top of the gravestone. 

He knew since his death that you took it the hardest. Even when you took in Tim, that hurt never left your heart. And now that he’s here, you’ve been healing day by day. 

The world knew of Jason’s death. It was featured in every news channel and tabloid. You and Bruce never cleared how he passed and you all decided as a family to have an interview with Lois Lane, who was the only person you trust for the most fragile time in your family. 

And people bought that he was in a protection detail of some sort, but for some reason… it didn’t sit right with you. It was like no one cared that he was gone for so long and could magically appear like nothing has happened. 

You try to have him open up, but he didn’t want to have you bear all his pain for him.

But isn’t that’s what a mother should do for her child?

“You know your room is always there for you, right?” You ask Jason as you turned to him. He’s been crashing most nights with Roy Harper, as they had a scuffle the first time they met again, but had a tearful reunion with each other.

“I know, but I think it’s time if I found a place for myself. Dick is helping me find some apartments in Blüdhaven. But I’ll pop in time to time to be with you guys.”

You smile at him, giving him a comforting side hug. 

“You always have a home with us.”

He smiles as he kisses the top of your head as he was now much taller than you.

“C’mon, let’s go get some food.”

+

Bruce looks down at his desk in his study room, looking down in his hands that held a small leather box. 

“Master Bruce?” 

Bruce looks up and sees Alfred alone, and Bruce released the breath he was holding onto nervously.

“Has the package arrive yet?” Alfred asks, locking the door before heading towards him.

Bruce softly smiles as he shakes his head yes, giving Alfred the small box.

“Just came after she left, I’ve been anxious for weeks.” 

“Well, it’s not every day Gotham’s most famous bachelor would one day be off the market.” Alfred teased as Bruce opens the box, revealing the engagement ring for you. 

“That’s why I bought out the restaurant where we had our fifth date.”

“Fifth date?” Alfred asks, sitting down opposite of Bruce.

“Well, first date wasn’t an official date, second one we had Dick join us to go to that ice cream parlor, third I had to cancel halfway due to Clayface III, fourth we had movie night at her place and fifth… it was when I realized that things can be different.” 

Bruce admits that starting a relationship with you, he didn’t have the right intentions. He could never deserve the love you give him. He swore that he’ll make it his life’s mission to make up every mistake that has affected you.

And almost after 8 1/2 years later, he’s finally decided to ask you to marry him. Yes, Bruce could have asked you many times before hand but there has been so many set backs and memories you both wish to forget, but he feels now is the most perfect time to start a new chapter with you.

“Where is she now?” Alfred asks.

“Getting lunch with Jason, he just sent me a message just now.”

“So you and Master Todd are talking again?” Alfred asks, knowing things haven’t been easy with son and father.

“We’re uh, slowly getting there. He even asked if he could spar with Tim tonight.”

“I don’t think that’ll be such a good idea.” Alfred warned.

Alfred has seen how Tim’s been reacting lately since Jason’s arrival. Tim has been questioning what’s his place would be now that the prodigal son has returned, and better yet, what his status is in this family.

“We’ll all have a talk afterwards. Everything is going to change tonight.” Bruce said, with hope in his eyes.

Alfred gave a small smile and got up, heading out of the office. 

“Indeed it will, sir.”

Meanwhile, you and Jason just came back to the manor as you mentioned that Bruce was taking you out for dinner tonight. It’s been awhile since it’s been the two of you, so you were very excited. 

Jason, for some reason, became silent once you arrived back home. Before you go up on the steps, you look over at Jason who was staring down in his lap.

“You’ve awfully been quiet recently.” You said, looking at your son.

Jason purses his lips and looks at you with uncertainty. 

“I know I’ve been keeping some stuff about what’s happened to me in the last few years. I just, don’t know how to tell you without breaking your heart again.”

You raise your hand up to his and squeeze his hand.

“I can’t imagine what you’ve gone through, Jay. Ever since you’ve been back, I feel like something is going to rip the carpet under me and I’ll lose you again. Whenever you’re ready to talk, I’m here.”

Jason sniffles and wipes away his watery eyes. 

“Thank you.” Jason replied.

You smile at him gently and hug him.

“I uh, heard you’re gonna be hanging out with Tim tonight. I think that’s great that the two of you can talk for real this time, maybe having a big brother would help him move forward.” You stated.

Jason just nods his head, knowing what you meant.

He then followed you inside and headed straight to the bat cave, awaiting for Tim. In ten minutes, the young Drake boy looked uneasy, like he was about to meet his creator. 

“H-Hey.” Tim said, shifting on his bare feet as he entered the bottom of the bat cave.

Tim has been dreading this day.

Sparring with Bruce and Dick benefited Tim’s fighting skills. Bruce taught him calculation and timing. Dick supported encouragement and using your instincts. 

But Jason? In his time as Red Hood, he has killed men, mercenaries, you name it. And now that Jason was here ready to fight, Tim was scared that maybe Jason would use all his anger on him.

Jason bandaged his hands and took off his shirts. Every inch of his skin was etched with faded scars and bullet wounds. Tim gulped loudly as he prepped his stance.

In an instant, Jason charged first, taking Tim off guard.

“Hey! We didn’t start yet!” Tim yelled out, being knocked down on the ground.

“Lesson one, Drake: A fight can happen any time, any place. Never lose your guard.” Jason offered his hand. As Tim received it, Jason lifted him off the ground and body slammed him opposite of where he laid.

“Lesson two: never trust if your opponent has mercy. Always protect yourself.” 

Tim huffed out loud before jumping on his feet, wiping away the sweat and the cut on his brow. 

Jason looked too calm for this spar. Not an inch of his hair was out of place, even his white streak by his widow’s peak shown brightly in the dark cave.

Tim ran forward, striking with his right fist. Out of nowhere, Jason took out a small ninja star and flicked it towards Tim’s face. Just in time, Tim ducked it and body rolled on the mat, looking at Jason like a mad man.

“Are you out of your mind?” Tim screamed out loud.

“Lesson three: Be resourceful. Take anything in reach to your advantage. Bruce didn’t teach you these things?” Jason asked, circling Tim like a vulture flying around its prey.

“Bruce taught me how to sharpen my hacking skills, how to control my body in duress.” 

Jason scoffed as he looked at Tim. 

“I thought you had something in you, but I was wrong. What kind of Robin are you?”

That statement broke Tim as he tightened his fists and struck Jason in the chest. Jason staggered a little and looked at Tim, smirking.

“There he is!” Jason yelled out, almost mechanically.

Tim furrowed his brow and took a punch again to Jason’s shoulder. Jason looked like he was enjoying this little fight and took another punch from Tim.

“Why aren’t you fighting back?” Tim asked, getting frustrated.

“I wanna see what you can do, surprise me.” Jason smiled wickedly, raising his fist.

The two of them began to strike again, wanting to know who the last man will stand.

+

“It’s been awhile since we had a date night.” You said, holding Bruce’s hand as you two were being driven by Alfred to your mystery date. 

“I know, a lot has happened and I thought the two of us deserve some time together.” Bruce said, rubbing his thumb across your thigh from the slit of your dress.

“And what would our time be spent on tonight?” You ask, gleaming.

“A night of your favorite cuisine, soft music in the background, and a melted chocolate soufflé.” Bruce replied, leaning in for a kiss.

You smiled as you kissed Bruce, losing your hand in his dark ravenous hair. You could feel his hands in the back of your dress, trying to find the zipper by your spine.

“Bruce…” You warned as you felt his lips by your neck.

“We have until 15 minutes till we get to the restaurant. I just want you to myself for just a little bit.” He whispers, feeling his hot breath by your ear.

“I bet you won’t last for 8 minutes.” You dared.

“Make it 6”  Bruce remarked, seeing a sly look in his hand.

You two smiled as you both couldn’t help but take your hands off each other.

A knock is heard from the driver’s cabin, alerting that Alfred could possibly hear every word you’re saying. 

You cover your mouth in embarrassment as Bruce couldn’t help but laugh out loud. 

“Why don’t we wait after tonight?” You ask Bruce, straightening up in your seat.

“Of course, I’ll behave just for you.” Bruce reaches out for your hand, kissing it as you blushed.

Your fingers intertwined with each other as you look lovingly in each other’s eyes.

+

The two sons were getting tired. Jason was heaving his chest, as Tim may have bruised ribs from being kicked a few times too many.

Tim, now sporting a deeper cut by his temple, tries to wipe the trickling blood from his forehead with his arm. Tim refuses to back down, especially to Jason. An idea pops in his head and he slowly circles around Jason, taunting him.

“What makes you think you could be capable of teaching me to fight?” Tim asks.

Jason huffs and gives a wicked smirk. “If you’ve forgotten already, I have a reputation. Nothing gets past me.”

“You sure about that? Heard when you were Robin, you had no control, no conscience. Just chaos at every turn you made.”

Tim caught a glimpse of Jason’s tough exterior slowly cracking. Jason resumed in silencing, alerting Tim that his tactic might work. So, he took his chance and punched Jason by his left cheekbone.

“Did I strike a nerve?” Tim asks.

Jason was silent, but his eyes grown darker from their natural color. 

Tim almost felt worried, but he knew Jason would never do anything that could hurt him seriously.

Right?

“If we’re striking nerves, I wanted to clarify that I’m only here cause Ma asked me to come. Said she’s worried about you. But I see it in Bruce’s face. He thinks you’ll never be ready to go out on the field again. And frankly, I don’t think you’re able to.”

“Who says you have the final say? You just showed up to Gotham out of the blue just to prove that you’re what, the prodigal son? Please, I survived the Joker. You were overpowered by a man with no powers or strength. He was smart enough to end the job quick with you.”

A ripple soared through the air as Tim found himself on the ground as he held his left jaw as Jason was huffing his chest, breathing heavily.

Jason could only be described like a raging animal, as his dark past was catching up to him.

He grabbed Tim by the collar and raised him high as his feet dangled in the air. 

Right when Jason was about to make the first strike, he suddenly hears maniacal laughter.

‘Show him who you truly are…’ the voice sneered.

Jason staggered away as he dropped Tim, feeling his head pound. 

“Get out…” Jason held onto the sparring mat as he grit his teeth.

“J-Jason, are you alright?” Tim asks as he holds his side.

Jason whipped his head fiercely as he bear his teeth. 

“I SAID GET OUT!”

Tim took an immediate step back with fear in his eyes. Jason can see it to you as he forced his eye sight downward as he was crouched on the floor.

“You don’t know what it’s like… to have everything you ever wanted taken away in a single second. I tried protecting my birth mom by taking every beating that demon gave to me. I tried saving her from that bomb. I felt myself dying at an instant. Then I come back with half a mind of my own, still hearing that psychotic man’s voice in my head.”

Tim can see Jason almost crying as his shoulders were slumped.

Tim treaded lightly towards Jason as he slowly got on his knees, then slowly placing a hand on Jason’s shoulder. The older brother almost flinched with physical contact, but it was when he looked up to Tim who’s eyes weren’t full of fear but with sympathy. 

The two brothers get up from the sparring mat as Jason gave a heartfelt hug. Tim was shocked at first, but accepted the embrace.

“Amateurs, all of you.” A young voice said out loud.

Jason and Tim looked around their surroundings, searching for the voice.

Tim picked up a sparring bo staff and defended his ground.

“Who are you? Show yourself!” 

A quiet whip like sound pierced the wind as a small shadow lands a couple of feet by them. 

The figure wore dark ancient clothing, asian descent if Tim could describe it. The stranger lifted their mask off and revealed a boy, much younger than both the brothers.

“What are you doing here?” Jason asked harshly as he shoved past Tim.

“Mother is on an important mission. I wished to join her but she told me to come here and meet father.”

“Wait wait wait, you know this kid?” Tim asks, lowering his staff. 

The young figure sneered from the last statement.

“I am to be respected and feared, my age does not limit my lethal skills, Tim Drake.” 

Tim had enough and tries striking his opponent but he swiftly moved out of his way and swept Tim off his balance, just like Jason has performed before.

“And he calls himself the smart one.” The child comments.

“Look demon spawn, no one picks on Drake unless me, okay? And you have shown up on the worst night possible. Bruce isn’t here.”

“I have waited for almost 10 years to meet him, what’s another hour?” 

Tim rises up from the mat as he looks at the child.

“Why do you want to meet Bruce?” 

“Because he’s my father.” The child crosses his arms

Silence filled the cave. Not even a gust of wind dare to make a whistling sound. 

Tim looks at Jason for confirmation as the elder brother bows his head.

“Then who’s your mom?” Tim dares to ask.

Damien beams with pride as he steps closer to Tim.

“Someone you should be very afraid of.”

+

After you and Bruce finished your very intimate dinner, your heart began to flutter.

"Bruce, you know that you didn't have to reserve all of the restaurant just so we could have dinner alone?"

You said, sipping your wine.

"Of course not, that's why I bought the restaurant from the owner."

"Bruce!"

You two started laughing out loud as you knew that Bruce wasn't serious. If you just met Bruce now, you'd think he's this pompous rich guy. You told him first on that he didn't need to impress you with grand gestures or money. As long as you two worked as a team who gave back to their community and their family, then you never had to question his love for you.

Those were all the things Bruce was thinking of saying to you tonight.

"What's in that mysterious mind of yours?" You ask.

He smiles to himself as he softly held your hand in his, feeling his chest tighten with slight anxiousness.

"There's been something I've been wanting to say to you for some time..."

He was about to get out of his chair until his phone buzzed. He looks at the caller and sees that it's Tim.

Bruce powers his phone off, thinking it wouldn't be important.

"Everything alright?" You ask.

"Yeah, absolutely. Where was I?"

"You wanted to tell me something." You said, trying to suppress a smile of your sudden excitement.

Bruce reaches for your hand and kisses your palm, giving you the most genuine gaze you haven't seen in a while.

"I have been wanting to do this for the longest time. Love, I-"

A sudden ring is heard from your phone as you reach towards your purse.

"It's Jason. I think the kids have been trying to reach us."

"They're fine, trust me." Bruce tries to change the subject but you shake your head.

"I don't know Bruce, something feels wrong."

You answer your phone as you place it towards your ear.

"Hi honey, we just finished eating dinner. What - J - You want to talk to Bruce?"

Bruce face turns shocked as you offer your phone to him.

"Jason, now's not a good time." Bruce says.

"Bruce, I wouldn't have called you unless it was important. You need to come back to the manor now." Jason said.

"Did you tell him yet?" Tim asks from afar but then his two sons started bickering.

"Guys, what are you two trying to say? Hold on." Bruce taps the screen and places it on speaker as he stood up facing away from your nervous state.

Tim takes over the conversation as he steals the phone from Jason.

"Bruce, some kid broke into the cave while we were sparring saying he's-"

"Wait, a kid broke into the cave? Why are you and Jason fighting?" You ask, raising form your chair.

"It's fine, I told them it's alright."

"Uh, I don't think so. Tim's still recovering from the last fight he's had and you left them both unsupervised!"

"They're fine, but can we handle the situation at hand? You're the one that wanted to call them back."

"And now you're blaming me for caring? Well excuse me for-"

"I tire of this nonsense." An unfamiliar voice said as they possibly took the phone away from the bickering siblings.

"Bruce Wayne, my name is Damian al Ghul, son of Talia al Ghul and grandson of the powerful Ra's al Ghul. I am your rightful heir, your true blood son, conceived from 8 years ago when you were on a mission with my mother."

Silence filled both rooms.

"Perhaps the connection disconnected?" Damian asks the brothers.

"Nope, he heard." Jason said as the call suddenly ended.

Bruce looks at the phone, then back at you as your eyes filled with tears of betrayal.

Bruce tries to go up to you, feeling his throat tighten.

"Love, I-"

"Stop, please." You said, moving backwards as your voice lowers.

"I think its best we go back to the manor. Let's just talk later, okay?"

You try to smile but it failed as your eyesight was lost in more tears.

You leave Bruce standing there alone as you walked to the limo that was waiting outside.

"Hello Madame, I guess a congratulations are in order?" Alfred asks cheerfully as he turned back to you.

His face fell as he saw you trying to cover your tears with your left hand that had no ring. You couldn't even muster a sentence to the one person that has your one interest at heart for this night.

Alfred bowed his head in silence until Bruce came inside and sat far from you as you couldn't even look at him.

"Where to, Master Bruce?" Alfred asks.

"Home, there's someone expecting to see me."

"Who sir?"

Bruce felt hesitant to answer, but then he locked his gaze to the window.

"My son, Damian."

Taglist:

@thisnameistaken1234

@linora09

[hungermakesmonsters]

Stolen Moments was sooooo damn goood. I came to shyly ask if there's a chance you could write a little piece about how and if they meet after returning to the US? 🥺

Of course I can!! Honestly, I might eventually have to turn this into a proper thing (maybe a mini-series??) because I really love this dynamic. Though I do feel like this little piece falls into the porn with the slightest hint of plot category 😅😅 (sorry not sorry?) but after a month or so without Billy, you can't exactly blame reader. 😅

Perfect Moments

Pairing : Billy Russo x Reader

Fic Universe : follow on to Stolen Moments

Story Rating : M 

Warnings : [This is 18+ only, minors DNI] Smutty behaviour.  

It was strange being home again.

It felt familiar but, at the same time, different. Like something was missing but you couldn't rightly say what. You felt like you were drifting, like you weren't quite real, like you hadn't come home at all.

So, when you returned back to the States to find a message waiting for you from a certain Lieutenant, asking you to meet him for a drink, you spent a few weeks deliberating.

You'd joked with him, told him you had no interest in some jarhead out in the real world but, honestly, you'd been scared. You hadn't wanted to build up some romantic idea of Billy Russo in your head, and you hadn't wanted to let yourself believe that there could ever be something real between you. It was easier to pretend it was just sex, that he had been horny and sick of looking to his own hand for gratification.

But the moment you saw him waiting at the bar for you, there was no denying or ignoring the fluttering of butterflies in your stomach.

He got off his stool to greet you with the sort of awkward hug that gave nothing away.

"Lieutenant," you said as the hug broke, taking a step back to look at him.

He looked better than he had the last time you'd seen him over six weeks ago (in your office on base in Kandahar, fucking you senseless on your desk), being home had brought some colour to his cheeks and he didn't look quite so haunted.

"Not anymore," Billy answered, returning to his seat. "I got out."

"Huh, always figured you as a lifer," you said, taking the seat beside him.

Over the first couple of drinks, you caught up, listening to him explain how he was starting his own business, and telling him about how you were going back to school to train to be a paramedic.

It was a strange conversation, the words felt like they didn't mean much, but the way he looked at you... it was like he was undressing you with his eyes and replaying every time that he'd fucked you.

By the fourth drink, the tension was starting to become palpable.

"So, did you reach a decision?" He asked, suddenly, cryptically.

"About what?"

"About whether you want to waste your time on a jarhead like me now you're home."

"What do you think I'm doing right now?" You answered playfully.

His eyes travelled down your body. "I think you're sitting there in that little dress waiting for me to take you home and give you what you've been missing."

"And what exactly do you think I've been missing?"

"Me," he said, daring to lean a little closer to you, close enough to kiss. He placed a hand on your bare thigh, fingertips just below the hem of your dress. "I bet you're already getting wet just thinking about how good I can make you feel."

He wasn't wrong, and it took all your restraint not to squirm and give away how right he was. Before you could think of some clever answer, his lips claimed yours, his tongue meeting yours in that familiar way that made your toes curl.

The kiss didn't last long, just long enough for Billy to prove his point, and when he pulled back, he knew you were on the hook.

His hand moved from your thigh to yours and he stood, not saying a word. You got up and let him lead you from the bar, out into the cold New York air. But it wasn't long until his hands and lips were on your again.

He led you to his car at the back of the parking lot, muttering promises between kisses that it wasn't far to his place, but it was already clear to you that he wouldn't make it that far.

Soon enough, you found yourself pressed back against his car, his body against yours, his hands reacquainting themselves with every dip and curve that he could get to over your dress. Your own hands quickly moved from gripping his shirt to pulling at his belt.

It was stupid, it was dangerous — but when wasn't it when it came to Billy?

The moment the button was popped and his zipper was down, you sank your hand into his underwear and gripped his cock, grinning against his lips at the sound he made.

Your sudden escalation had him following suit and, mere seconds later, his fingers were slipping between your thighs to touch you though your wet panties.

"Fuck, Doc, you're —"

You bit his lip, cutting him off. This wasn't the time to be playful. You needed him too much. And Billy got the message, loud and clear.

His fingers dipped beneath your panties, stirring between your folds, spreading your arousal up to your clit. You were so lost in his fingers, in the kiss, in him, that you didn't notice his other hand awkwardly pulling open the car door until he moved you.

