#have and I was lucky enough to get permission to leave early and get the quieter bus

[saturdaymournings]

Health and social care students don’t make fun of disabled people challenge !!!!

[scarletwinterxx]

sweeter than fiction - dad mark lee scenario

hellooo ~ i know a lot of you waited for dad mark🥺to be honest, i'm not sure if there will be a next one. this one feels like that full circle moment. But i'm not one to close doors so maybe in the future I will write more but it might take a while before i make one. thank you again for loving this series so muchhh, from all thirteen parts of my heart THANK YOU THANK YOU🥺🤍🤍🤍

For my other works you can check them out here, and for my other story series’ you can check them out here.

and if you want, u can buy me coffee(totally optional but any donation is very much appreciated!) thank you🥺💛

All works are copyrighted ©scarletwinterxx 2024 . Do not repost, re-write without the permission of author.

(gif not mine, credits to rightful owner)

Navigating parenthood is not an easy task, to this day it's still a daunting task. Mark's eldest son is already 13 but until now there are days he worries he might not be doing it right.

Then he thinks of you, how you've basically dedicated your life growing and nurturing your family and all he can think about is how lucky he is. You have gifted him with three beautiful children and a home you've built with love, compassion, kindness and everything good in this world. To Mark, you deserve nothing less than the universe but for now all he can give you is a luxury vacation with your mom.

At first you were reluctant to leave him with all 3 kids but Minjung is at that age where he already helps around the house, Minjee is grown enough too and knows just what she likes and when she likes it and Minsu well he's still a baby but Mark can handle that.

Or so he says.

"Buddy, can you check on your sister please? She's been quiet for five minutes. I'm getting worried" Mark tells his oldest while the youngest is fast asleep in his arms after drinking milk.

Minjung gets up from where he was reading his book to go check on his sister, it was still early in the day so Mark's thinking of taking everyone out to pass some time.

Mark waits for the two siblings to come downstairs after calling their names, the two walking towards the living room "How about we go out for the day? Go to the beach and have a picnic?" he suggests

"But mom said you can't cook, you're not allowed to touch the stove" Minjee says like she's teasing her dad

"I'm not going to, missy. We're going to get food outside then we'll have a picnic"

"Sounds fun" Minjung says

"Can I bring some plushies?" Minjee asks "You can take two"

"But daaaad"

"Nope not today, sissy. It's only the four of us okay? If one of your dolls get lost I can't find it. You can take them all next time"

The little girl pouts but nods her head. Mark gives himself a mental pat in the back for not saying yes to her so easily, you'd be proud of him.

"Okay, go get ready. We'll leave in a while"

The trip to the beach was quick, turns out Minjee is very much like you. She didn’t enjoy being under the sun for too long and didn’t like it when the sand get between her toes. It was adorable but Mark can only handle so much alone so the four of them ended up at a nearby ice cream shop before heading home. 

When they got home, Mark ordered food for everyone since he’s still banned from cooking and the kids wanted pizza for dinner so that’s what he got. Then he got them ready for bed before checking the house and making his way upstairs to your bedroom. 

Mark just finished talking with you on the phone when he hears the knocking on the bedroom door before Minjung pokes his head in, “Dad? Can I go in?”

“Hey buddy, what’s up? Why aren’t you sleeping yet?” Mark asks his oldest son, patting your side of the bed. Minjung walks towards his dad, getting on the bed beside his dad

“There’s something I want to ask you” he says, playing with his fingers. A mannerism he got from you, Mark notices. You used to do that too when you’re about to ask him about something. 

“What is it?” he asks his son

“How did you tell mom you liked her?”

Mark was definitely not expecting that question, and he’s definitely not ready for one of his babies to start asking about love. 

“How did I tell your mom I liked her?” Mark asked back, making Minjung nod his head

“Well I uh, actually it’s a funny story” Mark smiles as he recalls the memory from that day. The start of you and him. “I had a big crush on your mom, I liked her so so much I always get nervous when I talk to her, I always end up saying only two to three words to her. She was the prettiest girl in class, she’s smart, confident. I really thought she was waaaay out of my league. But she was always nice to me, she always talked to me in class, shared her notes with me when I was busy or I missed a class. Then I thought about asking her to get ice cream after school but I got too shy, your uncle Hyuck had to help me”

“What happened?” Minjung asks, smiling up at his dad. Excited to hear the story.

“He literally pushed me in front of your mom and told her I had something to say. I stuttered so bad but she just smiled at me, that was the day I embarrassed myself in front of her but that was also the day she said yes to getting ice cream with me” Mark grins at his son, their smiles a mirror of each other. 

Now he realizes Minjung has always been surrounded with love because of you and him. He didn’t have to worry because his son knows what love is.  Him and his siblings are a product of that love, and also this home. 

Everyday Minjung hears his mom laugh at his dad’s joke even though sometimes it’s not that funny, everyday he sees his dad smile at his mom even when she’s not looking, everyday he sees them hugging in the kitchen during the quiet morning just before all the rush, everyday he sees his dad come in the door after a long day at work with his arms wide open waiting for his mom’s hug like a homecoming ceremony. 

“How did you know you love mom?”

“It’s a lot of things all at once. I don’t know how to describe it, not even now after being together for so many years. A part of me always knew she was the one even before I fully realized it. I don’t remember life before her or what comes after her. I just know I live for her, and you and your siblings” he tells his son, giving his hair a ruffle “You’ll know what I’m talking about one day”

“So, I just ask her to go get ice cream with me?” Minjung asks

Oh right, Mark remembers what this conversation was about. “Yea, just think about what she likes. If she likes ice cream then yeah, or if she likes going out for a walk how about a walk in the park or movies. Just be genuine, always be a gentleman and respect her decision”

Minjung nods at his father’s words, “When is mom coming home?”

“Tomorrow”

“Can I uh, stay here with you? Can we watch Spiderman?”

Mark can never say no to his kids, even after all these years of being a dad he still doesn’t know how to do it. That’s why he always gets scolded by you because the kids know they can ask him if there’s something they want and you say no. 

“Sure buddy, that sounds fun. Go get the remote”

A few hours later, the father-son look alike is fast asleep on the bed. The tv playing in the background, casting a light on the two. That was the sight that welcomed you when you entered the bedroom. 

You wanted to surprise Mark by coming home tonight but it looks like you’re the one being surprised. Mark was snoring lightly while Minjung was sleeping beside him, you see the movie playing on the screen and chuckle to yourself. Minhyung and Minjung really are twins. 

Watching Minjung grow up, you see more of Mark in him as the years pass by. Feels like yesterday you just took him home, two very nervous first time parents. Now your first baby is growing up to be a fine young man. 

Walking slowly towards the bed, you get the remote first to turn off the tv. Pulling the covers over Minjung to make sure he’s tucked in. Leaning down to give him a goodnight kiss before going back to Mark’s side. There was enough space for you to scoot yourself in, you lay your head on his chest. The feeling of something or someone rather, laying on him makes Mark wake up from his slumber

“Huh?” he grumbles, arms reaching out to feel around the bed. Then he recognizes immediately who it was “Baby, you’re here already?”

“Yea, I wanted to surprise you and the kids” you whisper back. You feel his arms tighten around you, holding you closer on his chest and giving you a kiss on the forehead. 

“Is everything okay with Minjung?” you ask, wondering why he’s sleeping here

“Huh? Oh yea, we were just watching a movie. I’ll tell you everything tomorrow. Are you okay sleeping here? You comfy?”

You smile at his question, there’s really no place more comfortable than his embrace. You lean your head up to kiss him on the chin before tucking yourself back into him. “I’m good here. Goodnight, baby”

“I missed you” you hear him say before sleep takes over once again. 

And that’s how you ended your day, with your two boys with you. The next morning, you wake up before the two boys. You gently pry away from Mark’s grip to check on your other babies. You check Minjee first, she’s still fast asleep on her bed while cuddling one of her many plushies. She’s always been a deep sleeper. You know not to wake her up or else she’ll be grumpy the whole day so you let her be. 

Next you check your youngest, Minsu. The baby boy also still fast asleep in his crib. Now a year old, he’s a mix of you and Mark. He got your nose and his father’s cheeks. He likes watching his older brother play the piano ad loves dancing with his big sister. Minsu is the beloved youngest member of the Lee family. 

You make your way downstairs to start breakfast, but first you make yourself a cup of coffee. You were waiting for the coffee to brew when you feel a pair of arms circle your waist, your husband burrying his face on the side of your neck

“Goodmorning, Mr. Lee. How was your sleep?” 

“Better, now that you’re back. But you left so I woke up”

You chuckle at how adorable Mark was, even after all these years he can still make the butterflies in your stomach flutter all around. It’s silly but your crush for your husband never really went away, if anything it just got stronger over the years. 

“You’re cute, so how was the kids while I was gone?” you ask him, this time Mark rests his chin on your shoulder to tell you about the previous happenings while you were gone

“Minsu is an angel, he loves the baby food you left. I think it was the mashed avocado one. Minjee can now ride a bike, she’s still wobbly but she’s definitely better than you”

“Hey!”

“I’m kidding baby, but am I wrong? You don’t know how to ride a bike” he teases you

“I know how to ride you” you tease him back. You can hear Mark laugh from behind you, feeling his chest vibrate against your back “That you do, don’t tempt me”

You turn around in his arms so now you’re chest to chest, Mark looks down at you eyes full of love “I missed you” he mumbles 

“Missed you too, where’s my kiss?” You don’t need to ask him twice, his lips are immediately on yours. You can feel him smile against your lips, arms tightening around you. You enjoyed the short vacation but really there’s no place you’d rather be, this is your own safe haven. 

Mark is  and will forever your own getaway. 

Breaking away from each other, Mark peppers kisses all over your face eliciting giggles from you. 

“By the way, is Minjung okay? Why was he in our room last night?” you ask your husband

“Oh yea, he just wanted to ask me about something. Be ready though”

“Be ready for what?”

“Our son asked me how I asked you out, I think he’s planning to ask someone out on a date”

You stare back at him with a shocked look, just like Mark expected. 

“Our baby’s all grown up now. Remember when you first left us home alone” Mark chuckles

“Nooooo, my baby boy”

“Well he’s not so baby anymore”

You can’t even begin to describe what you’re feeling, you’re definitely not ready for this. “What did you tell him?” you ask

“Exactly what happened when I asked you out”

“You mean when you asked me out to get ice cream, that time Hyuck literally pushed you towards me” you chuckle as you remember that day

“Mhm”

“Now that you said that, I’m wondering too. Why did you like me?” you ask him

“That’s like asking why the sky is blue” Mark mumbles, rolling his eyes playfully

“Indulge me, come on tell meeee. Or how did you know you loved me”

“I’m gonna tell you because we’re already married so you can’t run away from me now. I knew I was going to marry you the moment we met. I just knew. You smiled at me and I just know that was a smile I want to see every morning I wake up and every night before I go to sleep. I knew I loved you when you got me a bible for my birthday after I lost my old one. You said you weren’t the most religious person but you went out your way to get that for me. You loved me in ways I didn’t know I could find love. If one day Minjung ask me again about love, I’ll tell him all about you because that’s what love means to me. It’s you”

“Oh my gosh, our baby is all grown up. What are we going to do? I’m not ready for this” you tell him, eyes filled tears both from his declaration of love and the idea of your little being in love

“Hey don’t cry. It’s exciting to see him growing up, and he’s not shy asking us about what to do so it’s a good thing. We’ll be there when he needs us, our baby still needs us” he cradles your face in hands, ready to wipe any tear that’s threatening to spill

“Where did the time go? Next thing we know it’s Jee asking us if she can go out on a date. What will you do then?” you ask with a laugh

“Easy, I’ll go with them”

“You’re not going to our daughter’s first date”

“Like heck I won’t. I’ll be three tables away, she won’t even notice I’m there”

You laugh at Mark’s future plan, there’s never really a dull day being married to him. Even though you’re never sure what the future holds, one thing you’re sure of is you’re ready to face it as long as you have him by your side. You used to dream about this life you have with him, marrying the man of your dreams and live happily ever after. 

But Mark gave you so much more than that, he gave you the fairytale reality others can only dream about. He’s the dream man made just for you and he’s yours in this lifetime. 

part1: day with dad mark lee

part2: another day with dad mark lee

part3: a day with the lee's

part4: (prologue) i don't know how to make eggs

part5: glitter pens and goodnight kisses with the Lee's

part6: first love and kisses

part7: naps and baby kicks

part8: then there was three

part9: just like you

part10: fool for you

part11: your day

[ddejavvu]

What about Hotch sneaking wife!reader and Jack into his hotel room during an away case and getting caught? He just wants to sleep by his love cause he can’t sleep without her since they got married 🥹

Aaron doesn't think much about forgoing an alarm when he falls asleep by your side. Their case is over, they've done all they need to, and they're just waiting on a delay at the airport that's preventing planes from taking off. There's no reason he needs to be out of bed early, and there's definitely no reason he needs to wake you and Jack up at an ungodly hour with an alarm. He's lucky enough to have gotten scheduled for a case alongside one of Jack's soccer tournaments, and for once in his life all of the pieces fall into place perfectly. He'd snuck you into his hotel room, he'd tucked Jack in on the couch, and he'd crawled right into your arms. He's going to take the opportunity given to him by the suddenly-gracious universe, bury his face in your shoulder, and sleep, no alarm necessary.

However, Aaron Hotchner should know by now, that the universe is never gracious. Not to him.

"Hotch?" JJ's voice is muffled by the door, incessant knocks beginning when there's no answer, "Hotch, the storm cleared, and planes are starting to take off again. We're schedule for an hour from now. Are you up?"

"Aaron," You hiss, suddenly filled with a panic you're not sure how to deal with, "Aaron, your- wake up!"

"Daddy?" Jack, evidently roused from the racket, rubs blearily at his left eye, "Daddy, is that Auntie JJ?"

"Is- Is that Jack? Hotch, open up." JJ tries the handle, but of course, it doesn't budge. Jack, ever the helper, takes his dad's groggy, half-awake silence and your own petrified one, as permission to help his aunt out, and almost trips on his blanket as he rushes for the door.

