#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 !!!!

[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."

[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

[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

[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.

[show-your-fangs]

I hate seeing sad Hotch but what about Hotch being sad and feeling he’s inadequate but reader does a BIG/GRAND gesture and hotch is floored and becomes like cute puppy hotch and is all like 🥺

this was such a phenomenal request, i just had to add a sprinkle of angst and hurt/comfort bc i am a whore. hope you like it!

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x f!Reader

Words: 1.3k

CW: sad, very very sad, angst, sad boy aaron

Tags/warnings: established relationship, lover boy Hotch, reader works at the BAU but isn't a profiler (just in case you haven't read Moments), self-deprecating thoughts, Aaron thinking he's not good enough for Reader, fear of abandonment, Aaron crying, Reader comforts Aaron, super cute ending.

a/n: I imagine this is Moments AU Aaron and Reader after their relationship comes to light and they’re just dating and working together like adults after almost a year of secrecy, so it’s “new” in the sense that they’ve been public for only a few months. 

Disclaimer: YOU DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO REPOST MY WRITING ANYWHERE ELSE WITHOUT MY CONSENT. REBLOGS ARE ENCOURAGED THOUGH. YOU MAY NOT FEED MY WORK TO ANY AI DATABASES OF ANY KIND OR TO USE MY WORKS TO TRAIN AI. FUCK AI.

You hadn’t spoken to him all day, avoided him at all cost, not once stole a single glance at his office, at him. He didn’t think it was strange at first, you were both rushing to finish a mountain of paperwork that had just come in. 

He even ignored the fact that you hadn’t sought him out to have lunch together, claiming you were going out to run an errand. But then you left work early, so early in fact that the sun was still out. That’s when he began to panic. 

He knew he’d been a little distant recently. He’d had to miss your weekly date night twice, the second time having been the rescheduled date that he was convinced he’d be able to make. But no matter, he’d been called into a meeting just as the two of you were leaving the office. 

You’d been understandably upset. When he returned home to his apartment where you’d been waiting for him for the past few hours, you immediately got into a very heated argument, one that as much as he knew was coming, was still incredibly painful. 

But that had been a couple of weeks ago, you’d worked through it, talked it out, were done fighting about that. Or at least he thought so. 

He knew he was lucky to be with you, unbelievably lucky in fact, and he tried to often show you just how much he appreciated you sticking around after everything he’d been through, after everything you’d been through together. 

And yet he couldn’t help but feel like you would be so much better without him, that if he wasn’t holding you back you could be doing so much better. Your career had stalled because of your relationship with him, you were stuck in an endless cycle of having to comfort him, reassure him that everything was going to be alright when he should be the one doing this for you.

He’d caught you laughing, unrestricted, completely set ablaze by emotion a few days ago, and what had struck him hardest about such a normal display of happiness was that he couldn’t remember when he’d made you laugh like that last. 

You deserved the world, deserved someone who would show up for you, who would sacrifice everything for you, and as much as he wanted to be that person, he was also terrified of what he would have to do in order to become it. 

But he really wanted to, truly wanted to try, to make this work, to prove to you that he could do it, that he could be the man you needed him to be. 

He’d left the office the earliest he’d had in a while, making an effort to leave the paperwork he hadn’t been able to get through on his desk. He could get to it tomorrow morning. Tonight he would show up for you, to his apartment where he knew you’d be waiting after you’d unofficially moved in a week earlier.

He had plans to surprise you with dinner from your favorite restaurant, draw you a nice bath, and practically spend the rest of the evening on his knees, worshiping you like a goddess until you simply couldn’t take it anymore. 

He was practically buzzing all the way up to his apartment, excitement washing over him like a drug, euphoric and calming. He’d opened the door quietly, not wanting to alert you of his presence quite yet. 

But when he finally took in the room, fully dissected what he was seeing, the bag of take out, his keys, and his work bag fell from his hands, loudly banging against the wooden floor. 

You practically bolted out of the room, terrified, like a deer caught in headlights. You only calmed down when you noticed it was him, the hand that held a hair brush like a weapon lowering as a realization flashed over your features. 

He’d caught you in the act, caught you in the middle of…packing your bags and leaving him. 

