#he does that thing chickens do where they snuggle their babies under them to keep warm or protect

[pain-is-too-tired]

Gonna ramble about the fantasy au(one with fae!Lee and Were-coyote!Luke) cause our air's out and need distraction gdtdf

The gods here are instead called Lords. They immortal being of different types, most often the first of their kind.

Kronos was an immortal king/lord that had been dethroned. At some point his form destroyed.

Apollo, and his kids, are Sun Fae. They can shift between two sizes(deemed common size/form, and smaller size/form) and usually are most comfortable living together with their siblings. They're tight nit and very protective.

Hermes' kids are usually were-coyotes or were-foxes. It's more ambiguous which Hermes is.

Sunfae have been hunted down and gone missing. Leaving very few left. Apollo is furiously calling for action but Zeus continues to decline it in fear of worse retaliation.

Most of the other lords are on Apollo's side.

Luke's joined Kronos side out of bitterness towards his father. Been too wrapped up in his own bubble to think too hard on actions done.

Lee of course takes care of his remaining siblings, and the loses have made him completely bitter towards Kronos' army, and Luke.

During an attack Lee stays to buy time for his siblings to get away and find shelter with the Were- Dragons (Charles told Lee his father would be willing to let them stay in their cave if need be) and gets captured.

By then, Kronos has returned to normal form and Luke manages to convince him to keep Lee alive.

Luke tries to talk with Lee like nothing's change. Lee is so done with it.

He can in fact bite. He will in fact bite. They have a angry Sunfae in their hold they really should've expected that.

[katsukis-angel]

NSFW Alphabet - Beelzebub

❥ Warnings ~ NSFW / Smut

❥ A / N ~ Ahh this is my first time writing anything like this 😳 I hope I did okay 🥺

❥ Fanart ~ Pinterest, Lotus Kaetzchen 💗

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

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

❥ This baby is so gentle with you afterwards, he makes sure that you’re all cleaned up, getting you a drink and a snack, constantly checking you’re okay, especially considering how big demons are against humans

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

❥ Beels favourite body part are thighs and breasts, like chicken ha, he doesn’t care how big or small they are he just loves them! As for you your body part on him would be either his thighs or his arms, his arms are just so strong and warm and his thighs are just huge! This boy has some serious muscle 😳

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

❥ He makes quite a lot, so he doesn’t mind where he does it as long as you’re comfortable with it, personally though he likes cumming inside

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

❥ He’s always wanted you to lick cream off of his dick - he just thought you’d look cute doing it

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

❥ He’s actually decently experienced, but most of the girls he was with didn’t really want him because they loved him they used him for his status and body 😖, so he’s a little nervous about going straight into it again - however once he’s comfortable with you he will be amazing!

❥ Hes very good with his tongue

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

❥ Either classic missionary or with you say on his lap, he likes being in control but he doesn’t mind - either way he loves being able to see you

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

❥ Hes unintentionally goofy, like sometimes he’ll say something that makes you giggle and he gets a little confused but smiles with you, however he’s also a little clumsy too because he’s just so big so you’ve had your fair share of broken beds and banged heads

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

❥ Well it depends, he doesn’t always bother shaving but sometimes he does it, he will work with whatever you want tbh, but overall he tends to have trimmed himself well

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

❥ Hes so sweet and romantic 🥺 he likes to praise you and make sure you’re feeling okay, constantly checking that you’re enjoying yourself and that your comfortable - sometimes he sets up a bath with scented candles or he puts rose petals on the bed, this boy can be so romantic sometimes

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

❥ He doesn’t actually do it that much - occasionally he feels the need, and he did it a lot more before he met you. He had a lot of self control though.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

❥ His top two are his size kink and breeding kink, he’s very protective of you and they play into his kinks, because he’s around (I say this idk if it’s cannon) 7,0 tall anyone is smaller than him but still he likes the difference in size he finds it adorable and gives him an ego boost - also he can carry you - and breeding kink is simply from his demonic nature he just feels the need to claim what’s his, kind of thing. As for other kinks probably pet play or food play.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

❥ He’s a simple guy - he mostly likes doing it in either his room or yours, yours being his preferred space so that his brother isn’t around (not that Mammon doesn’t barge into yours all the time anyway). He would also like doing it either in the kitchen / dining room or at the gym

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

❥ He has this one thing that really gets him going and it’s whenever you feed him - he finds it adorable and he feels so loved it spreads all over his body. As well as that whenever you’re close up against him, whether that’s being cramped in a hallway or on a bus (if they even have busses in Devildom lmao), the thought of being so close but yet so far excites him

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

❥ Anything that really hurts you - so he wouldn’t mind spanking but stuff that is painful for you and doesn’t provide you any pleasure

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

❥ He likes giving - after all eating is his favourite thing to do - he could spend hours eating you out. However he loves it when you give because his size kink really comes out to play

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

❥ He is fast and a little rough but only if you want him to be. On more romantic nights he will be a lot of sensual and slow, really he only cares as long as you’re feeling okay with it

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

❥ Loves them! He thinks they’re great! It means he can do it and then go get some food then come back again and just keep repeating this process till you’re tired

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

❥ Tbh he doesn’t mind experimenting, whatever you wanna do he down for! He’s not letting you peg him though so don’t even think about it - I can see you thinking about it - not without a food bribe anyway

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

❥ SO MANY OMG - like you haven’t even found out how many times this boy can go, he just keeps going and is just down for whatever whenever, good luck thinking you can outlast him or tire him out - it’s not happening

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

❥ Reallu this one is up to you - he doesn’t mind you using toys but he prefers it to just be him that helps you get off but whatever keeps you happy keeps him happy

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

❥ Sometimes he loves teasing you, it’s in his nature he is a demon afterall. He likes teasing you by intentionally forgetting his shirt around the house, soemtimes if you have food on your face he lick it off and he can get a little grabby at times

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

❥ Hes not particularly loud, he groans a lot though and likes to whisper small praises against your ear and moan into your ears

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

❥ Hes always wanted to be sucked off under a table as he eats his favourite food - it would be his idea of heaven

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

❥ 10 ... 10 whole inches - honestly it’s scary - I mean it’s really pretty but it’s just so big 😳 hence why he is constantly making sure that you’re okay ...

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

❥ Decently high - tbh he’s down to do it whenever you’re interested however when he wants it he gets very needy and cute

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

❥ Awww this little cutie falls asleep so quickly, he gets grouchy if he hasn’t had enough sleep, but he feels happy to sleep though because he’s got you snuggled against him and a full stomach of snacks

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

[ateezinmymind]

Pinning them to the ground

Ateez x reader

Fluff, suggestive, humor

A/N: I started this earlier instead of doing schoolwork,, I was bored ok😆

Hongjoong:

your wrestling match began when you called him a ‘tiny baby’

*dramatic gasp* “HEYYYY! I’m pretty tall”

pretending to sulk, he bursts into a sprint towards you

screams coming out of you. You’re only option was to run away..

Wearing socks and coming around corners don’t go well, so *pLOP* you’re on your butt.

hearing hongjoongs giggles erupting into his aggressive cute ‘AHH HA ha HA’ (a/n: uwu omg I can hear him) then the thud of him dropping to the floor

Turning you pout,, “DONT LAUGH MEANIE”

Only to start the argument of “you called me TINY”, “because YOU are”, “my butt hurts” etc

Getting up off the floor you scramble towards joong while he’s still bent down

Knocking both yourselves down on the hardwood, sliding around you try to keep the upper hand

Grabbing both his hands you pin them above his head and straddle his waist

“I won.BOOM”

“Y/n” hongjoongs groans out

Thinking you hurt him, you lift your body up

He gives you a taunting “AhahaAha SUCKER”

Slipping away from you, hongjoong runs towards your bedroom

“HEY NOT FAIRRR!!” running back for revenge with the biggest smile

Seonghwa:

you were sitting on the couch playing on your phone when you heard the vacuum start

signaling it’s ‘time to clean up’

Getting grumpy from the thought of tidying up, you make your way to the kitchen.

Seeing that there was no mess, you knew hwa was gonna annoy you about that fact you didn’t help

Not wanting the possibility of that outcome to happen you sped walked towards the cleaning man

Having his back towards you, you sneak behind him and tap his right shoulder

Moving to the left while he turns his gazed to the right

Taking the vacuum from his grasp you start giggling

Seeing you tricked him you say “HAH gotcha.” and continue to clean

Seonghwa goes :O

“Oh finally, it’s about time you helped y/n”

You could just hear the smirk forming on his face

Hwa coming up to you, flipping you over his shoulder

You squeal “YAA put me down!-“and start to spank his butt repetitively

Quickly getting placed back on the floor, he begins to wrestle you, “Hah I gotchu now”

Feeling playful you link both your legs behind his back and squeeze his waist

Letting out a groan of pain, Seonghwa’s grip on your arms loosens and you take control

Flipping your bodies over, you now on top. Seonghwa bites his lip

“I like this new y/n-“

Realizing the position you’re in and feeling hwa under you, you begin to tense up

Once again he takes control, but this time in something he prefers more...(a/n:you. Under him. Sexy time)

Yunho:

You both were having a Harry Potter movie marathon (a/n: as one does when they’re with this teddy bear)

When The Prisoner of Azkaban started it’s ending credits, it was time for snack refills and restroom breaks

So when you were in charge of popping more popcorn and such, Yunho went to the bathroom

*POp pp OP POpP pOp* waiting until the snack was done cooking you went to put the next movie in

Hearing footsteps down the hallway you jumped when Yunho yelled

“WiNGardiUm LEVioSA!!”

Letting out a small squeak, you charge for him

running and diving between is long ass legs you let out a series of laugher

Yunho traps you between his knees slightly blushing from the close proximity of your body to his

*BEEEEP BEEEP BEEEEEEP*

Releasing you, he turns to go grab the popcorn and other snacks

But when you see an opportunity to attack you go for it..something you do often-is attack. With kisses, hugs or even tickles

This time you came up behind him with a different tactic,,you holler “EXPelliARMUS!!”

Hanging onto his broad shoulders you bite his neck, pulling him down to the floor-laughing

“Y/n-ahhh!!” Yunho squeals out

From being on the floor you two quickly start fighting to pin each other down

Struggling you think of ways you can get the advantage..then ‘bing’ idea

Stopping your movements, locking eyes with Yunho you began to lean in.

Him being swooned for you, closes his eyes-as your lips moved against each other

Then BAM you now on top of him, cup his face and declare yourself the winner

“Fine princess,, but let’s see who will be the first to fall asleep”

“Bet?-“ ... “BET”

(a/n: I want to have a Yunho)

Yeosang:

having chicken for dinner definitely had its pros but,, also it’s cons

Fighting for the last piece of food ALWAYS led to a petty argument, no matter what you said or did. Yeosang. never. lost.

(a/n: all hail the chicken master)

On the couch, chicken being eaten, watching your show together. You thought he would be distracted enough for him to not realize you took the chicken

“How could you,,”

Turning your head to the male, you’re met with the coldest glare

“Trying to take MY last piece of chicken? Babygirl I don’t think so..”

Choking on the food in your mouth from hearing the nickname,, he lightly chuckles

*cue flustered mess*

“Well..why don’t we fight for it?” — “y/n let’s be honest here, you never win..”

Rolling your eyes you put the chicken down and wipe your hands clean

“No idiot, FIGHT. For. It.” Yeosang wipes his mouth and sits up

“If you want it that way,, the-“ taking him from the waist, he grabs onto your belt loops to keep from falling

Pinching, squeezing and pushing was involved until you actually managed to make him fall to the ground.

*lowkey mad, but the love is always there*

Pinning him down he congratulates you

“Well Done Y/n. I’ll give you the crown for this round” *easily gets out of your hold*

“But only because you’re so cute and helpless”

Speechless. You contemplate who really won this game.

San:

“Y/nnnnnn... I’m BOReDdd..”

Looking down at the handsom boy, you give him a sweet smile.

“Want to play a game then?”

Eyes sparkling, San gets up from his lying state to face you straight on

“Depends on the game..”-“what do you have in mind y/n?”

Telling him to close his eyes for 30 seconds. You quickly get up and head to your bedroom

Trying to find a hiding place, you hear San count “28..29..30..”

Frantically looking around your bedroom you quickly place yourself behind the door

Seeing his shadow enter the room, you jump in front of him

“YAAAAHHHHHH!!!—“ San dropping to the floor out of shock you start giggling

“Scaredy-cat sannie”

Getting on top of his limp state, you take the advantage to pin him down

“MmHmmmM” you hear him hum

“Looks like you won, love,,” “How shall we celebrate?”

Placing your hands on his chest and putting your weight on his lower half, you give him an innocent look of your flushed face

(A/n: wow y/n is slut for sannie)

Leaning towards the side of his head you whisper in his ear and softly bite the lobe

“Anything..everything, just as long as it involves you..”

You know sexy time. Bc he’s a FLIRT

Mingi:

He challenged you to a leg wrestling match, just because he wanted to see how cute and tiny you are

“No fairrr MINGII,, you have those perfect thighs, I’m no match. Go get Wooyoung”

(A/n: I’m all here for Mingi thighs 😌)

“But I challenged you,,” *cue pouting minki*

“Well I don’t take your challenge...INSTEAD, I challenged YOU!”

Hysterically laughing Mingi gives you that beautiful huge grin

Walking up to him you dramatically say “I challenge you. Song. Mingi. To just, JUST. A quick wrestling match-“

“Where whoever pins the other person down, wins. AND gets bragging rights”

Proud of your offer, you see Mingi standing dramatically. (a/n: you know that ‘hello Mingi from ateez and hello Jennie from blackpink’ meme//where the hand is on the hip?? lol)

It was settled. Y/n vs Mingi in a match to win bragging rights.

Starting on opposite ends of the living room, you sprint his way, over the couch taking a pillow with you

*turns into a mini pillow fight*

Laughter and sounds of whacking were the only things coming out of your fight.

Mingi falling down to the ground due to his aggressive laughter,, you quickly jump onto his stomach

“HAHAHA LOSER” declaring yourself the winner you immediately get up and run to the ateez dorm

“GUEES WHO JUST LOST A WRESTLING MATCH!!!”

Get prepared to hear Mingi screams as he runs after you

Wooyoung:

It started out as a bet

“Oh please,, obviously I would beat you y/n—the possibility of you magically obtaining strength out of the picture. I bet you’ll never be able to pin me”

Confident boy

But oh wait.. y/n!! You live to annoy your s/o

“Sounds like you’re scared Woo..Why don’t we put this bet to the test?”

Snorting out of amusement

He gestures you to come at him with two fingers

“Come at me y/n”

Then once you make your moves on him, he has to tease you.. DUH

“I know you just can’t keep your hands off me love”

Smacking is thigh you stick your tongue out and taunt him to you

Taking steps away from him, it’s then your turn to gesture him forward

“ReADDYY.... FIGHT!”

Screaming at each other you beginning biting.

After the series of pain and humor you were about to give up when wooyoung got a cramp in his calf

“AahhHhh OUCHYYY OWW OW”

Finding his discomfort hilarious, you laugh your way on top of him

“What were you saying about that bet again? That I’d never be able to pin you?”

You kiss his cheek and get off him

Massaging his leg he starts,

“That’s cheap y/n,, taking advantage of a person in need of healing”

Gives you the biggest frown

Jongho:

(A/n: OMGGG CUTEST BABY EVER🥺my heart)

With Jongho it was just a simple, yet sly trick you pulled

Giving snuggles, you made your way on top of him

“You know how you’re the strongest member love?”

A quiet yet relaxed ‘yes’ coming from the boy

You hug his chest and situate yourself over his body

Thinking of what to say, you hum

“Why do you bring that up so randomly?”

The little giggles coming from your mouth, are contagious as Jongho starts giggling as well

“Looks like I’m the strongest now..”

Grabbing Jong’s hands you pin them above his head and smile

Looking at your self place above him, Jongho spreads his arms out. So you’re now getting lower to his face

Licking your neck, he uses your weakened demeanor as an advantage

Flipping the two of you over he gives you his cutest gummy smile

“You seriously are so cute. stop. It”

The boy is in love with you

[peralta-guaranteed]

jake’s first time alone with toddler mac and newborn maya

- "Are you really sure?" Amy asks for like, the 110th time while she's getting ready for a girls night out. "Ames, I think I can handle taking care of my own children." Jake says almost affronted. "Okay but you know you can call any time if you need to, and there's extra milk in the fridge, and some fruit snacks for Mac, and-" "I know where we keep the food, babe, please just have fun with Rosa tonight and not worry about us"

- he does have a pretty good grip on things - Maya happily snarfed down a whole bottle, and Mac barely complained about the veggies he had for dinner (the chicken nugget from dad's plate that snuck its way over to his high chair certainly helped). They had playtime on Mac's roadside playmat while Maya cooed under her little music mobile hanging over her bassinet. They had a good bath (Mac tried to help washing Maya with his washcloth) and nightnight story time with Maya falling asleep on Jake's chest as he read to Mac tucked into bed.

- it all seemed so very picture perfect and homely that Jake feels extremely proud when he half-closes the door to the now dark nursery and pours himself some celebratory orange soda (no beer when he's on baby duty, of course, and Amy's definitely gonna come home drunk and/or hungover so he needs to be in tiptop shape to care for her)

- and then the crying starts. And the wailing. And the flailing toddler arms going "WAN' DADDY! WANT HUGS!"

- as soon as one of them calms down, the other one pipes up, taking their sibling right with them again. Jake's juggling Maya on his left arm while Mac pulls on his right, wanting to be held as well, and neither of them thinks about falling asleep again any time soon.

- in the end all Jake can do is carry them both to their bed with him, Mac sniffling and cuddling into his side while Maya lies on his chest, and they finally come to a rest and fall asleep again to some soft tunes from his phone on the bedside table.

- he did intend to carry them back to their own beds then, but he's kind of. pinned down. And it's been a long evening. And the music is really calming. And Mac is all warm and soft on his side, and Maya smells of that perfect newborn baby scent right under his nose.

- so when Amy comes home at around midnight (she's cut the evening fairly short because she's missed them, and Rosa couldn't handle yet another 'Jake and the kids' story so they shared an Uber home) she finds all three of them snoring in their bed, and she's really glad she hasn't had enough to drink to be really intoxicated, because she can still handle her phone well enough to take several pics before getting into her PJs and snuggling right in with them.

[dekuskacchan]

the brightest light is you

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28681833

Warnings: Tooth rotting fluff, tooth rotting fluff

A/N: Hi friends!! This fic is a secret santa gift for my love @lonely-rabbit (you should totally follow her) and our lovely fambly. The prompts were “First Christmas,” and “Proposals.” I hope you like it! <3

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

December 10th

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

Katsuki saw the sign to the pet store before Izuku did, and immediately knew he was in trouble. Why is there a pet store inside a fucking strip mall?

“Kacchan, look!” Izuku pointed at a baby, chocolate colored bunny, sleeping in an enclosure on display in the front window.

“Absolutely not.”

“But look how cute she is!” Izuku pouted.

“Deku, we already have a cat.”

“Yeah, so she’d have a friend!”

“No, she’d get fucking eaten.”

“Chip would never, she’s too polite.”

“She’s a fucking demon!” Katsuki snapped.

“Pleeeease, Kacchan? She needs a home, and it’s just in time for Christmas,” Izuku wrapped his arms around Katsuki’s middle, staring up at him.

Katsuki averted his gaze and gritted his teeth, knowing he couldn't resist Izuku's pleading eyes.

“No. Don’t give me that fucking look.”

To Katsuki’s surprise, Izuku just laughed and released his hold on him.

“Fine, fine, you’re right,” Izuku sighed dramatically, “let’s go before I get too attached. I’m hungry, anyway.”

Katsuki watched as he walked away, considering for a moment.

“God fucking dammit,” Katsuki muttered, pulling out his phone to snap a picture before Izuku noticed.

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

December 18th

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

“Look at these, Kacchan!” Katsuki looked up from an outrageously priced scarf to see Izuku holding the most hideous sweaters he had ever seen. They were bright red, each decorated with a matching design that, when held together, formed a Christmas tree that was adorned with real tinsel, glitter, and colored pom-pom ornaments.

“Fuck no,” Katsuki spat, and Izuku burst into laughter.

“Why not? They’re perfect,”

“No way in hell you’re getting me to wear that shit,” Katsuki snapped.

“I can think of a few ways,” Izuku winked. Katsuki sputtered, pink dusting his cheeks.

“C’mon, Kacchan, it’s Christmas! We have to get ugly sweaters.”

It was their first Christmas together since buying their new house, and Izuku had insisted on decorating accordingly. Apparently that also included embarrassing the hell out of Katsuki.

“I don’t have to do shit.”

“Please?” Izuku pouted his lip.

Katsuki pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned.

“Fine,” he growled, while Izuku cheered and tossed the sweaters into the shopping cart.

“Oh, we could get matching Santa h-”

“Don’t even fucking think about it, Deku,” Katsuki pushed the cart forward, swiftly exiting the clothing section of the store as Izuku giggled behind him.

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

It had been at least 30 minutes since Katsuki had seen Izuku. Where the fuck had he gone? This shop was too small to get lost in. He had checked all the aisles twice, but Izuku was nowhere to be found.

“Goddammit, every time,” Katsuki muttered, pulling out his phone to call again.

“Oh, Kacchan! There you are!” Katsuki jumped as a mop of green curls popped up from behind a giant red bin. How had he missed that?

“Jesus, Deku! You scared the shit out of me. How long have you fucking been there?,” Katsuki grumbled.

“Way too long. I’m trying to pick out lights, come help me,”

Katsuki sighed as he approached and took in the sight before him.

Izuku was muttering incomprehensibly to himself as he knelt amongst a messy pile of packages, each containing string lights of different sizes, shapes and colors.

“Those white ones in the big box,” Katsuki pointed, interrupting Izuku’s train of thought, “they’ll match the walls and the trim on the house."

Izuku looked up at Katsuki and beamed.

“You’re so smart.”

“Damn right,” Katsuki grinned, “and we’re getting a shit ton. We’re gonna have the best fucking house in the neighborhood," he pulled five boxes of lights from the bin, tossing them into the cart.

“Okay, Kacchan,” Izuku laughed as he cleaned up his mess.

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

Their shopping cart was practically overflowing with decorations now, but Izuku didn’t seem to notice, excitedly pulling Katsuki all over the store.

“We already have three of these, nerd,” Katsuki watched as Izuku pondered over a vast selection of snowglobes.

“Yes, but not little ones! We could put these all over the house,” Izuku turned to face Katsuki, holding up a miniature globe with Dynamight’s signature gauntlets inside. Katsuki sighed and draped an arm around Izuku’s shoulder, knowing his mind was already made up.

“Could give this one to your mom,” Katsuki pointed to one that was large, green and orange, with “Wonder Duo” engraved on the front. Inside were little statues of Dynamight and Deku, posed dramatically in battle.