Your feet shuffled as he took a step to the side, then you found yourself turned, pulled back against his chest. Billy didn't give you time to ask what he was doing before pushing you forward, bending you over the back seat of his car.

Fuck.

Glancing over your shoulder, you caught a near-feral look on his eyes and it made you want him more than you ever had before. You didn't care that you were in some dingy parking lot behind a bar, didn't care than anyone might stumble upon you both. You wanted Billy. You needed him.

You braced yourself on your elbows as he pushed up your dress and pulled your panties to the side. He hesitated only for a moment, listening to the stifled moan that escaped you as he dragged the tip of his cock through your folds.

But he didn't waste time, gripping your hip to hold you in place as he slid home. And that's what it felt like to have him inside of you again, it felt like home, like somewhere you both belonged.

Your face pressed against the soft leather seats as Billy started to move, giving you both what you'd been missing. You'd told yourself that it had been a silly fling, something to keep you sane when you were on deployment, but you could see now just how wrong you were.

And, from the way he was already groaning, you could tell Billy felt exactly the same way.

Every thrust of his hips sent a jolt through your whole body, reminding you that he was the only one who'd ever made you feel like this — he was the only one who could make you feel like this. No one else had ever made you feel like the world was ending, like you'd expire if you couldn't have just one second more.

Your thighs knocked awkwardly against the side of the seat and your legs trembled, barely able to hold your weight. It wasn't long until your arms gave beneath you and you all but collapsed over the back seat of his car, at his mercy and so incredibly glad of it.

It could have been seconds, minutes, hours — it didn't matter. The only thing you cared about were the sparks of pleasure he drew from you each and every time he buried his cock deep inside you.

And, with each slam of his hips, each moment of feeling gloriously full of him, you felt a familiar tension start to coil inside of you.

It had been so long, nothing had made you feel that way since him; not your fingers or even the vibrator that you'd relied upon for so many years before him.

Billy Russo had broken you. He'd ruined you.

Now, he was the only thing that could sate your longing.

"Lieutenant — Russo — Billy —" you gasped and moaned mindlessly before succumbing to the pressure.

You pressed your face against the soft leather to muffle your cries of ecstasy as you came undone, your body a trembling wreck beneath him. And, as you shuddered, you barely noticed him withdrawing, pulling out of your trembling pussy. You didn't notice much of anything until you were clumsily flipped over and pushed further into the car.

Then Billy was on top of you, his cock filling your still spasming pussy with ease.

Desperately, you tried to spread your legs, wanting him closer, deeper. Your hands clawed at his back through his sweater, pulling his body against yours as he continued to fuck you. At some point one of your legs ended up draped over the back of the seat, leaving you in the most debauched position you'd ever found yourself in. But you didn't care.

"Billy —"

Your hand slipped up his back to grip his hair, pulling him down and into an eager kiss, moaning as his tongue found yours again. He kissed you like a man possessed, like he was trying to dominate you from both ends, like he'd never have enough.

(He wouldn't and neither would you.)

And, again, you felt that coiling deep down inside you.

"Please, please, please," you whined against his lips, not sure what you were begging for. (More. Everything.)

He kept going, kept fucking you like he was the only man in the world who knew how. A sharp gasp spilled from you as he pushed your leg back and angled his hips to hit just the right spot inside of you. Then he hit it again, and by the third time, you were a goner.

This time as you started to come, you felt Billy let go, his thrusts turning awkward and clumsy and he groaned your name. He buried his face against your neck as his cock twitched and spilled inside you, hips giving gentle stilted movements as he emptied himself.

Then came the stillness, the quiet that was only filled by panted breaths.

Your fingers were still twisted in his hair, holding tight, and you had no intention of ever letting him go.

Minutes passed and he stayed inside you, his cock softening while his breathing slowed and levelled out.

You'd never had this before, you'd never been allowed to bask in the afterglow with him without fear of being discovered — admittedly, that fear was still present, but being caught fucking on a military base had worse punishments than the simple embarrassment of some random civilian finding you.

Billy didn't say anything, nor did he move.

"So much for taking your time with me," you said softly, hoping to break the strange tension that had descended.

He lifted his head and looked at you, managing a smile. "The night's young, Doc, and I'm just getting started."

"Good, 'cause I'm gonna need you to do that again," you said, letting out a laugh.

"You keep talking to me like that and I think I might fall in love with you."

[rangerelizabeth]

🆓: ... Free space - add your own what if...? scenario about episode 3

What if Gale made it to Algeria but wounded?

I got inspired to write a little drabble for this one! This is the first thing I've written in months (is my writer's block finally over?��) so I hope you enjoy it! Kind of an abrupt ending, but I promised myself I'd keep it relatively short lol. Drabble under the cut!

Word count: 1153

When the wheels of his fort touch down on Algerian soil, the first thing Gale feels is a flood of relief, despite being several yards from the runway, in a beat up fort made of what seems like more bullet holes than metal, all engines feathered, one of his crew killed, and far too many others lost on the way. At the very least, they made it. 

The second thing he registers is the dull ache in his right side, just below his ribcage. He’d felt the initial impact, certain and painful, when they were flying through heavy enemy fire some hours ago. 

Yet in the chaos of the moment, it seemed his copilot hadn’t noticed his wince of pain accompanied by a sharp intake of breath. So, he’d elected to keep it that way, allowing the initial excruciating pain to fade to a low thrum in the background as they continued with the mission. His crew was already shaken enough as it was. No reason to add insult to injury by informing them their pilot had been hit.

Now, safely on the ground in Algeria, he knows he should probably tell someone. But time seems to swim confusingly in the haze of a post-mission adrenaline crash, and before he knows it, Bucky and Jack are there and his crew is pulling the remains of Norman Smith, their trusted radio operator, out of the wrecked fort, so Gale shoves the injury out of his mind once more to take care of his crew.

Besides, he figures, it can’t be that bad if he’s made it this far.

~~~

As they get the men settled with bedrolls and water and whatever food they can scrounge up, considering their less than warm welcome in Algeria, Bucky basks in the relief that Gale is really there, on the ground, alive. He thought he knew nerves, but nothing could compare to the feeling of watching Gale’s beat up fort from his faux position as ‘reserve command pilot’, unable to do anything except hope against all odds that they would both make it to their destination.

Bucky can’t help but notice that the other man looks paler than normal, can’t help but notice the way his hands shake as he helps set up their makeshift camp. It’s understandable, Bucky supposes, after using every ounce of his willpower to keep his fort in the sky, then finally, finally touching down safely by nothing but the skin of his teeth. The comedown from something like that isn’t easy.

So, he chalks it up to that. Until moments later, that is, when sudden, frantic shouting comes while his back is turned. He whips his head up from where he was neatly unfurling a bedroll, his senses shocked when he finds Gale collapsed on his knees in the sand a few feet away from him.

Bucky abandons the bedroll, rushing forward. He drops to his own knees in front of Gale, hands latching onto Gale’s forearms while his eyes frantically search his face. Somehow, he looks even paler now. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Gale’s eyes are slow to find his. When they do, they’re pinched with a deep pain that Bucky can’t believe he didn’t notice before. Still, Gale shakes his head weakly. “’M fine.”

They have an audience, which Bucky knows isn’t helping Gale to tell him anything, stubborn and unflappable as he is. Or rather, as he would like to appear. Reluctantly, Bucky tears his eyes from the other man’s to glance around at the rest of the men. “Make yourselves busy, will you?”

Mercifully, they get the hint, dispersing in all directions away from the pair of them, busying themselves with getting settled in once more. Bucky’s gaze returns to Gale’s face with even greater urgency. “C’mon, Buck. What’s going on?”

It’s then that Gale presses a gentle hand to his right side, wincing even at the slightest pressure. There’s a tear there in his flight suit, accompanied by a spot of blood, which Bucky had naively assumed was someone else’s or just a minor scrape like the littering of small cuts now marring the other man’s face. 

“Think I’m hit,” Gale finally admits reluctantly, low and under his breath. 

Bucky clenches his jaw, inhales sharply through his nose, and forces himself not to panic. “You stubborn bastard. Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

Gale shrugs. His eyes appear cloudy with fatigue or dizziness, Bucky can’t quite tell. When he speaks, his voice comes out sounding weak. “Had things to do. A mission to complete.”

John stares at him in a mixture of concern and disbelief for a moment before spurring himself into action. Pushing Gale’s jacket off his shoulders and beginning to undo the straps of his flight suit in hopes of getting a good look at his wound, Bucky admonishes in frustration, “The mission was complete the second you landed that fort against all odds, and you know it. You should’ve told me right then.”

“Didn’t want to cause a fuss. I’m fine.”

“You are not fine,” Bucky disagrees sharply, but then softens. He could have lost Gale today. Still could, really, depending on how badly he’s hurt. If they both make it back to Thorpe Abbotts safely after this, then he’ll give the other man an earful about taking better care of himself. But for now, harsh words aren’t going to make Gale feel any better. “It’s my job to fuss over you. So just let me do my job, okay?”

Gale sighs, accepting, then nods. He glances around to see if anyone else is keeping an eye on them. Then, apparently satisfied when they’re not, allows himself to slump forward against the broad warmth of Bucky’s chest with a quiet grunt of pain.

It’s not helping Bucky get him out of his flight gear any faster, but it feels so good to have Gale close after the day's events that he allows it, just for a moment. He strokes a hand down Gale’s back, ducking his head to murmur into his ear, for the two of them only, “I’ve got you, doll. You’re gonna be just fine.”

Once Gale hums in acknowledgement, Bucky reluctantly pushes him back to continue his efforts. He’s afraid of the injury he might find underneath the layers of clothing, but forces himself to keep his attitude light and optimistic on Gale’s behalf.

“Never thought I’d be taking your clothes off surrounded by all of our men,” Bucky teases quietly as he pushes the top Gale’s flight suit down to bunch around his waist, hoping to brighten the mood.

It seems to work briefly, with Gale letting out a surprised, albeit weak chuckle. But then the movement seems to pain him, and he winces. “Don’t make me laugh.”

“Alright, alright,” Bucky quickly sobers, worry flooding his veins. “Let me take a look. We’ll have you all patched up in no time, promise.”

[suzukiblu]

WIP excerpt behind the cut; "the one where Kon's soulmark is fake". I remembered that, like, SEVERAL of my older WIPs are just a hot mess at the starts of their tags and also realized that I had posted like, very little coherently-connected parts of specifically this one's beginning, for some reason? Despite the fact that I love hurting and being hurt?? Somehow???? TERRIBLE oversight on my part, gang, sorry, here y'all go, enjoyyyyy~ 💙 (( chrono || non-chrono ))

Kon is sort of fucked-up in a lot of ways, but he didn't deliberately get the tattoo. Like–he's not that fucked-up. Hell, even Black Zero wasn't that fucked-up. 

Black Zero's Westfield didn't even give him the tattoo, actually, so maybe that's part of why they had a better relationship than Kon did with his version of the guy. Kon would also have hated the asshole a lot less if not for the tattoo, probably. 

But his Westfield had made damn sure to give it to him.

Kon doesn't remember much before he got broken out of the cloning tube, but he does remember getting the tattoo. It'd taken a really long time, and it'd been the first time he'd ever felt pain. So like, it'd made an impression. 

He hadn't even known what it was for, then. Hadn't even known what it was supposed to be. A brand? A method of identification? Some kind of weird serial number analogue? 

Not so much, it'd turned out. 

Superman's soulmark is a gorgeous Kryptonian sunrise spread out across his chest, bold and bright and beautiful. It looks like the rising truth and the clarity of a new beginning and the very literal physical manifestation of hope. 

And Kon's tattoo looks exactly like it. 

Except for the part where it's obviously just a tattoo, of course. 

Tattoos don't pass for soulmarks, after all, which is the only reason Kon has the damn thing to begin with. Westfield hadn't wanted him to make the mistake of thinking that he was a real person, or to make the mistake of thinking that anyone was ever going to give a fuck about him as the person that he was. He was a clone, an experiment, a weapon, a thing. He didn't have a soul or a soulmate. Didn't have a mark. 

He got over that. Like, it sucks? It really sucks. And he still hates it. But he'd gotten over it. 

Or he'd thought he had, until he'd found out who Superman's soulmate was. 

"What?" Kon says, staring blankly. 

"Dad's my soulmate," Jon repeats, pointing at the Kryptonian sunrise spread out across his chest, brightly illuminated by the noontime sun as they stand on the dock at the edge of a little pond on the outskirts of Smallville. "Why, who's yours? Or don't you know yet? Like, has it not come in?" 

"Clones don't get soulmarks," Kon says, wanting very, very badly to just throw up and die. 

"Huh?" Jon says, looking actually surprised. Kon continues to want to throw up and die. Or maybe bury himself in magma in the center of the planet and stay there 'til he suffocates. "But I thought everybody got soulmarks!" 

"Naw," Kon says instead of fuck you, because the kid's ten and doesn't deserve that. 

"Why not?" Jon asks, because again, he's ten. Ten and apparently as emotionally intelligent as a pudding cup, but whatever. Not like Kon's never had this conversation before. 

Never with Clark's kid who is apparently so much his kid as to be his literal fucking soulmate, which no one ever thought to mention to the stupid shitty clone in the past like four months since Clark had finally admitted to the secret identity that Kon had long since figured out thanks to Hypertime bullshit, but whatever. He only even officially met Jon a couple months ago. 

Probably they all figured it just wasn't his business, he guesses. 

Which–it's not, really. It's not his business. It never has been. 

It's not. 

"I mean, I'm sentient or whatever, but I'm manufactured," Kon tells the kid with a shrug. "Therefore no soul, therefore no soulmate, therefore no soulmark. That's all." 

"You don't have a soul?" Jon asks in bewilderment. 

"Naw," Kon says again, with another shrug. "So like, we gonna swim or what?" 

"Oh, uh, yeah," Jon says, still looking bewildered. 

So they swim. 

Kon, obviously, doesn't take his shirt off for it. 

Jon, mercifully, doesn't ask why. 

It's fun, aside from being the worst afternoon of Kon's life. They fuck around for a couple hours, then fly back to the farm after and mostly dry off on the way, and Clark comes out to meet–well, not them, obviously, but Jon. Jon lights up at the sight of him and throws himself straight into his arms like he's never once had to question whether or not Clark would ever want him there, and Clark smiles down at him like he's the most important person in the world. 

Kon should just count himself lucky that Clark trusts him enough to leave him alone with his kid for more than thirty seconds and be grateful. 

What Kon actually is, of course, is jealous and angry and fucking heartbroken. 

Jon is ten. Kon was manufactured two years ago. Clark had a real kid long before Kon was even a theoretical spark in a scientist's eye. 

And Jon had Clark the whole time Superboy was just desperately hoping that Superman would decide he was worth his attention. Worth the "S". Worth . . . 

When Clark had offered him a name from his family–specifically a name from an adopted member of his family–Kon had been . . . stupid, a little, and thought that it might've been, like . . . another step. Like he'd hoped that Superman even letting his weird stupid clone wear the "S" to begin with might've been.  

He hadn't been a complete idiot or anything. He'd known Clark would never, like–want to keep him around or have him too close or anything. He'd just thought that maybe he'd . . . that someday he might've . . . 

Kon isn't a real person. Like–obviously he's not. It isn't subtle. Hell, he'd have known it even if Westfield hadn't bothered tattooing him with a copy of Clark's mark. And really, he guesses he should be grateful Westfield didn't tattoo his own soulmark on him, whatever it was. 

Just, like, of course he's not Clark's . . . family, or whatever. Of course he's just like that one weird kid from down the street that somebody occasionally invites over out of pity who only learns the family secrets by accident or through osmosis and isn't actually kept in the loop or anything. Kon knows that. 

But watching Jon beam up at his dad and Clark smile down at his son is still making him want to curl up and die right here and now. 

Kon does kind of wonder what it's like to be, like . . . loved, or whatever. 

Everybody always makes it sound really nice. 

"Dinner's about ready," Clark says. "You two mind setting the table?" 

"Sorry, I gotta get going," Kon says instead of admitting he has no idea how to set a fucking table, especially not to whatever Martha Kent's standards are. Cadmus did not actually see fit to educate him on typical household chores and he has very rarely ever sat down at any semblance of a normal family dinner. Like, in Hawaii they all just ate wherever and not even all together half the time, and Cadmus has a cafeteria, and Young Justice just dumps a pile of junk food or takeout on the nearest unoccupied surface and they all just go to town on it like the weird gaggle of semi-superpowered and usually-ravenous teenagers that they are. 

He could look it up on his phone, and he probably will later, but there's no way he's gonna run the risk of getting caught looking it up on his phone. Like–no. Never, thanks. Miss him with that particular little bit of "further proof of being a fake person" humiliation. 

So it's . . . whatever, he guesses. 

"Well, that's alright, we'll just have to catch you another time," Clark says with a polite smile that looks nothing like the one he was just wearing for Jon, and doesn't even fake like he's disappointed or like he's gonna miss him. Because like . . . why would he, after all? 

Kon misses him all the time, but Kon's the pathetic counterfeit of a person with a copy of said person's soulmark tattooed on him. 

"Yeah, sure," Kon says, thinking longingly of suffocating in the center of the planet. 

Sometimes he thinks about what's gonna happen when he finally gets his dumb ass killed and whoever, like, autopsies or embalms him or whatever sees the tattoo. Thinks about what they're gonna think, if they . . . 

Superman's soulmark isn't a secret or anything. Clark's gotten smashed around too often for the suit to have kept it covered all this time. So like, if someone ever saw the tattoo on Kon's chest and didn't know that Cadmus put it there . . . 

Like . . . well. The natural assumption would be that Kon got it on purpose, obviously. That Kon was actually, like, that fucking pathetic and disturbed of a person. 

He never wants anyone to see it. Never wants anyone to know. Never . . . just never. None of it. Ever. 

And Clark will never smile at him like he smiles at Jon, so maybe Clark will just never know about the tattoo either. Maybe that's a thing that Kon can manage. 

He's managed it so far, at least. 

Kon goes back to Cadmus and buries himself in his eternally unmade bed in his cramped little disaster of a room and desperately tries to not be the absolute fucking freak that he is. 

He definitely fails at not being the absolute fucking freak that he is. 

He cries about it for a little bit, like that's something he even has the fucking right to do, and tries so fucking hard to forget how Jon's very real soulmark had looked when he'd stripped his shirt off and bared it so unselfconsciously. Not even deliberately or proudly–just as a simple, inalienable fact. A thing that he knew. A thing he just had. 

Although Kon wouldn't even care about the stupid goddamn mark, if Clark would ever look at him even a little bit like the way he looks at Jon. 

He tries not to think about the way Clark would actually look at him, if he ever found out that Cadmus had tattooed his fucking kid's mark on him. 

Kon's never let himself think too much about Clark's mark, on account of not wanting to torment himself that bad. He'd just vaguely assumed that it was Lois at some point and then just shoved said assumption in a box and drowned it in concrete and made sure to never, ever take his shirt off in front of anyone else or any possible cameras or spy equipment or anything similar. Ever. 

He should've known it wasn't Lois. It's a Kryptonian sunrise. Why would it be Lois? 

If it were Lois, though, Kon wouldn't care this much. If it were Lois, it'd be a romantic mark, and Lois is straight-up gorgeous and a total fucking badass, yeah, but Kon doesn't, like, want her or anything. There's nothing to be jealous of there. 

So of course it's not Lois. Of course it's not romantic. 

It's Jon, and on top of that it's a mark that only actual Kryptonians would ever share. 

It's Clark's real kid. The one he had long before Kon was even a single strand of stolen DNA or a cell in a cloning tube or even a scribbled theoretical on a whiteboard or in somebody's notes. 

The one he actually wants. 

Not for the first time, Kon wishes that prick Westfield weren't too dead to punch. 

And while he's wishing for completely impossible shit that’s never gonna happen, he wishes he could've been able to stay in Smallville for that stupid dinner without fucking embarrassing himself, too.

[mikkomacko]

Does anything ever happen to reader while Nico is away on a job?

In hindsight, it should’ve been something you and Timo accounted for. But it had never bothered you before unless the weather got really cold and even than it wasn’t something you couldn’t fight through.

After Philly, the injury to your wrist had kind of faded to the background. What was more important was the stitching and scaring on your thigh, making sure it stayed dry and bandaged. Your wrist just healed in its own, with a brief conversation over the phone with Fleury to tell him it felt fine.

And it did, so you never thought anything of it.

Until one late morning at training with Timo, you were sparring him in the boxing ring, large pink gloves strapped to your hands. Timo was throwing the pads at you, meticulously following the combo pattern you’d gone over a million times. For some reason that day though, you threw your left fist into the pad, meeting the resistance of Timo’s stance and a needle of pain shot up your wrist. Burning in the little knobby bone on the inside, stinging all the way up your forearm and to your elbow.

Wincing, you immediately curled your arm into your chest, trying to shield the throbbing pain but you couldn’t get to it with the stupid gloves on your hands.

“Ow Timo, wait.” You stop, and he freezes, shaking off the pads and immediately reaching for you. Instinctively, you step away from him, still hiding your injured wrist from him. Instead you shove your good hand towards him.

“Off please.” You whimper, and he unstraps the glove without hesitation. With your hand now free you gently grab the band of the other glove, careful as you unstrap it and ease the glove off.

The pressure of your glove throbs as it releases from your wrist, and you suck in a sharp breath, biting at your lip. Timo steps closer, fingers cautiously reaching for your wrist.

“It’s ok, just let me see.” He assures, and you sniffle, let him take your hand with a feather light touch and examine your wrist. It’s already swollen, red and angry but when he instructs you to wiggle your fingers, you’re still able to. Even if it brings tears to the corners of your eyes.

“We’ll get Marino to look at it,” Timo explains, speaking as if he were soothing a spooked horse. In your defense, the only person who ever touched these injuries were Fleury and Nico, both of whom knew to be extra careful with the reminders of that night in Philly.

It feels…raw and sensitive letting Timo touch such a fragile part of you, one that you had been pushing back for so long. Maybe it has hurt all this time and you just didn’t let yourself feel it. You remember Nico, months ago when he was training you, always being easy on that hand. He never restrained it too tightly, never gave you boxing combos or self defense tactics that favored that hand.

“What if he can’t fix it?” You ask sadly, and Timo pouts in sympathy.

“He can. And if he can’t, Nico’s got the best hospital in the city on payroll, ok? You’ll be fine.”

Your stomach drops, anxiety gnawing at it uncomfortably. “We’ll have to tell Nico,” you sigh, already thinking about how that conversation would go.

He’s out of town for the next three days, handling something in DC with Jesper and Jack. He said it was nothing worrisome, just working out the details of the alliance with Ovi and the Caps that the devs have had for years. Casual and quick business. No big deal.

It will be a big deal if he gets a call that you’re hurt and he’s there for the next few days though.

Timo, bless his heart, sounds calm and certain when he coos, “he’ll be fine, it’s nothing big.” His eyes though, swim with worry. For than he did when he first saw your wrist. It’s probably a good thing that the worry isn’t aimed at your injury, maybe it’s not that bad.

What’s worse is telling Nico.