No, this couldn’t be happening to him, not again, not like this, not you. 

“Honey,” he managed, his voice unbelievably small, on the verge of breaking apart. “What– we can talk about this, please, don’t– please don’t leave me.”

Your brows scrunched in confusion, slowly straightening, readying yourself for what you believed would be another fight. That’s when your eyes darted towards the spilled containers on the floor, his keys and bag to the other side of him, discarded. 

“I know I messed up, I know I shouldn’t have gone to that meeting, I should have told Strauss to wait until the morning,” his voice was cracking, pathetically, and he wanted nothing more than to have this conversation in the most composed way possible. 

But he had not prepared himself to find you like this, to find you in the same way he’d found Hayley all those years ago. Only then it had been his things, and tonight they were yours, and that somehow stung him even harder because last time it had been her kicking him out of her life, and tonight it was you removing yourself from his. 

You still didn’t move, your confusion slowly starting to turn to concern as he dropped to his knees in front of you, quite literally getting on his knees to beg you to stay. 

“I don’t want you to leave me, honey,” he pleaded. “Please stay, I promise I’ll do better, I’ll do whatever you want me to just please don't leave me.”

His hands wrapped around your legs then, face pressed against your stomach as he couldn’t stop the tears from pouring any longer. His entire body shaked, trembled, quacked against your own, his arms keeping you in place, stopping you from moving anywhere, even if you wanted to. 

“Baby,” you whispered and he only tightened his grip. So you stood there, let him get it all out as you gently ran your fingers over his scalp, shushing him gently as he sobbed. 

A few long minutes later, the sobs subsided into light tears and he let you unwrap his arms from you. You dropped down to your knees in an instant, cupping his face in your warm hands and pulling his gaze up to meet yours. 

“I’m sorry, baby,” you told him, wiping the wetness off his face with your thumbs. “I didn’t know this was bothering you so much, I thought we were done fighting about that.”

He let out a shaky breath, taking in the words you’d just said, allowing them to reassure his rapidly beating heart. 

“You’re not leaving?” 

“No, baby,” you smiled softly. “I wanted to surprise you,” you turned your body to the hallway leading towards his room, his own bags packed by the door. “I got Rossi to approve some time off for both of us – an entire week of sipping margaritas by the beach at one of Morgan’s friend’s resorts.”

His arms wrapped tightly around your waist then, pulling you further into him. “When did you– how did you? Why–”

“You’re right, that fight was awful, and I realized we both just needed some time alone together. To decompress and reconnect, just the two of us. What do you think?”

“I think that I don’t deserve you,” he confessed, the smallest hint of a joke desperately trying to hide the truth behind his words. 

“Oh, but you do, Aaron,” you kissed his nose. “You deserve this and so much more, I just need you to believe it. For me. Please?”

He nodded, his nose gently rubbing against yours before he leaned forward to press his lips against yours. They were a little salty from his tears and you took extra care to lap them all up, to clean his mouth of any reminder of what had just happened, a clean slate for the two of you. 

“I love you,” you spoke against his lips. 

“I love you too, honey,” he replied, placing another kiss over your lips before continuing. “So much it’s physically painful.”

You giggled then, light, airy, playful and carefree, and he couldn’t help but smile. Now this laugh he’d remember forever. 

this was...wow. holy shit. i hated putting baby through that but i think he needed to hear that.

my requests are open for pretty boy hotch, be that moments, dbf!we shouldn't (and yet we do), rough hotch, sugar daddy!hotch, or whatever your heart desires.

tags: @canuck-eh, @ssamorganhotchner

[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

[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…

[k-evans-reads]

In Living Color

Chapter 18

Summary: When Natalie Marton, lead character designer for Buzz Lightyear, meets the voice of Buzz, Chris Evans, the sparks are undeniable. But when their work pushes them away from each other, both physically and emotionally, will the sheer differences between their worlds be enough to force them apart?

Pairing: Chris Evans x Pixar Animator OFC Natalie Marton

Word Count: 2,618

By: @k-evans-writes and @ourfinest-hour

We do NOT give permission for our works to be reuploaded, translated, or reposted on any other site. Our work is our own.

Warnings: None.

Previous | Main Masterlist | In Living Color Masterlist

January 7th, 2022 

‘Can you call me when you have time? I need to talk to you.’ 