“She likes-,” Katsuki paused, abruptly letting go of Izuku and all but sprinting away, disappearing behind a shelving unit.

“Kacchan what’s-,” Izuku called, startled. He gasped when Katsuki returned with a box three times his size.

It was a giant, twelve foot tall statue of a Yeti wielding a staff. Katsuki poked his head around the side, grinning wickedly in delight.

“Kacchan, where would we even put that?” Izuku stared in disbelief.

“We’ll make room,” Katsuki grunted.

“Make room where?”

“We can put it next to the fireplace.”

“Kacchan, that’s where the stairs are.”

“Fuck the stairs.”

“That thing is taller than our ceiling,” Izuku stifled a laugh as Katsuki struggled to balance the weight of the box.

“Then we’ll put it outside,” Katsuki huffed in frustration.

“I don’t think our neighbors would like that, it’s scary.”

“Fuck the neighbors, this is badass.”

Izuku was laughing in earnest now, tears coming into his eyes.

“I can’t get a bunny, but you can get a giant monster?”

“This is way cooler than a fucking bunny.”

“I’m blaming you if we get in trouble with the landlord.”

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

December 20th

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

“That’s not food, Chip!” Izuku cried. “Let go!”

Katsuki snickered, slicing vegetables to add to a pot of bubbling curry while Izuku struggled to protect the tree from their cat.

“Shit!”

A resounding thud came from the living room, and Katsuki sighed as he dumped the ingredients into the pot.

“I need help here!” Izuku called desperately as Katsuki entered the room.

Izuku was on the floor, becoming increasingly tangled in ropes of tinsel as Chip rolled in it like she’d struck gold.

“I give up Kacchan, she won’t let- stop laughing! Can you grab her please? She keeps nibbling me” Izuku scowled.

Struggling not to choke on laughter, Katsuki whistled, quickly catching Chip’s attention.

“C’mere, you little shit, I’ve got something that tastes better than Deku,” Katsuki kneeled, dangling a piece of chicken in front of him. The tabby sprinted to him and happily devoured her prize.

“Dumb fucking cat,” he muttered under his breath.

“She likes you more than me,” Izuku chuckled, untangling himself from his tinsel prison to finish wrapping it around the tree.

“Course she does. She only likes the best,” Katsuki grinned, scratching Chip's chin as she purred and rubbed against his knee.

“There,” Izuku stood back to admire his handiwork, “I think it just needs the star now.”

“Can you even reach, shortstack?” Katsuki teased, watching Izuku struggle on his tiptoes.

“Of-” Izuku grunted,” of course I can.”

Wordlessly, Katsuki wrapped his arms around Izuku’s middle, lifting him up with ease to place the silver star atop the tree.

“It looks good, right?” Izuku grinned as Katsuki lowered him back down, still hugging him from behind.

“Yeah. Nice work, nerd,”

“Thanks, Kacchan.”

“Hm.”

“Christmas is gonna be great,” Izuku whispered.

“Be more fun if we just stayed home,” Katsuki grumbled into Izuku’s neck.

“That could be fun,” Izuku laughed, turning in Katsuki’s arm to hug him properly, “but it’ll be good to see our parents. It’s been over a month.”

“Tch. I guess,”

“Thanks for making dinner, Kacchan,” Izuku squeezed him tight and tilted his head up for a kiss.

“It’s gonna fucking burn if you don’t let go of me,” Katsuki murmured against his lips, but kissed him back.

“Hmm. That’s fine,”

Katsuki snorted.

“Hey, I think the demon spawn is ready for round two,” he nodded at the sneaky cat, who was quietly approaching the tree again.

“Dammit,” Izuku whipped around, tearing out of Katsuki’s arms, “Chip, stay out of there!”

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

December 25th

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

Katsuki woke to soft lips on his forehead

“Good morning, Kacchan,” Izuku whispered in his ear.

“ ‘S too fuckin early, Deku,” Katsuki groaned, eyes still closed.

“It’s almost 10.”

“I said what I said.”

Izuku yelped in surprise as Katsuki grabbed his waist and unceremoniously tugged him down onto the bed.

“Kacchan, it’s Christmas,” Izuku laughed, snuggling into his side, despite himself, “we’re supposed to be at your parents house in three hours.”

“Mmm, fuck’m,” Katsuki grumbled.

“I have coffee brewing,”

Katsuki’s ears perked up, the scent suddenly filling his nose. Sighing, he stretched his free arm above his head and cracked his eyes open to see Izuku smiling at him, wearing that atrocious sweater he’d picked out. Katsuki tucked a stray curl behind his ear.

Too cute for his own damn good.

“Come on, Kacchan, I made breakfast too,” Izuku pulled Katsuki by the arm as he sat up.

“You made breakfast?” Katsuki was dubious as he slid his glasses up his nose.

“Yep. My specialty,”

“Canned cinnamon rolls?”

“Canned cinnamon rolls.”

“....fuck yeah.”

Katsuki had long since accepted his role as the chef in their relationship, because Izuku couldn’t cook to save his fucking life, but canned pastries were a guilty pleasure he knew he’d never shake.

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

It was a peaceful morning. The sun peeked through the curtains, bathing the room in warm, golden hues as they sat by the fire, Chip asleep on the couch between them.

“Hey, nerd, go open your present,” Katsuki nudged Izuku, who had begun to doze on his shoulder.

“Hm?” Izuku yawned, stretching his arms, “oh, okay!"

“It’s that red one,” Katsuki pointed to the largest package under the tree. Izuku eyed him curiously before crawling to open the gift, excitedly ripping through the paper and tape to reveal...

Another box, wrapped in different paper.

Izuku raised both eyebrows at him in confusion and Katsuki grinned.

“What, you don’t like it?” he mocked offense, as Izuku narrowed his eyes, “I’m just fucking with you. Keep going.”

Katsuki chuckled and quietly slipped out of the room while Izuku’s attention was occupied.

“Kacchan, this is so unnecessary,” Izuku groaned, as he pulled out yet a third box.

“Maybe I’ll just take it back, then,” Katsuki declared loudly as he re-entered the room, startling an oblivious Izuku.

“Kacchan, when did-” Izuku gasped. Katsuki was leaning against the wall with a smirk, holding a familiar small, chocolate brown bunny in his arms.

“I had Shitty Hair get her after we left the mall,”

“She’s been here for two weeks?!” Izuku cried in disbelief.

“You think I took care of her on my own? Fuck no,” Katsuki grumbled, meeting Izuku halfway and carefully passing him the rabbit, “had your mom keep her. Picked her up last night while you were asleep.”

“I love her,” Izuku smiled, burying his face in Katsuki's chest, “thank you, Kacchan."

Katsuki sighed, wrapping his arms around him and kissing his hair.

“I just knew you’d never shut the fuck up about it."

“Did you introduce her to Chip yet?”

“Yeah. She couldn’t fucking care less.”

Izuku laughed, kissing the bunny's soft head.

“I told you they’d be friends,”

“Yeah. Friends," Katsuki rolled his eyes, "go sit, there's one more,"

Izuku smirked as he watched Katsuki stumble over the ruins of his prank to retrieve the gift.

“There’d better not be another box in there, Kacchan,” Izuku warned, warily taking the package.

“Just open it, dumbass,” Katsuki barked a laugh and joined him on the couch.

Izuku pulled the lid off the long box and stared. Inside was a tall, holographic photo frame filled with drawings Izuku and Katsuki made as children. When tilted to the side, the images changed to reveal photographs of the pair as Pro Heroes.

“Kacchan, you- you kept these?”

Katsuki shrugged.

“They were too badass to throw away,”

“Kacchan-” tears welled up in Izuku’s eyes again, “it’s perfect. You big softie.”

“Tch. I’m not the one crying,” Katsuki wiped the tears as they rolled down his cheeks.

Izuku laughed again.

“But you know I’m right. My turn now?”

Izuku didn't wait for his response, clambering over the sea of boxes for the present without putting his furry new friend down.

“Here!”

It was surprisingly heavy, and topped with a comically large bow.

“Shit, Deku, you put bricks in here?”

“Just open it, Kacchan,” Izuku watched him with excitement in his eyes.

Katsuki ripped the package open to reveal a thick, leather bound scrapbook, with Dynamight’s signature X on the front. The inside cover read, in handwriting Katsuki immediately recognized as Izuku’s,“The Legacy of Dynamight.”

His eyes widened as he flipped through the book of memories.

There were journal articles of him in action. Newspaper headings; “Pro Hero Dynamight makes his big debut!” and “Pro hero Dynamight saves Musutafu Children’s Hospital!

Then came the letters glued to the parchment paper, comprising the majority of the book. Katsuki’s mouth fell open as he read words, handwritten, that he’d never seen before.

There were letters from citizens that had watched him take down terrifying enemies, praising him for his good deeds. Letters from people he’d saved, grateful for the chance to see their families again.

Letters from sick children he’d visited in the hospital telling him how awesome he was, several thanking him for giving them the encouragement to keep fighting.

And finally, there were multiple pages filled with artwork. Most were children’s doodles of Dynamight in action and Dynamight saving the day, but there were also several beautifully drawn and painted portraits.

The remaining pages were blank, waiting to be filled.

Izuku had written on the inside back cover:

This is a book of memories, of growth, of victory, and salvation.

If you are so fortunate to see this, know you are reading a testament to the strongest person this world has ever known.

The fiercest hero and most loyal partner, who always wins and always saves.

The legacy of Katsuki Bakugou, Pro Hero Dynamight.

At the bottom, Izuku had doodled several explosions and grenades, and Katsuki grinned.

“I sent a letter to the World Hero Association Journals, asking people to send in their thoughts about Pro Hero Dynamight. There were so many! Those kids were full of stories. They think you’re really cool. And we can fill the rest of it with new memories, too," Izuku said softly, smiling at him.

Katsuki tried to speak, but nothing came out. He was speechless as he stared at Izuku.

“I just want you to know how proud of you I am. How proud everyone is. You’re amazing, Kacchan," Izuku was looking at him with those big, knowing eyes, and picked up an envelope Katsuki hadn't noticed at the bottom of the box.

“Open the last one.”

It was a page full of more doodles from when they were kids, and potential hero names they’d created. At the bottom read “Dynamight” in uneven, capital letters.

“We had the same idea,” Izuku laughed.

“Deku, I-” Katsuki stuttered, still unable to find the right words.

“I know.”

Did he know? Could he possibly know how much this fucking meant? How much he meant?

They both startled as Chip dove into the pile of wrapping paper on the ground, ripping it to shreds.

“Oh-wait, come back!” Izuku reached for his bunny as she leapt from his lap to explore the wreckage, but Katsuki grabbed his chin and pulled him back.

“I love you,” Katsuki said firmly, capturing his lips in a searing kiss.

It felt like hours, but Katsuki knew it had only been minutes when Izuku pulled back.

“Kacchan,” he was breathless as Katsuki’s lips trailed down his chin, “I don’t know where she went.”

“She’s fine,”

“But-”

“She’s fine.” Katsuki growled, silencing Izuku’s burst of laughter with another kiss.

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

“It’s fuckin’ cold, Deku, let’s just take the car,” Katsuki complained, rubbing his hands together to warm them.

“It’s not that cold, Kacchan. And look how pretty it is!” Izuku insisted.

Thin flecks of snow fell from the sky, disappearing into the fluff that already coated the neighborhood. Water dripped slowly from the tree branches as the snow began to melt in the sunlight. The air smelled of evergreen, crisp and cold enough that they could see their own breath.

“Besides, it’s not that far of a walk. Come on, we’re already running late,” Izuku hauled a bag of gifts over one arm, reaching for Katsuki’s hand with the other.

“Our house is the most badass,” Katsuki grinned, looking up at his prized statue. The giant took up half of their front yard, it's long shadow peering over their roof.

“Kacchan, that thing is an eyesore,” Izuku grimaced.

“Shut up. It’s cool as fuck as you know it."

Izuku laughed and shook his head.

“Do you think they’ll be alright without us?” Izuku worried as they walked, thinking of the animals they’d left at home.

“Who knows. Maybe the demon spawn will have eaten that fluff ball by the time we get home,” Katsuki teased.

“Kacchan! That’s not reassuring,”

“You asked,” Katsuki smirked, interlacing his fingers with Izuku’s, “they’ll be fine. They’re fucking animals. And she’s in her pen.”

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

The walk was short, but still longer than Katsuki cared for in the cold.

“Oh, mom’s already here!” Izuku pointed to the small, blue car parked in front of the Bakugou household.

The house was huge, decked top to bottom in red and green lights that matched the trees in the yard.

“Hope the old hag hasn’t eaten her alive yet,” Katsuki mused.

“Kacchan, that’s not very nice,” Izuku playful shoved him, “we’d better not keep them waiting,”

They were greeted at the door by Inko Midoriya’s warm, smiling face.

“Merry Christmas boys!” She squealed, pulling them both in for a tight hug.

“Merry Christmas, mom,” Izuku grinned, wrapping his arms around her. Katsuki hummed, loosely returning the embrace.

It was pleasantly warm inside, and smelled of cinnamon and vanilla.

“Oh, those are so cute!” Inko exclaimed as they discarded their coats, pointing to the abhorrent sweaters Izuku had insisted they wear, much to Katsuki’s chagrin.

Katsuki groaned as Inko poked at the ridiculous pom poms on his chest.

Deku’s lucky he’s so fucking cute.

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

Katsuki had just finished bickering with Mitsuki when he overheard Izuku and Inko talking in the next room. He paused, leaning against the wall to listen unnoticed.

“I can’t believe you kept Nibbles a secret!”

Nibbles? Where the fuck did that name come from?

“It wasn’t easy, I was so excited! But I was more than happy to help. She’s very well behaved,”

“She is,” Izuku laughed, “thank you for taking care of her, mom.”

“Of course, dear. Katsuki came to check on us almost every day.”

Katsuki flushed as the pair laughed.

“What did he think of the scrapbook?” Inko asked excitedly.

“He liked it, I think. He was quiet, which is Kacchan for “thank you."

Inko was laughing again.

“I think it was a great idea, honey, it's very thoughtful."

“I’m just...really proud of him, y’know? He’s come so far. I don’t think words are enough,” Izuku was sniffling now, “gah, I'm sorry mom, I don’t mean to be so mushy.”

“Don’t apologize. You get it from me,” Inko chuckled, the emotion clear in her voice too, “did you like your other gift?”

“I love it, it’s so perfect. Did you know about that, too?”

“He asked me if I thought you’d like it. I said yes, of course,” Inko paused, “he really loves you, honey.”

“I know. “

Katsuki flushed deeper, leaning quietly against the wall.

Did he know?

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

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Inko cried in appreciation for the snowglobe Katsuki had picked out, and locket they’d customized with a photo of the three of them. Mitsuki and Masaru enjoyed the cheesy as fuck digital photo frame Izuku had insisted on, with less teasing from Mitsuki than Katsuki had expected.

Everyone was delighted to see All Might when he stopped by to visit in the afternoon, but Katsuki barely even noticed him. In the crowded room, all he saw was Izuku.

Izuku, who had saved him so many times, in more than one sense of the word. Izuku, who had rooted for him his whole life, the only person who had never stopped truly believing in him, who had reminded him of his true purpose.

Izuku, who had never expected more of him than he had to give, but encouraged him endlessly to reach new heights.

Izuku, who was currently asleep in his lap, wrapped in his new blanket hoodie.

Izuku.

“Can i sit with you, dear?”

Katsuki was interrupted from his reverie by Inko’s soft voice.

“Sure,” he murmured, scooting over as best he could without waking the sleeping lump.

“Thank you for the gifts, they were very thoughtful.”

“Was Deku’s idea,” Katsuki lied. Inko laughed.

“Sure."

They sat together in a calming silence for a while, watching the flames crackle in the fireplace.

Katsuki was frequently comforted by Inko’s presence. She was a beacon of light, always warm and wise. He thought she was about to speak, but she was interrupted by Izuku’s sudden snores.

“He’s loud even in his fucking sleep,” Katsuki rolled his eyes.

Inko chuckled, running a hand through her son’s hair.

“It adds to his natural charm,”

“Yeah, it’s real charming waking up to the sound of a fog horn in the middle of the night,” Katsuki grumbled, earning another musical laugh.

“You know, I don’t think I ever congratulated you on your new home,” Inko hummed.

“ S’just a house."

“Of course it is,” Inko smiled knowingly and patted his arm, “I’m very proud of you both.”

Katsuki was silent for a moment, before squeezing her hand.

“Thanks,” he whispered.

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

It was dark when they finally bid their farewells, and considerably colder outside.

“Drive safe, mom!” Izuku waved as Katsuki helped her into her car and shut the door.

“Let’s cut through the plaza on the way home, Kacchan, I want to see the lights,"

“That’s ten fucking minutes out of the way, Deku,” Katsuki growled.

“It’s our last chance to see before it gets taken down! It’ll be fun,” Izuku pleaded, hugging Katsuki’s arm.

“Tch. You’d better fucking walk fast."

Izuku grinned in victory as they left.

“Today was a nice day. I didn’t expect All Might to actually come by, since he’s so busy. It was good to see him,” Izuku thought aloud.

“Woulda been pissed if he didn’t,” Katsuki grumbled.

“Did you invite him, too?” Izuku looked at him in surprise as he shrugged, “that’s really nice, Kacchan,” he smiled, leaning his head on Katsuki’s shoulder.

“I guess.”

They hadn’t been walking long when the light show came into view. Izuku gasped, releasing Katsuki’s arm as he stared.

Silver and gold arches stretched across the narrow street, wrapped in bright, white lights. The roofs of the buildings were covered in brightly colored stars that illuminated the sparkling snow, and the lamp posts were decorated like candy canes. A large statue of silver bells sat in the green field at the center of the plaza.

Katsuki had to admit, it wasn’t all that unpleasant to look at.

Izuku was fucking loving it. Katsuki watched as he stood under an arch, beaming in delight as he admired the view.

Does he know? Katsuki thought back on the events of the day. Does he really know?

“Kacchan, come look,” Izuku called to him.

Katsuki was still lost in thought as he approached, and Izuku paused, eyebrows furrowing in concern.

“Are you o-,” Izuku startled as Katsuki’s hands came to cradle his face.

There were so many things left unsaid, things he’d wanted to say but didn’t know how. Katsuki had always been better with actions than words, and Izuku had always accepted that. He accepted and loved him as he was without a second fucking thought.

“The strongest person this world has ever known.”

Izuku made him stronger.

“The legacy of Dynamight.”

Staring into eyes that were as soft as the falling snow, Katsuki decided he knew.

“Izuku,” Katsuki murmured, looking him straight in the eyes.

Every moment had led to this.

“Kacchan?” Izuku breathed.

The legacy he cared for most was the one he’d forged with Izuku.

“Marry me.”

Izuku’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Listen, I’m- I’m not good at this sappy shit. I don’t know what to fucking say. But-” Katsuki released he didn’t realize he’d been holding as Izuku’s palm brushed his cheek, “the world is a fucking shitty place. But it’s less shitty with you. And I don’t want anyone else by my side. So marry me,” Katsuki voice softened, “Please."

It wasn’t exactly the most romantic of proposals, and there wasn’t a ring, but Izuku didn’t seem to mind.

“Okay,” he whispered. A breathtaking smile spread across his face that put all the fucking lights in the world to shame.

Katsuki met Izuku halfway, lips colliding in a passionate kiss.

The world could be ending for all Katsuki knew, and he couldn’t fucking care less.

Izuku wrapped his arms around Katsuki’s neck, murmuring I love you against his lips, over and over again as he deepened the kiss, and nothing else mattered. Nothing mattered except for this fucking moment as they melted into each other, ignoring the world around them.

Just as their tongues brushed, Izuku pulled back, resting their foreheads together.

“We should-,” Izuku breathed with swollen lips, “should we go home?”

Reluctantly, Katsuki lifted his head and nodded.

“Yeah.”

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

It was past midnight when Katsuki woke. They had fallen asleep on the couch, Izuku curled into his side with Nibbles, with Chip resting at their feet. He watched the shadows from the fireplace dancing on the wall, the room gradually becoming dimmer as the flames died out.

Izuku stirred in his sleep, tilting his head up to look at Katsuki with a blissful smile on his face.

“Merry Christmas, Kacchan.”

Katsuki pulled him closer.

“Merry Christmas, Deku.”

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

A/N: thank you for reading!!!!! this is the first fic i’ve ever posted so im super nervous lmao. 

also: the italic lines are supposed to be Katsuki’s thoughts, I wasn’t sure if that was totally clear lmao

also!! big shoutout to @jekacatrina and @thatpinkbetch who helped me with the idea for kacchan’s present and also for the encouragement!!! (best parents ever)

[miraculousandbts]

RM | Sick Day

Summary: You were waiting for your boyfriend, but he doesn’t show up. Turns out he was sick.

Pairing: Namjoon X Reader

Genre: Fluff, fluff, fluff!

Word Count: 1.3k

Warnings: I don’t think there are any…

You shifted your weight to your left leg. Then you shifted it to your right leg. And you continued doing this for the next minute. You had been standing next to your boyfriend's locker for the past ten minutes, waiting for him to come. Ever since he started school four years ago, he had never missed a day or came in late, so you were really worried.

He was Korean, but his parents had moved to the States. You were his first friend, and he had always complained how he felt like he didn't fit in despite being fluent in English and knowing how everything worked. Three years ago, you both had started dating, and you couldn't have been happier.

Right now though, your brain couldn't help but make dramatic stories. What if some goon saw an innocent Korean, nature and crab loving dimpled guy walking down the street to get to school and decided to beat him up?! What if some idiot decided to drink early in the morning before work and hit Namjoon while he crossed the road?! You really were freaking out. The worst thing was, he wasn't picking up his phone; it was switched off.

Finally, the bell rang, and you furrowed your eyebrows. Namjoon would hate this, but you had no choice. You ran and ducked here and there and finally found yourself outside the school gates. This wasn't the first time you were bunking, but the last time you did so was an year ago, when your boyfriend had caught you and made you promise him that you won't do it again.

You tried calling him again, and sent another text. Pocketing your phone, you walked in his house's direction, hoping to know what happened to him. Luckily, both his parents worked, and he had given you a spare key to his house, just in case.

You reached his house, and rang the bell a few times. When you got no reply, you went in. "Joon?!" You called out. "Jooooon!" Wasn't he home? You looked around. No, the family photos were still there, the refrigerator was still decorated like it usually was. You decided to check his room. You climbed the stairs two at a time, and knocked on his door.

Again, you got no reply. You slowly opened the door. The sight that awaited you was not what you were expecting.

Wrapped up like a human burrito, laid Namjoon, with a red nose and a damp cloth on his forehead. He was clearly sick. "Aw, baby." You pouted and took off the cloth, and pressed your lips on his head. After washing the cloth and keeping it back on his head, you looked for his phone. Being sick is one thing, not answering your girlfriend's phone is another.