"Jack-" You whisper, trying to shout quietly. When he doesn't hear you, you try louder, even though it'll give you away, "Jack, no!"

"Auntie JJ!" Jack gushes, swinging the door wide open to greet her. The slim blonde is given a full, unobscured view of Aaron's bare chest pressed against your clothed one. He's awake, but barely so, and he's pushed himself off of where he'd been laying over your chest. But you're also trying to sit up, and it just pushes you together again.

JJ's eyes are wide and dancing with amusement, something you know she's going to channel directly into a gossip session with Penelope later. You suppose you understand, you'd want to share the juicy details too, but it's mortifying as she sees you now in bed with her boss.

"Well, good morning," She smirks, ruffling Jack's hair when he hugs her leg, "Uh, sir, I was just coming to let you know that we're scheduled for a flight soon, but if you're otherwise occupied, I can just tell the others you'll meet us back in Quantico?"

"Do not tell anyone anything." Aaron orders, apparently not needing much time in the morning to get his grumpiness going. He narrows his eyes at JJ, "What time do we leave?"

"10:30." None of his sternness can wipe the grin off of her face.

"We'll be gone by 10." You assure Aaron in a soft voice, too embarrassed to let JJ hear you speak.

"Perfect." She gushes, and you're even more mortified that she picked up on your soft murmurs anyways, "Well, sir, sounds like that's all set. But if you want, I can take Jack, and you two can have some alone time? I'm sure the team wouldn't mind, we can ask him all about-"

"No." Aaron snaps, but Jack's already latched onto her leg, sitting atop her foot, "Absolutely not. Jack, come back inside, please."

"Soccer." She clarifies with a knowing smirk, already backing away from the door with the little boy stuck to her, "We'll ask him all about soccer."

[captainsophiestark]

Batting Cages

Kol Mikaelson x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for Fictober 2024!

Fandom: The Vampire Diaries/The Originals

Day Twenty-Two Prompt: "Why are we doing this again?"

Summary: Kol and his spouse are in Denver, trying to find Jeremy Gilbert to help Klaus with his scheme. Unfortunately for Klaus, the couple are still head over heels for each other, and therefore easily distracted.

Word Count: 1,182

Category: Fluff, Humor

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

"Why are we doing this again?"

I wiggled the bat over my shoulder as I stared at my husband, Kol Mikaelson, from where he stood over the pitching machine in the batting cage. He tossed the baseball up in his hand, catching it again as he grinned at me.

"Because I need to make friends with Jeremy Gilbert, and he likes coming to the batting cages for fun after school."

I huffed, dropping the bat back to my side, held loosely in one hand. I made a show of looking left and then right at the other batting cages around us, then turned back to Kol.

"I don't see him."

"He'll be here. We just have to wait him out."

"Fine." I brought the bat back up to just over my shoulder. "Pitch it, then."

Kol smirked, then hurled the ball in my direction with a little more speed than I thought necessary. I swung through with the bat, keeping my eye on the ball and using some of my vampire strength, since that's apparently how Kol wanted to play.

The ball went rocketing back towards him in a straight line, so quick that he barely had time to duck out of the way. He popped back up a moment later, an indignant expression on his face.

"Hey!"

I just laughed and shot Kol a grin.

"You know, that's why they have the pitching machines," I said. "So you can avoid exactly what happened."

"Nah, that's not as fun," Kol said, waving me off before grabbing another baseball. "Come on, get the bat ready again."

I did. Kol and I had been together for centuries, so we'd developed a great rythm together. I'd found my soulmate, and even better, I'd been lucky enough to get eternity with him. So, when his brother sent him more than halfway across the country for some ridiculous and overdramatic mission, I'd come with him.

We found little ways to make the best of it. Like getting to the batting cages early to spend some time together.

"You know," I started, wiggling the bat over my shoulder again as Kol wound up another pitch, "if we had some blue tinted glasses, we could pretend we were in Twilight right now. Vampire baseball."

Kol shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"You are way too into that media for an actual vampire."

I just grinned at him, swinging the bat and knocking out another pitch he sent my way. This time, despite the temptation, I didn't send it straight at him.

After another few rotations, Kol and I switched places. I tossed a couple easier pitches his way, and Kol had fun hitting them out of the park, but I was starting to get bored. I tried to put a little spin on my next pitch, and for the first time all day, Kol missed it.

"Damn!"

I grinned. "Come on, babe. You've been playing baseball longer than anyone else alive. You can get that."

Kol narrowed his eyes at me, keeping the bat raised and ready. My grin widened and I wound up another pitch.

Wham! Like the last, it went flying past Kol and into the backstop. He growled in frustration and dropped the bat down to his side.

"Dammit! Alright, give me another one. We're not leaving here until I get this."

"Or... how about we make a bet?"

Kol raised an eyebrow at me, his posture relaxing.

"I'm intrigued, darling. What did you have in mind?"

"We take turns pitching and batting, say, thirty turns at each position. Whoever does the worst across both has to make the winner's favorite dinner tonight."

Kol grinned. "You're on."

"Perfect. Think fast."

Using vampire speed, I whipped the ball in my hand at Kol, ideally before he could react. Unfortunately for me, he also had vampire speed, and he sent the pitch flying right back at me an instant later.

"Nice try, darling. But you're going to have to do better than that."

Kol and I got lost in our competition, devolving quickly from any rules of sportsmanship. We tried to surprise each other with pitches, distract each other by shouting, and finally, distract each other by flirting. By the end of our combined sixty pitches, Kol was trying to speed across the batting cage faster than the ball he'd just thrown to pick me up so I couldn't hit the pitch.

I cackled as Kol literally swept me off my feet. Unfortunately for him, it was a moment after I'd connected with the baseball, sending it into the back fencing for the win. He put me down with a sigh, taking the bat out of my hands and spinning me around to face him.

"So... a tie, then."

"Nope! Nice try, Mikaelson, but I was keeping score, and you agreed with me. Hitting that last pitch gave me the win and we both know it."

Kol hummed, throwing the bat away from us and pulling me flush against his chest. He leaned down and kissed me, and I smiled into it, running my hands up and into his hair.

We were just starting to get carried away when a barely-intelligible voice crackled over the speakers of the batting cages.

"Attention everyone, the cages will be closing in ten minutes. In ten minutes."

Kol and I broke apart, just staring at each other for a moment. Then, we both burst out laughing.

"Damm," Kol said, shaking his head even as his smile stayed put. "We either completely missed Jeremy, or he didn't come today."

I shrugged. "Eh, I still feel good about how we spent the day. The mission can start tomorrow."

"I guess it's going to have to, now. Good thing Nik's not here to find out."

"Pft. Let him try to come at us. We've got a bunch of metal bats, we're untouchable."

Kol laughed, wrapping his arms around my shoulders as we headed out of the batting cages together. A few other people were headed out, too, but none of them were Jeremy Gilbert. Oh well.

"You know, darling... I think I might come by myself tomorrow. I don't think I'll ever be able to focus on Nik's schemes or the Gilbert kid when I can focus on you instead."

I beamed, leaning into Kol a little bit as we walked down the street together.

"That's fine with me. There's plenty of other things I want to check out while we're stuck in Denver. Although, when we meet back up tomorrow night, you should be warned that I'll probably have quite a few stacks of new books with me."

Kol laughed. "I'd be worried if you spent time in a new city and did anything else!"

"Aw, babe. You really get me."

Kol laughed, and after a moment, I joined him. We strolled down the street together, the same way we'd been spending our evenings for hundreds of years, and I couldn't keep a bright smile off my face. We might've been here to help Klaus with some ridiculous scheme or other, but no matter where we went or why, all Kol and I really needed was to be together.

*****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury @kmc1989 @space-helen @misshale21

The Vampire Diaries/The Originals Taglist: @elenavampire21

[claraswritings]

CARMY BERZATTO NSFW ALPHABET HEADCANONS

Warnings: erm… it’s the NSFW alphabet so… it’s basically Carmy smut 👀 fluff,

Luca one to follow soon.

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Oh Carmy would be super prepared. He’d have a little aftercare drawer or box by his bed ready for you and would offer to help you and when he was done he’d go make you a drink a snack and bring it in to you. He’d be very cuddly and close after and keep kissing you softly even after. If he had to leave early he’d nudge you so he could say goodbye and cuddle you for a bit before you went back to sleep.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

On himself? He likes his arms, he knows you like them too. Carmy is built strong despite being a little shorter than most guys and knows he can lift you and move you around with ease. On you? I think he’d love your hands, he always want to be just holding your hand whilst you’re being intimate, locking both of yours above your head or holding them in his whilst he kisses you. He’s probably touch starved, poor baby.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

He’s open to anything and will cum wherever you like. Of course Carmy loves finishing inside you but he’s also partial to giving you a backshot. He’ll take a picture of it (with your permission) and get off to it when you’re not around.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

He would be into making a dirty video, pictures 100% he’d want some artsy sexy Polaroids…Maybe Carmy would… even want you to nude model for him…so he can draw you 👀 … draw me like one of your French girls style?? Like sensual sexy and romantic and you’d both end up durned turned on

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Depends. If you date pre-New York absolutely or close to zero. After New York when he’s back in Chicago, maybe a few flings or brief hook ups but not much at all. Definitely no relationships. Carmy is a fast learner though and will take instructions to please you how you like.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

He loves having you ride him but with his big hands on your hips so he can thrust up into you. Sometimes he’ll bury his face in your neck and leave bite marks, other times he’ll want to press his forehead to yours and look in your eyes.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

He’s mostly serious. He can joke if it’s a quickie but any more and he likes to be more sweet and romantic. Carmy just feels so lucky to have you that he wants to let you know.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

He keeps it tidy and trim. On a partner, he wouldn’t be fussed so long as you’re comfortable.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

He’s the type to take his time lying over you with his chain hanging in your face and kissing you slowly, he’s absolutely the kind to say I love you during sex if he got a little overwhelmed with how loved and safe he felt. I think he’d have a hard time being vulnerable…so when he’s in the moment and feels like he can open up hed do it.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

I have an idea that he’d want you both watch each other touch yourselves at some point and see who caves first. Who edges closer to the other? Who would stop to touch the other person…just a little….first..

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

He LOVES to be praised and told just how good he feels. The reassurance in that moment is exactly what can send him over the edge. If you tell him he’s fucked you so good and he can cum now… well fuck if he’s not finishing there and then

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

You’ve been known to surprise him in his office which he couldn’t get enough of… you’ve also made use of the car once or twice.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

I think he’d get turned on knowing you want him if that makes sense. So if you’re calling him ‘my Carmen’ in public. If you got jealous of someone giving him attention too… I can imagine him being like “do you want me to show you you’re the only woman for me” BRRRR 🥵.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

He would not be interested in sharing you or being shared. Even if he knows you love each other, Sharing you is off the table. He’d be so jealous if another man even looked at you let alone touched you.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

He loves both. He’s keen to please you and will happily spend hours between your legs but if you want to get under his desk and take him in your mouth, he’s not going to ever refuse. He’s not the most experienced guy but he makes up for it with enthusiasm.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

I’d say he usually likes to take his time with you… slow at first (due to his size) but if you build up to it, he’s sometimes unable to hold back and ends up picking up the pace.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Oh hell yeah, especially if it’s at a busy time for the restaurant and he can’t spend as much time with you as he likes. He’s pretty open to you setting the grounding on how often but if you’re there and giving him the go ahead for a quickie, he’ll always be up for it.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

Within reason. I think he’d be into it with the right environment…I think he’d also maybe be a little embarrassed to bring it up to you initially but if you were open, ohh you could slowly, gradually start experimenting and soon he’d be sending you things with ‘Can’t wait to do this to you’

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

Liiiiisten I know people think oh he works a lot, he’s not going to have time. We have all SEEN those biceps yes? He clearly has time to work out so he clearly has a lot of energy. Sometimes yeah he does come home wiped out and you’ll just get him off with your mouth or he’ll go down on you… but other times? You’re going for as many rounds until he’s got out any frustration or energy… as for how long he lasts?? It all depends on how much you praise him 👀 (see above Kinks)

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

He doesn’t own any or use them and whilst he wouldn’t be against it, he’d much rather just fuck you himself.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

When you first start dating, hes not the type to make a move or ask you, but after a few months of learning what each other like, my god he is the BIGGEST TEASE.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Carmy would be quiet at first, just the odd gasp or moan but you’d coax more out of him by telling him you wanted to hear him, and by the time you’re together he’s enthusiastically telling you sparing no detail how good it feels

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

Once when he was at a conference, you surprised him in a coat and just underwear underneath.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

He is a bit above average in length but he’s absolutely without any doubt, so girthy that the first time you see him you’re actually nervous about how he’s going to fit.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

He was so work focused before he met you that he’s adapted to being fine going for long periods without getting any…or at least he was until he met you. As soon as you get together, he cannot take his hands off you.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Carmy would fall asleep pretty quickly if he’s working hard and he’d get to sleep even quicker with you kissing his arms and shoulders and whispering sweet things to him. You’d reassure him it’s okay if he falls asleep first.

[writerslittlelibrary]

So, I'm not a prisoner?

masterlist part 1 part 2 part 3 extra

summary: you did not expect that your mission to take down the traitor, could end in such a difficult situation for you…

pairing: Natasha x Red Room teen reader

warnings: fighting, weapons, stabbing, blood, implied sexual abuse

genre: fluff, angst

words: 3073

a/n: I wanted to do a fic like this for so long!!!! anyway, I just kept scouting tumblr trying to find fics like this, so I figured I’d finally write one myself :)

You do not have my permission to repost, copy or translate my work

 |——————————— ⴵ ———————————|

A quick in and out. That was your mission. How on earth did you manage to screw it up so bad. In and out. Assassinate the traitor and come right back. 

Dreykov would’ve been so proud. 

But that didn’t happen. No. Every single aspect about that night failed to go according to plan. You snuck into the event Stark had hosted, was able to blend in with the other party goers, and you were able to hide when most of the people started to leave. 

Once it was just the Avengers left, you stayed in your hiding spot, observing them. You were here to kill Natasha Romanoff, and Natasha Romanoff only. 

You could not afford any casualties, so you had it all planned out. 