Chris’ brows furrowed as he saw Nat’s notification pop up on his laptop, leaving him with little to go off of as the simple message disappeared just as quickly as it’d appeared. He frowned as he thought over the message, hands itching to at least text her back, but before he could, Mark joined the Zoom call, his smiling face doing little to distract Chris as they prepped for the quick call with the others involved with the project. 

Nat’s text lingered in his mind throughout the whole call, never leaving the forefront of his focus even as they planned out the next several months’ worth of interviews for the website.  He’d only been back in Boston for a few days, having gone back to Los Angeles for a few days with their whole group after skiing in Washington over the last chunk of the holiday. Chris had planned on staying in Los Angeles a bit longer, but he had quickly found out that Nat’s suggestion had proved to be a good one when he realized just how busy she was with two projects overlapping at once. 

What had been a manageable schedule for her in the summer and fall, allowing them to spend nearly every evening and weekend together interruption-free, had been spun on its head. Nat was in her office from early in the morning to late at night, barely pulling her attention off of work long enough to text Chris that she was too swamped to come over for dinner or make game night, and what little time they got with each other during the week was then reduced to only a quick kiss before bed, if he was lucky. Her point was true, that him being there would only stress her out more and force her to sacrifice something to make his presence worthwhile, and so with that in mind, he packed himself and Dodger back up and took a flight home the previous day. 

But now with that ominous text looming in his mind, he couldn’t help but let his anxiety spiral, wondering what it could possibly mean. He hoped that it was just Nat feeling stressed and needing to process it or her asking when he was coming back to Los Angeles, but he knew deep down that it was something else otherwise she wouldn’t have asked to have this conversation over the phone versus just texting him about it as it popped in her brain…. Especially in the middle of her hectic work day. The minute his meeting was over and his laptop closed, he sat there for a long moment, debating on whether it was better to put off whatever bad news this would be until later or if he should just get it over with. 

After a nervous few minutes, he grabbed his phone and clicked on her name, his leg anxiously bouncing as he sat at the table waiting for her to pick up before he directly asked, “Hey, what’s up?” 

“Is this a good time? Like do you have a few minutes?” She asked Chris, her voice a bit distracted as she moved around on the other end of the call. 

“Yeah I just finished my meeting,” he assured her, his brows furrowed as he listened and heard a door shut on her end. “What’s going on, Nat?” 

She hesitated, quiet for a moment before she began, “I just um, I wanted to talk about Palm Springs…” 

Chris stared up at the ceiling above him, eyes moving over the smooth white paint on it. He had a sinking feeling inside of him, one that had settled in his stomach nearly an hour and a half ago when she’d texted him. “...You can’t go, can you?” He asked her, voice low and soft. 

“I technically can but I just don’t see how I’m going to be able to,” Nat confessed, apologetic as Chris’ lips downturned and he listened to her explanation. “That week is the official last week of Lightyear and then I also have meetings with the higher ups for Inside Out so it’s going to be really busy already let alone with me taking off on Wednesday afternoon to go to Palm Springs.” 

Although Chris knew where this was headed from the first moment she mentioned Palm Springs, it didn’t take away the sting of disappointment. He had been looking forward to the little getaway with Nat, just the two of them, before he was launched into thousands of miles separating them as he went from filming to press and then more filming for the rest of the year. It'd been planned from the moment he'd gotten his filming schedule for the early part of the year and had seen that the first week started on Valentine's Day. He and Nat were looking forward to hiding away from the world to celebrate the holiday early together, just before work pulled them apart. That was going to be their last bit of quality time together, not a thing in the world distracting them before he had to leave and now it was taken away. 

The line was quiet for a moment before Nat’s tentative voice asked, “Chris? Are you upset?” 

“No, of course not,” he rushed to reassure her. He was dismayed of course by the change in plans, and upset that they wouldn’t get that time just to themselves, but he knew Nat was needed in Los Angeles… maybe a little too much. “I mean, sure I’m disappointed but I understand.” 

“This is just crazy right now with both projects overlapping,” she admitted to him, and he could hear her on the other end of the line as she began typing at her computer, a chiming notification sounding to alert her to a new email. 