You finally eventually found the damn thing under a small pile of papers on his desk. You pressed the power button, but nothing happened. It was clearly dead. "How many times have I told him to charge his phone before bed..." you muttered to yourself, while searching for his charger. By looking at his personality, a person would easily think he was a very neat and clean person, but one look into his room would tell them otherwise.

You plugged his phone in, checking to see if it was charging, or if he had unknowingly broken the charger again. Nothing new in that. Satisfied when it lighted up, you silently moved out of his room to the kitchen. You had been over a lot of times, and often helped his mother in cooking, as you usually stayed for dinner. Taking out the ingredients for a simple tomato basil soup, you stared cooking. (I actually searched 'soups good for cold' and guess what I found? The first result said 'Chicken Noodle Soup'. Go ahead, make comments ;-) )

*****

Half an hour later, you had a plate ready with honey-lemon tea and steaming soup. You carefully climbed up the stairs. Setting down the plate on the floor, you opened the door of his room. You picked up the plate, and kept it on the little space left on his table. Quickly stacking all the papers and books in a corner, you made enough space for the plate so it wouldn't fall down.

"Joon? Babe? Joon." You gently woke him up by caressing his cheek, knowing he loved it when you did that. He slowly opened his eyes, looking disoriented for a while. His eyes finally settled on you. They were filled with confusion by then. You helped him sit up, making sure he wasn't cold. "Y/n." He simply said. You hummed, taking steps in the direction of his desk, to bring the soup and tea.

You took a spoonful of soup, and blew on it, taking it near his mouth. He opened up, but confusion was still evident in his eyes. "You didn't charge your phone again, and I got worried when you won't pick up. So I may have bunked school to search for you. And I found you asleep, sick." You explained. You knew he was going to lecture you for bunking school, so before he could say anything, you began defending yourself. "You are more important to me than trigonometry is. I don't even know why I'm learning that shit in the first place..."

He closed his mouth at this, and silently let you feed him. After the bowl was finished, you took off the coaster you had very smartly placed on top the cup of tea do it wouldn't go cold, and handed it to him. "Don't drop it!" Saying this, you took the plate and the empty bowl to the kitchen and washed them quickly.

After you went back up, you found Namjoon covering himself in blankets. "Lemme help." You grabbed one end of the blanket and wrapped him again. "Thanks." You knew he wasn't speaking too much or too freely because he had a sore throat. You hugged him. "Does it hurt? Your throat?"

"It's better. Thank you. For the soup and tea."

"Anytime." You closed your eyes and shimmied yourself up the bed on the small space he left, hugging him even tighter. "Y/n. Don't come closer, I'm sick. You'll get sick too. Please."

You opened an eye. "At least I'll have a reason for not attending school." You shrugged and relaxed against him again. "Come on y/n. Please. For me."

This was the one time you weren't going to let his cute baby voice or his dimples affect you. You were staying where you were, period. As a reply to his request, you pulled yourself to his head level, and gave him a long kiss on his lips, all the while caressing his cheek. "No." Pulling yourself back down, you closed your eyes yet again, this time trying to go to sleep.

He knew you wouldn't listen, so all could do was go to sleep too. And that's what he did.

Thankfully, your mother knew that you often spent time with your friends and Namjoon after school, so she wasn't worried. But you did give his mother a heart attack of the century when she came home early to check on her son and found you there, sleeping with him all snuggled up.

*****

Let's just say, the next day, your mother asked you to not to go to school because you were sneezing too much.

Is it good is it good is it good? I did all fluff, and I am satisfied. Anyway, I got the idea from Lyradaisical's 'Rain Showers And Shower Showers' on YouTube. It's a Miraculous fanfic, and one of my absolute favourites. Go check it out, if you're interested in Miraculous.

[annabethy]

under the mistletoe, watching the fire glow day 16: cookies

Character A makes too many cookies and shares them with Character B,, percabeth 

Percy looks at the table before him that is littered with endless trays of cookies. It’s overwhelming, really, staring so much sugar in the eyes. There’s chocolate chip, and sugar cookies, red and green sprinkles, and everything in between, and it has Percy wondering if he’s going to be able to eat them all.

He blames his mother. She’s always baked during Christmas, and he thinks a part of that has been instilled inside of him. So it’s really his mom’s fault that he’s staring what could very well be bordering five-hundred cookies in his painfully sugared eyes.

“Daddy?”

Percy’s eyes flick down to the counter where he spots his three-year-old peeking over the table on the tips of her toes. Her hair is a mess of blonde curls, and she reminds him so much of her mother. He smiles gently. “You’re supposed to be asleep, baby.”

She rubs her eyes tiredly, coming around the counter to raise her arms up at him. He obliges, picking her up, before turning back to the counter.

“Cookies?”

Percy kisses the top of her head as she rests her head on his shoulder. “Lots of cookies for Santa Claus.”

“Is Santa Claus coming?”

“Not net, princess,” he tells her. “Santa Claus comes tomorrow night.”

“I think that’s too much cookies for Santa Claus to eat,” she whispers quietly. It makes his heart melt. He can tell she’s very sleepy, and she must have just woken up. Percy glances to the clock that reads two in the morning before he turns his attention back to his daughter in his arms. He rocks her back and forth.

“Why are you awake?” he asks softly.

She just shrugs, and he figures he’s not going to be getting much information from her when she’s in that state. He picks up a cookie with sprinkles and taps his daughter’s shoulder with it to get her attention. She grabs it silently, bringing it to her mouth and nibbling the corner tiredly, her mouth coating with crumbs.

“Yummy?” he asks.

“Mh-hm.”

Percy chuckles, letting her have a moment to finish the treat. Her mom would probably murder him if she found out that he let her have sugar at bedtime, but he’s also sure that she’s sleeping right now. He could probably outrun her if she decided to chase after him too.

The thought brings a smile to his face. His wife waddling around the house with her protruding stomach is too cute of a thought for him to handle. She’d run out of breath so easily, and he’d feel bad that she couldn’t catch and bully him, so he’ll slow down and let her get to him just to keep her happy. And then she would pretend to be mad, but he’d bait her with another cookie, and she’d kiss him, and he’ll fall in love with her all over again.

“Santa Claus is going to eat all of the cookies?”

Percy smiles, picking up a cookie for himself. “Not all of them.”

“What about the rest?”

“I don’t know,” he admits. “I guess we just have to eat them all ourselves.”

His daughter picks up her head to look at the piles upon piles of cookies. She looks so concerned, so much like her mother, that he chuckles. “I can’t eat all that.”

An idea pops into his head, and he’s probably going to regret this later, but he sets his daughter down and pulls a plate of cookies off the counter. “Let’s go share some with mommy then.”

She follows him down the wall, taking many more steps than him in order to keep up with his larger strides. He reaches the door of his bedroom, slowly creaking the door open. It’s pitch black in the room, and he can just barely make out her figure on the bed, herself turned on her side with one leg kicked up and a blanket already sliding off of her.

Percy bends down to his daughter, handing her the plate. “Go give this to mommy.”

She does as she’s told, quietly pattering over to her mother’s side. Percy watches as she struggles onto the bed, setting the plate on the mattress so she can kick one leg over the edge and try to pull herself up. Percy goes to her side to make sure she doesn’t fall off, and he helps give her the last boost so she can crawl onto the bed.

His wife’s back is to Percy so as their daughter crawls closer to them, she doesn’t even stir. Sophia sets the plate onto her mom’s stomach and her tiny hands come to try and shake her awake.

“Mommy,” she whispers, fingers brushing up and down his wife’s arms. “We brought you cookies.”

Annabeth shifts slightly, and Percy knows that she’s awake even though her eyes are closed.

“Wake up,” she whispers loudly.

“What is it, Sophie?” Annabeth stretches a leg out, her eyes still closed.

“I have cookies for you.”

Annabeth blinks open one eye now and meets Sophia’s eyes that are peering at her in the dark. “Why do you have cookies for me right now?”

“Daddy told me to give them to you,” she says, and Percy can’t believe his own kid just sold him out.

It’s like she can sense another person in the room now because she turns onto her other side and locks eyes with him in the dark. “Daddy told you to bring me cookies in the middle of the night?”

“They’re super yummy. Daddy gave me one too.”

Annabeth shakes her head at him, but she’s smothering a smile into the comforter. “Did he?”

“Daddy said I can have another one,” she says, fingers trying to pick up another cookie. Annabeth’s hand wraps around her daughter’s wrist, stopping her.

“Daddy did not,” he defends, humored. He joins them on the bed, sitting cross-legged next to Annabeth. He takes the plate from Annabeth, handing her one cookie. “Daddy just made too many cookies. Santa Claus can’t eat them all.”

Their daughter nods seriously.

Annabeth smiles and rolls her eyes, taking it from his fingers. “Mrs. Claus can’t eat them all either, Percy.”

“I heard Mrs. Claus has a little buddy that might be able to help,” he teases. When his daughter isn’t looking, he moves his hand to rest over her stomach, and he smiles at the reminder of what they’ve created.

Annabeth takes a small bite. “How many did you make?”

“I think I counted five-hundred something.”

She chokes. “Percy.”

“It wasn’t my fault. I couldn’t sleep, so I made cookies, then I made more, and some more, and it just happened.”

“So now you woke me up to eat all of the cookies you made when I already don’t sleep?” “Yes.”

Sophia bounces excitedly. “Can we make some more cookies?”

“You’re supposed to be asleep,” Annabeth says.

“I’m not tired,” she whines.

“Not now that daddy gave you a cookie,” she mutters pointedly to Percy. He just smiles and kisses her forehead.

“Can we watch a movie?” she pleads.

Annabeth pinches Percy’s side, and he pulls her close. She molds into his side, her stomach resting on his, and whispers, “This is your fault,” before telling Sophie, “One movie and then sleep.”

Sophia excitedly settles into her parents’ bed. She steals Percy’s pillow right out from under his head which has him insulted but also endeared, but he just uses Annabeth’s pillow instead. He throws on a random movie, and it’s not long before their daughter is asleep beside them, leaving the two of them alone in each other’s arms.

“I can’t believe that you woke me up to eat cookies at two in the morning,” she whispers, flicking his nose. “Naughty boy.”

“Baby, you haven’t seen naughty,” he tells her, nipping her nose lightly in retaliation. “I’d show you what naughty is, but our baby is in the bed.”

“Two babies in bed,” she reminds him, pointedly dragging his hand away from where it had started to travel up her thigh.

“Don’t remind me,” he says. “I can’t believe we’re going to have two kids.”

She laughs quietly. “It’s insane.”

“It is,” he agrees, “but it’s also amazing. I love you two so much, and I don’t know how that love could possibly get bigger, but it does every single day, and when this baby comes — I don’t know how I’m going to survive. I think the overwhelming love may give me a heart attack.”

“Don’t do that. I need you to change diapers while I sleep.”

“I need to change diapers?”

“You change diapers and do laundry and dishes and cleaning, and I’ll snuggle the baby.”

“So nothing changes, then?” he teases.

“Oh, shut up.”

Percy laughs into her neck. He kisses the warm skin before saying, “I’ll change the diapers and do the laundry and dishes. You just make sure our baby is nice and safe inside there.”

“Your baby is not very happy inside there right now.”

Percy pouts. “Why not?”

“Baby wants another cookie.”

“The baby wants a cookie? Not you? The baby?”

“Of course it’s the baby. How dare you insinuate that I would ever eat something so toxic otherwise.”

“Oh, my bad.”

Annabeth snorts, pressing her face into his chest. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

She’s really warm against him, and it feels good in the cool air of the house. They fall into a silence as the movie plays in the room, the only source of light. Her breathing begins to even out, and he can tell that she’s falling asleep. He lets her, rubbing up and down her back.

To his side, his daughter is out like a light. She’s so small to him, barely taking up any space on the bed, and it’s difficult to imagine when she was first born. It feels like forever ago, but it was really only three years. So much has changed since then. Him and Annabeth have been up and down and left and right trying to figure this parenting thing out. They managed to survive, if just barely, but they did it by each other’s side.

He doesn’t think he could have done this without her. She’s his best friend, his rock in the middle of a storm. It was hard, but they did it.

And now there’s another baby on the way. They don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl yet, but Percy has a feeling it’s another daughter. He wouldn’t mind another daughter. He didn’t know he could love someone as much as he loves Sophia, and if he can feel that love with another daughter, then he wants to. He knows that things are going to fall apart again, though not in a bad way.

Him and Annabeth are probably going to be running around like headless chickens with the new baby all while Sophia sits back and watches, but he wouldn’t change it for the world. They’ll figure it out as long as they have each other.

Besides. What’s life is not a journey?

Annabeth shifts against him again, and he pulls a blanket up the both of them. This is a life he will never get tired of. He is so thankful for moments like this. They don’t come often, but he cherishes these midnight shenanigans. It’s a different thing to just lay with your family at night and forget the rest of the world. It’s a breath of fresh air, a moment where nothing matters except the people he loves.

He’s glad that he ended up making way too many cookies. It was surely a chunk of his paycheck to buy so many different ingredients, but it brought him to where he is now. It’s a beautiful, fleeting moment, and money does not matter to him. No price can be put on this, he thinks.

Percy presses a kiss to Annabeth’s forehead again before he closes his eyes. As he drifts off to sleep, he’s thinking of Annabeth and the perfect world they’ve created.

[guqin-and-flute]

So if the kids have a rating system for their adults' fashion sense, is there a rating system for cuddliness? possibly including more than just dads and uncles?

Anonymous said:  I love your uncle rankings so much. Now I'm thinking about what else they might rank them on and immediately thought of hugs. Just for the pure confusion of, like, preteen them trying to subtly do their data gathering. (Apart from Sizhui who's more willing to just walk up and ask for one) (Jin Ling is very insistent that Jiang Cheng is a 10/10 hugger but he's also hard to test)

[Ah, thank you, I have a lot of fun with them! :D I feel like they would be in the 6-8 range for this particular experiment, I’m not sure they could get over their preteen ‘ew gross, snuggles are for babies (in public)’ thing that most kids go through]

Uncle/Dad Ranking: Cuddliness Edition

Lan Wangji: A-Yuan insists he’s very good at cuddles after a nightmare, will let you sleep in his bed if you’re scared, and will let you sit on his lap whenever you ask. A-Fu will concede that he’s pretty good at hugs when you ask for them but he doesn’t tend to do it himself very often. A-Ling remains incredibly skeptical and chickened out every time he might have tried to get one, so A-Fu thinks that he shouldn’t get a vote. He smells very nice all the time, his robes are usually soft and not scratchy at all, no squish, doesn’t squeeze too hard. 6/10 Conditionally Pretty Cozy [Incomplete Data]

Lan Xichen: All of them have gotten Lan Xichen snuggles and they are top tier. Likes to kiss the top of your head and pet your hair, will let you stay as long as you want even if he’s doing work at his desk, doesn’t keep you from squirming. Smells really really nice, incredibly patient with shenanigans, will let you try to climb into his over robe or sleeves. Will always let you sleep in his bed if you’re scared or have a nightmare. The only downside is that he has no squish at all anywhere so if you go for a flying tackle-hug, you will bruise your nose. 10/10 Could Write the Book

Jin Zixuan: A-Fu and A-Ling have both demanded cuddles from him, while A-Yuan is a little more reserved and sticks with mostly just hugs--despite this, they all agree, they are very nice. He let’s you sit on his knee and will bounce you around until you fall off, but will also let you tuck yourself under his arm and snuggle up if he’s just talking with other grownups and will finger-comb your hair. Nice and solid. Will let you dogpile on him and only complains if you elbow him in the stomach. Will definitely fall asleep if he’s reading a book to you, which can be annoying or a great excuse to stay up later. 10/10 Dad of 5, Expert Cuddler

Jin Guangyao: Very good at hair braiding, so immediate bonus points and will let you lie on his lap and hum quietly as he does it, which has made them all fall asleep on him tons of times. Always seems a little surprised when you ask him to snuggle, but almost always does--unless he’s stressed or busy, but will usually come by at night if he’s promised and will sit with you in bed and pet your head until you fall asleep. Will hold you and hold you and hold you when you’re sad. Winces at pokey elbows and doesn’t want you to squirm (which can be tough sometimes). Will let you play in his lap while he reads reports if you are quiet. Not a lot of squish but not super muscly, also smells nice. 8/10 Hair Playing Grandmaster, Catch Him In the Right Mood

Mo Xuanyu: Not super into snuggling, but is always up for really tight hugs and piggy back rides. Will let you climb all over him and try to do gymnast tricks, though sometimes he falls over and you whack your head really hard. Doesn’t like you to touch his face or head. Normal amount of squish, kind of boney, but will let you tackle him full force. Lets you sit on his feet and tries to walk with you on them. Thinks it’s funny when you sit on his lap and you try to feed each other but really end up mashing food in each other’s faces. Will pick you up and hold you if you’re scared. 6/10 Less Snug, More Hug

Nie Mingjue: Great chest surface area for laying on, can and will let all 3 of them snuggle at once. Bear hugs that crack your back and leave you wheezing, and really good at rough housing snuggles where you tackle him and he gives you raspberries and buries you in his arms. Also very good at braiding hair, but doesn’t tend to do it unless you ask. Also falls asleep when reading you books but won’t continue the book after he’s woken up because that means it’s time for bed (boooring). Can sometimes be very grumpy and a little scary. Same no-squish problem as Lan Xichen where you can’t really dive face first or you’ll give your head a whack on his muscles. 8/10 Giant Teddy Bear

Nie Huaisang: Squishiest uncle (not really saying much), always has very soft hands, is very content to let you sit on him as he reads or paints or whatever. Complains a lot when you accidentally kick or elbow him and rolls you off if you do it too much. Good at cheering you up when you’re sad and will give you lots of hugs and kisses and snuggles then--very sympathetic to skinned knees. Good for sleepovers because he lets you stay up late and ask questions and gossip while you use his stomach for a pillow. 8/10 Normal Sized Teddy Bear

Jiang Cheng: A-Ling stubbornly maintains that he can be good at hugs. The other two are not convinced at all because Jiang Cheng is loud and very grumpy. A-Ling says he will sit quietly by your bed if you have a nightmare and A-Fu said he was too scary to call in after a nightmare. They had gotten into a fight and A-Fu got his hair pulled and A-Yuan went to go get a grownup. N/A Results Inconclusive--Too Scary To Approach 

Wen Ning: From what A-Yuan says he remembers from when he was really little, he was very gentle and fed him soup. While they’re a little older, now, and Wen Ning is a little intimidating and they don’t know him super well, he’s very nice and will let you hang off his arms. He’s not squishy at all and is kind of hard and cold, which is weird for hugs, but they dared each other to do it and he seemed surprised but not upset. He gives little quick pats on your back and lets you stay as long as you want. They all agree that if they were to ask for snuggles or sitting on his lap, he would probably let them, if they were, like, still babies and stuff. 6/10 A Hugger In Theory

Wei Wuxian: Wei Wuxian is kind of snuggly with everyone? He is always putting his arms around the grownups shoulders and ruffling the kids hair. It’s surprisingly easy to hug him because he’s just sort of touching people all the time. Hates it when you try to canonball onto his stomach if he’s laying down (so of course A-Fu and sometimes A-Ling try a lot) but won’t do anything but threaten to throw you out the window. It’s fun to try to crush the breath out of him and he does the same back. Lets you drape yourself on his back if he’s talking to someone. Slightly squishy, doesn’t sit still for long, not good for falling asleep on. 7/10 Naturally Cuddly 

Honorable mentions

Jiang Yanli: Everyone loves to snuggle Yanli. She is squishy and she is lovely and she is endlessly patient. Soft, warm hands. You never even try to rough-house on her. 10/10 Instant Cuddle Time

[wiypt-writes]

Stark Spangled Banner

Ch52: Chicken Soup And Baseball Gloves

Intro: The original Avengers are re-united and along with Rhodey, Rocket, Nebula and Scott Lang, they run the first test on their Time Machine. 

Warnings: Bad Language words. Smut! (NSFW) No under 18s.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Katie Stark and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

A/N: Holler @angrybirdcr​ does the biz with the edits again

Chapter 51

Stark Spangled Banner Masterlist // Main Masterlist

“Any news on Natasha?” Katie asked, her voice thick, as Steve walked into the kitchen.

“Not yet.” He shook his head, as she reached over, adding bread to the toaster. “She was still working on a lead. How are you feeling?”

“Ok.” She lied. Behind her, Steve rolled his eyes.  

“I can hear you wheezing from here. Go back to bed.”

“I don’t want to lie in bed.” She shrugged and he took a deep breath, crossing the room to stand behind her. It wasn’t often she got sick, but when she did she was a terrible patient.

“Sweetheart.” His arms circled her waist. “You’re burnt out and ill, and you certainly can’t go to the compound like this.”

He was right, Katie couldn’t actually remember the last time she felt so bad. She’d requested they leave the compound early last night as the group sat around discussing Tony’s plans to build their bigger Quantum Tunnel. She’d had a headache that she thought was a migraine, but had woken herself and Steve with a particularly nasty coughing fit in the early hours of the morning, whereby he’d gone to fetch her a glass of water and laid with her, rubbing her back until she fell asleep again.

“My plan was to actually lay on the sofa all day watching trash.” She shrugged, coughing a little.

“Ok, if that’s what you want.” he nodded, gently moving her so she was facing him. “Go, I’ll fix the kids breakfast. Do you want anything to eat?”

She shook her head, before letting rip with another hacking cough, her hand flying to her mouth as she turned away from him.

“C'mon,” he sighed, “c'mere.”

Katie practically fell into him when he wrapped his arms around her and she snuggled her head into his chest, her arms wrapping around his waist. “I’m fine,”

“You look like crap.”

“You’re mean.” She croaked out. He chuckled as he brought his hand up and pressed it against her forehead and she closed her eyes, he felt so cool.

“You have a fever. Did you take anything?”

She nodded “Tylenol and cough syrup.”

“Well go lay down until it kicks in.”

“Okay,” she finally relented, and Steve watched as she stepped out of his embrace and headed into the living room. The last time Steve had anything like a cold was pre the serum. He felt the odd sore throat and sniffle every now and then but as fast as they arrived they went thanks to his healing qualities. Jamie seemed to be the same. As a baby he picked up a few bugs but he was back to normal in a maximum of a day. There was one time a few months ago he had picked up a nasty cold that had lasted longer, making him even more of a mamma’s boy, clingy and grouchy. But after thirty-six hours he was back to his normal self, the half of him that held the super soldier serum clearly winning out. And Steve was glad, if the half of Jamie that was his father meant he rarely get sick, he’d passed something good onto his son. Emmy, on the other hand, was like Katie. No serum, so when she got sick she felt it more. And Katie was always on hand to look after her kids, even when she felt crappy herself. So when it fell to Steve to look after her, he was more than happy to do so.