You’d wait until the Avengers would leave, and you’d take Natasha out before she could make it to her living quarters. You knew that once she made it to the living space of the Avengers tower, getting to her would be a lot harder. 

However, against all odds, Natasha excused herself from the group quite early, saying she wanted to get a good nights sleep. 

You internally cursed yourself, hating that this wasn’t something that you had planned for. 

Around the couches were still some Avengers sat. You recognised all of them. Clint Barton shouldn’t be too much trouble. He was only a guy who’s good with a bow. For Maria Hill could be said the same thing, except she’s very skilled with a gun.

No, you were worried about the other Avengers still seated. Tony Stark could call upon his armour in mere seconds. Thor had the power of thunder for god’s sake. Wanda Maximoff has exceptional powers, and therefor, if you were to attack with her still in the room, you’d be immobilised in an instant. 

You were fairly certain you didn’t need to worry much about Bruce Banner. Sure, he could turn into the Hulk, but he didn’t turn often, and lately, the Hulk hasn’t been spotted in the battlefield, meaning he probably had many trouble turning into him. 

Pietro Maximoff shouldn’t bring you a lot of trouble either. 

Your main concern were Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers. One Super Soldier you could handle, but two? While fighting the rest of the Avengers? That wasn’t going to work. 

Lucky for you, Wanda Maximoff had excused herself from the gathering a while ago. If you didn’t make to much noise, she wouldn’t be much of a problem. You could be outside before she’d even make it to the party deck. 

Your original plan was to just wait. Natasha Romanoff would have usually sat through a party until far into the evening. You’d know, you’ve been watching her for weeks. 

However, now that Romanoff has announced she was returning to her bedroom, a slight panic ran through your body. 

Dreykov gave your 5 weeks to finish this assignment. That’s longer than any assignment you’d ever been on. You could not disappoint him with this. You had to kill the traitor. 

You figured now was your only chance, and so, as Natasha Romanoff made her way towards the elevator, you followed her. 

However, not even to your surprise, she stopped in the middle of the hallway. 

“You know I’m an assassin, too? You’re good, but you’re not un noticeable,” she states, calmly turning around, being met with a gun to your face. The moment she stopped, you were wise enough to draw your gun, holding her at gunpoint for any sudden movements. 

You could see a slight surprise appear on her face, before her face returned to her poker face once again. 

“You’re just a child…” Natasha spoke slowly, seeming almost disappointed. 

“You’re a traitor,” you spoke, loading the gun, taking a step closer. Natasha simply shook her head. “I’m sorry,” she spoke, before leaping towards you. You shot your gun, but Natasha was too fast, avoiding your gunfire as she ran past you, back to the other Avengers. 

How on earth could you have missed that shot? She was right there.

Pathetic. 

You don’t hesitate to run after her, determined to finish this tonight. 

Very much not to your surprise, the moment you run back into the party hall, the Avengers are already standing up and ready. Ready to fight you.

You don’t hesitate to move forwards, and after fighting Clint Barton for mere seconds, you quickly realise they have no intention of hurting you. You could use that to your advantage, and you do.

You kick Barton hard, leaving him on the floor, heaving for air as you move forward, taking on Maria. 

However, the moment you get close to Maria, two strong arms wrap around your body, pulling you back. They’re holding you tightly, and it doesn’t feel like they’re planning to let go. 

You struggle in the hold, fighting against who ever is holding you as you try to break free. A small panic runs through your body. The fear of being captured by the Avengers taking place in your mind. You do not fear the Avengers, but the thought of being seen as a traitor by Dreykov hurts your heart more than words could describe. 

“Stop struggling. We can help you,” you hear a voice behind you speak, and you soon come to realise the person you’re fighting is Captain America himself. 

No wonder you couldn’t get loose. 

Knowing it’s a Super Soldier, you’re quick to outsmart him, making him think you’re getting tired, relaxing your body is his hold. Because of this, the Captain lightens his grip a bit, giving you enough room to wiggle your arm free, moving it backwards to hit him in the face with your elbow. 

Because of the surprise, he lets you go, allowing you to stand again. 

The moment your feet hit the ground, you dash forward, holding up your knife as you use everyone’s shock to your advantage. 

Everyone is surprised by your capability of escaping Steve’s grasp, not realising your already moving towards Natasha again. You reach her quickly, stabbing your knife into her stomach as far as it can go. 

Natasha gasps, and you pull the knife out, watching as all the blood starts to seep from her stomach. 

Slowly, Natasha sinks to the ground, Maria catching her, helping her down. 

You move towards Natasha again, determined to get the job finished, but are quickly stopped by another pair of arms wrapping around your waist. You immediately recognise the metal arm, knowing that the Winter Soldier holds you in his grasp. You can’t escape him. You never have. 

He pulls you backwards, pushing you to the ground as he tries to punch you. However, you regain yourself quickly, rolling away from under him and kicking him in the face. 

Suddenly, you’re moved across the room. You forgot the damn speedster…

You raise your knife quickly, stabbing him before he has a chance to make another move. 

“PIETRO!” you hear a voice yell, and you turn your head to the right. Shit. Wanda Maximoff must have heard the commotion and went down to take a look. You have to get out of there. You will never win a fight with her.

You move quickly, running towards the stairs. However, before you could reach them, you felt a stabbing pain in your left shoulder, the sound of a gun shot following soon after. You had been shot. Bucky Barnes had shot you in an attempt to slow you down. 

But you didn’t let it. 

Instead, you went towards the stairs a little quicker, dashing down the hundreds of flights of stairs to get to the main floor. 

Of course, all SHIELD agents on the main floor were already expecting you, and you were followed by Steve Rogers, but you were quicker than him. You knew that. 

You dashed past all the SHIELD agents, avoiding their gun fire as you made it towards an emergency exit. 

The moment you stepped outside, you started your escape route. You already planned it, knowing exactly which way to go, no matter which way you would exit. 

Steve followed you outside, but the moment he set foot outside the door, you were gone. You had disappeared into the night, leaving no trace. 

------------------------------------------------------------- 

Back in the Avengers tower, the team was recovering from your attack. Natasha was in bad shape. Your strike had been an attempt to murder her, and you didn’t miss any organs as you pierced your blade through her abdomen. 

Pietro was much better. He was back on his feet quickly, seeing as though you stabbing him hadn’t been a murder attempt. You merely wanted to distract him. 

It didn’t take long for Natasha to get back on her feet either, even though she was advised to stay on bed rest after the surgery. 

Natasha was determined to find you, and she quickly got to work. 

Even though you had made it out of the Avengers tower quickly, you were still hurt, and some of you blood had fallen on the floor as you made your escape towards the stairs. Clint and Maria had collected that blood, running multiple tests, only to find out you were not registered anywhere. 

There was no record of your existence. Were you just another ghost story?

What they did find were traces of the Super Soldier serum. However, they were modified, almost as if they were genetically a part of your system. 

Did that mean you were just another Hydra experiment? Natasha did hear you calling her a traitor. That had to mean you knew Dreykov, right? Who else viewed her as a traitor. I would make sense. Sending a modified teenage assassin after her, knowing Natasha was above killing children. 

Even in the Red Room, she always hesitated when sparring against the younger students. 

Dreykov must have had a lot of faith in you to send you after her. Natasha can only hope you’re not a graduate yet…

-------------------------------------------------------------

After the incident in the Avengers tower, you had fled to Germany. You figured it was best to leave the United States completely. And why would they ever search for you in Germany? 

You had rented an apartment, loving the small town you had chosen. Dreykov had given you 5 weeks to finish the assignment, and now, you had only 1 week left. There is now way that you’re going to succeed in killing Natasha within the week. 

They know you are after her now, and they will be prepared for you to make a return. You screwed it up.

Sloppy. 

Right now, you were just heading back to your apartment. You had taken a walk, deciding to make the most out of the freedom you had in the moment. The week would be over soon, and the moment Dreykov would send for your return you are certain you will not be seeing daylight any time soon. 

After you arrived in the apartment building, you instantly felt watched. 

Had the Avengers found you?

You made your way up to your apartment, pushing the key into the lock and walking through the small hallway. Someone was in here, you could feel it. 

You walked into the kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it with water, keeping your back towards the living room. 

“There are not a lot of places to hide in this apartment,” you spoke aloud into the emptiness of the apartment. Soon you heard a set of footsteps, and you felt another presence enter the room. 

“You’re very skilled for your age,” you heard a voice behind you say, and you immediately recognised it as Natasha’s. 

“And you are stronger than you look. I mean, even for you, I didn’t expect you to be on your feet so quickly,” you stated, turning around slowly. Natasha wasn’t holding a weapon in your face, something you were definitely expecting. 

You scanned her quickly, seeing the weapons she held on her belt. 

She didn’t come unarmed. Good. She’d be stupid to. 

“I don’t mean you any harm,” Natasha said, taking a small step forward as she held her hands in the air, showing you her every movement. 

You didn’t look impressed, instead just staring at her as she moved. 

“Then you are a fool,” you told her, and you spotted a small smirk flashing over Natasha’s face. “And you are very full of yourself,” she said, moving towards the kitchen island, leaning on it. 

“I can’t say I blame you. You took on a lot of the Avengers on your own. Even two Super Soldiers. That’s impressive,” she stated, giving you a small smile. You didn’t return it. 

“What? Jealous someone better took your place when you betrayed us,” you asked Natasha, determined to get on her nerves.

Natasha’s smile dropped quickly. 

“Quite the opposite, actually. I hoped no one would ever have to go through it again,” she told you, a hint of regret almost identifiable in her expression. Now it was your time to give her a small smile. 

“You think you’re so important that everything should’ve ended with you?” you asked her, moving towards the kitchen island as well, setting your glass down, still holding onto it. 

Natasha shook her head.

“What I am curious about, however, is the genetic Super Soldier serum that runs through your DNA,” Natasha paused, adjusting her stance before speaking again. “Tell me, was your dad a Super Soldier?” 

You let out a huff of amusement, surprising Natasha. 

“You think I believe you’re just here for a conversation? There are SHIELD agents placed on every corner of every street. Don’t think I didn’t notice it. The lovely young couple, drinking coffee at the restaurant downstairs? Amazing disguise, if you were trying to trick nine year olds,” you stated, finishing your glass of water. 

Natasha smiles, clearly impressed with your observations. 

“You’re right. I’m not here for just a conversation, although I do hope we can prevent violence,” Natasha started, but before she could continue you interrupted her. 

“You’re here to bring me in.” 

Natasha nodded, and the look on her face was almost apologetic. 

“No one needs to get hurt. If you just come with me, there’s a big chance you could avoid confinement,” Natasha explained, yet you just scoffed and shook your head. 

“Avoid confinement? Yeah right. There is no way, that after what I have done, your people won’t lock me away.” 

“I can be very persuasive,” Natasha simply replied. 

There was a small silence. Natasha knew you were debating your options. You didn’t seem like a brainwashed sheep. She knew that you knew better than trusting Dreykov’s lies. Sure, you still believed she was a traitor, but there is no way that you didn’t see that what Dreykov is doing is wrong. 

“You know going back after a failed mission will result in punishment,” Natasha started, trying to get through to you. Trying to give you that little push you needed to go with her. “If you go with me, you’ll never be punished like that ever again,” she finished. 

You looked up, deep in thought.

“How could you be so sure?” you asked her, and Natasha didn’t hesitate to respond. 

“We can keep you safe-”

“I found you. I nearly killed you. Who’s to say some other Widow won’t come after me as well?” you replied, and Natasha gave you another small smile. 

“I escaped the Red Room when I was 20,” Natasha started. “It took him 12 years to send someone after me. We will make sure we’ll take him down before he even has the chance to come after you.” 

“How many times, did you try to kill him, exactly? Because I believe you attempted his murder twice already, both of which you failed. You blew him up in Budapest, and then another time when you took the air facility down. Do you honestly think you’ll succeed now?”

Natasha shook her head, seemingly recollecting her thoughts. 

“I failed twice, and that was sloppy, but both times I didn’t have the Avengers on my side. You ran the moment you saw Wanda. You know what she is capable of. Taking down the Red Room for good shouldn’t be too difficult with the Avengers on our side,” Natasha explained, yet you just shook your head. 

“I’m not like you,” you told her, yet Natasha just looked at you in confusion. 

“I’m not some disposable widow like you were. I’m more important,” you explained, and Natasha gave you a sad smile.

“Everyone is just a disposable widow to him,” she started, but you interrupted her. 

“I’m not. You tested my blood. You know I carry the Super Soldier serum. I’m not just some girl he picked up from the streets,” you explained, and Natasha gave you a small nod, encouraging to keep going. 

“I can’t explain it, but he won’t just let me walk. He put too much time in my creation. He would never just let it go to waste,” you finished, looking down, avoiding Natasha’s gaze as you turned around, putting your glass by the sink. 

“We’ll help you. I know that we can,” Natasha tried. 

“Is it worth the risk? My life is not great, but it’s not terrible either. Dreykov values me, and I am not treated like a piece of meat, unlike you might suspect.” 

“So the punishment is worth it, then? Knowing that in three days time, Dreykov will have you be recollected, and once you return to the Red Room, you’ll be punished severely for a failed mission,” Natasha paused, allowing you to let her words sink in. 

“Or, in three days time, you could know you can go to bed without worrying about someone joining. You could know you can be safe, and sleep through the night without anyone disrupting you. Knowing that, is the choice really that hard?” Natasha finished, and you were almost at your breaking point. 

Was it worth it? Was going back the best decision? Dreykov would hurt you, you knew that, but you deserved it. Didn’t you? 

“Please, just come with me. We can help,” Natasha spoke, nearly begged. 

You sighed deeply. 

“Fine, but if you put me in a cell, I will go on a murder streak,” you told her, and Natasha let out a chuckle, before seeing your facial expression, and realising you were dead serious. 

“Duly noted,” Natasha said, before motioning you towards the door. 