“Nat, if I’m bein’ honest, I’m a little worried about you,” Chris began delicately. He knew she’d been working almost non-stop since Monday, only leaving to eat whatever cold leftovers Chris had packaged away for her from what was supposed to be a shared dinner, then to fall into bed and repeat the cycle the following day. And if he was being honest, he wasn’t even sure she’d done any of that the previous night while he and Dodger flew home. He had no way to know if she’d eaten, or gotten a solid night’s sleep, or if she’d drank enough water and wasn’t surviving off of over-caffeinated cups of cold brew. It wasn’t sustainable, and his concern was evident as he asked, “Are you doing alright with all of this?” 

“I’m fine,” she brushed off the concern, her voice sounding distant as she continued typing. Chris pushed Dodger’s wet nose off of his lap as he listened to Nat dismissively explain, “It’s just until mid February, and then things will be better.” 

But his frown grew deeper as he listened to her, not seeing an end to this workload. She was moving from one project to the next, one with a lot more moving parts than this, including the initial stages. “Are you going to be able to make it until then, though? That’s a long time,” he tried to tell her. 

“I can handle it, I know how to do my job,” she defensively shut him down, her words sending alarm signals to Chris’ brain. He knew that. He knew she was amazing at what she did, but she was to a fault. And all of this career-driven stress and running on empty was the exact opposite of what she’d shared as her goal the previous month, wanting to give herself more time outside of the Disney Campus to dedicate to self-care, to fill her bucket by creating more outside of work. But now she was barely even stepping foot outside of her own office, let alone having time to develop her own creative passions and delve more into her own personal wants. 

“I know you do… that didn’t come out the way I wanted it to,” Chris sighed, running a hand through his hair. His eyes watched Dodger as the dog looked out the window at the large yard and the sunset before he made his way over to his bed and laid down. Chris’ voice was quiet as he admitted to her, “I’m just concerned about these long hours.” 

“It sucks, but it’s temporary so I can do it,” Nat stubbornly insisted. She sighed deeply before he heard her computer chime with another email’s arrival. “It’s been a big deal for me to be the lead character designer for Buzz and now for Inside Out so I don’t want to throw that away in this final stretch.” 

“I get that, I just love you and I get worried about you, ya know,” Chris shrugged, feeling helpless all the way out in Massachusetts as she ran herself ragged back in California. 

“I know you do and it means a lot to me,” she assured him, her voice sounding much more honest than it had only moments ago. She sighed, hesitating before she murmured, “I’m just sorry about Palm Springs.” 

“It’s okay Nattie, don’t stress about it,” Chris reassured her. He knew she felt awful, canceling the trip that’d been her birthday present from him, but he knew she had to look out for herself. Having that pressure of the trip looming over her and not wanting to have anything to do for work that weekend likely would’ve hurt her more had she not canceled, and he had to be a little proud of her for recognizing that much. But he was disappointed, and he could admit that much. “Maybe we could do something, a little weekend trip or something like that one weekend coming up when you aren’t as busy.” 

He could almost see the sad smile on her face as she quietly admitted, “I’d love to but I’m just not sure when that would be.” 

“Okay… well just let me know,” he whispered, struggling to know just what to think at all of this. He missed her, he missed her more than anything each time they were separated, but right now… he was confused. He was worried. And he wasn’t sure how to help her, especially when she had all-but bitten his head off for a small sign of concern. “I really want to spend some time with you.” 

“I know, I want to be with you too. Maybe you could come out in the middle of the month, I might not have to work as late in the evenings then,” she suggested, just as her typing resumed. 

He nodded to himself, making a mental note to look at what he had scheduled then. “I’ll plan on that then,�� he assured her. 

“Okay, hey I’m sorry but I really need to go. I have so much work I need to get done,” she whispered, her voice back to sounding distant as she kept working. 

“Alright,” he whispered, biting his lower lip as he listened to her. 

“Chris?” She asked, almost at the very last moment. “...I really love you.” 

He smiled at those words, feeling some confidence and hope again. “I love you too Nattie. So fuckin’ much,” he promised her. 