~~~~

Two hours later, with a brace tightly wrapped around your wrist and an ice pack over it, you answers Nico’s FaceTime call.

He’s in a hotel room, the white bedding and pillows messy behind him, but all you can focus on is his freshly shaved face and dimpled cheeks.

“Hi baby,” he greets, adjusting the backwards hat on his head. You can’t help but smile, the sound of his voice already easing the heavy feeling you’ve had all day.

This is Nico. Even if he’s worried, this isn’t something you can’t tell him. There’s nothing you can’t tell him.

“Hi,” you say, smile lazy and tired. You push yourself up from where you had sunk into the couch cushions, carefully adjusting your numb arm.

“You ok?” Nico asks, eyebrows pinching together in worry. “You sound sad.”

“I’m ok,” you promise, “just didn’t have a very good training day.”

Behind you, somewhere in the kitchen you can faintly hear Timo talking to who you assume is Moose by the resounding bark that follows.

“No?” Nico pouts, those brown eyes of his shining with sympathy. “What happened?”

“Timo and I were sparring,” you explain through a dejected sigh, “and I re-sprained my wrist.”

“The one from-“

“Yeah,” you pout, lifting your arm to show him the wrap Marino had fixed you with. “Johnny said it’ll be fine in a couple days but from now on Timo has to help me build it up so that it doesn’t happen again.”

Nico huffs, dejected and annoyed sounding but you can tell by the look on his face it’s more out of guilt than anything else. Guilt for Philly, for the original injury, for not pushing you to address the fact that it was still fragile, for being gone now.

“I told T to watch it,” Nico says, shaking his head. “He should’ve known to not push you too hard on that one.”

“It’s been months,” you defend, “it didn’t hurt before. He probably just thought it was fine. I thought it was fine.”

“I know you thought that,” he raises an unimpressed eyebrow. “Which is why I told Timo and not you to watch it.”

You jut out your bottom lip. “You don’t trust me?”

“I trust you, just not with your own injuries.” He laughs softly. “The same as you say to me.”

Your lips curl up in amusement. “Good thing we have each other then.”

“Except I’m not there this weekend,” Nico sighs, reaching up to remove his hat. He runs his hand through it, scratching at the tick of his jaw. “No more training until I get back and look at it. And Timo is with you 24/7, I mean it. I don’t want you so much as lifting a bottle of water with that hand, ok?”

He’s being a bit dramatic you think, but it’s sweet so you just smile and nod. Timo was already staying with you while Nico was gone and you weren’t planning on training anymore until you are feel better so it’s no harm anyway.

“Yes boss.”

Nico huffs a laugh, going silent for a moment. He just looks at you through the phone, grainy but still beautiful. “You gonna be ok without me?”

“No,” you sigh wistfully, “but I’ll simply endure until my teddy bear of a boyfriend returns to snuggle me.”

You two share tiny giggles, Nico’s cheeks tinging pink at your sweet words. “That’s my girl,” he murmurs proudly and butterflies swarm your chest. “Call me if you need anything at all ok? Even if you don’t need anything. And make sure you’re resting.”

You nod along to his instructions, failing to hide the way his protectiveness has your cheeks warming and smile growing so wide it hurts. Nico tilts his head.

“What?” He asks, his own smile widening.

“Nothing,” you shrug. “I just love you.”

“I love you too baby.”

[xechu]

From Worst to Hell (Pt. 1)

cw: suggestive themes, 18+ mdni, please read my blog rules before interacting, sexual themes, swearing, use of weed and implied driving under the influence (drive responsibly).

wc: 1.9K

a/n: this is part of my au 'Cross My Heart' - check out the master list here! I had so much fun writing this. Thank you for reading. x

If the dictionary had the word 'world's-biggest-clown' in it, accompanied with a reference picture, Sukuna had no doubt that it would be his own face plastered on it. Because why in god's name was he laying beside Yorozu in this very moment? Naked bodies and limbs entangled, thick, heady musk lingering in the air, and high out of his goddamn mind.

What he really should have been doing—or should have already done—was grovel at your feet, begging for forgiveness, and giving you the best fuck to show you how sorry he was, and how much he still loves you. He should have done something—anything—when he found his belongings packed up in a box three weeks ago. But, no, it was always his pride and ego—always his insecurities that got in the way, that kept him from admitting he was wrong, that stopped him from apologizing. Sukuna had always known that he was his own worst enemy.

For someone as much of a screwup as he was, the universe had still managed to serve him all the good things in life on a silver platter: a good brother, an understanding sister-in-law, a cute nephew who he practically treats as his own son, a successful business, and you—the woman of his dreams. And yet, he managed to completely fumble it.

As he laid there in self-loathing, a phone call suddenly jolts him to his senses, and when he sees your name on the caller ID, he springs up the bed. He answers, heart racing in anticipation, and then to his shock, you were a sobbing incoherent mess on the other end. The sound of your distress immediately sobered him up.

"Shit, Y/N, what happened?"

"I'm—hic—I don't—I just—hic—wanna go home."

"Fucking Christ," Sukuna muttered, rubbing his face with his hand, "Are you hurt?"

"N-no—hic"

"Good," he lets out a breath of relief. "Can you send me your location?"

He glances at his phone as it buzzes, Y/N wants to share her location with you.

"Alright, sweetheart. I'm coming."

"What happened?" Yorozu's voice rasped, as she leaned in on Sukuna. Her breasts pressing up to his arm.

"I have to go," he shrugged her off as he climbed out of her bed.

"Why? I thought you broke up with her," she shot back, resentment lacing her voice.

"She broke up with me, and for a good reason. But I can't leave her like this." Sukuna clarified, as he zipped up his jeans and threw on his black t-shirt. The scar on his abdomen from the knife wound still tickled as his shirt grazes over it—a constant reminder of why and how things became the current shitshow it was.

"Are you coming back?"

"No," he said firmly, jaw tightening, "No more of this, Yor. This will be the last time."

"You're fucking joking, right?" Her tone was incredulous.

"I'm not. Whatever happened between us tonight, it won't happen again."

"What the hell, Ryo?" Yorozu hissed, "What do you take me for? Just some whore you could come for a good fuck and leave?"

"You and I both got what we wanted out of this. Enough is enough."

"Really? You'd drop me, and our years of friendship just for some other girl?"

"She's not just some other girl," he snapped, his eyes shooting her a warning glare. But to be honest, the fact that Yorozu even saw you in this light in the first place was entirely Sukuna's fault, and he knew it. He hated how he allowed his circle to view you as such, and it was because he never gave you the respect you deserved.

Yorozu rolled her eyes, as she stood up, "I know how much you loved her, but she just isn't good for you," she drew circles around Sukuna's arm, a last ditch effort to appeal to him.

"She can't appreciate the things you've done for her. And worst of all, she's trying to mold you into this person you're not! What are you, her personal fix-me-up project?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm saying that you've changed, Ryo. She's turning you into someone you're not."

"She was right about you," Sukuna lowly chuckled, as he shrugs away from Yorozu's touch, "I tried to vouch for you, give you the benefit of the doubt because of our history, but I should have cut you off a long time ago."

"I knew she was talking shit about me!" Yorozu's features darken, and her body trembled with anger, "What kind of bullshit has she been feeding you?"

"She hardly talks about you," he shrugged, impatience creeping into his voice, "Look, I have to go."

"You're a scum, Ryomen. You need to get your head out of your own ass."

"Tell me something I don't know," he scoffed, as he took his car keys and left the apartment.

Sukuna shoots you a text: I'll be here in 10. Don't talk to anyone, don't go anywhere.

---

You stood in front of the bar, arms crossed against the chill of the night. Your face was stained with dried tears and mascara streaks. You were a hopeless disaster, even then, 'hopeless disaster' was a gross understatement.

In your head, you knew you were far gone, but it seemed your body had a mind of its own, swaying slightly as you struggled to keep your balance. Why did you call him? You were doing so damn well, and you felt so good about being the one to end things this time, so why on earth were you crawling back to him like some pathetic, needy, little girl? When did you become so weak? This is why he thinks he could walk all over you.

As you mentally berated yourself, you contemplated on if you should just call an Uber home. But before you had time to change your mind, you see your ex-boyfriend's car pull up. Of course, it had to be his flashy one too: a black Lamborghini Urus.

"Hey," he murmured, quickly climbing out of his car and catching you before you lost balance.

"I wanna go home," you slurred, pushing him away and stumbling over your own heels.

"You can't even walk straight, what are you doing?" He let out an exasperated sigh, as he watched you struggle towards the car.

Before you could make an even bigger fool of yourself, he scooped you up, princess-style, and plopped you into the passenger seat. He didn't want to be taking you to the hospital tonight, though it would have been somewhat of an amusing twist of irony.

"Why were you drinking by yourself?" He asked, slipping into the driver’s seat and buckling your seatbelt. It was a stupid question, he knew why, but that’s how desperately he wanted to just talk to you again.

"B-because, you're a fucking dick." It was hard to take you seriously when you were a slurring mess.

"Right, and that's why you called me?" he quipped.

"I know, okay?!" You yelled, frustration overflowing, "Everyone's been telling me to just get over it, and that you're an asshole!"

"Are you sure they said that about me?"

"A thousand-hundred...ten-percent."

"Hm, okay."

Sukuna sat there, his arm resting on the steering wheel and his head leaning in his hand, listening to your slurred ramblings. Even with your mascara-stained face, why were you so beautiful?

"I'm so...pathetic. To love someone who never l-loved me!"

"That's not true," he scowled, "You know I lo—"

"There you go again!" You said in a mocking tone, "Telling me what is and isn't! You're just so clever, Ryo! And I'm just some helpless idiot!"

"I never thought you were an idiot," Sukuna muttered.

Despite the sheer chaos of the current situation, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of relief and happiness that you were here. The fact that you still thought to call him when you needed help filled him with an unexpected warmth. He was convinced that three weeks ago was the last time he'd ever see you.

"You can have the last laugh like you always do! Ha ha ha." You threw your arms up in exasperation, nearly smacking him in the face and garnering a small 'tch' from him. But he was willing to take in any form of abuse from you right now, after all, he deserved it.

"We're going home. I forget how much of a brat you are when you're drunk," he said, as he started the car.

"My home, I kicked you out," you giggled, seemingly a little too happy about that.

"Sure thing, sweetheart."

Almost immediately, an awkward silence filled the car. He glanced over at you, only to find you staring straight ahead, large globs of tears rolling down your cheeks. His eyebrows furrow in confusion, not sure what to make of your drunk erratic behavior.

"Y-you don’t get to call me that anymore!" You started bawling uncontrollably.

Sukuna pinched the bridge of his nose, it didn’t help that as of half an hour ago he was still high out of his mind, and in another woman's bed (which he was still mentally kicking himself over). Sighing, he decided it was better to stay quiet, flipping on the music in the car—the tunes of Arctic Monkeys quietly playing in the background.

Though you only lived about fifteen minutes away, it was going to be a long drive home.

---

Thankfully, the two of you had made it back safely to the underground parking lot of your apartment. It had taken every fiber of Sukuna's being to stay focused on the road, and resisting the urge to fill the silence with comments that could potentially throw you into a crying frenzy again.

He glanced over at you as he parks the car, somewhat bracing himself for another emotional outburst, but you seemed quietly distant, lost in your own thoughts. He ran his hand through his hair, a sinking feeling that tonight was going to be a long night. With a resigned sigh, he climbed out of his side of the car and walked over to your door, opening it for you.

"My feet hurt," you frowned, as you flung off your Kate red bottoms, "the shoes you bought me suck."

"Yeah, yeah, just tell me you want to get carried," he scooped you up effortlessly, while hooking your heels on his two fingers that were free, "and you're the one who wanted them, in case you forgot."

"They looked so nice on Zendaya," you murmured, as your head rested against his chest.

"Mhm." He had no clue who Zendaya was, he doesn't keep up with pop culture.

"Keys," he said, glancing down at you as you seemed to drift off to sleep, looking far too comfortable in his arms. Like you belonged there.

"In my bag," you mumbled.

"Grab it?"

"You're so annoying," you huffed, reaching into your purse and fishing out your keys. He tapped with his index finger, gesturing you to hook the keyring around it.

As Sukuna waited for the elevator, carrying you in his arms, he stared at the LED screen of the descending floor numbers. The numbers seemed to pull him into a trance, recalling unwanted memories—how he had hurt you, the brash and callous things he said just to be hurtful. Each digit felt like a ticking reminder of how he was so weak-willed, crawling into the arms of another woman just three weeks later. When suddenly—

"Ryo," you said his name with such unexpected clarity, it made his heart race. It felt as if all was forgiven, and he just woke up from a nightmare. The break-up wasn't real, the hospital wasn't real, sleeping with Yorozu wasn't real.

"Hm?" He tried to hide his anticipation.

"I need to throw up."

"Oh, hell no—"

Writing © xechu - please do not redistribute, translate, or repost any of my works.

[caplanbuckybarnes]

Ink & Oath (tattoo artist!Mafiaso!Dean W.)

Summary: Reader comes to a quaint tattoo shop to get some much needed work done to her back piece... little does she know that her entire life will change in just a few short moments.

WC: 13.5K

Warnings: mafia au,tattoo artist dean nongraphic smut, angst with a happy ending, pregnancy

Read on ao3!

A/N: i wasn't going to put this piece on tumblr, because of it being so long. Plus i'm honestly so tired of the blank blogs giving empty notes and not really giving much else. So i'm *probably* not going to keep this posted if it receives nothing but likes w/ little to no reblogs. I worked extremely hard on this piece a few days ago and it's honestly so discouraging to not get /something/ in return. Anyway, whatever.

--

You’re standing at the counter of Winchester Ink, half-annoyed and half-desperate. The sleek, industrial-style tattoo parlor is packed, and the receptionist informs you that due to their packed schedule, only 40 minutes of work can be squeezed in today. You’d planned to finally finish the intricate back piece you’d started with another artist—one who bailed on you last minute.

Agreeing to the partial session, you put down the deposit and prepare for a follow-up. The artist does incredible work, but it’s not enough to bring your tattoo to completion. When you return for your second appointment, you’re shocked to find the shop’s owner himself—Dean Winchester—waiting for you. His broad shoulders and sharp green eyes hold a glare that’s almost as intimidating as his reputation.

He explains that your rushed appointment cost him money and time—and now you owe him. But when he notices your determination and sees your unfinished ink, a mischievous smirk creeps across his face.

“Alright, sweetheart,” Dean says, leaning on his desk, “I’ve got an offer. You want your back piece done? You’re gonna work it off. Be my shop assistant for a few weeks, cover some shifts. And maybe… I’ll finish the job myself.”

The lines between professionalism and something much darker start to blur as Dean’s attention becomes far more personal than just your tattoo.

You blink at him, trying to gauge if he’s serious or just messing with you. The way his smirk deepens when you hesitate tells you he’s enjoying this way too much.

“Are you even allowed to do that?” you ask, crossing your arms.

Dean shrugs, completely unbothered. “My shop, my rules.”

You glance around the parlor, the buzzing of tattoo machines filling the space, the scent of antiseptic and ink in the air. The place is busy, artists hunched over their clients, lost in concentration. Winchester Ink has a reputation for being one of the best, and Dean Winchester himself is practically a legend. It’s an opportunity, but it also feels like a trap.

Still, you want this tattoo finished. It’s been sitting on your back like an incomplete story, haunting you every time you catch your reflection. You can’t let it stay unfinished.

With a deep breath, you square your shoulders. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

Dean grins like you just handed him the keys to your soul. “Atta girl.”

The next day, you show up, not sure what to expect. Turns out, working at a tattoo shop is nothing like you’d imagined. It’s long hours of cleaning stations, refilling ink wells, running the front desk, and dealing with clients who can’t decide on a design to save their lives.

Dean watches you like a hawk, making sure you don’t slack off, but there’s something else in his gaze too—something that makes your stomach flip. And when he finally gets you in his chair, stretching your skin taut beneath his gloved hands, the air between you shifts. His touch is precise, his focus unwavering, but every now and then, his fingers linger just a second too long.

“You sure you can handle working here, sweetheart?” he murmurs, his breath warm against your skin as he leans in, the tattoo machine whirring softly.

You lift your chin, refusing to let him see how much he affects you. “I can handle a lot more than you think, Winchester.”

His smirk returns, this time laced with something darker, something that makes your pulse stutter.

“Good,” he says, dragging the needle across your skin in a slow, deliberate stroke. “Let’s see just how much."

--

The next morning, you step into Winchester Ink, now seeing it from the other side of the counter. The usual buzz of tattoo guns fills the air, along with the scent of antiseptic and ink. Dean, already working on a client, jerks his head toward the reception desk.

“You’re on desk duty today,” he calls over his shoulder. “Phones, appointments, clean-up. Try not to scare off the customers.”

You roll your eyes but take your place, answering the phone as a biker-looking guy strolls in, flipping through the portfolio. It’s an adjustment, sure, but you settle in fast. You’re almost enjoying it—until Dean appears behind you, close enough that his breath warms your skin.

“Not bad,” he murmurs, his voice rough, teasing. “But don’t think I won’t put you to work scrubbing floors if you slack off.”

You turn to retort, only to find yourself inches from his sharp green gaze. The tension crackles between you like a live wire, and from the slow smirk spreading across his lips, he knows it too.

Maybe this deal isn’t as simple as it seemed.

The shop closes late, and you’re still sweeping up stray paper towels and discarded ink caps when Dean finally locks the front door. Most of the other artists have already left, leaving just the two of you in the dimly lit space. The buzzing neon "Winchester Ink" sign outside casts a soft blue glow through the glass, flickering faintly like it’s seen too many late nights.

“You survived day one,” Dean says, leaning against the front desk with an amused smirk. “I was half-expecting you to run out crying after dealing with that Karen who wanted a ‘spiritual wolf’ tattoo on her lower back.”

You snort. “Please, I’ve dealt with worse.”

“Yeah?” He watches you for a beat, arms crossed over his chest, his black t-shirt stretching just enough to be distracting. “Guess we’ll see if you can handle tomorrow.”

Something about the way he says it—low, laced with something unreadable—sends a slow shiver down your spine.

“You really that desperate for free labor?” you tease, tilting your head.

Dean’s smirk deepens. He steps closer, just enough that you catch the faint scent of leather and aftershave beneath the lingering ink and antiseptic.