What had you done…

Permanent tags: @marvelnatasha12346 @lesbionion @nova-kyle @darkstar225 @saraaahsstuff @marvelwomenarehot0 @screechcat @iheartjohansson @simp-erformarvelwomen @swaqcenix @karmasgxrl @marvel-lous3000 @mxximoffswifey

[sk3tch404]

Late Night Hanma Blurb

A/n: Thought abt this during an itty-bitty road trip today. Smoker Hanma does smth to the chemicals in my brain. Forgive me for any lengthy bad writing. I've had a long day and I just wanna yip yap about one of my fav crazies 🙇

CW: Hanma can give two shits about your lung health but chooses not to when he feels like it, intimidation, threats of forced drug usage, sometimes forced participation in violent activities, thoughts of lovers suicide/murder(?), and whatever other yappin I put in here.

Hanma who smokes a fuck ton and doesn't mind giving you the good ol' second-hand effects of it, but absolutely detests you doing it on your own.

He snatches the stick from your mouth and holds it up and away from you with a small grit in his teeth. Hanma glares down in some curiosity but clearly squints in irritation.

"The hell is this? Don't tell me I'm being a bad influence on you now. If I catch you with one of these again, I won't let you off the hook so easily. You got it, Y/n?"

When you retort, telling him it's no different from when he does it and it is your own choice whether he likes it or not, he merely scoffs with a tilt of his narrow head. Throwing down the cigarette, the sound of his sneaker stomping and scraping it out against the pavement echos through the air with an annoying presence. Shuji demands the rest of your stash with a looming stare that can only put you into a state of sinking discimfort.

"Come on, don't be stubborn. Ya know, if you wanna do it so bad, why don't you try the whole pack? Mine too since it's a shitload better than that cheap stuff."

Reluctant on suffocation and early lung cancer, you begrudgingly hand over your smokes to him. Hanma smacks down on the box with an evidently loud shot of noise and slides it out of your palm--- pocketing it. He stretches out narrow smile as he leans down towards you.

"See, now it ain't so hard to listen."

He's still ticked off by the fact you think you can do whatever to your body without his permission, but since Shuji is so generous, he'll let you learn from your mistakes. See, he can be nice.

Don't test him though. Next time you're caught defying his selfish wishes, he's beating you down with degrading language and probably also beating whoever was involved. The convenience store employee that sold you the cigs, vape, or maybe even chewing tobacco? Yeah he's taking out his held back frustration on them. Bro is jumping over the counter and tearing their shit up.

Avoiding him because of his brutal and honest-to-God psychopathic personality? Now that's just cruel. Shuji is dragging your ass by the back of your shirt and pushes you to his motorcycle. The leopard print on the back of the bike makes you wanna barf every time you see it, but you got to keep it down if you wanna have enough energy to deal with him. He'll take you out no matter where you are at in that point of time and make you remember who he is; who you think you're messing with.

"Y/n, how many times do I have to tell you? Aim for the nose. That's easy for amateurs like you. Actually, lemme show you how to really deliver a jaw breaker-"

Yeah, he'll show you just how bad it can get with some random thugs on the street. You should be grateful with how gentle he's treating you. Instead of ending up with facial fractures, you have nice dates and thoughtful gifts. He's even teaching you a few tricks. How lucky can you get?

"I'm all done. Shit, I'm starved. Let's go grab a bite to eat, kay?"

Hanma thinks the only way you'll ever keep paying attention to him is if he keeps you and your actions in line. If you go off doing your own thing, his usually unmoving heart can't just stand there and watch you slowly leave him. Despite the negativity be brings into your life, he actually gets really fuckin anxious when he doesn't know or understand what you're doing. It's so troublesome how you make him feel. Yeah, being bored as shit is bad, but seeing you, the only thing that could ever bring him down to his knees unwillingly, slip away with nothing but disdain for him? Fuck no. He won't accept it. Shuji would rather kill you and then himself than have to bear the strange feeling of pain, or what other people call heartbreak, by his lonesome self.

Should he ever say he loves you, that would be the point of no return for the both of you. His hands have you tight in his clutches. No way out, no way back in for anyone else.

[hippolotamus]

Fuck it Friday 🔥

tagged by my beloved @bidisasterevankinard @tizniz 💖

putting the Fuck in Fuck it Friday with something of a throwback. Every fic that I write has parts that get cut. Stuff that I adored but just didn't gel with the rest of the story. So I keep all that in a notes file because you never know when it might be useful for something else. here's a smutty snip that got cut from Eddie and Buck's drive in date in whatever may come (your heart I will choose)

Buck shimmies himself to the floor, wedging in the space in a way that can’t possibly be good for his leg. “Should you—” “‘M fine, promise,” he insists, looking up at Eddie like he’s near begging and hoping he won’t be told ‘no’. “Just wanna make you feel good, baby. Let me do that. Please?” For all the space he takes up, Buck seems small by the time ‘please’ spills out. Like he’ll only feel worthy if Eddie agrees. His fingers are already on Eddie’s belt, ready to unbuckle it the moment he’s allowed.  They’ve talked about it some, the way Buck feels the need for approval. How he seeks out validation through sex, even now that he’s past his 1.0 stage. Eddie’s still not entirely sure what that means, but he’s learned enough to tell when that’s what Buck is looking for or when he’s simply trying to discipline himself for some perceived wrongdoing. Right now, it seems like a bit of both.  “Sweetheart.” Eddie tips Buck’s head up, so he’s forced to make eye contact. “Remember what I said. There’s no earning here. We can go back up front, watch half the universe disappear, and that’s more than okay.” “I know. I just- please, Eddie. I just want everything to be perfect.” 

He could say something like ‘it already is’, but he knows how much planning Buck would have done to put tonight together. All the behind the scenes work of coordinating schedules, persuading Bobby to let him off early if it was possible, making sure Christopher would be well cared for. Something like ‘it already is’ might sound too placating. He chooses to respond with something 16-year old Eddie never would have considered, let alone done. 

Eddie carefully cards through Buck’s neatly gelled curls. “It is. You are. You did so well.” He can see Buck already beginning to absorb the praise, wearing it like a blanket, sinking into it. “You put this all together for me. For us. I never had to say a thing, you just did it. Because you’re always thinking of other people. Christ, I don’t know how I ever got so lucky with you. You’re always so damn good for me.”

Buck’s fingertips are absentmindedly toying with the clasp on Eddie’s belt, making a light clinking noise. Eddie keeps talking, giving Buck what he needs.

“And, fuck, you’re so gorgeous. All the time, but especially right now. Those beautiful blue eyes and perfect lips. So fucking pretty.” Eddie lightly scratches over Buck’s wrists, his knuckles. “Look at you, so desperate already. Just waiting for me to tell you it’s okay.” 

“Mmhmm.” Buck nods emphatically in agreement. A small whine escapes and his breaths become faster, a little more ragged.

The personality shift always amazes him. As if chatty, exuberant Buck fades away, leaving a version that is a different type of attentive, blindly trusting whatever Eddie tells him. Eddie doesn’t personally understand, but gets that it works for Buck. And he’s not saying anything just for Buck’s benefit, he means every bit of it. 

“You can’t though, can you? Can’t wait to get my dick in your mouth, down your throat. But you have been waiting so patiently even though I know you don’t want to. Because you’re so, so good for me, and I haven’t given you permission yet. Should I?”

Buck pleads. “Eddie, I- please. Gonna be so good for you.”

“I know you are.” Eddie rolls his hips up into Buck’s hands, wants Buck to know the effect he’s having. He flicks his gaze down to his belt buckle, making sure Buck notices. “Go ahead then.”

The three words are barely out before Buck is undoing Eddie’s belt and zipper, opening his jeans just enough to get where he wants. Buck’s breath is warm and damp, mouthing at Eddie’s cock through his boxers, making Eddie’s hips jerk in response. Buck hums, nosing along the thin cotton, teasing like he’s making up for the minutes Eddie made him wait. Finally, he’s parting the slit in the fabric, swirling his tongue around the head, taking Eddie down in microbursts of time. Eddie grips Buck’s hair, not to force him down, just to show his appreciation. 

“That good, baby? Want more?” 

Christ, it’s infuriating how quickly Buck can slip into his cocky side, all smooth and velvet that could make Eddie do anything. “Fuck you. You know the answer.”

“Oh, I do,” he chuckles, adding a series of teasing licks around the head and over the slit. “I just want to hear you say it.”

Eddie waits until Buck is shallowly sucking the head and thrusts up into Buck’s mouth, only once, feeling drunk on the surprised moan it earns him. “You mean you want to hear how fucking talented you are? Because you know I love when you’re all sloppy and desperate, sucking me off like you’re fucking starving? How I can’t wait to come down your throat and watch you take all of it? That what you wanna hear?”

Buck gives a deep, throaty hum in response. The vibrations carry down Eddie’s shaft, making him even more wound up every time Buck’s head bobs, taking Eddie deeper. In the dark, he can’t see the way he prefers. He can’t watch the way Buck’s irises shift between shades, how his pupils dilate and the black dances at the edge of the blue. Even so he can still see the way Buck looks up at him through his lashes. Can feel the warm, wet pressure of Buck’s mouth surrounding him, pressing his tongue to the underside. And the light offers just enough so Eddie can see the slick shine on Buck’s lips. 

“Jesus, do you even know how hot you look like this?” Eddie growls, stroking Buck’s cheek. “How fucking perfect you are? Christ, you’re doing so well for me, being so good.”

He knows he should, but Eddie can’t bring himself to care about the other cars nearby. Not when the windows are dark enough and nobody can probably see them anyway. Not when Buck is sucking harder, and moving faster in response to Eddie’s praise coming out in words and grunts. Especially not when the pressure – pleasure – is coiling tighter, building until he’s digging his fingertips into the underside of his thighs when it all peaks, crashing over him and he can only hope no one else hears the cry that spills out. 

“Fuck,” Eddie breathes, content and boneless. “Definitely never had anything like that in high school.”

“Always happy to be of service.” Buck smirks and drops a kiss to Eddie’s softening cock before putting him back together. 

Eddie lazily grabs for Buck, pulling him up into his lap. “Now, what about you?”

“Oh, I can think of a few things.” 

They kiss, deep and slow, Eddie’s fingers tracing swirling patterns along Buck’s spine while he tastes his release on Buck’s tongue. 

“Think you can wait until we get home?” 

“I, uh, I guess?” Buck squirms a little, looking confused and trying to hide his disappointment.

“Perfect, because I have plans for you.” Eddie presses his lips to the tip of Buck’s nose, his cheek and chin, and finally a nip to the curve where his neck meets his shoulder. “How fast can you get us there?”

“Now?”

Eddie relaxes against the headrest, feigning indifference. “I mean our drinks are probably all watered down and your popcorn is gonna be gross now, but we can stay if you really want to.”

“We’ll be home in twenty,” Buck answers, already scrambling to get to the front, thankfully using the doors this time. 

It may not be what Buck originally planned, but, yeah, this is going to be a fun night.

np tagging @diazsdimples @stereopticons @theotherbuckley @daffi-990 @actuallyitsellie

@epicbuddieficrecs @loveyouanyway @diazheartsbuckley @saybiwithme

@spotsandsocks @dr-shortsighted-owl @eddiebabygirldiaz @elvensorceress @dangerpronebuddie

@kitteneddiediaz @your-catfish-friend @thekristen999 @filet-o-feelings @wikiangela

@rainbow-nerdss @steadfastsaturnsrings @inell @dorkydiaz @bi-buckrights

@bucksbiawakening @bekkachaos @beyourownanchor6 @lemonzestywrites @monsterrae1

@statueinthestone @slightlyobsessedwitheverything @thelikesofus @wildlife4life @eowon

@rewritetheending @bucksbignaturals @swiftiefirefighters and anyone else who wants to 😘

[stars-obsession-pit]

What if Chloe Bourgeois was Stephanie Brown's long lost sister?

I don’t feel entirely confident in my knowledge of either of their characterizations/histories, but here’s an attempt at something!

So, before they even meet, Chloe has some differences due to being adopted.

In some ways she’s worse with her actions in trying to hold her mother’s attention and jealousy of Zoe who is her mother’s actual biological kid. But in other ways she’s better, due to feeling less like she fated to hold her high status and more like she has to earn it through being “Good”

Steph finds out about the connection first, so is the one to reach out to Chloe. Not exactly when this’d best fall in the timelines, but it’s probably either pre-canon or early-canon for Miraculous Ladybug

Chloe… doesn’t know how to feel about this. On one hand, Steph represents an actual blood-familial connection she could lean into (something she’s lacking) that might not have the same “I need to be good enough to earn their care” stress, but on the other she’s still caught up in her own issues about being “good enough” for her mother and is hesitant to act away from her adopted family

But Steph is perceptive enough to notice Chloe’s insecurities and whatnot just from reading their letters. She relates to parts of them (after all, she’d been overconfident and gotten in over her head before, and she recognizes Chloe’s at times arrogant attitude as a sort of defense mechanism), so she pushes for them to keep in contact since she believes that they could become genuinely very close with time.

Thus, they continue sending some messages back and forth, and over time this helps contribute to Chloe further improving as a person.

These changes are actually enough that Ladybug agrees to let Chloe keep using the Bee Miraculous sometimes, though not without some definite stumbles in their interactions along the way

Also would probably have to remove the “Chloe publicly declares her hero identity in one of her plans” thing to work with this

Neither tells the other about their hero work though. Steph can tell that something is up that Chloe isn’t telling (i’m including the crossover trope of an “information block to prevent foreign heroes from rushing in unprepared and getting akumatized” thing), but doesn’t know what and is hesitant to try to pry

A bit further into their communication, they decide they’d like to meet in person at some point.

However, Chloe is nervous about bringing her to Paris because of the Hawkmoth situation, and she’d be unlikely to get permission to go the other way (I could see her mother in particular forbidding it as “a ridiculous diversion” unless she knew Steph knows Bruce Wayne and thus their interactions could have “business potential”), so it gets kinda put off.

But then, after [some notable akuma event, IDK which would be ideal], the idea of her leaving Paris for a bit for safety gets brought up, and she jumps at the chance to push for going to Gotham to meet her sibling.

Well maybe it’s more like she pushes her parents to go to l New York, but then convinces the people she’s staying with there to bring her to Gotham

Alongside talking to Steph, she has another goal with this: to talk to the Bats.

Yeah, she’s still worried about heroes coming into Paris and getting akumatized, but she hopes that as detectives the Bats could give assistance remotely. Specifically, searching for Hawkmoth’s identity and/or base of operations.