And Chris knew how painfully true that was. He loved her more than anything which is why moments apart made this so much harder. His brain kept jumping back and forth between feeling the frustration at Nattie prioritizing her work over having time for their relationship and then feeling hypocritical with his own job taking him away for sometimes months on end. Chris really had been looking forward to that long weekend away and at first thought maybe his frustration was more at that than anything, but once he had gotten up move over to the couch where he could scratch Dodger more easily, he started sorting through his thoughts a bit more and realized that wasn’t it at all. At the heart of his frustration was concern for his Nattie. 

All that was happening just felt… off. 

After her art show she had talked about wanting to pursue more of her own creative passions, not having her whole creative career being created for Pixar. But now here she was nearly giving up her whole life for her job and although he knew that it was true what she said, that it was temporary, part of him wondered if it really was. He had come to see how conflicted Nat could feel when it came to her career. She was so different from her family, not being the cerebral career women her sisters were working in healthcare and tech. Nat was creative and sensitive, with so much passion and emotion in everything she did. He knew how much her single father had given up to send her to art school and how hard Nat had worked at Pixar to move her way up and when he even thought about it, he was so fucking proud of her. But there was something about this that just didn’t feel sustainable or even quite right for Nat. 

He remembered being in those meetings last year and just falling in love with the way Nat spoke about things being visually communicated in Lightyear and how good she was at figuring out how to convey emotion and stories through art. She was practically gushing with passion every time she spoke about an aspect of her job and although he knew that she still loved it, most things recently had been more about what she felt she needed to do for her job or about the path she felt pressured for her career to go. 

Chris felt like there was a piece of his exuberant and uninhibited artist that was falling into the corporate part of her job and although he knew from being in a creative industry himself that some of those things went hand in hand, he didn’t want to see her throw all of it away. She’d shared with him before how for so long she felt like there were so many things wrong with her personality from wearing every emotion on her sleeve to not wanting success in the normal sense that society viewed it, but here she was devoting herself completely to her job and taking on more than he thought any one person would be able to handle. He knew Nat felt like she had something to prove, in his observation more to herself than anyone, that she could make art a worthwhile endeavor and wanted to prove she could handle all of this, not realizing that it didn’t make a difference to anyone if she couldn’t. 

He knew Nat was determined to a fault, that she’d never put anything before her commitments and promises to others, but he was hopeful he could open her eyes a bit more. She’d seemed to have a realization in December, and despite slipping back into the grind of her career, he knew that deep down, they’d get through this. He’d already been a bit worried about how much of a toll this year could take on them, between his schedules with three projects and two press tours and Nat’s busy calendar at Disney, and that this trip was supposed to give them both some time to connect and be together before that all started. But despite losing that weekend together, he himself was determined, not to solve all of Nat’s problems overnight, but to brainstorm on how to help her and most of all, support her through every step of the way. 

A/N: We'll be back next week with a new chapter!

[whatgaviiformes]

For the September prompts, could I request Lemon Tree and Kayo please? Somehow the idea of these two together is singing to me...🍋🖤

Hiiiii. I really wanted to be able to do this for you; please forgive me for this not being my strongest of pieces. I did have to add Gordon to get Kayo to speak to me, and the lemons are there even if the tree is not. <3. They are siblings, and peers, and they respect each other. Hopefully it shows. Thanks so much for the ask and the support.

I like the headcanon of Gordon calling Kayo "Tin" so I borrowed that from Nutty with her permission. :D

Characters: Kayo, Gordon

Words: 870

Genre: General

Universe Notes - Military!Gordon, TAG.

Warnings: Mentions of Alcohol Consumption (responsible)

***

“Hey, Tin?” Gordon quickly plopped into his mouth a sardine from the charcuterie display he’d ordered as his antipasto and, as Kayo grimaced at his manners, he at least had the good graces to swallow before he continued.  “I’m going to need you to relax.”

“I really don’t understand how you can eat that.”

“They are a bit salty,” he mused, swirling on the flavor still in his mouth. “But I can’t just leave the little fishies there uneaten. It’s inhumane.”

“Yeah, ok.” She turned back away from his feast of fish, gazing out to the expanse of ultramarine beside them.