“Is Mama sick?” Jamie asked, from where he was sat at the table, his face creased into a frown.

“Yeah she is, buddy.” Steve nodded, grabbing the toast as it popped up from the toaster, buttering it and cutting it into squares for his son. He placed it down in front of Jamie and then popped more in for himself. “Just a cold though, she’ll be fine.”

Steve left the kitchen for a moment, shouting up the stairs for Emmy to get a move on before returning and pouring himself a coffee and one into a Thermos mug for Emmy to take with her.  Apparently the ‘in thing’ now was to take her breakfast to eat on the way. Steve had no idea why, but whatever. When did he ever have a clue about anything that was on trend?

She bustled in, rucksack on her back and grabbed the toast he was holding out in a paper napkin and her mug.

“Thanks Dad.” She smiled, giving him a peck on the cheek.

“Your Mom’s in the lounge, she’s not feeling too good.” He looked at her. “So I know you wanted Brooke to come over tonight but it might be better to give it a miss.”

“Okay.” She nodded, “I can go to hers instead. Will you be here to give me a lift later if I come home and get some stuff?”

“Sure.” He nodded. She ruffled Jamie’s hair on her way past and then disappeared up the hall, and he was pleased to see she popped her head into the lounge to tell Katie to get better soon.

“Are we going to the compound?” Jamie asked as Steve sat down, his own breakfast now in front of him.

“You’re going to Day Care.” Steve looked at him. “You haven’t been in a while.”

“I don’t wanna.” Jamie pouted

“Well, suck it up.” Steve replied. It was important to him and Katie that their son interacted with kids his own age as much as possible, so even whilst Katie wasn’t going to work today, Jamie was going to nursery. “I’m staying home today. We can go to the compound at weekend. If your momma’s better maybe we can stay over.”

Jamie pondered this for a moment. “Okay.”

Steve chuckled and ruffled his son’s hair as the two of them ate their breakfast. Jamie requested a bowl of cereal once his toast was finished, and to be fair Steve was still hungry too so he made them both a helping of Cheerios before he cleaned Jamie down and got him dressed. Once that was done he popped his head into the lounge and saw Katie was asleep under one of the throws.

“You got everything?” He looked at Jamie, quickly checking him over. He had his small rucksack in his hands, his jumper was on and he was clean. Looked good to Steve.

“Yep!” Jamie nodded enthusiastically.

“Alright, come on then.” Steve held out his hand, and Jamie slipped his little palm into his Dad’s as he opened the door and they made their way to the car.

*****

“Why is it so cold?” Katie groaned, pulling the comforter round her as she shuffled into the kitchen.

“It’s not cold, you’re just sick.” Steve pulled the orange juice out of the fridge, pouring her a giant glass. He handed it to her, raising his hand to her forehead. “You’re still warm.”

“No, I told you, I’m freezing.”

Steve was about to say something when they heard the security system telling them Tony had arrived.

“Why is Tone here?” Katie asked, coughing again.

“Dunno.” Steve shrugged. “I told him I wasn’t going to the compound today as you were sick so maybe he’s come to see how you are.”

“Bit out of his way.” Katie pondered, as the front door opened.

“Knock knock.” Her brother’s voice called up the hallway.

“Kitchen Tony.” Steve called back.

“Just thought I’d see how the patient was,” Tony’s voice rang out down the hallways and Katie rolled her eyes, “so far so good, I see no red cross on the door telling everyone to stay away or any one walking outside chanting bring out your dead…”

At that point he walked into the kitchen and nodded to Steve before he turned to Katie. “Huh, maybe there should be. You look like shit.”

She was pale, her hair was pulled into a messy pony tail and her nose was bright red. She opened her mouth to shoot some comment back about being pissed off with people telling her she looked terrible but was cut off by a fit of hacking coughs.

“I’m dying.” She groaned.

“From a cold?”  Tony rolled his eyes.

“I feel like it.” She mumbled.

Steve chuckled and stirred the soup in the pan.

“Smells good, Spangles!” Tony looked round him to glance down. “What is it.”

“Chicken soup, my Ma’s own recipe. Plenty if you want some.” Steve offered.

“No, it’s mine and I don’t like people taking my stuff.” Katie pouted, childishly. “That soup makes everything better.”

“Don’t be a brat.” Steve shot her a look.

“I’m ill, don’t shout at me.” She shot back, coughing again. Steve pointed to the orange juice that she had set down on the side and the Tylenol next to it.

“Drink that, and take that.” He instructed. “And then back to the couch.”

“You’re not my dad.” She glared at him, sullenly. Steve took a deep breath and bristled, Jesus she was obstinate.

“No, but I am, well, by default.” Tony eyed her. “Do as you’re told.”

She gave Tony a look that was positively mutinous, staring directly into his brown eyes before she reached over, took two pills from the packet, tossed them down with a swallow of juice and flipped him off.

“I guess I’ll be on the couch.” She grumbled, retreating out of the kitchen.

“Thanks.” Steve sighed once she was gone, and Tony chuckled.

“She was a nightmare as a kid when she got sick.” He mused, leaning back against the counter.

“She still is. Insists on trying to keep going instead of resting.”

“You know, when she was ten she got a nasty bout of tonsillitis.” Tony stepped over to grab the coffee from the cupboard. “It turned into something called Quinsy and she ended up hospitalised as one of them burst and she needed them removing under emergency surgery. They were worried about blood poisoning.” Tony paused to top the machine up with coffee and he grabbed the glass jug from underneath. “She demanded to come home the next day even though she was on some heavy duty IV anti-biotics, full scale tantrum when she was told she had to stay in for four days.”

Steve snorted as Tony filled the machine with water and turned it on.

“So trying to carry on when she has a cold is nothing.” Tony looked at him. “Just tell her whose boss.”

The men exchanged a look, both of them fully understanding that Steve was most definitely not the boss before they laughed and Tony clapped him on the shoulder, moving to make the coffee.

“So, Pepper is coming to the compound for the rest of the week” Tony poured himself a drink before he did the same and handed it to Steve. “I was wondering if you wanted me to take Jamie off your hands for the evening, Morgan will be pleased to see him.”

Steve hesitated for a second, as he took a sip of his coffee. He was still torn as to whether the compound really was the best place for the kids. But, the living area was far enough away from any of the equipment, and Emmy had lived there before…

“Don’t worry, I won’t turn him into a teenager.” Tony spotted the flicker of doubt that flashed across Steve’s face.

“No, it’s not that, I trust you Tony, I-” Steve began, feeling that he needed to explain but Tony waved him away.

“I know, and believe me I wasn’t sure I wanted Morgan there but I haven’t seen her since Monday.”

“You know, you don’t have to be at the Compound permanently.” Steve turned the heat down on the stove.

“I know but it’s just easier.” Tony shrugged. “Especially whilst we’re still building the stuff.”

Steve nodded and began to pull three bowls out of the cupboard “Okay, well yeah I’m sure Jamie would like that.”

“Great, I can get him on the way back, I’m assuming he’s at the tower?”

Steve glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only half two but there was no time limits on when he could be collected from Nursery. “Yeah he is, I’ll call ahead, let them know you’re picking him up.”

Tony clapped his hands together. “Great.”

“Let me get this to the patient and then you can fill me in on what’s been going on.” Steve said, picking up a bowl of the soup and a spoon.

****

Katie’s cold lasted three full days. On the fourth night, she had another restless sleep. Not wanting her constant tossing and turning to wake Steve, she headed down stairs, took another dose of Tylenol and turned on the TV, snuggling under the blanket on the sofa. She felt like crap. Luckily the medicine kicked in about fifteen minutes later and she managed to fall asleep, Lucky curled around her legs, keeping her feet warm. When she woke later that morning, she was pleased to find she felt a lot clearer headed and she didn’t ache when she moved which was a bonus.

“You look better.” Steve smiled as she wandered into the kitchen. He’d left her asleep on the couch when he’d seen her earlier that morning, the kids were still in bed seeing as it was weekend.

“I feel it.” she nodded, running her hands through her hair “I’m starving.”

Her appetite being back was a good thing.

“Want me to fix you anything?” Steve asked.

“Eggs and bacon.” she said enthusiastically “I’m gonna grab a shower.”

“Good I can smell you from here.” he teased, laughing as she raised a middle finger which she held up over her shoulder as she walked out of the kitchen. The shower made her feel even better, and once she was dressed in actual clothes and not Pyjamas she felt human again.

She devoured her breakfast, drank another large glass of orange juice and Steve filled her in on what was going on at the Compound. Natasha was still tracking Clint, the Quantum Tunnel Machine was well under construction, Thor, well, Thor seemed to still be a little distracted but he was engaging as much as could be expected and they’d started designs on suits that would help them navigate the Quantum Realm.

“Has anyone given any thought to how we actually get the stones?” Katie asked, a small cough escaping her.

“I’ve been thinking about it a bit.” Steve nodded. “There are a number of possibilities. But trying to get them individually instead of all at once is likely going to be the best bet.”

“How’s that going to work?” She pondered and Steve shrugged.

“To be honest, I haven’t got that far.” He sighed, and Katie dropped the subject.

They headed over to the compound in the late morning, and immediately Katie and Steve spotted the Quinjet was back. They shared a glance, knowing that could only mean one thing and, as quickly as they could, they got the kids out of the car and headed inside. As they made their way towards the main lounge, Katie heard a familiar voice and she felt her chest tighten. Letting go of Steve’s hand, she broke into a run and burst into the room. Everyone in there turned to face her as she stood, stock still, staring at her one time Senior Officer.

“Clint…” She whispered, before she threw herself at him, hugging him tight.

“Hey, Katie.” he croaked as she buried her face into his neck, his arms wrapping around her, squeezing her into a strong hug. 

“Hey yourself.” She sniffled slightly as she stepped back, before she grinned and ran her hand over the shorn sides of his hair. “Nice Mohawk.”

He chuckled and then his attention turned to Steve “Hey, Cap.”

“Hey Clint.” Steve smiled, stepping forward to embrace his friend. “It’s good to see you.”

“You too.” Clint smiled, before he glanced down to Steve’s right where Jamie was now tugging on his hand. 

“Daddy, who’s this?” He asked as Steve picked him up. 

“Jamie, this is Clint. A friend of mine and your mom’s.” Steve smiled.

“And this is Emmy.” Katie said from behind him. Emmy gave him a smile that was a little shyer than Jamie’s as Clint nodded to her.

“Pleased to meet you both. I heard a lot about you from Natasha.”

“Auntie Nat-Nat gives me chocolate.” Jamie grinned. “But I’m not upposed to tell anyone where she keeps it.”

“She used to give my kids chocolate.” Clint smiled, sadly.  “Even when I told her not to.”

Silence fell across the room, no one really knowing what to say to that. Clint took a deep breath and looked down at his feet, until Katie spoke, breaking the tension.

“Shall I fix lunch?” She offered and the team all made noises of agreement and started to move around. Clint smiled at her, and then looked at the boy in Steve’s arms. .

“He looks like you, Cap.” He nodded. Steve smiled and looked at Jamie.

“Apparently so.”

“I think it’s great you guys, you know, that you’re parents.” Clint smiled at Katie. She returned the grin.

“Yeah, it has its moments.” She watched as Steve set Jamie down and he wandered over to Natasha, who beamed at him as he clambered into her lap.  

“Especially when dealing with stroppy teenagers.” Steve quipped looking at Emmy who rolled her eyes.

“Change the record, Dad.”

“Note she said record, not CD old man.” Tony shot.

“It’s just a figure of speech.” Steve rolled his eyes “And for the record, I wish you’d change yours too.”

Clint looked around and caught Katie’s eye, a fond, nostalgic look on his face. And she knew why. It was almost as if nothing had changed. The banter was familiar, each person taking up their role they had held in the Avengers easily, as if the last seven years hadn’t happened. But then, looking around the room was enough to make you remember that they had. They looked different, felt different. They’d split, gone their separate ways and then the Snap had ripped everything from under them, and none of them had lost as much as Clint. 

Katie smiled. “Wanna come help with lunch?” She asked softly, as he hastily wiped a tear from his face.

“Yeah,” he nodded. The pair of them made for the door and she turned to Steve who shot her a smile, before she led Clint towards the kitchen.

“Thanks.” He muttered as they left the room. They walked silently until they reached the kitchen and Katie shut the door as she walked to the fridge pulling out various ingredients to make a huge pan of stuff for fajitas.

“So,” she turned to Clint, handing him a knife, “you chop veg, I’ll do the chicken.”

He smiled softly. “You sound like Laura.”

“Clint, I’m so sorry.” Katie sighed. “I’ve no words that can even pretend to offer a comfort. I can’t begin to imagine-”

“Natasha told me about your baby.” Clint cut her off as he looked at her. She looked down at the chopping board before meeting his eyes. “You lost too.”

“Yeah, we did.” She sighed “We all lost someone.”

“Bet you didn’t go on a killing spree because of it.” Clint sighed, taking a deep breath.

“Clint,” Katie took a deep breath. “Yeah, what you did wasn’t…great, but you can’t let it define you.”

Clint stayed silent for a moment before Katie spoke again. “Steve killed someone you know. In cold blood. One of the HYDRA guys that kept me captive and, well, you know what they did.”

Clint let out a growl. “I don’t blame him, I’d have put an arrow in his head if it had been Laura.”

“That’s my point.” Katie shrugged. “Something like that tipped Captain America, the sentinel of justice and truth-” she framed her words with her fingers making quotation marks and Clint snorted “-over the edge. Someone as morally correct as Steve snapped because of something someone did to me. He didn’t do it to protect me, he did it for out and out revenge.”

“That’s not the same-”

“Maybe not.” Katie shrugged. “But the point I’m trying to make, albeit very badly, is that people react to trauma in different ways.”

“It was anger.” Cling spoke after a moment. “Anger and bitterness that they died and all these assholes didn’t. I wanted to even the scales a little myself. Why did they get to live and my family didn’t?”

“Exactly. You went through the most awful thing ever.” Katie laid a hand on Clint’s arm. “It might not make it right, but it makes it a little more understandable. Certainly from my point of view.” At that she returned to her chopping, with a little shake of her head. “If anything happened to either of my kids, I’d lose it too.”

“That implies you had it to lose in the first place.” Clint quipped, cheekily. She looked up and she was pleased to see the mischievous Barton glint had returned to his eyes.

****

As Tony reminded them all, whilst they had a working Quantum Tunnel, building that into something bigger to do what they needed to do was going to take time. Everyone understood, even if it was frustrating, but as Katie kept pointing out, they’d waited five years for this, what was a couple of months more?

Those months Katie and Steve spent flitting between the Compound, Stark Tower, their home in Brooklyn and Tony’s lake house, trying to manage the time between Emmy’s exams, ensuring the kids were looked after during the school vacation, keeping a business going and maintaining as normal a life for Emmy and Jamie as possible.  

But then, one Wednesday morning in late September, Tony let out a triumphant yell. They were ready.

With Emmy and Jamie both safely out of the way- Emmy back at school, and Jamie in Day Care- they decided on taking their test that same afternoon. The goal was simple, go back in time for a minute or so, pick something up, see if it could be brought back. Katie and Steve followed Tony through the hangar as he was dragging the metal pipe which contained the power cables they had just helped him arrange into the mains which would fire up the machine. In front of them, Thor was walking, drinking a beer as usual, dressed in a scruffy pair of grey sweats and a red hooded top.

“Drifting left!” Tony warned the God. “On the side there, Lebowski”

Katie snorted at the reference. “Makes a change from Point Break.” she said, and Steve grinned.

 “Ratchet, how’s it going?”  Tony called.

 Rocket looked up from where he had been working on something underneath the glass platform “It’s Rocket. Take it easy. You’re only a genius on Earth, pal”

Tony stopped and grinned, catching Katie’s eye, passing the cable to Rocket and giving the raccoon instructions on where to plug each wire.

 “Okay so where’s Lang?” Steve asked, looking around.

“In the chamber having his suit calibrated.” Nat looked up from the tablet she was poking around on. The machine lit up, and Tony stepped back and looked at her. “So far the fluctuation levels are holding.” She nodded and Tony grinned.

 “You say it like you’re surprised, Red.” He shot back. She merely smirked to herself, tapping again.

 “I’ll go see if they’re ready.” Katie nodded.

 “Hey, hey, hey! Easy, easy!” She could hear Scott’s voice as she approached the side chamber in the lab.

 “I’m being very careful” Banner replied

 “No, you’re being very Hulky”

 “I’m being careful.”

She reached the doorway where Clint was leaning against the frame, and looked at him. He shot her a smirk as she turned her attention to Lang who was holding up a small, red glass tube.

“These are Pym Particles, alright? And ever since Hank Pym got snapped out of existence, this is it. This is what we have. We’re not making any more.” 

“Scott, calm down.” Rhodey soothed, looking at him.

 “Sorry.” Scott said, “But we’ve only got enough for one round trip each. That’s it. No do-overs. Plus two test runs.”

 At that, with a yell, he shrank and then grew again back to his normal size after accidentally pressing a button. Katie let out a groan as she looked at Clint.

 “One test run.” she shot, turning to Lang.

“All right. I’m not ready for this.” Scott shook his head and Katie noticed the slightly panicked look in his face. Before she could say anything else, however, Clint spoke softly.

“I’m game.” He nodded as everyone turned to him. “I’ll do it.

There was a moment’s pause before Katie grinned, clapping him on the shoulder. “Suit up then, Hawkeye.”

Clint and Lang switched places, and Bruce handed him one of the GPS controllers. Instantly the same suit Lang was wearing formed round Clint as Lang deactivated his, grabbing his baseball cap from the floor.

“Wai-wait a second, let me ask you something.” Rhodey spoke, his tone making it clear this was something he had been thinking about for a while. “If we can do this, you know, go back in time, why don’t we just find baby Thanos, you know, and…” He made a hand gesture suggesting he was strangling something.

“First of all that’s horrible.” Bruce spoke in a disgusted voice.

“It’s Thanos.” Rhodey shrugged, simply and Katie had to agree. If that as a plan would work, she had no problems in going back and being the one to choke the life out of him. Infant or no infant.

“And secondly, time doesn’t work that way. Changing the past doesn’t change the future.” Bruce continued.

“Look.” Scott nodded.  “We go back, we get the stones before Thanos gets them, Thanos doesn’t have the stones. Problem solved.”

“Bingo.” Clint agreed.

“That’s not how it works.” Katie shook her head.

“She’s right.” Nebula added. “It’s not.”

“Well, that’s what I heard.” Clint shrugged.

“What? By who? Who told you that?” Bruce sighed.

Rhodey held up his hand, counting with his fingers as he spoke. “Star Trek, Terminator, TimeCop, Time After Time…”

“A Wrinkle in Time, Somewhere in Time.” Rhodey continued.

“Hot Tub Time Machine” Scott added.

“Hot Tub Time Machine. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Basically, any movie that deals with time travel.” Rhodey looked around.

“Die Hard?” Scott asked, before he frowned. “No, that’s not one.”

“This is known.” Rhodey finished.

“I don’t know why everyone believes that, but that isn’t true.” Banner said, earnestly “Think about it: If you travel to the past, that past becomes your future. And your former present becomes the past. Which can’t now be changed by your new future.”

“Exactly.” Nebula added.

“So ‘Back To The Future’ is a bunch of bullshit?” Scott asked, with the air of a small child whom someone had just told Santa didn’t exist.

“Afraid so.” Katie looked at him. “Furthermore, there’s a theory that Tony alluded to when he mentioned the Deutsch proposition. If you alter an event in the past you create an alternate universe and timeline as a result. You don’t change yours.”

“Which is why I think we’re gonna have to put the stones back when we’re done.” Bruce mused. “But we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” He tapped a final button and then stood up. “Okay, that’s it.”

“Ready?” Katie looked at Clint. 

He nodded “Let’s get this show on the road.”

*****

“Lang had an attack of nerves when he accidentally used up one lot of Pym Particles” Katie explained as Steve looked at Clint, confused as to why he was the one in the Quantum Suit on the platform in the middle of the hangar.

“Wait, he used them?” Steve frowned.

“Yeah, so now we only have one test run. But Clint says he’s up for it.” She looked at Tony who opened his mouth to say something, and shook her head. He took a deep breath, simply shrugging as Steve turned to Clint.

“All good?” He asked, and Clint gave him the thumbs up.

“Alright, Clint.” Banner looked at him. “We’re going in three… two… one!”

The helmet sprang forth onto Clint’s head from his suit and he was sucked down through the platform into the Quantum Realm.

“Returning in five…four…three…two…one!”   

The portal opened again and Clint re-materialised on the glass platform, breathing heavily.  

Natasha was first up the steps, taking his face in her hands “Hey, hey, look at me. You okay?”

He waved off her concern, but that wasn’t what Steve was looking at. It was the baseball glove in his hands. Clint tossed it to Tony who caught it, slapping it slightly into his hand, a look of victory on his face.

It worked.

“Cap?” Tony turned to Steve and he realised that everyone was looking to him for directions.

“We need to plan carefully where we go.” He cleared his throat, taking a deep breath and letting it out. “I suggest we start first thing in the morning.”

****

“Em,” Steve spoke as the family sat down to dinner later that evening. “You know we’ve been doing a lot of work at the compound?”

He looked at Emmy, who nodded. After swearing her to secrecy, they’d explained everything to her when they had first started, both of them believing she was old enough to know the truth, and they respected her too much to keep anything from her. 

“Has it worked? Did Tony build it?”

“Yeah, and we think that we should probably move to the compound, just until this is all over. We’ll still make sure you get to school and stuff, we don’t want any of this to impact anything for either of you.” He looked at her. She took a deep breath, but it wasn’t her who spoke next, It was Jamie.

“Can I bring my toys? And Lucky?”

“I think Clint would really like to see him again.” Katie smiled. Clint’s reunion with the dog a few weeks ago would have melted even the coldest of hearts. Lucky had been overjoyed to see his old master, and Clint had buried his face into the animal’s fur, sobbing quietly. Jamie had been indignant that the dog was paying more attention to Clint than him, but that had all changed when Jamie had called his name and Lucky had run back to his side, licking him furiously. Katie had explained to Clint that the two had a very strong bond and Clint had smiled, stating that the animal had loved Nathaniel as well. He was simply happy someone had taken care of him. 

“He’s my dog.” Jamie pouted and Steve snorted, shooting Katie a look.

“Someone else doesn’t like people touching their stuff.” he muttered, grimacing as Katie kicked him in the shin “Ow!”

*****

“You know, we’re gonna have problems if Clint wants to take that dog back.” Steve said as they lay in bed later that night.

“I’m hoping he won’t” Katie sighed. “I mean he’s twelve this year, I’m sure Clint will be happy to let stay seeing as he’s older now.”

“Oh is that how it works?” Steve asked, his hand moving through her hair. “The older you are, the more people want to keep you settled?”