And maybe, if she’s lucky, they’ll help her train to be an even more capable hero when she returns to Paris…

[notevenghosts]

had to take a flight on friday to go back to my home state for a wedding this weekend (my ex's wedding, if that sweetens the plot). plane was supposed to leave at 3:30 on friday afternoon. got delayed bc a bunch of other flights were running behind. ok, whatever, had a book and my laptop, no big deal. finally board the plane around 5. sit on plane for two hours while we wait for our turn to leave the runway. massive thunderstorm hits, delayed again. finally we get permission to try again, safety demonstration for the second time, start taxiing, pause before runway to wait again.

ope! message from air traffic control, all flights grounded due to an IT issue. they bring us back to the gate and make us get off the plane. we wait another few hours. flight disappears from the boards so I'm begging the universe that I'll be able to hear the gate announcement when it eventually happens. difficult because with dozens of delays and cancellations gate attendants are making announcements over each other, sometimes getting new information and changing what they're saying to the opposite halfway through an announcement. phone died and the only open outlet I could find was right next a massive middle school tour group. at 9 we finally are finally instructed to reboard the plane. lucky us, first ones to leave after an airport-wide IT problem. we sit down. we wait for more than an hour. third safety demonstration. we taxi out to the runway again but then stop. around 10:30 the pilot jumps on the intercom to say that he's got bad news: flight canceled. we go back to the gate and all get off the plane.

INTERLUDE: instead of competing for hundreds of people whose flights just got canceled for cabs from the airport, I decide to just take the subway home to my apartment. make it about a dozen stops. two stops away from mine the train conductor announces that it's stopping service at that station instead of going to the end of the line. spent twenty minutes packed shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of people waiting to get out of the station through one escalator. realized as I got to the front that it was taking so long because the escalator is broken. fun fact: this is one of the top 20 longest escalators in the entire united states. I WALK UP IT CARRYING ABOUT THIRTY POUNDS OF LUGGAGE. don't want to compete with those hundreds of people for the bus, gave in and took a cab.

got home at midnight. no flights available the next day unless I want to pay a thousand dollars. fine. whatever. searched through five companies and ten locations until I find a car available to rent. booked that. slept like shit worrying about driving alone for six hours the next day. (I've done this drive alone several times but never last minute.)

got to car rental place when they opened at 9am so I can be early to pick up my 9:30 rental. about 40 or so people already waiting in line. don't get the car until 10:30, and it ends up being a massive van because that's all they have. somehow get it out of the tiny parking garage despite it being the least intuitive vehicle I've ever seen. (NO GEAR SHIFT. IT WAS A DIAL. IN FRONT OF YOU AND HIGH UP INSTEAD OF DOWN.) manage to get to the last neighborhood before I'm out of the city. THREE SEPARATE ROAD CLOSURES THAT WEREN'T ON THE MAP. convinced that the universe will not allow me to leave. nevertheless I persist. finally get out of the city. somewhere about halfway through the six hour drive a storm hits and it's the hardest rain I've ever driven through. can't find the headlights, windshield wipers are not working so I spend twenty minutes sobbing and activating them manually every few seconds before there was an exit and I could pull over at a firework stand. not enough cell service to google this fucking car but enough for a phone call so I call my roommate and beg for her help. she is also baffled by diagrams of this car. after ten minutes we figure it out. stop for gas, repeat the whole song and dance with figuring out the button to open the gas tank. hours left of the drive. at this point I hyperventilate so hard sobbing in the parking lot of some pennsylvania gas station that I get lightheaded. force myself to pull it together. get back on the road.

make it to the drop-off place at 7 in the evening. still have a 40 minute drive to my parents' house in a small town outside the city. an absolute legend of a friend saves my ass and drives me there. resolve to go to bed as early as possible but then accidentally let my parents' cat out when I get in. whatever, it's an indoor-outdoor cat (yes I know), and there's still an hour or so before sunset. drop all my luggage and lie on the floor a bit. cat won't come in. CAT WON'T COME IN. I shake treats, I call, I beg, nothing. Cat doesn't come in until 10:15. I finally shower and collapse in bed.

fear seizes my heart. remembering why I try to minimize visits to my hometown these days: for the past few years I inexplicably cannot sleep at my parents' house anymore. awful insomnia every time I visit. I pop an extra strength melatonin. no dice. more exhausted than I've been in years and I can't turn my fucking brain off. lie here for hours alternating between crying because I want to sleep so badly and trying to breathe deeply enough to calm down.

anyway so now I need to get ready for this fucking wedding (my ex's wedding). on ONE HOUR OF SLEEP. the end.

[sleepywisteriah]

Hello hello! Welcome to my blog!

Here you’ll find a bunch of random FFXIV screenshots I personally love, and anything else that’s also FFXIV related (SFW only).

This is also a personal blog so expect the odd off topic post here and there (this one included). 😅

I play as a Miqo’te called Urrorah Star (Pronounced as aurora) over on the Aether Data Centre despite being British, I enjoy it more because it’s more active than the European servers. I do have other characters dotted around but I rarely ever use them.

I mainly play on PS5 so I can be a little slow with things, typing especially, so I do apologise for any delays. (I have since gotten hold of a laptop, so this has changed. It's not as good fps wise, but it does what I want it to do. 👀)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About Urrorah

Press Keep Reading to learn more about her!

Urrorah has no memory of her past, all she remembers is waking up in hospital chambers early hours one morning, she noticed two figures in her chamber; a male and female miqo’te, both of which had claimed to her that they were her biological parents.

Once Urrorah had been sent home, this so callled ‘family’ of hers never treated her as such, she’s lost count of how many times they mistreated her. One night she decided enough was enough, packed her things and left, abandoning her village in hopes for a new start.

Upon arriving in Gridania she was welcomed by so many new people, she’d never experienced such kindness either. The scions had given her a place to call home. She had finally found her real family.

Urrorah was also lucky enough to find someone in particular who she holds very dear to her, but I t’s no secret that she’s completely smitten for one miqo’te in particular, Y’shtola. Ever since meeting each other, to the things Y’shtola’s done to protect their fellow scions, Urrorah will be in her debt for the rest of her life.

During the final events of ShadowBringers, Urrorah was injured during the fight with Emet Selch, resulting in her being left half blind due to all the light leaving her body, she had passed out not long after the whole ordeal.

Once she had awoken in her chamber, she was unable to see anything out of her right eye, not even the smallest traces of aether, even after countless healing magiks, for a fair while all she could feel was an excruciating burning sensation all around her right eye, it doesn’t bother her much nowadays but it’s still healing. Urrorah has since had trouble relaxing when strolling through the markets due to her half blindness.

Likes:

Being around Y’shtola and G’raha

Joking around with the twins

Sharing her adventurous tale with the youth

Being around all the scions

Meeting new faces

Hot chocolate

Cookies

Salmon (she’s likely to get super clingy if this is given to her often)

Head pats

Ear scritches

Dislikes:

Any surprise interaction to do with her right side (unless you want her to toss you over her shoulder, it’s only acceptable if she’s aware of your presence)

spicy food (especially after that one curry at Radz-at-Han)

Abandonment

Dishonesty

People grabbing her tail without permission

People yanking on her tail

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So yeah, that about sums that up! I ain’t no writing expert but you get the general idea. 😂 I am also open to any constructive criticism just please BE GENTLE!

I’m also on the lookout for moots to play/discuss FFXIV with! 😊

My socials! All completely optional!

TikTok: SleepyBisquit

Instagram: SleepyBisquit

Bluesky: SleepyBisquit

Twitch: Sleepy_Bisquit

[wiandhorsies]

19.6.2025 - Summer Daze 2025

My sleep schedule has come back to normal since the entrance exams but this morning I woke up surprisingly early for me. It’s the midsummer weekend and sure, I’ll spend it in New Hillcrest but that doesn’t mean I won’t get everything out of the holiday.

Starting with today at the Summer Daze in Fort Pinta. Lucky for me, it lasts longer than just the weekend and so I could go spend my Thursday there and still get to my dad’s on Friday.

After I wake up at ten, change and grab breakfast, I head directly to the stables. This has been my daily routine for most of the time since February but today’s plan actually differs from what it usually is, as I’m going to Fort Pinta for this year's Summer Daze. I grab a rope to lead Ash and go get my mare from the paddock where she’s eagerly coming to greet me as soon as she can see me. 

“Well hi”, I greet the horse, scratching her neck. “Are you ready to go to Fort Pinta for today?”

She whinnies and lets me clip the rope onto her halter before we start making our way to her stall. The barn is bustling with life and other riders with their horses and I run into multiple people who are also planning on heading to the festival during the weekend. I’ve got no clue what possesses me but I get the brilliant idea to go bareback today, so I only grab Ash’s bridle. It doesn't take long for me and Ash to start getting going and I thank my luck for living just close enough to the coastal town that day trips there are easily arranged.

Once we get to the beach near Fort Pinta, where the festival is held, I let Ash take in the environment filled with other riders and strange horses. Since we're in Jorvik – especially the southwestern part – where basically everything revolves around horses, it was no surprise that the organizers had set it up so that the people could attend with and travel by their horses as well.

“Come on, girl”, I urge her to approach the masses once she seems comfortable with it and we start heading down the beach as I look around for a place for Ash to rest. 

Eventually I find a sign declaring that the stables in Fort Pinta have a section in use for the visiting public and their horses, so I head there. I’m in luck since there’s one stall in the visitors’ side of the stables where I get permission to leave Ash for around 250$JS for the day.

“See you in the evening”, I whisper to her after detacking and leaving both Ash’s bridle and my helmet to the holder next to the stall and leave the stable to go back to the beach.

To be completely honest, it’s been a while since I’ve last been in Fort Pinta and catch myself looking around the town charmed by the yellow stone walls holding the masses of tourists both from the island and the mainland. And remember my first summer in Jorvik, running excitedly in the main marketplace of the town. 

However, I shake the memories off as I walk through the gateway leading to the beach and let the view take my breath. It���s only the first day of the festival and around noon, but the area is full of people swimming, tanning, having lunch at the small café or just hanging out on the beach. There aren’t any horses on the beach yet, but I know it’s only because of the event held later in the day when only horses and their riders are allowed on the beach. 

Most of the day goes by in a blur and around sunset I’m one of the many riders fetching their horses from the center of the town. Ash is somewhat nervous around all of these new horses but her nervousness turns into excitement when I let her follow others into the separated swimming area. I have to quickly guide her to the pier, though, to take off my sneakers before they get soaking in the water – and clearly I’m not the only one noticing that need.

At some point I find myself in the company of my girlfriend Linda, riding bareback and barefoot together and taking pictures. We haven’t been able to spend that much time together this summer since she has a summer job at a local bookstore, so when it turned out we could both attend Summer Daze 2025 today, we jumped at the chance.

“Any plans for midsummer?” Linda asks around an hour later when we’re lying on a blanket, keeping an eye on our horses grazing a small distance away. “I’m having a huge family reunion since most of them are coming here for the summer on Saturday.”

I stroke her hair as she leans on me and let my eyes wander over the beach that’s getting more and more quiet as it gets later and later.

“My dad and his family are gonna pick me up tomorrow morning. It’s his weekend so I’m going to his summer cottage”, I reply, doing mental math about how many hours of sleep I need. “Five bucks my sister’s gonna demand to see Ash before we leave?”

Linda laughs and tells me to say hi to my four-year-old halfsister Isla for her. Then she reminds me that since I’m 19 I don’t actually need to stick to the custody agreement my parents had.

“I know, I know”, I laugh at the look she gives me. “It’s just that this is how my life’s been for the past six years and I’m used to it by now. I’ll have to rethink if I move to the city for university, though.”

We chat for some more time before kissing goodnight, grabbing our horses and heading our separate ways: Linda to the ferry docks and me back home. I stop shortly after leaving the festival area, turn a little and grab my phone to take a picture of the now deserted area before going home.

-~☆★☆~ 21.6.2025 - two days later -~☆★☆~

I walk to the pier of our summer cottage and turn quickly so that my back’s towards the ocean to take a selfie that I send to me and my friends’ group chat along with a message wishing them happy midsummer.

It’s already 23:46 but outside it’s still barely dark – which is something I’ve always loved about summers this north. The nature around me is completely quiet save from some birdsong in the distance and I think I could just sit there for the entire night, letting my mind wander.

“Wiley!” Isla’s voice interrupts my peaceful silence and I turn to smile at her.

“Hey”, I chuckle as she sits down next to me. “You good? Having fun since you’re allowed to stay up late?”

She nods and we chat about nothing for some time before she turns to me, a hopeful glint in her eyes. The one that tells me she wants to ask something, likely related to Ashley.

“Wi?” she starts and I hum to let her know I’m listening. “Is it possible I could try your horse at some point? You’d be there as well but I’d love to try riding!”

I let out a well-meaning laugh and ruffle the hair of my adorable younger sister before replying.

“Okay, but you need to get a little bit bigger before, so don’t go skipping your greens!”

Isla nods dutifully and I make a mental remark to tell her parents about the wish later on during the weekend. I happen to know that there’s an Icelandic horse barn near New Hillcrest where my sister could maybe get more acquainted with horses, so I’ll have to be sure to suggest it to them. After all, it’s not exactly the smartest idea to start with a 16.2 hand horse when you’re nowhere near with your height. 

[jameshawks]

Follow the Faeries {One Shot}

James receives a phone call

Date: Early May

Previous Reading:

Don't Follow the Faeries

James needed a break, paperwork was fine, it was needed and necessary but it was still annoying and although he promised he would get this work done before heading out for a walk he was more than willing to take Aquata’s call.

To use this as a way to distract himself.

A way to motivate himself if they decided to do something later tonight.

“Hey-”

“Wait!” 

James sat up quickly, all his limbs freezing for one second. There was panic, frustration, fear all wrapped up in one little word and it wasn’t in a pretty little package.

“I don’t know what any of this is!”

James didn’t hesitate after that second. Putting his phone on speaker, he pulled up a basic program on his computer, a simple tracker, one that would do the work for him. It wouldn’t get him as far as Holley could get him but it would work in a bind like this.