“Nah,” he says, voice dropping a little. “I just like watching you squirm.”

Your pulse kicks up, and you hate that he can probably tell. But before you can come up with a sharp response, Dean straightens, stretching his arms behind his head like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

“Go home, sweetheart. Get some rest.” He nods toward the back. “Your tattoo’s not getting finished if you pass out on me halfway through.”

You don’t move right away. The reminder of why you’re here—why you agreed to this in the first place—grounds you, just enough to shake off the heat in your chest.

“Goodnight, boss,” you say, deliberately casual as you set the broom aside and grab your bag.

Dean just chuckles, low and knowing.

“Night, sweetheart.”

And damn him, you swear you can still feel his gaze on your back long after you’ve stepped outside.

--

Working at Winchester Ink is no joke. The shop is always packed, and between scheduling appointments, sterilizing equipment, and dealing with customers who either can’t commit or want the worst design ideas imaginable, you barely have time to breathe.

Dean? He’s a menace.

He pushes you, makes you run errands, hands you the mop at the end of every shift like it’s some kind of personal game. But the worst part? The way he watches you.

It’s not outright—nothing you could call him out on—but it’s there. A glance that lingers too long. A smirk when he brushes past you, his hand skimming your lower back like it’s an accident. And the way he says things.

"You look good behind my desk, sweetheart."

"Bet you’d look even better covered in more ink."

"Careful, sweetheart. Keep biting that lip, and I might start thinking you’re doing it for me."

It’s infuriating. Mostly because part of you likes it.

--

By the time your shift ends, your feet ache, and you’re pretty sure you have ink on your cheek. Everyone else has already left, and it’s just you and Dean—again.

“C’mere,” he says from his station. His voice is softer than usual, but there’s still that teasing edge to it.

You hesitate. “Why?”

He taps the leather tattoo chair. “You wanna get that back piece finished or what?”

Your stomach flips. “I thought we were waiting—”

Dean raises a brow. “You put in the work, didn’t you? I think you’ve earned a little progress.”

You swallow hard. This was the deal. Your tattoo. That’s why you’re here. That’s all this is.

Right?

You climb into the chair, heart hammering as Dean snaps on a fresh pair of gloves. His fingers ghost over your skin as he carefully peels back your shirt, exposing your unfinished tattoo. The cool air sends a shiver down your spine, but it’s nothing compared to the way Dean’s touch lingers, his fingertips dragging just a second longer than necessary.

“Relax,” he murmurs, voice close to your ear. “I’ll take good care of you.”

The tattoo gun hums to life, but the only thing you can focus on is him—his breath against your neck, the steady grip of his hand on your waist.

And when he starts tattooing?

You swear it has nothing to do with the ink and everything to do with the way his touch sinks under your skin.

The sharp sting of the needle drags across your skin, but it’s not the pain that makes your breath hitch—it’s him. Dean’s touch is firm, his other hand resting against your waist, grounding you. His breath ghosts over your exposed skin as he leans in closer, the scent of leather, whiskey, and something unmistakably him flooding your senses.

“You’re tense,” he murmurs, voice rough and low. “Gotta loosen up for me, sweetheart.”

The words send a jolt of heat through you, pooling low in your stomach. You grip the edges of the chair, trying to focus on the rhythmic buzz of the tattoo gun, but it’s impossible when Dean is right there, his presence overwhelming.

He works slow, deliberate, the pressure of his hand steadying you with every pass of the needle. His fingers, clad in latex, slide against your skin, adjusting your position with a touch that’s almost too gentle. And maybe you’re imagining it, maybe it’s the adrenaline, but there’s something in the way his thumb sweeps over your side—something that feels less like a professional touch and more like a test.

A challenge.

“You okay?” he asks, but there’s something smug in his tone, like he already knows the answer.

“I’m fine,” you manage, though your voice is breathier than you’d like.

Dean chuckles, and you feel it vibrate through you. “Yeah? You sure?” His voice dips lower, teasing, and then—fuck. His hand moves, sliding just a fraction higher, his thumb tracing the dip of your spine in a way that has nothing to do with the tattoo.

Your pulse hammers. You should say something, should shift away, should stop this before it goes somewhere dangerous.

But you don’t.

Instead, you let out a slow exhale, pressing just slightly into his touch. It’s barely anything, just a shift of your body, but Dean notices.

Of course, he does.

His grip tightens—not rough, but possessive. The needle lifts from your skin, and suddenly, he’s not working anymore.

You hear the quiet click of the tattoo gun shutting off, the eerie silence of the shop settling between you. Your heart pounds as Dean pulls his gloves off with a slow, deliberate snap.

Then, he leans in, lips just brushing the shell of your ear.

“I think we both know this ain’t just about the tattoo anymore.”

You swallow hard, your breath uneven. “Dean—”

“Tell me to stop,” he says, his voice nothing but a growl now. “Tell me to back off, and I will.”

But you don’t say it.

You can’t.

Instead, you turn your head just enough that your lips are a whisper away from his. The air between you crackles, electric, and then—

He kisses you.

It’s not slow. It’s not tentative. It’s everything—all that tension, all those unspoken words, poured into one desperate, claiming kiss. His hand fists in your hair, tilting your head back, his other arm sliding around your waist and pulling you against him, hard.

You gasp against his mouth, and he takes the opportunity to deepen the kiss, his tongue sliding against yours, demanding and sinful. His teeth graze your bottom lip before he sucks it between his own, and you swear you feel the heat of it all the way down to your core.

“Fuck,” you whisper when he finally pulls back, your lips swollen, breath ragged.

Dean’s eyes are dark—dangerous.

“Sweetheart,” he drawls, his fingers tracing the curve of your waist, his voice pure sin. “We’re just getting started.”

--

The air in the shop is thick with heat, the scent of ink and sweat lingering between you. Your back is still tingling—not just from the fresh tattoo, but from the way Dean had held you, touched you, ruined you right there in his chair.

You’re still catching your breath, your body limp against the leather, when you feel him shift behind you. His fingers trace over your spine, a ghost of a touch that sends another shiver down your already overstimulated body.

“Y’alright, sweetheart?” His voice is hoarse, rough with something smug and satisfied.

You manage a breathy laugh. “You really have to ask?”

Dean chuckles, and you feel the warmth of it against your bare shoulder before he presses a slow, lingering kiss there. “Just making sure you didn’t pass out on me.”

You roll your eyes, but you’re too spent to come up with a sharp retort. Instead, you sigh, shifting slightly as you feel the ache settling into your muscles.

Dean moves away, and you hear the rustle of fabric as he tugs his jeans back on. You should probably do the same, but right now, your body feels like it’s made of liquid, melted into the chair that still smells like him.

A moment later, something soft lands on your back—a towel, warm and slightly damp.

“Clean yourself up,” he murmurs, his voice softer now, rough around the edges in a way that sends another ripple of warmth through you. “I’ll grab you some water.”

You prop yourself up on one elbow, watching as he moves across the shop. His shoulders are broad, his movements lazy, like he’s entirely at ease, but there’s something else there too—something in the way he glances at you over his shoulder like he’s still thinking about what just happened.

Like maybe he’s not done with you yet.

By the time he returns, you’ve pulled your clothes back on, though your skin still hums from his touch. He hands you a bottle of water, watching as you take a few slow sips.

“So,” you say finally, breaking the silence. “This part of the standard Winchester Ink experience?”

Dean smirks, leaning against the counter, his green eyes flicking over you like he’s already plotting his next move. “Nah,” he says, voice low. “Just the VIP package.”

You snort, shaking your head. “Right.”

For a moment, neither of you speak. The weight of what just happened still lingers between you, heavy and unspoken. And maybe this should be awkward—maybe you should be freaking out, wondering what the hell this means for the deal you made, for the tattoo, for anything.

But you’re not.

Instead, you watch Dean, the way his jaw shifts slightly, the way he looks at you like he’s still hungry, and you realize something.

This isn’t over.

Not even close.

And judging by the way Dean grins at you, slow and wicked, he knows it too.

You knew something was off about Dean Winchester. No man carries himself with that much confidence—that much authority—without having something to back it up.

But nothing could have prepared you for the truth.

You’re sitting in his apartment, a loft-style space above Winchester Ink, still tangled in his sheets, wearing nothing but one of his flannel shirts. The tattoo on your back is finally finished, but that’s the least of your thoughts right now. Because Dean just told you something that should have made you run.

He’s not just a tattoo artist.

Dean Winchester owns this city. Or at least, the parts that matter.

He’s the leader of something much bigger, much darker. The kind of operation that people whisper about in hushed tones, the kind that law enforcement pretends doesn’t exist because even they’re too scared to take him on.

And yet… you’re still here.

“You’re not saying anything,” Dean murmurs, watching you from across the room. His back is to the window, the neon glow of the city framing him in pale blues and reds. His green eyes are unreadable, but there’s tension in the way he holds himself—like he’s waiting for you to get up and walk away.

You take a deep breath, considering your words. “You just told me you run a criminal empire, Dean.”

He huffs a dry, humourless laugh. “Yeah. Guess I did.”

You tilt your head. “What do you want me to say?”

Dean studies you for a moment, then looks away, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “I don’t know. Figured you’d freak out. Maybe tell me I’m a monster.” His voice is low and rough, like he’s bracing himself for something inevitable. “Most people would.”

You take a moment, looking at him. Really looking.

And what you see isn’t just power, or danger, or the weight of everything he’s done. You see a man who has lost too much, who carries the weight of his past like a chain around his throat.

“You’re not a monster,” you say softly.

Dean’s eyes snap to yours like he wasn’t expecting that answer. “You don’t know the shit I’ve done.”

You exhale, pulling your knees to your chest. “Then tell me.”

He hesitates, his fingers twitching at his side. When he finally speaks, his voice is quieter than you’ve ever heard.

“My dad built this empire,” he says, staring out at the city. “He wasn’t a good man. He did a lot of bad things hurt a lot of people. But he kept us safe—me and my little brother, Sam. When he died, I took over. Thought I could do better, clean things up.”

You already know this story doesn’t have a happy ending.

Dean swallows, his jaw tightening. “I tried. But this life? It doesn’t let go. Sam didn’t want any part of it. Got himself a real job, a real life.” He lets out a bitter chuckle. “Thought I could keep him safe if he stayed away. But they still found him.”

Your stomach twists. “Dean…”

He exhales sharply, shaking his head. “I buried him six years ago.”

The words hang heavy in the air, and for the first time, you see it—the real Dean Winchester. The man who lost everything, who built his own empire on the bones of his past.

And yet, he told you.

He let you in.

You slide out of bed, crossing the room before he can stop you. When you reach him, you press your palm against his chest, feeling the steady, strong beat of his heart beneath your fingers.

“I’m still here,” you say softly.

Dean’s breath catches. His hands, rough and calloused, come up to cradle your face like he’s afraid you’ll disappear. His thumbs brush along your cheekbones, and when he speaks, his voice is almost pleading.

“You should be scared of me.”

You smile, just a little. “Maybe.” You lean up, brushing your lips against his. “But I’m not.”

Dean groans softly, his grip tightening, and when he kisses you, it’s different this time. Not just hunger, not just claiming.

It’s desperation.

Like he’s been drowning for years, and you’re the first breath of air he’s had in a long, long time.

Dean kisses you like he’s unravelling—like everything he’s kept buried for years is clawing its way to the surface. His fingers grip your waist, pulling you flush against him, like if he holds you tight enough, he can stop the ghosts from creeping back in.

You let him.

You let him take what he needs, because you’re still here. You don’t flinch when his hands slide lower, gripping you with a kind of desperation that has nothing to do with lust and everything to do with the fact that he’s terrified. Terrified that now that you know the truth, you’ll vanish like everyone else he’s ever cared about.

But you don’t.

Instead, you press closer, wrapping your arms around his neck, tilting your head so he can deepen the kiss. His tongue slides against yours, slow and deliberate, like he’s savoring you, like he’s memorising the way you feel against him.

His hands roam, calloused palms skating over your skin, slipping beneath the flannel you’re still wearing. When his fingers find bare skin, he exhales against your lips, his breath uneven.

“Sweetheart,” he murmurs, almost like a warning.

You pull back just enough to meet his gaze. “I’m still here, Dean.”

Something in his expression cracks, just for a second, before he fists the back of your shirt and tugs you toward him. His lips brush against your temple, your cheek, and your jaw. His breath is warm and ragged.

“You don’t know what you’re signing up for,” he mutters against your skin, his mouth ghosting along your collarbone.

“I don’t care.”

Dean stills. His grip on you tightens for half a second before he pulls back just enough to look at you, searching your face like he’s waiting for you to change your mind.

“You should care,” he says, voice rough. “People in my world don’t get happy endings.”

You reach up, fingers tracing along his jaw, feeling the tension there, the way his muscles tighten beneath your touch. “I don’t need a happy ending.” You tilt your head, letting your thumb brush the corner of his mouth. “I just need you.”

A low sound rumbles in his chest, something between a groan and a curse, before his mouth crashes back onto yours.

This time, there’s no hesitation. No restraint.

Dean takes—his lips moving against yours with purpose, his hands gripping your hips, lifting you with ease as he carries you back to the bed. The mattress dips beneath you as he lowers you onto it, his weight pressing you into the sheets, the warmth of his body chasing away the chill of the night.

“You sure about this?” he mutters against your lips, his forehead resting against yours.

You thread your fingers through his hair, tugging just enough to make him growl. “Shut up and kiss me, Winchester.”

Dean grins against your mouth before he does exactly that.

And when he claims you this time, it’s not just need—it’s something deeper, something neither of you are ready to name yet.

But it’s there.

And neither of you is letting go.

Dean doesn’t just kiss you—he devours you like he’s been starving for something real and only just realised you’re the thing he’s been craving. His hands are everywhere, sliding under the flannel you stole, gripping your thighs, tracing over the fresh ink on your back like he’s memorising the way his work looks on your skin.

The sheets are tangled around you both, the air thick with heat and the scent of him—leather, whiskey, something dark and utterly intoxicating. His mouth drags from your lips to your jaw, then down, pressing slow, open-mouthed kisses along your throat.

“I should ruin you,” he mutters, voice dark and full of something dangerous. “Make sure no one else even thinks about touching you.”

Your stomach tightens, heat pooling low in your belly. “You already have.”

Dean groans against your skin, his teeth grazing your collarbone before he sucks a bruise there—one that’ll be impossible to hide. “Damn right, I have.”

His hands are rough, calloused from years of working with them, but the way he touches you? Reverent. Like you’re something precious, something breakable—but only if you want to be.

“Tell me what you want, sweetheart,” he murmurs, his lips trailing lower, his breath hot against your skin.

You grip his hair, tugging just enough to make him look up at you, those sharp green eyes blown wide with hunger. “I want you.”

Dean doesn’t hesitate.

And when he finally gives you what you want, it’s not just sex.

It’s a claim. A promise that he is yours and yours alone.

The city hums beyond the window, but inside Dean’s apartment, everything is quiet except for the sound of your slowed breathing and the faint rustle of sheets as he pulls you against his chest.

You’re spent, muscles aching in the best way, his warmth sinking into your skin. His arm is draped over your waist, fingers tracing lazy patterns against your stomach like he’s not ready to let you go.

“Still not scared of me?” he asks, voice rough with exhaustion.

You smile against his shoulder. “No.”

Dean huffs a laugh, but when you glance up, his expression is unreadable—something guarded, something uncertain.

“I meant what I said,” he says after a moment. “This life isn’t clean. It’s not safe. Being with me? It means something. You don’t just walk away from it.”

You tilt your head, searching his face. “Are you asking me to?”

Dean’s fingers tighten against your waist. “No.” He exhales, something shifting in his gaze—something like vulnerability. “I’m asking if you can handle it.”

You reach up, pressing a slow, deliberate kiss to the scar on his shoulder, one of many marks that tell a story you’re only just starting to understand.

“I think,” you murmur against his skin, “I can handle you just fine.”

Dean makes a sound—something between a groan and a chuckle—before flipping you onto your back, caging you beneath him once more.

“Sweetheart,” he drawls, his smirk slow and wicked, “you have no idea what you’ve just signed up for.”

But the way he kisses you after?

It’s a promise.

And you’re not going anywhere.

The familiar buzz of the tattoo gun fills the air, but this time, the sound isn’t the only thing making your pulse race.

You’re back at Winchester Ink, straddling the tattoo chair, your shirt discarded, leaving only your black lace bra as Dean hovers behind you. His fingers graze your skin—not with the same desperate need as last night, but with something just as intense.

Possession.

“You sure about this, sweetheart?” His voice is low, teasing, but you can feel the weight behind it. This isn’t just any tattoo—this is his mark, something new, something permanent.

You glance over your shoulder, meeting his eyes—dark, intense, hungry—and smirk. “You gonna keep asking me that, or are you actually gonna put your money where your mouth is?”

Dean chuckles, shaking his head, but there’s something sharper behind his amusement. He leans in, his breath ghosting over the back of your neck. “Careful, sweetheart. You’re playing with fire.”

Your stomach tightens, heat curling low in your belly, but you don’t break eye contact. “Maybe I like the burn.”

Dean mutters a curse under his breath before snapping on his gloves. The scent of antiseptic and ink fills your lungs as he dips the needle, and then—

The first sting.

Your body tenses for half a second, but Dean’s free hand finds your waist, grounding you. “Breathe, baby,” he murmurs, his tone softer now, intimate. “You know the drill.”

You exhale slowly, sinking into the sensation. The pain is sharp, but it fades into something almost hypnotic, especially with the way Dean’s fingers press into your hip, steadying you.

The shop is closed—Dean made sure of that—but the thought of anyone walking in, seeing you half-dressed, stretched out beneath his hands, sends a thrill through you.

“What’s it gonna be?” you ask after a while, voice laced with curiosity. You hadn’t asked for a design, just told Dean you wanted something from him.

Dean hums, his tone smug. “Something to remind everyone who you belong to.”

Your breath catches, but you don’t argue.

You wouldn’t want it any other way.

Minutes pass, the pain blending into pleasure, and when Dean finally leans back, wiping the fresh ink clean, you��swear you feel his lips brush your shoulder.

“Done,” he murmurs.

You twist to look at his work, and your stomach flips when you see it.

A small, intricate sigil—subtle, but unmistakably his. Right along your ribs, where only he would ever truly see it.

You glance up at him, your heart pounding. “That what you wanted?”

Dean peels off his gloves, tossing them aside before gripping your jaw, tilting your face up to his. His thumb brushes over your lips, his gaze dark.

“Oh, sweetheart.” His smirk is slow, dangerous. “We both know this is just the beginning.”

The tattoo still burns, a dull ache that lingers under your skin—but it’s nothing compared to the way Dean is looking at you right now.

You’re still straddling the chair, breath unsteady, your skin warm under the shop’s low lighting. The ink along your ribs feels like a brand, like a claim, and Dean? He’s drinking you in like he’s memorizing every single second of this moment.

His fingers brush over the fresh ink—featherlight, barely a touch—but it still makes you shiver.

“You like it?” His voice is rough, low, laced with something possessive.

You meet his gaze, and for a moment, there’s nothing between you but the hum of the tattoo gun, the scent of ink and antiseptic, the tension coiled thick in the air.

“I love it,” you admit, and it’s not just about the tattoo.

Dean's smirk flickers, something darker lurking beneath it. He leans in, his breath warm against your ear. “Good,” he murmurs. “Because it means you’re mine now.”

A shiver runs through you, but it’s not fear. It’s need.

You don’t pull away. Instead, you tilt your head, baring your throat just slightly—an unspoken challenge. “Oh yeah?” you tease, your voice softer now, breathless. “That what this means?”

Dean huffs a laugh, but there’s no humor in it. His fingers trail lower, over the ink, then down to your waist, pulling you forward until your chest brushes against his.

“Sweetheart,” he murmurs, eyes locked on yours, “you’ve been mine since the second you walked into this shop.”

You should push him away. Tell him he’s being ridiculous, that a tattoo doesn’t mean ownership. That he doesn’t own you.

But the truth?

You don’t want to belong to anyone else.

So instead, you smirk, dragging your nails down his chest, feeling the way his muscles tense beneath your touch. “Then maybe,” you murmur, “you should remind me.”

Dean’s grin turns wicked, his hands gripping your hips, his mouth already crashing onto yours.

And as he presses you back into the chair, the unfinished tattoos and the world outside forgotten, you realize something:

You don’t need a reminder.

You were his from the start.

--

The night is quiet—too quiet.

Winchester Ink should’ve been locked up an hour ago, but Dean insisted on keeping the doors closed while he finished some business in the back. You were wiping down the front desk, waiting for him, when the first gunshot shattered the silence.