“Why else do you think I kept you around for so long?” Katie shrugged.

“That’s just rude, Mrs Rogers.” Steve looked at her and she grinned as she pressed a kiss to his lips.

“Suppose you have other uses.” She smirked against his lips.

“Really, what might they be?” He asked, in between kisses as she straddled him, his hands creeping up the t-shirt she was wearing and resting on her hips.

“Not sure now you come to mention it?” She wrinkled her nose, wriggling slightly against his crotch, making him grunt. “You might need to remind me.”

Steve simply pushed his hips upwards and Katie groaned softly as his arousal pressed up against her spot. Steve’s hand moved from her hip up to the back of her neck, pulling her down into a deep kiss that had the pair of them wanting far more. Steve hungrily pulled her top over her head, sitting up, running his nose up and down her sternum in between the lines of her breasts. Katie’s head fell back slightly as she bit her lip, relishing the feeling of his skin on hers as his lips traced a path from her jaw line to her neck.

“Remembered yet?” He muttered, breath hot on her ear as she let out another soft whimper.

“Not quite.” She teased. In a flash he had her on her back, and was kissing down the length of her body, nose skimming the waist band of her underwear before he hooked a finger into each side and pulled the garment down her legs. Hands on her knees he gently moved he legs further apart and grinned at the sight of her arousal.

“Liar.” He mumbled, setting his mouth to her. 

Her soft, breathy moans soon filled their room as his tongue worked her over, his right hand placed over her stomach to anchor her into place. He would never get tired of this, hearing her, feeling her as she came undone, her back arching off the bed, knees gripping at the side of his head. He snuck a glance upwards and had to chuckle slightly as she had a pillow pressed over her face to muffle her noises. As she flattened back down, he dispensed of his boxers, crawling back over her, gently removing the item from her face.

“You okay?” He asked with a trace of amusement. She glanced up at him, smiling and laughed as she drew her breath.

“You know, one other thing about going back to the compound,” she chuckled as he pressed against her, giving her another kiss, “the walls to our room are soundproof so there’s no-“

He cut her off as he pushed into her harshly, causing her eyes to close and her breath to catch. He continued to thrust, slowly, powerfully. Watching her face as he did so.

“Eyes on me, Doll.” He managed a low growl and she bit down on her lip, before her jaw slacked slightly and he saw her brow crease just as it always did when she was about to tip over that precipice, riding that fine line between pain and pleasure.

“Come on, Kitten.” He panted, his hips continuing. “Let go…”

And she did, she came hard as her hands wrapped around his biceps, nails digging into his skin as Steve chased his own end furiously, coming with a violent final thrust, his head buried in the crook of her shoulder.

They lay in silence for a while, Katie falling asleep way before Steve. The Soldiers brain was running on overdrive analysing the day. Their machine worked, the test run had been a success, but he knew the hard work was only just beginning. They had to suss out when and where to go to get the stones, and then there was actually doing it. That was going to be the hardest part of all. Then, they faced even more engineering to develop something to harness them, and, maybe the biggest question of all, deciding who was going to snap their fingers.

He glanced down at his wife, her long eyelashes laying against her cheek as she slept. She looked so peaceful.  With a soft sigh he kissed the top of her head and lay back, eyes closed, the warmth of her body soothing him slightly as he felt the tendrils of tiredness pulling him under.

**** Chapter 53

 **Original Posting**

[slutforagoodsmut]

We All Get Nightmares

(Lars x OC)

The waves crashed along the sand, the moonlight glittered  across the sea. For once in a long time, there was silence, There was peace. No gem saving, no gem destroying. It was a quiet, normal night; and for once in a long time, Primrose went to bed without a sore body or broken bone. Curled up in the bed layed the precious girl, her dark locks of springs for hair bunched up in a ponytail, and the one streak of light pink laying lightly against her face. Her soft warm touch, her skin glowing in the moonlight that beamed through her window. Her pencil striaght physique now starting to blossom from child to young  woman, her hips starting to curve out and chest starting to broaden. And on her back, in between her shoulder blades, sat a rose quarts gem that reflected off of any twinkling light, which she kept hidden beneath her hair. Primrose Universe was indeed a beauty, just like her mother was. 

There she layed all snuggled up in her plush bed on the other side of the room, a small smile graced upon her lips as she clung to the teddy bear her father gave her all those years ago. She just looked like some ordinary 14 year old girl, a girl who wanted to go far in life, go beyond the limits as any teenager would. The Primrose everyone knows, the girl everyone cherishes, was much more than a silly little teenager. She was a gaurdian, a powerful protector of the gems; keeping the bad out. The twin sister of a powerful boy and the daughter of a gem herself.

But aside all that schmazzy jazzy stuff, Prim was just your avgerage teenager. A girl who listened to her father's old music and laughed at the silly faces he made. A girl who enjoyed her friend's company and eating doughnuts. Someone who loved adventure and would sometimes get in a lil trouble along with her brother. An open minded person who accepted anyone as a friend. That is who Primrose was. 

It wasn't far into the night when Prim's phone began to buzz on her nightstand. Prim, being the light sleeper she was, woke immediately, her eyes being blinded by the light the phone gave off. She groaned. "Who's calling in the middle of the night?" She fumbled for the phone and pressed the 'accept call' button, holding it lazily to her ear. "Yo," she said.

"Prim, are you awake?" A certain Lars Barriga voice came through the phone. Prim rolled her eyes and sank her head back into her pillow. 

"Oh yeah sure, totally awake, like i always am..." she peered over at her clock, "...at 2:30 in the morning," she said sarcastically. 

"I know it's late but I just couldn't sleep! Maybe you could come over for a bit?" Lars asked, his voiced getting a bit high. "Ya'know, help me fall asleep?"

"You've gotta be kidding me Lars," she sighed, her hand sliding down her face. "Dude, you're like almost 17 years old, can't you tuck yourself in? I mean, haven't you tried calling Sadie?" Prim yawned out as she spoke, covering her mouth.  

"Yes I could tuck myself in, thank you very much!" Lars hissed. "I just...I had a bad dream and now I can't sleep," he mumbled into the phone. "P-Please?"

Primrose looked back at the clock, then sat up and looked at Steven, who was sleeping soundlessly all the way on the other side of the loft. It'd be easy getting passed her brother, but what about the gems? Nothing could get passed them, and I mean nothing. She put a hand on her head and sighed again. "Fine, I'll be there in 15 minutes."

"thanks Prim, you're the best!" Lars said into the phone. 

"I know I am," she grunted as she sat up, stretching her legs and arms. "Oh and Lars?"

"Yes?" 

"You owe me." Was the last thing she said to him before ending the call. She couldn't believe she was actually doing this. 'I swear to god if this is a joke...' Prim yawned again as she put her hair up in a messy bun, not bothering to do anything with it at the moment. She didn't bother changing either, and not that it was a big deal anways. Prim was wearing a pair of shorts and tank top, all she needed to do was throw on a bra and head out. Prim walked passed her brother and got her flip flops on, kissing him on the cheek before climbing down the loft. 'Was it cold out?' she wondered, before grabbing a sweatshirt just in case. Now here was the difficut part; getting passed Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl. Pearl was a nutjob when it came to safety, and on the other hand Amethyst could care less, so she would be easy to get by. But then there was Garnet. Garnet was a tricky one, and probably the sneakiest and wisest off them all. 

"Alright one step at a time..." Prim whispered as she tip toed silently across the floor boards. Amethyst was snoring on the couch and Pearl was curled up in a ball, but where was Garnet? They should have been in the temple, so this was going to be a little harder than usual. Prim looked around. Uh oh, this wasn't good. Garnet must be in the temple, right? No harm at all! She lightly stepped around carefully, making sure not to step on a squeaky floorboard by mistake. 'Just an hour!' Thought Prim 'and I'll be back before sun rise!' 

It took a few minutes but Primrose managed to slip out of the house quickly and quietly. "Phew, that was close," Prim  said feeling a bit exhausted.

"What was close?" A voice asked.

She gasped, holding her breath as she clasped a hand over her mouth tightly. "Oh Bejeebus!" Prim slowly turned around to see the giant gem standing over her with her arms crossed, no emotions expressed over her face. It wasn't that she was terrified of Garnet...well....maybe just a tad, it was the fact that Garnet was always right, and to see Garnet dissaprove her actions was one of Prim's biggest fears. 

"Where must you be so late at night?" Garnet asked. 

"W-Well, I--uh, ya see, something--um c-came up! Yeah that's right, something came up and...." Prim faltered, looking down. Garnet raised a brow behind her glasses, putting a hand on Prim's shoulder. She looked up at the gem and sighed, rubbing the side of her arm. "Lars called me..."

"Lars?" 

"Oh! I meant Big Donut Boy!" Prim corrected herself. 

"And what does "Big Donut Boy" want with you at this hour of the night?"

"Its sort of embarrassing but...he had a nightmare. And he called me cuz he couldn't go back to sleep." 

"A nightmare, huh?" Garnet repeated, putting her hands on her hips. "Well, if you must. This does sound important."

"Yeah I know Garnet I shouldn't leave without--wait what?" Prim stopped herself with wide eyes, looking up at Garnet like an idiot. "Really?"

"Yes, you may go, but don't tell Pearl."

Prim blinked, raising a brow. "Are you an imposter Garnet? Shouldn't you be giving me words of wisdom or something and telling me not to go?"

Garnet cracked a small smile and ruffled Prim's bed head. "Geez Prim, you make it sound like I'm another Pearl." Prom laughed at that. "But yes, I trust you. Just be back before Pearl notices."

"You got it Garnet!" They young girl whispered and gave the gem a quick hug before running down the steps. 

*10 minutes Later*

The temple was only a few blocks away from Waterman St., so a walk to Lars's house was a piece of cake for Prim. Her sweatshirt was tied around her neck to keep her shoulders warm and hands tucked in her pockets with her phone. Like she expected, it was a little chilly, but nothing Prim couldn't manage. Matter a fact she loved the chilly weather, and sadly it was something Beach City hardly ever got. 

In the distance Prim could see Lars sitting on the steps of his porch, resting his head on his lap. 'Oh man, maybe this really is serious,' she thought as she got closer. He looked miserable, but what was different? He always looked miserable, especially around Prim and Steven. Yes Prim knew Steven could be a bit annoying, but so was she at times! They both had many flaws and messed up--a lot--but hey that's what twins did together! It was both of them or none at all! 

"Hey," Prim said, stopping in front of the Barriga Residence.

Lars looked up and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked like he hadn't slept for days! To be honest he looked like a crack head in Prim's opinion... 'No, he would never!' An image of Lars doing crack came to mind. Prim shuddered in fear. 'He may act like Mr.Badass all the time, but he wouldn't dare to do such a thing!' 

"Oh, Prim! You're here!" Lars exclaimed a little groggily, as if he were just dozing off. He wore a black Under Armour tank and a pair of grey shorts, her hair a bit of a mess btw.

"Well no shit Sherlock, of course I'm here." 

"How did you get out of that wacko of a house and passed that nut job of a family?" He questioned. 'Such a bitch...' Prim thought as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Watch it chicken legs, I still don't have a problem breaking your arm."

Lars backed off. "Alright alright."

"Well it was fairly easy to get passed my nut job of a family, besides, Garnet is covering for me."

He nodded and patted the spot next to him, indicating for Primrose to sit. Prim gladly took the seat and looked off into the distance, sitting in an awkward silence. 

"Rough night?" she asked. 

"Uh yeah, rough night," he said, sighing wand rubbing the back of his head. "It hasn't been good the past couple of weeks, I haven't gotten a single drop of good sleep."

"Have you gone to the doctors?"

"Phssht, the Doctors?" Lars scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Doctors are for wimps, big baby, wusses, shall I go on?"

"And the Doctors are for people who are in need of major help, for those who need a diagnosis, and for recovery," Prim corrected him, eyeing Lars up. 

"Oh whatever," he groaned, putting his head in his hand. "My parents said that I should go to the Doctors but...I don't know I feel little weird about it." 

"Yeah I get," Prim started, "the doctors could be a scary place, no lie, but the only thing they want to do is help you."

Lars sighed, looking down sadly. "Yeah..." 

Prim put her hand on his shoulder. "Hey, why don't we go in? Sort of chilly out here don't you think?"

Lars looked at her with depressing eyes and nodded, getting up from his seat and Prim followed him in quietly. "My parents are away on a trip, won't be back till like sometime next week." 

"That's pretty cool, gonna throw a few parties?" She elbowed his side and wiggled her brows. Lars shrugged and gave a very small smile. 

"I suppose a party or two wouldn't be so bad," Lars thought aloud, flicking the lights on in the kitchen. There on the island sat a plate of doughnuts, soaking in all the glory. Prim licked her lips and her eyes lit up. Lars plopped down on a chair and the younger of the two sat across from him. "Want one?" Lars asked, taking a pink icing topped doughnut. 

"Do I ever!" Exclaimed Prim, taking the one with white icing and rainobow sprinkles. She could never turn down the most delicious thing in the entire world. Well, right behind cookie cat. "Oh man these are bomb!"

"Big Donut never fails to impress," muffled Lars while eating his doughnut. After a few more bites of their delicious treats, Prim cleared her throat to speak.

"So how about we talk about the nightmare, hmm?" 

"Oh, u-um, now that I think about it, I don't really think it's worth mentioning anymore." Lars rubbed his arm uncomfortable, fidgeting around in his seat. 

"Dude I came all the way over here because you had a nightmare, I could be sleeping right now." She rolled her eyes. "So you're telling me."

"But it's stupid, really." 

"Not to me it isn't."

"Well to me it is."

"C'mon Lars I didn't come here for nothin' "

"Prim just let it go." 

"Nope."

"You're really starting to annoy me."

"Don't care, now spit it out already!"

"No!"

"Why not?!"

"Because it's dumb!"

"Its not dumb!"

"Yes! It! Is!"

"UGH!" Prim stood from her seat and jabbed her finger into Lars's chest. "Why must you be so freakin stubborn?!"

"Why are you always trying to get into everyone's business?!" Lars pushed Prim's arms away. 

"YOU TOLD ME TO COME OVER!" Prim flailed her arms around. "God, you say you're life is so horrible, so miserable! Oh boohoo Lars!"

"Yeah! SO WHAT?!"

"Maybe if you talked about your feelings you would be a nicer person and everyone would like you!" Prim yelled at him, shoving the chair in and leaning over table to get in his face.

"Well in so sorry your majesty but I HATE talking about my feelings!"

"WHY?!"

"B-BECAUSE I'M SCARED!!!" Lars's hand went down and he hit the table with a loud bang. Silence fell between them, the only sounds filling the air at the moment was their heaving. "Are you happy?!" His voice cracked as he wiped the building tears from his eyes, sitting back down and hiding his face in his arms. Lars's shoulders shook as he cried and Prim looked down at him pitifully. 

Prim sat back down and sighed, running a hand over her face. "Lars..."

"W-What?" He whimpered into his arms.

"Look at me."

Lars moved his head so that Prim could only see just his eyes; those dark eyes that were streaked with tears. 

Prim put her hand on his arm and leaned in. "Tell me what happened."

Lars furrowed his brows, wiping his eyes and grabbing a tissue from the tissue box beside him. "It's just...it was all dark. No light, nothin, just pitch black. A-And I was alone! Just me, falling down an endless pit of darkness. Prim I couldn't escape! I was so scared! No mom and dad, no Sadie--no Steven...n-not even you..." he placed his hand over Prim's, looking away with tinted cheeks. "I thought it would never end. And then there was horrible voices. They said such hurtful t-things..." Lars shut his eyes tightly and his shoulders shook. 

"What did these voices say Lars?" Prim asked gently. 

"They....they...called me pathetic. A-A waste of s-space. They said my parents were ashamed of me. That I was a loser." He covered his eyes. "But they were true. These voices were right about everything they said." 

Prim's eyes widened and it felt like her heart broke. 'Oh you poor thing...' She was his friend, this was probably the first time Lars has ever opened up to anyone, but Prim didn't know what to do.

"Why can't I just be like Steven?" Lars said. "Why can't I just be like...you?" He looked up at her. "You're kind to everyone and everything. You're smart, passionate, you help everyone who has a problem, and you make a new friend everyday--the same with Steven. Y-You're nice to me, even when I treat you badly," the teen looked away with shame. 

Prim shook her head, "There's only one Steven, there's only one of me, and then there's just one of you. And to just think of two Stevens drives me nuts," she cracked a toothy smile, thinking of her brother. "The things those voices said aren't true in any way, shape, or form, I  promise you that. You are who you are, and no one could change you. Sure you have your bad days, but who doesn't? And sure you have more bad days than good, but that just makes the good days seem even more special then they really are." Prim cupped Lars's cheeks, wiping the tears away with her fingers. "You're special."

"R-Really?" Sniffed Lars, swallowing hard and face becoming hotter. 

"In my eyes you are. To me you always will be." The two smiled at each other, faces rather close now. "We all get nightmares. Even you Lars, even I."

"Thank you, Prim..." Lars whispered. "Ya'know, now that I look at you more and more often, I never told you this, but you really are beautiful."

"Jeez, I get you to open up once and you're already telling me I'm beautiful?" She smirked, blowing a lose strand of hair out of her face. 

He rolled his eyes, moving his eyes away from hers. "W-Well, since we're in the moment n' all, I thought I should just tell you. I mean, you're gorgeous!"

Prim's face started to feel hot with embarrassment, the sweatshirt suddenly not being needed anymore. Prim pulled back and pulled the sweatshirt off, the cool breeze hitting her skin and her gem glowing with passion. It was out there, making her body feel warm with....love? 'This is an odd feeing...' she thought to herself. She only ever felt her dad's fatherly love, or Steven's brother love, even the Gem's motherly love in a way...never this kind. Maybe it wasn't even love, she didn't know, but from then on when she looked at the boy in front of her, she felt...different. Her stomach tingled, like butterflies swarmed inside. Her heart pounded in her chest, her cheeks going red as she leaned forward again. 

"O-Oh w-w-well thanks," Prim laughed softly, rubbing the back of her head. "You flatter me---

A pair of lips pressed against hers, a hand on the back of her head. Prim stuttered into the kiss, her heart skipping a few beats, a feeling of warmth engulf her. Prim kissed Lars back, holding his shoulders. A few seconds later they both broke away, gasping for air, falling back in their seats. She touched her lips with her fingertips, slouching in her chair. 'Did he just...?'

Lars himself looked like he couldn't believe what he had done. He covered his mouth, his face passed the color red, looking away out of sheer humiliation. "I'm sorry Prim, I...I-I don't know what came over me--" Prim rose from her seat, looking at Lars with a smirk. "Wait, where are you going?" He asked, sounding a bit saddened and panicked. 

She rolled her dark eyes at him and walked around the table and stood in front of Lars. "Where am I gonna go?" She asked, a smile on her lips. 

(Ok so like I don't know if this is Would be labeled as pg 13/14 form this point on, so don't go nutso in the comments!)

Prim sat down on Lars's lap, facing him with her arms around his neck. Lars seemed to be in a dazing shock, his eyes still glittering with settling tears and face shining with streaks. She pressed against his chest, a small cheeky smile spread against her face. Lars stuttered over his words, his hands resting on her back, fingers moving over her gem. "I-I-I like you..." Lars mumbled quietly, looking her in the eyes (I know, real cheesy). "Like...really really like you..."

"Really? I haven't noticed," Prim raised her brows, "I'm just curious why me and not Sadie."

"Sadie..." he started, "I only ever seen Sadie as a friend. Nothing more, but I think she feels a bit stronger about me instead." 

"You don't think she'd be really mad at us, do you?" The girl of 14 asked a bit worriedly. After all, Sadie was her friend too, and she would never want to upset her.

"I don't know, actually, we'll just have to see."

"So that means..." Prim laughed a little, shrugging her shoulders, "that we're dating? Like...a thing?" 

Lars smiled widely, nodded his head, and rested his forehead against hers. Prim kissed his cheek, then his jawbone, and then laid a small kiss on his neck, and then a bigger one where his shoulder and neck met. "You won't ever abandon me, would you?" he moaned, his grip on Prim becoming stronger. "Like, leave me for someone better?"

Prim, the girl with dark, long springs for hair, chuckled softly, hugging the older boy's skinny yet strong chest to her. "Never" is what she whisper, giving him a loving kiss on the cheek.