It was to be his home the next few days – the Gulf of Naples that is, beautiful waters in Mediterranean blue, watched over by what was left of the towering Mt. Vesuvio visible in the distance. For Gordon’s experience in the depths of the sea, the bay was a relatively shallow estuary. But it wasn’t about how deep the body of water went. He was more concerned with what creatures called the place home, in this instance which fin whales – and one razorback in particular he’d been tracking as part of his research dissertation.  (D.Sc. meet Gordon Tracy!)

Gordon called it a “surface trip” which didn’t mean surface at all really, just that he’d be arriving by boat instead of submarine and diving within the capabilities of standard research tech instead of the Brains’ tested and certified deep-sea gadgets of International Rescue. It would be enough for him to listen to the whale song, and if he was lucky, maybe he’d get to see his boyo.

Since the excursion was to depart tomorrow out of a little town in the outskirts of Sorrento, arriving a day early gave Gordon the time to reorient himself to the normal sleep schedule of the time-zone and decompress from being constantly on call as they were. He’d been in Italy for only a few hours, but the warm wind and the friendly lapping of blue on the shore calmed him, so his spirits were high despite the nerves around the importance of this trip.

His companion was less thrilled by the break. Virgil had been unavailable, Scott was busy with Tracy Industries reports, and Alan could hardly fly him over in a space rocket, so Kayo had offered to drop him off. It had taken some heavy pleading, a bit of chore reallocation, and eventually Kayo agreed to stay and leave the next morning.

A worthy exchange. His siblings deserved a holiday. And once he saw an opportunity unfolding to spend some time with his sister, he couldn’t let go of the idea. They didn’t call him a master of pranks for nothing – though this was less of a prank and more of a gentle coercion.

Their first of their entrées arrived, for the traditional trattoria included two within the standard four-course meal, and Kayo nodded kindly in thanks. Gordon beamed, a “Grazie!” while he moved his plate of fish to the side to make room for his pasta.  

“I’m relaxed,” she told him after a while only once they’d dug into their meals. “Really.”  

Gordon eyed her deliberately, mindlessly twirling his pasta with his fork and watching peridot scanning the room even as she said it. “I think you think that. I can tell you are still on look out.” He saw her start to panic and added, “I can only tell because I know you.”

She frowned, shrugging. “Maybe I am. Someone has to do it.”

“It doesn’t have to be you all the time. We are safe; promise.”

“Yeah?”

The skepticism was evident. He was almost offended. Almost.  “Yeah.” It had been a long time since his brief service in WASP, but the training gave him lessons for a lifetime. “Closest exit is that one” – he gestured his fork towards the wall to their left – “there’s a gentleman behind me that obviously knows who we are but won’t dare approach because you keep giving him the stink eye, our server is oblivious which is kinda’ nice actually, and the owner has come by twice. Dice is out on that one, but he’s harmless. Now, agree to get some limoncello with me.”

“Gordon- “

“We’re in Italy; it’s required.”

“It’s a digestivo. That means after the meal.”

“It’s alcohol,” he challenged, grinning. “That means when the mood strikes. I won’t push if you don’t want any, but lemons, Kayo. Lemons.”

“Yeah, yeah. You make lemonade.”

“Nuh-uh. You make limoncello!” He was pleased to see her laughing, even if it was at his expense. Kayo was good at her job, too good, and she took after workaholic Scott in ways Gordon didn’t necessarily believe were the healthiest of habits. He knew what it was like to be “on” all the time. It would cause burn out. Always did.

They placed their additional drink order and the bottle was brought out with the timing of their second entrée as they requested, with minimal questioning. The locals were kind about the whims of their tourists.

“So where did you stash Shadow again?”

Kayo swirled the narrow glass to twirl the liquid neon, and she narrowed her eyes at him with a gleam. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

[freshcuntgrass]

I'd be curious to know how much of this is about age versus about location versus class. I experienced basically all of this-- threatened not to graduate with senior ditch day, first legal drink was Barefoot wine from the grocery store a week after my 21st, had to text my parents EVERY location I was going (I was lucky that my "wandering around the strip mall" days were during the very beginning of texting; my older sister was supposed to call if she wanted to go from the Starbucks to the Gamestop two doors down). I also lived in the middle to upper-middle class suburb to out-suburb all suburbs.