Pop-pop-pop!

The windows explode inward, glass raining down as you instinctively duck behind the counter. Your heart slams against your ribs as tires screech outside, bullets peppering the front of the shop like a damn war zone.

Then—heavy footsteps. A voice shouting your name.

“Sweetheart!”

Dean.

He bursts in from the back, gun already drawn, his sharp green eyes scanning the chaos before landing on you. In a second, he’s in front of you, crouching low, shielding your body with his own. His breath is rough, his muscles tense, but his voice? Steady as hell.

“You okay?” he demands, his fingers curling around your wrist, checking for injuries.

“I’m fine,” you manage, swallowing back the adrenaline climbing up your throat. “Dean, what the hell—”

Another round of gunfire cuts you off.

Dean’s jaw clenches. He peeks over the counter, eyes narrowing as he counts heads outside. You follow his gaze—black SUVs, men with weapons, their faces hidden under masks.

“They’re here for you,” you whisper.

“Yeah,” he mutters darkly. “They are.”

He turns back to you, and for the first time, you see something raw in his expression—not just anger, not just control, but fear. Not for himself. For you.

“We gotta move, sweetheart,” he says, shifting so his body shields you completely. “Stay behind me. No arguments.”

You nod, your fingers curling around his jacket as he pulls you toward the back exit. His gun stays up, movements sharp, calculated. The Dean Winchester you know—the inked-up, cocky-as-hell tattoo artist—is gone. This Dean? This is the real one.

The leader. The fighter. The man who kills for the people he loves.

A shadow moves near the doorway, and Dean reacts instantly. Bang! One shot—dead center. The masked man drops without a sound.

Your breath catches. You’ve never seen him like this. Never seen death come so easily to him.

Dean turns back, his hand finding yours. “You still with me?”

You meet his eyes. Despite the gunfire, the danger, the fact that he just killed someone—you're not scared. Not of him.

“I’m with you.”

Something flickers across his face—relief, maybe—but there’s no time to dwell on it.

More men are coming.

Dean tightens his grip, pulling you close, his lips brushing your forehead before he exhales sharply. “Then let’s get the hell out of here.”

And as the two of you disappear into the night, chased by bullets and fire, you realize something.

Dean Winchester isn’t just dangerous.

He’s deadly.

And you just walked willingly into his world.

The shop smells like antiseptic and fresh ink, but beneath it lingers something metallic. Gunpowder. Blood.

Dean’s grip on your wrist is tight, dragging you through the back hallway of Winchester Ink, his jaw clenched so hard you’re surprised his teeth haven’t cracked. The shootout from earlier still echoes in your ears, your pulse hammering in your throat.

You should be scared.

But you’re not.

You should be questioning everything—how many people Dean just killed, how easily he moved, how ruthlessly he handled the ambush.

But all you can think about is the way he shielded you, how his first instinct was to grab you, tuck you against his chest, his own body between yours and the bullets.

Now, inside the safe room of the shop, he’s pacing like a caged animal, gun still clutched in his fist, blood splattered across his knuckles.

“Dean.” Your voice is steadier than you expect.

He stops, his sharp green eyes snapping to yours, wild and dark.

“I told you this would happen,” he growls, voice low, ragged. “Told you my life isn’t safe.”

You take a step toward him. “And I told you I could handle it.”

Dean exhales sharply, shaking his head, his fingers flexing like he’s trying to keep himself from reaching for you. “You don’t get it, sweetheart.” His voice is quieter now, rougher. “I kill people. Not just assholes who deserve it—anyone who’s a threat. Anyone who crosses me.”

“I know.”

His brow furrows. “Do you?”

You take another step, close enough now that you can feel the heat radiating from his body, smell the blood drying on his skin. He’s still Dean—the man who tattooed you with steady hands, the man who kisses like he’s trying to brand you, the man who just tore through enemies to keep you alive.

Your fingers graze his wrist, just above the gun. “You could’ve let me go,” you whisper. “Could’ve left me behind.”

Dean lets out a breath, harsh and uneven. “Not an option.”

You press your palm against his chest, right over his heart. “Then stop trying to scare me away.”

His control snaps.

One second, he’s standing there, tense, on edge—then his hands are on you, everywhere. Gripping your hips, dragging you flush against him, his mouth crushing against yours.

It’s not gentle. It’s desperate.

Like he needs to feel you alive, solid, beneath his hands.

“Mine,” he mutters against your lips, his voice raw. “You’re mine.”

You nod, gasping against his mouth. “Yours.”

Dean pulls back just enough to rest his forehead against yours, his breath ragged. “Then from now on, sweetheart? You stay glued to my side.”

Your lips curl into a smirk. “You just want an excuse to keep your hands on me.”

Dean huffs a laugh, his grip tightening. “Damn right I do.”

And just like that, Winchester Ink isn’t just a tattoo shop anymore.

It’s a battleground.

And you?

You’re standing right next to the king.

The aftermath of the shootout settles into a strange, electric silence. The back room of Winchester Ink feels too small, too charged. Outside, Dean’s men are cleaning up the mess—disposing of bodies, wiping down shell casings—but inside, it’s just you and him.

Your pulse hasn’t slowed since the moment the bullets started flying. You should be shaken, but instead, you’re standing in front of Dean, watching the way his chest still rises and falls too fast, his gun hanging loosely in his grip.

His knuckles are raw. Blood smears across his inked skin, a dark contrast against the swirling black designs crawling up his forearm.

He looks dangerous.

He is dangerous.

But the only thing you feel when you step closer is heat.

Dean watches you with an intensity that makes your skin prickle. His fingers twitch, like he’s deciding between pulling you closer or pushing you away.

“You’re not scared,” he finally mutters, almost accusingly.

You raise a brow. “No.”

Dean lets out a sharp breath, shaking his head. “You should be.”

You shrug. “You keep saying that.”

His jaw clenches. “Because I keep waiting for you to wake up and realize I’m not a good man, sweetheart. I’m the kind of guy people run from.”

You tilt your head, letting your gaze drag over him—the blood, the bruises forming along his jaw, the way he’s still standing between you and the door, as if another threat could come at any moment.

“You think I don’t see who you are?” you ask softly. “You think I don’t get it?”

Dean says nothing, his silence heavy.

“I know what you do. I know what this shop really is,” you continue, stepping closer until your fingers ghost over his forearm, tracing the ink there. “And I know you didn’t hesitate to put yourself between me and those bullets.”

Dean swallows hard. “That’s the problem.”

You shake your head. “No, Dean. That’s the part that tells me everything I need to know.”

His eyes search yours, something flickering behind them—uncertainty. Vulnerability. Maybe even something darker, something deeper.

“You’re not afraid of me,” he finally says, quieter now.

“No.”

He exhales slowly, shaking his head like he doesn’t quite believe you. Then, before you can say anything else, his hands are on you again—tugging, gripping, claiming. His lips crash against yours in a kiss that’s all teeth and desperation, like he’s trying to consume you.

You don’t resist.

You meet him with the same fire, your fingers threading into his hair, pulling him closer. You can taste blood on his lips, feel the way his breath stutters when you press your body against his.

Dean breaks away just enough to rest his forehead against yours, his hands flexing against your waist.

“I kill for you,” he murmurs, voice raw. “I’ll burn the whole fucking city down if it means keeping you safe.”

You don’t doubt him.

And that’s the most dangerous part of all.

It’s been months since that night—since the shootout, since Dean pulled you close, breath ragged and raw, demanding you stay with him. Since you allowed yourself to slip deeper into his world, where danger was an ever-present shadow and the line between love and possession was blurred beyond recognition.

Now, you're sitting in the back of Winchester Ink, the familiar scent of fresh ink and leather comforting in a way you didn’t expect. Your shirt is tight, stretched over the curve of your stomach. Your fingers rest lightly on it, tracing the tiny life growing inside of you.

Dean’s son.

The weight of that realization still sometimes hits you like a freight train—his blood runs through you, through the baby you’re carrying.

You’re not just his lover anymore. You’re the mother of his son.

And, God, does he make sure everyone knows it.

Everywhere you go now, there’s the unmistakable, possessive edge in the way Dean looks at you. His hands never leave you, whether he’s holding your waist or brushing his thumb over your wrist. The people in the shop, his men, they all treat you with reverence—like you’re untouchable.

Because you are. To him, anyway.

You shift on the couch, trying to get comfortable, but the weight of your growing belly makes everything feel… off. You smile softly, your hand resting again on your stomach.

“Is it kicking again?” Dean’s voice breaks through your thoughts, soft but commanding, as always.

You glance up to see him standing in the doorway, his dark eyes already on you, softened by something that could almost be called gentleness—a rare sight from the mafia king. His hands are in his pockets, but he’s still intimidating as hell, the muscles of his arms straining under the black shirt he’s wearing.

“Yeah,” you admit, a small smile tugging at your lips as you rub your stomach. “It’s starting to feel real now, you know?”

Dean crosses the room in a few long strides, his gaze never leaving you. He kneels beside you, hands instantly reaching for your stomach like they always do when he’s near. His fingers are warm, rough against your skin.

“Damn right it’s real,” he mutters, a soft grin curling his lips. “You’re carrying my heir.”

His words, so heavy with ownership, almost make you laugh, but then you feel a flutter under your palm. The baby kicks again, strong enough to make you gasp.

Dean’s face softens, his hand pressing gently against your stomach, as if he’s trying to connect with the tiny life growing inside of you.

“You feel that?” His voice is low, almost reverent.

“I do.” You smile up at him.

He’s quiet for a moment, his thumb tracing slow circles against your skin. His gaze flickers up to meet yours, and for a brief second, you see something in him that no one else gets to see: vulnerability.

“You’re not just mine now, you know.” His voice is barely above a whisper.

You raise an eyebrow, confused.

He meets your eyes, his expression fierce and possessive. “You’re carrying my son. That’s not something I take lightly.”

You know he means it. You know Dean doesn’t do lightly. He owns everything he touches, and now, he’s made you his queen.

You reach out, cupping his jaw with your hand, pulling him closer. “I know, Dean. I’m not going anywhere.”

He lets out a breath of relief, but there’s something darker, something more primal in the way he kisses you—his lips urgent against yours, demanding.

His hand moves lower, caressing the side of your belly, the other pressing against the back of your neck to pull you even closer. You melt into him, feeling his warmth, his power, and the weight of his love—of his claim—surrounding you.

You are his, and you always will be.

Dean pulls back just enough to look you in the eye, his thumb brushing over your bottom lip. “I’ll protect you. And the baby. No one will ever hurt either of you.”

You nod, smiling softly at him. “I know.”

His hand slides up to your neck, cupping your jaw, his gaze darkening. “Good.” Then, with a soft but insistent pull, he presses his lips to yours again. His kiss is rougher this time, more demanding, as though trying to make you feel the depth of his promise.

As you melt into him, you know one thing for sure:

You are his. Completely.

And no one, not even the world outside these walls, can take that from you.

--

The sterile scent of the hospital is sharp in the air, mingling with the soft beeps of machines around you. You’re propped up in a bed, your body sore from the grueling hours of labor. Your arms are still aching from where the IVs had been placed, but there’s a weight on your chest now—the kind of weight that makes everything worth it.

The small bundle in your arms—your baby, Dean’s baby—softly coos, the tiny body swaddled in a pale blue blanket. You stare down at the little face, marveling at the miracle you just created, your heart swelling with something fierce and protective.

Dean’s sitting beside you, his rough fingers lightly brushing the side of your hand, his gaze never leaving you or the baby. He hasn’t moved since the moment the baby was placed in your arms, his body radiating tension as if the world outside could suddenly break in and take everything from him. From you.

His eyes are dark, intense—like a man who’s seen too much blood to believe in peace. But the way he looks at the baby in your arms? There’s something almost gentle there, something protective and soft, like this tiny being is the only thing that could make him show any weakness at all.

It’s a weakness you know he’ll do anything to protect.

But you’re not prepared for what comes next.

The door bursts open.

Your heart skips, your hand instinctively tightening around the baby. Dean is on his feet in a second, moving so fast you barely register the movement. His body is between you and the door before the intruder has even fully entered the room.

A man—dark hair, tense shoulders—stands in the doorway, his eyes flickering quickly over Dean, then to you. He’s got a gun tucked into the waistband of his jeans, the cold metallic glint catching your eye.

Dean’s expression is pure stone, his hands already reaching for the gun hidden beneath his jacket.

“I told you,” the man says, his voice low but sharp, “the baby's the next target.”

Dean’s jaw clenches, his teeth grinding together. “Get out.” His voice is thick with menace, each word weighted with the danger of a man who has nothing left to lose.

“I don’t think you understand,” the man says, taking one step forward, the gun clearly visible now. His hand rests on it, like he's daring Dean to move. “We’ve got orders. The baby’s a liability.”

You flinch at the words, the weight of the situation settling in. You’re not just the mother of Dean’s offspring anymore. You’re a target.

Dean’s movements are so fast, you don’t even have time to react. He pulls the gun from his waistband, smooth as a snake, and in one fluid motion, he’s pointing it at the intruder’s head.

“Leave. Now.” His voice is ice-cold, every syllable laced with authority and the threat of violence. The room feels smaller, suffocating. The air is thick with the promise of danger.

The man’s hand hovers over his gun, but Dean’s eyes never waver, never falter.

“You don’t want to do this,” the man warns, a tremor of hesitation creeping into his voice.

“Last warning,” Dean growls, his finger pressing lightly on the trigger. “Get. Out.”

The man stares at Dean for a moment longer, before his gaze flickers to you—the mother of his enemy’s spawn—and then he seems to make a decision. Slowly, he backs out of the room, never breaking eye contact with Dean.

When the door clicks shut, the tension in the room snaps. Dean holsters his gun, but his body remains rigid, every muscle in his frame still coiled tight, as if he’s waiting for the next attack.

You can’t breathe.

It’s almost too much—the rush of emotions, the exhaustion from labor, the fear that still clings to you. You want to scream, but you only manage to whisper. “What was that, Dean? What the hell was that?”

Dean turns toward you, his eyes filled with something primal, his hand going straight to your side, pulling you against him. His arms envelop you like a fortress, protective and warm.

“They’ll never stop coming,” he murmurs into your hair, his voice thick with the weight of the life he’s pulled you into. “But I’ll never let them touch you. Never let them take what’s mine.”

You pull back just enough to look at him, your hand resting on his chest. “Dean…”

“Don’t say anything, sweetheart. Not right now.” His hands cradle your face, his thumb gently brushing across your cheek. “You’re not just carrying our baby anymore. You’re my queen. And anyone who thinks they can take either of you, they’ll be facing a war they don’t want.”

A chill runs through you, but it’s not just from fear. There’s something else in his voice—something deep, something dangerous.

And it’s terrifying.

But it’s also comforting.

Because you know one thing, without a doubt:

Dean Winchester doesn’t lose. Not anymore.

And neither do you.

The room falls into silence again, save for the soft breathing of the baby in your arms, a new life and a new threat, forever intertwined with Dean’s world of shadows and blood.

And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

The buzz of the tattoo machines fills the air in Winchester Ink, the low hum a familiar soundtrack to your day. Your hands are busy, one on the counter, the other moving skillfully to help a new client pick out their design. The shop is quieter than usual, but it’s still early, the door just having closed behind the last customer who left for the day. The steady rhythm of your work is a welcome distraction—until you hear the soft sound of footsteps approaching.

You glance over your shoulder, only to stop dead in your tracks.

There, standing in the middle of the shop, is Dean. But he’s not alone.

In his arms, swaddled snugly in a soft gray blanket, is your baby. The little one is asleep, content and peaceful—completely unaware of the chaos that swirled around its birth. Dean’s eyes meet yours, the same possessive look in them, but now, there’s something softer, something tender beneath the hard edge.

He takes a few steps toward the wall, his gaze never leaving you.

“I’m teaching them the family business,” Dean says, a smirk playing on his lips.

You blink, processing the words. “What?”

Dean doesn’t answer directly. Instead, he pulls a small padded wall-mounted bassinet from beside one of the stations, carefully setting it down against the tattoo wall. He adjusts a few straps, making sure the baby is securely tucked inside.

You watch, your heart skipping a beat. There’s something about the way Dean handles the baby—so careful, so deliberate—that takes you by surprise. He’s never showed much patience with anything in his life… except for this.

“Dean…” You take a step forward, a small frown creasing your brow. “What are you doing?”

He shoots you that smug grin of his, the one that drives you crazy in all the best ways. “I’m teaching them how to survive in this world. It’s not enough you’re carrying our blood. I need them to know how to handle this.”

You blink again, unsure if you’re about to laugh or scold him. "You’re setting the baby down against the tattoo wall?"

Dean’s jaw tightens slightly, his gaze flickering to the little bundle. “It’s not just any wall. It's our wall.” His voice drops lower, his eyes flashing with that dangerous glint you know too well. “You’re not the only one around here that needs to be toughened up, sweetheart.”

Before you can reply, a soft cry rings through the air, and you turn to see the baby stirring, fingers curled, lips pursed as it starts to wake.

You rush over without thinking, your heart pounding, instinct driving you as you scoop the baby into your arms.

Dean watches you for a moment, his posture still tall, like he owns the room. When your eyes meet his, there’s something in the way he looks at you—a hint of pride, mixed with something dark, something almost possessive.

The baby settles into your arms, its tiny face scrunched in that adorable way babies do when they’re just waking up. You smile softly, the weight of your love for this little one threatening to break you. But Dean’s presence beside you is like a shield, strong and unwavering, giving you strength you didn’t know you had.

“There you go,” Dean mutters, his voice softer now, his arms crossing over his chest. “Just need to toughen up a bit more, kid.”

You chuckle, shaking your head as you gently rock the baby. ���You’re crazy, you know that?”

“Maybe. But in this world, we need to be.”

You raise an eyebrow, but before you can respond, a customer enters the shop—an old friend of Dean’s, someone who’s clearly seen their fair share of tattoos, judging by the sleeve of ink already visible on their arms. They’re a regular, and you’re used to handling them on your own, but today, Dean stands beside you, just a step behind, his protective aura nearly suffocating.

The client sits down in one of the chairs, and you turn your attention back to them, pulling out a design sketch from the folder. “So, you wanted something custom, right?”

Dean moves to stand just behind you, his gaze flickering from you to the client, eyes hard. His presence is imposing, like a lion lurking nearby. His fingers brush against the top of your shoulder, a subtle reminder that he’s still there.

“You’re getting the best I’ve got,” Dean mutters, his voice low enough only the client can hear. “Don’t waste my time.”

The client hesitates, looking up at him and then at you. There’s a moment of tension in the air, as if Dean’s mere presence commands their respect. They nod quickly, understanding that there’s more than just ink on the line here.

You work on the design, laying out the details, explaining the placement as you always do. The buzz of the tattoo gun fills the air, but your mind can’t help but wander back to Dean—watching, waiting, always so protective.

And when your eyes flick to the bassinet against the wall, you see Dean’s gaze fixed on the baby, the softness in his eyes evident, even if he’s trying to hide it.

The family business, he’d called it.

And as you glance at the client, then back at Dean, you realize the full extent of what that means.

You and your son are the center of Dean’s world. His empire. His everything.

And no one, not even in this room, would dare to touch you or the life you’ve built.

Dean would see to that.

---

The sun is warm on your skin, a soft breeze rustling the trees around you. For the first time in what feels like forever, you’re not in Winchester Ink, you’re not in the chaos of Dean’s world. You’re outside, in the real world, with your baby tucked safely in your arms. It’s a rare moment of peace, and you’re soaking it in.

Dean walks beside you, his presence still larger than life, but today, it feels different. The weight of his usual dominance is softer, almost protective in a way that makes you feel safe—not just from the world outside, but from him.

You glance over at him. His shirt sleeves are rolled up, showing the tattoos that run the length of his arms, his posture still straight, but his eyes are warm as he watches the baby in your arms. Every step he takes, every glance he throws your way, speaks volumes. He’s here—truly here. No business meetings, no threats, no blood spilled. Just him—Dean, your partner, and the father of your child.

"How do you feel?" he asks quietly, his voice always so gruff but softened by the moment.

You look down at your baby, whose tiny hand has wrapped around your finger, a soft coo escaping from them. You smile, looking back at Dean. "Like everything’s perfect."

Dean’s lips curl into a rare smile, one that’s softer than you’ve seen in a long time. It’s a smile that feels more genuine than any of the cold, calculated grins he gives in the tattoo shop or when he’s dealing with business.

You walk through the park, the sound of children laughing and playing around you, birds chirping overhead. It’s almost too perfect—like you’ve stepped into a moment that isn’t meant for people like Dean. People like you.

But here you are.