[crabbng]

did this on twitter for hana and bon! i’ll put all their answers under the cut, please enjoy <3

HANA:

1. what's their favorite beverage - alcoholic and/or non-alcoholic? hana likes nice, comforting warm drinks like hot chocolate and apple cider, he hasn't really had experience with alcoholic drinks 2. what's their favorite flavor? (spicy, sweet, sour, etc.) umami tbh, some nice hearty savory stew flavors 3. what's their favorite food? BEEF Clapping hands sign STEW Clapping hands sign he also like sweets, pastries and candies and whatnot 4. breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snacks - which do they look forward to the most? dinner cause he imagines it as a family meal, and also it's the heartiest meal 5. do they have a food or flavor they absolutely hate? bland things like.. boiled green beans.. like.. wet tasteless vegetables.. he is not a fan but who is tbh 6. can they tolerate spicy food? yeah! he likes some good heat in his meals 7. what is their favorite animal? DRAGONS! cause they're cool. also... because baby. 8. what do they wear to bed? boxers or nothing in his own home, in the castle tho he wears like. pj bottoms. 9. what position do they like to sleep in? curled up around a pillow or in a blanket, or flopped on his belly 10. are they a morning person or a night owl? he would like to be a morning person, but he tends to get excited about whatever he's working on and accidentally staying up late, which then makes him sleep in late.. 11. are they a heavy sleeper or do they wake up easily? HEAVY SLEEPER. the boy sleeps like a rock. 12. it's a rainy day, what will they do cooped up inside all day? hana has a WHOLE ROOM of stuff to work on. he tries to get old tech up and running again (with.. limited resources) or to get it to be useful in other ways. 13. do they have a favorite scent or smell? honestly... musty smell of city that was cut off and unused for a thousand years. 14. what do they smell like? do they wear perfume or cologne? a little bit sweaty, a little musty from hanging out in an abandoned city, a little like oil, wood shavings.. he smells like whatever he's been working on. he tries to just smell neutral around other people. 15. baths or showers? BATHS! BUBBLES! RELAX TIME!! taking time just to be hana. nice. 16. how good are they at cooking? it's not gourmet or anything but he can cook a tasty meal. he's worse at baking but he's practicing!! 17. what's their favorite time of year and why? winter!!! pretty snow.. relaxing quiet.. getting to go inside and get all warm and cozy.. nice. 18. do they have a favorite holiday? tbh i dont know what holidays there are in kos world... i oughta think of that.. but anything with people getting together and celebrating together is something he'd like to participate in someday 19. do they prefer buying or receiving gifts? buying!!!! hana loves giving gifts. tbh he doesn't receive a lot of gifts. maybe like.. a jar of jam one time and it made him cry. he kept the jar. 20. how tall are they, and how do they feel about their height? 4' even. he's fine with his height tbh, his insecurities come in when he thinks about what OTHER people think about his height. he definitely recognizes that he looks different than everyone he's been around. 21. can they play any instruments? not really.. he made a guitar once. was NOT good at it. 22. do they have a nice singing voice? NO! cant keep a tune to save his life, but he's the only one (besides baby) who's heard him sing so it really hasn't mattered 23. do they talk to themselves? YES! it could seem like he's talking to baby, but really... she can be asleep or somewhere else and he's just still talking to himself. who else does he have to talk to?! let him live. 24. do they enjoy music? what kind? tbh he probably enjoys "old timey" music he found in the ancient city so like.. synth pop LMAO 25. do they make friends easily? yes! surprisingly, from his popularity in the town. he had a bad first impression whoops. but he's just very charming and sweet and wants to be your friend. 26. surprise birthday party! how do they react? crying. happy crying. but a lot of crying. he won't stop. please stop crying hana. second surprise party would go over better, he'd just cry at the beginning and then have fun at the party. 27. what is their favorite flower, if they have one? hydrangea.. symbolize heartfelt emotions 28. how does your character feel about wearing jewelry? neutral? i like putting him in a lot of jewelry, but it's not something he'd do himself. besides like. his ear and nose piercings (and the other one lol) those are kind of special. he's had those since before he can remember 29. if they wear jewelry, what's their favorite piece? his teal earrings! he was gifted those (one of the like 2 gifts he's received lol) by someone very important to him 30. fashion forward or fashion disaster? fashion neutral? he's definitely not fashionable when he dresses himself (in the clothes he made himself lmao) but he's not like.. offensively disastrous 31. what kind of underwear does your character wear? boxer briefs? for comfort. that's hana's goal picking out his own clothes. comfort. 32. do they wear makeup? what kind? not regularly but he's not against it. he likes looking pretty. he likes eyeliners especially but will sit there and let u put whatever on his face. 33. do they paint their nails? HELL YEAH he paints his toenails since he works with his hands and it'd chip off. after bath nail painting time. paints baby's claws too. 34. are they quick to get haircuts or do they often let it grow out? after his introduction to the townspeople with his hair that had been grown out for years and NOT well taken care of.. he keeps up with haircuts now. he doesn't want to give people reasons to dislike him lmao 35. do they know how to whistle? through the front gap in his fangs yes 36. or how to braid hair? he knows how to braid his own hair for sure. he hasn't had other hair to practice on but he would know how to braid like.. leather cord or stuff for other crafts projects. so i think he'd be good at it. he'd learn like fancy patterns and such 37. are they scared if anything in nature - bugs, snakes, lightning, being on the water, etc.? lightning and storms definitely. he spent his formative years under a mountain, safe from all that, any sort of dangerous weather freaks him out. 38. have they ever thought they were about to die? not that he remembers. but there were times. 39. how do they react to getting sick? a big baby. snuggled up in a thousand blankets with chicken noodle soup and hot teas. 40. are they afraid of blood? not especially? he's been injured before and had to patch himself up. bad injuries tho... lots of blood..... he wouldn't do great with that. 41. how do they earn money? hana builds and repairs stuff for the town mostly in exchange for produce and such. he doesn't really.. have money. 42. are they satisfied with their occupation or long to do something else? he enjoys helping people, so in that way he's satisfied. he'd rather people were more interested in his side job of repairing old tech and making his own tech stuff but... that's not legal. 43. how creative are they? quite creative! he has a number of different crafting hobbies and is always looking for more. he's not great at like.. like if you gave him a paintbrush and were like 'paint' he would just paint whatever was in front of him. not some imagined thing. 44. do they know how to draw? how skilled are they? he's good at like.. accurately drawn schematics? technical drawings. i dont think he would be great at like. portraits tho. like. he could probably draw an accurate face but it'd like completely lifeless. 45. what do they carry around with them during the day (ie in their pockets, a bag, a purse...) 1) a baby 2) his tablet, that's what's with him all the time.. except rn in the story.. when he is without both.. :( 46. do they have a sweet tooth? OH YEAH. he doesn't get a lot of sweets where he is (he's working on learning how to bake them) so he really enjoys good sweets when he gets his hand on them 47. haute cuisine or cheap eats? hana likes good homemade food, i guess cheap eats would be the closer of the two 48. do they know how to swim? HONESTLY.. PROBABLY NOT.. boy has not been around water much 49. do they have any scars? how did they get them? nah! at this point he is more or less scar free. i'm sure he has a few tiny ones from like.. when baby was playing a bit too wildly or something and he got a nasty little scratch but nothing like... big. 50. what kind of handwriting do they have? neat, messy, cursive, MESSY. like a kid who was never really taught how to write. he usually writes on his tablet, which has been taught how to recognize his handwriting and converts it to readable text.

BON:

bon can be hard so on questions where it's not really applicable now (like.. favorite foods and the like), i'll just go with what WOULD have been the case. when he was younger. 1. what's their favorite beverage - alcoholic and/or non-alcoholic? flavored sparkling waters, he likes the bubbles. he likes high alcohol content drinks, so it does its job. 2. what's their favorite flavor? (spicy, sweet, sour, etc.) he likes fresh, citrus-y flavors, whatever category that slots into. 3. what's their favorite food? THE ALL POWERFUL ORANGE, a good orange is a treat for bon 4. breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snacks - which do they look forward to the most? snacks, cause he can generally eat them alone and not be judged 5. do they have a food or flavor they absolutely hate? puddings and yogurts and stuff like that, soft foods 6. can they tolerate spicy food? a fair amount, but he does have limits (he will not admit it) 7. what is their favorite animal? farm animals, especially working animals, they're nice and usually calm, bon likes that 8. what do they wear to bed? either whatever he's wearing at the time he knocks out or nothin 9. what position do they like to sleep in? huddled in a corner 10. are they a morning person or a night owl? BOTH! he's not a sleeper. if you find him sleeping its because he was probably up the past 3+ days and he just knocked out. 11. are they a heavy sleeper or do they wake up easily? if he's sleeping cause he hadn't slept the past week, he doesn't wake up easily, but if it's a purposeful rest he wakes up to a pin dropping. also re: bon sleeping, he technically can go without sleep indefinitely but he has to go into his lava form to kinda.. refresh his stats so to speak 12. it's a rainy day, what will they do cooped up inside all day? pre-incident: read! study! practice magic. post-incident: think about mortality and stare at a wall 13. do they have a favorite scent or smell? fresh air on a cool day. but he's also nostalgic about the stink smell of a tavern. 14. what do they smell like? do they wear perfume or cologne? ash and smoke. and on special days ;) burnt flesh ;) he doesn't wear perfume or cologne, he just smells weird all the time. 15. baths or showers? showers, a quick spray down and then he's out of the water as quick as possible. 16. how good are they at cooking? QUITE! bon can cook and he can cook good. he's stayed with a lot of families over the years and learned a lot of good tricks and recipes, plus what he learned from when he was growing up and would somewhat regularly cook for himself. 17. what's their favorite time of year and why? summer. he does well in the heat. also the days are longest. bon likes it when it's light out. 18. do they have a favorite holiday? bon doesn't like holidays! cause holidays come with traditions. and traditions come with expectations. and expectations come with punishments. 19. do they prefer buying or receiving gifts? giving, i guess? receiving gifts can come with a price. but it's nice to give a gift and know you expect nothing in return. 20. how tall are they, and how do they feel about their height? bonk is 5'9", he's fine with it 21. can they play any instruments? YES!!! he can play a variety, his favorites are harp and fiddle, though he also can play a mean flute, though that was mostly from his upbringing so he doesn't like it all too much 22. do they have a nice singing voice? YES!!!!! he has a most beautiful voice. he can rouse a room with a good folk song or bring a room to tears with a mournful ballad 23. do they talk to themselves? ahahaha yes. we have already seen this in comic. bon struggles with differentiating between reality and his.. imagination i guess. so. that can often lead to him just talking to himself. 24. do they enjoy music? what kind? yes! bon enjoys all sorts of music, but mostly songs you can sing along to. bar songs, shanties, ballads, he enjoys them all. he like songs that have an emotion to them if that makes sense. 25. do they make friends easily? NO. bon is both unfriendly and untrusting. however. if you are nice to him but once........... he Will die for you. and he will die for any child. loves childs. 26. surprise birthday party! how do they react? POORLY. either confused why people thought it would be a fun idea or angry that he was caught off guard. now... if you do it right..... have the surprise just be like.. a cake waiting at home or something.. a quiet night.. he will appreciate it. he Will die for you. 27. what is their favorite flower, if they have one? daffodil.. rebirth.. eternal life.. unrequited love.. perfect 28. how does your character feel about wearing jewelry? he's not a huge fan tbh. makes him feel like someone's shiny show piece. but he does like an earring or two or three 29. if they wear jewelry, what's their favorite piece? he doesn't wear jewelry regularly :( but he likes earrings! he likes little hoops that go on the top of his big ears 30. fashion forward or fashion disaster? more fashion forward than a disaster. he doesn't dress himself like.. super well.. cause his clothing tends to not last super long, but he knows how to look good 31. what kind of underwear does your character wear? NONE he's flying free 32. do they wear makeup? what kind? again, not any regularly, but will rock a good eyeliner if offered 33. do they paint their nails? no lmao good luck painting his lava nails, he'll melt ur brush, oh god and im sure the smell of burning nail polish is just awful 34. are they quick to get haircuts or do they often let it grow out? he cuts his hair pretty frequently (not well) he cuts like.. parts at a time. like 'hm this section looks a lil long' CHOP~ 35. do they know how to whistle? like a got damn bird 36. or how to braid hair? yes! he is good at this. 37. are they scared if anything in nature - bugs, snakes, lightning, being on the water, etc.? not really? he's had a lot of experience living outdoors so things that may have scared him at one point have been dealt with and most things it's like 'well i cant die so it really doesnt matter', cold and rain it's like 'well ill get real hecked up for a while but.. whatever' 38. have they ever thought they were about to die? YES! quite a few times, though not anymore lmao. one of the first times he ran away from home and nearly starved to death, the... incident, and when he was turned into a basbeo, just to name a few 39. how do they react to getting sick? pretending like he's not. pushing himself too hard until he cannot pretend anymore. nowadays tho.. he just turn into lava man and boom. all better. 40. are they afraid of blood? nah, he's seen plenty of it by this point to just not even register it. not even mostly his own! see this isn't a sad answer. 41. how do they earn money? HE DON'T! what use does a dog have for money u feel me 42. are they satisfied with their occupation or long to do something else? bon was basically a travelling bard at one point and oh boy he longs to go back to those days. his current occupation of 'guy who steals, kidnaps, murders and destroys on command' just isn't fulfilling for him. 43. how creative are they? i'd say pretty creative. he's not really doing anything with it right now, but he's a pretty imaginative guy. 44. do they know how to draw? how skilled are they? i think so! i figure that would be part of his lessons when he was younger. so he's probably.. too good at it. opposite of hana, where he's be good at portraiture and like.. pretty scenes. this also makes me think of little bon running around and putting lil devil horns on his mom's portraits 45. what do they carry around with them during the day (ie in their pockets, a bag, a purse...) doesn't really have.. a lot of things.. in the same vein tho, that jacket he wears, he's had for a while, and it's been through a lot now (i.e. the missing bottom) but. it's something he repairs and takes care of. it's special to him. for reasons. 46. do they have a sweet tooth? not especially, he doesn't like Sugar Sweet stuff, but he does like.. apples n stuff. he'll eat a peach croissant and enjoy it. everything in balance. 47. haute cuisine or cheap eats? cheap eats: more food for less 48. do they know how to swim? yes but he doesn't do it anymore cause he'll get too cold and seize up and lava man will just become a rock. he can use like.. hot tubs and very warm baths. he CAN enjoy those. 49. do they have any scars? how did they get them? well! bon had scars previous to his charred limbs (you'll see them soon) from being burned. because of.. reasons. i never know how depressing to get when talking about bon :( anyways, his charred limbs didn't happen immediately after becoming a basbeo. it basically happens when there's like.. a struggle for control between bon, his elemental, and who or whatever (maighstir, priomh, tera, his cuffs, etc.) is trying to control bon's transformation abilities. like either trying to use more power than he's being allowed, or to resist using it at all. they feel weird and crusty and leathery and warm! so the last one is kind of nice. it is unpleasant to hold his hand. 50. what kind of handwriting do they have? neat, messy, cursive, BOY CAN'T WRITE ANYMORE! he used to have really neat cursive handwriting like.. calligraphy style.

[ashintheairlikesnow]

Confusion for the one word prompt!

CW: Some inadvertent, non-hostile ableism

Ronnie’s got her pen in her mouth, chewing idly on the cap, sitting on a little bench in the ‘storytime’ section of the bookstore while she flips through a magazine full of recipes, discarding this one or that one as she makes her grocery lis for next week.

Tris isn’t the pickiest eater as long as the food isn’t “mixed up” - she cooks all the pieces separately, puts them on a plate, and then mixes them up for she and Paul afterward. It’s just that Paul has always had a weirdly specific taste in food, and it’s easy to narrow down what she can make and can’t if she wants her husband to eat, too.

Not that he wouldn’t happily make himself dinner separately, he’s a grown-ass man, but she still tries to make things that include him.

Nearby, seven-year-old Tris sits on the rough carpeting, humming to himself as he carefully lines up a series of books that, as far as she can tell, are about cats. She has no idea what he is using as a criteria for which books go where - clearly he’s not what number in the series they actually represent, she can see from here that they’re lined up all out of order - but he is deeply and seriously involved in his work, and his humming is soft-pitched, low and quiet. 

“You good, Tris?” Ronnie asks, writing the word ‘apples’ down on her grocery list. 

“Mmmn, mmmmn, mmmmn,” He says, and she decides to take that as a ‘yes’ and goes back to looking at the apple crumble recipe. 

He’s been wearing that dinosaur shirt for four days, but he agreed this morning to put something else on his afternoon, if she would wash it so he can wear it clean tomorrow again. At least he agrees to clean underwear and pants, right? She has friends in her parents-group whose kids are Tristan’s age and still can’t dress themselves. Or maybe they just feel better without the weight and scratch of clothes on their skin.

Sometimes, she thinks she should really just buy seven sets of the same damn shirt, and let Tristan be happy.

That morning he had climbed into bed with she and Paul, snuggling up under her chin, and hummed and tapped and hummed and tapped in happiness until Ronnie had pulled him up and half-carried him out, just to let her poor husband get a few hours of sleep after work. 

He’ll go to daytime work hours soon, he promises, and Ronnie can’t fucking wait until she can stop trying to keep her son silent while his father sleeps, because that’s one particular mountain she is fucking tired of climbing.

Rather than deal with it today, she took Tris to the bookstore, and Tristan is safely ensconced in a routine he loves - bookstore at 9 AM when they open the doors, Mommy gets her breakfast and coffee and Tris gets to pick a snack and the chocolate milk in the red box with a cow on the front, stay through storytime at 11:30, and then get a chicken nugget happy meal with ranch dressing for dipping on the way home. 

Every bookstore day is the same. He wraps himself in the schedule like it’s a warm blanket, and Ronnie can’t say she doesn’t love mornings out with him when he’s not overwhelmed. 

When he pulls down the books and lines them up, or stacks them, or just holds four or five while looking at them. Her favorite days are when he brings them to her and explains, in his halting, soft stammer, every single goddamn detail of what happens. She sets her expression to fascination and listens and thinks that there was a time, before gymnastics and therapy and IEPs and everything she’s fought for, where she worried that she would lose her son to his own mind, that he would stop coming out of it to find her.

“Mommy, that weird boy is making a funny noise,” A high-pitched voice says, and Ronnie glances up from her grocery list to see a harried woman with ash-blonde hair, carrying a pink backpack with a unicorn on it over one arm, a little girl with blonde hair on one side and a toddler with red hair on the other. The woman’s eyes meet Ronnie’s, briefly, and Ronnie sets her jaw, ready for the fight.

Tristan doesn’t seem to even hear them. If he does, he doesn’t care. He goes on smiling, picking between two books with a deep seriousness, before choosing one to set down. He never cares what anyone says who isn’t one of his gymnastics friends, who take him as he is. It’s Ronnie who always feels the need to defend his brain. Tris just goes on living.

“Mommy, why is that boy-”

“Ssshhhh, that’s very rude to talk about people,” The woman says, looking away from her then, and Ronnie’s fingers tighten around her pen, digging a black dot into the paper until she’s worried she’ll tear it. 

She knows what comes next. People like that, kids like him, she’s heard it all, more of it from Tristan’s own teachers than she’d ever admit to him. Not that he would care, really.

There’s a moment where she opens her mouth, ready to say something, to build the wall around Tristan as she has always done, when the woman adds, “He’s just enjoying himself, honey. Some kids make sounds when they’re happy, just like when you sing at home and in the car, right? He’s just in a good mood. He’s just singing here, instead.”

Ronnie stares at her. She didn’t expect that. Her mouth stays open, the sharper words still harsh on her tongue, unspoken.

“Oh.” The girl thinks it over. She’s blonde, too, and looks just like the woman. She wears a white shirt with a unicorn made out of glitter on the front and pink leggings, plus pink shoes. Ronnie wonders, for just a second, what it might have been like to have a second child, a girl, to buy those kinds of things for.

Not that Tristan didn’t love glitter, too, to be honest. Honestly he probably wouldn’t mind pink, either, as long as it had a fucking velociraptor on it. No, wait, the big ones weren’t really velociraptors, Tris and Paul said that was some other one... Having your son and husband care so much about dinosaurs is sort of exhausting.

She should see if there were pink glitter dinosaur shirts... he might like those.

“Hey.” The girl marches over to Tristan, and he looks up after a second, as if broken out of his internal spell, looking at her. The last hum dies on his lips. The woman and Ronnie both redden, neither looking at the other. “Hey, kid.”

Tristan looks at her, blinking. Then he holds out the last book, in his hands. “Dark River,” He says, simply. 

The girl looks down, looking at the painting of a cat on the cover, and then nods, solemnly. “I read that one,” She says, head tilted. “It’s good.”

Tristan nods, and lays the book down with all the others. 

“Why are you doing that?” The girl asks, and Ronnie tenses again.

“I, I, I want to,” Tristan says without looking up.

“Huh.” The girl pauses, for a second, and then says, “I like to make my books like that, too.” Then she turns and walks away, and her mother takes the toddler by the hand and follows.

Ronnie hears the girl’s mother say, “Wait, that’s why you always make a mess with your books?”

Ronnie watches them go, staring, wondering what she just witnessed. If it means something, if it means nothing, if it means the woman will get her daughter evaluated, if if if if.

“Done,” Tristan says, breaking her out of her stupor. She watches him rearrange the books back into the order they were originally shelved in and place them carefully back. “Better, better now.”

Better than what? Her son is a mystery, and she safeguards him like a dragon guarding treasure it cannot understand but knows it would give its life for.

He looks at her, still comically solemn. “Snack?”

“Uh... yeah,” Ronnie says, voice slightly raspy. “Yeah, baby. Snacktime.”

“Story, storytime after?”

“Yep, we have...” Ronnie checks her phone. “Twenty minutes until storytime, so that’s perfect.”

Tristan smiles in her general direction and waits as Ronnie gathers her things back up. He doesn’t look back at the girl as he leaves the kids’ section and heads for the front, where the café is. 

Ronnie wonders if the girl looks back at him. 

[atlafan]

Take it Slow - Part Eighty-Eight

a/n: okay this is my first shot at a harry:y/n fic, and it will be multiple parts. y/n had a bad experience with an ex over a year ago, and finally accepts her coworker and good friend Niall’s invitation to go on a blind date with his friend Harry.

Warnings: Fluff and Smut. (bum stuff right away)

Masterpost (all previous parts can be found in the masterpost)

While Harry was cleaning up in the shower, you got out the special box. You lay the towel out on the bed, a new one that you and Harry had picked out together. It seemed silly, but sometimes when he was extremely shy, he would pull it out and that’s how you knew he wanted you in that way.

“All clean.” He beams when he walks out of the bathroom.

“Baby, we’ll have to use the plug for a bit after I use my fingers. We haven’t done this in awhile, and I don’t wanna hurt you.”

“Alright, angel.”

Harry helps you out of the rest of your clothes, and you both kiss for a bit while laying down. He sucks on one of your nipples while he fingers you. Harry always liked taking care of you first before you took care of him in this way. He made sure to make you come twice before he let you get between his legs.

You got plenty of lube around his hole and on your fingers. You suckled his tip while you just lightly played with the area around his hole, just to get him relaxed. Then you slipped your fingers inside, curling them up the way he does to you. He gasps when you graze his prostate. You love the way his cock twitches from it.

“Fuck, baby.” His head rolls back as he moans. He whimpers when you retract your fingers.

“Just getting the plug ready, doll.” You smile.

You grab the plug and get it lubed up before slowly and carefully inserting it.

“Wanna sixty-nine while we wait?” He asks, blushing.

“Ooo, I like where your head’s at tonight.” You giggle.

You climb up his body and turn around. He grabs at your ass to pull you closer. You wrap your lips around his throbbing cock as he licks into you. You groan against him which causes his hips to buck up. You take him further down your throat. You were being sloppy with him. You had spit and precome dripping down your chin. He was being just as sloppy with you. You could hear him slurping on you, and it was driving you nuts. You swallow around him when you feel your legs start to shake. You release on his tongue.

“Pull off babe, I wanna wait to come.”

You get off of him and slowly take the plug out. You stand up and put the strap on. You turn around as you stroke the lube onto the dildo. You didn’t like when he’d watch you do this part, for whatever reason. You get back on the bed and spread his legs apart.

“Ready for me, honey?”

“Mhm.” He smiles and hooks his legs under his arms for you.

“God, you looks so beautiful Harry.”

He gasps as you start to push the tip of the dildo in. He clenches, only for a second, and then relaxes. You slowly push inside him and he sighs.

“How’s that feel?” You rest your hands on his knees.

“Good, you can move now.”

You nod and start to rock in and out of him. You close your eyes and try to concentrate for a moment. You try to remember where his special spot is. When you hear him let out a throaty moan your eyes snap open.

“Right there, babe, shit.” He groans. His body had a nice layer of sweat on it now.

“Yeah? I’m hitting good?”

“So good, sooo fucking good.”

You use one of your hands to pump his cock up and down as you continue to his rub up against his prostate. He starts panting, you knew he was close. His eyes glaze over, he was fully gone. You had him screaming and crying out when he came. You pointed his dick towards your stomach how he likes. You give him a second to catch his breath before you pull out of him. You get the strap off and climb onto his chest. You rest on him, planting kisses on his neck.