I'm a substitute teacher in a major city now. There are definitely some kids in the rat race-- I recognize their tired eyes, I hear them talk about AP US History and I say "I'm so sorry, that was the WORST CLASS" and their expression is somewhere between thank god you understand and oh NO, I can take all these classes and still end up subbing to make rent? i actually do this mostly on purpose don't worry about it

But there are a LOT of kids who largely aren't. They follow a strict "if it sucks, hit da bricks" policy. They walk into fifth period 10 minutes late with boba. It is, of course, frustrating when they leave during my class since I'm legally responsible for them in case of emergency (this is usually my exact wording to them, because they're almost adults and deserve a reason). I have ways to mitigate that, but my god, at least they're free.

Is it just because they have real places they can go? Once at the bus stop I heard some middle schoolers say, "nah, let's go to the beach" and cross the street to hop on the other bus, and I was overcome with envy. Imagine. The beach. Are their parents more lax-- young Gen X who miss the freedom, or older millennials who remember it going away? Are they tracking their kids' cellphones in lieu of making them ask permission? Are the kids just better at hiding things? These are largely poorer schools than where I grew up-- is that a factor? Then again, there's wealth disparity within the district, and I'm struggling to pin down a correlation between that, how common it is to have kids disappear, and how strict the schools are about fighting that. The school where kids leave the most is also probably the wealthiest one, tied with another school where I've literally never had a kid gone for more than ten minutes.

I truly hope this means teens are slowly getting to be teenagers again, as much of a pain in the ass it is for me to get yelled at by the security guards (because god forbid I let them out four minutes early for lunch). I was subbing for a math class on the last Friday of school that was truly doing nothing, and had some students ask to see another teacher and come back with a box of ice cream sandwiches they fully admitted they drove off-campus to get. I told them how much trouble both they and I could get into, how it was legally my responsibility to know where they are, made them promise not to flaunt it or do it again. They apologized and bought my silence with an ice cream sandwich (which did not change my mind but I did accept anyway). And that's where that ended, because I frankly think that's enough.

My god, I thought. At least they're free.

Maybe this is the wrong platform to pose this question given the average tumblr user but

Is it just me or did our generation (those of is who are currently 20-30 ish) just not get the opportunity to be young in the 'standard' sense?

Like, everyone I talk to who's over 40 has all their wild stories about their teens and 20s, being young and dumb, and then I talk to my friends and coworkers and classmates, and we just... dont.

[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.

[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.

(Just wanna add in that I do have a one year old and can be further delayed with some things but these specific delays are improving!)

I mainly play on PS4 so I can be a little slow with things, typing especially, so I do apologise for any delays.

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

About Urrorah

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

Twitch: Sleepy_Bisquit

Discord: sleepybisquit

Bluesky: SleepyBisquit

*Edits: Overhauled everything to make it less lengthy, also added her likes/dislikes.

[blocksruinedme]

22. describe your writing process from scratch to finish.

28. handwritten notes or typed notes?

44. any writing advice you want to share?

22) my writing process!

be living my life, possibly babysitting or driving (maybe talking about blorbos)

think "hey what if...."

become possessed

from there it splits Version A - the fastest, and rarest, one

A1. get to my couch (or a different laptop place, or a notebook if desperate)

A2. Frantically let words spill out of me, often wishing my fingers could keep up with my brain. It's sometimes almost painful, needing to get the words out

A3. edit for a variable amount of time an post

My first published mcyt was like this - watched ranchers in the crossover at 11am, ideas marinated all day, came up with "what if tango's the key to fix fwhimmy" walking to my car at 5pm, started writing like 5:15 and published at maybe 1am. almost 5k long. Insane. that was MY EX STOLE MY SOULMATE.. | Empires SMP S2 1.19 (rated T) and I'm told also With Their Knife to His Throat (rated M) but I legit have next to no memories of writing that one, I think it was 48 hours from idea to published (4k).

B - normal version. Note: all of this is interspersed with working on a lot of other stories

B1: Have an idea, probably frantically but maybe it builds

B2: Think about it a lot, maybe ideas in a little notebook if they are coming at the wrong times. 

B3: write down bits of prose as they come, do a lot of outline in gdocs. 