“Come on, come on.” Narrowing down the search quickly it took him away from the clubs, away from the town. James didn’t care if him showing up would make him look like a creep. She might have just butt dialed him- but her voice, James would never be able to get that out of his head if he didn’t do something.

“I’m going. If I don’t come back, find me.”

Find her.

James barely registered the thud of the phone, the birds in the distance but his mind still cataloged the information. Leaving his phone James let the program work, unlocking his safe he pulled out two glocks, checking his ammo, thankful he had recently cleaned and cleared them before he strapped one to his waist and one to his ankle.

Was it excessive, probably. But they were just lucky he wasn’t pulling out his full gear. A glock would get him pretty far. Pulling out his gear, James threw it over his head, enough protection no matter what came his way.

Maybe Aquata had gone willingly, but that didn’t sound willing. And if that was the case this was basically a kidnapping and James didn’t need permission from anyone to save his- to save his girlfriend.

His computer dinged with a rough location within Enchantra. 

For one second he doubted himself. Who would kidnap someone into Enchantra? The Stone trolls? Didn’t they raise someone or something? James didn’t bother to look it up. He was a man of action, the planning was when they had time.

Attaching a tracker to himself he typed a quick message to go out to the RAS if he didn’t cancel it in a couple hours. He might be making a big deal of nothing and he would rather not be the one that cried wolf because he wanted to make sure Aquata was safe.

With nothing else needed James grabbed a bag with the most obvious of his gear throwing it on his back before heading out letting his phone direct him, the line with Aquata’s phone still quiet besides the sounds of a few birds in the distance. His beast was rudimentary at best but they weren’t talking about Aquata and whoever she was with.

Following the signal James stopped suddenly in front of the gate for lack of a better word, Aquata’s phone abandoned in front of it. 

He could hear the crashing water, the waves in the distance. Whatever this was still open, still a link to Aquata. Reaching his hand through he took a deep breath as nothing burned. A slight chill as his hand reached out to wherever this lead.

Grabbing his phone he sent a quick message to a secure channel. He didn’t know where this lead, and his team needed to know. They needed to succeed where he might potentially fail.

Plus Jake should probably be made aware if this was his girlfriend’s sister.

Hopefully he would be back before it went out but the safety precaution was in place.

He had thankfully thrown his rifle into his bag of supplies and fully geared up as if he was on one of his missions.

Wherever this portal took him he would be ready.

Stepping into it without another hesitation his feet sunk into the ground, the dew felt like it stuck to his skin.

The portal at his back, a whole new world in front of him.

Aquata was here, and against her will. 

Running ahead, James watched his surroundings, broken branches, sunk ground anything that showed him the path that she would have taken. The water crashed against the bank and although the water had been still he turned quickly drawing his weapon.

He wasn’t taking any chance as clawed hands gripped the bank pulling themselves up.

“I’m only here to get my girlfriend back. Go back to the water and we won’t have a problem.” James stated simply locking on his target. He didn’t want to attack, he didn’t know who was good or bad. He was an invader, he couldn’t claim innocence coming onto someone’s land and shooting the first thing that scared him.

Yet it bared it’s teeth and lunged.

Jumping back he pulled out his taser going for the non-lethal option first. It went down with a thud. Retracting it, James didn’t wait around running forward. The trees ruffled next as a deer with a skull for a head, scrawny legs peered out. 

There was no innocence in their eyes, not as they let out scream and again rushed him. Aiming for it’s leg James took it down with only one extra thought. “If I can come back I will help. My apologies.” 

But they all continued to come, mainly from the water. Bared teeth, in groves attacking him without a second thought, no matter how much he tried to communicate. James had to make them keep their distance. Aiming non lethally as much as possible, hoping it was not lethal, he didn’t actually know the anatomy of the things attacking him.

Sometimes they got close enough to swipe at him. Clawing his his chest, at his arms trying to drag him to the water.

A well aimed kick and punch got him the distance to continue firing. But at this point not only was his golden blood seeping into his sleeves he had more than enough of their blood on him, as well.

But James wouldn’t stop. If this is what he was facing his heart stopped at the thought of Aquata being here as well.

It felt like it took forever until he saw them in the distance.

The Fae realm.

It all clicked seeing the unglamoured fae. He couldn’t say he knew a lot about them. Depending on the Hollows he had visited they all had different stories and tales about them. James had never considered if they were real or not.

But they were and one of them was there holding onto his girl and watching her struggle against him made him livid.

Only a few more steps and he would be in their vision and he wasn’t stopping until he was, until he could reach out to her. All he could wish that he could sneak up on them, but in such an open space, James was barreling in, guns blazing.

[gwydionmisha]

I literally lived past sixteen because antibiotics exist. I probably would have been deaf and extreme disfigured by pus oozing infections if I'd made it that far, because my immune system is fucked for genetic reasons. I can breath because I have modern medicine and electricity.

I am so incredibly grateful for modern plumbing and sewer infrastructure. I am furious that my country is in the process of abolishing modern medicine, because modern medicine saves so many lives.

I often think about the unimaginable number of people who died in the past, not just from water born illness, but because nobody was healthy enough to draw and carry water from the hole in the ground they were using as a well to where the household lived. If everyone's down with some illness, shitting themselves to death, the dehydration would be fast and ugly. How many more people would have lived with clean water coming out of a faucet close to hand?

I am happy I'm not constantly battling vitamin deficiency.

My family have been city dwellers on my mother's side since a bit after the American Civil war. My father's ancestors were all city dwellers since some point in the 18th century, likely earlier. Life expectancy was extremely poor for people at my family's general prosperity level. My Dad's ancestors would have been dead long before my mother's ever met them most like with medieval urban sanitation and the way disease spreads fast in port cities. Statistically, my Mother's family was even odds to have died before she was born, and she was even less likely to have lived to produce me. Even with antibiotics, her sister died before graduating college. Antibiotics kept my mother alive to reproduce, but given the genetic givens, she and her sister would have died in childhood or early teens.

Medial European cities tended to keep their population up by constant influx from rural areas. People who couldn't afford to leave in fever season if it was a bad influenza or cholera or whatever year. They stayed and often died instead. My ancestors weren't the sort of people who could afford to take a few months off from work and live in the country

I was a 14th Century specialist. The cities shrunk markedly in a lot of countries between 1346-53 (depending on when it hit your country) and 1400, when wave after wave of plague came and came and came, hitting each new generation of young people killing so, so many of them.

I love that if I don't like where I'm living I can just take my stuff and leave. I don't have to ask anyone's permission. I don't risk starving to death if I leave the parish in which I was born because charity was mostly tied to the parish system and I'm pretty damned disabled.

I think a lot of people picture the thousand year or so stretch of the middle ages aren't picturing themselves poor and unfree peasants or labourers living in garbage and shit and vermin infested cities with barely enough in a good year.

When I picture myself in the middle ages, I picture myself dead before eighteen from accident or illness.

I was born after antibiotics so I got to live more than half a century with a genetic condition that was a death sentence to our ancestors.

I got so many choices my ancestors a thousand years ago wouldn't have had. I got to move under my own power across a continent. I got to go to university. I got to chose a job that only people lucky and wealthy enough to become highly literate could have had back then. All my non-household work was compensated. I get to sleep when I want. I have a hovel with light and solid walls which is full of books. I have so much preserved food in my hovel, I literally give a bunch of it away to other poor people. It is February this far North and I literally had fresh salad yesterday. Laundry is not an endless backbreaking nightmare task that literally can take days depending on a bunch of factors.

girl help they're putting "modern people under capitalism work more than medieval peasants" posts on my dash again

[casspurrjoybell-20]

Sakura Mochi - Chapter 1b

*Warning Adult Content*

Bug - Part 2 - Kamihara Rin 

I heard Yuki giggle in the crowd and my excitement grew. I'd be able to learn how to dance from a flame-weaver. Maybe I could someday dance as beautifully as they did. Even though I was still angry at Yuki for pushing me, I was thankful that she urged me to do something I'd always wanted to do.But, just as they were about to teach me, I heard a commotion, then a loud.

"Rin, Yuki."

‘Oh no’. 

I turned back to see Onaeni next to a taller figure. 

‘Not them.’ 

They had a smirk on their face knowing they'd been the one to get us in trouble. My heart dropped in my chest. Turning back to the dancer, I frowned. 

"I can't."

"I see. Well, feel free to catch another show and we'll see about it then. I'm in town once a month," they said with a smile.

I nodded my head and let go of their hand to guiltily walk over to my nursemaid and the dragon standing next to him. As soon as I was near, Onaeni gripped my arm. 

"Great deities above, you two are going to put this old dragon into an early grave. If your brother hadn't told me where you..."

"I think they get it, Onaeni. Leave them be," the smug dragon said.

I stuck my tongue out at them and they laughed. 

"Come on, Rin. Don't be like that. I was just looking out for my adorable little siblings."

They reached out and pinched my cheek but I swiveled my head to try and bite their finger. They chuckled. 

"It's like I'm taking care of feral animals."

"Let's go. Your parents are furious," Onaeni huffed, pulling Yuki and me along.

"Sorry, Rin," Yuki whispered.

"Why are you sorry?" I asked.

"You couldn't dance. I wanted to see it. You looked so happy."

"It's okay," I whispered.

We were silent the rest of the way back home. I looked down at the ground and realized my knees were scraped up pretty badly, all bloody and gross and my robes were torn. My parents would be furious that I ruined my clothes and that I ran away with Yuki again. It wasn't our first time and it wouldn't be our last. They knew how much Yuki and I hated being cooped up in the estate but they didn't care enough to do much to fix it. 

When we got back to the estate, Onaeni led us to our parents' study. My feet began dragging along the floor as we neared the room. I didn't want to get yelled at again. What did I expect though? We'd left the grounds without a guard or our nursemaid. Not even Akira, though Akira would've likely known anyway. It was probably how they knew where we were. Their powers bloomed already. Future sight. 

‘Lucky for them, not us.’

Onaeni opened the doors to our parents' study and Akira closed the doors behind us. I faced the front and gulped when I saw the angry looks that faced us.

"What did we say about leaving without permission or an escort?" Noni demanded.

"You wouldn't have let us outside even if we asked," I mumbled with my head down.

"You're just hatchlings. Of course, we wouldn't," Noni cried out. "Do you not understand how dangerous it is for you, children of noble blood, to be roaming around without any powers? You could have at least brought Akira with you."

"They wouldn't have let us do anything either," I argued.

"That is not the point, Rin," Nobi finally spoke up. 

She was often quiet when Noni ranted. 

"You scared us. If you continue to run away like this, how do you expect us to trust you in the future?"

My head hung down lower. 

"I'm sorry. We just... I just..."

"I think they get it, Noni, Nobi," Akira spoke up gently. "They're just trying to have some fun, the both of them."

Noni sighed. 

"You bloom and suddenly you're wise beyond your years."

Akira smiled. 

"I'm still a child, too. I need your guidance."

Noni smiled back. She stood up and walked over to us. Onaeni let us go so Noni could get down on her knees and pull Yuki and me into a hug. 

"Oh, my sweet babies. Please, I beg of you. Do not do this anymore. If you wish to leave, tell someone," she whispered.

I felt someone else behind us and realized that Nobi was also hugging us. She kissed each of our heads and stood up with Noni. 

"Did you at least have fun?" She asked us while holding Noni close.

"Yes," Yuki exclaimed. "We got mochi and watched a flame-weaver dance. Rin was going to learn some dance moves from them before Onaeni and Akira came to get us."

"That does sound like fun," Nobi agreed.

Yuki began talking about the dance while I carefully slipped out of the office. I was about to walk away when a hand touched my shoulder. 

"You shouldn't scare Noni and Nobi like that. They just want what's best for you. We all do," Akira said.

"I know," I huffed. "I didn't mean to scare them, I just wanted to get out of here. It's so lonely."

"I understand that. Before you two hatched, I was alone for years as well," they said. "But, you have Yuki. You have me. You have our parents. You don't abandon your family."

"I understand," I whispered.

Akira sighed and pulled me into a tight hug. I could feel the warmth of their flame and it eased the tension in my body. I hated getting in trouble but it was worth it to me. I hated being locked up in here all the time even more.

"Okay, I'll let you sneak off now. Go play or something," Akira said.

I pushed away from them and walked away. My family didn't get it. Maybe they were okay with sitting here and pretending that we had power but I wasn't. Our noble status meant nothing. It was just a formality. Noni and Nobi had other jobs but we all still enjoyed a privileged life. I didn't care. There was more to life than this. There had to be more than sitting around, cooped up in a fancy estate and waiting for the day my life actually began. I couldn't handle the thought of this being the rest of my life. There had to be more. 

[cosmicoatlatte]

home

pairing: Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x fem!reader

plot: at a get together after the mission the dagger squad finds out some things about Rooster, causing Maverick to step up and try and help…

warnings: drinking, references to parental death and past trauma

notes: for K ♡︎, thank you for letting me bother you with this for weeks

words: 7k

It was a bittersweet evening at The Hard Deck but they tried to not let it show. After the successful mission it was time to dismantle their little ragtag group of pilots and for everybody to head back to their former assignments. Sadly Fritz had to fly out in the early afternoon but the rest of the pilots and backseaters had descended upon the bar and shuffled some tables around with Penny’s permission to make a large circle where everybody found a place for at least the next few hours.

It felt good to be back on solid ground. While being in the air was one of the best feelings in Rooster’s mind he was glad to be off the ship again. With the old jukebox playing music and the patrons of the bar talking and laughing together it was a little easier to forget about the events that happened just a few days prior.

“You guys are lucky,” Harvard pointed out after everybody except Bob was a few drinks in, “at least you guys get a few weeks leave.” The other aviators knew it wasn’t coming from a place of malice, had they been in the place of the aviators that didn’t fly the mission they’d probably think exactly the same way. Everybody craved the comfort of home while deployed.

“Yeah,” Omaha added, “Leave would be nice. I wish I could head home, see family. My sister had a baby months ago, never even met the kid and he’s already crawling.”

“Maybe Mav can put in a nice word with the commander. Make it so everybody can go home faster.” Rooster said after taking a drink of his beer, “Although with him there’s always a chance we’d end up shipped out overseas for a few months.”