“You did so good, Harry. You’re always so good.”

He strokes the back of your head and plays with your hair.

“I never thought in my wildest dreams I’d ever like somethin’ like that, but Jesus, that feels good. And you looks so fuckin’ sexy doin’ it.”

“I do?”

“You have no idea.” He kisses the top of your head. “I love you.”

“I love you too, so much.” You give him a little squeeze and get up. “M’gonna start the bath.”

He watches you get up and strut into the bathroom. You call for him once it’s all set.

“I wanna sit behind you.” He says as he gets in.

“Okay baby.”

You get in and sit in front of him. He holds you close, and you lean your head against his shoulder. You look up at him and he kisses you. You can’t help but moan into the kiss when you feel his tongue swipe across your bottom lip. His hand slips between your legs and starts ribbing your clit in small circles.

“Aren’t you tired?” You say against his lips.

“Never too tired for this.”

His fingers slip inside you while his thumb stays on your clit. He hooks his other arm under one of your legs to get in deeper. You clutch the rim of the tub as you grit your teeth.

“Ngh, Harry.” You groan.

“Like when my fingers get nice and deep?” He says into your ear.

“Yes.”

He nibbles on your earlobe as he rubs up against that spongy spot. You grind your hips into his hand. Your head rolls back hard against him. You thought you were going to slip under the water. Your chest was heaving, what the fuck was he doing to you?

“Harry!” You cry out as you come undone.

“C’mere.”

You turn around and straddle him. You wrap your arms arouns his shoulders and hide your face in the crook of his neck. His hands go to your back and press you further against him. You sit there for awhile just holding each other. It was soft and tender, and what you both needed. You always give each other exactly what you needed.

//

Just because you had Monday off, didn’t mean that Harry had Monday off. This was a really big weekend for last minute senior photos.

“Wanna come to work with me today?” He asks as he rolls over, snuggling up to you.

“Hmmm.” You give him a playful smile.

“You kid bring Buster, hang out at the park.”

“That would be nice. I do have some school work to do though.”

“So bring your laptop, you can work up in my office.”

“Alright, you’ve sold me.”

You both get up and take a quick shower. You pack both your lunches, and get Buster leashed up. Harry drives you both to the studio.

“Y/N! What a nice surprise.” Isaac smiles, and hands Harry his coffee.

“Mind gettin’ her one?”

“Not at all!” Isaac stands up.

“Harry.” You scold him. “I can go get my own coffee.” You assure Isaac.

“I don’t mind, Y/N, it’s part of my job.” He smiles.

“But you don’t work for me.” You take Buster’s leash off. “Hang with Uncle Isaac while I go next door, baby.”

Buster goes to his little dog bed behind Isaac’s desk.

“Where’s Mariah?” You ask.

“She asked to come in at noon today.” Harry shrugs. “I’ll be up in the office before my first appointment.”

You nod and head out the door the the coffee shop. You get yourself an iced coffee, and a few doughnuts, and head back in.

“I’m so glad it’s air conditioned in here.” You say to Isaac. “Doughnut?”

“Sure!” He looks in the bag. “Ooo, Boston Cream, you know these are Seth’s favorite?” He takes one and bites into it.

“Mine too! Something he and I bonded over early on in our friendship. Once a week we’d go to Dunkin’, and get one. It was like our Friday tradition.”

“Aww, that’s so cute. We’ve begun a Friday tradition of our own.”

“And what might that be?”

“I go to his place and we cook dinner together.” He swoons. “Then we watch a movie together on his couch, and he keeps an arm around me the whole time. I’ve noticed he really likes touch.” You nod. “Suppose I didn’t need to tell you that.”

“Oh, Isaac, I love when you tell me these things. It just reaffirms that I did the right thing by setting the both of you up. I like knowing he’s treating you right. What’s your favorite thing to make with him so far?”

“We made chicken parm once, oh my god, you should’ve seen him pound on that chicken with the mallet.”

You burst out laughing, and so does he. You stifle when a teenage boy his mother walk in. You step aside so they can check in with Isaac.

“Hi, you must be Benjamin.”

“Yeah.” He says shyly.

“Let me tell Harry you’re here.” Isaac presses a button on his desk phone. “Harry? Benjamin’s here.” He hangs up. “He’ll be down in a moment, please have a seat. May I get either of you anything?”

“Oh no, we’re all set.” The mother smiles and the two sit down.

“Think I’m gonna head up to his office now. Buster, come on baby.” He yips and heads up the stairs with you.

When you walk into Harry’s office he was just locking the top drawer in his desk. He shoves the keys in his pocket. You kiss each other and out he goes. You set your laptop up on his desk and get to work on your school assignments. Buster sits on the little love-seat Harry has in his office. You loved the way he’s slowly decorated it. There were a few pictures of you on his desk. That stupid one you hate of you wearing pj’s on Christmas morning, a picture of the two of you from his birthday, and the picture of the three of you (you, him, and Buster) from Castle Island. He also had a separate picture of Buster from when he was a puppy.

“Alright, Benjamin, we’re gonna head across the street.”

“Okay.” His mother stands up with him.

“Comin; with, mum?”

“Well sure, I have to make sure he-“

“You know, in my experience,” He pulls her aside, turning on the charm. “It’s a lot more fun for the kids when the parent doesn’t hang around. This is a special day for them, you know?”

“It’s just-“

“I promise, he’ll smile and the pictures will be beautiful. He seems a little tense though, so I’d like to try it with just me and him, yeah?” She blinks at him. “You can hang here with my pal Isaac.” He smiles and she nods.

He nods over to Benjamin and they both outside.

“You can, uh, call me Ben.”

“Alright, Ben it is.”

Harry looks around to see where he wants to start first.

“Sit down there, against that tree. The shade’s perfect.”

Ben does as he says.

“Does your mum do that a lot?” Ben sighs and nods. “A lot of you have overprotective parents, so I’ve noticed.” He chuckles.

“I know she means well, but she’s so far up my ass sometimes…I can’t wait to go away to college next year.”

“Where do yeh wanna go?”

“Not sure yet…I just wanna go away somewhere that she has to call first and can’t just drop in.”

Harry laughs and nods. This loosens Ben up a bit and Harry’s able to get some beautiful shots of him. You come downstairs to use the bathroom, and the mother looks at you funny. You shrug it off as you head to the toilet.

“Who is that woman? Does she work here too?”

“Her?” Isaac giggles. “No, no. She just has the day off from work. She’s Harry’s girlfriend. She’s doing some of her grad work up in his office.”

“Oh, I see.”

“She’s really something. Harry’s head over heels for her. I’ve known him a few years, never seen him so in love.”

They both look at you as you go back up the stairs. Ben and Harry come back into the studio after an hour or so outside.

“This one’s all set, he did great. Now, just make sure to give your information to Isaac. Once I send you the edited photos, all you have to do is email us which one you want in your yearbook and we’ll send it to your school.”

“Do we get to see-“

“Showed him a couple, don’t worry. Nice meetin’ yeh Ben.” He smiles. “I’m startin’ to book out in June for graduation photos, so if you like what you see afterwards, feel free to come see me again.”

Harry heads up to his office to load the photos onto his computer before his next client shows up.

“Hi baby.” He says.

“Oh hi!” You turn to look at him. “Here, I’ll go sit over there.” You get up and sit with Buster.

“Thanks.” He takes the SD card out of his camera, and slides it into his computer.

You watch as he creates a new folder for Ben and loads all the pictures in. He swivels around in the chair to look at you.

“What?”

“Kinda like the way yeh look hangin’ out here.”

“Well don’t get to used to it. S’just for today.”

“I know…is it weird that sometimes I wished we worked together?”

“Not really, although I think we’d get on each other’s nerves.” You laugh.

“What makes yeh say that?”

“Well…now we have have our separate spaces, and we’re able to miss each other all day, and then we get home and we’re able to talk about our days. If we worked together, there wouldn’t be much to talk about, would there?”

“Not true, you work with Niall and you’re able to talk to him.”

“Yeah, but I don’t live with him. When we hang out outside of work we’re catching up.”

“Guess that makes sense.”

“I can’t quit my job, Harry.”

“Woah, that’s not what I was gettin’ at.” He puts his hands up in defense. “I’d never ask you to do that. I know how much you love it.”

“I mean, I love doing all the freelance stuff for you. I really enjoy keeping your website and social media updated.”

“Speakin’ of that.”

He unlocks the top drawer in desk very carefully, and snatches an envelope form it. He locks it up quickly.

“Here.”

“What’s this?” You gasp when you open it and see cash. “Harry, what the hell is this?”

“We’ve started makin’ money off the ads you suggested we do on Facebook. I’ve wanted to pay yeh for the work you’ve been doin’ for awhile, but I needed to wait to make sure everything else was all set. You deserve to be paid for your work. Gotta pay yeh under the table of course.”

“I know you don’t expect me to keep this.” You try to hand it back to him, but he doesn’t take it. “Harry, come on, this is stupid.”

“You’ve been workin’ for me, Y/N. You’ve earned that.”

“No.” You shake your head. “I do all these things because I love you and want to help you how I can. I don’t want this money. I’d rather you put it towards something else.”

“Like what?”

“Well…we could put it towards our shared bank account and let it just pay our rent? Or save it for a rainy day. Oh! We could use it towards a vacation at some point.”

Or towards the wedding. He thinks to himself.

“Alright, towards a vacation sounds good. I’ll just keep it all in an envelope, like a nest egg.”

“Okay.”

He takes it and puts it in the safe under his desk.

“I do appreciate you wanting to pay me though, that means a lot.”

//

Mariah comes in at noon, and works with a client right away. You and Harry head across the street with Buster to eat your lunches.

“It’s so nice out today.” You toss Buster a carrot. “Not humid for once.”

“Mm, I know. I felt bad for some of the kids this summer. Can only edit out so much sweat from the pictures.”

You laugh and nearly choke on your food.

“I did mine right before school started, weather was similar to this.”

“Your pictures were beautiful.”

“Did I show them to you?”

“No…I, uh, creeped on your Facebook one time cause I was curious.” He blushes.

“That’s cute.” You giggle. “My Sean had done them for me. He had graduated a year earlier, but he had his own photography business. I had known him since middle school, it was fun to work with him.”

“Your hair was so cute, with your little bangs.”

“I’d cut my hair like that again in an instant, but it’s so hard to keep up with. And my forehead broke out really bad all the time. It just wasn’t worth it after awhile.”

“We didn’t get to do stuff like that at my school. We had to get our pictures taken by the school photographer, and we had to be in uniform.”

“I’m sorry, did you say uniform?”

“Yeah, a lot of the schools require uniforms over there.”

“Please tell me you have a picture.”

He chuckles and scrolls through his phone to see if he has one. He scrolls really far back on his Facebook.

“Ah! Here’s one.”

“Look at you! You’re a fetus!”

“Quit it.”

“And your hair is so curly! And the glasses! Jesus, you were cute.”

“Oi, I’m still cute.” He snatches his phone back from you.

“Yes, very cute.” You kiss his cheek. “But that’s like an innocent sort of cute, you know? Like, adorable.”

“I bet the boys were knockin’ down your door after you posted those pictures.”

“Yeah right.” You scoff. “I wasn’t exactly the cool girl, Harry. I wasn’t all that popular, and I had a small group of friends. I actually bounced around from group to group since I did theater and played sports.”

“M’little actress.” He kisses your nose. “I remember you mentioning you didn’t date much in high school.”

“I really didn’t. I had my first kiss at fourteen and didn’t kiss anyone again until I was seventeen. I had guy friends, and boys that I liked, but they just never liked me back…”

“Idiots.”

“Oh stop.” You nudge him. “I was very shy back then. I didn’t become outgoing until college, where I felt like I could just be myself, you know?” He nods. “Plus, the girls just became my people and my life just got more fun.”

“Yeah, I feel like I really could find myself in uni. Way less judgement. And since I didn’t have to wear a uniform anymore, I could really experiment with my look.”

“You have an array of clothes, I love it.”

“And that’s one of the things I love about you. You just let me be myself. You never look at me funny.”

“Why would I? Wear whatever makes you comfortable.”

He hooks an arm over your shoulders and pulls you into him. He kisses the top of your head and you both watch Buster run around and play.

//

It was the perfect day off. You loved seeing Harry in action. He was so wonderful with his clients. His last client of the day was a newborn shoot. It was Harry’s old friend that you had run into at the market months ago. You think you remember her name being Lydia. They had wrapped up and Harry was holding the baby while catching up with his friend. You were talking with Isaac as he finished up his work for the day. You couldn’t help but be amazed at how naturally Harry could hold the baby. You had seen it several times before, but something about this was different.

He hands the baby back to his mother, and out she goes. Harry goes up to his office to grab his things, and he comes back down. He locks the door and out to his car you go.

“Didja have a nice day?” He asks.

“It was great! Buster sure likes that park.”

“It’ll be tough once the winter comes, he’ll miss it I bet.”

“God, I’m not looking forward to waking up on those cold mornings to bring him out.”

“So I’ll do it.” He shrugs.

“Don’t be silly.” You rest your hand on his thigh. “I enjoy my time with him in the morning.”

“You know while he was sick he whined all day while you were sleepin’. Thought he’d like spendin’ some extra time with me.”

“Gee, I wonder where he gets missing me so much from.” You laugh.

“I do not whine or whimper when I miss you.” A smile grows on his lips. “I just get grumpy and take it out on my coworkers.” You burst out laughing.

“It’s a wonder they don’t hate me then.”

Harry laughs and continues the drive home. You both make vegan BLT’s for dinner and settle in on the balcony. Buster was a good boy and ate his dinner, so you gave him a little treat.

“Baby?”

“Hm?”

“Could we watch Glee tonight?”

“Of course!”

It was the middle of the second season. It was the…Justin Bieber episode.

“God.” Harry groans. “Please tell me you weren’t a fan of that idiot.”

“Not at all.” You snort. “He’s a fucking douchebag, I didn’t fall under the spell. A couple of my friends did though, it was super annoying.”

“Were you obsessed with any celebrities back then?”

“Oh, yeah! Zac Efron was the first boy I ever loved.” You both giggle.

“He certainly was the one to make that hair styles cool.”

“Exactly! You know, some weeks they really missed the mark with the songs, and other weeks it was like holy shit that was breath taking.”

“Mm, yeah, I agree. You know I’ve started to make a playlist of my favorites.”

“Really?! I wonder how it compares to mine.”

“Let’s see.”

You both take your phones out and go to your Spotify playlists. There was quite a bit of overlap, but a few songs that you didn’t agree on.

“How do you not like Like a Prayer?!”

“S’not that I don’t like it, I just don’t need it on my playlist.”

“But it’s one of their best songs!”

“I’m savin’ room for the other seasons! I haven’t even heard half the songs you have on yours yet.”

“Okay fine, you got me there. At least we can agree on Total Eclipse of the Heart.”

“The first time I listened to that with headphones in? Chills.”

“I’m really glad you’ve gotten so into it. Is there a show you like that we haven’t watched yet?”

“I really like the older seasons of Top Gear…I think those guys are funny.”

“Maybe I could watch it with you sometime.”

“Sure.” He puts his arm around you and you snuggle in closer as the episode goes on.

//

It was 3AM and Harry hadn’t been able to fall asleep yet. The day was getting closer and closer and he was getting more nervous and anxious. He was excited of course, he knew you were going to say yes, how could you not? But he was scared something might go wrong, or that something could get ruined. He was putting so much work in to surprise you, while also having to play it cool around you.

He turns over on his side and looks at you. You were on your side facing him, lips parted, soft snores coming from you. He never really got to see you when you were in a deep sleep. As always, he thought you were the cutest thing in the world. He watches as your eyebrows furrow and your hand reaches out for him. You sigh once it rests on his hip. He inches closer to you and gets his leg between yours.

“Mm, Harry?” You say without opening your eyes.

“Go back to sleep, angel.” He says softly as he strokes your cheek.

“You can’t sleep?”

“Havin’ a little trouble tonight, I’m afraid.”

“Mm, my poor baby.”

You roll onto your back and pull him onto you. Your eyes were still closed, but you start stroking his head and scratching his scalp. He nestles into your chest. He could feel his eyes starting to droop, but you hadn’t work a shirt to bed, and being in between your breasts like this was making another part of his body perk up. You could feel it against your hip.

“Harry.” You sigh.

“M’not doin’ it on purpose.” He groans. “Sorry.”

“Well, it’s clearly not going away…you can just stick it in if you want.”

“What?”

“We’ve done that before.”

“Not when we’re tryin’ t’sleep though.”

“Baby, I’m so tired, go ahead, if it’ll help you sleep.”

“The second I stick it in, I’m gonna need to fuck you.” Your eyes snap open and you look down at him.

“Okay, so then fuck me.”

“I feel really bad, you’re gonna be tired for work, and-“

“The sooner you fuck me the sooner we can both cuddle and go to sleep.”

Harry dips lower under the blankets and gets his head between your legs. You weren’t expecting him to go down on you, but you weren’t complaining. His tongue felt really good on you right now. He had your toes curling right away. You and Harry had been together for almost a year and something you noticed in all that time is that he always sticks his tongue up inside you first. He loved to suck and nibble on your clit, but he loved to get his tongue up inside you. Again, you weren’t complaining.

Your head thrashes against your pillow and your hands run through his hair.

“Need to see you!” You gasp as he sucks on you.

He rips the blankets away and looks up at you. You mouth falls open as you look down at him. Your eyes screw shut when he makes you come.

“Jesus.” You breathe.

He kisses up your body and slides inside you. You moan as he starts to rock in and out of you. You pucker your lips so he’ll kiss you. Your tongue slides into his mouth and he groans into you. He reaches for both your hands rests them on the pillow. You squeeze his as he thrusts in and out. God, you loved when he made love to you like this.

“Harry.” You moan as he starts to hit your g-spot.

“I love you, Y/N, fuck, I love you so much.”

“I love you too, baby.” You squeeze his hands again. “Please, fill me up.”

“Yeah? You want my come?”

“Need it.”

That was enough for him. Just as you feel your release coming, his hot come shoots inside you. He collapses on top of you and kisses your neck. He lets you get up to use the bathroom, and then you snuggle into his chest. You had successfully worn him out, and you were both back to sleep in no time.

[howdoyousleep3]

the panty fic made me like...long to read more of you writing aftercare. like what if bucky drops so deep and he’s so so soft he’s like nonverbal and steve was particularly dommy that time but then he’s all just taking care of him? i want it...

I don’t write aftercare enough, you are right. I think I realized that when I was actually writing “kiss it when he eat it”, that I just end fics after orgasms are had and how I definitely shouldn’t do that. Readers need aftercare almost as much as the characters do. 😭 I’m going to try and not let this get away from me so...

If Bucky is going nonverbal this is an intense night for them. I rarely write Steve going full Dom on Bucky, even being meaner to him (which I realize I should...) but this would need to be very different than their regular. I wrote about him going nonverbal when I did that Ask about how they cope in quarantine and shibari and I wrote Bucky floating hard when they had sex after making things official in my first story but it’s pretty hit and miss.

There are three things I think would make Bucky drop and float hard and those are heavy praise, overstimulation, and breathplay. 

O O F

Get them all together in one night, one fuck, and baby won’t come back until the morning. 

They’ve learned this as they’ve learned about each other and them as one. They’ve known Bucky’s love for praise since their first date, knew it the first time they talked in the bar for Christ’s sake; it’s Steve’s most powerful weapon. They came across overstimulation slowly, easing into it after they learned that Bucky can come untouched and that he can come more than once in one setting, so sensitive. Breathplay...that was different. That is something they stumbled upon, Daddy’s hand coming up and around Bucky’s neck, grip tight but nothing restricting, but Bucky made that breathy little whine nonetheless.

“...color?” Steve had rasped, looking down at Bucky underneath him with wild eyes. It took a few seconds, a tap on the cheek or two with Steve’s other hand, but Bucky drooled just like his dick did, slurred a low and slow, “Green, Daddy.” 

As they’ve learned and communicated they’ve uncovered what to do when Bucky floats in such a way, what is okay to transpire when Bucky floats and leaves Daddy on a little cloud rapidly. Steve is okay and encouraged to keep using Bucky, to keep sending him further and further into this sparkly sweet place. They have figured out how baby likes to come back, what to do after, what Bucky needs. 

Steve sends Bucky under hard one night, reels himself in from going into Topspace and everything once he sees Bucky’s eyes glaze over unusually early on. He’s been teasing his boy all day: a hand between Bucky’s legs as they spoon in the morning that pulls away at the last moment, tender kisses in heated mini makeout sessions that are scattered throughout the day, hot kisses on the back of Bucky’s neck as they’re out shopping that day and as Daddy stands behind him, tucked in tight. 

So, when Daddy’s voice drips hot with praise that evening as they crawl into bed, his big Daddy hand going tight around the column of Bucky’s throat, they both know how this is going to end up. Steve does what he can to keep Bucky with him but turns out those small slaps across his cheek or on the inside of his thighs help accelerate him drifting away. 

We know, even though I haven’t written it much, that Daddy Steve is a King when it comes to aftercare. His Sugar is his number one priority in his life, especially during and after Bucky responds to Steve in such a euphoric way. He would never let Bucky down.

Bucky floats and goes to that sweet sugar-spun place after Daddy stuffs him full of cock on his back, legs together and pressed to Steve’s chest, hand tight around Bucky’s neck. It’s like it’s the only Daddy wanted in the world, hips powerful, grip devastating, voice raw--

“Do it, do it, Bucky come on, baby go there. Go be as sweet as you can be, lemme see it, I gotchu. Know Daddy’ll take care’a you and love you and keep usin’ your sweet little body just how you like. Come on, babylove give it to me.” 

With express permission he does. He comes under Daddy’s touch, trembles around his cock, floats away with a grin on his face. He can still hear Daddy, hear that he’s making Daddy feel good, that’s he’s a perfect boy. He barely registers other movements, rolls and spreads, but Daddy’s voice is in his ear the entire time in the most comforting of ways.

Bucky even comes again, Steve’s thumb rubbing along the underside of his sensitive cockhead. He comes and...and goes quiet. When Steve asks him questions Bucky doesn’t respond. With Steve’s front to Bucky’s back it makes it hard to see the younger but when Steve gets a view of his boy’s face and the sight of him covered in his own come, he comes. 

Steve is someone who can stay hard for a while after he comes, dick not entirely sure if it’s done being used after one round. When Bucky is like this Steve is in no way quick to pull out. He’s chosen such position so he can hold Bucky close and in his arms without breaking that connection. Head nestled against a meaty bicep and an equally muscle-packed pec, Daddy’s lips right at his ear, his free hand stroking up and down Bucky’s body.

Both men are in heaven. 

These are the moments where Steve gets the most emotional, where his love for Bucky becomes overwhelming, where he lets his voice get a bit watery as he talks to Bucky. 