Dean takes a step closer, his body brushing against yours, his hand brushing against your waist protectively. His gaze flicks over your shoulder to the baby in your arms, and you feel a shiver of warmth run through you.

"I can’t believe how small they are," Dean murmurs, his voice low, almost like he’s in awe.

You smile down at the little one. "They’re only going to get bigger, you know."

Dean’s eyes meet yours, a flash of something fierce flickering in his gaze. "I’ll protect them, sweetheart. No one’s taking what’s mine. Not now. Not ever."

You chuckle softly, but there’s an edge to your voice when you reply, "I think we’re safe here. We’re just… family today."

Dean’s smile deepens, but there’s still that ever-present glint in his eyes—the reminder that no matter where you are, he’s still the king of his world. And that’s a world that’s made of blood, ink, and power.

"Family," he echoes, the word heavy on his tongue. He looks down at the baby again, his expression softening. "Yeah. This is all I care about now."

You lean into him slightly, your hand resting on his chest, feeling the strong beat of his heart beneath your palm. "You’re good at this, you know. Being a dad."

Dean’s eyebrow raises, a small, teasing smirk forming on his lips. "I wasn’t sure I’d be any good at it, but I guess I’m figuring it out." His gaze softens as he looks at the baby. "I’d kill anyone who thought otherwise."

You roll your eyes, but you can’t suppress the smile that tugs at your lips. "You really do make everything sound like a threat."

Dean chuckles, the sound rich and deep, and for a moment, you allow yourself to imagine a life like this—simple, quiet, full of moments that are just about you and him and your baby. A family.

But even as that thought swirls in your mind, you know that this peace, this quiet moment, is fleeting. Dean’s world doesn’t just let you walk away from it. It pulls you back in, no matter how hard you try to resist. And you’ve come to accept that. Because as dangerous as that world is, it’s the one where your heart beats the strongest.

And as long as Dean’s by your side, you’re ready to face it. Together.

Dean’s hand slips into yours as you both stop at a bench, the baby still in your arms, nestled comfortably against your chest. He sits down first, and you follow, sitting next to him. He wraps his arm around you, pulling you closer, his hand resting on your leg, grounding you in this rare moment of normalcy.

The world around you continues—kids laughing, families strolling by—but for you, in this moment, time stands still.

This is your family. And Dean’s right. This is all that matters.

"You’re my everything, sweetheart," Dean says softly, his lips brushing your temple. "You and the baby. I’ll never let anyone come between us."

You nod against him, breathing in the scent of him—leather, ink, and something uniquely Dean. "I know."

And for once, you allow yourself to believe it completely.

--

The sun is low in the sky now, casting a warm, golden glow over the park. You and Dean are sitting on the same bench, your toddler nestled comfortably on your lap, their small hands wrapped around a stuffed toy. The baby—who’s growing bigger by the day—rests in the stroller beside you, peacefully asleep.

It’s a rare moment of tranquility, and for once, you feel the weight of the world ease off your shoulders. The tension from the past months, from the dangers that come with being with Dean and the world he inhabits, seems to dissipate when you’re here, in this bubble of calm.

Dean’s hand rests on your thigh, his thumb absentmindedly stroking over your skin. His eyes are on you, but it’s not the usual hard stare. There’s something softer there—a vulnerability that you don’t see often. He’s been different ever since the baby arrived, a side of him you’ve been learning to understand.

You glance at him, raising an eyebrow. “What are you thinking about?”

Dean’s lips curl into a smirk, but there’s something nervous about it. “Just… you, sweetheart. You and the kids. And what I want to do next.”

Before you can ask what he means, you feel a small hand tug at your sleeve. Your toddler, wide-eyed and eager, pulls on your arm to get your attention.

“Mommy!” they say, their voice high-pitched with excitement. “Look!”

You look down, your heart melting at the sight of your toddler, holding out a small box, the velvet lining peeking through.

“Mommy,” they repeat, clearly serious. “This is for you.”

Your breath catches in your throat. You glance up at Dean, whose gaze has softened into something that makes your heart race. He’s watching you with that same intensity, but now it’s mixed with something else—something raw and honest.

You take the box from your kid, your fingers trembling slightly as you open it. Inside, nestled carefully, is a simple yet stunning ring. A diamond, elegant but not flashy, set in white gold with delicate engraving along the band. The ring that could change everything.

“Dean…” you breathe, unable to tear your eyes away from the glint of the ring. You glance back at him, your heart pounding. “What is this?”

Dean stands up, slowly, carefully, his hand reaching out for yours. He drops to one knee in front of you, his movements deliberate, measured.

“Sweetheart,” he says, his voice surprisingly gentle, “I’ve never been good with words. Never been good at this… stuff.” His gaze flicks to the toddler, who’s watching intently, their small face beaming with pride. “But I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

You feel your heart skip a beat, your hand instinctively going to your chest. You know exactly where this is going.

“I don’t need the world, not anymore.” Dean’s voice drops even lower, his eyes never leaving yours. “All I need is you. And I want to make sure you and the kids are mine. For good. So, what do you say?”

Tears prick at the corners of your eyes as you look at him—really look at him. The man who’s seen things that would make most men break. The man who’s shown you what it means to truly care. The man who’s protected you, fought for you, and built a family with you.

“I—” You swallow, emotion thick in your throat. “Yes. Yes, Dean, I’ll marry you.”

Dean smiles—a rare, genuine smile—and slides the ring onto your finger. The weight of it, the finality, makes your heart swell. You’ve never been more sure of anything yourself. This moment, this family, this life—it’s all yours. Together.

He stands up, pulling you into his arms, the ring sparkling between you. Your toddler jumps into your arms, eager to be a part of the hug, and Dean chuckles, holding you both close.

“We’re a family,” Dean murmurs against your hair. “And we’re never going anywhere.”

You close your eyes, the world around you disappearing for a moment as you let the warmth of the moment settle in. The past, the dangers, the blood—it doesn’t matter anymore.

This is your family. And Dean’s made it clear that he will fight for it. Fight for you.

And you’d fight for him, too.

Forever.

--

It’s been years since that day in the park. Since the proposal, the wedding, the birth of your son. Time has passed, and with it, your family has only grown stronger. Your little one, once a tiny bundle, is now a teenager—tall and lean, with that same fire in their eyes that Dean has. They’ve spent their years in the tattoo shop, learning the business, the art of ink, and more importantly, the way of the Winchester world.

The shop is bustling as usual, a steady stream of clients coming in and out, getting their tattoos, chatting, and sharing their stories. But today, something feels different. You can feel the shift, the weight of the next generation taking shape. Your child—your teenager—stands at the counter, just like you once did. Their gaze flicks to Dean, who’s overseeing everything as usual, arms crossed, his intense green eyes never missing a beat.

Dean’s been watching them grow, guiding them, teaching them. Not just the art of tattoos, but the code that runs deeper than ink—that’s part of the Winchester legacy.

You’re sitting at the back, flipping through some paperwork, but your eyes can’t help but watch the scene unfold in front of you. Your son is sitting with one of the artists, learning the flow of a new design, a quiet determination in their posture. They’re like a mirror of Dean in so many ways—calm, collected, and with a sharpness that hints at something darker, something deeper.

Dean’s voice breaks through the hum of the shop, a low rumble that commands attention. “Kid,” he calls, his gaze sharp but approving. “You’re not just here to learn how to make art. You’re here to learn how to run this place. And when the time comes, it’ll be your job to make sure it stays running.”

Your son looks up at him, nodding with that same serious expression that’s so much like Dean’s. “I know, Dad.” They’re not scared. They’re not hesitant. It’s like they were born for this.

Dean nods approvingly and walks over to where your son is working. He places a hand on their shoulder—a gesture of both authority and affection. The weight of that touch is something you know all too well. It’s the same touch he’s given you, the same reassurance that says you’re mine, and I’ll make sure you know it.

You stand up from the back and move toward them, quietly observing. Your heart swells with pride, mixed with the heavy weight of the life they’re stepping into.

“Everything okay?” you ask, your voice soft but steady.

Dean glances up at you, a smile tugging at his lips. “They’re learning. Got a good head on their shoulders.”

You look at your teenager, who’s now carefully sketching out a new design, their movements swift and precise. Their concentration is unnerving, even more so than Dean’s at their age.

“You’re teaching them the ropes?” you ask, your gaze flicking to Dean.

“I’m teaching them everything,” Dean replies, his voice low and controlled. “Business, loyalty, the family code.” His eyes flicker back to your son, watching them work. “They’ve got the skill. But they need to understand what it takes to lead.”

You swallow, your heart tight in your chest. It’s not just tattoos Dean is passing on—it’s everything that comes with being in this world, with him. The mafia lifestyle, the control, the power that pulses through his veins.

You’ve seen the darkness that follows Dean everywhere, the long hours, the moments when his past comes rushing back. You’ve seen the way his eyes harden, the way he can turn from loving to lethal in an instant. And now your son is learning that same side of him—the side that can protect and destroy with equal intensity.

“Do they know what this life means?” you ask, your voice suddenly quiet, worried.

Dean’s gaze softens just for a moment. “They will. They’re not a kid anymore. They understand what we do.” His eyes shift to the teenager again. “And they’ve got what it takes to keep this legacy going. I see it in them. They’re not afraid.”

The words hit you harder than you expect, and for a brief moment, you feel a flash of the weight of it all. This life is dangerous, it’s unpredictable, and the world you’ve built together—your family, your empire—is always under threat.

But then your son looks up, meets your eyes, and gives you that small, knowing smile. It’s as if they’ve already made peace with this life, just like you and Dean have. They are part of this, and there’s no turning back.

“We’ve got your back, Mom,” they say, their voice steady. “Always.”

The words are simple, but they carry more weight than you could ever imagine. You feel a lump form in your throat, but you swallow it down.

“Just don’t forget that you’ve got to stay smart. There’s always a price,” you reply, trying to keep your voice level. “The tattoos, the ink—it’s not just art. It’s a symbol of what we stand for. You remember that, okay?”

Your son nods, their eyes filled with the same quiet confidence you’ve seen in Dean for years. “I will.”

Dean steps forward then, his arm wrapping around you, pulling you close to him. You lean into his warmth, your hand resting on his chest.

“This is their world now, too,” he murmurs against your ear. “We’ll make sure they’re ready for it.”

The weight of it presses down on you, but you know Dean’s right. This world is theirs now. The legacy is theirs to carry, to shape, and to protect.

And as you look at your son, standing so tall and unflinching in the face of everything this life demands, you know that Dean’s right about one thing: they’ve got what it takes.

The Winchester name will live on.

The night had started like any other, calm and quiet. The tattoo shop had closed for the evening, and the low hum of the neon lights outside cast a soft glow on the shop floor as you and Dean sat in the back, the baby long since tucked into bed and your teenager nowhere to be seen. The air smelled like ink and leather, a familiar comfort in the chaos of your life.

But that peace shattered in an instant.

Dean’s phone buzzed once. Then twice. Then a third time. He didn’t pick up, not yet. The silence lingered for a moment too long before you saw his posture shift—his muscles tensing, his eyes narrowing. You could feel it in the air; something was wrong.

"Dean?" you asked, but it was too late. He was already moving, pulling his phone from his pocket with a cold, calculated expression.

He answered the call.

“Where the hell are they?” Dean’s voice, usually low and measured, was tight with barely contained fury. “What do you want?”

You felt it then—the gut-wrenching, icy realization.

Your heart skipped. You were already on your feet, rushing towards him.

“Dean, what’s going on?” you asked, your voice shaky.

Dean didn’t answer you right away. His eyes were locked on the phone, his lips tight, his jaw clenched. He took a slow breath before his words hit you like a freight train.

“They’ve got our kid.”

A rush of cold terror slammed into you. Your breath hitched. “What? Who? What the hell do you mean?”

“Somebody took them. For ransom,” Dean growled, his hand tightening around the phone. "They want money, but it’s not about money. It’s never just about money."

You could see it now—the flicker of rage in Dean’s eyes. A darkness, deep and unsettling. His body was wound so tight you could practically feel the tension radiating off him. He hung up abruptly, his face pale but his eyes burning with something darker.

You took a step back, your heart pounding in your chest, your mind racing. “What do we do? Dean?”

Dean’s eyes flashed with a storm of emotions, none of them good. “We get them back. Now.”

He turned on his heel and strode toward the back of the shop, where the emergency stash of weapons was kept. You followed, heart in your throat. You knew Dean better than anyone. He was a force—calculating, ruthless, deadly—but seeing him like this, seeing that raw desperation and fury... it made your blood run cold.

“Dean, wait, let’s just—”

“No,” he interrupted sharply, the venom in his voice making you flinch. “No more talking. This isn’t some negotiation. This is personal. Whoever thought they could touch my kid is about to learn what happens when you mess with the Winchesters.”

You were barely able to keep up with him as he grabbed his gun, the sound of it clicking into place ringing in the otherwise silent room. He was already sliding on his jacket, the hard edge of his jawline like stone.

“You’re not going alone,” you said, your voice firm, no longer the shaky one you had been a moment ago.

Dean stopped, the briefest hesitation crossing his face. His eyes flicked to you, narrowing, but you saw that brief flicker of worry. It didn’t last. He took a deep breath and turned to face you.

“You’re staying here with the baby,” he ordered, his voice low and controlled. But the undercurrent of his tone betrayed him. He was barely holding it together. “You’re safer here.”

“Don’t tell me what’s safer, Dean,” you snapped, taking a step forward. “They’re our kid. I’m going with you.”

He gave you one long, unreadable look before his lips twisted into something that wasn’t quite a smile, but more of a grimace.

“You don’t get it, do you?” he muttered under his breath. “They’ve crossed a line. And I’m about to show them just how bad an idea that was.”

Before you could argue, Dean was out the door, moving fast. You had no choice but to follow.

The city streets blurred around you as you and Dean sped through the darkened roads. Dean’s knuckles were white on the wheel, his jaw clenching so tightly you thought it might break. His gaze was laser-focused on the road, but his mind was already somewhere else—somewhere far darker.

The message had been clear. The voice on the other end had been muffled, but the demand had been simple. Money, or we end them. But the truth was far more terrifying than that. Dean knew this wasn’t just a random kidnapping. This was a message.

And Dean never let messages slide.

You didn’t dare ask questions as the car whipped through the streets. Every second felt like an eternity, but Dean’s pace never faltered. You could feel the anger rolling off of him, thick and palpable. He was slipping back into that dangerous, unpredictable rhythm you knew too well.

“I’m gonna tear their fucking world apart,” Dean muttered, his voice tight with venom. “You don’t touch what’s mine and expect to walk away. No one does.”

He slammed the car to a stop in front of an old, rundown building—no lights, no signs, just a hollow shell of a place. His eyes flicked to you, once again soft for a fraction of a second. “Stay close, sweetheart. Don’t let them get to you.”

Before you could respond, Dean was out of the car, moving like a shadow—fast, calculated, lethal. You grabbed your own weapon and followed close behind. You knew, even without him saying a word, this wasn’t just about money. This was about respect. About vengeance. About showing whoever had taken your child just how badly they’d fucked up.

Inside the building, it was eerily quiet—until the sound of a door creaking open echoed through the dark. Your heart stuttered, but Dean was already at the door, his presence commanding. You could hear voices inside. One was familiar—your child’s, a little shaky but still strong.

The seconds felt like hours.

Dean motioned for you to stay low. You crouched behind him, your heart thudding in your chest as you followed his lead.

Then Dean burst through the door. The sound of gunfire rang out, deafening and sharp. It was chaos—screams, shots, but Dean was a whirlwind. He moved faster than anyone could react, gunfire flashing, bodies hitting the floor.

And then you saw them. Your child, bound to a chair in the corner of the room, looking at Dean with a mix of fear and relief.

“Dean!” you shouted, rushing to their side.

Dean had already disarmed the remaining goons, his eyes cold and dead set on the leader of the operation—a man who had made the mistake of thinking he could get away with this.

Dean was on him in an instant, grabbing the man by the collar and lifting him off his feet. “You think you can fuck with my family?” His voice was a deadly growl. The man’s eyes widened in terror.

The next few moments were a blur. The others were dealt with swiftly—brutally. Dean didn’t speak again, not until the building was clear and your child was free.

Dean walked toward you and your som, his demeanor still cold, but his hands trembling just slightly as he reached out to untie them.

“You good?” he asked, his voice gruff, but you saw the tightness in his jaw, the undercurrent of worry he was trying to hide.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Your son’s voice was steady, but you could see the relief in their eyes.

Dean looked at them, then back to you, his voice softer this time. “No one ever takes what’s ours again. Not while I’m breathing.”

And for a moment, you believed him.

It had been weeks since the nightmare ended. Since Dean stormed through that warehouse like the wrath of God himself and took back what was his. Since he’d carried your son out of that hellhole and brought them home, holding them so tightly you thought he’d never let go.

Things had settled, in the way only the Winchesters knew how—cautiously, quietly, always keeping one eye open. But the weight had lifted. Your family was whole. And today, for the first time in a long time, life felt normal.

The shop was closed for the day. No buzzing tattoo machines, no clients, no business meetings in the back with men who spoke in hushed voices. Just you, Dean, and your now fully-recovered teenager spending the day somewhere safe—somewhere untouched by the chaos of the world outside.

The park was bright and warm, sunlight filtering through the trees, kids laughing in the distance. You sat on a picnic blanket, watching as your son—your fighter—taught their younger sibling how to climb onto the jungle gym. Dean stood off to the side, arms crossed, that usual scowl on his face, but you knew him well enough to see through it. The tightness in his jaw wasn’t anger—it was pride.

“You gonna hover all day, Winchester?” you teased, nudging his arm.

Dean huffed, shaking his head. “Not hovering,” he muttered. “Just… watching.”

You raised an eyebrow, amused. “Watching for what? Squirrels?”

Dean shot you a look, but there was no real heat behind it. “You know what I mean,” he said, his voice quieter now. “After everything…” His gaze flicked back to your teenager, who was laughing as their little sibling clung onto their back, begging for a piggyback ride. “I just need to know they’re okay.”

You softened, reaching for his hand, threading your fingers through his. “They are okay, Dean. Because of you. Because of us.”

Dean let out a slow breath, his thumb brushing over your knuckles. “Yeah,” he murmured, almost like he was trying to convince himself.

You squeezed his hand. “Hey. Look at them.” You tilted your head toward your kids. “They’re happy. They’re safe. They’ve got us. And nothing’s ever gonna change that.”

Dean didn’t answer right away. He just looked at you for a long moment, like he was memorizing the way you looked in the sun, how your eyes held no fear, no worry—only love.

Then, finally, the scowl eased off his face, replaced by something much softer.

“Damn right,” he said, pulling you into his side, his lips brushing against your temple. “No one’s ever taking what’s mine again.”

The wind rustled through the trees, the laughter of your children filling the air, and for the first time in what felt like forever, everything felt right. Whole.

No threats. No gunfire. No fear.

Just family. Just home. Just forever.

//this is your kind reminder to REBLOG!!//

[shiimichkis]

A Renren!

Ren's from "14 Days With You" (Not for minors! Shoo, shoo!)

Me rambling for a bit below + different yet almost the same versions below (for reasons).

Actually started this about 8 months ago, also forgot to add the blue when colouring the hair, but then that part wasn't yet official, so I guess that's fine. Also hadn't drawn anything on phone in a while, and this app kept breaking, then busy too, but at least I got to finish it before their birthday! \(^^)/ I tried to keep it a little similar to how Sai drew him, as I just wanted to have a really close look at him and get him just right. If it doesn't match like that with something, it could be because I checked multiple different drawings, but some things are just how I draw stuff. Liked Ren from the first day already, didn't plan to later draw him though.

Anyhow, have been enjoying the game a lot for almost 2 years now, it's quite nice. I haven't really made fanart for anything, just once to practice how to draw a person.

Ren without the blue and Ren with a bigger blush.

For the scene I was thinking that he's returning the book he borrowed.

Hopefully I didn't mess up the post right before posting, fixed it 2 times already because I realised that I forgot stuff. I also realised that i had eye protection mode on until half way in, so apart from the colours jappearing a bit different due to devices, generally they would a bit because of that too.

Anyhow, I don't know what more to write now and I think I mentioned what had to be mentioned.

Edit: The pose is not too interesting because I didn't really have ideas for much when I started.

[yukiii-9]

Busy yet clingy and loving

satoru gojo x y/n (you)

WARNINGS: fluff, the reader is AFAD (a female at birth), the reader is insecure, being chubby mentioned, dieting mentioned, overthinking, angst if you squint, kind and loving Satoru :3

You look in the mirror with only a Hello Kitty tank top and short pajama shorts. You always thought you were fat. This is almost a normal routine for you. Wake up, look in the mirror, and either be lazy or work out.