A few nods and words of agreement greeted Maverick as he made his way back to the group after not so sneakily disappearing to the back of the bar with Penny earlier. At least he was smart enough to get a new beer so he could play it off as just getting another drink, even if none of the other aviators bought it. “What are we talking about?”

“Leave.”

The older man just took his place among his now former students, looking around. “That’s nice. What are everybody’s plans?”

Most of the others just answered with the basics. Going to see family, spending some time with their loved ones. Hangman wanted to use his time for a vacation and Rooster didn’t doubt that in a week there’d be pictures of Hangman’s abs at a beautiful tropical beach all over social media. At least that gave him time to prepare a witty joke he could send in the groupchat to roast the blond.

Realizing he was the only one of the lucky ones that hadn’t shared his plans, Rooster took another drink of his beer, finishing the bottle before putting it down on the table in front of him. “Don’t know yet. Probably going to spend some time catching up with Mav and after that head home to see the missus.”

Several heads whipped around to look at him with a speed that put fighter jets to shame. Rooster was sure he saw poor Bob get whipped in the face by Phoenix’ ponytail hard enough for his glasses to become crooked on his face.

“The what now?!” Multiple voices said loud enough to draw the attention of other patrons but the group skillfully avoided paying attention to them.

Hangman let out a fake cough to hide his reaction but he couldn’t hide the curiosity in his voice as he spoke. “Didn’t know you were married, Rooster.”

“Congrats.” Mavericks' voice tore him out of his thoughts about how Hangman had no reason to know his relationship status. His godfather looked at him with a certain sadness in his eyes that made Rooster mad for a split second before he reminded himself that they were working on mending their relationship and a missed wedding might have been another thing to add to the list of life events they didn’t share like they should have.

“I’m not married.” He paused, trying to find the right words to describe what the two of you were. “It’s an… inside joke with an old friend.”

“Oh that’s-”

“I thought about asking her once but… yeah no I’m not married.” He rambled on, unable to stop himself, almost forgetting about his fellow pilots as he looked at Maverick and the way his eyebrows knit up in confusion.

The rest of the group just looked at him before Halo slapped her knees before standing up, signaling she was ready to leave.

“And that’s our cue. Come on boys, let’s give the Daggers some privacy. You coming with, Coyote?”

“Nah, I’m Hangman’s ride. Can’t leave him with the bunch. He’d just say something to piss them off and they’d leave him here.”

It wasn’t a tearful goodbye but hugs and handshakes were exchanged alongside promises to stay in touch. But almost as soon as Halo led Omaha, Yale, and Harvard away from the table all heads turned to Rooster again. Great.

“Alright, spill!” Phoenix ordered. Bob behind her enthusiastically nodded his head to back his pilot up.

“Guys, maybe that’s not-”

“Ignore Maverick. Spill Rooster!” Hangman interrupted.

Sighing he looked at his empty beer on the table in front of him and wished he had a full one in its place. Or maybe a tall soft drink glass full of whiskey neat.

“Here.” Mav pushed over the beer he picked up earlier, opened but still full.

“There’s not much to talk about.” He tried to defend himself. “She’s a friend. A good friend.”

That wasn’t enough to satisfy the lot in front of him though. Phoenix was motioning for him to continue and part of him wished it was just her he was talking too. She had always been a good friend. A good person to talk to when he had the need to talk. Even if they rarely had the chance to just sit down and chat due to the nature of their work.

“Lives in the old house.” He continued in a low voice, hearing his godfather inhale sharply next to him.

“I wasn’t ready to let it go but I- I couldn’t stay there. Not alone. Not after mom died. So when I left and she needed a place to stay I told her she could have it. Tried to pay me rent for years but I don’t take it. If she didn’t stay there it would be empty anyways so why waste a perfectly good house, you know. I go back every few months and she keeps my shit around.”

He just focused on the bottle in front of him, thumbing away at the label as the stares of his friends bore holes into him.  

“That’s….nice.” The hesitant tone alone voided the words, he didn’t need to see the unsure face on top of it. He didn’t even want to imagine what the group was thinking of him at that moment. Revealing his tragic backstory in the middle of a bar.

“It’s not really home but it’s… it’s a homebase. Someplace to retreat to in case I’m back stateside.”

“And how long has this been going on?” Bob asked from behind Phoenix, confused, and Rooster was suddenly reminded of the years he had on them. Years because Mav held him back.

Years because he tried to protect you - a soft voice that sounded too much like his mother reminded him in the back of his head.

“Fifteen years? Give or take.” He mumbled.

“And how long have you been fucking her?” Three arms reached across the table to swat at Hangman for his question, Phoenix getting him in the arm hard enough for him to wince loudy.

“Fifteen years. Give or take.”

The only thing preventing an awkward moment of silence falling over the group was the fact that Fanboy choked on his beer hard enough that for the next few moments all the attention went to him, their group making sure that the WSO didn’t die. It didn’t prevent an awkward pause that followed after though. It was heavy, only interrupted by muffled coughing.

“Wasn’t expecting that to be completely honest.” Hangman said after everybody had mostly calmed down. When Rooster looked over to him he saw that the usual cocky smirk was nowhere to be found on Hangman’s face and for the first time in his life he wished the other man would make fun of him. Look at him with something more than blank surprise or maybe thinly veiled pity.

“Fifteen years is a pretty long relationship to have, Rooster. Even if you’re not married, that's still impressive.” Coyote tried to be uplifting, smiling at him across the table.

“We’re not dating either. Told you she’s just a friend.”

“But you’re fucking?” Hangman asked.

“Whenever I go back. Unless she’s in a relationship at the time which hasn’t really happened yet because she doesn’t really date but most of the time, yeah.”

Across the table Payback raised his beer to him before taking a sip. “I mean… friends with benefits isn’t bad. Me and my wife started out as fuckbuddies before I grew the balls to ask her out for real.”

A few of the guys around the table nodded in agreement while Phoenix rolled her eyes hard enough that Rooster was worried they’d get stuck, but nobody added on to what Payback said.

Another few moments of silence followed before Bob spoke up, all eyes on the quiet WSO. “So let me get this straight. You and this woman have been on again off again fuckbuddies for the past fifteen years. She lives in your house. You nearly asked her to marry you….. and you still insist that she is just a friend?”

It came out rather harsh and nobody really knew how to react, least of all Rooster. Nodding, he took another drink of his beer, breaking eye contact with Bob.

Pushing his chair back from the table Bob moved to get up from their table. “Jesus fuck I need a drink.”

“Bob, you don’t drink.” Phoenix pushed her chair back too, quick to back up her backseater.

“I’m starting now.”  

Six pairs of eyes watched as the two walked over to the bar but the men soon found themselves returning their attention back to the conversation.

“That’s a long time to pine over somebody, Rooster.” Fanboy chimed in, the pilots around the table nodding in agreement.

Before he could defend himself that he wasn’t pining, Hangman decided to speak up again.

“Jesus dude I know you like to wait things out but that’s long even for you.” Putting his arm around his shoulder he continued, “Gonna make your move when you get back? You’re a hero now Rooster, that gets the girls hot. No way she’ll say no.”

Without looking at the other man Rooster just shook off his arm, not taking his eyes off the bottle in front of him. Half the label was missing at this point but scratching at it kept his hands busy at least. “She’s just a friend, Bagman. Just a friend.”

Before any of the others could comment on it, Bob and Phoenix made their way back over to the group, letting themselves fall into the seats they had abandoned before. Their little comeback thankfully drew the attention to them and off Rooster, something he really appreciated. Judging by the way Bob was looking, his first drink didn’t go over all that smoothly.

“How’d he do Phoenix?” Mav teased.

“Went straight for the tequila. I tried to tell him he should start out with a beer but noooo.” She drew out the vowel, interrupted herself with a short giggle, before continuing, “Doubleshot of the cheapest tequila Penny had, didn’t even pull a face.” Phoenix bragged while giving Bob an encouraging pat on the back as he kept quiet. She turned to Hangman, sizing him up before adding. “You can ask Penny if you don’t believe me, Bagman.”

“Nah screw that.” Hangman replied, jumping up in his seat and leaning across the table to get closer to Bob, and Rooster was glad that they seemed to have found a new topic to latch onto. “First time and he went straight for the kill. Atta boy Bobby. Mister B.O.B.”  

Most people around the table joined in with Hangman who continued to go on and on like usual while Rooster just went back to focusing on the bottle in front of him. He continued to thumb at the label, using the nail to push the paper back little by little. Almost everybody had stopped paying attention to him but he could feel Maverick’s gaze burn into the side of his head. He just hoped the older man would let it go.

Maverick did not let it go.

Two days after the night at The Hard Deck he was pounding on the door of Rooster’s room until he had no other choice but to roll out of bed. Stumbling his way to the door with half closed eyes he cursed as he walked straight into a table, a hand coming up to rub over his thigh while the other one pulled open his front door.

“What?” The words came out harder than he intended but the other man didn’t react, instead pushing past him into the room.

“Great, you’re up. Come on get dressed, we need to leave soon.”

“It’s like…” He picked up his phone from the nightstand, dropping it onto the bed after he saw the time. “6 in the goddamn morning. Why are you waking me up at 6am on my day off, Mav?”

“I want to show you something but we need to hit the road soon unless you want it to become an overnight trip. So go and get ready.” Maverick picked up a shirt he had thrown over a chair a day or two ago and threw it at Rooster, catching him off guard enough for it to hit him square in the face.

Knowing full well he couldn’t escape this trip Rooster just sighed and gathered his things so he could get ready. Hurrying through the process of getting ready until he was standing back in his room, silently looking at Mav while the older man looked at the pictures Rooster had taped up next to his bed.

Most of his memories were kept in his phone nowadays but he still liked to keep a few  physical pictures with him on deployment. An old strip from a photobooth the two of you had squeezed yourself into, you perched on his lap with his arms wrapped around your middle while you made faces into the camera right next to the picture of his parents with their arms around each other. Maverick was focused on the third picture that was taped up though, their last family picture from before the accident. It had been hard to bend the picture in a way that properly hid Mav since they were all crowded together, Mom and Dad and Mav with little Rooster in the middle. He didn’t regret not tearing it apart in a fit of anger though. Instead he had taken it down after the mission, carefully straightened out the picture until Maverick was no longer hidden behind the back of the picture and next to them again, before putting it back up with their family reunited.

Rooster watched as he reached out and trailed a finger across the crease. It felt like he was interrupting a moment so he just stood still for a few more seconds, giving Maverick a little bit more time. When the other man turned around he didn’t seem surprised to see Rooster standing in the middle of his room though, a small smile growing on his face.

“Ready to go, kid?”

“Yeah.” He replied, waiting for Mav to bring up the pictures or where they were going but nothing came in response.

“Great.” Maverick stepped past him, hand coming up to give his shoulder a firm pat. “We’re taking your Bronco.”

It wasn’t until they were out of San Diego and making their way down a highway out east that Maverick opened up a little. He had been designated to the passenger side, left to peruse through the handful of cassette tapes in the glove box and play navigator while Rooster drove.

“Good selection.”

Out of the corner of his eyes Rooster could see the older man’s hands stopping once he came across a familiar mixtape, his own illegible handwriting staring back at him. He had played the tape over the years, knew the songs by heart even. But he still wasn’t able to read the writing. Your daddy had the nicest handwriting - his mother used to tell him - always filling out paperwork for Maverick. It wasn’t until he was older that he understood why his mother continued to do the same after his father’s death. A small act of kindness towards the poor soul that had to deal with Maverick Mitchell, saving at least a little bit of their sanity by shielding them from his terrible chicken scratch. Mav could write legibly when he cared, Rooster had a shoebox full of cards and letters at the old house that proved this, but he never really cared for paperwork.

Still focusing most of his attention on the road in front of them, Rooster saw the older man opening the case and carefully putting it into the correct slot on the old car. It took a moment for it to start but he smiled as the intro to Danger Zone began playing. Mav was nodding his head along the rhythm and Rooster could feel himself being overcome by some kind of nostalgic sorrow.

He was young when his father died. Too young. That wasn’t something he ever tried or was able to hide. But he tried his hardest to shield the ones around him from the full truth and maybe lie to himself a little. Nick Bradshaw had been a good man and he deserved to be remembered as such by his loved ones. Which just caused his limited memories of his dad to be all the more painful. No matter how hard Rooster tried to find new memories hidden away in a far corner of his brain he was stuck with a handful of amazing but painful ones.

It must have been mere days before the accident. His mom was somewhere, he didn’t quite know where, but his dad and his uncle Mav were with him. He remembered that the radio was blasting Danger Zone and that the adults had been singing along. They had all jumped across the room wildly and his uncle had picked him up only to collapse onto a couch or bench or something similar towards the end of the song.

After their falling out it had taken him years until he could listen to the song again without getting overwhelmed by emotions. But sitting here now, side by side with the man he tried to hate for years, all that heaviness he’d been carrying around with himself seemed to lift. It would never be like that one carefree summer afternoon in San Diego again but Rooster was certain that they could work towards mending their relationship again and he looked forward to it.

They had been driving for hours and Rooster was starting to get tired of the scenery. While he appreciated the desert as a beautiful place in theory after driving through it for a while it started to become too monotonous for him. They had stopped at a diner in a small town around eleven and eaten what would probably be considered brunch although there was a distinct lack of mimosas. He had filled the tank while Mav picked up some things from a nearby store and they were on the road again before noon.

“There’s a dirt road up ahead, on the left side. No street sign but you’ll see it.”

It was easy to follow his directions, pulling the Bronco into the street and making their way down the road. He could see a building up ahead, far enough removed from the main road to not be visible to passing cars but now that they were on the smaller dirt road Rooster was able to see that they were heading straight towards it.

An airplane hangar. Maverick had taken him to an airplane hangar. In the middle of the damn Mojave.

He slowed down the car once they got close enough, coming to a stop near the access doors but off to the side so he wouldn’t block the runway. If it involved Mav and a hangar there would definitely be planes around and he didn’t want to be in the way.

“Remember the thing you talked about last time at The Hard Deck?” Maverick said, hopping out of the car and Rooster had to suppress a laugh at the sight before he exited the Bronco too.