“Just the sweetest boy aren’t ya, Buck? Look at what you let Daddy see, what you let Daddy do, what you share with him. Just an angel on Earth, baby, and you chose me to be your Daddy, a goddamn miracle. You stay there, sugar; you stay there as long as you need. I’ll keep you safe, honey.” 

Bucky can go a long time without coming back to Steve, especially considering how safe and loved he feels. They’ll lay there in bed for quite a bit of time, Steve just watching Bucky, hands in his hair, kisses on his cheeks. He’ll listen to Bucky’s breathing, the small content noises he’ll let out from time to time. 

Eventually, he’ll carry Bucky to the bathroom, not even comfortable leaving Bucky on the bed alone for a quick ten seconds, would grab and wet a washcloth and carry them back. He’d lay Bucky out like he was a fragile little treasure, would wipe him down and make him clean enough for the time being, would make sweet noises as he did so. 

It would be just a lot of Steve holding Bucky close, skin on skin, sweet words pressed right into his ear. They’ve learned that Bucky can kind of panic if he comes to and there’s only silence so Steve turns the television on for low background noise. 

Steve knows Bucky is coming to when his hands come to life. His fingers will twitch and he’ll subconsciously reach for Steve, followed by a curious noise. Daddy doesn’t talk to him quite yet, reassures him more physically by running his hand through Bucky’s hair and kissing his temple. 

Steve is weak as fuck for Bucky rubbing his face into Steve’s chest like a cat when he reaches another level of normalcy. 

It has taken Bucky such a long time to not be embarrassed for having dropped so hard but they are past the point of tears or ragged breaths. Bucky tends to let out a purr or a giggle when he’s aware enough to go verbal again, when he comes back to Daddy. Steve is quick to jump on the encouragement, the praise, welcoming Buck back with hushed, “Baby”s and kisses. 

“Hey, sugarbear. There he is.” He won’t ask questions right away, Bucky needing to come back slow and steady. The turn and the press of Bucky’s face into his neck is enough of an answer to unsaid questions. In time he’ll ask how Bucky is feeling, how his body feels and how his mind feels, and they’ll act accordingly. Sometimes more snugs and a few tears are necessary. Sometimes they can hop into a bath. Most of the time sleep is of the upmost priority and they want it as soon as possible.

Steve always makes him drink some water as soon as he can. Food follows the bath/shower (which is purposeful and warm and snuggly) and it’s anything that Steve can feed Bucky with his own fingers: cubes of cheese, pieces of dark chocolate, chunks of chicken, grapes. Bucky is always quiet as a mouse and pleasantly introverted after such a scene and the silence between them is cozy and welcome. 

As they snuggle back into bed Steve always asks Bucky if he liked anything or if he didn’t, a debrief of sorts, so Daddy can know what to do or not do in the future. 

Bucky is clingy and falls into sleep quickly and Steve Rogers is the happiest Daddy that ever Daddied...

[anemonenemerosa]

Hello hello,

here we go. Thank you for staying with me and thank you @lumosinlove for creating this world =)

This is still dark (but we’re getting a bit better) so please stay safe.

Chapter 10

They stopped in front of a big apartment-building, windows mostly dark, it was almost one in the morning. There was no doorman, no entry hall to the building, just a corridor leading to stairs and a concerningly dingy lift. Ouais, enfin… maybe I pay with my kidneys for this, after all.

The door to the flat opened, Regulus was pushed in and all but froze. He had never seen such a place.

There was no entrance hall in here either, the front door directly opened into a small living room with an open kitchen and a dinner table shoved into a corner, half hidden behind an overloaded laundry rack.

The windowsills were crammed with pot-plants in several states of... health? survival? decay? Books and knickknacks were messily shoved into the tall but sloping shelves lining the walls, which were painted in a soft warm yellow, making the room look sunny and warm, even in the middle of the night.

Nothing, not even the chairs or precariously crooked shelves seemed to belong to the same set of furniture. And was one of the table-legs different from the others?

It was... all over the place, really.

The worn maroon rug in the living area clashed horribly with the big, ugly purple corduroy couch and the mismatched and multicoloured throw pillows.

Posters of 80's movies -Regulus recognised Ghost Busters and Back to the Future- and lots of unframed photographs almost covered the wall behind the couch.

On the far wall were three doors, one closed, one revealing bits of a very messy bedroom, the other ajar, sporting a poster of a rather ancient wooden privy... What. The. Hell.

Regulus did not know what to make of this. He somehow loved it instantly while simultaneously cringing over all the chaos and all the stuff crammed in here. His, stylistically uninspired, mother would probably die of shock at the view and somehow that made the place a little more endearing to him.

However, he always thought of himself as tidy and some part of him died just a bit at the sight of the mismatched socks and shirts littering the part of the bedroom-floor he could see. This place, starkly contrasting the house he grew up in was bursting with life, messy and welcoming instead of an assembly of model rooms resembling what was shown in some posh interior-design magazine. This is what a home looks like, Regulus decided.

He allowed himself to be ushered further inside.

"Leave you shoes here please and put your coat..." Regulus turned around as the sentence did not continue and saw Ben looking at the overflowing coatrack behind the door.

"...Put your coat somewhere you will find it again" he concluded, nodding to himself.

Mateo already went past them into the kitchen and dived headfirst into the fridge. "We have some left-over Minestrone from yesterday, if you want, Reg."

Regulus turned, having disposed of his coat on one of the chairs. As he didn't answer for long enough to be considered impolite, Mateo lifted his head from the fridge, noticing Regulus blank stare

"Is it OK, if we call you Reg? Regulus sounds so stiff..." This warm, infuriatingly disarming, smile. Regulus could only nod.

These people rendered him speechless at a disturbing rate. Usually, he chose not to speak but with them, he often couldn't.

The only one who had ever called him Reg was Sirius and even he stopped that years ago. Could he really be Reg again? Was he allowed to? No, a malicious voice echoed through his head. You do not deserve that comfort. Remember what you did. Regulus felt sick.

"Soooo... Minestrone?" – "I am not hungry, but thank you" Regulus looked at Mateo, hoping he would not call him Reg, regretting his thoughtless agreement.

"When’s the last time you eaten?" Ben asked as he came from the Bedroom in striped Pyjama-bottoms and an old shirt. Regulus tried to remember if he had had lunch today. Not good.

"If you need to think about it, it is too long ago. You eat." The man stated as Mateo chuckled and put a pot on the stove.

"Do never deny again that you are a freaking mother hen", he joked while walking into the bedroom, probably to change, too.

Regulus hovered in the room, wary and utterly confused. He struggled to maintain a safe distance, still trying to fathom what's going on and why these strangers were more welcoming and affectionate than his family ever been.

A quiet but reckless voice in his mind - very different from the sneer that chimed up just a minute ago and sounding suspiciously similar to a younger Sirius- reminded him that he fucked up already and that he might as well go and enjoy his time while the universe and/or his mother were probably already in preparation to take him down.

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

A while later he was seated on the ugly, lumpy couch, nursing a bowl of minestrone. He was clad in a much too small shirt ("this is the biggest shirt we have, you are just a giant") and borrowed underwear (his blood-stained sweatpants were soaking in the sink along with his, also bloody, shirt) and wrapped in a baby blue blanket with pink chickens on it. Why does such an item even exist?  

The TV provided mindless background-noise while Ben and Mateo chattered along about anything and everything. Regulus just sat there in silence and listened intently. He never met people who would just go on and lay out their life in front of a person they just met. Let alone a person they found bleeding in the shower, mid-meltdown... Maybe their life history hinted on why they were so careless with private information.

And they really were. They told him everything and Regulus was confident he could write their memoirs by now.

Apparently, Mateo grew up in Manaus, Brazil So, it was Portuguese, not Spanish. ("That's where Rio Negro and Rio Solimões meet to form the Amazonas" The more you know...) He came to the US to study medicine on a scholarship, is in the last weeks of his training and only stays in Slytherin because-

"One cannot choose their training hospitals on that scholarship. No offense, mate." None taken.

They recounted how they met almost five years ago at an airport.  That, after spending eight hours waiting for their delayed flight, they were joined at the hip. "Metaphorically and literally." Regulus went bright red at the innuendo while Ben patted his back sympathetically, shaking with suppressed laughter. He and Mateo were huddled up together in a yellow blanket with... Flamingos? Where did they even get these bird-themed things?

Ben had a sister, Josephine, who stayed here during semester breaks ("But do call her Jo or she will end you.") After Regulus gave a pointed look to the closed door, he was informed that he did not need to worry about their noise as she slept like the dead and even overslept a fire alarm in the building last summer.

Jo was 18, like Regulus but already in her Sophomore at Boston University as she skipped a year in middle school. "Got herself a scholarship and does computer-sciences, the insufferable nerd and know-it-all."

"She's really great, Reg. Ben is just her brother and thus, bound to think she’s annoying." Mateo interrupted Bens speech about his sister.

Regulus allowed himself a minute of going over the relationship with his own brother. Sirius was annoying. Very annoying, to be exact. But if anyone except him had called him out in the past, Regulus remembered feeling a little surge of protection against the git he was related to... maybe this was a siblings-thing.

He focused back on the conversation in front of him, fascinated by the insight of other people’s relations and upbringing.

The siblings grew up in Bristol, Great Britain, and moved to New York when Ben was seventeen and Jo ten but he did not elaborate on why they came here. That’s why I couldn’t place the accent.

Ben had studied Art History at NYU and actually worked at the Art Gallery in the city-centre. Cleaning the rink in the evenings was his means to save money for a tattoo shop he wanted to open in Boston, where they would move, come February, for Mateo’s new job.

He got informed that a note has been shoved under Jos door, announcing his presence, a spare toothbrush was presented and then, at nearly half past two in the morning, he is left for the night with a hug (!) from both of them. How touchy they are.

Regulus was not cuddly, never had been.

Really? You loved to snuggle up with Sirius in bed. The voice of reckless young Sirius supplied unhelpfully. This whole situation was completely surreal but also comfortingly normal.

This is a dream or, more likely, a godamn fever-trip. C’est pourri! This is shit! Regulus sighed.

These people were mad... hell, they didn't even know him. Yet, they took him in, fed him (very good) soup and freaking hugged him good night. They probably even stayed awake that long, filling the air with their complete life-story to keep him from feeling lonely... Allez savoir pourquoi! God knows why!

Reckless young Sirius suggested again to just roll with it and Regulus began to wonder whether he, instead of them, had gone mad.

This life he had a short glimpse into, this night was not real for him. He couldn't have that, considering the family he was born into and his obligation to live up to their expectations. Not to mention that he absolutely did not deserve being cared for after he de facto kicked his brother in the face ruined and his career.

The tiny voice piped up again, but Regulus silenced it with an exasperated groan. Yep, mad.

He surely would not sleep here on this odd couch. He would sit here, mull over all the shit that happened in just this one day, wait for them to wake up to thank them appropriately, return to the Malfoys and sleep there for a week to recompose himself.

[be-ready-when-i-say-go]

A Family of Five- Part 3: Sick Day

Calum and Harlowe’s marriage hasn’t always been easy, but it has always been filled with love. This is a collaborative experience with In Sorrow and In Joy. Dad!Calum. Black OC.

CW: Over the course of this series, there are mentions of pregnancy, therapy, and postpartum depression. There is also 18+ Content (Smut)

Enjoy my masterlist | Series Masterlist

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No one has my permission to repost my work of fiction. This includes translations as well

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The house is finally silent. Koha’s no longer shouting about needing his lunchbox, Harlowe’s not clicking against the tile floor with her heels, Pepper, Sissy and Jack their three dogs have been taken out, sprawled out across their favorite spots in the living room Jack and Sissy are the latest additions. Jack a german shepherd mix and Sissy is a Cocker Spaniel Corgi mix. They were a two for one deal, only in the sense that the pound warned them that the two had become extremely attached to each other. So much so that they could not go to separate foster homes. 

Calum can only blame himself for the dog additions. Koha had Pepper and they grew up together. So of course, Calum wanted Esha to grow up with a dog. So they went looking at the same local shelter from where they got Pepper from. That’s how they ran across Jack and Sissy. Esha was stoked to have a dog she could cuddle with. This of course meant that him and Harlowe were outnumbered, though the dogs did help when one of the kids is hurt in another room. They could run and get the attention of Calum or Harlowe to come to the rescue. Of course, the crying also indicated that. But the dogs loved the kids and they best was naptime when they Pepper lays down first, Koha and Esha curled up near each other and Jack and Sissy outlining them. Calum has too many photos of the same scene from multiple different times they curled up together. 

Esha whines a little from the couch; Calum walks over, running his palm over her forehead. Normally, she would be off to daycare. However, she had a fever last night and it hadn’t broken yet either. Calum usually drops Esha off, every morning at the same time, with the same kisses, pressed into both cheeks and a big hug. Harlowe’s job and Koha’s private school are in the same direction. Esha’s daycare is a bit of an offshoot, which Harlowe could easily do.  However, Esha prefers Calum to drive her. Calum loves it too, her dancing in her carseat, her singing along to the radio. His little baby girl always excited to show him something new that she learned. It’s time for just them. 

Though the house wasn’t too chaotic, Calum did feel like he was constantly running around. He was constantly moving, more things added to this To-Do List and never enough time just to enjoy the moment. The moments he has with Esha though on the fifteen minute drive are what keeps him going some days. He loves Harlowe, Koha, and the dogs. But there’s nothing quite like seeing Esha smile, even as he’s dropping her off in front of her preschool There’s the way her tiny hand takes his, and the way she grins, waving at all her friends still close to his side that makes all that chaos still; Calum feels at peace.

Right now though, his little slice of heaven is sick. Esha stirs from her half sleeping state at the feel of a hand on her face, groaning a little. “How you feeling, baby?” Cal asks softly. 

She shrugs. “Still hurt a little.”

He nods. “Okay, give it some more time before the meds kick in.” Her cup is empty thankfully. She drank all of her water. 

“Okay.”

He tucks the blanket higher up around her, stroking softly over her cheek and bonnet. “I’m sorry you’re sick, baby girl,” he whispers, watching her eyes flutter close. Jack walks over, jumps up onto the couch and settles down at her feet. Pepper keeps watch from the floor with Sissy. Calum scratches over their heads, happy to see them being gentle with her in her present state.

Calum washes the dishes from breakfast, squeezes in a quick work out and after his shower, wakes Esha again. She pushes up away from the pillow, a small ‘hmmph’ falling over her lips. She looks just like Harlowe waking up. The same squint and the matching satin bonnets. “I know, baby, I know. But I have to keep fluids in you.”

Esha takes the cup from her father’s hand, still blinking back sleep from her eyes. There’s no sass, no remark. God, he hates seeing his baby girl like this. Thankfully, she doesn’t get sick often. When she does, it’s like someone has pulled her plug. There’s no power, no life to her almost. She falls back into the cushion, sipping away at her cup. Calum stands, picking her up, before settling into the sofa with Esha in his lap. She snuggles into his chest, though he put her in light pj’s, he can feel the warmth seeping from her body. 

He’s already adjusted the AC some to help her stay cool. “Can we watch Moana?” she mumbles against him. 

“Of course sweetheart. We’ll start if after lunch, okay?”

Esha nods. “Love you, Daddy.”

“Love up too, baby girl.” When she’s fast asleep, yet again, Calum brings the blanket back around her body. He can wait to fix her soup just a tad bit, not wanting to disturb her sleep too much. Softly, he hums a few songs to her sleeping body. 

Calum doesn’t even realize he’s fallen asleep until the feelings of nails against his scalp stir him awake. Harlowe’s smiling down at him. “I came by just to see how see she’s holding up. And I’m come back to both of y’all passed out on the couch,” she chuckles.

Calum sighs. “Hadn’t intended to fall asleep.”

She kisses his forehead. “I’ll fix some soup and then be on my way.”

The sounds of Harlowe’s work around the kitchen sends a shiver down Calum’s spine. He rests his head into the cushions, listening to the soft sounds of metal pots and pans clinking against each other. Esha’s not so warm against him; he’s not sure if it’s just because he’s gotten used to her. Gingerly he places the back of his hand to her forehead. She’s not as warm. Readjusting her, he stands, holding his sick child to his chest. 

They’ll be leaving soon. It’s, of course, going to be tricky with the dogs and the house still here in California. Calum’s tempted to just keep the house since it’s paid for as a vacation home. They can retire here during the school breaks. Maybe they can rent it out through an agency so it’s not just sitting unoccupied all the time. Harlowe’s got a couple uni’s that are interested in her already, which is a good sign because she was worried about finding work. 

Calum watches Harlowe. She’s still in the heels from this morning. It’s a shock she makes this long anymore in the shoes. The heels are a good sign though. Today’s a good day so far. Bad days don’t see heels. Bad days don’t see skirts, or fancy blouses. Calum thinks part of her recovery and stability is linked to going back to work. She can’t help her students if she’s not thinking straight. She can’t enjoy the worlds they’re creating and she can’t help them shape those worlds if all she has is a fog on her shoulder. 

It was hard, before on the maternity leave for Harlowe. It was the same old same old. Day in and day out it was just her bedroom, just the kitchen, and occasionally the outdoors. She didn’t really have a goal, just a muddled sameness marked up rising and fallings of the sun. There was Koha and Esha and Calum for sure. But part of her had taken them for granted, that of course they would be there. She was a mother, she was a wife. These people were in her life for good. 

The thing is, life is fragile and it took realizing that her students wouldn’t be able to see her on campus to know that she couldn’t take anyone or anything for granted. Just because Calum was here now didn’t mean he would have to stick this out. Te Koha had already taken too much of her illness into his soul, she couldn’t crush her own child with her heaviness, with her burden. 

“Don’t you have a class to be teaching?” Cal asks. He remembers now that her schedule shouldn’t allow her to be here. He blames the post nap fog. 

“That was last semester, babe. I redid it so I start teaching at 9, go until 12. Break for lunch for an hour and some change. Then my last class ends goes from 2 to 3:30.”

“That’s right,” he hums, still trying to shake the sleep from him. Harlowe glances over her shoulder a smirk on her face. He knows what she’s thinking. “Don’t say it.”

She holds her hands up in defense. “I wasn’t going to say anything.”

“But you were thinking it. You’re always thinking it.”

“You just love her, that’s all. There’s nothing wrong with that.” Her face says it all though how tightly Esha has Calum wrapped around her tiny finger. It doesn’t matter though. As long as his baby girl knows how much he loves her, it doesn’t matter what Harlowe or anyone else things, or says, or doesn’t say. He’d go through Hell for her, and come back, only to go through it again if he had too. Nothing would stop him from taking care of his daughter. 

Pepper walks over, whining, pointing to the door. “I’ll take her,” Harlowe says, sliding out from in front of the stove. 

As he stirs the soup, Esha starts to wake, groaning. He sets her onto the counter. Calum’s still impressed that he can hold her with one arm. Esha’s getting bigger with every passing second. It scares him a little when he won’t be able to hold her like this anymore. When she’ll be too big and want nothing more than to run through the streets, just as wild as she’s bound to be. She holds onto the blanket, asking, “Chicken noodle soup?”

“Of course. It’s your favorite.”

“Can I have some water?”

Calum hums with a nod, opening the fridge. The back door opens and Esha smiles at up at her mom. “Hi, Momma.”

“Hey, baby. How you feeling?”

“Why you not at school?”

“Came by to see how you’re doing.” Harlowe presses a quick kiss to her forehead. Calum watches them. This is the Harlowe he knew was buried under her fog. This is the Harlowe Koha knew. The new meds seem to be helping. The idea of moving is still scary, but necessary. This place has run its course. Besides, Calum’s worried. New meds always work and then she stops taking them. He can’t do this alone, taking care of two kids, three dogs and his wife. He needs an extra pair of hands to help him out, especially when Harlowe slips. She doesn’t listen to just anybody. Her family’s no help. But Momma Joy has always managed to slip through her guard and keeps her on the right take. 

“Daddy can take care of me,” Esha retorts. 

“You’re definitely feeling better,” Harlowe laughs. “I know Papa Bear can. Momma’s just a worrier, you know.”

“Love you,” she whispers as her mom wraps her up in a hug. 

“Love you too. I’ve got a meeting, so I should probably get back soon.” Harlowe turns to Calum, sliding her hands around his waist. “Want me to pick something up for dinner?”

“I’ll cook. Don’t worry.”

With a nod, she slides away, but not before lightly patting his butt through the sweatpants. “Gross, Momma!” Esha huffs, noting the contact. 

“Do you call Papa Bear out like this?” Harlowe teases, waving as she exits the house. 

“Yes, I do!” the little girl calls to her mother’s back, laughing. These are his two girls, constantly teasing each other. 

Soup finally warmed, Esha sits at the table, taking small spoonfuls to her mouth. Her little legs dangle high above the floor. She crosses her eyes, sucking on a noddle in response to Calum’s face. He laughs, eyes closing, the skin around them crinkling too. Esha beams at the sound; she puffs out her chest a little. The laughter is because of her doing. 

“Do you want to take your hair down?” he asks, after calming from his laugh spell. 

“No.” 

Calum waits until she finishes all the bits of her soup, before they start racing to see who can drink the broth down the fastest. Esha winds up getting more on her pj’s than actually in her stomach. “Look at this mess,” Calum tsks, helping her down at of the chair. “Messy little one, aren’t you?”

“You were beating me. I had to win!”

He nods, waving her towards the stairs, a smile tugging on his lips. “Clearly winning involves dumping half the broth down your shirt.”

“Uh huh, it does.” He cleans her off, sliding her into clean pj’s. She climbs onto the sofa, while Calum cleans the dishes. She’s clutches the DVD cover for Moana, waiting. Calum’s not sure how she hasn’t grown sick of the movie yet. But she watches it with the same eager and awe as the first time she’s laid eyes on it. Calum pulls the plug on the drain, washing his hands off again. 

Esha climbs into his lap right at the start of the movie, she holds a juice pack in her hands, eyes glued to the screen. “You gotta do the singing parts, Daddy,” she states. 

“I know,” he nods, chuckling, “I know.” The singing parts also include the choreography too. During ‘You’re Welcome’, Esha joins her father, dancing around the living room. Both of them know it so well, they barely pay attention to the screen.

When Harlowe returns that afternoon with Koha, she can hear singing before she fully crosses the threshold. Her first guess is Moana, but the further they get into the house, it’s not. It’s Princess and the Frog. Calum’s dancing around during The Shadow Man’s man song. Koha drops his backpack in the foyer, running to join in. Normally, they would try to keep the kids separate if they’re sick. Clearly it is not going to work this time. 

Everyone settles in to finish the rest of the movie before Calum stands to start dinner. Esha watches from the bar counter, also scribbling over copy paper. Koha chats about his day, going over his homework with Harlowe. The house slowly fills with a white noise of sizzling, laughter and paws clicking.