Satoru is a very busy man. You never really see him home since he gets off of work at literally 4 am. He leaves for work at 7 am every day, so you never get to watch him leave.  So, he doesn’t know about your insecurity. It’s not like you have the guts to tell him. What if he calls you fat like everybody else? Ugh….

There are days when he’s off, like for Christmas. He’ll usually be up before you on his days off to cook you breakfast. Even though you don’t want to gain weight, you still eat the breakfast he makes because why would you waste food like that? He works hard to make breakfast for you and has a sweet soul.

You softly sigh at what you’re seeing right now. Your body has a little bit of chubbiness in it. You hated that. You just wanted to be skinny like everybody else. You have tried dieting before, but it never worked for you. You always end up binge eating after 2 days in your diet.

After a couple of minutes of staring at yourself, you decide to do your workout routine, which is 30 minutes.

______________________________

A couple of hours later.

You got done with your workout routine a while ago. After you did that, you went for a walk for about an hour. You came back, and you did some chores around the house.

You then got in the shower. After you got out of the shower, you got in the empty bed. You were wearing a blue baggy sweatshirt (which is suspected to be his) and a pair of baggy sweatpants. Your hair was in a ponytail. 

The bed was cold and empty. You let out a soft sigh until you got a text message. You grab your phone, and you see a message from Satoru.

You’re surprised he even has time to text you; his schedule is very busy and packed.

The message said: 

“Hey there, beautiful !!! My boss let me go for the day; I’m on my way back! Can’t wait to see my beautiful wife !!!”

Your eyes widen at the message. You were so excited! What will you guys do? Cuddle? Talk about random things? What should you guys do? You spiraled out on your bed, waiting for your Husband to come back.

——————————

About 25 minutes later, you and Satoru are currently in bed, sitting up against the headboard of the bed. The blanket was over your thighs, so he didn’t notice your thunder thighs. Satoru changed in a black sweatshirt and sweatpants, sitting along with you with one knee against his chest and a leg hanging off from the bed.

You refused to cuddle with Satoru just so he doesn’t feel your love handles or anything, and then your relationship will probably fall apart. It was silence, almost awkward. 

Satoru broke the silence after a little bit.

“So, how has my beautiful and precious little wifey been since I was gone? I barely get any days off, and I barely get any time to spend with my wife! Don’t you find that crazy!”

He says it is a little dramatic. I mean, he has every right to be jealous. He hasn’t sat with you like this in ages!

You speak up in a soft voice. 

“Yeah, umm good.”

You say a little too soon, trying to hide the fact that you’re very insecure. Satoru immediately noticed something wrong with you. You will never answer like this. Every time he asked you before his schedule got so packed, you would run his ear off by rambling about your day. He didn’t hate it, he missed it.

Sometimes, you would be on his lap as you do so, or just simply in his presence, going on and on probably without an end.

“It doesn’t sound good. Talk to meeeeeeee, please.”

The dramatic gentleman pleads gently, resting his head on your shoulder. You softly sigh, silence coming in the room again. You didn’t know what to say. Should you tell him? He might hate you for it… You don’t know what to do.

You speak up in a soft, sad voice.

“Satoru... do you think I’m too fat...?”

Satorus’s eyes widen at that. He lifts his head to look at you. He looks at you up and down. He thought the complete opposite. When he met you years ago, he thought you were the most beautiful girl alive. He still thinks that.

“Y/n…”

He says a lot quieter than usual. He wraps his arms around your neck, now planting kisses on your face, gentle like you were so fragile. 

“Y/n, don’t say that. You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. You are nowhere near fat; you just have some extra skin. It doesn’t mean anything, baby.”

Satoru says gently. Even though he is known for his very unserious personality, he can also be very soft at times like this. He continues to place gentle kisses on your face, like you were so fragile. You didn’t believe him at first, but the way he’s acting... it was too hard not to believe.

“... I may play around a lot, but I’m serious, y/n. You are not anywhere near fat. You’re very beautiful in my eyes. Trust me, I will find out who said that, and you will never see them again.”

You softly chuckle at his words. 

“Sato-“

“It’s toru, baby. You sound like you’re mad at me when you call me Satoru.”

He says with a frown, now holding you a little tighter. You softly chuckle again at that.

“Toru, it’s not anybody at work or anywhere. Everybody on Instagram and in public is so pretty and skinny, Toru. I know you’ve have seen them and thought they were hot.”

You say with a frown. All Satoru did was softly chuckle at that, moving over to gently peck you on the lips.

“Baby, why would I look at them when I only have eyes for you?”

“Don’t lie Sa- Toru. It’s okay, you can say they are ho-“

“Bullcrap. I only have eyes for you, and that’s it.”

He interrupts you. He hates hearing you talk bad about yourself like that.

“Would some cuddles and lots of love help you change your mind about yourself?”

Satoru asks with puppy eyes. He knows dang well he just wants to cuddle with you, but now he kind of wants to cuddle for that reason. He is so clingy. You roll your eyes at him, and you rest your head in his chest.

Satoru took that as an invitation. He moved his arms around you, and he adjusts himself so he’s lying down, and you're resting on his chest. He grabs the blankets at the bottom of the bed and wraps them around him and you.

He may be very silly, but he is also very serious when it comes to times like this. He gently pecks your head as a silent saying of “I love you so much.”

-------------------

:3

[kathlare]

bet u wanna

Lando Norris x Amelie Dayman

Summary: Lando finds himself alone in the quiet of Monaco, wrestling with the emotions stirred up by Amelie’s album.

Wordcount: 1.8 k

Warnings: none

full masterlist // request over here!

July 18th, 2022 - Monte Carlo, Monaco

Lando shifted in his bed, glancing over at his mates who were sprawled out across the living room, asleep. Max, Ed, and Tom had come to Monaco for the weekend to visit him, taking advantage of the little break they had during the racing season. The house was quiet now, the only sound the soft hum of the AC and the gentle ticking of the clock. The guys had been in a bit of a rowdy mood earlier, but now, with everyone passed out, the place had taken on a calm, almost eerie stillness.

His phone sat on the nightstand, glowing faintly. He’d tried to ignore it for the past hour, but now, as the quiet stretched on, he found his mind wandering back to the same thing that had been nagging him for the last couple of days—Amelie. Her album, emails i can't send, had come out a few days ago, and the buzz around it was everywhere. Fans had been relentless, dissecting every lyric, speculating which songs were about him. The curiosity had been killing him. Everyone had been talking about it, and Lando couldn’t quite escape it, not even in the comfort of his own home.

He stared at his phone for a few more seconds before a wave of impulse washed over him. The thought of hearing her voice again—just for a few minutes—was too tempting. He couldn’t resist.

The house was dark, and the guys were sprawled out in the living room, so he slipped out of his room as quietly as possible, his bare feet padding softly against the floor. He snuck downstairs and outside, walking toward his beloved baby blue Jolly parked in the driveway. The car was just as much a part of him as the racing circuit itself. He’d had the car for years now, and even though it wasn’t anything special to anyone else, to him, it was comfort.

Lando slid into the driver’s seat, shutting the door gently. He stared at the stereo for a moment, almost waiting for some cosmic sign that would tell him this was a bad idea. But instead, his fingers hovered over the buttons, shaking slightly. He could feel the weight of what he was about to do.

Finally, with a deep breath, he pressed play.

The first song shuffled onto the stereo, and the soft intro to "bet u wanna" began to play, filling the car with Amelie’s voice.

He gripped the steering wheel tighter, suddenly feeling like he was back in 2020, when everything had been so easy. The pandemic had brought them together in a way nothing else had. It had started with video games, late-night chats, and the undeniable pull of a friendship that had quickly turned into something else. He hadn’t been prepared for that—hadn’t been ready for her.

Her voice, unmistakable and raw, slid into the air, wrapping itself around him. —“Told me, told me, I’m your only…”—The words stabbed at him. He leaned his head back against the headrest, his chest tight. He didn’t want to hear this. He really didn’t. But he couldn’t pull himself away.

It had been over a year since they’d last seen each other. May 2021. The last time he’d heard her laugh. The last time they’d been... whatever they were. He hated how easily they’d slipped into this pattern, how quickly things had crumbled when Amelie got busy with Wicked and he started talking to Luisinha. It wasn’t like he regretted the decision he’d made. It was just... everything had felt unfinished with Amelie. The friendship, the connection, the things they never said. And now, the song. God, the song.

—“You’ve been wasting time, on the other side, if you’re satisfied... Touché.”—

It was too much. Lando ran a hand through his messy hair, shaking his head. He’d heard the rumors, the whispers from fans, speculating which tracks were about him. The curiosity had eaten at him until it felt like he couldn’t breathe without hearing her voice again, without knowing if she’d written about him. It felt like he was reliving a part of his life he wasn’t sure he wanted back.

His heart thudded painfully in his chest as the lyrics hit him hard —“Bet you wanna touch me now... Bet you wanna love me now…��—

He gritted his teeth. She was right. He did want to. But that wasn’t the point. The point was that it was too late. She had moved on. He had moved on. Hadn’t they?

The song played on, but Lando couldn’t take it anymore. He jammed his finger down on the stereo, the music abruptly cutting off. The silence in the car was almost deafening, and he let out a shaky breath. He leaned his head against the steering wheel, his hands gripping it so tightly his knuckles turned white. God, this wasn’t fair.

He hadn’t even made it through the song. Her voice, the words—every line felt like a punch to his gut. He didn’t even want to know if this song was about him. He didn’t want to know if she was still angry. Or hurt. Or… missing him.

Lando sat there for a long moment, staring at the darkened street outside his window, trying to regain some sense of composure. But everything felt off. The cool Monaco night, the soft hum of the city in the distance—it all felt wrong. Like he wasn’t supposed to be here. Like this was something he shouldn’t have done.

The steady rhythm of his breathing was the only thing that filled the space around him, but it wasn’t enough to quiet the storm raging in his chest. Lando stared out into the night, watching the faint glow of streetlights cast shadows over the empty roads. It was a familiar feeling, being out here in his car, but it didn’t bring the peace he was used to. Instead, it felt like everything that had happened—everything he tried to forget—was crashing down on him in waves.

He couldn’t help but think back to all the times they’d spent together. Amelie, laughing at his bad jokes, sitting next to him while they played video games for hours, and then, when it all shifted into something more. Something complicated. Something they never quite figured out. She had always been his escape. The one person who didn’t judge him for what he did or how he did it, and he’d let that slip away. And now, hearing her voice, hearing her in a song, it felt like a reminder of how badly he’d messed up.

The worst part? He missed her. He missed her in ways he couldn’t put into words. But that was stupid, right? He couldn’t just hit rewind on everything. She had moved on. She had her family, her career, her life, and he… He had Luisinha. He had the chaos of his own world that was just as messy and confusing.

But in the pit of his stomach, he knew it wasn’t the same. Nothing had been the same since Amelie.

He let out a harsh breath, trying to push all those thoughts aside. He’d chosen this. He’d chosen to move on. And now here he was, sitting in his car, in the dead of night, mourning a relationship that had ended more than a year ago. It wasn’t supposed to hurt like this.

Lando stared at his phone, which now lay in his lap. He had half a mind to toss it out of the window, but something stopped him. His finger hovered over the screen again, and he saw that the album was still playing. There were more songs. More pieces of her—more words she had written, more stories she had shared. He shouldn’t listen to them. He knew that.

But he couldn’t stop himself. His thumb moved over the screen, searching for her name in the messages. He’d sent her texts before, each one a mix of drunken regrets and half-formed apologies. None of them had ever gotten through; Amelie had blocked him long ago, a decision he understood but still resented.

His mind was clouded, everything blurry and tinged with the pain of his own choices. His fingers typed out the message before he could stop them.

Lando Norris: I miss you so much. I just want you back. Just once more. I can’t shake the thought of you.

Lando Norris: Btw, congrats on the album. You’ve killed it.

His heart pounded as he read it over. It felt like too much, but at the same time, it was everything he’d been feeling for over a year. She’d moved on, he knew that. She had her family, her career. She probably didn’t think about him anymore. But Lando couldn’t escape the feeling of unfinished business. That there was something unresolved, something left unsaid.

He stared at the message for a long moment, wondering if he should send it. He knew it wouldn’t reach her, that she wouldn’t ever see it. But the idea of putting all his thoughts into words, of admitting what had happened, was more than he could bear. It felt like a small weight lifted, just letting it out.

But deep down, he knew it was stupid. Amelie had moved on. And so had he. He had Luisinha now, didn’t he? She was the one who stuck around, the one who cared, even if things weren’t as easy as they once seemed. He couldn’t keep holding on to this ghost of a past he couldn’t change.

Lando let out a breath, staring at the message one last time before he made a decision. With a deep sigh, he hit the delete button.

He didn’t send it. He couldn’t.

But as he sat there in the quiet of his car, the weight of what he’d just done didn’t feel like the end of it. The hurt lingered, thick in his chest. He didn’t know what to do next. All he knew was that nothing had ever felt as unfinished as this.

In the silence, he just sat there for a while longer, staring at his phone and wondering if he would ever be able to fully let go.

[warcats-cat]

Feathers 💜🪶

Summary: So, you found yourself dating an ancient Greek god. Who had now been gone for almost a month. Who you hadn’t actually ever gotten around to talking about your mental health…. Or your previous relationships…

A/N: PLEASE READ ALL TAGS. THIS IS BASED ON SOME VENTING I DID A WHILE AGO. PLEASE BE CAREFUL AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.

Ok, this is the big one. Technically this is the first xReader I wrote before making this a "series", so it's going to be put at the top of the list here and on Ao3 but the fics can be read in any order. The reader in all of these is based on me, but I try to keep everything as gender neutral as possible for readability. I promise there is hurt/comfort and fluff in this, but its a but of a journey to get there. PLEASE if there are any tags you believe I missed, comment or message me and I will correct it if I can.

Of course, I have to give a HUGE thank-you to my beta reader @lickoutyourbrains (also on tumblr) for reading this one before I even thought of any of the others and encouraging me to keep going. The silly and sweet fics in this series would NOT exist without them <3 As always, thank you for reading and I do hope you enjoy this one. I hope it brings a little catharsis, like it did for me.

Read on Ao3 here!

-----

It had been a miserable week, to be perfectly honest. You laid in your little bed, the blankets haphazardly wrapped around you. Somehow, though the rest of your body was hot to the point of sweating, the blankets had managed to avoid covering your butt, and now said area was stinging cold under the breeze from the ceiling fan. You were still in your work uniform from yesterday. 

Yeah, a pretty miserable week. 

And you felt a little stupid, all things considered; you were miserable because your boyfriend had been gone almost a month. The Messenger of the gods was busy running errands because the egotistical bastards couldn't be bothered to have a meeting in the same damn room, but ‘something something treaties something something maintaining peace’ had pulled Hermes away from your side. 

It was only supposed to have been one week, but that had turned into a text message saying two, which had turned into another text message saying three. Two more days and it would be four, and Hermes had been so busy he hadn’t been able to say anything to you since two days ago. 

And unfortunately, you had a little secret from your lover. 

See, you’d been dating only about six months; you’d met when this random weirdo came into your workplace and commented on the necklace you were wearing. A little silver feather with some weird scratches down the shaft. You’d found it in a one-dollar jewelry bag at the thrift store, tarnished to hell, and taken some time to really clean it and polish it. The poor thing just needed some TLC, and it was good as new!

And then some random weirdo wearing sunglasses indoors shows up at your workplace the next day asking about it. 

“It’s just pretty, I guess,” you said, when he asked about the little feather. “Maybe it’ll bring me some good luck.” It was also fun to fidget with, just large enough to run your thumb across the delicately chiseled lines of the feather representing its fluff. Something you found yourself doing more and more throughout the day when customers began getting annoying or worse, abusive. 

And the weirdo had seemed content to just sit there. And watch you, and occasionally chat. All day…

The day after, the weirdo returned, and sat there next to your counter watching you again; this time glaring at the customers who were rude to you, which was nice at least. He brought up your necklace again; this time saying he thought it looked like real silver; probably worth loads more than you had initially paid for it. You got a little giddy at the thought of some extra spending money, fiddling with the little charm and chatting some more with him. And yet. He seemed to know something about it, something important, more so than its value. 

When he showed up for a third time and bugged you about it, you asked; and the man sighed and admitted his interest - it looked like one he had had a long time ago, right down to the scratches on the feather shaft. And in that moment, your heart felt a little heavy; something about the way he talked about it - maybe it had belonged to a family member or a close partner. You couldn’t see his eyes from the dumb sunglasses, but his voice sounded so wistful. 

Your mind was made up right then and there; money be damned, you didn’t want to let someone be sad when you could do something about it. You’d carefully undone the clasp and slipped the necklace off, and held it out to him. 

He hesitated at first; “And what do you want in return?” he asked. You shrugged. 

“I paid fifty cents for it. I’ll take the quarters if you have them.” he made a confused, disbelieving face at that. 

“I told you yesterday it was probably worth five-hundred. Or more.” he replied. You shrugged again.

“It means a lot to you, obviously. I don’t think you’re gonna just go and sell it. If it means that much to you, I want you to have it. Besides, I want a gumball.” you said simply. He chuckled at that, shaking his head and pulling two coins out of the bag at his side. Catching a glimpse, he had an awful lot of papers in there - why did guys just throw every scrap of paper into their bags instead of taking the extra ten seconds to put them in a folder or something --

Quarters in hand, you turned away from him to get back to work, and he left without you thinking any more of it, looking over his shoulder and saying “I’m Henry, by the way”. 

But a week later he came back, saying he had changed his mind, he wanted you to have the charm. Maybe it was good luck after all. And then every day you started looking forward to his visits. And then he asked if you wanted to get pizza one night after work, his treat. And then a few days later he brought you lunch from your favorite fast-food place. And then, and then, and then…

You’d known each other about two months before he asked you out; sitting on a bench outside at the park by your apartment, close together under the shade of a large tree. He asked if you wanted to see a magic trick, but he needed to borrow your necklace again. You handed it over as easily as you had the last time, and he smirked as he looked it over. It was hard to see his eyes; he’d initially told you he was a little photosensitive, hence the sunglasses all the time, but even then it seemed you could never quite see his eyes in full. Something always blocked the view. Still, you watched as he carefully studied the charm. He ran his fingernail down the side of the feather shaft, and quietly spoke, 

“It says Luckbringer. It’s Greek.” You leaned a little closer to look, but then smiled wryly.

“Is that your magic trick?” you asked, bumping his shoulder playfully with your own. He smirked, and huffed a little chuckle,

“No. This is. Don’t freak out.” he warned, before taking the bottom of the feather’s shaft between his index finger and thumb, and sliding up towards the tip. 

The feather did not remain silver. 

You couldn’t help the startled gasp as what was once a silver feather charm fluffed out and grew into a long white real feather, from barely two inches long to at least six! He was watching you, no longer smirking, and your eyes flicked between the feather and his face a few times before you started giggling from shock.

“What?” you asked, nervously laughing. 

He ran his index finger back down the feather, still bearing the now delicate-looking etches  that formed a more easily seen word, even if you couldn’t technically read it. Wordlessly, he handed you the feather, and you held it carefully, not unlike you would have held an unexploded bomb.

“How familiar are you with the old Greek pantheon?” He asked, faux-casually. You started laughing again.

“If you start sparkling or something I’m gonna lose it.” you replied. That brought a big, impish  grin to his face, and he finally pulled down the sunglasses, showing off almost totally white eyes, clear for you to see. You also noticed from the corner of your eye that his head had sprouted a little pair of wings…

So, you found yourself dating an ancient Greek god. 

Who had now been gone for almost a month.

Who you hadn’t actually ever gotten around to talking about your mental health…. Or your previous relationships…or lack thereof…

You shuffled in bed, adjusting the blankets to at least be off your chest so you could breathe. You felt hollow, exhausted, but you couldn’t sleep. Insecurities and Questions digging tiny thorns in your soul every moment. 

You’d never asked him why he’d asked you out. You weren’t really sure. 

The old stories of the gods were all about lust and glory and sex, and you weren’t really into all that. You loved the romance; the cuddling and kissing and spending time together. Holding hands was possibly your favorite activity ever. And Hermes had never pushed you; he was surprisingly chaste compared to most of his (and his father’s and siblings’) mythology. He was gentle and sweet, and eager to make you laugh. He walked you home from work almost every day, watched movies with you and snuggled tight against you every Friday, texted you during his own working trips as often as he could. 

But you were wondering when it would end. He’d seen the purple and gray button on your work backpack at least a hundred times, and you’d had that conversation at least twice; he knew he wasn’t going to get between your legs. You’d tried, once or twice, to get in the mood; but it just ended with awkward stammering and blushing scarlet red and a moderate amount of embarrassment. You didn’t want it. And he was a god.