He watched as Maverick walked over to the middle of the hangar and raised his voice a little so that the older man could hear him even as he walked away. “What thing? I talked about a lot of things.”

“About the old house and it being your homebase.” Maverick was fiddling around with the chain that hung in the middle of the giant doors but Rooster couldn’t see what exactly he was doing, even as he walked closer.

“Well….” The chain rattled as it fell to the ground but Mav picked it up before giving each side of the heavy doors a push. “Welcome to my homebase.” Maverick said before slipping through the gap in the door and disappearing into the darkness.

Homebase. The stupid word echoed in his mind as he hesitated to follow the older man into the hangar. He had said that, hadn’t he? Downplayed the significance of you, your home… his home. Expressing his feelings had never been his strong suit but part of him didn’t regret his selfish choice of words. He trusted the daggers with his life but he didn’t want to share your relationship with them, not when he wasn’t sure of things himself.

He couldn’t bare himself to them in such a manner. Not when he still struggled to come to terms with things himself.

Trying to shake those thoughts he followed after Mav. The inside of the hangar was significantly darker than the outside even with the slight opening in the doors letting in light and his eyes needed a moment to adjust before he could see but when they did he looked around the large space in awe.

Rooster knew that the older man had an affinity for all things speed -bikes and planes, even the occasional sports car- but looking around he was surprised by how many machines he could see. Just from a first glance he counted at least 15, half of which he somewhat remembered from his childhood, as well as an old P-51 and… random furniture placed in front of a trailer?

“What-” He started but didn’t finish his sentence. What would he even ask? What is this place? Homebase. Mav had already said that.

He looked around again, trying to find Maverick between the machines.

“Go sit down.”

He nearly jumped at the sound of Mav’s voice echoing through the hanger. He hadn’t seen or heard him coming at all.

“I’ll go get the bags from the car but you go sit. Or go look around. Make yourself at home. Just don’t touch anything.”

The way he said it sounded like an adult warning a small child. Don’t touch anything, you could get hurt. And for a second Rooster thought about all the years he had spent with Maverick and his machines. How they had fixed up old bikes and Mav had patiently explained what every tiny screw does before ruffling his hair and telling him good job buddy for handing him a wrench. How he had helped Rooster get all his licenses from bikes to cars to planes and then let him take out some of the machines for joyrides or to impress girls at his high school. How he knew what he was doing and if he wanted to he could touch because he knew not to get hurt. Because he’s not a kid anymore. Because Mav taught him how not to get hurt.

But instead he kept quiet and looked around.

Rooster spent a while looking at the P-51. That thing must have cost a fortune even if it was old and Mav did the repairs himself. It was a gorgeous plane though and he hoped that he could convince his godfather to take him up with it soon.

The row of bikes felt so familiar it hurt but he still ran his fingers over the polished metal with care. All neatly lined up along the side of the hangar.

When he was younger Mav kept a locker covered in stickers in their garage. He still had the same locker now in the hangar and the collection of stickers had only grown. He used to go into the garage to look at them all the time when he was a child. Stickers of the different squadrons in all colors of the rainbow. He had them all memorized before he had memorized all 50 states. This one is where Ice flies -Maverick would point out- and this one is the squad that has to deal with Wolfman and Hollywood. They had gone through all the different symbols and pointed out when one of Mav’s friends flew with them.

As a kid he often wondered which squadron he would be assigned to, what insignia he would rep. He slowly raised a hand and ran his fingers over the Golden Warriors sticker at the side of the locker when something past the locker caught his eye.

Pictures upon pictures taped to the wall, familiar faces staring back at him. He could see pictures of Maverick and his parents as he stepped closer. Iceman. Their class at top gun.

Himself.

One of the pictures he knew. It was taken the day his high school baseball team had won a state championship and he remembered feeling like he was on top of the world. His mom had already been sick at that point but her prognosis had been good. Mav had been home from deployment and was able to bring his mom and together they had cheered loud enough that they could be heard across the entire pitch. Other teens would have felt embarrassed but Bradley had felt nothing but love. They had taken him out to eat afterwards and he had talked their ears off while stuffing his face with fries. His mother hadn’t even scolded him for talking with his mouth full. He had asked about the naval academy and if they had a baseball team and if Mav thought he should join. They’d all been so happy.

Not even a year later his mom was dead and Mav had pulled his papers and he had found himself on the other side of the continent completely alone.

Mav had another picture of him as well although he didn’t know where he got it. It was a newer one of him in his uniform, taken before the start of his last deployment. Ice, he answered his own unasked question. There was only one person that held enough rank and love for Maverick to get a hold of his picture.

He should have reached out sooner. If not to Mav then at least Iceman. Even in his stubbornness he had to admit that the late admiral had never treated him with anything but kindness and now it was too late to apologize.

“There you are.” Mav’s voice came from behind him and Rooster was proud that he didn’t flinch at the sudden noise. He had completely forgotten that he wasn’t alone in the hangar.

Instead of speaking immediately he took a deep breath and swallowed down his feelings. One step at a time. First he’d mend things with Mav for the future, then he’d ask for forgiveness for the past.

“Quite the collection you got here.” He said instead.

“Yeah?” He could see how the older man’s eyes lighted up at the mention of his machines. “I got more up here and a few more back there.” He turned around to point them out to Rooster, taking a few steps away from the side of the hangar.

“I’ve put the bikes on the backburner for a little bit to focus on the plane but as soon as I get it back up and running I have a few that need repairs. Maybe you could come and help me out a little. Like old times.” Mav smiled.

“That would be nice.”

He watched as Maverick walked over to the sitting area and followed. He disappeared into the trailer for a moment only to come out holding two bottles in his hands and gesturing for Rooster to sit. It was almost as if he had set up a little living room in the middle of the hangar. With an armchair and a couch, a small coffee table all on a big rug in front of the trailer. Wait…

“Mav do you fucking live here?”

Mav just gestured to the couch. “Sit down Bradley.”

It felt weird to be called Bradley again. For years he had only gone by Rooster or Bradshaw, building it up almost like a second identity or an armor. To him it felt like he had left Bradley behind years ago when he left home. Still, he sat down.

He looked at Mav.

Mav looked at him.

“Yes Bradley. I’ve been living in this hangar for the past few years while stationed at a nearby air base.” He finally said.

“In that trailer?”

Mav didn’t say anything, just nodded while looking at him.

He shifted a little where he sat on the couch, trying to avoid eye contact. “So you’re just all alone out here in the desert?”

“You know I’m used to being on my own, Bradley. No wife, no kids.”

Nobody to mourn you when you burn in.

He should have known that he would end up eating his words. No matter how much anger and distress he was feeling when he spoke them, no words were said without consequences and he was about to be faced with his.

He shifted in his seat again, still not meeting the older man’s eyes. “Mav, listen…”

“No. No.” Mav took a deep breath and let in out loud enough for him to hear it through the distance between them. “You were right.”

Another silence fell over them, this one weighing heavier on him than the ones before.

“I fear we’re a lot more similar than either of us would like to admit.”

It sounded less than a statement and more like a confession or maybe even a little bit of an apology. Like it pained Maverick to admit it and he had to force himself to say them. As if it had been a shortcoming on his end that had made them this way and not just the universe playing a cruel joke.

“There are… a lot of things we need to talk about and a lot of things I need to apologize for but not now. We have all the time in the world to talk things out but that’s not why I brought you here.”

“Then why did you?” His own voice sounded strange to him but he couldn’t figure out why. His thoughts were racing but at the same time his mind felt emptier than ever.

“I don’t want you to repeat the same mistakes I made.”

“Mav…”

“People like us belong in the sky and when something comes along to threaten that things turn ugly. You think there’s nothing worse than having that freedom taken away from you but there is. Because we can’t… we can’t stay up there forever, Bradley, no matter how hard we try. Once that’s taken away you have to look around and see what’s waiting for you on the ground. And when you see there’s nothing waiting for you… That’s scary, kid.”

Although he understood every word coming out of Maverick’s mouth he couldn’t understand what he was saying.

“You’re allowed to put down roots without them chaining you to the ground. You’re allowed to build a home and a family without fear holding you back.”

And all of a sudden his words began to make sense.

No wife. No kids.

Just like him.

Somebody to mourn him if he burns in.

“I don’t think…”

“Don't think. Just do.”

That damn sentence had burrowed itself into his mind. Nested itself deep enough in his subconscious that there was no way he’d ever get rid of it again and Maverick repeating them now did nothing to soften the blow he felt.

“You love her, don’t you?”

Such a simple question. Such a simple answer. Yet it felt like he had to force himself to admit it. “Yes.”

“Then tell her.”

Sometimes home wasn’t a place but a person but there had to be some incredible luck involved for the two to overlap for him.

For years he had felt a certain type of sadness while driving up to his childhood home, reminiscing about all he’s lost, but as he pulled his Bronco into the little driveway all he could think about was what he was about to gain. His stomach was twisting and turning in anticipation.

Part of him wondered if he was doing the right thing, finally confessing to you. The friendship you had built over the span of more than one decade was too important and he didn’t want to mess it up. It had been easier when he was young and stupid and fell into bed with you the first time without consideration but now your time together weighted on him. He hesitated before exiting the car, mentally going over everything he wanted to say and repeating the words Mav had told him before sending him on his way.

She wouldn’t have waited fifteen years for you to get your act together if she wasn’t head over heels in love with you too.

Oh how he hoped that Maverick was right.

Taking one last deep breath he opened the door and got out, throwing it closed behind him. You had planted some new flowers in the front yard. Last time he had been here he was greeted by soft yellow flowers but now all he could see was a beautiful red. Granted it had been a few months since he last came by but he still felt a slight sting at the change. Not that it happened -he was glad that you actually felt at home in your house and comfortable enough to change the greenery- but the fact that he missed it. As he made his way towards the front door he thought about all the other things that could have changed since he saw you last. Did you get new pillows for the couch? Hung new pictures on the walls?

He had to search through his keys for a moment before he found the house key but as soon as he did he unlocked the door and stepped inside. There were noises coming from the tv in the living room and he had no problem imagining you curled up on the couch with a soft blanket and a mug held between your soft hands with one of your shows playing.

“Honey, I’m home!” He called out, hoping that you wouldn’t be able to hear the desperation in his voice and only the excitement.

Instead of a response he could only hear a crash coming from the living room and instantly became concerned. He couldn’t take more than two steps down the hallway though before you suddenly appeared at the other end of the small space. Messy hair and comfy clothes he didn’t have time to brace himself before you all but tackled him, clinging to his body while his arms came up to hold you up and against him.

Holding you in his arms again just made him feel so much more confident in his decision. His body still felt a little sore even a week after the mission but he’d never tell you out of fear that you would lessen your crushing embrace. The last thing he wanted right now was to be separated from you in any way. He could feel saying something against his shoulder but he couldn’t hear anything, the sound muffled by his shirt.

You must have realized that he wasn’t able to understand what you were saying because you pulled away a little so he could understand you better. “You’re home.” You almost whispered, voice airy and light and a big smile on your face. “Why are you home? You’re supposed to be overseas, why are you here? You always text me before you’re home or at least give me a call. Are you okay? What happened?”

He smiled as you took his hands between your hands, trying to see if he was hurt while rambling and he just couldn’t hold himself back any longer so he leaned down and finally, finally put his lips on yours in the softest, most loving kiss he could muster with the amount of desire running through his body. If he surprised you with his kiss you didn’t show it, instead your lips began to move against his, only for him to pull away once you try to deepen the kiss.

“I love you.”

The words didn’t feel foreign in his mouth even though it was the first time he said them for a long long time. He’s been running from his true feelings for as long as he could remember but now that he managed to spill them he couldn’t stop.

“I love you. I love you. I love you.”

Realizing that he was still holding you up, he carefully lowered you down until there was solid ground underneath your feet. You looked so sweet just standing there and part of him just wanted to swoop you right up again. Instead he brought one of his hands up to cradle your face, carefully stroking his thumb over your cheek.

“Baby...” You started but stopped when his thumb brushed over your bottom lip.

“I love you and I’m sorry.”

He could see your brows furrow in confusion so he continued.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I was scared and it took me fifteen years to finally admit it but I love you. I love you and I’m not scared anymore and I’m yours… in any way that you’ll have me.” It was a blatant lie. He wasn’t just scared, he was absolutely terrified. Not just about his confession but also the future and the past and everything in between. But he needed to tell you how he felt so desperately.

Your hand touching his brought him back from his thoughts, cradling his hands while he cradled your face and a smile so wide he couldn’t focus.

When you spoke your voice was barely more than a whisper. “Oh you stupid man.”

For an awful drawn-out second he couldn’t breathe before your lips met his again and he felt whole again. Deepening the kiss all he could think about was how he was never letting go of you again.

Lieutenant Jakob Middlename Seresin enjoyed the simple things in life. A cold beer, a light breeze, and a beach full of attractive people were paradise on earth for him. After the recent mission all he wanted to do was lay back and relax before he had to head back out for deployment so when two of his old academy buddies talked about their new house in Hawai’i he invited himself to crash in their guest bedroom for two weeks and so far it had been nothing but pure bliss.

Taking a picture of his current view he sent it to his parents before pulling up the group chat Fanboy had made for everybody involved in the mission. He had missed about 50 messages but just from scrolling past them he picked up that Bob had sent a picture with his family and now everybody was roasting him for how out of character it seemed. Apparently there were flannel shirts and horses involved and Jake was just about to scroll back up to take a look himself so that he could join in the fun when a new message was sent to the group chat that caused him to drop his phone into the fine sand with a bitten off curse.

Rooster 🐓

getting hitched in vegas this wknd, be there or be square

txt Mav for details

Before he could fully process what he just read the chat was blowing up again. Text after texts came in expressing various degrees of excitement but Jake just read over Rooster’s text again before putting his phone away. With a sigh he brought his half-empty beer up to his lips and emptied the bottle before getting up to make his way back to the house.

It was only Wednesday so he still had a little time to enjoy his vacation before he had to head back to the mainland and he fully planned on enjoying it. He just needed to ask his friends where he could buy some gaudy Hawaiian shirts first. Maybe he’d even find some Vegas wedding appropriate ones.

He wouldn’t leave his wingman hanging.