B4: start writing from the beginning based on outline but also what feels right - in any given moment, i know more about the story than i did when i wrote the outline

B5: if i’m lucky write chronologically and work through the outline and add things. Often a section isn’t coming and i skip ahead. If it’s not happening, it’s not time for it to happen. To write the way I really want to, I need to know how it ends, so I can have the story build. 

B6: probably fuss a lot

B7: beg people for help and to tell me it’s okay to publish

B8: stress a lot about if it’s good enough and about minor changes i could make

Optional: B9: put it down for 1-7 months (i just published a fic from january, and two of my bang fics are from september and november)

B10: publish it pretty much the same as it was in B8

(I deleted C by adding B9 but already wrote D)

D: Probably just the once

D1: See a prompt for driving after dark and get unexpectedly interested

D2: write 2k of notes while trying to get another story done

D3: Give myself 6 days to write those 2k of notes and then it’s 20k and my longest fic ever and oops needs a lot of typo fixes: The Key to His Problem (rated E)

The editing etc process:

 During every version of this I have a gdoc shared with people and am begging for advice. If i can’t decide on a word when i’m writing and have some flow going, i say “they were all [very] surprised” and leave a comment (or just the brackets) to come back later and fix it. THIS IS MUCH OF HOW I WRITE FAST. The first draft is to get out it out of my head, the second draft is to get it into the reader’s head. SOMETIMES the flow is perfect and i don’t need to do this, but like, idk, 10% of the time? 

A lot of the words in [brackets] will wind up staying as is, but it gives me permission to move on without feeling like i’ve settled. 

Editing sometimes involves a lot of of editing passes, sometimes just because i want to work on it and don’t want to write. This can mean the early parts get soooo much more love. 

Sometimes I print out a fic that has gone through a set of editing and do more on paper. It can be great. I just see the story differently, and it mostly keeps me from adding huge amounts, and i catch errors i didn’t otherwise. 

Usually i put up the ao3 draft a few days earlier and start adding tags and putting in my text (which i do in html) to look at it. The title often comes the day i publish, cause i wait till the end.

28. handwritten notes or typed notes?

typed unless i don't have my laptop. I started carrying around a pocket sized notebook in march and i'm onto my second one. I got it in a Japanese stationery store and got hooked, i have this line in many sizes, here's my pocket notebook -https://www.jetpens.com/Maruman-Mnemosyne-N184A-Twin-Ring-Memo-Pad-A7-Graph/pd/7379 I've written in this baby in the corner of a club cause i had ideas waiting at the bar for a drink.

44. any writing advice you want to share?

You have to get the words out. You have to get the words out. You have to get the words out.

Good words can be, often are, born of less good words.

Don't be afraid of editing! Great fiction generally comes from editing! Put down some fucking words even if you hate them and get to the next part. I do this, I am not preaching advice I don't take. I'll leave a comment sometimes to tell my future self I didn't think they were good words, I just needed them out. It's fine, I survive every single time.

If you don't need to edit, swell! But if you're stuck, just keep writing something -- or if that won't work, or you feel shitty, take a break. Work on another story, do something else, but if you're miserable and slamming your head against the wall, STOP! Don't hurt yourself! Because you shouldn't hurt, and because you'll associate writing more and more with hurt.

Get other people involved. Share snippets with your friends (if you've got an appropriate discord, make a channel for it!) Trade off reading with your writer friends. If you like my writing, know that not a single word I've ever published hasn't been read by multiple other people. My pre-fic writing was generally group works, so that's what feels normal. The idea of publishing with not even anyone to say "Hey Vee, this makes sense in your brain but not mine" is terrifying. You don't need to Have Serious Beta, it can just be cheerleading or really general "point out if anything is a big problem". I found out this week i am a "phenomenal cheerleader" -- your friends, or some kind soul on a discord, don't need to give you literary analysis to say "this part is cool, your fic is good, i hope you publish!"

Fandom is shared joy. Share your joy in every way - cheerleading others, getting other to share joy with you on your works, leave comments, leave kudos, reblog, make happy posts, keep the negativity to smaller spaces, SHARE THE JOY. I've been in fandom legit longer than some of you have been alive and it's always the joy, that's what it always comes back to. Hold onto the joy, that's what will last in your hearts. <3 <3 <3

[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.