So what the hell did he want with you?

Your coworkers, as wonderfully terrible as they were, had been weirdly eager to point this out; to tease you about the whole situation. 

“Oh, he’s going on a work trip, I don’t know how long he’ll be gone.” you had explained one day when Leslie asked where your ‘hot guy’ had gone off to. She’d half-covered a smirk, and asked faux-gently,

“Are you sure he’s just on a ‘work trip’?” she asked, air-quotes and all. You had shrugged her off at the time; rolled your eyes and put your focus back to the counter. But as you stood there, fiddling with the feather charm, her question itched in the back of your thoughts, despite your best efforts. 

This was your first relationship in a long time. You were pretty ordinary, all things considered. You didn’t think of yourself as ugly or anything so drastic, but you were pretty plain. Rounded cheeks and soft waist and comfortable tee shirts and all. Not someone likely to catch many people’s eye. 

And to the outside world, even not knowing who he actually was, Hermes was athletic. Toned, thin, muscular. A little wiry, definitely a runner. Plus, the messy, semi-wavy hair, the mysterious sunglasses covering his eyes all the time, and the fact that he had expensive fashion tastes even when trying to look casual. His ‘mortal disguise’ had that aura of ‘rich enough to not care.’

Trying to explain that to him had been a nightmare, but whatever. You loved him enough to ignore the occasional Hermès track suit, which he wore with the pun fully intended.

So you wondered, just a little. You brushed off the questions as they popped up in your head, but they started to stick around, nagging in the back of your mind. What was he staying with you for? What did he want that he didn’t already have in abundance? You tried not to let other people make comments on your relationship, but most of the store had gotten used to seeing him around almost every day, and were now wondering where ‘Henry’ had gone. And you were starting to wonder too.

He hadn’t taken anything with him; he didn’t often sleep over at your apartment, usually having to run errands in the middle of the night or go meet with other gods or nymphs or whatever other magical creatures you couldn't begin to fathom. He had a handful of times, though, and had left a few miscellaneous things around - some of the afore-mentioned expensive clothes were clean and neatly folded in the bottom drawer of your dresser. Some trinkets he had given you were scattered around on different surfaces. At one point, he had apparently swiped one of Apollo’s lyres and hidden it in your closet. There were a handful of pictures of the pair of you that you had printed out on fancy paper and hung up on the fridge. 

Lying in bed now, surrounded by the memories and beginning to drown in your self-loathing, your stomach churned. You hadn’t moved in at least 36 hours; you were probably dehydrated and you definitely hadn’t eaten anything. You would be alone when he left you; your parents long out of the picture as you had fended for yourself. You were an adult, and supposed to act like it, and they had decided they didn’t actually like the person you had grown into. Your friends were all work friends, and you didn’t spend a lot of time going out with people. Your life was a pattern of work and home and work again, unending. 

You were going to be alone. The realization started swirling around you like Charybdis swallowing sailors, dragging you deeper and deeper into the dark thoughts you’d  been fighting off for a week.

And who’s to say he wasn’t gone already? Cutting off text messages like a final cut to the cord - the things he left behind were meaningless to someone who could have literally anything they wanted at their fingertips. He knew you’d always been tight on cash and had rather too much pride, wanting to do and pay for things yourself; maybe all the expensive odds and ends were a last gift to help you along. Some of those clothes were worth over a thousand dollars.

Your whole life wasn’t even worth a thousand dollars.

You weren’t interesting to him anymore; he’d had his fun hanging out with a mortal, been denied the ultimate prize, and was now bored. He’d probably get a better time of it out of Leslie from work! You squirmed on the bed again, burying half of your face in the pillow, physically unable to cry. You’d have to go back to work tomorrow, the routine beginning again, and you knew you needed to do something at some point, but right now you just couldn’t move.

In and out of consciousness you floated a while, half-heartedly turning off an alarm reminding you to get dinner. You barely dreamed; trying desperately to think only about the good memories. 

“Y/N…”

Hermes’ arms wrapping around you, his hands brushing through your hair. His voice, saying your name. 

“Y/N…”

His face lighting up when he used to walk in and see you at the counter, bringing sandwiches to share at the little corner lunch table in the break room. Thirty minutes just the two of you together. Going for your favorite hot drink after a hard day. His voice, saying your name over and over again.

“Y/N I swear on Styx I’m gonna call my brother if you don’t answer me!” his voice, panicked?

“Huh?” you replied eloquently, and oh he actually was there, one hand delicately wound through your hair and lifting your head, and the other pressing two fingers firmly on the pulse point of your neck. His sunglasses were off, and this close, you could see the barest hint of a silver ring that marked where his irises were. You’d asked him about them, once or twice; being the god of travelers meant it was usually hard for people to focus on his eyes - something about mortals not always knowing the people around them and not paying attention or something. Your brain was a little sluggish at the moment. 

“Your eyes are my favorite,” you said, out loud; and his face turned up in a wry, almost fearful smile. 

“Awesome! I’m calling Apollo.” he said, leaning in and kissing you on your forehead before beginning to move away.

Panic shot through your body; the sudden release of adrenaline making you tremble as you moved to grab him, almost shouting, “No!” Don’t leave, not yet. Please.

Quickly, but weakly, your fingers wrapped around his wrist, and he looked back at you, startled by the sudden outburst. He paused a moment, taking a deep breath of his own, and moved his wrist out of your grasp before taking your hand gently.  

“You need help,” he said softly, “My brother is an ass, but he’s also a healer. Let me get my phone. See? You can still see me.” He spoke like one would to a startled child or pet, placating and gentle, and you wanted to agree, but you couldn’t help the new burst of tears slipping out of your eyes as his hand left yours. He was telling the truth, of course. He’d dropped his messenger bag by the door to your room, it was barely five feet away. He walked slowly to the bag and retrieved his phone before returning to the bed, never leaving your line of sight. 

The next half hour(ish) was a little blurry. 

At some point, he picked you up (one handed, of course he could) and brought you out to the couch, settling you carefully in his lap with your head resting on his shoulder. You shuddered, feeling ten times more filthy against his pristine clothes, but he held you there with a firm hand on your arm, like a little treasure that he was protecting. His bag was slumped by your feet, and he was talking to presumably Apollo on the phone in his other hand. 

Against him, you began to relax; the adrenaline was wearing off, and your body and mind were both well past exhausted, giving in to the haze that led to unconsciousness. You only caught a few words of the conversation - ‘dehydrated’, ‘fever’, and ‘drugged’ being prominent. If you had been a little more aware, you would have protested the thought that you had taken anything, but as it was, you were just drifting in and out of sleep once more. 

At some point, someone held a glass to your mouth, and carefully coaxed you into drinking some water. It was amazing, probably the best water you’d ever had; probably because you hadn’t had any in 36 hours. You wondered if thirst affected water’s taste, and you would argue to the death that yes, water had a taste, and where it came from affected that taste.

And then there were two new hands on your face.

You’d met Apollo a few times since beginning your relationship with Hermes; the messenger god loved to be a nuisance to his older brother (actually, he loved being a nuisance to most people, being the god of mischief and all,) but they stayed surprisingly close. The god of the sun ran fairly hot, as to be expected, and his hands were warm against your face as he inspected you.

Gold eyes looked intently into (e/c), and the other god murmured to himself. He laid the back of his hand on your forehead. You soaked in the touch and care from both men, slowly becoming more and more aware of the apartment around you. Hermes' arms were holding you just a touch too tight, your feet were cold hanging off the couch, but they’d removed the oppressive blankets that had wrapped around your body and there was another glass of water nearby. 

You zeroed in on it, leaning back slightly to look up at your lover intending to ask him to loosen his hold. Both gods reacted to your movement.

“Are you back with us?” Apollo’s rich, slightly deeper baritone voice cleared the last of the fog, and you nodded. 

“Yeah, I think so…” you replied softly; all you had to do was turn towards the water glasses for Hermes to lean over and grab one, holding it up for you to drink once again. You were a little more embarrassed, this time, but Hermes was gentle in guiding you to drink the whole glass, and buried his nose in your greasy hair once you were finished. 

“What were you thinking?” his muffled voice was hitched, still full of worry. The question was genuine, not condescending. He was well and truly upset; your stomach churned again. You looked up at Apollo, who shrugged; “I think he means, ‘what was on your mind?”, he supplied, also unsure. Your shoulders hunched a bit, as if you could curl up and hide in your own skin right there in Hermes’ lap. You felt helpless, trying to think of an answer.

“I just…I don't know…” you started, after a minute, but couldn’t find the words. Your eyes burned from crying, your head was pounding, your body trembling from low blood sugar. You really wanted a third glass of water, possibly a fourth.

After a long period of silence, Apollo coughed to break the tension, first passing a hand over your hair affectionately, and then ruffling his brother’s much more roughly, leading Hermes to swat at the offending hand. “Good news is, they're not sick and not dying,” he emphasized the last word, as if teasing Hermes about his panic. You smiled a little, and the sun god took it as a win. “Go slowly with the water, because if you drink too much you could actually get sick, and try to eat something like toast or crackers before you move back up to real food. No work tomorrow.”

He winked, and handed you a slip of paper with a (fake?) doctor’s note. Of course he could just summon those. He flashed a sunny (pun intended!) smile; and gestured for you to call him, assumedly if you needed anything, before walking out the door and leaving in a bright flash. You and Hermes sat in silence another long while. 

You could have happily sat there for another six months, but his face was still buried in your unwashed hair, and his arms still wrapped around your sweat-soaked, presumably gross body, and you wanted to spare him at least a little of the nastiness of being with a mortal. 

“Let me up,” you said softly, wiggling in his grip. Instead, his hold tightened, and you realized with cold shock that his hands were trembling now. “C’mon, I’m sticky,” you tried again, your tone gentler; this time hearing him take a deep, settling breath. His arms loosened, but his head only moved over your shoulder. You twisted, trying to look at him, and you were startled to see him crying.

“I thought you were dead.” he spoke so softly it was almost a whisper, and the admission sent a chill down your spine. “I wanted to surprise you coming home, but you didn't reply to my message to pick you up. I called half a dozen times and didn’t get an answer. I knocked and you didn’t hear me. I had to pick the lock on your door just to get in, and you were laying there totally unresponsive. I thought something had happened.” 

In the time you had known him, Hermes hadn’t really cried. He teared up along with you at sappy movies, and he had tears in his eyes from laughing, but you hadn’t ever heard so much anguish in his voice until that moment. Your eyes became watery again, feeling so much of his emotion along with him; feeling the tiniest bit guilty, too, for making him worry, even if you hadn't meant to…

You distantly wondered just how many lovers he had lost whom he had wept for. How large a heart to break when a god mourned.

So, you came clean. You told him about your fears, the little horrible thoughts that came up in the night. You told him how you looked at yourself in the mirror and felt embarrassed for him, how you compared yourself to every other person around you. You cried and told him how you just felt like you had spiraled out of control so suddenly over the last week, worried he would never come back. You told him how you felt undeserving of him; how you felt that you couldn’t give him everything he desired, how your relationship looked fake or immature to others. 

He held you tight as you cried anew, both of you breathing heavily in tandem. You felt his heartbeat matching yours. His warm hands ran up and down your arm, soothing, and he placed little pecks and kisses over your forehead and cheeks. It was probably another hour of gross sobbing and soft murmurs of reassurance. 

Your body still felt dirty, but your soul felt clean. Minus the headache…

The pair of you dozed a bit after the outpour; at one point, he had gotten up and grabbed a few slices of toast and more water, but it was barely a flash of an instant before he was back and holding you again, feeding you little bites of toast and laughing at your half-joking attempts to bite his fingers. He called your manager at work and told them you were sick, and that was that. 

You slept a while, deeply and dreamlessly. It was almost sunset by the time you actually woke up, and this time, the two of you were tangled in your tiny apartment bed. But you were still in your nasty clothes, and at the thought, you attempted (for like the fifth time) to wiggle free of Hermes’ arms.

They tightened, once again.

“Okay, let me up for real,” you said, pushing lightly on his chest.

“No.” he said simply, pretending to still be asleep.

“I’m really gross, babe, I need a shower,” you pressed, and he huffed, frowning and finally opening his eyes. He stared at you a while, taking in the dried tears and red splotches of your face. (At least when gods wept they didn't have to deal with mucus…) He brought a hand up to rub one thumb gently across your cheek.

“I love you.” he said softly, earnestly. 

It wasn’t that you two hadn't said it before, but up to that point it felt like more of a crush; like the way two close friends said those words. This was honest. This was chase-away-your-nightmares and wipe-your-snotty-tears-clean. This was full stop, no room for doubt.

“I love you too,” you said, trying to convey the same genuine emotion. He sat up with you, leaning forward and giving you a kiss. “I’m sorry I scared you.” you said, looking into his eyes.

He sighed. “It isn’t your fault. I wish you’d told me some of this earlier, but it wasn’t all your fault.” he looked away from your face, thoughtful and sad.

“What do you mean?” you asked, now confused. 

“I hear a lot more than people think I do. I mean, obviously; several of my senses are a little heightened. But I've also just…learned to be more aware of what's happening around me. What people are saying, or not saying in some cases. I've heard the rude things those girls say about you, and the filthy things they say about me, and I haven't done anything. I see you as so much better than them, so far above them; like what they say wouldn't even touch you because they mean nothing.

“I just wish I had known you felt that way. I love you. I don’t want you to feel that ever again.” he looked right into your eyes, right into your soul, and you knew that hearing everything you had said had pained him as much as it had you. 

You started to apologize, but he quieted you with another kiss. “I’m upset with myself that I could let you think that. Yeah, our relationship is different from the ones I’ve had before, but I’m happy with you, okay? I’m happy when I spend time with you. I love just sitting together and watching movies and having dinner. I love going out and walking in the park or shopping at the craft thing you like.” you giggled a little, as he began to tease with his words and poke your ticklish spots with his nimble fingers. “I love that you're you. You’re kind and you have a big heart and you take care of everyone you can, regardless of whether they deserve it or if you even know them! You’re beautiful to me. And trust me, Aphrodite may keep up on human beauty standards but I really don’t care. You are enchanting to me.” he became serious, and tears came to your eyes again. 

After a beat, he continued, “I want to show you how much I love you. Do you trust me?” he asked, and that pit of worry in your stomach churned just a little bit but you pushed it away and nodded. You trusted him not to cross your boundaries, whatever he was planning. He smiled, and got up from the bed to root through your closet for a moment. 

From the bed, you could see the lyre still tucked into the back corner of the closet. You should probably give that back at some point. Maybe Apollo or Hermes would teach you to play it.

While you mused, Hermes had pulled out his prize - a bathing suit?

“Uh?” you asked eloquently. He smiled again, trying not to laugh. 

“Just put it on. Trust me.” 

After a minute of staring, waiting to hear the punchline of his joke and not getting one, you shooed him out of the bedroom and slipped out of your filthy clothes (considering just burning them instead of trying to wash them in the shitty washing machines in the complex’s basement) and into the colorful waterproof garment. 

You carefully avoided the mirror (you could deal with that later), and walked back out into the living room area, finding Hermes in his own swimming trunks. (You did take a minute to appreciate his bare chest before affirming that you were ready to do whatever it was.)

Carefully, he picked you up, holding you once again like a treasure, and spoke low in your ear, “Hold on tight.” 

His super speed (what else could you possibly call it) wasn’t foreign to you, but it was an experience you would have preferred to skip out on at that moment. Moving at mach one tended to make your ears ring, and no matter how secure you felt in his arms, the one time he’d taken you speeding over the top of the ocean was the last time you would be willing to do so. At least you didn’t get motion sick from it…

You would accept the flying. Not necessarily the running…

You had no idea where he was taking you, but it was only moments before you arrived. It was a little house, in the middle of the woods. Not creepy at all! 

He laughed when you said this to him, but walked up to the door with little care. “I’m borrowing this place from one of the lower gods for the night. Don’t worry, everything is clean and the servants aren’t staying. It’s just us.” he said. Several of these statements raised more questions, but oh well. 

It was a cute little place, and you heard the afore-mentioned servants wandering around and prepping something. You tried to get down, but Hermes only hummed and held you fast in his arms. Damn divine strength. He carried you down the beautifully decorated hallways towards what looked like the master bedroom, and certain enough, there was a person finishing up something in the bathroom there. Whoever they were gave a polite nod to the pair of you and left almost silently. 

Hermes paused in front of the bed, and asked again, almost as if he was nervous, “Do you trust me?” 

You didn’t have to think about it this time; “Yes, I do.” 

He smiled, and carried you into the bathroom. Inside was nothing short of opulent; it was a massive bathtub set mostly into the floor, with a bit of a lip to set things on, if the glasses of pink liquid and plate of cheese and grapes were anything to go by. Finally, he let you down, and gestured for you to get into the tub. 

The water was perfectly warm, soft and sweet smelling on your skin, and even just being touched by the water made you feel cleaner from sweat and grime. You sighed, almost involuntarily, in relief or pleasure or something in between. You couldn’t see, but Hermes was grinning behind you, happy to know the surprise would go over well. 

You looked up, expecting him to join you, but instead found him kneeling behind you. He must have seen the question on your face, because he smiled gently and gestured to another large pot of water and a cup. 

“When I was very young, I leaned more mortal than divine. I was sick a handful of times, though not nearly as often as fully mortal children. But I remember my mother made a point after the worst had passed that we would take a bath, wash the memories of sickness away. It always made me feel better.” As he told the story, he took cupfulls of water from the pot and eased you down, wetting your hair thoroughly. His fingers ran gently through your hair, over and over, passing first water and then shampoo, and then water again. You were surrounded by the smells of fresh lavender and mint, and laying there with your head in his careful hands felt almost hypnotic. 

At one point, he paused, and offered you a drink from the glass. You struggled not to spit it back out in shock - “Is this Gatorade??” you asked, a little hysterical. 

He laughed, that devious grin you loved so much returning to his face, and he exaggeratedly waved his hand, “My brother said you needed electrolytes and stuff! I thought you liked this flavor!” 

You snorted, and took another actual drink, “Yeah, but you had them set it out so fancy and I thought it was, like, champagne, or something!” Your laugh was hearty and genuine for the first time in a week. You supposed this was one of the hazards of dating the god of mischief. 

The giggles mostly subsided, and he went back to his washing - when done with your hair, he began to simply rub the tension from your shoulders and arms, surprisingly knowledgeable in how he massaged your muscles. You took deep breaths, feeling calm and more than a little sleepy, and he murmured words of love and care in your ears. You were half-asleep by the time it was over, and he woke you with an upside-down kiss on your forehead. 

A god just took the time to wash your hair. What universe was this?

He showed you how to drain the bathtub and helped you dry off with a fluffy towel, and then handed you a soft, new set of pajamas to change into; drying off himself and moving back into the bedroom to change into his own nightclothes which turned out to just be some loose cotton pants; allowing you plenty more time to enjoy the view. 

The bedroom had music playing softly from some unseen speaker; a lullaby swirling around and cradling you in its sound. You shared the platter of crackers and cheese, and you playfully fed him the grapes, posing like renaissance paintings for an imaginary camera. Finally, he wrapped you again in his arms, warm and soft and safe, and you felt whole and content. 

“I love you,” you whispered in the dark, cuddled up to him.

“I love you too,” he said with a last kiss, and you knew in your heart it was the truth.

[alpiku]

ConstestShipping 🍉 Summer Anthology

This Anthology was organized over at @48anth2024 by @48fall and is a project celebrating the beloved early 2000s Pokémon Coordinatior Duo ❤️🌹💚

It’s not easy to get your hands on fanbooks such as these across the globe but I’m so happy the opportunity arose. 🌹 The quality of everything is stunning and worth every penny!

Contestshipping has always been very close to my heart. Be it because I grew up watching the Advanced Generation Latin Dub or by rediscovering it when I was a teen and finding not only that it had a name, but that so many people came together to create AMVs, fanart, comics and fanfiction.

I love supporting projects such as these (The Hoenn Zine also comes to mind!) which show all the talent and shared joy of online communities! Receiving the book made me feel all giddy and happy and I look forward to reading it once my Japanese gets much better!

A big thanks to @itstimetodrew for spreading the news of this project over here and making tutorials for how to purchase overseas! 💚

[welcometogrouchland]

(ID in alt) I literally said I was gonna post this month's ago and then never had the wherewithal to describe it and so I didn't Lmao (said with pain). But since I'm thinking of opening my commissions I figured I should remind ppl that I. Yknow. Can draw.

Lots of Steph here (I had major art block making all of these and my brain worms for her kept me going) + some sprinkles of stephcass for Cass nation to enjoy!